bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scenario establishment and simulation analysis for multiple-car rear-end collision accidents
Authors: Han Inhwan , Rho Kyungtae
Published: January 2017

Multiple-car rear-end collision accidents can be divided into three categories: sequential collision from the rear; sequential collision from the front; mixed-order collision. In this study, a total of five scenarios were constructed by using a statistical analysis based on the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System and by setting the gap between the cars based on the travel distance calculated from the reaction time of the driver and the speed and/or the deceleration of the car. Two simulation analysis methods were proposed for each scenario. The first method used a three-dimensionally scanned car model in the simulation program. This enabled more realistic simulations to be utilized for tuned cars. The second method involved simulating high-speed multiple rear-end collisions by using a program originally made for low-speed single rear-end collisions. This paper proposed appropriate tests and analysis methods for multiple collisions which will help to improve safety devices for cars.
Disturbance-observer-based fixed-time second-order sliding mode control of an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle with actuator faults
Authors: Li Peng , Ma Jianjun , Zheng Zhiqiang
Published: January 2017

This paper presents a disturbance-observer-based fixed-time second-order sliding mode approach for fault-tolerant control of an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle, where both partial loss of effectiveness faults and bias faults in actuators are considered. Firstly, a fixed-time second-order sliding mode control law is designed to guarantee the reaching time, independent of initial conditions. Then, by using a robust uniformly convergent differentiator technique, a fixed-time convergent disturbance observer is established to quickly estimate the lumped uncertainty, which consists of actuator faults and system uncertainties. Therefore, any information of actuator faults is not required by this design. Finally, simulation results of a generic air-breathing hypersonic vehicle are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Finite element simulations of the head–brain responses to the top impacts of a construction helmet: Effects of the neck and body mass
Authors: Wu John Z , Pan Christopher S , Wimer Bryan M , Rosen Charles L
Published: January 2017

Traumatic brain injuries are among the most common severely disabling injuries in the United States. Construction helmets are considered essential personal protective equipment for reducing traumatic brain injury risks at work sites. In this study, we proposed a practical finite element modeling approach that would be suitable for engineers to optimize construction helmet design. The finite element model includes all essential anatomical structures of a human head (i.e. skin, scalp, skull, cerebrospinal fluid, brain, medulla, spinal cord, cervical vertebrae, and discs) and all major engineering components of a construction helmet (i.e. shell and suspension system). The head finite element model has been calibrated using the experimental data in the literature. It is technically difficult to precisely account for the effects of the neck and body mass on the dynamic responses, because the finite element model does not include the entire human body. An approximation approach has been developed to account for the effects of the neck and body mass on the dynamic responses of the head–brain. Using the proposed model, we have calculated the responses of the head–brain during a top impact when wearing a construction helmet. The proposed modeling approach would provide a tool to improve the helmet design on a biomechanical basis.
Automatic and quantitative measurement of laryngeal video stroboscopic images
Authors: Kuo Chung-Feng Jeffrey , Kuo Joseph , Hsiao Shang-Wun , Lee Chi-Lung , Lee Jih-Chin , Ke Bo-Han
Published: January 2017

The laryngeal video stroboscope is an important instrument for physicians to analyze abnormalities and diseases in the glottal area. Stroboscope has been widely used around the world. However, without quantized indices, physicians can only make subjective judgment on glottal images. We designed a new laser projection marking module and applied it onto the laryngeal video stroboscope to provide scale conversion reference parameters for glottal imaging and to convert the physiological parameters of glottis. Image processing technology was used to segment the important image regions of interest. Information of the glottis was quantified, and the vocal fold image segmentation system was completed to assist clinical diagnosis and increase accuracy. Regarding image processing, histogram equalization was used to enhance glottis image contrast. The center weighted median filters image noise while retaining the texture of the glottal image. Statistical threshold determination was used for automatic segmentation of a glottal image. As the glottis image contains saliva and light spots, which are classified as the noise of the image, noise was eliminated by erosion, expansion, disconnection, and closure techniques to highlight the vocal area. We also used image processing to automatically identify an image of vocal fold region in order to quantify information from the glottal image, such as glottal area, vocal fold perimeter, vocal fold length, glottal width, and vocal fold angle. The quantized glottis image database was created to assist physicians in diagnosing glottis diseases more objectively.
An assembly-type master–slave catheter and guidewire driving system for vascular intervention
Authors: Cha Hyo-Jeong , Yi Byung-Ju , Won Jong Yun
Published: January 2017

