bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Video game play (Dance Dance Revolution) as a potential exercise therapy in Huntington’s disease: a controlled clinical trial
Authors: Kloos Anne D , Fritz Nora E , Kostyk Sandra K , Young Gregory S , Kegelmeyer Deb A
Published: June 2013

Objective:

To investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a supervised video game exercise program administered via Dance Dance Revolution in individuals with Huntington’s disease.

Design:

A cross-over, controlled, single-blinded, six-week trial.

Setting:

Home-based.

Participants:

Eighteen ambulatory individuals with Huntington’s disease (seven male, mean age 50.7 SD 14.7).

Interventions:

Participants played the Dance Dance Revolution game with supervision and the handheld game without supervision for 45 minutes, two days per week for six weeks.

Outcome measures:

Game play performance and adherence, participant perceptions of the game, safety (vital signs, adverse health changes), spatiotemporal gait measures, Four-Square Step Test, Tinetti Mobility Test, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life – Bref, before and after each intervention.

Results:

Most participants improved on game play, enjoyed playing the game, and wanted to continue playing after study completion. After playing Dance Dance Revolution, participants showed significant reductions in double support percentage (adjusted mean difference (95% confidence intervals): –2.54% (–4.75, –0.34) for forward walking and −4.18 (–6.89, –0.48) for backward walking) and those with less severe motor symptoms had reductions in heel-to-heel base of support during forward walking. The remaining measures were not significantly impacted by the intervention.

Conclusion:

Dance Dance Revolution appears to be a feasible, motivating, and safe exercise intervention for individuals with Huntington’s disease.
Professional Confidence and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Chu Doris C. , Sung Hung-En
Published: June 2013

Understanding substance abuse counselors’ professional confidence and job satisfaction is important since such confidence and satisfaction can affect the way counselors go about their jobs. Analyzing data derived from a random sample of 110 counselors from faith-based and non-faith-based treatment programs, this study examines counselors’ professional confidence and job satisfaction in both faith-based and non-faith-based programs. The multivariate analyses indicate years of experience and being a certified counselor were the only significant predictors of professional confidence. There was no significant difference in perceived job satisfaction and confidence between counselors in faith-based and non-faith-based programs. A majority of counselors in both groups expressed a high level of satisfaction with their job. Job experience in drug counseling and prior experience as an abuser were perceived by counselors as important components to facilitate counseling skills. Policy implications are discussed.
Operative and Nonoperative Treatment of Cervical Disc Herniation in National Football League Athletes
Authors: Meredith Dennis S. , Jones Kristofer J. , Barnes Ronnie , Rodeo Scott A. , Cammisa Frank P. , Warren Russell F.
Published: June 2013

Background:

Limited evidence exists to guide clinical decision making regarding cervical disc herniations in professional athletes playing for the National Football League (NFL) in the United States.

Purpose:

To describe the presentation and treatment outcomes of cervical disc herniations in NFL athletes with a focus on safety and return to sport.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

The records of a single NFL team and its consulting physicians were reviewed from 2000 to 2011. Only athletes with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–proven disc herniation concordant with the reported symptoms were included.

Results:

A total of 16 athletes met inclusion criteria. Linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs were the most represented positions (13/16 athletes; 81%). The most common presentation was radiculopathy after a single traumatic event (9/16 athletes; 56%). Three players had transient paresis. Three players underwent one-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. These 3 players had failed nonoperative therapy and had evidence of spinal cord compression with signal change on MRI, but only 1 returned to sport. Three players received epidural steroid injections, which provided transient symptomatic relief. Five players were treated nonoperatively and did not return to sport. Two of these 5 athletes had cord compression with signal change and retired rather than undergo surgery. The other 3 were cleared but were released by the team. Eight players were treated nonoperatively and returned to sport. Three of these 8 athletes had evidence of disc material abutting the cord without cord signal change but had a normal examination finding and returned to sport after resolution of their symptoms and repeat MRI that demonstrated no cord compression. Five of the 8 players had evidence of root compression and were treated symptomatically. There were no subsequent traumatic spinal cord injuries at a minimum of 1-year follow-up.

Conclusion:

Data regarding the treatment of this unique population are limited but suggest that NFL athletes can safely return to sport after the treatment of cervical disc herniations. In the treatment algorithm for this study, cord compression with signal change in the cord on MRI was a consistent operative indication. Discs abutting the cord can be treated nonoperatively but do not allow for return to sport until symptoms have improved and repeat imaging demonstrates no cord compression. Isolated nerve root compression has a more favorable prognosis. It can be treated symptomatically and return to sport allowed when symptoms permit.
Relationship Between Humeral Torsion and Injury in Professional Baseball Pitchers
Authors: Polster Joshua M. , Bullen Jennifer , Obuchowski Nancy A. , Bryan Jason A. , Soloff Lonnie , Schickendantz Mark S.
Published: June 2013

Background:

High levels of humeral torsion allow baseball pitchers to achieve maximum external rotation in the late cocking phase of pitching with lower twisting and shear forces on the long head of the biceps tendon and rotator cuff tendons.

