bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Postdischarge Outcomes From Information Acquired Shortly After Admission for Acute Heart Failure
Authors: Cleland John G. , Chiswell Karen , Teerlink John R. , Stevens Susanna , Fiuzat Mona , Givertz Michael M. , Davison Beth A. , Mansoor George A. , Ponikowski Piotr , Voors Adriaan A. , Cotter Gad , Metra Marco , Massie Barry M. , O’Connor Christopher M.
Published: November 2013

Background—

Acute heart failure is a common reason for admission, and outcome is often poor. Improved prognostic risk stratification may assist in the design of future trials and in patient management. Using data from a large randomized trial, we explored the prognostic value of clinical variables, measured at hospital admission for acute heart failure, to determine whether a few selected variables were inferior to an extended data set.

Methods and Results—

The prognostic model included 37 clinical characteristics collected at baseline in PROTECT, a study comparing rolofylline and placebo in 2033 patients admitted with acute heart failure. Prespecified outcomes at 30 days were death or rehospitalization for any reason; death or rehospitalization for cardiovascular or renal reasons; and, at both 30 and 180 days, all-cause mortality. No variable had a c-index >0.70, and few had values >0.60; c-indices were lower for composite outcomes than for mortality. Blood urea was generally the strongest single predictor. Eighteen variables contributed independent prognostic information, but a reduced model using only 8 items (age, previous heart failure hospitalization, peripheral edema, systolic blood pressure, serum sodium, urea, creatinine, and albumin) performed similarly. For prediction of all-cause mortality at 180 days, the model c-index using all variables was 0.72 and for the simplified model, also 0.72.

Conclusions—

A few simple clinical variables measured on admission in patients with acute heart failure predict a variety of adverse outcomes with accuracy similar to more complex models. However, predictive models were of only moderate accuracy, especially for outcomes that included nonfatal events. Better methods of risk stratification are required.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifiers: NCT00328692 and NCT00354458.
Stent Thrombosis With Second-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents Compared With Bare-Metal Stents
Authors: Philip Femi , Agarwal Shikhar , Bunte Matthew C. , Goel Sachin S. , Tuzcu E. Murat , Ellis Stephen , Kapadia Samir R.
Published: November 2013

Background—

The relative safety of drug-eluting stents (DESs) and bare-metal stents (BMSs) with respect to stent thrombosis (ST) continues to be debated. There are limited data comparing safety and efficacy of second-generation DES to BMS. We compared the clinical outcomes between second-generation DES and BMS for primary percutaneous coronary intervention using network meta-analysis.

Methods and Results—

Randomized controlled trials comparing stent types (first-generation DES, second-generation DES or BMS) were considered for inclusion. A search strategy used Medline, Embase, Cochrane databases, and proceedings of the international meetings. Information about study design, inclusion criteria, and sample characteristics were extracted. Network meta-analysis was used to pool direct (comparison of second-generation DES to BMS) and indirect evidence (first-generation DES with BMS and second-generation DES) from the randomized trials. Twenty-one trials comparing all stents types, including 12 866 patients randomly assigned to treatment groups, were analyzed. A significantly lower incidence of ST was noted with the use of second-generation DES as early as 30 days (odds ratio [OR], 0.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15–0.82) and between 31 days and 1 year (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.30–0.79) when compared with BMS. Second-generation DES was associated with significantly lower incidence of definite ST at 1 year (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.11–0.83) and myocardial infarction (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.17–0.54) and target vessel revascularization at 1 year (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.80–0.98) when compared with BMS. There was no difference in mortality at 30 days (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.45–1.59) or 1 year (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.56–1.14) with the use of second-generation DES versus BMS. The small number of events may influence the precision of the analysis.

Conclusions—

Network meta-analysis of randomized trials of primary percutaneous coronary intervention demonstrated lower incidence of ST, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization with second-generation DES when compared with BMS. The use of second-generation DES for percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction was not associated with adverse events when compared with BMS.
Late Stroke: Comparison of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Patients With Multivessel Disease and Unprotected Left Main Disease
Authors: Athappan Ganesh , Chacko Paul , Patvardhan Eshan , Gajulapalli Rama Dilip , Tuzcu Emin Murat , Kapadia Samir R.
Published: November 2013

Background and Purpose—

Studies have suggested that the early excess risk of stroke in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may be compensated for by a slow but progressive catch-up phenomenon in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We therefore undertook this analysis to compare the temporal stroke risk between PCI and CABG in patients with unprotected left main stenosis and multivessel coronary artery disease.

Methods—

Studies of PCI versus CABG for unprotected left main stenosis and multivessel disease published between January 1994 (stent era) and July 2013 were identified using an electronic search and reviewed using meta-analytic techniques.

