bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond Rhetoric: Reassessing Bedouin-Ottoman Relations along the Route of the Hijaz Telegraph Line at the End of the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Minawi Mostafa
Published: April 2015

This article examines Ottoman imperial and provincial relationships with Bedouin tribes living along the Hijaz Telegraph Line route. Using the construction of the Hijaz Telegraph Line as a case study, it demonstrates how anti-Bedouin rhetoric was strategically employed to justify actions policies recommended by provincial powers determined to block the imperial government’s plans to build a link between the Hijaz and Istanbul. It also shows how sabotage of the telegraph lines carried out by some Bedouin tribesmen was often instigated by oppressive measures put in place by the same provincial powers. Overall, it argues for the necessity of understanding the context in which rhetorical tools were employed when historians analyze rhetoric for the purpose of drawing conclusion about the nature of Ottoman imperial rule along the empire’s frontiers at the end of the nineteenth century.
Pentecostal Theologies of Healing, HIV/AIDS, and Women’s Agency in South Africa
Authors: Attanasi Katherine
Published: April 2015

This article examines the gendered implications of healing theologies in black South African pentecostal churches dealing with the HIV/AIDS crisis. Lived theologies of healing enhance women’s flourishing by providing or encouraging medical, social, and psychological support. However, pentecostal theologies of healing can impede women’s flourishing by creating a burdensome sense of responsibility in which women blame themselves for not being healed. More disturbingly, many women consider prayer as the most faithful or most feasible strategy for HIV prevention. This article identifies women’s constrained choices as a theological imperative for Pentecostalism to address gender inequality.
The Two Prostitutes or the Two Kingdoms? A Critical Reading of King Solomon’s Wise Ruling (1 Kgs 3:16-28)
Authors: Michael Matthew
Published: April 2015

The familiar story of King Solomon and the two prostitutes is often assumed to showcase the wise arbitration of King Solomon through the help of the divinely—endowed wisdom of Yahweh. In this standard reading of the passage, there is a quick intellectual fixation to show the relationship between the passage and the preceding divine encounter at Gibeon. Against the limitations of these traditional readings, the paper resituates the ideological/theological importance of the two prostitutes beyond its immediate literary landscape to encompass the entirety of the Deuteronomistic History (DtrH). Through verbal resonance and symbolic connections to the rest of the DtrH, the work underscores that the presence of these two prostitutes, at the opening of the book of Kings, is a significant prelude to the Dtr’s narratives on the subsequent demise of the two kingdoms.
Charting the Hellenization of a Literary Culture: The Case of Syriac
Authors: Brock Sebastian
Published: April 2015

Syriac literary culture became increasingly hellenized over the course of the fourth to seventh century AD. The paper sets out to indicate some of the ways by which the advance of this process can be charted. Special attention is given to two specific areas which prove to be particularly illuminating:

1. The changing attitudes to translation practice, clearly observable in successive translations of the Gospel and of certain patristic and philosophical texts, with a movement from reader-oriented to text-oriented translations, culminating in the seventh century, and a return to reader-oriented ones in the new context of the ʿAbbāsid translation movement.

2. The growing number of Greek loanwords taken over into Syriac and the dramatic increase in new adjectival forms. The marked growth in both of these can be charted diachronically, thanks to the existence of sufficient dated or datable texts.
Christian Graeco-Arabica: Prolegomena to a History of the Arabic Translations of the Greek Church Fathers
Authors: Treiger Alexander
Published: April 2015

Whereas Graeco-Arabic translations of philosophical and scientific literature, centered in Baghdad, have been the focus of sustained scholarly effort for over a century and a half, Arabic translations of the Greek Church Fathers, carried out by Arabic-speaking Christians for their ecclesiastical needs, have received very limited attention. This contribution attempts to chart a history of the Arabic versions of the Greek Church Fathers from the eighth century to the present, with emphasis on the translations produced in the monasteries of Palestine in the eighth, ninth, and early tenth centuries and in Antioch during the period of Byzantine rule. It shows how philological methods of Graeco-Arabic Studies can be successfully applied to these unduly neglected Arabic translations of Patristic works.
Six new species of the planthopper genus Usana Distant, 1906 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Achilidae) from China
Authors: LONG JIAN-KUN , YANG LIN , CHEN XIANG-SHENG
Published: April 2015

Six new species of the planthopper genus Usana, U. aspergilliformis sp. nov., U. concava sp. nov., U. congjiangensis sp. nov., U. fissura sp. nov., U. oblongincisa sp. nov. and U. unispina sp. nov. are described and illustrated from China. A checklist, a key to all species of the genus and illustrations of U. lineolalis Distant, 1906 are also given.
A preliminary study on the phylogeny of the family Phengodidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)
Authors: ZARAGOZA-CABALLERO SANTIAGO , ZURITA-GARCÍA MARTÍN LEONEL
Published: April 2015

A morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of the family Phengodidae (Coleoptera) is given. Thirty-six terminals, six genera and 60 morphological characters are included. To test the monophyly of phengodid subfamilies the terminals that belong to superfamily Elateroidea Drilocephalus Pic (Dascillidae), Pterotus LeConte (incertae sedis), Vesperelater Costa (Elateridae), Photinus Laporte (Lampyridae), Pseudotelegeusis Wittmer and Telegeusis Horn (Telegeusidae) are used as outgroups, with the remaining 30 terminals corresponding to 26 specific and four generic levels. The matrix was analyzed under a parsimony criterion under a heuristic search performed in TNT v. 2.0. One parsimonious tree was obtained. In this study two principal groups are recognized in the family Phengodidae. This study suggests for the first time a close relationship between the Telegeusidae and the subfamily Penicillophorinae.
A second Eocene species of death-watch beetle belonging to the genus
Microbregma Seidlitz (Coleoptera: Bostrichoidea) with a checklist of fossil Ptinidae
Authors: BUKEJS ANDRIS , ALEKSEEV VITALII I.
Published: April 2015

Based on a well-preserved specimen from Upper Eocene Baltic amber (Kaliningrad region, Russia), Microbregma waldwico sp. nov., the second fossil species of this genus, is described. The new species is similar to the extant Holarctic M. emarginatum (Duftschmid), 1825, and fossil M. sucinoemarginatum (Kuśka), 1992, but differs in its shorter abdominal ventrite 1 (about 0.43 length of ventrite 2) and larger body (5.1 mm). A key to species of the genus Microbregma is given, and a check-list of described fossil Ptinidae is provided. The fossil record of Ptinidae now includes 48 species in 27 genera and 8 subfamilies.
Review and three new species of the flat bug genus Neochelonoderus Hoberlandt, 1967 from East Africa (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Aradidae)
Authors: HEISS ERNST , GREBENNIKOV VASILY
Published: April 2015

The apterous East African Mezirinae flat bug genus Neochelonoderus Hoberlandt 1967 is revised. In addition to known species from Burundi (N. basilewskyi) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (N. straeleni), two new species from Tanzania (N. talaus n. sp. and N. areius n. sp.) and one from Zambia (N. hoberlandti n. sp.) are described and illustrated. A key to the species of Neochelonoderus is presented.
Lagrangian Tracking Simulation of Droplet Growth in Turbulence–Turbulence Enhancement of Autoconversion Rate
Authors: Onishi Ryo , Matsuda Keigo , Takahashi Keiko
Published: April 2015

The authors describe the Lagrangian cloud simulator (LCS), which simulates droplet growth in air turbulence. The LCS adopts the Euler–Lagrangian framework and can provide reference data for cloud microphysical models by tracking the growth of particles individually. The collisional growth in a stagnant flow is calculated by the LCS and also by solving the stochastic collision–coalescence equation (SCE). Good agreement is obtained between the LCS and SCE simulations. Comparisons between the results for stagnant and turbulent flows confirm that in-cloud turbulence enhances collisional growth. The enhancement is well predicted by the SCE method if a proper collision model is employed. To quantify the enhancement, the paper defines the time scale of the autoconversion process, in which cloud droplets grow into raindrops through collisions, as the time taken for 10% of the cloud to become rain (t10%). The authors then define the turbulence enhancement factor Eturb as [Formula: see text], where the overbar denotes the mean value of the LCS runs and the subscripts NoT and T indicate stagnant (nonturbulent) flow and turbulent flow simulations, respectively. It was found that the enhancement factor increases linearly with the energy dissipation rate, while it does not show a consistent dependence on the Reynolds number. The levels of statistical fluctuations in the autoconversion time scales were directly obtained for the first time. It is shown that the relative standard deviation of t10% simply follows the power law that the binomial distribution theory predicts, independently of the flow conditions.
An Intercomparison of the Spatiotemporal Variability of Satellite- and Ground-Based Cloud Datasets Using Spectral Analysis Techniques
Authors: Li Jing , Carlson Barbara E. , Rossow William B. , Lacis Andrew A. , Zhang Yuanchong
Published: April 2015

Because of the importance of clouds in modulating Earth’s energy budget, it is critical to understand their variability in space and time for climate and modeling studies. This study examines the consistency of the spatiotemporal variability of cloud amount (CA) and cloud-top pressure (CTP) represented by five 7-yr satellite datasets from the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) cloud assessment project, and total cloud fraction observation from the Extended Edited Cloud Reports Archive (EECRA). Two spectral analysis techniques, namely combined maximum covariance analysis (CMCA) and combined principal component analysis (CPCA), are used to extract the dominant modes of variability from the combined datasets, and the resulting spatial patterns are compared in parallel. The results indicate that the datasets achieve overall excellent agreement on both seasonal and interannual scales of variability, with the correlations between the spatial patterns mostly above 0.6 and often above 0.8. For seasonal variability, the largest differences are found in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes and near the South African coast for CA and in the Sahel region for CTP, where some differences in the phase and strength of the seasonal cycle are found. On interannual scales, global cloud variability is mostly associated with major climate modes, including El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and the Indian Ocean dipole mode (IODM), and the datasets also agree reasonably well. The good agreement across the datasets supports the conclusion that they are describing cloud variations with these climate modes.
Contrasting Short- and Long-Term Projections of the Hydrological Cycle in the Southern Extratropics
Authors: Wu Yutian , Polvani Lorenzo M.
Published: April 2015

