bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Representation and Aesthetics of the Human Face in Portraiture
Authors: Graham Daniel , Pallett Pamela M. , Meng Ming , Leder Helmut
Published: February 2014

How do representations of the face in portraits relate to the natural face, and how does the aesthetics of portraits relate to the aesthetics of faces in photographs? Here we investigate these questions with regard to the frontal face. Frontal faces are of particular interest because they are by far the most commonly studied type of face image in psychology, yet frontal portraits have been little studied by psychologists. Using behavioral and statistical tests, we show that artistic representations of frontal female faces have representational properties that broadly match those of the natural face, but we also find properties unique to artworks. We report that, as with frontal faces, frontal portraits show norm-based coding properties with respect to preference: averaged portraits become more attractive in proportion to the number of portraits averaged together. However, averaged photographs of faces are preferred to averaged portraits, suggesting that faces in portraits and photographed faces show basic differences in aesthetics. Consistent with this notion, we found that average face width and height ratios in an extended sample of frontal female portraits were significantly different from those for photographed faces. This indicates that portraits on average are not faithful representations of the typical structure of the face. In a behavioral experiment where we manipulated the structural ratios in portraits, we found that the preferred width and height ratios were significantly different from those preferred in photographed faces, and that the preferred ratios for portraits were closer to the average ratios of the portrait sample. We evaluate a variety of possible causes of the observed differences. We conclude that despite the demonstrated differences between artistic representations and natural faces, fundamental properties of natural faces are preserved in artistic representations of the face.
‘Selfies’ Reveal Systematic Deviations from Known Principles of Photographic Composition
Authors: Bruno Nicola , Gabriele Valentina , Tasso Tiziana , Bertamini Marco
Published: February 2014

We used ‘selfies’, self-portraits taken with a hand-held smartphone camera, to test three known principles of photographic composition: The rule of thirds, the golden ratio rule, and the eye centering principle. Although they are often taught and discussed, the origin of these principles remains unclear. It is possible that they stem from constraints on human perceptual processes. Alternatively, these principles might serve more practical purposes, such as forcing photographers to explore all quadrants of the image. Selfies provide an ideal test bed for these questions due to the control they give self-photographers when they compose the photograph. We used a database of images created by non-professional photographers (). After analysis, we conclude that there little support for any of the three principles, suggesting that none is strongly rooted in spontaneous perceptual preferences.
Are Suicidal Behaviors Contagious in Adolescence? Using Longitudinal Data to Examine Suicide Suggestion
Authors: Abrutyn Seth , Mueller Anna S.
Published: February 2014

Durkheim argued that strong social relationships protect individuals from suicide. We posit, however, that strong social relationships also have the potential to increase individuals’ vulnerability when they expose people to suicidality. Using three waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we evaluate whether new suicidal thoughts and attempts are in part responses to exposure to role models’ suicide attempts, specifically friends and family. We find that role models’ suicide attempts do in fact trigger new suicidal thoughts, and in some cases attempts, even after significant controls are introduced. Moreover, we find these effects fade with time, girls are more vulnerable to them than boys, and the relationship to the role model—for teenagers at least—matters. Friends appear to be more salient role models for both boys and girls. Our findings suggest that exposure to suicidal behaviors in significant others may teach individuals new ways to deal with emotional distress, namely by becoming suicidal. This reinforces the idea that the structure—and content—of social networks conditions their role in preventing suicidality. Social ties can be conduits of not just social support, but also antisocial behaviors, like suicidality.
Spirituality in bedlam: Exploring patient conversations on acute psychiatric units
Authors: Smith Sharon , Suto Melinda J.
Published: February 2014

Background.

Spirituality is a complex yet vital aspect of care on acute psychiatric units. Occupational therapists play a role in engaging their clients regarding spirituality as a resource for recovery.

Purpose.

This manuscript reports on Part 1 of a research study that explored the experience of spiritual conversations for patients (Part 1) and mental health professionals (Part 2) on acute psychiatric units.

Method.

Community-based participatory research framed the project philosophically and relationally, and interpretive description defined the data collection, data analysis, and dissemination methods.

Findings.

Seven inpatients on acute psychiatric units participated in interviews or focus groups. Authentic spiritual conversation that was not associated with mental illness symptoms proved difficult to initiate on inpatient psychiatric units. Participants desired direct questioning and the provision of optional spiritual resources.

Implications.

Therapists can make a range of spirituality educational resources available for clients. They can also advocate for clients’ spiritual needs in the acute context.
Manually Locating Physical and Virtual Reality Objects
Authors: Chen Karen B. , Kimmel Ryan A. , Bartholomew Aaron , Ponto Kevin , Gleicher Michael L. , Radwin Robert G.
Published: February 2014

Objective:

In this study, we compared how users locate physical and equivalent three-dimensional images of virtual objects in a cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) using the hand to examine how human performance (accuracy, time, and approach) is affected by object size, location, and distance.

