bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Filipino and American online communication and linguistic variation
Authors: HARDY JACK A. , FRIGINAL ERIC
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACT: This paper investigatescross‐culturalandcross‐registervariation from four corpora of internet blogs and online opinion columns written in English by Filipino and American authors. A multi‐dimensional analysis following established linguistic dimensions from Grieve, Biber, Friginal, and Nekrasova was used to compare the relative distribution of frequently co‐occurring linguistic features, with the goal of describing the statistical relationships and variations among the two selected internet‐based registers of these two varieties of English. Parallel corpora of Filipino and American blogs and opinion columns (N total texts = 5,320), with approximately 13 million words, and collected across a wide range of topics, were analyzed for this purpose. The texts were tagged for grammatical and semantic markers to match the resultant dimensions from Grieveet al.(as the main basis for comparison. Results show significant variations in the linguistic composition of Filipino and American texts along four functional dimensions: (1) informational vs. personal focus; (2) addressee focus; (3) thematic variation; and (4) narrative style.
DO INVESTMENT‐SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES MATTER FOR BUSINESS FLUCTUATIONS? EVIDENCE FROM JAPAN
Authors: HIROSE YASUO , KUROZUMI TAKUSHI
Published: May 2012

The observed decline in the relative price of investment goods to consumption goods in Japan suggests the existence of investment‐specific technological (IST) changes. We examine whether IST changes are a major source of business fluctuations in Japan, by estimating a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model using Bayesian methods. We show that IST changes are less important than neutral technological changes in explaining output fluctuations. We also demonstrate that investment fluctuations are mainly driven by shocks to investment adjustment costs. Such shocks represent variations of costs involved in changing investment spending, such as financial intermediation costs. We find that the estimated series of the investment adjustment cost shock correlates strongly with the diffusion index of firms' financial position in theTankan(Short‐term Economic Survey of Enterprises in Japan). Therefore, we argue that the large decline in investment growth in the early 1990s was due to an increase in investment adjustment costs stemming from firms' financial constraints after the collapse of Japan's asset price bubble.
Risk Aversion and Anxiety in Scottish Criminal Justice Social Work: Can Desistance and Human Rights Agendas Have an Impact?
Authors: Fenton Jane
Published: May 2012

This article explores the difficulty that criminal justice social work (CJSW) might have in implementing a desistance approach to work with offenders. Supporting desistance requires responsive, autonomous social workers and this article questions whether criminal justice agencies, characterised by risk aversion and managerialism, would be able to tolerate the anxiety this would inevitably, and properly, generate. Suggestions are made regarding the place of desistance work within a positive human rights framework, which might provide a force against the corrosive progression of popular punitivism – a major factor in the persistence of risk averse, managerial practice.
Demographic Variables and Credit Scores: An empirical study of a controversial selection tool
Authors: Bernerth Jeremy B.
Published: May 2012

The widespread use of credit scores as a selection tool has raised flags with lawmakers and the general public, but little is known about what impact such practices might have on protected classes. To explore this issue, the reported research investigated the relationship between five demographic variables and individual consumer credit scores. Using demographic data from 142 employees and objective credit data obtained from the Fair Isaac Corporation, the reported research found minority status was negatively related to credit scores (including large effect sizes), whereas age and education level were positively related to credit scores. Implications for organizations currently using or planning to use credit scores as part of their selection practices are discussed.
Understanding the Academic–Practitioner Gap for Structured Interviews: ‘Behavioral’ interviews diffuse, ‘structured’ interviews do not
Authors: Roulin Nicolas , Bangerter Adrian
Published: May 2012

Recent studies about the academic–practitioner gap suggest that the nonadoption of evidenced‐based practices can be explained by their diffusion through practitioner‐oriented literature. This study extends these findings by investigating the case of the structured interview, which has not been widely adopted by practitioners despite its good psychometric properties. Using a social representations approach, we investigate how the academic concepts of ‘structured’ and ‘behavioral’ interviewing are diffused to practitioners in advice books. Results show that ‘behavioral’ interviews diffuse while ‘structured’ interviews do not, and that different arguments are used to describe these concepts. Facilitating the diffusion of structured interview practices requires academics to rethink their ways of communicating with practitioners through media.
Lifeguards and Physically Risky Prosocial Groups: A comparison based on personality theory
Authors: Wismeijer Andreas , Gomà‐i‐Freixanet Montserrat
Published: May 2012

The goal of this study is to explore the personality of experienced professional lifeguards in terms of Eysenck and Eysenck's PEN model of personality and Zuckerman's sensation seeking trait. A sample of 144 male professional lifeguards were contrasted with three different samples: (1) a general population sample; (2) a sample of individuals engaged in physically risky sports; and (3) a sample of prosocial physically risky professionals. It was found that lifeguards resembled most closely the prosocials followed by the sportsmen and finally the general population. The most frequent and largest differences between lifeguards and the comparison groups were found on extraversion, experience seeking, and neuroticism. The implications for lifeguard selection procedures and future research are discussed.
Fixed in Mobility: Young Homeless People and the City
Authors: JACKSON EMMA
Published: May 2012

This article argues that although the lives of young homeless people are characterized by high levels of mobility, when examined closely movement is also revealed as heavily restricted. While a network of agencies moves the young people around the city, the official borders of borough councils and the non‐official territories of young people feed into an experience of London as a series of exclusionary bounded areas. Within the accounts of the young people, mobility is talked of as a resource but also in terms of loss and dislocation. The article argues for going beyond the opposition of mobility/fixity in order to examine how some people become fixed in mobility.

