bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Anomalous Midlatitude Cyclone Activity over East Asia during Summer on the Decadal Mode of East Asian Summer Monsoon and Its Possible Mechanism
Authors: Chen Haishan , Teng Fangda , Zhang Wanxin , Liao Hong
Published: October 2016

By using an objective identification and tracking algorithm of the cyclone, the statistics of midlatitude cyclone activity in East Asia during summer for the period 1979–2013 were analyzed. The impact of the midlatitude summer cyclone anomalies in East Asia on the decadal mode of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) was investigated and possible mechanisms were proposed. The possible reasons for the anomalous cyclone activity from the perspective of land surface thermal forcing were also explored. Results indicate that the midlatitude summer cyclone activity over East Asia exhibits decadal changes in the period of 1979–2013 and is significantly weakened after early 1990s. Further analysis indicates that there is a close relationship between the midlatitude summer cyclone activity over East Asia and the decadal variation of EASM; when the midlatitude summer cyclone activity over East Asia is strong (weak), EASM tends to be intensified (weakened), and the weak cyclone activity after 1993 generally coincides with the decadal weakening of EASM. Moreover, there is a close linkage between the weakening of cyclonic activity after the early 1990s and the nonuniform surface warming of the Eurasian continent. Significant warming to the west of Mongolia tends to weaken the north–south temperature gradient and the atmospheric baroclinicity to its south and eventually can lead to weakening of the midlatitude cyclone activity over East Asia.
Quantifying Uncertainties in Extreme Flood Predictions under Climate Change for a Medium-Sized Basin in Northeastern China
Authors: Qi Wei , Zhang Chi , Fu Guangtao , Zhou Huicheng , Liu Junguo
Published: October 2016

This study develops a new variance-based uncertainty assessment framework to investigate the individual and combined impacts of various uncertainty sources on future extreme floods. The Long Ashton Research Station Weather Generator (LARS-WG) approach is used to downscale multiple general circulation models (GCMs), and the dynamically dimensioned search approximation of uncertainty approach is used to quantify hydrological model uncertainty. Extreme floods in a region in northeastern China are studied for two future periods: near term (2046–65) and far term (2080–99). Six GCMs and three emission scenarios (A1B, A2, and B1) are used. Results obtained from this case study show that the 500-yr flood magnitude could increase by 4.5% in 2046–65 and by 6.4% in 2080–99 in terms of median values; in worst-case scenarios, it could increase by 63.0% and 111.8% in 2046–65 and 2080–99, respectively. It is found that the combined effect of GCMs, emission scenarios, and hydrological models has a larger influence on the discharge uncertainties than the individual impacts from emission scenarios and hydrological models. Further, results show GCMs are the dominant contributor to extreme flood uncertainty in both 2046–65 and 2080–99 periods. This study demonstrates that the developed framework can be used to effectively investigate changes in the occurrence of extreme floods in the future and to quantify individual and combined contributions of various uncertainty sources to extreme flood uncertainty, which can guide future efforts to reduce uncertainty.
Evidence of Sea-State Dependence of Aerosol Concentration in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Authors: Lenain Luc , Melville W. Kendall
Published: October 2016

Sea spray aerosols represent a large fraction of the aerosols present in the maritime environment. Despite evidence of the importance of surface wave– and wave breaking–related processes in coupling the ocean with the atmosphere, sea spray source generation functions are traditionally parameterized by the 10-m wind speed U10 alone. It is clear that unless the wind and wave field are fully developed, the source function will be a function of both wind and wave parameters. This study reports primarily on the aerosol component of an air–sea interaction experiment, the phased-resolved High-Resolution Air–Sea Interaction Experiment (HIRES), conducted off the coast of northern California in June 2010. Detailed measurements of aerosol number concentration in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) at altitudes ranging from as low as 30 m up to 800 m above mean sea level (MSL) over a broad range of environmental conditions (significant wave height Hs of 2 to 4.5 m and U10 from 10 to 18 m s−1) collected from an instrumented research aircraft are presented. Aerosol number densities and volume are computed over a range of particle diameters from 0.1 to 200 μm, while the sea surface conditions, including Hs, moments of the breaker length distribution Λ(c), and wave breaking dissipation, were measured by a suite of electro-optical sensors that included the NASA Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). The sea-state dependence of the aerosol concentration in the MABL is evident, stressing the need to incorporate wave parameters in the spray source generation functions that are traditionally parameterized by surface winds alone.
Automatic Spike Removal Algorithm for Raman Spectra
Authors: Tian Yao , Burch Kenneth S.
Published: October 2016

