bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental health treatment outcome expectancies in Burundi
Authors: Irankunda Pacifique , Heatherington Laurie
Published: June 2016

Best practices in global mental health stress the importance of understanding local values and beliefs. Research demonstrates that expectancies about the effectiveness of a given treatment significantly predicts outcome, beyond the treatment effect itself. To help inform the development of mental health interventions in Burundi, we studied expectancies about the effectiveness of four treatments: spiritual healing, traditional healing, medication, and selected evidence-based psychosocial treatments widely used in the US. Treatment expectancies were assessed for each of three key syndromes identified by previous research: akabonge (a set of depression-like symptoms), guhahamuka (a set of trauma-related symptoms), and ibisigo (a set of psychosis-like symptoms) . In individual interviews or written surveys in French or Kirundi with patients ( N = 198) awaiting treatment at the clinic, we described each disorder and the treatments in everyday language, asking standard efficacy expectations questions about each (“Would it work?” “Why or why not?”). Findings indicated uniformly high expectancies about the efficacy of spiritual treatment, relatively high expectancies for western evidence-based treatments (especially cognitive behavior therapy [CBT] for depression-like symptoms), lower expectancies for medicine, and especially low expectancies for traditional healing (except for traditional healing for psychosis-like symptoms). There were significant effects of gender but not of education level. Qualitative analyses of explanations provide insight into the basis of people’s beliefs, their explanations about why a given treatment would or would not work varied by type of disorder, and reflected beliefs about underlying causes. Implications for program development and future research are discussed.
Staying connected with youth transitioning out of foster care: “Thank you for not giving up on me”
Authors: Mitchell Monique B , Vann Louisa H
Published: June 2016

Numerous research studies have addressed the experiences and outcomes of youth transitioning out of foster care; however, far fewer have addressed how to overcome the challenge of locating and retaining research participants from this population. This article contributes to the field by highlighting effective approaches to staying connected with (i.e., recruiting, relocating, and retaining) youth participants in longitudinal research studies. Two hundred ninety-four youth in the Southeastern United States participated in a longitudinal research study about their experiences as they transitioned out of foster care. Two years later, 80% of eligible participants from the baseline population ( n = 223) chose to participate in the second wave of data collection.

Findings

Case examples are presented to illustrate the practical applications of youth-centered and person-centered approaches to participant recruitment, relocation, and retention and how engaging with youth on a case by case basis can minimize attrition rates and maintain participant interest in the study.

Application

We affirm the importance of encouraging youth involvement in all phases of the research process, highlight the methodological approaches used to recruit, relocate, and retain participants, and discuss the value of establishing and maintaining meaningful connections with youth participants involved in longitudinal research.
The impact of personal budgets on unpaid carers of older people
Authors: Woolham John , Steils Nicole , Daly Guy , Ritters Katrina
Published: June 2016

This paper focuses on the impact of a personal budget – either in the form of a direct payment or managed personal budget – on the role of unpaid carers of older budget holders. Data were collected via postal survey of 1500 unpaid carers and semi-structured interviews with 31 carers.

Findings

Unpaid carers played a central role in supporting older budget holders irrespective of the type of budget received. The allocation of a personal budget may have decreased the amount of ‘hands-on’ care they provided, enabling them to do different things for and with the person cared for, but most did not relinquish direct involvement in care provision. Both kinds of personal budget provided greater flexibility to juggle caring tasks with other roles, such as childcare or paid employment. However, carers supporting direct payment users did experience higher levels of stress. This seemed linked to the additional responsibilities involved in administering the direct payment. Carers seemed relatively unsupported by their local Adult Social Care Department: the survey found that only one in five said they had ever received a carer assessment.

Application

The findings offer a detailed exploration of the impact of personal budgets on carers, suggesting that even in countries with relatively well-developed systems of support for carers such as England their impact remains overlooked. The paper may be of interest to social work practitioners, managers, academics and social work policy specialists working in countries that have, or are about to introduce, personal budgets or other forms of cash-for-care scheme.
Budesonide, but not dexamethasone, blunted the response of aldosterone to renin elevation by suppressing angiotensin converting enzyme upon high-altitude exposure
Authors: Li Hui-Jie , Zheng Cheng-Rong , Chen Guo-Zhu , Qin Jun , Zhang Ji-Hang , Yu Jie , Zhang En-Hao , Huang Lan
Published: June 2016

Introduction:

Inhaled budesonide is a novel approach to prevent acute mountain sickness (AMS). However, its mechanism is not completely understood. We aimed to investigate the effects of budesonide and dexamethasone on renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system in AMS prevention.

Materials and methods:

Data were obtained from a randomised controlled trial including 138 participants. The participants were randomly assigned to receive budesonide, dexamethasone or placebo as prophylaxis before they travelled to 3450 m altitude from 400 m by car. Their plasma concentrations of renin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and aldosterone were measured at both altitudes.

