bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Intravenous Levosimendan in Patients with Heart Failure Complicated by Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Jia Zhi , Guo Mu , Zhang Yun-Qiang , Liang Hai-Qing , Zhang Li-Yuan , Song Yu
Published: April 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a short-term intravenous infusion of levosimendan in patients with heart failure due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: This was a randomized, single-center, single-blind study that included 160 patients. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: 1 received levosimendan (n = 80) and the other received placebo (n = 80). The study included multiple primary end points (death, myocardial ischemia or worsening heart at the 6 month follow-up) and used a composite outcome. Results: The primary end point rate in the levosimendan group was lower than that in placebo group (43.7 vs. 62.5%, HR 0.636, 95% CI 0.413-0.981, p = 0.041). Moreover, the mortality rate at 6 months was similar between the 2 groups (17.5 vs. 22.5%, HR 0.786, 95% CI 0.382-1.543, p = 0.458). There was a higher incidence of myocardial ischemia in the levosimendan group at 14 days than in the placebo group (11.2 vs. 7.5%, HR 1.510, p = 0.435), but between 15 and 180 days, it was significantly lower in the levosimendan group than in the placebo group (3.8 vs. 13.8%, HR 0.261, p = 0.036). Conclusion: Short-term intravenous infusion of levosimendan appears to be more effective than placebo for treating patients with heart failure complicated by AMI.
Imaging of Naive Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Milani Paolo , Pece Alfredo , Pierro Luisa , Bergamini Fulvio
Published: April 2014

Purpose: To assess the tomographic features of myopic choroidal neovascularization by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Methods: We consecutively reviewed the charts of patients with pathologic myopia, recent visual acuity deterioration and active macular neovascularization. Specific tomographic changes were studied in 25 eyes by two authors independently. Results: The mean age of patients eligible for the study was 63.4 (±18.2) years. Main tomographic outcomes were the hyperreflectivity of the lesion in 88% of cases (95% CI 0.74-1.02), absence of the external limiting membrane in 88% (95% CI 0.84-1.02), and retinal thickening in 83% (95% CI 0.67-0.99). The internal plexiform layer remained discernible in 83% (95% CI 0.67-0.99) of cases, the inner nuclear layer in 62% (95% CI 0.37-0.80), the external plexiform layer in 48% (95% CI 0.27-0.69). Retinal edema was noted in 48% (95% CI 0.26-0.70) of patients. Conclusions: Myopic choroidal neovascularization appears predominantly hyperreflective, causes thickening of the corresponding retina and mainly involves the external retinal segments. Retinal fluid is infrequent.
Hyoscine N-Butylbromide (Buscopan®) in the Treatment of Acute Ureteral Colic: What Is the Evidence?
Authors: Papadopoulos George , Bourdoumis Andreas , Kachrilas Stefanos , Bach Christian , Buchholz Noor , Masood Junaid
Published: April 2014

Objective: To investigate the evidence for the use of hyoscine N-butylbromide (HBB) in the treatment of acute renal colic. Methods: A literature search was performed using the keywords ‘hyoscine N-butylbromide', ‘ureteral colic', ‘spasmolytic', ‘anticholinergic' and ‘analgesia'. The articles were given the appropriate level of evidence according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence guidelines. Results: The analgesic effect of HBB as monotherapy is inferior to that of opioids and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It does provide an analgesic and antispasmodic effect, but not as long-lasting as NSAIDs. HBB does not serve as an adjunct to opioids. Furthermore, it does not facilitate passage of ureteral stones and has no effect on expulsion rate. Conclusions: HBB is often used where urinary tract smooth muscle spasm is thought to be part of the pathophysiological process. According to the evidence, administration of HBB follows non-peer-reviewed protocols which are based on empiric recommendations. Its role is still unclear, as it appears to have no advantage when used as monotherapy over established forms of analgesia. There appears to be a time-dependent relation to pain reduction following parenteral administration, but this needs to be confirmed by more prospective randomized cohorts.
Prevalence of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Female Residents of Chengdu, China
Authors: Zhuang Jing , Liu Ying , Xu Liangzhi , Liu Xiaofang , Zhou Lingling , Tang Liulin , Kang Deying , Guo Wenqi , He Min , Yang Fan , Qiu Dongsheng
Published: April 2014

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in women. The data on this syndrome in a Chinese community are limited. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was undertaken. Cluster-randomized sampling was used. Female residents of Chengdu aged between 12 and 44 were included according to the constituent ratio of the female population of Sichuan province. We used three diagnostic criteria to determine the prevalence: the National Institutes of Health diagnostic criteria of PCOS (NIH-1990), the revised Rotterdam diagnostic criteria of PCOS (Rott-2003), and the recommended diagnostic criteria of PCOS by the Androgen Excess Society (AES-2006). Results: 1,645 participants were included. The prevalence of PCOS in women aged between 12 and 44 was 7.1, 11.2 and 7.4%, respectively, according to the three different criteria. After the onset of puberty, the prevalence of PCOS increased rapidly from 12 to 14 years of age, peaked between 15 and 24 and decreased gradually thereafter and reached its lowest point before menopause. Conclusions: The prevalence of PCOS in this study was in the PCOS prevalence range from existing studies. According to the trend of prevalence, PCOS might be a temporary condition.
Preoperative Scoring and Limits of Prognostication: Functional Outcome after Surgical Decompression in Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression
Authors: Putz C. , Gantz S. , Bruckner T. , Moradi B. , Helbig L. , Gerner H.J. , Akbar M.
Published: April 2014

