bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of environmental stability on the regulation of end-point impedance during the maintenance of arm posture
Authors: Krutky Matthew A. , Trumbower Randy D. , Perreault Eric J.
Published: December 2012

Many common tasks compromise arm stability along specific directions. Such tasks can be completed only if the impedance of the arm is sufficient to compensate for the destabilizing effects of the task. During movement, it has been demonstrated that the direction of maximal arm stiffness, the static component of impedance, can be preferentially increased to compensate for directionally unstable environments. In contrast, numerous studies have shown that such control is not possible during postural tasks. It remains unknown if these findings represent a fundamental difference in the control of arm mechanics during posture and movement or an involuntary response to the destabilizing environments used in the movement studies but not yet tested during posture maintenance. Our goal was to quantify how arm impedance is adapted during postural tasks that compromise stability along specific directions. Our results demonstrate that impedance can be modulated to compensate for these instabilities during postural tasks but that the changes are modest relative to those previously reported during reaching. Our observed changes were primarily in the magnitude of end-point stiffness, but these were not sufficient to alter the direction of maximal stiffness. Furthermore, there were no substantial changes in the magnitude of end-point viscosity or inertia, suggesting that the primary change to arm impedance was a selective increase in stiffness to compensate for the destabilizing stiffness properties of the environment. We suggest that these modest changes provide an initial involuntary response to destabilizing environments prior to the larger changes that can be affected through voluntary interventions.
A model of cholinergic modulation in olfactory bulb and piriform cortex
Authors: de Almeida Licurgo , Idiart Marco , Linster Christiane
Published: December 2012

In this work we investigate in a computational model how cholinergic inputs to the olfactory bulb (OB) and piriform cortex (PC) modulate odor representations. We use experimental data derived from different physiological studies of ACh modulation of the bulbar and cortical circuitry and the interaction between these two areas. The results presented here indicate that cholinergic modulation in the OB significantly increases contrast and synchronization in mitral cell output. Each of these effects is derived from distinct neuronal interactions, with different groups of interneurons playing different roles. Both bulbar modulation effects contribute to more stable learned representations in PC, with pyramidal networks trained with cholinergic-modulated inputs from the bulb exhibiting more robust learning than those trained with unmodulated bulbar inputs. This increased robustness is evidenced as better recovery of memories from corrupted patterns and lower-concentration inputs as well as increased memory capacity.
Physical determinants of the shape of the psychophysical curve relating tactile roughness to raised-dot spacing: implications for neuronal coding of roughness
Authors: Sutu Adrian , Meftah El-Mehdi , Chapman C. Elaine
Published: December 2012

There are conflicting reports as to whether the shape of the psychometric relation between perceived roughness and tactile element spacing [spatial period (SP)] follows an inverted U-shape or a monotonic linear increase. This is a critical issue because the former result has been used to assess neuronal codes for roughness. We tested the hypothesis that the relation's shape is critically dependent on tactile element height (raised dots). Subjects rated the roughness of low (0.36 mm)- and high (1.8 mm)-raised-dot surfaces displaced under their fingertip. Inverted U-shaped curves were obtained as the SP of low-dot surfaces was increased (1.3–6.2 mm, tetragonal arrays); a monotonic increase was observed for high-dot surfaces. We hypothesized that roughness is not a single sensory continuum across the tested SPs of low-dot surfaces, predicting that roughness discrimination would show deviations from the invariant relation between threshold (ΔS) and the value of the standard (S) surface (Weber fraction, ΔS/S) expected for a single continuum. The results showed that Weber fractions were increased for SPs on the descending limb of the inverted U-shaped curve. There was also an increase in the Weber fraction for high-dot surfaces but only at the peak (3 mm), corresponding to the SP at which the slope of the psychometric function showed a modest decline. Together the results indicate that tactile roughness is not a continuum across low-dot SPs of 1.3–6.2 mm. These findings suggest that correlating the inverted U-shaped function with neuronal codes is of questionable validity. A simple intensive code may well contribute to tactile roughness.
OptimalI-VCurve Scan Time of Solar Cells and Modules in Light of Irradiance Level
Authors: Herman Matic , Jankovec Marko , Topič Marko
Published: December 2012

High-efficiency solar cells and modules exhibit strong capacitive character resulting in limited speed of transient responses. A too fastI-Vcurve measurement can thus introduce a significant error due to its internal capacitances. This paper analyses theI-Vcurve error of a measured solar cell or module in light of scan time and irradiance level. It rests on a two-diode solar cell model extended by two bias-dependent capacitances, modelling the junction, and the diffusion capacitance. A method for determination of all extended model parameters from a quasistaticI-Vcurve and open-circuit voltage decay measurement is presented and validated. Applicability of the extended model and the developed parameter extraction method to PV modules is demonstrated and confirmed. SPICE simulations of the extended model are used to obtain theI-Vcurve error versus scan time dependence and theI-Vcurve hysteresis. Determination of the optimal scan time is addressed, and finally the influence of the irradiance level on theI-Vcurve scan time and error is revealed. The method is applied but is not limited to three different wafer-based silicon solar cell types.
Protection of Trigonelline on Experimental Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Zhou Ji-Yin , Zhou Shi-Wen
Published: December 2012

