bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Causes of Short-Term Readmission After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Wasfy Jason H. , Strom Jordan B. , O’Brien Cashel , Zai Adrian H. , Luttrell Jennifer , Kennedy Kevin F. , Spertus John A. , Zelevinsky Katya , Normand Sharon-Lise T. , Mauri Laura , Yeh Robert W.
Published: January 2014

Background—

Rehospitalization within 30 days after an admission for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is common, costly, and a future target for Medicare penalties. Causes of readmission after PCI are largely unknown.

Methods and Results—

To illuminate the causes of PCI readmissions, patients with PCI readmitted within 30 days of discharge between 2007 and 2011 at 2 hospitals were identified, and their medical records were reviewed. Of 9288 PCIs, 9081 (97.8%) were alive at the end of the index hospitalization. Of these, 893 patients (9.8%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge and included in the analysis. Among readmitted patients, 341 patients (38.1%) were readmitted for evaluation of recurrent chest pain or other symptoms concerning for angina, whereas 59 patients (6.6%) were readmitted for staged PCI without new symptoms. Complications of PCI accounted for 60 readmissions (6.7%). For cases in which chest pain or other symptoms concerning for angina prompted the readmission, 21 patients (6.2%) met criteria for myocardial infarction, and repeat PCI was performed in 54 patients (15.8%). The majority of chest pain patients (288; 84.4%) underwent ≥1 diagnostic imaging test, most commonly coronary angiography, and only 9 (2.6%) underwent target lesion revascularization.

Conclusions—

After PCI, readmissions within 30 days were seldom related to PCI complications but often for recurrent chest pain. Readmissions with recurrent chest pain infrequently met criteria for myocardial infarction but were associated with high rates of diagnostic testing.
Informed Choice of Composite End Points in Cardiovascular Trials
Authors: Gómez Guadalupe , Gómez-Mateu Moisés , Dafni Urania
Published: January 2014

A composite end point is often used as the primary end point to assess the efficacy of a new treatment in randomized clinical trials. In cardiovascular trials, the often rare event of the relevant primary end point (individual or composite), such as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or both, is combined with a more common secondary end point, such as target lesion revascularization, with the aim to increase the statistical power of the study. Gómez and Lagakos developed statistical methodology to be used at the design stage of a randomized clinical trial for deciding whether to expand a study-relevant primary end point to the composite of the relevant end point and a secondary end point. The method uses the asymptotic relative efficiency of the logrank test for comparing treatment groups based on the relevant end point versus the logrank test based on the composite end point. The method is used to assess, in the cardiovascular research area, the characteristics of the candidate individual end points that should govern the choice of using a composite end point as the primary end point in a clinical trial. A set of recommendations is provided based on the reported values of the frequencies of observing each candidate end point and on the magnitude of the effect of treatment as expressed by the hazard ratio, supported by cardiovascular randomized clinical trials published in 2008.
Deficiency of the Sialyltransferase
St3Gal4
Reduces Ccl5-Mediated Myeloid Cell Recruitment and Arrest
Authors: Döring Yvonne , Noels Heidi , Mandl Manuela , Kramp Birgit , Neideck Carlos , Lievens Dirk , Drechsler Maik , Megens Remco T.A. , Tilstam Pathricia V. , Langer Marcella , Hartwig Helene , Theelen Wendy , Marth Jamey D. , Sperandio Markus , Soehnlein Oliver , Weber Christian
Published: January 2014

Rationale:

Sialylation by α2,3-sialyltransferases has been shown to be a crucial glycosylation step in the generation of functional selectin ligands. Recent evidence suggests that sialylation also affects the binding of chemokines to their corresponding receptor.

Objective:

Because the chemokine receptors for Ccl5 and Ccl2 are important in atherogenic recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes, we here investigated the role of α2,3-sialyltransferase IV (ST3Gal-IV) in Ccl5- and Ccl2-mediated myeloid cell arrest and further studied its relevance in a mouse model of atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results:

St3Gal4
-deficient myeloid cells showed a reduced binding of Ccl5 and an impaired Ccl5-triggered integrin activation. Correspondingly, Ccl5-induced arrest on tumor necrosis factor-α–stimulated endothelium was almost completely abrogated, as observed in flow chamber adhesion assays and during ex vivo perfusion or intravital microscopy of carotid arteries. Moreover, Ccl5-triggered neutrophil and monocyte extravasation into the peritoneal cavity was severely reduced in
St3Gal4
−/−
mice. In contrast,
St3Gal4
deficiency did not significantly affect Ccl2 binding and only marginally decreased Ccl2-induced flow arrest of myeloid cells. In agreement with the crucial role of leukocyte accumulation in atherogenesis, and the importance of Ccl5 chemokine receptors mediating myeloid cell recruitment to atherosclerotic vessels,
St3Gal4
deficiency drastically reduced the size, stage, and inflammatory cell content of atherosclerotic lesions in
Apoe
−/−
mice on high-fat diet.

