bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Reduction to Apocope: Final Poststressed Vowel Devoicing in Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: Meneses Francisco , Albano Eleonora
Published: December 2015

This is a study of final poststressed vowel devoicing following /s/ in Brazilian Portuguese. We contradict the literature describing it as deletion by arguing, first, that the vowel is not deleted, but overlapped and devoiced by the /s/, and, second, that gradient reduction with devoicing may lead to apocope diachronically. The following results support our view: (1) partially devoiced vowels are centralized; (2) centralization is inversely proportional to duration; (3) total devoicing is accompanied by lowering of the /s/ centroid; (4) the /s/ noise seems to be lengthened when the vowel is totally devoiced; (5) aerodynamic tests reveal that lengthened /s/ has a final vowel-like portion, too short to be voiced; (6) lengthened /s/ favors vowel recovery in perceptual tests. This seems to be a likely path from reduction to devoicing to listener-based apocope.
Implantation of a Tissue-Engineered Neo-Bile Duct in Domestic Pigs
Authors: Struecker Benjamin , Hillebrandt Karl-Herbert , Raschzok Nathanael , Jöhrens Korinna , Butter Antje , Tang Peter , Andreou Andreas , Napierala Hendrik , Reutzel-Selke Anja , Denecke Timm , Pratschke Johann , Sauer Igor Maximilian
Published: December 2015

Background: Extrahepatic bile duct injuries remain severe complications during cholecystectomies and often require reconstruction by bilioenteric anastomosis (i.e., hepaticojejunostomy), which comes with further long-term complications (e.g., recurring ascending cholangitis, secondary biliary cirrhosis). In the case of inherent extrahepatic biliary atresia or during liver transplant, artificial or engineered bile ducts could allow novel surgical strategies without the need for hepaticojejunostomy. Methods: We present data on the implantation of in vitro-generated neo-bile ducts in 5 domestic pigs. The neo-bile ducts were engineered through decellularization of allogeneic blood vessels and recellularization with autologous cholangiocytes. On postoperative days 0, 1, 7, and 14, blood samples were taken and analyzed (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, and leukocytes). Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography was performed on postoperative day 14 on 1 pig. Fourteen days after implantation, the pigs were sacrificed and the bile ducts were explanted. Results: All pigs survived the complete study period without severe complications. None of the pigs showed signs of biliary leakage or peritonitis. The neo-bile ducts were infiltrated by neutrophils, and neoangiogenesis was observed around and into the implanted tissue. Conclusion: We present a novel strategy for extrahepatic bile duct replacement by implantation of an autologous neo-bile duct generated ex vivo. Whether the presented technique allows the long-term replacement of native bile ducts must be further evaluated.
Experimental Designs and the ‘Emotion Stimulus Critique': Hidden Problems and Potential Solutions in the Study of Emotion
Authors: Pascual-Leone Antonio , Herpertz Sabine C. , Kramer Ueli
Published: December 2015

Emotional experience is increasingly being measured using experimental tasks, but the stimuli used are often only proxies for the emotion being studied. Stimuli are intended to evoke a distinct emotional experience, but certain designs fail to adequately control for the actual experience in question. In this methodological paper, we review designs used in clinical psychology aimed at measuring emotion and develop the argument of the ‘emotion stimulus critique'. Designs of neuroimaging studies on emotion in this context are given preference. We argue that studies often concentrate on standardization of the stimulus material (i.e. words, images, and movies) for eliciting an emotional experience, whereas standardization of the actual participant's experience is seldom performed. Our proposal discusses the use of standardized stimuli in experimental designs and contrasts this with the necessity of controlling for a participant's unique emotional response. We highlight the importance of each participant's ‘inner metric', i.e. the individual's experiential anchor, which needs to be taken into account when examining the emotional correlates of psychiatric disorders or psychotherapeutic change. Implications of the emotion stimulus critique for research are discussed within the context of psychology, particularly clinical psychology and psychotherapy.
Tumor Heterogeneity Assessed by 18F-FDG PET/CT Is Not Significantly Associated with Nodal Metastasis in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Shin Seunghyeon , Pak Kyoungjune , Park Do Youn , Kim Seong Jang
Published: December 2015

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of tumor heterogeneity as assessed by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with pathological factors of breast cancer, and the prediction of nodal metastasis through tumor heterogeneity. Methods: From January 2013 to December 2013, 102 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast were enrolled into this study. [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT was performed before surgery. The metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of each lesion was calculated and a series of standardized uptake value (SUV) thresholds (e.g. 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% of SUVmax) was obtained. A threshold-volume (dV/dT) curve was acquired by plotting thresholds to MTV values automatically calculated with these thresholds. Tumor heterogeneity was calculated from the slope of the threshold-volume curve and defined as heterogeneity factor (HF). Results: HF differed significantly according to T stage (p < 0.0001), N stage (p = 0.0131) and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage (p = 0.0006). Among the pathological parameters, dermal lymphatic involvement (p = 0.0039) showed the significant correlations with HF. Lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.0005) was the only independent factor for predicting nodal metastasis. Conclusions: Tumor heterogeneity measured by 18F-FDG PET/CT is significantly associated with dermal lymphatic involvement. However, PET might not be able to predict nodal metastasis in breast cancer.
Bilateral Refractive Changes in Vascularized Pigment Epithelial Detachment Treated by Anti-VEGF Therapy
Authors: Hanhart Joel , Chowers Itay
Published: December 2015

