bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hemilaryngectomy for salvage of radiation therapy failures
Authors: Rothfield Robert E. , Johnson Jonas T. , Myers Eugene N. , Wagner Robin L.
Published: April 2016

Radiation therapy has been the treatment most frequently used for early vocal cord cancer with surgery usually in the form of total laryngectomy held inreserveas a salvage option. We report our experience in selected patients who, having failed radiation therapy for their early vocal cord cancers, underwent frontolateral hemllaryngectomy as attempted salvage surgery. Between 1977 and 1986, fourteen patients at the University of Pittsburgh Eye and Ear Hospital underwent hemilaryngectomy for salvage of their stage I vocal cord squamous cell carcinoma after full‐course radiation therapy had been unsuccessful. Over this same time period, 77 patients underwent total laryngectomy for salvage of radiation therapy failure. Three patients failed hemilaryngectomy, two of whom were ultimately salvaged with total laryngectomy. Thus a 79% salvage rate was achieved with hemilaryngectomy with an average followup of 90 months. The overall cure rate was 93% (13 of 14) with voice preservation in 86% (12 of 14). Decannulation, postoperative infection, and initiation of oral intake were not influenced by age. Such problems occurred more often in patients undergoing radiation therapy compared to those undergoing hemilaryngectomy without previous radiation therapy. These results indicate that hemilaryngectomy may be used for the salvage of radiation therapy failures of stage I vocal cord carcinoma with good success and without undue morbidity.
Life‐threatening angioedema
Authors: Barna James S. , Frable Mary Ann S.
Published: April 2016

Angloedema is a well‐recognized edema involving the deeper layers of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and mucosa. From July 1986 to July 1989 the authors have observed and treated 10 patients admitted to the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Hospitals in Richmond, Virginia, with life‐threatening angioedema as a complication of enalapril or captopril ingestion. Both drugs are angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prescribed for antihypertensive activity and the ability to improve symptoms in patients with congestive heart failure. We describe the clinical symptoms, diagnosis, and management of these patients, as well as reasons for each occurrence. Sporadic reports of angloedema secondary to ACE inhibitor therapy have appeared in the literature. This represents the first time a significant series of patients from the same institution have encountered this complication over a short period of time, suggesting that the complication may be much more common than has been thought.
Enzymes of transmitter and energy metabolism in cat middle ear muscles
Authors: Godfrey Donald A. , Judkins Richard F. , Wiet Gregory J. , Parli Judy A. , Ross C. David , Rubin Allan M.
Published: April 2016

Activities of the enzymes choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which metabolize the neuromuscular transmitter acetylcholine, and malate and lactate dehydrogenase (MDH and LDH), enzymes of oxidative and glycolytic energy metabolism, respectively, were measured in the middle ear muscles of the cat. For comparison, the same enzyme activities were measured in extraocular muscle tissue and in three hindlimb muscles rich in either slow oxidative (soleus), fast glycolytic (white part of vastus lateralis), or fast oxidative glycolytic (plantaris) muscle fibers. ChAT and AChE activities were much higher in middle ear muscles than in hindlimb muscles, consistent with a denser neuromuscular innervation, as in extraocular muscles. By contrast, MDH and LDH activities were remarkably low in the middle ear muscles, lower than in any of the hindlimb muscles or the extraocular muscles. Denervation of the stapedius muscle by peripheral transection of the facial nerve resulted in decreases in all four enzyme activities without associated changes in the tensor tympani. Surgical ablation of the peripheral facial nerve supply to the stapedius muscle appears to be a feasible option for producing its denervation. The results suggest some rather specialized chemical characteristics for the middle ear muscles.
Correlation between histology and nerve excitability after reinnervation of paralyzed strap muscles in the rabbit
Authors: Broniatowski Michael , Grundfest‐Broniatowski Sharon , Chou Samuel M. , Nosé Yukihiko , Tucker Harvey M.
Published: April 2016

We have recently shown that the mean muscle chronaxie for nerve pedicle implanted into denervated rabbit strap muscle is comparable to that of normal nerve. This study correlates excitability with histologic characteristics of muscles reinnervated via nerve‐muscle pedicles (NMP) and direct nerve implants (DNI). Strength duration curves were measured in 13 rabbits 3.5 to 5 months after reinnervation by NMP (n = 6) and DNI (n = 7). Following this, control (n = 5) and reinnervated straps were harvested immediately before the animals were killed and frozen in liquid nitrogen. The material was submitted for hematoxylin‐eosin stains as well as trichrome stains for general morphology, myofibrillar ATPase and NADH for fiber typing, and cholinesterase for determination of denervated fibers. In all animals with low chronaxie, expected type grouping from reinnervation was noted (n = 10). By contrast, the three animals in which chronaxie was abnormally elevated demonstrated fibrosis, inflammation, and absence of or poor type grouping. This suggests that type grouping is necessary for excitability after reinnervation of paralyzed striated muscles.
Nasal transit time in normal subjects and pathologic conditions
Authors: Englender Moshe , Chamovitz David , Harell Moshe
Published: April 2016

