bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When Cognitive Control Is Not Adaptive
Authors: Bocanegra Bruno R. , Hommel Bernhard
Published: April 2014

In order to engage in goal-directed behavior, cognitive agents have to control the processing of task-relevant features in their environments. Although cognitive control is critical for performance in unpredictable task environments, it is currently unknown how it affects performance in highly structured and predictable environments. In the present study, we showed that, counterintuitively, top-down control can impair and interfere with the otherwise automatic integration of statistical information in a predictable task environment, and it can render behavior less efficient than it would have been without the attempt to control the flow of information. In other words, less can sometimes be more (in terms of cognitive control), especially if the environment provides sufficient information for the cognitive system to behave on autopilot based on automatic processes alone.
A Developmental Pathway From Early Life Stress to Inflammation
Authors: Raposa Elizabeth B. , Bower Julienne E. , Hammen Constance L. , Najman Jake M. , Brennan Patricia A.
Published: April 2014

Early life stressors are associated with elevated inflammation, a key physiological risk factor for disease. However, the mechanisms by which early stress leads to inflammation remain largely unknown. Using a longitudinal data set, we examined smoking, alcohol consumption, and body mass index (BMI) as health-behavior pathways by which early adversity might lead to inflammation during young adulthood. Contemporaneously measured early adversity predicted increased BMI and smoking but not alcohol consumption, and these effects were partially accounted for by chronic stress in young adulthood. Higher BMI in turn predicted higher levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (sTNF-RII) and C-reactive protein (CRP), and smoking predicted elevated sTNF-RII. These findings establish that early adversity contributes to inflammation in part through ongoing stress and maladaptive health behavior. Given that maladaptive health behaviors portend inflammation in young adulthood, they serve as promising targets for interventions designed to prevent the negative consequences of early adversity.
Orthographic Coding in Illiterates and Literates
Authors: Duñabeitia Jon Andoni , Orihuela Karla , Carreiras Manuel
Published: April 2014

We investigated how literacy modifies one of the mechanisms of the visual system that is essential for efficient reading: flexible position coding. To do so, we focused on the abilities of literates and illiterates to compare two-dimensional strings of letters (Experiment 1) and symbols (Experiment 2) in which the positions of characters had been manipulated. Results from two perceptual matching experiments revealed that literates were sensitive to alterations in characters’ within-string position and identity, whereas illiterates are almost blind to these changes. We concluded that letter-position coding is a mechanism that emerges during literacy acquisition and that the recognition of sequences of objects is highly modulated by reading skills. These data offer new insights about the manner in which reading acquisition shapes the visual system by making it highly sensitive to the internal structure of sequences of characters.
Decadence and indifferentiation in the ideology of the Front National
Authors: Almeida Dimitri
Published: April 2014

Decadence, moral decay and national disintegration are obsessively recurrent themes in the narratives of the French radical right. This article explores the topos of decadence in the Front National’s ideology through a content analysis of speeches and campaign material ranging from the 1980s until 2012. Beginning with an interpretation of decadence based on René Girard’s discussion of persecution-legitimising texts, the article argues that the Front National’s discourse on decadence revolves around the idea of a crisis of differences and an acceleration of exchanges presented as unnatural. This point is developed in relation to the role of sexuality in the party’s profile and to the logics of historical development and political agency inherent to the Front National’s understanding of decadence. Decadence, I argue, is indissociable from indifferentiation – the fear of seeing the disappearance of differences conceived as fundamental for the preservation of national order.
La guerre du Liban à/et l’écran des souvenirs dans : Le Jeu des hirondelles et Je me souviens. Beyrouth de Zeina AbiRached
Authors: Calargé Carla , Gueydan-Turek Alexandra
Published: April 2014

Cet article examine deux récits graphiques de Zeina AbiRached dans lesquels l’artiste se penche sur des souvenirs d’enfance précis, vécus dans son immeuble de la rue Semaani situé près de la ligne de démarcation qui scinde Beyrouth en deux pendant la guerre (1975−1990). Le but de cette étude est d’analyser le succès et les limites de l’effort mnémonique en l’absence d’un projet national de mémorialisation qui offrirait un récit cohérent du cataclysme. À travers l’examen de l’espace (qu’il soit conçu, vécu ou illustré), nous soutenons que le véritable traumatisme engendré par le conflit armé est loin d’être guéri, voire que la narration recourt à des procédés complexes et variés pour en éviter la mention. En ce sens, et comme l’affirme Freud à propos du souvenir-écran, les épisodes narrés dans les deux œuvres représentent autant d’histoires qui permettent de déjouer l’angoisse générée par la guerre et son souvenir.
Artiste or coquette? Les petits rats of the Paris Opera ballet
Authors: Coons Lorraine
Published: April 2014

This paper concerns the young female members of the corps de ballet ( petits rats) of the Paris Opera from the period of the end of the July Monarchy to the fin de siècle. These ballerinas in training were not daughters of the haute bourgeoisie who lived in the elegant quartiers of Paris. Rather, many were children of the working classes who inhabited a vastly different world in those marginal districts of the capital untouched by Haussmann’s elaborate renovation projects during the Second Empire. They joined the Opera between the ages of six and eight to help support their families and worked six-day weeks like factory workers.

