bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Baroreflex Activation Therapy on Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Patients With Resistant Hypertension
Authors: Wallbach Manuel , Lehnig Luca-Yves , Schroer Charlotte , Lüders Stephan , Böhning Enrico , Müller Gerhard A. , Wachter Rolf , Koziolek Michael J.
Published: February 2016

Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) has been demonstrated to decrease office blood pressure (BP) in the randomized, double-blind Rheos trial. There are limited data on 24-hour BP changes measured by ambulatory BP measurements (ABPMs) using the first generation rheos BAT system suggesting a significant reduction but there are no information about the effect of the currently used, unilateral BAT neo device on ABPM. Patients treated with the BAT neo device for uncontrolled resistant hypertension were prospectively included into this study. ABPM was performed before BAT implantation and 6 months after initiation of BAT. A total of 51 patients were included into this study, 7 dropped out from analysis because of missing or insufficient follow-up. After 6 months, 24-hour ambulatory systolic (from 148±17 mm Hg to 140±23 mm Hg,
P
<0.01), diastolic (from 82±13 mm Hg to 77±15 mm Hg,
P
<0.01), day- and night-time systolic and diastolic BP (all
P
≤0.01) significantly decreased while the number of prescribed antihypertensive classes could be reduced from 6.5±1.5 to 6.0±1.8 (
P
=0.03). Heart rate and pulse pressure remained unchanged. BAT was equally effective in reducing ambulatory BP in all subgroups of patients. This is the first study demonstrating a significant BP reduction in ABPM in patients undergoing chronically stimulation of the carotid sinus using the BAT neo device. About that BAT-reduced office BP and improved relevant aspects of ABPM, BAT might be considered as a new therapeutic option to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with resistant hypertension. Randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate BAT effects on ABPM in patients with resistant hypertension accurately.
Trimethylamine N‐Oxide Promotes Vascular Inflammation Through Signaling of Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase and Nuclear Factor‐κB
Authors: Seldin Marcus M. , Meng Yonghong , Qi Hongxiu , Zhu WeiFei , Wang Zeneng , Hazen Stanley L. , Lusis Aldons J. , Shih Diana M.
Published: February 2016

Background

The choline‐derived metabolite trimethylamine N‐oxide (
TMAO
) has been demonstrated to contribute to atherosclerosis and is associated with coronary artery disease risk.

Methods and Results

We explored the impact of
TMAO
on endothelial and smooth muscle cell function in vivo, focusing on disease‐relevant outcomes for atherogenesis. Initially, we observed that aortas of
LDLR
−/−
mice fed a choline diet showed elevated inflammatory gene expression compared with controls. Acute
TMAO
injection at physiological levels was sufficient to induce the same inflammatory markers and activate the well‐known mitogen‐activated protein kinase, extracellular signal–related kinase, and nuclear factor‐κB signaling cascade. These observations were recapitulated in primary human aortic endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. We also found that
TMAO
promotes recruitment of activated leukocytes to endothelial cells. Through pharmacological inhibition, we further showed that activation of nuclear factor‐κB signaling was necessary for
TMAO
to induce inflammatory gene expression in both of these relevant cell types as well as endothelial cell adhesion of leukocytes.

Conclusions

Our results suggest a likely contributory mechanism for
TMAO
‐dependent enhancement in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks.
Varenicline and Adverse Cardiovascular Events: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Sterling Lee H. , Windle Sarah B. , Filion Kristian B. , Touma Lahoud , Eisenberg Mark J.
Published: February 2016

Background

Varenicline is an efficacious smoking‐cessation drug. However, previous meta‐analyses provide conflicting results regarding its cardiovascular safety. The publication of several new randomized controlled trials (
RCT
s) provides an opportunity to reassess this potential adverse drug reaction.

Methods and Results

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for
RCT
s that compare varenicline with placebo for smoking cessation.
RCT
s reporting cardiovascular serious adverse events and/or all‐cause mortality during the treatment period or within 30 days of treatment discontinuation were eligible for inclusion. Relative risks (
RRs
) with 95%
CI
s were generated by using DerSimonian–Laird random‐effects models. Thirty‐eight
RCT
s met our inclusion criteria (N=12 706). Events were rare in both varenicline (57/7213) and placebo (43/5493) arms. No difference was observed for cardiovascular serious adverse events when comparing varenicline with placebo (
RR
1.03, 95%
CI
0.72–1.49). Similar findings were obtained when examining cardiovascular (
RR
1.04, 95%
CI
0.57–1.89) and noncardiovascular patients (
RR
1.03, 95%
CI
0.64–1.64). Deaths were rare in both varenicline (11/7213) and placebo (9/5493) arms. Although 95%
CI
s were wide, pooling of all‐cause mortality found no difference between groups (
RR
0.88, 95%
CI
0.50–1.52), including when stratified by participants with (
RR
1.24, 95%
CI
0.40–3.83) and without (
RR
0.77, 95%
CI
0.40–1.48) cardiovascular disease.

