bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting the provenance of Galápagos non-native pollen: The role of humans and air currents as transport mechanisms
Authors: van der Knaap WO , van Leeuwen Jacqueline FN , Froyd Cynthia A , Willis Kathy J
Published: July 2012

The influence of non-native pollen, both long-distance transported and from introduced taxa, on reconstruction of past vegetation is not often well quantified in palynological investigations. We examined both fossil and modern samples from the Galápagos Islands, a remote archipelago lying 1000 km from the nearest continent. These islands are particularly well-suited for such an assessment, as (1) the native flora is limited and well-known, enabling increased taxonomic resolution within the palynological record, and (2) human impact in the Galápagos started after discovery by Europeans in 1535, allowing clear distinctions to be made between native and introduced taxa. Pollen samples were collected from five profiles in the Galápagos and grouped in (a) a pre-human-impact period, (b) an early human-impact period after c. 1535, and (c) a late human-impact period after c. 1973 when the introduced Cinchona pubescens tree started to expand. Introduced taxa accounted for approximately 10% of total pollen (excluding Cyperaceae) throughout the human-impact periods and long-distance transported pollen for approximately 5%. Twenty pollen taxa of introduced plants were found. Cinchona, which grows abundantly near the study sites, accounted for most of the introduced pollen, but an appreciable part also came from introduced plants growing in low numbers and at more distant locations within the archipelago. Total long-distance transported pollen (35 taxa) increased from 3% of total pollen in the pre-human-impact period to 5% in the human-impact periods, probably due to destruction of native vegetation through fire and thus reduction of local pollen production. These phenomena might lead to erroneous interpretation of local plant occurrence when the native/non-native or local/extra-local status of plants is not known.
Carbon tetrachloride-induced nephrotoxicity and DNA damage in rats
Authors: Makni M , Chtourou Y , Garoui EM , Boudawara T , Fetoui H
Published: July 2012

In this study, the protective effects of vanillin were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced kidney damages in Wistar albino rats. CCl4 (1 ml/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) caused a significant induction of renal disorder, oxidative damage and DNA fragmentation as evidenced by increased plasma creatinine, urea and uric acid levels, increased lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]) and protein carbonyl. Furthermore, glutathione levels, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly decreased. A smear without ladder formation on agarose gel was also shown, indicating random DNA degradation. Pretreatment of rats with vanillin (150 mg/kg/day, i.p.), for 3 consecutive days before CCl4 injection, protected kidney against the increase of MDA and degradation of membrane proteins compared to CCl4-treated rats and exhibited marked prevention against CCl4-induced nephropathology, oxidative stress and DNA damage. Kidney histological sections showed glomerular hypertrophy and tubular dilatation in CCl4-treated rats, however, in vanillin pretreated rats, these histopathological changes were less important and present a similar structure to that of control rats. These data indicated the protective role of vanillin against CCl4-induced nephrotoxicity and suggested its significant contribution of these beneficial effects.
Dietary flaxseed oil supplementation ameliorates the effect of cisplatin on brush border membrane enzymes and antioxidant system in rat intestine
Authors: Naqshbandi A , Rizwan S , Khan MW , Khan F
Published: July 2012

Cisplatin (CP; cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II) is a drug widely used against different types of solid tumors. Patients receiving CP, however, experience very profound and long lasting gastrointestinal symptoms. Recently, ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid–enriched flaxseed/flaxseed oil (FXO) has shown numerous health benefits. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether FXO can prevent CP-induced adverse biochemical changes in the small intestine of rats. A single intraperitoneal dose of CP (6 mg/kg body weight) was administered to male Wistar rats fed with control diet (CP group) and FXO diet (CPFXO group). Administration of CP led to a significant decline in the specific activities of brush border membrane enzymes both in the mucosal homogenates and in the isolated membrane vesicles. Lipid peroxidation and total sulfhydryl groups were altered upon CP treatment, indicating the generation of oxidative stress. The activities of SOD, catalase and glutathione peroxidase also decreased in CP-treated rats. In contrast, dietary supplementation of FXO prior to and following CP treatment significantly attenuated the CP-induced changes in all these parameters. FXO feeding markedly enhanced resistance to CP-elicited adverse gastrointestinal effects. The results suggest that FXO owing to its intrinsic biochemical/antioxidant properties is an effective agent in reducing the adverse effects of CP on intestine.
Ruminations on Evaluation in the Mahila Samakhya Programme
Authors: Jandhyala Kameshwari
Published: July 2012

