bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipoprotein(a) Levels and Recurrent Vascular Events After First Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Lange Kristin S. , Nave Alexander H. , Liman Thomas G. , Grittner Ulrike , Endres Matthias , Ebinger Martin
Published: November 2016

Background and Purpose—

The association of elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) levels and the incidence of cardiovascular disease, especially coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke, is well established. However, evidence on the association between Lp(a) levels and residual vascular risk in stroke survivors is lacking. We aimed to elucidate the risk for recurrent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in the patients with first-ever ischemic stroke with elevated Lp(a).

Methods—

All patients with acute ischemic stroke who participated in the prospective Berlin C&S study (Cream & Sugar) between January 2009 and August 2014 with available 12-month follow-up data and stored blood samples were eligible for inclusion. Lp(a) levels were determined in serum samples using an isoform-insensitive nephelometry assay. We assessed the risk for the composite vascular end point of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, nonelective coronary revascularization, and cardiovascular death with elevated Lp(a) defined as >30 mg/dL using Cox regression analyses.

Results—

Of 465 C&S study participants, 250 patients were included into this substudy with a median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 2 (1–4). Twenty-six patients (10%) experienced a recurrent vascular event during follow-up. Among patients with normal Lp(a) levels, 11 of 157 subjects (7%) experienced an event at a median time of 161 days (interquartile range, 19–196 days), whereas in patients with elevated Lp(a) levels, 15 of 93 subjects (16%) experienced an event at a median time of 48 days (interquartile range, 9–194 days;
P
=0.026). The risk for a recurrent event was significantly higher in patients with elevated Lp(a) levels after adjustment for potential confounders (hazard ratio, 2.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.19–5.67;
P
=0.016).

Conclusions—

Elevated Lp(a) levels are associated with a higher risk for combined vascular event recurrence in patients with acute, first-ever ischemic stroke. This finding should be validated in larger, multicenter trials.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01378468.
Microsurgery for ARUBA Trial (A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformation)–Eligible Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations
Authors: Wong Johnny , Slomovic Alana , Ibrahim George , Radovanovic Ivan , Tymianski Michael
Published: November 2016

Background and Purpose—

The management of unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (ubAVMs) remains controversial despite ARUBA trial (A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformation), a controlled trial that suggested superiority of conservative management over intervention. However, microsurgery occurred in only 14.9% of ARUBA intervention cases, raising concerns about the study’s generalizability. Our purpose was to evaluate whether, in a larger ARUBA-eligible ubAVM population, microsurgery produces acceptable outcomes.

Methods—

Demographic data, AVM characteristics, and treatment outcomes were evaluated in 155 ARUBA-eligible bAVMs treated with microsurgery between 1994 and 2014. Outcomes were rates of early disabling deficits and permanent disabling deficits with modified Rankin Scale score ≥3 or any permanent neurological deficits with modified Rankin Scale score ≥1. Covariates associated with outcomes were determined by regression analysis.

Results—

Of 977 AVM patients, 155 ARUBA-eligible patients had microsurgical resection (71.6% surgery only and 25.2% with preoperative embolization). Mean follow-up was 36.1 months. Complete obliteration was achieved in 94.2% after initial surgery and 98.1% on final angiography. Early disabling deficits and permanent disabling deficits occurred in 12.3% and 4.5%, respectively, whereas any permanent neurological deficit (modified Rankin Scale score ≥1) occurred in 16.1%. Among ubAVM of Spetzler–Martin grades 1 and 2, complete obliteration occurred in 99.2%, with early disabling deficits and permanent disabling deficits occurring in 9.3% and 3.4%, respectively. Major bleeding was the only significant predictor of early disabling deficits on multivariate analysis (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Microsurgery in this cohort produced less disabling deficits than ARUBA with similar morbidity and AVM obliteration as other cohort series. This disparity between our results and ARUBA suggests that future controlled trials should focus on the safety and efficacy of microsurgery with or without adjunctive embolization in carefully selected ubAVM patients.
Crustacean zooplankton assemblages in inland waters of southern Patagonia (Alacalufes National Reserve), Chile (49-51°S)
Authors: De los Ríos Escalante Patricio , Gonzalez Jorge F. , Górski Konrad , Habit Evelyn M. , Ruzzante Daniel E.
Published: November 2016

The inland water crustacean communities in southern Chilean Patagonia (46-55°S) are characterized by their marked low species number, and many recurrent species among a wide ecological and geographical gradient, that is due to oligotrophy of lakes and lagoons and the fluvial parameters (i.e., high flow velocities) in rivers. The aim of the present study was to describe the zooplankton communities in lakes and respective outflow river estuaries in Alacalufes National Reserve on islands of Chilean southern Patagonia (49-51°S). Species abundance and presence/absence were considered. The results obtained revealed the presence of a low number of species and also multiple sites in which zooplankton was not recorded at all. This is probably due the low zooplankton diversity of cold lakes at these high latitudes and the often turbulent flow of the outflow rivers studied.
The Principle of Individuation in Contra Eunomium 2, 4 by Basil of Caesarea and Its Philosophical and Theological Context
Authors: Biriukov Dmitry
Published: November 2016

