bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the moderating role of years of work experience in the Job Demand–Control model
Authors: Verhofstadt Elsy , Baillien Elfi , Verhaest Dieter , De Witte Hans
Published: March 2015

The present study allows for a more flexible Job Demand–Control model by introducing years of work experience as a contextual factor (i.e. moderator). Building on the processes of adaptation and diminishing returns to learning-by-doing, the authors assumed that the relationships between job demands, job control and strain versus learning decrease with the number of years an individual has been working (i.e. years of work experience). Hypotheses were tested using data from Flemish workers during their first years on the labour market ( N = 3158). The authors accounted for unobserved individual heterogeneity by means of panel data techniques. Results revealed that the impact of control on both strain and learning decreased with years of work experience (i.e. main effect). The authors also found a significant three-way interaction effect between demands, control and years of work experience for both strain and learning, in line with their expectations.
Belief in the Malleability of Groups Strengthens the Tenuous Link Between a Collective Apology and Intergroup Forgiveness
Authors: Wohl Michael J. A. , Cohen-Chen Smadar , Halperin Eran , Caouette Julie , Hayes Nicole , Hornsey Matthew J.
Published: March 2015

Although it is widely assumed that collective apologies for intergroup harms facilitate forgiveness, evidence for a strong link between the two remains elusive. In four studies we tested the proposition that the apology–forgiveness link exists, but only among people who hold an implicit belief that groups can change. In Studies 1 and 2, perceived group malleability (measured and manipulated, respectively) moderated the responses to an apology by Palestinian leadership toward Israelis: Positive responses such as forgiveness increased with greater belief in group malleability. In Study 3, university students who believed in group malleability were more forgiving of a rival university’s derogatory comments in the presence (as opposed to the absence) of an apology. In Study 4, perceived perpetrator group remorse mediated the moderating effect of group malleability on the apology–forgiveness link (assessed in the context of a corporate transgression). Implications for collective apologies and movement toward reconciliation are discussed.
Decision making for late-phase recovery from nuclear or radiological incidents: new guidance from NCRP
Authors: Nisbet A.F. , Chen S.Y.
Published: March 2015

In 2010, the US National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) established a scientific committee (SC5-1) to prepare a comprehensive report on the framework and approach for optimising decision making in late-phase recovery from nuclear or radiological incidents that lead to wide-area contamination. The NCRP report builds on recommendations from the International Commission on Radiological Protection’s (ICRP) Publication 111 which specifically addresses the protection of people living in long-term contaminated areas. Based on this approach, the report addresses all relevant dimensions: health, environment, economic, psychological, cultural, ethical, and political. NCRP, like ICRP, considers optimisation to be the best approach to decision making for balancing these multiple risk factors in situations involving wide-area contamination where the conventional clean-up approach may encounter some serious constraints. The NCRP report describes optimisation as an iterative process that can be broken down into a series of steps, all of which involve deliberations with stakeholders as a necessary element for a community-focused recovery effort. The steps, elaborated on in the report, range from defining the situation to a series of actions involving assessing impacts, evaluating options, developing a strategy, and demonstrating its successful implementation. In conclusion, the NCRP report makes a series of recommendations aimed at enhancing and strengthening late-phase recovery following a major nuclear or radiological incident.
What should a radiation regulator do about naturally occurring radioactive material?
Authors: Loy J.
Published: March 2015

The standard regulatory framework of authorisation, review and assessment, inspection and enforcement, and regulation making is directed principally towards ensuring the regulatory control of planned exposure situations. Some mining and industrial activities involving exposures to naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), such as uranium mining or the treatment and conditioning of NORM residues, may fit readily within this standard framework. In other cases, such as oil and gas exploration and production, the standard regulatory framework needs to be adjusted. For example, it is not sensible to require that an oil company seek a licence from the radiation regulator before drilling a well. The paper discusses other approaches that a regulator might take to assure protection and safety in such activities involving exposures to NORM, including the use of conditional exemptions from regulatory controls. It also suggests some areas where further guidance from the International Commission on Radiological Protection on application of the system of radiological protection to NORM would assist both regulators and operators.
Radiological protection in computed tomography and cone beam computed tomography
Authors: Rehani M.M.
Published: March 2015

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has sustained interest in radiological protection in computed tomography (CT), and ICRP Publications 87 and 102 focused on the management of patient doses in CT and multi-detector CT (MDCT) respectively. ICRP forecasted and ‘sounded the alarm’ on increasing patient doses in CT, and recommended actions for manufacturers and users. One of the approaches was that safety is best achieved when it is built into the machine, rather than left as a matter of choice for users. In view of upcoming challenges posed by newer systems that use cone beam geometry for CT (CBCT), and their widened usage, often by untrained users, a new ICRP task group has been working on radiological protection issues in CBCT. Some of the issues identified by the task group are: lack of standardisation of dosimetry in CBCT; the false belief within the medical and dental community that CBCT is a ‘light’, low-dose CT whereas mobile CBCT units and newer applications, particularly C-arm CT in interventional procedures, involve higher doses; lack of training in radiological protection among clinical users; and lack of dose information and tracking in many applications. This paper provides a summary of approaches used in CT and MDCT, and preliminary information regarding work just published for radiological protection in CBCT.
Perceived Organizational Support: A Meta-Analytic Evaluation of Organizational Support Theory
Authors: Kurtessis James N. , Eisenberger Robert , Ford Michael T. , Buffardi Louis C. , Stewart Kathleen A. , Adis Cory S.
Published: March 2015

