bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolomic profiles of current cigarette smokers
Authors: Hsu Ping‐Ching , Lan Renny S. , Brasky Theodore M. , Marian Catalin , Cheema Amrita K. , Ressom Habtom W. , Loffredo Christopher A. , Pickworth Wallace B. , Shields Peter G.
Published: June 2016

Smoking‐related biomarkers for lung cancer and other diseases are needed to enhance early detection strategies and to provide a science base for tobacco product regulation. An untargeted metabolomics approach by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole‐time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐Q‐TOF MS) totaling 957 assays was used in a novel experimental design where 105 current smokers smoked two cigarettes 1 h apart. Blood was collected immediately before and after each cigarette allowing for within‐subject replication. Dynamic changes of the metabolomic profiles from smokers’ four blood samples were observed and biomarkers affected by cigarette smoking were identified. Thirty‐one metabolites were definitively shown to be affected by acute effect of cigarette smoking, uniquely including menthol‐glucuronide, the reduction of glutamate, oleamide, and 13 glycerophospholipids. This first time identification of a menthol metabolite in smokers’ blood serves as proof‐of‐principle for using metabolomics to identify new tobacco‐exposure biomarkers, and also provides new opportunities in studying menthol‐containing tobacco products in humans. Gender and race differences also were observed. Network analysis revealed 12 molecules involved in cancer, notably inhibition of cAMP. These novel tobacco‐related biomarkers provide new insights to the effects of smoking which may be important in carcinogenesis but not previously linked with tobacco‐related diseases. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) is released by female mouse bladder urothelial cells and expressed by the urothelium as an early response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS)
Authors: Li Yan , Lu Ming , Alvarez‐Lugo Lery , Chen Gang , Chai Toby C.
Published: June 2016

Aims

We studied in vitro and in vivo response of primary mouse bladder urothelial cells (mBUC) and bladder urothelium to lipopolysaccharides (LPS), focusing on granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) signaling.

Methods

Female C57BL/6 mBUC were exposed for 12 hr to differing concentrations of LPS (100 ng/ml to 10 µg/ml). mBUC were also exposed to a single dose of LPS (1 µg/ml) for 3, 6, 12 hr. Neutralizing GM‐CSF antibody (0.1 μg/ml) was used block GM‐CSF activity in vitro. In vivo experiments were performed, whereby, LPS (1 mg/ml) was instilled intravesically and left to dwell for 30 min followed by harvest of bladder urothelium 3 to 18 hr later. ELISA measured GM‐CSF. qPCR quantitated mRNA for GM‐CSF, vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A), cyclooxygenase‐1 (COX‐1), cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α). RT‐PCR was used to detect mRNA for GM‐CSF, GM‐CSFRα, and β in bladder tissues. Immunohistofluorescence and Western blots for GM‐CSFRα were performed on bladder tissues.

Results

LPS induced a dose‐dependent release of GM‐CSF by mBUC. Mouse bladder urothelium did not express GM‐CSF mRNA at baseline, but expressed GM‐CSF mRNA 3 hr after in vivo LPS exposure, with GM‐CSF mRNA expression disappearing 18 hr later. GM‐CSFRα expression was confirmed in bladder urothelium. GM‐CSF neutralizing antibody significantly diminished LPS‐induced increases of VEGF and COX‐2 mRNA expression.

Conclusions

Urothelium and mBUC secreted GM‐CSF as an early response to LPS. GM‐CSF mediated downstream expression of VEGF and COX‐2. Urothelial GM‐CSF may function as a signaling mediator for both inflammation and pain transduction. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:1020–1025, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Co‐crystallization in ternary polyethylene blends: tie crystal formation and mechanical properties improvement
Authors: Eslamian Mohammadjavad , Bagheri Reza , Pircheraghi Gholamreza
Published: June 2016

Understanding
the co‐crystallization behavior of ternary polyethylene (PE) blends is a challenging task. Herein, in addition to co‐crystallization behavior, the rheological and mechanical properties of melt compounded high density polyethylene (HDPE)/low density polyethylene (LDPE)/Zeigler − Natta linear low density polyethylene (ZN‐LLDPE) blends have been studied in detail. The HDPE content of the blends was kept constant at 40 wt% and the LDPE/ZN‐LLDPE ratio was varied from 0.5 to 2. Rheological measurements confirmed the melt miscibility of the entire blends. Study of the crystalline structure of the blends using DSC, wide angle X‐ray scattering, small angle X‐ray scattering and field emission SEM techniques revealed the formation of two distinct co‐crystals in the blends. Fine LDPE/ZN‐LLDPE co‐crystals, named tie crystals, dispersed within the amorphous gallery between the coarse HDPE/ZN‐LLDPE co‐crystals were characterized for the first time in this study. It is shown that the tie crystals strengthen the amorphous gallery and play a major role in the mechanical performance of the blend.© 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Assimilation of humidity and temperature observations retrieved from ground‐based microwave radiometers into a convective‐scale NWP model
Authors: Caumont Olivier , Cimini Domenico , Löhnert Ulrich , Alados‐Arboledas Lucas , Bleisch René , Buffa Franco , Ferrario Massimo Enrico , Haefele Alexander , Huet Thierry , Madonna Fabio , Pace Giandomenico
Published: June 2016

Temperature and humidity retrievals from an international network of ground‐based microwave radiometers (MWRs) have been collected to assess the potential of their assimilation into a convective‐scale numerical weather prediction (NWP) system. Thirteen stations over a domain encompassing the western Mediterranean basin were considered for a time period of 41 days in autumn, when heavy precipitation events most often plague this area.

