bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of the Distal Radius following Tumour Resection Using an Osteoarticular Allograft
Authors: Rabitsch Katharina , Maurer-Ertl Werner , Pirker-Frühauf Ulrike , Lovse Thomas , Windhager Reinhard , Leithner Andreas
Published: April 2013

Reconstruction of the distal radius following tumour resection is challenging and various techniques are recorded. We retrospectively analysed the outcome of five patients (one male and four females) after reconstruction of the distal radius with osteoarticular allograft, following tumour resection. Mean followup was 32 months (range, 4–121). In three of the five patients the dominant limb was affected. Mean bone resection length was 6.5 centimetres (range, 5–11.5). Two grafts developed nonunion, both successfully treated with autologous bone grafting. No infection, graft fracture, or failure occurred. Mean flexion/extension was 38/60 degrees and mean pronation/supination was 77/77 degrees. The mean Mayo wrist score was 84 and the mean DASH score was 8, both representing a good functional result. Therefore we state the notion that osteoarticular allograft reconstruction of distal radius provides good to excellent functional results.
Hybrid Carcinoma of the Larynx: A Case Report (Adenoid Cystic and Adenocarcinoma) and Review of the Literature
Authors: Karasmanis Ilias , Goudakos John K. , Vital Iosif , Zarampoukas Thomas , Vital Victor , Markou Konstantinos
Published: April 2013

Introduction. The nonsquamous carcinomas of the larynx are considered rare with the majority of malignant tumors in this area, reaching the rate of 95%, to be squamous cell neoplasms.Case Report. The case refers to a 53-year-old man that presented with symptomatology of motor nerve disease. During the evaluation of the neurologic disease, a subglottic mass of the larynx was revealed accidentally in the imaging examination. Under general anesthesia, we performed direct laryngoscopy and biopsy of the mass. The histopathologic examination revealed a hybrid carcinoma coexistence of two different carcinomas, an adenoid cystic carcinoma and an adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified with poor differentiation. Regarding the therapeutic plan, the mass was considered inoperable due to its expansion to trachea and the patient received radiotherapy.Conclusions. Both the adenocarcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma are extremely rare types of malignant tumors in the larynx. The special interest of the present case is the coexistence of these two rare tumors in the same region of the larynx, being a hybrid tumor of the salivary glands in the larynx, which is the second reported case, based on our systematic literature review.
Gastric Small-Cell Carcinoma Found on Esophagogastroduodenoscopy: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Frances Natassja , Zeichner Simon B. , Francavilla Michael , Cusnir Mike
Published: April 2013

Introduction. Characterized as an undifferentiated, neuroendocrine tumor arising from totipotent stem cells, small-cell carcinoma (SCC) most commonly arises from the lung. Extrapulmonary small-cell carcinomas (ESCC) are rare and account for only four percent of SCC. Gastric ESCC, more commonly seen in Japanese male patients in their seventh decade of life, accounts for approximately 0.1 percent of ESCC.Case Presentation. A 75-year-old Hispanic male presented with a several week history of worsening epigastric pain with nausea and vomiting. Computer tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis showed a large heterogeneous mass involving the posterior gastric wall with diffuse extension into the gastric cardia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a large fungating mass in the lesser curvature of the stomach. Biopsy of the mass revealed small-cell carcinoma of the stomach. The patient was diagnosed with extensive/stage 4 disease and started on chemoradiation.Discussion. Our case, of a very rare condition highlights, the importance of recognizing atypical pathologic diagnoses. More research will need to be conducted with GSCC patients in order to better characterize disease pathogenesis, genetic mutations, and optimal disease management. The hope is to identify biomarkers that will identify patients earlier in their disease course when cure is possible.
Examining Implicit Attitudes towards Exercisers with a Physical Disability
Authors: Dionne Cassandra D. , Gainforth Heather L. , O’Malley Deborah A. , Latimer-Cheung Amy E.
Published: April 2013

Background. Using measures of explicit attitudes, physical activity status has been established as a factor that reduces the stigma able‐bodied people hold towards people with physical disabilities. This phenomenon is called the exerciser stereotype. However, whether the exerciser stereotype exists when using measures of implicit attitudes remains unknown. Objective. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of negative implicit attitudes towards people with physical disabilities and determine whether implicit attitudes towards people with physical disabilities were influenced by the exerciser stereotype. Methods. One hundred able‐bodied participants (82 females, 18 males) completed two implicit association tests (IATs): the Disability‐Attitudes IAT and the Disability‐Activity IAT. The Disability‐Attitudes IAT measured implicit attitudes towards people who were not disabled relative to disabled; the Disability‐Activity IAT measured attitudes towards people with a physical disability who were active relative to inactive. Results. Results revealed that 83.8% of participants had negative implicit attitudes towards people with a disability. Participants held more positive attitudes towards active versus inactive people with a physical disability. Conclusions. The study findings indicate that the exerciser stereotype exists implicitly and may undermine negative attitudes towards people with physical disabilities.
Study of the Interference betweenPlectranthusSpecies Essential Oils from Brazil and Aminoglycosides
Authors: Galvão Rodrigues Fabíola Fernandes , Costa José Galberto Martins , Rodrigues Fábio Fernandes Galvao , Campos Adriana Rolim
Published: April 2013

