bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Custom and Society in Islamic Criminal Law: A Critical Appraisal of the Maxim ‘al-ʿĀdah Muḥakkamah’ (Custom is Authoritative) and its Sisters in Islamic Legal Procedures
Authors: Zakariyah Luqman
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Islamic legal maxims promote the spirit of Islamic law through extrapolation of the texts. The legal maxim of al-ʿādah is one of the five basic legal maxims agreed upon among classical Muslim jurists. Despite the wide acceptability of custom in Islamic legal theory and its authoritativeness in application, one of the controversial issues surrounding the use of custom (al-ʿādah) is whether, by law, rulings can be changed over time when customs have changed. Thus, this article aims to examine the effect of custom in rulings related to ḥudūd and qiṣāṣ (fixed and retaliative punishments) in Islamic law and whether such rulings can be changed over time as custom changes and, if they can be changed, to what extent can such changes be made and to what effect do such changes affect the sanctity of the Qurʾān and Ḥadīth texts.
Diagnosing Kenya Rainfall in Boreal Autumn: Further Exploration
Authors: Mutai Charles , Polzin Dierk , Hastenrath Stefan
Published: January 2012

A powerful zonal vertical circulation cell along the Indian Ocean equator controls the boreal autumn rains in Kenya, with a tight negative correlation between surface westerlies (UEQ) and rainfall. UEQ is favored by a steep eastward pressure gradient (PWE) and slow winds in the downstream portion of the South Indian Ocean trade winds (SIW). The high phase of the Southern Oscillation (SO) favors weak SIW, lower pressure in the east, and thus steeper PWE, but that is also affected by pressure in the west. In 1958–97 circulation causalities were most distinct in the regime of abundant rain and slow UEQ, with the SO in the low phase. In the regime of deficient rain and fast UEQ, relationships were less distinct, although the SO was in the high phase almost throughout. In the decade 2001–10, UEQ had a weaker (stronger) correlation with PWE (SIW), the SO was more active and contributing in the proper sense to pressure in the east, but PWE was mainly controlled by pressure in the west. UEQ strongly controlled the rainfall in 1958–97 and 2001–10.
Exploring Mechanisms of Variability and Predictability of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in Two Coupled Climate Models
Authors: Tulloch Ross , Marshall John
Published: January 2012

Multidecadal variability in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) of the ocean is diagnosed in the NCAR Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3), and the GFDL Coupled Model (CM2.1). Common diagnostic approaches are applied to draw out similarities and differences between the two models. An index of AMOC variability is defined, and the manner in which key variables covary with it is determined. In both models the following is found. (i) AMOC variability is associated with upper-ocean (top 1 km) density anomalies (dominated by temperature) on the western margin of the basin in the region of the Mann eddy with a period of about 20 years. These anomalies modulate the trajectory and strength of the North Atlantic Current. The importance of the western margin is a direct consequence of the thermal wind relation and is independent of the mechanisms that create those density anomalies. (ii) Density anomalies in this key region are part of a larger-scale pattern that propagates around the subpolar gyre and acts as a “pacemaker” of AMOC variability. (iii) The observed variability is consistent with the primary driving mechanism being stochastic wind curl forcing, with Labrador Sea convection playing a secondary role. Also, “toy models” of delayed oscillator form are fitted to power spectra of key variables and are used to infer “quality factors” (Q-factors), which characterize the bandwidth relative to the center frequency and hence AMOC predictability horizons. The two models studied here have Q-factors of around 2, suggesting that prediction is possible out to about two cycles, which is likely larger than the real AMOC.
Baroclinic Interleaving Instability: A Second-Moment Closure Approach
Authors: Smyth W. D. , Burchard H. , Umlauf L.
Published: January 2012

Interleaving motions on a wide, baroclinic front are modeled using a second-moment closure to represent unresolved fluxes by turbulence and salt fingering. A linear perturbation analysis reveals two broad classes of unstable modes. First are scale-selective modes comparable with interleaving as observed in oceanic fronts. These correspond well with observations in some respects but grow by a very different mechanism, which ought to be easily distinguished in hydrographic profiles. The second mode type is the so-called ultraviolet catastrophe, which is expected to lead to steppy profiles even in the absence of interleaving. Both modes are driven by positive feedbacks between interleaving and the underlying small-scale mixing processes. Contrary to expectations, use of the second-moment closure in place of earlier empirical mixing models does not lead to improved agreement with observations.
Clinical Outcome After Saphenous Vein Stenting With Taxus Liberté Stent
Authors: Mendiz Oscar A. , Ahmed Waqar H. , Fava Carlos M. , Dahl Jürgen vom , Valdivieso León R. , Lev Gustavo A. , R.Thomas Martyn
Published: January 2012

