bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Science Standards, Science Achievement, and Attitudes About Evolution
Authors: Belin Charlie M. , Kisida Brian
Published: September 2014

This article explores the relationships between (a) the quality of state science standards and student science achievement, (b) the public’s belief in teaching evolution and the quality of state standards, and (c) the public’s belief in teaching evolution and student science achievement. Using multiple measures, we find no evidence of a relationship between the quality of a state’s science standards and student science achievement. We also examine the relationship between state-level beliefs about evolution and student achievement. Here, we find a positive and consistent relationship between a state’s acceptance of evolution and student science achievement. Our results suggest that the attitudes that the public has toward evolutionary science are strongly related to student science achievement—more so than the quality of state science standards.
Orbit and formation control for low-earth-orbit gravimetry drag-free satellites
Authors: Canuto Enrico , Colangelo Luigi , Buonocore Marcello , Massotti Luca , Girouart Bénédicte
Published: September 2014

The paper outlines orbit and formation control of a long-distance (>100 km) two-satellite formation for the monitoring of the Earth gravity. Orbit control applies to a single satellite and performs altitude control. Here, formation control is formulated as a control capable of altitude and distance control at the same time. The satellites being placed in a low Earth orbit, orbit, and formation control employ the measurements of a global navigation system. Formation control is imposed by long-distance laser interferometry, which is the key instrument for gravity measurement. Orbit and formation control are low-frequency control systems in charge of canceling bias and drift of the residual drag-free accelerations. Drag-free control is the core of the orbit/formation control since it allows the formation to fly drag-free only subject to gravity. Drag-free control being required to have a bandwidth close to 1 Hz, is designed as the inner loop of the formation control. In turn, formation control must not destroy drag-free performance, in which objective demands that formation control be effective only below the 0.2 mHz orbital frequency. Control design is based on a new orbit and formation dynamics, which are compared with the classical Hill–Clohessy–Wiltshire equations. The new dynamic equations are the first step in building the embedded model, which is the core of the control unit. Embedded model derivation is explained only for the orbit control, and briefly mentioned for the formation control. Simulated results are provided. Drag-free results are compared with GOCE experimental data.
Drug Trafficking as a Non-Traditional Security Threat to Central Asian States
Authors: Behera Bhagaban
Published: September 2014

The traditional concept of security is too narrow and includes military security alone, and the state was its only and ultimate reference point. Advocates of non-traditional security threats shifted the reference point of security to individual and the ultimate objective of both security and state is to provide human beings with an environment within which he can be at his best self. A host of issues related to an individual’s societal, economic, and political lives thus became part of the new security discourse threatening to dilute the concept of security in a traditional—military sense. Despite ideological differences, certain issues were regarded to have direct consequence for individuals sharing all political ideologies and all value systems. These issues are transnational in nature and entail a transnational approach to address the non-traditional security concerns. Drugs and trafficking in drugs are such issues that as a threat to human life transcend national boundaries. Trade in illicit drugs has the largest societal, political, and economic consequences and threatens the fabric of societies through addiction, crime, and disease. It exacerbates corruption in weak states and impairs their economic and political functioning. Central Asian states have been a victim of growing international drug trafficking, which pose serious threats to the larger region, including China, India, and Russia. In this backdrop, this article tried to focus how drug trafficking, as a non-traditional security threat, pose a serious threat to the national security of the Central Asian Republics in particular and the larger region in general. The article also attempted to explore how the narcotics trade has affected national and transnational security in the region to a large extent.
Operational Deficiencies in India’s Defense Preparedness: Deterrence Compromised
Authors: Chakrabarti Shubhodeep
Published: September 2014

India faces a hostile geo-strategic environment of having two adversarial nuclear neighbors on her western and northern borders, namely Pakistan and China who share a collusive military partnership aimed at stultifying India’s rise as a pre eminent Asian power. The Kargil conflict of 1999, fought after the overt nuclear weaponization of India and Pakistan exposed India’s blunted conventional military capability in light of critical deficiencies of artillery, precision guided munitions as well as night vision devices. Despite confronting multiple crises relating to national security during the last fifteen years, successive governments have displayed perilous apathy regarding the urgently needed modernization of our armed forces. This article tries to analyze the security ramifications arising out of this neglect and the need to undertake sustained and meaningful defense reforms in view of our serious threat perceptions which must factor in the possibility of having to simultaneously fight a ‘two-front’ war in the near future.
The bodily engagement of snow park freestylers: A study in three French winter sports resorts
Authors: Pabion-Mouriès Johanne , Reynier Véronique , Soulé Bastien
Published: September 2014