Objective: To determine whether preoperative parameters correlate with the postoperative functional outcome in para- and tetraplegic patients with lung, kidney, breast and prostate cancer and metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC). Methods: Information on 43 patients undergoing decompressive surgery and rehabilitation for MSCC was reviewed, including primary tumor, age, pre- and postoperative ambulation status, mobility subcategory of the Spinal Cord Injury Measure (mSCIM) and the Tokuhashi score. Differences between groups were analyzed by the nonparametric χ2 test, and correlation coefficients (Spearman's rho) were computed. Results: Preoperative ambulation (p < 0.001), the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (p < 0.001) and the type of operation (p = 0.02) influenced the postoperative functional outcome. Any positive change in the mSCIM was influenced by preoperative ambulation (p < 0.001). Patients with breast carcinoma showed significantly more positive changes in the mSCIM compared with other tumors (p = 0.002). No correlation was found between the treatment categories of the Tokuhashi score and the preoperative ambulatory status (p = 0.13) or the change in ambulation status (p = 0.29). Conclusion: The postoperative functional outcome of MSCC patients shows a linear association between the categories of the Tokuhashi score and the change in ambulation status. We recommend surgical decompression even in a palliative situation (Tokuhashi score 0-8) with the aim of optimizing the short-term rehabilitation outcome. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Proximal Tubule Toll-Like Receptor 4 Expression Linked to Inflammation and Apoptosis following Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury
Authors: Liu Xiu-Juan , Tan Yan , Geng Yan-Qiu , Wang Zhen , Ye Jun-Hong , Yin Xiu-Ying , Fu Bo
Published: April 2014

Background: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a key role in mediating kidney damage during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, and its expression is enhanced following renal I/R injury. Our study focused on TLR4 silencing-mediated downstream antiapoptotic pathways during hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and investigated whether TLR4 overexpression exacerbates the renal damage induced by I/R injury. Methods: Proximal tubule epithelial cells (PTECs) were isolated and H/R injury mediated by ATP depletion, and replenishment was performed to mimic in vivo I/R injury. PTECs were transfected with either TLR4 siRNA or TLR4-overexpressing vectors to determine the contribution of TLR4 to H/R injury-induced apoptosis and inflammatory response. Results: H/R injury significantly enhanced PTEC apoptosis (p < 0.01) and the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-8; however, TLR4 silencing significantly reversed these effects (p < 0.05). Moreover, compared to PTECs or PTECs-siCon exposed to H/R injury, overexpression of TLR4 further upregulated TNF-α and IL-8 (p < 0.05), but did not enhance apoptosis. The expression of cytochrome C and caspases 3, 8, and 9 was decreased in the siTLR4 group compared to controls after H/R injury, whereas TLR4 silencing did not alter CHOP expression. TLR4 overexpression failed to promote the expression of cytochrome C and caspases 3, 8, and 9, and reduced the expression of CHOP and GPR78. Conclusions: Knockdown of TLR4 could protect PTECs from H/R injury via inhibiting mitochondrial and death receptor pathways. TLR4 overexpression did not increase PTEC apoptosis induced by H/R injury due in part to the downregulation of CHOP.
Institutional Differences in Carotid Artery Duplex Diagnostic Criteria Result in Significant Variability in Classification of Carotid Artery Stenoses and Likely Lead to Disparities in Care
Authors: Arous Edward J. , Baril Donald T. , Robinson William P. , Aiello Francesco A. , Hevelone Nathanael D. , Arous Elias J , Messina Louis M. , Schanzer Andres
Published: April 2014

Background—

The indications for carotid revascularization are based almost exclusively on the results of carotid duplex ultrasonography. Noninvasive vascular laboratories show large variation in the diagnostic criteria used to classify degree of carotid artery stenosis. We hypothesize that variability of these diagnostic criteria causes significant variation in stenosis classification directly affecting the number of revascularizations and associated costs.

Methods and Results—

The diagnostic criteria to interpret carotid duplex ultrasounds were obtained from 10 New England institutions. All carotid duplex scans performed at our institution were reviewed from 2008 to 2012. Using the diagnostic criteria from each institution, the degree of stenosis that would have been reported was classified as 70% to 99% asymptomatic, 80% to 99% asymptomatic, and 50% to 99% symptomatic. We then calculated the theoretical number of carotid revascularization procedures that this cohort would be offered using each institution’s diagnostic criteria and the costs of these procedures based on reimbursement rates. Among 10 614 patients who underwent 15 534 carotid duplex scans, 31 025 arteries were reviewed. Application of the 10 institutions’ criteria to the patients from our institution yielded marked variation in the number classified as 70% to 99% asymptomatic (range, 186–2201), 80% to 99% asymptomatic (range, 78–426), and 50% to 99% symptomatic (range, 157–781). If revascularizations were based on these results, costs would range from $2.2 to $26 million, $0.9 to $5.0 million, and $1.9 to $9.2 million, respectively.