Plectranthusis one of the most representative genera of Lamiaceae family. In this study, the essential oils fromPlectranthus amboinicus,Plectranthus ornatus, andPlectranthus barbatuswere investigated for their chemical composition and antimicrobial and modulatory activities. The major components found were carvacrol (54.4%—P. amboinicus) and eugenol (22.9%—P. ornatuse 25.1%—P. barbatus).In vitroantimicrobial activity was conducted againstEscherichia coli,Proteus vulgaris,Bacillus cereus,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus, andStaphylococcus aureus(multiresistant) using microdilution method. The results of bioassay showed that all strains were sensitive to the oils, exceptP. aeruginosathat was resistant toP. amboinicusandP. ornatus. A synergistic effect of all essential oils combined with the aminoglycosides was demonstrated. These results show thatP. amboinicus,P. ornatus, andP. barbatusinhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganism, and besides this they present antibiotic modifying activity, providing a new perspective against the problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
Biological Reconstruction Following the Resection of Malignant Bone Tumors of the Pelvis
Authors: Traub Frank , Andreou Dimosthenis , Niethard Maya , Tiedke Carmen , Werner Mathias , Tunn Per-Ulf
Published: April 2013

Background. Surgical treatment of malignant pelvic bone tumors can be very challenging. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the oncological as well as the clinical and functional outcome after limb salvage surgery and biological reconstruction.Methods. The files of 27 patients with malignant pelvic bone tumors, who underwent surgical resection at our department between 2000 and 2011, were retrospectively analyzed (9 Ewing's sarcoma, 8 chondrosarcoma, 4 osteosarcoma, 1 synovial sarcoma, 1 malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and 4 carcinoma metastases).Results. After internal hemipelvectomy reconstruction was performed by hip transposition (), using autologous nonvascularised fibular graft () or autologous iliac crest bone graft (). In one patient a proximal femor prothetis and in three patients a total hip prosthesis was implanted at the time of resection. The median follow-up was 33 months. Two- and five-year disease-specific survival rates of all patients were 86.1% and 57.7%, respectively. The mean functional MSTS score was 16.5 (~55%) for all patients.Conclusion. On the basis of the oncological as well as the clinical and functional outcome, biological reconstruction after internal hemipelvectomy seems to be a reliable technique for treating patients with a malignant pelvic bone tumor.
Increased Nitroxidative Stress Promotes Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Song Byoung-Joon , Abdelmegeed Mohamed A. , Henderson Lauren E. , Yoo Seong-Ho , Wan Jie , Purohit Vishnudutt , Hardwick James P. , Moon Kwan-Hoon
Published: April 2013

Increased nitroxidative stress causes mitochondrial dysfunctions through oxidative modifications of mitochondrial DNA, lipids, and proteins. Persistent mitochondrial dysfunction sensitizes the target cells/organs to other pathological risk factors and thus ultimately contributes to the development of more severe disease states in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The incidences of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease continuously increase due to high prevalence of metabolic syndrome including hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Many mitochondrial proteins including the enzymes involved in fat oxidation and energy supply could be oxidatively modified (includingS-nitrosylation/nitration) under increased nitroxidative stress and thus inactivated, leading to increased fat accumulation and ATP depletion. To demonstrate the underlying mechanism(s) of mitochondrial dysfunction, we employed a redox proteomics approach using biotin-N-maleimide (biotin-NM) as a sensitive biotin-switch probe to identify oxidized Cys residues of mitochondrial proteins in the experimental models of alcoholic and acute liver disease. The aims of this paper are to briefly describe the mechanisms, functional consequences, and detection methods of mitochondrial dysfunction. We also describe advantages and limitations of the Cys-targeted redox proteomics method with alternative approaches. Finally, we discuss various applications of this method in studying oxidatively modified mitochondrial proteins in extrahepatic tissues or different subcellular organelles and translational research.
Review of Nondestructive Testing Methods for Condition Monitoring of Concrete Structures
Authors: Verma Sanjeev Kumar , Bhadauria Sudhir Singh , Akhtar Saleem
Published: April 2013

The deterioration of concrete structures in the last few decades calls for effective methods for condition evaluation and maintenance. This resulted in development of several nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques for monitoring civil infrastructures. NDT methods have been used for more than three decades for monitoring concrete structures; now it has been recognized that NDT plays an important role in the condition monitoring of existing RC structures. NDT methods are known to be better to assess and evaluate the condition of RC structures practically. This paper reviewed several available NDT methods developed and used in the last few decades.
A Comparison of Corrosion Behavior of Copper and Its Alloy inPongamia pinnataOil at Different Conditions
Authors: Parameswaran Meenakshi H. N. , Anand Anisha , Krishnamurthy Shyamala R.
Published: April 2013

