bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological Determinants of Aggressive Behaviour among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Anambra State
Authors: Izuchi MN , Anetoh BC
Published: November 2014

The study was aimed at investigating the psychological determinants of aggressive behaviour among adolescents in secondary schools in Awka South L.G.A. of Anambra State. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. Expost facto design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all the public secondary school students totalling 13296 while the sample size was 450 students drawn through simple random sampling technique. The instruments for data collection were aggressive behaviour scale (ABAS) and Psychological Assessment Scale (PAQ). The instruments were validated by experts in Educational Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained for ABAS while reliability coefficients of 0.74, 0.85 and 0.88 were obtained for sections B, C and D of the PAQ  respectively. The data obtained were analyzed using mean scores to answer the research questions and t-test to test the null hypotheses. The result obtained showed that stress significantly influenced aggressivebehaviour among secondary school adolescents while self-concept and locus of control did not significantly influence aggressive behaviour among them. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made which include that counselling psychologists should counsel the students to reduce or eliminate aggressive behaviour among them.Key: Psychological, Aggression, Adolescents, Behaviour
Godfatherism in the Politics of Nigeria: An Exposé
Authors: Ishaku BL , Jatau VS , Badung JN
Published: November 2014

There is a new political phenomenon that is becoming a thing of concern to all and sundry; this emergent phenomenon is the concept of “godfatherism.” It is an ideology which deprives the people of their fundamental human rights of not benefiting from the dividends of democracy. This practice is rapidly  converting politics from a civil engagement to an enterprise where only the moneybags are beneficiaries; these godfathers rely on their wealth whereby they sponsor candidates of their choice because of their influence. This paper intends to discuss the predatory variant of godfatherism which is the one that offends and negates moral sensibility and collective aspiration of the people. In Nigeria, the concept of godfatherism and politics will be defined and a theoretical framework of analysis will be provided. The paper looks at the case of the activities of godfathers in some selected states. The paper will also spell out the implications of predatory behaviour of godfathers in Nigeria.
Christian – Muslim Relations in Nigeria: The Problems and Prospects
Authors: Ottuh POO , Ottuh JA , Aitufe VO
Published: November 2014

Inter-religious relations imply possible and practicable cordial relationship that exists between religions in a society. Its instrument is interfaith dialogue aimed at cordiality, togetherness, tolerance and acceptance that will be the true sign of a new era in the religious history of humanity. On both international and national levels, attempts have been and are still being made to establish dialogue or good relations between Muslims and Christians with a view to avoiding the  mistakes of the past, and creating a better world, and a better Nigeria for the present and future generations. The paper explores the remote and possible causes of the present  widespread problems in Christians and Muslims relations in Nigeria; and to reflect on the possible impact on the Nigerian nationhood. Basic findings of this study show that Nigeria.s stability, democracy, and national cohesion are threatened by extremism and conflict arising from Islamic and  Christian fundamentalism is believed to be predicated on the Nigerian political and economic malaise and social dislocation of recent decades. The paper recommends and concludes that all religious adherents must embrace Inter-religious dialogue which demands religions nurture, faith,  trust, dialogue, communication,  reconciliation, and mutual understanding of one another thus guaranteeing communal good for Nigerians.Key Words: Inter-religious; Nigeria Christian; Muslim
Does Road Safety Projects relate to Community Capacity Building? A Critical Review
Authors: Sanni GAO
Published: November 2014

This paper examined the new trend in CSR programmes of private organizations that champion the course of road safety in their host communities. Since most of the contributions from CSR programmes of the private organizations are usually attached to CCB. It is worth mentioning that many private organizations in emerging economy like Nigeria are taking new dimension in their CSR programmes by champion the course of road safety projects/programmes in their respective host communities, but the concern is that does a road safety project relate to CCB concept? This paper intends to give insight into; conceptual meanings attached to CCB concept, the birth of CCB in Nigeria or Africa as a whole, and the relationship between the AARSI road safety projects in Lagos State and the CCB concept. This paper critically reviewed the roles of AARSI road safety projects in Lagos State in relation to CCB with the analytical application of Aspen Institute’s (2006) definition of CCB and Eade’s (1997) model on capacity building. This paper opines that road safety projects are related to CCB concept.Key words: AARSI road safety projects, capacity building, capacity building interventions, community capacity building, corporate social responsibility
Globalization and Conflict: The African Experience
Authors: Okpalaobi N
Published: November 2014

Africa to date has remained a victim of all economic and political reform agenda of the European dominated world, but now consummated in what has come to be known as globalization. These have thrown up a lot of conflicts in African. The struggle for economic resources has led to conflicts, electoral violence and thuggery amongst the people and parties for political position which is an instrument and platform for primitive accumulation in Africa. The implications of these reforms have been analysed in this paper, reasons for the incessant conflicts elucidated and some suggestions made.
Democracy and Succession Problems in Nigeria: The fourth Republic Experience
Authors: Olaniyi LK , Umar MB
Published: November 2014

