bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adolescents' Daily Assistance to the Family in Response to Maternal Need
Authors: Tsai Kim M. , Telzer Eva H. , Gonzales Nancy A. , Fuligni Andrew J.
Published: June 2014

Although children's provision of family assistance is a common routine, little is understood about the day‐to‐day variability that may exist in children's assistance behaviors. Guided by a family systems framework, the current study examined whether Mexican American adolescents' provision of family assistance was contingent on daily maternal need. Adolescents (N = 354, 49% males, Mage = 14.96 years) and their mothers (Mage = 41.55 years) each completed reports on 14 consecutive days. The results indicated that adolescents generally responded to maternal need, being more likely to help their families on days when their mothers worked or felt fatigued. This daily contingency was modified by family and adolescent characteristics, with adolescents thought to generally engage in low levels of assistance (i.e., youngest males and those in families with little economic strain) increasing their help when their mothers were fatigued. In contrast, daily maternal work did not appear to stimulate greater assistance among families with low levels of economic strain.
“What Happens at Home Does Not Necessarily Stay at Home”: The Relationship of Observed Negative Couple Interaction With Physical Health, Mental Health, and Work Satisfaction
Authors: Sandberg Jonathan G. , Harper James M. , Jeffrey Hill E. , Miller Richard B. , Yorgason Jeremy B. , Day Randal D.
Published: June 2014

Using data from a sample of 281 couples (the Flourishing Families data set), the authors tested a systemic theoretical model that examined the relationship among observed marital interaction, physical and mental health, and work satisfaction. The results showed that negative marital interaction was associated with significantly lower work satisfaction and poorer health for men. Higher negative marital interaction scores were significantly related to elevated depression scores for both women and men. For both men and women, negative couple interaction was associated with work satisfaction through depression and health. Overall, 34% of the variance in work satisfaction for men and 24% for the women was explained by the model. The results suggest that marriage‐to‐work spillover can be costly for families, organizations, and governments.
Wanting Mixed‐Sex Children: Separate Spheres, Rational Choice, and Symbolic Capital Motivations
Authors: Nugent Colleen N.
Published: June 2014

Substantial research concludes that most Americans want to have “at least 1 boy and 1 girl,” yet few have empirically explored what drives this preference. The author used nationally representative data from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 5,544) and generalized ordered logistic regression to evaluate 3 potential psychosocial frameworks motivating the mixed‐sex ideal using gender and family attitude variables. The results supported a “separate spheres” ideology, through which parents may view the interests, traits, skills, and roles of boys and girls in families as very different. Second, the results supported a rational choice orientation, whereby achieving this goal maximizes having a variety of needs met in old age. Third, the desire for 1 boy and 1 girl may be motivated by its symbolic capital as a status marker, representing the image of a “balanced,” ideal family. Based on beliefs about the nonsubstitutability of boys and girls, this ideal represents a form of gender inequality that persists in families.
Intermarriage and Social Support Among Canadians in Middle and Later Life
Authors: Penning Margaret , Wu Zheng
Published: June 2014

Despite widespread attention to population aging and contemporary increases in racial intermarriage, little is known regarding their joint implications for social support in middle and later life. Drawing on data from the 2007 General Social Survey conducted by Statistics Canada on intermarried and endogamously married adults age 45 and over (N = 13,238), this study examined the effects of intermarriage on instrumental and emotional support. The results revealed that intermarriage was accompanied by a reduced likelihood of instrumental support with transportation from others outside the household but that it had no impact on the receipt of help with household tasks or in caring for family members and a positive impact on emotional support. These findings suggest that intermarriage is not uniformly positive, neutral, or negative in its implications for social support. Future theoretical and empirical work will need to address the complexities of these relationships in order to enhance our understanding of these emergent family structures.
Variation in Associations Between Family Dinners and Adolescent Well‐Being
Authors: Meier Ann , Musick Kelly
Published: June 2014

Empirical evidence and conventional wisdom suggest that family dinners are associated with positive outcomes for youth. Recent research using fixed‐effects models as a more stringent test of causality suggests a more limited role of family meals in protecting children from risk. Estimates of average effects, however, may mask important variation in the link between family meals and well‐being; in particular, family meals may be more or less helpful based on the quality of family relationships. Using 2 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 17,977), this study extended recent work to find that family dinners have little benefit when parent–child relationships are weak but contribute to fewer depressive symptoms and less delinquency among adolescents when family relationships are strong. The findings highlight the importance of attending to variation when assessing what helps and what hurts in families.
A Population‐Based Study of Alcohol Use in Same‐Sex and Different‐Sex Unions
Authors: Reczek Corinne , Liu Hui , Spiker Russell
Published: June 2014

