bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Adult Exposure to Community Violence
Authors: DeCou Christopher R. , Lynch Shannon M.
Published: July 2015

Objective:

Although experiences of community violence are linked with negative outcomes for adults and children, few standardized measures assessing community violence exist, and available measures lack consistency concerning the definition of community violence. Further, most measures currently utilized to assess adult exposure to community violence were designed for use with children and adolescents. To address these identified concerns and make recommendations for future research, this article reviews contemporary definitions of community violence, identifies the outcomes of exposure to community violence for adults, and evaluates measures of exposure to community violence with published psychometric data employing adult samples.

Method:

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies that (1) included a self-report of community violence exposure, (2) included primarily adult respondents, and (3) reported psychometric data.

Results:

Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. Measures employed in these studies were reviewed and basic psychometric properties discussed. Notably, the Survey of Exposure to Community Violence was the most commonly used measure among these studies.

Conclusions:

Although multiple measures demonstrated limited but acceptable psychometric performance in select studies, few in-depth psychometric analyses exist for measures of adult exposure to community violence. Also, it is difficult to compare studies due to variations in definitions of community violence and multiple versions of each measure. Recommendations for future research include provision of explicit definitions of community violence and reporting psychometric data for measures.
The Invisible Hand of Thierry Henry
Authors: Fourie Johan , Santana-Gallego Maria
Published: July 2015

This article highlights an aspect of mega-events that has been neglected: the changing composition of tourist arrivals during and after the event. The change happens because, in the FIFA World Cup, a quota of countries participate from each continent and this opens up new tourism markets. We show that the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa had a smaller growth effect on South Africa’s traditional tourism markets but attracted a large increase from nontraditional ones. However, the size of the effect, we find, is partly due to randomness: It depends on match results in the qualification phase of the tournament. We use a new long-run data set of tourism flows to South Africa and a gravity model for tourism flows and run counterfactual examples of play-off matches during the qualification phase to estimate how much more South Africa could have benefited had larger or richer countries qualified. We conclude that the random results of a few play-off games significantly affect the extent to which the World Cup benefits the host country’s economy.
A Realm of Mere Representation? “Live” E-Sports Spectacles and the Crafting of China’s Digital Gaming Image
Authors: Szablewicz Marcella
Published: July 2015

This article addresses the proliferation of images and appearances in the realm of e-sports culture in urban China. The author’s findings are based upon ethnographic research and participant observation of e-sports audience members, teams, and tournaments, including the 2010 E-sports Champion League tournament in Beijing, the 2012 and 2013 World Cyber Games Festivals in Kunshan, and a 2014 Starcraft II tournament in Shanghai. A comparison of these events leads the author to argue that live e-sports events in China are less about spectatorship than they are about creating a spectacle that presents a carefully crafted vision of Chinese politics, nationalism, and capitalist consumer culture. In these cases, the participants and audience members are not only commodities to be sold but also a means of masking contradictory and highly ambivalent discourses about China’s role in technological production, digital game culture, and the promotion of the discourse of Internet addiction.
Integrating Games Into the Artworld
Authors: Devine Theresa Claire
Published: July 2015

The game designer Jason Rohrer has self-identified as an artist. By doing so enters his work into a critique process that, according to James Elkins, dates back to the Romantic period in which artists are evaluated by peers on an individualized basis according to the ideals and creative direction they produce in the form of written and verbal artifacts. Arthur Danto calls these artifacts “artistic identification” in his essay, “The Artworld,” written in 1964. The study applies this critique method to Rohrer’s work in the game medium and asks how it fares when subjected to what Howard Becker calls, “a continuous process of selection” through critique. It asks, finally, how can knowing this methodology help to elucidate the path for the eventual full-fledged integration of games into the Artworld.
Male Contraception: Research, New Methods, and Implications for Marginalized Populations
Authors: Plana Olivia
Published: July 2015

The majority of research on contraception has focused on manipulating the female reproductive system. Recent studies have identified novel contraceptives for males, including hormonal- and nonhormonal-based therapeutics. Although these new contraceptives are still undergoing clinical trials, their development and potential future use in society necessitate serious consideration of their implications for reproductive health. Through my analysis of the research conducted on male contraception over time and the current therapeutics available, it is clear that male contraception has the potential to shift societal gender dynamics and provide males with greater control over their own reproduction. This article also identifies the implications of these novel contraceptives for marginalized populations, especially men of color and men of lower socioeconomic positions. To overcome barriers to contraception among these populations, public policy efforts are needed in order to motivate the development of programs that facilitate coverage of these new male contraceptives by health plans and to increase their availability to underserved communities. Health care providers will be responsible for educating patients about these novel male contraception options and the need to continue using existing methods (e.g., condoms) in order to prevent sexually transmitted infections. This article analyzes the research conducted on male contraception and identifies the implications of these novel therapeutics for marginalized groups of men in the United States to identify the interventions that will be necessary to help ensure that all men have access to these promising scientific innovations.
Diagnostic yield and safety of sputum induction with nebulized racemic salbutamol versus hypertonic saline in smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Keeratichananont Warangkana , Nilmoje Thanapon , Keeratichananont Suriya , Rittatorn Jedsada
Published: July 2015

