bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public trust in the military: The Slovenian Armed Forces in a comparative analysis
Authors: Garb Maja
Published: March 2015

Today, almost as a rule, the military boasts a high level of public trust throughout the world. The Slovenian Armed Forces are among the most trusted institutions in the country. A comparative analysis of the public trust in the military in other countries, however, shows that the level of trust in the Slovenian military is below the global average. In this article, the level of trust in the Slovenian Armed Forces is presented and compared with the public trust in the military in other countries. This article presents the concepts of trust of Almond and Verba, Inglehart, Banfield and other authors, and discusses the level of trust in the military in Slovenia through these concepts. The analysis shows that several factors diminish trust in the military in Slovenian society: from a lack of knowledge and little interest in the military, defense and security matters, to dissatisfaction with political processes.
Biblical Ethics: 3D
Authors: Chan Lúcás
Published: March 2015

The past two decades have seen significant developments in the field of biblical ethics. The article looks at these in three dimensions so as to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the efforts of biblical scholars and Christian ethicists. The author perceives that a more integrated approach to biblical ethics, collaboration on various levels, innovation in our approaches, and humble learning from our colleagues worldwide can throw light on our search for future direction in the field.
Redeeming Conscience
Authors: Keenan James F.
Published: March 2015

Since the final report of the extraordinary synod of 2014 made no mention of conscience, this note proposes a notion of a socially oriented and accountable conscience as opposed to the contemporary understanding of the term “conscience” among US Catholics, that is, as dissenting from the law. Turning to the European use of “conscience” that arises from the social remorse of their own conduct in World War II, the note proposes that when the United States finally repents over its racist history, we citizens might begin to see that conscience requires us to enter into solidarity with others and to be vigilant of the threats to our own humanity.
Tradition as Collective Memory: A Theological Task to Be Tackled
Authors: O’Collins Gerald , Braithwaite David
Published: March 2015

This article gathers and develops some fragmentary suggestions made by theologians and Pope John Paul II about tradition as the collective memory of the church. In the light of insights coming from anthropology, history, neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and sociology, the article proposes twelve ways for enriching a theology of tradition. Modern memory studies can unite and clarify various aspects of a theology of tradition, understood as collective memory.
Longing for Transcendence: Cyborgs and Trans- and Posthumans
Authors: Vicini Andrea , Brazal Agnes M.
Published: March 2015

Technology is transforming the human body into a cyborg by making it a part of cyber networks. Transhumanists and posthumanists argue that technology will enable humans to overcome bodily limitation by reaching a technological immortality. The authors discuss recent literature on anthropological approaches and ethical implications about this technological promise. They suggest that the “Body of Christ” metaphor—by emphasizing embodiment, sacramentality, difference, and solidarity—can guide our reflection on corporeality and on the human because this metaphor refers not just to the human body of Jesus Christ but also to the Eucharist, the church, and the eschatological Body of Christ in creation.
Embodied Subjectivities
Authors: Poulsen Merete
Published: March 2015

Developing an understanding of intoxicated bodily states is important for comprehending why people consume alcohol. This article sets out to investigate the intoxicated subjectivities of women who are in a relationship with another woman. Within the alcohol and other drug (AOD) field, gender, sexuality, and bodily perspectives have become more central objects of attention. While AOD studies have ascribed agency to both alcohol and the human body, how the body and alcohol together produce intoxicated subjective states has not been considered thoroughly. Through an examination of three women’s subjective accounts of intoxication, this study found that conceptualizing phenomena such as alcohol, gender, sexuality, and a predefined body as discrete, independent entities limits our understanding of the complexities of embodied intoxication. To overcome this limitation, the article draws on Karen Barad’s new materialism theory, which proves more sensitive to a range of different agents. This provides a new way of conceiving the onto-epistemological relations between these agents and challenges both common ideas about intoxication among same-sex experienced women and more general understandings of embodied subjectivity.
Comparing Drug Policy Windows Internationally
Authors: Hayle Steven
Published: March 2015

In this article, I compare and contrast policymaking processes in Canada and England and Wales between 1997 and the present day to provide insight into why the Canadian government approved the opening of a downtown Vancouver drug consumption room (DCR) named InSite in 2003, and why the British government has not yet done so. I also shed new light on why, since 2003, subsequent DCRs have not been opened in either Canada or England and Wales. I briefly consider future prospects for DCRs in both places. To accomplish this, I draw on Kingdon’s “Multiple Streams Theory,” which suggests that national government decision makers such as politicians are most likely to enact policy changes when there is an alignment of problems, policy options, and political circumstances. I argue that such conditions existed in Canada but not England and Wales, which helps explain why the Canadian government approved the opening of a DCR but the British government did not. I draw on primary data from national, provincial, and municipal government documents and national and local newspaper articles in both jurisdictions to make my argument, along with secondary data from published literature. In the process, I highlight the strengths and weaknesses of Kingdon’s (1984) work for understanding policy development in the highly controversial area of illicit drug use.
A Thousand Contradictory Ways
Authors: Fraser Suzanne
Published: March 2015