The article analyzes the context of describing the human being through the “concurrence of properties” in the Contra Eunomnium 2.4 of Basil of Caesarea and traces the links of this topic in Basil with the theories of individuation current in Antiquity. The continuity of Basil’s teaching of the concurrence in the analyzed passage with the On Prayer 24 of Origen, which reveals some Stoic connotations, is examined. At the same time, the article points to the difference between Basil’s and Origen’s conceptual frameworks. Two paradigms of understanding the material substratum in Basil – Platonic and Stoic – are identified. The article demonstrates the direct Stoic influence on the analyzed passage of Basil and specifies what it consisted of and why exactly Basil used the Stoic paradigm. Then, based on the place from the Apology of Eunomius, which Basil was refuting in his passage, the article reveals both the context of the passage and of the place in Eunomius in a wider setting of the doctrines of language elaborated in Antiquity.
A Brief History of Self-Reference Notion Implementation in Byzantium
Authors: Goncharko Oksana Yu. , Romanenko Yuriy M.
Published: November 2016

The article presents an overview of implementation of self-referential notions in the logical and theological texts of Byzantine scholars up to the 12th century. The commentaries on Porphyry’s and Aristotle’s theory of definition by John of Damascus, John Italus, and Theodore Prodromos are discussed. It is argued that the Byzantine scholars performed different original implementations of basic logical notions and discovered their self-referential property. The attention is paid to the five predicabilia notions of Porphyry and Aristotelian categories applications in logical, philosophical, and theological Byzantine texts. The authors conclude that the Byzantine solutions resemble some of the modern logical ideas of 20th century.
Between Tritheism and Sabellianism
Authors: Krausmüller Dirk
Published: November 2016

This article focuses on two confessions of faith, which were composed in the late eleventh century by the philosopher John Italos and by the monk Nicetas Stethatos. In-depth analysis of selected passages shows that the two men subscribed to a Trinitarian theology that could be considered heretical. They denied the existence of a common divine substance that could safeguard the oneness of God and instead emphasised the closeness of the hypostases to each other, which made it impossible for them to accord to the hypostases the distinguishing function that the Cappadocians had given them. Thus it can be argued that it was their Tritheism that pushed them towards a ‘Sabellian’ solution.
Some Notes on the Life and Works of Maxim the Greek (Michael Trivolis, ca 1470 – Maksim Grek, 1555/1556)
Authors: Zajc Neža
Published: November 2016

The Old Church Slavonic language that Maxim the Greek used in his translated and original works was in many respects shaped by his theological views. Therefore, his specific use of the language was intentional.
Reformers in the Land of the Holy Cross
Authors: Noorlander D.L.
Published: November 2016

The directors of the Dutch West India Company gambled their reputations and capital in a decades-long scheme to conquer and pacify Brazil, and in the end, they lost. This essay explores the various religious elements of that scheme or “mission,” as it was also called: establishing the Dutch Reformed Church as the colony’s public church, spreading the message of the “true religion,” attacking sin and reforming sinners. Coupled with a general, widespread sense of anti-Catholicism and anti-clericalism among the Dutch in Europe and America, these reform efforts exacerbated differences between the conquerors and conquered and contributed to Portuguese discontent in the years before the 1645 revolt.
A revision of the genus Orbilia in the Canary Islands
Authors: QUIJADA LUIS , BARAL HANS-OTTO , BELTRÁN-TEJERA ESPERANZA
Published: November 2016

Based on field work and herbarium studies, a taxonomic revision of the genus Orbilia in the Canary Islands was carried out. Eighteen species of the genus are recognized in the present study. Eight of these are new records for the archipelago (Orbilia cejpii, O. euonymi, O. flavida, O. flavidorosella, O. hesperidea, O. scolecospora, O. vinosa and O. vitalbae). Three of them are here described in detail (O. cejpii, O. flavida and O. vitalbae), because they were not reported again since their first publication. Corrections and clarifications about the identity of four previously reported species (O. alnea, O. auricolor, O. delicatula and O. epipora) are provided, being renamed to O. eucalypti, O. tenuissima, O. xanthostigma, and O. dryadum, respectively, the last one being a new combination for O. alnea var. dryadum. Two species with a rather short original diagnoses reported for the Canary Islands are redescribed in detail (O. corculispora and O. gambelii), and those being endemic for the archipelago are illustrated and briefly discussed (Orbilia adenocarpi, O. asomatica, O. pisciformis and O. succulenticola). A key for the identification of these species, a discussion about closely related taxa, notes on their global distribution, and ecological data are provided.
Eddy Influences on the Strength of the Hadley Circulation: Dynamic and Thermodynamic Perspectives
Authors: Singh Martin S. , Kuang Zhiming , Tian Yang
Published: November 2016

The strength of the equinoctial Hadley circulation (HC) is investigated in idealized simulations conducted on an equatorial beta plane in which the zonal width of the domain is varied to either permit or suppress large-scale eddies. The presence of such eddies is found to amplify the HC by a factor of 2–3 in simulations with slab-ocean boundary conditions or with a simple representation of ocean heat transport. Additional simulations in which the eddy forcing is prescribed externally indicate that this amplification is primarily associated with large-scale eddy momentum fluxes rather than large-scale eddy heat fluxes. These results contrast with results from simulations with fixed distributions of sea surface temperature (SST), in which the HC strength has been found to be relatively insensitive to large-scale eddy momentum fluxes.

