bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Effect of Item Position in Computer‐Based Tests
Authors: Li Feiming , Cohen Allan , Shen Linjun
Published: December 2012

Computer‐based tests (CBTs) often use random ordering of items in order to minimize item exposure and reduce the potential for answer copying. Little research has been done, however, to examine item position effects for these tests. In this study, different versions of a Rasch model and different response time models were examined and applied to data from a CBT administration of a medical licensure examination. The models specifically were used to investigate whether item position affected item difficulty and item intensity estimates. Results indicated that the position effect was negligible.
Comparison of the One‐ and Bi‐Direction Chained Equipercentile Equating
Authors: Oh Hyeonjoo , Moses Tim
Published: December 2012

This study investigated differences between two approaches to chained equipercentile (CE) equating (one‐ and bi‐direction CE equating) in nearly equal groups and relatively unequal groups. In one‐direction CE equating, the new form is linked to the anchor in one sample of examinees and the anchor is linked to the reference form in the other sample. In bi‐direction CE equating, the anchor is linked to the new form in one sample of examinees and to the reference form in the other sample. The two approaches were evaluated in comparison to a criterion equating function (i.e., equivalent groups equating) using indexes such as root expected squared difference, bias, standard error of equating, root mean squared error, and number of gaps and bumps. The overall results across the equating situations suggested that the two CE equating approaches produced very similar results, whereas the bi‐direction results were slightly less erratic, smoother (i.e., fewer gaps and bumps), usually closer to the criterion function, and also less variable.
Item Response Models for Examinee‐Selected Items
Authors: Wang Wen‐Chung , Jin Kuan‐Yu , Qiu Xue‐Lan , Wang Lei
Published: December 2012

In some tests, examinees are required to choose a fixed number of items from a set of given items to answer. This practice creates a challenge to standard item response models, because more capable examinees may have an advantage by making wiser choices. In this study, we developed a new class of item response models to account for the choice effect of examinee‐selected items. The results of a series of simulation studies showed: (1) that the parameters of the new models were recovered well, (2) the parameter estimates were almost unbiased when the new models were fit to data that were simulated from standard item response models, (3) failing to consider the choice effect yielded shrunken parameter estimates for examinee‐selected items, and (4) even when the missingness mechanism in examinee‐selected items did not follow the item response functions specified in the new models, the new models still yielded a better fit than did standard item response models. An empirical example of a college entrance examination supported the use of the new models: in general, the higher the examinee's ability, the better his or her choice of items.
Measurement Error Adjustment Using the SIMEX Method: An Application to Student Growth Percentiles
Authors: Shang Yi
Published: December 2012

Growth models are used extensively in the context of educational accountability to evaluate student‐, class‐, and school‐level growth. However, when error‐prone test scores are used as independent variables or right‐hand‐side controls, the estimation of such growth models can be substantially biased. This article introduces a simulation‐extrapolation (SIMEX) method that corrects measurement error induced bias. The SIMEX method is applied to quantile regression, which is the basis of Student Growth Percentile, a descriptive growth model adopted in a number of states to diagnose and project student growth. A simulation study is conducted to demonstrate the performance of the SIMEX method in reducing bias and mean squared error in quantile regression with a mismeasured predictor. One of the simulation cases is based on longitudinal state assessment data. The analysis shows that measurement error differentially biases growth percentile results for students at different achievement levels and that the SIMEX method corrects such biases and closely reproduces conditional distributions of current test scores given past true scores. The potential applications and limitations of the method are discussed at the end of this paper with suggestions for further studies.
A Simple Answer to a Simple Question on Changing Answers
Authors: Bridgeman Brent
Published: December 2012

In an article in the Winter 2011 issue of the Journal of Educational Measurement, van der Linden, Jeon, and Ferrara suggested that “test takers should trust their initial instincts and retain their initial responses when they have the opportunity to review test items.” They presented a complex IRT model that appeared to show that students would be worse off by changing answers. As noted in a subsequent erratum, this conclusion was based on flawed data, and that the correct data could not be analyzed by their method because the model failed to converge. This left their basic question on the value of answer changing unanswered. A much more direct approach is to simply count the number of examinees whose scores after an opportunity to change answers are higher, lower, or the same as their initial scores. Using the same data set as the original article, an overwhelming majority of the students received higher scores after the opportunity to change answers.
Evaluating the Comparability of Paper‐ and Computer‐Based Science Tests Across Sex and SES Subgroups
Authors: Randall Jennifer , Sireci Stephen , Li Xueming , Kaira Leah
Published: December 2012

