bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationships Between BNP and Neurocardiac Injury Severity, Noninvasive Cardiac Output, and Outcomes After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: McAteer Amber , Hravnak Marilyn , Chang Yuefang , Crago Elizabeth A. , Gallek Matthew J. , Yousef Khalil M.
Published: June 2017

Introduction:

Neurocardiac injury, a type of myocardial dysfunction associated with neurological insult to the brain, occurs in 31–48% of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is commonly used to diagnose neurocardiac injury. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), another cardiac marker, is more often used to evaluate degree of heart failure. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between BNP and (a) neurocardiac injury severity according to cTnI, (b) noninvasive continuous cardiac output (NCCO), and (c) outcomes in aSAH patients.

Method:

This descriptive longitudinal study enrolled 30 adult aSAH patients. Data collected included BNP and cTnI levels and NCCO parameters for 14 days and outcomes (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] and mortality) at discharge and 3 months. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate associations between BNP and cTnI, NCCO, and outcomes.

Results:

BNP was significantly associated with cTnI. For every 1 unit increase in log BNP, cTnI increased by 0.05 ng/ml ( p = .001). Among NCCO parameters, BNP was significantly associated with thoracic fluid content ( p = .0003). On multivariable analyses, significant associations were found between BNP and poor mRS. For every 1 unit increase in log BNP, patients were 3.16 times more likely to have a poor mRS at discharge ( p = .021) and 5.40 times more likely at 3 months ( p < .0001).

Conclusion:

There were significant relationships between BNP and cTnI and poor outcomes after aSAH. BNP may have utility as a marker of neurocardiac injury and outcomes after aSAH.
Measuring Light at Night and Melatonin Levels in Shift Workers: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Hunter Claudia M. , Figueiro Mariana G.
Published: June 2017

Shift work, especially that involving rotating and night shifts, is associated with an increased risk of diseases, including cancer. Attempts to explain the association between shift work and cancer in particular have focused on the processes of melatonin production and suppression. One hypothesis postulates that exposure to light at night (LAN) suppresses melatonin, whose production is known to slow the development of cancerous cells, while another proposes that circadian disruption associated with shift work, and not just LAN, increases health risks. This review focuses on six studies that employed quantitative measurement of LAN and melatonin levels to assess cancer risks in shift workers. These studies were identified via searching the PubMed database for peer-reviewed, English-language articles examining the links between shift work, LAN, and disease using the terms light at night, circadian disruption, health, risk, cancer, shift work, or rotating shift. While the results indicate a growing consensus on the relationship between disease risks (particularly cancer) and circadian disruption associated with shift work, the establishment of a direct link between LAN and disease has been impeded by contradictory studies and a lack of consistent, quantitative methods for measuring LAN in the research to date. Better protocols for assessing personal LAN exposure are required, particularly those employing calibrated devices that measure and sample exposure to workplace light conditions, to accurately assess LAN’s effects on the circadian system and disease. Other methodologies, such as measuring circadian disruption and melatonin levels in the field, may also help to resolve discrepancies in the findings.
Occupational pension funds
Authors: Autenne Alexia
Published: June 2017

This article reviews the orientation of the European regulation on pension fund governance in the international context of the OECD’s recommendations. It outlines the features judged to be essential for a sound private pension scheme’s governance. It then describes the orientation of the European regulations in this area and sets out some criticisms. The focus is on private sector ‘defined-contribution’ occupational pension plans managed by a pension fund, in light of the shared perception that the ‘governance’ issue is particularly sensitive for these types of schemes.
Free movement of workers and the RESAVER scheme for researchers
Authors: Degoli Maria-Cristina
Published: June 2017

This paper aims to introduce the key features of the Retirement Savings Vehicle for European Research Institutions (RESAVER) that went live in September 2016. The pension fund was established for European researchers to allow them to accumulate their retirement provisions in one place, while changing jobs and moving between countries. The research used a qualitative methodology, analysing documents and legislation concerning social security in Europe. It describes how the measures taken by Member States to deal with the challenges facing the financial sustainability of pension systems are creating obstacles to workers’ mobility. The analysis of the feasibility study for the creation of a pan-European pension vehicle shows that it is possible to achieve a minimum harmonisation in pension rights. The successful implementation of this Retirement Savings Vehicle is likely lead to two main results. First, it could dissolve existing barriers to workers’ mobility and, secondly, it could ensure the financial adequacy for future pensions. In addition, it is highly likely that such cross-border pension product would foster the creation of a true European labour market.
Compulsory membership of pension schemes and the free movement of services in the EU
Authors: van Meerten Hans , Schmidt Elmar
Published: June 2017