We evaluated the incidence of clinical events after implantation of the TAXUS Liberté paclitaxel-eluting stent in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions in an unselected patient population. The OLYMPIA (TAXUS Liberté Post-Approval Global Registry) program gathered data on 21 954 patients receiving at least 1 TAXUS Liberté stent, including 345 patients with SVG lesions. All cardiac events were monitored with independent adjudication of end points. Patients enrolled at procedure started with no mandated inclusion/exclusion criteria. In SVG-OLYMPIA (n = 345), baseline comorbidities/complex disease were more frequent than the rest of the OLYMPIA (n = 21 560). SVG-OLYMPIA had similar cardiac death, target vessel revascularization, and definitive stent thrombosis rates than the rest of OLYMPIA. Despite higher baseline risk, the SVG-OLYMPIA had similar 12-month clinical outcome than the rest of the OLYMPIA registry, confirming the safety and efficacy of the TAXUS Liberté stent in this high-risk group.
Associations between awareness of beyondblue and mental health literacy in Australian youth: Results from a national survey
Authors: Yap Marie B , Reavley Nicola J , Jorm Anthony F
Published: January 2012

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to examine whether Australian young people’s awareness of beyondblue is associated with better recognition of depression and anxiety disorders, and better quality of beliefs about possible interventions and first-aid actions for these problems.

Method: In 2011, a telephone interview was conducted with a national sample of 3021 Australians aged between 15 and 25 years. Participants were presented with a vignette portraying depression, depression with suicidal thoughts, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder or psychosis in a young person. They were then asked about recognition of the disorder portrayed, their beliefs about the helpfulness or harmfulness of various interventions and first-aid actions, and their awareness of beyondblue. The quality of youths’ beliefs was scored against health professionals’ ratings of the same list of interventions and first-aid actions.

Results: Beyondblue awareness was associated with more accurate recognition of the disorder portrayed in all vignettes except social phobia. It was also associated with beliefs about the helpfulness of first-aid actions that were more closely aligned with professional ratings for the depression, psychosis and social phobia vignettes. However, it was associated with beliefs about interventions for the psychosis vignette only.

Conclusions: Overall, the associations of beyondblue awareness with better mental health literacy were not specific to depression and anxiety disorders, which are their main focus. Beyondblue awareness is mostly unrelated to treatment beliefs, but seems to have non-specific associations with recognition of disorders and first-aid beliefs.
The Russian Military Elite in the Era of Putin
Authors: Obraztsov Igor V.
Published: January 2012

In Fall 2010, the last group of students enrolled in the Russian Military Academy of the General Staff (MAGS). This important military educational institution, which has existed in some form or another for almost two centuries, will cease to exist as an academy in 2012. This research note provides a description of graduates of the MAGS, utilizing survey data collected between 2000 and 2008. This data revealed key sociodemographic characteristics of MAGS students as well as service motivations and value sets.
Impact of a National Shortage of Sterile Ethanol on a Home Parenteral Nutrition Practice
Authors: Corrigan Mandy , Kirby Donald F.
Published: January 2012

Catheter‐related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a common and life‐threatening infectious complication of home parenteral nutrition (PN). CRBSI is associated with hospital admissions, morbidity, mortality, loss of venous access, and healthcare costs. Ethanol has bactericidal and fungicidal properties, making it an ideal locking solution for preventing CRBSI. The authors report 6 patients with a recurrence of CRBSI when ethanol lock (ETL) was withheld due to a national shortage. This is the first known report of the ramifications of a national ethanol shortage on redevelopment of CRBSI in home PN patients with a history of CRBSIs. This series further supports the existing literature showing that ETL is a viable therapy for the prevention of CRBSIs, warranting prospective research. The impact of an ethanol shortage due to a sole‐source manufacturer supports the need for the Food and Drug Administration to regulate pharmaceutical products to avoid shortages.
Prophylactic Perioperative Antibiotic Use in Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
Authors: Saleh Amy M. , Torres Katherine M. , Murad Mohammad H. , Erwin Patricia J. , Driscoll Colin L. W.
Published: January 2012

Context

Perioperative antibiotics are widely used to improve the outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery.

Objective

The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence on the effect of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis on outcomes of endoscopic sinus surgery.

Data Sources and Review Methods

We searched electronic databases from inception through May 2011 for any relevant clinical trials or observational studies. Two reviewers working independently extracted study characteristics, quality, and the outcomes of interest. Random‐effects meta‐analysis was used to pool the relative risks (RRs) and the standardized mean differences (SMDs) across trials.

Results

We found 4 eligible trials with varying quality, of which 3 were included in the quantitative analysis. Antibiotic prophylaxis was associated with a nonsignificant reduction in the incidence of infections (relative risk, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 1.09), symptoms scores (SMD, −0.04; 95% CI, −0.46 to 0.38), and endoscopic scores (SMD, −0.09; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.13). The heterogeneity associated with the analysis was significant only for the outcome of change in symptoms score (I‐squared values, 0%, 70%, and 0% for the 3 outcomes, respectively).