The mechanisms leading to diabetic peripheral neuropathy are complex and there is no effective drug to treat it. As an active component of several traditional Chinese medicines, trigonelline has beneficial effects on diabetes with hyperlipidemia. The protective effects and the mechanism of trigonelline on diabetic peripheral neuropathy were evaluated in streptozotocin- and high-carbohydrate/high-fat diet-induced diabetic rats. Rats were divided into four groups at the end of week 2: control, diabetes, diabetes + trigonelline (40 mg/kg), and diabetes + sitagliptin (4 mg/kg). After 48-week treatment, technologies of nerve conduction, cold and hot immersion test, transmission electron microscopy, real-time PCR, and Western blotting were applied. Serum glucose, serum insulin, insulin sensitivity index, lipid parameters, body weight, sciatic nerve conduction velocity, nociception, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor mRNA and protein, total and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases protein expression, malonaldehyde content, and superoxide dismutase activity were altered in diabetic rats, and were near control levels treated with trigonelline. Slight micropathological changes existed in sciatic nerve of trigonelline-treated diabetic rats. These findings suggest that trigonelline has beneficial effects for diabetic peripheral neuropathy through glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway, nerve conduction velocity, antioxidant enzyme activity, improving micropathological changes of sciatic nerve and decreasing lipid peroxidation.
Object Recognition and Pose Estimation on Embedded Hardware: SURF-Based System Designs Accelerated by FPGA Logic
Authors: Schaeferling Michael , Hornung Ulrich , Kiefer Gundolf
Published: December 2012

State-of-the-art object recognition and pose estimation systems often utilize point feature algorithms, which in turn usually require the computing power of conventional PC hardware. In this paper, we describe two embedded systems for object detection and pose estimation using sophisticated point features. The feature detection step of the “Speeded-up Robust Features (SURF)” algorithm is accelerated by a special IP core. The first system performs object detection and is completely implemented in a single medium-size Virtex-5 FPGA. The second system is an augmented reality platform, which consists of an ARM-based microcontroller and intelligent FPGA-based cameras which support the main system.
Few Associations Found between Mold and Other Allergen Concentrations in the Home versus Skin Sensitivity from Children with Asthma after Hurricane Katrina in the Head-Off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana Study
Authors: Grimsley L. F. , Wildfire J. , Lichtveld M. , Kennedy S. , El-Dahr J. M. , Chulada P. C. , Cohn R. , Mitchell H. , Thornton E. , Mvula M. , Sterling Y. , Martin W. , Stephens K. , White L.
Published: December 2012

Mold and other allergen exposures exacerbate asthma symptoms in sensitized individuals. We evaluated allergen concentrations, skin test sensitivities, and asthma morbidity for 182 children, aged 4–12 years, with moderate to severe asthma, enrolled 18 months after Katrina, from the city of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes that were impacted by the storm, into the Head-off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana (HEAL) observational study. Dust (indoor) and air (indoor and outdoor) samples were collected at baseline of 6 and 12 months. Dust samples were evaluated for dust mite, cockroach, mouse, andAlternariaby immunoassay. Air samples were evaluated for airborne mold spore concentrations. Overall, 89% of the children tested positive to ≥1 indoor allergen, with allergen-specific sensitivities ranging from 18% to 67%. Allergen concentration was associated with skin sensitivity for 1 of 10 environmental triggers analyzed (cat). Asthma symptom days did not differ with skin test sensitivity, and surprisingly, increased symptoms were observed in children whose baseline indoor airborne mold concentrations were below median levels. This association was not observed in follow-up assessments. The lack of relationship among allergen levels (including mold), sensitivities, and asthma symptoms points to the complexity of attempting to assess these associations during rapidly changing social and environmental conditions.
Installed Base as a Facilitator for User-Driven Innovation: How Can User Innovation Challenge Existing Institutional Barriers?
Authors: Andersen Synnøve Thomassen , Jansen Arild
Published: December 2012

The paper addresses an ICT-based, user-driven innovation process in the health sector in rural areas in Norway. The empirical base is the introduction of a new model for psychiatric health provision. This model is supported by a technical solution based on mobile phones that is aimed to help the communication between professional health personnel and patients. This innovation was made possible through the use of standard mobile technology rather than more sophisticated systems. The users were heavily involved in the development work. Our analysis shows that by thinking simple and small-scale solutions, including to take the user’s needs and premises as a point of departure rather than focusing on advanced technology, the implementation process was made possible. We show that by combining theory on information infrastructures, user-oriented system development, and innovation in a three-layered analytical framework, we can explain the interrelationship between technical, organizational, and health professional factors that made this innovation a success.
Structural Studies on Nonequilibrium Microstructures of Dioctyl Sodium Dodecyl Sulfosuccinate (Aerosol-OT) in p-Toluenesulfonic Acid and Phosphatidylcholine
Authors: Temgire M. K. , Manohar C. , Bellare Jayesh , Joshi S. S.
Published: December 2012