Current vascular intervention inevitably exposes a large amount of X-ray to both an operator and a patient during the procedure. The purpose of this study is to propose a new catheter driving system which assists the operator in aspects of less X-ray exposure and convenient user interface. For this, an assembly-type 4-degree-of-freedom master–slave system was designed and tested to verify the efficiency. First, current vascular intervention procedures are analyzed to develop a new robotic procedure that enables us to use conventional vascular intervention devices such as catheter and guidewire which are commercially available in the market. Some parts of the slave robot which contact the devices were designed to be easily assembled and dissembled from the main body of the slave robot for sterilization. A master robot is compactly designed to conduct insertion and rotational motion and is able to switch from the guidewire driving mode to the catheter driving mode or vice versa. A phantom resembling the human arteries was developed, and the master–slave robotic system is tested using the phantom. The contact force of the guidewire tip according to the shape of the arteries is measured and reflected to the user through the master robot during the phantom experiment. This system can drastically reduce radiation exposure by replacing human effort by a robotic system for high radiation exposure procedures. Also, benefits of the proposed robot system are low cost by employing currently available devices and easy human interface.
Avoiding Accidents at the Champagne Reception
Authors: Pezzulo Giovanni , Iodice Pierpaolo , Donnarumma Francesco , Dindo Haris , Knoblich Günther
Published: January 2017

Using a lifting and balancing task, we contrasted two alternative views of planning joint actions: one postulating that joint action involves distinct predictions for self and other, the other postulating that joint action involves coordinated plans between the coactors and reuse of bimanual models. We compared compensatory movements required to keep a tray balanced when 2 participants lifted glasses from each other’s trays at the same time (simultaneous joint action) and when they took turns lifting (sequential joint action). Compared with sequential joint action, simultaneous joint action made it easier to keep the tray balanced. Thus, in keeping with the view that bimanual models are reused for joint action, predicting the timing of their own lifting action helped participants compensate for another person’s lifting action. These results raise the possibility that simultaneous joint actions do not necessarily require distinguishing between one’s own and the coactor’s contributions to the action plan and may afford an agent-neutral stance.
Upper water mass variability in the Anegada–Jungfern Passage, NE Caribbean, during the last 11,100 cal. yr
Authors: Fischel Andrea , Seidenkrantz Marit-Solveig , Nürnberg Dirk , Kucera Michal , Kuijpers Antoon
Published: January 2017

Using qualitative and quantitative analyses of planktonic foraminifera assemblages, δ18O measurements, Mg/Ca–temperature relationship ( Globigerinoides ruber pink sensu stricto) data and sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) derived from artificial neural network (ANN) transfer functions, a reconstruction was made of upper water mass variability in the Anegada–Jungfern Passage (AJP), northeastern Caribbean Sea, over the last c. 11,100 years. Our record is based on the study of two marine sediment cores and reveals three main circulation stages during the Holocene. In the early-Holocene (11,100–6300 cal. yr BP), ANN-based SST estimations indicate moderately cooler than present winter condition in the NE Caribbean with SSTs of ~25.5°C. These conditions presumably reflect advection of well-mixed upper water masses from the Guyana upwelling area associated with a strong Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and enhanced trade wind activity, linked to a more northerly location of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Between 6300 and 3700 cal. yr BP, a relative warming of winter SSTs (~26.5°C) was probably related to a weaker circulation and upper water mass mixing because of less intense trade wind activity, as the ITCZ moved southwards. From 3700 cal. yr BP to the present, the region was characterised by small seasonal SST variations and generally stable winter and summer SSTs. The data suggest a minor shift in the (sub)surface inflow pattern during the last 2000 years, possibly related to changes in Northern Hemisphere large-scale atmospheric circulation also observed at higher latitude. The ANN-based temperature pattern is supported by fluctuations in the Mg/Ca-derived temperature record, although temperature maxima derived from the Mg/Ca ratio appear anomalously high. On a Holocene timescale, we conclude that the northeastern Caribbean SST and circulation regime have been mainly dependent on the position of the ITCZ, which, in turn, is controlled by changes in hemispheric solar insolation.
Millet cultivation in Central Asia: A response to Miller et al.
Authors: Brite Elizabeth Baker , Kidd Fiona Jane , Betts Alison , Negus Cleary Michelle
Published: January 2017

In a recent special issue of The Holocene, Miller et al. review the evidence for the spread of millet ( Panicum miliaceum and Setaria italica) across Eurasia. Among their arguments, they contend that millet cultivation came to Eurasian regions with hot, dry summers when irrigation was introduced, as part of a region-wide shift toward agricultural intensification in the first millennium BC. This hypothesis seems to align with the pattern of agricultural change observed in the Khorezm oasis, a Central Asian polity of the first millennium BC and first millennium AD. While we wholeheartedly accept this hypothesis for its explanatory value regarding trends across Eurasia, in this paper we nevertheless suggest that the introduction of millet to Central Asia needs further explication. Specifically, we seek to address the underlying assumption that this introduction was predicated upon centrally organized, state-level land development, increased sedentism, and the rise of Mesopotamian-style social complexity. We describe how millet cultivation in Khorezm was preceded by multi-resource strategies that included the cultivation of summer crops, and emphasize that this earlier history mattered significantly to the evolution of Khorezmian society and agriculture in the first millennium BC. In contrast to the imperial systems of West Asia, in Khorezm the introduction of complex irrigation works supported the expansion and greater stratification of pre-existing agropastoral lifeways, and helped to buttress the rise of nomadic elites within an agrarian zone. We believe the example of Khorezm is important because it helps to explain the emergence of integrated mobile-sedentist societies in the first millennium AD in Central Asia as a result of agricultural change. It also provides cultural and historical context to the spread of millet cultivation in the first millennium BC, suggesting that this phenomenon had significantly different implications for societies across Eurasia.
Insight into potential mechanisms of hypobaric hypoxia–induced learning and memory deficit – Lessons from rat studies
Authors: Qaid EYA , Zakaria R , Sulaiman SF , Yusof NA Mohd , Shafin N , Othman Z , Ahmad AH , Aziz CB Abd
Published: January 2017

