bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“A Long Poem of Walking”
Authors: Acerbi Patricia
Published: September 2013

Chronicle literature in early twentieth-century Rio de Janeiro developed in tandem with the urban modernization that followed the abolition of slavery in 1888. Writers-flâneurs strolled city streets to observe human behavior in the new post-abolition urban environment. The street vendor, a fellow traveler within the city, was quickly identified by chroniclers as an integral component of the modern city. Ruling elites, however, viewed street commerce as a blot on the modern urban landscape and sought to prohibit vending through a series of policies that vendors often contested. Chroniclers and newspapers’ embrace of vendors therefore reveals the ambivalence that marked the effort to define modernity. Although connected to the city’s slave past, street vendors came to represent a modern urban membership unique to the Brazilian capital. The practice of street commerce and the intellectual culture surrounding it reflects how “walking the city” carved an alternative urban citizenship and sense of belonging.
Outcomes of a Partnership for College and Career Readiness and a Senior English Transition Course
Authors: Creech Kimberly Kaye , Clouse Pamela Jane
Published: September 2013

This article discusses the outcomes of a partnership between four high schools and one university to reduce the need for remediation in reading and writing. The purpose of the partnership was to build relationships between secondary and postsecondary faculty and to create a senior year English Transition course for students who did not meet ACT benchmarks for reading and/or writing. We discuss recommendations for school administrators and paired t-test results for assessments used in the English Transition course.
Evaluating the Effects of a 532‐nm Fiber‐Based KTP Laser on Transoral Laser Surgery Supplies
Authors: Coughlan Carolyn A. , Verma Sunil P.
Published: September 2013

Objective

The KTP laser has become commonplace in transoral head and neck surgery. The interactions of this laser with commonly used supplies in transoral surgery have not been formally examined. This study evaluates the effects of the KTP laser on surgical supplies.

Study Design

Experimental study.

Setting

The study was conducted in an empty operating room at a university‐affiliated medical center.

Methods

An Aura XP 532‐nm KTP laser with a 600‐nm fiber was used in pulsed and continuous modes. The beam was focused at the shaft and balloon of 3 “laser‐safe” endotracheal tubes (ETTs), a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ETT, and a Codman surgical patty. Time to penetrate was recorded.

Results

The KTP laser beam was unable to penetrate any of the laser‐resistant ETTs. It did react with the black number markings on the PVC ETT by producing sparks but was unable to penetrate the shaft of the ETT. The KTP laser was nonreactive with all ETT cuffs except in 1 of 3 trials with the outer balloon cuff of a Rusch Lasertubus ETT when the laser was used in a continuous mode. The KTP laser caused the production of a flame upon contact with the blue radiopaque strip of the surgical patty, even when the patty was wet.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that a number of safe ETT options may be used during transoral laser microsurgery with a KTP laser. In addition, Codman surgical patties are shown to be a significant fire risk in KTP laser surgery.
Survey of Otolaryngology Services in Central America: Need for a Comprehensive Intervention
Authors: Wagner Richard , Fagan Johan
Published: September 2013

In the developing world, there exists a scarcity of services and training in otolaryngology, audiology, and speech therapy, which is reflected by the gap between health care delivery in high‐income countries and low‐income countries. We surveyed, by questionnaire, the countries of Central America, except for Belize, because of the lack of otolaryngology services, on the following issues: availability of otolaryngology, audiology, and speech therapy services and equipment; otolaryngologist, audiologist, and speech therapist training; and availability of services in rural areas. Surveys were distributed via email and by hand at the 2011 Central American Congress of Otolaryngology, in San Salvador, El Salvador, to otolaryngologists, audiologists, and speech therapists. Not to our surprise, there is a shortfall in services and training in all three professions. The data collected and presented in this commentary will provide a basis by which change might take place.
Upper urinary tract tumors: how does the contrast enhancement measured in a split-bolus CTU correlate to histological staging?
Authors: Gandrup Karen L , Nordling Jørgen , Balslev Ingegerd , Thomsen Henrik S
Published: September 2013

Background

Computed tomography urography (CTU) is used widely in the work-up of patients with symptoms of urinary tract lesions. Preoperative knowledge of whether a tumor is invasive or non-invasive is important for the choice of surgery. So far there are no studies about the distinction of invasive and non-invasive tumors in ureter and renal pelvis based on the enhancement measured with Hounsfield Units.

Purpose

To examine the value of CTU using split-bolus technique to distinguish non-invasive from invasive urothelial carcinomas in the upper urinary tract.

Material and Methods

Patients who underwent nephroureterectomy between 2006 and 2011 and who had split-bolus CTU prior to surgery were included. The images were available electronically. The attenuation values before and after administration of iodine-based contrast media were measured. The radiology, patient, and pathology records were reviewed.

