bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highlighted depth-of-field photography
Authors: Kim Jaewon , Horstmeyer Roarke , Kim Ig-Jae , Raskar Ramesh
Published: May 2011

We present a photographic method to enhance intensity differences between objects at varying distances from the focal plane. By combining a unique capture procedure with simple image processing techniques, the detected brightness of an object is decreased proportional to its degree of defocus. A camera-projector system casts distinct grid patterns onto a scene to generate a spatial distribution of point reflections. These point reflections relay a relative measure of defocus that is utilized in postprocessing to generate a highlighted DOF photograph. Trade-offs between three different projector-processing pairs are analyzed, and a model is developed to help describe a new intensity-dependent depth of field that is controlled by the pattern of illumination. Results are presented for a primary single snapshot design as well as a scanning method and a comparison method. As an application, automatic matting results are presented.
BI as an assertion language for mutable data structures
Authors: Ishtiaq Samin , O'Hearn Peter W.
Published: May 2011

Reynolds has developed a logic for reasoning about mutable data structures in which the pre- and postconditions are written in an intuitionistic logic enriched with a spatial form of conjunction. We investigate the approach from the point of view of the logic BI of bunched implications of O'Hearn and Pym. We begin by giving a model in which the law of the excluded middle holds, thus showing that the approach is compatible with classical logic. The relationship between the intuitionistic and classical versions of the system is established by a translation, analogous to a translation from intuitionistic logic into the modal logic S4. We also consider the question of completeness of the axioms. BI's spatial implication is used to express weakest preconditions for object-component assignments, and an axiom for allocating a cons cell is shown to be complete under an interpretation of triples that allows a command to be applied to states with dangling pointers. We make this latter a feature, by incorporating an operation, and axiom, for disposing of memory. Finally, we describe a local character enjoyed by specifications in the logic, and show how this enables a class of frame axioms, which say what parts of the heap don't change, to be inferred automatically.
Gastroesophageal Reflux and Body Movement in Infants: Investigations with Combined Impedance-pH and Synchronized Video Recording
Authors: Wenzl Tobias G. , Stoltenburg Olaf , Silny Jiri , Skopnik Heino
Published: May 2011

The aim of this paper was to investigate the temporal association of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and body movement in infants. GER were registered by combined impedance-pH, documentation of body movement was done by video. Videorecording time (Vt) was divided into “resting time” and “movement time” and analyzed for occurrence of GER. Association was defined as movement 1 minute before/after the beginning of a GER. Statistical evaluation was by Fisher's exact test. In 15 infants, 341 GER were documented during Vt (86 hours). 336 GER (99%) were associated with movement, only 5 episodes (1%) occured during resting time. Movement was significantly associated with the occurrence of GER (). There is a strong temporal association between GER and body movement in infants. However, a clear distinction between cause and effect could not be made with the chosen study design. Combined impedance-pH has proven to be the ideal technique for this approach.
Digestive Enzymes in the CrayfishCherax albidus: Polymorphism and Partial Characterization
Authors: Coccia Elena , Varricchio Ettore , Paolucci Marina
Published: May 2011

We will deal with the partial characterization and the activity of the following digestive enzymes: amylase, pectinase, alginase, lipase, and protease present in the digestive tract of juvenile freshwater crayfishCherax albidus. Gastric juices, the hepatopancreas, and the intestine were sampled for enzyme analysis. Among carbohydratases, amylase activity was the highest. It was significantly higher in the intestine than in the gastric juice and hepatopancreas. Lipase activity was significantly higher in the hepatopancreas and the intestine compared to the gastric juice. Both alkaline and acid proteases were found. Alkaline proteases were characterized by employing specific protease inhibitors. Both trypsin and chymotrypsin activity was detected. The majority of alkaline protease activity was ascribable to trypsin. Several isoforms of digestive enzymes were identified by gel electrophoresis. This work provides basic information to study the digestive abilities of crayfish.
Use of Lozenges Containing Lactobacillus brevis CD2 in Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Trinchieri Vito , Di Carlo Stefano , Bossu' Maurizio , Polimeni Antonella
Published: May 2011

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis is a common disorder of the oral cavity, affecting mainly young people. It is characterized by small ulcers which can be very painful and generally heal spontaneously within 7–14 days. There is currently no therapy that can provide rapid healing.
This study evaluated the efficacy and rapidity of response of a lozenge containing Lactobacillus brevis CD2. 30 patients were randomized to take 4 lozenges a day of active product or placebo for 7 days. Signs and symptoms as well as laboratory parameters in the saliva were assessed at the start of the study and after 7 days of treatment.
The study demonstrated the efficacy and the rapidity of response of the Lactobacillus brevis CD2 lozenges in resolving the clinical signs and symptoms of aphthous stomatitis, with a significantly rapid improvement of pain. This is the first study confirming the efficacy of a probiotic product in this pathology.
On Singular Integrals with Cauchy Kernel on Weight Subspaces: The Basicity Property of Sines and Cosines Systems in Weight Spaces
Authors: Najafov Tofig Isa , Farahani Saeed
Published: May 2011

