bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Levosimendan exerts anti-inflammatory effects on cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells in vitro
Authors: Krychtiuk Konstantin A. , Watzke Lukas , Kaun Christoph , Buchberger Elisabeth , Hofer-Warbinek Renate , Demyanets Svitlana , Pisoni Julia , Kastl Stefan P. , Rauscher Sabine , Gröger Marion , Aliabadi Arezu , Zuckermann Andreas , Maurer Gerald , Martin Rainer de , Huber Kurt , Speidl Walter S. , Wojta Johann
Published: October 2014

Levosimendan is a positive inotropic drug for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (HF). Clinical trials showed that levosimendan was particularly effective in HF due to myocardial infarction. Myocardial necrosis induces a strong inflammatory response, involving chemoattractants guiding polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) into the infarcted myocardial tissue. Our aim was to examine whether levosimendan exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on human adult cardiac myocytes (HACM) and human heart microvascular endothelial cells (HHMEC). Cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells were stimulated with interleukin-1β (IL)-1β (200 U/ml) and treated with levosimendan (0.1–10 μM) for 2–48 hours. IL-1β strongly induced expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in HACM and E-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in HHMEC and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Treatment with levosimendan strongly attenuated IL-1β-induced expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in HACM as well as E-selectin and ICAM-1 in ECs. Levosimendan treatment further reduced adhesion of PMN to activated endothelial cells under both static and flow conditions by approximately 50 %. Incubation with 5-hydroxydecanoic acid, a selective blocker of mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channels, partly abolished the above seen anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, levosimendan strongly diminished IL-1β-induced reactive oxygen species and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity through inhibition of S536 phosphorylation. In conclusion, levosimendan exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells in vitro. These findings could explain, at least in part, the beneficial effects of levosimendan after myocardial infarction.
Longitudinal Assessment of Concurrent Changes in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Left Ventricular Myocardial Tissue Characteristics After Administration of Cardiotoxic Chemotherapies Using T1-Weighted and T2-Weighted Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
Authors: Jordan Jennifer H. , D’Agostino Ralph B. , Hamilton Craig A. , Vasu Sujethra , Hall Michael E. , Kitzman Dalane W. , Thohan Vinay , Lawrence Julia A. , Ellis Leslie R. , Lash Timothy L. , Hundley W. Gregory
Published: October 2014

Background—

In a murine anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity model, increases in cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial contrast-enhanced T1-weighted signal intensity are associated with myocellular injury and decreases with left ventricular ejection fraction. We sought to determine whether T1- and T2-weighted measures of signal intensity associate with decreases in left ventricular ejection fraction in human subjects receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy.

Methods and Results—

In 65 individuals with breast cancer (n=51) or a hematologic malignancy (n=14), we measured left ventricular volumes, ejection fraction, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted and T2-weighted signal intensity before and 3 months after initiating potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy using blinded, unpaired analysis of cardiovascular magnetic resonance images. Participants were aged 51±12 years, of whom 55% received an anthracycline, 38% received a monoclonal antibody, and 6% received an antimicrotubule agent. Overall, left ventricular ejection fraction decreased from 57±6% to 54±7% (
P
<0.001) because of an increase in end-systolic volume (
P
<0.05). T1-weighted signal intensities also increased from 14.1±5.1 to 15.9±6.8 (
P
<0.05), with baseline values trending higher among individuals who received chemotherapy before study enrollment (
P
=0.06). Changes in T1-weighted signal intensity did not differ within the 17 LV myocardial segments (
P
=0.97). Myocardial edema quantified from T2-weighted images did not change significantly after 3 months (
P
=0.70).

Conclusions—

Concordant with previous animal studies, cardiovascular magnetic resonance measures of contrast-enhanced T1-weighted signal intensity occur commensurate with small but significant left ventricular ejection fraction declines 3 months after the receipt of potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy. These data indicate that changes in T1-weighted signal intensity may serve as an early marker of subclinical injury related to the administration of potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy in human subjects.
Oroch uktä ‘Meat’, The Tungusic “Heteroclisis” and Analogical Morphophonology
Authors: Alonso de la Fuente José Andrés
Published: October 2014

Two of the most controversial issues in Tungusic historical linguistics are (1) the (unnatural) sound change *-ls- > -kt- in Oroch, and (2) the so-called Tungusic “heteroclisis”. The main goal of this paper is to provide a solution for (1) that involves (2). The rationale behind the link between (1) and (2) is provided by recent discussion on analogical morphophonology.
Sea snakes in Australian waters (Serpentes: subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae)—a review with an updated identification key
Authors: Rasmussen Arne Redsted , Sanders Kate Laura , Guinea Michael L. , Amey ANDREW P.
Published: October 2014

