bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the Relationship Between Teachers’ Instructional Practices and Students’ Mathematics Achievement
Authors: Firmender Janine M. , Gavin M. Katherine , McCoach D. Betsy
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine whether relationships existed between teachers’ implementation of two specific discourse-related instructional practices and students’ mathematics achievement in geometry and measurement as part of a research study on the effectiveness of an advanced mathematics curriculum for kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2. The mathematics units incorporated the following instructional practices: engaging students in verbal communication in mathematics and encouraging the use of appropriate mathematical vocabulary. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine the relationships between teachers’ use of the instructional practices and the students’ mathematics achievement. Results indicated that significant, positive relationships existed; the teachers’ implementation scores for the verbal communication and encouraging mathematical language instructional practices were predictors of student mathematics achievement as measured by students’ percentage gain scores on the Open-Response Assessments. Implications of these findings for mathematics instruction are discussed.
Looking Forward
Authors: Khan Shahrukh Rafi
Published: June 2014

The Kyoto multilateral negotiations provide a template for global negotiations. What is at stake is the survival of humanity, and major global economic restructuring is needed for that. The Kyoto targets were not nearly ambitious enough, and without restructuring national economies, most forecasts suggest the world will be doing too little and too late. Current generations should make possible “looking backward” with pride in humanity’s collective contributions. This essay contributes to a needed debate.
Adverse Drug Reactions to Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Patients at the Largest Public Hospital in Nicaragua
Authors: Lorío Marco , Colasanti Jonathan , Moreira Sumaya , Gutierrez Gamaliel , Quant Carlos
Published: June 2014

Objective:

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to antiretroviral therapy (ART) are an important cause of hospitalization, treatment discontinuation, and regimen changes in both developed and developing countries. This study is the first to examine and understand ADRs in HIV-infected patients in Nicaragua.

Methods:

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted from May 2010 to March 2011, in a cohort of HIV-infected patients receiving ART at the largest public hospital in Managua, Nicaragua. Patients were identified based on ADRs reporting on a standardized antiretroviral pharmacotherapy form. Subsequently, chart reviews of these patients were performed in order to document the specific ADRs.

Results:

Six hundred ninety-two patients on ART were included. The incidence of ADRs was 6.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.5-8.2). Females demonstrated a higher incidence, that is, 10.2% (95% CI 5.3-15.1, P = .020). Patients treated with combinations of zidovudine (ZDV)/lamivudine (3TC) and emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir (TDF) had fewer ADRs ( P < .01) than those using other combinations. Five patients were hospitalized or had a prolonged hospitalization secondary to ADRs, with no mortality attributed to ADR. The most common manifestations of ADRs were central nervous system (20 of 44), gastrointestinal (12 of 44), and dermatologic (8 of 44) reactions. Adverse drug reactions were classified as “likely ADRs” (25 of 44) and “possible ADRs” (19 of 44). No ADRs were preventable.

Conclusion:

Adverse drug reactions most frequently affected the central nervous system. No ADR was life threatening. The frequency of ADRs in this Nicaraguan patient population was less than that reported from other studies in resource-limited settings.
Small Multifidus Muscle Size Predicts Football Injuries
Authors: Hides Julie A. , Stanton Warren R. , Mendis M. Dilani , Franettovich Smith Melinda M. , Sexton Margot J.
Published: June 2014

Background:

In Australian football, lower limb injuries have had the highest incidence and prevalence rates. Previous studies have shown that football players with relatively more severe preseason and playing season hip, groin, and thigh injuries had a significantly smaller multifidus muscle compared with players with no lower limb injuries. Rehabilitation of the multifidus muscle, with restoration of its size and function, has been associated with decreased recurrence rates of episodic low back pain and decreased numbers of lower limb injuries in football players. Assessment of multifidus muscle size and function could potentially be incorporated into a model that could be used to predict injuries in football players.

Purpose:

To examine the robustness of multifidus muscle measurements as a predictor of lower limb injuries incurred by professional football players.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Ultrasound examinations were carried out on 259 male elite football players at the start of the preseason and 261 players at the start of the playing season. Injury data were obtained from records collected by the Australian Football League (AFL) club staff during the preseason and the playing season.

Results:

Decreased size of the multifidus muscle at L5 consistently predicted injury in the preseason and playing season. Asymmetry of the multifidus muscle and low back pain were significantly related to lower limb injuries in the preseason, and having no preferred kicking leg was related to season injuries. Seasonal change in the size of the multifidus muscle indicating a decrease in muscle mass was linked to injury. Sensitivity and specificity of the model were 60.6% and 84.9% for the preseason and 91.8% and 45.8% for the playing season, respectively.

Conclusion:

A model was developed for prediction of lower limb injuries in football players with potential utility for club medical staff. Of particular note is the finding that changes in muscle size from the preseason to the playing season predicted injury.