Vegetable oils are promising substitutes for petrodiesel as they can be produced from numerous oil seed crops that can be cultivated anywhere and have high energy contents, exhibiting clean combustion behavior with zero CO2emission and negligible SO2generation. The impact of biofuel on the corrosion of various industrial metals is a challenge for using biofuel as automotive fuel. Fuel comes in contact with a wide variety of metallic materials under different temperatures, velocities, and loads thereby causing corrosion during storage and flow of fuel. Hence, the present investigation compares the corrosion rates of copper and brass inPongamia pinnataoil (O100), 3% NaCl, and oil blend with NaCl (O99) obtained by static immersion test and using rotating cage. The corrosivity and conductivity of the test media are positively correlated. This study suggested that the corrosivity of copper is higher than brass inPongamia pinnataoil (PO).
Celiac Artery Compression Syndrome
Authors: Muqeetadnan Mohammed , Amer Syed , Rahman Ambreen , Nusrat Salman , Hassan Syed
Published: April 2013

Celiac artery compression syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by episodic abdominal pain and weight loss. It is the result of external compression of celiac artery by the median arcuate ligament. We present a case of celiac artery compression syndrome in a 57-year-old male with severe postprandial abdominal pain and 30-pound weight loss. The patient eventually responded well to surgical division of the median arcuate ligament by laparoscopy.
Comparison of Predicted Exercise Capacity Equations and the Effect of Actual versus Ideal Body Weight among Subjects Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Authors: Ahmadian H. Reza , Sclafani Joseph J. , Emmons Ethan E. , Morris Michael J. , Leclerc Kenneth M. , Slim Ahmad M.
Published: April 2013

Background. Oxygen uptake at maximal exercise (VO2max) is considered the best available index for assessment of exercise capacity. The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of actual versus ideal body weight in standard regression equations for predicted VO2max results in differences in predicted VO2max.Methods. This is a retrospective chart review of patients who were predominantly in active military duty with complaints of dyspnea or exercise tolerance and who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) from 2007 to 2009.Results. A total of 230 subjects completed CPET on a bicycle ergometer with a male predominance (62%) and an average age of 37 ± 15 years. There was significant discordance between the measured VO2max and predicted VO2max when measured by the Hansen and Wasserman reference equations (P<0.001). Specifically, there was less overestimation when predicted VO2max was based on ideal body weight as opposed to actual body weight.Conclusion. Our retrospective analysis confirmed the wide variations in predicted versus measured VO2max based on varying prediction equations and showed the potential advantage of using ideal body weight as opposed to actual body weight in order to further standardize reference norms.
Gene Expression Analysis of the IPEC-J2 Cell Line: A Simple Model for the Inflammation-Sensitive Preterm Intestine
Authors: Støy Ann Cathrine F. , Heegaard Peter M. H. , Sangild Per T. , Østergaard Mette V. , Skovgaard Kerstin
Published: April 2013

The IPEC-J2 cell line was studied as a simple model for investigating responses of the newborn intestinal epithelium to diets. Especially, the small intestine of immature newborns is sensitive to diet-induced inflammation. We investigated gene expression of epithelial- and immune response-related genes in IPEC-J2 cells stimulated for 2 h with milk formula (CELL-FORM), colostrum (CELL-COLOS), or growth medium (CELL-CONTR) and in distal small intestinal tissue samples from preterm pigs fed milk formula (PIG-FORM) or colostrum (PIG-COLOS). High throughput quantitative PCR analysis of 48 genes revealed the expression of 22 genes in IPEC-J2 cells and 31 genes in intestinal samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) discriminated the gene expression profile of IPEC-J2 cells from that of intestinal samples. The expression profile of intestinal tissue was separated by PCA into 2 groups according to diet, whereas no diet-dependent grouping was seen for IPEC-J2 cells. Expression differences between PIG-FORM and PIG-COLOS were found for DEFB1, CXCL10, IL1RN, and ALPI, while IL8 was upregulated in CELL-FORM compared with CELL-CONTR. These differences, between IPEC-J2 cells and intestinal tissue from preterm pigs, both used as models for the newborn intestine, underline that caution must be exercised prior to analysis and interpretation of diet-induced effects on gene expression.
Analysis of α-Klotho, Fibroblast Growth Factor-, Vitamin-D and Calcium-Sensing Receptor in 70 Patients with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Latus Joerg , Lehmann Renate , Roesel Meike , Fritz Peter , Braun Niko , Ulmer Christoph , Steurer Wolfgang , Biegger Dagmar , Ott German , Dippon Juergen , Alscher M.Dominik , Kimmel Martin
Published: April 2013