Conclusions

Trial data available to date are unable to demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in infection, symptom scores, or endoscopic scores to support the routine use of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics following endoscopic sinus surgery. Our analysis was limited by the number of published trials related to this topic.
2012 Update on Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records
Authors: Sun Gordon H. , Eisenberg Lee D. , Ermini Edward B. , Lee K. J. , Nielsen David R. , Rubin Koryn Y. , Das Subinoy
Published: January 2012

In 2011, the US federal government implemented an oversight program to encourage the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). Otolaryngologists may receive as much as $44,000 under Medicare or $63,750 under Medicaid as part of this law. To receive this full benefit, otolaryngologists must acquire a certified EHR and demonstrate stage 1 meaningful use requirements by the end of 2012. Furthermore, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT intends to advance meaningful use requirements to stage 2 (estimated to go in effect in 2014) and stage 3 requirements. This commentary discusses updated recommendations from the Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Medical Informatics Committee for implementing meaningful use of EHRs, receiving incentive payments, and preparing for potential stage 2 and stage 3 requirements.
Writing into the Cold War West
Authors: Piette Adam
Published: January 2012

John Beck's fine study of the representation of the postwar American West, analyzes the cultural impact of the secret state's establishment of its arsenals, proving grounds and waste disposal sites after the Manhattan Project. The giant Southwest Defense Complex is registered, with acute and telling political energy, in texts by Cormac MacCarthy, Leslie Marmon Silko, Bradford Morrow and Don DeLillo, as a brute invisible energy field at the edges of national experience. This is one of the best studies of the military-industrial complex on record, typified by sharp close reading, blistering and theoretically wise readings, and a sure-footed grasp of difficult and evasive histories and strategies of deception. Beck sketches relations between toxic waste disposal, repressive anti-marginal politics, Cold War megadeath and atomic culture with an eloquence and passion controlled by a cool theoretical head. The review article argues that Beck's study is a major contribution to the analysis of the artificial state of emergency instituted by the AEC and Pentagon deep within the United States.
Off the Record
Authors: Boothroyd Dave
Published: January 2012

This article aims to demonstrate how the formation of ethical subjectivity must be considered in conjunction with the techno-politics of secrecy and disclosure, and it proposes an account of the ways in which the technical transition and ‘democratization’ of archival upload/download capacity associated with digital communications fundamentally challenges the existing structure of control over such things as censorship and cultural memory understood in terms of power of recall. It argues that it is against this background and in view of the mediality of communications that the question of responsibility with respect to secrets and their disclosure must ultimately be posed. It seeks to establish the difference between a purely political and an ethico-political understanding of the secrecy/disclosure dyad as this functions, on the one hand, in relation to philosophical inquiry itself and, on the other, in relation to normative representations of informational events, and it contextualizes its theoretical account of this difference in relation to the ‘Wikileaks phenomenon’ viewed as a disclosive event. It examines how ethical subjectivity is formed in relation to ‘information’ and in the wider context of a digital culture of archivization, characterized by the ubiquitous recording of communications of all kinds. Drawing centrally on the ethical philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, for whom ‘infinite responsibility’ is ‘incarnated’ as the ‘ultimate secret of subjectivity’ in me, and Derrida’s account of both the necessary technicity of the human and the impossibility of ‘saying the event’, it proposes a way of thinking the ethico-techno-politics of secrecy and disclosure in terms of the singularity of the event and the unique responsibility of the ethical Subject in relation to that.
Logics of Political Secrecy
Authors: Horn Eva
Published: January 2012

In the modern age, the political secret has acquired a bad reputation. With modern democracy’s ideal of transparency, political secrecy is identified with political crime or corruption. The article argues that this repression of secrecy in modern democracies falls short of a substantial understanding of the structure and workings of political secrecy. By outlining a genealogy of political secrecy, it elucidates the logic as well as the blind spots of a current culture of secrecy. It focuses on two fundamental logics of secrecy, deduced from the Latin terms ‘ arcanum’ and ‘ secretum’. Whereas the logic of arcanum regards secrecy as a legitimate dimension of government, a modern logic of secretum is marked by an inextricable dialectics between the withdrawal and communication of knowledge, between secrecy and publicity. Here, the secret is not so much a piece of withheld knowledge as a ‘secrecy effect’ that binds the realm of secrecy to the public sphere by a dialectics of permanent suspicion and scandal. Instead of falling into the trap of this ‘secrecy effect’ it is worth taking a closer look at the tradition of thought on the arcana imperii, from Tacitus to early modern doctrines of raison d’état to Carl Schmitt. What this tradition deals with is the functionality of secrecy and its complicated relation to the law. The arcana tradition elaborates the crucial point of secrecy: its potential, but also its profound ambivalence. Secrecy opens up a discretionary space of action exempt from the rule of law, and, according to Carl Schmitt, ignores the law so as to allow it to become effective. Secrecy serves to protect and stabilize the state, but at the same time it opens a space of exception from the rule of law that breeds violence, corruption and oppression. Instead of seeing secrecy as the opposite of a political culture of transparency, it is more productive to regard secrecy as transparency's complement – a counterpart, however, that is marked by the profound paradox of being both a consolidation of and a threat to democracy.
Introduction: Air-target
Authors: Adey Peter , Whitehead Mark , Williams Alison J.
Published: January 2012