Conclusions:

In summary, these findings identify ST3Gal-IV as a promising target to reduce inflammatory leukocyte recruitment and arrest.
Sodium Excretion and Risk of Developing Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Joosten Michel M. , Gansevoort Ron T. , Mukamal Kenneth J. , Lambers Heerspink Hiddo J. , Geleijnse Johanna M. , Feskens Edith J.M. , Navis Gerjan , Bakker Stephan J.L.
Published: January 2014

Background—

Despite compelling evidence for sodium’s adverse effects on blood pressure, it remains uncertain whether excess sodium intake is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) in the overall population and in potentially more susceptible subgroups.

Methods and Results—

We prospectively followed 7543 adults aged 28 to 75 years and free of cardiovascular and kidney disease in 1997/1998 of the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease (PREVEND) study. Sodium excretion was measured in two 24-hour urine collections at baseline. Potential susceptibility factors were blood pressure and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Median 24-hour sodium excretion was 137 mmol (Q1–Q3, 106–171 mmol). During a median follow-up of 10.5 (Q1–Q3: 9.9–10.8) years, 452 CHD events occurred. In the entire cohort, there was no association between each 1-g/d (43 mmol/24 h) increment in sodium excretion and CHD risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–1.18;
P
=0.15). However, the association of sodium excretion with CHD risk tended to be modified by mean arterial pressure (
P
interaction
=0.08) and was modified by NT-proBNP (
P
interaction
=0.002). When stratified, each 1-g/d increment in sodium excretion was associated with an increased risk for CHD in subjects with hypertension (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.28; n=2363) and in subjects with NT-proBNP concentrations above the sex-specific median (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.30; n=3771).

Conclusions—

Overall, there was no association between sodium excretion and risk of CHD. The association between sodium excretion and CHD risk was modified by NT-proBNP. Higher sodium excretion was associated with an increased CHD risk among subjects with increased NT-proBNP concentrations or with hypertension.
Impaired Cerebral Autoregulation Is Associated With Vasospasm and Delayed Cerebral Ischemia in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Otite Fadar , Mink Susanne , Tan Can Ozan , Puri Ajit , Zamani Amir A. , Mehregan Aujan , Chou Sherry , Orzell Susannah , Purkayastha Sushmita , Du Rose , Sorond Farzaneh A.
Published: January 2014

Background and Purpose—

Cerebral autoregulation may be impaired in the early days after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cerebral autoregulation and angiographic vasospasm (aVSP) and radiographic delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) in patients with SAH.

Methods—

Sixty-eight patients (54±13 years) with a diagnosis of nontraumatic SAH were studied. Dynamic cerebral autoregulation was assessed using transfer function analysis (phase and gain) of the spontaneous blood pressure and blood flow velocity oscillations on days 2 to 4 post-SAH. aVSP was diagnosed using a 4-vessel conventional angiogram. DCI was diagnosed from CT. Decision tree models were used to identify optimal cut-off points for clinical and physiological predictors of aVSP and DCI. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to develop and validate a risk scoring tool for each outcome.

Results—

Sixty-two percent of patients developed aVSP, and 19% developed DCI. Patients with aVSP had higher transfer function gain (1.06±0.33 versus 0.89±0.30;
P
=0.04) and patients with DCI had lower transfer function phase (17.5±39.6 versus 38.3±18.2;
P
=0.03) compared with those who did not develop either. Multivariable scoring tools using transfer function gain >0.98 and phase <12.5 were strongly predictive of aVSP (92% positive predictive value; 77% negative predictive value; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.92) and DCI (80% positive predictive value; 91% negative predictive value; area under the curve, 0.94), respectively.

Conclusions—

Dynamic cerebral autoregulation is impaired in the early days after SAH. Including autoregulation as part of the initial clinical and radiographic assessment may enhance our ability to identify patients at a high risk for developing secondary complications after SAH.
Gradual Lesion Expansion and Brain Shrinkage Years After Stroke
Authors: Seghier Mohamed L. , Ramsden Sue , Lim Louise , Leff Alex P. , Price Cathy J.
Published: January 2014

Background and Purpose—

Lesioned brains of patients with stroke may change through the course of recovery; however, little is known about their evolution in the chronic phase. Here, we aimed to quantify the extent of lesion volume change and brain atrophy in the chronic poststroke brain using magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods—

Optimized T1-weighted scans were collected more than once (time between visits=2 months to 6 years) in 56 patients (age=36–90 years; time poststroke=3 months to 20 years). Volumetric changes attributable to lesion growth and atrophy were quantified with automated procedures. We looked at how volumetric changes related to time between visits, using nonparametric statistics, after controlling for age, time poststroke, and brain and lesion size at the earlier time.

Results—

Lesions expanded more in patients who had longer time-intervals between their imaging sessions (partial rank correlation ρ=0.56;
P
<0.001). The median rate of lesion growth was 1.59 cm
3
per year. Across patients, the whole-brain atrophy rate was 0.95% per year, with accelerated atrophy in the ipsilesional hemisphere.