We report the case of a patient bilaterally treated with anti-VEGF compounds for bilateral massive vascularized retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED). During the years prior to treatment, PED growth was accompanied by gradual hypermetropization. After right intraocular injection of bevacizumab followed by three bilateral aflibercept injections, the PED flattened resulting in a rapid relative myopization. This case illustrates ocular refractive properties associated with PED and its response to treatment. This case also highlights the importance of assessing refraction in age-related macular degeneration patients experiencing substantial PED amplitude changes.
A Review on Breast Cancer Care in Africa
Authors: Kantelhardt Eva J. , Muluken Gizaw , Sefonias Getachew , Wondimu Ayele , Gebert Hans Christoph , Unverzagt Susanne , Addissie Adamu
Published: December 2015

Background: The global incidence of breast cancer (BC) is rising, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this review is to summarize existing publications on BC care in Africa. Patients and Methods: A systematic search in MEDLINE and smaller databases was carried out to identify African studies on BC treatment, and an additional PubMed search was performed for relevant topics on BC care. Results: A total of 219 publications, mainly from North and West Africa, were found by systematic search. We also selected articles on BC epidemiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, and cancer control in Africa. Conclusions: Publications on BC treatment are mostly from hospital case series. Evidence on treatment from prospective randomized trials that address the specific characteristics of African patients is lacking. The epidemiologic data shows rising incidences in Africa. The prevalence of risk factors is changing by age group, geographic region, and over time. The clinical picture of BC differs from that of Western countries due to the high proportion of young patients (on account of the African population with a high proportion of young people) and late presentation. Global collaborative efforts are needed to address the rising need for improved BC care in Africa.
A música de Villa-Lobos nos filmes de Glauber Rocha dos anos 60: alegoria da pátria e retalho de colcha tropicalista
Authors: Alvim Luíza Beatriz
Published: December 2015

Analisamos o uso da música preexistente de Villa-Lobos em dois filmes de Glauber Rocha dos anos 60, Deus e o diabo na terra do sol (1964) e Terra em transe (1967). Considerada por Guerrini Júnior (2009) como uma “alegoria da pátria” em grande parte dos filmes do Cinema Novo, a música de Villa-Lobos é bastante presente em Deus e o diabo na terra do sol. Porém, a peça musical do final do filme aponta para uma mudança de direção para uma atitude mais antropofágica e tropicalista em Terra em transe, onde a música de Villa-Lobos é parte de uma colcha de retalhos de estilos e gêneros. Consideramos aqui os significados que os trechos preexistentes de Villa-Lobos trazem para os dois filmes, além das relações com os elementos nacionais e populares e com os outros componentes da trilha sonora.
Líbero Luxardo e a produção de cinejornais no Pará nas décadas de 1940 e 1950
Authors: Lobato Ana
Published: December 2015

Este texto trata da produção de cinejornais realizada no Estado do Pará nas décadas de 1940 e 1950 pelo cineasta Líbero Luxardo, tendo como objetivo ampliar o conhecimento a respeito dessa produção, levando em conta que um percentual muito baixo de filmes sobreviveu até os dias de hoje e os dados a esse respeito são bastante restritos. Aborda suas características, os apoios que a viabilizaram, o circuito cinematográfico em que foi exibida, bem como sua periodicidade. Analisa Homenagem póstuma a Magalhães Barata, edição especial, que encerra o ciclo de cinejornais realizado em associação com o político Magalhães Barata, destacando sua construção, seu contexto de exibição e as implicações daí advindas.
Na pista do crime: o policial argentino como gênero em Betibú
Authors: Lusvarghi Luiza
Published: December 2015

Entre 2010 e 2014, o policial argentino viveu um de seus períodos mais efervescentes, com “O Segredo dos seus olhos” (2010), de Juan José Campanella, que conquistou um Oscar, “Tese sobre um homicídio” (2013), de Hernán Goldfrid, êxito de bilheteria e crítica, e “Betibú” (2014), de Michel Cohen, película que lança um novo olhar sobre o gênero e sobre a realidade do país. A narrativa policial na Argentina está ligada à  tradição literária, que teve em Jorge Luís Borges e Bioy Casares fortes defensores, de um lado, e de outro ao desenvolvimento da indústria cinematográfica, entre 1933 a 1942, com destaque para “Fuera de la ley” (1937), de Manuel Romero. A trama de investigação com toque noir está presente em “Betibú”, que mescla elementos do gênero criminal e de suspense, e critica a mídia e a vida nas cidades globais.

