bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Efficient Method for Systems of Variable Coefficient Coupled Burgers’ Equation with Time‐Fractional Derivative
Authors: Aminikhah Hossein , Malekzadeh Nasrin
Published: October 2013

A new homotopy perturbation method (NHPM) is applied to system of variable coefficient coupled Burgers′ equation with time‐fractional derivative. The fractional derivatives are described in the Caputo fractional derivative sense. The concept of new algorithm is introduced briefly, and NHPM is examined for two systems of nonlinear Burgers′ equation. In this approach, the solution is considered as a power series expansion that converges rapidly to the nonlinear problem. The new approximate analytical procedure depends on two iteratives. The modified algorithm provides approximate solutions in the form of convergent series with easily computable components. Results indicate that the introduced method is promising for solving other types of systems of nonlinear fractional‐order partial differential equations.
Microglial Responses after Ischemic Stroke and Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Taylor Roslyn A. , Sansing Lauren H.
Published: October 2013

Stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide. Ischemic stroke is caused by blockage of blood vessels in the brain leading to tissue death, while intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) occurs when a blood vessel ruptures, exposing the brain to blood components. Both are associated with glial toxicity and neuroinflammation. Microglia, as the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), continually sample the environment for signs of injury and infection. Under homeostatic conditions, they have a ramified morphology and phagocytose debris. After stroke, microglia become activated, obtain an amoeboid morphology, and release inflammatory cytokines (the M1 phenotype). However, microglia can also be alternatively activated, performing crucial roles in limiting inflammation and phagocytosing tissue debris (the M2 phenotype). In rodent models, microglial activation occurs very early after stroke and ICH; however, their specific roles in injury and repair remain unclear. This review summarizes the literature on microglial responses after ischemic stroke and ICH, highlighting the mediators of microglial activation and potential therapeutic targets for each condition.
In VitroAntibacterial and Antibiotic Resistance Modifying Effect of Bioactive Plant Extracts on Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus epidermidis
Authors: Chovanová Romana , Mikulášová Mária , Vaverková Štefánia
Published: October 2013

The crude extracts of plants from Asteraceae and Lamiaceae family and essential oils fromSalvia officinalisandSalvia sclareawere studied for their antibacterial as well as antibiotic resistance modifying activity. Using disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays we determined higher antibacterial effect of threeSalviaspp. and by evaluating the leakage of 260 nm absorbing material we detected effect of extracts and, namely, of essential oils on the disruption of cytoplasmic membrane. The evaluation ofin vitrointeractions between plant extracts and oxacillin described in terms of fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices revealed synergistic or additive effects of plant extracts and clearly synergistic effects of essential oil fromSalvia officinaliswith oxacillin in methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus epidermidis.
BNC Protects H9c2 Cardiomyoblasts from H2O2-Induced Oxidative Injury through ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Fangbo , Huang Bin , Zhao Ye , Tang Shihuan , Xu Haiyu , Wang Lan , Liang Rixin , Yang Hongjun
Published: October 2013

Buchang naoxintong capsule (BNC) is a traditional Chinese medicine approved for the treatment of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about the specific protective function or mechanism by which BNC protects against myocardial injury. This research was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of BNC in vitro model of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced H9c2 rat cardiomyoblasts. BNC intestinal absorption liquid was used in this study instead of drug-containing serum or extracting solution. Our study revealed that BNC preconditioning enhanced antioxidant function by increasing the activities of total-antioxygen capacity, total-superoxide dismutase, and catalase and by decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde. BNC preconditioning also activated extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and inhibited apoptosis-related proteins such as poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and caspase-3. Additionally, preincubation with BNC reduced intracellular Ca2+concentration, improved mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased the apoptosis rate of H9c2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These data demonstrated that BNC protects H9c2 cardiomyoblasts from H2O2-induced oxidative injury by increasing antioxidant abilities, activating ERK1/2, and blocking Ca2+-dependent and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Based on our results, the potency of BNC for protecting H9c2 cells from oxidative damage is comparable to that of trimetazidine.
Design and Optimization of a Process for Sugarcane Molasses Fermentation bySaccharomyces cerevisiaeUsing Response Surface Methodology
Authors: El-Gendy Nour Sh. , Madian Hekmat R. , Amr Salem S. Abu
Published: October 2013

A statistical model was developed in this study to describe bioethanol production through a batch fermentation process of sugarcane molasses by locally isolatedSaccharomyces cerevisiaeY-39. Response surface methodology RSM based on central composite face centered design CCFD was employed to statistically evaluate and optimize the conditions for maximum bioethanol production and study the significance and interaction of incubation period, initial pH, incubation temperature, and molasses concentration on bioethanol yield. With the use of the developed quadratic model equation, a maximum ethanol production of 255 g/L was obtained in a batch fermentation process at optimum operating conditions of approximately 71 h, pH 5.6, 38°C, molasses concentration 18% wt.%, and 100 rpm.
Sensor Scheduling with Intelligent Optimization Algorithm Based on Quantum Theory
Authors: Chen Zhiguo , Fu Yi , Xu Wenbo
Published: October 2013

