bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Expatriation Process in a Slovenian Company
Authors: Pintar Rok , Martins Jorge Tiago , Bernik Mojca
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose: The multinational companies require different approach of human resource management to achieve their goals. The reason is in employees who are working abroad, so-called expatriates. The purpose of the research is to investigate perceptions and experience of the expatriates working in one of the Slovenian multinational company.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The online survey was performed among all expatriates working for the pharmaceutical company. The questionnaire was randomly sent and delivered in an electronic form, structured in an online program named 1ka (https://www.1ka.si). A total of all 12 questionnaires were completed fully and properly.

Results: Results indicate that there are several reasons that expatriates went to work abroad, but none of them did not completely fulfilled the expectations of the expatriates. There are no differences between those expatriates who are working abroad up to 12 months and those who are working more than 12 months in their fulfilment of expectations working abroad for this company.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, the study shows the expatriates importance factors for their contribution of working abroad for the company and fulfilment of their expectations. The results are useful for the employees that will be in the future involved in the expatriation process in this company.
Reasons for Plagiarism in Higher Education
Authors: Šprajc Polona , Urh Marko , Jerebic Janja , Trivan Dragan , Jereb Eva
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose: The survey was performed to determine the reasons that lead students to possibly commit plagiarism during their studies. By doing so, we wanted to determine the main reason for the appearance of plagiarism and how, within this main reasons, various indicators of plagiarism are judged and, finally, how demographic data and student motivation for study are associated with the reasons for plagiarism.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A paper-and-pencil survey was carried out among 17 faculties of the University of Maribor in Slovenia. A sample of 139 students 85 males and 54 females participated in this study, ages ranged from 19 to 36 years. The questionnaire contained 95 closed questions referring to: (i) general data, (ii) education, (iii) social status, (iv) awareness of plagiarism, and (v) reasons for plagiarism. Parametric and nonparametric statistical tests were performed depending on distributions of the answers.

Results: The results reveal that information and communication technology is largely responsible for the plagiarism with two reasons highlighted: ease of copying and ease of access to materials and new technologies. We also found some differences between low and high motivated students. Different average values of the answers considering motivation for study were confirmed for academic skills, teaching factors and other reasons for plagiarism, where the average for lower motivated students is significantly different (higher) than the average for higher motivated students. At the end we could find no direct relationship between the average time spent on the Internet and plagiarism.

Conclusion: The transmission of knowledge is the basic mission of faculties. This mission is based on moral beliefs about the harmfulness of its abuse, and plagiarism is exactly such abuse. Regardless of the students past at this point professors are those who could greatly contribute to the right set of skills to keep students off plagiarising.
Contingency Factors Influencing Implementation of Physical Asset Management Practices
Authors: Maletič Damjan , Maletič Matjaž , Al-Najjar Basim , Gotzamani Katerina , Gianni Maria , Kalinowski T. Bartosz , Gomišček Boštjan
Published: March 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this empirical study is to examine the role of two contingency factors, i.e. uncertainty and competitiveness in relation to physical asset management (PAM) practices as well as to maintenance key performance indicators. The research is based on a premise that PAM, which was defined by risk management practices, performance assessment practices, life cycle management practices, and policy & strategy practices, has become an indispensable element of strategic thinking of asset owners as well as maintenance and asset managers. The purpose of this study is to advance the understanding of how organizations that face high or low level of uncertainty and competitiveness respond in terms of PAM deployment.

Methodology/Approach: This study employed a data set based on a large-scale survey among organizations in six European countries (i.e. Slovenia, Poland, Greece, Sweden, Turkey and Slovakia). Data were collected from 138 organizations located in the above-mentioned countries to conduct the study.

Findings: The results show that organizations that are faced with high level of uncertainty and competitiveness are more engaged in the deployment of PAM practices. Moreover, results show that when organizations are facing high levels of competitiveness they are using KPIs to a greater extent than organizations under low levels of competitiveness.

Originality/value: From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the contingency theory by providing empirical evidence whether a context-dependent approach to PAM is needed. The findings also provide insights for managers on how to respond to the competitive pressure as well as how to customize PAM practices in order to adapt to the changes in dynamic organizational environment.
Burnout of Older and Younger Employees – The Case of Slovenia
Authors: Rožman Maja , Treven Sonja , Čančer Vesna , Cingula Marijan
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose: People spend a significant part of their lifespan working, but the role of age in job design and implementation of work have largely been ignored. The consequences can be evident in stress and burnout in different symptoms. Thus, age-diverse employees are faced with different symptoms of burnout and stress when carrying out their work. The main aim of this paper is to present burnout of older employees compared to younger employees in Slovenian companies.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is based on research including a survey between two age groups of employees, namely the younger employees that were classified in the group of under 50 years of age and the older employees that were classified in the group of above 50 years of age. Since the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro- Wilk test showed that the data was not normally distributed, the noan-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to verify differences in the physical symptoms of burnout, emotional symptoms of burnout, and behavioral symptoms of burnout in the workplace between two groups.

Results: The results show that there are significant differences in the great majority of the variables describing the physical symptoms of burnout, emotional symptoms of burnout, and behavioral symptoms of burnout in the workplace between younger and older employees.