Conclusions

We found no evidence that varenicline increases the rate of cardiovascular serious adverse events. Results were similar among those with and without cardiovascular disease. Given varenicline's efficacy as a smoking cessation drug and the long‐term cardiovascular benefits of cessation, it should continue to be prescribed for smoking cessation.
Generating, Maintaining, and Exploiting Diversity in a Memetic Algorithm for Protein Structure Prediction
Authors: Garza-Fabre Mario , Kandathil Shaun M. , Handl Julia , Knowles Joshua , Lovell Simon C.
Published: February 2016

Computational approaches to de novo protein tertiary structure prediction, including those based on the preeminent “fragment-assembly” technique, have failed to scale up fully to larger proteins (on the order of 100 residues and above). A number of limiting factors are thought to contribute to the scaling problem over and above the simple combinatorial explosion, but the key ones relate to the lack of exploration of properly diverse protein folds, and to an acute form of “deception” in the energy function, whereby low-energy conformations do not reliably equate with native structures. In this article, solutions to both of these problems are investigated through a multistage memetic algorithm incorporating the successful Rosetta method as a local search routine. We found that specialised genetic operators significantly add to structural diversity and that this translates well to reaching low energies. The use of a generalised stochastic ranking procedure for selection enables the memetic algorithm to handle and traverse deep energy wells that can be considered deceptive, which further adds to the ability of the algorithm to obtain a much-improved diversity of folds. The results should translate to a tangible improvement in the performance of protein structure prediction algorithms in blind experiments such as CASP, and potentially to a further step towards the more challenging problem of predicting the three-dimensional shape of large proteins.
Lost and Stolen Property at Qumran: The “Oath of Adjuration”
Authors: Czajkowski Kimberley
Published: February 2016

This article examines the procedure concerning lost and stolen property that we find in cd-a 9:8-16, with a particular focus on the “oath of adjuration” or “oath-curse” in this passage. This is placed first in the context of the biblical material which, it has long been recognised, had a considerable impact on the formulation of this procedure. The primary focus, however, is on examining the way in which the oath of adjuration was envisaged to function and what we may learn from this about the operation of justice within the movement. It is argued that the oath relied heavily upon the religious and social ideals of the group but was also in itself an enactment of these ideas, and thus functioned in part as a performative expression of the group identity.
The Hasmoneans and their Rivals in Seleucid and Post-Seleucid Judea
Authors: Eckhardt Benedikt
Published: February 2016

The first book of Maccabees gives a detailed account of the Hasmonean rise to power within the administrative structures of the declining Seleucid Empire. While this picture is altogether plausible as far as the Hasmoneans are concerned, there are obvious holes in the narrative when it comes to rival claims. All opponents are characterized as “lawless” and “impious men.” There are nevertheless some indications that other parties had similar access to Seleucid pretenders, and that the Hasmoneans constantly had to face opposition from groups quite similar to themselves. The article tries to identify some of these groups. It also considers the repercussions this rivalry had in the post-Seleucid Hasmonean state.
Agaricus section Xanthodermatei in Iran
Authors: MAHDIZADEH VALIOLLAH , SAFAIE NASER , MOHAMMADI GOLTAPEH EBRAHIM , ASEF MOHAMMAD REZA , NASSAJ HOSSEINI SAYED MOHSEN , CALLAC PHILIPPE
Published: February 2016

The fungal genus Agaricus includes edible, medicinal and some toxic species mainly in the Agaricus sect. Xanthodermatei. As the diversity of the genus is not well known in Iran, an inventory of the species has begun in 2013 in different provinces. Morphological and/or molecular analyses of 12 selected specimens from recent field collections and from herbarium specimens revealed that ten of them belonged to four potentially poisonous species of the Agaricus sect. Xanthodermatei: A. iodosmus, A. moelleri, A. phaeolepidotus and A. xanthodermus. Moreover, our study revealed that previous first records of A. xanthodermus and A. moelleri in Iran had been based on morphologically misidentified and correctly identified specimens, respectively. Finally, three species, A. iodosmus, A. phaeolepidotus and A. xanthodermus are reported as new records for Iran mycobiota. The four species of the section are described and illustrated.
Cryptic diversity in the Hypsiboas semilineatus species group (Amphibia, Anura) with the description of a new species from the eastern Guiana Shield
Authors: FOUQUET ANTOINE , MARTINEZ QUENTIN , ZEIDLER LAUREN , COURTOIS ELODIE A. , GAUCHER PHILIPPE , BLANC MICHEL , LIMA JUCIVALDO DIAS , SOUZA SERGIO MARQUES , RODRIGUES MIGUEL T. , LIMA JUCIVALDO DIAS , SOUZA SERGIO MARQUES , RODRIGUES MIGUEL T. , KOK PHILIPPE J. R.
Published: February 2016