This article examines the challenges of evaluating Mahila Samakhya (MS), a government sponsored programme for the empowerment and education of poor women. The programme has no fixed targets and aims at enabling such women to go beyond mere literacy and engage in a learning process that facilitates their collective agency and action to question and overcome deep-seated gender barriers. The article explores the issue of evaluation at several levels—negotiating with donors on evaluation parameters and methods, developing qualitative evaluation parameters and also at the conceptual domain of what or who needs to be evaluated especially in programmes that aim at challenging and transforming both gender and social inequity and inequality. The article also comments on the changing external context with its strong emphasis on measurable outcomes and quantitative measures of assessment and its implications for programmes such as MS, where the struggle is to ensure that the processes of empowerment that are often intangible are not overlooked.
Evaluating Gender and Equity in Elementary Education: Reflections on Methodologies, Processes and Outcomes
Authors: Ramachandran Vimala
Published: July 2012

This article traces the path taken in India towards more rigorous and nuanced analyses of gender and equity issues in elementary education. It argues for the need to go beyond counting numbers of girls and boys enrolled or completing school and delve into the in-school, family and community issues that facilitate or impede successful school completion. Based on research studies and evaluations the article argues for a nuanced and textured analysis of gender and social equity issues that influence educational outcomes as well as frame educational opportunities available to girls and to children from socially disadvantaged groups. The article explores methodologies to capture overt and subtle forms of discrimination and exclusion in schools. The unique feature of this article is that it explores the systemic factors that have inhibited access and learning and explores research methodology adopted to capture the voices of children in schools and those who are out of school.
A Feminist, Gender and Rights Perspective for Evaluation of Women’s Health Programmes
Authors: Khanna Renu
Published: July 2012

This article discusses the evaluation practice of a women’s health advocate who learnt lessons about evaluation of health programmes from the experience of being evaluated. In turn, the author lays out the principles that she tries to follow while undertaking evaluations, namely, her concept of women’s health and the values and ethical principles that guide her practice. The article presents and discusses three case studies of recent evaluations and reviews that the author was involved in to illustrate how she reinterpreted the terms of reference from a feminist and gender perspective. The article discusses how a feminist evaluator could negotiate the intricate relationships in an evaluation, how to address the issues of power; and the meaning of knowledge-building within an evaluation context.
Reflections on a Decade of Evaluation of Micro-finance and Livelihood Projects from a Gender and Equity Lens
Authors: Murthy Ranjani Kamala
Published: July 2012

This article reflects on 10 years of experience in evaluating micro-finance and livelihood development projects from a gender perspective. It suggests a framework for gendered evaluation design and offers tools that have been useful in that type of evaluation. The article also reflects on gender tensions in the evaluation process and suggests the need to place issues of justice at the centre of evaluation design, tools and process.
The Determinants of Islamic Banks’ Efficiency Changes: Empirical Evidence from the World Banking Sectors
Authors: Noor Mohamad Akbar Noor Mohamad , Ahmad Nor Hayati Bt
Published: July 2012

The article investigates the efficiency of the Islamic banking sectors in 25 countries during the period 1992–2009 consisting of 78 Islamic banks. The efficiency estimates of individual banks are evaluated using the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The empirical findings seem to suggest that the World Islamic banks have exhibited high pure technical efficiency. During the period of study we find that pure technical inefficiency has greater influence in determining the total technical inefficiency of the World Islamic banking sectors. Second, further analysis into the investigation of the World Islamic banking sector efficiency is suggested to consider specific factors that contribute to high-income countries leading efficiency over the years compared to banks operated in medium- and low-income countries. Based on Table 3, it is consistently stated that most of the efficient banks over the years were from high-income countries. We find a positive relationship between bank efficiency and loan intensity, size, capitalization and profitability. Empirical results show that technically more efficient banks are those that have higher market share and a low non-performing loan ratio. A multivariate analysis based on the Tobit model reinforces these findings.
Role of Perceived Organizational Support in the Relationship between HR Practices and Organizational Trust
Authors: Narang Leenu , Singh Lakhwinder
Published: July 2012

This article examines the role of perceived organizational support as a mediator in the relationship between human resources practices and organizational trust. Analysis of data from a sample of 308 employees from various Indian companies located in the National Capital Region (NCR) indicated that perceived organizational support significantly but partially mediates the relationship between human resource practices and trust in the organization.
Impact of Stress on Health: A Study of Bank Branch Managers in India
Authors: Kang Lakhwinder Singh , Sandhu Rashpal Singh
Published: July 2012

The study examined the relationship between job and family related stressors and the physical and mental health of bank branch managers. A sample of 316 bank branch managers from public and private sector banks operating in the state of Punjab (India) was selected. A significant number of the respondents have been found experiencing poor physical and mental health. ‘Highly intricate nature of the job’, ‘lack of time for family and personal care’, ‘insufficient training and career uncertainties’, ‘performance constraints and pressures’, ‘surveillance required’, ‘unwanted criticism’, ‘travelling and transfers’, and ‘family obligations’, have been found affecting the physical and mental health of bank branch managers.
Historical Market-to-Book Ratio and Corporate Capital Structure: Evidence from India
Authors: Mukherjee Sulagna , Mahakud Jitendra
Published: July 2012

