bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Discharge After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The Added Value of N‐Terminal Pro–Brain Natriuretic Peptide to the Zwolle Risk Score
Authors: Schellings Dirk A. A. M. , Adiyaman Ahmet , Giannitsis Evangelos , Hamm Christian , Suryapranata Harry , ten Berg Jurrien M. , Hoorntje Jan C. A. , van‘t Hof Arnoud W. J.
Published: November 2014

Background

The Zwolle Risk Score (
ZRS
) identifies
ST
‐elevation myocardial infarction (
STEMI
) patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (
PPCI
) eligible for early discharge. We aimed to investigate whether baseline N‐terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide (
NT
‐pro
BNP
) is also able to identify these patients and could improve future risk strategies.

Methods and Results

PPCI patients included in the Ongoing Tirofiban in Myocardial Infarction Evaluation (On‐TIME) II study were candidates (N=861). We analyzed whether ZRS and baseline NT‐proBNP predicted 30‐day mortality and assessed the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) and major bleeding. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess discriminative accuracy for ZRS, NT‐pro‐BNP, and their combination. After multiple imputation, 845 patients were included. Both ZRS >3 (hazard ratio [HR]=9.42;
P
<0.001) and log NT‐pro‐BNP (HR=2.61;
P
<0.001) values were associated with 30‐day mortality. On multivariate analysis, both the ZRS (HR=1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.27 to 1.56;
P
<0.001) and log NT‐proBNP (HR=2.09; 95% CI=1.59 to 2.74;
P
<0.001) independently predicted death at 30 days. The area under the curve for 30‐day mortality for combined ZRS/NT‐proBNP was 0.94 (95% CI=0.90 to 0.99), with optimal predictive values of a ZRS ≥2 and a NT‐proBNP value of ≥200 pg/
mL
. Using these cut‐off values, 64% of the study population could be identified as very low risk with zero mortality at 30 days follow‐up and low occurrence of MACEs and major bleeding between 48 hours and 10 days (1.3% and 0.6%, respectively).

Conclusion

Baseline
NT
‐pro
BNP
identifies a large group of low‐risk patients who may be eligible for early (48‐ to 72‐hour) discharge, whereas optimal predictive accuracy is reached by the combination of both baseline
NT
‐pro
BNP
and
ZRS
.
Association of Noninvasively Measured Left Ventricular Mechanics With In Vitro Muscle Contractile Performance: A Prospective Study in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients
Authors: Dhillon Ashwat , Sweet Wendy , Popovic Zoran B. , Smedira Nicholas G. , Thamilarasan Maran , Lytle Bruce W. , Tan Carmela , Starling Randall C. , Lever Harry M. , Moravec Christine S. , Desai Milind Y.
Published: November 2014

Background

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (
HCM
) is a primary myopathic process in which regional left ventricular dysfunction may exist without overt global
left ventricular
dysfunction. In obstructive
HCM
patients who underwent surgical myectomy (
SM
), we sought to determine if there is a significant association between echocardiographic longitudinal strain, histopathology, and in vitro myocardial performance (resting tension and developed tension) of the surgical specimen.

Methods and Results

HCM
patients (n=122, 54±14 years, 54% men) undergoing
SM
were prospectively recruited. Longitudinal systolic strain and diastolic strain rates were measured at that basal septum (partially removed at
SM
) by using velocity vector imaging on preoperative echocardiography. Semiquantitative histopathologic grading of myocyte disarray and fibrosis and in vitro measurements of
resting tension
and
developed tension
were made in septal tissue obtained at
SM
. Mean basal septal systolic strain and diastolic strain rate were −8.3±5% and 0.62±0.4/s, while mild or greater degree of myocyte disarray and interstitial fibrosis were present in 85% and 87%, respectively. Mean resting tension and developed tension were 2.8±1 and 1.4±0.8 g/mm
2
. On regression analysis, basal septal systolic strain, diastolic strain rate, disarray, and fibrosis were associated with developed tension (β=0.19, 0.20, −0.33, and −0.40, respectively, all
P
<0.01) and
resting tension
(β=0.21, 0.22, −0.25, and −0.28, respectively, all
P
<0.01).

Conclusion

In obstructive
HCM
patients who underwent
SM
,
left ventricular
mechanics (echocardiographic longitudinal systolic strain and diastolic strain rates), assessed at the basal septum (myocardium removed during myectomy) and histopathologic findings characteristic for
HCM
(disarray and fibrosis) were significantly associated with in vitro myocardial resting and developed contractile performance.
Myoblast-Mediated Gene Therapy Improves Functional Collateralization in Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion
Authors: Hecht Nils , Marushima Aiki , Nieminen Melina , Kremenetskaia Irina , von Degenfeld Georges , Woitzik Johannes , Vajkoczy Peter
Published: November 2014

Background and Purpose—

Direct extracranial–intracranial bypass surgery for treatment of cerebral hemodynamic compromise remains hindered by complications but alternative simple and safe indirect revascularization procedures, such as an encephalomyosynangiosis (EMS), lack hemodynamic efficiency. Here, the myoblast-mediated transfer of angiogenic genes presents an approach for induction of therapeutic collateralization. In this study, we tested the effect of myoblast-mediated delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) to the muscle/brain interface of an EMS in a model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion.