Mandatory pension participation in the Netherlands is currently under review. This article examines the manner in which the system of mandatory participation in sectoral pension funds is presently organised as well as future proposals from the perspective of the freedom to provide services. It also briefly reviews mandatory participation in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France and Sweden and asks whether it constitutes a barrier to the freedom enshrined in Article 56 TFEU. Restrictions of this freedom in the field of mandatory participation are too easily excused in the Netherlands by pointing to decisions by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in which it judged the system to be permissible. These decisions, however, were made from the perspective of competition law, and not on the basis of Article 56 TFEU. Grounds for justifying restrictions to this freedom exist, although different justifications are available for direct and indirect discrimination. The article questions how mandatory participation in the Member States considered in this article fare from this perspective?
Tweeting #Ferguson: Mediatized fields and the new activist journalist
Authors: Barnard Stephen R
Published: June 2017

As a hybrid, journo-activist space, tweeting #Ferguson quickly emerged as a way for activists and journalists to network and spread information. Using a mixed-methods approach combining digital ethnographic content analysis with social network analysis and link analysis, this study examines journalistic and activist uses of Twitter to identify changes in field relations and practices. Employing the lenses of field theory and mediatization, this study finds parity and divergence in the themes, frames, format, and discourse of journalist and activist Twitter practices. While the traditions of objective journalism and affective activism persist, notable exceptions occurred, especially following acts of police suppression. The networked communities of professional and activist Twitter users were overlapping and interactive, suggesting hybridity at the margins of the journalistic field. Given the hybridizing of journalistic and journo-activist practices, this case study examines the role of social media in efforts to report on and bolster social change.
A generational divide in the academic profession: A mixed quantitative and qualitative approach to the Polish case
Authors: Kwiek Marek
Published: June 2017

In a recently changing Polish academic environment – following the large-scale higher education reforms of 2009–2012 – different academic generations have to cope with different challenges. Polish academics have been strongly divided generationally, not only in terms of what they think and how they work but also in terms of what is academically expected from them following the reforms. This article explores intra-national cross-generational differences based on a combination of quantitative (surveys, N = 3704) and qualitative (interviews, N = 60) primary empirical evidence used according to the mixed-methods approach methodology and its ‘sequential’ research design. This article explores the major dimensions of the intergenerational divide between younger and older academic generations (and how they are related to both post-1989 developments and recent reforms). It shows the power of research at a micro-level of individuals, complementing the traditional research at aggregated institutional and national levels. Implications for Central European systems are shown.
Buildings with environmental quality management: Part 1: Designing multifunctional construction materials
Authors: Bomberg Mark , Furtak Marcin , Yarbrough David
Published: June 2017

The quest for a sustainable built environment has resulted in dramatic changes in the process of residential construction. The new concepts of an integrated design team, building information modeling, commissioning of the building enclosure, and passive house standards have reached maturity. Global work on development of new construction materials has not changed, but their evaluation is not the same as in the past when each material was considered on its own merits. Today, we look at the performance of a building as a system and on the material as a contributor to this system. The series of white papers—a research overview in building physics undertaken in European and North American researchers—is to provide understanding of the process of design and construction for sustainable built environment that involves harmony between different aspects of the environment, society, and economy. Yet, the building physics is changing. It merges with building science in the quest of predicting building performance, it merges concepts of passive houses with solar engineering and integrates building shell with mechanical services, but is still missing an overall vision. Physics does not tell us how to integrate people with their environment. The authors propose a new term buildings with environmental quality management because the vision of the building design must be re-directed toward people. In doing so, the building physics will automatically include durability of the shell, energy efficiency, and carbon emission and aspects such as individual ventilation and indoor climate control. This article, which is part 1 of a series, deals with materials, and other issues will be discussed in following papers.
More or less engaged in doctoral studies? Domestic and international students’ satisfaction and motivation for doctoral studies in Finland
Authors: Sakurai Yusuke , Vekkaila Jenna , Pyhältö Kirsi
Published: June 2017

This study examines whether students who started their doctoral degree with different motivation profiles differ in their emotional engagement in their studies, and how this pattern differs between domestic and international students in Finland. This study used survey data collected from 1064 domestic and 120 international students. The results showed that students who started their degree with a low motivation to extend their career prospects were significantly less satisfied with their studies. Interestingly, the students in the group with the lowest level of interest in their research work were nonetheless fairly satisfied in their studies if their motivation to develop their career prospects was at a moderate level. The international students embarked upon their doctoral programmes with a greater wish to develop their career prospects and were more satisfied with their doctoral studies. The discussion emphasises that students, specifically domestic students, become more aware of the meaningfulness of doctoral studies for their career opportunities, which helped them to engage more positively with their doctoral studies.
Modeling strategies for enhancing educational quality
Authors: Cummings William K , Bain Olga
Published: June 2017

With the strengthening of the global economy, contemporary societies have come to view the educational achievements of their young people as a major component of national competiveness. But there are substantial variations in the strategies employed by different nations. To maximize educational achievements, some nations believe that the provision of a stratified system of schooling is effective, at least for the minority who are able to gain entry to the elite academic stream. In contrast, other nations prefer a more egalitarian strategy to education where all students attend a common school devoid of ability streams until well into their secondary level studies. The egalitarian strategy is believed to be just and fair. But does it enhance educational achievement? Several other strategies are also being advanced, and the same questions can be asked about them.