A substantial body of literature suggests that the dancers supplemented their income and advanced in the ranks at the Opera by offering sexual favours to the abonnés (ballet subscribers) and dismisses them as frivolous, superficial adventurers out to better their social position by capturing the heart (and wallet) of a wealthy patron. Gossip columns satisfied the public’s appetite for scandalous intrigues and rags-to-riches stories of young girls who became celebrated ballerinas and/or courtesans. Critics fail to mention that there were among them serious young dancers who were dedicated to their craft. Degas took a personal interest in the dancers’ working lives and their progression through the Opera system, as seen in his letters and notebooks. Some of these young women attained celebrity status, like Josephine Chabot, Fanny Elssler and Eugenie Fiocre. This article seeks to separate the myth of the dancer from the reality of her life by entering the private world of the petits rats to examine their social and educational background and their experience as members of the corps de ballet as well as their life choices.
Hors de prix : Dons et contre-dons dans La Graine et le mulet (2007) d’Abdellatif Kechiche
Authors: Do Tess , Lay-Chenchabi Kathryn
Published: April 2014

Cet article offre une nouvelle interprétation de La Graine et le mulet (2007) d’Abdellatif Kechiche. Il présente une différente optique à celle souvent adoptée par la critique, qui y voit une exploitation facile de l’exotisme et de la sexualité féminine. En replaçant la triade père−mère−enfant au cœur de l’analyse et en prenant appui sur les théories du don de Mauss et d’autres sociologues, nous proposons d’examiner trois échanges clé qui lui sont rattachés. Dans un premier temps nous démontrons que ces séquences forment une chaîne de dons et de contre-dons, chacun plus important que le précédent, pour aboutir à la fin du film au don suprême de soi. Dans un deuxième temps, nous postulons que la tension sous-jacente à ces échanges est la conséquence d’un conflit entre deux paradigmes opposés – la sphère familiale qui renforce la nature et le rôle du don et la sphère marchande qui le dénature.
Gender, genesis and generation: Colette and Germaine Beaumont’s journalism at Le Matin, 1910–1924
Authors: Stewart Mary Lynn
Published: April 2014

This article compares the journalism and literary output of Colette and a less famous French writer, Germaine Beaumont, before, during and after they worked at a major daily newspaper, Le Matin, 1910–24, considering them as members of two different generations of women entering the male-dominated and masculine-defined occupation of journalist. The article addresses the effects of their gender on their employment as literary and women’s page columnists, respectively, but not as reporters with by-lines appearing on the front page, i.e. the prestige positions and location in daily newspapers. A second line of enquiry examines how their choices of female protagonists and modern feminine perspective in their journalistic and literary works contributed to the late recognition of Colette’s genius and the (contemporary) near ignorance of Beaumont’s oeuvre. A third argument shows how Colette, a successful member of the second generation, actively assisted Beaumont, a member of the third generation, in getting a position at Le Matin, and then acted as a model of good work and writing practices for the younger author. Equally importantly, Beaumont acknowledged and applauded Colette for mentoring her. The article is part of a larger investigation into the second and third generation of newspaper women and cites evidence of similar experiences in the reception of other women journalists’ writing as well as the role of cross-generational encouragement among women journalists.
The French for Shangri-La: Tibetan landscape and French explorers
Authors: Thévoz Samuel
Published: April 2014

The French exploration of Tibet (1846–1912) and its resulting culture has been largely neglected by critics. Accounts of French-speaking travellers in Tibet have mostly been subsumed into the imperial and geopolitical framework of British policy in the region. This framework, which came to be known as the Great Game, informed all British expeditions of the imperial period. Yet the insights and representations developed by French explorers in fact constitute a largely separate and specific cultural paradigm. The approach of the earliest Tibetan explorers is paradoxical inasmuch as they perceived both the land and its inhabitants to be so wild and savage that the existence of a Tibetan culture seemed impossible. Working with a diverse range of French texts and accounts dating from the latter half of the nineteenth century, I shall explore this attitude under the heading of what I propose to entitle the ‘Tibetan paradox’. But this paradoxical approach to Tibetan landscape and its inhabitants was to be definitely superseded by one the most unusual travellers ever to explore the country, Jacques Bacot (1877–1965). On the basis of his expeditions, from 1906 to 1910, in uncharted parts of the country, Bacot came to play a leading role in the development of French Tibetology. In the accounts of his travels, Bacot pays close attention to how Tibetans themselves represent their environment. This change in focus signals the emergence of a new understanding of Tibet, for which the term ‘Tibetan médiance’ − to borrow a neologism from the French geographer Augustin Berque − might profitably be coined. Bacot’s perspective marked the first step in the development of an entirely new set of questions that were to arise within the human sciences in France during the twentieth century. As such it constitutes a cornerstone in the literary history of French representations of Tibet.
Pulverized coal combustion with opposing/cross-flow methane/air mixtures
Authors: Elfeky AY , Abdelkhalek MF , Kamal MM
Published: April 2014

