bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple Victimizations Before and After Leaving Home Associated With PTSD, Depression, and Substance Use Disorder Among Homeless Youth
Authors: Bender Kimberly , Brown Samantha M. , Thompson Sanna J. , Ferguson Kristin M. , Langenderfer Lisa
Published: December 2014

Exposure to multiple forms of maltreatment during childhood is associated with serious mental health consequences among youth in the general population, but limited empirical attention has focused on homeless youth—a population with markedly high rates of childhood maltreatment followed by elevated rates of street victimization. This study investigated the rates of multiple childhood abuses (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) and multiple street victimizations (robbery, physical assault, and sexual assault) and examined their relative relationships to mental health outcomes (meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and substance use disorder) among a large ( N = 601) multisite sample of homeless youth. Approximately 79% of youth retrospectively reported multiple childhood abuses (two or more types) and 28% reported multiple street victimizations (two or more types). Each additional type of street victimization nearly doubled youths’ odds for meeting criteria for substance use disorder. Furthermore, each additional type of childhood abuse experienced more than doubled youths’ odds for meeting criteria for PTSD. Both multiple abuses and multiple street victimizations were associated with an approximate twofold increase in meeting depression criteria. Findings suggest the need for screening, assessment, and trauma-informed services for homeless youth who consider multiple types of abuse and victimization experiences.
Evaluating the Impact of Six Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Interventions on Children’s At-Home Diets
Authors: Williams Pamela A. , Cates Sheryl C. , Blitstein Jonathan L. , Hersey James C. , Kosa Katherine M. , Long Valerie A. , Singh Anita , Berman Danielle
Published: December 2014

Background. Nutrition education in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) is designed to promote healthy eating behaviors in a low-income target population. Purpose. To evaluate the effectiveness of six SNAP-Ed interventions delivered in child care centers or elementary school settings in increasing participating children’s at-home fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption by 0.3 cups per day and use of fat-free or low-fat milk instead of whole or reduced-fat milk during the prior week. Method. Clustered randomized or quasi-experimental clustered trials took place in child care centers or elementary schools between 2010 and 2012. Parents of children at intervention and control sites completed baseline and follow-up surveys about their child’s at home F/V consumption and other dietary behaviors. Results. One of the six interventions was successful in meeting the objective of increasing children’s F/V consumption by 0.3 cups per day. For three of the six interventions, there was a small but statistically significant increase in F/V consumption and/or use of low-fat or fat-free milk. Conclusion. Although not all interventions were effective, these findings suggest that it is possible for some SNAP-Ed interventions to improve dietary habits among low-income children among some families. The effective interventions appear to have benefited from implementation experience and sustained efforts at intervention refinement and improvement.
From Broken Windows to Busy Streets
Authors: Aiyer Sophie M. , Zimmerman Marc A. , Morrel-Samuels Susan , Reischl Thomas M.
Published: December 2014

In the present article, we introduce a community empowerment perspective to understanding neighborhoods. A preponderance of literature exists on neighborhood risk factors for crime. Yet less is known about positive factors that make neighborhoods safe and desirable. We propose community empowerment as a conceptual foundation for understanding neighborhood factors that promote social processes, and ultimately, lead to an improvement in structural factors. We suggest that neighborhoods are empowered because they include processes and structures for positive social interactions to emerge and develop. We present busy streets as a mechanism that creates a positive social context, in which social cohesion and social capital thrive. Thus, empowered communities are characterized by climates that promote busy streets. Our article underscores the need to examine both the broader, structural context and social processes operating within this context. Such an integrative perspective is necessary to fully understand how to empower neighborhoods, particularly in the face of structural challenges.
The Effectiveness of a Facebook-Assisted Teaching Method on Knowledge and Attitudes About Cervical Cancer Prevention and HPV Vaccination Intention Among Female Adolescent Students in Taiwan
Authors: Lai Ching-Yi , Wu Wei-Wen , Tsai Shao-Yu , Cheng Su-Fen , Lin Kuan-Chia , Liang Shu-Yuan
Published: December 2014

Background. Lack of education is a known barrier to vaccination, but data on the design and effectiveness of interventions remain limited. Objective. This study aims to identify the effectiveness of a Facebook-assisted teaching method on female adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes about cervical cancer prevention and on their human papillomavirus vaccination intention. Method. A quasi-experimental time series research design was used. Two hundred female adolescents at a senior high school in Taipei were recruited into two groups. Following a classroom lecture, one group was provided a Facebook-assisted online discussion, and the other group was provided an in-person discussion forum. A demographic questionnaire and cervical cancer prevention questionnaire were distributed. Data were analyzed for descriptive statistics and generalized estimation equations. Results. Improvement from T0 to T2 in knowledge and attitude scores was 4.204 and 4.496 points, respectively. The Facebook group’s improvement in vaccination intention from T0 to T2 was 2.310 times greater than the control group’s improvement under conditions of out-of-pocket expenses and 2.368 times greater under conditions of free vaccination. Conclusions. School-based cervical cancer prevention education can be effective. The Facebook-assisted discussion method was more effective than the in-person discussion. Providing the human papillomavirus vaccine free of charge would increase female adolescents’ intention to be vaccinated.
Differential Item Functioning in Attitude Assessment
Authors: Johanson George A.
Published: December 2014