Results

Of the 158 patients who underwent unilateral nephroureterectomy 69 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Histopathological examination revealed 31 patients with non-invasive and 38 with invasive urothelial carcinoma. Neither absolute attenuation nor change in attenuation values obtained at CTU could distinguish between invasive and non-invasive lesions. No patients had a CTU within the last year before the examination that resulted in surgery.

Conclusion

A split-bolus CTU cannot distinguish between invasive and non-invasive urothelial tumors in the upper urinary tract, but the examination is useful to diagnose a tumor in the renal pelvis and the ureter.
Acromioclavicular Joint Injuries in the National Football League
Authors: Lynch T. Sean , Saltzman Matthew D. , Ghodasra Jason H. , Bilimoria Karl Y. , Bowen Mark K. , Nuber Gordon W.
Published: September 2013

Background:

Previous studies investigating acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries in professional American football players have only been reported on quarterbacks during the 1980s and 1990s. These injuries have not been evaluated across all position players in the National Football League (NFL).

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was 4-fold: (1) to determine the incidence of AC joint injuries among all NFL position players; (2) to investigate whether player position, competition setting, type of play, and playing surface put an athlete at an increased risk for this type of injury; (3) to determine the incidence of operative and nonoperative management of these injuries; and (4) to compare the time missed for injuries treated nonoperatively to the time missed for injuries requiring surgical intervention.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiological study.

Methods:

All documented injuries of the AC joint were retrospectively analyzed using the NFL Injury Surveillance System (NFLISS) over a 12-season period from 2000 through 2011. The data were analyzed by the anatomic location, player position, field conditions, type of play, requirement of surgical management, days missed per injury, and injury incidence.

Results:

Over 12 NFL seasons, there were a total of 2486 shoulder injuries, with 727 (29.2%) of these injuries involving the AC joint. The overall rate of AC joint injuries in these athletes was 26.1 injuries per 10,000 athlete exposures, with the majority of these injuries occurring during game activity on natural grass surfaces (incidence density ratio, 0.79) and most often during passing plays. These injuries occurred most frequently in defensive backs, wide receivers, and special teams players; however, the incidence of these injuries was greatest in quarterbacks (20.9 injuries per 100 players), followed by special teams players (20.7/100) and wide receivers (16.5/100). Overall, these athletes lost a mean of 9.8 days per injury, with quarterbacks losing the most time to injury (mean, 17.3 days). The majority of these injuries were low-grade AC joint sprains that were treated with nonoperative measures; only 13 (1.7%) required surgical management. Players who underwent surgical management lost a mean of 56.2 days.

Conclusion:

Shoulder injuries, particularly those of the AC joint, occur frequently in the NFL. These injuries can result in time lost but rarely require operative management. Quarterbacks had the highest incidence of injury; however, this incidence is lower than in previous investigations that evaluated these injuries during the 1980s and 1990s.
Science and Engineering Majors in the Federal Service: Lessons for Eliminating Sexual and Racial Inequality
Authors: Oh Seong Soo , Kim Jungbu
Published: September 2013

This study explores how the gender and racial composition of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) portion of the federal workforce has changed, and how female and minority employees with STEM degrees compare with White majorities and those with degrees in non-STEM fields. Using a series of ordinary least square analyses of a 1% random sample of federal employees for 1983, 1996, and 2009, this study finds that gender and racial pay disparities have decreased over the study period, and that the extant gender pay gap can be explained largely by educational attainment, work experience, and particularly by the changing composition in STEM majors. Despite the decrease in pay disparity, a racial pay gap still remains even after controlling for education level, federal experience, and other major factors.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Authors: French P. Edward , Emerson Melissa C.
Published: September 2013

Numerous research articles have evaluated the reward preference of public sector employees in terms of the public service motivation (PSM) construct. However, very little research has been done on whether differences in reward preferences exist within a particular sector at the local government level. This research aims to fill this gap by reevaluating the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to employees in local government as several changes in workforce composition, economic conditions, performance, and accountability have challenged traditional public management approaches and techniques. A case study comprising survey responses from 272 employees of a local government in Mississippi provides data for the analyses. Results reveal that both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are important to these individuals in their current positions, and these preferences vary due to demographic variables, the employee’s position within the organization, and the individual’s level of PSM.
Age-Related Changes in a Patient With Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease Determined by Repeated 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Authors: Mori Tatsuo , Mori Kenji , Ito Hiromichi , Goji Aya , Miyazaki Masahito , Harada Masafumi , Kurosawa Kenji , Kagami Shoji
Published: September 2013

