bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gas6 Promotes Inflammatory (CCR2
hi
CX3CR1
lo
) Monocyte Recruitment in Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Laurance Sandrine , Bertin François-René , Ebrahimian Talin , Kassim Yusra , Rys Ryan N. , Lehoux Stéphanie , Lemarié Catherine A. , Blostein Mark D.
Published: April 2017

Objective—

Coagulation and inflammation are inter-related. Gas6 (growth arrest–specific 6) promotes venous thrombosis and participates to inflammation through endothelial-innate immune cell interactions. Innate immune cells can provide the initiating stimulus for venous thrombus development. We hypothesize that Gas6 promotes monocyte recruitment during venous thrombosis.

Approach and Results—

Deep venous thrombosis was induced in wild-type and Gas6-deficient (−/−) mice using 5% FeCl
3
and flow reduction in the inferior vena cava. Total monocyte depletion was achieved by injection of clodronate before deep venous thrombosis. Inflammatory monocytes were depleted using an anti–C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) antibody. Similarly, injection of an anti–chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) antibody induced CCL2 depletion. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were used to characterize the monocytes recruited to the thrombus. In vivo, absence of Gas6 was associated with a reduction of monocyte recruitment in both deep venous thrombosis models. Global monocyte depletion by clodronate leads to smaller thrombi in wild-type mice. Compared with wild type, the thrombi from Gas6
−/−
mice contain less inflammatory (CCR2
hi
CX
3
CR1
lo
) monocytes, consistent with a Gas6-dependent recruitment of this monocyte subset. Correspondingly, selective depletion of CCR2
hi
CX
3
CR1
lo
monocytes reduced the formation of venous thrombi in wild-type mice demonstrating a predominant role of the inflammatory monocytes in thrombosis. In vitro, the expression of both CCR2 and CCL2 were Gas6 dependent in monocytes and endothelial cells, respectively, impacting monocyte migration. Moreover, Gas6-dependent CCL2 expression and monocyte migration were mediated via JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase).

Conclusions—

This study demonstrates that Gas6 specifically promotes the recruitment of inflammatory CCR2
hi
CX
3
CR1
lo
monocytes through the regulation of both CCR2 and CCL2 during deep venous thrombosis.
True Anemia―Red Blood Cell Volume Deficit―in Heart Failure
Authors: Montero David , Lundby Carsten , Ruschitzka Frank , Flammer Andreas J.
Published: April 2017

Background—

Anemia in heart failure (HF) is commonly diagnosed according to hemoglobin concentration [Hb], hence may be the result of hemodilution or true red blood cell volume (RBCV) deficit. Whether true (nonhemodilutional) anemia in HF can or cannot be generally inferred by [Hb] measurements and clinical correlates remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature and investigate the status and correlates of RBCV in patients with HF.

Methods and Results—

MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched since their inceptions until April 2016 for articles directly reporting or allowing the calculation of intravascular volumes (RBCV, plasma volume) in patients with HF according to the International Council for Standardization in Hematology. Eighteen studies were included after systematic review, comprising a total of 368 patients with HF (limits for mean age=49–80 years, sex=0%–92% females, left ventricular ejection fraction=26%–61%). Mean RBCV was reduced (limits=67%–88% of normal) in all studies including HF patients with anemia (low [Hb]) (7 studies, n=127), whereas only 2 of 10 studies in nonanemic patients with HF presented lower than normal mean RBCV (90% and 96%). In metaregression analyses, RBCV was positively associated with [Hb] (
B
=6.10, SE=1.44) and negatively associated with age (
B
=−1.14, SE=0.23), % females (
B
=−0.38, SE=0.04), left ventricular ejection fraction (
B
=−0.81, SE=0.20), and body mass index (
B
=−3.55, SE=0.46;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Presence or absence of true anemia in patients with HF as determined by RBCV status mainly concurs with diagnosis based on [Hb] and presents negative relationships with age, female sex, left ventricular ejection fraction, and body mass index.
Bilirubin Decreases Macrophage Cholesterol Efflux and ATP‐Binding Cassette Transporter A1 Protein Expression
Authors: Wang Dongdong , Tosevska Anela , Heiß Elke H. , Ladurner Angela , Mölzer Christine , Wallner Marlies , Bulmer Andrew , Wagner Karl‐Heinz , Dirsch Verena M. , Atanasov Atanas G.
Published: April 2017

Background

Mild but chronically elevated circulating unconjugated bilirubin is associated with reduced total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, which is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk. We aimed to investigate whether unconjugated bilirubin influences macrophage cholesterol efflux, as a potential mechanism for the altered circulating lipoprotein concentrations observed in hyperbilirubinemic individuals.

