bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brazil’s New Government and Trade: An Evaluation of Policy and Performance
Authors: Doctor Mahrukh
Published: April 2012

Although Brazilian trade data shows positive trends in terms of value and volume, a number of setbacks in trade negotiations and failure to address long-standing structural issues hamper further development of trade with greater value-added and higher technology content. Thus, the challenge facing President Rousseff is resolving issues related to boosting Brazil’s business competitiveness, improving export financing, containing currency appreciation and understanding the implications of Brazil’s evolving export profile. How the government deals with them will impact on Brazil’s further socio-economic development.
Development and validation of a model for quantifying glenohumeral ligament strains during function
Authors: Amadi Hippolite O , Bull Anthony MJ , Emery Roger JH
Published: April 2012

Analysis of the function of glenohumeral ligaments (GHLs) during physical joint manipulations is hindered by an inability to adequately image these tissues during the movements. This restricts functional biomechanics studies only to the manoeuvres that may be replicated cadaverically. There is, however, a clinical imperative to be able to investigate complex manoeuvres that exacerbate symptoms but cannot be easily conducted physically in the laboratory. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an algorithm for a computer simulation model that allows the quantification of glenohumeral ligament lengths during function. Datasets of the humerus and scapula pair were segmented to provide individual surface meshes of the bones and insertion points of each glenohumeral ligament on both bones. An algorithm was developed in which the glenohumeral ligament attachment-to-attachment length was divided into two straight lines, plus an arc overlaying the spherical wrapping portions. The model was validated by simulating two classical cadaveric studies from the literature and comparing results. Predictions from the model were qualitatively similar to the results of the two cadaveric studies by a factor of 91.7% and 81.8%, respectively. Algorithm application will allow investigation of functional loading of the glenohumeral ligaments during simulated complex motions. This could then be used to provide diagnostic understanding and thus, inform surgical reconstruction.
A modified intramedullary nail interlocking design yields improved stability for fatigue cycling in a canine femur fracture model
Authors: Garlock Adam N , Donovan Jim , LeCronier David J , Houghtaling John , Burton Stephen , Atkinson Patrick J
Published: April 2012

Intramedullary nailing has evolved to become the standard of care for most diaphyseal femoral and tibial fractures, as well as an expanding number of metaphyseal fractures. Owing to the unstable nature of some fractures, the intramedullary device may be subjected to significant stresses owing to a lack of solid cortical contact after nailing. In such cases, excessive interfragmentary motion (due to construct toggle) has been shown to occur. Such motion increases the likelihood of a non- or delayed-union. In the current study, two versions of a modified, angle stable interlocking design were subjected to fatigue testing in a segmental defect fracture model representing a canine femur. As a control, a third group of constructs were stabilized with a traditional nail that allowed a small amount of toggle. All constructs were subjected to 50,000 fatigue cycles representing 12 weeks of cage activity at physiologic levels of combined axial-torsional loading. Torsional testing pre- and post-fatigue revealed 4.6 ± 1.3° of toggle in the traditional nail and no toggle with the angle stable nail designs. The stable nails were also significantly stiffer in axial compression and torsion before and after cycling. These data indicate that the enhanced stability of the modified interlocking designs can be maintained throughout fatigue cycling in a challenging fracture model.
Who Is Good at This Game? Linking an Activity to a Social Category Undermines Children’s Achievement
Authors: Cimpian Andrei , Mu Yan , Erickson Lucy C.
Published: April 2012

Children’s achievement-related theories have a profound impact on their academic success. Children who adopt entity theories believe that their ability to perform a task is dictated by the amount of natural talent they possess for that task—a belief that has well-documented adverse consequences for their achievement (e.g., lowered persistence, impaired performance). It is thus important to understand what leads children to adopt entity theories. In the experiments reported here, we hypothesized that the mere act of linking success at an unfamiliar, challenging activity to a social group gives rise to entity beliefs that are so powerful as to interfere with children’s ability to perform the activity. Two experiments showed that, as predicted, the performance of 4- to 7-year-olds ( N = 192) was impaired by exposure to information that associated success in the task at hand with membership in a certain social group (e.g., “boys are good at this game”), regardless of whether the children themselves belonged to that group.
Expanded microchannel heat exchanger: design, fabrication, and preliminary experimental test
Authors: Denkenberger D C , Brandemuehl M J , Pearce J M , Zhai J
Published: April 2012

This article first reviews non-traditional heat exchanger geometry, laser welding, practical issues with microchannel heat exchangers, and high effectiveness heat exchangers. Existing microchannel heat exchangers have low material costs, but high manufacturing costs. This article presents a new expanded microchannel heat exchanger design and accompanying continuous manufacturing technique for potential low-cost production. Polymer heat exchangers have the potential for high effectiveness. This article discusses one possible joining method – a new type of laser welding named ‘forward conduction welding’, used to fabricate the prototype. The expanded heat exchanger has the potential to have counter-flow, cross-flow, or parallel-flow configurations, be used for all types of fluids, and be made of polymers, metals, or polymer–ceramic precursors. The cost and ineffectiveness reduction may be an order of magnitude or more, saving a large fraction of primary energy. The measured effectiveness of the prototype with 28 µm thick black low-density polyethylene walls and counterflow, water-to-water heat transfer in 2 mm channels was 72 per cent, but multiple low-cost stages could realize the potential of higher effectiveness.
Holocene sea levels along the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand
Authors: Scheffers Anja , Brill Dominik , Kelletat Dieter , Brückner Helmut , Scheffers Sander , Fox Kelly
Published: April 2012