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful technique, widely used in both academia and industry. In part, the technique’s extensive use stems from its ability to uniquely identify and image various material parameters: composition, strain, temperature, lattice/excitation symmetry, and magnetism in bulk, nano, solid, and organic materials. However, in nanomaterials and samples with low thermal conductivity, these measurements require long acquisition times. On the other hand, charge-coupled device (CCD) detectors used in Raman microscopes are vulnerable to cosmic rays. As a result, many spurious spikes occur in the measured spectra, which can distort the result or require the spectra to be ignored. In this paper, we outline a new method that significantly improves upon existing algorithms for removing these spikes. Specifically, we employ wavelet transform and data clustering in a new spike-removal algorithm. This algorithm results in spike-free spectra with negligible spectral distortion. The reduced dependence on the selection of wavelets and intuitive wavelet coefficient adjustment strategy enables non-experts to employ these powerful spectra-filtering techniques.
Journal Editors and “Results-Free” Research
Authors: Ansell Ben , Samuels David
Published: October 2016

Should journals review submissions based only on the research question and research design, independent of whether the results are statistically and substantively significant? This special issue is the first effort in political science (and perhaps across the social sciences) to publish articles based on submission of research designs alone. We offer our thoughts on the process.
Decoupling local ownership? The lost opportunities for grassroots women’s involvement in Liberian peacebuilding
Authors: Gizelis Theodora-Ismene , Joseph Jonathan
Published: October 2016

Civil society organizations and grassroots groups are often unable to play an active role in post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding. A possible explanation for the observed challenges in peacebuilding is the gap or decoupling between international expectations and norms from practical action, local norms and capacities. External actors are often overly instrumental and operate according to a general template that fails to start from what the local capacities might actually be. This often leads to the decoupling of general values from practical action, which helps account for the observed barriers of engaging local civil and community organizations in reconstruction. We examine the different types of decoupling and the challenges these present. We evaluate our general theoretical argument using evidence based on the experiences of Liberian women’s civil society organizations. Given the compliance of the Liberian government with international norms, we should expect external actors to have an easier task in incorporating civil society and women’s organizations in the post-conflict reconstruction process; yet, the record appears to be the opposite. While we present the ‘tragic’ aspect of this relationship between international norms and local practice, we also suggest opportunities for ‘hybrid’ alternatives.
The Art of Decolonization: The Battle for Algeria’s French Art, 1962–70
Authors: Bellisari Andrew
Published: October 2016

In May 1962 French museum administrators removed over 300 works of art from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Algiers and transported them, under military escort, to the Louvre in Paris. The artwork, however, no longer belonged to France. Under the terms of the Evian Accords it had become the official property of the Algerian state-to-be and the incoming nationalist government wanted it back. This article will examine not only the French decision to act in contravention of the Evian Accords and the ensuing negotiations that took place between France and Algeria, but also the cultural complexities of post-colonial restitution. What does it mean for artwork produced by some of France’s most iconic artists – Monet, Delacroix, Courbet – to become the cultural property of a former colony? Moreover, what is at stake when a former colony demands the repatriation of artwork emblematic of the former colonizer, deeming it a valuable part of the nation’s cultural heritage? The negotiations undertaken to repatriate French art to Algeria expose the kinds of awkward cultural refashioning precipitated by the process of decolonization and epitomizes the lingering connections of colonial disentanglement that do not fit neatly into the common narrative of the ‘end of empire'.
Sport and Civilian Morale in Second World War Britain
Authors: Taylor Matthew
Published: October 2016

Civilian morale has been a key topic for historians of wartime Britain. Understanding the government’s concern with maintaining the spirits of the civilian population has led to considerable analysis of wartime entertainment and recreation. Yet historians have had surprisingly little to say about the role of organized sport. This article remedies this situation by exploring the factors involved in the development of policy in relation to the three most popular spectator sports in wartime Britain: greyhound racing, horse racing and association football. It argues that while the government recognized the value of sport in sustaining morale, policy was never fixed. On the contrary, it was subject to a range of shifting considerations and interests related to public safety, war work, transport and public and political opinion, the relative importance of which varied throughout the conflict. The article also contends that social class played a key role in informing official policy and public attitudes towards sport, and in determining whose morale was prioritized on each occasion.
Development of a Psychotherapeutic Model for Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment of Alcoholism
Authors: Bogenschutz Michael P. , Forcehimes Alyssa A.
Published: October 2016

Research activity on the potential clinical value of classic hallucinogens and other psychedelics has increased markedly in the past two decades, and promises to continue to expand. Experimental study of hallucinogen-assisted treatment, and any future clinical use, requires the development of psychotherapeutic models that are appropriate to the disorder being treated and effectively integrated with the pharmacologic component of the treatment. To provide a framework for thinking about possible treatment models, we provide an overview of the history of psychedelic-assisted treatment, review what is known about the therapeutic mechanisms of these treatments, and consider the various purposes of psychotherapy in the context of both research and clinical use of psychedelic-assisted treatment. We then provide a description of a therapy model we have developed and are currently using in a trial of psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcoholism. Finally, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of a range of alternative models, emphasizing the need for research to determine the most effective treatment models for any indications for which efficacy becomes established.
Minimally symptomatic hypocalcaemia unmasking celiac disease
Authors: Lazaridis A , Drosou ME , Fontalis A , Prousali E , Hadwe SE , Giouleme O , Petidis K
Published: October 2016