Differential item functioning (DIF) is not often seen in the literature on attitude assessment. A brief discussion of DIF and methods of implementation is followed by an illustrative example from a program evaluation, using an attitude-towards-science scale with 1550 children in grades one through six. An item exhibiting substantial DIF with respect to gender was detected using the Mantel-Haenszel procedure. In a second example, data from workshop evaluations with 1682 adults were recoded to a binary format, and it was found that an item suspected of functioning differentially with respect to age groups was, in fact, not doing so. Implications for evaluation practice are discussed.
Factors Associated With Hyperphagic Behavior in Patients With Dementia Living at Home
Authors: Chi Lu-Wen , Lin Shu-Chin , Chang Shu-Hua , Wu Hua-Shan
Published: December 2014

Objective:

To investigate the prevalence and patterns of and factors associated with hyperphagic behavior in Taiwanese patients with dementia living at home.

Methods:

A cross-sectional and correlational design was used. A total of 104 patients with dementia and their primary caregivers were recruited from the geriatric, neurology, and memory clinics of a regional hospital, a medical center and two day-care centers in central Taiwan. The data related to hyperphagic behavior, functional abilities, medical conditions, body weight, and demographic characteristics of patients as well as the demographic characteristics of their primary caregivers were collected between January and May 2013.

Results:

Based on a strict criterion (a median score of 3 for the hyperphagic subscale), the prevalence of hyperphagia in patients with dementia was 53.8%. Specific hyperphagic patterns exhibited included increased food intake (49% of patients with dementia), hoarding (8.7%), oral exploration (6.8%), and pica (3.9%). Years of education of the patient, the use of antipsychotics in patients, and the age of primary caregivers explained 16.3% of the variance in hyperphagic behavior subscale scores ( F = 6.47, p < .001).

Conclusions:

For the early identification and treatment of hyperphagic behavior in patients with dementia in home care or in clinic services provided by health professionals, specific attention should be paid to the usual eating behaviors of patients with lower levels of education or who are taking antipsychotic medication or those who have a female primary caregiver.
Health professionals’ detection of depression and anxiety in their patients with diabetes: The influence of patient, illness and psychological factors
Authors: Poulsen Kellee M , Pachana Nancy A , McDermott Brett M
Published: December 2014

This study examines how often depression and anxiety, in patients with diabetes, are detected by health professionals; and whether detection is influenced by patient characteristics (age, gender), illness factors (duration of illness, diabetes control), and self-reported levels of depression and anxiety. Prevalence rates of clinically significant depression and anxiety were high (57% and 36%, respectively); however, of those identified, only 44 and 36 per cent, respectively, were detected by staff as depressed or anxious. The only significant predictors of detection were severity of depressive and anxious symptoms. Patient and illness characteristics did not influence whether professionals identified emotional problems in their patients.
Retention of new words: Quantity of encounters, quality of task, and degree of knowledge
Authors: Laufer Batia , Rozovski-Roitblat Bella
Published: December 2014

We examined how learning new second language (L2) words was affected by three ‘task type’ conditions (reading only, reading with a dictionary, reading and word focused exercises), three ‘number of encounters’ conditions and their combinations. Three groups of L2 learners ( n = 185) were exposed to 30 target words (one group in each task condition) and to three ‘number of encounters’ conditions (10 words in each condition) during 11 weeks of regular studies. Delayed unexpected post-tests tested four degrees of knowledge of the target words. Reading with word focused exercises yielded the best results, regardless of type of word knowledge and the number of encounters with the target words. The number of encounters had different effects in different task conditions. We conclude that what learners do with the word may be more important than how many times they encounter it.
The effects of textual enhancement type on L2 form recognition and reading comprehension in Spanish
Authors: LaBrozzi Ryan M
Published: December 2014

Previous research investigating the effectiveness of textual enhancement as a tool to draw adult second language (L2) learners’ attention to the targeted linguistic form has consistently produced mixed results. This article examines how L2 form recognition and reading comprehension are affected by different types of textual enhancement. Participants ( n = 109) in the experimental group read a passage that contained one type of textual enhancement (underline, bold, italics, change in font size, use of capital letters or change of font) on the target structure (Spanish present and preterit tense) morphemes. A control group ( n = 16) read the same passage without any type of enhancement. To measure L2 form recognition, all groups completed pre- and post-tests consisting of an L2 to first language (L1) translation task. To assess the effects of enhancement type on L2 reading comprehension, the participants completed a 40 item multiple choice test with questions focusing on form or meaning from the reading. Results for the present study revealed that one type of textual enhancement was better than others with regard to facilitating L2 form recognition, and that comprehension was not hindered by enhancement, regardless of enhancement type.
Because of the Pixels: On the History, Form, and Influence of MS Paint
Authors: Davison Patrick
Published: December 2014