Several microstructures are evolved at the interface when sparingly soluble solid surfactants come in contact with water. One class of these microstructures is termed as “myelin figures”; these were observed when phosphatidylcholine came in contact with water. Although the myelins are initially simple rod-like, complex forms like helices, coils and so forth. appear in the later stage. Finally, the myelins fuse together to form a complex mosaic-like structure. When studied by taking a cross-section using cryoscanning electron microscopy, it revealed concentric circular pattern inside the myelin figures. The cross-sections of (dioctyl sodium dodecyl sulfosiccinate) AOT/water system myelin internal structures were lost. When p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTS) 2 wt% was present in the water phase, AOT myelins revealed the internal microstructures. It has annular concentric ring-like structure with a core axon at the centre. Further investigation revealed new microstructures for the first time having multiple axons in the single-myelin strand.
A Comparative Evaluation of the Efficacy of Two Novel Desensitising Dentifrices
Authors: Barlow Ashley P. , He Jane , Tian Cindy , Jeffery Peter , Mason Stephen C. , Tai Bao-Jun , Jiang Han , Rees Gareth D. , Du Min Quan
Published: December 2012

A comparison of the desensitising efficacy of two commercially available dentifrices with different modes of action was conducted in a randomised, examiner-blind, two-arm, parallel group, 8-week, longitudinal clinical study. Dentifrice A, (Sensodyne Multi Action Iso-Active), contained 50000 ppm KNO3and 1450 ppm fluoride as NaF. Dentifrice B, Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief, contained a combination of 80000 ppm arginine, bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, and 1450 ppm fluorine as NaMFP. Subjects (N=110), stratified into two groups (N=55), brushed twice-daily for 60 s, over an 8-week period. Sensitivity status, compliance, and safety were determined at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. A fixed-effects ANCOVA statistical model was applied to the Intent-To-Treat population using a two-sided 5% significance level. After 8 weeks, the treatment groups using Dentifrice A and Dentifrice B exhibited mean reductions from baseline of 49% and 45% in air sensitivity visual analogue scale (VAS) score, 61% (both) in examiner-based Schiff Sensitivity score, and clinically significant reductions in tactile pain threshold; all reductions were statistically significant (P<0.0001). Both treatment groups also exhibited significant reductions across all sensitivity measures at 1, 2, and 4 weeks (P≤0.0059, Dentifrice A;P≤0.0137, Dentifrice B).
Inhibition of Cholinergic Signaling Causes Apoptosis in Human Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma
Authors: Lau Jamie K. , Brown Kathleen C. , Thornhill Brent A. , Crabtree Clayton M. , Dom Aaron M. , Witte Theodore R. , Hardman W. Elaine , McNees Christopher A. , Stover Cody A. , Carpenter A. Betts , Luo Haitao , Chen Yi C. , Shiflett Brandon S. , Dasgupta Piyali
Published: December 2012

Recent case-controlled clinical studies show that bronchioalveolar carcinomas (BAC) are correlated with smoking. Nicotine, the addictive component of cigarettes, accelerates cell proliferation through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). In this study, we show that human BACs produce acetylcholine (ACh) and contain several cholinergic factors including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), choline transporter 1 (CHT1, SLC5A7), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT, SLC18A3), and nACh receptors (AChRs, CHRNAs). Nicotine increased the production of ACh in human BACs, and ACh acts as a growth factor for these cells. Nicotine-induced ACh production was mediated by α7-, α3β2-, and β3-nAChRs, ChAT and VAChT pathways. We observed that nicotine upregulated ChAT and VAChT. Therefore, we conjectured that VAChT antagonists, such as vesamicol, may suppress the growth of human BACs. Vesamicol induced potent apoptosis of human BACs in cell culture and nude mice models. Vesamicol did not have any effect on EGF or insulin-like growth factor-II–induced growth of human BACs. siRNA-mediated attenuation of VAChT reversed the apoptotic activity of vesamicol. We also observed that vesamicol inhibited Akt phosphorylation during cell death and that overexpression of constitutively active Akt reversed the apoptotic activity of vesamicol. Taken together, our results suggested that disruption of nicotine-induced cholinergic signaling by agents such as vesamicol may have applications in BAC therapy. Cancer Res; 73(4); 1328–39. ©2012 AACR.
Twenty-fourth Annual Pezcoller Symposium: Molecular Basis for Resistance to Targeted Agents
Authors: Marais Richard , Sellers William , Livingston David , Mihich Enrico
Published: December 2012