As access and reliance on technology continue to increase, so does the use of computerized testing for admissions, licensure/certification, and accountability exams. Nonetheless, full computer‐based test (CBT) implementation can be difficult due to limited resources. As a result, some testing programs offer both CBT and paper‐based test (PBT) administration formats. In such situations, evidence that scores obtained from different formats are comparable must be gathered. In this study, we illustrate how contemporary statistical methods can be used to provide evidence regarding the comparability of CBT and PBT scores at the total test score and item levels. Specifically, we looked at the invariance of test structure and item functioning across test administration mode across subgroups of students defined by SES and sex. Multiple replications of both confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch differential item functioning analyses were used to assess invariance at the factorial and item levels. Results revealed a unidimensional construct with moderate statistical support for strong factorial‐level invariance across SES subgroups, and moderate support of invariance across sex. Issues involved in applying these analyses to future evaluations of the comparability of scores from different versions of a test are discussed.
Comments on Neil Dorans's NCME Career Award Address:The Contestant Perspective on Taking Tests: Emanations From the Statue Within
Authors: Pommerich Mary
Published: December 2012

Neil Dorans has made a career of advocating for the examinee. He continues to do so in his NCME career award address, providing a thought‐provoking commentary on some current trends in educational measurement that could potentially affect the integrity of test scores. Concerns expressed in the address call attention to a conundrum that faces today's measurement practitioners, namely, that technology‐driven assessment, while very appealing, is prone to less controlled conditions of measurement. The commentary given here focuses on the message and implications of Neil Dorans's career award address. It discusses some specific points of note, elaborates on the conundrum, gives a view of the future, and makes a call for a dialogue among test developers and measurement practitioners on how to compensate for the loss in controlled conditions of measurement associated with the use of technology.
A study on the eruption timing of permanent dentition in patients with cerebral palsy
Authors: Moslemi Masoumeh , Vejdani Javaneh , Sadrabad Zahra Khalili , Shadkar Mohammad Mostafa
Published: December 2012

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the average eruption time and sequence of permanent teeth in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare the results with the established norms for Iranian subjects.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study comprised of 207 individuals with CP, 96 boys and 111 girls, ranging from 6 to 19 years. The average age at eruption of permanent teeth, excluding third molars, was given as the mean (±SD) and median in years for each gender. A table of percentiles of the eruption time was also determined. Comparisons were made using t‐test at a significance level of 0.05.

Results

The sequence of eruption in children with CP was almost similar to the normal. With the exception of the second premolar and the second molar, tooth eruption was advanced in girls compared with boys. There was no difference between the left and right sides of each arch. Mandibular teeth had an earlier eruption time than maxillary teeth except for the second premolar. In general, eruption times of children with CP were later (1–33 months) than those reported previously for healthy children.

Conclusions

Despite the almost similar sequence of eruption, a high tendency to delayed eruption of permanent dentition was observed in children with CP.
Phylogenetic relationships of Salvia (Lamiaceae) in China: Evidence from DNA sequence datasets
Authors: LI Qian‐Quan , LI Min‐Hui , YUAN Qing‐Jun , CUI Zhan‐Hu , HUANG Lu‐Qi , XIAO Pei‐Gen
Published: December 2012

With 84 native species, China is a center of distribution of the genus Salvia (Lamiaceae). These species are mainly distributed in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces (southwestern China), notably the Hengduan Mountain region. Traditionally, the Chinese Salvia has been classified into four subgenera, Salvia, Sclarea, Jungia, and Allagospadonopsis. We tested this classification using molecular phylogenetic analysis of 43 species of Salvia from China, six from Japan, and four introduced species. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region and three chloroplast regions (rbcL, matK, and trnH‐psbA) were analyzed by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Our results showed that the Chinese (except Salvia deserta) and Japanese Salvia species formed a well‐supported clade; S. deserta from Xinjiang grouped with Salvia officinalis of Europe. In addition, all introduced Salvia species in China were relatively distantly related to the native Chinese Salvia. Our results differed from the subgeneric and section classifications in Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae. We suggested that sections Eusphace and Pleiphace should be united in a new subgenus and that sect. Notiosphace should be removed from subg. Sclarea and form a new subgenus. Our data could not distinguish a boundary between subg. Allagospadonopsis and sect. Drymosphace (subg. Sclarea); the latter should be reduced into the former. Further clarification of the phylogenetic relationships within Salvia and between Salvia and related genera will require broader taxonomic sampling and more molecular markers.
Exploring the origin of the latitudinal diversity gradient: Contrasting the sister fern genera Phegopteris and Pseudophegopteris
Authors: SCHNEIDER Harald , HE Li‐Juan , MARQUARDT Jeannine , WANG Li , HEINRICHS Jochen , HENNEQUIN Sabine , ZHANG Xian‐Chun
Published: December 2012