There are a number of studies that explore the academic consequences of different strategies within particular national systems, but there are relatively few studies that explore these questions across several national systems. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development-supported Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) studies enable a cross-national analysis; but the official reports from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development primarily provide bivariate analyses of these relations whereas a multivariate strategy taking into account several system level variables is preferred. In this paper we examine the historical origins of six contemporary strategies, and draw on the PISA studies to compare the relative efficacy of these strategies relying on path modeling.
Optimizing preventive maintenance policy: A data-driven application for a light rail braking system
Authors: Corman Francesco , Kraijema Sander , Godjevac Milinko , Lodewijks Gabriel
Published: June 2017

This article presents a case study determining the optimal preventive maintenance policy for a light rail rolling stock system in terms of reliability, availability, and maintenance costs. The maintenance policy defines one of the three predefined preventive maintenance actions at fixed time-based intervals for each of the subsystems of the braking system. Based on work, maintenance, and failure data, we model the reliability degradation of the system and its subsystems under the current maintenance policy by a Weibull distribution. We then analytically determine the relation between reliability, availability, and maintenance costs. We validate the model against recorded reliability and availability and get further insights by a dedicated sensitivity analysis. The model is then used in a sequential optimization framework determining preventive maintenance intervals to improve on the key performance indicators. We show the potential of data-driven modelling to determine optimal maintenance policy: same system availability and reliability can be achieved with 30% maintenance cost reduction, by prolonging the intervals and re-grouping maintenance actions.
Best practice in the management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia
Authors: Tible Olivier Pierre , Riese Florian , Savaskan Egemen , von Gunten Armin
Published: June 2017

Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) occur in most patients with dementia. They cause great suffering in patients and caregivers, sometimes more so than the cognitive and functional decline inherent to dementia. The clinical features of BPSD include a wide variety of affective, psychotic and behavioural symptoms and signs. The causes and risk factors for BPSD are multiple and include biological, psychological and environmental variables. Frequently, their combination, rather than any specific factor, explains the occurrence of BPSD in an individual patient. Thus, a sound etiopathogenetic investigation including the patient and the family or care team is essential. The aim is to develop an individualized treatment plan using a therapeutic decision tree modified by the individual and environmental risk profile. Still, treatment may be difficult and challenging. Clinical empiricism often steps in where evidence from controlled studies is lacking. Psychosocial treatment approaches are pivotal for successful treatment of BPSD. Often a combination of different non-pharmacological approaches precedes drug treatment (most of which is off-label). Regular assessments of the treatment plan and any prescriptions must be carried out to detect signs of relapse and to stop any medicines that may have become inappropriate. Even with optimal management, BPSD will not disappear completely in some cases and will remain challenging for all involved parties. This article is a narrative review based closely on the interprofessional Swiss recommendations for the treatment of BPSD. To establish the recommendations, a thorough research of the literature has been carried out. Evidence-based data were provided through searches of Medline, Embase, ISI and Cochrane-Database research. Evidence categories of the World Federation of Biological Societies were used. Additionally, the clinical experience of Swiss medical experts was considered.
BRCA mutation in ovarian cancer: testing, implications and treatment considerations
Authors: Neff Robert T. , Senter Leigha , Salani Ritu
Published: June 2017

Ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease that encompasses a number of different cellular subtypes, the most common of which is high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Still today, ovarian cancer is primarily treated with chemotherapy and surgery. Recent advances in the hereditary understanding of this disease have shown a significant role for the BRCA gene. While only a minority of patients with HGSOC will have a germline BRCA mutation, many others may have tumor genetic aberrations within BRCA or other homologous recombination proteins. Genetic screening for these BRCA mutations has allowed improved preventative measures and therapeutic development. This review focuses on the understanding of BRCA mutations and their relationship with ovarian cancer development, as well as future therapeutic targets.
The Impact of Structured Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose Combined With Intensive Education on HbA1c Levels, Hospitalizations, and Quality-of-Life Parameters in Insulin-Treated Patients With Diabetes at Primary Care in Serbia: The Multicenter SPA-EDU Study
Authors: Lalić Nebojša M. , Lalić Katarina , Jotić Aleksandra , Stanojević Dejan , Živojinović Dragana , Janićijević Andrija , Parkin Christopher ,   SPA-EDU Study Group
Published: June 2017

Background:

We assessed the effect of structured self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), in combination with intensive education, on metabolic control, SMBG frequency, hospitalizations, cardiovascular risk factors, and quality-of-life parameters in patients with insulin-treated diabetes in primary health care settings in Serbia.