Impairment of memory is one of the most frequently reported symptoms during sudden hypoxia exposure in human. Cortical atrophy has been linked to the impaired memory function and is suggested to occur with chronic high-altitude exposure. However, the precise molecular mechanism(s) of hypoxia-induced memory impairment remains an enigma. In this work, we review hypoxia-induced learning and memory deficit in human and rat studies. Based on data from rat studies using different protocols of continuous hypoxia, we try to elicit potential mechanisms of hypobaric hypoxia–induced memory deficit.
The LMSR method for providing a multidimensional understanding of growth standard in human fetuses
Authors: Naito Kanta , Shimizu Shouta , Udagawa Jun , Otani Hiroki
Published: January 2017

A new nonlinear multivariate regression method called the LMSR method is proposed, by which a multidimensional understanding for the development process of human fetuses can be provided. Statistically important quantities such as median, skewness, coefficient of variation, and correlation of underlying structure can be described by corresponding smooth curves. Those curves can be obtained by a fine combination of a multivariate power transformation of data and penalized likelihood. It will be shown that the LMSR method and some associated tools are clearly efficient in analyzing development process of human fetuses.
Making worlds move: re-ranking contextual parameters in Flaubert's Madame Bovary and Céline's Voyage au bout de la nuit
Authors: Bridgeman Teresa
Published: January 2017

Negotiating the loan of a car by a friend and writing a novel may appear to be very different linguistic activities, but both may call on participants to construct a set of contextual parameters for interaction which re-rank existing social and cultural parameters. Drawing on and developing particular aspects of Werth's cognitive work on text worlds (1999) and Fludernik's account of the schemata we bring to bear in processing narratives (1996), this article considers how interpersonal parameters are constructed in reading and their relationship to generic schemata. It then examines how two novels, Flaubert's Madame Bovary (1951 [1857]) and Céline's Voyage au bout de la nuit (1980 [1932]), rework the parameters of the relationship between author and audience through moves which resemble patterns of negotiation described in pragmatic accounts of conversational interactions.
'It's hard fuh me to understand what you mean, de way you tell it': representing language in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
Authors: Barry Betsy
Published: January 2017

In this article I wish to focus on Zora Neale Hurston's dialectal writing, specifically looking at what particular features characterize the language portrayed in Their Eyes Were Watching God via phonetic respellings; and whether or not these features are incorporated into the language of the text in an authentic and consistent manner. Thus I consider whether or not the respellings convincingly capture features of southern American English and AAVE, or if they simply represent stylistic devices employed by Hurston to mark the speech of her characters in a purely fictional manner. With respect to the text under consideration here, I will argue that the majority of Hurston's respellings do, in fact, indicate important phonetic and phonological differences in pronunciation that reflect features typical of both southern American English and AAVE. Furthermore, her use of 'nonstandard' grammatical constructions reinforces the linguistic authenticity of her representation of a dialectal variety particular to African-Americans living in the Southern United States.
'I'm a-going to see what's going on here': a-prefixing in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Authors: Antieu Lamont
Published: January 2017

This article examines a-prefixing as it occurs in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and compares it to the a-prefixing data collected by dialectologists and sociolinguists, particularly those presented by Wolfram in his work on nonstandard dialects of American English. Although the two sets of data prove to be similar in most respects, there is a difference in how a-prefixes pattern in coordinate constructions. In this article, I illustrate how this difference could occur as the result of the process of grammaticalization.
Alternative organizing in times of crisis: Resistance assemblages and socio-spatial solidarity
Authors: Daskalaki Maria
Published: January 2017

