bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remineralizing Efficacy of a CPP-ACP Cream on Enamel Caries Lesions in situ
Authors: Meyer-Lueckel Hendrik , Wierichs Richard J. , Schellwien Timo , Paris Sebastian
Published: November 2014

The aim of this double-blind, randomized, cross-over in situ study was to compare the remineralizing effects induced by the application of casein phosphopeptide-stabilized amorphous calcium phosphate complexes (CPP-ACP)-containing cream (without fluoride) after the use of fluoride toothpaste with the prolonged use of fluoride toothpaste on enamel caries lesions in situ. During each of three experimental legs of 4 weeks, 13 participants wore intra-oral mandibular appliances with 8 pre-demineralized bovine enamel specimens in the vestibular flanges mimicking either ‘easily cleanable' or ‘proximal' surfaces (n = 312). The three randomly allocated treatments were as follows: (1) application of CPP-ACP-containing cream (GC Tooth Mouse, non-fluoride) after the use of fluoride toothpaste (1,400 ppm NaF; TM), (2) prolonged application of fluoride toothpaste (1,400 ppm NaF; positive control, PC) and (3) prolonged application of fluoride-free toothpaste (negative control, NC). Additionally, one of each of the two flanges was brushed twice daily with the respective toothpaste. The differences in integrated mineral loss as assessed by transversal microradiography were calculated between values before and after the in situ period. Changes in mineral loss were analysed for those pairs of subgroups differing in only one of the three factors (intervention, brushing and position). The PC treatment induced a significantly higher mineral gain compared with the TM and NC treatments. No significant differences between TM and NC for both positions were observed. In conclusion, the additional use of a CPP-ACP-containing cream seems to be less efficacious in remineralizing caries lesions than the prolonged application of fluoride toothpaste. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Evaluating the use of commercial drug-specific calibrators for determining PT and APTT reagent sensitivity to dabigatran and rivaroxaban
Authors: Adcock Dorothy , Hawes Emily M. , Francart Suzanne J. , Grant Russell P. , Moll Stephan , Gosselin Robert C.
Published: November 2014

Suitable laboratory methodologies for quantifying the non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) include liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) or drug-calibrated assays such as the dilute thrombin time for dabigatran or anti-Xa measurements for rivaroxaban. In situations when these tests are unavailable, it has been suggested that using commercial drug calibrators on APTT and PT assays would theoretically provide reagent sensitivity to these drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether commercial drug calibrators deliver similar reagent sensitivity information as samples from patients receiving dabigatran or rivaroxaban as part of their routine care. Two laboratory sites tested commercial calibrator material for dabigatran and rivaroxaban (Hyphen Biomedical) using PT and APTT reagents and data was compared to samples collected from patients taking NOACs that were quantified by LC-MS/MS. Correlation statistics and calculating the amount of drug required to double the clotting time of normal plasma were performed. All drug calibrator material correlated more strongly (R2> 0.95) for any reagent/drug combination than patient samples (R2 ranged from 0.29–0.86). Dabigatran calibrator results and patient data were equivalent for SynthASil and PTT-A APTT reagents. The dabigatran and rivaroxaban calibrator material over-estimated drug sensitivity for all PT reagents when compared to sensitivity data calculated based on drug levels obtained by LC-MS/MS from patient samples. In conclusion, drug-specific calibrators overestimated reagent sensitivity which may underestimate in vivo drug concentration in a given patient. Further studies are required to assess whether this method of determining relative sensitivity of NOAC on routine coagulation assays should be recommended.
Determinants of premature familial arterial thrombosis in patients with juvenile ischaemic stroke
Authors: Pezzini Alessandro , Grassi Mario , Lodigiani Corrado , Patella Rosalba , Gandolfo Carlo , Zini Andrea , DeLodovici Maria Luisa , Paciaroni Maurizio , Del Sette Massimo , Toriello Antonella , Musolino Rossella , Calabrò Rocco Salvatore , Bovil Paolo , Adami Alessandro , Silvestrelli Giorgio , Sessa Maria , Cavallini Anna , Marcheselli Simona , Bonifati Domenico Marco , Checcarelli Nicoletta , Tancredi Lucia , Chiti Alberto , Del Zotto Elisabetta , Spalloni Alessandra , Costa Paolo , Giacalone Giacomo , Ferrazzi Paola , Poli Loris , Andrea Morotti , Maurizia Rasura , Simone Anna Maria , Gamba Massimo , Cerrato Paolo , Micieli Giuseppe , Melis Maurizio , Massucco Davide , De Giuli Valeria , Pepe Daniele , Iacoviello Licia , Padovani Alessandro
Published: November 2014

