bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel in vitro Approaches for the Simulation and Analysis of Human Skin Wounds
Authors: Planz Viktoria , Franzen Lutz , Windbergs Maike
Published: October 2014

Considering the increasing incidence of chronic wounds and severe wound infections, effective drug delivery to wounded skin is of high importance. The rational development of novel therapeutic systems requires appropriate in vitro testing methodologies. In this context, suitable and reliable in vitro models simulating human wounds and advanced analytical techniques for precise wound characterization are urgently needed. In this study, we introduce a novel in vitro model based on excised human skin. In contrast to the established wound models, our novel approach has a coffin-shaped, linear, rectangular geometry with defined wound edges exhibiting consistent appearance along the entire wound bed. In addition, we introduce optical profilometry as a novel technique for nondestructive wound analysis. We successfully demonstrate the applicability of this optical imaging method based on white light reflection for three-dimensional visualization of different wound models. Furthermore, we create virtual noninvasive cross sections of these wounds to assess wound geometry in direct comparison to conventional histological analysis. Imaging analysis of our novel coffin-shaped model resulted in reproducible virtual sections along the entire wound bed. Our findings indicate the potential of our novel in vitro model for improved simulation of human wounds. Further, we successfully overcome the limitations of conventional histological analysis by the employment of optical profilometry for nondestructive three-dimensional wound characterization. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Africa in Transition: Growth Trends in Children and Implications for Nutrition
Authors: Norris Shane A. , Wrottesley Stephanie , Mohamed Rihlat Said , Micklesfield Lisa K.
Published: October 2014

The aims of this paper were to: (1) review the literature and examine contemporary child growth in terms of stunting prevalence across Africa; (2) discuss child stunting within the context of economic growth and adult obesity, and (3) elucidate the implications for child nutrition. It is evident that stunting in under-5-year-old children still plagues Africa and has not decreased as expected in line with the concomitant improvement in economic development over the past decade. Persisting and possibly widening inequality ensures that not all segments of the population, in particular the most vulnerable, benefit equally from economic growth. Of concern is the association between the increasing economic progress across Africa and the rising adult obesity, especially amongst females. More and more African countries are now afflicted with a double burden of malnutrition. The implication for child nutrition is that African countries need not only apply a multisectoral approach to accelerate the reduction in stunting levels, but also to arrest and prevent obesity.
Calcium and Vitamin D Metabolism in Children in Developing Countries
Authors: Pettifor John M.
Published: October 2014

Low dietary calcium intakes and poor vitamin D status are common findings in children living in developing countries. Despite many of the countries lying within the tropics and subtropics, overcrowding, atmospheric pollution, a lack of vitamin D-fortified foods, and social customs that limit skin exposure to sunlight are major factors in the development of vitamin D deficiency. Low dietary calcium intakes are typically observed as a consequence of a diet limited in dairy products and high in phytates and oxalates which reduce calcium bioavailability. Calcium intakes of many children are a third to a half of the recommended intakes for children living in developed countries, yet the consequences of these low intakes are poorly understood as there is limited research in this area. It appears that the body adapts very adequately to these low intakes through reducing renal calcium excretion and increasing fractional intestinal absorption. However, severe deficiencies of either calcium or vitamin D can result in nutritional rickets, and low dietary calcium intakes in association with vitamin D insufficiency act synergistically to exacerbate the development of rickets. Calcium supplementation in children from developing countries slightly increases bone mass, but the benefit is usually lost on withdrawal of the supplement. It is suggested that the major effect of calcium supplementation is on reducing the bone remodelling space rather than structurally increasing bone size or volumetric bone density. Limited evidence from one study raises concerns about the use of calcium supplements in children on habitually low calcium intakes as the previously supplemented group went through puberty earlier and had a final height several centimetres shorter than the controls.
The Effect of the Global Positioning System on the Driving Performance of People with Mild Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Yi Jewel , Lee Hoe Chung-Yeung , Parsons Richard , Falkmer Torbjorn
Published: October 2014

