bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nanofiber Cathode Catalyst Layer Model for a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
Authors: Dever Dennis O. , Cairncross Richard A. , Elabd Yossef A.
Published: March 2014

The cathode catalyst layer in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is now known to contain ionomer nanofibers and experiments have demonstrated a fuel cell performance increase of ∼10% due to those nanofibers. The experiments demonstrate that ionomer nanofibers have proton conductivities that exceed those of the bulk form of the ionomer by more than an order of magnitude. A new model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is presented here that predicts the effect of nanofibers on cell performance in terms of the enhanced nanofiber proton conductivity and other relevant variables. The model peak cell power density is ∼7% greater for the case with 10% of the cathode catalyst layer ionomer in nanofiber form versus the same case without nanofibers. This difference is consistent with trends observed in previously published experimental results. These results are significant since they suggest alternative methods to reduce platinum loading in fuel cells and to optimize fuel cell performance.
Midsole Thickness Affects Running Patterns in Habitual Rearfoot Strikers During a Sustained Run
Authors: TenBroek Trampas M. , Rodrigues Pedro A. , Frederick Edward C. , Hamill Joseph
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to: (1) investigate how kinematic patterns are adjusted while running in footwear with THIN, MEDIUM, and THICK midsole thicknesses and (2) determine if these patterns are adjusted over time during a sustained run in footwear of different thicknesses. Ten male heel-toe runners performed treadmill runs in specially constructed footwear (THIN, MEDIUM, and THICK midsoles) on separate days. Standard lower extremity kinematics and acceleration at the tibia and head were captured. Time epochs were created using data from every 5 minutes of the run. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used (P < .05) to determine differences across footwear and time. At touchdown, kinematics were similar for the THIN and MEDIUM conditions distal to the knee, whereas only the THIN condition was isolated above the knee. No runners displayed midfoot or forefoot strike patterns in any condition. Peak accelerations were slightly increased with THIN and MEDIUM footwear as was eversion, as well as tibial and thigh internal rotation. It appears that participants may have been anticipating, very early in their run, a suitable kinematic pattern based on both the length of the run and the footwear condition.
Determining the Solution Space for a Coordinated Whole Body Movement in a Noisy Environment: Application to the Upstart in Gymnastics
Authors: Hiley Michael J. , Yeadon Maurice R.
Published: March 2014

The upstart is a fundamental skill in gymnastics, requiring whole body coordination to transfer the gymnast from a swing beneath the bar to a support position above the bar. The aim of this study was to determine the solution space within which a gymnast could successfully perform an upstart. A previous study had shown that the underlying control strategy for the upstart could be accounted for by maximizing the likelihood of success while operating in a noisy environment.1 In the current study, data were collected on a senior gymnast and a computer simulation model of a gymnast and bar was used to determine the solution space for maximizing success while operating in a noisy environment. The effects of timing important actions, gymnast strength, and movement execution noise on the success of the upstart were then systematically determined. The solution space for the senior gymnast was relatively large. Decreasing strength and increasing movement execution noise reduced the size of the solution space. A weaker gymnast would have to use a different technique than that used by the senior gymnast to produce an acceptable success rate.
Upper Extremity Kinematics and Kinetics During the Performance of a Stationary Wheelie in Manual Wheelchair Users With a Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Lalumiere Mathieu , Gagnon Dany H. , Routhier François , Bouyer Laurent , Desroches Guillaume
Published: March 2014

No comprehensive biomechanical study has documented upper extremity (U/E) kinematics and kinetics during the performance of wheelchair wheelies among manual wheelchair users (MWUs). The aim of this study was to describe movement strategies (kinematics), mechanical loads (kinetics), and power at the nondominant U/E joints during a wheelie among MWUs with spinal cord injury (SCI). During a laboratory assessment, 16 MWUs with SCI completed four wheelie trials on a rigid surface. Each participant’s wheelchair was equipped with instrumented wheels to record handrim kinetics, while U/E and wheelchair kinematics were recorded with a 3D motion analysis system. The greatest mean and peak total net joint moments were generated by the shoulder flexors (mean = 7.2 ± 3.5 N·m; peak = 20.7 ± 12.9 N·m) and internal rotators (mean = 3.8 ± 2.2 N·m; peak = 11.4 ± 10.9 N·m) as well as by the elbow flexors (mean = 5.5 ± 2.5 N·m; peak = 14.1 ± 7.6 N·m) during the performance of wheelies. Shoulder flexor and internal rotator efforts predominantly generate the effort needed to lift the front wheels of the wheelchair, whereas the elbow flexor muscles control these shoulder efforts to reach a state of balance. In combination with a task-specific training program that remains essential to properly learn how to control wheelies among MWUs with SCI, rehabilitation professionals should also propose a shoulder flexor, internal rotator, and elbow flexor strengthening program.
The Past and Future of Motor Learning and Control: What Is the Proper Level of Description and Analysis?
Authors: Zelaznik Howard N.
Published: March 2014