Pulverized coal co-firing with opposing premixed methane/air flames in a cross-flow arrangement was found to extend the coal burning limits and reduce its NOx emissions by creating a high temperature NOx-reducing zone between the resulting multiple flame envelopes. By using a primary air stream, the stability limit reached a peak value of 25.1 m/s while the exhaust NOx mole fraction got values as low as 1.2 × 10–4 due to HCN reaction with NOx generated from both the coal primary flame envelope and the premixed flames. The NOx exhaust emissions were reduced to values below 60 ppm as the gas/coal heat input ratio increased to 1.5, where a nonunity Lewis number predicted the peak NOx concentrations across the annular region surrounding the flame. The effectiveness of NOx reduction increased by employing triple flames in place of the primary air since each NOx peak generated from methane combustion was followed by a region of NOx reduction upon consuming a significant amount of the HCN released from coal. Extending the coal flame stability limit to 32.3 m/s contributed to NOx reduction via decreasing the residence time for NOx formation across the combustor exit section. Decreasing the triple flame mixture fraction gradient and keeping a higher overall equivalence ratio reduced the NOx exhaust concentrations to 50 ppm and increased the percent of heat transfer by radiation to reach a peak of 48.8%. Decreasing the particle size to 135 µm and increasing the number of opposing jets to 16 pronounced favorable aerodynamic effects by minimizing the HC and NOx emissions, respectively, to values below 0.16% and 65 ppm. Increasing the opposing jets’ diameter to separation reduced the flame length by 26.7%, while maximizing the staging height kept the NOx emissions below 40 ppm at a strain rate of 2050 s–1.
Diet, microbiota and autoimmune diseases
Authors: Vieira SM , Pagovich OE , Kriegel MA
Published: April 2014

There is growing evidence that the commensal bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (the gut microbiota) influence the development of autoimmunity in rodent models. Since humans have co-evolved with commensals for millennia, it is likely that people, who are genetically predisposed to autoimmunity, harbor gut microbial communities that similarly influence the onset and/or severity of disease. Beyond the current efforts to identify such disease-promoting or -preventing commensals (“pathobionts” or “symbionts”), it will be important to determine what factors modulate them. Dietary changes are known to affect both the composition and function of the gut microbial communities, which in turn can alter the innate and adaptive immune system. In this review, we focus on the relationships between diet, microbiota, and autoimmune diseases. We hypothesize that the beneficial and life-prolonging effects of caloric restriction on a variety of autoimmune models including lupus might partly be mediated by its effects on the gut microbiome and associated virome, the collection of all viruses in the gut. We give recent examples of the immunomodulatory potential of select gut commensals and their products or diet-derived metabolites in murine models of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes. Lastly, we summarize the published phenotypes of germ-free mouse models of lupus and speculate on any role of the diet-sensitive microbiome and virome in systemic lupus and the related antiphospholipid syndrome.
The effects of lupus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome on foetal outcomes
Authors: Nalli C , Iodice A , Andreoli L , Lojacono A , Motta M , Fazzi E , Tincani A
Published: April 2014

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disease that primarily affects women of childbearing-age. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder defined by the occurrence of venous and arterial thrombosis, often multiple, and pregnancy morbidity in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Recently, the long-term outcome of children born to patients with lupus and APS has become a major topic of interest both to patients and physicians. One of the major problems related to maternal disease is preterm delivery with all the consequences that this condition may bring. Prematurity may also be due to the presence of aPL; however, aPL do not generally display any thrombotic potential on neonates. Another complication may be neonatal lupus (NL), mediated by the presence of maternal antibodies (anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB). In addition, behaviour and neuropsychological outcomes have also been a matter of interest, but there are currently few data available. Beyond the biological influence of both maternal disease and autoimmune background, it is important to focus on the possible influence of maternal chronic illness on the neuropsychological development of her children. Whether aPL exposure could have a direct effect on brain development is still being debated. In children of mothers with APS, language delays have been noted and learning disabilities were described with a higher rate than the general age-school population. Several studies were performed on children born to lupus mothers: even if maternal lupus does not seem to impair intelligence levels, it may increase the occurrence of learning disabilities and particularly dyslexia in male children. To the best of our knowledge, no studies are available on the long-term outcome of children born to mothers with lupus or APS and particularly regarding the development of autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, common experience of experts in the field is that these children do not show a significantly increased risk of displaying the same autoimmune disease as their mothers. The purpose of this paper is to answer the frequently asked questions of patients with lupus and APS who desire to become mothers, based on the little information available.
Pesticides, chemical and industrial exposures in relation to systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Parks CG , De Roos AJ
Published: April 2014

