bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrospun antibacterial nanofibrous polyvinylpyrrolidone/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide membranes for biomedical applications
Authors: Uykun Nurullah , Ergal İpek , Kurt Halil , Gökçeören Argun T , Göcek İkilem , Kayaoğlu Burçak K , Akarsubaşı Alper T , Sarac A Sezai
Published: May 2014

Nanoscale structures with large surface area-to-volume ratios are used as biomaterial scaffolds for vascular grafts, wound dressings, and air purifying filters. Using electrospinning, nanofibers containing an antibacterial agent, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, were prepared for wound healing application. Polyvinylpyrrolidone, known as a biocompatible additive in food and drug industries, has been used as fiber processing agent with the organic active ingredient, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. A series of samples with different polyvinylpyrrolidone/ cetyltrimethylammonium bromide ratios were successfully prepared by this method. The morphology and electroactive characteristics of nanofibers were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Fiber diameters and charge transfer resistances were found to decrease with salt content, while the double-layer capacitance increased with no apparent effect on the specific capacitance providing favorable conditions for the fabrication of biomaterials. In addition, the quaternary ammonium compound (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) with a minimum ratio of 2.5 wt% showed reduction in bacterial activity of Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.
Thermo-triggered drug delivery from polymeric micelles of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide)-b-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) for tumor targeting
Authors: Sun Feilong , Wang Yuxia , Wei Yi , Cheng Gang , Ma Guanghui
Published: May 2014

Novel temperature-sensitive micelles, possessing a core-shell structure, were successfully fabricated and evaluated as possible systems for targeting anticancer drugs to solid tumors. The amphiphilic block copolymer poly( N-isopropylacrylamide- co-acrylamide)-b-poly( n-butyl methacrylate) was used to achieve a stimuli-responsive on/off release and spatial specificity. The anticancer drug methotrexate, which is poorly water soluble, was used as the model. Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gel-permeation chromatography, and critical micelle concentration were used to evaluate the successful synthesis of block copolymers with a lower critical solution temperature ~40°C. Based on transmission electron microscope images, the micelles are spherical particles with narrow size distribution. The thermally triggered release of methotrexate was observed in vitro. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation was used to investigate the interactions of the polymeric micelles with bovine serum albumin, to illustrate protein adsorption and cell attachment. Cytotoxicity studies were conducted on Lewis lung carcinoma cells, and the anticancer activity of methotrexate-loaded micelles was significantly enhanced in combination with hyperthermia. The thermo-sensitive characteristics of the micelles make them applicable as smart drug delivery systems, when combined with localized hyperthermia.
The Impact of Residential Placement on Aggregate Delinquency
Authors: Dawkins Marika , Sorensen Jon R.
Published: May 2014

This study sought to determine the impact of residential placement on juvenile delinquency. Specifically, the study focused on the extent to which juvenile detention and residential placement influenced juvenile violent, property, and drug offenses. Biennial, state-level panel data for the years 1997 through 2011 were analyzed using random effects modeling. Results indicated that increased levels of juvenile detention and residential placement were associated with higher rates of violent offending. Increased levels of residential placement were also related to higher rates of property and drug offending. The findings from the current study fail to support the deterrence and incapacitation hypotheses in relation to the institutionalization of juvenile offenders.
Severe Breast Pain Resolved with Pectoral Muscle Massage
Authors: Kernerman Edith , Park Eileen
Published: May 2014

Many mothers stop breastfeeding because of breast and/or nipple pain, despite recommendations by the World Health Organization to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months. Most commonly, such pain is thought to be caused by fungal or bacterial infection; however, many women do not respond to usual treatments for such diagnoses. Furthermore, there is much dispute in the literature about these diagnoses and treatments. We submit a series of 3 cases of mothers who presented with severe mastalgia (breast pain) and who did not respond to conventional treatments. After treating the patients with pectoral muscle massage and stretching, they each had complete resolution of their pain. We suggest that each of these mothers experienced constriction of the upper thoracic muscles on their mammary neurovasculature.
The “Myth” That Black Entrepreneurship Can Reduce the Gap in Wealth Between Black and White Families
Authors: Bradford William D.
Published: May 2014

Does business ownership reduce the wealth disparity between Black and White households? The author uses Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data on family wealth in 1999 through 2009 to examine the levels of wealth and changes in wealth of entrepreneurs and workers among Black and White families. Black entrepreneurs (self-employed) have higher wealth levels and more upward wealth mobility than do Black workers. The upward wealth mobility of Black entrepreneurs is equivalent to that of White entrepreneurs, while the wealth mobility of White entrepreneurs is greater than that of White workers. These findings are consistent with Black entrepreneurship reducing the wealth disparity between Black and White families.
Making interview transcripts real: the reader’s response
Authors: Butler Clare
Published: May 2014