Over the past 40 years the research area of motor learning and control has developed into a field closely aligned with information processing in neuroscience. The basic, implicit assumption is that motor learning and control is the domain of the brain. Several crucial studies and developments from the past and the present are presented and discussed that highlight this position. The future of following that current path is discussed. Then, the case is made that the control of movement is not just a brain process, and thus scientists in kinesiology need to study movement behavior at a coarser level of analysis. Motor control in kinesiology should use the Newell framework and thus should examine the nature of individual attributes, environmental information, and task constraints on learning and performance of motor skills.
Physical Activity Psychology Research: Where Have We Been? Where Are We Going?
Authors: Cardinal Bradley J.
Published: March 2014

This paper offers a critical review and analysis of physical activity psychology research over the past quarter century (primarily), describes current research trends in the area, and suggests future research directions. This is a vast and ambitious task. Furthermore, the contributions come from those within kinesiology, as well as outside of kinesiology, with many new disciplines and professions advancing research agendas in this domain. There are rich and distinctive opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations in this area, opportunities that have genuine transformative potential. Following the paper's introduction, six major topics are addressed, including: what physical activity psychology is, foundational work in physical activity psychology research, trends in physical activity psychology research, behavioral specificity, physical activity prevalence, and where to go in the future. The paper concludes with a call-to-action, particularly aimed at helping to get and keep people physically active across the lifespan, which is the fundamental work of physical activity psychology.
Philokinesiology: A Perilous Place for Predictions
Authors: Kretchmar Scott
Published: March 2014

In this essay I argue that predictions for the future of the philosophy of sport (as well as kinesiology as a whole) are complicated by at least three factors. These include the emergence of what I identify as “minority voices,” the fact that appearances deceive and that going “backwards” sometimes results in moving forwards, and the emerging realization that those of us in seemingly independent research silos are actually interrelated. Philokinesiologists cannot predict where they are going without knowing where physiokinesiologists, biomeckinesiologists, pedekinesiologists, and others are moving, and visa versa. I describe this uncertain journey as an exciting adventure, one that is made all the more interesting because we will be traveling together.
Insulin: Food for Thought
Authors: Jastreboff Ania M.
Published: March 2014

Intranasal insulin improves cognitive function in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Chōng $$ an Ancient Chinese Description of the Vascular System?
Authors: Shaw Vivien
Published: March 2014

The objectives of this research are, first, to establish if the extraordinary acupuncture meridian known as Chōng $$ Penetrating Vessel or Sea of Blood, is in essence a description of certain macroscopic parts of the underlying vascular system and, second, by extension, to show that it is likely that cadaveric dissection would have been used as a tool to arrive at this understanding. Generally accepted scholarly opinion holds that the ancient Chinese rarely used dissection in order to explore the anatomy of the human body, and that the meridians are therefore invisible metaphysical structures corresponding to lines drawn on the body. However, the seminal text, ‘The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine’, describes using palpation to examine the living and dissection to examine the dead. This implies that the original authors of these texts were observing physical structures visible to the naked eye. Dissection has therefore been used to compare the descriptions of the Chōng meridian in ‘The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine’ with the vascular anatomy of the human body. Fifteen acupuncture points located on various different ordinary meridians but bearing the same name, Chōng $$ were also examined to see if they bore any relationship to the vascular system. The dissections clearly show that the Chōng meridian correlates to certain main blood vessels in the body, in particular the vena cava. Similarly, most Chōng acupuncture points have a strong correspondence with blood vessels, marking terminal arteries on the hands, feet and forehead and anastomoses on the face, body and feet. These findings strongly suggest that the ancient Chinese texts relating to this meridian are likely to have been a ‘description’ of the vascular system. Furthermore, the ancient Chinese apparently had a high degree of anatomical skill in the practice of dissection and acute powers of observation.
Using decision support for population tracking of adherence to recommended asthma guidelines
Authors: Ahmed Sara , Tamblyn Robyn , Winslade Nancy
Published: March 2014

Objective

Decision support systems linked to administrative databases provide a unique opportunity to monitor adherence to guidelines and target disease management strategies towards patients not receiving guideline-based therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the discrepancy between actual asthma treatments prescribed by primary care physicians compared to those recommended by evidence-based guidelines using a decision support tool linked to a provincial health administrative database.

Design

The drug and medical services information of individuals with asthma was identified from the provincial health database and was pushed through an asthma decision support system (ADSS). Recommendations aimed at optimising asthma treatment were generated on two index dates, 15 September 2007 (index date 1) and 15 March 2008 (index date 2).

Setting

Primary care settings in a large Canadian metropolitan area.

Participants

Individuals with asthma and provincial health insurance primary and secondary outcome measures: well controlled asthma.

Results

16 803 eligible individuals were identified on index date 1, and 18 103 on index date 2. The distribution of recommendation categories was similar on both index dates. 94% were classified as well controlled and 7% as not well controlled. Among well-controlled individuals, the largest proportion was in the maintain treatment category (63.8%), followed by the maintain/decrease treatment category (28.2%) and the decrease treatment category (2.7%). Almost all individuals who were not well controlled had the recommendation to increase treatment (88%) with a small proportion in the refer category (1%).

