bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
QCD Evolution of Nuclear Quark-Gluon Correlation Function
Authors: Xing Hongxi , Kang Zhong-Bo , Wang Enke , Wang Xin-Nian
Published: February 2015

We summarize the results on the next-to-leading order (NLO) calculations of transverse momentum broadening in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic e + A scattering (SIDIS) and Drell-Yan dilepton production (DY) in p + A collisions. The corresponding transverse momentum weighted differential cross sections are shown to factorize at NLO. Our calculations identify the QCD evolution equation for the quark-gluon correlation function, and also confirm the universality of the associated quark-gluon correlation function in SIDIS and DY. The evolution equation can be further applied to determine the QCD factorization scale and the energy dependence of the jet transport parameter [Formula: see text].
Phenomenological Extraction of Transversity from COMPASS SIDIS and Belle e+e- Data
Authors: Bradamante Franco
Published: February 2015

The valence transversity distributions of the u- and the d-quarks have been extracted point-by-point from single-hadron production and dihadron production data measured in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering and in e+e annihilation. The extraction is based on some simple assumptions and does not require any parametrization. The transversity distributions are found to be compatible with each other and with previous analyses.
BAYESIAN ESTIMATION OF ASYMMETRIC JUMP-DIFFUSION PROCESSES
Authors: FRAME SAMUEL J. , RAMEZANI CYRUS A.
Published: February 2015

The hypothesis that asset returns are normally distributed has been widely rejected. The literature has shown that empirical asset returns are highly skewed and leptokurtic. The affine jump-diffusion (AJD) model improves upon the normal specification by adding a jump component to the price process. Two important extensions proposed by Ramezani and Zeng (1998) and Kou (2002) further improve the AJD specification by having two jump components in the price process, resulting in the asymmetric affine jump-diffusion (AAJD) specification. The AAJD specification allows the probability distribution of the returns to be asymmetrical. That is, the tails of the distribution are allowed to have different shapes and densities. The empirical literature on the "leverage effect" shows that the impact of innovations in prices on volatility is asymmetric: declines in stock prices are accompanied by larger increases in volatility than the reverse. The asymmetry in AAJD specification indirectly accounts for the leverage effect and is therefore more consistent with the empirical distributions of asset returns. As a result, the AAJD specification has been widely adopted in the portfolio choice, option pricing, and other branches of the literature. However, because of their complexity, empirical estimation of the AAJD models has received little attention to date. The primary objective of this paper is to contribute to the econometric methods for estimating the parameters of the AAJD models. Specifically, we develop a Bayesian estimation technique. We provide a comparison of the estimated parameters under the Bayesian and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) methodologies using the S&P 500, the NASDAQ, and selected individual stocks. Focusing on the most recent spectacular market bust (2007–2009) and boom (2009–2010) periods, we examine how the parameter estimates differ under distinctly different economic conditions.
Car talk
Authors: Geller Tom
Published: February 2015

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication is coming. Are we ready for it?
Reaching a broader population of students through "unplugged" activities
Authors: Cortina Thomas J.
Published: February 2015

Introducing children to fundamental computing concepts through Computer Science Unplugged.
A technician shortage
Authors: Denning Peter J. , Gordon Edward E.
Published: February 2015

In our elation about rising CS enrollments, we are overlooking a growing shortage of computing technicians. Our education system is not responding to this need.
Local Laplacian filters
Authors: Paris Sylvain , Hasinoff Samuel W. , Kautz Jan
Published: February 2015

The Laplacian pyramid is ubiquitous for decomposing images into multiple scales and is widely used for image analysis. However, because it is constructed with spatially invariant Gaussian kernels, the Laplacian pyramid is widely believed to be ill-suited for representing edges, as well as for edge-aware operations such as edge-preserving smoothing and tone mapping. To tackle these tasks, a wealth of alternative techniques and representations have been proposed, for example, anisotropic diffusion, neighborhood filtering, and specialized wavelet bases. While these methods have demonstrated successful results, they come at the price of additional complexity, often accompanied by higher computational cost or the need to postprocess the generated results. In this paper, we show state-of-the-art edge-aware processing using standard Laplacian pyramids. We characterize edges with a simple threshold on pixel values that allow us to differentiate large-scale edges from small-scale details. Building upon this result, we propose a set of image filters to achieve edge-preserving smoothing, detail enhancement, tone mapping, and inverse tone mapping. The advantage of our approach is its simplicity and flexibility, relying only on simple point-wise nonlinearities and small Gaussian convolutions; no optimization or postprocessing is required. As we demonstrate, our method produces consistently high-quality results, without degrading edges or introducing halos.
Nuclear Organization
Authors: Gruenbaum Yosef
Published: February 2015

This article discusses three reviews on the theme of nuclear organization.
The Roots of Gender Inequality in Developing Countries
Authors: Jayachandran Seema
Published: February 2015

Is the high degree of gender inequality in developing countries—in education, personal autonomy, and more—explained by underdevelopment itself? Or do the societies that are poor today hold certain cultural views that lead to gender inequality? This article discusses several mechanisms through which gender gaps narrow as countries grow. I argue that although much of the GDP/gender-inequality relationship can be explained by the process of development, society-specific factors are also at play: Many countries that are poor today have cultural norms that exacerbate favoritism toward males. Norms such as patrilocality and concern for women’s “purity” help explain the male-skewed sex ratio in India and China and low female employment in India, the Middle East, and North Africa, for example. I also discuss why the sex ratio has become more male-skewed with development. Finally, I lay out some policy approaches to address gender inequality.
Female Candidates and Legislators
Authors: Lawless Jennifer L.
Published: February 2015