Clinical Relevance:

As size of the multifidus muscle has been shown to be modifiable with training and has been associated with reduced pain and occurrence of injuries, this information could be incorporated in current programs of injury prevention.
Influence of carbon chain length on the synthesis and yield of fatty amine-coated iron-platinum nanoparticles
Authors: Taylor Robert M , Monson Todd C , Gullapalli Rama R
Published: June 2014

Iron oxide nanoparticles are among the most widely used and characterized magnetic nanoparticles. However, metal alloys such as superparamagnetic iron-platinum particles (SIPPs), which have better magnetic properties, are receiving increased attention. Scalable techniques to routinely synthesize SIPPs in bulk need further study. Here, we focus on the role played by the fatty amine ligand in the formation of the bimetallic FePt nanocrystal. More specifically, we compare the effect of varying lengths of fatty amine ligands on the shape, structure, uniformity, composition, and magnetic properties of the SIPPs. We synthesized SIPPs by employing a ‘green’ thermal decomposition reaction using fatty amine ligands containing 12 to 18 carbons in length. Greater fatty amine chain length increased the polydispersity, particle concentration, iron concentration, and the stability of the SIPPs. Additionally, longer reflux times increased the diameter of the particles, but decreased the iron concentration, suggesting that shorter reaction times are preferable. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the SIPPs indicates that the ligands are successfully bound to the FePt cores through the amine group. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry measurements suggest that all of the SIPPs were superparamagnetic at room temperature and that SIPPs synthesized using tetradecylamine had the highest saturation magnetization. Our findings indicate that the octadecylamine ligand, which is currently used for the routine synthesis of SIPPs, may not be optimal. Overall, we found that using tetradecylamine and a 30-min reflux reaction resulted in optimal particles with the highest degree of monodispersity, iron content, stability, and saturation magnetization.

PACS

81.07.-b; 75.75.Fk; 61.46.Df
Clinical potentials of human pluripotent stem cells in lung diseases
Authors: Quan Yuan , Wang Dachun
Published: June 2014

Lung possesses very limited regenerative capacity. Failure to maintain homeostasis of lung epithelial cell populations has been implicated in the development of many life‐threatening pulmonary diseases leading to substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, and currently there is no known cure for these end‐stage pulmonary diseases. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and somatic cell‐derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) possess unlimited self‐renewal capacity and great potential to differentiate to various cell types of three embryonic germ layers (ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal). Therapeutic use of human ESC/iPSC‐derived lung progenitor cells for regeneration of injured or diseased lungs will have an enormous clinical impact. This article provides an overview of recent advances in research on pluripotent stem cells in lung tissue regeneration and discusses technical challenges that must be overcome for their clinical applications in the future.
Towards a new method for coating heritage lead
Authors: Grayburn Rosie A , Dowsett Mark , De Keersmaecker Michel , Banerjee Dipanjan , Brown Simon , Adriaens Annemie
Published: June 2014

Background

Ethanolic solutions of long-chain carboxylic acids can be applied to lead metal substrates to form a coating of lead carboxylate which provides protection against atmospheric pollutants.

Results and conclusions

In this paper we describe the optimal inhibitor concentration for the coating on lead. Electrochemical impedance data taken before and after immersion in media modelling oak emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) polluted atmospheres show that coating effectiveness decreases after exposure, but the effect is lessened if longer chain carboxylates are used.
Neurological adverse events in patients receiving anti-TNF therapy: a prospective imaging and electrophysiological study
Authors: Kaltsonoudis Evripidis , Zikou Anastasia K , Voulgari Paraskevi V , Konitsiotis Spyridon , Argyropoulou Maria I , Drosos Alexandros A
Published: June 2014

Introduction

The aim was to investigate the frequency of neurological adverse events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondylarthropathies (SpA) treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α antagonists.

Methods

Seventy-seven patients eligible for anti-TNFα therapy were evaluated. There were 36 patients with RA, 41 with SpA [24 psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and 17 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS)]. All patients had a complete physical and neurological examination. Brain and cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurophysiological tests were performed in all patients before the initiation of anti-TNFα therapy and after a mean of 18 months or when clinical symptoms and signs indicated a neurological disease. Exclusion criteria included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, heart arrhythmias, atherothrombotic events, vitamin B12 and iron deficiency, head and neck trauma and neurological surgeries.

