bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two-year Carcinogenicity Study in Rats with a Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor
Authors: Nambiar Prashant R. , Morton Daniel , Dochterman Leland Wayne , Houle Christopher , Thomford Peter J. , Fate Gwendolyn , Bailey Steven A. , Finch Gregory L.
Published: August 2014

Administration of lersivirine, a nonnucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor, daily by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats for up to 2 yr was associated with decreased survival, decreased body weights, and an increase in neoplasms and related proliferative lesions in the liver, thyroid, kidney, and urinary bladder. Thyroid follicular adenoma and carcinoma, the associated thyroid follicular hypertrophy/hyperplasia, hepatocellular adenoma/adenocarcinoma, altered cell foci, and hepatocellular hypertrophy were consistent with lersivirine-related induction of hepatic microsomal enzymes. Renal tubular adenoma and renal tubular hyperplasia were attributed to the lersivirine-related exacerbation of chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN), while urinary bladder hyperplasia and transitional cell carcinoma in the renal pelvis and urinary bladder were attributed to urinary calculi. Renal tubular neoplasms associated with increased incidence and severity of CPN, neoplasms of transitional epithelium attributed to crystalluria, and thyroid follicular and hepatocellular neoplasms related to hepatic enzyme induction have low relevance for human risk assessment.
Genetic polymorphisms in preoperative myocardial infarction
Authors: Senol Sefa , Es Mehmet Ugur , Gokmen Gökhan , Ercin Ozlem , Tuylu Berrin Ayaz , Kargun Kursat
Published: August 2014

Objective

This study compared plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphisms in patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation before undergoing to coronary artery bypass grafting, and in patients who had previously undergone coronary artery bypass grafting.

Method

Seventy patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation, scheduled to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting, were included in the study group, and 70 patients who had previously undergone coronary artery bypass grafting were included in the control group. Genetic polymorphisms were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction methods.

Results

Our data showed that there were no significant differences in plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphisms or allele frequencies between the 2 groups.

Conclusion

Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and A1298C polymorphisms were not associated risk factors in patients who had myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation and planned to have coronary artery bypass grafting.
Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome: Report of five cases and a review of literature
Authors: Parsi K , O’Connor AA , Bester L
Published: August 2014

Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome is a rare angioproliferative disorder characterised by acroangiodermatitis associated with an underlying arteriovenous shunt. This condition should be differentiated from acroangiodermatitis of Mali classically described in association with chronic venous insufficiency. Patients with Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome typically present with lower leg pigmented macules, papules and plaques that can coalesce to form larger confluent patches of pigmentation. Recognition of Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome may be difficult or delayed as the cutaneous manifestations may resemble a variety of other dermatological conditions. Most commonly, acroangiodermatitis may be confused with Kaposi’s sarcoma and the condition is often referred to as ‘Pseudo-Kaposi’s sarcoma’. Acroangiodermatitis may also resemble or coexist with pigmentation of chronic venous insufficiency. As seen in this report, acroangiodermatitis may also be clinically confused with the ‘cavernous’ form of a capillary malformation. Here, we describe five patients with Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome. In one female and two male patients the diagnosis was delayed as the acroangiodermatitis closely resembled other conditions. All underlying arterio-venous communications were initially diagnosed on duplex ultrasound and confirmed with magnetic resonance angiography. Four patients were found to have a congenital arterio-venous malformation while one was diagnosed with a post-thrombotic arterio-venous fistula. Management included observation and intervention using a variety of techniques including percutaneous or trans-catheter embolisation, endovenous laser, radiofrequency ablation and foam ultrasound guided sclerotherapy. This case series highlights the challenges involved in the diagnosis and management of Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome. Given the local and systemic sequelae of high flow shunts, correct diagnosis and early detection of the underlying arterio-venous abnormality is crucial in the long-term management of these patients and in preventing the associated complications.
Potentiation of latent inhibition by haloperidol and clozapine is attenuated in Dopamine D2 receptor (Drd-2)-deficient mice: Do antipsychotics influence learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli via both Drd-2 and non-Drd-2 mechanisms?
Authors: O’Callaghan Matthew J , Bay-Richter Cecilie , O’Tuathaigh Colm MP , Heery David M , Waddington John L , Moran Paula M
Published: August 2014