For decades, scholars have uncovered evidence that male and female legislators' priorities and preferences differ and that women's inclusion brings to elite-level politics a more cooperative leadership style. They also point to the symbolic benefits associated with more diversity among candidates and office holders. Although these effects are not uniform, there is no question among political scientists that women's presence in US political institutions bears directly on issues of substantive and symbolic representation. Accordingly, it is important to understand why we have so few women in politics, whether they are willing to run for office, what happens when they do, and the extent to which their presence systematically affects the legislative process. I cover each of these topics in this review, emphasizing the latest and most interesting research that speaks to these questions.
Migration, Labor, and the International Political Economy
Authors: Mosley Layna , Singer David A.
Published: February 2015

In the field of international political economy, workers are commonly analyzed as objects of global economic forces whose fate is determined by the profit-seeking behaviors of firms and governments. Workers, however, can also assert themselves to protect their rights, and they can emigrate to other countries to find employment. We analyze the literature on the nexus between the international economy and labor with a focus on workers on both the receiving and originating ends of global finance. Beginning with workers as inputs in multinational production, we explore the roles of economic openness, factor endowments, government policy, and unionization as drivers of workers' rights. We then shift to workers as migrant labor and explore the impact of migrants' own cross-border financial transfers—also known as remittances—on political outcomes in their home countries. Our overview not only highlights tremendous progress in explaining the agency and vulnerability of labor in the global economy but also reveals significant weaknesses in recent research, especially a mismatch between micro-level theorizing and macro-level data analysis.
Technology Licensing Strategy for Network Product in a Service Industry
Authors: Hong Xianpei , Zhao Dan , Hu Haiqing , Song Shuang
Published: February 2015

Technology licensing has gained significant attention in literature and practice as a rapid and effective way to improve firm’s capability of technology innovation. In this paper, we investigate a duopolistic service provider competition market, where service providers develop and sell a kind of network product. In this setting, we analyze the innovating service provider’s four licensing strategies: no licensing, fixed fee licensing, royalty licensing, and two-part tariff licensing. The literature suggests that when the network products can be completely substituted, two-part tariff licensing is the optimal strategy of the innovating service provider. We find that when the network products cannot be completely substituted, two-part tariff licensing is not always optimal. The degree of the product differentiation, the intensity of the network effects, and the R&D cost of the potential licensee play a key role in determining the innovating service provider’s optimal licensing strategies.
Towards Reproducibility in Scientific Workflows: An Infrastructure-Based Approach
Authors: Santana-Perez Idafen , Pérez-Hernández María S.
Published: February 2015

It is commonly agreed that in silico scientific experiments should be executable and repeatable processes. Most of the current approaches for computational experiment conservation and reproducibility have focused so far on two of the main components of the experiment, namely, data and method. In this paper, we propose a new approach that addresses the third cornerstone of experimental reproducibility: the equipment. This work focuses on the equipment of a computational experiment, that is, the set of software and hardware components that are involved in the execution of a scientific workflow. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal, we describe a use case scenario on the Text Analytics domain and the application of our approach to it. From the original workflow, we document its execution environment, by means of a set of semantic models and a catalogue of resources, and generate an equivalent infrastructure for reexecuting it.
Significance of the Nanograin Size on the H2S-Sensing Ability of CuO-SnO2Composite Nanofibers
Authors: Katoch Akash , Kim Jae-Hun , Kim Sang Sub
Published: February 2015

CuO-SnO2composite nanofibers with various nanograin sizes were synthesized for investigating their sensing properties with respect to H2S gas. The nanograin size in the CuO-SnO2composite nanofibers was controlled by changing the thermal treatment duration under isothermal conditions. The nanograin size was found to be critical for the sensing ability of the composite nanofibers. The CuO-SnO2composite nanofibers comprised of small-sized nanograins were more sensitive to H2S than those with larger-sized nanograins. The superior sensing properties of the CuO-SnO2composite nanofibers with the smaller nanograins were attributed to the formation of the larger number ofp-CuO-n-SnO2junctions and their transformation tometallic-CuS-n-SnO2contacts upon exposure to H2S gas. The results suggest that smaller nanograins are conducive to obtaining superior H2S-sensing properties in CuO-SnO2composite nanofibers.
Probing the Surface of Human Carbonic Anhydrase for Clues towards the Design of Isoform Specific Inhibitors
Authors: Pinard Melissa A. , Mahon Brian , McKenna Robert
Published: February 2015

