bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydroclimatic Controls on the Means and Variability of Vegetation Phenology and Carbon Uptake
Authors: Koster R. D. , Walker G. K. , Collatz G. J. , Thornton P. E.
Published: April 2014

Long-term, global offline (land only) simulations with a dynamic vegetation phenology model are used to examine the control of hydroclimate over vegetation-related quantities. First, with a control simulation, the model is shown to capture successfully (though with some bias) key observed relationships between hydroclimate and the spatial and temporal variations of phenological expression. In subsequent simulations, the model shows that (i) the global spatial variation of seasonal phenological maxima is controlled mostly by hydroclimate, irrespective of distributions in vegetation type; (ii) the occurrence of high interannual moisture-related phenological variability in grassland areas is determined by hydroclimate rather than by the specific properties of grassland; and (iii) hydroclimatic means and variability have a corresponding impact on the spatial and temporal distributions of gross primary productivity (GPP).
Compensation between Resolved Wave Driving and Parameterized Orographic Gravity Wave Driving of the Brewer–Dobson Circulation and Its Response to Climate Change
Authors: Sigmond Michael , Shepherd Theodore G.
Published: April 2014

Following recent findings, the interaction between resolved (Rossby) wave drag and parameterized orographic gravity wave drag (OGWD) is investigated, in terms of their driving of the Brewer–Dobson circulation (BDC), in a comprehensive climate model. To this end, the parameter that effectively determines the strength of OGWD in present-day and doubled CO2 simulations is varied. The authors focus on the Northern Hemisphere during winter when the largest response of the BDC to climate change is predicted to occur. It is found that increases in OGWD are to a remarkable degree compensated by a reduction in midlatitude resolved wave drag, thereby reducing the impact of changes in OGWD on the BDC. This compensation is also found for the response to climate change: changes in the OGWD contribution to the BDC response to climate change are compensated by opposite changes in the resolved wave drag contribution to the BDC response to climate change, thereby reducing the impact of changes in OGWD on the BDC response to climate change. By contrast, compensation does not occur at northern high latitudes, where resolved wave driving and the associated downwelling increase with increasing OGWD, both for the present-day climate and the response to climate change. These findings raise confidence in the credibility of climate model projections of the strengthened BDC.
Accuracy Progressive Calculation of Lagrangian Trajectories from a Gridded Velocity Field
Authors: Chu Peter C. , Fan Chenwu
Published: April 2014

Reduction of computational error is a key issue in computing Lagrangian trajectories using gridded velocities. Computational accuracy enhances from using the first term (constant velocity scheme), the first two terms (linear uncoupled scheme), the first three terms (linear coupled scheme), to using all four terms (nonlinear coupled scheme) of the two-dimensional interpolation. A unified “analytical form” is presented in this study for different truncations. Ordinary differential equations for predicting Lagrangian trajectory are linear using the constant velocity/linear uncoupled schemes (both commonly used in atmospheric and ocean modeling), the linear coupled scheme, and the nonlinear using the nonlinear coupled scheme (both proposed in this paper). The location of the Lagrangian drifter inside the grid cell is determined by two algebraic equations that are solved explicitly with the constant velocity/linear uncoupled schemes, and implicitly using the Newton–Raphson iteration method with the linear/nonlinear coupled schemes. The analytical Stommel ocean model on the f plane is used to illustrate great accuracy improvement from keeping the first term to keeping all the terms of the two-dimensional interpolation.
Validation of Visual Caries Activity Assessment
Authors: Guedes R.S. , Piovesan C. , Ardenghi T.M. , Emmanuelli B. , Braga M.M. , Ekstrand K.R. , Mendes F.M.
Published: April 2014

We evaluated the predictive and construct validity of a caries activity assessment system associated with the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) in primary teeth. A total of 469 children were reexamined: participants of a caries survey performed 2 yr before (follow-up rate of 73.4%). At baseline, children (12-59 mo old) were examined with the ICDAS and a caries activity assessment system. The predictive validity was assessed by evaluating the risk of active caries lesion progression to more severe conditions in the follow-up, compared with inactive lesions. We also assessed if children with a higher number of active caries lesions were more likely to develop new lesions (construct validity). Noncavitated active caries lesions at occlusal surfaces presented higher risk of progression than inactive ones. Children with a higher number of active lesions and with higher caries experience presented higher risk of developing new lesions. In conclusion, the caries activity system associated with the ICDAS presents predictive and construct validity in primary teeth in the assessment of occlusal caries lesions, but predictive validity was not observed in smooth surfaces.
Differentiated Instruction, Professional Development, and Teacher Efficacy
Authors: Dixon Felicia A. , Yssel Nina , McConnell John M. , Hardin Travis
Published: April 2014