For the Malay-Thai Peninsula several sea-level curves for the younger Holocene, based on field evidence as well as on hydro-isostatic modelling of a far-field site, have been published. The general assumption is a rapid rise to a mid-Holocene maximum up to +5 m above present sea level, followed by a constant or oscillating regression. However, from the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand, which was affected by the 2004 tsunami, only isolated observations are available regarding Holocene sea levels. Thus, the timing and magnitude of the Holocene highstand as well as the course of the regression remain to be defined. As several palaeotsunamis could be detected in the meantime it is important to know the related sea levels as exactly as possible to judge the energy, inundation width and potential wave height of these events. Therefore, fixed biological indicators from the rocky coasts of the Phang-nga Bay and Phuket, as well as morphological indicators from beach-ridge and swale sequences along the exposed west coast (Ko Phra Thong) were studied, to gain information about the Holocene sea-level development in this region. While oyster and coral data from the Phang-nga Bay and Phuket document a Holocene maximum of +2.6 m at 5700 cal. BP, the ridge crests and swale bases in the northwest of the study area point to maximum heights of +1.5–2.0 m above the present level around 5300 years ago. During the last 3000 years, to when the largest part of the Holocene palaeotsunami deposits from Thailand was dated, relative sea levels (RSL) in both areas did not exceed +1.5 m.
Holocene environmental changes in the Lower Thames Valley, London, UK: Implications for understanding the history of Taxus woodland
Authors: Branch Nicholas P , Batchelor C Robert , Cameron Nigel G , Coope G Russell , Densem Robin , Gale Rowena , Green Christopher P , Williams Alan N
Published: April 2012

A radiocarbon-dated multiproxy palaeoenvironmental record from the Lower Thames Valley at Hornchurch Marshes has provided a reconstruction of the timing and nature of vegetation succession against a background of Holocene climate change, relative sea level movement and human activities. The investigation recorded widespread peat formation between c. 6300 and 3900 cal. yr BP (marine ‘regression’), succeeded by evidence for marine incursion. The multiproxy analyses of these sediments, comprising pollen, Coleoptera, diatoms, and plant and wood macrofossils, have indicated significant changes in both the wetland and dryland environment, including the establishment of Alnus (Alder) carr woodland, and the decline of both Ulmus (Elm; c. 5740 cal. yr BP) and Tilia (Lime; c. 5600 cal. yr BP, and 4160–3710 cal. yr BP). The beetle faunas from the peat also suggest a thermal climate similar to that of the present day. At c. 4900 cal. yr BP, Taxus (L.; Yew) woodland colonised the peatland forming a plant community that has no known modern analogue in the UK. The precise reason, or reasons, for this event remain unclear, although changes in peatland hydrology seem most likely. The growth of Taxus on peatland not only has considerable importance for our knowledge of the vegetation history of southeast England, and NW Europe generally, but also has wider implications for the interpretation of Holocene palaeobotanical records. At c. 3900 cal. yr BP, Taxus declined on the peatland surface during a period of major hydrological change (marine incursion), an event also strongly associated with the decline of dryland woodland taxa, including Tilia and Quercus, and the appearance of anthropogenic indicators.
Decreased breast cancer risk in systemic lupus erythematosus: the search for a genetic basis continues
Authors: Bernatsky S , Easton DF , Dunning A , Michailidou K , Ramsey-Goldman R , Gordon C , Clarke AE , Foulkes W
Published: April 2012

Purpose: Recent work has demonstrated an important decrease in breast cancers for women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The reason behind this phenomenon is unknown. Our purpose was to explore whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) predisposing to SLE might be protective against breast cancer (in women in the general population). Methods: We focused on loci relevant to 10 SNPs associated with SLE (with a p value of <10−9). We determined whether we could establish a decreased frequency of these SNPs in breast cancer cases versus controls, within the general population. To do this we used a large breast cancer genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset, involving 3,659 breast cancer cases and 4,897controls. These subjects were all primarily of European ancestry. Results: The population-based GWAS breast cancer data we examined suggested little evidence for important associations between breast cancer and SLE-related SNPs. Within the general population GWAS data, a cytosine(C) nucleotide substitution at rs9888739 (on chromosome 16p11.2) showed a very weak inverse association with breast cancer. The odds ratio (OR) for the rs9888739-C allele was 0.907551 ( p value 0.049899) in the GWAS breast cancer sample, compared to controls. There was a slightly stronger, positive, association with breast cancer for rs6445975-G (Guanine) on chromosome 3p14.3, with a breast cancer OR of 1.0911 ( p value 0.0097). Conclusions: Within this large breast cancer dataset, we did not demonstrate important associations with 10 lupus-associated SNPs. If decreased breast cancer risk in SLE is influenced by genetic profiles, this may be due to complex interactions and/or epigenetic factors.
Rituximab induced pulmonary fibrosis in a patient with lupus nephritis
Authors: Rathi M , Ramachandran R , Gundlapalli S , Agarwal R , Das A , Kumar V , Kohli HS , Jha V , Sakhuja V
Published: April 2012