A singular operator with Cauchy kernel on the subspaces of weight Lebesgue space is
considered. A sufficient condition for a bounded action of this operator from a subspace
to another subspace of weight Lebesgue space of functions is found. These conditions are
not identical with Muckenhoupt conditions. Moreover, the completeness, minimality, and
basicity of sines and cosines systems are considered.
Comparisons of Brightness Temperatures of Landsat-7/ETM+ and Terra/MODIS around Hotien Oasis in the Taklimakan Desert
Authors: Oguro Yoshinari , Ito Seiji , Tsuchiya Kiyoshi
Published: May 2011

The brightness temperature (BT) of Taklimakan Desert retrieved from the data of Landsat-7/ETM+ band 6 and Terra/MODIS band 31 and 32 indicates the following features: (1) good linear relationship between the BT of ETM+ and that of MODIS, (2) the observation time adjusted BT of ETM+ is almost equal to that of MODIS, (3) the BT of Terra/MODIS band 31 is slightly higher than that of band 32 over a reservoir while opposite feature is recognized over desert area, (4) the statistical analysis of 225 sample data of ETM+ in one pixel of MODIS for different landcovers indicates that the standard deviation and range of BT of ETM+ corresponding to one pixel of MODIS are0.45∘C,2.25∘Cfor a flat area of desert, while respective values of the oasis farmland and shading side of rocky hill amount to2.88∘C,14.04∘C, and2.80∘C,16.04∘C.
Natura-Alpha Targets Forkhead Box M1 and Inhibits Androgen-Dependent and -Independent Prostate Cancer Growth and Invasion
Authors: Li Yirong , Ligr Martin , McCarron James P. , Daniels Garrett , Zhang David , Zhao Xin , Ye Fei , Wang Jinhua , Liu Xiaomei , Osman Iman , Mencher Simon K. , Lepor Hebert , Wang Long G. , Lee Peng
Published: May 2011

Purpose: The development of new effective therapeutic agents with minimal side effects for prostate cancer (PC) treatment is much needed. Indirubin, an active molecule identified in the traditional Chinese herbal medicine—Qing Dai (Indigo naturalis), has been used to treat leukemia for decades. However, the anticancer properties of Natura-alpha, an indirubin derivative, are not well studied in solid tumors, particularly in PC.

Experimental Design: The growth kinetics and invasion ability of on human PC cell lines with or without Natura-alpha treatment were measured by cell proliferation and invasion assays. The antitumor effects of Natura-alpha were examined in nude mice tumor xenograft models, and in a patient with advanced hormone-refractory metastatic PC. Signal network proteins targeted by Natura-alpha were analyzed by using proteomic pathway array analysis (PPAA) on xenografts.

Results: Natura-alpha inhibited the growth of both androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (LNCaP-AI, PC-3, and DU145) PC cells with IC50 between 4 to 10 mmol/L, and also inhibited invasion of androgen-independent PC cells. Its antitumor effects were further evident in in vivo tumor reduction in androgen-dependent and androgen-independent nude mice tumor xenograft models and reduced tumor volume in the patient with hormone refractory metastatic PC. PPAA revealed that antiproliferative and antiinvasive activities of Natura-alpha on PC might primarily be through its downregulation of Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) protein. Forced overexpression of FOXM1 largely reversed the inhibition of growth and invasion by Natura-alpha.

Conclusion: Natura-alpha could serve as a novel and effective therapeutic agent for treatment of both hormone-sensitive and hormone-refractory PC with minimal side effects. Clin Cancer Res; 17(13); 4414–24. ©2011 AACR.
Determining the Burden of Neurological Disorders in Populations Living in Tropical Areas: Who Would Be Questioned? Lessons from a Mexican Rural Community
Authors: Quet Fabrice , Preux Pierre-Marie , Huerta Mirna , Ramirez Ruben , Abad Teresa , Fragoso Gladis , Morales Julio , Sciutto Edda , Fleury Agnès
Published: May 2011

Background: The best approach to determine the burden of neurological disorders in developing countries is to perform population-based studies. Our objectives were to determine the prevalence of neurological disorders in a Mexican rural community and assess the usefulness of a household screening questionnaire. Methods: The survey took place in a Mexican rural community of Puebla State in Mexico. This was a cross-sectional, population-based, 2-phase study including a comparison of the usefulness levels of the individual (IQ) and household (HQ) questionnaires. Results: A total of 4,008 individuals participated in the prevalence study using the IQ; of these, 280 neurological examinations allowed to identify 127 individuals suffering from at least 1 neurological disease. The most frequent ailments were headache (22.4/1,000, 95% confidence interval, CI: 17.7–28.2), neuropathy (7.1/1,000, CI 95%: 4.4–11.3) and epilepsy (3.9/1,000, CI 95%: 2.3–6.5). The HQ, used in parallel with the IQ, detected significantly fewer neurological cases. This result was mainly due to the low capacity of the HQ to detect headache. Conclusions: Results of the prevalence study are discussed emphasizing their relevance in adequately allocating resources. The usefulness of the HQ for screening neurological disorders in general was low, but could be adequate for specific neurological disorders.
The Influence of Design and Definition on the Proportion of General Epilepsy Cohorts with Remission and Intractability
Authors: Abimbola Seye , Martiniuk Alexandra L.C. , Hackett Maree L. , Anderson Craig S.
Published: May 2011