Methods:

This 6-month, observational, noninterventional study, followed 346 insulin-treated diabetes patients (type 1 diabetes [T1D], n = 57; type 2 diabetes [T2D], n = 289) from 28 primary care centers. Patients attended a 10-day course at the specialized educational center and were followed monthly by their primary care physicians. Patients used a simple paper tool to document 3-day, 7-point glucose profiles prior to each monthly clinic visit. Physicians reviewed the completed forms at each visit and used a standardized education program to provide remedial training. Changes in HbA1c levels, SMBG frequency, metabolic risk factors, and Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) were assessed.

Results:

Mean (± SD) HbA1c within the full cohort was significantly improved from baseline at 6 months (8.85 ± 1.17% vs 7.91 ± 1.24%, P < .01). Significant increases in average SMBG frequency per week were seen at 6 months versus baseline (14.6/week vs 4.3/week, P < .001). The mean (± SE) number of hospitalizations due to metabolic conditions was significantly lower during the 6-month study compared to the 6-month period prior to the study (0.14 ± 0.04 vs 0.59 ± 0.09). DDS scores decreased from 39.6 ± 13.9 to 33.9 ± 14.5, P < .01.

Conclusion:

The use of structured SMBG combined with intensive education was associated with clinically significant reductions in HbA1c, increased SMBG frequency, and improved quality of life.
Data-Driven Campaigning in the 2015 United Kingdom General Election
Authors: Anstead Nick
Published: June 2017

While we know something of data-driven campaigning practices in the United States, we know much less about the role of data in other national contexts. The 2015 United Kingdom General Election offers an important case study of how such practices are evolving and being deployed in a different setting. This article draws on thirty-one in-depth interviews with political practitioners involved in the use of data for six major UK parties and electoral regulators. These interviews are employed to explore the perceived importance of data in contemporary British campaigns, to understand the data-based campaign techniques being used by UK parties, and to assess how data-driven practices are interacting with the preexisting institutional context of British politics. Going beyond the specifics of the UK case, this study raises questions about the comparative, theoretical, and normative dimensions of data-driven politics.
The Relations Between Parental Socioeconomic Status, Personality, and Life Outcomes
Authors: Ayoub Mona , Gosling Samuel D. , Potter Jeff , Shanahan Michael , Roberts Brent W.
Published: June 2017

Studies have shown that cognitive ability is correlated with parental socioeconomic status (pSES). However, little is known about the correlation between personality and pSES. To better understand this relation, we conducted a meta-analysis of the correlations between pSES and personality traits and temperament dimensions. The correlations were generally very small with the exception of the correlation between pSES and openness to experience. Our results were replicated in a large ( N = 2,183,377) data set of self-reported personality scores collected online. Using this data set, we also examined the interaction between pSES and personality on attained education and socioeconomic status. We found evidence for the resource substitution hypothesis, which proposes that personality compensates for background disadvantage.
Moral Judgments and Social Stereotypes
Authors: Chu Qiao , Grühn Daniel
Published: June 2017

We investigated how moral judgments were influenced by (a) the age and gender of the moral perpetrator and victim, (b) the moral judge’s benevolent ageism and benevolent sexism, and (c) the moral judge’s gender. By systematically manipulating the age and gender of the perpetrators and victims in moral scenarios, participants in two studies made judgments about the moral transgressions. We found that (a) people made more negative judgments when the victims were old or female rather than young or male, (b) benevolent ageism influenced people’s judgments about young versus old perpetrators, and (c) people had differential moral expectations of perpetrators who belonged to their same-gender group versus opposite-gender group. The findings suggest that age and gender stereotypes are so salient to bias people’s moral judgments even when the transgression is undoubtedly intentional and hostile.
How Facebook Is Perceived and Used by People Across Cultures
Authors: Hong Seungbeom , Na Jinkyung
Published: June 2017

Facebook is a relatively new tool launched in 2004, and yet it is quickly attracting numerous people around the world. The current work examined not only how Facebook is perceived and used in independent and interdependent cultures but also how one would be subsequently influenced by the different usage of Facebook. In Study 1, we found that Korean participants had more relational/interdependent beliefs about Facebook than did American participants. Furthermore, Study 2 showed cultural differences in actual activities on Facebook, such that relational/interdependent activities on Facebook were more prevalent in Eastern than in Western cultures. Importantly, in Study 3, we found that experimentally induced interdependent usage of Facebook led to more relational reasoning. Taken together, our findings suggest that people would use Facebook in culturally appropriate ways, and further, Facebook might function as a mechanism to maintain or reinforce cultural differences in psychological processes.
Is it liver or lung cancer? An intriguing case of lung adenocarcinoma with hepatoid differentiation
Authors: Esa Nurul Yaqeen Mohd , Zamrud Rosdina , Bakar Nor Salmah , Eezamuddeen Marfu’ah Nik , Hamdan Mohd Farhan
Published: June 2017