Background/Aims: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) is known as a very common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease, and G-protein-coupled calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)/Klotho complexes seem to be involved in its development. Methods: Hyperplastic parathyroid glands from 70 sHPT patients and normal parathyroid tissue from 7 patients were obtained during parathyroidectomy. Conventional morphological and immunohistochemical analysis of parathyroid glands was performed after dividing each slide in a 3x3 array. Results: The presence of lipocytes in the normal parathyroid gland and tissue architecture (nodal in patients with sHPT) allows for discrimination between normal parathyroid glands and parathyroid glands of patients with sHPT. Protein expression of Klotho, FGFR, CaSR and VDR was higher in the normal parathyroid glands compared to the sHPT group (p<0.001, p=0.07, p =0.01 and p=0.001). The variability of each protein expression within each tissue slide was high. Therefore correlations between the different immunohistochemical variables were analyzed for each of the nine fields and than analyzed for all patients. Using this analysis, a highly significant positive correlation could be found between the expression of FGFR and VDR (p=0.0004). Interestingly, in terms of VDR we found a shift to a more mixed nuclear/cytoplasmic staining in the HPT group compared to normal parathyroid gland cells, which showed solitary nuclear staining for VDR (p>0.05). Conclusions: CaSR, VDR and an impaired Klotho-FGFR-axis seem to be the major players in the development of sHPT. Whether the detected correlation between FGFR and VDR and the shift to a more mixed nuclear/cytoplasmic staining of VDR will yield new insights into the pathogenesis of the disease has to be evaluated in further studies.
Heterogeneity of Cell Death
Authors: Stevens J.B. , Abdallah B.Y. , Liu G. , Horne S.D. , Bremer S.W. , Ye K.J. , Huang J.Y. , Kurkinen M. , Ye C.J. , Heng H.H.Q.
Published: April 2013

Cell death constitutes a number of heterogeneous processes. Despite the dynamic nature of cell death, studies of cell death have primarily focused on apoptosis, and cell death has often been viewed as static events occurring in linear pathways. In this article we review cell death heterogeneity with specific focus on 4 aspects of cell death: the type of cell death; how it is induced; its mechanism(s); the results of cell death, and the implications of cell death heterogeneity for both basic and clinical research. This specifically reveals that cell death occurs in multiple overlapping forms that simultaneously occur within a population. Network and pathway heterogeneity in cell death is also discussed. Failure to integrate cell death heterogeneity within analyses can lead to inaccurate predictions of the amount of cell death that takes place in a tumor. Similarly, many molecular methods employed in cell death studies homogenize a population removing heterogeneity between individual cells and can be deceiving. Finally, and most importantly, cell death heterogeneity is linked to the formation of new genome systems through induction of aneuploidy and genome chaos (rapid genome reorganization).
Anatomical Roots of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Authors: Schnorrenberger Claus C.
Published: April 2013

The earliest historic reference to a dissection of a human cadaver is found in the biography of Emperor Wang Mang 王莾who in 16 C.E. ordered the medical dismembering of the body of a rebel named Wang Sun-Ching (occidental anatomy began only 1,500 years later). Measurements were made of his internal organs, and bamboo rods were inserted into his blood vessels in order to discover where they begin and where they end for the purpose of a better understanding of how to cure diseases. Similar anatomical dissections are mentioned in chapter 12 of the Huang-Di Nei-Jing Ling-Shu 黃帝內經靈樞, entitled Jing-Shui 經水 The ancient Chinese characters for body dissections given here are the same as in modern Chinese anatomy, namely Jie-Pou 解剖. The courses of the pathways as laid out in chapter 10 of the Ling-Shu Jing could well be the result of such dissections; they are elementary for acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Otherwise it cannot be explained why ancient Chinese physicians were able to denominate the respective viscera properly with names still in use today and how they could locate them topographically in their correct position as well as linking them to the vessel pathways leading to the periphery of the human body. The majority of Western acupuncturists adhere to far-fetched assumptions about ‘meridians', ‘channels', ‘points', and ‘energy' which have never existed in China. Western acupuncture thus relies on a basic logical error, a so-called Wrong Beginning (Proton pseudos πρῶτον ψεῶδος). That is why modern acupuncture finally needs an anatomical nomenclature for daily practice and scientific research including all the structures involved, which are still the same as 2,000 years ago.
Platelet and endothelial activation in catastrophic and quiescent antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Bontadi Agnese , Falcinelli Emanuela , Giannini Silvia , Marturano Alessandro , Tonello Marta , Hoxha Ariela , Pengo Vittorio , Punzi Leonardo , Momi Stefania , Gresele Paolo , Ruffatti Amelia
Published: April 2013