The origin of the latitudinal biodiversity gradient has been studied using various approaches. Here, we employ a comparative phylogenetic approach to infer evidence for the hypothesis that differences in diversification rates are one of the main factors contributing to the assembly of this gradient. We infer the phylogeny of the two sister genera Phegopteris and Pseudophegopteris. The two genera are distinct in their species richness (4 vs. 20 spp.) and their preferences to temperate to subtropical (Phegopteris) or tropical climates (Pseudophegopteris). Using sequences of three plastid DNA regions, we confirm the monophyly of each genus and infer the inter‐ and intra‐generic phylogenetic differentiation of the sister clades. We recover evidence for distinct net‐diversification rate between the two genera, which may be caused either by a higher extinction risk of temperate Phegopteris or a higher speciation rate of tropical Pseudophegopteris. We discuss our results in the context of our current knowledge on the speciation processes of ferns. We conclude on the crucial influence of other factors such as the rise of the Himalaya on the diversification of these ferns.
The unbearable uncertainty of Bayesian divergence time estimation
Authors: DOS REIS Mario , YANG Ziheng
Published: December 2012

Divergence time estimation using molecular sequence data relying on uncertain fossil calibrations is an unconventional statistical estimation problem. As the sequence data provide information about the distances only, estimation of absolute times and rates has to rely on information in the prior, so that the model is only semi‐identifiable. In this paper, we use a combination of mathematical analysis, computer simulation, and real data analysis to examine the uncertainty in posterior time estimates when the amount of sequence data increases. The analysis extends the infinite‐sites theory of Yang and Rannala, which predicts the posterior distribution of divergence times and rate when the amount of data approaches infinity. We found that the posterior credibility interval in general decreases and reaches a non‐zero limit when the data size increases. However, for the node with the most precise fossil calibration (as measured by the interval width divided by the mid value), sequence data do not really make the time estimate any more precise. We propose a finite‐sites theory which predicts that the square of the posterior interval width approaches its infinite‐data limit at the rate 1/n, where n is the sequence length. We suggest a procedure to partition the uncertainty of posterior time estimates into that due to uncertainties in fossil calibrations and that due to sampling errors in the sequence data. We evaluate the impact of conflicting fossil calibrations on posterior time estimation and point out that narrow credibility intervals or overly precise time estimates can be produced by conflicting or erroneous fossil calibrations.
Horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of photosynthetic eukaryotes
Authors: HUANG Jinling , YUE Jipei
Published: December 2012

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) may not only create genome mosaicism, but also introduce evolutionary novelties to recipient organisms. HGT in plastid genomes, though relatively rare, still exists. HGT‐derived genes are particularly common in unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes and they also occur in multicellular plants. In particular, ancient HGT events occurring during the early evolution of primary photosynthetic eukaryotes were probably frequent. There is clear evidence that anciently acquired genes played an important role in the establishment of primary plastids and in the transition of plants from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Although algal genes have often been used to infer historical plastids in plastid‐lacking eukaryotes, reliable approaches are needed to distinguish endosymbionts‐derived genes from those independently acquired from preferential feeding or other activities.
A randomized, double‐blind, crossover, placebo‐controlled comparative clinical trial of arginine aspartate plus adenosine monophosphate for the intermittent treatment of male erectile dysfunction
Authors: Neuzillet Y. , Hupertan V. , Cour F. , Botto H. , Lebret T.
Published: December 2012

Efficacy and safety of l‐arginine aspartate 8 g combined with 200 mg of adenosine monophosphate (AA) with placebo (PL) alone for intermittent treatment of mild‐to‐moderate erectile dysfunction (ED) were compared. The study design was a double‐blind, PL‐controlled, two‐way crossover randomized clinical trial with 26 patients. Efficacy was assessed by International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and two additional validated questionnaires [the Erection Hardness Score (EHS) and the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS). During each crossover period, separated by a 2‐week wash‐out period, drugs were administered orally, 1–2 h before sexual intercourse. Primary endpoint was a change in the IIEF. Secondary endpoints were patient and investigator assessments of treatment success. Investigators’ and patients’ assessment of efficacy was significantly improved by the combination vs. PL (p = 0.01 and p = 0.04 respectively]. EHS and EDITS questionnaires were both improved by the combination (p = 0.015 and p = 0.017 respectively). There was no significant difference in terms of tolerance between AA and PL or severe adverse events. ED patients demonstrated significant improvements in all IIEF domains with the exception of the Sexual Desire and Orgasmic Domains when treated with AA compared with PL. This pilot phase II study showed that the on‐demand oral administration at a high dosage of l‐arginine aspartate–adenosine monophosphate combination may be effective in patients with mild‐to‐moderate ED, is very well tolerated and could be tested as a safe first‐line therapy in a larger size phase III study.
Tourism, Food, and Culture: Community‐Based Tourism, Local Food, and Community Development inMpondoland
Authors: Giampiccoli Andrea , Kalis Janet Hayward
Published: December 2012

