bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of CO2 Exchange Rates in a Wetland Ecosystem Using the Closed Geosphere Experiment Facility
Authors: Suzuki Shizuo , Yokozawa Masayuki , Inubushi Kazuyuki , Hara Toshihiko , Kimura Michitoshi , Tsuga Shoichi , Tako Yasuhiro , Nakamura Yuji
Published: March 2012

To evaluate annual CO2 exchange rates in a wetland ecosystem, ecosystem respiration rate (Re), net ecosystem productivity (NEP), and gross primary productivity (GPP) were investigated using the Closed Geosphere Experiment Facility (CGEF) located in northeastern Japan. The CGEF is highly airtight and equipped with a Geosphere Module (GM). The GM has a ground area of 5.8 × 8.7 m2 and an average height of 11.9 m, including a soil depth of 3.1 m. A wetland ecosystem dominated by Phragmites australis was introduced into the CGEF. Air temperature and CO2 concentration in the GM were controlled automatically. The hourly nighttime Re increased exponentially with the hourly average air temperature. Both hourly NEP and GPP depended on hourly photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). In addition, daily ecosystem CO2 exchange rates (Re, NEP, and GPP) were influenced by above-ground plant biomass. The annual NEP was found to be 64.2 ± 19.2 g C m−2 yr−1 and it resulted from the annual GPP of 555.8 ± 17.0 g C m−2 yr−1 and annual Re of −491.6 ± 15.6 g C m−2 yr−1. Therefore, the wetland ecosystem behaved as a CO2 sink for the entire year. The annual CO2 exchange rates obtained were reasonable values compared to the findings of published studies in P. australis–dominated wild wetlands using the eddy covariance technique and the combined method of internal gas pressures and flow measurements and harvesting.
Probability Distribution of Precipitation Extremes for Weather Index–Based Insurance in the Zhujiang River Basin, South China
Authors: Fischer Thomas , Su Buda , Luo Yong , Scholten Thomas
Published: March 2012

In a changing climate, understanding the frequency of weather extremes is crucial to improving the management of the associated risks. The concept of weather index–based insurance is introduced as a new approach in weather risk adaptation. It can decrease the vulnerability to precipitation extremes that cause floods and economic losses in the Zhujiang River basin. The probability of precipitation extremes is a key input and the probability distribution of annual precipitation extremes is analyzed with four distribution functions [gamma 3, generalized extreme value (GEV), generalized Pareto, and Wakeby]. Three goodness-of-fit tests (Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Anderson–Darling, and Chi Squared) are applied to the distribution functions for annual time series (1961–2007) of 192 meteorological stations. The results show that maximum precipitation and 5-day-maximum precipitation are best described by the Wakeby distribution. On a basin scale, the GEV is the most reliable and robust distribution for estimating precipitation indexes for an index-based insurance program in the Zhujiang River basin. However, each station has to be analyzed individually as GEV is not always the best-fitting distribution function. Based on the distribution functions, spatiotemporal characteristics of return periods for maximum precipitation and 5-day-maximum precipitation are determined. The return levels of the 25- and 50-yr return periods show similar spatial pattern: they are higher in the southeast and lower in the southwest of the basin. This spatial distribution is in line with the annual averages. The statistical distribution of precipitation indexes delivers important information for a theoretical weather index–based insurance program.
3D Sonar Measurements in Wakes of Ships of Opportunity
Authors: Soloviev Alexander , Maingot Christopher , Agor Mike , Nash Lou , Dixon Keith
Published: March 2012

The aim of this work is to test the potential capabilities of 3D sonar technology for studying small-scale processes in the near-surface layer of the ocean, using the centerline wake of ships of opportunity as the object of study. The first tests conducted in Tampa Bay, Florida, with the 3D sonar have demonstrated the ability of this technology to observe the shape of the centerline wake in great detail starting from centimeter scale, using air bubbles as a proxy. An advantage of the 3D sonar technology is that it allows quantitative estimates of the ship wake geometry, which presents new opportunities for validation of hydrodynamic models of the ship wake. Three-dimensional sonar is also a potentially useful tool for studies of air-bubble dynamics and turbulence in breaking surface waves.
The Impact of Signal Processing on the Range-Weighting Function for Weather Radars
Authors: Torres Sebastián M. , Curtis Christopher D.
Published: March 2012

The range-weighting function (RWF) determines how individual scatterer contributions are weighted as a function of range to produce the meteorological data associated with a single resolution volume. The RWF is commonly defined in terms of the transmitter pulse envelope and the receiver filter impulse response, and it determines the radar range resolution. However, the effective RWF also depends on the range-time processing involved in producing estimates of meteorological variables. This is a third contributor to the RWF that has become more significant in recent years as advanced range-time processing techniques have become feasible for real-time implementation on modern radar systems. In this work, a new formulation of the RWF for weather radars that incorporates the impact of signal processing is proposed. Following the derivation based on a general signal processing model, typical scenarios are used to illustrate the variety of RWFs that can result from different range-time signal processing techniques. Finally, the RWF is used to measure range resolution and the range correlation of meteorological data.
Phenomenal Woman
Authors: Jernigan Maryam M.
Published: March 2012

