bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weak Type Inequalities for Some Integral Operators on Generalized Nonhomogeneous Morrey Spaces
Authors: Gunawan Hendra , Hakim Denny Ivanal , Sawano Yoshihiro , Sihwaningrum Idha
Published: December 2013

We prove weak type inequalities for some integral operators, especially generalized fractional integral operators, on generalized Morrey spaces of nonhomogeneous type. The inequality for generalized fractional integral operators is proved by using two different techniques: one uses the Chebyshev inequality and some inequalities involving the modified Hardy-Littlewood maximal operator and the other uses a Hedberg type inequality and weak type inequalities for the modified Hardy-Littlewood maximal operator. Our results generalize the weak type inequalities for fractional integral operators on generalized non-homogeneous Morrey spaces and extend to some singular integral operators. In addition, we also prove the boundedness of generalized fractional integral operators on generalized non-homogeneous Orlicz-Morrey spaces.
Torque for an Inertial Piezoelectric Rotary Motor
Authors: Xing Jichun , Xu Lizhong
Published: December 2013

For a novel inertial piezoelectric rotary motor, the equation of the strain energy in the piezoceramic bimorph and the equations of the strain energy and the kinetic energy in the rotor are given. Based on them, the dynamic equation of the motor is obtained. Using these equations, the inertial driving torque of the motor is investigated. The results show that the impulsive driving torque changes with changing peak voltage of the excitation signal, the piezoelectric stress constant, the thickness of the piezoceramic bimorph, and the rotor radius obviously. Tests about the motor torque are completed which verifies the theory analysis here in. The results can be used to design the operating performance of the motor.
The Controlled Synthesis of Carbon Tubes and Rods by Template-Assisted Twin Polymerization
Authors: Böttger-Hiller Falko , Kempe Patrick , Baumann Gisela , Hietschold Michael , Schäfer Philipp , Zahn Dietrich R. T. , Petzold Albrecht , Thurn-Albrecht Thomas , Spange Stefan
Published: December 2013

The application of porous carbon is versatile. It is used for high-performance catalyst support, electrode material in batteries, and gas storage. In each of these application fields nanostructuring improves the material properties. Supercapacitors store a high energy density. Exactly adapted carbon structures increase the life of lithium batteries and protect catalysts with increasing reaction rate and selectivity. Most of porous carbon materials have a spherical shape. To the best of our knowledge, there is no procedure to synthesize nanostructured cylindrical porous carbon systematically. Here, template glass fibres and SiO2-tubes were modified with nanostructured SiO2/phenolic resin and SiO2/poly(furfuryl alcohol) layers by surface twin polymerization (TP) of 2,2′-spirobi[4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasiline] and tetrafurfuryloxysilane. Afterwards the SiO2/polymer layer on the template is thermally transformed into a defect-free nanostructured SiO2/carbon layer. After completely removing the SiO2components microporous carbon tubes or rods are finally achieved. The diameters of the carbon rods and the inner as well as the outer diameter of the carbon tubes are adjustable according to the shape and size of the template. Thus, a huge variety of microporous carbon materials can be easily produced by template-assisted TP.
Lactobacilli Reduce Chemokine IL-8 Production in Response to TNF-αandSalmonellaChallenge of Caco-2 Cells
Authors: Ren Da-Yong , Li Chang , Qin Yan-Qing , Yin Rong-Lan , Du Shou-Wen , Ye Fei , Liu Hong-Feng , Wang Mao-Peng , Sun Yang , Li Xiao , Tian Ming-Yao , Jin Ning-Yi
Published: December 2013

The probiotic properties of two selected lactobacilli strains were assessed.L. salivariusandL. plantarumdisplayed higher hydrophobicity (48% and 54%, resp.) and coaggregation ability with four pathogens (from 7.9% to 57.5%).L. salivariusandL. plantarumhad good inhibitory effects onS. aureus(38.2% and 49.5%, resp.) attachment to Caco-2 cells. Live lactobacilli strains and their conditioned media effectively inhibited IL-8 production (<14.6 pg/mL) in TNF-α-induced Caco-2 cells. Antibiotic-treated and the sonicated lactobacilli also maintained inhibitory effects (IL-8 production from 5.0 to 36.3 pg/mL); however, the heat-treated lactobacilli lost their inhibitory effects (IL-8 production from 130.2 to 161.0 pg/mL). These results suggest that both the structural components and the soluble cellular content of lactobacilli have anti-inflammatory effects. We also found that pretreatment of Caco-2 cells with lactobacilli inhibitedS. typhimurium-induced IL-8 production (<27.3 pg/mL). However, lactobacilli did not inhibit IL-8 production in Caco-2 cells pretreated withS. typhimurium. These results suggest that the tested lactobacilli strains are appropriate for preventing inflammatory diseases caused by enteric pathogens but not for therapy. In short,L. salivariusandL. plantarumare potential candidates for the development of microbial ecological agents and functional foods.
A Comparative Study of Improved Artificial Bee Colony Algorithms Applied to Multilevel Image Thresholding
Authors: Charansiriphaisan Kanjana , Chiewchanwattana Sirapat , Sunat Khamron
Published: December 2013

