bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phi-features reloaded: An event-related potential study on person and number agreement processing
Authors: ZAWISZEWSKI ADAM , SANTESTEBAN MIKEL , LAKA ITZIAR
Published: May 2015

Linguistic analysis claims that verb agreement is composed of distinct phi-features such as person and number, but are these different phi-features processed distinctly or similarly? We used a sentence grammaticality task to explore the electrophysiological responses of Basque speakers when processing subject–verb person and number phi-feature agreement violations. We generated grammatical structures (grammatical control) and ungrammatical structures in which the verb disagreed with the subject in person (person violation), in number (number violation), or in both person and number features (person+number violation). Behavioral data revealed that, overall, participants were faster and more accurate detecting person and person+number violations than violations involving only number. Event-related potential responses revealed a N400–P600 pattern for all violation types. Person and person+number violations elicited larger P600 effects than number violations. These findings reveal different costs related to the processing of person and number phi-feature agreement and indicate that these features are distinct components of agreement computation.
Partisanship and tax competition in the American states
Authors: Davis John C. , Nicholson-Crotty Sean
Published: May 2015

Existing research identifies partisan differences in taxing choices made by state governments. Research has also found that, even when controlling for intrastate characteristics such as party, jurisdictions respond to the taxing decisions of their neighbours, particularly when citizens can easily cross-border shop. These studies treat political and competitive factors as independent influences on taxes. We suggest they are more likely to interact in taxing decisions. We argue that the political costs of cross-border shopping are higher for Republicans, and the threat of it should have a greater negative impact on taxes when that party controls major state policy-making institutions. Our analyses of state cigarette taxes between 1980 and 2011 confirm that a higher threat of cross-border shopping has a larger negative impact on taxes under Republican governors. We conclude that, by missing the interaction between partisanship and the threat of fiscal mobility, previous work misestimates key influences on tax competition.
A qualitative study of nursing assistants' awareness of person-centred approaches to dementia care
Authors: HUNTER PAULETTE V. , HADJISTAVROPOULOS THOMAS , KAASALAINEN SHARON
Published: May 2015

Recently, the number of education programmes addressing person-centred approaches to long-term residential dementia care has increased, and nursing assistants (NAs) are often the target audience. The effectiveness of employee education programmes is actively debated, and our objective is to contribute to this discussion by exploring the knowledge NAs acquire through practice. We examined approaches to person-centred care generated during a series of interviews with NAs, and compared these to the content of five frameworks for person-centred dementia care. Our results suggest that although NAs acquire significant knowledge about person-centred dementia care during the course of their work, application of person-centred care strategies varies across NAs. We propose ways of enhancing NA education in order to address gaps in knowledge. We also recommend sustained attention to organisational factors that contribute to variability in practice.
Optimization of laser acceleration of protons from mixed structure nanotarget
Authors: Mirzanejhad Saeed , Sohbatzadeh Farshad , Joulaei Atefeh , Babaei Javad , Shahabei Khadijeh
Published: May 2015

In this study, ion acceleration from thin planar diamond-like carbon (DLC) and polystyrene (PS) foils irradiated by ultraintense (a0 = 200) and ultrashort (15 fs) laser pulses is investigated numerically. The effects of target composition and thickness on the acceleration of protons and carbon ions are reported by 1D3V particle-in-cell simulation code and compared with the analytical models of ion acceleration. In the analytical formalism, the acceleration criterion of ions with different charge-to-mass ratio (q/m) is obtained. This criterion is related to the potential difference through the electrostatic shock distortion and its velocity. According to this result, charged particles with large q/m ratio have a good chance to accelerate in front of the electrostatic shock field. It is shown that mono-energetic proton bunch with energies >1.5 GeV is produced by 20 nm DLC foil supported by 10 nm hydrogen layer. Finally nanometer PS foil is examined and 2.33 Gev protons with ~1.5% energy spread are obtained for 50 nm thickness.
EQUALITY VERSUS PRIORITY: HOW RELEVANT IS THE DISTINCTION?
Authors: Fleurbaey Marc
Published: May 2015

This paper questions the distinction between egalitarianism and prioritarianism, arguing that it is important to separate the reasons for particular social preferences from the contents of these preferences, that it is possible to like equality and separability simultaneously, and that some egalitarians and prioritarians may therefore share the same social preferences (though for different reasons). The case of risky prospects, for which Broome has proposed an interesting example meant to show that egalitarians and prioritarians cannot share the same preferences, is scrutinized. The levelling down objection is also examined.
EVIDENCE INFORMED DECISION MAKING: THE USE OF “COLLOQUIAL EVIDENCE” AT NICE
Authors: Sharma Tarang , Choudhury Moni , Kaur Bindweep , Naidoo Bhash , Garner Sarah , Littlejohns Peter , Staniszewska Sophie
Published: May 2015

Objectives:Colloquial evidence (CE) has been described as the informal evidence that helps provide context to other forms of evidence in guidance development. Despite challenges around quality, and the potential biases, the use of CE is becoming increasingly important in assessments where scientific literature is sparse and to also capture the experience of all stakeholders in discussions, including that of experts and patients. We aimed to ascertain how CE was being used at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Methods:Relevant data corresponding to the use of CE was extracted from all NICE technical and process manuals by two reviewers and quality assured and analyzed by a third reviewer. This was considered in light of the results of a focused literature review and a combined checklist for quality assessment was developed.