Background:

Virtual reality (VR) offers the promise to flexibly simulate arbitrary environments for studying human performance. Previously, VR researchers primarily considered differences between virtual and physical distance estimation rather than reaching for close-up objects.

Method:

Fourteen participants completed manual targeting tasks that involved reaching for corners on equivalent physical and virtual boxes of three different sizes. Predicted errors were calculated from a geometric model based on user interpupillary distance, eye location, distance from the eyes to the projector screen, and object.

Results:

Users were 1.64 times less accurate ( p < .001) and spent 1.49 times more time ( p = .01) targeting virtual versus physical box corners using the hands. Predicted virtual targeting errors were on average 1.53 times ( p < .05) greater than the observed errors for farther virtual targets but not significantly different for close-up virtual targets.

Conclusion:

Target size, location, and distance, in addition to binocular disparity, affected virtual object targeting inaccuracy. Observed virtual box inaccuracy was less than predicted for farther locations, suggesting possible influence of cues other than binocular vision.

Application:

Human physical interaction with objects in VR for simulation, training, and prototyping involving reaching and manually handling virtual objects in a CAVE are more accurate than predicted when locating farther objects.
Individual Differences in Capacity for Tolerating Information Overload Are Related to Differences in Culture and Temperament
Authors: Haase Richard F. , Jome LaRae M. , Ferreira Joaquim A. , Santos Eduardo J. R. , Connacher Christopher C. , Sendrowitz Kerrin
Published: February 2014

Individual differences in the capacity for information processing in complex tasks can be predicted from both personality and temperament that derive from both the biological and social substrates of human development and behavior. If there are cultural differences in brain structure and function that govern information processing, then two different cultures may show biologically based temperamental differences in sensitivity to stimulation (e.g., Pavlov’s Strength of the Nervous System) which in turn may predict individual differences in capacity for tolerating environmentally determined stimulus overloads. We examined the relationship between biologically based measures of Pavlovian Temperament (Strength of Excitation, Inhibition, and Mobility) and an individual differences measure consisting of five dimensions of capacity for tolerating information load. Both direct and indirect effects of country of origin on capacity for information processing were tested in a mediated path analytic model in which Pavlovian Excitation, Inhibition, and Mobility were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between culture and self-reported information processing capacities.
Exonal Deletion of SLC24A4 Causes Hypomaturation Amelogenesis Imperfecta
Authors: Seymen F. , Lee K.-E. , Tran Le C.G. , Yildirim M. , Gencay K. , Lee Z.H. , Kim J.-W.
Published: February 2014

Amelogenesis imperfecta is a heterogeneous group of genetic conditions affecting enamel formation. Recently, mutations in solute carrier family 24 member 4 ( SLC24A4) have been identified to cause autosomal recessive hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta. We recruited a consanguineous family with hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta with generalized brown discoloration. Sequencing of the candidate genes identified a 10-kb deletion, including exons 15, 16, and most of the last exon of the SLC24A4 gene. Interestingly, this deletion was caused by homologous recombination between two 354-bp-long homologous sequences located in intron 14 and the 3′ UTR. This is the first report of exonal deletion in SLC24A4 providing confirmatory evidence that the function of SLC24A4 in calcium transport has a crucial role in the maturation stage of amelogenesis.
An Examination of the Efficacy of a Multitiered Intervention on Early Reading Outcomes for First Grade Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties
Authors: Fien Hank , Smith Jean Louise M. , Smolkowski Keith , Baker Scott K. , Nelson Nancy J. , Chaparro Erin
Published: February 2014

This article presents findings of an efficacy trial examining the effect of a multitiered instruction and intervention model on first grade at-risk students’ reading outcomes. Schools ( N = 16) were randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition. In the fall of Grade 1, students were assigned to an instructional tier on the basis of Stanford Achievement Test–10th Edition scores (31st percentile and above = Tier 1; from the 10th to the 30th percentile = Tier 2). In both conditions, students identified as at risk (i.e., Tier 2; n = 267) received 90 min of whole group instruction (Tier 1) and an additional 30 min of daily small group intervention (Tier 2). In the treatment condition, teachers were trained to enhance core reading instruction by making instruction more explicit and increasing practice opportunities for students in Tier 1. In addition, at-risk readers were provided an additional 30-min daily small group intervention with content that was highly aligned with the Tier 1 core reading program. Results indicate significant, positive effects of the intervention on students’ decoding and first semester fluent reading and potentially positive effects on reading comprehension and total reading achievement.
Recognition of fault process conditions based on spinline tension in melt spinning
Authors: Kuo Chung-Feng Jeffrey , Huang Chang-Chiun , Gao Tzen-Chin , Liao Chien-Chun , Tang Tsann-Tay
Published: February 2014