Methods—

Permanent unilateral internal carotid artery-occlusion was performed in adult C57/BL6 mice with or without (no EMS) surgical grafting of an EMS followed by implantation of monoclonal mouse myoblasts expressing either VEGF
164
or an empty vector (EV). Cerebral hemodynamic impairment, transpial collateralization, angiogenesis, mural cell investment, microvascular permeability, and cortical infarction after ipsilateral stroke were assessed by real-time laser speckle blood flow imaging, 2- and 3-dimensional immunofluorescence and MRI.

Results—

VEGF-expressing myoblasts improved hemodynamic rescue by day 14 (no EMS 37±21%, EV 42±9%, VEGF 48±12%;
P
<0.05 for VEGF versus no EMS and versus EV), together with the EMS take rate (VEGF 60%, EV 18.2%;
P
<0.05) and angiogenesis of mature cortical microvessels below the EMS (
P
<0.05 for VEGF versus EV). Importantly, functional and morphological results were paralleled by a 25% reduction of cortical infarction after experimental stroke on the side of the EMS.

Conclusions—

Myoblast-mediated VEGF supplementation at the target site of an EMS could help overcome the clinical dilemma of poor surgical revascularization results and provide protection from ischemic stroke.
Sensitivity of Diffusion- and Perfusion-Weighted Imaging for Diagnosing Acute Ischemic Stroke Is 97.5%
Authors: Simonsen Claus Z. , Madsen Mette H. , Schmitz Marie L. , Mikkelsen Irene K. , Fisher Marc , Andersen Grethe
Published: November 2014

Background and Purpose—

MRI using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is the most sensitive diagnostic imaging modality for early detection of ischemia, but how accurate is it and how much does perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) add to the sensitivity have to be known.

Methods—

In this single-center study, we collected epidemiological, imaging, and outcome data on all patients with stroke undergoing MRI-based treatment with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator at our center from 2004 to 2010. The DWI negative patients were identified, and we calculated the sensitivity and specificity of DWI and additional PWI for diagnosing acute ischemic stroke. We compared DWI positive and negative patients to identify characteristics associated with DWI negativity.

Results—

Five hundred sixty-nine consecutive patients were treated with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator on the basis of an acute MRI. A DWI lesion was evident in 518 patients. Forty-seven patients were DWI negative; however, a relevant PWI lesion was found in 33 of these patients. Four stroke mimics were treated with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator and 1 of these patients had a DWI lesion. Thus, 8% of all patients with stroke were DWI negative. The combination of DWI and PWI resulted in a sensitivity of 97.5% for the ischemic stroke diagnosis. DWI negativity was associated with less severe strokes, location in the posterior circulation, a longer time from onset to scan, and an improved 90-day outcome. The cause of small-vessel disease was more likely to be DWI negative.

Conclusions—

The combination of DWI and PWI before intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator confirms the diagnosis in 97.5% of all ischemic strokes.
Arteriopathy Diagnosis in Childhood Arterial Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Wintermark Max , Hills Nancy K. , deVeber Gabrielle A. , Barkovich A. James , Elkind Mitchell S.V. , Sear Katherine , Zhu Guangming , Leiva-Salinas Carlos , Hou Qinghua , Dowling Michael M. , Bernard Timothy J. , Friedman Neil R. , Ichord Rebecca N. , Fullerton Heather J. , Benedict S.L. , Fox C.K. , Lo W.D. , Tan M.A. , Mackay M.T. , Kirton A. , Hernandez Chavez M.I. , Humphreys P. , Jordan L.C. , Sultan S.M. , Rivkin M.J. , Rafay M.F. , Titomanlio L. , Kovacevic G.S. , Yager J.Y. , Amlie-Lefond C. , Dlamini N. , Condie J. , Yeh A. , Kneen R. , Bjornson B.H. , Pergami P. , Zou L.P. , Elbers J. , Abdalla A. , Chan A.K. , Farooq O. , Lim M.J. , Carpenter J.L. , Pavlakis S. , Wong V.C. , Forsyth R.
Published: November 2014

Background and Purpose—

Although arteriopathies are the most common cause of childhood arterial ischemic stroke, and the strongest predictor of recurrent stroke, they are difficult to diagnose. We studied the role of clinical data and follow-up imaging in diagnosing cerebral and cervical arteriopathy in children with arterial ischemic stroke.

Methods—

Vascular effects of infection in pediatric stroke, an international prospective study, enrolled 355 cases of arterial ischemic stroke (age, 29 days to 18 years) at 39 centers. A neuroradiologist and stroke neurologist independently reviewed vascular imaging of the brain (mandatory for inclusion) and neck to establish a diagnosis of arteriopathy (definite, possible, or absent) in 3 steps: (1) baseline imaging alone; (2) plus clinical data; (3) plus follow-up imaging. A 4-person committee, including a second neuroradiologist and stroke neurologist, adjudicated disagreements. Using the final diagnosis as the gold standard, we calculated the sensitivity and specificity of each step.