Tourism is often seen as a tool for poverty alleviation and community development. This article highlights community‐based tourism as a possible strategy for the development of poor communities. It further investigates how specific cultural contexts––in this case, that of ruralMpondoland,SouthAfrica––can contribute to positive community‐based tourism development outcomes. In this sense, the local culture is not seen as a tourist attraction but as a resource on which community‐based tourism development can be built. The article locates community‐based tourism within a more general strategy of diversifying rural livelihoods. Poor households in rural areas meet their needs through a combination of livelihood strategies and community‐based tourism is seen as an additional means to meet household needs. In addition, local culture becomes a tourism resource using indigenous foods, arts, and crafts as tourism attractions. Food is one example of a local cultural resource that has the potential to facilitate a number of community benefits.
Drug Crops and Food Security: The Effects of Khat on Lives and Livelihoods in Northern Madagascar
Authors: Gezon Lisa L.
Published: December 2012

Khat is a bushy plant whose leaves are chewed for their stimulant effect. Although khat has been a boon to the local economy, a suspected disadvantage is that there has been a decrease of land dedicated to rice and vegetable crops. Concerns about khat stem from genuine issues of food security but also from a moral panic targeted at this recreational drug crop. The major finding is that a decrease in vegetable production has not been primarily caused by khat but instead by a decline in the market for vegetables and decayed local infrastructure supporting vegetable production and transport. We also found that most farmers prefer to grow food crops alongside their khat, and many grow khat on marginal lands. Furthermore, khat helps many individual farmers increase food security because of the income it provides. The general significance is to point out that drug crops have a unique place in discussions of food security because of both the high amount that buyers are willing to pay and because of public condemnation of recreational drugs.
Playing Politics with Yams: Food Security in the Trobriand Islands of Papua New Guinea
Authors: MacCarthy Michelle
Published: December 2012

Food insecurity is a significant socioeconomic problem, particularly in developing countries where most households operate at the subsistence level. In the Trobriand Islands of Papua New Guinea, where the fame that comes with being a skilled gardener who annually produces an enviable pile of yams, and where the series of exchanges that ensue are of the utmost social importance, current trends of reduced soil fertility and crop yields threaten not only to compromise food security but also to rend the very fabric of Trobriand social order and identity. While the magnitude of the problem may well be inflated as a tool for political playmaking, the results of a (real or perceived) “food security crisis” in the Trobriand Islands has significant implications for local leadership, exchange obligations, and sense of self.
Who Participates in Mexico's Program for Migrant Agricultural Workers? Explaining the Distribution of Sending Communities in Ahuacuotzingo, Guerrero
Authors: Yaworsky William , Kickham Kenneth
Published: December 2012

This paper examines participation of residents from the Montaña Baja region of central Guerrero, Mexico, in the Mexican government's seasonal migrant laborer assistance program. The program has many functions, most notably serving as the hub linking migrant workers with agribusinesses elsewhere in Mexico. An archive of regional registrants for the 1999–2000 agricultural season is analyzed to infer patterns of local labor mobilization. We test the hypotheses that residents from larger communities and communities alongside roads are more likely to participate and we offer an explanation for their recruitment. Our explanations draw on understandings of patronage networks and the recruiting strategies of labor contractors. Our findings are significant and provide insight into the impact of clientelist networks on labor mobilization.
Ten Indigenous Edible Plants: Contemporary Use in Eastern Crete, Greece
Authors: Psaroudaki Antonia , Dimitropoulakis Petros , Constantinidis Theophanis , Katsiotis Andreas , Skaracis George N.
Published: December 2012

In the present study, ten species of indigenous edible plants of Eastern Crete were collected, recorded, and botanically classified. Moreover, a survey study was conducted regarding the collection and use of edible wild greens in today's diet of the inhabitants of Eastern Crete. The results of the study showed that there is a positive correlation between the collection and consumption of edible wild plants and the age and profession of the collector. It was also clear that greens that are abundantly found and grow in nearby areas are preferred. Older people identify and collect a larger number of different species of plants compared with younger people. This fact demonstrates the risk of losing important nutritional information, although a large percentage of the sample teaches others the art of identifying and collecting wild plants.
Estimation of Evapotranspiration Across the Conterminous United States Using a Regression With Climate and Land‐Cover Data1
Authors: Sanford Ward E. , Selnick David L.
Published: December 2012

Sanford, Ward E. and David L. Selnick, 2012. Estimation of Evapotranspiration Across the Conterminous United States Using a Regression with Climate and Land‐Cover Data. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐14. DOI: 10.1111/jawr.12010