This paper tries to identify the nature of historical market-to-book ratio, that is, whether it can be used as a market timing proxy or growth opportunity proxy and to find out its impact on capital structure and the adjustment speed to target capital structure. Using a panel data analysis we find the evidence that the historical market-to-book ratio has been a better proxy for growth opportunity than market timing and it plays a significant role for determination of capital structure for Indian manufacturing companies. We also find that Indian manufacturing companies do have a target capital structure and the speed of adjustment to this target capital structure has been around 40 per cent, but the historical market-to-book ratio does not have a significant impact on the speed of adjustment.
Interconversions between linear viscoelastic functions by using relaxation-creep duality representation
Authors: Chen Dao-Long , Yang Ping-Feng , Lai Yi-Shao , Chen Tei-Chen
Published: July 2012

The interconversions between relaxation moduli and creep compliances, including stretch, shear, bulk parts, and the time-dependent Poisson’s ratio, are derived by using the relaxation-creep duality representation. The relaxation-creep duality representation for the viscoelastic functions introduced in this paper is composed of an exponential function that characterizes the relaxation behavior and a complementary one that characterizes the creep behavior. All viscoelastic functions can be represented as the same form. The new sets of coefficients, called the modulating constants, between viscoelastic functions obey the elastic-like interconversions, and do not involve the characteristic times. The relationships of characteristic times between those functions are also derived. These interconversion formulas can then be calculated easily. Three literatures are referenced to calculate the consistency of the viscoelastic functions via the new interconversions introduced in this work. The Young’s relaxation modulus in one literature is not consistent to the shear one in another literature. By assuming a constant bulk modulus, the modified Young’s relaxation modulus and time-dependent Poisson’s ratio that was derived by the new interconversions can meet the measured curves and can be consistent to the shear creep compliance in the literatures. The fitted data from experiments can then be checked via the new mathematical interconversions for the consistency.
Do legitimate polities have fewer homicides? A cross-national analysis
Authors: Nivette Amy E. , Eisner Manuel
Published: July 2012

This research is concerned with developing and testing models of political legitimacy as a predictor of homicide on the cross-national level. Specifically, we used Bruce Gilley’s (2006) theoretically driven indicator of political legitimacy to examine its direct and moderating effects on homicide. This measure is available for 65 nations, and is composed of indicators representing a state’s capacity to obey its own laws (legality), the degree to which civil and political values coincide (justification), and the level of behavioral consent of the people (consent). After controlling for a number of widely acknowledged predictors, legitimacy was found to be significantly negatively related to homicide.
Longitudinal study of perceived negative impact in African American and Caucasian mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Carr Themba , Lord Catherine
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the stability of mothers’ perceptions of the negative impact of having a child with ASD in a sample of African American and Caucasian families as their children transitioned to early adolescence. Participants were mothers and children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study of children referred for diagnosis of ASD at age two. Analyses included data from two time points, when child participants were approximately 9 and 14 years old. Linear mixed model analyses were used to examine the relationship between the primary outcome variable, mothers’ perceived negative impact across time, and hypothesized predictors. Negative impact increased significantly from late childhood to into adolescence. However, African American mothers with lower education reported significantly lower levels of perceived negative impact at both time points. Findings show that for some families, the transition to adolescence is a period in which mothers experience increased amounts of negative impact and highlight the importance of examining the influence of socioeconomic variables. Furthermore, data suggest that there may be cultural differences mediating the relationship between maternal education, ethnicity, and perceived negative impact. Implications for the importance of including families from varying levels of socioeconomic status in ASD research are discussed.
Using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system in preschool classrooms with children with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Dykstra Jessica R , Sabatos-DeVito Maura G , Irvin Dwight W , Boyd Brian A , Hume Kara A , Odom Sam L
Published: July 2012

This study describes the language environment of preschool programs serving children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and examines relationships between child characteristics and an automated measure of adult and child language in the classroom. The Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system was used with 40 children with ASD to collect data on adult and child language. Standardized assessments were administered to obtain language, cognitive, and autism severity scores for participants. With a mean of over 5 hours of recording across two days several months apart, there was a mean of 3.6 child vocalizations per minute, 1.0 conversational turns (in which either the adult or child respond to the other within 5 seconds) per minute, and 29.2 adult words per minute. Two of the three LENA variables were significantly correlated with language age-equivalents. Cognitive age-equivalents were also significantly correlated with two LENA variables. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule severity scores and LENA variables were not significantly correlated. Implications for using the LENA system with children with ASD in the school environment are discussed.
Parents helping their children learn to read: The effectiveness of paired reading and hearing reading in a developing country context
Authors: Shah-Wundenberg Mihika , Wyse Dominic , Chaplain Roland
Published: July 2012

