bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tinnitus and Its Effect on the Quality of Life of Sufferers: A Nigerian Cohort Study
Authors: Ukaegbe Onyinyechi C. , Orji Foster T. , Ezeanolue Basil C. , Akpeh James O. , Okorafor Ijeoma A.
Published: October 2017

Objectives

To evaluate the quality of life of patients with ongoing tinnitus.

Study Design

This was a cross‐sectional study of patients with ongoing tinnitus.

Setting

The study was carried out in a tertiary hospital in southeastern Nigeria.

Subjects and Methods

Subjects are adults who presented to the otorhinolaryngology clinic with tinnitus as their primary complaint. Pure‐tone audiometry, tinnitus pitch, and loudness matching were done. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaire was used in assessing their quality of life.

Results

There were 63 participants within the age range of 16 to 74 years; 20 (31.7%) were male and 43 (68.3%) were female. The mean duration of tinnitus was 26.7 ± 38.1 months. Nineteen (30.2%) participants had bilateral tinnitus while 44 (69.8%) had unilateral tinnitus. The mean THI score was 36.6 ± 19.7. The most reported handicap was anxiety and difficulty with concentration followed by depression and irritability. There was no correlation between the disability shown by the THI score and the age, sex, duration of the tinnitus, the tinnitus pitch, tinnitus loudness, or the laterality of the tinnitus. There was a significant positive correlation between the grade of hearing loss and the level of disability reported in the THI (P =. 01).

Conclusion

Tinnitus sufferers appear to have poorer quality of life compared with nonsufferers. This quality‐of‐life affectation is likely to be worse in those with disabling hearing loss but does not appear to be related to their age, sex, symptom duration, or the loudness and pitch of their tinnitus.
Adverse Events in Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Infectious Orbital Complications of Sinusitis: 30‐Day NSQIP Pediatric Outcomes
Authors: Cheng Jeffrey , Liu Beiyu , Farjat Alfredo E. , Jang David W.
Published: October 2017

Objective

Identify predictors of adverse events for children who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery for treatment of orbital complications associated with sinusitis.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional analysis of a US national database.

Setting

American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), pediatric version (2012‐2015).

Subjects and Methods

Patients were identified with a combination of codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and 2014 Current Procedural Terminology. Our primary outcome measure was adverse events, which were compared with clinical risk factors to examine for any associations.

Results

A total of 57 patients were included for analysis. No significant relationship was identified between 30‐day postoperative adverse events and age, sex, race, body mass index, prematurity, history of asthma, steroid use (within 30 days), and preoperative white blood cell count. There was a statistically significant increase in adverse events for those patients who underwent delayed surgery (P <. 0001). No serious adverse events related to death, sepsis, nerve injury (eg, visual loss), or other organ space infections (eg, intracranial infection) were identified. After controlling for age group and race, delayed operative intervention was a significant clinical predictor of adverse events (odds ratio = 25.65; 95% CI, 3.86‐170.45; P =. 0008). We observed unplanned reoperation and readmission rates of 5.3% and 7%, respectively.

Conclusions

Endoscopic surgical drainage for infectious orbital complications of sinusitis in children appears to be safe. Serious or significant adverse events were uncommon. Areas for improvement include limiting and reducing unplanned reoperations and readmissions.
Reversal of Smoking Effects on Chronic Rhinosinusitis after Smoking Cessation
Authors: Phillips Katie M. , Hoehle Lloyd , Bergmark Regan W. , Caradonna David S. , Gray Stacey T. , Sedaghat Ahmad R.
Published: October 2017

Objective

To understand whether the impact of smoking on chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is reversible after smoking cessation.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Academic tertiary care rhinology clinic.

Subjects and Methods

A total of 103 former‐smoker CRS patients and 103 nonsmoker CRS patients were prospectively recruited. The primary outcome measure was sinonasal symptom severity measured with the 22‐item Sinonasal Outcomes Test (SNOT‐22), and secondary outcome measures were general health‐related quality of life (QOL) measured with the 5‐dimensional EuroQol visual analog scale (EQ‐5D VAS) and patient‐reported CRS‐related antibiotic and oral corticosteroid usage in the past year. Outcome measures were compared between cohorts and checked for association with time since cessation of smoking for former smokers.

Results

Compared with nonsmokers, former smokers had worse SNOT‐22 score (P =. 019) and EQ‐5D VAS score (P =. 001) and reported using more CRS‐related antibiotics (P =. 003) and oral corticosteroids in the past year (P =. 013). In former smokers, every year was associated with a statistically significant improvement in SNOT‐22 score (β = −0.48; 95% CI, −0.91 to −0.05; P =. 032), EQ‐5D VAS score (β = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.02‐0.91; P =. 046), and CRS‐related oral corticosteroid use (relative risk = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91‐0.98; P =. 001). Given the differences in our study outcome measures between former smokers and nonsmokers, we estimate that the reversible impacts of smoking on CRS may resolve after 10 to 20 years.