Results:

All parameters were comparable among the three groups at 400 m. After high-altitude exposure of 3450, renin in all groups increased significantly; the ACE, aldosterone concentrations, as well as the aldosterone/renin ratio, rose markedly in the dexamethasone and placebo groups but not in the budesonide group. Moreover, the aldosterone/renin ratio correlated closely with ACE concentration.

Conclusions:

Upon acute high-altitude exposure, budesonide, but not dexamethasone, blunted the response of aldosterone to renin elevation by suppressing angiotensin converting enzyme.
The effects of telmisartan on the nuclear factor of activated T lymphocytes signalling pathway in hypertensive patients
Authors: Huang Sha-Sha , He Si-Li , Zhang Yuan-Ming
Published: June 2016

Hypothesis:

Previous studies provide links between the nuclear factor of activated T lymphocytes (NFAT) signalling pathway and the development of hypertension. Our preliminary studies indicate that telmisartan can block Kv1.3 potassium channels and effectively inhibit potassium current densities, along with Kv1.3 mRNA and protein expression levels. This paper aims to investigate whether telmisartan has an inhibitory effect on the NFAT signalling pathway after activation and proliferation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in Kazakh patients with essential hypertension (EH) from Xinjiang, China.

Materials and methods:

T lymphocytes were isolated using the immunomagnetic cell sorting method (MACS). The mRNA expression of NFATc1, IL-6 and TNF-α was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and relative protein levels were evaluated by Western blot. T cell samples from 50 hypertensive Kazakh patients from Xinjiang were randomly divided into control, telmisartan, cyclosporin A (CsA), VIVIT, and 4-aminopytidine (4-AP) groups. Peripheral blood T lymphocytes were first activated and proliferated in vitro, then incubated for 48 h under different treatment conditions before determination of protein and mRNA expression of NFATc1, IL-6, and TNF-α by Western blot and qRT-PCR analyses, respectively.

Results:

There were no significant differences in cardiovascular risk factors among the patients with samples assigned to the five groups ( p > 0.05). Expression of NFATc1, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA and protein was significantly reduced in T lymphocytes in all treatment groups (telmisartan, CsA, VIVIT, and 4-AP) compared with controls.

Conclusions:

Antihypertensive function and inhibitory effects of telmisartan on the T lymphocyte NFAT signalling pathway are unlikely to affect the normal immune function of hypertensive patients. Telmisartan may exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibition of the NFAT signalling pathway in the T lymphocytes of hypertensive patients.
Finding a place to connect: A qualitative study exploring the influences of the physical and social environments on spouses’ opportunities to maintain relationships when visiting a partner with dementia living in long-term care
Authors: Førsund Linn Hege , Ytrehus Siri
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how physical and social environments influence spouses’ opportunities to maintain relationships when visiting a partner with dementia living in long-term care. Interviews with 15 spouses whose partners lived in long-term care facilities for persons with dementia, observations of physical environments and participant observations were conducted. The results showed how finding a place for spouses to connect in the long-term care facility was important in maintaining relationships. Access to individual rooms was an important feature that enabled connections throughout the phases of dementia, whereas common areas appeared more difficult to use because small spaces limited private interactions. Health personnel were important in sustaining spouses’ abilities to maintain their relationships in long-term care facilities for persons with dementia.
Dominant communities and dominant designs: Community-based innovation in the context of the technology life cycle
Authors: Seidel Victor P , Langner Benedikt , Sims Jonathan
Published: June 2016

Online community–based innovation—whether through self-organized communities, firm–community collaborations, or innovation contests and crowdsourcing—is increasingly used as a source of technological advances, yet studies in this domain are often detached from considering the dynamics of technological evolution itself. Where technological advances reside (knowledge distribution), the degree to which innovation tasks can be specified (task decomposition) and the rate of technological progress (performance trajectory) all vary dramatically over the technology life cycle. These factors have implications for what forms of online crowds and communities are most likely to contribute technological advances. We provide a dynamic model of the expected “dominant communities” for technological advances at each phase of the life cycle, and we draw on examples from open-source software and consumer three-dimensional printing to illustrate the model. Our objectives are to determine how different forms of community-based innovation dominate at different times, to ground innovation models more firmly in material technological advances, and to provide focus for future research in this domain.
A Bibliometrics Approach to Understanding Conceptual Breadth, Depth and Development: The Case of New Public Management
Authors: Curry Dion , Van de Walle Steven
Published: June 2016