Analysis of model output from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) reveals that, in the zonal mean, the near-term projections of summertime changes of precipitation in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) subtropics are very widely scattered among the models. As a consequence, over the next 50 years, the CMIP5 multimodel mean projects no statistically significant trends in the SH subtropics in summer. This appears to be at odds with the widely reported, and robust, poleward expansion of the subtropical dry zones by the end of the twenty-first century.

This discrepancy between the shorter- and longer-term projections in SH summer, as shown here, rests in the recovery of the ozone hole in the coming decades, as a consequence of the Montreal Protocol. This is explicitly demonstrated by analyzing model experiments with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model, version 4 (WACCM4), a high-top model with interactive stratospheric chemistry, and coupled to land, ocean, and sea ice components. Contrasting WACCM4 integrations of the representative concentration pathway 4.5 with and without trends in surface concentrations of ozone-depleting substances allows for demonstrating that stratospheric ozone recovery will largely offset the induced “wet gets wetter and dry gets drier” projections and the accompanying poleward expansion of the subtropical dry zone in the SH. The lack of near-term statistically significant zonal-mean changes in the SH hydrological cycle during summer is of obvious practical importance for many parts of the world, and it might also have implications for the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic continent.
Developing and Evaluating Drought Indicators for Decision-Making
Authors: Steinemann Anne , Iacobellis Sam F. , Cayan Daniel R.
Published: April 2015

Drought indicators can help to detect, assess, and reduce impacts of drought. However, existing indicators often have deficiencies that limit their effectiveness, such as statistical inconsistency, noncomparability, arbitrary metrics, and lack of historic context. Further, indicators selected for drought plans may be only marginally useful, and relatively little prior work has investigated ways to design operationally practical indicators. This study devises a generalizable approach, based on feedback from users, to develop and evaluate indicators for decision-making. This approach employs a percentile-based framework that offers clarity, consistency, and comparability among different indicators, drought levels, time periods, and spatial scales. In addition, it characterizes the evolution of droughts and quantifies their severity, duration, and frequency. User preferences are incorporated into the framework’s parameters, which include percentile thresholds for drought onset and recovery, severity levels, anomalies, and consecutive time periods for triggering. To illustrate the approach and decision-making implications, the framework is applied to California Climate Division 2 and is used with decision-makers, water managers, and other participants in the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) California Pilot. Stakeholders report that the framework provides an easily understood and beneficial way to assess and communicate drought conditions, validly compare multiple indicators across different locations and time scales, quantify risks relative to historic droughts, and determine indicators that would be valuable for decision-making.
Multiple Regimes and Low-Frequency Variability in the Quasi-Adiabatic Overturning Circulation
Authors: Wolfe Christopher L. , Cessi Paola
Published: April 2015

When interior mixing is weak, the ocean can support an interhemispheric overturning circulation on isopycnals that outcrop in both the Northern Hemisphere and a high-latitude southern circumpolar channel. This overturning cell participates in a salt–advection feedback that counteracts the precipitation-induced surface freshening of the northern high latitudes. The net result is an increase in the range of isopycnals shared between the two hemispheres, which strengthens the overturning circulation. However, if precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere sufficiently exceeds that in the Southern Hemisphere, the overturning cell collapses and is replaced by a cell circulating in the opposite direction, whose southern end point is equatorward of the channel. This reversed cell is shallower and weaker than its forward counterpart and is maintained diffusively. For a limited range of parameters, freshwater hysteresis occurs and multiple overturning regimes are found for the same forcing. These multiple regimes are, by definition, unstable with regard to finite-amplitude disturbances, since a sufficiently large perturbation can affect a transition from one regime to the other. Both overturning regimes show pronounced, nearly periodic thermohaline variability on multidecadal and multicentennial time scales. The multidecadal oscillation is expressed in the North Hemisphere gyre and driven by a surface thermohaline instability. The multicentennial oscillation has the character of an interhemispheric loop oscillation. These oscillations mediate transitions between overturning regimes by providing an internal source of finite-amplitude disturbances. As the diffusivity is reduced, the reverse cell becomes weaker and thus less stable to a given perturbation amplitude. This causes the width of the hysteresis to decrease with decreasing diffusivity.
Surface Wave Climatology and Its Variability in the North Indian Ocean Based on ERA-Interim Reanalysis
Authors: Anoop T. R. , Kumar V. Sanil , Shanas P. R. , Johnson Glejin
Published: April 2015

