bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Framing, Persuasion, Messaging, and Messengers
Authors: Hoover Andy , Cunningham Ken
Published: August 2014

The New Jersey Death Penalty Abolition Movement (DPAM) developed a pragmatic strategy that effectively communicated the argument for replacing capital punishment with life without parole, and the state of New Jersey repealed the death penalty by legislative action, on December 17, 2007. This case study analyzes the issue frames and messages used by the movement, and the possible lessons for movements in other states working to repeal the death penalty. Interviews with key stakeholders in the movement indicated which frames were used most frequently and effectively. Implications for the broader DPAM nationally include the power of the issue frames of murder victims’ families who oppose the death penalty, innocent people on death row, and law enforcement opposition to the death penalty, among others.
Head and Neck Sarcomas: Analysis of the SEER Database
Authors: Peng Kevin A. , Grogan Tristan , Wang Marilene B.
Published: August 2014

Objective

To summarize the epidemiology of sarcomas occurring in the head and neck and identify prognostic factors for patient survival.

Study Design and Setting

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

Methods

The SEER 18 registries, comprising sarcoma diagnoses made from 1973 to 2010, were queried for sarcomas arising in the head and neck. Pediatric and adult patients were analyzed separately, and multivariate and propensity‐matched analyses were performed to identify predictors of disease‐specific survival.

Results

In all, 11,481 adult cases and 1244 pediatric cases were identified. In adults, the most common histologic subtypes were malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), Kaposi sarcoma, and hemangiosarcoma, while in the pediatric cohort, the most common histologic subtypes were rhabdomyosarcoma, MFH, and osteosarcoma. Cause‐specific 2‐, 5‐, and 10‐year survival rates were 76%, 66%, and 61% for adults and 84%, 73%, and 71% for pediatric patients. Multivariate analysis performed for adults revealed that male gender, absence of radiation therapy, and stage I disease were associated with improved cause‐specific survival reaching statistical significance. However, a propensity‐matched model demonstrated no significant difference in cause‐specific survival between patients who received radiation and those who did not.

Conclusion

Sarcomas, a heterogeneous group of malignant mesenchymal tumors, are uncommonly found in the head and neck. This study represents the largest analysis of patients with head and neck sarcomas in the literature and demonstrates the impact of age, gender, primary site, histology, and radiation status on overall prognosis.
Book Review: Pratik Chakrabarti, Bacteriology in British India: Laboratory Medicine and the Tropics
Authors: Sharma Madhuri
Published: August 2014

Pratik Chakrabarti, Bacteriology in British India: Laboratory Medicine and the Tropics, Rochester University Press, New York, 2012, pp. 304, ISSN 1526-2715, £ 60.
Central versus peripheral arterial cannulation and neurological outcomes after thoracic aortic surgery: meta-analysis and meta-regression of 4459 patients
Authors: Chalegre ST , Sá MPBO , de Rueda F Gonçalves , Salerno PR , Vasconcelos FP , Lima RC
Published: August 2014

Background:

Thoracic aortic surgeries remain with high mortality rates, often associated with postoperative neurological complications. The choice of the right cannulation site is extremely important for suitable blood supply and maintenance of vital functions, especially of the central nervous system.

Objectives:

To compare the influence of central versus peripheral arterial cannulation on neurological outcomes in patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery through systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL/CCTR, SciELO, LILACS and reference lists of relevant articles were searched for clinical studies that reported in-hospital neurological outcomes after central or peripheral arterial cannulation during thoracic aortic surgery procedures until December 2013. The principal summary measures were Odds Ratio (OR) for central compared to peripheral arterial cannulation with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-values considered statistically significant when <0.05. The ORs were combined across studies, using the DerSimonian-Laird random effects model and fixed effects model using the Mantel-Haenszel model - both models were weighted. The meta-analysis was completed using the software Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2 (Biostat Inc., Englewood, NJ).

Results:

Six studies were identified and included a total of 4459 patients (1180 for central and 3279 for peripheral cannulation). There was no significant difference between the central and peripheral groups regarding neurological outcomes. The meta-regression evidenced no relationship between neurological outcomes and the variables age, sex, previous coronary event, previous neurological event, urgency surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass time, activated clotting time and esophageal temperature with p>0,05.

Conclusion:

When it comes to neurological outcomes in patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery, there was no evidence that argues in favor of any choice of arterial cannulation site, which makes us reject any superiority of one approach over the other in this regard.
Herpes zoster ophthalmicus following onabotulinumtoxinA administration for chronic migraine: A case report and literature review
Authors: Gadient Paul M , Smith Jonathan H , Ryan Stephen J
Published: August 2014

Background

There is a growing body of literature documenting local herpes zoster outbreak following procedures. The mechanism underlying these outbreaks remains elusive. We present a case of zoster following onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX) for migraine and a literature review.

Methods

Chart and literature review.