We report the case of a 50-year-old man who was investigated for an incidental finding of a left lung mass following left shoulder pain over a three month period. He also had a significant raised serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level of 29,000, which raised the suspicion of hepatocellular carcinoma with lung metastases. However, there was no detectable liver lesion on multiphase contrasted tomography of the liver and no significant hypermetabolic nodes or distant metastasis seen in the liver on positron emission tomography scan. A lung biopsy confirmed adenocarcinoma with hepatocellular differentiation that would explain the raised serum AFP level.
Short-term prognostic effect of prior cerebrovascular and peripheral artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome: Can we do better?
Authors: Cordeiro Filipa , Mateus Pedro S , Ferreira Alberto , Leao Silvia , Moz Miguel , Moreira J Ilidio ,   on behalf of the investigators of the Portuguese Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ProACS)
Published: June 2017

Background:

We sought to evaluate the impact of prior cerebrovascular and/or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) on in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Methods:

From 1 October 2010 to 26 February 2016, 13,904 acute coronary syndrome patients were enrolled in a national multicentre registry. They were divided into four groups: prior stroke/transient ischaemic attack (stroke/TIA); prior PAD; prior stroke/TIA and PAD; none. The endpoints included in-hospital mortality and a composite endpoint of death, re-infarction and stroke during hospitalization.

Results:

6.3% patients had prior stroke/TIA, 4.2% prior PAD and 1.4% prior stroke/TIA and PAD. Prior stroke/TIA and/or PAD patients were less likely to receive evidence-based medical therapies (dual antiplatelet therapy: stroke/TIA= 88.6%, PAD= 86.6%, stroke/TIA+PAD= 85.7%, none= 92.2%, p<0.001; β-blockers: stroke/TIA= 77.1%, PAD= 72.1%, stroke/TIA+PAD= 71.9%, none= 80.8%, p<0.001; angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers: stroke/TIA= 86.3%, PAD= 83.6%, stroke/TIA+PAD= 83.2%, none= 87.1%, p=0.030) and to undergo percutaneous revascularization (stroke/TIA= 52.8%, PAD= 45.6%, stroke/TIA+PAD= 43.7%, none= 67.9%, p<0.001), despite more extensive coronary artery disease (three-vessel disease: stroke/TIA= 29.1%, PAD= 38.3%, stroke/TIA+PAD= 38.3%, none= 20.2%, p<0.001). In a multivariable analysis, prior stroke/TIA+PAD was a predictor of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio= 2.828, 95% confidence interval 1.001–7.990) and prior stroke/TIA (odds ratio= 1.529, 95% confidence interval 1.056–2.211), prior PAD (odds ratio= 1.618, 95% confidence interval 1.034–2.533) and both conditions (odds ratio= 3.736, 95% confidence interval 2.002–6.974) were associated with the composite endpoint.

Conclusion:

A prior history of stroke/TIA and/or PAD was associated with lower use of medical therapy and coronary revascularization and with worst short-term prognosis. An individualized management may improve their poor prognosis.
“Community Justice,” Ancestral Rights, and Lynching in Rural Bolivia
Authors: Yates Donna
Published: June 2017

Lynching in Bolivia has been portrayed as a largely routinized and primarily urban occurrence that is a direct response to the state’s inability to provide security. Using a recent case of rural lynching as a starting point, I will evaluate the idea of rural Bolivian lynching in Indigenous communities as vigilantism. I contrast what little is known about rural lynching in Bolivia to the known pattern of urban lynching and ask whether these are distinct phenomena. Finally, I discuss the idea of ancestral validation and the punishment rights implied by a western-style state sanctioning aspects of non-western justice. I ask, do our existing models for such extreme cases as fatal vigilantism exclude lynching in rural Indigenous Bolivian communities? At the heart of this discussion is how we define a cultural practice versus how we define deviance in a multicultural society; how we nest authority structures and how we afford them legitimate rights to the use of force and other extreme control measures.
Prevalence and Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence Among Female Youth in an Urban Low-Income Neighborhood in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria
Authors: Onanubi Kehinde Abisoye , Olumide Adesola Oluwafunmilola , Owoaje Eme T.
Published: June 2017

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and predictors of intimate partner violence (IPV) among female youth in an urban low-income neighborhood in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data for 298 female youth (15-24 years) were analyzed. The respondents’ mean age was 20.8 ± 2.2 years and 21% had suffered IPV within 12 months of the study. Predictors of 12-month IPV were circumstances surrounding sexual debut: coerced (odds ratio [OR] = 4.18; confidence interval [CI] = [1.49, 11.75]) or forced (OR = 4.76; CI = [1.67, 13.59]) compared with consensual sex, history of partner involvement in fights (OR = 2.78; CI = [1.02, 7.54]), and history of partners’ father beating mother (OR = 41.82; CI = [5.03, 347.80]). IPV is common among female youth in Idikan community and interventions need to target these youth and their partners.
Computer Vision Syndrome
Authors: Randolph Susan A.
Published: June 2017