Multilevel thresholding is a highly useful tool for the application of image segmentation. Otsu’s method, a common exhaustive search for finding optimal thresholds, involves a high computational cost. There has been a lot of recent research into various meta-heuristic searches in the area of optimization research. This paper analyses and discusses using a family of artificial bee colony algorithms, namely, the standard ABC, ABC/best/1, ABC/best/2, IABC/best/1, IABC/rand/1, and CABC, and some particle swarm optimization-based algorithms for searching multilevel thresholding. The strategy for an onlooker bee to select an employee bee was modified to serve our purposes. The metric measures, which are used to compare the algorithms, are the maximum number of function calls, successful rate, and successful performance. The ranking was performed by Friedman ranks. The experimental results showed that IABC/best/1 outperformed the other techniques when all of them were applied to multilevel image thresholding. Furthermore, the experiments confirmed that IABC/best/1 is a simple, general, and high performance algorithm.
Recurrent Mitral Valve Endocarditis Caused byStreptococcus pneumoniaein a Splenectomized Host
Authors: Shrestha Shikha , Chintanaboina JayaKrishna , Pancholy Samir
Published: December 2013

A 72-year-old male with a remote history of splenectomy and two previous episodes of pneumococcal endocarditis of mitral valve presented with high-grade fever and confusion for 3 days. Nine months priorly, patient underwent mitral valve repair when he had the first episode of pneumococcal mitral valve endocarditis. He received pneumococcal vaccination two years ago. On examination during this admission, he was found to be febrile (104.3 F) and confused and had a grade 2/6 systolic murmur at the apex without any radiation. Laboratory data was significant for a white blood cell count of 22,000/mm3(normal: 4000–11000/mm3). Blood cultures (4/4 bottles) grew penicillin-sensitiveStreptococcus pneumoniae. Transesophageal echocardiogram revealed small vegetation on the posterior mitral leaflet without any evidence of abscess and severe mitral regurgitation. Patient clinically responded to intravenous ceftriaxone. However, due to recurrent pneumococcal mitral valve endocarditis and severe mitral regurgitation, the patient underwent mitral valve replacement. Patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged home. Pneumococcal endocarditis itself is being uncommon in this current, penicillin, era; our case highlights the recurrent nature of pneumococcal endocarditis in a splenectomized host and the importance of pursuing aggressive treatment options in this clinical scenario.
The Multifaceted Role of Th17 Lymphocytes and Their Associated Cytokines in Cancer
Authors: Alizadeh Darya , Katsanis Emmanuel , Larmonier Nicolas
Published: December 2013

While the role of T helper 17 lymphocytes (Th17) in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and in infectious immunity has been relatively well defined, the impact of these cells and their associated cytokines on cancer development is still under debate. Although multiple reports have indicated that Th17 can promote anticancer immunity, others have argued that these cells may exhibit tumor-promoting properties. This dichotomy in the function of Th17 lymphocytes in cancer may be related to the versatile nature of these cells, being capable of differentiating into either proinflammatory Th1 or suppressive FoxP3-expressing Treg cells or hybrid T cell subsets depending on the underlying environmental conditions. In the current review, we examine the role of Th17 lymphocytes and Th17-associated cytokines in cancer and discuss how factors that control their final lineage commitment decision may influence the balance between their tumor-promoting versus tumor-suppressing properties.
A Study on the Consistency of Discretization Equation in Unsteady Heat Transfer Calculations
Authors: Zhang Wenhua , Yu Bo , Zhao Yu , Han Dongxu , Zhang Xinyu
Published: December 2013

The previous studies on the consistency of discretization equation mainly focused on the finite difference method, but the issue of consistency still remains with several problems far from totally solved in the actual numerical computation. For instance, the consistency problem is involved in the numerical case where the boundary variables are solved explicitly while the variables away from the boundary are solved implicitly. And when the coefficient of discretization equation of nonlinear numerical case is the function of variables, calculating the coefficient explicitly and the variables implicitly might also give rise to consistency problem. Thus the present paper mainly researches the consistency problems involved in the explicit treatment of the second and third boundary conditions and that of thermal conductivity which is the function of temperature. The numerical results indicate that the consistency problem should be paid more attention and not be neglected in the practical computation.
Development of Inspection Robots for Bridge Cables
Authors: Yun Hae-Bum , Kim Se-Hoon , Wu Liuliu , Lee Jong-Jae
Published: December 2013

