bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bringing together efficiency and effectiveness in distributed simulations: The experience with D-Mason
Authors: Cordasco Gennaro , De Chiara Rosario , Mancuso Ada , Mazzeo Dario , Scarano Vittorio , Spagnuolo Carmine
Published: June 2013

Agent-based simulation models are an increasingly popular tool for research and management in many fields. In executing such simulations “speed” is one of the most general and important issues because of the size and complexity of simulations. But another important issue is the effectiveness of the solution, which consists of how easily usable and portable the solutions are for the users, i.e. the programmers of the distributed simulation. Our study, then, is aimed at efficient and effective distribute simulations by adopting a framework-level approach, with our design and implementation of a framework, D-Mason, which is a parallel version of the Mason library for writing and running simulations of agent-based simulation models. In particular, besides the efficiency due to workload distribution with small overhead, D-Mason at a framework level proves itself effective since it enables the scientists that use the framework (domain expert but with limited knowledge of distributed programming) only minimally aware of the fact that the simulation is running on a distributed environment. Then, we present tests that compare D-Mason against Mason in order to assess the improved scalability and D-Mason capability to exploit heterogeneous distributed hardware. Our tests also show that several massive simulations that are impossible to execute on Mason (e.g. because of CPU and/or memory requirements) can be easily performed using D-Mason.
The Subject’s Tracks
Authors: Gómez Carpinteiro Francisco Javier
Published: June 2013

The Zapatistas’ Other Campaign was important in producing a notion of politics in which persons with experiences of exploitation and subjugation emerged as subjects renaming themselves in history. The dialogue generated by the campaign demystified the liberal idea of citizenship, confined to voting, and opened the way for a broader definition of politics and the construction of a defiant collective and autonomous subjectivity. Its influence is apparent today in collective actions such as the Peace with Justice and Dignity movement and the #Yo Soy 132 movement, both of which focus on dialogue as the key for opposing authoritarianism and manipulation by dominant powers.

La Otra Campaña de los zapatistas jugó un papel importante en la producción de una noción de la política en la que personas con experiencias de explotación y sometimiento emergieron como sujetos que se redefinían a sí mismos dentro de la historia. El diálogo generado por la campaña desmitificó la idea liberal de ciudadanía, confinada al ejercicio del voto, y abrió el camino a una definición más amplia de la política y la construcción de una subjetividad colectiva y autónoma en desafío. Hoy día, su influencia es evidente en acciones colectivas como las del Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad y # Yo Soy 132, ambos de los cuales se centran en el diálogo como la clave para oponerse al autoritarismo y la manipulación por parte de los poderes dominantes.
Declining autonomy at work in the EU and its effect on civic behavior
Authors: Lopes Helena , Lagoa Sérgio , Calapez Teresa
Published: June 2013

The aim of this article is to show that social benefits may accrue from work environments that support autonomous forms of work. Based on social psychology, economics and philosophy approaches, the authors argue that autonomy is a basic human need which, when satisfied, enhances civic behavior. Using individual data from the EWCS, the article finds evidence of the positive effect of work autonomy on volunteer work and political/trade union activities. Overall, work autonomy has decreased over the last 15 years for all skill levels in the EU, though there are substantial differences between countries. Organizational practices that promote autonomy should be deliberately stimulated if civic participation is to be furthered.
Interventions Against Norm Violations
Authors: Baumert Anna , Halmburger Anna , Schmitt Manfred
Published: June 2013

Moral courage is characterized as a bystander intervention against the norm violations of a perpetrator despite the potential for negative consequences for oneself. We tested a comprehensive set of potential personality determinants of moral courage derived from a model of helping. In Study 1, we used a vignette to assess the self-reported willingness to intervene against a theft. In Study 2, the theft was put into effect, and behavioral reactions were observed. The results of Study 1 showed that moral disengagement, self-efficacy, and social anxiety, which are traits that are known to predict helping, were also related to moral courage intentions. Differently, in Study 2, real moral courage was predicted only by beneficiary sensitivity, a disposition that captures perceptual readiness and affective reactivity to perceived injustice. Our results provide insights into the processes involved in moral courage in a realistic situation and stress the importance of behavioral observations.
Social Movements, Civil Society and Corporations: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
Authors: de Bakker Frank G. A. , den Hond Frank , King Brayden , Weber Klaus
Published: June 2013

The relationships between social movements and civil society on the one hand, and the corporate world on the other hand, are often shaped by conflict over the domination of economic, cultural and social life. How this conflict plays out, in current as well as in historical times and places, is the central question that unites the papers in this special issue. In this essay, we review the differences and points of contact between the study of social movements, civil society and corporations, and offer an agenda for future research at this intersection that also frames the papers in the special issue. We suggest that three research areas are becoming increasingly important: the blurring of the three empirical domains and corresponding opportunities for theoretical integration, the institutional and cultural embeddedness of strategic interaction processes between agents, and the consequences of contestation and collaboration. The papers in this special issue are introduced in how they speak to these questions.
Stimulants improve theory of mind in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Maoz Hagai , Tsviban Lior , Gvirts Hila Z , Shamay-Tsoory Simone G , Levkovitz Yechiel , Watemberg Nathan , Bloch Yuval
Published: June 2013