In both the interactive- and fixed-SST cases, the influence of nonlinear momentum advection by the mean flow complicates efforts to use the angular-momentum budget to constrain the HC strength. However, a strong relationship is found between the HC strength and a measure of the meridional gradient of boundary layer entropy, indicating a possible thermodynamic control on the HC strength. In simulations with interactive SSTs, meridional eddy momentum fluxes affect the boundary layer entropy by inducing a low-level frictional flow that reduces the ability of the HC to transport heat poleward. This allows for the maintenance of a large meridional entropy gradient in the presence of a strong HC. The results highlight the potential utility of a thermodynamic perspective for understanding the HC in flow regimes for which dynamical constraints may be difficult to apply.
Recent Changes in the Moisture Source of Precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhang Chi , Tang Qiuhong , Chen Deliang
Published: November 2016

Evidence has suggested a wetting trend over part of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in recent decades, although there are large uncertainties in this trend due to sparse observations. Examining the change in the moisture source for precipitation over a region in the TP with the most obvious increasing precipitation trend may help understand the precipitation change. This study applied the modified Water Accounting Model with two atmospheric reanalyses, ground-observed precipitation, and evaporation from a land surface model to investigate the change in moisture source of the precipitation over the targeted region. The study estimated that on average more than 69% and more than 21% of the moisture supply to precipitation over the targeted region came from land and ocean, respectively. The moisture transports from the west of the TP by the westerlies and from the southwest by the Indian summer monsoon likely contributed the most to precipitation over the targeted region. The moisture from inside the region may have contributed about 18% of the total precipitation. Most of the increased moisture supply to the precipitation during 1979–2013 was attributed to the enhanced influx from the southwest and the local moisture supply. The precipitation recycling ratio over the targeted region increased significantly, suggesting an intensified hydrological cycle. Further analysis at monthly scale and with wet–dry-year composites indicates that the increased moisture contribution was mainly from the southwest and the targeted region during May and September. The enhanced water vapor transport from the Indian Ocean during July and September and the intensified local hydrological recycling seem to be the primary reasons behind the recent precipitation increase over the targeted region.
A Multisystem View of Wintertime NAO Seasonal Predictions
Authors: Athanasiadis Panos J. , Bellucci Alessio , Scaife Adam A. , Hermanson Leon , Materia Stefano , Sanna Antonella , Borrelli Andrea , MacLachlan Craig , Gualdi Silvio
Published: November 2016

Significant predictive skill for the mean winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) has been recently reported for a number of different seasonal forecasting systems. These findings are important in exploring the predictability of the natural system, but they are also important from a socioeconomic point of view, since the ability to predict the wintertime atmospheric circulation anomalies over the North Atlantic well ahead in time will have significant benefits for North American and European countries.

In contrast to the tropics, for the mid latitudes the predictive skill of many forecasting systems at the seasonal time scale has been shown to be low to moderate. The recent findings are promising in this regard, suggesting that better forecasts are possible, provided that key components of the climate system are initialized realistically and the coupled models are able to simulate adequately the dominant processes and teleconnections associated with low-frequency variability. It is shown that a multisystem approach has unprecedented high predictive skill for the NAO and AO, probably largely due to increasing the ensemble size and partly due to increasing model diversity.

Predicting successfully the winter mean NAO does not ensure that the respective climate anomalies are also well predicted. The NAO has a strong impact on Europe and North America, yet it only explains part of the interannual and low-frequency variability over these areas. Here it is shown with a number of different diagnostics that the high predictive skill for the NAO/AO indeed translates to more accurate predictions of temperature, surface pressure, and precipitation in the areas of influence of this teleconnection.
Characterizing the Effect of Vegetation Dynamics on the Bulk Heat Transfer Coefficient to Improve Variational Estimation of Surface Turbulent Fluxes
Authors: Abdolghafoorian Abedeh , Farhadi Leila , Bateni Sayed M. , Margulis Steve , Xu Tongren
Published: November 2016