Janet E. Helms has been nominated by her peers as influential in the field of counseling psychology and beyond. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors based on her contributions to multicultural issues, specifically race and culture. She is well known for her exceptional mentoring to next generation of counseling psychologists. Helms’ People of Color and White Racial Identity Theories continue to inspire and influence generations of researchers. Helms’ scholarship has encouraged investigation of the impact of race and racial identity on a variety of areas such as assessment, counseling, career, teaching and training, education, health, trauma, gender, and legal issues.
Understanding and Developing Rubrics for Music Performance Assessment
Authors: Wesolowski Brian C.
Published: March 2012

A primary difficulty with music performance assessment is managing its subjective nature. To help improve objectivity, rubrics can be used to develop a set of guidelines for clearly assessing student performance. Moreover, rubrics serve as documentation for student achievement that provides music teachers with a written form of accountability. This article examines the complexities of music performance assessment and provides an argument for the benefit of rubrics in the assessment process. In addition, discussion includes an overview of the various types of rubrics as well as suggestions for choosing and writing rubrics to assess musical performances.
Reducing Anxiety
Authors: Riley Jessica M.
Published: March 2012

This article offers a brief overview of the causes and manifestations of performance anxiety and suggests methods for professors to combat it in the studio setting. The topics of mentoring, physical and mental relaxation, dietary health, and imaging are explored. Primary source material is referred to throughout the article, so readers can easily continue their study of the issue.
Fear of Singing
Authors: Barefield Robert
Published: March 2012

Singers are sometimes plagued by an ongoing sense of anxiety that has the potential to negatively affect their work. This article addresses the issue of chronic anxiety as distinct from the more frequently considered topic of performance anxiety. Strategies are outlined to help teachers identify and address this problem in to order to help developing singers reach their full potential.
Rethinking the Roles of Assessment in Music Education
Authors: Scott Sheila J.
Published: March 2012

In music education, current attention to student-centered approaches for learning affects our understanding of student assessment. This view to curriculum reform requires new perspectives for assessment. There is a need to move beyond the summative use of assessment to assign grades to examining the roles of assessment in supporting and enhancing learning. To this end, multiple roles of assessment are examined under three headings: (1) assessment of learning, (2) assessment for learning, and (3) assessment as learning.
Writing between Rehearsals
Authors: Cohen Mary L.
Published: March 2012

Excellent musical ensembles have a strong sense of communal identity among the participants. Because of scheduling challenges and performance priorities, it is difficult to build camaraderie during rehearsal time other than through music making. This article explores the processes, benefits, and challenges of implementing a writing component in an ensemble for the purposes of building camaraderie and assessing individuals. The writing component described here is used with a joint community/prison choir consisting of college students, community members, and prisoners. Ideas are included for teacher-conductors who want to develop their musicians’ learning through invitations to write. Activities involved in this project may include scripts for concert introductions, program notes, creative writing explorations, concepts to share during rehearsal, and interdisciplinary teaching.
Examining Progress across Time with Practical Assessments in Ensemble Settings
Authors: Crochet Lorrie S. , Green Susan K.
Published: March 2012

This article provides the rationale for effective music assessment that tracks individual progress across time and offers examples to illustrate assessment of a range of music-learning goals. Gauging progress across time helps students become more mastery-oriented, while showing more effort and positive attitudes. As instruction and assessment become more focused on individual students, practices such as private lessons within the group setting and individual performance assessment emerge. Examples based on current strategies used by practicing teachers illustrate these practices.
Who Is Going to College? Predicting Education Training From Pre-VR Consumer Characteristics
Authors: Boutin Daniel L. , Wilson Keith B.
Published: March 2012

The relationship of receiving college and university training within the state vocational rehabilitation (VR) program to pre-VR consumer characteristics was investigated with a multiple direct logistic regression technique. A model containing 11 pre-VR characteristics predict the reception of college and university training for a multidisability set of consumers who received VR services ( R2 = .11). Characteristics represent both intrinsic and extrinsic properties of consumers associated with the outcome variable. A second analysis on the relationship between college and university training and competitive employment was conducted with a simple logistic regression technique. Consumers were less likely to secure employment following the reception of college and university training ( R2 = .00). Results are discussed in the context of plausible explanations and implications for career counseling.
Collaborative Learning in an Undergraduate Theory Course
Authors: McDuff Elaine
Published: March 2012

This project was designed to assess whether a collaborative learning approach to teaching sociological theory would be a successful means of improving student engagement in learning theory and of increasing both the depth of students’ understanding of theoretical arguments and concepts and the ability of students to theorize for themselves. A comparison of students’ comments, reflections, and evaluations in the traditional and collaborative learning classes showed a substantial increase in student engagement and interest in social theory in the collaborative learning class, and an analysis of students’ applied and reflective papers showed improvement in understanding of theoretical concepts and ability to apply theory to social issues and problems.
Evaluation of Novel Urinary Renal Biomarkers: Biological Variation and Reference Change Values
Authors: Pinches Mark D. , Betts Catherine J. , Bickerton Susan J. , Beattie Laura , Burdett Lisa D. , Thomas Helen T. , Derbyshire Nicola A. , Moores Michele , Price Sally A.
Published: March 2012