Leadership succession is the problem facing Nigeria since 1960. The mode of transfer power from one government to another is always accompanied by tension. This tension is anchored on the fact that leaders are imposed. The problem has been attributed to the persistent interruption by the military, since 1960. With inception of democracy in 1999, there was positive hope about leadership succession in the country, but the reverse was the result as all elections conducted were seriously accompanied by tensions. It is against this background, that this paper examines the challenges of succession in Nigeria’s fourth republic. The paper also revealed that despite the potential of democracy in ensuring smooth power transfer, the failure of political leaders to observe the rules guiding the process portrays democracy as an incompetent system. It is also reveals that the majority of politicians did not believe in the ethos of democracy. Therefore, the paper has concluded that orderly transfer of power depends on the wishes of political leaders, and for succession to be orderly; the paper recommends that all the parties involved in the process of conducting political processes should be committed to the rules of the game.Key words: Democracy, Election, Succession, Tension
Ethnic Minorities and the Nigerian State
Authors: Rindap MR , Mari IMA
Published: November 2014

The ethnic-minority relationship is a universal issue in all multi-ethnic societies. In Nigeria, the issue started with the amalgamation of the colony, that is, southern and northern protectorates by Sir Lord Frederick Lugard in 1914. The out- cry has always been the marginalisation of the minorities by the majorities especially in terms of economic and political opportunities. However, in the course of history, some of these fears were allayed by epochal political developments such as the creation of states and local government areas out of the three (3) regional structure of the country which had hitherto entrenched the lopsided nature of the relationship between the two groups and heightened stiffed competition for power and meagre economic resources. Despite the devolution of power and restructuring of the Nigerian state; the problems of the minorities is yet to be tackled adequately. However, the researchers proffered some recommendations to the problems; and it is hoped that it would in no small measure make Nigeria a peaceful and developed nation in future.Key words: Ethno-minority, Nigerian state, power, marginalisation, development
HDlive of the Fetal Heart
Authors: Tanaka Hirokazu
Published: November 2014

We present the latest HDlive echocardiographic studies on the fetal heart using spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC). Fetal HDlive echocardiography with the use of new skin-like colors provides sonographers and physicians with a natural and anatomically realistic appearance of the fetal heart. Moreover, HDlive images provide entirely new visual experiences for obstetricians and pediatric cardiologists owing to the anatomically realistic depiction of the normal fetal heart and fetal congenital anomalies in utero. This novel technique may assist in the evaluation of the fetal cardiac anatomy, and offer potential advantages relative to conventional two-, three-, and four-dimensional fetal echocardiography. HDlive may be an important modality in future fetal cardiac research and in the evaluation of fetal congenital heart disease.

How to cite this article

Hata T, Kanenishi K, Hanaoka U, Tanaka H. HDlive of the Fetal Heart. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014;8(3):266-272.
Ultrasound Assessment of Ovarian Function Following Radiation Therapy
Authors: Prompuntagorn Christopher , Saldivar J Salvador
Published: November 2014

Ovarian function is important to measure in patients receiving cancer treatments that desire future fertility. Patients with cervical cancer, which affects women of child-bearing age, may be interested in how receiving treatment for the cervical cancer will affect their fertility. Depending on the type and stage of the cancer, women have different options on how to treat the cancer, including radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. When indicated, radiation therapy carries the risk of ovarian failure in patients wishing to preserve fertility. Ovarian function is measured using hormonal markers and ultrasound markers. Hormonal markers include follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone, inhibin and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). It has been shown that in ovarian failure following radiation FSH and LH levels are increased; estradiol is increased; inhibin B is decreased; AMH is decreased. Ultrasound markers using color Doppler and 3D ultrasound include the resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), vascularization flow index (VFI) as well as measurements of antral follicle size and count. New developments in ultrasound technology allow us to more reliably than ever assess ovarian function while undergoing radiation treatment.

How to cite this article

Prompuntagorn C, Saldivar JS, Kupesic Plavsic S. Ultrasound Assessment of Ovarian Function Following Radiation Therapy. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014;8(3):288-292.
Various Types of Niche Imaging by Sonohysterography: A Pictorial Review
Authors: Ahmadi Firoozeh , Akhbari Farnaz , Niknejad Fatemeh
Published: November 2014

Cesarean scar defects (CSD) or niche are the myometrial discontinuity at the previous cesarean section scar region. Recently cesarean section delivery has been raised around the world markedly; therefore women with cesarean scar defects are increased and present in up to 19% of women post cesarean section. The increase of repeat cesarean section has been associated with an increase in complications in subsequent pregnancies such as scar pregnancy with life threatening bleeding, uterus rupture, placenta accreta and its subtypes and prolonged postmenstrual Spotting. The deeper the niche (or the thinner the overlying myometrium), the higher the risk for complications in a subsequent pregnancy.

Although the ability of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) to detect cesarean scars remains unknown, its higher frequency and proximity to the pelvic organs have been used as a powerful tool for detecting the uterine scar of a previous cesarean section.

Recently with the increasing use of sonohysterography (SHG) (transvaginal ultrasound with saline infusion) detection of scar defect has been enhanced frequently.