Case

A 72-year-old woman with chronic migraine received BTX injections for 3 years without incident. She had a history of thoracic zoster with subsequent post-herpetic neuralgia. In August 2013, 48 hours after receiving BTX injections, she developed a painful rash in the right V1 distribution consistent with herpes zoster ophthalmicus. One week later the rash had resolved without treatment.

Literature review

We identified 65 (including 2 from Juel-Jenson) cases of zoster reactivation following minor procedures. These cases tend to be in young patients without specific risk factors. Outbreaks characteristically occur at the level of exposure to local trauma.

Discussion

Our review suggests that local trauma, regardless of the nature of stimuli, may be sufficient for zoster reactivation. We hypothesize that the stressors in these reported cases exert a local epigenetic influence on viral transcription, allowing for viral reactivation.

Conclusion

Zoster is a potential complication of BTX administration for chronic migraine in adults. Physician awareness can reduce the significant morbidity associated with this disease.
Foulkes’ Roots in Trigant Burrow’s Writings
Authors: Pertegato Edi Gatti
Published: August 2014

Given the subject of the present workshop, a few hints on the ‘development in intersubjectivity’ in group analysis will show that from psychoanalysis to group analysis Trigant Burrow’s work has focused on intersubjectivity since its inception, forestalling the ‘so called’ intersubjective schools in psychoanalysis.

Brief historical notes on psychoanalysis and group analysis are presented to show how historical reports, more or less unconsciously, may be affected by ungrounded accounts which, through transpersonal and transgenerational processes, may be perpetuated to the detriment of knowledge and of its advance.

Finally, through the presentation of Burrow’s main group analytic concepts and methods, the burning issue of the roots of group analysis are discussed, which are unquestionably in Burrow’s writings.
The Gendered Ideal Worker Narrative
Authors: Brumley Krista M.
Published: August 2014

Workplaces have transformed over the past decades in response to global forces. This case study of a Mexican-owned multinational corporation compares employee perceptions of a new work culture required to confront these demands. Employees are expected to work long hours and to produce results, obtain the right skills and knowledge, and exhibit proactivity. Drawing on extensive qualitative data, this article theorizes what the expectations mean for women and men employees. The competitive culture reinforces inequality because expectations are grounded in the gendered “ideal worker” narrative. However, tensions ensue for the company that is partly characterized by paternalism yet requires a competitive work culture. The study uncovers a hybrid organizational logic with gendered assumptions undergirding a hidden inequality as professional women navigate the emergence of the glass ceiling in the global south.
Drug-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Kam Teresa , Alexander Maurice
Published: August 2014

Thrombocytopenia is commonly seen in laboratory findings, especially in critically ill patients. Although the incidence is rare, drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP) is a serious complication that is often overlooked as a cause of thrombocytopenia. Over the last century, extensive research and data collection have been done in an attempt to better characterize DITP. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is the most common DITP and has distinct pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment options. However, other offending medications are less well known and have triggered many questions and constant search for answers. This review will discuss both drug-induced immune-mediated and nonimmune-mediated thrombocytopenias, with a focus on immune-mediated processes. Thrombocytopenia caused by chemotherapy will not be discussed in this article.
Decentralization, participation and deliberation in water governance: a case study of the implications for Guarulhos, Brazil
Authors: van den Brandeler Francine , Hordijk Michaela , von Schönfeld Kim , Sydenstricker-Neto John
Published: August 2014

After the return to democracy in the late 1980s, Brazil developed a new system of water governance with a decentralization of responsibilities and the formation of participatory, deliberative institutions that characterized the governance reforms in general. Tripartite “water basin committees”, with an equal representation of state, municipal and civil society actors, are now responsible for water resource management in each basin and for decisions that affect urban water governance. However, state representatives come from entities established long before the reforms, raising the question of whether the new participatory bodies can change water management practices. This paper suggests that despite the process of transition in water governance, the underlying power inequalities have not been addressed and major decisions are still being taken outside the new deliberative bodies. Technocratic government actors maintain a claim on authority through their economic superiority and their use of expert knowledge, ultimately inhibiting the influence of other actors.
A new trick for an ancient drug: quinine dissociates antiphospholipid immune complexes
Authors: Bezati E , Wu X-X , Quinn A S , Taatjes D J , Rand J H
Published: August 2014

