bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fissure Integrity and Volume Reduction in Emphysema: A Retrospective Study
Authors: de Oliveira Hugo Goulart , de Oliveira Silvia Martins , Rambo Rafael Ramos , de Macedo Neto Amarilio Vieira
Published: May 2016

Background: One-way endobronchial valves (EBVs) relieve symptoms of emphysema, particularly in patients without collateral ventilation between the target and adjacent lobes. Pretreatment knowledge of fissure integrity could serve as an aid in indicating EBV interventions. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between software-measured lung fissure integrity and clinically relevant lung volume reduction (≥350 ml) in emphysema patients treated with one-way EBVs using a lobar exclusion strategy. Methods: Of 108 patients treated between March 2008 and July 2014, 38 had both baseline and follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans acquired following a specific protocol for quantitative CT analysis and were included in the study (total of 39 treatments, two lungs treated in 1 patient). Outcome measures were fissure integrity measured on baseline CT scans, difference between pre- and postoperative lung volume (considering the lowest measured postoperative volume), and correlation between fissure integrity and volume change. Results: Fissure integrity ≥75% correlated with volume reduction ≥350 ml (Spearman coefficient: -0.65; p < 0.01). The mean and median volume reductions were 1,223.96 ± 907.5 ml and 663 ml, respectively, for lungs with fissure integrity ≥75% (n = 31). The accuracy of fissure integrity ≥75% in predicting a volume reduction was 87.2%. The positive predictive value of fissure integrity ≥75% to predict a volume reduction ≥350 ml was 83.9%, and it was 70% for fissure integrity 75-90% and 90.5% for fissure integrity >90%. Conclusions: A target lobe volume reduction using EBVs is possible with lung fissure integrity ≥75%. For patients with fissure integrity between 75 and 90%, a further evaluation of interlobar ventilation should be performed. A clinically relevant volume reduction following treatment with EBVs is likely with any level of fissure integrity >90%.
Spinal Cord Compression Secondary to Extramedullary Hematopoiesis: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Wang Arthur , Carberry Nathan , Solli Elena , Gillick John , Islam Humayun , Hillard Virany
Published: May 2016

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is a rare cause of spinal cord compression (SCC). EMH represents the growth of blood cells outside of the bone marrow and occurs in a variety of hematologic illnesses, including various types of anemia and myeloproliferative disorders. Although EMH usually occurs in the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, it may also occur within the spinal canal. When this occurs, the mass effect can compress the spinal cord, potentially leading to the development of neurological deficits. We present a case of SCC secondary to EMH. This report illustrates the importance of considering EMH in the differential diagnosis of SCC, even in the absence of signs of its most common etiologies.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Prophylactic Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy at Ostomy Closure for the Prevention of Delayed Wound Healing and Surgical Site Infection in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Uchino Motoi , Hirose Kei , Bando Toshihiro , Chohno Teruhiro , Takesue Yoshio , Ikeuchi Hiroki
Published: May 2016

Background/Aims: Although negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is likely advantageous for wound healing, the efficacy and safety of its prophylactic use remain unclear for digestive surgery. We performed a prospective randomized controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this procedure during ileostomy closure. Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized study between November 2014 and September 2015. Patients with ulcerative colitis scheduled to undergo ileostomy closure with purse-string suture (PSS) were randomly divided into groups with or without NPWT. The primary endpoint was complete wound healing. The secondary endpoints were incidences of wound complications. Results: A total of 31 patients with PSS alone and 28 patients with PSS + NPWT were enrolled. Wound infection was observed in 1 patient in the PSS-alone condition and 3 patients in the PSS + NPWT condition (p = 0.76). The mean duration of complete wound healing was 37.6 ± 11.7 days in the PSS-alone condition and 33.5 ± 10.0 days in the PSS + NPWT condition (p = 0.18). Conclusion: Although no adverse effects were observed in this series, the efficacy of PSS + NPWT was not confirmed. Further clarification of the indication of prophylactic NPWT and its efficacy must be obtained, and the efficacy and safety of NPWT in different dirty/infected surgeries should be evaluated.
The Unrestricted Black-Box Complexity of Jump Functions
Authors: Buzdalov Maxim , Doerr Benjamin , Kever Mikhail
Published: May 2016

We analyze the unrestricted black-box complexity of the Jump function classes for different jump sizes. For upper bounds, we present three algorithms for small, medium, and extreme jump sizes. We prove a matrix lower bound theorem which is capable of giving better lower bounds than the classic information theory approach. Using this theorem, we prove lower bounds that almost match the upper bounds. For the case of extreme jump functions, which apart from the optimum reveal only the middle fitness value(s), we use an additional lower bound argument to show that any black-box algorithm does not gain significant insight about the problem instance from the first [Formula: see text] fitness evaluations. This, together with our upper bound, shows that the black-box complexity of extreme jump functions is [Formula: see text].
Eye Gaze Behavior at Turn Transition: How Aphasic Patients Process Speakers' Turns during Video Observation
Authors: Preisig Basil C. , Eggenberger Noëmi , Zito Giuseppe , Vanbellingen Tim , Schumacher Rahel , Hopfner Simone , Gutbrod Klemens , Nyffeler Thomas , Cazzoli Dario , Annoni Jean-Marie , Bohlhalter Stephan , Müri René M.
Published: May 2016