Hypothesis:

Humeral torsion is inversely related to the incidence and severity of shoulder injuries and other upper extremity injuries in professional baseball pitchers.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 25 professional pitchers from a single Major League Baseball organization were prospectively recruited into this study. Computed tomography (CT) was performed on dominant and nondominant humeri, and image data were processed with a 3-dimensional volume-rendering postprocessing program. The software program was then modified to model a simplified throwing motion and to measure potential internal impingement distances in a small subset of players. Players were followed for 2 years after CT, and the number of days missed from pitching activities was recorded as a measure of injury severity and incidence.

Results:

The mean dominant humeral torsion was 38.5° ± 8.9°; the mean nondominant humeral torsion was 27.6° ± 8.0°. The difference between dominant and nondominant torsions was significant ( P < .0001). Among the 11 pitchers (44%) injured during follow-up, 5 players had shoulder injuries, 7 had elbow injuries, and 2 had finger injuries. Dominant humeral torsion was a statistically significant predictor of severe injuries (≥30 days; P = .048) but not of milder injuries. Among injured players, higher numbers of days missed because of injury were strongly correlated with lower degrees of dominant humeral torsion ( r = −0.78; P = .005) and smaller differences between dominant and nondominant humeral torsions ( r = −0.59; P = .055). There was no significant association between the incidence of shoulder injury and minimum glenoid-tuberosity distance in the dominant or nondominant shoulder or degree of dominant glenoid version.

Conclusion:

A strong relationship was found between lower degrees of dominant humeral torsion and more severe upper extremity injuries as well as a trend relating lower side-to-side differences in torsion with more severe dominant upper extremity injuries. In addition, there was a higher incidence of severe injuries in players with lower degrees of dominant torsion. If future studies confirm these results, humeral torsion measurements could play a role in risk assessment in pitchers.
Apoptosis Occurs Throughout the Diseased Rotator Cuff
Authors: Lee Hyo-Jin , Kim Yang-Soo , Ok Ji-Hoon , Song Ha-Jung
Published: June 2013

Background:

Even though apoptosis is known to be closely associated with rotator cuff tears, the differences in apoptosis according to the location within the torn supraspinatus tendon are still unknown.

Purpose:

To elucidate where apoptosis begins within the supraspinatus tendon.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Tendon tissues were collected from 14 patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery and 7 patients undergoing surgery for proximal humeral fracture who served as controls. In the patients with rotator cuff tears, the samples were harvested at 3 sites: the most lateral torn margin, 1 cm medial from the torn margin, and at the posterior torn corner. Caspase 3/7, 8, and 9 and cytochrome c activities were measured to determine the intracellular apoptosis pathway. Apoptotic cells were determined by in situ TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) staining, and immunohistochemistry was performed.

Results:

The apoptotic activities of tendons from the experimental subjects were significantly higher than those of the controls. There were, however, no significant differences between the 3 sample sites. Immunohistochemistry also revealed strong expression of increased caspase 3/7, 8, and 9 and cytochrome c but no significant difference between them.

Conclusion:

This study shows that the intracellular apoptotic pathway is not only through the cell membrane receptor but also via intracellular mitochondria cascade.

Clinical Relevance:

Because apoptosis occurs regardless of the location within the rotator cuff, debridement of the torn margin to obtain a healthy tendon may not be needed. Further study should focus on not only the technique of tying the torn tendon back to the bone but also biological augmentation to reverse or prevent further apoptosis within rotator cuff tendon.
Nanocomposites of cellulose-based adhesive and toluenesulfonic acid-doped polypyrrole prepared via colloidal dispersion
Authors: Draman Sarifah Fauziah S , Daik Rusli , El-Sheikh Said M , Latif Famiza A
Published: June 2013

Nanocomposites of cellulose-based adhesive and doped polypyrrole (PPy) have been prepared via colloidal dispersion method. Cellulose was chemically modified with epoxy to incorporate adhesion property. PPy nanoparticles were synthesized via oxidation reaction using toluenesulfonic acid as a doping agent. Field emission scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis and high-frequency impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the nanocomposites. Toluenesulfonic acid-doped PPy synthesized at pH 1 resulted in rod-shaped particles with a diameter and a doping level of about 80–100 nm and 25%, respectively. Toluenesulfonic acid-doped PPy synthesized at pH 3 and pH 4 produced spherical-shaped particles with doping level of 21% and 17%, respectively. Toluenesulfonic acid-doped PPy particles synthesized at pH 3 is smaller (76–100 nm) compared to the one prepared at pH 4 (97–254 nm). The electrical and thermal conductivities obtained for toluenesulfonic acid-doped PPy synthesized at pH 1 were 8.422 × 10−3 S cm −1 and 0.431 W m−1 K−1, respectively. Whereas, the one synthesized at pH 3 and pH 4 exhibited lower electrical and thermal conductivities. Nanocomposite with a composition of 70 : 30 (toluenesulfonic acid-doped PPy:epoxypropyl cellulose) gave the highest electrical and thermal conductivities.
Drilling behavior of sisal fiber-reinforced polypropylene composite laminates
Authors: Bajpai Pramendra Kumar , Singh Inderdeep
Published: June 2013