Methods and Results

Cholesterol efflux from
THP
‐1 macrophages was assessed using plasma obtained from normo‐ and hyperbilirubinemic (Gilbert syndrome) humans (n=60 per group) or (heterozygote/homozygote Gunn) rats (n=20 per group) as an acceptor. Hyperbilirubinemic plasma from patients with Gilbert syndrome and Gunn rats induced significantly reduced cholesterol efflux compared with normobilirubinemic plasma. Unconjugated bilirubin (3–17.1 μmol/L) exogenously added to plasma‐ or apolipoprotein A1–supplemented media also decreased macrophage cholesterol efflux in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent manner. We also showed reduced protein expression of the
ATP
‐binding cassette transporter A1 (
ABCA
1), a transmembrane cholesterol transporter involved in apolipoprotein A1–mediated cholesterol efflux, in
THP
‐1 macrophages treated with unconjugated bilirubin and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from hyperbilirubinemic individuals. Furthermore, we demonstrated that bilirubin accelerates the degradation rate of the
ABCA
1 protein in
THP
‐1 macrophages.

Conclusions

Cholesterol efflux from
THP
‐1 macrophages is decreased in the presence of plasma obtained from humans and rats with mild hyperbilirubinemia. A direct effect of unconjugated bilirubin on cholesterol efflux was demonstrated and is associated with decreased
ABCA
1 protein expression. These data improve our knowledge concerning bilirubin's impact on cholesterol transport and represent an important advancement in our understanding of bilirubin's role in cardiovascular disease.
CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc Score (Congestive Heart Failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 [Doubled], Diabetes Mellitus, Prior Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack [Doubled], Vascular Disease, Age 65–74, Female) for Stroke in Asian Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Kim Tae-Hoon , Yang Pil-Sung , Uhm Jae-Sun , Kim Jong-Youn , Pak Hui-Nam , Lee Moon-Hyoung , Joung Boyoung , Lip Gregory Y.H.
Published: April 2017

Background and Purpose—

The CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc stroke score (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 (doubled), diabetes mellitus, prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (doubled), vascular disease, age 65–74, female) is used in most guidelines for risk stratification in atrial fibrillation (AF), but most data for this score have been derived in Western populations. Ethnic differences in stroke risk may be present. Our objective was to investigate risk factors for stroke in AF and application of the CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc score in an Asian AF population from Korea.

Methods—

A total of 5855 oral anticoagulant–naive nonvalvular AF patients aged ≥20 years were enrolled from Korea National Health Insurance Service Sample cohort from 2002 to 2008 and were followed up until December 2013.

Results—

The incidence rates (per 100 person-years) of ischemic stroke were 3.32 in the total population, being 0.23 in low-risk (CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc score 0 [male] or 1 [female]) and 4.59 in high-risk patients (CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc ≥2). Incidence rates of ischemic stroke or the composite thromboembolism end point showed a clear increase with increasing CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc score. On multivariable analysis, significant associations between CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc risk factors and ischemic stroke were observed; however, the significance of vascular disease or diabetes mellitus was attenuated after multivariate adjustment, and female sex (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.64–0.84) had a lower risk of ischemic stroke than males. Patients who were categorized as low risk consistently had an event rate <1% per year.

Conclusions—

The performance of CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc score in Asians is comparable with that in Western populations. The score shows good performance in defining the truly-low-risk AF patients for stroke/thromboembolism.
A Gnostic Icarus? Traces of the Controversy Between Plotinus and the Gnostics Over a Surprising Source for the Fall of Sophia: The Pseudo-Platonic 2nd Letter
Authors: Mazur Zeke
Published: April 2017

In several iterations of the Gnostic ontogenetic myth, we find variations on an intriguing notion: namely, that the first rupture in the otherwise eternal and continuous procession of ‘aeons’ in the divine ‘pleroma’ is caused by a cognitive overreach and failure (the “fall of Sophia”). As much as it might contain a distant echo of certain myths concerning hubris in the classical tradition or in biblical literature, this general schema of cognitive overreach—cognitive failure—fall has no obvious parallel in Greek philosophy prior to Plotinus, in some of whose more pessimistic accounts of hypostatic procession we find a similar schema, in which the generation of each ontological stratum occurs as the result of a cognitive failure on the superjacent level. If Plotinus borrowed this schema from the Gnostics, one might ask how the latter came up with it in the first place. In response, this paper makes the following three points. [1] Gnostic thinkers ultimately derived this schema from a particular juxtaposition of two profoundly aporetic Platonic passages referring to the travails of the individual soul, one certainly genuine (the description of the unexplained but catastrophic fall of the soul that fails to follow the heavenly train of the gods through the intelligible realm at Phaedrus 248c2-d3), the other quite possibly spurious (the claim that the cause of all evils is the desire, and the failure, of the soul to understand the nature of the notoriously enigmatic ‘King,’ ‘Second,’ and ‘Third,’ at 2nd Letter 312e1-313a6). [2] The Platonizing Sethian Gnostics closest to Plotinus also employed this latter source text to justify their conception of the individual soul, whose vicissitudes were understood to parallel those of Sophia. [3] This hypothesis is confirmed by evidence of tacit anti-Gnostic argumentation alluding to the 2nd Letter throughout Plotinus’ oeuvre.
Porphyry’s Real Powers in Proclus’ Commentary on Plato’s Timaeus
Authors: Viltanioti Irini-Fotini
Published: April 2017