The human turn-taking system regulates the smooth and precise exchange of speaking turns during face-to-face interaction. Recent studies investigated the processing of ongoing turns during conversation by measuring the eye movements of noninvolved observers. The findings suggest that humans shift their gaze in anticipation to the next speaker before the start of the next turn. Moreover, there is evidence that the ability to timely detect turn transitions mainly relies on the lexico-syntactic content provided by the conversation. Consequently, patients with aphasia, who often experience deficits in both semantic and syntactic processing, might encounter difficulties to detect and timely shift their gaze at turn transitions. To test this assumption, we presented video vignettes of natural conversations to aphasic patients and healthy controls, while their eye movements were measured. The frequency and latency of event-related gaze shifts, with respect to the end of the current turn in the videos, were compared between the two groups. Our results suggest that, compared with healthy controls, aphasic patients have a reduced probability to shift their gaze at turn transitions but do not show significantly increased gaze shift latencies. In healthy controls, but not in aphasic patients, the probability to shift the gaze at turn transition was increased when the video content of the current turn had a higher lexico-syntactic complexity. Furthermore, the results from voxel-based lesion symptom mapping indicate that the association between lexico-syntactic complexity and gaze shift latency in aphasic patients is predicted by brain lesions located in the posterior branch of the left arcuate fasciculus. Higher lexico-syntactic processing demands seem to lead to a reduced gaze shift probability in aphasic patients. This finding may represent missed opportunities for patients to place their contributions during everyday conversation.
Voluntary Saccadic Eye Movements Ride the Attentional Rhythm
Authors: Hogendoorn Hinze
Published: May 2016

Visual perception seems continuous, but recent evidence suggests that the underlying perceptual mechanisms are in fact periodic—particularly visual attention. Because visual attention is closely linked to the preparation of saccadic eye movements, the question arises how periodic attentional processes interact with the preparation and execution of voluntary saccades. In two experiments, human observers made voluntary saccades between two placeholders, monitoring each one for the presentation of a threshold-level target. Detection performance was evaluated as a function of latency with respect to saccade landing. The time course of detection performance revealed oscillations at around 4 Hz both before the saccade at the saccade origin and after the saccade at the saccade destination. Furthermore, oscillations before and after the saccade were in phase, meaning that the saccade did not disrupt or reset the ongoing attentional rhythm. Instead, it seems that voluntary saccades are executed as part of an ongoing attentional rhythm, with the eyes in flight during the troughs of the attentional wave. This finding for the first time demonstrates that periodic attentional mechanisms affect not only perception but also overt motor behavior.
An aberrant specimen of the genus Laomedia De Haan, 1841, with an additional description of Laomedia astacina De Haan, 1841 and a new genus, Heteroaxianassa (Decapoda, Thalassinidea, Laomediidae)
Authors: Sakai Katsushi
Published: May 2016

The genusLaomediaDe Haan, 1841 of the family Laomediidae Borradaile, 1903 includes four known species,L. astacinaDe Haan, 1841,L. healyiYaldwyn & Wear, 1970,L. paucispinosaNgoc-Ho, 1997, andL. barronensisNgoc-Ho & Yaldwyn, 1997. Herein, a fifth, possibly new species is described that, because of the lack of undamaged, adult specimens and the absence of locality data, is designated provisionally asLaomediasp. A. Furthermore, an extended description ofLaomedia astacinais provided, based on new material from Japan and also a newly revised key to the species of the genusLaomediais presented. In addition, a new genus,Heteroaxianassagen. nov., is proposed.
Redescription of a subterranean amphipod, Eocrangonyx japonicus (Peracarida, Amphipoda, Pseudocrangonyctidae) from Japan
Authors: Tomikawa Ko , Shinoda Sazuki
Published: May 2016

Eocrangonyx japonicus (Uéno, 1930), a poorly known subterranean amphipod, is described and illustrated in detail based on a newly obtained specimen from a spring at Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan. The generic assignment and newly found diagnostic features of E. japonicus are discussed. A key to all the species of Eocrangonyx is provided.
Accumulation of metals in zooplankton from karst plateau reservoirs with different eutrophic status in Guizhou Province, P. R. China
Authors: Long Sheng Xing , Yang Yang , Xia Ping Hua , Chen Chuan , Liu Zhi Wei , Ma Jian Rong , Dong Xian , He Tian Rogn , Yun Guo
Published: May 2016