Remission while on anti-epileptic drug (AED) therapy and remission off AED are the only prognostic criteria defined by the International League against Epilepsy (ILAE), defining remission as 5 seizure-free years. Prognosis studies in epilepsy have investigated other prognostic categories using different designs and definitions. This systematic review explores factors that explain discrepancies in the proportion of patients reported with commonly studied prognostic categories in general epilepsy cohorts. Thirty publications (reporting 37 studies) were included. The outcome categories were classified as immediate remission (5 studies), remission off medication (7 studies), remission on or off medication (15 studies), intractability (9 studies) and no remission after relapse (1 study). The findings show the importance of qualifying estimates specifically by how they were defined in each study, study design, setting and patient population as these have implications for patient management and counselling. The ILAE should define the outcome measures and terminology to which researchers should be required to adhere in subsequent updates of their guidelines on research related to remission and intractability.
Efficacy of N-Acetylcysteine in the Treatment of Nicotine Dependence: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Schmaal Lianne , Berk Lotte , Hulstijn Kai P. , Cousijn Janna , Wiers Reinout W. , van den Brink Wim
Published: May 2011

Relapse is the rule rather than the exception in smokers aiming to quit smoking. Recently, evidence has emerged that glutamate transmission plays an important role in relapse. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a cysteine prodrug, restores glutamate homeostasis and appears to be a potential new treatment for substance dependence. In the current pilot study, the effects of NAC on short-term abstinence of smoking were investigated. Subjects were heavy smokers randomized to receive placebo (n = 12) or NAC 3,600 mg/day (n = 10) in a double-blind fashion during 3.5 days. Subjects were asked to stop smoking and report on nicotine craving, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and cigarette smoking during treatment. At the end of the treatment, subjects were invited to smoke a cigarette and to rate the rewarding effect of this cigarette. There was no significant effect of NAC on craving (p = 0.23, d = 0.52) and only a statistical trend towards fewer withdrawal symptoms in the NAC condition (p = 0.07, d = 0.80). Interestingly, subjects receiving NAC rated the first cigarette after the abstinence period of 3.5 days as significantly less rewarding than subjects on placebo (p = 0.04, d = 0.85). It is concluded that the results of this pilot study are encouraging and suggest that NAC might be a promising new treatment option for relapse prevention in nicotine dependence.
Electric-Acoustic Stimulation of the Auditory System: A Review of the First Decade
Authors: von Ilberg Christoph A. , Baumann Uwe , Kiefer Jan , Tillein Jochen , Adunka Oliver F.
Published: May 2011

Electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) was developed for individuals with a profound hearing loss in the high frequencies and a substantial residual low-frequency hearing (LFH). For this group of candidates, conventional hearing aids often neither provided sufficient amplification nor were they considered suitable for cochlear implantation due to the possible destruction of residual hearing capabilities. With EAS, combining electric stimulation with an ipsilateral acoustic stimulation, preservation of residual LFH and the development of a new speech processor uniting both strategies became essential. Over the last years, EAS has developed further and advanced in electrode design and surgery techniques. This paper summarizes the history of EAS and acknowledges the tremendous work of the many research groups who contributed to the success of EAS.
The QT and Corrected QT Interval in Recovery After Exercise in Children
Authors: Berger Wouter Rudolph , Gow Robert M. , Kamberi Suleman , Cheung Michael , Smith Katherine Rose , Davis Andrew Mark
Published: May 2011

Background—

Prolongation of the QT interval after exercise can be used to help diagnose long-QT syndrome, especially when the resting QT interval is borderline. The aim of this study was to determine the normal ranges for QT and corrected QT in the recovery phase after exercise in children.

Methods and Results—

Ninety-four volunteer boys and girls aged 8 to <17 years without any history of heart disease underwent exercise testing and had a 12-lead ECG performed in the supine position for 10 minutes of recovery. The QT was measured using a standardized tangent method, with the baseline defined as the Q-Q line. The recovery QT was maximally short at 1 minute of recovery in 93 of 94 children then lengthened and stabilized at 4 to 5 minutes recovery. The recovery QT lengthens as heart rate decreases in an approximately linear fashion with a mean increase of 15 ms per 10-beat decrease in heart rate. The 98th percentiles for the corrected QT using the Bazett formula during minutes 4 to 6 in recovery were from 482 to 491 ms. There was excellent intraobserver and interobserver reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.95 and 0.88, respectively.