Conclusion: Well-being in the workplace of age-diverse employees is a key for long-term effectiveness of organizations. Managers and employers should apply appropriate measures to reduce burnout as well as to contribute to employees well-being and better workplace performance.
Evaluation of the degree of healthiness of the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) acorns in the Włoszczowa– Jędrzejów Nature Park and its neighbouring area
Authors: Bąk-Badowska Jolanta , Żeber-Dzikowska Ilona , Chmielewski Jarosław
Published: March 2017

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the degree of healthiness of the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) acorns found in the Włoszczowa-Jędrzejów Nature Park (abbreviation: W-JOChK) and in the neighbouring area. It was dealt with by making the analysis of health of the acorns (total 3,600). The research material included the samples of fallen down acorns, collected under the pedunculate oaks in Kurzelów (W-JOChK), as well as Żelisławice. The study was conducted from late September 2014 to early October 2015.

The analysis of acorns demonstrated that over 50% of the acorns were damaged by insects. The ‘perpetrators’ of the damage proved to be Curculio glandium (Coleoptera: Curculionidae - acorn weevil) and Cydia splendana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae - chestnut tortrix). It was stated that acorns from the pedunculate oak trees, which were found on the protected area, were twice less frequently inhabited by Curculio glandium than those originating from the trees in Żelisławice - near the industrial firm. The damages caused by Cydia splendana in both study sites were similar in number. The results indicate that the acorns of oaks in more polluted environment are probably more vulnerable to infestation by insects.
Diversity of water level fluctuations in degraded Baltic raised bogs
Authors: Duda Filip , Woźniak Ewa , Jereczek-Korzeniewska Katarzyna , Cieślińsk Roman
Published: March 2017

The aim of paper is to present the diversity of water level fluctuations in degraded Baltic raised bogs. An attempt was made to answer the question how strong the diversity of fluctuations is both within each object and between two objects situated close to each other. Moreover, speed and value of the response of water level to atmospheric precipitation were analysed. The spatial scope of the paper covers two Baltic raised bogs in the lower part of the Łeba river valley: Czarne Bagno and Łebskie Bagno. The time scope covers years 2012-2014. The study found that both analysed bogs were a high dynamic in variation of groundwater level. Annual amplitudes of fluctuations in the water table was in the range of 28.4 to 77.9 cm (Łebskie Bagno) and of 45.6 to 105.0 cm (Czarne Bagno). It has been observed that lowering the water level on both peatlands always been recorded in the summer months, whilst the increase in the autumn, which lasted until spring. Retention and the water level on peatlands influenced primarily precipitation. Extreme meteorological conditions that make it less conspicuous is the variation resulting from factors such as location in different parts of the bog or type of degradation.
Comparison of pedotransfer functions for the determination of saturated hydraulic conductivity coefficient
Authors: Ryczek Marek , Kruk Edyta , Malec Magdalena , Klatka Sławomir
Published: March 2017

On one hand, direct methods of measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity coefficient are time consuming, and on the other hand, laboratory methods are cost consuming. That is why the popularity of empirical methods has increased. Their main advantages are speed of calculations and low costs. Comparison of various empirical methods (pedotransfer functions) for the determination of saturated hydraulic conductivity coefficient was the purpose of this work. The methods used were Shepard’s, Hazen’s, USBR (United States Bureau of Reclamation), Saxton et al.’s, Kozeny–Carman’s, Krüger’s, Terzaghi’s, Chapuis’s, Sheelheim’s, Chapuis’, and NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Command) methods. Calculations were carried out for the soil samples of differential texture. The obtained results shows the methods used for the determination of permeability coefficient differ considerably. Mean values obtained by analysed methods fluctuated between 0.0006 and 12.0 m·day−1. The results of calculations by the chosen methods were compared with the results of the laboratory method. The best compatibility with laboratory method was obtained by using the Terzaghi method.
The Risk of Hydrogen Explosion in a Submarine P.2 Catalyst Bed Flow Resistance
Authors: Kłos Ryszard
Published: March 2017

This series of articles presents the problem of undertaking the high risk project of modernisation of hydrogen incinerators on a submarine. The article describes technical issues connected with the flow capacity of a modernised hydrogen incinerator.
Application of Local Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy With Use of Device Laserobaria – S in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds
Authors: Sieroń Aleksander , Pasek Jarosław , Pietrzak Mikołaj , Cieślar Grzegorz
Published: March 2017

For many years now we have been observing a growing number of patients with amputations performed on lower extremities due to chronic wounds occurring as a result of atherosclerotic lesions in peripheral arteries, thromboembolism as well as due to chronic ischaemia in lower extremities. Modern physical medicine is systematically enhancing treatment possibilities for patients with chronic wounds by an introduction of innovative therapeutic devices into clinical practice, which often allow to prevent amputations, accelerate the healing process, and, most of all, alleviate or completely eliminate pain. The article presents the therapeutic mechanism and methodology of one of such methods - local hyperbaric oxygen therapy with the use of a device called LASEROBARIA - S, alongside a description of its therapeutic effects in the case of two patients.
A Case of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Authors: Olszański Romuald , Siermontowski Piotr , Juszczak Dariusz , Dąbrowiecki Zbigniew , Pedrycz Agnieszka
Published: March 2017

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Poland is an imported disease mainly occurring in tourists who travelled to tropical countries. Cutaneous symptoms occur as late as between ten and twenty days following the return from the tropics. Lesions connected with cutaneous leishmaniasis were most commonly diagnosed by Polish doctors as furuncle, ecthyma or ulceration and ineffectively treated for several weeks with antibiotics.