Impairments in ‘theory of mind’ (ToM) were linked to social cognition and reciprocal relationships deficits in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Twenty-four children with ADHD (13 with inattentive type and 11 with combined type, mean age 10.2 years) completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a self-reported empathy questionnaire. All children performed the ‘faux pas’ task and a computerized ToM task in two different sessions either with or without administration of methylphenidate (MPH). Administration of MPH was associated with an improvement in cognitive and affective ToM. Children with ADHD-combined type had significantly lower scores in total IRI and the fantasy scale compared to children with ADHD-inattentive type. We conclude that deficits in empathy and ToM may play an important role in the impairments in social cognition and peer relationship in children with ADHD, especially children a hyperactive component. Stimulants may improve ToM and empathic functions. Future studies including larger samples and additional cognitive tasks are warranted in order to generalize these results and to identify possible underlying mechanisms for improvement in ToM following the administration of MPH.
The athlete as model organism: The everyday practice of the science of human performance
Authors: Johnson Andi
Published: June 2013

Behind every champion athlete are scores of physiologists studying his or her performance. This is no new phenomenon. Since the late 19th century, physiologists have been bringing ‘well-trained’ athletes into their labs to produce knowledge about how human bodies work, to determine the causes of human fatigue, and to probe human limits. In this article, I argue that the athlete, like the fruit fly or the mouse cress plant, can be considered a model organism. Ethnographic data are presented from 7 months of participant-observation and semistructured interviews in three human performance laboratories located in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Ethnographic data suggest that the athlete functions as a model organism in physiology for two reasons. First, athletes ‘accommodate’ the particular experimental instruments and practical demands of fatigue research. Second, a distinct ‘biosociality’ drives the choice of athlete as model organism.
Counting Down
Authors: Collica-Cox Kimberly
Published: June 2013

Involvement in prosocial prison activities can ameliorate rule-breaking conduct and assist in the reinforcement of conventional behavior. Extant research shows a connection between participation in traditional educational/vocational programs and reduced prison infractions. However, studies that examine a correlation between less traditional prison programs and better institutional conduct are lacking. This study analyzed rates of disciplinary infractions among 49 female prisoners that worked in two HIV prison-based peer programs (AIDS, Counseling, and Education [ACE] and CARE [Counseling, AIDS, Resource, and Education]) as peer educators during their incarceration. These women were unlikely to jeopardize their position by engaging in unlawful or deviant behaviors. Results showed that working in programs like ACE/CARE prevented periods of maladjustment and subsequent disciplinary infractions during incarceration.
Assessing the significance of soil erosion for arable weed seedbank diversity in agro-ecosystems
Authors: Lewis Timothy D. , Rowan John S. , Hawes Cathy , McKenzie Blair M.
Published: June 2013

Accelerated soil erosion threatens sustainable food production by degrading the physical and biogeochemical functioning of arable field soils and lowering crop yields. Much less recognized is the potential for soil erosion to impinge on wider ecosystem services including the weed seedbank that underpins much of the biodiversity in temperate agro-ecosystems of northern Europe. This paper assesses the likely impact of soil erosion on the composition and abundance of the arable weed seedbank, and presents an overview of erosion mechanisms affecting arable land coupled with an outline of the main factors influencing arable weed seedbank abundance and composition. The information presented on both these sets of processes enables assessment of the likely impact of soil erosion on arable seedbank biodiversity at the field and landscape scales. Combining mean annual net erosion rates of c. 7 t ha−1 yr−1 and seedbank densities c. 2000 seeds m−2, both figures broadly representative of UK conditions, produces an average annual loss of the field seed inventory of c. 0.5% yr−1. Where seedbank abundance is otherwise relatively stable (i.e. losses through death, germination and weed control are largely balanced by gain through seed rain), average soil loss rates could export c. 10% of the arable weed seedbank in 20 years. Net erosion data conceal within-field sediment deposition within swales, foot slopes, buffer strips and hedgerows which provides a further dimension of spatial restructuring of weed assemblages. Seed size and shape also influence hydrodynamic behaviour through selective entrainment and preferential deposition. It is concluded that earth surface processes play an under-recognized role in structuring field-scale weed-based biodiversity in agro-ecosystems over decadal timescales.
Mechanics-aided digital image correlation
Authors: Tomičevć Zvonimir , Hild François , Roux Stéphane
Published: June 2013