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic yield and safety profile of sputum induction (SI) with nebulized racemic salbutamol solution versus hypertonic saline in smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Methods:

The prospective study was conducted at Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand. Suspected smear-negative pulmonary TB cases were recruited and randomized to receive SI with either nebulized racemic salbutamol solution or 3% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. Induced sputum was examined with the acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear test and cultured for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The efficacy and adverse events of SI were analyzed.

Results:

A total of 59 patients received SI with nebulized racemic salbutamol solution and 53 received 3% NaCl solution. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the average quantity of induced sputum (1.3 ± 0.1 versus 1.2 ± 0.2 ml, p = 0.5). The percentages of positive AFB smear and TB cultures in the salbutamol group were 15% and 22%, and 13% and 17% in the 3% NaCl group ( p = 0.5), respectively. Racemic salbutamol solution could increase the TB diagnostic yield similarly to 3% NaCl, but incurred less chest tightness (5% versus 15%) and bronchospasm (0% versus 11.3%, p = 0.02) compared with 3% NaCl.

Conclusions:

SI by nebulized racemic salbutamol solution offers equal benefits to 3% NaCl solution in increasing both sputum quantity and diagnostic yield in smear-negative patients suspected of having pulmonary TB. Nebulized racemic salbutamol does not produce bronchospasm and chest tightness occurs less frequently than with 3% NaCl. Therefore, SI with nebulized racemic salbutamol solution should be considered as a good alternative noninvasive diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB when hypertonic saline is unavailable or contraindicated.
Central venous catheter dressing durability: an evaluation
Authors: Richardson Annette , Melling Andrew , Straughan Chris , Simms Lisa , Coulter Catherine , Elliot Yvonne , Reji Sheeja , Wilson Natalie , Byrne Rachael , Desmond Catherine , Wright Stephen E
Published: July 2015

Background:

Skin organisms at the insertion site are frequently implicated in central venous catheter blood stream infections (CVC BSIs) yet few studies have compared the durability of CVC dressings in critically ill patients.

Aims:

To undertake an evaluation of the durability and associated costs of different CVC dressings.

Methods:

Dressing duration was captured prospectively using a pro forma on four different dressings on five critical care units over a 12-month period. Staff received training on CVC dressing evidence-based practices and a ‘how to guide’ was implemented.

Findings:

A total of 1229 CVC dressings were observed from 590 CVCs. One dressing had a median (IQR) duration of 68.5 h (range, 32–105 h) compared to a median duration of 43.5, 46.0 and 40.5 h for the other dressings ( P <0.001). The mean time to change a CVC dressing was 13.5 min and the cost of a dressing change was in the range of £1.97–4.97. During the 12-month study period we observed a downward trend in CVC BSIs.

Discussion:

Despite few dressings remaining adherent for 7 days, the low rates of CVC BSI observed suggests good dressing practices.

Conclusions:

One dressing appeared more durable than the others, although it was still below the recommended standard and more expensive.
Co-Viewing, Tweeting, and Facebooking the 2012 Presidential Debates
Authors: Thorson Esther , Hawthorne Joshua , Swasy Alecia , McKinney Mitchell S.
Published: July 2015

This article examines the impact of watching political debates with others—whether the others are personally present or linked via social media. Co-viewing theory suggests that watching television with others, in comparison to solo viewing, increases viewing enjoyment and duration. Research about watching political debates suggests that the experience may make viewers feel emotionally negative and insecure, especially when their favored candidate is attacked. Debate viewers may also relish “being part of” an event of national importance. These possibilities suggest that engaging in social watching behaviors, whether face-to-face and/or via social media, will amplify the positive experiences of debate viewing potentially by providing opinion-confirmatory information. In turn, this may increase the likelihood of watching more debates and sticking with each debate longer. These predictions are strongly supported with a sample of American newspaper subscribers, whose political reporters had participated in a paper-sponsored debate-watch/tweet program.
Building Resilience and Organizational Readiness During Healthcare Facility Redevelopment Transitions
Authors: Steele Gray Carolyn , Wilkinson Andrea , Alvaro Celeste , Wilkinson Kate , Harvey Martha
Published: July 2015

Objective:

Hospital redevelopment constitutes a revolutionary change that can face strong resistance from employees. Few studies have examined how employee readiness for change relates to adjustment outcomes typically captured in post-occupancy evaluation (POE). The relationship between organizational readiness and employee adjustment is examined in the context of a POE conducted during a hospital redevelopment.

Background:

Our study focuses on the redevelopment of a complex continuing care and rehabilitation hospital that underwent complete physical redevelopment and major shifts in operational and organizational processes.