This paper reports research that investigated parental support for children’s reading of English in an inner-city school in the developing country context of an Indian city, Ahmedabad. Children had oral proficiency in the regional language but were beginning to acquire conventional forms of literacy in English. Sociocultural mediation theory underpinned a mixed-methods research design. A quasi-experimental trial with a sample of 241 children was conducted to assess the relative effectiveness of two approaches to parents supporting reading: Paired Reading and Hearing Reading. Interviews and observations with a smaller sub-sample of parents and children were utilised to further explore the implications of the trial data. Paired Reading and Hearing Reading were found to be equally effective in enhancing children’s beginning English reading skills, reading accuracy and comprehension, relative to controls. Parents engaged in a variety of mediation behaviours to enhance their children’s English reading development. Parents felt that participating in their children’s reading was both enriching and empowering. In view of the evidence that Hearing Reading can be, and was, implemented by parents with little or no English language proficiency, it is concluded that implementing Hearing Reading on a wider scale across the city could impact beneficially on children’s English reading development.
Dual-language books as an emergent-literacy resource: Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and learning
Authors: Naqvi Rahat , McKeough Anne , Thorne Keoma , Pfitscher Christina
Published: July 2012

The effectiveness of dual-language book reading in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms is largely uncontested. Yet there are repeated calls for more research to determine how this resource can be used more broadly and effectively by teachers, especially in emergent-literacy learning contexts. In the present study we analysed culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and learning in dual-language book reading vignettes to demonstrate how teachers and volunteer readers build on linguistic and cultural repertoires of emergent-literacy learners to help them gain metalinguistic awareness, cultural empowerment and identities as capable learners. We argue that diversity can be embraced and multilingualism can be positioned as normal by using dual-language books to motivate discussion about language and cultural artefacts. The findings suggest a rethinking of classroom practices based on family involvement in the classroom and a subtle shift in the balance of authority and expertise among teachers, children and families.
The War (on Terror) on Alzheimer’s
Authors: George Daniel R , Whitehouse Peter J
Published: July 2012

In the decade following the tragedies of 9/11, a US-led “War on Terror” has coincided with a US-led “War on Alzheimer’s disease”. Not only has the rhetoric from these two wars overlapped and produced similar practical and conceptual problems, the campaigns have also become interwoven through the emerging public health issue of war-related head injuries, as well as a shared neglect for environmental contributions to human suffering. This article first explores similarities in the framing and prosecution of both wars, and then considers the long-term consequences of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and traumatic environmental injuries (TEI) in the context of a society facing the increased prevalence of dementia. Ultimately, it is argued that addressing the challenges of cognitive aging and preventing violent social conflict both require a vernacular of higher ideals and values – as well as new language patterns rising out of the ecological movement – to trump the more expedient war rhetoric that has disproportionately marked public discourse around terrorism and Alzheimer’s disease during the past decade.
Public scholarship as a vocation
Authors: Karp Ivan
Published: July 2012

The calling of public scholarship is inherently multifaceted, and often inherently controversial; public scholars have to accommodate different spheres of society, different cultural values and goods, and even different political agendas in their work. Unlike academic workers, public scholars rarely have the opportunity to do work that is driven primarily by intellectual agendas, yet they also have to sustain fidelity to the ideas, values and standards of the disciplines they practice – even when sustaining fidelity means criticizing the most cherished tenets of the disciplines themselves. To be successful, public scholarship must be animated by a pluralist conception of society, a vision of the social world that recognizes that all of us live among different and incompatible cultures and that even the cultures we claim as our own have incommensurate and incompatible standards.
Learning, judgment, and the rooted particular
Authors: McCabe David
Published: July 2012

This article begins by acknowledging the general worry that scholarship in the humanities lacks the rigor and objectivity of other scholarly fields. In considering the validity of that criticism, I distinguish two models of learning: the covering law model exemplified by the natural sciences, and the model of rooted particularity that characterizes the humanities. With those two models set forth, I defend the humanities against the general challenge of lack of rigor by showing how objective standards of evaluation are to be understood within the particularity model. I then discuss the distinct benefits offered by that model of learning and conclude by showing how the skills and temperament associated with that model can be usefully deployed to illuminate Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
Review of the research on emerged and submerged semicircular breakwaters
Authors: Dhinakaran Govindasamy , Sundar Vallam , Sundaravadivelu Renganathan
Published: July 2012

Scientists and researchers are currently focusing considerable attention on the hydrodynamic characteristics of semicircular breakwaters worldwide, particularly in Japan and the People’s Republic of China. A semicircular breakwater is a composite breakwater made of prestressed concrete and has several merits over a conventional rubble mound breakwater, e.g. it is technically advanced, economically viable and aesthetically pleasing. At low water levels, it serves as a rubble mound breakwater and, at high water levels, it acts as a composite breakwater in the emerged condition. It reduces the considerable magnitude of dynamic forces if constructed in front of a vertical wall (the main structure) under the submerged condition and also reduces coastal erosion along the shoreline. Many research studies are being carried out all over the world to evaluate the performance of a semicircular breakwater in the laboratory and in the field. The authors of this review paper have also conducted a large number of experiments to study the hydrodynamic characteristics of a semicircular breakwater and to optimize the parameters such as the rubble mound height, the water depth and the size of perforations. The experiments were conducted for both the emerged condition and the submerged condition subjected to regular and random waves with various wave heights and periods to find the suitability of a semicircular breakwater in the field, and the optimum parameters were recommended in their previous publications. Hence, a sincere attempt has been made in this review paper to present the ongoing research on semicircular breakwaters, which has been carried out all over the world to facilitate the studies of researchers and to provide related information to people working in the area of semicircular breakwaters.
Damage detection in a woven-fabric composite laminate using time-reversed Lamb wave
Authors: Poddar Banibrata , Bijudas Christudas R , Mitra Mira , Mujumdar Prasanna M
Published: July 2012

