bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Justification and active guideline implementation for spine radiography referrals in primary care
Authors: Tahvonen Pirita , Oikarinen Heljä , Niinimäki Jaakko , Liukkonen Esa , Mattila Seija , Tervonen Osmo
Published: September 2016

Background

Spinal disorders are a major public health problem. Appropriate diagnostic imaging is an essential part in the management of back complaints. Nevertheless, inappropriate imaging increases population collective dose and health costs without improving outcome.

Purpose

To determine the effects of active implementation of referral guidelines on the number and justification of spine radiography in primary care in one city.

Material and Methods

Specified guidelines for spine radiography were distributed to referring practitioners altogether three times during the study period. Educational lectures were provided before the guidelines were taken into use. The guidelines were also made available via the intranet. The number of spine radiography referrals during similar 6-month periods in the year preceding the interventions and the following 2 years was analyzed. Justification of 448 spine radiographs was assessed similarly.

Results

After interventions, the total number of spine radiography examinations decreased by 48% (P < 0.001) and that of cervical spine radiography by 46% ( P < 0.001), thoracic spine by 53% ( P < 0.001), and lumbar spine by 47% ( P < 0.001). The results persisted after 1-year follow-up. Before interventions, 24% of the cervical, 46% of the thoracic, and 32% of the lumbar spine radiography referrals were justified. After interventions, only justification of lumbar spine radiography improved significantly, 64% being justified ( P = 0.005).

Conclusion

Spine radiography in primary care can be reduced significantly by active referral guideline implementation. The proportion of inappropriate radiography was unexpectedly high. Thus, further education and studies concerning the appropriate use of spinal radiography seems to be needed.
Fear of loss of a wanted child: emotional accounts of Finnish prospective adoptive parents in pre-adoption services
Authors: Eriksson Pia
Published: September 2016

This qualitative study analyses the emotions of fear and anxiety as experienced by prospective adoptive parents receiving pre-adoption services. The article draws on 19 narrative interviews with men and women who have pursued an adoption process in seeking to adopt a child from overseas. The findings suggest that the experience of fear was connected with the risk of losing a wanted child through rejection in the assessment procedure or a termination of the process, and also with a loss of control in their position as clients. The prospective parents strive to balance anxiety and hope through their own emotional engagement, while the professionals involved play an important role in regulating those emotions. Further, the fear and anxiety in this situation lead to an inhibition of both negative emotions in interactions with professionals and of engaging with them in a truly open, trusting and reflective relationship.
The effects of perceived early childhood attachment and care status on young people’s eating behaviour
Authors: Kelly Áine Rose , Ogden Jane
Published: September 2016

Research suggests a link between being in care and eating problems. The present study compared the eating behaviour of looked after young people and their non-looked after peers with a focus on the role of their perceived early childhood attachments. Looked after young people completed questionnaires about their perceived and unresolved attachment to their main caregiver during early childhood (aged 0 to 5), their level of picky eating and food disgust and the meanings they ascribed to food. They then nominated a non-looked after friend to complete the same measures. The results showed that looked after young people reported poorer scores on all aspects of early childhood attachments and were more likely to be ‘picky eaters’ and to find food disgusting. Further, they rated food as less embedded with meanings relating to sexuality, family life, a treat and social interaction. In addition, although care status independently predicted picky eating, food disgust and a belief that food was central to family life and social interaction, unresolved attachment was a better predictor of these variables. Unresolved attachment also significantly predicted a belief that food was a means to take control over one’s life. Being brought up in care is associated with eating problems and a less engaged approach to food. Poor attachment is a powerful explanation of this association. Carers and other professionals are key to the development of trusting relationships with looked after young people. Such secure attachments with carers and other professionals may enable looked after young people to foster a more positive relationship with food.
Promotion of Weight Loss by Health-Care Professionals: Implications for Influencing Weight Loss/Control Behaviors
Authors: Loprinzi Paul D. , Davis Robert E.
Published: September 2016

Purpose:

Despite evidence demonstrating that health-care providers (HCPs) can effectively promote health behaviors and weight loss among their patients, the extent to which HCPs promote weight loss among overweight and obese adults is not fully understood as the studies on this topic have mostly been conducted in convenience samples. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which HCPs promote weight loss among overweight and obese adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional.

Setting:

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012.

Participants:

A total of 2291 overweight or obese adults (males 46%, females 54%) of varying racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Measures:

Weight loss/maintenance promotion from HCP was assessed via patient self-report, with weight status assessed via measured body mass index.

Analysis:

Descriptive statistics and regression.

