bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular safety of glucose‐lowering agents as add‐on medication to metformin treatment in type 2 diabetes: report from the Swedish National Diabetes Register
Authors: Ekström Nils , Svensson Ann‐Marie , Miftaraj Mervete , Franzén Stefan , Zethelius Björn , Eliasson Björn , Gudbjörnsdottir Soffia 
Published: June 2016

AimTo investigate the relative safety of various glucose‐lowering agents as add‐on medication to metformin in type 2 diabetes in an observational study linking five national health registers.Research design and methodsPatients with type 2 diabetes who had been on metformin monotherapy and started another agent in addition to metformin were eligible for inclusion. The study period was 2005‐2012. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and congestive heart failure (CHF) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, weighted for a propensity score.ResultsOf the 20 422 patients included in the study, 43% started on second‐line treatment with sulphonylurea (SU), 21% basal insulin, 12% thiazolidinedione (TZD), 11% meglitinide, 10% dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitor, 1% glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonist and 1% acarbose. At the index date, the mean patient age was ~60 years for all groups except the GLP‐1 receptor agonist (56.0 years) and SU (62.9 years) groups. Diabetes duration and glycated haemoglobin levels were similar in all groups. When compared with SU, basal insulin was associated with an 18% higher risk and TZD with a 24% lower risk of mortality [HR 1.18 (95% CI 1.03‐1.36) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.62‐0.94)], respectively. DPP‐4 inhibitor treatment was associated with significantly lower risks of CVD, fatal CVD, CHD, fatal CHD and CHF.ConclusionsThis nationwide observational study showed that second‐line treatment with TZD and DPP‐4 inhibitor as add‐on medication to metformin were associated with significantly lower risks of mortality and cardiovascular events compared with SU, whereas basal insulin was associated with a higher risk of mortality.
Caste differentiation pathways in the Neotropical termite Silvestritermes euamignathus (Isoptera: Termitidae)
Authors: Haifig Ives , Costa‐Leonardo Ana Maria 
Published: June 2016

