bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Stimulation Initiated After Stroke Causes Neuroprotection in Conscious Rats
Authors: McCarthy Claudia A. , Vinh Antony , Broughton Brad R. S. , Sobey Christopher G. , Callaway Jennifer K. , Widdop Robert E.
Published: October 2012

We have demonstrated previously that pretreatment with an angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT
2
R) agonist is neuroprotective against a subsequent stroke independent of any changes in blood pressure. Therefore, in the current study, we have examined the potential neuroprotective effect of AT
2
R stimulation initiated after stroke induction to mimic the clinical setting. Intracerebroventricular administration of the AT
2
R agonist CGP42112 was commenced 6 hours after an ischemic stroke had been induced in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats. CGP42112 given over 4 doses in the same rats (3 µg/kg per dose centrally) at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after stroke induction reduced total infarct volume (32±13 mm
3
versus vehicle, 170±49 mm
3
;
P
<0.05) and improved motor function. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that AT
2
R stimulation after stroke increased neuronal survival, decreased apoptosis, and caused an increase in the number of activated microglia in the core region of damage. The effects of CGP42112 were partially reversed with the coadministration of an AT
2
R antagonist, PD123319. Thus, the current study has shown for the first time that delayed central AT
2
R stimulation after a cerebral incident is neuroprotective in a conscious rat model of stroke.
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction–Based Analysis of Podocyturia Is a Feasible Diagnostic Tool in Preeclampsia
Authors: Kelder Tim P. , Penning Marlies E. , Uh Hae-Won , Cohen Danielle , Bloemenkamp Kitty W. M. , Bruijn Jan A. , Scherjon Sicco A. , Baelde Hans J.
Published: October 2012

Preeclampsia is a significant cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. A clinically useful screening test that can predict development of preeclampsia at an early stage is urgently needed. The detection of podocyturia by immunohistochemistry after cell culture has been noted as a reliable marker for preeclampsia. However, this method is laborious and carries the risk of cell culture contamination. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of quantitative polymerase chain reaction as a rapid method to detect preeclampsia. Clean-catch urine samples were collected from preeclamptic (n=35), healthy pregnant (n=34), and healthy nonpregnant (n=12) women. Furthermore, a control group of women with gestational hypertension (n=5) was included. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed for podocyte-specific markers. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed. Significantly elevated mRNA levels of nephrin, podocin, and vascular endothelial growth factor were detected in preeclamptic women compared with healthy pregnant and healthy nonpregnant controls. In addition, significantly elevated levels of nephrin mRNA were detected in urine of preeclamptic women compared with women with gestational hypertension. A positive correlation (ρ=0.82;
P
<0.0001) was observed between nephrin and vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA levels in preeclamptic women. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses demonstrated a strong ability of this method to discriminate between the different study groups. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of podocyte-specific molecules in urine samples is a rapid and reliable method to quantify podocyturia. We demonstrate that this method distinguishes preeclamptic patients from healthy controls and women with gestational hypertension. This method may be a tool for the detection of preeclampsia at an earlier stage, thereby preventing maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality.
The Global Drought Monitor Portal: The Foundation for a Global Drought Information System
Authors: Heim Richard R. , Brewer Michael J.
Published: October 2012

The international scientific community has long recognized the need for coordinated drought monitoring and response, but many factors have prevented progress in the development of a Global Drought Early Warning System (GDEWS): some of which involve administrative issues (coordinated international action and policy) while others involve scientific, technological, and logistical issues. The creation of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Portal within the United States provided an opportunity to take the first steps toward building the informational foundation for a GDEWS: that is, a Global Drought Information System (GDIS). At a series of workshops sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Group on Earth Observations (GEO) held in Asheville, North Carolina, in April 2010, it was recommended that a modular approach be taken in the creation of a GDIS and that the NIDIS Portal serve as the foundation for the GDIS structure. Once a NIDIS-based Global Drought Monitor (GDM) Portal (GDMP) established an international drought clearinghouse, the various components of a GDIS (drought monitoring, forecasting, impacts, history, research, and education) and later a GDEWS (drought relief, recovery, and planning) could be constructed atop it. The NIDIS Portal is a web-based information system created to address drought services and early warning in the United States, including drought monitoring, forecasting, impacts, mitigation, research, and education. This portal utilizes Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web mapping services (WMS) to incorporate continental drought monitors into the GDMP. As of early 2012, the GDM has incorporated continental drought information for North America (North American Drought Monitor), Europe (European Drought Observatory), and Africa (African Drought Monitor developed by Princeton University); interest has been expressed by groups representing Australia and South America; and coordination with appropriate parties in Asia is also expected. Because of the range of climates across the world and the diverse nature of drought and the sectors it impacts, the construction and functioning of each continental drought monitor needs to be appropriate for the continent in question. The GDMP includes a suite of global drought indicators identified by experts and adopted by the WMO as the necessary measures to examine drought from a meteorological standpoint; these global drought indicators provide a base to assist the global integration and interpretation of the continental drought monitors. The GDMP has been included in recent updates to the GEO Work Plan and has benefited from substantial coordination with WMO on both their Global Framework for Climate Services and the National Drought Policy efforts. The GDMP is recognized as having the potential to be a major contributor to both of these activities.
The Extended Family and Children’s Educational Success
Authors: Jæger Mads Meier
Published: October 2012