Conclusions—

Differences in diagnostic criteria to interpret carotid ultrasound result in significant variation in classification of carotid artery stenosis, likely leading to differences in the number and subsequent costs of revascularizations. This theoretical model highlights the need for standardization of carotid duplex criteria.
The Temporal Evolution of Coarse Location Coding of Objects: Evidence for Feedback
Authors: Chakravarthi Ramakrishna , Carlson Thomas A. , Chaffin Julie , Turret Jeremy , VanRullen Rufin
Published: April 2014

Objects occupy space. How does the brain represent the spatial location of objects? Retinotopic early visual cortex has precise location information but can only segment simple objects. On the other hand, higher visual areas can resolve complex objects but only have coarse location information. Thus coarse location of complex objects might be represented by either (a) feedback from higher areas to early retinotopic areas or (b) coarse position encoding in higher areas. We tested these alternatives by presenting various kinds of first- (edge-defined) and second-order (texture) objects. We applied multivariate classifiers to the pattern of EEG amplitudes across the scalp at a range of time points to trace the temporal dynamics of coarse location representation. For edge-defined objects, peak classification performance was high and early and thus attributable to the retinotopic layout of early visual cortex. For texture objects, it was low and late. Crucially, despite these differences in peak performance and timing, training a classifier on one object and testing it on others revealed that the topography at peak performance was the same for both first- and second-order objects. That is, the same location information, encoded by early visual areas, was available for both edge-defined and texture objects at different time points. These results indicate that locations of complex objects such as textures, although not represented in the bottom–up sweep, are encoded later by neural patterns resembling the bottom–up ones. We conclude that feedback mechanisms play an important role in coarse location representation of complex objects.
EEG Frequency Tagging to Dissociate the Cortical Responses to Nociceptive and Nonnociceptive Stimuli
Authors: Colon Elisabeth , Legrain Valéry , Mouraux André
Published: April 2014

Whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on the activity of nociceptive-specific neurons or whether it relies on the activity of neurons also involved in processing nonnociceptive sensory input remains a matter of debate. Here, we combined EEG “frequency tagging” of steady-state evoked potentials (SS-EPs) with an intermodal selective attention paradigm to test whether the cortical processing of nociceptive input relies on nociceptive-specific neuronal populations that can be selectively modulated by top–down attention. Trains of nociceptive and vibrotactile stimuli (Experiment 1) and trains of nociceptive and visual stimuli (Experiment 2) were applied concomitantly to the same hand, thus eliciting nociceptive, vibrotactile, and visual SS-EPs. In each experiment, a target detection task was used to focus attention toward one of the two concurrent streams of sensory input. We found that selectively attending to nociceptive or vibrotactile somatosensory input indistinctly enhances the magnitude of nociceptive and vibrotactile SS-EPs, whereas selectively attending to nociceptive or visual input independently enhances the magnitude of the SS-EP elicited by the attended sensory input. This differential effect indicates that the processing of nociceptive input involves neuronal populations also involved in the processing of touch, but distinct from the neuronal populations involved in vision.
Reproductive behaviour of female rosy bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus in response to a female-biased operational sex ratio
Authors: Liao Caiping , Yu Dan , Chen Yiyu , Reichard Martin , Liu Huanzhang
Published: April 2014

While the effect of Operational Sex Ratio (OSR) on reproductive behaviour of males has been studied extensively, little is known of the response of females facing a female-biased OSR. We investigated the effect of different OSRs on female reproductive behaviour using the rosy bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus, a freshwater fish that lays its eggs inside the gills of living freshwater mussels. Three levels of OSR (male/female ratio 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5) were tested. We demonstrated that inspection of the mussel (spawning substrate) by individual females increased with increasingly female-biased OSR, but that the rate of following territorial male decreased. Aggression towards other females was not affected by the OSR. Interestingly, when a male bitterling led a non-dominant female towards the mussel, the dominant female would become aggressive to the male and chase the non-dominant female away. Aggression towards male followed a bell-shaped pattern and was highest at an OSR of 1:3. In both the female-biased OSRs examined, almost 50% of dominant females tended to chase away other females and defend the mussel, showing territoriality in a similar manner to males. These observations suggest that female reproductive behaviour is strongly affected by the OSR, and their reproductive tactics during courtship change from a passive role in courtship (following a male) to an active role in courtship (approaching a male), with presence of female territorial behaviour as the OSR becomes increasingly female-biased. This study provides strong evidence that a female-biased OSR has an important effect on female reproductive behaviour.
Association tendency and preference for heterospecifics in an invasive species
Authors: Camacho-Cervantes M. , Ojanguren A.F. , Deacon A.E. , Ramnarine I.W. , Magurran A.E.
Published: April 2014