Conclusions

CRS patients who are former smokers have worse sinonasal symptomatology, QOL, and CRS‐related medication usage than nonsmokers. Every year since cessation of smoking is associated improvements in sinonasal symptomatology, QOL, and CRS‐related oral corticosteroid use, potentially reaching nonsmoker levels after 10 to 20 years.
Absence of Measles Virus Detection from Stapes of Patients with Otosclerosis
Authors: Flores‐García María de Lourdes , Colín‐Castro Claudia Adriana , Hernández‐Palestina Mario Sabas , Sánchez‐Larios Roberto , Franco‐Cendejas Rafael
Published: October 2017

Objective

To determine molecularly the presence of measles virus genetic material in the stapes of patients with otosclerosis.

Study Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Setting

A tertiary referral hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Genetic material was extracted from the stapes of patients with otosclerosis (n = 93) during the period from March 2011 to April 2012. The presence of viral measles sequences was evaluated by the real‐time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The expression of the CD46 gene was determined.

Results

Ninety‐three patients were included in the study. No sample was positive for any of 3 measles virus genes (H, N, and F). Measles virus RNA was not detected in any sample by real‐time RT‐PCR. CD46 levels were positive in 3.3% (n = 3) and negative in 96.7% (n = 90).

Conclusion

This study does not support the theory of measles virus as the cause of otosclerosis. It is necessary to do more research about other causal theories to clarify its etiology and prevention.
Minor Salivary Gland Carcinoma of the Oropharynx: A Population‐Based Analysis of 1426 Patients
Authors: Goel Alexander N. , Badran Karam W. , Braun Adam P. G. , Garrett Alexander M. , Long Jennifer L.
Published: October 2017

Objective

We sought to describe the patient, tumor, and survival characteristics of minor salivary gland carcinoma (MSGC) of the oropharynx using a large, population‐based database.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional analysis of the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database (Surveillance, Epidemiology. and End Results).

Subjects and Methods

We reviewed the SEER database for all cases of MSGC of the oropharynx from 1988 to 2013. Relevant demographic, clinicopathologic, and survival variables were extracted and analyzed. Cox multivariate regression was performed to identify prognostic factors.

Results

We identified 1426 cases of MSGC of the oropharynx (mean age, 58 years; 51% female). The soft palate (39.2%) and base of tongue (38.6%) were the most commonly involved sites. The most common histologic subtypes were mucoepidermoid carcinoma (32.1%), adenocarcinoma (25.9%), and adenoid cystic carcinoma (23.3%). Five‐ and 10‐year rates of disease‐specific survival were 75.1% and 61.6%, respectively. Independent prognostic factors included tumor grade, T stage, N stage, and age >70 years.

Conclusions

This study represents the largest multivariate survival analysis of MSGC of the oropharynx to date. Independent prognosticators include tumor grade, T stage, N stage, and age.
Clinical, imaging and electroencephalographic characterization of three cases of HaNDL syndrome
Authors: Quintas Sonia , López Ruiz Rocío , Trillo Santiago , Gago-Veiga Ana Beatriz , Zapata-Wainberg Gustavo , Dotor García-Soto Julio , Ximénez-Carrillo Álvaro , Vivancos Jose
Published: October 2017

Introduction

The syndrome of transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL) may mimic stroke when patients present with acute/subacute focal neurological deficits. It would be helpful to identify investigations that assist the neurologist in differentiating between HaNDL and stroke.

Case reports

We describe three cases that proved to be HaNDL, but were initially considered to be strokes. Hypoperfusion was noted in the CT perfusion (CTP) studies in all three cases, which extended beyond any single cerebral arterial supply. The CTP findings suggested a stroke mimic, and there was no improvement on thrombolysis. MRI failed to show any abnormalities in diffusion and EEGs showed non-epileptiform changes. Lumbar punctures demonstrated a lymphocytic pleocytosis.

Conclusion

The diagnosis of HaNDL is based on clinical and CSF criteria, but neuroimaging, including CT perfusion, can be helpful in differentiating the clinical syndrome from stroke.
Rich Food Biodiversity Amid Low Consumption of Food Items in Kilosa District, Tanzania
Authors: Ntwenya Julius E. , Kinabo Joyce , Msuya John , Mamiro Peter , Mamiro Delphina , Njoghomi Elifuraha , Liwei Philip , Huang Megan
Published: October 2017

Background:

Indigenous foods, which contribute largely to the majority of the households' food basket in rural Tanzanian communities, have not been fully characterized or documented.

Objectives:

The study aimed to document foods available and consumed in Kilosa District, Tanzania, in an attempt to promote, revive use, and build evidence for sustainable utilization of the rich local biodiversity.

Methods:

Data were collected from 307 households in 3 agroecological zones in Kilosa District during the beginning of the rainy season (February-May) and immediately after harvest (September-October). A list of food items was generated, and 24-hour recall was performed. Descriptive statistics were calculated and a student t test statistic was used to compare the means of the Food Biodiversity Score between the agricultural seasons.