Conclusions

The ADSS was able to identify subgroups of patients from an administrative database that could benefit from a medication review and possible change. Decision support systems linked to an administrative database can be used to identify individuals with uncontrolled asthma or prescriptions that deviate from recommended treatment. When connected to the point of care, this can provide an opportunity for physicians to intervene early.
A review of imaging methods in analysis of works of art: Thermographic imaging method in art analysis
Authors: Gavrilov D. , Maev R.Gr. , Almond D.P.
Published: March 2014

This article discusses a number of modern techniques used for the analysis of works of art. The most widely used approaches as well as lesser known ones are outlined in terms of their applications and the kind of information on the condition of artworks that can be extracted. Special attention is paid to the method of thermographic analysis of works of pictorial art. The principles of the technique, various computational approaches, and safety concerns are discussed. A set of examples is provided for the demonstration of the capabilities of thermographic assessment, including a range of real canvas and panel paintings exhibited in museums and in private collections.
Behavioural, metabolic, and endothelial effects of the TNF-α suppressor thalidomide on rats subjected to chronic mild stress and fed an atherogenic diet
Authors: Ismail Basma , Aboul-Fotouh Sawsan , Mansour Amal A. , Shehata Hanan H. , Salman Manal I. , Ibrahim Eman A. , Hassan Olfat A. , Abdel-tawab Ahmed M.
Published: March 2014

There is accumulating evidence suggesting that depression is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to examine the hypothesis that the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α would partially explain the link between depression and atherosclerotic endothelial changes. Rats were distributed among 6 groups: (i) control group; (ii) group subjected to chronic mild stress (CMS); (iii) group fed a cholesterol–cholic acid–thiouracil (CCT diet); and (iv) CMS group fed the CCT diet and treated with the vehicle for 8 weeks. The last 2 groups were subjected to CMS–CCT and received thalidomide (THAL) or imipramine (IMIP). Rats were assessed behaviorally (sucrose preference, open field, and forced-swimming tests). TNF-α protein was assessed from the serum, aorta, and liver. Aortic TNF-α gene expression (assessed using RT–PCR), serum lipid profile, and insulin levels were measured. Endothelial function was assessed in isolated aortic rings. The THAL and IMIP groups showed ameliorated CMS–CCT-related behavioral changes. CMS–CCT-induced metabolic and endothelial dysfunctions were improved in the THAL group but were worsened in the IMIP group. RT–PCR showed a significant reduction of aortic TNF-α mRNA expression in the THAL and IMIP treatment groups. These data paralleled the findings for aortic immunohistochemistry. The THAL group, but not the IMIP group, showed improved CMS–CCT-induced changes in the vascular reactivity of the aortic rings. Thus, TNF-α provides a target link between depression, metabolic syndrome, and endothelial dysfunction. This could open a new therapeutic approach to address the comorbidities of depression.
NMDB: NETWORK MOTIF DATABASE ENVISAGED AND EXPLICATED FROM HUMAN DISEASE SPECIFIC PATHWAYS
Authors: PRATAP ABHAY , TALIYAN SETU , SINGH TIRATHA RAJ
Published: March 2014

The study of network motifs for large number of networks can aid us to resolve the functions of complex biological networks. In biology, network motifs that reappear within a network more often than expected in random networks include negative autoregulation, positive autoregulation, single-input modules, feedforward loops, dense overlapping regulons and feedback loops. These network motifs have their different dynamical functions. In this study, our main objective is to examine the enrichment of network motifs in different biological networks of human disease specific pathways. We characterize biological network motifs as biologically significant sub-graphs. We used computational and statistical criteria for efficient detection of biological network motifs, and introduced several estimation measures. Pathways of cardiovascular, cancer, infectious, repair, endocrine and metabolic diseases, were used for identifying and interlinking the relation between nodes. 3–8 sub-graph size network motifs were generated. Network Motif Database was then developed using PHP and MySQL. Results showed that there is an abundance of autoregulation, feedforward loops, single-input modules, dense overlapping regulons and other putative regulatory motifs in all the diseases included in this study. It is believed that the database will assist molecular and system biologists, biotechnologists, and other scientific community to encounter biologically meaningful information. Network Motif Database is freely available for academic and research purpose at: http://www.bioinfoindia.org/nmdb .
Extremal solutions to Liouville–Gelfand type elliptic problems with nonlinear Neumann boundary conditions
Authors: Takahashi Futoshi
Published: March 2014

Consider the Liouville–Gelfand type problems with nonlinear Neumann boundary conditions [Formula: see text] where Ω ⊂ ℝN, N ≥ 2, is a smooth bounded domain, f : [0, +∞) → (0, +∞) is a smooth, strictly positive, convex, increasing function with superlinear at +∞, and λ > 0 is a parameter. In this paper, after introducing a suitable notion of weak solutions, we prove several properties of extremal solutions u* corresponding to λ = λ*, called an extremal parameter, such as regularity, uniqueness, and the existence of weak eigenfunctions associated to the linearized extremal problem.
Effective non-vanishing of global sections of multiple adjoint bundles for quasi-polarized n-folds
Authors: Fukuma Yoshiaki
Published: March 2014