Introduction

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease of the small intestine which occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages. A large clinical spectrum of manifestations accompanies the onset of the disease with diarrhoea, flatulence and weight loss being the most common. However, findings like osteoporosis, iron deficiency, anaemia and hypocalcaemia could also insinuate the existence of the disease.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 55-year-old man with numbness and tingling of the upper extremities due to hypocalcaemia that proved to be an uncommon case of celiac disease.

Conclusion

A non-negligible number of adult patients with celiac disease can present with only minor and subclinical manifestations of the disease. As such, hypocalcaemia may be the sole manifestation of celiac disease. A high index of suspicion is needed for prompt diagnosis.
Evaluating alternative resource allocation in an emergency department using discrete event simulation
Authors: Bedoya-Valencia Leonardo , Kirac Emre
Published: October 2016

Reducing emergency department (ED) overcrowding in the hope of improving the ED’s operational efficiency and healthcare delivery is an important objective for healthcare providers. This research analyzes resource allocation with the objective of reducing patient length-of-stay (LOS) and time to be seen by a physician or physician assistant (TBSPPA) while leveling resource utilization. Different levels of resources (physicians, physician assistants, and nurses) were changed in controlled experiments in order to analyze patients’ LOS and TBSPPA, as well as resource utilization. The experiments were performed using a simulation model based on data from an ED at a local hospital. The simulation model accounts for patients with different severity levels as well as different rates for patient arrivals. Based on the severity, patients are treated by combinations of multiple resources, often with interspersed waiting time. Results indicate that the simulation model can be used as a tool to help decision makers in the ED with the allocation of resources. The experiments show an average reduction of 14% in the average patients’ LOS, 16% in the average patients’ TBSPPA, and leveled resource utilization between 70% and 80% when allowing a restructure of the ED resource capacities.
Optimizing a fuzzy logic traffic signal controller via the differential evolution algorithm under different traffic scenarios
Authors: Doğan Erdem , Akgüngör Ali P
Published: October 2016

This study aims at optimizing fuzzy logic controller (FLC) triangle membership functions (MFs) for different traffic volumes via differential evolution (DE). To achieve this goal, a new FLC with a red time limiter, which actually calculates green time and the extension time of traffic movement phase, is developed to control an intersection. Subsequently, this FLC is optimized with two levels, namely Level-1 and Level-2. Level-1 searches each fuzzy class’s minimum and maximum values (α and β) that generate the lowest average delay per vehicle with DE. Using DE Level-2 inherits Level-1 ranges and reshapes the MFs to explore lower delay values computed by Level-1. The proposed method is tested with nine different traffic scenarios. For each scenario, 15 different headways are applied for a four-leg isolated intersection. The results indicate that the intersection average performance is increased up to 52%, 48%, and 14% at 800, 1600, and 2400 veh/h total intersection volumes, respectively, after Level-1 optimizations. They also reveal that intersection control produces higher delay values in only four scenarios after Level-2 procedures. Consequently, it is shown that the DE has significant potential to optimize FLCs at the intersection signal control. In addition, tuning fuzzy class ranges is found to be more critical than the MF reshaping process in traffic control via FLCs.
Difficult Texts: Matthew 6.11
Authors: Harvey Anthony
Published: October 2016

The word ‘daily’ in the Lord’s Prayer does not reflect the fact that the original word in Aramaic or Hebrew must have been an unusual one to have needed translating by the rare, if not specially invented, Greek word epiousios. The petition in the Lord’s Prayer is likely to have been in the tradition of Proverbs 10.8, where the meaning is ‘sufficient, not too little and not too much’.
Selling a tiara, giving a ring
Authors: Platten Stephen
Published: October 2016

Paul VI is the key pontiff in understanding the modern Roman Catholic Church. He presided over virtually all of the Second Vatican Council and in his wider ministry set out the key themes which the Church needed to address in the last quarter of the twentieth century and beyond.
Martial theology in glass
Authors: Hardy John
Published: October 2016

Memorial stained glass at a Cambridgeshire parish church displays a retributive, quasi-Deuteronomic theology of war. Consistent with contemporary ecclesiastical attitudes, martial images depict ‘apostate’ Germany in contradistinction to ‘righteous’ Britain: German cruelty contrasts with allied compassion (‘their’ weaponry, ‘our’ material and spiritual consolations). Pastoral images point to post-war peace and agricultural abundance: economic renewal and spiritual salvation for the local community of righteous parishioners, living and fallen.
New directions in my priestly ministry
Authors: Nixon David
Published: October 2016