Organizational support theory (OST) proposes that employees form a generalized perception concerning the extent to which the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being (perceived organizational support, or POS). Based on hypotheses involving social exchange, attribution, and self-enhancement, we carried out a meta-analytic assessment of OST using results from 558 studies. OST was generally successful in its predictions concerning both the antecedents of POS (leadership, employee–organization context, human resource practices, and working conditions) and its consequences (employee’s orientation toward the organization and work, employee performance, and well-being). Notably, OST successfully predicted the relative magnitudes of different relationships, influences of process variables, and mediational effects. General implications of the findings for OST and research on POS are discussed.
Comparison of automated breast ultrasonography to handheld ultrasonography in detecting and diagnosing breast lesions
Authors: Jeh Su Kyung , Kim Sung Hun , Choi Jae Jeong , Jung Sang Sul , Choe Byung Joo , Park Sarah , Park Mi Sun
Published: March 2015

Background

Automated breast ultrasonography (ABUS) is increasingly used as a screening tool. Several studies have demonstrated a similar diagnostic performance for ABUS compared with handheld ultrasonography (HHUS), but the overall results have been controversial.

Purpose

To compare the clinical utility of ABUS and HHUS for detection and diagnosis of breast lesions.

Material and Methods

ABUS and HHUS images of suspicious breast lesions were obtained for 173 consecutive women scheduled to undergo ultrasonography (US)-guided or stereotactic biopsy. There were a total of 206 lesions, 46 of which were malignant and 160 benign. Three breast radiologists took part in this study: two reviewed the ABUS images, and the third reviewed all of the images, ABUS and HHUS, as well as the patients’ medical records. The biopsied-lesion-detection rates were obtained. Using the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), the images of the biopsied lesions were evaluated. Factors affecting ABUS detectability were analyzed.

Results

The overall detection rates were 83.0% for ABUS and 94.2% for HHUS. Ten lesions were not detected on either HHUS or ABUS and these were microcalcifications (one malignancy and nine benign lesions). Of the 194 HHUS-detected lesions, 169 were detected by ABUS and 25 benign were not. ABUS less frequently detected lesions of smaller size as well as those of benign appearance and lower final-assessment category ( P = 0.011 and P < 0.0001, respectively).

Conclusion

ABUS detected all of the malignant lesions that were detected on HHUS. ABUS missed several smaller benign lesions.
Cardiac MRI in patients with cardiac pacemakers: practical methods for reducing susceptibility artifacts and optimizing image quality
Authors: Kaasalainen Touko , Kivistö Sari , Holmström Miia , Peltonen Juha , Pakarinen Sami , Hänninen Helena , Sipilä Outi
Published: March 2015

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of pacemaker patients has become available despite of previous contraindications. However, pacing systems containing ferromagnetic material may hamper the diagnostic quality of cardiac MR (CMR) images.

Purpose

To study methods for reducing susceptibility-based artifacts in CMR examinations of pacemaker patients.

Material and Methods

Altogether 16 patients were scanned with 1.5T MRI scanner using cine balanced steady-state free-precession (bSSFP) and spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) sequences. The use of frequency-scout was also evaluated. For myocardial late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) imaging, SPGR or bSSFP readout inversion-recovery prepared gradient echo sequences were used with and without phase-sensitive inversion-recovery (PSIR). Two radiologists subjectively compared the image quality (IQ) and the ranges of susceptibility artifacts were evaluated objectively.

Results

The IQ proved adequate for diagnosing each patient, although in a few patients with a left-side implanted generator, artifacts hampered IQ in the anterior and anteroseptal segments of the myocardium in bSSFP cine and LGE sequences. In bSSFP cine, the use of frequency-scout could often transfer the banding artifacts away from the left ventricular myocardium. In LGE imaging, the artifacts were more pronounced in IR-bSSFP and PSIR than in IR-SPGR sequences. The ranges of generator-based artifacts were greater in bSSFP (10–12 cm) than in SPGR (6 cm) sequences due to banding artifacts.

Conclusion

The artifacts caused by pacemakers typically did not compromise the diagnostic IQ. The use of frequency-scout prior to bSSFP cine or the use of SPGR-based sequences could also improve IQ.
High 18F-FDG uptake in PMAH correlated with normal expression of Glut1, HK1, HK2, and HK3
Authors: Cavalcante Isadora Pontes , Zerbini Maria Claudia Nogueira , Alencar Guilherme Asmar , Mariani Beatriz de Paula , Buchpiguel Carlos Alberto , Almeida Madson Queiroz , Mendonca Berenice Bilharinho , Fragoso Maria Candida Barisson Villares
Published: March 2015

Background

Primary macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PMAH) is a rare cause of Cushing’s syndrome, characterized by functioning adrenal macronodules and variable cortisol production. Recently, we demonstrated a high 18F-FDG uptake in PMAH, an unexpected finding for a benign disorder.