How to cite this article

Ahmadi F, Akhbari F, Niknejad F. Various Types of Niche Imaging by Sonohysterography: A Pictorial Review. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014;8(3):311-315.
National Survey of Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Involvement in Response to Intervention
Authors: Cahill Susan M. , McGuire Beatriz , Krumdick Nathaniel D. , Lee Michelle M.
Published: November 2014

OBJECTIVE. We sought to describe occupational therapy practitioners’ perceived levels of preparedness for and involvement in school-based Response to Intervention (RtI) initiatives.

METHOD. We mailed a survey to a random sample of 1,000 practitioners from the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Early Intervention and School Systems Special Interest Section.

RESULTS. Of 295 returned surveys (29.9% response rate), 19 were excluded because of missing or incomplete data. Three-quarters of respondents (77.6%) reported that their districts implemented RtI. Two-thirds of respondents (66.3%) indicated that lack of resources limited their involvement in RtI; two-thirds (67%) said that district guidelines that describe expectations for practitioners’ involvement would help increase their participation. Many respondents cited the need for continuing education and supported moving from a caseload to a workload model.

CONCLUSION. Occupational therapy practitioners would benefit from specific district guidelines outlining the services they are able to provide within the context of RtI.
Assessment Tools Predicting Fitness to Drive in Older Adults: A Systematic Review
Authors: Dickerson Anne E. , Meuel Danielle Brown , Ridenour Cyrus David , Cooper Kristen
Published: November 2014

This systematic review synthesizes the research on screening and assessment tools used to determine older adults’ fitness to drive. After a comprehensive search of the literature targeting tools commonly used by occupational therapists, 64 studies were reviewed and synthesized. The evidence demonstrated that a single tool measuring cognition, vision, perception, or physical ability individually is not sufficient to determine fitness to drive. Although some tools have stronger evidence than others, this review supports using different and focused assessment tools together for specific medical conditions. Results indicate that behind-the-wheel assessment remains the gold standard for driving evaluation; however, emerging evidence for observation of complex instrumental tasks of daily living and driving simulation supports further investigation with these tools.
Drawing Proficiency Screening Questionnaire (DPSQ): Development, Reliability, and Validity
Authors: Shooman Lisa T. , Rosenblum Sara
Published: November 2014

OBJECTIVE. We describe the development and preliminary psychometric examination of the DPSQ for identifying drawing difficulties in preschool children.

METHOD. Teachers completed the DPSQ for 78 children ages 3–6 yr from 4 preschools. Children drew age-appropriate geometric forms of the Visual–Motor Integration (VMI) test on a digitizing tablet. We examined psychometric properties of the DPSQ and analyzed group membership.

RESULTS. Internal consistency was high (α = .82). Significant correlations were found between DPSQ and VMI scores indicating in-air time (r = .37, p = .002) and pressure on the writing tool (r = .32, p = .007). The typical and at-risk groups differed significantly in VMI and DPSQ scores, t(76) = 5.6, p = .001. The DPSQ mean score differentiated between 76% of children with and without visual–motor deficits.

CONCLUSION. The DPSQ is a useful tool for teachers and occupational therapy practitioners for indicating visual–motor deficits and potential handwriting problems.
Occupational Therapy and Driving and Community Mobility for Older Adults
Authors: Golisz Kathleen
Published: November 2014

This special issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy includes summaries from a systematic evidence-based literature review of occupational therapy and driving and community mobility for older adults. Since the previous review on this topic in 2008, the cohort of 78 million baby boomers began turning 65 in January 2011. As a group, this cohort is more likely to have longer life expectancy, stay in the workforce longer, and age in place in the community. Is the occupational therapy profession ready for the potential demand for driving rehabilitation services from this generation of older drivers who grew up with the automobile and are dependent on it for access to and participation in their communities?
Attitude, Authenticity, and Action: Building Capacity
Authors: (Ginny) Stoffel Virginia C.
Published: November 2014

The concepts of attitude, authenticity, and action can serve to remind practitioners that the ability to meet society’s occupational needs expands when individuals take time to build both their own and others’ capacity
Jane Case-Smith: Servant–Leader and Scholar
Authors: Persch Andrew C. , Cleary Dennis S. , Tanner Kelly , DiGiovine Carmen , Rybski Melinda , Teaford Margaret , Page Stephen J. , Darragh Amy
Published: November 2014

The colleagues of Jane Case-Smith reflect on her legacy.
On the computation of planetary boundary-layer height using the bulk Richardson number method
Authors: Zhang Y. , Gao Z. , Li D. , Li Y. , Zhang N. , Zhao X. , Chen J.
Published: November 2014