Sea snakes (Elapidae, subfamilies Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae) reach high species richness in the South China Sea and in the Australian region; however, most countries in the two regions still lack up-to-date checklists and identification tools for these snakes. We present an updated reviewed checklist and a new complete identification key to sea snakes in Australian waters. The identification key includes 29 species documented and 4 possibly occurring taxa and is based mostly on easy-to-use external characters. We find no evidence for breeding populations of Laticauda in Australian waters, but include the genus on the list of possibly occurring taxa.
A new Neotropical genus of Ommatolampidinae (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: crididae) from Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with chromosome complement
Authors: COSTA MARIA KÁTIA MATIOTTI DA , PEREIRA MARCELO RIBEIRO , REDÜ DARLAN RUTZ , LUCIANO DE PINHO MARTINS LUCIANO DE PINHO MARTINS , ZEFA EDISON
Published: October 2014

A new Neotropical genus of Ommatolampidinae belonging to the genus group Ommatolampae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893 from Brazilian Atlantic Forest was described, diagnosed, and illustrated. The description was based on the external morphology, as well as genitalia and chromosomal characterization. Muriciacris n. gen. was proposed to include Muriciacris triflavovittata n. sp. (type species) described from northeastern of Brazil, state of Alagoas.
A new genus and species of ibis fly in the Lowermost Eocene amber of Oise (France) (Diptera: Athericidae)
Authors: MYSKOWIAK JUSTINE , NEL ANDRÉ
Published: October 2014

A new athericid genus and species, Eoatrichops jeanbernardi, gen. n., sp. n., is described, based on four specimens from the Lowermost Eocene of Oise (France). Its external morphology is analyzed and compared with of all genera of Athericidae. Eoatrichops is very similar to the modern genus Atrichops Verrall, differences concern the wing venation and tibial spur formula.
Saltbush-associated Asphondylia species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in the Mediterranean Basin and their chalcidoid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea)
Authors: DORCHIN NETTA , MIFSUD DAVID , ASKEW RICHARD
Published: October 2014

Numerous species of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) have been recorded from saltbush (Chenopodiaceae: Atriplex) around the world but only 11 of them belong to the large cecidomyiid genus Asphondylia. Of these, two species were described in the late 19th century from complex bud galls on Atriplex halimus in the Mediterranean Basin. In the present study Asphondylia punica is redescribed, A. conglomerata is synonymized with it, and Asphondylia scopuli is described from Atriplex lanfrancoi, an endemic plant to the Maltese Islands. Descriptions are accompanied by information about the galls and life history of the gall midges, and a review of the parasitic Hymenoptera associated with A. scopuli is provided. Four species of parasitoids were found and attributed to the families Eurytomidae, Pteromalidae, Eupelmidae and Eulophidae, of which the pteromalid Mesopolobus melitensis is described as new.
Ascetoaxinus quatsinoensis sp. et gen. nov. (Bivalvia: Thyasiroidea) from Vancouver Island, with notes on Conchocele Gabb, 1866, and Channelaxinus Valentich-Scott & Coan, 2012
Authors: OLIVER P. GRAHAM , FREY MELISSA A.
Published: October 2014

Ascetoaxinus quatsinoensis sp. et gen. nov. is described from deep waters off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The shell of this species is quite unusual in that the margin of the lunule is distinctly scalloped, a feature not reported previously for the Thyasiroidea. Further investigation led to the discovery of another similarly scalloped shell, represented by the unique type specimen of Cryptodon ovoideus Dall, 1890, herein re-classified as Ascetoaxinus ovoidea (Dall, 1890). Results obtained from scanning electron microscopy reveal additional anatomical differences, including distinct gill structure, that distinguish A. quatsinoensis from other thyasirids examined. Morphological comparisons of this new species to closely related taxa has resulted in a re-evaluation of the genera Conchocele Gabb, 1866, and Channelaxinus Valentich-Scott and Coan, 2012.
Becoming DACAmented
Authors: Gonzales Roberto G. , Terriquez Veronica , Ruszczyk Stephen P.
Published: October 2014

In response to political pressure, President Obama authorized the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012, giving qualified undocumented young people access to relief from deportation, renewable work permits, and temporary Social Security numbers. This policy opened up access to new jobs, higher earnings, driver’s licenses, health care, and banking. Using data from a national sample of DACA beneficiaries ( N = 2,381), this article investigates variations in how undocumented young adults benefit from DACA. Our findings suggest that, at least in the short term, DACA has reduced some of the challenges that undocumented young adults must overcome to achieve economic and social incorporation. However, those with higher levels of education and access to greater family and community resources appear to have benefited the most. As such, our study provides new insights into how social policy interacts with other stratification processes to shape diverging pathways of incorporation among the general pool of undocumented immigrants.
Social Capital and Community Resilience
Authors: Aldrich Daniel P. , Meyer Michelle A.
Published: October 2014