Conclusions—

There is substantial individual variability of the normal repolarization process in the postexercise recovery period in children. The study provides a reference for normal responses for similar populations using a specific measurement protocol that can be easily applied.
Circumstances and Outcomes of Sudden Unexpected Death in Patients With High-Risk Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Ye Siqin , Grunnert Matthew , Thune Jens Jakob , Stephenson Kent M. , Uno Hajime , Finn Peter V. , McMurray John J.V. , Velazquez Eric J. , Califf Robert , Pfeffer Marc A. , Solomon Scott D.
Published: May 2011

Background—

Sudden death (SD) is a frequent catastrophic complication in patients after myocardial infarction. Circumstances of SD may affect strategies for prevention.

Methods and Results—

We reviewed source documentation for 1067 patients who had SD in the Valsartan in Acute Myocardial Infarction Trial (VALIANT) trial. We determined the circumstances of these events and assessed long-term mortality in patients who were resuscitated. Location of the SD event was available in 978 of 1067 patients, with 226 events occurring within the first 40 days. Although SD was more likely to occur at home (645 of 978, 66%) than in hospital (204 of 978, 21%), the proportion of in-hospital events was higher early on (99 of 226, 44%). Home events were less likely to be witnessed regardless of time frame. Preceding activity was known for 42% of patients with home arrest; of these, 52% were determined to be asleep at time of event, and these deaths were more likely to be unwitnessed. A majority of patients for whom initial ECG rhythm was reported had ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (189 of 283, 67%). Of the 155 patients successfully resuscitated, 24% subsequently received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Nineteen percent of those who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator subsequently died compared with 49% of patients who did not receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (hazard ratio, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.14 to 0.93;
P
=0.04).

Conclusions—

A high proportion of SD events after high-risk myocardial infarction occurred at home, but in-hospital events were more common early on. Patients who were asleep were more likely to have unwitnessed arrests. Alternative strategies for the prevention of SD in patients who are not candidates for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator will need to take into account the circumstances of SD events.
Spatial and Temporal Variability of the M2 Internal Tide Generation and Propagation on the Oregon Shelf
Authors: Osborne J. J. , Kurapov A. L. , Egbert G. D. , Kosro P. M.
Published: May 2011

A 1-km-horizontal-resolution model based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System is implemented along the Oregon coast to study average characteristics and intermittency of the M2 internal tide during summer upwelling. Wind-driven and tidally driven flows are simulated in combination, using realistic bathymetry, atmospheric forcing, and boundary conditions. The study period is April through August 2002, when mooring velocities are available for comparison. Modeled subtidal and tidal variability on the shelf are in good quantitative agreement with moored velocity time series observations. Depth-integrated baroclinic tidal energy flux (EF), its divergence, and topographic energy conversion (TEC) from the barotropic to baroclinic tide are computed from high-pass-filtered, harmonically analyzed model results in a series of 16-day time windows. Model results reveal several “hot spots” of intensive TEC on the slope. At these locations, TEC is well balanced by EF divergence. Changes in background stratification and currents associated with wind-driven upwelling and downwelling do not appreciably affect TEC hot spot locations but may affect intensity of internal tide generation at those locations. Relatively little internal tide is generated on the shelf. Areas of supercritical slope near the shelf break partially reflect baroclinic tidal energy to deeper water, contributing to spatial variability in seasonally averaged on-shelf EF. Despite significant temporal and spatial variability in the internal tide, the alongshore-integrated flux of internal tide energy onto the Oregon shelf, where it is dissipated, does not vary much with time. Approximately 65% of the M2 baroclinic tidal energy generated on the slope is dissipated there, and the rest is radiated toward the shelf and interior ocean in roughly equal proportions. An experiment with smoother bathymetry reveals that slope-integrated TEC is more sensitive to bathymetric roughness than on-shelf EF.
The Allure of Status: High-Status Targets Are Privileged in Face Processing and Memory
Authors: Ratcliff Nathaniel J. , Hugenberg Kurt , Shriver Edwin R. , Bernstein Michael J.
Published: May 2011

The current research tests the hypothesis that face processing is attuned to high-status faces. Across three experiments, faces of high-status targets were better recognized than faces of low-status targets. In Experiment 2, this memory advantage for high-status targets also extended to an attentional bias toward high-status targets and to stronger sociospatial memory (identity—location link) for high-status targets. Finally, Experiment 3 finds that high-status faces received more expert-style holistic processing than did low-status faces. This suggests that high-status faces also benefit more from the strategic deployment of expert face processing resources than low-status faces. Taken together, these data indicate that perceivers strategically allocate face processing resources to targets perceived to be high in status.
Learning Inhibition in the Monty Hall Problem
Authors: Petrocelli John V. , Harris Anna K.
Published: May 2011