Estimation of turbulent heat fluxes by assimilating sequences of land surface temperature (LST) observations into a variational data assimilation (VDA) framework has been the subject of numerous studies. The VDA approaches are focused on the estimation of two key parameters that regulate the partitioning of available energy between sensible and latent heat fluxes. These parameters are neutral bulk heat transfer coefficient CHN and evaporative fraction (EF). The CHN mainly depends on the roughness of the surface and varies on the time scale of changing vegetation phenology. The existing VDA methods assumed that the variations in vegetation phenology over the period of one month are negligible and took CHN as a monthly constant parameter. However, during the growing season, bare soil may turn into a fully vegetated surface within a few weeks. Thus, assuming a constant CHN may result in a significant error in the estimation of surface fluxes, especially in regions with a high temporal variation in vegetation cover. In this study the VDA approach is advanced by taking CHN as a function of leaf area index (LAI). This allows the characterization of the dynamic effect of vegetation phenology on CHN. The performance of the new VDA model is tested over three sites in the United States and one site in China. The results show that the new model outperforms the previous one and reduces the root-mean-square error (and bias) in sensible and latent heat flux estimates across the four sites on average by 31% (61%) and 21% (37%), respectively.
Effect of the systemic inflammatory response, as provoked by elective orthopaedic surgery, on HbA1c
Authors: Chadburn Andrew J , Garman Elizabeth , Abbas Raad , Modupe Anu , Ford Clare , Thomas Osmond L , Chugh Sanjiv , Deshpande Shreeram , Gama Rousseau
Published: November 2016

Background

In acutely ill patients with new onset hyperglycaemia, plasma glucose cannot reliably distinguish between stress hyperglycaemia and undiagnosed diabetes mellitus. We, therefore, investigated the diagnostic reliability of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in acute illness by prospectively evaluating the effect of the systemic inflammatory response, as provoked by elective orthopaedic surgery, on HbA1c.

Methods

HbA1c and serum C-reactive protein concentrations were compared before and two days after elective knee or hip surgery in 30 patients without diabetes. C-reactive protein was used to assess the systemic inflammatory response.

Results

The mean (standard deviation) serum C-reactive protein increased following surgery (4.8 [7.5] vs. 179.7 [61.9] mg/L; P<0.0001). HbA1c was similar before and after surgery (39.2 [5.4] vs. 38.1 [5.1] mmol/moL, respectively; P = 0.4363).

Conclusions

HbA1c is unaffected within two days of a systemic inflammatory response as provoked by elective orthopaedic surgery. This suggests that HbA1c may be able to differentiate newly presenting type 2 diabetes mellitus from stress hyperglycaemia in acutely ill patients with new onset hyperglycaemia.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Cost Stickiness
Authors: Habib Ahsan , Hasan Mostafa Monzur
Published: November 2016

This article examines the effects on cost stickiness of firms’ involvement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Cost stickiness represents asymmetric cost behavior whereby the magnitude of cost increases in response to an increase in the activity level is greater than the magnitude of cost decreases with a decrease in the activity level. We hypothesize that CSR involvement requires ongoing investments in value-creating activities; hence, it is difficult to scale down committed resources instantly even when the activity declines. We use two different CSR proxies and find support for the CSR-related cost stickiness hypothesis. We further decompose CSR into strategic and tactical CSR and find that cost stickiness is more pronounced for strategic CSR. Finally, we examine the CSR-related cost behavior pattern across business cycles and find some evidence of cost stickiness during an expansionary phase of the economy and cost anti-stickiness during a recessionary phase but only for the tactical CSR component.
Subjectivity of Lighting Perception and Comfort: The Role of Preferences and Expectations
Authors: Maier Julia , Zierke Oliver , Hoermann Hans-Juergen , Windemut Ivan
Published: November 2016

Lighting in passenger rail cars is designed according to defined standards to implement a safe and healthy as well as comfortable lighting situation for the passengers. However, not every passenger’s demands are met by average lighting conditions; individual preferences are well-known to influence participants’ comfort sensations. To further explain the role of individual preferences and expectations regarded as stable dispositions, sensations of 40 participants were analyzed in a mock-up of a passenger rail car of the Next Generation Train (NGT) using an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) luminaire. Two lighting scenarios (100 lx and 150 lx) were used as levels of the independent variable. Results confirm that individual preferences and expectations have an influence on the perception and evaluation of the lighting situation. Moreover, positive expectations were found to have a somewhat higher impact for subjective reactions than illuminance had and should thus be considered in future lighting research and design.
The Quest to Extend Health Services to Vulnerable Substance Users in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the Context of an Unfolding Economic Crisis
Authors: Krawczyk Noa , Kerrigan Deanna , Bastos Francisco Inácio
Published: November 2016

Calls to address crack-cocaine use in Brazil among homeless and street-frequenting populations who are in urgent need of health services have questioned the capacity of the Brazilian Unified Health System to attend to the nation’s most marginalized citizens. In recent years, Brazil has launched several actions to escalate care for substance users, yet many obstacles hindering accessibility and effectiveness of services remain. Paradoxically, these actions have been implemented in the context of a growing economic crisis, and expanding services for a population of poor and stigmatized substance users while cutting other government programs tends to elicit harsh criticism from citizens. In consequence of such prospects, this commentary aims to discuss barriers marginalized substance users face in accessing health services that are at risk of worsening with government cutbacks. Using Rio de Janeiro as an example, we explore two primary issues: the resource-strained, under-staffed and decentralized nature of the Brazilian Unified Health System and the pervading stigma that bars vulnerable citizens from official structures and services. Abandoning initiated government efforts to increase access to health services would risk maintaining vulnerable citizens at the margins of public structures, inhibiting the opportunity to offer this population humane and urgently needed treatment and care.
The role of epigenetics in social psychiatry
Authors: Peedicayil Jacob
Published: November 2016

Background:

Epigenetics refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression not involving changes in DNA sequence and is presently an active area of research in biology and medicine. There is increasing evidence that epigenetics is involved in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders.

