bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender and Generation in the Home Curation of Family Photography
Authors: Janning Michelle , Scalise Helen
Published: September 2013

Through 30 semistructured interviews of members of 15 couples in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, we analyze how gender, age, and emotional labor play out in the social acts of taking, organizing, and sharing family photographs. We find that the expectation for women to initiate the taking of family photos remains, even if the performance of the task is sometimes done by young fathers. The emotional burden of worrying how to organize an overwhelming number of photographs falls more commonly on women’s shoulders. Mothers and young fathers are more likely than older fathers to make a strong effort to view digital photographs with their children on the computer. But, when the sharing process extends beyond the immediate family to maintain kinship ties, women are more likely to take on the primary responsibility for the actions surrounding the photographs, which is consistent with tenets of intensive mothering.
Of Money and Love
Authors: Steuber Keli Ryan , Paik Anthony
Published: September 2013

This research examines whether being engaged and having a joint banking account influence relationship quality among cohabitors. Drawing on interviews with 936 young cohabitors from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we estimated ordinary least squares regression of relationship quality on joint banking and engagement. The main effects of joint banking and engagement on relationship quality were both significant and positive, but their interaction was negative. These results indicated that nonengaged cohabitors with joint banking have levels of relationship quality similar to engaged cohabitors, but are advantaged relative to those who are neither engaged nor share a joint bank account. The results suggest the need for increased attention to joint-banking arrangements in cohabitation.
A proposal of a color music notation system on a single melody for music beginners
Authors: Kuo Yi-Ting , Chuang Ming-Chuen
Published: September 2013

Music teachers often encounter obstructions in teaching beginners in music reading. Conventional notational symbols require beginners to spend significant amount of time in memorizing, which discourages learning at early stage. This article proposes a newly-developed color music notation system that may improve the recognition of the staff and the numbered musical notation for music beginners. The focus is on single melodies that are relatively easy for music beginners to read and to play, which may increase students’ confidence at the first step of music learning. The color music notation system that associates color music scores with color and music synesthesia by human vision and audition is proposed. Pitch, duration, range, and intensity of music elements are coded as colors, lattices, graphs, and shape sizes, respectively. Based on the 12-tone equal temperament, we adopt the Itten color wheel and the natural color system with 12 primary colors to retain colors accurately when the notation is reproduced. Hopefully, beginners can use the novel colored music scores to read and to play music quickly, accurately, and confidently.
How keeping up diversifies: Watching public affairs TV in the Netherlands 1988–2010
Authors: Wonneberger Anke , Schoenbach Klaus , van Meurs Lex
Published: September 2013

Although concerns have been raised that political infotainment programmes might increasingly substitute more serious information, empirical evidence about changes of individual viewing behaviour is scarce. The authors discuss audience specialization and diversification as two opposing patterns of audience response to a growing variety of public affairs programmes. While specialization results from selective programme choice, diversification may be furthered by the impact of situational factors. Using electronically recorded people-meter data, this study explores information viewing in the Netherlands over the last two decades. As opposed to concerns about audience fragmentation, the authors find that public affairs viewing has become more diverse on the individual level with entertaining information programmes used as an additional source of information. Dutch viewers were exposed to different public affairs information. The personal relevance of TV as a medium is one of the main drivers behind high levels of exposure.
The effectiveness of a physical activity stimulation programme for children with cerebral palsy on social participation, self-perception and quality of life: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Van Wely Leontien , Balemans Astrid CJ , Becher Jules G , Dallmeijer Annet J
Published: September 2013

Objective:

To determine the effects of a six-month physical activity stimulation programme on social participation, self-perception and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy.

Design:

Multicentre randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation, blinded assessments and intention-to-treat analysis.

Setting:

Paediatric physiotherapy practices, special schools for children with a disability, and the child’s own home.

Subjects:

Forty-nine children with spastic cerebral palsy (28 male), aged 7–13 years, able to walk with and without walking aids.

Interventions:

The intervention group followed a six-month physical activity stimulation programme involving counselling through motivational interviewing, home-based physiotherapy and four months of fitness training. The control group continued regular paediatric physiotherapy.

Main measures:

Outcomes included social participation in domestic life, social participation in recreation and leisure (Life-Habits for Children questionnaire and Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment questionnaire), self-perception (Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Children) and parent-reported quality of life (Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life Questionnaire). Assessments were performed at baseline, at six months (except quality of life) and at twelve months.

Results:

Intervention resulted in a positive effect on social participation in domestic life at twelve months (mean between-group difference = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.1 to 1.7 [1–10 scale], P = 0.03), but not at six months. No significant effects were found for social participation in recreation and leisure, self-perception at six months and twelve months or for quality of life at twelve months.