The mechanisms of genetically determined mechanisms of resistance to several target drugs were discussed in breast cancer, melanoma, colorectal and prostate cancers, chronic myelogenous leukemia, small cell lung cancer, and medulloblastoma. In each case, heterogeneity of mechanisms was emphasized. In melanoma, therapeutic interference with the effects of BRAF mutations was repeatedly discussed. It was also reported that anti-CTLA4 antibodies provided the first treatment improving survival of patients with stage IV melanoma. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) was introduced as a mechanism of resistance, particularly in lung and pancreatic cancer, where the role of microenvironment factors was also indicated. In colorectal and prostate cancers, the use of liquid biopsies, namely, measurements of tumor nucleic acid in blood, were indicated as a way to obtain whole-tumor assessment instead of the partial assessment obtainable with traditional biopsies. Knowledge of the mechanisms of drug action and resistance was stressed to be essential for the design of new agents and combination of agents aimed at increasing antitumor effectiveness and overcoming resistance. Cancer Res; 73(3); 1046–9. ©2012 AACR.
Cytokine Stimulation of Epithelial Cancer Cells: The Similar and Divergent Functions of IL-4 and IL-13
Authors: Hallett Miranda A. , Venmar Katherine T. , Fingleton Barbara
Published: December 2012

The Th2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and -13 are acknowledged regulators of lymphocyte proliferation and activation. They have also been well studied in the regulation of various myeloid-derived populations in tumor biology. It has become clear, however, that both cytokines can have direct effects on epithelial tumor cells expressing appropriate receptors. Changes in tumor proliferation, survival, and metastatic capability have all been ascribed to IL-4 and/or IL-13 action. Here, we evaluate the evidence to support direct tumor-promoting roles of these cytokines. We also identify the questions that should be addressed before proceeding with therapeutic approaches based on neutralization of IL-4 or IL-13 pathways. Cancer Res; 72(24); 6338–43. ©2012 AACR.
High-Throughput Monitoring of Human Papillomavirus Type Distribution
Authors: Söderlund-Strand Anna , Dillner Joakim
Published: December 2012

Background: There is a need for a rapid and cost-effective evaluation of the effects of different human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination strategies. Sexually active adolescents are a preferred target group for monitoring, as effects on HPV prevalence would be measurable shortly after implementation of vaccination programs.

Methods: The Swedish Chlamydia trachomatis testing program offers free Chlamydia trachomatis testing and reaches a majority of all adolescents in the population. We anonymized the 44,146 samples submitted for Chlamydia trachomatis testing in Southern Sweden during March to November 2008 and conducted HPV genotyping using PCR followed by mass spectrometry.

Results: The HPV positivity peaked at 54.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 52.2–56.6] among 21-year-old women and at 15.0% (95% CI, 12.4–17.6) among 23-year-old men. The HPV positivity was 37.8% (95% CI, 37.3–38.3) for women and 11.2% (95% CI, 10.6–11.8) for men. The most prevalent types among women were HPV 16 (10.0%; 95% CI, 9.7–10.3) and HPV 51 (6.0%; 95% CI, 5.7–6.3) and, among men, HPV 16 (2.1%; 95% CI, 1.8–2.4) and HPV 6 and HPV 51 (1.7%; 95% CI, 1.5–1.9).

Conclusion: The high HPV prevalences seen in the Chlamydia trachomatis screening population enables monitoring of the HPV type distribution among sexually active adolescents at high precision.

Impact: Effectiveness of HPV vaccination programs in terms of reducing HPV infections has been difficult to measure because of logistic constraints. We describe a system for high-throughput monitoring of HPV type-specific prevalences using samples from the Chlamydia trachomatis screening program. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(2); 242–50. ©2012 AACR.
In VitroSensitivity of CLL Cells to Fludarabine May Be Modulated by the Stimulation of Toll-like Receptors
Authors: Fonte Eleonora , Apollonio Benedetta , Scarfò Lydia , Ranghetti Pamela , Fazi Claudia , Ghia Paolo , Caligaris-Cappio Federico , Muzio Marta
Published: December 2012

Purpose: The emerging role of Toll-like receptors (TLR) in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) led us to ask whether TLR stimulation may protect CLL cells from drug-induced apoptosis.

Experimental Design: We cultured in vitro malignant B cells freshly isolated from 44 patients with CLLs in the presence or the absence of different concentrations of fludarabine before or after 24-hour TLR stimulation with specific ligands and evaluated cell viability, apoptosis, and molecular pathways involved.

Results: Heterogeneity was observed among samples. In leukemic cells from patients bearing adverse prognostic factors, TLR stimulation caused a significant increase of protection to fludarabine treatment, whereas this did not occur in the cells from patients with good prognosis. To identify novel molecular mechanisms accounting for the dichotomy of response between the two groups of patients, we conducted an apoptosis gene expression profile on leukemic cells either unstimulated or stimulated with TLR9 ligand. Strikingly, TLR9 stimulation specifically upregulated the expression of lymphotoxin-α in cells where an increased protection to fludarabine treatment was observed. Also, the expression of miR-155-3p was significantly increased after stimulation of distinct TLR in cells where fludarabine treatment was less effective.