Purpose

To investigate whether there is a correlation between 18F-FDG high uptake and the expression levels of the glycolytic pathway components GLUT1, HK1, HK2, and HK3 in PMAH.

Material and Methods

We selected 12 patients undergoing surgery for PMAH who had preoperatively undergone 18F-FDG PET/CT. mRNA and protein expression of the selected genes were evaluated in the adrenal nodules from patients who underwent surgery through quantitative RT-PCR and by immunohistochemistry, respectively.

Results

SUVmax in PMAH was in the range of 3.3–8.9 and the adrenal size was in the range of 3.5–15 cm. A strong correlation between 18F-FDG uptake and largest adrenal diameter was observed in patients with PMAH. However, no correlation between 18F-FDG uptake and GLUT1, HK1, HK2, HK3 mRNA, and protein expression was observed.

Conclusion

High 18F-FDG uptake is observed in the majority of PMAH cases. However, 18F-FDG uptake in PMAH is independent of the expression levels of GLUT1, HK1, HK2, and HK3. Further investigation is required to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying increased 18F-FDG uptake in PMAH.
Gross and Microscopic Lesions in Corals from Micronesia
Authors: Work T. M. , Aeby G. S. , Hughen K. A.
Published: March 2015

The authors documented gross and microscopic morphology of lesions in corals on 7 islands spanning western, southern, and eastern Micronesia, sampling 76 colonies comprising 30 species of corals among 18 genera, with Acropora, Porites, and Montipora dominating. Tissue loss comprised the majority of gross lesions sampled (41%), followed by discoloration (30%) and growth anomaly (29%). Of 31 cases of tissue loss, most lesions were subacute (48%), followed by acute and chronic (26% each). Of 23 samples with discoloration, most were dark discoloration (40%), with bleaching and other discoloration each constituting 30%. Of 22 growth anomalies, umbonate growth anomalies composed half, with exophytic, nodular, and rugose growth anomalies composing the remainder. On histopathology, for 9 cases of dark discoloration, fungal infections predominated (77%); for 7 bleached corals, depletion of zooxanthellae from the gastrodermis made up a majority of microscopic diagnoses (57%); and for growth anomalies other than umbonate, hyperplasia of the basal body wall was the most common microscopic finding (63%). For the remainder of the gross lesions, no single microscopic finding constituted >50% of the total. Host response varied with the agent present on histology. Fragmentation of tissues was most often associated with algae (60%), whereas necrosis dominated (53%) for fungi. Two newly documented potentially symbiotic tissue-associated metazoans were seen in Porites and Montipora. Findings of multiple potential etiologies for a given gross lesion highlight the importance of incorporating histopathology in coral disease surveys. This study also expands the range of corals infected with cell-associated microbial aggregates.
Injuries and Illnesses in the Preparticipation Evaluation Data of 1693 College Student-Athletes
Authors: Matheson Gordon O. , Anderson Scott , Robell Kevin
Published: March 2015

Background:

While the preparticipation evaluation (PPE) is widely used by medical practitioners, its overall effectiveness is unknown, in part because there are no standardized or centralized mechanisms to collect and analyze medical history information.

Purpose:

To report on the injuries and illnesses identified with the use of an electronic PPE (ePPE) completed by first-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 varsity sport participants (N = 1693; 797 women, 896 men) upon entry to a single institution between 2010 and 2013.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Results:

In total, 3126 discrete past injuries were reported (women, 1473 injuries; men, 1653 injuries). Time loss from sport participation averaged 31.4 days for each injury (women, 32.2 days; men, 30.7 days), and aggregate time loss from sport for all student-athletes before the ePPE was 256 years. Eleven percent of student-athletes had injuries that were unresolved and still symptomatic at the time of the ePPE. Thirty percent of injured student-athletes had a history of ≥1 surgeries for an injury (women, 176; men, 213), and these accounted for 57% of the time lost from sport before college participation. Head injuries accounted for 9% (110 women, 173 men), and loss of consciousness was reported in 19% of these. One in 3 student-athletes answered “yes” to ≥1 of the American Heart Association questions on cardiovascular health. While 15% of women reported a history of stress fracture, only 3% reported a diagnosed eating disorder.