Recently, natural fiber-reinforced composites are becoming a viable alternative to synthetic fiber composites in many applications. Secondary processing in terms of hole making in composites is an almost unavoidable operation for facilitating the assembly operations. In the present experimental investigation, the drilling process of natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic bio-composites has been evaluated in terms of the drilling forces. The cutting speed, feed rate and the drill point geometry have been taken as the input process parameters. Two types of drill geometries (solid and hollow in shape) have been used for drilling in the present work. The cutting mechanism of solid and hollow drill point geometry are substantially different which consequently affects the drilling forces and drilling-induced damage.
Effects of nanometer-TiO2 surface modification and concentration on the mechanical performances of polypropylene/polyamide maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene composite
Authors: Li Du-Xin , You Yi-Lan , Li Rong-Fu , Deng Xin
Published: June 2013

A new hyperdispersant agent with maleic anhydride monoester as anchoring group, butylmethacrylate as solventable chain, and styrene (St) as functional group was synthesized, and named SMB. Also, the effects of nanometer-TiO2 (nano-TiO2) modification and concentration on the mechanical properties of polypropylene/polyamide/maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (70/30/5 by weight) composites were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the mechanical properties of polypropylene/polyamide 6/M blend reduced with the addition of p-TiO2 (unmodified nano-TiO2) due to the aggregation of nanoparticles, but improved by the addition of t-TiO2 (modified by titanate coupling agent TDI) or SMB-TiO2 (modified by hyperdispersant agent SMB), and SMB-TiO2 seemed to be more effective. The optimum content of SMB-TiO2 was found to be 3 wt%. In order to understand the reinforcing mechanisms of nanoparticles, SEM and TEM pictures were carried out, which revealed that SMB-TiO2 mainly distributed at the interface of polypropylene and polyamide 6 in nanoscale as compatibilizer. It could be due to the surface of nano-TiO2 coated with SMB, and the carboxy group of SMB could react with the functional group of PA6; meanwhile, the solventable chain had good compatibility with PP, and so the interaction between PP and PA6 increased in the presence of SMB-TiO2. Consequently, PP/PA6/M blend could be simultaneously strengthened and toughened by SMB-TiO2.
Enhanced physical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)-based single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites through ozone treatment of single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Al-Hawarin Jibril , Ayesh Ayman S , Yasin Essam
Published: June 2013

Single-walled carbon nanotubes were treated with ozone through the UV-ozone irradiation to improve their dispersion in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. The untreated single-walled carbon nanotubes-poly(vinyl alcohol) and ozone-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes-poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites were prepared at 1% single-walled carbon nanotubes by weight to evaluate the effect of ozone treatment on the rheological, electrical, and thermal properties of poly(vinyl alcohol)-based single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites. Rheological results such as storage modulus, loss modulus and loss tangent indicated that incorporation of ozone-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes into poly(vinyl alcohol) up to 1% (by wt.) significantly improved the interfacial bonding between carbon nanotubes and polymer. Electrical results revealed that ozone treatment of single-walled carbon nanotubes improved the dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in neat poly(vinyl alcohol) and reduced the distance between carbon nanotubes in carbon nanotubes-polymer network and as a result the electrical conductivity increased up to four orders of magnitude compared with neat poly(vinyl alcohol). Differential scanning calorimetric results showed that combining ozone-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes (1% by wt.) with poly(vinyl alcohol) enhanced the melting temperature and degree of crystallinity of the neat poly(vinyl alcohol).
Cellulose nanofiber aerogel production and applications
Authors: Nakagaito AN , Kondo H , Takagi H
Published: June 2013

Aerogels are highly porous solids formed by replacing the liquid in a gel by air, without changing the original structure. The present cellulose aerogels are made by sublimating the water from a colloidal suspension of cellulose nanofibers. The nanofibers form three-dimensional networks, crosslinked by hydrogen bonds bridging the surface hydroxyl groups and also by mechanical entanglements between nanofibers. Although the studies on aerogels from cellulose nanofiber hydrogels by freeze-drying reported so far had produced small samples, improved cooling techniques that produces larger samples were attempted and the obtained cellulose nanofiber aerogels were impregnated with epoxy resin to fabricate composites. The highly porous structure allowed complete impregnation of resin and translucent composites were produced. The modulus of composites was increased in relation to neat epoxy, but due to high brittleness the ultimate strength was decreased. This is likely to be caused by nanofiber agglomerations of uneven pore sizes acting as stress concentrators. The evaluation of the mechanical properties of composites serves as an indirect way to assess the quality of the aerogels produced.
Reactive oxygen species induce cell death via Akt signaling in rat osteoblast-like cell line ROS 17/2.8
Authors: Zhang Bo , Xie Qing-yun , Quan Yi , Pan Xian-ming , Liao Dong-fa
Published: June 2013