In his Commentary on the Timaeus, Porphyry of Tyre argued against the second-century Platonist Atticus’ thesis that the creation in Plato’s Timaeus was a process from a point of time. This paper focuses on the summary of one of Porphyry’s arguments against this thesis exposed in Book 2 of Proclus’ Commentary on the Timaeus. It argues that Proclus does justice to Porphyry’s views and that the argument points to a classification of powers in Porphyry’s metaphysics that has so far been neglected by scholars.
Ethnic Inequality in the Mass Consciousness of Russians, 1960–2010s
Authors: Savin Sergey , Rodionova Elisaveta
Published: April 2017

The study of the problem of ethnic inequality in historical perspective provides the opportunity to trace the processes of the integration/disintegration of society with respect to interethnic relations. The social and structural characteristics of ethnic inequality are reflected in the population’s mass consciousness and acquire the force of social attitudes. Social tension arises in society from the objective and subjective causes of ethnic inequality, and this tension, in turn, can develop into ethnic conflicts. The politicization of ethnic conflicts fractures society even more along the lines of ethnic inequality, and the escalation of these conflicts can lead to the disintegration of society and the formation of new states in accordance with the ethno-nationalist principle. This predictable pattern was realized in the historical process of the ussr in the period of the 1960s–1991, and contemporary Russian society experiences to this day the consequences of ethnic tensions that resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union. The historical experience of national identity formation cannot occur without recognizing the dynamics of problems of ethnic inequality. These issues are considered through the empirical findings of ethnic and sociological research in which periods of development with new scientific formulations and approaches become apparent. The findings of the authors’ own sociological research in the form of an opinion survey conducted in St. Petersburg in 2015–2016 confirm the importance of the challenge of ethnic inequality in contemporary Russian society and permit an evaluation of the issue’s current state in mass consciousness.
Confessions in the Soviet Era: Analytical Overview of Historiography
Authors: Freeze Gregory
Published: April 2017

Confessional scholarship—like the confessions themselves—had a tumultuous experience during the Soviet era. In contrast to burgeoning scholarship on religious history in the West, Soviet historians ignored the religious dimension, at most marginalizing and demonizing religious institutions and believers. Although some Western works sought to fill this gap, the result—quantitatively, not to mention empirically and analytically—could not compensate for the shortfall in the Russia itself. From the mid-1980s, however, that grim picture began to change: politics in the ussr (perestroika) and the “cultural turn” in the West (revalorizing religion and rejecting the theory of “secularization”) generated a revolution in the empirical depth, thematic diversity, and intellectual sophistication of research on confessional history.
Alien Transgressions: Notes on Lèse-Majesté from the Russian Imperial Borderlands
Authors: Sunderland Willard
Published: April 2017

Insulting the person and dignity of the ruler (lèse-majesté) was considered a state crime in 19th-century Russia and was investigated across the empire. This article draws on a small sample of cases from provincial archives to examine how factors of ethnicity and religion affected the way such cases were reported in local communities as well as how they were then investigated and prosecuted by state authorities.
In the Second Half of the 18th to the Beginning of the 19th Century
Authors: Verniaev I. I.
Published: April 2017

In the second half of the eighteenth century the Russian state carried out a policy of estate, civil-legal, economic, and confessional integration of Old Believers, as well as their return to Russia from abroad. This policy was first approved for the western and southwestern outskirts of the emerging New Russian region, and then the transfer of developed models to the central regions of the country occurred. Channels of social mobility were opened for Old Believers; fiscal marginalization was eliminated, as were a number of restrictions on civil rights; the official designation of “schismatics” and the mandatory labeling of external appearance were nullified; and extensive possibilities for participation in economic development were granted. On the whole, the program of estate, civil-legal and economic integration of Old Believers was implemented fairly successfully. A portion of the Old Believers from abroad returned to Russia. Deciding the question of the confessional integration of the Old Believers was more difficult. In this direction, various projects were developed by secular authorities at different levels, by the spiritual authority, and by individual groups of Old Believers. To achieve integration, the government partly rehabilitated the “Old Rite” in the 1760s. But recognition of an Old Believer confession autonomous from the ruling Church was unacceptable to the government, and particularly, to the spiritual authorities. The idea of the indissolubility of ethnic and confessional categories did not allow for another church, besides the official Orthodox one, for the Russian population. In New Russia’s Elisavetgrad Province in the 1780s, the model of edinoverie integration of Old Believers was tested. By the end of the eighteenth century, an extremely limited model edinoverie was adopted on an empire-wide scale, which did not involve the confessional autonomy of the Old Believers. As a result of the low nationwide prevalence of edinoverie, the government was partially obliged to tolerate, at the administrative level, the existence of Old Believer worship, religious infrastructure, and Old Believer priests. But this status of Old Believer confessionalism was legally uncertain and unsustainable in practical terms. Accordingly, no solution to the problem of the confessional integration of Old Believers was found during the period under review.
Balkan Countries in the World: Aging Process within the Age Structural Transition
Authors: Carella Maria , Grubanov-Bošković Sara
Published: April 2017