Neuroscientific accounts of addiction are increasingly influential in health and medical circles. At the same time a diverse, if equally scientifically focused, opposition to addiction neuroscience is emerging. In this struggle over the merits of addiction neuroscience are elements of a uniquely 21st-century public engagement with science. No longer trusted by the public as the unerring source of objective knowledge about the world, science is, at least in some contexts, increasingly treated as just one voice among many. Observing the difficulties this loss of faith in science poses for effective action on pressing issues such as climate change, philosopher Bruno Latour develops a different (ecological) approach to scientific knowledge, one that for the first time allows scientists (and other “moderns”) to understand it for what it really is and locate it “diplomatically” alongside other modes of knowing. In this article, I ask whether a similar innovation is needed to allow more effective understanding of addiction. I explore this question by analyzing two recent, widely discussed, popular books (Marc Lewis’s Memoirs of an Addicted Brain: A Neuroscientist Examines His Former Life on Drugs, 2011 and Carl Hart’s High Price: A Neuroscientist’s Journey of Self-discovery that Challenges Everything You Think You Know About Drugs and Society, 2013) as well as reviews of these books. Written by neuroscientists, and drawing heavily on personal memoir to illustrate and ratify their competing views on drugs and addiction, both books crystallize contemporary dilemmas about science, empiricism, and the nature of evidence and truth. How are we to understand their mix of “scientific fact” and individual self-observation, what does this mix suggest about scientific knowledge, and what are its implications for dominant notions of “evidence-based” drug policy and treatment? I argue that these books both trouble and reinforce our taken-for-granted distinctions between science and personal stories, between objectivity and subjectivity, and note the lost opportunities the books represent for a more searching and productive (Latour might say “ecological”) engagement with science.
Neonatal Serum Phosphorus Levels and Enamel Defects in Very Low Birth Weight Infants
Authors: Merheb Roula , Arumugam Chitra , Lee Wonik , Collin Marc , Nguyen Caroline , Groh‐Wargo Sharon , Nelson Suchitra
Published: March 2015

Background: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants miss out on the period of greatest mineral accretion that occurs during the last trimester of pregnancy and are at higher risk of enamel defects. No studies have well described the relationship between neonatal nutrition and dental outcomes in preterm, VLBW infants. The objective of this study was to assess the differences in nutrition biomarkers, feeding intake, and comorbidities among VLBW infants with and without enamel defects. Methods: A retrospective chart review of VLBW infants recruited for an ongoing longitudinal dental study between 2007 and 2010 was done. Participants were classified as cases and controls according to the presence/absence of developmental defects of enamel at 8 and/or 18–20 and/or 36 months. Demographics and medical and nutrition data were abstracted from 76 subjects' medical charts. Results: Of the 76 VLBW subjects, 62% had enamel defects (hypoplasia and/or opacity). The only significant variable in the logistic regression analysis was that infants with a 1‐mg/dL increase in serum phosphorus levels had a 68% reduction in the odds of having enamel hypoplasia (odds ratio, 0.322; P = .024). Conclusion: Neonatal lower serum phosphorus levels are significantly associated with enamel hypoplasia in VLBW infants younger than 3 years.
Profit orientation of microfinance institutions and provision of financial capital to business start-ups
Authors: Shahriar Abu Zafar M , Schwarz Susan , Newman Alexander
Published: March 2015

This article examines whether the profit orientation of a microfinance institution (MFI) affects its decision to extend loans to business start-ups. Based on information from 198 MFIs in 65 countries, we show that for-profit MFIs are less likely to provide financial capital to business start-ups than their not-for-profit counterparts. This results from the adoption of a dominant ‘commercial’ logic by for-profit MFIs, which motivates them to maximize profit by extending loans to less risky ventures with mature projects. In contrast, a dominant ‘development’ logic motivates not-for-profit MFIs to alleviate poverty through supporting the creation of new ventures. The use of a propensity score matching technique to correct for any potential endogeneity problem provides us with greater confidence that the suggested association is not a spurious correlation.
Expression of Autophagy-Related Proteins in the Spinal Cord of Pembroke Welsh Corgi Dogs With Canine Degenerative Myelopathy
Authors: Ogawa M. , Uchida K. , Yamato O. , Mizukami K. , Chambers J.K. , Nakayama H.
Published: March 2015

Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease frequently found in Pembroke Welsh Corgi (PWC) dogs, and it has clinical and pathologic similarities to human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Autophagy is a major intracellular protein degradation system. Abnormalities of autophagy—resulting in cell death through mechanisms called type II programmed cell death—have recently been reported to occur in various neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Thus, the distribution and expression levels of proteins involved in autophagy were examined in the spinal cords of 8 PWC dogs suffering from DM with superoxide dismutase mutation, 5 non-DM PWC dogs, and 6 Beagle dogs without neurologic signs. There was no significant difference in the ratio of neurons with microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)–positive somata relative to those that were LC3 negative among the 3 groups, whereas the number of LC3-positive neurites was significantly increased in DM dogs. Punctate LC3 immunoreactivity did not colocalize with a lysosome marker, LAMP2 (lysosome-associated membrane protein 2). NBR1 (neighbor of BRCA gene 1) was localized mostly in reactive astrocytes, whereas there were p62 (p62/A170/SQSTM1)–positive foci in the neuropil of the spinal cord of DM dogs. Western blotting revealed in DM dogs the decreased expression of Beclin1 and Atg16 L, which are molecules involved in formation of the isolation membrane. These findings suggest that altered autophagosome degradation may result in LC3 and p62 accumulation in the DM spinal cord, whereas the early stage of membrane formation is likely to be downregulated.
From Maroons to dons: Sovereignty, violence and law in Jamaica
Authors: Jaffe Rivke
Published: March 2015

At different historical junctures and under different conditions, the Jamaican state has allowed armed “insurgents” to rule over specific spaces within its territorial control, condoning or actively facilitating the development of multiple legal orders as a mode of “outsourcing” sovereignty. Analyzing two contrasting cases, this article provides new insights into the role of violence and law in the context of multiple sovereignties. In the eighteenth century, after several unsuccessful military missions against Maroons, the colonial state signed a treaty granting them a significant portion of the Jamaican interior and partial political autonomy. In return, the Maroons provided military assistance to the British, capturing and returning the enslaved who escaped the plantations, and, decades after Emancipation, helping the British suppress the 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion. In contemporary Jamaica, many inner-city neighborhoods are controlled by criminal leaders known as “dons”. While various elements in the Jamaican state combat the power of the dons, many politicians and bureaucrats are entangled in a relationship of collusion and divestment with these extra-state leaders. In exchange for access to electoral blocs and suppressing urban unrest, dons receive lucrative government contracts and a measure of protection from judicial scrutiny. The article contrasts these colonial and postcolonial cases of collaborative or collusive relations between states and “outlaws”, emphasizing the role of violent pluralism and legal pluralism in multiple sovereignties, but also complicating the distinction between formal/legal and informal/de facto sovereignty.
Experiences of Sexual Objectification, Minority Stress, and Disordered Eating Among Sexual Minority Women
Authors: Watson Laurel B. , Grotewiel Morgan , Farrell Michelle , Marshik Jessica , Schneider Melinda
Published: March 2015

Our study extended a modified version of objectification theory to a sample of sexual minority women in order to understand their experiences with body image and disordered eating concerns. Specifically, reported experiences of heterosexist discrimination and internalized heterosexism were integrated into the objectification theory framework. A total of 243 U.S. sexual minority women (primarily White and lesbian) participated in our online study. Results of a path analysis and tests of direct and indirect relations elucidated the important role of heterosexist experiences in sexual minority women’s eating disordered behaviors. Moreover, internalized sociocultural standards of beauty and internalized heterosexism were important predictors of sexual minority women’s body image concerns. Overall, our results supported the applicability of tenets of objectification theory to sexual minority women, with some important modifications. Our study demonstrates the importance of attending to stressors that uniquely affect sexual minority women, which arise from a sexist and heterosexist sociocultural context.
Mechanical and machining performance of glass and coconut sheath fibre polyester composites using AWJM
Authors: Kalirasu S , Rajini N , Winowlin Jappes JT , Uthayakumar M , Rajesh S
Published: March 2015