Prior to their assimilation, MWR data were compared to very‐short‐term forecasts. Observation‐minus‐background statistics revealed some biases, but standard deviations were comparable to that obtained with radiosondes. The MWR data were then assimilated in a three‐dimensional variational data assimilation system through the use of a rapid update cycle. A first set of four different experiments were designed to assess the impact of the assimilation of temperature and humidity profiles, both separately and jointly. This assessment was done through the use of a comprehensive dataset of upper‐air and surface observations collected in the framework of the HyMeX programme.

The results showed that the impact was generally very limited on all verified parameters, except for precipitation. The impact was found to be generally beneficial in terms of most verification metrics for about 18 h, especially for larger accumulations. Two additional data‐denial experiments showed that even more positive impact could be obtained when MWR data were assimilated without other redundant observations. The conclusion of the study points to possible ways of enhancing the impact of the assimilation of MWR data in convective‐scale NWP systems.
Disciplinary Literacy in English Language Arts: Exploring the Social and Problem‐Based Nature of Literary Reading and Reasoning
Authors: Rainey Emily C.
Published: June 2016

Despite many calls for K–12 disciplinary literacy instruction—instruction that teaches students the specialized ways of reading, writing, and reasoning of the academic disciplines—there are questions about what disciplinary literacy instruction means for the prominent school domain of English language arts. This article investigates the disciplinary literacy practices and teaching approaches of 10 university‐based literary scholars who participated in semistructured interviews and verbal protocols with literary fiction. Findings point to the fundamentally social and problem‐based nature of academic work with literature and to a set of six shared literary literacy practices that scholars use in their work with literature. These findings were generated as part of a larger study that compared literacy practices and teaching approaches of 10 university‐based scholars and 12 high school English language arts teachers (Rainey, 2015).
Modulating Photoluminescence of Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide by Metal–Insulator Phase Transition in Active Substrates
Authors: Hou Jiwei , Wang Xi , Fu Deyi , Ko Changhyun , Chen Yabin , Sun Yufei , Lee Sangwook , Wang Kevin X. , Dong Kaichen , Sun Yinghui , Tongay Sefaattin , Jiao Liying , Yao Jie , Liu Kai , Wu Junqiao
Published: June 2016

The atomic thickness and flatness allow properties of 2D semiconductors to be modulated with influence from the substrate. Reversible modulation of these properties requires an “active,” reconfigurable substrate, i.e., a substrate with switchable functionalities that interacts strongly with the 2D overlayer. In this work, the photoluminescence (PL) of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is modulated by interfacing it with a phase transition material, vanadium dioxide (VO2). The MoS2 PL intensity is enhanced by a factor of up to three when the underlying VO2 undergoes the thermally driven phase transition from the insulating to metallic phase. A nonvolatile, reversible way to rewrite the PL pattern is also demonstrated. The enhancement effect is attributed to constructive optical interference when the VO2 turns metallic. This modulation method requires no chemical or mechanical processes, potentially finding applications in new switches and sensors.
CXCR4 Signaling Negatively Modulates the Bipotential State of Hemogenic Endothelial Cells Derived from Embryonic Stem Cells by Attenuating the Endothelial Potential
Authors: Ahmed Tanzir , Tsuji-Tamura Kiyomi , Ogawa Minetaro
Published: June 2016

Hemogenic endothelial cells (HECs) are considered to be the origin of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HECs have been identified in differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as VE-cadherin+ cells with both hematopoietic and endothelial potential in single cells. Although the bipotential state of HECs is a key to cell fate decision toward HSCs, the molecular basis of the regulation of the bipotential state has not been well understood. Here, we report that the CD41+ fraction of CD45- CD31+ VE-cadherin+ endothelial cells (ECs) from mouse ESCs encompasses an enriched HEC population. The CD41+ ECs expressed Runx1, Tal1, Etv2, and Sox17, and contained progenitors for both ECs and hematopoietic cells (HCs) at a high frequency. Clonal analyses of cell differentiation confirmed that one out of five HC progenitors in the CD41+ ECs possessed the bipotential state that led also to EC colony formation. A phenotypically identical cell population was found in mouse embryos, although the potential was more biased to hematopoietic fate with rare bipotential progenitors. ESC-derived bipotential HECs were further enriched in the CD41+ CXCR4+ subpopulation. Stimulation with CXCL12 during the generation of VE-cadherin+ CXCR4+ cells attenuated the EC colony-forming ability, thereby resulted in a decrease of bipotential progenitors in the CD41+ CXCR4+ subpopulation. Our results suggest that CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling negatively modulates the bipotential state of HECs independently of the hematopoietic fate. Identification of signaling molecules controlling the bipotential state is crucial to modulate the HEC differentiation and to induce HSCs from ESCs.
Transcriptomic and metabolic responses of Staphylococcus aureus in mixed culture with Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus durans in milk
Authors: Zdenkova Kamila , Alibayov Babek , Karamonova Ludmila , Purkrtova Sabina , Karpiskova Renata , Demnerova Katerina
Published: June 2016