Conclusion:

While some data in this population are self-evident, we were not aware of the high frequency of past injuries, the magnitude of time lost from sport, the high frequency of past surgery, and the number of participants still symptomatic from injuries. The ePPE is a valuable tool for collecting and analyzing aggregate injury and illness data in athletes, such as the finding that 11% of injuries that were reported were unresolved and still symptomatic.
Explaining the Association between Gender and Substance Use among American Indian Adolescents
Authors: Eitle Tamela McNulty , Eitle David
Published: March 2015

This study evaluates the utility of Hagan’s power-control theory for explaining substance use behaviors for a sample of American Indian (AI) adolescent males and females. Consistent with the theory, we found that patriarchal family form and the affective bond between father and daughter were significant predictors of female substance use behaviors. Compared with results from an analysis of non-Hispanic (NH) whites, these results reveal the importance of testing generalist explanations of deviant behavior across racial and ethnic groups. Our findings encourage a more in-depth consideration of the gendered nature of work, its association with socialization and control in AI families, and its impact on gender differences in substance use and delinquent behaviors.
“We Didn’t Even Think about Adopting Domestically”
Authors: Khanna Nikki , Killian Caitlin
Published: March 2015

As transnational adoption grows, many American children await adoption in the United States. Because many of these children are children of color (and often black), we ask: What role does race play in parents’ decisions to adopt abroad rather than adopt domestically? In-depth interviews with 41 parents reveal that parents adopt abroad for many reasons. Regarding racial motivations, although some parents were open to children of any race and several actively sought nonwhite children, many had limits—they did not want to adopt African American children. We look at how parents articulate the role of race in their decisions, and the implications for domestic adoption and broader race relations in the United States.
Transit-Oriented Design in the Netherlands
Authors: Pojani Dorina , Stead Dominic
Published: March 2015

The article illustrates the extent to which “ideal” internationally formulated transit-oriented development (TOD) principles and models are relevant to Dutch circumstances and perceptions. The evidence presented in the article suggests that while Dutch TOD specialists agree with many of the basic TOD design principles laid out in the international literature, their views about specific design aspects are closely linked to national cultural predilections and practices. The data was obtained through a design workshop involving key TOD specialists (academics, policy officials, and consultants) using a multi-media approach.
Preparation and evaluation of biocompatible long-term radiopaque microspheres based on polyvinyl alcohol and lipiodol for embolization
Authors: Meng Wen-Jing , Lu Xiao-Jing , Wang Huan , Fan Tian-Yuan , Cui Dai-Chao , Zhang Shui-Sheng , Zheng Zhuo-Zhao , Guan Hai-Tao , Song Li , Zou Ying-Hua
Published: March 2015

The aim of this work was to develop long-term radiopaque microspheres (LRMs) by entrapping lipiodol in biocompatible polyvinyl alcohol with multiple emulsions chemical crosslinking method. The high content of lipiodol (0.366 g/mL) was hardly released from LRMs in vitro and the radiopacity could maintain at least 3 months after subcutaneous injection in mice without weakening. A series of tests was performed to evaluate the feasibility of LRMs for embolization. LRMs were proved to be smooth, spherical, and well dispersed with diameter range of 100–1200 μm. Young's modulus of LRMs was 55.39 ± 9.10 kPa and LRMs could be easily delivered through catheter without aggregating or clogging. No toxicity of LRMs was found to mouse L929 fibroblasts cells and only moderate inflammatory in surrounding tissue of mice was found after subcutaneous injection of LRMs. After LRMs were embolized in renal artery of a rabbit, the distribution and radiopacity of LRMs in vivo were easily detectable by X-ray fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT) imaging, respectively. More accurate distribution of LRMs in embolized kidney and vessels could be detected by high-revolution visualization of micro-CT ex vivo. In conclusion, the LRMs were proved to be biocompatible and provide long-term radiopacity with good physical and mechanical properties for embolization.
Polyhedral microcrystals encapsulating bone morphogenetic protein 2 improve healing in the alveolar ridge
Authors: Matsumoto Goichi , Ueda Takayo , Sugita Yoshihiko , Kubo Katsutoshi , Mizoguchi Megumi , Kotani Eiji , Oda Naoki , Kawamata Shin , Segami Natsuki , Mori Hajime
Published: March 2015

Atelocollagen sponges incorporating polyhedra encapsulating bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) were implanted into lateral bone defects in the mandible. Half of the bone defects on the left side were treated with atelocollagen sponges containing 1.8 × 107 BMP-2 polyhedra, and half were treated with sponges containing 3.6 × 106 BMP-2 polyhedra. As controls, we treated the right-side bone defects in each animal with an atelocollagen sponge containing 5 µg of recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) or 1.8 × 107 empty polyhedral. After a healing period of six months, whole mandibles were removed for micro-computed tomography (CT) and histological analyses. Micro-CT images showed that more bone had formed at all experimental sites than at control sites. However, the density of the new bone was not significantly higher at sites with an atelocollagen sponge containing BMP-2 polyhedra than at sites with an atelocollagen sponge containing rhBMP-2 or empty polyhedra. Histological examination confirmed that the BMP-2 polyhedra almost entirely replaced the atelocollagen sponges and connected the original bone with the regenerated bone. These results show that the BMP-2 delivery system facilitates the regeneration of new bone in the mandibular alveolar bone ridge and has an advance in the technology of bone regeneration for implant site development.
Discourse on climate change in China: A public sphere without the public
Authors: Eberhardt Christopher
Published: March 2015