Whether the dopamine Drd-2 receptor is necessary for the behavioural action of antipsychotic drugs is an important question, as Drd-2 antagonism is responsible for their debilitating motor side effects. Using Drd-2 null mice ( Drd2 -/-) it has previously been shown that Drd-2 is not necessary for antipsychotic drugs to reverse D-amphetamine disruption of latent inhibition (LI), a behavioural measure of learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli. Weiner’s ‘two-headed’ model indicates that antipsychotics not only reverse LI disruption, ‘disrupted LI’, but also potentiate LI when low/absent in controls, ‘persistent’ LI. We investigated whether antipsychotic drugs haloperidol or clozapine potentiated LI in wild-type controls or Drd2 -/-. Both drugs potentiated LI in wild-type but not in Drd2-/- mice, suggesting moderation of this effect of antipsychotics in the absence of Drd-2. Haloperidol potentiated LI similarly in both Drd1-/- and wild-type mice, indicating no such moderation in Drd1-/-. These data suggest that antipsychotic drugs can have either Drd-2 or non-Drd-2 effects on learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli, depending on how the abnormality is produced. Identification of the non-Drd-2 mechanism may help to identify novel non-Drd2 based therapeutic strategies for psychosis.
Does a Democratic Management Model Enhance Performance through Market Orientation? Empirical Evidence from the Mondragon Industrial Group
Authors: Agirre Izaskun , Reinares Pedro , Freundlich Fred
Published: August 2014

A management model is a set of choices made by a firm’s leadership regarding how objectives are defined, efforts are motivated, activities are coordinated and resources allocated, in short, regarding how the company will be run. Just as other types of businesses do, cooperatives need to create sustainable competitive advantages by adopting market-oriented management approaches. Mondragon Corporation achieves this in an alternative way relative to the conventional organizational and governance model, combining commitments to democratic principles, solidarity and competitiveness. Inspired by changes in the expectations of worker-members, new technological capabilities and the strategies of new competitors, Mondragon Corporation has designed a distinctive management model that can itself be a key driver of its competitiveness. The research presented here is focused on market orientation (MO), its relationships with a set of internal factors found in Mondragon cooperative enterprises, and their subsequent impact on business performance. Empirical results suggest that (1) Mondragon’s management model increases organizational commitment, facilitating the adoption of MO and (2) a positive impact of MO on business performance. Practical and research implications are discussed.
Bottom-Up Building of an Innovative Organization
Authors: Park Soo Hyun , Kim Jeong-Nam , Krishna Arunima
Published: August 2014

This article proposes a theoretical model to understand the ways in which organizations can increase employees’ voluntary intrapreneurship and motivated business information seeking and sharing, scouting, via relationship building. Three management strategies—managerial receptiveness to innovative effort, employee empowerment, and communication symmetry—have been tested for their effects on quality of organization–employee relationship (OER), and the effects of OERs on employee’s intrapreneurship and scouting. A survey was conducted with 528 employees of organizations that have a minimum of 300 employees in the United States. Results suggest that organizations become innovative and adaptive to the organizational environment as they cultivate relationships with employees because they can motivate employees to engage in voluntary intrapreneurship and scouting in and around the organization.
Synthesis and characterization of novel cross-linking light-emitting polyfluorene derivatives
Authors: Zhou Su , Jia Dongmei , Liu Junfeng
Published: August 2014

Polyfluorene derivative with amine side groups, namely, P1 was synthesized by the palladium-catalyzed coupling reaction of 2,5-dibromoaniline with 2,7-bis(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)-9,9′-dioctylfluorene. Cross-linked polyazomethine P1-TPD (cross-linked polymer, P1/ terephthalic aldehyde) was obtained by the reaction of P1 with terephthalic aldehyde. Given that replacement of the phenylene ring by a thiophene ring can improve π-electron delocalization, we also synthesized P1-TPCD (cross-linked polymer, P1/ 2,5-thiophenedicarboxaldehyde) whose cross-linking bridge was a thiophene ring. The ultraviolet–visible spectra of P1-TPD showed that there was a little hypsochromic shift to its pristine polymer P1, however, the maximum emission wavelength was changed to the second peak in the photoluminescence spectra. Besides, the band gap energy ( Eg) of P1-TPD was a little narrower than that of P1. The maximum absorption wavelength and the maximum emission wavelength of P1-TPCD was almost the same with P1, but its Eg was narrower than P1 and P1-TPD. Most notably, azomethine-linked P1-TPD and P1-TPCD were fluorescent with measured fluorescent quantum yields of 22% and 44%.
A methodology for determination of extended strain-based forming limit curve considering the effects of strain path and normal stress
Authors: Hashemi R , Abrinia K , Faraji G
Published: August 2014

In this paper, an approach based on the modified Marciniak-Kuczynski (M-K) method for computation of an extended strain-based forming limit curve (FLC) is presented. An extended strain-based FLC is built based on equivalent plastic strains and material flow direction at the end of forming. This curve has some advantages in comparison with other necking criteria such as the traditional FLC and also the stress-based FLC. This new criterion is much less strain path dependent than the conventional FLC. Furthermore, the use and interpretation of this new curve is easier than the stress-based FLC. The effect of strain path on the predicted extended strain-based FLC is reexamined. For this purpose, two types of pre-straining on the sheet metal have been imposed. Moreover, the plane stress state assumption is not adopted in the current study. The verifications of the theoretical FLCs are performed by using some available published experimental data.
A matter of consistency
Authors: Finegan Thomas
Published: August 2014