Proper setting of process conditions in the melt spinning setup is one way to yield uniform quality of spinline tension. The optimum setting to give uniform spinline tension is determined using experiment plans in the Taguchi method and significant process parameters are also identified. When the setting shifts from the optimum, the spinline tension becomes non-uniform and downgrades product quality. This study aims to diagnose single or double fault conditions of those significant process parameters based on the spinline tension signal. The critical procedures of fault diagnosis are feature extraction and classification. The tension signal is decomposed into a wavelet packet tree of four resolution levels. Four entropies from the best-basis wavelet packet tree and the lowest entropy at level four are selected as features. The back-propagation neural network acts as a classifier. The experimental results demonstrate that the features and classifier actually work well to identify the single and double fault conditions with high accuracy in melt spinning.
The Managerial Gaze
Authors: Airey David , Tribe John , Benckendorff Pierre , Xiao Honggen
Published: February 2014

Tourism has been studied and researched in higher education for more than 40 years and in many ways it has now established itself as a significant part of the academy. However, at a time of change and rationalization in higher education, tourism, along with other areas of study, needs to be able to justify its position. Increasingly, academic managers are seeking such justifications, often using readily available metrics. The purpose of this study is to examine the position of tourism using these same metrics, for teaching, research, and impact and for three different countries, Australia, China, and the United Kingdom. In doing so, it highlights tourism’s strengths and weaknesses from a managerial perspective but at the same time it exposes the relative narrowness of this managerial gaze. It points to the need for the tourism community to strengthen its provision and broaden the gaze of the decision makers.
The Bahujan Samaj Party: Between Social Justice and Political Practice
Authors: Gundimeda Sambaiah
Published: February 2014

The Bahujan Samaj Party’s concept of social justice consists of two interconnected aspects: horizontalisation of the vertical social order and democratisation of the undemocratic political order. Following a critical examination of these two aspects, this article makes two arguments. First, by encouraging the Dalits and other lower castes to claim their respective caste identities, the BSP’s activities around the caste question are aimed at the horizontalisation/equalisation of caste rather than its annihilation. Second, by adopting the method of caste-based distribution of seats in political representation, the BSP has shown a means to bring the hitherto socially excluded and politically oppressed castes into the process of democracy, thereby laying a path by which to democratise the undemocratic order. Yet, this method of distribution also leads to the exclusion of castes with small number of population from the democratic process. The article also attempts to explore the reasons for the failure of the BSP in the 2012 assembly elections. It argues that it was the sub-quota politics of the Congress that forced Muslims to shift their loyalties from the BSP to SP, and that shift, in turn, led to the subsequent electoral debacle of the BSP.
Politics of Exclusion: The Case of Scheduled Castes in the Panchayats of Karnataka
Authors: Sivanna N.
Published: February 2014

People belonging to the Scheduled Castes have had a long history of being discriminated against, exploited and placed at the bottom of caste society. After the enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, measures such as quota within ordinary seats in the Panchayats as well as among the office-bearers have been introduced to overcome indignities endured through history by members of the Scheduled Castes. Notwithstanding these reservations, there is still strong resistance among those of higher castes (just above that of the Scheduled Castes in many cases), who have not been enthusiastic about reservations of the post of Panchayat president for Scheduled Caste people. What needs to be seen is whether the people of Scheduled Castes are able to participate, or whether they have been prevented from doing so, by the castes that are higher to them, as well as those that are dominant in the area of the Grama Panchayats. This article discusses certain issues that are related to the participation of Scheduled Castes in the Panchayats of Karnataka.
‘Lihaaf’: A Story of the Story
Authors: Priyadarshini Anamika
Published: February 2014

The common understanding of South Asian women’s identity is usually derived from the conventional perception that envisions the ‘third world’ woman as a submissive victim of barbaric machismo. South Asian scholars, especially feminists, have been challenging this monolithic image and trying to throw light on the various complex layers that define women in the so-called ‘third world’. They are focusing, instead, on the living reality of the dynamic woman with a body, mind and desires who cannot be shackled into the frame of victimised/sacrosanct mother. ‘Lihaaf’—a story about two women’s erotic relationship; published in 1942; written by an Indian Muslim woman—becomes critical to this evolving understanding. This article is an analysis of the various narratives of the publication of ‘Lihaaf’ which left a deep impact on the author Ismat Chughtai’s life and also on the history of Urdu literature and the heritage of literary work on homosexuality. These narratives recognise ‘Lihaaf’ as a stand that reflects on a more realistic aspect of Indian women, who can be more than a Mother, who does not necessarily follow the script of the master narrative.
Occupational Disease and Public Health Concerns of Migrant Construction Workers: A Social Epidemiological Study in Western Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Akram Mohammad
Published: February 2014

