bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parathyroid Carcinoma: The Importance of High Clinical Suspicion for a Correct Management
Authors: Ricci Gabriele , Assenza Marco , Barreca Marco , Liotta Gianluca , Paganelli Livio , Serao Angelo , Tufodandria Giovanni , Marini Pierluigi
Published: September 2012

Background. Parathyroid carcinoma is an infrequent clinical entity whose diagnosis is very challenge. Indeed a pre-operative or intraoperative diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma is reported in less than half cases described in the literature.Patients and Methods. A systematic review of pathological reports of our secondary referral hospital was done. From 2003 to 2011 one hundred and forty-four patients were operated for hyperparathyroidism. One patient with atypical adenoma and three patients with parathyroid carcinoma were included in this paper.Results. Anen blocresection of the tumor was performed in three patients. Two of this patients with diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma are alive with no evidence of recurrence or metastasis, respectively, 48 and 60 months after the operation; one patient with diagnosis of atypical adenoma died for other disease 16 months after the operation. In the last patient a simple parathyroidectomy was performed. After that histology revealed the diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma the patient underwent reoperation for left hemithyroidectomy and central compartment lymph node clearance. After 30 months a lung lobectomy was done due to metastasis.Conclusion. Parathyroid carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of PTH-dependent hypercalcemia because optional outcomes are associated with complete resection of the tumor at the time of initial operation.
Structural Damage Information Fusion Based on Soft Computing
Authors: He Haoxiang , Yan Weiming , Zhang Ailin
Published: September 2012

The significance of information fusion for structural health monitoring and damage detection is introduced. The three levels of information fusion for multisensors are described. For the complex in the structural health monitoring, the distributed multisensor information fusion is more suitable and the structure is discussed. In the damage information fusion for character level, the concept for structural integral support vector machine damage detection matrix, damage self-information, and damage information entropy are presented. For a complex structure, it can be divided into multiple substructures in order to simplify the difficult for health monitoring, the data acquisition and support vector machine are established for each substructure in order to form integral damage detection matrix. In the damage information fusion for decision level, the methods based on fuzzy set theory, material element theory, and fuzzy neural network are proposed. The results given by a numerical example about space structure show that all the methods are valid and effective.
The Impacts of Graphene Nanosheets and Manganese Valency on Lithium Storage Characteristics in Graphene/Manganese Oxide Hybrid Anode
Authors: Cheekati S. L. , Yao Z. , Huang H.
Published: September 2012

Graphene nanosheets (GNS) with attached MnOx nanoparticles are studied in regard to their structure and morphology. The relationship between the lithium storage performances and GNS contents as well as manganese valency was investigated. Experimental results showed that the specimen with 44 wt% GNS and high content of MnO delivered high reversible capacity (over twice of that in graphitic carbon anode), good cycling stability (0.8% fading per cycle), and high rate capability (67% at the 800 mA/g), which are dramatically better than pure Mn3O4. The improvement is attributed to the presence of GNS which provides continuous networks for fast electronic conduction and mechanical flexibility for accommodating the large volume change. The MnOx/GNS hybrid material has the added advantages over pure GNS, benefiting from its lithium storage potential of around 0.5 V which not only ensures high rate capability but also reduces the risk of metallic lithium formation with its safety hazard.
A Molecular Dynamics Study on the Constraint Conditions of the Particle Growth Process in Laser Synthesis of Nanopowders
Authors: Zhang Shiwei , Liu Jun , Zhang Zhijun , Zhang Wenhui
Published: September 2012

Laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (LICVD) is a nanopowder synthesis method in which the nanoparticles of a synthetic product undergo nucleation, growth, and agglomeration. The growth process is crucial because it directly determines the growth rate and final size of nanoparticles. In this paper, the nanoparticle growth process is analyzed through a molecular dynamics study, and the process is divided into five steps. In addition, this study explains the microscopic heat and mass transfer processes that occur in the surrounding space and on the particulate surface. Three constraint conditions that may restrict the growth process, namely, transfer constraint, surface constraint, and temperature constraint conditions, are proposed and modeled. To calculate the final diameter and the nanoparticle growth rate, formulae for the constraint conditions are developed. The behavior of four gases in the particulate growth zone is discussed in detail.
Slip Effects on the Unsteady MHD Pulsatile Blood Flow through Porous Medium in an Artery under the Effect of Body Acceleration
Authors: Eldesoky Islam M.
Published: September 2012