Results—

Cases were aged median 7.6 years (interquartile range, 2.8–14 years); 56% boys. The majority (52%) was previously healthy; 41% had follow-up vascular imaging. Only 56 (16%) required adjudication. The gold standard diagnosis was definite arteriopathy in 127 (36%), possible in 34 (9.6%), and absent in 194 (55%). Sensitivity was 79% at step 1, 90% at step 2, and 94% at step 3; specificity was high throughout (99%, 100%, and 100%), as was agreement between reviewers (κ=0.77, 0.81, and 0.78).

Conclusions—

Clinical data and follow-up imaging help, yet uncertainty in the diagnosis of childhood arteriopathy remains. This presents a challenge to better understanding the mechanisms underlying these arteriopathies and designing strategies for prevention of childhood arterial ischemic stroke.
Sensitivity to Object Impossibility in the Human Visual Cortex: Evidence from Functional Connectivity
Authors: Freud Erez , Rosenthal Gideon , Ganel Tzvi , Avidan Galia
Published: November 2014

Processing spatial configuration is a fundamental requirement for object recognition. Using fMRI, the neural basis underlying this ability was examined while human participants viewed possible and visually similar, but spatially impossible, objects presented for either long or short exposure duration. Response profiles in object-selective cortical regions exhibited sensitivity to object possibility, but only for the long exposure duration. Contrary, functional connectivity, indexed by the pairwise correlations between activation profiles across ROIs, revealed sensitivity to possibility, evident in enhanced correlations for impossible compared with possible objects. Such sensitivity was found even following a brief exposure duration, which allowed only minimal awareness of possibility. Importantly, this sensitivity was correlated with participants' general spatial ability as assessed by an independent neuropsychological test. These results suggest that the visual system is highly susceptible to objects' 3-D structural information even with minimal perceptual awareness. Such sensitivity is captured at the level of functional connectivity between object-selective regions, rather than the absolute level of within-region activity, implicating the role of interregional synchronization in the representation of objects' 3-D structure.
When Imagining Yourself in Pain, Visual Perspective Matters: The Neural and Behavioral Correlates of Simulated Sensory Experiences
Authors: Christian Brittany M. , Parkinson Carolyn , Macrae C. Neil , Miles Lynden K. , Wheatley Thalia
Published: November 2014

Via mental simulation, imagined events faithfully reproduce the neural and behavioral activities that accompany their actual occurrence. However, little is known about how fundamental characteristics of mental imagery—notably perspectives of self—shape neurocognitive processes. To address this issue, we used fMRI to explore the impact that vantage point exerts on the neural and behavioral correlates of imaginary sensory experiences (i.e., pain). Participants imagined painful scenarios from three distinct visual perspectives: first-person self (1PS), third-person self (3PS), and third-person other (3PO). Corroborating increased ratings of pain and embodiment, 1PS (cf. 3PS) simulations elicited greater activity in the right anterior insula, a brain area that supports interoceptive and emotional awareness. Additionally, 1PS simulations evoked greater activity in brain areas associated with visual imagery and the sense of body ownership. Interestingly, no differences were observed between 3PS and 3PO imagery. Taken together, these findings reveal the neural and behavioral correlates of visual perspective during mental simulation.
Variable Left-hemisphere Language and Orthographic Lateralization Reduces Right-hemisphere Face Lateralization
Authors: Dundas Eva M. , Plaut David C. , Behrmann Marlene
Published: November 2014

It is commonly believed that, in right-handed individuals, words and faces are processed by distinct neural systems: one in the left hemisphere (LH) for words and the other in the right hemisphere (RH) for faces. Emerging evidence suggests, however, that hemispheric selectivity for words and for faces may not be independent of each other. One recent account suggests that words become lateralized to the LH to interact more effectively with language regions, and subsequently, as a result of competition with words for representational space, faces become lateralized to the RH. On this interactive account, left-handed individuals, who as a group show greater variability with respect to hemispheric language dominance, might be expected to show greater variability in their degree of RH lateralization of faces as well. The current study uses behavioral measures and ERPs to compare the hemispheric specialization for both words and faces in right- and left-handed adult individuals. Although both right- and left-handed groups demonstrated LH over RH superiority in discrimination accuracy for words, only the right-handed group demonstrated RH over LH advantage in discrimination accuracy for faces. Consistent with this, increased right-handedness was related to an increase in RH superiority for face processing, as measured by the strength of the N170 ERP component. Interestingly, the degree of RH behavioral superiority for face processing and the amplitude of the RH N170 for faces could be predicted by the magnitude of the N170 ERP response to words in the LH. These results are discussed in terms of a theoretical account in which the typical RH face lateralization fails to emerge in individuals with atypical language lateralization because of weakened competition from the LH representation of words.
The Impact of Musicianship on the Cortical Mechanisms Related to Separating Speech from Background Noise
Authors: Zendel Benjamin Rich , Tremblay Charles-David , Belleville Sylvie , Peretz Isabelle
Published: November 2014