Animals gain benefits by forming groups with phenotypically and behaviourally similar individuals. The most common groups are homogenous, composed by conspecifics, although in some cases associations of similar organisms of different species have been reported when individuals benefit from it. In this study, we tested the prediction that the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata, a fish that has successfully invaded at least 70 countries, will shoal with heterospecifics. We measured shoaling tendency and shoal companion preference in wild-caught female guppies when they encounter two heterospecific species: the native Poecilia picta and the non-native Poecilia sphenops, a poeciliid recently introduced in Trinidad. Our results show that guppies have a higher tendency to shoal with conspecifics; if the alternative is be alone, they readily shoal with both species even when they have had no previous experience with other poeciliids. Individuals in these associations could benefit from safety in numbers along with other advantages of group living. This predisposition to associate with other species that share similar ecological conditions could explain the guppy’s success as invasive species as it enables them to increase their shoal size during the first stages of invasion and thus avoid Allee effects.
Redirected aggression in mandrills: is it punishment?
Authors: Schino Gabriele , Marini Claudia
Published: April 2014

In this study, we assessed whether retaliatory aggression is used by mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) victims as a way to enforce a reduction in further received aggression. Four possible types of retaliatory aggression were explored: direct or indirect and immediate or time-decoupled retaliation. Both immediate direct retaliation (counteraggression) and immediate indirect retaliation (kin-oriented redirected aggression, that is, redirected aggression aimed at the original aggressor’s kin) were observed, but only the latter was effective in reducing the risk of renewed aggression by the original aggressor. Depending on the exact definition of functional punishment one is adopting, these results may be interpreted as suggesting kin-oriented redirected aggression represents a previously overlooked form of punishment based on the infliction of indirect costs.
The Factory of Illusions in the ‘Third Rome’
Authors: Kallis Aristotle
Published: April 2014

Although the site of the ancient Circus Maximus was one of the most loaded spaces of the Fascist ‘Third Rome’, it has received limited attention as a privileged site where a dizzying array of myths and illusions were entertained, simulated, and deposited as new Fascist layers on Rome’s urban and mnemonic palimpsest. Previously a decayed, ‘unsightly’, and overcrowded hodgepodge of layers of life, history, and memory, it was substantially restored, ruthlessly emptied of its previous life, and then used for a multitude of Fascist rituals and projections (parades, celebrations, exhibitions, mass spectacles). In this article, I explore the diverse facets of the circus’s transformation in the 1930s and argue that the site was used as a prime space of enacting and simulating the full thrust of the Fascist regime’s regenerative repertoire, involving erasure and disruption of layers of the past, new additive elements and spatial practices, as well as a multitude of projections of a decidedly modern Fascist new order and temporality.
Revolution and Eternity
Authors: Henne Steffen
Published: April 2014

The conference ‘Revolution and Eternity – Fascism’s Temporality’ discussed the complex and meta-historical topic of ‘time and temporality’ with regards to the fascist experience of time, and ways of temporal thinking and acting with reference to German National Socialism, and fascism in Italy and Romania. The various papers examined specific national forms of fascism from the perspective of the concepts of political order and temporality (e.g. fascist interpretations of temporal dimensions – future, present and past). The conference revealed that the fascist view of time was based on specific (chrono)political practices (archaeology, filmmaking etc.) and that the inhumane politics of fascism were embedded in temporal paradigms that combined contradictory ideas of revolutionary acceleration with the eternal standstill of time.
The plants by Daniel Rolander (c. 1723–1793) in Diarium Surinamicum (1754–1765) and herbaria

Authors: De Moraes Pedro Luís Rodrigues , Dobreff James , Reinhammar Lars Gunnar
Published: April 2014

The manuscripts of Diarium Surinamicum by Daniel Rolander practically remained ignored and unpublished for over 240 years, till the recent publication of its translation into English, which occurred in 2008. In this, the names of species described and/or cited by Rolander were faithfully retained, hence preserving the indication of them without authorship, for the vast majority. In the present work, all the names of plants that were treated by Rolander in his journal, about 664, including by tradition the fungi and algae, are contextualised in relation to the authorship, reference to the publication of the protologue, pagination of citations/descriptions in the manuscripts and in the published translation, indication of probable misidentifications with possible alternative names, vernacular names, and related literature. Additionally, we searched for the vouchers collected by Rolander, scattered in several herbaria, which have been linked to the probable names and descriptions in the diary. Given the considerable time till the publication of these names, and by the lack of indication of their nomenclatural types in the English version, the great majority of the new species described by Rolander, which would have priority if published in due time, became invalid names according to the ICN. Nevertheless, the list of Rolandrian species here presented, from his work that has finally taken a place in the history of natural sciences, shows that he was also a competent botanist, besides being a skilled entomologist, having recognised and detailedly described many of the Surinamese plants hitherto unknown to science.
Supersaturation Variability and Cirrus Ice Crystal Size Distributions
Authors: Kärcher B. , Dörnbrack A. , Sölch I.
Published: April 2014

