bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation on the dynamic crystallization and melting behavior of β‐nucleated isotactic polypropylene with different stereo‐defect distribution—the role of dual‐selective β‐nucleation agent
Authors: Kang Jian , Wang Bin , Peng Hongmei , Li Jingping , Chen Jinyao , Gai Jinggang , Cao Ya , Li Huilin , Yang Feng , Xiang Ming
Published: November 2013

The selectivities of different β‐nucleating agents might be quite different from each other, which is important in determining the crystallization and properties of the obtained β‐isotactic polypropylene (β‐iPP). However, the relationship between molecular structure and dynamic crystallization behavior of β‐iPP nucleated by dual‐selective β‐nucleating agent (DS‐β‐NA) is still not clear. In this study, the dynamic crystallization and melting behavior of two β‐iPP with nearly same average isotacticity but different stereo‐defect distribution, nucleated by a DS‐β‐NA (N,N′‐dicyclohexyl‐2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxamide; trade name TMB‐5), were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electronic microscopy. The results indicated that in the presence of TMB‐5, the dynamic crystallization and melting behavior of the samples are quite different because the joint effects of the dual selectivity of TMB‐5 and stereo‐defect distribution of the iPP under different cooling rates. Two important roles were observed: (i) slow cooling rate favors the formation of high β‐fraction; and (ii) high crystallization temperature favors the crystallization of α‐phase accelerated by TMB‐5. Generally, the dual selectivity of the DS‐β‐NA, the stereo‐defect distribution of iPP, and the cooling rate were important factors in determining the formation of β‐crystal. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of guanidinium‐based anion exchange membranes and their stability assessment
Authors: Sajjad Syed D , Hong Yi , Liu Fuqiang
Published: November 2013

Alkaline fuel cells potentially offer improved conversion efficiency and the prospect of using non‐noble metal catalysts; however, low conductivity and fast degradation of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) prevent their widespread application. In this work, a series of novel composite AEMs were synthesized by incorporating guanidinium‐based polymers into a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film. The guanidinium‐based polymers were polymerized using a condensation process between a guanidinium salt and two different diamines so that the guanidinium cations were tethered to the polymer backbone to enhance both conductivity and durability. In addition, polymer crosslinking was conducted to further reinforce the mechanical strength of the membranes and interlock the guanidinium moieties to the porous PTFE. It was found that the ionic conductivity of the synthesized membrane reached up to approximately 80 mS cm−1 at 20°C in deionized water. These membranes also exhibited superior stability compared to commercial quaternary ammonium AEMs after being exposed in 5 M KOH solution at 55°C for 50 h. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antimicrobial activities of polymeric quaternary ammonium salts from poly(glycidyl methacrylate)s
Authors: Liang Zhixiang , Zhu Mingran , Yang Ying‐Wei , Gao Hui
Published: November 2013

Amino poly(glycerol methacrylate)s (PGOHMAs) were synthesized from linear and 8‐arm poly(glycidyl methacrylate)s (PGMAs) via ring opening reactions with methylethylamine (MEA), diethylamine, and dipropylamine, respectively, which were further modified by quaternization reaction using methyl iodide to obtain quaternized PGMAs (QPGMAs for short). The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, and thermogravimetric analysis. The amination percentage of amino PGOHMAs and the degree of quaternization of QPGMAs were calculated by elemental analysis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. According to the solubility test results, 8‐arm PGOHMA modified with MEA (S8‐MEA) is the only water‐soluble derivative of amino PGOHMAs and was employed as a positive control for the comparison with QPGMAs. Antimicrobial studies on these PGMA derivatives were carried out by testing the minimum inhibitory concentration and the bacteria inhibitive rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results indicated that QPGMAs possessed higher antimicrobial activity than S8‐MEA and exhibited increased antimicrobial activity against both bacteria with an increased degree of quaternization in weak basic conditions. Moreover, the chemical structure of PGMA derivatives and pH value of the assay conditions were found to affect the antimicrobial activity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Verletzung der perfekten Symmetrie
Authors: Harlander Robert
Published: November 2013

Der diesjährige Physik‐Nobelpreis geht gemeinsam an François Englert und Peter Higgs für “die theoretische Entdeckung eines Mechanismus, der zu unserem Verständnis des Ursprungs der Masse von subatomaren Teilchen beiträgt.” Explizit gewürdigt wurde auch das CERN.
Seven percent hypertonic saline—0.1% hyaluronic acid in infants with mild‐to‐moderate bronchiolitis
Authors: Nenna Raffaella , Papoff Paola , Moretti Corrado , De Angelis Daniela , Battaglia Massimo , Papasso Stefano , Bernabucci Mariangela , Cangiano Giulia , Petrarca Laura , Salvadei Serena , Nicolai Ambra , Ferrara Marianna , Bonci Enea , Midulla Fabio
Published: November 2013

Objectives

Our study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of 7% hypertonic saline and 0.1% hyaluronic acid (7% HS–HA) given by inhalation, in infants hospitalized for mild‐to‐moderate bronchiolitis.