Results:

Among those receiving health care in the past 12 months, 19.4% of overweight, 46.8% of obese class 1, 62.8% of obese class 2, and 76.9% of obese class 3 adults were advised to lose/control their weight, and the odds of being advised to control/lose weight by HCP increased accordingly. These results were similar when evaluated across various subpopulations (eg, age, gender). Those who received advice to lose/control weight had 3 times the odds of adopting weight loss/control behaviors (odds ratio = 3.1).

Conclusions:

Additional weight loss promotion among overweight and all classes of obese adults is needed from HCP.
‘You who are an immigrant – why are you in the Sweden Democrats?’
Authors: Pettersson Katarina , Liebkind Karmela , Sakki Inari
Published: September 2016

Individuals with an immigrant or other ethnic minority background have begun to find their political home in the populist radical right and anti-immigration party, the Sweden Democrats. This study delves into this paradoxical matter by exploring how these politicians discursively account for their ethnic minority belonging in relation to their anti-immigration political affiliation. The critical discursive psychological analysis of blog entries by populist radical right politicians with an immigrant or other ethnic minority background shows that their ethnic identity negotiations were highly complex and multifaceted. Typically, an ethnic minority identity was accepted at a superficial, assigned level, whereas a Swedish identity was actively claimed at a level of personal assertion. This article analyses the discursive resources that the bloggers drew upon in order to construct and negotiate their ethnic identities and motivate their political choices. Finally, it elaborates on the discursive functions of the subject positions that these negotiations accomplished: dividing between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ immigrants, denying the existence of structural discrimination, reversing the racist label and attaching it to the political opponents of the Sweden Democrats and providing ‘proof’ of the party having rid itself of its racist past.
Functionalism, Darwinism, and advances in the psychology of women and gender: From the 19th century to the 21st
Authors: Shields Stephanie A
Published: September 2016

Response to commentaries on “Functionalism, Darwinism, and the Psychology of Women: A Study in Social Myth” is organized around three themes and a question. The first theme is the importance of knowing the history of the study of women, gender, and sexuality. Second is the importance of what might be called “positive gatekeepers,” those in our field who have some degree of power or who may be better positioned to support our endeavors or be in a position to open doors to professional advancement. Third is a core feature of feminist psychology: The importance of acknowledging the ways in which social values are inherent in the research process. Taken together, these themes raise for me an important question to reflect upon: Where do we, as feminist psychologists, wish to have influence?
What Works to Make Cities Good for Living?
Authors: Suresh K.
Published: September 2016

In response to a new global coalition of more than 500 leading health and development organizations worldwide, India as a country has agreed on a roadmap to progressively ensure that all people have access to the health services they need, when they need them, without fear of financial hardship.

Organizing relevant health services, pursuing only effective interventions and monitoring specific results by geographical areas, i.e., Urban Poor, Peri-urban, Un-recognized slums and so on through a better network of independent groups is the key responsibility of the health department.

To make our cities worth livable with health and productive people, we need to address the issues of urban environment first, like providing safe water, controlling air pollution, general sanitation, sewage disposal, minimizing noise pollution, providing playgrounds, walking tracks, good roads and transport for minimizing commuting pain index.
Luxury Firms in China: The Role of Design and Marketing Capabilities
Authors: Bettiol Marco , Chiarvesio Maria , Di Maria Eleonora , Tabacco Raffaella
Published: September 2016

As a growing emerging market (EM), China offers remarkable opportunities for luxury firms from advanced countries. Studies emphasize the global approach to luxury markets, but the uncertainty and cultural distance characterizing the Chinese market increase the risks for firms using standardized global strategies. This article investigates the internationalization strategies of luxury firms in China by exploring the role of design and marketing capabilities. A qualitative methodology is adopted to develop a case study of an Italian company. Design and marketing capabilities emerge as important factors for balancing the advantages of a global strategy while adapting to the unique characteristics of the Chinese market. This process requires dynamic capabilities to maintain coherence with a company’s global brand identity, which is an asset of luxury companies.
Evolution of electromechanical admittance of piezoelectric transducers on a Timoshenko beam from wave propagation perspective
Authors: Park Hyun Woo
Published: September 2016

This article analytically formulates and investigates the evolution of electromechanical admittance of piezoelectric transducers collocated on a finite beam from wave propagation perspective. First, the analytic wave solutions are obtained based on the linear piezoelectricity and the Timoshenko beam theory. Then, the evolution of wave propagation to vibration on a finite beam has been formulated in terms of a wave unit which appears periodically due to the multiple reflections at beam supports. The formulation has been extended to describe the underlying mechanism how electromechanical signatures evolve from wave units. The support conditions and material damping of a beam have been considered explicitly for both wave units and electromechanical signatures. The validity of the proposed formulation has been demonstrated through proof-of-concept numerical examples providing valuable physical insights into the relevance between wave units and electromechanical signatures.
Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir
Authors: Chahine Elias B. , Sucher Allana J. , Hemstreet Brian A.
Published: September 2016