Teachers often struggle to provide all students access to specific learning activities that work best for them—and what works best for some students will not work for others. Differentiating instruction makes sense because it offers different paths to understanding content, process, and products, considering what is appropriate given a child’s profile of strengths, interests, and styles. This study focused on teacher efficacy as a way to explain teacher willingness to differentiate instruction. We found that a greater number of professional development hours in differentiation of instruction was positively associated with both teacher efficacy and the teacher’s sense of efficacy beliefs. This study demonstrated that teacher efficacy is an important dimension in implementing the process of differentiation regardless of what level or what content area the teacher taught (elementary, middle, or high school). Implications and future directions for research are also discussed.
miR-208a as a Biomarker of Isoproterenol-induced Cardiac Injury in Sod2+/− and C57BL/6J Wild-type Mice
Authors: Liu Ling , Aguirre Shirley A. , Evering Winston E. N. , Hirakawa Brad P. , May Jeffrey R. , Palacio Kimbie , Wang Jianying , Zhang Yizhong , Stevens Gregory J.
Published: April 2014

This investigation examined microRNA-208a (miR-208a) as a potential biomarker of isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac injury in superoxide dismutase-2 ( Sod2+/−) and the wild-type mice, and the potential sensitivity of Sod2+/− mice to ISO-induced toxicity. A single intraperitoneal injection of ISO was administered to age-matched wild-type and Sod2+/− mice at 0, 80, or 160 mg/kg. Plasma miR-208a, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and ISO systemic exposure were measured at various time points postdose. Hearts were collected for histopathology examination and for tissue expression of miR-208a and myosin heavy chain 7. ISO administration caused increases in cTnI and miR-208a plasma levels that correlated with myocardial damage; however, the magnitude of increase differed according to the types of mice. At similar ISO systemic exposure, the magnitude of cTnI was greater in wild-type mice compared to Sod2+/− mice; however, the magnitude of miR-208a was greater in Sod2+/− mice than that of the wild-type mice. Myocardial degeneration occurred at ≥3 hr in the wild-type and ≥6 hr in Sod2+/− mice. At ≥24 hr after ISO administration, miR-208a appeared superior to cTnI in indicating myocardial injury in both wild-type and Sod2+/− mice. Sod2+/− mice were not more sensitive than wild-type mice to ISO-induced toxicity.
Lean Six Sigma Applied to Ultrasound Guided Needle Biopsy in the Head and Neck
Authors: Matt Bruce H. , Woodward‐Hagg Heather K. , Wade Christopher L. , Butler Penny D. , Kokoska Mimi S.
Published: April 2014

Objectives

(1) Confirm the positive value stream of office‐based ultrasound using Lean Six Sigma; (2) demonstrate how ultrasound reduces time to diagnosis, costs, patient inconvenience and travel, exposure to ionizing radiation, intravenous contrast, and laboratory tests.

Study Design

Case series with historical controls using chart review.

Setting

Tertiary Veterans Administration Hospital (university‐affiliated).

Subjects and Methods

Patients with a consult request or decision for ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (USFNA) from 2006 to 2012. Process evaluation using Lean Six Sigma methodologies; years study conducted: 2006‐2012; outcome measurements: type of diagnostic tests and imaging studies including CT scans with associated radiation exposure, time to preliminary and final cytopathologic diagnosis, episodes of patient travel.

Results

Value stream mapping prior to and after implementing office‐based ultrasound confirmed the time from consult request or decision for USFNA to completion of the USFNA was reduced from a range of 0 to 286 days requiring a maximum 17 steps to a range of 0 to 48 days, necessitating only a maximum of 9 steps. Office‐based USFNA for evaluation of head and neck lesions reduced costs, time to diagnosis, risks and inconvenience to patients, radiation exposure, unnecessary laboratory, and patient complaints while increasing staff satisfaction. In addition, office‐based ultrasound also changed the clinical management of specific patients.

Conclusion

Lean Six Sigma reduces waste and optimizes quality and accuracy in manufacturing. This is the first known application of Lean Six Sigma to office‐based USFNA in the evaluation of head and neck lesions. The literature supports the value of office‐based ultrasound to patients and health care systems.
Sophono in Pediatric Patients: The Experience of an Italian Tertiary Care Center
Authors: Marsella Pasquale , Scorpecci Alessandro , Vallarino Maria Vittoria , Di Fiore Simona , Pacifico Concettina
Published: April 2014

Objective

Since 2011, a transcutaneous bone‐anchored auditory implant (Sophono) has been available for patients affected by bilateral, conductive hearing loss that cannot be corrected by surgery. To date, very few cases of device application in the pediatric population have been described. The aim of the present study is to report on complications, functional outcome, and health‐related quality of life of the first pediatric cases in Italy.

Study Design

Case series with planned data collection.

Setting

Tertiary care pediatric center.

Subjects and Methods

Of 25 candidates with bilateral, conductive hearing loss screened between January 2012 and July 2013, 6 were included in the study (3 male and 3 female; median age, 9 years; age range, 5‐17 years). Data concerning surgery, complications, functional outcome, and health‐related quality of life were gathered prospectively.