Staphylococcus aureus is a major food-borne pathogen due to the production of enterotoxin and is particularly prevalent in contaminated milk and dairy products. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used as biocontrol agents in fermented foods which can inhibit pathogenic flora. In our work, we investigated the influence of three strains of LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus durans) on the relative expression of three enterotoxin genes (sea, sec, sell) and eight virulence and/or regulatory genes (sarA, saeS, codY, srrA, rot, hld/RNAIII, agrA/RNAII, sigB) in two S. aureus strains (MW2 and Sa1612) in TSB and reduced-fat milk (1.5 %) at 30 °C over a 24-h period. The tested LAB and S. aureus strains proved to be mutually non-competitive or only slightly competitive during co-cultivation. In addition, under the above-mentioned conditions, differential gene expression between the S. aureus MW2 and Sa1612 strains was well documented. S. aureus growth was changed in mixed culture with LAB; however, its effect on the repression of sea and sec expression correlated with production of these virulence factors. In comparison, the presence of LAB strains generally inhibited the expression of sec, sell, sarA, seaS, agrA/RNAII and hld/RNAIII genes. The effect of LAB strains presence on the expression of sea, codY, srrA, rot and sigB genes was medium, time, LAB and S. aureus strain specific. SEA and SEC production was significantly reduced in milk compared to TSB in pure culture. After the 24-h cultivation, S. aureus MW2 and Sa1612 SEC production was 187 and 331 times lower in milk compared to TSB, respectively (0.07 and 0.39 ng/mL in milk, versus 13.1 and 129.2 ng/mL in TSB, respectively). At the same time S. aureus MW2 and Sa1612 SEA production was 77 and 68 times lower in milk compared to TSB, respectively (0.99 and 0.17 ng/mL in milk, versus 76.4 and 11.5 ng/mL in TSB, respectively). This study has revealed new insights into the interaction between S. aureus and LAB (L. plantarum, S. thermophilus, E. durans) on the level of the expression and/or production of S. aureus enterotoxins, regulatory and virulence genes in different media, including milk. This study provides data which may improve the quality of food production.
Education of parents in Pavlik harness application for developmental dysplasia of the hip using a validated simulated learning module
Authors: Gargan Kate E. , Bradley Catharine S. , Maxwell Alexandra , Moktar Joel , Wedge John H. , Murnaghan M. Lucas , Kelley Simon P.
Published: June 2016

Background

The Pavlik harness is the most common initial treatment for developmental dysplasia of the hip worldwide. During treatment, parents are required to re-apply the harness at home. Teaching parents how to apply the harness is therefore paramount to success. While simulated learning for medical training is commonplace, it has not yet been trialed in teaching parents how to apply a Pavlik harness.

Methods

A group of parents underwent a simulated learning module for Pavlik harness application. Parents were evaluated pre- and post-exposure and at one month after testing. A validated objective structured assessment of technical skill (OSATS) and a global rating scale (GRS) specific to Pavlik harness application were used for evaluation. A control group of parents was also tested at both time points. A clinical expert group was used to determine competency. ANOVA and t tests were used to assess differences between groups and over time.

Results

Parent scores on the OSATS improved to the level of expert clinicians both immediately post-intervention and at retention testing. However, on the GRS, only half were considered competent due to their inability to achieve the required hip positions. The control group did not improve nor were they considered competent.

Conclusions

The use of a simulated learning module improves both the confidence and skill level of parents in the application of the Pavlik harness. However, the challenges parents face in understanding the more detailed subtleties of medical care suggest that they still require an appropriate level of supervision by clinicians to ensure effective treatment.
CALR mutation profile in Irish patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Haslam Karl , Conneally Eibhlin , Flynn Catherine M. , Cahill Mary R. , Gilligan Oonagh , O'Shea Derville , Langabeer Stephen E.
Published: June 2016

Insertion and/or deletion mutations of the CALR gene have recently been demonstrated to be the second most common driver mutations in the myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) of essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). Given the diagnostic and emerging prognostic significance of these mutations, in addition to the geographical heterogeneity reported, the incidence of CALR mutations was determined in an Irish cohort of patients with MPNs with a view to incorporate this analysis into a prospective screening program. A series of 202 patients with known or suspected ET and PMF were screened for the presence of CALR mutations. CALR mutations were detected in 58 patients. Type 1 and Type 1-like deletion mutations were the most common (n = 40) followed by Type 2 and Type 2-like insertion mutations (n = 17). The CALR mutation profile in Irish ET and PMF patients appears similar to that in other European populations. Establishment of this mutational profile allows the introduction of a rational, molecular diagnostic algorithm in cases of suspected ET and PMF that will improve clinical management.
Couple-Based Psychosexual Support Following Prostate Cancer Surgery: Results of a Feasibility Pilot Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Robertson Jane , McNamee Phillip , Molloy Gerry , Hubbard Gill , McNeill Alan , Bollina Prasad , Kelly Daniel , Forbat Liz
Published: June 2016

Introduction

Surgery for prostate cancer can result in distressing side effects such as sexual difficulties, which are associated with lower levels of dyadic functioning. The study developed and tested an intervention to address sexual, relational, and emotional aspects of the relationship after prostate cancer by incorporating elements of family systems theory and sex therapy.