The unorganised workers in the construction industry face several health hazards. The situation is doubly critical for the migrant construction workers (MCWs) due to congruence of their poor living and work environment. This is a cross-sectional study based on social epidemiological perspective. It studies the occupational disease, treatment patterns and other public health concerns of MCWs in urban spaces of western Uttar Pradesh. It uses semi-structured interview schedule and ethnographic observation during the fieldwork. The multi-stage cluster sampling is used to identify the required samples. Findings reveal that self-reported case of injury and disease among the MCWs in last one year is 35 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively. The public health facilities are missing in most of the construction sites. The migratory condition, narrow and unhygienic living space and lack of basic health facilities increase the burden of occupational diseases manifold on the migrant workers. Policy corrections are required not only for improving the conditions of migrant workers but also for removing disparities in economic and social development among the regions and states which will regulate the magnitude and direction of unproductive migration.
Book Review: Performing Heritage: Art of Exhibit Walks
Authors: Varghese Rachel A.
Published: February 2014

Navina Jafa, Performing Heritage: Art of Exhibit Walks, New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd, 2012, pp. i-xxix; 1–215, ₹ 550.
Book Review: Atlantic Gandhi: The Mahatma Overseas
Authors: Rajan Aneish
Published: February 2014

Nalini Natarajan, Atlantic Gandhi: The Mahatma Overseas, New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd, 2013, pp. xi+248, ₹ 695.
Tapping the Americorps Pipeline
Authors: Ward Kevin D.
Published: February 2014

In 1996, Perry found that public sector employees tended to differ from their private sector counterparts on dimensions relating to attraction to public policymaking, commitment to public interest, compassion, and self-sacrifice. While considerable Public Service Motivation (PSM) research has followed, much of the PSM literature either uses secondary data without testing for construct validity or aims to respecify the original scale. Little attention has been paid to testing the validity of the PSM construct using secondary data. This study examines the presence of PSM-related values among a group of individuals who expressed interest in joining the national service program AmeriCorps in 1999. The purpose of the study is to determine whether PSM-related values are identified among a likely population when Perry’s PSM Scale was not used. It is found that two of Perry’s original dimensions of PSM are identified among the sample as well as one adapted dimension of PSM.
Changing the Memory of Suffering: An Organizational Aesthetics of the Dark Side
Authors: Sørensen Bent Meier
Published: February 2014

This paper addresses processes of subjection and abjection as expressed in organizational and collective memory. It complements recent developments in organizational memory studies by demonstrating how the dark side of organization has been subjected to what Susan Sontag calls a ‘collective instruction’ process that normalizes how this dark side is understood, or marginalized. The paper argues that history today is often represented as kitsch and offers a method of aesthetic ‘juxtaposition’ of visual artefacts that together with a detailed reading enables researchers to critically challenge this organization of memory and reintegrate abjected material. The method is exemplified by juxtaposing the iconic World War II photo of a little Jewish boy leaving his home with his hands in the air during the Nazi clearances of the Warsaw Ghetto and Paul Klee’s iconic painting of an angel in terror, Angelus Novus, painted in 1920 just after World War I. The analysis demonstrates how history tends to be organized by a majoritarian system – in this case what has been termed ‘the Holocaust industry’ – through collective instruction in how to interpret events, and outlines alternative ways for exposing and resisting this process, resulting in the creation of counter-narratives. This analytical strategy confirms that organizational aesthetics resides at the heart of what is political.
In search of political influence: Outside lobbying behaviour and media coverage of social movements, interest groups and political parties in six Western European countries
Authors: Tresch Anke , Fischer Manuel
Published: February 2014

Outside lobbying is a key strategy for social movements, interest groups and political parties for mobilising public opinion through the media in order to pressure policymakers and influence the policymaking process. Relying on semi-structured interviews and newspaper content analysis in six Western European countries, this article examines the use of four outside lobbying strategies – media-related activities, informing (about) the public, mobilisation and protest – and the amount of media coverage they attract. While some strategies are systematically less pursued than others, we find variation in their relative share across institutional contexts and actor types. Given that most of these differences are not accurately mirrored in the media, we conclude that media coverage is only loosely connected to outside lobbying behaviour, and that the media respond differently to a given strategy when used by different actors. Thus, the ability of different outside lobbying strategies to generate media coverage critically depends on who makes use of them.
Men’s Employment Hours and Time on Domestic Chores in European Countries
Authors: Dotti Sani Giulia Maria
Published: February 2014

Over the past decades, the gender gap in housework has become smaller and scholars have called on changing structural conditions and on the diffusion of egalitarian gender roles to explain why. In particular, women’s presence in the public sphere is found to be associated with a more egalitarian division of chores between partners. However, despite the large presence of women in the public sphere in many countries, the gender gap in housework has not disappeared. This article asks whether the widespread presence of men in the public sphere is slowing the diffusion of more egalitarian practices of housework division. Using multilevel models on European Social Survey data (2010), the article shows that in countries where men work long standard hours, women perform relatively more housework and men relatively less, highlighting the importance of men’s aggregate behavior in explaining partners’ relative time on housework.
Outcome measurement using naturalistic language samples: A feasibility pilot study using language transcription software and speech and language therapy assistants
Authors: Overton Sarah , Wren Yvonne
Published: February 2014