In bones, osteoblasts are responsible for bone formation. The cell death of osteoblasts may cause a series of bone diseases and lead to bone loss, such as osteoarthrosis, hyperparathyroidism, and Paget’s disease. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are reported as a main factor for osteoblast cell death and further several bone diseases. However, the detailed mechanism is still largely unknown. Here, we found that ROS could induce cell death of rat osteoblast-like cell line ROS 17/2.8 via Akt (protein kinase B). Also, the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling was involved in this process. Our findings could help to reveal the cellular mechanism of osteoblast cell death, which is served for the pursuit of clinical treatment targets of relative bone diseases.
Effect of stamping load variation on deformation behaviour of stainless steel thin plate with microchannel
Authors: Koo Ja-Yoon , Jeon Yong-Phil , Kang Chung-Gil
Published: June 2013

A thin plate like a bipolar plate for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is one of the core parts for improving the power density in a fuel cell. Stainless steel has excellent characteristics in terms of electrical resistivity, density, and thermal conductivity. Furthermore, stainless steel, instead of graphite, is used as a bipolar plate because it is cheaper and easier to machine. Therefore, in this study, a stainless steel alloy is selected as the ideal material for a bipolar plate. In this article, the results of feasibility experiments are presented; these experiments are performed with the aim of developing fuel cells using stainless steel bipolar plates with multiple channels. In this investigation, a dynamic load was applied, and the formability of microchannels was estimated with different punch pressures and die roundness, using a thin sheet metal of SUS304 with thicknesses of 0.3 and 0.1 mm. In the case of the die roundness of 0.1 mm, the formability is optimized with a sine wave dynamic load that has 90 kN of maximum pressure and five cycles of punch movement. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed manufacturing technique for fabricating bipolar plates.
It’s All in Your Head
Authors: de Holan Pablo Martin
Published: June 2013

In this article, we argue that entrepreneurship researchers would benefit from incorporating methods and technologies from the neurosciences. Many of the phenomena studied in entrepreneurship scholarship invoke the mind of the entrepreneur, and these can be best understood with the emerging technologies used to understand the brain and its works, particularly those that study entrepreneurial cognition and emotion.
Change prediction using interface data
Authors: Hamraz Bahram , Hisarciklilar Onur , Rahmani Keyvan , Wynn David C , Thomson Vincent , Clarkson P John
Published: June 2013

Managing change can be challenging due to the high levels of interdependency in concurrent engineering processes. A key activity in engineering change management is propagation analysis, which can be supported using the change prediction method. In common with most other change prediction approaches, the change prediction method has three important limitations: L1: it depends on highly subjective input data; L2: it is capable of modelling ‘generalised cases’ only and cannot be; customised to assess specific changes; and L3: the input data are static, and thus, guidance does not reflect changes in the design. This article contributes to resolving these limitations by incorporating interface information into the change prediction method. The enhanced method is illustrated using an example based on a flight simulator.
Treatment Duration and Termination Status Among Clients in a University-Based Counseling Center
Authors: Wong Alison G. , Tambling Rachel B. , Anderson Shayne R.
Published: June 2013

Researchers have long been interested in understanding for whom therapy works and why. This study sought to identify ways in which clients differ with regard to treatment outcomes such as treatment length, success, and termination status. Data for this study were taken from the client documents completed prior to the first session of therapy and the therapist-completed termination summary for 305 cases from a university-based marriage and family therapy clinic. Results suggest that soft-mandated and voluntary clients show similar success rates in treatment. Also, cases that terminated unilaterally had the lowest success rates, though rates were approximately equal across modality. This study provides information about treatment across different client characteristics and modalities.
Anatomical Variations of the Flexor Hallucis Longus and Flexor Digitorum Longus in the Chiasma Plantare
Authors: Plaass Christian , Abuharbid Ghassan , Waizy Hazibullah , Ochs Matthias , Stukenborg-Colsman Christina , Schmiedl Andreas
Published: June 2013

Background:

The flexor hallucis longus (FHL) and flexor digitorum longus (FDL) tendon are routinely used in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery. The tendons cross in the chiasma plantare and show variable interconnections. This can complicate harvesting of the tendons. Previous anatomical studies were inconclusive and did not reference the connections to surgically relevant landmarks. The purpose of this study was to integrate these conflicting results, introduce a thorough classification system, and analyze the position of the interconnections relative to the surgically relevant bone landmarks.

Methods:

Sixty embalmed feet of 30 cadavers were analyzed anatomically with respect to the individual cross-links in the planta pedis. All feet were photo documented. The interconnections were classified in a modified classification system and distances to surgically relevant anatomic landmarks measured.