Drawing on autobiographical material, a small-scale qualitative survey and previous discussion, this article seeks to explore the meaning of priestly ministry today. In the context of flexible and changing patterns of ministerial formation, dispersed communities of formation may provide not only a potential epistemological break in which God is apprehended differently, but also more easily engage with the rootless communities of our own age.
Consequences of Behaviorism
Authors: Olen Peter
Published: October 2016

I explore conceptual tensions that emerge between Wilfrid Sellars’ and Grace de Laguna’s adoption of behaviorism. Despite agreeing on various points (e.g., the social nature of language and behavior, a methodological commitment to behaviorism), I argue that Sellars’ and de Laguna’s positions represent a split between normativist and descriptivist approaches to explanation that are generally incompatible, and I explore how both positions claim conceptual priority.
Hello Beautiful? The Effect of Interviewer Physical Attractiveness on Cooperation Rates and Survey Responses
Authors: Jæger Mads Meier
Published: October 2016

This article analyzes the effect of interviewers’ physical attractiveness on cooperation rates in face-to-face interviews and survey responses (self-reports on physical appearance, weight, and health). This article includes four aspects of physical attractiveness (facial attractiveness, voice attractiveness, body mass index [BMI], and height) and reports that (1) interviewers with more attractive faces and lower BMI have higher cooperation rates, (2) differences in interviewers’ personality (Big Five, Rosenberg self-esteem) account for about one third of the total effect of facial attractiveness on cooperation rates, and (3) being interviewed by a more attractive interviewer leads to more positive self-reports on physical appearance, weight, and health (but does not affect self-reports unrelated to physical appearance).
Explaining Measurement Nonequivalence Using Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling
Authors: Davidov Eldad , Dülmer Hermann , Cieciuch Jan , Kuntz Anabel , Seddig Daniel , Schmidt Peter
Published: October 2016

It is necessary to test for equivalence of measurements across groups to guarantee that comparisons of regression coefficients or mean scores of a latent factor are meaningful. Unfortunately, when tested, many scales display nonequivalence. Several researchers have suggested that nonequivalence may be used as a useful source of information as to why equivalence is biased and proposed employing a multilevel structural equation modeling (MLSEM) approach to explain why equivalence is not given. This method can consider a latent between-level factor and/or single contextual variables and use them to explain items’ nonequivalence. In the current study, we show that this method may also be useful for social science studies in general and for survey research and sociological comparative studies in particular when one fails to establish cross-group equivalence. We utilize data from the International Social Survey Program national identity module (2003) to test for the cross-country equivalence of a scale measuring attitudes toward granting citizenship rights to immigrants. As expected, the scale fails to achieve scalar equivalence. However, we explain a significant part of the most nonequivalent intercept by a latent between-level factor and one contextual variable, namely, the percentage of foreigners in the country relying on group threat theory. We show that the method does not necessarily rectify nonequivalence, but it can help to explain why it is absent.
Organizational Identity Safety Cue Transfers
Authors: Chaney Kimberly E. , Sanchez Diana T. , Remedios Jessica D.
Published: October 2016

Traditionally, researchers have focused on identity-congruent safety cues such as the effect of gender diversity awards on women’s sense of inclusion in organizations. The present studies investigate, for the first time, whether identity safety cues (e.g., organizational diversity structures) aimed at one stigmatized group transfer via perceptions of the organization’s ideology (social dominance orientation), resulting in identity safety for individuals with stigmatized identities incongruent with the cue. Across four studies, we demonstrate that White women experience identity safety from organizational diversity structures aimed at racial minorities (Studies 1 and 2), and men of color experience identity safety from organizational diversity structures aimed at women (Study 3). Furthermore, while White men similarly perceive the organization’s ideology, this does not promote identity safety (Study 4). Thus, we argue that individuals view organizations commended for diversity as promoting more egalitarian attitudes broadly, resulting in the transference of identity safety cues for stigmatized individuals.
Gifted Secondary School Students
Authors: Brigandi Carla B. , Siegle Del , Weiner Jennie M. , Gubbins E. Jean , Little Catherine A.
Published: October 2016