Conclusions—

We show gradual lesion expansion many years after stroke, beyond that expected by normal aging and after controlling for other variables. Future studies need to understand how structural reorganization enables long-term recovery even when the brain is shrinking.
Continuous Antihypertensive Therapy Throughout the Initial 24 Hours of Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Kobayashi Junpei , Koga Masatoshi , Tanaka Eijirou , Okada Yasushi , Kimura Kazumi , Yamagami Hiroshi , Okuda Satoshi , Hasegawa Yasuhiro , Shiokawa Yoshiaki , Furui Eisuke , Nakagawara Jyoji , Kario Kazuomi , Okata Takuya , Arihiro Shoji , Sato Shoichiro , Nagatsuka Kazuyuki , Minematsu Kazuo , Toyoda Kazunori
Published: January 2014

Background and Purpose—

A short duration (<24 hours) of antihypertensive therapy (AHT) after acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) may be sufficient because active bleeding generally ceases within several hours. We aimed to determine the association between sequential systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels during AHT and outcomes in ICH patients.

Methods—

In 211 hyperacute ICH patients who underwent AHT based on predefined protocol, the mean of hourly SBP (mSBP) measurements was calculated over 1 to 8 hours (first mSBP), 9 to 16 hours (second mSBP), and 17 to 24 hours (third mSBP) after the initiation of AHT. Outcomes included neurological deterioration (72-hour Glasgow Coma Scale decrease ≥2 or National Instititutes of Health Stroke Scale increase ≥4), hematoma expansion (>33%), and unfavorable outcome (3-month modified Rankin Scale score 4–6).

Results—

The median first, second, and third mSBPs were 132, 131, and 137 mm Hg, respectively. A higher first mSBP (odds ratio [OR], 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34–4.69 per 10 mm Hg) or second mSBP (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.20–3.80) was independently associated with neurological deterioration, and a higher second mSBP (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.02–2.00) or third mSBP (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.05–2.05) was associated with unfavorable outcome. None of the mSBPs was associated with hematoma expansion.

Conclusions—

The continuation of AHT throughout the initial 24 hours after ICH may improve outcomes.
Absorption Properties of Supercooled Liquid Water between 31 and 225 GHz: Evaluation of Absorption Models Using Ground-Based Observations
Authors: Kneifel Stefan , Redl Stephanie , Orlandi Emiliano , Löhnert Ulrich , Cadeddu Maria P. , Turner David D. , Chen Ming-Tang
Published: January 2014

Microwave radiometers (MWR) are commonly used to quantify the amount of supercooled liquid water (SLW) in clouds; however, the accuracy of the SLW retrievals is limited by the poor knowledge of the SLW dielectric properties at microwave frequencies. Six liquid water permittivity models were compared with ground-based MWR observations between 31 and 225 GHz from sites in Greenland, the German Alps, and a low-mountain site; average cloud temperatures of observed thin cloud layers range from 0° to −33°C. A recently published method to derive ratios of liquid water opacity from different frequencies was employed in this analysis. These ratios are independent of liquid water path and equal to the ratio of αL at those frequencies that can be directly compared with the permittivity model predictions. The observed opacity ratios from all sites show highly consistent results that are generally within the range of model predictions; however, none of the models are able to approximate the observations over the entire frequency and temperature range. Findings in earlier published studies were used to select one specific model as a reference model for αL at 90 GHz; together with the observed opacity ratios, the temperature dependence of αL at 31.4, 52.28, 150, and 225 GHz was derived. The results reveal that two models fit the opacity ratio data better than the other four models, with one of the two models fitting the data better for frequencies below 90 GHz and the other for higher frequencies. These findings are relevant for SLW retrievals and radiative transfer in the 31–225-GHz frequency region.
Insurgent-Population Ties and the Variation in the Trajectory of Peripheral Civil Wars
Authors: Sarbahi Anoop K.
Published: January 2014

This article seeks to account for the variation in the trajectory of conflict in the context of peripheral civil wars by emphasizing the importance of rebel-population ties. In examining the trajectory of peripheral civil wars, it expands the range of outcomes traditionally examined in the literature. The empirical validity of the theoretical argument is tested using a new data set of 166 rebel groups involved in 58 peripheral insurgencies between 1960 and 2010. I trace social embeddedness of rebel groups to pre-war political processes and institutions. Rebel groups are coded on six characteristics to create a 7-point rebel-type scale as a measure of their embeddedness in the population. The results provide support to the argument that the social embeddedness of a rebel group exercises a significant effect on the trajectory of peripheral civil wars. However, the substantive effect of embeddedness on some outcomes is more pronounced than on others.
Delegating Death
Authors: DeMeritt Jacqueline H. R.
Published: January 2014