This research note considers how we interact with verbatim interview transcripts. Drawing on reader-response theory, the note examines the possible effect of readers’ engagement with this often dysfluent talk-as-text. Lessons from the reader-response literature suggest that in realizing verbal transcripts we may be convincingly representing changed worlds to our audiences – specifically, our world and not their world. As a result of this potential hazard, this note alerts qualitative researchers to be mindful of the possible impact of engaging with talk-as-text and offers strategies to retain robustness in their research.
Buying votes with imperfect local knowledge and a secret ballot
Authors: Rueda Miguel R
Published: May 2014

How do politicians buy votes in secret ballot elections? I present a model of vote buying in which a broker sustains bribed voters’ compliance by conditioning future bribes on whether her candidate’s votes reach an optimally set threshold. Unlike previous explanations of compliance, the threshold mechanism does not require brokers to observe individual voters’ political preferences or even vote totals of the bribed voters. I show that when there is uncertainty about voters’ preferences, compliance can be sustained as long as electoral results of small groups are available. If preferences are observed however, vote buying is not deterred by higher aggregation of electoral results. I also find that vote buying is facilitated when voters care about the welfare of other voters. Using survey data from Nigeria, I provide evidence consistent with the model’s results.
Comparison and analysis of physical properties of carbon nanomaterial-doped polymer composites
Authors: Bal Smrutisikha , Saha Sunirmal
Published: May 2014

Low-temperature curing approach has been adopted to fabricate the composites along with room temperature method involving four types of nanofillers. With the purpose to investigate the multifunctionality caused by carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/carbon nanofibers (CNFs), mechanical properties such as flexural modulus, flexural strength, and hardness and electrical property such as conductivity of various epoxy nanocomposites were determined. These results were supplemented and complemented by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Both mechanical and microscopic observations indicated that among all the nanocomposites, refrigerated, aligned CNTs and functionalized CNT composites show a significant reinforcement in the epoxy matrix along with bridging mechanism. Lower mechanical results were obtained in CNF composites that attributes to breaking of nanofibers after mechanical tests. All nanocomposites showed electrical percolation that occurs due to network formation of nanoparticles inside the matrix.
Random vector approach to the calculation of the number of railway vehicles to hold in reserve
Authors: Famfulík Jan , Míková Jana , Richtář Michal , Halama Radim
Published: May 2014

The goal of every public transport operator is to not only provide high-quality service, but also to minimize investment and operating costs. A significant proportion of the costs are associated with the acquisition, operation and maintenance of reserve vehicles. If the number of vehicles held in reserve is too high, an operator will incur economic losses because vehicles are underused. Conversely, if the number of reserve vehicles is too low, the quality of service will be reduced due to disruptions in the timetable. To determine the number of vehicles to hold in reserve, a coefficient of availability is commonly used. The coefficient of availability is determined by two parameters: reliability and maintainability. Both parameters have the same physical dimensions, the mean time between failures (MTBF) and mean time to repair, and they are expressed in hours. Vehicle wear, which results during the emergence of failures, is not very dependent on the time of operation but is strongly dependent on the distance travelled. It is therefore appropriate to use mean distance between failures (MDBF) instead of MTBF, because it better describes the reliability of vehicles. Using MDBF, however, means that the coefficient of availability is not considered, because MDBF and MTTR have different physical dimensions. This problem is solved by using a random vector that makes it is possible to determine the number of vehicles to hold in reserve based on the distance travelled and maintenance time. This original approach allows the acquisition of better and more authentic data necessary for an operator’s decision-making process. Therefore, the number of required reserve vehicles can be much better planned. Ultimately, this positively affects the quality of services and also the investment and operating costs of the operator.
Field and laboratory assessments of the friction coefficient at a railhead
Authors: Moreno-Ríos Marisa , Gallardo-Hernández Ezequiel A , Vite-Torres Manuel , Peña-Bautista Alejandro
Published: May 2014

The aim of this work was to prove that the oil applied to the wheel flange using on-board lubricators not only alters the friction coefficient between wheel and rail but also influences the braking and acceleration performance of trains on one of the lines of the metro in Mexico City. A series of tests were carried out in the presence of an oil lubricant, both in the laboratory and in the field, using a pendulum tester. It was observed that the oil migrated from the rail corner to the top of the rail. In another set of experiments, water was sprayed onto the lubricant on the top of the rail. The results indicated that under these conditions, the friction coefficient has a low value in rail sections where a high value of the friction coefficient is required. Tests with water/oil mixtures presented similar levels of friction to the oil-only tests. A set of tests were performed after the rail surface was cleaned and the oil lubricant and water were applied together. The laboratory and field tests showed similar behaviour trends for the friction coefficient. The pendulum method can be used to assess railhead friction on short-length sections of rail. Points are made regarding the conditioning of the pads and calibration of the pendulum arm.
When can HIV clinical trials detect treatment effects on drug resistance?
Authors: Hill Andrew M , Moecklinghoff Christiane , DeMasi Ralph
Published: May 2014