Time reversibility is the process in which a response signal recorded at a receiver location is reversed in time and transmitted back through the receiver to the original transmitter location. In the absence of any defect or damage in the path between the transmitter and the receiver locations, theoretically, the signal received back at the original transmitter location (reconstructed signal) is identical to the original input signal. Therefore, differences in the transmitted and reconstructed signals are an indication of the possibility of a defect being present. An experimental study of a baseline-free damage detection technique using time reversibility of Lamb wave for a woven-fabric composite laminate is presented in this article. The initial part of the study is aimed towards obtaining the best possible reconstruction of the input signal by tuning various parameters of interest, including an experimental study of the frequency-dependent attenuation of Lamb wave modes (amplitude tuning). A finite element simulation has also been carried out to study the effect of amplitude tuning. Finally, the time-reversal concept is used to detect damage in woven composite laminates without using any information from the undamaged structure. In this study, a small block mass bonded to the surface, surface erosion and local impact are considered as representative of different types of damage. The results obtained show that the Lamb wave technique using time-reversal concept identifies correctly the presence of damage in woven-fabric composite laminates, thus providing a basis for baseline-free damage detection in composite structures.
Using a Comprehensive Best Practices Approach to Strengthen Ethical Health-Related Practice
Authors: Kahan Barbara
Published: July 2012

Ethical conduct plays a vital role in ensuring that issues such as health inequities are addressed. The Interactive Domain Model (IDM), a comprehensive best practices approach, provides a guiding framework to integrate ethics into health-related practice. Its five tenets emphasize the importance of developing multiple best practices to ensure sensitivity to local circumstances; taking into account the complex and interactive nature of the world; ensuring consistency between practice and key elements such as values, theories, evidence, and understanding the environment; engaging in ongoing critical reflection; and following a continuous improvement practice cycle with active participation from priority populations. Ethical implications for each tenet and ways to meet the challenges related to acting ethically are discussed.
Continuous Quality Improvement and Health Educators
Authors: Hammarth Ashley
Published: July 2012

Quality improvement is increasingly at the forefront of health care, creating a growing demand in clinical settings for health professionals adept at understanding and optimizing systems of health care delivery. Compared with clinicians, administrators, and health services researchers, health educators have to date played less of a role in quality improvement. However, as this article argues, the potential for health educators to contribute to such efforts is great because health education and quality improvement are more similar in their goals and approaches than is commonly recognized. Health educators bring important skills to quality improvement practice in areas such as needs assessment, participatory planning, and evaluation. To illustrate the mutual benefits that arise when these two practices intersect, the implementation of an electronic patient scheduling system led by quality improvement professionals in a large home care agency is described.
Perirectal Oncologic Gateway to Retroperitoneal Endoscopic Single-Site Surgery (PROGRESSS)
Authors: Leroy Joël , Diana Michele , Barry Brian , Mutter Didier , Melani Armando Geraldo Franchini , Wu Hurng-Sheng , Marescaux Jacques
Published: July 2012

Introduction. A transanal, posterior, retrorectal approach has been demonstrated as a feasible natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) total mesorectal excision (TME) procedure. The aim was to assess the feasibility of a transrectal approach with a completely retroperitoneal mobilization of the left colon and mesenteric vessels in an acute porcine model. Materials and methods. Eight pigs were used. A purse-string suture was made 3 cm above the anal sphincter. Next, the retroperitoneal, perirectal space was entered with an endoscope through a single (or twin) anterior lateral, transrectal viscerotomy. A retroperitoneal tunnel was created using pneumodissection or endoscopically guided dissection to the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). The IMA was skeletonized and lymph nodes retrieved using the IsisScope or other instruments. The IMA was divided with the Ligasure, clips, or ligature performed with the IsisScope. The rectum was dissected transanally in the “Holy” plane. After achieving mobilization using a completely retroperitoneal approach, the peritoneal attachments were then divided and the rectosigmoid specimen exteriorized through the anus. An explorative laparoscopy was then performed to evaluate the quality of the mobilization. Results. The procedure was successfully completed and the IMA correctly identified and ligated in all cases. In all but one case, no further mobilization was possible, even by a laparoscopic approach. Conclusions. Perirectal oncologic gateway to retroperitoneal endoscopic single-site surgery for left-sided colonic resections using both flexible and rigid surgical endoscopic platforms was feasible and reproducible in an acute porcine model. This technique might represent a step toward pure NOTES left-sided colorectal procedures.
Piecing Together Emotion: Sites and Time-Scales for Social Construction
Authors: Parkinson Brian
Published: July 2012