This article focuses on the history, formal properties, and cultural role played by MS Paint, a widely available graphics program that has been used to make countless internet memes. The author examines the technical limitations of the program, and the visible consequences produced by a mouse-driven bitmap-based graphics program. He uses MS Paint as a context to discuss two new pieces of graphics software – Fresh Paint and Rage Maker – each of which embody radically different orientations to the concept of remediation. These three approaches to understanding MS Paint help us to reconsider the culturally suppressed media that have nonetheless had significant effects on the visual culture of the contemporary participatory internet.
Reflections on Internet Culture
Authors: Zittrain Jonathan L
Published: December 2014

In these edited remarks originally given at ROFLCon in May 2012, Jonathan Zittrain muses on the nature of memes and their relationships to their creators as well as to broader culture and to politics. The distributed environment of the internet allows memes to morph and become distanced from their original intentions. As meme culture becomes more and more assimilated into popular culture, subcultures like those of Reddit or 4chan have begun to re-conceptualize their own role from just meme propagators to cultural producers. Memes can gain commercial appeal, much to the chagrin of their creators. More strangely, memes can gain political traction and affiliation, like American conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly’s ‘You can‘t explain that’ or Anonymous’ ‘Low Orbit Ion Cannon’. Can meme culture survive becoming not just the property of geeks and nerds, but part of the commercial and political world?
Implementation of physical activity programs after COPD hospitalizations
Authors: Benzo Roberto , Wetzstein Marnie , Neuenfeldt Pamela , McEvoy Charlene
Published: December 2014

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), following an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has been found effective in some studies in reducing readmission rates as and has recently been recommended by the PR guidelines. However, very recent reports suggested that PR is not feasible after a hospital admission for a COPD exacerbation. The objective of this study is to investigate the knowledge gap on the underlying reasons for nonparticipation in PR in the posthospitalization period. We qualitatively analyzed the responses of 531 patients hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation who were not interested in participating in either PR (home or center based) or physical activity monitoring program after being discharged from the hospital. The responses were coded thematically, and independent reviewers compiled the raw data into themes. The characteristics of the 531 subjects (45% male) who declined the intervention are as follows: age was 70 ± 10 years, mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%) predicted 40 ± 16, and age, dyspnea, and airflow obstruction index 6.0 ± 1.6 (scale 0–10). The themes for not attending include lack of interest (39%), the perception of “being too ill or frail or disabled” (24%), the perception of being “too busy or having too much to do” (11%), distance or the need of travel (11%), commitment issues (7%), comorbidities (6%), and lack of social support (2%). We identified barriers for PR or just physical activity programs after a hospitalization that may affect implementation of such programs. Implementing posthospitalizations program in COPD may require patient engagement and mindful and compassionate professionals who may individualize program components to focus specific deficits and particularly patients’ preferences.
Caught in the Middle
Authors: Howell Jennifer L. , Gaither Sarah E. , Ratliff Kate A.
Published: December 2014

This study used archival data to examine how White, Black, and biracial Black/White people respond to implicit attitude feedback suggesting that they harbor racial bias that does not align with their self-reported attitudes. The results suggested that people are generally defensive in response to feedback indicating that their implicit attitudes differ from their explicit attitudes. Among monoracial White and Black individuals, this effect was particularly strong when they learned that they were implicitly more pro-White than they indicated explicitly. By contrast, biracial Black/White individuals were defensive about large discrepancies in either direction (more pro-Black or more pro-White implicit attitudes). These results pinpoint one distinct difference between monoracial and biracial populations and pave the way for future research to further explore how monoracial majority, minority, and biracial populations compare in other types of attitudes and responses to personal feedback.
Speaking of Participation
Authors: Evans Michael S.
Published: December 2014

While participation in public life is generally agreed to be important for governance and citizenship, scholars focused on talk-oriented participation (in the Tocquevillian tradition) suggest that there is a participation deficit in the American public sphere. Qualitative analysis of responses from 60 interview respondents about whether or not they are participants in four prominent American debates suggests a novel explanation for this apparent deficit: Persons whom analysts classify as non-participants may believe that they are already participating, because their understanding of participation is not based on public political talk. Moreover, individual responses about participation vary substantially by debate, suggesting that what counts as participation is more fluid for respondents than for analysts. Implications for public sphere studies are discussed.
The Development of a New Method of Cephalometric and Study Cast Mensuration with a Computer Controlled, Video Image Capture System: Part I
Authors: Lowey M. N.
Published: December 2014