Methods of sampling patients for resistance testing, and statistical analyses of HIV drug resistance, have not been standardised in HIV clinical trials. We analysed methods of genotyping and rates of treatment-emergent drug resistance from 27 clinical trials identified from a MEDLINE search. Sample size calculations were conducted using NQUERY software, assuming 5% significance level, 80% power and 1:1 randomisation. The percentage of patients with treatment-emergent IAS–USA mutations after 96 weeks ranged from 1.8% to 9.1% for first-line 2NRTI/NNRTI treatments, 0.6% to 6.3% for first-line 2NRTI/PI/r treatments and 0.0% to 2.0% in switch trials of boosted PIs. The prevalence of drug resistance was higher in trials with no screening for drug resistance at baseline, where the HIV RNA cut-off for genotyping was >50 copies/mL, where patients were tested for drug resistance after discontinuation of treatment, and where follow-up times were 96 weeks or longer. HIV clinical trials could be designed to detect differences in the risk of HIV drug resistance between treatments, as an analysis supporting HIV RNA suppression as the primary endpoint. However, this would require a standardised approach, with intent-to-treat analyses, testing of all samples with HIV RNA>50 copies/mL and genotyping after drug discontinuation.
Artemisinin induces hormonal imbalance and oxidative damage in the erythrocytes and uterus but not in the ovary of rats
Authors: Farombi EO , Abolaji AO , Adedara IA , Maduako I , Omodanisi I
Published: May 2014

Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug previously reported to induce neurotoxicity and embryotoxicity in animal models. This study investigated the erythrocytes and reproductive toxicity potentials of artemisinin in female rats. Animals were randomly divided into four study groups of eight rats each. The control group (group I) received corn oil, the vehicle, while groups II–IV were orally exposed to 7, 35 and 70 mg kg−1 day−1 of artemisinin, respectively, by gastric intubation for 7 consecutive days. Subsequently, we evaluated the impact of artemisinin on the endocrine environment and selected markers of oxidative damage and antioxidant status of the erythrocytes, ovary and uterus. Artemisinin significantly increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in erythrocytes and uterus of rats compared with control group ( p < 0.05). However, artemisinin did not alter ovarian MDA, H2O2, glutathione levels and catalase activity, while ovarian and uterine histological assessment revealed absence of visible lesions. Moreover, artemisinin significantly decreased follicle-stimulating hormone and increased progesterone levels compared with control ( p < 0.05). Thus, these data suggest that in the absence of malarial parasite infection, artemisinin induced hormonal imbalance and oxidative damage in the erythrocytes and uterus but spared the ovary of rats.
Social Media
Authors: Grenier Eric , Fair Craig , Schumaker Robert
Published: May 2014

Can social media be an effective way for merchants to create new business? We believe that more and more businesses are using Social Media Promotions (SMPs) as an inexpensive way to market their business and/or new items to new, old and existing customers. We examined the effects of SMPs on businesses by surveying 111 customers and over 30 businesses. We found that customers mainly purchased a promotion to either try out a new place or enjoy the value of the deal. On the business side, we found that businesses have had a good experience with offering SMPs. Businesses can maintain profitability while offering a promotion via a social media site. The customer experience at the business is mostly the deciding factor in determining if they will return without the coupon. This study concludes that businesses were able to be successful offering discounts via a promotion on social media sites, such as Groupon and LivingSocial, as long as they follow some key steps in their strategy and prepare themselves for the positive and negative effects that they might experience. Customers in today’s economy are always looking for deals and an easy way for businesses to increase their profits and bring in new customers is to offer deals on social media sites.
Creating Educational Networking Opportunities with Scoop.it
Authors: Antonio Amy , Tuffley David
Published: May 2014

The adoption of social media technologies by higher education institutions reflects a significant change in learning paradigms. The traditional classroom model in which instructors were the sole source of information and knowledge is being replaced by a social constructivist model that allows learners to work together to share and create content. This study explores the potential of the digital curation platform Scoop.it as a networking tool among a group of first year Information Communication Technology (ICT) students. It will be shown that Scoop.it is a useful platform for the creation and sharing of information resources with other students and the wider community. Scoop.it facilitates the creation of networks for information sharing and knowledge building, which will be referred to as educational networking, but was less successful as a platform for forming social connections.
Setting Clear Learning Targets to Guide Instruction for All Students
Authors: Konrad Moira , Keesey Susan , Ressa Virginia A. , Alexeeff Maggie , Chan Paula E. , Peters Mary T.
Published: May 2014