We used molecular and morphological data to investigate the hidden diversity within the Hypsiboas semilineatus species group, and more specifically within H. geographicus, an allegedly widespread species in northern South America. As a result, the identity of H. geographicus was clarified, several candidate species were detected and one of them, from the eastern Guiana Shield, is described herein as a preliminary step to resolve the taxonomy of the group. Hypsiboas diabolicus sp. nov. is mainly distinguished from closely-related species by an acuminate snout in lateral view, well-developed webbing between fingers and toes, and unspotted carmine/crimson colouration on the concealed surfaces of legs, feet and hands in life. The tadpole of the new species is described and is characterized by a large A-2 gap, a mostly single row of large marginal papillae, and a dark brown to black colouration. We also describe the advertisement call of the new species, which is defined as a soft call consisting of short clusters of 2–3 chuckles with a dominant frequency ranging between 1.11–1.19 kHz. Hypsiboas diabolicus sp. nov. is currently known only from the eastern Guiana Shield, and is probably endemic to that region. The new species’ range overlaps broadly with another candidate species referred to as H. aff. semilineatus 1. Our preliminary results stress out a high cryptic diversity in that species group and the need for a formal redescription of Hypsiboas geographicus based on more topotypic material than what is currently available  to properly sort out the taxonomic status of several lineages in that clade.
Three new species of Oxysarcodexia Townsend (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)
from the Colombian Andes
Authors: SOUZA CARINA MARA DE , BUENAVENTURA ELIANA
Published: February 2016

Three new species of Oxysarcodexia Townsend (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) from the Colombian Andes are described based on male specimens collected using decaying animal matter as bait: Oxysarcodexia catica sp. n., O. laclaricola sp. n., and O. liliarum sp. n. The straight and narrow cercal prong with an acute apex, and the juxta enlarged distally and folded backwards of O. catica sp. n. resemble these structures in O. fraterna Lopes, O. peruviana (Lopes) and O. vittata (Walker). The shape of the cercus of O. laclaricola sp. n. is similar to that of O. floricola Lopes, whereas its vesica is similar in shape to that of O. cyaniforceps (Hall). Oxysarcodexia liliarum sp. n. resembles O. favorabilis (Lopes) in the inflorescence-like phallus and enlarged juxta. The postero-distal phallic enlargement of O. catica sp. n. and O. liliarum sp. n. support the inclusion of these species in the so-called “Xarcophaga group” (sensu Lopes).
Pressure and Politics in a Decentralized Candidate Selection System
Authors: Craig Patricia
Published: February 2016

The candidate selection process in the United States has been, since the second half of the 20th century, one of the most inclusive and decentralized among the developed democracies. While such systems often presuppose party weakness or lack of control over the process, this article shows that patterns of campaign finance indicate that party weakness over candidate selection in the U.S. case may be overestimated. It also argues that a very open selection process offers opportunities for insurgent movements within parties that bring new ideas and demands. Finally, it suggests that political culture may mediate the relationship between party strength and democratized selection methods.
Candidate Selection in Germany
Authors: Detterbeck Klaus
Published: February 2016

In comparative terms, the strong legal regulation of internal party processes is a specific feature of the German party democracy. Local and regional party conventions are the formal sites of decision making in selecting parliamentary candidates. The national party level is relatively excluded from the procedures. The article argues that the decentralization of intraparty competences has facilitated a gatekeeping role for local and regional party elites. At the constituency level, most often a single candidate is presented to the party convention after he or she has been appointed in the informal preselection activities of local party elites. Gaining a local nomination is the crucial step for obtaining a federal parliamentary mandate, either by winning a direct constituency mandate or being awarded a safe list position. At the regional level, Land party elites are in control of producing balanced party lists. The article also looks at newer developments, such as the introduction of party primaries and gender quotas. It shows that these developments have somehow weakened, but not fundamentally altered, the predominance of subnational party elites in candidate selection.
A Commentary on Sport and Terrorism From the Vantage of Sport Psychology
Authors: Schinke Robert J. , McGannon Kerry R. , Busanich Rebecca , Ge Yang
Published: February 2016

The authors of this article engage in a commentary regarding broad thematic areas identified within the special issue on sport and terrorism. The commentary begins with the authors situating themselves within the field of sport psychology, and as critical scholars more specifically within the emerging cultural sport psychology genre. To further contextualize certain aspects of criticality outlined from a sport psychology vantage, a brief story is offered where one of the authors shares his experience as a volunteer during the 1996 Olympics as a volunteer, where he was first exposed to sport and terrorism. Next, discussions are taken up in relation to four themes that we identified as relevant from the foregoing sport psychology vantage: (a) sport events and terrorism as mainstream, (b) terrorism and the media as conduit, (c) sport as a recruitment tool toward and away from terrorism, and (d) sport as an antidote to terrorism. The commentary authors conclude with a summation followed by parting critical reflections in relation to the current and future status of this emerging area.
Teacher tenure
Authors: Goldhaber Dan , Walch Joe
Published: February 2016