Results:At NICE, CE is utilised across all guidance producing programmes and at all stages of development. CE could range from information from experts and patient/carers, grey literature (including evidence from websites and policy reports) and testimony from stakeholders through consultation. Six tools for critical appraisal of CE were available from the literature and a combined best practice checklist has been proposed.

Conclusions:As decisions often need to be made in areas where there is a lack of published scientific evidence, CE is employed. Therefore to ensure its appropriateness the development of a validated CE data quality check-list to assist decision makers is essential and further research in this area is a priority.
SOCIO-ETHICAL ISSUES IN PERSONALIZED MEDICINE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENTS OF GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING TESTS FOR BREAST CANCER PROGNOSIS
Authors: Ali-Khan Sarah E. , Black Lee , Palmour Nicole , Hallett Michael T. , Avard Denise
Published: May 2015

Objectives: There have been multiple calls for explicit integration of ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in health technology assessment (HTA) and addressing ELSI has been highlighted as key in optimizing benefits in the Omics/Personalized Medicine field. This study examines HTAs of an early clinical example of Personalized Medicine (gene expression profile tests [GEP] for breast cancer prognosis) aiming to: (i) identify ELSI; (ii) assess whether ELSIs are implicitly or explicitly addressed; and (iii) report methodology used for ELSI integration.

Methods: A systematic search for HTAs (January 2004 to September 2012), followed by descriptive and qualitative content analysis.

Results: Seventeen HTAs for GEP were retrieved. Only three (18%) explicitly presented ELSI, and only one reported methodology. However, all of the HTAs included implicit ELSI. Eight themes of implicit and explicit ELSI were identified. “Classical” ELSI including privacy, informed consent, and concerns about limited patient/clinician genetic literacy were always presented explicitly. Some ELSI, including the need to understand how individual patients’ risk tolerances affect clinical decision-making after reception of GEP results, were presented both explicitly and implicitly in HTAs. Others, such as concern about evidentiary deficiencies for clinical utility of GEP tests, occurred only implicitly.

Conclusions: Despite a wide variety of important ELSI raised, these were rarely explicitly addressed in HTAs. Explicit treatment would increase their accessibility to decision-makers, and may augment HTA efficiency maximizing their utility. This is particularly important where complex Personalized Medicine applications are rapidly expanding choices for patients, clinicians and healthcare systems.
X-ray powder diffraction data for calcium(II)–naproxen complex (C28H26CaO6·2H2O)
Authors: Wang Jing , Wu Di , Li Shan Shan , Tang Pei Xiao , Wang Li Li , Li Hui
Published: May 2015

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for calcium(II)–naproxen complex, C28H26CaO6·2H2O, are reported [a = 36.918(2) Å, b = 5.655(6) Å, c = 12.505(6) Å, β = 91.263(2)°, cell volume V = 2610.47 Å3, Z = 4, and space group C2]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the C2 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.
Crystal structure of levalbuterol hydrochloride polymorph A (Xopenex), C13H22NO3Cl
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Zhong Kai , Blanton Thomas N. , Gates Stacy
Published: May 2015

The crystal structure of levalbuterol hydrochloride polymorph A has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. Levalbuterol hydrochloride polymorph A crystallizes in space groupP21(#4) witha= 8.499 352(15),b= 6.511 726(13),c= 13.182 256(25) Å,β= 102.1157(2)°,V= 713.327(2) Å3, andZ= 2. The most prominent feature of the structure is the two different sorts of hydrogen bonds. Both of the ammonium hydrogens and O17–H40 act as donors to Cl18. The graph sets areC1,2(4) andC1,2(7). The result is a zig-zag chain parallel to theb-axis. The two hydroxy groups at the phenyl end of the molecule form another set of chains, both with graph setC1,1(6), also resulting in a chain parallel to theb-axis. The bulk of the molecule connects these chains in the (101) plane to form a three-dimensional network. The powder pattern is included in the Powder Diffraction File™ as entry 00-064-1494.
Clostridium difficile in Crete, Greece: epidemiology, microbiology and clinical disease
Authors: SAMONIS G. , VARDAKAS K. Z. , TANSARLI G. S. , DIMOPOULOU D. , PAPADIMITRIOU G. , KOFTERIDIS D. P. , MARAKI S. , KARANIKA M. , FALAGAS M. E.
Published: May 2015