Abstract. Experimental data from four field campaigns are used to explore the variability of the bulk Richardson number of the entire planetary boundary layer (PBL), Ribc, which is a key parameter for calculating the PBL height (PBLH) in numerical weather and climate models with the bulk Richardson number method. First, the PBLHs of three different thermally stratified boundary layers (i.e., strongly stable boundary layers, weakly stable boundary layers, and unstable boundary layers) from the four field campaigns are determined using the turbulence method, the potential temperature gradient method, the low-level jet method, and the modified parcel method. Then for each type of boundary layer, an optimal Ribc is obtained through linear fitting and statistical error minimization methods so that the bulk Richardson method with this optimal Ribc yields similar estimates of PBLHs as the methods mentioned above. We find that the optimal Ribc increases as the PBL becomes more unstable: 0.24 for strongly stable boundary layers, 0.31 for weakly stable boundary layers, and 0.39 for unstable boundary layers. Compared with previous schemes that use a single value of Ribc in calculating the PBLH for all types of boundary layers, the new values of Ribc proposed by this study yield more accurate estimates of PBLHs.
Development of a grid-independent GEOS-chem chemical transport model as an atmospheric chemistry module for Earth System Models
Authors: Long M. S. , Yantosca R. , Nielsen J. E. , Keller C. A. , da Silva A. , Sulprizio M. P. , Pawson S. , Jacob D. J.
Published: November 2014

Abstract. The GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model (CTM), used by a large atmospheric chemistry research community, has been re-engineered to also serve as an atmospheric chemistry module for Earth System Models (ESMs). This was done using an Earth System Modelling Framework (ESMF) interface that operates independently of the GEOS-Chem scientific code, permitting the exact same GEOS-Chem code to be used as an ESM module or as a stand-alone CTM. In this manner, the continual stream of updates contributed by the CTM user community is automatically passed on to the ESM module, which remains state-of-science and referenced to the latest version of the standard GEOS-Chem CTM. A major step in this re-engineering was to make GEOS-Chem grid-independent, i.e., capable of using any geophysical grid specified at run time. GEOS-Chem data "sockets" were also created for communication between modules and with external ESM code via the ESMF. The grid-independent, ESMF-compatible GEOS-Chem is now the standard version of the GEOS-Chem CTM. It has been implemented as an atmospheric chemistry module into the NASA GEOS-5 ESM. The coupled GEOS-5/GEOS-Chem system was tested for scalability and performance with a tropospheric oxidant-aerosol simulation (120 coupled species, 66 transported tracers) using 48–240 cores and MPI parallelization. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the GEOS-Chem chemistry module scales efficiently for the number of processors tested. Although inclusion of atmospheric chemistry in ESMs is computationally expensive, the excellent scalability of the chemistry module means that the relative cost goes down with increasing number of MPI processes.
Reduction of predictive uncertainty in estimating irrigation water requirement through multi-model ensembles and ensemble averaging
Authors: Multsch S. , Exbrayat J.-F. , Kirby M. , Viney N. R. , Frede H.-G. , Breuer L.
Published: November 2014

Abstract. Irrigation agriculture plays an increasingly important role in food supply. Many evapotranspiration models are used today to estimate the water demand for irrigation. They consider different stages of crop growth by empirical crop coefficients to adapt evapotranspiration throughout the vegetation period. We investigate the importance of the model structural vs. model parametric uncertainty for irrigation simulations by considering six evapotranspiration models and five crop coefficient sets to estimate irrigation water requirements for growing wheat in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. The study is carried out using the spatial decision support system SPARE:WATER. We find that structural model uncertainty is far more important than model parametric uncertainty to estimate irrigation water requirement. Using the Reliability Ensemble Averaging (REA) technique, we are able to reduce the overall predictive model uncertainty by more than 10%. The exceedance probability curve of irrigation water requirements shows that a certain threshold, e.g. an irrigation water limit due to water right of 400 mm, would be less frequently exceeded in case of the REA ensemble average (45%) in comparison to the equally weighted ensemble average (66%). We conclude that multi-model ensemble predictions and sophisticated model averaging techniques are helpful in predicting irrigation demand and provide relevant information for decision making.
Towards predictive data-driven simulations of wildfire spread – Part I: Reduced-cost Ensemble Kalman Filter based on a Polynomial Chaos surrogate model for parameter estimation
Authors: Rochoux M. C. , Ricci S. , Lucor D. , Cuenot B. , Trouvé A.
Published: November 2014

Abstract. This paper is the first part in a series of two articles and presents a data-driven wildfire simulator for forecasting wildfire spread scenarios, at a reduced computational cost that is consistent with operational systems. The prototype simulator features the following components: an Eulerian front propagation solver FIREFLY that adopts a regional-scale modeling viewpoint, treats wildfires as surface propagating fronts, and uses a description of the local rate of fire spread (ROS) as a function of environmental conditions based on Rothermel's model; a series of airborne-like observations of the fire front positions; and a data assimilation (DA) algorithm based on an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) for parameter estimation. This stochastic algorithm partly accounts for the nonlinearities between the input parameters of the semi-empirical ROS model and the fire front position, and is sequentially applied to provide a spatially uniform correction to wind and biomass fuel parameters as observations become available. A wildfire spread simulator combined with an ensemble-based DA algorithm is therefore a promising approach to reduce uncertainties in the forecast position of the fire front and to introduce a paradigm-shift in the wildfire emergency response. In order to reduce the computational cost of the EnKF algorithm, a surrogate model based on a polynomial chaos (PC) expansion is used in place of the forward model FIREFLY in the resulting hybrid PC-EnKF algorithm. The performance of EnKF and PC-EnKF is assessed on synthetically generated simple configurations of fire spread to provide valuable information and insight on the benefits of the PC-EnKF approach, as well as on a controlled grassland fire experiment. The results indicate that the proposed PC-EnKF algorithm features similar performance to the standard EnKF algorithm, but at a much reduced computational cost. In particular, the re-analysis and forecast skills of DA strongly relate to the spatial and temporal variability of the errors in the ROS model parameters.
Changes in growth patterns due to nutritional adjustment in children of Northeast Brazil
Authors: da Silva Carlos A Bruno , Antunes Maria de Fatima Rebouças , da Silva Barbara Antunes Bruno , da Silva Ligia Antunes Bruno , da Silva Renata Antunes Bruno , Brandao-Neto Jose
Published: November 2014