Research on family background and educational success focuses almost exclusively on two generations: parents and children. This study argues that the extended family contributes significantly to the total effect of family background on educational success. Analyses using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study show that, net of family factors shared by siblings from the same immediate family, factors shared by first cousins account for a nontrivial part of the total variance in children’s educational success. Results also show that grandparents’, aunts’, and uncles’ socioeconomic characteristics have few direct effects on educational success. Furthermore, resources in the extended family compensate for lacking resources in low-SES families, which in turn promote children’s educational success. The main conclusion is that the total effect of family background on educational success originates in the immediate family, the extended family, and in interactions between these two family environments.
On Being a Psycho-Oncologist
Authors: Nicholas Donald R.
Published: October 2012

This special issue of TCP focuses on the psychological and psychosocial components of coping with cancer and its aftermath. Psycho-oncology, a subspecialty within professional psychology, is a multidisciplinary field emphasizing the psychological and social aspects of cancer. In this introductory article, I show the congruence between counseling psychology and psycho-oncology, indicate how counseling psychologists can expand their parameters of practice to include cancer patients and families, and explain what evidence-based resources are needed to acquire relevant background knowledge. Health care reform changes—in general and oncology-specific—are explained as they currently open new opportunities for counseling psychologists in psycho-oncology. Finally, the five articles that make up this special issue are previewed. Psycho-oncology is a challenging yet rewarding subspecialty within counseling psychology, congruent with its values and parameters of practice, and now is an opportune time to expand one’s practice to include psycho-oncology and help those coping with cancer and its aftermath.
Prediction of Institutional Misconduct Among Civil Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Carr W. Amory , Eggenberger Mandi , Crawford Latasha , Rotter Merrill
Published: October 2012

Research has shown that psychiatric patients with criminal histories report attitudes reminiscent of the prison culture that predict therapeutic alliance. This study examined the impact of these “correctional adaptations” on the behavior of a sample of 75 discharged civil psychiatric patients whose medical charts were reviewed for incidents of institutional misconduct including cigarette dealing, drug use, and weapons possession. Patients had been previously administered the Psychopathy Checklist–Screening Version (PCL-SV), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and Structured Assessment of Correctional Adaptation (SACA). Of the sample, 53% ( n = 40) committed at least one act of misconduct, with an average of M = 2.8 (range = 0–18, SD = 4.27) incidents. Bivariate analyses revealed a significant relationship between incidents and the total SACA score, r s(74) = .33, p = .004. Ordinal regression analyses showed the SACA to be significantly predictive of misconduct, regardless of arrest history.
Inmate Misconduct and the Institutional Capacity for Control
Authors: Griffin Marie L. , Hepburn John R.
Published: October 2012

The social order of a prison arises from the combined effects of the prison’s institutional capacity for control and the effectiveness of prison management. Prior research suggests that the criminogenic characteristics of the inmate population, the security level of the prison, and the prison environment are three structural characteristics of prisons that define each prison’s institutional capacity for control, as reflected in the aggregate-level measures of inmate misconduct, and prison environment is expected to moderate the effects of inmate population characteristics on inmate misconduct. This study of 50 state prisons for men provides support for the hypothesized direct effects of institutional capacity for control on the level of violent and nonviolent inmate misconduct and for the contextual effect of prison environment. The findings are discussed in terms of the management environment created among prisons by variations in the institutional capacity for control.
Multivariate Models for Behavioral Offender Profiling of Japanese Homicide
Authors: Fujita Goro , Watanabe Kazumi , Yokota Kaeko , Kuraishi Hiroki , Suzuki Mamoru , Wachi Taeko , Otsuka Yusuke
Published: October 2012