Growing evidence suggests exposure to chemicals and industrial pollutants may increase risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we review research on SLE associations with occupational and industrial exposures, primarily drawing on studies in human populations and summarizing epidemiologic research published in the past decade. The association of occupational silica exposure with SLE is well established, but key questions remain, including the required dose and susceptibility factors, and SLE risk due to other silicate exposures. Research on SLE and other exposures is less well developed, though several potential associations merit further consideration because of the consistency of preliminary human findings, experimental animal research, and biologic plausibility. These include pesticides and solvents, for which experimental findings also support investigation of specific agents, including organochlorines and trichloroethylene. Experimental findings and biologic plausibility suggest research on SLE and occupational exposure to hydrocarbons (i.e. mineral oils) is warranted, especially given the widespread exposures in the population. Experimental and limited human findings support further investigation of SLE related to mercury exposure, especially in dental occupations. Research on environmental risk factors in risk-enriched cohorts (family-based) is recommended, as is further investigation of exposures in relation to intermediate markers of effect (e.g. antinuclear antibodies), clinical features (e.g. nephritis), and outcomes.
Immunomodulation in human and experimental arthritis: including vitamin D, helminths and heat-shock proteins
Authors: Ishikawa LLW , Shoenfeld Y , Sartori A
Published: April 2014

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that is mainly directed to the joints, affecting the synovial membrane, the cartilage and also the bone. This disease affects 1% to 2% of the world population and is associated with significant morbidity and increased mortality. RA experimental models have allowed a great deal of information to be translated to the corresponding human disease. This review summarizes some of the most relevant findings targeting immunomodulation in arthritis. Some general guidelines to choose an adequate experimental model and also our experience with arthritis are supplied.
Ultraviolet radiation and systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Barbhaiya M , Costenbader KH
Published: April 2014

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is among the environmental factors that have been proposed and studied in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While it is known that UV radiation exposure may exacerbate pre-existing lupus, it remains unclear whether UV exposure is a risk factor for the development of SLE. Experimental studies show a significant immunomodulatory role for UV radiation, but strong epidemiologic data regarding its role in triggering SLE onset are lacking. Further studies are needed to assess the role of UV radiation in relation to development of incident SLE, yet they are challenging to design due to difficulties in accurate exposure assessment, the heterogeneous nature of SLE, and the challenge of assessing photosensitivity, a feature of SLE, which often precedes its diagnosis.
Viruses as potential pathogenic agents in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Nelson P , Rylance P , Roden D , Trela M , Tugnet N
Published: April 2014

Genetic and environmental factors appear to contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Viral infections have been reported to be associated with the disease. A number of exogenous viruses have been linked to the pathogenesis of SLE, of which Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has the most evidence of an aetiological candidate. In addition, human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), HRES-1, ERV-3, HERV-E 4-1, HERV-K10 and HERV-K18 have also been implicated in SLE. HERVs are incorporated into human DNA, and thus can be inherited. HERVs may trigger an autoimmune reaction through molecular mimicry, since homology of amino acid sequences between HERV proteins and SLE autoantigens has been demonstrated. These viruses can also be influenced by oestrogen, DNA hypomethylation, and ultraviolet light (UVB) exposure which have been shown to enhance HERV activation or expression. Viral infection, or other environmental factors, could induce defective apoptosis, resulting in loss of immune tolerance. Further studies in SLE and other autoimmune diseases are needed to elucidate the contribution of both exogenous and endogenous viruses in the development of autoimmunity. If key peptide sequences could be identified as molecular mimics between viruses and autoantigens, then this might offer the possibility of the development of blocking peptides or antibodies as therapeutic agents in SLE and other autoimmune conditions.
Significance of ERα, HER2, and CAV1 expression and molecular subtype classification to canine mammary gland tumor
Authors: Shinoda Hitomi , Legare Marie E. , Mason Gary L. , Berkbigler Jennifer L. , Afzali Maryam F. , Flint Alfred F. , Hanneman William H.
Published: April 2014