Objectives: To review the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir in the treatment of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Data Sources: A literature search through PubMed was conducted (June 2008 to August 2016) using the terms GS-5816, velpatasvir, and sofosbuvir. References from retrieved articles and the prescribing information were reviewed for any additional material. Study Selection/Data Extraction: The literature search was limited to human studies published in English. Phase I, II, and III studies of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for HCV were identified. Data Synthesis: Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir is indicated for adult patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 through 6. It is given without ribavirin in patients with or without compensated cirrhosis and with ribavirin in patients who have decompensated cirrhosis. The ASTRAL-1 study demonstrated that sofosbuvir 400 mg plus velpatasvir 100 mg for 12 weeks was effective at achieving high sustained virological response (SVR12) rates in patients with HCV genotype 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6. The ASTRAL-2 and ASTRAL-3 studies demonstrated that the same regimen was effective at achieving high SVR12 rates in patients with HCV genotype 2 or 3. The ASTRAL-4 study demonstrated that the same regimen plus ribavirin was effective at achieving high SVR12 rate in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The most common adverse reactions (≥10% of patients) associated with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir were headache and fatigue. Conclusions: Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir is safe and effective to treat HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in patients with or without compensated cirrhosis. The addition of ribavirin is recommended in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.
Intravenous Acetaminophen for Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Living Laparoscopic Living-Donor Nephrectomy
Authors: Vu Van , Baker William L. , Tencza Elizabeth M. , Rochon Caroline , Sheiner Patricia A. , Martin Spencer T.
Published: September 2016

Background: Postoperative pain is a common complication of laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomies (LLDNs). Objective: To determine whether intravenous (IV) acetaminophen administration post-LLDN influenced length of stay (LOS) when used for pain management. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study compared patients undergoing LLDN who had received IV acetaminophen for pain control versus those who did not between June 1, 2011, and November 30, 2015. Patient LOS, 30-day readmissions, frequency of pain assessments, patient-reported pain scores, and opioid administration were assessed. Results: A total of 90 patients were included in the analysis (IV acetaminophen, n = 48; non-IV acetaminophen, n = 42). Patients who did not receive IV acetaminophen were more often older (48.8 ± 12.1 vs 39.3 ± 12.1 years; P = 0.012) and female (71.4% vs 47.9%; P < 0.001). The average LOS was similar between the 2 groups (median = 3.0; interquartile range = [3, 4] vs 3.5 [3, 4]; P = 0.737). The 30-day readmissions were higher in the IV acetaminophen group (16.7%) compared with the group not receiving IV acetaminophen (2.4%; P = 0.033). After the first postoperative day, the frequencies of pain assessments performed were similar among the 2 groups. There was no difference in average pain scores between the groups at any time after LLDN. Conclusions: Patients receiving IV acetaminophen were found to have no improvements in hospital LOS, average pain score, or opioid requirements compared with patients not receiving IV acetaminophen. Patients who received IV acetaminophen were also found to have a higher 30-day readmission rate.
The Antithrombotic Potential of Tinzaparin and Enoxaparin Upon Thrombin Generation Triggered In Vitro by Human Ovarian Cancer Cells IGROV1
Authors: Sassi Mouna , Chakroun Taher , Mbemba Elisabeth , Van Dreden Patrick , Elalamy Ismail , Larsen Annette K. , Gerotziafas Grigoris T.
Published: September 2016

Background:

A documented relationship between ovarian cancer and thrombosis does exist. Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) are cornerstone drugs in the primary prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic events in patients with cancer. However, cancer cells may alter the efficiency of these antithrombotic agents.

Objective:

We aimed to characterize the procoagulant phenotype of human epithelial ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, IGROV1, and to compare the capacity of tinzaparin and enoxaparin to inhibit thrombin generation triggered by these cells.

Methods:

Thrombin generation induced by different concentrations of IGROV1 cells on platelet poor plasma (PPP) was assessed by the calibrated automated thrombogram assay. Tissue factor (TF) expression was studied using Western blot analysis. Then, the experimental model of thrombin generation was used to compare the inhibitory effect of clinically relevant concentrations of both tinzaparin and enoxaparin. The inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) of the mean rate index and the endogenous thrombin potential and the 2-fold increase in lag time were analyzed on the basis of the anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities of the LMWHs.

Results:

IGROV1 cells suspended into PPP resulted in a significant increase in thrombin generation in the absence of any exogenous source of TF and phospholipids. Tissue factor was expressed by IGROV1 cells. Tinzaparin was a more potent inhibitor of thrombin generation than enoxaparin. The inhibition of thrombin generation induced by IGROV1 cancer cells depended mainly on the anti-Xa activity of the LMWHs.