The present study advances research on union status and health by providing a first look at alcohol use differentials among different‐sex and same‐sex married and cohabiting individuals using nationally representative population‐based data (National Health Interview Surveys 1997–2011, N = 181,581). The results showed that both same‐sex and different‐sex married groups reported lower alcohol use than both same‐sex and different‐sex cohabiting groups. The results further revealed that same‐sex and different‐sex married individuals reported similar levels of alcohol use, whereas same‐sex and different‐sex cohabiting individuals reported similar levels of alcohol use. Drawing on marital advantage and minority stress approaches, the findings suggest that it is cohabitation status—not same‐sex status—that is associated with elevated alcohol rates.
Generous or Greedy Marriage? A Longitudinal Study of Volunteering and Charitable Giving
Authors: Einolf Christopher J. , Philbrick Deborah
Published: June 2014

Recent scholarship has explored whether marriage encourages individuals to contribute to or withdraw from society. The authors examined how marriage affects volunteering and charitable giving, using longitudinal data from the 2001 to 2009 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Newly married men, but not women, were significantly more likely to give money to charity in the first survey wave after marriage and gave larger amounts of money. Newly married women, but not men, were significantly less likely to volunteer after marriage and volunteered fewer hours. Marriage had a stronger effect on religious giving than overall giving among men and had a significant and positive effect on religious giving among women. Marriage had a stronger positive effect on men's giving in the second wave after marriage than after the first.
Parental Residential and Partnering Transitions and the Initiation of Adolescent Romantic Relationships
Authors: Ivanova Katya , Mills Melinda , Veenstra René
Published: June 2014

This study focused on the possible links between parental residential and partnering transitions (a parent's move out of the household, introduction of a new maternal and paternal partner) and the initiation of romantic relationships in adolescence. Using data from a prospective cohort study of Dutch adolescents (the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey; N = 1,513), recurrent event discrete‐time models with random effects were estimated, controlling for the initial family structure and quality of family climate. The results demonstrated that when all 3 events were considered, only the initiation of a new romantic relationship by the mother was associated with an increase in the odds of initiating a romantic relationship for the adolescent.
Live and let die: centromere loss during evolution of plant chromosomes
Authors: Lysak Martin A.
Published: June 2014

Functional centromeres, ensuring regular chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis, are a prerequisite for the evolutionary success of pre‐existing and new chromosome variants. The rapid progress in plant comparative genomics and cytogenetics brings new insights into the evolutionary fate of centromeres and mechanisms of chromosome number reduction (descending dysploidy). Centromere loss and relocation in chromosome regions with otherwise conserved collinearity can be explained by conventional mechanisms of chromosome rearrangements or, as newly available phylogenomic and cytogenomic data suggest, by centromere inactivation through epigenetic chromatin modifications and/or intra‐ and inter‐chromosomal recombination.
Inhaled corticosteroids and systemic inflammatory response in community‐acquired pneumonia: A prospective clinical study
Authors: Ferrer Miquel , Torres Antoni , Martínez Raquel , Ramírez Paula , Polverino Eva , Montull Beatriz , Sialer Salvador , Niederman Michael S. , Agusti Alvar , Menéndez Rosario
Published: June 2014

Background and objective

The previous use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may reduce the inflammatory response and mortality in patients with community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods

We measured serum levels of several inflammatory biomarkers, as well as mortality at various time‐points, in 663 consecutive patients hospitalized for CAP; 128 (19%) were receiving chronic outpatient treatment with ICS. Patients on previous oral corticosteroids were excluded from the analysis.

Results

On admission, patients treated with ICS were older; had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and pneumonia in the previous year more often; and had higher CAP severity risk classes and lower tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐alpha (P < 0.001) and interleukin (IL)‐6 (P = 0.015) serum levels. After adjusting for potential confounders, this association persisted for TNF‐alpha (P < 0.001), but not for IL‐6. Mortality at 30 and 90 days tended to be lower in patients treated with ICS (P = 0.062 and 0.050, respectively), but mortality was similar after 1 year in both groups (16, 13% vs 81, 15% for patients treated and not treated with ICS, respectively). Hospital readmission rate after 1 year was higher in patients treated with ICS (49, 38% vs 109, 20%, P < 0.001). The association of ICS treatment with a previous diagnosis of pneumonia, lower levels of TNF‐alpha and IL‐6 on admission and higher readmission rates during follow up persisted in the subpopulation of 210 patients with COPD.

Conclusions

Previous use of ICS in patients hospitalized for CAP is associated with a reduced systemic inflammatory response without any impact on long‐term mortality.
Drafting’s Improvement of 3000-m Running Performance in Elite Athletes: Is It a Placebo Effect?
Authors: Zouhal Hassane , Abderrahman Abderraouf Ben , Prioux Jacques , Knechtle Beat , Bouguerra Lotfi , Kebsi Wiem , Noakes Timothy D.
Published: June 2014

Purpose:

To determine the effect of drafting on running time, physiological response, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during 3000-m track running.

Methods:

Ten elite middle- and long-distance runners performed 3 track-running sessions. The 1st session determined maximal oxygen uptake and maximal aerobic speed using a lightweight ambulatory respiratory gasexchange system (K4B2). The 2nd and the 3rd tests consisted of nondrafting 3000-m running (3000-mND) and 3000-m running with drafting for the 1st 2000 m (3000-mD) performed on the track in a randomized counterbalanced order.