Introduction: The initial symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) include attention deficits, memory loss and deficiencies in topographic and spatial orientation. People with AD may have way-finding difficulties in driving due to the deterioration of their navigation ability. Although the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) has been proven to be a useful aid for older people in driving, there is no evidence to suggest that the benefit could extend to drivers with AD. Aim: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the GPS in assisting drivers with mild AD in finding their destination safely. Method: Twenty-eight drivers with mild to very mild AD, diagnosed by a general practitioner or a psychogeriatrician, completed all clinical and psychometric assessments including the Mini Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test B and Doors and People Test. During the driving assessment, 3 driving trials with different settings (normal, visual-only and audio-only) of the GPS were administered to all participants. The participants were required to follow instructions from the GPS and perform a variety of driving tasks on a driving simulator. The driving performances of participants were assessed by criteria specific to AD drivers. The driving assessment criteria were first combined to form the overall driving performance score: a higher score indicated a better overall driving performance. The other outcome of this study was the success of participants to navigate to a predetermined destination. Results: The driving performance of participants was different among the 3 settings (F = 72.8, p < 0.001) and the pairwise comparison between the 3 settings was significant (p < 0.001). The driving performance score was highest in the audio-only setting (mean: 20.0, SD: 2.2), moderate in the normal setting (mean: 16.7, SD: 2.6) and lowest in the visual-only setting (mean: 14.3, SD: 3.3). When compared with the visual-only setting, drivers using the audio-only setting (OR: 37.2, 95% CI: 9.2-151.2) and normal setting (OR: 37.2, 95% CI: 4.8-286.9) were more likely to successfully find their destination (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study has found that using single, simple auditory instructions with the absence of the visual output of the GPS could potentially help people with mild AD to improve their driving ability and reach their destination.
Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of a Novel Benzopyridooxathiazepine Derivative as a Potential Anticancer Agent
Authors: Bourdon Florence , Lecoeur Marie , Lebègue Nicolas , Gressier Bernard , Luyckx Michel , Odou Pascal , Dine Thierry , Goossens Jean-François , Kambia Nicolas
Published: October 2014

Background/Aims: The in vivo metabolic profile of a benzopyridooxathiazepine (BPT) derivative, a potent tubulin polymerization inhibitor with a promising in vitro activity, was investigated. Methods: The quantification of the BPT derivative and the identification of metabolites in the plasma of Wistar rats after i.p. and oral administration of 10 mg/kg were performed by the HPLC-mass spectrometry method. Results: Following a single i.p. dose of the BPT derivative, the plasma concentrations showed a biexponential decay (with a rapid decline) followed by a slow decay with a terminal half-life of 77.90 min. The area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞) was 18.90 µg/ml·min. After oral administration, the plasmatic concentrations reached a peak of 0.06 μg/ml at 35 min and then decayed with a half-life of 108 min. The AUC0-∞ was 10.25 µg/ml·min, representing 54.2% of the relative bioavailability. The compound was well distributed in the body, and its elimination seemed to be fast, regardless of the administration route. The major metabolic pathways were demethylation and hydroxylation reactions, both followed by conjugation with glucuronic acid. Conclusion: In rats, the BPT derivative is well distributed and undergoes extensive metabolism, leading to several metabolites. With promising in vitro activity and very good oral bioavailability, this compound seems to be an attractive candidate for further development as an anticancer agent.
Efficacy of Enteral Supplementation Enriched with Glutamine, Fiber, and Oligosaccharide on Mucosal Injury following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Iyama Satoshi , Sato Tsutomu , Tatsumi Hiroomi , Hashimoto Akari , Tatekoshi Ayumi , Kamihara Yusuke , Horiguchi Hiroto , Ibata Soushi , Ono Kaoru , Murase Kazuyuki , Takada Kohichi , Sato Yasushi , Hayashi Tsuyoshi , Miyanishi Koji , Akizuki Emi , Nobuoka Takayuki , Mizugichi Toru , Takimoto Rishu , Kobune Masayoshi , Hirata Koichi , Kato Junji
Published: October 2014

The combination of glutamine, fiber and oligosaccharides (GFO) is thought to be beneficial for alleviating gastrointestinal mucosal damage caused by chemotherapy. A commercial enteral supplementation product (GFO) enriched with these 3 components is available in Japan. We performed a retrospective study to test whether oral GFO decreased the severity of mucosal injury following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Of 44 HSCT patients, 22 received GFO and 22 did not. Severity of diarrhea/mucositis, overall survival, weight loss, febrile illness/documented infection, intravenous hyperalimentation days/hospital days, engraftment, acute and chronic GVHD, and cumulative incidence of relapse were studied. Sex, age, performance status, diagnosis, disease status, and treatment variables were similar in both groups. There were fewer days of diarrhea grade 3-4 in patients receiving GFO than in those who did not (0.86 vs. 3.27 days); the same was true for days of mucositis grade 3-4 (3.86 vs. 6.00 days). Survival at day 100 was 100% in the GFO group, but only 77.3% for the patients not receiving GFO (p = 0.0091, log-rank test). Weight loss and the number of days of intravenous hyperalimentation were better in the GFO group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.0014, respectively). Although not significant, less gut bacterial translocation with Enterococcus species developed in the GFO group (p = 0.0728) than in the non-GFO group. Other outcomes were not affected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comparative clinical study of GFO supplementation to alleviate mucosal injury after allo-HSCT. We conclude that glutamine, fiber and oligosaccharide supplementation is an effective supportive therapy to decrease the severity of mucosal damage in HSCT.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Early Rehabilitation After Intracerebral Hemorrhage Stroke
Authors: Liu Ning , Cadilhac Dominique A. , Andrew Nadine E. , Zeng Lingxia , Li Zongfang , Li Jin , Li Yan , Yu Xuewen , Mi Baibing , Li Zhe , Xu Honghai , Chen Yangjing , Wang Juan , Yao Wanxia , Li Kuo , Yan Feng , Wang Jue
Published: October 2014