Methods:

Using a pretest–posttest quasi-experimental research design, staff organizational readiness was assessed using surveys at four time periods: 6 months prior to the move ( n = 125), 2 months prior to the move ( n = 84), 3 months after the move ( n = 187), and 6 months after the move ( n = 194). Measures included organizational readiness, workplace satisfaction, psychological factors (well-being and optimism), and sociodemographic information.

Results:

Findings suggest readiness changes from pre- to post-move, with notable drops just prior (2 months) and just post (3 months) hospital move. Employees demonstrated significant increases in workplace satisfaction and interprofessional relationships from 6 months prior to the move to 6 months after. Results suggest that higher readiness is related to improved employee adjustment.

Conclusions:

A supportive change environment was found to encourage positive employee outcomes in the face of revolutionary change. It is recommended that change management activities be tailored not only to employee need but also to the timing of the change process.
Satisfaction With Life, Coping, and Spirituality Among Urban Families
Authors: Doolittle Benjamin , Courtney Malachi , Jasien Joan
Published: July 2015

Background: Urban families face many challenges that affect life satisfaction, including low income, limited access to resources, and unstable neighborhoods. Purpose: To investigate life satisfaction and identify potential mediators: neighborhood stability, emotional coping strategies, religion, and spirituality. Methods: A convenience sample of families presenting to an urban primary care clinic for routine care filled out an anonymous, voluntary survey that included demographic data, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Spiritual Inventory and Beliefs Scale, and an emotional coping inventory. Results: 127 individuals filled out the survey. Life satisfaction was high (21.3 ± 9). Families in the lowest quartile of the SWLS were 4.5 times as likely to have a child with a chronic medical illness. SWLS correlated with strategy planning ( r = 0.24, P < .01), external practices of religion ( r = 0.23, P < .01), and humility ( r = 0.18, P < .05). Conclusions: Encouraging patients’ involvement in religion and certain coping strategies, especially among those families coping with children with special health care needs, may improve life satisfaction.
Effects of Cognitive Conflict Instructional Strategy on Students’ Conceptual Change in Temperature and Heat
Authors: Madu B. C. , Orji Emma
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of cognitive-conflict-based physics instruction over the traditionally designed physics instruction on students’ conceptual change in heat and temperature. The subjects were 249 senior secondary II students from 2 schools purposively sampled from 12 secondary schools. The 2 schools sampled had well-equipped laboratory, experienced physics teachers, and two intact classes. One of the intact classes in each school was assigned to control group. In one school, there were 70 subjects for experimental group and 60 for control group, while in the other school, there were 60 for experimental group and 59 for control group. Both groups were taught by the same teacher, and this lasted for 6 weeks of intensive treatment. The experimental group received cognitive-conflict-based instruction, while the control group received traditionally designed physics instruction. The instrument for obtaining the data was thermal concept evaluation (TCE). Students in both groups were pretested using TCE to establish their level of initial understanding of heat and temperature. At the end of the treatment, the same test was administered as posttest. The data generated from the TCE were analyzed using frequency and chi-square statistics, indicating that the level of understanding of heat and temperature was significantly dependent on the treatment. Based on the findings, some recommendations were made.
Gender Stereotyping in Family
Authors: Hussain Muhammad , Naz Arab , Khan Waseem , Daraz Umar , Khan Qaisar
Published: July 2015

Gender stereotyping and gender role development is one of the debatable concerns to sociologists especially those who are interested in sociology of gender. This study attempts to investigate the role of family inculcating gender stereotyping in Pakhtun culture and its impact on gender role development conducted in public-sector universities of Malakand Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The data were collected through in-depth interview method using interview guide as a tool of data collection. A sample size of 24 respondents consisting male and female students and teachers (8 samples from each university through purposive sampling technique) was selected from three universities in the region, that is, University of Malakand, University of Swat, and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sharingal (main campus). The collected information has been analyzed qualitatively where primary information has been linked with secondary data for further elaboration and attainment of grounded facts. The study reveals that gender stereotyping and gender role formation are sociocultural and relational constructs, which are developed and inculcated in the institutional network, social interaction, and social relationships especially in family. The study indicated that in family sphere, gender stereotyping and gender role formation are the outcome of gender socialization, differential familial environment, and parents’ differential role with children. The study recommends that gender-balanced familial environment, adopting the strategy of gender mainstreaming and positive role of media, can overcome gender stereotyping and reduce its impacts on gender and social role formation.
Experiences and Perceptions of Barriers to Health Services for Elderly in Rural Namibia
Authors: Van Rooy Gert , Mufune Pempelani , Amadhila Elina
Published: July 2015