Factors predicting family history (FH) of premature arterial thrombosis in young patients with ischaemic stroke (IS) have not been extensively investigated, and whether they might influence the risk of post-stroke recurrence is still unknown. In the present study we analysed 1,881 consecutive first-ever IS patients aged 18–45 years recruited from January 2000 to January 2012 as part of the Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults (IPSYS). FH of premature arterial thrombosis was any thrombotic event [IS, myocardial infarction or other arterial events event] > 45 years in proband’s first-degree relatives. Compared with patients without FH of premature arterial thrombosis, those with FH (n= 85) were more often smokers (odds ratio [OR], 1.94; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.21–3.09) and carriers of procoagulant abnormalities (OR, 3.66; 95 % CI, 2.21–6.06). Smoking (OR, 2.48; 95 % CI, 1.20–5.15), the A1691 mutation in factor V gene (OR, 3.64; 95 % CI, 1.31–10.10), and the A20210 mutation in the prothrombin gene (OR, 8.40; 95 % CI 3.35–21.05) were associated with FH of premature stroke (n = 33), while circulating anti-phospholipids to FH of premature myocardial infarction (n = 45; OR, 3.48; 95 % CI, 1.61–7.51). Mean follow-up time was 46.6 ± 38.6 months. Recurrent events occurred more frequently in the subgroup of patients with FH of premature stroke [19.4 %); p = 0.051] compared to patients without such a FH. In conclusion, young IS patients with FH of premature arterial thrombosis exhibit a distinct risk-factor profile, an underlying procoagulant state and have worse vascular prognosis than those with no FH of juvenile thrombotic events.
The Strategic Logic of Nuclear Proliferation
Authors: Monteiro Nuno P. , Debs Alexandre
Published: November 2014

When do states acquire nuclear weapons? To address this question, a strategic theory of nuclear proliferation must take into account the security goals of all of the key actors: the potential proliferator, its adversaries, and, when present, its allies. To acquire nuclear weapons, a state must possess both the willingness and the opportunity to proliferate. Willingness requires the presence of a grave security threat against which no ally offers reliable protection. Opportunity requires that the state pursuing nuclear weapons possess high relative power vis-à-vis its adversaries or enjoy the protection of a powerful ally. Whereas a relatively weak state without a powerful ally lacks the opportunity to develop a nuclear capability, one with such an ally lacks the willingness to do so. Therefore, only powerful states or relatively weak states with allies that do not guarantee fulfillment of at least some of their key security goals will acquire the bomb. These claims are supported by the overall pattern of nuclear proliferation as well as detailed analyses of the Soviet, Iraqi, Pakistani, South Korean, and West German nuclear development cases.
Disorderly Conduct
Authors: Lau Alwyn
Published: November 2014

Psychoanalysis is gaining popularity as a tool for interrogating political problems. This paper applies the three fundamental diagnostic categories of neurosis, psychosis and perversion to Malaysian socio-political discourse. This endeavour is urgent given the political upheavals in the country since the 2008 general elections where the ruling National Alliance regime lost its two-third majority in parliament, a result repeated again five years later at the thirteenth general elections. Nevertheless, democratic abuses and religious extremism remain strife (and has arguably grown worse) in the country. Political action is thus rendered even more urgent and thus, arguably, the need for fresh lenses with which to view the present (and even past) injustices perpetuated by the reigning administration. As such, this paper will analyse issues and events like the ‘Allah’ controversy, Mahathirism, Ops Lalang and cronyism in Malaysian politics, and seeks to do so using conceptual tools of a Lacanian-Žižekian nature. If the nature of the problem can be reviewed and rethought, perhaps a new way of thinking about the solutions may also arise, leading even to a reimagining of the very idea of the political.
White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and prevalence of disease resistance in a commercially cultured population of Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798 (Decapoda, Dendrobranchiata)
Authors: Chakrabarty U. , Dutta S. , Mallik A. , Mandal N.
Published: November 2014

White spot disease (WSD) caused by the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is the leading cause for huge economic destruction in the shrimp aquaculture industry. The present study investigates the prevalence of WSSV and disease-resistant shrimps among a commercially cultured population of Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798. Results suggest that WSSV prevalence among 32 culture ponds affected by various diseases was 58.2% cumulatively in 2009 and 2010. Real-time PCR yielded 1.46 × 108, 1.94 × 106 and 3.6 × 104 copies of WSSV per μg of genomic DNA of shrimp in severe, moderate and low infected shrimps, successively. Among the shrimps collected, the prevalence of disease resistance was 31.4% and 37.1% consecutively in 2009 and 2010. It was found that 34% of the shrimps were disease resistant while considering both years. This study shows the importance of using disease-resistant seeds for better shrimp health management.
First record of Diacanthurus ophthalmicus and Nematopagurus lepidochirus (Decapoda, Anomura, Paguridae) from South Korea
Authors: Kim Mi Hyang , Kim Jung Nyun , Choi Jung Hwa , Seo In-Soo
Published: November 2014