We find natural numbers m such that the dimensions of global sections of multiple adjoint bundles h0(m(KX + L)) are strictly greater than zero for any quasi-polarized n-folds (X, L) for which X is a complex normal Gorenstein projective variety of dimension n with only rational singularities and KX + L is nef.
On universal central extensions of Hom-Leibniz algebras
Authors: Casas J. M. , Insua M. A. , Pacheco Rego N.
Published: March 2014

In the category of Hom-Leibniz algebras we introduce the notion of Hom-co-representation as adequate coefficients to construct the chain complex from which we compute the Leibniz homology of Hom-Leibniz algebras. We study universal central extensions of Hom-Leibniz algebras and generalize some classical results, nevertheless it is necessary to introduce new notions of α-central extension, universal α-central extension and α-perfect Hom-Leibniz algebra due to the fact that the composition of two central extensions of Hom-Leibniz algebras is not central. We also provide the recognition criteria for these kind of universal central extensions. We prove that an α-perfect Hom-Lie algebra admits a universal α-central extension in the categories of Hom-Lie and Hom-Leibniz algebras and we obtain the relationships between both of them. In case α = Id we recover the corresponding results on universal central extensions of Leibniz algebras.
Prolactin May Be Increased in Newly Diagnosed Celiac Children and Adolescents and Decreases after 6 Months of Gluten-Free Diet
Authors: Delvecchio Maurizio , Faienza Maria Felicia , Lonero Antonella , Rutigliano Vincenzo , Francavilla Ruggiero , Cavallo Luciano
Published: March 2014

Background/Aims: Prolactin (PRL) is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. It exerts its role on the breast gland but also plays a modulatory role in autoimmune mechanisms. Celiac disease (CD) is a gluten-sensitive autoimmune enteropathy sometimes associated with autoimmune endocrinopathies. No data on PRL levels in CD patients are available at diagnosis, and no conclusive data are reported. Methods: We aimed to evaluate PRL secretion in newly diagnosed CD pediatric patients and, in the case of hyperprolactinemia, any changes in its levels while the patients were on a gluten-free diet (GFD). We recruited 67 patients and 39 healthy controls. Results: PRL was statistically higher in the CD patients (13.5 ± 9.2 ng/ml) than in the controls (8.5 ± 5.0 ng/ml). In the CD group, PRL was inversely correlated with the age at diagnosis (r = -0.326; p = 0.007). In patients with hyperprolactinemia at diagnosis, PRL decreased after 6 months of GFD. Conclusion: This paper confirms that PRL may be increased at diagnosis of CD and shows, for the first time, that it decreases after a short course of GFD. Changes in the levels of inflammatory cytokines in CD may account for changes in PRL levels. Younger patients seem more prone to develop hyperprolactinemia than older ones.
Deuterocohnia meziana (Bromeliaceae): subspecies classification and the description of the new subspecies D. meziana subsp. vogtii from northern Paraguay
Authors: Schütz Nicole
Published: March 2014

Deuterocohnia meziana is distributed in southeastern Bolivia, northern Paraguay and western Brazil. The xerophytic species colonizes dry, rocky slopes or outcrops. This study classifies four subspecies of Deuterocohnia meziana: (1) Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. meziana; (2) Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. carmineo-viridiflora, which has formerly been described as a variety; (3) Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. pedicellata, previously described as a separate species; and (4) Deuterocohnia meziana subsp. vogtii, a new subspecies from northernParaguay. In addition to notes on nomenclature, morphology and biogeography, a key to the subspecies is provided.
A new species of the genus Anthaxia Eschscholtz, 1829 from southern Africa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Anthaxiini)
Authors: BÍLÝ SVATOPLUK
Published: March 2014

Anthaxia (Haplanthaxia) vlasta sp. nov. from the southern part of the Ethiopian Region (Malawi, Republic of South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe) is described and illustrated. Its isolated position among the Ethiopian species-groups is briefly discussed.
Endoscopic CO2 Laser Management of Chemoradiation-related Cricopharyngeal Stenosis
Authors: Silver Natalie , Gal T. J.
Published: March 2014

Objective:

Treatment of head and neck cancer with chemoradiation (CRT) can result in strictures of the cervical esophagus, often at the level of the cricopharyngeus. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of endoscopic CO2 laser cricopharyngeal myotomy for stricture ablation in the setting of prior CRT.

Methods:

A retrospective review of patients who underwent endoscopic CO2 laser cricopharyngeal myotomy for dysphagia after radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Pre- and postoperative barium swallow and swallowing assessment were performed before and after surgery. Outcomes and complication rates were examined.