A boy with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease underwent repeated evaluations by 3-Tesla 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The patient showed overlap of the PLP1. Individuals selected as normal controls for 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy consisted of healthy age-matched children. For 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the center of a voxel was positioned in the right parietal lobe. 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed when the patient was 2, 6, 14, and 25 months old. γ-Aminobutyric acid concentration in early childhood was increased compared with that in normal controls. However, the γ-aminobutyric acid concentration in the Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease patient was normalized at 14 and 25 months. No remarkable changes were observed in choline-containing compounds concentration at any time. These results suggest that the changes in metabolite concentrations during growth can reflect the pathological condition of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease. Furthermore, the lack of change in the choline-containing compounds concentration can be useful for differentiating Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease from other white matter disorders.
Experimental investigations on the role of tool size in causing and controlling defects in single point incremental forming process
Authors: Hussain Ghulam
Published: September 2013

Single point incremental forming is a cost-effective alternative of conventional stamping process. However, due to inadequate knowledge, the process has not yet been employed on industrial scale. In this study, the role of tool radius in causing and controlling development of defects in single point incremental forming is investigated. Throughout the course of investigations, AA1060 aluminum is used as the experimental material. Initially, a range of tests with tool radius ( r) ranging from 1 to to 2.35 to (where to is sheet thickness) are conducted. It is found that defects, namely, pillow, wall and material-fold, develop in a part if forming is performed with an unduly small tool (i.e. r<2 to). Furthermore, as a result of these defects, the part accuracy and sheet formability reduce. In the second stage, the effect of selected process parameters (i.e. feed rate, yield strength, wall angle, sheet thickness and step size) on the growth (or size) of aforesaid defects is examined. The test results reveal that the investigated parameters, excluding feed rate, are significant. In order to prevent inappropriate selection of tool and thus to simultaneously control all the defects, a least-radius limit is defined (i.e. rl), and as a last stage of investigations, its correlation with the short listed significant parameters is determined. To do so, a comprehensive design of experiments is performed. According to the design of experiment findings, the radius limit rl varies as a process parameter is varied. Moreover, this variation effect of parameters is highly interactive. Finally, an empirical formula to predict the said radius limit is proposed and its correctness is verified.
A study on thermal responses, microstructural issues, and natural aging in gas tungsten arc welding of AA2024-T4
Authors: Sarmast Ardeshir , Serajzadeh Siamak , Kokabi Amir H
Published: September 2013

In this study, a three-dimensional model has been utilized for predicting thermal responses during tungsten arc welding of AA2024-T4 plates in which double ellipsoidal heat source model was employed to consider the moving torch in the model. Furthermore, tensile and hardness tests and microstructural evaluations have been carried out to investigate the mechanical properties and the microstructures within the welded metal. The results show that there is a region inside the heat-affected zone where hardness increases while in some parts of this region having temperatures higher than 250 °C the hardness decreases significantly. Furthermore, natural aging occurs after welding; however, its kinetics is not the same in different regions of the weldment owing to the differences in the imposed thermal cycles.
Investigation of green properties of iron/jet-milled grey cast iron compacts by response surface method
Authors: Abdollahi Hadi , Mahdavinejad Ramezanali , Ghambari Mohammad , Moradi Mahmoud
Published: September 2013

Grey cast iron powder was produced from grey cast iron scraps by jet milling method and mixed with commercial pure iron powder. The morphology of the produced powders and characteristics of the powder mixtures were investigated. The mathematical models were successfully developed to predict green properties of iron/jet-milled grey cast iron compacts using response surface methodology. Using response surface methodology, the effects of the percentage of jet-milled cast iron powder and compaction pressure on green density, green strength, and hardness of the green compacts were analyzed and the optimal combinations of the input process parameters were obtained to maximize the responses. The main and interaction effects of the input process parameters and also the validity of the models were evaluated by using analysis of variance method. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of the powders and the fracture surfaces were provided to discuss the obtained responses. The results indicated that in addition to fast production rate and economical considerations, the iron/jet-milled grey cast iron powder compacts have adequate green properties for most of the different combinations of the input process parameters.
Monitoring single-stage double-suction pump efficiency using vibration indicators
Authors: Guzzomi Andrew , Pan Jie
Published: September 2013

Efficiency tests were conducted on two single-stage double-suction split-case pumps in a clean water distribution facility. Efficiency was monitored via two techniques, one established and the other proposed in this study. Measurements of the former were taken via the standard technique using a Yatesmeter that required time to calibrate and that probes be inserted into the clean water flow; the latter method was non-intrusive, being based solely on accelerometer measurements at key locations on the volute/split casing. Both techniques required some post-processing of data. Through comparison of the techniques, it is shown that for the pumps that were analysed it is possible to extract indicators within the vibration signatures that permit good correlation with efficiency data. In both cases only a few recorded measurement points were possible and the vibration indicator-based curve fitting technique was able to locate the best efficiency point more accurately than using the curve fitted to the Yatesmeter measured data. This short communication reports on the initial tests which are showing promising results.
Design optimization of aerodynamic shapes of a wing and its winglet using modified quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization algorithm
Authors: Wei Zhang , Meijian Sun
Published: September 2013