Palavras-chave: Ficção policial; neonoir; neopolicial; cinema argentino; cinema brasileiro.
3D Printing and Immersive Visualization for Improved Perception of Ancient Artifacts
Authors: Di Franco Paola Di Giuseppantonio , Camporesi Carlo , Galeazzi Fabrizio , Kallmann Marcelo
Published: December 2015

This article investigates the use of 3D immersive virtual environments and 3D prints for interaction with past material culture over traditional observation without manipulation. Our work is motivated by studies in heritage, museum, and cognitive sciences indicating the importance of object manipulation for understanding present and ancient artifacts. While virtual immersive environments and 3D prints have started to be incorporated in heritage research and museum displays as a way to provide improved manipulation experiences, little is known about how these new technologies affect the perception of our past. This article provides first results obtained with three experiments designed to investigate the benefits and tradeoffs in using these technologies. Our results indicate that traditional museum displays limit the experience with past material culture, and reveal how our sample of participants favor tactile and immersive 3D virtual experiences with artifacts over visual non-manipulative experiences with authentic objects.
Narrowcasting and Multipresence for Music Auditioning and Conferencing in Social Cyberworlds
Authors: Ranaweera Rasika , Cohen Michael , Frishkopf Michael
Published: December 2015

We describe a musical cyberworld, Folkways in Wonderland, in which avatarrepresented users can find and listen to selections from the Smithsonian Folkways world music collection. When audition is disturbed by cacophony of nearby tracks or avatar conversations, one’s soundscape can be refined since the system supports narrowcasting, a technique which allows information streams to be filtered. Our system supports two different kinds of sound sources: musical selections and avatar conversation (voice-chat). Narrowcasting for music enables aesthetic focus; narrowcasting for talk enables cognitive focus. The former is required for dense presentation of musical sound, the latter for virtual worlds in which many avatars are expected to be able to interact. An active listener can fork self-identified avatars using a novel multipresence technique, locating representatives at locations of interest, each clone capturing respective soundscapes, controlled using narrowcasting functions {self, non-self} × {select (solo), mute, deafen, attend}. Likewise one can participate in a conference and at the same time join a global tour of music. Our music browser is architected to use MX: IEEE 1599, a comprehensive, multilayered, music description standard. Using our cyberworld as a virtual laboratory, we evaluated the effectiveness of narrowcasting when auditioning music and conferencing. Experimental results suggest that narrowcasting and multipresence techniques are useful for collaborative music exploration and improve user experience. We also got positive feedback from the participants regarding narrowcasting representations, variously based on colors, symbols, and icons.
Time and History, from a Singular Perspective
Authors: Palmeri Saro
Published: December 2015

This article is an exploration in the psychological development of time vis-à-vis the inanimate time of theoretical physics. More is known about the latter than about the former. The concept of history cannot be separated from the perception of time; in this article the two terms are bound together, either as contemporary, inborn psychological time/history or as cosmic, inanimate time/history of theoretical physics. It would appear at first that the subjective experiences of scientists, who are endowed with their own psychological time/history and who draw upon cognitive skills including memory and intuition, would establish a primacy of the psyche over objective, inanimate physics, which has been a reality from the Big Bang to our present time. However, recent discoveries about the ephemeral subatomic energy of waves and particles may explain the biophysics of the brain and ephemeral psychological functions.
Exceptions and Exclusions: The Right to Informed Consent for Medical Treatment of People with Psychosocial Disabilities in Europe
Authors: Waddington Lisa , McSherry Bernadette
Published: December 2015

This article examines the relevant international law relating to informed consent to treatment for individuals with psychosocial disabilities and reflects on the protection offered in this respect by the European Convention on Human Rights (echr) and the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. The article argues that while the un Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is beginning to influence case law of the European Court of Human Rights, only ‘weak’ protection has been afforded to people with psychosocial disabilities by the echr and the Court in relation to informed consent for medical treatment.
How does customer affiliative behaviour shape the outcomes of employee emotion regulation? A daily diary study of supermarket checkout operators
Authors: Holman David
Published: December 2015