Metal concentrations in large zooplankton from three karst reservoirs with different eutrophic status (Hongfeng Lake reservoir, Baihua Lake reservoir, and Aha reservoir) in Guizhou Province, China, were investigated. Samples of zooplankton were collected in 2014 and 2015. It was found that accumulation of metals in zooplankton was significantly correlated with Chl-a (chlorophyll a), which can be attributed to the characteristic distribution of species of phytoplankton. A low concentration of metals in water means a higher bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and a stronger transfer to zooplankton via the trophic chain, and hence a higher ecological risk. Zooplankton in the eutrophic Aha reservoir had lower concentrations of Fe (mean 1264.25 mg/kg) than in Hongfeng (mean 2566.07 mg/kg) and Baihua (2246.87 mg/kg) in 2014-2015, because of high TP (Total Phosphorus) concentration, which has an affinity with suspended particles matter. A high level of Cd (mean 0.62 mg/kg) was found in Hongfeng. This study shows that zooplankton in the eutrophic Aha reservoir had higher concentrations of metals (Mn, mean 590.47 mg/kg; Pb, mean 7.6 mg/kg; Cr, mean 26.31 mg/kg; Ni, mean 8.54 mg/kg; Zn, mean 225.73 mg/kg; and Cu, mean 238.33 mg/kg) than in the mesotrophic Hongfeng and Baihua reservoirs. Thus, the eutrophic status was significantly, positively correlated with high concentrations of metals in the zooplankton, as also observed in other reservoir studies.
A new species of the genus Polycheria (Peracarida, Amphipoda, Dexaminidae) from South Korea
Authors: Jung Tae Won , Yi Chang Ho , Yoon Seong Myeong
Published: May 2016

Polycheria acercaudasp. nov., an amphipod symbiotic with sponges and ascidians in Korean waters, is established herein as a new species, along with a detailed description and illustrations. This new species is closely related to the following three known species of the genus from the Far East:Polycheria amakusaensisHirayama, 1984,P. japonicaBulycheva, 1952, andP. orientalisHirayama, 1984. However,Polycheria acercaudasp. nov. can be distinguished from the other congeners by the following combination of characteristics: (1) on antenna 2, the anterior margin of peduncular article 4 is pubescent; (2) on gnathopod 2, the palm is clearly distinct; (3) on uropod 3, the inner ramus is lined with plumose setae; and (4) on the telson, the apices are acute. This is the first report of the genusPolycheriaHaswell, 1879 belonging to the family Dexaminidae Leach, 1814 from Korean waters.
Towards the Functional Equilibrium: The Choice Based on the Reality of China
Authors: Wang Xixue
Published: May 2016

As the bridge between the government and the society, Chinese political social associations are faced with the problem of repositioning and system reconstruction in the period of comprehensive social transformation. In her book Between State and Society: Research on Functions of Political Social Associations in China, Prof. Chu Songyan studied the eight major people’s organizations and analyzes the legitimacy and functions of Chinese political social associations using a function-legitimacy framework. In light of the state of Chinese political social associations – their legitimacy of system is enhanced, their legitimacy of value impacted, their social legitimacy challenged, and their social functions overwhelmed by political ones, the author, considering the reality of China, national development strategies and the trends of times, proposed a path of transformation for Chinese political social associations which stresses the balanced development of their functions. The value of this book lies in its distinct definition and classification of Chinese political social associations, its comprehensive analysis of their functions, and its theory of a path for transformation which stresses the balanced development of their functions.
Review of subgenus Daphaenisca Kiriakoff, 1953 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae:
Arctiinae: Synthomini: Thyretina), with identification keys, and description of three new species
Authors: DURANTE ANTONIO , ZANGRILLI MARIA PAOLA
Published: May 2016

We reviewed the subgenus Daphaenisca Kiriakoff, 1953 created for the single species Pseudapiconoma daphaena Hampson, 1898, in order to separate it from the other species included in the genus Pseudapiconoma Aurivillius, 1881. However, Kiriakoff’s diagnosis was entirely based on the differences in the shape of the uncus among the subgenera Daphaenisca, Pseudapiconoma and Balacra Hampson, 1914. This study provides new, more accurate descriptions of the group, taking into account the differential characters and possible synapomorphies within the subgenus Daphaenisca. Our findings are supported by three new species recently discovered in Gabon and Ghana, belonging to the subgenus Daphaenisca: Balacra (Daphaenisca) inexpectata sp. n.; Balacra (Daphaenisca) magnoloi sp. n.; Balacra (Daphaenisca) flava sp. n.
New morphological information on Simulium wygodzinskyorum Coscarón & Py-Daniel, 1989 (Diptera: Simuliidae)
Authors: NASCIMENTO JEANE MARCELLE CAVALCANTE DO , HAMADA NEUSA , HUAMANTINCO-ARAUJO ANA A.
Published: May 2016

Simulium wygodzinskyorum Coscarón & Py-Daniel was originally described based on a small number of specimens collected in Junín Province, Peru. We sampled in the same province as the type locality of this species, collecting last-instar larvae and pupae. Since the original larval description of this species was based on a single immature individual, our objective is to provide a last-instar larval description and also to provide additional morphological information on the pupa and male genitalia of this species. Some morphological characteristics not reported before for this species, such as, dorsal tubercles on larval abdominal segments, are described. Abdominal chaetotaxy of pupae is revised and the male ventral plate is fully illustrated, also it is discussed the importance of standardizing the position in which the ventral plate is illustrated. This species was collected in a stream with 2–8 m in width, exposed to sunlight with rocks of different sizes, in low density.
Three new species of the ant-mimetic plant bug genus Pilophorus from Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae: Phylinae: Pilophorini)
Authors: YASUNAGA TOMOHIDE , DUWAL RAM KESHARI
Published: May 2016