In 2007 China passed the United States to become the greatest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2). In the same year a report was published by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Following this report, the Chinese media began to make a link between human activity and climate change. To analyse the climate discourse that has emerged since the publication of the report, this article draws on the argument of Guobin Yang and Craig Calhoun that China has a green public sphere. In China amid the messages to consume more are messages broadcast for the masses by the Chinese state and foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) advocating ‘green’ and ‘low-carbon’ lifestyles with little mention of climate change or questioning of existing policies. Smaller spaces or publics exist and are primarily occupied by governmental and non-governmental elites that debate and discuss climate change in serious and playful manners. Yet it is in spaces that are not public where policies are being crafted which influence the emissions of greenhouse gases in China, while citizens focus on their economic livelihood.
Cultural critique and avant-garde theatre in post-socialist China: Meng Jinghui’s ‘I love therefore I am’
Authors: He Donghui
Published: March 2015

The literal translation of avant-garde from French is ‘foreguard’. While the front has been diversely defined in various permutations of the movement, the cutting edge of avant-garde theatre in China and many post-socialist countries is largely retrospective and anti-futuristic. This is particularly true for the campus-based fringe theatre of the early 1990s, which is regarded as the highlight of avant-garde theatre in China. An alternative venue spearheaded by young theatre artists, avant-garde fringe theatre is notable for unpacking the cultural and political constructs of the Chinese socialist period as it played out through the artists’ own formative experiences. Directed by Meng Jinghu, I Love XXX chronicles the moral emotions that are central to a generation’s self-identity. The play, which is composed of more than 700 parallel sentences prefixed with ‘I love’, presents a meticulously constructed emotional archive of the generation that was born in the late socialist period and came of age in post-socialist China. Imitating rites of passage and classroom drills, the play effectively illuminates the impact affective education had on an individual’s self-perception. The fact that the play was revived in 2013 – 19 years after its initial appearance – proves its enduring relevance in contemporary China.
Representations of familial intimacy across the Taiwan Strait: The reinvention of homeness among Taiwanese wives in documentaries
Authors: Hsieh Hsin-Chin
Published: March 2015

This article investigates the cinematic representation of Taiwanese businesspeople’s ( taishang 台商) family relations in China, and the concomitant transformation of homeness. The emergence of Taiwanese enterprises in China began in the late 1980s, and the attendant migration has resulted in the separation of families and a change in women’s roles as their husbands travel between Taiwan and China. This article sheds light on how documentary film portrays cross-Strait migration, as seen through the lens of taishang wives. Two documentary films – Chang’e’s Monthly Visit (嫦娥月事, 2003) and A Wife’s Stage (太太的舞台, 2003) – respectively produced by Taiwanese and PRC filmmakers are discussed to demonstrate the transformation of women’s roles within the domestic sphere and the reinvention of homeness. Homeness is used as a trope of representational politics on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and as a site of cultural production impacted by migration. This article argues that in Taiwanese documentary filmmaking, home is associated with the split family structure through the portrayal of wives as subordinated victims, whereas PRC filmmakers present China as an ideal and harmonious homeland.
Reading an Outsider: Lot in Jubilees
Authors: Snyder Josey
Published: March 2015

This article examines the characterization of Lot in Jubilees and considers how it relates to the centrality of covenant in the book. The article suggests that the author of Jubilees systematically reworked the Genesis account so as to remove any possibility of interpreting Lot positively, and argues that a wholly negative portrayal of Lot was important to uphold the strict bifurcation between covenant and non-covenant peoples. A comparison with other Second Temple period works serves to demonstrate further the particular choices and emphases of the author of Jubilees.
The Alphabet of Creation: Traces of Jubilees Cosmogony in Slavonic Tradition
Authors: Geller Florentina Badalanova
Published: March 2015

So far the reception history of Jubilees within the intellectual environment of the Byzantine Commonwealth, from the perspective of the last lingua sacra of Europe, Old Church Slavonic, has been overlooked. One of the goals of this article is to present hitherto neglected evidence concerning the attestations of the Jubilees cosmogonic template in medieval Slavonic tradition, thus aiming at introducing new material into the study of the transmission and domestication of Jewish parabiblical writings in their successive Christian environments. Intentionally excluded from the scope of the current investigation are literary sources attested in languages other than Church Slavonic (since they are analyzed by others). The focal point of the analysis in the present work is thus Slavonic material, as represented by translations (from Greek) of some parabiblical writings (e.g. fragments from Epiphanius of Salamis' treatise On Measures and Weights) and related historiographical compositions (e.g. the Chronicles of John Malalas and George Hamartolos); also included is complementary data from The Palaea compendia. Of particular importance for this discussion are narratives concerned with the origins of the Universe and Mankind; each of these is treated as a surviving piece of evidence concerning Judaeo-Christian encounters in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
A Pagan Prophetess of the Jewish God: Religious Identity and Hellenization in the Third Sibyl
Authors: Gabrielson Timothy A
Published: March 2015

