bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adolescents' declining motivation to learn science: A follow‐up study
Authors: Vedder‐Weiss Dana , Fortus David
Published: September 2012

This is a mix methods follow‐up study in which we reconfirm the findings from an earlier study [Vedder‐Weiss & Fortus [2011] Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(2), 199–216]. The findings indicate that adolescents' declining motivation to learn science, which was found in many previous studies [Galton [2009] Moving to secondary school: Initial encounters and their effects. Perspectives on Education, 2(Primary‐secondary Transfer in Science), 5–21. Retrieved from www.wellcome.ac.uk/perspectives; Osborne, Simon, & Collins, [2003] International Journal of Science Education 25(9), 1049–1079], is not an inevitable phenomenon since it appears not to occur in Israeli democratic schools. In addition to reinforcing previous results in a different sample, new results show that the differences between the two school types are also apparent in terms of students' self‐efficacy in science learning, students' perceptions of their teachers' goals emphases, and students' perception of their peers' goals orientation. Quantitative results are accompanied by rich verbal examples of ways in which students view and articulate their own and their teachers' goal emphases. Content analysis of students' interviews showed that students in traditional schools are directed more towards goals that are external and related to the outcome of learning in comparison to democratic school students who are motivated more by goals that are internal and related to the process of learning. Structure analysis of these interviews suggests that democratic school students experience a greater sense of autonomy in their science learning than traditional school students do. Implications for research on students' motivation are discussed, such as considering not only the teacher and the classroom but also the school culture. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 1057–1095, 2012
Exploring the relationship between self‐efficacy and retention in introductory physics
Authors: Sawtelle Vashti , Brewe Eric , Kramer Laird H.
Published: September 2012

The quantitative results of Sources of Self‐Efficacy in Science Courses‐Physics (SOSESC‐P) are presented as a logistic regression predicting the passing of students in introductory Physics with Calculus I, overall as well as disaggregated by gender. Self‐efficacy as a theory to explain human behavior change [Bandura [1977] Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215] has become a focus of education researchers. Zeldin and Pajares [Zeldin & Pajares [2000] American Educational Research Journal, 37(1), 215] and Zeldin, Britner, and Pajares [2008] Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(9), 1036–1058] found evidence that men and women draw on different sources for evaluation of their self‐efficacy in science fields. Further, self‐efficacy is one of the primary dimensions of students' overall science identity and contributes to their persistence in physics [Hazari, Sonnert, Sadler, & Shanahan, 2010Journal of Research in Science Teaching 47(8), 978–1003]. At Florida International University we have examined the self‐efficacy of students in the introductory physics classes from the perspective of gender theory, with the intention of understanding the subtleties in how sources of self‐efficacy provide a mechanism for understanding retention in physics. Using a sequential logistic regression analysis we uncover subtle distinctions in the predictive ability of the sources of self‐efficacy. Predicting the probability of passing for women relies primarily on the vicarious learning experiences source, with no significant contribution from the social persuasion experiences, while predicting the probability of passing for men requires only the mastery experiences source. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 1096–1121, 2012
Relational concurrent refinement part III: traces, partial relations and automata
Authors: Derrick John , Boiten Eerke
Published: September 2012

Data refinement in a state-based language such as Z is defined using a relational model in terms of the behaviour of abstract programs. Downward and upward simulation conditions form a sound and jointly complete methodology to verify relational data refinements, which can be checked on an event-by-event basis rather than per trace. In models of concurrency, refinement is often defined in terms of sets of observations, which can include the events a system is prepared to accept or refuse, or depend on explicit properties of states and transitions. By embedding such concurrent semantics into a relational framework, eventwise verification methods for such refinement relations can be derived. In this paper, we continue our program of deriving simulation conditions for process algebraic refinement by defining further embeddings into our relational model: traces, completed traces, failure traces and extension. We then extend our framework to include various notions of automata based refinement.
Laparoscopic major liver resection in Korea: a multicenter study
Authors: Hwang Dae Wook , Han Ho‐Seong , Yoon Yoo‐Seok , Cho Jai Young , Kwon Yujin , Kim Ji Hoon , Park Joon Seong , Yoon Dong Sup , Choi In Seok , Ahn Keun Soo , Kim Yong Hoon , Kang Koo Jeong , Kim Young Hoon , Roh Young Hoon , Chu Chong Woo , Kim Hyung Chul , Kang Chang Moo , Choi Gi Hong , Choi Jin Sub , Kim Kyung Sik , Lee Woo Jung , Yun Sung Su , Kim Hong Jin , Min Seog Ki , Lee Hyeon Kook , Song In‐Sang , Chun Kwang‐Sik , Cho Eung‐Ho , Han Sung‐Sik , Park Sang‐Jae
Published: September 2012

Introduction

We report our experience with laparoscopic major liver resection in Korea based on a multicenter retrospective study.

Materials and methods

Data from 1,009 laparoscopic liver resections conducted from 2001 to 2011 were retrospectively collected. Twelve tertiary medical centers with specialized hepatic surgeons participated in this study.