Results:

Endoscopic CO2 laser cricopharyngeal myotomy was performed in 10 patients with dysphagia secondary to cricopharyngeal stenosis/stricture, which developed following treatment for SCCHN with chemoradiation. All patients demonstrated radiographic improvement in stricture, with complete resolution of stricture in 9 of 10 patients. All patients noted improvement in dysphagia with 9 of 10 patients demonstrating significant advancement of diet by modified barium swallow. No complications were observed.

Conclusion:

Endoscopic CO2 cricopharyngeal myotomy can be performed safely in the setting of prior CRT, with significant improvement in swallowing in select patients. Indications and technical considerations will be discussed.
The Process of Social Identity Development in Adolescent High School Choral Singers
Authors: Parker Elizabeth Cassidy
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to describe the process of adolescent choral singers’ social identity development within three midsized, midwestern high school mixed choirs. Forty-nine interviews were conducted with 36 different participants. Secondary data sources included memoing, observations, and interviews with the choir teachers. The data analysis revealed an eight-stage process beginning with the student’s choice to audition and remain involved to the final stage, a desire to give back to the community. The central phenomenon of social identity was identified as team. Contextual conditions, including time, intensity, and size of group, strengthened participant experiences substantively. Social cliques and egos emerged as intervening conditions that impeded social identity development. Several individuals influenced participant social identity including peers, parents, school and community members, as well as the choir teacher. A temporal matrix is presented as well as propositions illustrating the development of social identity.
Bone Conduction Hearing: Device Auditory Capability to Aid in Device Selection
Authors: Syms Mark J. , Hernandez Kelly E.
Published: March 2014

Objective

To obtain identical laboratory measures of 8 (surgical and nonsurgical) bone conduction devices and relate them to clinical function.

Study Design

Each device was measured with a single laboratory system and characterized with descriptive statistics.

Setting

Laboratory.

Subjects and Methods

Seven surgical devices (Intenso, BP110, BP100, and Cordelle [Cochlear, Denver, Colorado]; Ponto Pro and Ponto Pro Power [Oticon Medical, Somerset, New Jersey]; and Alpha 2 [Sophono, Inc, Boulder, Colorado]) and 1 nonsurgical dental device (SoundBite; Sonitus Medical, Inc, San Mateo, California) constituted the independent variables. Measured maximum output and gain parameters were the dependent variables.

Results

Maximum output varied across devices in the pure‐tone average (PTA; 500‐3000 Hz) frequency range (mean, 109.7 dB re 1 µN; range, 98.8‐119.2 dB) and in the above‐PTA (4000‐8000 Hz) frequency range (mean, 102.6 dB re 1 µN; range, 88.99‐119.6 dB). Maximum gain varied in the PTA frequency range (mean, 40 dB; range, 29.1‐49.1 dB) and was higher in the frequency range above the PTA (mean, 32.0 dB; range, 20.8‐46.0 dB).

Conclusion

All devices have sufficient maximum output and gain for the PTA frequency range for single‐sided deafness (SSD). The devices differed in maximum output and gain for the frequency range above the PTA, a consideration for accommodating presbycusis and optimizing auditory function for SSD. The surgical devices have less maximum output and gain in the above‐PTA range than in the PTA range. The nonsurgical dental device had the highest output (up to 30 dB higher) and gain (up to 26 dB higher) in the above‐PTA range.
Pneumatic thigh compression reduces calf volume and augments the venous return
Authors: Lattimer Christopher R , Kalodiki Evi , Azzam Mustapha , Geroulakos George
Published: March 2014

Objectives

Reactive hyperaemia following thigh compression increases arterial inflow and venous outflow. The net effect can be measured by changes in calf volume quantified using air-plethysmography. The objective was to investigate the effect of thigh compression on venous return.

Method

The right legs of 19 consecutive volunteers (14 male), median age 31 (25–56) years, were studied in the supine position using air-plethysmography. The clinical, etiological, anatomical, pathophysiological (CEAP) class was C0. A thigh-cuff, 12 cm wide, was inflated in increments of 10 mmHg, from 0 to 80 mmHg. After each inflation step, the calf volume increased to a plateau and was recorded. At 80 mmHg, the thigh-cuff was deflated suddenly with the calf volume decreasing until baseline. Calf volume changes were recorded and stored for analysis.

Results

There was a stepwise increase in the venous volume of the calf with each incremental rise in thigh-cuff pressure up to 80 mmHg (p < .0005, Friedman). The median (interquartile range) increase in venous volume from 0 to 80 mmHg was 87 (65–113) mL (p < .0005, Wilcoxon). The volume change below the original baseline following thigh-cuff release was −16 (−12 to −25) mL (p < .0005, Wilcoxon).