Unsteady pulsatile flow of blood through porous medium in an artery has been studied under the influence of periodic body acceleration and slip condition in the presence of magnetic field considering blood as an incompressible electrically conducting fluid. An analytical solution of the equation of motion is obtained by applying the Laplace transform. With a view to illustrating the applicability of the mathematical model developed here, the analytic explicit expressions of axial velocity, wall shear stress, and fluid acceleration are given. The slip condition plays an important role in shear skin, spurt, and hysteresis effects. The fluids that exhibit boundary slip have important technological applications such as in polishing valves of artificial heart and internal cavities. The effects of slip condition, magnetic field, porous medium, and body acceleration have been discussed. The obtained results, for different values of parameters into the problem under consideration, show that the flow is appreciably influenced by the presence of Knudsen number of slip condition, permeability parameter of porous medium, Hartmann number of magnetic field, and frequency of periodic body acceleration. The study is useful for evaluating the role of porosity and slip condition when the body is subjected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Low-Complexity Decoding Algorithms for Distributed Space-Time Coded Regenerative Relay Systems
Authors: Zhang Chao , Yin Huarui
Published: September 2012

We examine decoding structure for distributed space-time coded regenerative relay networks. Given the possible demodulation error at the regenerative relays, we provide a general framework of error aware decoder, where the receiver exploits the demodulation error probability of relays to improve the system performance. Considering the high computational complexity of optimal Maximum Likelihood (ML) decoder, we also propose two low-complexity decoders, Max-Log decoder and Max-Log-Sphere decoder. Computational complexities of these three decoders are also analyzed. Simulation results show that error aware decoders can improve system performance greatly without high system overload and Max-Log decoder and Max-Log-Sphere decoder can drastically reduce the decoding complexity with negligible performance degradation.
Determinants of Seeking Treatment for Cocaine Abuse: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Pavarin Raimondo Maria , Consonni Dario , Berardi Domenico
Published: September 2012

The objective of this study, which targeted long-term socially integrated cocaine users (in powder form, no heroin), was to analyze potential determinants of request for treatment for primary cocaine abuse. Two hundred and twenty-three cases (users who sought treatment for primary cocaine abuse) and 223 controls (users who did not seek treatment) were interviewed in Italy. A semistructured interview was created. Conditional logistic regression models were used. Cases had begun consuming illicit substances later, started using cocaine quicker, had high-risk drinking habits, had more intense recent use of cocaine, and used alone and at work. Some of the motivations of use that characterize subjects who seek treatment (to experience a ‘high’, disinhibition, avoidance, and to feel more confident) seem specifically to obtain immediate gratification, without concern for future consequences. Variability in cocaine abusers seeking treatment has been a long-recognized feature of this population and the results show that the appropriate target population (cocaine users experiencing problems and using more frequently) is reached by treatment services.
Stimulant use disorders: Characteristics and comorbidity in an Australian population sample
Authors: Sara Grant , Burgess Philip , Harris Meredith , Malhi Gin S , Whiteford Harvey , Hall Wayne
Published: September 2012

Objective:

To describe the correlates of stimulant use disorders (abuse, dependence) in an Australian population sample, to compare the characteristics of stimulant users with and without stimulant use disorders and to describe the patterns of service use and help-seeking in people with stimulant use disorders.

Methods:

Data were drawn from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, which sampled 8841 residents of private dwellings in Australia in 2007. Lifetime DSM-IV substance use and mental disorder diagnoses were obtained from interviews conducted by lay interviewers, using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Socio-demographic, socio-economic and clinical correlates of stimulant use disorders were identified using binary logistic regression models. Stimulant users with and without stimulant use disorders were compared to non-stimulant users via multinomial logistic regression models.

Results:

Compared to Australians without stimulant use disorder, people with stimulant use disorders were younger, more likely to be male, of non-heterosexual orientation and born in Australia, but were not more socially disadvantaged. Lifetime comorbidity rates were high: 79% of persons with stimulant use disorders had a lifetime alcohol use disorder, 73% a lifetime cannabis use disorder, and more than one third a lifetime mood or anxiety disorder. Stimulant use disorders were associated with a family history of substance use, affective disorders and psychosis. One in five people with lifetime stimulant use disorders had been imprisoned, homeless or hospitalised for substance or mental health problems, and 13% reported at least one symptom of psychosis. Nearly half had sought help for substance or mental health problems, primarily from General Practitioners (GPs), psychologists or psychiatrists.