Conclusions:

The combination of counselling, home-based physiotherapy and fitness training was not effective in improving social participation in recreation and leisure, self-perception or quality of life, but did show a potential for improving social participation in domestic life over the longer term.
Female adolescent exposure to cannabinoids causes transgenerational effects on morphine sensitization in female offspring in the absence of in utero exposure
Authors: Vassoler Fair M , Johnson Nicole L , Byrnes Elizabeth M
Published: September 2013

Female adolescent marijuana use is increasing, yet the effect on future offspring is unknown. Here, adolescent female Sprague Dawley rats (postnatal-day 30; PN30) were given subcutaneous (s.c.) injections with the cannabinoid agonist WIN-55,212 (WIN) or its vehicle (VEH) for three consecutive days using a twice-daily, increasing dosage regimen (1 mg/kg day 1; 2 mg/kg day 2; 4 mg/kg day 3). As adults (PN60), females were mated with drug-naïve males. Their adult female offspring (VEH-F1 or WIN-F1) were tested for behavioral sensitization by administering morphine (0 or 7.5 mg/kg s.c.) every other day for a total of five administrations. Following five days of abstinence, all animals received a morphine challenge (7.5 mg/kg s.c.) and locomotor activity was monitored. At completion of behavioral testing, mu opioid receptor (OPRM1), FosB, cFos, and dopamine receptor mRNA expression was measured in the nucleus accumbens as well as OPRM1 and corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus. In addition, plasma corticosterone levels were examined. On the day of challenge, morphine-pretreated WIN-F1 animals demonstrated a significantly enhanced response to morphine compared to morphine-pretreated VEH-F1 animals. Also following the morphine challenge, significantly higher levels of OPRM1 in the nucleus accumbens were observed in WIN-F1 animals. Together, these findings demonstrate transgenerational effects of adolescent exposure to cannabinoids in the absence of any in utero exposure.
Collaborative path planning for event search and exploration in mixed sensor networks
Authors: Lambrou Theofanis P , Panayiotou Christos G
Published: September 2013

Mixed Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a network that consists of static and mobile sensor nodes. This article presents a collaborative framework where a team of autonomous mobile sensor nodes navigate through a sparse network with static sensors to improve the overall area coverage and search for events that may have occurred in areas not monitored by the static network. The mobile sensor nodes have limited communication and sensing ranges and collaborate to autonomously and dynamically decide their trajectories to enhance the area coverage, avoiding obstacles and collisions and adapting to new information such as failures of static nodes. In the context of the proposed framework, one can address various trade-offs. Examples include the trade off between the area coverage and the energy cost in terms of traveled distance and the one between the area coverage and information exchange among the mobile nodes. Furthermore, the proposed framework can be used to address spatially adaptive sampling. Finally, the proposed framework has been evaluated under different scenarios and has been shown to perform very well.
Decentralized connectivity maintenance for cooperative control of mobile robotic systems
Authors: Sabattini Lorenzo , Chopra Nikhil , Secchi Cristian
Published: September 2013

To accomplish cooperative tasks, robotic systems are often required to communicate with each other. Thus, maintaining connectivity of the communication graph is a fundamental issue in the field of multi-robot systems. In this paper we present a completely decentralized control strategy for global connectivity maintenance of the communication graph. Considering the disk communication model, we describe a gradient-based control strategy that exploits decentralized estimation of the algebraic connectivity. Unlike previous approaches available in the literature, the proposed control algorithm solves the global connectivity problem in a decentralized manner providing theoretical guarantees, without requiring maintenance of the local connectivity between robotic systems. Moreover, results obtained with simulations and experiments on real robots are described for demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed algorithm.
Signal-based deployment planning for robot teams in tunnel-like fading environments
Authors: Rizzo C. , Tardioli D. , Sicignano D. , Riazuelo L. , Villarroel J. L. , Montano L.
Published: September 2013

Deploying a multi-robot team in confined environments poses multiple challenges that involve task and motion planning, localization and mapping, safe navigation, coordination of robots and also communications among all of them. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to these challenges by the robotics community, but many problems remain unresolved. In this paper we address a technique for planning the deployment of a robot team in so-called fading environments, such as tunnels or galleries, where signal propagation presents specific characteristics. In order to maintain constant connectivity and high signal quality in the communication network formed by the robots and the base station, the robot deployment is driven by real-time signal measurements. First, an analysis of the signal propagation to obtain the general characteristic parameters of the signals in this kind of environment is carried out. Second, a technique which uses these parameters to drive the deployment is developed. A general strategy for this kind of environment in which the signals exhibit similar behavior is implemented. A complete system involving all of the above-mentioned robotics tasks has been developed. Finally, the system has been evaluated by means of simulation and in a real scenario.
Canine Perivascular Wall Tumors
Authors: Avallone G. , Boracchi P. , Stefanello D. , Ferrari R. , Rebughini A. , Roccabianca P.
Published: September 2013