This paper presents the bridge cable inspection robot developed in Korea. Two types of the cable inspection robots were developed for cable‐suspension bridges and cable‐stayed bridge. The design of the robot system and performance of the NDT techniques associated with the cable inspection robot are discussed. A review on recent advances in emerging robot‐based inspection technologies for bridge cables and current bridge cable inspection methods is also presented.
The Niacin/Butyrate Receptor GPR109A Suppresses Mammary Tumorigenesis by Inhibiting Cell Survival
Authors: Elangovan Selvakumar , Pathania Rajneesh , Ramachandran Sabarish , Ananth Sudha , Padia Ravi N. , Lan Ling , Singh Nagendra , Martin Pamela M. , Hawthorn Lesleyann , Prasad Puttur D. , Ganapathy Vadivel , Thangaraju Muthusamy
Published: December 2013

GPR109A, a G-protein–coupled receptor, is activated by niacin and butyrate. Upon activation in colonocytes, GPR109A potentiates anti-inflammatory pathways, induces apoptosis, and protects against inflammation-induced colon cancer. In contrast, GPR109A activation in keratinocytes induces flushing by activation of Cox-2–dependent inflammatory signaling, and the receptor expression is upregulated in human epidermoid carcinoma. Thus, depending on the cellular context and tissue, GPR109A functions either as a tumor suppressor or a tumor promoter. However, the expression status and the functional implications of this receptor in the mammary epithelium are not known. Here, we show that GPR109A is expressed in normal mammary tissue and, irrespective of the hormone receptor status, its expression is silenced in human primary breast tumor tissues, breast cancer cell lines, and in tumor tissues of three different murine mammary tumor models. Functional expression of this receptor in human breast cancer cell lines decreases cyclic AMP production, induces apoptosis, and blocks colony formation and mammary tumor growth. Transcriptome analysis revealed that GPR109A activation inhibits genes, which are involved in cell survival and antiapoptotic signaling, in human breast cancer cells. In addition, deletion of Gpr109a in mice increased tumor incidence and triggered early onset of mammary tumorigenesis with increased lung metastasis in MMTV-Neu mouse model of spontaneous breast cancer. These findings suggest that GPR109A is a tumor suppressor in mammary gland and that pharmacologic induction of this gene in tumor tissues followed by its activation with agonists could be an effective therapeutic strategy to treat breast cancer. Cancer Res; 74(4); 1166–78. ©2013 AACR.
RNA-Binding Protein RBM24 Regulates p63 Expression via mRNA Stability
Authors: Xu Enshun , Zhang Jin , Zhang Min , Jiang Yuqian , Cho Seong-Jun , Chen Xinbin
Published: December 2013

p63, a p53 family member, plays pivotal roles in epidermal development, aging, and tumorigenesis. Thus, understanding how p63 expression is controlled has biological and clinical importance. RBM24 is an RNA-binding protein and shares a high sequence similarity with RBM38, a critical regulator of p63. In this study, we investigated whether RBM24 is capable of regulating p63 expression. Indeed, we found that ectopic expression of RBM24 decreased, whereas knockdown of RBM24 increased, the levels of p63 transcript and protein. To explore the underlying mechanism, we found that RBM24 was able to bind to multiple regions in the p63 3′ untranslated region and, subsequently, destabilize p63 transcript. Furthermore, we showed that the 3′ untranslated region in p63 transcript and the RNA-binding domain in RBM24 were required for RBM24 to bind p63 transcript and consequently, inhibit p63 expression. Taken together, our data provide evidence that RBM24 is a novel regulator of p63 via mRNA stability.

Implications: Our study suggests that p63 is regulated by RBM24 via mRNA stability, which gives an insight into understanding how posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms contribute to p63 expression. Mol Cancer Res; 12(3); 359–69. ©2013 AACR.
Activation of CXCR7 Limits Atherosclerosis and Improves Hyperlipidemia by Increasing Cholesterol Uptake in Adipose Tissue
Authors: Li Xiaofeng , Zhu Mengyu , Penfold Mark E. , Koenen Rory R. , Thiemann Anna , Heyll Kathrin , Akhtar Shamima , Koyadan Seena , Wu Zhuojun , Gremse Felix , Kiessling Fabian , van Zandvoort Marc , Schall Thomas J. , Weber Christian , Schober Andreas
Published: December 2013

Background—

The aim of this study was to determine the role of the chemokine receptor CXCR7 in atherosclerosis and vascular remodeling. CXCR7 is the alternative receptor of CXCL12, which regulates stem cell–mediated vascular repair and limits atherosclerosis via its receptor, CXCR4.