By construction, digital image correlation is an ill-posed problem. To circumvent this difficulty, regularization is often performed implicitly through the kinematic basis chosen to express the sought displacement fields. Conversely, a priori information on the mechanical behavior of the studied material is often available. It is proposed to evaluate the gain to be expected from such a mechanical assistance, namely, the measured displacement not only satisfies as best as possible the gray-level conservation but also mechanical admissibility.
The synthesis and characterization of a thermally responsive hyaluronic acid/Pluronic copolymer and an evaluation of its potential as an artificial vitreous substitute
Authors: Lin Yung-Kai , Chen Ko-Hua , Kuan Che-Yung
Published: June 2013

A smart in situ polymerizable artificial vitreous substitute was synthesized via the copolymerization of hyaluronic acid and Pluronic® F-127. This copolymer has a unique sol–gel transition at different temperatures. The liquid was injected into a vitreous cavity at room temperature and forms a hydrogel at physiological temperatures. The chemical, rheological, and optical properties and the biodegradability and biocompatibility were studied to determine the optimum formulation for the hydrogel. The H1F20 hydrogel optical properties were similar to those of the vitreous humor. Biodegradability studies indicate that the H1F20 hydrogel maintains 60% of the mass in 10,000 U mL−1 of lysozyme solution, after 7 days. The H1F20 hydrogel had the highest human retinal pigment epithelial cell (ARPE-19) viability, which was significantly higher than that of the control ( p < 0.01). In summary, H1F20 appears to be a suitable artificial vitreous substitute.
Humans Use Summary Statistics to Perceive Auditory Sequences
Authors: Piazza Elise A. , Sweeny Timothy D. , Wessel David , Silver Michael A. , Whitney David
Published: June 2013

In vision, humans use summary statistics (e.g., the average facial expression of a crowd) to efficiently perceive the gist of groups of features. Here, we present direct evidence that ensemble coding is also important for auditory processing. We found that listeners could accurately estimate the mean frequency of a set of logarithmically spaced pure tones presented in a temporal sequence (Experiment 1). Their performance was severely reduced when only a subset of tones from a given sequence was presented (Experiment 2), which demonstrates that ensemble coding is based on a substantial number of the tones in a sequence. This precise ensemble coding occurred despite very limited representation of individual tones from the sequence: Listeners were poor at identifying specific individual member tones (Experiment 3) and at determining their positions in the sequence (Experiment 4). Together, these results indicate that summary statistical coding is not limited to visual processing and is an important auditory mechanism for extracting ensemble frequency information from sequences of sounds.
Learned Control Over Distraction Is Disrupted in Amnesia
Authors: Cosman Joshua D. , Vecera Shaun P.
Published: June 2013

Recent studies have demonstrated that brief periods of training facilitate the ability to overcome distraction during future performance of a given task, and researchers have proposed that these effects rely on relational memory systems that enable individuals to link specific attentional states to their learned context. In the current work, we examined whether medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures critical for relational and contextual learning contribute to these effects. A group of amnesic patients with bilateral MTL damage and a group of matched comparison subjects both completed an attentional-capture task in which a brief training session typically leads to decreased distraction in a subsequent testing session. Whereas the comparison subjects showed normal training-related decreases in distractibility, the amnesic patients did not. Thus, our results indicate that MTL-mediated learning plays a critical role in the ability to use past experience to overcome distraction. This suggests a tight linkage between MTL-dependent relational-learning mechanisms and cognitive control.
Homocysteine thiolactone-induced seizures in adult rats are aggravated by inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Hrnčić D , Rašić-Marković A , Macut D , Šušić V , Djuric D , Stanojlović O
Published: June 2013

Homocysteine and its metabolites (homocysteine thiolactone (HT)) induce seizures via different but still not well-known mechanisms. The role of nitric oxide (NO) in epileptogenesis is highly contradictory and depends on, among other factors, the source of NO production. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of aminoguanidine, selective inhibitor of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), on HT-induced seizures. Aminoguanidine (50, 75, and 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) was injected to rats 30 min prior to inducing HT (5.5 mmol/kg, i.p.). Seizure behavior was assessed by seizure incidence, latency time to first seizure onset, number of seizure episodes, and their severity during observational period of 90 min. Number and duration of spike and wave discharges (SWDs) were determined in electroencephalogram (EEG). Seizure latency time was significantly shortened, while seizure incidence, number, and duration of HT-induced SWD in EEG significantly increased in rats receiving aminoguanidine 100 mg/kg before subconvulsive dose of HT. Aminoguanidine in a dose-dependent manner also significantly increased the number of seizure episodes induced by HT and their severity. It could be concluded that iNOS inhibitor (aminoguanidine) markedly aggravates behavioral and EEG manifestations of HT-induced seizures in rats, showing functional involvement of iNOS in homocysteine convulsive mechanisms.
Large artery inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sokalski DG , Spring TR Copsey , Roberts WN
Published: June 2013