Does military intervention affect civilian death tolls? Existing research has focused on international actors’ ability to limit ongoing slaughter but has not examined their ability to prevent the emergence or escalation of such killing. I develop a theory of government killing that accounts not only for the government’s decision to kill civilians but also for the transference of the killing order from leader to perpetrator, and for the perpetrator’s implementation of that order. Focusing on the principal–agent relationship produces new expectations about the effects of military intervention on government killing. I find that international actors are well equipped to limit civilian slaughter: intervention supporting the government decreases the likelihood that a government orders civilians killed. Intervention against the government leads to a decrease in death tolls when killing occurs. Ultimately, supportive intervention is a useful means of preventing government killing, while oppositional intervention limits its escalation once it begins.
Changing epidemiology of adult fractures in Scotland
Authors: Court-Brown Charles M , Biant Leela , Bugler Kate E , McQueen Margaret M
Published: January 2014

Background

Fracture epidemiology in adults is changing but there is very little information about the rate of change or whether the change affects males and females equally.

Methods

We have compared fracture incidence in two similar populations 50–60 years apart. A study of fractures in Dundee, Scotland and Oxford, England, in 1954–1958, was compared with a similar cohort of fractures in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2010–2011. Fracture incidence in patients >35 years was recorded in both time periods.

Results

The incidence of fractures increased by 50% between the two time periods, although the increase in males was only 5% compared with 85% in females. The spectrum of fractures has changed considerably, and there has been an increase in the incidence of both fragility and non-fragility fractures. Analysis showed an increased incidence of fall-related fractures in all age groups in both males and females.

Interpretation

There has been a substantial change in the incidence of fractures in the last 50–60 years. These have been caused by greater longevity and by considerable social and economic changes.
The Effect of Labeling and Numbering of Response Scales on the Likelihood of Response Bias
Authors: Moors Guy , Kieruj Natalia D. , Vermunt Jeroen K.
Published: January 2014

Extreme response style (ERS) and acquiescence response style (ARS) are among the most encountered problems in attitudinal research. The authors investigate whether the response bias caused by these response styles varies with following three aspects of question format: full versus end labeling, numbering answer categories, and bipolar versus agreement response scales. A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 5,351 respondents from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences household panel, of which a subsample was assigned to one of five conditions. The authors apply a latent class factor model that allows for diagnosing and correcting for ERS and ARS simultaneously. The results show clearly that both response styles are present in the data set, but ARS is less pronounced than ERS. With regard to format effects, the authors find that end labeling evokes more ERS than full labeling and that bipolar scales evoke more ERS than agreement style scales. With full labeling, ERS opposes opting for middle response categories, whereas end labeling distinguishes ERS from all other response categories. ARS did not significantly differ depending on test conditions.
Who Killed WATERS? Mess, Method, and Forensic Explanation in the Making and Unmaking of Large-scale Science Networks
Authors: Jackson Steven J. , Buyuktur Ayse
Published: January 2014

Science studies has long been concerned with the theoretical and methodological challenge of mess—the inevitable tendency of technoscientific objects and practices to spill beyond the neat analytic categories we (or their actors) construct for them. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in the messy world of large-scale collaborative science projects, particularly though not exclusively in their start-up phases. This article examines the complicated life and death of the WATERS Network, an ambitious and ultimately abandoned effort at collaborative infrastructure development among hydrologists, engineers, and social scientists studying water. We argue in particular against the “forensic imagination,” a particular style of accounting for failure in the messy world of large-scale network development, and against two common conceptual and empirical pitfalls that it gives rise to: defaults to formalism and defaults to the future. We argue that alternative postforensic approaches to “failures” like the WATERS Network can support forms of learning and accountability better attuned to the complexities of practice and policy in the real world of scientific collaboration and network formation.
Race and History
Authors: Müller-Wille Staffan
Published: January 2014

The historiography of race is usually framed by two discontinuities: the invention of race by European naturalists and anthropologists, marked by Carl Linnaeus’s (1735) Systema naturae and the demise of racial typologies after World War II (WWII) in favor of population-based studies of human diversity. This framing serves a similar function as the quotation marks that almost invariably surround the term. “Race” is placed outside of rational discourse as a residue of outdated essentialist and hierarchical thinking. I will throw doubt on this underlying assumption, not in order to re-legitimate race but in order to understand better why race has been, and continues to be, such a politically powerful and explosive concept.
Exploring the Relationships Among Performance-Based Functional Ability, Self-Rated Disability, Perceived Instrumental Support, and Depression
Authors: Weil Joyce , Hutchinson Susan R. , Traxler Karen
Published: January 2014