This paper draws on research conducted in Greece, where, during the last seven years, an acute socio-economic crisis has led to the emergence of a number of alternative organizational forms. By foregrounding the term drasis, the unexpected unfolding of an event in a specific space and time, we discuss how these alternative forms assemble differential capacities in order to resist the neoliberal ordering of socio-spatial and economic relations. In particular, we focus on two self-organized spaces, namely, a social centre and a squatted public garden and discuss two concrete instances of drasis. We propose that drasis instigates the establishment and evolution of transformative, prefigurative organizing through three interrelated processes, namely, the formation of resistance assemblages, social learning and socio-spatial solidarity. The paper offers three propositions, suggesting that drasis provides the socio-material conditions through which new resistance formations challenge the established productive forces of society and co-produce alternative forms of civic life.
Schema affirmation and White Asparagus: cultural multilingualism among readers of texts
Authors: Jeffries Lesley E
Published: January 2017

This article builds on the work of Cook (1994) and Semino (1997), although it begins by attempting to demonstrate that their claims that the general function of literature is to change a reader's schemata are logically difficult to sustain, difficult to demonstrate empirically and counter-intuitive for many experiences of reading literature. Two poems are considered as examples of 'schema-affirmation': the identification in a text of prior knowledge or experience which is rarely or never publicly articulated in that genre. It is claimed that this is a common experience for readers of literary works, particularly for those who in some way feel themselves oppressed or alienated by the mainstream culture. It is suggested that the ability to read simultaneously from a number of viewpoints should become the foundation of any model of textual meaning, and that readers' tendency to construct what they see as the 'intended' meaning is not necessarily affected by their other or alternative readings. The need for empirical work investigating these phenomena is acknowledged and it is suggested that reader-response studies could be adapted to this end.
Integration of Work Experience and Learning for International Students: From Harmony to Inequality
Authors: Tran Ly Thi , Soejatminah Sri
Published: January 2017

The integration of work experience and learning in tertiary education is a complex issue for different stakeholders, including students, institutions, and employers. The provision of course-related work experience for international students is far more challenging as it involves issues of visa status, different cultural expectations, recognition/misrecognition of skills and experiences across cultures, English language competency, and local employers’ attitudes toward international students. Even though there is a significant body of scholarly research on work-integrated learning in tertiary education, empirical research on this issue related to international students remains scarce. This article responds to a critical gap in the literature by examining the provision of course-related work experience for international students from both the teachers’ and students’ perspectives. It is derived from a 4-year research project funded by the Australian Research Council that includes 155 interviews with staff and international students and fieldwork from the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector. Drawing on Bourdieu’s notions of habitus and field as conceptual tools to interpret the empirical data, the research found work-integrated learning is unevenly distributed and inconsistently implemented across institutions. The article addresses the complex interplay between the student habitus and the habitus within the institutional field and the workplace field in shaping international students’ work-integrated learning access and experience. Practical implications for institutions on how to improve access and experience to course-related work experience for international students are discussed in light of the findings of this research.
Systematic experimental characterization of dielectric elastomer membranes using a custom-built tensile test rig
Authors: Hodgins Micah , York Alex , Seelecke Stefan
Published: January 2017

This work presents the conceptualization, fabrication, and performance of a dielectric elastomer membrane testing rig. The custom-built rig is designed to electromechanically characterize dielectric elastomer membranes by measuring physical quantities such as force, displacement, film thickness, voltage/current, capacitance, and resistance simultaneously. Due to the thin and very compliant nature of dielectric elastomer membranes, this new design seeks to minimize setup imperfections and human error by considering the specimen preparation and placement from the start. The test rig includes optical thickness sensors which provide the first known dielectric elastomer membrane thickness profile measurements of stretched and/or activated membranes. The operation of the test rig is demonstrated by testing pure shear silicone membrane specimens. Finally, this versatile programmable test rig results in a highly useful tool for further repeatable electromechanical characterization studies of dielectric elastomer membranes.
Learning to Share
Authors: Wang Lan , Han Jian , Fisher Colin M. , Pan Yan
Published: January 2017

Using data from 310 executive MBA students in 66 teams on a business simulation project, we explored (a) how shared leadership and team learning behaviors influence each other over time in self-managed teams, and (b) how the stability of the leadership network structure (i.e., network churn) is associated with team learning behaviors. We found that shared leadership stimulated team learning behaviors in a manner consistent with previous research at the early stages of teams’ work together, but not at the middle and later stages of the task. We also found that teams that engaged in more learning behaviors early in the task were more likely to keep their leadership network structure stable. This stability was positively associated with team learning behaviors at the midpoint and end of the task. We use these findings to elaborate theory on how leadership and learning in self-managed teams develop, change, and influence each other over time.
Data Collection via In-Depth Email Interviewing: Lessons From the Field
Authors: Fritz Roschelle L. , Vandermause Roxanne
Published: January 2017