The alpha carbonic anhydrases (α-CAs) are a group of structurally related zinc metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration of CO2toHCO3-. Humans have 15 differentα-CAs with numerous physiological roles and expression patterns. Of these, 12 are catalytically active, and abnormal expression and activities are linked with various diseases, including glaucoma and cancer. Hence there is a need for CA isoform specific inhibitors to avoid off-target CA inhibition, but due to the high amino acid conservation of the active site and surrounding regions between each enzyme, this has proven difficult. However, residues towards the exit of the active site are variable and can be exploited to design isoform selective inhibitors. Here we discuss and characterize this region of “selective drug targetability” and how these observations can be utilized to develop isoform selective CA inhibitors.
Unusual Chair-Like G-Quadruplex Structures: Heterochiral TBA Analogues Containing Inversion of Polarity Sites
Authors: Virgilio Antonella , Mayol Luciano , Varra Michela , Galeone Aldo , Esposito Veronica
Published: February 2015

Heterochiral oligodeoxynucleotides based on the thrombin binding aptamer sequence, namely, 5′gg3′-3′TT5′-5′ggtgtgg3′-3′TT5′-5′gg3′ (H1), 5′gg3′-3′TT5′-5′gg3′-3′TGT5′-5′gg3′-3′TT5′-5′gg3′ (H2), and 5′gGTTGgtgtgGTTGg3′ (H3), where lower case letters indicate L-residues, have been investigated in their ability to fold in G-quadruplex structures through a combination of gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism, and UV spectroscopy techniques. InH1andH2inversions of polarity sites have been introduced to control the strand direction in the loop regions. Collected data suggest that all modified sequences are able to fold in chair-like G-quadruplexes mimicking the originalTBAstructure.
On the Boundary of Self-Affine Sets
Authors: Deng Qi-Rong , Wang Xiang-Yang
Published: February 2015

This paper is devoted to studying the boundary behavior of self-affine sets. We prove that the boundary of an integral self-affine set has Lebesgue measure zero. In addition, we consider the variety of the boundary of a self-affine set when some other contractive maps are added. We show that the complexity of the boundary of the new self-affine set may be the same, more complex, or simpler; any one of the three cases is possible.
Methimazole Associated Neutropenia in a Preterm Neonate Treated for Hyperthyroidism
Authors: Angelis Dimitrios , Kubicky Rita Ann , Zubrow Alan B.
Published: February 2015

Maternal Graves’ disease is relatively uncommon with an estimated incidence of 0.4%–1% of all pregnancies, but only 1–5% of newborns delivered to mothers with Graves’ disease develop overt clinical signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Here, we describe a case of a 1380-gram female neonate who was born at 30-week gestation to a mother with Graves’ disease. Our patient presented with hyperthyroidism followed by transient hypothyroidism requiring treatment with levothyroxine. While hyperthyroid, she was treated with methimazole, iodine, and a beta-blocker. 20 days after the initiation of methimazole, she developed neutropenia. The neutrophil counts started to improve immediately after the initiation of the weaning of methimazole. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported in the literature of methimazole induced neutropenia in a preterm infant being treated for neonatal Graves’ disease.
Simultaneous Channel and Feature Selection of Fused EEG Features Based on Sparse Group Lasso
Authors: Wang Jin-Jia , Xue Fang , Li Hui
Published: February 2015

Feature extraction and classification of EEG signals are core parts of brain computer interfaces (BCIs). Due to the high dimension of the EEG feature vector, an effective feature selection algorithm has become an integral part of research studies. In this paper, we present a new method based on a wrapped Sparse Group Lasso for channel and feature selection of fused EEG signals. The high-dimensional fused features are firstly obtained, which include the power spectrum, time-domain statistics, AR model, and the wavelet coefficient features extracted from the preprocessed EEG signals. The wrapped channel and feature selection method is then applied, which uses the logistical regression model with Sparse Group Lasso penalized function. The model is fitted on the training data, and parameter estimation is obtained by modified blockwise coordinate descent and coordinate gradient descent method. The best parameters and feature subset are selected by using a 10-fold cross-validation. Finally, the test data is classified using the trained model. Compared with existing channel and feature selection methods, results show that the proposed method is more suitable, more stable, and faster for high-dimensional feature fusion. It can simultaneously achieve channel and feature selection with a lower error rate. The test accuracy on the data used from international BCI Competition IV reached 84.72%.
Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with the Availability of Alcohol Outlets in Quebec, Canada
Authors: Ngamini Ngui André , Apparicio Philippe , Philibert Mathieu , Fleury Marie-Josée
Published: February 2015

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to examine the spatial accessibility to alcohol outlets in Quebec and to assess the association between neighborhood level characteristics and availability of alcohol outlets.Methods. The Tobit Model was used to assess the association between neighborhood level characteristics and the availability of alcohol outlets within 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 metres, respectively.Results. Alcohol outlets were found to be most available in the two largest metropolitan areas of the province of Quebec (Montréal and Québec City). Within 1000 metres, alcohol outlets are more available in neighbourhoods with the following characteristics: highest concentration of men, least materially deprived highest concentration of persons aged 20 years or more, and location either in a metropolitan area or in a small town. Finally, the number of bars with video lottery terminals increases with the level of social and material deprivation.Conclusion. In Québec, there is no rule governing the location of alcohol outlets. Thus, there is an abundant literature indicating that the regulation of alcohol outlet density could be an effective means of controlling risk attributable to alcohol consumption.
The Role of Self-Action in 2-Year-Old Children: An Illustration of the Arithmetical Inversion Principle before Formal Schooling
Authors: Lubin Amélie , Rossi Sandrine , Poirel Nicolas , Lanoë Céline , Pineau Arlette , Houdé Olivier
Published: February 2015