Two species of pagurid hermit crab,Diacanthurus ophthalmicus(Ortmann, 1892) andNematopagurus lepidochirus(Doflein, 1902), which were collected in 2013 from 129 m depth, east of Jeju Island, are now recorded from South Korea for the first time.Diacanthurus ophthalmicusandNematopagurus lepidochirusare the only members of the generaDiacanthurusandNematopagurusknown from South Korea, respectively.
La société civile au Liban: ses forces et ses faiblesses
Authors: Kiwan Fadia
Published: November 2014

This paper investigates the multiple faces of Lebanese civil society, particularly focusing on the evolutions of the recent years. It reconstructs the state of the art in this field in order to see if Lebanese civil society could represent an alternative to ‘communitarian society’ and to the government of the traditional elites. The analysis starts from some relevant questions: which are, today, the most active components of Lebanese civil society and to which extent are they able to trigger change? To what extent the participation of the associations in Lebanon could be considered a mean of democratizationor, at least, a mean of political change? Was it possible for the civil society’s Organisations crossing the border lines of communitarianism, to develop a critical mass for change?

The domestic and regional evolutions show a very complicated panorama where it seems very difficult to get out of confessionalism.
Vanda malipoensis, a new species of Vanda (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae; Vandeae) from China: evidence from morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses
Authors: ZOU LONG-HAI , Liu Zhong-Jian , HUANG JIU-XIANG
Published: November 2014

A new species of Vanda, V. malipoensis, from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated in this study based on morphological and molecular evidence. Detailed morphological comparisons between the newly discovered orchid and other members of Vanda s.l. indicate that V. malipoensis is similar to V. christensoniana and V. nana. The new plant differs from the former species by the presence of inflorescences with sparse and smaller flowers, a shorter column and caudiculate pollinia, and it differs from the latter by the presence of longer inflorescences with fully open flowers and erect sidelobes of the lip. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nrITS and plastid datasets (atpI-atpH, matK, trnH-psbA, and trnL-F) also support the conclusion that V. malipoensis is a new species in section Ascocentropsis of Vanda s.l. and is sister to V. nana and this pair to V. christensoniana. Given the observed discrepancy between the plastid and nrITS results, hybridization may have been involved in the evolution of this set of species.
Stories from Quechan Oral Literature
Authors: Halpern A.M. , Miller Amy
Published: November 2014

The Quechan are a Yuman people who have traditionally lived along the lower part of the Colorado River in California and Arizona. They are well known as warriors, artists, and traders, and they also have a rich oral tradition. The stories in this volume were told by tribal elders in the 1970s and early 1980s. The eleven narratives in this volume take place at the beginning of time and introduce the reader to a variety of traditional characters, including the infamous Coyote and also Kwayúu the giant, Old Lady Sanyuuxáv and her twin sons, and the Man Who Bothered Ants.

This book makes a long-awaited contribution to the oral literature and mythology of the American Southwest, and its format and organization are of special interest. Narratives are presented in the original language and in the storytellers’ own words. A prosodically-motivated broken-line format captures the rhetorical structure and local organization of the oral delivery and calls attention to stylistic devices such as repetition and syntactic parallelism. Facing-page English translation provides a key to the original Quechan for the benefit of language learners. The stories are organized into "story complexes”, that is, clusters of narratives with overlapping topics, characters, and events, told from diverse perspectives. In presenting not just stories but story complexes, this volume captures the art of storytelling and illuminates the complexity and interconnectedness of an important body of oral literature. Stories from Quechan Oral Literature provides invaluable reading for anyone interested in Native American cultural heritage and oral traditions more generally.
Role of Tropical Cyclones along the Monsoon Trough in the 2011 Thai Flood and Interannual Variability
Authors: Takahashi Hiroshi G. , Fujinami Hatsuki , Yasunari Tetsuzo , Matsumoto Jun , Baimoung Somchai
Published: November 2014

The atmospheric circulation patterns that were responsible for the heavy flooding that occurred in Thailand in 2011 are examined. This paper also investigates the interannual variation in precipitation over Indochina over a 33-yr period from 1979–2011, focusing on the role of westward-propagating tropical cyclones (TCs) over the Asian monsoon region. Cyclonic anomalies and more westward-propagating TCs than expected from the climatology of the area were observed in 2011 along the monsoon trough from the northern Indian subcontinent, the Bay of Bengal, Indochina, and the western North Pacific, which contributed significantly to the 2011 Thai flood. The strength of monsoon westerlies was normal, which implies that the monsoon westerly was not responsible for the seasonal heavy rainfall in 2011. Similar results were also obtained from the 33-yr statistical analysis. The 5-month total precipitation over Indochina covaried interannually with that along the monsoon trough. In addition, above-normal precipitation over Indochina was observed when enhanced cyclonic circulation with more westward-propagating TCs along the monsoon trough was observed. Notably, the above-normal precipitation was not due to the enhanced monsoon westerly over Indochina. Therefore, the 2011 Thai flood was caused by the typical atmospheric circulation pattern for an above-normal precipitation year. It is noteworthy that the effect of sea surface temperature (SST) forcing over the western North Pacific and the Niño-3.4 region on total precipitation during the summer rainy season over Indochina was unclear over the 33-yr period.
Trends in Daily Temperature and Precipitation Extremes for the Southeastern United States: 1948–2012
Authors: Powell Emily J. , Keim Barry D.
Published: November 2014