Même si la vie des jeunes sans‐abri se caractérise par une forte mobilité, tout mouvement, après examen approfondi, se révèle également très contraint. Alors qu’un réseau d’agences déplace les jeunes à travers la ville, les limites officielles des communes et les territoires informels des jeunes alimentent une expérience de Londres faite d’un ensemble de zones d’exclusion bien délimitées. Dans les récits des jeunes, la mobilité est traitée comme une ressource, mais aussi en termes de perte et de rupture géographique. Il conviendrait de dépasser l’opposition entre mobilité et fixité pour examiner comment certains jeunes se retrouvent ‘figés’ dans leur mobilité.
Light‐dependent maintenance of hydraulic function in mangrove branches: do xylary chloroplasts play a role in embolism repair?
Authors: Schmitz N. , Egerton J. J. G. , Lovelock C. E. , Ball M. C.
Published: May 2012

To clarify the role of branch photosynthesis in tree functioning, the presence and function of chloroplasts in branch xylem tissue were studied in a diverse range of mangrove species growing in Australia.

The presence of xylary chloroplasts was observed via chlorophyll fluorescence of transverse sections. Paired, attached branches were selected to study the effects of covering branches with aluminium foil on the gas exchange characteristics of leaves and the hydraulic conductivity of branches.

Xylary chloroplasts occurred in all species, but were differently distributed among living cell types in the xylem. Covering stems altered the gas exchange characteristics of leaves, such that water‐use efficiency was greater in exposed leaves of covered than of uncovered branches.

Leaf‐specific hydraulic conductivity of stems was lower in covered than in uncovered branches, implicating stem photosynthesis in the maintenance of hydraulic function. Given their proximity to xylem vessels, we suggest that xylary chloroplasts may play a role in light‐dependent repair of embolized xylem vessels.
P1and beyond: Functional separation of multiple emotion effects in word recognition
Authors: Bayer Mareike , Sommer Werner , Schacht Annekathrin
Published: May 2012

Event‐related potentials (ERPs) revealed effects of emotional meaning on word recognition at distinguishable processing stages, in rare cases even in theP1time range. However, the boundary conditions of these effects, such as the roles of different levels of linguistic processing or the relative contributions of the emotional valence and arousal dimensions, remain to be fully understood. The present study addresses this issue by employing two tasks of different processing demands on words that orthogonally varied in their emotional valence and arousal. Effects of emotional valence inERPswere evident from 100 ms after word onset and showed a task‐insensitive processing advantage for positive words. Early posterior negativity (EPN) effects to high‐arousing words were limited to the lexical decision task, corroborating recent reports that suggested that perceptual processing as reflected in theEPNmight not be as automatic as previously assumed.
Choosing an Alternative Path
Authors: McPherson Guy R.
Published: May 2012

See also the Editorial by McPherson
Acceptability of Stem Cell Therapy by Pregnant Women
Authors: Hodges Ryan J. , Bardien Nadia , Wallace Euan
Published: May 2012

Background

Cell‐based therapies may soon be used to treat disorders in the perinatal period. Our aim was to assess pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes, and acceptance of different types of stem cell therapies.

Methods

Pregnant women attending an Australian tertiary center were asked to complete a questionnaire to seek their views on the potential therapeutic use of stem cells in the future. Outcome measures were women's acceptability of different types of stem cell therapies for themselves and their baby, ethical concerns, knowledge, and willingness to use stem cells for different indications.

Results

A total of 150 women completed the questionnaire. More women were happy to use any stem cell type (82%) than placental stem cells only (12.5%), adult stem cells only (2%), embryonic stem cells only (0), and 3.5 percent would not use. With respect to use for their baby, more women were happy to use any stem cell type (83%) than placental stem cells only (13%), embryonic stem cells only (2%), adult stem cells only (0), and 2 percent would not use. Ethical concerns were highest with embryonic stem cells (25%), than adult stem cells (11%), and placental stem cells (10%). Twelve percent of women were very confident and 66 percent reasonably confident with their knowledge, whereas 17 percent understood little and 5 percent reported no understanding. Acceptance of using any stem cell therapy was 75 percent for severe medical disorders, 57 percent for moderate disorders, and 25 percent for mild medical disorders.