The importance of self-action and its considerable links with cognitive activity in childhood are known. For instance, in arithmetical cognition, 2-year-olds detected an impossible arithmetical outcome more accurately when they performed the operation themselves (actor mode) than when the experimenter presented it (onlooker mode). A key component in this domain concerns the understanding of the inversion principle between addition and subtraction. Complex operations can be solved without calculation by using an inversion-based shortcut (3-term problems of the form a+b-b must equal a). Some studies have shown that, around the age of 4, children implicitly use the inversion principle. However, little is known before the age of 4. Here, we examined the role of self-action in the development of this principle by preschool children. In the first experiment, 2-year-olds were confronted with inversion (1+1-1=1 or 2) and standard (3-1-1=1 or 2) arithmetical problems either in actor or onlooker mode. The results revealed that actor mode improved accuracy for the inversion problem, suggesting that self-action helps children use the inversion-based shortcut. These results were strengthened with another inversion problem (1-1+1=1 or 2) in a second experiment. Our data provide new support for the importance of considering self-action in early mathematics education.
A Rare Cause of Cavitary Lesion in the Lung: Richter’s Transformation
Authors: Yıldırım Fatma , Kara İskender , Yıldız Sedat , Akyürek Nalan , Acar Kadir , Türkoglu Melda , Aygencel Gülbin
Published: February 2015

Richter’s transformation (RT) refers to the development of aggressive lymphoma during the course of CLL. Clinically, patients with RT present with an aggressive disease course with rapidly enlarging lymph nodes, hepatosplenomegaly, and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase levels. But rarely it presents with extra nodal organ involvement at the beginning. Common sites of extra nodal involvement are the gastrointestinal tract, eye, central nervous system, lung, and kidney. We are reporting this case that was presented with RT in the lung involvement diagnosed while researching cavitary lesion etiology.
Urinary Retention Due to Severe Pseudocystic Mucoid Degeneration of the Prostatic Matrix: A Rare Urologic Manifestation of Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Kellermann Gesa , Anastasiadis Aristotelis G. , Dräger Desirée L. , Prall Friedrich , Hakenberg Oliver W.
Published: February 2015

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, which is characterized by the production of thick mucus in exocrine glands. The main cause for morbidity and mortality in CF patients is respiratory failure. The gastrointestinal system is also commonly affected. Urologic manifestations of CF include infertility and azoospermia, nephrolithiasis, and stress urinary incontinence. In this report, we describe a 33-year-old male, who presented with recurrent urinary retention due to prostatic enlargement despite his young age. After transurethral resection, the voiding problems resolved. Histopathological examination, however, revealed a severe pseudocystic mucoid degeneration of the prostatic matrix as a cause of his subvesical obstruction. Although these structural changes are most probably due to his underlying disease, detailed histologic features have not been described in the literature.
Conservation of the Ethanol-Induced Locomotor Stimulant Response among Arthropods
Authors: Kliethermes Christopher L.
Published: February 2015

Ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation has been variously described as reflective of the disinhibitory, euphoric, or reinforcing effects of ethanol and is commonly used as an index of acute ethanol sensitivity in rodents. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster also shows a locomotor stimulant response to ethanol that is believed to occur via conserved, ethanol-sensitive neurobiological mechanisms, but it is currently unknown whether this response is conserved among arthropod species or is idiosyncratic to D. melanogaster. The current experiments surveyed locomotor responses to ethanol in a phylogenetically diverse panel of insects and other arthropod species. A clear ethanol-induced locomotor stimulant response was seen in 9 of 13 Drosophilidae species tested, in 8 of 10 other species of insects, and in an arachnid (wolf spider) and a myriapod (millipede) species. Given the diverse phylogenies of the species that showed the response, these experiments support the hypothesis that locomotor stimulation is a conserved behavioral response to ethanol among arthropod species. Further comparative studies are needed to determine whether the specific neurobiological mechanisms known to underlie the stimulant response in D. melanogaster are conserved among arthropod and vertebrate species.
High Expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Is Associated with Improved Prognosis
Authors: Holzman Sarah A. , de la Calle Claire M. , Kissick Haydn T. , Osunkoya Adeboye O. , Pollack Brian P. , Patil Dattatraya , Ogan Kenneth , Master Viraj A.
Published: February 2015

Introduction: In this study we analyzed major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) expression as a potential prognostic immune marker for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Patients and Methods: 34 patients with localized ccRCC (pT1-pT3) who had undergone nephrectomy and had at least 4 years of clinical follow-up data were included in the study. Immunohistochemical staining for MHCI was performed on tumor sections. An automated image analysis algorithm was applied to representative tumor areas to quantitate the proportion of stained pixels (positivity score = positive pixels/total pixels) on scanned digital slides. Results: At the end of the study, the patients who were alive had increased MHCI expression (mean positivity score 0.80) compared to those who died of the disease (mean positivity score 0.53; p < 0.0001, t test). Patients who were alive with recurrence had increased MHCI expression (positivity score 0.81) compared to those who succumbed to their disease recurrence (positivity score 0.53; p < 0.0001, t test). Survival was higher among patients with high MHCI expression compared to patients with low MHCI expression (p < 0.0001, Mantel-Cox). Conclusions: With an automated high-throughput image analysis technique, this study shows that higher tumor cell MHCI expression promotes increased survival and reduced incidence of recurrence compared to patients with lower tumor cell MHCI expression.
Withdrawal Symptoms after Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Discontinuation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Fava Giovanni A. , Gatti Alessia , Belaise Carlotta , Guidi Jenny , Offidani Emanuela
Published: February 2015