Results:

A total of 183 edible food items were reported by households with more reported in the rainy season (n = 82) compared to harvest season (n = 64). The mean number of food items consumed per day during the rainy season was 4.7 (95% CI: 4.5-5.0) compared to 5.9 (95% CI: 5.7-6.1) during harvest season. About 50% of the households mentioned that wild edible foods were less accepted by household members.

Conclusion:

Despite the rich local food biodiversity, households relied on few food items which may be due to limited awareness and knowledge about the biodiversity of foods in the community. It is important to educate communities on the rich and affordable food base available locally to improve their food diversity, income, and nutritional status.
Noncompliance/Nonadherence With Home Nutrition Support: An Underrecognized Clinical Dilemma
Authors: Kirby Donald F. , Mitchell Ronelle , Hendrickson Eileen
Published: October 2017

Failure to administer enteral nutrition, intravenous fluids, and/or parenteral nutrition solutions can have deleterious effects on patients who have been prescribed such therapies. However, it is not well understood why patients requiring nutrition support would be noncompliant or nonadherent to these often life‐benefiting therapies. This article explores these issues in a large home nutrition support population.
Novel polyimides based on diamine containing thiazole units with thioether linkage and pyridine as pendent group
Authors: Rezania Jafar , Shockravi Abbas , Ehsani Morteza , Vatanpour Vahid
Published: October 2017

Three new organic-soluble polyimides (PIs) bearing flexible thioether linkages, thiazole, and pyridine ring units were synthesized from a novel thioether-bridged diamine monomer and commercially available aromatic dianhydrides (1–3) via chemical imidization method. The resulting polymers were obtained in high yields and possessed inherent viscosities in the range of 0.67–0.89. The PIs are characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All of the PIs exhibited excellent solubility in polar solvent. The polymers showed good thermal stability with glass transition temperatures ( Tgs) in the range of 194–244°C, and decomposition temperatures ( T5%) exceeding 300°C were observed using TGA in nitrogen atmosphere for the current polymers.
Urban planning following humanitarian crises: supporting urban communities and local governments to take the lead
Authors: Maynard Victoria , Parker Elizabeth , Yoseph-Paulus Rahayu , Garcia David
Published: October 2017

This paper describes research investigating UN-Habitat’s experience supporting communities and local government to undertake urban planning following humanitarian crises. Two case studies were examined: Banda Aceh, Indonesia, following the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004; and Tacloban, the Philippines, following Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The study found that urban planning following humanitarian crises can empower communities and governments to manage their own recovery. However, they may lack the knowledge, experience, time, tools or technology needed to take the lead. Organizations supporting urban communities and local government to undertake urban planning following humanitarian crises should consider: the most appropriate speed, scale and depth of the intervention given the context and their own funding and capacity; building local government capacity through secondments or partnerships; establishing a recovery and reconstruction planning task force; appropriate strategies for working with affected communities and their leaders; and advocating for national government support.
A hierarchical modeling approach for assessing the safety of exposure to complex antiretroviral drug regimens during pregnancy
Authors: Correia Katharine , Williams Paige L
Published: October 2017

Combination antiretroviral regimens have achieved tremendous success in reducing perinatal HIV transmission, and have become standard of care in pregnant women with HIV. However, the large variety of combination antiretroviral regimens utilized in practice raises the question of whether some of these highly potent drugs pose other risks to the pregnancy or infant. While HIV-infected pregnant women are almost always exposed to multiple antiretrovirals concurrently, standard safety screening strategies typically consider each individual antiretroviral separately, which fails to account for potential confounding due to simultaneous exposure to other antiretrovirals. In this paper, we evaluate a hierarchical modeling approach which groups antiretrovirals by drug class to screen for the safety of antiretrovirals taken during pregnancy, while still providing individual antiretroviral drug effect estimates. In simulation studies, we observed that the hierarchical approach may be advantageous as compared to considering each antiretroviral drug separately or simultaneously evaluating all antiretrovirals in a fixed effect model, particularly when there is prior evidence suggesting drugs from the same class behave similarly on the outcome. The characteristics of the hierarchical approach are illustrated in an application evaluating risk of preterm birth using a study including over 2000 pregnancies representing over 100 antiretroviral combinations, each involving up to three drug classes.
Person or system – What leads to surgical advances?
Authors: Hughes Sean PF
Published: October 2017

To understand the relationship between standardisation and originality in surgery, the contributions of three surgeons in the 20th century are analysed. The individual Arbuthnot Lane, the collectivist Robert Jones and the scientist Alexis Carrel changed the practice of orthopaedic surgery. It is argued that the factors influencing innovation are not binary but multifactorial and that advances in surgery occur when individual freedom is permitted within a system. It is concluded that innovation and standardisation in orthopaedic surgery need not conflict with each other.
Art matters: How art and medicine intersect in the art of Brian O’Doherty/Patrick Ireland
Authors: Moore-McCann Brenda
Published: October 2017