Musicians have enhanced auditory processing abilities. In some studies, these abilities are paralleled by an improved understanding of speech in noisy environments, partially due to more robust encoding of speech signals in noise at the level of the brainstem. Little is known about the impact of musicianship on attention-dependent cortical activity related to lexical access during a speech-in-noise task. To address this issue, we presented musicians and nonmusicians with single words mixed with three levels of background noise, across two conditions, while monitoring electrical brain activity. In the active condition, listeners repeated the words aloud, and in the passive condition, they ignored the words and watched a silent film. When background noise was most intense, musicians repeated more words correctly compared with nonmusicians. Auditory evoked responses were attenuated and delayed with the addition of background noise. In musicians, P1 amplitude was marginally enhanced during active listening and was related to task performance in the most difficult listening condition. By comparing ERPs from the active and passive conditions, we isolated an N400 related to lexical access. The amplitude of the N400 was not influenced by the level of background noise in musicians, whereas N400 amplitude increased with the level of background noise in nonmusicians. In nonmusicians, the increase in N400 amplitude was related to a reduction in task performance. In musicians only, there was a rightward shift of the sources contributing to the N400 as the level of background noise increased. This pattern of results supports the hypothesis that encoding of speech in noise is more robust in musicians and suggests that this facilitates lexical access. Moreover, the shift in sources suggests that musicians, to a greater extent than nonmusicians, may increasingly rely on acoustic cues to understand speech in noise.
Value Is in the Eye of the Beholder: Early Visual Cortex Codes Monetary Value of Objects during a Diverted Attention Task
Authors: Persichetti Andrew S. , Aguirre Geoffrey K. , Thompson-Schill Sharon L.
Published: November 2014

A central concern in the study of learning and decision-making is the identification of neural signals associated with the values of choice alternatives. An important factor in understanding the neural correlates of value is the representation of the object itself, separate from the act of choosing. Is it the case that the representation of an object within visual areas will change if it is associated with a particular value? We used fMRI adaptation to measure the neural similarity of a set of novel objects before and after participants learned to associate monetary values with the objects. We used a range of both positive and negative values to allow us to distinguish effects of behavioral salience (i.e., large vs. small values) from effects of valence (i.e., positive vs. negative values). During the scanning session, participants made a perceptual judgment unrelated to value. Crucially, the similarity of the visual features of any pair of objects did not predict the similarity of their value, so we could distinguish adaptation effects due to each dimension of similarity. Within early visual areas, we found that value similarity modulated the neural response to the objects after training. These results show that an abstract dimension, in this case, monetary value, modulates neural response to an object in visual areas of the brain even when attention is diverted.
Study of the genus Opius Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Opiinae)
in Southern Iran, with eleven new records
Authors: AMERI ALI , TALEBI ALI ASGHAR , RAKHSHANI EHSAN , BEYARSLAN AHMET , KAMALI KARIM
Published: November 2014

This study was carried out to determine the species of the genus Opius Wesmael, 1835 in Hormozgan province (Southern Iran). Malaise traps and sweep nets were used to obtain adult specimens from various habitats in Hormozgan province during 2011–2013. Fifteen species from the genus Opius belonging to ten subgenera were collected. The subgenera Merotrachys Fischer, 1972 and Opiostomus Fischer, 1972 and eleven species are recorded for the first time from Iran: Opius (Agnopius) nowakowskii Fischer, 1959; Opius (Agnopius) novosimilis Fischer, 1989, Opius (Allophlebus) staryi Fischer, 1958; Opius (Allotypus) damnosus Papp, 1980; Opius (Opiostomus) riphaeus Tobias, 1986; Opius (Opiothorax) minusculae Fischer, 1967; Opius (Pendopius) bajariae Fischer, 1989; Opius (Merotrachys) penetrator Fischer 1966; Opius (Hypocynodus) flavipes Szepligeti, 1898; Opius (Hypocynodus) latidens Fischer, 1990 and Opius (Hypocynodus) latipediformis Fischer 2004. A key for identification of Opius species from southern Iran is provided.
Three new species of Spiladarcha Meyrick, 1913 (Lepidoptera: Urodidae) from Costa Rica
Authors: SOHN JAE-CHEON
Published: November 2014

Three new species of Spiladarcha are described from Costa Rica, including S. puravida n. sp., S. septifera n. sp., and S. tuberculata n. sp. The genus Spiladarcha is reported from Costa Rica for the first time. Synapomorphies of Spiladarcha are revised. Photos of adult habitus and genitalia of known sexes are provided.
The Atacama Surface Solar Maximum
Authors: Rondanelli Roberto , Molina Alejandra , Falvey Mark
Published: November 2014

Solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface is one of the major drivers of climate dynamics. By setting the surface energy balance, downwelling solar radiation indirectly heats the atmosphere and controls the hydrological cycle. Besides its critical importance as a physical mechanism for driving climate and weather, solar radiation has attracted interest as a potentially major source of energy for human activities.

For a given latitude, solar radiation at Earth’s surface depends mostly on the composition along the atmospheric path. Since the early twentieth century, major astronomical observatories have led the search for the best places for observation from Earth, which presents a similar problem to the one of finding the maximum of solar radiation at the surface. In particular, Mount Montezuma in the Atacama Desert, Chile, was identified by the pioneers of solar observation as an ideal place to conduct the search for variations of the solar constant estimated from Earth’s surface.