Aims

To develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of relational psychosexual treatment for couples with prostate cancer, determine whether a relational-psychosexual intervention is feasible and acceptable for couples affected by prostate cancer, and determine the parameters for a full-scale trial.

Methods

Forty-three couples were recruited for this pilot randomized controlled trial and received a six-session manual-based psychosexual intervention or usual care. Outcomes were measured before, after, and 6 months after the intervention. Acceptability and feasibility were established from recruitment and retention rates and adherence to the manual.

Main Outcome Measures

The primary outcome measurement was the sexual bother subdomain of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the 15-item Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation (SCORE-15) were used to measure emotional and relational functioning, respectively.

Results

The intervention was feasible and acceptable. The trial achieved adequate recruitment (38%) and retention (74%) rates. The intervention had a clinically and statistically significant effect on sexual bother immediately after the intervention. Small decreases in anxiety and depression were observed for the intervention couples, although these were not statistically significant. Practitioners reported high levels of adherence to the manual.

Conclusion

The clinically significant impact on sexual bother and positive feedback on the study's feasibility and acceptability indicate that the intervention should be tested in a multicenter trial. The SCORE-15 lacked specificity for this intervention, and future trials would benefit from a couple-focused measurement.
Characteristics of Intratendinous Microcirculation Shortly After an Achilles Rupture and Subsequent Treatment Outcomes
Authors: Chang Yi‐Ping , Shih Kao‐Shang , Chiang Hongsen , Ma Hsiao‐Li , Lin Leou‐Chyr , Peng Wei‐Chen , Wen Che‐Sheng , Wang Hsing‐Kuo
Published: June 2016

Background

Early microcirculatory responses after experimental tenotomy are critical to the healing of tendons and their ultimate tensile strength. The effects of changes in microcirculation on the outcomes of tendon healing, however, have not been determined.

Objectives

To assess microcirculation values in injured Achilles tendons in the first 3 months after surgical repair and to correlate the inter‐limb microcirculatory changes with functional outcomes at 3 and 6 months after surgery.

Design

Case‐control study.

Setting

A university sports physiotherapy laboratory.

Participants

Thirteen subjects (median age: 45 years; range: 34.8‐51.9 years) with a repaired Achilles tendon were recruited.

Methods or Intervention

Surgical repair.

Main Outcome Measurements

Measurements were obtained at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Bilateral measurements of tendon microcirculation (total hemoglobin [THb] and oxygen saturation [StO2]) were recorded at the first 3 time points, whereas outcome measures of a Taiwan Chinese version of the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment Scale‐Achilles questionnaire, one‐leg hopping distance, the star excursion balance test, and the heel raise index were conducted at the third and fourth time points. Correlations between the inter‐limb microcirculatory changes, eg, between the measurements at 2 months and 1 month (2‐1) after surgery, at 3 months and 2 months (3‐2) after surgery, and at 3 months and 1 month (3‐1) after surgery, and the outcome measures were investigated.

Results

Compared with the noninjured tendons, the repaired Achilles demonstrated greater THb (at 1, 2, and 3 months; P = .017, .008, and .012 respectively) and StO2 (at 3 months; P = .017). Furthermore, the THb2‐1 and THb3‐2, StO2 2‐1, and StO2 3‐2 showed correlations with the heel raise index, differences in the star excursion balance test and one‐leg hopping distance between the noninjured leg and injured leg, and Taiwan Chinese version of the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment Scale‐Achilles questionnaire scores (rho −0.921 to 0.855).

Conclusions

Changes in the inter‐limb microcirculation shortly after Achilles repair were correlated with subsequent symptoms and functional symmetry.

Level of Evidence

III
OnabotulinumtoxinA Injection for Poststroke Upper‐Limb Spasticity: Guidance for Early Injectors From a Delphi Panel Process
Authors: Simpson David M. , Patel Atul T. , Alfaro Abraham , Ayyoub Ziyad , Charles David , Dashtipour Khashayar , Esquenazi Alberto , Graham Glenn D. , McGuire John R. , Odderson Ib
Published: June 2016

Background

OnabotulinumtoxinA reduces muscle hypertonia associated with poststroke spasticity (PSS). PSS manifests as several common postures.

Objective

To define treatment paradigms for PSS upper‐limb common postures.

Design

Modified Delphi method.

Setting

Expert panel.