Canine perivascular wall tumors (cPWTs) arise from vascular mural cells and are included among soft tissue sarcomas (STSs). Most prognostic studies are performed on canine STSs as a general group and regardless of their specific histotype. The aim of this study was to identify pathological parameters and profiles with prognostic impact for cutaneous/subcutaneous cPWTs. Anatomical location, type of growth, surgical margins, and size and depth of the tumor were collected in 56 cPWTs. The association between each pair of variables was evaluated by χ2 test. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was performed to describe the multivariate association of variables and was followed by cluster analysis to identify specific pathological profiles. The prognostic impact of variables and profiles was assessed by Cox regression model. Size and depth were significantly associated with increased relapse probability. Cases with complete surgical margins did not recur. Other single variables were not significantly associated with relapse. Cluster analysis on MCA considering site, depth, margins, and type of growth identified 3 pathological profiles associated with PWT relapse and having a high prognostic impact. Major prognostic factors for cPWTs were tumor size, depth of growth, and pathological profiles.
Immunohistochemical Vascular Factor Expression in Canine Inflammatory Mammary Carcinoma
Authors: Camacho L. , Peña L. , Gil A. González , Martín-Ruiz A. , Dunner S. , Illera J. C.
Published: September 2013

Human inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) and canine inflammatory mammary carcinoma (IMC) are considered the most malignant types of breast cancer. IMC has similar characteristics to IBC; hence, IMC has been suggested as a model to study the human disease. To compare the angiogenic and angioinvasive features of IMC with non-IMC, 3 canine mammary tumor xenograft models in female SCID mice were developed: IMC, comedocarcinoma, and osteosarcoma. Histopathological and immunohistochemical characterization of both primary canine tumors and xenografts using cellular markers pancytokeratin, cytokeratin 14, vimentin, and α-smooth muscle actin and vascular factors (VEGF-A, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3, and COX-2) was performed. Tumor cell proliferation index was measured by the Ki-67 marker. The xenograft models reproduced histological features found in the primary canine tumor and preserved the original immunophenotype. IMC xenografts showed a high invasive character with tumor emboli in the dermis, edema, and occasional observations of ulceration. In addition, compared with osteosarcoma and comedocarcinoma, the IMC model showed the highest vascular factor expression associated with a high proliferation index. Likewise, IMC xenografts showed higher COX-2 expression associated with VEGF-D and VEGFR-3, as well as a higher presence of dermal lymphatic tumor emboli, suggesting COX-2 participation in IMC lymphangiogenesis. These results provide additional evidence to consider vascular factors, their receptors, and COX-2 as therapeutic targets for IBC.
Psychiatric comorbidities in allodynic migraineurs
Authors: Kao Chi-Han , Wang Shuu-Jiun , Tsai Chia-Fen , Chen Shih-Pin , Wang Yen-Feng , Fuh Jong-Ling
Published: September 2013

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence and the association of psychological disturbance in migraine patients with allodynia.

Methods

We recruited 434 migraine patients from an outpatient clinic. The participants completed three self-administered questionnaires, including a headache questionnaire, an allodynia symptoms checklist, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results

Among the migraineurs, 48.4% participants reported allodynia. The HADS total score (15.5 ± 7.8 vs. 13.7 ± 8.5, p = 0.022) and anxiety subscore (9.1 ± 4.5 vs. 7.6 ± 4.7, p = 0.001) were higher in migraineurs with allodynia than in those without allodynia. The anxiety subscore in patients with moderate to severe allodynia, mild allodynia, and no allodynia were 10.0 ± 4.5, 8.4 ± 4.3, and 7.6 ± 4.7 ( p < 0.001, by one-way analysis of variance). Among patients with moderate to severe allodynia, there was a trend of higher depression subscore (7.1 ± 4.0, p = 0.059) than those with no (6.1 ± 4.4) or mild allodynia (5.8 ± 4.0). In a regression model, the presence of allodynia is an independent risk factor for clinically significant anxiety. Moderate to severe allodynia is an independent risk factor for clinically significant depression.

Conclusions

In migraineurs, the severity of cutaneous allodynia was associated with their mood status, especially anxiety.
Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Makki Nader , Brennan Theresa M. , Girotra Saket
Published: September 2013

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a major health care and economic burden in the United States and accounts for more than 1 million hospitalizations annually. The morbidity and mortality due to ACS are substantial—nearly half of all deaths due to coronary heart disease occur following an ACS. This review provides an up-to-date summary of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of ACS. We also provide an overview of the management of common hemodynamic disturbances and myocardial infarction complications that physicians often encounter in an intensive care setting.
The Impact of Prenatal Employment on Breastfeeding Intentions and Breastfeeding Status at 1 Week Postpartum
Authors: Attanasio Laura , Kozhimannil Katy B. , McGovern Patricia , Gjerdingen Dwenda , Johnson Pamela Jo
Published: September 2013

Background:

Postpartum employment is associated with non-initiation and early cessation of breastfeeding, but less is known about the relationship between prenatal employment and breastfeeding intentions and behaviors.