A computerized system for handling cephalometric images, developed at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, was tested against a conventional manual tracing method and a computer-controlled digitizer. Systematic errors, calibration, and handling aspects are discussed. Results showed that the computerized system provided data which compared favourably with the same measurements carried out Conventionally using manual or digitizing methods.
Host genetics and diet, but not immunoglobulin A expression, converge to shape compositional features of the gut microbiome in an advanced intercross population of mice
Authors: Leamy Larry J , Kelly Scott A , Nietfeldt Joseph , Legge Ryan M , Ma Fangrui , Hua Kunjie , Sinha Rohita , Peterson Daniel A , Walter Jens , Benson Andrew K , Pomp Daniel
Published: December 2014

Background

Individuality in the species composition of the vertebrate gut microbiota is driven by a combination of host and environmental factors that have largely been studied independently. We studied the convergence of these factors in a G10 mouse population generated from a cross between two strains to search for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that affect gut microbiota composition or ileal Immunoglobulin A (IgA) expression in mice fed normal or high-fat diets.

Results

We found 42 microbiota-specific QTLs in 27 different genomic regions that affect the relative abundances of 39 taxa, including four QTL that were shared between this G10 population and the population previously studied at G4. Several of the G10 QTLs show apparent pleiotropy. Eight of these QTLs, including four at the same site on chromosome 9, show significant interaction with diet, implying that diet can modify the effects of some host loci on gut microbiome composition. Utilization patterns of IghV variable regions among IgA-specific mRNAs from ileal tissue are affected by 54 significant QTLs, most of which map to a segment of chromosome 12 spanning the Igh locus. Despite the effect of genetic variation on IghV utilization, we are unable to detect overlapping microbiota and IgA QTLs and there is no significant correlation between IgA variable pattern utilization and the abundance of any of the taxa from the fecal microbiota.

Conclusions

We conclude that host genetics and diet can converge to shape the gut microbiota, but host genetic effects are not manifested through differences in IgA production.
Tracking down the sources of experimental contamination in microbiome studies
Authors: Weiss Sophie , Amir Amnon , Hyde Embriette R , Metcalf Jessica L , Song Se Jin , Knight Rob
Published: December 2014

A recent report warns that DNA extraction kits and other laboratory reagents are considerable sources of contamination in microbiome experiments. The issue of contamination is particularly problematic for samples of low biomass.

See related research, http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/12/87
Regioselective synthesis of 2-(bromomethyl)-5-aryl-thiophene derivatives viapalladium (0) catalyzed suzuki cross-coupling reactions: as antithrombotic and haemolytically active molecules
Authors: Rizwan Komal , Zubair Muhammad , Rasool Nasir , Ali Shaukat , Zahoor Ameer Fawad , Rana Usman Ali , Khan Salah Ud-Din , Shahid Muhammad , Zia-Ul-Haq Muhammad , Jaafar Hawa ZE
Published: December 2014

Background

It is seen that the regioselective functionalizations of halogenated heterocycles play an important role in the synthesis of several types of organic compounds. In this domain, the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction has emerged as a convenient way to build carbon-carbon bonds in synthesizing organic compounds. Some of the most important applications of these reactions can be seen in the synthesis of natural products, and in designing targeted pharmaceutical compounds. Herein, we present the regioselective synthesis of the novel series of 2-(bromomethyl)-5-aryl-thiophenes 3a-i,
via Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of various aryl boronic acids with 2-bromo-5-(bromomethyl)thiophene (2).

Results

The synthesized compounds were screened for their haemolytic and antithrombolytic activities. The novel compounds 3f, 3i showed highest 69.7, 33.6% haemolysis of blood cells, respectively. The antithrombolytic activity of the compounds was found to be within low to moderate against human blood clot. The compound 3i showed potent clot lysis (31.5%).

Conclusions

Considering these results, it is concluded that the synthesized compounds can be used as a promising source of therapeutic agents.
Green tea polyphenol treatment is chondroprotective, anti-inflammatory and palliative in a mouse posttraumatic osteoarthritis model
Authors: Leong Daniel J , Choudhury Marwa , Hanstein Regina , Hirsh David M , Kim Sun Jin , Majeska Robert J , Schaffler Mitchell B , Hardin John A , Spray David C , Goldring Mary B , Cobelli Neil J , Sun Hui B
Published: December 2014

Introduction

Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol present in green tea, was shown to exert chondroprotective effects in vitro. In this study, we used a posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA) mouse model to test whether EGCG could slow the progression of OA and relieve OA-associated pain.

Methods

C57BL/6 mice were subjected to surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) or sham surgery. EGCG (25 mg/kg) or vehicle control was administered daily for 4 or 8 weeks by intraperitoneal injection starting on the day of surgery. OA severity was evaluated using Safranin O staining and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores, as well as by immunohistochemical analysis to detect cleaved aggrecan and type II collagen and expression of proteolytic enzymes matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) and A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5). Real-time PCR was performed to characterize the expression of genes critical for articular cartilage homeostasis. During the course of the experiments, tactile sensitivity testing (von Frey test) and open-field assays were used to evaluate pain behaviors associated with OA, and expression of pain expression markers and inflammatory cytokines in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was determined by real-time PCR.