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are widely used in medical practice. They have been associated with a broad range of symptoms, whose clinical meaning has not been fully appreciated. Methods: The PRISMA guidelines were followed to conduct a systematic review of the literature. Titles, abstracts, and topics were searched using the following terms: ‘withdrawal symptoms' OR ‘withdrawal syndrome' OR ‘discontinuation syndrome' OR ‘discontinuation symptoms', AND ‘SSRI' OR ‘serotonin' OR ‘antidepressant' OR ‘paroxetine' OR ‘fluoxetine' OR ‘sertraline' OR ‘fluvoxamine' OR ‘citalopram' OR ‘escitalopram'. The electronic research literature databases included CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, PubMed and Web-of-Science from inception of each database to July 2014. Results: There were 15 randomized controlled studies, 4 open trials, 4 retrospective investigations, and 38 case reports. The prevalence of the syndrome was variable, and its estimation was hindered by a lack of case identification in many studies. Symptoms typically occur within a few days from drug discontinuation and last a few weeks, also with gradual tapering. However, many variations are possible, including late onset and/or longer persistence of disturbances. Symptoms may be easily misidentified as signs of impending relapse. Conclusions: Clinicians need to add SSRI to the list of drugs potentially inducing withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation, together with benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and other psychotropic drugs. The term ‘discontinuation syndrome' that is currently used minimizes the potential vulnerabilities induced by SSRI and should be replaced by ‘withdrawal syndrome'.
Neural Correlates of Auditory-Cognitive Processing in Older Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients
Authors: Henkin Yael , Yaar-Soffer Yifat , Steinberg Meidan , Muchnik Chava
Published: February 2015

With the growing number of older adults receiving cochlear implants (CI), there is general agreement that substantial benefits can be gained. Nonetheless, variability in speech perception performance is high, and the relative contribution and interactions among peripheral, central-auditory, and cognitive factors are not fully understood. The goal of the present study was to compare auditory-cognitive processing in older-adult CI recipients with that of older normal-hearing (NH) listeners by means of behavioral and electrophysiologic manifestations of a high-load cognitive task. Auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) were recorded from 9 older postlingually deafened adults with CI (age at CI >60) and 10 age-matched listeners with NH, while performing an auditory Stroop task. Participants were required to classify the speaker's gender (male/female) that produced the words ‘mother' or ‘father' while ignoring the irrelevant congruent or incongruent word meaning. Older CI and NH listeners exhibited comparable reaction time, performance accuracy, and initial sensory-perceptual processing (i.e. N1 potential). Nonetheless, older CI recipients showed substantially prolonged and less efficient perceptual processing (i.e. P3 potential). Congruency effects manifested in longer reaction time (i.e. Stroop effect), execution time, and P3 latency to incongruent versus congruent stimuli in both groups in a similar fashion; however, markedly prolonged P3 and shortened execution time were evident in older CI recipients. Collectively, older adults (CI and NH) employed a combined perceptual and postperceptual conflict processing strategy; nonetheless, the relative allotment of perceptual resources was substantially enhanced to maintain adequate performance in CI recipients. In sum, the recording of AERPs together with the simultaneously obtained behavioral measures during a Stroop task exposed a differential time course of auditory-cognitive processing in older CI recipients that was not manifested in the behavioral end products of processing. These data may have implications regarding clinical evaluation and rehabilitation procedures that should be tailored specifically for this unique group of patients.
Quality of Life Outcomes for Cochlear Implantation in the Elderly
Authors: Huarte Alicia , Lezaun Rosario , Manrique Manuel
Published: February 2015

Objectives: To determine whether individuals older than 60 years of age suffering from profound, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss and unable to use hearing aids can benefit from a cochlear implant in order to improve hearing performance. Additionally, to evaluate how they manage the external components of their implanted system. Materials and Methods: The records of 68 cochlear implant users over 60 years of age were reviewed. They had undergone tonal and speech audiometry evaluations of hearing before and after implantation. A subset of 27 elderly patients were asked to respond to a specially designed questionnaire regarding the use of the external components of the implanted system. Results: Patients over 60 years of age benefit from cochlear implants. The earlier the implantation, the better the results tend to be. Certain limitations when using the external components of the implanted system were evident among the elderly. Conclusions: People >60 years of age suffering from profound, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss show improved hearing performance following cochlear implantation. Using the implanted system includes some limitations that should be studied and overcome.
Benefits of Cochlear Implantation in Deafened Adults
Authors: Lachowska Magdalena , Pastuszka Agnieszka , Glinka Paulina , Niemczyk Kazimierz
Published: February 2015