Results

No major intraoperative complications occurred. Postoperative complications included 1 patient developing a skin ulceration below the external magnet and 1 patient reporting pain from using the device for more than 4 hours a day consecutively. Median free‐field pure tone average (0.5‐3 kHz) with the device was 32.5 dB HL, and median functional gain was 33 dB HL. Median Glasgow Children's Benefit Inventory score was +42.

Conclusion

Sophono implants can be a valuable alternative to percutaneous implants in patients with bilateral, conductive hearing loss. To ensure the success of the treatment, several precautions should be taken, including a careful preoperative assessment of skull bone thickness and a close postoperative follow‐up of the skin under the external processor, especially over the first months.
Hereditary spherocytosis in a patient undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass – a case report
Authors: Spegar J , Riha H , Kotulak T , Vanek T
Published: April 2014

Hereditary spherocytosis is a genetically determined abnormality of red blood cells. It is the most common cause of inherited haemolysis in Europe and North America within the Caucasian population. We document a patient who underwent an aortocoronary bypass procedure on cardiopulmonary bypass. In view of the uncertain tolerance of the abnormal red cells in hereditary spherocytosis to cardiopulmonary bypass, we reviewed the patient’s chart and analyzed recorded values of these parameters: free plasma haemoglobin, renal parameters, cystatin C, bilirubin, liver tests, urine samples. From the results, we can see that slight haemolysis-elevated bilirubin in the blood sample and elevated bilirubin and urobilinogen in the urine sample occurred on the first postoperative day. The levels of these parameters slowly decreased during the next postoperative days. There was no real clinical effect of this haemolysis on renal functions.
Mobilities III
Authors: Cresswell Tim
Published: April 2014

While the previous report made a strong case for a focus on historical geographies of mobility, this report is focused on looming future issues for geographies of mobility (and mobilities studies more generally). The report uses the recent scare over the presence of horsemeat mixed in with beef products on European supermarket shelves to consider four important themes. First, it considers the notion of ‘critical mobilities’ – mobilities which interrupt the taken-for-granted world of flows and force us to question how things move and the meanings given to those movements. Second, the report examines the theme of animal mobilities, as the movements of animals, dead or alive, often provide examples of mobilities that upset established orders. Third, it scrutinizes the importance of logistics as a process and logic that moves things, people and animals around the world. Finally, the report reflects on the practices of off-shoring and outsourcing as mobility-based practices that are proving controversial in the current political and economic climate. The conclusion reflects on the centrality of security to all of these themes and to mobility studies in general.
Last Glacial Maximum conditions in southern Africa
Authors: Stone Abi E.C.
Published: April 2014

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (21±2 ka) is an important period for which to understand past climatic and environmental conditions. In particular it is a key time-slice for evaluating the performance of numerical climate model simulations of glacial palaeoclimates using palaeoenvironmental data sets. However, our palaeoenvironmental data sets and reconstructions of climatic conditions at the LGM are still debated in certain regions. This is the case for southern Africa, despite more than half a century of research since early conceptual models of palaeoclimate were proposed. The greatest debates are about the spatial patterning of relatively wetter and drier conditions than present and the position of the mid-latitude westerlies at the LGM. Different patterns emerge from: separate syntheses of palaeoenvironmental proxies, from different numerical model simulations and from comparisons of the two. In this review of the progress over half a century of research in southern Africa: (1) a brief historical review of key conceptual models is given, (2) key points of conflict that emerge in synthesis of palaeoenvironmental proxy records are outlined and (3) numerical model simulations are considered. From these, some points for future progress are suggested.
Circulating endothelial microparticles in female migraineurs with aura
Authors: Liman Thomas G , Bachelier-Walenta Katrin , Neeb Lars , Rosinski Jana , Reuter Uwe , Böhm Michael , Endres Matthias
Published: April 2014

Background and purpose

Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are vesicles that are released from activated endothelial cells and serve as a surrogate for endothelial dysfunction (ED). ED may be involved in migraine pathophysiology and contribute to the increased risk of ischemic stroke, particularly in female migraineurs with aura (MA). We sought to determine whether EMPs are elevated in women with MA.

Methods

In this case-control study, EMPs were detected by analysing surface markers using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Surface markers were measured covering the main cell lines relevant in cardiovascular disease like endothelial cells, platelets, monocytes and leucocytes. Microparticles (MPs) were identified in correlation to calibration by 1 -µm calibrator beads (Beckman Coulter). Arterial stiffness was assessed using fingertip tonometry and the heart rate-adjusted augmentation index (AI).

Results

We included 29 patients with MA and 29 matched controls. MA patients had significantly higher EMPs (CD62E+AnnexinV+: 5142/µl vs 1535/µl; p < 0.001; CD144+AnnexinV+: 6683/µl vs 3107/µl; p < 0.001), monocytic (CD14+AnnexinV+ 6378 vs 3161; p < 0.001), and platelet MPs (CD62P+CD42b+AnnexinV+ 5450 vs 3204; p < 0.001). Activated EMPs (CD62E+AnnexinV+) correlated with heart-rate adjusted AI ( r = 0.46; p < 001).