Spatial and temporal trends in temperature and precipitation extremes were investigated for the period 1948–2012 across the southeastern United States using 27 previously defined indices. Results show that regionwide warming in extreme minimum temperatures and cooling in extreme maximum temperatures occurred. The disproportionate changes in extreme daytime and nighttime temperatures are narrowing diurnal temperature ranges for most locations. The intensity and magnitude of extreme precipitation events increased overall, except for more easterly locations, particularly in South Carolina. These indices further show that warming in minimum temperatures has been pronounced most in summer and least in winter. Fall has become significantly wetter, while spring and summer have become drier, on average. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to characterize a “geography of extremes” based on temperature and precipitation extreme indices. The PCA based on temperature indices revealed two coherent western and eastern subregions that share common modes of variability in extremes. Precipitation indices resulted in a greater number of smaller, spatially coherent groups exhibiting similar modes of variability. This classification regime illustrates important variations in extremes that exist on subregional scales. These findings have relevance for established climate research institutes, local governments, resource managers, and community planners interested in the variability of extreme events throughout the region.
Advice Giving and Receiving Within a Research Network
Authors: Hayat Tsahi (Zack) , Mo Guang Ying
Published: November 2014

One of the central components of research-related networked work is the exchange of advice through which researchers are expected to share useful information, especially critical information that others might not possess. A key enabler for advice exchange is the minimizing of structural constraints in the organizations. In this study, we wish to gain a better understanding of how structural constraints, in the form of social and network structure, interplay with advice exchange. Our study’s focal point is the Graphics, Animation, and New Media (GRAND) network, a national research organization in Canada. By conducting a social network survey ( N = 101), we were able to study advice giving and receiving among GRAND members. Our findings indicate that the centrality of researchers in the communication network positively correlates with both advice giving and receiving. However, the effective network size of communication networks more strongly correlates with advice giving and receiving, especially for the researchers who hold higher hierarchical positions in GRAND. Overall, our findings indicate that both the communication network and the hierarchical structure are strongly correlated with advice giving and receiving. Furthermore, by looking at the combined correlation between social and network structures with advice exchange, we can offer a better understanding of researchers’ interactions. Our findings are then discussed within the context of their potential implications for other studies on the topic of research collaboration.
Making Science
Authors: Binz-Scharf Maria C. , Kalish Yuval , Paik Leslie
Published: November 2014

Research scientists have become increasingly dependent on collaborations across laboratories and organizations to maintain their productivity. However, the increased specialization of individual laboratories works against the current drive toward understanding systems in the sciences. Consequently, there is a tension between the rising importance of collaborative efforts and the practical and structural challenges in establishing and managing such collaborations. Combining ethnographic case studies of three biology research labs with network data of their larger scientific community, we explore the changing process of scientific knowledge production in the age of Big Science. We find that virtual technologies open up the knowledge process as scientists have easier access to data, publications, and each other. At the same time, we find that these technologies—specifically scientific databases—do not eradicate the social aspects of scientific knowledge production as collaborative structures in science remain relatively unchanged. We discuss the implications for theory and practice of this seemingly contradictory character of scientific knowledge production.
Relationships Among Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory Frameworks via Factor Analytic Models
Authors: Kohli Nidhi , Koran Jennifer , Henn Lisa
Published: November 2014

There are well-defined theoretical differences between the classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT) frameworks. It is understood that in the CTT framework, person and item statistics are test- and sample-dependent. This is not the perception with IRT. For this reason, the IRT framework is considered to be theoretically superior to the CTT framework for the purpose of estimating person and item parameters. In previous simulation studies, IRT models were used both as generating and as fitting models. Hence, results favoring the IRT framework could be attributed to IRT being the data-generation framework. Moreover, previous studies only considered the traditional CTT framework for the comparison, yet there is considerable literature suggesting that it may be more appropriate to use CTT statistics based on an underlying normal variable (UNV) assumption. The current study relates the class of CTT-based models with the UNV assumption to that of IRT, using confirmatory factor analysis to delineate the connections. A small Monte Carlo study was carried out to assess the comparability between the item and person statistics obtained from the frameworks of IRT and CTT with UNV assumption. Results show the frameworks of IRT and CTT with UNV assumption to be quite comparable, with neither framework showing an advantage over the other.
Governmental budgetary reporting systems in the European Union: is the accounting basis relevant for the deficit reliability?
Authors: Jesus Maria Antónia , Jorge Susana
Published: November 2014