Between 1997 and 2005, four formal international law documents were promulgated involving the intersection of human rights law with bioethics. Underpinning and animating each of these legal texts is an implicit philosophy of human dignity and personhood. This article makes explicit the operative philosophy in each of the documents and questions whether the four texts in question evince an overarching, consistent approach to dignity and personhood. The article proceeds by distinguishing between the two broad and incompatible ways of understanding both of the core categories at issue: intrinsic and extrinsic dignity, and Boethian and Lockean personhood. An exegesis of the legal texts reveals the mutually supportive role intrinsic dignity and Boethian personhood play throughout the four documents. The exegesis highlights the implications this philosophy has for issues involving nascent human life, implications not always overtly stated in the legal texts themselves, though invariably—at a minimum—hinted at by these texts.
Strategies to Promote Cultural Competence in Distance Education
Authors: Arbour Megan , Kaspar Rita W. , Teall Alice M.
Published: August 2014

Cultural competence is a mainstay in health care and nursing education. With the expansion in the number of distance-based nursing programs across the country, innovative teaching methods for distance learning faculty are required to instill cultural competence in students. Faculty must be deliberate when planning distance-based learning activities that incorporate cultural experiences. This article describes several such strategies including the creative use of blogging, recorded lectures, the online synchronous classroom, social media, and cultural immersion projects. These methods capitalize on existing information technologies and offer distance-based students the opportunity to connect with one another, as well as develop the awareness, sensitivity, and respect that is required when providing culturally competent care. These teaching methods are modifiable to meet the teaching and learning needs of the faculty and the students, thereby allowing educators to support the integration of cultural competence into patient care for distance students.
Efficient tool for designing 2D phased arrays in lamb waves imaging of isotropic structures
Authors: Ambroziński Łukasz , Stepinski Tadeusz , Uhl Tadeusz
Published: August 2014

Ultrasonic phased arrays have a considerable application potential for structural health monitoring (SHM) of planar structures. 2D topologies are required to obtain unequivocal damage localization in these applications. Since array performance depends, among other factors, on its topology, there is a demand for robust and numerically efficient tools for arrays design. To deal with this problem we propose a method based on frequency-dependent structure transfer function that can deal with multi-modal and dispersive nature of Lamb waves as well as with the arbitrary shape of the excitation bursts. The proposed method is validated using an accurate numerical model of waves propagation. Finally, an efficient experimental method is proposed employing virtual array implemented by means of scanning laser vibrometer for sensing the Lamb waves in multiple points corresponding to the locations of the 2D array elements. In this way the performance of various array topologies can be evaluated experimentally in the reception mode without the need for a physical prototype.
White Male Privilege
Authors: Kaufmann Jodi , Wamsted John O.
Published: August 2014

White male privilege exploded in the classroom. One was terrified; the other forgot. In this article, two White bodies, one female and the other male, discuss this event in an interrupted conversation that moves between personal/local and subject/global.
Stability study of carboplatin infusion solutions in 0.9% sodium chloride in polyvinyl chloride bags
Authors: Myers Alan L , Zhang Yang-Ping , Kawedia Jitesh D , Trinh Van A , Tran Huyentran , Smith Judith A , Kramer Mark A
Published: August 2014

Background and purpose

Carboplatin is a platinum-containing compound with efficacy against various malignancies. The physico-chemical stability of carboplatin in dextrose 5% water (D5W) has been thoroughly studied; however, there is a paucity of stability data in clinically relevant 0.9% sodium chloride infusion solutions. The manufacturer’s limited stability data in sodium chloride solutions hampers the flexibility of carboplatin usage in oncology patients. Hence, the purpose of this study is to determine the physical and chemical stability of carboplatin–sodium chloride intravenous solutions under different storage conditions.

Methods

The physico-chemical stability of 0.5 mg/mL, 2.0 mg/mL, and 4.0 mg/mL carboplatin–sodium chloride solutions prepared in polyvinyl chloride bags was determined following storage at room temperature under ambient fluorescent light and under refrigeration in the dark. Concentrations of carboplatin were measured at predetermined time points up to seven days using a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography method.

Results

All tested solutions were found physically stable for at least seven days. The greatest chemical stability was observed under refrigerated storage conditions. At 4℃, all tested solutions were found chemically stable for at least seven days, with nominal losses of ≤6%. Following storage at room temperature exposed to normal fluorescent light, the chemical stability of 0.5 mg/mL, 2.0 mg/mL, and 4.0 mg/mL solutions was three days, five days, and seven days, respectively.