Conclusion

EMP levels are significantly elevated in women with MA and correlated with increased AI. Our findings suggest that endothelial activation is present in women with MA. This might contribute to higher stroke risk in MA.
Mechanical characterization of hybrid composites: A review
Authors: Kistaiah N , Kiran C Udaya , Reddy G Ramachandra , Rao M Sreenivasa
Published: April 2014

Although natural fiber-based composite materials attract with their special features like low specific weight, biodegradability and easy processing, these fibers in combination with artificial fibers show interesting properties and are suitable for certain engineering applications. Such engineered biocomposites are needed to meet the needs of users of construction and commodity products which will simultaneously maximize the sustainability of natural resources. Various researchers researched to develop and characterize such materials. This paper throws a light on recent trends, developments, advancements and applications of hybrid composite materials.
Unanticipated Consequences
Authors: Briggs Steven , Petrov Andrey , Peterson Samuel
Published: April 2014

Among scholars, there is a discussion regarding whether types of places, or facilities, function as crime generators or whether the association between some categories of facilities and higher rates of offending is the result of a small proportion of all facilities within a given category, or problem places. This study seeks to further inform this debate by exploring whether policy changes that alter the social functioning of a category of facilities, specifically bars and taverns, modifies the spatial association with crime. Using routine activities theory as a framework, this study builds on previous research by exploring the association between alcohol-serving establishments and violent crimes, specifically assaults, following the implementation of a smoke-free law. Using data from a pair of adjoining communities in Iowa, findings indicate the frequency of reported assaults on blocks with bars as well as on adjoining blocks declined following the implementation of a law prohibiting smoking tobacco products within bars and taverns. Implications for policies and future research are discussed.
Collaborative Planning by Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Authors: Deyle Robert E. , Wiedenman Ryan E.
Published: April 2014

More than twenty years of case study research have produced a rich theoretical framework for understanding the outcomes that can be achieved through effective collaborative planning and the starting conditions, process characteristics, and participant attributes and behaviors that can facilitate achieving those outcomes. Multivariate modeling of collaborative development of draft long-range transportation plans by the technical advisory committees of 88 U.S. metropolitan planning organizations supports nearly all of the hypotheses that have emerged from this case study literature. In this context, however, while consensus building best practices contribute significantly to success, formal consensus-based decision making emerges as not critical.
Pretreatment-dependent surface chemistry of wood nanocellulose for pH-sensitive hydrogels
Authors: Chinga-Carrasco Gary , Syverud Kristin
Published: April 2014

Nanocellulose from wood is a promising material with potential in various technological areas. Within biomedical applications, nanocellulose has been proposed as a suitable nano-material for wound dressings. This is based on the capability of the material to self-assemble into 3D micro-porous structures, which among others have an excellent capacity of maintaining a moist environment. In addition, the surface chemistry of nanocellulose is suitable for various applications. First, OH-groups are abundant in nanocellulose materials, making the material strongly hydrophilic. Second, the surface chemistry can be modified, introducing aldehyde and carboxyl groups, which have major potential for surface functionalization. In this study, we demonstrate the production of nanocellulose with tailor-made surface chemistry, by pre-treating the raw cellulose fibres with carboxymethylation and periodate oxidation. The pre-treatments yielded a highly nanofibrillated material, with significant amounts of aldehyde and carboxyl groups. Importantly, the poly-anionic surface of the oxidized nanocellulose opens up for novel applications, i.e. micro-porous materials with pH-responsive characteristics. This is due to the swelling capacity of the 3D micro-porous structures, which have ionisable functional groups. In this study, we demonstrated that nanocellulose gels have a significantly higher swelling degree in neutral and alkaline conditions, compared to an acid environment (pH 3). Such a capability can potentially be applied in chronic wounds for controlled and intelligent release of antibacterial components into biofilms.
Inheritance in Kenya
Authors: Kagotho Njeri
Published: April 2014

This study explores inheritance experiences among people living with HIV. Although Kenyan law provides protections that guarantee rightful transfers of wealth, results from this phenomenological study indicate that poor women who have received an HIV seropositive diagnosis face exceptional barriers in the wealth transfer process. Participants paint a picture of a society straddling the line between social traditions and statutory laws, as it attempts to protect vulnerable groups in wealth transfers.
Nonprofit-Business Partnering Dynamics in the Energy Efficiency Field
Authors: Shwom Rachael
Published: April 2014