Canine mammary gland tumor (CMT) and human breast cancer (HBC) share many similarities regarding their risk factors, histological features, and behavior. Despite the increasing evidence of molecular marker expression as a prognostic indicator for HBC, few studies have applied this approach to CMT. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the significance of the expression of estrogen receptor–alpha (ERα), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and caveolin-1 (CAV1) to the behavior and the clinical outcome of CMT. Additionally, the correlation between subtype classification (luminal A, luminal B, HER2-overexpressing, basal-like, and normal-like) and tumor behavior prognosis were assessed. Canine mammary gland tissues were immunohistochemically stained for ERα, HER2, and CAV1 and evaluated and classified into 5 subtypes on the basis of immunoreactivity. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the molecular marker immunoreactivity of different subtypes, the degree of positive staining for ERα, extranuclear ERα, HER2, and CAV1 showed significant correlations ( P < 0.05) with the behavior and prognosis of the tumor. The current study indicates the prognostic value of immunohistochemical staining status of ERα, HER2, and CAV1 for CMT. In addition, some trends were seen in subtype classification on the prognosis of the tumor, implying that, although further analysis is needed, there is potential clinical application of 5-subtype classification for CMT.
Poisoning by Talisia esculenta (A. St.-Hil.) Radlk in sheep and cattle
Authors: Riet-Correa Franklin , Bezerra Cícero W. , Medeiros Marcia A. , da Silva Tatiane R. , Neto Eldinê G. Miranda , Medeiros Rosane M. T.
Published: April 2014

Talisia esculenta is a tree that produces pitomba, a fruit consumed by human beings in several regions of Brazil. The current study reports 3 outbreaks of poisoning by leaves and fruits of T. esculenta affecting sheep and cattle and the experimental reproduction of the disease in sheep. In the first investigated outbreak, sheep ingested the leaves of the plant; another outbreak affected cattle and sheep that ingested leaves and fruits; and in a third outbreak, sheep ingested only the fruits. The animals developed severe nervous signs, but most recovered. Poisoning was reproduced experimentally in 5 sheep by the administration of 30–60 g of leaves/kg body weight and in 2 sheep with doses of 5 and 10 g of seeds/kg body weight, respectively. No significant necropsy or histologic lesions were found.
Spontaneous chronic T-cell leukemia in a male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Cazzini Paola , Krimer Paula M. , Williams-Fritze Misty J. , Butler Abigail M. , Blas-Machado Uriel
Published: April 2014

Blood smears from a 24-year-old male rhesus macaque ( Macaca mulatta) used for cognitive function studies were evaluated. The macaque had an 8-month history of gradual weight loss and increasing lymphocytosis. Most of the lymphocytes present were small to medium and had a mature morphology. Based on the degree and duration of the lymphocytosis, and the appearance of the lymphocytes, a diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia was made. The animal tested negative for 4 viral diseases that are commonly associated with lymphoproliferative disorders in Old World monkeys. Over the course of 12 months, the lymphocytosis progressed from 18.4 to 384 × 103 lymphocytes/µl (reference range: 0.8–17 × 103 cells/µl), and euthanasia was elected. On histologic examination, cluster of differentiation (CD)3- and CD8-positive, CD79-negative neoplastic cells comprised 40–60% of the bone marrow, diffusely obscured the normal splenic architecture, and were present in the vascular channels in other organs. Findings were characteristic of T-cell lymphocytic leukemia. Naturally occurring T-cell lymphocytic leukemia has been rarely reported in rhesus macaques and, to the authors’ knowledge, never in males. A persistent lymphocytosis characterized by a monomorphic population of CD3- and CD8-positive cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and the presence of neoplastic cells in the bone marrow led to a diagnosis in the current case.
Ideological Heterogeneity and Legislative Polarization in the United States
Authors: Kirkland Justin H.
Published: April 2014

The responsiveness of individual legislators to their constituents creates an indirect electoral connection between the aggregate preferences of citizens and the behavior of legislative parties. In this research, I argue that legislators from moderate districts are the least likely to support their parties and most likely to vote moderately during roll call votes. I also argue that states with low ideological variance among citizens are the most likely to have moderate districts. Thus, states with ideologically heterogeneous populations are more likely to have homogeneous, extreme legislative parties. Using ideal point estimates and measures of party cohesion from state legislative parties, empirical evidence largely supports my expectations.
Bytes for Brights: Six Arithmetic Programs
Authors: Tkach John R.
Published: April 2014

If kids are going to spend hours playing video games, they should be learning something. Enter “zap-zap” math games. That's what I call them. They transfer the excitement of the video game arcade to the home or classroom computer. Do kids like them? Yep, you bet they do. Are they good? Yes, but they do not replace a teacher. A gifted child has as much right to a teacher as any other child.

Five of the six arithmetic games (all for 48K Apple II, II+, IIe) reviewed here have some arcade quality. Space Math and Math Blaster are the more obvious examples. In writing Fractions, EduWare abandoned the game format for a more formal approach that is smoothly and logically well executed.