Why does the air-target and its associated practices matter? This special section is about the politics, practices and ethics surrounding the target and efforts to subvert or circumvent them. Since Eyal Weizman’s groundbreaking essay on the ‘politics of verticality’ in 2002, there have been numerous attempts to critically open up the aerial gaze, but rarely have they come together for sustained analysis and critique, to explore the implications of the air-target’s techniques, processes, visual cultures and aesthetics for politics and life itself. This special section brings together leading international experts in order to open out a fuller and more complete analysis of the kinds of tensions of verticality that lie at the heart of today’s warfare, security and politics. This introduction outlines three dominant problematics of the air-target, which the articles in the section will go on to explore in more detail.
Introduction to ‘Secrecy and Transparency’
Authors: Birchall Clare
Published: January 2012

This article opens a special section on the politics of opacity and openness. The rise of transparency as a political and cultural ideal has left secrecy to accumulate negative connotations. But the moral discourse that condemns secrecy and rewards transparency may cause us to misread the symbiotic relationship between these terms. After providing a historical account of transparency in public and political life, this article therefore makes the case for working with the tension between these terms rather than responding to the dyad as a choice. We need to find different ways of staying with the aporia of transparency-as-secrecy and secrecy-as-transparency. Despite common demands to support either transparency or secrecy in political and moral terms, we live with the tension between these terms and its inherent contradictions daily. The theoretical questions posed by this material reality need to be asked and responded to. This article and the special section as a whole begin such an enterprise.
Impact of Literacy and Numeracy on Motivation for Behavior Change After Diabetes Genetic Risk Testing
Authors: Vassy Jason L. , O’Brien Kelsey E. , Waxler Jessica L. , Park Elyse R. , Delahanty Linda M. , Florez Jose C. , Meigs James B. , Grant Richard W.
Published: January 2012

Background

Type 2 diabetes genetic risk testing might motivate at-risk patients to adopt diabetes prevention behaviors. However, the influence of literacy and numeracy on patient response to diabetes genetic risk is unknown.

Objective

The authors investigated the association of health literacy, genetic literacy, and health numeracy with patient responses to diabetes genetic risk.

Design and Measurements

Overweight patients at high phenotypic risk for type 2 diabetes were recruited for a clinical trial of diabetes genetic risk testing. At baseline, participants predicted how their motivation for lifestyle modification to prevent diabetes might change in response to hypothetical scenarios of receiving “high” and “low” genetic risk results. Responses were analyzed according to participants’ health literacy, genetic literacy, and health numeracy.

Results

Two-thirds (67%) of participants ( n = 175) reported very high motivation to prevent diabetes. Despite high health literacy (92% at high school level), many participants had limited health numeracy (30%) and genetic literacy (38%). Almost all (98%) reported that high-risk genetic results would increase their motivation for lifestyle modification. In contrast, response to low-risk genetic results varied. Higher levels of health literacy ( P = 0.04), genetic literacy ( P = 0.02), and health numeracy ( P = 0.02) were associated with an anticipated decrease in motivation for lifestyle modification in response to low-risk results.

Conclusions

While patients reported that high-risk genetic results would motivate them to adopt healthy lifestyle changes, response to low-risk results varied by patient numeracy and literacy. However, anticipated responses may not correlate with true behavior change. If future research justifies the clinical use of genetic testing to motivate behavior change, it may be important to assess how patient characteristics modify that motivational effect.
Unintended Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Consequences of Group Assignments
Authors: Neu Wayne A.
Published: January 2012

Pedagogical strategies can be thought of as a set of stimuli placed in students’ environment to influence their cognition, affect, and behavior. The design of strategies such as group assignments and a comprehensive understanding of their consequences for students should then include an analysis of all three of these elements and the interrelationships that exist among them. As such, this study investigated the unintended cognitive, affective, and behavioral consequences of group assignments experienced by undergraduate business students. The discovery-oriented method of grounded theory was used. Data were gathered from a sample of 32 undergraduate marketing and management students by combining the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique with in-person interviews. Findings indicate that students do experience several cognitive and affective consequences that are contrary to the broad range of benefits consistently highlighted in academic literature. Findings also highlight prevalent behaviors that motivate the cognitive and affective consequences. The study should give educators reason to seriously consider the extent to which group assignments contribute to or detract from the value of undergraduate business education.
Observer Agreement on the Dejour Trochlear Dysplasia Classification
Authors: Lippacher Sabine , Dejour David , Elsharkawi Mohammed , Dornacher Daniel , Ring Christina , Dreyhaupt Jens , Reichel Heiko , Nelitz Manfred
Published: January 2012

Background: Trochlear dysplasia is known to be an important cause of patellofemoral instability. D. Dejour’s radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) classifications are widely used in clinical practice and in the orthopaedic literature to assess the severity of trochlear dysplasia. The indication for deepening trochleoplasty to treat trochlear dysplasia is also mainly based on the severity of trochlear dysplasia according to Dejour’s criteria.