Results

Two patients did not receive anti-TNFα therapy because brain MRIs at baseline revealed lesions compatible with demyelinating diseases. Thus, 75 patients received anti-TNFα (38 infliximab, 19 adalimumab and 18 etanercept). Three patients developed neurological adverse events. A 35-year-old man with PsA after 8 months of infliximab therapy presented with paresis of the left facial nerve and brain MRI showed demyelinating lesions. Infliximab was discontinued and he was treated with pulses of corticosteroids recovering completely after two months. The second patient was a 45-year-old woman with RA who after 6 months of adalimumab therapy presented with optic neuritis. The third patient was a 50-year-old woman with AS, whom after 25 months of infliximab therapy, presented with tingling and numbness of the lower extremities and neurophysiological tests revealed peripheral neuropathy. In both patients anti-TNF were discontinued and they improved without treatment after 2 months. The rest of our patients showed no symptoms and MRIs showed no abnormalities. The estimated rate of neurological adverse events in patients treated with anti-TNF therapy is 4% (3/75).

Conclusions

Neurological adverse events after anti-TNFα therapy were observed in our patient. Brain MRI and neurophysiological tests are essential tools to discriminate neurological diseases.
An Isolable Diborane(4) Compound with Terminal B–H Bonds: Structural Characteristics and Electronic Properties
Authors: Shoji Yoshiaki , Kaneda Shohei , Fueno Hiroyuki , Tanaka Kazuyoshi , Tamao Kohei , Hashizume Daisuke , Matsuo Tsukasa
Published: June 2014

The first isolable diborane(4) containing terminal B–H bonds, protected by the bulky 1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-3,3,5,5-tetrapropyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (MPind) groups, was synthesized as air- and moisture-sensitive colorless crystals. The structure and bonding nature of this H-terminal diborane(4), characterized by X-ray crystallography, NMR studies, and DFT calculations, were compared to those of the previously reported isomer, a doubly H-bridged butterfly-shaped diborane(4) bearing the less bulky 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Eind) groups. The two distinct structures of these dihydro-diborane(4) compounds may be primarily attributed to the intramolecular steric effects of the bulky protecting groups.
A 13 year-old boy with post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder presenting with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: a case report
Authors: Ho Edith Y. , George Vijay , McCracken Marjorie , Ostroff James W.
Published: June 2014

One well recognized and potentially serious complication of chronic immunosuppression in organ transplant recipients is post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). This accounts for 20% of all malignancies in transplant recipients, which is four times higher than the general population1,2. The diagnosis of PTLD is often difficult, due to various manifestations resulting in late diagnosis. We report an unusual presentation of PTLD in a pediatric patient where the diagnosis was achieved only after extensive investigation.
Antifungal therapy and surgical drainage for the treatment of a cerebral abscess caused by Scedosporium apiospermum in a renal transplant patient - a case report
Authors: Garzón Maria Isabel , Abiega Claudio , Zarate Abel H. , Sanchez Pablo E. , Medeot Marcela F. , Chiurchiu Carlos , de La Fuente Jorge , Caeiro Juan Pablo
Published: June 2014

Scedosporium apiospermum, the asexual form of Pseudallescheria boydii, is a filamentous, opportunistic fungus which can be found in environmental sources all over the world. It is a human pathogen mostly associated with lung, bone and joint infections and less frequently with infections of the central nervous system (CNS). The latter is generally related to the patient’s immune state, and occurs most frequently in immunocompromised patients. We present the case of a 64-year-old male patient with a background of chronic kidney failure secondary to nephroangiosclerosis and a renal transplantation who presented with left-sided hemiplegia and dysarthria. A brain MRI revealed a hyperintense lesion with ring enhancement at the right paramedian posterior frontal subcortical area with an associated vasogenic edema. A stereotactic biopsy of the lesion revealed the presence of S. apiospermum. The patient received a combined therapy of voriconazole and terbinafine with surgical drainage, which led to temporarily clinical and radiological improvement.
Error evaluation of ventricular mechanics measurement in patients with discoordinate ventricular contraction
Authors: Kirn Borut
Published: June 2014

In patients with discoordinate ventricular contraction, accurate identification of local mechanics from all heart regions is essential. Current measurement techniques are imperfect because a large part of the ventricular wall may be excluded, resulting in non-physiological average strain. In order to evaluate this error, we propose to compare the measured average strain to a reference strain obtained by averaging through a series of measurements.

We assessed magnetic resonance (MR)-tagged images and determined circumferential strain in 160 regions of the ventricular wall in 10 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and left bundle branch block and 9 healthy volunteers. For each subject a global strain was calculated as the average of all measured strains. Then a reference strain was determined as the average of global strains for both experimental groups.

The reference strains of a patient group and healthy controls both had a physiological pattern, with a peak shortening of -0.034 and -0.15, respectively.