Debates over the efficacy of tenure are longstanding but tenure reform is now more prominent in the public eye given recent high-profile legislative battles in states like Ohio and Wisconsin. This focus on tenure also is a natural outgrowth of the large body of research showing that differences between individual teachers can have profound effects on student achievement. Some of the rhetoric in these debates centered on the systems’ inability to fire ineffective tenured teachers. Some contend that the high costs associated with the teacher dismissal process are tantamount to a guarantee that teachers won’t be fired for poor performance. Yet there are counterarguments that weakening tenure will lead to a lower quality teacher workforce. Similarly, others argue that the recent drop in individuals choosing to pursue a career in teaching is related to what’s being called the war against teachers, with tenure reform representing one front in that war (Goldstein, 2014). Our opinion is that direct empirical evidence fails to support the claim that the current wave of reforms affect the teacher labor market or student achievement.
Improve tenure with better measures of teacher effectiveness
Authors: Jacobs Sandi
Published: February 2016

Just a few years ago, tenure appeared low on the reform list for state policy makers and district administrators, viewed as too hot an issue politically to challenge. But it was front and center in the 2014 landmark Vergara v. California lawsuit, which challenged teacher tenure and related policies. Yet whether to grant tenure or not is the wrong question. The right question is: How can states ensure that districts make good tenure decisions for teachers who are proven effective, while providing support and appropriate due process rights to ineffective teachers? Being able to evaluate and differentiate teacher performance reliably and consistently with clear criteria that include measures of how well teachers move students forward academically marks an important shift in thinking.
Investigating your school’s science teaching and learning culture
Authors: Sato Mistilina , Bartiromo Margo , Elko Susan
Published: February 2016

The authors report on their work with the Academy for Leadership in Science Instruction, a program targeted to help science teachers promote a science teaching and learning culture in their own schools.
Taking a comprehensive approach to Common Core rollout
Authors: Illingworth Amy
Published: February 2016

One district, South Bay Union School District, devises and executes a comprehensive strategy that includes training for district staff, teachers and coaches, including using PLCs and professional development in the implementation of Common Core English language arts standards.
Washington View
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: February 2016

For a law that took so long to get reauthorized, ESSA is a fairly predictable response to both NCLB and the Obama administration’s efforts to make its mark despite Congressional gridlock. Accountability requirements for ESSA are similar to the waivers and starkly different from NCLB. States now have far more autonomy to determine how schools are held accountable for student performance. And there are key differences in ESSA so waiver states too will need to revise their accountability systems to comply with the new requirements. Finally, in what was almost a surely a tit-for-tat move, ESSA also contains nearly four pages of prohibitions on what the Secretary of Education can and cannot do.
Backtalk
Authors: Galiber Marisa Grimes
Published: February 2016

The author, an African-American parent who lives in Westchester County, N.Y., faces the difficult choice of sending her children to substandard and largely segregated public schools, other strong yet largely monochromatic public schools, or private schools that have more diversity and rigor. She chooses the latter, but pines for a better, more integrated, and equitable system.
Cosmopolitanism, Self-Interest and World Government
Authors: Ulaş Luke
Published: February 2016

Cosmopolitans, if they are interested in seeing their principles realised, must hope that persons worldwide can become motivated to act in accordance with what those principles demand. But although it is important that genuinely moral motives are developed, we should not ignore the potential pragmatic value of self-interested motives to the realisation of cosmopolitan ends. This article considers three such motives: economic self-interest, prudent self-interest and democratic self-interest. I argue that in each case, usefully harnessing these motivations implies or requires global political integration that amounts to ‘world government’. This argument has the effect of reinforcing the already popular view that realising cosmopolitan principles entails global political integration. For those who already endorse that view, my argument will act as supporting evidence; by contrast it represents a challenge to those cosmopolitans who have remained ambivalent about, or indeed have explicitly rejected, the need for global political integration.
The Vulnerability of Cyborgs
Authors: Oudshoorn Nelly
Published: February 2016