Conclusions: These results suggest that at least in a proportion of patients, in vitro sensitivity to fludarabine may be modulated by the stimulation of TLR, likely mimicking microenvironmental signals occurring in vivo. Clin Cancer Res; 19(2); 367–79. ©2012 AACR.
Adipose Tissue Biology and Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Turer Aslan T. , Hill Joseph A. , Elmquist Joel K. , Scherer Philipp E.
Published: December 2012

It is epidemiologically established that obesity is frequently associated with the metabolic syndrome and poses an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. The molecular links that connect the phenomenon of obesity, per se, with insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease are still not fully elucidated. It is increasingly apparent that fully functional adipose tissue can be cardioprotective by reducing lipotoxic effects in other peripheral tissues and by maintaining a healthy balance of critical adipokines, thereby allowing the heart to maintain its full metabolic flexibility. The present review highlights both basic and clinical findings that emphasize the complex interplay of adipose tissue physiology and adipokine-mediated effects on the heart exerted by either direct effects on cardiac myocytes or indirect actions via central mechanisms through sympathetic outflow to the heart.
Precarious Work in Taiwan
Authors: Hsiao Hsin-Huang Michael
Published: December 2012

This article examines nonstandard or precarious workers in Taiwan since 2000. It traces the origin of nonstandard work back to increasing pressures faced by business in global competition and financial crises. Its emergence was also accompanied by the decline of the traditional informal labor sector and the increase of unemployment. It is argued that the issue of precarious work can mainly be explained by the rise of the “informalization” of employment among the formerly employed. The three types of the nonstandard work and dispatched work are discussed, along with specific case studies. Reactions from labor movements and social critics to the alarming problems facing precarious dispatched workers have finally caught the attention of the government. The concluding section assesses the policy responses to the growth of precarious work.
Aiming for Giants
Authors: Giersch Jason
Published: December 2012

Historically, strong teacher unions have been successful at gaining benefits and security for their members, but they have been put on the defensive by recent proposals for education reform. Charter schools are one such reform that could threaten unions, but there is wide variety in the content of state charter school laws. Using state-level data from 3 different years, I find that the stronger a state’s teacher union, the more antiunion provisions a state’s charter school law will contain. These results suggest that antiunion sentiment has reached a level high enough to overcome the unions’ ability to influence policy on this issue.
African Cultures and the Five-Factor Model of Personality
Authors: Zecca Gregory , Verardi Sabrina , Antonietti Jean-Philippe , Dahourou Donatien , Adjahouisso Marcel , Ah-Kion Jennifer , Amoussou-Yeye Dénis , Barry Oumar , Bhowon Uma , Bouatta Cherifa , Dougoumalé Cissé Daouda , Mbodji Mamadou , Meyer de Stadelhofen Franz , Minga Minga David , Ng Tseung Caroline , Nouri Romdhane Mohamed , Ondongo François , Rigozzi Christine , Sfayhi Nicole , Tsokini Dieudonné , Rossier Jérôme
Published: December 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess if a specific personality structure and personality profile might be observed in Africa comparing data from four African regions ( N = 1,774) with data from Burkina Faso ( N = 717) and Switzerland ( N = 1,787), according to the Five-Factor Model (FFM). A total of 4,278 participants completed the French version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) made up of 240 items. Concerning the structure, a recombination of Extraversion and Agreeableness in two factors labeled Love and Dominance was observed before targeted factor analyses. After Procrustes rotation, the Swiss factorial structure replicated well in Africa. The only specificity was that the Excitement Seeking facet scale loaded consistently on the Openness factor in Africa. However, personality structures obtained in different African regions were not more similar among themselves than they were to the structure found in Switzerland. Finally, multigroup confirmatory factor analyses suggested that the NEO-PI-R dimensions reached configural and metric invariances, but not scalar invariance, indicating that the mean personality profiles might be difficult to compare. Thus, this study showed no evidence for a unique pan-African structure.
“Passageless” Administration of the Nelson–Denny Reading Comprehension Test
Authors: Ready Rebecca E. , Chaudhry Maheen F. , Schatz Kelly C. , Strazzullo Sarah
Published: December 2012

There are few tests that assess reading comprehension in adults, but these tests are needed for a comprehensive assessment of reading disorders (RD). The Nelson–Denny Reading Test (NDRT) has a long-passage reading comprehension component that can be used with adolescents and adults. A problem with the NDRT is that reading comprehension test items can be answered correctly without reading the associated passage. The current study determined how IQ, verbal comprehension, and reading skills were associated with scores on a passageless administration of the NDRT. Results indicated that IQ, verbal comprehension, and broad reading skills were significantly associated with greater NDRT passageless scores. Results raise questions about the validity of the reading comprehension component of the NDRT and suggest that the test may have differential validity based on individual differences in vocabulary, general fund of knowledge, and broad reading skills.
The Relationship Among Self-Determination, Self-Concept, and Academic Achievement for Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Zheng Chunmei , Gaumer Erickson Amy , Kingston Neal M. , Noonan Patricia M.
Published: December 2012