This paper aims to address the responses of the AWJM parameters to two different reinforcement sources, viz, bi-directional glass mat (synthetic) and coconut sheath (natural) fibre, in a polymer matrix composite. The machining quality of the cut (kerf taper angle and surface roughness) was analysed, using the multi-objective response based on the L9 (34) orthogonal array, using the Taguchi-based experimental grey relational analysis. The mechanical performance of the composites was studied before and after machining, to observe the interfacial adhesion between the fibre and the matrix due to the cutting force, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Only very little reduction in tensile strength was found after the machining of the composite in each case, and it indicates lesser stress formation due to the cutting forces. The machining performance of two different composite materials with the same wt % of fibre content was found experimentally; it showed significant changes in the results for both the materials. However, the abrasive particle size was identified as the most significant parameter influencing the quality of the cut in both the composites. A higher crack resistance was found in the glass mat composites due to their better interfacial adhesion capability.
Containerization in Australia: The formation of the Australia-Japan Line
Authors: Lin Chih-lung
Published: March 2015

This note discusses the international origins of container shipping operation. During the Vietnam War, the concept of containerization spread. In the 1960s, the Australian route was one of the earliest markets to attract container shipping due to heavy labor costs. There were sharp rivalries between Britain and Japan on that route. However, the huge investments involved made the shipping companies work together in building the initial container vessels and a kind of international pooling system worked. As Australia imposed protectionism, politics were involved and the container shipping business became a complicated matter among the various companies, as well as their foreign allies, particularly when it came to the political preferences of the Australian Government. Eventually either full or partial adaptation to containerization followed, according to the nature of routes and port infrastructure, while Australia had its own containerization.
Dream port: Morale, memory and allied submariners in Western Australia during the Second World War
Authors: Sturma Michael
Published: March 2015

Fremantle, Western Australia, served as a major Allied submarine base during the Second World War. Among the American and British submariners who served there, Western Australia is remembered as the best leave centre in the Pacific. This study argues that Fremantle’s reputation relied in part on the lack of comparable amenities at other bases. At the same time, Western Australia’s civilian population was especially welcoming and enabled visiting submariners to experience the community as a surrogate home during the war.
A novel stereo-model retrieval method in manufacturing
Authors: Chen Xianyi , Jin Zhigang , Lin Guolan , Yang Xiong
Published: March 2015

With the development of computer vision technologies, manufacturing is now using stereo models for production, and the amount of stereo models generated recently has increased significantly. Thus, a fast and reliable model retrieval algorithm has become important. In this article, we propose a novel view-based stereo-model retrieval algorithm using a modified principal component analysis algorithm. Unlike a traditional principal component analysis that uses the origin of a two-dimensional image, we apply principal component analysis to extract eigenvectors for each stereo model. First, we extract a set of two-dimensional images from different directions of the stereo object. Because each two-dimensional image can be seen as one sample of the stereo object, we utilize principal component analysis to extract the eigenvectors as a dictionary for each stereo object. Then, those eigenvectors are used to rebuild the query. Finally, the reconstruction residual is applied to represent the similarity between the query and the candidate stereo object. Experimentally, the proposed retrieval algorithm has been evaluated using the ETH-80 and ALOI datasets. Experimental results and comparisons with other methods show the effectiveness of the proposed approach that can be used in engineering manufacturing and computer-aided design applications.
Constitutive model for shape memory polymer based on the viscoelasticity and phase transition theories
Authors: Guo Xiaogang , Liu Liwu , Zhou Bo , Liu Yanju , Leng Jinsong
Published: March 2015

As a kind of smart materials, shape memory polymer has covered broad applications for its shape memory effect. Precise description of the mechanical behaviors of shape memory polymer has been an urgent problem. Since the phase transition was a continuous time-dependent process, shape memory polymer was composed of several individual transition phases. Owing to the forming and dissolving of individual phases with the change in temperature, shape memory effect emerged. In this research, shape memory polymer was divided into different kinds of phases including frozen and active phases for its thermodynamics properties. Based on the viscoelasticity theory and phase transition theories, a new constitutive model for shape memory polymer which can explain the above assumptions was studied. In addition, a normal distribution model, which possesses less but physical meaning parameters, was proposed to describe the variation in the volume fraction in shape memory polymer during heating or cooling process.
Thermoelastic analysis of a rotating functionally graded cylindrical shell with functionally graded sensor and actuator layers on an elastic foundation placed in a constant magnetic field
Authors: Saadatfar Mahdi , Aghaie-Khafri Mehrdad
Published: March 2015

The behavior of a rotating exponentially graded hybrid cylindrical shell subjected to an axisymmetric thermoelectromechanical loading and placed in a constant magnetic field is investigated. The hybrid shell consists of a functionally graded material host layer embedded with functionally graded piezoelectric material layers as sensors and/or actuators that are perfectly bonded to inner and outer surfaces of a shell. The shell is simply supported and could be rested on an elastic foundation. The material properties of functionally graded material and functionally graded piezoelectric material are assumed to be exponentially graded in the radial direction. To solve governing differential equations, the Fourier series expansion method through the longitudinal direction and the differential quadrature method across the thickness direction are used. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effects of material inhomogeneity, magnetic field, elastic foundation, thermal loading, and angular velocity on the response of the hybrid shell.
A comparative performance analysis of electrically optimized nonlinear energy harvesters
Authors: Panyam Meghashyam , Daqaq Mohammed F
Published: March 2015