Snow parks constitute an essential part of the drawing power of winter sports resorts. However, epidemiological studies have highlighted the increased risk of snow park accidents when compared with those of traditional piste runs. In the light of such findings, the aim has been to understand why and how freestyle enthusiasts deal with the particular dangers brought about by the various features of a snow park. Eighteen observation days in three French resorts were coupled with 38 semi-directive interviews throughout the 2012–2013 winter season. Results show that risk in freestyling does not constitute, in itself, the explanation of the behaviours adopted. It appears rather as a means that makes it possible to achieve a certain state and sensorial satisfaction, as well as a feeling of expertise and self-fulfillment. Far from the stereotypes conveyed concerning freestylers and their spontaneous and reckless risk-taking, the different elements highlighted in this article attest, on the contrary, to a well thought-out and rational relationship with the danger incurred.
Does Career and Technical Education Strengthen the STEM Pipeline? Comparing Students With and Without Disabilities
Authors: Gottfried Michael A. , Bozick Robert , Rose Ernest , Moore Ravaris
Published: September 2014

Despite the strategic investment of the Perkins IV legislation to promote a broader application of career and technical education (CTE) to all students, it is unclear whether these initiatives distinctively support the needs of students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields of study. This is a critical lapse in the research, as knowing the efficacy of CTE experiences in promoting the STEM pipeline will be important for policy makers as they consider new or revised educational policies to support the pursuit and persistence of students with disabilities into STEM fields. This study evaluates whether two CTE experiences (applied STEM course taking and school-based experiential programs) in high school differentially predict the declaration of STEM college majors for students with and without disabilities. Assessing nationally representative data, the analyses suggest that CTE experiences consisting of applied STEM courses and school-based experiential programs may both be sufficient to move through the STEM pipeline for students in the general population, but both are insufficient for supporting students with disabilities.
Social Work Literature Searching
Authors: McGinn Tony , Taylor Brian , McColgan Mary , McQuilkan Janice
Published: September 2014

Objectives:

To compare the performance of a range of search facilities; and to illustrate the execution of a comprehensive literature search for qualitative evidence in social work.

Context:

Developments in literature search methods and comparisons of search facilities help facilitate access to the best available evidence for social workers.

Method:

The performance of 14 databases and web search engines was appraised, by applying a search formula for articles relating to perpetrators of intimate partner violence and the process of change.

Results:

Seventy-two out of seventy-eight relevant articles were found on just six of the search facilities used. Social Services Abstracts performed the best. Web search engines did not contribute any unique hits.

Conclusion:

The need to use a range of databases was confirmed. Databases have performed inconsistently across case studies to date. New approaches to pilot-testing facilities and search terms proved useful. Accessing qualitative evidence to inform practice must become more straightforward.
Understanding Pregnant Women’s Attitudes and Behavior Toward Influenza and Pertussis Vaccination
Authors: Wiley Kerrie E. , Cooper Spring C. , Wood Nicholas , Leask Julie
Published: September 2014

Internationally, pregnant and postpartum women have been the focus of influenza and pertussis immunization campaigns, with differing levels of vaccine acceptance. We used semistructured interviews to explore pregnant women’s perspectives on influenza vaccination during pregnancy and postpartum pertussis vaccination. Many women saw pregnancy as a busy time filled with advice on what they “should” and “should not” do to ensure the health of their fetus, and vaccinating themselves was regarded as just one of these tasks needing consideration. Women were more concerned about potential risks to their infants’ health before their own. They saw influenza as a disease affecting the mother, whereas they viewed pertussis as a threat to the baby and therefore comparatively more risky. They were thus more likely to intend to vaccinate against pertussis to protect their infant. Framing of vaccination information toward protection of the baby might help increase vaccine uptake among pregnant women.
Tensions Between Anonymity and Thick Description When “Studying Up” in Genetics Research
Authors: Bickford Julia , Nisker Jeff
Published: September 2014

Anonymity, according to Tilley and Woodthorpe, refers to removing or obscuring participant information, whereas “confidentiality refers to the management of private information.” Both are major considerations for ethics review boards, but can be challenges when “studying up” in qualitative research because of the depth, precision, and uniqueness of the information, and the prominence of research participants. In anthropology, providing detailed and nuanced accounts of particular spaces, events, and conditions is essential. Actions taken to hide or gloss over these particulars would impede the ability to demonstrate authenticity, validity, and verisimilitude. As social science moves into field sites such as cutting-edge genomics, where when studying up, participants through their particular contributions might be identified, strategies to decrease the friction between descriptive methodologies and the requirement for anonymity need to be developed. We conclude with recommendations for researchers and members of research ethics boards regarding how to anticipate and mitigate this tension.
Parents’ Experiences of Caring for a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: DePape Anne-Marie , Lindsay Sally
Published: September 2014