Results:

Performance during the 3000-mND (553.59 ± 22.15 s) was significantly slower (P < .05) than during the 3000-mD (544.74 ± 18.72 s). Cardiorespiratory responses were not significantly different between the trials. However, blood lactate concentration was significantly higher (P < .05) after the 3000-mND (16.4 ± 2.3 mmol/L) than after the 3000-mD (13.2 ± 5.6 mmol/L). Athletes perceived the 3000-mND as more strenuous than the 3000-mD (P < .05) (RPE = 16.1 ± 0.8 vs 13.1 ± 1.3). Results demonstrate that drafting has a significant effect on performance in highly trained runners.

Conclusion:

This effect could not be explained by a reduced energy expenditure or cardiorespiratory effort as a result of drafting. This raises the possibility that drafting may aid running performance by both physiological and nonphysiological (ie, psychological) effects.
The filling strategy of the Borexino experiment
Authors: Ianni Andrea , Pallavicini Marco
Published: June 2014

The detection of solar neutrinos by means of a liquid scintillator requires very low levels of radioactivity throughout the whole active volume. The selection of clean detector materials and the purification of the scintillator are necessary, but not sufficient conditions. It is also crucial that during the filling operations the scintillator is not contaminated, either by air or by getting in contact with dirty surfaces. This paper describes the procedures which we adopted to minimize these risks and achieve very good levels of radio-purity which we finally got in Borexino.
EMOTIONAL STRATEGIES AS CATALYSTS FOR COOPERATION IN SIGNED NETWORKS
Authors: RIGHI SIMONE , TAKÁCS KÁROLY
Published: June 2014

The evolution of unconditional cooperation is one of the fundamental problems in science. A new solution is proposed to solve this puzzle. We treat this issue with an evolutionary model in which agents play the Prisoner's Dilemma on signed networks. The topology is allowed to co-evolve with relational signs as well as with agent strategies. We introduce a strategy that is conditional on the emotional content embedded in network signs. We show that this strategy acts as a catalyst and creates favorable conditions for the spread of unconditional cooperation. In line with the literature, we found evidence that the evolution of cooperation most likely occurs in networks with relatively high chances of rewiring and with low likelihood of strategy adoption. While a low likelihood of rewiring enhances cooperation, a very high likelihood seems to limit its diffusion. Furthermore, unlike in nonsigned networks, cooperation becomes more prevalent in denser topologies.
Synergy-Driven Myoelectric Control for EMG-Based Prosthetic Manipulation: A Case Study
Authors: Li Shunchong , He Jiayuan , Sheng Xinjun , Liu Honghai , Zhu Xiangyang
Published: June 2014

The paper proposes a synergy-based myoelectric control strategy for prosthetic hands. Synergy is first reviewed in the context of hand movement, then postural synergy-based proportional and simultaneous control has been introduced to prosthetic manipulation via the principal component analysis (PCA) framework. Experiments have been comprehensively carried out on lab-developed prosthetic hand called SJU-5 to evaluate the proposed method. It is evident that the synergy driven myoelectric control achieves the targeted objectives and performs well on the SJU-5 prosthetic hand.
Characterization algorithms for shift radix systems with finiteness property
Authors: Weitzer Mario
Published: June 2014

For d ∈ ℕ and r ∈ ℝd, let τr : ℤd → ℤd, where τr(a) = (a2, …, ad, -⌊ra⌋) for a = (a1, …, ad), denote the (d-dimensional) shift radix system associated with r. τr is said to have the finiteness property if and only if all orbits of τr end up in (0, …, 0); the set of all corresponding r ∈ ℝd is denoted by [Formula: see text], whereas 𝒟d consists of those r ∈ ℝd for which all orbits are eventually periodic. [Formula: see text] has a very complicated structure even for d = 2. In the present paper, two algorithms are presented which allow the characterization of the intersection of [Formula: see text] and any closed convex hull of finitely many interior points of 𝒟d which is completely contained in the interior of 𝒟d. One of the algorithms is used to determine the structure of [Formula: see text] in a region considerably larger than previously possible, and to settle two questions on its topology: It is shown that [Formula: see text] is disconnected and that the largest connected component has non-trivial fundamental group. The other is the first algorithm characterizing [Formula: see text] in a given convex polyhedron which terminates for all inputs. Furthermore, several infinite families of "cutout polygons" are deduced settling the finiteness property for a chain of regions touching the boundary of 𝒟2.
On the cardinality of a factor set in the symmetric group
Authors: Yordzhev Krasimir
Published: June 2014