This essay discusses the influence of a medical training on the art practice of one of the seminal thinkers and art practitioners of the 20th century, Brian O’Doherty. Using selected artworks like the ‘Portrait of Marcel Duchamp’ (1966) that uses an electrocardiographic tracing of the older artist's heart, it demonstrates this link. However, in this artist’s hands, the work moves beyond this link to challenge a number of conventions within art itself.
Democracy, Globalization and Private Investment in Ghana
Authors: Obeng Samuel Kwabena , Akoto Linda , Acquah Felicia
Published: October 2017

The article examines the effects of democracy and globalization on private investment in Ghana for the period 1980–2012, using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test for cointegration and the error correction model (ECM). Two models are used. In Model 1, democracy is proxy by an index for institutional quality (Polity 2), while Model 2 uses an index for civil liberties as proxy for democracy. The results for Model 1 show globalization and public investment increase private investment, while exchange rate volatility and trade openness decrease private investment in both the long and short run. In addition, national income and interest rate reduce private investment in the short run. In the case of Model 2, credit to the private sector and public investment increase private investment, while exchange rate volatility and trade openness decrease private investment in both the long and short run. Finally, national income and interest rate reduce private investment in the short run. The findings and policy recommendations of the article provide vital information for policy implementation in Ghana.
Biomechanical Comparison of Intramedullary Fibular Nail Versus Plate and Screw Fixation
Authors: Smith George , Mackenzie Samuel Peter , Wallace Robert James , Carter Tom , White Timothy Oliver
Published: October 2017

Background:

Clinical evidence has shown that percutaneous ankle fracture fixation using an intramedullary fibular nail results in good outcomes at 1 year and reduces postoperative wound complications in patients with vulnerable soft tissues. Confirmatory biomechanical evidence of its strength when used to secure a supination external rotation (SER) IV (AO/OTA 44B-type) fracture, compared with traditional plates and screws, is currently lacking.

Methods:

Twenty cadaveric lower limbs (10 cadavers) had a SER IV injury surgically created. One leg was randomly allocated to fixation with a fibular nail and the other a lag screw and neutralization plate. A mechanical testing apparatus subjected all lower limbs to an axially loaded supination external rotation force to failure.

Results:

Superior ultimate torque to failure was demonstrated with a trend toward increased energy absorption in the nail group ( P = .28 and .07, respectively). No difference was demonstrated in angle at failure. All specimens in the plate group lost reduction at the bone-metal interface as a result of screw pullout. In contrast, all specimens in the nail group failed because of disruption of the lateral ligaments.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated greater torque to failure and better maintenance of the fibular construct for the intramedullary fibular nail compared to standard plating.

Clinical Relevance:

These results suggest that the previously documented clinical benefits of the fibular nail are complemented by biomechanical properties that compare favorably to standard techniques.
Where Qualitative Researchers and Technologies Meet: Lessons From Interactive Digital Art
Authors: Jackson Kristi
Published: October 2017

Drawing from research and theory on interactive digital art (specifically) and the social shaping of technology (more generally), this investigation challenges common conceptualizations of the use of Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDA Software). Through new frameworks for understanding qualitative research practice, the author pushes QDA Software developers, users, and critics to better understand the entangled relationships between qualitative researchers and digital tools for qualitative research. This is achieved by examining four displays of interactive digital art to disrupt the fairly simplistic binaries such as software/methods, researcher/technology, and automated/manual. After a focus on the experience of visitors to these displays, the article concludes with the analogy of the ideal qualitative researcher as a “good visitor” to emphasize the local, dynamic, engaged, and experiential aspects of respectfully and productively collecting and analyzing relevant qualitative data, regardless of whether a researcher uses digital tools to do so or not.
The Structure of Family Practices in Multifunctional Long-Term Care in a Small Group Home in Japan
Authors: Yamazaki Akemi , Kawahara Tae
Published: October 2017

The aim of the present research was to extract the structure of family practices in multifunctional long-term care in a small group home by focusing on practices offered to families that are not present in conventional in-home support services. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 care providers and four users’ family members. Four categories and 16 subcategories were extracted. In multifunctional long-term care in a small group home, staff engaged in the practices of becoming a part of family life, drawing out the nursing care capabilities of family members, and constantly speaking about the future with office staff and family members so that elderly users with dementia could live while being respected as people.
Engaging With Paradox, Striving for Sustainability: Relating to Public Science and Commercial Research
Authors: Ashby Mary , Riad Sally , Davenport Sally
Published: October 2017

Though paradox has pervasive effects on science work and sustainability in scientific research, it remains underexplored at the intersection of these contexts. The article addresses this nexus and contributes to the relational perspective on paradox by supplementing the emphasis on systemic relations with human relationships. The study examines experiences of research scientists with striving for sustainability and explicates the tensions they confront between public science and commercial research. It identifies three relational paradoxes: service ethos, role identity, and professional integrity; and it outlines how scientists manage them through approaches premised on differentiation and integration. Through its grounds in relationality, the work affirms the salience of extant themes on paradox for sustainability in science work and poses new theoretical contribution by showing how both paradoxes and responses are embedded in social relations. In effect, scientists address sustainability while engaging with paradox whereby they relate to both public science and commercial research.
Epidemiological study of feline idiopathic cystitis in Seoul, South Korea
Authors: Kim Younjung , Kim Hyungjoon , Pfeiffer Dirk , Brodbelt Dave
Published: October 2017

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate potential risk factors for the diagnosis of feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) in cats living in a primarily indoor environment.