This article intends to approach the phenomenon of population aging within the conceptual framework of structural transition. In this work the authors put forward a method of defining the variety of evolutionary trajectories – the result of different sets of fertility-mortality interactions – on the global level and hence identify the position of each Balkan country within the worldwide demographic order of the past four decades (1971–2015). The authors then propose a specific index – the structural dissimilarity index – to measure the corresponding transformations inherent to the population age structure and link the results with the prospects that emerge on the basis of the interaction between fertility and mortality. This has finally enabled the authors to formulate some broad assumptions regarding the current and future intensity and trends of structural transformations. For this purpose, the authors have gathered a sample of 142 national populations, including all Balkan countries, with the exception of Montenegro, and employed different techniques such as Partial Order Structuple (Scalogram) Analysis with Coordinates (POSAC) and the cohort-component population projections for the timeframes 1971–2015 and 2015–2060.
‘When the Foreign Enemy Becomes a Dear Friend’
Authors: Heuschert-Laage Dorothea
Published: April 2017

This paper situates itself within the context of entangled histories and establishes a link between the well-known Ordos poet and historian Kesigbatu and the missionaries of the Congregation of Scheut. There is evidence that Kesigbatu was in contact with the missionaries, not only because of the proximity between the Boro Balγasu mission and his native region, but also as part of his profession as a judge. Moreover, he was helpful in providing members of the congregation with access to rare Mongolian manuscripts. It is little known that several of Kesigbatu’s poems are explicitly devoted to the Scheut mission at Boro Balγasu. These poems fall into two categories, as they include either serious allegations or lavish praise. The paper traces the intersections between Kesigbatu’s biography and the Congregation of Scheut and analyses how the missionaries were perceived by a Mongolian contemporary.
The ‘Third Spreading’
Authors: Austin Denise A.
Published: April 2017

Christianity has had a long and often turbulent history in Mongolia. When socialism crumbled finally, in 1990, there were no more than 20 Christians in the whole nation. Today, there are up to 100,000 adherents, 90 per cent of whom are Protestant evangelical. Prominent Mongolian Christian leader, Purevdorj Jamsran, suggests that there are three distinct periods in this development: formation (1991–1995); growth and transition (1996–2005); and identity (2006–present). Through analysing primary and secondary materials, conducting three field trips to gather oral interviews and using a Pentecostal case study, I explore these three periods. I argue that Protestant evangelicalism exploded onto the scene assisted by political upheaval, international allure, youthful enthusiasm and the use of mass media. Growth and transition progressed via contextualisation, ecumenical unity and community engagement. Finally, a sense of identity was established through accelerated maturation processes.
Informal Vows
Authors: McGuire Gabriel
Published: April 2017

In post-Soviet Kazakhstan, mobile pastoralism is now a task managed not by collective farms but by individual households: extended networks of kin band together to create flocks, and poor families trade labour for sustenance and a share of the flock’s live offspring. The success of these sheep-herding camps turns on their integrity as domestic units: the camp cannot function without the tasks customarily performed by women, yet relations of blood or marriage remain the only social institutions capable of mediating the exchange of domestic labour. This paper contrasts elaborate marriage ceremonies with more informal unions in which the primary desire is the presence of a woman’s labour. These marriages—unregistered, undertaken from necessity and celebrated by little more than a meal and perhaps a bottle of vodka for drinking toasts—index the conflicts and contradictions implicit in domestic labour being simultaneously fundamental to the household’s economic life and yet treated as a form of labour not to be honourably alienated from the family.
Navigating the Cultural Divide: Islam, Gender, and the Integration of Somali Immigrants
Authors: al-Huraibi Nahla
Published: April 2017

This article explores gender notions and practices among American-Somalis in Columbus, Ohio. Theorists have disputed whether original or new culture should influence immigrants’ evolving identities. Interviews with thirty-eight immigrants revealed a more decisive third mode of discourse that seems to transcend the two cultural ends—namely, Islam. Participants invoke Islam to justify adopting new gender arrangements demanded by new circumstances. In other cases they cite Islam to legitimize severing ties with customs perceived as unsavory in the original culture.