Conclusion

The extended physico-chemical stability of carboplatin prepared in sodium chloride reported herein permits advance preparation of these admixtures, facilitating pharmacy utility and operations. Since no antibacterial preservative is contained within these carboplatin solutions, we recommend storage, when prepared under specified aseptic conditions, no greater than 24 h at room temperature or three days under refrigeration.
Asymptotic analysis of Lennard-Jones systems beyond the nearest-neighbour setting: A one-dimensional prototypical case
Authors: Braides Andrea , Solci Margherita
Published: August 2014

We consider a one-dimensional system of Lennard-Jones nearest- and next-to-nearest-neighbour interactions. It is known that if a monotone parameterization is assumed then the limit of such a system can be interpreted as a Griffith fracture energy with an increasing condition on the jumps. In view of possible applications to a higher-dimensional setting, where an analogous parameterization does not always seem reasonable, we remove the monotonicity assumption and describe the limit as a Griffith fracture energy where the increasing condition on the jumps is removed and is substituted by an energy that accounts for changes in orientation (‘creases’). In addition, fracture may be generated by ‘macroscopic’ or ‘microscopic’ cracks.
The New Heretics
Authors: Haigh Nardia , Hoffman Andrew J.
Published: August 2014

Corporate sustainability has become mainstream; reaching into all areas of business management. Yet despite this progress, large-scale social and ecological issues continue to worsen. In this article, we examine how corporate sustainability has been enacted as a concept that supports the dominant beliefs of strategic management rather than challenging them to shift business beyond the unsustainable status quo. Against this backdrop, we consider how hybrid organizations (organizations at the interface between for-profit and nonprofit sectors that address social and ecological issues) are operating at odds with beliefs embedded in strategic management and corporate sustainability literatures. We offer six propositions that define hybrid organizations based on challenges they present to the beliefs embedded in these literatures and position them as new heretics of strategic management and corporate sustainability orthodoxy. We conclude with the implications of this heretical force for theory and suggest directions for future research.
Who Pays Attention to Indigenous Peoples in Sustainable Development and Why? Evidence From Socially Responsible Investment Mutual Funds in North America
Authors: Nikolakis William , Nelson Harry W. , Cohen David H.
Published: August 2014

Resource extraction and development have had significant impacts on Indigenous Peoples (IPs), and states have been slow to respond. The need for better engagement practices with IPs has been recognized internationally and in the academic literature. We examine the extent to which IPs and their rights are being recognized by non–state market–driven governance mechanisms meant to promote more sustainable business practices, in this case North American socially responsible investment (SRI) mutual funds. These funds are influential in defining SRI principles, and through shareholder activism they influence broader standards on corporate social responsibility and firm sustainability. Using a survey and a review of secondary internal documentation, we find that while some SRI funds do address IPs, recognition remains low. We find SRI funds that do pay attention have both more capabilities and a different investment orientation than those that do not, which we hypothesize limits broader uptake at this time.
Cognitive Testing to Identify Children With ADHD Who Do and Do Not Respond to Methylphenidate
Authors: Elliott Glen R. , Blasey Christine , Rekshan William , Rush A. John , Palmer Donna M. , Clarke Simon , Kohn Michael , Kaplan Craig , Gordon Evian
Published: August 2014

Objective: To explore the utility of cognitive measures for predicting response of children and adolescents to methylphenidate (MPH). Method: Participants from the International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment–in ADHD (iSPOT-A) completed a cognitive test battery prior to receiving 6 weeks of MPH. The responder criterion was a 25% reduction in ADHD-Rating Scale-IV scores. Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) classified non-responders from responders with maximal sensitivity and specificity. Results: Overall, 62% of participants responded to MPH. Response rates for ROC-identified groups ranged from 18% to 85%. Non-responders showed compromised cognition related to switching of attention, sustained attention, planning, and impulsivity. One group of responders were 10 years of age or older and had impaired switching of attention and impulsivity; a second group had enhanced switching of attention, normal or higher Continuous Performance Task (CPT) scores, and above average scores on digit span. Conclusion: Cognitive tests may provide a simple, low-cost tool for treatment planning for children and adolescents with ADHD.
On resilience and acceptance in the transition to palliative care at the end of life
Authors: MacArtney John I , Broom Alex , Kirby Emma , Good Phillip , Wootton Julia , Yates Patsy M , Adams Jon
Published: August 2014

Specialist palliative care is a prominent and expanding site of health service delivery, providing highly specialised care to people at the end of life. Its focus on the delivery of specialised life-enhancing care stands in contrast to biomedicine’s general tendency towards life-prolonging intervention. This philosophical departure from curative or life-prolonging care means that transitioning patients can be problematic, with recent work suggesting a wide range of potential emotional, communication and relational difficulties for patients, families and health professionals. Yet, we know little about terminally ill patients’ lived experiences of this complex transition. Here, through interviews with 40 inpatients in the last few weeks of life, we explore their embodied and relational experiences of the transition to inpatient care, including their accounts of an ethic of resilience in pre-palliative care and an ethic of acceptance as they move towards specialist palliative care. Exploring the relationship between resilience and acceptance reveals the opportunities, as well as the limitations, embedded in the normative constructs that inflect individual experience of this transition. This highlights a contradictory dynamic whereby participants’ experiences were characterised by talk of initiating change, while also acquiescing to the terminal progression of their illness.
The perception and production of language-specific mid-vowel contrasts: Shifting the focus to the bilingual individual in early language input conditions
Authors: Amengual Mark
Published: August 2014

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:

This study investigates the perception and production of the Catalan mid-vowel contrasts by 60 early Spanish-Catalan bilinguals addressing the following questions: (1) what are the effects of language dominance in the production and perception of the Catalan midvowels? (2) Does the perceptual deficit attributed in Barcelona remain in Majorca? (3) Do these bilinguals maintain the mid-vowel contrasts in production? And (4) what is the relationship between the perception and production of the mid-vowel contrasts within each bilingual individual?