Methods and Results—

Wire-induced injury of the carotid artery was performed in mice with a ubiquitous, conditional deletion of CXCR7 and in mice treated with the synthetic CXCR7 ligand CCX771. The effect of CCX771 treatment on atherosclerosis was studied in apolipoprotein E–deficient (
Apoe

−/−

) mice fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. Lipoprotein fractions were quantified in the plasma of
Apoe

−/−

mice by fast protein liquid chromatography. Uptake of DiI-labeled very low-density lipoprotein to adipose tissue was determined by 2-photon microscopy. We show that genetic deficiency of
Cxcr7
increased neointima formation and lesional macrophage accumulation in hyperlipidemic mice after vascular injury. This was related to increased serum cholesterol levels and subsequent hyperlipidemia-induced monocytosis. Conversely, administration of the CXCR7 ligand CCX771 to
Apoe

−/−

mice inhibited lesion formation and ameliorated hyperlipidemia after vascular injury and during atherosclerosis. Treatment with CCX771 reduced circulating very low-density lipoprotein levels but not low-density lipoprotein or high-density lipoprotein levels and increased uptake of very low-density lipoprotein into
Cxcr7
-expressing white adipose tissue. This effect of CCX771 was associated with an enhanced lipase activity and reduced expression of Angptl4 in adipose tissue.

Conclusions—

CXCR7 regulates blood cholesterol by promoting its uptake in adipose tissue. This unexpected cholesterol-lowering effect of CXCR7 is beneficial for atherosclerotic vascular diseases, presumably via amelioration of hyperlipidemia-induced monocytosis, and can be augmented with a synthetic CXCR7 ligand.
Primacy or World Order? The United States and China's Rise—A Review Essay
Authors: Khong Yuen Foong
Published: December 2013

How should the United States respond to China's rise? What are China's longterm strategic goals? What are the implications of U.S.-China strategic interactions for world order? Three recent works—Aaron Friedberg's A Contest for Supremacy, Hugh White's The China Choice, and Yan Xuetong's Ancient Chinese Political Thought, Modern Chinese Power—grapple with these questions in authoritative and revealing ways. This review essay examines the answers provided by these authors, with the aim of clarifying the different underlying assumptions that led them to their conclusions. Four themes are found to be especially pertinent. These are the assumptions the authors hold about the existing distribution of power, China's strategic objectives, the role of economic interdependence in Asia, and the relationship between democracy and political legitimacy. The way the authors parse these themes—which ones they bracket or admit into their analysis, and how they weigh and combine them—helps to reveal the underlying bases of their and, by implication, our policy preferences. The essay concludes by suggesting that contrary to the view of some, time has something to offer both sides. And if those opportunities are properly understood by the United States and China, the prospects for peaceful competition and coevolution improve.
Student Ownership of Learning as a Key Component of College Readiness
Authors: Conley David T. , French Elizabeth M.
Published: December 2013

This article considers the importance of ownership of learning as a key component of college readiness. The article is organized around two conceptual models. The first is a four-part model of college readiness that includes key cognitive strategies, key content knowledge, key learning skills and techniques, and key transition knowledge and skills. The second is a five-part model of ownership of learning that consists of the following elements: motivation and engagement, goal orientation and self-direction, self-efficacy and self-confidence, metacognition and self-monitoring, and persistence. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of the role and importance of ownership of learning and makes the case that these elements can and should be taught to all students, and particularly in settings where an achievement gap exists.
Associations of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Calcified Atherosclerosis With Aortoiliac Bifurcation Position
Authors: Forbang Nketi I. , Ix Joachim H. , Allison Matthew A. , Criqui Michael H.
Published: December 2013

We investigated associations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and calcified atherosclerosis with aortoiliac bifurcation position. The bifurcation position was determined by measuring the distance from the aortoiliac bifurcation to the L5-S1 disk space (or aortoiliac bifurcation distance [AIBD]), using computed tomography scans. The 1711 study participants (51% male) had a mean age of 62 ± 10 years and a mean AIBD of 26 ± 15 mm. In multivariable linear regression, older age, male gender, smoking, hypertension, larger aortic diameter, and smaller lumbar height were each independently associated with a smaller AIBD (more caudal bifurcation position). In contrast, diabetes, elevated triglycerides, and increased pulse pressure were independently associated with a larger AIBD (more cephalad bifurcation position). These findings suggest that age-related bifurcation descent is associated with CVD markers for aortic disease. Future studies should assess whether the bifurcation position is an independent prognosticator for CVD.
Research Frontiers in Comparative and International Environmental Politics
Authors: Cao Xun , Milner Helen V. , Prakash Aseem , Ward Hugh
Published: December 2013

Given the recognition of the seriousness of climate change and other forms of environmental challenges, a growing number of political scientists are working in the environmental area. We have a substantial body of research examining local, regional, and global environmental issues. It is our sense that time is ripe for the field of international and comparative environmental politics to reflect on existing work, integrate it, and clearly articulate directions for future research. This special issue seeks to encourage scholars to systemically examine the roles of domestic and international factors, either alone or in interaction, to develop more nuanced models of environmental politics across space and time. We hope that the papers here will help to define the research frontier for the environmental politics field. Collectively, they exemplify recent efforts in comparative and international environmental politics that are, first, explanatory in orientation; second, cross levels of analysis in a way that transcends artificial subdisciplinary distinctions; and finally, are based on application of a variety of research methods and modeling techniques standard among the wider political science community.
Greenland: A post-Danish sovereign nation state in the making
Authors: Gad Ulrik P
Published: December 2013