Research suggests that self-determination skills are positively correlated with factors that have been shown to improve academic achievement, but the direct relationship among self-determination, self-concept, and academic achievement is not fully understood. This study offers an empirical explanation of how self-determination and self-concept affect academic achievement for adolescents with learning disabilities after taking into consideration the covariates of gender, income, and urbanicity. In a nationally representative sample ( N = 560), the proposed model closely fit the data, with all proposed path coefficients being statistically significant. The results indicated that there were significant correlations among the three latent variables (i.e., self-determination, self-concept, and academic achievement), with self-determination being a potential predictor of academic achievement for students with learning disabilities.
Authority in Cross-Racial Teaching and Learning (Re)considering the Transferability of Warm Demander Approaches
Authors: Ford Amy Carpenter , Sassi Kelly
Published: December 2012

This article compares a White teacher’s approach to authority with that of an African American warm demander. Ethnographic methods and discourse analysis illuminated how an African American teacher grounded her authority with African American students in shared culture, history, and frame of reference. A comparative analysis makes visible what White teachers need to do differently to establish cross-racial authority with African American students, such as prioritize interpersonal relationships, communicate in culturally congruent ways, link care with justice, develop a critical race consciousness, ally with students, and critique curriculum. The article offers a reconceptualization of the warm demander relevant for White teachers.
The research on geometric error’s tolerance design of X–Y stage’s measurement system accuracy
Authors: Gao Zhenyu , Hu Jinchun , Zhu Yu , Duan Guanghong
Published: December 2012

For an X–Y stage’s six-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF), displacement measurement system using multi-interferometers, this paper builds the geometric error’s transfer model first, and then analyses the sensitivity of the measurement error to the geometric error. On this basis, a method of a geometric error tolerance design for the accuracy of a measurement system is proposed using an improved genetic algorithm (GA) with minimal weighted and multi-source error bounds. For the high correlation of transfer coefficients in the propagation process of various errors, using GA’s global optimal searching capability in the entire motion range of each stage, this method overcomes the shortcoming that conservative results are usually produced when an equivalent effect method is used. Therefore, this method acquires a more objective result of the tolerance design of a geometric error for the X–Y stage measurement system accuracy.
A Climate for Change? Critical Reflections on the Durban United Nations Climate Change Conference
Authors: Banerjee Subhabrata Bobby
Published: December 2012

Despite more than fifteen years of high level efforts led by the United Nations to broker a binding agreement on emissions reduction, negotiations at every annual meeting have failed to establish a global agreement, mainly due to significant disagreements between industrialized and developing countries over differentiated responsibilities in reducing emissions. In this paper I describe my experiences as a participant-observer at the 17th United Nations Climate Change summit held in Durban, South Africa, during December 2011. I provide a critical analysis of the political economy of climate change and discuss power dynamics between market, state and civil society actors as well as the shifting geopolitics that mark the emergence of China and India as major players in the climate change arena.
The Perichondrium in Auricular Melanomas
Authors: Craig E. Stirling , Nagarajan Priyadharsini , Lee Esther S. , Lazova Rossitza , Terner Jordan , Narayan Deepak
Published: December 2012

Objective

Auricular melanomas are now considered less aggressive than originally thought, but those located on the conchal bowl and posterior ear can create particular challenges for reconstruction. Given the paucity of cases, no standardized recommendations exist for tumor resection. In this study, we provide a pathologic basis in support of conservative tumor resection along the perichondrial plane.

Study Design

Case series with review of pathology and medical records.

Setting

Academic tertiary referral center.

Subjects and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed all ear melanomas from the archives of Yale Dermatopathology and Surgical Pathology laboratories between 1987 and 2009. Cases of melanoma in situ or malignant melanoma of the earlobe were excluded.

Results

Fifty‐one cases were included in the study. Patients’ age ranged from 26 to 94 years, with a mean (SD) of 58.9 (17.5) years. The male to female ratio was of 5.4:1. Melanomas were distributed similarly between right and left ears, at 52% and 48%, respectively. The most common location was the helix (74.5%). The Breslow depth ranged from 0.19 to 11 mm, with a mean (SD) of 1.64 (1.6) mm. The lesion‐perichondrium distance ranged from 0 to 8.12 mm, with a mean (SD) of 1.11 (1.1) mm. Notably, the perichondrium was not invaded in any of the cases.

Conclusion

Based on the histopathologic characteristics of our cases, the perichondrium can be considered an effective barrier and therefore a biological plane for wide local resection in some cases of auricular melanomas, allowing surgeons to achieve negative margins without necessarily sacrificing underlying cartilage.
Female bestsellers: A cross-national study of gender inequality and the popular–highbrow culture divide in fiction book production, 1960–2009
Authors: Verboord Marc
Published: December 2012