The ultimate aim of intervention for children with language impairment is an improvement in their functional language skills. Baseline and outcome measurement of this is often problematic however and practitioners commonly resort to using formal assessments that may not adequately reflect the child’s competence. Language sampling, transcription and analysis provide a more thorough and realistic picture of a child’s abilities but are time consuming and usually considered unfeasible in the typical clinic setting. This article reports on a pilot study in which a speech and language therapy assistant (SLTA) carried out language transcription using language analysis software. Following a brief initial training period, the SLTA carried out transcriptions on 17 language samples at two time periods. Reliability between a speech and language therapist and the assistant’s transcriptions were calculated and were found to be acceptable for the majority of measures taken. The use of software by assistants is proposed as a viable alternative for outcome measurement of naturalistic language skills.
Press subsidy policies in Spain in the context of financial crisis (2008–2012): An analysis of the Catalan case
Authors: Fernández Alonso Isabel , Blasco Gil José Joaquín
Published: February 2014

While direct national press subsidies were abolished in the late 1980s, they continue to be granted in seven of Spain’s 17 regional autonomous communities. Two features of these subsidy schemes are their highly discretionary nature and their particular concern for the language component, the latter of which, in some cases, is linked to processes of nation building. Catalonia was the first regional autonomous community to introduce press subsidies. It has also spent the highest amounts on such subsidies. But, in the current context of financial crisis, it has applied more radical cutbacks to them than any other region in Spain. This article focuses on the description and analysis of subsidies that have been granted in Catalonia since the 1980s. It pays particular attention to the changes brought about by a politically progressive shift in the Government of Catalonia in 2003 and the implications of the financial crisis that became apparent in 2011, by that time in the context of a conservative government. All of these issues are considered after describing and explaining the national and regional subsidy circumstances.
Venous Hemodynamic Insufficiency Severity Score variation after endovascular treatment of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency
Authors: Scalise Filippo , Novelli Eugenio , Farina Massimiliano , Barbato Luciano , Spagnolo Salvatore
Published: February 2014

Introduction

Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a vascular condition characterized by anomalies of the internal jugular veins (IJVs) and/or azygos veins with disturbed flow and formation of collateral venous channels. The presence of CCSVI has been associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Percutaneous venous angioplasty (PVA) has been proposed to improve extracranial outflow; however, a non-invasive, post-procedural follow-up outcome measure has not been established.

Aim of the study

To evaluate the short-term hemodynamic follow-up of CCSVI after PVA using color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) and to investigate whether hemodynamic variation correlated with clinical variation.

Materials and methods

Forty-five patients affected by MS with confirmed CCSVI underwent IJVs PVA. Venous hemodynamic (VH) parameters indicative of CCSVI and the Venous Hemodynamic Insufficiency Severity Score (VHISS) were evaluated by CDU at baseline and 3 months post-PVA. Concurrently, the MS-related disability status (EDSS) was evaluated.

Results

The VH parameters and VHISS 3 months after IJVs PVA significantly decreased: the VH parameters −32.1% and the VHISS −33.8% ( p < 0.001). The EDSS score 3 months after IJVs PVA was significantly lower than the baseline (−5.5%, p < 0.001). Using the median value of the VHISS variation as the cut-off, we were able to identify two groups of patients: responders, group A; and non-responders, group B. The EDSS score variation at 3 months was 0.310 in group A and 0.275 in group B ( p = 0.746).

Conclusions

CCSVI endovascular treatment can induce an improvement in VH parameters and the VHISS. The neurological disability score (EDSS) also improved after PVA; however, there was no correlation to the VHISS variation after PVA, MS type and duration.
Naturalistic Observations of Schoolyard Social Participation
Authors: Coplan Robert J. , Ooi Laura L. , Rose-Krasnor Linda
Published: February 2014

The goal of this study was to examine links between observed social participation in the schoolyard and indices of socio-emotional functioning in early adolescence. Participants were children ( N = 290) aged 9 to 12 years. Social participation (e.g., solitary play, dyadic interaction, group interaction) was assessed in the schoolyard during recess and lunch using behavioral observations. Measures of perceptions of peer difficulties (e.g., perceived peer relations, loneliness) and internalizing problems (e.g., social anxiety, depression) were provided via maternal ratings and child self-reports. Results from cluster analyses revealed several subgroups of children characterized by distinct patterns of social participation. The groups also differed in terms of their socio-emotional functioning. For example, nonsocial children (who displayed the most frequent solitary activities) reported the highest levels of internalizing problems and more peer difficulties. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of observed social participation behaviors as marker variables for socio-emotional difficulties in early adolescence.
Effects of Knee Extension Constraint Training on Knee Flexion Angle and Peak Impact Ground-Reaction Force
Authors: Liu Hui , Wu Will , Yao Wanxiang , Spang Jeffrey T. , Creighton R. Alexander , Garrett William E. , Yu Bing
Published: February 2014

Background:

Low compliance with training programs is likely to be one of the major reasons for inconsistency of the data regarding the effectiveness of current anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention programs. Training methods that reduce training time and cost could favorably influence the effectiveness of ACL injury prevention programs. A newly designed knee extension constraint training device may serve this purpose.