Let n be a positive integer, σ be an element of the symmetric group [Formula: see text] and let σ be a cycle of length n. The elements [Formula: see text] are σ-equivalent, if there are natural numbers k and l, such that σk α = βσl, which is the same as the condition to exist natural numbers k1 and l1, such that α = σk1 βσl1. In this work, we examine some properties of the so-defined equivalence relation. We build a finite oriented graph Γn with the help of which is described an algorithm for solving the combinatorial problem for finding the number of equivalence classes according to this relation.
DISCERNMENT OF POSSIBLE ORGANIC MAGNETIC FIELD EFFECT MECHANISMS USING POLYMER LIGHT-EMITTING ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
Authors: GENG R. , SUBEDI R. C. , LIANG S. , NGUYEN T. D.
Published: June 2014

We report studies of magnetic field effect (MFE) in polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLEC) using the "super-yellow" poly-(phenylene vynilene) (SY-PPV) polymer in vertical and planar device configurations. The purpose is to discern the existing MFE mechanisms in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) where the current and electroluminescence are strongly modulated by a small applied magnetic field. In particular, we investigate the mutual relationship between magneto-conductance (MC) and magneto-electroluminescence (MEL) by studying the role of polaron density dissociated from polaron pairs (PP) on these magnetic responses. In general, the dissociated polaron density is determined by the PP dissociation rate and the PP density. For the planar PLEC, which possesses a small dissociation rate, we observe small and negative MC at all applied voltages regardless of the emission intensity, while MEL becomes positive when electroluminescence quantum efficiency increases. The MC has a much narrower width than the MEL, indicating that the MC and MEL do not share a common origin. However, MC reverses and has the same width as MEL when the device is exposed to a threshold laser power. For the vertical PLEC, characterized by a large dissociation rate, MC and MEL are positive and have the same width. We discuss the results using the existing MFE mechanism in OLEDs. We show that the PP model can explain the positive MEL and MC, while the negative MC can be explained by the bipolaron model. Finally, we present a possibility to complete an all-organic PLEC magnetic sensor by using an inkjet printer.
Expanding application of the Wiggers diagram to teach cardiovascular physiology
Authors: Mitchell Jamie R. , Wang Jiun-Jr
Published: June 2014

Dr. Carl Wiggers' careful observations have provided a meaningful resource for students to learn how the heart works. Throughout the many years from his initial reports, the Wiggers diagram has been used, in various degrees of complexity, as a fundamental tool for cardiovascular instruction. Often, the various electrical and mechanical plots are the novice learner's first exposure to simulated data. As the various temporal relationships throughout a heartbeat could simply be memorized, the challenge for the cardiovascular instructor is to engage the learner so the underlying mechanisms governing the changing electrical and mechanical events are truly understood. Based on experience, we suggest some additions to the Wiggers diagram that are not commonly used to enhance cardiovascular pedagogy. For example, these additions could be, but are not limited to, introducing the concept of energy waves and their role in influencing pressure and flow in health and disease. Also, integrating concepts of exercise physiology, and the differences in cardiac function and hemodynamics between an elite athlete and normal subject, can have a profound impact on student engagement. In describing the relationship between electrical and mechanical events, the instructor may find the introduction of premature ventricular contractions as a useful tool to further understanding of this important principle. It is our hope that these examples can aid cardiovascular instructors to engage their learners and promote fundamental understanding at the expense of simple memorization.
The Integration of Technology and Management in the Competitiveness of the United States Short Staple Yarn Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Tangboonritruthai Suvalee T. , Oxenham William , Cassill Nancy L. , Parrish Erin D.
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether a balance of technology and management could be used in order to sustain a viable United States (US) short staple yarn production industry. The methodology used in this study consisted of primary research comprising two phases. The first phase consisted of interviews with industry executives in order to find out what US yarn manufacturers think are the important factors in maintaining a competitive yarn industry. The second phase was an online survey with industry customers in order to find out why weavers and knitters buy from US manufacturers. Results reveal that US manufacturers have competitive advantages over other countries because of skill level of workforce, variety of products offered, customer relationships, innovation and technology, and product quality. In order to keep these competitive advantages, “technology” and “management” strategies should be implemented. Results also reveal the areas in which the US yarn manufacturers should focus their resources in order to stay competitive or indeed survive.
Modified Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Treatment of Some Organic Dyes in Wastewater
Authors: Mohammed M. I. , Abdul Razak Adnan A. , Hussein Al-Timimi Dhiyaa A.
Published: June 2014

In Iraq, a large quantity of basic orange and methyl violet dyes contaminated wastewater from textile industries is discharged into Tigris River. So the aim of this work is to found an efficient and fast technique that can be applied directly for removal of such dyes from the wastewater before discharging into river. Accordingly, CNTs as a new approach prepared by CCVD technique were purified, functionalized, and used as adsorption material to remove dyes from wastewater. The effect of pH, contact time, CNTs dosage, and dyes concentration on removal of pollutants was studied. The removal percentage of both dyes was proportional to the contact time, CNTs dosage, and pH and inversely proportional to the dyes concentration. The results show that the equilibrium time was 20 and 30 min for basic orange and methyl violet dyes, respectively, and the maximum removal percentage for all dyes concentrations was at pH = 8.5 and CNTs dosage of 0.25 g/L and 0.3 g/L for methyl violet and basic orange dye, respectively. The adsorption isotherm shows that the correlation coefficient of Freundlich model was higher than Langmuir model for both dyes, indicating that the Freundlich model is more appropriate to describe the adsorption characteristics of organic pollutants.
A Case of Recurrent Renal Aluminum Hydroxide Stone
Authors: Cakıroglu Basri , Dogan Akif Nuri , Tas Tuncay , Gozukucuk Ramazan , Uyanik Bekir Sami
Published: June 2014