Quinine, a quinoline derivative, is an ancient antipyretic drug with antimalarial properties that has been phased out by more effective synthetic candidates. In previous studies we discovered that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a synthetic antimalarial with structural similarities to quinine, reduced the binding of antiphospholipid (aPL) immune complexes to phospholipid bilayers. We performed ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies to measure the effect of quinine on dissociation of anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) immune complexes. We found that quinine desorbed pre-formed β2GPI-aPL immunoglobulin (Ig)G complexes from phospholipid bilayers at significantly lower molar concentrations than HCQ. Quinine also inhibited the formation of immune complexes with a higher efficacy than HCQ at equivalent drug concentrations of 0.2 mg/ml (0.192 ± 0.025 µg/cm2 for quinine vs. 0.352 ± 0.014 µg/cm2 for HCQ, p < 0.001). Furthermore, AFM imaging experiments revealed that addition of quinine disintegrated immune complexes bound to planar phospholipid layers. The desorptive and inhibitory effects of the old drug, quinine, toward β2GPI-aPL IgG complexes and β2GPI were significantly more pronounced compared to the synthetic antimalarial, HCQ. The results suggest that the quinoline core of the molecule is a critical domain for this activity and that side chains may further modulate this effect. The results also indicate that there may yet be room for considering new activities of very old drugs in devising clinical trials on potential non-anticoagulant treatments for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).
What is the risk of having a total hip or knee replacement for patients with lupus?
Authors: Mukherjee S , Culliford D , Arden N , Edwards C
Published: August 2014

Individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) frequently have arthralgia but joint damage leading to surgery is thought to be less common. In addition to inflammatory damage, other reasons like avascular necrosis (AVN), which is often associated with steroid use, excessive alcohol intake and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), may increase the likelihood of large joint failure. In this study we aimed to determine the likelihood of having a total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) for individuals with SLE compared to those without lupus, by performing a retrospective matched case control study of all THRs and TKRs that were performed between 1991 and 2011 and recorded in the General Practice Research Database (GPRD). Individuals with inflammatory arthritis due to any other causes were excluded and the results were adjusted for steroid use, alcohol consumption (drinking status) and APS. The results show that patients with lupus who had a THR or TKR were younger than their peers without lupus. In addition, they appeared to have a significantly increased risk of TKR but the increased risk of THR did not remain after adjustment for steroid use, alcohol consumption and APS.
Linked in? Software and Information Technology Services in India’s Economic Development
Authors: Kite Grace
Published: August 2014

Literature on India’s software and information technology services (SWIS) sector is doubtful about any positive impact on wider development because it finds that the sector’s forward and backward linkages predominantly lead abroad. Using new data, this article re-evaluates the sector’s role and finds that there is now much more room for optimism. Domestic forward linkages have been growing very quickly and they are responsible for significant output and productivity gains in sectors like communications, financial services and retail. Additionally, backward linkages from the sector and its employees stimulate demand for domestically produced goods and services like construction, catering and travel. Together, these effects add up to a significant contribution to India’s economy, and lead to the conclusion that SWIS may soon become a leading sector.
Spatial and bodily metaphors in narrating the experience of listening to sad music
Authors: Peltola Henna-Riikka , Saresma Tuija
Published: August 2014

This study focuses on the affective experiences of listening to self-identified sad music. Previous studies have concentrated on the emotions induced by music by rationalizing and labelling emotions. However, focusing on such categorization leaves the subjective experiences of the individual aside. The aim of this article is to broaden the methodology of studying music and emotion by analysing the metaphorical language used in the narratives about the subjective experience of listening to music. A total of 373 participants answered open-ended questions about the experiences of listening to sad music via an online survey. The responses were then analysed using systematic thematic analysis concentrating on the metaphors used in participants’ narratives. The aim was to identify interesting themes not usually attainable through conventional self-report methods. The analysis thus focused on how affective experiences were narrated, and what kinds of metaphors and metonymies were used in describing them. The narratives were put into two categories: (I) spatial metaphors, and (II) metaphors of movement. The analysis also showed similarities in metaphorical mappings of the listening experience and its conceptualization by individuals.
Dosing and effectiveness of ketamine anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): a case series
Authors: Bryson Ethan O , Ahle Gabriella M , Liebman Lauren S , Aloysi Amy S , Majeske Matthew F , Lapidus Kyle A , Kellner Charles H
Published: August 2014

Objective:

To provide additional data about the clinical efficacy and dosing range for ketamine used as the induction agent in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Method:

We reviewed the clinical data in our academic hospital ECT service over the last four years for patients who had received ketamine as the sole, or adjunctive, anesthesia induction agent. We extracted clinical data about antidepressant response as well as absolute and weight-based dosing for ketamine.

Results:

We found nine patients who were treated with ketamine as the anesthetic at some point during the course of their treatment (eight as the sole agent, one as adjunctive). The median induction dose for ketamine was 1.1 mg/kg. For most patients, there was demonstrable clinical benefit.

