bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conditional Random Fields and Supervised Learning in Automated Skin Lesion Diagnosis
Authors: Wighton Paul , Lee Tim K. , Mori Greg , Lui Harvey , McLean David I. , Atkins M. Stella
Published: October 2011

Many subproblems in automated skin lesion diagnosis (ASLD) can be unified under a single generalization of assigning a label, from an predefined set, to each pixel in an image. We first formalize this generalization and then present two probabilistic models capable of solving it. The first model is based on independent pixel labeling using maximum a-posteriori (MAP) estimation. The second model is based on conditional random fields (CRFs), where dependencies between pixels are defined using a graph structure. Furthermore, we demonstrate how supervised learning and an appropriate training set can be used to automatically determine all model parameters. We evaluate both models' ability to segment a challenging dataset consisting of 116 images and compare our results to 5 previously published methods.
Sexual Dysfunctions of HIV-Positive Men: Associated Factors, Pathophysiology Issues, and Clinical Management
Authors: Scanavino Marco de Tubino
Published: October 2011

Sexual dysfunctions in HIV-positive men are associated with an increase in risky sexual behavior and decreased adherence to antiretroviral drug regimens. Because of these important public health issues, we reviewed the literature on the pathophysiology, associated factors and clinical management of sexual dysfunction in HIV-positive men. The goal was to investigate the current research on these issues. Literature searches were performed in June 2011 on PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo databases with the keywords “AIDS” and “sexual dysfunction” and “HIV” and “sexual dysfunction”, resulting in 54 papers. Several researchers have investigated the factors associated with sexual dysfunction in HIV-positive men. The association between sexual dysfunction and antiretroviral drugs, particularly protease inhibitors, has been reported in many studies. The lack of standardized measures in many studies and the varying study designs are the main reasons that explain the controversial results. Despite some important findings, the pathophysiology of sexual dysfunction in the HAART era still not completely understood. Clinical trials of testosterone replacement therapy have shown the treatment to be beneficial to the improvement of sexual dysfunctions related to hypogonadism. However, there are not enough psychological intervention studies to make conclusions regarding the therapeutic effects of psychotherapy.
Prevalence of Oral Manifestations and Their Association with CD4/CD8 Ratio and HIV Viral Load in South India
Authors: Gaurav Sharma , Keerthilatha Pai M. , Archna Nagpal
Published: October 2011

The objective of the present research was to determine the prevalence of oral manifestations in an HIV infected population from south India and evaluate their association with HIV viral load and CD4/CD8 ratio. Intraoral examination of 103 patients, whose CD4/CD8 ratio was available, were conducted. HIV viral loads were available for thirty patients only. The prevalence of oral manifestations was 80.6% (83/103). The most common oromucosal lesion was erythematous candidiasis (EC) (38.8%) followed by melanotic hyperpigmentation (35.9%). Patients having any oral manifestation had a mean CD4/CD8 ratio of 0.24. EC had positive predictive value of 85.0% for CD4/CD8 ratio <0.30. The prevalence of oral manifestations in patients taking ART was lesser (78.6%) as compared to patients not taking ART (82%). Patients having any oral manifestation had a higher HIV viral load as compared to patients not having any oral manifestations (). Pseudomembranous candidiasis (PC) was significantly associated with higher HIV viral loads (>20,000 copies/mL) (). Patients having EC had 4 times greater chance of having CD4/CD8 ratio <0.30. PC can be considered as a marker of immune suppression (HIV viral load >20,000 copies/mL).
New and Old Mechanisms Associated with Hypertension in the Elderly
Authors: Mateos-Cáceres Petra J. , Zamorano-León Jose J. , Rodríguez-Sierra Pablo , Macaya Carlos , López-Farré Antonio J.
Published: October 2011

Hypertension is a widely prevalent and important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases that increase with aging. The hallmark of hypertension in the elderly is increased vascular dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms by which increased blood pressure leads to vascular injury and impaired endothelial function are not well defined. In the present paper, we will analyze several mechanisms described in the scientific literature involved in hypertension in the elderly as endothelial dysfunction, increased oxygen delivery to tissues, inflammation, cellular apoptosis, and increased concentration of active metabolites. Also, we will focus on new molecular mechanisms involved in hypertension such as telomeres shortening, progenitor cells, circulating microparticles, and epigenetic factors that have appeared as possible causes of hypertension in the elderly. These molecular mechanisms may elucidate different origin for hypertension in the elderly and provide us with new targets for hypertension treatment.
Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of the Temporomandibular Joint in Two Normal Camels
Authors: Arencibia Alberto , Blanco Diego , González Nelson , Rivero Miguel A.
Published: October 2011