A large difference between the measured global strain and the reference strain indicates measurements which have large regions of ventricular wall which are excluded in the measurements.
Developing sustainable software solutions for bioinformatics by the “Butterfly” paradigm
Authors: Ahmed Zeeshan , Zeeshan Saman , Dandekar Thomas
Published: June 2014

Software design and sustainable software engineering are essential for the long-term development of bioinformatics software. Typical challenges in an academic environment are short-term contracts, island solutions, pragmatic approaches and loose documentation. Upcoming new challenges are big data, complex data sets, software compatibility and rapid changes in data representation. Our approach to cope with these challenges consists of iterative intertwined cycles of development (“Butterfly” paradigm) for key steps in scientific software engineering. User feedback is valued as well as software planning in a sustainable and interoperable way. Tool usage should be easy and intuitive. A middleware supports a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) as well as a database/tool development independently. We validated the approach of our own software development and compared the different design paradigms in various software solutions.
The Human Release Hypothesis for biological invasions: human activity as a determinant of the abundance of invasive plant species
Authors: Zimmermann Heike , Brandt Patric , Fischer Joern , Welk Erik , von Wehrden Henrik
Published: June 2014

Research on biological invasions has increased rapidly over the past 30 years, generating numerous explanations of how species become invasive. While the mechanisms of invasive species establishment are well studied, the mechanisms driving abundance patterns (i.e. patterns of population density) remain poorly understood. Invasive species typically have higher abundances in their new environments than in their native ranges, and patterns of invasive species abundance differ between invaded regions. To explain differences in invasive species abundance, we propose the Human Release Hypothesis. In parallel to the established Enemy Release Hypothesis, this hypothesis states that the abundance of invasive species may be partly explained by the level of human activity or landscape maintenance, with intermediate levels of human activity providing optimal conditions for high abundance. The Human Release Hypothesis does not negate other important drivers of species invasions, but rather should be considered as a potentially important additional or complementary mechanism. We illustrate the hypothesis via a case study on an invasive rose species, and hypothesize which locations globally may be most likely to support high abundances of invasive species. We propose that more extensive empirical work on the Human Release Hypothesis could be useful to test its general applicability.
Prevalence of primary outcome changes in clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ramagopalan Sreeram V. , Skingsley Andrew P. , Handunnetthi Lahiru , Klingel Michelle , Magnus Daniel , Pakpoor Julia , Goldacre Ben
Published: June 2014

Background: An important principle in the good conduct of clinical trials is that a summary of the trial protocol, with a pre-defined primary outcome, should be freely available before the study commences. The clinical trials registry ClinicalTrials.gov provides one method of doing this, and once the trial is registered, any changes made to the primary outcome are documented. The objectives of this study were: to assess the proportion of registered trials on ClinicalTrials.gov that had the primary outcome changed; to assess when the primary outcome was changed in relation to the listed study start and end dates and to assess whether the primary outcome change had any relation to the study sponsor.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of all interventional clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as of 25 October 2012 was performed. The main outcome was any change made to the initially listed primary outcome and the time of the change in relation to the trial start and end date.

Findings: Our analysis showed that 28229 of 89204 (31.7%) registered studies had their primary outcome changed.  Industry funding was associated with all primary outcome changes, odds ratio (OR)= 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.31-1.41, p<0.001; with primary outcome changes after study start date OR=1.37, 95% CI=1.32-1.42, p<0.001; with primary outcome changes after primary completion date OR=1.84, 95% CI=1.75-1.94, p<0.001 and with primary outcome changes after study completion date OR=1.82, 95% CI=1.73-1.91, p<0.001. 

Conclusions A significant proportion of interventional trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov have their primary outcomes altered after the listed study start and completion dates. These changes are associated with funding source.
Toxoplasma gondii infection enhances the kairomonal valence of rat urine
Authors: Vasudevan Anand , Vyas Ajai
Published: June 2014

Many animals use chemicals as pheromones to communicate between individuals of the same species, for example to influence mate choice or to assert dominance. Pheromonal communication is an open broadcast system that can be intercepted by unintended receivers such as predators and prey. We have recently reported that male rats infected by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii become more attractive to female rats. This suggests a facilitatory effect of infection on rat pheromone production. In view of the open nature of pheromonal communication, we postulate that Toxoplasma gondii infection collateraly enhances kairomonal valence of infected rats to their prey. We compared the strength of kairomonal interception by mice when using scent marks from rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii vs. marks from uninfected control rats. Mice exhibited greater avoidance to both fresh urine and aged rat urine marks obtained from infected animals. These results indicate that, at least in some cases, parasitism can result in opportunity costs for hosts by making prey species more averse to them.
Vitellogenin family gene expression does not increase Drosophila lifespan or fecundity
Authors: Ren Yingxue , Hughes Kimberly A.
Published: June 2014