Participants

Ten injectors experienced in the treatment and clinical research of PSS (physiatrists and neurologists) were invited to participate in the Delphi panel.

Methods

The Delphi panel reviewed an electronic worksheet with PSS upper‐limb postures to define onabotulinumtoxinA treatment paradigms (Round 1). During Round 2, panel members discussed in person Round 1 results and voted until consensus (≥66% agreement). Recommendations were geared toward those with new or early injection experience.

Main Outcome Measurements

Expert consensus on onabotulinumtoxinA treatment parameters for PSS including muscles to inject, dose per muscle and posture, and treatment adjustments for suboptimal response.

Results

For each posture, consensus was reached on targeted subsets of muscles. Doses ranged for individual muscles (10‐100 U) and total doses per posture (50‐200 U). An onabotulinumtoxinA dilution 50 U/mL (2:1 dilution ratio) was considered most appropriate; dilution ratios of 1:1 to 4:1 may be appropriate in some circumstances. The majority (89%) of panel members would increase the dose and/or the number of muscles treated for a suboptimal response to onabotulinumtoxinA. The panel identified 3 common aggregate upper‐limb postures: (1) adducted shoulder + flexed elbow + pronated forearm + flexed wrist + clenched fist; (2) flexed elbow + pronated forearm + flexed wrist + clenched fist; and (3) flexed wrist + clenched fist. The recommended starting dose per aggregate was 300 U, 300 U, and 200 U, with a total maximum dose of 400 U, 400 U, and 300 U, respectively. Localization guidance techniques were considered essential for all postures.

Conclusions

Consensus on common muscles and onabotulinumtoxinA treatment paradigms for postures associated with upper‐limb PSS was achieved via a modified Delphi method. The purpose of this analysis is to educate early onabotulinumtoxinA injectors rather than provide an evidence‐based review.

Level of Evidence

V
Exercise Benefits for Chronic Low Back Pain in Overweight and Obese Individuals
Authors: Wasser Joseph G. , Vasilopoulos Terrie , Zdziarski Laura Ann , Vincent Heather K.
Published: June 2016

Overweight and obese individuals with chronic low back pain (LBP) struggle with the combined physical challenges of physical activity and pain interference during daily life; perceived disability increases, pain symptoms worsen, and performance of functional tasks and quality of life (QOL) decline. Consistent participation in exercise programs positively affects several factors including musculoskeletal pain, perceptions of disability due to pain, functional ability, QOL, and body composition. It is not yet clear, however, what differential effects occur among different easily accessible exercise modalities in the overweight‐obese population with chronic LBP. This narrative review synopsizes available randomized and controlled, or controlled and comparative, studies of easily accessible exercise programs on pain severity, QOL, and other outcomes, such as physical function or body composition change, in overweight‐obese persons with chronic LBP. We identified 16 studies (N = 1,351) of various exercise programs (aerobic exercise [AX], resistance exercise [RX], aquatic exercise [AQU], and yoga‐Pilates) that measured efficacy on LBP symptoms, and at least one other outcome such as perceived disability, QOL, physical function, and body composition. RX, AQU, and Pilates exercise programs demonstrated the greatest effects on pain reduction, perceived disability, QOL, and other health components. The highest adherence rate occurred with RX and AQU exercise programs, indicating that these types of programs may provide a greater overall impact on relevant outcomes for overweight‐obese LBP patients.

Level of Evidence

V
«Mi instrumento es más válido que el tuyo»: ¿Por qué seguimos usando ideas obsoletas?
Authors: Sánchez-Mendiola Melchor
Published: June 2016

Uno de los conceptos más importantes en evaluación educativa es el de validez (para algunos autores, es el más importante), ya que permea por todos lados el proceso educativo y determina la congruencia interpretativa del uso de los resultados de pruebas y exámenes de acuerdo a los fines para los que fueron diseñados. A pesar de ello, muchos colegas docentes en las profesiones de la salud no están familiarizados con los aspectos modernos del concepto de validez y las condiciones del «estado del arte» sobre el tema.
Construct validity and reliability of Finnish version of Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire
Authors: Ruokolainen Olli , Haapea Marianne , Linton Steven , Korniloff Katariina , Häkkinen Arja , Paananen Markus , Karppinen Jaro
Published: June 2016

Introduction

Chronic pain causes suffering for affected individuals and incurs costs to society through work disability. Interventions based on early screening of psychological risk factors for chronic pain using screening tools such as the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (ÖMPSQ) have been found to reduce work absenteeism and health care visits and increase perceived health. The aim of the current study was to translate the ÖMPSQ into Finnish and test its validity and reliability in a patient sample.

Methods

The ÖMPSQ was forward–backward translated and cross-culturally adapted, and applied to our study population (n = 69), the members of which had been referred to the Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine of Oulu University Hospital from primary health care centres in Northern Finland due to chronic low back pain. The patients answered the ÖMPSQ two weeks before the hospital visit, and the follow-up questionnaire either during the hospital visit, or after by mail. The reliability of the ÖMPSQ was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Factor analysis was used to group items of the ÖMPSQ, and internal consistency between the items was determined by calculating Cronbach’s alphas.