A radionuclide method using Tc‐99m was used to measure the nasal transit time in 43 patients, including normal smokers and nonsmokers and those with various nasal or paranasal pathologies. The technique described was slightly modified from that already in use in various centers in order to enable more precise measurement. Measurement of transit time of a droplet of Tc‐99m phytate on the nasal mucosa appears to differentiate patients with immotile cilia syndrome from normal controls. A positive test, however, can occur also in smokers and in patients with other nasal and paranasal problems. The test is reproducible, cost‐effective, and noninvasive, enabling the clinician to make a more appropriate selection of patients needing further investigation.
Argon laser irradiation of the otolithic organ
Authors: Okuno Taeko , Nomura Yasuya , Young Yi‐Ho , Hara Makoto
Published: April 2016

An argon laser was used to irradiate the otolithic organs of guinea pigs and cynomolgus monkeys. After stapedectomy, the argon laser (1.5 W × 0.5 sec/shot) irradiated the utricle or saccule without touching the sensory organs. The stapes was replaced over the oval window after irradiation. The animals used for acute observation were killed immediately for morphologic studies; those used for long‐term observation were kept alive for 2, 4, or 10 weeks. Acute observation revealed that sensory and supporting cells were elevated from the basement membrane only in the irradiated area. No rupture of the membranous labyrinth was observed. Long‐term observation revealed that the otolith of the macula utriculi had disappeared in 2‐week specimens. The entire macula utriculi had disappeared in 10‐week specimens. No morphologic changes were observed in cochlea, semicircular canals, or membranous labyrinth. The saccule showed similar changes.
Free amino acid analysis of guinea pig perilymph: A possible clinical assay for the plf enigma?
Authors: Schweitzer Vanessa G. , Woodson B. Tucker , Mawhinney Thomas D. , Rarey Kyle E. , Bauman Mary Jane , Raymer Susan L. , Peterson Ed
Published: April 2016

Controversy prevails regarding the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of perilymphatic fistula (PLF). The diagnosis of PLF has been based on the subjective evaluation of vestibular function tests and the intraoperative macroscopic visualization of “clear fluid” from the oval/round windows at the time of exploratory tympanotomy. However, the subjective visual characterization of PLF varies among observing surgeons. Furthermore, perilymph can be “contaminated” with serum, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and local anesthesia. This article presents a scientific biochemical microassay for the free amino acid profile of perilymph. Microaliquots of uncontaminated perilymph were sampled from the bilateral round windows (scala tympani) of 20 guinea pigs and analyzed for 19 free amino acid concentrations (FAAC) by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These samples were compared with the FAAC of guinea pig serum samples. Perfect predictor value ranges were nonoverlapping for 12 of 19 free amino acids in perilymph vs. plasma. Amino acid microassay of middle ear fluid for verification of “true” perilymph vs. nonperilymph fluids by the identification of nonoverlapping FAA markers may allow scientific verification of the existence of PLF in “Suspected” patients.
Metronidazole in head and neck surgery—The effect of lengthened prophylaxis
Authors: Sawyer Robert , Cozzi Laura , Rosenthal David I. , Maniglia Anthony J.
Published: April 2016

Previous studies of antibiotic prophylaxis have shown that treatment for 24 hours has been beneficial for head and neck surgery and that longer periods of antibiotic therapy have not improved results. Metronidazole (Flagyl), unlike other antibiotics tested, has been shown to be effective in an experimental abscess, even if treatment is begun up to 120 hours after administration of inoculum. This article presents a prospective, randomized, multifactorial study comparing a brief vs. a prolonged duration of metronidazole and cefazolin prophylaxis in 50 consecutive patients with a head and neck cancer undergoing operation. Patients receiving 2 days vs. 7 or more days of antibiotic prophylaxis were compared. Statistical analysis of data demonstrated a striking reduction in severity of wound complications and a reduced incidence of wound infections in the group treated with 7 or more days of antibiotic prophylaxis.
Adjuncts to medical management of sinusitis
Authors: Druce Howard M.
Published: April 2016

The basic principles of sinusitis therapy are to treat any Infection present, facilitate drainage, and promote drainage both during and after treatment to prevent recurrence. Adjunctive measures promoting ciliary function and drainage through the sinus ostia include the following nonpharmacologic measures: Steam, astringents, inhalations, saline, and hot, dry air. Pharmacologic measures include decongestants, topical corticosteroids for chronic sinusitis, mucoevacuants, and analgesics. Antihistamines are indicated for acute sinusitis only when a patient with concomitant allergies is symptomatic during the allergy season or after infection has been ruled out as the primary cause of sinusitis. Sinusitis may be associated with asthma, and some patients do not respond optimally to asthma therapy until their sinusitis is diagnosed and treated.
Surgical update
Authors: Kennedy David W.
Published: April 2016