Despite the ubiquity of disaster and the increasing toll in human lives and financial costs, much research and policy remain focused on physical infrastructure–centered approaches to such events. Governmental organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, United States Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Agency for International Development, and United Kingdom’s Department for International Development continue to spend heavily on hardening levees, raising existing homes, and repairing damaged facilities despite evidence that social, not physical, infrastructure drives resilience. This article highlights the critical role of social capital and networks in disaster survival and recovery and lays out recent literature and evidence on the topic. We look at definitions of social capital, measurement and proxies, types of social capital, and mechanisms and application. The article concludes with concrete policy recommendations for disaster managers, government decision makers, and nongovernmental organizations for increasing resilience to catastrophe through strengthening social infrastructure at the community level.
Moving Unruly Contemporary Urbanism Toward Sustainable Urban Development in Ghana by 2030
Authors: Owusu George , Oteng-Ababio Martin
Published: October 2014

The widely held view that rapid urbanization is occurring across much of Sub-Saharan Africa has been questioned recently, and an alternative perspective has drawn attention to conditions of counter-urbanization and slow urbanization growth rates on the continent. This view has far-reaching implications for the urbanization agenda because the need for central government and metropolitan authorities to prepare for high levels of urbanization is in doubt. Using census data for the period 1970 to 2010, this study critically examines the population dynamics of cities in Ghana, and the key factors shaping these dynamics as well as future growth trajectories through 2030. We argue that without proper planning and investments in cities, Ghana is likely to produce a bipolar urban society marked, on the one hand, by world-class cities with solid infrastructure and services largely inhabited by the middle and upper classes and, on the other, by cities largely composed of informal settlements inhabited by a poor and low-skilled population. Although there is little doubt about Ghana’s urban future, the future pattern remains unclear, especially the potential impact of new urban projects as well as the effects of climate change and new investments in oil and gas on the existing pattern. We conclude that policymakers, city officials, the private sector, and other key actors need to be more proactive and creative in addressing the most salient negative outcomes of urbanization and embolden their policy instruments to deal with mounting urban challenges.
Sustainable Urban Development in Africa? The Case of Urban Transport in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana
Authors: Obeng-Odoom Franklin
Published: October 2014

This article illustrates how episodes in local and international political economy shape urban transport in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana’s oil city, and how resultant dynamics in the global economy make the attainment of sustainable urban development illusory. Investment in road production and maintenance is overwhelmed by the recent rapid increase in the number and use of automobiles in the city. At the same time, official disinterest persists in planning for alternative sustainable forms of transportation. While another scenario is possible, by showing the structural and administrative orientation toward productivist sustainable development ideals and its ecologically destructive consequences, I argue that it is increasingly likely that the Sekondi-Takoradi of the future will come to exhibit the contradictions in the capitalist drive to “annihilate space through time.”
Race, Social Identity, and Generative Spaces
Authors: Kohn-Wood Laura P. , Samson Frank , Braddock Jomills
Published: October 2014

This article draws principally from the work of preeminent sociologist Alejandro Portes on the rise of Miami as a global city (segmented assimilation as well as the institutional bases for social cohesion amid diversity) to propose a blueprint for reducing social inequality in Greater Miami. Employing key insights from psychology and sociology, we bring together data and research on macro-level structural changes, meso-level dynamics of city politics and institutions, and micro-level dimensions of interactions and attitudes to highlight prospects for promoting ethnoracial interdependence. The diversity and transience that characterize Miami create a major opportunity to disrupt ethnoracial social and economic inequality. Strong public coordinating institutions are required, guided by necessary conditions that facilitate the closing of group-based social distance. We propose three cases—children-targeted programming, emerging prospects in health care, and diversity focused planning in education and housing—as offering opportunities to place Miami 2030 on the path toward cohesive and egalitarian diversity.
Is Arterial Hypertension Control Enough to Improve Aortic Stiffness in Untreated Patients With Hypertension? A 3-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Triantafyllidi Helen , Trivilou Paraskevi , Ikonomidis Ignatios , Kontsas Konstantinos , Tzortzis Stavros , Pavlidis George , Lekakis John
Published: October 2014

Aortic stiffness is an important determinant of cardiovascular risk. We studied the long-term influence of successful antihypertensive treatment after a 3-year follow-up, regarding aortic stiffness improvement from baseline evaluation in never treated middle-aged patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. In 132 patients with hypertension, aortic stiffness was evaluated by carotid–femoral artery pulse wave velocity (PWV). Patients with 24-hour mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure ≤130/80 mm Hg after treatment at reevaluation were considered as well controlled. The PWV after treatment was significantly increased in all patients with hypertension ( P < .01) and uncontrolled patients with hypertension ( P < .001), remained unchanged in controlled patients with hypertension, and decreased in controlled patients with hypertension with baseline PWV ≥12.4 m/s ( P = .004), independent of the corresponding blood pressure (BP) decrease. Our study provides evidence that successful antihypertensive treatment leads to PWV improvement when baseline aortic stiffness level is at least moderately increased. The magnitude of observed PWV decrease is independent of the corresponding BP decrease.
On the Application of Motivation Theory to Human Factors/Ergonomics
Authors: Szalma James L.
Published: October 2014

Objective:

Motivation is a driving force in human–technology interaction. This paper represents an effort to (a) describe a theoretical model of motivation in human technology interaction, (b) provide design principles and guidelines based on this theory, and (c) describe a sequence of steps for the evaluation of motivational factors in human–technology interaction.