A 23-year-old African-American woman with a history of recurrent pneumonias presented to the hospital with 2 weeks of shortness of breath, chest pain, fevers, and lightheadedness. The histologic diagnosis proved to be lupus aortitis. Optimal Framingham risk factor management by itself may not be a completely successful approach in diminishing the extra risk of atherosclerosis conferred by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therefore it remains possible that important modifiable cardiovascular risk factors may include low-grade SLE disease activity in medium-sized vessels. The implication of the idea that subclinical vessel inflammation is widespread in patients with lupus—and that this inflammation confers a significant part of the patients’ risk of accelerated atherosclerosis—might be a lowering of the threshold for aggressive disease-modifying treatment of lupus, essentially a “treat-to-target” approach to systemic lupus.
Lupus erythematosus/lichen planus overlap syndrome: successful treatment with acitretin
Authors: Lospinoso DJ , Fernelius C , Edhegard KD , Finger DR , Arora NS
Published: June 2013

Lupus erythematosus/lichen planus overlap syndrome is a rare disorder combining the clinical, histological and immunopathological features of both lupus erythematosus (LE) and lichen planus (LP). Cutaneous lesions mostly affect the distal arms, legs, face and trunk. Palmoplantar involvement is felt to be characteristic of this condition. Plaques are often painful, centrally atrophic, bluish-red to hypopigmented in color, large, and scaly. On biopsy of clinically ambiguous lesions, histopathological features of one or both processes can be found, obscuring the diagnosis and complicating prognosis and treatment. Thus, direct immunofluorescence has become an essential tool in helping to diagnose this condition. In this report we describe the unique clinical and immunohistopathological manifestations of lupus erythematosus/lichen planus overlap syndrome along with a successful response to treatment with acitretin.
Varieties of shrinkage in European cities
Authors: Haase Annegret , Bernt Matthias , Großmann Katrin , Mykhnenko Vlad , Rink Dieter
Published: June 2013

The issue of urban shrinkage has become the new ‘normal’ across Europe: a large number of urban areas find themselves amongst the cities losing population. According to recent studies, almost 42 per cent of all large European cities are currently shrinking. In eastern Europe, shrinking cities have formed the overwhelming majority – here, three out of four cities report a decrease in population. Shrinkage has proved to be a very diverse and complex phenomenon. In our understanding, a considerable and constant loss of population by an urban area classifies it as a shrinking city. So, while the indicator of shrinkage used here is rather simple, the nature of the process and its causes and consequences for the affected urban areas are multifaceted and need to be explained and understood in further detail. Set against this background, the article presents, first, urban shrinkage as both spatially and temporally uneven. Second, this article shows that the causes of urban shrinkage are as varied as they are numerous. We explore the ‘pluralist world of urban shrinkage’ in the European Union and beyond. The article provides an original process model of urban shrinkage, bringing together its causes, impacts and dynamics, and setting them in the context of locally based urban trajectories. The main argument of this arrticle is that there is no ‘grand explanatory heuristics’ of shrinkage; a ‘one-size-fits-all’ explanatory approach to shrinkage cannot deliver. To progress and remain relevant, one ought to move away from outcome-orientated towards process-orientated research on urban shrinkage.
Madhyam Marg: How It Constitutes Indian Mind?
Authors: Panda Minati
Published: June 2013

The article critically explores the centrality of the concept of madhyam marg (the middle path) in constituting the Indian mind and practice. The first part of the paper engages with scriptural analysis of the early Indian and Buddhist philosophical discourses to explicate the dialectical polemics in these writings and to examine whether it is different from the Western dualism. The second part of the paper critically analyses some popular folk narratives from Jatakas, Panchatantra, Mahabharata and Ramayana. It also analyses some ‘critical incidents’ collected from students and working adults. An attempt is then made to build a conceptual framework of madhyam marg and use it for explicating how madhyam marg dialectics mediate everyday actions and behaviour of the Indian people. A clear link between the ubiquitous tendency of the Indians to take the middle path and adherence to the patriarchal systems is observed. Our analyses also reveal differences between the everyday and the scriptural usages of madhyam marg. We suggest that madhyam marg along with the patriarchal structure of Indian society may explain the nature of Indian collectivism and Indian cultural practices better than the Western constructs of ‘individualism’ and ‘collectivism’.
Risk for Work-Related Fatigue Among the Employees on Semiconductor Manufacturing Lines
Authors: Lin Yu-Cheng , Chen Yen-Cheng , Hsieh Hui-I , Chen Pau-Chung
Published: June 2013

To examine the potential risk factors for work-related fatigue (WRF) among workers in modern industries, the authors analyzed the records of need-for-recovery questionnaires and health checkup results for 1545 employees. Compared with regular daytime workers, and after adjusting for confounders, the workers adapting to day-and-night rotating shift work (RSW) had a 4.0-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.7-5.9) increased risk for WRF, higher than the 2.2-fold risk (95% CI = 1.5-3.3) for persistent shift workers. Based on highest education level, the male employees with university degrees had the highest adjusted odds ratio (a-OR) 2.8 (95% CI = 1.0-7.8) for complaining of WRF versus compulsory education group. For female workers, currently married/cohabiting status was inversely associated with WRF (a-OR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.2-0.9), and child-rearing responsibility moderately increased WRF risk (a-OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.0-3.7). Day-and-night RSW and the adaptation, educational levels of males, and domestic factors for females contributed to WRF among semiconductor manufacturing employees.
Music on the timing grid: The influence of microtiming on the perceived groove quality of a simple drum pattern performance
Authors: Frühauf Jan , Kopiez Reinhard , Platz Friedrich
Published: June 2013