Objective:

This study aimed to estimate the relationship between prenatal employment status, a strong predictor of postpartum return to work, and breastfeeding intentions and behaviors.

Methods:

Using data from the Listening to Mothers II national survey (N = 1573), we used propensity score matching methods to account for non-random selection into employment patterns and to measure the impact of prenatal employment status on breastfeeding intentions and behaviors. We also examined whether hospital practices consistent with the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), assessed based on maternal perception, were differentially associated with breastfeeding by employment status.

Results:

Women who were employed (vs unemployed) during pregnancy were older, were more educated, were less likely to have had a previous cesarean delivery, and had fewer children. After matching, these differences were eliminated. Although breastfeeding intention did not differ by employment, full-time employment (vs no employment) during pregnancy was associated with decreased odds of exclusive breastfeeding 1 week postpartum (adjusted odds ratio = 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.92; P = .028). Higher BFHI scores were associated with higher odds of breastfeeding at 1 week but did not differentially impact women by employment status.

Conclusion:

Women employed full-time during pregnancy were less likely to fulfill their intention to exclusively breastfeed, compared to women who were not employed during pregnancy. Clinicians should be aware that employment circumstances may impact women’s breastfeeding decisions; this may help guide discussions during clinical encounters.
Unsteady boundary layer flow of nanofluid past a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet with convective heat transfer
Authors: Malvandi A , Hedayati F , Ganji DD , Rostamiyan Y
Published: September 2013

This paper deals with the unsteady two-dimensional boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a nanofluid over a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet in the presence of heat generation/absorption. A convective heating boundary condition instead of a conventional prescribed temperature at the surface was employed to probe the variations of heat and concentration rates for different parameters including unsteadiness parameter, Brownian motion parameter, thermophoresis parameter and suction/injection. Results indicate that a dual solution exists for both stretching and shrinking sheets and that the unsteadiness and suction parameters may widen the ranges of stretching/shrinking parameter where the solution exists. Another noteworthy result is that the variational trend of heat transfer rate with unsteadiness parameter is opposite to the same trend of the prescribed temperature, which states the sensitivity of thermal boundary condition.
Analysis feature recognition and mixed-dimensional model reconstruction from finite element analysis mesh model
Authors: Ma Song-Hua , Tian Ling
Published: September 2013

Instead of extracting mid-surfaces from computer-aided design model, an automatic dimensional reduction approach is proposed, which simplifies the finite element analysis model into the mixed-dimensional model. The input finite element analysis model is first decomposed into a set of locally prominent cross-sections. Each prominent cross-section is digitalized as a d-dimensional point and clustered in the embedded space. By the clustered points, both long-slender and thin-wall regions are detected and recognized with the help of aspect ratio. Further the identified features are reduced into skeletons and mid-surfaces, respectively, and the elements of lower dimensionality are generated simultaneously. This dimensional reduction procedure is general and feasible. In this case, multi-resolution mesh models could be created without being transformed back into computer-aided design software, which is essential to the multi-disciplinary simulation. Finally, the simplification degree tests show that the nodes and elements are largely decreased; furthermore, the proposed approach is more effective than the traditional manual method on time consuming.
A comprehensive distributed architecture for railway traffic control using multi-agent systems
Authors: Hassanabadi Hamid , Moaveni Bijan , Karimi Mohammad
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we propose a Distributed Architecture for Railway Traffic Control using Multi-Agent Systems called DARTCMAS. It has a hierarchical organizational model that consists of three main layers of diverse agents: “Train Agents” at the bottom, “Station Agents” in the middle and “Center of Traffic Control Agent” in the top layer. Any train in the railway traffic system is considered as an intelligent agent that has reactive, proactive and interactive properties, simultaneously. DARTCMAS considers local traffic control centers that are embedded in some selected stations as “Station Agents”. Lastly, “Center of Traffic Control Agent” acts as a comprehensive monitoring and supporting reference. We define an internal architecture for each of the agents. Furthermore, two types of interactions among agents are developed: first, inter-layer interactions that represent communications between two adjacent layers in the organizational model of DARTCMAS; and second, intra-layer interactions that represent relations between the same agents type in a specific layer. Simulations have been performed using MATLAB and the “Java Agent DEvelopment framework” whose results show the effectiveness of the model.
Experimental research on noise emanating from concrete box-girder bridges on intercity railway lines
Authors: Li Xiaozhen , Zhang Xun , Zhang Zhjun , Liu Quanmin , Li Yadong
Published: September 2013

