bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
English in Iranian magazine advertising1
Authors: BAUMGARDNER ROBERT J. , BROWN KIMBERLEY
Published: August 2012

ABSTRACT:  In the thirty‐two years since the Islamic Revolution occurred in Iran, economic and cultural globalization have affected the role of English in multiple domains in the country. Within the domain of advertising, shifts have occurred throughout the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Persian scholars have attributed the source of these shifts to tension between local and global identities and to shifts in government advertising policy. This paper explores a data set of 335 advertisements taken from magazines from the period 2006–2008. We contrast borrowings and language display and explore language use in the six parts of the advertisements. In roughly half of the ads, language display was evident. None of the ads were English only, although many of the Farsi2 ads were Farsi only. The targeted audience appeared to affect how much English appeared in ads along with the type of product or procedure advertised. Given the current status of English‐knowing Iranians, the authors conclude that English is likely to continue to have a vibrant presence in certain types of advertisements even as the government continues to promote the ideal of a modern Muslim linked neither to the West nor the East.
The Effects of Teachers’ Motivational Strategies on Learners’ Motivation: A Controlled Investigation of Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Moskovsky Christo , Alrabai Fakieh , Paolini Stefania , Ratcheva Silvia
Published: August 2012

While consensus exists about the critical role of learners’ motivation in second language acquisition, controlled investigations of the effects of teachers’ motivational strategies are limited. The research reported here used a quasi‐experimental design to assess the effects of motivational strategies used by Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers (N= 14) on Saudi EFL learners’ (N= 296) self‐reported learning motivation. The experimental treatment involved class‐time exposure to 10 preselected motivational strategies over an 8‐week period; the control group received traditional teaching methods. Multivariate analyses revealed a significant rise in learner motivation over time exclusively or predominantly among experimental vs. control learners, which held robust even when controlling for pretreatment group differences. These results provide compelling evidence that teachers’ motivational behaviors cause enhanced motivation in second language learners.
TACIT COLLUSION WITH LOW‐PRICE GUARANTEES*
Authors: LIU QIHONG
Published: August 2012

Existing studies on low‐price guarantees (LPGs) typically employ static models and the results are sensitive to modeling assumptions such as the type of guarantees, hassle costs and consumer heterogeneity. In contrast, we employ a fully dynamic model and show that LPGs robustly facilitate tacit collusion, by reducing a deviating firm's immediate deviation profit. This difference of results is because in a static model, any equilibrium has to be immune from any deviation, including infinitesimal deviation. In a dynamic model, however, one can ignore infinitesimal deviations since firms never have an incentive for such deviations.
MODELS OF COMPETITION BETWEEN FIRMS: ENDOGENOUS MARKET STRUCTURE IN THE KALECKIAN MODEL
Authors: Ohno Takashi
Published: August 2012

The purpose of this paper is to incorporate free entry into the Kaleckian model. To this end, we consider a model with monopolistic competition, mark‐up pricing and a free‐entry condition. Using this model, the Kaleckian model is unstable under a wage‐led growth regime, and it is stable under a profit‐led growth regime, when the interest rate is supposed to be constant. Stability under a wage‐led growth can be achieved if the interest rate is allowed to respond positively to capacity utilization. We also find that a goods market policy, but not an income distribution policy, is then effective from an economic growth perspective.
A longitudinal study on time perspectives: Relations with academic delay of gratification and learning environment1
Authors: PEETSMA THEA , SCHUITEMA JAAP , VAN DER VEEN INEKE
Published: August 2012

After they start secondary school (at age 12 in the Netherlands), students' time perspectives on school and professional career and self‐regulated learning decrease, while their perspectives on leisure increase. We aimed to investigate relations in the developments in time perspectives and delay of gratification in the first years of secondary education. In addition, the dependence of these relations on students' perceptions of the extent to which teachers emphasize the relevance of what is being learned was investigated. Seven hundred and one students participated in the study. A self‐report questionnaire was administered four times. The results showed the expected decreases in time perspectives on school and professional career and on delay of gratification and increases in perspectives on leisure. Furthermore, as expected, the development in short‐term perspective on school and professional career was positively related, and the development in the long‐term perspective on leisure was negatively related, to the development in delay of gratification. Positive relations were found between emphasized relevance of learning and developments in students' perspectives on school and professional career and delay of gratification.
Entrusting dreams to someone else: The influences of autobiographical memory and future time perspectives on abandonment and entrustment of dreams
Authors: ISHINO YOKO , SHIMIZU HIROYUKI
Published: August 2012

People tend to entrust their own dreams, hopes, wishes, or aspirations associated with past positive or negative experiences, to others. These “others” may include children or people in younger generations. To date, psychological studies have investigated several developmental characteristics in relation to time perspectives. However, few studies have focused on the influence of autobiographical memory and future time perspectives on abandonment or entrustment of dreams. The present study examined this influence, based on the data of a total of 309 undergraduates for two questionnaires which included both open‐ended questions and rating scales. The questionnaires examined (a) the kinds of feelings and reasons that occurred at the time of abandonment and entrustment of dreams, (b) the personal experiences prompting the abandonment and entrustment recalled, and (c) how current future time perspectives conveyed sentiments that dreams should be entrusted to someone else. Statistical analyses of the data revealed that autobiographical memory and time perspectives were strongly related to participants' feeling of entrusting dreams to others.
The disciplinary politics of antagonistic nationalism in militarized South and North Korea
Authors: Kang Jin Woong
Published: August 2012