Results—

We selected 57 reports for the meta-analysis by applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis was performed on 80 314 patient records. There was a significantly lower risk of cumulative stroke in patients undergoing PCI with stenting at 1 year (odds ratio [OR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42–0.71), 2 years (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66–0.92), 3 years (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.67–0.92), 4 years (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56–0.97), and 5 years (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69–0.91). There was no significant difference in the incidence of stroke because of the small sample size (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.46–1.08) at >5 years between PCI and CABG. Similar results were observed on subgroup analysis (multi-vessel coronary artery disease, unprotected left main, diabetics, and randomized trials) and for stroke within 30 days. Late stroke (stroke >30 days) was similar between the 2 groups.

Conclusions—

There is a significantly lower risk of stroke within 30 days and cumulative stroke with PCI as compared with CABG up to year 5. There is no late catch up of stroke in the PCI arm. The risk of stroke should be weighed in deciding between revascularization strategies.
Effects of Emotion and Emotional Valence on the Neural Correlates of Episodic Memory Search and Elaboration
Authors: Ford Jaclyn Hennessey , Morris John A. , Kensinger Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2013

Successful retrieval of an event includes an initial search phase in which the information is accessed and a subsequent elaboration phase in which an individual expands on event details. Traditionally, functional neuroimaging studies examining episodic memory retrieval either have not made a distinction between these two phases or have focused on the initial search process. The current study used an extended retrieval trial to compare the neural correlates of search and elaboration and to examine the effects of emotion on each phase. Before scanning, participants encoded positive, negative, and neutral images paired with neutral titles. After a 30-min delay, participants engaged in a scanned recognition task in which they viewed the neutral titles and indicated whether the title had been presented with an image during the study phase. Retrieval was divided into an initial memory search and a subsequent 5-sec elaboration phase. The current study identified neural differences between the search and elaboration phases, with search being associated with widespread bilateral activations across the entire cortex and elaboration primarily being associated with increased activity in the medial pFC. The emotionality of the retrieval target was more influential during search relative to elaboration. However, valence influenced when the effect of emotion was greatest, with search engaging many more regions for positive events than negative ones, but elaboration engaging the dorsomedial pFC more for negative events than positive events.
Conceptual and Data-based Investigation of Genetic Influences and Brain Asymmetry: A Twin Study of Multiple Structural Phenotypes
Authors: Eyler Lisa T. , Vuoksimaa Eero , Panizzon Matthew S. , Fennema-Notestine Christine , Neale Michael C. , Chen Chi-Hua , Jak Amy , Franz Carol E. , Lyons Michael J. , Thompson Wesley K. , Spoon Kelly M. , Fischl Bruce , Dale Anders M. , Kremen William S.
Published: November 2013

Right–left regional cerebral differences are a feature of the human brain linked to functional abilities, aging, and neurodevelopmental and mental disorders. The role of genetic factors in structural asymmetry has been incompletely studied. We analyzed data from 515 individuals (130 monozygotic twin pairs, 97 dizygotic pairs, and 61 unpaired twins) from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging to answer three questions about genetic determinants of brain structural asymmetry: First, does the magnitude of heritability differ for homologous regions in each hemisphere? Despite adequate power to detect regional differences, heritability estimates were not significantly larger in one hemisphere versus the other, except left > right inferior lateral ventricle heritability. Second, do different genetic factors influence left and right hemisphere size in homologous regions? Interhemispheric genetic correlations were high and significant; in only two subcortical regions (pallidum and accumbens) did the estimate statistically differ from 1.0. Thus, there was little evidence for different genetic influences on left and right hemisphere regions. Third, to what extent do genetic factors influence variability in left–right size differences? There was no evidence that variation in asymmetry (i.e., the size difference) of left and right homologous regions was genetically determined, except in pallidum and accumbens. Our findings suggest that genetic factors do not play a significant role in determining individual variation in the degree of regional cortical size asymmetries measured with MRI, although they may do so for volume of some subcortical structures. Despite varying interpretations of existing data, we view the present results as consistent with previous findings.
Functional Connectivity Relationships Predict Similarities in Task Activation and Pattern Information during Associative Memory Encoding
Authors: Ritchey Maureen , Yonelinas Andrew P. , Ranganath Charan
Published: November 2013

Neural systems may be characterized by measuring functional interactions in the healthy brain, but it is unclear whether components of systems defined in this way share functional properties. For instance, within the medial temporal lobes (MTL), different subregions show different patterns of cortical connectivity. It is unknown, however, whether these intrinsic connections predict similarities in how these regions respond during memory encoding. Here, we defined brain networks using resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) then quantified the functional similarity of regions within each network during an associative memory encoding task. Results showed that anterior MTL regions affiliated with a network of anterior temporal cortical regions, whereas posterior MTL regions affiliated with a network of posterior medial cortical regions. Importantly, these connectivity relationships also predicted similarities among regions during the associative memory task. Both in terms of task-evoked activation and trial-specific information carried in multivoxel patterns, regions within each network were more similar to one another than were regions in different networks. These findings suggest that functional heterogeneity among MTL subregions may be related to their participation in distinct large-scale cortical systems involved in memory. At a more general level, the results suggest that components of neural systems defined on the basis of RSFC share similar functional properties in terms of recruitment during cognitive tasks and information carried in voxel patterns.
Influence of Cloud–Radiative Forcing on Tropical Cyclone Structure
Authors: Bu Yizhe Peggy , Fovell Robert G. , Corbosiero Kristen L.
Published: November 2013