Radical stripping of diseased sinus mucosa has been considered the correct surgical approach to chronic sinusitis on the basis that severe mucosal thickening was irreversible. Now, nasal endoscopy has disproved this belief by showing that chronic sinusitis is primarily a disease of obstruction, with inflammation as a secondary manifestation. Once obstruction is surgically corrected and ventilation restored, the mucosa may regain near‐normal appearance and function. For chronic sinusitis that falls to respond to antibiotic therapy—and for recurrent acute sinusitis associated with abnormalities of the ostiomeatal complex—functional endoscopic sinus surgery offers the patient real hope of permanent relief from symptoms of sinusitis. Careful postoperative follow‐up with endoscopic evaluation enhances effectiveness of this more recent approach to sinus surgery. The Importance of presurgical evaluation via endoscopy and computed tomography cannot be overemphasized.
Spatial economy and the geography of functional economic areas
Authors: Jones Colin
Published: April 2016

The spatial economy can be visualised as a web of overlapping markets or functional areas linked to different activities. Unfortunately, very often administrative regions and local authority areas are used as proxies for functional areas, but they have serious shortcomings for spatial economic analysis and the implementation of local policies. The spatial economy is viewed here as a complex network of economic flows within a hierarchical urban system. This paper constructs a comprehensive geography of functional economic areas by first using consistent criteria based on commuting and migration flows for England. The analysis next superimposes a central place hierarchy derived from retail sales and office centre rents. It then classifies these functional economic areas offering insights into the spatial economy of England. The geography queries the relevance of core/surrounding models of urban form as large local labour market areas comprise in some cases more than 20 housing market areas. While the research uses England as a case study, the analysis is of generic significance to the spatial economies of developed countries. The paper also raises a number of methodological and data issues for further development.
Early Literacy Intervention for Preschoolers Who Need Tier 3 Support
Authors: Kaminski Ruth A. , Powell-Smith Kelly A.
Published: April 2016

Phonemic awareness has been consistently identified as an essential skill for as well as an important predictor of later reading achievement. Children who lack these early literacy skills at kindergarten entry are more likely to demonstrate both short- and long-term reading difficulties. Despite the importance of providing intervention early, there is a paucity of research on Tier 3 early literacy interventions in preschool. A single-case multiple baseline across subjects design was used to examine the effects of a Tier 3 phonemic awareness intervention with preschool children who were identified as needing Tier 3 support in early literacy skills. The intervention was conducted individually with children, 5 to 10 min a day over an 8-week period. The results show gains in phonemic awareness for all children; however, the intervention was clearly more effective for some students than others. Factors that may have affected children’s learning are discussed.
The (Dynamic) Mind in the Cave
Authors: Hubbard Timothy L. , Ruppel Susan E.
Published: April 2016

Four experiments examined whether reported looming of cave paintings and petroglyphs was due to representational momentum. Participants viewed a target photograph of a cave painting or petroglyph, and then a probe photograph of the same cave painting or petroglyph was presented. The viewpoint in the probe was closer, the same as, or farther than the viewpoint in the target. Participants judged if the probe viewpoint was (a) the same as or different from the target viewpoint or (b) closer, the same distance as, or farther than the target viewpoint. Experiments 1, 2, 3A, and 3B presented photographs of objects and entities, and Experiments 4A and 4B presented photographs of handprints and stencils. In all experiments, responses were not consistent with representational momentum, but were consistent with boundary extension. It is suggested perception of looming arises with continued inspection and reflects a mismatch between previously perceived (displaced) and currently perceived information.
Development and validation of the hypoglycaemia problem-solving scale for people with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Wu Fei-Ling , Juang Jyuhn-Huarng , Lin Chia-Hung
Published: April 2016

Objective

To develop and psychometrically test a new instrument, the hypoglycaemia problem-solving scale (HPSS), which was designed to measure how well people with diabetes mellitus manage their hypoglycaemia-related problems.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey design approach was used to validate the performance assessment instrument. Patients who had a diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus for at least 1 year, who were being treated with insulin and who had experienced at least one hypoglycaemic episode within the previous 6 months were eligible for inclusion in the study.

Results

A total of 313 patients were included in the study. The initial draft of the HPSS included 28 items. After exploratory factor analysis, the 24-item HPSS consisted of seven factors: problem-solving perception, detection control, identifying problem attributes, setting problem-solving goals, seeking preventive strategies, evaluating strategies, and immediate management. The Cronbach’s α for the total HPSS was 0.83.

Conclusions

The HPSS was verified as being valid and reliable. Future studies should further test and improve the instrument to increase its effectiveness in helping people with diabetes manage their hypoglycaemia-related problems.
Trends in Authorship Characteristics in The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1994 to 2014
Authors: Schrock John B. , Kraeutler Matthew J. , McCarty Eric C.
Published: April 2016

Background:

Trends in author qualifications, the number of authors per article, and the internationalization of author groups in sports medicine journals have not been widely investigated.