Although many studies have been conducted on behavioral profiling of homicide offenders, none of these have empirically shown that this technique has scientific validity and solid accuracy. Based on data from 839 Japanese homicide cases, we constructed multivariate logistic regression models to infer offenders’ characteristics of sex, age, stranger offender, criminal record, single offender, member of organized crime, and residential area. We evaluated validity with a tenfold cross-validation procedure and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The results indicated that the area under the ROC curve ranged from .70 to .87, suggesting moderate and sufficient accuracy. Such a multivariate approach would be useful to reduce costs and minimize errors in the early stages of an investigation, especially for jurisdictions that possess large homicide databases.
Degradation kinetics of ethylene propylene diene terpolymer residues devulcanized by microwaves
Authors: Pistor Vinicius , Zattera Ademi J
Published: October 2012

The reclaiming of elastomer residues is one of the main problems of recycling materials. In this work, the efficiency of devulcanization of recycled ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) was determined by subjecting the elastomer samples to 2, 3 and 4 min of microwaves exposure. Scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis using different heating rates to determine the kinetic degradation parameters according to the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa and Criado methods were studied. The results obtained showed that up to 4 min devulcanization exposure period, the degradation temperature of EPDM did not exceed. Microwaves exposure caused modifications in the morphology and reduction in activation energy values upon increased samples exposure period. Degradation mechanisms were altered, mainly for the 4-min exposure period, where the nucleation mechanism shifts to diffusion, suggesting that the microwave method was able to promote the breakage of the elastomeric three-dimensional network.
Broad temperature and frequency range damping materials based on epoxidized natural rubber
Authors: Lu Xun , Li Xujun
Published: October 2012

The damping properties of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) are investigated by the dynamic mechanical analysis in this article. Time–temperature superposition of the isotherms give the change of the damping property with frequency of each cured ENR. Due to the existence of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between ENR and phenolic resin, the cured ENR with phenolic resin as curing agent shows much broader effective damping (tanδ > 0.3) temperature and frequency range than that of using the other two curing agents, sulfur and peroxide curing systems, its effective damping temperature range reaches nearly 150°C and effective damping frequency range covers the range from 10−5 to 109 Hz. The influences of the phenolic resin types and contents on the damping property of ENR are also explored. The activation energies during the glass transition are calculated with the Arrhenius equation to demonstrate the change of the Tg of ENR cured by different phenolic resin contents.
Rubber nanocomposites based on compatibilized NBR/SBR blends using a series of amphiphilic montmorillonites
Authors: Essawy Hisham A , Tawfik Magda E , El-Sabbagh Salwa H
Published: October 2012

The montmorillonite (MMT), Mont-0, was treated with different levels of appropriate corresponding amounts of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide to yield a variety of biphasic MMTs exhibiting different hydrophilic–lipophilic balance ranging gradually up to the highly hydrophobic form (Mont-100), which was proved using Fourier transform infrared spectra as well as x-ray diffraction, thus the produced forms can be arranged in the following order according to the decrease in hydrophilicity: Mont-0 > Mont-25 > Mont-50 > Mont-75 > Mont-100. In a following step, the obtained MMTs were attempted for use as reinforcing fillers that may exhibit in the mean time a compatibilizing effect, for acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (NBR)/styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) (50/50) rubber blend, which is known to be physically incompatible. The mechanical performance of the blends comprising different loadings of MMT forms demonstrated advancement in most of the cases accompanied by acceleration in rheometric characteristics indicating enhancement by different extents in compatibility between the phases. The results were explained on the light of the potential of these MMT forms to bind both phases of the blend through hydrophobic–hydrophobic interactions with the nonpolar part (SBR) and polar–polar interactions with the polar part (NBR) of the blend, which diminishes the molecular mobility of the macromolecular chains thus preventing progress in phase separation. These findings were additionally proved using scanning electron microscopy and XRD that confirmed a dependent contribution of both phases in interfacial interactions with the biphasic fillers as a function of the hydrophobization level.
Aristotelian Marxism/Marxist Aristotelianism
Authors: Groff Ruth
Published: October 2012

I argue that Aristotelians who are sympathetic to the critique of liberal moral categories put forward by Alasdair MacIntyre ought to avail themselves of Marx's analysis of capitalism in Capital, Volume 1. Broadly speaking, there are two reasons for such a recommendation. First, Marx's account shows capitalism to be the sociological substrate for the evisceration of particularity (coupled with the hold instrumental reason) that so concerns MacIntyre and other Aristotelians. I offer an explanation for why MacIntyre seems not to appreciate this. Second, Marx's own thinking is markedly Aristotelian, in ways that I specify.
Reconfiguring the (Lacanian) Real
Authors: Arfi Badredine
Published: October 2012