Simply supported pre-stressed concrete box-girder bridges are the most common bridge type found on high-speed railway and urban rail transit lines in China. A field experiment has been conducted on the Pixian Viaduct of the Chengdu–Dujiangyan Intercity Railway, where two kinds of simply supported pre-stressed concrete box-girder bridges with a standard span of 32 m are used, one single track and the other double track. Characteristics of the noise underneath the box-girder, far from the bridge, and near the bridge gap were measured and analyzed in the time and frequency domains during high-speed train passage, as was the vibration of the box-girder’s bottom plate. The variations of noise with distance and train speed at locations 1.5 and 9 m above ground level were measured and fitted using mathematical formulae. A simplified formula to predict near-field bridge-borne noise was proposed and verified. The peak bridge-borne noise frequency and its tonal characteristic at 50 and 63 Hz for the double-track and single-track box-girders, respectively, were interpreted in terms of bridge vibration and sound radiation efficiency, respectively. The vibration/noise transfer function and coherence were evaluated, showing that vibration resonance is more significant than acoustic coincidence and that the former is more important in terms of noise reduction.
Real time detection of low adhesion in the wheel/rail contact
Authors: Hubbard Peter , Ward Chris , Dixon Roger , Goodall Roger
Published: September 2013

Condition monitoring of railway vehicles has been highlighted by the railway industry as a key enabling technology for future system development. The primary uses for this could be the improvement of maintenance procedures and/or the identification of high-risk vehicle running conditions. Advanced processing of signals means these tasks could be accomplished without the use of cost prohibitive sensors.

This paper presents a system for the on-board detection of low-adhesion conditions during the normal operation of a railway vehicle. Two different processing methods are introduced. The first method is a model-based approach that uses a Kalman–Bucy filter to estimate creep forces, with subsequent post processing for interpretation into adhesion levels. The second non model-based method targets the assessment of relationships between vehicle dynamic responses to observe any behavioural differences as a result of an adhesion-level change.

Both methods are evaluated in specific case studies using a British Rail (BR) Mark 3 coach, inclusive of a BR BT-10 bogie, and a generic modern passenger vehicle based on a contemporary bogie design. These vehicles were chosen as typical application opportunities within the UK.

The results are validated with data generated by the multi-body simulation software VAMPIRE® for realistic data inputs, representing a key scientific achievement.
A review of force and resonance sensors used in the clinical study of tissue properties
Authors: Yousuf Muhammad A , Asiyanbola Bolanle A
Published: September 2013

Tactile sensing is commonly carried out by humans using their fingers or hands to estimate the physical properties of an object. A large body of literature covers a range of applications of these methods in clinical situations. The objective of this work is to show the breadth of application areas explored and the achievements that have been made in the measurement of physical variables of interest to physicians using tactile force and resonance sensors. Although a broad spectrum of applications has been considered, of particular interest is the application of these methods to determine tissue properties in vivo. Progress in this direction has been made by various groups particularly with respect to piezoelectric and capacitance sensors. Also described are the findings of a preliminary study of a tactile system designed to examine the abdomen of the clinically super-obese patient.
Effectivity of fluoride treatment on hydrogen and corrosion product generation in temporal implants for different magnesium alloys
Authors: Trinidad Javier , Arruebarrena Gurutze , Marco Iñigo , Hurtado Iñaki , Sáenz de Argandoña Eneko
Published: September 2013

The increasing interest on magnesium alloys relies on their biocompatibility, bioabsorbility and especially on their mechanical properties. Due to these characteristics, magnesium alloys are becoming a promising solution to be used, as temporary implants. However, magnesium alloys must overcome their poor corrosion resistance. This article analyses the corrosion behaviour in phosphate-buffered saline solution of three commercial magnesium alloys (AZ31B, WE43 and ZM21) as well as the influence of fluoride treatment on their corrosion behaviour. It is shown that the corrosion rate of all the alloys is decreased by fluoride treatment. However, fluoride treatment affects each alloy differently.
Improved sexual history taking in the 2012 BASHH asymptomatic screening re-audit
Authors: Menon-Johansson AS , McClean H , Carne CA , Estreich S , Knapper C , Sethi G , Smith A , Sullivan AK
Published: September 2013