As more states adopt the Common Core State Standards, teachers face new challenges. Teachers must unpack these standards and develop explicit learning targets to make these rigorous standards accessible to their students. This task can be especially challenging for special educators who must balance standards-based education with individualized instruction. This paper describes the value of clarifying learning targets, defines different types of targets, and provides strategies and resources to assist practitioners in unpacking standards to develop learning targets. In addition, the authors suggest how the standards can be used to drive individualized education program planning to maximize learning for students with disabilities and increase the likelihood of student success.
Perceived Organizational Support and Police Officer Effectiveness
Authors: Boateng Francis D.
Published: May 2014

The study of perceived organizational support (POS) has received considerable attention in the academic literature. However, in police circles, POS has received minimal scholarly attention. To address this gap, the present study surveyed 145 police officers selected randomly from five police districts in Accra, Ghana, to investigate how officers’ perception of organizational support influence their effectiveness in performing assigned duties. The study further examined the influence of officers’ demographic characteristics on their perception of organizational support. Findings revealed that the perception of organizational support among officers influenced their perception of effectiveness and that older and shorter tenured officers expressed perceptions of greater support. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Tumor-to-Tumor Metastasis
Authors: Shah Lopa , Tiesi Gregory , Bamboat Zubin , McCain Donald , Siegel Andrew , Mannion Ciaran
Published: May 2014

Metastatic cancer to the pancreas accounts for less than 2% of all pancreatic malignancies. In contrast to other metastatic tumors, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has a propensity to metastasize as a solitary pancreatic lesion. While symptomatic patients may present with obstructive jaundice, abdominal pain, or gastrointestinal bleeding, the diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic involvement is often made in asymptomatic patients, during follow-up evaluation in the aftermath of an initial diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Microcystic serous cystadenoma of the pancreas is an uncommon pancreatic exocrine neoplasm that morphologically resembles conventional (clear cell) RCC, in so far as both tumors are characterized by neoplastic cells with clear cytoplasm, relatively uniform nuclei and scant associated tumor stroma. Herein, we report 2 immunohistochemically confirmed cases of unsuspected metastatic RCC to the pancreas, with the metastatic tumor in each case confined to a preexisting microcystic serous cystadenoma of the pancreas.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Predictors of Police Officer Problem Behavior
Authors: Tarescavage Anthony M. , Corey David M. , Ben-Porath Yossef S.
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2–Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) in a sample of law enforcement officers. MMPI-2-RF scores were collected from preemployment psychological evaluations of 136 male police officers, and supervisor ratings of performance and problem behavior were subsequently obtained during the initial probationary period. The sample produced meaningfully lower and less variant substantive scale scores than the general population and the MMPI-2-RF Police Candidate comparison group, which significantly affected effect sizes for the zero-order correlations. After applying a correction for range restriction, MMPI-2-RF substantive scales demonstrated moderate to strong associations with criteria, particularly in the Emotional Dysfunction and Interpersonal Functioning domains. Relative risk ratio analyses showed that cutoffs of 45 T and 50 T maintained reasonable selection ratios because of the exceptionally low scores in this sample and were associated with significantly increased risk for problematic behavior. These results provide support for the predictive validity of the MMPI-2-RF substantive scales in this setting. Implications of these findings and limitations of these results are discussed.
Outcome of Medically Versus Surgically Treated Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Wieteska Maria , Biederman Andrzej , Kurzyna Marcin , Dyk Wojciech , Burakowski Janusz , Wawrzyńska Liliana , Szturmowicz Monika , Fijałkowska Anna , Szatkowski Piotr , Torbicki Adam
Published: May 2014

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an ominous disease leading to progressive right heart failure. Selected patients can be treated by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). We assessed long-term clinical outcome of patients with CTEPH who underwent PEA and patients who remained on medical treatment alone. A total of 112 consecutive patients with CTEPH referred between 1998 and 2008 to one center were followed for a mean of 35 (range 0-128) months after diagnosis. All the patients had advanced pulmonary hypertension at baseline. The operated group had higher World Health Organization functional class compared to the nonoperated group. No other differences in hemodynamic, echocardiographic, or biochemical parameters were observed at baseline. Despite the perioperative mortality rate of 9.1%, patients who underwent PEA had significantly lower long-term mortality compared to nonoperated patients (12.7% vs 34.8%; P = .003), and PEA survivors showed sustained clinical improvement. All efforts should be undertaken to perform PEA in all patients with operable CTEPH.
Characterization of wear-debris group in on-line visual ferrographic images
Authors: Wu Jiaoyi , Mao Junhong , Cao Wei , Xie You-Bai
Published: May 2014