In general, microtiming is considered to be an important factor for the perceived quality of rhythms. Our experiment analyzed the influence of early or late time shift of both bass drum and snare drum on the perceived musical quality of a short, simple drum pattern in rock style. In a web-based study, music students ( N = 93) listened to a simple drum pattern played on a snare and a bass drum and evaluated the musical quality (in terms of the “groove quality”) of five degrees of microtiming deviations (early and late time shifts of the two instruments by −25 ms, −15 ms, 0 ms, +15 ms, and +25 ms). We found 5 significant results: (a) The highest ratings of perceived drum pattern quality were given for the rhythmically accurate (quantized) version; (b) the increasing deviation in microtiming resulted in lower quality ratings; (c) the evaluation of drum pattern quality showed a characteristic asymmetry of ratings for the two directions of deviations: early time shift was rated more negatively than the comparable late time shift; (d) in general, microtiming deviations on the snare drum were rated worse than comparable deviations on the bass drum; (e) the subjects’ degree of expertise in rock and pop music had no influence on the ratings. We conclude that at least some styles of modern groove-oriented music are characterized by an aesthetics of “exactitude” and a groove effect independent of microtiming deviations. Consequences for the aesthetic appreciation of different styles of music are discussed.
Making the Grade
Authors: Allday R. Allan , Christle Christine A.
Published: June 2013

Academic failure and exclusionary discipline practices are key elements in what has been described as the “school to prison pipeline.” While there exists a strong body of research on the risks for delinquency, few studies have addressed the variables within schools that exacerbate or counteract these risks. We examined the academic pathways in English/Language Arts (E/LA) of a group of students recommended for expulsion in one school district, including students with and without disabilities. We obtained the letter grades that students received and the statewide assessment (SWA) results from elementary through high school for 81 participants who were recommended for expulsion in high school. Multiple t tests demonstrated that overall, students’ performance decreased as they progressed through school and students’ SWA scores differed considerably from course performance grades in elementary school. We discuss the results in terms of implications and recommendations for improving the educational pathways of students at risk of school expulsion.
Positive Wisdom for Climate Change Awareness
Authors: Crookall-Fallon Christopher
Published: June 2013

This tribute outlines some of the contributions that John Crookall-Greening made to society—fighting nuclear arms and helping local communities become more climate change resilient. It also outlines some of John’s endearing traits, which together constituted a positive force inspiring many to lead more climate-friendly lives.
Health Care Among Street-Involved Women
Authors: Bungay Vicky
Published: June 2013

I present the findings from a study that explored the experiences and decision making of street-involved women navigating the health care system. Data were drawn from a larger qualitative study situated in a western Canadian inner-city neighborhood that examined the health-management strategies of street-involved women with a history of crack cocaine use. Data were collected over a 17-month period and included ethnographic methods of participant observation, group interviews ( n = 57), and in-depth interviews ( n = 10). Inductive thematic analysis derived two major themes: power and punishment, and organization and delivery of care. The themes illustrate how women’s experiences and decision making were located within a nexus of power relations that operated across women’s shared social location as downtown eastsiders. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to supporting women’s efforts and improving health outcomes.
A Role for Communities in Primary Prevention of Chronic Illness? Case Studies in Regional Australia
Authors: Taylor Judy , Braunack-Mayer Annette , Cargo Margaret , Larkins Sarah , Preston Robyn
Published: June 2013

In regional Australia “communities of place,” defined as bounded geographic locations with a local society, undertake community-wide primary prevention programs. In helping to prevent chronic illness, communities provide valuable resources to the health system. To understand the role of community–health sector partnerships for primary prevention and the community contextual factors that affect them, we studied eight partnerships. We used an embedded multiple case study design and collected data through interviews, nonparticipant observation, and document analysis. These data were analyzed using a typology of community–health sector partnerships and community interaction theory to frame the key community contextual factors that affected partnerships. The dominant factor affecting all partnerships was the presence of a collective commitment that communities brought to making the community a better place through developing health. We call this a communitarian approach. Additional research to investigate factors influencing a communitarian approach and the role it plays in partnerships is required.
Waiting for Daybreak
Authors: Swain Amy E.
Published: June 2013