One of the most striking patterns in comparative biology is the negative correlation between lifespan and fecundity observed in comparisons among species. This pattern is consistent with the idea that organisms need to allocate a fixed energy budget among competing demands of growth, development, reproduction and somatic maintenance. However, exceptions to this pattern have been observed in many social insects, including ants, bees, and termites.  In honey bees (Apismellifera),Vitellogenin(Vg), a yolk protein precursor, has been implicated in mediating the long lifespan and high fecundity of queen bees. To determine ifVg-like proteins can regulate lifespan in insects generally, we examined the effects of expression ofApisVgandDrosophila CG31150(aVg-like gene recently identified ascv-d) onDrosophilamelanogasterlifespan and fecundity using the RU486-inducible GeneSwitch system. For all genotypes tested, overexpression ofVgandCG31150decreasedDrosophilalifespan and did not affect total or age-specific fecundity. We also detected an apparent effect of the GeneSwitch system itself, wherein RU486 exposure (or the GAL4 expression it induces) led to a significant increase in longevity and decrease in fecundity in our fly strains. This result is consistent with the pattern reported in a recent meta-analysis ofDrosophilaaging studies, where transgenic constructs of the UAS/GAL4 expression system that should have no effect (e.g. an uninduced GeneSwitch) significantly extended lifespan in some genetic backgrounds. Our results suggest thatVg-family genes are not major regulators ofDrosophilalife history traits, and highlight the importance of using appropriate controls in aging studies.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to Mycobacterium abscessus lung infection – a case report
Authors: Gheevarghese John Santhosh , Zangeneh Tirdad T. , Parthasarathy Sairam
Published: June 2014

Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) is among the most common rapidly growing mycobacteria causing infections in humans. Skin and soft tissue infections, especially those following trauma or surgery are the most common infections caused by this pathogen. We describe the case of a 22-year old female with cerebral palsy and chronic respiratory insufficiency requiring nocturnal ventilation through a tracheostomy, who was admitted to a hospital with worsening shortness of breath, fever, and ventilator dependence. The patient was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by bilateral pneumonia due to M. abscessus infection. The patient received prolonged antibiotic treatment and respiratory support which led to clinical recovery and bacteriological cure.
Factors that contribute to social media influence within an Internal Medicine Twitter learning community
Authors: Desai Tejas , Patwardhan Manish , Coore Hunter
Published: June 2014

Medical societies, faculty, and trainees use Twitter to learn from and educate other social media users. These social media communities bring together individuals with various levels of experience. It is not known if experienced individuals are also the most influential members. We hypothesize that participants with the greatest experience would be the most influential members of a Twitter community.

We analyzed the 2013 Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine Twitter community. We measured the number of tweets authored by each participant and the number of amplified tweets (re-tweets). We developed a multivariate linear regression model to identify any relationship to social media influence, measured by the PageRank.

Faculty (from academic institutions) comprised 19% of the 132 participants in the learning community (p < 0.0001). Faculty authored 49% of all 867 tweets (p < 0.0001). Their tweets were the most likely to be amplified (52%, p < 0.01). Faculty had the greatest influence amongst all participants (mean 1.99, p < 0.0001). Being a faculty member had no predictive effect on influence (β = 0.068, p = 0.6). The only factors that predicted influence (higher PageRank) were the number of tweets authored (p < 0.0001) and number of tweets amplified (p < 0.0001)

The status of “faculty member” did not confer a greater influence. Any participant who was able to author the greatest number of tweets or have more of his/her tweets amplified could wield a greater influence on the participants, regardless of his/her authority.
Expert interviews with science communicators: How perceptions of audience values influence science communication values and practices
Authors: Brown Paige , Scholl Rosanne
Published: June 2014

Popular science communicators are a key link between scientists and publics, navigating the values of the scientific community and the perceived interests and values of readers. To do so, these professionals apply shared ideas about the role of science communication in society and about the factors that determine meaningful and newsworthy science stories. And yet we know little about the motivations and assumptions of audience values that underlie shared science communication values and criteria of story selection. Interviews with 14 popular science communicators writing in a variety of formats reveal that both their personal motivations and their perceptions of audience interests and values influence whether and how scientific research is translated into story.
Paying It Forward vs. Rewarding Reputation: Mechanisms of Generalized Reciprocity
Authors: Baker Wayne E. , Bulkley Nathaniel
Published: June 2014

Generalized reciprocity is a widely recognized but little studied component of social capital in organizations. We develop a causal model of the multiple mechanisms that sustain generalized reciprocity in an organization, drawing together disparate literatures in the social, organizational, and biological sciences. We conduct the first-ever critical test of two key mechanisms: paying it forward and rewarding reputation. These are fundamentally different grammars of organizing, either of which could sustain a system of generalized reciprocity. In an organization, paying it forward is a type of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) that occurs when members of an organization help third parties because they themselves were helped. Rewarding reputation is a type of OCB that occurs when peers monitor one another, helping those who help others and refusing to help those who do not. Using behavioral data collected from members of two organizational groups over a three-month period, we found that reputational effects were strongest in the short term but decayed thereafter. Paying it forward had stronger and more lasting effects. Dominant theories assume that rewarding reputation is the main cause of generalized reciprocity, but our analysis demonstrates that generalized reciprocity in an organization occurs for multiple reasons. We use the empirical findings to develop propositions about the mechanisms of generalized reciprocity in organizations and link these to management practices. Our study contributes to social exchange theory, macro-level prosocial behavior, OCB, positive organizational scholarship, and management.
The Generalized Consistent Vehicle Routing Problem
Authors: Kovacs Attila A. , Golden Bruce L. , Hartl Richard F. , Parragh Sophie N.
Published: June 2014