Conclusions

Once optimised, intermittent pneumatic compression of the thigh may have a therapeutic role in augmenting the venous return and reducing leg swelling in patients.
Dysfunctional overnight memory consolidation in ecstasy users
Authors: Smithies Vanessa , Broadbear Jillian , Verdejo-Garcia Antonio , Conduit Russell
Published: March 2014

Sleep plays an important role in the consolidation and integration of memory in a process called overnight memory consolidation. Previous studies indicate that ecstasy users have marked and persistent neurocognitive and sleep-related impairments. We extend past research by examining overnight memory consolidation among regular ecstasy users ( n=12) and drug naïve healthy controls ( n=26). Memory recall of word pairs was evaluated before and after a period of sleep, with and without interference prior to testing. In addition, we assessed neurocognitive performances across tasks of learning, memory and executive functioning. Ecstasy users demonstrated impaired overnight memory consolidation, a finding that was more pronounced following associative interference. Additionally, ecstasy users demonstrated impairments on tasks recruiting frontostriatal and hippocampal neural circuitry, in the domains of proactive interference memory, long-term memory, encoding, working memory and complex planning. We suggest that ecstasy-associated dysfunction in fronto-temporal circuitry may underlie overnight consolidation memory impairments in regular ecstasy users.
Hokkaido’s frontiers: Blurred embodiments, shared affects and the evolution of dairy farming’s animal-human-machine
Authors: Hansen Paul
Published: March 2014

Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido is popularly viewed as a frontier space. This stems from a pre-modern conceptualization of the island as barbaric, its contemporary image as pastoral, and the downplaying of its colonization in between. In Hokkaido, dairying is an occupation that is profoundly influenced by negotiations with modernity, regional identity and the “West”. Thus, the image of the dairy industry is usually promoted through two tropes; dairy as foreign and dairy as a modern health benefit coalescing with conceptualizations of idealized foreign physical and political bodies. These perceptions link the contemporary industry to idyllic Euro-American pastoral images and imaginations. However, as in much of the northern world, Hokkaido dairy farming has rapidly industrialized. Until the 1980s Hokkaido dairy farms rarely exceeded 50 head. The norm was that members of a single farm family would intimately know their livestock through the embodied sharing of space and interaction; especially in relation to the twice daily process of milking. But, over the last generation a shift to rotary parlor milking systems has occurred. This high-tech and high-cost equipment enables the “automated” and simultaneous milking of up to 60 cattle at any given moment presided over by only four human staff whose work involves attaching suction devices and observing readouts. Such unskilled dairy workers are often not from farm families. Increasingly they are transient urban youth remaining on the job for less than a year, or international migrants with little interest in farming. This paper is based on 19 months of ethnographic and archival fieldwork and examines how the boundaries between animal, human, and technology have shifted and may further shift in Hokkaido.
Animal spirits and mimetic affinities: The semiotics of intimacy in African human/animal identities
Authors: Galaty John G
Published: March 2014

Human identities are often conceived in counter-position to objects outside the individual or the collective self with which lines of affinity or opposition, or the blurring together of both, run. Selfhood itself is forged out of the experience of “alterity” through encounters with diverse “others” with whom we identify or differentiate ourselves. With reference to the experience of East African pastoralists, this paper examines the meshing of human and animal identities, where both wild and domestic animals represent human partners and counterparts. Semiotic theories propose that there are two opposed sign functions, based on relations of contiguity and similarity. Domestic animals are “part of,” but often serve as metaphors for, pastoralist societies. Both functions describe forms of human/animal “similitudes,” via large affinities as people are seen as like, as or together with domestic animals, or via small and intimate affinities, built up through sensual experience. Sacrifice creates the ultimate intimacy, as the sacrificed animal becomes a key signifier of personal and social identities. Here, the two semiotic functions are blended to form especially powerful semiotic objects, with metonymical sources elevated to analogies identities. Livestock, then, are human metonyms that serve as especially convincing metaphors and allegories for society and personal identity. It is through relations of intimate affinity between herding peoples and their stock that the sense of what an animal is and the qualities it sensually shares with people are built up through experience and affect into memories and anticipations. Then, the nature of the beast as a set of forms, properties, ideas, and associations is elevated into indexical images of special similitude that can assume the full weight of signifying people as individuals and collectivities and in so doing brings identities within society into being.
Comparison of Landing Biomechanics Between Male and Female Dancers and Athletes, Part 2
Authors: Liederbach Marijeanne , Kremenic Ian J. , Orishimo Karl F. , Pappas Evangelos , Hagins Marshall
Published: March 2014

Background:

Fatigue is strongly linked to an increased risk of injuries, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures. Part 1 of this study identified differences in the biomechanics of landing from a jump between dancers and team athletes, particularly female athletes, which may explain the epidemiological differences in ACL injuries between dancers and team athletes and the lack of a sex disparity within dancers. However, it is not known if these biomechanical variables change differently between team athletes and dancers in the face of fatigue.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to compare dancers’ and team athletes’ resistance to fatigue and its effect on the biomechanics of single-legged drop landings. The primary hypotheses were that dancers may be more resistant than team athletes to the onset of fatigue and/or may have different biomechanical responses than athletes in landing tasks once fatigue has been achieved.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Kinematics and kinetics were recorded as 40 elite modern and ballet dancers (20 men and 20 women) and 40 team sport athletes (20 men and 20 women; National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-III) performed single-legged drop landings from a 30-cm platform before and after a fatigue protocol consisting of step-ups and vertical jumps. Unfatigued and fatigued joint kinematics and kinetics were compared between groups and sexes with multivariate analyses of variance, followed by pairwise t tests as appropriate.