AbstractTermites are hemimetabolous insects that commonly exhibit a bifurcation in post‐embryonic development, with the presence of two lines: (i) the nymphal–imaginal line; and (ii) the apterous line. The former comprises the reproductive imagoes of the colonies and their preceding immature stages, whereas the latter is composed of workers, soldiers and their precursors. In this study, we analyzed the developmental pathways of caste differentiation in the Neotropical termite Silvestritermes euamignathus and compared it to the known sibling species, Silvestritermes holmgreni. Our results show that the apterous line is composed of male and female workers without sexual dimorphism and that soldiers are exclusively females. The imaginal line comprises five instars of nymphs, which may develop into either nymphoid neotenics or alates. Similarities found in our study between caste patterns of S. euamignathus and of S. holmgreni suggest a shared evolutionary history in these termite species. Some biological differences between the species are also discussed.
GENDER, POLITICS, AND VIOLENCE IN FRANZ GRILLPARZER'S DIE JÜDIN VON TOLEDO1
Authors: McCarthy‐Rechowicz Matthew 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the gender dynamics in Franz Grillparzer's drama Die Jüdin von Toledo. Comparing this drama with Grillparzer's analysis of gender in Shakespeare's Macbeth, I argue that Die Jüdin von Toledo demonstrates the author's ability to conceive of gender in a complex manner, a trait which is absent from much of his private writing. Furthermore, on the basis of the dichotomy of male action and female intent which Grillparzer sees in Macbeth, I analyse Eleonore's agency in the drama, and ask whether it is possible that Grillparzer subverts the supposed gendered dichotomy by having this female character play an active role in the murder of Rahel, her rival.Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit der Darstellung von Gender in Franz Grillparzers Drama Die Jüdin von Toledo. Anhand eines Vergleichs mit Grillparzers Analyse von Shakespeares Macbeth stelle ich die These auf, dass Grillparzers Drama dessen Fähigkeit beweist, sich mit Gender‐Fragen in komplexer Weise zu befassen. Darüber hinaus, in Anlehnung an die Dichotomie von männlicher Aktion und weiblichem Entschluss, die Grillparzer in Macbeth sieht, analysiere ich Eleonores Handlungsfähigkeit im Drama, und frage, ob Grillparzer diese seines Erachtens auf Geschlecht basierende Dichotomie unterminiert, indem diese weibliche Figur eine aktive Rolle am Mord von Rahel, ihrer Rivalin, spielt.
‘EIN LAND DER ANWESENDEN’: DOROTHEE ELMIGER'S POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SWITZERLAND
Authors: Robinson Alan 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTThe fiction of Dorothee Elmiger combines formal experimentation with political engagement. Her first novel, Einladung an die Waghalsigen (2010), depicts an isolated, stagnant territory which, as in the parables of Max Frisch or Friedrich Dürrenmatt, stands at an allegorical remove from Switzerland. By contrast, the formally starker and thematically bleaker Schlafgänger (2014) engages with disturbing conditions in actual places within or in relation to a Switzerland which is clearly inseparable from the rest of the world. Elmiger's representation of a transnationally connected, porous Switzerland can be interpreted as a response to the recent political swing to the right and to escalating controversies about migration, asylum seekers and foreign policy, and located within the literary discourse of ‘critical patriotism’. In opposing the exclusionist insularity of the ‘Schweizerische Volkspartei’ (SVP), which remains rooted in the popular convictions and propaganda symbols of the Second World War, Elmiger envisages a pluralistic, inclusive country. This imagined community is evoked through an innovative form which has evolved from Elmiger's experimental text, ‘Die Anwesenden’: in polyphonic collaboration, her characters voice an emergent, collective consciousness that registers subtle shifts in sensibility and public discourses and explores complex issues of collective responsibility, complicity or guilt.Dorothee Elmigers Romane verbinden formale Experimentierfreude mit politischem Engagement. Ihr erster Roman, Einladung an die Waghalsigen (2010), erzählt von einem stillgelegten, erstarrten ‘Gebiet’, das wie in den Parabeln von Max Frisch und Friedrich Dürrenmatt in einer allegorischen Distanz zur Schweiz steht. Schlafgänger (2014) hingegen ist sowohl formal radikaler als auch thematisch düsterer und handelt von harten Gegebenheiten in realen Städten, die in einer global vernetzten Schweiz liegen oder Verbindungen zu ihr aufweisen. Elmigers Vorstellung von einer transnationalen, porösen Schweiz wird hier als Antwort auf den politischen Rechtsrutsch und die zunehmenden Kontroversen über Masseneinwanderung, Asylsuchende und Aussenpolitik der letzten Jahre gedeutet und in den literarischen Diskurs des ‘kritischen Patriotismus’ eingeordnet. Als Gegenbild zum abgrenzenden Isolationismus der ‘Schweizerischen Volkspartei’ (SVP), die im Reduit‐Denken und der Igelmentalität der ‘geistigen Landesverteidigung’ verhaftet bleibt, entwickelt Elmiger die Vision eines pluralistischen, inklusiven Landes. Diese imaginierte Gemeinschaft wird durch eine innovative Form evoziert, die aus Elmigers experimentellem Kurztext ‘Die Anwesenden’ herausgewachsen ist: Im Zusammenspiel ihrer sich abwechselnden Stimmen tragen die Figuren zum Entstehungsprozess eines kollektiven Bewusstseins bei, das in der Lage ist, subtile Verschiebungen im subjektiven Empfinden und in öffentlichen Diskursen zu registrieren und heikle Fragen von kollektiver Verantwortung, Komplizenschaft und Schuld auszuloten.
WIE BESTIMMT SICH WIDERSTAND? INTERVIEW MIT ILIJA TROJANOW
Authors: Dernbach Rafael 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTWie lässt sich von Widerstand erzählen? In welchen Geschichten manifestiert er sich? Ilija Trojanow hat die Arbeit an diesen Fragen in Essays und Romanen zu einer einflussreichen Stimme der zeitgenössischen deutschsprachigen Literatur gemacht. Im vorliegenden Gespräch entwickelt Trojanow eine Theorie des Widerstands, die die Ausführungen in seinem bisherigen Werk ergänzt und weiter zuspitzt. Widerstand ist für Trojanow sowohl Praxis als auch Haltung, sowohl anthropologische Konstante als auch Tradition. Ausgangspunkt des Interviews ist Trojanows kürzlich erschienener Roman Macht und Widerstand. Das Buch beschreibt die ersten Jahre nach dem Fall des kommunistischen Schiwkow‐Regimes in Bulgarien. Es ist der Versuch einer ersten Aufarbeitung der postkommunistischen 90er Jahre und eine Analyse der vielschichtigen Konstellationen von Macht und Widerstand dieser Zeit.How can resistance be represented? And how does it manifest itself in stories? Ilija Trojanow has become an influential voice in contemporary German literature through his work on these questions in essays and novels. In this interview Trojanow develops a theory of resistance that complements and further articulates ideas in his oeuvre so far. Trojanow understands resistance as both an attitude and a practice. It is as much an anthropological constant as it is tradition. Trojanow's recently published novel Macht und Widerstand is the starting point for the conversation. The book describes the first years after the fall of the communist Zhivkov regime in Bulgaria. It is a first attempt to come to terms with the post‐communist 1990s and an analysis of the manifold constellations of power and resistance of that time.
Closed venereology wards in the GDR
Authors: Schochow M. , Steger F. 
Published: June 2016