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder involving abnormal communication, repetitive and restrictive interests, and impaired social functioning. ASD can have a profound impact on family life, including the roles and responsibilities that parents assume. In this metasynthesis, we explore the experiences of parents who care for a child with ASD. We undertook a thematic synthesis to integrate qualitative evidence, searching 10 electronic databases and reviewing 4,148 abstracts. We selected 31 articles for inclusion (involving 160 fathers and 425 mothers) and examined the articles using a constant comparative approach. We identified six themes: prediagnosis, diagnosis, family life adjustment, navigating the system, parental empowerment, and moving forward. Our findings can inform the development of programs and services for families, provide insight for health care workers who advocate on behalf of parents, and provide valuable information to parents, particularly those of children newly diagnosed with ASD.
Institutionalizing the Culture of Control
Authors: Zschirnt Simon , Randol Blake M.
Published: September 2014

The turn away from “penal welfarism” and toward a more punitive approach to crime control policy that began in the late 1960s has been the product of a deeply rooted social and political transformation, one giving rise to what Garland (2001) has termed a “culture of control.” Perhaps the most emblematic manifestation of this culture has been the reemergence of the death penalty as a crime control tool, a reemergence facilitated by a Supreme Court that has generally acted to limit or remove constitutional and legal obstacles to carrying out death sentences. This article analyzes the Court’s role in deregulating the death penalty from a “political regimes” perspective. Using a data set of all of the votes cast in every death penalty case decided by the Court since 1969, it demonstrates the importance of regime cohort in understanding death penalty jurisprudence. Specifically, it demonstrates that the construction of the “New Right” political regime, which spearheaded the punitive trend in crime control policy, represents the critical turning point in terms of justices’ attitudes toward the death penalty. Justices appointed after 1968, even when controlling for background, ideology, partisanship, public opinion, and a variety of legal factors, were significantly more likely to vote to affirm death sentences than justices appointed prior to 1968. Moreover, this turning point also marked a reversal in the relationship between partisanship and death penalty jurisprudence. While post-1968 Republican appointees were more supportive of the death penalty than post-1968 Democratic appointees, this pattern was notably reversed among pre-1968 appointees.
The School Nurse’s Ability to Detect and Support Abused Children
Authors: Kraft Lisbet Engh , Eriksson Ulla-Britt
Published: September 2014

Child abuse has negative health consequences. Early detection and preventive measures lead to avoidance of prolonged and more complex problems. School nurses have a child protection role and should pay attention to vulnerable children. Through health dialogues and other interactions with pupils, school nurses have the opportunity to detect child abuse. The aim of the study was to explore how school nurses detect child abuse and initiate support measures. Focus group interviews were conducted with 23 school nurses. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results showed that the main concern of the school nurses was support and assistance to children who are abused which was preceded by a trust-creating and trust-strengthening process. Trust contains self-confidence and confidence in the system and trust can be strengthened or undermined. Building trustful relations is time consuming and is facilitated by networking, refined assessment instruments, and collaboration.
Possible Amlodipine-Induced Hepatotoxicity After Stem Cell Transplant
Authors: Hammerstrom Aimee E.
Published: September 2014

Objective: To report the occurrence of hepatotoxicity in a patient initiated on amlodipine. A review of other reports of amlodipine hepatotoxicity is also provided. Case Summary: A 34-year-old patient was admitted for worsening gastrointestinal graft versus host disease 100 days after an allogeneic stem cell transplant and treated with high-dose systemic steroids. Amlodipine was started for steroid-induced hypertension; 11 days after its initiation, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase peaked at 630 and 421 IU/L, respectively. Total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase remained normal. A liver biopsy interpreted the liver injury as being possibly drug induced. Amlodipine, the most recently added medication, was discontinued, and transaminases trended down to normal within 2 weeks. Discussion: Allogeneic stem cell transplant patients are often prescribed many medications that carry the risk of hepatotoxicity. Amlodipine, ondansetron, and tacrolimus all have literature support for hepatotoxicity. Amlodipine, however, was the only agent for which initiation and discontinuation followed the acute rise and fall of liver transaminases. An objective causality assessment for liver toxicity, the RUCAM, revealed that the elevation in transaminases was “possible” drug toxicity caused by amlodipine. The package insert and other case reports of amlodipine hepatotoxicity suggest that it can occur both in the acute and chronic setting, and the injury is characterized as either cholestatic or hepatocellular. Conclusion: Amlodipine is a commonly used agent in allogeneic stem cell transplant patients. As the first published case in a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patient, it brings to light a rare, yet important, event of which clinicians should be aware when caring for patients on this agent.
Improving the Readability of Online Foot and Ankle Patient Education Materials
Authors: Sheppard Evan D. , Hyde Zane , Florence Mason N. , McGwin Gerald , Kirchner John S. , Ponce Brent A.
Published: September 2014

Background:

Previous studies have shown the need for improving the readability of many patient education materials to increase patient comprehension. This study’s purpose was to determine the readability of foot and ankle patient education materials and to determine the extent readability can be improved. We hypothesized that the reading levels would be above the recommended guidelines and that decreasing the sentence length would also decrease the reading level of these patient educational materials.