Small-scale dynamical variability affects atmospheric supersaturation and therefore the development of ice clouds via uptake of water vapor on ice crystals. This variability and its implications for ice growth are difficult to capture experimentally and theoretically. By interpreting supersaturation as a stochastic variable, the authors examine the average temporal behavior of, and the link between, supersaturation fluctuations and ice crystal size distributions in upper-tropospheric cirrus clouds. The authors classify cirrus types according to their ability to dampen supersaturation fluctuations owing to depositional growth of cloud ice and study how size distributions in them respond to supersaturation variability, investigating the possibility of the occurrence of ice-supersaturated states within cirrus. Typical time scales for growth and damping impacts on supersaturation are minutes and minutes to hours, respectively, and are highly variable among cirrus types and within single clouds. Transient deviations from saturated equilibrium states can occur depending on the ice crystal number concentration and size and on the strength of the small-scale dynamical forcing. Supersaturation preferentially occurs in cloud regions with few small ice crystals. The authors demonstrate that supersaturation fluctuations in very thin tropical tropopause cirrus create long-lived supersaturated states. Furthermore, they potentially generate few large ice crystals, broadening size distributions, and significantly enhance water mass fluxes due to sedimentation. Although not studied here, they may also allow new ice crystals to nucleate. Implications of these findings for those clouds to dehydrate air entering the lower stratosphere are discussed and future research needs are outlined.
Decadal-Scale Variation of South Asian Summer Monsoon Onset and Its Relationship with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation
Authors: Watanabe Takeshi , Yamazaki Koji
Published: April 2014

The variation of the summer monsoon onset over South Asia was investigated by using long-term data of the onset over Kerala, India, during the 64-yr period from 1948 to 2011. It was found that the onset over Kerala shows variation on a multidecadal scale. In early-onset years, the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly over the northern Pacific Ocean was very similar to the negative Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). The stationary wave train related to the negative PDO reaches into central Asia and generates a warm anomaly, thereby intensifying the land–sea thermal contrast, which promotes summer monsoon onset over South and Southeast Asia. The correlation between the onset date over Kerala and the PDO has strengthened since 1976. Analysis of zonal wind in the upper-level troposphere for the period 1958–2002 indicates that the change in the correlation is related to the change in the wave train path. The wave train propagating from the northern Pacific Ocean to western Russia could propagate eastward more easily in 1976–2002 than in 1958–75.
Comparison of Next-Day Convection-Allowing Forecasts of Storm motion on 1- and 4-km Grids
Authors: VandenBerg Michael A. , Coniglio Michael C. , Clark Adam J.
Published: April 2014

This study compares next-day forecasts of storm motion from convection-allowing models with 1- and 4-km grid spacing. A tracking algorithm is used to determine the motion of discrete storms in both the model forecasts and an analysis of radar observations. The distributions of both the raw storm motions and the deviations of these motions from the environmental flow are examined to determine the overall biases of the 1- and 4-km forecasts and how they compare to the observed storm motions. The mean storm speeds for the 1-km forecasts are significantly closer to the observed mean than those for the 4-km forecasts when viewed relative to the environmental flow/shear, but mostly for the shorter-lived storms. For storm directions, the 1-km forecast storms move similarly to the 4-km forecast storms on average. However, for the raw storm motions and those relative to the 0–6-km shear, results suggest that the 1-km forecasts may alleviate some of a clockwise (rightward) bias of the 4-km forecasts, particularly for those that do not deviate strongly from the 0–6-km shear vector. This improvement in a clockwise bias also is seen for the longer-lived storms, but is not seen when viewing the storm motions relative to the 850–300-hPa mean wind or Bunkers motion vector. These results suggest that a reduction from 4- to 1-km grid spacing can potentially improve forecasts of storm motion, but further analysis of closer storm analogs are needed to confirm these results and to explore specific hypotheses for their differences.
Numerical Magnitude Representation in Children With Mathematical Difficulties With or Without Reading Difficulties
Authors: Tobia Valentina , Fasola Anna , Lupieri Alice , Marzocchi Gian Marco
Published: April 2014

This study aimed to explore the spatial numerical association of response codes (SNARC), the flanker, and the numerical distance effects in children with mathematical difficulties. From a sample of 720 third, fourth, and fifth graders, 60 children were selected and divided into the following three groups: typically developing children (TD; n = 29), children with mathematical difficulties only (MD only; n = 21), and children with mathematical and reading difficulties (MD+RD; n = 10). Children were tested with a numerical Eriksen task that was built to assess SNARC, numerical distance, and flanker (first and second order congruency) effects. Children with MD only showed stronger SNARC and second order congruency effects than did TD children, whereas the numerical distance effects were similar across the three groups. Finally, the first order congruency effect was associated with reading difficulties. These results showed that children with mathematical difficulties with or without reading difficulties were globally more impaired when spatial incompatibilities were presented.
A laser imaging method for machine vision detection of white contaminants in cotton
Authors: Liu Feng , Su Zhenwei , He Xiangcheng , Zhang Chaoyong , Chen Mouqin , Qiao Li
Published: April 2014