Results

Among 1,009 laparoscopic liver resections, major liver resections were performed in 265 patients as treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic tumor, intrahepatic duct stone, and other conditions. The most frequently performed procedure was left hemihepatectomy (165 patients), followed by right hemihepatectomy (53 patients). Pure laparoscopic procedure was performed in 190 patients including 19 robotic liver resections. Hand‐assisted laparoscopic liver resection was performed in three patients and laparoscopy‐assisted liver resection in 55 patients. Open conversion was performed in 17 patients (6.4 %). Mean operative time and estimated blood loss in laparoscopic major liver resection was 399.3 ± 169.8 min and 836.0 ± 1223.7 ml, respectively. Intraoperative transfusion was required in 65 patients (24.5 %). Mean postoperative length of stay was 12.3 ± 7.9 days. Postoperative complications were detected in 53 patients (20.0 %), and in‐hospital mortality occurred in two patients (0.75 %). Mean number and mean maximal size of resected tumors was 1.22 ± 1.54 and 40.0 ± 27.8 mm, respectively. R0 resection was achieved in 120 patients with hepatic tumor, but R1 resection was performed in eight patients. Mean distance of safe resection margin was 14.6 ± 15.8 mm.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic major liver resection has become a reliable option for treatment of liver disease in Korea.
Extrahepatic Glissonean approach for laparoscopic major liver resection (with video)
Authors: Cho Akihiro , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Kainuma Osamu , Ota Takumi , Park Seong Jin , Arimitsu Hidehito , Ikeda Atsushi , Souda Hiroaki , Nabeya Yoshihiro , Takiguchi Nobuhiro , Nagata Matsuo
Published: September 2012

Although recent technological developments and improved endoscopic procedures have further spread the application of laparoscopic liver resection, laparoscopic major liver resection remains a highly specialized field because there are major technical difficulties, such as hilar dissection and pedicle control. The entire length of the primary branches of the Glissonean pedicle and the origin of the secondary branches are located outside the liver. In contrast, the trunks of the secondary branches and more peripheral branches run inside the liver. The right, left, anterior, or posterior Glissonean pedicle can thus be tied and divided en bloc extrahepatically during open anatomical liver resection. Each Glissonean pedicle can be easily and safely encircled and divided en bloc extrahepatically during laparoscopic anatomical liver resection using an Endo Retract Maxi or Endo Mini‐Retract. This report describes a novel technique by which the extrahepatic Glissonean approach appears to be both feasible and safe for the performance of laparoscopic major liver resection.
The Investigation of the Binding of 6-Mercaptopurine to Site I on Human Serum Albumin
Authors: Sochacka Jolanta , Baran Wojciech
Published: September 2012

6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) is one of a large series of purine analogues which has been found active against human leukemias. The equilibrium dialysis, circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking were employed to study the binding of 6-MP to human serum albumin (HSA). The binding of 6-MP to HSA in the equilibrium dialysis experiment was detected by measuring the displacement of 6-MP by specific markers for site I on HSA, warfarin (RWF), phenylbutazone (PhB) and n-butylp-aminobenzoate (ABE). It was shown, according to CD data, that binding of 6-MP to HSA leads to alteration of HSA secondary structure. Based on the findings from displacement experiment and molecular docking simulation it was found that 6-MP was located within binding cavity of subdomain IIA and the space occupied by site markers overlapped with that of 6-MP. Displacement of 6-MP by the RWF or PhB was not up the level expected for a competitive mechanism, therefore displacement of 6-MP was rather by non-cooperative than that the direct competition. Instead, in case of the interaction between ABE and 6-MP, when the little enhancement of the binding of ABE by 6-MP was found, the interaction could be via a positively cooperative mechanism.
Association between Individual DASH Tasks and Restricted Wrist Flexion and Extension after Volar Plate Fixation of a Fracture of the Distal Radius
Authors: Bot Arjan G. J. , Souer J. Sebastiaan , van Dijk C. Niek , Ring David
Published: September 2012

Background

Symptoms and psychosocial factors are suggested to account for more of the variation in disability than physical impairment, but perhaps less so at the level of specific tasks. This study assessed the influence of impaired wrist motion on specific tasks on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire.

Methods

Sixty-three patients with an operatively treated fracture of the distal radius completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) just before surgery and the DASH questionnaire 3 months after surgery. Nine questions on the DASH were selected as potentially sensitive to changes in wrist motion and evaluated in bivariate and multivariable analyses.

Results

In multivariable models of factors associated with specific tasks, only “Open a tight or new jar” was affected by wrist flexion and PCS accounting for 33 % of the variation. Motion, pain, and PCS were significant predictors of the DASH score. Among the eight tasks not related to wrist motion, 33 % of the variation in disability with writing was accounted for by PCS and limb dominance; 20 % of disability preparing a meal by pain, CES-D, and PCS; 14 % of disability with making a bed by pain and CES-D; and 23 % of changing a light bulb overhead by age, pain, and fracture type.