This article contributes to Science and Technology Studies on vulnerability by putting cyborgs at center stage. What vulnerabilities emerge when technologies move under the skin? I argue that cyborgs face new forms of vulnerability because they have to live with a continuous, inextricable intertwinement of technologies and their bodies. Inspired by recent feminist studies on the lived intimate relationships between bodies and technologies, I suggest that sensory experiences, material practices, and cartographies of power are important heuristic tools to understand the vulnerabilities of hybrid bodies. Based on an analysis of how patients in the Netherlands and the United States cope with appropriate and inappropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks, I describe how defibrillators introduce two new kinds of vulnerabilities: vulnerability as an internal rather than an external threat, and as harm you may try to anticipate but can never escape. Despite these vulnerabilities, some heart patients don’t position themselves as passive victims of faulty machines. They actively engage in material practices of resilience by using magnets to stop inappropriate shocks. I conclude that anticipating and taming the improper working of technologies inside bodies constitutes a new form of invisible labor that is crucial to diminishing the existential uncertainties of cyborgs.
In defense of democratic proceduralism
Authors: Scheuerman William E.
Published: February 2016

My discussion here addresses one key question: has Alessandro Ferrara succeeded in outlining a cogent account of democracy ‘beyond the nation state’? Despite the volume’s many strengths, his The Democratic Horizon suffers from some underlying conceptual and programmatic ambiguities. The nexus between democracy’s ethos or spirit and its institutional and procedural components might have been more clearly elucidated. The author’s tendency to privilege democratic ‘ethos’ or ‘spirit’ over so-called ‘proceduralism’ ultimately risks discounting the significance of some democratic institutional and procedural essentials. Like many others with similarly praiseworthy cosmopolitan normative instincts, Ferrara seems overly reluctant to acknowledge how stateness and self-government are likely to remain intermeshed.
Sandia cave reconsidered
Authors: McNutt Charles H
Published: February 2016

Review of the controversy surrounding the excavation of Sandia cave, New Mexico, and infrared Raman laser studies of the existing specimens from the site suggests the probability of a pre-Clovis occupation at the site. Pleistocene fauna attributed by Hibben to his Folsom layer quite probably belong to Haynes and Agogino’s more recently defined Unit F. This was apparently the original locus of the Sandia points, and it has produced pre-Clovis dates.
Effect of Health Literacy on Decision-Making Preferences among Medically Underserved Patients
Authors: Seo Joann , Goodman Melody S. , Politi Mary , Blanchard Melvin , Kaphingst Kimberly A.
Published: February 2016

Introduction. Participation in the decision-making process and health literacy may both affect health outcomes; data on how these factors are related among diverse groups are limited. This study examined the relationship between health literacy and decision-making preferences in a medically underserved population. Methods. We analyzed a sample of 576 primary care patients. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the independent association of health literacy (measured by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine–Revised) and patients’ decision-making preferences (physician directed or patient involved), controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and gender. We tested whether having a regular doctor modified this association. Results. Adequate health literacy (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7; P = 0.009) was significantly associated with preferring patient-involved decision making, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and gender. Having a regular doctor did not modify this relationship. Males were significantly less likely to prefer patient-involved decision making (OR = 0.65; P = 0.024). Discussion. Findings suggest health literacy affects decision-making preferences in medically underserved patients. More research is needed on how factors, such as patient knowledge or confidence, may influence decision-making preferences, particularly for those with limited health literacy.
Mindfulness and Rehabilitation: Teaching Yoga and Meditation to Young Men in an Alternative to Incarceration Program
Authors: Barrett Carla J.
Published: February 2016

This study used participant/observation and open-ended interviews to understand how male participants (age 18-24 years) benefited from yoga and mindfulness training within an Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) program. Findings suggest that the male participants (age 18-24 years) benefited from the intervention through reductions in stress and improvements in emotion regulation. Several participants noted the importance of the development of an embodied practice for assisting them in managing anger and impulse control. The young men’s narratives suggest that mindfulness-based interventions can contribute positively to rehabilitative outcomes within alternative to incarcerations settings, providing complementary benefit to existing ATI programs, especially for clients amenable to mindfulness training. With many jurisdictions expanding rehabilitation-focused interventions for young offenders, service providers should consider the potential positive contributions that mindfulness-based interventions can have for fostering desistance and reducing recidivism among justice system–involved populations.
Symptomatic Heterotopic Ossification After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Andrachuk John S. , Scillia Anthony J. , Aune Kyle T. , Andrews James R. , Dugas Jeffrey R. , Cain E. Lyle
Published: February 2016

Background:

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is an increasingly common procedure being performed in overhead throwing athletes. Recently, postoperative imaging has revealed the presence of heterotopic ossification (HO) in symptomatic patients.

Purpose:

To determine the incidence of symptomatic HO after UCL reconstruction as well as the clinical outcomes after nonoperative or operative treatment of HO.

Study Design:

Case series, Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A search was performed of diagnostic codes for all UCL reconstructions at a single institution between 2002 and 2012, and the charts were then reviewed of patients who returned to clinic for symptomatic HO after UCL reconstruction. All relevant clinical information, imaging findings, and return-to-play data were obtained.