From a modern point of view, the mixture of Hellenism and Judaism in Sibylline Oracles 3 might appear paradoxical, but not so for the author. It is possible to analyze Jewish religious identity and Hellenization in the Third Sibyl with precision utilizing Ninian Smart's seven marks of religion. In most respects the sibyllist synthesizes the two cultural contexts easily, but the Jerusalem cult is normative for all, and certain Jewish ethics and rituals are prioritized. This helps us understand not only Sibylline Oracles 3 better, but also Second Temple Judaism.
Bilingualism Modulates Infants’ Selective Attention to the Mouth of a Talking Face
Authors: Pons Ferran , Bosch Laura , Lewkowicz David J.
Published: March 2015

Infants growing up in bilingual environments succeed at learning two languages. What adaptive processes enable them to master the more complex nature of bilingual input? One possibility is that bilingual infants take greater advantage of the redundancy of the audiovisual speech that they usually experience during social interactions. Thus, we investigated whether bilingual infants’ need to keep languages apart increases their attention to the mouth as a source of redundant and reliable speech cues. We measured selective attention to talking faces in 4-, 8-, and 12-month-old Catalan and Spanish monolingual and bilingual infants. Monolinguals looked more at the eyes than the mouth at 4 months and more at the mouth than the eyes at 8 months in response to both native and nonnative speech, but they looked more at the mouth than the eyes at 12 months only in response to nonnative speech. In contrast, bilinguals looked equally at the eyes and mouth at 4 months, more at the mouth than the eyes at 8 months, and more at the mouth than the eyes at 12 months, and these patterns of responses were found for both native and nonnative speech at all ages. Thus, to support their dual-language acquisition processes, bilingual infants exploit the greater perceptual salience of redundant audiovisual speech cues at an earlier age and for a longer time than monolingual infants.
Development and initial validation of a damage index (DIAPS) in patients with thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)
Authors: Amigo M-C , Goycochea-Robles M V , Espinosa-Cuervo G , Medina G , Barragán-Garfias J A , Vargas A , Jara L Javier
Published: March 2015

Introduction

In antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), certain principal manifestations are associated with a worse prognosis and organ damage.

Objective

The objective of this paper is to describe the development and initial content, criterion and construct validity of a disease-specific cumulative damage index in patients with thrombotic APS (DIAPS).

Methods

Through expert panel agreement, 47 items were considered to reflect damage in APS. This preliminary version of the DIAPS was submitted to four local and international clinical and research experts in APS who ranked each item according to severity. A Delphi exercise resulted in a final 37 item instrument. In the second phase, a cross-sectional study was conducted applying the DIAPS in patients included in a multicenter electronic registry of patients with APS. Quality of life related to health status was evaluated with the EuroQol for construct validation. An α Cronbach and correlation with the EuroQol scale were calculated with SPSS 20.0 ( p < 0.05).

Results

We evaluated the DIAPS in 156 patients, 77% female, with a mean age at diagnosis 34.7 ± 5.5 years. A total of 69% had primary APS. Common comorbidities included obesity, depression and dyslipidemia. The most frequent manifestations resulting in sequelae were deep venous thrombosis and ischemic stroke. Blindness, retinal occlusive vessel disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac valve requiring replacement, mesenteric thrombosis, and renal insufficiency also occurred. Homogeneity: α Cronbach 0.619. DIAPS items correlated with EuroQol domains with the exception of pulmonary, renal, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates content, criterion and construct validity of a new physician-reported instrument to assess the DIAPS. In addition, the DIAPS correlated with the EuroQol.
Residents’ awareness and attitudes about an ongoing community-based genome cohort study in Nagahama, Japan
Authors: Miyamoto Keiko , Iwakuma Miho , Nakayama Takeo
Published: March 2015

This study’s objective was to examine residents’ attitudes toward and factors associated with an ongoing, real genome cohort study based on a community in Japan. After the genome cohort study’s launch in 2007, in November and December 2009, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with 2500 randomly sampled residents aged 30–74 years, living in Nagahama, Japan. Responses were received from 1363 people (response rate = 54.5%), of whom 187 respondents had already participated in the study. Although the local government and researchers disseminated information through leaflets and citizen-information papers to every household, sent notices by personalized letter, and held symposia and other meetings, 65.7% of males and 47.2% of females first became aware of the study when they received our questionnaire. Among all respondents, 81.2% of those who knew that the genome cohort study had begun and 68.6% of those who did not know had a positive attitude toward the study. Their attitudes were significantly associated with high health consciousness and the desire for an extensive health check-up. Although for males there were no particular negative aspects of the genome study, for females, positive aspects were associated with participating in community activities and desiring an extensive health check-up. Although promoting a community-based genome cohort study requires huge effort, it is essential to popularize it. Actions are vital both for monitoring public awareness and attitudes at a community level and for keeping communication channels open.
Barrett's Oesophagus Surveillance versus endoscopy at need Study (BOSS): protocol and analysis plan for a multicentre randomized controlled trial
Authors: Old Oliver , Moayyedi Paul , Love Sharon , Roberts Corran , Hapeshi Julie , Foy Chris , Stokes Clive , Briggs Andrew , Jankowski Janusz , Barr Hugh ,   the BOSS Trial Team
Published: March 2015

Objectives

The absolute annual risk of patients with Barrett's oesophagus (BO) developing oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is ≤0.5%. Screening BO patients for malignant progression using endoscopic surveillance is widely practised. To assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this, we developed a protocol for a randomized controlled trial of surveillance versus ‘at need’ endoscopy.