Results

Four and eight weeks after DMM surgery, the cartilage in EGCG-treated mice exhibited less Safranin O loss and cartilage erosion, as well as lower OARSI scores compared to vehicle-treated controls, which was associated with reduced staining for aggrecan and type II collagen cleavage epitopes, and reduced staining for MMP-13 and ADAMTS5 in the articular cartilage. Articular cartilage in the EGCG-treated mice also exhibited reduced levels of Mmp1, Mmp3, Mmp8, Mmp13,Adamts5, interleukin 1 beta (Il1b) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnfa) mRNA and elevated gene expression of the MMP regulator Cbp/p300 interacting transactivator 2 (Cited2). Compared to vehicle controls, mice treated with EGCG exhibited reduced OA-associated pain, as indicated by higher locomotor behavior (that is, distance traveled). Moreover, expression of the chemokine receptor Ccr2 and proinflammatory cytokines Il1b and Tnfa in the DRG were significantly reduced to levels similar to those of sham-operated animals.

Conclusions

This study provides the first evidence in an OA animal model that EGCG significantly slows OA disease progression and exerts a palliative effect.
The effects of mite parasitism on the reproduction and survival of the Taiwan field mice (Apodemus semotus)
Authors: Lin Jhan-Wei , Lo Hsuan-Yi , Wang Hsi-Chieh , Shaner Pei-Jen Lee
Published: December 2014

Background

The effects of parasitism on host survival and reproduction can be highly complex depending on the type of parasites, host sex and life-history characteristics, and ecological conditions. In this study, we tested sex-biased parasitism from Trombiculid mites (Acarina: Trombiculidae) and their sex-specific effects on host reproduction and survival, in a natural population of the Taiwan field mouse (Apodemus semotus). We performed surveys ofA. semotusand their Trombiculid mites between April 2010 and August 2011 and again between June and September 2012 in a subtropical evergreen forest in Taiwan.

Results

Contrary to the commonly reported male-biased parasitism in mammals, we did not find sex-biased parasitism inA. semotus. We found that mite abundance was negatively associated withA. semotusreproduction and survival in both males and females. The mite abundance and rodent reproduction fluctuated seasonally, and the peak reproductive season coincided with the time period of relatively low mite abundance.

Conclusions

Trombiculid mites could potentially regulateA. semotuspopulations through reducing their reproduction and survival. The overlapping periods of peak reproduction and low parasitism implied thatA. semotusmay adjust their reproductive phenology to avoid periods of high parasitism or be constrained by parasites to reproduce only during periods of low parasitism. Although our results are correlational, host breeding season has been shown to increase in response to experimental reduction of parasitism. We suggest that parasites may shape host reproduction phenology through which they may influence host population dynamics.
IGF Binding Protein-4 is Required for the Growth Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 in Murine Intestine
Authors: Austin Kaori , Imam Nuvair A. , Pintar John E. , Brubaker Patricia L.
Published: December 2014

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is an enteroendocrine hormone that stimulates the growth of the intestinal epithelium. We have previously demonstrated that GLP-2 exerts its intestinotropic effect through an indirect mechanism that requires both IGF-1 and the intestinal epithelial IGF-1 receptor. However, the biological activity of IGF-1 is modulated by IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs), including IGFBP-4, which is highly expressed in the intestine. To determine the role of IGFBP-4 in the tropic effects of GLP-2, IGFBP-4 knockout (KO) and control mice were treated with degradation-resistant GLP-2 or vehicle for 10 days. Comparable levels of IGFBP-1–3/5–7 mRNAs were observed in the intestinal mucosa of all animals. IGFBP-4 KO mice had greater small intestinal weight and length, and deeper crypts (P < .05) as compared with controls, suggesting that IGFBP-4 has an inhibitory role in basal intestinal growth. However, small intestinal weight, crypt-villus height and crypt cell proliferation increased in response to GLP-2 in control mice (P < .05), and these changes were abrogated with IGFBP-4 KO. In contrast, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A KO mice, which have increased levels of circulating IGFBP-4, demonstrated a normal intestinotropic response to GLP-2. Finally, GLP-2 treatment of control mice significantly increased IGFBP-4 mRNA expression in the jejunal mucosa (P < .05), a finding that was recapitulated by GLP-2 treatment of fetal rat intestinal cells in culture (10−8M for 2 h; P < .05). Collectively, these results indicate that the IGF-I-modulating protein, IGFBP-4, exerts a negative effect on basal intestinal growth but plays a positive regulatory role in the intestinotropic actions of GLP-2.
Rho kinase activity controls directional cell movements during primitive streak formation in the rabbit embryo
Authors: Stankova Viktoria , Tsikolia Nikoloz , Viebahn Christoph
Published: December 2014