Background:

Motivation theory has been relatively neglected in human factors/ergonomics (HF/E). In both research and practice, the (implicit) assumption has been that the operator is already motivated or that motivation is an organizational concern and beyond the purview of HF/E. However, technology can induce task-related boredom (e.g., automation) that can be stressful and also increase system vulnerability to performance failures.

Method:

A theoretical model of motivation in human–technology interaction is proposed, based on extension of the self-determination theory of motivation to HF/E. This model provides the basis for both future research and for development of practical recommendations for design.

Results:

General principles and guidelines for motivational design are described as well as a sequence of steps for the design process.

Conclusion:

Human motivation is an important concern for HF/E research and practice. Procedures in the design of both simple and complex technologies can, and should, include the evaluation of motivational characteristics of the task, interface, or system. In addition, researchers should investigate these factors in specific human–technology domains.

Application:

The theory, principles, and guidelines described here can be incorporated into existing techniques for task analysis and for interface and system design.
Clinical Trial Registration in Oral Health Journals
Authors: Smaïl-Faugeron V. , Fron-Chabouis H. , Durieux P.
Published: October 2014

Prospective registration of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) represents the best solution to reporting bias. The extent to which oral health journals have endorsed and complied with RCT registration is unknown. We identified journals publishing RCTs in dentistry, oral surgery, and medicine in the Journal Citation Reports. We classified journals into 3 groups: journals requiring or recommending trial registration, journals referring indirectly to registration, and journals providing no reference to registration. For the 5 journals with the highest 2012 impact factors in each group, we assessed whether RCTs with results published in 2013 had been registered. Of 78 journals examined, 32 (41%) required or recommended trial registration, 19 (24%) referred indirectly to registration, and 27 (35%) provided no reference to registration. We identified 317 RCTs with results published in the 15 selected journals in 2013. Overall, 73 (23%) were registered in a trial registry. Among those, 91% were registered retrospectively and 32% did not report trial registration in the published article. The proportion of trials registered was not significantly associated with editorial policies: 29% with results in journals that required or recommended registration, 15% in those that referred indirectly to registration, and 21% in those providing no reference to registration ( P = 0.05). Less than one-quarter of RCTs with results published in a sample of oral health journals were registered with a public registry. Improvements are needed with respect to how journals inform and require their authors to register their trials.
CCL7 Is a Protective Factor Secreted by Mechanically Loaded Osteocytes
Authors: Kitase Y. , Lee S. , Gluhak-Heinrich J. , Johnson M.L. , Harris S.E. , Bonewald L.F.
Published: October 2014

In a search for factors up-regulated by mechanical strain in osteocytes, we discovered that chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 7 (CCL7), a chemotactic myokine, was highly expressed in MLO-Y4 osteocyte-like cells. Although MLO-Y4 cells secrete potent chemotactic factors for osteoclast precursors, CCL7 was not responsible for this activity. CCL7 was increased in osteocytes in response to tooth movement in vivo. Since mechanical loading plays a crucial role in maintaining osteocyte viability, CCL7 was tested for protective activity and found to be protective against cell death induced by dexamethasone and etoposide. CCL7 specific antibody partially, but in combination with indomethacin, completely abrogated the protective effects of fluid flow shear stress against dexamethasone-induced cell death. CCL7 activated the β-catenin pathway through phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), suggesting that this pathway is responsible for the observed protective effects. A related cytokine, CCL2, also produced by MLO-Y4 cells but not regulated by mechanical loading, proved to be more potent and protected against cell death induced by not only dexamethasone, but also by Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNFα). Whereas osteocytes may produce CCL2 in constitutively low levels, a major function of mechanically induced CCL7 may be to selectively protect osteocytes in an autocrine manner against glucocorticoid-induced cell death.
A small-signal model of a solar cell
Authors: Andrejević Stošović Miona , Litovski Ivan , Lukač Duško , Dimitrijević Marko , Litovski Vančo
Published: October 2014