Methods

In a double‐blind controlled study, 39 infants (23 boys) <7 months of age (median age 2 months) were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either nebulized 7% HS–HA (7%NaCl + 0.1%HA) (n:21) or 0.9 normal saline (NS) (n:18) at a dose of 2.5 ml twice a day for 3 days. All infants were assigned a clinical severity score at admission and four times daily during hospitalization. Main outcome measures were number of days hospitalization, safety and daily reduction in the severity score.

Results

No difference was found between the two groups for clinical severity score at admission. One child in the study group and two in the NS group interrupted the study protocol; 19% of infants in the study group and 11% in the NS group had mild cough after the aerosol. The length of stay in the control group and treatment groups were 4.8 ± 1.5 versus 4.1 ± 1.9 days, respectively (P = 0.09). There was a trend for shortening the hospitalization days in the treatment group by 14.6%. The use of NS in the control group was identified as an independent risk factor for length of hospital stay using the multivariate logistic regression model (P = 0.04). No difference was observed between the two groups for the clinical score reduction during the first 3 days hospitalization.

Conclusions

7% HS–HA is a safe and effective therapy in treating infants hospitalized for mild‐to‐moderate bronchiolitis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:919–925. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structure stability and ferromagnetism of carbon alloying Fe3Si compound from first principles calculations
Authors: Ma Rui , Huang Jin , Xiong Xicheng , Fan Menghui , Yan Wanjun , Xie Quan
Published: November 2013

Based on the density functional theory (DFT), the plane‐wave pseudo‐potential method was used to calculate structural stabilities, electronic structures, and ferromagnetism of Fe3Si and Fe12Si3C compounds. The stability of the solid solution alloy increases with the addition of C, which occupying the Si site. Calculating the density of the states and the Mulliken electronic populations showed that the reason of Fe12Si3C has the highest structural stability is because its Fermi level close to the bottom of the pseudogap. Also, Fe12Si3C has the largest Mulliken population, which increases the metallic bonding of alloying system. The total magnetic moments of the Fe12Si3C alloy was 17.80μB.The substitution of alloying element not only decreases the concentration of Si atoms but also influences the interaction between Fe atoms, Si atoms, and Fe atoms. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication and characterizations of phosphorus‐doped n‐type BaSi2 epitaxial films grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Takabe R. , Baba M. , Nakamura K. , Du W. , Khan M. A. , Koike S. , Toko K. , Hara K. O. , Usami N. , Suemasu T.
Published: November 2013

Phosphorus (P)‐doped BaSi2 films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. P‐doped BaSi2 showed n ‐type conductivity and the electron concentration increased up to 4×1017 cm–3 at room temperature. The temperature dependence of electron concentration revealed that the activation energy was approximately 80 meV. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication and characterization of polycrystalline BaSi2 by RF sputtering
Authors: Latiff Nurul Amal Abdul , Yoneyama Takahiro , Shibutami Tetsuo , Matsumaru Keitaro , Toko Kaoru , Suemasu Takashi
Published: November 2013

1‐μm‐thick polycrystalline BaSi2 films have been fabricated on glass substrate by sputtering BaSi2 target at 600 °C. From the transmission spectrum, we found that the indirect absorption edge was approximately 1.25 eV and the refractive index was 4.0 for long wavelengths. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Evaluation of diffusion coefficients of n‐type impurities in MBE‐grown BaSi2 epitaxial layers
Authors: Zhang N. , Nakamura K. , Baba M. , Toko K. , Suemasu T.
Published: November 2013

Sb layers deposited on BaSi2 epitaxial films on Si(111) substrates were annealed at different temperatures and durations to evaluate the diffusion coefficients of Sb using secondary ion mass spectrometry with Cs+ ions. The activation energies of lattice and grain boundary diffusions in BaSi2 were found to be 0.64 eV and 1.20 eV, respectively. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structural characteristics of liquid SiC during quenching process
Authors: Yan Wanjun , Gao Tinghong , Guo Xiaotian , Xie Quan
Published: November 2013

Quenching process of liquid silicon carbide (SiC) is simulated with Tersoff potential by using molecular dynamic. Structural characteristics of SiC are analyzed by radial distribution function, angular distribution function, coordination number, and Voronoi polyhedron index. Results show that both heteronuclear and homonuclear bonds exist and no atomic segregation occurs during the quench process. The bond angles of silicon and carbon atoms are distributed at around 109° and 120°, respectively. The average coordination number is <4. Threefold carbon atoms and fourfold silicon atoms link together and ultimately form a random network of amorphous structure. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Service Oriented Robotic Architecture for Space Robotics: Design, Testing, and Lessons Learned
Authors: Flückiger Lorenzo , Utz Hans
Published: November 2013