The consistent vehicle routing problem (ConVRP) takes customer satisfaction into account by assigning one driver to a customer and by bounding the variation in the arrival times over a given planning horizon. These requirements may be too restrictive in some applications. In the generalized ConVRP (GenConVRP), each customer is visited by a limited number of drivers and the variation in the arrival times is penalized in the objective function. The vehicle departure times may be adjusted to obtain stable arrival times. Additionally, customers are associated with AM/PM time windows. In contrast to previous work on the ConVRP, we do not use the template concept to generate routing plans. Our approach is based on a flexible large neighborhood search that is applied to the entire solution. Several destroy and repair heuristics have been designed to remove customers from the routes and to reinsert them at better positions. Arrival time consistency is improved by a simple 2-opt operator that reverses parts of particular routes.

A computational study is performed on ConVRP benchmark instances and on new instances generated for the generalized problem. The proposed algorithm performs well on different variants of the ConVRP. It outperforms template-based approaches in terms of travel cost and time consistency. For the GenConVRP, we experiment with different input parameters and examine the trade-off between travel cost and customer satisfaction. Remarkable cost savings can be obtained by allowing more than one driver per customer.
How to implement and manage a weight loss plan
Authors: Linder Deborah
Published: June 2014

Obesity is one of the most common health problems in companion animals, with almost half of dogs and cats being overweight or obese. Veterinary nurses should be prepared that pet owners may not know or understand what optimal weight is in their pets, as well as the serious health consequences of obesity. The approach to a successful weight management programme includes assessing the pet, family, and environment, selecting an appropriate diet for each individual pet's needs and preferences, determining and initiating appropriate calorie restriction, incorporating physical activity if possible, and most importantly, tailoring the plan to the pet and pet owners to increase adherence. Understanding weight loss in the broader context of human–animal relationships allows veterinary staff to effectively develop and support successful treatment plans.
Importance of the Medicaid Medical Directors’ Multi-State Collaborative for
Improving Care in Medicaid
Authors: Zerzan Judy , Griffith Katherine , Trudnak Tara , Fairbrother Gerry
Published: June 2014

Introduction: There are many benefits of multistate collaboratives or networks to
states, but at the center is that they allow for the opportunity to learn from other
states and experts about the practices and policies states have implemented without the
significant time lag of published research. This commentary examines these benefits and
illustrates the importance of quality improvement collaborations to decision-making in
state Medicaid programs.Background: In 2007, the Medicaid Medical Directors Learning
Network (MMDLN) began conducting quality improvement studies using their own state-level
administrative data to better understand the major clinical issues facing the Medicaid
populations and to work together on policies to improve outcomes.Rationale and Results:
The three issues selected by MMDs for quality improvement monitoring to date involved an
important national problem – including both morbidity and cost – and were amenable to
policy solutions. The studies examined the use of antipsychotic medication in children,
hospital admissions and readmissions, and early elective deliveries (i.e., elective
deliveries occurring before 39 weeks).Importance and Utility: The multistate clinical
quality projects conducted offer a key mechanism for achieving the goal of helping the
Medicaid program deliver value-driven, high-quality, cost-effective health care in an
efficient manner. These projects also provide the participating states with data to
inform policies internally.Conclusions: In order for the quality of health care to
improve, the system needs to be structured as a learning health care system; one that is
always accessing evidence, implementing a variation of it (i.e., with new data sources
or tools such as electronic clinical data), assessing effectiveness, and sharing results
for others to repeat the cycle.
Anerkennung und Abhängigkeit
Authors: Herrmann Steffen K.
Published: June 2014

Recently, a number of critical social theorists have argued that the analysis of social relations of unfreedom should take into account the phenomenon of self-subordination. In my article, I draw on Hegel’s theory of recognition to elucidate this phenomenon and show that recognition can be not only a means of self-realization, but also of subjugation. I develop my argument in three steps: As a first step, I reconstruct the idea of social pathologies in the tradition of Critical Theory. In the course of this reconstruction, it becomes clear that the analysis of social pathologies should focus on the binding force of recognition. As a second step, I reinterpret Hegel and show that a close reading of the relationship of lordship and bondage can help us to understand how a subject can become bound by recognition. As a third step, I make an attempt at reactualizing Hegel’s idea. Following Sartre’s analysis of anti-Semitism, I outline three stages of how subjects can gradually come to subordinate themselves and become entrapped in social relations of unfreedom such as race, class or gender.
Modulation of cell behaviors by electrochemically active polyelectrolyte multilayers
Authors: Chang Guo-xun , Ren Ke-feng , Zhao Yi-xiu , Sun Yi-xin , Ji Jian
Published: June 2014