The paper presents the case of leishmaniasis in a 30-year-old male with an ulceration of the left shank, ineffectively treated with antibiotics over a period of four months. The ulceration was healed completely only after leishmaniasis was diagnosed and following the application of a treatment based on antimony derivatives, followed by hyperbaric oxygenation performed in a hyperbaric chamber.
Physical Activity in the Water Accompanied by Music
Authors: Kwaśna Anna , Szczepan Stefan , Spirydowicz Aleksandra , Zatoń Krystyna
Published: March 2017

Introduction: Music motivates, relaxes and stimulates action and is one factor which enhances the pleasure that people feel from a given movement. Thus, from a psychophysical point of view, listening to music is an important aspect in sport and recreation. With this in mind, the aim of the study was to determine any changes in the participants’ psychophysical sphere which resulted from listening to music while swimming. The psychophysical sphere was expressed in relation to the Borg RPE scale (Rating of Perceived Exertion) as well as the Rejeski and Gauvin Exercise-Induced Feeling Inventory (EFI) scale of emotional states.

Material and methods: The participants in the study were not professional swimmers (n = 10). The experiment consisted of two trials in which participants performed the Swimming Cooper test. During the first trial there was no music transmitted while in the second trial specifically selected music was played as the participants swam.

Results: An ANOVA variance analysis (α = 0.05) showed statistically significant differences in the RPE scale (p = 0.04) and across all sensations on the EFI scale (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001).

Conclusions: Listening to music while swimming has a significant impact on the human psychophysical sphere and is expressed by a perceived exertion scale and the scale of emotional states.

Respondents paid less attention to the discomfort of physical exertion associated with exercise while listening to music. The rating of their emotional states, including positive engagement, revitalization and tranquility considerably increased though the physical exhaustion measures were significantly lower.
Gesundheitskompetenz messen – Kritischer Blick auf standardisierte Verfahren
Authors: Bitzer Eva Maria
Published: March 2017

Die mehr als 120 standardisierten Verfahren zur Erhebung der Gesundheitskompetenz unterscheiden sich u.a. danach, ob sie als Testinstrumente oder zur Selbsteinschätzung konzipiert sind. Selbsteinschätzungsfragebögen erfreuen sich hoher Akzeptanz, sind in der Regel mehrdimensional, jedoch mitunter konzeptionell unscharf. Dagegen liefern Testinstrumente objektivierbare Informationen, konzentrieren sich jedoch oft eng auf das Textverständnis und Wissen und sind weit weniger bei den Befragten akzeptiert.
Gesundheitskompetente Krankenbehandlungseinrichtungen
Authors: Pelikan Jürgen M.
Published: March 2017

Gesundheitskompetenz (GK) wird zunehmend als umfassendes und relationales Konzept verstanden, d.h. sowohl persönliche wie organisationale GK kann gemessen und verbessert werden. Aufbauend auf 10 Merkmalen der Gesundheitskompetenten Krankenbehandlungsorganisation des Institute of Medicine (IOM) hat ein Wiener Team ein umfassendes Modell mit Standards und Indikatoren zur Selbstbewertung der organisationalen Gesundheitskompetenz von Krankenbehandlungseinrichtungen entwickelt und in einer Machbarkeitsstudie validiert.
Abwehrreaktionen und negative Effekte von Gesundheitsinformationen
Authors: Hastall Matthias R.
Published: March 2017

Gesundheitsbezogene Informationen können eine Reihe negativer Effekte und Abwehrreaktionen auslösen, die bislang kaum thematisiert oder bei der Informationsgestaltung berücksichtigt werden. Der Beitrag gibt Hinweise auf einige zentrale Barrieren für die erfolgreiche Erhöhung der Gesundheitskompetenz und plädiert für eine intensivierte Diskussion über kommunikationsleitende Menschenbilder sowie unbewusste Prozesse der Informationszuwendung und -verarbeitung.
Gesundheitskompetenz im Alter fördern – Partizipative Interventionsentwicklung im Projekt „GeWinn“
Authors: Killenberg Alvia , Ladebeck Nadine , Baumgarten Kerstin , Hassel Holger
Published: March 2017

Die Häufigkeit chronischer Erkrankungen nimmt mit dem Alter zu. Zugleich haben besonders ältere Menschen eine unzureichende Gesundheitskompetenz. Das Projekt „GeWinn“ zielt auf die Förderung der Gesundheitskompetenz von Menschen ab 60 Jahren in den Bereichen der Gesundheitsförderung und im Umgang mit chronischen Erkrankungen. In diesem Beitrag soll die partizipative Entwicklung der „GeWinn“-Intervention anhand der Durchführung und Auswertung von sieben Fokusgruppendiskussionen aufgezeigt werden.
Faktenboxen – Wie passen Evidenz und Laienverständlichkeit zusammen?
Authors: Kolpatzik Kai
Published: March 2017