Despite repeated trials, people consistently fail to learn the solution to the Monty Hall problem (MHP). This research examines the links between learning, counterfactual thinking, and memory for decision/outcome frequencies. Study 1 participants completed 60 MHP trials and listed their thoughts following losses. Results showed that participants tended to counterfactualize switch losses more than stick losses, adhered to the prescriptions of their counterfactuals more frequently following switch losses than any other decisions/outcomes, and were less likely to learn the solution as counterfactuals increased. Furthermore, memory for switch losses was significantly overestimated, and the relationship between counterfactuals and learning was mediated by misestimation of decision/outcome frequencies. In Study 2, counterfactual salience was manipulated. Learning was less likely to occur when counterfactual salience was high than when it was low, a relationship that was again mediated by memory of decision/outcome frequencies. Findings are discussed in light of their theoretical and applied implications.
Impact of age on end-of-life care for adult Taiwanese cancer decedents, 2001–2006
Authors: Tang Siew Tzuh , Liu Tsang-Wu , Shyu Yea-Ing Lotus , Huang Ean-Wen , Koong Shin Lan , Hsiao Shu Chun
Published: May 2011

Background: With increasing patient age in Western countries, evidence indicates a pervasive pattern of decreasing healthcare expenditures and less aggressive medical care, including end-of-life (EOL) care. However, the impact of age on EOL care for Asian cancer patients has not been investigated.

Purpose: To explore how healthcare use at EOL varies by age among adult Taiwanese cancer patients.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study using administrative data among 203,743 Taiwanese cancer decedents, 2001–2006. Age was categorized as 18–64, 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85 years.

Results: Elderly (≥65 years) Taiwanese cancer patients were significantly less likely than those 18–64 years to receive aggressive treatment in their last month of life, including chemotherapy, >1 emergency room visits, >1 hospital admissions, >14 days of hospitalization, hospital death, intensive care unit admission, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intubation, and mechanical ventilation. However, they were significantly more likely to receive hospice care in their last year of life.

Conclusion: Elderly Taiwanese cancer patients at EOL received less chemotherapy, less aggressive management of health crises associated with the dying process, and fewer life-extending treatments, but they were more likely to receive hospice care in their last year and to achieve the culturally highly valued goal of dying at home.
Racial disparities in length of stay in hospice care by tumor stage in a large elderly cohort with non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Hardy Dale , Chan Wenyaw , Liu Chih-Chin , Cormier Janice N , Xia Rui , Bruera Eduardo , Du Xianglin L
Published: May 2011

This study examined whether there are racial disparities for length of stay in hospice for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).We studied 53,626 deceased patients aged ≥66 years diagnosed with American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I–IV NSCLC identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked data who used hospice services in the last six months before death, and died between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 2005. Median time (days) and percent length of stay in hospice, and multivariate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using zero-truncated negative binomial regression described relationships. In 2000–2005, most patients (64.1%) had <30 days, including those (30.2%) with <7 days length of stay in hospice care. After adjusting for confounders, the IRR for length of stay in hospice compared to whites was 38% increased for blacks (IRR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.01–1.89), and almost three-fold increased for Hispanics (IRR = 2.91;95% CI: 1.15–7.37) at stages I–II. However, blacks at stages III–IV had slightly decreased use of hospice services (IRR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85–0.97). Length of stay decreased slightly among blacks diagnosed with late stage (III–IV) NSCLC in 2000–2005.The gap in disparity for length of stay in hospice has narrowed for ethnic minorities compared to whites, while some ethnic minorities had greater length of stay at early disease stage.
Clinical Outcomes of Linezolid vs Vancomycin in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
Authors: Chan Jeannie D. , Pham Tam N. , Wong Jenny , Hessel Michelle , Cuschieri Joseph , Neff Margaret , Dellit Timothy H.
Published: May 2011

Background: Vancomycin has been the treatment standard for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, but clinical efficacy is limited. We report outcomes of a cohort with MRSA ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) treated with vancomycin vs linezolid. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 113 participants with MRSA VAP confirmed by bronchoscopy who have been initiated on therapy with either vancomycin or linezolid within 24 hours after bronchoscopy and completed ≥7 days of therapy during their hospitalization from July 2003 to June 2007. The primary endpoints were hospital survival and clinical cure, defined as resolution of signs and symptoms of VAP or microbiological eradication after completion of therapy along with clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) ≤6 at day 7 of therapy. Results: At hospital discharge, 23/27 (85.2%) of linezolid and 72/86 (83.7%) of vancomycin recipients had survived ( P = .672). In comparison to linezolid recipients, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for survival was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-3.27) with vancomycin therapy. Clinical cure was achieved in 24/27 (88.9%) of linezolid and 63/86 (73.3%) of vancomycin recipients ( P = .066). Compared to linezolid recipients, the adjusted OR for clinical cure was 0.24 (95% CI: 0.05-1.10) with vancomycin therapy. Survival and clinical cure did not differ significantly between vancomycin recipients with trough level ≥15 and <15 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggested no survival benefit but a trend toward higher cure rate with linezolid therapy. The optimal treatment of MRSA VAP requires further study through randomized, controlled trials.
The Federal Role in the Preparation of Special Education Doctorates
Authors: Smith Deborah Deutsch , Truong Anthony , Watson Roxanne , Hartley Melissa D. , Robb Susan Mortorff , Gilmore Robert
Published: May 2011