This middle way between homogenizing assimilation and compartmentalizing pluralism is based on economic pressures and on rediscovering/rereading Islamic texts, emancipated from older interpretations. Doing so, participants distance themselves from aspects of the original culture while reframing cherished elements of the new culture as “Islamic”. For them, Islam facilitates transcultural integration, enabling hybrid identities and behavioral patterns to coexist, and creating dynamic, novel, and genuinely cross-civilizational representations of “modern” community and agency.
Using humor and boosting emotions: An affect-based study of managerial humor, employees’ emotions and psychological capital
Authors: Wijewardena Nilupama , Härtel Charmine EJ , Samaratunge Ramanie
Published: April 2017

Evidence from emerging scholarly investigations consistently points to managerial humor as fruitful new grounds to expand management knowledge and practice. In light of this, the present study examined managerial humor as an affective event at work that has short-term emotional and long-term psychological outcomes for employees. To test this empirically, we recruited a sample of 2498 Australian employees to participate in a field experience sampling study. We also considered the potential moderating effect of leader–member exchange on the humor–emotions relationship. Findings provide initial support for managerial humor as an affective event such that when employees perceived their manager’s humor as positive they reported experiencing positive emotions, and vice versa. Importantly, employees with high-quality relationships with their managers responded to their manager’s humor use with a greater number of positive emotions and fewer negative emotions than did employees with low-quality relationships with their managers. We argue that humor is an event that managers must responsibly manage in order to produce positive emotional experiences for employees and support healthy emotion regulation at work. We also discuss the conditions under which it is advisable for managers to use humor with employees, and suggest future research directions to develop this growing field of inquiry.
The Occupational Feminization of Wages
Authors: Addison John T. , Ozturk Orgul D. , Wang Si
Published: April 2017

This article updates the 1995 study by Macpherson and Hirsch that used monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) data from 1973 to 1993 to examine the effects of occupational gender composition on earnings. In the updating process, the authors correct for biases in this data set that are attributable to the inclusion of imputed earners and the misreporting of occupation. They use CPS data from 1996 to 2010 to provide cross-sectional estimates of the impact of the feminization of occupations on wages, as well as its contribution to the gender wage gap. Longitudinal CPS data indicate that the negative effects of gender composition on earnings observed in cross-sectional data are lessened when researchers control for observed heterogeneity and are much reduced when controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. These findings are confirmed using much longer panels from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). Finally, the use of synthetic panels of aging cohorts suggests that wage penalties are largest for younger cohorts in predominantly female occupations.
Motivated Use of Numerical Anchors for Judgments Relevant to the Self
Authors: Joel Samantha , Spielmann Stephanie S. , MacDonald Geoff
Published: April 2017

The anchoring effect has been replicated so extensively that it is generally thought to be ubiquitous. However, anchoring has primarily been tested in domains in which people are motivated to reach accurate conclusions rather than biased conclusions. Is the anchoring effect robust even when the anchors are threatening? In three studies, participants made a series of probability judgments about their own futures paired with either optimistic anchors (e.g., “Do you think that the chances that your current relationship will last a lifetime are more or less than 95%?”), pessimistic anchors (e.g., “more or less than 10%?”), or no anchors. A fourth study experimentally manipulated motivation to ignore the anchor with financial incentives. Across studies, anchors that implied high probabilities of unwanted events occurring were ineffective. Together, these studies suggest that anchoring has an important boundary condition: Personally threatening anchors are ignored as a result of motivated reasoning processes.
Shedding Light on Leaders’ Self-Interest: Theory and Measurement of Exploitative Leadership
Authors: Schmid Ellen Anke , Pircher Verdorfer Armin , Peus Claudia
Published: April 2017

A leader behaving in a way that is exceedingly self-interested and exploitative of others is a recurring notion in destructive leadership but also an unexplored aspect that warrants further scrutiny. In this article, we introduce the concept of “exploitative leadership,” which is mainly characterized by high levels of leader self-interest. In a total of six studies (total N = 1,722), we develop a scale to measure the construct, establish its psychometric properties, consider the nomological validity of exploitative leadership by examining its linkages with related leadership constructs, and establish discriminant and convergent validity. Finally, we analyze the relations between exploitative leadership and follower outcomes, considering individual-level as well as team-level effects. By extending the range of theoretical and measureable behaviors leaders may show, we hope to allow research to take into account a more complete picture of destructive leadership.
A survey on pulmonary thromboendarterectomy in the Asia-Pacific region
Authors: Bashar Izzat Mohammad , Almohammad Farouk , Raslan Ahmad F
Published: April 2017

Background

Surgical pulmonary thromboendarterectomy has been established as the treatment of choice for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. We conducted a survey among Asia-Pacific cardiothoracic surgeons to examine their current practice demographics and reflect their views on the future prospects for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery.

Methods

All cardiothoracic surgeons who were registered on the CTSNet.org website and based in the Asia-Pacific region were invited to participate in an online survey. The electronic questionnaire was completed by 172 (6.3%) surgeons. Responses were recorded anonymously and tabularized as absolute figures and fractions.