Starting with the experience that the output voltage and the output current of a photovoltaic panel are not pure direct current constants due to the inevitable connection to a converter (or inverter) that is working as a switching system, we came to the conclusion that interest exists for the behavior of the solar cell at the frequencies of the harmonics of the converter’s switching frequency, which is subject to change according to the maximum power-point tracking. In other words, a need exists for frequency domain characterization of the solar cell, for which a linear small-signal model is necessary. To enable simulation for small signals, development of a linear reactive model was considered. Since a one-diode large-signal model already exists, it was used as a basis for the extraction of the parameters of the small-signal model. The new model was represented in the form of a parallel RC two-terminal circuit, the R and C being functions of the photocurrent (acting as a map of the illumination) and the diode voltage. Since the R and C of the model are quiescent-point dependent, their values as a function of the illumination and the diode voltages were approximated by artificial neural networks (ANNs). Separate ANNs were created for modeling R and C. To verify the model, two small-signal simulations were performed. The first one was done with the existing nonlinear model, while the second was done with the new linear model (running the ANNs). Excellent agreement was obtained.
Incorporating Strengths Into Quantitative Assessments of Criminal Risk for Adult Offenders
Authors: Jones Natalie J. , Brown Shelley L. , Robinson David , Frey Deanna
Published: October 2014

The primary aim of this study is to determine the extent to which the consideration of strengths enhances the predictive validity of risk assessment protocols applied to correctional populations. Data from the Service Planning Instrument (SPIn) Pre-Screen were analyzed for 3,656 adult offenders bound by provincial supervision across Alberta, Canada. The predictive validity of the screening instrument was equivalent across gender and Aboriginal status (areas under the curve [AUCs] = .75-.77). Hierarchical logistic regression revealed significant main effects for risk and strength subtotals in predicting new offenses over 18 months for the overall sample, indicating that the inclusion of strengths adds uniquely to the prediction of recidivism. The overall model yielded a significant Risk Score × Strength Score interaction, illustrating that high strength scores are particularly effective in attenuating recidivism among higher risk cases. Rather than limit their consideration to case management contexts, results support the integration of strengths into quantitative assessments of criminal risk.
Social Conflict in Argentina
Authors: Collado Patricia A.
Published: October 2014

Social conflict in postcrisis Argentina can be divided into three kinds: that concentrating on land issues and the ability to subsist beyond the market, that confronting the environmental degradation resulting from mining, and that focused on the current dilemmas of labor and union organization. Workers did not disappear as collective subjects in conflict but, starting from their positions in production or in “unproductive” activities such as government services, challenged the dynamics of capital from both old and new social spaces. Their singular practices are part of the conflictual scenario that Our America is currently experiencing and of the resistance in the region that brings new urgency to “living with dignity.”

El conflicto social en la Argentina posterior a la crisis se puede dividir en tres tipos: el que se centra en cuestiones de la tierra y la capacidad de subsistir más allá del mercado, el que enfrenta la degradación ambiental resultante de la minería, y el que se centró en los dilemas actuales de la organización laboral y sindical. Los trabajadores no desaparecieron como sujetos colectivos en conflicto, sino que, a partir de sus posiciones en la producción o en actividades “improductivas,” tales como los servicios públicos, desafiarion la dinámica del capital de los viejos y nuevos espacios sociales. Sus prácticas singulares son parte del escenario conflictivo que Nuestra América está viviendo y de la resistencia en la región, que trae una nueva urgencia a “vivir con dignidad.”
Employers, trade unions and concession bargaining in the Irish recession
Authors: Roche William K , Teague Paul , Coughlan Anne
Published: October 2014

The issue of concession bargaining between employers and unions during the Great Recession has received little attention in the research literature. This article presents a systematic analysis of the conduct of concession bargaining during the recession in Ireland in the context of three forms of concession bargaining identified in the international literature: integrative concession bargaining, distributive concession bargaining and ultra concession bargaining – each with different but overlapping sets of institutional foundations and implications for employers and trade unions. Drawing on focus groups of managers and union officials and a representative survey of employers, the article shows that distributive concession bargaining has been the predominant form in the Irish recession. This form of concession bargaining is likely to have few lasting direct effects on employer or union roles in collective bargaining but nevertheless appears to have significant indirect implications for the silent marginalization of unions in workplaces.
The contradictory effects of neoliberalization on labour relations: The health and social work sectors
Authors: Preminger Jonathan
Published: October 2014

The Israeli doctors’ and social workers’ campaigns of 2011 had many characteristics in common, but very different results. This article asserts that the differences stem from the different modes of privatization in the two sectors which reflect the importance of each sector in the neoliberal capital accumulation regime, which in turn affects the outcome of the workers’ struggles. While neoliberalism may undermine organized labour in general, it has uneven effects, benefiting some workers and undermining others. Thus we should pay attention to how privatization is implemented in different public sectors within the same country to better understand ‘actually existing neoliberalism’.
Do investments in human capital lead to employee share ownership? Evidence from French establishments
Authors: Guery Loris , Pendleton Andrew
Published: October 2014