Depending on the shape of their potential energy function, nonlinear vibratory energy harvesters (VEHs) can be classified either as mono- or bi-stable. The complex dynamic responses of such harvesters make it difficult to accurately analyze their performance relative to one another. In this paper, we aim to tackle this issue by comparing the performance of these two classes in response to harmonic fixed-frequency excitations under optimal electric loading conditions. To achieve this goal, the mathematical model of a generic nonlinear VEH capable of operating in both of the mono- and bi-stable configurations is considered. Using perturbation methods, analytical expressions for the steady-state output power are obtained. The output power is then optimized with respect to the time constant ratio which represents a direct measure of the electric load. We study the variation of the optimal output power with the excitation frequency in both configurations for different potential shapes and excitation levels. It is shown that, tuning the optimal time constant ratio close to the excitation frequency results in maximum power transduction in both configurations. Results also illustrate that bi-stable VEHs produce higher power levels than mono-stable ones under optimal electric loading conditions regardless of the shape of the potential function.
Using the Everest Team Simulation to Teach Threshold Concepts
Authors: Nichols Elizabeth , Wright April L.
Published: March 2015

This resource review focuses on “Leadership and Team Simulation: Everest V2” released by Harvard Business Publishing. The review describes the simulation’s story line of a commercial team expedition climbing to the summit of Mount Everest along with the simulation’s architecture and key features. Building on Wright and Gilmore’s (2012) finding that introductory management courses are underpinned by the threshold concept that management is a practice informed by theory, the review explains how the Everest Team Simulation can be implemented in these courses to help novice students understand the threshold concept. The review concludes by outlining the strengths and limitations of the Everest Team Simulation for teaching threshold concepts compared to more specialized business simulations.
The Love surface-acoustic wave seen as a guided non-Newtonian quasi-particle
Authors: Maugin Gérard A , Rousseau Martine
Published: March 2015

Following along the line of recent works, the paper introduces the notion of quasi-particles that are associated with surface-acoustic waves of the Love type via the canonical conservation laws of Noether’s theory of invariants. The strange point mechanics (velocity-dependent “mass” and energy) is obtained by integrating the conservation laws of “wave momentum” and energy over an element of volume representative of the wave motion. This original but involved point mechanics obtained for the quasi-particle is neither Newtonian nor Lorentzian because of the existence of surface waves restricted to a bounded interval of velocities that is characteristic of Love waves. The reduction of this description to the cases of an isolated elastic layer of finite thickness with pure shear horizontal motion and of the so-called Murdoch case corresponding to a thin-film approximation (half-space with an upper material boundary equipped with mass and surface elasticity) studied independently is exactly proved.
Bridging Silos
Authors: Berg Shannon , Barer Morris , Sheps Sam , MacNab Ying C. , McGregor Margaret , Wong Sabrina T.
Published: March 2015

Canadian family physicians (FPs) and home health staff (HHS) experience significant barriers to collaboration regarding patients whose needs are complex. This study used mixed methods to examine whether pre-scheduled, structured audio-conferencing could improve patient-related collaboration between physicians and HHS. The number of shared patients and contacts was collected across three phases: baseline, pre-intervention, and intervention. Interviews with FPs and focus groups with HHS were conducted post-intervention. Mixed effects Poisson regressions for count data, and content analysis for interview and focus group data, were used. No statistically significant “intervention” effect was observed in either the number of shared patients or the average patient contacts. Physicians participating in at least one audio-conference had a lower patient contact rate than the rest of the intervention group and controls. Qualitative data suggested that audio-conferences led to fewer contacts due to more efficient communication.
The Brief Classroom Interaction Observation–Revised
Authors: Reinke Wendy M. , Stormont Melissa , Herman Keith C. , Wachsmuth Sean , Newcomer Lori
Published: March 2015