In addition to the topographical features and chemical properties of substrates, the mechanical properties are known as a vital regulator of cellular processes such as adhesion, proliferation, and migration, and have received considerable attention in recent years. In this work, electrochemical redox multilayers made of ferrocene-modified poly(ethylenimine) (PEI-Fc) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with controlled stiffness were used to investigate the effects of the mechanical properties of multilayers on fibroblast cell (NIH/3T3) behaviors. Redox PEI-Fc plays an essential role in inducing swelling in multilayers under an electrochemical stimulus, resulting in distinct changes in the stiffness of the multilayers. The Young’s modulus varied from 2.05 to 1.07 MPa for the (PEI-Fc/DNA) multilayers by changing the oxidation time of the electrochemical treatment. We demonstrated that the adhesion, proliferation, and migration of fibroblast cells depended on the multilayers’ stiffness. These results indicate that cell behaviors can be precisely controlled by electrochemical treatment, which provides a new way to prepare thin films with tunable mechanical properties with potential biomedical applications.
A facile synthesis of 7,12-dihydro-1,3,6,7,12-pentaazapleiadenes by domino reaction
Authors: Basetti Vishnu , Pallepati Rangarao , Thadi Emima , Hosahalli Subramanya , Potluri Vijay
Published: June 2014

A tandem strategy for the synthesis of 7,12-dihydro-1,3,6,7,12-pentaazapleiadenes and 4-(2-aminophenoxy)pyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidin-5(6H)-ones from readily available starting materials has been developed.
Network swelling of TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose
Authors: Maloney Thad C.
Published: June 2014

This study examines the swelling of TEMPO-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (NFCTEMPO, shortly NFC) on both the particle and interparticle levels. The sum of the intraparticle and interparticle swelling is referred to as the network swelling. A centrifugal method, based on a modification of the water retention value test, was used to measure the network swelling of NFC, a pigment, and some pulp fibers. It was found that the network swelling of NFC is highly dependent on its concentration within a fiber matrix. The particle swelling of NFC and pulp fibers was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and solute exclusion. The counterion for the NFC varied among the Na+, H+, and Ca2+ forms. The counterion has a very large effect on the particle and network swelling of NFC, with Ca2+ giving the lowest swelling and Na+ the highest swelling. An industrially feasible method for changing the counterion of NFC from the nominal Na+ to the Ca2+ form, and thus improving dewatering properties, is given.
Degradation of chemically modified Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) with Fenton reagent
Authors: Xie Yanjun , Xiao Zefang , Mai Carsten
Published: June 2014

The Fenton reaction is supposed to play a key role in the initial wood degradation by brown rot fungi. Wood was modified with 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) and glutaraldehyde (GA) to various weight percentage gains in order to study if these types of modifications are able to reduce wood degradation by Fenton reagent. Veneers modified with higher concentrations (1.2 and 2.0 mol l-1) of both chemicals exhibited minor losses in mass and tensile strength during treatment with Fenton reagent, which shows restrained oxidative degradation by hydroxyl radicals. The decomposition rate of H2 O2 was lower in the Fenton solutions containing modified veneers than in those containing unmodified controls. More CO2 evolved in systems containing unmodified veneers than in systems with modified veneers, indicating that modification protected wood from mineralisation. The reason for the enhanced resistance of modified wood to the Fenton reaction is attributed to impeded diffusion of the reagent into the cell wall rather than to inhibition of the Fenton reaction itself. The results show that wood modification with DMDHEU and GA is able to restrain the degradation of wood by the Fenton reaction and can explain why modified wood is more resistant to brown rot decay.
Does recent sexual intercourse during pregnancy affect the results of the fetal fibronectin rapid test? A comparative prospective study
Authors: Faron Gilles , Buyl Ronald , Foulon Walter
Published: June 2014

Objective: We conducted a prospective comparative cohort study to determinate the influence of coitus on quantitative fetal fibronectin test results under normal pregnancy conditions. We also compared values obtained in cervical and vaginal secretions.

Methods: In a population of women with normal singleton pregnancies between 22 and 28 weeks gestation, we have performed (cervical and vaginal) quantitative fetal fibronectin tests in two separate groups classified according to timing after coitus (one group of women had intercourse within 24 h before sampling and the control group had intercourse >24 h before sampling). The main outcome measures were the proportion of positive tests in both groups and the correlation between cervical and vaginal values through the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results: Both groups were similar in terms of general characteristics and pregnancy outcomes. The proportions of positive results in the vaginal secretions were 7.5% and 25.0% (P=0.007) in the control and coitus group, respectively. In the cervical secretions, the proportions of positive tests were greater, but not statistically different (39.7% and 40.0%, respectively). The Pearson correlation coefficients were very low (<0.3) indicating poor correlation between both sampling locations. Even if the cervical values were generally greater than the vaginal values, they were lower in 26% of the women.