Wear-debris characterization using ferrography, which is of importance in machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis, remains a challenge. The newly developed on-line visual ferrograph can provide digital wear-debris images and perform on-line analysis during wear monitoring. In this article, image projection transformation was utilized for extracting the overall characteristics of the wear-debris chains according to the fundamental feature of wear-debris arraying along the horizontal direction. Moreover, Full Binary Tree Based Image Division was also proposed to analyse the regional features on different scales in on-line visual ferrographic images. Several descriptive parameters including thinning ratio, chain length and chain width were proposed. In the experiments, four types of images with different wear-debris groups were compared and a group of time-sequence on-line visual ferrographic images of an inline four-cylinder gasoline engine was studied. It is found that more comprehensive wear information can be acquired through the proposed multi-parameter description method. Meanwhile, the image projection transformation method extracts macrocharacteristics of images rapidly and efficiently and the thinning ratio measures wear-debris width in an intuitive way.
Interleukin-8 is associated with acute and persistent dysfunction after optic neuritis
Authors: Rossi S , Motta C , Studer V , Rocchi C , Macchiarulo G , Barbieri F , Marfia GA , Furlan R , Martino G , Mancino R , Centonze D
Published: May 2014

Background:

Acute optic neuritis is often in association with multiple sclerosis (MS). Proinflammatory cytokines trigger neuronal damage in neuroinflammatory disorders but their role in optic neuritis is poorly investigated.

Objective:

The objective of this work is to investigate the associations of intrathecal contents of proinflammatory cytokines with transient and persistent dysfunctions after optic neuritis.

Methods:

In 50 MS patients followed for up to six months, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of IL-1β, TNF and IL-8 were determined, along with clinical, neurophysiological and morphological measures of optic neuritis severity.

Results:

Visual impairment, measured by high- and low-contrast visual acuity, and delayed visual-evoked potential (VEP) latencies were significantly correlated to IL-8 levels during optic neuritis. IL-8 at the time of optic neuritis was also associated with persistent demyelination and final axonal loss, inferred by VEP and optical coherence tomography measures, respectively. Contents of IL-8 were correlated to functional visual outcomes, being higher among patients with incomplete recovery. Multivariate analysis confirmed that IL-8 significantly predicted final visual acuity, at equal values of demographics and baseline visual scores.

Conclusion:

Our study points to IL-8 as the main inflammatory cytokine associated with demyelination and secondary neurodegeneration in the optic nerve after optic neuritis.
TGfU – Would you know it if you saw it? Benchmarks from the tacit knowledge of the founders
Authors: Butler Joy
Published: May 2014

This paper explores the tacit expert knowledge and understanding about games curriculum and pedagogy of three men, Len Almond, David Bunker, and Rod Thorpe, credited as the founders of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) model. The model emerged from teacher practice in the late 1970s and was little theorized at the time, apart from a handful of articles written by the founders. This paper attempts to retrospectively theorize and represent the founders’ ideas in terms of the beliefs, intentions, and actions they believed to be fundamental to TGfU. From here, some benchmarks are proposed so that TGfU can be more easily recognized when it is being practised and researched. Data were collected through two online sequential questionnaires, informal personal telephone interviews, and emails. All data were member checked throughout the two-year study. Both of the questionnaires were completed by the three founders in the persona of their ‘ideal’ TGfU teacher, in the hope that this would lead to greater clarity of response. The first questionnaire, called the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI), was developed by Daniel Pratt and builds a profile of teacher beliefs, intentions, and actions, which are then grouped into five perspectives and ranked by personal bias. Questions posed on SurveyGizmo formed the second questionnaire, which helped the founders reflect further about their ideal teacher’s beliefs, intentions, and actions, as they became apparent in the dominant and recessive perspectives identified in the TPI profiles. The findings were grouped into the founders’ beliefs and intentions about: (1) learners and learning; (2) content; and (3) teachers’ role and responsibilities. The data forming what the founders’ considered to be best pedagogical practice formed eight areas for consideration to include: (1) preparation; (2) management; (3) starting a TGfU lesson; (4) continuing a TGfU lesson; (5) teacher behaviours; teacher focus during a game; (7) teacher expectations; and (8) learning environment. This paper aims to provide a starting point for further research, debate, and reflection as we engage with the founders’ intentions – to provide students with teaching that is an overt social, cultural, and relational activity, as well as a set of plans, practices, and actions.
Australian curriculum reform II
Authors: Lynch Timothy
Published: May 2014