The climate over the north Indian Ocean (NIO) is one of the most dynamic in the world because of seasonally reversing monsoon winds. In this study, the climate of the NIO and the variability of its surface waves using the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global atmospheric reanalysis product (ERA-Interim) for the period 1979–2012 are analyzed. Annual average significant wave height (SWH) of the NIO ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 m and the seasonal average is highest (3–3.5 m) during the monsoon period [June–September (JJAS)]. Swells propagating from the Southern Hemisphere are present in the NIO during the premonsoon [February–May (FMAM)] and postmonsoon [October–January (ONDJ)] periods. The waves are separated into wind seas and swells based on the wave energy statistical method. The results show that the NIO is swell dominated and that wind sea heights are lower compared to the swell heights. Higher wind sea and swell heights are observed during the monsoon in the western NIO because of strong cross-equatorial winds of the Somali (Findlater) jet. In the postmonsoon period, the eastern NIO shows a higher swell height than the western NIO shows. SWH shows an annual increasing trend in the western NIO. On a seasonal scale, the trends are increasing significantly in the monsoon compared to the postmonsoon period in a major part of the NIO, whereas the premonsoon period shows a decline in SWH. In the NIO, the monsoon is the dominant mode of variability and it covers 92% of the total variability. Wave climate is also influenced by the annual and interannual variability in monsoon wind and rainfall.
The white paper impulse: Reviewing foreign policy under Trudeau and Clark
Authors: Halloran Mary , Hilliker John , Donaghy Greg
Published: April 2015

Three times in the span of 12 years (1968–1980), the foreign policy of the Canadian government was subjected to review by the Department of External Affairs. Although only the first of these efforts resulted in a white paper formally tabled as such in the House of Commons, subsequent reviews tended to follow the design of the first: a comprehensive examination of all aspects of the country’s foreign policy, led and coordinated by senior officials in External Affairs, drawing to varying degrees on expertise from other government departments and the private sector. In all cases, the reviews were intended to produce a document that would guide future policy. They served as useful tools not only for new governments seeking to differentiate their policies from those of their predecessors, but also for those in search of answers to challenges arising in the course of their mandates. This article analyzes the reviews undertaken between 1968 and 1980 and the circumstances that gave rise to them in an effort to account for the popularity of the white paper process among policymakers and to explore the process’s influence on policies subsequently pursued.
Effect of zinc oxide and nanoclay on crosslinked jute-reinforced soy flour green nanocomposites
Authors: Iman Murshid , Mandal Manabendra , Maji Tarun K
Published: April 2015

We report herein the effect of ZnO nanoparticles alone and in combination with nanoclay reinforced with jute fabric and glutaraldehyde-crosslinked soy flour “Green” nanocomposites. Solution-induced intercalation method has been executed for fabrication of the nanocomposites. The successful incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles and nanoclays is clearly revealed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and transmission electron microscopy studies. The thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites are determined using thermogravimetric analysis and mechanical tests, respectively. Significant differences have been observed according to the amount of nanofillers used as reinforcement. Furthermore, in comparison to the unfilled nanocomposites, nanoparticles filled ones are found to exhibit much better dimensional stability, UV resistance, and flame-retarding properties. The nanoclay-loaded soy flour–jute composite shows better biodegradation compared to ZnO nanoparticles-incorporated soy flour–jute composites.
Moisture transport in unidirectional carbon/vinylester panels with imperfect fiber/matrix interface
Authors: Fichera Maryann , Carlsson Leif A
Published: April 2015

The objective of this work is to characterize the moisture transport in a unidirectional carbon/vinylester composite. The moisture uptake is analyzed by superposition of Fickian diffusion through the matrix, and capillary transport of water through gaps between fiber and matrix, known as “wicking,” modeled using Darcy’s law. A neat resin vinylester 510A panel and a set of different size unidirectional carbon/vinylester 510A panels were immersed in seawater at 40℃. The moisture content was monitored beyond saturation. The experimentally determined saturation time increased with increased size of the composite panels. Both the diffusion and capillary flow models predict increased time of saturation with increasing panel size, although the diffusion model predicts much longer times, and the capillary model much shorter times than observed experimentally. The diffusion model assumes a perfect fiber/matrix interface while the capillary model assumes the capillaries running along the entire panel without obstructions. In reality, fiber/matrix interface voids are most likely isolated, and regions of adequate bonding will interrupt the capillary flow.
Nanocomposites of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/montmorillonite/styrene block copolymers: Structural, rheological, mechanical and flammability studies on the effect of organoclays and compatibilizers using statistically designed experiments
Authors: Mazzucco Mateus LC , Marchesin Marcel S , Fernandes Elizabeth G , Da Costa Ricardo A , Marini Juliano , Bretas Rosario ES , Bartoli Julio R
Published: April 2015