As with shoes, children are likely to outgrow some of these games quickly. Stickybear numbers will have the shortest useful life, although, children will also quickly outgrow Fractions, the best educational program in this report. In part that is testimony to how well it is written. Those programs would be a better investment for a school than a home unless your friend down the street will buy them from you when you are finished with them. Space Math and Math Blaster have enough built-in flexibility to last a child several years.

You can get your money's worth out of all six of these programs. Math Blaster, Space Math, Fractions, and Knowing Numbers are Best Buys. If you are looking for a program for arithmetic fact drills for your limited budget, Math Blaster is the best investment.
The Comparative Study of Household Elderly Care in China, the Philippines, and Japan
Authors: Qu Yan
Published: April 2014

This study aims to unfold the resultant changes in the lives of the elderly by examining the data from three Asian countries: China, the Philippines, and Japan. All of these countries lie in the Asia-Pacific region, which is by and large a very dynamic area of the world, not only economically, socially, and politically but also in terms of its demography and population profile. By analyzing the census data, the study mainly focuses on the changing practices of household elderly care in different countries, which will help us better understand the elderly care change in developing and developed nations.
Machinability study of hybrid-polymer composite pipe using response surface methodology and genetic algorithm
Authors: Kumar K Vijay , Sait A Naveen , Panneerselvam K
Published: April 2014

Polymer–matrix composites are very popular due to their low cost and simple fabrication methods. While techniques and methodologies for composites design are emerging, the knowledge and understanding of machining issues lag far behind. The objective of the work is to analyze the influence of machining parameters on the material characteristics of hybrid-composite pipes. Turning operation was carried out as per the design of experiments by central composite design in hybrid polymer composite pipe made of carbon fiber and Aramid fiber. Based on the experimental results, regression analysis was conducted to determine the input–output relationships of the process. A mathematical model is developed, and the responses are predicted. The effects of each process parameter on the response were analyzed using response surface methodology. The process parameters were then optimized using genetic algorithm to yield minimum cutting force and minimum surface roughness (Ra).
Incidence of osteoporotic fractures in elderly women and men in Finland during 2005–2006: a population-based study
Authors: Koski A-M. , Patala A. , Patala E. , Sund R.
Published: April 2014

Background and Aims:

Osteoporosis is a major health concern in elderly population. Low-trauma fractures offer one way of identifying these patients for treatment. Population-specific incidences of osteoporotic fractures are essential to validate tools for clinical decision making.

Material and Methods:

To evaluate population-based osteoporotic fracture incidences in Central Finland, we performed a manual search of low-trauma fractures 2005–2006 from the records of all the local health-care organizations treating trauma patients. We identified low-trauma fracture patients from radiology reports from five health centers serving the inhabitants of nine municipalities and from the patient records of two hospitals in Central Finland. The manually collected data were then compared against data from the Finnish Health Care Register.

Results:

The crude incidence of all osteoporotic fractures in 2005–2006 in the population aged 50 years was 1254/100,000 person years: 694/100,000 person years in men and 1718/100,000 person years in women. Fracture numbers derived from register data were similar to those manually collected for hip and humerus fractures, but clearly smaller than those for wrist and ankle fractures.

Conclusions:

Population-based low-trauma fracture incidences, reported here for Finland, constitute a basis for calibration of fracture risk evaluation tools (e.g. the World Health Organization fracture risk evaluation tool, FRAX). This study showed that register data underestimate the incidences of, in particular, distal radius and ankle fractures.
Injury after non-judicial hanging
Authors: Chikhani Marc , Winter Robert
Published: April 2014

Hanging is an important and increasingly common method of suicide in developed countries. Little is known about the true human pathophysiological changes and injury patterns associated with hanging and near hanging. Cervical spine injury is commonly reported; however, there is a paucity of large data sets concerning this injury. This review article focuses on the incidence of cervical spine and associated neck injuries and their role in morbidity and mortality following non-judicial hanging. A total of 26 heterogeneous studies were identified examining injury after hanging or near hanging. In total, there were 2795 patients; 1530 (54.7%) with true hanging and 1265 (45.3%) with near hanging. Cervical spine injury was reported in a total of 58 (2.08%) patients. Injuries to the airway and vessels of the neck seem rare. This is somewhat lower than the current accepted incidence for cervical spine injury after hanging or blunt force trauma. The overall incidence of cervical spine injury after hanging is low. Spinal immobilisation should probably be instituted depending on the mechanism of the hanging. However, a patient presenting with signs of life to an emergency department is unlikely to have a severe cervical spine injury.
Road profile effects on the performance and energy regeneration of the electromagnetic suspension system
Authors: Kavianipour O , Montazeri-Gh M
Published: April 2014