It is implied by governing organizations that Australia is presently experiencing its first national curriculum reform, when as the title suggests it is the second. However, until now Australian states and territories have been responsible for the education curriculum delivered within schools. The present national curriculum reform promises one curriculum framework for health and physical education (HPE), currently under review. This paper explores the history of Australian curriculum reform in the HPE key learning area, revealing that the present review offers an opportunity to focus on the vital ‘implementation’ stage which seems to be continually overlooked.
Use of mobile phones as a tool for weight loss: a systematic review
Authors: Aguilar-Martínez Alicia , Solé-Sedeño Josep M , Mancebo-Moreno Gemma , Medina F Xavier , Carreras-Collado Ramon , Saigí-Rubió Francesc
Published: May 2014

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the use of mobile phones for weight loss. A total of 43 studies were identified on obese or overweight adults, aged 18 years or over. After review, ten articles met the inclusion criteria. There were 19–534 participants per study. Participants were from European, Asian and North American regions. The mean body mass index (BMI) of the subjects varied from 22 to 36 kg/m2. Two studies used text messaging or multimedia messaging. All the other studies used mobile-phone apps or web-based programmes that could be accessed from mobile phones as a part of a weight-loss intervention or for evaluating their potential for use and their acceptance. Most studies lasted 2–4 months and the maximum duration was 1 year. All but two studies showed reductions in the participants’ bodyweight, BMI, waist circumference and body fat in the various interventions. There appeared to be a proportional relationship between weight loss and programme use. The programmes most benefited those who took a pro-active approach to everyday problems. Frequent self-recording of weight seemed to be important, as was the personalisation of the intervention (counselling and individualized feedback). Finally, a social support system acted as a motivational tool.
Endovascular model of abdominal aortic aneurysm induction in swine
Authors: Lederman Alex , Saliture Neto Fernando Tavares , Ferreira Rimarcs , de Figueiredo Luis Francisco Poli , Otoch Jose Pinhata , Aun Ricardo , da Silva Erasmo Simão
Published: May 2014

Abdominal aortic aneurysms are among the main causes of death. The high morbidity and mortality associated with aneurysm rupture and repair represents a challenge for surgeons and high risk for patients. Although experimental models are useful to understand, train, and develop new treatment and diagnostic methods for this pathology, animal models developed to date are far from ideal. Animals are either too small and do not represent the pathology of humans, or the procedures employ laparotomy, or the aortic behavior does not resemble that of a true aneurysm. We developed a novel, less invasive and effective method to induce true aortic aneurysms in Large White pigs. Animals were submitted to an endovascular chemical induction using either calcium chloride (25%) or swine pancreatic elastase. Controls were exposed to saline solution. All animals were operated on using the same surgical technique under general anesthesia. They were followed weekly with ultrasound examinations and at 4 weeks the aorta was harvested. Although elastase induced only arterial dilation, imaging, histological, and biomechanical studies of the aorta revealed the formation of true aneurysms in animals exposed to calcium chloride. Aneurysms in the latter group had biomechanical failure properties similar to those of human aneurysms. These findings indicate that the endovascular approach is viable and does not cause retroperitoneal fibrosis.
There is an alternative: Challenging the logic of neoliberal penality
Authors: Bell Emma
Published: May 2014

This article seeks to sketch out alternatives to neoliberal penality by seeking to undermine the four institutional logics of neoliberalism as identified by Loïc Wacquant (2009). It begins by critically analysing the potential value of public criminology as an exit strategy, suggesting that whilst this approach has much value, popular versions of it are in fact rather limited on account of their exclusion of offenders themselves from the debate and their optimism about the capacity of existing institutions to challenge the current punitive consensus. It suggests that a genuinely ‘public’ criminology should be informed by an abolitionist stance to both current penal policies and the neoliberal system as a whole. This may be the best means of truly democratizing penal politics.
Health of Danish seafarers and fishermen 1970-2010: What have register-based studies found?
Authors: Poulsen Thomas Rødgaard , Burr Hermann , Hansen Henrik L , Jepsen Jørgen Riis
Published: May 2014

Background:This study aimed to review Danish register-studies on seafarers’ and fishermen’s health and safety. Methods: Register-based or register-linked studies from 1970 until 2012 were identified and reviewed. Four categories of studies were included: mortality, hospitalization, specific diagnoses and conditions and accidents. Standardized risks estimates were typically calculated by comparison with the total Danish working population. Results: Elevated rates were found in all four categories. For mortality male seafarers had excess rates of accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, and suicides, and fishermen of accidents and cardiovascular disorders. Female seafarers in male-dominated occupations also had increased mortality rates. Elevated hospitalization rates for male seafarers were particularly prominent for endocrine/nutritional conditions, cervical discopathy, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases, cancers, hearing impairment, and injuries, and for female seafarers cancers, circulatory and genitourinary diseases and injuries. Fishermen had increased hospitalization rates for cardiovascular diseases, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, gonarthrosis, thoracolumbar discopathy, rotator cuff syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, injuries and hearing impairment. Specific diagnoses and conditions: There was an elevated risk of tuberculosis, hepatitis B and certain cancers for male seafarers, and of obesity and occupational accidents for both fishermen and seafarers. Conclusions: In spite of safety measures and significant structural changes in the Danish merchant and fishing fleet, the spectrum of health indicators continues to indicate considerable risk factors in the maritime environment and/or the lifestyle of seafarers and fishermen. Future monitoring of fishermen’s and seafarers’ health will remain essential for implementing appropriate preventive measures.
Obstetrics in trauma
Authors: Battaloglu Emir , Battaloglu Eren , Chu Justin , Porter Keith
Published: May 2014