By using available global datasets, a semiempirical model for the surface solar radiation over northern Chile, and a network of surface stations, we confirm Atacama as the place where the highest mean surface solar radiation is found. The most likely location of the maximum downwelling solar radiation over the surface of the planet is on the pre-Andean Domeyko Cordillera (3,500–5,000 m above mean sea level, between 24° and 25°S, along 69°W) with a value of about 310 ± 15 W m–2. We discuss the main regional and local features of this region that conspire to produce the solar maximum.
On the Seasonal and Synoptic Time-Scale Variability of the North Atlantic Trade Wind Region and Its Low-Level Clouds
Authors: Brueck Matthias , Nuijens Louise , Stevens Bjorn
Published: November 2014

The seasonality in large-scale meteorology and low-level cloud amount (CClow) is explored for a 5° × 5° area in the North Atlantic trades, using 12 years of ERA-Interim and MODIS data, supported by 2 years of Barbados Cloud Observatory (BCO) measurements. From boreal winter to summer, large-scale subsiding motion changes to rising motion, along with an increase in sea surface temperature, a clockwise turning and weakening of low-level winds, and reduced cold-air advection, lower-tropospheric stability (LTS), and surface fluxes. However, CClow is relatively invariant around 30%, except for a minimum of 20% in fall. This minimum is only pronounced when MODIS scenes with large high-level cloud amount are excluded, and a winter maximum in CClow is more pronounced at the BCO. On monthly time scales, wind speed has the best correlation with CClow. Existing large-eddy simulations suggest that the wind speed–CClow correlation may be explained by a direct deepening response of the trade wind layer to stronger winds. Large correlations of wind direction and advection with CClow also suggest that large-scale flow patterns matter. Smaller correlations with CClow are observed for LTS and surface evaporation, as well as negligible correlations for relative humidity (RH) and vertical velocity. However, these correlations considerably increase when only summer is considered. On synoptic time scales, all correlations drop substantially, whereby wind speed, RH, and surface sensible heat flux remain the leading parameters. The lack of a single strong predictor emphasizes that the combined effect of parameters is necessary to explain variations in CClow in the trades.
Different Types of Cold Vortex Circulations over Northeast China and Their Weather Impacts
Authors: Xie Zuowei , Bueh Cholaw
Published: November 2014

A deep and cold vortex circulation often occurs over northeast China. Known as the northeast China cold vortex (NCCV), the phenomenon is most active from May to mid-June and can lead to extremely cold local temperatures. This study used rotated principle component analysis to categorize NCCV events into four types, which were characterized by ridges (or blocks) over the following regions: Lake Baikal (BKL), the Yenisei River valley (YNS), the Ural Mountains (UR), and the Yakutsk–Okhotsk region (YO).

On the intraseasonal time scale, it was found that BKL- and YNS-type NCCVs formed when the wave train height anomalies originating from the North Atlantic and Europe propagated to East Asia. In contrast, YO- and UR-type NCCVs formed in conjunction with the development of a meridional dipole pattern over northeast Asia. The existence of a blocking-type circulation over the Yakutsk–Okhotsk region favored maintenance of the NCCV circulation for the long-lived (more than 5 days) NCCV events of the four types. The typical circulation over northeast Asia for the long-lived NCCV event was closely associated with wave breaking, whereas the short-lived (3–5 days) event showed only wave propagation.

The YNS-type NCCV caused cold surface air temperatures (SAT) not only over northeast China, but also over central and south China, whereas the other three types led only to regional cold SAT anomalies over northeast China. All four types of NCCVs caused a precipitation increase over northeast China, and this effect was broader for the UR- and YO-type NCCVs than that for BKL- and YNS-type NCCVs.
Proresolving Nanomedicines Activate Bone Regeneration in Periodontitis
Authors: Van Dyke T.E. , Hasturk H. , Kantarci A. , Freire M.O. , Nguyen D. , Dalli J. , Serhan C.N.
Published: November 2014

Therapies to reverse tissue damage from osteolytic inflammatory diseases are limited by the inability of current tissue-engineering procedures to restore lost hard and soft tissues. There is a critical need for new therapeutics in regeneration. In addition to scaffolds, cells, and soluble mediators necessary for tissue engineering, control of endogenous inflammation is an absolute requirement for success. Although significant progress has been made in understanding natural resolution of inflammation pathways to limit uncontrolled inflammation in disease, harnessing the biomimetic properties of proresolving lipid mediators has not been demonstrated. Here, we report the use of nano-proresolving medicines (NPRM) containing a novel lipoxin analog (benzo-lipoxin A4, bLXA4) to promote regeneration of hard and soft tissues irreversibly lost to periodontitis in the Hanford miniature pig. In this proof-of-principle experiment, NPRM-bLXA4 dramatically reduced inflammatory cell infiltrate into chronic periodontal disease sites treated surgically and dramatically increased new bone formation and regeneration of the periodontal organ. These findings indicate that NPRM-bLXA4 is a mimetic of endogenous resolving mechanisms with potent bioactions that offers a new therapeutic tissue-engineering approach for the treatment of chronic osteolytic inflammatory diseases.
Biomechanically Conditioned Variation at the Origin of Diachronic Intervocalic Voicing
Authors: Nadeu Marianna , Hualde José Ignacio
Published: November 2014