The authors demonstrate how and why cloud–radiative forcing (CRF), the interaction of hydrometeors with longwave and shortwave radiation, can influence tropical cyclone structure through “semi idealized” integrations of the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting model (HWRF) and an axisymmetric cloud model. Averaged through a diurnal cycle, CRF consists of pronounced cooling along the anvil top and weak warming through the cloudy air, which locally reverses the large net cooling that occurs in the troposphere under clear-sky conditions. CRF itself depends on the microphysics parameterization and represents one of the major reasons why simulations can be sensitive to microphysical assumptions.

By itself, CRF enhances convective activity in the tropical cyclone’s outer core, leading to a wider eye, a broader tangential wind field, and a stronger secondary circulation. This forcing also functions as a positive feedback, assisting in the development of a thicker and more radially extensive anvil than would otherwise have formed. These simulations clearly show that the weak (primarily longwave) warming within the cloud anvil is the major component of CRF, directly forcing stronger upper-tropospheric radial outflow as well as slow, yet sustained, ascent throughout the outer core. In particular, this ascent leads to enhanced convective heating, which in turn broadens the wind field, as demonstrated with dry simulations using realistic heat sources.

As a consequence, improved tropical cyclone forecasting in operational models may depend on proper representation of cloud–radiative processes, as they can strongly modulate the size and strength of the outer wind field that can potentially influence cyclone track as well as the magnitude of the storm surge.
Circadian Blood Pressure Variation in Normotensive Patients With Panic Disorder
Authors: Alici Hayri , Ercan Suleyman , Bulbul Feridun , Alici Demet , Alpak Gokay , Davutoglu Vedat
Published: November 2013

Nondipper pattern of blood pressure (BP) is associated with cardiovascular risk. In this study, we compared dipper versus nondipper patterns between normotensive patients with panic disorder (PD) and a control group. A total of 25 normotensive patients with PD and 25 controls were enrolled. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP monitoring was performed in all patients. At least 10% of sleep-related nocturnal decrease in systolic and diastolic BP was accepted as dipper status, while decreases <10% were defined as a nondipper. Patients with PD had significantly higher incidence of nondipper BP pattern than controls. The reduction of nighttime BP in both systolic and diastolic and mean BP was significantly lower in patients with PD than in the control group (7.6% ± 4.3% vs 13% ± 3.9%, P < .001; 11% ± 7% vs 15% ± 5%, P = .004; 9% ± 5% vs 14% ± 4%, P = .002, respectively). Panic disorder is associated with nondipper BP pattern, causing impaired circadian BP in normotensive settings.
Critical pedagogy in health education
Authors: Matthews Catherine
Published: November 2013

Objective:

This review investigated how the three-phase model of critical pedagogy, based on the writings of Paulo Freire, can be put into practice in health education.

Design:

The study considers literature related to the fields of health education, health promotion and critical pedagogy.

Setting:

The study is a scholarly review completed as part of a larger academic study.

Method:

A library search was conducted of relevant books, journal articles and theses using keyword searches including health education, health promotion, critical pedagogy and Freire. Ideas from the literature and from teaching experience were integrated to consider how the three-phase model of critical pedagogy might be of benefit to health education.

Result:

The review makes a case for the use of critical pedagogy in health education and discusses how Freire’s ideas can be combined with pedagogical techniques to overcome the difficulties of encouraging students and teachers to be co-learners in a power sharing arrangement, negotiating the content of the learning, ensuring that discussion is inclusive of a range of voices, perspectives and points of view, and dealing with the conflict which may be caused by the political nature of the teaching and learning.

Conclusion:

The three-phase model of critical pedagogy, based on the writings of Freire, is advocated for use in health education because it ensures that learners have an opportunity to critically engage with health information rather than to simply be passive recipients of it. It aims to focus learning on the problems, issues and real world experience of the learners, facilitates problem-posing education, and challenges the learner to question practices that support inequality. The three phases are: listening and naming; dialogue and reflection; the promoting of transformative social action.
Effects of Cold Environments on Human Reliability Assessment in Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities
Authors: Noroozi Alireza , Abbassi Rouzbeh , MacKinnon Scott , Khan Faisal , Khakzad Nima
Published: November 2013

Objective:

This paper proposes a new methodology that focuses on the effects of cold and harsh environments on the reliability of human performance.