This methods article is a reflection on the use of in-depth email interviewing in a qualitative descriptive study. The use of emailing to conduct interviews is thought to be an effective way to collect qualitative data. Building on current methodological literature in qualitative research regarding in-depth email interviewing, we move the conversation toward elicitation of quality data and management of multiple concurrent email interviews. Excerpts are shared from a field journal that was kept throughout one study, with commentary on developing insights. Valuable lessons learned include the importance of (a) logistics and timing related to the management of multiple concurrent email interviews, (b) language and eliciting the data, (c) constructing the email, and (d) processing text-based data and preparing transcripts. Qualitative researchers seeking deeply reflective answers and geographically diverse samples may wish to consider using in-depth email interviews.
Moral Accounting by Organizations: A Process Study of the U.S. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission
Authors: Murphy Chad , Patvardhan Shubha , Gehman Joel
Published: January 2017

We take an inductive approach to understanding the aftermath of crises, namely, the process by which organizations come to be viewed as morally accountable (or not) for such events. We studied the transcripts of the 2009 Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) that investigated the global financial crisis of 2007-2008. Our findings revealed a dynamic we call moral accounting, a process whereby supposed wrongdoers encounter narrative and situational constraints that make it difficult, if not impossible, to fully account for the (im)morality of their actions, a position that often induces moments of disorientation that only reinforce the perception of wrongdoing. To push back against such perceptions, supposed wrongdoers use rhetorical strategies and sentence-level linguistic tactics, which can likewise reinforce the perception of wrongdoing. Overall, our model suggests that organizational moral accountability is not simply assigned, accepted, or denied—rather, it is negotiated via an iterative, discursive process.
Combined Use of Ciprofloxacin and Sucralfate
Authors: Van Slooten Andrea D. , Nix David E. , Wilton John H. , Love John H. , Spivey J. Michael , Goldstein Harvey R.
Published: January 2017

The effect of sucralfate on the bioavailability of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride was assessed in 12 healthy male volunteers. The study was a four-period crossover design where subjects were randomized to one of four treatment sequences at entry. Treatments A, B, and C included sucralfate 2 g q 12h for five doses. For treatment A, the fifth dose of sucralfate was administered concurrently with ciprofloxacin 750 mg. For treatment B, 750 mg of ciprofloxacin was administered two hours before the fifth dose of sucralfate. Treatment C consisted of ciprofloxacin 750 mg six hours before the fifth dose of sucralfate. A 750-mg dose of ciprofloxacin was administered alone for treatment D. Blood and urine samples were collected at predetermined time intervals for 24 hours. Ciprofloxacin concentrations were determined by HPLC. The area under the concentration versus time curve from zero to infinity and the urinary recovery of ciprofloxacin were used for determining relative bioavailability. Concurrent administration of ciprofloxacin and sucralfate (treatment A) resulted in a significant decrease (p <0.05) in ciprofloxacin absorption. The relative bioavailabilities for treatments A, B, and C were 0.0429 ± 0.0202,0.829 + 0.21, and 0.965 + 0.32, respectively, relative to ciprofloxacin alone. In normal volunteers, ciprofloxacin may be administered between two and six hours before sucralfate, allowing sufficient time for ciprofloxacin absorption prior to the sucralfate dose and thereby minimizing the chance of a significant interaction. In patients with decreased gastric emptying the interaction may be more difficult to avoid.
Comparative Study of Fluconazole and Clotrimazole in the Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis
Authors: Stein Gary E. , Christensen Sharon , Mummaw Nancy
Published: January 2017

Fluconazole is a new oral triazole antifungal with good activity against Candida spp. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness and tolerability of a three-day course of treatment with fluconazole compared with clotrimazole vaginal tablets in nonpregnant women with acute Candida vaginitis. Of the 90 evaluable patients who received fluconazole, 76 (84 percent) were asymptomatic seven to ten days after treatment compared with 84 of 95 (88 percent) treated with clotrimazole. An additional ten patients in the fluconazole group (11 percent) and seven in the clotrimazole group (7 percent) had improvement in their signs and symptoms. Only four patients in each group (4 percent) were considered treatment failures. Mycological cures were obtained in 89 and 93 percent of patients treated with fluconazole and clotrimazole, respectively, seven to ten days posttreatment. Clinical cure rates remained high one month posttreatment: 79 percent in the fluconazole group and 83 percent in the clotrimazole group. Both therapies were well tolerated. One patient discontinued treatment after she developed diarrhea while receiving fluconazole. The most common adverse effects associated with fluconazole use were nausea (six percent) and diarrhea (three percent). No clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were observed. In this investigation, oral fluconazole therapy was found to be as safe and effective as clotrimazole vaginal tablets in women with acute vulvovaginal candidiasis.
Patient Acceptance of Nordiject: A New Drug Delivery System for Growth Hormone
Authors: Jørgensen Jan T. , Mortensen Henrik B. , Jørgensen Jens O.L.
Published: January 2017