This article catalogs social processes contributing to construction of emotions across three time-scales, covering: natural selection; ontogenesis; and moment-by-moment transactions. During human evolution, genetic and cultural influences operate interdependently, not as separate forces working against each other. Further, leaving infants’ environment-open serves adaptive purposes. During ontogenesis, cultural socialization affects emotion development in various ways, not all of which depend on internalization of cultural meanings as emphasized in some earlier social constructionist accounts. Construction also operates over the moment-by-moment time-scale of real-time interpersonal interactions, as emotions adjust to the constraints and affordances of immediate cultural environments. Claims that emotions are constructed, and that social processes contribute to their construction, are no longer contestable. Now the project is to specify how these processes operate and what materials they use.
Computational Modelling of Culture and Affect
Authors: Aylett Ruth , Paiva Ana
Published: July 2012

This article discusses work on implementing emotional and cultural models into synthetic graphical characters. An architecture, FAtiMA, implemented first in the antibullying application FearNot! and then extended as FAtiMA-PSI in the cultural-sensitivity application ORIENT, is discussed. We discuss the modelling relationships between culture, social interaction, and cognitive appraisal. Integrating a lower level homeostatically based model is also considered as a means of handling some of the limitations of a purely symbolic approach. Evaluation to date is summarised and future directions discussed.
Defining Pain: Natural Semantic Metalanguage Meets IASP: A Comment on Wierzbicka’s “Is Pain a Human Universal? A Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Perspective on Pain”
Authors: Fernandez Ephrem
Published: July 2012

When it comes to communication of pain, Anna Wierzbicka (2012) takes issue with the scientific definition of pain and turns to natural semantic metalanguage (NSM). However, “pain” is not one of the 64 semantic primes in NSM, and therefore Wierzbicka suggests words such as “body,” “bad,” and “don’t want.” This blurs the boundaries between pain and other aversive sensations and it also challenges certain clinical features of the pain experience.
How Can One Piece Together Emotion when a Crucial Piece Is Missing?
Authors: Walle Eric A. , Dahl Audun , Campos Joseph J.
Published: July 2012

Attempts to explain emotion typically emphasize the interaction of evolutionary and socialization processes. However, in describing this interplay the role of the person is typically underemphasized or unaccounted for. This paper lays out empirical and theoretical rationale for considering the person as a major contributor to emotion generation and development.
What is Social in a Social-Constructionist View on Emotion?
Authors: Weber Hannelore
Published: July 2012

This commentary posits that the social-constructionist view of emotion should be clearly distinguished from related theoretical views on how emotions are shaped by and shape social interactions and relationships. Differentiating between distinct theoretical perspectives is essential in order to specify the unique knowledge about emotions gained by the social-constructionist approach and to create empirical paradigms that can be applied to test assumptions derived from the social-constructionist view.
Broadening the Scope: The Music and Emotion Nexus
Authors: Sutherland Ian
Published: July 2012

In joining Higgins’ music and emotion conversation I broaden the scope to consider the music–emotion nexus as a more dynamic, complex, contextual system of interactional experience. The music itself cannot be interpreted for what it does alone. We need to consider how musical experiences—understood holistically—may compel people to emotional experience, emotional work which is interwoven with context, aesthetic materials, and participating individuals.
Building Empathic Agents? Comment on “Computational Modelling of Culture and Affect” by Aylett and Paiva
Authors: Nishida Toyoaki
Published: July 2012

This comment discusses work by Aylett and Paiva (2012) which describes a synthetic approach to building a virtual world inhabited by synthetic characters where the user can experience subjective culture, that is, the experience of social reality, and learn how to empathetically communicate with people in other cultures. It provides a computational theory for integrating recent findings on emotion and cultural sensitivities into an interactive drama played by interacting characters with varying personalities. The FAtiMA-PSI, the implementation of their theory, has advanced a critical step towards basing affective intelligence on a firmer ground. Future challenges include building an empathic agent on the simulated physiology level that can be recognized as an independent ego with its own personality and presence.
Answering the Call for a Sociological Perspective on the Multilevel Social Construction of Emotion: A Comment on Boiger and Mesquita
Authors: Rogers Kimberly B. , Smith-Lovin Lynn
Published: July 2012