Investments in human capital can create a hold-up problem whereby both employers and employees exploit the bargaining weaknesses of the other. Employee share ownership (ESO) can mitigate this hold-up problem because it can align interests, develop loyalty, signal good-will and lock in employees. Previous studies have shown positive relationships between company investments in human capital and the use of ESO consistent with this argument but have been unable to identify the direction of causality. Using panel data from the French REPONSE survey, the findings indicate that significant and continuous investments in human capital take place prior to the implementation of ESO.
Bitter Taste Causes Hostility
Authors: Sagioglou Christina , Greitemeyer Tobias
Published: October 2014

The present research tested the novel hypothesis that bitter taste increases hostility. Theoretical background formed the intimate link of the taste-sensory system to the visceral system, with bitter intake typically eliciting a strong aversion response. Three experiments using differential bitter and control stimuli showed that hostile affect and behavior is increased by bitter taste experiences. Specifically, participants who consumed a bitter (vs. control) drink showed an increase in self-reported current hostility (Experiment 1), in hypothetical aggressive affect and hypothetical aggressive behavior (Experiment 2) and in actual hostile behavior assessed using a well-established method for non-physical laboratory aggression (Experiment 3). Furthermore, the effect occurred not only when participants were previously provoked (Experiments 2 and 3) but also when no provocation preceded (Experiment 1 and 3). Importantly, stimulus aversiveness and intensity did not influence the effects observed, ruling them out as explanations. Alternative interpretative frameworks and limitations are discussed.
Development of a Computational High-Throughput Tool for the Quantitative Examination of Dose-Dependent Histological Features
Authors: Nault Rance , Colbry Dirk , Brandenberger Christina , Harkema Jack R. , Zacharewski Timothy R.
Published: October 2014

High-resolution digitalizing of histology slides facilitates the development of computational alternatives to manual quantitation of features of interest. We developed a MATLAB-based quantitative histological analysis tool (QuHAnT) for the high-throughput assessment of distinguishable histological features. QuHAnT validation was demonstrated by comparison with manual quantitation using liver sections from mice orally gavaged with sesame oil vehicle or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin (TCDD; 0.001–30 μg/kg) every 4 days for 28 days, which elicits hepatic steatosis with mild fibrosis. A quality control module of QuHAnT reduced the number of quantifiable Oil Red O (ORO)-stained images from 3,123 to 2,756. Increased ORO staining was measured at 10 and 30 μg/kg TCDD with a high correlation between manual and computational volume densities ( Vv), although the dynamic range of QuHAnT was 10-fold greater. Additionally, QuHAnT determined the size of each ORO vacuole, which could not be accurately quantitated by visual examination or manual point counting. PicroSirius Red quantitation demonstrated superior collagen deposition detection due to the ability to consider all images within each section. QuHAnT dramatically reduced analysis time and facilitated the comprehensive assessment of features improving accuracy and sensitivity and represents a complementary tool for tissue/cellular features that are difficult and tedious to assess via subjective or semiquantitative methods.
Long‐term Dizziness Handicap in Patients with Vestibular Schwannoma: A Multicenter Cross‐sectional Study
Authors: Carlson Matthew L. , Tveiten Øystein Vesterli , Driscoll Colin L. , Neff Brian A. , Shepard Neil T. , Eggers Scott D. , Staab Jeffrey P. , Tombers Nicole M. , Goplen Frederik K. , Lund‐Johansen Morten , Link Michael J.
Published: October 2014

Objective

(1) To characterize long‐term dizziness following observation, microsurgery, and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for small to medium‐sized vestibular schwannoma (VS) using a validated self‐assessment inventory; and (2) to identify clinical variables associated with long‐term dizziness handicap.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional observational study.

Setting

Two independent tertiary academic referral centers: one located in the United States and one in Norway.

Subjects and Methods

All patients with sporadic VS of less than 3 cm who underwent primary microsurgery, SRS, or observation between 1998 and 2008 were identified. Subjects were surveyed via a postal questionnaire using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and a VS symptom questionnaire.

Results

The overall survey response rate was 79%. A total of 538 respondents (mean age, 64 years; 56% female) were analyzed, and the mean time interval between treatment and survey was 7.7 years. Pretreatment variables associated with greater dizziness handicap included female sex, older age, larger tumor size, preexisting diagnosis of headache or migraine, and symptoms of dizziness predating treatment. Significant posttreatment features strongly associated with poor long‐term DHI scores included frequency and severity of ongoing headache. On multivariable analysis, treatment modality did not influence long‐term dizziness handicap.