Few studies have examined how customer behaviour shapes the outcomes of employees’ emotion regulation. Drawing on existing literature, this article tests two alternative models of customer affiliative behaviour (e.g. smiling, engaging in short conversation), employee emotion regulation (surface acting, deep acting) and employee outcomes (emotional exhaustion, objective task performance). In one model, customer affiliative behaviour is a mechanism that mediates the relationship between employee emotion regulation and outcomes, and in the other model customer affiliative behaviour moderates this relationship. The models were tested on data drawn from a daily diary study of 49 supermarket checkout operators and store performance records. The findings from multilevel analyses make a significant contribution to understanding how a key part of the social context during service interactions (i.e. customer affiliative behaviour) is a mechanism and moderator of employee emotion regulation. Results show that the effects of deep and surface acting on employee well-being are mediated by customer affiliative behaviour, and that relationship between surface acting and task performance is mediated by customer affiliative behaviour and emotional exhaustion. In addition, customer affiliative behaviour moderated the relationship between deep acting and emotional exhaustion, and the indirect effect of deep acting on task performance through emotional exhaustion.
Fentanyl bolus induces muscle tremors in sevoflurane-anaesthetized piglets
Authors: Ringer S K , Spielmann N , Weiss M , Mauch J Y
Published: December 2015

Intravenous fentanyl (10 mcg/kg) or saline (control) was randomly administered to 10 healthy sevoflurane-mono-anaesthetized piglets. Trembling was assessed by two blinded observers using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a simple ordinal scale at baseline and 5 min (T5) after drug administration. If no trembling was observed at that time point, the opposite treatment was administered and piglets were re-evaluated after another 5 min (T10). Four out of five piglets showed trembling after fentanyl (T5), while none given saline showed any trembling. With fentanyl the VAS scores were significantly higher at T5 compared either with baseline or with the control treatment. Control animals received fentanyl after the 5 min evaluation and all piglets showed clear trembling afterwards. The median time after fentanyl administration until first muscle tremors was 51 (20–840) s. In summary, nine out of 10 sevoflurane-anaesthetized piglets showed muscle tremors after intravenous fentanyl. Tremors subsided over time and no specific treatment was necessary.
Characteristics and predictors of allergic rhinitis undertreatment in primary care
Authors: Spinozzi F , Murgia N , Baldacci S , Maio S , Pala AP , Casciari C , dell’Omo M , Viegi G ,   on behalf of ARGA study group
Published: December 2015

Although allergic rhinitis is considered a raising medical problem in many countries it is often undertreated. The reasons for this phenomenon are not completely clear.

The aim of this study is to evaluate factors associated with allergic rhinitis under-/no treatment.

A sample of 518 allergic rhinitis patients recruited by their primary care physicians, as a part of the ARGA study, were invited to fill in a specific questionnaire regarding rhinitis symptoms, treatment, and rhinitis-related work/social disability. Chi-square test and logistic regression were performed to assess risk factors for allergic rhinitis under-/no treatment.

Over one out of four patients had no treatment despite the symptoms and 13.5% were inadequately treated. Participants with asthma (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.30–0.75) and conjunctivitis (0.44, 95% CI 0.27–0.71) were at lower risk of allergic rhinitis under-/no treatment: in asthmatics this reduction was related mainly to the concomitant asthma treatment (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.10–0.37).

Asthmatics with under-/not treated rhinitis had the highest prevalence of rhinitis-related quality of life impairment.

Under-/no treatment for allergic rhinitis is still rather frequent despite the relevance of this disease. The simultaneous presence of asthma and an anti-asthmatic therapy are able to influence positively the treatment. Targeted interventions toward a better characterization and a tight follow-up of rhinitis patient without asthma are needed.
Exposure to Genocide as a Risk Factor for Homicide Perpetration in Rwanda: A Population-Based Case–Control Study
Authors: Rubanzana Wilson , Hedt-Gauthier Bethany L. , Ntaganira Joseph , Freeman Michael D.
Published: December 2015

A population-based case-control study was conducted to assess the relationship between genocide exposure and homicide perpetration in Rwanda. A sample of 150 homicide perpetrators who were charged with and confessed to having committed homicide between 1 May 2011 and 31 May 2013 and 450 controls were enrolled. Cases were matched to controls by neighborhood, age and sex. Socio-demographic, background and genocide-related information was collected from study subjects’ next of kin. Four characteristics of genocide exposure were: genocide survivor, genocide perpetrator, having lost a first-degree relative to genocide and having a first-degree relative convicted of genocide. We assessed the impact of each genocide-exposure variable using conditional logistic regression. Of the 150 cases, 124 (82.7%) were male and 26 (17.3%) were female. The mean age of the alleged homicide perpetrators was 33 years, with a peak in the age group 20-29 years (39.3%). After adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and past common criminal records, having a first-degree relative who had been convicted of genocide crimes was a significant predictor for homicide perpetration (odds ratio [OR] = 14.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-129.4). Being a genocide perpetrator, a genocide survivor and having lost a first-degree family member to genocide were not identified as risk factors for homicide perpetration. In Rwanda, young people who experienced early exposure to trauma by witnessing their first-degree relatives’ active participation in the genocide, are more likely to commit homicide. Socio-economic and psychotherapeutic programs targeting this population group are needed to rehabilitate these young people for violent behavior change.
Semi-isotropic design of a Stewart platform through constrained optimization
Authors: Halder Biswajit , Saha Rana , Sanyal Dipankar
Published: December 2015