A number of novel urinary biomarkers have been identified and partially qualified for use as markers for renal injury in rats. We used two multiplex assays for these novel biomarkers to quantify biomarker concentration in serial urine collections from rats of both sexes administered varying concentrations of cisplatin. From these data, we calculate inter-individual variation and reference ranges from predose animals and intra-individual variation and reference change values from undosed control animals. The biomarkers evaluated are albumin, α glutathione s-transferase, glutathione S-transferase-yb1, lipocalin-2, kidney injury molecule-1, osteopontin, and renal papillary antigen 1. For any creatinine-corrected novel biomarkers, we found intra-individual variation to be no greater than 44% and inter-individual variation to be no greater than 46%. Reference change values for most corrected analytes (except osteopontin) were 50–100%, indicating that a >100% increase in analyte concentration between serial samples would be unlikely to be associated with inherent analytical or biological variation.
Association of Renal Tubular Hyaline Droplets with Lymphoma in CD-1 Mice
Authors: Decker Joshua H. , Dochterman Leland W. , Niquette Amanda L. , Brej Malgorzata
Published: March 2012

In mice, hyaline droplets in renal proximal tubules have been associated with histiocytic sarcoma but have not been reported with lymphoma. Tissues from CD-1 mice in a 2-year carcinogenicity bioassay were examined microscopically. Twenty-five mice with hyaline droplets in renal tubules were identified. Immunohistochemistry to detect IgA, IgG, IgM, lysozyme, albumin, CD3, and CD79a was performed on kidneys of 21 affected mice. Hyaline droplets were present in the kidneys of 11 mice with lymphoma (1 male, 10 female), of which 1 female also had histiocytic sarcoma. Hyaline droplets were also present in 7 other mice with histiocytic sarcoma, 2 with chronic progressive nephropathy, 3 with renal cortical tubular necrosis, and 2 with granulocytic leukemia. Five of the 11 lymphomas were CD3+, indicating a T lymphocyte origin. Hyaline droplets in mice with lymphoma did not stain for IgA, IgG, or IgM, except in one questionable case. Results of other immunohistochemical stains were inconclusive. Although the droplet composition could not be determined immunohistochemically, the study findings indicate that renal tubular hyaline droplets may be associated with lymphoma in mice.
Systematic Review of Complications of Tonsillotomy versus Tonsillectomy
Authors: Acevedo Jason L. , Shah Rahul K. , Brietzke Scott E.
Published: March 2012

Objective

Intracapsular tonsillotomy continues to gain acceptance as an alternative to traditional tonsillectomy. Despite large clinical studies, there is a lack of consensus as to which technique offers lower complication rates. This study seeks to analyze the available data and surmise the complication rates of partial tonsillectomy as compared with traditional tonsillectomy.

Data Sources

MEDLINE was searched using multiple search terms.

Review Methods

After the MEDLINE search, the following inclusion criteria were applied: English language, human subjects, and related to partial tonsillectomy. Multiple tonsillotomy techniques were included. The results of these studies were summated and the results analyzed. Subgroup analysis was then performed.

Results

Thirty‐three studies met inclusion criteria. Tonsillotomy had a lower postoperative bleeding rate, lower postoperative dehydration rate requiring medical care, reduced days of analgesic use, and reduced days to return to normal diet compared with tonsillectomy. When separated into higher versus lower quality studies, the differences in bleeding and dehydration were negligible, while differences in return to diet and days of analgesic use persisted. Mean intraoperative blood loss was similar for both techniques. Insufficient data were available to assess tonsil regrowth rates.

Conclusions

Tonsillotomy appears to be a safe technique that may offer some advantages over tonsillectomy in terms of postoperative morbidity, but differences in hemorrhage and dehydration were not evident in high‐quality studies. Data regarding tonsil regrowth rates and efficacy in treating sleep‐disordered breathing are not yet sufficient for formal analysis, which may preclude widespread acceptance of this technique.
The geographies of cultural geography III
Authors: Tolia-Kelly Divya P.
Published: March 2012

The doing of material geographies within the subdiscipline of cultural geography has been inspired by Jane Bennett’s (2010) account of Vibrant Matter. This review follows the various trajectories in recently published research in the field of material geographies and argues that scholars should aim to embrace the call of matter to think politically and beyond the surface. The review argues that there is a risk of doing ‘surface geographies’ where research reflects matters at play rather than evaluate the interconnectivity and co-constitution of materialities and their geographies.
The prevalence of primary headache disorders in Russia: A countrywide survey
Authors: Ayzenberg I , Katsarava Z , Sborowski A , Chernysh M , Osipova V , Tabeeva G , Yakhno N , Steiner TJ ,   On behalf of Lifting the Burden
Published: March 2012

Objective: To estimate the 1-year prevalences of primary headache disorders and identify their principal risk factors in the general population of Russia.

Methods: A countrywide population-based random sample of 2725 biologically unrelated adults in 35 cities and nine rural areas were interviewed in a door-to-door survey using a previously validated diagnostic questionnaire.