We describe a 26-year-old woman who was diagnosed eleven years ago with systemic lupus erythematosus and who had suffered multiple relapses. She presented with class IV lupus nephritis with thrombotic microangiopathy, for which she received three doses of rituximab along with plasmapheresis, with no response, and soon became dialysis dependent. One month after the last dose of rituximab, she presented with dyspnoea and hypoxia. A transbronchial lung biopsy revealed pulmonary fibrosis. A diagnosis of rituximab induced pulmonary fibrosis was made after excluding other causes and she was treated with intravenous methyl prednisolone with which there was marked improvement in symptoms and hypoxemia. This is the first report of rituximab induced pulmonary fibrosis in a patient with lupus nephritis.
First, do no harm: Confronting the myths of psychiatric drugs
Authors: Barker Phil , Buchanan-Barker Poppy
Published: April 2012

The enduring psychiatric myth is that particular personal, interpersonal and social problems in living are manifestations of ‘mental illness’ or ‘mental disease’, which can only be addressed by ‘treatment’ with psychiatric drugs. Psychiatric drugs are used only to control ‘patient’ behaviour and do not ‘treat’ any specific pathology in the sense understood by physical medicine. Evidence that people, diagnosed with ‘serious’ forms of ‘mental illness’ can ‘recover’, without psychiatric drugs, has been marginalized by drug-focused research, much of this funded by the pharmaceutical industry. The pervasive myth of psychiatric drugs dominates much of contemporary ‘mental health’ policy and practice and raises discrete ethical issues for nurses who claim to be focused on promoting or enabling the ‘mental health’ of the people in their care.
Giant Cell Tumor of Uterus Resembling Osseous Giant Cell Tumor
Authors: Manglik Niti , Sawicki Janusz , Saad Andre , Fadare Oluwole , Soslow Robert , Liang Sharon X.
Published: April 2012

Osteoclast-like giant cells (OLGCs) are multinucleated cells of histiocytic lineage and have been identified in a wide array of neoplasms. In the uterus, they have most frequently been reported in association with leiomyosarcomas. This article describes a case of an osteoclast-like giant cell–rich uterine tumor that was essentially indistinguishable at the morphologic and immunophenotypic levels, from typical giant cell tumor of bone. This is the first example of such a case that has been reported in the uterus to the authors’ knowledge.
Cribriform-Morular Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in an 8-Year-Old Girl
Authors: Rossi Esther Diana , Revelli Luca , Martini Maurizio , Taddei Alessandra , Pintus Claudio , Panunzi Claudio , Fadda Guido
Published: April 2012

The description of the histological features and the immunohistochemical and molecular analyses of a case of cribriform-morular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma in an 8-year-old girl with a family history of adenomatous polyposis is presented. The neoplasm was multifocal and bilateral, with a mixed pattern of solid, trabecular, and morular areas. The neoplasm showed angioinvasive behavior, extracapsular infiltration with extension to the perythyroidal muscles, and lymph node metastases. Tumor cells were positive for CAM 5.2, cytokeratins 5/6, TTF-1, HBME-1, galectin-3, and β-catenin. In addition, the molecular tests did not reveal BRAF mutations, RET/PTC rearrangement, APC mutation, or KRAS mutation.
Delay in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Thromboembolism in Emergency Department
Authors: Aydoğdu Müge , Doğan Nurettin Özgür , Sinanoğlu Nazlı Topbaşı , Oğuzülgen İpek Kıvılcım , Demircan Ahmet , Bildik Fikret , Ekim Numan
Published: April 2012

Background and Aim:

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and serious disease that can result in death unless emergent diagnosis is made and treatment is initiated. In this study, we aimed to identify whether there is still a delay in the diagnosis of PE and to identify the time to delay in diagnosis and factors leading to this delay.

Methods:

This is a prospective observational cohort study performed in an emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care university hospital between September 2008 and September 2010. The rate and cause of delay in diagnosis were analyzed among patients with PE. The “delay” was defined as diagnosing after first 24 hours of symptom onset.

Results:

Among the 53 patients who were diagnosed with PE, a delay in diagnosis was present in 49 (93%) of them. Total delay time was 6.8 ± 7.7 days. In 33 (62%) patients, there was a delay of 4.6 ± 6.5 days due to patient-related factors. Delay in diagnosis after admission to hospital was 2.2 ± 2.9 days in 40 (75%) patients. In multivariate regression analysis, being female and having chest pain and cough were identified as significant factors causing patient-related delay. Unilateral leg edema, recent operation, and previous venous thromboembolism (VTE) history were the significant factors causing PE diagnosis without a delay. On the other hand, systemic hypertension as comorbidity was the only factor leading to physician-related delay.