Aim: The objective was to retrospectively analyze the benefits of cochlear implantation in deafened elderly (>65 years old). Method: Data from 30 elderly patients with a unilateral cochlear implant were included and analyzed. Audiometric threshold and speech data in aided and unaided conditions were examined at pre- and postimplant intervals at 3, 6, and 12 months after activation of the sound processor and compared. Results: All patients demonstrated hearing benefits after implant and over time with results ranging from very good, good, to limited performance in a few cases. The mean postimplantation follow-up time was 2.74 years (minimum 1 year). Our study cohort demonstrates that cochlear implantation is a successful treatment method for improving speech perception in the auditory alone or auditory-visual mode for the majority of elderly patients. No correlations were observed between postimplant outcomes and age, or preimplant hearing thresholds and speech audiometry. Conclusion: Age is not a determining or limiting factor for post-CI outcome performance in deafened elderly patients. Counselling should consider the patient as a whole and include explanation of the risk for a minority of elderly patients who may demonstrate poor outcomes after implant, despite presenting as good candidates before implantation.
Fertigkeitstrainings in der Verhaltenstherapie
Authors: Stenzel Nikola Maria , Fehlinger Tobias , Radkovsky Anna
Published: February 2015

Die Vermittlung von Fertigkeiten ist ein Kernelement der Verhaltenstherapie. Fertigkeitsdefizite gelten als bedeutsam für die Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung psychischer Störungen. Ziel von Fertigkeitstrainings ist es, die individuellen Bewältigungsmöglichkeiten zu verbessern und langfristig eine adaptivere Problembewältigung und Ressourcenaktivierung zu ermöglichen. Der folgende Artikel gibt einen Überblick über Fertigkeitstrainings in der Tradition der Verhaltenstherapie sowie deren Weiterentwicklungen und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten im Rahmen aktueller psychotherapeutischer Konzepte.
Aprendizagem baseada em equipes: da teoria à prática
Authors: Bollela Valdes Roberto , Senger Maria Helena , Tourinho Francis Solange Vieira , Amaral Eliana
Published: February 2015

Professores que desejam utilizar a aprendizagem baseada em equipes (ABE) do inglês team-based learning (TBL) precisam compreender os princípios fundamentais envolvidos na aplicação desta estratégia educacional e a seqüência de eventos necessária para sua implantação efetiva. O objetivo deste artigo é auxiliar o leitor na compreensão do potencial desta estratégia educacional, incluindo sua capacidade de promover a aprendizagem significativa. Existem quatro princípios fundamentais para o uso eficaz do TBL, que serão descritos, assim como o passo-a-passo para quem deseja organizar um curso inteiro ou algumas atividades (aulas), utilizando a aprendizagem baseada em equipes. Ao final, apresentamos os principais atrativos e os desafios para aqueles que desejam incorporar o TBL à sua prática de ensino/aprendizagem.
O Ensino da bioética na graduação do profissional de saúde
Authors: Paiva Letícia M. , Guilhem Dirce , Sousa Ana Luiza L.
Published: February 2015

Modelo do estudo: Revisão sistemática da literatura. Objetivo: Conhecer a produção científica que explora sobre o ensino da Bioética no processo ensino-aprendizagem dos profissionais de saúde. Metodologia: Estudo exploratório que identificou artigos sobre o ensino da Bioética na graduação do profissional de saúde, publicados no período de 2005 a julho de 2013, publicados nas línguas português, inglês e espanhol. Resultados: Foram selecionados 38 artigos, com o maior número de publicações em 2009, na área de medicina, com predomínio de artigo original/empírico (50%). A maioria dos artigos encontrados abrangeu o ensino da Bioética na graduação (n = 14; 36,84%). Conclusão: De acordo com os resultados obtidos na presente pesquisa, há uma unanimidade entre os autores quanto a importância da introdução da disciplina de Bioética nas matrizes curriculares dos cursos de graduação em saúde.
Relação entre gordura corporal, número de passos e capacidade cardiorrespiratória de mulheres na pós-menopausa
Authors: Rossi Fabrício E. , Buonani Camila , Rosa Clara S. C. , Diniz Tiego A. , Christofaro Diego G. D. , Freitas Junior Ismael F.
Published: February 2015

Modelo do estudo: Estudo Transversal. Objetivos: Verificar a relação entre gordura corporal, número de passos e capacidade cardiorrespiratória em mulheres na pós-menopausa. Métodos: 57 mulheres acima dos 50 anos foram divididas em quatro grupos de acordo com a mediana da faixa etária (< 60,8 ≥ 60,8 anos) e gordura corporal (<22,8 ≥ 33,2 Kg). Para estimativa da gordura corporal total, percentual de gordura e gordura de tronco, foi utilizado o DEXA. O teste de caminhada de seis minutos foi utilizado para analisar a capacidade cardiorrespiratória, e o número de passos por dia foi obtido por meio do acelerômetro tri-axial. Resultados: As mulheres jovens acumularam mais passos por dia (<60,8=7727,5 x ≥ 60,8=6173,2; p<0,014) e as mulheres mais jovens com menor gordura corporal foram as que acumularam mais passos/ dia (menor gordura = 8405 passos x alta gordura= 6118 passos; p<0,031), não diferindo nas mulheres com maior idade e maior gordura. Quanto à capacidade cardiorrespiratória, não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos. Todas as variáveis de gordura corporal apresentaram relação baixa e negativa com o número de passos no grupo mais jovem e com a capacidade cardiorrespiratória no grupo com idade mais avançada. Conclusão: A gordura corporal apresenta relação baixa e negativa com o número de passos e a capacidade cardiorrespiratória de mulheres na pós-menopausa, além disso, a idade parece influenciar nessa relação.
Hábitos alimentares e risco de doenças cardiovasculares em universitários
Authors: Oliveira Gustavo A. , Oliveira Samuel H.V. , Morais Charles A.S. , Lima Luciana M.
Published: February 2015