Purpose: To our knowledge, there is no study evaluating the efficacy of the Dejour classification. The aim of this study was to assess the intraobserver and interobserver agreements of the radiographic and MRI-based classification as described by Dejour.

Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods: From 50 patients, 50 lateral radiographs as well as 50 MRI scans were read twice independently within 4 weeks by 4 surgeons (2 senior and 2 junior examiners). Analysis was made according to Dejour’s 4 grades of radiological criteria of trochlear dysplasia as well as differentiating between 2 grades: low-grade (type A) and high-grade trochlear dysplasia (types B-D).

Results: The 4-grade analysis showed fair intraobserver and interobserver agreements (24%-78%), while the 2-grade analysis showed good to excellent agreement (56%-96%). The best overall agreement was found for the 2-grade analysis on MRI scans (62%-96%). The lateral radiographs tended to underestimate the severity of trochlear dysplasia compared with axial MRI.

Conclusion: D. Dejour’s classification is valid for typing trochlear dysplasia and is particularly useful in separating low-grade from high-grade dysplasia.
Polystyrene nanocomposites produced by melt-compounding with polymer-coated magnesium carbonate nanoparticles
Authors: Siengchin S. , Karger-Kocsis J.
Published: January 2012

Nanocomposites composed of PS and surface-coated MgCO3 were produced by melt-compounding in a laboratory kneader. The amphiphilic acrylate copolymer-coated MgCO3 particles were produced by inverse emulsion polymerization and added up to 5 wt.% into PS. The dispersion of the MgCO3 in PS was studied by SEM and AFM techniques, respectively, and discussed. The mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were determined in short-time creep, uniaxial static tensile tests DMA and TGA. It was found that the lower the MgCO3 content, the finer the dispersion of the related particles. Incorporation of surface-coated nano-scaled MgCO3 in PS increased the resistance to creep, enhanced the tensile strength, E-modulus (stiffness), and HDT. However, the elongation at break of PS nanocomposites was reduced compared to the neat PS. The tensile strength and TGA behavior of the nanocomposites were markedly affected by the dispersion quality of the nanoparticles.
Assessment of process-induced deformations and stresses in ultra thick laminates using isoparametric 3D elements
Authors: Zimmermann K. , Van Den Broucke B.
Published: January 2012

Shape distortions are a common problem experienced during the manufacturing of fiber reinforced plastics and are commonly investigated for thinner components. The following study presents the analysis of shape distortions and residual stresses in Ultra-thick laminates using a coupled thermomechanical approach. Existing studies frequently use high resolution meshes with multiple elements over ply thickness. This approach is not feasibly for thicker structures due to the computational effort. A new curing cycle, adapted to the requirements of Ultra-thick laminates, is deployed. Residual stresses need to be quantified and accounted for in the structural analysis. Several test components are manufactured in non-crimped fabric, to generate comparable data on heat distribution within the laminate and to measure the spring-in angle. For the FE analysis 3D stacked composite brick elements are used. These combine several plies within each element and present an efficient way to analyse thicker composite structures. Substantial residual stresses are calculated in the curved section of the laminate. A discrepancy in the calculated and measured spring-in angle is most likely explained by the usage of a single-sided steel tooling and several debulking steps.
Isolated Histoplasma capsulatum Meningoencephalitis in an Immunocompetent Child
Authors: Threlkeld Zachary D. , Broughton Robert , Khan Gulam Q. , Berger Joseph R.
Published: January 2012

Histoplasmosis with central nervous system involvement typically arises in the immunocompromised patient with disseminated fungal disease. Rarely, neurologic histoplasmosis may arise as an isolated syndrome in immunocompetent individuals without evidence of general dissemination. The disease often is diagnostically challenging, and a high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis. We describe an immunocompetent 13-year-old girl with atypical symptoms and unusual radiologic findings due to laboratory-confirmed histoplasma meningoencephalitis. She responded well to antifungal therapy.
Mitochondrial DNA 8993T>G Mutation in a Child With Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency and Leigh Syndrome
Authors: Henriques Margarida , Diogo Luísa , Garcia Paula , Pratas João , Simões Marta , Grazina Manuela
Published: January 2012