Conclusion:

The delay in diagnosis of PE in EDs still remains as an important problem. While being female and having chest pain and cough are significantly and independently associated with patient delay in diagnosis, the unilateral leg edema, recent operation, and previous VTE history cause physicians to diagnose on time. On the other hand, having hypertension as comorbidity may lead to physician delay. In order to prevent the delay in diagnosis, hospital-associated factors must be elucidated totally and more interventions must be made to increase public and professional awareness of the disease.
Thrombolysis With Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator in 7 Children
Authors: Evim Melike Sezgin , Bostan Özlem , Baytan Birol , Semizel Evren , Günes Adalet Meral
Published: April 2012

The information about the thromboembolic events, the optimal treatment choice, the dose, and duration of antithrombotic therapy in children are limited. More clinical data are required. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) is increasingly used in pediatric thrombosis. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical course of 7 children (9.3 ± 2.1 years; 34 days to 16 years) with arterial thrombosis (n = 1) and intracardiac thrombosis (n = 6). The children were treated with r-tPA. The dose ranged between 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg per h infused for 3 to 4 hours. This dose was repeated between 2 to 7 times till the thrombolysis was achieved. Treatment side effects were closely monitored. Complete clot lysis was achieved in all cases. None of them had severe bleeding except mild recurrent epistaxis occurring in 2 cases. In conclusion, r-tPA is an effective and safe therapy under close hemostatic control in children.
Value of Patient Self-Assessment in the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Post-Thrombotic Syndrome
Authors: Hull Russell , Butcher Penny
Published: April 2012

The post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is a frequent and burdensome disease, but no gold standard test exists to diagnose it. The value of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in recording transient signs/symptoms, thereby possibly improving diagnosis/monitoring and subsequent clinical care in some diseases, is increasingly being recognized. For example, PROs have been successfully used in cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and endometriosis. In this context, we describe a patient-reported questionnaire (the Patient-Tracked Symptoms questionnaire) that contains questions on the presence of signs/symptoms of PTS. This questionnaire has face validity and was successfully used in the Home-LITE trial. It could prove valuable in monitoring patient symptoms, especially in home-based patients who do not have regular contact with hospital clinicians. Patients who report symptoms can then undergo follow-up assessment by health care professionals at their next clinic visit. The Patient-Tracked Symptoms questionnaire could help clinicians to recognize the PTS early, enabling them to initiate treatment promptly.
Walking the Methodological Tightrope
Authors: Stich Amy E. , Cipollone Kristin , Nikischer Andrea , Weis Lois
Published: April 2012

Though researcher dilemmas are not new to the pages of Qualitative Inquiry, we argue that the current contemporary context has both altered and intensified issues associated with conducting qualitative research within sites most affected by more recent social, political, and economic shift. Navigating such sites as researchers poses new questions and new “speed bumps,” going well beyond those highlighted by Weis and Fine more than ten years ago. In this article, the authors revisit and extend the work by Weis and Fine using a set of informed reflections on engaging ethnographic research inside an iconic and beleaguered, large Northeastern, urban school district, a context that, we argue, establishes an increased range of new and largely unanticipated “speed bumps.”
Altruism in Survivors of Sexual Violence
Authors: Stidham Andrea Warner , Draucker Claire B. , Martsolf Donna S. , Mullen Laura Paisley
Published: April 2012

BACKGROUND: Sexual violence is a significant and prevalent problem that affects many people in the United States. Helping others is one way people cope with, or heal from, sexual violence. OBJECTIVE: To develop of Typology of Helping Others describing how survivors of sexual violence engage in altruism. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive methods were used to describe how survivors of sexual violence engaged in altruism in response to their experiences with violence. RESULTS: Helping others was a salient concern for most participants who experienced sexual violence. Participants indicated multiple and varied ways of helping others. Results also indicated that participants experienced some healing from their experiences before they were able to actively engage in, or be effective in, helping others. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians working with survivors of sexual violence should be attuned to the different ways survivors engage in altruism and the potential influences of race and gender on helping others.
Improving the scalability of parallel N-body applications with an event-driven constraint-based execution model
Authors: Dekate Chirag , Anderson Matthew , Brodowicz Maciej , Kaiser Hartmut , Adelstein-Lelbach Bryce , Sterling Thomas
Published: April 2012

The scalability and efficiency of graph applications are significantly constrained by conventional systems and their supporting programming models. Technology trends such as multicore, manycore, and heterogeneous system architectures are introducing further challenges and possibilities for emerging application domains such as graph applications. This paper explores the parallel execution of graphs that are generated using the Barnes–Hut algorithm to exemplify dynamic workloads. The workloads are expressed using the semantics of an exascale computing execution model called ParalleX. For comparison, results using conventional execution model semantics are also presented. We find improved load balancing during runtime and automatic parallelism discovery by using the advanced semantics for exascale computing.
Bromide-associated lower airway disease: a retrospective study of seven cats
Authors: Bertolani Coralie , Hernandez Juan , Gomes Eymeric , Cauzinille Laurent , Poujade Agnès , Gabriel Alexandra
Published: April 2012