Results:

Eight patients were found to have developed symptomatic HO after UCL reconstruction. Of the 8 patients, 6 had gracilis tendon autograft at their primary surgery. All 8 patients had HO on the proximal end of their graft. Two patients were treated nonoperatively, and the remainder had excision of HO performed either arthroscopically or open. Six patients were able to return to the same or higher level of competition after treatment of HO.

Conclusion:

Symptomatic HO after UCL reconstruction is very uncommon but may prove to be a significant complication among athletes. With appropriate treatment, the majority of patients were able to return to the same level of play. Early identification of this complication is important, as revision surgery with excision of osteophytes resulted in a return to a similar level of play in most patients.
The Effect of the Mulligan Knee Taping Technique on Patellofemoral Pain and Lower Limb Biomechanics
Authors: Hickey Anne , Hopper Diana , Hall Toby , Wild Catherine Y.
Published: February 2016

Background:

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) affects 25% of the general population, occurring 2 times more often in females compared with males. Taping is a valuable component of the management plan for altering lower limb biomechanics and providing pain relief; however, the effects of alternative taping techniques, such as Mulligan knee taping, appear yet to be researched.

Purpose:

To determine whether the Mulligan knee taping technique altered levels of perceived knee pain and lower limb biomechanics during a single-legged squat (SLSq) in adult females with PFP.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 20 female patients with PFP, aged 18 to 35 years, participated in this study. Participants performed 3 to 5 SLSq on their most symptomatic limb during a taped (Mulligan knee taping technique) and nontaped (control) condition. During the eccentric phase of the SLSq, the 3-dimensional kinematics (250 Hz) of the knee and hip and the ground-reaction forces (1000 Hz) and muscle activation patterns (1000 Hz) of the gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis oblique were measured. Participants’ perceived maximum knee pain was also recorded after the completion of each squat.

Results:

Between-condition differences were found for hip kinematics and gluteus medius activation but not for kinetics or vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis muscle activity (timing and activation). Compared with the nontaped condition, the Mulligan knee taping technique significantly ( P = .001) reduced perceived pain during the SLSq (mean ± SD: 2.29 ± 1.79 and 1.29 ± 1.28, respectively). In the taped condition compared with the control, the onset timing of the gluteus medius occurred significantly earlier (120.6 ± 113.0 and 156.6 ± 91.6 ms, respectively; P = .023) and peak hip internal rotation was significantly reduced (6.38° ± 7.31° and 8.34° ± 7.92°, respectively; P = .002).

Conclusion:

The Mulligan knee taping technique successfully reduced knee pain in participants with PFP. This is the first study to establish a link between Mulligan knee taping and the reduction of PFP in conjunction with decreased hip internal rotation and earlier activation of gluteus medius.

Clinical Relevance:

The Mulligan knee taping technique may benefit the clinical environment by providing an alternative evidence-based treatment plan for PFP.
A User-Centered Educational Modeling Language Improving the Controllability of Learning Design Quality
Authors: Zendi Asma , Bouhadada Tahar , Bousbia Nabila
Published: February 2016

Semiformal EMLs are developed to facilitate the adoption of educational modeling languages (EMLs) and to address practitioners’ learning design concerns, such as reusability and readability. In this article, SDLD (Structure Dialogue Learning Design) is presented, which is a semiformal EML that aims to improve controllability of learning design quality, one of the major concerns of practitioners that has not been previously addressed by EMLs. To address this problem, SDLD follows the proposals of Transactional Distance Theory (TDT). The adoption of this theory helps to measure, identify, and integrate the determinants of learning design quality in the creation of learning designs. Results from using SDLD showed that it improves the expressiveness of EMLs, especially in terms of the interactional facet of learning units and confirmed that it improves the usefulness of existing EMLs. In this context, SDLD represents, on the one hand, a first step toward the operationalization of the TDT. On the other hand, it is another way to facilitate the adoption of EMLs for their utility.
The Evaluation of a Three-Tier Model of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports for Preschoolers in Head Start
Authors: Stanton-Chapman Tina L. , Walker Virginia L. , Voorhees Mary D. , Snell Martha E.
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall effectiveness of a three-tier model of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), which was developed and tested in Head Start (HS) programs. Ten HS classrooms from five HS programs participated in the current study. Results indicated that PBIS was effective in improving classroom quality as evidenced by a statistically significant change on the classroom organization domain on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System and the overall score on the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale–Revised. We also found that children’s social skills on the Social Skills Rating System significantly increased from the pre- to post-assessment whereas problem behaviors on the Child Behavior Checklist decreased. The data described here are encouraging and add to the expanding database supporting the value of the three-tier model of PBIS.
Communication Between Asian American Adolescents and Health Care Providers About Sexual Activity, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Pregnancy Prevention
Authors: Zhao Jessie , Lau May , Vermette David , Liang David , Flores Glenn
Published: February 2016