Background and Purpose—

Mechanisms, acute management, and outcomes for patients who experience intracerebral hemorrhage may differ from patients with ischemic stroke. Studies of very early rehabilitation have been mainly undertaken in patients with ischemic stroke, and it is unknown if benefits apply to those with intracerebral hemorrhage. We hypothesized that early rehabilitation, within 48 hours of stroke, would improve survival and functional outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Methods—

This was a multicenter, randomized controlled study, with blinded assessment of outcome at 3 and 6 months. Eligible patients were randomized to receive standard care or standard care plus early rehabilitation. Primary outcome includes survival. Secondary outcomes includes health-related quality of life using the 36-item Short Form Questionnaire, function measured with the modified Barthel Index, and anxiety measured with the Zung Self-Rated Anxiety Scale.

Results—

Two hundred forty-three of 326 patients were randomized (mean age, 59 years; 56% men). At 6 months, patients receiving standard care were more likely to have died (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24–15.87); for morbidity outcomes, a 6-point difference in the Physical Component Summary score of the 36-item Short Form Questionnaire (95% CI, 4.2–8.7), a 7-point difference for the Mental Component Summary score (95% CI, 4.5–9.5), a 13-point difference in Modified Barthel Index scores (95% CI, 6.8–18.3), and a 6-point difference in Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores (95% CI, 4.4–8.3) was reported in favor of the intervention groups.

Conclusions—

For the first time, we have shown that commencing rehabilitation within 48 hours of intracerebral hemorrhage improves survival and functional outcomes at 6 months after stroke in hospitalized patients in China.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.chictr.org/en
. Unique identifier: ChiCTR-TRC-13004039.
Cost-Effectiveness of Angiographic Imaging in Isolated Perimesencephalic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Kalra Vivek B. , Wu Xiao , Forman Howard P. , Malhotra Ajay
Published: October 2014

Background and Purpose—

The purpose of this study is to perform a comprehensive cost-effectiveness analysis of all possible permutations of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography imaging strategies for both initial diagnosis and follow-up imaging in patients with perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage on noncontrast CT.

Methods—

Each possible imaging strategy was evaluated in a decision tree created with TreeAge Pro Suite 2014, with parameters derived from a meta-analysis of 40 studies and literature values. Base case and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the cost-effectiveness of each strategy. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted with distributional variables to evaluate the robustness of the optimal strategy.

Results—

The base case scenario showed performing initial CTA with no follow-up angiographic studies in patients with perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage to be the most cost-effective strategy ($5422/quality adjusted life year). Using a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000/quality adjusted life year, the most cost-effective strategy based on net monetary benefit is CTA with no follow-up when the sensitivity of initial CTA is >97.9%, and CTA with CTA follow-up otherwise. The Monte Carlo simulation reported CTA with no follow-up to be the optimal strategy at willingness-to-pay of $50 000 in 99.99% of the iterations. Digital subtraction angiography, whether at initial diagnosis or as part of follow-up imaging, is never the optimal strategy in our model.

Conclusions—

CTA without follow-up imaging is the optimal strategy for evaluation of patients with perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage when modern CT scanners and a strict definition of perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage are used. Digital subtraction angiography and follow-up imaging are not optimal as they carry complications and associated costs.
Brain Edema Predicts Outcome After Nonlacunar Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Battey Thomas W.K. , Karki Mahima , Singhal Aneesh B. , Wu Ona , Sadaghiani Saloomeh , Campbell Bruce C.V. , Davis Stephen M. , Donnan Geoffrey A. , Sheth Kevin N. , Kimberly W. Taylor
Published: October 2014

Background and Purpose—

In malignant infarction, brain edema leads to secondary neurological deterioration and poor outcome. We sought to determine whether swelling is associated with outcome in smaller volume strokes.

Methods—

Two research cohorts of acute stroke subjects with serial brain MRI were analyzed. The categorical presence of swelling and infarct growth was assessed on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) by comparing baseline and follow-up scans. The increase in stroke volume (ΔDWI) was then subdivided into swelling and infarct growth volumes using region-of-interest analysis. The relationship of these imaging markers with outcome was evaluated in univariable and multivariable regression.

Results—

The presence of swelling independently predicted worse outcome after adjustment for age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, admission glucose, and baseline DWI volume (odds ratio, 4.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.21–18.9;
P
<0.02). Volumetric analysis confirmed that ΔDWI was associated with outcome (odds ratio, 4.29; 95% confidence interval, 2.00–11.5;
P
<0.001). After partitioning ΔDWI into swelling and infarct growth volumetrically, swelling remained an independent predictor of poor outcome (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.17;
P
<0.005). Larger infarct growth was also associated with poor outcome (odds ratio, 7.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–143;
P
<0.045), although small infarct growth was not. The severity of cytotoxic injury measured on apparent diffusion coefficient maps was associated with swelling, whereas the perfusion deficit volume was associated with infarct growth.