Objective: Assess changes in height-weight chart development patterns in children enrolled in a nutritional intervention program. Materials and methods: 188 children (83 girls and 105 boys) in the 6-months to 7-years age group were followed for 18 months. We performed an assessment of nutritional profile based on body mass index and cumulative variation of weight and height, anthropometric data of mid arm circumference, arm muscle area, and tricipital skin fold. Results: Mean cumulative weight-height gain was 4.8 kg and 0.63 cm/month for the boys, and 5.2 kg and 0.66 cm/month for the girls (p < 0.05). Body mass index increased throughout follow-up. Arm muscle area and tricipital skin fold increased significantly during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Nutritional intervention for 15 months was sufficient to cause changes in the development pattern of children between the ages of 6 months and 7 years, showing that the values obtained became normal over time. Based on the data obtained in this study, we conclude that children, regardless of their classification according to different nutritional assessment indices, respond satisfactory in terms of linear growth and associated height-weight development, after receiving calorie-protein nutritional adjustments.
Risks and challenges of orthopaedic invasive interventions in haemo -philia in a low-resource country
Authors: Serban M. , Poenaru D. , Patrascu J. , Ursu E. , Savescu D. , Ionita H. , Jinca C. , Pop L. , Talpos-Niculescu S. , Ritli L. , Arghirescu S. , Schramm W. , Mihailov D.
Published: November 2014

Haemophilic arthropathy is a defining feature and a debilitating condition of persons with haemophilia (PwH) in low resource countries. Orthopaedic surgery is unavoidable for patients with high occurrence of joint damage. Aims: We aimed to evaluate the spectrum and outcome of invasive orthopaedic therapies in PwH and von Willebrand diseases (VWD). Patients and methods: Our descriptive observational retrospective study included 131 invasive surgical procedures, performed on 76 consecutive patients, most of them (93.4%) with severe disease, treated in Timisoara’s Haemophilia Center over a period of 12 years; 17.1% had pre-operation anti-FVIII inhibitors. Invasive elective procedures were predominant (90.8%) as compared to emergency measures (9.2%); according to their invasiveness, 20.6% of interventions were major, 44.3% intermediate and 35.1% minor. Results: were good in the majority of cases; significantly reduced joint bleed rate and pain score were the most consistent achievements. The greatest proportion of complications occurred after major (66.7%), compared to moderate (25.6%) and minor (7.7%) interventions. The main threatening complication was the development (3.8%) or increase (4.6%) of inhibitor titer. Local bacterial infections and wound dehiscence complicated the evolution in 4.6% and 0.8 % of cases, respectively; we noticed no blood-borne infections or thrombotic accidents. Low dosage (10.7%) and short duration of substitution (21.4%) led to increased post-surgical bleeding and post-haemorrhagic anaemia. Conclusions: Surgery is a highly demanding intervention in haemophilia, which cannot be ignored in a low resource country. It represents a life or limb-saving and quality of life-improving measure.
Treatment options for haemophilic arthropathy of the elbow after failed conservative therapy
Authors: Strauss A. C. , Goldmann G. , Ezziddin S. , Placzek R. , Müller M. C. , Pflugmacher R. , Oldenburg J. , Pennekamp P. H.
Published: November 2014

After ankle and knee, the elbow is the most frequent joint affected by haemophilic arthropathy. objective: The objective of this retrospective single centre study is to evaluate the results of treatment of elbow arthropathy after failed conservative therapy. Patients, methods: In 21 consecutive patients, 11 radiosyn-oviortheses (RSO), four arthroscopic and six open synovectomies were performed, among them four with additional resection of the radial head. The mean duration of follow-up was 4.8 (RSO) and 5.3 years (surgery), respectively. Pain status (visual analogue scale, VAS), bleeding frequency, range of motion (ROM) as well as patient satisfaction were evaluated. Results: Both, RSO and surgical synovectomy, achieved a significant reduction of pain and bleeding frequency (p < 0.05). Surgical synovectomies were associated with a marked yet not statistically significant increase of postoperative ROM. Radial head resection improved forearm rotation in all cases. No complications occurred. 20 out of 21 patients were satisfied or highly satisfied with the result of the treatment and would undergo the respective procedure again. Conclusion: Due to the effectiveness and safety RSO is considered to be the primary treatment option in haemophilic arthropathy of the elbow after failed conservative therapy. Arthroscopic synovectomy should be considered if RSO shows inadequate effect or in the presence of contraindications. Open synovectomy with resection of the radial head yields good results in the case of advanced arthropathy with radial head impingement.
Significance of platelet function diagnostics for clarification of suspected battered child syndrome
Authors: Lohse J. , Stächele J. , Heilmann A. , Schwier F. , Schmidt U. , Erfurt C. , Knöfler R.
Published: November 2014