The isotropic property at home configuration for a semi-regular Stewart platform manipulator with equal leg lengths has been found to be nonachievable by kinematic design optimization study. In this context, a new approach of design optimization has been formulated here for achieving semi-isotropicity through variable transformation that has rendered the constrained optimization over a finite workspace to infinite workspace in the transformed domain. The proposed minimization methodology of a positive definite function for all the angular and translational motion has exhibited strong convergence to zero for values of the design parameters that can be worked out as a closed-form solution only for the cases of linear translation. Finally, the variations of the condition number over the permissible range of all single-degree-of-freedom motions have been carried out. The absence of any other minima in the entire workspace has clearly established the home position as globally optimized.
Motion characteristics and mechanisms of a resonance starting process in a free-piston diesel engine generator
Authors: Yuan Chenheng , Feng Huihua , He Yituan , Xu Jing
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this article is to investigate the motion characteristics and dynamic mechanisms of a resonance starting process in a free-piston engine generator. A nonlinear dynamic model of the resonance starting process is described, and extensive simulation results are presented, giving insight into the engine starting characteristics; the dynamic mechanism of the resonance staring process is also studied based on a reasonable analytical method for the dynamic mode. The research results indicate that the free-piston engine generator is a single degree of freedom self-excited dynamic system with variable damping and stiffness. The starting process has oscillation stability; the piston motion can be resonated first to large stroke length by a linear motor with low electromagnetic force and then tends to reach a stable state after a few cycles in the starting process. The final amplitude is determined by the energy balance between the motor thrust force and the friction load.
Assessment of premature atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with and without nephritis
Authors: Sharma S K , Rathi M , Sahoo S , Prakash M , Dhir V , Singh S
Published: December 2015

Background

Risk of subclinical atherosclerosis is increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We correlated carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and endothelial dysfunction through flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in SLE patients with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI).

Methods

This single-centre cross-sectional study recruited 100 consenting SLE outpatients (ACR 1997 criteria) out of which 50 had nephritis, with disease duration of ≥2 years for SLE and ≥6 months for lupus nephritis. We measured baseline laboratory levels, CIMT and FMD (after brachial BP cuff inflation up to 200 mmHg for five minutes), and calculated SLEDAI.

Results

Mean age was 29.88 ± 6.53 years; 95/100 were female. CIMT showed positive correlation ( p = 0.037; rho = 0.209), and FMD showed inverse correlation with patient’s age ( p = 0.011; rho = –0.252). CIMT and FMD were more deranged in patients aged ≥25 years ( p < 0.05). CIMT was not significantly different between SLE patients with and without nephritis ( p > 0.05), whereas SLEDAI and FMD were more deranged in nephritis patients ( p < 0.05). In patients without nephritis, FMD showed significant inverse correlation with disease duration ( p = 0.043; rho = –0.288) and urine albumin ( p = 0.045; rho = –0.285). In nephritis patients, the correlation between age of the patient was significantly positive with CIMT ( p = 0.001; rho = 0.441) and significantly inverse with FMD ( p = 0.028; rho = –0.312).

Conclusion

SLE patients with nephritis are at a higher risk to develop arterial stiffening, leading to early end-organ damage. Early aggressive treatment may prevent endothelial dysfunction. FMD using vascular ultrasonography on the brachial artery represents a non-invasive, repeatable and useful method for the assessment of endothelial dysfunction.
Changes in Under-5 Mortality Rate and Major Childhood Diseases
Authors: Cha Seungman , Cho Youngtae
Published: December 2015

Under-5 child mortality decreased throughout the world by 49% from 1990 to 2013. However, it is unknown if this reduction was more effectively achieved in countries with a higher child mortality burden. We investigated the reduction of cause-specific global child mortality burden in 2000-2010. A total of 195 countries were selected for this analysis. A random-effect or fixed-effect model was chosen based on the Hausman test. Countries with a higher child mortality rate performed better with regard to the prevention of child deaths from major infectious diseases, but cause-specific progress was highly variable by disease within each country. Pneumonia-specific progress was much slower than that for diarrhea, and neonatal-specific child mortality increased in some countries. With a few exceptions, the overall performance in the countries with the largest share of child deaths was not good. This study identified priority interventions for child survival in the post-2015 period.
An efficient parallelization of longest prefix match and application on data compression
Authors: Ozsoy Adnan
Published: December 2015

In this article, we describe a new approach to parallelize longest prefix match (LPM) algorithm through bit parallelism, also known as bit-vector approach. This approach makes use of bit-wise computations and leverages bit parallelism. The proposed parallel algorithm will be demonstrated in dictionary-based lossless data compression on general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs). One of the main contributions of this work is redesigning the core part of the data compression algorithm and replacing it with the newly proposed bit-vector LPM solution. Using bit parallelism is a fundamentally new approach for data compression and promising in performance for hybrid CPU-GPU environments. The implementation of the new compression algorithm on GPUs improves the performance of the compression process compared to the previous attempts. Moreover, the bit-vector approach opens new opportunities for improvement and increases the applicability to popular heterogeneous environments.
News Media Coverage of Women
Authors: Montiel Aimée Vega
Published: December 2015