Methods

A case-control study focusing on a cohort of cats attending a first-opinion veterinary practice in Seoul, South Korea, from 2012–2016, was undertaken. Data were collected from cats’ owners by questionnaire and analysed using a multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results

Fifty-eight cases of FIC and 281 randomly selected controls were surveyed. Over 90% of the cases and controls had no access to the outside, and 100% and 91% of the cases and controls, respectively, were neutered. The estimated prevalence of an FIC diagnosis was 1.77% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36–2.18). The final logistic regression model included five variables associated with an FIC diagnosis. Males had 2.34 times the odds of being diagnosed with FIC compared with females (95% CI 1.18–4.62; P = 0.015). Cats reported as not having vantage points had 4.64 times the odds of an FIC diagnosis compared with those reported as having vantage points (95% CI 2.05–10.49; P <0.001). Cats living in an apartment had 2.53 times the odds of an FIC diagnosis compared with those living in a house (95% CI 1.30–4.93; P = 0.006). Cats cohabiting with other cats were more likely to be diagnosed with FIC than those living alone (odds ratio 3.16, 95% CI 1.61–6.22; P = 0.001). Cats using non-clumping litter had 2.62 times the odds of an FIC diagnosis compared with those using clumping litter (95% CI 1.38–4.96; P = 0.003).

Conclusions and relevance

This study was conducted in a different epidemiological context from previous studies in that the overwhelming majority of the cats studied were housed entirely indoors. This study identified several significant associations related to a cat’s indoor environment. These findings suggest that the cat’s physical and social environment may play a role in the development of FIC.
Parental conceptions of the rotavirus vaccine during implementation in Stockholm: A phenomenographic study
Authors: Sjögren Eva , Ask Lina Schollin , Örtqvist Åke , Asp Margareta
Published: October 2017

In 2014, Stockholm became the first Swedish county to introduce the rotavirus vaccine, which is given from as early as six weeks of age. The aim of this study was to describe parental conceptions of rotavirus infection and vaccination during its implementation as part of the child immunization program, as their support is vital for any new vaccine. The study followed a descriptive, qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach. Ten in-depth interviews with parents were conducted in Stockholm County, transcribed and analyzed to describe qualitatively different conceptions of rotavirus infection and vaccination. Four main categories were identified: to vaccinate without doubt, hesitant to vaccinate, risky to vaccinate, and unnecessary to vaccinate. All the parents had in common the desire to protect their children from suffering, either by vaccinating their child in order to avoid rotavirus infection or by not vaccinating their child because of concerns about the side effects. It is important that child health-care professionals understand the variations of conceptions that influence the parents’ decisions and that these conceptions may differ considerably. Individualized parental information about rotavirus infection and vaccination would help to achieve a successful implementation of the vaccination program.
Nosenography
Authors: Canniford Robin , Riach Kathleen , Hill Tim
Published: October 2017

Nosenography is a theoretical and methodological commitment to uncover the presences and practices of smell, an often-ignored sensory feature of market and consumption spaces. Drawing on prior social science theorizations of smell as well as contemporary sensory marketing practices, we develop a framework to understand how smell features in spatial assemblages of bodies, locations and experiences. Extending theorizations of product smells and ambient smells, we show how this framework can guide knowledge of the sensing, practice and management of smell and space. We explain that smell is a dynamic and unruly force that (i) encodes spaces with meaning, (ii) identifies bodies with spaces, and (iii) punctuates the temporal experience of space as it changes. Nosenography reaffirms that spaces of consumption are multisensory and that this quality should be further acknowledged in figuring market spaces as dynamic and contested assemblages of heterogeneous constituents.
Journey of Errors: Finding Home in Academia
Authors: Atay Ahmet
Published: October 2017

In this autoethnographic exploration, I question the notion of academic home. I argue that as postcolonial academic bodies who are educated in the Western societies, our voices are often questioned or silenced, and our bodies and writing are often surveilled. Hence, the idea of home and belonging is often questioned. I offer decolonizing autoethnography as both a method and academic space to speak from and decolonize the ways in which our diasporic and immigrant bodies can challenge the power structures around us.
Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership: A Review of Empirical Studies
Authors: Kim Hyejin , Kim Taesung
Published: October 2017