Results:

A proximal to distal connection from the FHL to the FDL was found in 95% of the feet (types I and III), in 3% there was a proximal to distal connection from the FDL to the FHL (type II) tendon only, and in 30% a crossed connection (type III) was found. The average point of branching of the FHL and FDL tendon was 5.3 and 4.6 cm distal to the medial malleolus, respectively.

Conclusion:

Our modified classification system accommodated all found variations. In over 90% of the feet, a proximal to distal connection from the FHL to the FDL was found, which might contribute to the residual function of the lesser toes after FDL transfer.

Clinical Relevance:

The exact knowledge of the anatomy of the crossing of FDL and FHL in the plantar foot is essential to facilitate tendon harvesting, reduce morbidity and explain possible postoperative functional loss.
Magnetic Fields in Noninvasive Brain Stimulation
Authors: Vidal-Dourado Marcos , Conforto Adriana Bastos , Caboclo Luis Otávio Sales Ferreira , Scaff Milberto , Guilhoto Laura Maria de Figueiredo Ferreira , Yacubian Elza Márcia Targas
Published: June 2013

The idea that magnetic fields could be used therapeutically arose 2000 years ago. These therapeutic possibilities were expanded after the discovery of electromagnetic induction by the Englishman Michael Faraday and the American Joseph Henry. In 1896, Arsène d’Arsonval reported his experience with noninvasive brain magnetic stimulation to the scientific French community. In the second half of the 20th century, changing magnetic fields emerged as a noninvasive tool to study the nervous system and to modulate neural function. In 1985, Barker, Jalinous, and Freeston presented transcranial magnetic stimulation, a relatively focal and painless technique. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been proposed as a clinical neurophysiology tool and as a potential adjuvant treatment for psychiatric and neurologic conditions. This article aims to contextualize the progress of use of magnetic fields in the history of neuroscience and medical sciences, until 1985.
Accommodating religious claims in the Dutch workplace
Authors: Vermeulen Floris , El Morabet Belhaj Rabia
Published: June 2013

This article analyses religious claims in the workplace arising from tensions related to religious diversity in the Netherlands. On the basis of interviews with leaders in the religious, political and public sectors, we look at the perception of such tensions and discuss the feasibility of accommodating them. Our study distinguishes between the individual cluster (private and public sectors) and the collective cluster. In the former our respondents argue that individual religious employees in the private sector are not under pressure; rather, there is strong support for these individuals to act in accordance with their religious beliefs. When it concerns public employment, however, religious civil servants do seem to be under pressure in the Netherlands; secular respondents argue that civil servants are part of the state apparatus and therefore have no right to make direct or indirect distinctions on the basis of their personal beliefs. In the collective cluster, we found that associational freedoms for religious organizations and faith-based organizations have also come under secularist pressure; non-discrimination is often invoked as the supreme principle, trumping associational autonomy. These observations suggest a shift in the Dutch tradition of governing religious diversity and portend its significant impact on the position of religious employees in the Netherlands.
Coping in plain sight: Work as a local response to event-related emotional distress in contemporary U.S. society
Authors: Hollan Douglas
Published: June 2013

This article examines how middle-class psychotherapy clients in Southern California use work as a coping strategy in the aftermath of distressing life events. It begins by arguing why all such distress in the aftermath of unbidden and unanticipated events are “local” distresses, embedded in particular social and interpersonal contexts, and then discusses the various ways in which people may use cultural resources, including ordinary, mundane, everyday routines and practices, such as work, to express and cope with emotional distress. Three case studies are used to illustrate how work can be used to avoid emotional distress, to conceal it, and also to acknowledge and heal it.
Melodrama, reality and crisis: The government–media relationship in Hugo Chávez’s Bolivarian Revolution
Authors: Acosta-Alzuru Carolina
Published: June 2013

Government–media relationships are both symptomatic and constitutive of a nation. In Venezuela the history of Hugo Chávez’s revolutionary government cannot be written without paying attention to its complex relationship with the media in a country in which political polarization defines national life. Existing scholarship about the Chávez–media saga provides analyses at the macro level. We lack, however, studies that illuminate the micro level of the everyday life of mass media in Venezuela’s changing context. Based on 12 years of research (1999–2011), this article examines government–media relations through the study of five successful telenovelas. Each show was written and broadcast at a time that defines a period in the history between Chávez and the media. These five case studies track changes in the legal framework, document instances of self-censorship, tease out the particulars of the difficult coexistence of government and private media, and illuminate the consequences for the writing, production, consumption and international sales of Venezuelan telenovelas, and for Venezuelan television in general.
Storm-Related Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Authors: Damon Scott A. , Poehlman Jon A. , Rupert Douglas J. , Williams Peyton N.
Published: June 2013