What explains differentiation in a nonprofit’s organizational practices around partnering with businesses? I propose that attendance at events plays a role. To explore this, I identify a network of energy and environmental nonprofit organizations and the events that brought them together to influence appliance energy efficiency from 1994 to 2006. Using network analysis to identify cohesive subgroups, I find that over time, organizations become more likely to choose one type of event over another suggesting niche development occurred in the field. I also find that, controlling for previous efforts with businesses, funding, and mission, organizations that belonged to a cohesive subgroup of organizations brought together by an annual event promoting cooperative market approaches from 2001 to 2006 were five times more likely than those nonprofits in other subgroups to partner with business. This research has implications for understanding the creation of new events and its impact on organizational practices.
Risk for HIV following a diagnosis of syphilis, gonorrhoea or chlamydia: 328,456 women in Florida, 2000–2011
Authors: Peterman Thomas A , Newman Daniel R , Maddox Lorene , Schmitt Karla , Shiver Stacy
Published: April 2014

Several effective interventions are available for preventing HIV in women. Targeting interventions requires understanding their risk of acquiring HIV. We used surveillance data to estimate risks of HIV acquisition for 13–59-year-old women following a diagnosis of syphilis, gonorrhoea or chlamydia in Florida during 2000–2009. We excluded women reported with HIV before their STI, and measured HIV reported subsequent to STI (through 2011). Rates were compared to women with no reported STI. A total of 328,456 women had: syphilis (3325), gonorrhoea (67,784) or chlamydia (257,347). During 2,221,944 person-years of follow-up, 2118 of them were diagnosed with HIV. For women with no STI reported, during 64,763,832 person-years, 19,531 were reported with HIV. The crude rate of subsequent HIV diagnosis (per 100,000 person-years) was higher for women diagnosed with syphilis (597.9), gonorrhoea (171.3) or chlamydia (66.3) than women with no STI (30.2). Annual rates of HIV decreased over-all by 61.8% between 2001 and 2011. Women with syphilis or gonorrhoea were at highest risk for HIV and therefore might benefit from intensive counselling. However, they represented only a small fraction of the women who acquired HIV. Most cases of HIV infection among women occurred among the large group of women who were not at highest risk.
Don’t Do It Again! Directed Forgetting of Habits
Authors: Dreisbach Gesine , Bäuml Karl-Heinz T.
Published: April 2014

Most daily routines are determined by habits. However, the experienced ease and automaticity of habit formation and execution come at a cost when habits that are no longer appropriate must be overcome. So far, proactive and reactive control strategies that prevent inappropriate habit execution either by preparation or “on the fly” have been identified. Here, we present evidence for a third, retroactive control strategy. In two experiments using the list method of directed forgetting, the accessibility of newly learned and practiced stimulus-response rules was significantly reduced when participants were cued to forget the rules rather than to remember them. The results thus show that directed forgetting, so far observed and investigated only for episodic memory traces, can also be applied to habits. The findings further emphasize the adaptive value of forgetting and can be taken as evidence of a retroactive strategy of habit control.
A computational fluid dynamics model to evaluate the inlet stroke performance of a positive displacement reciprocating plunger pump
Authors: Iannetti Aldo , Stickland Matthew T , Dempster William M
Published: April 2014

A computational fluid dynamics model of the middle chamber of a triplex positive displacement reciprocating pump is presented to assess the feasibility of a transient numerical method to investigate the performance of the pump throughout the 180° of crank rotation of the inlet stroke. The paper also investigates, by means of computational fluid dynamics, the pressure drop occurring in the pump chamber during the first part of the inlet stroke in order to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms leading to cavitation. The model includes the compressibility of the working fluid and the lift of the inlet valve as a function of the pressure field on the inlet valve surfaces. It also takes into account the valve spring preload in the overall balance of forces moving the valve. Simulation of the valve motion was achieved by providing the solver with two user-defined functions. The plunger lift–time history was defined by the crank diameter and connecting rod length. This paper will demonstrate the feasibility and reasonable accuracy of the method adopted by comparison with experimental data.
Joint spatial Bayesian modeling for studies combining longitudinal and cross-sectional data
Authors: Lawson Andrew B , Carroll Rachel , Castro Marcia
Published: April 2014

Design for intervention studies may combine longitudinal data collected from sampled locations over several survey rounds and cross-sectional data from other locations in the study area. In this case, modeling the impact of the intervention requires an approach that can accommodate both types of data, accounting for the dependence between individuals followed up over time. Inadequate modeling can mask intervention effects, with serious implications for policy making. In this paper we use data from a large-scale larviciding intervention for malaria control implemented in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, collected over a period of almost 5 years. We apply a longitudinal Bayesian spatial model to the Dar es Salaam data, combining follow-up and cross-sectional data, treating the correlation in longitudinal observations separately, and controlling for potential confounders. An innovative feature of this modeling is the use of Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process to model random time effects. We contrast the results with other Bayesian modeling formulations, including cross-sectional approaches that consider individual-level random effects to account for subjects followed up in two or more surveys. The longitudinal modeling approach indicates that the intervention significantly reduced the prevalence of malaria infection in Dar es Salaam by 20% whereas the joint model did not suggest significance within the results. Our results suggest that the longitudinal model is to be preferred when longitudinal information is available at the individual level.
On fitting spatio-temporal disease mapping models using approximate Bayesian inference
Authors: Ugarte María Dolores , Adin Aritz , Goicoa Tomas , Militino Ana Fernandez
Published: April 2014