Previous study with nanocomposites of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) and organophylized montmorillonite clays (OMMT) investigated the effect of clay modifiers polarities on their performance. Nevertheless, the literature has shown that the use of compatibilizers plays a key role in the dispersion of OMMT in polymeric matrices. Therefore, in the present work, ABS/OMMT nanocomposites compatibilized with styrenic block copolymers prepared by melt intercalation in a twin-screw extruder was studied. Nanocomposites formulations followed a 22 factorial design having different kinds of Cloisite OMMT (30B and 20A + 30B) and of compatibilizers (SBS and SEBS- g-MA) as independent variables. Structural (X-ray diffraction) and morphological (transmission electron microscopy) analyses of the nanocomposites showed a better clay dispersion, partially exfoliated, for ABS/30B/SBS than the intercalated morphology for ABS/20A30B/SEBS- g-MA. Rheological dynamic shear tests indicated a tendency to the formation of a percolating network structure for the ABS/OMMT/SBS nanocomposites, independently of nanoclay kind. Besides, these materials presented non-dripping effect on flammability tests. ABS/OMMT/SBS nanocomposites show also the best performance in both uniaxial tensile and dynamic shear storage moduli. These results are probably due to improved affinity between components. In conclusion, among the styrene block copolymers, SBS compatibilizer is more effective than SEBS- g-MA to improve the properties of ABS/OMMT-based nanocomposites.
Refusal to grant provisional General Medical Council registration to UK medical graduates
Authors: David Timothy J , Ellson Sarah
Published: April 2015

In the last five years, 2010–2014, there have been 17 instances when an application for provisional registration by a UK medical graduate was refused by the General Medical Council because the Registrar considered that the applicant’s fitness to practise was impaired. While this number is small, the fact that this can happen is largely unappreciated by medical students and their teachers, the prevailing false assumption being that passing finals and graduation is the final hurdle before taking up a Foundation Programme post. It is a poorly recognised fact that just because a university fitness to practise committee has concluded that a student is fit to practise there is no guarantee that the General Medical Council will come to the same decision. This paper explains the reasons for these refusals and makes suggestions for students and medical schools.
Alone Together
Authors: Butchard William , D’Amico Robert
Published: April 2015

In two articles, Smits, Buekens, and du Plessis have argued that John Searle’s account of institutional facts suffers serious flaws and should be replaced with a reductive account they call “incentivization.” We argue against their view in two ways. First, the specific flaws they find in Searle are based on misunderstandings. Second, “incentivization,” as they present it, fails as a reduction of strict collective actions and, thus, cannot account for institutional facts such as money or property.
Performance evaluation of direct saline stool microscopy, Formol ether concentration and Kato Katz diagnostic methods for intestinal parasitosis in the absence of gold standard methods
Authors: Hailu Tadesse , Abera Bayeh
Published: April 2015

Background

The parasite load within the sample and the amount of sample taken during examination greatly compromise the sensitivity of direct saline stool microscopy.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2011 in Bahir Dar city among 778 fresh single stool samples to evaluate the performance of direct saline (DS), Kato Katz (KK) and Formol ether concentration (FEC) methods against the ‘Gold’ standard.

Result

Among 778 stool samples from school age children, the highest prevalence of intestinal parasites was recorded by FEC (55.1%). The sensitivity of DS, FEC and KK were 61.1%, 92.3% and 58.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

FEC is more sensitive than DS and KK. Hence, use of the latter is preferred.
Power Affects Performance When the Pressure Is On
Authors: Kang Sonia K. , Galinsky Adam D. , Kray Laura J. , Shirako Aiwa
Published: April 2015

The current research examines how power affects performance in pressure-filled contexts. We present low-power-threat and high-power-lift effects, whereby performance in high-stakes situations suffers or is enhanced depending on one’s power; that is, the power inherent to a situational role can produce effects similar to stereotype threat and lift. Three negotiations experiments demonstrate that role-based power affects outcomes but only when the negotiation is diagnostic of ability and, therefore, pressure-filled. We link these outcomes conceptually to threat and lift effects by showing that (a) role power affects performance more strongly when the negotiation is diagnostic of ability and (b) underperformance disappears when the low-power negotiator has an opportunity to self-affirm. These results suggest that stereotype threat and lift effects may represent a more general phenomenon: When the stakes are raised high, relative power can act as either a toxic brew (stereotype/low-power threat) or a beneficial elixir (stereotype/high-power lift) for performance.
Addressing Disease‐Related Malnutrition in Healthcare
Authors: Correia Maria Isabel , Hegazi Refaat A. , Diaz‐Pizarro Graf José Ignacio , Gomez‐Morales Gabriel , Fuentes Gutiérrez Catalina , Goldin Maria Fernanda , Navas Angela , Pinzón Espitia Olga Lucia , Tavares Gilmária Millere
Published: April 2015