The existing machine vision systems cannot efficiently detect white contaminants in cotton under the illumination of visible lights, because their color is the same or very close. To solve the problem, this article proposes an imaging method based on line lasers. Under the illumination of a line laser, the white contaminants and cotton showed the differences in the optical characteristic of their surface. Then, according to the features of the intensity of their reflected lights or the distribution of the fluff around their surfaces in the images, an example algorithm for identification of white contaminants from cotton was suggested. The experimental results indicated that, using our method, the mean successful detection rate of the typical white contaminants in cotton was over 87%.
A prospective study on distribution of eschar in patients suspected of scrub typhus
Authors: Munegowda KC , Nanda Sagarika , Varma Muralidhar , Bairy Indira , Vidyasagar Sudha
Published: April 2014

Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness caused by a tick bite infected with the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi. The clinical diagnosis is difficult as the symptoms are similar to other febrile illnesses such as dengue, typhoid, leptospirosis and so on. An eschar, if present, will narrow down the provisional diagnosis towards scrub typhus. There are no data on the preferential sites of tick bites in an Indian population. We present here the preferential sites of tick bites in a South Indian population of 123 cases positive for eschar. Geographically, clothing styles vary leading to the differences in the areas of skin exposed to the bite and thus the formation of eschars. Scrub typhus, if not treated, may lead to fatal complications. As scrub typhus is one of the most under-reported illnesses in the world, clinicians should look for the presence of an eschar in the preferential sites at least to narrow down the diagnosis and treatment.
Neural-fuzzy control of a flexible dynamic tracking and adjusting manipulator
Authors: Cheng Wushan
Published: April 2014

This paper presents an adaptive neural-fuzzy control scheme for a dual-level-structure flexible manipulator with variable dynamic payload. The dynamic moving model of the flexible manipulator is derived and the state-space equation is formulated first. A control scheme that consists of a neural-fuzzy controller in the feedback channel and an image-guided identification network (IGIN) in the forward configuration is then proposed. The IGIN is employed to locate the object (e.g. bimetal) to achieve the tracking function, while the dynamic neural network is used to learn the weighting factor of the fuzzy controller. Finally, simulations are run for various modes to describe the dynamic tracking system, and simulated results show a good performance of the control tracking system.
An improved Schulz-type iterative method for matrix inversion with application
Authors: Haghani F Khaksar , Soleymani F
Published: April 2014

In this paper, we present an algorithm which could be considered an improvement to the well-known Schulz iteration for finding the inverse of a square matrix iteratively. The convergence of the proposed method is proved and its computational complexity is analysed. The extension of the scheme to generalized outer inverses will be treated. In order to validate the new scheme, we apply it to large sparse matrices alongside the application to preconditioning of practical problems.
Disenfranchised minorities: Trust, definitions of citizenship, and noncitizen voting rights in developed democracies
Authors: Justwan Florian
Published: April 2014

Western societies show varying reactions to the challenges of immigration. This is especially true with regards to voting rights for immigrants. This article shows that previous research has neglected generalized trust as a powerful predictor for different degrees of inclusiveness in this policy area. Elections are the gateways to the political decision-making processes in all democracies. For members of the host society, extending voting rights to noncitizens means granting members of an ‘out-group’ direct influence on their own lives. This requires a ‘leap of faith’ that is only possible at higher levels of generalized trust.
Epigenetics and Allostasis
Authors: Walsh Anthony , Yun Ilhong
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this review article is to show how sociological theories of criminal behavior can be illuminated by drawing on insights from epigenetics and the concept of allostasis. The burgeoning field of epigenetics has the promise of burying whatever lingering fears about “genetic determinism” some criminologists may still have. Epigenetics concerns itself with environmental conditions that regulate the transcript and expression of genes and is a discipline that can be of enormous use to criminology because it emphasizes the plasticity of the human genome. We know that the brain is amazingly plastic and a major target for epigenetic modification. All stimuli must be funneled to the brain before a behavioral response is initiated. Because the brain and the systems of stress response—the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS)—are designed for plasticity, they are highly vulnerable to epigenetic and allostatic changes when exposed to environmental experiences that are evolutionarily novel. The downregulation of systems of behavioral control (dopamine/serotonin ratios and hyporeactive HPA axis and ANS) has frequently and strongly shown to be related to criminal behavior. This article outlines how these changes occur, and why they occur most frequently in deprived environments. We believe that an understanding of how criminogenic environments “get into” the person molecularly can plug gaps in poverty- and control-based theories of criminal behavior. We present this article in the spirit of biosocial criminology which avers that the more we come to understand and appreciate the biology of behavior, the more we realize the importance of the environment.
Evaluation of Thyroid Hormones in Children Receiving Carbamazepine or Valproate
Authors: Kafadar İhsan , Kılıç Betül Aydın , Arapoglu Mujde , Yalçın Koray , Dalgıç Nazan
Published: April 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the alterations in thyroid function during carbamazepine or valproate monotherapy in a prospective study. Forty patients treated with valproate, 33 patients treated with carbamazepine, and 36 control patients, all aged between 2 and 18 years, were enrolled in our study. Serum levels of thyroid hormones were measured before the beginning of the antiepileptic therapy and at 6 and 12 months of treatment. Carbamazepine-treated patients showed mean serum thyroid hormone levels significantly lower than baseline evaluation and the control group. Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels at 6 and 12 months were not significantly different in carbamazepine treated patients. Serum hormone levels did not change during valproate treatment. Thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were significantly higher at the 12th month of valproate treatment. Our data suggest that although carbamazepine causes significant alterations in thyroid hormone levels, these changes do not lead to clinical symptoms at the follow-up period of 12 months.
Building Blocks of Individual Biography? Non-Governmental Organizational Communication in Reflexive Modernity
Authors: Mynster Andreas S. , Edwards Lee
Published: April 2014