Twenty-seven children, aged 5–20 years, with growth retardation were enrolled in an open study to evaluate the acceptability of a new injection pen (Nordiject 24, Novo Nordisk A/S) for administration of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH). Prior to this study, 17 of the patients had been receiving treatment with r-hGH administered via syringes and vials; their experiences with this conventional technique have been used for comparison with Nordiject. The injection pen is provided with a replaceable 27-gauge needle and a cartridge containing 24 IU of reconstituted r-hGH (12 IU/mL). A benzyl alcohol 0.9% solution is used as the solvent for the reconstitution. The pen can be regulated for doses from 0.5 to 8 IU per injection; regulation is accomplished by a turning movement. The patients had no problems with the dissolving procedure or handling the pen. Nearly two-thirds of the patients experienced less injection pain with the pen as compared with the syringe. Special attention was paid to local tolerability, which was reported to be good. The thigh was the preferred injection site. The residual contents from 68 cartridges returned by the patients were analyzed for microbial contamination. Contamination was detected in only one cartridge, which could not be confirmed in a repeated test. Because of the simplification of the injection procedure afforded by the injection pen, 20 of 27 patients were able to perform the injections themselves and hence assume a more active role in their treatment. The patients who previously had been using conventional syringes strongly preferred the pen, and all patients wished to continue using the device.
Flutamide-Induced Methemoglobinemia
Authors: Schott Anne Marie , Vial Thierry , Gozzo Isabelle , Chareyre Stéphane , Delmas Pierre D.
Published: January 2017

The authors report a case of clinical methemoglobinemia occurring one year after a patient began receiving flutamide 750 mg/d for prostate cancer with bone metastasis. The patient presented with severe cyanosis involving his lips and proximal extremities and moderate dyspnea. Methemoglobinemia was 16.2 percent of the total hemoglobin and intravenous ascorbic acid was administered. Clinical examination and laboratory analysis revealed no other cause. There was no biochemical evidence of congenital methemoglobinemia and no other regular drug use or chemical exposure was found. Moreover, clinical improvement and normalization of the methemoglobin level after the drug was discontinued is highly suggestive of flutamide-induced methemoglobinemia. Due to its chemical structure derived from anilide, flutamide may be considered as a potential methemoglobin-inducing agent.
Therapeutic Advances in the Prevention of Hepatitis B: Yeast-Derived Recombinant Hepatitis B Vaccines
Authors: Garrison Mark W. , Baker Danial E.
Published: January 2017

Viral hepatitis is second to gonorrhea as the most commonly reported infectious disease in the US. Hepatitis B accounts for the majority of viral hepatitis cases. Fortunately, the disease is self-limiting and frequently resolves completely with minimal complications; however, a significant number of individuals may experience long-term sequelae. Research utilizing genetic engineering has led to the development of yeast-derived recombinant DNA (YDR) hepatitis vaccines—a significant advancement in the control and prevention of hepatitis B. The recombinant process allows production of unlimited quantities of vaccine at considerably lower cost and without the potential threat of blood-borne illness. Clinical trials in various high-risk populations have demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of YDR vaccines. However, questions regarding optimal regimen and the need for periodic revaccination remain unanswered. Persons at risk should be adequately vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Axonal Injury in Closed Head Injury by Assault: A Quantitative Study
Authors: Crooks D A , Scholtz C L , Vowles G , Greenwald S , Evans S
Published: January 2017

Due to the controversy in the literature regarding the time course of axonal balloon formation in human material, we wished to determine if it was possible to diagnose axonal injury before the development of axonal balloonings.

The hypothesis was that the presence of axonal swellings or axonal enlargements associated with a glial reaction could be used as a diagnostic aid in human axonal injury before 12 hours. The brains of eight individuals that survived for less than 48 hours following head injury, and also had evidence of axonal injury using the criteria of Vanezis et al. (1987), were systematically studied by looking at axonal swellings, axonal balloonings, reactive astrocytes, maximum diameter of axonal enlargements and density of axonal enlargements. Controls were eight selected cases without neurological disease. The variables studied were assessed in 25 fields from ten different areas of the brain, using silver stains and immunoperoxidase for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Logarithms of one plus the count of each variable were taken from the raw data and these were analysed using percentile distribution and the median, the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon signed rank test.

We conclude that quantitation of axonal damage allows the detection of mild degrees of axonal injury that could be overlooked on routine examination, and that the criteria of axonal enlargements, rather than axonal balloonings, are indications of axonal damage, cannot be endorsed with the evidence provided.
Setting up Psychiatric Liaison Schemes to Magistrates' Courts: Problems and Practicalities
Authors: James D V , Hamilton L W
Published: January 2017