Results: Of the 2725 eligible adults contacted, 2025 (74.3%) responded (females 52.6%, mean age 39.5 ± 13.4 years). Of these, 1273 (62.9%) reported headache ‘not related to flu, hangover, cold, head injury’ occurring at least once in the previous year. The gender- and age-standardized 1-year prevalence of migraine was 20.8%. Female gender (odds ratio (OR) = 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.8–5.1) and obesity (OR = 1.5; 1.1–2.1) were positively associated with this type of headache. The gender- and age-standardized 1-year prevalence of tension-type headache (TTH) was 30.8%. TTH was more prevalent in urban than in rural areas (OR = 1.6; 1.3–2.0).

Headache on ≥15 days/month was reported by 213 (10.5%) respondents (gender- and age-standardized prevalence 10.4%), and associated with low socioeconomic status (OR = 3.4; 2.4–4.9), obesity (OR = 3.0; 2.1–4.3), female gender (OR = 2.9; 2.1–4.1) and age over 40 years (OR = 2.6; 1.9–3.6). The majority of these respondents (68.1%) overused acute headache medications.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated a high prevalence of migraine and a very high prevalence of headache on  ≥15 days/month, and revealed unmet health-care needs of people with headache in Russia.
Migraine and restless legs syndrome in women
Authors: Schürks Markus , Winter Anke C , Berger Klaus , Buring Julie E , Kurth Tobias
Published: March 2012

Background: Few clinic-based studies report an association between migraine and restless legs syndrome (RLS); however, population-based data are unavailable.

Methods: Cohort study among 31,370 women participating in the Women’s Health Study. We had detailed self-reported information on migraine, including aura status, and RLS. RLS was ascertained at the 9-year follow-up. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between migraine and RLS. We investigated any indication of migraine until RLS ascertainment as well as migraine with and without aura at baseline, prior migraine before baseline, and new reports of migraine during follow-up.

Results: At baseline or during follow-up 6857 (21.9%) women reported any migraine. These women had an increased risk for RLS (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.22; 95%CI 1.13–1.32). Further analyses indicated a similar association for migraine with aura (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.27; 95%CI 1.10–1.48) and migraine without aura (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.24; 95%CI 1.09–1.40) as well as for new reports of migraine during follow-up (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.30; 95%CI 1.10–1.54). Prior migraine did not appear to be associated with RLS.

Conclusions: Our data suggest an association between migraine and RLS at the population level. The association is similar for migraine with and without aura and for new reports of migraine during follow-up.
Relationship and Leadership: Sophonisba Breckinridge and Women in Social Work
Authors: Jabour Anya
Published: March 2012

This article explores the career of Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge (1866–1948), a pioneering social work educator and a key figure in the professionalization of social work, to suggest how contemporary female social workers may reclaim their historic leadership role in the profession. In particular, it contends that women’s relationships were the key to female leadership in the formative decades of the social work profession. It thus suggests that contemporary women social workers may recapture a leadership role by reinvigorating a reform minded and social justice-oriented tradition and reviving a legacy of female mentorship and feminist collaboration.
‘Go, ask a woman's womb’: Birth and the Maternal Body as Sources of Revelation and Wisdom in 4 Ezra
Authors: Flannery Frances
Published: March 2012

The author of 4 Ezra makes significant and repeated use of several motifs related to birth, including barrenness, pregnancy, the womb, miscarriage, birth itself, fetuses, and lactation. These motifs have myriad pedagogical functions in the text, including imparting instruction about personal, national and cosmic matters. Most importantly, the birth of the city from Mother Zion that Ezra witnesses and the anticipated rebirth of the dead from Mother Earth experientially resolve Ezra's earlier theological concerns, which could previously not be solved rationally. Finally, based on ritual studies (Turner and Van Gennep), the article suggests that elements in the structure of episodes four to seven reveal that the author of 4 Ezra likely had familiarity with a potent rite of passage or transformation that he/she in turn expressed through imagery of birthing and death.
A Split Diaspora Again—A Response to Fergus Millar
Authors: Edrei Arye , Mendels Doron
Published: March 2012

In this article the attempts made by Fergus Millar to undermine the authors' thesis concerning the ‘split diaspora’ are discarded altogether. Millar, who has elsewhere criticized the split diaspora thesis, has, the authors argue, contributed nothing that would change the view that Rabbinic lore in its different genres was not created by and did not exist in the Greek- and Latin-speaking Jewish Diaspora. On the contrary, he is found to be in agreement with the authors concerning the divide of the Jewish Diaspora in the first centuries of the Common Era into an eastern Hebrew/Aramaic and a Greek and Latin western one (with a third section in between that was more of a mixture of the two).
Copolyimides containing perylene and hexafluoroisopropylidene moieties
Authors: Damaceanu Mariana-Dana , Rusu Radu-Dan , Bruma Maria
Published: March 2012