The modified quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization algorithm is developed. It has the ability to learn from excellent individuals and precisely update all the particles that are involved in computational fluid dynamics computation. The airfoil parameterization method of the Hicks–Henne form function was also improved. The Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equation solver and the multi-objective and nonlinear adaptive value weighting method were used to optimize a transonic and high-aspect-ratio swept-back wing and winglet. The optimization results show that the drag characteristics of the optimized configuration are reduced greatly, the shock-wave amplitude on the wing is reduced, and intense shock wave on the winglet is completely eliminated, thus indicating that this method has strong engineering practicality.
Equilibrium and station-keeping efficiency of cross-track multi-satellite arrays using a micro-electromagnetic formation flight
Authors: Wang Haoyu , Zhao Guowei , Huang Hai , Tang Bin
Published: September 2013

Electromagnetic formation flying is a novel concept of controlling the relative degrees of freedom of a satellite formation without the expenditure of fuel by using high-temperature superconducting wires to create magnetic dipoles. Micro-electromagnetic formation flying, which is an alternative to electromagnetic formation flying in terms of reduced complexity, uses conventional conductors to replace the high-temperature superconducting coils in electromagnetic formation flying, shortening the separation distances between the electromagnets. This paper investigates the use of micro-electromagnetic formation flying for providing relative position control for unperturbed station-keeping in a multi-satellite array along the cross-track direction that can be used in cross-track interferometric synthetic aperture radar applications. Considering that conventional conductors produce small separation distances between electromagnets, comparatively large baselines can be achieved by positioning multiple satellites consecutively in an array. The existence of equilibrium positions of the satellites is demonstrated. The station-keeping efficiency of the formation satellites is studied. It is found that the electromagnetic dipoles on neighboring satellites should be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to obtain the maximum station-keeping efficiency of the formation; correspondingly, the equilibrium positions of the satellites along the cross-track direction are symmetrical about the center of mass of the formation. A method for maximizing the station-keeping efficiency of the formation using micro-electromagnetic formation flying is also presented, using feasible designs for small satellite formations as examples.
The Number of Fatalities Drives Disaster Aid
Authors: Evangelidis Ioannis , Van den Bergh Bram
Published: September 2013

In the studies reported here, an analysis of financial donations in response to natural disasters showed that the amount of money allocated for humanitarian aid depends on the number of fatalities but not on the number of survivors who are affected by the disaster (i.e., the actual beneficiaries of the aid). On the basis of the experimental evidence, we discuss the underlying cause and provide guidelines to increase sensitivity to people in need.
Genes for Emotion-Enhanced Remembering Are Linked to Enhanced Perceiving
Authors: Todd Rebecca M. , Müller Daniel J. , Lee Daniel H. , Robertson Amanda , Eaton Tayler , Freeman Natalie , Palombo Daniela J. , Levine Brian , Anderson Adam K.
Published: September 2013

Emotionally enhanced memory and susceptibility to intrusive memories after trauma have been linked to a deletion variant (i.e., a form of a gene in which certain amino acids are missing) of ADRA2B, the gene encoding subtype B of the α2-adrenergic receptor, which influences norepinephrine activity. We examined in 207 participants whether variations in this gene are responsible for individual differences in affective influences on initial encoding that alter perceptual awareness. We examined the attentional blink, an attentional impairment during rapid serial visual presentation, for negatively arousing, positively arousing, and neutral target words. Overall, the attentional blink was reduced for emotional targets for ADRA2B-deletion carriers and noncarriers alike, which reveals emotional sparing (i.e., reduction of the attentional impairment for words that are emotionally significant). However, deletion carriers demonstrated a further, more pronounced emotional sparing for negative targets. This finding demonstrates a contribution of genetics to individual differences in the emotional subjectivity of perception, which in turn may be linked to biases in later memory.
Emotional Distractors Can Enhance Attention
Authors: Sussman Tamara J. , Heller Wendy , Miller Gregory A. , Mohanty Aprajita
Published: September 2013

The deleterious effects of emotional distractors on attention have been well demonstrated. However, it is unclear whether emotional distractors inevitably disrupt task-relevant attention. In the research reported here, the impact of the valence and arousal of distracting emotional stimuli and individual differences in anxiety on task-relevant processing were examined using multilevel modeling. Consistent with prior literature, results showed that high-arousal negative distractors, compared with positive and neutral distractors, were associated with poorer task-relevant attention. However, low-arousal negative distractors were associated with better task-relevant performance than were positive and neutral distractors. Furthermore, these effects were accentuated by individual differences in worry. These findings challenge assumptions that distraction and worry must be minimized for augmented attentional performance. Overall, these results emphasize the importance of taking into account emotional dimensions of arousal and valence as well as individual differences in anxiety when examining attention in the presence of emotional distractors.
When Truth Is Personally Inconvenient, Attitudes Change
Authors: Rudman Laurie A. , McLean Meghan C. , Bunzl Martin
Published: September 2013