Qualitätsgesicherte Gesundheitsinformationen sind für Laien oft schwer zu finden und zu verstehen. Faktenboxen bereiten Gesundheitsinformationen aus wissenschaftlichen Studien in einem prägnanten Frage-Antwort-Prinzip auf und stellen zentrale Informationen in einer tabellarischen oder grafisch unterstützten Form zusammen. Es wird keine Empfehlung gegeben. Die Wissensvermittlung soll Menschen befähigen, eine informierte Entscheidung treffen zu können.
Gesundheitskompetenz in Deutschland – Nationaler Aktionsplan
Authors: Schaeffer Doris , Berens Eva-Maria , Weishaar Heide , Vogt Dominique
Published: March 2017

Die erste repräsentative Studie zur Gesundheitskompetenz in Deutschland (HLS-GER) zeigt, dass über die Hälfte der Bevölkerung über eine eingeschränkte Gesundheitskompetenz verfügt. Deshalb wird ein Nationaler Aktionsplan erarbeitet, dessen Ziel es ist, ein systematisches Programm zur Förderung der Gesundheitskompetenz zu entwickeln, die gesellschaftliche und politische Diskussion des Themas zu intensivieren, Handlungsbereitschaft auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen zu erzeugen und Veränderungen anzuregen.
Patentrezept Medienkompetenz. Ein Weg zur Steigerung der Gesundheitskompetenz?
Authors: Braun Bernard
Published: March 2017

Die Bevölkerungsgruppe mit mangelhafter Gesundheitskompetenz ist wegen der rund 15% Analphabeten wahrscheinlich noch erheblich größer als berichtet. Wegen der Mängel der medialen Gesundheitsinformationen und bei der Hilfe von Ärzten ihren Patienten evidente Informationen zu beschaffen, ist das Ziel von besserer Gesundheitskompetenz allein durch mehr Medienkompetenz oder Arztgespräche nicht zu erreichen. Dies ist nur durch gleichzeitige Eingriffe auf der Angebotsseite zu schaffen.
Properties and applications of electrically conductive
thermoplastics for additive manufacturing of sensors
Authors: Hampel Benedikt , Monshausen Samuel , Schilling Meinhard
Published: March 2017

In consequence of the growing
diversity of materials in the fused deposition modeling 3D printing
technique, electrically conductive materials are
commercially available. In this work two filaments based
on thermoplastics filled with carbon or metal nanoparticles are analyzed in
terms of their electrical conductance. The printing
parameters to process the materials with the 3D printer are optimized with
the design of experiments (DoE) method. A model to
calculate the resistance of such 3D printed structures is presented and
a demonstrator as a proof of concept was 3D printed based on these
results. In addition, 3D printing of
capacitors is investigated.
Fragile X syndrome: Lessons learned from the most translated neurodevelopmental disorder in clinical trials
Authors: Duy Phan Q. , Budimirovic Dejan B.
Published: March 2017

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and inherited intellectual disability (ID) worldwide. Preclinical successes in understanding the biology of FXS have led to numerous translational attempts in human clinical trials of therapeutics that target the excitatory/inhibitory neural signaling imbalances thought to underlie FXS. Despite the preclinical success story, the negative results of the human clinical trials have been deemed to be at least in part disappointing by the field. In this commentary, we contend that such negative studies results in clinical trials may actually propel the FXS field forward by serving as important lessons for designing and implementing improved future clinical trials such that can objectively assess the full range of responses to new therapeutics.
Friedrich Theodor Vischer’s Shakespeare Criticism
Authors: Hahn Hans-Joachim
Published: March 2017

Vischer’s Shakespeare studies not only provide valuable insights into the bard’s plays, they also advance the type of positivist approach later practised by Bradley and others. This study focuses on Hamlet, the play most prominent in nineteenth-century German Shakespeare criticism. Two aspects are of particular interest: (1) Vischer’s nationalist approach, placing Shakespeare solely into a Northern European, Germanic environment. (2) Vischer’s primary concern with character studies. By removing Hamlet from the idealised pedestal on which the Romantics had placed him, Hamlet is no longer seen as the philosopher prince, tormented by moral scruples, but as caught in a net of adverse circumstances which he has to overcome in order to fulfil his father’s command. Vischer thereby liberates Shakespeare criticism from the constraints of domestic tragedy and its bourgeois morality.
Paranoid Masculinity in a Woman’s Mansion: Henry James’ “The Aspern Papers”
Authors: Bauer Gero
Published: March 2017

Over the last decades, literary scholarship has increasingly recognised the importance of Henry James’ fiction for an understanding of late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century dynamics of genders and sexualities. In his writing, James repeatedly demonstrates how modern patriarchal masculinities fail to establish themselves as stable identities. On a textual level, he employs a ‘queer rhetoric’ that allows for readings beyond the normative axes masculine-feminine/homosexual-heterosexual. In this paper, I discuss how James, in his tale “The Aspern Papers” (1888), turns traditionally gendered power relations upside-down: while the patriarchal home is the domestic centre of the narrative, it is two women who are in control of its secrets. The male protagonist, a nameless editor, has to rely on the women’s willingness to let him in on their secret, allow him access to the letters of the dead poet Jeffrey Aspern, which he assumes to be in their possession, and, hence, let him face his own unspeakable secret in a ‘closet’ that is not his own.
Mongolia in 2016
Authors: Dierkes Julian
Published: March 2017