Background:

As maritime operations move into Arctic and Antarctic environments, decision makers must be able to recognize how cold weather affects human performance and subsequently adjusts management and operational tools and strategies.

Method:

In the present work, a revised version of the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART) methodology has been developed to assess the effects of cold on the likelihood of human error in offshore oil and gas facilities. This methodology has been applied to post-maintenance tasks of offshore oil and gas facility pumps to investigate how management, operational, and equipment issues must be considered in risk analysis and prediction of human error in cold environments.

Results:

This paper provides a proof of concept indicating that the risk associated with operations in cold environments is greater than the risk associated with the same operations performed in temperate climates. It also develops guidelines regarding how this risk can be assessed. The results illustrate that in post-maintenance procedures of a pump, the risk value related to the effect of cold and harsh environments on operator cognitive performance is twice as high as the risk value when performed in normal conditions.

Conclusion:

The present work demonstrates significant differences between human error probabilities (HEPs) and associated risks in normal conditions as opposed to cold and harsh environments. This study also highlights that the cognitive performance of the human operator is the most important factor affected by the cold and harsh conditions.

Application:

The methodology developed in this paper can be used for reevaluating the HEPs for particular scenarios that occur in harsh environments since these HEPs may not be comparable to similar scenarios in normal conditions.
Societal Value Culture
Authors: Schwartz Shalom H.
Published: November 2013

The commentaries identify several aspects of my model that merit elaboration. Perceived societal values complement individuals’ own values as influences on behavior. Aggregating these values across individuals would yield an additional latent index of societal value culture that is external to any individual mind. The level of institutions in my model points to the multiple, proximal cultures (e.g., ethnic, professional, religious, family) that influence individuals more directly than the societal value culture. I consider whether the degree of within-country consensus around values has increased in recent decades, eliminating the Fischer and Schwartz (2011) challege to ‘shared-value’ theories of culture. However, historical data suggest no increase in within-country consensus, so the challenge stands. Contrary to claims that my model is static, I elaborate multiple sources of dynamic change and conflict that are built into the model. Finally, I address several misunderstandings of my views about culture.
Unpacking the “Urban” in Urban Teacher Education
Authors: Matsko Kavita Kapadia , Hammerness Karen
Published: November 2013

The literature on preparing teachers for urban schools provides a rationale for helping candidates understand the particular cultures of students. However, research has not sufficiently “unpacked” features of the setting that programs can address; nor has it discussed how programs tailor teaching approaches to their specific contexts. Drawing from program descriptions, syllabi, and interviews, we describe the “context-specific” approach of the University of Chicago Urban Teacher Education Program that prepares teachers for Chicago Public Schools and ways that it helps candidates make meaning of that setting. We present a framework to show how the program defines and then teaches as content essential knowledge about a district and its children—including community and neighborhood histories, district curricula, and policies—that must inform teaching and learning. We include examples of context-specific teacher preparation that illustrate how candidates learn about particularities of Chicago Public Schools and apply this knowledge to develop context-specific understandings and practices.
Interethnic attitudes in urban neighbourhoods: The impact of neighbourhood disorder and decline
Authors: Havekes Esther , Coenders Marcel , Dekker Karien
Published: November 2013

Previous studies of the relationship between interethnic attitudes and the ethnic composition of neighbourhoods have overlooked the impact of neighbourhood problems in ethnically concentrated neighbourhoods. This paper examines the influence of neighbourhood disorder and decline (i.e. increasing disorder) on interethnic attitudes, controlling for the ethnic composition of the neighbourhood. Neighbourhood disorder and decline are measured by indicators of social and physical neighbourhood problems. Additionally, we examine the extent to which the impact of (increasing) disorder on interethnic attitudes depends on the particular ethnic composition of the neighbourhood. Using a geocoded data set covering 1435 neighbourhoods in The Netherlands, we analyse interethnic attitudes among four ethnic minority groups and the native Dutch population. Multilevel analyses show that for both ethnic minority and native Dutch residents neighbourhood decline is associated with negative attitudes towards ethnic minority groups, particularly in neighbourhoods with many ethnic minority residents.
Aggregate and regional house price to earnings ratio dynamics in the UK
Authors: Gregoriou Andros , Kontonikas Alexandros , Montagnoli Alberto
Published: November 2013

This paper examines the time-series properties of house price to earnings ratio (HPER) in the UK using aggregate and regional data. Specifically, we utilise a series of unit root tests to examine the null hypothesis of nonstationary HPERs. These include linear tests as well as a nonlinear test and also a test which accounts for abrupt structural change. The results are against the notion of stationary HPERs. This implies that house prices may permanently diverge from earnings.
Violent Victimization Across the Life Course
Authors: Tillyer Marie Skubak
Published: November 2013