When reporting to Eurostat for the purpose of deficit assessment, EU member states follow National Accounts (NA) rules, specifically the European System of National and Regional Accounts. However, the information reported is gathered from Governmental Accounting (GA), namely budgetary reporting. Consequently, several adjustments are needed when translating data from GA into NA, including those concerning the accounting basis – in some countries GA budgetary balance is already accrual-based while in others it is still cash-based. This research aims to analyse adjustments derived from different accounting bases adopted in GA and NA, demonstrating their diversity and materiality and the consequences for EU member states’ deficit/surplus reliability. It analyses cash-accrual adjustments to be made in Central Government data, using a few EU countries and data from the respective Excessive Deficit Procedure notifications covering the years 2005 to 2010. The main findings show that cash-accrual adjustments are more diverse and tend to be material in relation to the final deficit/surplus, in countries still adopting cash-based budgetary reporting in GA, raising questions concerning the reliability of the deficit/surplus they report.

Points for practitioners

This article contributes to a better understanding of the accounting basis differences for the convergence process between GA and NA, allowing for more reliable and informative budgetary reporting to be reached from both micro and macro perspectives. It highlights how important it is that GA moves from cash to accruals, namely concerning budgetary accounting and reporting systems. The diversity and materiality of accounting basis adjustments are important starting points for the development of a common framework to deal with these adjustments, and this is to be learned by policy-makers, especially accounting standard-setters and statistics agencies.
Strengthening of the executive centre: looking beyond NPM as the explanation for change
Authors: Kolltveit Kristoffer
Published: November 2014

In several countries, attempts have been made to increase the capacity to coordinate and control public policy in the executive centre. The literature on whole-of-government and joined-up government describes these changes as reassertion efforts to counter the negative effects of former New Public Management (NPM) reforms. The main research question discussed in this article is whether the strengthening of the executive centre also should be explained by broader developments in society and by features of the cabinet itself. The research question is answered by looking at changes in Norway over the last three decades. Although former NPM reforms play a part in the Norwegian case, the article finds that the efforts undertaken should also be explained by the wish to improve cabinet decision-making and to solve conflicts between parties in cabinet.

Points for practitioners

This article examines different explanations for change in the executive centre in Norway. Over the last three decades, the Norwegian executive centre has been strengthened by the increased number of political appointees in ministries, by the enlargement of the Prime Minister’s Office where its own coordination minister was appointed in 2009, and by the formalization of an inner cabinet. The empirical data are gathered from internal cabinet documents and semi-structured interviews with administrative and political leaders. The article finds that developments in Norway have several explanations, suggesting that changes in the executive centre are heterogeneous, and are seldom undertaken to serve only one purpose.
Degradation and stability of green composites fabricated from oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber and polylactic acid: Effect of fiber length
Authors: Moshiul Alam AKM , Beg MDH , Mina MF , Mamun AA , Bledzki AK
Published: November 2014

In this work, polylactic acid and oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber-reinforced green composites have been fabricated by using random and fixed-length fibers through extrusion followed by injection molding. The prepared composites have been characterized by mechanical tests, thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Among all fabricated composites having various sizes and contents of fibers, 30-mm long and 40 wt% empty fruit bunch fiber-incorporated composites show the optimum tensile strength and modulus. As compared to raw empty fruit bunch fiber-loaded composites, simultaneous ultrasound and alkali-treated empty fruit bunch-reinforced composites have revealed improved mechanical performances, enhanced crystallinity, and thermal stability. In case of soil burial degradation studies, treated empty fruit bunch fiber-reinforced composite has been found to be more stable than untreated fiber-reinforced composite.
Fabrication of TiB2 nanoparticulates-reinforced aluminum matrix composites by powder metallurgy route
Authors: Hosseini Vajargah Pouya , Abdizadeh Hossein , Baghchesara Mohammad Amin
Published: November 2014

Al/TiB2 nanocomposites were fabricated via powder metallurgy route through a primarily cold isostatic pressing of aluminum powder containing 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 5, and 10 Vol.% of TiB2 nanoparticles and subsequent sintering at two temperatures of 650℃ and 680℃. Density, phase analysis, microstructure, and compressive strength of the samples were then characterized. Results indicated that with increasing the content of the second phase (TiB2), the amount of structural deteriorations like porosity and crack increases as a result of poorer distribution of ceramic nanoparticles, agglomeration, and retarded sintering. However, the compressive strength of nanocomposites tends to enhance with addition and increasing the amount of reinforcement phase (TiB2). Improvement in the compressive strength of composites is a result of activation of strengthening mechanisms such as formation and pile-up of dislocations. The trend of the compressive strength decreases after reaching a maximum amount for Al-2.5TiB2, in 680℃. Generally, samples with moderate amounts of TiB2 (2.5–5 Vol.%) have shown better microstructural and mechanical characteristics due to efficient impact of strengthening mechanisms with lower negative effects of destructive factors like porosity and agglomeration.
Community Disadvantage, Parental Network, and Commitment to Social Norms
Authors: Valdimarsdóttir Margrét , Bernburg Jón Gunnar
Published: November 2014

Objectives:

Social disorganization theory implies that neighborhood disadvantage influences delinquency in part through the weakening of neighborhood-level social ties and residents’ commitment to social norms. We test these associations by focusing on social ties among neighborhood parents and adolescent commitment to social norms.