Three poly(ether-peryleneimide)s were prepared by one-step solution polycondensation reaction at high temperature of an aromatic diamine containing an oxadiazole ring and/or diphenylether units with a mixture of perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and hexafluoroisopropylidene-diphthalic dianhydride. The structure of the polymers was confirmed by Fourier transform-infrared analysis. These polymers possess good solubility in N-methylpyrrolidinone and can be processed into thin and tough flexible films. They are highly thermostable, up to 465°C, and display glass transition in the range of 227–266°C. The dielectric constant values of these polyimides at 25°C and in the frequency domain of 1 Hz to 100 kHz are in the range of 2.29–2.96. The photoluminescence spectra of those poly(ether-peryleneimide)s consist of the emission of perylenediimide chromophore and conjugated segments containing five-imide rings, without the emission from oxadiazole chromophore.
Synthesis of aliphatic suberin-like polyesters by ecofriendly catalytic systems
Authors: Sousa Andreia F. , Silvestre Armando J. D. , Gandini Alessandro , Neto Carlos Pascoal
Published: March 2012

A rapid and ecofriendly microwave assisted p-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) emulsion polycondensation of long-chain suberin model comonomers was successfully carried out for the first time. Microwave irradiation reduced drastically the reaction time to only 15 min, compared with the DBSA/water polycondensation under conventional heating. Bulk polycondensation using CALB lipase or Bi(OTf)3 were also carried out with isolation yields up to 93% and number-average molecular weights up to around 7300.
Study of thin films made from aromatic polymers containing six-member imide rings
Authors: Bruma Maria , Damaceanu Mariana-Dana , Rusu Radu-Dan
Published: March 2012

This study was concerned with the synthesis and study of thin films made from polyimides containing naphthalene and oxadiazole rings. These polymers were prepared by polycondensation reaction in solution at high temperature of aromatic diamines containing preformed oxadiazole ring with a mixture 1: 1 of a naphthalene-containing dianhydride with hexafluoroisopropylidene-dianhydride. The resulting aromatic polymers containing six-member imide rings were soluble in polar amidic solvents and in less polar solvents, and their solutions gave flexible films having tough mechanical properties. The thermal stability and glass transition temperature of these polymers were measured and compared. The quality of the spin-coated films of these polyimides was investigated by atomic force microscopy. The photoluminescence properties of the polymers in solution and in thin films were studied to survey the color of emission. The UV absorption was also investigated to determine the Stokes shift and hence possible reabsorption effects, and the photo-optical stability of the polymers at high temperatures.
Synthesis and characterization of bisphenol-A ether diamine-based polyimide POSS nanocomposites for low K dielectric and flame-retardant applications
Authors: Devaraju Subramani , Vengatesan Muthukumaraswamy Rangaraj , Selvi Mohan , Kumar Achimuthu Ashok , Alagar Mutukaruppan
Published: March 2012

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) – polyimide (PI) hybrid nanocomposites were prepared by a two-step approach, bisphenol-A ether diamine (BAED) and pyromelletic dianhydride (PMDA) in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) were used to prepare polyamic acid (PAA) to which varying weight percentages of OAPS in NMP were added. During the second step, the polycondensation was effected by thermal imidization. The formation of hybrid nanocomposites was confirmed by using FTIR spectra. The thermal properties of POSS-PI nanocomposites were studied using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The lowest dielectric constant 2.68 was achieved for 15 wt.% POSS-PI material when compared with the value of 3.34 for the neat PI. Data from thermal studies indicate that the incorporation of POSS into polyimide significantly enhanced the glass transition temperature ( Tg), thermal stability, char yield and flame-retardant properties of hybrid nanocomposites than that of neat PI. The excellent combination of both dielectric and thermal properties of the material developed in the present study will find application in microelectronics.
Visual Rivalry Without Spatial Conflict
Authors: van Boxtel Jeroen J. A. , Koch Christof
Published: March 2012

Visual rivalry has been extensively characterized in the literature. It is thought to require spatial conflict between overlapping visual presentations, even in studies that have found nonspatial (i.e., nonretinal) influences on rivalry. Unexpectedly, we identified visual rivalry in the complete absence of spatial conflict. Participants experienced visual rivalry when we placed a nonambiguous motion stimulus in a nonspatial (in our case, object-based) reference frame. Moreover, a stimulus that was displaced within a nonspatial reference frame did not induce rivalry despite the presence of spatial conflict. This finding shows that nonspatial, object-based processing can overrule retinotopic processing and prevent rivalry from occurring when a perceived stimulus exists unambiguously in an object-based reference frame. Our results identify a potent high-level conflict-resolution stage independent of low-level spatial visual conflict. This independence of spatial overlap provides an advantage to the visual system, allowing conflict resolution when an object is nonstationary on the retina (e.g., during frequently occurring eye movements).
Fast Thought Speed Induces Risk Taking
Authors: Chandler Jesse J. , Pronin Emily
Published: March 2012

In two experiments, we tested for a causal link between thought speed and risk taking. In Experiment 1, we manipulated thought speed by presenting neutral-content text at either a fast or a slow pace and having participants read the text aloud. In Experiment 2, we manipulated thought speed by presenting fast-, medium-, or slow-paced movie clips that contained similar content. Participants who were induced to think more quickly took more risks with actual money in Experiment 1 and reported greater intentions to engage in real-world risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex and illegal drug use, in Experiment 2. These experiments provide evidence that faster thinking induces greater risk taking.
Re-defining ‘Me’: Exploring career transition and the experience of loss in the context of redundancy for professional opera choristers
Authors: Oakland Jane , MacDonald Raymond A. , Flowers Paul
Published: March 2012