Renal stone disease is characterized by the differences depending on the age, gender, and the geographic location of the patients. Seventy-five percent of the renal stone components is the calcium (Ca). The most common type of the stones is the Ca oxalate stones, while Ca phosphate, uric acid, struvite, and sistine stones are more rarely reported. Other than these types, triamterene, adenosine, silica, indinavir, and ephedrine stones are also reported in the literature as case reports. However, to the best of our knowledge, aluminum hydroxide stones was not reported reported before. Herein we will report a 38-years-old woman with the history of recurrent renal colic disease whose renal stone was determined as aluminum hydroxide stone in type. Aluminum mineral may be considered in the formation of kidney stones as it is widely used in the field of healthcare and cosmetics.
Salivary Melatonin and the Severity of Attachment Loss: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Golpasand-Hagh Leila , Zakavi Faramarz , Daraeighadikolaei Arash , Ahangarpour Akram , Hajati Sara , Daraeighadikolaei Arsham
Published: June 2014

Background. Melatonin (MT: N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a neuroendocrine hormone secreted mainly by the pineal gland in the brain. MT is produced with a circadian rhythm characterized by elevated blood levels during the night. In healthy individuals, maximal secretion of MT occurs between midnight and 2:00 am, whereas the minimal production occurs during the day. MT can be determined by repeated measurement of plasma or salivary MT or urine sulfatoxy-melatonin. Melatonin has powerful antioxidant effects, has an immunomodulatory role, stimulates the synthesis of type I collagen fibers, and promotes bone formation. Melatonin is also secreted in the saliva, although its role in the mouth is not known well. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between salivary melatonin level and periodontal diseases.Methods. Fifty subjects by mean age of40.44±6.38years were equally divided into 5 groups: 10 healthy subjects, 10 subjects with gingivitis, 10 subjects with localized moderate chronic periodontitis, 10 subjects with generalized moderate chronic periodontitis, and 10 subjects with generalized severe chronic periodontitis. Saliva samples were collected from all the subjects and melatonin levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Two-way and one-way ANOVA and Tukey test were used to analyze relationships among variables.Results. Healthy subjects had significantly higher salivary melatonin level (5.29±0.50 pg/mL) compared to patients with gingivitis (4.35±0.30 pg/mL) (P<0.001). The difference between salivary melatonin level in patients with gingivitis and periodontitis was significant (P<0.001). Level of melatonin in patients with generalized severe chronic periodontitis (3.39±0.10 pg/mL) was significantly lower than that in other groups (P<0.01).Conclusions. This study determined that salivary melatonin level in patients with periodontal diseases is lower than that in healthy subjects. Consequently we conclude that there is a negative correlation between melatonin level and the severity of disease, suggesting that melatonin might have a protective role against periodontal diseases, although further research is required to validate this hypothesis.
Fabrication of Metal Microtool Applying Wire Electrochemical Machining
Authors: Liu Zhuang , Zeng Yongbin , Zhang Wenbao
Published: June 2014

Metal microtools with various shapes can be used for micromachining technologies due to their specific characteristics. Wire electrochemical machining (wire ECM) shows high potential to produce complex microstructures with repetitive usage of wire electrode and absence of thermal effects. This study presented an investigation of feasibility on fabricating metal microtool with various shapes using microwire ECM process. The experiments were conducted under a condition of ø300 μm tungsten rod as anodic specimen, ø20 μm tungsten wire as cathode, KOH as electrolytic solution, and ultrashort pulsed current as power supply. Effects of pulse-on time, applied voltage, wire feeding rate, and solution concentration on overcut and machining stability were evaluated in order to obtain optimal process parameters. Microtools with various shapes were fabricated thereafter with the optimal condition. The results reveal that the presented approach is capable of producing microtools with complex shapes effectively.
Fixed Point Theorems for Contractions of Rational Type with PPF Dependence in Banach Spaces
Authors: Rocha J. , Rzepka B. , Sadarangani K.
Published: June 2014

We prove the existence of the PPF dependent fixed point in the Razumikhin class for contractions of rational type in Banach spaces, by using a general class of pairs of functions. Our result has as particular cases a great number of interesting consequences which extend and generalize some results appearing in the literature.
Molecular Analysis of VanA Outbreak ofEnterococcus faeciumin Two Warsaw Hospitals: The Importance of Mobile Genetic Elements
Authors: Wardal Ewa , Markowska Katarzyna , Żabicka Dorota , Wróblewska Marta , Giemza Małgorzata , Mik Ewa , Połowniak-Pracka Hanna , Woźniak Agnieszka , Hryniewicz Waleria , Sadowy Ewa
Published: June 2014