Asian American adolescents have been reported to have the lowest amount of communication with health care providers regarding sexual health topics (sexual activity, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy prevention). This study identified Asian American adolescents’ attitudes/beliefs regarding how health care providers can be most helpful in communicating about sexual health topics. Twenty participants revealed the following information: (a) confidentiality concerns resulted in lying to health care providers about sexual histories or refusing hormonal contraception, (b) a general lack of knowledge regarding sexual health topics, and (c) a hesitancy to discuss sexual histories with Asian American health care providers. Asian American adolescents expressed a need for privacy from parents regarding their sexual behaviors, and want health care providers to initiate conversations and provide information about sexual health topics.
Surface treatment of copper (II) oxide nanoparticles using citric acid and ascorbic acid as biocompatible molecules and their utilization for the preparation of poly(vinyl chloride) novel nanocomposite films
Authors: Mallakpour Shadpour , Jarahiyan Atefeh
Published: February 2016

In the present study, solution casting method was used for the preparation of nanocomposite films. Primarily, the surface of copper (II) oxide (CuO) nanoparticles was modified with biosafe molecules such as citric acid and ascorbic acid for better dispersion in the polymer matrix. Then novel nanocomposite films were fabricated by loading various percentages of modified CuO nanoparticles in the poly(vinyl chloride) matrix. The ultraviolet (UV)-blocking effects of nanocomposites and their optical properties were studied using UV-visible spectroscopy. Also, other analyses, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mechanical tensile test, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-microscopy, were performed for investigating thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of the hybrid materials.
New and Emerging Evidence on the Use of Second-Generation Direct Acting Antivirals for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus in Renal Impairment
Authors: Sorbera Maria A. , Friedman Michelle L. , Cope Rebecca
Published: February 2016

Due to the intimate relationship between liver and kidney disease in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, treatment options for HCV-positive patients at any stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are essential. The availability of second-generation, direct-acting antiviral (DAA) combinations has allowed for the advent of interferon-sparing treatment regimens with shorter durations and minimal side effects. While many of the second-generation DAAs are principally metabolized by the hepatic system, dosing in severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance [CrCl] <30 mL/min) or dialysis has remained questionable due to limited experience. New evidence regarding the use of these agents in renal impairment continues to become available, as real-world experience with these treatment regimens is reported. Simeprevir, ledipasvir, paritaprevir, ombitasvir, dasabuvir, and daclatasvir have data to suggest safety in end-stage renal disease. While safety and efficacy with sofosbuvir remains uncertain, data are now available to support utilizing a dose adjustment when glomerular filtration rates are <30 mL/min. Upcoming regimens grazoprevir/elbasvir and daclatasvir/asunaprevir/beclavubir may provide further options for patients with advanced kidney disease, and ongoing studies will continue to provide guidance for this unique patient population. This article will review the currently available literature, including the newest emerging evidence, on the use of second-generation DAAs in CKD stages 3 to 5 and dialysis.
Group incentives and rational voting
Authors: Smith Alastair , Bueno de Mesquita Bruce , LaGatta Tom
Published: February 2016

Our model describes competition between groups driven by the choices of self-interested voters within groups. Within a Poisson voting environment, parties observe aggregate support from groups and can allocate prizes or punishments to them. In a tournament style analysis, the model characterizes how contingent allocation of prizes based on relative levels of support affects equilibrium voting behavior. In addition to standard notions of pivotality, voters influence the distribution of prizes across groups. Such prize pivotality supports positive voter turnout even in non-competitive electoral settings. The analysis shows that competition for a prize awarded to the most supportive group is only stable when two groups actively support a party. However, competition among groups to avoid punishment is stable in environments with any number of groups. We conclude by examining implications for endogenous group formation and how politicians structure the allocation of rewards and punishments.
The effects of social identity threat and social identity affirmation on laypersons’ perception of scientists
Authors: Nauroth Peter , Gollwitzer Mario , Kozuchowski Henrik , Bender Jens , Rothmund Tobias
Published: February 2016

Public debates about socio-scientific issues (e.g. climate change or violent video games) are often accompanied by attacks on the reputation of the involved scientists. Drawing on the social identity approach, we report a minimal group experiment investigating the conditions under which scientists are perceived as non-prototypical, non-reputable, and incompetent. Results show that in-group affirming and threatening scientific findings (compared to a control condition) both alter laypersons’ evaluations of the study: in-group affirming findings lead to more positive and in-group threatening findings to more negative evaluations. However, only in-group threatening findings alter laypersons’ perceptions of the scientists who published the study: scientists were perceived as less prototypical, less reputable, and less competent when their research results imply a threat to participants’ social identity compared to a non-threat condition. Our findings add to the literature on science reception research and have implications for understanding the public engagement with science.
Part II: A Critical Review of Qualitative Research Related to Children's Experiences With Cancer
Authors: Woodgate Roberta
Published: February 2016