Conclusions

After volar plate fixation of a fracture of the distal radius, upper extremity disability based on select items from the DASH questionnaire correlated minimally with impairment of wrist motion, even at the level of specific tasks. Level of Evidence Prognostic Level II.
Development of a Method for Analyzing Three-Dimensional Scapula Kinematics
Authors: Janes William E. , Brown J. M. , Essenberg J. M. , Engsberg J. R.
Published: September 2012

Background

Scapula mobility complicates upper extremity kinematics assessment. Existing methods are diverse, providing inconsistent results. The current gold standard (bone pins) is prohibitively invasive. The purposes of the current study are to describe a virtual projection alternative to surface markers for video motion capture (VMC) of the scapula and to compare the results of the projection and surface marker methods to the results of similar existing methods.

Methods

Ten participants were evaluated using VMC. Surface markers were applied to the trunk and arm in accordance with existing guidelines. Three markers were affixed to plastic base on the skin over the acromion process. Other scapular landmarks were digitized in a neutral position. These landmarks' locations were defined in reference to the acromion cluster and used to generate the projection. Humerothoracic, glenohumeral, and scapulothoracic kinematics were evaluated during shoulder abduction, flexion, and scaption. Joint angles produced by the surface markers and the projection were compared by Bonferroni-adjusted t tests. The results were compared to prior findings in the literature.

Results

The projection resulted in greater scapulothoracic upward rotation, internal rotation, and anterior-posterior tilt and less glenohumeral elevation ( p<.0055) than did surface markers. The virtual scapula produced greater estimates of scapular mobility than did surface markers, corresponding to pre-existing results from similar methodologies.

Conclusions

The result is a noninvasive measurement tool that produces different and superior results than do scapula surface markers. Measuring scapula kinematics via VMC without bone pins will facilitate future investigations into interactions between upper extremity injury, kinematics, and activity performance.
Unusual Proximal Dislocation without Fracture: A Case Report
Authors: Akinleye Sheriff D. , Makani Amun , Dalinka Murray K. , Chang Benjamin
Published: September 2012

Carpal instability includes a broad spectrum of osseous and ligamentous injuries which have been subclassified into greater and lesser arc injuries, in addition to combinations of both (Mayfield et al. J Hand Surg [Am] 5:226–241, 1980; Yaeger et al. Skeletal Radiol 13(2):120–30, 1985). The injuries typically occur from a fall on the outstretched hand with the wrist in ulnar deviation, hyperextension, and intercarpal supination (Yaeger et al. Skeletal Radiol 13(2):120–30, 1985). The force classically propagates from the radial to the ulnar side of the wrist resulting in a fracture (greater arc) or dislocation (lesser arc) pattern with the extent of the injury occurring in an orderly pattern depending upon the degree of hyperextension and the duration and magnitude of the force (Mayfield et al. J Hand Surg [Am] 5:226–241, 1980; Yaeger et al. Skeletal Radiol 13(2):120–30, 1985). Multiple variations occur, including transradial styloid fractures as well as fractures through carpal bones surrounding the lunate (Mayfield et al. J Hand Surg [Am] 5:226–241, 1980; Yaeger et al. Skeletal Radiol 13 (2):120–30, 1985; Kozin SH. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 6 (2): 114–20, 1998. Although carpal dislocations have been noted for many years, the mechanisms and classification have only been recently clarified. We report a case of a complex dislocation involving the entire proximal carpal row without an associated fracture. While this type of complex carpal dislocation has been previously described, to our knowledge, it has never been reported without a fracture of the forearm, wrist, or hand.
Le cystadénome des vésicules séminales : à propos d’un cas et revue de la littérature
Authors: Bahloul A. , Ben Haim R. , Schneider M. , Obringer L. , Jung J. -L.
Published: September 2012

Les tumeurs primitives des vésicules séminales sont rares. Une centaine de cas ont été publiés dans la littérature. Il s’agit le plus souvent de tumeurs bénignes dont les cystadénomes, les tumeurs malignes primitives sont plus rares. Nous rapportant un nouveau cas de tumeur de la vésicule séminale gauche chez un patient âgé de 70 ans découvert devant une rétention aiguë d’urine associé à une constipation. Le diagnostic a été confirmé par l’imagerie (TDM et IRM) qui a montré une volumineuse masse multikystiques de la vésicule séminale gauche. Le traitement était chirurgical (vésiculectomie) précédé d’un drainage aspiration de la masse. L’examen anatomopatholgique de la pièce opératoire a conclu à un cystadénome de vésicule séminale gauche. À travers cette observation, nous discutons les différents aspects cliniques, radiologiques, histologiques et thérapeutiques des tumeurs des vésicules séminales.
Résultats fonctionnels de la radiofréquence par Prostiva© dans le traitement de l’hypertrophie bénigne de la prostate (HBP) non compliquée résistante aux traitements médicamenteux
Authors: Jean-Baptiste J. , Meria P. , Desgrandchamps F.
Published: September 2012

Objectif

Évaluer prospectivement les résultats fonctionnels de la thermothérapie prostatique par radiofréquence (Prostiva©) sur la gêne urinaire et la vie sexuelle dans le cadre du traitement d’une hypertrophie bénigne de la prostate (HBP) symptomatique non compliquée résistante aux traitements médicamenteux.