After the Korean War (1950–53), the two militarized Koreas governed each and every member of society in similar ways through their disciplinary politics of antagonistic nationalism. The existing studies of state formation in the two Koreas have neglected an aspect of state power that was neither necessarily top‐down nor violent from above but also reproduced from below. In both South and North Korea, especially from the 1960s to the 1970s, state power had internal dynamics that penetrated the day‐to‐day activities of most citizens and led them to actively accept and participate in nationalist rule. This article explores an understudied aspect of the two Koreas' state power that was disciplinarily diffused in people's everyday practices through reproduction of aggressive nationalism from below and the organic construction of the individual body and nation.
Long‐term perturbation of spine plasticity results in distinct impairments of cognitive function
Authors: VanLeeuwen Jon‐Eric , Penzes Peter
Published: August 2012

Dendritic spines serve as the post‐synaptic structural component of synapses. The structure and function of dendritic spines are dynamically regulated by a number of signaling pathways and allow for normal neural processing, whereas aberrant spine changes are thought to contribute to cognitive impairment in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. However, spine changes within different brain regions and their contribution to specific cognitive functions, especially later in adulthood, is not well understood. In this study, we used late‐adult KALRN‐deficient mice as a tool to investigate the vulnerability of different cognitive functions to long‐term perturbations in spine plasticity in different forebrain regions. We found that in these mice, loss of one or both copies of KALRN lead to genotype and brain region‐dependent reductions in spine density. Surprisingly, heterozygote and knockout mice showed differential impairments in cognitive phenotypes, including working memory, social recognition, and social approach. Correlation analysis between the site and magnitude of spine loss and behavioral alterations suggests that the interplay between brain regions is critical for complex cognitive processing and underscores the importance of spine plasticity in normal cognitive function. Long‐term perturbation of spine plasticity results in distinct impairments of cognitive function. Using genetically modified mice deficient in a central regulator of spine plasticity, we investigated the brain region‐specific contribution of spine numbers to various cognitive functions. We found distinct cognitive functions display differential sensitivity to spine loss in the cortex and hippocampus. Our data support spines as neuronal structures important for cognition and suggest interplay between brain regions is critical for complex cognitive processing.
APOE genotype affects the pre‐synaptic compartment of glutamatergic nerve terminals
Authors: Dumanis Sonya B. , DiBattista Amanda M. , Miessau Matthew , Moussa Charbel E. H. , Rebeck G. William
Published: August 2012

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype affects outcomes of Alzheimer's disease and other conditions of brain damage. Using APOE knock‐in mice, we have previously shown that APOE‐ε4 Targeted Replacement (TR) mice have fewer dendritic spines and reduced branching in cortical neurons. As dendritic spines are post‐synaptic sites of excitatory neurotransmission, we used APOE TR mice to examine whether APOE genotype affected the various elements of the glutamate–glutamine cycle. We found that levels of glutamine synthetase and glutamate uptake transporters were unchanged among the APOE genotypes. However, compared with APOE‐ε3 TR mice, APOE‐ε4 TR mice had decreased glutaminase levels (18%, p < 0.05), suggesting decreased conversion of glutamine to glutamate. APOE‐ε4 TR mice also had increased levels of the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (20%, p < 0.05), suggesting that APOE genotype affects pre‐synaptic terminal composition. To address whether these changes affected normal neurotransmission, we examined the production and metabolism of glutamate and glutamine at 4–5 months and 1 year. Using high‐frequency 13C/1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we found that APOE‐ε4 TR mice have decreased production of glutamate and increased levels of glutamine. These factors may contribute to the increased risk of neurodegeneration associated with APOE‐ε4, and also act as surrogate markers for Alzheimer's disease risk.
Cognitive, psychosocial, somatic and treatment factors predicting return to work after breast cancer treatment
Authors: Hedayati Elham , Johnsson Aina , Alinaghizadeh Hassan , Schedin Anna , Nyman Håkan , Albertsson Maria
Published: August 2012

Scand J Caring Sci; 2013; 27; 380–387

Cognitive, psychosocial, somatic and treatment factors predicting return to work after breast cancer treatment

Background:  Breast cancer (BC) may affect the ability to work. In this study, we want to identify any associations between cognitive, psychosocial, somatic and treatment factors with time to return to work (RTW) among women treated for BC.