Conclusions:

Ketamine has a role as an alternative induction anesthetic agent in ECT. Our case series adds to the literature on the concomitant use of ECT and ketamine.
The Mental Health Needs of Low-Income Pregnant Teens
Authors: Payne Nancy A. , Anastas Jeane W.
Published: August 2014

While the rates of teen childbearing have declined in the United States, adolescents who become pregnant and decide to bear and rear their babies are often from low-income, highly stressed families and communities. This article will describe the psychosocial problems of pregnant urban teens and how exposure to interpersonal trauma and current mental health problems may affect their prenatal health behavior, a vulnerable arena that has significance for infant development. It will discuss nurse home visiting as a preventive intervention with proven effectiveness in enhancing maternal prenatal health and behavior and the health and development of children born to mothers at risk, and how a nurse–family collaboration with social workers can facilitate this mission. By providing collaborative care that addresses psychosocial, health, and mental health concerns, interventions like home visiting can reach their full potential.
Efficacy of Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation
Authors: Orr Katherine Kelly , Asal Nicole J.
Published: August 2014

Objective: To review data demonstrating effective smoking cessation with electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Data Sources: A literature search of MEDLINE/PubMed (1946-March 2014) was performed using the search terms e-cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and smoking cessation. Additional references were identified from a review of literature citations. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language clinical studies assessing efficacy of e-cigarettes compared with baseline, placebo, or other pharmacological methods to aid in withdrawal symptoms, smoking reduction, or cessation were evaluated. Data Synthesis: A total of 6 clinical studies were included in the review. In small studies, e-cigarettes significantly decreased desire to smoke, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and exhaled carbon monoxide levels. Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and adverse effects were variable. The most common adverse effects were nausea, headache, cough, and mouth/throat irritation. Compared with nicotine patches, e-cigarettes were associated with fewer adverse effects and higher adherence. Most studies showed a significant decrease in cigarette use acutely; however, long-term cessation was not sustained at 6 months. Conclusions: There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation; however, there may be a place in therapy to help modify smoking habits or reduce the number of cigarettes smoked. Studies available provided different administration patterns such as use while smoking, instead of smoking, or as needed. Short-term studies reviewed were small and did not necessarily evaluate cessation with a focus on parameters associated with cessation withdrawal symptoms. Though long-term safety is unknown, concerns regarding increased poisoning exposures among adults in comparison with cigarettes are alarming.
Factor Structure and Gender Stability in the Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale
Authors: Starosta Amy J. , Berghoff Christopher R. , Earleywine Mitch
Published: August 2014

Sexually transmitted infections continue to trouble the United States and can be attenuated through increased condom use. Attitudes about condoms are an important multidimensional factor that can affect sexual health choices and have been successfully measured using the Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS). Such attitudes have the potential to vary between men and women, yet little work has been undertaken to identify if the MCAS accurately captures attitudes without being influenced by underlying gender biases. We examined the factor structure and gender invariance on the MCAS using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory, within-subscale differential item functioning analyses. More than 770 participants provided data via the Internet. Results of differential item functioning analyses identified three items as differentially functioning between the genders, and removal of these items is recommended. Findings confirmed the previously hypothesized multidimensional nature of condom attitudes and the five-factor structure of the MCAS even after the removal of the three problematic items. In general, comparisons across genders using the MCAS seem reasonable from a methodological standpoint. Results are discussed in terms of improving sexual health research and interventions.
A Multimodal Examination of Emotional Responding to a Trauma-Relevant Film Among Traumatic Motor Vehicle Accident Survivors
Authors: Bujarski Sarah J. , Craig James T. , Zielinski Melissa J. , Badour Christal L. , Feldner Matthew T.
Published: August 2014

The Facial Action Coding System (Ekman & Friesen) has shown promise as a behavioral measure of emotional experience. The current study examined the degree of (de)synchrony between self-reported and facial expressions of fear, disgust, and sadness in response to a traumatic event–relevant film among individuals who had experienced a traumatic motor vehicle accident. Given high rates of comorbidity between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms, the potential impacts of both PTSS and depressive symptoms on emotional responding were examined. Results demonstrated synchrony between self-reported and facial expressions of disgust and sadness; however, no association between measures of fear was observed. Furthermore, depressive symptoms were associated with greater fear responding and PTSS were associated only with self-reported fear. Together, results support the importance of examining discrete negative emotions, rather than broad valence categories, when examining fear-based responding in traumatic event–exposed populations. Additional research examining the psychometric properties of the Facial Action Coding System as a measure of discrete emotional experiences among traumatic event–exposed individuals is needed to advance multimodal assessment approaches that yield incremental information for understanding emotional responding in this population.
Analysis and approximation of a strain-limiting nonlinear elastic model
Authors: Bulíček M , Málek J , Süli E
Published: August 2014

Elastic solids with strain-limiting response to external loading represent an interesting class of material models, capable of describing stress concentration at strains with small magnitude. A theoretical justification of this class of models comes naturally from implicit constitutive theory. We investigate mathematical properties of static deformations for such strain-limiting nonlinear models. Focusing on the spatially periodic setting, we obtain results concerning existence, uniqueness and regularity of weak solutions, and existence of renormalized solutions for the full range of the positive scalar parameter featuring in the model. These solutions are constructed via a Fourier spectral method. We formulate a sufficient condition for ensuring that a renormalized solution is in fact a weak solution, and we comment on the extension of the analysis to nonperiodic boundary-value problems.
Reciprocal theorem for a linear elastic Cosserat interphase with general geometry
Authors: Rubin MB
Published: August 2014