Aims and Methods:

Several studies conducted to date have suggested that psychosocial factors act by modifying epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression in the brain in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. Such studies have been conducted both on brain tissues and also using peripheral tissues as substitutes for brain tissues. This article reviews such studies.

Results and Conclusion:

Epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression in the brain appear to link one individual with another in the context of social psychiatry. Epigenetics appears to be of major importance to the field of social psychiatry.
Differential impacts of social support on mental health: A comparison study of Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents and their urban counterparts in Beijing, China
Authors: Zhuang Xiao Yu , Wong Daniel Fu Keung
Published: November 2016

Background:

The number of internal migrant children in China has reached 35.8 million by the end of 2010. Previous studies revealed inconsistent findings regarding the mental health status of rural-to-urban migrant adolescents, as well as the impact of peer, teacher and parental support on the mental health of Chinese adolescent migrants.

Aims:

Using a comparative approach, this study attempted to compare the mental health status between migrant and urban-born adolescents and to clarify the specific roles of different sources of social support in the mental health of migrant and urban adolescents.

Method:

A cross-sectional survey using a cluster convenience sampling strategy was performed in Beijing, China. A structured questionnaire was filled out by 368 rural-to-urban migrant adolescents and 325 urban-born adolescents.

Results:

A significant difference was found only for positive affect (PA) but not for negative affect (NA) between the two groups, favouring the urban-born adolescents. Social support from all the three sources were all predictive of PA among rural-to-urban migrant adolescents, while only peer support contributed to PA among urban-born adolescents. Unexpectedly, teachers’ support contributed to an increase in NA among urban-born adolescents.

Conclusion:

The findings contribute to understanding of the mental health status of migrant adolescents in China and the differential impact of the various sources of social support on migrant and urban-born adolescents. Also the findings may inform the development of mental health services and programmes that can potentially benefit a large number of internal migrant adolescents in China.
Organizational Learning In Adapting To Dynamic Disaster Environments In Southern Turkey
Authors: Celik Suleyman , Corbacioglu Sitki
Published: November 2016

Using a theoretical framework based on complex adaptive systems and organizational learning, the study compares and contrasts the network structures of two disaster response systems following the 2006 avian influenza crisis and the 2011 Van earthquake in Turkey. This study emphasizes the reorganization of Turkish disaster response in 2009 and its impact in response to 2011 Van earthquake. The research utilizes data from content analysis of news reports from the Turkish daily newspapers Cumhuriyet and Sabah from 28 December 2005 to 17 January 2006 for the avian influenza, and Hurriyet from 23 October 2011 to 8 November 2011 for the 2011 Van earthquake, respectively. The research has used social network analysis and small world ratio based on the content analysis data to compare and evaluate the network structures of the two response systems. Findings indicate that the Turkish disaster system, to some degree, learned from the previous disaster and was therefore better managed. However, the system still remained very centralized and multi-sectoral involvement is still weak.
Re-imagining Africa as a Knowledge Economy: Premises and Promises of Recent Higher Education Development Initiatives
Authors: Molla Tebeje , Cuthbert Denise
Published: November 2016

Africa is being re-imagined as a knowledge economy, and higher education (HE) systems have been propelled into the centre of national economic plans and strategies. This paper provides an analysis of four recent major initiatives directed to the revitalisation of HE in sub-Saharan Africa: the Pan African University (2010), the Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project (2014), The Kigali Communiqué on Higher Education for Science, Technology and Innovation (2014), and the Dakar Declaration and Action Plan on Revitalising Higher Education for Africa’s Future (2015). Guided by critical frame analysis, we examined assumptions and expectations of these regionally/globally structured HE development agendas. The findings show that, while there is a convergence of thinking on the promise for economic transformation held by invigorated HE sectors in Africa, there are uncritically adopted premises about how this transformation is to be achieved. In particular, we find that the promise held out for economic transformation through HE is at risk of failing through the inadequate contextualisation of global policy orthodoxies to African conditions, and that some of the premises about the nature and scale of the economic transformation required to make the re-imagined Africa a reality need to be reconsidered.
Influence of macro-topography on mechanical performance of 1.0 wt% nanoclay/multi-layer graphene-epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Atif Rasheed , Inam Fawad
Published: November 2016