Conclusions:

Stimulant use disorders in a representative population sample are associated with significant comorbidity and harm. Many persons with stimulant use disorders had sought care and found this helpful. There is scope for screening and intervention in this group.
Lesbian and Gay Affirmative Therapy Competency, Self-Efficacy, and Personality in Psychology Trainees
Authors: O’Shaughnessy Tiffany , Spokane Arnold R.
Published: September 2012

This study explored the relationship between therapist personality, self-reported lesbian and gay (LG) affirmative therapy competency, and demonstrated LG affirmative therapy competency utilizing an analogue methodology with 212 therapists-in-training. Participants were randomly assigned to review one of four vignettes that varied the sexual orientation and presenting concern of the characters depicted. The experimental design was a 3 (Openness to Experience: Very High/High/Average) × 2 (Gay/Lesbian Vignette) × 2 (Relationship/Adjustment Vignette) factorial with three dependent variables (i.e., case conceptualization ability, LGB affirmative therapy competency, LGB affirmative therapy self-efficacy), and three covariates (i.e., participant sexual orientation, relationships with LGBT individuals, and number of LGBT clients seen). The relationship between self-reported competency (i.e., self-report measures of competency scores) and demonstrated competency (i.e., case conceptualizations of LG vignettes scores) was also analyzed. Individuals with higher levels of openness to experience exhibited stronger case conceptualization ability; however, contrary to the hypotheses, the four analogue groups did not differ significantly. Case conceptualization ability correlated with self-reported LG knowledge competency. Implications for research, practice, and training are presented.
Getting at the Core of Literacy Improvement
Authors: Francois Chantal
Published: September 2012

Although national trends of urban adolescent reading underachievement suggest that schools are unable to adequately support this population’s reading development, some studies have demonstrated that urban schools can operate to raise student achievement, thereby disrupting national trends. In this study, the author investigates one such school that capitalized on instructional leadership, time and space, and teacher agency to both raise teacher capacity and youths’ reading achievement. It appears that an interrelationship among these features were critical in creating change at the school. Findings from this study hold important implications for future investigations on literacy instruction in urban schools.
A Structural Model–Based Optimal Person-Fit Procedure for Identifying Faking
Authors: Ferrando Pere J. , Anguiano-Carrasco Cristina
Published: September 2012

This article proposes a two-stage procedure aimed at identifying faking in personality tests. The procedure, which can be considered as an extension and refinement of previous item response theory (IRT)-based proposals, combines the information provided by a structural equation model (SEM) in the first stage with that provided by an IRT-based optimal person-fit procedure in the second. In this article, the procedure is presented in its most basic form, which means that it is intended for a two-group or a two-wave SEM and for binary-response IRT models. Then, its functioning is assessed by means of an empirical study based on an instructed-faking design. The results suggest that the effectiveness of the procedure is higher than that of previous related proposals. The usefulness of the proposal in real settings, its limitations, and further extensions are discussed.
Blind and Sighted Pedestrians’ Road-Crossing Judgments at a Single-Lane Roundabout
Authors: Guth David A. , Long Richard G. , Wall Emerson Robert S. , Ponchillia Paul E. , Ashmead Daniel H.
Published: September 2012

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative risk and efficiency of road crossing experienced by blind and sighted pedestrians at a single-lane roundabout with two levels of traffic volume and at two distances from the roundabout.

Background:

With the rapid spread of modern roundabouts across the United States, their accessibility to blind pedestrians has become an important concern. To date, accessibility research relevant to blind pedestrians has focused on multilane roundabouts, and single-lane roundabouts have been virtually ignored.

Method:

Blind and sighted participants made judgments about when they would cross a single-lane roundabout with high and low traffic volumes, at exit and entry lanes, and at the actual crosswalks and at locations farther from the roundabout.

Results:

Relative to sighted participants, blind participants’ judgments about when to cross were more frequently risky, especially when traffic volume was high. Blind participants also were slower to make crossing judgments and accepted fewer crossing opportunities. Both groups made somewhat safer and more efficient judgments at locations farther from the roundabout.

Conclusion:

Some single-lane roundabouts may pose greater risk to blind pedestrians than to sighted pedestrians, especially when traffic volume is high. Crosswalk location merits further investigation as a design issue.

Application:

These findings are relevant to transportation planners and engineers who are responsible for the accessibility of public rights-of-way.
Women’s “Storylines” of Methamphetamine Initiation in the Midwest
Authors: Carbone-Lopez Kristin , Owens Jennifer Gatewood , Miller Jody
Published: September 2012

Scholars have learned a great deal about the age at which individuals typically initiate particular drugs, the contexts in which they initiate use, and some of the motivations for initiation. Despite this attention, there remain few scholarly examinations of the accounts or “storylines” that users themselves give as explanation for their initiation. The authors present research from 40 interviews with female methamphetamine (meth) users incarcerated in Missouri, a state that has gained national attention for having high numbers of meth lab seizures. This study focuses specifically on the ways in which women articulate their storylines of initiation into meth use. These reveal a number of important findings, including the most common contexts in which women describe first using meth and their motivations for doing so. In particular, the findings highlight the role of family drug use, prior victimization experiences, and meth’s known pharmacological effects in women’s motivations for initiation.
Step by Step
Authors: Taylor Angela
Published: September 2012