This performance narrative is an exploration of the trauma after the trauma: the days and weeks following a sexual assault I experienced in college. As an assault victim, I encountered the initial violence of the attack, but afterward, I continued to encounter violence in the forms of silence, banality, dismissal, and the inability to connect with others. In this offering, I attempt to present the fierce collision of emotions I drove through on the road to recovery. The unwelcome company of painful memories almost always pervaded my isolation and loneliness. This performance raises questions on the types of responses a survivor encounters from friends, family, and the broader society. Finding help isn’t as simple as picking up the phone, because first and foremost, the victim must call.
Mohave Runner
Authors: Brady Ivan
Published: June 2013

Continuing the search for alternative forms of representation in anthropology and history that has marked most of my career, and believing that there is more than one way to see and to show things, and therefore to know them, this article both cuts through and combines key elements of anthropology, history, ethnography, fiction, and poetics. The data are ethnographically correct and the lines are metered. Imagination is the glue, in this case applied precisely to personal experience with the physical landscapes described and to reporting as accurately and reliably as possible when faced with the challenges of knowing other people, especially when the prospects reach across boundaries of time and culture.
Proud Stigma
Authors: Chen Wei-Fen
Published: June 2013

This performance-based autoethnographic work is inspired by the epiphanic moment in the author’s life. By depicting a woman struggling between families’ expectations to her and her own dream, the author demonstrates the complicated nature of the structure–agency interaction and sympathizes with those obedient daughters who inherit the family traditions with understanding but simultaneously are confined by the past. The haunting ghost of the woman’s family is her late grandfather who was executed as a political criminal. Always trying to please others and compensate the loss and sorrow in the family, she finally failed in intimate relationships and expelled herself to an exotic culture, where she felt settled since she carries no labels or past there. The moment of reconciliation did not solve physical problems, but helped her reexamine the painful family memory and move on with courage and agency.
The Path of Wellness
Authors: Atkins Laura
Published: June 2013

This Mystory begins with a letter to my father’s physician regarding the VA’s decision to deny my father benefits for his service-related cancer. In reflecting on memories about loss, agency, community identity, and the environment, the narrative that follows reaffirms the integrity of place, while also serving as a platform for questioning discourses that emphasize lifestyle variables as the primary source of disease. In challenging the VA’s decision, I allow for what Soyini Madison calls a “politics of possibility.”
Removing Guns From Batterers
Authors: Vittes Katherine A. , Webster Daniel W. , Frattaroli Shannon , Claire Barbara E. , Wintemute Garen J.
Published: June 2013

Persons under certain domestic violence restraining orders in California are required to surrender any firearms in their possession within 24 hours of service. The California Department of Justice funded a pilot program in which Sheriff’s Offices in two counties developed a system for better enforcing the firearm surrender requirement. As part of a larger process evaluation, 17 restraining order recipients were interviewed about their experiences with and feelings about the removal of firearms from their abusers. Most women surveyed wanted firearms removed and felt safer as a result of their removal. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Diminished Infant P50 Sensory Gating Predicts Increased 40-Month-Old Attention, Anxiety/Depression, and Externalizing Symptoms
Authors: Hutchison Amanda K. , Hunter Sharon K. , Wagner Brandie D. , Calvin Elizabeth A. , Zerbe Gary O. , Ross Randal G.
Published: June 2013

Objective: When behavioral problems resulting from attentional difficulties present, often in preschool, it is unknown whether these problems represent preexisting altered brain development or new brain changes. This study examines whether infant sensory gating of auditory evoked potentials predicts parent-reported behavior at 40 months. Method: P50 sensory gating, an auditory evoked potential measure reflective of inhibitory processes in the brain, was measured in 50 infants around 70 days old. Parents, using the Child Behavior Checklist, reported on the child’s behavior at 40 months. Results: Controlling for gender, infants with diminished sensory gating had more problems later with externalizing behavior ( F = 4.17, ndf = 1, ddf = 46, p = .047), attentional problems ( F = 5.23, ndf = 1, ddf = 46, p = .027), and anxious/depressed symptoms ( F = 5.36, ndf = 1, ddf = 46, p = .025). Conclusion: Diminished infant P50 sensory gating predicts attention symptoms 3 years later. These results support the hypothesis that preschool attentional dysfunction may relate to altered brain development that is detectable years prior to symptom onset.
Friction analysis at the glass/tool interface and the lubrication influence during hot forming cycles
Authors: Moreau Philippe , Montoya Damien , Lochegnies Dominique , Vivier Hugues
Published: June 2013

In the hollow glass industry, specifically in the luxury perfume glass bottle industry, the success of the forming process depends on preventing the sticking at the glass/mold interface to make it easier to release the mold and prevent defects on the glass surface. This study concerns a new way to analyze the impact of lubrication on the glass/tool mechanical behavior. It is based on successive forming cycles performed on the experimental glass/tool interaction platform in the TEMPO Laboratory (Valenciennes, France). Each forming cycle combines a pressing phase, when the hot glass is pressed by the punch and a punch rotation phase in order to estimate the friction force. This article presents the analysis of the flint glass forming cycles using different punch lubrication conditions (i.e. bare punch, swabbed punch, coated punch, and coated/swabbed punch). The friction analysis is based on the evolution of the friction coefficient during forming cycles on the glass/tool interaction platform. The effect of the initial temperature of the glass on the friction coefficient for the glass forming is presented using the swabbed punch.
Promoting a functional physical self-concept in physical education: Evaluation of a 10-week intervention
Authors: Schmidt Mirko , Valkanover Stefan , Roebers Claudia , Conzelmann Achim
Published: June 2013