MC, female, is the third child of a nonconsanguineous Portuguese couple, born after an uneventful pregnancy and delivery. A positive family history of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, associated with the IVS8+1 G>A mutation in the ornithine transcarbamylase gene, prompted prenatal diagnosis with identification of the same mutation in the proband. During an episode of Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis at 1.5 months of age, lactic acidosis and moderate hyperammonemia were noticed. After a short asymptomatic period, progressive neurologic symptoms, with normal ammonemia, persistent hyperlactacidemia, and typical lesions in brain computed tomography (CT) scan led to a diagnosis of Leigh syndrome. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex V was reduced in the liver. The mtDNA 8993T>G mutation was identified in the liver, muscle, and blood (82%-87% heteroplasmy). She died at 6 months of age. This case represents a benign phenotype of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, associated with a severe mitochondrial respiratory chain disorder due to an mtDNA pathogenic mutation.
Content Analysis of PhD and EdD Dissertations in Special Education
Authors: Walker David W. , Haley-Mize Shannon
Published: January 2012

Previous research conducted by Nelson and Coorough (1994) found support for the statement that PhD programs were more research oriented, whereas doctorate of education (EdD) programs were more oriented to the educational practitioner. This previous study, however, had grouped all dissertations in education and had not looked at dissertations by content area. The current study is a comparison of PhD and EdD dissertations from 1997 to 2010 in the content area of special education on the variables of research design, statistics, target populations, significance of results as well as the age and exceptionality category of participants. No differences were found in the percentage of dissertations in special education for type of degree by gender and type of research (i.e., applied vs. basic) by degree type (i.e., PhD vs. EdD). Significant differences, however, were found on the variables of research design, statistics, target populations, significance of results, age of participants, and exceptionality category. The results are discussed as they pertain to the research orientation of PhD and EdD programs in special education.
Amelioration of cisplatin-induced toxicity in mice by carotenoid meso-zeaxanthin
Authors: Firdous AP , Kuttan R
Published: January 2012

Carotenoid meso-zeaxanthin ((3R, 3′S)-β, β-carotene-3,3′-diol [MZ]) was evaluated for its protective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in Swiss albino mice. Oral administration of MZ was started 5 days prior to cisplatin (16 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally as a single dose) injection. Animals in all groups were killed 72 h after cisplatin treatment. In serum, renal function markers like urea and creatinine, which were drastically elevated in cisplatin-treated control animals, were found to be decreased significantly by MZ pretreatment. Cisplatin-induced myelosuppression was also found to be significantly ameliorated by MZ as evident from the increase in white blood cell count, bone marrow cellularity and number of maturing monocytes in MZ-treated animals when compared with cisplatin alone-treated control animals. The levels of antioxidant enzymes—superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase—as well as the glutathione level in the kidney were decreased after cisplatin treatment. But the levels were markedly increased by the carotenoid treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Addition of MZ was found to inhibit singlet oxygen produced by toluidine blue in vitro. Moreover, administration of MZ to the animals inhibited increased lipid peroxidation, conjugated dienes and hydroperoxides that are formed in the kidney by cisplatin administration. The results of histopathological analysis supported the protective potential of MZ against cisplatin-induced toxicity.
The Ethics of Deactivating a Pacemaker in a Pacing-Dependent Patient
Authors: Malpas Phillipa J. , Cooper Lisa
Published: January 2012

The decision to deactivate a pacemaker in a pacing-dependent patient is troubling for some health professionals who may regard such interventions as hastening death and therefore ethically impermissible. This may be especially concerning in situations where a patient is unable to clearly state what their preferences may be and the decision—were it to be made—will almost certainly result in the patient’s immediate death. In this discussion, we reflect on some of the ethical aspects that arise when JP, a 75-year-old woman who is pacing dependent, suffers a significant brain injury, and the family request that her pacemaker be deactivated. Taking into account the clinical reality of her situation, the united wishes and loving concern of her husband and family, and their substituted judgment regarding her likely preferences, we claim that the decision to deactivate her pacemaker was ethically sound.
Users’ Abilities to Review Web Site Pages
Authors: Elling Sanne , Lentz Leo , Jong Menno de
Published: January 2012

Web sites increasingly encourage users to provide comments on the quality of the content by clicking on a feedback button and filling out a feedback form. Little is known about users’ abilities to provide such feedback. To guide the development of evaluation tools, this study examines to what extent users with various background characteristics are able to provide useful comments on informational Web sites. Results show that it is important to keep the feedback tools both simple and attractive so that users will be able and willing to provide useful feedback on Web site pages.
Optimal vibration control for structural-acoustic coupling system
Authors: Gharib Mohamed , Omran Ashraf , El-Bayoumi Gamal
Published: January 2012