This paper presents the lessons learned from six years of experiments with planetary rover prototypes running the Service Oriented Robotic Architecture (SORA) developed by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at the NASA Ames Research Center. SORA relies on proven software engineering methods and technologies applied to space robotics. Based on a service oriented architecture and robust middleware, SORA encompasses onboard robot control and a full suite of software tools necessary for remotely operated exploration missions. SORA has been field‐tested in numerous scenarios of robotic lunar and planetary exploration. The experiments conducted by IRG with SORA exercise a large set of the constraints encountered in space applications: remote robotic assets, flight‐relevant science instruments, distributed operations, high network latencies, and unreliable or intermittent communication links. In this paper, we present the results of these field tests in regard to the developed architecture, and we discuss its benefits and limitations.
African American Women's Limited Knowledge and Experiences with Genetic Counseling for Hereditary Breast Cancer
Authors: Sheppard Vanessa B. , Graves Kristi D. , Christopher Juleen , Hurtado‐de‐Mendoza Alejandra , Talley Costellia , Williams Karen Patricia
Published: November 2013

Genetic counseling and testing for hereditary breast cancer have the potential benefit of early detection and early interventions in African American women. However, African American women have low use of these services compared to White women. We conducted two focus groups with African American women diagnosed with breast cancer (affected group, n = 13) and women with at least one first‐degree relative with breast/ovarian cancer (unaffected group, n = 8). A content analysis approach was employed to analyze interview data. Breast cancer survivors had more knowledge about genetic counseling and testing than participants who were unaffected with cancer. However, knowledge about genetic counseling was limited in both groups. Barriers to pursuing genetic counseling and testing included poor understanding of the genetic counseling and testing process, fear of carrying the mutation, concerns about discrimination, and cost. Motivators to participate in genetic counseling and testing included desire to help family members, insurance coverage, and potential of benefiting the larger African American community. Education efforts are needed to increase genetic counseling and testing awareness in the African American community.
Male infertility and androgen replacement therapy for subjects with bilateral testicular tumors
Authors: Amano Toshiyasu , Imao Tetsuya , Takemae Katsuro
Published: November 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate andrological aspects, including male infertility and androgen deficiency, after treatments of bilateral testicular tumors.

Methods

Five subjects with bilateral testicular cancer were clinically analyzed between April 1996 and March 2013.

Results

The mean age at initial treatment was 29.4 ± 3.3 years old. In the 4 metachronous cases, a contralateral tumor occurred after 79.0 ± 50.0 months. Histologically, bilateral seminoma occurred in 3 cases and seminoma and nonseminoma was combined in 2 cases. All subjects underwent bilateral orchiectomy, with additional chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery for metastasis. No tumor recurrence was observed in the 5–34 years following initial treatment. Two subjects married following bilateral orchiectomy after receiving informed consent from their wives. One had two children before contralateral testicular treatment. The other was single and had undergone micro‐testicular sperm extraction at contralateral orchiectomy, although no sperm was found. The other one was unknown because long‐term followup failed. Androgen replacement therapy (ART) was applied for 4 subjects, and relieved physical and psychological symptoms due to testosterone deficiency without adverse reactions.

Conclusions

ART safely and effectively relieves symptoms in subjects with bilateral testicular tumors. However, male infertility treatment is insufficient, and more aggressive management may be required.
Efficacy of clindamycin in reducing pain following tonsillectomy in adults: a double-blind, randomised trial
Authors: Baradaranfar M H , Zand V , Dadgarnia M H , Atighechi S
Published: November 2013

Objective:

Tonsillectomy is a common operation performed in children and young adults. Pain and post-operation haemorrhage are its most common complications. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of topical antibiotics in reducing throat pain after tonsillectomy in adult patients.

Methods:

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial was conducted, enrolling 30 patients older than 18 years who were scheduled to undergo tonsillectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either clindamycin or normal saline (as placebo). Throat pain severity was evaluated using a visual analogue scale.

Results:

All patients in both groups had experienced a reduction in pain by the seventh day after surgery. There was no statistically significant difference in the extent of visual analogue scale pain score reduction, comparing the placebo and clindamycin groups throughout the study course (p = 0.424).

Conclusion:

Topical clindamycin was not demonstrated to be more effective than normal saline in the reduction of throat pain following tonsillectomy in adults.
Plasma processes at comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko: Expectations for Rosetta
Authors: MENDIS D. A. , HORÁNYI M.
Published: November 2013

The Rosetta–Philae mission to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in 2014 will provide a unique opportunity to observe the variable nature of the interaction of a comet with the solar radiation and the solar wind, as the comet approaches the Sun. In this short paper we will focus on the varying global structure of the cometary plasma environment. Specifically we make predictions on the varying locations of the two basic transitions in the global, contaminated solar wind flow toward the comet: the outer bow shock and the ionopause.
Nonlinear fluid equations for fully toroidal electromagnetic waves for the core tokamak plasma
Authors: WEILAND J. , LIU C. S.
Published: November 2013

The rather general set of fluid equations with full curvature effects (Shukla and Weiland, Phys. Rev. A 40, 341 (1989)) has been modified to apply to the core and generalized to include also microtearing modes.
Clicks and percussives in English conversation
Authors: Ogden Richard
Published: November 2013