I suggest in this article that there are several aspects of the Lacanian Real that so-called Lacanian literature has not adequately addressed, or barely did so. In this pursuit, I present a deconstructing reading of a number of Lacanian texts. My deconstructive reading suggests that three key features characterize the literature on the Real. First, there always is resistance that is involved in thinking about, and in experiencing the effects of, the Real. Second, the Real is most characteristically thought of in negative terms. Third, the Real is more or less thought of as a limit that cannot be transgressed. A deconstruction of these features leads to two arguments. First, I propose that the deployment of the Real as khôra within a discourse is an originary performativity which speaks of retroactively positing of a have-always-been-there Real. Second, I argue that the Real is the impossible–possible event which is at the heart of ‘saying the Real’. The deconstruction thus leads to a reconfiguration of the Real as a ‘ saying the Real (as khôra)’ qua event (in the sense of Derrida) in the discourse.
The Effect of Gender on Perception of Glass Ceiling, Mediated by SRO and Attitude toward Women as Managers
Authors: Maithani Anoop , Misra Manisha , Potnis Saaylee , Bhuwania Shringar
Published: October 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to determine the effect of Gender on Perception of Glass Ceiling, mediated by Sex Role Orientation and Attitude towards Women as Managers.

Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was floated to 189 B-School students via email and social networking sights, out of which a total of 153 responses were collected and analyzed. The respondents were surveyed on their Sex Role Orientation, Attitude towards Women as Managers and Perception of Glass Ceiling. Available scales were used to measure each of these constructs.

Findings: Sex Role Orientation fully mediated Gender in relation to Perception of Glass Ceiling. However Attitude towards Women as Manager does not have any effect on Perception of Glass Ceiling or Gender. Moreover SRO has a greater effect on Perception of Glass Ceiling than Gender has. It is also seen that females have a higher SRO i.e., a more modern outlook than men who have a lower value of SRO i.e., a more traditional outlook. It is also seen that higher the value of SRO, lower is the perception of glass ceiling and that females have a lower perception of glass ceiling as compared to males.

Research limitations/implications: The sample space of respondents was limited to MBA School students. It does not take into account the respondents’ work experience. The current study could therefore only provide tentative conclusions.

Practical implications: Once the factors affecting Perception of Glass Ceiling are determined, organizations can work accordingly to eliminate this perception of glass ceiling among its employees.

Originality/value: This research has been done in the Indian Context. The scales we used to determine SRO and Perception of Glass Ceiling were designed specifically for the Indian Context. Since SRO differs widely from country to country, this research will enable us to find the link between Gender and Perception of Glass Ceiling specifically in the Indian context.
Impact of Co-working Couples on their Job Performance
Authors: Santhosh V.A. , Kutty K.V. Krishnan
Published: October 2012

The changing lifestyles, education level and cultural innovations have made much difference in workplace. One major change, which this phenomenon has brought in, is the involvement of increased number of working couples in families followed by the trend to be in the same work place to earn their bread. The study tries to bring out the difference in performance, if any, that married couples working together can bring in an organization comparing with those working separately. The study explores the same quantitatively, by validating the performance score with the independent variables chosen. The study could help the manager of an organization to make an appropriate decision on whether to show a welcome sign to a husband and a wife to work together when such request comes in front.
Another Entrepreneurial Venture Fails to See the Light of the Day
Authors: Ahmad Moid Uddin , Bhattacharyya Arun
Published: October 2012

The entrepreneurial journey for a young and aspiring entrepreneur and that too from a middle class family, is triggered for a variety of reasons but has its own share of crests and troughs. It requires a strong will and character on the part of the entrepreneur to sustain the momentum and once too often we see a start-up die a premature death, leaving the protagonist thinking- what went wrong? This case is about one such young entrepreneur, who motivated by the success of his role model, launches an enterprise only to see it wither away in quick time. In trying to understand why it happened, we trace the entrepreneurs’ background, the antecedents of his taking the entrepreneurial route and the reasons why the enterprise could not be sustained. We also make an attempt to see if the failure of the first shot at entrepreneurship deters an individual to start another one.
The Right to Buy: Examination of an exercise in allocating, shifting and re-branding risks
Authors: Blandy Sarah , Hunter Caroline
Published: October 2012

This paper examines the development of the Right to Buy, introduced by the Housing Act 1980, from the standpoint of governmentality, risk and responsibilization. Our focus is on the risks not only to the purchasers but also to local authorities and to those tenants who have not purchased their homes. We trace how these risks have been assessed, allocated and rebranded, by central government, by local authorities as landlords with wider responsibility for housing issues in their local area, and by the judiciary. Our analysis, for the first time, points out the sharp contrasts between these three arms of government. Central government has promoted the Right to Buy as an opportunity through technologies such as ideological policy documents, legislation and regulations, within a governing rationality which has succeeded in normalizing the tenure of owner-occupation. Local authorities recognized from the outset the risks associated with the Right to Buy both to individual purchasers and more widely. The courts have allocated risk on the basis of individual responsibility, implicitly supporting local authorities. Despite neoliberal policies and ideology emphasizing the free market, central government has reduced or re-allocated risks through interventions to protect purchasers and also the broader community.
Adaptive moment descriptors for full-field strain and displacement measurements
Authors: Wang Weizhuo , Mottershead John E
Published: October 2012