The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm superiority exists in convergence rate, but it tends to get stuck in local optima. An improved PSO algorithm is proposed using a best dimension mutation technique based on quantum theory, and it was applied to sensor scheduling problem for target tracking. The dynamics of the target are assumed as linear Gaussian model, and the sensor measurements show a linear correlation with the state of the target. This paper discusses the single target tracking problem with multiple sensors using the proposed best dimension mutation particle swarm optimization (BDMPSO) algorithm for various cases. Our experimental results verify that the proposed algorithm is able to track the target more reliably and accurately than previous ones.
An Approach to Design and Implement RFID Middleware System over Cloud Computing
Authors: Tian Wenhong , Xue Ruini , Dong Xu , Wang Haoyan
Published: October 2013

With the development of Internet of things, the number of radio frequency identification (RFID) network readers and tags increases very fast. Large-scale application of RFID networks requires that RFID middleware system can process a large amount of data efficiently, with load-balancing, efficient redundant data elimination, and Web service capabilities so that required information can be transmitted to applications with low overhead and transparency. In view of these objectives and taking especially advantages of virtualization and transparency of Cloud computing, this paper introduces an advanced RFID middleware management system (ARMMS) over Cloud computing, which provides equipment management, RFID tag information management, application level event (ALE) management, and Web service APIs and related functions. ARMMS has different focuses than existing RFID middleware in distributed design, data filtering, integrated load balance, and Web service APIs and designs all these over Cloud. The distributed architecture can support large-scale applications, integrated load-balancing strategy guarantees stability and high performance of the system, and layered and parallel redundancy data elimination scheme makes sure that needed information is transmitted to application level with low overhead; Web service APIs support cross-platform information processing with transparency to lower level RFID hardware.
Glycolysis Back in the Limelight: Systemic Targeting of HK2 Blocks Tumor Growth
Authors: Ros Susana , Schulze Almut
Published: October 2013

Summary: In a recent issue of Cancer Cell, Patra and colleagues report findings that underscore the importance of Hexokinase 2 (HK2) in tumor initiation and maintenance. The authors also show that HK2 can be systemically deleted without adverse physiologic consequences. These findings provide attractive insights into HK2 deletion as a potential therapeutic intervention for cancer. Cancer Discov; 3(10); 1105–7. ©2013 AACR.
Direct Comparison of Adjacent Endocardial and Epicardial Electrograms: Implications for Substrate Mapping
Authors: Tokuda Michifumi , Tedrow Usha B. , Inada Keiichi , Reichlin Tobias , Michaud Gregory F. , John Roy M. , Epstein Laurence M. , Stevenson William G.
Published: October 2013

Background

Analysis of unipolar voltage maps has been used to detect epicardial scar, but data to define optimal parameters to identify scar remote from the recording site is limited. This study compares the characteristics of electrograms at endocardial sites adjacent to abnormal epicardial sites.

Methods and Results

Data obtained from endocardial and epicardial electroanatomical maps of 31 patients with scar‐related ventricular tachycardia were reviewed. Five hundred twenty‐three pairs of endo‐ and epicardial points were selected according to predefined criteria. The endocardial points adjacent to epicardial scar (bipolar voltage <1.5 
mV
) had smaller unipolar voltage than those distant from epicardial scar (
P
<0.001). In multivariable analysis, unipolar voltage was the only endocardial electrogram predictor of epicardial scar (
P
<0.001,
OR
0.94, 95%
CI
0.93 to 0.97). An endocardial unipolar amplitude <4.4 
mV
in the
right ventricular (RV)
(sensitivity 93%, specificity 76%) and <5.1 
mV
in the
left ventricular (LV)
(sensitivity 91%, specificity 75%) was the optimal cutoff predicting epicardial scar. Applying these thresholds to electroanatomical maps, revealed a good match between endocardial unipolar abnormality and epicardial scar for 67% of
LV
and 75% of
RV
maps, respectively, but notably poor matches occurred in 8 (29%) maps (7 with nonischemic cardiomyopathy). Site‐by‐site correlations were better for ischemic than nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Conclusions

This study supports the contention that unipolar electrograms are capable of indicating overlying epicardial scar during endocardial mapping, but illustrates limitations that appear to differ with nonischemic as compared to ischemic cardiomyopathy. The presence of epicardial arrhythmia substrate cannot be excluded by analysis of unipolar endocardial maps in some patients.
Inhibition of the Sur1-Trpm4 Channel Reduces Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Impairment in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Tosun Cigdem , Kurland David B. , Mehta Rupal , Castellani Rudy J. , deJong Joyce L. , Kwon Min Seong , Woo Seung Kyoon , Gerzanich Volodymyr , Simard J. Marc
Published: October 2013

Background and Purpose—

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can leave patients with memory impairments that may not recover fully. Molecular mechanisms are poorly understood, and no treatment is available. The sulfonylurea receptor 1–transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (Sur1-Trpm4) channel plays an important role in acute central nervous system injury. We evaluated upregulation of Sur1-Trpm4 in humans with SAH and, in rat models of SAH, we examined Sur1-Trpm4 upregulation, its role in barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammation, and its consequences on spatial learning.