The relationship between Greenland and the European Union (EU) can best be understood by exploring the development from Danish colonialism to a future independent Greenlandic state. In 1985, Greenland became the first territory ever to leave the European Economic Community (EEC) when it opted for status as an ‘overseas country or territory’. The manner in which Greenland had to follow Denmark into the EEC in 1973 – whereby Greenlanders saw control over their fisheries move from distant Copenhagen to even-more-distant Brussels – was pivotal for the Greenlandic demands for home rule that succeeded in 1979 and made the 1985 withdrawal possible. On 25 November 2008, a majority of the people of Greenland voted in favour of enhanced home rule – ‘self-government’ – still within formal Danish sovereignty. Denmark and Greenland alike are preparing for a future envisioned as involving climate change, intensive raw material extraction, new transportation corridors and new claims to sovereignty over the Arctic. Greenland uses this imagined future as a way of enhancing its subjectivity, not the least when dealing with the EU. This article analyses how the Greenlandic self-understanding as being on the way to sovereignty – and the tensions involved – structures the triangular relationship between the EU, Greenland and Denmark. The article concludes that the visions of sovereign equality might, on the one hand, create greater expectations than Greenland will immediately be able to live up to – at home and in the EU. On the other hand, the representation of the Greenland–EU relationship as one of sovereign equality – present and future – might just be able to provoke the resources necessary to make the dream come true.
Teacher Support and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Guess Pamela E. , McCane-Bowling Sara J.
Published: December 2013

This study examined the relationship between perceived teacher support and overall life satisfaction (LS) in a sample of urban middle school students. Based on correlations between measures of student perceptions related to these constructs, results indicated that student perceptions of teacher support correlated significantly with LS, with the highest correlation demonstrated between Informational Support and LS ( r = .33). Linear regression analyses also indicated that teacher Informational Support contributed most significantly to LS variance. Student grade was identified as a moderating variable. Implications of these findings for teachers and other school staff are discussed within the context of including school climate factors in comprehensive school review plans for maximizing student functioning.
Double-Loop Coaching for Leadership Development
Authors: Witherspoon Robert
Published: December 2013

This article explores a distinctive coaching approach designed to help leaders learn about how they think in action, and then apply that learning to improve their performance and leadership. The particular focus of this approach is on the way that leaders think about, or frame key situations—and specifically how this thinking can powerfully shape their acting and results. I call this double-loop coaching (DLC), drawing on the distinction coined by Chris Argyris between single- and double-loop learning. The essence of DLC is the idea that the way leaders act and the results they create begin with the way they think. With actual coaching cases that apply this approach, this article suggests ways leaders can better connect their thinking and their action to increase their chances of success, especially when important matters are at stake among parties with different perspectives.
The Geography of the Great Leap Famine
Authors: Garnaut Anthony
Published: December 2013

This article presents a detailed map of the impact of the Great Leap famine, based on a comparison of the age cohorts recorded in the 2000 population census. The map is interpreted with reference to three historical features of the economic geography of early Communist China: the national grain procurement and distribution system, established to support the industrialization drive of the First Five-Year Plan; the logic of administrative macroregions, which led to the emergence of designated “grain surplus” and “grain deficit” areas; and the efforts of logistics experts to maximize the amount of grain transported along China’s limited modern transport infrastructure. It is suggested that the radicalization of local party leaders, often considered to be a key cause of spatial variation in famine severity, was strongly conditioned by factors of economic geography.
Individualization as an Ambition
Authors: Wang Xiying , Nehring Daniel
Published: December 2013

This article considers cultural hierarchies that may shape practices of dating and partner choice among young women and men in contemporary Beijing. Our research is mainly based on 43 in-depth interviews conducted in Beijing over the past six years. The distinction between Beijingers and waidiren (lit., outsiders) here serves as a framework to examine the cultural and socioeconomic differentiation of dating practices. We further complicate this framework by highlighting the internal heterogeneity of waidiren, including four groups: college students, New Beijingers, young professionals without Beijing hukou, and rural migrant laborers. We argue that our participants’ narratives reflect a desire for autonomous partner choice and fulfilling love relationships; we also demonstrate how the hukou system, competition in the neoliberal market place, differential access to education, and the rural-urban division may interact to create opportunities and obstacles for young people’s personal choices. Drawing on recent work by Yan Yunxiang (2009, 2010), our analysis further substantiates arguments about the individualization of contemporary Chinese society.
Dependent Dirichlet Process Rating Model
Authors: Fujimoto Ken Akira , Karabatsos George
Published: December 2013