Methods:

Patient education materials from online public sources were collected. The readability of these articles was assessed by a readability software program. The detailed instructions provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were then used as a guideline for performing edits to help improve the readability of selected articles. The most quantitative guideline, lowering all sentences to less than 15 words, was chosen to show the effect of following the NIH recommendations.

Results:

The reading levels of the sampled articles were above the sixth to seventh grade recommendations of the NIH. The MedlinePlus website, which is a part of the NIH website, had the lowest reading level (8.1). The articles edited had an average reduction of 1.41 grade levels, with the lowest reduction in the Medline articles of 0.65.

Conclusion:

Providing detailed instructions to the authors writing these patient education articles and implementing editing techniques based on previous recommendations could lead to an improvement in the readability of patient education materials.

Clinical Relevance:

This study provides authors of patient education materials with simple editing techniques that will allow for the improvement in the readability of online patient educational materials. The improvement in readability will provide patients with more comprehendible education materials that can strengthen patient awareness of medical problems and treatments.
Limit cycles and acoustic radiation analysis of a van der Pol oscillator-plate-medium system
Authors: Qizheng Zhou , Deshi Wang
Published: September 2014

The approximate analytical solution of the limit cycle and the acoustic radiation characteristics of a nonlinear vibro-acoustic coupling system consisting of a non-autonomous van der Pol oscillator, a plate, and the surrounding acoustic medium are investigated. The nonlinear coupling equations of the vibro-acoustic coupling system under external excitation are derived using variational theory. The modal expression method and the incoherent superposition assumption are employed to discretize the displacements and the surface acoustic pressure of the plate, and then the incremental harmonic balance (IHB) method is used to drive the approximate analytical expressions for the limit cycles of the coupling system. The acoustic radiation power level and the surface average velocity under multi-frequency excitation are defined to describe the response of the plate. The results are that there are limit cycle motions in the vibration of the vibro-acoustic coupling system due to the van der Pol oscillator’s excitation, and there are more harmonic components in the system when the parameters are increased. The vibro-acoustic characteristics of the plate present nonlinear variation because of the oscillator’s nonlinear damping force. The method combining the IHB method and the modal expression method can be used to investigate the nonlinear vibro-acoustic coupling characteristics of a structure under external and self-excited excitation.
Strategic affinities: Historiography and epistemology in contemporary feminist knowledge politics
Authors: Withers Deborah M
Published: September 2014

This article presents a conceptual approach to feminist history that focuses on the strategies activists use in different temporal and spatial locations. The argument builds on recent insights within feminist theory and historiography that reveal an intimate relationship between historiography and epistemology in (feminist) knowledge politics. This article, however, probes the limitations of this relationship by focusing on how current historiographical methods exclude or dilute the actions and events of history through representation and citation. By examining the work of Jamaican theatre collective Sistren, and Bristol (UK) agit-prop group Sistershow, the article presents two ways to rethink temporality that makes those histories resistant to representation. This article argues for a more careful historiography that can do justice to the action of different historical temporalities. In the process, it opens emergent spaces and temporal challenges for feminist knowledge politics.
Bill Simmons, Grantland.com, and ESPN’s corporate reinvention of literary sports writing online
Authors: Vogan Travis , Dowling David
Published: September 2014

In 2011, sports media outlet ESPN launched Grantland.com , a sports and popular culture Web site edited by blogger-turned-ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons. Taking inspiration from magazines like GQ and Esquire, the Web site specializes in long-form journalism; boasts a roster of noteworthy writers and editors who established their renown in print media; and is named after Grantland Rice, the ‘Dean of American Sports Writers’ whose work composes the foundation of America’s sports writing canon. Moreover, it teamed with the hip, independent publisher McSweeney’s to produce Grantland Quarterly, a collection of the Web site’s best works packaged as books. Grantland.com and Grantland Quarterly use print’s relative prestige among media to situate ESPN’s online content as exceptionally literary. This essay uses Simmons and Grantland’s engagements with print to examine and critique ESPN’s transmedia efforts to cultivate prestige that broadens its demographic reach and sustains its carefully crafted institutional identity as ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports’.
Pre-service teachers’ entry onto a physical education teacher education programme, and associated interests and dispositions
Authors: Ralph Ann Marie , MacPhail Ann
Published: September 2014