AbstractBackgroundAt least 10 closed venereology wards existed in the GDR. To this date, the history of these wards has not yet been investigated thoroughly.ObjectiveThe history of the closed venereology wards in the GDR will be reconstructed by taking those in Halle (Saale) and Leipzig‐Thonberg as examples. At the centre of the examination are the daily routines, the medical treatment and the education of the women.MethodsExtensive archival research was conducted and the historical sources were critically evaluated. Moreover, interviews were held with women who had been admitted against their will as well as with former physicians, nurses and administrative staff members of the closed venereology wards.ResultsIn most cases, the women were taken at random and admitted to the closed venereology wards by the police. They were not informed about the purpose, type and possible side‐effects of their medical treatment. It was performed without their consent and therefore constituted a violation of their physical integrity. Even though 70% of the women had not been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD), all of them had to undergo a gynaecological examination on a daily basis. The daily routine was strict, and the women were kept under surveillance. The wards had the ‘educative’ goal of transforming the women into ‘socialist personalities’.ConclusionThe women in the closed venereology wards fell victim to politicized medicine. Put differently, medical care was supplemented with educational intentions and concepts, the purpose of which was to transform ‘suffering persons’ into ‘socialist personalities’. This disciplinary system was based on terror. The closed venereology wards were not all alike; in some wards the women had to carry out chores on a daily basis (Halle/Saale), while in other wards they were detained and isolated from the outside world (Leipzig‐Thonberg).
Firm Type, Feed‐in Tariff, and Wind Energy Investment in Germany: An Investigation of Decision Making Factors of Energy Producers Regarding Investing in Wind Energy Capacity
Authors: Werner Lone , Scholtens Bert 
Published: June 2016

SummaryThe development of renewable and sustainable energy is advanced by public financial support. This is particularly so in the German Energiewende, which seeks to replace nuclear and fossil electricity generation with wind, sun, and biomass. We study the impact of the (changes in the) feed‐in tariff (FIT) policy on the investment in wind electricity generation capacity in Germany in the period 2000–2014. We estimate a generic investment model that includes this support mechanism, the cost of capital, investment risks such as wind and price volatility, and manufacturing costs. We discuss specific features for different types of wind energy investors, such as the incumbents, small private investors, diversified companies, and independent power producers. We find that a change in the FIT has a negative impact on investment capacity regarding the generation of wind energy: A one monetary unit increase in the variation of the tariff is to be associated with a decrease by 0.17 megawatts of wind capacity installed. We argue that it is policy uncertainty that makes investors shy away from making real investments. We also argue that the drivers for wind energy investment can differ along different types of firms. For the traditional power producers, especially electricity price volatility, construction costs, and carbon prices seem to matter. But for the other investor types, the FIT is crucial indeed.
Most and Least Meaningful Learning Experiences in Marriage and Family Therapy Education
Authors: Piercy Fred P. , Earl Ryan M. , Aldrich Renu K. , Nguyen Hoa N. , Steelman Sarah M. , Haugen Emily , Riger Dana , Tsokodayi Ruvi T. , West Jamie , Keskin Yesim , Gary Emily 
Published: June 2016