Alarmingly high rates of disease‐related malnutrition have persisted in hospitals of both emerging and industrialized nations over the past 2 decades, despite marked advances in medical care over this same interval. In Latin American hospitals, the numbers are particularly striking; disease‐related malnutrition has been reported in nearly 50% of adult patients in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Uruguay. The tolls of disease‐related malnutrition are high in both human and financial terms—increased infectious complications, higher incidence of pressure ulcers, longer hospital stays, more frequent readmissions, greater costs of care, and increased risk of death. In an effort to draw attention to malnutrition in Latin American healthcare, a feedM.E. Latin American Study Group was formed to extend the reach and support the educational efforts of the feedM.E. Global Study Group. In this article, the feedM.E. Latin American Study Group shows that malnutrition incurs excessive costs to the healthcare systems, and the study group also presents evidence of how appropriate nutrition care can improve patients' clinical outcomes and lower healthcare costs. To achieve the benefits of nutrition for health throughout Latin America, the article presents feedM.E.'s simple and effective Nutrition Care Pathway in English and Spanish as a way to facilitate its use.
Can you read my mind? Age as a moderator in the relationship between theory of mind and relational aggression
Authors: Gomez-Garibello Carlos , Talwar Victoria
Published: April 2015

The present study examined whether age moderates the relationship between cognitive factors (theory of mind and attribution of intentions) and relational aggression. Participants ( N = 426; 216 boys) between 6 and 9 years of age were asked to complete theory of mind tasks and answer an attribution of intentions questionnaire. Teachers evaluated their students’ social behaviors including relational aggressive acts. Results suggest that theory of mind did affect relational aggression, when this association was moderated by chronological age. Specifically, it was found that the association between theory of mind and relational aggression was only significant and positive for younger participants; for older children the direction of this association was inverse. Taken together, findings from this study partially support the assertion that sophisticated cognitive skills are a prerequisite for indirect ways of aggression.
Functional and Histological Evaluation following Canine Vocal Fold Reconstruction Using Composite Thyroid Ala Perichondrium Flaps
Authors: Hoffman Matthew R. , Glab Rachel , Gunderson McLean , Maytag Allison L. , Yang David T. , Jiang Jack J. , Dailey Seth H.
Published: April 2015

Objectives/Hypotheses

We evaluated the effects of vocal fold reconstruction using a composite thyroid ala perichondrium flap (CTAP) after unilateral vocal fold stripping in beagles. We hypothesized that CTAP would improve glottic closure, decrease phonation threshold pressure, and decrease perturbation. In addition, vocal folds with CTAP would exhibit neovascularization and fat with increased von Willebrand factor (vWF) and smooth muscle actin (SMA), reflecting neoangiogenesis and flap viability.

Study Design

Randomized controlled trial using beagles.

Setting

University laboratory.

Methods

Ten beagles underwent unilateral vocal fold stripping. Dogs in the scar‐only group (n = 5) were sacrificed at 1 month. Dogs in the CTAP group (n = 5) underwent ipsilateral reconstruction with CTAP at 1 month and were sacrificed at 2 months. Excised larynx experiments evaluated vocal fold vibration using aerodynamic, acoustic, and mucosal wave measurements. Qualitative evaluation of vocal fold morphology and quantitative analysis of elastin, collagen, glycosaminoglycans, vWF, SMA, and hyaluronic acid were performed.

Results

Phonation threshold pressure (P =. 005), percent jitter (P =. 010), percent shimmer (P =. 007), and open quotient (P =. 007) were lower in the CTAP group. Neovascularization (P =. 0079) and fat (P =. 1667) occurred more with CTAP, although the difference in fat was not significant. von Willebrand factor was higher with CTAP vs contralateral normal fold (P =. 110), although not statistically significant. Smooth muscle actin was higher with CTAP vs contralateral normal fold (P =. 038) and scarred vocal folds (P =. 022).

Conclusions

Composite thyroid ala perichondrium flap restored glottic closure and vibratory periodicity following vocal fold scarring. Additional investigation on biologic response is warranted. Composite thyroid ala perichondrium flap offers an autologous, vascularized implant that can improve both vocal fold structure and function.
Does Montelukast Have an Effect on Post‐tonsillectomy Pain Control in Children? A Randomized Trial Study
Authors: Ince Ilker , Yoruk Ozgur , Ahiskalioglu Ali , Aksoy Mehmet , Dostbil Aysenur , Celik Mine
Published: April 2015

Objective

Tonsillectomy surgery is associated with severe postoperative pain that usually requires analgesics including opioids. Pain control is still a big problem after tonsillectomy surgery. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of preemptive analgesia using montelukast for pediatric post‐tonsillectomy pain management. This is the first‐time use of montelukast in post‐tonsillectomy pain.

Study Design

Double‐blind, controlled‐randomized study.

Settings

University teaching and research hospital.

Subjects and Methods

A total of 60 children, aged 5 to 15 years, American Society of Anesthesiologist class I‐II, scheduled for elective tonsillectomy were enrolled in this clinical trial study. The patients were randomized into 2 groups: the montelukast group (group M, n = 30) and control group (group C, n = 30). Group M recieved an oral montelukast tablet and group C recieved placebo at 2400pm on the morning before surgery. Post‐tonsillectomy pain was evaluated with the Wong‐Baker FACES Scale during the 24 hours after surgery. Patients’ intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded.