Interphases in heterogeneous media are typically thin regions, such as coatings on inclusions bonded to matrixes. These interphases are modeled with approximate equations that connect fields on both surfaces of the interphase. The theory of a Cosserat surface is a special continuum theory that models the response of thin structures. Cosserat interphase models based on this theory provide unified equations that are valid for the entire range of material parameters of the inclusion, interphase and matrix. Since the balance laws for these Cosserat interphases are global integral equations, the theory inherits many of the fundamental properties of the exact three-dimensional theory. Here, it is shown that the Cosserat interphase model for linear elasticity also satisfies a global form of the reciprocal theorem.
Preclinical Safety Evaluation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation in Cerebrum of Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Feng Ming , Li Yan , Han Qin , Bao Xinjie , Yang Ming , Zhu Hua , Li Qin , Wei Junji , Ma Wenbin , Gao Hong , An Yihua , Zhao Robert Chunhua , Qin Chuan , Wang Renzhi
Published: August 2014

The efficacy of stem cell transplantation for promoting recovery of patients with neurological diseases, such as stroke, has been reported in several studies. However, the safety of the intracerebral transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) remains unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety of hMSCs transplanted in cerebrum of Macaca fascicularis and to provide evidence for clinical application. A total of 24 M fascicularis were assigned to 3 groups randomly: low dose (3.0 × 105 cells/kg), high dose (2.5 × 106 cells/kg), and the control (normal saline [NS]). Human mesenchymal stem cells or NS were injected into each monkey for 2 times, with an interval of 3 weeks. The injection point was located outside of the right putamen, according to a stereotactic map and preoperative magnetic resonance imaging of the monkeys. Animal health, behavior, biophysical and biochemical parameters, and brain neurological function were routinely monitored over a 6-month period posttransplantation, and the histopathologic examinations were also performed. The results showed that local pathologic damage including local tissue necrosis and inflammation was induced after the injection. The damage of low-dose and high-dose groups was greater than that of the control group, yet over time, the damage could be repaired gradually. No major hMSCs-associated changes were induced from other indicators, and the transplantation of hMSCs in monkeys did not affect total immunoglobulin (Ig) M, total IgG, CD3, CD4, or CD8 values. We therefore conclude that transplantation of hMSCs to the cerebrum represents a safe alternative for clinical application of neurological disorders.
Experiments on shear performance of integrated 3D composite sandwich structures
Authors: Wu Zhihua , Xiao Jiayu , Zeng Jingcheng , Liu Jun
Published: August 2014

A new type of 3D composite sandwich structure with foam core reinforced by composite columns, which can be called integrated 3D composite sandwich structure, was designed, fabricated and studied. The integrated 3D composite sandwich structure inherited the advantages and improved the shortcomings of the traditional foam core composite sandwich structures. All types of the samples with different consisting materials and structural parameters were tested and analyzed under tension shear load. The results show that the shear properties of the integrated 3D composite sandwich structures are obviously better than those of the traditional foam core composite sandwich structures and due to the fact that the composite columns bond the two face sheets and the core together. Moreover, the stitch-bonding effect is more obvious for the better shear properties foam. The structural parameters have significant influence on the shear properties, especially the diameter of composite columns and the distance between composite columns. However, the variety of these parameters result in a corresponding change of the mass and then effect the specific shear properties. Consequently, it is necessary to find a balance among these parameters in order to get the optimal properties.
Relationship between infertility-related stress and emotional distress and marital satisfaction
Authors: Gana Kamel , Jakubowska Sylwia
Published: August 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive effects of infertility-related stress on psychological distress and marital satisfaction. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate a nonrecursive model hypothesizing the impact of infertility-related stress on both emotional distress and marital dissatisfaction, which were supposed to have a reciprocal influence on each other. The model was estimated using data from a sample of 150 infertile patients (78 males and 72 females). Findings confirmed the predictive effects of infertility-related stress on both emotional and marital distress. However, infertility-related stress was found to have more impact on emotional distress than on marital satisfaction.
Acquisition of Russian gender agreement by monolingual and bilingual children
Authors: Schwartz Mila , Minkov Miriam , Dieser Elena , Protassova Ekaterina , Moin Victor , Polinsky Maria
Published: August 2014

Aim and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:

The main goal of this study was to examine noun–adjective gender agreement in Russian by comparing bilingual children with diverse L2 backgrounds (English, Finnish, German, and Hebrew) with age-matched monolingual children and monolinguals one year younger. This comparison was made to investigate the influence of L2 grammar on the acquisition of gender agreement by (L1) Russian-speaking children.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

The participants included four groups of 4–5-year-old bilingual children with Russian as L1 and English, German, Finnish, or Hebrew as L2, who were compared to monolingual children in Russia in two age groups (3–4 and 4–5 years old). The children were matched by socioeconomic status and parents’ educational background. All children were tested individually during one testing session. Agreement data were elicited using a semi-structured elicitation test, with verbal and visual stimuli.