Conclusions—

Swelling and infarct growth each contribute to total stroke lesion growth in the days after stroke. Swelling is an independent predictor of poor outcome, with a brain swelling volume of ≥11 mL identified as the threshold with greatest sensitivity and specificity for predicting poor outcome.
Sedum spiralifolium (Crassulaceae): a new species from Anhui Province, China
Authors: Xie Dong Mei , PENG DAI-YIN , FANG CHENG-WU , QIN MIN-JIAN , WANG DE-QUN , HUANG LU-QI
Published: October 2014

A new species of Sedum, S. spiralifolium from Anhui Province, eastern China is described and illustrated. Our molecular systematics results (based on nuclear ITS and plastid trnL-trnF) and morphological analyses indicate that this new species is closest to S. sarmentosum. It differs from S. sarmentosum by having linear-lanceolate leaves, earlier flowering and twisted upper leaves at the top of its sterile shoots.
Helicascus gallicus sp. nov., a new freshwater pleosporalean ascomycete from France
Authors: Zhang Ying , Yang YanJiao , Zhang Xiaodong , Cui Baokai , He Shuanghui , Fournier Jacques
Published: October 2014

x A new species of Helicascus (H. gallicus) is described and illustrated from submerged wood collected from aquatic habitats in western and southern France. It is morphologically characterized by multilocular ascomata covered by a thick clypeus and sharing a common ostiole, clavate asci with endoascus coiling in the pedicel, cellular pseudoparaphyses, and brown 2-celled ascospores with a marked submedian septum. Its relationships with other species of Helicascus are discussed based on morphology and 28S and ITS nrDNA sequence comparisons.
A new species of Eumops (Chiroptera: Molossidae) from southwestern Peru
Authors: MEDINA CÉSAR E. , GREGORIN RENATO , ZEBALLOS HORACIO , ZAMORA HUGO T. , MORAS LIGIANE M.
Published: October 2014

The genus Eumops is the most diverse genera of molossid bats in the Neotropics. In Peru this genus is widely distributed and represented by nine species: E. auripendulus, E. delticus, E. hansae, E. maurus, E. nanus, E. patagonicus, E. perotis, E. trumbulli, and E. wilsoni. After several years of mammalian diversity surveys in the coastal desert and western slopes of southwestern Peru, a specimen of Eumops was collected whose unique set of traits allows us to assert that deserves to be described as a new species. Based on molecular and morphological evidence, the new species is related to medium-large sized species (i.e. E. glaucinus, E. auripendulus, and E. perotis). Cytochrome b genetic divergence between the new species and the other species of the genus was high (> 12%) and it is consistent with morphological divergence presented for this new species. This new species, endemic to Peru, increases the diversity of Eumops to 16 species.
A Typological and Probabilistic Approach for Exploring Cross-Cultural Differences
Authors: Yu Hsiu-Ting
Published: October 2014

Discrete latent constructs are useful and versatile tools when applied to theories or hypotheses typically made in cultural psychology. The two-level latent class model (TL-LCM) is proposed as an analytical framework using discrete latent variables for underlying typological structure. The typological and probabilistic characteristics of the TL-LCM offer several advantages over the traditional dimensional and deterministic models commonly used in cross-cultural research. Specifically, the TL-LCM allows researchers to form alternative typological hypotheses about the latent constructs instead of being bound with dimensional assumptions of latent constructs. In addition, the TL-LCM provides a probabilistic approach to studying the latent structures simultaneously at two nested levels. The probabilistic characteristic of the TL-LCM also relaxes the strong and often unrealistic assumption that individuals within the same higher unit are homogeneous. Therefore, the TL-LCM not only offers researchers new potential perspectives in exploring differences between cultures, but it also facilitates the process of forming theories and hypotheses so that knowledge and understanding of cultural differences and similarities can be further advanced. Two examples demonstrated the usefulness and flexibility of applying the TL-LCM to analyze nested cross-cultural data. The examples showed that differences between countries can be thought of as arising from the fact that individuals within different countries have different probabilities of falling into one of multiple classes, rather than assuming that the individuals within each country are homogeneous.
Bringing life to dead: Role of Wayback Machine in retrieving vanished URLs
Authors: Sampath Kumar B.T. , Prithviraj K.R.
Published: October 2014

The paper makes an attempt to examine the decay and half-life of URL citations cited in articles of conference proceedings. The main focus of the paper is to explore the possibilities of recovering inactive URL citations through the Wayback Machine. The study collected a total of 5698 URLs cited in the 1700 articles published in three Indian LIS conference proceedings published during 2001–2010. Results of the study show that only 49.91% (2844 out of 5698) of URL citations remained active whereas the remaining 2854 (50.09%) were found to have vanished. The paper argues that, as the age of URLs increases, the disappearance of URL citations also increases ( r = 0.861, p = 0.003). The study also found that there was an increase in the percentage of active URLs from 2844 (49.91%) to 4506 (79.08%) after the recovery of vanished URLs through the Wayback Machine. The average half-life of URLs before the recovery of vanished URLs and after the recovery of vanished URLs was 4.94 and 14.99 years, respectively ( t = −6.720, d.f. = 9, p = 0.000).
Clear Purpose or Sheer Survival? National Ministerial Leadership Across Multiple Arenas
Authors: Stansfield Annette
Published: October 2014