Mongolians in 2016 resisted populism, streamed to the polls, and ensured a change in government. Populist candidates were soundly defeated, surprising in the context of a dire economic situation and a crushing public debt that left the new government almost no room for legislative initiatives.
Thailand in 2016
Authors: McCargo Duncan
Published: March 2017

Events in Thailand during 2016 were overshadowed by the death of long-reigning King Bhumibol Adulyadej on October 13, and the entire nation’s mourning. Despite the popular approval of a new constitution in August 2016, Thailand’s military regime showed no sign of relinquishing power during this time of considerable national anxiety.
Indonesia in 2016
Authors: Mietzner Marcus
Published: March 2017

During his second year in power, Indonesian President Joko Widodo faced contradictory yet interrelated trends: while he consolidated his grip over parliament and improved his approval ratings, the president’s remaining opponents shifted the focus of political contestation from the state’s institutions onto the streets. Additionally burdened by economic uncertainty and rising regional tensions over the South China Sea, Indonesian democracy thus continues to be vulnerable, its outward stability notwithstanding.
Malaysia in 2016
Authors: Milner Anthony
Published: March 2017

In 2016 Prime Minister Najib overcame challenges that many predicted would destroy him. The crisis, however, has helped to deepen many of the fault lines in Malaysian politics and society, and to promote public apprehension. Much will now depend on the resilience of the country’s institutions and economy.
Japan in 2016
Authors: Pempel T. J.
Published: March 2017

Japanese domestic politics, foreign policy, economics and society continued along well-established paths in the year 2016. And long-term demographic trends remained a major unresolved challenge. Yet three exceptions to continuity stood out: first, controversial legislation that expanded the legality of collective self-defense; second, the likely collapse of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP); and third, the election of Donald Trump.
Metaphoric Gestures Facilitate Perception of Intonation More than Length in Auditory Judgments of Non-Native Phonemic Contrasts
Authors: Kelly Spencer , Bailey April , Hirata Yukari
Published: March 2017

It is well established that hand gestures affect comprehension and learning of semantic aspects of a foreign language (FL). However, much less is known about the role of hand gestures in lower-level language processes, such as perception of phonemes. To address this gap, we explored the role that metaphoric gestures play in perceiving FL speech sounds that varied on two dimensions: length and intonation. English speaking adults listened to Japanese length contrasts and sentence-final intonational distinctions in the context of congruent, incongruent and no gestures. For intonational contrasts, identification was more accurate for congruent gestures and less accurate for incongruent gestures relative to the baseline no gesture condition. However, for the length contrasts, there was no such clear and consistent pattern, and in fact, congruent gestures made speech processing more effortful. We conclude that metaphoric gestures help with some—but not all—novel speech sounds in a FL, suggesting that gesture and speech are phonemically integrated to differing extents depending on the nature of the gesture and/or speech sound.
From the Field to the Factory Floor
Authors: Alamgir Alena K.
Published: March 2017

This essay discusses Vietnamese labor migration to Czechoslovakia before 1990. Specifically, it focuses on the contentious issue of assigning Vietnamese workers to jobs in agriculture, forestry, and construction, which both Vietnamese workers and the state found objectionable because they required outdoor work, did not allow workers to acquire factory job skills, and paid poorly. I show that (a) Vietnamese officials exerted sustained pressure on their Czechoslovak counterparts in order to reverse Czechoslovak decisions on job assignments, and that (b) their efforts were to a significant extent successful. Thus, I conclude, that the Vietnamese state shaped the labor exchange program to a significant degree.
Scalp hair cortisol for diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Wester Vincent L , Reincke Martin , Koper Jan W , van den Akker Erica L T , Manenschijn Laura , Berr Christina M , Fazel Julia , de Rijke Yolanda B , Feelders Richard A , van Rossum Elisabeth F C
Published: March 2017

Objective

Current first-line screening tests for Cushing’s syndrome (CS) only measure time-point or short-term cortisol. Hair cortisol content (HCC) offers a non-invasive way to measure long-term cortisol exposure over several months of time. We aimed to evaluate HCC as a screening tool for CS.

Design

Case-control study in two academic referral centers for CS.

Methods

Between 2009 and 2016, we collected scalp hair from patients suspected of CS and healthy controls. HCC was measured using ELISA. HCC was available in 43 confirmed CS patients, 35 patients in whom the diagnosis CS was rejected during diagnostic work-up and follow-up (patient controls), and 174 healthy controls. Additionally, we created HCC timelines in two patients with ectopic CS.

Results

CS patients had higher HCC than patient controls and healthy controls (geometric mean 106.9 vs 12.7 and 8.4 pg/mg respectively, P < 0.001). At a cut-off of 31.1 pg/mg, HCC could differentiate between CS patients and healthy controls with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 90%. With patient controls as a reference, specificity remained the same (91%). Within CS patients, HCC correlated significantly with urinary free cortisol (r = 0.691, P < 0.001). In two ectopic CS patients, HCC timelines indicated that cortisol was increased 3 and 6 months before CS became clinically apparent.