Boiger and Mesquita (2012) present a social constructionist perspective on emotion that argues for its multilevel contextualization through social interactions, relationships, and culture. The present comments offer a response to the authors’ call for input from other disciplines. We provide a sociological perspective on emotion construction at each of the contextual levels discussed by Boiger and Mesquita, and discuss a model that can address interdependencies between these levels. Our remarks are intended to identify additional literature that can be brought to bear on multilevel emotion construction and to put forward some ideas for future research on the subject.
A Partial (and Speculative) Reconstruction of the Biological Basis of Emotionality
Authors: Zachar Peter
Published: July 2012

It is argued that Mason and Capitanio (2012) are not clear on what would count as a “basic emotion,” and their reconstruction appears more geared toward emotionality in general. Their notion that species-typical outcome is the criterion of basicness requires making speculative assumptions about what is expected and average. Suggestions about an epigenetic approach to social construction of emotionality are also offered.
Pain: Universal but Culturally Shaped
Authors: Wierzbicka Anna
Published: July 2012

Response to comments by Fabrega, Fernandez, and Hinton.
Basic Emotions: A Rejoinder
Authors: Mason William A. , Capitanio John P.
Published: July 2012

A principal theme of our article is that emotions, including what are called basic emotions, cannot be exhaustively categorized as “innate” or “acquired.” Instead, we argue that basic emotions are more realistically viewed as emergent phenomena, the result of complex interrelations of environmental and organismic factors at all levels of organization. While the commentators apparently accepted the proposed developmental paradigm, they took exception to aspects of our treatment of basic emotions and made a number of helpful comments, to which we respond below.
The Future of Social Constructionism: Introduction to a Special Section of Emotion Review
Authors: Averill James R.
Published: July 2012

It is easy to envision marked progress in biological and physiological approaches to emotion, due to technological advances in imaging and other recording techniques. The future of social-constructionism appears more hazy: Progress will likely depend as much on new ideas as on new empirical discoveries. The most fruitful breeding ground for new ideas is where disciplines meet. Hence, the contributors to this special section represent diverse disciplines: biology, computer science, and the arts, as well as areas more traditionally associated with the social construction of emotion, for example, interpersonal relations, cultural influence, and individual development.
Study on metal transfer behaviour in metal inert gas arc welding with activating flux for magnesium alloy
Authors: Zhang Z D , Cao Q J
Published: July 2012

The investigation on the influences of the KCl, TiO2 and CaCl2 fluxes on the metal transfer and the spatter loss in metal inert gas (MIG) welding of magnesium alloy is carried out. The results indicate that KCl flux favours the stability of metal transfer and reduces the spatter loss, whereas the extension of the period of metal transfer and the aggravation of the spatter loss are produced by CaCl2 flux, compared with MIG welding. For TiO2 flux, the metal transfer behaviour and the spatter loss are similar to those of MIG welding. The reason for promoting the metal transfer on KCl flux is that the increased electromagnetic force resulted from the enhancement of the welding current. In addition, for MIG welding with the KCl or CaCl2 flux, the arc conductivity is affected together by the metallic atoms and the chlorine atoms contained in the two fluxes.
Investigation on effect of alloying elements on mechanical properties of MoSi2 by first principle calculation
Authors: Xu J , Wu J D , Lai D H , Xie Z H , Munroe P
Published: July 2012

The influence of substitutional alloying elements (Al, Nb and W) on the mechanical properties of MoSi2 with both C11b and C40 structures was explored by first principles calculations. Using the shear modulus/bulk modulus ratio ( G/ B), Poisson's ratio and Peierls stress, the change in the mechanical properties of the C40 and C11b structured MoSi2 due to the addition of the solute atom has been investigated. The results showed that the ductility of C11b MoSi2 was increased by alloying with the elements (Al and Nb) that form a C40 structured disilicide but decreased by alloying with the elements (W) that form a C11b structured disilicide. In contrast, the effect of alloying elements on the ductility of C40 MoSi2 showed a reverse trend to that of C11b MoSi2.
Microstructure and mechanical properties in Ni45·4Mn39·5In13·1Gd2 alloy with high transformation temperature
Authors: Dong G F , Zhang H J , Zhang X L , Wang H B , Sui J H , Cai W
Published: July 2012

A Heusler Ni45·4Mn39·5In13·1Gd2 alloy with high transformation temperature has been obtained by substituting 2 at-Gd for Mn in a ternary Ni45·4Mn41·5In13·1 ferromagnetic shape memory alloy. It is shown that the microstructure of Ni45·4Mn39·5In13·1Gd2 alloy consists of a matrix and a Gd rich phase. The Ni45·4Mn39·5In13·1Gd2 alloy exhibits a martensitic transformation start temperature of 726 K, and the transformation hysteresis is Af− Ms = 148°C. At room temperature, non-modulated martensite of tetragonal L10 structure is observed in Ni45·4Mn39·5In13·1Gd2 alloy. In addition, it is revealed that the addition of Gd significantly enhances the compressive strength and improves the ductility of Ni45·4Mn39·5In13·1Gd2 alloy.
Molybdophyllite: crystal chemistry, crystal structure, OD character and modular relationships with britvinite
Authors: Kolitsch U. , Merlino S. , Holtstam D.
Published: July 2012