This paper addresses the question of how synchronic variation in intervocalic voicing of voiceless obstruents, as observed in several languages (e.g., Rome Italian /lato/ [lato] ~ [lado]), may initiate and give rise to a regular sound change (e.g., /t/ > /d/ between vowels). We hypothesize that a biomechanically motivated linkage between male gender, speech rate, and voicing may provide a way to accelerate the spread of the phenomenon and lead to an eventual generalized recategorization. In order to explore this hypothesis, first we reanalyze the results of a previous study on intervocalic voicing in Spanish, focusing on individual differences and, in particular, the possible role of gender. Then we report on a study of the same phenomenon in Basque, focusing also on interspeaker variation. Finally, we report on a controlled experiment where speech rate was manipulated.
A social anthropology of ghosts in twenty-first-century America
Authors: Baker Joseph O , Bader Christopher D
Published: November 2014

Although belief in ghosts or analogous concepts is prevalent cross-culturally, including in contemporary Western cultures, social scientific treatments of spirit belief and experience often dismiss such views as superstitious, or overlook this dimension of culture completely. Using mixed methods, we examine ghost belief, experience, and media consumption, as well as the practice of ‘ghost hunting’ in the United States. Results from a national survey demonstrate that these beliefs and practices are common and concentrated strongly among younger generations of Americans, especially moderately religious ‘dabblers.’ Fieldwork with multiple groups centered on ‘hunting’ ghosts reveals several notable themes, including rhetorical appeals to both science and religion, magical rites, the extensive use of technology to mediate evidence and experiences of ghosts, and the narrative construction of hauntings. We argue that the inherent liminality of spirits as cultural constructs accounts for their persistence, power, and continual recurrence.
Who Are the Losers of IFRS Adoption in Europe? An Empirical Examination of the Cash Flow Effect of Increased Disclosure
Authors: Charitou Andreas , Karamanou Irene , Lambertides Neophytos
Published: November 2014

Unlike prior studies that examine the denominator effect, this study investigates the cash flow effect of disclosure as captured by firms exhibiting increases in default risk (DR) around the 2005 mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption in Europe. Using the Merton (1973, 1974) option-based probability of default measure (DR) on a data set of 415 winner firms (with decreases in DR) and 295 loser firms (with increases in DR), we show that loser firms exhibit the same or better financial characteristics in the pre-IFRS adoption period compared with the winner sample. However, after IFRS, loser firms exhibit deteriorating characteristics, with smaller increases in their Tobin’s q valuations, greater increases in leverage, and poorer return performance. Logistic analysis suggests that even though in the pre-IFRS period loser firms exhibit greater profitability and analyst following and lower leverage, in the post-IFRS period their profitability is less than that of winner firms while exhibiting similar leverage and analyst following characteristics. Through an examination of the determinants of the change in DR, the results suggest that loser firms incur a greater increase in DR the poorer their home country’s legal enforcement environment, the lower their analyst following, and the greater their propensity to manage earnings. In general, our results are consistent with the existence of a significant cash flow effect for the loser sample.
Role of Polysomnography in the Development of an Algorithm for Planning Tracheostomy Decannulation
Authors: Robison Jacob G. , Thottam Prasad John , Greenberg Laura L. , Maguire Raymond C. , Simons Jeffrey P. , Mehta Deepak K.
Published: November 2014

Objective

To examine the role of polysomnography (PSG) in helping determine readiness of tracheostomized patients for decannulation.

Study Design

Case series with chart review of pediatric patients who underwent PSG with tracheostomy tube in place with the goal of decannulation.

Setting

Tertiary care pediatric center.

Subjects and Methods

Twenty‐eight tracheostomized patients who underwent PSG from January 2006 to March 2012 were included. Outcome measures were successful decannulation, PSG results, surgical procedures, and medical comorbidities.

Results

Of the 28 patients, 20 (71.4%) were decannulated and 8 (28.6%) were not. One (3.6%) patient failed long‐term decannulation. The average apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) with a capped tracheostomy for those successfully decannulated was 2.75 (range, 0.6‐7.6), while the AHI for those not decannulated was 15.99 (range, 3.2‐62). Factors associated with success or failure to decannulate were assessed, and an algorithm was developed to plan for successful decannulation. Laryngotracheal reconstruction was a significant factor in those successfully decannulated. Those who were not decannulated had multiple medical comorbidities, multilevel airway obstruction, need for additional surgery, or chronic need for pulmonary toilet.

Conclusions

Polysomnography may be a useful adjunctive study in the process of determining a patient's readiness for decannulation. Our current algorithm for decannulation includes upper airway endoscopy with identification of levels of obstruction, followed by surgical correction of those obstructions; capped PSG to determine patency of the airway and help assess lung function; and overnight intensive care unit admission for capping trial, with decannulation the following day if well tolerated.
Pediatric advance care planning from the perspective of health care professionals: A qualitative interview study
Authors: Lotz Julia D , Jox Ralf J , Borasio Gian Domenico , Führer Monika
Published: November 2014

Background:

Pediatric advance care planning differs from the adult setting in several aspects, including patients’ diagnoses, minor age, and questionable capacity to consent. So far, research has largely neglected the professionals’ perspective.

Aim:

We aimed to investigate the attitudes and needs of health care professionals with regard to pediatric advance care planning.

Design:

This is a qualitative interview study with experts in pediatric end-of-life care. A qualitative content analysis was performed.