Data from the Women’s Health and Aging Study were used to test a model of factors explaining depressive symptomology. The primary purpose of the study was to explore the association between performance-based measures of functional ability and depression and to examine the role of self-rated physical difficulties and perceived instrumental support in mediating the relationship between performance-based functioning and depression. The inclusion of performance-based measures allows for the testing of functional ability as a clinical precursor to disability and depression: a critical, but rarely examined, association in the disablement process. Structural equation modeling supported the overall fit of the model and found an indirect relationship between performance-based functioning and depression, with perceived physical difficulties serving as a significant mediator. Our results highlight the complementary nature of performance-based and self-rated measures and the importance of including perception of self-rated physical difficulties when examining depression in older persons.
An Evaluation of Recent Old-Age Policy Innovations in South Korea
Authors: Lee Hee Seung , Wolf Douglas A.
Published: January 2014

In 2008, South Korea launched a Basic Old-Age Pension program, which provides income support for the bottom 60% of the population, and a universal Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) program. We investigate the effect of both policies on subjective well-being of the elderly. We use panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, with the 2006 data representing the “pretreatment” and the 2008 data the “posttreatment” situations. We use regression methods for purposes of inferring program impacts. Our findings suggest that satisfaction with economic status was slightly improved by LTCI alone, and by LTCI and basic old-age pension in combination, depending on the estimator used. We found no policy impacts on satisfaction with health conditions. The benefits provided by the two programs may be insufficient to raise well-being in the population as a whole; alternatively, the outcomes may have been measured too soon after the policies were implemented.
Thymectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopy versus open surgical techniques
Authors: Muhammad Magdi Ibrahim Ahmad
Published: January 2014

Objective

This study was conducted to compare operative variables and postoperative outcomes in adult patients with myasthenia gravis undergoing thymectomy through 3 different operative techniques: total median sternotomy, partial median sternotomy, and video-assisted thoracoscopy.

Methods

30 patients aged 20–65 years were included in this study. They were subdivided into: group A: 8 patients undergoing thymectomy through a total median sternotomy; group B: 9 patients undergoing thymectomy through a partial median sternotomy; and group C: 13 patients undergoing thymectomy through video-assisted thoracoscopy. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables, and mortality were compared among groups.

Results

Preoperative variables were well matched in all groups. Operative time was significantly longer in group C. There was no intraoperative complication in any group. Postoperative length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in group C. Postoperative complications occurred in 3 (10%) patients, mostly in groups A and B. There was no perioperative mortality in any group.

Conclusions

Video-assisted thymectomy is as effective as the traditional open surgical approaches for thymectomy in the management of patients with myasthenia gravis. In addition, the improved cosmesis of the video-assisted approach ideally should lead to earlier thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis.
Hands-free approach for the left atrial appendage in Cox maze IV
Authors: Garcia-Villarreal Ovidio A
Published: January 2014

Surgical excision of the left atrial appendage is an essential key in the Cox maze IV procedure. Management of very thin, friable, and delicate tissue in the base of the left atrial appendage can be difficult. We have designed a simple method to expose adequately without handling the base of the left atrial appendage. With this technique, the risk of bleeding due to excessive traction or manipulation of the heart is dramatically reduced.
What really happens to small and medium-sized enterprises in a global economic recession? UK evidence on sales and job dynamics
Authors: Cowling Marc , Liu Weixi , Ledger Andrew , Zhang Ning
Published: January 2014

This article uses UK data to consider how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)1 coped during the recent financial crisis. This is important, as SMEs are major contributors to job creation, but are vulnerable to falling demand. It finds that 4 in 10 SMEs experienced a fall in employment during the recession, and 5 in 10 experienced a fall in sales. Within 12 months of the recession, three-quarters of entrepreneurs had a desire to grow. This suggests that while the immediate effects of recession are severe, entrepreneurs recover quite quickly. Importantly, the analysis found that recessionary growth is hugely concentrated among entrepreneurs with the highest human capital.
Double reading rates and quality assurance practices in Norwegian hospital radiology departments: two parallel national surveys
Authors: Lauritzen Peter M , Hurlen Petter , Sandbæk Gunnar , Gulbrandsen Pål
Published: January 2014

Background

Double reading as a quality assurance (QA) tool is employed extensively in Norwegian hospital radiology departments. The practice is resource consuming and regularly debated.

Purpose

To investigate the rates of double reading in Norwegian hospital radiology departments, to identify department characteristics associated with double reading rates, and to investigate associations between double reading and other quality improvement.

Material and Methods

We issued two parallel national surveys to management and to consultant radiologists, respectively. Management was defined as the chief medical officer and/or the head of the radiology department. The management survey covered staffing, perceived resource situation, double reading, guidelines, and quality improvement. The radiologist survey served to validate management responses concerning double reading. Management survey items concerning practices of quality improvement were organized into three indices reflecting different quality approaches, namely: appropriateness of investigations; personal performance feedback; and system performance feedback.

Results

The response rates of the surveys were 100% (45/45) for management and 55% (266/483) for radiologists. Of all exams read by consultants, 33% were double read. The double reading rate was highest in university hospital departments (59%), intermediate in other teaching departments (30%), and lowest in non-teaching departments (11%) ( P = 0.01). Among the quality indices, mean scores were highest on appropriateness index (68%), intermediate on the person index (56%), and lowest on system index (37%). There were no correlations between double reading rates and scores on any of the quality indices.