A naturalistic investigation of New Jersey residents, both before and after they experienced Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, examined support for politicians committed or opposed to policies designed to combat climate change. At Time 1, before both hurricanes, participants showed negative implicit attitudes toward a green politician, but at Time 2, after the hurricanes, participants drawn from the same cohort showed a reversed automatic preference. Moreover, those who were significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy were especially likely to implicitly prefer the green politician, and implicit attitudes were the best predictor of voting after the storms, whereas explicit climate-change beliefs was the best predictor before the storms. In concert, the results suggest that direct experience with extreme weather can increase pro-environmentalism, and further support conceptualizing affective experiences as a source of implicit attitudes.
Practical hysteresis model for magnetorheological dampers
Authors: Domínguez-González Aurelio , Stiharu Ion , Sedaghati Ramin
Published: September 2013

The magnetorheological dampers have been extensively studied given their benefits such as fail-safe manner, low power requirements, relative fast response, and large force capacity and robustness. To take advantage of this remarkable device, a good model is required to accurately and effectively predict the real-time damping force in magnetorheological damper in order to apply the appropriate control actions to improve the response of the structural system. In this article, a new practical model is proposed to better characterize the hysteresis phenomenon in magnetorheological dampers. The model considers the displacement, velocity, and acceleration excitations as well as the current excitation as input variables and includes a reduced number of constant parameters to be determined. Since the displacement, velocity, and acceleration variables can be obtained in real time from adequate sensors, it is easy and practical to predict the current excitation required to generate the specific hysteresis force. The hysteresis damping forces predicted by the proposed model are validated with those experimentally obtained for different current, amplitude, and frequency of excitation, and a very good correlation has been observed.
Effect of the γ-radiation on the properties of epoxy-based shape memory polymers
Authors: Leng Jinsong , Xie Fang , Wu Xuelian , Liu Yanju
Published: September 2013

In this article, the epoxy-based shape memory polymers were exposed to simulated γ-radiation environments up to 140 days for an accelerated irradiation. The influence of γ-radiation on thermal and mechanical properties was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and tensile test. The glass transition temperatures ( Tg) determined by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis decreased no more than 10%, and the shape recovery speed became a little faster after γ-radiation of 1 × 105 Gy. The tensile strength and elastic modulus could, respectively, maintain 26 MPa and 1.36 GPa after being irradiated by 1 × 106 Gy radiation, showing great potential in aerospace structural materials.
Stimuli-triggered self-healing functionality in advanced fibre-reinforced composites
Authors: Trask Richard S , Norris Christopher J , Bond Ian P
Published: September 2013

Inspired by the sensory and autonomous healing processes of living organisms, whether from the Animalia or Plantae biological kingdoms, a microvascular network that undertakes a dual role of sensing structural damage before initiating a triggered healing response has been developed and embedded within an advanced fibre-reinforced composite [−45/90/45/0]2S laminate. In this study, a single vascule is used as a sensing pathway, which detects the introduction of ply delamination and matrix microcracking following a 10-J low-velocity impact event. Once damage connectivity between the sensing vascule and those open to the ambient environment is established, the delivery of a healing agent to the damage zone is triggered. An investigation into a commercially available epoxy healing agent (RT151) and an in-house healing resin formation (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A/diethylenetriamine) epoxy system has been evaluated. The pressure-assisted delivery of the liquid epoxy healing agent to the damage zone was observed to occur within 49 s across all specimens. The recovery of compression strength post impact was 91% and 94% for the RT151 and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A healing agents, respectively. This study provides further confirmation on how a bio-inspired vascular healing network could substantially enhance the reliability and robustness of advanced composite materials.
Strain in ferroelectric polymers under low-frequency electric fields: Experiments and modeling
Authors: Guyomar Daniel , Belouadah Rabah , Ducharne Benjamin , Guiffard Benoit , Le Minh-Quyen , Yuse Kaori
Published: September 2013

The study of the electric field–induced thickness strain of ferroelectric polymers is very interesting because of the high actuating capabilities and various applications of these materials, such as electroactive materials for artificial muscles or as the active materials of membranes, due to their flexibility. This article reports on the effect on the strain properties of uniaxially and biaxially stretched β-form polyvinylidene fluoride when applying a low quasi-static triangular electric field E (100 mHz, E < 16 MV/m). For an applied electrical field at this level, the strain was proportional to the square of the electric field. The strain depended mainly on the electrostriction effect, linked to the induced reversal polarization and to interlaminar charges. The dielectric constant of the biaxially stretched polyvinylidene fluoride at 100 mHz was higher than for its uniaxially stretched counterpart. As a consequence, the induced charges and microscopic polarization for the first film exceeded those of the second one, and the electroactive strain for the biaxially stretched sample was more significant than for the uniaxially stretched film. This article first offers a description of the strain phenomenon through the polyvinylidene fluoride material during electrical excitation, after which a new model is presented. This model was developed to evaluate the induced electric current and strain phenomenon. A good agreement between simulations and experimental results was obtained.
Film-type haptic actuator made with cellulose acetate layers
Authors: Yun Sungryul , Yun Gyu-Young , Kim Ki-Baek , Kang Byung-Woo , Kim Jaehwan , Kim Sang-Youn
Published: September 2013