The present study examines violent victimization patterns across the life course and outlines a victim careers agenda for future scholarly inquiry. I analyzed four waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine whether violent victimization prevalence, onset, and persistence during earlier stages of the life course can predict violent victimization risk in adulthood, and whether these relationships are observed independent of current violent offending. Violent victimization in adolescence was significantly related to subsequent risk in adulthood. Even when current violent offending is controlled, those who report early and persistent violent victimization during prior stages of the life course appear particularly vulnerable to subsequent victimization. The findings demonstrate the importance of moving forward with a victim careers agenda and the present study outlines numerous theoretical and empirical avenues for victimization scholars to pursue.
Optimizing cognitive development over the life course and preventing cognitive decline: Introducing the Cognitive Health Environment Life Course Model (CHELM)
Authors: Anstey Kaarin J.
Published: November 2013

Optimal cognitive development is defined in this article as the highest level of cognitive function reached in each cognitive domain given a person’s biological and genetic disposition, and the highest possible maintenance of cognitive function over the adult life course. Theoretical perspectives underpinning the development of a framework for understanding optimal cognitive development are described, including differential development, intra-individual dynamics, cascades, biological mechanisms, reserve capacity, and plasticity. The Cognitive Health and Environment Life Course Model (CHELM) is proposed as a means to provide a framework for understanding the socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health factors influencing cognitive development and decline. The CHELM may guide framing of policy and interventions to optimize cognitive development and minimize cognitive decline in late-life.
Attention! Cardiac tamponade may be caused by underlying Castleman’s disease
Authors: Atay Hilmi , Kelkitli Engin , Okuyucu Muhammed , Yildiz Levent , Turgut Mehmet
Published: November 2013

Castleman’s disease is a rarely observed lymphoproliferative disease. In the literature, various signs and symptoms of the disease have been reported; one of these is secondary cardiac tamponade. We describe the case of a 41-year-old man who developed cardiac tamponade during examination, and who was later diagnosed with Castleman’s disease, based on his lymph node biopsies.
Complete A-V block: incidental or a part of cor triatriatum dexter
Authors: Guler Y , Akgun T , Toprak C , Guler A , Esen AM
Published: November 2013

Cor triatriatum dexter (CTD) is an extremely rare cardiac anomaly in which the right atrium is divided into two distinct chambers by a membrane. The persistence of the right valve of sinus venosus results in a complete septation of the right atrium. This anomaly is frequently associated with other right-sided cardiac abnormalities. Its clinical manifestation and the need for intervention are determined by the number and the size of the fenestrations on the membrane, associated cardiac anomalies and arrhythmias. We describe a case of CTD in a patient with complete atrioventricular (A-V) block.
The Concept of Regime Values
Authors: Overeem Patrick
Published: November 2013

Among the plethora of public values, one special class is that of “regime values.” This notion plays a central role in the constitutional approach to public administration mainly developed by the late John A. Rohr. In this article, an attempt is made to assess the viability of Rohr’s concept of regime values and its applicability outside the United States. After brief overviews of the constitutional approach in general and Rohr’s use of the concept of regime values in particular, it is argued that Rohr’s conceptualizations of “regime” and “values” are too narrow and result in ambiguities within the concept of “regime values” itself. The applicability of the concept of “regime values” is unnecessarily affected by the typically American reference points Rohr uses and can best be improved, it is suggested, by treating “regime values” more frankly as an inherently normative concept.
Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry of Canine and Feline Intracalvarial Tumors in the Age of Brain Biopsies
Authors: Johnson G. C. , Coates J. R. , Wininger F.
Published: November 2013

The focus of immunohistochemistry as applied to nervous system tumors is in identifying the neoplasm present and evaluating margins between normal and neoplastic tissue. Although not always utilized by specialists in neuropathology, immunohistochemistry remains useful to resolve concerns about the differentiation and rate of tumor growth. The aims of this review are to discuss the utility of immunohistochemical reagents currently used in diagnosis of canine and feline intracalvarial tumors, to indicate the applicability of some tests currently used in human nervous system tumors for domestic species, and to evaluate a few less commonly used reagents. A panel of biomarkers is usually needed to confirm a diagnosis, with groups of reagents for leptomeningeal, intraparenchymal, and ventricular neoplasms. In the future, signature genetic alterations found among feline and canine brain tumors—as correlated prospectively with diagnosis, rate of enlargement, or response to treatment—may result in new immunohistochemical reagents to simplify the task of diagnosis. Prospective studies determining the type and proportion of stem cell marker expression on patient longevity are likely to be fruitful and suggest new therapies. Due to increased frequency of biopsy or partial resection of tumors from the living patient, biomarkers are needed to serve as accurate prognostic indicators and assist in determining the efficacy of developing therapeutic options in nervous system tumors of dogs and cats.
Design of a Simplified Histopathologic Model for Gastrointestinal Inflammation in Dogs
Authors: Jergens A. E. , Evans R. B. , Ackermann M. , Hostetter J. , Willard M. , Mansell J. , Bilzer T. , Wilcock B. , Washabau R. , Hall E. J. , Minami T. , Wang C. , Day M. J.
Published: November 2013