During animal gastrulation, the specification of the embryonic axes is accompanied by epithelio-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the first major change in cell shape after fertilization. EMT takes place in disparate topographical arrangements, such as the circular blastopore of amphibians, the straight primitive streak of birds and mammals or in intermediate gastrulation forms of other amniotes such as reptiles. Planar cell movements are prime candidates to arrange specific modes of gastrulation but there is no consensus view on their role in different vertebrate classes. Here, we test the impact of interfering with Rho kinase-mediated cell movements on gastrulation topography in blastocysts of the rabbit, which has a flat embryonic disc typical for most mammals. Time-lapse video microscopy, electron microscopy, gene expression and morphometric analyses of the effect of inhibiting ROCK activity showed – besides normal specification of the organizer region – a dose-dependent disruption of primitive streak formation; this disruption resulted in circular, arc-shaped or intermediate forms, reminiscent of those found in amphibians, fishes and reptiles. Our results reveal a crucial role of ROCK-controlled directional cell movements during rabbit primitive streak formation and highlight the possibility that temporal and spatial modulation of cell movements were instrumental for the evolution of gastrulation forms.
Ezh2 represses the basal cell lineage during lung endoderm development
Authors: Snitow Melinda E. , Li Shanru , Morley Michael P. , Rathi Komal , Lu Min Min , Kadzik Rachel S. , Stewart Kathleen M. , Morrisey Edward E.
Published: December 2014

The development of the lung epithelium is regulated in a stepwise fashion to generate numerous differentiated and stem cell lineages in the adult lung. How these different lineages are generated in a spatially and temporally restricted fashion remains poorly understood, although epigenetic regulation probably plays an important role. We show that the Polycomb repressive complex 2 component Ezh2 is highly expressed in early lung development but is gradually downregulated by late gestation. Deletion of Ezh2 in early lung endoderm progenitors leads to the ectopic and premature appearance of Trp63+ basal cells that extend the entire length of the airway. Loss of Ezh2 also leads to reduced secretory cell differentiation. In their place, morphologically similar cells develop that express a subset of basal cell genes, including keratin 5, but no longer express high levels of either Trp63 or of standard secretory cell markers. This suggests that Ezh2 regulates the phenotypic switch between basal cells and secretory cells. Together, these findings show that Ezh2 restricts the basal cell lineage during normal lung endoderm development to allow the proper patterning of epithelial lineages during lung formation.
Optimising rehabilitation potential after stroke: a 24-hour interdisciplinary approach
Authors: Aries Alison , Hunter Susan M
Published: December 2014

Approximately 150 000 people in the UK experience a stroke each year, often resulting in complex disability. Restoration of sensorimotor function after stroke involves processes of relearning and neuroplasticity. Different mechanisms by which neuroplasticity can occur post stroke include dendritic sprouting, unmasking of previously inactive synapses, synaptogenesis, long-term potentiation and cortical reorganisation. To optimise recovery potential, rehabilitation strategies which promote neuroplasticity and recovery post stroke through sensorimotor retraining should involve: an enriched environment, social interaction, opportunities for repetition and practice of movement and functional activities involving paretic limbs, sensory stimulation to paretic limbs, and early activity out of bed. A rehabilitation culture of 24-hour care should be fostered within an interdisciplinary team; nursing staff are ideally placed to coordinate this approach and motivate stroke survivors, to enhance recovery, in collaboration with specialist therapists in the team. This could be facilitated by flexibility of professional roles and traditional working patterns.
Early recognition of fatigue in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Kieft Lee , Woodward Sue
Published: December 2014

Fatigue in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains under-recognised and under-treated by health-care professionals (HCPs). A PD patient suffering from fatigue can have an antagonistic outcome despite the best drug management given with the greatest quality of care. Untreated fatigue can cause unnecessary anxiety, concerns with employment, financial hardship, difficulties with relationships, increased need for care provision and poor quality of life. It is imperative that fatigue in PD is recognised, diagnosed, treated and managed effectively so that PD patients with fatigue can manage their time more resourcefully. Poor understanding among HCPs on this matter may result in a bad reputation and cause frustration among service users, mistrust and needless costs to the health-care system. This article highlights the importance of early recognition of fatigue in PD. It provides evidence-based clinical information and facts gained from clinical studies and research to help enhance HCPs' knowledge and understanding the subject and how to manage fatigue in PD effectively.
Considerations for medication in dysphagic stroke patients
Authors: O'Hara Mary
Published: December 2014