Methods and participants:  At eight (baseline) and 11(follow‐up) months after BC diagnosis, women who had received adjuvant treatment for early BC at Stockholm South General Hospital completed the Headminder neuropsychological tests to obtain the Cognitive Stability Index (CSI), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire and its Breast Cancer Module. At both time points, we compared the scores from women who had returned to work with those who had not. We also reviewed the medical certificates of women still on sick leave at 8, 11 and 18 months after diagnosis to determine why they had not returned to work.

Results:  At baseline, 29 of 45 enroled women were working and 15 were not (one dropped out after baseline testing). The 14 women still not working 11 months after BC diagnosis had more advanced BC (OR = 3.64, 95% CI 2.01–7.31), lymph‐node involvement (OR = 18.80, 95% CI 5.32–90.69) and Her 2‐positive tumours (OR = 10.42,95% CI 2.19–65.32) than did working women. None of the scores for the four cognitive domains changed significantly at follow‐up in either group. Comments on the medical certificates generally supported these findings. Independently of any adjuvant cancer therapy, overall quality of life improved and most women did RTW 18 months after BC diagnosis.

Conclusions:  Chemotherapy is associated with longer periods of sick leave. Cognitive functions do not predict RTW. Independently of any adjuvant therapy, most women eventually RTW in a few months. The ability to predict RTW after BC treatment should help prepare higher‐risk patients for delayed RTW and allow earlier interventions to restore their social relations and quality of life.
Differential short‐ and long‐term effects of an invertebrate predator on zooplankton communities in invaded and native lakes
Authors: Kelly Noreen E. , Yan Norman D. , Walseng Bjørn , Hessen Dag O.
Published: August 2012

Aim

Forecasting the effects of invasive species remains difficult, because short‐term effects may be transitory and theories of long‐term effects are poorly developed and rarely tested. Here, we compare zooplankton communities from freshwater lakes in Norway and Canada that differ in their duration of exposure to the invertebrate predator Bythotrephes longimanus, to aid in predicting its potential long‐term impacts on Canadian zooplankton communities.

Location

Freshwater lakes in Canada and Norway.

Methods

We compared differences in zooplankton community structure, richness and occurrence between lakes with and without Bythotrephes in Canada and Norway using univariate and multivariate analyses of the incidence of crustacean zooplankton species.

Results

Correspondence analysis confirmed that zooplankton community composition differed dramatically in lakes with and without Bythotrephes in Canada but not in Norway. The short‐term exposure of Canadian lakes to Bythotrephes led to lower zooplankton diversity, particularly for cladoceran species, whereas in Norway, a greater diversity of zooplankton, particularly for copepod species, occurred in lakes where Bythotrephes has been present for long periods. Significantly more species in Norway demonstrated an increase in their frequency of occurrence, while significantly more species in Canada demonstrated a decrease, in lakes containing Bythotrephes.

Main conclusions

Bythotrephes can modify zooplankton community structure, diversity, and spatial occurrence across a watershed in a short period (i.e. a few decades) after invasion; however, some species appear to adapt to the presence of Bythotrephes over time. We hypothesize the long‐term effects of higher diversity in Norwegian lakes is attributed to altered interspecific community interactions, coupled with behavioural adaptations to avoid Bythotrephes predation, enabling the remaining species to increase their populations in space and time. If Canadian communities adapt similarly, the long‐term effects of Bythotrephes invasion in Canada may thus be less severe than those observed in the first few decades of the invasion.
Geographical journeys: Presidential Address and record of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) AGM 2012
Authors: PALIN MICHAEL
Published: August 2012

In his third and final address as President of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), Michael Palin reflects on what led him to become President and what he has learnt through this experience. He emphasises his hope that all will feel welcome at the Society and be inspired by its work. His comments are followed by a summary of the proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) 2012 Annual General Meeting, including reflections on 2011 and the Society's next strategy, which builds on its work in policy, research and higher education, schools and outdoor learning, geography in the workplace, expeditions and informed travel, and engaging the public.
A revision of Australia’s Jurassic plesiosaurs
Authors: KEAR BENJAMIN P.
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  Jurassic plesiosaur fossils are exceptionally rare in Australia and currently restricted to a single fragmentary skeleton (Sinemurian, Razorback beds, Queensland), some articulated vertebrae (lower Toarcian, Evergreen Formation, Queensland) and a few isolated bones and teeth (Aalenian–Bajocian, Champion Bay Group, Western Australia). These remains are attributable to either indeterminate plesiosaurs, or more specifically to pliosauroids and plesiosauroids, and occur within a variety of fluviatile‐lacustrine to coastal marine depositional settings. Although hampered by their incompleteness, Australia’s Jurassic plesiosaurs are significant because they include some of the most ancient occurrences from nonmarine strata, and Gondwanan marine reptiles of a similar age are otherwise very sparsely known.
Teaching Hospital Financial Status and Patient Outcomes Following ACGME Duty Hour Reform
Authors: Navathe Amol S. , Silber Jeffrey H. , Small Dylan S. , Rosen Amy K. , Romano Patrick S. , Even‐Shoshan Orit , Wang Yanli , Zhu Jingsan , Halenar Michael J. , Volpp Kevin G.
Published: August 2012

Objective

To examine whether hospital financial health was associated with differential changes in outcomes after implementation of 2003 ACGME duty hour regulations.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Observational study of 3,614,174 Medicare patients admitted to 869 teaching hospitals from July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2005.