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings in the United States consistently occur when residents improperly use portable gasoline-powered generators and other tools following severe storms and power outages. However, protective behaviors—such as installing CO alarms and placing generators more than 20 feet away from indoor structures—can prevent these poisonings. This study identified knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that lead consumers to adopt risk and protective behaviors for storm-related CO poisoning and post-storm generator use. Four focus groups (32 participants in total) were conducted with generator owners in winter and summer storm-prone areas to explore home safety, portable generator use, CO poisoning knowledge, and generator safety messages. Discussions were transcribed, and findings analyzed using an ordered meta-matrix approach. Although most generator owners were aware of CO poisoning, many were unsure what constitutes a safe location for generator operation and incorrectly stated that enclosed areas outside the home—such as attached garages, sheds, and covered porches—were safe. Convenience and access to appliances often dictated generator placement. Participants were receptive to installing CO alarms in their homes but were unsure where to place them. These findings suggest a deficit in understanding how to operate portable generators safely and a need to correct misconceptions around safe placement. In terms of behavioral price, the simple installation and maintenance of inexpensive CO alarms may be the most important strategy for ultimately protecting homes from both storm-related and other CO exposures.
The Politics of Administrative Law Judge Decision Making at the Environmental Protection Agency in Civil Penalty Cases
Authors: Taratoot Cole D.
Published: June 2013

Regulation of the environment is often characterized as a polarizing issue that pits public health against economic growth. Although researchers have examined the decisions of federal district court judges in environmental civil penalty cases and examined the decision making of administrative law judges (ALJ), there has been no research which has examined factors that influence ALJ decision making in environmental civil penalty cases at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I theorize that ALJ decisions, like federal district court judge decisions, are a function of personal policy preferences, hierarchical controls by higher courts, separation of powers influences, and case and defendant characteristics. Results demonstrate that the size of civil penalties issued by ALJs at the EPA is influenced by personal policy preferences, political constraints via Congress, hierarchical control by the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) and the Supreme Court, litigant characteristics, and case characteristics. Overall, EPA ALJs seem to put more emphasis on their role as judge than their role as bureaucrat. The influence of attitudes raises normative concerns regarding the level of independence that is provided to ALJs as the weighing of public health versus economic growth seems to be based in personal policy preferences rather than technical expertise.
The experience of chronic illness among a group of Irish patients: a qualitative study
Authors: Mahon Grainne , O’Brien Brid , O’Conor Larry
Published: June 2013

Aim

This paper reports a study that explored the experience of people living with chronic illness among a group of Irish patients.

Background

Chronic conditions affect the lives of millions of people around the world. Understanding their experience and how they cope with chronic illness can help nurses develop appropriate plans for their patients. To date no study on the experience of chronic illness in Ireland was found.

Design

A qualitative descriptive design using focus group interviews was used in this study.

Method

Two focus group interviews with a convenient sample of 19 people with chronic illness were carried out and data collection took place in 2008.

Findings/results

Although the participants’ chronic conditions were varied, a number of common themes were evident from their narratives. These were: ‘a sense of loss’, ‘feelings of anger and frustration’, ‘uncertainty and stress’ and ‘adapting to a new life’. Financial loss and the fragmented nature of health care for people with chronic illness were particularly felt by this group of Irish participants.

Conclusion

It was clear that chronic illness affected their physical, psychological and social lives. They identified a number of personal losses, but felt strongly that they had to continue to make changes in their lives as they struggled to adapt to a new life. The contribution of partners and family members were crucial in this process of adaptation. Service providers need to assess the extent to which their services meet the needs of people with chronic illness in an integrated way.
Consumer Trust in Information Sources
Authors: Love Brad , Mackert Michael , Silk Kami
Published: June 2013

Trust is essential to understanding public reaction to innovative issues. This research focuses on trust in information sources by explicating the construct of trust and testing a comprehensive model on several information sources about genetically modified foods. Results from a survey of 369 participants reveal the significance of projecting competence and the role of the environment in which a target public receives information. Perceptions of regulatory, social, business, and technical environments affect how likely individuals are to follow advice from institutions like the Food and Drug Administration and the news media. Future research should incorporate knowledge levels and personal relevance as variables likely to influence trusting relationships.
Leadership Models in Armenia
Authors: Malakyan Petros G.
Published: June 2013

This paper addresses historical and contemporary issues of leadership in Armenia. Five leadership models have been acknowledged in Armenia during its four thousand year history: Monarchic, Church, National, Communist, and Democratic Leadership. Each model has been presented within its historical context and analyzed in light of current leadership behaviors in Armenia. The results of the study show that (a) current Armenian leaders seem to reflect the behaviors and attitudes of the historical leadership models above; (b) history should matter in leadership studies to understand leadership behaviors, in this case in Armenia, and how the past continues to shape their current worldviews and social identities; and (c) democracy imported to Armenia from the West, with little considerations of the historical characteristics of the Armenian people, has not produced the desired democratic reforms since 1991 independence. Perhaps an integrative approach to all five leadership models is necessary to address leadership challenges in Armenia today.
The Temporal Stability of the Tendency to Worship Celebrities
Authors: Griffith James , Aruguete Mara , Edman Jeanne , Green Thomas , McCutcheon Lynn
Published: June 2013