Methods—

We used Förster resonance energy transfer to detect coassociated Sur1 and Trpm4 in human autopsy brains with SAH. We studied rat models of SAH involving filament puncture of the internal carotid artery or injection of blood into the subarachnoid space of the entorhinal cortex. In rats, we used Förster resonance energy transfer and coimmunoprecipitation to detect coassociated Sur1 and Trpm4, we measured immunoglobulin G extravasation and tumor necrosis α overexpression as measures of barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammation, and we assessed spatial learning and memory on days 7 to 19.

Results—

Sur1-Trpm4 channels were upregulated in humans and rats with SAH. In rats, inhibiting Sur1 using antisense or the selective Sur1 inhibitor glibenclamide reduced SAH-induced immunoglobulin G extravasation and tumor necrosis α overexpression. In models with entorhinal SAH, rats treated with glibenclamide for 7 days after SAH exhibited better platform search strategies and better performance on incremental and rapid spatial learning than vehicle-treated controls.

Conclusions—

Sur1-Trpm4 channels are upregulated in humans and rats with SAH. Channel inhibition with glibenclamide may reduce neuroinflammation and the severity of cognitive deficits after SAH.
Integrating the Behavioral and Neural Dynamics of Response Selection in a Dual-task Paradigm: A Dynamic Neural Field Model of Dux et al. ()
Authors: Buss Aaron T. , Wifall Tim , Hazeltine Eliot , Spencer John P.
Published: October 2013

People are typically slower when executing two tasks than when only performing a single task. These dual-task costs are initially robust but are reduced with practice. Dux et al. (2009) explored the neural basis of dual-task costs and learning using fMRI. Inferior frontal junction (IFJ) showed a larger hemodynamic response on dual-task trials compared with single-task trial early in learning. As dual-task costs were eliminated, dual-task hemodynamics in IFJ reduced to single-task levels. Dux and colleagues concluded that the reduction of dual-task costs is accomplished through increased efficiency of information processing in IFJ. We present a dynamic field theory of response selection that addresses two questions regarding these results. First, what mechanism leads to the reduction of dual-task costs and associated changes in hemodynamics? We show that a simple Hebbian learning mechanism is able to capture the quantitative details of learning at both the behavioral and neural levels. Second, is efficiency isolated to cognitive control areas such as IFJ, or is it also evident in sensory motor areas? To investigate this, we restrict Hebbian learning to different parts of the neural model. None of the restricted learning models showed the same reductions in dual-task costs as the unrestricted learning model, suggesting that efficiency is distributed across cognitive control and sensory motor processing systems.
An Alternative Index for the Contribution of Precipitation on Very Wet Days to the Total Precipitation
Authors: Leander R. , Buishand T. A. , Tank A. M. G. Klein
Published: October 2013

Daily precipitation series from more than 1800 stations across Europe are analyzed for the fraction of the total precipitation due to very wet days: that is, days with precipitation amounts exceeding the 95th percentile. This fraction is calculated on a seasonal (3-monthly) basis for the period 1961–2010. A new index S95pTOT is introduced as an alternative to the frequently used index R95pTOT. Contrary to R95pTOT, which uses a fixed climatological 95th percentile, the new index assumes a separate 95th percentile for each year. Based on a Weibull distribution fit to the wet-day precipitation amounts, an analytical expression for S95pTOT is derived. It is shown that R95pTOT is strongly influenced by changes in the mean wet-day precipitation, whereas S95pTOT is more representative of changes in the distributional shape. The results for S95pTOT do not support the conclusion for a disproportional increase of extreme precipitation over northern Europe as was concluded from the trend in R95pTOT in earlier studies. Also, the contrast between trends in northern and southern Europe in winter is less pronounced for S95pTOT than for R95pTOT.
The Use and Impact of Fast-Track Departures
Authors: Tillyer Rob , Hartley Richard
Published: October 2013

Fast-track programs allow prosecutors in authorized jurisdictions to expedite case processing for offenders charged with immigration violations. We explore whether disparities from fast-track usage exist by utilizing multilevel modeling techniques to analyze 2008 United States Sentencing Commission data on the federal sentencing of illegal entry defendants. Results indicate that the use of fast-track programs, the amount of sentence reduction applied in fast-track cases, and the overall sentence length is differentially impacted by various legal, extralegal, case processing, and district-level variables. These findings suggest some support for previous theoretical explanations for decision-making, but also indicate that these processes may differ slightly in the context of fast-track programs.
Customer sexual harassment and frontline employees’ service performance in China
Authors: Liu Xiao-Yu , Kwan Ho Kwong , Chiu Randy K
Published: October 2013