Using the qualitative research process to study children's experiences with cancer is being promoted because it is believed that it will afford researchers the opportunity to access children's perspectives of their cancer experiences. A detailed understanding of children's experiences with cancer will result, including a description of their feelings, wants, needs, and concerns. The information gained from qualitative research will help pediatric oncology nurses to better understand what their patients are experiencing. Although adoption of the qualitative paradigm in the study of childhood cancer is in its infancy, qualitative research findings related to children's perspectives of cancer are now slowly emerging. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to identify some of the meaningful contributions that qualitative research has made in advancing the knowledge base of children's cancer experiences. The first section of this article discusses major themes that have evolved from use of the qualitative research process in the study of children's cancer experiences. This discussion is followed by a critique of the research with suggestions that will aid pediatric nurse researchers in conducting qualitative research when children with cancer are the research participants.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Cancer: Issues for the Pediatric Oncology Nurse
Authors: Randall R. Jennifer
Published: February 2016

Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a major public health concern today because of its prevalence in the United States. Acute HCV is commonly asymptomatic and often results in chronic disease. However, symptoms related to chronic disease may not appear for decades. Patients with HCV have a broad spectrum of symptoms, which vary from elevated liver function test results to cirrhosis, liver cancer and end stage liver disease. Past treatment therapies have not been highly effective; however, a new treatment is currently available. Today, many high-risk activities are associated with HCV infection. Blood transfusions are no longer a risk factor. However, 20% of individuals who received transfused blood prod ucts contracted hepatitis C nearly two decades ago. Therefore, cancer survivors who received blood products to combat chemotherapy induced anemia and thrombocytopenia before 1980 represent a population at risk. It is important that nurses caring for these patients understand the patho physiology, etiology, transmission, and course of HCV. This knowledge will enable nurses to encourage serological testing to identify infected individ uals. Once identified, patients with hepatitis C can receive social support and appropriate referrals to help them deal with the psychosocial issues related to long-term effects and secondary illnesses.
Variation in Administration of Cyclophosphamide and Mesna in the Treatment of Childhood Malignancies
Authors: Dunn Sievers Theresa , Lagan Mary Anne , Bartel Sylvia B. , Rasco Christina , Blanding Peter J.
Published: February 2016

The objective of this study was to describe the variation in preparation and administration of cyclophosphamide, mesna, and hydration for the treat ment of childhood malignancies within clinical trial protocol documents. All cyclophosphamide-containing cooperative group (Pediatric Oncology Group) protocols that were open at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in April 1998 were evaluated. Among the 14 active protocols, there were 23 unique cyclophosphamide regimens. Marked variation existed in infusion rate, fluid type, and volume used for admixing cyclophosphamide and mesna, as defined in the "Treatment" section of the protocols that we evaluated. Further variation was found in the type, amount, and rate of infusion of prehydration and posthydration fluid. Internal inconsistency existed within the protocols pertaining to the administration methods described in the "Agent Information," "Treatment," and "Consent" sec tions of the written documents. Clinical trial protocol documents serve as reference material for health care providers who prescribe, dispense, and administer protocol chemotherapy. Misinterpretation of protocol docu ments and clinician orders are contributing factors in serious and deadly medication errors. Internal inconsistency within protocol documents and variation in drug administration across protocols is a potential source of error. We recommend improved accuracy, clarity, and internal consistency of protocol documents to improve patient safety and compliance with protocol specifications. In addition, the use of standard concentrations, volumes, and methods of administration of chemotherapeutic agents and accompanying fluids is recommended.
Social Support for School-Aged Siblings of Children With Cancer: A Comparison Between Parent and Sibling Perceptions
Authors: Murray John S.
Published: February 2016

This descriptive, exploratory study investigated the social support interventions received by school-aged siblings of children with cancer and which of those interventions are perceived as being helpful. A comparison between the siblings' and parents' perceptions was made. The conceptual framework was guided by House's (1981) work on social support, which includes major categories of support variables including emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal support. A nonprobability purposive sample consisted of 50 school-aged siblings of children with cancer and their parents. Subjects completed either the sibling or parent version of the Nurse-Sibling Social Support Questionnaire (NSSSQ). De scriptive statistical analyses were performed to examine NSSSQ helpfulness and frequency scores for both siblings and parents. Paired t tests were used to test the difference between the responses given by siblings and by their parents on the NSSSQ helpfulness and frequency scales. Results demonstrated that siblings perceive interventions aimed at providing emotional and instrumental support as the most helpful. Parents perceived interventions aimed at meeting the siblings' need for emotional and informational support the most beneficial. Parents re ported that siblings receive emotional, informational, and appraisal support more frequently than siblings did.