Influence of topography on the variation in mechanical performance of 1.0 wt% multi-layer graphene (MLG)/nanoclay-epoxy samples has been investigated. Three different systems were produced: 1.0 wt% MLG-EP, 1.0 wt% nanoclay-EP, and 0.5 wt% MLG-0.5 wt% nanoclay-EP. The influence of synergistic effect on mechanical performance in case of hybrid nanocomposites is also studied. Various topography parameters studied include maximum roughness height (Rz or Rmax), root mean square value (Rq), roughness average (Ra), and surface waviness (Wa). The Rz of as-cast 1.0 wt% multi-layer graphene, nanoclay, and 0.5 wt% MLG-0.5 wt% nanoclay-EP nanocomposites were 41.43 µm, 43.54 µm, and 40.28 µm, respectively. The 1200P abrasive paper and the velvet cloth decreased the Rz value of samples compared with as-cast samples. In contrary, the 60P and 320 P abrasive papers increased the Rz values. Due to the removal of material from the samples by erosion, the dimensions of samples decreased. The weight loss due to erosion was commensurate with the coarseness of abrasive papers. It was recorded that multi-layer graphene is more influential in enhancing the mechanical performance of epoxy nanocomposites than nanoclay. Additionally, it was observed that mechanical performance of hybrid nanocomposites did not show a marked difference suggesting that synergistic effects are not strong enough in multi-layer graphene and nanoclay.
Longitudinal Stability of Common TMJ Structural Disorders
Authors: Schiffman E.L. , Ahmad M. , Hollender L. , Kartha K. , Ohrbach R. , Truelove E.L. , Zhang L. , Hodges J.S. , Sommers E. , Anderson G.C. , Gonzalez Y.M. , Guo X. , Look J.O.
Published: November 2016

The longitudinal course of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement (DD) and degenerative joint disease (DJD) has never been conclusively described with magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, respectively. This 8-y observational study’s objective was to assess the longitudinal stability of DD and DJD among 401 subjects. The Validation Project provided baseline measures; follow-up was performed in the TMJ Impact Project. With magnetic resonance imaging, 2 radiologists rendered a consensus diagnosis of normal/indeterminate, DD with reduction, or DD without reduction. Computed tomography consensus diagnoses included normal/indeterminate, grade 1 DJD, or grade 2 DJD. Radiologist reliability was assessed by kappa; a Hui-Walter model was used to estimate, after accounting for diagnostic disagreement, the frequency of diagnostic progression and reversal. Permutation tests were used to test the statistical influence of concurrent baseline diagnoses on diagnostic changes at follow-up. Of 789 baseline joint-specific soft tissue diagnoses of DD, 598 (76%) joints showed no change; 109 (14%) demonstrated progression; and 82 (10%) had reversal. Of 794 joints with baseline joint-specific hard tissue diagnoses of DJD, progression was observed in 122 (15%) joints, no change in 564 (71%), and reversal in 108 (14%). Radiologist reliability (kappa) was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.64 to 0.83) for DD and 0.76 (95% CI, 0.68 to 0.83) for DJD. After accounting for the influence of diagnostic disagreement, progression of hard tissue diagnoses in the right TMJ occurred in 15.2% of subjects (95% CI, 10.5% to 20.8%) and reversal in 8.3% (95% CI, 4.9% to 12.3%); results were similar for soft tissue diagnoses and the left TMJ. Concurrent baseline soft tissue diagnoses were associated with hard tissue diagnostic changes at follow-up ( P < 0.0001). Baseline hard tissue diagnoses showed no statistical association with soft tissue changes at follow-up ( P = 0.11). Longitudinally, 76% of baseline TMJ soft tissue diagnoses and 71% of the baseline hard tissue diagnoses remained stable. Diagnostic reversal and progression were confirmed for both soft and hard tissues.
Nanosized Building Blocks for Customizing Novel Antibiofilm Approaches
Authors: Paula A.J. , Koo H.
Published: November 2016

Recent advances in nanotechnology provide unparalleled flexibility to control the composition, size, shape, surface chemistry, and functionality of materials. Currently available engineering approaches allow precise synthesis of nanocompounds (e.g., nanoparticles, nanostructures, nanocrystals) with both top-down and bottom-up design principles at the submicron level. In this context, these “nanoelements” (NEs) or “nanosized building blocks” can 1) generate new nanocomposites with antibiofilm properties or 2) be used to coat existing surfaces (e.g., teeth) and exogenously introduced surfaces (e.g., restorative or implant materials) for prevention of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Furthermore, functionalized NEs 3) can be conceived as nanoparticles to carry and selectively release antimicrobial agents after attachment or within oral biofilms, resulting in their disruption. The latter mechanism includes “smart release” of agents when triggered by pathogenic microenvironments (e.g., acidic pH or low oxygen levels) for localized and controlled drug delivery to simultaneously kill bacteria and dismantle the biofilm matrix. Here we discuss inorganic, metallic, polymeric, and carbon-based NEs for their outstanding chemical flexibility, stability, and antibiofilm properties manifested when converted into bioactive materials, assembled on-site or delivered at biofilm-surface interfaces. Details are provided on the emerging concept of the rational design of NEs and recent technological breakthroughs for the development of a new generation of nanocoatings or functional nanoparticles for biofilm control in the oral cavity.
The Stratified Legitimacy of Abortions
Authors: Kimport Katrina , Weitz Tracy A. , Freedman Lori
Published: November 2016