Study Design

Interrupted time series analysis using logistic regression to adjust for patient comorbidities, secular trends, and hospital site. Outcomes included 30‐day mortality, AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs), failure‐to‐rescue (FTR) rates, and prolonged length of stay (PLOS).

Principal Findings

All eight analyses measuring the impact of duty hour reform on mortality by hospital financial health quartile, in postreform year 1 (“Post 1”) or year 2 (“Post 2”) versus the prereform period, were insignificant: Post 1 OR range 1.00–1.02 and Post 2 OR range 0.99–1.02. For PSIs, all six tests showed clinically insignificant effect sizes. The FTR rate analysis demonstrated nonsignificance in both postreform years (OR 1.00 for both). The PLOS outcomes varied significantly only for the combined surgical sample in Post 2, but this effect was very small, OR 1.03 (95% CI 1.02, 1.04).

Conclusions

The impact of 2003 ACGME duty hour reform on patient outcomes did not differ by hospital financial health. This finding is somewhat reassuring, given additional financial pressure on teaching hospitals from 2011 duty hour regulations.
Effects of kinin B1 and B2 receptor antagonists on overactive urinary bladder syndrome induced by spinal cord injury in rats
Authors: Forner Stefânia , Andrade Edinéia L , Martini Alessandra C , Bento Allisson F , Medeiros Rodrigo , Koepp Janice , Calixto João B
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose

Kinin B1 and B2 receptors have been implicated in physiological and pathological conditions of the urinary bladder. However, their role in overactive urinary bladder (OAB) syndrome following spinal cord injury (SCI) remains elusive.

Experimental Approach

We investigated the role of kinin B1 and B2 receptors in OAB after SCI in rats.

Key Results

SCI was associated with a marked inflammatory response and functional changes in the urinary bladder. SCI resulted in an up‐regulation of B1 receptor mRNA in the urinary bladder, dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord, as well as in B1 protein in the urinary bladder and B1 and B2 receptor protein in spinal cord. Interestingly, both B1 and B2 protein expression were similarly distributed in detrusor muscle and urothelium of animals with SCI. In vitro stimulation of urinary bladder with the selective B1 or B2 agonist elicited a higher concentration‐response curve in the SCI urinary bladder than in naive or sham urinary bladders. Cystometry revealed that treatment of SCI animals with the B2 selective antagonist icatibant reduced the amplitude and number of non‐voiding contractions (NVCs). The B1 antagonist des‐Arg9‐[Leu8]‐bradykinin reduced the number of NVCs while the non‐peptide B1 antagonist SSR240612 reduced the number of NVCs, the urinary bladder capacity and increased the voiding efficiency and voided volume.

Conclusions and Implications

Taken together, these data show the important roles of B1 and B2 receptors in OAB following SCI in rats and suggest that blockade of these receptors could be a potential therapeutic target for controlling OAB.
Narrative as a Resource for Feminist Practices of Socially Engaged Inquiry: Mayra Montero'sIn the Palm of Darkness
Authors: Gillman Laura
Published: August 2012

Against the view that the physical sciences should be the privileged source of reliable knowledge within the academy in general, and in philosophy in particular, this essay argues that an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge‐production, one that includes social and psychological assessment as well as narrative analysis, can better capture the diverse range of human epistemic activities as they occur in their natural settings. Postpositivist epistemologies, including Lorraine Code's social naturalism, Satya Mohanty's and Paula Moya's postpositivist literary and pedagogical projects, and Linda Alcoff's dialogical template for knowledge form the basis of a revised naturalized epistemology that is more accountable to a socially engaged inquiry. This revised naturalism shifts orientation from the idealized setting of the laboratory and its a priori conditions for knowledge to localized settings, where knowledge emerges out of diverse contextualized interpretations of the natural and social world that interlocutors produce as they dialogue with one another. Mayra Montero's neocolonial narrative thematizes the spatial shift of scientific activity, showing how epistemic authority, aligned with North American interests and regional identity, is established, withheld from others, and contested.
Risk of Mortality and Nursing Home Institutionalization After Injury
Authors: Porell Frank W. , Carter Mary W.
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To evaluate the effects of unintentional injuries on the risks of nursing home institutionalization and mortality in older adults.

Design

A retrospective analysis of data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, a nationally representative survey of Medicare beneficiaries.

Setting

Noninstitutionalized community residents.

Participants

Older adult panel members (N = 12,031) with continuous Medicare eligibility not enrolled in managed care in a cohort starting between 1998 and 2001.

Measurements

Cox regression and competing risk survival models were estimated using time‐varying injury‐status dummy variables and control variables for outcomes measured as time until death and institutionalization, respectively.