With the increased use of electronic devices with visual displays, computer vision syndrome is becoming a major public health issue. Improving the visual status of workers using computers results in greater productivity in the workplace and improved visual comfort.
Developing Students’ Writing Skills With the IDEAL Framework
Authors: Ruane Sinéad G. , Chappell Stacie
Published: June 2017

Although written communication is a foundational skill, especially for careers in management, faculty can be reluctant to utilize writing assignments for a number of reasons including the subjective nature of and time involved in grading. In this article, we present the IDEAL framework—an andragogical tool developed in an effort to address these problems, while teaching students to produce more coherent and logical writing. We then share an in-class exercise to introduce students to the IDEAL framework and apply it to writing samples through a peer-feedback activity. Throughout the article, we highlight the benefits, to both educators and students, of incorporating the IDEAL framework as a meta-model for writing in management courses.
Caesarean Section Does Not Increase the Risk of Caries in Swedish Children
Authors: Brandquist E. , Dahllöf G. , Hjern A. , Julihn A.
Published: June 2017

Caesarean section has been shown to affect the health of the child. Only a few studies have investigated whether the mode of delivery is associated with dental caries, and they present conflicting results. Our study investigated whether dental caries was associated with delivery method in Swedish preschool children. This retrospective register-based cohort study included all children born from 2000 to 2003 who were residing in Stockholm County, Sweden, at 3 y of age ( n = 83,147). The study followed the cohort until individuals were 7 y of age. Children examined at 3 and 7 y constituted the final study cohort ( n = 65,259). We dichotomized the key exposure “delivery starts by caesarean section” and analyzed it in univariate analyses as well as in multivariate analyses. The multivariate analyses used 3 outcomes: caries experience at age 3 (deft >0 [decayed, extracted, and filled teeth]), caries increment between 3 and 7 y of age (Δdeft > 0), and caries experience at age 7 (deft > 0). Of the final cohort, 15% ( n = 9,587) were delivered by caesarean section. At 3 y of age, the results showed no statistically significant association between caesarean section and caries experience (odds ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.82 to 1.04). Between 3 and 7 y of age, the association of caesarean section on caries increment was 0.88 (95% CI = 0.83 to 0.94) and at 7 y of age, 0.88 (caries experience; 95% CI = 0.82 to 0.94). Higher mean values for caries experience and caries increment were observed in vaginally delivered children. We found that preschool children who were delivered by caesarean section do not represent a group with an excess risk of developing dental caries. Furthermore, the statistically significant associations with caries increment and caries experience at age 7 were negative.

Knowledge Transfer Statement: Children born by caesarean section are at greater risk of developing asthma and obesity. The proportion of elective caesarean sections without a medical indication has increased over the years; therefore, it is important to know how this mode of delivery affects oral health of the child. The results show that children who are delivered by caesarean section are not at greater risk of developing dental caries, and clinicians can use these findings in their risk assessment.
Chronic Stress in Adolescents and Its Neurobiological and Psychopathological Consequences: An RDoC Perspective
Authors: Sheth Chandni , McGlade Erin , Yurgelun-Todd Deborah
Published: June 2017

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative provides a strategy for classifying psychopathology based on behavioral dimensions and neurobiological measures. Neurodevelopment is an orthogonal dimension in the current RDoC framework; however, it has not yet been fully incorporated into the RDoC approach. A combination of both a neurodevelopmental and RDoC approach offers a multidimensional perspective for understanding the emergence of psychopathology during development. Environmental influence (e.g., stress) has a profound impact on the risk for development of psychiatric illnesses. It has been shown that chronic stress interacts with the developing brain, producing significant changes in neural circuits that eventually increase the susceptibility for development of psychiatric disorders. This review highlights effects of chronic stress on the adolescent brain, as adolescence is a period characterized by a combination of significant brain alterations, high levels of stress, and emergence of psychopathology. The literature synthesized in this review suggests that chronic stress-induced changes in neurobiology and behavioral constructs underlie the shared vulnerability across a number of disorders in adolescence. The review particularly focuses on depression and substance use disorders; however, a similar argument can also be made for other psychopathologies, including anxiety disorders. The summarized findings underscore the need for a framework to integrate neurobiological findings from disparate psychiatric disorders and to target transdiagnostic mechanisms across disorders.
Impact of a Shared Medical Appointment on Hypertension Clinical Outcomes and Medication Adherence in a Veterans Affairs Health Care System
Authors: Kirk Cain Eric , Gordon Autumn N. , Mooney Kelly D. , Aikens Garrett B. , Robinson Michael H. , Howard Molly E.
Published: June 2017