Methods

In a multicentre trial, 3400 BO patients randomized to either 2-yearly endoscopic surveillance or ‘at need’ endoscopy will be followed up for 10 years. Urgent endoscopy will be offered to all patients who develop symptoms of dysphagia, unexplained weight loss >7lb (3.2kg), iron deficiency anaemia, recurrent vomiting, or worsening upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Participants must have endoscopically and histologically confirmed BO, with circumferential BO ≥1cm or maximal tongue/island length ≥2 cm. Candidates with existing oesophageal high-grade dysplasia or cancer, or previous upper gastrointestinal cancer will be excluded. Primary outcome will be overall survival. Secondary outcomes will be cost effectiveness (cost per life year saved and quality adjusted life years); cancer-specific survival; time to OAC diagnosis and stage at diagnosis; morbidity and mortality related to any interventions; and frequency of endoscopy.

Conclusions

This randomized trial will provide data to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of screening BO patients for OAC.
Biomechanical Analysis of an Arthroscopic Broström Ankle Ligament Repair and a Suture Anchor–Augmented Repair
Authors: Giza Eric , Whitlow Scott R. , Williams Brady T. , Acevedo Jorge I. , Mangone Peter G. , Haytmanek C. Thomas , Curry Eugene E. , Turnbull Travis Lee , LaPrade Robert F. , Wijdicks Coen A. , Clanton Thomas O.
Published: March 2015

Background:

Secondary surgical repair of ankle ligaments is often indicated in cases of chronic lateral ankle instability. Recently, arthroscopic Broström techniques have been described, but biomechanical information is limited. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the biomechanical properties of an arthroscopic Broström repair and augmented repair with a proximally placed suture anchor. It was hypothesized that the arthroscopic Broström repairs would compare favorably to open techniques and that augmentation would increase the mean repair strength at time zero.

Methods:

Twenty (10 matched pairs) fresh-frozen foot and ankle cadaveric specimens were obtained. After sectioning of the lateral ankle ligaments, an arthroscopic Broström procedure was performed on each ankle using two 3.0-mm suture anchors with #0 braided polyethylene/polyester multifilament sutures. One specimen from each pair was augmented with a 2.9-mm suture anchor placed 3 cm proximal to the inferior tip of the lateral malleolus. Repairs were isolated and positioned in 20 degrees of inversion and 10 degrees of plantarflexion and loaded to failure using a dynamic tensile testing machine. Maximum load (N), stiffness (N/mm), and displacement at maximum load (mm) were recorded.

Results:

There were no significant differences between standard arthroscopic repairs and the augmented repairs for mean maximum load and stiffness (154.4 ± 60.3 N, 9.8 ± 2.6 N/mm vs 194.2 ± 157.7 N, 10.5 ± 4.7 N/mm, P = .222, P = .685).

Conclusions:

Repair augmentation did not confer a significantly higher mean strength or stiffness at time zero.

Clinical Relevance:

Mean strength and stiffness for the arthroscopic Broström repair compared favorably with previous similarly tested open repair and reconstruction methods, validating the clinical feasibility of an arthroscopic repair. However, augmentation with an additional proximal suture anchor did not significantly strengthen the repair.
Generalization of hyperbolic perturbation solution for heteroclinic orbits of strongly nonlinear self-excited oscillator
Authors: Chen Yang-Yang , Yan Le-Wei , Kai-Leung Su Ray , Liu Bo
Published: March 2015

A generalized hyperbolic perturbation method for heteroclinic solutions is presented for strongly nonlinear self-excited oscillators in the more general form of [Formula: see text]. The advantage of this work is that heteroclinic solutions for more complicated and strong nonlinearities can be analytically derived, and the previous hyperbolic perturbation solutions for Duffing type oscillator can be just regarded as a special case of the present method. The applications to cases with quadratic-cubic nonlinearities and with quintic-septic nonlinearities are presented. Comparisons with other methods are performed to assess the effectiveness of the present method.
What Follows What? Relations between Economic Indicators, Economic Expectations of the Public, and News on the General Economy and Unemployment in Germany, 2002-2011
Authors: Lischka Juliane A.
Published: March 2015