Despite researchers’ increasing attention on customer sexual harassment, few studies have investigated its effects on the service performance of frontline employees. This study examined the link between customer sexual harassment, as perceived by frontline employees, and their service performance by focusing on the mediating role of difficulty in maintaining display rules and the moderating role of traditionality. The results from a field survey of 359 supervisor–subordinate dyads in a chain of restaurants in China provided evidence that difficulty in maintaining display rules mediates the negative relationship between customer sexual harassment and service performance. In addition, Chinese traditional values attenuate the relationship between customer sexual harassment and difficulty in maintaining display rules and the mediating effect of difficulty in maintaining display rules. Implications for theory, research and management practice are discussed.
A Multilevel Model of Employee Innovation
Authors: Wallace J. Craig , Butts Marcus M. , Johnson Paul D. , Stevens Flannery G. , Smith Mickey B.
Published: October 2013

Drawing from tenets of self-determination theory, we propose and test a multilevel model that examines the effects of employee involvement climate on the individual-level process linking employee regulatory focus (promotion and prevention) to innovation via thriving. Using data collected at three points in time from 346 participants in 75 groups, multilevel path analytic results demonstrated support for a positive indirect effect from promotion focus to innovation via thriving and a negative indirect effect from prevention focus to innovation via thriving. In addition, results showed a positive indirect effect from employee involvement climate to innovation via thriving. Perhaps most important, cross-level moderated mediation results demonstrated that employee involvement climate strengthens the relationship between promotion focus and thriving, which, in turn, positively relates to innovation. The theoretical and practical implications of these multilevel effects on innovation are discussed.
Volunteer Identity Salience, Role Enactment, and Well-Being
Authors: Thoits Peggy A.
Published: October 2013

Two concepts of identity salience are linked to different outcomes in the social psychological literature. Identity accumulation research relates identity importance (one salience concept) to physical and mental health; identity theory connects readiness to invoke an identity (another salience concept) to role enactment. A “cross-over” line of research links volunteer identity importance to frequent enactment of the volunteer role. To integrate these lines of work, I propose that both types of salience spur more frequent role enactment, which in turn benefits well-being. Rating versus ranking measures of salience are contrasted. The identity of community volunteer is the focus, specifically, the role of hospital visitor for the Mended Hearts organization (N = 458). Analyses are disconfirming, instead showing hours spent visiting links to greater visitor identity salience (of both types), which relates to better mental health. Rating measures are more predictive than the ranking measure. Identity salience seems a key mechanism that links time spent in volunteer work to greater well-being.
Scintillant Cities: Glass Architecture, Finance Capital, and the Fictions of Macau’s Enclave Urbanism
Authors: Simpson Tim
Published: October 2013

This article analyzes articulations among urban enclaves, finance capital, and glass architecture by exploring MGM’s corporate investments in the Las Vegas CityCenter development and the Chinese enclave of Macau. CityCenter is an unsuccessful $9 billion master-planned urban community financed by MGM and Dubai World. Macau is a former Portuguese colony and Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China which has, since its return to the PRC in 1999, replaced Las Vegas as the world’s most lucrative site of casino gaming revenue. Taken together, CityCenter and Macau are illustrative of the political economy and cultural logics of financialization. Foreign investment from Las Vegas entrepreneurs has vitrified Macau, transforming it into a phantasmagoria of glass resorts. Macau in turn plays a crucial functional role in capitalism’s recomposition in East Asia, similar to the autochthonous role of the Italian city-states of Venice and Genoa in the historical origins of capitalism. In order to ‘read’ the cities of Las Vegas and Macau, I explore intertextual legibilities among fictitious capital that relies on glass fiber-optic technology to enable grand architectural projects; expressionist fictional representations of glass architecture and its utopian transformative potential; and glass buildings that themselves dissimulate in a manner not unlike fiction.
Left atrial size quantification using non-contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography – association with cardiovascular risk factors and gender-specific distribution in the general population: the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study
Authors: Mahabadi Amir A , Lehmann Nils , Sonneck Nina C , Kälsch Hagen , Bauer Marcus , Kara Kaffer , Geisel Marie H , Moebus Susanne , Jöckel Karl-Heinz , Erbel Raimund , Möhlenkamp Stefan
Published: October 2013

Background

Left atrial (LA) size is associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Once cardiac computed tomography (CT) is performed, information on LA size is readily available without additional contrast media or radiation exposure.

Purpose

To determine the association of CT-derived LA area and body surface area-adjusted (BSA) LA index with cardiovascular risk factors and describe age- and gender-specific normative values in a general population cohort.