Design/Methodology/Approach:

Participants completed categorical AXB discrimination and picture-naming tasks to examine their perception and production of the Catalan mid-vowel contrasts.

Data and Analysis:

The perception data consisted of 8,640 responses and the production dataset comprised 9,585 acoustic measurements that were submitted to mixed-model ANOVAs. Individual variation was explored by calculating the Euclidean distance between the mid-vowel categories for each speaker and exploring correlations with their accuracy rates in the perception task.

Findings/Conclusions:

The results indicate that mid-vowels are more susceptible to discrimination difficulties than other vowel contrasts. Even though these bilinguals overall maintain robust midvowel contrasts in their productions, a closer examination reveals that the degree of language dominance affects the acoustic distance maintained between the mid-vowel targets. Individuals that produced the mid-vowels with smaller Euclidean distances were more likely to have a higher error rate in the perception task than bilinguals who produced a more robust contrast.

Originality:

This study examines both mid-vowel contrasts in a variety of Catalan that has been reported to maintain robust mid-vowel contrasts in comparison to the acquisition deficit described in Barcelona, and explores the relationship between the production and perception abilities of each bilingual individual along a continuum of language dominance.

Significance/Implications:

This study contributes with new data to the study of language dominance and the relationship between the production and perception abilities of early and highly proficient bilinguals.
High-Frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Alleviates Spasticity After Spinal Contusion by Inhibiting Activated Microglia in Rats
Authors: Hahm Suk-Chan , Yoon Young Wook , Kim Junesun
Published: August 2014

Background. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be used as a physical therapy for spasticity, but the effects of TENS on spasticity and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Objective. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of TENS on spasticity and the role of activated microglia as underlying mechanisms of TENS treatment for spasticity in rats with a 50-mm contusive spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods. A spinal contusion was made at the T12 spinal segment in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats using the NYU impactor. Behavioral tests for motor function were conducted before and after SCI and before and after TENS application. To assess spasticity, the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) was used before and after SCI, high-frequency (HF)/low-frequency (LF) TENS application at 3 different intensities (motor threshold [MT], 50% and 90% MT) or minocycline administration. Immunohistochemistry for microglia was performed at the lumbar spinal segments. Results. Motor recovery reached a plateau approximately 28 days after SCI. Spasticity was well developed and was sustained above the MAS grade of 3, beginning at 28 days after SCI. HF-TENS at 90% MT significantly alleviated spasticity. Motor function did not show any significant changes with LF- or HF-TENS treatment. HF-TENS significantly reduced the proportion of activated microglia observed after SCI. Minocycline, the microglia inhibitor, also significantly alleviated spasticity with the reduction of activated microglia expression. Conclusions. These results suggest that HF-TENS at 90% MT alleviates spasticity in rats with SCI by inhibiting activated microglia.
Gender Differences in Health Literacy Among Korean Adults
Authors: Lee Hee Yun , Lee Jiwoo , Kim Nam Keol
Published: August 2014

The role of gender in determining the level of health literacy in Korean adults is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the level of health literacy in Korean adults and identify factors associated with health literacy by gender. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design with a convenient sample of 585 community-dwelling Korean adults age19 years and older. Health literacy was measured by using eight items selected from Chew et al.’s 16-question self-reported health literacy measure. In accordance with Andersen’s health behavior model, predisposing, enabling, and need factors were included in the multiple regression model. Women indicated a higher level of health literacy than men in understanding medical forms, directions on medication bottles, and written information offered by health care providers. Additionally, for Korean women, a higher level of health literacy was associated with attaining a higher education level and having a consistent place to receive care. Unmarried men and men who had higher self-rated health reported a higher level of health literacy compared with their counterparts. Lower level of depression and higher monthly income were significantly linked to a higher level of health literacy in both men and women. This study has established the importance of gender differences in health literacy and suggests gender-specific intervention may be warranted to reduce the existing gap in health literacy in both Korean men and women. Future research should replicate this study to confirm whether or not our finding is an international phenomenon.
The consequences of political innumeracy
Authors: Lawrence Eric D , Sides John
Published: August 2014

The prevalence of political innumeracy – or ignorance of politically relevant numbers – is well-documented. However, little is known about its consequences. We report on three original survey experiments in which respondents were randomly assigned to see correct information about the racial composition of the US population, median income and educational attainment, and the unemployment and poverty rates. Although estimates of these quantities were frequently far from the truth, providing correct information had little effect on attitudes toward relevant public policies.
Effectiveness of Electronic Cigarettes as a Tool for Smoking Cessation or Reduction
Authors: Waghel Rashi C. , Battise Dawn M. , Ducker Megan L.
Published: August 2014