Three new species of the ant-mimetic plant bug genus Pilophorus Hahn, P. maeharai, P. nakatanii and P. tagoi, are described from Japan, with information on their host associations. The genus is briefly diagnosed and discussed, including P. typicus (Distant) which is assumed to have two genotypes based on mitochondrial sequence data. The generic placement of P. tagoi, at first sight reminiscent of a certain member of Pherolepis Kulik, is also proven definitely. A checklist of all currently known species of Pilophorus in Japan is provided, with compiled distribution and host records.
The gastrointestinal helminths of Rattus niobe (Rodentia: Muridae) with descriptions of two new genera and three new species (Nematoda) from Papua New Guinea and Papua Indonesia
Authors: SMALES L. R.
Published: May 2016

Cestodes, to be identified elsewhere, the acanthocephalan Moniliformis moniliformis and 15 species of nematode including 2 new genera, a new species and 2 putative new species from the families Heligmonellidae and Oxyuridae, as well as juveniles and a putative heligmonellid that could not be fully identified, were collected from the digestive tracts of 34 Rattus niobe (Muridae: Murinae: Rattini) from Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The ascaridid, Toxocara mackerrasae, the chabertiid Cyclodontostomum purvisi, the heterakid Heterakis sp., the spirurids Protospirura kaindiensis and P. muricola the subulurid Subulura andersoni and the trichurids Eucoleus sp. and Trichuris muris have been reported previously from endemic Rattus spp. Syphacia (Syphacia) niobe n. sp. was distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters including a round cephalic plate, the lack of cervical and lateral alae, a longer male tail and an attenuated female tail. Nugininema titokis n. gen., n. sp. differs from all other genera in the Heligmonellidae in the characters of the synlophe, 10–17 ridges orientated subfrontally at mid body and 2 right ventral ridges hypertrophied anteriorly. Rodentanema aenigma n. gen., n. sp. differs from all other genera in the Heligmonellidae in the characters of the synlophe 6–7 ridges at mid body not symmetrical in relation to frontal axis. Species richness of the nematode assemblage was similar to that reported for Rattus leucopus in Papua New Guinea, with about 90% of possible species found as indicated by bootstrap analysis. Species composition included 6 species unique to R. niobe and 7 species reported from at least one other species of Rattus indigenous to New Guinea, as well as juvenile worms, probably ascaridids.
Description of the female terminalia of twelve species of Proconiini and a key to genera from Argentina (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)
Authors: DELLAPÉ GIMENA
Published: May 2016

The female terminalia of 12 sharpshooter species are described and illustrated: Aulacizes basalis, A. conspersa, A. insistans, A. obsoleta, A. quadripunctata, Cicciana latreillei, Pseudometopia amblardii, Stictoscarta sulcicollis, Tretogonia bergi, T. cribata, T. dentalis, and T. notatifrons. A key to the identification of the Argentinean Proconiini genera including male and female characters is provided.
A new genus in the family Flatidae with one new combination and three new species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha)
Authors: PENG LINGFEI , FLETCHER MURRAY , ZHANG YALIN
Published: May 2016

Herbiflata gen. nov., the second genus in the tribe Nephesini from China, is erected with Hilavrita xizangensis Chou et Lu, 1981 as its type species—Herbiflata xizangensis (Chou et Lu, 1981) comb. nov. This new genus resembles Hilavrita Distant, 1906 but can be differentiated by the following characters: vertex obtusely pointed; tegmen not spotted, with orange margin; apical angle of tegmen broadly rounded; Vein ScP+R arising from one stem. Three new species, H. chromata sp. nov., H. sacra sp. nov. and H. saxeta sp. nov., are described and illustrated. A key to four species in this genus is provided.
On the Role of the African Topography in the South Asian Monsoon
Authors: Wei Ho-Hsuan , Bordoni Simona
Published: May 2016

The Somali jet, a strong low-level cross-equatorial flow concentrated in a narrow longitudinal band near the coast of Somalia, is a key feature of the South Asian monsoon (SAM) circulation. Previous work has emphasized the role of the East African highlands in strengthening and concentrating the jet. However, the fundamental dynamics of the jet remains debated, as does its relation to the SAM precipitation. In this study, numerical experiments with modified topography over Africa are conducted with the GFDL atmospheric model, version 2.1 (AM2.1), general circulation model (GCM) to examine the influence of topography on the Somali jet and the SAM precipitation. It is found that when the African topography is removed, the SAM precipitation moderately increases in spite of a weakening of the cross-equatorial Somali jet. The counterintuitive precipitation increase is related to lower-level cyclonic wind anomalies, and associated meridional moisture convergence, which develop over the Arabian Sea in the absence of the African topography. Potential vorticity (PV) budget analyses along particle trajectories show that this cyclonic anomaly primarily arises because, in the absence of the blocking effect by the African topography and with weaker cross-equatorial flow, air particles originate from higher latitudes with larger background planetary vorticity and thus larger PV.
Intraseasonal Variability of the Surface Zonal Currents in the Western Tropical Pacific Ocean: Characteristics and Mechanisms
Authors: Wang Fan , Li Yuanlong , Wang Jianing
Published: May 2016