Abstract:  Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important quantity for water resource managers to know because it often represents the largest sink for precipitation (P) arriving at the land surface. In order to estimate actual ET across the conterminous United States (U.S.) in this study, a water‐balance method was combined with a climate and land‐cover regression equation. Precipitation and streamflow records were compiled for 838 watersheds for 1971‐2000 across the U.S. to obtain long‐term estimates of actual ET. A regression equation was developed that related the ratio ET/P to climate and land‐cover variables within those watersheds. Precipitation and temperatures were used from the PRISM climate dataset, and land‐cover data were used from the USGS National Land Cover Dataset. Results indicate that ET can be predicted relatively well at a watershed or county scale with readily available climate variables alone, and that land‐cover data can also improve those predictions. Using the climate and land‐cover data at an 800‐m scale and then averaging to the county scale, maps were produced showing estimates of ET and ET/P for the entire conterminous U.S. Using the regression equation, such maps could also be made for more detailed state coverages, or for other areas of the world where climate and land‐cover data are plentiful.
Nutrient Enrichment and Fish Nutrient Tolerance: Assessing Biologically Relevant Nutrient Criteria1
Authors: Meador Michael R.
Published: December 2012

Abstract:  Relationships between nutrient concentrations and fish nutrient tolerance were assessed relative to established nutrient criteria. Fish community, nitrate plus nitrite (nitrate), and total phosphorus (TP) data were collected during summer low‐flow periods in 2003 and 2004 at stream sites along a nutrient‐enrichment gradient in an agricultural basin in Indiana and Ohio and an urban basin in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Tolerance indicator values for nitrate and TP were assigned for each species and averaged separately for fish communities at each site (TIVo). Models were used to predict fish species expected to occur at a site under minimally disturbed conditions and average tolerance indicator values were determined for nitrate and TP separately for expected communities (TIVe). In both areas, tolerance scores (TIVo/TIVe) for nitrate increased significantly with increased nitrate concentrations whereas no significant relationships were detected between TP tolerance scores and TP concentrations. A 0% increase in the tolerance score (TIVo/TIVe = 1) for nitrate corresponded to a nitrate concentration of 0.19 mg/l (compared with a USEPA summer nitrate criterion of 0.17 mg/l) in the urban area and 0.31 mg/l (compared with a USEPA summer nitrate criterion of 0.86 mg/l) in the agricultural area. Fish nutrient tolerance values offer the ability to evaluate nutrient enrichment based on a quantitative approach that can provide insights into biologically relevant nutrient criteria.
Allele elimination recalculated: nested subset analyses for molecular biogeographical data
Authors: Habel Jan Christian , Ulrich Werner , Assmann Thorsten
Published: December 2012

Aim

Post‐glacial colonization of species from low‐latitude refugia to high latitudes, or from lower to higher elevations, often involves repeated founder effects due to stepwise colonization. This may cause repeated population bottlenecks and the subsequent loss of alleles. Regression analyses have traditionally been used to analyse the correlation between the mean numbers of alleles and geographical distances from refugia. Here, we describe and evaluate the performance of nested subset analyses for detecting allele elimination.

Methods

Genetic data sets from five butterfly and one beetle species were reanalysed using regression and nested subset analyses.

Results

The data sets analysed here showed both congruent and divergent results under regression and nested subset analyses. Some data sets did not feature a significant correlation between the mean number of alleles and the colonization trajectory, but did show significant nested structure. Others showed the opposite effects. Using allele frequencies from the same data sets, we did not obtain significant patterns of nestedness.

Main conclusions

Our results indicate that classical regression analyses are not always a suitable tool for analysing allele elimination, and nestedness analyses are much more meaningful. Local natural selection can alter allele frequencies, thereby erasing biogeographical patterns that have evolved as a result of the stochastic processes involved in colonization. Thus, an appropriate means of documenting allele elimination sensu Reinig is the joint application of nested subset and regression analyses based on presence/absence and abundance data for genetic diversity.
Antihypertensive Medication Nonadherence in Black Men: Direct and Mediating Effects of Depressive Symptoms, Psychosocial Stressors, and Substance Use
Authors: Cené Crystal W. , Dennison Cheryl R. , Powell Hammond Wizdom , Levine David , Bone Lee R. , Hill Martha N.
Published: December 2012

Black men suffer disproportionately from hypertension. Antihypertensive medication nonadherence is a major contributor to poor blood pressure control, yet few studies consider how psychosocial functioning may impact black men’s medication adherence. The authors examined the direct and mediating pathways between depressive symptoms, psychosocial stressors, and substance use on antihypertensive medication nonadherence in 196 black men enrolled in a clinical trial to improve hypertension care and control. The authors found that greater depressive symptoms were associated with more medication nonadherence (β=0.05; standard error [SE], 0.01; P<.001). None of the psychosocial stressor variables were associated with antihypertensive medication nonadherence. Alcohol misuse was associated with increased medication nonadherence (β=0.81; SE, 0.26; P<.01), but it did not mediate the association between depressive symptoms and medication nonadherence. Clinicians should consider screening for depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse if patients are found to be nonadherent and should treat or refer patients to appropriate resources to address those issues.
Different Definitions of Prevalent Hypertension Impact: The Clinical Epidemiology of Hypertension and Attainment of Healthy People Goals
Authors: Egan Brent M. , Zhao Yumin
Published: December 2012