We studied the epidemiology and microbiology of Clostridium difficile and the characteristics of patients with C. difficile infection (CDI) in Crete in three groups of hospitalized patients with diarrhoea: group 1 [positive culture and positive toxin by enzyme immunoassay (EIA)]; group 2 (positive culture, negative toxin); group 3 (negative culture, negative toxin). Patients in group 1 were designated as those with definitive CDI (20 patients for whom data was available) and matched with cases in group 2 (40 patients) and group 3 (40 patients). C. difficile grew from 6% (263/4379) of stool specimens; 14·4% of these had positive EIA, of which 3% were resistant to metronidazole. Three isolates had decreased vancomycin susceptibility. Patients in groups 1 and 2 received more antibiotics (P = 0·03) and had more infectious episodes (P = 0·03) than patients in group 3 prior to diarrhoea. Antibiotic administration for C. difficile did not differ between groups 1 and 2. Mortality was similar in all three groups (10%, 12·5% and 5%, P = 0·49). CDI frequency was low in the University Hospital of Crete and isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin.
Epidemiology of meningitis with a negative CSF Gram stain: under-utilization of available diagnostic tests
Authors: NESHER L. , HADI C. M. , SALAZAR L. , WOOTTON S. H. , GAREY K. W. , LASCO T. , LUCE A. M. , HASBUN R.
Published: May 2015

Meningitis with a negative cerebrospinal fluid Gram stain (CSF-GS) poses a diagnostic challenge as more than 50% of patients remain without an aetiology. The introduction of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and arboviral serologies have increased diagnostic capabilities, yet large scale epidemiological studies evaluating their use in clinical practice are lacking. We conducted a prospective observational study in New Orleans between November 1999 and September 2008 (early era) when PCR was not widely available, and in Houston between November 2008 and June 2013 (modern era), when PCR was commonly used. Patients presenting with meningitis and negative CSF-GS were followed for 4 weeks. All investigations, PCR used, and results were recorded as they became available. In 323 patients enrolled, PCR provided the highest diagnostic yield (24·2%) but was ordered for 128 (39·6%) patients; followed by serology for arboviruses (15%) that was ordered for 100 (31%) of all patients. The yield of blood cultures was (10·3%) and that of CSF cultures was 4%; the yield for all other tests was <10%. Overall, 65% of the patients remained without a diagnosis at 4 weeks: 72·1% in early era vs. 53·4% (P < 0·01) in modern era; this change was attributed to diagnosing more viral pathogens, 8·3% and 26·3% (P < 0·01), respectively. The introduction of PCR and arboviral serologies has improved the yield of diagnosing patients with meningitis and a negative CSF-GS, but both tests are being under-utilized.
Review of paediatric cardiology services in district general hospitals in the United Kingdom
Authors: Andrews Hannah , Singh Yogen
Published: May 2015

Following the Safe and Sustainable review of Paediatric Services in 2012/2013, National Health Service England recommended that local paediatric cardiology services should be provided by specially trained paediatricians with expertise in cardiology in all non-specialist hospitals.

Aim

To understand the variation in local paediatric cardiology services provided across district general hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Study design and methods

An internet-based questionnaire was sent out via the Paediatrician with Expertise in Cardiology Special Interest Group and the Neonatologists with Interest in Cardiology and Haemodynamics contact databases and the National Health Service directory. Non-responders were followed-up via telephone.

Results

The response rate was 80% (141 of 177 hospitals), and paediatricians with expertise in cardiology were available in 68% of those. Local cardiology clinics led by paediatricians with expertise in cardiology were provided in 96 hospitals (68%), whereas specialist outreach clinics were held in 123 centres (87%). A total of 11 hospitals provided neither specialist outreach clinics nor any local cardiology clinics led by paediatricians with expertise in cardiology. Paediatric echocardiography services were provided in 83% of the hospitals, 12-lead electrocardiogram in 96%, Holter electrocardiogram in 91%, and exercise testing in only 47% of the responding hospitals. Telemedicine facilities were established in only 52% of the centres, where sharing echocardiogram images via picture archiving and communication system was used most commonly.

Conclusion

There has been a substantial increase in the availability of paediatricians with expertise in cardiology since 2008. Most of the hospitals are well-supported by specialist cardiology centres via outreach clinics; however, there remains significant variation in the local paediatric cardiology services provided across district general hospitals in the United Kingdom.
Relationship of Contextual Cueing and Hippocampal Volume in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients and Cognitively Normal Older Adults
Authors: Negash Selam , Kliot Daria , Howard Darlene V. , Howard James H. , Das Sandhistu R. , Yushkevich Paul A. , Pluta John B. , Arnold Steven E. , Wolk David A.
Published: May 2015

There is currently some debate as to whether hippocampus mediates contextual cueing. In the present study, we examined contextual cueing in patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy older adults, with the main goal of investigating the role of hippocampus in this form of learning. Amnestic MCI (aMCI) patients and healthy controls completed the contextual cueing task, in which they were asked to search for a target (a horizontal T) in an array of distractors (rotated L’s). Unbeknownst to them, the spatial arrangement of elements on some displays was repeated thus making the configuration a contextual cue to the location of the target. In contrast, the configuration for novel displays was generated randomly on each trial. The difference in response times between repeated and novel configurations served as a measure of contextual learning. aMCI patients, as a group, were able to learn spatial contextual cues as well as healthy older adults. However, better learning on this task was associated with higher hippocampal volume, particularly in right hemisphere. Furthermore, contextual cueing performance was significantly associated with hippocampal volume, even after controlling for age and MCI status. These findings support the role of the hippocampus in learning of spatial contexts, and also suggest that the contextual cueing paradigm can be useful in detecting neuropathological changes associated with the hippocampus. (JINS, 2015, 21, 285–296)
Health effects of cow’s milk consumption in infants up to 3 years of age: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Griebler Ursula , Bruckmüller Melanie U , Kien Christina , Dieminger Birgit , Meidlinger Bettina , Seper Katrin , Hitthaller Ariane , Emprechtinger Robert , Wolf Alexandra , Gartlehner Gerald
Published: May 2015

Objective

To summarize the best available evidence regarding the short- and long-term health effects of cow’s milk intake in healthy, full-term infants up to 3 years of age.