Roe v. Wade was heralded as an end to unequal access to abortion care in the United States. However, today, despite being common and safe, abortion is performed only selectively in hospitals and private practices. Drawing on 61 interviews with obstetrician-gynecologists in these settings, we examine how they determine which abortions to perform. We find that they distinguish between more and less legitimate abortions, producing a narrative of stratified legitimacy that privileges abortions for intended pregnancies, when the fetus is unhealthy, and when women perform normative gendered sexuality, including distress about the abortion, guilt about failure to contracept, and desire for motherhood. This stratified legitimacy can perpetuate socially-inflected inequality of access and normative gendered sexuality. Additionally, we argue that the practice by physicians of distinguishing among abortions can legitimate legislative practices that regulate and restrict some kinds of abortion, further constraining abortion access.
Cognitive Clusters in Specific Learning Disorder
Authors: Poletti Michele , Carretta Elisa , Bonvicini Laura , Giorgi-Rossi Paolo
Published: November 2016

The heterogeneity among children with learning disabilities still represents a barrier and a challenge in their conceptualization. Although a dimensional approach has been gaining support, the categorical approach is still the most adopted, as in the recent fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The introduction of the single overarching diagnostic category of specific learning disorder (SLD) could underemphasize interindividual clinical differences regarding intracategory cognitive functioning and learning proficiency, according to current models of multiple cognitive deficits at the basis of neurodevelopmental disorders. The characterization of specific cognitive profiles associated with an already manifest SLD could help identify possible early cognitive markers of SLD risk and distinct trajectories of atypical cognitive development leading to SLD. In this perspective, we applied a cluster analysis to identify groups of children with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual–based diagnosis of SLD with similar cognitive profiles and to describe the association between clusters and SLD subtypes. A sample of 205 children with a diagnosis of SLD were enrolled. Cluster analyses (agglomerative hierarchical and nonhierarchical iterative clustering technique) were used successively on 10 core subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition. The 4-cluster solution was adopted, and external validation found differences in terms of SLD subtype frequencies and learning proficiency among clusters. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed, tracing directions for further studies.
Effects of Conductor Baton Use on Band and Choral Musicians’ Perceptions of Conductor Expressivity and Clarity
Authors: Nápoles Jessica , Silvey Brian A.
Published: November 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine participants’ (college band and choral musicians, N = 143) perceptions of conductor clarity and expressivity after viewing band and choral directors conducting with or without a baton. One band and one choral conductor each prepared and conducted two excerpts of Guy Forbes’s O Nata Lux, a piece written in both choral and band idioms, with and without a baton. Participants viewed 10 excerpts (four choral, four band, and two distractors) and rated the conductors’ clarity and expressivity on 10-point Likert-type scales. There were significant main effects for participant ensemble emphasis (choral or band), baton use, and conductor type (choral or band), and a significant interaction between conductor type and baton use. The choral conductor was perceived to be clearer without a baton, whereas the band conductor was perceived to be clearer with a baton. The choral conductor was perceived to be more expressive with a baton, and the band conductor was perceived to be more expressive without a baton.
Centripetalism, Consociationalism and Cyprus: The “Adoptability” Question
Authors: McGarry John
Published: November 2016

Most assessments of power-sharing institutions focus on their functionality, that is, on their prospects for delivering peace, stability, and prosperity. This article focuses instead on the prior question of “adoptability,” that is, on whether particular power-sharing institutions can be accepted (agreed to) in the first place. While the adoptability question is scarcely touched on in the academic literature, it is just as important as the functionality question, as it hardly matters whether an institution is functional if it is not adoptable. The article examines the adoptability question through a close-up look at the negotiations in Cyprus. The evidence from there suggests that consociational power sharing is more likely to be adoptable than centripetal power sharing in contexts where agreement is needed.
Eye trauma in Laurel and Hardy movies – another nice mess
Authors: Zegers Lara DA , Zegers Richard HC
Published: November 2016

Background and aims

One of the characteristics in Laurel and Hardy films is a lot of physical violence. The present study examines the occurrence of eye trauma in Laurel and Hardy movies and discusses the impact they could have been had if the films were set in reality.