Investigating the reasons for pre-service teachers (PSTs) whom choose to undertake a physical education teacher education (PETE) programme can inform teacher educators on how best to define teaching tasks, organize knowledge relevant to student learning and shape the perceptions of PSTs about teaching and learning (Calderhead, 1987). In this study, Lortie's (1975) attractors and facilitators to the teaching profession frame the examination of the influences, interests and dispositions that motivate PSTs to enrol in a PETE programme. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 10 PSTs, at the beginning of the first semester and the end of the second semester, within their first year in a 4-year PETE programme: We frequently recorded that significant others and interest in sport influenced their choice to enrol in a PETE programme.
Effects of wall masonry layer’s thermophysical properties and insulation position on time lag and decrement factor
Authors: Zhang Lianying , Zhang Jiyuan , Wang Fenghao , Wang Yuan
Published: September 2014

In this study, effects of the thermophysical properties of the wall masonry layer on the time lag and decrement factor of the composite wall were investigated numerically. For this purpose, the time lag and the decrement factor of six kinds of composite walls were calculated using the software FLUENT. The results show that the time lag would increase with an increase in the heat capacity of the masonry wall layer and would decrease with an increase in the thermal conductivity of the masonry wall; the decrement factor would decrease with an increase in the heat capacity of the masonry wall layer, but would increase with an increase in the thermal conductivity of the masonry wall. In the walls with one insulation layer, the wall with insulation on the outer surface would always have the smallest decrement factor. In the walls with two insulation layers, the wall with the insulation partly in the middle and partly on the outer surface would always have the highest time lag and the wall with the insulation partly on the inner surface and partly on the outer surface would always have the smallest decrement factor.
Coding Cognitive Interviews
Authors: Fowler Floyd J. , Lloyd Stephanie J. , Cosenza Carol A. , Wilson Ira B.
Published: September 2014

Cognitive testing has become routine for well-designed surveys. However, the protocols for cognitive testing vary widely, and observers have been concerned that analysis of the results is not systematic, that results are not replicable, and that the bases for conclusions are not transparent. To address some of those concerns, in this study the cognitive interviews were structured so that interviewers gathered information specifically about whether there was a problem with any of the four standard issues in question answering: comprehension, retrieval, estimation, and providing an answer. From the tape-recorded interviews, the percentage of respondents who had “no problem” with each element of question answering was tabulated for each question. In addition to being systematic and transparent, a strength of the approach is that it documents the positive features of questions, potentially providing evidence for the validity of answers as well as identifying possible question problems.
The Effect of Heterogeneity and Freedom of Participation on Collective Action in Rural Self-Help Groups
Authors: Bharamappanavara Saikumar C. , Hanisch Markus , Rommel Jens
Published: September 2014

In India, self-help groups aim to eradicate poverty. Groups access microcredit via banks, government, or nongovernmental organizations. A vast but inconclusive literature exists on the impacts of heterogeneity and freedom of participation on group functioning. We used survey data and curve estimation to study the effect of these variables on collective action. Survey results were triangulated with in-depth interviews. The applied mixed methods design is useful for empirical studies where the functional form of one variable on the other variable is contested and no a priori model exists for theory-driven deductive empirical testing. We found that both variables are mediated by their institutional context. Heterogeneity promotes the emergence of leadership in bank groups, but it reduces collective action in government-initiated groups.
Gender-Fair Language and Professional Self-Reference
Authors: Formanowicz Magdalena , Sczesny Sabine
Published: September 2014

The struggle to achieve gender equality is accompanied by efforts to introduce gender-fair language. In languages with grammatical gender this implies the use of gender-appropriate forms (feminine for women and masculine for males). In the present research, results of a mixed method approach—a corpus analysis, a survey, and an experiment—provide consistent evidence that in Polish, feminine forms are still infrequent in women’s self-reference and that women psychologists continue to use masculine titles. Moreover, a qualitative inquiry examines the reasons why women prefer masculine over feminine job titles. Integrating findings from the two-stage design, we are able to identify the obstacles to promoting social change with the help of language and to understand the reasons behind them.
Heterogeneity in venous disease practice patterns amongst primary healthcare practitioners
Authors: Dua Anahita , Desai Sapan S , Heller Jennifer A
Published: September 2014

Introduction

This study aimed to describe the practice patterns of primary healthcare practitioners who diagnose and manage venous disease to determine differences in clinical evaluation of disease, recognition of venous ulcers, and referral patterns.

Methods

A survey was distributed at the August 2011 Primary Care Medical Conference (Pri-Med) in Baltimore, Maryland. Pri-med is a medical education company that caters to the continued professional development needs of a variety of physicians.