This paper proposes designing a static output feedback controller for a structural-acoustics coupling system using piezoelectric actuators. The system consists of a rectangular cavity with two flexible plates, one at the top of the cavity and the other at the bottom, and four other rigid boundaries. Piezoelectric pair patches are considered to be bonded to the top plate, and each pair is assumed to produce a pure moment actuation. The top plate is exposed to an external pressure excitation due to a planar wave generated by a sound source mounted above the cavity. The series solution is assumed for the displacements of the plates and the pressure inside the cavity. The responses of the coupled system are obtained using Galarkin’s method. In the control scheme, the controller gains have been optimally tuned using genetic algorithms. The proposed static output feedback controller shows an acceptable performance with simple implementation requirements compared to the linear quadratic Gaussian state feedback controller.
In situ testing on a new crashworthy device against ship-mitre gate collision
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Huang Long , Qiu Ling
Published: January 2012

The mitre gate has been widely used in ship locks. However, apart from the normal operational loads, the gate is subjected to unexpected incidents, including sudden loads such as collision of the ship. Due to the fact that this kind ofstructure is widely used in a variety of ship locks and holds great promise for future applications, the safety of the structure has received widespread attention. Nowadays, traditional steel fenders are widely used as crashworthy devices in most mitre gates. In order to improve the crashworthiness of the structure, a new crashworthy device made from rubber composite against ship-mitre gate collision is developed instead of traditional steel fenders. In situ testing on this new fender is performed in order to investigate the crashworthiness of the fender. A real ship is used to crash against the gate in the ship lock to create a structural vibration in the test. The dynamic responses of the gate with steel and the new fender are detected so as to compare the effects of the different collision protection systems used in the gate. The test results show that the vibration amplitude changes greatly between gates with steel and the new fender. The structural maximal acceleration and strain responses all decrease when the gate installs the new fender. Based on the in situ vibration test conducted, the installation of a new fender as collision protection device is proven to be an effective method to make the gate in the ship lock safer.
Qualitative Study of an Operations Research Project to Engage Abused Women, Health Providers, and Communities in Responding to Gender-Based Violence in Vietnam
Authors: Schuler Sidney Ruth , Trang Quach Thu , Ha Vu Song , Anh Hoang Tu
Published: January 2012

This article describes an action research project designed to engage women, health providers, and communities to respond to gender-based violence (GBV) in Vietnam. Based on results from in-depth interviews and group discussions, it considers the extent to which the project approaches were empowering for abused women. The results underscore the problems entailed in introducing systematic screening for gender-based violence into government health facilities in the low-resource setting of Vietnam, the importance of combining ideational change and rights components with support for abused women, and the difficulty of engaging male perpetrators.
Practising receptive multilingualism: Estonian–Finnish communication in Tallinn
Authors: Verschik Anna
Published: January 2012

The present article deals with receptive multilingualism (RM) in communication between Estonian salespersons and Finnish customers in Tallinn. A historical background and general description of this communication is provided. It is argued that RM is an established practice in this type of communication and that a nation-state is not necessarily marginalizing communication that deviates from monolingual norms. The notion of mutual intelligibility is critically analysed, and the data confirm that understanding is not exclusively dependent on material similarities between closely related varieties. Accommodation and negotiation are present in both sides, yet strategies employed by Finnish and Estonian interlocutors differ. The distinction between inherent and acquired RM is relevant in Russian–Finnish communication which takes place in the same environment. Finally, further research questions are formulated.
Unsettling the discourse of punishment? Competing narratives of reentry and the possibilities for change
Authors: Steen Sara , Lacock Traci , McKinzey Shelby
Published: January 2012

In academic and policy circles, there is widespread optimism about the ability of reentry to change the terms of the punishment debate. In this article, we assess the impact of the reentry concept on discourse and reform in Colorado through analysis of the recent work of the Colorado Criminal and Juvenile Justice Commission. We identify two distinct reentry narratives, which we call the reintegration and recidivism reduction narratives. The reintegration narrative challenges dominant assumptions about punishment in ways consistent with the rehabilitation model, while the recidivism reduction narrative stays close to the retributive model. While the reintegration narrative was clearly present in the Colorado conversation about reform, most of the policy recommendations put forth were driven by the recidivism reduction narrative, in large part due to concerns about potential public perceptions of the Commission’s work. We conclude that reentry has not only failed to change the discourse in any significant way, it has also served to further entrench the retributive framework of punishment.
The rules of the (leadership) game: Gender, politics and news
Authors: Ross Karen , Comrie Margie
Published: January 2012