Drug selling and violence are intimately connected. However, despite the importance of systemic violence as a source of drug-related violence, there is surprisingly little research that examines these conflicts specifically as forms of dispute resolution. To partially address this concern, drug business disputes are explored from a situational perspective, specifically by viewing them as series of influence tactics. In addition, a comparative analysis assesses how two specific influence tactics—compliance and resolution efforts—operate differently in violent versus nonviolent disputes. By looking at the dynamics of drug business disputes that end in varied outcomes, the result is an enhanced understanding of the nature and process of conflict in drug market settings. The findings from this and similar research studies can help improve attempts by law enforcement and other entities to reduce violence linked to drug selling, chiefly by pinpointing areas of flexibility available to guide control and prevention efforts.
Modification of the mechanical properties of polyamide 6 multifilaments in high-speed melt spinning with nano silicates
Authors: Steinmann Wilhelm , Walter Stephan , Gries Thomas , Seide Gunnar , Roth Georg
Published: September 2012

In the last few years research activities have been focused on the modification of fiber properties with nano-scaled additives. One of the most important fields of research is the alteration of mechanical properties such as the tenacity and the specific breaking load. In this study, we determined the influence of nano-phyllosilicates on the drawability of polyamide 6 multifilament yarns. It was first demonstrated that the drawability of the fibers drastically increased in an industrially relevant high-speed melt spinning process. Structural properties of the material are identified by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Changes in the crystalline properties as well as in the alignment of the silicates are compared with the stress–strain curves of the fibers, and a molecular mechanism for the drawing process is derived from these experiments. In a first step, a significant phase transition in the crystalline structure unaffected by the silicates occurs for low draw ratios (DRs). Beyond this point, where unmodified fibers start to break, a gliding between the silicate layers takes place, which is responsible for an extended drawability of the fibers. This mechanism leads to new possibilities for fiber processing, which can be used to research ultra-fine filaments in future studies.
The effect of quarantine-level gamma irradiation on cotton fiber and its subsequent textile processing performance
Authors: van der Sluijs Marinus HJ , Church Jeffrey S
Published: September 2012

Quarantine treatments of raw cotton fiber with gamma irradiation are known to have an adverse effect on fiber properties and thus could have an effect on processing into textile products. In this study, the effects of such irradiation treatments on two different cottons, cultivars of Upland and Extra Long Staple, were studied. Even at low dosages, gamma irradiation affects the physical properties of the fiber, with these effects becoming more apparent and significant as the dosage increased. While the affect on moisture regain was marginal, dye affinity was adversely affected. From a textile processing performance and quality point of view, the irradiation dosages did not have a significant impact on the yarn evenness and imperfection values, but did have a significant effect on yarn strength and elongation, as well as fabric strength and abrasion resistance. The degradation of these properties could have a significant to catastrophic effect on product durability.
Smell in the City: Smoking and Olfactory Politics
Authors: Tan Qian Hui
Published: September 2012

This paper explores smoking in the city as a sensorially transgressive practice that leads to the generation of sensuous ‘effluent’. An assessment of the relevant literature on tobacco control and urban geography reveals that it is very much sensorially sterile. Accordingly, it is hoped to redress this gap by being attentive to how a smoking related olfactory politics manifests itself in Singapore. By teasing out the embodied sensations that sensuous urban encounters between smokers and non-smokers can elicit, the paper argues that stigmatising sensory impressions of moral defilement are often (‘legitimately’) ascribed onto bodies emitting and reeking of cigarette smoke. Alongside this, the paper demonstrates how these unflattering sensory impressions can have implications for the segregation of smokers in public spaces. As a consequence of such socio-spatial stratifications of odorous bodies, some strategies of impression management are outlined that smokers adopt so as to fashion a more palatable moral and olfactory presentation of the self. Finally, the paper concludes with some thoughts on nurturing new sensory responses as a means of coping with urban diversity.
Writing in the Sociology Curriculum
Authors: Grauerholz Liz , Eisele Joanna , Stark Nicole
Published: September 2012

We analyzed undergraduate sociology course syllabi to determine how prevalent writing is, the types of writing used, and whether assignment of writing and specific types of writing vary by type of course goals, gender of instructor, institutional type, or type of course. Almost all courses represented in these syllabi incorporate writing, with traditional (transactional) writing being the most common. Writing is more likely in courses that seek to enhance students’ critical thinking; transactional writing is used in courses stating critical thinking and sociological imagination/thinking as goals; and expressive writing is used more often in courses specifying critical thinking as a goal. Female instructors incorporate more writing, especially expressive types, than their male counterparts. Implications for disciplinary writing practices are discussed.
Policy Advocacy in a Competitive Authoritarian Regime
Authors: Ortmann Stephan
Published: September 2012