Effective asymptomatic screening for sexually transmitted infections is an important public health service because a significant proportion of sexually transmitted infections do not present with symptoms. In 2009, the National Audit Group of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) audited the management of asymptomatic patients and recommended increased documentation about oral and anal sex, regional strategies for nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) use for gonorrhoea, improved screening for hepatitis B in men who have sex with men and an increase in screening for HIV. The 2012 audit used web-based forms to collect submissions from 180 consultant-led centres (65% response rate) that included episodes of care from 6669 asymptomatic patients. An improvement was demonstrated for all the areas measured during the 2009 audit. A doubling of gonorrhoea testing using NAATs was seen and yet 10% of asymptomatic patients continued to have microscopy despite these tests not being recommended by BASHH guidelines. This audit recommends universal adoption of gonorrhoea NAATs across the United Kingdom.
Bacterial loads of Ureaplasma urealyticum contribute to development of urethritis in men
Authors: Shimada Y , Ito S , Mizutani K , Sugawara T , Seike K , Tsuchiya T , Yokoi S , Nakano M , Yasuda M , Deguchi T
Published: September 2013

Ureaplasma urealyticum could be a pathogen of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) in men. However, ureaplasma is often detected in men without NGU, and the proportion of cases possibly attributable to this pathogen is still undefined. We attempted to determine the bacterial loads of U. urealyticum significantly associated with NGU. The 16S rRNA genes of U. urealyticum were quantified by a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based assay in first-void urine (FVU) from 26 asymptomatic and 25 symptomatic men positive for U. urealyticum. The leucocyte counts in first-void urine (FVU) were determined as an objective measure of inflammatory response to ureaplasma in the hosts by automated quantitative urine particle analysis. Positive correlations were observed between copies of the 16S rRNA genes of U. urealyticum per ml and the leucocyte counts per µl in FVU ( r = 0.49, p = 0.0003). Loads of ≥104 copies of the 16S rRNA gene of U. urealyticum/ml, corresponding to ≥5 × 103 cells of U. urealyticum/ml in FVU, were significantly associated with the presence of urethritis symptoms ( p < 0.0001) and with higher leukocyte counts in FVU ( p < 0.0001). The bacterial load of U. urealyticum, possibly of ≥5 × 103 cells of U. urealyticum/ml in FVU, could be significantly associated with the development of symptomatic NGU.
Coagulase-negative staphylococci in an HIV-infected child causing pancytopaenia
Authors: Kataria Rachna , Shah Ira
Published: September 2013

Although coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) constitute normal flora of the human body, some species can produce human infections, particularly when the host defense is breached. There is little evidence of the pathogenicity of CONS in HIV-infected individuals. We present the case of a 14-year-old HIV-infected boy who presented with a right lower zone pneumonia and a cutaneous abscess, following which he developed pancytopaenia due to underlying CONS infection that responded to antibiotic treatment.
Shared Neural Mechanisms Underlying Social Warmth and Physical Warmth
Authors: Inagaki Tristen K. , Eisenberger Naomi I.
Published: September 2013

Many of people’s closest bonds grow out of socially warm exchanges and the warm feelings associated with being socially connected. Indeed, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying thermoregulation may be shared by those that regulate social warmth, the experience of feeling connected to other people. To test this possibility, we placed participants in a functional MRI scanner and asked them to (a) read socially warm and neutral messages from friends and family and (b) hold warm and neutral-temperature objects (a warm pack and a ball, respectively). Findings showed an overlap between physical and social warmth: Participants felt warmer after reading the positive (compared with neutral) messages and more connected after holding the warm pack (compared with the ball). In addition, neural activity during social warmth overlapped with neural activity during physical warmth in the ventral striatum and middle insula, but neural activity did not overlap during another pleasant task (soft touch). Together, these results suggest that a common neural mechanism underlies physical and social warmth.
Robust fault-tolerant control based on sliding mode method for uncertain linear systems
Authors: Hao Li-Ying , Yang Guang-Hong
Published: September 2013

In this article, a robust adaptive fault-tolerant compensation control problem via sliding mode method is studied for linear systems with actuator faults, disturbances, and parameter uncertainties. Based on a matrix full-rank factorization technique of an input matrix, a new lemma is presented and proved. In terms of this lemma and the information from adaptive mechanism, actuator faults, especially outage of certain actuators, can be compensated for under an actuator redundancy assumption. Without requiring any fault detection and isolation mechanism, a sliding mode fault-tolerant controller is then designed to guarantee the asymptotic stability and disturbance attenuation, where the gain of the nonlinear unit vector term is updated automatically to compensate the effects of actuator faults. Finally, a rocket fairing structural-acoustic model is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method.
Power considerations for trials of two experimental arms versus a standard active control or placebo
Authors: Hasselblad Vic
Published: September 2013