Material and Methods

This study included 3945 participants (mean age, 59 ± 8 years; 53% women) from the community-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. LA area in an axial image at the level of the mitral valve was quantified from non-contrast-enhanced electron-beam CT by manual delineations of the boundaries of the LA with exclusion of subjects with prevalent cardiovascular disease. Definition of normative values was performed in subjects without predictors of LA enlargement.

Results

LA quantification was feasible in all subjects. Men had larger LA size (1856 mm2 vs. 1677 mm2, P < 0.0001), while after adjustment for BSA, this effect was inverted (910 mm2/m2 vs. 933 mm2/m2 for men and women, P < 0.0001). Determinants of body size were major predictors of LA size (body mass index [BMI]: R2 = 0.195, BSA: R2 = 0.216, both P < 0.0001). Blood pressure was associated with LA size (parameter-estimate [95% confidence interval] = 51.0 (4.9–57.1) mm2/10 mmHg for systolic, 31.4 (25.4–37.4) mm2/5 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure, 214.6 (186.9–242.3) mm2 for antihypertensive medication, P < 0.0001 for all). Cholesterol levels, lipid-lowering therapy, and diabetes were associated with LA in univariable analysis, however, correlations were low (r2 ≤ 0.026). Current smoking was associated with reduced LA size (–115.9 [–149.0 – –82.8] mm2, P < 0.0001). In multivariable regression, BMI, blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, and smoking remained associated with LA size ( P < 0.005).

Conclusion

Non-contrast-enhanced cardiac CT enables LA quantification with body size, hypertension, and smoking status being predictors of LA size.
Techniques in Electron Microscopy of Animal Tissue
Authors: Cheville N. F. , Stasko J.
Published: October 2013

Technical improvements in electron microscopy, both instrumental and preparative, permit increasingly accurate analyses. Digital images for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be processed by software programs that automate tasks and create custom tools that allow for image enhancement for brightness, contrast and coloration; for creation of rectangular, ellipsoidal or irregular area selections; and for measurement of mean area and standard deviation. Sample preparation remains a source of error since organelles and spatial arrangements of macromolecules rapidly change after anoxia. Guidelines for maintaining consistency in preparation, examination and interpretation are presented for different electron microscopy (EM) modalities.
Are Root Avulsions of the Lateral Meniscus Associated With Extrusion at the Time of Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury?
Authors: Pula David A. , Femia Ronald E. , Marzo John M. , Bisson Leslie J.
Published: October 2013

Background:

Lateral meniscal avulsions left in situ at the time of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction do well subjectively. Limited published results measure meniscal extrusion of the lateral compartment in this setting.

Purpose:

To determine whether an avulsion of the posterior root of the lateral meniscus is associated with meniscal extrusion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Study Design:

Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A prospective database of surgically treated ACL tears from 2007 to 2012 was reviewed. Isolated ACL tears without a concomitant injury were identified along with ACL tears in combination with lateral meniscal tears of the posterior root (PRLMTs). Thirty-five patients had ACL tears and PRLMTs verified arthroscopically, of which 23 patients had preoperative MRI scans available for review. From the same database, 25 isolated ACL tears with no meniscal injury were randomly chosen for comparison. Plain radiographs were reviewed for degenerative joint disease using the Kellgren-Lawrence scale. A board-certified radiologist blinded to arthroscopic findings reviewed each MRI scan using midcoronal sections to measure extrusion of the lateral meniscus. The average extrusion was calculated for each group and compared using a Student t test.

Results:

In the 48 patients reviewed, 1 patient was excluded because of a complex lateral meniscal tear that could not be measured on MRI. The remaining 47 consisted of 22 with root tears and 25 with intact menisci. None of these patients were noted to have degenerative joint disease greater than Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1. All of the patients with PRLMTs were noted to have intact meniscofemoral ligaments at the time of arthroscopic surgery. In the patients with ACL tears and PRLMTs, the average extrusion was 0.8 mm, and in the ACL tear group with an intact meniscus, the average extrusion measured 0.5 mm. No significant difference in the amount of extrusion was observed ( P = .22).

Conclusion:

At the time of acute ACL injuries, PRLMTs do not appear to result in meniscal extrusion on MRI.
An Exploratory Analysis of College Students’ Response and Reporting Behavior Regarding Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among Their Friends
Authors: Branch Kathryn A. , Richards Tara N. , Dretsch Elizabeth C.
Published: October 2013