Purpose:

To examine trends in authorship characteristics in a single prominent sports medicine journal.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

Articles published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine ( AJSM) in 1994, 2004, and 2014 were reviewed. For each article, the academic degree(s) of the first and last author, the total number of authors, the country of the author group, and academic institution status were recorded.

Results:

A total of 708 articles met the inclusion criteria: 129 in 1994, 244 in 2004, and 335 in 2014. There were significant differences in the proportion of first authors with an MD degree (80% in 1994, 75% in 2004, 67% in 2014; P = .01), a dual MD/PhD degree (4.7% in 1994, 6.2% in 2004, 9.3% in 2014; P < .001), and a bachelor’s degree (0% in 1994, 0% in 2004, 3.9% in 2014; P < .001). The proportion of last authors with an MD/PhD significantly increased over the 2 decades studied (7% in 1994, 13% in 2004, 17% in 2014; P = .01). The mean number of authors per article also significantly increased (3.8 in 1994, 4.3 in 2004, 5.8 in 2014; P < .0001). The proportion of articles published by an international group and the proportion of articles published by an academic institution increased over the 20-year span as well (both P < .0001).

Conclusion:

Within the past 2 decades, there has been a significant increase in the average number of authors per article in AJSM, as well as a higher proportion of international groups and academic institutions publishing in the journal. More nonphysicians are publishing in AJSM, with a significantly higher percentage of first authors with a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree. This is likely due to a combination of a general increased interest in research as well as increased competition among medical students. These factors have likely led to larger research groups and thus a significantly higher average number of authors per article.
Schema-Based Instruction With Concrete and Virtual Manipulatives to Teach Problem Solving to Students With Autism
Authors: Root Jenny R. , Browder Diane M. , Saunders Alicia F. , Lo Ya-yu
Published: April 2016

The current study evaluated the effects of modified schema-based instruction on the mathematical word problem solving skills of three elementary students with autism spectrum disorders and moderate intellectual disability. Participants learned to solve compare problem type with themes that related to their interests and daily experiences. In addition, researchers compared the effects of concrete and virtual manipulatives within the treatment package. Results of the multiple probes across participants with an embedded alternating treatments design showed a functional relation between modified schema-based instruction and word problem solving. Two of three participants performed more steps in the virtual condition and one participant had equal performance in both concrete and virtual conditions. When given a choice between conditions upon skill mastery, all three participants preferred the virtual condition and maintained treatment effects. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Intracellular plasmid DNA delivery by self-assembled nanoparticles of amphiphilic PHML-b-PLLA-b-PHML copolymers and the endocytosis pathway analysis
Authors: Sun Jingjing , Luo Ting , Sheng Ruilong , Li Hui , Wang Zhao , Cao Amin
Published: April 2016

This work presents a new series of polycationic nanoparticles of ( l-)-lysine conjugated amphiphilic triblock copolymer poly(hydroxyletheyl methacrylate-L-lysine)- b-poly(L-lactide)- b-poly(hydroxyletheyl methacrylate-L-lysine)s (PHML- b-PLLA- b-PHML) as potent low cytotoxic vectors for intracellular plasmid DNA delivery. First, the triblock PHML- b-PLLA- b-PHML copolymers were prepared via a combination of metal-free controlled ring opening polymerization and successive atom transfer radical polymerization. Then the cationic PHML- b-PLLA- b-PHML nanoparticles were further prepared by solution self-assembly. The particle size, zeta potential and morphology of as-prepared PHML- b-PLLA- b-PHML nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The plasmid DNA binding affinities and polyplex stabilities were separately explored by agarose gel retardation and DNase I degradation assays. Then in vitro cytotoxicity and gene transfection efficiency of the PHML- b-PLLA- b-PHML nanoparticles vectors as well as relevant polyplex endocytosis pathway were investigated with H1299 cells. It was revealed that the PHML- b-PLLA- b-PHML nanoparticles exhibited low cytotoxicity, strong plasmid DNA binding affinity, high polyplex stability and efficient plasmid DNA transfection even under serum conditions (10% FBS). Moreover, the endocytosis analysis results disclosed that the PHML30- b-PLLA- b-PHML30 nanoparticle/plasmid DNA polyplexes were predominantly involved in lipid-raft-mediated endocytosis pathway, similar to that of SV40 virus-based vectors.
Assessing Nonprofit Rule Interpretation and Compliance
Authors: Siddiki Saba , Lupton Suzann
Published: April 2016