Clicks are known to occur in English conversation, and have traditionally been assumed to convey affective meaning, generally negative. This is indeed the lay interpretation of clicks. In this paper, we build on the work of Wright (2011a, b), who shows that clicks are also used in the management of sequences of talk. Firstly, we consider similarities and differences in the production of clicks and percussives. We consider some distributional properties of clicks in one variety of English. Drawing on a wide range of conversational data from Britain and the USA, we show some of the functions of clicks and percussives in conversation, which include stance-taking and sequence management (projection of a turn constructional unit and word-search), and handling aspects of timing between turns. We also consider some of the visual behaviours that may accompany clicks. The meaning or function of clicks and percussives, it is argued, must be considered in a fuller interactional context.
Negative intraoral pressure in German: Evidence from an exploratory study
Authors: Fuchs Susanne , Rodgers Blake
Published: November 2013

Phonemic clicks are geographically limited to the African continent, but non-phonemic clicks can also occur in languages spoken elsewhere. One of the phonetic peculiarities of clicks is that they involve negative intraoral pressure. The current study is a survey of instances of negative intraoral pressure excursions in German, a European language which is known to show instances of weak clicks in consonant sequences. Data of spontaneous speech in monologues and read passages from 14 female subjects are analysed. Our data provide evidence that negative pressure occurs frequently in speech production, in particular in pauses (between speech intervals), and in consonant sequences. Of particular interest is that clicks can also occur without an obvious dual closure in the vocal tract. Negative pressure in pauses occurs frequently with clicks (but not exclusively) which are aligned with the pressure minimum. We conclude that these aligned clicks are epiphenomenal and reflect the interaction of the respiratory and the laryngeal systems. In consonant sequences, clicks may be present more often with front–back consonant order than the reverse, but in both cases negative pressure can be found.
A Swedish national adoption study of criminality
Authors: Kendler K. S. , Larsson Lönn S. , Morris N. A. , Sundquist J. , Långström N. , Sundquist K.
Published: November 2013

Background

To clarify the role of genetic and environmental factors in criminal behavior (CB), we examined all CB and violent and non-violent subtypes (VCB and NVCB, respectively) in a Swedish national sample of adoptees and their relatives.

Method

CB was defined by a conviction in the Swedish Crime Register with standard definitions for VCB and NVCB subtypes. We examined adoptees born 1950–1991 (n = 18 070) and their biological (n = 79 206) and adoptive (n = 47 311) relatives.

Results

The risk for all CB was significantly elevated in the adopted-away offspring of biological parents of which at least one had CB [odds ratio (OR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–1.6] and in the biological full and half-siblings of CB adoptees (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2–1.6 and OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2–1.3, respectively). A genetic risk index (including biological parental/sibling history of CB and alcohol abuse) and an environmental risk index (including adoptive parental and sibling CB and a history of adoptive parental divorce, death, and medical illness) both strongly predicted probability of CB. These genetic and environmental risk indices acted additively on adoptee risk for CB. Moderate specificity was seen in the transmission of genetic risk for VCB and NVCB between biological parents and siblings and adoptees.

Conclusions

CB is etiologically complex and influenced by a range of genetic risk factors including a specific liability to CB and a vulnerability to broader externalizing behaviors, and by features of the adoptive environment including parental CB, divorce and death. Genetic risk factors for VCB and NVCB may be at least partially distinct.
Income taxation and the validity of state capacity indicators
Authors: Rogers Melissa Ziegler , Weller Nicholas
Published: November 2013

State capacity is a key concept for research in public policy and political science. Despite its importance, there is no broadly accepted measure of state capacity in the existing literature, and frequently used measures of capacity have not been examined for their validity. We begin with an explicit definition of state capacity – the state's ability to implement public policy – and connect this definition to a measurable outcome of state capacity – the state's taxation of income. We show that this measure, income taxes as a percentage of total tax revenue, is a useful indicator of state capacity and meets higher standards of measurement validity than other tax-based indicators. We also compare our measure to the most common existing indicators of state capacity to show that income taxation is a better theoretical and statistical measure of states’ effectiveness in policy implementation.
Non-equilibrium two-dimensional thermal evolutions in target materials irradiated by femtosecond laser pulse
Authors: Al-Malkawi G. , Hassanein A.
Published: November 2013

Non-equilibrium heat transfer described by a two-step temperature model was developed to study the thermal evolution through target materials irradiated by femtosecond laser pulse. Two-dimensional heat transfer equations were solved numerically. The temperature dependent thermo-physical properties of the electron and the lattice are considered in the model. The Gaussian spatial and temporal distribution of the heat and temperature of the electron and the lattice is presented. The effect of reflectivity, electron — lattice coupling factor, and the spot size was studied using copper targets.
On thermonuclear burn propagation in a pre-compressed cylindrical DT target ignited by a heavy ion beam pulse
Authors: Ramis R. , Meyer-Ter-Vehn J.
Published: November 2013