Recent advances in measurement techniques such as digital image correlation, automated photoelasticity, electronic speckle pattern interferometry and thermoelastic stress analysis allow full-field maps (images) of displacement or strain to be obtained easily. This generally results in the acquisition of large volumes of highly redundant data. Fortunately, image decomposition offers feasible techniques for data condensation while retaining essential information. This permits data processing such as the validation of computational models, modal testing or structural damage assessment efficiently and in a straightforward way. The selection, or construction, of decomposition bases (kernel) functions is essential to data reduction and has been shown to produce features, or attributes, of the full-field image that are effective in reproducing the measured information, succinct in condensation and robust to measurement noise. Among the most popular kernel functions are the orthogonal Fourier series, wavelets and Legendre polynomials, which are defined on continuous rectangular domains, and Zernike polynomials and Fourier–Mellin functions, which are defined on continuous circular domains. The discrete orthogonal polynomials include Tchebichef, Krawtchouk and Hahn functions that are directly applicable to digital images and avoid the approximate numerical integration that becomes necessary with the sampling of continuous kernel functions. In practice, full-field measurements of the engineering components are usually non-planar within irregular domains – neither rectangular nor circular, so that the classical kernel functions are not immediately applicable. To address this problem, a complete methodology is described, consisting of (1) surface parameterisation for the mapping of three-dimensional surfaces to two-dimensional planar domains, (2) Gram–Schmidt orthogonalisation for the construction of orthogonal kernel functions on arbitrary domains and (3) reconstruction of localised image features, such as regions of high strain gradient, by a windowing technique. Application of this methodology is demonstrated in a series of illustrative examples
Poly(ethylene glycol)-armed hyperbranched polyoxetanes for anticancer drug delivery
Authors: Sharma Khushboo , Zolotarskaya Olga Yu , Wynne Kenneth J , Yang Hu
Published: October 2012

A facile method for synthesis of poly ethylene glycol (PEG)-armed hyperbranched polyoxetanes is presented along with characterization and use in drug delivery. A series of hyperbranched polyoxetanes with multiple PEG arms were synthesized via a one-pot cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-hydroxymethyl oxetane (EHMO) and its PEGylated derivative (EPMO), in which the feed mass ratio of EHMO to EPMO was 98:2, 96:4, 74:26, or 17:83. Characterization methods included nuclear magnetic resonance, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Toxicity of the synthesized polymers to human dermal fibroblasts was evaluated using the MTT assay. Formulation into particles was carried out to encapsulate the anticancer drug camptothecin using the single oil-in-water solvent evaporation method. The resulting drug encapsulated particles were evaluated for antitumor activity using HN12 cells.
The Weaning Index as Predictor of Weaning Success
Authors: Huaringa Armando J. , Wang Allan , Haro Manuel H. , Leyva Francisco J.
Published: October 2012

Background. The quest to obtain an accurate way to predict success when weaning a patient from mechanical ventilation continues. The established parameters such as tidal volume (Vt), respiratory rate (f), negative inspiratory force (NIF), vital capacity (VC), and minute ventilation (V) have not predicted weaning accurately. The frequency-to-tidal volume ratio (f/Vt), or rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) is a good predictor of weaning success if the value is low, but not when the value approximates 105. Because of the aforementioned, we decided to add 2 corrective factors to the RSBI. The first one was elastance index (EI = peak pressure/NIF) and the second one, the ventilatory demand index (VDI = minute ventilation/10). The result of the product of the RSBI × EI × VDI was called the weaning index (WI). Methods. In order to assess the discriminatory power of WI, we obtained weaning parameters and calculated WI for 59 patients in our intensive care unit and extubated them if RSBI was ≤105. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and receiver–operating characteristics (ROC) curves were obtained. The results were compared with the previous studies involving the RSBI. Results. The WI sensitivity was 98%, specificity was 89%, PPV was 95%, NPV was 94%, and area under the ROC curve was 95.9. Conclusions. The WI is a simple and reproducible parameter that integrates breathing pattern, compliance, inspiratory muscle strength, and ventilatory demand and is the most accurate predictor of weaning success.
Systemic Lupus–Induced Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage Treated With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Patel Jayshil J. , Lipchik Randolph J.
Published: October 2012

Objectives:

We report the case of a 28-year-old patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with rapid onset of dyspnea and hemoptysis found to have diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) with refractory hypoxemia successfully treated with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The discussion includes clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, outcome, and a review of the available adult literature on the use of ECMO in patients with DAH.