Data and Analysis:

We used qualitative data analysis to identify types and categories of errors, and quantitative data analysis to compare the tendencies of noun–adjective gender agreement in Russian (L1) between the groups.

Findings/Conclusions:

Development of gender agreement in the bilingual children from different L2 backgrounds was qualitatively similar to that of the 3–4-year-old monolingual Russian-speaking children. This result suggests that bilingual development in L1 follows the same developmental path as monolingual development, albeit with a delay. In addition, bilingual children whose L2 has grammatical gender (German, Hebrew) outperformed the other bilinguals on gender agreement, indicating that the presence of a grammatical category in both languages spoken by a bilingual facilitates category acquisition.

Originality and Significance/Implications:

The study contributes to the discussion on how the transparency and phonological saliency might affect the bilingual children’s acquisition of inflectional morphology and on how influence of L2 on L1 might in some cases help and in other cases impede the acquisition of L1.
Regression modeling and particle swarm optimization of mechanical properties of potassium hydroxide pretreated Dharbai fiber-reinforced polyester composites
Authors: Sundaram S Kalyana , Jayabal S
Published: August 2014

This paper aims at improving the mechanical properties of Dharbai fiber-reinforced polyester composites through surface modification of Dharbai fibers using potassium hydroxide alkali treatment. The fibers were subjected to alkali treatment as per full factorial design, and the composites were fabricated by reinforcing the treated fibers in polyester matrix. The response surface methodology was employed to study the effect of treatment parameters namely solution concentration (%) and soaking time (h) on the mechanical properties of Dharbai fiber-reinforced composites. The regression model was developed for correlating the interactions between solution concentrations and soaking time on the tensile, flexural, and impact strength of the composites. The results obtained confirmed that both solution concentration (%) and soaking time (h) play critical role in influencing the mechanical properties of Dharbai fiber-reinforced composites. The better treatment conditions for optimum mechanical properties were determined using heuristic optimization method called particle swarm optimization. The optimized value obtained using particle swarm optimization technique was validated using confirmation test, and the results were found to be significant.
Open versus endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm: Incidence of cardiovascular events in 632 patients in a department of defense cohort over 6-year follow-up
Authors: Thomas Dustin , Anderson David , Hulten Edward , McRae Fiora , Ellis Shane , Malik Jamil A , Villines Todd C , Slim Ahmad M
Published: August 2014

Background

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is common with unacceptably high rates of mortality and morbidity with unknown rates of complications after repair in the Department of Defense (DoD).

Methods

All patients treated at a DOD or VA clinic or medical facility with a diagnosis of AAA identified by ICD-9 code search were identified by Patient Administration Systems and Biostatistics Activity (PASBA) using the Standard Inpatient Data Record (SIDR) and Composite Ambulatory Patient Encounter Record (CAPER) from January 2006 till December 2011. The primary outcome was death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and cardiac arrhythmia between subjects who underwent endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) or open aortic repair (OAR).

Results

A total of 8314 patients were screened to identify 632 patients who underwent surgical repair of non-ruptured AAA. EVAR was performed in 497 patients (78.6%) and OAR in 135 patients (21.4%). Mortality at 30 days was less common in EVAR patients (1.6% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.004), but was not sustained (16.9% vs. 17.8%, p = 0.797). Mean survival free from mortality was not different between the two groups (EVAR vs. OAR: 6.14 ± 0.13 years vs. 6.11 ± 0.22 years, p = 0.378). The composite endpoint of MI, stroke, arrhythmia, or death was not different between groups at 30 days (EVAR vs. OAR: 12.9% vs. 14.1%, p = 0.774) or in long-term follow-up population (EVAR vs. OAR: 40.6% vs. 31.9%, p = 0.073) though there was a trend toward higher event rates in the EVAR. The composite endpoint of MI, stroke, and arrhythmia occurred in 198 patients (31%).

Conclusion

EVAR was associated with lower 30-day mortality rates; however, this benefit was not sustained in longer-term follow-up. There is no difference in the rates of stroke, myocardial infarction, or cardiac arrhythmia at 30 days or in long-term follow-up.
How leaders can support teachers with data-driven decision making
Authors: Marsh Julie A. , Farrell Caitlin C.
Published: August 2014

As accountability systems have increased demands for evidence of student learning, the use of data in education has become more prevalent in many countries. Although school and administrative leaders are recognizing the need to provide support to teachers on how to interpret and respond to data, there is little theoretically sound research on data-driven decision making (DDDM) to guide their efforts. Drawing on sociocultural learning theory, extant empirical literature, and findings from a recent study, this paper develops a framework for understanding how to build teacher capacity to use data, specifically informing what practices administrators might employ, when in the DDDM process to employ these practices, and how these mechanisms may build teacher knowledge and skills. Given the global economic climate, administrators face difficult choices in how to invest scarce resources to support data use and once invested, how to ensure that teachers gain, and sustain, the needed capabilities once the supports are removed. The framework provided herein presents a set of concepts that may be useful in guiding these decisions. Implications for leadership practice, as well as suggestions to guide future research and theory development, are discussed.
Response 1: Re-thinking the time of punishment: A response to Valverde
Authors: Armstrong Sarah
Published: August 2014