Marriage and family therapy educators increasingly emphasize training competencies. What we know less about is what makes family therapy education meaningful to marriage and family therapy (MFT) graduate students and what does not. In this study, through an Internet survey, we explored the most and least meaningful learning experiences of 68 MFT graduate students and recent graduates of Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education—accredited programs. We used thematic analysis to identify and illustrate resulting themes, which included the importance of experiential and personal components to learning, the professor‐student alliance, tying theory to practice, and the experiences of students with their clients, among others. We discuss the implications of these findings to support family therapy education and offer tentative suggestions for formative discussions both within and across programs.Video Abstract is found in the online version of the article.
Serum micronutrients and prealbumin during development and recovery of chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Velasco Roser , Santos Cristina , Soler Gemma , Gil‐Gil Miguel , Pernas Sonia , Galan Maica , Palmero Ramon , Bruna Jordi 
Published: June 2016

AbstractChemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a frequent adverse event. Nutritional status can become impaired in cancer patients, potentially contributing to neuropathy's evolution. Our aim was to evaluate serum micronutrients and prealbumin in a cohort of 113 solid‐cancer patients receiving platinum and taxane compounds during the development and recovery of neuropathy, up to 1 year after finishing treatment. CIPN was graded according to Total Neuropathy Score© and NCI.CTCv3 at T0 (baseline), T1 (1–3 months), and T12 (12 months) after chemotherapy. CIPN was classified as asymptomatic (< grade 2) or symptomatic (≥2). CIPN recovery was defined as ≥1 grade improvement at T12. Symptomatic CIPN developed in 52% of patients. Symptomatic patients presented a higher increase in TNSc (p < 0.001), in TNSr© (p < 0.001), and decrease in sural (p < 0.001) and radial nerve conduction (p < 0.001). No significant differences with any of the micronutrients were observed along T0‐T1 period between severity or chemotherapy groups. By T12, symptomatic patients without recovery had a decrease in vitamin E levels (p = 0.019) and prealbumin (p = 0.062) compared with those symptomatic that improved. A correlation between the variation of vitamin E and prealbumin at T0‐T1 (r = 0.626, p = 0.001) and T1‐T12 (r = 0.411, p = 0.06) was observed. After chemotherapy treatment, the improvement of patients displaying symptomatic neuropathy is related to vitamin E and prealbumin serum levels. Our results suggest that nutritional status can play a role in CIPN recovery.
Comparison of Outcomes after Device Closure with Transseptal Puncture and Standard Technique in Patients with Patent Foramen Ovale and Ischemic Events
Authors: Moon Jeonggeun , Kang Woong Chol , Kim Sihoon , Kim Myeong Gun , Oh Pyung Chun , Park Yae Min , Chung Wook‐Jin , Choi Deok Young , Lee Ji Yeon , Lee Yeong‐Bae , Hwang Hee Young , Ahn Taehoon 
Published: June 2016

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of device closure with the transseptal puncture and standard technique in patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) and ischemic events.MethodsEighty‐two consecutive patients (men: 60 patients, mean age: 45.2 years) who underwent PFO closure with the Amplatzer PFO Occluder were enrolled. PFO closure with the transseptal puncture was performed in 22 patients (transseptal puncture technique, group I). In the remaining patients (n = 60), PFO closure was performed with the standard technique (group II). The co‐primary end points were the incidence of significant residual shunt on follow‐up transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and a composite of death, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and peripheral embolism.ResultsBaseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. On TEE, despite similar grade of interatrial right‐to‐left shunt, shunt at rest/septal hypermobility was less common in group I than in group II (40.9% vs. 72.9%, P < 0.010). The device was successfully implanted in all patients. On follow‐up TEE, significant residual shunt was more common in group I than in group II (28.6% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.021). In addition, composite of death, stroke, TIA, or peripheral embolism was more common in group I than in group II (13.6% vs. 0%, P = 0.017) during the follow‐up period (mean 25.4 months).ConclusionCompared to the standard technique, PFO closure with the transseptal puncture technique showed higher incidence of residual shunt and ischemic events. Therefore, this technique might be considered in only highly selected patients as the last option.
FISHing for gutta‐percha‐adhered biofilms in purulent post‐treatment apical periodontitis
Authors: Zehnder M. , Rechenberg D.‐K. , Thurnheer T. , Lüthi‐Schaller H. , Belibasakis G.N. 
Published: June 2016