There is an ongoing debate between the proponents and skeptics of emotional intelligence (EI) with regard to its contribution to leadership effectiveness in organizational settings. Not aiming to address all the leadership styles exhaustively, this research looked into the relationship between EI and transformational leadership (TL) by reviewing the accumulated research assets in the existing literature. After the staged review, 20 empirical studies covering five different continents were chosen for an in-depth analysis. The results show that most studies provide empirical support of the relationship, with variances in identifying subfactors of EI and TL that further explicate the EI–TL relationship. At the same time, the remaining studies are found to be skeptical, not fundamentally denying the relationship, but commonly pointing out the problem with EI measures and emphasizing the need for more valid and reliable assessment tools. Building on these findings, the present research suggests implications for practice and research in the human resource development (HRD) field.
Hydrogen sulfide ameliorated L-NAME-induced hypertensive heart disease by the Akt/eNOS/NO pathway
Authors: Jin Sheng , Teng Xu , Xiao Lin , Xue Hongmei , Guo Qi , Duan Xiaocui , Chen Yuhong , Wu Yuming
Published: October 2017

Reductions in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension; however, no studies have examined the functional role of hydrogen sulfide in hypertensive heart disease. We hypothesized that the endogenous production of hydrogen sulfide would be reduced and exogenous hydrogen sulfide would ameliorate cardiac dysfunction in Nω-nitro- L-arginine methyl ester ( L-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats. Therefore, this study investigated the cardioprotective effects of hydrogen sulfide on L-NAME-induced hypertensive heart disease and explored potential mechanisms. The rats were randomly divided into five groups: Control, Control + sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), L-NAME, L-NAME + NaHS, and L-NAME + NaHS + glibenclamide (Gli) groups. Systolic blood pressure was monitored each week. In Langendorff-isolated rat heart, cardiac function represented by ±LV dP/dtmax and left ventricular developing pressure was recorded after five weeks of treatment. Hematoxylin and Eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining and myocardium ultrastructure under transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate cardiac remodeling. The plasma nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide concentrations, as well as nitric oxide synthases and cystathionine-γ-lyase activity in left ventricle tissue were determined. The protein expression of p-Akt, Akt, p-eNOS, and eNOS in left ventricle tissue was analyzed using Western blot. After five weeks of L-NAME treatment, there was a time-dependent hypertension, cardiac remodeling, and dysfunction accompanied by a decrease in eNOS phosphorylation, nitric oxide synthase activity, and nitric oxide concentration. Meanwhile, cystathionine-γ-lyase activity and hydrogen sulfide concentration were also decreased. NaHS treatment significantly increased plasma hydrogen sulfide concentration and subsequently promoted the Akt/eNOS/NO pathway which inhibited the development of hypertension and attenuated cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. The cardioprotective effects of NaHS were counteracted by Gli which inhibited the Akt/eNOS/NO pathway. This suggests that the effects of hydrogen sulfide were mediated by the activation of the KATP channels. In conclusion, hydrogen sulfide ameliorated L-NAME-induced hypertensive heart disease via the activation of the Akt/eNOS/NO pathway, which was mediated by KATP channels.

Impact statement

1. We found that H2S ameliorated L-NAME-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction, and played a protective role in L-NAME-induced hypertensive heart disease, which the existing studies have not reported. 2. H2S activated the Akt/eNOS/NO pathway, thereby playing a cardioprotective role in L-NAME-induced hypertensive heart disease. 3. The cardioprotective effect of H2S was mediated by ATP-sensitive potassium channels.
Serial Follow-Up Evaluation With Computed Tomography After Conservative Medical Treatment in Patients With Symptomatic Spontaneous Isolated Superior Mesenteric Artery Dissection
Authors: Ichiba Toshihisa , Hara Masahiko , Yunoki Keiji , Urashima Masaki , Naitou Hiroshi
Published: October 2017

Objective:

There is no detailed information available about trend in the morphological change after conservative medical treatment in patients with symptomatic spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (SISMAD).

Methods:

We enrolled 27 consecutive patients with symptomatic SISMAD who underwent conservative medical treatment between 2006 and 2015. The long-term prognosis, natural history, and serial follow-up computed tomography (CT) findings of risk factors of rupture such as arterial diameter and false lumen enhancement were retrospectively assessed.

Results:

Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection usually developed in middle-aged men around 50 years old who had a history of smoking. Follow-up CT was performed at 1 to 6 months, 7 to 12 months, and after 12 months. Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) maximum diameter was 10.3 mm (quartile 9.5-11.3) on initial CT and expanded in 47.1% patients during 1- to 6-month follow-up, which decreased over time ( P < .001 at 7- to 12-month follow-up, P = .001 after 12-month follow-up). On the other hand, false lumen enhancements were revealed in 9 (33.3%) patients on initial CT. The size of false lumen enhancement was expanded in the longest diameter in 35.3% patients and in shortest diameter in 29.4% during 1- to 6-month follow-up. However, the size of false lumen decreased in all patients after 12-month follow-up. All patients were alive without arterial aneurysm rupture and hospital readmission during the median of 523 days (170-799) study period.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated that both SMA maximum diameter and false lumen enhancement were transiently expanded in some patients during 6-month follow-up, but no longer expanded after 12-month follow-up. Patients with symptomatic SISMAD could be treated medically with scheduled careful follow-up CT evaluations.
Thematic Analysis
Authors: Nowell Lorelli S. , Norris Jill M. , White Deborah E. , Moules Nancy J.
Published: October 2017