Summary: The manifestation of an unclear bleeding tendency in childhood calls for an extended coagulation work-up, particularly when a battered child syndrome is suspected and typical concomitant injuries are absent. The chosen diagnostic tests should be able to detect the presence of relatively common coagulation defects such as von Willebrand syndrome or hemophilia, but also rare diseases such as inherited thrombocytopathies. The PFA-100® test does not help to provide a definite diagnosis especially in cases of mild inherited thrombocytopathies, since in most cases the PFA-100® test results are normal. For this purpose, specific platelet function testing is needed. However, the methods are only available in some coagulation laboratories. Also, other limitations need to be taken into consideration such as pre-analytical problems and difficulties in the interpretation of test results especially in infants.

We present two cases that were diagnosed with an aspirin-like defect as an inherited thrombocytopathy, even though their PFA-100 closure times were within the normal range. Based on pathological findings in the platelet aggregometry test, this diagnosis could be made.
Inhibitor development and management in three non-severe haemophilia A patients with T295A variant
Authors: Horneff S. , Marquardt N. , Klein C. , Albert T. , Zeitler H. , Oldenburg J. , Ivaskevicius V. , Goldmann G.
Published: November 2014

Missense mutations are the most common F8 gene defects among the patients with nonsevere haemophilia A. This type of mutation is typically associated with low (5%) inhibitor risk. In the present retrospective study we analysed the clinical data of 16 haemophiliacs with the T295A missense mutation treated at Bonn Haemophilia Centre. In total, three patients developed inhibitors: two patients experienced low-titer and one high-titer inhibitors. Both patients with low titer inhibitors underwent successful ITI. The third patient, at the age of 81, developed initially low-titer inhibitors (3 BU/ml) after rFVIII therapy because of knee surgery. He experienced spontaneous multiple large skin haematomas and haemarthrosis. Immunosuppressive therapy was not applicable because of the infectious origin of discitis (Th3-Th4). Immunoadsorption was performed, but the inhibitor titer increased up to 42 BU/ ml nine weeks after termination. A successful treatment of discitis with antibiotics finally allowed a weekly therapy (four times) with rituximab (375 mg/m2). This resulted in a decrease of inhibitor titre to 0.7 BU/ml eight weeks after the fourth rituximab application. Patient had endogenous FVIII levels of 3–5%. Twelve months after rituximab therapy (after B cells recovery) he relapsed with low-titer inhibitors and therefore was treated with single rituximab dose (375 mg/m2) again. This resulted in his depletion of B cells, measurable endogenous FVIII levels and non measurable inhibitors. This study demonstrated T295A variant to be associated with significantly increased (3/16 patients, 17%) inhibitor development.
Clot waveform analysis in patients with haemophilia A
Authors: Scholz U. , Schobess R. , Siegemund T. , Siegemund A.
Published: November 2014

Clot waveform analysis extends the interpretation of aPTT measurement curves. The curve is mathematically processed to obtain information about fibrin formation kinetics including semiquantitative determination of thrombin, prothrombinase and tenase activity. Patients, method: In this study the feasibility of clot waveform analysis for monitoring of haemophilia A was investigated using blood samples from healthy controls as well as haemophilia A patients under various clinical conditions. Results: Thrombin, prothrombinase and tenase activity show a high correlation to factor VIII levels. Tenase activity was found to exhibit a linear relationship to factor VIII levels over a very large concentration range and was able to discriminate patients with severe, moderate and mild haemophilia. Conclusion: Clot waveform analysis is an easy, fast and cheap method to access disturbances in clot formation and can be done without any additional measurements beside an aPTT.
Consumption‐Based Fixed Rates: Harmonizing Water Conservation and Revenue Stability
Authors: Spang Edward S. , Miller Sara , Williams Matt , Loge Frank J.
Published: November 2014

Water utilities struggle with the need to promote water conservation while maintaining financial solvency—a common challenge referred to as the “new normal.” However, under typical cost and revenue structures, water utilities experience significant revenue shortfalls when water use lags behind projected customer consumption (either by conservation or other factors). Subsequently, water providers are obligated to raise rates more frequently and/or more dramatically than originally anticipated. This problem arises primarily when the fixed and variable portions of utility costs are not aligned with the fixed and variable portions of revenue. This article presents a new water‐pricing mechanism—consumption‐based fixed rates—that harmonizes costs and revenues yet still promotes conservation through the innovative inclusion of volumetric fixed charges. As such, consumption‐based fixed rates represent a potentially useful solution for water utilities to effectively balance conservation and revenue stability in an equitable and sustainable manner.
Microbial Risk Modeling for Main Breaks
Authors: Yang Jian , Schneider Orren D. , Jjemba Patrick K. , Lechevallier Mark W.
Published: November 2014