Three studies are described in this article. Each is focused on a different aspect of the long-standing initiative that supports special education doctoral students. This initiative is one of the discretionary programs of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act that is managed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Study 1 sought to determine the graduation rate of OSEP-supported special education doctoral students. Study 2 analyzed funding patterns provided to these doctoral students. Study 3 used data from the first two studies to make comparisons with information provided by other federal agencies that provide funding for students’ pursuit of doctorates across many disciplines. From the authors’ findings, they conclude that OSEP’s projects are critical to the nation’s capacity to produce a sufficient supply of special education doctorates, who in turn produce a sufficient supply of general and special educators who can be effective in inclusive educational settings. This article includes key findings from each study, provides overarching conclusions about how the specific funding and support packages might be modified, and suggests a process to use when making adjustments to these projects’ and doctoral students’ award levels.
The Role of Evaluative Conditioning in Attitude Formation
Authors: Walther Eva , Weil Rebecca , Düsing Jessica
Published: May 2011

In this article, we address how attitudes are acquired. We present evaluative conditioning (EC) as an explanation for attitude formation and attitude change. EC refers to changes in liking due to pairings of affectively meaningful and neutral stimuli. We discuss four different theoretical accounts of EC and outline current issues and avenues for future research.
Moving Beyond the Mean in Studies of Mental Chronometry
Authors: Balota David A. , Yap Melvin J.
Published: May 2011

Although it is widely recognized that response time (RT) distributions are almost always positively skewed and that mathematical psychologists have developed straightforward procedures for capturing characteristics of RT distributions, researchers continue to rely primarily on mean performance, which can be misleading for such data. We review simple procedures for capturing characteristics of underlying RT distributions and show how such procedures have recently been useful to better understand effects from standard cognitive experimental paradigms and individual differences in performance. These well-studied procedures for understanding RT distributions indicate that effects in means can be produced by (a) shifts of RT distributions, (b) stretching of slow tails of RT distributions, or (c) some combination. Importantly, effects in means can actually be obscured by opposing influences on the modal and tail portions of RT distributions. Such disparate patterns demand novel theoretical interpretations.
Do Ideologically Intolerant People Benefit From Intergroup Contact?
Authors: Hodson Gordon
Published: May 2011

The time-tested notion that increased contact improves intergroup attitudes, particularly under optimal conditions, is well established. Yet early theorists doubted whether contact could benefit intolerant, prejudice-prone persons. Without tackling the question directly, the contemporary contact field embraces an assumption opposed to that of its predecessors: that contact benefits intolerant individuals, given its general effectiveness. However, other prejudice interventions have failed or backfired among such people. Thus, established contact benefits among people generally may mask the failure of such interventions among intolerant people. I review contemporary evidence and conclude that the contact hypothesis retains its prominence among prejudice-reduction strategies: Intergroup contact and friendships work well (and often best) among intolerant and cognitively rigid persons—by reducing threat and anxiety and increasing empathy, trust, and outgroup closeness. Historically untested assumptions about contact have therefore tested favorably. Future imperatives involve directly addressing contemporary criticisms of contact research.
Metacognition in Later Adulthood
Authors: Hertzog Christopher , Dunlosky John
Published: May 2011

Metacognition includes two key concepts: monitoring of internal states and adaptive use of control strategies based on that monitoring. We review studies that indicate that aging does not materially affect the accuracy of elementary forms of monitoring encoding and retrieval states in episodic-memory tasks, even though it does influence episodic memory itself. Spared monitoring accuracy can therefore serve as a basis for older adults' use of compensatory strategies to achieve learning goals despite the influence of aging on mechanisms of learning. Metacognitive-intervention studies based on this premise show greater effects on learning than do traditional strategy-training approaches. Use of strategies for self-regulation, informed by monitoring, may be an important tool for older adults' effective cognitive functioning in everyday life.
Innovation Diffusion
Authors: Enfield Jacob , Myers Rodney D. , Lara Miguel , Frick Theodore W.
Published: May 2011

Educators increasingly view the high level of engagement and experiential learning offered by games as a means to promote learning. However, as with any designed learning experience, player experiences should provide an accurate representation of content to be learned. In this study, the authors investigated the DIFFUSION SIMULATION GAME (DSG) to assess the consistency of strategies effective in the game with those implied to be effective by the diffusion of innovations theory on which the game is based. They analyzed records from 2,361 completed game sessions of the DSG and compared successful and unsuccessful strategies. They further compared successful gameplay strategies with strategies suggested by the diffusion of innovations theory. The data analysis indicated that four of the seven winning strategies were inconsistent with what the theory predicts. However, this conclusion is tentative, given limitations of temporal detail in available data. These limitations imply how data should be collected to better investigate strategies that result in successful DSG gameplay. In addition, the study provides a case in which objective methods were used to analyze patterns of gameplay and offers insight on how data should be collected to analyze patterns more effectively.
Electrolocation with an electric organ discharge waveform for biomimetic application
Authors: Sim Miyoung , Kim DaeEun
Published: May 2011