Prevalent hypertension in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) is traditionally defined as blood pressure (BP) ≥140 mm Hg systolic and/or ≥90 diastolic and/or currently taking antihypertensive medications. When estimating prevalent hypertension, American Heart Association (AHA) statistical updates include the traditional definition of hypertension (tHTN) and untreated individuals with nonhypertensive BP told twice that they were hypertensive (nontraditional [ntHTN]). The characteristics of ntHTN and their impact on the clinical epidemiology of hypertension and Healthy People prevention and control goals are undefined. NHANES 1999–2002, 2003–2006, and 2007–2010 were analyzed. The ntHTN group was younger and had less diabetes and lower BP than the tHTN group but higher BP than the normotensive group. When classifying ntHTN as hypertensive, prevalent hypertension increased approximately 3% and control 5% to 6% across NHANES periods. In 2007–2010, the Healthy People 2010 goal of controlling BP in 50% of all hypertensive patientss was attained when ntHTN was classified as hypertension (56.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 54.2–58.7]) and nonhypertension (51.8% [95% CI, 49.6–53.9]). When including ntHTN in prevalent hypertension estimates, the Healthy People 2020 goal of controlling BP in 60% of hypertensive patients becomes more attainable, whereas reducing prevalent hypertension to 26.9% (31.8% [95% CI, 30.5–33.1]) vs 28.7% [95% CI, 27.5–30.0]) becomes more challenging.
Histological responses of the periodontium to MTA: a systematic review
Authors: Katsamakis Sokratis , Slot Dagmar Else , Van der Sluis Luc W. M. , Van der Weijden Fridus
Published: December 2012

Aim

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate whether a mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) restoration of an endodontic‐periodontal communication leads to regeneration of the adjacent periodontal tissues.

Methodology

The databases MEDLINE‐PubMed, Cochrane‐CENTRAL, and EMBASE were searched, up to July 2012. In vivo studies that reported on the histological response of the periodontium to MTA were selected.

Results

The screening of 98 title‐abstracts, full‐text reading, and hand searches in literature lists yielded 24 papers. All of them involved animals. There were no studies reporting on human histology. Study protocols presented heterogeneity regarding treated lesions, intervention, and reported outcomes. The histological results of the animal studies showed minimal inflammatory reactions, bone healing, periodontal ligament presence, and consistent cementum formation. Time lapse after mixing, bacterial contamination, root canal disinfection, and inflammation influenced MTA's cementoconductive properties.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of the selected papers concerning inhomogeneous study protocols and low methodological quality scores, their findings were consistent with regard to MTA's biocompatibility and cementogenic ability. Experimental animal studies show that MTA can promote healing towards regeneration. There is now a distinct need to examine the clinical performance of MTA in well‐controlled prospective human cohort studies.
Broad scale quantified flood risk analysis in the Taihu Basin, China
Authors: Yu C. , Hall J.W. , Cheng X. , Evans E.P.
Published: December 2012

A geographic information system (GIS)‐based analysis tool, the Taihu Basin Risk Assessment System (TBRAS), is developed to perform scenario analysis of future flood risk changes in the Taihu Basin. The TBRAS integrates modules of climate modelling, hydrological and hydraulic modelling, dyke reliability analysis, socioeconomic analysis, and damage assessment. The results indicate that the TBRAS can provide a broad‐scale simulation of the flooding processes and damage evaluation for the entire Taihu Basin. Future climate change by 2050 in precipitation alone can approximately result in four or five times of risk increase compared with the 2005 baseline risk. Socioeconomic changes alone can increase flood risk by four to six times. The paper reveals that, without any proactive responses, the combination of socioeconomic change, sea‐level rise, and other climate changes can substantially increase the overall flood risks to 15–37 times of the present situation. We therefore conclude that both structural and non‐structural measures for reducing flood risks are required and provide a set of response options for managing and adapting future flood risk changes.
Flood risk assessment for infrastructure networks
Authors: Emanuelsson M.A.E. , McIntyre N. , Hunt C.F. , Mawle R. , Kitson J. , Voulvoulis N.
Published: December 2012

A practical framework for flood risk screening was developed to assess the flood risk to water utility assets within the infrastructure network. The tool is a combination of probability and consequence assessments. The first takes into account how probable it is for a particular asset to flood and cause significant damage. The second estimates the level of consequences a flood will have, considering, for example, the level of loss of service, environmental pollution and cost. The consequence assessment is based on a dependency assessment that identifies knock‐on effects on other assets within the asset network and assesses the level of consequence they will have. The probability and consequence assessments are combined to produce a risk score that can be used to rank assets in a screening process that aims to assist companies in prioritising the investments required for taking action to reduce flood risk to their assets.
Including climate change projections in probabilistic flood risk assessment
Authors: Ward P.J. , van Pelt S.C. , de Keizer O. , Aerts J.C.J.H. , Beersma J.J. , van den Hurk B.J.J.M. , te Linde A.H.
Published: December 2012