We investigate barriers to accessing health facilities (e.g., transportation and cost of services) and health service delivery barriers (e.g., timeliness of services scheduling of appointments, language) that the literature suggest are operative. Semistructured interviews were utilized with respondents in three purposefully selected regional research sites in Namibia. All questions were translated into local languages. It is found that although many senior citizens appreciate the use of modern health care and are exempted from paying health care consultation fees, they still prefer to use traditional health medicine because of the long distance to health care facilities, which when they decide to travel translates into high transportation costs. Referrals to hospitals become very expensive. There is a need to consider the unique issues (extended family system) affecting access to health care for elderly people in Namibia to achieve equitable access to health care services.
Mathematical Problem-Solving Abilities and Chess
Authors: Sala Giovanni , Gorini Alessandra , Pravettoni Gabriella
Published: July 2015

Chess is thought to be a game demanding high cognitive abilities to be played well. Although many studies proved the link between mastery in chess and high degree of intelligence, just few studies proved that chess practice can enhance cognitive abilities. Starting from these considerations, the main purpose of the present research was to investigate the potential benefits of in-presence chess lessons and on-line training on mathematical problem-solving ability in young pupils (8 to 11 years old). Five hundred sixty students were divided into two groups, experimental (which had chess course and on-line training) and control (which had normal school activities), and tested on their mathematical and chess abilities. Results show a strong correlation between chess and math scores, and a higher improvement in math in the experimental group compared with the control group. These results foster the hypothesis that even a short-time practice of chess in children can be a useful tool to enhance their mathematical abilities.
Going Full Circle With Teacher Feedback
Authors: Manswell Butty Jo-Anne L. , Wakiaga Lucy A. , McKie Brooke K. , Thomas Veronica G. , Green Rodney D. , Avasthi Neilabh , Swierzbin Caryn L.
Published: July 2015

Research on the evaluation of early childhood programs focuses mainly on its outcomes rather than its process with often little attention given to the role that feedback to teachers in pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs plays in the larger cycle of the evaluation process. This article provides a case example of a multiyear evaluation of community-based pre-k programs serving about 360 three- and four-year old children over a 5-year period in the District of Columbia. The Closing the Loop Evaluation Model proposed represents a responsive evaluation approach that illustrates the interconnected interactions between teacher feedback during the evaluation process and two supporting evaluation methodologies that emphasize social justice and utility. Findings from the case example highlight the responsive evaluation approach, feedback process, and ensuing conceptual and instrumental changes that occurred among stakeholders from whole-group feedback to small-group “report card” meetings with add-ons such as technical assistance, teacher-generated action plans, and teacher follow-up and feedback to close the evaluation loop. The authors discuss lessons learned about the evaluation process from the case example around aspects of feedback, including timing, audience, and function. Findings highlight the importance of feedback being timely and prompt, high quality in focus and content, non-punitive, collaborative, concise, and useful. The authors conclude that an evaluation process that includes teacher feedback, couched in social justice and utility, can have positive outcomes for all stakeholders and will likely lead to higher quality early childhood education programs.
Soul Pain
Authors: Jirek Sarah L.
Published: July 2015

This study extends prior research on vicarious traumatization and emotion management by exploring a deeper, more life-altering effect of working with traumatized clients—namely, “soul pain.” Analyses of in-depth interviews with 29 advocates working with survivors of physical and sexual violence reveal that, as a direct consequence of hearing countless stories of human brutality, some staff members experience a profound wounding of their spirit. This finding expands our understanding of the occupational hazards of the helping professions by revealing another dimension of advocates’ lives—that of the soul or spirit—that may be affected by their work with trauma survivors.
Emerging Adulthood in North America
Authors: Gfellner Barbara M. , Bartoszuk Karin
Published: July 2015

This study examined perceptions of adulthood and associations with identity status development among college students in Canada and the United States. Participants were 678 college students (278 Canadian and 400 from the United States) between 18 and 25 years of age who completed the Alternate Model for Transition to Adulthood and the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status. Students in Canada and the United States differed in their views on the characteristics of adulthood (for three of the five markers of adulthood). As expected, identity status scores in the personal domains were associated with students’ perceptions of adulthood. Differences were seen in the moderation of country on the linkages of foreclosure and achievement with role transitions and norm compliance, respectively. Identity theory and macro-environmental factors are considered in the interpretation of results.
Influence of zirconium on mechanical properties and phase transformation in low carbon steel
Authors: Li X. B. , Min Y. , Liu C. J. , Jiang M. F.
Published: July 2015

The influence of zirconium on the mechanical properties and phase transformation was investigated in low carbon steel. First, the steels are subjected to a special thermomechanical regime, and the hot rolled plates were used to characterise the tensile properties and impact toughness. Second, the phase transformation behaviour of the steels with various Zr contents was evaluated by both dilatometry and metallography. Finally, to confirm the existence of Zr containing precipitates in the Zr added steels, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used. It was verified that plenty of fine spherical (Nb,Ti,Zr)C, which is identified to be nearly 10 nm, can be formed when the concentration of Zr is in the range of 0.015–0.030. The effects of zirconium on the phase transformation, including proeutectoid ferrite and pearlite transformation, and mechanical properties evolution were also identified and discussed.
Fatigue model of bearing steel based on stressed volume
Authors: Hamedany A. A.
Published: July 2015