Results

Almost 4% of persons were institutionalized, 15% died, 14% had a sentinel injury, and 3% had two or more minor nonsentinel injuries within 1‐year period. Persons hospitalized for sentinel injury had elevated institutionalization and mortality risks during an injury episode and after the episode ended. Persons receiving outpatient treatment for sentinel injuries had elevated institutionalization risk during injury episodes (subhazard ratio [SHR] = 6.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.72–12.37) and elevated mortality risk after episodes (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.28–2.00). Persons with multiple minor nonsentinel injuries within a year also had elevated mortality (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.15–2.11) and institutionalization (SHR = 3.55, 95% CI = 2.25–5.67) risks.

Conclusion

Mortality and institutionalization risks extend well beyond the acute episode of treatment for sentinel and repeated minor injuries. More research is needed on longer‐term health outcomes of injury survivors to inform development of evidence‐based quality‐of‐care indicators.
The Elder‐Friendly Emergency Department Assessment Tool: Development of a Quality Assessment Tool for Emergency Department–Based Geriatric Care
Authors: McCusker Jane , Verdon Josée , Vadeboncoeur Alain , Lévesque Jean‐Frédéric , Sinha Samir K. , Kim Katherine Y. , Belzile Eric
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To develop and conduct a preliminary validation of selected subscales of an elder‐friendly emergency department (ED) assessment tool.

Design

Content validation of tool by an international panel. Construct validation using care ratings of ED lead physicians and nurses.

Setting

Quebec, Canada.

Participants

The international panel comprised 34 clinicians, administrators, and researchers. The construct validation was based on a 2006 survey of ED lead physicians and nurses at all 103 EDs in the province, of whom 68 (66%) supplied complete data.

Measurements

The initial tool included five subscales: ED staffing, screening and assessment, discharge planning, community services, and care philosophy. Differences in subscale scores were examined according to ED size, and of these scores were correlated with care ratings made by lead physicians and nurses.

Results

The average scores for three subscales (ED staffing, discharge planning, and community services) varied according to ED size. After adjustment for ED size, three subscales (screening and assessment, discharge planning, and community services) were correlated with ED nurse or physician care ratings. A preliminary tool, taking into account all factors, is proposed.

Conclusion

This study provides preliminary evidence of the validity of three subscales of the proposed elder‐friendly ED assessment tool. Results suggest that ED size should be considered in interpreting these subscales. Further evaluation and validation of the proposed tool will be needed to further its utility in helping to focus the quality improvement efforts of clinicians, managers, and administrators related to the care they provide older adults.
Risk of Fatal Injury in Older Adult Drivers, Passengers, and Pedestrians
Authors: Rolison Jonathan J. , Hewson Paul J. , Hellier Elizabeth , Husband Poppy
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To compare risk of fatal injury in elderly road users (drivers, passengers, pedestrians) with that of younger age groups and to assess the contribution of elderly road users to the number of reported fatalities in the population.

Design

Fatality age was categorized as 21 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, or 70 and older, and road user was categorized as driver, passenger, or pedestrian. Estimated number of trips made by each age group was used to adjust for exposure and to measure individual risk.

Setting

Fatalities recorded in Britain between 1989 and 2009.

Participants

Population‐wide fatal injury counts in Britain.

Measurements

Age of fatally injured drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Estimated number of trips made per year by drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

Results

Risk of fatal injury, but not fatality numbers in the population, were higher for older adult (≥70) drivers than for younger age groups. Risk of fatal injury was also high for older adult passengers and pedestrians, who represented the majority of older adult fatalities.

Conclusion

Previous emphasis on driver impairment in older age has unduly focussed attention on elderly drivers, who represent a minority of all driver fatalities. Older adults represent a much larger proportion of passenger and pedestrian fatalities. Additional policy schemes and initiatives should be targeted at safeguarding older adult passengers and making the road environment safer for elderly pedestrians.
The Development of Academic Geriatric Medicine in the United States 2005 to 2010: An Essential Resource for Improving the Medical Care of Older Adults
Authors: Bragg Elizabeth J. , Warshaw Gregg A. , Meganathan Karthikeyan , Brewer David E.
Published: August 2012

Academic geriatric medicine programs are critical for training the physician workforce to care effectively for aging Americans. This article updates the progress made by U.S. medical schools from 2005 to 2010 in developing these programs. Academic leaders in geriatrics in accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools were surveyed in the winter of 2010 (60% response rate), and results were compared with findings from a similar 2005 survey (68% response rate). Physician faculty in geriatrics increased from 9.6 (mean) full‐time equivalents (FTEs) in 2005 to 11.2 by 2010. In 2010, faculty and staff effort was mostly devoted to clinical practice (mean = 37%) and education (mean = 33%), with only seven responding schools devoting more than 40% of faculty effort to research. Schools that have been designated as Centers of Excellence had a median 20 FTE physician faculty, compared with seven at the other schools (P < .001). In 2010, 27% of medical schools required a geriatrics clerkship, and 87% (n = 83) had an elective geriatric clerkship. In summary, more fellows and faculty were recruited and trained in 2010 than in 2005, and some academic programs have emerged with strong education, research, and clinical initiatives. Medical student exposure to geriatrics curriculum has increased, but few academic geriatricians are pursuing research careers, and the number of practicing geriatricians is declining. New approaches to training the entire physician workforce to care for older adults will be required to ensure adequate medical care for aging Americans.
A Clinical Action Measure to Assess Glycemic Management in the 65–74 Year Old Veteran Population
Authors: Soroka Orysya , Tseng Chin‐Ling , Rajan Mangala , Maney Miriam , Pogach Leonard
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of including of clinical actions within 6 months of a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level greater than 8% upon measure adherence (pass rates) and to assess the association between patient factors and the likelihood of not passing.