The power of the two-experimental arm trial depends on three choices: (1) when one arm is dropped (if at all); (2) the final testing procedure, assuming no dropping; and (3) the sampling ratio for the three arms. Multiple-arm designs require critical values which were calculated using Mathematica. Power calculations were exact based on probabilities from binomial distributions. The “drop the loser” strategy is optimal for the primary endpoint. The equal sized two treated arm trial gives reasonable power for the primary as well as good power to select the best treated arm. The best power was provided by the 3:3:4 sampling, but it was only marginally better.
A Descriptive Study of Credit Card Fraud Pattern
Authors: Jha Sanjeev , Westland J. Christopher
Published: September 2013

We analyzed a dataset of fraudulent credit card transactions to uncover patterns in fraudulent transactions and to demonstrate the importance of focusing on suspicious transactions. We argue that revealed patterns in fraudulent transactions may help financial institutions update their practices and develop innovative mechanisms and systems to improve their performance at preventing and detecting credit card frauds.
Market Orientation and Entrepreneurial Proclivity: Antecedents of Innovation
Authors: Otero-Neira Carmen , Arias Mª Jesús Fernández , Lindman Martti Tapio
Published: September 2013

Purpose:

Innovation has been traditionally considered as a generator of competitiveness. Despite the increasing importance of innovation in the literature, there is no agreement about its antecedents. This clearly makes difficult and risky for the managers to choose suitable strategies to promote and develop successful innovations. The present research attempts to contribute to this important area by providing some critical insights on the origins of the innovative behaviour of the firms; namely: market orientation and entrepreneurial proclivity.

Design/methodology/approach:

To reach our goal we used in-depth case research methodology in furniture firms from Italy, Spain and Finland.

Findings:

The article contributes to the understanding of why some firms are more innovative than others. The study shows some evidence that market orientation and the entrepreneurship can be considered as antecedents of innovation.

Research limitations/implications:

We provide evidence that the furniture industry shows a tendency to innovate based on its market orientation along with its entrepreneurial proclivity probably due to the fact that it is a traditional, non-globalized low-tech sector. Future studies might also address other variables related to different competitive settings.

Practical implications:

This work presents direct implications for companies aiming at improving their innovation capabilities. First, it is recommended that entrepreneurial firms should promote a market orientation philosophy, and second, they also need the top management commitment in terms of people and financial resources to achieve its goals.

Originality/value:

This article offers an insight to explain why some companies are more successful at starting and developing innovation than others. The finding that a successful innovation profile is related to entrepreneurship and the market orientation of the company represents an interesting contribution to the management of firms.
Modelling the Relationship between Whole Sale Price and Consumer Price Indices: Cointegration and Causality Analysis for India
Authors: Tiwari Aviral Kumar , Shahbaz Muhammad
Published: September 2013

The study attempts to analyze the static and dynamic causality between producers’ prices measured by wholesale price index (WPI) and consumers’ prices measured by consumers’ price index (CPI) in case of India. In doing so, we have applied the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to co-integration and robustness of the ARDL approach which is examined by Johansen and Juselius’ ( 1990 ) maximum likelihood approach over the time period of 1950–2009. We found bidirectional causality between producers’ and consumers’ prices in Indian economy. Variance decomposition (VD) forecast analysis reveals that in India, producers’ prices lead consumers’ prices. This implies that WPI is determined by market forces and also a leading indicator of consumers’ prices and inflation. This gives an indication to the Indian policy analysts to control for factors affecting WPI in order to have control on CPI since CPI is used for indexation purposes for many wage and salary earners including government employees and hence it will be helpful in cutting down the excess government expenditure.
Consumer Adoption of Green Products: Modeling the Enablers
Authors: Nath Vishnu , Kumar Rupesh , Agrawal Rajat , Gautam Aditya , Sharma Vinay
Published: September 2013

Environmentalism has become an important social and corporate issue during the twenty-first century. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and are demanding green products from manufacturers. This has resulted in the emergence of new concepts like green marketing and green consumerism. Over the years various studies have investigated the concept of green consumer behaviour and have listed out factors that work as either barriers or enablers when it comes to consumer adoption of environmentally sustainable products or lifestyles. The present study aims to identify and evaluate the enablers that facilitate consumer adoption of green products. Using Interpretive Structural Modelling a series of initial relationships was established that predict how the joint effect of these enablers affect green consumer behaviour and green product adoption.
A Study on the Effects of Dimensions of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in the Indian IT Hardware Industry with Special Emphasis on Medium Size B2B Sector
Authors: Raychaudhuri P.S. , Farooqi Rahela
Published: September 2013

The study conducted among the information technology users in business organizations in Delhi and NCR, addressed the issues of service quality and its impact on long-term customer satisfaction from an interaction approach and relationship marketing perspective in the medium size B2B sector. The objectives include identification of important customer requirements and service attributes that signify internal processes and customer interaction. It reveals that, service improvements and technical preparedness emerge as new dimensions apart from the applicability of dual aspects of Gronroos’ perceived service quality model—technical and functional dimensions.
Book Review: Regional Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Development—South and South-West Asia Development Report 2012–13
Authors: Tandon Deepak
Published: September 2013