Fatigue is one of the most important life limiting factors for bearings. A number of different kinds of tests are used to assess the behaviour of bearing steels when subjected to repeated loading. The work presented here attempts to rationalise these test methods on the basis that they should all be related by the volume of material that is stressed. The analysis focuses on one particular steel, ‘AISI 52100’, which is the most common alloy used in the manufacture of bearings. It is demonstrated that a physically reasonable model can be produced using the neural network technique, in spite of some quite dramatic differences in sample geometry and loading conditions, thus establishing that simple tests can, in principle and practice, be used to estimate the performance during the fatigue experiments.
Measurement of high temperature phase stability and thermophysical properties of alloy 740
Authors: Rai A. K. , Tripathy H. P. , Hajra R. N. , Raju S. , Saibaba S. , Jayakumar T.
Published: July 2015

In the present study, the characterisation of phase stability and measurement of different thermophysical properties of alloy 740 has been carried out. The transformation temperatures including liquidus/solidus and corresponding enthalpy of transformation have been measured for different phase changes up to melting using dynamic calorimetry. Further, the enthalpy increment data have been measured in the temperature range of 473–1473 K to obtain the heat capacity using static calorimetry. The present calorimetric data have been analysed in corroboration with the results obtained using JMatPro and Thermo-Calc simulation. In addition, the temperature dependence of other thermophysical properties such as thermal expansivity, density, thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity are also measured in the range of 300–1473 K using thermomechanical analyser and laser flash method.
Magnetic properties of bulk and thin film Cr–Al–C compounds
Authors: Boucher R. , Berger O. , Leyens C.
Published: July 2015

A focus point in this work was the study of the magnetic properties of Cr–Al–C in both bulk and film form. The coatings, deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering, consisted of a mixture of disordered solid solution (Cr,Al)2C x and ordered Cr2AlC-MAX phase (ternary alloy with general formula M n+1AX n: M = early transition metal, A = A group element, mostly IIIA or IVA, X = C or N, n = 1–3), while the bulk samples consisted of ordered Cr2AlC-MAX phase. The magnetic properties of Cr–Al–C in both bulk and film form show paramagnetic behaviour with a combination of Curie–Weiss and Pauli dependence. In the film, the Curie–Weiss component dominates. From the fit parameters, it could be seen that the magnetisation on the Cr site is in a high spin state and that the difference between the bulk and film can be accounted for by the number of Cr sites carrying this magnetic moment. However, even in the film, the total magnetisation does not equate to every Cr site carrying this magnetic moment. The number of Cr sites has been linked to the amount of solid solution (Cr,Al)2C x within the material.
Autophagy is induced upon platelet activation and is essential for hemostasis and thrombosis
Authors: Ouseph Madhu M. , Huang Yunjie , Banerjee Meenakshi , Joshi Smita , MacDonald Laura , Zhong Yu , Liu Huijuan , Li Xianting , Xiang Binggang , Zhang Guoying , Komatsu Masaaki , Yue Zhenyu , Li Zhenyu , Storrie Brian , Whiteheart Sidney W. , Wang Qing Jun
Published: July 2015

Key Points

Autophagy, an essential degradation pathway, is constitutively active in resting platelets and is induced upon platelet activation. Platelet autophagy is indispensable for hemostasis and thrombus formation.
Tc17 cells are a proinflammatory, plastic lineage of pathogenic CD8+ T cells that induce GVHD without antileukemic effects
Authors: Gartlan Kate H. , Markey Kate A. , Varelias Antiopi , Bunting Mark D. , Koyama Motoko , Kuns Rachel D. , Raffelt Neil C. , Olver Stuart D. , Lineburg Katie E. , Cheong Melody , Teal Bianca E. , Lor Mary , Comerford Iain , Teng Michele W. L. , Smyth Mark J. , McCluskey James , Rossjohn Jamie , Stockinger Brigitta , Boyle Glen M. , Lane Steven W. , Clouston Andrew D. , McColl Shaun R. , MacDonald Kelli P. A. , Hill Geoffrey R.
Published: July 2015

Key Points

Donor-derived Tc17 cells differentiate early after allogeneic transplant in response to IL-6 and alloantigen presentation by host DCs. Tc17 are highly proinflammatory and pathogenic posttransplant, but exert limited or no GVL activity.
A prospective evaluation of indications for neurological consultation in the emergency department
Authors: Hansen Christopher K , Fisher Jonathan , Joyce Nina R , Edlow Jonathan A
Published: July 2015

Background

Recognizing the diverse presentation of neurological conditions that emergency physicians encounter can be challenging, and management of these patients often requires consultation with a neurologist. Accurate diagnosis is critical in neurological emergencies because patient outcomes are often dependent on timely treatment. Our primary objective was to ascertain whether consultant neurologists understood the reason for consultation in the emergency department.