Objective: To examine the evidence concerning effectiveness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in smoking cessation or reduction and reduction in desire to smoke and withdrawal symptoms. Data Sources: A PubMed literature search through May 2014 was performed using search terms electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes; smoking or tobacco; and efficacy or effectiveness limited to clinical trials in humans. Cochrane Library and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched using the term electronic cigarettes. Relevant citations from identified articles were reviewed. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language clinical trials assessing cessation, reduction in cigarette use, desire to smoke, and/or reduction in withdrawal symptoms with e-cigarettes were included. Data Synthesis: Of 7 trials, one showed similar 6-month abstinence rates between e-cigarettes and nicotine patches. Another trial reported 12.5% of participants achieving abstinence at 24 months with e-cigarettes. Three studies demonstrated significant percentages of patients maintaining ≥50% reduction in cigarettes/day from baseline to 24 or 52 weeks. Another trial showed significant reductions in cigarette use from baseline through 52 weeks with e-cigarettes; no difference in abstinence rates beyond 12 weeks was found between nicotine and placebo e-cigarettes. Only 2 trials assessed reduction in desire to smoke or withdrawal symptoms, and results varied. Conclusions: The limited evidence available supports that e-cigarettes may be effective as monotherapy for smoking cessation and reduction. However, superiority to nicotine replacement therapy was not proven. Limited conclusions can be drawn regarding reduction in desire to smoke and withdrawal symptoms. The unknown long-term safety risk should also be considered.
Swarm: A constellation to study the Earth’s magnetic field
Authors: Friis-Christensen E. , Lühr H. , Hulot G.
Published: August 2014

The Swarm mission was selected as the 5th mission in ESA’s Earth Explorer Programme in 2004. The mission will provide the best ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution that will lead to new insights into the Earth system by improving our understanding of the Earth’s interior and its effect on Geospace, the vast region around the Earth where electrodynamic processes are influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field. Scheduled for launch in 2010, the mission will comprise a constellation of three satellites, with two spacecraft flying sideby- side at lower altitude (450 km initial altitude), thereby measuring the East-West gradient of the magnetic field, and the third one flying at higher altitude (530 km). High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variation of the magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide the necessary observations that are required to separate and model the various sources of the geomagnetic field. This results in a unique “view” inside the Earth from space to study the composition and processes of its interior. It also allows analysing the Sun’s influence within the Earth system. In addition practical applications in many different areas, such as space weather, radiation hazards, navigation and resource management, will benefit from the Swarm concept.
Using a neural network to make operational forecasts of ionospheric variations and storms at Kokubunji, Japan
Authors: Nakamura Maho I. , Maruyama Takashi , Shidama Yasunari
Published: August 2014

An operational model was developed for forecasting ionospheric variations and storms at Kokubunji (35⊙N, 139⊙E), 24 hours in advance, by using a neural network. The ionospheric critical frequency (foF2) shows periodic variabilities from days to the solar cycle length and also shows sporadic changes known as ionospheric storms caused by geomagnetic storms (of solar disturbance origin). The neural network was trained for the target parameter of foF2 at each local time and input parameters of solar flux, sunspot number, day of the year, Kindex at Kakioka. The training was conducted using the data obtained for the period from 1960 to 1984. The method was validated for the period from 1985 to 2003. The trained network can be used for daily forecasting ionospheric variations including storms using prompt daily reports of K-index, sunspot number, and solar flux values available on-line.
Is the Ryukyu subduction zone in Japan coupled or decoupled? —The necessity of seafloor crustal deformation observation
Authors: Ando Masataka , Nakamura Mamoru , Matsumoto Takeshi , Furukawa Masahide , Tadokoro Keiichi , Furumoto Muneyoshi
Published: August 2014

The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of M
w 9.3 occurred in a region where a giant earthquake seemed unlikely from the point of view of tectonics. This clearly implies that our current understanding of strain accumulation processes of large earthquakes at subduction zones needs to be reexamined. The Ryukyu subduction zone is one such zone since no large earthquake has been anticipated there for reasons similar those pertaining to the Sumatra-Andaman arc. Based on our analysis of historical earthquakes, plate motion, back-arc spreading, and GPS observation along the Ryukyu trench, we highly recommend monitoring seafloor crustal deformation along this trench to clarify whether a large earthquake (M
w>8) could potentially occur there in the future.
Riding the saddle point: asymptotics of the capacity-achieving simple decoder for bias-based traitor tracing
Authors: Ibrahimi Sarah , Škorić Boris , Oosterwijk Jan-Jaap
Published: August 2014

We study the asymptotic-capacity-achieving score function that was recently proposed by Oosterwijk et al. for bias-based traitor tracing codes. For the bias function, we choose the Dirichlet distribution with a cutoff. Using Bernstein’s inequality and Bennett’s inequality, we upper bound the false-positive and false-negative error probabilities. From these bounds we derive sufficient conditions for the scheme parameters. We solve these conditions in the limit of large coalition size c
0 and obtain asymptotic solutions for the cutoff, the sufficient code length, and the corresponding accusation threshold. We find that the code length converges to its asymptote approximately as

c

0

−
1
/
2

, which is faster than the

c

0

−
1
/
3

of Tardos’ score function.