Conclusions

Analysis of cortisol in a single scalp hair sample offers diagnostic accuracy for CS similar to currently used first-line tests, and can be used to investigate cortisol exposure in CS patients months to years back in time, enabling the estimation of disease onset.
Bone structural changes after gastric bypass surgery evaluated by HR-pQCT: a two-year longitudinal study
Authors: Shanbhogue Vikram V , Støving René Klinkby , Frederiksen Katrine Hartmund , Hanson Stine , Brixen Kim , Gram Jeppe , Jørgensen Niklas Rye , Hansen Stinus
Published: March 2017

Objective, design and methods

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) has proved successful in attaining sustained weight loss but may lead to metabolic bone disease. To assess impact on bone mass and structure, we measured a real bone mineral density at the hip and spine by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and volumetric BMD (vBMD) and bone microarchitecture at the distal radius and tibia by high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT in 25 morbidly obese subjects (15 females, 10 males) at 0, 12 and 24 months after RYGB. Bone turnover markers (BTMs), calciotropic and gut hormones and adipokines were measured at the same time points.

Results

After a 24.1% mean weight loss from baseline to month 12 (P < 0.001), body weight plateaued from month 12 to 24 (−0.9%, P = 0.50). However, cortical and trabecular vBMD and microarchitecture deteriorated through the 24 months, such that there was a 5 and 7% reduction in estimated bone strength at the radius and tibia respectively (both P < 0.001). The declines observed in the first 12 months were matched or exceeded by declines in the 12- to 24-month period. While a significant increase in BTMs and decrease in leptin and insulin were seen at 24 months, these changes were maximal at month 12 and stabilized from month 12 to 24.

Conclusions

Despite weight stabilization and maintenance of metabolic parameters, bone loss and deterioration in bone strength continued and were substantial in the second year. The clinical importance of these changes in terms of increased risk of developing osteoporosis and fragility fractures remain an important concern.
Desarrollo capitalista y la inviabilidad del planteamiento ecologista —contradicciones entre la lógica de acumulación de capital y los conceptos de protección/conservación del medio ambiente—
Authors: Cruz-Meléndez Carlos Eduardo
Published: March 2017

La creciente constatación de la destrucción ambiental a escala planetaria que conlleva el desarrollo de una producción económica regida por la lógica de la acumulación capitalista ha motivado, a su vez, una creciente movilización social contestataria centrada en la protección per se del medio ambiente. Así, los planteamientos ecologistas críticos se quedan en última instancia en atacar los síntomas de la crisis ambiental y no sus causas, que subyacen precisamente en el supuesto y exigencia de un crecimiento a infinito de la explotación económica tanto del ser humano como de los llamados recursos naturales. Y esta contradicción es posible porque éticamente los planteamientos ecologistas no superan una ética compatible con la sociedad capitalista basada en un “bien común” abstracto, sin historia, tal como se presenta en un autor como Adam Smith. Un pensador liberal burgués para quien la conducta del homo economicus no es contradictoria con una ética social basada en la simpatía hacia los demás y el propio interés, donde la conducta individual se ve condicionada por cómo nos ven y como nos juzgan los demás.
Descripción de la distribución espacial de la clorofila a, temperatura y salinidad en la plataforma y el talud continentales del Caribe centroamericano
Authors: Brenes Rodríguez Carlos Luis , Benavides Morera Rosario , Loza Álvarez Sandra
Published: March 2017

Con la coordinación regional de la Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano (OSPESCA), se llevó a cabo del 3 de enero al 3 de febrero del año 2011 una campaña de prospección pesquera sobre la plataforma y el talud continentales del Caribe centroamericano, a bordo del B/I Miguel Oliver. En 76 estaciones hidrográficas se determinaron la temperatura, salinidad y se estimó la concentración de clorofila a través de un fluorómetro incorporado al CTD. La temperatura superficial varió entre 25 y 27°C y la salinidad en ese mismo nivel presentó valores entre 32.5 (Panamá) y 35.5 (Belice). La profundidad de la termoclina mostró una tendencia descendente de sur a norte localizándose entre los 140 y 155 m. Los valores para la concentración de clorofila a a se encuentran en el rango 0.01-1.01 mg m-3. La distribución de la clorofila a integrada en la capa de 0 a 150 m registró el valor más alto en las aguas panameñas (25.25 mg m-2), mientras la zona de Belice presentó el valor más bajo (6.05 mg m-2). Dos máximos de clorofila a (zona de mezcla y estrato termoclino) caracterizan la zona sur del Caribe centroamericano (Costa Rica y Panamá) y un único máximo ubicado cerca de los 90 m sobresale en la distribución vertical de dicha variable entre Nicaragua y Belice. La concentración de clorofila a promedio para todas las estaciones fue de 0.3 mg m-3, de modo que en la plataforma y el talud continentales predominan en general condiciones oligotróficas.
Artículo de Revisión/ Review Article Teorías y modelos aplicados al estudio de la conducta del pescador: implicaciones en procesos de gestión
Authors: Naranjo-Madrigal Helven
Published: March 2017