Significant interobserver variability in the diagnostic interpretation of endoscopic gastrointestinal (GI) specimens exists even with the use of World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) standardization criteria. Chi-square analyses compared the extent of pathologists’ agreement for microarchitectural features of inflammation in endoscopic specimens obtained from 253 animals of the original WSAVA study. Patterns of agreement between pathologists were classified as broad (3/4 pathologists agreed), dichotomous (2/4 pathologists agreed), or divergent (no agreement between pathologists). The simplified model for GI inflammation was based on those parameters for which the pathologists had either broad or minimally divergent opinions of histopathologic significance. In this model, the parameters chosen were as follows: gastric parameters (intraepithelial lymphocytes [IELs], lamina propria [LP] infiltrates, and mucosal fibrosis), duodenal parameters (villus atrophy, epithelial injury, IELs, crypt changes, and LP infiltrates), and colonic parameters (epithelial injury, crypt dilation, fibrosis, LP infiltrates, and goblet cell depletion). Preliminary data using this simplified model showed excellent correlation between pathologists in defining the presence and extent of GI inflammation in dogs.
Histologic Characterization of the Cat Middle Ear
Authors: Sula M. M. , Njaa B. L. , Payton M. E.
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this study was to establish microscopic normal in the middle ear of the cat while concurrently characterizing gross and microscopic lesions reflecting spontaneous otitis media. Both ears from 50 cats were examined grossly and processed for histologic examination of the external, middle, and internal ear on a single slide. Gross lesions of the middle ear were present in 14 of 100 (14%) and included turbid fluid, frank pus, hemorrhage, and fibrous thickening of the auricular mucoperiosteum. Histologically, 48 of 100 (48%) ears had evidence of ongoing or previous inflammatory middle ear disease, including proteinaceous fluid; vascular ectasia; expansion of the auricular mucoperiosteum by neutrophils, lymphocytes, and macrophages; cholesterol clefts; hemorrhage; fibrin; granulation tissue; membranous pseudo-glands; fibrosis; proliferation and/or osteolysis of the tympanic and septum bullae. Histologic lesions were identified in 34 of 100 ears (34%) lacking gross evidence of disease. Ears were classified histologically as either normal (52/100 [52%]) or diseased (48/100 [48%]). Diseased ears were further classified as mild to moderate (37/100 [37%]) or severely (11/100 [11%]) affected. Internal ear involvement was present in 11 of 100 (11%) ears. Histologic evidence of middle ear disease in cats is far greater than gross lesions or clinical literature suggests; further investigation and correlation of clinical and histologic disease are warranted. With minimal additional preparation, diagnostic specimens may be readily prepared and evaluated for this integral sensing organ.
Transmission of Systemic AA Amyloidosis in Animals
Authors: Murakami T. , Ishiguro N. , Higuchi K.
Published: November 2013

Amyloidoses are a group of protein-misfolding disorders that are characterized by the deposition of amyloid fibrils in organs and/or tissues. In reactive amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis, serum AA (SAA) protein forms deposits in mice, domestic and wild animals, and humans that experience chronic inflammation. AA amyloid fibrils are abnormal β-sheet–rich forms of the serum precursor SAA, with conformational changes that promote fibril formation. Extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils causes disease in affected animals. Recent findings suggest that AA amyloidosis could be transmissible. Similar to the pathogenesis of transmissible prion diseases, amyloid fibrils induce a seeding-nucleation process that may lead to development of AA amyloidosis. We review studies of possible transmission in bovine, avian, mouse, and cheetah AA amyloidosis.
Bile Duct Lesions Associated With Turnip (Brassica rapa) Photosensitization Compared With Those Due to Sporidesmin Toxicosis in Dairy Cows
Authors: Collett M. G.
Published: November 2013

Cattle grazing turnips or other brassica forage crops occasionally develop hepatogenous photosensitization. In New Zealand, cases of bovine photosensitization associated with such crops frequently occur during late summer and fall, and this coincides with the facial eczema (sporidesmin toxicosis) “season.” Clinical chemistry findings in acute photosensitization cases associated with both brassica and facial eczema include marked serum elevations in γ-glutamyl transferase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities. Distinctive bile duct lesions of “subacute” turnip photosensitization in 2 cows, comprising microscopic cholangiectasis with concentric periductal fibrosis of small bile ducts, and a spectrum of changes from bile duct necrosis progressing to obliterative sclerosis are described. These bile duct lesions are compared with those in 3 cases of “subacute” facial eczema in adult cows, where medium-sized and larger ducts tend to be involved and bile duct hyperplasia and portal fibrosis are more prominent, often leading to bridging between neighboring portal triads.
Collaboration against ethnography: How colonial history shaped the making of an ethnographic film
Authors: Friedman P Kerim
Published: November 2013