Hypothesis:

(1) Knee extension constraint training for 4 weeks would significantly increase the knee flexion angle at the time of peak impact posterior ground-reaction force and decrease peak impact ground-reaction forces during landing of a stop-jump task and a side-cutting task, and (2) the training effects would be retained 4 weeks after completion of the training program.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Twenty-four recreational athletes were randomly assigned to group A or B. Participants in group A played sports without wearing a knee extension constraint device for 4 weeks and then played sports while wearing the device for 4 weeks, while participants in group B underwent a reversed protocol. Both groups were tested at the beginning of week 1 and at the ends of weeks 4 and 8 without wearing the device. Knee joint angles were obtained from 3-dimensional videographic data, while ground-reaction forces were measured simultaneously using force plates. Analyses of variance were performed to determine the training effects and the retention of training effects.

Results:

Participants in group A significantly increased knee flexion angles and decreased ground-reaction forces at the end of week 8 ( P ≤ .012). Participants in group B significantly increased knee flexion angles and decreased ground-reaction forces at the ends of weeks 4 and 8 ( P ≤ .007). However, participants in group B decreased knee flexion angles and increased ground-reaction forces at the end of week 8 in comparison with the end of week 4 ( P ≤ .009).

Conclusion:

Knee extension constraint training for 4 weeks significantly altered lower extremity movement patterns and transferred these changes in lower extremity movement patterns to stop-jump and side-cutting tasks in which ACL injuries frequently occur. Training effects were retained 4 weeks after the training was completed but were diminished in magnitude.

Clinical Relevance:

A knee extension constraint device may be a useful training tool in future ACL injury prevention programs to alter movement patterns without extra training time.
Survival and Reoperation Rates After Meniscal Allograft Transplantation
Authors: McCormick Frank , Harris Joshua D. , Abrams Geoffrey D. , Hussey Kristen E. , Wilson Hillary , Frank Rachel , Gupta Anil K. , Bach Bernard R. , Cole Brian J.
Published: February 2014

Background:

Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) is a treatment option for knee pain in young patients with meniscal deficiency in the setting of intact articular surfaces, ligamentous stability, and normal alignment. It is being performed with increasing frequency, and the need for reoperations is not uncommon. A mean survival rate of allografts and indications for reoperations would be helpful information when counseling patients regarding the procedure.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to quantify survival for MAT and report findings at reoperation. The hypothesis was that the reoperation rate would be frequent and that the most common secondary surgery would be arthroscopic debridement.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of patients who underwent MAT from 2003 to 2011 was conducted; all surgeries were performed by a single surgeon. The reoperation rate, timing of reoperation, procedure performed at reoperation, and findings at surgery, including the status of the meniscal and articular cartilage, were reviewed. Survival was defined as a lack of revision MAT or knee arthroplasty. Descriptive statistics, log-rank testing, cross-tabulation, and χ2 testing were analyzed, with an α value of .05 set as significant.

Results:

Of 200 patients who underwent MAT during the study period, 172 patients (86%; mean age, 34.3 ± 10.3 years) were evaluated at a mean of 59 months (range, 24-118 months) with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Forty-one percent of MATs were isolated, while 60% were performed with concomitant procedures. Sixty-four patients (32%) returned to the operating room after their index procedure. Arthroscopic debridement was performed in 59% (38/64) of these patients. The mean time to subsequent surgery was 21 months (range, 2-107 months), with 73% occurring within 2 years. Eight of 172 patients (4.7%) went on to require revision MAT or total knee replacement. Patients requiring secondary surgery within 2 years had an odds ratio of 8.4 (95% CI, 1.6-43.4) for future arthroplasty or MAT revision ( P = .007).