Over the last several decades, an extensive literature has documented the prevalence of dating violence on college campuses. As a result, initiatives to promote awareness of dating violence on college campuses have proliferated and models of “bystander intervention” have been developed. Bystander intervention asserts that by giving all students information concerning the prevalence and warning signs of dating violence, these individuals will “say something” when they see problem behavior. However, a paucity of empirical research exists concerning whether students actually report their observation of dating violence among their peers. In the present study, a sample of college freshman ( n = 275) was surveyed regarding their willingness to report dating violence behaviors among their friends. Findings indicate that a slight majority of respondents report that they would report dating violence victimization among their friends to university officials (54%) and/or law enforcement (56%) while fewer indicated they would report perpetration, 38% and 42%, respectively. Importantly, respondents overwhelmingly report that they would attempt to intervene in the dating violence victimization (87%) and perpetration (84%). Implications of these findings for campus safety initiatives and bystander education models are discussed.
The Effects of E-Mentoring on Beginning Teacher Competencies and Perceptions
Authors: Hunt Jessica H. , Powell Selma , Little Mary E. , Mike Alyson
Published: October 2013

There is a critical need to mentor novice special education teachers to meet the current and projected teacher shortages. However, due to the various skill-levels of beginning special education teachers in schools and the small number of current special educators in each school who could serve as mentors, there is difficulty finding induction-level mentors that possess similar or the same teaching credentials or teaching assignments as mentees in the same schools or geographical regions. Electronic mentoring (e-mentoring) using technology initiates solutions as e-mentoring can provide synchronous and asynchronous mentoring opportunities which increase collaboration time and reduce feelings of isolation and increases efficacy among new teachers. The article presents the findings from research using a mixed methods design investigating novice special education teacher knowledge of professional competencies and the participant’s perceptions of effectiveness of induction-level mentoring through the pilot use of an electronic mentoring program.
Case study on CO2 transport pipeline network design for Humber region in the UK
Authors: Lazic Tihomir , Oko Eni , Wang Meihong
Published: October 2013

Reliable, safe and economic CO2 transport from CO2 capture points to long-term storage/enhanced oil recovery sites is critical for commercial deployment of carbon capture and storage technology. Pipeline transportation of CO2 is considered the most feasible and viable option for achieving this. However, in carbon capture and storage applications, there is concern about associated impurities and huge volumes of high pressure CO2 to be transported over distances that will likely be densely populated areas. On this basis, there is limited experience for design and economic assessment of CO2 pipeline. The Humber region in the UK is a likely site for building CO2 pipelines in the future due to large CO2 emissions in the region and its close access to depleted gas fields and saline aquifers beneath the North Sea. In this paper, various issues to be considered in CO2 pipeline design for carbon capture and storage applications are discussed. Also, different techno-economic correlations for CO2 pipelines are assessed using the Humber region as a case study. Levelized cost of CO2 pipelines calculated for the region range from 0.14 to 0.75 GBP per tonne of CO2. This is a preliminary study and is useful for obtaining quick techno-economic assessment of CO2 pipelines.
Hallidayean transitivity analysis: The Battle for Tripoli in the contrasting headlines of two national newspapers
Authors: Seo Soa
Published: October 2013

Conflicting national media positions are often reflected in the discursive patterns used in news headlines. Perhaps nowhere has this been clearer than in the recent contrasting reports of the Battle for Tripoli during the Libyan civil war of 2011. Using data collected from online articles in the British national daily newspaper The Guardian and the Chinese national daily newspaper The People’s Daily, Halliday’s transitivity analysis is deployed to analyze these patterns in the light of critical discourse studies. The results demonstrate how differences in the national contexts between these two newspapers are affirmed in the discursive choices of their news headlines. These results also highlight the concepts of positive self and negative other construed in accordance with the national positions of these two newspapers in the global structure of political power.
Palliative Care Physicians’ Practices and Attitudes Regarding Advance Care Planning in Palliative Care Units in Japan
Authors: Nakazawa Kazuhiro , Kizawa Yoshiyuki , Maeno Takami , Takayashiki Ayumi , Abe Yasushi , Hamano Jun , Maeno Tetsuhiro
Published: October 2013

To clarify physicians’ practices and attitudes regarding advance care planning (ACP) in palliative care units (PCUs) in Japan, we conducted a self-completed questionnaire survey of 203 certificated PCUs in 2010. Ninety-nine physicians participated in the survey. Although most Japanese palliative care physicians recognized the importance of ACP, many failed to implement aspects of patient-directed ACP that they acknowledged to be important, such as recommending completion of advance directives (ADs), designation of health care proxies, and implementing existing ADs. The physicians’ general preference for family-centered decision making and their feelings of difficulty and low confidence regarding ACP most likely underlie these results. The discrepancy between physicians’ practices and their recognition of the importance of ACP suggests an opportunity to improve end-of-life care.
Evaluation of the Practice Pattern of Medical Patients’ VTE Prophylaxis With a Standard Risk Assessment Model Form
Authors: Ongen Gul , Demir Muzaffer , Molinas Nil , Ince Birsen , Ongen Zeki
Published: October 2013