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) image features of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures in two mature dromedary camels were obtained with a third-generation equipment CT and a superconducting magnet RM at 1.5 Tesla. Images were acquired in sagittal and transverse planes. Medical imaging processing with imaging software was applied to obtain postprocessing CT and MR images. Relevant anatomic structures were identified and labelled. The resulting images provided excellent anatomic detail of the TMJ and associated structures. Annotated CT and MR images from this study are intended as an anatomical reference useful in the interpretation for clinical CT and MR imaging studies of the TMJ of the dromedary camels.
The PIT: SToPP Trial—A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial of Home-Based Physiotherapy for People with Parkinson's Disease Using Video-Based Measures to Preserve Assessor Blinding
Authors: Stack Emma , Roberts Helen , Ashburn Ann
Published: October 2011

Purpose. To trial four-week's physiotherapy targeting chair transfers for people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) and explore the feasibility of reliance on remote outcome measurement to preserve blinding.Scope. We recruited 47 PwPD and randomised 24 to a focused home physiotherapy programme (exercise, movement strategies, and cueing) and 23 to a control group. We evaluated transfers (plus mobility, balance, posture, and quality of life) before and after treatment and at followup (weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12) from video produced by, and questionnaires distributed by, treating physiotherapists. Participants fed back via end-of-study questionnaires. Thirty-five participants (74%) completed the trial. Excluding dropouts, 20% of questionnaire data and 9% of video data were missing or unusable; we had to evaluate balancein situ. We noted trends to improvement in transfers, mobility, and balance in the physiotherapy group not noted in the control group. Participant feedback was largely positive and assessor blinding was maintained in every case.Conclusions. Intense, focused physiotherapy at home appears acceptable and likely to bring positive change in those who can participate. Remote outcome measurement was successful; questionnaire followup and further training in video production would reduce missing data. We advocate a fully powered trial, designed to minimise dropouts and preserve assessor blinding, to evaluate this intervention.
Neurospora crassaLight Signal Transduction Is Affected by ROS
Authors: Belozerskaya Tatiana A. , Gessler Natalia N. , Isakova Elena P. , Deryabina Yulia I.
Published: October 2011

In the ascomycete fungusNeurospora crassablue-violet light controls the expression of genes responsible for differentiation of reproductive structures, synthesis of secondary metabolites, and the circadian oscillator activity. A major photoreceptor inNeurosporacells is WCC, a heterodimeric complex formed by the PAS-domain-containing polypeptides WC-1 and WC-2, the products of geneswhite collar-1andwhite collar-2. The photosignal transduction is started by photochemical activity of an excited FAD molecule noncovalently bound by the LOV domain (a specialized variant of the PAS domain). The presence of zinc fingers (the GATA-recognizing sequences) in both WC-1 and WC-2 proteins suggests that they might function as transcription factors. However, a critical analysis of the phototransduction mechanism considers the existence of residual light responses upon absence of WCC or its homologs in fungi. The data presented point at endogenous ROS generated by a photon stimulus as an alternative input to pass on light signals to downstream targets.
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in Children
Authors: Nickels Katherine C. , Wong-Kisiel Lily C. , Moseley Brian D. , Wirrell Elaine C.
Published: October 2011

The temporal lobe is a common focus for epilepsy. Temporal lobe epilepsy in infants and children differs from the relatively homogeneous syndrome seen in adults in several important clinical and pathological ways. Seizure semiology varies by age, and the ictal EEG pattern may be less clear cut than what is seen in adults. Additionally, the occurrence of intractable seizures in the developing brain may impact neurocognitive function remote from the temporal area. While many children will respond favorably to medical therapy, those with focal imaging abnormalities including cortical dysplasia, hippocampal sclerosis, or low-grade tumors are likely to be intractable. Expedient workup and surgical intervention in these medically intractable cases are needed to maximize long-term developmental outcome.
Adaptive Basal Phosphorylation of eIF2α Is Responsible for Resistance to Cellular Stress–Induced Cell Death in Pten-Null Hepatocytes
Authors: Zeng Ni , Li Yang , He Lina , Xu Xiaoling , Galicia Vivian , Deng Chuxia , Stiles Bangyan L.
Published: October 2011