MSC

94B60
Assessment of the Clinical Efficiency of Combined Antihypertensive Therapy in the Patients with Cronic Glomerulonephritis and Hypertension
Authors: Головко  , Golovko T. , Бабкин  , Babkin Andrey , Романова  , Romanova M.
Published: August 2014

38 patients (avg. age 49.0 ± 0.89) with chronic glomerulonephritis and arterial hypertension were examined. Diagnosis of chronic glomerulonephritis was verified by means of kidney biopsy. The patients were divided into 2 groups (19 patients in each group) comparable in terms of age, sex, duration of disease. Patients of the first group received a fixed combination of 2 drugs, the Perindopril in the dose of 5 mg and the Indapamide in the dose of 1.25 mg (Noliprel A Forte), patients of the second group – on free combination of the Valsartan 160 mg and the Indapamide SR 1.5 mg for 2 months. The use of drugs was prescribed for 2 months. 24-hour blood pressure monitoring was carried out in all patients using the device ABPM 04 (Hungary) according to conventional method. Renal function was assessed by creatinine clearance (Cockcroft-Gault) and glomerular filtration rate (MDRD). Both соmbinations of the drugs have sufficient antihypertensive effect – in the group of patients treated with the Noliprel A avg. SBP decreased from 164,45±3,1 to 136,0±2,2 mm Hg (p<0,01), avg. DBP – from 99,2±2,4 to 81,4±2,1 mm Hg (p<0,01); in the Valsartan group – from 161,05±2,30 to 145.90±2,07 mmHg (p<0,01) and from 101,35 ± 1,49 to 87,50±1.07mm Hg (p<0.01), respectively. Patients with adverse circadian blood pressure profiles predominated (30 (78.9%), these patients were classified as non-dipper, 8 (21.1%) – as dipper). After 2 months of therapy with the Noliprel, the number of dipper increased to 13 (68.4%) patients; in the group treated with the Valsartan and the Indapamide – to 8 (42.1%). The results of the Noliprel A Forte therapy allowed to reveal a statistically significant improvement of the functional state of the kidneys: creatinine clearance calculated according to the formula of Cockroft-Gault increased by 7.2±0,36 ml/min, GFR (MDRD formula) increased by 6.1±ml/min/1.73 m2. The Noliprel A Forte and combined therapy with the Valsartana and the Indapamide have similar antihypertensive effect. However, in patients of the group of the Noliprel A Forte often normalization circadian profile HELL was noted. The Noliprel A Forte has a significant positive influence on the functional state of the kidneys.
Loss of Blast Heterogeneity in Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Other Chronic Myeloid Neoplasms
Authors: Jevremovic Dragan , Timm Michael M. , Reichard Kaaren K. , Morice William G. , Hanson Curtis A. , Viswanatha David S. , Howard Matthew T. , Nguyen Phuong L.
Published: August 2014

Objectives:

Flow cytometry immunophenotyping has been suggested as an adjunctive technique in the evaluation of myeloid malignancies, especially in the myelodysplastic syndromes. However, its use has been limited due to complexity and cost restraints. The goal of this study is to attempt a simpler approach to flow cytometry immunophenotyping in myeloid neoplasms.

Methods:

We analyzed bone marrow specimens of 45 selected patients and an additional 99 consecutive random patients using a limited antibody panel.

Results:

Normal CD34-positive blasts show a characteristic pattern of CD13/HLA-DR expression, with three readily identifiable subpopulations. In contrast, myeloid neoplasms frequently show loss of this heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

Analysis of a limited antibody panel with a focus on CD13/HLA-DR expression provides relatively high specificity and sensitivity for the detection of myeloid neoplasms.
Product Customization via Starting Solutions
Authors: Hildebrand Christian , Häubl Gerald , Herrmann Andreas
Published: August 2014

Customizing a product by choosing each of its attributes individually tends to be onerous for consumers, and the benefits of product customization may thus be offset by an increase in choice complexity. As a remedy for this dilemma, the current research introduces the customization via starting solutions (CvSS) architecture, which substantially reduces the complexity of product customization while preserving all of its advantages. Under CvSS, consumers first select one starting solution from a set of prespecified products, which they then refine to create their final customized product. Evidence from nine studies (three of which were conducted in field settings) across a wide range of product domains (shirts, cars, vacation packages, jewelry, and financial products) shows that the CvSS architecture results in substantial benefits relative to the standard attribute-by-attribute product customization format for both consumers (increased satisfaction with their product choices, reduced choice complexity, and enhanced mental simulation of product use) and firms (purchases of more feature-rich, and thus higher-priced, products).
Prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of Uhl anomaly
Authors: Uozumi Tomonobu , Fujita Yasuyuki , Tsukimori Kiyomi , Fusazaki Naoki , Nakano Toshihide , Kado Hideaki , Chinen Yukiko , Kamitomo Masato , Nishibatake Makoto , Kato Kiyoko
Published: August 2014