Results

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery has been performed by few Asia-Pacific surgeons and in small numbers of patients, but survival rates and functional outcomes were satisfactory in most experiences. Failures were thought to have resulted primarily from the difficulty in selecting suitable candidates for surgery. The need for greater clinical experience was clear, yet this might be hampered by the limited recognition of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery as a potential cure for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Most surgeons considered that this procedure should be restricted to designated expert centers, and acknowledged the need to organize dedicated regional meetings where clinical practice guidelines can be established and updated as appropriate for regional healthcare facilities.

Conclusions

Although much effort is needed before pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery becomes widely adopted in the Asia-Pacific region, many surgeons and centers are already seeking its implementation. Designating expert centers, bringing together a regional working group on pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, and establishing clinical practice guidelines as appropriate for regional healthcare facilities were recommended.
Repair of ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm eroding through the sternum
Authors: Hasan Sulaiman B , Khan Fazal W , Hashmi Shiraz , Tariq Mohammad , Khan Ghufranullah
Published: April 2017

In reoperation for an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm eroding through the sternum, a left ventricular vent allows careful unhurried sternal division under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. We repaired ascending aortic pseudoaneurysms in 2 patients who had undergone aortic valve implantation 6 and 21 months earlier. A minithoracotomy was made in the left 5th intercostal space, and a vent was placed in the left ventricular apex. Repair was accomplished with a bovine pericardial patch reinforced with a Teflon felt strip. Both patients made an uneventful recovery with good functional status at discharge at the 8- and 18-month follow-up.
Interactive Influences of Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Insecure Attachment in Early Adolescence
Authors: Menon Meenakshi , Moyes Harriet C. A. , Bradley Christina M.
Published: April 2017

We hypothesized that in adolescence, maladaptive narcissism interacts with low self-esteem to predict a preoccupied attachment style ( attachment for self-affirmation hypothesis), and with high self-esteem to predict an avoidant attachment style ( attachment for self-enhancement hypothesis). We expected gender differences in narcissistic adolescents’ attachment strategies, with girls more likely to be motivated to self-affirm, and boys more likely to self-enhance. Early adolescents in England ( N = 306, 156 girls, 150 boys, [Formula: see text] age = 13.38 years) responded to self-report measures of narcissism, self-esteem, and attachment styles to mother and a friend. Results supported the attachment for self-enhancement hypothesis only. For adolescent boys (but not girls) with high self-esteem, narcissism was associated with higher avoidant attachment toward the mother and a friend. The results suggest that maladaptive narcissism might derail normative separation-individuation processes in adolescent boys, thus contributing to their adoption of an avoidant attachment style with close relationship partners.
Diffusion kurtosis imaging of the liver at 3 Tesla: in vivo comparison to standard diffusion-weighted imaging
Authors: Budjan Johannes , Sauter Elke A , Zoellner Frank G , Lemke Andreas , Wambsganss Jens , Schoenberg Stefan O , Attenberger Ulrike I
Published: April 2017

Background

Functional techniques like diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) are gaining more and more importance in liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is an advanced technique that might help to overcome current limitations of DWI.

Purpose

To evaluate DKI for the differentiation of hepatic lesions in comparison to conventional DWI at 3 Tesla.

Material and Methods

Fifty-six consecutive patients were examined using a routine abdominal MR protocol at 3 Tesla which included DWI with b-values of 50, 400, 800, and 1000 s/mm2. Apparent diffusion coefficient maps were calculated applying a standard mono-exponential fit, while a non-Gaussian kurtosis fit was used to obtain DKI maps. ADC as well as Kurtosis-corrected diffusion ( D) values were quantified by region of interest analysis and compared between lesions.

Results

Sixty-eight hepatic lesions (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] [n = 25]; hepatic adenoma [n = 4], cysts [n = 18]; hepatic hemangioma [HH] [n = 18]; and focal nodular hyperplasia [n = 3]) were identified. Differentiation of malignant and benign lesions was possible based on both DWI ADC as well as DKI D-values ( P values were in the range of 0.04 to < 0.0001).

Conclusion

In vivo abdominal DKI calculated using standard b-values is feasible and enables quantitative differentiation between malignant and benign liver lesions. Assessment of conventional ADC values leads to similar results when using b-values below 1000 s/mm2 for DKI calculation.
Experiences of people with a personality disorder or mood disorder regarding carrying out daily activities following discharge from hospital
Authors: Birken Mary , Harper Shelley
Published: April 2017

Introduction

People with a diagnosed personality or mood disorder can experience challenges to participating in everyday life. Having a relapse of symptoms and an admission to hospital can further disrupt daily life. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of people with a personality or mood disorder regarding carrying out everyday activities following discharge from hospital.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 16 service users, by a researcher with lived experience of mental health problems and admissions to hospital.