Hospitalized acutely ill patients face high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) unless appropriate thromboprophylaxis is applied. This study aimed to determine VTE prophylaxis practices for inpatients in Turkey and to evaluate the impact of physicians’ training via a modified “Standard Medical Patients’ VTE Risk Assessment Model (MERAM).” A total of 607 inpatients included in this national multicenter noninterventional observational registry were evaluated in terms of demographics, VTE risk, and preventive measures at 2 consecutive cross-sectional visits. Physicians were asked to complete a questionnaire on current VTE method risk assessment and other models including MERAM. The VTE prophylaxis rates significantly increased from 49.4% to 62.4% between visits ( P < .05). The lack of risk evaluation decreased from 74.6% to 19.5% ( P < .001). Percentage of physicians using prophylaxis and use of MERAM increased between visits. Physician training proved effective for providing general “awareness” of VTE prophylaxis and led to higher rates of risk assessment model-based appropriate VTE prophylaxis.
Does it Matter? Examining the Impact of China’s Vacation Policies on Domestic Tourism Demand
Authors: Zhang Chao , Singh A. J. , Yu Larry
Published: October 2013

With the domestic tourism market enjoying rapid expansion in the past decade, a number of significant changes in public policy have affected the institutionalization of public holidays and paid vacations in China. This article examines the impact of public policy in shaping domestic tourism development in China and estimates domestic tourism demand by applying a dynamic model using panel data. Three alternative models are applied to a panel data set made up of the ratio of domestic tourist departures in each of the 29 Chinese originating cities between 2001 and 2010. The empirical results exhibit the significant value of the lagged dependent variable on consumer decision and reveal the causal link between domestic tourism demand and consumer, trip-related and policy attributes. The findings clearly indicate that (a) China’s domestic tourism market is maturing, (b) the vacation policy changes adopted in 2007 have had a significant effect in changing domestic tourism demand, and (c) domestic tourism demand has been substituted by an ever-increasing outbound tourism market. Implications are discussed for policy making and destination management.
Effects of Professional Support on Nausea, Vomiting, and Quality of Life During Early Pregnancy
Authors: Liu Mei-Chun , Kuo Shih-Hsien , Lin Chao-Po , Yang Yung-Mei , Chou Fan-Hao , Yang Yi-Hsin
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a professional support (PS) intervention (including individualized health education and supportive phone calls) in reducing the severity of nausea and vomiting (NV) and improving the quality of life (QOL) of women in early pregnancy. An experimental pretest/posttest design with a control group was used. Participants were recruited from a regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. The women in the experimental group ( n = 40) received the PS intervention, while those in the control group ( n = 39) only received routine nursing care. Analysis of covariance and mixed models were used to compare the experimental and control groups while adjusting for covariates. The severity of NV and the perceived level of symptom distress were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group during weeks 2 and 4, and the women in the experimental group showed a significant improvement in their QOL in week 4 ( p < .05). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in body weight at week 4 ( p = .501). These findings provide empirical evidence in support of the effectiveness of PS in reducing the severity of NV and improving QOL for women during early pregnancy. This intervention could be routinely applied in prenatal nursing health education. Future studies could apply the concept of PS to different populations and health issues.
Evaluating the Labour Government’s English NHS health system reforms: the 2008 Darzi reforms
Authors: Mays Nicholas
Published: October 2013

Starting in 2002, the UK Labour Government of 1997–2010 introduced a series of changes to the National Health Service (NHS) in England designed to increase patients’ choices of the place of elective hospital care and encourage competition among public and private providers of elective hospital services for NHS-funded patients. In 2006, the Department of Health initiated the Health Reform Evaluation Programme (HREP) to assess the impact of the changes. In June 2008, the White Paper, High quality care for all, was published. It represented the government’s desire to focus the next phase of health care system reform in England as much on the quality of care as on improving its responsiveness and efficiency.

The 2008 White Paper led to the commissioning of a further wave of evaluative research under the auspices of HREP, as follows: an evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of care planning for people with long-term conditions; an evaluation of the personal health budget pilots; an evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) framework; and an evaluation of cultural and behavioural change in the NHS focused on ensuring high quality care for all.

This Supplement includes papers from each project.

The evaluations present a mixed picture of the impact and success of the 2008 reforms. All the studies identify some limitations of the policies in the White Paper. The introduction of personal health budgets appears to have been the least problematic and, depending on assumptions, likely to be cost-effective for the sorts of patients involved in the pilot. For the rest of the changes, impacts ranged from little or none (CQUIN and care planning for people with chronic conditions) to patchy and highly variable (instilling a culture of quality in acute hospitals) in the three years following the publication of the White Paper. On the other hand, each of the studies identifies important insights relevant to modifying and improving the policies. These findings have continuing relevance since both the 2008 White Paper’s policies, and the issues they were focused on remedying, remain central to the current Coalition Government’s reform agenda.
Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in performing eye–hand integration tasks: Four preliminary studies with children showing low-functioning autism
Authors: Panerai Simonetta , Tasca Domenica , Lanuzza Bartolo , Trubia Grazia , Ferri Raffaele , Musso Sabrina , Alagona Giovanna , Di Guardo Giuseppe , Barone Concetta , Gaglione Maria P , Elia Maurizio
Published: October 2013