Seven cats were presented for mild-to-moderate cough and/or dyspnoea after starting bromide (Br) therapy for neurological diseases. The thoracic auscultation was abnormal in three cats showing increased respiratory sounds and wheezes. Haematology revealed mild eosinophilia in one cat. The thoracic radiographs showed bronchial patterns with peribronchial cuffing in most of them. Bronchoalveolar lavage performed in two cats revealed neutrophilic and eosinophilic inflammation. Histopathology conducted in one cat showed endogenous lipid pneumonia (EnLP). All cats improved with steroid therapy after Br discontinuation. Five cats were completely weaned off steroids, with no recurrence of clinical signs. In one cat, the treatment was discontinued despite persistent clinical signs. The cat presenting with EnLP developed secondary pneumothorax and did not recover. Br-associated lower airway disease can appear in cats after months of treatment and clinical improvement occurs only after discontinuing Br therapy.
Treatment-related toxicities in tumor-bearing cats treated with temozolomide alone or in combination with doxorubicin: a pilot assessment
Authors: Gagnon Jerome , Dervisis Nikolaos G , Kitchell Barbara E
Published: April 2012

A retrospective study assessing treatment-related toxicities in tumor-bearing cats treated with temozolomide (TMZ) alone or in combination with doxorubicin was conducted. TMZ was administered orally once a day for 5 days every 3 weeks at a dose of 20 mg/cat. Tumor response was evaluated with standard World Health Organization criteria and toxicity was monitored using veterinary co-operative oncology group–common terminology criteria for adverse events (VCOG—CTCAE) criteria. Ten tumor-bearing cats with various types of malignancies were treated with TMZ-based chemotherapy. Eight cats were evaluable for response. Two cats achieved a complete response, one achieved stable disease and five achieved a partial response. Four grade III and one grade IV hematological toxicities, and one grade IV gastrointestinal toxicity were observed. Four cats were euthanased as a result of apparent toxicity. One cat was euthanased as a result of severe and prolonged myelosuppression with fever. Three were euthanased for grade III pleural and pericardial effusions. Effusion was seen in cats treated with higher cumulative dose of TMZ ( P = 0.0046). Planned additional case accrual was discontinued because of unacceptable levels of toxicity despite evidence of efficacy in some of the cats. Additional investigation is needed to elucidate this unexpected apparent cumulative toxicity.
The quality of reports of randomized trials in multiple sclerosis: a review
Authors: Signori Alessio , Baccino Alice , Sormani Maria Pia
Published: April 2012

Randomized clinical trials (RCT) in multiple sclerosis (MS) have a recent tradition, but their number has been exponentially increasing since the first study detecting the efficacy of a disease modifying drug in MS. To examine the methodological details of reports of RCT in MS, we extracted from five leading journals all the reports of RCT published between 1993 and 2010. Trial reports were compared for different periods (1993–2001, 2002–2006, 2007–2010) for a set of indicator variables reflecting methodological quality (including details about randomization and blinding, statistical methods, results reporting, subgroup analyses). Fifty-three reports were included in the analysis. All of the methodological items indicated an improvement over time in the quality of reporting, the main weaknesses being frequent and inappropriate use of significance testing for assessing baseline imbalances and the statistical approach to subgroup analysis. A complete and transparent reporting of trial methodology is becoming even more important in an era when new design strategies are required for the feasibility of future trials in MS.
Spontaneous tibioperoneal trunk and anterior tibial artery pseudoaneurysms
Authors: Shah Salman , Fischman Aaron , Marin Michael , Won Jamie
Published: April 2012

Aneurysms of the tibioperoneal trunk and anterior tibial artery are extremely rare. There are only a few case reports of this entity, for which the majority are secondary to prior trauma or bacteremia and endocarditis. We describe a case of spontaneous pseudoaneurysms of the right anterior tibial artery and tibioperoneal trunk. The pseudoaneurysms were thrombosed on follow-up computed tomography angiography and the patient has been asymptomatic. The patient is being treated conservatively and remains asymptomatic at 1 year of follow-up.
Explaining African-Americans’ depressive symptoms: A stress-distress and coping perspective
Authors: Archibald Paul C , Dobson Sydnor Kim , Daniels Kevin , Bronner Yvonne
Published: April 2012

Findings from five community surveys suggest that the depressive symptom scores of African-Americans are the same as, or lower than, those of Whites. This seems at odds with the minority status hypothesis that predicts higher rates of mental disorders for African-Americans. However, little is known about the role of African-American coping capacity during the life stress process which may shed light on the seeming contradiction. This cross-sectional survey examined the role of spirituality-coping, sense of control, and stress in predicting depressive symptoms among 3570 African-Americans. The findings showed that sense of control mediates the relationship between spirituality, life stressors, and depressive symptoms.
Analysis of a novel mild air hybrid engine technology, RegenEBD, for buses and commercial vehicles
Authors: Lee Cho-Yu , Zhao Hua , Ma Tom
Published: April 2012