Thermonuclear ignition and burn propagation in pre-compressed cylindrical deuterium-tritium (DT) targets is studied by two-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations using the code MULTI-2D. Special attention is paid to self-sustained steady burn wave propagation. Peak temperatures and burn wave velocity scale with the density-radius product of the fuel, and wave propagation is obtained for (ρR)DT ≥ 0.45 g/cm2. Radiation transport is identified as the dominant mechanism to drive the wave. Details of ignition by a heavy ion beam pulse are also presented. Limitations in the physics basis of the simulations are pointed out. The results are compared with previous publications found in the literature.
Headphone Verbatim Theatre: Methods, Histories, Genres, Theories
Authors: Wake Caroline
Published: November 2013

Created in an American rehearsal room, exported to an English workshop, and developed in Australia, among other places, ‘headphone verbatim theatre’ – also called ‘recorded delivery’ – is a truly global genre. In this article Caroline Wake focuses on the work of two pioneering practitioners, Briton Alecky Blythe and Australian Roslyn Oades, in order to trace the form's history as well as its methods, genres, and theories. In doing so, she considers how audio technology has evolved over the past decade and how the display or disguise of headphones has affected both the production and reception of the form. She identifies three dominant genres of headphone verbatim theatre (the social crisis play, the social justice play, and the social portrait play, as well as three main performance modes – the epic, the naturalistic, and the mixed. The epic has been the most successful thus far, but the naturalistic and mixed modes are, in turn, begetting new ones. Finally, she suggests that in the same way that headphones have rejuvenated verbatim theatre, they might also reinvigorate the discourse on it by offering the opportunity to go beyond the politics of voice and visibility and to turn, instead, to listening. Caroline Wake is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Centre for Modernism Studies in Australia at the University of New South Wales. Her research examines cultural responses to and representations of refugees and asylum-seekers as well as the role of testimony in law, performance, and visual culture. Her work has previously appeared in journals such as Text & Performance Quarterly, Modern Drama, and History & Memory. She is the co-editor, with Bryoni Trezise, of Visions and Revisions: Performance, Memory, Trauma (Museum Tusculanum Press, 2013).
Performing Wagner for the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Risi Clemens
Published: November 2013

Richard Wagner's works have repeatedly been the focus of questions concerning the possibilities, limits, and nature of the director's role in opera productions, especially in Germany, and prominently at the Bayreuther Festspiele. In this article Clemens Risi discusses some recent developments in staging Wagner's operas at the Festspiele, including Katharina Wagner's production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (2007), Hans Neuenfels's production of Lohengrin (2010), and Sebastian Baumgarten's production of Tannhäuser (2011). While all these productions could be categorized as ‘director's theatre’, they also marked new steps in the staging practice of Wagner's work, going beyond questions of the interpretation of a single piece and taking it as material for exposure in a setting of experimentation. Here Risi considers how a well-known work emerges under the conditions of a newly established situation, as in a laboratory. Currently acting as interim Chair for Theatre and Media Studies at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Clemens Risi was previously Assistant Professor of Opera and Music Theatre at the Freie Universität Berlin. He is the author of Auf dem Weg zu einem italienischen Musikdrama (Tutzing, 2004), and is currently completing a book on opera in performance and preparing another monograph for the 2005 Parma Verdi Prize on performance practice in mid-nineteenth-century Italian opera.
‘Proximity is Not a Simple Co-Existence’: an Interventionist Work at the Haifa University Theatre
Authors: Yerushalmi Dorit
Published: November 2013

He production of Haifa / haifa, performed in winter 2011 at the Haifa University Theatre, based on Tamar Berger's essay Rooftop, Cellar, 1, 100 Stairs and Four-Way Exposure, directed by Helit Michaeli with Jewish and Arabic theatre students, was a piece of devised or ‘post-dramatic’ theatre. The title of the play hints at its general stance, not only by using both languages, Hebrew and Arabic (here represented by italic caps), but also by replacing the hyphen, symbolizing co-existence, with an unsettled slash. In this article Dorit Yerushalmi examines the various layers of Haifa / haifa: first, the literary context of Berger's essay; second, the participants‘ voices which reflect the whirlpool of interpersonal relationships in which they found themselves when confronted with conflicting narratives; and finally, the theatrical means of expression which comprise what, following Emmanuel Levinas, she terms the ‘poetics of proximity’. As a case study, the Haifa / haifa project illustrates how an interventionist work in a university theatre may provide a shared space in which a new understanding of dialogical practice can be constructed – dialogue not merely as a meeting of equals but also (and mainly) a call for responsibility for the ongoing suffering of the others among ‘us’. Dorit Yerushalmi is a lecturer in Theatre Studies at the University of Haifa. Her research interests include Hebrew-Israeli theatre history, theatre and gender, theatre and pedagogy, and interventionist theatre.
Predictors of Nursing Home Placement from Assisted Living Settings in Canada
Authors: Maxwell Colleen J. , Soo Andrea , Hogan David B. , Wodchis Walter P. , Gilbart Erin , Amuah Joseph , Eliasziw Misha , Hagen Brad , Strain Laurel A.
Published: November 2013