As qualitative research becomes increasingly recognized and valued, it is imperative that it is conducted in a rigorous and methodical manner to yield meaningful and useful results. To be accepted as trustworthy, qualitative researchers must demonstrate that data analysis has been conducted in a precise, consistent, and exhaustive manner through recording, systematizing, and disclosing the methods of analysis with enough detail to enable the reader to determine whether the process is credible. Although there are numerous examples of how to conduct qualitative research, few sophisticated tools are available to researchers for conducting a rigorous and relevant thematic analysis. The purpose of this article is to guide researchers using thematic analysis as a research method. We offer personal insights and practical examples, while exploring issues of rigor and trustworthiness. The process of conducting a thematic analysis is illustrated through the presentation of an auditable decision trail, guiding interpreting and representing textual data. We detail our step-by-step approach to exploring the effectiveness of strategic clinical networks in Alberta, Canada, in our mixed methods case study. This article contributes a purposeful approach to thematic analysis in order to systematize and increase the traceability and verification of the analysis.
2014 FIFA World Cup on the Brazilian Globo Network: A transmedia dynamics?
Authors: Rampazzo Gambarato Renira , Carvalho Alzamora Geane , Peret Teixeira Tárcia Lorena , Chevtchouk Jurno Amanda
Published: October 2017

The news coverage of the 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Brazil encompassed various media platforms and the flow of information in the intersection between mass media (especially television) and social media (especially Twitter and Facebook). The research question that motivates this article is, ‘To what extent can Globo Network’s Brazilian coverage be characterized as a transmedia experience?’ The theoretical framework focuses on transmedia journalism, and the methodology is based on the analytical model regarding transmedia news coverage of planned events developed by Gambarato and Tárcia. The research findings demonstrate that the Globo Network coverage was modestly transmediatic, presenting mechanisms of audience engagement and limited expansion of content within technological advances. However, there was no solid transmedia plan aiming at articulating transmediality to build a universe designed within various integrated media platforms.
How Does Culture Matter in the Face of Globalization?
Authors: Hong Ying-yi , Cheon Bobby K.
Published: October 2017

Globalization has made exposure to multiple cultures not only possible, but often necessary and unavoidable. This article focuses on how people react and adapt to increasing globalization and multiculturalism. We posit that reactions to multiculturalism and intercultural contact are not universal and are themselves shaped by cultural experiences. That is, culture provides a frame of reference for reconciling and negotiating the inflow of foreign cultures and peoples. Although exposure to foreign cultures can widen one’s worldview, thereby enhancing creativity and reducing prejudice, intercultural contact can also bring about negative exclusionary responses such as aversion, disgust, and defensiveness. We explore how culture and individual differences, such as a belief in racial essentialism, critically shape reactions to intercultural contact. Our discussion sheds light on recent geopolitical and societal shifts that reflect an increased backlash against rising globalization and cultural diversity.
Doing Psychology With a Cultural Lens: A Half-Century Journey
Authors: Kagitcibasi Cigdem
Published: October 2017

My first international publication started out with the following sentences: “Some findings of social psychology may refer to general panhuman relationships, others to relationships that hold only within specific socio-cultural settings. Only systematic cross-cultural comparison can separate these or identify the limits within which particular generalizations hold” (Kagitcibasi, 1970, p. 444). These words still reflect my orientation to psychology and have shaped my work over half a century.
How the Study of Cognitive Growth Can Benefit From a Cultural Lens
Authors: Serpell Robert
Published: October 2017

Applications of psychology to education and assessment often take for granted Western cultural assumptions about the nature of intelligence, ignore cultural features of human cognition other than language, and liken the influence of socialization on development to biological nutrition. Such oversimplifications can lead to stigmatizing culturally different persons as atypical or deficient and to perpetuating oppressive cultural hegemony. A cultural lens can benefit psychological science by facilitating communication with diverse audiences, channeling new knowledge into social progress, and generating theoretical insights about human behavior and experience, such as linguistic flexibility as a dimension of cognition, social responsibility as a dimension of intelligence, and intimate culture as a filter between larger social representations and the frame of reference for an individual mind.
A Cultural Psychology of Agency: Morality, Motivation, and Reciprocity
Authors: Miller Joan G. , Goyal Namrata , Wice Matthew
Published: October 2017