Design:

Case report.

Setting:

Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Data Sources: Data were collected from the patient’s electronic medical record and the hospital radiology database.

Conclusions:

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage secondary to SLE is quite rare. The adult literature on the utilization of ECMO for DAH is limited mostly to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated alveolar hemorrhage and a few reports of nonvasculitis DAH. Bleeding has been a contraindication to ECMO due to the need for systemic anticoagulation. Our case, along with a review of the literature, indicates that ECMO with anticoagulation can be safely utilized in patients with DAH. To our knowledge, this is the first reported adult case of DAH due to SLE successfully treated with ECMO.
Predicting Use and Solicitation of Payments in Lieu of Taxes
Authors: Longoria Thomas
Published: October 2012

Some local governments solicit voluntary Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) from nonprofit organizations. PILOTs are intended to substitute for property and other taxes nonprofit entities do not pay even though they consume local government services. The diffusion of PILOTs to other jurisdictions depends in part on local government financial managers’ knowledge and perceptions. Using a mail survey of local government financial managers, this study explores factors that explain the use and solicitation of PILOTs. Jurisdictions where local government financial managers do not view administrative and political costs as greater than benefits of revenue are more likely to have and solicit PILOTs. Proximity to other jurisdictions that have a PILOT make it more likely a jurisdiction will consider soliciting a PILOT. However, perceived stakeholder support for the tax exempt status of the nonprofit sector makes a jurisdiction less likely to consider soliciting PILOTs.
Synthesis and static analysis of the deployable frame for a morphing wing
Authors: Zhao Jing-Shan , Ye Li , Chu Fulei , Dai Jian S
Published: October 2012

This article proposes a deployable frame for a morphing wing. The frame is redundantly constrained in structure, and therefore it has both merits of high structural stiffness and strength of a truss structure and motion flexibility of a mechanism. The primary element of the foldable frame is synthesized from the viewpoint of identical strength principle. The major structures of previous deployable wings are mostly based on prismatic joints. However, the deflections of the cantilevered links might not satisfy the primary geometry requirements of the prismatic joint. Therefore revolute joints are used in our deployable frame to avoid violating the geometry conditions for prismatic joints resulting from the different deflections of its contacting two parts. The deflection and slope of every joint node of the foldable frame is investigated within the deploying/folding process. Numerical analysis indicates that the deployment ratio of the foldable frame can be designed much larger than that of the existing morphing wing even considering the allowable deflection under the completely unfolded situations.
Design of noncircular bevel gear with concave pitch curve
Authors: Shi Kan , Xia Jiqiang , Wang Chunjie
Published: October 2012

Noncircular bevel gear can achieve variable transmission between intersecting axes. This article proposes the design method of high-order noncircular bevel gear with concave pitch curve. The parametric equations for driving and driven gear, addendum and dedendum surface under given transmission ratio and axis angle are established in a spherical polar coordinate system. The tooth profile equation of noncircular bevel gear is derived according to the generation method by using bevel gear cutter. The three-dimensional model for noncircular bevel gear is developed to verify the correctness of the design method.
Preserving Integrity in the Face of Performance Threat
Authors: Legault Lisa , Al-Khindi Timour , Inzlicht Michael
Published: October 2012

Self-affirmation produces large effects: Even a simple reminder of one’s core values reduces defensiveness against threatening information. But how, exactly, does self-affirmation work? We explored this question by examining the impact of self-affirmation on neurophysiological responses to threatening events. We hypothesized that because self-affirmation increases openness to threat and enhances approachability of unfavorable feedback, it should augment attention and emotional receptivity to performance errors. We further hypothesized that this augmentation could be assessed directly, at the level of the brain. We measured self-affirmed and nonaffirmed participants’ electrophysiological responses to making errors on a task. As we anticipated, self-affirmation elicited greater error responsiveness than did nonaffirmation, as indexed by the error-related negativity, a neural signal of error monitoring. Self-affirmed participants also performed better on the task than did nonaffirmed participants. We offer novel brain evidence that self-affirmation increases openness to threat and discuss the role of error detection in the link between self-affirmation and performance.
Nonlinear model predictive controller with state observer for speed sensorless induction generator–wind turbine systems
Authors: Merabet Adel , Rajasekaran Vigneshwaran , McMullin Andrew , Ibrahim Hussein , Beguenane Rachid , Thongam Jogendra S
Published: October 2012