Results

A total of 305 surveys were completed. Of the respondents, 91% were physicians and 9% were advanced level practitioners. In all, 93% prescribed compression stockings as first-line treatment. Heterogeneous referral patterns were reported with 81% referring to vascular surgery, 25% to a vein clinic, 10% to interventional radiology, and 3% to interventional cardiology. Up to 35% responded that they met resistance (did not have their referral accepted) when attempting referral to a vascular surgery colleague. There was substantial variation when asked about the treatment of deep vein thrombosis with 88% starting anticoagulation therapy, 54% prescribing compression stockings, 40% doing a thrombophilia workup, and 25% referring for lytic therapy.

Conclusion

Diagnosis and management aptitude of venous disease is highly variable. Further grassroots education is required to improve diagnosis and treatment in patients with chronic venous disease.
Quantitative assessment of barriers to the clinical development and adoption of cellular therapies: A pilot study
Authors: Davies Benjamin M , Rikabi Sarah , French Anna , Pinedo-Villanueva Rafael , Morrey Mark E , Wartolowska Karolina , Judge Andrew , MacLaren Robert E , Mathur Anthony , Williams David J , Wall Ivan , Birchall Martin , Reeve Brock , Atala Anthony , Barker Richard W , Cui Zhanfeng , Furniss Dominic , Bure Kim , Snyder Evan Y , Karp Jeffrey M , Price Andrew , Carr Andrew , Brindley David A
Published: September 2014

There has been a large increase in basic science activity in cell therapy and a growing portfolio of cell therapy trials. However, the number of industry products available for widespread clinical use does not match this magnitude of activity. We hypothesize that the paucity of engagement with the clinical community is a key contributor to the lack of commercially successful cell therapy products. To investigate this, we launched a pilot study to survey clinicians from five specialities and to determine what they believe to be the most significant barriers to cellular therapy clinical development and adoption. Our study shows that the main concerns among this group are cost-effectiveness, efficacy, reimbursement, and regulation. Addressing these concerns can best be achieved by ensuring that future clinical trials are conducted to adequately answer the questions of both regulators and the broader clinical community.
Propofol-Associated Priapism in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Doherty Alissa N. , Khandhar Paras B.
Published: September 2014

Objective: To report a case of priapism in an adolescent male following the use of propofol for sedation. Case Report: A 13-year-old male with developmental delay was admitted to intensive care secondary to pneumonia and persistent paroxysmal choreoathetosis. In attempt to stop the choreoathetosis and progressive rhabdomyolysis, he was sedated with 50 mg of intravenous propofol, which successfully resolved the choreoathetosis. Within minutes after the injection, he developed priapism, and within 1 hour it resolved without intervention. Discussion: Priapism was considered to be caused by propofol based on temporal relationship, lack of other medications administered, and complete resolution of symptoms after withdrawal. An objective causality assessment based on the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale suggests propofol is a probable cause of the priapism in our patient. The mechanism of propofol-induced priapism is unknown but likely occurs due to both local and systemic effects. Conclusion: Pediatric clinicians should be aware of this rare side effect, as it requires prompt recognition and potential urologic intervention to alleviate complications.
Bone or Flesh: Defleshing and Post-Depositional Treatments at Körtik Tepe (Southeastern Anatolia, PPNA Period)
Authors: Erdal Yilmaz Selim
Published: September 2014

Cutmarks on the bones of ten individuals from Körtik Tepe, a Pre-Pottery Neolithic site in Southeastern Anatolia, were analysed using a bioarchaeological approach. Half of the ten individuals possess cutmarks on their crania only while the other five have cutmarks on both their cranial and postcranial bones. Diagnoses of these cutmarks suggest they were made on fresh cadavers, while skeletal data and burial customs reveal that the individuals with cutmarks were subject to human intervention in the decomposition process, understood as post-burial practices rather than secondary burials. This conclusion is supported by the application of plaster and paint as part of the burial customs. The process of defleshing is interpreted as an attempt to purify the corpse and to separate death from life.
Age effects on tinnitus and hearing loss in CBA/CaJ mice following sound exposure
Authors: Longenecker Ryan J. , Chonko Kurt T. , Maricich Steve M. , Galazyuk Alexander V.
Published: September 2014

Tinnitus is a maladaptive neuropathic condition that develops in humans and laboratory animals following auditory insult. In our previous study we demonstrated that sound exposure leads to development of behavioral evidence of tinnitus in a sample of exposed mice. However, this tinnitus mouse model did not account for long-term maladaptive plasticity or aging, factors that are commonly linked to the human tinnitus population. Therefore the same group of mice was monitored for tinnitus for 360 days post exposure. Tinnitus was assessed behaviorally by measuring gap-induced pre-pulse suppression of the acoustic startle (GPIAS). Cochlear histology was performed on both control (unexposed) and experimental mice to determine whether sound exposure caused any evident cochlear damage. We found that 360 days after exposure the vast majority of exposed mice exhibited similar gap detection deficits as detected at 84 days post exposure. These mice did not demonstrate significant loss of inner/outer hair cells or spiral ganglion neurons compared to the control sample. Lastly, we demonstrated that GPIAS deficits observed in exposed animals were unlikely exclusively caused by cochlear damage, but could be a result of central auditory maladaptive plasticity. We conclude that CBA/CaJ mice can be considered a good animal model to study the possible contribution of age effects on tinnitus development following auditory insult.
Stepwise enhancement of catalytic performance of haloalkane dehalogenase LinB towards β-hexachlorocyclohexane
Authors: Moriuchi Ryota , Tanaka Hiroki , Nikawadori Yuki , Ishitsuka Mayuko , Ito Michihiro , Ohtsubo Yoshiyuki , Tsuda Masataka , Damborsky Jiri , Prokop Zbynek , Nagata Yuji
Published: September 2014