Findings

Five themes were identified: The cumulative effect of multiple admissions on activities of daily living; the consequences of long admissions on daily living; reduced activities caused by social isolation in the first few months post-discharge; activities that people would like to do better post-discharge from hospital and longer term goals.

Conclusion

The findings of this study identified challenges people with a personality or mood disorder experience post-discharge from hospital regarding developing a daily routine, managing their home environment and participating in social activities. This indicates the importance of occupational therapy provision following discharge from hospital.
Implementation of a Complex Intervention to Support Leadership Development in Nursing Homes: A Multimethod Participatory Study
Authors: Dewar Belinda , Barrie Karen , Sharp Cathy , Meyer Julienne
Published: April 2017

Leadership is key to quality improvement in nursing homes. This article reports on the initial analysis of the transformational My Home Life Leadership Support program for nursing home managers being implemented in Scotland. It analyses learning from a multimethod participatory descriptive study. Contribution analysis theory informed the evaluation. Evidence-Based Practice, Relationship-Centered Care, Appreciative Inquiry, and Caring Conversations informed the intervention to develop transformational leadership. Data generation methods included baseline and postintervention questionnaires to describe culture change within the study population, together with more in-depth qualitative data generated from group discussions throughout the leadership support program. Qualitative data analysis was an iterative collaborative process with participants to generate themes about the impact of the program on themselves and their practice. Data showed positive changes in managers’ perceptions of their self-awareness, leadership communication and relationship skills, and development of positive cultures. This model offers lessons for those interested in ways to approach the emotional, educational, and cultural dynamics of change in other human service contexts.
Digital Methods for Ethnography: Analytical Concepts for Ethnographers Exploring Social Media Environments
Authors: Caliandro Alessandro
Published: April 2017

The aim of this article is to introduce some analytical concepts suitable for ethnographers dealing with social media environments. As a result of the growth of social media, the Internet structure has become a very complex, fluid, and fragmented space. Within this space, it is not always possible to consider the “classical” online community as the privileged field site for the ethnographer, in which s/he immerses him/herself. Differently, taking inspiration from some methodological principles of the Digital Methods paradigm, I suggest that the main task for the ethnographer moving across social media environments should not be exclusively that of identifying an online community to delve into but of mapping the practices through which Internet users and digital devices structure social formations around a focal object (e.g., a brand). In order to support the ethnographer in the mapping of social formations within social media environments, I propose five analytical concepts: community, public, crowd, self-presentation as a tool, and user as a device.
‘Transborder conversation’ and oppositional codes: Mediatised diffusion of social movement discourse between Hong Kong and China
Authors: Huang Vincent Guangsheng
Published: April 2017

Since 2003, Hong Kong has gradually transformed into a ‘social movement society’. With the help of new technologies, mediatised ‘transborder conversation’ about social movement across the border with mainland China, as a verbal practice, has become routine. Sojourn students from the mainland, who usually stay in Hong Kong for several years, actively participate in this verbal practice. Taking a ‘discourse-centred online ethnography’ approach, this study aims to unpack the verbal practice of transborder conversations driven by sojourn students during the Umbrella Movement from the theoretical perspective of speech codes. By conducting participant observation and in-depth interviews with 30 participants, two oppositional codes, cynicism and idealism, have been identified. Each code assumes different relations of the self and the state and different political efficacy, which manifests as different interactional practices. The presence of these oppositional codes has endangered the counter-hegemonic nature of transborder conversations.
Management of cardiovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review
Authors: Andrades C , Fuego C , Manrique-Arija S , Fernández-Nebro A
Published: April 2017

Systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk of cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to review the effectiveness of interventions for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events and mortality and to review the effectiveness of interventions for cardiovascular risk factor reduction in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. A systematic review was conducted. Electronic databases Medline and Embase (1961–2015) were searched. Nineteen articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected. Low-calorie and/or low glycaemic index calories may be a useful option for secondary prevention in obese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and exercise would be useful in improving the endothelial function measured by flow-mediated dilation in this group of patients. The use of lipid-lowering drugs may improve the lipid profile in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and hyperlipidaemia, but the effect of this treatment on overall cardiovascular mortality remains unknown. Antiplatelets, anticoagulants, antimalarials and lipid-lowering drugs may be effective in the primary and secondary prevention of major cardiovascular events, such as acute myocardial infarction or stroke. Similarly, lipid-lowering drugs and antimalarial drugs appear to reduce the serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, glucose, diastolic blood pressure and calcium deposition at the coronary arteries. They may also improve insulin resistance and the level of high-density lipoproteins. It appears that treatment with antihypertensive drugs reduces blood pressure in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, but the available studies are of low quality.
The Stoplight Program: A Proactive Physical Therapy Intervention for Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Tanner Lynn , Sencer Susan , Hooke Mary C.
Published: April 2017