Conclusion:

This experimental study in ovarian cancer cells demonstrates that the antithrombotic activity of LMWHs is not completely predicted by the anti-Xa or anti-IIa activities measured in PPP.
Exploring versioned distributed arrays for resilience in scientific applications
Authors: Chien A , Balaji P , Dun N , Fang A , Fujita H , Iskra K , Rubenstein Z , Zheng Z , Hammond J , Laguna I , Richards D , Dubey A , van Straalen B , Hoemmen M , Heroux M , Teranishi K , Siegel A
Published: September 2016

Exascale studies project reliability challenges for future HPC systems. We present the Global View Resilience (GVR) system, a library for portable resilience. GVR begins with a subset of the Global Arrays interface, and adds new capabilities to create versions, name versions, and compute on version data. Applications can focus versioning where and when it is most productive, and customize for each application structure independently. This control is portable, and its embedding in application source makes it natural to express and easy to maintain. The ability to name multiple versions and “partially materialize” them efficiently makes ambitious forward-recovery based on “data slices” across versions or data structures both easy to express and efficient. Using several large applications (OpenMC, preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) solver, ddcMD, and Chombo), we evaluate the programming effort to add resilience. The required changes are small (< 2% lines of code (LOC)), localized and machine-independent, and perhaps most important, require no software architecture changes. We also measure the overhead of adding GVR versioning and show that overheads < 2% are generally achieved. This overhead suggests that GVR can be implemented in large-scale codes and support portable error recovery with modest investment and runtime impact. Our results are drawn from both IBM BG/Q and Cray XC30 experiments, demonstrating portability. We also present two case studies of flexible error recovery, illustrating how GVR can be used for multi-version rollback recovery, and several different forward-recovery schemes. GVR’s multi-version enables applications to survive latent errors (silent data corruption) with significant detection latency, and forward recovery can make that recovery extremely efficient. Our results suggest that GVR is scalable, portable, and efficient. GVR interfaces are flexible, supporting a variety of recovery schemes, and altogether GVR embodies a gentle-slope path to tolerate growing error rates in future extreme-scale systems.
Party rules, party resources and the politics of parliamentary democracies
Authors: Poguntke Thomas , Scarrow Susan E , Webb Paul D , Allern Elin H , Aylott Nicholas , van Biezen Ingrid , Calossi Enrico , Lobo Marina Costa , Cross William P , Deschouwer Kris , Enyedi Zsolt , Fabre Elodie , Farrell David M , Gauja Anika , Pizzimenti Eugenio , Kopecký Petr , Koole Ruud , Müller Wolfgang C , Kosiara-Pedersen Karina , Rahat Gideon , Szczerbiak Aleks , van Haute Emilie , Verge Tània
Published: September 2016

This article introduces the first findings of the Political Party Database Project, a major survey of party organizations in parliamentary and semi-presidential democracies. The project’s first round of data covers 122 parties in 19 countries. In this article, we describe the scope of the database, then investigate what it tells us about contemporary party organization in these countries, focusing on parties’ resources, structures and internal decision-making. We examine organizational patterns by country and party family, and where possible we make temporal comparisons with older data sets. Our analyses suggest a remarkable coexistence of uniformity and diversity. In terms of the major organizational resources on which parties can draw, such as members, staff and finance, the new evidence largely confirms the continuation of trends identified in previous research: that is, declining membership, but enhanced financial resources and more paid staff. We also find remarkable uniformity regarding the core architecture of party organizations. At the same time, however, we find substantial variation between countries and party families in terms of their internal processes, with particular regard to how internally democratic they are, and the forms that this democratization takes.
Working towards implementing moral case deliberation in mental healthcare: Ongoing dialogue and shared ownership as strategy
Authors: Weidema Froukje , van Dartel Hans , Molewijk Bert
Published: September 2016

The design and implementation of clinical ethics support is attracting increasing attention. Often, the characteristics and aims of clinical ethics support are translated into practice in a top-down, programmatic manner. These characteristics and aims then remain a constant feature of the clinical ethics support functions within the organisation. We argue that the characteristics of clinical ethics support should be reflected in the implementation strategy. Inspired by dialogical, pragmatic and hermeneutic perspectives on clinical ethics support in general and moral case deliberation in particular, we argue for a dialogical approach to implementing clinical ethics support, based on open, ongoing discussion with healthcare professionals about how they conceive (the aims of) clinical ethics support. Based on research and experience with various moral case deliberation implementation projects in mental healthcare, we present a theoretical framework for dialogical implementation and heuristic guidelines for implementing moral case deliberation in mental healthcare, which take into account the dialogical characteristics of moral case deliberation and some specific features of mental healthcare.
Initiating and maintaining clinical ethics support in psychiatry. Ten tasks and challenges – And how to meet them
Authors: Reiter-Theil Stella
Published: September 2016