We highlight the need to culturally broaden psychological theories of social development in providing an overview of our programs of cross-cultural research on interpersonal morality, motivation, and reciprocity. Our research demonstrates that whereas Americans tend to treat interpersonal morality as a matter of personal choice, Indians tend to treat it as a role-related duty. Furthermore, Americans associate greater satisfaction with acting autonomously than with acting to fulfill social expectations, whereas Indians associate high levels of satisfaction with both types of cases. We also demonstrate that cultural variation exists in reliance on communal norms versus reciprocal exchange norms in everyday social support interactions among American, Indian, and Japanese populations, with these norms providing a background for contrasting experiences of agency. In conclusion, we highlight the contributions of cultural research to basic psychological theory. Although cultural research provides greater awareness of diversity in psychological functioning, its fundamental value is to contribute new insights into the theoretical formulations and methodological stances adopted in the discipline more generally.
Culture Embrained: Going Beyond the Nature-Nurture Dichotomy
Authors: Kitayama Shinobu , Salvador Cristina E.
Published: October 2017

Over the past three decades, the cultural psychology literature has established that there is systematic cultural variation in the nature of agency in the domains of cognition, emotion, and motivation. This literature adopted both self-report and performance-based (or behavioral) indicators of these processes, which set the stage for a more recent systematic exploration of cultural influences at the neural and biological level. Moreover, previous work has largely focused on East-West differences, thereby calling for a systematic exploration of other ethnic groups. To address these issues, this article reviews recent work in cultural neuroscience, while paying close attention to Latino Americans—the single most rapidly growing minority group in the United States. We focus on research that has employed neural measures and show that culture has systematic influences on the brain. We also point out that, unlike more traditional self-report or performance-based measures, neural indicators of culture are reliably linked to theoretically relevant individual difference variables such as self-construal and acculturation. Cultural neuroscience offers the framework to go beyond the dichotomy between nature and nurture and to explore how they may dynamically interact.
Some Lessons From a Symposium on Cultural Psychological Science
Authors: Sternberg Robert J.
Published: October 2017

In this concluding essay, I summarize some of the main points of each of the contributors and attempt to highlight their importance for psychological science and for everyday life. I bring in some examples of research from my own research group over the years that reinforce many of the conclusions reached by the contributors. The purpose of this symposium on cultural psychological science is, we hope, to teach some lessons that could not easily be learned except through cultural research. My goal in this final essay is to consider what I believe to be a primary lesson of each contribution. I attempt to illustrate the considerable relevance of each of these contributions to contemporary society. The views expressed here are solely my own, and of course readers may find much to disagree with; hopefully, they will find some things to agree with as well!
Classic cases revisited – Death of a nurse and the anatomy of error
Authors: Sud Anika , Szawarski Piotr
Published: October 2017

The tragic case of Mayra Cabrera who died as a result of wrong route drug administration is notable as it was the first time a verdict of unlawful killing was recorded against an NHS Trust. Error within medicine is a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality. We explore the costs of error, the dynamics of error causation, the role of both the individual and institution in accountability for error, as well as transferrable lessons from other industries to reduce error.
Diagnosing Ring-Enhancing Lesions in the Brain of a Patient With AIDS Without Brain Biopsy: A Case of Central Nervous System Histoplasmoma
Authors: Beekman Rachel , Hu Jessica M. , Aronin Steven I. , Malinis Maricar F.
Published: October 2017

We report a case of a Puerto Rican male with advanced AIDS who presented with multiple falls and pancytopenia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, as initial workup, revealed 2 ring-enhancing brain lesions. Initial cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed minimal cells, mildly elevated protein, and no organism seen on gram stain. Due to prohibitive thrombocytopenia, brain biopsy was deferred. He had neither clinical nor radiographic improvement despite empiric therapy for both toxoplasmosis and bacterial abscesses. Indicated by pancytopenia, bone marrow (BM) aspiration was performed. Culture of BM aspirate grew Histoplasma capsulatum. Urine histoplasma antigen was markedly elevated. He was treated with liposomal amphotericin B (LamB) for progressive disseminated histoplasmosis with probable central nervous system involvement. Cerebrospinal fluid histoplasma antigen obtained after 2 months of LamB was detected. After prolonged course of LamB, he took itraconazole. Brain MRI at 7-month follow-up revealed significant improvement from baseline study.
The Cultural Psychology of Clinton and Trump Supporters
Authors: Dunlop William L. , Harake Nicole , Wilkinson Dulce
Published: October 2017

Master narratives are culturally constituted stories that guide individual and collective behavior. Here, we examined Clinton and Trump supporters’ master narratives of election night 2016 and deviations from these narratives in relation to political ideology. In Study 1, Clinton and Trump voters ( N = 177) wrote stories about election night and completed measures of liberalism and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA). Stories were interpreted using an inductive approach, leading to the identification of six narrative dimensions. Three linguistic categories were also considered. Study 2 ( N = 341) consisted of a direct replication in which our inductively derived coding system was applied to participants’ responses deductively. Across studies, the narratives constructed by Clinton and Trump supporters differed on five of the six inductive/deductive dimensions and one of the three linguistic dimensions assessed. In addition, many of these dimensions, which included “redemption” and “hope for America’s future,” were associated with liberalism and RWA.