This study examined the test–retest and internal reliability of a scale used to measure celebrity worship. We administered the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS) and several related items on two different occasions approximately 3 months apart to 248 participants from three universities and one college. We hypothesized that attitudes about celebrities would remain fairly stable over time. Results confirmed the hypothesis and were discussed in relation to previous research in which the CAS was used.
Functional Outcome of Percutaneous Achilles Repair
Authors: Carmont Michael R. , Silbernagel Karin Grävare , Edge Antonia , Mei-Dan Omer , Karlsson Jón , Maffulli Nicola
Published: June 2013

Background:

Randomized studies have so far failed to show a difference in outcome between operative and nonoperative management of Achilles tendon rupture, provided that no rerupture occurs. Percutaneous Achilles repair has been suggested to result in superior patient satisfaction compared with open repair in patients with an acute Achilles tendon rupture, but there are no outcome data available with validated methods describing the progression of recovery during the first year.

Purpose:

To evaluate the outcome of patients with a ruptured Achilles tendon, managed by percutaneous repair, during the first year following repair with a valid, reliable, and responsive outcome measure. Furthermore, the effects of time between injury and surgery, age, and complications on outcome were also evaluated.

Study design:

Case series.

Methods:

A total of 73 patients (60 males and 13 females) with a mean age of 45.5 years were included. Patient age, length of time between injury and surgery, and complications were documented. Patients were evaluated using the Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months following repair.

Results:

The median ATRS results at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 42.5, 73, 83, and 89, respectively. The number of patients who reported excellent or good scores (ATRS >84) at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 3%, 36%, 57%, and 69%, respectively. There were no significant differences in outcome at each time point for those patients undergoing early (≤48 hours) compared with late surgery or between those <65 and those >65 years of age. The complication rate was 13.5%. Patients who had a complication had a lower ATRS result at 3 months following surgery, but there were no differences after that time point.

Conclusion:

The patients in the present study reported marked improvement in function between 3 and 6 months following surgery, with continuing but less steep improvement up to 1 year following surgery. The presence of a complication other than rerupture did not affect the end-stage outcome but did affect that at 3 months following surgery.

Clinical Relevance:

This study demonstrates improving scores with time over the first year following surgery, against which other treatment methods can be compared.
The supernatural protector of Constantinople: the Virgin and her icons in the tradition of the Avar siege
Authors: Pentcheva Bissera V.
Published: June 2013

Previous scholarship has maintained that icons of the Virgin were carried in procession during the Avar siege of Constantinople in A.D. 626. Based on a close reading of the primary sources from the seventh to the fourteenth centuries, this paper will argue in contrast that a tight linkage between Marian icons and protection of the Byzantine capital did not occur until after Iconoclasm. The larger implications of this conclusion concern the evolution of the cult of the Virgin in Constantinople from its initial focus on relics to a cult centered on icons and icon processions as it emerged in the second half of the tenth century.
Dünya Güzeli: Cavafy’s folkloric Odalisque
Authors: Jeffreys Peter
Published: June 2013

Cavafy’s overlooked poem ‘Dünya Güzeli’ reflects the seminal influence of folklore on the early writings of the poet, an influence which significantly shaped the contours of the Cavafy canon. The poem is a sophisticated attempt to synthesize the flourishing discourse of λαογραφία with the fashionable literary and painterly trends of Orientalism. It thus warrants a fuller appreciation as a complex text that documents Cavafy’s emerging craft and anticipates his poetic hybridisation of East and West which finds its fullest expression in Cavafy’s Orientalising Hellenism.
Two Cambridge Orientalists on Athos
Authors: Martin Michael E.
Published: June 2013

This essay considers the accounts of Athos by Joseph Dacre Carlyle, who visited Athos in 1801, and by John Palmer who was there four years later. The men were successive holders of the chair of Arabic at Cambridge. The study examines some of their impressions of Athos and compares their experiences with the well-known account of Philip Hunt who was Carlyle’s travelling companion. Appendices give tables of the numbers of monks in the Athonite houses; Palmer’s expenses; and a brief discussion of some related documents.
A Chronological Note on the First Persian Campaign of Heraclius (622)
Authors: Oikonomidès N.
Published: June 2013

The main sources concerning Heraclius’ first campaign against the Persians are : (a) The poem of George Pisides, known under the Latin title Expeditio Persica; Pisides, an eyewitness, composed and read his panegyric poem shortly after the end of the campaign, when the emperor returned to Constantinople.(b) A chapter of the Chronicle of Theophanes the Confessor (818) concerning the events of the year 622; the first part of this chapter, concerning the preparations and the beginning of the campaign (p. 302, l. 32-p. 303, l. 17) is based on sources that have not been preserved; the second part (p. 303, l. 17-p. 306, l. 8) depends almost completely upon the poem of Pisides. Of the other Greek sources, the Paschal Chronicle and the Chronicle of Patriarch Nicephorus do not even mention the campaign, while later chroniclers, such as Cedrenus and Zonaras, summarize and reproduce the account of Theophanes. The non-Greek chronicles have also a very limited importance for our research since most of them ignore this first campaign, or contain no chronological data.
The Officer Corps in Greece (1912-1936)
Authors: Veremis T.
Published: June 2013