Grounded in the Enrichment Triad and Achievement Orientation Models, this qualitative case study builds understanding of the relationship between participation in Type III Enrichment and the achievement orientation attitude of goal valuation in gifted secondary school students. Participants included 10 gifted secondary school students, their parents, and their classroom teacher. Data included student, parent, and teacher responses in semistructured interviews, short-answer surveys, and student work. Findings indicate a relationship between participation in enrichment and goal valuation. Students engaged in Type III Enrichment perceived their projects as interesting, beneficial, and/or as related to perceptions of identity. In addition, factors of goal valuation were related to students’ continued interest and perceptions of enjoyment after completion of the enrichment projects. These findings have implications for structuring gifted education programs that meet the special needs of gifted secondary school learners.
Acute Toxicity of Vildagliptin
Authors: Hoffmann Peter , Martin Lori , Keselica Michael , Gunson Diane , Skuba Elizabeth , Lapadula Dan , Hayes Michael , Bentley Phil , Busch Steve
Published: October 2016

This article describes acute toxicity data in cynomolgus monkeys following oral treatment with vildagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor. Acute toxicity symptoms in cynomolgus monkeys include edema formation of the extremities, tails, and face associated with skeletal muscle necrosis, and elevations of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, alanine transaminase, and aspartate aminotransferase activities in the serum; hypothermia; hypotension; tachycardia; moribundity; and death in a few isolated instances. In surviving animals, symptoms were reversible even if treatment was continued. Cynomolgus monkeys from Mauritius appear more sensitive than monkeys of Asian origin. The underlying mechanism(s) of these symptoms in cynomolgus monkeys is currently not well understood, although a vascular mechanism including initial vasoconstriction and subsequent vascular leakage in distal extremities may play a role. The monkey data are reviewed and discussed in the context of other preclinical and clinical data, and it is concluded that acute toxicity following vildagliptin treatment is a monkey-specific phenomenon without relevance for humans.
Regulatory Forum*
Authors: Peden W. Michael
Published: October 2016

Revision of the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) S1 guidance for rat carcinogenicity studies to be more selective of compounds requiring a 2-year rat carcinogenicity study has been proposed following extensive evaluation of rat carcinogenicity and chronic toxicity studies by industry and drug regulatory authorities. To inform the ICH S1 expert working group in their potential revision of ICH S1, a prospective evaluation study was initiated in 2013, in which sponsors would assess the pharmacologic and toxicologic findings present in the chronic toxicity studies and predict a positive or negative carcinogenicity outcome using a weight of evidence argument (a carcinogenicity assessment document [CAD]). The Scientific and Regulatory Policy Committee was asked by the Society of Toxicology Pathology (STP) executive committee to track these changes with ICH S1 and inform the STP membership of status changes. This commentary is intended to provide a brief summary of recent changes to the CAD guidance and highlight the importance of STP membership participation in the process of CAD submissions.
The Impact of Age on the Female Reproductive System
Authors: Vidal Justin D.
Published: October 2016

Evaluation of the female reproductive system in a general toxicity setting can be challenging for the toxicologic pathologist due to the cyclic nature of the estrous and menstrual cycles, timing of puberty and reproductive senescence, and species differences. Age in particular can have a significant impact on the histologic appearance of the female reproductive system and create challenges when trying to distinguish test article–related findings from normal developmental or senescent changes. This review describes the key physiologic and histologic features of immaturity, the transition through puberty, sexual maturity, and reproductive senescence in the female reproductive system, with an emphasis on practical applications for the toxicologic pathologist, and includes recommendations for distinguishing and documenting these developmental periods. Rats and cynomolgus monkeys are used as examples throughout with correlations to clinically observed end points to better aid the toxicologic pathologist in understanding how age may impact study interpretation.
Neighborhood Environments: Links to Health Behaviors and Obesity Status in Vulnerable Children
Authors: Choo Jina , Kim Hye-Jin , Park Sooyeon
Published: October 2016

This study aimed to identify the actual and perceived features of neighborhood environments linked to health behaviors and obesity status in vulnerable children by using geographic information systems, walking surveys, and focus group interviews. The participants were 126 children registered at community child centers and 10 mothers of study participants. Increased availability of fast food outlets and convenience stores was significantly and positively associated with fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and inversely with physical activity. Reduced availability of physical activity outlets was significantly and positively associated with sedentary behaviors. Mothers’ perceptions of their neighborhoods fell into three content categories: (a) changed to be unfriendly for children, (b) adapted to fast food and convenience eating, and (c) confined to physically inactive living. Based on these findings, community-level environmental strategies for reducing unhealthy behaviors linked to neighborhood environments should be prioritized to prevent childhood obesity in vulnerable populations.
Review: Lisa Lowe, The Intimacies of Four Continents
Authors: Holmwood John
Published: October 2016

Lisa Lowe’s book addresses the colonial relationships that connect the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. These relationships of appropriation and dispossession are integral to liberal thought and, no matter how much it seeks to present itself as transcending these contexts, liberal thought is continually fractured by them. The book asks its readers to confront the formation of modern political subjectivity and its implication in the very disciplinary subjects through which we claim to know.
The openness buzz in the knowledge economy: Towards taxonomy
Authors: Lundgren Anna , Westlund Hans
Published: October 2016