Vancomycin-resistantEnterococcus faeciumrepresents a growing threat in hospital-acquired infections. Two outbreaks of this pathogen from neighboring Warsaw hospitals have been analyzed in this study. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) ofSmaI-digested DNA, multilocus VNTR analysis (MLVA), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed a clonal variability of isolates which belonged to three main lineages (17, 18, and 78) of nosocomialE. faecium. All isolates were multidrug resistant and carried several resistance, virulence, and plasmid-specific genes. Almost all isolates shared the same variant of Tn1546transposon, characterized by the presence of insertion sequence ISEf1and a point mutation in thevanAgene. In the majority of cases, this transposon was located on 50 kb or 100 kb pRUM-related plasmids, which lacked, however, theaxe-txetoxin-antitoxin genes. 100 kb plasmid was easily transferred by conjugation and was found in various clonal backgrounds in both institutions, while 50 kb plasmid was not transferable and occurred solely in MT159/ST78 strains that disseminated clonally in one institution. Although molecular data indicated the spread of VRE between two institutions or a potential common source of this alert pathogen, epidemiological investigations did not reveal the possible route by which outbreak strains disseminated.
4-Hydroxychalcone Attenuates Hyperaldosteronism, Inflammation, and Renal Injury in Cryptochrome-Null Mice
Authors: Qu Qi , Dai Bingguang , Yang Bo , Li Xuelian , Liu Yimin , Zhang Fuling
Published: June 2014

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the preventive effects of 4-hydroxychalcone (4HCH) on resistant hypertension. We used cryptochrome-null mice, which characteristically show high plasma aldosterone levels, inflammation, and renal injury. The cryptochrome-null mice received high-salt treatment and were treated orally with 4HCH 10 mg/kg, 4HCH 20 mg/kg, and 4HCH 40 mg/kg, respectively. The salt administration in cryptochrome-null mice is able to induce an increase in systolic pressure which is associated with hyperaldosteronism, inflammation, and kidney injury. Treatment with 40 mg/kg 4HCH reduced systolic hypertension, serum IL-1β, and TNF-αlevels and suppressed the activation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and renal injury. The impact of 4HCH on the hyperaldosteronism, inflammation, and kidney injury provides new insights for future development of therapeutic strategies in resistant hypertension.
State Security, Information, and Repression: A Comparison of Communist Bulgaria and Ba'thist Iraq
Authors: Dimitrov Martin K. , Sassoon Joseph
Published: June 2014

The centrality of a strong state security apparatus to the maintenance of authoritarian rule via the threat or use of repression has been highlighted in classic studies of single-party regimes as well as in more recent analyses of authoritarian resilience in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. This article focuses on two other fundamental questions related to the operation of state security forces in single-party autocracies during the Cold War. First, how did the state security agencies of East Germany and Saddam Hussein's Iraq collect information? Second, how was this information used? The article underscores the importance of the recruitment of informants for the state security apparatus, and it also reveals how information affects decisions about the deployment of repression. These single-party autocracies continuously extracted information by recruiting ordinary citizens to participate (voluntarily or involuntarily) as informants in the state security networks and used the information gathered to mete out repression.
Mao, Chinese Communism, and the USSR
Authors: Bernstein Thomas P.
Published: June 2014

This review essay evaluates a lengthy new biography of the Chinese leader Mao Zedong and his impact on Sino-Soviet relations. The lead author of the book, Aleksandr Pantsov, is one of the foremost Russian experts on China and Soviet policy toward East Asia, and his coauthor, Steven I. Levine, is a distinguished scholar of the history of Communist China. The authors have amassed a wealth of primary evidence, especially from the former Soviet archives, and have produced a first-rate book.
Malawi’s Shire River Fluctuations and Climate
Authors: Jury Mark R.
Published: June 2014

Hydrological fluctuations of Malawi’s Shire River and climatic drivers are studied for a range of time and space scales. The annual cycles of basin rainfall and river flow peak in summer and autumn, respectively. Satellite and model products at <50-km resolution resolve the water deficit in this narrow valley. The leading climate index fitting Shire River flow anomalies is the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) Palmer drought severity index, based on interpolated gauge rainfall minus Penman–Monteith potential evapotranspiration. Climate variables anticipate lake level changes by 2 months, while weather variables anticipate river flow surges by 2 days. Global climate patterns related to wet years include a Pacific La Niña cool phase and low pressure over northeastern Africa. Shire River floods coincide with a cyclonic looping wind pattern that amplifies the equatorial trough and draws monsoon flow from Tanzania. Hot spells are common in spring: daytime surface temperatures can reach 60°C causing rapid desiccation. An anticyclonic high pressure cell promotes evaporation losses of ~20 mm day−1 over brief periods. Flood and drought in Malawi are shown to be induced by the large-scale atmospheric circulation and rainfall in the surrounding highlands. Hence, early warning systems should consider satellite and radar coverage of the entire basin.
Surveying the knowledge landscape in sub-Saharan Africa: methodology
Authors: Kebede Derege , Zielinski Chris , Mbondji Peter Ebongue , Sanou Issa , Kouvividila Wenceslas , Lusamba-Dikassa Paul-Samson
Published: June 2014

Objective

To describe in detail the methods followed in each of the qualitative and quantitative surveys of national health information, research and knowledge systems and research institutions.