Conclusion

The rate of double reading in Norwegian hospital radiology is significantly correlated to department teaching status, but not to other practices of quality work.
Volume change in polyetheretherketone under compression loads over wide ranges of strain rate and temperature
Authors: El-Qoubaa Zakaria , Othman Ramzi
Published: January 2014

Although the understanding of volume change is of crucial importance to analyze and model the mechanical behavior of polymeric materials, it is highly understudied in the open literature. This article deals with the assessment of the volume change in polyetheretherketone when submitted to compressive loads. The volume change is measured by the end of mechanical tests before and after unloading. Therefore, the total (before unloading) and residual (after loading) volume changes are measured for strain rates ranging from 10−4 to 3000 s−1 and temperatures ranging from +133 to +433 K, that is, −140 °C to+160 °C. It is demonstrated that the total volume is almost constant in terms of the axial strain independent of strain rate and temperature. The residual volume slightly increases with increasing axial strain. This conclusion is obtained either by direct measurements or by a simplified model developed in this article. However, the volume change is softly affected by the specimen geometry.
Novel Deoxyguanosine Kinase Gene Mutations in the Hepatocerebral Form of Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome
Authors: Sezer Taner , Ozçay Figen , Balci Oya , Alehan Füsun
Published: January 2014

Deoxyguanosine kinase ( DGUOK) gene mutations have been identified in the hepatocerebral form of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes. We report here clinical and laboratory features of 3 infants with novel DGUOK gene mutations, c.130G>A (Glu44Lys), c.493G>A (Glu165Lys), and c.707+3_6delTAAG.
Desistance From Sexual Offending
Authors: Harris Danielle Arlanda
Published: January 2014

The present study explored the process of desistance from sexual offending in a sample of 21 men convicted of sexual offenses and released from custody. Each participant was interviewed using the Life History Interview Protocol and transcripts were analyzed using NVivo software. The postrelease experiences of each participant were examined and particular attention was paid to the variables previously identified in three established theories of desistance: natural desistance, cognitive transformation, and achievement of informal social controls. Qualitative narrative analysis was conducted to explore the presence of themes of desistance that have previously been identified in nonsexual offenders as well as emergent themes unique to this particular sample. Results underscored the relevance of natural desistance for a small group and the importance of cognitive transformation within the context of treatment for a majority of participants. Emergent themes were mostly related to the negative impact of recent policies on participants’ ability to find accommodation, employment, and relationships.
“I Just Keep My Antennae Out”
Authors: McCall-Hosenfeld Jennifer S. , Weisman Carol S. , Perry Amanda N. , Hillemeier Marianne M. , Chuang Cynthia H.
Published: January 2014

Women in rural communities who are exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) have fewer resources when seeking help due to limited health services, poverty, and social isolation. Rural primary care physicians may be key sources of care for IPV victims. The objective of this study was to assess the opinions and practices of primary care physicians caring for rural women with regard to IPV identification, the scope and severity of IPV as a health problem, how primary care providers respond to IPV in their practices, and barriers to optimized IPV care in their communities. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 19 internists, family practitioners, and obstetrician-gynecologists in rural central Pennsylvania. Interview transcripts were analyzed for major themes. Most physicians did not practice routine screening for IPV due to competing time demands, lack of training, limited access to referral services as well as low confidence in their effectiveness, and concern that inquiry would harm the patient–doctor relationship. IPV was considered when patients presented with symptoms of mood, anxiety, or somatic disorders. Responses to IPV included validation, danger assessment, safety planning, referral, and follow-up planning. Perceived barriers to rural women seeking help for IPV included traditional gender roles, lower education, economic dependence on the partner, low self-esteem, and patient reluctance to discuss IPV. To overcome barriers, physicians created a “safe sanctuary” to discuss IPV and suggested improved public health education and referral services. Interventions to improve IPV-related care in rural communities should address barriers at multiple levels, including both physicians’ and patients’ comfort with discussing IPV. Provider training, community education, and improved access to referral services are key areas in which IPV-related care should be improved in rural communities. Our data support routine screening to better identify IPV and a more pro-active stance toward screening and counseling.
The Development and Psychometric Investigation of the Cyberbullying Scale
Authors: Stewart Regan W. , Drescher Christopher F. , Maack Danielle J. , Ebesutani Chad , Young John
Published: January 2014