Chemotherapy may cause neuromuscular impairments that can have life-long effects. The Stoplight Program (SLP) was developed as a proactive physical therapy (PT) intervention directed at impairments in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In this program evaluation, we assessed the feasibility of the SLP delivered as part of standard care and identified body function and activity patterns in patients who received the intervention. Children ages 1 to 22 years, diagnosed with ALL, received an assessment by a physical therapist as part of usual care. The SLP intervention used 3 levels to categorize the impairment levels and intensity of PT. Of the children (n = 135) screened, 46% completed 5 intervention visits and 32% completed the program and met discharge criteria. At initial assessment, 46% of children ages 1 to 5 years and 67% of children ages 6 to 22 years had abnormal motor function. Those completing the program tested within the healthy norms. Research is needed on variables that influence adherence to a PT program and the range of functional impairment and activity limitations in this population.
The Intergroup Context of Environmental Education and Approaches to Facilitate Collaboration
Authors: Gupta Rupanwita , Ardalan Nezam , Fraser John
Published: April 2017

An exploratory qualitative study examined how collaborations are fostered between newly formed small groups, comprised of individuals holding distinct in-group identities and differing in status. The study context was the environmental education (EE) field known to represent subgroups of educators using unique practices. Participants were environmental educators in a small group in each of three U.S. states, aiming to create inclusive collaborative partnerships. Insights from social identity theory and intergroup contact theory guided the analytical framework. Results highlighted the collaborative potential between professionals representing two subgroups: established EE and a relatively unknown community-focused EE. Insights on the process suggested employing strategies that respected subgroup differences in EE approaches and discussed them openly, enabled understanding of complementary ways to achieve a shared goal. Status differences between the subgroups seemed to influence how members of each group approached the partnership. Implications for using inclusive efforts to bring people together from diverse backgrounds are discussed.
The Promise of the Organizational Ecosystem Metaphor: An Argument for Biological Rigor
Authors: Mars Matthew M. , Bronstein Judith L.
Published: April 2017

Organizational scholars often adopt biological models to explain the emergence and evolution of organizations and human systems. One recent example of such adoption is the organizational ecosystem metaphor. In this article, we contend that taking a rigorous ecological approach over the application of loose ecosystem language has the potential to illuminate patterns in the life span of organizations and human systems. We first define five central properties of biological ecosystems and demonstrate their potential relevance to human-constructed systems (organizational ecosystems). We then argue the value of developing biologically based hypotheses that can be tested in the context of organizational systems. Next, we propose a set of hypotheses specific to organizational stability and disruption, using Arizona charter schools as an example to demonstrate the promise of the rigorous application of the organizational ecosystem metaphor. We close with a discussion of how the insights generated might be applied across other organizational settings and systems.
The Paradox of Well-Being and Holocaust Survivors
Authors: Bachner Yaacov G. , Carmel Sara , O’Rourke Norm
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND: Life satisfaction is a core component of well-being. Across age groups, satisfaction with life was found to be integral to individual mental and physical health. Surprisingly, there appears to be little or no association between age and life satisfaction. Recent longitudinal research suggests that life satisfaction may even increase in late life. This is known as the paradox of well-being. OBJECTIVE: To compare levels of life satisfaction reported by Israeli Holocaust survivors (HS) vis-à-vis other older Israelis and older Canadians. DESIGN: We interviewed 295 HS, 205 other older Israelis, and 335 older Canadians each of whom completed the Life Satisfaction Scale with items measuring both concurrent and retrospective aspects. Separate confirmatory factor analytic models were computed for each group. RESULTS: Overall, levels of life satisfaction were indistinguishable across groups. Both concurrent and retrospective items contributed significantly to measurement of a single latent construct. Yet differences between groups in the latent structure of response to certain scale items emerged. CONCLUSIONS: It may be that HS report high life satisfaction not despite, but because of, experiencing early life trauma, juxtaposing early years with the comparatively good conditions of their lives today.
Flutter stability analysis of a perforated damping blade for large wind turbines
Authors: Sun Da-Gang , Guo Jin-Jun , Song Yong , Yan Bi-juan , Li Zhan-Long , Zhang Hong-Ning
Published: April 2017

The flutter stability of wind turbine blades is one of the important contents in the research of wind turbines. The bending stiffness of blades has decreased with the development of large-sized wind turbines. To achieve damping flutter-suppressing on the long spanwise blades, perforated damping blade was proposed under the consideration of the structural damping factor and the structural stiffness in this paper. Through the study of the unit cell, the deformation model was established and the structural loss factor of the perforated damping blade was derived. The undamped blade and the perforated damping blade, combined with the relevant parameters of a 1500 kW wind turbine blade, were established to simulate the flutter-suppressing abilities and the structural stability. The dynamic response analysis was accomplished with the large deformation theory, and the MPC algorithm was used to realize grid mobile and data delivery, according to the Newmark time integration method. The comparison results show that the perforated damping blade has both a higher structural damping factor and a better structural stiffness.