This article uses bibliometric analysis to track the breadth and depth of the concept of New Public Management as it has developed in the 25 years since the coining of the term, in order to provide a deeper understanding of how academics have engaged with the subject. The article uses bibliometric and qualitative analysis to map the use of the concept as a whole and over time, and the use of bibliometrics provides an original, methodical and quantitative way of analysing the usage and movement of New Public Management as a concept. It looks at the breadth of the literature in terms of whether it has spread to new journals or academic disciplines and depth in terms of whether articles on New Public Management engage with new research on the subject. It is shown that the breadth of the literature has increased, but there has been no significant deepening. By providing an overarching view of New Public Management as a concept, this article allows for more systematic academic engagement with the concept, leading to a deeper research agenda that goes beyond its current somewhat limited usage.
Questionable Interventions: The Enduring Myth of Laissez-Faire
Authors: Keaney Michael
Published: June 2016

The aftermath of the global financial crisis that began in 2007 in the United States and has yet to end has demonstrated the durability of policies and analytical frameworks that have characterised the neoliberal era. Among these has been a strong rhetorical commitment to market-based institutions as synonymous with individual freedom, in contradistinction to the inefficient, bureaucratic state. This has disguised what amounts to a reconfiguration of state power during the last 40 years, such that it is arguably more pervasive than during the preceding Keynesian era. The books under review here each reveal the ideological character of laissez-faire while in various ways hinting at its mythological properties. This mythical aspect is most prominently displayed by Edmund Phelps’ treatment of ‘corporatism’ as responsible for our current ills, when it is in fact integral to contemporary political economy, and cannot be otherwise, absent truly revolutionary change.

Cahill D (2014) The End of Laissez-Faire? On the Durability of Embedded Neoliberalism. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Phelps E (2013) Mass Flourishing: How Grassroots Innovation Created Jobs, Challenge, and Change. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Van Apeldoorn B, de Graaff N and Overbeek H (eds) (2014) The State-Capital Nexus in the Global Crisis. London: Routledge.

Weiss L (2014) America Inc.? Innovation and Enterprise in the National Security State. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
‘Never Reflective, because So Obviously a Fact’: Institutions and National Identity in English Political Thought
Authors: Aughey Arthur
Published: June 2016

Following the result of the Scottish Referendum in September 2014, Peter Hennessy thought that the English Question would become the weather-maker in contemporary British politics. It is important, however, to avoid overemphasis on the novelty of this matter. There is a compelling argument to bring current debates about Englishness into fruitful dialogue with historical perspectives because this may yield more nuanced understandings of the relationship between political argument and enduring expressions of Englishness. This article considers first a tradition of institutional thinking and how that thinking helped to define English national self-understanding, what Sir Ernest Barker once described as ‘never reflective, because it is so simply and obviously a fact’. The article explores the erosion of that national self-understanding in recent years through a number of ‘ironies of inversion’, in which the previous virtues of English institutionalism can appear as present vices. These ironies of inversion have become factors of popular political grievance, especially since devolution, and have added to an insistent mood that the English Question must be addressed, even if there is no consensus about how it should be addressed.
The Effect of Corticosteroid Withdrawal on Glucose Metabolism and Anti-GAD Antibodies in Simultaneous Pancreas–Kidney Transplant Patients
Authors: Ribeiro Rogério Silicani , Cristelli Marina , Amor Antonio J. , Guerrero Vanessa , Ferrer Joana , Ricart María José , Esmatjes Enric
Published: June 2016

Context:

Corticosteroid withdrawal may reduce insulin resistance; however, it could also influence pancreatic autoantibody profile in simultaneous pancreas–kidney (SPK) transplant patients.

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of corticosteroid withdrawal on glucose metabolism and anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody titers in SPK patients with type 1 diabetes after 12 months of follow-up.

Design:

In this retrospective study, fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin (A1c) were compared before and after 3, 6, and 12 months of corticosteroid withdrawal in 80 SPK patients. In addition, weight, anti-GAD, and C-peptide levels were compared before and after withdrawal. Finally, fasting and postglucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels were compared before and after withdrawal in 25 patients undergoing oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

Results:

Fasting glucose levels did not change during corticosteroid discontinuation. After 12 months, A1c slightly increased from 4.6% (0.4%) to 4.8% (0.6%) ( P < .01) and C-peptide decreased from 2.8 (1.1) ng/mL to 2.4 (1.3) ng/mL ( P <. 01). In patients submitted to OGTT, glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels did not change. There was no alteration in the proportion of anti-GAD positive tests (41% vs 45%). Anti-GAD titers remained stable or decreased in 70% of positive patients.