Conclusions

Pregnant women are confident with their knowledge of stem cells and overwhelmingly support their use to treat both themselves and their baby. The level of this support, however, is proportionate to the severity of the medical disorder. (BIRTH 39:2 June 2012)
The Significance of Breastfeeding to Incarcerated Pregnant Women: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Huang Katy , Atlas Rebecca , Parvez Farah
Published: May 2012

Background

Breastfeeding rates of incarcerated women in the United States are unknown but are likely to be low. Little is known about the breastfeeding views and experiences of incarcerated women. This exploratory study examined the breastfeeding knowledge, beliefs, and experiences of pregnant women incarcerated in New York City jails.

Methods

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 pregnant women in a New York City jail. Research methods were inspired by grounded theory.

Results

Three main themes emerged from women's collective stories about wanting to breastfeed and the challenges that they experienced. First, incarceration removes women from their familiar social and cultural context, which creates uncertainty in their breastfeeding plans. Second, incarceration and the separation from their high‐risk lifestyle makes women want a new start in motherhood. Third, being pregnant and planning to breastfeed represent a new start in motherhood and give women the opportunity to redefine their maternal identity and roles.

Conclusions

Breastfeeding is valued by incarcerated pregnant women and has the potential to contribute to their psychosocial well‐being and self‐worth as a mother. Understanding the breastfeeding experiences and views of women at high risk for poor pregnancy outcomes and inadequate newborn childcare during periods of incarceration in local jails is important for guiding breastfeeding promotion activities in this transient and vulnerable population. Implications from the findings will be useful to correctional facilities and community providers in planning more definitive studies in similar incarcerated populations. (BIRTH 39:2 June 2012)
Maternal Position and Other Variables: Effects on Perineal Outcomes in 557 Births
Authors: Meyvis Inge , Van Rompaey Bart , Goormans Karine , Truijen Steven , Lambers Sabine , Mestdagh Eveline , Mistiaen Wilhelm
Published: May 2012

Background

Damage to the perineum is common after vaginal delivery, and it can be caused by laceration, episiotomy, or both. This study investigated the effects of maternal position (lateral vs lithotomy) and other variables on the occurrence of perineal damage.

Methods

A retrospective study included the examination of hospital records from 557 women. The effects of demographic characteristics, gravidity, parity, duration of pregnancy, reason for admission, and mode of labor on perineal outcomes were investigated through univariate (independent sample t test, chi‐square test) and multivariate analysis (logistic regression analysis).

Results

Considering episiotomy as perineal damage, univariate analysis showed a protective effect of the lateral position (45.9% vs 27.9%, p > 0.001), and fewer episiotomies were performed (6.7% vs 38.2%) with this position. This protective effect for perineal damage disappeared on excluding women undergoing episiotomy from analysis. Multivariate analysis including all participants showed an increase of 47 percent in the likelihood of an intact perineum for the lateral position when compared with the lithotomy position (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.36–0.78). Parity was associated with a reduction of 44 percent in perineal damage (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.47–0.78, p < 0.001). Moreover, the lithotomy position was associated with significantly more episiotomies than the lateral position (7% vs 38%, p < 0.001). The odds of perineal damage increased in deliveries performed by physicians (OR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.79–4.78).

Conclusions

Childbirth in the lateral position resulted in less perineal trauma when compared with childbirth in the lithotomy position, even after correcting for parity and birth attendant. The probability of an intact perineum increased in deliveries performed by midwives. (BIRTH 39:2 June 2012)
Coping with Preoperative Anxiety in Cesarean Section: Physiological, Cognitive, and Emotional Effects of Listening to Favorite Music
Authors: Kushnir Jonathan , Friedman Ahuva , Ehrenfeld Mally , Kushnir Talma
Published: May 2012

Background

Listening to music has a stress‐reducing effect in surgical procedures. The effects of listening to music immediately before a cesarean section have not been studied. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of listening to selected music while waiting for a cesarean section on emotional reactions, on cognitive appraisal of the threat of surgery, and on stress‐related physiological reactions.

Methods

A total of 60 healthy women waiting alone to undergo an elective cesarean section for medical reasons only were randomly assigned either to an experimental or a control group. An hour before surgery they reported mood, and threat perception. Vital signs were assessed by a nurse. The experimental group listened to preselected favorite music for 40 minutes, and the control group waited for the operation without music. At the end of this period, all participants responded to a questionnaire assessing mood and threat perception, and the nurse measured vital signs.

Results

Women who listened to music before a cesarean section had a significant increase in positive emotions and a significant decline in negative emotions and perceived threat of the situation when compared with women in the control group, who exhibited a decline in positive emotions, an increase in the perceived threat of the situation, and had no change in negative emotions. Women who listened to music also exhibited a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure compared with a significant increase in diastolic blood pressure and respiratory rate in the control group.