Most physical education intervention studies on the positive effect of sports on self-concept development have attempted to increase schoolchildren’s self-concept without taking the veridicality of the self-concept into account. The present study investigated whether a 10-week intervention in physical education would lead to an increase not only in the general level of self-concept of endurance and self-concept of strength but also in its veridicality in those who had previously under- or overestimated their abilities. A total of 464 primary schoolchildren (246 boys, 218 girls, Mage= 11.9) either participated in the intervention or served as controls. The intervention group received endurance and strength training during physical education lessons carried out with a consistent individualized teacher frame of reference (iTFR). Results showed that this specific intervention was associated with increases not only in the general level of self-concept but also in its veridicality in under- and overestimators. Results are discussed in terms of didactic methods to promote functional self-concepts in physical education.
Harmonious bilingual development: Young families’ well-being in language contact situations
Authors: De Houwer Annick
Published: June 2013

Harmonious bilingual development is the experience of well-being in a language contact situation involving young children and their families. While so far no systematic ethnographic studies of harmonious bilingual development exist, the following constituting elements are proposed: the use of parent–child conversations employing basically a single language, children’s active use of two languages rather than just one, and children’s more or less equal proficiency in each language. The factors contributing to these elements most likely are positive attitudes to early bilingualism, discourse socialization patterns and the frequency with which children hear each language.

While some research investigating these factors has been initiated, a new theory- and practice-oriented research focus on harmonious bilingual development framed within the larger context of well-being research is needed for a deeper understanding of young children and their families’ positive experience with bilingual development and the factors that may foster it.
Comparison of sick leave patterns between Norway and Denmark in the health and care sector: A register study
Authors: Krane Line , Fleten Nils , Stapelfeldt Christina M , Nielsen Claus Vinther , Jensen Chris , Johnsen Roar , Braaten Tonje
Published: June 2013

Aims: Sickness absence is of considerable concern in both Norway and Denmark. Labour Force Surveys indicate that absence in Norway is about twice that in Denmark and twice that of the mean reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This study compares absence patterns according to age, percentage of employment, and occupation between municipal employees in the health and care sectors in two municipalities in Norway and Denmark. Methods: Data recorded in the personnel registers of the municipalities of Kristiansand, Norway and Aarhus, Denmark were extracted for the years 2004 and 2008, revealing 3498 and 7751 employee-years, respectively. We calculated absence rates together with number of sick leave episodes, and their association with the above-mentioned covariates. Gender-specific comparative descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression analysis were performed. Results: The sickness absence rate in women was 11.3% in Norway (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.2–11.4) and 7.0% in Denmark (95% CI 7.0–7.1) whereas mean number of sick leave episodes among women was 2.4 in Denmark, compared to 2.3 in Norway ( p = 0.02). Young employees in Denmark had more sick leave episodes than in Norway. Proportion of absentees was higher in Denmark compared to Norway ( p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The finding of that more employees in Denmark have more frequent, but shorter sick leave episodes compared to Norway, for whatever reasons, may indicate that more frequent sick leaves episodes prevent higher sick leaves rates.
Indoor environment and respiratory symptoms among children under five years of age in a peri-urban area of Abidjan
Authors: Sackou J. K. , Oga S. A. , Tanoh F. , Houénou Y. , Kouadio L.
Published: June 2013

Children who spend more time indoors at home could become vulnerable to respiratory illnesses due to indoor pollution. There is little documentation on this major threat to public health in Côte d’Ivoire, where 70% of the population uses biomass as a home energy source. As a part of an EcoHealth project, factors associated with the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among children under five years of age were studied in a peri-urban neighbourhood north of Abidjan. From May to July 2010, a transdisciplinary team administered a questionnaire and an observation checklist to collect data on the physical quality of 681 dwellings of 899 children and the children’s living conditions. The 25.6% prevalence of respiratory symptoms was high among children whose mothers were housewives. Solid fuel burning was also linked with respiratory symptoms, as were a number of factors degrading the physical quality of dwellings (presence of mould/mildew, average number of openings per room <2, temperature ≤30℃, humidity level ≥90%). Addressing these factors that originate in children’s indoor environments would help reduce their vulnerability to respiratory illnesses.
Comparison of the Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Narrow Gastric Tube and Whole Stomach Reconstruction after Oncologic Esophagectomy: A Prospective Randomized Study
Authors: Zhang M. , Wu Q. C. , Li Q. , Jiang Y. J. , Zhang C. , Chen D.
Published: June 2013

Background and Aims:

To compare the health-related quality of life in patients with narrow gastric tube and whole stomach reconstructions after oncologic esophagectomy.