Results

The cross-cultural adaptation revealed only minor semantic and cultural differences. Measurements showed reliability as moderate to nearly perfect for all of the ÖMPSQ items (ICC values ranged from 0.59 to 0.96). Items loaded into five different factors: disability, psychological symptoms, pain, fear avoidance, and work. All except one (work) showed acceptable internal consistency. The ÖMPSQ score was positively associated with both intensity of pain and the Oswestry Disability Index.

Conclusions and implications

The reliability and construct validity of the Finnish version of the ÖMPSQ were good. The predictive ability of the ÖMPSQ in the Finnish population should be evaluated in further studies.
Material Incentives, Market Relations, and Historical Change: Selling Television Sets in West Germany and the United States
Authors: TEUPE SEBASTIAN
Published: June 2016

Why did premiums like turkeys, bottles of whiskey, or travel vouchers play an important role in the United States but not in West Germany? Looking for an answer, this article takes a detailed look at how television sets were traded along the distribution chain in both countries. The use of material incentives was an important competitive strategy of U.S. manufacturers and distributors during the 1950s. At the same time, it held price competitive behavior in check. Premiums were at the center of a “turkey economy” that paid tribute to the demands of traditional radio and television stores. In West Germany, the same objective was achieved by a “television cartel.” The article reconstructs the reasons for emergence and decline of the two systems and provides a detailed account of historical change highlighting the importance of retailing structures, the life cycle of products, and the time-specific culture of markets.
Height, Income and Voting
Authors: Arunachalam Raj , Watson Sara
Published: June 2016

The claim that income drives political preferences is at the core of political economy theory, yet empirical estimates of income’s effect on political behavior range widely. Drawing on traditions in economic history and anthropology, we propose using height as a proxy for economic well-being. Using data from the British Household Panel Study, this article finds that taller individuals are more likely to support the Conservative Party, support conservative policies and vote Conservative; a one-inch increase in height increases support for Conservatives by 0.6 per cent. As an extension, the study employs height as an instrumental variable for income, and finds that each additional thousand pounds of annual income translates into a 2–3 percentage point increase in the probability of supporting the Conservatives, and that income drives political beliefs and voting in the same direction.
“He Who Owns the Trifels, Owns the Reich”: Nazi Medievalism and the Creation of the Volksgemeinschaft in the Palatinate
Authors: Link Fabian , Hornburg Mark W.
Published: June 2016

This article analyzes the interplay between Nazi cultural politics and regional identity in the Palatinate region of Germany through the lens of the Ludwig Siebert program. Created by Bavarian Minister-President Ludwig Siebert in the early 1930s to stimulate the regional construction industry, this program involved the conservation of medieval castles and ruins in Bavaria and the Palatinate. The renovation of these monuments, which had been central to the cultural memory and identity of Pfälzers since at least the nineteenth century, proved to be effective in mobilizing the local populace for Siebert's aims and, consequently, for the goals of the Nazi regime. Because its melding of cultural politics and regional identity helped to stabilize the regime in the Palatinate during its early years, the Siebert program provides a particularly illustrative microhistorical case study of the Nazi regime's mechanisms for creating the Volksgemeinschaft in the provinces. By focusing on the Palatinate town of Annweiler, which sits at the foot of the storied Trifels castle, a favored renovation project of Siebert's, this article offers a closely observed demonstration of these mechanisms at work.
Survival and quality of life in oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with primary chemoradiation after salivary gland transfer
Authors: Morand G B , Madana J , Da Silva S D , Roskies M , Sultanem K , Black M J , Mlynarek A M , Hier M P
Published: June 2016

Objectives:

Salivary gland transfer surgery can reduce xerostomia in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing primary chemoradiation. A potential drawback of salivary gland transfer is the treatment delay associated with the surgery, and its complications. This study aimed to determine whether the treatment delay affects patient survival and to evaluate patient quality of life after salivary gland transfer.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of 138 patients (salivary gland transfer group, n = 58; non-salivary gland transfer group, n = 80) was performed. Patient survival was compared between these groups using multivariate analysis. Salivary gland transfer patients were further evaluated for surgical complications and for quality of life using the head and neck module of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire.

Results:

Salivary gland transfer and non-salivary gland transfer patients had comparable baseline clinical characteristics. Salivary gland transfer patients experienced a median treatment delay of 16.5 days before chemoradiation (p = 0.035). Multivariate analysis showed that this did not, however, correspond to a survival disadvantage (p = 0.24 and p = 0.97 for disease-free and disease-specific survival, respectively). A very low complication rate was reported for the salivary gland transfer group (1.7 per cent). Questionnaire scores for the item ‘xerostomia’ were very low in salivary gland transfer patients.