Nonprofit organizations operate within the confines of formalized agreements structured by parent organizations, funders, and partners. Compliance with the rules comprising these agreements leads to organizational legitimacy and the resulting access to resources. At times, compliance can be challenging because internal and external stakeholders exert pressures on nonprofits that can sometimes dissuade rule adherence. These pressures can be amplified when a nonprofit is an affiliate. Affiliate nonprofits must meet accountability demands of their local constituencies while aligning missions, organizational structures, governance, and programmatic activities with parent organizations that might be geographically distant. Affiliate status thus adds a layer of complication to an already complex environment. We conduct an institutional analysis as a basis for assessing how nonprofit affiliates interpret global rules for maintaining affiliate status and factors most important to them in maintaining continued compliance with such rules. Our research is conducted in the context of United Way (UW) affiliate organizations in Indiana.
Displacement-controlled crack growth in double cantilever beam specimen: A comparative study of different models
Authors: Abbaszadeh Bidokhti Ali , Shahani Amir Reza , Amini Fasakhodi Mohammad Reza
Published: April 2016

This paper presents, discusses, and compares different techniques to model fracture initiation and static crack growth in double cantilever beam specimen under displacement-controlled loading. Energy release rate, critical displacement for the onset of crack growth, and critical load were determined by analytical solution, standard, and extended finite element method. The crack growth was also examined, and the advantages of each method were described as well. In addition, the compliance technique was used in the analytical method. In this regard, the crack growth relations were formulated based on four models including simple Euler–Bernoulli model, Euler–Bernoulli on the elastic foundation, simple Timoshenko beam, and the beam on the elastic foundation considering shear effects. Closed-form relations were extracted for the fracture parameters. Afterward, the Abaqus software was utilized to simulate the crack growth by the standard finite element method. Since the extended finite element has the ability to model the discontinuities inside the elements, the problem was also simulated by this method. Cohesive fracture of double cantilever beam specimen was performed using a closed-form solution and using a finite element model. Results of different modeling techniques were determined and compared.
Indoor and outdoor measurement of airborne particulates on a commuter train running partly in tunnels
Authors: Cha Yingying , Abbasi Saeed , Olofsson Ulf
Published: April 2016

Wear processes from mechanical braking, rail/wheel contact, the railway electrification system and re-suspended materials due to the turbulence of passing trains in tunnels and stations have been suggested to be the main contributors to particulate matter levels inside trains. In this study, onboard monitoring was performed on a commuter train stopping at underground and aboveground stations. The concentration and size distribution of particulates were monitored for both indoor and outdoor levels. The results show that the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 inside the train were about one-fifth of the outdoor levels. Significant increases in indoor particulate number concentrations were observed in tunnel environments and there was a slight increase when the doors were open. Differences in the size distributions of micro- and nano-sized particulates could be identified for different tunnels.
A unified criterion for fatigue–creep life prediction of high temperature components
Authors: Zhu Shun-Peng , Yang Yuan-Jian , Huang Hong-Zhong , Lv Zhiqiang , Wang Hai-Kun
Published: April 2016

A unified ductility criterion for fatigue–creep life prediction is presented based on the static fracture toughness exhaustion and dissipated cyclic strain energy density of high temperature components. It provides a general failure criterion for both low and high cycle fatigue regimes. The effects of mean stress, creep and loading waveform on fatigue life are incorporated into this criterion. Applicability and prediction accuracy of the newly proposed criterion was validated through comparing model predictions to experimental results taken from the literature. The results show that the proposed criterion is robust for different loading conditions and more accurate than other existing strain energy/ductility-based methods.
Numerical vorticity quantification in the Kvichak River, Alaska (USA)
Authors: Diedrich Timothy J , Toniolo Horacio
Published: April 2016

Hydrokinetic turbine deployment locations have historically been sited based on the power density and theoretical hydraulic power. Neither of these parameters account for the turbulence within the fluid column. It is the goal of this paper to quantify the vorticity magnitude, based on previously collected Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler data, associated with transects of the Kvichak River near Igiugig, Alaska (USA). The Kvichak River is a proposed site for the deployment of a hydrokinetic turbine, where three siting recommendations have previously been made by others. Vorticity magnitude results are plotted in cross-sectional, two-dimensional contour format and are utilized to further the analysis and recommendations of the deployment site along the study area. A vector system rotation is applied to correlate Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler data output to a regional coordinate system. Results indicate that higher levels of vorticity magnitude are associated with two of the primary recommended turbine deployment sites and provide confidence in the suitability of the sole remaining proposed turbine deployment location.
Clinical outcomes of lupus nephritis patients with different proportions of crescents
Authors: Zhang W , Yuan M , Hong L , Zhou Q , Chen W , Yang S , Yang Q , Chen W , Yu X
Published: April 2016

Background

The prognostic significance of different proportions of crescents in lupus nephritis (LN) remains unclear. We assessed the long-term prognosis of LN patients with different proportions of crescents.

Methods

In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, 788 eligible LN patients were enrolled. The primary endpoint was doubling of baseline serum creatinine and end-stage renal disease; the secondary endpoint was death.