In this paper, a novel cost-effective mild air hybrid engine concept for buses and commercial vehicles, RegenEBD, is presented. This air hybrid technology is designed to convert kinetic energy into pneumatic energy of the compressed air stored in the air tank normally installed on such vehicles. The compressed air can then be used to drive an air starter to achieve regenerative stop–start operations for buses and delivery vehicles with frequent stop–start operations. For other commercial vehicles, it can provide service air required for braking and pneumatic operations and reduce the usage of the engine driven compressor. Furthermore, the availability of the free compressed air can be used to provide instant boost to a turbocharged engine at start-up and during acceleration for better performance and improved fuel economy. A six-cylinder diesel engine has been modelled to operate as a mild air hybrid engine and analysed using an engine simulation programme. In addition, a newly developed air hybrid vehicle driving cycle simulation programme has been applied to analyse the charging and discharging processes during a typical London Bus route and a German Braunschweig city cycle. The analysis shows that with the RegenEBD, almost all the idling periods can be eliminated through regenerative stop–start operations, resulting in a fuel saving of 6.5–7.2%.
Calibration of a model for selective catalytic reduction with ammonia, including NO oxidation, and simulation of NOx reduction over an Fe–zeolite catalyst under highly transient conditions
Authors: Sharifian Leila , Wright Yuri M , Boulouchos Konstantinos , Elsener Martin , Kröcher Oliver
Published: April 2012

NOx reduction over an Fe–zeolite catalyst is simulated for highly transient conditions representative of automotive diesel engine operation. A transient 1D convection + 1D diffusion (1D + 1D) model for a single channel of a catalytic converter is developed, including a set of the most recently proposed kinetics for Fe–zeolite catalysts. The parameters specifying the characteristics of the selective catalytic reduction system are introduced, and an efficient calibration procedure is proposed that exploits the specific structure of the experimental dataset, consisting of a total of 90 operating conditions with varying space velocities, temperatures and inlet concentrations.

Parameterization of the system is carried out by studying the system response to single step feeds in the inlet ammonia up to steady state (slow transient). Experimental data for highly dynamic ammonia dosing is subsequently employed to assess the model performance at highly transient conditions typical of diesel engine operation. Excellent agreement is reported for a total of 90 operating conditions; differences between the predictions and the experimental data in cumulative converted NOx after 20,000 s of operation are less than 2%.
A parametric study on oil film pressure measurements in a single piston-ring configuration
Authors: Dellis Polychronis , Arcoumanis Constantine
Published: April 2012

Oil film pressure, the driving force behind piston-ring lubrication phenomena, is measured in a single piston-ring simulating rig after the successful installation of a miniature pressure transducer. The partition of overall load-carrying capacity between direct surface interaction and hydrodynamic action is clearly of some significance if the characteristics of the piston seal are to be understood and predicted with any confidence. It is therefore important that the contribution of the fluid film lubrication to load support be adequately represented. This study presents an extensive load, speed, temperature and piston-ring curvature parametric study on how the measured pressure profile at mid-stroke is affected in terms of peak pressure, magnitude and shift in the trailing edge of the piston ring, taking into account cavitation appearance and lubricant viscosity variation.
Search and Ye Shall Find
Authors: Smith Matthew Lee , Shurtz Suzanne
Published: April 2012

Through a perusal of current published literature, health educators can locate resources for theses, dissertations, or manuscripts for scholarly publication or plan/develop health promotion programs or disease prevention interventions. Reviewing the literature, however, may be viewed as a nebulous or intimidating process. This article presents six steps intended to assist health educators to efficiently search the literature. The processes of assessing information needs, planning the search, choosing where to search, getting full-text articles, assessing the articles, and applying the evidence are outlined.
Results From an Outreach Program for Health Systems Change in Tobacco Cessation
Authors: Schauer Gillian L. , Thompson Juliet R. , Zbikowski Susan M.
Published: April 2012

Introduction. Washington state has experienced a dramatic reduction in adult smoking prevalence (22.4% in 1999 to 14.8% in 2010) because of a comprehensive tobacco control effort that includes a proactive health professional education and an outreach program. The outreach program uses academic detailing and online tools to increase routine identification and treatment of tobacco users. This article summarizes outcomes from the first 2 years of the program. Method. Outcome measures include the frequency of contact with providers, changes in the percentage of callers reporting that they had heard about the Quit Line from a health professional, and changes in provider Quit Line fax referrals. Data are compared between Initial, Expanded, and Never Outreach Counties. Results. From 2008 to 2010, a total of 629 unique health care organizations and 3,989 unique health professionals received services. Between 2007 and 2010, the ratio of health professional “How Heard Abouts” to total Quit Line registrations increased by 142.6% and 95.4% in Initial and Expanded Outreach Counties, whereas Never Outreach Counties showed an 11.2% increase. Fax referrals to the Quit Line increased by 132% and 232% in Initial and Expanded Outreach Counties whereas they declined by 39% in Never Outreach Counties. Discussion. Results suggests that health professionals can be an important and reliable source of referrals to a treatment resource such as a tobacco quitline. A field-based outreach program using academic detailing principles can be used to increase treatment referrals and holds application for other chronic disease areas and quality improvement programs.
Leisure – Pleasure = Well-Being, Wellness, or Survival?
Authors: Hayes Lisa
Published: April 2012