Design

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Setting

We searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE and the Cochrane Library between 1960 and July 2013 and manually reviewed reference lists of pertinent articles. Two researchers independently reviewed abstracts and full-text articles and extracted relevant data.

Subjects

We included (randomized/non-randomized) controlled trials and observational studies.

Results

We included data from twenty-three studies (one randomized controlled trial, four non-randomized controlled trials, eight case–control studies and ten cohort studies) for the evidence synthesis. Pooled results of four studies revealed a higher risk of Fe-deficiency anaemia for infants consuming cow’s milk compared with those consuming follow-on formula (relative risk=3·76; 95 % CI 2·73, 5·19). For type 1 diabetes mellitus, six out of seven case–control studies did not show a difference in the risk of developing this disease based on the age of introduction of cow’s milk. We did not find negative associations for other health effects.

Conclusions

Cow’s milk consumption in infancy is associated with an increased risk of developing Fe-deficiency anaemia. Limiting cow’s milk consumption may be important to ensure an adequate Fe intake for infants and toddlers. High-quality patient information for caregivers is needed on how infants’ Fe requirements can be met.
The association between socio-economic position and diet quality in Australian adults
Authors: Backholer Kathryn , Spencer Elizabeth , Gearon Emma , Magliano Dianna J , McNaughton Sarah A , Shaw Jonathan E , Peeters Anna
Published: May 2015

Objective

We aimed to investigate the association between multiple measures of socio-economic position (SEP) and diet quality, using a diet quality index representing current national dietary guidelines, in the Australian adult population.

Design

Cross-sectional study. Linear regression analyses were used to estimate the association between indicators of SEP (educational attainment, level of income and area-level disadvantage) and diet quality (measured using the Dietary Guideline Index (DGI)) in the total sample and stratified by sex and age (≤55 years and >55 years).

Setting

A large randomly selected sample of the Australian adult population.

Subjects

Australian adults (n 9296; aged ≥25 years) from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study.

Results

A higher level of educational attainment and income and a lower level of area-level disadvantage were significantly associated with a higher DGI score, across the gradient of SEP. The association between indicators of SEP and DGI score was consistently stronger among those aged ≤55 years compared with their older counterparts. The most disadvantaged group had a DGI score between 2 and 5 units lower (depending on the marker of SEP) compared with the group with the least disadvantage.

Conclusions

A higher level of SEP was consistently associated with a higher level of diet quality for all indicators of SEP examined. In order to reduce socio-economic inequalities in diet quality, healthy eating initiatives need to act across the gradient of socio-economic disadvantage with a proportionate focus on those with greater socio-economic disadvantage.
A mixed-methods exploration of implementation of a comprehensive school healthy eating model one year after scale-up
Authors: Naylor Patti-Jean , McKay Heather A , Valente Maria , Mâsse Louise C
Published: May 2015

Objective

To study the implementation of a school-based healthy eating (HE) model one year after scale-up in British Columbia (BC). Specifically, to examine implementation of Action Schools! BC (AS! BC) and its influence on implementation of classroom HE activities, and to explore factors associated with implementation.

Design

Diffusion of Innovations, Social Cognitive and Organizational Change theories guided our approach. We used a mixed-methods research design including focus group interviews (seven schools, sixty-two implementers) and a cross-sectional multistage survey to principals (n36, 92 % response rate) and teachers of grades 4 to 7 (n168, 70 % response rate). Self-reported implementation of classroom HE activities and reported use of specific AS! BC HE activities were primary implementation measures. Thematic analysis of focus group data and multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analyses of survey data were conducted.

Setting

Elementary schools across BC, Canada.

Subjects

Thirty-nine school districts, thirty-six principals, 168 grade 4 to 7 teachers.

Results

Forty-two per cent of teachers in registered schools were implementing AS! BC HE in their classrooms. Users were 6·25 times more likely to have delivered a HE lesson in the past week. Implementation facilitators were school champions, technical support and access to resources; barriers were lack of time, loss of leadership or momentum. Implementation predictors were teacher training, self-efficacy, experience with the physical activity component of AS! BC, supportive school climate and parental post-secondary education.