Accurate assessment of cyberbullying is essential for intervention planning and evaluation. Limitations to many currently available self-report measures of cyberbullying victimization include a lack of psychometric information and a limited scope (i.e., not assessing multiple electronic mediums of cybervictimization). To address these limitations, we developed and investigated the psychometric properties of a broad self-report measure of cyberbullying, the Cyberbullying Scale (CBS). We examined the factor structure and reliability of the CBS across 736 students in Grades 6 to 12 in six Northern Mississippi schools. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) results indicated that the structure of the CBS was best represented by a one-factor model. The finding of a single-factor structure suggests that cyberbullying is a unidimensional construct, which is consistent with previous research. In the current sample, the CBS demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .94) and significant positive correlations with related constructs of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Results from the present study provide initial support for the CBS as a measure of cybervictimization among adolescents.
Rapid Measurement of Human Milk Macronutrients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Smilowitz Jennifer T. , Gho Deborah S. , Mirmiran Majid , German J. Bruce , Underwood Mark A.
Published: January 2014

Background:

Although it is well established that human milk varies widely in macronutrient content, it remains common for human milk fortification for premature infants to be based on historic mean values. As a result, those caring for premature infants often underestimate protein intake. Rapid precise measurement of human milk protein, fat, and lactose to allow individualized fortification has been proposed for decades but remains elusive due to technical challenges.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and precision of a Fourier transform (FT) mid-infrared (IR) spectroscope in the neonatal intensive care unit to measure human milk fat, total protein, lactose, and calculated energy compared with standard chemical analyses.

Methods:

One hundred sixteen breast milk samples across lactation stages from women who delivered at term (n = 69) and preterm (n = 5) were analyzed with the FT mid-IR spectroscope and with standard chemical methods. Ten of the samples were tested in replicate using the FT mid-IR spectroscope to determine repeatability.

Results:

The agreement between the FT mid-IR spectroscope analysis and reference methods was high for protein and fat and moderate for lactose and energy. The intra-assay coefficients of variation for all outcomes were less than 3%.

Conclusion:

The FT mid-IR spectroscope demonstrated high accuracy in measurement of total protein and fat of preterm and term milk with high precision.
Critical friendship and critical orphanship
Authors: Duggan James R
Published: January 2014

The article engages with the opportunities and constraints raised by embedded research during times of rapid and extensive organisational change. Embedded research is an increasingly common approach for funding PhD studentships. The rapid and extensive reforms of the English public sector pose significant and underexplored challenges for embedded researchers and research. The author was embedded during his PhD and here he explores different metaphors – ‘critical friend’, ‘critical nephew’ and ‘critical orphan’ – to define the relationship between himself and the organisation in which he was embedded. The methodological and theoretical development of the research is then outlined in terms of the autonomy and access of the ‘critical orphan’ embedded research relationship. The article concludes that although ‘orphanship’ can be a positive development for the research, the lack of contribution to the sponsor organisation may prevent the further development of embedded research relationships in public sector organisations.
Design and development of abrasive-assisted drilling process for improvement in surface finish during drilling of metal matrix composites
Authors: Singh Sarbjit , Singh Inderdeep , Dvivedi Akshay
Published: January 2014

A novel technique called abrasive-assisted drilling has been designed and developed to improve the surface finish of the drilled hole wall during the drilling of Al6063/10%SiC metal matrix composites. The developed process eliminates the use of supplementary surface finishing process such as abrasive flow machining or deburring of drilled hole, which adds to the cost of product. With the help of this technique, fine polished drilled hole wall surface can be produced by removing small fragments of material generated by the high-energy abrasive particles. A considerable increase in surface finish of the drilled hole wall has been observed for metal matrix composites. Taguchi’s methodology has been used to explore the effect of input process parameters on the surface roughness and hole oversize of the drilled hole. The input process parameters under consideration are rotational speed, finishing time, abrasive size and abrasive concentration.
Kinetic analysis of supine stepping for early rehabilitation of walking
Authors: Fang Juan , Galen Sujay , Vuckovic Aleksandra , Conway Bernard A. , Hunt Kenneth J
Published: January 2014

In order to promote gait restoration in patients who cannot maintain an upright position in the early post-injury phase, a Gait Orthosis for Early Rehabilitation was proposed for supine stepping. Although supine stepping can generate lower-limb joint trajectories which are close to normal gait, the inter-segmental dynamics of supine stepping are believed to be different from those of upright walking. Furthermore, training in a supine position requires a certain loading on the foot to mimic the ground reaction forces, where different loading amplitudes influence the joint dynamics. This work analysed the kinetics of supine stepping with variable loading and investigated structural modifications for the Gait Orthosis for Early Rehabilitation system to address this kinetic difference. Three able-bodied subjects walked overground while their walking performance was recorded. Based on the experimental data, a leg-linkage model was developed to simulate the dynamics of upright walking. This model was then rotated by 90° with different foot loadings to investigate the kinetics of supine stepping. Compared to upright walking, supine stepping had a large kinetic difference at the hip joint due to the supine leg position. The ankle joint during supine stepping was sensitive to the force amplitude simulated on the foot. Thus, the Gait Orthosis for Early Rehabilitation system requires a leg frame to compensate the position change and a shoe platform to activate the leg muscles, especially at the ankle joint. This study provided important structural information for the further development of the Gait Orthosis for Early Rehabilitation system.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in disseminated histoplasmosis and advanced HIV infection
Authors: Stevenson James , Taylor Chris
Published: January 2014