Singapore is marked by a very strong hegemonic state, which allows little room for independent activism to flourish. Among the various groups making up civil society, there is a clear division between those groups that collaborate with the government and those that strongly defend their independence. The former profit from their relationship with the ruling authorities not only because they are financially rewarded but also because they have a sense of being involved in the process and thus are able to exert some influence on the making of public policy. The heavy hand of the government and the divisions within civil society, however, mean that it is very difficult to distinguish between different advocacy coalitions that might influence policy change. Despite the recent moves toward liberalization, policy making remains largely the domain of the central government and planning departments. This leaves little space for external policy advocacy. Nevertheless, recent events indicate how nongovernmental groups may come together to bring an issue to the national agenda and have some impact on the policy-making process. This suggests that policy making in increasingly competitive authoritarian regimes can best be explained by an agenda-setting approach.
Phenotypic Modulation of Cell Types around Implanted Polyethylene Terephthalate Fabric in Rabbit Muscle
Authors: Muhamed Jaseer , Revi Deepa , Joseph Roy , Anilkumar Thapasimuthu
Published: September 2012

Whereas the nature of healing reaction in skeletal muscle following implantation of biomaterial has been extensively studied, the extent of variation in cell phenotypes is poorly known. Here, we studied the phenotypic alteration of cell types following injury in skeletal muscle of rabbits implanted with a commonly used biomaterial, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric. Following implantation, histomorphological features were studied after 1, 4, and 12 weeks. Routine objective histomorphological evaluation was supplemented with histochemistry for collagen and immunohistochemistry for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), CD34, vimentin, and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). The extent of reaction was quantified. The foreign body giant cells were found to comprise subpopulations, based on the variation in vimentin detectability or the presence of differentially capable proliferating nuclei (PCNA positive). Many rhabdomyocytes adjacent to the implant were PCNA-positive and some of them showed CD34 positivity. Often, the rhabdomyocytes very near to implanted PET fabric assumed a myofibroblast phenotype as evidenced by vimentin and/or α-SMA positivity at immunohistochemistry. Overall, the results suggested a phenotypic alteration of native cell types following implantation of PET fabric in rabbit skeletal muscle. Quantification of such cell types at the tissue–material interphase in relation to the deposition of collagen may be desirable during safety evaluation of biomaterials by histomorphology.
Review of material recovery from used electric and electronic equipment-alternative options for resource conservation
Authors: Friege Henning
Published: September 2012

For waste from electric and electronic equipment, the WEEE Directive stipulates the separate collection of electric and electronic waste. As to new electric and electronic devices, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive bans the use of certain chemicals dangerous for man and environment. From the implementation of the WEEE directive, many unsolved problems have been documented: poor collection success, emission of dangerous substances during collection and recycling, irretrievable loss of valuable metals among others. As to RoHS, data from the literature show a satisfying success. The problems identified in the process can be reduced to some basic dilemmas at the borders between waste management, product policy and chemical safety. The objectives of the WEEE Directive and the specific targets for use and recycling of appliances are not consistent. There is no focus on scarce resources. Extended producer responsibility is not sufficient to guarantee sustainable waste management. Waste management reaches its limits due to problems of implementation but also due to physical laws. A holistic approach is necessary looking at all branch points and sinks in the stream of used products and waste from electric and electronic equipment. This may be done with respect to the general rules for sustainable management of material streams covering the three dimensions of sustainable policy. The relationships between the players in the field of electric and electronic devices have to be taken into account. Most of the problems identified in the implementation process will not be solved by the current amendment of the WEEE Directive.
Extended producer responsibility for consumer waste: the gap between economic theory and implementation
Authors: Dubois Maarten
Published: September 2012

Although economic theory supports the use of extended producer responsibility (EPR) to stimulate prevention and recycling of waste, EPR systems implemented in Europe are often criticized as a result of weak incentives for prevention and green product design. Using a stylized economic model, this article evaluates the efficiency of European EPR systems. The model reveals that the introduction of static collection targets creates a gap between theory and implementation. Static targets lead to inefficient market outcomes and weak incentives for prevention and green product design. The minimum collection targets should be complemented with a tax on producers for the non-collected waste fraction. Because such a tax internalizes the cost of waste disposal, more efficient price signals will lead to better incentives for waste management in a complex and dynamic market.
International bargaining, endogenous domestic constraints, and democratic accountability
Authors: Chapman Terrence L , Urpelainen Johannes , Wolford Scott
Published: September 2012

How do domestic constraints affect international negotiations? Most existing research takes these constraints as given, owing to the presence of certain types of domestic institutions. We analyze a two-sided international bargaining model with endogenous domestic constraints. Our model includes a principal–agent tension between domestic audiences and leaders, and it shows how constraints may arise endogenously and be tailored to the strategic situation at hand by domestic audiences. We show that domestic actors can often use accountability mechanisms to garner bargaining leverage and control special interests, even when leaders hold private information about their distributive preferences. We also show that the relative strength of accountability across countries is important for understanding the emergence of endogenous constraints. We discuss the implications of these theoretical findings for the influence of domestic constraints in several prominent examples of international negotiations
Freud’s social theory
Authors: Tauber Alfred I.
Published: September 2012