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) seem to induce a prothrombotic state by activating endothelium and platelets, but no studies have evaluated systematically the effects of aPL from patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in quiescent versus catastrophic phase. Our aims were to evaluate the in vitro effects on platelet activation of anti-β2 glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) antibodies isolated from APS patient in either quiescent or catastrophic phase and to investigate ex vivo platelet and endothelial activation in patients with quiescent or catastrophic APS. Anti-β2GPI antibodies were isolated from plasma of a pregnant woman in two different stages of APS (quiescent and catastrophic, respectively). They were co-incubated with washed platelets from healthy controls that were then challenged with TRAP-6 (thrombin receptor activating peptide 6) and the expression of P-selectin (P-sel) on platelets was assessed by flow cytometry. Moreover, plasma samples from six patients with quiescent, four with catastrophic APS and 10 controls were assessed for several markers of platelet and endothelial activation. The results showed that purified anti-β2GPI antibodies co-incubated with platelets enhanced TRAP-6-induced platelet P-sel expression. Notably, anti-β2GPI antibodies isolated during the catastrophic phase enhanced platelet P-sel expression more than antibodies isolated from the same patient in the quiescent stage of disease. Moreover, APS patients had significantly higher plasma levels of soluble (s) Psel, sCD40 ligand, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 than control subjects. In addition, sP-sel and von Willebrand factor activity were significantly higher during catastrophic than in quiescent phase.
Hagar Banished:
Authors: Cooper Glen M.
Published: April 2013

The Aldine edition of Galen’s works, prepared by humanists anxious to replace the medieval Latin translations with a purely Greek text, certainly represents an advance in scholarship. However, widespread anti-Arabic prejudices of the time precluded most humanists, including the Aldine editors, from perceiving anything of value in the Latin Galenic textual tradition, which was characterized as representing a Galen that had passed through the corrupting influence of Arabic. This paper considers the cost to the medical tradition of ignoring Arabic in the Aldine edition of 1525, and thereafter. Several examples of passages from the Arabo-Latin Galen are compared with the Aldine, and their differences are considered and evaluated with regard to their impact on medical knowledge. The conclusion is drawn that, although there were some real corruptions in the Arabo-Latin tradition, in the main it contained useful variant readings, which might have been used to the profit of Greek philology, as well as to the advancement of Galenic scholarship.
International Migration and the Nation State in Arab Countries
Authors: Fargues Philippe
Published: April 2013

International migration and the nation state have had, in all times and in all places, a difficult relationship. While the nation state is a community that recognises itself as one people sharing one territory and one narrative, international migrants are perceived as transgressors to the founding principle of the nation: emigrants, because they live outside the territory of which they still share the narrative; immigrants, because they are not yet part of the narrative attached to the territory in which they are newcomers. This article will, firstly, recall how Arab emigration in the age of nation-states has created an expatriate population that keeps links with its land of origin. It will show how states have shifted from disinterest and even distrust towards expatriates, to envisioning them as economic resources for national development and construction. The article will describe how development and security advantages, as compared with their African or Asian neighbours, have turned Arab states into receivers of new waves of international migrants and refugees, including a small minority of transit migrants stranded on their way to Europe, which some of them will reach clandestinely. While labour markets and, to a certain extent, societies are open to newcomers, Arab nation states demonstrate increasingly deny aliens full membership and, eventually, citizenship.
“Trafficking” Parenting: Migration, Motherhood, Forced Labor and Deportability in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Authors: Mahdavi Pardis
Published: April 2013

The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to look at how parenthood can often place or keep migrant women in situations of force, fraud, or coercion that characterize human trafficking; and, second, to look at how becoming a parent (or the possibility of reproducing) while in the host country structures a discourse and series of actions that can lead migrant women into trafficking-like situations of becoming undocumented and illegal, being detained, abused, or deported. Drawing on four years of ethnographic research in the UAE between 2007 and 2011, I contrast women’s experiences of parenthood while in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with conversations and discourses constructed about migrant women’s bodies, reproductive capabilities, and sexualities. Beyond looking at the question of intimate labor, I aim to look at the intimate lives of those engaging in intimate labor, asking: what of the personal, affective, and emotional ties of those working in spheres of intimate labor?
Trade, Development, and Migrant Garment Workers in Jordan
Authors: Kolben Kevin
Published: April 2013

This article examines the consequences of the international community’s and, more specifically, the United States’ efforts to help Jordan develop through the use of Preferential Trade Arrangements (PTAs). Specifically, it looks at how an effort to encourage garment and apparel manufacturing in Jordan, through special tariff reductions that are not generally available to other trading partners of the U.S., led to some unintended and undesirable results from the perspective of labor rights compliance and development. The article concludes that PTAs that intend to promote development and labor rights need to examine the specific labor market and economic context of trading partner countries to determine how to best design trade policy.
Taxonomic review of the tree frog genus Rhacophorus from the Western Ghats, India (Anura: Rhacophoridae), with description of ontogenetic colour changes and reproductive behaviour
Authors: BIJU S. D. , KAMEI RACHUNLIU G. , MAHONY STEPHEN , THOMAS ASHISH , GARG SONALI , SIRCAR GARGI , SUYESH ROBIN
Published: April 2013