Setting

Veterans Health Administration.

Design

Retrospective cohort study for FY2002 to FY2004.

Participants

One hundred fifty‐three thousand one hundred thirty‐two veterans aged 65–74 with diabetes mellitus not taking insulin; 99% were male and 86% white.

Measurements

The clinical action measure included three categories: (a) initial pass (index HbA1c < 8%); (b) modified pass (index HbA1c ≥ 8%), and the hierarchical occurrence of one of the following events within 6 months after date of index HbA1c: subsequent HbA1c < 8%, being started on insulin (100% weight), new oral medication (50% weight), care in a diabetes mellitus–related clinic (25% weight); and (c) failure (no category met or HbA1c > 9%). Multinomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between participant factors and the likelihood of not passing initially.

Results

Most (82.6%) or the participants had an index HbA1c of less than 8%, and 10.6% were in the modified pass group. The failure rate (17.4%) fell to 6.8% when actions were weighted equally and to 9.4% using different weights. Veterans who are African American (odds ratios (ORs) = 1.43 and 1.44), unmarried (ORs = 1.19 and 1.24), poor (ORs = 1.36 and 1.17), or taking two or more oral antihyperglycemic agents (ORs = 2.61 and 3.72) were significantly more likely to be in the modified pass and failure groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Most veterans with an initial HbA1c of 8% or greater had clinical actions within 6 months. A measure that incorporates multiple treatment options, including education and nutrition, could be of benefit by encouraging dialogue of such options between patients and clinicians.
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Decision Support Tool to Improve the Quality of Communication and Decision‐Making in Individuals with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Fraenkel Liana , Street Richard L. , Towle Virginia , O'Leary John R. , Iannone Lynne , Van Ness Peter H. , Fried Terri R.
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To design a tool for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) to inform individuals of their individual stroke and bleeding risks, assist in clarifying priorities, and promote communication.

Design

Clustered randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Primary care clinics.

Participants

Individuals with NVAF (N = 135).

Intervention

Completion of tool before regularly scheduled visit.

Measurements

Primary outcomes included the 100‐point informed and values clarity subscales of the decisional conflict scale (lower scores indicate individual is more informed and has greater clarity). Secondary outcomes included knowledge, patient–clinician communication, and change in treatment.

Results

Sixty‐nine individuals were enrolled in the intervention group and 66 in the control group. After their visit, intervention participants had lower scores on the informed (mean difference = −11.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −21.1 to −2.7) and values clarity subscales (mean difference = −14.6, 95% CI = −22.6 to −6.6). Greater proportions of intervention participants knew medications for reducing stroke risk (61% vs 31%, P < .001) and side effects (49% vs 37%, P = .07). Stroke (71% vs 12%) and bleeding risk (69% vs 20%) were discussed more frequently in the intervention than control group (P < .001). Five intervention participants expressed a preference for medication that was not concordant with their current treatment plan. There was no change in treatment plan in either group.

Conclusion

The tool was effective in improving perceived and actual knowledge and values clarity and in increasing physician–patient communication but did not change treatment.
Development of Vascular Risk Factors over 15 Years in Relation to Cognition: The Hoorn Study
Authors: Reijmer Yael D. , van den Berg Esther , Dekker Jacqueline M. , Nijpels Giel , Stehouwer Coen D. A. , Kappelle L. Jaap , Biessels Geert Jan
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To investigate the development of vascular risk factor levels at four points over 15 years in relation to late‐life cognitive functioning.

Design

Longitudinal population‐based study.

Setting

The Hoorn Study, a community‐based cohort study of glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk.

Participants

Three hundred eighty individuals without dementia (mean baseline age 57.7 ± 5.5).

Measurements

Four extensive medical examinations were conducted over 15 years. Cognition was assessed in detail at the fourth examination. The time course of vascular risk factors across the examinations was compared between individuals in the highest tertile (good performance) and those in the lowest tertile (poor performance) of cognitive functioning on three cognitive domains (memory, information processing speed, and attention and executive functioning (A&EF)).

Results

Individuals with poor information processing speed had higher levels of systolic blood pressure at baseline (mean difference (standard error) 11.6 (2.6) mmHg, P < .001) than those with good information processing speed. Individuals with poor A&EF had a higher waist:hip ratio (3.03 (1.15), P = .009), glycosylated hemoglobin (0.29% (0.10%), P = .005) and total cholesterol:high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (0.38 (0.19), P = .04) at baseline than individuals with good A&EF, although the differences in vascular risk factor levels between the poor and good cognition group diminished with increasing age.