Acknowledging the power of the id-drives, Freud held on to the authority of reason as the ego’s best tool to control instinctual desire. He thereby placed analytic reason at the foundation of his own ambivalent social theory, which, on the one hand, held utopian promise based upon psychoanalytic insight, and, on the other hand, despaired of reason’s capacity to control the self-destructive elements of the psyche. Moving beyond the recourse of sublimation, post-Freudians attacked reason’s hegemony in quelling disruptive psycho-dynamics and, focusing upon the social domain, they sought strategies to counter the oppressive (repressive) social restrictions and conformist impositions impeding individual freedom that result from thwarted desire. Postmodern celebration of desire at the expense of reason and sublimation leaves the Enlightenment prospects altogether and moves psychoanalysis into a new terrain, where the very notion of rationality and an autonomous ego upon which much of Freudianism rests has been deconstructed. Thus the debate that begins with Freud’s social theories reflects the deeper divisions, which arose with postmodern ethics and discarded Cartesian–Kantian notions of personal identity. Here we consider the moral framework in which Freudian social theory sits and a contrasting understanding of agency that confronts his modernist conception. In that debate, we discern the larger humanist confrontation with postmodernity. Yet, all who engaged Freud shared some version of his utopian ethos, albeit radically restructuring the theory upon which social reform might occur.
Hybrid polymers based on sulfonated polynorbornene with enhanced proton conductivity for direct methanol fuel cells
Authors: Zeng Rong , Xiao Shuqin , Chen Lie , Chen Yiwang
Published: September 2012

Sulfonated polynorbornene (SPNB) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) hybrid cross-linked proton exchange membranes doped with different weight ratio of phosphotungstic acid (PWA) were prepared by a simple sol-gel process. The cross-linked structures led to low methanol permeability and good stability of the nanocomposites. Incorporation of PWA has significantly improved the proton conductivity of the hybrid membrane due to an extra provided conductive proton-conduction pathway to facilitate proton transportation. In particular, the conductivity of SPNB/KH550/PWA25 reached the maximum of 0.02 S.cm−1 at 80°C under the 100% relative humidity condition, and this value is on the same order of magnitude as that of Nafion117. Furthermore, SPNB /KH550/PWA20 owns the lowest proton transport activation energy (8.39 kJ.mol−1).
Converging variations in migrant care work in Europe
Authors: Williams Fiona
Published: September 2012

While the employment of migrant women as care workers in European welfare states is increasing, the rate, extent and nature of this increase vary. The article draws on empirical research on migrant care work to develop links between three levels of analysis – micro, meso and macro. The main aim is to progress analysis of the meso level by developing indicators attached to three sets of regimes – care regimes, migration regimes and employment regimes. It is argued that variations emerge in the ways these three regimes intersect within any one country. These intersections allow us to look across different sites, markets and sectors of care work and, in so doing, reveal a degree of growing convergence across Europe in the employment of migrant care labour. This convergence contributes, at the macro level, to a transnational political economy of care.
Dendroglaciological investigations of mid- to late-Holocene glacial activity in the Mt. Waddington area, British Columbia Coast Mountains, Canada
Authors: Coulthard Bethany , Smith Dan J , Lacourse Terri
Published: September 2012

Dendroglaciological investigations near Mt. Waddington in the central British Columbia Coast Mountains provide an enhanced perspective of Holocene glacial activity. Field investigations at Confederation, Franklin, and Jambeau glaciers led to the discovery of subfossil wood mats encased in glacial deposits and glacially sheared stumps buried beneath till. Radiocarbon-dated wood collected from valley-bottom and lateral moraine sites at Confederation Glacier suggest that an early-Holocene advance occurred at c. 5665 cal. yr BP, followed by succeeding intervals of glacier expansion at c. 3700 and 3500 cal. yr BP. At Jambeau Glacier detrital wood mats buried close to the contemporary lateral moraine crests document glacier expansion at c. 3000 cal. yr BP. Detrital subfossil wood buried in lateral moraines at the confluence of Confederation and Franklin glaciers records distinct episodes of ‘Little Ice Age’ glacier expansion as early as c. 1212 cal. yr ad, and suggests the glacier surface continued to thicken until at least c. 1330–1410 cal. yr ad. An interval of downwasting and retreat followed, before late ‘Little Ice Age’ advances such as those at Jambeau Glacier were overwhelming valley-bottom forests by c. 1740 cal. yr ad. With the exception of the previously unrecognized advance of Confederation Glacier at c. 3700 cal. yr BP, our dendroglaciological findings corroborate the emerging record of Holocene glacier activity in the British Columbia Coast Mountains.
Forest clearance and agricultural expansion on Rapa, Austral Archipelago, French Polynesia
Authors: Prebble Matthew , Anderson Atholl , Kennett Douglas J
Published: September 2012