Background:Shared medical appointments (SMAs) are utilized across health care systems to improve access and quality of care, with limited evidence to support the use of SMAs to improve clinical outcomes and medication adherence among hypertensive patients. Objective: Improve access and quality of care provided within a Veterans Affairs health care system via implementation of a hypertension SMA to improve clinical outcomes and medication adherence. Methods: Veterans were eligible for enrollment in the SMA if they received care within the health care system, were aged ≥18 years, were receiving at least 2 antihypertensive medications, and had systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mm Hg. A pre/post cohort design was used to evaluate the improvement in antihypertensive medication adherence as well as the change in SBP and DBP for all Veterans who attended at least 2 SMAs. Results: Twenty-one Veterans participated in at least 2 SMAs and were included in the analysis; 76.2% had a reduction in SBP with an overall average decrease of −8.3 mm Hg ( P = .02). The proportion of Veterans considered to have controlled blood pressure (BP; <140/90 mm Hg) increased from 14.3% at baseline to 42.9% during the SMA period ( P = .03). There was no significant difference found for the proportion of Veterans considered adherent to their prescribed antihypertensive medications (95.2% vs 85.7%, respectively; P = .50). Conclusions: SBP significantly improved for patients enrolled in a pharmacist-led SMA at a VA health care system, and the proportion of patients considered to have controlled BP increased significantly.
Redefinition of thérèsemagnanite, NaCo4(SO4)(OH)6Cl·6H2O: new data and relationship to ‘cobaltogordaite’
Authors: Kasatkin Anatoly V. , Plášil Jakub , Škoda Radek , Belakovskiy Dmitriy I. , Marty Joe , Meisser Nicolas , Pekov Igor V.
Published: June 2017

Thérèsemagnanite was originally described from the Cap Garonne mine, Var, France. Its ideal formula was reported as (Co,Zn,Ni)6(SO4)(OH,Cl)10·8H2O; without crystal structure data, only the powder X-ray diffraction pattern was given. Revision of the holotype material revealed that thérèsemagnanite is identical to ‘cobaltogordaite’ (IMA2014-043), recently described from the Blue Lizard mine, Utah, USA. Thérèsemagnanite is thus redefined in accordance with the new data obtained for the neotype specimen from Blue Lizard (formerly the holotype specimen of ‘cobaltogordaite’) and ‘cobaltogordaite’ has been discredited by the International Mineralogical Association Commission on New Mineral Nomenclature and Classification (IMA CNMNC). Thérèsemagnanite has the ideal, end-member formula NaCo4(SO4)(OH)6Cl·6H2O. The empirical formulae of the holotype (Cap Garonne) and the neotype (Blue Lizard), both based on microprobe analyses and calculated on the basis of 17 O + Cl atoms per formula unit (with fixed 6 OH groups and 6 H2O molecules; H content is calculated by stoichiometry) are (Na0.64K0.09)Σ0.73(Co2.35Zn1.22Ni0.50)Σ4.07S1.02O3.98(OH)6Cl1.02·6H2O and Na1.01(Co1.90Zn1.37Ni0.48Cu0.15Mn0.05)Σ3.95S1.03O4.09(OH)6Cl0.91·6H2O, respectively. Thérèsemagnanite is trigonal,P$\overline 3 $,a= 8.349(3),c= 13.031(2) Å,V= 786.6(4) Å3and Z = 2 (neotype). The strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [dobsin Å (hkl) (Irel)]: 13.10 (001)(100), 6.53 (002)(8), 4.173 (110)(4), 3.517 (112)(5), 2.975 (104, 10$\overline 4 $)(4), 2.676 (211)(5) and 2.520 (12$\bar 2$)(5) (neotype). Thérèsemagnanite is a cobalt analogue of gordaite, NaZn4(SO4)(OH)6Cl·6H2O. These minerals represent the gordaite group, accepted by the IMA CNMNC.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Intra-articular injection in the knee of adipose derived stromal cells (stromal vascular fraction) and platelet rich plasma for osteoarthritis
Authors: Bansal Himanshu , Comella Kristin , Leon Jerry , Verma Poonam , Agrawal Diwaker , Koka Prasad , Ichim Thomas
Published: June 2017

Background

Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) can easily be obtained from a mini-lipoaspirate procedure of fat tissue and platelet rich plasma (PRP) can be obtained from peripheral blood. We evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of administering SVF and PRP intra-articularly into patients with osteoarthritis grade 1 and 2.

Methods

A total of ten patients underwent a local tumescent liposuction procedure to remove approximately 100 ml of fat tissue from the abdomen. SVF was isolated using an enzyme digestion and resuspended in PRP for intra-articular injection in the knee. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score and six-minute walk distance (6MWD) were used to evaluate clinical effects and included measure of patient’s subjective assessment of pain, joint mobility, and physical disability. WOMAC score, 6MWD and laboratory tests were repeated at 3 and 6 months and 1, 1.5 and 2 years. XRAY and MRI were completed at 1 year.