Conclusion

Listening to favorite music immediately before a cesarean section may be a cost‐effective, emotion‐focused coping strategy. (BIRTH 39:2 June 2012)
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae–Associated Mucositis: By Any Other Name Is Not So Sweet
Authors: SCHALOCK PETER C. , THYSSEN JACOB P. , DINULOS JAMES G. H.
Published: May 2012

Letters to the Editor are welcomed for publication (subject to editing). Letters must be signed by all authors, and must not exceed two pages of text including references. Letters should not duplicate material submitted or published in other journals. Prepublication proofs will not be provided.
Association of the ALDH1A1*2 Promoter Polymorphism With Alcohol Phenotypes in Young Adults With or Without ALDH2*2
Authors: Otto Jacqueline M. , Hendershot Christian S. , Collins Susan E. , Liang Tiebing , Wall Tamara L.
Published: May 2012

Background

Prior studies suggest a possible association of a promoter polymorphism in the
ALDH1A1
gene (
ALDH1A1*2
) with alcohol use or dependence. The aim of this study was to examine the association of
ALDH1A1*2
with drinking behaviors in Asian young adults and to examine
ALDH2
genotype as a potential moderator of these associations.

Methods

Asian young adults (n = 951) were recruited from 2 college sites for studies of genetic associations with alcohol use behavior. Participants completed comprehensive background questionnaires on demographics and drinking behavior. Fingertip blood samples were obtained for DNA extraction and analysis.

Results

Participants with the
ALDH2*1/*2
genotype reported significantly lower levels (frequency and quantity) of drinking within the last 90 days, fewer numbers of heavy drinking episodes within the last 90 days, and lower lifetime maximum consumption levels compared with
ALDH2*1/*1
participants. There were no significant main effects of
ALDH1A1*2
on any drinking variables, nor was there a significant interaction between
ALDH2
and
ALDH1A1
genotypes on drinking outcomes.

Conclusions

The association of
ALDH2*2
with reduced alcohol consumption replicates previous findings across numerous studies. Although
ALDH1A1*2
was not associated with drinking levels, the lack of an
ALDH1A1*2
effect in
ALDH2*2
individuals is consistent with the only other study that has examined these associations in East Asian populations.
Business Language Studies in the United States: On Nomenclature, Context, Theory, and Method
Authors: SCOTT DOYLE MICHAEL
Published: May 2012

Although it has existed for many decades in the national curriculum of U.S. higher education, the study of languages for business purposes has lacked a more serviceable and academically communal name—a more rigorous toponymic identity—by which to identify itself as a theory‐based field of scholarship. The intention here is to propose for consideration a name modification for an existing field and provide some reflections regarding its evolution, theory, and method. In keeping with the rise of interdisciplines in other “studies” programs, business language's empirically definable domain of inquiry, pedagogy, and curriculum development should more appropriately be known as Business Language Studies (BLS). Further consideration of intrinsic theory is strongly encouraged to complement the extensive work already done in extrinsic and applied BLS, given that the development of methods and methodology has far outstripped theoretical considerations per se, the latter of which are now warranted to anchor the field more adequately in U.S. higher education. It is time for greater attention to be focused on the articulation of a broader, more systematic, theory‐based BLS research agenda that breaks new ground and provides additional insights into the decisive roles of language and culture in a highly competitive global economy.
Languages for Specific Purposes in the United States in a Global Context: Commentary on Grosse and Voght (1991) Revisited
Authors: LAFFORD BARBARA A.
Published: May 2012

This introduction will provide a thematic overview of the major issues raised by Grosse and Voght (1991), “The Evolution of Languages for Specific Purposes in the United States,” and the contributions in this Focus Issue that address those issues from a 2011 perspective. It will also explore contemporary (largely praxis‐oriented) languages for specific purposes (LSP) in the United States within a global LSP context that has historically evidenced strong connections between theory and practice. Points of comparison between LSP practiced in the United States and abroad include the rationale for LSP, curricula/programs innovations, professional infrastructure, researchers/practitioners, theoretical bases for research, and research topics and outlets for publication. Then follows a discussion of the challenges to LSP research (e.g., establishing norms of various workplace interactions, data collection, creation of assessment tools, lack of LSP practitioners and researchers with second language acquisiton [SLA] training), and future directions for the growth of LSP as an interdiscipline in the United States and for SLA and foreign language pedagogical research that would utilize data from LSP classroom and experiential settings in both domestic and international contexts. The introduction concludes with a discussion of LSP and community service learning as preparation for the workforce and for lifelong language learning.
Assessment Issues in Languages for Specific Purposes
Authors: O'SULLIVAN BARRY
Published: May 2012