News media organizations have the power to reinforce gender inequality through the dissemination of gender stereotypes. The issue is multidimensional and involves gender representation in news content, participation of women as reporters and gender policies for news practices. This article looks at this issue before, drawing on the work of Grizzle (2014), offering some proposals to make news a tool for improving gender equality and women’s human rights.
By the Numbers
Authors: Graham Caroline
Published: December 2015

Worldwide, journalism students—under the supervision of lecturers, and backed by the resources of universities—have begun to distinguish themselves as important creators of public interest reporting. The industry shift towards collaborative, multi-directional news-gathering processes places these students, as networked journalists, in a favoured position within emerging information spaces. However, despite widespread interest within the industry and academe in the roles non-traditional participants can play in creating media content, literature outlining the frameworks and processes for networked journalism initiatives is scarce. Using a data-driven political investigation by Bond University students as a case study, this article contributes to the creation of such frameworks. The ‘Order in the House’ project (published by Crikey in June 2013 ) mined publicly available Australian parliamentary records to assess 150 politicians’ engagement and efficiency in the lead-up to a federal election. This article outlines the scope and limitations of the project, and the research design, teaching techniques and technology used to facilitate data collection and presentation.
UniPollWatch
Authors: Dodd Andrew , Buller Brad , Castillo Antonio , Clarke Peter , Martin Hugh , Schwartz Larry , Simons Margaret , Zion Lawrie
Published: December 2015

The 2014 UniPollWatch project brought together the journalism schools of four Victorian universities to cover the 2014 state election. The project was a unique experiment in political journalism education and provided valuable lessons about experiential learning, cross-campus cooperation and industry engagement. It also created a potential model for large reporting projects, involving journalism programmes at many universities working together to cover topics for the public’s benefit, while enabling students to gain real-world skills.

The campuses were each designated eight key, mostly marginal, electorates and were encouraged to provide electorate and candidate profiles, as well as other news and information. The reports were compiled on one website, housed off campus and not identified as being associated with any one university. The project partnered with The Age newspaper and a number of student reports were co-published in the newspaper. The results of the project can be seen at www.unipollwatch.org.au .

This article places UniPollWatch in the context of other large-scale student reporting projects in Australia and elsewhere and discusses how the project was structured and how it fostered authentic, real-world learning. It also addresses key challenges and discusses the major pedagogical and journalistic lessons gained from this groundbreaking project.
You Have My Word
Authors: Fernandez Joseph M.
Published: December 2015

Journalists’ reliance on confidential sources for their articles is a lynchpin of journalistic practice. If journalists are unable to provide certain sources anonymity, ‘it is likely that critical information benefiting the public will not be passed on’ (Wade, 2014, p. 555). Public debate is thereby damaged as it ‘hides corruption, it undermines accountability and it fundamentally undermines the capacity for society to provide a safer, nurturing environment in which citizens can participate’ (ibid.). This article focuses on three important aspects of journalist source confidentiality: journalists’ authority to give confidentiality undertakings; the entry into such undertakings; and the types of sources, including the related question of who instigates such undertakings. This study draws on the results of an Australian survey conducted in 2014.
Reporting Polled Opinion
Authors: Goot Murray
Published: December 2015

Opinion polls occupy much more media space than they did in their early years, they help increasingly to frame political commentary, and they influence political decisions. This article examines the guidelines for the reporting of polls drawn up by various media bodies, notably the Australian Press Council, and by a number of market research organizations. It compares the guidelines provided by these bodies with what newspapers actually disclose when they publish their polls. And it offers guidelines of its own about how polls ought to be presented and interpreted. The article shows that the media’s own guidelines do not require much, if anything, more than newspapers would provide without their prompting. It shows that what pollsters disclose through the media varies widely, that failures to disclose can be misleading even where they do not contravene any guideline, but that some failures can be justified by reference to conflicting principles within the guidelines. Finally, it outlines and illustrates a number of things journalists should do when reporting or interpreting polls—things not covered by industry guidelines.
Why don’t donor countries coordinate their aid? A case study of European donors in Morocco
Authors: Olivié Iliana , Pérez Aitor
Published: December 2015

Lack of coordination among donors poses several problems: it results in higher administrative costs for both donors and partner countries and weakens aid effectiveness. This rationale is the basis for the OECD and EU political agendas on harmonization and coordination, which has resulted in different coordination initiatives at both headquarters and field levels. However, despite the political agenda, recent studies show that for many donors and partner countries aid fragmentation has prevailed or even increased.