Conclusions

Our findings reinforce that continued teacher training and support are important public health investments that contribute to successful implementation of school-based HE models after scale-up.
High cardiometabolic risk in healthy Chilean adolescents: associations with anthropometric, biological and lifestyle factors
Authors: Burrows Raquel , Correa-Burrows Paulina , Reyes Marcela , Blanco Estela , Albala Cecilia , Gahagan Sheila
Published: May 2015

Objective

To analyse the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in healthy adolescents of low to middle socio-economic status and to study the influence of anthropometric, biological and lifestyle factors on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Design

Cross-sectional study. BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, fat and lean mass (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), TAG, HDL-cholesterol, glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment–insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), food intake and physical activity were measured. Cardiovascular risk factors were defined using the International Diabetes Federation criteria and insulin resistance using HOMA-IR ≥2·6. Bivariate and multivariate regressions examined the associations between MetS and anthropometric, biological and lifestyle factors.

Setting

Observational cohort study including Chilean adolescents, who were part of a follow-up study beginning in infancy.

Subjects

Adolescents aged 16–17 years (n667).

Results

In the sample, 16·2 % had obesity and 9·5 % had MetS. Low HDL-cholesterol (69·9 %), abdominal obesity (33·3 %) and fasting hyperglycaemia (8·7 %) were the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors. In males, obesity (OR=3·7; 95 % CI 1·2, 10·8), insulin resistance (OR=3·0; 95 % CI 1·1, 8·2), physical inactivity (OR=2·9; 95 % CI 1·1, 7·7) and sarcopenia (OR=21·2; 95 % CI 4·2, 107·5) significantly increased the risk of MetS. In females, insulin resistance (OR=4·9; 95 % CI 1·9, 12·6) and sarcopenia (OR=3·6; 95 % CI 1·1, 11·9) were significantly associated with MetS.

Conclusions

High prevalences of obesity, abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia, fasting hyperglycaemia and MetS were found in healthy adolescents. In both sexes, sarcopenia and insulin resistance were important risk factors of MetS. Promotion of active lifestyles at the school level and regulation of the sale of energy-dense foods are needed.
Reducing salt in bread: a quasi-experimental feasibility study in a bakery in Lima, Peru
Authors: Saavedra-Garcia Lorena , Sosa-Zevallos Vanessa , Diez-Canseco Francisco , Miranda J Jaime , Bernabe-Ortiz Antonio
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To explore salt content in bread and to evaluate the feasibility of reducing salt contained in ‘pan francés’ bread.

Design

The study had two phases. Phase 1, an exploratory phase, involved the estimation of salt contained in bread as well as a triangle taste test to establish the amount of salt to be reduced in ‘pan francés’ bread without detection by consumers. In Phase 2, a quasi-experimental, pre–post intervention study assessed the effects of the introduction of low-salt bread on bakery sales.

Setting

A municipal bakery in Miraflores, Lima, Peru.

Subjects

Sixty-five clients of the bakery in Phase 1 of the study; sales to usual costumers in Phase 2.

Results

On average, there was 1·25 g of salt per 100 g of bread. Sixty-five consumers were enrolled in the triangle taste test: fifty-four (83·1 %) females, mean age 58·9 (sd 13·7) years. Based on taste, bread samples prepared with salt reductions of 10 % (P=0·82) and 20 % (P=0·37) were not discernible from regular bread. The introduction of bread with 20 % of salt reduction, which contained 1 g of salt per 100 g of bread, did not change sales of ‘pan francés’ (P=0·70) or other types of bread (P=0·36). Results were consistent when using different statistical techniques.

Conclusions

The introduction of bread with a 20 % reduction in salt is feasible without affecting taste or bakery sales. Results suggest that these interventions are easily implementable, with the potential to contribute to larger sodium reduction strategies impacting the population’s cardiovascular health.
Characterization of Nanoporous Materials with Atom Probe Tomography
Authors: Pfeiffer Björn , Erichsen Torben , Epler Eike , Volkert Cynthia A. , Trompenaars Piet , Nowak Carsten
Published: May 2015

A method to characterize open-cell nanoporous materials with atom probe tomography (APT) has been developed. For this, open-cell nanoporous gold with pore diameters of around 50 nm was used as a model system, and filled by electron beam-induced deposition (EBID) to obtain a compact material. Two different EBID precursors were successfully tested—dicobalt octacarbonyl [Co2(CO)8] and diiron nonacarbonyl [Fe2(CO)9]. Penetration and filling depth are sufficient for focused ion beam-based APT sample preparation. With this approach, stable APT analysis of the nanoporous material can be performed. Reconstruction reveals the composition of the deposited precursor and the nanoporous material, as well as chemical information of the interfaces between them. Thus, it is shown that, using an appropriate EBID process, local chemical information in three dimensions with sub-nanometer resolution can be obtained from nanoporous materials using APT.
High Vertical Resolution Full-Field Reflection-Type Three-Dimensional Angle-Deviation Microscope with Nonlinear Error Compensation
Authors: Chiu Ming-Hung , Tan Chen-Tai , Huang Shih-Feng , Chen Jhao-An
Published: May 2015