Spatio-temporal disease mapping comprises a wide range of models used to describe the distribution of a disease in space and its evolution in time. These models have been commonly formulated within a hierarchical Bayesian framework with two main approaches: an empirical Bayes (EB) and a fully Bayes (FB) approach. The EB approach provides point estimates of the parameters relying on the well-known penalized quasi-likelihood (PQL) technique. The FB approach provides the posterior distribution of the target parameters. These marginal distributions are not usually available in closed form and common estimation procedures are based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. However, the spatio-temporal models used in disease mapping are often very complex and MCMC methods may lead to large Monte Carlo errors and a huge computation time if the dimension of the data at hand is large. To circumvent these potential inconveniences, a new technique called integrated nested Laplace approximations (INLA), based on nested Laplace approximations, has been proposed for Bayesian inference in latent Gaussian models. In this paper, we show how to fit different spatio-temporal models for disease mapping with INLA using the Leroux CAR prior for the spatial component, and we compare it with PQL via a simulation study. The spatio-temporal distribution of male brain cancer mortality in Spain during the period 1986–2010 is also analysed.
A comparison of imputation strategies in cluster randomized trials with missing binary outcomes
Authors: Caille Agnès , Leyrat Clémence , Giraudeau Bruno
Published: April 2014

In cluster randomized trials, clusters of subjects are randomized rather than subjects themselves, and missing outcomes are a concern as in individual randomized trials. We assessed strategies for handling missing data when analysing cluster randomized trials with a binary outcome; strategies included complete case, adjusted complete case, and simple and multiple imputation approaches. We performed a simulation study to assess bias and coverage rate of the population-averaged intervention-effect estimate. Both multiple imputation with a random-effects logistic regression model or classical logistic regression provided unbiased estimates of the intervention effect. Both strategies also showed good coverage properties, even slightly better for multiple imputation with a random-effects logistic regression approach. Finally, this latter approach led to a slightly negatively biased intracluster correlation coefficient estimate but less than that with a classical logistic regression model strategy. We applied these strategies to a real trial randomizing households and comparing ivermectin and malathion to treat head lice.
Evaluation of ethical reflections in community healthcare
Authors: Söderhamn Ulrika , Kjøstvedt Helga Tofte , Slettebø Åshild
Published: April 2014

Background:

Ethical reflections over care practices are important. In order to be able to perform such reflections, healthcare professionals must learn to think critically about their care practice.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether an introduction to and practice in ethical reflections in community healthcare have consequences for the healthcare personnel’s practice.

Research design:

A mixed-methods design was adopted with five focus group interviews and an electronic questionnaire based on results from the interviews.

Participants and research context:

A total of 29 community healthcare personnel with experience in ethical reflections participated in the interviews. The electronic questionnaire was sent via email to 2382 employees in community healthcare services in 13 municipalities in southern part of Norway.

Ethical considerations:

The study was guided by the intentions of the Declaration of Helsinki and ethical standard principles and approved by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services.

Results:

An introduction to and practice in performing ethical reflections brought about an ethical awareness with understanding and respect for both colleagues and patients. The leader had a key role. Lack of time was a hindrance for ethical reflections. Three factors could predict meaningful ethical reflections: higher age of personnel, higher percentage of employment and longer experience with ethical reflections.

Discussion:

According to other studies, ethical reflections may enhance moral development of colleagues and their actions as advocates for the patients. A deepened ethical awareness, professional competency and sufficient time resources will guarantee proper caregiving.

Conclusion:

A supportive environment that prioritizes participation in reflection meetings is decisive. To practice ethical reflections will provide better care for patients. A challenge for the community healthcare system is to offer adequate positions that provide the personnel an opportunity to be involved as caregivers and to participate in ethical reflections.
A phenomenological constitutive model for shape memory polyurethanes
Authors: Gu Jianping , Sun Huiyu , Fang Changqing
Published: April 2014

Shape memory polyurethanes are materials that can recover a finite pre-deformed shape in response to thermal stimuli due to the combined action of hard and soft segments in the molecular configuration. In this study, affine network models are used to describe the mechanical behaviors of the soft segment phases. Furthermore, a new four-element recovery model is constructed for the hard segment phase in consideration of the structure change during the recovery process. In addition, as shape memory polyurethanes are temperature-sensitive materials, the influence of temperature on the parameter viscosity is investigated. A phenomenological constitutive model is proposed, with which the thermomechanical behavior of shape memory polyurethanes is predicted and the simulation results agree well with the experimental results.
Comparison of Early Versus Late Palliative Care Consultation in End-of-Life Care for the Hospitalized Frail Elderly Patients
Authors: Reyes-Ortiz Carlos A. , Williams Christopher , Westphal Christine
Published: April 2014