Summary

The cause of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is often multifactorial. It is uncommon in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, if the cause of PRES is left untreated it can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Thus, we believe it should be included as a differential in immunosuppressed patients presenting with neurological signs. This case report describes such a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed hypocalcaemia secondary to disseminated histoplasmosis.
Predictors of Physical Inactivity Among Elderly Malaysians
Authors: Kaur Jasvindar , Kaur Gurpreet , Ho Bee Kiau , Yao Weng Keong , Salleh Mohmad , Lim Kuang Hock
Published: January 2014

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Regular moderate-intensity physical activity has significant benefits for health. To determine the socioeconomic predictors of physical inactivity among elderly Malaysian population. A nationwide community-based survey was conducted among 4831 respondents aged ≥60 years with a face-to-face questionnaire. The prevalence of physical inactivity among the elderly was 88.0%, highest in respondents aged older than 80 years (95.4%), females (90.1%), other Bumiputra (92.2%), earning household income less than RM1000 (87.9%), and residing in urban locality (88.4%). In the multivariate model, the predictors of physical inactivity were only sex, ethnicity, locality, and age group (adjusted odds ratio = 1.3-3.6). The predictors of physical inactivity can identify the risk factors to develop policies that will reduce the public health burden of noncommunicable diseases.
The first 32 importers of an English professional accountancy qualification: Opportunities, incentives, impact
Authors: Parker Robert H
Published: January 2014

This article analyses the opportunities and incentives of 32 accountants, resident in four very different parts of the British Empire (Scotland, Ireland, India and Australia), to import an English accountancy qualification in the late 1870s and become in 1880 the first “English” chartered accountants outside England and Wales (EW). This “export” and “import” of qualifications is one way in which professional accountancy has spread around the world since the late nineteenth century. The opportunities arose as the Society of Accountants in England (SAIE), set up in London in 1872, challenged the prevailing localism and exclusivism, and as attitudes in EW towards the concept of “Englishness” within the UK and the Empire changed. From 1875 the SAIE opened its membership to accountants within the Empire outside EW. The incentives of these accountants to join the SAIE depended on whether or not a body already existed in their own locality, how exclusive the body was, and its status in comparison with an English qualification. The paper concludes with a study of the varied impact of the 32 on accountancy globally.
The formal–informal dichotomy: Revisiting the debate on the agriculture–industry linkage
Authors: Chakrabarti Saumya
Published: January 2014

Incorporation of the informal sector in the general Kaleckian framework of agriculture–industry linkage is the primary target of this article. We show that the agriculture–informal sector interaction is distinctly different from the agriculture–formal sector relationship. Although agriculture supports the formal sector only from the supply-side, it helps the informal sector by providing both demand- and supply-side inducements. Next, contrary to the general perception of formal–informal complementarities, we rather propose a fundamental conflict. This conflict arises in the presence of the food supply-constraint or the generic resource-constraint. Subsequently, with these theoretical perspectives, we show that policies that are beneficial for the formal sector, in fact, constrict the informal economy.
State-based output in Australian mental health research
Authors: Batterham Philip J , Christensen Helen , Griffiths Kathleen M
Published: January 2014

Objective:

This study examined differences in the types of mental health research that were conducted in the states and territories of Australia in 2008. Differences in both the disorder focus (e.g. depression, psychosis) and goal or methodology (e.g. epidemiological, biological) of published papers were examined. The structural differences underlying research output were examined by comparing output with funding and research infrastructure.

Method:

A random sample of 1008 Australian-authored mental health research publications and all 126 competitive mental-health related research grants from 2008 were coded in terms of their state or territory of origin, disorder focus and research goal.

Results:

Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory had the highest per capita rates of mental health research publications in 2008, while Tasmania and the Northern Territory had less per capita output. Research in New South Wales had greater focus on substance use and anxiety disorders, while Victoria was dominant in research on affective disorders and psychosis. Research in Queensland and Western Australia was broader in scope. Research output was more closely linked with number of successful grants than amount of funding.

Conclusions:

State and territory support for mental health research may have important implications for research output.
Discovering stigma through recovery teaching
Authors: Gordon Sarah E , Huthwaite Mark A , Short Jacqueline A , Ellis Pete M
Published: January 2014

Objective:

From the perspective of the tutor, course coordinators and a clinical supervisor, we describe and reflect on our observations of innovative service-user led tutorials on recovery that were delivered to final year medical students as part of their psychiatric module.

Conclusions:

Much to our surprise, and in contrast to observations elsewhere during the module, students openly expressed blatant stigmatising attitudes in the tutorials on recovery, particularly after spending time with inpatient services. More specifically, they were pessimistic about the possibility of recovery and they struggled to accept the service user status of the recovery tutor. This prompted us to reflect on what and how we teach psychiatry.