By means of a country case study in Morocco, this document explores the obstacles to aid coordination in a specific EU development partner country. Coordination initiatives may have proliferated but not necessarily triggered results in terms of joint work or donors’ specialization. The main obstacles to coordination include varied administrative procedures; diverse administrative architectures; resistance from local authorities and also from leading donors (to abandon or share flagship aid programmes).
Using the Obser-View in Qualitative Research
Authors: Kragelund Linda , Moser Albine , van Zadelhoff Ezra
Published: December 2015

The obser-view is a method to generate data and create a learning space for both researcher and participants in qualitative research. It includes reflection between the two after the researcher has observed the participant. This article aims to reveal the benefits and challenges encountered when using the obser-view in two different research projects. In a Dutch project whose aim was to empower residents with dementia, in nursing homes the obser-view was used to generate data and create space for reflection which included residents and the family members. It showed that the obser-view cannot be finished when reflection does not happen. A Danish project with the aim to map the practice for inmates’ opportunities for education and job guidance highlighted that it made participants—educational prison leaders and teachers—aware they were doing their jobs by rote and showed the difficulties the researcher had trying to reflect with some participants. In both projects the obser-view created a learning space for participants. A benefit of the obser-view is that it can be used in dissimilar settings with different research purposes and with vulnerable and stigmatized people often excluded from the research. A challenge is for the researcher to reflect with participants, which is more likely to be successful if they have had time to develop a trusting relationship. Although the obser-view is a novel method in qualitative research, it has proved useful in different settings. It is a valuable method and we recommend developing it further in additional different settings with different populations.
Percutaneous coronary interventions and antiplatelet therapy in renal transplant recipients
Authors: Summaria Francesco , Giannico Maria Benedetta , Talarico Giovanni Paolo , Patrizi Roberto
Published: December 2015

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity following renal transplantation (RT), accounting for 40–50% of all deaths. After renal transplantation, an adverse cardiovascular event occurs in nearly 40% of patients; given the dialysis vintage and the average wait time, the likelihood of receiving coronary revascularization is very high. There is a significant gap in the literature in terms of the outcomes of prophylactic coronary revascularization in renal transplantation candidates. Current guidelines on myocardial revascularization stipulate that renal transplant patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD) should not be excluded from the potential benefit of revascularization. Compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), however, coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with higher early and 30-day mortality. About one-third of renal transplant patients with CAD have to be treated invasively and so PCI is currently the most popular mode of revascularization in these fragile and compromised patients. A newer generation drug-eluting stent (DES) should be preferred over a bare metal stent (BMS) because of its lower risk of restenosis and improved safety concerns (stent thrombosis) compared with first generation DES and BMS. Among DES, despite no significant differences being reported in terms of efficacy, the newer everolimus and zotarolimus eluting stents should be preferred given the possibility of discontinuing, if necessary, dual antiplatelet therapy before 12 months. Since there is a lack of randomized controlled trials, the current guidelines are inadequate to provide a specifically tailored antiplatelet therapeutic approach for renal transplant patients. At present, clopidogrel is the most used agent, confirming its central role in the therapeutic management of renal transplant patients undergoing PCI. While progress in malignancy-related mortality seems a more distant target, a slow but steady reduction in cardiovascular deaths, improving pharmacological and interventional therapy, is nowadays an achievable medium-term target in renal transplant patients.
Microstructural abnormalities of the trigeminal nerve by diffusion-tensor imaging in trigeminal neuralgia without neurovascular compression
Authors: Neetu Soni , Sunil Kumar , Ashish Awasthi , Jayantee Kalita , Usha Kant Misra
Published: December 2015

Microstructural changes of the trigeminal nerve in trigeminal neuralgia due to neurovascular compression have been reported by using diffusion tensor imaging. Other aetiologies such as primary demyelinating lesions, brain stem infarction and nerve root infiltration by tumour affecting the trigeminal pathway may also present as trigeminal neuralgia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microstructural tissue abnormalities in the trigeminal nerve in symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia not related to neurovascular compression using diffusion tensor imaging. Mean values of the quantitative diffusion parameters of trigeminal nerve, fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient, were measured in a group of four symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia patients without neurovascular compression who showed focal non-enhancing T2-hyperintense lesions in the pontine trigeminal pathway. These diffusion parameters were compared between the affected and unaffected sides in the same patient and with four age-matched healthy controls. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed hyperintense lesions in the dorsolateral part of the pons along the central trigeminal pathway on T2-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences. The mean fractional anisotropy value on the affected side was significantly decreased ( P = 0.001) compared to the unaffected side and healthy controls. Similarly, the mean apparent diffusion coefficient value was significantly higher ( P = 0.001) on the affected side compared to the unaffected side and healthy controls. The cause of trigeminal neuralgia in our patients was abnormal pontine lesions affecting the central trigeminal pathway. The diffusion tensor imaging results suggest that microstructural tissue abnormalities of the trigeminal nerve also exist even in non-neurovascular compression-related trigeminal neuralgia.
The type and prevalence of the use of analgesics among inpatients in a geriatric psychiatry department
Authors: Østergaard Pernille Jul , Gustafsson Lea Nørgreen , Høyer Eyd Hansen , Munk-Jørgensen Povl
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

The association between the presence of pain and mental disorder is well known. The extent of pain treatment in psychiatric patients is estimated to be high, but there is a lack of recent studies focusing on analgesic treatment in patients with mental disorders. The use of analgesics can be associated with side effects, and it is possible that analgesics are not the correct treatment for chronic pain among patients with mental disorders.