The α-subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) is a key translation regulator that plays an important role in cellular stress responses. In the present study, we investigated how eIF2α phosphorylation can be regulated by a tumor suppressor PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) and how such regulation is used by PTEN-deficient hepatocytes to adapt and cope with oxidative stress. We found that eIF2α was hyperphosphorylated when Pten was deleted, and this process was AKT dependent. Consistent with this finding, we found that the Pten-null cells developed resistance to oxidative glutamate and H2O2-induced cellular toxicity. We showed that the messenger level of CReP (constitutive repressor of eIF2α phosphorylation), a constitutive phosphatase of eIF2α, was downregulated in Pten-null hepatocytes, providing a possible mechanism through which PTEN/AKT pathway regulates eIF2α phosphorylation. Ectopic expression of CReP restored the sensitivity of the Pten mutant hepatocytes to oxidative stress, confirming the functional significance of the downregulated CReP and upregulated phospho-eIF2α in the resistance of Pten mutant hepatocytes to cellular stress. In summary, our study suggested a novel role of PTEN in regulating stress response through modulating the CReP/eIF2α pathway. Mol Cancer Res; 9(12); 1708–17. ©2011 AACR.
Platelet function profiles in the elderly: Results of a pharmacodynamic study in patients on clopidogrel therapy and effects of switching to prasugrel 5 mg in patients with high platelet reactivity
Authors: Tamburino Claudia , Capodanno Davide , Miccichè Eligio , D’Urso Lucia , Calvi Valeria , Angiolillo Dominick , Tamburino Corrado , Capranzano Piera
Published: October 2011

Studies specifically designed to assess clopidogrel response in the elderly as well as treatment alternatives to improve platelet inhibition in this highrisk population are lacking. This study aimed to define phar-macodynamic (PD) profiles, including high platelet reactivity (HPR) rates, among elderly patients on maintenance clopidogrel therapy and to assess the PD effects of prasugrel 5 mg/day in elderly with HPR. This was a prospective observational PD study enrolling consecutive ≥75-year-old patients on maintenance clopidogrel therapy (75 mg/day) who were tested for clopidogrel response by the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay and light transmittance aggregometry (LTA). HPR rates were estimated using multiple definitions. HPR patients identified by the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay [P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU) ≥230] were switched to prasugrel 5 mg/day, and platelet function testing was performed after 15 days of treatment. PD testing was completed in 100 patients. The HPR prevalence varied between 25% and 32%, depending on the definition used. A PRU ≥230 was observed in 25 patients; of these, 20 switched to prasugrel 5 mg/day. This resulted in significant reduction in PRU mean values (279.8 ± 45.1 vs. 171.7 ± 65.2, p=0.0002) with an absolute between-treatment difference of 108.1 (95% confidence intervals 75.2–140.9). Accordingly, switching to prasugrel 5 mg/day overcame HPR in most (80%) patients. Consistently, all LTA measures were significantly lower after prasugrel compared with clopidogrel. In conclusion, a considerable proportion of elderly patients exhibit HPR while on standard clopidogrel therapy. Switching to 5 mg/day prasugrel in elderly patients with HPR is associated with enhanced platelet inhibition and overcomes HPR in the majority of these patients.
Vaccination strategies in atherosclerosis
Authors: Kuiper Johan , de Jager Saskia
Published: October 2011

The treatment of atherosclerosis is currently based on lipid lowering in combination with anti-inflammatory therapies that slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Still, we are not able to fully inhibit the formation or progression of atherosclerotic lesions. A very effective strategy in other disease pathologies is vaccination, in which the body is challenged with the culprit protein or micro-organism in order to create a highly specific humoral immune-response. Immunisation can typically be divided into active or passive immunisation. Active immunisation occurs naturally when the body is exposed to certain microbes or antigens, but also artificially in the case of vaccination. Exposure to a microbe or antigen will result in the production of (antigen specific) antibodies. Passive immunisation is defined as the transfer of humoral immunity (as a result of antibody transfer). Another mechanism to ensure immune-protection is tolerance induction. Immune tolerance occurs naturally to prevent immune responses to ‘self-antigens’, but can also be induced to non-self antigens. Acquired tolerance to foreign antigens is accompanied by suppression of cellular and/or humoral immune response to the introduced antigen. In its most effective way, vaccination can result in a lifelong protection against the targeted pathology, and therefore the development of an atherosclerosis-specific vaccination is of high importance in the future prevention of atherosclerosis. One of the difficulties in developing effective vaccination strategies for atherosclerosis is the selection of a specific antigen to target. So far vaccination strategies have been based on targeting of lipidantigens, inflammation-derived antigens, and recently cell-based vaccination strategies have been employed; but also the cardiovascular ‘side-effects’ of infection-based vaccines are worthy of our attention. This review describes the current status-quo on classical antibody associated vaccination strategies but also includes promising immunemodulation approaches that may lead to a clinical application.
Antithrombin-independent thrombin inhibitors, but not direct factor Xa inhibitors, enhance thrombin generation in plasma through inhibition of thrombin-thrombomodulin-protein C system
Authors: Sugiyama Nobutoshi , Morishima Yoshiyuki , Shibano Toshiro , Furugohri Taketoshi
Published: October 2011