Initiating clinical ethics support in psychiatry (CESiP) and maintaining its continuity appear to be easy. This is contradicted by the observed delay or lack of CESiP, e.g. ethics consultation. On the basis of a published literature search and the discussion of practical experiences over 2.5 years 10 tasks and relating challenges of initiating and maintaining CESiP are formulated and illustrated by examples. Referral to experiences is grounded on the systematic documentation of ca. 100 CESiP activities. The tasks and challenges illustrate how CESiP was initiated and maintained in child and adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatry. Each example is followed by a “rule of thumb” that was found useful in our centre. Discussion: Suggestions I–III are of organisational nature, IV–X have explicit ethical content concerning the ethos or professionalism of the ethics consultant and CES practice. Their realisation requires a minimum of stability of CESiP and considerable consultancy experience.
Training the Next Generation of Latino Health Researchers: A Multilevel, Transdisciplinary, Community-Engaged Approach
Authors: Kuo Alice A. , Sharif Mienah Z. , Prelip Michael L. , Glik Deborah C. , Albert Stephanie L. , Belin Thomas , McCarthy William J. , Roberts Christian K. , Garcia Rosa Elena , Ortega Alexander N.
Published: September 2016

Reducing health disparities is a national public health priority. Latinos represent the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States and suffer disproportionately from poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease risk. Academic training programs are an opportunity for reducing health disparities, in part by increasing the diversity of the public health workforce and by incorporating training designed to develop a skill set to address health disparities. This article describes the Training and Career Development Program at the UCLA Center for Population Health and Health Disparities: a multilevel, transdisciplinary training program that uses a community-engaged approach to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in two urban Mexican American communities. Results suggest that this program is effective in enhancing the skill sets of traditionally underrepresented students to become health disparities researchers and practitioners.
Productive Mis-mappings: Critical Disorientations on the University of South Carolina’s Historic Horseshoe
Authors: Cooley Heidi Rae
Published: September 2016

Located at the heart of the University of South Carolina campus is the historic Horseshoe—originally the South Carolina College campus (est. 1801)—a site whose construction during the antebellum years relied on enslaved labor. Ghosts of the Horseshoe is a cross-College, collaborative “critical interactive” for iPad that features the Horseshoe campus and endeavors to make visible this unacknowledged history. The application uses as its dedicated navigational interface a historic 1884 Sanborn Fire Insurance map of the site; participants can also activate a Google Map overlay of the site and determine its degree of opacity with respect to the archival map image. Importantly, however, the two maps do not actually “map” onto each other. This serves as a first mis-mapping of several mis-mappings. This article considers how such mis-mappings, involving geo-locative contingencies, representational disjunctions, and potential dis-locations, mediate site-specific explorations and, as such, make possible alternative historiographic understandings of place.
The Pleasure and Pain of Visualizing Data in Times of Data Power
Authors: Kennedy Helen , Hill Rosemary Lucy
Published: September 2016

This article reflects on the growing urge among researchers to visualize large-scale digital data. It argues that the desire to visualize unfolds in the context of a complex entanglement of (1) the pragmatics of data visualization, (2) the problematic ideological work that visualizations do, (3) the politics of data power and neoliberalism, and (4) visualization pleasures. The article begins by outlining the considerations that constitute data visualization design, highlighting the complexity of the process. It then provides an overview of critical debates about the way that visualizations work, which are relevant to reflective visualization practice. Then, it turns to the context (of datafication and the neoliberalization of the university) in which academic researchers contemplate visualization futures and which simultaneously constrains the realization of these futures. Finally, the article acknowledges the cracks in these structures, the pleasure of visualizing data, for example, in using visualization for advocacy and social justice.
Blocking Modification of Eukaryotic Initiation 5A2 Antagonizes Cervical Carcinoma via Inhibition of RhoA/ROCK Signal Transduction Pathway
Authors: Liu Xiaojun , Chen Dong , Liu Jiamei , Chu Zhangtao , Liu Dongli
Published: September 2016