Conclusion

At a mean of approximately 8 years following treatment, over half of patients with VS reported ongoing dizziness. The authors have identified several baseline features that may help predict the risk of lasting dizziness. Treatment modality does not appear to influence long‐term DHI score. We found a strong association between posttreatment headache and poor dizziness handicap. Future study is needed to further define this relationship.
The Urban Problematic: A Response to Ryan Bishop and John WP Phillips
Authors: Knowles Caroline
Published: October 2014

In dialogue with Bishop and Phillips’ (2013) concern to establish what the category of the urban might mean in the context of megacities, this piece offers four provocations in the spirit of developing their analysis. The first is the need to attend to the specifics of megacities; the second insists on the importance of including those who navigate them in the analysis; the third is a concern to unwind different forms of urban traction, and the fourth is a need to be mindful of the intersecting logics of translocality. Drawing on my own empirical research into the urban translocalities drawn by the flip-flop trail, it concludes that globalization is less solid and more fragile and shifting than many of its theorists suggest.
Couples Counseling for Aboriginal Clients Following Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Riel Elissa , Languedoc Sue , Brown Jason , Gerrits Julie
Published: October 2014

Interventions for family violence in Aboriginal communities should take a culture-based approach and focus on healing for the whole family. The purpose of this research was to identify risk issues from the perspective of service providers for couples counseling with Aboriginal clients following intimate partner violence. A total of 25 service providers participated in over the phone interviews concerning risk with Aboriginal men in couple counseling. Five concepts emerged including (a) collaterals, (b) commitment to change, (c) violence, (d) mind-set, and (e) mental health. It was concluded that culturally competent interventions should involve the entire community and have a restorative approach. The concepts were compared and contrasted with the available literature.
Inhabited Institutions in New Destinations
Authors: Everitt Judson G. , Levinson Bradley A.
Published: October 2014

Comparing two Midwest new destination communities, we identify key ways that local residents actively make sense of, and enact, community response for Latino immigrant newcomers. Our findings show that, over time, local actors privilege preexisting institutional ideals in ways that justify waning support for ongoing newcomer needs. We conclude with discussion of how empirical work in the “inhabited institutions” framework can help specify the sense-making processes of local actors that can serve to reaffirm the legitimacy of prevailing institutions and limit the long-term sustainability of integrative effort. We also discuss the potential that the inhabited institutions framework offers our understanding of newcomer incorporation into new destination communities.
Shared Experiences Are Amplified
Authors: Boothby Erica J. , Clark Margaret S. , Bargh John A.
Published: October 2014

In two studies, we found that sharing an experience with another person, without communicating, amplifies one’s experience. Both pleasant and unpleasant experiences were more intense when shared. In Study 1, participants tasted pleasant chocolate. They judged the chocolate to be more likeable and flavorful when they tasted it at the same time that another person did than when that other person was present but engaged in a different activity. Although these results were consistent with our hypothesis that shared experiences are amplified compared with unshared experiences, it could also be the case that shared experiences are more enjoyable in general. We designed Study 2 to distinguish between these two explanations. In this study, participants tasted unpleasantly bitter chocolate and judged it to be less likeable when they tasted it simultaneously with another person than when that other person was present but doing something else. These results support the amplification hypothesis.
Media awareness among Hong Kong primary students
Authors: Chu Samuel K.W. , Lau Wilfred W.F. , Chu Donna S.C. , Lee Celina W.Y. , Chan Leon L.H.
Published: October 2014

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which Hong Kong primary students have access to various media, how they evaluate the credibility of the media, what they know about the media, and how they choose among different media, as well as teachers’ expectations towards their students’ views and consumption of media. Since little is known about young children in the context of media education, this paper fills a research gap by studying the media awareness and use of upper primary students. A questionnaire on media awareness and media use patterns was given to the teachers, who were asked to answer the questions from the perspective of their students. The same questionnaire was administered to students during class time. The descriptive statistics of the data were analyzed and compared. Students believed that the most reliable media for providing news was the television, followed by the radio, the newspaper, and the Internet; about half of the students believed that they were capable of distinguishing true from false news; students were more proactive media users than the teachers thought. The findings of this study suggest that more contextual and in-depth approaches to research would be beneficial to assess the media use patterns of students, from which relevant media education models can be derived.
Languaculture and grassroots football: “Small goal” in Trinidad
Authors: Kerrigan Dylan
Published: October 2014

This paper provides anthropological insights into “small goal football” on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and makes a contribution to the understanding of grassroots football on an international level. The content was collected via long-term, ethnographic research. Two short descriptions are offered: one on language-in-use on the small goal football field (racial/ethnic nicknames and others words) and one on conflict on the small goal football field (what are power relations like amongst these footballing men and why?). These two descriptions and their discussion help to conceive some qualities of small goal football in Trinidad as a phenomenon, “languaculture,” and social institution, and explore what small goal can mean to those taking part in it in three distinct ways. 1) We learn about the uniqueness of Trinidad social-reality, and how the scars of colonial history, such as racial hierarchy and white supremacy, are remade through sport under the banner of continuity and change. 2) We learn about sport and masculinities, and how some everyday qualities of masculinities in Trinidad, such as authority, sexism, and conflict, are both reorganized and reinforced on the field of play. 3) We see sport through the eyes of local Caribbean men who engage in small goal football, providing insight into the social institution itself, and the cultural mirror this shines on what small goal means to some local men in a suburb of western Trinidad.
Diagnostic features in 10 naturally occurring cases of acute fatal canine leptospirosis
Authors: Rissi Daniel R. , Brown Cathy A.
Published: October 2014