Conclusion:

In this series, there was a 32% reoperation rate for MAT, with simple arthroscopic debridement being the most common surgical treatment (59%), and a 95% allograft survival rate at a mean of 5 years. Those requiring additional surgery still benefited, having an 88% allograft survival rate, but were at an increased risk of failure. Patients requiring secondary surgery within 2 years had an odds ratio of 8.4 for future arthroplasty or MAT revision.
Effects of leachate concentration on the integrity of solidified clay liners
Authors: Xue Qiang , Zhang Qian
Published: February 2014

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of landfill leachate concentration on the degradation behaviour of solidified clay liners and to propose a viable mechanism for the observed degradation. The results indicated that the unconfined compressive strength of the solidified clay decreased significantly, while the hydraulic conductivity increased with the leachate concentration. The large pore proportion in the solidified clay increased and the sum of medium and micro pore proportions decreased, demonstrating that the effect on the solidified clay was evident after the degradation caused by exposure to landfill leachate. The unconfined compressive strength of the solidified clay decreased with increasing leachate concentration as the leachate changed the compact structure of the solidified clay, which are prone to deformation and fracture. The hydraulic conductivity and the large pore proportion of the solidified clay increased with the increase in leachate concentration. In contrast, the sum of medium and micro pore proportions showed an opposite trend in relation to leachate concentration, because the leachate gradually caused the medium and micro pores to form larger pores. Notably, higher leachate concentrations resulted in a much more distinctive variation in pore proportions. The hydraulic conductivity of the solidified clay was closely related to the size, distribution, and connection of pores. The proportion of the large pores showed a positive correlation with the increase of hydraulic conductivity, while the sum of the proportions of medium and micro pores showed a negative correlation.
Resistance to fire of silicone-based coatings: Fire protection of steel against cellulosic fire
Authors: Gardelle Bastien , Duquesne Sophie , Vandereecken Patrick , Bourbigot Serge
Published: February 2014

The fire performance of curable silicone-based coatings containing expandable graphite, organoclay, and calcium carbonate is evaluated in cellulosic fire scenario (standard ISO834) using a lab-scale furnace test. It is shown that the use of organoclay and calcium carbonate allows achieving same insulative performance when compared with organic commercial intumescent coating. The mode of action of these silicone-based coatings is fully investigated using thermal analyses and spectroscopic analyses including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that the high fire performance of intumescent silicone-based coatings is due to (1) interactions between calcium carbonate and silicone matrix increasing the thermal stability of the resin and (2) the formation of calcium silicate embedding the top of the char and permitting the formation of an additional protective ceramic layer.
Full Outline of UnResponsiveness Score Versus Glasgow Coma Scale in Children With Nontraumatic Impairment of Consciousness
Authors: Kochar Gurpreet Singh , Gulati Sheffali , Lodha Rakesh , Pandey RM
Published: February 2014

The study was designed to compare the Full Outline of UnResponsiveness score with Glasgow Coma Scale as a predictor of mortality and poor functional outcome at hospital discharge in children with nontraumatic impairment of consciousness. Seventy children aged 5 to 18 years admitted with impaired consciousness were enrolled. The scores were applied by the Pediatric Neurology fellow within 2 hours of admission. The primary outcome studied was in-hospital mortality. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare the 2 scores. The area under the curves for Glasgow Coma Scale and Full Outline of UnResponsiveness scores were 0.916 and 0.940, respectively. However, the difference between the areas under curve for the 2 scores was not statistically significant (0.023; 95% confidence interval: –0.0115 to 0.058). Our data indicate that both the scores are good predictors for in-hospital mortality and functional outcome. However, no significant difference was observed between the ability of the 2 scores to predict the outcomes.
Planning Deficit in Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: Galasso Cinzia , Lo-Castro Adriana , Di Carlo Loredana , Pitzianti Maria Bernarda , D’Agati Elisa , Curatolo Paolo , Pasini Augusto
Published: February 2014

Neurofibromatosis type 1 is associated with executive dysfunctions and comorbidity with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 30% to 50% of children. This study was designed to clarify the neurocognitive phenotype observed in neurofibromatosis type 1 by testing the hypothesis that children with neurofibromatosis type 1 have specific planning deficits independently from intellectual level and ADHD comorbidity. Eighteen children with neurofibromatosis type 1 were pair-matched to 18 children with ADHD and 18 healthy controls. All groups were assessed on the presence of ADHD symptoms (Conners Scales) and planning deficits (Tower of London). Compared with control group, groups with neurofibromatosis type 1 and ADHD demonstrated significant impairment of planning and problem solving. The lack of correlation between Tower of London results and Conners subscale scores in neurofibromatosis type 1 group confirmed that the planning and problem-solving deficit is not directly related to inattention level. These findings suggested that the executive impairment probably represents a peculiar trait of neurofibromatosis type 1 neurocognitive phenotype.
Language Recovery After Acute Intracerebral Hematoma in Temporoparietal Region
Authors: Kolundžić Zdravko , Klarić Andrea Šimić , Krip Marija , Gotovac Nikola , Banožić Ljerka , Vodanović Dinah
Published: February 2014