Cette étude visait à évaluer l’incidence de placement dans un établissement de soins de longue durée (SLD) et d’identifier les facteurs prédictifs de placement résidentiel et d’installation parmi résidents âgés dans établissements aidant à la vie autonome en Alberta, au Canada. 1,086 résidents de 59 installations en Alberta ont été inclus. Infirmières de recherche ont effectué des évaluations de résidents interRAI-AL et ont interrogé les aidants familiaux et les administrateurs. Les prédicteurs de placement ont été identifiés avec des modèles de risques proportionnels de Cox multivariés. L’incidence cumulative SLD de l’admission était de 18,3 pour cent en 12 mois. Le risque de placement a augmenté significativement pour les résidents âgés et ceux avec des relations sociales médiocres, peu d’implication dans les activités, la dépreciation cognitive et/ou fonctionnelle, l’instabilité de la santé,une histoire des chutes et des hospitalisations récentes/visites à l’urgence, et l’incontinence urinaire sévère. Une diminution du risque de placement a été montré pour les résidents de grandes établissements avec une infirmière autorisée et/ou une infirmière auxiliaire autorisée disponible 24 heures par jour et un médecin de premier recours affilié. Nos résultats font ressortir les domaines cliniques et politiques ou des interventions ciblées peuvent retarder les admissions SLD.
Negotiating Vulnerabilities: How Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions Interact with Physicians
Authors: Clarke Laura Hurd , Bennett Erica V. , Korotchenko Alexandra
Published: November 2013

La littérature concernant les interactions entre les patients et les médecins a largement ignoré les points de vue des personnes âgées souffrant de comorbidités multiples. Cette étude, avec des données recueillies à partir d’entretiens approfondis avec 16 hommes et 19 femmes qui ont eu une moyenne de six affections chroniques, a porté sur la façon dont les participants ont perçus et vécus les soins fournis par leurs médecins de soins primaires. Les participants ont suggéré que les médecins qui soignent les patients atteints de maladies chroniques multiples devraient être minutieux, prête à “gate-keeping,” fiables et ouvert à différents styles de prise de décision. Cependant, nombreux participants à l’étude ont perçu qu’ils recevaient des soins inadéquats en raison de faiblesses personnelles de leurs médecins, les contraintes de consultations médicales, et l’âgisme sociétal. Par conséquent, beaucoup de participants, surtout les femmes, ont utilisé des diverses stratégies pour maximiser les soins reçus et pour gérer les impressions des médecins à leur egard comme dignes patients. Nos résultats suggèrent que les patients âgés atteints de morbidités multiples perçoivent que leur besoins de santé ne sont pas suffisamment satisfaits.
Investigations into the locus of language-switching costs in older adult bilinguals
Authors: HERNANDEZ ARTURO E. , KOHNERT KATHRYN J.
Published: November 2013

Language switching was studied with older adult (age 65 years and older) and young adult (18–24 years) bilinguals in a blocked-language or mixed-language condition. Results revealed small differences in reaction time (RT) between older adults and college-age participants in the blocked condition. However, older adults showed much slower RTs in the mixed condition which involves sustained switching relative to young adults. In Experiment 2, the same design was used except that participants were asked to translate an auditory word. In this condition, older adults showed a slowing effect but to a much lesser degree. Furthermore, comparisons within the mixed condition (transient switching) revealed that switching costs varied across languages and age groups. The results from the picture-naming task are consistent with models that predict deficiencies in task-set shifting in older adults especially when a stimulus activates multiple responses. Furthermore, the results indicate interesting differences in sustained and transient switching depending on the task.
Does information about the pension system affect knowledge and retirement plans? Evidence from a survey experiment
Authors: FINSERAAS HENNING , JAKOBSSON NIKLAS
Published: November 2013

We present the results of a survey experiment where the treatment group was provided with an information brochure regarding recently implemented changes in the Norwegian pension system, whereas a control group was not. We find that those who received the information are more likely to respond correctly to questions regarding the new pension system. The information effect is larger for those with high education, but only for the most complex aspect of the reform. Despite greater knowledge of the reform in the treatment group, we find no differences between the treatment and control group in their preferences regarding when to retire or whether to combine work and pension uptake.
Developing relationships: A strategy for compassionate nursing care of the dying in Japan
Authors: Shimoinaba Kaori , O'Connor Margaret , Lee Susan , Kissane David
Published: November 2013

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to explore the type of relationship and the process of developing these relationships between nurses and patients in palliative care units in Japan. The special contribution that culture makes was examined to better understand the intensity of nurses’ grief after the death of their patient.

Methods:

Thirteen Japanese registered nurses currently practicing in palliative care units were interviewed between July 2006 to June 2009. Theoretical sampling was utilised and the data were analysed using grounded theory methodology. Constant comparison was undertaken during coding processes until data saturation was achieved.