SummaryThis study investigated the possibility of depicting individual taxa in clinically relevant biofilms using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Gutta‐percha samples were collected from the apical aspect of root canals associated with a chronic apical abscess (test samples, n = 8). Corresponding control samples were obtained from previously filled root canals with apparently normal periapical tissues (n = 3). The transport medium was investigated for detached biofilm fragments using FISH staining and conventional epifluorescence microscopy. Gutta‐percha samples were stained by multiplex FISH, and inspected using confocal laser scanning microscopy. FISH of the transport medium confirmed the presence of the main species formerly identified by conventional methods in post‐treatment purulent endodontic infections, most prominently Fusobacterium spp., Bacteroidetes and Prevotellaceae. Treponemes were identified in five of eight cases associated with purulent infections, but Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus spp. were not identified. The biofilms on gutta‐percha from root canals associated with apical periodontitis showed dense aggregates of variable composition. Control samples contained few, if any, bacteria in the transport medium, and featured no biofilms on the respective gutta‐percha specimens. The current study revealed some direct, visual in situ information on the nature of biofilms associated with purulent periapical infections in man.
Koebner's Phenomenon in Childhood Henoch‐Schönlein Purpura: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Sharma Shreya , Chandrasekaran Venkatesh , Krishnamurthy Sriram , Mekala Suresh , Mahadevan Subramanian 
Published: June 2016

AbstractKoebner's phenomenon occurs rarely in connection with Henoch‐Schönlein purpura (HSP). We report two children with HSP who developed Koebner's phenomenon on the second day after the onset of rash. The first was an 11‐year‐old girl with rheumatic heart disease who presented with abdominal pain for 1 month and subsequently developed rash and nephritis. The second patient was a 7‐year‐old girl who presented with rash and polyarthritis. To the best of our knowledge, Koebner's phenomenon in childhood HSP has not been reported.
Parent Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) in screening: The Thai experience
Authors: Chunsuwan Issarapa , Hansakunachai Tippawan , Pornsamrit Suntaree 
Published: June 2016

AbstractBackgroundParent Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) is a feasible developmental screening tool but it is not commonly used in Thailand. To examine the potential of PEDS as a screening tool, PEDS was implemented in well‐child visits to identify the prevalence of developmental problems, characteristic parental concerns and comments, and to compare it with pediatrician developmental evaluation using Parent Evaluation of Developmental Status: Developmental Milestones, assessment level (PEDS: DM‐AL).MethodsParticipants were 266 children at the 9, 18 and 30 month health checkups as well as their parents. The PEDS questionnaire (Thai version) was first used for parents, and then the children were evaluated by pediatricians using PEDS: DM‐AL.ResultsUsing PEDS, 12% and 34% of children were classified as high and moderate risk for developmental and social–emotion disorders. The most common concerns were behavioral problems, social–emotion problems and expressive language. On PEDS: DM‐AL, 24% of children had delay in at least one domain of development. When PEDS screening was compared with PEDS: DM‐AL, being in the PEDS high‐risk group had 27.7% sensitivity and 93.0% specificity. If being in the moderate or high‐risk group was used instead, the sensitivity was enhanced to 67.7%, with 60.7% specificity.ConclusionsImplementation of PEDS in well‐child visits could enhance early detection of developmental problems, but many Thai parents were unable to mention their concerns about delayed abilities in the correct PEDS question. Therefore, to ensure higher sensitivity, criteria for referral should be adjusted and a second stage developmental evaluation may be incorporated with PEDS.
The Materiality of Assyrian Sacred Kingship
Authors: Thomason Allison 
Published: June 2016

AbstractThis contribution explores the material manifestations of Assyrian kingship and how they intersected with Assyrian ideology and religion. This state‐of‐the‐field discussion focuses on the Neo‐Assyrian period, 883–612 BCE. To legitimate their positions as the god Aššur's chosen delegate, the kings produced and consumed a vast array of monumental and portable goods, which served to represent the kings as beneficent creators of an orderly realm and protectors of the Assyrian world keeping chaos at bay.
Global Engagement, Complex Tasks and the Distribution of Occupational Employment
Authors: Davidson Carl , Heyman Fredrik , Matusz Steven , Sjöholm Fredrik , Chun Zhu Susan 
Published: June 2016

AbstractWe construct a task‐based model of the firm's choice of occupational inputs to examine how that choice varies with greater global engagement. We assume that more complex tasks are more costly to complete. Within the structure of our model, firms skew employment toward occupations engaged in more complex tasks. Moreover, the distribution of employment is more skewed for more globalized firms, while it is less skewed for larger firms. These results are consistent with our previous empirical finding.