Patients et méthodes

Les patients répondant aux critères d’éligibilité à ce traitement édités selon la HAS ont été traités dans notre unité d’urologie. Ils ont été convoqués de façon systématique à un mois pour un examen clinique et paraclinique (débit urinaire maximum [Qmax], résidu postmictionnel [RPM], International Prostate Symptom Score [IPSS]). Ils ont été contactés en décembre 2009 et soumis à un hétéroquestionnaire téléphonique portant sur des scores de gêne urinaire (IPSS), de qualité de vie (question 8 de l’IPSS), d’évaluation des fonctions sexuelles (IIEF, DAN SEX), et d’évaluation subjective du traitement (échelle de Likert).

Résultats

De décembre 2006 à janvier 2009, 20 patients (âge médian: 63 ans) ont été traités par Prostiva©. Quatre patients ont présenté une rétention aiguë d’urine dans le postopératoire immédiat nécessitant un sondage vésical en urgence. Nous avons réalisé l’évaluation systématique de l’ensemble des patients à un mois et en décembre 2009. Le suivi médian était de 20,6 mois (valeurs maximales [12–37 mois]). On a constaté une amélioration significative de l’IPSS (−6,7 points; IC95= [−10,3; −3,1]), une amélioration des fonctions sexuelles, des scores de qualité de vie, et un sentiment d’amélioration globale des symptômes urinaires (+ 1,08 = amélioré sur l’échelle de Likert). Quatre patients ont été considérés comme des échecs du Prostiva©: trois patients ayant repris un traitement médicamenteux, un patient ayant bénéficié d’une résection de la prostate.

Conclusion

Notre étude monocentrique réalisée chez des patients sélectionnés selon les critères de l’HAS a conforté les résultats de la littérature avec des résultats positifs sur la gêne urinaire, une faible morbidité et une amélioration de la qualité de vie déclarée. Elle a démontré l’innocuité de la thermothérapie sur la sexualité des patients et mieux encore, l’impact positif du traitement sur la qualité des érections et la satisfaction des rapports.
Privatisierung von Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung: Gesellschaftlicher Nutzen oder Verwirklichung von Unternehmenszielen? „Corporate Spatial Responsibility” oder „Corporate Spatial Strategy“?
Authors: Knieling Jörg , Othengrafen Frank , Preising Tobias
Published: September 2012

Enterprises and business associations increasingly influence spatial development policies, being a public task in the first place. They develop own plans and positioning strategies, they contribute actively to political decision-making processes or they determine social norms and values. The production of space and place by private actors is not a new phenomenon. What is different, however, is that strategic entrepreneurial decisions are not only focusing on issues which are directly related to the enterprise’s divisions but encompassing urban or city-regional contexts as well as issues that could not directly be linked to a corporate’s business. This article presents selected case studies to analyse the rationales of enterprises, operating at supraregional level, with regard to their (spatial) involvement in local or regional contexts: Do private sector initiated development processes follow business-driven motivations or do enterprises altruistically assume responsibility for the local or regional place? Does this, according to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, even allow for speaking of a Corporate Spatial Responsibility? The qualities and spatial implications of the various business-driven strategic approaches will be systemised and evaluated by means of an analytical matrix. It becomes obvious that the entrepreneurial agenda, compared to the public agenda, is not that integrative. Enterprises only pursue social and spatial approaches, if those are not contradicting corporate goals and if they increase the operating income or improve the corporate’s image.
Salmonella/rotavirus coinfection in hospitalized children
Authors: Lee Wei‐Te , Lin Pei‐Chen , Lin Lung‐Chang , Chen Hsiu‐Lin , Yang Rei‐Cheng
Published: September 2012

This study's aim was to analyze the characteristics and severity of acute gastroenteritis related to infection with rotavirus (group R), nontyphoid Salmonella (NTS; group S), and infection with both rotavirus and Salmonella (group B) in children in southern Taiwan in order to improve diagnosis and expedite appropriate management. The medical records of children admitted between October 2002 to September 2008 for acute gastroenteritis related to rotavirus, NTS, or coinfection were collected and analyzed.Among 2040 reviewed medical records, 40 patients were infected with both pathogens, while 501 cases were infected with rotavirus alone and 189 were infected with NTS alone. There were no significant differences between the three groups in terms of age at admission or sex. The age distribution of the reviewed cases revealed that children between the ages of 12–24 months comprised the largest proportion of cases in each group. Higher concentrations of fecal leukocytes and fecal pus cells and longer hospitalizations were observed in group B in comparison with groups S and R (p < 0.05). Clinical severity was significantly higher in groups B and S than group R (p < 0.05). A proportional association was found between the monthly case number of rotavirus infections and the mean monthly temperature difference in southern Taiwan (r = 0.9248; p < 0.0001). In summary, concomitant rotavirus infection with NTS infection did not affect the clinical manifestations of the reviewed patients. Rotavirus infection was less severe in most clinical manifestations, but vomiting was more severe in rotavirus‐infected patients. Positive fecal leukocytes and positive fecal pus cells were more frequent during coinfection. There was a strong positive relationship between the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis and the mean monthly temperature difference.
Fluid–structure interaction of three-dimensional magnetic artificial cilia
Authors: Khaderi S. N. , Onck P. R.
Published: September 2012