This paper deals with the electromagnetic damper, which is composed of a permanent-magnet DC motor, a ball screw and a nut, as the passive, semi-active and active actuator in the vehicle suspension system. The main objective pursued in the paper is to study the dependences of the performance and energy regeneration of the electromagnetic suspension system on the road unevenness and the travel speed. For this purpose, the nonlinear equations of the electromagnetic damper electric circuit in the three mentioned suspension systems are developed. For the vehicle passing over the road unevenness, a seven degrees of freedom model is considered, and the simplest point-follower model is used for the tyre representation. To investigate the electromagnetic suspension system performance and energy regeneration, two types of road unevenness including a road section with a standard pure random profile and a bump modelled by cosine wave of variable height and length are applied. The simulation results demonstrate that an increase in the travel speed leads to the power spectral density increment of the road profile and in turn causes the negative effects on the performance and growth in the energy regeneration. Furthermore, when the bump height gets larger, maximum body acceleration, maximum suspension travel and energy regeneration will increase. There will be a peak on the maximum body acceleration response course when the bump length is equal to 1.1 m because of exciting the sprung mass frequencies. On the maximum suspension travel and energy regeneration response course, there is a peak when the travel speed is equal to 30 km/h, which excites the unsprung mass frequencies.
Embedding content from Syrian citizen journalists: The rise of the collaborative news clip
Authors: Wall Melissa , Zahed Sahar El
Published: April 2014

The ways the New York Times has incorporated citizen videos from the Syrian conflict into its live blog, The Lede, is explored in this article. The analysis reveals the creation of a new journalistic element – the Collaborative News Clip – in which ordinary people are now producing immersive, emotional, multidimensional self-created videos that news outlets cooperatively incorporate into online content. The Collaborative News Clip is created through joint framing and shared gatekeeping by a tier of citizen-activists working with a professional news organization.
‘And they all look just the same’? A quantitative survey of television title sequences
Authors: Bednarek Monika
Published: April 2014

This article describes the variation in title sequences for American television series (a sequence of moving images and sound at the beginning of a television series). Using a quantitative survey of 50 contemporary fictional television series, it explores key features of the television title sequence – such as length, credits, characters, sound and style – and relates these to its functional characteristics. In so doing, the article provides a synchronic snapshot of a significant contemporary cultural product that viewers regularly engage with and enjoy. The survey not only shows the variation inherent in these cultural products, but also pinpoints areas that are worth investigating more closely and in depth.
Embattled Vienna 1683/2010: right-wing populism, collective memory and the fictionalisation of politics
Authors: Wodak Ruth , Forchtner Bernhard
Published: April 2014

The victory of a Christian coalition over Ottoman forces besieging Vienna in 1683 marked the beginning of the end of the Ottoman presence in Central and Eastern Europe and the simultaneous rise of the Habsburg Empire in this region. Memories of these events still circulate in present-day Vienna and provide an emotional reservoir for anti-Turkish sentiments. Current tendencies to fictionalise politics support the dissemination of such anti-Turkish narratives in rather unconventional and hybrid genres such as comic-style booklets. In this article, the authors investigate the interplay of collective memories and this hybrid genre within the social context of the fictionalisation of politics through the test case of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), one of the most successful European right-wing populist parties. By combining multimodal analysis with the discourse–historical approach in critical discourse analysis, they illustrate the ways in which visuals enable the conveying of contradictory meanings through a discursive strategy of calculated ambivalence by blurring past and present, fiction and reality.
Justification, compromise and test: Developing a pragmatic sociology of critique to understand the outcomes of urban redevelopment
Authors: Holden Meg , Scerri Andy
Published: April 2014

The outcomes of urban redevelopment projects are never predictable, nor do they conform perfectly to any single ideological expression of contemporary development approaches, whether that of rational master planning for the public interest, a market-driven neoliberal approach in the name of the competitive world class city or some other vision of utopia. We argue here that a critical pragmatic analytical lens can be applied usefully to improve our understanding of the justifications, qualifications and compromises that contribute to shaping such projects in their contexts. The critical pragmatic approach, deriving from the work of Laurent Thévenot, Luc Boltanski and others, is offered here with illustrative applications to the case of a major redevelopment project in Vancouver, Canada. The approach is situated within planning theory related to governmentality, communicative action theory and American pragmatic philosophy. We establish the utility of studying disputes in the public sphere surrounding development projects, in terms of the objects and actors involved in particular contexts (as opposed to a pure discourse approach) and in terms of the nature and trajectory of compromises attempted and attained in the process (as opposed to consensus-seeking or governmentality approaches).
Design of an LED-based headlamp low-beam system using combined prisms
Authors: Qiu P , Ge A , Wang J , Cai J , Zhu L , Du Z
Published: April 2014