Results

There were 406 (51.5%) patients demonstrating crescents at biopsy, and they had more severe baseline status: lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), more proteinuria, more severe microscopic hematuria, and higher pathological scores for both activity index (AI) and chronicity index (CIn) (all p < 0.001, respectively). After a median follow-up period of 56 months (range: 3–172 months), no significant differences were observed in terms of renal or patient survival in these two groups ( p = 0.188). In LN patients with crescents, patient survival was poorer along with the increase in the proportion of crescents; for crescentic LN, patient survival was 78.9% at five years and 52.6% at 10 years (vs. subgroups of crescent proportion <10%, 10%–19%, 20%–49%: 95.5%, 92.3%, 91.7% at five years; 86.1%, 80.1%, 66.5% at 10 years, respectively, p = 0.008). Furthermore, there were higher proportions of crescents independently predicted for adverse outcomes of renal progression and mortality ( p = 0.049) after adjusting for age, sex, baseline eGFR, proteinuria, AI, and CIn in the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model.

Conclusion

The overall long-term renal survival of LN patients with and without crescents was comparable. However, a higher proportion of crescents increased the risk for unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the lesions of crescents, and more prospective studies are needed to explore the optimal regimens for LN patients with different proportions of crescents.
Association between functional NLRP3 polymorphisms and susceptibility to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases: a meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Y H , Bae S-C
Published: April 2016

Objective

This study determined whether NLRP3 polymorphisms rs35829419 C/A and rs10754558 C/G were associated with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Methods

An association between the NLRP3 rs35829419 C/A and rs10754558 C/G polymorphisms and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases was determined by performing a meta-analysis by using (1) allele contrast, (2) recessive, (3) dominant, and (4) co-dominant models.

Results

Thirty comparative studies involving 8069 patients and 8824 controls were included in the meta-analysis. No association was observed between autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and NLRP3 rs35829419 C allele (OR = 1.020, 95% CI = 0.804–1.295, p = 0.869). Stratification by ethnicity showed no association between the NLRP3 rs35829419 C allele and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in European, Latin American, and Polynesian populations. Stratification by disease type showed no association between the NLRP3 rs35829419 C allele and gout, SLE, RA, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease. Moreover, no association was observed between autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and the NLRP3 rs10754558 C allele (OR = 1.057, 95% CI = 0.950–1.177, p = 0.310). However, stratification by ethnicity showed an association between the NLRP3 rs10754558 C allele and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in the Latin American (OR = 1.399, 95% CI = 1.201–1.630, p = 1.6 × 10–6) but not in European and Asian populations. Further, stratification by disease type showed a significant association of the NLRP3 rs10754558 C allele with SLE (OR = 1.465 95% CI = 1.144–1.875, p = 0.002) but not with gout and celiac disease. The same pattern was observed for the NLRP3 rs10754558 C allele in the recessive model.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that the NLRP3 rs10754558 C/G polymorphism was associated with susceptibility to SLE and with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in Latin American individuals.
Smoke and Mirrors
Authors: Lloyd Michele , Ramon Shula
Published: April 2016

News media are in a position to project certain perspectives on domestic violence while marginalizing others, which has implications for public understanding and policy development. This study applies discourse analysis to articles on domestic violence in two U.K. national daily newspapers published in 2001-2002 and 2011-2012 to evaluate evidence of change over a 10-year time span. The research examines how discourses of domestic violence are constructed through newspaper representations of victims, predominantly women, and perpetrators, predominantly men. Although one of the newspapers adopts a respectful position toward women, the textual and visual techniques adopted by the other reveal a tendency for blaming the victim and sexualizing violence related to perceptions of “deserving” or “undeserving” women victims.
Clinical Pearls
Authors: Wu Jane , Boggild Andrea K.
Published: April 2016

Leprosy reactions are acute inflammatory episodes that occur in the setting of Mycobacterium leprae infection. Precipitants of reactions can be pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic. Both type 1 and type 2 reactions typically occur before and during leprosy treatment but may also occur after treatment has been completed. Reactions cause morbidity due to nerve damage, and prompt corticosteroid therapy is warranted to minimize nerve damage due to reactions.
Enduring capital flow constraints and the 2007–2008 financial and euro zone crises
Authors: Thompson Helen
Published: April 2016

This article analyses the 2007–2008 financial and the euro zone crises through the lens of an international capital flows crisis for European banks and the euro zone periphery. The notion of a specific Anglo-American weakness created by extreme financialisation and then made manifest in the financial crisis cannot explain why the experience of large commercial and universal French, German and UK banks during the two crises was much more similar to each other than the similarity between that of UK banks and US banks. Internationalised balance sheets, and in particular a dollar funding dependency, left these French, German and UK banks extremely vulnerable to crisis. French and German banks faced the same dollar funding crises at different junctures during the financial and euro zone crises, and from May 2010 to December 2012, these crises track the development of the euro zone crisis as experienced in the periphery. This dollar dependency ultimately made the survival of these banks dependent on financial support from the Federal Reserve Board, showing the limits of what states, other than the United States, can do to bailout financial corporations. For the periphery economies, the euro zone crisis recreated pre-monetary union problems with capital flight in a new form and created a new problem around access to emergency credit that led directly to a loss of economic and political autonomy.