In the networked information and knowledge-based economy and society, the notions of ‘open’ and ‘openness’ are used in a variety of contexts; open source, open access, open economy, open government, open innovation – just to name a few. This paper aims at discussing openness and developing a taxonomy that may be used to analyse the concept of openness. Are there different qualities of openness? How are these qualities interrelated? What analytical tools may be used to understand openness? In this paper four qualities of openness recurrent in literature and debate are explored: accessibility, transparency, participation and sharing. To further analyse openness new institutional theory as interpreted by Williamson (2000) is used, encompassing four different institutional levels; cultural embeddedness, institutional environment, governance structure and resource allocations. At what institutional levels is openness supported and/or constrained? Accessibility as a quality of openness seems to have a particularly strong relation to the other qualities of openness, whereas the notions of sharing and collaborative economics seem to be the most complex and contested quality of openness in the knowledge-based economy. This research contributes to academia, policy and governance, as handling of challenges with regard to openness vs. closure in different contexts, territorial, institutional and/or organizational, demand not only a better understanding of the concept, but also tools for analysis.
Thanks, but no thanks
Authors: Floyd Kory , Ray Colter D.
Published: October 2016

Social support is a vital component of well-being and a principal benefit of having close, positive personal relationships. When offers of social support are perceived as unwanted or burdensome by recipients, however, they can carry implicit threats to the recipients’ positive and negative face needs. Moreover, declining such offers requires recipients to manage probable face threats to providers. The present study explored offers of undesired social support—and responses to those offers—from the perspective of politeness theory and face threats. A total of 503 participants described situations when they were offered social support they saw as undesirable and burdensome. Reasons for not wanting social support (including face threats to receivers) were codified. The most common reasons for not wanting offered support were perceived threats to receivers’ negative face, a mismatch between the need and the support being offered, and a perception that providing support would be burdensome for providers. Participants evidenced all five forms of facework in their responses to such offers, with positive politeness being the most common strategy.
Focally perfused succinate potentiates brain metabolism in head injury patients
Authors: Jalloh Ibrahim , Helmy Adel , Howe Duncan J , Shannon Richard J , Grice Peter , Mason Andrew , Gallagher Clare N , Stovell Matthew G , van der Heide Susan , Murphy Michael P , Pickard John D , Menon David K , Carpenter T Adrian , Hutchinson Peter J , Carpenter Keri LH
Published: October 2016

Following traumatic brain injury, complex cerebral energy perturbations occur. Correlating with unfavourable outcome, high brain extracellular lactate/pyruvate ratio suggests hypoxic metabolism and/or mitochondrial dysfunction. We investigated whether focal administration of succinate, a tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate interacting directly with the mitochondrial electron transport chain, could improve cerebral metabolism. Microdialysis perfused disodium 2,3-13C2 succinate (12 mmol/L) for 24 h into nine sedated traumatic brain injury patients' brains, with simultaneous microdialysate collection for ISCUS analysis of energy metabolism biomarkers (nine patients) and nuclear magnetic resonance of 13C-labelled metabolites (six patients). Metabolites 2,3-13C2 malate and 2,3-13C2 glutamine indicated tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism, and 2,3-13C2 lactate suggested tricarboxylic acid cycle spinout of pyruvate (by malic enzyme or phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and pyruvate kinase), then lactate dehydrogenase-mediated conversion to lactate. Versus baseline, succinate perfusion significantly decreased lactate/pyruvate ratio (p = 0.015), mean difference −12%, due to increased pyruvate concentration (+17%); lactate changed little (−3%); concentrations decreased for glutamate (−43%) (p = 0.018) and glucose (−15%) (p = 0.038). Lower lactate/pyruvate ratio suggests better redox status: cytosolic NADH recycled to NAD+ by mitochondrial shuttles (malate-aspartate and/or glycerol 3-phosphate), diminishing lactate dehydrogenase-mediated pyruvate-to-lactate conversion, and lowering glutamate. Glucose decrease suggests improved utilisation. Direct tricarboxylic acid cycle supplementation with 2,3-13C2 succinate improved human traumatic brain injury brain chemistry, indicated by biomarkers and 13C-labelling patterns in metabolites.
Is “We” Singular? The Nature of Public Value
Authors: Prebble Mark
Published: October 2016