This study examines the use of reflectivity-height transformation in full-field angle-deviation microscopes (ADM). In such microscopes, two light intensity distribution images of a prism’s total internal reflection and critical angle are obtained separately with two charge-coupled devices (CCDs), and are converted into a reflectivity profile point-to-point and then into angle of deviation matrix after the beam is reflected by the test sample; finally, the surface height of the sample is found through the triangular geometrical relationship. This method obtains the image through the effective imaging area of CCD. Once the two-dimensional (2D) image is obtained, the third dimension, height, is added to create a full-field 3D surface profile. Its conversion process is nonlinear; therefore, compensation must be made to reduce measurement errors. The optical magnification of high vertical resolution full-field 3D reflection-type ADM could reach >250 times, thus providing submicron measurements with nanometer vertical resolution and allowing for the simultaneous measurement of 2D and 3D images. Small defects on both transparent and nontransparent surfaces can be rapidly detected.
Upper limits on the probability of an interstellar civilization arising in the local Solar neighbourhood
Authors: Cartin Daniel
Published: May 2015

At this point in time, there is very little empirical evidence on the likelihood of a space-faring species originating in the biosphere of a habitable world. However, there is a tension between the expectation that such a probability is relatively high (given our own origins on Earth), and the lack of any basis for believing the Solar System has ever been visited by an extraterrestrial colonization effort. From the latter observational fact, this paper seeks to place upper limits on the probability of an interstellar civilization arising on a habitable planet in its stellar system, using a percolation model to simulate the progress of such a hypothetical civilization's colonization efforts in the local Solar neighbourhood. To be as realistic as possible, the actual physical positions and characteristics of all stars within 40 parsecs of the Solar System are used as possible colony sites in the percolation process. If an interstellar civilization is very likely to have such colonization programmes, and they can travel over large distances, then the upper bound on the likelihood of such a species arising per habitable world is of the order of 10−3; on the other hand, if civilizations are not prone to colonize their neighbours, or do not travel very far, then the upper limiting probability is much larger, even of order one.
W. E. B. DU BOIS AND THE CRITIQUE OF THE COMPETITIVE SOCIETY
Authors: Douglas Andrew J.
Published: May 2015

This essay explores W. E. B. Du Bois’s evolving sense of disillusionment with the liberal paradigm in an effort to stimulate critical thinking about an American political culture consumed by both the fear and purported legitimacy of private competition. Du Bois always encouraged sustained critical appraisal of an American society torn between winners and losers, the favored and the damned. As his thinking developed into the 1930s, he focused more squarely upon the logic of capital accumulation, or the structural imperative to expand power in the service of private interest, and always in response to a suspicion or fear of the other—the competitor. I suggest that Du Bois’s claims about the racially biased character of the competitive society, as well as his argument, put forth in a series of speeches and writings on “Negro education,” that Black colleges ought to facilitate the critique of this society, may have some normative import today as widespread, often unreflective acquiescence to the principles of competitive liberalism seems poised to exacerbate and further legitimize racial and economic inequities.
EVERYDAY POLITICS OF SCHOOL CHOICE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY
Authors: Pattillo Mary
Published: May 2015

School choice is promoted as one strategy to improve educational outcomes for African Americans. Key themes in Black school choice politics are empowerment, control, and agency. Using qualitative interviews with seventy-seven poor and working-class Black parents in Chicago, this article asks: How well do the themes of empowerment, agency, and control characterize the experiences of low-income African American parents tasked with putting their children in schools? Also, what kind of political positions emerge from parents’ everyday experiences given the ubiquitous language of school choice? I find that in their own recounting parents focused on finding a quality school while experiencing numerous barriers to accessing such schools; parents expressed experiential knowledge of being chosen, rather than choosing; and parents highlighted the opacity, uncertainty, and burden of choice, even when they participated in it quite heartily. I argue that their stories convey limited and weak empowerment, limited individual agency, and no control. Their perspectives conjure policy frameworks and political ideologies that require a discussion of entitlements and provision, rather than choice.
RACIAL INEQUALITIES IN CONNECTEDNESS TO IMPRISONED INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Lee Hedwig , McCormick Tyler , Hicken Margaret T. , Wildeman Christopher
Published: May 2015

In just the last forty years, imprisonment has been transformed from an event experienced by only the most marginalized to a common stage in the life course of American men—especially Black men with low levels of educational attainment. Although much research considers the causes of the prison boom and how the massive uptick in imprisonment has shaped crime rates and the life course of the men who experience imprisonment, in recent years, researchers have gained a keen interest in the spillover effects of mass imprisonment on families, children, and neighborhoods. Unfortunately, although this new wave of research documents the generally harmful effects of having a family member or loved one incarcerated, it remains unclear how much the prison boom shapes social inequality through these spillover effects because we lack precise estimates of the racial inequality in connectedness—through friends, family, and neighbors—to prisoners. Using the 2006 General Social Survey, we fill this pressing research gap by providing national estimates of connectedness to prisoners—defined in this article as knowing someone who is currently imprisoned, having a family member who is currently imprisoned, having someone you trust who is currently imprisoned, or having someone you know from your neighborhood who is currently imprisoned—for Black and White men and women. Most provocatively, we show that 44% of Black women (and 32% of Black men) but only 12% of White women (and 6% of White men) have a family member imprisoned. This means that about one in four women in the United States currently has a family member in prison. Given these high rates of connectedness to prisoners and the vast racial inequality in them, it is likely that mass imprisonment has fundamentally reshaped inequality not only for the adult men for whom imprisonment has become common, but also for their friends and families.
Can two observations confirm a theory? A comment on Max U versus Humanomics
Authors: LAWSON ROBERT A.
Published: May 2015