En el proceso de toma de decisiones para el manejo de pesquerías se ha incrementado la atención en considerar aspectos de la dimensión humana de la pesca adicionalmente a la dimensión ecológica. En la dimensión humana, el componente de dinámica de flotas pesqueras se ha analizado a través de modelos y teorías que han dado más énfasis al comportamiento de embarcaciones y menor atención al comportamiento del pescador como individuo o grupos de individuos. La presente revisión de literatura se enfoca en estudios que han analizado aspectos de la conducta del pescador mediante teorías y modelos que logran explicar y predecir su comportamiento. Se encontró que los motivadores económicos per se no logran explicar la complejidad del proceso de toma de decisiones del pescador, más bien una gran cantidad de aspectos no monetarios están implícitos en las elecciones que hacen los pescadores en el corto y largo plazos. Modelos que incorporan información de distintas disciplinas y enfoques transdisciplinarios logran explicar mejor las decisiones del pescador asociadas al esfuerzo, incentivos económicos, capturas, regulaciones, aspectos de su cultura, forma de vida, estrategias de sobrevivencia, satisfacción laboral y percepción del bienestar. A partir de esta revisión de literatura se propone un marco conceptual de manejo socioecológico para integrar las motivaciones de la conducta de los pescadores y la relación con los ecosistemas de los cuales estos dependen.
A Glimpse into the Future: In 2020, Which Patients will Undergo TAVI or SAVR?
Authors: O’sullivan Crochan J ,   Department of Cardiology, Stadtspital Triemli, Zurich, Switzerland, Wenaweser Peter ,   Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, Switzerland,   Cardiovascular Center Zurich, Hirslanden Clinic im Park, Zurich, Switzerland
Published: March 2017

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has evolved into a safe and effective procedure to treat symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), with predictable and reproducible results. Rates of important complications such as vascular complications, strokes and paravalvular leaks are lower than ever, because of improved patient selection, systematic use of multidector computer tomography, increasing operator experience and device iteration. Accumulating data suggest that transfemoral TAVI with newer generation transcatheter heart valves and delivery systems is superior to conventional surgical aortic valve replacement among intermediate- and high-risk patients with severe symptomatic AS with regard to all-cause mortality and stroke. One can anticipate that by 2020, the majority of patients with severe symptomatic AS will undergo TAVI as first line therapy, regardless of surgical risk.
Do We Need a Different Approach to Assess Cardiovascular Risk in Women?
Authors: Isiadinso Ijeoma ,   Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Women’s Heart Center, Atlanta, GA, Wenger Nanette K ,   Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory Women’s Heart Center, Atlanta, GA
Published: March 2017

For many years, heart disease was considered by many to be a ‘man’s disease’. This opinion was held for several decades, despite statistics showing that more women died from heart disease annually than men. Women are not simply smaller biologic versions of men, nor are they a homogeneous group. The complexity of the effect of hormonal, biologic and physiologic factors on a woman’s cardiovascular risk cannot be understood by extrapolating our knowledge of heart disease in men. Several factors influence a woman’s risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). While traditional risk factors have long been known, several risk factors unique to or predominant in women also confer an increased risk for CVD. In this review we highlight the burden of CVD in women, and describe risk factors that are female-specific or female-predominant. We also review current risk assessment models and their efficacy in estimating a woman’s risk for CVD.
Guest Editorial A Brave New World for Non-vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants: Have We seen the Last of Warfarin?
Authors: Faggioni Michela ,   Interventional Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Trials, The Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA, Gibson Michael C ,   Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy, Mehran Roxana ,   Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Published: March 2017

The use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NVKA) for antithrombotic treatment has freed patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) from the inconvenience and expense of international normalized ratio measurements. However, in the presence of coronary artery disease requiring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) the physician is challenged with decisions regarding which antiplatelet regimen to administer. The open-label, randomized, controlled, multicenter Study Exploring Two Treatment Strategies of Rivaroxaban and a Dose-Adjusted Oral Vitamin K Antagonist Treatment Strategy in Subjects With AF Who Undergo PCI (PIONEER AF-PCI) was the first randomized clinical trial to test safety and efficacy of a NVKA in patients with AF treated with PCI. At 1-year follow-up both dual and triple therapy with rivaroxaban were superior to triple therapy with warfarin in reducing the frequency of bleeding events. Findings from the PIONEER AF-PCI study indicate superiority of dual or triple therapy with rivaroxaban over warfarin.
Dual Anti-platelet Therapy after Coronary Stenting: Rationale for Personalized Duration of Therapy
Authors: Cutlip Donald E ,   Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Published: March 2017

There is controversy regarding the appropriate duration of dual anti-platelet therapy after coronary stenting. Recent guidance has been updated to reflect improved outcomes after second-generation drug-eluting stenting, but a standard duration for all patients is not rational given the different risks for ischemic and bleeding complications. This paper reviews the data for short- and long-term dual anti-platelet therapy and considers approaches for developing a personalized strategy.
Ato Infracional e Privação de Liberdade: a permanência da cultura da institucionalização para adolescentes pobres no Brasil / Misdemeanor Act and Deprivation of Liberty: the permanence of the institutionalization culture for poor adolescents in Brazil
Authors: Celestino Sabrina
Published: March 2017