The current report describes the diagnostic features in 10 cases of acute fatal canine leptospirosis with minimal renal and hepatic changes that may present a diagnostic challenge for the pathologist. Most affected dogs were less than 6 months of age and had a biochemical profile consistent with hepatorenal dysfunction. Clinical signs consisted of vomiting, depression, icterus, dehydration, diarrhea, and anorexia. All dogs died or were humanely euthanized within 3–7 days after the onset of clinical disease. Necropsy findings included pulmonary edema with hemorrhages, icterus, renal and hepatic pallor and swelling, and gastric edema with hemorrhage. Despite severe azotemia, histological changes in the kidneys were subtle in all dogs, and included mild renal tubular simplification, with single-cell necrosis and attenuation, along with minimal interstitial lymphoplasmacytic inflammation, edema, and hemorrhage. Hepatic lesions included scattered hepatocellular single-cell necrosis and hepatocellular dissociation. Prominent extrarenal lesions typically associated with uremia including vascular fibrinoid necrosis in multiple organs, pulmonary mineralization with occasional fibrinosuppurative exudation, and gastric mineralization were also present. Postmortem diagnostic confirmation was based on the detection of leptospiral antigen on fresh renal samples by fluorescent antibody test and on the demonstration of intact spirochetes in sections of kidneys using immunohistochemical staining. Acute fatal canine leptospirosis occurred as a fulminant hepatorenal disease affecting mainly young dogs, and the diagnosis was dependent on the recognition of the subtle renal changes with confirmation via fluorescent antibody testing or immunohistochemical staining.
Flavobacterium columnare: an important contributing factor to fish die-offs in southern lakes of Saskatchewan, Canada
Authors: Scott Steven J. , Bollinger Trent K.
Published: October 2014

During June and July 2012, Buffalo Pound Lake and Blackstrap Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada were visited biweekly and surveyed for sick and dying fish. During this investigation, 2 fish kills were identified. Buffalo Pound experienced a large die-off of yellow perch ( Perca flavascens) in June, while Blackstrap experienced a die-off of lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis) in July. In excess of 50 fish were examined for gross lesions at each lake, and dead and moribund fish consistently had 1 or more of the following lesions: multifocal petechial cutaneous hemorrhage, skin ulceration, or branchial necrosis. Of these, 17 fish were collected for necropsy, and major tissues were submitted for histology. Aerobic bacterial culture was performed on 16 out of 17 fish. In 7 out of 8 (88%) yellow perch, the body wall had multiple areas of pale discoloration that corresponded to erosion and ulceration of the skin. Seven out of 8 (88%) whitefish had severe necrotizing branchiitis, and 8 out of 8 (100%) had severe epicardial parasitism, consistent with Ichthyocotylurus erraticus. Wet mounts of skin and gill lesions demonstrated filamentous bacteria with gliding motility, which often formed haystack-like arrangements. Flavobacterium columnare and Aeromonas hydrophila were cultured from skin and gill lesions of all fish. Based on the characteristic appearance and distribution of lesions, mortality was attributed to columnaris disease with secondary infection with A. hydrophila. The current study demonstrates that columnaris disease is an important contributor to fish kills in southern Saskatchewan lakes. However, further research is needed to determine what role environmental factors play in outbreaks of columnaris disease in prairie lakes.
Gaming and Simulation for Railway Innovation
Authors: van den Hoogen Jop , Meijer Sebastiaan
Published: October 2014

Background. Gaming simulation allows decision-makers to experiment with sociotechnical systems, similar to computer simulation. However, the value of these tools in comparison with each other remains uncertain, especially when focusing on their real-life application in systemic innovation processes.

Aim. This article builds a framework based on the literature related to innovation of complex systems in a multi-actor environment and intends to use this framework to differentiate between the value of computer simulation and gaming simulation in innovation processes.

Method. Using a case study of the introduction of gaming simulation to ProRail, the Dutch railway infrastructure manager, this article explores the advantages and disadvantages of using the two tools in situations where radical innovations need to be invented, explored, tested, and implemented in an incumbent system.

Results.Computer simulations, as closed exercises, allow for more radical innovations to be studied. The openness of gaming sessions as well as the need for gamers to interact with a recognizable system inhibit the use of gaming simulation in envisioning radical innovations. However, they are more suitable for the joint commissioning of research and the stepwise testing of small-scale improvements. Gaming simulation is therefore a more appropriate tool for planning a concerted transition in a multi-actor setting.

Conclusion.Computer simulation better allows for the building of experimental niches, and gaming simulation better helps in the concerted planning of the implementation of innovations. The article ends with concrete directions for further research as well as ideas about combining the two tools.