While Grosse and Voght (1991) set out a well‐considered overview of LSP and identified areas in need of development, they limited their observations on the topic of assessment to a short section devoted to what they called the proficiency movement. While it is true that they really did not have a lot to report on at the time they wrote their review, and that this current review highlights much interesting work done in the area in the intervening years, there remains a considerable emphasis on practice rather than on theory, with published papers attempting to identify solutions to given assessment problems, rather than attempting to build cohesive assessment theories. The primary focus of this contribution is on the latter aspect of language assessment. The article first offers a historical overview of the area over the past twenty years, which moves from a brief discussion of the issues highlighted by Grosse and Voght to the theoretical issues that have emerged, and finishing with a critical review of research on issues around assessment in three specific domains (immigration and citizenship, or work and the professions). The article then highlights current needs and priorities, focusing on issues of test usage and introducing the concept of test localization before presenting the core of the argument: a theory of LSP assessment validation. It concludes with a preliminary attempt to exemplify how a theory‐driven research agenda can inform future research, and ultimately, practice in the area of LSP assessment over the coming decades.
Languages for Specific Purposes Business Curriculum Creation and Implementation in the United States
Authors: FRYER T. BRUCE
Published: May 2012

After the United States emerged as the major world economic leader following World War II, language curricula for specific purposes in international business were put into practice at the college and university levels. This article documents the work of the major players in the development of coursework and materials for business languages for specific purposes (LSP) designed for instruction of the more commonly taught languages (CTLs) in the United States. The article also describes the more recent implementation of LSP curricula in the less commonly taught languages (LCTLs), such as Japanese and Chinese, and the various federal grants that aided in the development of instruction in these languages. The impact of the Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBERs) and the positive effects of the Proficiency Guidelines (1986) and the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (2006), both developed and supported by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), provide a deeper explanation for the increased number of LCTLs currently being taught. Also described are the obstacles to continued implementation of these efforts and the need both for expansion of these efforts to precollege levels and for more theoretically‐based research in the field.
In Search of Innovation and Customer‐related Performance Superiority: The Role of Market Orientation, Marketing Capability, and Innovation Capability Interactions
Authors: Ngo Liem Viet , O'Cass Aron
Published: May 2012

Understanding the mechanisms through which firms realize the value of their market‐based knowledge resources such as market orientation is a central interest of innovation scholars and practitioners. The current study contends that realizing the performance impact of market orientation depends on know‐how deployment processes and their complementarities in functional areas such as marketing and innovation that co‐align with market orientation. More specifically, this study addresses two research questions: (1) to what extent can market orientation be transformed into customer‐ and innovation‐related performance outcomes via marketing and innovation capabilities; and (2) does the complementarity between marketing capability and innovation capability enhance customer‐ and innovation‐related performance outcomes? Drawing upon the resource‐based view and capability theory of the firm, a model is developed that integrates market orientation, marketing capability, innovation capability, and customer‐ and innovation‐related performance. The validity of the model is tested based on a sample of 163 manufacturing and services firms. In answer to the first research question, the findings show that market orientation significantly contributes to customer‐ and innovation‐related performance outcomes via marketing and innovation capabilities. This finding is important in that market‐based knowledge resources should be configured with the deployment of marketing and innovation capabilities to ensure better performance. In answer to the second research question, the findings indicate that market orientation works through the complementarity between marketing and innovation capabilities to influence customer‐related performance but not innovation‐related performance. Managers are advised to have a balanced approach to managing the deployment of capabilities. If they seek to achieve superiority in customer‐related performance, marketing capability, innovation capability, and their complementarity are essential for attracting, satisfying, building relationships with, and retaining customers. On the other hand, this complementarity would be considerably less important if firms placed greater emphasis on achieving superiority in innovation‐related performance. In contrast to many existing studies, this study is the first to model the roles of both innovation capability and marketing capability in mediating the relationship between market orientation and specific performance outcomes (i.e., innovation‐ and customer‐related outcomes).
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Relaxation and Filling Pressures in Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Comparison between Invasive Hemodynamics and Two‐Dimensional Speckle Tracking
Authors: Garceau Patrick , Carasso Shemy , Woo Anna , Overgaard Chris , Schwartz Leonard , Rakowski Harry
Published: May 2012