What happens when a commitment to collaborative ethnographic filmmaking runs up against a community’s ambivalence toward its own history? This work provides an ethnohistorical account of the making of the film Please Don’t Beat Me, Sir!, exploring how colonial-era “police ethnographies” and contemporary communal politics shape the collaborative endeavor. The film was made in collaboration with Budhan Theatre, an activist theater troupe from the Chhara community in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The Chhara are one of more than 198 communities labeled as “Criminal Tribes” by the British, a colonial legacy that still informs their interactions with the police. Inspired by the work of Jean Rouch, the film makes use of experimental ethnographic and cinematic techniques. These participation frameworks allowed the members of Budhan Theatre and their families to shape the structure and content of the film itself, a process sometimes at odds with the film’s ethnographic intent.
Human Milk Oligosaccharide Composition Differs between Donor Milk and Mother’s Own Milk in the NICU
Authors: Marx Carolin , Bridge Renee , Wolf Alison K. , Rich Wade , Kim Jae H. , Bode Lars
Published: November 2013

Background:

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) represent the third most abundant component of human breast milk. More than a hundred structurally distinct HMO have been identified, and the HMO composition varies between mothers as well as over the course of lactation. Some newborn infants receive donor milk (DM) when their mother’s own milk (MOM) volume is inadequate or unavailable.

Objective:

This study aimed to compare HMO content between DM and MOM.

Methods:

We used high performance liquid chromatography analysis of fluorescently labeled HMO to analyze the variation in HMO amount and composition of 31 different batches of DM (each pooled from 3 individual donors) provided by the Mothers’ Milk Bank in San Jose, California, and compared it to 26 different MOM samples donated by mothers with infants in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Results:

Total HMO amount as well as concentrations of lacto-N-tetraose, lacto-N-neotetraose, lacto-N-fucopentaose 1, and disialyllacto-N-tetraose were significantly lower in DM than in MOM, whereas the concentrations of 3’-sialyllactose and 3-fucosyllactose were significantly higher in DM.

Conclusion:

Our data show that infants in our NICU who receive DM are likely to ingest HMO at different total amounts and relative composition from what they would receive with their MOM. Recent in vitro and animal studies have started to link individual HMO to infant health and disease. Future studies are needed to assess the importance of a mother-infant match with regard to HMO composition.
The Role of Internal Branding in Nonprofit Brand Management
Authors: Liu Gordon , Chapleo Chris , Ko Wai Wai , Ngugi Isaac K.
Published: November 2013

Internal branding refers to an organization’s attempts to persuade its staff to buy-in to the organization’s brand value and transform it into a reality. Drawing from self-determination theory and leadership theory, we seek to develop a deeper understanding of the process of internal branding in the nonprofit sector. More specifically, we propose and examine the mediating effects of the staff’s emotional brand attachment, staff service involvement, and the moderating effect of charismatic leadership on the brand orientation behavior–organizational performance relationship using data obtained from the representatives of 301 nonprofit organizations in the United Kingdom. On a general level, the findings suggest that staff emotional brand attachment and staff service involvement are linked to brand orientation and organizational performance. Moreover, charismatic leadership increases the strength of this linkage. All of these findings extend the literature on internal branding.
An investigation on quantitative analysis of energy consumption and carbon footprint in the grinding process
Authors: Ding Hui , Guo Dengyue , Cheng Kai , Cui Qi
Published: November 2013

The research presented in this article aims at developing an innovative integrated modelling methodology to quantify the energy consumption and equivalent carbon footprint in the grinding process. This article categorizes the energy consumption in four compositional parts and identifies the associated key factors affecting the energy consumption and equivalent carbon dioxide emission during the grinding process. Considering energy consumption (E), resource utilization (R), waste generation (W) and their collective effect on equivalent carbon dioxide (C) emission (ERWC), quantitative analysis modelling of the entire grinding process is developed against the roughing, finishing and spark-out stages of the process. The modelling and simulation analysis are carried out with the MATLAB environment, supported by the evaluation and validation through well-designed grinding trials.
Vibration suppression and coupled interaction study in milling of thin wall casings in the presence of tuned mass dampers
Authors: Kolluru Kiran V , Axinte Dragos A , Raffles Mark H , Becker Adib A
Published: November 2013