Typical item response theory (IRT) rating scale models assume that the rating category threshold parameters are the same over examinees. Unfortunately, such models are inappropriate for rating data that exhibit differential item functioning (DIF). The authors introduce a new Bayesian nonparametric IRT model for rating scale items, which is more appropriate for rating data that contain DIF. The model is an infinite mixture of Rasch partial credit models, with mixture distribution modeled by the local (Dependent) Dirichlet process. The model treats the rating category thresholds as the random parameters that are subject to the mixture, with (stick-breaking) mixture weights that are covariate-dependent. Thus, the model allows the rating category thresholds to differ across items and examinees, while allowing the form of the distribution for the category thresholds to vary flexibly as a function of covariates. The authors illustrate the new model through the analysis of simulated data and real data. The model demonstrated the ability to correctly identify DIF items. Moreover, the model attained better predictive-fit performance than did other commonly used IRT rating models.
Prospective Cohort Study of the Outcome of and Risk Factors for Intravascular Catheter‐Related Bloodstream Infections in Children With Intestinal Failure
Authors: Robinson Joan L. , Casey Linda M. , Huynh Hien Q. , Spady Donald W.
Published: December 2013

Background: Children with intestinal failure (IF) have frequent catheter‐related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). The purpose of this study was to prospectively study the clinical course of CRBSIs and to seek modifiable risk factors for CRBSIs in children with IF. Materials and Methods: Children with IF were enrolled prospectively and data on potential risk factors collected monthly. Additional data were collected when they had CRBSIs. Results: Sixteen children were enrolled, yielding 223 months of data. The rate of CRBSIs was 4.6 per 1000 catheter days. The most consistent symptom at onset of CRBSI was fever (28 of 32 cases). Elevated C‐reactive protein (CRP) was the only laboratory abnormality that was consistently associated with the onset of CRBSI (elevated in 15 of the 18 cases where it was measured). Combining all episodes in the cases that relapsed, the catheter salvage rate was 17 of 29 (59%), including 4 of 11 polymicrobial CRBSIs. Risk factors for CRBSI included double lumen tunneled central venous catheter (CVC), jugular placement of CVC, higher doses of intralipid, and having <50 cm small bowel postresection. Conclusion: The diagnosis of CRBSI should be questioned in the absence of fever and/or elevated CRP. Salvage of catheters should be attempted with all bacterial CRBSIs, assuming that the child is stable since the CVC can be retained in the majority of cases.
An Outcome Evaluation of a Midwestern Prisoner Reentry Initiative
Authors: Garland Brett E. , Hass Aida Y.
Published: December 2013

In recent years, correctional and community agencies have developed and promoted an array of policies and programs aimed at successfully facilitating the offender transition from prison to community. One model, the Reentry Partnership Initiative (RPI), emphasizes building collaborative partnerships in an effort to deliver a coordinated and continuous stream of supervision, services, and support during the transitional process and includes institutional, structured reentry, and community reintegration phases. The current study evaluates the outcome of an RPI-style model called the Missouri Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI). The impact of MPRI participation was examined by comparing the reimprisonment of two MPRI treatment groups to the reimprisonment of a reference group having no MPRI involvement. The MPRI groups consisted of (a) offenders entering all MPRI phases and (b) offenders receiving MPRI assistance exclusively inside prison. MPRI was not successful in reducing reimprisonment for males but had benefits for females who entered all MPRI phases.
Social Ties and Generalized Trust, Online and in Person
Authors: Bouchillon Brandon C.
Published: December 2013

Results of the present survey ( n = 888) suggest that having strong social ties (or bonding social capital) fosters generalized trust, in support of conflict theory. There was no link between bridging social capital, or one’s more diverse ties, and trust. Facebook use was found to have an indirect but positive influence on trust through levels of bonding social capital. Civic engagement was also positively related to trust through the same measure of bonding social capital, allowing like-minded members of civic groups to connect, which spilled over to trust. Neither Facebook use nor civic engagement directly influenced generalized trust. This study suggests the viability of both physical (civic) and digital (Facebook) modes of reengaging trust in an ever-diversifying society. The “virtuous circle,” in which social trust and civic engagement prop one another up in a reciprocal fashion, instead looks like a figure eight here. Each measure indirectly boosted the other by first growing bonding social capital. When considered alongside divergent findings from Canada, this appears to be an American response to the increasing size of racial minority groups. Hispanic citizens make up the same portion of the American population as do all minority groups in Canada combined. These findings then represent a White reaction to an increasing Hispanic presence in America. Bounded solidarity in the form of strong, homogenous ties is shown as the path to trust in this setting.
Improving Medication Adherence Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Meece Jerry
Published: December 2013