This paper demonstrates a framework for producing probabilistic flood risk estimates, focusing on two sections of the Rhine River. We used an ensemble of six (bias‐corrected) regional climate model (RCM) future simulations to create a 3000‐year time‐series through resampling. This was complemented with 12 global climate model (GCM)‐based future time‐series, constructed by resampling observed time‐series of daily precipitation and temperature and modifying these to represent future climate conditions using an advanced delta change approach. We used the resampled time‐series as input in the hydrological model Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV)‐96 to simulate daily discharge and extreme discharge quantiles for return periods up to 3000 years. To convert extreme discharges to estimates of flood damage and risk, we coupled a simple inundation model with a damage model. We then fitted probability density functions (PDFs) for the RCM, GCM, and combined ensembles. The framework allows for the assessment of the probability distribution of flood risk under future climate scenario conditions. Because this paper represents a demonstration of a methodological framework, the absolute figures should not be used in decision making at this time.
Laboratory simulation of the influence of building height and storm movement on the rainfall run‐off process in impervious areas
Authors: Isidoro J.M.G.P. , de Lima J.L.M.P.
Published: December 2012

Converting land into impervious urban areas leads to more frequent and intense flash floods. Moving storms over impervious areas have a considerable influence on the rainfall run‐off process. A physical model of an urban catchment that can simulate different building heights is used to study the changes in run‐off caused by wind‐driven moving storms. The laboratory experiments show that, for all the studied building heights, both wind and storm movement significantly influence the characteristics of the resulting hydrographs. These showed significant dependence on the storm movement and the existence of wind, but less on buildings height. Downstream‐moving storms have higher discharge peaks than static or upstream‐moving storms and are thus more likely to cause flash flood events. In the simulated storm scenarios, wind‐driven rainfall leads to lower peak discharges than no‐wind scenarios do, for all storm types.
Qualitative analysis of preputial and vaginal bacterial microbiota in owl monkeys (Aotus azarai infulatus) raised in captivity
Authors: da Silva G.A. , Monteiro F.O.B. , Dias H.L.T. , Cavalcante R. de O. , Sampaio A.I. da F. , da Conceição M.E.B.A.M. , Takeshita R.S.C. , de Castro P.H.G. , Feijó F.M.C. , Rahal S.C.
Published: December 2012

Background

The aim of this study was to identify the aerobic bacteria of the preputial and vaginal microbiota in owl monkeys that have been raised in captivity and to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of these bacteria by gender and social organization.

Methods

Thirty clinically healthy Aotus azarai infulatus were used. A total of 134 samples were collected, 60 from the preputial mucosa and 74 from the vaginal mucosa. An automated system of bacterial identification was used.

Results and Conclusions

Staphylococcus intermedius and Proteus mirabilis were the microorganisms that were most frequently identified according to gender and social organization. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated gram‐positive bacteria was similar in both sexes. However, the gram‐negative strains had some differences. The aerobic bacterial population of the vaginal and preputial microbiota is similar in owl monkeys, and there are no differences in the number and bacterial species according to sex and social organization.
Morphological plasticity of rodent astroglia
Authors: Rodnight Richard Burnard , Gottfried Carmem
Published: December 2012

In the past two decades, there has been an explosion of research on the role of neuroglial interactions in the control of brain homeostasis in both physiological and pathological conditions. Astrocytes, a subtype of glia in the central nervous system, are dynamic signaling elements that regulate neurogenesis and development of brain circuits, displaying intimate dynamic relationships with neurons, especially at synaptic sites where they functionally integrate the tripartite synapse. When astrocytes are isolated from the brain and maintained in culture, they exhibit a polygonal shape unlike their precursors in vivo. However, cultured astrocytes can be induced to undergo morphological plasticity leading to process formation, either by interaction with neurons or by the influence of pharmacological agents. This review highlights studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying morphological plasticity in astrocyte cultures and intact brain tissue, both in situ and in vivo.
Immune response in cervical lymph nodes from patients with primary oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Gonçalves Andréia Souza , Costa Nádia Lago , Arantes Diego Antônio Costa , de Cássia Gonçalves Alencar Rita , Silva Tarcília Aparecida , Batista Aline Carvalho
Published: December 2012

Background

Deficient immune response in the cervical lymph nodes of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma may contribute to dissemination of metastatic neoplastic cells. This study evaluates the immune response in cervical lymph nodes from patients with primary oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC).