The surface circulation of the tropical Pacific Ocean is characterized by alternating zonal currents, such as the North Equatorial Current (NEC), North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC), South Equatorial Current (SEC), and South Equatorial Countercurrent (SECC). In situ measurements of subsurface moorings and satellite observations reveal pronounced intraseasonal variability (ISV; 20–90 days) of these zonal currents in the western tropical Pacific Ocean (WTPO). The amplitude of ISV is the largest within the equatorial band exceeding 20 cm s−1 and decreases to ~10 cm s−1 in the NECC band and further to 4–8 cm s−1 in the NEC and SECC. The ISV power generally increases from high frequencies to low frequencies and exhibits a peak at 50–60 days in the NECC, SEC, and SECC. These variations are faithfully reproduced by an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) forced by satellite winds, and parallel model experiments are performed to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms. It is found that large-scale ISV (>500 km) is primarily caused by atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs), such as the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), through wind stress forcing. These signals are confined within 10°S–8°N, mainly as baroclinic ocean wave responses to ISO winds. For scales shorter than 200 km, ISV is dominated by ocean internal variabilities with mesoscale structures. They arise from the baroclinic and barotropic instabilities associated with the vertical and horizontal shears of the upper-ocean circulation. The ISV exhibits evident seasonal variation, with larger (smaller) amplitude in boreal winter (summer) in the SEC and SECC.
Bringing Sanctuary to School: Assessing School Climate as a Foundation for Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Approaches for Urban Schools
Authors: Blitz Lisa V. , Yull Denise , Clauhs Matthew
Published: May 2016

Decades of federal economic policies that have concentrated poverty into isolated communities have devastated urban education, and expose youth and families to high stress and trauma. Disproportionately negative outcomes for students of color and those who are economically disadvantaged can be understood as manifestations of negative racial school climate and inadequate responsiveness to students’ trauma. As part of a school–university partnership to inform culturally responsive trauma-informed pedagogy, this study assessed the climate of a racially diverse high-poverty elementary school. Findings explored the application of the trauma-informed Sanctuary Model to address students’ trauma and a social justice response for urban education.
Belongingness and Pedagogy
Authors: Booker Keonya C. , Lim Jae Hoon
Published: May 2016

In the present study, school belongingness was explored in the context of a mathematics classroom over the course of one academic year. In-depth interviews with eight African American middle school students and their three White teachers were conducted at two time periods. This phenomenological qualitative investigation of African American middle school girls revealed two primary themes of personal connection with their teachers and authentic pedagogy. As practitioners and researchers continue to examine the factors related to African American student achievement, empirical research should highlight the importance of teacher warmth and instructional relevance in the experiences of students of color in middle grades and secondary mathematics classes.
Women, Peace and Security: Exploring the implementation and integration of UNSCR 1325
Authors: George Nicole , Shepherd Laura J
Published: May 2016

This special issue brings together articles that examine how the localisation and implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda occurs in policy and practice. In this introduction, we examine the increasing importance of the Women, Peace and Security policy framework in global politics and the inevitable tensions that surround calls for greater local-level institutional implementation. Drawing on findings from the United Nations 2015 Global Study on Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, we consider the evolving nature of Women, Peace and Security policy and advocacy. We look at what is required to develop policy provisions on this agenda which are considered locally meaningful and ‘useful’ in distinct policy contexts.
NATO’S adoption of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security: Making the agenda a reality
Authors: Wright Katharine AM
Published: May 2016

International security institutions play a pivotal role in the realisation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda through their adoption and implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. This article examines NATO’s adoption of UNSCR 1325, drawing upon Cynthia Enloe’s conception of NATO as a ‘teaching machine’ disseminating lessons on gender. In doing so, it finds UNSCR 1325 has been understood to be of ‘added-value’ to the Alliance in two respects: first, to support NATO’s long-established agenda to increase the representation of women in NATO forces; second, as a tool to increase operational effectiveness. I find that NATO’s adoption of UNSCR 1325 emerged as part of a counter discourse. The fact that this counter discourse was put forward by partner states challenges dominant understandings of the direction of policy dissemination within NATO. This case provides salient lessons on the opportunities for – and hindrances to – change through the pursuit of a feminist agenda within an international security institution.
Categorization and Prediction of Crimes of Passion Based on Attitudes Toward Violence
Authors: Guan Muzhen , Li Xiaojing , Xiao Wei , Miao Danmin , Liu Xufeng
Published: May 2016

The present study explored implicit and explicit attitudes toward violence in crimes of passion. Criminals ( n = 96) who had perpetrated crimes of passion and students ( n = 100) participated in this study. Explicit attitudes toward violence were evaluated using the Abnormal Personality Risk Inventory (APRI), and implicit attitude toward violence was evaluated using the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Results indicated that APRI scores of the perpetrators were significantly higher than that of the control group ( p < .05), suggesting that explicit attitudes toward violence could discriminate between the criminals and the control group. There was a significant IAT effect demonstrating a negative implicit attitude toward violence in both the control group and in the criminals ( n = 68); whereas there was a significant IAT effect manifesting a positive implicit attitude toward violence in the criminals ( n = 16) only. These results suggest that combining explicit and implicit attitudes could provide an empirical classification of crimes of passion.
Whose Hills? Whose Plains? The Politics of Border
Authors: Thakur Raj Kumar
Published: May 2016