A taxonomic revision of the Western Ghats species from the genus Rhacophorus is presented. Based on museum studies and new collections from localities spanning the known range of Western Ghats Rhacophorus, we review the four known species of this genus, their type specimens, current taxonomic status and their geographic distribution on the basis of mor-phological and molecular data. The holotypes of Rhacophorus calcadensis, R. lateralis and R. malabaricus are rede-scribed. The previously unidentified holotype of Rhacophorus malabaricus is herein fixed. Descriptions of ontogenetic colour change (OCC) in the Western Ghats Rhacophorus are provided and we conjecture the taxonomic utility of OCC. Additionally we provide observations on nesting behaviour of each species, and report multiple male participation during amplexus, oviposition and foam nest construction in R. lateralis and R. malabaricus.
A new species of Pseudopaludicola (Anura, Leiuperidae) from western Piauí State, Northeast Brazil
Authors: ROBERTO IGOR JOVENTINO , CARDOZO DARIO , ÁVILA ROBSON W.
Published: April 2013

A new species of Pseudopaludicola from western Piauí State, Brazil, in the Cerrado domain is described. Pseudopaludi-cola parnaiba sp. nov. is a member of the genus Pseudopaludicola, on the basis of the presence of one hypertrophied an-tebrachial tubercle, posterolateral process of the hyoid outlined and epicoracoid cartilages slightly overlapped. The new species is characterized by an advertisement call composed of 6–46 non-pulsed notes per call and dominant frequency of 4794 ± 296 Hz, which supports an independent lineage. Additionally, the small size, body slender, toe tips knobbed with central groove, abdominal fold complete, tibio-tarsal articulation reaching the posterior border of the eye, and prepollex and prehallux composed of base and one element are character states that distinguish P. parnaiba from all the members of Pseudopaludicola. We provide its formal description with regard to external morphology, osteological characters and ad-vertisement call.
Predicting Household Water Consumption With Individual-Level Variables
Authors: Jorgensen Bradley S. , Martin John F. , Pearce Meryl W. , Willis Eileen M.
Published: April 2013

Few studies investigating the psychological determinants of water consumption and conservation use metered household water data. Studies that have used metered consumption have found that individual-level motivations are often weak predictors. This may be due to the psychological determinants being measured at the individual level and metered consumption at the household level. This article contributes to the water consumption literature by (a) identifying the determinants of change in water consumption over time and (b) testing effects in single-person households where levels of analysis are equivalent. We applied models to data from South Australia ( N = 410) and Victoria ( N = 205) and found that variables at the individual, household, dwelling, and regional levels predict the initial level of consumption and/or its rate of change. Some individual-level variables were not significant predictors of household consumption but did predict individual consumption. We discuss these results in light of previous research and offer avenues for future research.
Study on the preparation of multi-walled carbon nanotube/phthalocyanine composites and their optical limiting effects
Authors: Zhang Lei , Yu Haojie , Liu Lei , Wang Li
Published: April 2013

In this article, multi-walled carbon nanotubes were noncovalently functionalized with different metal phthalocyanines by π–π stacking method. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were dispersed by sonication into the phthalocyanines solution in chloroform or N, N-dimethyl formamide before refined purification by centrifugation. It could be observed that the metal phthalocyanine molecules adhered to the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in the transmission electron microscopy images. These composites were characterized by thermo gravimetric analysis and UV/Vis absorption spectrum. The optical limiting responses of these composites in N, N-dimethyl formamide solution were studied by Q-switched Nd:YAG laser instrument with nanosecond pulse of 1064 nm and repetition rate of 10 Hz. It was noted that the optical limiting ability of these composites solution was stronger than that of multi-walled carbon nanotubes or phthalocyanine alone. In addition, carbon nanotube was commonly purified in concentrated nitric acid, which usually introduced carboxylic groups on the carbon nanotubes. Herein, the effect of introduced carboxylic groups in the nitric acid treatment on the π–π stacking was also studied based on thermogravimetric analysis of composite multi-walled carbon nanotube/copper phthlaocyanine.
Adults’ Beliefs Regarding Nonverbal Cues Predictive of Violence
Authors: Johnson Richard R. , Aaron Jasmine L.
Published: April 2013

A dearth of scientific knowledge currently exists regarding human nonverbal predictors of violence. Using a sample of 178 adults, this study sought to identify a series of nonverbal behaviors the research participants perceived to be associated with the communication of imminent violence. Assuming a boxer’s stance, invading personal space, clenched hands, and threatening remarks were almost uniformly associated with impending violence. Several other gestures and behaviors were also perceived to be associated with violence to a lesser degree. Behaviors least perceived to be associated with violence were crying, rapid eye blinking, placing hands on hips, and avoiding eye contact. Analyses by sex and race found only minor, and substantively insignificant, differences, suggesting these perceptions may be innate rather than cultural.
Social Achievement Goals, Efficacious Beliefs, and Math Performance in a Predominately African American High School
Authors: Jones Martin H. , Ford James M.
Published: April 2013

The study is the first to examine the relationship among students’ social achievement goals, self-efficacy, collective efficacy of classmates and teachers, and math performance. In addition, the study examined homophily, or the tendency for peer group members to hold similar beliefs, for social achievement goals, efficacious beliefs, and math performance. Participants were 210 students from a predominately African American high school. Boys’ social achievement goals predicted twice as much collective efficacy than girls’ social achievement goals. In addition, self-efficacy positively predicted math performance for girls, but not so for boys. Social achievement goal homophily was only present for girls. Self-efficacy and math performance homophily was present for both boys and girls.
Bulldozers, Busing, and Boycotts
Authors: Hock Jennifer
Published: April 2013