Uhl anomaly is an extremely rare condition, and herein, we present a case of prenatally diagnosed Uhl anomaly to illustrate the associated echocardiographic features. Fetal echocardiography at 26 weeks indicated an enlarged right ventricle, severe tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation, and ruptured ventricular septal aneurysm, resulting in a circular shunt. At 36 weeks, based on the presence of a thin ventricular wall and absence of apical trabeculation, a diagnosis of Uhl anomaly was made. The neonate, delivered by cesarean section, underwent main pulmonary artery ligation to eliminate the circular shunt immediately after birth. Moreover, he underwent ductus arteriosus ligation and received a pulmonary artery to aorta shunt for progressive lung congestion. He is currently well and awaiting a staged Fontan operation involving a bidirectional Glenn procedure. Understanding and accurate prenatal diagnoses of Uhl anomaly may help in parental counseling, planning appropriate perinatal care, and increasing the chances of survival.
AN UNNOTICED TESTIMONIUM TO THE HESIODIC MELAMPODIA? PSI 14. 1398 AND [HESIOD] MELAMPODIA FR. 276 M-W (= 212 MOST)
Authors: Vergados Athanassios
Published: August 2014

In this paper I propose to link [Hesiod] fr. 276 M.-W. (= 212 Most; from the Melampodia) with the mythological narrative preserved on PSI 14. 1398, which relates the death of Teiresias. This narrative belong to a work that drew on the lost Melampodia (or a summary of it) and provides information regarding this Hesiodic poem that had hitherto escaped our notice. Regarding the type of text preserved on PSI 14. 1398, the scanty remnants of the papyrus’ second column, where we read traces of what appears to be κeuqein and dendroκomov, both poetic words, suggest that it must have been a prose text quoting poetry. Possibilities include (i) a text on the history of divination, such as Philochorus peri mantiκnv, which offered a historical overview of famous exponents of the mantic art and included poetic quotations, or alternatively (ii) a text that belongs to the commentary genre broadly conceived, perhaps even a text akin to the so-called ‘Homeric anthologies’.
TOANTE E IL CORO: NOTA A EUR. IT 1490–1
Authors: Catrambone Marco
Published: August 2014

The final words of Euripides’ Iphigenia in Tauris are vexed by several difficulties concerning the distribution of lines to speakers. In IT 1490-1, the problem affects the general interpretation of the ending, which seems to suggest clearly that the Chorus survives and returns to Greece. If 1490-1 are delivered by the Chorus, as Seidler suggests, it is to be assumed that the Greek women are not allowed to go back home with Iphigenia, Orestes and Pylades: this explicit does not square with the evidence of the drama as a whole. The restoration of L’s attribution of the lines to Athena (Kovacs) would fit well with the ultimate destiny of the Chorus, yet it raises the problem of admitting an unparalleled metrical transition from trimeters to anapaests by the same speaker; moreover, it creates an awkward repetition and reduplication of the content of 1487-9. The attribution to Thoas, who is in any case unable to leave until 1489, solves the problem and gives a better sense to 1490-1: Thoas is here urging the Chorus to leave the stage and sail towards Greece, trusting Athena’s recent deliberations. The mistake of attribution in L may reflect an original distribution in which changes of speaker were marked at 1486 (or 1487), 1490 and 1492.
Automated diagnosis of autism: in search of a mathematical marker
Authors: Bhat Shreya , Acharya U. Rajendra , Adeli Hojjat , Bairy G. Muralidhar , Adeli Amir
Published: August 2014

Autism is a type of neurodevelopmental disorder affecting the memory, behavior, emotion, learning ability, and communication of an individual. An early detection of the abnormality, due to irregular processing in the brain, can be achieved using electroencephalograms (EEG). The variations in the EEG signals cannot be deciphered by mere visual inspection. Computer-aided diagnostic tools can be used to recognize the subtle and invisible information present in the irregular EEG pattern and diagnose autism. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of automated EEG-based diagnosis of autism. Various time domain, frequency domain, time-frequency domain, and nonlinear dynamics for the analysis of autistic EEG signals are described briefly. A focus of the review is the use of nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory to discover the mathematical biomarkers for the diagnosis of the autism analogous to biological markers. A combination of the time-frequency and nonlinear dynamic analysis is the most effective approach to characterize the nonstationary and chaotic physiological signals for the automated EEG-based diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The features extracted using these nonlinear methods can be used as mathematical markers to detect the early stage of autism and aid the clinicians in their diagnosis. This will expedite the administration of appropriate therapies to treat the disorder.
Controlling Cyberspace in Malaysia
Authors: Yangyue Liu
Published: August 2014

This paper examines how Internet control strategy in Malaysia was shaped by particular forms of online political contention and by a well-coordinated online civil society. It also traces the shift of this strategy to more covert means in the 2011 Sarawak State election.