Since publication two decades ago, Moore’s theory of public value has become a significant concept in public administration, especially for teaching public managers. A feature of the theory is that public value is assessed by arbiters. These arbiters include a “public as a whole,” which is a disembodied singular entity that is different from the sum of its parts. The idea of arbitration by a public as a whole is critically examined by considering its possible sources, comparison with individualistic bases for arbitration (especially democratic discourse), and exploring the implications of arbitration by the public as a whole. The conclusion is that the public as a whole is an unsuccessful concept which does not assist the theory of public value and which creates significant practical problems for practitioners by understating the degree of ambiguity that is inherent in the pursuit of public value.
MR and mammographic imaging features of HER2-positive breast cancers according to hormone receptor status: a retrospective comparative study
Authors: Song Sung Eun , Bae Min Sun , Chang Jung Min , Cho Nariya , Ryu Han Suk , Moon Woo Kyung
Published: October 2016

Background

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer has two distinct subtypes according to hormone receptor (HR) status. Survival, pattern of recurrence, and treatment response differ between HR–/HER2+ and HR+/HER2+ cancers.

Purpose

To investigate imaging and clinicopathologic features of HER2+ cancers and their correlation with HR expression.

Material and Methods

Between 2011 and 2013, 252 consecutive patients with 252 surgically confirmed HER2+ cancers (125 HR– and 127 HR+) were included. Two experienced breast radiologists blinded to the clinicopathologic findings reviewed the mammograms and magnetic resonance (MR) images using the BI-RADS lexicon. Tumor kinetic features were acquired by computer-aided detection (CAD). The imaging and clinicopathologic features of 125 HR–/HER2+ cancers were compared with those of 127 HR+/HER2+ cancers. Association between the HR status and each feature was assessed.

Results

Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that circumscribed mass margin (odds ratio [OR], 4.73; P < 0.001), associated non-mass enhancement (NME) on MR images (OR, 3.29; P = 0.001), high histologic grade (OR, 3.89; P = 0.002), high Ki-67 index (OR, 3.06; P = 0.003), and older age (OR, 2.43; P = 0.006) remained independent indicators associated with HR–/HER2+ cancers. Between the two HER2+ subtypes, there were no differences in mammographic imaging presentations and calcification features and MR kinetic features by a CAD.

Conclusion

HER2+ breast cancers have different MR imaging (MRI) phenotypes and clinicopathologic feature according to HR status. MRI features related to HR and HER2 status have the potential to be used for the diagnosis and treatment decisions in HER2+ breast cancer patients.
Incidence of combined cranial and cervical spine injuries in patients with blunt minor trauma: are combined CT examinations of the head and cervical spine justified?
Authors: Vahldiek Janis L , Thieme Stefan , Hamm Bernd , Niehues Stefan M
Published: October 2016

Background

The use of computed tomography (CT) scans of the head and cervical spine has markedly increased in patients with blunt minor trauma. The actual likelihood of a combined injury of head and cervical spine following a minor trauma is estimated to be low.

Purpose

To determine the incidence of such combined injuries in patients with a blunt minor trauma in order to estimate the need to derive improved diagnostic guidelines.

Material and Methods

A total of 1854 patients were retrospectively analyzed. All cases presented to the emergency department and in all patients combined CT scans of head and cervical spine were conducted. For the following analysis, only 1342 cases with assured blunt minor trauma were included. Data acquisition covered age, sex, and presence of a head injury as well as presence of a cervical spine injury or both.

Results

Of the 1342 cases, 46.9% were men. The mean age was 65.6 years. CT scans detected a head injury in 116 patients; of these, 70 cases showed an intracranial hemorrhage, 11 cases a skull fracture, and 35 cases an intracranial hemorrhage as well as a skull fracture. An injury of the cervical spine could be detected in 40 patients. A combined injury of the head and cervical spine could be found in one patient.

Conclusion

The paradigm of the coincidence of cranial and cervical spine injuries should be revised in patients with blunt minor trauma. Valid imaging decision algorithms are strongly needed to clinically detect high-risk patients in order to save limited resources.
Plugged percutaneous biopsy of the liver in living-donor liver transplantation recipients suspected to have graft rejection
Authors: Kim Sung Jung , Won Je Hwan , Kim Young Bae , Wang Hee-Jung , Kim Bong-Wan , Kim Haeryoung , Kim Jinoo
Published: October 2016

Background

Percutaneous biopsy is a widely-accepted technique for acquiring histologic samples of the liver. When there is concern for bleeding, plugged percutaneous biopsy (PPB) may be performed, which involves embolization of the biopsy tract.

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PPB of the liver in patients suspected to have graft rejection after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Material and Methods

During January 2007 and December 2013, 51 patients who underwent PPB of the liver under the suspicion of post-LDLT graft rejection were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 73 biopsies were performed. Biopsy was performed with a 17-gauge core needle and 18-gauge cutting needle. The needle tract was embolized using gelatin sponge (n = 44) or N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) (n = 29). The specimens were reviewed to determine their adequacy for histologic diagnosis. We reviewed all medical records after PPB.