There is increasing concern that some anticoagulants can paradoxically increase thrombogenesis under certain circumstances. Previously, we demonstrated that at certain doses a direct thrombin inhibitor, melag-atran, worsens the coagulation status induced by tissue factor (TF) in-jection in a rat model. We utilised an in vitro thrombin generation (TG) assay to determine if direct thrombin inhibitors could enhance TG in human plasma, and whether inhibition of the negative-feedback sys-tem [thrombin-thrombomodulin (TM)-protein C] contributed to the TG enhancement. TG in human plasma was assayed by means of the cali-brated automated thrombography. In this assay, direct factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors such as edoxaban and antithrombin (AT)-dependent anti-coagulants such as heparin did not increase, but simply suppressed TG. AT-independent thrombin inhibitors (melagatran, lepirudin, and active site blocked thrombin (IIai)) increased peak levels of TG (2.0, 1.6, and 2.2-fold, respectively) in the presence of 12 nM recombinant human soluble TM (rhsTM). Melagatran and lepirudin at higher concentrations began to suppress TG. In the absence of rhsTM, the enhancement of peak TG by melagatran decreased to 1.2-fold. Furthermore, in protein C-deficient plasma, AT-independent thrombin inhibitors failed to enhance TG. In addition, a human protein C neutralising antibody increased the peak height of TG in the presence of rhsTM. These results suggest that AT-independent thrombin inhibitors may activate throm-bogenesis by suppression of the thrombin-induced negative-feedback system through inhibition of protein C activation. In contrast, direct FXa inhibitors are more useful than AT-independent thrombin inhibitors in terms of lower possibility of activation of the coagulation pathway.
Non-IgE-Mediated Cow Milk Allergy Is Linked to Early Childhood Clusters of Commonly Seen Illnesses
Authors: Gibbons Troy E. , Patil Sowmya N. , Frem Juliana C. , Smith Chandra , Wakwe Josephine , Swearingen Christopher J.
Published: October 2011

Objective. There are few established diagnostic tools to define non-IgE-mediated food hypersensitivity reactions. Cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) is a multisystem disorder affecting the gastrointestinal, skin, and lower and upper airway systems. This link is frequently missed because of subspecialty evaluation of the multisystem effects individually. The authors hypothesize that a more global evaluation based on a simple scored questionnaire will reveal this link. Methods. Over an 18-month period, children younger than 2 years with non-IgE-mediated CMPA were identified. A symptom questionnaire was developed and scored and also applied to a control population. The prevalence of symptoms in each group was compared and a cumulative score was determined. Symptoms evaluated included gastrointestinal, aerodigestive, lower airway, and skin symptoms. A positive response was scored 1 and a negative response scored 0. Results. Significant differences in prevalence rates between CMPA and control populations were noted, particularly in aerodigestive symptoms. There were marked differences in cumulative score between populations ( P < .001). The authors identified a cut-off score at which there was close to 80% sensitivity and 90% specificity for distinguishing CMPA from a control population. Conclusion. A global evaluation of multiple systems can be an important diagnostic tool in determining CMPA in infants.
Welfare State Politics in Privatization of Delivery
Authors: Zehavi Amos
Published: October 2011

This article asks whether alleged partisan policy convergence has eradicated differences in relation to privatization of delivery of welfare state services. The study utilizes a novel methodological approach—numerous intrastate comparisons set in a consilience research framework—to assess the extent of convergence and its underlying reasons. It explores the partisan politics of school privatization of delivery across five countries that differ in their position on the left–right continuum: England, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden. Privatization of delivery in health care was selected as a secondary policy domain. Analysis of within-country variation in both domains indicates that there remain significant differences between left and right across all countries. The right tends to set the privatization agenda, and the left is more reluctant than the right to privatize delivery of services. This difference in approach is related to the disparate influence that public and private program constituencies have over left and right parties.
The Measurer’s Dilemma
Authors: Schedler Andreas
Published: October 2011

Over the past decades, (mostly) private actors have been providing the public good of cross-national political data in a decentralized, uncoordinated, and unregulated fashion. They have been successful in generating an incessant supply of data. However, the success of current practices of data production has been masking severe structural limitations: the systematic undersupply of data and the systematic inefficiency of data generation. Both problems derive from disciplinary coordination failures (“measurer’s dilemmas”). On one hand, private data producers have been unable to coordinate the cross-national collection of two broad categories of data: political data produced by national governments (e.g., election results) and factual data that are not observable from the outside of national political systems but require access to domestic sources of information (e.g., protest events). On the other hand, private data producers have been unable to construct regulatory frameworks that would reduce persistent inefficiencies in data collection: data privatization, data opacity, and data incompatibility. To resolve these structural problems, the scholarly community will need to mobilize established collective actors, above all, their professional associations.
Assessing the Impact of Lustration on Trust in Public Institutions and National Government in Central and Eastern Europe
Authors: Horne Cynthia M.
Published: October 2011