An effective high-efficiency LED headlamp system for automotive low-beam lighting which consists of parabolic reflector, compound lenses and combined prisms, is introduced in this paper. Using a single, high-brightness LED, the illumination requirements for a headlamp low beam specified by UNECE regulation ‘Addendum 111: Regulation No. 112 Revision 2’ can be achieved. On the test screen at a distance of 25 m, simulation results as well as testing results for the prototype meet the requirements of the UNECE regulation for all specified regions and key points.
Combining Parent–Child Interaction Therapy and Visual Supports for the Treatment of Challenging Behavior in a Child With Autism and Intellectual Disabilities and Comorbid Epilepsy
Authors: Armstrong Kathleen , DeLoatche Kendall Jeffries , Preece Krystle Kuzia , Agazzi Heather
Published: April 2014

About one in six children has one or more developmental disabilities, which include autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID). Individuals with both ASD and ID are at higher risk of epilepsy, and those with younger onset of seizures are at higher risk of both developmental and behavioral disorders. Young children presenting with developmental and behavioral challenges are often very difficult for caregivers to manage, and challenging behavior results in reduced learning opportunities. Finding effective and efficient interventions to address behavioral issues remains a clinical priority to improve overall outcomes for all children and especially those with developmental disabilities. This case study presents the treatment of a 5-year-old girl diagnosed with ASD, ID, and comorbid epilepsy using Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) combined with visual supports (VS). Findings from this case report documented (a) an improvement in behavioral functioning in home, school, and community settings; (b) evidence for the effectiveness of parent-mediated intervention; and (c) support for collaboration and care coordination to improve intervention outcomes.
An Examination of Emotional Intelligence as an Antecedent of Servant Leadership
Authors: Barbuto John E. , Gottfredson Ryan K. , Searle Travis P.
Published: April 2014

Servant leadership is an approach to leadership that involves a leader’s deeply rooted desire to serve subordinates. As the need for more people-centered leadership evolves, organizations increasingly want leaders who are driven to serve the people they lead, and they are seeking ways to identify predictors of servant leadership to ensure that those they place in management positions possess the attributes of a servant leader. Until now, very little research has been conducted in this area. Thus, we investigated emotional intelligence as an antecedent of the different dimensions of servant leadership. Our findings, based on assessments of 75 civic leaders and 401 of their followers, suggest that emotional intelligence is a good predictor of a leader’s servant-leader ideology (or approach toward leadership) but may not be a good predictor of servant-leader behaviors as rated by the leaders’ followers.
Compressed natural gas as a feasible replacement fuel for U.S. transportation
Authors: Anderson Bradley E , Uz Veysel
Published: April 2014

There has been much attention for many years on reducing U.S. fuel imports in order to improve energy independence. The transportation sector is one of the most important components with its share of 28% of total U.S. energy consumption. In this research, compressed natural gas (CNG) is examined as an alternative fuel for the U.S. transportation sector. To be able to answer this question it is essential to understand both the supply and demand sides of the problem. This research aims to exhibit the availability and adequacy of CNG as a full or partial fuel replacement for U.S. transportation sector needs, the factors that prevent CNG from being a widely used transportation fuel, the cost–benefit of using CNG as a vehicle fuel, and feasible changes to make CNG more cost effective. In conjunction with putting forth this information for consideration, the best short- and long-term scenarios for CNG use in the transportation sector, provided through the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP), is proposed.
The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP)
Authors: Morton Darren , Rankin Paul , Kent Lillian , Dysinger Wayne
Published: April 2014

The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) is a premier lifestyle intervention targeting chronic disease that has been offered for more than 25 years. The intervention has been used in clinical, corporate, and community settings, and the short-term and long-term clinical benefits of the intervention, as well as its cost-effectiveness, have been documented in more than 25 peer-reviewed publications. Being an easily administered intervention, CHIP has been presented not only by health professionals but also by non-health-trained volunteers. The benefits of the program have been extensively studied under these 2 delivery channels, consistently demonstrating positive outcomes. This article provides a brief history of CHIP and describes the content and structure of the intervention. The published evaluations and outcomes of the intervention are presented and discussed and future directions are highlighted.
Distributing leadership to establish developing and learning school organisations in the Swedish context
Authors: Liljenberg Mette
Published: April 2014

Leadership is considered to be significant for creating a developing and learning school organisation. In Sweden, distributed leadership and teacher teams are an ‘institutionalised practice’; despite this, sustainable school improvement is difficult to achieve. This article presents findings from a case study of three schools that examined the influence of distributed leadership when establishing developing and learning school organisations in the Swedish context. The study investigated the differences and similarities in the organisations and highlighted the emerging tensions. The article argues that support from the school’s principal is vital and that teacher leaders must focus on development instead of management, learning instead of quick solutions and be challenging instead of confirming. But above all, for a developing and learning school organisation to be created collaboration needs to be expanded and a professional attitude firmly adopted. This article provides in-depth descriptions of how leadership is distributed in ‘natural school contexts’ and its impact on school improvement outside the Anglo-Saxon school setting.