Methods:

We use a population survey of adolescents and combine it with administrative (population) data on school neighborhood characteristics in Iceland. We use multilevel data on 83 school communities and 5,865 adolescents in Iceland to analyze our hypotheses.

Results:

We find partial support for our hypotheses. Thus, adolescents living in neighborhoods characterized by concentrated disadvantage are more delinquent, net of individual-level (household) characteristics. Moreover, neighborhood-level parental networks and adolescent commitment to social norms mediate a part of this contextual effect.

Conclusion:

By supporting community theories in a different societal context (i.e., in a small homogeneous society) than most prior work, our study strengthens the external validity of the existing research. As we use cross-sectional data, the study faces the limitation of not being able to separate the constructs temporally.
Organ procurement in forensic deaths: French developments
Authors: Delannoy Yann , Jousset Nathalie , Averland Benoit , Hedouin Valéry , Ludes Bertrand , Gosset Didier
Published: November 2014

Organ procurement and transplantation have grown steadily, and the need for organs will only rise in the future. Increasing the number of potential donors is therefore paramount. However, transplant coordination teams face refusals that can be linked to the contexts of the deaths, especially when they involve legal issues. In France, deaths involving legal proceedings are not uncommon (7–10%). In these cases, the prosecutor is immediately contacted, and makes the decision of whether to remove the involved organs. Refusals of this type represent 4% (approximately 30 cases per year) of obstacles to organ removals, and are governed by specific legislation. Thus, the prosecutor must arrange contact with a forensic pathologist and with the organ transplant teams to assemble all of the necessary elements for him to take the decision. To assist prosecutors in their decision making and to ensure them scientific rigour, the French Society of Forensic Medicine sought to develop a national recommendation to harmonise practices; it emerged in early 2013. The guideline makes practical recommendations, including among others: nominating local referents; writing regional protocols between judicial authorities, forensic pathologists and transplant teams; establishing terms for the forensic pathologist’s intervention on the donor’s body before and after a procurement. This recommendation by the French Society of Forensic Medicine aimed to combine two interests: addressing the shortage of organs, and fulfilling the requisites of a criminal investigation by standardising practices and encouraging communication.
Crossing a broad gray line to help children
Authors: Allen Megan M.
Published: November 2014

Helping students with mental health issues sometimes presents teachers with the dilemma of following the letter of school rules or doing what is best for the child. One teacher tells her story of crossing such lines, but only in service to children. She also outlines what teachers can and should do to help students who need mental health services.
The Editor’s Note
Authors: Richardson Joan
Published: November 2014

Robin Williams' death by suicide in August could be the best thing that's happened for mental health awareness in years. Talking about mental health is shushed, and those afflicted with the disease are often complicit in that silence. As much as Williams enriched our lives through laughter, his legacy will be longer and deeper if his passing pushes us toward a deeper and more compassionate understanding about mental illness. And that understanding can only begin by shining the light on it and bringing discussions about mental illness into the open.
Backtalk
Authors: Horvat Erin McNamara , Baugh David E.
Published: November 2014

The authors take on the district vs. charter school question. The real question, they say, ought to be whether we favor good schools for all kids. Are we ready to talk about why it’s acceptable to provide a world class public education to kids in well-funded suburban schools while city kids work to bootstrap into the American Dream in Third World conditions with far fewer resources than their suburban peers? A better conversation would untangle our tolerance for this inequality and generate solutions that level the playing field.
Religion as Bridging or Bonding Social Capital
Authors: Park Julie J. , Bowman Nicholas A.
Published: November 2014

Religion is the most segregated arena of American life, but its effect on collegiate diversity outcomes has been overlooked, despite the significance of both race and religion in many students’ lives. This study examines whether religious observance, religious worldview identification, and participation in a religious student organization are significantly related to cross-racial interaction (CRI), a form of bridging social capital, during college. The current study yielded largely positive relationships between general religiosity and CRI. General religiosity was also positively linked to CRI for Asian American, white, and black students. CRI was higher for students from minority religious backgrounds. Participation in campus religious groups was nonsignificant, regardless of the racial composition of the group. Findings are surprising given previous work that has mainly found negative relationships between religion and diversity-related outcomes in college. We discuss implications for the study of the campus climate and the effect of religion on campus race relations.
Timing deviations in jazz performance: The relationships of selected musical variables on horizontal and vertical timing relations: A case study
Authors: Wesolowski Brian C
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects and relationships of selected musical variables on the horizontal (i.e., successive eighth note timing relationships) and vertical (i.e., the degree of ensemble synchronicity between separate parts) timing properties of jazz rhythm. A total of 949 eighth note samples from five improvised solos by saxophonist Chris Potter were analysed. Musical variables included metrical beat placement, melodic character, intervals, articulation, underlying harmony, and tempo. Results of the simultaneous multiple regression analyses revealed that intervals preceding and intervals succeeding the sample eighth notes had a significant effect on eighth note durations. Articulation had a significant effect on upbeat beat ratio. The relationships between the relative onset timing data of the saxophone, bass, and drums yielded significant results. There was a large, negative correlation between the relative timing onsets of saxophone and bass, a large negative correlation between saxophone and drums, and a moderate, negative correlation between bass and drums. Implications for the fields of music education, pedagogy, and cognitive psychology are discussed.
Music listening in everyday life: Devices, selection methods, and digital technology
Authors: Krause Amanda E , North Adrian C
Published: November 2014