This paper presents an in-depth, qualitative investigation into the impact of job loss for seven opera choristers. The paper focuses on their perception of this loss and how this perception influences the experience of career transition and subsequent redefinition of the self. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis is used to highlight the individual nature of dealing with loss and transition. Discussion centres on three themes which best capture the psychological process involved in the renegotiation of self for the participants. Analysis shows that a key issue in adapting to career transition is re-defining what it means to be a singer without the validation of full-time employment. The Organismic Valuing Theory of growth after adversity (Joseph & Linley, 2005) is used as a framework within which to discuss individual fluctuations between searching to develop new areas of the self and restoring the established self. The study concludes that singers are unique in the employment market because of their relationship to their embodied voice. For the seven participants, the experience of career disruption is determined by their ability to re-evaluate the role of singing as a primary agent of self-formation.
Feasibility of Using Thrombin Generation Assay (TGA) for Monitoring Bypassing Agent Therapy in Patients With Hemophilia Having Inhibitors
Authors: Ay Yilmaz , Balkan Can , Karapinar Deniz Yilmaz , Akin Mehmet , Bilenoğlu Basri , Kavakli Kaan
Published: March 2012

Background:

Monitoring bypassing agent therapy and observing concordance with clinical hemostasis is crucial in vital hemorrhages and major surgeries in patients with hemophilia having inhibitor.

Objective:

We aimed to investigate the value of the thrombin generation assay (TGA) and thromboelastography (TEG) for monitoring hemostasis in patients with hemophilia having inhibitor, during supplementation therapy with bypassing agents.

Patients and Methods:

The study group consisted of 7 patients with hemophilia having factor VIII inhibitor. All patients were male. The median age of the participants was 10 years. Age range was 6 to 32 years. The median inhibitor level was 10 Bethesda units (BU), with a range of 5 to 32 BU. A total of 17 bleeding episodes were evaluated. Both TEG and TGA tests were assessed in addition to clinical responses. Assessments were made prior to bypass agent therapy such as recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) or activated prothrombin complex concentrate (aPCC) for bleeding episodes, during the first hour and 24 hours after either intervention in patients.

Results:

No relation between clinical response and TGA or TEG parameters was found in patients. There was no difference between clinical responses after rFVIIa and aPCC treatments. However, after aPCC treatment, endogenous thrombin potential and peak thrombin levels and also TEG R, K, and alpha angle degrees were significantly higher.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, we found that the clinical effectiveness of bypass therapy in hemophilia cannot be assessed by TGA and TEG.
On the piercing force enhancement of aluminum foam sandwich plates under impact loading
Authors: Pattofatto S , Zeng H , Zhao H
Published: March 2012

This article tends to explain the observed piercing force enhancement under impact loading of the sandwich panels, which is made of rate-insensitive aluminum skin sheet and Cymat foam core. Using an elastic–plastic damageable model for the skin and an isotropic foam constitutive model for the core, a numerical model is proposed and validated by the comparison with experimental results. Virtual tests allow revealing that the damage evolution in the skin sheet is strain rate dependent because of the wave propagation effects. Under impact loading, the damage area is larger and it leads to a larger deflection of the skin plate at its breaking. Therefore, the foam cores are more compressed under impact loading and induce the piercing force enchancement of the sandwich.
One Vote Out of Step? The Effects of Salient Roll Call Votes in the 2010 Election
Authors: Nyhan Brendan , McGhee Eric , Sides John , Masket Seth , Greene Steven
Published: March 2012

We investigate the relationship between controversial roll call votes and support for Democratic incumbents in the 2010 midterm elections. Consistent with previous analyses, we find that supporters of health care reform paid a significant price at the polls. We go beyond these analyses by identifying a mechanism for this apparent effect: constituents perceived incumbents who supported health care reform as more ideologically distant (in this case, more liberal), which in turn was associated with lower support for those incumbents. Our analyses show that this perceived ideological difference mediates most of the apparent impact of support for health care reform on both individual-level vote choice and aggregate-level vote share. We conclude by simulating counterfactuals that suggest health care reform may have cost Democrats their House majority.
Association of Activity Changes in the Primary Sensory Cortex With Successful Motor Rehabilitation of the Hand Following Stroke
Authors: Laible Mona , Grieshammer Steven , Seidel Gundula , Rijntjes Michel , Weiller Cornelius , Hamzei Farsin
Published: March 2012