Guidelines are set out to aid those wishing to establish psychiatric liaison services to magistrates' courts, as recommended by the Home Office. The account is based upon 20 months' experience of running such a scheme at Clerkenwell magistrates' court in inner London. The practical problems in initiating such a service are explored together with difficulties likely to be encountered in its running. These include questions of personnel, interviewing facilities, relations with other disciplines, legal issues concerning the Mental Health Act and problems encountered in negotiating with catchment area services. Suggestions are given as to how difficulties may be overcome. The future of liaison schemes to magistrates' courts is discussed.
BRAFK601E Mutation in a Follicular Thyroid Adenoma: A Case Report
Authors: Macerola Elisabetta , Torregrossa Liborio , Ugolini Clara , Bakkar Sohail , Vitti Paolo , Fadda Guido , Basolo Fulvio
Published: January 2017

BRAF mutations represent the most common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The p.V600E mutation is specific for the classic and tall-cell variants of PTC and has been associated with a more aggressive biologic behavior. On the other hand, the p.K601E mutation is peculiar to the follicular variant of PTC, and seems to be a favorable prognostic indicator. A 12-year-old boy presented with a 10-mm left-sided thyroid nodule. Fine-needle aspiration cytology reported the lesion as suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (Bethesda category IV). The patient underwent lobectomy, and histopathology revealed a follicular adenoma with normal surrounding tissue. The cytological smear was found to be positive for BRAF p.K601E mutation, and this was later confirmed on the corresponding paraffin block. This case was independently revised by 4 expert pathologists, all of whom confirmed the benign nature of the thyroid lesion. This article describes the presence of a BRAF mutation in a benign thyroid lesion. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the fourth case of follicular adenoma carrying BRAFK601E reported in literature to date. BRAFK601E mutation can occur in benign thyroid lesions. This finding, in the context of the current literature and the recently proposed reclassification of the noninvasive encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma into a benign lesion, confirms the importance of preoperative BRAF p.K601E testing in offering patients a tailored treatment plan and avoiding overtreatment.
Impact of Postdischarge Follow-Up Care on Medicare Expenditures: Does Rural Make a Difference?
Authors: Toth Matthew , Holmes Mark , Toles Mark , Van Houtven Courtney , Weinberger Morris , Silberman Pam
Published: January 2017

Reducing postdischarge Medicare expenditures is a key focus for hospitals. Early follow-up care is an important piece of this focus, but it is unclear whether there are rural–urban differences in the impact of follow-up care on Medicare expenditures. To assess this difference, we use the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, Cost and Use Files, 2000-2010. We conduct a retrospective analysis of 30-day postdischarge Medicare expenditures using two-stage residual inclusion with a quantile regression, where the receipt of 7-day follow-up care was the main independent variable. Postdischarge follow-up care increased the 25th percentile of 30-day expenditures, decreased the 75th percentile, and there were no rural–urban differences. Partial effects show postdischarge follow-up care resulted in higher 30-day expenditures among low-cost rural beneficiaries. Ensuring early follow-up care for high-cost beneficiaries may be advantageous to both rural and urban providers in helping reduce postdischarge Medicare expenditures.
News Notes
Authors: Miller Douglass W.
Published: January 2017

News for inclusion in this section … activities of schools and departments of journalism, staff appointments and changes, curricular developments and the like … must reach Professor Miller, School of Journalism, Syracuse University, by the first of the month preceding publication. News for the December issue must reach him by November 1.
News Notes
Authors: Miller Douglass W.
Published: January 2017

News for inclusion in this section … activities of schools and departments of journalism, staff appointments and changes, curricular developments and the like … must reach Professor Miller, School of Journalism, Syracuse University, by the first of the month preceding publication. News for the March issue must reach him by February 1.
An Experimental Comparison of Four Ways of Coding Editorial Content
Authors: Geller A. , Kaplan D. , Lasswell Harold D.
Published: January 2017

This article comes from the Experimental Division for the Study of Wartime Communications, of which Dr. Lasswell is director. Mr. Geller and Mr. Kaplan are experienced social statisticians.
An Annotated Bibliography of Journalism Subjects in American Magazines
Authors: Merwin F. E. , Luxon N. N.
Published: January 2017

War-related articles dominated materials on the press for the current quarter. There was increasing interest in the impact of the war on the press as a business. Exciting accounts of activities of correspondents in war zones were common. Major non-war issue was the civil suit filed by the federal government against the Associated Press concerning alleged monopolistic practices. There was a surprising dearth of material on journalism education and the war.