Two studies considered whether psychological variables could predict everyday music listening practices more than those demographic and technology-related variables studied predominantly hitherto. Study 1 focused on music-listening devices, while Study 2 focused on music selection strategies (e.g. playlists). Study 1 indicated the existence of a one-dimensional identity based on music technology. Further, psychological variables (such as innovativeness and self-efficacy) predicted whether individuals possess such an identity. Moreover, while psychological variables predicted whether individuals preferred ‘familiarized’ advantages inherent to listening devices, a preference for ‘progressive’ advantages was predicted by technological behaviors. Study 2 supported the first study in terms of identity, and demonstrated that a different pattern of variables predicted playlist listening from listening to music via shuffle. More generally, the findings suggest the utility of applying constructs from consumer psychology to everyday music-listening behaviors.
Evidence for brain morphometric changes during the migraine cycle: A magnetic resonance-based morphometry study
Authors: Coppola Gianluca , Di Renzo Antonio , Tinelli Emanuele , Iacovelli Elisa , Lepre Chiara , Di Lorenzo Cherubino , Di Lorenzo Giorgio , Di Lenola Davide , Parisi Vincenzo , Serrao Mariano , Pauri Flavia , Fiermonte Giancarlo , Bianco Federico , Pierelli Francesco
Published: November 2014

Neurophysiological investigations have demonstrated that there are unique fluctuations in the migraine brain functional activity between the ictal and interictal periods. Here we investigated the possibility that there are fluctuations over time also in whole brain morphometry of patients affected by episodic migraine without aura (MO).

Twenty-four patients with untreated MO underwent 3T MRI scans during ( n = 10) or between attacks ( n = 14) and were compared to a group of 15 healthy volunteers (HVs). We then performed voxel-based-morphometry (VBM) analysis of structural T1-weighted MRI scans to determine if changes in brain structure were observed over the course of the migraine cycle.

Interictally, MO patients had a significantly lower gray matter (GM) density within the right inferior parietal lobule, right temporal inferior gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, and left temporal pole than did HVs. Ictally, GM density increased within the left temporal pole, bilateral insula, and right lenticular nuclei, but no areas exhibited decreased GM density.

These morphometric GM changes between ictal and interictal phases suggest that abnormal structural plasticity may be an important mechanism of migraine pathology. Given the functional neuroanatomy of these areas, our findings suggest that migraine is a condition associated with global dysfunction of multisensory integration and memory processing.
Civic Participation through Volunteerism among Youth across Immigrant Generations
Authors: Ishizawa Hiromi
Published: November 2014

This study examines patterns of civic participation through volunteerism among youth across immigrant generations using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. This study asks the following question: Does the association between volunteerism and immigrant generational status vary by race and ethnicity, and are differences in volunteerism by race/ethnic immigrant generation status mediated by acculturation, cumulative resources during youth, and institutional opportunities? The results show that the first and second generation Hispanic youth are less likely to volunteer than third+ generation whites. The findings demonstrate that the lower levels of family socioeconomic status, parents’ civic participation, engagement in extracurricular activities, and enrollment in postsecondary institutions account for this pattern. Contrary to classical assimilation theory, having non-English-language-speaking parents is associated with a higher likelihood of volunteerism. Furthermore, an immigrant advantage is found for first generation Hispanic youth for regular volunteerism, and a second generation advantage is found for Asians for all volunteer frequencies.
Methanolic extract of Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz flowers ameliorates carbon tetrachloride-induced chronic hepatic fibrosis in rats
Authors: Nitha A , Prabha SP , Ansil PN , Latha MS
Published: November 2014