As international market-based banking took hold across advanced-country economies, European banks stood at the centre of a large increase in international capital flows. Acute disruption of these flows was central to the experience of large French, German and UK banks during the 2007–2008 financial crisis and the euro zone crisis and to the euro zone periphery during the euro zone crisis. The crises around these flows show the explanatory importance of structural external constraints in understanding the economic and political predicaments of financialised economies both in terms of destabilising international financial markets and the power dynamics created by access to emergency credit.
The “Ravel issue” and possible implications
Authors: Alexoudi Athanasia , Sakas Damianos , Gatzonis Stylianos
Published: April 2016

Current research has noted that auditory stimuli via rhythmic cues can enhance speech in patients with basal ganglia lesions. The contribution of basal ganglia function in music perception and performance is a matter of discussion. The French composer Maurice Ravel suffered from a progressive degenerative cerebral disease of uncertain etiology, probably primary progressive aphasia. Based on the case of the famous composer, we present the hypothesis that the fact he adopted different uses of timbre could be attributed to the altered basal ganglia function during the disease evolution. Our assumption would like to add a point of view to the current diagnostic debate.
Economising education: From the silent revolution to rethinking education. A new moment of Europeanisation of education?
Authors: Antunes Fátima
Published: April 2016

Rethinking Education (EC, 2012) suggests a new phase in European education policy. The constitution of education as a marketable service and the European (Higher) Education area as a market was pinpointed as an implicit agenda in the silent revolution in education landscape fostered by the open method of coordination and the Bologna and Copenhagen Processes. What suggests a new momentum is that: (i) education appears programmatically conceived as a marketable service, in the terms of a business and a European-wide and global market; (ii) a VET reform is underway based on German apprenticeship model, which brings together a version of minimal cheap education and a commercial strategy; (iii) there are signs of centralisation of European education policy on the EC and the CEU, under the European semester, and the apparent decline in importance of the Bologna and Copenhagen Processes and the Education & Training 2020 Programme. When looking at Portugal nowadays, the Europeanisation of education, fostered by economic and financial, as well as educational, European policies, and the choices of the government, presents a complex picture, with the shrinking of the welfare state, the increase in education privatisation and commercialisation, and the growing gap between national and European education welfare levels.
Colour preference, naturalness, vividness and colour quality metrics, Part 2: Experiments in a viewing booth and analysis of the combined dataset
Authors: Khanh TQ , Bodrogi P , Vinh QT , Stojanovic D
Published: April 2016

In Part 2 of this work, observers scaled colour preference, naturalness and vividness visually on interval scales (0–100) labelled by semantic categories (e.g. ‘moderate’, ‘good’ and ‘very good’) in the context of food lighting using the same questionnaire as in Part 1. Seven multi-LED light sources with more or less object saturation effect illuminated a viewing booth with coloured food objects. The two datasets (Part 1: room + Part 2: viewing booth) were merged and the observers’ assessments were predicted by recent colour quality indices and CIELAB chroma differences. Linear combinations of selected pairs or triads of descriptors were used to predict the merged dataset. Criterion values to achieve ‘good’ preference, naturalness and vividness level were determined.
Understanding Deinstitutionalization
Authors: Jones Jennifer L. , Gallus Kami L.
Published: April 2016

The deinstitutionalization movement that began 50 years ago remains a current issue for professionals and families. Using qualitative phenomenology methodology, we investigated the experience of mandated deinstitutionalization for parents and siblings whose relatives with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) transitioned from institutionalization to community living within the past 1 to 3 years. Findings from the current study align with previous research wherein, over time, most families shift from opposition to satisfaction regarding community living; however, family members’ narratives in the current study reveal there is more to the process of deinstitutionalization than the outcome of satisfaction. Family members, regardless of current opposition or satisfaction, shared six common themes concerning what they desired and valued throughout the deinstitutionalization process: (a) respect our relative’s history, (b) collaborate: make us feel like we are a part of the process, (c) provide quality care, (d) provide consistent care, (e) include my relative in the community, and (f) remember we are family. As the desirable goals of full community inclusion (e.g., education, community living, competitive employment) are implemented through policy and practice, professionals must continue to develop intentional collaborations with, and supports for, families during times of transition in conjunction with services and supports developed for individuals with IDD.
Against the Witness: Hindu Nationalism and the Law in India
Authors: Chatterjee Moyukh
Published: April 2016

In the aftermath of anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat, India, in 2002, NGOs and activists encouraged survivors to testify against Hindu perpetrators in court. Through an ethnographic analysis of a criminal trial in the lower courts of Ahmedabad, I show how state officials and perpetrators used legal procedures to transform Muslim survivors into unreliable witnesses in the courtroom. These formal and informal techniques to destabilize Muslim witnesses are best understood not as byproducts of the law’s failure to address mass violence, but as a legal performance of Hindu supremacy. Procedural and positivistic approaches to the rule of law failed to address the law as a performance embedded in the context of Hindu nationalism in Gujarat. Not only do such trials discredit witnesses of mass violence, but they also give a legal form to the subordinate status of religious minorities within a majoritarian political regime.
Provisional notes on ubuntu for journalists covering war
Authors: Chasi Colin T
Published: April 2016