In this article, the problem of tracking control for variable speed induction generator–wind energy conversion system is investigated using nonlinear predictive control. A rotor speed predictive control algorithm has been designed to control the angular speed of the machine in order to allow the wind energy conversion system to operate with maximum power extraction. The generator torque and uncertainties are estimated and injected into the control law to improve the tracking performance. Control action is carried out assuming that all the states are known by measurement. Then, a state observer is implemented and Lyapunov method is used to prove the global stability of the complete continuous control scheme. Simulation is carried out to verify the performance of the proposed control system.
Lateglacial and Holocene coastal evolution in the Minho estuary (N Portugal): Implications for understanding sea-level changes in Atlantic Iberia
Authors: Leorri Eduardo , Fatela Francisco , Drago Teresa , Bradley Sarah Louise , Moreno João , Cearreta Alejandro
Published: October 2012

The absence of accurate sea-level index points in SW Europe has long precluded the development of Holocene sea-level curves and the correct understanding of tectonic activity. In order to understand the coastal evolution and the major drivers in the Minho area, Portugal, we have combined micropaleontological and sedimentological data, where the chronological framework is provided by 13 radiocarbon ages. The stratigraphic reconstruction is in agreement with regional models of evolution and provides new sea-level index points that support a regional isostatic model producing the first complete Holocene sea-level curve from this area. Field data and model reconstructions present a good agreement for the region considered and vertical land movement estimates derived from the isostatic model are in agreement with GPS vertical velocities. At regional scale, our results support a north–south trend for SW Europe, where isostatic rebound seems to be minimized in the south of the Iberian Peninsula while local factors (sedimentation, local geomorphology, etc.) tend to dominate during the late Holocene. This newly produced sea-level curve has helped to improve isostatic model predictions and provide pre-anthropogenic sea-level rise rates against which modern rates can be compared.
An update on cross-cultural adaptation of US English SMILEY
Authors: Moorthy LN , Weiss E , Peterson MGE , Hassett AL , Lehman TJA ,   members of the International SMILEY Collaborative Group
Published: October 2012

We previously developed a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) tool for children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that is valid in English for the United States, called Simple Measure of Impact of Lupus Erythematosus in Youngsters (SMILEY). In order to determine the effect of SLE on the well-being of children, adolescents and their parents and examine the response to treatment modalities, it is critical to have an HRQOL tool that is applicable for different cultures. After validation in US English, we reported the translation and cultural adaptation process undertaken by our team to make SMILEY available in the following 13 accepted modern language variants: Danish, Dutch, French (France), German (Germany), Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Slovene, Spanish (USA and Puerto Rico), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Argentina), Spanish (Mexico) and Turkish. In this report we will describe the translation and adaptation of SMILEY into Afrikaans, Xhosa, Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Arabic (Egypt), Chinese, Czech, English (UK), German (Austria), German (Switzerland), Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Romanian, Serbian and Spanish for Venezuela. We followed the earlier reported procedure in this study consisting of: establishing collaborative relationships with different physicians caring for children with rheumatic diseases; forward and back translation of SMILEY and revisions; and cultural adaptation of SMILEY content.
Multifactor Analysis on the Income of Primary Health Care Institutions Implementing EMS in Hubei Province, China: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Yang Lianping , Zhang Xinping , Liu Wenbin , Wang Hongtao
Published: October 2012

The objectives of this study are to measure the level of income of primary health care institutions during essential medicines system (EMS) implementation and to identify its main influencing factors for finding the evidence to promote the EMS in China’s deepening health care reform.

The field investigation with a stratified sampling method contained primary health institutions from Hubei province, based on the different economic levels. Government-run institutions which implemented EMS were all collected; they were a total of 402. A structured questionnaire survey was carried out at all institutions involving indicators such as income of primary health care institutions, government subsidy, institution staff salaries, institution indebtedness, number of health personnel, drug price cut (per cent) and number of drug use. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 12.0 was used for independent variables selection and to perform multiple linear regressions.

Government subsidy (X1), institution staff salaries (X2), institution indebtedness (X3) and number of health personnel (X4) are factors chosen into the regression model, the square root of the income of primary health institutions (Y). The model Y = 3.827 + 0.030X1 + 0.045X2 + 0.002X3 + 0.033X4 (F = 164.663, P < 0.001), where coefficient of determination R2 = 0.656. The biggest influence on income of primary health institutions is institution staff salaries (standardized coefficients = 0.398), followed by number of health personnel (standardized coefficients = 0.318) and government subsidy (standardized coefficients = 0.264).