Modelo de estudo: Pesquisa descritiva, observacional, transversal. Objetivo: Descrever qualitativamente a frequência de ingestão de determinados alimentos, considerados de risco e de proteção para doenças cardiovasculares (DCV), além de determinar o Escore de Risco de Framingham (ERF) em indivíduos supostamente saudáveis, estudantes de graduação de uma universidade pública brasileira. Metodologia: Participaram 97 estudantes, 45 homens e 52 mulheres, na faixa etária de 18 a 25 anos. Após assinatura do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido (TCLE), aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa, os estudantes preencheram um questionário com os dados da pesquisa. Foram estudados alimentos classificados como de risco e de proteção, conforme sua composição química avaliada por tabelas de alimentos. O teste Qui-quadrado fui utilizado quando as frequências esperadas foram iguais ou superiores a 5. Para os demais parâmetros foi utilizado o teste exato de Fischer. Resultados: Entre os alimentos protetores destacou-se a ingestão diária de legumes (33%), verduras (22%) e frutas (17%) e entre os de risco estão a ingestão diária de café/chás com açúcar (39%), maionese/ margarina/manteiga (34%) e doces (14%). Houve variação de consumo conforme o sexo, para as frequências de 0,1, 2 e 4 vezes por semana para os alimentos: farinha de milho/mandioca, biscoito maisena/caseiro/água e sal, aveia, frango com pele. Houve variação significativa de consumo diário entre os sexos para os alimentos: frutas, doces, maionese/margarina/manteiga, biscoito maisena/caseiro/ água e sal. Conclusões: Este estudo demonstrou que os estudantes universitários apresentaram uma maior frequência diária de ingestão de alimentos considerados de proteção para DCV do que alimentos de risco. Em adição, o ERF calculado demonstrou baixo risco de desenvolvimento de DCV nos indivíduos avaliados.
Fatores associados a desfechos desfavoráveis após trauma craniano leve pediátrico em um centro de referência da região norte de Minas Gerais
Authors: Poswar Fabiano O. , Gonçalves Caroline R. , Rebouças Bruno H. , Souza Samuel B.F. de , Rodrigues Lázaro Inácio A. , Fonseca Neto Paulino C. , Diniz Ana Júlia B. , Rocha Júlia Thalita Q. , Barros Laura O. , Santos José Flávio C.
Published: February 2015

Modelo do Estudo: Coorte prospectivo. Objetivo do Estudo: Descrever características clínicas e demográficas de uma amostra de crianças encaminhadas por traumatismo craniano em um centro de referência na região norte de Minas Gerais e avaliar marcadores clínicos e radiológicos associados a desfechos desfavoráveis. Metodologia: Foram incluídas neste estudo todas as crianças entre 0 e 14 anos atendidas com traumatismo craniano de fevereiro a setembro de 2011. Dados sócio demográficos e clínicos foram coletados no momento da avaliação inicial sob consentimento informado. Os pacientes também foram reavaliados por telefone após 7 e 91 dias. Resultados: Um total de 77 pacientes foi incluído neste estudo. A idade média foi de 3,9 anos, com desvio padrão de 3,76 anos. Quedas e colisões de bicicleta foram os principais mecanismos de trauma. O marcador clínico mais relevante associado a desfechos desfavoráveis com 7 dias foi a percepção pelos pais de comportamento anormal (Odds Ratio = 11,3; intervalo de confiança de 95%: 1,38-93,13; p = 0,02). Alterações na Tomografia Computadorizada foram associadas tanto a desfechos desfavoráveis após 7 dias (p=0,03) como após 91 dias (p=0,02). Conclusões: Os aspectos peculiares do traumatismo craniano em uma população brasileira são descritos neste estudo. Encontrou-se, ainda, que um comportamento anormal e alterações na TC são fatores que predizem desfechos desfavoráveis em crianças com traumatismo craniano leve nessa população.
Identificação de polimorfismos de genes candidatos nos transtornos alimentares
Authors: Sarrassini Felícia B. , Santos José E. dos , Ribeiro Rosane P. P.
Published: February 2015

Objetivo: Identificar polimorfismos (SNPs) dos genes 5-HT2A, BDNF e ERâ em 29 pacientes com transtornos alimentares (TAs) e 78 mulheres saudáveis junto a um serviço especializado. Metodologia: Foram coletados dados de idade, peso e estatura para cálculo do Índice de Massa Corporal, aplicado o Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) e determinado os SNPs dos participantes. As frequências alélicas e genotípicas dos genes foi calculada e realizada a análise que unia genótipos que possuíam alelos de risco para cada gene. Resultados: Não houve diferença significativa na idade, no estado nutricional e na presença dos alelos de risco entre os grupos (5HT2A: OR=1,964; BDNF: OR=1,120; ERb éxon 5: OR=0,751 e éxon 8: OR=0,380). Conclusão: A heterogeneidade da população brasileira, a baixa incidência da doença e a pequena amostra podem ter exercido influência nos resultados sendo necessários futuros estudos para elucidar o papel da genética na etilogia dos TAs.
Is It Time For a Coherent Political Question Doctrine in South Africa? Lessons from the United States
Authors: Mhango Mtendeweka
Published: February 2015