This article studies trends in gender inequality in the domain of fiction books between 1960 and 2009 in France, Germany and the United States by analysing bestseller lists and literary award winners. It is argued that gender inequality is larger in fields or genres where more status is at stake for individual agents, as this causes an influx of men who then ‘edge’ women out of the field. The study finds evidence for this mechanism, as the presence of female authors in bestseller lists (exponent of the popular culture system) is larger than that among literary award winners (highbrow culture system) in all three countries. Cross-national differences are consistent (US smallest inequality, France largest), emphasizing the importance of field characteristics in explaining social inequalities in cultural production.
Backstage activities as frontstage news
Authors: Thornborrow Joanna , Haarman Louann
Published: December 2012

This article examines some of the discourse practices of contemporary television news reporting. Basing their analysis on BBC and ITV reports of the G20 summit meeting in London, April 2009, the authors investigate aspects of contemporary television news coverage. Drawing on Goffman’s work on backstage and frontstage regions and on footing, the authors focus specifically on the role of small talk, media self-referentiality and artfulness in visual and verbal synchrony as resources for personalisation and recontextualisation of private activities as public discourse.
Wet-priming extracorporeal membrane oxygenation device maintains sterility for up to 35 days of follow-up
Authors: Naso F , Gandaglia A , Balboni P , Zanella F , Danesin R , Spina M , Gerosa G
Published: December 2012

In emergency cases, rapid extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device initialization is able to drastically reduce the incidence of patient morbidity and/or mortality. Pre-assembled and ready-to-use ECMO circuits might save up to 30-60 critical minutes in patient management.

Six ECMO circuits (Oxygenator D905 EOS with REVOLUTION™ pump and Sorin PTS) were assembled in the operating room in standard conditions and then placed at 37°C for 35 days in order to evaluate possible contamination and ingrowth of micro-organisms. Every 7 days after ECMO circuit assembly and wet-priming, samples of priming fluid were analyzed to verify the presence/absence of possible common contaminants ( Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus and fungi). Moreover, two supplementary circuits, used as positive controls, were deliberately inoculated with a known concentration of a Escherichia coli strain and prime samplings carried out at different time-points to determine bacterial growth rate.

Sterility was maintained in the ECMO circuits for up to 35 days.
In quest of a new humanism
Authors: Simonsen Kirsten
Published: December 2012

During the last 20 years anti-humanist and posthumanist thinking have gained a strong foothold in human geography. This development has indisputable benefits regarding our understanding of the power-knowledge complex, representation and ‘new materialisms’, respectively, but it has also had a troubled relationship to the comprehension of lived experience, notions of agency and politics. This paper aims to explore how a practice-oriented re-reading of phenomenology can contribute to a ‘new humanism’ after anti-/posthumanism. The paper starts from a research study on ‘The Stranger, the city and the nation’, which I have recently completed with my colleague Lasse Koefoed. The purpose is to embed the subsequent philosophical discussions in their consequences for the empirical analysis of social life. The re-reading of phenomenology revolves around three issues: thinking the body as a phenomenal, lived body; orientation and disorientation in the directions and possibilities of social life; and the phenomenological travel along the anti-/posthumanist lane. The paper concludes with a suggestion of a ‘new humanism’ that avoids the rationalist and self-righteous claims of the old ones but maintains elements of the experiential dimension of social life, the acknowledgement of the other and the significance of human agency.
Effect of organomodified montmorillonite concentration on tensile and flow properties of low-density polyethylene–thermoplastic corn starch blends
Authors: Sabetzadeh Maryam , Bagheri Rouhollah , Masoomi Mahmood
Published: December 2012

In this study, low-density polyethylene (LDPE)–thermoplastic corn starch blends containing various amounts of organomodified montmorillonite (OMMT, 0.5–3 part per hundred (phr) resins) were prepared using a twin screw extruder. A 3-wt% LDPE-grafted maleic anhydride was used as a compatibilizer. The tensile, flow and water absorption properties of all the samples were measured by means of standard methods. Intercalated structures were achieved in all the samples, based on the x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic results. Increasing levels of clay also led to the higher gallery distance of silicate layers (i.e. 32.5–34.5 Å). Furthermore, increment in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and Young’s modulus ( E) as well as decrement in elongation at break ( ∊b) were obtained with increase in clay loading. The sample containing 1 phr nanoparticles showed 20% and 63% increase in UTS and E when compared with the reference sample, respectively. However, ∊b of this sample decreased by 17%. In addition, the flow property measurements indicated that as shear rate and the clay content increased, the apparent viscosity of all the samples decreased and increased, respectively. Finally, the presence of OMMT led to decrease in the melt flow index (MFI) of the samples. The MFI values also decreased with increasing the OMMT concentration. It is believed that the samples prepared in this work may biodegrade after exposure to the environment.
Synthesis, characterization and thermal properties of polystyrene–poly(lactic acid)–polystyrene triblock copolymer via atom transfer radical polymerization
Authors: Shen Jun , Jiang Wei , Liu Ying , Wei Rong-qing , Zhong Yu , Li Lin-ling , Xue Gi , Liu Xiao-ning
Published: December 2012