This report, based on four studies with children with low-functioning autism, aimed at evaluating the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered on the left and right premotor cortices on eye–hand integration tasks; defining the long-lasting effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; and investigating the real efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation by comparing three kinds of treatments (high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, a traditional eye–hand integration training, and both treatments combined). Results showed a significant increase in eye–hand performances only when high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was delivered on the left premotor cortex; a persistent improvement up to 1 h after the end of the stimulation; better outcomes in the treatment combining high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and eye–hand integration training. Based on these preliminary findings, further evaluations on the usefulness of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in rehabilitation of children with autism are strongly recommended.
Investigating the cross-cultural validity of DSM-5 autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from Finnish and UK samples
Authors: Mandy William , Charman Tony , Puura Kaija , Skuse David
Published: October 2013

The recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth Edition ( DSM-5) reformulation of autism spectrum disorder has received empirical support from North American and UK samples. Autism spectrum disorder is an increasingly global diagnosis, and research is needed to discover how well it generalises beyond North America and the United Kingdom. We tested the applicability of the DSM-5 model to a sample of Finnish young people with autism spectrum disorder (n = 130) or the broader autism phenotype (n = 110). Confirmatory factor analysis tested the DSM-5 model in Finland and compared the fit of this model between Finnish and UK participants (autism spectrum disorder, n = 488; broader autism phenotype, n = 220). In both countries, autistic symptoms were measured using the Developmental, Diagnostic and Dimensional Interview. Replicating findings from English-speaking samples, the DSM-5 model fitted well in Finnish autism spectrum disorder participants, outperforming a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fourth Edition ( DSM-IV) model. The DSM-5 model fitted equally well in Finnish and UK autism spectrum disorder samples. Among broader autism phenotype participants, this model fitted well in the United Kingdom but poorly in Finland, suggesting that cross-cultural variability may be greatest for milder autistic characteristics. We encourage researchers with data from other cultures to emulate our methodological approach, to map any cultural variability in the manifestation of autism spectrum disorder and the broader autism phenotype. This would be especially valuable given the ongoing revision of the International Classification of Diseases–11th Edition, the most global of the diagnostic manuals.
Positioning consumption
Authors: Keller Margit , Halkier Bente
Published: October 2013

This article analyses the ways in which media discourses become a part of contested consumption activities. We apply a positioning perspective with practice theory to focus on how practitioners relate to media discourse as a symbolic resource in their everyday practices. A typology of performance positionings emerges based on empirical examples of research in parent–children consumption. Positionings are flexible discursive fixations of the relationship between the performances of the practitioner, other practitioners, media discourse and consumption activities. The basic positioning types are the practice maintenance and the practice change position, with different sorts of adapting in between. Media discourse can become a resource for a resistant position against social control or for an appropriating position in favour of space for action. Regardless of the current relation to a particular media discourse, practitioners attempt to maintain their self-positioning of competence when performing. This leads us, as researchers, to caution against any a priori anticipation of the anchoring power of media discourses within everyday activities.
Public goods and government action
Authors: Anomaly Jonathan
Published: October 2013

It is widely agreed that one of the core functions of government is to supply public goods that markets either fail to provide or cannot provide efficiently. I will suggest that arguments for government provision of public goods require fundamental moral judgments in addition to the usual economic considerations about the relative efficacy of markets and governments in supplying them. While philosophers and policymakers owe a debt of gratitude to economists for developing the theory of public goods, the link between public goods and public policy cannot be forged without moral reflection on the proper function and scope of government power.
A Patient With Progressive Cognitive Decline and Periodic Abnormal Waves in EEG
Authors: Lv Yudan , Chu Fengna , Meng Hongmei , Wang Zan , Cui Li
Published: October 2013

We report one Chinese patient with neurosyphilis exhibiting periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) in the electroencephalogram (EEG). The patient (male, 59 years old) manifested with progressive cognitive decline and abnormal behavior. After several days, he gradually lost contact with others, and fell into a coma. EEG revealed periodic abnormal waves, predominantly located in the right anterior frontal region. The serum and cerebrospinal fluid Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay were positive. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain showed focal atrophy in the right frontal and temporal region. Diffusion-weighted MRI showed “lace sign” in cortex, which could be seen as an early and special feature in Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD). To differentiate “PLEDs of neurosyphilis on EEG” from “periodic synchronous discharges (PSD) of CJD on EEG,” we treated this patient with diazepam 20 mg intravenously. After 10 minutes, periodic abnormal waves on EEG disappeared, with improved mental status, which confirmed the diagnosis of PLEDs of neurosyphilis. Then, after the treatment with penicillin, the patient improved and returned to work.