O presente trabalho busca refletir criticamente sobre o atendimento aos adolescentes acusados da autoria de atos infracionais no Brasil, a partir da análise dos dados quantitativos, que integram os levantamentos nacionais do atendimento socioeducativo de 2009 a 2012, realizados pela Secretaria de Direitos Humanos da Presidência da República. Considerando os índices que referem um aumento gradativo do número de adolescentes internados em instituições fechadas, buscamos analisar a permanência da cultura da institucionalização e do confinamento voltada aos adolescentes pobres considerados infratores, que, a nosso ver, vige mesmo após a promulgação do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente e da proposição do Sistema Nacional de Atendimento Socioeducativo.
Ainda sobre os 80 anos do Serviço Social: direitos sociais em tempos de ruptura democrática / More About the 80th Anniversary of Social Services: social rights in times of democratic breakdown
Authors: Paiva Beatriz Augusto de , Hillesheim Jaime
Published: March 2017

O artigo possui como feixe temático o processo contemporâneo que reedita ciclo de ruptura da institucionalidade democrática no Brasil, desencadeado pelas forças reacionárias/conservadoras de agosto de 2016. Para as classes trabalhadoras estão em curso duras consequências da crise econômica mundial, combinadas com a disputa política decorrentes de uma governabilidade ilegítima: desemprego massivo, contenção salarial, perda de históricos direitos trabalhistas e garantias sociais recém-conquistadas, em suma, agravamento da pauperização, no cenário histórico da superexploração e dependência. Com esses vetores de análise, o fio condutor da reflexão versará sobre as contradições que sobredeterminam os direitos sociais e as políticas sociais na periferia do capitalismo, atentando para as modulações dos direitos sociais no contexto da programática neodesenvolvimentista e de seu desmonte, bem como acerca dos dilemas contemporâneos do serviço social na intrincada conjuntura de afirmação/regressão dos direitos sociais.
O conceito de desemprego e sua medição no século XX / The concept of unemployment and its measurement in the twentieth century
Authors: Oshiro Felicio , Marques Rosa Maria
Published: March 2017

Tendo como referencial o entendimento de que o desemprego é uma categoria construída ao longo da história do capitalismo, este artigo procura mostrar a evolução do conceito de desemprego subjacente às estatísticas de desemprego construídas pela Organização Internacional do Trabalho, pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, pelo Departamento Intersindical de Estatística e Estudos Socioeconômicos e pela Fundação Sistema Estadual de Análise de Dados. Também procura evidenciar o risco de reduzir um fenômeno complexo como o desemprego a uma medida estatística. Por fim, sugere que as visões sobre o desemprego não são neutras e representam interesses de forças sociais, merecendo reflexões mesmo quando os índices apontam para um “desemprego baixo”.
Teoria social e compreensão da realidade social para uma práxis revolucionária / Social theory and understanding of social reality for a revolutionary praxis
Authors: Santana Joana Valente , Ferreira Benedito De Jesus Pinheiro
Published: March 2017

Este artigo apresenta uma discussão sobre os conceitos fundamentais e o contexto de emergência histórica da teoria social marxiana, no período de constituição da sociedade moderna. Como contraponto, discute-se a constituição e o caráter das “ciências sociais”, particularmente da sua vertente positivista, que por um processo de segmentação da análise da sociedade acaba por se afastar das possibilidades de apreensão, para além do nível fenomênico, da essência dos processos sociais, na perspectiva de uma totalidade articulada e historicamente constituída. O estudo, baseado em pesquisa bibliográfica, ratifica que o método marxiano articula-se profundamente a um projeto de transformação revolucionária da sociedade, que não prescinde do conhecimento, cientificamente fundado da vida social.
Incidência de internações por eventos adversos a medicamentos em Minas Gerais
Authors: Silva Yasmin De Oliveira Machado , Guimarães Lima Marina
Published: March 2017

Aims: To estimate the rate of hospital admissions due to adverse drug events under the Unified Public Health System in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, according to demographic variables, length of stay, medical specialty, and cause of hospitalization.Methods: Cross-sectional study with secondary data on hospital admissions paid for under the Unified Health System in Minas Gerais between 2012 and 2014. The incidence of hospitalizations for adverse drug events was calculated and expressed per 1,000 admissions. The total number of admissions and of hospitalizations for adverse drug events was described according to the patient’s gender and age, length of hospital stay, and the medical specialty. The frequencies of the different categories of the variables of interest were compared using the chi-square test and a 5% significance level.Results: The incidence of hospitalizations for adverse drug events was 25.9 per 1,000 admissions paid for by the Unified Public Health System. Men had a higher rate of hospitalizations for adverse drug events than women (2.7% vs. 2.4%). In terms of age, the highest rate of hospitalizations for adverse drug events was observed among individuals aged 60 years or older (3.4%) and the lowest rate was among children aged up to 9 years (0.6%). A higher rate of hospitalizations for adverse drug events was observed when the length of stay was 15 days or longer (7.6%) and in patients admitted from the psychiatric service (8.3%).Conclusions: Adverse drug events were an important cause of hospitalization under the Unified Public Health System in Minas Gerais between 2012 and 2014. Hospitalization for adverse drug events was associated with being male, being 60 years or older, having a longer hospital stay, and being admitted from the psychiatric service. Actions that promote pharmacovigilance in health institutions are necessary for the prevention of adverse drug events.