Palynological records from Holocene wetland deposits in East Polynesia have demonstrated widespread ecological changes following Polynesian arrival after c. ad 1200, but linking inferences of human activities to archaeological records has been limited by equivocal fossil proxies and a lack of chronological controls. To address these limitations, multiple sedimentary profiles were examined from a coastal marsh on the remote East Polynesian island of Rapa. These profiles span 8000 years of ecological change and record mid-Holocene sea-level highstand conditions which receded to modern levels by ad 500. Depositional models were constructed for each profile using Bayesian inferences to characterise the spatial and temporal changes in fossil proxy representation. Just prior to human arrival there are high pollen concentrations of Pandanus and the presence of an extinct palm, both indicative of an extensive lowland swamp forest that developed after ad 500. Indicators of Polynesian arrival and agricultural expansion include unprecedented amounts of charcoal particles and pollen from the introduced cultigen, Colocasia esculenta (taro). The swamp forest was progressively cleared, beginning in the most inland section at ad 1110–1230. The Colocasia-based agricultural system reached its greatest extent from ad 1590 to 1740. The last appearance of the extinct palm was recorded at ad 1520–1660 and the entire area was cleared of indigenous trees soon after European colonisation at ad 1830–1880. By modelling the chronologies of individual fossil proxies across each profile, we have developed a framework for defining the processes behind vegetation change and for matching palynological-based inferences of human activity with archaeological records.
Susceptibility of cattle to the agent of chronic wasting disease from elk after intracranial inoculation
Authors: Greenlee Justin J. , Nicholson Eric M. , Smith Jodi D. , Kunkle Robert A. , Hamir Amir N.
Published: September 2012

Cattle could be exposed to the agent of chronic wasting disease (CWD) through contact with infected farmed or free-ranging cervids or exposure to contaminated premises. The purpose of the current study was to assess the potential for CWD derived from elk to transmit to cattle after intracranial inoculation. Calves ( n = 14) were inoculated with brain homogenate derived from elk with CWD to determine the potential for transmission and to define the clinicopathologic features of disease. Cattle were necropsied if clinical signs occurred or at the end of the study (49 months postinoculation; MPI). Clinical signs of poor appetite, weight loss, circling, and bruxism occurred in 2 cattle (14%) at 16 and 17 MPI, respectively. Accumulation of abnormal prion protein (PrPSc) occurred in only the 2 clinically affected cattle and was confined to the central nervous system, with the most prominent immunoreactivity in midbrain, brainstem, and hippocampus with lesser immunoreactivity in the cervical spinal cord. The rate of transmission was lower than in cattle inoculated with CWD derived from mule deer (38%) or white-tailed deer (86%). Additional studies are required to fully assess the potential for cattle to develop CWD through a more natural route of exposure, but a low rate of transmission after intracranial inoculation suggests that risk of transmission through other routes is low. A critical finding is that if CWD did transmit to exposed cattle, currently used diagnostic techniques would detect and differentiate it from other prion diseases in cattle based on absence of spongiform change, distinct pattern of PrPSc deposition, and unique molecular profile.
An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a recombinant truncated capsid protein of Porcine circovirus-2
Authors: Jittimanee Suphattra , Nuntawan Na Ayudhya Suparlark , Kedkovid Roongtham , Teankum Komkrich , Suradhat Sanipa , Thanawongnuwech Roongroje
Published: September 2012

Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) serology is commonly used for PCV-2 herd status determination and optimal timing of PCV-2 vaccination programs. The objectives of the current study were to develop an in-house indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a recombinant nuclear localization signal truncated capsid (rntCap) protein expressed in an Escherichia coli system and to determine the diagnostic performance of the developed rntCap indirect ELISA in comparison with immunoperoxidase monolayer assays (IPMAs). Based on a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the rntCap indirect ELISA ( n = 90), an optimum cutoff optical density (OD) of 0.330 was determined, which resulted in diagnostic sensitivity, diagnostic specificity, and accuracy of 98.33%, 93.33%, and 96.67%, respectively. Average OD values of the positive ( n = 8) and negative sera ( n = 8) tested by either purified glutathione-S-transferase (GST) protein or the rntCap protein as the coating antigen revealed that the mean OD values tested by the rntCap indirect ELISA were significantly different from using GST alone ( P < 0.005). The correlation between the established rntCap indirect ELISA and the IPMA results demonstrated as the linear regression (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.772, P < 0.005) indicated that the OD ratio obtained from the rntCap indirect ELISA could be used to predict the levels of the IPMA titers. More samples are needed for enhancing the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. In conclusion, the establishment of the rntCap indirect ELISA could be used as a serodiagnostic assay for large-scale detection of PCV-2 antibodies in swine and has the capability to be produced commercially for routine use in diagnostic laboratories.
An indicator for the assessment of isolation performance of transient vibration
Authors: Wang Junfang , Mak Cheuk Ming
Published: September 2012