Methods

The density of immature (CD1a+) and mature (CD83+) dendritic cells (DCs), cytotoxic T lymphocytes CD8+/perforin+ (CTLs), and Foxp3+ regulatory T (Tregs) cells in the lymph nodes of patients with OCSCC without cervical lymph node metastases (LN1) (negative) (n = 10) were identified through immunohistochemistry. From patients with cervical lymph node metastases, samples were obtained of lymph nodes both with (LM2) (positive) (n = 10) and without (LN2) (negative) (n = 10) metastases.

Results

The results demonstrated that the number of CD1a+ and Foxp3+ cells was significantly higher in the LM2 group than in either the LN1 or the LN2 group. In addition, the number of CD8+/perforin+ and CD83+ cells was significantly lower in the LM2 group than in the other groups.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate a higher density of immature DCs and Tregs cells and a lower density of mature DCs and activated CTLs in metastatic than in non‐metastatic lymph nodes. These findings might indicate an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which could be involved in the spread of neoplastic cells to cervical lymph nodes.
Online in later life: Age as a chronological fact and a dynamic social category in an Internet class for retirees
Authors: Divita David
Published: December 2012

In recent years, sociolinguistic research that has taken an indexical perspective on the construction of social meaning has focused on certain dimensions of identity, such as gender and ethnicity; age, on the other hand, has not received as much attention. More often than not, it has been understood as a fixed chronological fact rather than a socially meaningful resource. The present study, which draws from data collected in an Internet course at a social center for senior citizens, illustrates how age‐related social meanings are recruited in interaction in more complex ways than generally thought. Discourse analysis of interactions between students and their younger instructor show how age informs the construction of social meaning as both a chronological fact and a dynamic social category; students and instructor alike create stances and assume interactional positions in part by indexing age‐related social categories that align with or subvert communicative expectations based on their chronological age.
Reallocation of pronouns through contact: In‐the‐moment identity construction amongst Southern California Salvadorans
Authors: Raymond Chase Wesley
Published: December 2012

This study uses natural, everyday social interaction within Salvadoran families living in Southern California to examine the use of the 2nd‐person singular pronounstúandvos(and their corresponding morphologies) in this contact variety of Spanish. An in‐depth, qualitative analysis reveals that the employment and significance of these forms of address do not conform entirely to Salvadoran norms, nor to those of the surrounding Mexican‐based Spanish koiné. Accommodation to the pronominal repertoire of the region's majority serves as a communicative resource driven by questions of U.S./Los Angeles identity and solidarity with speakers in‐the‐moment interlocutor(s), a process which has caused the original Salvadoran pronouns to also be reallocated and refunctionalized (Britain and Trudgill) as resources for accomplishing Salvadoran identity. Members of this community make active use of their pronominal options in real‐time interaction as they navigate the fluid, multifaceted identities that they and their interlocutors now embody in the U.S. context.
In vivo infectivity of liver extracts after resolution of hepadnaviral infection following therapy associating DNA vaccine and cytokine genes
Authors: Saade F. , Buronfosse T. , Guerret S. , Pradat P. , Chevallier M. , Zoulim F. , Jamard C. , Cova L.
Published: December 2012

DNA‐based vaccination appears of promise for chronic hepatitis B immunotherapy, although there is an urgent need to increase its efficacy. In this preclinical study, we evaluated the therapeutic benefit of cytokine (IL‐2, IFN‐γ) genes co‐delivery with DNA vaccine targeting hepadnaviral proteins in the chronic duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infection model. Then, we investigated the persistence of replication‐competent virus in the livers of apparently resolved animals. DHBV carriers received four injections of plasmids encoding DHBV envelope and core alone or co‐delivered with duck IL‐2 (DuIL‐2) or duck IFN‐γ (DuIFN‐γ) plasmids. After long‐term (8 months) follow‐up, viral covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA was analysed in duck necropsy liver samples. Liver homogenates were also tested for in vivo infectivity in neonatal ducklings. Co‐delivery of DuIFN‐γ resulted in significantly lower mean viremia starting from week 21. Viral cccDNA was undetectable by conventional methods in the livers of 25% and 57% of animals co‐immunized with DuIL‐2 and DuIFN‐γ, respectively. Interestingly, inoculation of liver homogenates from 7 such apparently resolved animals, exhibiting cccDNA undetectable in Southern blotting and DHBV expression undetectable or restricted to few hepatocytes, revealed that three liver homogenates transmitted high‐titre viremia (3–5×1010 vge/mL) to naïve animals. In conclusion, our results indicate that IFN‐γ gene co‐delivery considerably enhances immunotherapeutic efficacy of DNA vaccine targeting hepadnaviral proteins. Importantly, we also showed that livers exhibiting only minute amounts of hepadnaviral cccDNA could induce extremely high‐titre infection, highlighting the caution that should be taken in occult hepatitis B patients to prevent HBV transmission in liver transplantation context.