This article describes the development and current status of the political question doctrine theme in South African jurisprudence. It does this through a comparative discussion of the application of this doctrine in the United States. The purpose of this comparative examination is twofold: the first is to gain insight into the origins, trends and early application of the political question doctrine. The second is to gain insight into the challenges and best practices in relation to the application of the political question doctrine elsewhere. The paper argues that while the political question doctrine theme exists in South African jurisprudence, this has not matured into a clear and transparent doctrine. It calls for the development of a clear doctrine for South Africa and offers some recommendations.
Some Problems on the Emergence of Dentilabialization
Authors: Hirayama Hisao
Published: February 2015

The dentilabialization of bilabial initial consonants in Middle Chinese is one of the important phonemic changes in the Tang Period. The condition for this change was that the word must have (1) a semivowel medial /i/ and (2) a main back vowel. The phonetic effect of (2) is that, as Chao (1940) has pointed out, a retracted position of the jaw would bring about the dentilabial contact, and the effect of (1) is that the palatalization of the consonant would enlarge the width of the contact. The fact that nasal /m/ in the rimes Dong III (東三) and You (尤) exceptionally did not receive dentilabialization could be explained by assuming a phonetic weakening of /i/ under the assimilation of rounded endings /wŋ/ and /u/. In the Wu and the Yue dialects /m/ generally was not dentilabialized. This may be related with the fact that these southern dialects have never experienced denazalization of nasal initials as in the Mandarin dialects. The dentilabialization in the phonemic sense should be regarded as a result of the merging of main vowels occurred in the middle of the Tang period.
The History of Amoy kiŋ6
Authors: YANG Hsiu-fang
Published: February 2015

This paper studies the history of Amoy kiŋ6 in terms of its phonological and semantic developments by using the comparative method. It first identifies the word 楗, which means ‘a standing pole used to support a door bolt’ in Archaic Chinese, to be the etymon of kiŋ6. The paper then argues that the word has undergone extensions of meaning from the original nominal sense to a cluster of verbal senses, such as ‘to prop up a door or something else’, ‘to sustain an unfurling state’, ‘to exert strength to resist a force’, and ‘to support, physically or non-physically’. With comparative data from Min, it also discusses the phonological strata manifested in the pronunciations of the word in several Southern Min varieties.
Comparative Phonology of the Huīzhōu Dialects
Authors: Coblin W. South
Published: February 2015

The present article compares data from seven Huīzhōu dialects in an effort to construct a common phonological system for the family as a whole. In the final section of the paper it is concluded that this dialect group is probably an areal or geographical grouping rather than a genetically related dialect family.
Idioms in Verb-object Constructions
Authors: Lien Chinfa
Published: February 2015

This paper examines the issues of idioms in verb-object constructions in Taiwanese Southern Min and Mandarin. The idioms in question fall into two categories: (1) idioms that express a personal behavior, and (2) idioms that show an interpersonal relationship. The second type can be further divided into two subtypes: (2a) cases where only two parties are involved, and (2b) cases that feature a tripartite relationship. Such a semantic distinction carries its syntactic consequences. There is also a fine-grained distinction among idioms in terms of degree of semantic compositionality: (1) idioms that are characterized by an absolute non-compositionality, and (2) idioms in which the meanings of some constituents are calculatable in terms of the mechanism of metaphor. Some idioms of the former type can be analyed vis-a-vis the pivot based upon homophony. Referntiality of the object in the verb-object construction has an intimate relationship with its syntactic flexibility.
On Sentence-final Particles ye and yi in Pre-Qin Chinese: A Study Mainly Based on Evidence from Zuo-zhuan
Authors: Liu Chenghui
Published: February 2015

This paper re-opens a discussion on the grammatical functions of declarative sentence final particles ye [也] and yi [矣] in Pre-Qin Chinese. Whereas traditional grammarians hold the opinion that ye and yi are markers of mood, Pulleyblank (1994) argues against it. The present study concludes that their functions have to do with expressing the speaker’s subjectivity, and will be better interpreted in terms of illocutionary force. Its findings support traditional grammarians’ opinion, and further suggest that ye indicate the force of identification, and yi, the force of estimate. It is plausible that the above-mentioned functions of ye and yi are results from historical developments.
Diachronic Changes of Modifier-Head Phrases
Authors: Dong Xiufang
Published: February 2015

Basic phrase types remain constant throughout the history of the Chinese language. However, functions of each phrase type went through certain changes that were not yet adequately discussed. This paper explores diachronic changes of functions of the modifier-head phrase, which is the commonest phrase type. Remarkable changes include the following four types: (1)The way of expressing similarity only through word sequence of the phrase disappeared; (2) Monosyllabic verbs became highly restricted to appear on the modifier position; (3) Using a verb as a modifier to express the semantic relation “action+patient”, ‘de （的）’ became necessary except for some compound words; (4)Some elements denoting interpersonal information on the modifier position disappeared.