Are hills meant for Nagas and plains for Assamese? How and when did the idea of hills and plains as isolated and separated terrain get solidified? Drawing references from the tour diaries and reports of the colonial officials, this article attempts to deconstruct the binary of ‘hills’ and ‘plains’ by emphasising on networks of communication and citing instances of trade and commerce between the dwellers of hills and plains. It draws a trajectory of the policies of the colonial and post-colonial governments, which began drawing lines between people and regulated their mobility. The sedentarisation attempted by the state, finally culminated as the border. The article is therefore an attempt in understanding the politics of border which hints towards two directions: impossibility of writing history and the continuous ‘unmaking’ of the nation.
How Should Discrepancy Be Assessed in Perfectionism Research? A Psychometric Analysis and Proposed Refinement of the Almost Perfect Scale–Revised
Authors: Flett Gordon L. , Mara Constance A. , Hewitt Paul L. , Sirois Fuschia , Molnar Danielle S.
Published: May 2016

Research on perfectionism with the Almost Perfect Scale–Revised (APS-R) distinguishes adaptive perfectionists versus maladaptive perfectionists based primarily on their responses to the 12-item unidimensional APS-R Discrepancy subscale, which assesses the sense of falling short of standards. People described as adaptive perfectionists have high standards but low levels of discrepancy (i.e., relatively close to attaining these standards). Maladaptive perfectionists have perfectionistic high standards and high levels of discrepancy. In the current work, we re-examine the psychometric properties of the APS-R Discrepancy subscale and illustrate that this supposedly unidimensional discrepancy measure may actually consists of more than one factor. Psychometric analyses of data from student and community samples distinguished a pure five-item discrepancy factor and a second four-item factor measuring dissatisfaction. The five-item factor is recommended as a brief measure of discrepancy from perfection and the four-item factor is recommended as a measure of dissatisfaction with being imperfect. Overall, our results confirm past suggestions that most people with maladaptive perfectionism are characterized jointly by chronic dissatisfaction as well as a sense of being discrepant due to having fallen short of expectations. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the assessment of perfectionism, as well as the implications for research and practice.
Using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales–21 With U.S. Adolescents: An Alternate Models Analysis
Authors: Moore Stephanie A. , Dowdy Erin , Furlong Michael J.
Published: May 2016

As part of universal screening efforts in schools, validated measures that identify internalizing distress are needed. One promising available measure, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales–21 (DASS–21), has yet to be thoroughly investigated with adolescents in the United States. This study investigated the underlying factor structure of the DASS–21 in a sample of U.S. adolescents ( N = 2,454) by using confirmatory factor analytic techniques to test several alternate models. A bifactor model specifying general Negative Affectivity and three specific factors of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress yielded the best fit. Results from this study suggest that (a) the DASS–21 scales reflect a common factor, indicating that a total score of the DASS–21 can be derived as a measure of general negative affectivity, and (b) the DASS–21 may not adequately differentiate between the experiences of negative affectivity, anxiety, and stress in U.S. adolescents.
Immigration Reform
Authors: González-Carriedo Ricardo
Published: May 2016

The topic of immigration reform has been at the forefront of the political debate for many years. The debate has been especially intense in Arizona, a border state where sentiments over immigration are strong and which has, in the last decade, approved a series of measures directed to curtail the presence of unauthorized immigrants. Using the critical race theory notions of majoritarian storytelling and counter-storytelling as well as interest-convergence theory, the present study examined the types of arguments provided by the editorials of two newspapers in Arizona, The Arizona Republic and La Prensa Hispana, on the topic of immigration reform in the period between 2007 and 2011. Results show that the English-language publication justified the need for reform in the interests of American businesses, whereas the Spanish-language newspaper cited the well-being of the immigrant community.
Change of Attitude? A Diachronic Study of Stance
Authors: Hyland Ken , Jiang Feng (Kevin)
Published: May 2016

Successful research writers construct texts by taking a novel point of view toward the issues they discuss while anticipating readers’ imagined reactions to those views. This intersubjective positioning is encompassed by the term stance and, in various guises, has been a topic of interest to researchers of written communication and applied linguists for the past three decades. Recognizing that academic writing is less objective and “author evacuated” than Geertz and others once supposed, analysts have sought to identify the ways that writers use language to acknowledge and construct social relations as they negotiate agreement of their interpretations of data with readers. Despite prolonged and widespread curiosity concerning the notion of stance, however, together with an interest in the gradual evolution of research genres more generally, very little is known of how it has changed in recent years and whether such changes have occurred uniformly across disciplines. In this article we set out to explore these issues. Drawing on a corpus of 2.2 million words taken from the top five journals in each of four disciplines at three distinct time periods, we seek to determine whether authorial projection has changed in academic writing over the past 50 years.
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Nurses’ Views on Spirituality and Spiritual Care and Their Level of Burnout
Authors: Karadag Arli Senay , Bakan Ayse Berivan , Erisik Ela
Published: May 2016