It is known that the commonly used performance indicator for vibration isolation − force transmissibility − over-simplifies the vibration problem. Therefore, Mak and Su propose a power transmissibility approach that includes the effect of floor dynamics and the interactions of the mounting points between machine and floor. However, their model does not consider transient vibration excitation. The question motivating this study is the occasional problem which arises due to the sudden or frequent starting and stopping of vibratory machines. In this paper, a transient power transmissibility approach is proposed to assess the performance of isolators in a transient vibration excitation. A spring-mass-movable floor system is considered in the simulation, and the spring isolator is first selected using the steady-state power transmissibility approach of Mak and Su. A system disturbed by two transient excitations as typically experienced by building services equipment is then analyzed. The results indicate the necessity of using transient power transmissibility in the selection of isolators for a transient vibration.
The Response of Mental Health Services to Domestic Violence
Authors: Trevillion Kylee , Howard Louise M. , Morgan Craig , Feder Gene , Woodall Anna , Rose Diana
Published: September 2012

PURPOSE: Despite numerous policies advocating for routine enquiry of abuse by mental health professionals, it is not known if such enquiry is acceptable to service users and clinicians. Furthermore, limited evidence exists on clinicians’ response to domestic violence. This study aims to explore the acceptability of routine enquiry and experiences of responding to domestic violence from service user and professional perspectives. METHODS: A qualitative study design was used to conduct individual interviews with a purposive sample of community mental health service users ( n = 24) and professionals ( n = 25). Thematic analysis was employed to establish superordinate and subordinate themes, which were transformed into conceptual maps. RESULTS: All service users considered routine enquiry about domestic violence in mental health settings to be acceptable but a small minority of professionals did not. Service users described positive experiences of help seeking, including receiving acknowledgement for the abuse and support for their multiple needs, and negative experiences, including nonvalidating responses from clinicians following disclosure, discrimination, and an absence of support from services. Main themes for professionals included difficulties in assessment and management of domestic violence, reporting requirements, and unclear referral pathways. CONCLUSIONS: To respond to the needs of mental health service users experiencing domestic violence, services need to articulate a clear care and referral pathway.
Men’s and Women’s Health Beliefs Differentially Predict Coronary Heart Disease Incidence in a Population-Based Sample
Authors: Rom Korin Maya , Chaplin William F. , Shaffer Jonathan A. , Butler Mark J. , Ojie Mary-Jane , Davidson Karina W.
Published: September 2012

Objective. To examine gender differences in the association between beliefs in heart disease preventability and 10-year incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a population-based sample. Methods. A total of 2,688 Noninstitutionalized Nova Scotians without prior CHD enrolled in the Nova Scotia Health Study (NSHS95) and were followed for 10 years. Risk factors, health behaviors, and incident CHD were assessed. Participants responded “yes” or “no” to a question about heart disease preventability. Survival models, adjusted for age, income, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure, were used to estimate the relation between health belief and incident CHD. Gender differences in the relation between health beliefs and health behaviors were assessed. Results. Gender was a significant moderator of the relation between belief and CHD incidence; specifically, women who believed heart disease could be prevented were less likely to have incident CHD events compared with women who believed heart disease could not be prevented (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.24-0.55, p < .001). This relation was not found for men. Belief was also related to smoking behavior for women (β = −0.70, odds ratio [OR] = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.33-0.74, p = .001) but not for men. Smoking significantly mediated the relation between health beliefs and incident CHD for women ( z = −1.96, p = .05), but not for men. Conclusion. Health belief in prevention and subsequent smoking was an important independent predictor of incident CHD in women but not in men.
Political realignment and democratic breakdown in Argentina, 1916–1930
Authors: Alemán Eduardo , Saiegh Sebastian
Published: September 2012

This article revisits one historical event that has been repeatedly discussed in the literature on democratic breakdown: the rise and fall of Argentine democracy between 1916 and 1930. First, we demonstrate why the claim that demands for drastic redistribution led to democratic breakdown is not a convincing explanation for the 1930 coup. Instead, we contend that the coup was the product of a polarizing political realignment that led to a legitimacy crisis. We evaluate this argument using estimates of Argentine legislators’ latent preferences (ideal points) between 1916 and 1930. Our roll-call data analysis suggests that disputes over socio-economic issues did not precipitate the breakdown of the regime. What mattered was the allocation of political power. These findings support the view that stable democracy requires that all major groups in society have a sufficiently large chance of being in power.