Conclusions: Coitus definitely interferes with vaginal fetal fibronectin test results. In cervical secretions, the positive rate was so high that coitus had no influence, but cervical sampling in this location should be avoided.
Reproduction and postnatal development in the Yucatan vesper mouse
Authors: Panti-May Jesús A. , MacSwiney G. Ma. Cristina , Hernández-Betancourt Silvia F. , Valdes-Rodríguez Ofelia A.
Published: June 2014

The vesper mouse,
Spatio-temporal patterns in the distribution of the multi-mammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, in rice crop and fallow land habitats in Tanzania
Authors: Mulungu Loth S. , Sixbert Valency , Ngowo Victoria , Mdangi Mashaka , Katakweba Abdul S. , Tesha Protas , Mrosso Furaha P. , Mchomvu Margaret , Kilonzo Bukheti S. , Belmain Steven R.
Published: June 2014

An understanding of the dispersion patterns of a pest is an important pre-requisite for developing an effective management programme for the pest. In this study, rodents were trapped in two rice fields and two fallow fields for three consecutive nights each month from June 2010 to May 2012.
The Economic System of China
Authors: Cheung Steven N. S.
Published: June 2014

“The Economic System of China” by Steven Cheung was originally presented as the lead paper at the 2008 Chicago Conference on China’s Market Transformation, organized by Professor Coase. While the paper, with a Chinese translation, has been available in China since 2009, it has not received the attention it deserves outside China. In this new version, Professor Cheung added a postscript to the original paper, which Professor Coase praised as “powerful” and is kept intact.
Chemical speciation in fresh, saline and hyper-saline waters
Authors: Tepavitcharova Stefka , Rabadjieva Diana , Todorov Tihomir , Kovacheva Antonina , Dassenakis Manos , Paraskevopoulou Vasiliki
Published: June 2014

A thermodynamic model is proposed, which combines the ion association and the ion interaction models using the extended database pit2010.dat for a more precise modeling of the chemical species of micro components in natural waters of varying ionic strength (fresh, saline and hyper-saline). Compared to the ion association model, the proposed combined model more adequately describes the complex character of the ionic interactions. The performance of the combined ion association/ion interaction model compared to that of the ion association model is illustrated in case studies of several Bulgarian natural water systems of different ionic strength and type of pollution. The results are interpreted in terms of the chemical behavior of the metals and of their chemical species in the water systems, which is defined by the redox potential, pH, cationic and anionic organic and inorganic composition of the water systems and by the ability of the metals to preferentially coordinate with some anions, as well as by the stability of the corresponding species. The affinity of the transition metals towards the ligands is explained by the “hardness-softness” factor and the crystal field stabilization energy (CFSE).
Characteristics analysis and mold design for ultrasonic-assisted injection molding
Authors: Yang Yi-Jen , Huang Chung-Ching , Lin Shih-Kai , Tao Jie
Published: June 2014

This study investigated the use of ultrasonic technology in assisted injection molding (AIM) and mold design. An ultrasonic device installed in a mold was employed to vibrate a melt, thereby converting kinetic energy into thermal energy. This method enabled maintaining the desired temperature in the melt flow, preventing a high level of shear and the formation of a thick frozen layer surrounding the skin layer; thus, the injection molding efficiency was enhanced and the residual stress inside the injection-molded component was reduced. In this study, a flat sample (75 mm×47 mm×1 mm) of an ultrasonic-assisted injection mold was developed. An ultrasonic oscillation device 45 mm in diameter was placed in the center of the cavity and used to vibrate a polycarbonate melt at a frequency of 20 KHz. In addition, cavity pressure sensors were positioned at the front and rear of the vibration region to analyze the melt flow behavior under ultrasonic-AIM (UAIM) conditions. The results showed that ultrasonic oscillations can reduce the amount of melt pressure lost through the cavity. The pressure loss of the flat sample used in UAIM was approximately 29% lower than that of the sample used in conventional injection molding (CIM; nonultrasonic-assisted injection); the power of UAIM did not yield substantial effects. Direct ultrasonic oscillations destroyed the melt flow and thermal stresses, therefore, the region exhibited a low stress distribution. Compared with using CIM, using UAIM reduced the average residual stress by 27%. Ultrasonic oscillation affected the surface roughness during melt solidification. When the ultrasonic power was <70%, no substantial increase in surface roughness was observed; however, when the ultrasonic power >70%, the surface roughness was 10 times higher compared with that observed using CIM.