The abiding interest of researchers to explore the nature of political communication continues to provoke lively debates about who controls the moveable feast of the news agenda – politicians or journalists. This article argues that despite journalistic claims of impartiality, a careful, multilayered analysis of print and broadcast news of a general election (New Zealand, 2008) and, more specifically, reportage about the leaders of the Labour Party (Helen Clark) and National Party (John Key) demonstrates clear bias against the long-serving (older female) incumbent in favour of the (younger male) challenger. This bias is manifest in several ways, including the visibility of the two leaders measured by column inches, their uses as quoted sources and the tone and tenor of reportage. Whilst we found few examples of explicitly sexist commentary, there were numerous ways in Clark’s personal attributes, including her sex and age, were slyly used to undermine her continued suitability for the top job.
Exposing preschoolers to the printed word: A case study of preschool teachers in Mauritius
Authors: Owodally Ambarin Mooznah Auleear
Published: January 2012

Mauritius is a multilingual island, where there is a linguistic and literacy paradox. While Mauritian Creole dominates as the spoken language of the population, English and French are the main print languages, as well as the main languages of literacy and education. In such a complex situation, preschool is an interesting terrain in which to observe children's first official introduction to the printed word. The aim of this paper is to consider the ways in which preschool teachers expose children to print and decoding skills and some of the factors shaping their choices and pedagogical practices. This paper uses data from a longitudinal case study, using an ethnographic approach, to describe and analyse the strategies used by three teachers as they expose a group of four- to five-year-olds to the printed word in a government preschool. I argue that in foreign language contexts such as Mauritius, children's exposure to the printed word is often cosmetic and educational, with emphasis on the direct teaching of some decoding skills. I also argue that the relationship that the children build with print is one of seriousness, associated with schoolwork, thus playing down the meaning-making, more playful and more entertaining functions and uses of print. This is related to local linguistic, sociocultural and educational factors.
Home–school book sharing comes in many forms: A microanalysis of teacher–child interaction during the activity of borrowing a school book
Authors: Deunk Marjolein I. , Berenst Jan , Glopper Kees de
Published: January 2012

In this paper, we analyse one aspect of home–school book sharing, namely the activity of borrowing a book. We describe how the borrowing activity is accomplished in daily practice in two Dutch preschools and which emergent literacy practices can be embedded in this routine. We followed fifteen children, aged from two years to four years, and analysed how they were involved in the borrowing activity as part of home–school book sharing. In total we analysed sixty borrowing events. We found three variations of the borrowing act: children were not involved at all; they were involved in a basic borrowing routine; and they were involved in an extended borrowing routine. In the case of no involvement, the teacher chose a book without the child being present, or the child did not get a new book at all. In the other two cases there was teacher–child interaction. The structure of the basic routine is: (1) the teacher orients the child to the activity; (2) the child browses books and selects one; and (3) the teacher acknowledges the child’s choice. In the extended routine there are supplemental orientations to literacy practices, either about (future) reading or about writing down the choice. Microanalysis of borrowing interactions revealed that although both preschools had implemented the home–school book sharing programme, literacy experiences for individual children differed.
Architectural Ethics
Authors: Ray Nicholas
Published: January 2012

The practice of architecture, a discipline that is inescapably contingent on the particular, but that is also required by society in some way to represent an ideal, raises a number of specific ethical issues. Following an essay by the philosopher Thomas Nagel, this paper argues that it is intrinsic to professional judgement that this involves the prioritizing of unquantifiable ‘goods’. A twentieth-century case study is examined, which exhibits the choices made by a well-known architect. The changed nature of architectural practice in the United Kingdom in the twenty-first century is then described, whereby the privilege of making such judgements has been severely limited by the substitution of managerial values for professional values. In the face of different ethical imperatives – most obviously to design responsibly within pressing ecological concerns – it is argued that the task for architects now is to re-establish a context within which sound judgements can be made, which of course implies a degree of professional trust. Their ability to balance managerial values (technical competence for example) with ethical decision-making is what may prove to be most valuable. There are implications for architectural education, which in the past has either pretended to be a science or has retreated into aesthetic speculation, providing training in the skills of persuasion rather than relationship-building. The conclusion is that ethical thinking is inescapable for the profession of architecture in the twenty-first century.
Validity of Ethics Decisions in Palliative Care Research
Authors: Cheung Philip
Published: January 2012

There is a view, expressed by some research ethics committees and health care professionals, that research should not, under any circumstance, be performed on dying patients. This paper begins to explore current attitudes towards palliative care research, although it becomes clear that the issues discussed apply to all fields of bio-medical research. Indeed the underlying principles of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice should apply to all groups of human subjects involved across all areas of research. The ethical principles should apply equally to healthy individuals as well as to those suffering from ill health, whether this be inherited or acquired, curable or terminal.
Reviewing Research with Mentally Incapacitated Adults: What RECs Need to Consider under the Mental Capacity Act 2005
Authors: Wilkinson Ruth
Published: January 2012

The Mental Capacity Act will come into force in 2007. It sets out guidelines for the ethical review of research involving incompetent adults which will have an impact on the REC process. This paper attempts to explain the Act's requirements in a way that will give research ethics committees some clarity about what must be considered when reviewing applications. Potential difficulties have been highlighted with guidance as to how these might be resolved.