Damping of machining vibrations in thin-wall structures is an important area of research due to the ever-increasing use of lightweight structures such as jet engine casings. Published literature has focussed on passive/active damping solutions for open geometry structure (e.g. cantilever thin wall), whereas more challenging situations such as closed geometry structures (e.g. thin wall ring-type casings) were not taken into consideration. In this study, a passive damping solution in the form of tuned viscoelastic dampers is studied to minimise the vibration of thin wall casings while focussing on the change in coupled interaction between tool and workpiece due to added tuned dampers. Finite element simulation was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of tuned dampers in single impact excitation, and this was further validated experimentally through modal impact testing. A reduction in root mean square value, with tuned dampers, of about 2.5 and 4 times is noted at higher and lower depths of cut, respectively, indicating a moderate dependency on depth of cut. A change in coupled interaction of workpiece with tool’s torsional mode (in undamped state) to that of tool’s bending mode (with tuned dampers) was also noted. Variation in machined wall thickness of the order of 6 µm is noted due to the change in coupled interaction from torsional mode to bending mode of tool.
The Group Environment Questionnaire
Authors: Whitton Sarah M. , Fletcher Richard B.
Published: November 2013

The Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) is a measure of group cohesion that has a long history of use in sports psychology and group research. However, researchers often fail to account for the hierarchical nature of group data in their analysis, leading to statistical aggregation biases. This study used multilevel confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the factorial validity of the GEQ at the individual and group levels simultaneously, using a sample of 519 netball players from 56 New Zealand semi-elite and elite teams. Results supported a four-factor model, based on the four subscales of the GEQ, at each level. Factor loadings for the final multilevel model were stronger at the group level, compared with the individual level, suggesting that cohesion is a group-level construct. This study provides evidence for the multilevel factorial validity of the GEQ and suggests that group-level analysis and interpretation should be emphasized in future research.
Does Gender Moderate the Relations Between Externalizing Behavior and Key Emergent Literacy Abilities? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Allan Nicholas P. , Joye Shauna W. , Lonigan Christopher J.
Published: November 2013

Objective: There is a significant negative relation between externalizing behavior and emergent literacy skills among preschool children. Method: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender on the predictive relation of externalizing behavior and emergent literacy in a group of 178 preschool children (mean age = 48.50 months, SD = 3.66; 48% boys). Results: Externalizing behaviors predicted emergent literacy over time. Distinct patterns of predictive associations dependent on gender were found. Girls with higher levels of externalizing behaviors experienced less change in their vocabulary skills compared with the vocabulary change shown by girls with lower levels of these problem behaviors. Conclusion: The results suggest that early identification programs that include externalizing behavior problems and their relation with emergent literacy development should account for potential gender differences. A theoretical framework in which girls with behavior problems receive less opportunity for vocabulary acquisition is presented.
A Reply to “A Replication of “Economic Development and the Impacts of Natural Disasters” (Economics Letters 2007)”
Authors: Toya Hideki , Skidmore Mark
Published: November 2013

In this reply we offer a response to the Mercer and Reed (2015) replication of Toya and Skidmore (2007). The replication study extends the original work in several important dimensions and is a very useful contribution. Nevertheless, we offer additional evaluation and discussion of the robustness portion of their replication. In particular, we consider the fixed effects and interval regression estimates.
Mechanical characterization and nonlinear analysis of a piezoelectric laminated micro-switch under electrostatic actuation
Authors: Raeisifard Hamed , Bahrami Mansour Nikkhah , Yousefi-Koma Aghil
Published: November 2013

In this paper, a comprehensive model of a piezoelectric laminated micro-switch subjected to electrostatic excitation, which accounts for the nonlinearities due to inertia, curvature, and electrostatic forces, is presented. Dynamic equations of this model is derived by the Lagrange method and solved by the Galerkin method using five modes. The laminated micro-switch is assumed as an elastic Euler–Bernoulli beam, and the piezoelectric material is bonded onto a portion of it. The electrostatic actuation results are compared with other existing experimental results. Whereas the major drawback of electrostatically actuated micro-switches is the high driving voltage, using the piezoelectric materials in these systems can provide less driving voltage. The effect of variation in the length, thickness, and applying voltage of the piezoelectric materials on mechanical characterizations is discussed. The aim of this work is design and control of a micro-switch using three different methods: the softening effect due to electrostatic actuation, the hardening effect due to piezoelectric materials, and varying the length and thickness of the piezoelectric materials. Also, this model can be used to design an actuator-sensor smart micro device.
Pedagogical symmetry and the cultivation of humanity: Nussbaum, Seneca and symmetry in the teacher–pupil relationship
Authors: Moltow David
Published: November 2013

Martha Nussbaum argues that the aims of higher education ought to include the development in pupils of the capacity to contribute to the cultivation of humanity as intelligent, global citizens. For Nussbaum, ‘training’ in this capacity is distinctly ‘philosophical’ and she proposes that, to achieve this, teacher–pupil relationships ought to be ‘strongly symmetrical’ along the lines of the teaching model evinced in Seneca’s Epistles. In this paper, I examine Nussbaum’s proposal in relation to an intentional account of teaching and consider how it fits within the Stoic framework before examining how her argument for symmetry aligns with that evidenced in Seneca. I show that Nussbaum’s argument for pedagogical symmetry is sustained neither by evidence from Seneca nor by the account of teaching implied in her own proposal for education.