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for the vast majority of diagnosed diabetes cases and is a considerable burden to the US health care system. However, patients with T2DM often fail to adhere to treatment for numerous reasons including concerns about administration, mode, timing, convenience, adverse events, and cost. As the prevalence of T2DM and the complexity of therapeutic regimens increases, the role of pharmacists in educating patients about treatment benefits, administration techniques, dosage flexibility, and avoiding side effects is critical and may optimize care by increasing the likelihood of treatment adherence. In addition, pharmacists are in a unique position to assess which patients are not taking medications as they are prescribed and can therefore determine the most effective methods to promote adherence. This article will examine the causes of nonadherence in T2DM and the integral role that pharmacists can play in improving medication adherence and persistence. Strategies for improving adherence, such as patient education, motivational interviewing, medication therapy management programs, and collaborative management, will also be considered.
Impact of High-Fidelity Simulation and Pharmacist-Specific Didactic Lectures in Addition to ACLS Provider Certification on	Pharmacy Resident ACLS Performance
Authors: Bartel Billie J.
Published: December 2013

Purpose:

This pilot study explored the use of multidisciplinary high-fidelity simulation and additional pharmacist-focused training methods in training postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residents to provide Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) care. Pharmacy resident confidence and comfort level were assessed after completing these training requirements.

Methods:

The ACLS training requirements for pharmacy residents were revised to include didactic instruction on ACLS pharmacology and rhythm recognition and participation in multidisciplinary high-fidelity simulation ACLS experiences in addition to ACLS provider certification. Surveys were administered to participating residents to assess the impact of this additional education on resident confidence and comfort level in cardiopulmonary arrest situations.

Results:

The new ACLS didactic and simulation training requirements resulted in increased resident confidence and comfort level in all assessed functions. Residents felt more confident in all areas except providing recommendations for dosing and administration of medications and rhythm recognition after completing the simulation scenarios than with ACLS certification training and the didactic components alone. All residents felt the addition of lectures and simulation experiences better prepared them to function as a pharmacist in the ACLS team.

Conclusion:

Additional ACLS training requirements for pharmacy residents increased overall awareness of pharmacist roles and responsibilities and greatly improved resident confidence and comfort level in performing most essential pharmacist functions during ACLS situations.
The Affordable Care Act on Loyalty Programs for Federal Beneficiaries
Authors: Piacentino Justin J. , Williams Karl G.
Published: December 2013

Objective:

To discuss changes in the law that allow community pharmacy loyalty programs to include and offer incentives to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

The retailer rewards exception of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and its change to the definition of remuneration in the civil monetary penalties of the Anti-Kickback Statute now allow incentives to be earned on federal benefit tied prescription out-of-pocket costs. The criteria required to design a compliant loyalty program are discussed.

Conclusion:

Community pharmacies can now include Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in compliant customer loyalty programs, where allowed by state law. There is a need for research directly on the influence of loyalty programs and nominal incentives on adherence.
Description of a Medical Writing Rotation for a Postgraduate Pharmacy Residency Program
Authors: Brown Jamie N. , Tiemann Kelsey A. , Ostroff Jared L.
Published: December 2013

Purpose:

To provide a description of a pharmacy residency rotation dedicated to medical writing developed at a tertiary care academic medical center.

Contribution to the medical literature is an important component of professional pharmacy practice, and there are many benefits seen by practitioners actively involved in scholarly activities. Residency programs have an opportunity to expand beyond the standard roles of postgraduate pharmacist training but rarely is there formal instruction on medical writing skills or are scholarship opportunities provided to residents. In order to address this deficiency, a residency program may consider the implementation of a formal Medical Writing rotation. This rotation is designed to introduce the resident to medical writing through active discussion on medical writing foundational topics, engage the resident in a collaborative review of a manuscript submitted to a peer-reviewed professional journal, and support the resident in the design and composition of manuscript of publishable quality.

Conclusion:

A structured Medical Writing rotation during a pharmacy resident’s training can help develop the skills necessary to promote scholarly activities and foster resident interest in future pursuit of professional medical writing.
Study on the Maglev vehicle–guideway coupling vibration system
Authors: Wang Hui , Shen Gang , Li Lin , Zhong Xiaobo
Published: December 2013

An innovative control approach for a Maglev system, including a new structure of the Maglev line and a novel levitation control method, is proposed in order to solve the problem of vehicle–guideway coupling vibration. Compared with a traditional Maglev line, the magnetic tracks in the new line are divided into smaller pieces to allow decoupling of the levitation magnets from the flexible supporting beams (steel or concrete beams). The vibration states of the magnetic tracks are introduced into the control system by the state observer, and a controller is designed using the full state feedback method. The effects of various parameters on the stability of the system are investigated. Also, a hardware-in-loop test rig is built to verify the feasibility of the scheme. The following conclusions are drawn based on the obtained results: in the new system, the magnet is dual-decoupled from the carbody and the supporting beam; the relative position between the magnet and the supporting beam exerts a negligible effect on the responses of the track and magnet, this makes it feasible to obtain all the vibration states of the track and the magnet using a state observer; an increase in the mass of the track is conducive to the stability of the system and a low pad stiffness value produces a faster decay ratio of the vibration of the supporting beam; the system’s stability margin is improved as the damping ratio of the supporting beam increases.
A numerical investigation into the aerodynamic effect of pressure pulses on a tunnel ventilation fan
Authors: Cardillo Lucio , Corsini Alessandro , Delibra Giovanni , Rispoli Franco , Sheard Anthony G
Published: December 2013