Conclusion

High blood pressure, adiposity, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia at midlife are associated with late‐life cognitive dysfunction, but for most risk factors, this relationship gradually attenuates with increasing age. These results suggest that timing of vascular treatment strategies to prevent cognitive impairment is critical.
Transcutaneous Application of Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment for Shoulder Pain
Authors: Taverner Murray G. , Loughnan Terence E. , Soon Chien‐Wuen I.
Published: August 2012

We report a retrospective audit of transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency treatment therapy (TCPRFT) for shoulder pain over a 4‐year period.

Methods:  Electronic and manual case review revealed that TCPRFT had been performed on 13 patients, with 15 painful shoulders, using a single treatment session between 2006 and 2010 in an outpatient setting.

Results:  Of the 15 shoulders treated, 10 (two‐thirds) had pain relief for over 3 months with an average pain score reduction of 6.1 of 10 and an average duration of pain relief of 395 days. Two experienced pain relief of < 3 months with an average reduction in pain score of 4.3 of 10 and an average duration of effect of 11 days. Three cases experienced no pain relief from the treatment.

Summary:  These results suggest TCPRFT may provide clinically useful pain relief and be another treatment modality for shoulder pain. Our findings justifies further research, and we are proceeding with a double‐blind placebo randomized controlled studies to determine the efficacy of TCPRFT in chronic shoulder pain.
Network Location and Policy‐Oriented Behavior: An Analysis of Two‐Mode Networks of Coauthored Documents Concerning Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region*,†
Authors: Frank Ken , Chen I‐Chien , Lee Youngmi , Kalafatis Scott , Chen Tingqiao , Lo Yun‐Jia , Lemos Maria Carmen
Published: August 2012

This study explores how a scientist's location in science‐based policy networks can affect her policy‐oriented behaviors. In particular, we hypothesize that those scientists who fill structural holes in their networks will be more likely than others to engage in policy‐oriented behaviors. The network data are defined by scientists' coauthorship on policy documents regarding climate change in the Great Lakes. We employ a two‐mode network analysis to identify clusters of scientists who coauthored similar documents, and relative to those clusters, we identify those who fill structural holes by bridging between clusters. We find that those scientists who bridged between clusters were more likely to engage in policy‐oriented behaviors of policy advocacy and advising than were others in the network. This is an example of a link between network location and policy‐oriented behavior indicative of the broader phenomenon of how individuals exert agency, given structural constraints.
Mechanisms of Control in Emergent Interorganizational Networks
Authors: Marcum Christopher Steven , Bevc Christine A. , Butts Carter T.
Published: August 2012

The delegation of decision‐making capacity from one actor to another—known variously as authority or control—is a central phenomenon of organizational sociology. Despite its theoretical and practical significance, however, the dynamics of control within disrupted settings (such as disasters) remain poorly understood. Here, we shed light on this question by a reexamination of historical data on multiorganizational disaster response networks, using recently developed statistical methods for robust inference from error‐prone informant reports. Specifically, we test competing hypotheses about the relationship of control during the response process to the structure of interorganizational communication. We find that both the realized and normative response hierarchies are likely shaped by coordination among both nonadjacent alters and along indirect channels. Our results suggested that the communication structure of these networks is consistent with a control at a distance model of command. This article makes a substantial contribution to understanding the role of network structure in the emergence of control between organizations in disrupted settings. Additionally, our innovative approach to network inference will guide researchers in dealing with error‐prone data in their own research on policy networks.
Characterization of a Modified Polyvinylsilazane Preceramic Polymer
Authors: Coons Timothy P. , Reutenauer Justin W. , Richards Gavin , Frueh Samuel , Suib Steven L.
Published: August 2012

This investigation focused on the synthesis and characterization of a modified polyvinylsilazane (PVSZ) polymer. Previously, our group synthesized the PVSZ polymer through the ammonolysis of vinyltrichlorosilane (VTS) in tetrahydrofuran (THF). This material showed promise as a precursor for silicon nitride–silicon carbide‐based ceramic materials. Due to the structure of the PVSZ polymer, the ability to stabilize (shelf‐life) and dope with metals and metalloids has proven to be difficult. To overcome these problems, a second chlorosilane precursor, dichloromethylsilane, was introduced into the ammonolysis reaction. This polymer proved to be more stable (>3 months before cross‐linking) and added a potential doping site on the backbone of the polymer while maintaining ceramic yields greater than 80%. The polymethylvinylsilazane (PMVSZ) polymer was characterized using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and elemental analysis. The results indicated that the ratio of chlorosilane precursors used plays an important role in the composition of crystallized ceramic material.
Li‐Rich Vapor Transport Equilibration Temperature Dependence of Surface Composition of Initially Congruent LiNbO3 Crystal
Authors: Zhang De‐Long , Wang Zhen , Hua Ping‐Rang , Pun Edwin Yue‐Bun
Published: August 2012