There is a growing pool of literature on the implications for journalism of the African moral philosophy of ubuntu. However, little of this literature is framed around the conception that the world is fundamentally violent and/or that communication itself is violent, focusing on the idea of harmonious life. This article contributes to changing this, insisting that valuing of harmonious community relations should neither involve denying the violence within which communities are established nor the taking for granted of any “we.” After all, communication is violent and failing to conceptualize African journalistic practice in ways that are consistent with how Africans inordinately experience violence is concerning. With special interest in news regarding violent, I draft a provisional understanding of news that reflects values of ubuntu, tentatively conceptualizing news values inspired by ubuntu, and advocating an ubuntu-informed normative account of how journalists should cover conflict, war, and possibilities regarding peace.
Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by multiple shocks in electrical storm
Authors: Pérez-Castellanos Alberto , Atienza Felipe , Bueno Héctor , Sousa Iago , Fernández-Avilés Francisco
Published: April 2016

Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is a syndrome characterized by acute transient ventricular dysfunction in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease and is predominantly associated with exposure to sudden emotional or physical stress. Patients with TTC may develop serious in-hospital complications, including ventricular arrhythmias. However, triggering of TTC after an electrical storm has not previously been described. We present two cases of TTC induced by multiple shocks in the setting of an electrical storm due to pharmacologically induced long QT syndrome.
The Luther Decade on Reformation and Politics
Authors: Moyo Herbert
Published: April 2016

Luther’s mission in the treatise on temporal authority (TA) was to give advice to his Christian princes on good governance. This treatise can be used as a guide on church and state relations. This article is motivated by the 2014 theme of the Luther Decade: “The Reformation and Politics,” which offers opportunities for the study of the impact of the reformation on the politics of the then German in particular, Europe and the world in general. In this article, I retrieve and reread Martin Luther’s treatise on TA, which is the basis of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe’s (ELCZ) understanding of the role of the church in politics.
The Modeling of Institutional Modernization by Means of Fractal Geometry
Authors: Zhukov Dmitry S. , Lyamin Sergey K.
Published: April 2016

The article presents the General Fractal Model of Transit (GFMT) designed to apply modeling in the sociopolitical disciplines. For the purposes of conducting computer experiments with the model, a “Modernofractal 5.1” program was created. Constructing procedures for algebraic fractals enables to simulate social evolutions in the phase space, mainly their starting and end points. The GFMT formula iteration simulated interaction of a series of abstract governing factors, which may be treated as the most significant for different social systems under the stage of transformation. The GFMT has the potential “tuned,” made more specific, for studying various social phenomena. The authors examined the heuristic opportunities of this analysis tool as applied to the fields of historical and political science research (the object of study was rapid modernization of institutions with informal “game rules”). The article contains descriptions of several GFMT computer experiments demonstrating the analysis tools and interpretability of outcome data.
Party Newspapers Perspectives and Choices
Authors: Espírito Santo Paula , Costa Bruno
Published: April 2016

The focus of this article is on how different parties use its party newspapers as instruments of political communication, in the current political context, particularly in Portuguese press. As is to be expected, the newspapers reproduce the party’s vision and help disseminate their leaders’ political ideals and proposals. There are, however, significant differences in the history and format of each publication, in terms of the way the political message is put across and the scope of the subjects addressed. This article is based on a content analysis technique, through a categorical qualitative and quantitative systematization. The expected results are centered on the discussion about the communication strategies of ideologically different party newspapers which are visible in front pages. Moreover, this study is expected to contribute to the discussion about personalization in politics, focusing and considering in particular party newspapers. This is a subject that has been scarcely investigated in communication studies and in political science, despite the presence and ideological place of party newspapers in the past and at present. The aim of this article is to make a contribution toward demonstrating and boosting the interest of this important support to party life and politics.
Culturally Sensitive Education Can Decrease Hispanic Workers’ Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Marks Steven
Published: April 2016

Metabolic syndrome is a continuing problem in the United States, and the Hispanic population is at increased risk of developing complications from this disease process. Many of the workers at a South Jersey yacht-building company are Hispanic, and a culturally sensitive education program was implemented to improve their overall health. Program assessments included the Latino Dietary Behavior Questionnaire (LDBQ), anthropomorphic measurements, and laboratory studies both pre and post intervention. The intervention included a Spanish-language lecture on metabolic syndrome and healthy nutrition, followed by an interactive culturally appropriate cooking demonstration for the participants and their significant others. Program participants showed reductions in body mass index, blood pressure, lipid levels, and hemoglobin A1c, and more knowledge of healthy nutrition as measured by the LDBQ. This finding supports culturally sensitive education programs to improve the health of Hispanic populations.