F. E. M
“She Was Here”: Research as Resistance to the Loss of “Culturally Uncomfortable” Identities
Authors: Scott Julie-Ann , Houtzer Hunter
Published: January 2017

This essay traces a co-exploration into understanding aging, memory, and purpose through the analysis of elders stories told during varying stages of memory loss. Responding to the prompt, “What are the memories you don’t want to forget?” participants told stories of “culturally uncomfortable” identities they worried no one else prioritized remembering. As the researchers, we were faced with the struggle to continue human connection beyond vulnerable, inescapably mortal bodies. We analyze our reactions within our analysis of their stories to offer a dynamic means to make sense of data, ourselves, and shared cultural responsibility through telling and listening to personal narratives.
ADHD Symptomatology and Perceived Stress Among French College Students
Authors: Salla Julie , Galéra Cédric , Guichard Elie , Tzourio Christophe , Michel Grégory
Published: January 2017

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the independent association between inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms and perceived stress among French college students. Method: Participants ( N = 6,951) completed self-report surveys assessing ADHD symptoms, perceived stress, and sociodemographic characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between ADHD symptoms and perceived stress. Results: Participants had a mean age of 20.8 years, and 75.6% were female. We found significant associations between increasing levels of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms and high level of perceived stress after adjustment for confounding variables. The association was stronger for inattention (odds ratio [OR] = 4.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [4.02, 5.22]) than for hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = [1.05 to 1.39]). Conclusion: Higher levels of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity were independently associated with perceived stress in French college students. This association was mainly driven by inattention. Screenings to better detect ADHD symptoms should be implemented in universities.
Light Rail Versus Guided Light Transit in Medium-Sized Cities: A Comparative Study for Ioannina, Greece
Authors: Kepaptsoglou Konstantinos , Vlahogianni Eleni , Giannoulis Nikolaos , Karlaftis Aristeidis G.
Published: January 2017

Light rail transit systems (LRTs) are attractive options for modern communities as they offer high quality, sustainable public transportation services. However, investment costs often may make their application for medium-sized cities prohibitive, particularly if no significant social benefits are achieved. Guided light transit (GLT) has been introduced in the recent years, as a lower cost alternative to LRT, with the additional advantage of being suitable for urban environments with space limitations. In this study, a systematic comparison of LRT and GLT is offered, in the context of a mid-size city in Greece. Results indicate that high investment costs, coupled with low ridership can have a negative impact to the introduction of LRT in a medium-sized city. However, under certain conditions, GLT may be a viable alternative, while its nature and characteristics are not that different to those of LRT.
The Fiscal Impacts of Alternative Land Uses
Authors: Clapp Christopher M. , Freeland James , Ihlanfeldt Keith , Willardsen Kevin
Published: January 2017

Current knowledge of the fiscal impacts of alternative land uses comes largely from cost of community services (CCS) case studies, the results of which are viewed skeptically in the literature due to methodological concerns. To address these issues, we develop an econometric approach that allows us to capture both the direct and indirect relationships between a complete accounting of community fiscal measures and the full distribution of acres of land uses in a jurisdiction. Using a novel panel data set, we extensively document empirical correlations that have not yet been formally established in the literature. Our results are inconsistent with the broad conclusions of CCS studies: neither a shift from agricultural to residential land nor a shift to commercial land is associated with a significant change in the budget. We provide support for and insights into our results by extending our analysis to finer revenue/expenditure and land-use subcategories.
Diagnosis of pancreatic disease in feline platynosomosis
Authors: Köster Liza S , Shell Linda , Ketzis Jennifer , Rajeev Sreekumari , Illanes Oscar
Published: January 2017

Objectives

Platynosomum species are cat-specific parasitic trematodes that parasitize the biliary ducts and gall bladder. Due to the common connection to the major duodenal papilla of the pancreas and common bile ducts in addition to the periductal proximity of the pancreas, it is possible that platynosomosis could cause pancreatitis. The objective of this study was to determine whether platynosomosis, a commonly diagnosed parasitic disease in cats on St Kitts, has any association with pancreatic disease.

Methods

To investigate this possibility, the pancreas of free-roaming cats with naturally acquired platynosomosis were evaluated via ultrasound, serum concentrations of feline pancreatic lipase (fPL), cobalamin, folate and feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity (fTLI) and histopathology. Twenty free-roaming, young adult, feral cats, positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, and diagnosed with Platynosomum species infection via fecal analysis were recruited. The liver, biliary system and pancreas were evaluated via ultrasonography during a short duration anesthesia. Serum concentrations of fPL, fTLI, folate and cobalamin were measured. Sections of the right limb, left limb and body of the pancreas were evaluated histopathologically using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain.

Results

None of the cats had sufficient criteria to fulfill the ultrasonographic diagnosis of pancreatitis. One cat had an elevated fPL concentration in the range consistent with pancreatitis. Four cats had cobalamin deficiencies and 11 had abnormal folate concentration. The fTLI concentration was equivocal for the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in one cat. With a single exception, histopathology changes, when present (n = 12), were mild, non-specific and predominantly characterized by lymphocytic infiltrates and fibrosis. The exception was a cat that presented a chronic interstitial and eosinophilic pancreatitis of slightly increased severity, likely the result of platynosomosis.

Conclusions and relevance

The results of this study suggest that platynosomosis rarely induces pancreatic damage in cats. With only one exception, chronic pancreatitis diagnosed in cats with fluke-induced cholangitis and cholangiohepatitis was subtle and interpreted as an incidental background lesion unrelated to platynosomosis.