Weakly electric fish use electric organ discharge (EOD) and their electroreceptors to identify prey, explore their surroundings, and communicate with other members of the same species. They are specialized in active electrolocation using a self-generated electric field, and they can sense distortion of their self-generated electric field caused by a target object. Electric fish have many electrosensors on the surface of their body, and the sensor readings from the electroreceptors form an electric image. A correlation exists between features of the electric images and characteristics of a target object. In estimating the location of a target object, the intensity, width, and slope of the electric image must be considered. In this article, we suggest that periodic EOD signals are helpful to extract localization features from noisy electrosensory signals. Cross-correlation between an efference copy signal and sensory signals in the waveform can produce filtered signals in the temporal domain. For a biomimetic fish robot, we can use two-phase filtering: noise-filtering with cross-correlation in the temporal axis and additional filtering in the rostrocaudal spatial axis. This spatiotemporal filtering can effectively remove noise, thus making it possible to obtain accurate localization features of a target object in an underwater environment.
School Wellness Policies
Authors: Hoxie-Setterstrom Gail , Hoglund Barbara
Published: May 2011

School districts are required to comply with a 2004 federal mandate to guide nutrition and physical activity environments of schools by developing and implementing wellness policies. The purposes of this article are to (a) discuss the implications of the federal mandate and (b) analyze policies from nine school districts in one large suburban county in Minnesota to assess for compliance, comprehension, and strength. Policy analysis was guided by a coding system that reflected the federal mandate. Only one district met all federal requirements; policy statements from most districts analyzed were nonspecific. Evidence from this analysis supports previous research indicating that many school wellness policies are not comprehensive, lack strength, and do not fully comply with the intent of the federal mandate. School nurses, as stakeholders in school environments, must identify and utilize collaborative opportunities to impact policy development and implementation regarding school nutrition and physical activity environments.
Cognitive Hearing Science
Authors: Rönnberg Jerker , Rudner Mary , Lunner Thomas
Published: May 2011

Stuart Gatehouse was one of the pioneers of cognitive hearing science. The ease of language understanding (ELU) model (Rönnberg) is one example of a cognitive hearing science model where the interplay between memory systems and signal processing is emphasized. The mismatch notion is central to ELU and concerns how phonological information derived from the signal, matches/mismatches phonological representations in lexical and semantic long-term memory (LTM). When signals match, processing is rapid, automatic and implicit, and lexical activation proceeds smoothly. Given a mismatch, lexical activation fails, and working or short-term memory (WM/STM) is assumed to be invoked to engage in explicit repair strategies to disambiguate what was said in the conversation. In a recent study, negative long-term consequences of mismatch were found by means of relating hearing loss to episodic LTM in a sample of old hearing-aid wearers. STM was intact (Rönnberg et al.). Beneficial short-term consequences of a binary masking noise reduction scheme on STM was obtained in 4-talker babble for individuals with high WM capacity, but not in stationary noise backgrounds (Ng et al.). This suggests that individuals high on WM capacity inhibit semantic auditory distraction in 4-talker babble while exploiting the phonological benefits in terms of speech quality provided by binary masking (Wang). Both long-term and short-term mismatch effects, apparent in data sets including behavioral as well as subjective (Rudner et al.) data, need to be taken into account in the design of future hearing instruments.
Using the Integrative Model to Explain How Exposure to Sexual Media Content Influences Adolescent Sexual Behavior
Authors: Bleakley Amy , Hennessy Michael , Fishbein Martin , Jordan Amy
Published: May 2011

Published research demonstrates an association between exposure to media sexual content and a variety of sex-related outcomes for adolescents. What is not known is the mechanism through which sexual content produces this “media effect” on adolescent beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. Using the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction, this article uses data from a longitudinal study of adolescents ages 16 to 18 ( N = 460) to determine how exposure to sexual media content influences sexual behavior. Path analysis and structural equation modeling demonstrated that intention to engage in sexual intercourse is determined by a combination of attitudes, normative pressure, and self-efficacy but that exposure to sexual media content only affects normative pressure beliefs. By applying the Integrative Model, we are able to identify which beliefs are influenced by exposure to media sex and improve the ability of health educators, researchers, and others to design effective messages for health communication campaigns and messages pertaining to adolescents’ engaging in sexual intercourse.
Elastohydrodynamic lubrication simulation of O-ring and U-cup hydraulic seals
Authors: Yang B , Salant R F
Published: May 2011

The recent development of an elastohydrodynamic lubrication rod seal model has made possible the simulation of hydraulic seal performance for design and selection purposes. This model consists of coupled fluid mechanics, contact mechanics, deformation, and thermal analyses. The model yields predictions of such characteristics as leakage and the friction force on the rod, as well as film thickness, fluid pressure, and contact pressure distributions. The model has been used in the selection process for the rod seal in a mini-actuator of a fluid power orthosis (orthopaedic device used to improve the function of movable parts of the body). Two alternative seals have been analysed and compared, an O-ring seal and a U-cup, both of polyurethane.
Secular materialism: a critique of earthly theory
Authors: Rose Mitch
Published: May 2011