Hepatic fibrosis, characterized by extracellular matrix accumulation, is the common cause of chronic liver failure and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of dried flowers of Woodfordia fruticosa on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis in rat model. Hepatic fibrosis was induced in male Wistar rats by CCl4 administration (150 μl/100 g rat weight, oral) twice a week for 10 weeks. In preventive model, administration of daily doses of methanolic extract of W. fruticosa (MEWF) at two different doses (100 mg/kg, body weight (b.w.) and 200 mg/kg, b.w.) was started 1 week before the onset of CCl4 administration and continued for 10 weeks. In curative model, MEWF at 100 and 200 mg/kg were given for last 2 weeks after the establishment of fibrosis. MEWF at a dose of 200 mg/kg was able to exert a more pronounced effect as evidenced histologically by significant reduction in fibrotic septa formation in liver tissue, immunohistochemically by abridged expression of collagen III, and also biochemically by serum and tissue antioxidant status, lipid peroxidation, and hydroxyproline level. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of confertin, quercetin methyl ether, ellagic acid, and stigmasterol in MEWF, which could be responsible for its antifibrotic activity. These results indicate the effective protection exerted by MEWF against CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner.
Predictors of Ketogenic Diet Efficacy in Children Based on the Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Authors: Walker Ian , Said Rana R.
Published: November 2014

It is unclear whether electrographic features are predictive of ketogenic diet efficacy and how evolution of electroencephalogram (EEG) findings correlates with clinical improvement. We aimed to identify predictors for clinical seizure reduction on the diet as it correlates with serial EEGs. We reviewed 89 patients on the diet at Children’s Medical Center from 2005 to 2012. We developed scoring criteria to analyze EEG characteristics (2 scales: 0-3 for encephalopathy; 0-6 for interictal discharges). Those with the lowest encephalopathy scores on last EEG strongly correlated with seizure reduction in patients with >95% seizure reduction ( P = .002). A change in encephalopathy scores in those with moderate-severe encephalopathy on first EEG also correlated with >95% reduction in seizures ( P = .009). This supports the theory that serial EEGs can be helpful in predicting positive therapeutic outcomes on the diet. Of 43 patients with both initial and follow-up EEGs, 27 had a decrease in interictal epileptic discharge frequency, though this was not significant ( P = .434).
Parental Understanding of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Authors: Samia Pauline , Donald Kirsten A. , Schlegel Birgit , Wilmshurst Jo M.
Published: November 2014

Tuberous sclerosis complex is a genetic disorder with multisystem involvement that poses significant challenges to the affected child and family. Caregiver knowledge in the South African population has not previously been reported. A prospective study of the parents of 21 children with tuberous sclerosis complex was undertaken. Median parental age was 38 (interquartile range 34.5-45) years. Parents were randomly allocated to receive written information about the condition, or to receive verbal counseling already established in clinic. A significant difference ( P = .001) was observed in the change in the mean knowledge scores for the parent group that received written information (34.2 at baseline, 51.7 at the second visit. This impact was higher in parents with an education level of at least grade 8 ( P = .003). Parental understanding of tuberous sclerosis complex can be improved by provision of written information and should be routinely available in a readily understandable format.
The Implementation of New Special Education Legislation in Finland
Authors: Pesonen Henri , Itkonen Tiina , Jahnukainen Markku , Kontu Elina , Kokko Tiina , Ojala Terhi , Pirttimaa Raija
Published: November 2014

This article examines the implementation of new special education legislation in Finland among students with significant disabilities. The data consist of a nationwide survey and field observations. In the analysis, a policy implementation framework is utilized as a theoretical lens. The findings suggest that schools and municipalities that had participated in long-term development projects had more capacity and willingness to reform special education practices substantially, suggesting that learning in one policy area can transfer to other domains across multiple levels of national and local governments. The key findings highlight the significance of professional trust as a policy instrument in implementation.
Principals’ Decisions
Authors: Printy Susan M. , Williams Sean M.
Published: November 2014

The reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 spurred sweeping changes for how special education students are identified in the United States. IDEA 2004 encourages schools to use Response to Intervention (RTI) as a new method for identifying special education students. As schools implement RTI, the principal becomes a key figure in determining the success of RTI. This study examines the policy ecology that influences principals’ views, beliefs, and considerations of RTI in determining the school plan for implementation. We find that implementation at the school level is distinguished by two types of implementation communities, what we term integrated or differentiated. Understanding the range of pressures and supports may inform district and school practitioners seeking to implement policy and policy makers as they consider the design of future policies.
Selecting Growth Measures for Use in School Evaluation Systems
Authors: Ehlert Mark , Koedel Cory , Parsons Eric , Podgursky Michael
Published: November 2014

The specifics of how growth models should be constructed and used for educational evaluation is a topic of lively policy debate in states and school districts nationwide. In this article, we take up the question of model choice—framed within a policy context—and examine three competing approaches. The first approach, reflected in the popular student growth percentiles (SGPs) framework, eschews all controls for student covariates and schooling environments. The second approach, typically associated with value-added models (VAMs), controls for student-background characteristics and under some conditions can be used to identify the causal effects of educational units (i.e., districts, schools, and teachers). The third approach, also VAM-based, fully levels the playing field so that the correlation between the growth measures and student demographics is essentially zero. We argue that the third approach is the most desirable for use in school evaluation systems. Our case rests on personnel economics, incentive-design theory, and the potential role that growth measures can play in improving instruction in K-12 schools.