Results

Specimens were successfully acquired in all procedures (100%). They were adequate for diagnosis in 70 cases (95.9%) and inadequate in three (1.3%). Average of 9.8 complete portal tracts was counted per specimen. One minor complication (1.4%) occurred where the patient had transient fever after the procedure.

Conclusion

PPB is easy and safe to perform in LDLT recipients and provides high diagnostic yield.
Bidirectional Gender Face Aftereffects: Evidence Against Normative Facial Coding
Authors: Cronin Sophie L. , Spence Morgan L. , Miller Paul A. , Arnold Derek H.
Published: October 2016

Facial appearance can be altered, not just by restyling but also by sensory processes. Exposure to a female face can, for instance, make subsequent faces look more masculine than they would otherwise. Two explanations exist. According to one, exposure to a female face renormalizes face perception, making that female and all other faces look more masculine as a consequence—a unidirectional effect. According to that explanation, exposure to a male face would have the opposite unidirectional effect. Another suggestion is that face gender is subject to contrastive aftereffects. These should make some faces look more masculine than the adaptor and other faces more feminine—a bidirectional effect. Here, we show that face gender aftereffects are bidirectional, as predicted by the latter hypothesis. Images of real faces rated as more and less masculine than adaptors at baseline tended to look even more and less masculine than adaptors post adaptation. This suggests that, rather than mental representations of all faces being recalibrated to better reflect the prevailing statistics of the environment, mental operations exaggerate differences between successive faces, and this can impact facial gender perception.
Audiovisual Integration Delayed by Stimulus Onset Asynchrony Between Auditory and Visual Stimuli in Older Adults
Authors: Ren Yanna , Yang Weiping , Nakahashi Kohei , Takahashi Satoshi , Wu Jinglong
Published: October 2016

Although neuronal studies have shown that audiovisual integration is regulated by temporal factors, there is still little knowledge about the impact of temporal factors on audiovisual integration in older adults. To clarify how stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between auditory and visual stimuli modulates age-related audiovisual integration, 20 younger adults (21–24 years) and 20 older adults (61–80 years) were instructed to perform an auditory or visual stimuli discrimination experiment. The results showed that in younger adults, audiovisual integration was altered from an enhancement (AV, A ± 50 V) to a depression (A ± 150 V). In older adults, the alterative pattern was similar to that for younger adults with the expansion of SOA; however, older adults showed significantly delayed onset for the time-window-of-integration and peak latency in all conditions, which further demonstrated that audiovisual integration was delayed more severely with the expansion of SOA, especially in the peak latency for V-preceded-A conditions in older adults. Our study suggested that audiovisual facilitative integration occurs only within a certain SOA range (e.g., −50 to 50 ms) in both younger and older adults. Moreover, our results confirm that the response for older adults was slowed and provided empirical evidence that integration ability is much more sensitive to the temporal alignment of audiovisual stimuli in older adults.
Fairtrade, place and moral economy: Between abstract ethical discourse and the moral experience of Northern Cape farmers
Authors: McEwan Cheryl , Hughes Alex , Bek David
Published: October 2016

This paper explores the significance of the relationships and disjunctures between the global moral discourses of Fairtrade that are articulated through ethics of fairness in supply chains and the everyday moral experiences, discourses and practices of producers that shape moral economies in specific localities. Due to increased governance through universal codes, standards and certification, Fairtrade risks becoming an abstract ethical and regulatory tool, disconnected from the moral economies of those poor farmers it is intended to benefit. In response, the paper makes a case for a deeper understanding of the moral economies of farmers involved in Fairtrade networks and the ways in which these emerge out of moral experiences that are deeply embedded in local social and cultural relations. Through a case study of Eksteenskuil Agricultural Cooperative in South Africa’s Northern Cape, it seeks to demonstrate the importance of understanding the moral experiences of producers to better consider what is at stake for them, focusing on notions of cooperation, fairness and the ‘good farmer’, perceptions of community, and concerns with survival and self-sufficiency. The paper concludes that working in culturally-sensitive ways with producer communities and understanding how their local moral worlds are structured is vital in bridging the gap between abstract ethical discourses and the place-based moral experiences of producers, and to ensuring the effectiveness of Fairtrade initiatives.
Heading for disaster: Extreme work and skill mix changes in the emergency services of England
Authors: Mather Kim , Seifert Roger
Published: October 2016

This article examines the impact on staff of state-imposed public sector reforms alongside austerity cuts since 2010 in the emergency services of England. We discuss the contextual imperatives for change in the police, fire and ambulance services while exploring their unique labour management and industrial relations’ structures and systems. As elsewhere, the burden of cuts and reforms has fallen on the workforce managed through skill mix changes. Such site-level management responses to austerity are being implemented despite staff concerns, increased dangers to the public, and their non-sustainable nature.