This article explores, through poetry, narrative, and vignette, the interconnectedness of an individual’s well-being, wellness, and health with chosen leisure activity. As a recreation officer and community volunteer, the author has had extensive involvement with youth, youth culture, and activities, often within specific ethnic communities. HIV & AIDS has simultaneously transpired, with devastating effects, on communities worldwide. It is imperative that young people are made aware of the possible consequences of their [sexual] actions. The following vignettes attempt to enact some possible engagement points.
Are There Gender Differences in Quality of Life and Symptomatology Between Fibromyalgia Patients?
Authors: Aparicio Virginia A. , Ortega Francisco B. , Carbonell-Baeza Ana , Femia Pedro , Tercedor Pablo , Ruiz Jonatan R. , Delgado-Fernández Manuel
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in quality of life (QoL) and symptomatology in fibromyalgia (FM) patients. A total of 20 men (48.0 ± 8.0 years) and 78 women (49.8 ± 7.2 years) with FM participated in the study (age range 31-63 years). Health-related QoL and FM impact were assessed by means of the Spanish versions of the Short-Form-36 Health Survey (SF36) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), respectively. Comparisons in QoL were performed using one-way analysis of covariance adjusted by age and body mass index (BMI), and comparisons in FIQ dimensions were performed using Mann-Whitney test. Overall FM impact, as measured by FIQ-total score ( p = .01) and FIQ-physical impairment ( p = .02) was higher in men, whereas women presented higher values of FIQ-fatigue and FIQ-morning tiredness ( p = .04) and less SF36-vitality ( p = .02). Therefore, women appear to feel more fatigue, whereas men present higher FM overall impact. Due to the small number of men included in this study and the consequent small statistical power, these results should be taken as preliminary. Higher powered studies are warranted to further address gender differences in FM in order to design more successful treatments.
Enlarging the evanescent field scope by nanoparticle scattering for nanoparticle sensing of optical fiber sensors
Authors: Luo Ji , Zhuang Xuye , Yao Jun
Published: April 2012

A novel method to improve the sensitivity of evanescent field optical fiber sensors is proposed and confirmed by the numerical simulation. The evanescent field scope can be enlarged by nanoparticle scattering, which is produced by the nanoparticles placed in the evanescent field of the sensing fiber. It is found that the extent of nanoparticle scattering is dominated by the dimensions of the particles. Increasing the radius can enhance the scope of the evanescent filed. As the radius increases, the scattering peak shifts red and the scattering effect becomes obvious. The scattering efficiency accounts for about 74% of the extinction efficiency when the radius is 50 nm with the incident wavelength 420 nm. Moreover, the scope of the evanescent field can be extended to approximately 3 µm by silver nanoparticle scattering, which enhances the evanescent field to a relatively far-field scope.
Management strategies for shoulder reconstruction in obstetric brachial plexus injury with special reference to loss of internal rotation after surgery
Authors: Sibinski M. , Hems T. E. J. , Sherlock D. A.
Published: April 2012

We assessed the outcomes in 24 of 25 children (mean age 3 years) who had soft-tissue shoulder reconstruction procedures for obstetric brachial plexus injuries. All had latissimus dorsi and teres major transfers to strengthen external rotation combined with subscapularis lengthening, reduction of posterior dislocation or subluxation, and humeral osteotomy, if necessary. At a mean follow-up of 3.8 years, the mean Mallet score improved from 12.3 preoperatively to 17.4 postoperatively, active external rotation improved from 21° to 32°, and passive external rotation improved from 26° to 67°. The shoulder remained in joint in all patients. Active internal rotation deteriorated in nine shoulders, two requiring secondary internal rotation osteotomy. Combined soft tissue rebalancing and bony procedures gives reliable shoulder function improvement. Care is required regarding the effect on internal rotation.
Intraoperative use of a chest physiotherapy system during whole lung lavage for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
Authors: Kumar Avinash B. , Schweiger Hans W.
Published: April 2012

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare condition caused by the excessive alveolar accumulation of surfactant proteins. The current standard of care for removing these secretions is through therapeutic whole lung lavage (WLL). We describe two successful cases of bilateral WLL involving the novel use of the Vest™ chest physiotherapy system thereby avoiding the need for extensive changes in patient position in the intraoperative period. In brief, it involves the induction of general anesthesia followed by single-lung ventilation while simultaneously performing large volume lavages on the nonventilated lung. The washout was enhanced using the Vest™ system.
CAD Revisited
Authors: Russell Pascale Sophie , Piazza Jared , Giner-Sorolla Roger
Published: April 2012