Background. Previous studies demonstrated a posterior shift of activation toward the primary sensory cortex (S1) following stroke; however, any relationship between this posterior shift and clinical outcome measures for the affected hand function were unclear. Objective. The authors investigated the possible role of S1 in motor recovery. Methods. Assuming that previous studies examined inhomogeneous groups of patients, the authors selected participants with chronic stroke who had moderate hand paresis, normal sensory examination and somatosensory-evoked potentials, and no lesion within the S1, thalamus, or brain stem. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) was used to train the impaired hand. To relate fMRI (functional MRI) activation changes from baseline to post-CIMT, a correlation analysis was performed with changes of the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) as a test for the hand function. Results. A close relationship was found between increases in hand function and peak changes in activation within the ipsilesional S1. With a better outcome, greater increases in activation within the S1 were evident ( P < .03; r = 0.73). Conclusion. In selected patients, the sensory network influences training-induced motor gains. This predictive knowledge of plasticity when applying CIMT may suggest strategies to enhance the effect of therapy, such as the addition of electrical stimulation to enhance S1 excitability.
Longitudinal Analysis of Balance Confidence in Individuals With Stroke Using a Multilevel Model for Change
Authors: Yiu Jeanne , Miller William C. , Eng Janice J. , Liu Yan
Published: March 2012

Background. Confidence about balance may be an important factor affecting self-efficacy for daily activities after stroke. Objective. The authors investigated whether confidence changes and the parameters that may predict changes in self-perceived balance within the first year of community reintegration. Methods. In this prospective study, 98 hemiparetic participants who could walk at least 10 m independently were assessed 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postdischarge from rehabilitation by the Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, 6-minute walking distance, and depression and anxiety scales. The 98 age-/sex-matched controls were assessed at enrollment and the same intervals. Multilevel modeling was used to determine if assessed covariates predicted changes in balance confidence by the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale. Results. Stroke subjects had lower initial balance confidence than controls and showed a statistically significant increase in confidence over 1 year at each assessment. Poor balance and high state anxiety were associated with lower balance confidence. Significant interactions were observed between greater depression, along with more impaired walking capacity and balance tests, in predicting lower change trajectories in confidence. Falls predicted a reduced rate of improvement. Conclusions. Balance confidence after stroke remained lower than controls over the first year. Physical therapies and supportive interventions designed to treat confidence should be initiated at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.
The America Invents Act: Post-grant review and paragraph IV certifications
Authors: Rein Frederick H , Crystal Joseph B
Published: March 2012

This article discusses the new post-grant review of a patent, a process which will become available on September 16, 2012 pursuant to the America Invents Act – but for non-business method patents, applies only to patents having an effective filing date on or after March 16, 2013. In particular, this article sets forth various factors to be considered by a generic pharmaceutical company in deciding whether to petition for post-grant review of a patent or proceed with a standard Hatch-Waxman litigation.
Middle East generics: Challenges & opportunities
Authors: Tantash Mazen
Published: March 2012

The pharmaceutical market in the Middle East is valued at more than $9.4b and is expected to grow over at a rate of 10% annually. Although there continues to be unrest in the region and around the world, both economically and politically, the Middle East has seen a shift and the pharmaceutical market is becoming more attractive. These countries are traditionally high importers of originator brands and branded generic drugs. Although originator drugs have previously held most of the market, new policies that favor generics are being implemented in the region. The pharmaceutical market ranges quite a bit within the various countries in the Middle East, Bahrain remains the smallest market with Saudi Arabia being the largest due to a growing population and new westernized lifestyle. Policy makers in the region should continue to encourage new players by continuing to propose new policies that allow for continued growth
At the Heart of Egalitarianism
Authors: Does Serena , Derks Belle , Ellemers Naomi , Scheepers Daan
Published: March 2012

Work on morality framing has demonstrated that emphasizing moral ideals (vs. obligations) elicits positive intergroup attitudes among Whites (Does, Derks, & Ellemers, 2011). The current research goes beyond self-reported attitudes, by examining the effect of morality framing on more automatic, less consciously controlled responses of Whites. We tested the hypothesis that morality framing affects Whites’ appraisals of equality as challenging (vs. threatening) by measuring cardiovascular reactivity. Thirty-seven native Dutch participants gave an oral presentation of social equality in terms of moral ideals versus obligations, while we measured their motivations with cardiovascular (i.e., challenge vs. threat; Blascovich & Tomaka, 1996) and behavioral (i.e., eager vs. vigilant goal pursuit; Higgins, 1997) indicators. As hypothesized, and in contrast to the obligations frame, the ideals frame was found to motivate advantaged group members to approach and view equality as more of a challenge than a threat.
PF4/heparin-antibody complex induces monocyte tissue factor expression and release of tissue factor positive microparticles by activation of FcγRI
Authors: Kasthuri Raj S. , Glover Sam L. , Jonas William , McEachron Troy , Pawlinski Rafal , Arepally Gowthami M. , Key Nigel S. , Mackman Nigel
Published: March 2012