A numerical model is developed to analyse the interaction of artificial cilia with the surrounding fluid in a three-dimensional setting in the limit of vanishing fluid inertia forces. The cilia are modelled using finite shell elements and the fluid is modelled using a boundary element approach. The coupling between both models is performed by imposing no-slip boundary conditions on the surface of the cilia. The performance of the model is verified using various reference problems available in the literature. The model is used to simulate the fluid flow due to magnetically actuated artificial cilia. The results show that narrow and closely spaced cilia create the largest flow, that metachronal waves along the width of the cilia create a significant flow in the direction of the cilia width and that the recovery stroke in the case of the out-of-plane actuation of the cilia strongly depends on the cilia width.
Hydrodynamic wake resonance as an underlying principle of efficient unsteady propulsion
Authors: Moored K. W. , Dewey P. A. , Smits A. J. , Haj-Hariri H.
Published: September 2012

A linear spatial stability analysis is performed on the velocity profiles measured in the wake of an actively flexible robotic elliptical fin to find the frequency of maximum spatial growth, that is, the hydrodynamic resonant frequency of the time-averaged jet. It is found that: (i) optima in propulsive efficiency occur when the driving frequency of a flapping fin matches the resonant frequency of the jet profile; (ii) there can be multiple wake resonant frequencies and modes corresponding to multiple peaks in efficiency; and (iii) some wake structures transition from one pattern to another when the wake instability mode transitions. A theoretical framework, termed wake resonance theory, is developed and utilized to explain the mechanics and energetics of unsteady self-propulsion. Experimental data are used to validate the theory. The analysis, although one-dimensional, captures the performance exhibited by a three-dimensional propulsor, showing the robustness and broad applicability of the technique.
Transition scenario of a sphere freely falling in a vertical tube
Authors: Deloze Thibaut , Hoarau Yannick , Dušek Jan
Published: September 2012

The paper presents the results of direct numerical simulations of the fall of a single freely moving sphere in a vertical circular tube. Most results are obtained for the solid–fluid density ratio ${\rho }_{s} / \rho = 2$. The parametric investigation is carried out depending on the Galileo number defined in Jenny, Dušek & Bouchet J. Fluid Mech., vol. 508, 2004, pp. 201–239. A qualitatively new scenario is found, as compared to that of an unconfined sphere. The primary bifurcation making the sphere deviate from a vertical fall along the tube axis at a constant velocity is of Hopf type. It sets in at a Galileo number (between 155 and 160) similar to that for an unconfined sphere. We find evidence for two stages of the primary regime: a planar trajectory at $G= 160$ and a helical one (at $G= 165$ and 170). At these Galileo numbers, the regime is perfectly periodic, with a slow period corresponding to a Strouhal number only slightly above 0.01. The dynamics is identified as a periodic wake–wall interaction. The helical regime is found to give way directly to chaos between $G= 170$ and $G= 180$. This transition is associated with the onset of vortex shedding in the wake of the falling sphere and with a complex interaction between the unsteady wake and the wall marked by intermittent wake extinction. The effect of density ratio is partly investigated at $G= 250$ by considering three density ratios: 2, 3 and 5. A significant change of behaviour is found between the ratios 3 and 5.
The Adverse Effects of Sunshine: A Field Experiment on Legislative Transparency in an Authoritarian Assembly
Authors: MALESKY EDMUND , SCHULER PAUL , TRAN ANH
Published: September 2012

An influential literature has demonstrated that legislative transparency can improve the performance of parliamentarians in democracies. In a democracy, the incentive for improved performance is created by voters’ responses to newly available information. Building on this work, donor projects have begun to export transparency interventions to authoritarian regimes under the assumption that nongovernmental organizations and the media can substitute for the incentives created by voters. Such interventions, however, are at odds with an emerging literature that argues that authoritarian parliaments primarily serve the role of co-optation and limited power sharing, where complaints can be raised in a manner that does not threaten regime stability. We argue that under these conditions, transparency may have perverse effects, and we test this theory with a randomized experiment on delegate behavior in query sessions in Vietnam, a single-party authoritarian regime. We find no evidence of a direct effect of the transparency treatment on delegate performance; however, further analysis reveals that delegates subjected to high treatment intensity demonstrate robust evidence of curtailed participation and damaged reelection prospects. These results make us cautious about the export of transparency without electoral sanctioning.
Effect of morpho-physiological traits on grain yield of sorghum grown under stress at different growth stages, and stability analysis
Authors: SANKARAPANDIAN R. , AUDILAKSHMI S. , SHARMA V. , GANESAMURTHY K. , TALWAR H. S. , PATIL J. V.
Published: September 2012