Regional Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Development—South and South-West Asia Development Report 2012–13. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific South and South-West Asia Office, United Nations, and Routledge, New Delhi, 2012, 175 pp., ₹ 695 (ISBN: 978-0-415-82774-4 [PB])
Collaborative Gaming
Authors: Peppler Kylie , Danish Joshua A. , Phelps David
Published: September 2013

Although games—including board games, video games, and Massive Multiplayer Online Games—have garnered significant attention in recent years for their impact on educational outcomes, a primary focus of this interest is the transfer of knowledge from game to nongame settings. Building on this literature, our research explores how game designs that promote either competitive or collaborative play may lead to differential outcomes including dramatically different and social dynamics. Using video transcribed for speech and gesture, we developed a grounded coding scheme to compare the experiences of a group of 40 early elementary students engaged in a uniquely designed board game, called HIVEMIND, to teach advanced science content to young children ages 6 to 9, which were organized around either (a) individual or (b) collective play. Findings indicate that, in collaborative mode, players were significantly more likely to make positive comments to others, talk on-topic, read instructions to other players, gaze toward the board as well as other players, and take shorter turns among other findings. Implications of this work for designing games and promoting collaborative and positive learning experiences are discussed.
Representation in State Supreme Courts
Authors: Hall Melinda Gann
Published: September 2013

This research capitalizes on the analytical opportunity created by mandatory retirement provisions to explore the nature of the electoral connection in state supreme courts and to illustrate how changes in institutional context can modify the decisional propensities of political elites and reshape their fundamental roles. Specifically, this work demonstrates that mandatory retirement obviates the representative function by disconnecting key mechanisms through which public preferences are translated into judicial votes: threat conditions that elevate the risk of electoral censure. In state supreme courts, popular votes are in part strategic and result from a complex interaction of goals, institutions, and external pressures.
Intraoperative Positioning of the Hindfoot With the Hindfoot Alignment Guide
Authors: Frigg Arno , Jud Lukas , Valderrabano Victor
Published: September 2013

Background:

In a previous study, intraoperative positioning of the hindfoot by visual means resulted in the wrong varus/valgus position by 8 degrees and a relatively large standard deviation of 8 degrees. Thus, new intraoperative means are needed to improve the precision of hindfoot surgery. We therefore sought a hindfoot alignment guide that would be as simple as the alignment guides used in total knee arthroplasty.

Methods:

A novel hindfoot alignment guide (HA guide) has been developed that projects the mechanical axis from the tibia down to the heel. The HA guide enables the positioning of the hindfoot in the desired varus/valgus position and in plantigrade position in the lateral plane. The HA guide was used intraoperatively from May through November 2011 in 11 complex patients with simultaneous correction of the supramalleolar, tibiotalar, and inframalleolar alignment. Pre- and postoperative Saltzman views were taken and the position was measured.

Results:

The HA guide significantly improved the intraoperative positioning compared with visual means: The accuracy with the HA guide was 4.5 ± 5.1 degrees (mean ± standard deviation) and without the HA guide 9.4 ± 5.5 degrees ( P < .05). In 7 of 11 patients, the preoperative plan was changed because of the HA guide (2 avoided osteotomies, 5 additional osteotomies).

Conclusions:

The HA guide helped to position the hindfoot intraoperatively with greater precision than visual means. The HA guide was especially useful for multilevel corrections in which the need for and the amount of a simultaneous osteotomy had to be evaluated intraoperatively.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
The Ontogeny of the Human Connectome
Authors: Collin Guusje , van den Heuvel Martijn P.
Published: September 2013

The human brain comprises distributed cortical regions that are structurally and functionally connected into a network that is known as the human connectome. Elaborate developmental processes starting in utero herald connectome genesis, with dynamic changes in its architecture continuing throughout life. Connectome changes during development, maturation, and aging may be governed by a set of biological rules or algorithms, forming and shaping the macroscopic architecture of the brain’s wiring network. To explore the presence of developmental patterns indicative of such rules, this review considers insights from studies on the cellular and the systems level into macroscopic connectome genesis and dynamics across the life span. We observe that in parallel with synaptogenesis, macroscopic connectome formation and transformation is characterized by an initial overgrowth and subsequent elimination of cortico-cortical axonal projections. Furthermore, dynamic changes in connectome organization throughout the life span are suggested to follow an inverted U-shaped pattern, with an increasingly integrated topology during development, a plateau lasting for the majority of adulthood and an increasingly localized topology in late life. Elucidating developmental patterns in brain connectivity is crucial for our understanding of the human connectome and how it may give rise to brain function, including the occurrence of brain network disorders across the life span.