This study aims to understand dynamic agenda-building and agenda-setting processes between real-world indicators, public expectations (PEs), and aggregated news on the general economy and unemployment for the four most popular general news outlets in Germany from 2002 to 2011: two public service, a commercial news show, and a tabloid newspaper. Vector autoregression models and Granger causality tests reveal that (1) news tone (NT) relates to real-world indicators; (2) PEs for the general economy and unemployment are partly set by the tone of news on the general economy, especially during recession times; and (3) PEs can forecast the future real-world economy.
Modeling the Adoption and Use of Citizen Journalism by Online Newspapers
Authors: Nah Seungahn , Yamamoto Masahiro , Chung Deborah S. , Zuercher Robert
Published: March 2015

This study examines the extent to which professional journalism adopts and uses citizen journalism, such as user-generated content (UGC) and user-submitted stories (USS), at the individual, organizational, and community levels. In doing so, the study adopts a web-based survey of top U.S. news editors ( n = 142) coupled with U.S. Census Data. The study reveals that experience as online journalists and online staff size play roles in the adoption and use of UGC. The study also finds that community structural pluralism is related to the adoption and use of news stories written together by professional and citizen journalists.
Revolutions and international relations: Rediscovering the classical bourgeois revolutions
Authors: Anievas Alexander
Published: March 2015

In the modern era, revolutions have been central to the structure and dynamics of international affairs. They have always been international events: international in origin, ideology, process and effect, supercharging the rhythms and logics of any given international system. Yet, within the discipline of International Relations, the study of revolutions has remained something of a secondary subject. Not only have there been relatively few studies theoretically engaging with revolution and international relations, but the dominant theoretical frameworks in International Relations have largely bracketed out revolutions from their conceptions of international politics. Yet, if revolutions have been, in part, international in both cause and effect, thereby transcending the confines of ‘second-’ and ‘third-image’ conceptions of international relations, we require theoretical tools capable of capturing the sociological and geopolitical dimensions of these Janus-faced events without reducing one dimension to the other. Drawing on the theory of uneven and combined development, this article provides such a conception, organically uniting both ‘sociological’ and ‘geopolitical’ modes of explanation. It does so, in particular, by re-examining two of the key ‘classical’ bourgeois revolutions of the early-modern epoch: the English and French revolutions.
Evaluation of a Telehealth Service for COPD and HF patients: Clinical outcome and patients’ perceptions
Authors: Odeh Bassel , Kayyali Reem , Nabhani-Gebara Shereen , Philip Nada , Robinson Patricia , Wallace Catherine Russell
Published: March 2015

NHS Croydon Health Services and NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group have been providing telehealth services for the past 36 months. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of telehealth when implemented as a service within a standard patient care pathway.

To measure the clinical outcomes, the number of A&E visits and hospital admissions, recorded on the NHS Secondary Uses Service database, were compared before and after the implementation of the telehealth service. The number of all events despite its cause and the number of events related to the patients’ diagnosed condition were collected. To elicit patients’ perceptions about the telehealth service, a cross sectional survey of patients registered on the triage manager database was used to explore their perceptions, concerns and general satisfaction with the telehealth service via a 4 point likert scale questionnaire.

The data of 48 patients were collected and telehealth reduced the number of both A&E and hospital admission due to all causes by 13% (P = 0.42) and 22% (P = 0.048), respectively. When only the events directly related to the patient’s diagnosed condition were considered, a reduction by 36% (P = 0.03) and 28% (P = 0.02) was recorded for A&E visits and hospital admission respectively. 27 patients consented to participate in the survey. Overall, patients were very satisfied with telehealth services. Patients agreed that telehealth had improved their health, it was a convenient form of health care delivery for them and they were more involved in the decisions about their care or treatment. In addition, since being on telehealth, patients’ confidence in managing their health increased from somewhat confident to confident.

Telehealth, when provided as a service within a standard care pathway, seems to decrease hospital admissions and A&E visits. Good patient satisfaction suggests that the current service is accepted and it could be further expanded to include a larger number of patients.
A comparison of telemedicine teaching to in-person teaching for the acquisition of an ultrasound skill - a pilot project
Authors: Brisson Anne-Marie , Steinmetz Peter , Oleskevich Sharon , Lewis John , Reid Andrew
Published: March 2015

Telemedicine is widely used for medical education but few studies directly investigate how telemedicine teaching compares to conventional in-person teaching. Here we determine whether telemedicine teaching is as effective as in-person teaching for the acquisition of an ultrasound skill important in trauma care. Nurses with no prior ultrasound experience (n = 10) received study material and a teaching session on how to locate and image the hepatorenal space (Morison’s pouch). One group of nurses was taught in-person (In-person Group) and the other group was taught via telemedicine (Telemedicine Group). Telemedicine allowed two-way audio and visual communication between the instructor and the nurses. A comparison of the teaching techniques showed that telemedicine teaching was equivalent to in-person teaching for the acquisition of practical and theoretical skills required to locate Morison’s pouch. The average time required to locate Morison’s pouch after teaching was similar between both groups. The results demonstrate that telemedicine teaching is as effective as in-person teaching for the acquisition of bedside ultrasound skills necessary to identify Morison’s pouch. Remote teaching of these bedside ultrasound skills may help in the diagnosis of intra-abdominal bleeding in rural healthcare centers.