Setting/participants:

We conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with health care professionals caring for severely ill children/adolescents, from different professions, care settings, and institutions.

Results:

Perceived problems with pediatric advance care planning relate to professionals’ discomfort and uncertainty regarding end-of-life decisions and advance directives. Conflicts may arise between physicians and non-medical care providers because both avoid taking responsibility for treatment limitations according to a minor’s advance directive. Nevertheless, pediatric advance care planning is perceived as helpful by providing an action plan for everyone and ensuring that patient/parent wishes are respected. Important requirements for pediatric advance care planning were identified as follows: repeated discussions and shared decision-making with the family, a qualified facilitator who ensures continuity throughout the whole process, multi-professional conferences, as well as professional education on advance care planning.

Conclusion:

Despite a perceived need for pediatric advance care planning, several barriers to its implementation were identified. The results remain to be verified in a larger cohort of health care professionals. Future research should focus on developing and testing strategies for overcoming the existing barriers.
LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: A qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects
Authors: Gasser Peter , Kirchner Katharina , Passie Torsten
Published: November 2014

Objective:

A recently published study showed the safety and efficacy of LSD-assisted psychotherapy in patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases. Participants of this study were included in a prospective follow-up.

Method:

12 months after finishing LSD psychotherapy, 10 participants were tested for anxiety (STAI) and participated in a semi-structured interview. A Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) was carried out on the interviews to elaborate about LSD effects and lasting psychological changes.

Results:

None of the participants reported lasting adverse reactions. The significant benefits as measured with the STAI were sustained over a 12-month period. In the QCA participants consistently reported insightful, cathartic and interpersonal experiences, accompanied by a reduction in anxiety (77.8%) and a rise in quality of life (66.7%). Evaluations of subjective experiences suggest facilitated access to emotions, confrontation of previously unknown anxieties, worries, resources and intense emotional peak experiences à la Maslow as major psychological working mechanisms. The experiences created led to a restructuring of the person’s emotional trust, situational understanding, habits and world view.

Conclusions:

LSD administered in a medically supervised psychotherapeutic setting can be safe and generate lasting benefits in patients with a life-threatening disease. Explanatory models for the therapeutic effects of LSD warrant further study.
Coordination, Competition, and Neutrality
Authors: Patton Christine L. , Deutsch Nancy L. , Das Anindita
Published: November 2014

Healthy development necessitates that adolescents maintain connections with others while developing an autonomous identity. In the extant literature, however, autonomy and relatedness are often placed at odds, particularly in discussions of girls. We explore how autonomy and relatedness co-occur in girls’ interactions with peers and mentors in the context of an after-school mentoring program. Four mentoring groups were observed over the course of an academic year. We identified three forms of co-occurrence: (a) Coordination, (b) Competition, and (c) Neutrality. In addition, girls discussed autonomy-relatedness dilemmas from outside of the mentoring group to test out enacted autonomy and foster their group relationships. Findings suggest that mentoring groups serve as a safe space for girls to connect with others while making self-directed, independent decisions.
Responses to Peer Stress Predict Academic Outcomes Across the Transition to Middle School
Authors: Erath Stephen A. , Bub Kristen L. , Tu Kelly M.
Published: November 2014

This study examined physiological and coping responses to peer-evaluative challenges in early adolescence as predictors of academic outcomes. The sample included 123 young adolescents ([Formula: see text]age = 12.03 years) who participated in the summer before (T1) and the spring after (T2) the transition to middle school. At T1, respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity (RSAR) and engaged coping responses (prosocial problem-solving, positive cognitive appraisals) were assessed in real-time during lab-based simulations of peer-evaluative challenges. Academic performance was assessed with multiple informants (teachers, parents, adolescents) at T1 and T2. Parents provided reports about academic adjustment to middle school at T2. RSAR significantly predicted improved academic performance between T1 and T2 and positive academic adjustment at T2. Engaged coping was marginally associated with improved academic performance and significantly associated with positive academic adjustment; these results were partially corroborated by analyses with an alternative measure of engaged coping (engaged planning), which significantly predicted improved academic performance.
Intratendinous Rotator Cuff Tears
Authors: Park Sang-Eun , Panchal Karnav , Jeong Jae-Jung , Kim Young-Yul , Kim Jong-Ho , Lee Ju-Yeob , Ji Jong-Hun
Published: November 2014

Background:

Intratendinous tears of the rotator cuff are rare, and little has been written about them.

Purpose:

To investigate the prevalence and clinical and radiological outcomes of arthroscopically confirmed intratendinous tears treated with transtendon suture bridge repair.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Included in the study were 33 patients (16 male, 17 female; mean age, 53.4 years) with arthroscopically confirmed intratendinous tears treated with transtendon suture bridge repair from March 2006 to July 2012. A history of trauma was found in 10 cases (30.3%). The dominant arm was involved in 26 cases (78.8%). The mean follow-up duration was 56 months. Preoperatively, a thorough physical examination was performed; at final follow-up, shoulder range of motion (ROM) in forward flexion, abduction, external rotation (ER) at the side, and internal rotation (IR) at the back was noted, and clinical outcomes (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES] score; University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA] score; visual analog scale [VAS] for pain; and Simple Shoulder Test [SST]) were recorded and compared with the preoperative data. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at 6 months to investigate rotator cuff healing status and repair integrity.