Cervical carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death for female worldwide. Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 belongs to the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A family and is proposed to be a key factor involved in the development of diverse cancers. In the current study, a series of in vivo and in vitro investigations were performed to characterize the role of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 in oncogenesis and metastasis of cervical carcinoma. The expression status of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 in 15 cervical carcinoma patients was quantified. Then, the effect of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 knockdown on in vivo tumorigenicity ability, cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, and cell mobility of HeLa cells was measured. To uncover the mechanism driving the function of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 in cervical carcinoma, expression of members within RhoA/ROCK pathway was detected, and the results were further verified with an RhoA overexpression modification. The level of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 in cervical carcinoma samples was significantly higher than that in paired paratumor tissues ( P < .05). And the in vivo tumorigenic ability of HeLa cells was reduced by inhibition of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2. Knockdown of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 in HeLa cells decreased the cell viability compared with normal cells and induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest ( P < .05). Moreover, the cell migration ability of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 knockdown cells was dramatically inhibited. Associated with alterations in phenotypes, RhoA, ROCK I, and ROCK II were downregulated. The above-mentioned changes in eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 knockdown cells were alleviated by the overexpression of RhoA. The major findings outlined in the current study confirmed the potential of eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 as a promising prognosis predictor and therapeutic target for cervical carcinoma treatment. Also, our data inferred that eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 might function in carcinogenesis of cervical carcinoma through an RhoA/ROCK-dependent manner.
Early experience with the Penumbra SMART coil in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms: Safety and efficacy
Authors: Stapleton Christopher J , Torok Collin M , Patel Aman B
Published: September 2016

Background

Penumbra SMART coils differ from traditional microcoils used for endovascular coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) in that they (1) become progressively softer from their distal to proximal end, rather than being of uniform stiffness, (2) have a tight conformational structure, and (3) have a more robust stretch-resistance platform. These properties aid in preventing microcatheter prolapse and coil herniation during coil deployment and in filling small pockets of the aneurysm sac.

Objective/Methods

To determine the safety and efficacy of this device, the records of 17 consecutive patients with IAs treated with SMART coils were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Thirteen female and four male patients were identified. Eleven patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage, four had recurrent aneurysms, and two had incidentally discovered aneurysms. Twelve aneurysms (two of which were recurrent) were treated with stand-alone coiling, three were treated with stent-assisted coiling, and two with flow diversion with adjuvant coiling. Microcatheter prolapse occurred in one case of a recurrent aneurysm, due to mechanical limitations imposed by a stent placed during prior coiling. Raymond-Roy Occlusion Classification (RROC) I or II occlusion was achieved in 12 aneurysms, including all 10 undergoing primary stand-alone coiling. Of the five RROC III occlusions, two were expected given treatment with flow diversion, while the other three occurred in complex, recurrent aneurysms. One patient suffered a thromboembolic complication of unclear clinical significance.

Conclusions

The Penumbra SMART coil is a safe and effective device for the endovascular treatment of IAs. Follow-up studies are required to establish long-term results.
Magnetization transfer imaging reveals geniculocalcarine and striate area degeneration in primary glaucoma: a preliminary study
Authors: Zhang Yan , Liang Wenwen , Wu Guijun , Zhang Xuelin , Wen Ge
Published: September 2016

Background

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that affects both the retina and central visual pathway. Magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) is a sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that can detect degenerative changes in the brain.

Purpose

To investigate the geniculocalcarine (GCT) and striate areas in primary glaucoma patients using region of interest (ROI) analysis of magnetization transfer ratio (MTR).

Material and Methods

Twenty patients with primary glaucoma in both eyes were compared with 31 healthy control patients. All of the participants were examined on a 3.0 T scanner using a three-dimensional T1-weighted spoiled gradient recalled acquisition (SPGR) with and without a MT saturation pulse. A two-sample t-test was used to evaluate the MTR difference between the groups. P < 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.

Results

The MTR of the glaucoma group was lower than the healthy controls in both the bilateral GCT (t = 3.781, P = 0.001) and striate areas (t = 4.177, P = 0.000).

Conclusion

The MTR reductions in the bilateral GCT and striate areas suggest that there is GCT demyelination and striate area degeneration in primary glaucoma. These neurodegenerative effects may be induced as a direct effect of retrograde axonal degeneration along with the indirect effect of anterograde trans-synaptic degeneration.
Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Treatment for Calcific Tendinitis of the Rotator Cuff
Authors: Pollard Jenny
Published: September 2016

Calcific tendinitis is a common pathology of the rotator cuff. More prevalent in women of middle age, calcific tendinitis is often extremely painful and can cause a significant decrease in patient quality of life. The following case study demonstrates the important role of sonography in diagnosis and treatment of calcific tendinitis.
Plant mitochondria contain the protein translocase subunits TatB and TatC
Authors: Carrie Chris , Weißenberger Stefan , Soll Jürgen
Published: September 2016

Twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathways have been well-characterized in bacteria and chloroplasts. Genes encoding a TatC protein are found in almost all plant mitochondrial genomes but to date these have not been extensively investigated. For the first time it could be demonstrated that this mitochondrial-encoded TatC is a functional gene that is translated into a protein in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. A TatB­-like subunit localized to the inner membrane was also identified that is nuclear-encoded and is essential for plant growth and development, indicating that plants potentially require a Tat pathway for mitochondrial biogenesis.
Emerging roles of the single EF-hand Ca2+ sensor tescalcin in the regulation of gene expression, cell growth and differentiation
Authors: Kolobynina Ksenia G. , Solovyova Valeria V. , Levay Konstantin , Rizvanov Albert A. , Slepak Vladlen Z.
Published: September 2016

Tescalcin (TESC, also known as calcineurin-homologous protein 3, CHP3) is a 24-kDa EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein that has recently emerged as a regulator of cell differentiation and growth. The TESC gene has also been linked to human brain abnormalities, and high expression of tescalcin has been found in several cancers. The expression level of tescalcin changes dramatically during development and upon signal-induced cell differentiation. Recent studies have shown that tescalcin is not only subjected to up- or down-regulation, but also has an active role in pathways that drive cell growth and differentiation programs. At the molecular level, there is compelling experimental evidence showing that tescalcin can directly interact with and regulate the activities of the Na+/H+ exchanger NHE1, subunit 4 of the COP9 signalosome (CSN4) and protein kinase glycogen-synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). In hematopoetic precursor cells, tescalcin has been shown to couple activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade to the expression of transcription factors that control cell differentiation. The purpose of this Commentary is to summarize recent efforts that have served to characterize the biochemical, genetic and physiological attributes of tescalcin, and its unique role in the regulation of various cellular functions.
RNA-binding protein HuR regulates nuclear import of protein
Authors: Zhang Wei , Vreeland Amanda C. , Noy Noa
Published: September 2016

The RNA-binding protein HuR binds to elements rich in adenylate and uridylate (AU-rich elements) in target mRNAs and stabilizes them against degradation. The complete spectrum of genes whose expression is regulated by HuR and are the basis for the broad range of cellular functions of the protein is incompletely understood. We show that HuR controls the expression of multiple components of the nuclear import machinery. Consequently, HuR is crucial for the nuclear import of cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2), which delivers RA to the nuclear retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and whose mobilization to the nucleus is mediated by a ‘classical-like’ nuclear localization signal (NLS). HuR is also required for heregulin-induced nuclear translocation of the NFκB subunit p65, which contains both classical and non-canonical NLSs. HuR thus regulates the transcriptional activities of both RAR and NFκB. The observations reveal that HuR plays a central role in regulating nuclear import of proteins.
Behavioural integration of auditory and antennal stimulation during phonotaxis in the field cricketGryllus bimaculatus(DeGeer)
Authors: Haberkern Hannah , Hedwig Berthold
Published: September 2016

Animals need to flexibly respond to stimuli from their environment without compromising behavioural consistency. For example, female crickets orienting toward a conspecific male's calling song in search of a mating partner need to stay responsive to other signals that provide information about obstacles and predators. Here, we investigate how spontaneously walking crickets and crickets engaging in acoustically guided goal-directed navigation, i.e. phonotaxis, respond to mechanosensory stimuli detected by their long antennae. We monitored walking behaviour of female crickets on a trackball during lateral antennal stimulation, which was achieved by moving a wire mesh transiently into reach of one antenna. During antennal stimulation alone, females reduced their walking speed, oriented toward the object and actively explored it with antennal movements. Additionally, some crickets initially turned away from the approaching object. Females responded in a similar way when the antennal stimulus was presented during ongoing phonotaxis: forward velocity was reduced and phonotactic steering was suppressed while the females turned toward and explored the object. Further, rapid steering bouts to individual chirps, typical for female phonotaxis, no longer occurred.

Our data reveals that in this experimental situation antennal stimulation overrides phonotaxis for extended time periods. Phonotaxis in natural environments, which require the integration of multiple sensory cues, may therefore be more variable than phonotaxis measured under ideal laboratory conditions. Combining this new behavioural paradigm with neurophysiological methods will show where the sensory-motor integration of antennal and acoustic stimulation occurs and how this is achieved on a mechanistic level.
The opening-closing rhythms of the subelytral cavity associated with gas exchange patterns in diapausing Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Authors: Kuusik Aare , Jõgar Katrin , Metspalu Luule , Ploomi Angela , Merivee Enno , Must Anne , Williams Ingrid H. , Hiiesaar Külli , Sibul Ivar , Mänd Marika
Published: September 2016