To examine the effects of early palliative care (PC; EPC; ≤3 days after admission) consultation versus late PC (>3 days) on number of days from day of consult to discharge (DCDAYS), a retrospective review of PC data (2009-2012) included 531 patients with age ≥65 and Palliative Performance Scale ≤50. Early PC was independently associated with lower DCDAYS ( P = .019). Persons admitted to hospice ( P = .010) as well as those discharged to home ( P = .003) and subacute rehabilitation (SAR; P = .015) were more likely to have an EPC compared to those who died. Admitting to hospice was associated with lower DCDAYS than discharging to long-term acute care ( P < .001) or SAR ( P < .001). Early PC resulted in lower DCDAYS, fewer inpatient deaths, and higher hospice admissions. Hospice resulted in fewer DCDAYS.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Hemostasis in Normal Women
Authors: MacEachern Kimberly , Kaur Harmanpreet , Toukh Mazen , Mumal Iqra , Hamilton Alexander , Scovil Stephen , James Paula , Elbatarny Hisham S. , Othman Maha
Published: April 2014

Women with mild bleeding disorders (MBDs) pose a diagnostic challenge and menorrhagia, the most common presenting symptom that remains underreported. We tested the hypothesis that screening apparently normal females using general and gynecological bleeding assessment tools and a global hemostatic assay together with platelet aggregation can help predict MBDs. We assessed 47 women using electronic bleeding assessment tools; e-bleeding questionnaire; and e-Pictorial Bleeding Assessment Chart (e-PBAC) based on previously validated methods, thrombelastography (TEG), and platelet aggregation together with basic coagulation testing. Three women had elevated bleeding score with von Willebrand disease diagnosis confirmed in one case and eleven cases had elevated e-PBAC. We report normal ranges for TEG and platelet aggregation in women during the first half of the menstrual cycle and show 23.4% of apparently normal women may have general or heavy menstrual bleeding. This is a prelude to a larger study to determine the validity of bleeding assessment tools in screening for MBDs in women.
A case series using famciclovir in stem cell transplant recipients with valacyclovir hypersensitivity reactions
Authors: Shah Shreya A , Gulbis Alison , Wilhelm Kaci
Published: April 2014

Background

Herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus reactivation can occur in up to 32% and 40% of patients, respectively in the first year post-transplant without prophylaxis. Antiviral therapy consisting of acyclovir or valacyclovir is recommended for at least 1 year post stem cell transplant per evidence-based guidelines.

Objective

In the event of a contraindication or hypersensitivity reaction to either drug, an alternative is essential based on the proven efficacy in reducing clinically significant herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus reactivations. We report two cases of successful initiation of famciclovir in stem cell transplant recipients experiencing hypersensitivity to valacyclovir or acyclovir.

Discussion

In both cases, there were no hypersensitivity reactions or breakthrough viral infections after famciclovir initiation but this observation is limited by a small patient population.

Conclusion

Due to the limited data available, famciclovir appears to be a reasonable option in immunocompromised patients with a mild valacyclovir or acyclovir hypersensitivity reaction.
Young People’s Early Offending
Authors: Corr Mary-Louise
Published: April 2014

Criminology has witnessed a growth of interest in the later stages of criminal careers with less attention given to providing an understanding of the onset of offending which goes beyond identifying the precipitative or ‘risk’ factors. Drawing on findings from a study of young people’s offending careers in Ireland, this article provides a contextualized understanding of the onset of crime located in young people’s biographical experiences and transition through youth more specifically. It focuses on one particular dimension of this process, suggesting that early offending can be understood as emerging in the context of strained leisure careers. The findings also highlight the close interaction between the development of young people’s leisure careers and their experiences of the local neighbourhood and social networks. It argues that responses to the early stages of youth offending must widen their focus from the individual to incorporate an understanding of broader socio-economic and cultural contexts.
‘News for Everyone? Perspectives of Young People and Journalists on Political Reporting in UK Television’
Authors: Henderson Lesley
Published: April 2014

Numerous studies have focused on young people and the extent to which they are politically (dis)connected; but we know far less about how ‘young people’ are perceived by journalists and editors who ‘make’ political news. This article reflects on a qualitative study involving focus groups with young adults aged 16–24 years (n = 80) and interviews with television news journalists and editors (n = 26). Young people perceived television news as overly focused on youth crime and anti-social behaviour, finding it difficult to connect mainstream political news with the lived reality of everyday life. Journalists are under considerable pressure to attract young audiences of ‘plugged in achievers’ and defensive of what they consider to be legitimate focus on ‘Westminster’ power. The views and occupational practices of political journalists should be studied if we are to shed light on news values that underpin reporting and identify opportunities by which inequities of access can be challenged.
Contact problems for textured surfaces involving frictional effects
Authors: Goryacheva IG , Martynyak RM
Published: April 2014