This response picks up on Valverde’s call for scholars to excavate contestable assumptions about space and time that are embedded in contemporary security arrangements. It does so by re-visiting the problem of time in punishment, focusing on how time works in sentencing and punishment theory compared to how it is experienced by prisoners. Time is both a central concern and banal quality of contemporary punishment, the most basic and so taken for granted dimension of modernity’s exemplary penal form – imprisonment. Sentencing theory operationalizes time through the principle of proportionality. The proportionality principle employs a uniform measure of time in which all prison sentences (or fine amounts or probation hours) of the same length equate to an identical amount of pain, no matter to whom, how often or in what order they are applied. By contrast, recent research by Armstrong and Weaver on the lived experience of penal time contradicts in almost every way the temporality assumed in proportionality theory. Such findings expose not only asocial assumptions about time but show how empirical work can be relevant to and inform philosophical and normative thinking on punishment.
Renal tubular acidosis type II associated with vitamin D deficiency presenting as chronic weakness
Authors: Ali Yaseen , Parekh Amila , Baig Mirza , Ali Taseen , Rafiq Tazeen
Published: August 2014

Chronic vitamin D deficiency, though common in the elderly, is often under diagnosed and when progressing to renal tubular acidosis type II (RTA 2) can cause several simultaneous electrolyte imbalances that may present with weakness and pain as chief symptoms. We present such a case that after months of evaluation and symptomatic treatment did not lead to an effective establishment of the etiology causing chronic weakness and body pain in an elderly female patient. Eventually, after a careful review of the patient’s history, repeat physical examinations, laboratory data evaluation, and diagnostic testing led to the establishment of the diagnosis of proximal RTA 2 associated with vitamin D deficiency, which caused the patient to develop several remarkable secondary electrolyte imbalances such as hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, acidemia, hyperparathyroidism, with weakness and body pain.
Safety in movement: Mobile workers, mobile media
Authors: Pink Sarah , Morgan Jennie , Dainty Andrew
Published: August 2014

Mobile and locative digital media are an inextricable part of everyday working environments, are part of everyday work practices in organizations, and are part of organizational infrastructures. Likewise occupational safety and health (OSH) in many ways underpins the ways that people work in organizations. Yet the relationship of OSH to media, and to the ways in which people are mobile while at work, has remained underexplored in academic scholarship. In this article we take the novel step of bringing together the fields of mobile media, phenomenological anthropology, and OSH to ask how they might mutually inform each other.
Contract Farming and Gender Relations in India
Authors: Faizi Amir Afaque Ahmad , Shah Tamanna Maqbool
Published: August 2014

Around half of those who suffer from hunger in India are ironically those who grow our food: the small and marginal farmers. With continuous structural adjustments, economic reforms and globalisation the small and marginal food growing system was transformed into a corporate controlled industrial system of agriculture. This once self-sufficient segment that produced a diversity of food crops and seeds has been forced to become a cultivator of ‘crop commodity’. In the hope to earn better wages they plunge into the labour market along with their small children and families. Being in the unorganised sector they are neither covered by insurance nor have any other legislated protective mechanisms like the employee provident fund or the legal sanction of a minimum prescribed wage. Thus, this labour force is exploited with impunity. Over time the phenomenon has almost got institutionalised in India, where labour from a particular state migrates en-mass in the cultivating season giving rise to demographic and gender issues. This paper discusses the increasing incidence of child labour and the deteriorating conditions of women on the farms. Using case studies and interviews it maps trends in three states of India.
Molecular and clinical predictors of inhibitor risk and its prevention and treatment in mild hemophilia A
Authors: Castaman Giancarlo , Fijnvandraat Karin
Published: August 2014

The risk for inhibitor development in mild hemophilia A (factor VIII levels between 5 and 40 U/dL) is larger than previously anticipated, continues throughout life, and is particularly associated with certain mutations in F8. Desmopressin may reduce inhibitor risk by avoiding exposure to FVIII concentrates, but the heterogenous biological response to desmopressin, showing large interindividual variation, may limit its clinical use. However, predictors of desmopressin response have been recently identified, allowing the selection of the best candidates to this treatment.
Maximum likelihood estimators in linear regression models with Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process
Authors: Hu Hongchang , Pan Xiong , Xu Lifeng
Published: August 2014

The paper studies the linear regression model

y
t

=

x
t
T

β
+

ε
t

,

t
=
1
,
2
,
…
,
n
,

where

d

ε
t

=
λ
(
μ
−

ε
t

)

d
t
+
σ

d

B
t

,

with parameters

λ
,
σ
∈

R
+

,

μ
∈
R

and

{

B
t

,
t
≥
0
}

the standard Brownian motion. Firstly, the maximum likelihood (ML) estimators of β, λ and

σ
2

are given. Secondly, under general conditions, the asymptotic properties of the ML estimators are investigated. And then, limiting distributions for likelihood ratio test statistics of the hypothesis are also given. Lastly, the validity of the method are illuminated by two real examples.