Results:

Dancers took longer ( P = .023) than team athletes to reach a similar state of fatigue. Multiple kinetic (eg, increased peak knee valgus moment; P < .001) and kinematic (eg, increased lateral and forward trunk flexion; P < .001 and P = .002, respectively) parameters of landing changed with fatigue, such that both fatigued dancers and athletes landed with mechanics that were more at risk for ACL injuries as compared with before fatigue.

Conclusion:

Dancers took significantly longer to reach fatigue than team athletes. Female athletes consistently exhibited landing patterns associated with a risk for ACL injuries when compared with the other 3 groups. Fatigue changed landing mechanics similarly in both dancers and athletes, such that all groups landed with worse alignment after being fatigued.

Clinical Relevance:

Dancers are more resistant to lower extremity fatigue than athletes, and this may partially explain the lower incidence of ACL injuries in both male and female dancers compared to team athletes. The extensive training in landing technique and daily practice that dancers undergo from a young age may be responsible for the higher levels of endurance.
Strategies and tactics in social space: The case of Serbia
Authors: Cvetičanin Predrag , Spasic’ Ivana , Gavrilovic’ Danijela
Published: March 2014

The aim of this article is to bring together quantitative and qualitative methodologies in order to examine, within a broadly Bourdieusian theoretical framework, connections between positions in social space and strategies agents deploy in their everyday life. The data are derived from a study of social structure in today’s Serbia, combining survey and interviews with selected respondents. Strategies are conceptualized as a continuum ranging from a more sustained and cumulative, or ‘strategic’, pole to the unsystematic, ephemeral ‘tactical’ pole, as suggested by Michel de Certeau. On the basis of interview data, four types of life strategies are identified (individualist reactive, individualist proactive, collectivist reactive, and collectivist proactive). These strategies are presented through their generic practices and the typical habitus of the agents, along with individual portraits as illustrations. In conclusion, some theoretical implications are derived from data analysis, including departures from Bourdieu’s model.
Dynamic assembly simplification for virtual assembly process of complex product in cloud computing environment
Authors: Xiao Hong , Li Yuan , Yu Jianfeng , Zhang Jie , Tang Wenbin
Published: March 2014

Three-dimensional model–based virtual assembly process planning plays an important role in assembly design of complex product and is typically time- and resource-intensive. There are limited effective solution frameworks for delivering the three-dimensional model–based assembly process information to assembly field in order to directly guide the assembly tasks on site. A cloud service architecture for mobile three-dimensional model is proposed to address these challenges. Under this cloud computing architecture, this article introduces a dynamic assembly simplification approach, which regards the virtual assembly process of complex product as an incremental growth process of dynamic assembly. During the growth process, the current-assembled-state assembly model is simplified with appearance preserved by detecting and removing its invisible features, and the to-be-assembled components are simplified with assembly features preserved using conjugated subgraphs matching method based on MapReduce. The proposed approach has been tested on several cases, and the results show its feasibility and superiority.
Effects of Sanskrit Schooling on Cognitive and Social Processes
Authors: Mishra R.C.
Published: March 2014

The article discusses effects of Sanskrit schooling, a traditional system of education in India, which has continued for several thousand years. Sanskrit schooling continues to be in operation in India, but has been pushed out to the margins after the introduction of formal Western-type schooling by the British. A set of studies demonstrating the influence of traditional Sanskrit and formal Western forms of schooling on children’s cognitive and social processes is discussed. These specifically include studies of learning and memory, psychological differentiation, spatial language and encoding, dead reckoning, meta-cognition, social identity and prejudice, intergroup relationships and daily activities, practices and values. The article also discusses potential areas for cross-cultural collaborative research relating to psychological development of children.
Conceptualizing Partner Abuse Among South Asian Women in Hong Kong
Authors: Tonsing Jenny Chingkhannem
Published: March 2014

Purpose: This qualitative study was conducted with 14 South Asian women in Hong Kong to explore their perception and experiences of domestic violence by an intimate partner. Design: All interviews were transcribed and then coded based on the process of coding suggested by Strauss and Corbin, including both open and axial coding. Results: Data analysis resulted in two main core categories, “Women’s perception of domestic violence” and “Cultural factors that influence their help-seeking behavior,” denoting that the context in which domestic violence is experienced influences women’s perception and understanding of domestic violence. Participants also drew on the discourse of culture to explain its role in their experiences of domestic violence. Conclusion: Domestic violence is a concern among this group of South Asian women. Culturally appropriate domestic violence services and public education on domestic violence are needed for this community.
Promoting Palliative Care Worldwide Through International Nursing Education
Authors: Malloy Pam , Paice Judith , Coyle Nessa , Coyne Patrick , Smith Thomas , Ferrell Betty
Published: March 2014