Results:

Significant cultural influences emerged both in the type of relationship nurses formed with patients and in the way they developed relationships. The type of relationship was termed ‘human-to-human’, meaning truly interpersonal. The cultural values of ‘Uchi (inside) and Soto (outside)’ have particular implications for the relationship. Four actions Being open, Trying to understand, Devoting time and energy, and Applying a primary nurse role, were identified as strategies for nurses to develop such relationships. The quality of this deeply committed encounter with patients caused nurses to grieve following patients’ death.

Significance of results:

Culture is a major influence upon the reasons, complexities, and impact that lie behind nurses’ behaviours. Attention is needed to support nurses to sustain a fundamental caring quality in their relationships with patients.
Self-reported sleep disturbance in patients with advanced cancer: Frequency, intensity, and factors associated with response to outpatient supportive care consultation — A preliminary report
Authors: Yennurajalingam Sriram , Chisholm Gary , Palla Shana L. , Holmes Holly , Reuben James M. , Bruera Eduardo
Published: November 2013

Objectives:

Self-reported sleep disturbance (SD) is a distressing symptom in patients with advanced cancer. There are limited data on the treatment of SD and predictors to response of SD to outpatient supportive care clinic (OPC) consultation. The aims of our study was to determine the frequency, intensity, and correlates of SD as assessed with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) sleep item at the time of initial consultation and identify the predictors of improvement in SD at follow-up.

Methods:

We reviewed the records of consecutive patients with advanced cancer presenting to the OPC. ESAS scores were obtained at the initial and subsequent visits between January 2008 and February 2010. All patients underwent screening for SD (0–10 scale: 0 = best sleep, presence of SD defined as ≥3) and interdisciplinary assessment and treatment, including drug review, counseling, sleep hygiene review, and drug therapy. A response was defined as a 1-point improvement at the follow-up visit on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) sleep item score. Baseline patient characteristics, medication use, and ESAS scores were analyzed to determine their association with response.

Results:

The median age was 58 years, and 53% of patients were men. The most common cancer type was head and neck or lung (36%). Of the 442 patients, 330 had baseline SD (score ≥3/10, 75%). Median and mean (standard deviation) baseline SD scores were 5 and 5.1 (2.9). The multivariable regression model found the intensity of baseline ESAS sleep item scores to be associated with baseline sedative use, baseline ESAS pain scores, baseline ESAS fatigue scores, baseline ESAS feeling of well-being scores, and sedative use (R2 = 0.22). Sleep disturbance response at first follow-up was seen in 196 of 330 patients (59%). Moderate to high SD score and anxiety at initial visit with odds ratios (OR) of 2.53 (p = 0.0007) and 1.59 (p = 0.048), respectively, were associated with a response.

Significance of results:

Both the frequency and severity of SD were high. Response to supportive care consultation was substantial. The severity of SD and anxiety at the initial visit predicted a response at first follow-up. Further research is needed.
Sources and types of online information that breast cancer patients read and discuss with their doctors
Authors: Maloney Erin K. , D'Agostino Thomas A. , Heerdt Alexandra , Dickler Maura , Li Yuelin , Ostroff Jamie S. , Bylund Carma L.
Published: November 2013

Objectives:

Most research examining the impact of patients seeking online health information treats internet information homogenously, rather than recognizing that there are multiple types and sources of available information. The present research was conducted to differentiate among sources and types of internet information that patients search for, intend to discuss with their doctors, and recall discussing with their doctors, and to determine how accurate and hopeful patients rate this information.

Methods:

We surveyed 70 breast cancer patients recruited from the waiting rooms of breast medical oncology and surgery clinics. The main variables in the study were as follows: (1) the sources and types of online information patients have read, intended to discuss, and actually discussed with their doctors, and (2) how accurately and hopefully they rated this information to be.

Results:

Patients read information most frequently from the websites of cancer organizations, and most often about side effects. Patients planned to discuss fewer types of information with their doctors than they had read about. They most often intended to discuss information from cancer organization websites or WebMD, and the material was most often about alternative therapies, side effects, and proven or traditional treatments. Some 76.8% of total participants rated the information they had read as very or somewhat accurate, and 61% rated the information they had read as very or somewhat hopeful.

Significance of Results:

Internet information varies widely by source and type. Differentiating among sources and types of information is essential to explore the ways in which online health information impacts patients' experiences.
Perinatal palliative care: Parent perceptions of caring in interactions surrounding counseling for risk of delivering an extremely premature infant
Authors: Kavanaugh Karen , Roscigno Cecelia I. , Swanson Kristen M. , Savage Teresa A. , Kimura Robert E. , Kilpatrick Sarah J.
Published: November 2013

Objective:

When infants are at risk of being born at a very premature gestation (22–25 weeks), parents face important life-support decisions because of the high mortality for such infants. Concurrently, providers are challenged with providing parents a supportive environment within which to make these decisions. Practice guidelines for medical care of these infants and the principles of perinatal palliative care for families can be resources for providers, but there is limited research to bridge these medical and humanistic approaches to infant and family care. The purpose of this article is to describe how parents at risk of delivering their infant prior to 26 weeks gestation interpreted the quality of their interpersonal interactions with healthcare providers.