In this article, we present a rhetorical analysis of organizational communication by a non-profit, social movement organization, Amnesty International Denmark (AID), to illustrate how communication by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) simultaneously serves organizational self-interest and provides a set of symbolic tools for individuals to use in the process of constructing biographical certainty. Our analysis shows how AID’s member communication constructs a view of the world centered on moral binaries and invites members to identify with the moral position that AID represents. This idealistic morality not only offers members a sense of collective identity, certainty, and order in their own lives but also serves AID by preserving the moral high ground for the organization and creating a broad basis for support.
Thoughts About Interprofessional Education
Authors: Fawcett Jacqueline
Published: April 2014

This essay is about two views of interprofessional education. One view emphasizes the coming together of students of various healthcare areas to learn about each other’s roles and role activities. The other view focuses on the meaning of “inter” as the blurring of boundaries among healthcare areas with the potential of loss of distinct roles and role activities and evolution to a single healthcare profession.
The cartographic dimensions of humanitarianism: Mapping refugee spaces in post-earthquake Haiti
Authors: Shemak April
Published: April 2014

This article examines the post-earthquake politics of space via the literal and cultural mapping of internally displaced persons in Haiti to consider the cartographic dimensions of humanitarian biopower. I begin by analyzing OpenStreetMap Haiti, an online collaborative cartographic project, which mapped Haiti’s roads and refugee camps after the earthquake by using high-resolution satellite imagery, global positioning system technologies, and aerial photographs—much of which is derived from US military data—in order to facilitate “humanitarian” efforts on the ground. I contend that the visual text produced by OpenStreetMap Haiti, which functions as a map to locate and situate refugees, represents a particular form of humanitarian biopower. In the second half of this article, I analyze a 2012 work of comics journalism titled Tents beyond Tents, which offers a critique of humanitarian “aid” from the perspective of Haitians who occupy the internally displaced persons camps created after the earthquake. I consider how the comic functions as a cartographic project, or cartoon mapping, through depictions of the spaces of the refugee camps in and around Port-au-Prince.
Revisiting early sociological studies on addiction
Authors: Chen Jia-shin
Published: April 2014

Addiction is a significant issue in many aspects but no explanatory closure has been attained. The overemphasis on the brain disease paradigm upheld by the National Institute on Drug Abuse may run serious risks, and the present study intends to counteract this partiality. Drawing on Ludwik Fleck’s notion of thought collectives, this article offers a close reading of the works of sociologists Bingham Dai and Alfred R. Lindesmith vis-à-vis other coeval biomedical approaches. Individuals within the same thought collective, such as Dai and Lindesmith, have different views although they share certain thought styles. As noted in this study, inter-collective communication is not typically antagonistic and may form some liaison under certain circumstances. These findings imply that communication among collectives may facilitate creative liaison, as suggested by Fleck. This study aims to enrich the understanding of addiction by coordinating biomedical and sociological sciences through minimizing, if not erasing, their intellectual antagonism and social distance.
Resisting Idolatry and Instrumentalisation in Loving the Neighbour: The Significance of the Pilgrimage Motif for Augustine’s Usus–Fruitio Distinction
Authors: Stewart-Kroeker Sarah
Published: April 2014

This article addresses Augustine’s distinction between usus and fruitio—and O’Donovan’s critique of it—in order to consider the dangers of disordered love in the forms of idolatry and instrumentalisation in neighbourly relations on earth. Examining the christological heart of the pilgrimage image as articulated in De doctrina christiana addresses O’Donovan’s critique that the pilgrimage image instrumentalises one’s relationships to others in the progress of one’s own journey to God. In fact, this image presents a christological dialectic that establishes the continuity of earthly and eschatological neighbour-love and thus protects the neighbour from being made either idol or instrument by securing their right place in the order of love.
Effects of a split injection in a spray-guided direct-injection spark ignition engine under lean stratified operation
Authors: Oh Heechang , Bae Choongsik
Published: April 2014