The opening-closing rhythms of the subelytral cavity and associated gas exchange patterns were monitored in diapausing Leptinotarsa decemlineata beetles. Measurements were made by means of a flow-through CO2 analyser and a coulometric respirometer. Under the elytra of these beetles there is a more or less tightly enclosed space, the subelytral cavity (SEC). When the cavity was tightly closed, air pressure inside was sub-atmospheric, due to oxygen uptake into the tracheae by the beetle. In about half of the beetles regular opening-closing rhythms of the SEC were observed visually and also recorded; these beetles displayed a discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) pattern. The SEC opened at the start of the CO2 burst and was immediately closed. On opening a rapid passive suction inflow of atmospheric air into the SEC occurred, recorded coulometrically as a sharp upward peak. As the CO2 burst lasted beyond the closure of the SEC, we suggest that most of the CO2 was expelled through the mesothoracic spiracles. In the other half of the beetles the SEC was continually semi-open, and cyclic gas exchange (CGE) was exhibited. The locking mechanisms and structures between the elytra and between the elytra and the body were examined under a stereomicroscope and by means of micro-photography. We concluded that at least some of the L. decemlineata diapausing beetles were able to close their subelytral cavity tightly, and that the cavity then served as a water saving device.
AUTORIDADE E PODER: OS PROCESSOS E AS PRÁTICAS NAS ORGANIZAÇÕES HOSPITALARES
Authors: Junior Roberto Rodney Ferreira
Published: September 2016

Sob a perspectiva do ambiente de mudanças e dos fatores que conduzem a gestão administrativa a um processo de contínuo melhoramento, exigindo maiores esforços do capital humano, este ensaio tem por objetivo analisar a relação da autoridade e do poder nos processos e nas práticas em organizações hospitalares. A metodologia contempla uma consistente pesquisa bibliográfica acerca do tema, mediante estudo sistematizado, utilizando-se de materiais já publicados por diversos autores, entre clássicos e contemporâneos, que versam sobre o assunto. Os principais resultados do estudo permitem concluir que, em uma organização hospitalar, o processo e a prática em relação à autoridade e poder dividem-se em determinados pontos, em virtude da atividade fim da instituição e das prioridades estabelecidas para os serviços prestados. A atenção e os cuidados médicos caracterizam a missão do hospital. A prestação de serviço altamente especializada e profissionalizada, desenvolvida pelo corpo médico, condiciona-os a uma autonomia que coloca esses cuidados e atenção em situação de prioridade à característica econômica do hospital, criando dificuldades na condução administrativa da instituição.
Puzzles in modern biology. I. Male sterility, failure reveals design
Authors: Frank Steven A.
Published: September 2016

Many human males produce dysfunctional sperm. Various plants frequently abort pollen. Hybrid matings often produce sterile males. Widespread male sterility is puzzling. Natural selection prunes reproductive failure. Puzzling failure implies something that we do not understand about how organisms are designed. Solving the puzzle reveals the hidden processes of design.
Puzzles in modern biology. II. Language, cancer and the recursive processes of evolutionary innovation
Authors: Frank Steven A.
Published: September 2016

Human language emerged abruptly. Diverse body forms evolved suddenly. Seed-bearing plants spread rapidly. How do complex evolutionary innovations arise so quickly? Resolving alternative claims remains difficult. The great events of the past happened a long time ago. Cancer provides a model to study evolutionary innovation. A tumor must evolve many novel traits to become an aggressive cancer. I use what we know or could study about cancer to describe the key processes of innovation. In general, evolutionary systems form a hierarchy of recursive processes. Those recursive processes determine the rates at which innovations are generated, spread and transmitted. I relate the recursive processes to abrupt evolutionary innovation.
Environmental enrichment for adults with neurological conditions: a systematic review
Authors: Reid Isabella , Ng Louisa , Khan Fary
Published: September 2016

Background/Aims:

Environmental enrichment is proposed to improve neurological recovery through neuroplasticity. The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether environmental enrichment improves neurological outcomes.

Methods:

An extensive search in PubMed (1966 to March 2015), EMBASE (1988 to March 2015), CINAHL (1982 to March 2015), AMED (1985 to March 2015), Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (March 2015) and PsycINFO(1806 to March 2015) was performed. Studies that compared environmental enrichment to control conditions in a controlled design or pre/post-test and/or time series with a minimum of five participants were included. A best evidence synthesis based on methodological quality was performed using GRADE. Studies were grouped by single or multimodal environmental enrichment.

Results:

Three studies (two randomised controlled trials and one controlled clinical trial) were identified. Based on these two ‘moderate’ quality and one ‘low’ quality studies, there is ‘low level’ evidence for music for improvement in cognitive function and mood but not quality of life; and for light for improvement of fatigue, and ‘very low level’ evidence for multimodal environmental enrichment for the improvement of activity levels.

Conclusions:

Current evidence tentatively suggests that environmental enrichment improves cognitive function, mood and activity levels; however further high-quality studies are needed for conclusive findings. Specifically, further studies are needed to determine the relative effectiveness of various environmental enrichment interventions, as well as the optimal ‘dose’ of environmental enrichment.