Lustration is alternately theorized and anecdotally alleged to either undermine or contribute to the democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) by supporting or undermining trust in public institutions, and by extension trust in national government. Using quantitative data on nine countries in CEE, this study examines the impact of lustration and transitional justice measures on citizen perceptions of the trustworthiness of public institutions and national government. It tests whether and how the timing of lustration, the severity of lustration, or the packaging of lustration with other forms of transitional justice affect trust in public institutions and national government. This article finds that even when controlling for economic growth, democratization, and corruption levels, lustration consistently and positively contributes to citizen trust in public institutions. However, lustration and transitional justice measures have an indirect and diluted impact on trust in national government, when they have any impact at all.
Combining Federalism and Decentralization
Authors: Biela Jan , Hennl Annika , Kaiser André
Published: October 2011

Studies evaluating the effects of territorial state organization on the performance of democratic political systems produce ambiguous results. The authors argue that research so far has suffered from insufficiently conceptualizing federalism and decentralization as two distinct dimensions. This article makes use of the advantages of a nested design and detects micro-level causal mechanisms underlying statistically confirmed effects. The authors conduct in-depth case studies comparing policy processes in four countries (Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, and Denmark) in the area of regional development policy, an area that exhibits typical effects in a macro-quantitative analysis, to back their hypothesized and corroborated macro-level relationships by micro level causal evidence. The case studies show that federalism induces subnational actors to adopt divergent positions and push through individual interests in processes of decision making, thus increasing transaction costs and preventing substantial policy shifts. Decentralization and subnational discretion induces actors to vary service delivery in an efficiency-enhancing way.
Professions, organizations and the state: Applying the sociology of the professions to the case of management consultancy
Authors: Muzio Daniel , Kirkpatrick Ian , Kipping Matthias
Published: October 2011

In the recent literature on knowledge-based occupations it is frequently noted that some groups, such as management consultants, have been far less successful than others in developing a system of professional regulation and organization. This is generally attributed to the functional characteristics of their knowledge base, which is too elusive, fuzzy and perishable to sustain traditional professionalization projects. It is also suggested that these groups have little interest in becoming professions and have relied instead on alternative occupational strategies. In this article, drawing on a range of secondary sources, the authors highlight certain limitations of this account and offer an alternative. Focusing on the historical development of professional associations in the context of management consulting in the UK, the authors illustrate the role played by the state and large firms in undermining efforts to professionalize. A key contribution of the article is to highlight the need for a more inclusive approach to understanding why new knowledge-based occupations have failed to professionalize, one that gives more weight to the historical context and the role played by other key actors in shaping change.
Psychic wounds and the social structure: An empirical investigation
Authors: Darab Sandy , Hartman Yvonne
Published: October 2011

Empirical linkages between structure and agency, or system and life world, have traditionally not been overabundant in sociology, though work emerging in the field of the sociology of emotions does offer some illumination on this topic. This article uses data obtained in a project which investigated the impact of the Howard government’s dual reforms in the industrial relations and welfare policy arenas. In this article, we seek to explore in some depth how a system that is underpinned by the notion of dignity and rights produces shame in its supposed beneficiaries, based on the evidence in the data collected. As well, we attempt to expose the processes by which shame is produced and how it manifests among the participants in the study. The first part of the article focuses upon the broader structural context, while the second proceeds to examine how this impinges upon agents at the microsocial level. Workfare recipients are constructed as dependants, in a society that privileges independence and ignores the crucial fact of our mutual interdependency. The transcripts reveal that the denial of autonomy and respect are key mechanisms by which dignity is injured. In exploring these phenomena, the purpose of the article is to demonstrate the usually veiled connections between individuals and their larger social context.
Democracy (In)Action
Authors: Kretchmar Kerry
Published: October 2011

In this article, I serve as a secretary for the critical policy analysis presented by hundreds of teachers, parents, students, and community members during 19 public hearings on school closures in New York City. In testimony at hearings, community members rejected the narrow, statistical approach they felt the Department of Education was using to develop policy. They examined the stated motives for school closures, the terms on which school closures were justified, the interests negotiated in policies, and the consequences of these decisions. Finally, this article challenges academics and policymakers to engage more authentically with community knowledge.
Tracking of physical activity during middle school transition in Iranian adolescents
Authors: Taymoori Parvaneh , Berry Tanya R , Lubans David R
Published: October 2011

Objective:

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine changes in physical activity behavior, psychological factors and interpersonal influences associated with exercise behavior during the transition from secondary school to high school in Sanandaj, Iran.

Design:

Data were collected from students in 2006 ( N = 1,073), of whom 844 provided follow-up data in 2009.

Setting:

The students were in high school in 2009 (51% male) with a mean age of 16.42 ± 1.73 years.

Method:

Physical activity-related cognitions, interpersonal influences, and physical activity behavior were measured using self-report questionnaires. To assess the effects of time and sex on psychosocial factors, analysis of variances (ANOVAs) were conducted. The relative stability of physical activity psychosocial correlates from wave 1 through wave 2 was assessed using Pearson product-moment correlations.