Dysphagia is a significant problem associated with stroke, which can cause many complications relating to nutrition and hydration, as well as a person's ability to take medication. This article provides a brief overview of stroke and dysphagia, and discusses problems likely to be encountered in administering medication to patients following a stroke. It suggests methods of ensuring the best quality of service to these patients, and outlines drugs used in stroke treatment. Aspects of interdisciplinary dysphagia management after stroke noted by McFarlane et al (2014) are expanded on.
Lymphoedema and chronic oedema in an aging population
Authors: Jones Joanne
Published: December 2014

In the second part of a series on lymphoedema, Joanne Jones comments on how, as the UK population ages, health professionals must mediate between treating this condition and encouraging self-management and independence
Pet owners’ perception and satisfaction of surgery services and outcomes at the Ashanti Regional Veterinary Clinic, Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Eyarefe Oghenemega , Emikpe Benjamin , Dei Dickson
Published: December 2014

Aim:

To study pet owners’ perception of surgery services and client satisfaction in Ghana in order to improve the quality of surgery services.

Method:

Self-administered questionnaires were administered to owners of pets that were presented for surgery at the Ashanti Region Veterinary Clinic (ARVC). Data generated were presented in percentages with their standard error of means.

Result:

80% of the respondents were satisfied with the cost of surgical management, while 92% were satisfied with doctors’ staff attitude.

Conclusion:

The study revealed an overall client satisfaction of veterinary surgical services at the ARVC however surgeon–client communication need to be improved with respect to knowledge of surgical procedure prior to surgery. Periodic evaluation of veterinary services by service consumers should be encouraged to facilitate service improvement toward better animal healthcare delivery in Ghana.
Hydrodynamic investigation of fluvial sediment transport with Soil Protrusion Apparatus (SPA)
Authors: Jayaratne Ravindra , Salim Sarik
Published: December 2014

In order to understand sediment transport process
based on knowledge of their soil properties and
hydrodynamic behaviour a series of 2D laboratory controlled
small-scale experiments were conducted using the
Ahlborn sediment mobile bed tank (4.0×0.6×0.2 m). Experiments
were conducted in smooth and rough bed conditions
with purposely-built Soil Protrusion Apparatus
(SPA) to measure the basic parameters on which erosion
depends. Sediment deposition patterns in equilibrium
stage associated with different bed roughness and particle
size distributionswere fundamentally investigated. Extended
physical modelling of crescent zones also included
analysing their grain size distribution. Dimensional analysis
and multiple linear regression methodswere employed
to derive a simple empirical relationship for erosion rate
(ER) in terms of the shear stress (τs), average grain diameter
(d50) and soil protrusion (z) for smooth and rough sediment
bed conditions. These analyses also suggest ways
to refine empirical models, examining transport rates to
explore the limits of erosion and deposition influences in
shallow flow conditions.
Potential of Cognitive Computing and Cognitive Systems
Authors: Noor Ahmed K.
Published: December 2014

Cognitive computing and cognitive technologies
are game changers for future engineering systems, as well
as for engineering practice and training. They are major
drivers for knowledge automation work, and the creation
of cognitive products with higher levels of intelligence
than current smart products.
This paper gives a brief review of cognitive computing
and some of the cognitive engineering systems activities.
The potential of cognitive technologies is outlined, along
with a brief description of future cognitive environments,
incorporating cognitive assistants - specialized proactive
intelligent software agents designed to follow and interact
with humans and other cognitive assistants across the
environments. The cognitive assistants engage, individually
or collectively, with humans through a combination
of adaptive multimodal interfaces, and advanced visualization
and navigation techniques.
The realization of future cognitive environments requires
the development of a cognitive innovation ecosystem for
the engineering workforce. The continuously expanding
major components of the ecosystem include integrated
knowledge discovery and exploitation facilities (incorporating
predictive and prescriptive big data analytics);
novel cognitive modeling and visual simulation facilities;
cognitive multimodal interfaces; and cognitive mobile and
wearable devices. The ecosystem will provide timely, engaging,
personalized / collaborative, learning and effective
decision making. It will stimulate creativity and innovation,
and prepare the participants to work in future cognitive
enterprises and develop new cognitive products of
increasing complexity.

http://www.aee.odu.edu/cognitivecomp
Thermal and fluid flow characteristics in a tube equipped with peripherally-cut dual twisted tapes
Authors: Changcharoen W. , Somravysin P. , Eiamsa-ard S.
Published: December 2014

This article presents an experimental analysis of the turbulent flow of water in a heat exchanger tube fitted with peripherally-cut dual twisted tapes (PDTs) under a constant wall heat-flux condition. The peripherallycut dual twisted tapes with different cutting pitch ratios (l/y = 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0) were tested for Reynolds numbers in the range of 5400 to 14,000. The experimental results showed thatNusselt number and friction factor of the tubes fitted with PDTswere considerably higher than those of the plain tube and those of the tubes with single twisted tape (ST) and dual twisted tapes (DTs). It was found that PDTs with l/y = 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 gave higher heat transfer rate than the typical DTs, with average Nusselt numbers greater by 12.1%, 7.8% and 3.8%, respectively. For the range investigated, PDTs with the smallest l/y ratio offered the highest thermal performance factor of 1.14.
Classical and numerical approaches to determining V-section band clamp axial stiffness
Authors: Barrans Simon M. , Khodabakhshi Goodarz , Muller Matthias
Published: December 2014