Trauma in pregnancy is the leading non-obstetrical cause of maternal death and remains the most common cause of foetal demise. Many diagnostic and management challenges are present when dealing with the injured pregnant patient. Anatomical and physiological variations of pregnancy need to be understood in order to adapt medical management and overcome the numerous challenges which exist for such patients. The relative unfamiliarity of anatomical and physiological changes experienced in pregnancy means great care must be taken when managing such patients, especially in high energy trauma injuries. Review of the available evidence provides an epidemiological understanding for provision of trauma services. Obstetrics in trauma is a relative rare condition in the United Kingdom, however evidence based in the UK regarding the epidemiology is limited. This article also outlines the principle factors for the assessment and treatment of the injured obstetric patients, as well as discussing areas of ongoing uncertainty.
A confusion index for measuring separation and clustering
Authors: Longford Nicholas T , Bartošová Jitka
Published: May 2014

An index for characterizing the separation of two distributions is introduced. It is applied to assessing whether mixture components are clusters. A related property of being a satellite and a partial ordering of the components are defined. A sequence of clustering structures is defined for a finite mixture with a continuum of thresholds that qualify a cluster. The approach is suitable for outcomes with arbitrary univariate or multivariate distributions and their mixtures. The properties of the index are explored by simulations and on examples.
Changing the habits of a lifetime? Mindfulness meditation and habitual geographies
Authors: Lea Jennifer , Cadman Louisa , Philo Chris
Published: May 2014

Mindfulness meditation (in the context of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy) is a reflexive practice that seeks to reduce suffering in the form of depression, anxiety and stress. Through a variety of techniques, mindfulness meditation aims to cultivate awareness of the participant’s current experience (notably their thoughts and feelings), as well as an attitude of non-judgement towards this experience. Via Crossley’s (2001) account of the relation between habits and the development of a self-reflexive stance, the paper develops an understanding of agency as distributed across body, mind and context, and which is not fixed in time or space. Drawing on in-depth interviews carried out with students and teachers of mindfulness meditation, the paper analyses the role of dialogue in the practice, and situates it within the wider routines of the participant’s everyday lives.
Geographies of education, volunteering and the lifecourse: the Woodcraft Folk in Britain (1925–75)
Authors: Mills Sarah
Published: May 2014

This article extends the current scholarly focus within the geographies of education and the geographies of children, youth and families through an original examination of the Woodcraft Folk – a British youth organization founded in 1925 that aimed to create a world built on equality, friendship and peace. This article illustrates how voluntary uniformed youth organizations had a much wider spatial remit and more complex institutional geographies than have been hitherto acknowledged, with their active involvement in the training of adults (namely parents and volunteers) as well as the education of children and young people. Drawing on archival research and a range of sources, the article explores the Woodcraft Folk’s philosophies and political activities across its first 50 years, and in doing so, makes two central academic contributions to the discipline. First, the article provides a timely focus on training and its analytical purchase for geographers as part of a growing body of work on the geographies of education. Second, the article shows how geographers can account for both children and adults’ geographies in institutional spaces, in this case through mapping out the enlivened historical geographies of voluntarism across the lifecourse. This article demonstrates the complex and often fluid relationship between formal and informal education, as well as the important connections between parenting and volunteering. Overall, the article reflects on the subsequent challenges and opportunities for researchers concerned with debates on education, youth and volunteering within geography and beyond.
Grounding Evidence-Based Approaches to Cancer Prevention in the Community
Authors: Highfield Linda , Bartholomew L. Kay , Hartman Marieke A. , Ford M. Molly , Balihe Philomene
Published: May 2014

When community health planners select an evidence-based intervention that has been developed and tested in one situation and adapt it for use in a different situation or community, best practice suggests needs assessment and formative research in the new setting. Cancer prevention planners who are interested in adopting and adapting evidence-based approaches need to base their choices on a sound understanding of the health or behavioral risk problem in which they mean to intervene. This requires a balancing act of weighing community information against a broader perspective from the scientific literature and using the combination to identify and adapt an evidence-based intervention program that is likely to be effective in the new setting. This report is a case study of a community and organizational assessment conducted as a foundation for selecting and recommending adaptation of an evidence-based intervention for improving mammography appointment attendance. We used an inductive sequential exploratory mixed-methods design to inform this process. The process provides a model for formative research grounding evidence-based practice for cancer control planners. Future studies that incorporate findings from needs assessment into the adaptation of the selected intervention program may promote the effective dissemination of evidence-based programs.
The Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Party on Attitudes Toward Descriptive Representation
Authors: Casellas Jason P. , Wallace Sophia J.
Published: May 2014