Day-to-day political life for the most senior national politicians can be very pressurized and exposed. How they as individuals cope with constant challenges and make the most of opportunities for leadership is an underresearched area. This is addressed in this interpretive study of the personal accounts of a small group of prominent U.K. politicians as they reflect, soon after leaving office, on their experiences as national ministers. The article connects generic leadership theory around practice and purpose with political leadership studies as a basis for a thematic analysis of ministers’ experiences across three key prominent arenas of ministerial life: relationships with the Prime Minister’s office, within their departments, and with their constituencies. Analysis of findings leads to a proposed analytical framework of active leadership in their everyday experience. The article concludes that active leadership practice is difficult but possible for leading national politicians.
Methodology for industrial solid waste management: Implementation to sludge management in Asturias (Spain)
Authors: Mesa Fernández José M , Palacios Henar Morán , Álvarez Cabal José V , Martínez Huerta Gemma M
Published: October 2014

Nowadays, the industry produces an enormous amount of solid waste that has very negative environmental effects. Owing to waste variety and its scattered sites of production, selecting the most proper solid waste treatment is difficult. Simultaneously, social concern about environmental sustainability rises every day and, as a consequence, improvement on waste treatment systems is being demanded. However, when a waste treatment system is being designed, not only environmental but also technical and economic issues should be considered. This article puts forward a methodology to provide industrial factories with an easy way to identify, evaluate and select the most suitable solid waste treatment.
Physical Activity and Cancer Survivorship
Authors: Garcia David O. , Thomson Cynthia A.
Published: October 2014

There has been an increase in the cancer survivor population in the United States over the past several decades primarily due to improvements in early detection of first malignancies and effective treatment modalities. A wealth of evidence has demonstrated that regular physical activity is associated with a lower risk of death, all‐cause mortality, cancer recurrence, and several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, common comorbid conditions in people who have survived cancer. Physical activity also is a central component of weight management. Methods: This review summarizes the current physical activity recommendations and the evidence linking physical activity to improvements in weight management, physiological effects, and psychological health outcomes for cancer survivors. Results: The available literature suggests physical activity is safe and is positively associated with weight management, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, quality of life, fatigue, and other psychosocial factors in cancer survivors. Yet relationships related to specific cancer diagnoses, treatments, and underlying cardiometabolic mechanisms associated with survival have not been thoroughly examined in randomized controlled trials. Furthermore, factors that influence adherence to physical activity behaviors must be identified to develop effective exercise programs. The use of objective measures of physical activity and the standardization of reporting outcome measures within intervention trials are needed to complement this effort. Conclusions: Healthcare providers should consider individual differences among cancer survivors and tailor physical activity programs to meet the individual needs of the patient to assist in the adoption and maintenance of a physically active lifestyle.
Pediatric Longitudinal Clivus Fracture
Authors: Samraj Ravi S. , Stalets Erika L.
Published: October 2014

Longitudinal clivus fractures are rare in children, with only 5 cases published in the English literature to date. Clivus fractures, particularly longitudinal type, are associated with high mortality and morbidity. We report a case of longitudinal clivus fracture in a teenager with survival and complete neurological recovery. Our case is the first pediatric case of longitudinal clivus fracture caused by frontal impact and the first described pediatric case associated with transient diabetes insipidus (DI).
Effects of obesity on health-related quality of life in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Mina R , Klein-Gitelman M S , Nelson S , Eberhard B A , Higgins G , Singer N G , Onel K , Tucker L , O’Neil K M , Punaro M , Levy D M , Haines K , Ying J , Brunner H I
Published: October 2014

Objective

This study evaluated the effects of obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE).

Methods

Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile according to the Sex-specific Center for Disease Control BMI-For-Age Charts and determined in a multicenter cohort of jSLE patients. In this secondary analysis, the domain and summary scores of the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Inventory and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) of obese jSLE patients were compared to those of non-obese jSLE patients as well as historical obese and non-obese healthy controls. Mixed-effects modeling was performed to evaluate the relationship between obesity and HRQOL measures.

Results

Among the 202 jSLE patients, 25% ( n = 51) were obese. Obesity had a significant negative impact on HRQOL in jSLE, even after adjusting for differences in current corticosteroid use, disease activity, disease damage, gender and race between groups. Obese jSLE patients had lower physical functioning compared to non-obese jSLE patients, and to non-obese and obese healthy controls. Compared to their non-obese counterparts, obese jSLE patients also had worse school functioning, more pain, worse social functioning and emotional functioning. Parents of obese jSLE patients worry more. The CHQ scores for obese jSLE patients were also worse compared to non-obese jSLE patients in several other domains.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the detrimental effects of obesity on patient-reported outcomes in jSLE. This supports the importance of weight management for the therapeutic plan of jSLE.
Ethical conflict in critical care nursing
Authors: Falcó-Pegueroles Anna , Lluch-Canut Teresa , Roldan-Merino Juan , Goberna-Tricas Josefina , Guàrdia-Olmos Joan
Published: October 2014

Background:

Ethical conflicts in nursing have generally been studied in terms of temporal frequency and the degree of conflict. This study presents a new perspective for examining ethical conflict in terms of the degree of exposure to conflict and its typology.