MSC:62J05, 62M10, 60J60.
Convergence theorems for modified generalized f-projections and generalized nonexpansive mappings
Authors: Cheng Qingqing , Su Yongfu , Zhang Jingling
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this paper is to study a sequence of modified generalized f-projections in a reflexive, smooth, and strictly convex Banach space and show that Mosco convergence of their ranges implies their pointwise convergence to the generalized f-projection onto the limit set. Furthermore, we prove a strong convergence theorem for a countable family of α-nonexpansive mappings in a uniformly convex and smooth Banach space using the properties of a modified generalized f-projection operator. Our main results generalize the results of Ziming Wang, Yongfu Su, and Jinlong Kang and enrich the research contents of α-nonexpansive mappings.

MSC:47H05, 47H09, 47H10.
Exploration application of seismic amplitude analysis in the Krishna-Godavari Basin, east coast of India
Authors: Singh Ram Janma
Published: August 2014

Seismic amplitude anomalies are attractive exploration targets in the Krishna-Godavari Basin offshore India. These bright spots mostly have very high amplitudes, so confident interpretations have been possible. We distinguished between hydrocarbon-bearing sands, water-bearing sands, and high-impedance nonreservoir bodies. Also, we mapped channel architecture and accurately predicted reservoir thickness. Strong amplitude anomalies, prospective seismic character based on an understanding of data phase and polarity, flat spots, and amplitude versus offset have all provided valuable evidence.
Letrozole vs Anastrozole for Height Augmentation in Short Pubertal Males: First Year Data
Authors: Neely E. Kirk , Kumar Rajiv B. , Payne Sydney L. , Ranadive Sayali A. , Suchet Diane I.
Published: August 2014

Context:

Aromatase inhibitors are used off-label to treat short stature in peripubertal boys.

Objective:

To investigate short- and long-term hormonal and auxologic differences in short pubertal boys treated with letrozole (L) or anastrozole (A).

Design:

Patients are seen for laboratory evaluation and physical examination every 6 months, bone age yearly, DEXA and spine film every 2 years. They will be followed until they reach their final height. This is a preliminary report after 1 year of treatment.

Setting:

A single academic children's hospital outpatient clinic.

Patients:

Boys with age >10 years, bone age ≤14 years, clinical and hormonal evidence of central puberty, and either height < fifth percentile or predicted adult height (PAH) more than 10 cm below mid-parental height (MPH).

Intervention:

Letrozole (2.5 mg) or anastrozole (1 mg) was administered orally each day.

Main Outcome Measures:

Hormonal and clinical parameters, growth velocity, and change in bone age and PAH.

Results:

Thirty-nine boys have completed 1 year of treatment. Baseline means were age 14.1 years, PAH 166 cm, and testosterone 198 ng/dL. At 1 year, letrozole resulted in higher LH (L 6.1 ± 2.5 vs A 3.2 ± 1.7 IU/L) and testosterone (1038 ± 348 vs 536 ± 216 ng/dL) with lower estradiol (2.8 ± 2.8 vs 5.6 ± 2.9 pg/mL) and IGF-1 (237 ± 51 vs 331 ± 79 ng/mL). First year growth velocities were identical (7.2 cm/year), but an increase in PAH was greater in the anastrozole group (4.2 ± 3.5 vs 1.4 ± 4.4 cm, p = 0.03) after 1 year.

Conclusions:

We present first-year data from a direct comparison of anastrozole and letrozole for height augmentation in short pubertal boys. Letrozole was more potent in hormonal manipulation than anastrozole. First-year growth velocities were comparable, but improvement in PAH was greater in the anastrozole group. It remains to be seen if positive PAH trends will translate to increase in final height in either group.
Semaphorin signalling during development
Authors: Jongbloets Bart C. , Pasterkamp R. Jeroen
Published: August 2014

Semaphorins are secreted and membrane-associated proteins that regulate many different developmental processes, including neural circuit assembly, bone formation and angiogenesis. Trans and cis interactions between semaphorins and their multimeric receptors trigger intracellular signal transduction networks that regulate cytoskeletal dynamics and influence cell shape, differentiation, motility and survival. Here and in the accompanying poster we provide an overview of the molecular biology of semaphorin signalling within the context of specific cell and developmental processes, highlighting the mechanisms that act to fine-tune, diversify and spatiotemporally control the effects of semaphorins.