Schools are increasingly using multi-tiered prevention models to address the academic and behavior needs of students. The foundation of these models is the implementation of universal, or Tier 1, practices designed to support the academic and behavioral needs of the vast majority of students. To support teachers in the use of effective Tier 1 classroom practices, researchers and practitioners need reliable and valid measures of these practices that are sensitive to change over time. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Brief Classroom Interaction Observation–Revised (BCIO-R), which is a direct observation measure of classroom Tier 1 instructional and classroom management practices for use in elementary school classrooms. Findings indicate that the BCIO-R can be reliably implemented in the classroom context. In addition, the measure is associated with important teacher-reported constructs such as efficacy in classroom management and burnout. Furthermore, the measure is sensitive to change as indicated by demonstration of improvement in classroom management variables among teachers who received a universal classroom management intervention versus teachers who did not receive training. Having reliable and valid measures to evaluate and monitor teacher use of universal classroom practices can be useful when consulting to support teachers and improve student outcomes.
Optimization of mesh density for numerical simulations of hydrodynamic lubrication considering textured surfaces
Authors: Adjemout M , Brunetiere N , Bouyer J
Published: March 2015

In this work, a parametric study of a lubricated textured contact is carried out using a numerical model. The model solves the Reynolds equation coupled with a mass-conserving cavitation algorithm, and addresses the hydrodynamic lubrication of a mechanical seal with textured surfaces. Three shapes of texture (square, spherical cap, and triangle) are used, and the effect of the aspect ratio is also discussed for the case involving a triangular dimple. In order to estimate quantitatively the discretization error, the grid convergence index method is applied, considering several operating parameters (leakage, cavitation, load-carrying capacity) and using three grid levels: coarse (100 × 100), medium (200 × 200), and fine (400 × 400). As could be expected, grid convergence index analysis showed that there was a reduction in the discretization error when the grid system was refined. However, the study also showed that medium grid (200 × 200) solution has a grid convergence index of <6%. Comparison between fine and medium mesh densities, with regard to accuracy and computational time requirements, indicated that a medium mesh density was appropriate in the case of the present program, since the computational time is reduced by a factor of 9 when compared with the highest mesh density. Moreover, the size of the optimal mesh also depends on the operating conditions. The higher the lubrication number, the higher the number of nodes.
Glial and neuronal markers in cerebrospinal fluid predict progression in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Martínez M Alba Mañé , Olsson Bob , Bau Laura , Matas Elisabet , Calvo Álvaro Cobo , Andreasson Ulf , Blennow Kaj , Romero-Pinel Lucia , Martínez-Yélamos Sergio , Zetterberg Henrik
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To investigate glial and neuronal biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS), and to evaluate their ability to predict conversion from CIS to clinically definite MS (CDMS) and also disability progression in MS.

Methods:

CSF levels of neurofilament light protein (NFL), t-tau, p-tau, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100B, human chitinase 3-like 1 protein (YKL-40), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), α-sAPP and β-sAPP; and Aβ38, Aβ40 and Aβ42, were analyzed in 109 CIS patients and 192 RRMS patients. The mean follow-up time of these 301 patients was 11.7 ± 6.4 years.

Results:

High levels of NFL were associated with early conversion from CIS to CDMS (hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.69 (1.75 – 4.15); p < 0.0001). High levels of YKL-40 and GFAP were associated with earlier progression in the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), score 3: YKL-40 (HR (95% CI): 2.78 (1.48 – 5.23); p = 0.001) and GFAP (HR (95% CI): 1.83 (1.01 – 3.35); p = 0.04). High levels of YKL-40 were associated with earlier progression to EDSS 6 (HR (95% CI): 4.57 (1.01 – 20.83); p = 0.05).

Conclusions:

CSF levels of NFL in CIS patients are an independent prognostic marker for conversion to CDMS. Whereas, CSF levels of YKL-40 and GFAP are independent prognostic markers for disability progression in MS.
Behavioral and Movement Disorders due to Long-Lasting Myoclonic Status Epilepticus Misdiagnosed as ADHD in a Patient With Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy
Authors: Fanella Martina , Carnì Marco , Morano Alessandra , Albini Mariarita , Lapenta Leonardo , Casciato Sara , Fattouch Jinane , Di Castro Elisabetta , Colonnese Claudio , Vaudano Anna Elisabetta , Giallonardo Anna Teresa , Di Bonaventura Carlo
Published: March 2015

Epilepsy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) likely share common underlying neural mechanisms, as often suggested by both the evidence of electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities in ADHD patients without epilepsy and the coexistence of these 2 conditions. The differential diagnosis between epilepsy and ADHD may consequently be challenging. In this report, we describe a patient presenting with a clinical association of “tics” and behavioral disorders that appeared 6 months before our first observation and had previously been interpreted as ADHD. A video-EEG evaluation documented an electroclinical pattern of myoclonic status epilepticus. On the basis of the revised clinical data, the EEG findings, the good response to valproate, the long-lasting myoclonic status epilepticus, and the enduring epileptic abnormalities likely causing behavioral disturbances, the patient’s symptoms were interpreted as being the expression of untreated juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. The EEG–functional magnetic resonance imaging study revealed, during clinical generalized spike-and-wave and polyspike-and-wave discharges, positive blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) signal changes bilaterally in the thalamus, the prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 6, supplementary motor area) and the cerebellum, and negative BOLD signal changes in the regions of the default mode network. Such findings, which are typical of BOLD changes observed in idiopathic generalized epilepsy, may also shed light on the anatomofunctional network underlying ADHD.
Ethical and regulatory issues of pragmatic cluster randomized trials in contemporary health systems
Authors: Anderson Monique L , Califf Robert M , Sugarman Jeremy ,   for the participants in the NIH Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory Cluster Randomized Trial Workshop
Published: March 2015