Objectives:

The aim was to examine the level of exposure to ethical conflict for professional nurses in critical care units and to analyze the relation between this level and the types of ethical conflict and moral states.

Research design:

This was a descriptive correlational study. Central and dispersion, normality tests, and analysis of variance were carried out.

Participants and research context:

A total of 203 nurses were from two third-level teaching hospitals in Spain. Both centers are part of the University of Barcelona Health Network. Participants filled out the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire–Critical Care Version.

Ethical considerations:

This investigation received the approval of the ethical committees for clinical investigation of the two participating hospitals. Participants were informed of the authorship and aims of the study.

Findings:

The index of exposure to ethical conflict was [Formula: see text]. The situations involving analgesic treatment and end-of-life care were shown to be frequent sources of conflict. The types of ethical conflict and moral states generally arranged themselves from lesser to greater levels of index of exposure to ethical conflict.

Discussion:

The moderate level of exposure to ethical conflict was consistent with other international studies. However, the situations related with family are infrequent, and this presents differences with previous research. The results suggest that there is a logical relationship between types of conflict and levels of exposure to ethical conflict.

Conclusion:

The types of ethical conflict and moral states were related with the levels of exposure to ethical conflict. The new perspective was shown to be useful for analyzing the phenomenon of ethical conflict in the nurse.
Racialising the “great man”: A Critical Race study of idealised male athletic bodies in Men’s Health magazine
Authors: Lawrence Stefan
Published: October 2014

While scholars working in the sociology of the gender, body, health, sport and media have begun to address the paucity of research into media representations of men and masculinities, the literature to date has failed consistently to address the racialised aspects of media dwelling male athletic bodies. The same critique can be applied to recent explorations of popular men’s magazine, Men’s Health. Current research has thus systematically underplayed the significance of “race” as a defining feature of idealised, mediated masculinities. During this paper then, I use Critical Race Theory to guide a semiotic analysis of a year’s worth of Men’s Health magazine. Firstly, I argue that white male athletic bodies are represented as idealised masculine types, possessing both the virtues of body and mind, while their black male counterparts, to varying degrees, are depicted as spectacular, violent and hyper-masculine. Secondly, I go on to argue further that this idealisation of the white male athletic body is a reaction to broader social and cultural transformations, indicative of late-modern societies. That is, I suggest Men’s Health’s mantra of self-regulation is better understood as a call to white men to exercise greater embodied control in order to reaffirm jurisdiction and supremacy, during an epoch of uncertainty. Thirdly, following this line of argument, the paper contends that future readings of Men’s Health, and men’s magazines more broadly, must seek to understand better how racialised discourses inform dominant media representations of masculinities.
The near-resonant regimes of a moving load in a three-dimensional problem for a coated elastic half-space
Authors: Erbaş Bariş , Kaplunov Julius , Prikazchikov Danila A , Şahin Onur
Published: October 2014

This paper deals with the three-dimensional analysis of the near-resonant regimes of a point load, moving steadily along the surface of a coated elastic half-space. The approach developed relies on a specialized hyperbolic–elliptic formulation for the wave field, established earlier by the authors. Straightforward integral solutions of the two-dimensional perturbed wave equation describing wave propagation along the surface are derived along with their far-field asymptotic expansions obtained using the uniform stationary phase method. Both sub-Rayleigh and super-Rayleigh cases are studied. It is shown that the singularities arising at the contour of the Mach cones typical of the super-Rayleigh case, are smoothed due to the dispersive effect of the coating.
Patient safety and interactive medical devices: Realigning work as imagined and work as done
Authors: Blandford Ann , Furniss Dominic , Vincent Chris
Published: October 2014

Medical devices are essential tools for modern healthcare delivery. However, significant issues can arise if medical devices are designed for ‘work as imagined’ when this is misaligned with ‘work as done’. This problem can be compounded as the details of device design, in terms of usability and the way a device supports or changes working practices, often receives limited attention. The ways devices are designed and used affect patient safety and quality of care: inappropriate design can provoke user error, create system vulnerabilities and divert attention from other aspects of patient care. Current regulation involves a series of pre-market checks relating to device usability, but this assumes that devices are always used under the conditions and for the purposes intended (i.e. work as imagined); there are many reasons for devices being used in ways other than those assumed at development time. Greater attention needs to be paid to learning points in actual use and user experience (i.e. work as done). This needs to inform manufacturers’ designs, management procurement decisions and local decisions about how devices are used in practice to achieve co-adaptation; without these, we foster risks and inefficiencies in healthcare.
Family-centred practices in the provision of interventions and services in primary health care
Authors: Myrhaug Hilde Tinderholt , Jahnsen Reidun , Østensjø Sigrid
Published: October 2014