Over the last 20 years, studies of material culture have increasingly come to rely on the assumption that cultural and material forms are co-constitutive. Indeed, it is thought that the co-constitutive nature of culture and materiality guarantees the significance of materiality in the constitution of social relations. This article illustrates the limitations of the co-constitutive relation by characterizing it as overly secular. Specifically, it argues that the co-constitutive relation grounds the significance of material culture in a set of earthly dynamics that rob materiality of its privileged position. The article develops this position through two manoeuvres: (1) it describes a particular conception of absence as it is developed in current debates in continental theory; and (2) it demonstrates how a blindness to absence provides a limited understanding of the significance of material objects within social relations. In conclusion, the author argues that the recognition of absence re-orients the way we understand the significance of material objects by attuning us to how materiality marks that which is necessarily beyond the social.
A Clinic-Based Youth Development Program to Reduce Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Adolescent Girls
Authors: Sieving Renee E. , Bernat Debra H. , Resnick Michael D. , Oliphant Jennifer , Pettingell Sandra , Plowman Shari , Skay Carol
Published: May 2011

Multifaceted, sustained efforts are needed to reduce early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among high-risk adolescents. An important area for research is testing youth development interventions offered through clinic settings, where access to high-risk adolescents is plentiful and few efforts have rigorously evaluated a dual approach of building protective factors while addressing risk. This article presents findings from a pilot study of Prime Time, a clinic-based youth development intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors among girls at risk for early pregnancy. Girls aged 13 to 17 years meeting specified risk criteria were assigned to Prime Time treatment groups. The Prime Time intervention included a combination of case management services and peer leadership groups. Participants completed self-report surveys at baseline, 12 and 18 months following enrollment. At 12 months, the intervention group reported significantly fewer sexual partners than the control group. At 18 months, the intervention group reported significantly more consistent condom use with trends toward more consistent hormonal and dual method use. Dose-response analyses suggested that relatively high levels of exposure to a youth development intervention were needed to change contraceptive use behaviors among adolescents at risk for early pregnancy. Given promising findings, further testing of the Prime Time intervention is warranted.
Ethical Consciousness in the Classroom: How Buddhist Practices Can Help Develop Empathy and Compassion
Authors: Mamgain Vaishali
Published: May 2011

Some members of the academic community have turned their attention to the use of contemplative pedagogy and find it is a powerful approach that benefits students not only in their education but also in their lives. In traditions such as Buddhism, contemplation has been used as a basis for the development of ethical consciousness and this article suggests that the academic community ought to foster this. This can be done intellectually by not shying away from teaching and discussing virtue ethics. Experientially, professors can help students cultivate a deep sense of ethical consciousness by using contemplative practices that develop heart-felt empathy and compassion. Explicitly introducing central Buddhist virtues (and the practices that develop them), might help students transform their lives. However, with no practical instruction on how to develop empathy, loving-kindness, and compassion, students may find that meditation and contemplative practices do little more than help them rest and relax.
Monitoring of Renal Function among HIV-Infected Patients Receiving Tenofovir in a Resource-Limited Setting
Authors: Kiertiburanakul Sasisopin , Chaisiri Kessarin , Kasettratat Narat , Visuttimak Pinyo , Bowonwatanuwong Chureeratana
Published: May 2011

The use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is supposed to be increased in a resource-limited setting due to the changing of the guidelines. TDF–associated renal function declines among HIV-infected patients were defined by an increase of serum creatinine (SCr) >1.5 times, a 25% decrease in calculated creatinine clearance (CCrCl), or an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from the baseline. Of all, 99% were antiretroviral treatment (ART)-experienced patients. At the 30th month, 19 (5.3%), 53 (14.9%), and 63 (17.7%) patients had renal function decline as defined by the above criteria with an incidence of 4.5, 12.5, and 14.6/100 person-year. A proportion of patients with a renal function decline detected by CCrCl or eGFR criteria was not different ( P = .301), whereas, it differed from that detected by SCr criteria ( P < .001). In conclusion, we encourage either CCrCl or eGFR calculations in monitoring renal function decline among HIV-infected patients receiving TDF in resource-limited settings.
Influence of User Comments on Perceptions of Media Bias and Third-Person Effect in Online News
Authors: Houston J. Brian , Hansen Glenn J. , Nisbett Gwendelyn S.
Published: May 2011

As online and mobile information technologies continue to become more commonplace, Americans are increasingly turning to these sources for news. Online news sites often allow readers to post comments about news stories. Using an experiment, the authors of this study sought to understand how user comments influence individual perceptions of media bias and third person perception in online political news. Results indicate that user comments accompanying online content can influence perceptions of bias in media depictions of presidential candidates. Additionally, user comments can influence perceptions of how much online news affects the political attitudes of others (third-person perception).