Methods:

Directed content analysis was employed to perform secondary analysis of data from 54 parents (40 mothers and 14 fathers) from the previously coded theme “Quality of Interactions.” These categorized data described parents' encounters, expectations, and experiences of interactions that occurred prenatally with care providers. For this analysis, Swanson's theory of caring was selected to guide analysis and to delineate parents' descriptions of caring and uncaring interactions.

Results:

Parents' expectations for caring included: (a) respecting parents and believing in their capacity to make the best decisions for their family (maintaining belief); (b) understanding parents' experiences and their continued need to protect their infant (knowing); (c) physically and emotionally engaging with the parents (being with); (d) providing unbiased information describing all possibilities (enabling); and (e) helping parents navigate the system and creating a therapeutic environment for them in which to make decisions (doing for).

Significance of Results:

Understanding parents' prenatal caring expectations through Swanson's theory gives deeper insights, aligning their expectations with the palliative care movement.
Changes experienced by and the future values of bereaved family members determined using narratives from bereavement life review therapy
Authors: Ando Michiyo , Sakaguchi Yukihiro , Shiihara Yasufumi , Izuhara Kumi
Published: November 2013

Objectives:

The goals of this study were to investigate the changes experienced by bereaved family members in Japan and to determine what activities they would value in the future based on narratives from a bereavement life review, which is a type of psychotherapy used to treat depression and promote spiritual well-being.

Methods:

The participants were 20 bereaved Japanese family members who underwent two sessions of bereavement life review over a period of two weeks.

Results:

Using qualitative analysis, we identified four areas of changes (“learning from the deceased's death and self-growth,” “healing process,” “relating with others,” “relating with society,” and “performing new family roles”) and five categories of valued activities (“continuing grief work,” “living with a philosophy,” “attaining life roles,” “keeping good human relationships,” and “enjoying life”).

Significance of results:

“Learning from the deceased's death and self-growth” and “relating with others” are common in Japan and Western countries, whereas “relating with society,” “healing process,” and “performing new family roles” are more characteristic of Japan. The strength of bonding with the deceased may influence the values of bereaved family members. We concluded that bereavement life review therapy can contribute positively to their grief work.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Individual Differences in Sleep Duration During Adolescence
Authors: te Velde Saskia J. , van der Aa Niels , Boomsma Dorret I. , van Someren Eus J. W. , de Geus Eco J. C. , Brug Johannes , Bartels Meike
Published: November 2013

This study assessed to what extent genetic and environmental factors contributed to individual differences in adolescent sleep duration, and whether genetic and environmental contributions to sleep duration changed throughout adolescence. A twin-family design was used to gain insight into the genetic and environmental contributions to variation in sleep duration. The study sample consisted of 6,319 adolescent twins (44% males) and 1,359 non-twin siblings (44% males) in the age range of 12 to 20 years (mean age = 16.85,SD= 1.40). The participants self-reported usual sleep duration, which was categorized as less than 8 hours per night, 8–9 hours per night, and more than 9 hours per night. Results showed that the prevalence of shorter than optimum sleep duration, that is, less than 8 hours per night, was high, with the highest prevalence rates in later adolescence. The contribution of genetic and environmental factors to individual differences in sleep duration was dependent on age. Variation in sleep duration at the age of 12 years was accounted for by genetic (boys: 34%, girls: 36%), shared environmental (boys: 28%, girls: 45%), and non-shared environmental factors (boys: 38%, girls: 19%). At the age of 20 years, the role of genetic (boys: 47%, girls: 33%) and non-shared environmental factors (boys: 53%, girls: 67%) was more pronounced. It can be concluded from the results that individual differences in sleep duration were accounted for by genetic and non-shared environmental factors throughout adolescence, whereas shared environmental factors account for a substantial part of variation during early adolescence only.
Retracted Article: Black mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoleaves: a high capacity and high rate anode for aqueous Al-ion batteries
Authors: He Ying Juan , Peng Jun Fang , Chu Wei , Li Yuan Zhi , Tong Dong Ge
Published: November 2013

Black mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanoleaves with electro-conducting Ti3+ exhibits excellent Al3+ storage performance, rate capability and cycling stability.
Finite‐time cluster synchronisation of Markovian switching complex networks with stochastic perturbations
Authors: Cui Wenxia , Fang Jian‐an , Zhang Wenbing , Wang Xin
Published: November 2013

In this study, the authors study the finite‐time cluster synchronisation problem for a class of Markovian switching complex networks with stochastic noise perturbations. By constructing the suitable stochastic Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, using finite‐time stability theorem, inequality techniques and the properties of Weiner process, sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure finite‐time cluster synchronisation for the complex networks with or without time delays. The effects of control parameters on cluster synchronisation speed and time delays are also analysed. Since finite‐time cluster synchronisation means the optimality in convergence time and has better robustness and disturbance rejection properties, this study has important theory significance and practical application value. Finally, numerical examples are examined to illustrate the effectiveness of the analytical results.