Conclusion:

The treatment delay associated with salivary gland transfer surgery does not negatively affect patient survival. Oropharyngeal squamous cell patients have an excellent quality of life after salivary gland transfer.
Contestation ‘all the way down’? The grammar of contestation in norm research
Authors: Niemann Holger , Schillinger Henrik
Published: June 2016

The meaning of norms is empirically contested. Supposing an inherent instability of norm meaning, contestation, therefore, represents a fundamental conceptual challenge to the mainstream view on norms as shared understandings. By offering a grammatical reading of Antje Wiener’s approach to contestation, we examine how norm research addresses this challenge to its theoretical core assumption. We argue that the grammar of Wiener’s approach, despite its reflexive starting point, ultimately reintroduces an understanding of norms as facts and leads to a normative ‘politics of reality’. This effectively turns contestation into a disruption of the ‘normal’ state of norms. Demonstrating the challenges of theorising normswithrather thanagainstcontestation, the article concludes that norm research has yet to find ways to account for contestation ‘all the way down’ in order to sustain norms as a productive analytical concept in IR.
Possible implications of seed dispersal by the howler monkey for the early recruitment of a legume tree in small rain-forest fragments in Mexico
Authors: Anzures-Dadda Alberto , Manson Robert H. , Andresen Ellen , Martínez M. Luisa
Published: June 2016

Primates are important seed dispersers in tropical forests, but they are being lost due to forest fragmentation. We compared post-dispersal seed fate and seedling density for the tree Dialium guianense, in forest fragments in which its main seed disperser, the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) is present, and in fragments in which it is absent. We also carried out a germination experiment to assess gut-passage effect. Seeds extracted from fruits had very low germination (2%) compared with defecated seeds (70%). Seeds in monkey faeces had a lower probability of being attacked by predators, but a higher probability of being attacked by fungus, when compared with seeds inside fruits. Seed fate was similar in fragments with vs. without monkeys, and in sites under parent trees vs. under monkey sleeping sites. Seedling density was highest under sleeping sites in fragments with monkeys, followed by sites under parent trees in fragments with monkeys, and it was lowest in uninhabited fragments, regardless of deposition site. Our study adds to an increasing line of evidence suggesting that loss of frugivores can have strong consequences for plant recruitment.
Understanding the demand for REDD+ credits
Authors: LAING TIMOTHY , TASCHINI LUCA , PALMER CHARLES
Published: June 2016

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has emerged as a potentially important component of the global policy mix to mitigate climate change. Against a background of increasing engagement between private sector entities and conservation organizations, private sector investment has emerged in REDD+. Despite slow developments at the international scale, there continues to be private sector interest in REDD+ and continued voluntary investments in REDD+ projects and initiatives. In order to better understand possible models for private sector engagement in REDD+, this study analysed the motivation of private sector stakeholders to engage in REDD+, the perception of the potential of REDD+, the critical obstacles to making REDD+ functional and how actors perceive themselves as part of future REDD+ scenarios. Based on interviews and a workshop with private sector actors, this study found that few expect a regulatory market for REDD+ to emerge and that credits from the voluntary market have to be tailored to specific needs. As a carbon offset, REDD+ provides insufficient motivation for investment, particularly if cheaper alternatives exist. Co-benefits such as biodiversity conservation and community development are more important when traditional corporate social responsibility motivations play a role. Project scale remains important not only for the fact that smaller projects are viewed as offering more visible benefits to stakeholders but also as a means of having more control over risks on the ground, posing a challenge for the design of jurisdictional REDD+. Moving towards supply chains that are free from deforestation offers an opportunity to tackle commodity-driven deforestation. While questions remain about how such an approach might be integrated into REDD+, it could help address a perceived gap between private sector understanding of the values of REDD+ and the risks associated with these values not arising – termed here as a ‘missing middle’.
Military Interventions against ISIL in Iraq, Syria and Libya, and the Legal Basis of Consent
Authors: BANNELIER-CHRISTAKIS KARINE
Published: June 2016

The legal argument of intervention by invitation has been used by all 11 states intervening in Iraq (nine members of the US-led coalition, Russia, and Iran), by Egypt for its airstrikes against ISIL in Libya, and by Iran and Russia for their interventions in Syria. To the extent that these consensual military interventions targeted ISIL and other UN-designated terrorist groups, their legality has not been challenged by any state. Strong criticisms marked nonetheless military operations undertaken by invitation, but not targeting ‘terrorist groups’, such as the alleged Russian strikes against the ‘Syrian moderate opposition’. The arguments advanced by intervening states seem to confirm the purpose-based approach of intervention by invitation. They did not claim a ‘right to intervene in a civil war’, but relied on the existence of both a request by the government and a legitimate purpose: fighting ISIL and other terrorist groups. The different reactions also show unwillingness by the international community to recognize a general right of intervention in a civil war. Turning to the strikes of the US-led coalition in Syria, it is impossible to rely on the legal basis of ‘intervention by invitation’. The controversial theory of ‘passive consent’ could be used to some extent – but not after September 2015 when Syria denounced these strikes as a ‘flagrant violation’ of its sovereignty. The current efforts of the international community to find consensual solutions to the dramatic conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Iraq could offer new possibilities of consensual interventions against ISIL and other terrorist groups.
Integrating corpus linguistics into online language teacher education programs
Authors: Ebrahimi Alice , Faghih Esmail
Published: June 2016