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between nurses’ views on spirituality and spiritual care and their level of burnout. Method: This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample that comprised 118 nurses from one state hospital in eastern Turkey. The data were collected through questionnaires that were filled by the nurses individually, using a sociodemographic characteristics form, the Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: A statistically significant relationship was found between subscale scores of Maslach Burnout Inventory and total score of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. With the increase in nurses’ spiritual care mean scores, there was an increase in the mean scores of the Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment subscales. Conclusions: Nurses’ burnout levels increased with the increase in their spirituality and spiritual care mean scores. This situation can be associated with the fact that providing spiritual care increases nurses’ workload. Therefore, similar studies are recommended to be conducted with wider groups of participants.
Impact of Ownership Structure and Board Composition on Corporate Performance in Indian Companies
Authors: Manna Apu , Sahu Tarak Nath , Gupta Arindam
Published: May 2016

This study takes into account the National Stock Exchange (NSE)-listed Indian companies, which constitute the CNX Nifty Index, for the period from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2013. Tobin’s Q, market value added, cash earnings per share and return on capital employed have been used as the corporate performance variables in the study; the first two being market-based and the last two being accounting-based measures. Board size (BS), board composition, ownership structure, multiplicity of directorship, chief executive officer (CEO) duality, CEO tenure and executive remuneration have been used as corporate governance surrogates from different dimensions along with other widely used independent variables to see their effect on corporate performance in a panel-data-based regression. BS and foreign promoters’ (FPs’) shareholdings have been identified to have a positive impact on more than one corporate performance variable. Among the remaining independent variables, assets turnover is positively related with the performance variables.
Exotic pediculosis and hair-loss syndrome in deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations in California
Authors: Roug Annette , Swift Pamela , Puschner Birgit , Gerstenberg Greg , Mertins James W. , Johnson Christine Kreuder , Torres Steve , Mortensen Jack , Woods Leslie
Published: May 2016

Infestation with nonnative, “exotic” lice was first noted in Washington black-tailed deer ( Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) in 1994 and has since then spread throughout the western United States. In California, infestation with the exotic louse Damalinia ( Cervicola) sp. was first detected in black-tailed deer from northern California in 2004, and, in 2009, the exotic louse species Bovicola tibialis and Linognathus africanus were identified on mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus californicus) in central Sierra Nevada in association with a mortality event. Exotic lice have since been detected in various locations throughout the state. We describe the geographic distribution of these exotic lice within California, using data from 520 live-captured and 9 postmortem-sampled, free-ranging mule deer examined between 2009 and 2014. Data from live-captured deer were used to assess possible associations between louse infestation and host age, host sex, migratory behavior, season, and blood selenium and serum copper concentrations. Damalinia ( Cervicola) sp. and B. tibialis lice were distinctively distributed geographically, with D. ( Cervicola) sp. infesting herds in northern and central coastal California, B. tibialis occurring in the central coastal mountains and the Sierra Nevada, and L. africanus occurring only sporadically. Younger age classes and low selenium concentrations were significantly associated with exotic louse infestation, whereas no significant relationship was detected with serum copper levels. Our results show that exotic lice are widespread in California, and younger age classes with low blood selenium concentrations are more likely to be infested with lice than older deer.
Characterization of spinal cord lesions in cattle and horses with rabies
Authors: Bassuino Daniele M. , Konradt Guilherme , Cruz Raquel A. S. , Silva Gustavo S. , Gomes Danilo C. , Pavarini Saulo P. , Driemeier David
Published: May 2016

Twenty-six cattle and 7 horses were diagnosed with rabies. Samples of brain and spinal cord were processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In addition, refrigerated fragments of brain and spinal cord were tested by direct fluorescent antibody test and intracerebral inoculation in mice. Statistical analyses and Fisher exact test were performed by commercial software. Histologic lesions were observed in the spinal cord in all of the cattle and horses. Inflammatory lesions in horses were moderate at the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral levels, and marked at the lumbar enlargement level. Gitter cells were present in large numbers in the lumbar enlargement region. IHC staining intensity ranged from moderate to strong. Inflammatory lesions in cattle were moderate in all spinal cord sections, and gitter cells were present in small numbers. IHC staining intensity was strong in all spinal cord sections. Only 2 horses exhibited lesions in the brain, which were located mainly in the obex and cerebellum; different from that observed in cattle, which had lesions in 25 cases. Fisher exact test showed that the odds of detecting lesions caused by rabies in horses are 3.5 times higher when spinal cord sections are analyzed, as compared to analysis of brain samples alone.
Poisoning of sheep by Vernonia plantaginoides (Less.) Hieron in Uruguay
Authors: Dutra Fernando , Romero Agustin , Quinteros Carina , Araújo Ruben , García y Santos Carmen
Published: May 2016