Methods

The authors conducted a prospective study of a non-consecutive sample of 94 patients seen in an academic tertiary care emergency department (ED) who underwent consultation by neurologist over 4 consecutive months. At the time a consult was requested, we independently surveyed the treating ED physician for their differential diagnosis. Neurologists were also queried as to whether there was a clear indication for consultation. We then followed the patients to determine their final diagnosis and outcome.

Results

The median age was 57 years (interquartile range 45–78). 45.7 % were male. The clinical reasons for all the consults were 61 % focal symptom, 12 % concern about a specific diagnosis, 9 % radiological finding, 9 % diagnostic ambiguity, and 11 % other. There was no significant difference in the rate of a final neurological diagnosis based on the clinical reason for consult (p = 0.13). In the 17 % of patients for whom the treating neurologist reported a lack of a clear indication for the consultation, 25 % were later admitted to a neurological service, and 69 % ultimately had a neurological diagnosis.

Conclusions

Although patients with neurological emergencies can have diverse presentations, emergency physicians appear to utilize neurologic consultation appropriately. Additionally, nearly 70 % of patients for whom the consultant did not precisely understand the need for the consultation had neurological diagnoses. Time and resource constraints in the ED create challenges in making correct diagnosis.
Autoregulatory function of interleukin-10-producing pre-naïve B cells is defective in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sim Ji Hyun , Kim Hang-Rae , Chang Soog-Hee , Kim In Je , Lipsky Peter E. , Lee Jisoo
Published: July 2015

Introduction

Pre-naïve B cells represent an intermediate stage in human B-cell development with some functions of mature cells, but their involvement in immune responses is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the functional role of normal pre-naïve B cells during immune responses and possible abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that might contribute to disease pathogenesis.

Methods

Pre-naïve, naïve, and memory B cells from healthy individuals and SLE patients were stimulated through CD40 and were analyzed for interleukin-10 (IL-10) production and co-stimulatory molecule expression and their regulation of T-cell activation. Autoreactivity of antibodies produced by pre-naïve B cells was tested by measuring immunoglobulin M (IgM) autoantibodies in culture supernatants after differentiation.

Results

CD40-stimulated pre-naïve B cells produce larger amounts of IL-10 but did not suppress CD4+ T-cell cytokine production. Activated pre-naïve B cells demonstrated IL-10-mediated ineffective promotion of CD4+ T-cell proliferation and induction of CD4+FoxP3+ T cells and IL-10 independent impairment of co-stimulatory molecule expression and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and IL-6 production. IgM antibodies produced by differentiated pre-naïve B cells were reactive to single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid. SLE pre-naïve B cells were defective in producing IL-10, and co-stimulatory molecule expression was enhanced, resulting in promotion of robust CD4+ T-cell proliferation.

Conclusions

There is an inherent and IL-10-mediated mechanism that limits the capacity of normal pre-naïve B cells from participating in cellular immune response, but these cells can differentiate into autoantibody-secreting plasma cells. In SLE, defects in IL-10 secretion permit pre-naïve B cells to promote CD4+ T-cell activation and may thereby enhance the development of autoimmunity.
Trabecular bone loss in collagen antibody-induced arthritis
Authors: Grahnemo Louise , Andersson Annica , Nurkkala-Karlsson Merja , Stubelius Alexandra , Lagerquist Marie K. , Svensson Mattias N. D. , Ohlsson Claes , Carlsten Hans , Islander Ulrika
Published: July 2015

Introduction

Postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have increased risk of developing osteoporosis due to chronic inflammation and estrogen deprivation. Collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA), an experimental polyarthritis model representing the effector phase of arthritis, is mainly mediated by the innate immune system. Compared to the widely used collagen-induced arthritis model, CAIA is conveniently short and can be used in C57BL/6 mice, enabling studies with knock-out mice. However, the impact on bone of the CAIA model in C57BL/6 mice has not previously been studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if CAIA can be used to study postmenopausal arthritis-induced osteoporosis.

Methods

CAIA was induced by administration of collagen-type II antibodies and lipopolysaccharide to ovariectomized female C57BL/6J mice. Control mice received lipopolysaccharide, but no antibodies. Nine days later, femurs were collected for high-resolution micro-CT and histomorphometry. Serum was used to assess cartilage breakdown and levels of complement. Frequencies of immune cell subsets from bone marrow and lymph nodes were analyzed by flow cytometery.

Results

Trabecular bone mass was decreased and associated with increased number of osteoclasts per bone surface in the CAIA model. Also, the frequency of interleukin-17+ cells in lymph nodes was increased in CAIA.