A microbial risk model was developed for main breaks to evaluate the impact of flushing and disinfection as needed to mitigate the potential contamination risk. Of protozoan, virus, and bacterial risks examined, estimated risks from viruses were the highest, suggesting a 7‐log reduction to achieve a 1/10,000 risk target. To accomplish this level of risk reduction, it was necessary to use a flushing velocity of at least 3 ft/s and disinfection with a free chlorine CT (disinfectant concentration multiplied by time) of at least 100 mg × min/L. The risk model also sheds light on alternative risk management options, the impact of specific field conditions, and potential for future model improvements.
High‐Velocity Household and Service Line Flushing Following LSL Replacement
Authors: Brown Richard A. , Cornwell David A.
Published: November 2014

Customer exposure to lead solely from drinking water may be greater in water containing particles than in water containing only soluble lead. Full and partial lead service line (LSL) replacements and other similar disturbances can potentially increase the release of lead‐containing particulates. Lead‐containing particles, loose scale, and other debris that can otherwise be transported to the customer tap can be removed by preventive measures like home water filters. This study investigated the use of high‐velocity flushing to preemptively dislodge and remove particulate lead following partial LSL replacements in order to at least reduce, and hopefully eliminate, the particles of lead reaching the consumer. Results suggest a potential benefit to flushing the service line and premise plumbing by opening taps inside the house but not from solely flushing the service line by opening hose bibs.
Contribution and Removal of Watershed and Cationic Polymer N‐Nitrosodimethylamine Precursors
Authors: Hanigan David , Zhang Jinwei , Herckes Pierre , Zhu Eric , Krasner Stuart , Westerhoff Paul
Published: November 2014

N‐nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a disinfection by‐product formed when chloramines react with precursors derived from watersheds or water treatment polymers. The authors examined the sorption potential of both precursor groups to powdered and granular activated carbon (PAC and GAC). Activated carbon reduced the formation potential (FP) of NDMA by 30 to 80% when only watershed precursors were present. Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (polyDADMAC) precursors were not removed well by activated carbon. Seven samples of polyDADMAC from across the United States produced 47 ± 3 ng NDMAFP/mg active polymer after coagulation and settling, which is about one‐third of the NDMAFP formed in ultrapure (> 18.2 MΩ‐cm) water. Polyamine (340 ng/mg) formed NDMA when diluted in ultrapure water with chloramines, but the precursors were effectively removed by activated carbon. PolyDADMAC use always increased the NDMAFP of the settled water, regardless of dose; this suggests that the optimum dose should be based on turbidity removal with consideration for balancing NDMA formation.
Evaluation of Watershed Susceptibility to Contaminants of Emerging Concern
Authors: Park Minji , Park Mi‐Hyun
Published: November 2014

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are raising public awareness because of their potential effect on aquatic ecosystems and public health. For this study, the authors applied spatial analyses to four selected US watersheds to identify critical areas susceptible to CECs and used watershed characteristics (i.e., potential source distribution, land use, climatic and hydrologic conditions) to prioritize the types of CECs. The results identified sub‐basins where major wastewater treatment plants are located as critical areas for potential CEC point source pollution in general. Sub‐basins containing intensive agricultural activities with high precipitation greatly contributed to CEC pollution, especially during wet‐weather periods. The rank of prioritized prescribed pharmaceutical groups was similar for most watersheds because of the association between pharmaceutical groups and population demographics. Prioritized pesticide types were dependent on the type and areas of crops and urban yards in each watershed. This study demonstrates the utility of using spatial analysis for effectively assessing CECs in watersheds, which is important for the implementation of monitoring and management strategies.
Methods of Measurement System Quality Assessment in Case of Two Devices
Authors: Krzysztof Kowal  , Michał Szymczak
Published: November 2014

The article discussed the selected methods of measurement systems analysis (MSA) in case of different devices usage. Analysis of variance is a common method, widely accepted and applied in industry to analyze measurement systems by taking into consideration different sources of variability: equipment, operators, parts and their interaction. Regression is a method which could simplify the analysis by shortening its time and decreasing sample size. It also may enable more clear and suitable answer. The included case study concerning two coordinate measuring machines (CMM) indicates the usefulness of the regression as a method for high precision and automated measurement systems comparison. Some actions resulting from the inferences can be undertaken by managers and engineers in industrial enterprises to reduce the cost of double measurements.
An Analysis of Coherence of Chinese Courtroom Discourse
Authors: Shi Guang
Published: November 2014