This study reports on a qualitative study which explored 32 pre-service teachers’ evaluations of two online seven-week introductory courses in corpus linguistics (CL). Data were gathered through questionnaires, participants’ written journals, post-course semi-structured email interviews, and discussion forum entries. The qualitative analysis of data revealed that for successful integration of CL into online language teacher education programs, several procedures should be employed. These include: providing the necessary technological infrastructure in educational settings; incorporating CL instruction in initial stages of language teacher education degree programs and extending it throughout the whole curriculum; focusing more on the practical aspects of CL with much emphasis placed on the necessary pedagogical knowledge and skills for successful exploitation of CL; introducing user-friendly tools and encouraging indirect use of corpora in the absence of necessary technological facilities; providing adequate and effective instructional materials (text-based reading materials, screen capture videos, hands-on activities, etc.) along with sufficient instructor support; and encouraging the participants to reflect on the approach critically. The findings may promise implications for language teacher educators to effectively introduce CL to student teachers in virtual learning environments.
Biomarker-predicted sugars intake compared with self-reported measures in US Hispanics/Latinos: results from the HCHS/SOL SOLNAS study
Authors: Beasley JM , Jung M , Tasevska N , Wong WW , Siega-Riz AM , Sotres-Alvarez D , Gellman MD , Kizer JR , Shaw PA , Stamler J , Stoutenberg M , Van Horn L , Franke AA , Wylie-Rosett J , Mossavar-Rahmani Y
Published: June 2016

Objective

Measurement error in self-reported total sugars intake may obscure associations between sugars consumption and health outcomes, and the sum of 24 h urinary sucrose and fructose may serve as a predictive biomarker of total sugars intake.

Design

The Study of Latinos: Nutrition & Physical Activity Assessment Study (SOLNAS) was an ancillary study to the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) cohort. Doubly labelled water and 24 h urinary sucrose and fructose were used as biomarkers of energy and sugars intake, respectively. Participants’ diets were assessed by up to three 24 h recalls (88 % had two or more recalls). Procedures were repeated approximately 6 months after the initial visit among a subset of ninety-six participants.

Setting

Four centres (Bronx, NY; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; San Diego, CA) across the USA.

Subjects

Men and women (n 477) aged 18–74 years.

Results

The geometric mean of total sugars was 167·5 (95 % CI 154·4, 181·7) g/d for the biomarker-predicted and 90·6 (95 % CI 87·6, 93·6) g/d for the self-reported total sugars intake. Self-reported total sugars intake was not correlated with biomarker-predicted sugars intake (r=−0·06, P=0·20, n 450). Among the reliability sample (n 90), the reproducibility coefficient was 0·59 for biomarker-predicted and 0·20 for self-reported total sugars intake.

Conclusions

Possible explanations for the lack of association between biomarker-predicted and self-reported sugars intake include measurement error in self-reported diet, high intra-individual variability in sugars intake, and/or urinary sucrose and fructose may not be a suitable proxy for total sugars intake in this study population.
Cetacean beachings correlate with geomagnetic disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere: an example of how astronomical changes impact the future of life
Authors: Ferrari Thomas E.
Published: June 2016

The beaching and stranding of whales and dolphins around the world has been mystifying scientists for centuries. Although many theories have been proposed, few are substantiated by unequivocal statistical evidence. Advances in the field of animal magnetoreception have established that many organisms, including cetaceans, have an internal ‘compass,’ which they use for orientation when traveling long distances. Astrobiology involves not only the origin and distribution of life in the universe, but also the scientific study of how extraterrestrial conditions affect evolution of life on planet Earth. The focus of this study is how cetacean life is influenced by disturbances in its environment that originate from an astrological phenomenon – in the present study that involves solar flares and cetacean beachings. Solar storms are caused by major coronal eruptions on the Sun. Upon reaching Earth, they cause disturbances in Earth's normally stable magnetosphere. Unable to follow an accurate magnetic bearing under such circumstances, cetaceans lose their compass reading while travelling and, depending on their juxtaposition and nearness to land, eventually beach themselves. (1) This hypothesis was supported by six separate, independent surveys of beachings: (A) in the Mediterranean Sea, (B) the northern Gulf of Mexico, (C) the east and (D) west coasts of the USA and two surveys (E and F) from around the world. When the six surveys were pooled (1614 strandings), a highly significant correlation (R2= 0.981) ofwhenstrandings occurred withwhenmajor geomagnetic disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere occurred was consistent with this hypothesis. (2) Whale and dolphin strandings in the northern Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the USA were correlated (R2= 0.919,R2= 0.924) with the number of days before and after a geomagnetic storm. (3) Yearly strandings were correlated with annual geomagnetic storm days. (4) Annual beachings of cetaceans from 1998 to 2012 were linearly correlated (R2= 0.751) with frequency of annual sunspot numbers. Thus, consistently strong statistical correlation evidence indicates that an astronomical phenomenon – solar flares – can cause cetaceans to change their behaviour and become disoriented, which eventually causes them to swim onto a shore and beach themselves.