Vernonia plantaginoides (Less.) Hieron, previously known as Vernonia squarrosa, is a rhizomatous subshrub with purple flowers that is prevalent in the natural grassland of Uruguay, Argentina, and southern Brazil. We report an outbreak of V. plantaginoides ( yuyo moro) intoxication in sheep in Treinta y Tres Department, northeastern Uruguay. A total of 54 of 463 (12%) recently weaned lambs died 2–7 days after entering a natural pasture that had been invaded by sprouting V. plantaginoides. The first cases were found dead. Affected lambs showed marked jaundice, edema of the face, ears, and eyelids, and severe photodermatitis. At the autopsies of 3 lambs, the carcass was yellow, the liver was enlarged with a marked acinar pattern (“nutmeg liver”), and hemorrhages were observed on serous membranes. Microscopic lesions were characterized by diffuse periacinar hepatocellular necrosis and cholemic nephrosis. Three female lambs were experimentally dosed with the aerial parts of V. plantaginoides collected immediately after the outbreak. The lamb that was dosed once with 40 g/kg body weight died after 36 h with severe hepatic necrosis. The lamb dosed with 20 g/kg daily for 4 days showed clinical signs and microscopic lesions in the liver with multiple apoptotic hepatocytes in the periacinar zone. The third lamb, dosed with 30, 17, and 15 g/kg daily over 3 days, respectively, showed transient clinical signs and a rise in liver enzymes, but recovered, and no lesions were found postmortem. These results demonstrate that V. plantaginoides was responsible for severe field outbreaks of poisoning in sheep in Uruguay.
The Youth Ecological-Resilience Scale
Authors: van Breda Adrian D.
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

In South Africa, the field of scale development and utilization in social work is referred to as “ecometrics,” that is, the measurement of ecological constructs. There is, however, a lack of ecometric tools for social workers, particularly regarding strengths or resilience. Given the high vulnerability of South African youth, this article describes the design and validation of a youth resilience measure.

Method:

The Youth Ecological-Resilience Scale (YERS), a multidimensional, summated rating scale that measures youth resilience within an ecological framework, was designed and validated with a diverse sample of 575 young people, using ecometric techniques.

Results:

The YERS shows good levels of reliability and validity.

Conclusions:

The YERS is suitable for group administration and research and also for assessment of individuals when triangulated with other assessment methods. Several studies of youth transitions using the YERS are described as well as suggestions for its use in social work practice.
Effects of Healthy Life Practice Education on Reported Health Behaviors Among Fourth-Grade Elementary School Students in South Korea
Authors: Kim Shin-Jeong , Cho Haeryun , Baek Seong-Sook
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of healthy life practice (HLP) education on reported health behaviors, including health promotion, disease prevention, and safety among fourth-grade elementary school students. A quasi-experimental, pretest/posttest design was used. The 101 recruited participants from two schools were assigned to the intervention group ( n = 51) that received 10 health education sessions and the control group ( n = 50) that did not receive the intervention. Significant differences in health behaviors were observed between the two groups ( t = 2.563, p = .012), specifically for disease prevention ( t = 2.178, p = .032) and safety ( t = 2.711, p = .008). However, no significant between-group differences were observed in health promotion ( t = .270, p = .788). Educational interventions aimed at changing HLP-related health behaviors may be effective for elementary schoolchildren.
Mirror Neurons and Mirror-Touch Synesthesia
Authors: Linkovski Omer , Katzin Naama , Salti Moti
Published: May 2016

Since mirror neurons were introduced to the neuroscientific community more than 20 years ago, they have become an elegant and intuitive account for different cognitive mechanisms (e.g., empathy, goal understanding) and conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorders). Recently, mirror neurons were suggested to be the mechanism underlying a specific type of synesthesia. Mirror-touch synesthesia is a phenomenon in which individuals experience somatosensory sensations when seeing someone else being touched. Appealing as it is, careful delineation is required when applying this mechanism. Using the mirror-touch synesthesia case, we put forward theoretical and methodological issues that should be addressed before relying on the mirror-neurons account.
Robust nonfragile observer-based H2/H∞ controller
Authors: Oveisi Atta , Nestorović Tamara
Published: May 2016

A robust nonfragile observer-based controller for a linear time-invariant system with structured uncertainty is introduced. The [Formula: see text] robust stability of the closed-loop system is guaranteed by use of the Lyapunov theorem in the presence of undesirable disturbance. For the sake of addressing the fragility problem, independent sets of time-dependent gain-uncertainties are assumed to be existing for the controller and the observer elements. In order to satisfy the arbitrary H2-normed constraints for the control system and to enable automatic determination of the optimal [Formula: see text] bound of the performance functions in disturbance rejection control, additional necessary and sufficient conditions are presented in a linear matrix equality/inequality framework. The [Formula: see text] observer-based controller is then transformed into an optimization problem of coupled set of linear matrix equalities/inequality that can be solved iteratively by use of numerical software such as Scilab. Finally, concerning the evaluation of the performance of the controller, the control system is implemented in real time on a mechanical system, aiming at vibration suppression. The plant under study is a multi-input single-output clamped-free piezo-laminated smart beam. The nominal mathematical reduced-order model of the beam with piezo-actuators is used to design the proposed controller and then the control system is implemented experimentally on the full-order real-time system. The results show that the closed-loop system has a robust performance in rejecting the disturbance in the presence of the structured uncertainty and in the presence of the unmodeled dynamics.