We report a film-type haptic actuator made with two cellulose acetate active membranes and an air gap. Two different configurations of the actuators, double cellulose acetate membranes and single cellulose acetate membrane, are investigated. Due to the intensified electrostatic attraction force between chargeable cellulose acetate membranes, the double cellulose acetate membrane case shows over 300% displacement enhancement. Under a bias electric field, the displacement can be 200% improved comparing with no bias case. When the actuator performance of the cellulose acetate membrane is compared with polyethylene terephthalate and polyvinyl chloride membranes, the cellulose acetate membrane shows superior displacement output due to its high dielectric property. The cellulose acetate double membrane actuator has a great potential as kinesthetic actuator of haptic devices.
Synthesizing fluidic flexible matrix composite–based multicellular adaptive structure for prescribed spectral data
Authors: Li Suyi , Wang K.W.
Published: September 2013

A cellular adaptive structure concept based on fluidic flexible matrix composite is investigated for its potential of achieving multifunctionalities simultaneously. This structure consists of a string of fluidic-connected fluidic flexible matrix composite cells with different properties. When under dynamic loading, the structure exhibits distinct poles and zeros (spectral data). These spectral data can be assigned, by tailoring fluidic flexible matrix composite design, so that the structure can perform dynamic functions such as vibration absorption or actuation with enhanced authority. To fully explore the potential of the fluidic flexible matrix composite–based cellular structure, this article carries out two progressive tasks. The first task is to develop a dynamic model for the multicellular structure. This model incorporates the concept of constitutive parameters to describe the performance of individual fluidic flexible matrix composite cell. The second task is to develop a synthesis procedure to assign these constitutive parameters so that the structure can achieve the prescribed spectral data. This procedure combines genetic algorithm with discrete variables and Jacobi inverse eigenvalue problem. Case studies show that the proposed procedure is successful for synthesizing structures with three cells. The range of the achievable spectral data is found through a numerical survey, and for each set of achievable spectral data, multiple designs can be synthesized efficiently.
Recall of Expressed Affect During Naturalistically Observed Interpersonal Events in Those With Borderline Personality Disorder or Depressive Disorder
Authors: Brown Whitney C. , Tragesser Sarah L. , Tomko Rachel L. , Mehl Matthias R. , Trull Timothy J.
Published: September 2013

We used the Electronically Activated Recorder to observe 31 individuals with either borderline personality disorder (BPD; n = 20) or a history of a depressive disorder ( n = 11). The Electronically Activated Recorder yielded approximately forty-seven 50-second sound clips per day for 3 consecutive days. Recordings were coded for expressed positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), and coder ratings were compared to participants’ reports about their PA and NA during interpersonal events. BPD participants did not differ from participants with depressive disorder in terms of their recalled levels of NA or PA across different types of interpersonal events. However, significant discrepancies between recalled and observed levels of NA and PA were found for BPD participants for all types of interpersonal events. These findings may reflect limitations in the ability of those with BPD to recall their emotional intensity during interpersonal events and may also provide some evidence for emotional invalidation experienced by those with BPD.
Cardiovascular Pharmacology Core Reviews
Authors: Gaglia Michael A. , Clavijo Leonardo
Published: September 2013

Acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, is perhaps the most well-studied drug in human history, but controversy persists regarding both optimal dose and its use in the primary prevention of atherothrombotic events. This article reviews the following: the effect of aspirin upon the cyclooxygenase pathway; clinical trials of aspirin for both secondary and primary prevention; prospective and retrospective studies of aspirin dose; the potential interaction between aspirin and ticagrelor; and the concept of aspirin resistance. It concludes with a review of major society guidelines regarding aspirin and offers a perspective on the evidence-based use of aspirin in clinical practice.
Curcumin Protects Mice From Coxsackievirus B3-Induced Myocarditis by Inhibiting the Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt/Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway
Authors: Song Yunxiao , Ge Wen , Cai HaiBing , Zhang Haichen
Published: September 2013