Polystyrene (PS)–poly(lactic acid) (PLA)–PS triblock copolymer is prepared with PLA and styrene (St) via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The structure and thermal properties of the copolymer are analyzed by infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and alcoholysis. The ATRP of St using bromine-terminated PLA as the initiator exhibits first-order kinetics and a low-molecular-weight distribution ( Mw/ Mn ≈ 1.5). The thermal stability of PLA is improved by copolymerization. Both the initial temperature of thermal decomposition and glass transition temperature are increased with an increasing length of PS block.
Navigating Hazardous Conditions
Authors: Wendorf Angela R. , Mosack Katie E.
Published: December 2012

Depression is highly prevalent among HIV-positive individuals and has been identified as an important predictor of suboptimal adherence to highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). To date, however, researchers have not adequately examined how depression influences adherence among depressed HIV-positive patients. The aim of our study was to explore the process by which depression interacts with other factors relevant to medication adherence decision making to influence adherence to HAART. We used principles of grounded theory to guide our methods. We conducted interviews with 21 HIV-positive individuals diagnosed with comorbid depressive disorders. Results indicated that depression, HIV-related cues, and health and self-care beliefs combined to influence coping strategies. Coping strategies, in turn, predicted whether participants were able to adhere to HAART. These findings can be used by practitioners to broaden the scope of factors they consider when treating depressed patients who might be at risk for nonadherence.
Different motion patterns of triple-walled carbon nanotube oscillators
Authors: Ansari Reza , Mahmoudinezhad Elias , Motevalli Benyamin
Published: December 2012

Carbon nanotube oscillators which can generate frequencies in the gigahertz range have attracted much attention in recent years. A number of studies on double-walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT) oscillators can be found in the literature, while other mechanisms of these oscillators with a higher number of oscillating nanotubes have not been well studied. This paper aims to investigate the motion properties of triple-walled carbon nanotube (TWCNT) oscillators in which the inner and middle tubes have telescopic motions with respect to the outer tube. To this end, the continuum approximation together with the Lennard-Jones potential function is utilized. In comparison with DWCNT oscillators, the triple-walled ones have shown a variety of motion patterns. In this respect, different types of motion patterns are classified and demonstrated. Moreover, it is observed that these nano-oscillators are so sensitive to their initial conditions. For this reason, a phase division of initial separation distances that generate different motion patterns is also presented.
Where the Wild Dreams Are
Authors: Speedy Jane
Published: December 2012

I come back from seeing my counselor, exhausted and inarticulate, yet strangely calm. I write. I come back from working with a group of clients/coresearchers. We write. I awake from a strange dream about an impossible, yet vivid conversation between two people long since dead. I write. I end up piecing together disconnected fragments of writing that leave traces, as if they are “a simultaneity of stories so far” across the spaces between therapy, writing as inquiry, coresearch, and autoethnography.
Transitions, Therapy, Tensions, and Testimony
Authors: Wright Jeannie , Cunningham Morag
Published: December 2012

The value and credibility of reflexivity and the use of the “I” in counseling and psychotherapy research continue to engender much controversy. Some of the many issues related to this debate are explored in this article, including the purpose of counseling and psychotherapy; the value of therapeutic writing; the place of autoethnography and collective biography in this increasingly positivist field of research, and their ethical implications; and the restraints imposed by funding paradigms. Three fictional research students and their lecturer offer diverse views.
Representations of m-linear functions on tensor spaces: Duals and transpositions with applications in continuum mechanics
Authors: Holopainen Sami
Published: December 2012

The main goal of the present paper is to introduce certain duals and transpositions of a high-order tensor playing an important role in continuum mechanics. Emphasis is also placed on the comparison of the duals and the transpositions. In contrast to the duals, the transpositions depend on a metric of an underlying metric space. A high-order tensor is itself a representation of a multilinear function on a tensor space, obtained by means of the multilinear extension. The duals and the transpositions of a high-order tensor are identified as multilinear maps defined by the generalized scalar and the inner product, respectively. Consequently, the duals and the transpositions distinguish and define symmetries and symmetry-preserving transformation rules of a co-, contra- and mixed-variant tensor, respectively. As an application in continuum mechanics, the duals and the transpositions of a usual fourth-order tensor are defined and are employed to the determination of symmetries involved.
Negative Affect, Decision Making, and Attentional Networks
Authors: Ortega Ana Raquel , Ramírez Encarnación , Colmenero José María , García-Viedma Ma del Rosario
Published: December 2012

This study focuses on whether risk avoidance in decision making depends on negative affect or it is specific to anxious individuals. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task was used to obtain an objective measure in a risk situation with anxious, depressive, and control individuals. The role of attentional networks was also studied using the Attentional Network Test–Interaction (ANT-I) task with neutral stimuli. A significant difference was observed between anxious and depressive individuals in assumed risk in decision making. We found no differences between anxious and normal individuals in the alert, orientation, and congruency effects obtained in the ANT-I task. The results showed that there was no significant relationship between the risk avoidance and the indexes of alertness, orienting, and control. Future research shall determine whether emotionally relevant stimulation leads to attentional control deficit or whether differences between anxious and no anxious individuals are due to the type of strategy followed in choice tasks.