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is usually associated with marked diastolic dysfunction, characterized by impaired myocardial relaxation and increased myocardial stiffness. The noninvasive evaluation of diastolic function in these patients remains a challenge since usual methods have shown a modest correlation with invasive measurements of left ventricular (LV) relaxation and filling pressures. Methods and Results: We retrospectively analyzed 44 patients with obstructive HCM who underwent cardiac catheterization and echocardiography performed within 48 hours. Standard echocardiographic diastolic parameters and systolic and diastolic myocardial mechanics (including longitudinal and circumferential strain [S] and strain rate [Sr]), LV rotation, and early reverse rotation rate (fraction of early apical reverse rotation [FEARR]) were correlated with diastolic hemodynamic indices. Estimated LA pressure by echo and the LV end‐diastolic pressure (LVEDP) or the LV pre‐A pressure did not correlate. Longitudinal strain was low and circumferential strain was abnormally higher than normal. FEARR and negative dp/dt inversely correlated (R =−0.57, P = 0.0001), and early diastolic Sr to systolic Sr ratio (SrE/SrS) correlated with the LVEDP (r = 0.61, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, a SrE to SrS ratio ≥0.79 had a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 75% for predicting elevated LVEDP (≥15 mmHg). Average circumferential strain rate during atrial contraction and LV pre‐A pressure (r =−0.62, P < 0.001) inversely correlated. Conclusions: FEARR is decreased in HCM and appears to be a good measure of diastolic dysfunction. Myocardial mechanics can be used to assess LV relaxation and filling pressures in patients with obstructive HCM.
Children Injured by Violence in the United States: Emergency Department Utilization, 2000–2008
Authors: Monuteaux Michael C. , Lee Lois , Fleegler Eric
Published: May 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19: 535–540 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  Children victimized by violence are often treated in the emergency department (ED). However, our understanding of the magnitude and financial costs of this patient population is inadequate. The authors examined the scope, risk factors for, and financial cost of ED visits for intentional injury in children in the United States over time.

Methods:  Using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) from 2000 through 2008, the records of children aged 0 to 17 years evaluated in an ED for intentional injuries were examined. Nationally representative rates of ED visits for intentional injuries, the proportion of ED visits accounted for by children with intentional injuries, and risk factors for intentional injury visits were calculated. The Web‐based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) Cost of Injury Reports was used to generate the medical costs accrued by intentional injuries in children.

Results:  Almost 340,000 children were treated in U.S. EDs each year from 2000 through 2008 for intentional injuries, comprising 1.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1% to 1.4%) of all U.S. pediatric ED visits. The rate of ED visits for violent injuries has not changed over time. In 2008, 49 children per 10,000 (95% CI = 36 to 61) were treated in the ED for a violent injury. In a multivariate model, increasing age, residing in a metropolitan area, African American race, and the lack of private insurance were independent predictors of intentional injury visits among children. In 2005, the aggregate medical cost of intentionally inflicted injuries in children in the United States was $765 million.

Conclusions:  ED visits among children for violent injury still represent an important clinical, public health, and economic challenge. The ED could be considered as a potential venue for prevention and intervention efforts.
A Porcine Pneumothorax Model for Teaching Ultrasound Diagnostics
Authors: Oveland Nils Petter , Sloth Erik , Andersen Gratien , Lossius Hans Morten
Published: May 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:586–592 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  Ultrasound (US) is a sensitive diagnostic tool for detecting pneumothorax (PTX), but methods are needed to optimally teach this technique outside of direct patient care. In training and research settings, porcine PTX models are sometimes used, but the description of the PTX topography in these models is lacking. The study purpose was to define the distribution of air using the reference imaging standard computed tomography (CT), to see if pleural insufflation of air into a live anaesthetized pig truly imitates a PTX in an injured patient.

Methods:  A unilateral catheter was inserted into one pleural cavity of each of 20 pigs, and 500 mL of air was insufflated. After a complete thoracic CT scan, the anterior, lateral, medial, basal, apical, and posterior components of the PTXs were compared. The amount of air in each location was quantified by measuring the distance from the lung edge to the chest wall (LE‐CW). A supine anteroposterior chest radiograph (CXR) was taken from each model and interpreted by a senior radiologist, and the image results were compared to CT.

Results:  All 20 hemithoraces with PTX were correctly identified by CT, while six remained occult after interpreting the CXRs. The PTXs were anterior (100%), lateral (95%), medial (80%), basal (60%), apical (45%), and posterior (15%). The major proportion of the insufflated 500‐mL volume was found in the anterior, medial, and basal recesses.

Conclusions:  The authors found the distribution of the intrathoracic air to be similar between a porcine model and that to be expected in human trauma patients, all having predominantly anterior PTX topographies. In a training facility, the model is easy to set up and can be scanned by the participants multiple times. To acquire the necessary skills to perform thoracic US examinations for PTX, the porcine models could be useful.
A New Improved Accelerated Diagnostic Protocol Safely Identifies Low‐risk Patients With Chest Pain in the Emergency Department
Authors: Aldous Sally J. , Richards Mark A. , Cullen Louise , Troughton Richard , Than Martin
Published: May 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19: 510–516 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  To assess whether the accelerated diagnostic protocol (ADP) studied in the Asia Pacific Evaluation of Chest Pain Trial (ASPECT) could be optimized to effectively risk stratify patients with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and allow early discharge of very‐low‐risk patients.