Results

There were statistically significant differences between group C and group M for Wong‐Baker FACES pain rating scale scores (P <. 05). In the 24 hours after surgery, the total number of patients using rescue analgesics was higher in group C than in group M, and the difference was statistically significant (P <. 001). There was no significant difference in demographic parameters (P >. 05). There were no significant differences in postoperative nausea and vomiting, otalgia, trismus, fever, or halitosis between the groups (P >. 05).

Conclusion

Preemptive montelukast can be used safely to reduce the serious pain caused by tonsillectomy in children.
Secondary ablation of saphenous veins: The reasons and the ratios
Authors: Aktas Aykut Recep , Ozkan Ugur
Published: April 2015

Objective

To assess recurrence of saphenous veins and their tributaries following endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and define primary or secondary ablation ratios as a result of misinterpretation, new incompetency formation, and re-canalization.

Methods

The EVLA procedure was applied for vein insufficiency to 50 symptomatic patients (range, 22–78 years; mean age 45 ± 14 years; gender, 18 [36%] men, and 32 [64%] women). Before and after the procedure, a total of 80 legs were prospectively evaluated for recanalization of the great and small saphenous vein, anterolateral, posteromedial, intersaphenous thigh, and the calf veins by Doppler ultrasonography. EVLA was performed on the saphenous veins along with their tributaries, and was defined as the primary ablation. EVLA and alcohol ablation after the first procedure was defined as the secondary ablation. We evaluated the veins according to re-canalization and secondary ablation, and also measured the primary and secondary ablation ratios.

Results

Seventy-three (97.0%) VSM and 39 (95.0%) VSP were treated with primary ablation and 2(3.0%) VSM and 2 (5.0%) VSP were treated with secondary ablation because of newly developed incompetency. In addition, 15 (71.0%) saphenous tributaries were treated with primary and 6 (29.0%) with secondary ablation. After primary or secondary ablation, 9 (12.0%) misinterpretation or new incompetency formation was found during a one-year follow-up. Seven (9.0%) VSM were re-canalized at the mean length of 46 ± 15 cm (range 32–65 cm) in one year. The laser energy in the re-canalized VSM was 78 ± 25 joules/cm (range 61–83) and all were retreated with laser or foam sclerotherapy.

Conclusions

VSM re-canalization and new vessel incompetency formation are reasons for secondary ablation, which is not a rare condition. Follow-up examinations and anatomical mapping are crucial for detecting new vessel formation or miss-interpretation after sclerotherapy or EVLA treatment.
A quasi-experimental controlled evaluation of the impact of a hospice rapid response community service for end-of-life care on achievement of preferred place of death
Authors: Holdsworth Laura M , Gage Heather , Coulton Simon , King Annette , Butler Claire
Published: April 2015

Background:

Rapid response services operating 24 h a day have been advocated in UK health policy to support dying patients at home, though there is limited evidence of their effectiveness.

Aim:

To assess the impact of a rapid response hospice at home service (intervention) on people dying in their preferred place, and carer quality of life, compared to usual care (control).

Design:

Quasi-experimental multi-centred controlled evaluation. Patient data were collected from hospice records; carers completed postal questionnaires to report quality of life, anxiety and depression.

Setting and participants:

Community served by one hospice (three contiguous sites) in South East England; 953 patients who died with a preferred place of death recorded and 64 carers who completed questionnaires.

Results:

There was no significant difference between control and intervention groups in proportions achieving preferred place of death (61.9% vs 63.0% (odds ratio: 0.949; 95% confidence interval: 0.788–1.142)). People living at home alone were less likely to die where they wanted (0.541; 95% confidence interval: 0.438–0.667). Carers in the intervention group reported worse mental health component summary scores (short form-12, p = 0.03) than those in the control group; there were no differences in other carer outcomes.

Conclusion:

The addition of a rapid response hospice at home service did not have a significant impact on helping patients to die where they wanted in an area already well served by community palliative care. Recording preferences, and changes over time, is difficult and presented challenges for this study.
Effects of Obesity and Obesity-Related Molecules on Canine Mammary Gland Tumors
Authors: Lim H.-Y. , Im K.-S. , Kim N.-H. , Kim H.-W. , Shin J.-I. , Yhee J.-Y. , Sur J.-H.
Published: April 2015