The effects of a split injection were investigated in a spray-guided direct-injection spark ignition engine under lean stratified operation. In-cylinder pressure analysis, exhaust emissions measurement and visualization of the spray and combustion were applied. From the results using a single-injection strategy, stratified combustion showed advanced and rapid combustion characteristics. However, the low work conversion efficiency and the high nitrogen oxide emissions were obstacles to stratified combustion. Furthermore, the smoke emissions were high as a result of the dominant mixing-controlled combustion. A dual-injection strategy was applied to control the level of stratified combustion by modifying the dwell time and the split ratio. With a split injection, the nitrogen oxide emissions and the smoke emissions were reduced because of the moderated combustion speed and the enhanced local homogeneity. The liquid phase of the stratified mixture and the luminous sooting flame were reduced significantly as well. However, a low combustion efficiency and a low indicated mean effective pressure resulted owing to the over-mixing effect when the portion of lean premixed combustion was increased. Via moderately controlled stratified combustion, a split injection could be an effective way to reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions and the smoke emissions with a reasonable indicated mean effective pressure and a reasonable combustion efficiency.
Experimental characterization of the probability density function of the operating loads supported by urban buses in Madrid, Spain
Authors: Pérez Jesús A , Alcalá Enrique , López José M
Published: April 2014

In order to approach properly a wide variety of issues concerning urban large passenger transport vehicles, such as the design of the bus structure, the comfort of passengers, the non-collision injury risk and the operating characteristics of the bus, detailed knowledge of the loads that the buses support when operating is required. These loads depend on numerous factors such as the geographic and urban features of the city where they operate, the type of route and the driver. All these factors provide the nature of these loads with a wide variability, and so studies based on experimentally obtained data during representative periods of operation must be developed. The main objective of the present paper is to carry out a representative characterization of the operating loads supported by large passenger transport vehicles during normal operation. It is with this aim that a study of the longitudinal accelerations and lateral accelerations to which large passenger transport vehicles are subjected was conducted over urban routes by using the data collected by the Global Positioning System. An extensive assessment of recorded data was carried out to evaluate whether the precision and the sample rate of the Global Positioning System were sufficient to characterize these accelerations accurately. To ensure that the sample was representative, data for an operation time of more than 600 h were recorded using 10 different models of large passenger transport vehicles operating over 13 different urban routes. From all the position data recorded, the instant longitudinal accelerations were calculated using second-order central differentiation, and the lateral accelerations were obtained using first-order central differentiation and the curvature radius. All the calculated accelerations were then subjected to data processing developed on an ad-hoc basis to filter the information that did not refer to accelerating manoeuvres. After this data-processing procedure, it was verified that both the lateral accelerations and the longitudinal accelerations fit normal probability distributions with a minimum margin of error (maximum differences of 0.165 m/s2 for lateral accelerations and 0.038 m/s2 for longitudinal accelerations).
Extreme elevation of ferritin and creatine kinase in primary infection with HIV-1
Authors: Babiker Zahir Osman Eltahir , Wingfield Tom , Galloway James , Snowden Neil , Ustianowski Andrew
Published: April 2014

The diagnosis of primary HIV-1 infection can be challenging, especially in the absence of reported risks or when presenting features are unusual and uncommon. We report an atypical case of primary HIV-1 infection with HIV-1 subtype C in a 61-year old Caucasian man who presented with extreme hyperferritinaemia without iron overload and marked elevation of serum creatine kinase without rhabdomyolysis. In view of his symptomatic seroconversion and low baseline CD4+ T-lymphocyte count, the patient was treated promptly with combination antiretroviral therapy. Subsequently, he made good clinical improvement on treatment and no opportunistic infections were diagnosed at presentation or as part of a later immune reconstitution syndrome. This novel case highlights the importance of clinical suspicion of HIV and suggests that primary HIV-1 infection should be considered in patients presenting with severe hyperferritinaemia or markedly elevated creatine kinase levels. Further studies are required to explain the causative biological mechanisms underlying this rare presentation.
Alexis Carrel (1873–1944): Visionary vascular surgeon and pioneer in organ transplantation
Authors: Aida Lai
Published: April 2014

Alexis Carrel was a French surgeon in the 20th century. He made significant contributions to many advances in the fields of vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery and organ transplantation. He demonstrated that blood vessels can be united end-to-end and pioneered the triangulation suturing technique in vascular anastomosis. The methods he developed are still in use to this day. He insisted on the importance of absolute asepsis in vascular surgery when such practices were almost unheard of. He was also considered the father of solid organ transplantation. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in recognition of his work. Together with Charles Lindbergh, he developed the extracorporeal perfusion pump to keep organs alive outside the human body. His contribution to medicine also extended to tissue culture and wound management. He was one of the most controversial figures of his generation, believing in the idea of genetic superiority and eugenics and he was associated with fascism in the 1930s.