Results:

The prevalence of arthroscopically confirmed intratendinous tears was 4.7% among all arthroscopically treated partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. Impingement signs were positive in most of the patients (positive Hawkins-Kennedy test result in 78.8%, positive Neer sign in 66.7%, and either positive Hawkins-Kennedy test result or Neer sign in 84.8%). At final follow-up, mean ASES, UCLA, VAS, and SST scores improved significantly from a preoperative mean of 51.4, 18.9, 6.0, and 5.4, respectively, to a postoperative mean of 90.6, 32.9, 1.4, and 10.8, respectively ( P < .001). According to the UCLA rating scale, outcomes were excellent in 17, good in 13, and fair in 3 cases. Shoulder ROM in forward flexion, abduction, ER at the side, and IR at the back improved from a preoperative mean of 135°, 129°, 25°, and L2, respectively, to a postoperative mean of 161°, 160°, 29°, and T10, respectively ( P < .001 for all except ER). As per the Sugaya classification, on postoperative MRI, type I healing status was found in 10 (30.3%), type II in 18 (54.5%), and type III in 2 (6.1%) cases. None of the patients showed any evidence of retears.

Conclusion:

Transtendon suture bridge repair yielded satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes in patients with intratendinous rotator cuff tears.
Reflections on 50 Years of Radical Political Economy
Authors: Weisskopf Thomas E.
Published: November 2014

I examine first how radical political economy (RPE) has evolved over the last five decades, as the overall political climate in the United States has shifted increasingly to the right. I explore how this political shift, as well as new developments within mainstream economics, have altered the focus of much of RPE and the activities of many of its practitioners. I then offer suggestions to radical political economists as to the future orientation of RPE.
Hemichorea-Hemiballismus as the First Sign of Type 1b Diabetes During Adolescence and Its Recurrence in the Setting of Infection
Authors: Aquino José Henrique W. , Spitz Mariana , Pereira João Santos
Published: November 2014

Chorea may be secondary to hyperosmolar nonketotic hyperglycemia, but such situation has rarely been described in adolescents, particularly as the initial and single manifestation of type 1 diabetes. We describe a case of a previously healthy 14-year-old girl with sudden onset of choreic movements on her left upper and lower limbs. Brain computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an area of hyperdensity/hyperintensity affecting the right striatum. Blood glucose was 349 mg/dL. Despite adequate glucose control, the involuntary movements persisted and haloperidol, later substituted with valproate, was prescribed, with satisfactory but not complete resolution of the chorea. In 2 other occasions, when the patient had an infection and subsequent hyperglycemia, the chorea relapsed. Although not common, hyperglycemia must be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute hemichorea-hemiballismus in children and adolescents, particularly because it is a potentially reversible cause.
Aggression Replacement Training for Violent Young Men in a Forensic Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic
Authors: Hornsveld Ruud H. J. , Kraaimaat Floris W. , Muris Peter , Zwets Almar J. , Kanters Thijs
Published: November 2014

The effects of Aggression Replacement Training (ART) were explored in a group of Dutch violent young men aged 16 to 21 years, who were obliged by the court to follow a treatment program in a forensic psychiatric outpatient clinic. To evaluate the training, patients completed a set of self-report questionnaires at three moments in time: at intake/before a waiting period, after the waiting period/before the training, and after the training. During the waiting period, the patients did not change on most measures, although they displayed a significant increase in anger. The patients who completed the therapy scored significantly lower on psychopathy than the patients who dropped out. The training produced significant decreases in physical aggression and social anxiety and showed trends toward a decline in self-reported hostility, general aggression, and anger. After the training, the patients scored comparably with a reference group on measures of hostility and aggressive behavior. Altogether, these results provide tentative support for the efficacy of the ART for violent young men referred to forensic psychiatric outpatient settings.
Prevalence and Correlates of Self-Rated Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complicated Grief in a Community-Based Sample of Homicidally Bereaved Individuals
Authors: van Denderen Mariëtte , de Keijser Jos , Huisman Mark , Boelen Paul A.
Published: November 2014

People confronted with homicidal loss have to cope with separation distress, related to their loss, and traumatic distress, associated with the circumstances surrounding the death. These reactions are related to complicated grief (CG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The psychological effects for people who have lost someone through homicide, in terms of PTSD and CG, are largely unclear. This cross-sectional study (a) examined the prevalence of self-rated PTSD and self-rated CG in a community-based sample of 312 spouses, family members, and friends of homicide victims and (b) aimed to identify socio-demographic, loss-related, and perpetrator-related correlates of PTSD and CG. Participants were recruited via support organizations for homicidally bereaved individuals in the Netherlands (i.e., support group), and by casemanagers of a governmental organization, which offers practical, non-psychological, support to bereaved families (i.e., casemanager group). Prevalence of self-rated PTSD was 30.9% (support group) and 37.5% (casemanager group), prevalence of CG was 82.7% (support group) and 80.6% (casemanager group). PTSD and CG severity scores varied as a function of the relationship with the victim; parents were at greater risk to develop emotional problems, compared with other relatives of the victim. Time since loss was negatively associated with PTSD and CG scores.