Methods:

Data were obtained among inpatients in a geriatric psychiatry department at Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark, between 1 April 2013 and 1 October 2013. The study examines the extent of analgesic use by patients at admission with a follow up at discharge to note any change during hospitalization.

Results:

A total of 89 patients aged 68 years or older were included (56 women, 33 men). At admission, 51.7% used analgesics, and this number did not change significantly from admission to discharge. A statistically significant increased risk of analgesic use was found in females (odds ratio 4.0). The indications for analgesic use were not present in 34.5% of the pain-treated patients at admission. At discharge, this number had been reduced to 23.1%. Paracetamol was the drug most frequently used, followed by opioids.

Conclusions:

The use of analgesics among aged psychiatric inpatients is high. An increased focus on this topic is recommended.
Impact of Work Environments and Occupational Hazards on Smoking Intensity in Korean Workers
Authors: Kim Young-Ju
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of work environments and occupational hazards on smoking intensity by occupation type in Korean workers. This study used the data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2009. The sample of this study included 3,769 adults who were aged 18 years or older and had an occupation of office work, sales, or manufacturing. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, the generalized linear models revealed that office workers and the sales force who had smoking co-workers at the workplace were more likely to smoke than those who did not. A dirty workplace and exposure to occupational noise were significant factors increasing the smoking intensity for manufacturers. A smoking cessation program considering physical work environments and co-workers’ support should be developed for Korean workers.
Pomalidomide reverses γ-globin silencing through the transcriptional reprogramming of adult hematopoietic progenitors
Authors: Dulmovits Brian M. , Appiah-Kubi Abena O. , Papoin Julien , Hale John , He Mingzhu , Al-Abed Yousef , Didier Sebastien , Gould Michael , Husain-Krautter Sehba , Singh Sharon A. , Chan Kyle W. H. , Vlachos Adrianna , Allen Steven L. , Taylor Naomi , Marambaud Philippe , An Xiuli , Gallagher Patrick G. , Mohandas Narla , Lipton Jeffrey M. , Liu Johnson M. , Blanc Lionel
Published: December 2015

Key Points

Pomalidomide selectively targets BCL11A and SOX6 to induce γ-globin synthesis. The mechanism of action of pomalidomide during erythropoiesis is independent of IKZF1 degradation, in contrast to multiple myeloma.
Evidence for the recent origin of a bacterial protein-coding, overlapping orphan gene by evolutionary overprinting
Authors: Fellner Lea , Simon Svenja , Scherling Christian , Witting Michael , Schober Steffen , Polte Christine , Schmitt-Kopplin Philippe , Keim Daniel A. , Scherer Siegfried , Neuhaus Klaus
Published: December 2015

Background

Gene duplication is believed to be the classical way to form novel genes, but overprinting may be an important alternative. Overprinting allows entirely novel proteins to evolvede novo, i.e., formerly non-coding open reading frames within functional genes become expressed. Only three cases have been described forEscherichia coli.Here, a fourth example is presented.

Results

RNA sequencing revealed an open reading frame weakly transcribed in cow dung, coding for 101 residues and embedded completely in the −2 reading frame ofcitCin enterohemorrhagicE. coli. This gene is designated novel overlapping gene,nog1. The promoter region fused togfpexhibits specific activities and 5’ rapid amplification of cDNA ends indicated the transcriptional start 40-bp upstream of the start codon.nog1was strand-specifically arrested in translation by a nonsense mutation silent incitC. This Nog1-mutant showed a phenotype in competitive growth against wild type in the presence of MgCl2. Small differences in metabolite concentrations were also found. Bioinformatic analyses propose Nog1 to be inner membrane-bound and to possess at least one membrane-spanning domain. A phylogenetic analysis suggests that the orphan genenog1arose by overprinting afterEscherichia/Shigellaseparated from the other γ-proteobacteria.

Conclusions

Sincenog1is of recent origin, non-essential, short, weakly expressed and only marginally involved inE. coli’s central metabolism, we propose that this gene is in an initial stage of evolution. While we present specific experimental evidence for the existence of a fourth overlapping gene in enterohemorrhagicE. coli, we believe that this may be an initial finding only and overlapping genes in bacteria may be more common than is currently assumed by microbiologists.