Deirdre McCloskey's recent claim in this journal that the formal institutions of government do not explain the ‘bulk’ of modern income levels is examined. In fact, they do.
First records of ‘pughead’ and ‘short-tail’ skeletal deformities in the Atlantic goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara (Perciformes: Epinephelidae)
Authors: Bueno Leonardo Schlogel , Koenig Christopher Carl , Hostim-Silva Mauricio
Published: May 2015

Here we report two types of skeletal deformities, ‘pughead’ and ‘short-tail’, observed for the first time in the adult Atlantic goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara). Photographic documentation of these deformities was made for only three individuals during our studies of their spawning aggregations. ‘Pugheadedness’ was documented in Brazil and Florida, and the ‘short-tail’ deformity was documented only in Brazil. Skeletal deformities are rare, have very low frequencies in wild populations and appear to be initiated during early development. There was no apparent effect of the condition on the adult goliath grouper, as they appeared robust and healthy.
Range extensions for heterobranch sea slugs (formerly opisthobranch) belonging to the families Diaphanidae, Plakobranchidae and Facelinidae on the eastern coast of Australia
Authors: Nimbs Matt J. , Willan Richard C. , Smith Stephen D.A.
Published: May 2015

Southern range extensions of the tropical Australian heterobranch sea slug fauna may be symptomatic of climate change, particularly in south-eastern Australia, a recognized climate change hot-spot. In the Solitary Islands Marine Park, northern New South Wales, the presence of biogeographic mixing means that the southern coastal distribution limit of several tropical marine species and the northern limit of some temperate species overlap. During a year-long series of monthly surveys of sea slug communities on intertidal rocky shores, we observed four species beyond their previously recorded range –Colpodaspis thompsoni, Elysia pusilla, Phidiana bourailliandHerviella claror. The southern migration of species is an anticipated response to warming seas and we note an apparent extension of the southern limit for these taxa.
First record of the sea anemone Bunodosoma californicum (Cnidaria: Actiniaria) on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica
Authors: Quesada Andrés J. , Acuña Fabián H. , Cortés Jorge
Published: May 2015

We report the first record of the sea anemoneBunodosoma californicumon the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, extending its southern distribution. Four specimens were collected from an artificial breakwater in Mata de Limón, Puntarenas. We present images of the live specimens and analyses of their cnidae composition.
Gender differences in outpatients with anxiety disorders: the Leiden Routine Outcome Monitoring Study
Authors: Pesce L. , van Veen T. , Carlier I. , van Noorden M. S. , van der Wee N. J. A. , van Hemert A. M. , Giltay E. J.
Published: May 2015

Background.

Data from the general population show higher prevalence of different anxiety disorders in women as compared with men. We analysed gender differences in a naturalistic sample of outpatients with anxiety disorders in a mental healthcare setting.

Method.

Routine outcome monitoring data were collected from 1333 patients (age: 18–65; 63.3% women) fulfilling Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria of current anxiety disorder according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview between 2004 through 2006. Data included Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ). Chi-squared test andt-test were used to compare women with men for variables with parametric distributions, and Mann–Whitney test for non-parametric distribution. Adjustments for potential confounders (age, level of education, ethnicity and comorbidites) were made by logistic regression models (for discrete variables) or analysis of covariance.

Results.

The female-to-male ratio (i.e., 844 women, 489 men) for any anxiety disorder was 1.73 : 1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63–1.83), with the strongest skewness for post-traumatic stress disorder (2.80 : 1) and the smallest one for social phobia (1.18 : 1). Compared with men, women reported more severe self-rating scores on the BSI (on average, the scores were 12.3% higher on 3 of 9 subscales: somatisation, interpersonal sensitivity and anxiety), SF-36 (self-reported generic health status was lower on 5 of 8 subscales: physical functioning, social functioning, physical problems, vitality and bodily pain) and MASQ (on average, the scores were 6.6% higher on 4 of 5 subscales: anxious arousal, general distress, general distress depression, general distress anxiety). On the contrary, no gender difference was found in the severity of anxiety symptoms measured by the Brief Anxiety Scale. Women were more likely to suffer from comorbid depression and bulimia nervosa, and less likely from substance abuse.

Conclusions.