Conclusion

The present study show that CAIA, a short reproducible arthritis model that is compatible with C57BL/6 mice, is associated with increased number of osteoclasts and trabecular bone loss.
Blind image quality assessment via semi-supervised learning and fuzzy inference
Authors: Lu Wen , Mei Ning , Gao Fei , He Lihuo , Gao Xinbo
Published: July 2015

Blind image quality assessment(BIQA) is a challenging task due to the difficulties in extracting quality-aware features and modeling the relationship between the image features and the visual quality. Until now, most BIQA metrics available try to extract statistical features based on thenatural scene statistics(NSS) and build mapping from the features to the quality score using the supervised machine learning technique based on a large amount of labeled images. Although several promising metrics have been proposed based on the above methodology, there are two drawbacks of these algorithms. First, only the labeled images are adopted for machine learning. However, it has been proved that using unlabeled data in the training stage can improve the learning performance. In addition, these metrics try to learn a direct mapping from the features to the quality score. However, subjective quality evaluation would be rather a fuzzy process than a distinctive one. Equally, human beings tend to evaluate the quality of a given image by first judging the extents it belongs to “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” “bad,” and “poor,” and estimating the quality score subsequently, rather than directly giving an exact subjective quality score. To overcome the aforementioned problems, we propose a semi-supervised and fuzzy framework for blind image quality assessment, S2F2, in this paper. In the proposed framework, (1) we formulate the fuzzy process of subjective quality assessment by using fuzzy inference. Specially, we model the membership relation between the subjective quality score and the truth values it belongs to “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” “bad,” and “poor” using a Gaussian function, respectively; and (2) we introduce thesemi-supervised local linear embedding(SS-LLE) to learn the mapping function from the image features to the truth values using both the labeled and unlabeled images. In addition, we extract image features based on NSS since it has led to promising performances for image quality assessment. Experimental results on two benchmarking databases, i.e., the LIVE database II and the TID2008 database, demonstrate the effectiveness and promising performance of the proposed S2F2algorithm for BIQA.
Rethinking the Bandung conference in an Era of ‘unipolar liberal globalization’ and movements toward a ‘multipolar politics’
Authors: Lumumba-Kasongo Tukumbi
Published: July 2015

In April 1955, a historic conference was held in Bandung, Indonesia. Political leaders from 29 Asian and African countries gathered on the initiative of the leaders from China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and Myanmar, to address the issues about economic co-operation, self-determination, decolonization and the peace. These ideas contributed to the creation of the non-alignment movement (NAM). However, in Africa, Nkrumah’s proposal for political unity was defeated, which led to the creation of the Organization of the African Unity as a compromise. NAM was later penetrated from within by the forces of imperialism, notably dictatorships and authoritarian regimes supported by the United States, the Soviet Union, the former colonial powers and their local cronies, weakening its functionality.
Endotoxin tolerance in monocytes can be mitigated by α2-interferon
Authors: Shi Lihua , Song Li , Maurer Kelly , Sharp James , Zhang Zhe , Sullivan Kathleen E
Published: July 2015

Endotoxin tolerance is characterized by diminished expression of inflammatory cytokines after sequential exposure to Toll-like receptor stimuli. Many mechanisms contribute to tolerance; however, chromatin remodeling appears to be the most significant regulator. The type II interferon, IFN-γ, has been recognized as being able to reverse or abrogate the establishment of tolerance. Type I interferons have not been investigated previously, and they bind a distinct receptor. We found that α2-interferon was able to abrogate or diminish tolerance by endotoxin, as defined by measuring mRNA levels at recognized tolerance targets. We also found that α2-interferon treatment during tolerization was associated with increased H3K4me3 and H3K4me2 levels at promoters of tolerance targets in THP1 cells. These marks were normalized after exposure of the cells to α2-interferon. Interferon regulatory factor 1 is a transcription factor activated and induced by types I and II interferons. We found recruitment of this transcription factor paralleled tolerance and inhibition of tolerance at target genes. Therefore, there are at least 2 distinct pathways by which endotoxin tolerance may be mitigated. A type I interferon, in spite of binding to a different receptor, was just as able to inhibit tolerance as the type II interferon and also appeared to act by modifying chromatin at tolerance target genes.
Spectral induced polarization of low and moderately polarizable buried objects
Authors: Zorin Nikita
Published: July 2015

We have derived a reasonably accurate expression for the apparent spectral induced polarization (SIP) response of an arbitrary number of polarizable objects. The expression set a logical ground to the recently popularized Debye decomposition technique and provided a physical basis to phenomenological induced polarization models, such as Cole-Cole and others. For data complying with the Cole-Cole type of relaxation, the most important SIP parameters are the frequency dependence and time constant because they carry information about the grain size distribution and the mean grain size in a polarizable object. We have determined a simple method to rapidly estimate these parameters from characteristic features of a measured phase curve, such as the location of its peak frequency and maximum value of its derivative on a log-log plot. We tested the approach on a synthetic 2D example and field data, representing a multifrequency vertical electrical sounding carried out over a known sedimentary section with three differently polarizable layers. In both cases, the proposed technique yielded reasonably good results.
The Devil truly is in the detail. A cautionary note on computational determinism: Implications for structural geology numerical codes and interpretation of their results
Authors: Hardy Stuart
Published: July 2015