The aims of this study were to explore how parents of preschoolers with cerebral palsy (CP) experienced the level of family-centred services using the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC-20) within primary health care in Norway and to examine the relationships between these experiences and the provided everyday skills interventions and services. A survey was sent to 360 parents of preschool children with CP. The response rate was 34%. Of the MPOC scales respectful and supportive care and coordinated and comprehensive care received the highest ratings, and providing general information received the lowest. Our findings indicate lower levels of family centredness in primary health-care contexts than that reported in specialist health care. Significant positive associations were found between all the five MPOC-20 scales and the parents’ satisfaction with the amount of service coordination ( p = .000–.004). The high scores for respectful and supportive care and the low scores for general information indicate that the families experienced relational help giving practices to a larger extent and participatory practices to a lesser extent. To increase the participatory aspects of family-centred practice, further research needs to address facilitators and barriers of information sharing and ways of giving this information both in specialist and primary health care.
Secrets, Lies, and Journalist-Spies
Authors: Trifonova Price Lada
Published: October 2014

The subject of this article is the issue of journalist-spies in the Bulgarian media before and after the fall of communism in 1989. The focus is on the perceptions of Bulgarian journalists on the role alleged secret service collaborators played, and continue to play, in the postcommunist society and media landscape. Role perceptions are explored through semi-structured interviews with practicing journalists from the capital city, Sofia. The findings suggest that Bulgarian journalists continue to be concerned with, and affected by, the influence of former communist spies on the Bulgarian media, a controversy that has largely been ignored by media scholars.
Double pulse laser welding of 6082 aluminium alloys
Authors: von Witzendorff P. , Hermsdorf J. , Kaierle S. , Suttmann O. , Overmeyer L.
Published: October 2014

Double pulse laser welding is investigated to reduce hot cracking in 6082 aluminium alloy welds. Therefore, Nd:YAG and diode laser pulses are superimposed and synchronised with a specific delay. The diode laser heats the parent metal and weld metal during weld spot solidification to compensate for solidification shrinkage and thermal contraction. The results of conventional pulsed laser welding prove that hot cracking is strongly dependent on the pulse peak power of the Nd:YAG laser, which constrains the crack free penetration depth. Adding the diode laser pulse at a defined time during weld spot solidification eliminated hot cracking. The double pulse welding method allowed the butt welding of 0·5 mm thick 6082 aluminium alloys without the formation of hot cracking.
Inhibition of Akt signaling promotes the generation of superior tumor-reactive T cells for adoptive immunotherapy
Authors: van der Waart Anniek B. , van de Weem Noortje M. P. , Maas Frans , Kramer Cynthia S. M. , Kester Michel G. D. , Falkenburg J. H. Frederik , Schaap Nicolaas , Jansen Joop H. , van der Voort Robbert , Gattinoni Luca , Hobo Willemijn , Dolstra Harry
Published: October 2014

Key Points

Inhibition of Akt signaling promotes generation of superior tumor-reactive T cells with stem cell–like properties. Adoptive transfer of Akt-inhibited tumor-reactive T cells results in superior antitumor effect.
Transglutaminase factor XIII promotes arthritis through mechanisms linked to inflammation and bone erosion
Authors: Raghu Harini , Cruz Carolina , Rewerts Cheryl L. , Frederick Malinda D. , Thornton Sherry , Mullins Eric S. , Schoenecker Jonathan G. , Degen Jay L. , Flick Matthew J.
Published: October 2014

Key Points

Genetic elimination of the coagulation transglutaminase fXIII limits arthritis incidence and severity in mice. FXIII supports arthritis pathogenesis through distinct mechanisms linked to joint inflammation and osteoclastogenesis.
α-ψ-Geraghty contractions on generalized metric spaces
Authors: Asadi Mehdi , Karapınar Erdal , Kumar Anil
Published: October 2014

In this work, we introduce the class ofα-ψ-Geraghty contraction as well as generalizedα-ψ-Geraghty contraction mappings in the context of generalized metric spaces whereψis an auxiliary function which does not require the subadditive property and set up some fixed point results for both classes individually. Our results will extend, improve and generalize several existing results in the literature.