Results

The average total WOMAC score was 64 at baseline and significantly reduced to 52 at 3 months, 46 at 6 months, 42 at 1 year, 38 at 1.5 years, and 41 at 2 years. Patients walked an average of 1310 feet at baseline and demonstrated a statistically significant improvement at 3 and 6 months and 1, 1.5, and 2 years post treatment. Cartilage thickness as determined by MRI improved by at least 0.2 mm in six patients, was unchanged in two patients and decreased by at least 0.2 mm in two patients.

Conclusions

Overall, all of the patients were pleased with the treatment results. They reported a reduction in pain levels, especially after 3 months. More importantly, the procedure demonstrated a strong safety profile with no severe adverse events or complications reported.

Trial registration NCT03089762; Name of registry: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
RETRACTED ARTICLE: MicroRNA-330-3p promotes cell invasion and metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer through GRIA3 by activating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway
Authors: Wei Chun-Hua , Wu Gang , Cai Qian , Gao Xi-Can , Tong Fan , Zhou Rui , Zhang Rui-Guang , Dong Ji-Hua , Hu Yu , Dong Xiao-Rong
Published: June 2017

Background

Brain metastasis (BM) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent studies demonstrated that microRNA-330-3p (miR-330-3p) was involved in NSCLC brain metastasis (BM). However, the exact parts played by miR-330-3p in BM of NSCLC remain unknown. Discovery and development of biomarkers and elucidation of the mechanism underlying BM in NSCLC is critical for effective prophylactic interventions. Here, we evaluated the expression and biological effects of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells and explored the underlying mechanism of miR-330-3p in promoting cell migration and invasion in NSCLC.

Methods

Stable over-expression and knockdown of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells was constructed with lentivirus. Expression levels of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells were quantified by quantitive real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effects of miR-330-3p on NSCLC cells were investigated using assays of cell viability, migration, invasion, cell cycle, apoptosis, western blotting, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence staining. A xenograft nude mouse model and in situ brain metastasis model were used to observe tumor growth and brain metastasis. The potential target of miR-330-3p in NSCLC cells was explored using the luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and western blotting. The miR-330-3p targets were identified using bioinformatics analysis and verified by luciferase reporter assay. The correlation between GRIA3 and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1 and DNMT3A was tested by RT-PCR, western blotting, and co-immunoprecipitation (IP).

Results

miR-330-3p was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC cell lines. MTT assay, transwell migration, and invasion assays showed that miR-330-3p promoted the growth, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro and induced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Luciferase reporter assays showed that GRIA3 was a target of miR-330-3p. qRT-PCR and western blotting exhibited that miR-330-3p promoted the growth, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular-regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathway. Furthermore, miR-330-3p up-regulated the total DNA methylation in NSCLC cells, and co-IP-demonstrated GRIA3 was directly related with DNMT1 and DNMT3A.

Conclusions

miR-330-3p promoted the progression of NSCLC and might be a potential target for the further research of NSCLC brain metastasis.
Legalized Authoritarianism
Authors: El-Sadany Mai
Published: June 2017

The Egyptian government has repeatedly violated the law with arbitrary arrests, torture in detention, and forced disappearances. But in the past, Egyptian legal expert Mai El-Sadany says, at least these measures could have been challenged in court. Today a person may be subjected to the same abuses without recourse or appeal.
The New Conflict of the Faculties and Functions
Authors: Stiegler Bernard
Published: June 2017

The concept of entropy has been applied to life and, in Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen’s bioeconomics of exosomatization, to human life. These accounts of “negentropy” must be reinterpreted in the age of the data economy, however, from a perspective that starts from the technological or exosomatic condition of all knowledge. This can be opened up from a reconsideration of Kant’s account of intuition, understanding, and reason that must also be a critique of the absence of the technological in Kant’s account of the schematism. Armed with this critique, we can understand the data economy as the use of powerful, probabilistic algorithms premised on reducing the “given” to calculable “data,” a reduction in turn founded on and bringing about the reduction of knowledge to information. The entropic character of the data economy can then be conceived as the elimination of the incalculable and unexpected elements at the root of all knowledge. It is this elimination that suggests to Chris Anderson the idea of the end of theory; in other words, it is what prevents “bifurcations,” that is, the prospect that new knowledge will open futures that would be not just negentropic but “neganthropological.” In the Anthropocene, which is now leading to a state of absolute nonknowledge while producing massively entropic biospherical effects, it is crucial to transform data architectures and the faculties of knowledge in ways that not only undo the reduction of knowledge to information but do so starting from the neganthropological functions of knowledge, systems open to the improbable that would also amount to quasi-causal cosmologies.