The widespread use of numerical modeling codes in structural geology, particularly in forward modeling of crustal deformation, has brought valuable insight into many processes such as fault initiation and propagation, fold growth, and orogenic wedge development. Whether commercial, open source, or the result of an individual researcher’s endeavor, such numerical codes increasingly rely on advanced compiler optimizations and/or parallelization techniques. This is done to maximize performance on today’s multicore processors and thus achieve tractable model runtimes. However, such speed and productivity can come at a price. Many optimization and parallelization techniques used do indeed produce remarkable runtime speedups, but at the expense of determinism and reproducibility. Most researchers are only tangentially aware of these issues. I have aimed to explain why numerical model runs with identical sets of initial and boundary conditions can potentially produce different results and thus, sensu stricto, be nondeterministic. I have developed some solutions and guidelines for maintaining determinism and evaluated these issues using a discrete element code of upper crustal deformation. Implications for the interpretation and use of such model results in structural geology were also evaluated.
The Effect of an Oxytocin Receptor Antagonist (Retosiban, GSK221149A) on the Response of Human Myometrial Explants to Prolonged Mechanical Stretch
Authors: Moraitis Alexandros A. , Cordeaux Yolande , Charnock-Jones D. Stephen , Smith Gordon C. S.
Published: July 2015

Multiple pregnancy is a major cause of spontaneous preterm birth, which is related to uterine overdistention. The objective of this study was to determine whether an oxytocin receptor antagonist, retosiban (GSK221149A), inhibited the procontractile effect of stretch on human myometrium. Myometrial biopsies were obtained at term planned cesarean delivery (n = 12). Each biopsy specimen was dissected into 8 strips that were exposed in pairs to low or high stretch (0.6 or 2.4 g) in the presence of retosiban (1 μM) or vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide) for 24 hours. Subsequently, we analyzed the contractile responses to KCl and oxytocin in the absence of retosiban. We found that incubation under high stretch in vehicle alone increased the response of myometrial explants to both KCl (P = .007) and oxytocin (P = .01). However, there was no statistically significant effect of stretch when explants were incubated with retosiban (P = .3 and .2, respectively). Incubation with retosiban in low stretch had no statistically significant effect on the response to either KCl or oxytocin (P = .8 and >.9, respectively). Incubation with retosiban in high stretch resulted in a statistically significant reduction (median fold change, interquartile range, P) in the response to both KCl (0.74, 0.60–1.03, P = .046) and oxytocin (0.71, 0.53–0.91, P = .008). The greater the effect of stretch on explants from a given patient, the greater was the inhibitory effect of retosiban (r = −0.65, P = .02 for KCl and r= −0.73, P = .007 for oxytocin). These results suggest that retosiban prevented stretch-induced stimulation of human myometrial contractility. Retosiban treatment is a potential approach for preventing preterm birth in multiple pregnancy.
No functionally relevant mechanical effects of epimuscular myofascial connections between rat ankle plantar flexors
Authors: Tijs Chris , van Dieën Jaap H. , Maas Huub
Published: July 2015

Triceps surae muscles are mechanically connected by the shared Achilles tendon and by epimuscular myofascial connections. We aimed to assess effects of proximal lengthening of gastrocnemius (GA) and plantaris muscles, imposed by changes in knee angle, on (i) the magnitude and direction of the 3D ankle moment exerted by the soleus (SO) muscle, and on (ii) mechanical interaction between ankle plantar flexor muscles during co-activation of GA muscle, in the rat (n=9). Ankle angle was kept constant (90°), while knee angle was varied between 60° and 130°. At each knee angle, SO was excited individually as well as simultaneously with GA (SO&GA). The mathematical sum of individual SO and GA ankle moments was compared with the ankle moment exerted by SO&GA to assess nonlinear summation. Knee angle did not affect the magnitude of the SO ankle moment (p=0.695). Moment directions in the transverse (p=0.050) and frontal (p=0.008) planes were affected by knee angle, but dissection indicated that this was not caused by length changes of the two-joint synergistic muscles. Nonlinear summation was found in the magnitude (-1.4±1.9%, mean±s.d., p<0.001) and in the frontal plane vector direction of the ankle moment (0.13±0.23°, p=0.003), however, the extent did not change with knee angle. While SO&GA contraction increased Achilles tendon length compared to rest, this length was not knee angle dependent (p=0.649). Despite that intermuscular force transmission per se cannot be excluded, we conclude that in vivo the mechanical effects of epimuscular myofascial connections between rat ankle plantar flexors are not functionally relevant.