Recent trends in climate change resulting in global warming and extreme dry spells during rainy seasons are having a negative impact on grain and fodder production in rain-fed crops in India. Understanding the mechanisms of drought tolerance at various growth stages will help in developing tolerant genotypes. Crosses were made between elite and drought-tolerant sorghums, and F2and F3progenies were evaluated for drought tolerance in multiple locations. Twenty-five F4/F5derivatives along with drought-tolerant check plants (two high-yielding genotypes showing moderate drought tolerance: C43 (male parent of the commercial hybrid CSH 16, tolerant to drought) and CSV 17, (a pure line commercial cultivar released for drought-prone areas) were screened for drought tolerance under a factorial randomized block design with three replications during the rain-free months of April–June in 2007 and 2008 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Kovilpatti, India. In each generation/year, four trials were conducted and water stress at different phases of crop growth,viz. vegetative, flowering and post-flowering (maturity), was imposed by withholding irrigation. Observations were recorded on grain and straw yields, plant height, number of roots, root length, leaf relative water content (LRWC), chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance under all treatments. The traits, grain yield, plant height, average root length and stomatal conductance showed significant mean sums of squares (SSs) for genotype × environment (G × E), suggesting that genotypes had significant differential response to the changing environments. Significant mean SSs due to G × E (linear) were obtained for straw yield, LRWC and chlorophyll content, indicating that the variability is partly genetic and partly influenced by environment. Grain yield was correlated with chlorophyll content (r = 0·43) at the vegetative stage, with number of roots (r = 0·49), LRWC (r = 0·51), chlorophyll content (r = 0·46) and stomatal conductance (r = −0·51) at the pre-flowering stage, and with LRWC (r = 0·50) and stomatal conductance (r = −0·40) at the post-flowering stage, under water stress. Partial least square (PLS) analysis showed that different traits were important for grain yield under water stress at different growth stages. Pyramiding the genes for the traits responsible for high grain yield under stress will help in developing stable genotypes at different stages of plant growth.
At the Margins of Empire: Feminist-Nationalist Configurations of Burmese Society in the Hindi Public (1917–1920)
Authors: Nijhawan Shobna
Published: September 2012

Embedded in early twentieth-century discourses on modernity, feminism, and nationalism, and written for the newly emerging woman reader, Rameshwari Nehru's Hindi account of Burmese women was an experiment in ethnographic writing. Along with the speeches she delivered in Burma (all reprinted in the Hindi women's periodical Stri Darpan), she also used the ethnography to call for the social and political mobilization of Burmese and Indian women. Nehru revisited the relationship between India and Burma in the gendered and elite terms of Indian (mostly Hindu) nationalism and social feminism. In describing a supposed intact social structure found in Burma, her motive was to portray a woman subject that was not modeled on prevalent conceptions of “the Western woman,” but that originated in the neighborhood of the colonial present. In the process, as this paper argues, Nehru appropriated colonial discourses on Indian and Burmese womanhood, while she also absorbed Burma into her vision of Indian nationhood and imagined sisterhood.
Lessons from the Ghost of Salaryman Past: The Global Costs of the Breadwinner Imaginary
Authors: LeBlanc Robin M.
Published: September 2012

About the time of the one-year anniversary of the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, a conversation about the politics of nuclear power started up among Japanologists, mostly political scientists, on a listserv I read daily. The original discussion emerged from the question of whether Japanese political leaders would push for restarting a number of the offline nuclear power plants across the country in order to cover expected gaps in Japan's electricity supply. At first the debate's participants took up the countervailing pressures Japanese policymakers face: the need to provide affordable power to Japanese companies in order to spur economic recovery, the inevitable increase in greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced by a shift from nuclear to fossil fuels, the polling data suggesting an overwhelming majority of Japanese citizens are opposed to restarting the plants (Mainichi Shinbun 2012). Then the listserv debate broke away from scholarly assessments of the electoral and policy dilemmas faced by the ruling Democratic Party into thinly veiled arguments between proponents and opponents of nuclear power. Some assertions were made about the nuclear power “phobia” and “emotional” opposition of those who, it was suggested, do not understand the science of it, and a debate commenced over the question of how many people the Chernobyl accident of 1986 had really killed.
A single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of river buffalo stearoyl CoA desaturase gene (SCD) is associated with milk yield
Authors: Pauciullo Alfredo , Cosenza Gianfranco , Steri Roberto , Coletta Angelo , La Battaglia Antonio , Di Berardino Dino , Macciotta Nicolò P P , Ramunno Luigi
Published: September 2012

An association study between the milk yield trait and the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) polymorphism (g.133A > C) in Italian Mediterranean river buffalo was carried out. A full characterization of the river buffaloSCDpromoter region was presented. Genotyping information was provided and a quick method for allelic discrimination was developed. The frequency of the C allele was 0·16. Test-day (TD) records (43 510) of milk production belonging to 226 lactations of 169 buffalo cows were analysed with a mixed linear model in order to estimate the effect of g.133A > C genotype, as well as the effect of parity and calving season. TheSCDgenotype was significantly associated with milk yield (P = 0·02). The genotype AC showed an over-dominance effect with an average daily milk yield approximately 2 kg/d higher than CC buffaloes. Such a difference represents about 28% more milk/d. The effect of the genotype was constant across lactation stages. The contribution ofSCDgenotype (r2SCD) to the total phenotypic variance in milk yield was equal to 0·12. This report is among the first indications of genetic association between a trait of economic importance in river buffalo. Although such results need to be confirmed with large-scale studies in the same and other buffalo populations, they might offer useful indications for the application of MAS programmes in river buffalo and in the future they might be of great economic interest for the river buffalo dairy industry.
Loneliness and the exchange of social support among older adults in Spain and the Netherlands
Authors: RODRIGUES MARTA M. SÁNCHEZ , DE JONG GIERVELD JENNY , BUZ JOSE
Published: September 2012