To protect the income of primary health care institutions, more attention should be paid to the agency staffing reform, individual performance appraisal and government subsidies. For best outcomes of EMS, the subsequent implementation should be a more completed set of supporting measures besides the design of system itself.
Is India Shouldering a Double Burden of Malnutrition?
Authors: Ravishankar A.K.
Published: October 2012

In India, malnutrition remains a silent emergency. Though the Government of India has made significant progress in the past several years, however, the rates of overweight and obesity are steadily increasing. This article attempts to examine the prevalence of double burden of undernutrition and overnutrition in different regions of India, and also identify the major determinants of the coexistence of double burden of malnutrition using the data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-III, 2005–06). The north, south, west and north-east zones experience the double burden of both underweight and obesity. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analyses show that age of the women, religion, place of residence, women’s education, wealth index and lifestyle indicators are significantly associated with both underweight and obesity. There is a need for special public health programmes that are able to address both simultaneously.
Of the Relationship between Population and Development: Need to Stop Vilifying the People
Authors: Bajpai Vikas , Bhasker Suman , Saraya Anoop
Published: October 2012

The world population recently touched seven billion and as expected, there was an outpouring of concern over how burgeoning population was the biggest stumbling block for our development. There is a well-entrenched notion in the popular perception of the laity and the policy establishment that it is burgeoning population that is the biggest hindrance in the development of the country. This perception has often led to vilification of the people who are the biggest victims of the lack of development. Consequently, there has been an imposition of a population policy that concentrates only on population stabilization through family planning measures. The article builds its argument by tracing the history and ideological roots of the conventional thinking on population policy. It further relies on data regarding historical trends in population growth to establish the close relationship between development phases in human civilization and its population dynamics. Data on the relationship between population growth and availability of resources are also examined. Population policies around much of the world have privileged fertility control measures over the overall socio-economic development. The frustration engendered by such an approach has led to greater adoption of overt and covert coercion to limit population sizes. The article emphasizes the need for a more nuanced population policy. There is a need to broaden the concept of unmet need from that of a narrow techno-centric approach to include the developmental needs of the people.
Morbidity and Expenditure on Health by Rural Population in Gujarat
Authors: Ratnawali
Published: October 2012

In this article, an attempt has been made to understand the morbidity pattern and its burden on the households while seeking health care in the rural areas of Gujarat. The findings suggest a high burden of illness in the rural population which often entails substantial expenditure on treatment. Inadequate public health provisions have led to greater dependence on private health services across the various income groups. However, as proportion of expenditure on health is inversely related to the annual income of the household, poor households have to incur much greater share of income expenditure on health than the better-off households. Cost of treatment being high, a significant proportion of households is vulnerable to debt in managing the expenses on major health problems.
Study on Risk Factors and Behaviour of Asthma Patients in Mumbai
Authors: Kaushik Chandrashekhar Suresh
Published: October 2012

Various clinical trials show that asthma can be controlled in the majority of patients, but poorly controlled asthma still imposes a considerable burden. The level of asthma control achieved reflects the behaviour of both health care professionals and patients. A key challenge for health care professionals is to help patients to engage in self-management behaviours with optimal adherence to appropriate treatment.

Clinical factors such as exposure to triggers and concomitant rhinitis are important, but so are patient behavioural factors. Behaviours such as addiction and no adherence may reduce the efficacy of treatment, and patients’ perceptions influence these behaviours. Perceptual barriers to adherence include doubting the need for treatment when symptoms are absent and concerns about potential adverse effects. Under-treatment may also be related to patients’ underestimation of the significance of symptoms and lack of awareness of achievable control (Horne et al. 2007).

This research article focuses on the patients behaviour and risk factors and its impact on asthmatic patients. The area of study was Mumbai city and the target population was all asthmatic patients residing in Mumbai city.
Process of Care and Prescribing Practices for Hypertension in Public and Private Primary Care Clinics in Malaysia
Authors: Tong Seng Fah , Khoo Ee Ming , Nordin Saleh , Teng Cheong-Lieng , Lee Verna Kar Mun , Zailinawati Abu Hassan , Chen Wei Seng , Mimi Omar
Published: October 2012

This study aimed to compare the process of care and the choice of antihypertensive medications used in both public and private primary care clinics in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was completed in 2008 on randomly selected 100 public health clinics and 114 private primary care clinics in Malaysia. A total of 4076 patient records, 3753 (92.1%) from public clinics and 323 (7.9%) from private clinics were analyzed. Less than 80% of the records documented the recommended clinical and laboratory assessments. The rates of documentation for smoking status, family history of premature death, retinal assessment, and urine albumin tests were lower in public clinics. Overall, 21% of the prescription practices were less than optimal. The process of care and the use of antihypertensive medications were not satisfactory in both settings.