Viral myocarditis is an inflammation of the myocardium, and coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is one of the most important etiologic agents. Curcumin is an active ingredient of Curcumin longa, which has been used as a traditional Chinese herb for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effect of curcumin on CVB3-induced myocarditis and the underlying mechanism. Our results showed that treatment with curcumin could significantly attenuate CVB3-induced myocarditis, as demonstrated by improved weight loss, increased survival rate, reduced serological level cardiac enzymes, and improved heart histopathology. Of importance, curcumin administration was revealed to significantly reduce the systemic and local myocardial expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL) 6, and IL-1β, in the CVB3-infected mice. Further study showed that curcumin treatment significantly inhibited the CVB3-induced activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), a key transcription factor in the pathogenesis of inflammation, in a phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway-dependent manner. These data indicate that curcumin has protective effect against CVB3-induced myocarditis by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway and thus reducing the inflammatory response.
New Protocol for Detection of Intron 22 Inversion Mutation From Cases With Hemophilia A
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Husain Nuzhat , Soni Priyanka , Faridi Nuzhat Jahan , Goel Sudhir Kumar
Published: September 2013

Background:

Hemophilia A is a X-linked recessive bleeding disorder characterized by qualitative and quantitative deficiency of factor VIII resulting from heterogeneous mutations in the factor VIII gene located in the Xq28 region. Intron 22 inversion (Inv22) mutation is one of the major causes of the protein alteration in factor VIII; its frequency is 40% to 50% in severe patients. Long polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and inverse PCR (I-PCR) have been used for the detection of Inv22 mutation.

Objective:

Development of new protocol for detection of Inv22 mutation.

Method:

We have designed a new method for the detection of Inv22 mutation in complementary DNA (cDNA) of patients. Real-time PCR targeting exons 21 to 22, 22 to 23, and 23 to 24 of factor VIII gene were used in cases with hemophilia A. Samples that were inversion positive by this new method were cross-checked by the conventional I-PCR method. We observed that region between exons 22 and 23 could not be amplified, while in negative cases and controls a 480 bp product is obtained.

Result:

The method was validated in 20 cases with severe hemophilia A by the new cDNA method, and 8 cases were inversion positive, whereas 12 were negative cases. The findings were confirmed by standard I-PCR method. Complete correlation was observed.

Conclusion:

Conventional long PCR and I-PCR methods are work intensive, prolonged, and sometimes difficult to be standardize. The cDNA method is short, involves 3 short-segment amplifications, and is easy to reproduce.
Optimum control of total harmonic distortion in field programmable gate array-based cascaded multilevel inverter
Authors: Maruthupandi Perumal , Devarajan Nunjundappan , Sebasthirani Kathalingam , Jose Jordy K
Published: September 2013

Nowadays high quality power is essential for medical, research and industrial applications to produce good quality results and analysis. In this work an attempt has been made to improve the power quality by minimizing the harmonic content in the output voltage of a cascaded multilevel inverter using the selective harmonic elimination pulse width modulation technique. Sinusoidal PWM technique is used to generate the switching signals. A single phase nine-level cascaded multilevel inverter with identical DC supply is designed to reduce the harmonic components of the output voltage. Particle swarm optimization technique is applied to determine the optimum switching angles, thereby reducing some higher-order harmonics while maintaining the required fundamental voltage. This generalized technique can be extended to multilevel inverters with any number of levels. The total harmonic distortion is measured accordingly for different modulation indices. A prototype model of a field programmable gate array-based nine-level inverter has been designed, fabricated and tested. The results are presented and analyzed and hence the hardware results are verified with the simulation results.
Reducing the risk of harm from intravenous potassium: A multi-factorial approach in the haematology setting
Authors: Barras Michael , Moore Diana , Pocock Daniel , Sweedman Myles , Wilkinson Cathy , Taylor Kerry , Morton James
Published: September 2013

Aims

To describe the implementation of safety systems for the use of intravenous potassium chloride in haematology patients.

Methods

We assessed the use of intravenous potassium in a haematology ward at a tertiary hospital. Initially, we prospectively analysed the prescribing and administration of intravenous potassium to all patients over a two-week period. To complement this data, we retrospectively analysed all clinical incidents involving intravenous potassium and the dispensing patterns of potassium ampoules for the past 12 months. Drawing on evidence and recommendations from international safety literature, gaps in the safe use of potassium were identified, and a multi-factorial approach to system change was implemented.

Results

A total of 18 patients were analysed with 90 intravenous bags of potassium prepared on the ward using 624 ampoules. We identified multiple opportunities for error and a lack of standardisation of therapy. The following safety systems were introduced: (i) a new prescribing and monitoring form that included dose calculation, prescriber support and pre-printed orders; (ii) removal of potassium ampoules and introduction of premixed bags; (iii) independent double checking by nursing staff at point of administration; (iv) dedicated labelling of intravenous lines; (v) extensive clinician training supported by guidelines; and (vi) introduction of ‘smart pump’ infusion software. The number of incidents significantly reduced from 23 to 9 (p < 0.001), and the number of ampoules dispensed reduced from 10,100 to 0.