Conclusion:

Corticosteroid withdrawal has no significant effect on glucose metabolism and on anti-GAD profile among SPK patients.
Knee and Ankle Reconstruction With Reverse Anterolateral Thigh and Free Anterolateral Thigh Flap From One Donor Site
Authors: Choi KyeongBeom , Cho JaeHo , Park MyongChul , Park Dong Ha , Lee Il Jae
Published: June 2016

Traditionally, the anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap is used in distal lower extremity reconstruction. Reverse ALT flap has become one of the most popular choices for knee joint soft tissue defects. A 53-year-old man sustained a degloving injury in the right lateral side of the lower extremity from the lateral malleolar area to the knee joint area. The contamination was severe, necessitating serial debridement and negative pressure wound therapy. After 4 weeks, no more soft tissue necrosis was evident. No more microorganism growth was confirmed by swab culture. ALT free flap using proximal perforator was planned for lateral malleolar area reconstruction and reverse ALT flap using distal perforator was planned to cover knee joint after confirming the pedicle length was sufficient for simultaneous knee and lateral malleolar area reconstruction.
An integrated design approach for evaluating the effectiveness and cost of a fleet
Authors: D’Souza Kiran , Bayrak Alparslan Emrah , Kang Namwoo , Wang Hui , Altin Berk , Barton Kira , Hu Jack , Papalambros Panos , Epureanu Bogdan I , Gerth Richard
Published: June 2016

This work presents a new method for designing and evaluating different fleet paradigms to determine an effective and cost efficient solution. The method requires the user to define a set of functions which must be carried out by the fleet, as well as a set of candidate vehicles or systems that can carry out these functions. These function and fleet models are then evaluated to determine their performance. All the data is then fed into a stochastic dynamic fleet operation model to identify the amount of vehicles or systems needed to complete each mission defined on a fixed time horizon. The output of the fleet operation model is then used by cost models to determine the cost of completing each fleet mission. The overall approach is demonstrated on a military fleet composed of two different types of vehicle: a conventional fleet and a fleet composed of modules. The method shows the potential for savings using a modular fleet for a hypothetical fleet mission profile; more work in this area is suggested.
Diagnosis and Management of Pearly Penile Papules
Authors: Aldahan Adam S. , Brah Tara K. , Nouri Keyvan
Published: June 2016

Pearly penile papules (PPP) are common, benign lesions that appear on the corona of the glans penis during adolescence or early adulthood. Despite their benign nature, PPP are known to cause significant distress because of their resemblance to sexually transmitted infections such as condyloma acuminata. PPP can be clinically distinguished based on their uniform, dome-shaped papules that orient in one to two rows around the glans penis. There is no association between PPP and sexually transmitted infections, and treatment is generally reserved for patients with excessive concern. Physicians should be aware of this distinction in order to adequately reassure anxious patients. For patients who still desire treatment after counseling, cryotherapy and laser therapy represent two reliable treatment options with low rates of recurrence.
An innovative road marking quality assessment mechanism using computer vision
Authors: Lin Kuo-Liang , Wu Tai-Chi , Wang Yu-Ren
Published: June 2016

Aesthetic quality acceptance for road marking works has been relied on subjective visual examination. Due to a lack of quantitative operation procedures, acceptance outcome can be biased and results in great quality variation. To improve aesthetic quality acceptance procedure of road marking, we develop an innovative road marking quality assessment mechanism, utilizing machine vision technologies. Using edge smoothness as a quantitative aesthetic indicator, the proposed prototype system first receives digital images of finished road marking surface and has the images processed and analyzed to capture the geometric characteristics of the marking. The geometric characteristics are then evaluated to determine the quality level of the finished work. System is demonstrated through two real cases to show how it works. In the end, a test comparing the assessment results between the proposed system and expert inspection is conducted to enhance the accountability of the proposed mechanism.
Effects of cavitation on performance of automotive torque converter
Authors: Ju Jaewon , Jang Jaedeuk , Choi Minsuk , Baek Je Hyun
Published: June 2016

Cavitation is a phenomenon whereby vapor bubbles of a flowing liquid are formed in a local region where the pressure of the liquid is below its vapor pressure. It is well known that cavitation in torque converters occurs frequently when a car with an automatic transmission makes an abrupt start. Cavitation is closely related to a performance drop and noise generation at a specific operating condition in a car and a torque converter itself. This study addressed the relation between cavitation and performance in an automotive torque converter in a quantitative and qualitative manner using numerical simulations. The cavitation was calculated at various operating conditions using a commercial flow solver with the homogeneous cavitation model, and the torque converter performance was compared with the experimental data. Numerical results well match to the data and indicate that the cavitation causes significant performance drop, as the pump speed increases or both speed ratio and reference pressure decrease.
Application of self-tuning fuzzy proportional–integral–derivative control in hydraulic crane control system
Authors: Hao Wenrui , Kan Jiangming
Published: June 2016