Cluster randomized trials randomly assign groups of individuals to examine research questions or test interventions and measure their effects on individuals. Recent emphasis on quality improvement, comparative effectiveness, and learning health systems has prompted expanded use of pragmatic cluster randomized trials in routine health-care settings, which in turn poses practical and ethical challenges that current oversight frameworks may not adequately address. The 2012 Ottawa Statement provides a basis for considering many issues related to pragmatic cluster randomized trials but challenges remain, including some arising from the current US research and health-care regulations. In order to examine the ethical, regulatory, and practical questions facing pragmatic cluster randomized trials in health-care settings, the National Institutes of Health Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory convened a workshop in Bethesda, Maryland, in July 2013. Attendees included experts in clinical trials, patient advocacy, research ethics, and research regulations from academia, industry, the National Institutes of Health Collaboratory, and other federal agencies. Workshop participants identified substantial barriers to implementing these types of cluster randomized trials, including issues related to research design, gatekeepers and governance in health systems, consent, institutional review boards, data monitoring, privacy, and special populations. We describe these barriers and suggest means for understanding and overcoming them to facilitate pragmatic cluster randomized trials in health-care settings.
A multi-site randomized clinical trial to reduce suicidal ideation in suicidal adult outpatients with Major Depressive Disorder: Development of a methodology to enhance safety
Authors: McCall William Vaughn , Benca Ruth M , Rosenquist Peter B , Riley Mary Anne , Hodges Chelsea , Gubosh Brittany , McCloud Laryssa , Newman Jill C , Case Doug , Rumble Meredith , Mayo Mark , White Kaitlin Hanley , Phillips Marjorie , Krystal Andrew D
Published: March 2015

Background/aims:

Suicide is a major public health concern, yet there are very few randomized clinical trials that have been conducted to reduce suicidal ideation in patients at risk of suicide. We describe the rationale and refinements of such a trial that is designed to assess the effect of a hypnotic medication on suicidal ideation in adult outpatients currently experiencing suicidal ideation.

Methods:

“Reducing Suicidal Ideation Through Insomnia Treatment” is a multi-site randomized clinical trial that includes three recruiting sites and one data management site. This 4-year study is in its second year of recruitment. The purpose of the study is to compare hypnotic medication versus placebo as an add-on treatment to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor as a means of reducing suicidal ideation in depressed adult outpatients with insomnia and suicidal ideation. The safety features of the study follow the 2001 National Institutes of Health guidelines for studies that include patients at risk of suicide.

Results:

In total, 584 potential participants have undergone telephone screening; 67% of these failed the phone screen, most often due to an absence of expressed suicidal ideation (26% of the telephone screen fails). A total of 115 people appeared for a face-to-face baseline assessment, and 40 of these had completed a taper off of their ineffective psychotropic medications before the baseline assessments. In all, 64% of those who completed baseline assessments failed to proceed to randomization, most commonly because of no clinically significant suicidal ideation (51% of those excluded at baseline). One participant was offered and accepted voluntary psychiatric hospitalization in lieu of study participation. Thus far, 40 participants have been randomized into the study and 88.7% of scheduled visits have been attended, with 93.8% adherence to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and 91.6% adherence to the randomized hypnotic versus placebo. None of the randomized participants have required hospitalization or had a suicide attempt.