Methods:  Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain were prospectively enrolled between November 2007 and April 2010. Blood samples were analyzed at 0 and 2 hours postpresentation with a point‐of‐care multimarker panel (POC‐MMP; troponin I [TnI], creatine kinase myocardial band [CKMB] isoenzyme fraction, and myoglobin) and a high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T assay (hsTnT). Patients received standard care. The original ADP (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] risk score = 0, no ischemic electrocardiogram [ECG] changes, and the multimarker panel negative) was compared with an ADP using the point of care TnI only, hsTnT only, or TIMI risk score = 0 to 1. Primary outcome was ACS within 30 days.

Results:  Of the 1,000 patients recruited, 362 (36.2%) had ACS. There were 12.3% identified as low risk by the original ADP with a sensitivity for ACS of 99.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 97.5% to 99.8%). The ADP with the point of care TnI only or hsTnT had the same sensitivity, but identified more patients for discharge (15.0% vs. 12.3%). Including patients with a TIMI risk score of 1 identified more patients as low risk (19.7%), but with a lower sensitivity (97.0% vs. 99.2%).

Conclusions:  An ADP consisting of a TIMI risk score of 0, no new ECG changes, and negative troponin at 0 and 2 hours postpresentation safely identifies patients at low risk of ACS, in whom discharge without further evaluation can be considered.
Medical Malpractice in Taiwan: Injury Types, Compensation, and Specialty Risk
Authors: Chen Kuan‐Yu , Yang Che‐Ming , Tsai Shin‐Han , Chiou Hung‐Yi , Lin Mau‐Roung , Chiu Wen‐Ta
Published: May 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19: 598–600 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

The authors analyzed all medical malpractice claims from 2000 to 2008 using cases from the national database of the judicial system of Taiwan. The objective was to describe the factors associated with malpractice claims in Taiwan, a non‐Western country that does not have a common law heritage. Emergency physicians (EPs) were the most likely to be sued and made the highest median payments. Most lawsuits involved death or permanent injury. Eighty‐two percent of the cases were settled in the physician’s favor.
Establishing aluminium contact allergy
Authors: Siemund Ingrid , Zimerson Erik , Hindsén Monica , Bruze Magnus
Published: May 2012

Background. Traditionally, contact allergy to aluminium has been established by patch testing with aluminium chloride hexahydrate in petrolatum at 2.0% and an empty Finn Chamber®.

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate different aluminium test preparations regarding an optimal compound and an optimal test concentration.

Methods. Six different aluminium compounds and an empty Finn Chamber® were used to patch test 21 patients with aluminium contact allergy. Aluminium chloride hexahydrate in saline was used for intracutaneous injection of 19 patients.

Results. One test preparation, aluminium lactate 2.4%, was found to show significantly more positive patch test reactions than aluminium chloride hexahydrate 2.0% (p = 0.03). Aluminium chloride hexahydrate at 10.0% pet. gave the highest number of positive reactions to aluminium [14/21 (67%)]. No positive reactions were noted to an empty Finn Chamber®, and 3 of 19 (16%) patients reacted positively to the intradermal test.

Conclusions. The results of this study indicate that patch testing with aluminium chloride hexahydrate 2.0%, with an empty Finn Chamber® and the intradermal test with the salt and doses used are insufficient methods to detect contact allergy to aluminium. Aluminium chloride hexahydrate at 10.0% gave the highest number of positive reactions to aluminium.
A deficiency in haem oxygenase‐1 induces foetal growth restriction by placental vasculature defects
Authors: Wong Ronald J , Zhao Hui , Stevenson David K
Published: May 2012

Haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), the rate‐limiting enzyme in haem degradation, plays a role in angiogenesis and vasculogenesis and is highly expressed in the placenta. Deficiencies in HO‐1 are associated with several pregnancy disorders, such as recurrent miscarriages and pre‐eclampsia. The unique combination of tissue protective, smooth muscle relaxing and angiogenesis regulatory properties makes HO‐1 a key player in the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy through a direct effect on placental structural and vascular development, thus affecting foetal development.

Conclusion:  Therefore, we conclude that HO‐1 plays an important role in placental vasculature development and a deficiency in HO‐1 may contribute to pregnancy complications, such as pre‐eclampsia, spontaneous abortions and premature births.
An 11‐yr exclosure experiment in a high‐elevation island ecosystem: introduced herbivore impact on shrub species richness, seedling recruitment and population dynamics
Authors: Irl Severin David Howard , Steinbauer Manuel Jonas , Babel Wolfgang , Beierkuhnlein Carl , Blume‐Werry Gesche , Messinger Jana , Palomares Martínez Ángel , Strohmeier Stefan , Jentsch Anke
Published: May 2012

Questions

Do introduced herbivores and fire explain the mono‐dominance of one legume shrub (Adenocarpus viscosus subsp. spartioides) above the tree line on an oceanic island, given the fact that a number of other legume shrub species are potentially present? What drives the observed landscape‐scale life–death pattern within the mono‐dominant shrub species population?

Location

The sub‐alpine scrub vegetation of La Palma (Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean).