Arteriovenous malformations are the most common cause of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhages in older children. Intracerebral hematoma can cause serious lasting neurologic, cognitive, and language deficits, or even possible death. We present the case of a 16-year-old boy who had language impairments after suffering a large hemorrhagic stroke in the left temporoparietal region. All language components, verbal and nonverbal communication, reading, and writing, were found to be affected. These impairments were expected as they are characteristic of the location of the hematoma. After a year of speech language rehabilitation, there was an almost complete recovery of language skills. Quick diagnosis and adequate therapeutic interventions are important to diminish the influence of intracerebral hemorrhage on cognitive and language functions in children.
Mapping Preictal Networks Preceding Childhood Absence Seizures Using Magnetoencephalography
Authors: Jacobs-Brichford Eliza , Horn Paul S. , Tenney Jeffrey R.
Published: February 2014

The electrographic hallmark of childhood absence seizures is 3 Hz generalized spike and wave discharges; however, there is likely a focal thalamic or cortical onset that cannot be detected using scalp electroencephalography (EEG). The purpose of this study was to study the earliest preictal changes in children with absence epilepsy. In this report, magnetoencephalography recordings of 44 absence seizures recorded from 12 children with drug-naïve childhood absence seizures were used to perform time frequency analysis and source localization prior to the onset of the seizures. Evidence of preictal magnetoencephalography frequency changes were detected a mean of 694 ms before the initial spike on the EEG. A consistent pattern of focal sources was present in the frontal cortex and thalamus during this preictal period, but source localization occurred synchronously so that independent activity between the 2 structures could not be distinguished.
An Exploratory Study of the Legal and Non-Legal Factors Associated With Exoneration for Wrongful Conviction
Authors: Olney Maeve , Bonn Scott
Published: February 2014

This study provides an exploratory quantitative examination of wrongful criminal conviction. Certain legal factors and perhaps some non-legal factors are related to wrongful conviction. Using data pertaining to all known exonerations in the United States from 1989 to 2012, we explore the extent to which deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing and/or race of a convicted innocent are related to that person’s exoneration. Controlling for race, the availability of DNA testing increases the likelihood of exoneration for murder or sexual assault. We also find that race is a significant factor in the wrongful conviction and exoneration of Blacks for murder or sexual assault. This finding regarding race warrants further research. The role of DNA in exonerating the innocent is critical to public policy proposals aimed at reducing wrongful conviction. Understanding how DNA may prevent and correct wrongful conviction is crucial because conviction of factually innocent defendants represents the ultimate failure of justice.
Alogliptin
Authors: Marino Adriane B. , Cole Sabrina W.
Published: February 2014

Purpose: Alogliptin is the newest dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes either alone or in combination with other antidiabetic agents. The purpose of this review is to highlight the clinical studies that led to Food and Drug Administration approval of alogliptin and to provide insight into the place in therapy for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Summary: As a DPP-4 inhibitor, alogliptin raises postprandial levels of glucagon-like peptide 1, leading to insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. When given as monotherapy, alogliptin has the ability to reduce glycoslate hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) by 0.4% to 1.0%. Combination therapy yielded similar reductions with some variability depending on the agent with which alogliptin was combined. The mean HbA1c reduction seen with alogliptin is relative to the degree of HbA1c elevation at baseline. Alogliptin appears to be weight neutral and is relatively well tolerated with few adverse effects. Furthermore, alogliptin has proven to result in comparable efficacy and tolerability in the elderly as in the younger population. Conclusion: Alogliptin alone or in combination with other antidiabetic agents has shown a significant reduction in HbA1c while remaining safe and tolerable. The efficacy profile of alogliptin is comparable to other DPP-4 inhibitors. Additional long-term research is necessary with regard to long-standing efficacy and effects on beta-cell function.
Pharmacists Who Screen and Discuss Opioid Misuse With Patients
Authors: Cochran Gerald , Field Craig , Lawson Kenneth
Published: February 2014

Background:

Prescription opioid (PO) abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and pharmacies are locations from which these medications are often diverted. This study identifies factors associated with pharmacists who currently screen and discuss PO misuse with patients.

Methods:

A secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional Web-based survey that was sent to pharmacists was conducted. The survey contained items that assessed whether pharmacists currently screened and discussed PO misuse with patients along with pharmacists’ attitudes and beliefs toward providing brief interventions. Multivariable models were developed which identified factors associated with pharmacists’ currently screening and discussing misuse.

Results:

Chain setting pharmacists (odds ratio [OR] = 6.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-32.72) and pharmacists interested in being directly involved in PO screening and brief intervention research projects (OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.35-3.15) were most likely to report current screening. Pharmacists who reported currently screening for misuse (OR = 4.27, 95% CI = 2.83-6.45) and who reported wanting to help patients who misuse POs (OR = 3.03, 95% CI = 1.50-6.15) were most likely to currently discuss abuse.

Conclusions:

Investigators implementing pharmacy-based screening and brief intervention studies for POs should take into account practice location and pharmacists’ interest in addressing PO issues.