Two haloalkane dehalogenases, LinBUT and LinBMI, each with 296 amino acid residues, exhibit only seven amino acid residue differences between them, but LinBMI’s catalytic performance towards β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) is considerably higher than LinBUT’s. To elucidate the molecular basis governing this difference, intermediate mutants between LinBUT and LinBMI were constructed and kinetically characterized. The activities of LinBUT-based mutants gradually increased by cumulative mutations into LinBUT, and the effects of the individual amino acid substitutions depended on combination with other mutations. These results indicated that LinBUT’s β-HCH degradation activity can be enhanced in a stepwise manner by the accumulation of point mutations.
Detecting misinformation in online social networks using cognitive psychology
Authors: Kumar K P Krishna , Geethakumari G
Published: September 2014

The paper explores the use of concepts in cognitive psychology to evaluate the spread of misinformation, disinformation and propaganda in online social networks. Analysing online social networks to identify metrics to infer cues of deception will enable us to measure diffusion of misinformation. The cognitive process involved in the decision to spread information involves answering four main questions viz consistency of message, coherency of message, credibility of source and general acceptability of message. We have used the cues of deception to analyse these questions to obtain solutions for preventing the spread of misinformation. We have proposed an algorithm to effectively detect deliberate spread of false information which would enable users to make informed decisions while spreading information in social networks. The computationally efficient algorithm uses the collaborative filtering property of social networks to measure the credibility of sources of information as well as quality of news items. The validation of the proposed methodology has been done on the online social network `Twitter’.
Are microRNAs suitable biomarkers of immunity to tuberculosis?
Authors: Ueberberg Bianca , Kohns Malte , Mayatepek Ertan , Jacobsen Marc
Published: September 2014

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of human immunity e.g. against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Against the background of still alarming high mortality of tuberculosis effective biomarkers to improve diagnosis of M. tuberculosis infection and successful treatment are of major importance.

Conclusions

This review summarizes recent surrogate tissue studies for identification of miRNA biomarker candidates in human tuberculosis with a special focus on reproducibility and conformance. In addition we provide assistance for the design of biomarker studies to circumvent major pitfalls.
Tissue-specific NK cell populations and their origin
Authors: Lysakova-Devine Tatyana , O'Farrelly Cliona
Published: September 2014

Tissue-specific NK cell subpopulations are found in adult gut, liver, and endometrium, as well as other sites in the body. Some differ phenotypically and functionally from pbNK cells, and their origin is disputed. In this review, we discuss tissue-specific NK cells and suggest that subpopulations differentiate in situ from tissue-resident hematopoietic progenitor cells. The understanding of the origins and maturation requirements of tissue-specific NK cells could lead to new classes of immunotherapy for organ-specific pathologies of infectious and malignant origin.
Wave equation processing using finite-difference propagators, Part 1: Wavefield dissection and imaging of marine multicomponent seismic data
Authors: Amundsen Lasse , Robertsson Johan O. A.
Published: September 2014

Methods for wavefield injection are used in, for instance, reverse time extrapolation of shot gathers in reverse time migration. For correct injection of recorded data without any ambiguity of the propagation direction, the wavefield-injection methodology requires pressure and particle velocity data such as multicomponent towed marine or seabed seismic recordings. We discovered that by carefully considering the models (medium parameters and boundary conditions) for injection, wavefield injection of multicomponent data can also be used to solve several long-standing challenges in marine seismic data processing by means of conventional time-space-domain finite-difference propagators. We outlined and demonstrated several of these important applications including up-down separation of wavefields (deghosting), direct-wave removal, source-signature estimation, multiple removal, and imaging using primaries and multiples. Only acoustic models are considered, but the concepts are straightforward to generalize to elastodynamic and electromagnetic models.
Androgen Modulation of Foxp1 and Foxp2 in the Developing Rat Brain: Impact on Sex Specific Vocalization
Authors: Bowers J. Michael , Perez-Pouchoulen Miguel , Roby Clinton R. , Ryan Timothy E. , McCarthy Margaret M.
Published: September 2014