Generally, pressure oscillation has negative effect on hydraulic crane system which requires high dynamic stability under a flexible operating condition. In order to reduce the hydraulic pressure oscillation, a self-tuning fuzzy proportional–integral–derivative control strategy is proposed for improving the control performance of hydraulic crane. In this article, a fuzzy proportional–integral–derivative controller which consists of a proportional–integral–derivative controller and a fuzzy inference unit with two inputs and three outputs is designed for valve control. Both fuzzy proportional–integral–derivative control and traditional proportional–integral–derivative control are simulated using MATLAB based on the model of hydraulic crane. Simulation experiments are conducted with different crane tip velocities. The experimental results show that pressure amplitude reduced about 25% at low velocity and pressure oscillation of hydraulic cylinder is suppressed comparing with traditional proportional–integral–derivative controller. In addition, fuzzy proportional–integral–derivative control enables a smoother variation and a higher accuracy in changing processes of joint angle and crane tip position. The performance of the hydraulic crane is improved.
Narrative habitus: Thinking through structure/agency in the narratives of offenders
Authors: Fleetwood Jennifer
Published: June 2016

Starting from the premise that experience is narratively constituted and actions are oriented through the self as the protagonist in an evolving story, narrative criminology investigates how narratives motivate and sustain offending. Reviewing narrative criminological research, this article contends that narrative criminology tends towards a problematic dualism of structure and agency, locating agency in individual narrative creativity and constraint in structure and/or culture. This article argues for a different conceptualisation of narrative as embodied, learned and generative, drawing on Bourdieu’s notion of habitus. Social action, which here includes storytelling, is structured via the habitus, which generates but does not determine social action. This theorisation understands structures and representations as existing in duality, according a more powerful role to storytelling. The article concludes by discussion of the implications of such a shift for narrative interventions towards offending.
The postpartum ultrasound scan
Authors: Üçyiğit Aslı , Johns Jemma
Published: June 2016

Ultrasound assessment of the postpartum uterus has a significant role to play in the evaluation of a large proportion of symptomatic puerperal women. Often the imaging modality of choice for excluding retained placental tissue, correct application of postpartum ultrasound could enable more accurate identification of women requiring surgical intervention, with consequent reduction in patient morbidity and clinical workload. This article aims to review the current understanding and application of ultrasound in the puerperium and evaluate the current evidence investigating the physiological and pathological findings of the postpartum uterus and its contents.
Dopaminergic Modulation of Excitatory Transmission in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex of Adult Mice
Authors: Darvish-Ghane Soroush , Yamanaka Manabu , Zhuo Min
Published: June 2016

Dopamine (DA) possesses potent neuromodulatory properties in the central nervous system. In the anterior cingulate cortex, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptors (AMPAR) are key ion channels in mediating nerve injury induced long-term potentiation (LTP) and chronic pain phenotype. In the present study, we reported the effects of DA on glutamate mediated excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) in pyramidal neurons of layer II/III of the ACC in adult mice. Bath application of DA (50 μM) caused a significant, rapid and reversible inhibition of evoked EPSCs (eEPSC). This inhibitory effect is dose-related and was absent in lower concentration of DA (5 μM). Furthermore, selective postsynaptic application of GDP-β-S (1.6 mM) in the internal solution completely abolished the inhibitory effects of DA (50 μM). We also investigated modulation of spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) and TTX sensitive, miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) by DA. Our results indicated mixed effects of potentiation and inhibition of frequency and amplitude for sEPSCs and mEPSCs. Furthermore, high doses of SCH23390 (100 μM) and sulpiride (100 μM) revealed that, inhibition of eEPSCs is mediated by postsynaptic D2-receptors (D2R). Our finding posits a pre- and postsynaptic mode of pyramidal neuron EPSC modulation in mice ACC by DA.
Estrogen-dependent visceral hypersensitivity following stress in rats
Authors: Hubbard Catherine S , Karpowicz Jane M , Furman Andrew J , da Silva Joyce Teixeira , Seminowicz David A , Traub Richard J
Published: June 2016