The influence of Li‐rich vapor transport equilibration (VTE) on surface Li2O‐content of 1‐mm‐thick, congruent X‐, and Z‐cut LiNbO3 crystal plates was studied against the VTE temperature. The VTE‐induced surface Li2O‐content increase was evaluated from measured birefringence. The results show that the increase follows the traditional Arrhenius law with a surface Li2O‐content alteration constant (614 ± 136)/(91 ± 10) mol% and an activation energy (0.76 ± 0.05)/(0.53 ± 0.03) eV for the X/Z‐cut plate. An empirical expression that correlates the VTE‐induced surface Li2O‐content alteration with both the VTE temperature and duration is presented. The expression is useful for producing a near‐stoichiometric LiNbO3 plate with the desired surface Li2O‐content via balancing the VTE temperature and duration.
Immortalization of neuronal progenitors using SV40 large T antigen and differentiation towards dopaminergic neurons
Authors: Alwin Prem Anand A. , Gowri Sankar S. , Kokila Vani V.
Published: August 2012

Transplantation is common in clinical practice where there is availability of the tissue and organ. In the case of neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's disease (PD), transplantation is not possible as a result of the non‐availability of tissue or organ and therefore, cell therapy is an innovation in clinical practice. However, the availability of neuronal cells for transplantation is very limited. Alternatively, immortalized neuronal progenitors could be used in treating PD. The neuronal progenitor cells can be differentiated into dopaminergic phenotype. Here in this article, the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the differentiation of dopaminergic phenotype from the neuronal progenitors immortalized with SV40 LT antigen is discussed. In addition, the methods of generating dopaminergic neurons from progenitor cells and the factors that govern their differentiation are elaborated. Recent advances in cell‐therapy based transplantation in PD patients and future prospects are discussed.
Eph receptors and ephrins as targets for cancer therapy
Authors: Xi Hong‐Qing , Wu Xiao‐Song , Wei Bo , Chen Lin
Published: August 2012

Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands are involved in various signalling pathways and mediate critical steps of a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes. Increasing experimental evidence demonstrates that both Eph receptor and ephrin ligands are overexpressed in a number of human tumours, and are associated with tumour growth, invasiveness and metastasis. In this regard, the Eph/ephrin system provides the foundation for potentially exciting new targets for anticancer therapies for Eph‐expressing tumours. The purpose of this review is to outline current advances in the role of Eph receptors and ephrin ligands in cancer, and to discuss novel therapeutic approaches of anticancer therapies.
Intravenous sulprostone infusion in the treatment of retained placenta
Authors: STEFANOVIC VEDRAN , PAAVONEN JORMA , LOUKOVAARA MIKKO , HALMESMÄKI ERJA , AHONEN JOUNI , TIKKANEN MINNA
Published: August 2012

Objective. To analyze the effectiveness of intravenous sulprostone infusion for the treatment of retained placenta without massive primary hemorrhage among women at an university hospital over a three‐year period. Design. Retrospective observational study. Setting. University teaching hospital. Population. 126 consecutive women with placental retention and intravenous sulprostone infusion as primary treatment performed from October 2007 up to December 2011. Methods. Hospital records of women who received sulprostone infusion to attempt placental expulsion were reviewed. Main outcome measures. Primary endpoints of the study were expulsion of placenta and the total amount of blood loss during delivery. Results. The placenta was successfully expelled in 39.7% of cases, whereas 60.3% of women underwent manual removal of placenta. Blood loss was significantly lower in women with successful placental expulsion than in women who had manual removal of the placenta (582 ± 431 ml vs. 1275 ± 721 ml, p < 0.0001). Sulprostone infusion did not cause adverse effects or significant postpartum morbidity. Conclusions. Intravenous sulprostone infusion is safe and reduces both blood loss and the need for manual removal of the placenta.
A continental‐scale analysis of fish assemblage functional structure in European rivers
Authors: Logez Maxime , Bady Pierre , Melcher Andreas , Pont Didier
Published: August 2012

The theory of traits (life‐history, ecological and biological traits) states that a species’ characteristics might enable its persistence and development in given environmental conditions. If environment is the major factor controlling functional assemblage structure, species with similar attributes are expected to inhabit a similar environment. This study uses trait states in 849 European riverine fish assemblages to analyze the influence of environment, phylogeny and biogeography on the functional structure of these assemblages. European fish assemblages were highly structured and two main syndromes (a suite of coevolved traits) were observed: 1) assemblages dominated by stenothermal intolerant individuals and 2) assemblages dominated by eurythermal, eurytopic and tolerant individuals. Temperature and stream physical structure were the two main environmental factors explaining the diversity of fish assemblage functional structures, while the influence of biogeographic factors was weak, once environment was taken into account. This suggests that, whatever the regional species pool, similar assemblage functional structures will be found in similar environmental conditions. The phylogenetic relatedness between species might also explain to some extent the associations between the species traits observed among European fish assemblages.