Tunnel ventilation fans are subjected to pressure pulses as a consequence of trains passing the ventilation shafts within which they are installed. These pressure pulses alter the volume flow rate through a ventilation fan, and consequently the static pressure field around fan blades. Today’s trains typically travel through railway tunnels faster than has been the historic norm. Additionally, platform screen doors are now a standard feature of metro systems. Both result in the trains involved inducing larger pressure pulses than industrial fan designers have traditionally assumed. Although tunnel ventilation fan in-service failures are rare, engineers increasingly associate those failures with new or renovated tunnel systems with larger pressure pulses. Consequently, we require insight into the aerodynamic and mechanical consequences that occur with subjecting a tunnel ventilation fan to a pressure pulse. In the research reported in this paper, the authors model the pressure pulse induced by a train in a tunnel system as a rapidly changing fan volume flow rate. The authors computed the fan operating point by means of a large eddy simulation with a one-equation sub-grid scale turbulence model. The authors undertook the computation using the open source computational fluid dynamic code OpenFOAM. An analysis of the computational results provides an insight into the effects of turbulent structures that develop within the fan blade passage. The analysis indicates that a pressure pulse too brief to drive a tunnel ventilation fan into stall still results a doubling of the unsteady aerodynamic and mechanical forces to which the blade is subjected. A doubling of unsteady mechanical forces as a consequence of a pressure pulse constitutes an increase significant enough to contribute to the tunnel ventilation fan’s in-service mechanical failure.
Immersive Technology Strategies
Authors: Wortley David
Published: December 2013

This newsletter touches on several recent developments, opportunities, and events in gaming, simulations, gamification, and serious games. For example, World Innovation Summit on Education, OPENChina EU ICT Collaboration, Horizon 2020 Conference, Great Ormond Street Hospital Learning Innovations Conference, Oman Competitiveness Forum, The Gamification Lens Concept, Junior Achievement Leaders Jamboree, The SimRed Gamification Project, Secrets of Gamification Workshop, and finally upcoming conferences and seminars.
Ethical Issues in the Reuse of Qualitative Data
Authors: Yardley Sarah J. , Watts Kate M. , Pearson Jennifer , Richardson Jane C.
Published: December 2013

In this article, we explore ethical issues in qualitative secondary analysis through a comparison of the literature with practitioner and participant perspectives. To achieve this, we integrated critical narrative review findings with data from two discussion groups: qualitative researchers and research users/consumers. In the literature, we found that theoretical debate ran parallel to practical action rather than being integrated with it. We identified an important and novel theme of relationships that was emerging from the perspectives of researchers and users. Relationships were significant with respect to trust, sharing data, transparency and clarity, anonymity, permissions, and responsibility. We provide an example of practice development that we hope will prompt researchers to re-examine the issues in their own setting. Informing the research community of research practitioner and user perspectives on ethical issues in the reuse of qualitative data is the first step toward developing mechanisms to better integrate theoretical and empirical work.
A mesoscale approach for growth of 3D microstructurally small fatigue cracks in polycrystals
Authors: Castelluccio Gustavo M , McDowell David L
Published: December 2013

In the high cycle fatigue regime, microstructure attributes such as grain size, shape, and crystallographic orientation usually affect fatigue crack formation and early growth. However, most computational strategies and theoretical models for assessing the influence of the microstructure on early stages of fatigue crack formation and growth rely on simple constitutive models and 2D microstructures, which limit their applicability in design of microstructure of engineering materials. This work employs finite element simulations that explicitly render the 3D microstructure of an Face-centered cubic (FCC) alloy to evaluate the change of the driving force for fatigue crack formation and early stages of transgranular growth, including consideration of growth within individual grains and stress redistribution as the crack extends. The methodology is implemented using a crystal plasticity algorithm in ABAQUS and used to study the effect of microstructure on early fatigue life of a powder processed Ni-base RR1000 superalloy at 650℃ subjected to constant amplitude loading. The effects of the microstructure in extending a fatigue crack over the first few grains are analyzed.
The Role of External Environment in Upper Echelons Theory
Authors: Yamak Sibel , Nielsen Sabina , Escribá-Esteve Alejandro
Published: December 2013

Upper echelons research has largely focused on the antecedents and consequences of top management teams (TMTs) from the team and firm levels of analysis. This paper reviews empirical research on TMTs with a specific emphasis on the role of the external environment. Applying institutional and industrial organization theories, a cross-level conceptual model outlining the direct, mediating, and moderating effects of the external environment on upper echelons is developed. This review distinguishes between industry and institutional levels of analysis and three types of environmental characteristics: stable, dynamic, and transformational. The paper further explains the relationships between each category of characteristics and firm upper echelons, and outlines possible avenues for future research.