Coherence, the relationships which link the meanings of utterances in a discourse or of the sentences in a text, is realized on two levels: linear or sequential coherence and global semantic structure. Taking the audio recording transcripts of two trials (one criminal and one civil) as data, this paper analyzes coherence of Chinese courtroom discourse. The findings indicate that courtroom discourse is coherent semantically (there are meaning relations between different parts of the discourse), topically (different parts of the discourse accord with its general topic), contextually (different parts of the discourse mix with the context and accomplish the communication together), and historically (the discourse refers back to its history, i.e. preceding trials, etc).
Percepção infantil através de desenhos e caracterização verbal sobre o cirurgião-dentista
Authors: Andrade Daniel Soares Paes De , Minhoto Talita Barbosa , Campos Fernanda de Araújo Trigueiro , Gomes Monalisa Cesarino , Garcia Ana Flávia Granville- , Ferrreira Jainara Maria Soares
Published: November 2014

Objetivo: A pesquisa teve como objetivo interpretar a percepção de crianças sobre o cirurgião-dentista por meio da análise de desenhos e caracterização verbal. Materiais e Métodos: Um estudo transversal, com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa, foi realizado com 60 crianças entre 7 e 12 anos de idade em escola pública e privada. Os pais/responsáveis responderam um questionário sociodemográfico e as crianças foram entrevistadas para caracterização do cirurgião-dentista, tipo e frequência de atendimento odontológico. Além disso, foi solicitado que as crianças desenhassem à mão livre o cirurgião-dentista. A análise dos desenhos foi realizada por meio de um roteiro previamente validado e os dados foram analisados no software Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) versão 13.0 sob a forma de estatística descritiva e inferencial (Teste Exato de Fisher e Qui-quadrado de Pearson) com nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Através da análisedos desenhos, a maioria das crianças apresentou uma impressão negativa do cirurgião-dentista (51,7%). De forma mais frequente, o cirurgião-dentista realizava procedimentos preventivos (71,7%), era amistoso(76,7%) e explicava os procedimentos a serem realizados nas crianças (79,4%), porém a maior parte das crianças não compreendia as explicações (53,8%), de acordo com a entrevista realizada com as crianças. Alémdisso, houve associação estatisticamente significativa apenas entre sexo masculino e imagem negativa do cirurgião-dentista (p = 0,009). Conclusão: As crianças apresentaram uma impressão negativa do cirurgiãodentistae teve associação com o sexo masculino. Além disso, as crianças não compreendiam as explicações dos procedimentos, apesar da explicação prévia. Assim, torna-se necessário o planejamento de ações paradesmistificação da imagem negativa do cirurgião-dentista e sensibilização dos profissionais sobre a psicologia aplicada para crianças.Descritores: Odontologia. Criança. Relações dentista-paciente.
Sharpin prevents skin inflammation by inhibiting TNFR1-induced keratinocyte apoptosis
Authors: Kumari Snehlata , Redouane Younes , Lopez-Mosqueda Jaime , Shiraishi Ryoko , Romanowska Malgorzata , Lutzmayer Stefan , Kuiper Jan , Martinez Conception , Dikic Ivan , Pasparakis Manolis , Ikeda Fumiyo
Published: November 2014

Linear Ubiquitin chain Assembly Complex (LUBAC) is an E3 ligase complex that generates linear ubiquitin chains and is important for tumour necrosis factor (TNF) signaling activation. Mice lacking Sharpin, a critical subunit of LUBAC, spontaneously develop inflammatory lesions in the skin and other organs. Here we show that TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1)-associated death domain (TRADD)-dependent TNFR1 signaling in epidermal keratinocytes drives skin inflammation in Sharpin-deficient mice. Epidermis-restricted ablation of Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD) combined with receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) deficiency fully prevented skin inflammation, while single RIPK3 deficiency only delayed and partly ameliorated lesion development in Sharpin-deficient mice, showing that inflammation is primarily driven by TRADD- and FADD-dependent keratinocyte apoptosis while necroptosis plays a minor role. At the cellular level, Sharpin deficiency sensitized primary murine keratinocytes, human keratinocytes, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts to TNF-induced apoptosis. Depletion of FADD or TRADD in Sharpin-deficient HaCaT cells suppressed TNF-induced apoptosis, indicating the importance of FADD and TRADD in Sharpin-dependent anti-apoptosis signaling in keratinocytes.
Predicting evolution from the shape of genealogical trees
Authors: Neher Richard A , Russell Colin A , Shraiman Boris I
Published: November 2014

Given a sample of genome sequences from an asexual population, can one predict its evolutionary future? Here we demonstrate that the branching patterns of reconstructed genealogical trees contains information about the relative fitness of the sampled sequences and that this information can be used to predict successful strains. Our approach is based on the assumption that evolution proceeds by accumulation of small effect mutations, does not require species specific input and can be applied to any asexual population under persistent selection pressure. We demonstrate its performance using historical data on seasonal influenza A/H3N2 virus. We predict the progenitor lineage of the upcoming influenza season with near optimal performance in 30% of cases and make informative predictions in 16 out of 19 years. Beyond providing a tool for prediction, our ability to make informative predictions implies persistent fitness variation among circulating influenza A/H3N2 viruses.