MSC:46T99, 47H10, 54H25.
Measurement of muscle length-related electromyography activity of the hip flexor muscles to determine individual muscle contributions to the hip flexion torque
Authors: Jiroumaru Takumi , Kurihara Toshiyuki , Isaka Tadao
Published: October 2014

This study aimed to investigate muscle length-related electromyography (EMG) of the iliopsoas (IL) and other hip flexor muscles to determine individual muscle contributions to the hip flexion torque. Ten healthy sedentary young men participated in the EMG experiment. A subgroup of six subjects underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement to confirm the region of the skin over the IL. Surface EMG signals were sampled from the IL, rectus femoris (RF), sartorius (SA), and tensor fasciae latae (TFL) using an active electrode. The subjects performed maximum voluntary isometric hip flexion with the right hip joint set at -10°, 0°, 30°, and 60°. The root mean square (RMS) value for the TFL at 30° (0.81 ± 0.19, p <0.005) and 60° (0.66 ± 0.17, p <0.001) and the SA at 60° (0.62 ± 0.24, p <0.005) were significantly decreased compared with those at 0°. However, the RMS value for the IL and RF did not change significantly. The RMS value and muscle length changes were significantly correlated in the IL (r =0.39, p <0.05), SA (r =0.51, p <0.001), and TFL (r =0.70, p <0.001), but not in the RF (r =0.22, p =0.180). We conclude that, in a hip joint flexed position, the contribution of the IL to hip flexion movement is relatively larger than that of the other hip flexor muscles.
Can Dialectics Break Brics?
Authors: Clover Joshua , Benanav Aaron
Published: October 2014

Certain currents within communist thought have emphasized a return to the party form as a model of organization for communist struggle. This essay takes the basic historical materialist position that this demand must be evaluated not according to normative claims about the party’s desirability as a political form but according to its possibility within the concrete situation of potentially revolutionary classes. We inquire into the political economy of revolutionary struggle rather than abstracted political theory—particularly the circumstance that afforded the party form in the twentieth century, the possibility for a specific fraction of labor to stand in place of the proletariat as a whole and to stage its organization from within the material structure of the current labor processes, implementing a program for the seizure of state power and productive means. Finding the conditions that previously made the party form possible to be absent in the postindustrial capitalist core, we assess the political-economic data pointing toward whether such conditions might be present in emerging economies and thus whether these regions might be more conducive to such organizational forms. The available data persuade us against this likelihood and suggest that the kinds of gains available historically to such party formations are no longer on the table—and thus that communist struggle will emerge from transformed conditions, not from any sense of an ideal organizational model based on material conditions that no longer exist.
Building the Commune: Insurgent Government, Communal State
Authors: Ciccariello-Maher George
Published: October 2014

When Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez died in March 2013, he left behind an unfulfilled dream that was never his alone: that of the “communal state.” Amid the complicated maneuvering of the post-Chávez era, this aspiration—which would see the expansion and unification of nascent communal councils, alongside a proliferation of other directly democratic political and productive organs—has pressed forward. This article situates this communal state at the intersection of two tensions. I first “decolonize” the idea of the Venezuelan commune, excavating the broad contours of its history as a subterraneous process oriented toward self-government, not in an effort to romanticize indigenous and maroon communism, but to underline the tense relationship between the Venezuelan commune and nineteenth-century liberation struggles. Second, through the theories of former guerrilla comandante Kléber Ramírez Rojas, I show how this history of the commune enters into tension with the state itself and how the contemporary construction of the commune from above is but one side of a seeming paradox gestating under the sign of the communal state, the tense unity of government from above and insurgency from below.
Becoming-Brazil: The Savage Rise of the Class without Name
Authors: Albuquerque Hugo
Published: October 2014

This article discusses the protests that shook Brazil in 2013. The argument grounds itself in the hypothesis that the protests can only be understood by analyzing the current scenario of the country’s class composition, history, and relationship to the civilizational paradigm adopted since the beginning of the country’s republican regime (1889)—a regime that can be summarized succinctly as proceeding from colonialism to positivism.
Making designer mutants in model organisms
Authors: Peng Ying , Clark Karl J. , Campbell Jarryd M. , Panetta Magdalena R. , Guo Yi , Ekker Stephen C.
Published: October 2014

Recent advances in the targeted modification of complex eukaryotic genomes have unlocked a new era of genome engineering. From the pioneering work using zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), to the advent of the versatile and specific TALEN systems, and most recently the highly accessible CRISPR/Cas9 systems, we now possess an unprecedented ability to analyze developmental processes using sophisticated designer genetic tools. In this Review, we summarize the common approaches and applications of these still-evolving tools as they are being used in the most popular model developmental systems. Excitingly, these robust and simple genomic engineering tools also promise to revolutionize developmental studies using less well established experimental organisms.
Development of the cerebellum: simple steps to make a ‘little brain’
Authors: Butts Thomas , Green Mary J. , Wingate Richard J. T.
Published: October 2014

The cerebellum is a pre-eminent model for the study of neurogenesis and circuit assembly. Increasing interest in the cerebellum as a participant in higher cognitive processes and as a locus for a range of disorders and diseases make this simple yet elusive structure an important model in a number of fields. In recent years, our understanding of some of the more familiar aspects of cerebellar growth, such as its territorial allocation and the origin of its various cell types, has undergone major recalibration. Furthermore, owing to its stereotyped circuitry across a range of species, insights from a variety of species have contributed to an increasingly rich picture of how this system develops. Here, we review these recent advances and explore three distinct aspects of cerebellar development – allocation of the cerebellar anlage, the significance of transit amplification and the generation of neuronal diversity – each defined by distinct regulatory mechanisms and each with special significance for health and disease.