Results:

There were significant differences according to sex across time for physical activity, psychological variables and interpersonal influences associated with exercise activities. The girls were less active than boys at both time points. Girls reported lower self-efficacy and perceived more barriers and fewer perceived benefits for physical activity over time. Interpersonal influences on activity were more stable for girls than boys.

Conclusion:

The results offer evidence for decreasing physical activity in boys and girls and sex differences in cognitive variables and interpersonal influences. This is important for understanding how to address the problem of physical inactivity among Iranian youth.
Patient participation in mental healthcare: When is it difficult? A qualitative study of users and providers in a mental health hospital in Norway
Authors: Solbjør Marit , Rise Marit By , Westerlund Heidi , Steinsbekk Aslak
Published: October 2011

Background:

In western countries, patient participation is requested in policies on mental health services. Participation is built on ideas of democracy and individual responsibility. Mental illness has, however, been characterized by its irrational features.

Aim:

To investigate mental health service users’ and providers’ views on patient participation during episodes of mental illness.

Methods:

Qualitative interview study with 20 users and 25 staff from a mental health hospital in central Norway.

Results:

Both users and professionals saw poor illness phases as an obstacle to patient participation. Lack of insight, lack of verbal ability and difficulty cooperating made participation difficult. During such phases, patient participation was redefined. There was a shift in responsibility where professionals took charge through strategies of providing information, motivating patients and reducing choices. Respect and dignity were maintained and not redefined.

Conclusions:

In poor phases of mental illness, patient participation was redefined and weighed against what was perceived to be the patient’s best interest.
Network modeling and simulation of massively multiplayer online games
Authors: Bozcan Selçuk , İşler Veysi
Published: October 2011

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have become highly popular in the last decade and now attract millions of users from all over the world to play in an evolving virtual world concurrently over the Internet. The high popularity of MMOGs created a rapidly growing market and this highly dynamic market has forced game developers to step up competitively. However, MMOG development is a challenging and expensive process. In this study, we present a high-level network simulation environment, which can be used to model and simulate typical MMOGs that have client–server architectures. The main objective is to provide a simulation environment to MMOG developers that can be used to test, analyze and verify various aspects of the MMOG network architecture. We have also implemented a graphical user interface that allows one to construct the simulation model visually. We have demonstrated the use of the simulation environment by experimental simulations.
Recent advances in nanofibre fabrication techniques
Authors: Nayak Rajkishore , Padhye Rajiv , Kyratzis Illias Louis , Truong Yen Bach , Arnold Lyndon
Published: October 2011

Over the past decade, there has been a tremendous increase in the demand for polymeric nanofibres which are promising candidates for various applications including tissue engineering, protective clothing, filtration and sensors. To address thisdemand, researchers have turned to the development of various techniques such as electrospinning, meltblowing, bicomponent spinning, forcespinning and flash-spinning for the fabrication of polymeric nanofibres. However, electrospinning is the widely used technique for the fabrication of continuous nanofibres. The ability to fabricate nanofibrous assemblies of various materials (such as polymers, ceramics and metals) with possible control of the fibre fineness, surface morphology, orientation and cross-sectional configuration, gives electrospinning an edge over other processes. Although several researches have been done in electrospinning, understanding some of the other processes is still in infancy. In this perspective article, we summarize the fundamentals of various techniques for the fabrication of nanofibres. This paper also highlights a gamut of recent advances in the techniques for nanofibre fabrication.
A conceptual framework for managing very diverse data for complex, interdisciplinary science
Authors: Parsons Mark A. , Godøy Øystein , LeDrew Ellsworth , de Bruin Taco F. , Danis Bruno , Tomlinson Scott , Carlson David
Published: October 2011

Much attention has been given to the challenges of handling massive data volumes in modern data-intensive science. This paper examines an equally daunting challenge – the diversity of interdisciplinary data, notably research data, and the need to interrelate these data to understand complex systemic problems such as environmental change and its impact. We use the experience of the International Polar Year 2007–8 (IPY) as a case study to examine data management approaches seeking to address issues around complex interdisciplinary science. We find that, while technology is a critical factor in addressing the interdisciplinary dimension of the data intensive science, the technologies developing for exa-scale data volumes differ from those that are needed for extremely distributed and heterogeneous data. Research data will continue to be highly heterogeneous and distributed and will require technologies to be much simpler and more flexible. More importantly, there is a need for both technical and cultural adaptation. We describe a vision of discoverable, open, linked, useful, and safe collections of data, organized and curated using the best principles and practices of information and library science. This vision provides a framework for our discussion and leads us to suggest several short- and long-term strategies to facilitate a socio-technical evolution in the overall science data ecosystem.
Historical perspectives on river restoration design in the USA
Authors: Small Melanie J. , Doyle Martin W.
Published: October 2011