Material and Methods:

In a prospective randomized single-center study from 2007 to 2008, 104 patients underwent esophagectomy for cancer. To assess health-related quality of life, the questionnaire (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and the Oesophagus-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire 18) was administered at 3 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery.

Results:

The perioperative complication rate was 26.9% in narrow gastric tube group and 48.1% in whole stomach group ( P = 0.31). At the time of 3 weeks after surgery, the reflux and dyspnea scores were higher in whole stomach group than in narrow gastric tube group, which meant that the patients in whole stomach group suffered more severe problem. At the time of 6 months and 1 year after surgery, the reflux scores were lower in narrow gastric tube group than in whole stomach group, which revealed that there were less problems of reflux in the patients of narrow gastric tube group; meanwhile, the score of physical function scale in narrow gastric tube group was higher conversely, which suggested that the patients gain a better status in physical function. Nausea and vomiting is the only notable symptom that was worse in whole stomach group at the time of 2 years after surgery, which suggested that patients in whole stomach group suffered more severe nausea and vomiting.

Conclusions:

Narrow gastric tube reconstruction may be a good alternative choice for patients undergoing oncologic esophagectomy in view of better health-related quality of life after the surgery.
Does Blood Transfusion Affect Intermediate Survival after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery?
Authors: Mikkola R. , Heikkinen J. , Lahtinen J. , Paone R. , Juvonen T. , Biancari F.
Published: June 2013

Background:

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of transfusion of blood products on intermediate outcome after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Patients:

Complete data on perioperative blood transfusion in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were available from 2001 patients who were operated at our institution.

Results:

Transfusion of any blood product (relative risk = 1.678, 95% confidence interval = 1.087–2.590) was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. The additive effect of each blood product on all-cause mortality (relative risk = 1.401, 95% confidence interval = 1.203–1.630) and cardiac mortality (relative risk = 1.553, 95% confidence interval = 1.273–1.895) was evident when the sum of each blood product was included in the regression models. However, when single blood products were included in the regression model, transfusion of fresh frozen plasma/Octaplas® was the only blood product associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (relative risk = 1.692, 95% confidence interval = 1.222–2.344) and cardiac mortality (relative risk = 2.125, 95% confidence interval = 1.414–3.194). The effect of blood product transfusion was particularly evident during the first three postoperative months. Since follow-up was truncated at 3 months, transfusion of any blood product was a significant predictor of all-cause mortality (relative risk = 2.998, 95% confidence interval = 1.053–0.537). Analysis of patients who survived or had at least 3 months of potential follow-up showed that transfusion of any blood product was not associated with a significantly increased risk of intermediate all-cause mortality (relative risk = 1.430, 95% confidence interval = 0.880–2.323).

Conclusions:

Transfusion of any blood product is associated with a significant risk of all-cause and cardiac mortality after coronary artery bypass surgery. Such a risk seems to be limited to the early postoperative period and diminishes later on. Among blood products, perioperative use of fresh frozen plasma or Octaplas seems to be the main determinant of mortality.
Human Early Liver Regeneration after Hepatectomy in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Special Reference to Age
Authors: Shirabe K. , Motomura T. , Takeishi K. , Morita K. , Kayashima H. , Taketomi A. , Ikegami T. , Soejima Y. , Yoshizumi T. , Maehara Y.
Published: June 2013

Background and Aims:

This study was conducted to clarify the effects of age on human liver regeneration.

Patients and Methods:

Thirty major hepatectomies, equal to or more than two segmentectomies for hepatocellular carcinoma, were performed. Ages ranged from 37 to 85 years and five octogenarians were included. The early regenerative index was defined: (liver volume after 7 days after hepatectomy − estimated remnant liver volume before hepatectomy)/estimated remnant liver volume, using three-dimensional computed tomographic volumetry. Farnesoid X receptor and forkhead box m1 expression in the liver, which has been reported to age-related decrease of liver regeneration in animal model, were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The patients were divided into two groups: low early regenerative index ( n = 15), early regenerative index less than 55% and high early regenerative index ( n = 15), early regenerative index equal to or more than 55%.

Results:

The mean early regenerative index was 57%. Age ( R2 = 0.274, P = 0.003) and estimated blood loss ( R2 = 0.134, P = 0.0466) were inversely correlated with the early regenerative index, and the expression of farnesoid X receptor and forkhead box m1 was not. The incidence of posthepatectomy liver failure in the low early regenerative index group was higher than that in the high early regenerative index group ( P = 0.0421).

Conclusions:

Age and intraoperative blood loss are inversely correlated with early liver regeneration in humans. In elderly patients, massive blood loss should be avoided in view of liver regeneration.