This review is mainly concerned with investigations devoted to periodic contact problems involving frictional effects, which were carried out by scientists from the former Soviet Union and CIS countries. The following class of problems is considered: 2D and 3D problems of frictional sliding contact between elastic and viscoelastic bodies with regular relief; stick-slip contact of bodies with wavy and periodically grooved surfaces; thermoelastic interaction between bodies with regular relief with regard for frictional heating; sliding contact between a surface with regular relief and a viscoelastic layer bonded to a rigid or an elastic foundation; effect of adhesion or incompressible fluid in the gaps on contact parameters in sliding contact between a textured surface and a viscoelastic layer.
The place of the social at the World Bank (1949–1981): Mingling race, nation, and knowledge
Authors: Rojas Cristina
Published: April 2014

This article enquires about the place of the social during the presidencies of Eugene R. Black (1949–1963) and Robert McNamara (1968–1981) at the World Bank. Black made technical assistance an integral part of the Bank’s mission. McNamara announced social policy as part of the Bank’s economic agenda in 1970. The article asks why it took so long for social policies to arrive and why the initial concern was not the well-being of the population but reducing its number. Using a political ontology approach, I argue that in the process of establishing a global authority over ‘one-world’, the Bank did not recognize differences. I pay attention to the mechanisms translating a pluriverse into one-world and the effects on the presence and absence of social programs. I conclude that the process within the Bank was far from consistent. The expectation is that knowing how one-world is re-enacted would open spaces for a pluriversal world.
The Mathematical Development Beliefs Survey: Validity and reliability of a measure of preschool teachers’ beliefs about the learning and teaching of early mathematics
Authors: Platas Linda M
Published: April 2014

The Mathematical Development Beliefs Survey was developed to measure early childhood teachers’ beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning in the preschool classroom. This instrument was designed to measure beliefs concerning (a) age-appropriateness of mathematics instruction, (b) classroom locus of generation of mathematical knowledge (teacher vs child), (c) mathematical development as a primary goal of preschool education, and (d) confidence level in providing mathematics instruction. The reliability and validity of the instrument was examined through multiple phases of development, including two pilot studies and a final study with 346 pre- and in-service preschool teachers across three states. Methods included cognitive interviews with participants, literature reviews, and interviews with experts in the field, as well as statistical procedures such as analyses of variance between well-defined groups of in- and preservice teachers, correlations between measures of knowledge and beliefs, and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability of the instrument was examined through the use of Cronbach’s alpha and item-total correlations. These statistical procedures provided very good to excellent support for both validity and reliability. Potential applications include informing development and evaluation of early childhood education teacher preparation programs and professional development interventions.
Using eye-tracking to identify pedestrians’ critical visual tasks. Part 2. Fixation on pedestrians
Authors: Fotios S , Uttley J , Yang B
Published: April 2014

This article investigates different approaches to the interpretation of eye-tracking video records of pedestrians walking outdoors to determine the apparent importance of fixation on other pedestrians and how this is influenced by the frequency of occurrence. The three approaches were as follows: the proportion of time that fixations were on pedestrians (14%), a common approach to interpretation; the proportion of fixations at critical moments that were on pedestrians (23%), critical moments being defined by a delayed response to a dual task; and the probability of an approaching pedestrian being fixated at least once (86%). These data were compared against the number of pedestrians encountered during the trials; the proportion of all fixations and the probability of fixating people were affected by the number of people encountered – only the critical-fixations data did not exhibit a trend.
Near-field and far-field goniophotometry of narrow-beam LED arrays
Authors: Jacobs V , Forment S , Rombauts P , Hanselaer P
Published: April 2014

In lighting calculations and simulations, the emission of a light source is conventionally modeled using the far-field luminous intensity distribution. However, the advent of luminaires including large arrays of LEDs with focusing optics creating narrow beams has made the traditional limiting photometric distance to reach far-field conditions less easy to determine. Furthermore, even correct far-field data can lead to erroneous predictions when illuminances are determined on a task surface which is positioned within the near-field region. A near-field representation could overcome these problems, but experimental validation for such LED arrays is lacking. This paper reports on near-field and far-field laboratory experiments using an array of two and five narrow-beam LEDs. A near-field approach makes discussions to determine the far-field photometric distance superfluous and leads to correct illuminances at any location with respect to the array, irrespective of the dimensions of the array and the beam angle of the individual components. Introducing the near-field representation of light sources in lighting design offers more accurate predictions when luminaires based on LED arrays with focusing optics are involved.
Sports on Traditional and Newer Digital Media
Authors: Gantz Walter , Lewis Nicky
Published: April 2014

In this essay, we examine a series of platform, content, reception, and lifestyle factors likely to shape sports fans’ use of traditional and newer digital media. Because of signal fidelity, screen size, presence, and the rights to air top-tier sports events, television is likely to remain the medium of choice for fans ready to watch live sports. Fans will use newer media, with their interactive options and affordance of agency to supplement and enhance their viewing experience. Although traditional and newer media are competing for fan attention and advertising dollars, use of these media for live sports is not a zero-sum game. This may not be the case for sports journalism and related programming about sports where, over time, fans may turn to newer media at the expense of the old.