Design

Cross-sectional surveys.

Setting

National health information and research systems, and 847 health research institutions in 42 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region.

Participants

Key informants from health research institutions, ministries of health and statistical offices.

Main outcome measures

Stewardship, financing, ethics, human and material resources and output of health information and research systems.

Results

Key informants were used to collect data to assess national research systems in 44 countries in the Region. The same method was followed in assessing national information systems in 17 countries and knowledge systems for health in 44 countries. These assessments included a detailed review of the state of data sources in the Region and their effect on measuring progress on the health-related Millennium Development Goals. A concurrent survey employed a structured questionnaire (the WHO Health Research Systems Analysis Questionnaire) to assess the capacity of 847 health research institutions in 42 countries. Stewardship, financing, ethics, human and material resources and research output were assessed.

Conclusions

The logistics and resources involved in surveying the knowledge landscape in the 42 countries were substantial. However, the investment was worthwhile as the results of the surveys can be used to inform policy-making and decision-making, as well as to establish a regional database of national health information, research and knowledge systems.
Local History of a Global Commodity
Authors: Bhattacharya Bhaswati
Published: June 2014

When was large scale production of coffee introduced in India, and what role did global capital play in the process? How did indigenous capital respond to the plantation sector? Taking a petition submitted by some European coffee planters of the Mysore Planters’ Association in December 1864 as a point of departure this article attempts at answering these questions by analysing the initial phase of the coffee industry in Mysore and Coorg in Karnataka. The petitioners claimed that the tax they paid on coffee was much higher than coffee planters elsewhere in India had to pay. The authorities concerned sought experts’ opinion on the petition, and came to the conclusion that the claims made in the petition were baseless. By comparing the role of the European and Indian enterprise in the coffee industry, the article contributes to the ongoing discourses on dual economy and the response of indigenous capital in the face of Western capital.
Organizational remembering as narrative: ‘Storying’ the past in banking
Authors: Adorisio Anna Linda Musacchio
Published: June 2014

This article focuses on organizational remembering in banking. To provide an alternative to the repository image of memory in organization, organizational remembering is conceptualized as narrative, where narrative represents a way to organize the selection and interpretation of the past. The narrative perspective deals with both the experiential and contextual nature of remembering by addressing concerns raised by critiques of organizational memory studies, namely, the subjective experience of remembering and the social and historical context in which remembering takes place. Antenarrative and microhistory methods are employed to discuss narrative fragments of remembering that deviate from consolidated narratives and indicate normal exceptions and an ‘ante’ state of affairs. Based on the study of narrative fragments of remembering in two different banking contexts, the article illustrates how the narrative perspective reveals ruptures and ambiguities that characterize organizational remembering that would remain hidden in the organizational memory studies approach.
Talking objects: Towards a post-social research framework for exploring object narratives
Authors: Humphries Clare , Smith Aaron C. T.
Published: June 2014

In this article, we examine how to give objects a voice in organizational narrative. We track our encounter with a 914 Xerox copier, a redundant technological object that was scripted into a desired historical narrative within a corporate exhibit. Despite the 914’s apparent mnemonic and institutional efficacy, we questioned whether it might constitute more than a narrative repository. Might material objects in organizations also participate in narrative production? In this article, we advocate a post-social approach to narrative methodology that recognizes objects—such as the 914—as non-human actors in organizational sense-making. After reviewing post-sociality’s central premises, we propose three domains through which an object narrative can be elicited: object materiality, object practices and object biography. First, we suggest that object materiality can highlight the significant, networks of forces, materials and people—and therefore episodes and actors—that engage with and through objects. Second, we argue that people and objects are enmeshed in sequenced, workplace activities, and therefore through object practice humans define what stories objects can tell while objects reciprocally influence the latitude of human performance. Third, we propose that object biography provides a strategy to map the connections and transitions that occur over the life-course of an object, which can, in turn, unravel a changing web of organizational relations. Our aim is to provide methodological guidance to narrative researchers seeking to augment their organizational analyses by scrutinizing human–object enmeshment.
Minireview: Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein: Regulation and Function in the Pancreatic β-Cell
Authors: Shalev Anath
Published: June 2014