This essay uses the history of a single urban renewal project, the residential Washington Park project in Roxbury, Boston, to illuminate the multiple ways in which ideas about race and strategies for improving black life helped shape the postwar urban landscape. Focusing on the development and disintegration of black support for renewal, it shows how contrasting ideals of integration and community control helped shape community response to renewal and, indirectly, the production of the built environment itself.
Of Menace and Mimicry
Authors: Hubbert Jennifer
Published: April 2013

This article examines the Olympic narratives of young, educated urbanites in China to consider the 2008 Beijing Olympics’ role as a “diagnostic event” through which global conflicts and controversies coalesce and national identities are constructed. It illustrates how students and young professionals analyzed the Beijing Olympics to invoke discourses of similarity in the form of Western economic development models and difference in the form of essentialized tropes of Chinese culture to counter global images of China as a threat to international well-being. Exploring theories of mimicry to understand these appeals to similarity as a form of national value, this article also reveals how students and young professionals in China recommended the forms of culture manifest in the Olympics as an expression of difference to question and reformulate hierarchies of global power.
Are Narcissists Sexy? Zeroing in on the Effect of Narcissism on Short-Term Mate Appeal
Authors: Dufner Michael , Rauthmann John F. , Czarna Anna Z. , Denissen Jaap J. A.
Published: April 2013

This research was aimed to provide a comprehensive test of the classic notion that narcissistic individuals are appealing as short-term romantic or sexual partners. In three studies, we tested the hypotheses that narcissism exerts a positive effect on an individual’s mate appeal and that this effect is mediated by high physical attractiveness and high social boldness. We implemented a multimethod approach and used ratings of opposite sex persons (Study 1), ratings of friends (Study 2), and records of courtship outcomes in naturalistic interactions (Study 3) as indicators of mate appeal. In all cases, narcissism had a positive effect on mate appeal, which was mainly due to the agentic self-enhancement aspects of narcissism (rather than narcissists’ lacking communion). As predicted, physical attractiveness and social boldness mediated the positive effect of narcissism on mate appeal. Findings further indicated that narcissism was more strongly linked to mate appeal than to friend appeal.
The Global Professional Service Firm: ‘One Firm’ Models versus (Italian) Distant Institutionalized Practices
Authors: Muzio Daniel , Faulconbridge James
Published: April 2013

Through a historical case study of the internationalization of large English law firms into Italy, this paper uses Scott’s (2005) three pillars approach to look at how local institutions constrain and mediate the strategies and practices of global professional services firms. In doing so, it corrects the economic bias in the growing body of literature on the internationalization of PSFs by stressing how local regulations, norms and cultural frameworks affect the reproduction of home country practices, such as the one firm model pursued by large English law firms, in host-country jurisdictions. The paper also extends existing work on institutional duality (Kostova, 1999, Kostova & Roth, 2002) by developing a fine-grained, micro-level analysis which emphasizes the connections between institutions and practices. This is crucial, we contend, since the difficulties encountered by PSFs (and multinationals more generally) in their internationalization do not result from collisions between home- and host-country institutional structures per se, but between the diverse practices generated by distant institutional environments.
The Financial Value of Fellowship Training in Otolaryngology
Authors: Hull Benjamin P. , Darrow David H. , Derkay Craig S.
Published: April 2013

Objective

To evaluate the financial impact of pursuing a fellowship in otolaryngology.

Study Design

Retrospective financial analysis using American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery survey data.

Subjects and Methods

The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery report, entitled Socioeconomic Study among Members April 2011, gives a financial profile of respondents who reported their primary area of specialization as either general otolaryngology or a specific area of subspecialization. Weighted averages were calculated from the reported data. The weighted averages were used to calculate a net present value (NPV) over a 30‐year contiguous career.

Results

The NPV for general otolaryngology was $4.73 million. The NPV for the following subspecialties in relation to general otolaryngology were (in hundred thousands) as follows: otolaryngologic allergy (−$1153), sleep medicine (−$677), otology/neurotology (−$339), laryngology (−$288), head and neck (−$191), pediatric otolaryngology (−$176), facial plastic surgery (−$139), skull base surgery ($122), rhinology ($285), and allergy and immunology ($350). Ninety‐four percent of general otolaryngology respondents were in private practice. Most subspecialists worked in an academic setting.

Conclusion

Fellowship training in otolaryngology will affect career earnings of prospective fellows. The overall financial impact of fellowship training, calculating in the delay in receiving a full clinical salary, should be factored into the decision to pursue fellowship training.
The Supraclavicular Artery Island Flap (SCAIF) for Head and Neck Reconstruction: Surgical Technique and Refinements
Authors: Granzow Jay W. , Suliman Ahmed , Roostaeian Jason , Perry Adam , Boyd J. Brian
Published: April 2013

Objective

We have found the supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) to be a reliable, first‐line tool for the reconstruction of complex head and neck defects. Here, we review our technique of flap elevation and summarize the current literature citing important contributions in the evolution of this flap.