Conclusion:

By carefully considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria and other safety features, the safe conduct of randomized clinical trials in suicidal adult patients is possible, including the inclusion of participants who have undergone a prescribed tapering off of psychotropic medications prior to baseline assessment.
Clinical experience with temsirolimus in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Zanardi Elisa , Verzoni Elena , Grassi Paolo , Necchi Andrea , Giannatempo Patrizia , Raggi Daniele , De Braud Filippo , Procopio Giuseppe
Published: March 2015

Temsirolimus is an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase, a protein that has been shown to be particularly active in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) with poor prognosis. Therefore, temsirolimus should be considered as the first-line treatment indicated in mRCC patients classified as poor risk. The benefits of temsirolimus are not limited to an increased survival but are also related to a better quality of life, which is certainly one of the most important aspects in the clinical management of these frail patients. Temsirolimus is a well-tolerated treatment, and the most frequent adverse events are manageable with supportive care. To this end, the identification of predictive factors of response to temsirolimus could help us to better select patients and obtain a more tailored clinical management of mRCC.
Trust in Government and Media Slant
Authors: Ceron Andrea , Memoli Vincenzo
Published: March 2015

Several scholars investigate the link between news media and political attitudes of citizens, showing that media exposure affects confidence in political institutions. Beginning from this perspective, we analyze trust in government in twenty-seven European countries, testing the interactive relationship between citizens’ policy views and media slant. Under the assumption that news media bias content in the direction of their audiences or are compliant with potential influence exerted by the government, we use Eurobarometer survey data to measure the effects of the ideological slant of newspapers and public television on trust in government. Our results show that the pro- or antigovernment slant of media outlets interacts with the individual ideological views of each citizen and confirm that media act like “echo-chambers” that reinforce preexisting attitudes. Conversely, the consumption of counter-attitudinal information barely alters trust in government nor does it produce hostile media effects. We also find a slight difference between newspaper readers and public service broadcaster (PSB) users, which seems related to mechanisms of cognitive dissonance.
Picking One’s Battles
Authors: Kammrath Lara K. , McCarthy Megan H. , Cortes Kassandra , Friesen Charity
Published: March 2015

Assertive behavior is positively associated with trait extraversion and negatively associated with trait agreeableness. Are introverted and agreeable people simply unable to be highly assertive? Global assertiveness is, we argue, influenced by more than one interpersonal ability; it is affected by the ability to show high assertion but also by the ability to show low assertion. If assertiveness and unassertiveness abilities are distinct skills, the unassertiveness of an introverted person might occur for different reasons than the unassertiveness of an agreeable person and might in consequence manifest in different situations. To explore these possibilities, we looked at informant reports of participants’ assertiveness and unassertiveness abilities (Study 1) and participants’ if-then profiles of assertiveness behavior (Studies 2 and 3). The results suggested that introverted people are less assertive than extraverted people because they have lower assertiveness ability, whereas agreeable people are less assertive than disagreeable people because they have higher unassertiveness ability.
Memory complaints in older adults: Prognostic value and stability in reporting over time
Authors: Howieson Diane B , Mattek Nora , Dodge Hiroko H , Erten-Lyons Deniz , Zitzelberger Tracy , Kaye Jeffrey A
Published: March 2015

Objective:

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the prognostic value of subjective memory complaints in 156 cognitively intact community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 83 years.

Methods:

Participants were assessed for subjective memory complaints, cognitive performance, functional status, and mood at annual evaluations with a mean follow-up of 4.5 years.

Results:

Subjective memory complaint at entry (n = 24) was not associated with impaired memory performance and did not predict memory decline or progression to incipient dementia. Memory complaints were inconsistent across examinations for 62% of participants who reported memory problems.

Conclusion:

Memory complaints by older adults are inconsistent over time. Memory complaints’ value as a research criterion for selecting people at risk of dementia is weak among community-dwelling older adults. Age, length of follow-up, and other population characteristics may affect the implication of self-reported memory problems.
Automated analysis of the US presidential elections using Big Data and network analysis
Authors: Sudhahar Saatviga , Veltri Giuseppe A , Cristianini Nello
Published: March 2015

The automated parsing of 130,213 news articles about the 2012 US presidential elections produces a network formed by the key political actors and issues, which were linked by relations of support and opposition. The nodes are formed by noun phrases and links by verbs, directly expressing the action of one node upon the other. This network is studied by applying insights from several theories and techniques, and by combining existing tools in an innovative way, including: graph partitioning, centrality, assortativity, hierarchy and structural balance. The analysis yields various patterns. First, we observe that the fundamental split between the Republican and Democrat camps can be easily detected by network partitioning, which provides a strong validation check of the approach adopted, as well as a sound way to assign actors and topics to one of the two camps. Second, we identify the most central nodes of the political camps. We also learnt that Clinton played a more central role than Biden in the Democrat camp; the overall campaign was much focused on economy and rights; the Republican Party (Grand Old Party or GOP) is the most divisive subject in the campaign, and is portrayed more negatively than the Democrats; and, overall, the media reported positive statements more frequently for the Democrats than the Republicans. This is the first study in which political positions are automatically extracted and derived from a very large corpus of online news, generating a network that goes well beyond traditional word-association networks by means of richer linguistic analysis of texts.