Pancreatic β-cells are responsible for insulin production, and loss of functional β-cell mass is now recognized as a critical step in the pathogenesis of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, the factors controlling the life and death of the pancreatic β-cell have only started to be elucidated. Discovered as the top glucose-induced gene in a human islet microarray study 12 years ago, thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) has now emerged as such a key player in pancreatic β-cell biology. Since then, β-cell expression of TXNIP has been found to be tightly regulated by multiple factors and to be dramatically increased in diabetic islets. Elevated TXNIP levels induce β-cell apoptosis, whereas TXNIP deficiency protects against type 1 and type 2 diabetes by promoting β-cell survival. TXNIP interacts with and inhibits thioredoxin and thereby controls the cellular redox state, but it also belongs to the α-arrestin family of proteins and regulates a variety of metabolic processes. Most recently, TXNIP has been discovered to control β-cell microRNA expression, β-cell function, and insulin production. In this review, the current state of knowledge regarding regulation and function of TXNIP in the pancreatic β-cell and the implications for drug development are discussed.
Indium(III)-Catalyzed Cationic Cyclization of 1,1-Difluoroallenes: Regioselective Synthesis of 1-Fluoronaphthalenes
Authors: Fuchibe Kohei , Mayumi Yuka , Yokota Misaki , Aihara Hiromichi , Ichikawa Junji
Published: June 2014

1,1-Difluoroallenes underwent InBr3-catalyzed ring construction via in situ-generated allylic CF2 cations to give 1-fluoronaphthalenes in good yield. DFT calculations suggested that a positive charge was localized on the CF2 carbon in the key allylic CF2 cation, which was stabilized by (1) α-cation stabilizing effect of the fluorines and (2) hyperconjugation with the adjuscent C–In σ bond.
How do comprehensive and acute stroke units differ? A critical review
Authors: West Tanya , Langhorne Peter , Bernhardt Julie
Published: June 2014

Background:

Stroke unit care is advocated for all acute stroke patients. Varying models of stroke unit care exist and there is a need to identify how these models differ and how these differences may affect patient outcomes. This review explores the difference between the comprehensive stroke unit model, which includes rehabilitation, and the acute stroke unit model, which does not.

Content:

A review of descriptive information regarding comprehensive and acute stroke units was performed to determine the differences in the underlying components of care.

Conclusion:

A greater emphasis on acute medical care appears to exist in the acute stroke unit, with higher levels of nurse staffing, earlier assessment and investigation, more intensive physiological monitoring and an increased use of thrombolysis and anti-platelet therapy. In contrast, the availability of a period of rehabilitation in the comprehensive stroke unit appears to create a greater emphasis on rehabilitation, even in the acute phase, with greater involvement of gerontologists, rehabilitation physicians and allied health professionals, increased multidisciplinary staff education and training, greater patient and carer participation in rehabilitation, and early mobilisation protocols.
Foundations for work-related practice: occupational therapy and physiotherapy entry-level curricula
Authors: Adam Kerry , Strong Jenny , Chipchase Lucy
Published: June 2014

Aims/background:

Occupational therapy (OT) and physiotherapy (PT) curricula content and preparedness for work-related practice and occupational health and safety (OHS) are not well documented. This study aimed to identify content and other elements of entry-level curricula in 23 OT and 17 PT programmes from Australia and New Zealand, and to identify educators' perceptions of OT and PT graduates' preparedness for work-related practice and OHS topics.

Method:

A telephone survey collected curricula content as well as teaching and assessment methods from 19 OT and PT work-related practice educators. Educators reported perceptions of new graduate preparedness for 22 topics in the field of work-related practice identified in an earlier study. Results included descriptive statistics and thematic analyses.

Findings:

Educators reported a high rate of inclusion (81%) of work-related practice topics in curricula. The main teaching method was theory (99.5%) and other methods included hands-on practical work with students and fieldwork with clients. Educators reported similar assessment processes across programmes. New graduates were prepared for practice with minimal supervision in the majority of topics (81%).

Conclusions:

Work-related practice content was included strongly and consistently in OT and PT entry-level curricula. However, as the majority of content was embedded in other courses, topics may not have been explicit and identifiable to students. New graduates were perceived to be prepared for practice with minimal supervision. This finding will assist employers to understand new graduates' preparedness for practice and needs for further development. Preparedness for practice in this field was similar to expectations of preparedness for other practice areas.
Musculoskeletal Shoulder Problems
Authors: Cole Sally
Published: June 2014

Musculoskeletal shoulder problems that present in general practice require an eclectic approach to their management that includes practice nurses, general practitioners and physiotherapists. This article will address a number of commonly presenting shoulder problems, giving brief details of each, and suggesting ways in which the practice nurse can assist in the overall patient management. Attention will primarily focus on glenohumeral dysfunction, and orthopaedic conditions such as fractures will not be covered. A brief review of the anatomy allows clarification of structures.
Cultural attitudes to the menopause
Authors: Paniagua Hilary
Published: June 2014

Hilary Paniagua explains the role of social psychology in ‘menopausal’ symptoms.
Invite to a revolution
Authors: Richards Sue
Published: June 2014

Nursing history is is being made and ‘the nurses on the ground’ can and should take an active part in shaping it. Sue Richards looks at the issues at stake.