Conclusions

A multi-factorial approach to the safe prescribing, dispensing and administration of intravenous potassium has reduced the potential for patient harm in the haematology setting.
Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Adjustment After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Boehmer Ulrike , Glickman Mark , Winter Michael , Clark Melissa A.
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND: Little research has been devoted to lesbian and bisexual survivors’ adjustment after breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: To determine differences between lesbian and bisexual survivors and to examine whether sexual minority–specific issues contribute to these survivors’ adjustment. DESIGN: We recruited 180 lesbian and bisexual survivors with primary diagnoses of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) or I-III nonrecurrent breast cancer from a cancer registry and the community. RESULTS: The characteristics of lesbian and bisexual survivors of breast cancer were similar, with few exceptions, such as partner status and gender of partner. Sexual minority–specific factors contributed toward explaining lesbian and bisexual survivors’ anxiety and depression but did not contribute toward explaining survivors’ physical and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness about vulnerabilities due to partner status and about the sexual minority–specific issues that contribute to adjustment is important for medical and mental health professionals who have lesbian and bisexual breast cancer survivors as patients.
Cardiac Troponin T and NT-proBNP as Biomarkers of Early Myocardial Damage in Amitriptyline-Induced Cardiovascular Toxicity in Rats
Authors: Sorodoc Victorita , Sorodoc Laurentiu , Ungureanu Didona , Sava Anca , Jaba Irina M.
Published: September 2013

The main objective of this study was to investigate whether cardiac troponin (cTn) and N-terminal, protein B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) can be useful as indicators for amitriptyline cardiotoxicity which is a known drug having sublethal toxic cardiac effects. At the same time, this study looked at detecting potential histopathological changes specific to irreversible cardiac injuries in a rat model of amitriptyline cardiotoxicity. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups, control (saline) group and amitriptyline group (100 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally, equivalent for lethal dose at 50%). Blood was collected 30 minutes after the administration. The cTn was measured using 3 different methods (2 methods designed for human use and a sandwich enzyme immunoassay specific for rat cTnT). The brain natriuretic peptide was measured by 2 different methods (1 for human and 1 specific for rats). Electrocardiography showed that the QRS complex ( P < .0001) and the QT interval ( P = .002) were significantly prolonged for amitriptyline-treated animals. Troponin T and NT-proBNP had significantly increased levels in all the rats but showed positive results only when using rat-specific quantitative measurement. In certain rats, the histopathological examination identified a few small foci of acute myocardial necrosis. In conclusion, elevation of cTnT and NT-proBNP are early indicators of cardiotoxicity, yet the significance of irreversible myocardial damage in amitriptyline cardiotoxicity needs to be further understood.
Clothing Color and Tipping
Authors: Lynn Michael , Giebelhausen Michael , Garcia Sheila , Li Yiwei , Patumanon Isara
Published: September 2013

An online, hypothetical, tipping-scenario experiment found that subjects tipped the servers less (not more) when those servers wore a red shirt than when they wore a white or black one and that female subjects perceived a waiter (but not a waitress) as less attractive when wearing a red shirt than when wearing a white or black shirt. These findings are opposite those in the existing literature and suggest that the earlier findings are less generalizable than previously believed and that the process underlying previous clothing color effects on tipping may not be precisely what the researchers thought it was. Possible explanations of the discrepant findings are discussed along with directions for future research and practical implications.
Some Underexamined Aspects of Evaluation Capacity Building
Authors: Leviton Laura C.
Published: September 2013

Evaluation capacity building (ECB) has progressed as a concept since it was the conference theme of the American Evaluation Association in the year 2000. This commentary poses some questions about underexamined issues in ECB about organizations, evaluators, and funders.
Cavernous sinus syndrome secondary to intracranial lymphoma in a cat
Authors: Guevar Julien , Gutierrez-Quintana Rodrigo , Peplinski George , Helm Jenny R , Penderis Jacques
Published: September 2013

Cavernous sinus syndrome is characterised by internal and external ophthalmoplegia and sensory deficits over the head due to combined deficits of the three cranial nerves (CNs) responsible for the eye movements and pupil function (CN III, IV, VI) and at least one branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V). It has rarely been described in cats and may occur secondarily to inflammatory, infectious or neoplastic lesions within the region of the cavernous sinus on the ventral aspect of the calvarium. This report describes the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings in a 14-year-old domestic shorthair cat with neurological deficits compatible with cavernous sinus syndrome caused by presumptive extranodal lymphoma. Treatment with chemotherapy resulted in clinical and imaging remission. Identification of the neurological deficits in cavernous sinus syndrome allows accurate neuroanatomical localisation in order to target diagnostic imaging studies.