Many challenges exist when providing international education to those who care for people at the end of life. Though issues related to culture and language may vary, the one commonality that crosses all nations is that its people die. In general, societies seek to provide the best care they are trained to give. Many have few resources to provide this care well. Traditions of the past influence norms and dictate policies and procedures of the present. Since its inception in 2000, the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium Project has provided palliative care education to nurses and other members of the interdisciplinary team in six of the seven continents. This article describes the efforts of this project to improve education around the globe, with the goal of providing excellent, compassionate palliative care, irrespective of location, financial status, political views, religion, race, and/or ethnicity.
“Doing the Impossible”
Authors: Dawson Lisa , Rhodes Paul , Touyz Stephen
Published: March 2014

In this study, we aimed to explore the process of recovery over time from the perspective of those who had fully recovered from chronic anorexia nervosa (AN), using stringent recovery criteria. Eight women, assessed as fully recovered from chronic AN, told their story of the process of recovery. Data were analyzed using the qualitative method, narrative inquiry. Recovery was identified as a long and complex process that spanned four phases: from being unable or unready to change, to experiencing a tipping point where motivation increased and changed in quality, allowing the women to take action against the AN and finally allowing them to reflect and rehabilitate. Results provide a framework for understanding this complex process. Findings suggest that full recovery from chronic AN is possible and emphasize the importance of hope, motivation, self-efficacy, and support from others in the recovery process.
Statewide Assessment of Professional Development Needs Related to Educating Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Brock Matthew E. , Huber Heartley B. , Carter Erik W. , Juarez A. Pablo , Warren Zachary E.
Published: March 2014

Preparing teachers to implement evidence-based practices for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pressing need. We surveyed 456 teachers and administrators in a southern state about professional development related to educating students with ASD. Specifically, we were interested in confidence in implementation of evidence-based practices, interest in accessing training on these topics, perceived benefit of different avenues of professional development, and interest in accessing these avenues. Overall, teachers were not very confident in their ability to implement evidence-based practices and address important issues for students with ASD. Surprisingly, lower confidence was not related to increased interest in training. In addition, teachers and administrators perceived workshops to be a more beneficial and attractive avenue of professional development compared with coaching, despite empirical evidence to the contrary. We offer possible explanations for these findings and share implications for administrators, technical assistance providers, and policy makers who make decisions about professional development opportunities.
Optic neuritis revealing Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease
Authors: Bouquet F , Maillart E , Vignal C , Battistella M , Meignin V , Galicier L , Gout O
Published: March 2014

Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease is a rare systemic disease with uncommon neurological involvement. We report the case of a 30-year-old Asian woman who presented a rapidly progressive loss of vision. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the optic nerve revealed an inflammation of the left optic nerve with chiasmatic involvement, without any encephalic or medullar lesion. Thoracic computed tomography scan showed bilateral axillary lymphadenopathy. Analysis of a biopsy of the axillary lymph node showed typical histological findings of Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease. There was no clinical or biological sign of associated systemic lupus erythematosus. The patient spontaneously recovered normal visual acuity in 4 weeks, with resolution of MRI abnormalities. No optic neuritis relapse or neurological event occurred in a 3-year follow-up. To our knowledge this is the first case of optic neuritis associated with Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease.
Writerly dynamics and culturally situated authentic human existence in Amalia Kahana-Carmon’s theory of creative writing
Authors: Jones Raya A
Published: March 2014

This study concerns the theorizing of selfhood (rather than creativity), especially in narrative psychology. It is argued that creative writing mediates self-understanding in distinctive ways that are different from autobiographical narration. A concept of writerly dynamics, to do with the reciprocity between writing narrative fiction and the writer’s self-understanding, is introduced and posited as a complex process that involves creative opportunism, a consolidation of an imaginal space within the texts, and mythopoesis. The theory is illustrated with a detailed case study of literary writer Amalia Kahana-Carmon, focusing on the longitudinal interplay between the artistic themes of her fiction, her theory of creative writing, and ultimately her identity as a writer, all of which should be considered as culturally situated.
The function of ornaments: A cultural psychological exploration
Authors: Glăveanu Vlad
Published: March 2014

Ornaments are ubiquitous markers of everyday life and yet frequently ignored, belittled and even contested. Moreover, current definitions locate them in the realm of the aesthetic and gratuitous. This article aims to bring ornaments to the attention of cultural psychologists by outlining a typology of their manifold functions that integrates aesthetic and utilitarian, individual and social roles. Ornaments help us to identify and locate, tell or communicate, remind and organise our action, they guide our attention, express and individualise, can generate an experience, beautify as well as re-present. These functions are illustrated with examples from a study of Easter egg decoration practices in northern Romania. In the end, the ‘meta-function’ of emergence is discussed and consideration is given to the spatial and temporal contexts of ornaments. Future opportunities for theorising ornamentation as an embodied practice characterised by repetition and rhythm are suggested.