V-band clamp joints are used in a wide range of applications to connect circular flanges, for ducts, pipes and the turbocharger housing. Previous studies and research on V-bands are either purely empirical or analytical with limited applicability on the variety of V-band design and working conditions. In this paper models of the V-band are developed based on the classical theory of solid mechanics and the finite element method to study the behaviour of theV-bands under axial loading conditions. The good agreement between results from the developed FEA and the classical model support the suitability of the latter to modelV-band joints with diameters greater than 110mm under axial loading. The results from both models suggest that the axial stiffness for thisV-band cross section reaches a peak value for V-bands with radius of approximately 150 mmacross a wide range of coefficients of friction. Also, it is shown that the coefficient of friction and the wedge angle have a significant effect on the axial stiffness of V-bands.
Key is a llave is a Schlüssel: A failure to replicate an experiment from Boroditsky et al. 2003
Authors: Mickan Anne , Schiefke Maren , Stefanowitsch Anatol
Published: December 2014

In this paper, we present two attempts to replicate a widely-cited but never fully published experiment in which German and Spanish speakers were asked to associate adjectives with nouns of masculine and feminine grammatical gender (Boroditsky et al. 2003). The researchers claim that speakers associated more stereotypically female adjectives with grammatically feminine nouns and more stereotypically male adjectives with grammatically masculine nouns. We were not able to replicate the results either in a word association task or in an analogous primed lexical decision task. This suggests that the results of the original experiment were either an artifact of some non-documented aspect of the experimental procedure or a statistical fluke. The question whether speakers assign sex-based interpretations to grammatical gender categories at all cannot be answered definitively, as the results in the published literature vary considerably. However, our experiments show that if such an effect exists, it is not strong enough to be measured indirectly via the priming of adjectives by nouns.
Illness-conceptions in the persuasive sections of Hungarian medical recipes from the 16th and 17th centuries
Authors: Kuna Ágnes
Published: December 2014

Illnesses and their names constitute a significant indicator of cultural levels, as they reveal a lot about the convictions, healing practices as well as the general state of medicine. Besides the naming of illnesses, their conceptualizations are also present in certain genres and text sections, which are, in turn, associated with specific functions. The present paper outlines illness-conceptions in 16th and 17th-century Hungarian medical recipes by means of a qualitative analysis of seven contemporary manuscripts in a cognitive linguistic framework.

The investigation takes the schema of the recipes as the analytical framework, as it was one of the most typical genre within the medical discourse domain in the 16th and 17th centuries. A recurring topic of recipes is usefulness, which is elaborated along the ‘how-to-do-it’ function. We can observe three functional units in the text construction: the initiator, the instructional unit and the persuasion. The conceptual elaboration of illnesses typically occurs in the first and third units. In the initiators, it manifests through the names and symptoms of illnesses, while in the persuasive sections through the description of how the illness departs. The present paper concentrates on this last aspect and gives a detailed description of the conceptual categories concerning the departure of the disease (cleansing, easing, soothing, stopping, starting etc.), their frequency and co-ocurrence. The research attempts to give a discourse pragmatic approach to the topic, expanding on the semantic analysis based on the names of illnesses and the symptoms.
Romance verb-noun-conversions from a cognitive perspective
Authors: Umbreit Birgit
Published: December 2014

This paper deals with V-N-conversion in the Romance languages from a cognitive and constructional perspective. In contrast to English, the Romance languages distinguish different types of V-N-conversion on the basis of morphological and semantic properties: a stem conversion type and two types of nominalized infinitives. The critical discussion of earlier cognitive approaches to conversion leads to a comprehensive synchronic and diachronic description of all Romance V-N-conversion types, taking into account both the differences with respect to boundedness and the occurrence of metonymic meanings. On these grounds the syntactic type of the nominalized infinitive is modeled within the framework of Construction Grammar and its lexicalization as an instance of constructional change.
wollen: On the verge between quotative and reportive evidential
Authors: Vanderbiesen Jeroen
Published: December 2014

This paper investigates certain uses of the German modal verb wollen ‘will, want’ (dubbed WILL) in which it relates non-firsthand information to a source, a function comparable to that of both reportive evidentiality and reported speech. The latter distinction is reframed in terms of a reportive-quotative opposition, and based on corpus-driven analysis the paper argues that WILL displays a combination of traits that warrant it the composite label “quoportive”. It is concluded that WILL, in its hybridity, is evidence for the existence of a category called “referral” which captures what is shared between evidentiality and reported speech.