A detailed crystal-chemical study of the complex layered silicate molybdophyllite was conducted using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods, supplemented by powder XRD, infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopic studies, chemical analyses by energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) on a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The results, based on several samples from both Långban and Harstigen, Filipstad, Sweden, show that the crystal structure of molybdophyllite has an order-disorder (OD) character. The latter is especially evident in specimens from Långban which display a complex diffraction pattern characterized by the simultaneous presence of sharp spots, diffuse reflections and continuous streaks. The sharp reflections define the unit cell of the family structure (a = 3.124, c = 41.832 Å, space group R32). Two main polytypes (maximum degree of order structures) are indicated by the OD approach: a trigonal one and a monoclinic one; the latter polytype is the most common in the samples that were studied and has space group C2, with a = 16.232(6), b = 9.373(2), c = 14.060(3) Å, b = 97.36(4)º and V = 2121.5(10) Å3.

The crystal structure determination [R1= 0.096], together with the EPMA, IR and Raman data, reveal that molybdophyllite is built up by a regular alternation of complex layers with a composition {Mg9[Si10O28(OH)8][OPb4]2}6+and simple layers with a composition [(CO3)3·H2O]6–, leading to the ideal crystal-chemical formula Pb8Mg9[Si10O28(OH)8|O2|(CO3)3]·H2O (Z = 2).

This contribution is mainly devoted to the results obtained for molybdophyllite sensu stricto, but new data for britvinite [i.e. 'molybdophyllite-18 Å'] are also presented and its modular relationship with molybdophyllite is discussed.
The crystal structure determination and redefinition of matulaite, Fe3+Al7(PO4)4(PO3OH)2(OH)8(H2O)8·8H2O
Authors: Kampf A. R. , Mills S. J. , Rumsey M. S. , Spratt J. , Favreau G.
Published: July 2012

Matulaite was first described by Moore and Ito (1980) from the Bachman mine, Hellertown, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, USA. Its ideal formula was reported as CaAl18(PO4)12(OH)20·28H2O, based on wet-chemical analysis. Re-examination of both existing cotype specimens of matulaite revealed no material matching the powder or single-crystal X-ray diffraction data reported for the species. Other samples examined from the type locality, as well as from the LCA pegmatite in North Carolina, USA, and Fumade, Tarn, France, provided material crystallographically consistent with matulaite: P21/n, a = 10.604(2), b = 16.608(4), c = 20.647(5) Å , b = 98.848(7)° and Z = 4. Electron microprobe and crystal structure analysis of newly studied material from the type locality showed the ideal formula of matulaite to be Fe3+ Al7(PO4)4(PO3OH)2(OH)8(H2O)8˙8H2O. The chemical composition reported by Moore and Ito (1980) was most probably determined on a mixture of mostly kobokoboite and afmite, with lesser amounts of crandallite. As there is no matulaite on any of the existing cotype specimens of the species, the two specimens used to obtain the new chemical analyses, powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and the structure determination are designated as neotypes. The neotypes have also been used to obtain crystal morphology and new measurements of the physical and optical properties of the species. The neotypes and new data have been approved by the CNMNC, proposal 11-F. The crystal structure of matulaite contains seven-member chain segments of AlO6 octahedra decorated by PO4 tetrahedra. The PO4 tetrahedra also link to isolated FeO6 octahedra, resulting in a 'pinwheel' Fe(PO4)6 group. The linkage of octahedra and tetrahedra defines a thick layer parallel to {001}. The only linkage between layers is via hydrogen bonding to interlayer water molecules.
A chemical and structural re-examination of fettelite samples from the type locality, Odenwald, southwest Germany
Authors: Bindi L. , Downs R. T. , Spry P. G. , Pinch W. W. , Menchetti S.
Published: July 2012

The crystal structure and chemical composition of two samples of fettelite from the type locality, including a portion of the holotype material, was investigated to verify if a previously proposed revision of the chemical formula was applicable, and to study the role of cation substitution for Hg that would suggest new members of the fettelite family. The crystal structure of fettelite from the type locality was found to be equivalent to that reported previously for the Chilean occurrence, and consists of an alternation of two kinds of layers along c: layer A with general composition [Ag6As2S7]2–and layer B with general composition [Ag10HgAs2S8]2+. In this structure, the Ag atoms occur in various coordination configurations, varying from quasi-linear to quasi-tetrahedral, the AsS3 groups form pyramids as are typically observed in sulfosalts, and Hg links two sulfur atoms in a linear coordination. The refined compositions for the crystals in this study, [Ag6As2S7][Ag10(Fe0.53Hg0.47)As2S8] (R100124) and [Ag6As2S7][Ag10(Hg0.79Cu0.21)As2S8] (R110042), clearly indicate that new mineral species related to fettelite are likely to be found in nature.