Methods

An 11‐yr exclosure experiment with sites distributed along an elevation and orientation gradient was used to identify the influence of introduced herbivore pressure on four endemic shrub species and their seedling recruitment. Further, we assessed the population dynamics and spatial pattern of the dominant shrub species A. viscosus subsp. spartioides. Habitat and vitality characteristics were investigated, assessing spatial topographic features and tree ring‐based age estimates. Linear mixed models, ANOVAs, linear regression and variation partitioning were used as statistical analysis tools.

Results

Outside of the exclosures A. viscosus subsp. spartioides was virtually mono‐dominant in the study area, even though other shrub species seem better suited in the absence of introduced herbivores. The presence of introduced herbivores significantly reduced seedling recruitment within all target species, except for A. viscosus subsp. spartioides. Mean age of A. viscosus subsp. spartioides increased with elevation, although vitality analyses indicated that the sub‐alpine scrub is elevated above its growth optimum. Three out of four investigated shrub species showed differences in growth height depending on elevation and island orientation.

Conclusion

Introduced herbivores and fire are identified as key disturbances enhancing the occurrence of A. viscosus subsp. spartioides, a commonly less competitive species. However, Genista benehoavensis, a single island endemic shrub species, seems to be better adapted to the harsh climate conditions of the sub‐alpine scrub in the absence of introduced herbivores than any other shrub species.
The 2010 IADR – Geriatric Oral Research Group satellite meeting
Authors: Schimmel Martin ,   the Speakers
Published: May 2012

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00508.x
 
The 2010 IADR – Geriatric Oral Research Group satellite meeting

On 12 and 13 July, the 2010 IADR General Session satellite meeting of the IADR – Geriatric Oral Research Group (GORG) – was attended by around 60 participants in the beautiful surroundings of Sitges in the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain. The speakers reflected on the main topics ‘Disparities and Expectations in Oral Healthcare: An Elderly Focus’ and ‘Risks and Benefits of Ageing with a Natural Dentition’, which was followed by fruitful discussions in the auditorium and the jointly enjoyed meals. The Sitges meeting comprised lectures of distinguished speakers as well as poster presentations, which discussed and defined the situation of research in the field of gerodontology today as well as the development since the last GORG satellite symposium held on Vancouver Island in 1999. Despite enormous progress over the last 10 years, many important questions concerning economics, regulation, the implementation of oral health care, treatment protocols as well as general health implications of oral disease in the frail and elderly remain still unanswered.
Disulfide bonds: protein folding and subcellular protein trafficking
Authors: Narayan Mahesh
Published: May 2012

The study of disulfide‐bond‐containing proteins has advanced our understanding of the mechanism(s) by which the majority of secretory and membrane‐bound proteins acquire their biologically functional folded forms. This covalent linkage has been exploited by a number of research laboratories to harness or trap intermediates populating the folding trajectories of biopolymers. The resulting body of gathered in vitro data demonstrates that, in general, there is a common event underscoring the maturation of disulfide‐bond‐containing proteins. This commonality is the existence of competition between a physical, conformational folding reaction and a chemical, thiol–disulfide exchange reaction during fold acquisition. The competition, in turn, impacts the fate of the polypeptide in being secreted or retrotranslocated. The role of a host of subcellular factors, including protein disulfide isomerase, that influences this critical spatiotemporal juncture of the fold‐maturation process is discussed. Finally, the impact of this competition on the onset of neurodegenerative disorders is elaborated upon.
The Effect of Habitat Association and Edaphic Conditions on Tree Mortality during El Niño‐induced Drought in a Bornean Dipterocarp Forest
Authors: Itoh Akira , Nanami Satoshi , Harata Tsuyoshi , Ohkubo Tatsuhiro , Tan Sylvester , Chong Lucy , Davies Stuart J. , Yamakura Takuo
Published: May 2012

The effects of El Niño‐induced droughts on dipterocarp forests must be quantified to evaluate the implications of future global climatic changes for the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. We studied the mortality of trees ≥ 1 cm in diameter in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Borneo before, during, and after the 1997/1998 El Niño drought. The annual mortality rates were 1.30, 1.75, and 1.66 percent/yr for the pre‐drought, drought, and post‐drought periods, respectively. The effect of drought was tree size‐dependent being greater for larger trees. Modified logistic regression analysis revealed a significant interaction effect between species' habitat association and edaphic condition on mortality rates in all periods. For species associated with wet habitat, drought effect was greater in dry conditions than in wet conditions, in both the drought and post‐drought periods. The mortality rates of dry‐habitat species were less affected by the drought both in dry and wet conditions. A similar pattern was also found in common Dipterocarpaceae species; mortality rates increased more in species associated with wet‐habitat in the drought and post‐drought periods. Species and families with higher mortality in the pre‐drought period tended to experience greater mortality increases during the drought and post‐drought periods. These results suggest that changes in drought regimes alter the species composition and spatial distribution of dipterocarp forests.