Previous research has shown that exchanges of support within social networks reduce the loneliness of older adults. However, there is no consistent evidence on how types of support (instrumental and emotional) and the direction of that support (giving and receiving) are related to loneliness, and whether the effects are culture-specific. The aim of this study was to investigate support exchanges and their effects on loneliness in Spain and the Netherlands. We suggest that cultural differences, such as more interdependent cultural values in Southern Europe and more independence-related values in Northern Europe, influence social realities such as the social support exchanged. In Spain relationships with family members are determined by mutual obligations; older people expect to receive instrumental support from them. However, in Northern Europe independence is highly valued and intimacy and closeness are shown primarily by confiding about personal matters. This paper examined data from two comparable surveys, one in Spain (N=646) and one in the Netherlands (N=656). Older adults in Spain provide for, and receive, high amounts of instrumental support and this proved to be a protective factor against loneliness. An alternative pattern was found in the Netherlands where respondents provided more and received more emotional support than Spanish older adults; emotional support is a protective factor in the Netherlands (but only for support received).
MAKING PROCESSES RELIABLE: A VALIDATED PUBMED SEARCH STRATEGY FOR IDENTIFYING NEW OR EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Varela-Lema Leonora , Punal-Riobóo Jeanette , Acción Beatriz Casal , Ruano-Ravina Alberto , García Marisa López
Published: September 2012

Background and Objectives:Horizon scanning systems need to handle a wide range of sources to identify new or emerging health technologies. The objective of this study is to develop a validated Medline bibliographic search strategy (PubMed search engine) to systematically identify new or emerging health technologies.

Methods:The proposed Medline search strategy combines free text terms commonly used in article titles to denote innovation within index terms that make reference to the specific fields of interest. Efficacy was assessed by running the search over a period of 1 year (2009) and analyzing its retrieval performance (number and characteristics). For comparison purposes, all article abstracts published during 2009 in six preselected key research journals and eight high impact surgery journals were scanned. Sensitivity was defined as the proportion of relevant new or emerging technologies published in key journals that would be identified in the search strategy within the first 2 years of publication.

Results:The search yielded 6,228 abstracts of potentially new or emerging technologies. Of these, 459 were classified as new or emerging (383 truly new or emerging and 76 new indications). The scanning of 12,061 journal abstracts identified 35 relevant new or emerging technologies. Of these, twenty-nine were located within the Medline search strategy during the first 2 years of publication (sensitivity = 83 percent).

Conclusions:The current search strategy, validated against key journals, has demonstrated to be effective for horizon scanning. Even though it can require adaptations depending on the scope of the horizon scanning system, it could serve to simplify and standardize scanning processes.
SHOULD THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS OF REIMBURSING MEDICINES BE IMPROVED?
Authors: Martikainen Jaana E.
Published: September 2012

Pharmaceutical sales totaled an estimated USD 700 billion in OECD countries in 2011, approximately one-fifth of total healthcare spending (5). In the past, pharmaceutical expenditure has increased faster than total healthcare expenditure in many countries. The increase in pharmaceutical expenditure has slowed down in recent years due to the economic recession, patent expirations of important blockbusters, and cost-containment measures already taken. However, pharmaceutical expenditure still continues to rise, albeit at a reduced rate. Alongside an increased consumption of medicines, an important reason for growing costs is the adoption of new—and typically more expensive—products. To ensure that pharmaceutical expenditure does not become excessive and that patients have access to medicines they need, most countries now weigh up what products are to be included in the reimbursement system and at what price. Both the criteria to assess products and the processes to make reimbursement decisions vary from country to country and so far there have been no analytically oriented comparison studies.
Bacterial communities on food court tables and cleaning equipment in a shopping mall
Authors: DINGSDAG S. , COLEMAN N. V.
Published: September 2012

The food court at a shopping mall is a potential transfer point for pathogenic microbes, but to date, this environment has not been the subject of detailed molecular microbiological study. We used a combination of culture-based and culture-independent approaches to investigate the types and numbers of bacteria present on food court tables, and on a food court cleaning cloth. Bacteria were found at 102–105 c.f.u./m2on food court tables and 1010 c.f.u./m2on the cleaning cloth. Tag-pyrosequencing of amplified 16S rRNA genes revealed that the dominant bacterial types on the cleaning cloth were genera known to include pathogenic species (Stenotrophomonas,Aeromonas), and that these genera were also evident at lower levels on table surfaces, suggesting possible cross-contamination. The evidence suggests a public health threat is posed by bacteria in the food court, and that this may be due to cross-contamination between cleaning equipment and table surfaces.
Eosinophilic myocarditis in an adolescent: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Aslan Ilhan , Fischer Marcus , Laser Kai T. , Haas Nikolaus A.
Published: September 2012

Eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare disease occurring mainly in adulthood. It is generally known to be caused by autoimmune diseases, parasitic infections, hypersensitivity to drugs or substances, and after vaccinations. We describe the case of a 15-year-old adolescent, who presented initially with flu-like symptoms, as well as syncope. Subsequently, catecholaminergic treatment had to be initialised because of cardiac failure. Peripheral eosinophil count was normal at admission and at the time of endomyocardial biopsy. The biopsy, however, proved the diagnosis of eosinophilic myocarditis, but the causative agent remained unclear despite intensive diagnostic work-up. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed signs of acute myocardial oedema and a delayed enhancement in the basal inferolateral segments consistent with acute myocarditis. Under treatment with corticosteroids, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and warfarin, we accomplished a rapid and complete recovery of cardiac function and histology. This unique case of eosinophilic myocarditis is rare in childhood. The differential diagnosis and diagnostic pathway is discussed, and a review of the literature and therapeutic options based on the literature is performed.
Double outlet right ventricle with unilateral absence of left pulmonary artery
Authors: Ugurlucan Murat , Arslan Ahmet H. , Yildiz Yahya , Ay Sibel , Cicek Sertac
Published: September 2012

Congenital absence of unilateral pulmonary artery, either as a primary defect or in combination with other congenital cardiovascular malformations, is very rare. Double outlet right ventricle pathology in combination with unilateral absence of pulmonary artery has only been reported once in the literature. In this report, we present our experience with double outlet right ventricle with unilateral absence of left pulmonary artery in a 3-year-old female patient who underwent a palliative procedure and was scheduled for correction.
Public Health Preparedness for the World's Largest Mass Gathering: 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai, China
Authors: Yi He , Zheng'an Yuan , Fan Wu , Xiang Guo , Chen Dong , Yongchao He , Xiaodong Sun , Hao Pan , Mahany Mollie , Keim Mark
Published: September 2012

The 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai China (Expo) was the largest mass gathering in world history, attracting a record 72 million visitors. More than 190 countries participated in the Expo, along with more than 50 international organizations. The 2010 Expo was six months in duration (May 1 through October 30, 2010), and the size of the venue site comprised 5.28 square kilometers. Great challenges were imposed on the public health system in Shanghai due to the high number and density of visitors, long duration of the event, and other risk factors such as high temperatures, typhoon, etc.

As the major metropolitan public health agency in Shanghai, the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (SCDC) implemented a series of actions in preparing for, and responding to, the potential health impact of the world's largest mass gathering to date, which included partnerships for capacity building, enhancement of internal organizational structure, risk assessment, strengthened surveillance, disaster planning and exercises, laboratory management, vaccination campaign, health education, health intervention, risk communication and mass media surveillance, and technical support for health inspection. The clear-cut organizational structures and job responsibilities, as well as comprehensive operational and scientific preparations, were key elements to ensure the success of the 2010 World Exposition.

YiH, Zheng'anY, FanW, XiangG, ChenD, YongchaoH, XiaodongS, HaoP, MahanyM, KeimM. Public health preparedness for the world's largest mass gathering: 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai, China. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(6):1-6.
A First Aid Training Course for Primary Health Care Providers in Nagorno Karabagh: Assessing Knowledge Retention
Authors: Thompson Michael E. , Harutyunyan Tsovinar L. , Dorian Alina H.
Published: September 2012

Introduction

Conflict in the South Caucasus’ Nagorno Karabagh region has damaged health facilities and disrupted the delivery of services and supplies as well as led to depletion of human and fixed capital and weakened the de facto government's ability to provide training for health care providers.

Problem

In response to documented medical training deficits, the American University of Armenia organized a first aid training course (FATC) for primary health care providers within the scope of the USAID-funded Humanitarian Assistance Project in Nagorno Karabagh. This paper reports the follow-up assessments conducted to inform policy makers regarding FATC knowledge and skill retention and the potential need for periodic refresher training.

Methods

Follow-up assessments were conducted six months and 18 months following the FATC to assess the retention of knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Eighty-four providers participated in the first follow-up and 210 in the second. The assessment tool contained items addressing the use and quality of the first aid skills, trainee's evaluation of the course, and randomly selected test questions to assess knowledge retention.

Results

At both follow-up points, the participants’ assessment of the course was positive. More than 85% of the trainees self-assessed their skills as “excellent” or “good” and noted that skills were frequently practiced. Scores of approximately 58% on knowledge tests at both the first and second follow-ups indicated no knowledge decay between the first and second survey waves, but substantial decline from the immediate post-test assessment in the classroom.

Conclusion

The trainees assessed the FATC as effective, and the skills covered as important and well utilized. Knowledge retention was modest, but stable. Refresher courses are necessary to reverse the decay of technical knowledge and to ensure proper application in the field.

ThompsonME, HarutyunyanTL, DorianAH. A first aid training course for primary health care providers in Nagorno Karabagh: assessing knowledge retention. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(6):1-6.