In a treatment-seeking population the prevalence rate of anxiety disorders was 1.7 times higher in female compared with men. Female outpatients were more severely affected on self-rated but not on observer-rated scales.
Exploring Drive for Thinness as a Perfectionistic Strategy to Escape from Shame Experiences
Authors: Ferreira Cláudia , Trindade Inês A. , Ornelas Luísa
Published: May 2015

Perfectionistic self-presentation defines the attempt at presenting the self as perfect through the public concealment of personal defects and/or through the display of attributes perceived as capable to gather positive attention of others. Although perfectionism has long been considered a central aspect of eating psychopathology mediational studies between this construct and these conditions are scarce. This study aimed at examining the mediational role of body image-related perfectionistic self-presentation in the effects of external shame and internal shame on drive for thinness, in a sample of young women. Results revealed body image-related perfectionistic self-presentation as a significant mediator (p< .05) of the relationships between external and internal shame, and drive for thinness. Furthermore, 86% and 69% of the effects of external shame and internal shame, respectively, were explained by their indirect effects through body image-related perfectionistic self-presentation on drive for thinness (95% CI). These results highlight that the control over eating may emerge as a maladaptive strategy to deal with shame when mediated by an endorsement in the belief that presenting a perfect body image is crucial to be accepted and valued by others. Study findings suggest that this perfectionistic strategy should be targeted while treating eating psychopathology.
Inequalities in Mental Health in the Spanish Autonomous Communities: A Multilevel Study
Authors: Rocha Kátia B. , Perez Katherine , Rodriguez-Sanz Maica , Muntaner Carles , Alonso Jordi , Borrell Carme
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study was to analyze inequalities in the prevalence of poor mental health and their association with socioeconomic variables and with the care network in the Autonomous Communities in Spain. A cross-sectional multilevel study was performed, which analyzed individual data from the National Health Survey in Spain (ENS), in 2006 (n = 29,476 people over the age of 16). The prevalence of poor mental health was the dependent variable, measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12 > = 3). Individual and contextual socioeconomic variables, along with mental health services in the Autonomous Communities, were included as independent variables. Models of multilevel logistic regression were used, and odds ratios (OR) were obtained, with confidence intervals (CI) of 95%. The results showed that there are inequalities in the prevalence of poor mental health in Spain, associated to contextual variables, such as unemployment rate (men OR 1.04 CI 1.01–1.07; women OR 1.02 CI 1.00–1.05). On the other hand, it was observed that inequalities in the mental health care resources in the Autonomous Communities also have an impact on poor mental health.
Experiment Captures First Image of Thunder
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: May 2015

Scientists can now visually capture the sound waves created by thunder, a technique that could lead to an increased understanding of how lightning forms and transmits energy.
Shear-Dependent Attenuation of Cellular ROS Levels can Suppress Proinflammatory Cytokine Injury to Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Barrier Properties
Authors: Rochfort Keith D , Collins Laura E , McLoughlin Alisha , Cummins Philip M
Published: May 2015

The regulatory interplay between laminar shear stress and proinflammatory cytokines during homeostatic maintenance of the brain microvascular endothelium is largely undefined. We hypothesized that laminar shear could counteract the injurious actions of proinflammatory cytokines on human brain microvascular endothelial cell (HBMvEC) barrier properties, in-part through suppression of cellular redox signaling. For these investigations, HBMvECs were exposed to either shear stress (8 dynes/cm2, 24 hours) or cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or interleukin-6 (IL-6), 0 to 100 ng/mL, 6 or 18 hours). Human brain microvascular endothelial cell ‘preshearing’ ± cytokine exposure was also performed. Either cytokine dose–dependently decreased expression and increased phosphorylation (pTyr/pThr) of interendothelial occludin, claudin-5, and vascular endothelial-cadherin; observations directly correlating to endothelial barrier reduction, and in precise contrast to effects seen with shear. We further observed that, relative to unsheared cells, HBMvECs presheared for 24 hours exhibited significantly reduced reactive oxygen species production and barrier permeabilization in response to either TNF-α or IL-6 treatment. Shear also downregulated NADPH oxidase (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase) activation in HBMvECs, as manifested in the reduced expression and coassociation of gp91phox and p47phox. These findings lead us to conclude that physiologic shear can protect the brain microvascular endothelium from injurious cytokine effects on interendothelial junctions and barrier function by regulating the cellular redox state in-part through NADPH oxidase inhibition.
Widespread disruption of host transcription termination in HSV-1 infection
Authors: Rutkowski Andrzej J. , Erhard Florian , L’Hernault Anne , Bonfert Thomas , Schilhabel Markus , Crump Colin , Rosenstiel Philip , Efstathiou Stacey , Zimmer Ralf , Friedel Caroline C. , Dölken Lars
Published: May 2015

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is an important human pathogen and a paradigm for virus-induced host shut-off. Here we show that global changes in transcription and RNA processing and their impact on translation can be analysed in a single experimental setting by applying 4sU-tagging of newly transcribed RNA and ribosome profiling to lytic HSV-1 infection. Unexpectedly, we find that HSV-1 triggers the disruption of transcription termination of cellular, but not viral, genes. This results in extensive transcription for tens of thousands of nucleotides beyond poly(A) sites and into downstream genes, leading to novel intergenic splicing between exons of neighbouring cellular genes. As a consequence, hundreds of cellular genes seem to be transcriptionally induced but are not translated. In contrast to previous reports, we show that HSV-1 does not inhibit co-transcriptional splicing. Our approach thus substantially advances our understanding of HSV-1 biology and establishes HSV-1 as a model system for studying transcription termination.