We used functional MRI and a longitudinal design to investigate the brain mechanisms in a previously reported estrogen-dependent visceral hypersensitivity model. We hypothesized that noxious visceral stimulation would be associated with activation of the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and amygdala, and that estrogen-dependent, stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity would both enhance activation of these regions and recruit activation of other brain areas mediating affect and reward processing. Ovariectomized rats were treated with estrogen (17 β-estradiol, E2) or vehicle ( n = 5 per group) and scanned in a 7T MRI at three different time points: pre-stress (baseline), 2 days post-stress, and 18 days post-stress. Stress was induced via a forced-swim paradigm. In a separate group of ovariectomized rats, E2 treatment induced visceral hypersensitivity at the 2 days post-stress time point, and this hypersensitivity returned to baseline at the 18 days post-stress time point. Vehicle-treated rats show no hypersensitivity following stress. During the MRI scans, rats were exposed to noxious colorectal distention. Across groups and time points, noxious visceral stimulation led to activations in the insula, anterior cingulate, and left amygdala, parabrachial nuclei, and cerebellum. A group-by-time interaction was seen in the right amygdala, ventral striatum-pallidum, cerebellum, hippocampus, mediodorsal thalamus, and pontine nuclei. Closer inspection of the data revealed that vehicle-treated rats showed consistent activations and deactivations across time, whereas estrogen-treated animals showed minimal deactivation with noxious visceral stimulation. This unexpected finding suggests that E2 may dramatically alter visceral nociceptive processing in the brain following an acute stressor. This study is the first to examine estrogen-stress dependent interactions in response to noxious visceral stimulation using functional MRI. Future studies that include other control groups and larger sample sizes are needed to fully understand the interactions between sex hormones, stress, and noxious stimulation on brain activity.
Characterization of methadone as a β-arrestin-biased μ-opioid receptor agonist
Authors: Doi Seira , Mori Tomohisa , Uzawa Naoki , Arima Takamichi , Takahashi Tomoyuki , Uchida Masashi , Yawata Ayaka , Narita Michiko , Uezono Yasuhito , Suzuki Tsutomu , Narita Minoru
Published: June 2016

Background

Methadone is a unique µ-opioid receptor agonist. Although several researchers have insisted that the pharmacological effects of methadone are mediated through the blockade of NMDA receptor, the underlying mechanism by which methadone exerts its distinct pharmacological effects compared to those of other µ-opioid receptor agonists is still controversial. In the present study, we further investigated the pharmacological profile of methadone compared to those of fentanyl and morphine as measured mainly by the discriminative stimulus effect and in vitro assays for NMDA receptor binding, µ-opioid receptor-internalization, and µ-opioid receptor-mediated β-arrestin recruitment.

Results

We found that fentanyl substituted for the discriminative stimulus effects of methadone, whereas a relatively high dose of morphine was required to substitute for the discriminative stimulus effects of methadone in rats. Under these conditions, the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 did not substitute for the discriminative stimulus effects of methadone. In association with its discriminative stimulus effect, methadone failed to displace the receptor binding of MK801 using mouse brain membrane. Methadone and fentanyl, but not morphine, induced potent µ-opioid receptor internalization accompanied by the strong recruitment of β-arrestin-2 in µ-opioid receptor-overexpressing cells.

Conclusions

These results suggest that methadone may, at least partly, produce its pharmacological effect as a β-arrestin-biased µ-opioid receptor agonist, similar to fentanyl, and NMDA receptor blockade is not the main contributor to the pharmacological profile of methadone.
The importance of virtue ethics in the IRB
Authors: Morris Marilyn C , Morris Jason Z
Published: June 2016

Institutional review boards have a dual goal: first, to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects, and second, to support and facilitate the conduct of valuable research. In striving to achieve these goals, IRBs must often consider conflicting interests. In the discussion below, we characterize research oversight as having three elements: (i) research regulations, which establish a minimum acceptable standard for research conduct; (ii) ethical principles, which help us identify and define relevant ethical issues; and (iii) virtue ethics, which guides the prioritization of relevant issues. We describe specific ways in which the lessons of virtue ethics suggest revisions to the IRB structure and review process, the education and training of IRB members, and the appropriate limits of regulations in research ethics oversight.
The forecast for future clinical trials and clinical trialists—Storms or sunshine?
Authors: Klijn Catharina JM , Sandercock Peter AG
Published: June 2016

Randomized controlled trials are the most unbiased way to evaluate many types of healthcare interventions. Pharmaceutical and medical technology industries play an important role in developing and testing new interventions that have commercial potential. However, many interventions for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke are either not drugs or devices or have no commercial potential. Like many other clinicians who are uncertain about the value of existing or new treatments, we are involved in investigator-led clinical trials to resolve treatment uncertainties. There is common agreement that investigator-led clinical trials are facing increasing difficulties and that as a result clinicians may be deterred from pursuing clinical trials as a research career. In this article, we express our concerns for the future of such trials, balanced with the hope that systems to foster and sustain this important type of research in the future can be developed.
The within-task criterion to determine successful and unsuccessful table tennis players
Authors: Piras Alessandro , Lanzoni Ivan M , Raffi Milena , Persiani Michela , Squatrito Salvatore
Published: June 2016

The aim of this study was to examine the differences in visual search behaviour between a group of expert-level and one of novice table tennis players, to determine the temporal and spatial aspects of gaze orientation associated with correct responses. Expert players were classified as successful or unsuccessful depending on their performance in a video-based test of anticipation skill involving two kinds of stroke techniques: forehand top spin and backhand drive. Eye movements were recorded binocularly with a video-based eye tracking system. Successful experts were more effective than novices and unsuccessful experts in accurately anticipating both type and direction of stroke, showing fewer fixations of longer duration. Participants fixated mainly on arm area during forehand top spin, and on hand–racket and trunk areas during backhand drive. This study can help to develop interventions that facilitate the acquisition of anticipatory skills by improving visual search strategies.
Time for change? A national audit on bereavement care in intensive care units
Authors: Berry M , Brink E , Metaxa V
Published: June 2016

Introduction

Bereaved ICU family members frequently experience anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, which have been associated with significantly impaired quality of life. Recognising that their needs extend beyond the support provided by their friends and family, the Intensive Care Society had published in 1998 recommendations around bereavement care.