Using original survey data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Survey (CCES), we examine variation in racial and ethnic group and partisan attitudes toward legislators and representation. Respondents were asked about their views on descriptive representation, its importance for their own elected official, and whether it was important to have more descriptive representatives in general. Using respondents’ personal characteristics such as education, partisanship, race, ethnicity, income, and race and ethnicity of their House of Representatives member, we analyze the impact of these variables on attitudes toward representation. We find that Latino and Black respondents place a high level of importance on having descriptive representatives in their own districts in addition to articulating a high degree of importance to having more representatives from their respective group. However, Latino Republicans place less importance on descriptive representation overall than Latino non-Republican respondents. Non-Latino Republicans also place importance on more legislators of their same race or ethnicity. The findings have implications for democratic governance as the demographics of the United States rapidly changes.
Anthropological accounts of leadership: Historical and geographical interpretations from indigenous cultures
Authors: Edwards Gareth
Published: May 2014

This paper critiques contemporary leadership theory through a historiography of anthropological accounts. Through this review, the paper highlights a number of nuances in the conceptualisation of leadership from differing indigenous cultures using historical and geographical perspectives. The paper contributes to the leadership literature by taking a longitudinal perspective and providing further evidence of a history of notions akin to distributed leadership. This longitudinal perspective enables the paper to uncover an individualistic focus of leadership studies that appear to override sociologically orientated and distributed perspectives within a particular period of the twentieth century. The review of these studies also seems to point towards a pluralistic paradigm of leadership evidenced early on in the twentieth century.
Standardized Data Set for School Health Services
Authors: Maughan Erin D. , Johnson Kathleen H. , Bergren Martha Dewey , Wolfe Linda C. , Cole Marjorie , Pontius Deborah J. , Mendonca Linda L. , Watts Estelle , Patrick Kathleen
Published: May 2014

School nurses collect voluminous amounts of data in a variety of ways and use the data to describe trends in students’ health and patterns of illness in the student population or to identify ways to improve care. NASN identified years ago that a national school nurse data set was needed to enable data-driven decision making for the millions of children who attend school each day across the United States. Informal work has been done in the past 5 years in preparation for the current joint NASN/National Association of State School Nurse Consultants workgroup. This article is the first of a two-part series related to the importance of data and national efforts to develop a uniform data set that all school nurses can collect. Collecting data, and collecting it in the same way as other providers, will demonstrate what school nurses do as well as provide the data necessary for robust research on the impact of school nurses on students’ health.
Thermally activated growth of lath martensite in Fe–Cr–Ni–Al stainless steel
Authors: Villa M. , Hansen M. F. , Pantleon K. , Somers M. A. J.
Published: May 2014

The austenite to martensite transformation in a semi-austenitic stainless steel containing 17 wt-Cr, 7 wt-Ni and 1 wt-Al was investigated with vibrating sample magnetometry and electron backscatter diffraction. Magnetometry demonstrated that, within experimental accuracy, martensite formation can be suppressed on fast cooling to 77 K as well as on subsequent fast heating to 373 K. Surprisingly, martensite formation was observed during moderate heating from 77 K, instead. Electron backscatter diffraction demonstrated that the morphology of martensite is lath type. The kinetics of the transformation is interpreted in terms of athermal nucleation of lath martensite followed by thermally activated growth. It is anticipated that substantial autocatalytic martensite formation occurs during thermally activated growth. The observation of a retardation of the transformation followed by a new acceleration during slow isochronal (i.e. at constant rate) cooling is interpreted in terms of the combined effect of the strain energy introduced in the system during martensite formation, which thermodynamically and/or mechanically stabilises austenite, and autocatalytic nucleation of martensite.
Diagnostic and risk criteria for HSCT-associated thrombotic microangiopathy: a study in children and young adults
Authors: Jodele Sonata , Davies Stella M. , Lane Adam , Khoury Jane , Dandoy Christopher , Goebel Jens , Myers Kasiani , Grimley Michael , Bleesing Jack , El-Bietar Javier , Wallace Gregory , Chima Ranjit S. , Paff Zachary , Laskin Benjamin L.
Published: May 2014

Key Points

Proteinuria and elevated markers of complement activation at TMA diagnosis are associated with poor outcome. Clinical interventions should be considered in HSCT patients with these high-risk features at the time TMA is diagnosed.