River restoration as a science needs to balance numerical analysis with a more general systems understanding typical of a classification-based approach. We show the need for this balance by comparing the Davis–Gilbert debate in physical geography to the current ‘Rosgen wars' ( Lave, 2008 ) in fluvial geomorphology and river restoration. In both controversies, one perspective was accepted for a period of time, but then subsequently vilified by vocal members of the discipline. However, in the process of replacing one paradigm with another, former viewpoints are often misrepresented and set up as contradictory to the newer paradigm. Careful reconsideration of Gilbert’s and Davis' approaches to geomorphology shows them not as mutually exclusive, but rather as complementary. Observation and nomenclature, as well as measurement and process analysis, are not only parts of the general temporal progression of a discipline, but are complementary scientific approaches. Davis' nomenclature and Gilbert’s analytical processes are both necessary to understand and discuss landscape geomorphology. Similarly, both Rosgen’s classification system, or one like it, and other more analytical, process-based examinations, are necessary for a comprehensive approach to river restoration. It is clear that multiple viewpoints and approaches triangulate towards a more thorough understanding of a system and will increase the probability of successful restoration. This will most likely include system-wide observation and classification married to numerical process modeling.
Effects of electrospinning parameters on morphology and diameter of electrospun PLGA/MWNTs fibers and cytocompatibility in vitro
Authors: Zhang Hualin
Published: October 2011

Poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) composite fiber mats were prepared by electrospinning and gas-jet/electrospinning. The morphology and diameter of the electrospun PLGA/MWNTs fibers were tailored by controlling process parameters; smooth and uniform PLGA/MWNTs fibers were obtained by using the following optimized process parameters, 25 wt% PLGA concentrations, 0.25% w/v MWNTs contents, 20 kV applied voltage, 13 cm tip-to-collector distances, 0.27 mm inner diameters, and 0.2 mL/min feeding rates. The cytocompatibility of the PLGA/MWNTs fibers prepared by optimizing process parameters was evaluated using rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Good-quality cell attachment and characteristic cell morphology were observed on the fibers. The PLGA/MWNTs fiber mats, fabricated by electrospinning, indicate excellent potential for bone tissue engineering applications, particularly as scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.
Reconciling Conflicts
Authors: Tsang Angelina Yuen , Chan Pauline Sung , Zhang Lixi
Published: October 2011

This article examines the life stories of women leaders in the People’s Republic of China, particularly their paths to leadership, in the context of sociohistorical changes that have unfolded in China since the late 1970s. It illustrates how women developed their attitudes toward leadership roles and their unique leadership style. By unveiling the dynamic interplay between culture and institutional factors presented by social change, the authors argue that the choices these women leaders made were shaped by their continual efforts to reconcile conflicting roles arising from two axes: the “expert-official” and the “private-public” dichotomies. The article concludes with an urgent call to policymakers to protect the rights of Chinese women by developing a workplace policy that promotes gender equality at the top of the political pyramid. Such a policy would take into consideration the inherent frictions and dilemmas experienced by Chinese women leaders.
High performance Dyneema® fiber laminate for impact resistance/macro structural composites
Authors: Karbalaie M , Yazdanirad M , Mirhabibi A
Published: October 2011

UHMWPE composite materials are increasingly used in armors design due to their high strength-to-weight ratios and energy absorption capacities. In this study the effect of production parameters upon the terminal ballistic properties of UHMWPE composite were examined under different conditionings. The composite armor plate laminates were produced by hot pressing with three different pressing times from 10–30 minutes and the laminates conditioned at +115, +125, and +135°C. The molding temperature of SK66 fiber composite has the main direct effect on the ballistic absorption energy, so the relation of molding temperature with the adhesive bonding force between layers, the thickness of the laminates, pressure and time is investigated during the optimum of the molding parameters. The results show that when the molding temperature is about 125°C the ballistic absorption energy is up to the highest value.

For the study of the principles of the ballistic absorption energy, the deformation and fracture area of the SK66 fiber composite laminates after ballistic impact are analyzed with the Taguchi method and the results are discussed in detail. Phenomena and mechanism of failure of the composite under ballistic impact were explained. The study results would be valuable for the optimum design.
Combined effect of hindered amine light stabilizer and antioxidants on photodegradation of poly (vinyl chloride)
Authors: Chai R. D. , Chen S. J. , Zhang J.
Published: October 2011