Objective

The aim of the present national audit was to compare bereavement services in England against the nine recommendations set out by the Intensive Care Society guidelines.

Methods

A telephone audit was carried out in all adult ICUs in England.

Results

A total of 144 NHS Trusts (179 ICUs) met the inclusion criteria and 113 responses were collected (78% of Trusts, 63% of individual ICUs). Although most ICUs provided administrative information (96% had an information booklet), training (53%), auditing (19%) and adequate facilities (27%) did not meet the recommended standards.

Conclusion

Bereavement care is underdeveloped in English ICUs. This important but underreported topic should be prioritised in the critical care research agenda.
External induction of heat shock stimulates the immune response and longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans towards pathogen exposure
Authors: Prithika Udayakumar , Deepa Veerappan , Balamurugan Krishnaswamy
Published: June 2016

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are highly chaperonic molecules that give immediate response during any stress, tissue damage or bacterial infections. In the present study, the role of HSPs upon bacterial encounter is studied by applying external heat induction to live Caenorhabditis elegans. Heat shock was observed to increase the life span of wild type C. elegans upon pathogenic encounter, indicating a role of HSPs in bacterial infection and immunity. Similar increase in resistance towards pathogenesis observed in long-lived C. elegans daf-2 mutants and the increase in the lifespan indicated a role for the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway in HSP-mediated pathogenic resistance. The microscopic observation of C. elegans after external heat induction and sequential exposure of pathogens indicated reduction of egg viability. Results of Real-time PCR and immunoblotting analysis of candidate genes revealed that heat shock and IIS pathways collaborate in the observed pathogenic resistance and further suggested SGK-1 to be the possible factor linking both these pathways. In addition, survival assays carried out using mutants equips us with supporting evidence that HSP and HSF-1 are necessary for the accelerated lifespan of C. elegans. Our findings thus confirm that crosstalk between HSPs and SGK-1 influences C. elegans longevity.
Dorsal thoracic arachnoid web presenting as neuropathic pain: ‘Scalpel’ sign found on MRI
Authors: Aiyer Rohit , El-Sherif Yasir , Voutsinas Lynne
Published: June 2016

Dorsal thoracic arachnoid webs are due to a deformity in the formation of arachnoid membrane in the spinal arachnoid space. These webs usually occur in the upper thoracic spine and are viewed on imaging as a pathogonomic ‘scalpel’ sign because of the resemblance on sagittal MRI to a surgical scalpel. We describe a case of a patient with a neuropathic pain presentation. After MR imaging, a focal dorsal indentation of the upper thoracic spinal cord at the T3–T4 level with the scalpel sign was found. This sign indicates that the patient’s neuropathic pain was caused by the dorsal thoracic arachnoid web.
Hand Positions Alter Bistable Visual Motion Perception
Authors: Saito Godai , Gyoba Jiro
Published: June 2016

We found that a hand posture with the palms together located just below the stream/bounce display could increase the proportion of bouncing perception. This effect, called the hands-induced bounce (HIB) effect, did not occur in the hands-cross condition or in the one-hand condition. By using rubber hands or covering the participants’ hands with a cloth, we demonstrated that the visual information of the hand shapes was not a critical factor in producing the HIB effect, whereas proprioceptive information seemed to be important. We also found that the HIB effect did not occur when the participants’ hands were far from the coincidence point, suggesting that the HIB effect might be produced within a limited spatial area around the hands.
Making connections and promoting the profession: Social media use by World Federation of Occupational Therapists member organisations
Authors: Hamilton Anita L , Burwash Susan C , Penman Merrolee , Jacobs Karen , Hook Angela , Bodell Sarah , Ledgerd Ritchard , Pattison Marilyn
Published: June 2016

Background

World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) member organisations comprise 77 national occupational therapy organisations across the world. Each national organisation interacts with its members and the public using diverse methods. Increasingly, national organisations are broadening their communication methods.

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine if and how occupational therapy organisations are using social media for communication, and if so, the types of concerns or barriers they experience and what role they anticipate social media might play in the near future.

Methods

An online survey was developed; 57 of 77 WFOT member organisations responded.