The formation of the modern Greek army coincides with the efforts of the newly established Greek nation of the nineteenth century to import and emulate western institutions. The persistence of most governments in creating an officer corps inspired by the professional standards of western armies may be viewed as part of a general effort to modernize the Greek state. This attempt has invariably been thwarted by traditional practices which prevented modernizing forces from taking firm root in Greek reality. The degree to which professionalism was attained in the army depended both on the quality of military education and on the degree of professional security enjoyed by officers. Lack of security made some officers willing clients of ambitious cliques and agents of disruption of both military and political order.
The Apostle Peter, Justinian and Romanos the Melodos
Authors: Topping Eva C.
Published: June 2013

In the case of the poems of Romanos the Melodos the usual difficulties involved in establishing chronologies are further compounded by at least two factors. First, very little is known about this Byzantine poet of the sixth century. A hagiographical life, adorned by a miracle, provides us with meagre information about Byzantium’s poetic genius. Secondly, because his poetry is liturgical, composed for the corporate worship of the Church, it is necessarily impersonal and general in character. Romanos speaks most often as a priest, a sacred poet of the ekklesia. Fortunately, however, rich sources survive for the Golden Age of Justinian, the period of Romanos’ poetic activity in Constantinople. Encouraged by these abundant materials, and eager to understand better the poet’s creativity, the student of Romanos is tempted to undertake chronological problems. This paper is concerned with the chronology of the six kontakia of Romanos in which the Apostle Peter figures prominently.
The Karaghiozis Performance in Nineteenth-Century Greece
Authors: Myrsiades Linda S.
Published: June 2013

Out of the vacuum of the sparsely developed dramatic environment of nineteenth-century Greece grew a performance totally unrelated to the largely literary and western-European oriented theatre of Athens under the influence of the king and his court. It was a performance which, unlike the literary theatre, aroused the interest of the common man through its use of folk tales, anecdotes, songs, dialects, costumes and characters as the basis of its presentation. Originating in the Turkish folk form Karagöz, the Greek performance, called Karaghiozis, found its roots in an entertainment with which Greeks bom on the mainland and in other parts of the Balkans and Middle East were already familiar.
The Compulsory Exchange of Populations: Greek-Turkish Peacemaking, 1922–1930
Authors: Petropulos John A.
Published: June 2013

As a precedent in the resolution of Middle Eastern crises, the settlement of the embittered Greek-Turkish conflict of 1919-1922 constitutes a landmark. The swiftness and comprehensiveness of the settlement was hailed from the moment it was formally achieved by the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 23 July 1923. It has been rendered even more impressive since World War II by what, until recently at least, has seemed like the intractable Arab-Israeli dispute.
Kaisersalbung. The Unction of Emperors in Late Byzantine Coronation Ritual
Authors: Nicol Donald M.
Published: June 2013

The anointing of emperors (Kaisersalbung) in the late Byzantine coronation ritual formed part of the subject of an often cited article by Professor George Ostrogorsky in 1955.’ The purpose of these few words is to re-examine the evidence for this practice and to suggest some different conclusions.
Kazantzakis’ Kapodistrias, a (Rejected) Offering to Divided Greece, 1944-1946
Authors: Bien Peter
Published: June 2013

During the years of the German Occupation (1941-4), Nikos Kazantzakis was confined to the island of Aegina. Unable to participate in the Resistance, he vowed (a) to re-enter politics as soon as the Germans left, and (b) to devote the years of enforced confinement to liberating himself from all his manuscripts. But the second part of the vow was not as selfish as it might seem, nor was it unrelated to the first. This is because the intellectual challenges which Kazantzakis set himself during the Occupation were almost all concerned with his country’s welfare. More specifically, they were an attempt to investigate, define, and evoke that elusive quality ‘Greekness’ in preparation for the time when he and his compatriots, once again free, would presumably be attempting to apply their self-knowledge to the everyday problems of reconstituting the nation’s political life.
Influence of Greek on the Speech of a Greek Gypsy Community
Authors: Messing Gordon M.
Published: June 2013

This paper deals with the influence exerted by a host language (Greek) upon a minority language in Greece (Romany). It is based on oral data which I collected in 1973-4 in the suburb of Agia Varvara a few miles north-west of Athens where several hundred Gypsies have long resided. After describing the pertinent sociological factors which regulate the interaction of Greeks and Gypsies in this community, I shall discuss the linguistic evidence which is mainly drawn from convergent vocabulary and idiom but not exclusively; there are at least strong hints that some influence may also have been exerted by Greek on the phonological and the morphological level.