Data Sources

Medline literature review of supraclavicular artery island flap or shoulder flap in head and neck reconstruction with particular emphasis on developments within the past 5 years.

Review Methods

Literature review of technique, indications, anatomy, modification, and outcomes of the supraclavicular artery island flap.

Conclusion

The supraclavicular artery island flap is an important and reliable option in head and neck reconstruction. We use the flap routinely in our practice as a first‐line technique when fasciocutaneous soft‐tissue reconstruction is required, and we provide a detailed summary of the flap elevation and inset.

Implications for Practice

The supraclavicular artery island flap is a safe, reliable, technically simple, sensate, thin, pliable fasciocutaneous regional flap option that has low morbidity. It provides sensate, single‐stage reconstruction for a variety of head and neck defects and should be considered as a first‐line option in head and neck reconstruction.
Worm geomorphology
Authors: Tsikalas Stephen G. , Whitesides Clayton J.
Published: April 2013

Darwin’s analysis of the geomorphology of worms is the first documented account of fauna influencing the landscape and established the foundation upon which many current studies in ecosystem engineering, zoogeomorphology, soil science, and biogeomorphology are more broadly predicated. The focus of this assessment is to analyze the long-lasting and broad application of his 1881 work, The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms, with Observations on their Habits. In particular, this assessment identifies and elaborates on underlying lessons for today’s geomorphologists. The underlying lessons presented here are three-fold: (1) be multidisciplinary, (2) assess the trivial, and (3) be impactful. First, we review the context of geomorphology in his essay on worms. Then, we address each of the three underlying lessons. We discuss how geomorphologists have adopted these lessons, and what geomorphology can continue to learn from Darwin (1881). In doing so, we analyze the wide influence Darwin’s Worms has had on the scientific community, with an emphasis on geomorphic implications. Our analysis shows that over 900 publications refer to Darwin (1881). In addition, these publications were derived from a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, anthropology, biogeography, botany, geology, paleontology, philosophy, psychology, scientific travel writing, taxonomy, and zoology. At first glance, it may appear trivial to assess the amount of earth moved by worms, yet this is how Darwin spent his final years. His efforts were not in vain, but rather found that worms play an essential role in soil health, and his work continues to gain recognition and inspire geomorphologists.
What If We Took Our Models Seriously? Estimating Latent Scores in Individuals
Authors: Schneider W. Joel
Published: April 2013

Researchers often argue that the structural models of the constructs they study are relevant to clinicians. Unfortunately, few clinicians are able to translate the mathematically precise relationships between latent constructs and observed scores into information that can be usefully applied to individuals. Typically this means that when a new structural model supplants a rival model, clinicians have only vague (and often incorrect) notions about how score interpretations should change. Fortunately, it is possible to estimate latent scores from observed scores in a rigorous manner. More important, paying attention to the confidence intervals around those estimates can assist clinicians’ intuitions about what can (and cannot) be known with precision about a person’s abilities. These methods are illustrated with structural models of the WISC-IV (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition). A free user-friendly spreadsheet that automates these procedures is available from the author.
Openness/Intellect in a 50-Item IPIP Instrument
Authors: Ingram Paul B. , Boan-Lenzo Candace , Vuyk M. Alexandra
Published: April 2013

The M5-50 is a five-factor theory instrument based on the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) that has had difficulties with the five-factor model fitting well. The openness domain’s factor structure has a history of concerns that might relate to the connected yet distinguishable facets of openness/intellect. This study explored the factor structure and interdomain correlations within the openness domain of the M5-50 in 255 college students. Results indicate that no significant interdomain correlations exist between Openness and the other M5-50 domains. In addition, results suggest that having one factor convey the aspects of the openness domain construct does not explain the structure of the domain as well as a three-factor solution; the three-factor solution in the M5-50 includes commonalities to the distinct IPIP facets of artistic interests and intellect while the third factor demonstrates less emergent facets of the domain. Implications of the findings include a suggested review of the openness domain in the M5-50 and interpretations of openness/intellect in vocational settings.
Longitudinal Factor Structure of General Self-Concept and Locus of Control Among High School Students
Authors: Wang Ze , Su Ihui
Published: April 2013

This study examined the longitudinal factor structure of general self-concept and locus of control among high school students over a 4-year period, with data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988. Measurement invariance was tested over time and across gender and ethnic groups; second-order piecewise latent growth models were applied to study changes. In all analyses, Likert-type scale items were correctly treated as ordered-categorical variables and methodology was used accordingly. Results suggested that the measurement structure of general self-concept and locus of control was stable over time and across groups. In addition, both constructs decreased and then increased during the 4-year period. The female group and the White group followed the pattern of changes of the total sample. The male group and the three ethnic minority groups (Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black) differed from the total sample in their change patterns. Further, group differences were observed in the two constructs at the base year.