Findings

This study identified that WFOT national organisations are using social media, to varying degrees, with or without an individual formally assigned to manage social media. Respondents reported that they used social media to: communicate with members, promote the organisation and promote the profession. Commonly expressed needs included assistance with guidelines for ethical social media use, developing technical expertise, and recognition of limits of time and competing priorities. Recommendations arising from this research are at the global, national, local and individual levels and incorporate active dissemination and pure diffusion approaches. Taking steps to increase the use of social media could indirectly impact occupational therapy practice through enhancing organisations’ abilities to support practitioners to enhance their practice.

Limitations and recommendations for further research

Although 57% of WFOT member organisations returned usable responses, there may be some additional perspectives that were not captured. It would be helpful to contact non-responding organisations to explore their social media use and plans. Further research could examine how future initiatives put in place by WFOT impact social media use by member organisations.
Exergames for the corporate wellness program in Singapore: An investigation of employees’ acceptance via watching Kinect video
Authors: Li Jinhui , Theng Yin-Leng , Cheong Wei Lun , Hoo Yi Fei , Ngo My Dung
Published: June 2016

Objective

This study aimed to explore the acceptance of exergames in a work environment and investigate influencing factors through examining a conceptual model.

Methods

After viewing a short video on playing exergames, sixty recruited working adults scored items associated with perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward use, and intention to use. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to test the measurement model, followed by structural equation modeling to estimate the path coefficients.

Results

The conceptual model was generally supported, with most of the path coefficients being statistically significant. Employees who perceived a higher level of ease of use toward exergames are more likely to have higher perceived usefulness and attitude toward use; higher perceived usefulness and attitude toward use further increases employees’ intention of use for the exergames.

Conclusion

Findings emphasized the importance of usability in affecting employees’ acceptance of exergames, thereby implying that designers should balance hedonic and utilitarian considerations in game design.
A Comparison Between Malay and English Research Article Discussions
Authors: Loi Chek Kim , Evans Moyra Sweetnam , Lim Jason Miin-Hwa , Akkakoson Songyut
Published: June 2016

This study investigated the rhetorical organization of Malay and English research article discussions. A move analysis was carried out for the two sets of data of the present study based on a modified version of Peacock’s model for the discussion section. For this purpose, a total of 40 research article discussions restricted to empirical studies (20 from each corpus) were randomly selected from journals in the field of education. Results show that Malay discussions are more context dependent while English discussions are more context independent and standalone. In addition, compared with its English-language counterparts, the fit between Peacock’s model and Malay discussions is partial. This phenomenon may be due to the preference for rhetorical concepts and values in the local writing community. The findings have pedagogical implications in an English for Academic Purposes classroom.
Differential Performance on National Exams
Authors: Latifi Syed , Bulut Okan , Gierl Mark , Christie Thomas , Jeeva Shehzad
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this study is to evaluate two methodological perspectives of test fairness using a national Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations. SSC is a suit of multi-subject national qualification tests at Grade 10 level in South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Because it is a high-stakes test, the fairness of SSC tests is a major concern among public and educational policy planners. This study is a first attempt to investigate test fairness of the national SSC examination of Pakistan using two independent differential item functioning (DIF) and differential bundle functioning (DBF) procedures. The SSC was evaluated for possible gender bias using multiple-choice tests in three core subjects, namely, English, Mathematics, and Physics. The study was conducted in two phases using explanatory item response model (EIRM) and Simultaneous Item Bias Test (SIBTEST). In Phase 1, test items were studied for DIF, and items with severe DIF were flagged in each subject. In Phase 2, the item bundles were analyzed for DBF. Three items were detected with large DIF, one for each subject, and one item bundle was detected with a negligible DBF. Taken together, the results demonstrate that there is no major threat to the validity of the interpretation of examinees’ test scores on the SSC examination. The outcome from this study provided evidence for test fairness, which will enhance test development practices at the national examination authorities.
“I Don’t Think It’s Worth the Risk”
Authors: Cassilo David , Sanderson Jimmy
Published: June 2016

Football player safety, specifically concussions, has been a growing area of debate in U.S. mainstream media. Whereas many of these discussions are centered on the health effects experienced by former players, active National Football League (NFL) players often discursively minimize concussions. However, in March 2015, 24-year-old, San Francisco 49ers player Chris Borland voluntarily retired, specifically citing concerns about the health risks associated with concussions sustained while playing football. A textual analysis of 112 digital media and 187 print media articles revealed 10 frames that were used to discuss Borland’s decision. Analysis revealed that the most prominent frame used in media outlets was centered on the health risks and consequences of playing football, while other frames discussed parental choice and social mobility associated with football. The results suggest that decisions by NFL players with respect to concussions can be framed in the context of larger social and cultural issues. As this occurs, conversations around safety, masculinity, and football move beyond the microlevel of participation, capturing macrolevel elements, such as parental consent, socioeconomic status, and health prioritization that factor into football participation.