Sex differences in vocal communication are prevalent in both the animals and humans. The mechanism(s) mediating gender differences in human language are unknown, although, sex hormones, principally androgens, play a central role in the development of vocalizations in a wide variety of animal species. The discovery of FOXP2 has added an additional avenue for exploring the origins of language and animal communication. The FOXP2 gene is a member of the forkhead box P (FOXP) family of transcription factors. Prior to the prenatal androgen surge in male fetuses, we observed no sex difference for Foxp2 protein levels in cultured cells. In contrast, 24 hours after the onset of the androgen surge, we found a sex difference for Foxp2 protein levels in cultured cortical cells with males having higher levels than females. Furthermore, we observed the potent nonaromatizable androgen dihydrotestosterone altered not only Foxp2 mRNA and protein levels but also Foxp1. Androgen effects on both Foxp2 and Foxp1 were found to occur in the striatum, cerebellar vermis, and cortex. Immunofluorescence microscopy and coimmunoprecipitation demonstrate Foxp2 and the androgen receptor protein interact. Databases for transcription factor binding sites predict a consensus binding motif for androgen receptor on the Foxp2 promoter regions. We also observed a sex difference in rat pup vocalization with males vocalizing more than females and treatment of females with dihydrotestosterone eliminated the sex difference. We propose that androgens might be an upstream regulator of both Foxp2 and Foxp1 expression and signaling. This has important implications for language and communication as well as neuropsychiatric developmental disorders involving impairments in communication.
Decolonizing Transgender in India
Authors: Dutta Aniruddha , Roy Raina
Published: September 2014

This essay is a set of reflections arising out of prolonged conversations in which we compared notes on our respective experiences as activist (Raina) and ethnographer (Aniruddha) working among, and to different extents belonging to, gender/sexually marginalized communities in eastern India. As we shall argue, the attempted universalization of transgender as a transnational “umbrella term” by the development (nongovernmental) sector, the state, and their funders tends to subsume South Asian discourses and practices of gender/sexual variance as merely “local” expressions of transgender identity, without interrogating the conceptual baggage (such as homo-trans and cis-trans binaries) associated with the transgender category. In the Indian context, this process bolsters the long-standing and continuing (post)colonial construction of hierarchies of scale between transnational, regional, and local levels of discourse and praxis, as evidenced in the relation between the hegemonic anglophone discourse of LGBTIQ identities recognized by the state and the development sector, on one hand, and forms of gender/sexual variance that are positioned as relatively regional or local on the other.
The Technical Capacities of the Body
Authors: Gill-Peterson Julian
Published: September 2014

This essay travels with the testosterone molecule to pursue a theory of racialized and trans embodiment as technical capacities of all bodies, not only of the trans-of-color subject subordinated to racially normative and gender-normative white and cisgender bodies (though the hormone molecule is implicated in those relations). It focuses on technology to think race and transgender together, from a common conceptual ground, rather than as separate strands of thought recombined through an intersectional or cyborg hybridity framework.
Complex and non-redundant signals from individual odor receptors that underlie chemotaxis behavior in Drosophila melanogaster larvae
Authors: Grewal Jeewanjot S. , Nguyen Christine , Robles Raquel , Cho Christina , Kir Karolina , Fledderman Nicole , Gacharna George , Wesolowski Michael , Klinger Christie , Vallejo Pedro , Menhennett Lorien , Nagaraj Abhiram , Ebo Chineze , Peacy Garrett , Davelis Eftihia , Kucher David , Giers Sarah , Kreher Scott A.
Published: September 2014

The rules by which odor receptors encode odors and allow behavior are still largely unexplored. Although large data sets of electrophysiological responses of receptors to odors have been generated, few hypotheses have been tested with behavioral assays. We use a data set on odor responses of Drosophila larval odor receptors coupled with chemotaxis behavioral assays to examine rules of odor coding. Using mutants of odor receptors, we have found that odor receptors with similar electrophysiological responses to odors across concentrations play non-redundant roles in odor coding at specific odor concentrations. We have also found that high affinity receptors for odors determine behavioral response thresholds, but the rules for determining peak behavioral responses are more complex. While receptor mutants typically show loss of attraction to odors, some receptor mutants result in increased attraction at specific odor concentrations. The odor receptor mutants were rescued using transgenic expression of odor receptors, validating assignment of phenotypes to the alleles. Vapor pressures alone cannot fully explain behavior in our assay. Finally, some odors that did not elicit strong electrophysiological responses are associated with behavioral phenotypes upon examination of odor receptor mutants. This result is consistent with the role of sensory neurons in lateral inhibition via local interneurons in the antennal lobe. Taken together, our results suggest a complexity of odor coding rules even in a simple olfactory sensory system.