Methods and results

All 92 movies starring Laurel and Hardy as a pair in leading roles were watched together by the authors and were scored for any eye trauma. Eighty-eight eye traumas happened, of which 48% were directed at Hardy. The eye poke was the most frequently occurring eye trauma and the traumatic corneal abrasion was very likely the most frequently occurring injury. Among the most serious causes of eye trauma were the pin of a door handle, a stick, a champagne cork, a tree branch and tacks.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, if their films had been reality, especially Hardy but also Laurel and several other people, would have suffered from serious eye injuries caused by the 88 eye traumas. The findings of the present study might reflect the personality, character and intellectual capacity of both Laurel and Hardy as ‘Two Minds Without a Single Thought’.
A Collaborative I-LEARN Project With Kindergarten and Second-Grade Urban Teachers and Students at a University-Assisted School
Authors: Lee Vera J. , Tecce DeCarlo Mary Jean , Grant Allen , Neuman Delia
Published: November 2016

This study describes an information/digital literacy project that was conducted with kindergarten and second-grade students and teachers at a university-assisted school. The study centered on the I-LEARN model—a learning model that blends research and theory from information science and instructional systems design—and investigated how the model could be used to support information-rich learning at the school; the dimensions of digital literacy that were most salient for the teachers and students; and how information/digital literacies can be taught in this setting. The data revealed that each teacher’s approach to the project, their assumptions about their students’ background with technology and research, and their own knowledge about information/digital literacies had significant effects on their students’ learning outcomes.
Analysis of Actual Versus Projected Medical Claims Under the First Year of ACA-Mandated Coverage
Authors: McCue Michael J. , Palazzolo Jennifer R.
Published: November 2016

For the individual market, 2014 was the first year Affordable Care Act medical claims experience data were available to set 2016 rates. Accessing Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rate data for 175 state insurers, this study compares projected medical claims with actual medical claims of 2014, as well as the cost and utilization of benefit categories for inpatient, outpatient, professional, and prescription drug spending. Actual costs per member per month (pmpm) were greater than projected in 2014 for inpatient, outpatient, and prescription spending but not for professional care. Overall, actual median medical cost was $443 pmpm, which was significantly higher by $41 than projected cost. Greater utilization of health care was primarily responsible for higher realized medical claims. In terms of the specific benefit categories—inpatient, outpatient, and prescription—actual costs pmpm were significantly higher than projected values. In terms of the drivers of inpatient costs, on an admission basis, higher costs and greater utilization of admissions resulted in higher inpatient costs. For outpatient costs pmpm, higher utilization rather than unit cost per visit drove increased costs. Higher than expected prescription drug costs were driven by both greater utilization and cost per prescription.
Instructional Design for Online Learning Environments and the Problem of Collaboration in the Cloud
Authors: Mehlenbacher Brad , Kelly Ashley Rose , Kampe Christopher , Kittle Autry Meagan
Published: November 2016

To investigate how college students understand and use cloud technology for collaborative writing, the authors studied two asynchronous online courses, on science communication and on technical communication. Students worked on a group assignment (3–4 per group) using Google Docs and individually reflected on their experience writing collaboratively. This article explores leadership and how it interacts with team knowledge making and the collaborative writing process. Guidelines are outlined for instructors interested in adopting collaborative, cloud-based assignments, and the tension between providing clear instructional guidance for student teams and allowing teams to embrace the ambiguity and messiness of virtual collaboration are discussed.
Introduction to Special Issue “Statistical Issues and Innovations in Predicting Recidivism”
Authors: Helmus L. Maaike , Babchishin Kelly M.
Published: November 2016

Risk assessment is one of the most common tasks in the criminal justice system, yet most professionals in this field receive little to no formal training in statistical techniques for predicting dichotomous outcomes, such as recidivism. The purpose of this special issue was to help fill this gap in training and resources. We wanted to make some of the latest statistical issues and advances in predicting recidivism accessible to the readership of Criminal Justice and Behavior. In this introductory paper, we briefly describe the seven articles in this issue. The first three articles provide primers on topics (statistics to assess predictive accuracy, the Expected/Observed [E/O] Index, and mediation analyses, respectively) in a way that is meant to be understandable to clinicians and researchers. The next two articles describe and compare different statistics for assessing change over time. The last two articles explore limitations of currently used recidivism analyses (area under the curves [AUCs], Harrell’s C, Cox and logistic regression). We hope this issue will serve as a helpful resource for those who conduct or consume research on predicting recidivism.
Consensus in multi-agent system with communication constraints based on asynchronous dynamics
Authors: Fan Xueli , Yin Xunhe , An Mi , Lam Hak Keung , Wei Xueye
Published: November 2016

The consensus in a multi-agent system (MAS) in which each agent communicates with the others over a wireless network is investigated. For the convenience of calculation, analysis and discussion, the MAS under fixed communication topology with communication constraints including random time delay, packet loss and environmental noise is transformed into an asynchronous dynamical system. Thus, the consensus control of the MAS is equivalent to the [Formula: see text] control of an asynchronous dynamical system. The sufficient conditions of robust exponential stability of the MAS with communication constraints are proposed and the corresponding [Formula: see text]-suboptimal [Formula: see text] consensus controllers are designed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The admissible packet loss probability guaranteeing the robust exponential stability of system is also obtained. Subsequently, the corresponding simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithms, and the impacts of time delay and packet loss on consensus of system are analysed in detail.