The CAD model posits a mapping of contempt, anger, and disgust onto the moral codes of community, autonomy, and divinity, respectively. A recent study by Hutcherson and Gross posited moral disgust as the dominant other-condemning emotion across all three moral codes. However, the methodology used may have incidentally increased the relevance of disgust. In the current experiment, one condition repeated Hutcherson and Gross’s procedure, while in another condition, the authors added the word moral to three other emotions. Consistent with CAD, anger had the highest intensity ratings in response to autonomy violations, whereas “grossed out” was the dominant response to divinity violations. Furthermore, the adjective “moral” increased the relevance of anger, contempt, and fear in irrelevant domains, which suggests that the adjective moral increases any emotion’s moral relevance.
Searching for the Limits and Explanations of the Nonselective Superiority Bias
Authors: Bruchmann Kathryn , Suls Jerry , Lee Seon , Rose Jason P. , Krizan Zlatan , Windschitl Paul D.
Published: April 2012

Three experiments were conducted to test the robustness and explanations of the Nonselective Superiority Bias (NSSB), whereby any randomly selected item from a positive category is rated more favorably when compared with a cohesive group of other exemplars from the same category. Having participants rank order all exemplars prior to making a direct comparative rating did not reduce the NSSB (Experiment 1). Whether participants considered similarities or differences between the randomly selected target and the other individual exemplars, the target was rated more positively than the rest (Experiment 2). Finally, even comparing a randomly selected exemplar with exemplars from different categories (apples vs. oranges), the NSSB was still obtained (Exp. 3). The generalizability of the bias and the implications of the current results for the focalism, unique attributes, and LOGE explanations of the NSSB are discussed.
Positioning in the Context of Adult Learning and Participation
Authors: Young E. Beverly
Published: April 2012

Positioning dimensions, reflexive and discursive, present a portrait of learning and cognitive processes understood in the context of social participation. Reflexive positioning emphasizes self-identity and resilience for learning; discursive positioning underlines communication necessary for social interaction to bind people in a network. Communication that connects might also disconnect creating a condition for learning. An interpretive biographical study of 11 men and women living in a shelter using an inductive analysis of multiple data sources explored this presumption. One major conclusion suggested that when transitional residents face a gap in cognitive skills and the ability to use what they learned in social networks, the experience creates a condition for learning.
New approaches for measurement of platelet reactivity
Authors: Marcus Aaron J.
Published: April 2012

In a highly interesting, intricate, and novel paper in this issue of Blood, Fung and colleagues have extended their previous pioneering studies and now reveal that molecules such as ATP can promote platelet activation through the P2X1 receptor.1
Advancing the STATus of MPN pathogenesis
Authors: Shah Neil P. , Shannon Kevin
Published: April 2012

In this issue of Blood, Yan et al1 and Walz et al2 exploit mouse genetics to investigate the contribution of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) to the abnormal in vivo growth of hematopoietic cells expressing JAK2V617F or BCR-ABL. Eliminating STAT5 expression had dramatic effects in both contexts, and this new work and other recent studies support the therapeutic potential of targeting pathways regulated by this important signaling molecule in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).
A polymorphism in the XPD gene predisposes to leukemic transformation and new nonmyeloid malignancies in essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera
Authors: Hernández-Boluda Juan-Carlos , Pereira Arturo , Cervantes Francisco , Alvarez-Larrán Alberto , Collado María , Such Esperanza , Arilla M. Jesús , Boqué Concepción , Xicoy Blanca , Maffioli Margherita , Bellosillo Beatriz , Marugán Isabel , Amat Paula , Besses Carles , Guillem Vicent
Published: April 2012

Patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV) have an increased incidence of acute myeloid leukemia and new nonhematologic malignancies compared with the general population. However, information on the factors determining the risk for such complications is limited. In the present study, we investigated whether constitutional genetic variations in DNA repair predispose to leukemic transformation and new nonmyeloid neoplasias in patients with ET and PV. Case-control studies for predisposition to both types of malignancies were nested in a cohort of 422 subjects diagnosed with ET or PV during the period 1973-2010 in several institutions in Spain. A total of 64 incidence cases of leukemia and 50 cases of primary nonmyeloid cancers were accrued. At conditional regression analysis, the Gln/Gln genotype in the XPD codon 751 showed the strongest association with both leukemic transformation (odds ratio [OR] = 4.9; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.0-12) and development of nonmyeloid malignancies (OR = 4.2; 95% CI, 1.5-12). Additional predictive factors were exposure to cytoreductive agents for leukemic transformation (OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 2.0-6.2) and age for nonmyeloid malignancies (OR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.8). These findings provide further evidence about the contribution of inherited genetic variations to the pathogenesis and clinical course of myeloproliferative neoplasms.
Orthogonal stability of an additive-quartic functional equation with the fixed point alternative
Authors: Lee Sung Jin , Park Choonkil , Saadati Reza
Published: April 2012

Using the fixed point method, we prove the Hyers-Ulam stability of the orthogonally additive-quartic functional equation

f

(

2
x
+
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)

+
f

(

2
x
-
y

)

=
4
f

(

x
+
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)

+
4
f

(

x
-
y

)

+
10
f

(

x

)

+
14
f

(

-
x

)

-
3
f

(

y

)

-
3
f

(

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for all x, y with x ⊥ y, where ⊥ is the orthogonality in the sense of Rätz.

AMS Subject Classification: Primary, 39B55; 47H10; 39B52; 46H25.