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a potentially devastating form of drug-induced thrombocytopenia that occurs in patients receiving heparin for prevention or treatment of thrombosis. Patients with HIT develop autoantibodies to the platelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin complex, which is termed the HIT Ab complex. Despite a decrease in the platelet count, the most feared complication of HIT is thrombosis. The mechanism of thrombosis in HIT remains poorly understood. We investigated the effects of the HIT Ab complex on tissue factor (TF) expression and release of TF-positive microparticles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and monocytes. To model these effects ex vivo, we used a murine mAb specific for the PF4/heparin complex (KKO), as well as plasma from patients with HIT. We found that the HIT Ab complex induced TF expression in monocytes and the release of TF-positive microparticles. Further, we found that induction of TF is mediated via engagement of the FcγRI receptor and activation of the MEK1-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Our data suggest that monocyte TF may contribute to the development of thrombosis in patients with HIT.
ALK+ALCLs induce cutaneous, HMGB-1–dependent IL-8/CXCL8 production by keratinocytes through NF-κB activation
Authors: Dejean Emilie , Foisseau Marianne , Lagarrigue Fréderic , Lamant Laurence , Prade Naïs , Marfak Abdelghafour , Delsol Georges , Giuriato Sylvie , Gaits-Iacovoni Fréderique , Meggetto Fabienne
Published: March 2012

Anaplastic large-cell lymphomas (ALCLs) bearing the t(2;5) translocation (ALK+ALCLs) are frequently characterized by skin colonization and associated with a poor prognosis. Using conditional transgenic models of anaplastic lymphoma kinase–positive (ALK+) lymphomas and human ALK+ALCL cell lines, in the present study, we show that high-mobility-group box-1 (HMGB-1), a proinflammatory cytokine, is released by ALK+ cells, and demonstrate extracellular HMGB-1–stimulated secretion of the IL-8 chemokine by HaCaT keratinocytes through the involvement of MMP-9, PAR-2, and the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, in vitro, IL-8 is able to induce the invasiveness of ALK+ cells, which express the IL-8 receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2. In vitro and in vivo, HMGB-1 inhibition achieved by glycyrrhizin treatment led to a drastic reduction in ALK+ cell invasiveness. The pathophysiological relevance of our observations was confirmed by demonstrating that the HMGB-1 and IL-8 receptors are expressed in ALK+ALCL biopsies. We have also shown that IL-8 secretion is correlated with leukemic dissemination of ALK+ cells in a significant number of patients. The results of the present study demonstrate for the first time a relationship among the pro-inflammatory mediators HMGB-1, MMP-9, PAR-2, and IL-8. We propose that these mediators create a premetastatic niche within the skin, thereby participating in ALK+ lymphoma epidermotropism.
Risk categories and refractory CLL in the era of chemoimmunotherapy
Authors: Zenz Thorsten , Gribben John G. , Hallek Michael , Döhner Hartmut , Keating Michael J. , Stilgenbauer Stephan
Published: March 2012

Standardized criteria for diagnosis and response evaluation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are essential to achieve comparability of results and improvement of clinical care. With the increasing range of therapeutic options, the treatment context is important when defining refractory CLL. Refractory CLL has been defined as no response or response lasting ≤ 6 months from last therapy. This subgroup has a very poor outcome, and many trials use this group as an entry point for early drug development. With the intensification of first-line regimens, the proportion of patients with refractory CLL using these criteria decreases. This has immediate consequences for recruitment of patients into trials as well as salvage strategies. Conversely, patients who are not refractory according to the traditional definition but who have suboptimal or short response to intense therapy also have a very poor outcome. In this Perspective, we discuss recent results that may lead to a reassessment of risk categories in CLL focusing on fit patients who are eligible for all treatment options. We cover aspects of the history and biologic basis for refractory CLL and will focus on how emerging data on treatment failure from large trials using chemoimmunotherapy may help to define risk groups in CLL.
Identification of an active, well-tolerated dose of pralatrexate in patients with relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Authors: Horwitz Steven M. , Kim Youn H. , Foss Francine , Zain Jasmine M. , Myskowski Patricia L. , Lechowicz Mary Jo , Fisher David C. , Shustov Andrei R. , Bartlett Nancy L. , Delioukina Maria L. , Koutsoukos Tony , Saunders Michael E. , O'Connor Owen A. , Duvic Madeleine
Published: March 2012

Systemic treatment for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) involves the use of less aggressive, well-tolerated therapies. Pralatrexate is a novel antifolate with high affinity for reduced folate carrier-1. A dose de-escalation strategy identified recommended pralatrexate dosing for patients with CTCL that demonstrated high activity, good rates of disease control, and an acceptable toxicity profile for continuous long-term dosing. Eligibility included mycosis fungoides, Sézary syndrome, or primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma, with disease progression after ≥ 1 prior systemic therapy. The starting dose and schedule was 30 mg/m2/wk intravenously for 3 of 4 (3/4) weeks. Subsequent starting doses were 20, 15, and 10 mg/m2/wk for 3/4 or 2 of 3 (2/3) weeks. Response was evaluated by the modified severity-weighted adjustment tool. Fifty-four patients were treated. The recommended regimen was identified as 15 mg/m2/wk for 3/4 weeks and was explored in the expansion cohort. In 29 patients treated overall with the recommended dosing regimen, the median number of prior systemic therapies was 4. Pralatrexate was administered for a median of 4 cycles; response rate was 45%. The most common grade 3 adverse event (AE) was mucositis (17%); the only grade 4 AE was leukopenia (3%). Pralatrexate 15 mg/m2/wk for 3/4 weeks shows high activity with acceptable toxicity in patients with relapsed/refractory CTCL.