Obesity can affect the clinical course of a number of diseases, including breast cancer in women and mammary gland tumors in female dogs, via the secretion of various cytokines and hormones. The objective of this study was to examine the expression patterns of obesity-related molecules such as aromatase, leptin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1 R) in canine mammary carcinomas (CMCs) on the basis of the body condition score (BCS). Comparative analyses of the expression of these molecules, together with prognostic factors for CMCs, including hormone receptors (HRs; estrogen and progesterone receptors), lymphatic invasion, central necrosis of the tumor, and histologic grade, were performed on 56 CMCs. The mean age of CMC onset was lower in the overweight or obese group (8.7 ± 1.9 years) than in the lean or ideal body weight group (10.4 ± 2.7 years). The proportion of poorly differentiated (grade III) tumors was significantly higher in the overweight or obese female dogs. Aromatase expression was significantly higher in the overweight or obese group and was correlated with the expression of HRs ( P = .025). These findings suggest that overweight or obese status might affect the development and behavior of CMCs by tumor-adipocyte interactions and increased HR-related tumor growth.
Introducing fundamental concepts of control: A case study in robot force control
Authors: Burn Kevin , Robinson Evan , Dixon Derek
Published: April 2015

This paper describes an approach to teaching concepts of automatic control, aimed principally at mechanical engineering students on courses that do not include a dedicated control module. The application area employed is robot force control, which has been the focus of much research during the past three or more decades. In this work, a robot is modelled in MATLAB and Simulink as a simple one degree-of-freedom ‘arm’, which is based on a velocity-controlled DC motor. The paper describes the development of this model and how it can be approximated as a standard second-order system from step response data. Three example solutions for designing a suitable force controller are then discussed, for a situation where the stiffness of contact at the robot/task interface is known and constant. The approach can be used in conjunction with a more traditional course in automatic control, or act as standalone tutorial for those with a more specific interest in force control.
Derivation of some fundamental formulae of strength of materials by energy method
Authors: Ecsedi István , Baksa Attila
Published: April 2015

In this paper, three fundamental formulae of strength of materials are derived by the application of the theorem of minimum of strain energy. In the first example the torsion of non-homogeneous circular bar is considered. The second example deals with the in-plane bending of non-homogeneous curved beam. The third one is concerned with the pure bending of non-homogeneous elastic prismatic bars.
Undergraduate laboratory exercise on impact testing of structures
Authors: Schleyer Graham , Jones Norman
Published: April 2015

This note reports on simple equations that can be used to interpret the behaviour of structural members struck by impact loads as used in a simple undergraduate laboratory exercise. The application of these equations is illustrated for some test results on a long vertical thin-walled top-hat section struck axially by a large mass at one end and supported on a rigid foundation at the other end. This is a particularly simple experimental arrangement, which is suitable for illustrating various features of the mass impact loading of a structural member to undergraduates. It is possible to predict various characteristics of the structural response with the aid of these equations and the minimum of instrumentation.
‘Drive Safe’ initiatives: An analysis of improvements in mental health practices (2005–2013) to support safe driving
Authors: Dun Carolyn , Baker Kristan , Swan Jodie , Vlachou Voula , Fossey Ellie
Published: April 2015

Statement of context

Driving can be important for enabling community participation. Mental illness and its treatment may disrupt fitness to drive, or people’s opportunities for learning to drive. This paper reflects on practice improvements in an Australian mental health organization.

Critical reflection on practice

Occupational therapists identified gaps in knowledge among the multi-disciplinary workforce about service users’ driver status, how to identify and manage driving issues, and how to support their beginning or resuming driving during recovery.

Implications for practice

The key initiatives: policy and practice guidelines, workforce training, driver assessment and consultation services, and service user information resources — have become embedded supports within the organization for promoting safe driving.
Quadriceps Strength Asymmetry After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Alters Knee Joint Biomechanics and Functional Performance at Time of Return to Activity
Authors: Palmieri-Smith Riann M. , Lepley Lindsey K.
Published: April 2015

Background:

Quadriceps strength deficits are observed clinically after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction and are often not overcome despite rehabilitation. Given that quadriceps strength may be important for achieving symmetrical joint biomechanics and promoting long-term joint health, determining the magnitude of strength deficits that lead to altered mechanics is critical.

Purpose:

To determine if the magnitude of quadriceps strength asymmetry alters knee and hip biomechanical symmetry as well as functional performance and self-reported function.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 73 patients were tested at the time they were cleared for return to activity after ACL reconstruction. Quadriceps strength and activation, scores on the International Knee Documentation Committee form, the hop for distance test, and sagittal plane lower extremity biomechanics were recorded while patients completed a single-legged hop.

Results:

Patients with high and moderate quadriceps strength symmetry had larger central activation ratios as well as greater limb symmetry indices on the hop for distance compared with patients with low quadriceps strength symmetry ( P < .05). Similarly, knee flexion angle and external moment symmetry were higher in the patients with high and moderate quadriceps symmetry compared with those with low symmetry ( P < .05). Quadriceps strength was found to be associated with sagittal plane knee angle and moment symmetry ( P < .05).

Conclusion:

Patients with low quadriceps strength displayed greater movement asymmetries at the knee in the sagittal plane. Quadriceps strength was related to movement asymmetries and functional performance. Rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction needs to focus on maximizing quadriceps strength, which likely will lead to more symmetrical knee biomechanics.