Casted PVC films with hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) and antioxidants are photo-irradiated for 400 h and the process of photodegradation is characterized by color differences, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and viscosity-average molecular weight ( Mη). When added to PVC separately, hindered amine derivate (T770) and phenol antioxidant (1076) both have little effect on the dehydrochlorination and oxidation of PVC films. In PVC films with T770/1076, the extension of shorter polyenes is retarded during photo-irradiation of 400 h. The extension of longer polyenes is well retarded from 0 h to 200 h. T770/1076 has only a little effect on the anti-oxidation of PVC films from 0 h to 400 h. The p-phenylenediamine antioxidant (4010NA) and 2-Mercapto benzimidazole (MB) both accelerate the photodegradation and crosslinking of PVC films. However, there is no crosslinking in PVC with T770/4010NA and PVC with T770/MB and the degradation of PVC films is weakened. This phenomenon means the light stabilizer T770 protects antioxidants (4010NA and MB) from photo-irradiation and antioxidants can play a positive role in the antioxidative effect.
Acceleration and deceleration control of assembly machine for assembled camshafts
Authors: Lin B-J , Yang S-H , Kou S-Q , Hu B-G
Published: October 2011

Aimed at the production requirements of the assembly machine for assembled camshafts, the current paper proposes a revised S-type curve acceleration and deceleration algorithm to improve the existing inner algorithm of the numerical control system. The axial dimension of the camshaft and the phase angle of the cam before and after implementing the new algorithm were checked. The results show that for each type of camshaft, the error of the axial dimension of the camshaft is less than ±0.2 mm and the error of the phase angle of the cam is less than ±30′. In addition and most importantly, the production efficiency is greatly improved (assembly time 90–120 s per piece). This indicates that the proposed algorithm not only assures the stability and precision of the assembly machine for assembled camshafts, but also significantly reduces the assembly time.
The impact and air entrainment process of liquid plunging jets
Authors: Qu X , Khezzar L , Li Z
Published: October 2011

This article presents a three-dimensional unsteady numerical simulation of a turbulent liquid plunging jet impinging on a quiescent liquid pool. The focal point of the study is the initial impact, penetration, and the subsequent air entrainment process. The multiphase, volume of fluid model with the geo-reconstruct algorithm is used in combination with the Reynolds averaged k–ε turbulence model. The process of the initial impact of the jet on the free surface, the formation of an air cavity, and the subsequent break-down of the cavity into small bubbles are captured and analysed. These simulations show, clearly and in detail, the process of air carry under by the liquid jet. The air cavity caused by the initial jet impact deeply stretches under the pool surface until break-down due to the shear created by a toroidal vortex. The predicted maximum height of the developing air cavity shows very good agreement with existing semi-empirical correlations from the literature and experiments. The velocity of the front of the air cavity is found to be equal to about half the jet velocity at impact in agreement with previous studies, and the predicted penetration depth shows good agreement with previous correlations.
Application of pulsed thermography to quality assurance of thermal barrier coatings
Authors: Kidd G , Nunn J
Published: October 2011

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are applied on components which need to withstand high temperatures in furnaces and turbines. The coatings are generally yttria stabilized zirconia which are applied to the surface of components by a plasma spray process. In order to provide oxidation resistance the metal surfaces are normally treated with an aluminium-rich MCrAlY bond coat which will form a stable oxide during service at elevated temperatures. Pulsed thermography is a technique which consists of applying a fast and short burst of heat to a specimen and then monitoring the thermal evolution of the surface by means of an infrared camera. This paper describes the application of pulsed thermography on a ‘blind test’ of sprayed TBCs on real turbine components. The study validates the usefulness of pulsed thermography as an additional quality assurance tool prior to placing coated components into service.
Heat transfer effects and topology of the viscous interaction induced by surface protuberances in hypersonic flow
Authors: Haas A , MacManus D , Estruch-Samper D
Published: October 2011

Surface protuberances with a height of the order of the boundary layer thickness are frequently unavoidable in the design of hypersonic vehicles. These protuberances interfere with the flow and induce complex interactions which may lead to notable increases in the local surface heating rates and cause a significant damage to the vehicle. This computational and experimental study investigated hypersonic interference heating in the vicinity of simple surface protuberances. Perfect gas and Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes simulations were carried out based on benchmark experimental cases using the compressible commercial code Cobalt. The freestream conditions were M∞ = 8.2 and Re∞/ m = 9.35 × 106. The investigated protuberances were three-dimensional compression corners with different deflection angles (30°, 60°, and 90°) and with a relatively low profile where the height was approximately the same as the local boundary layer thickness. A comparison between numerical and experimental data shows a reasonable agreement, although there are areas where there are notable differences between the predictions and measurements. In the low-deflection case (30°), good agreement is observed and the location of the hot spot is well predicted by the different turbulence models. In the higher deflection cases (60° and 90°), in which the incoming boundary layer is separated ahead of the protuberance, the maximum heating rates are reasonably well predicted by the shear stress transport and k–ω models, but systematically overpredicted by the Spalart–Allmaras model. In terms of flow structure, the simulations enable a good understanding of the flow topology, which is marked by the occurrence of junction and separation vortices to the sides and upstream of the protuberance.