bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Critical compressive stress for continuous fiber unidirectional composites
Authors: Thompson Ronald H , Joseph Paul , Delfino Antonio , Meraldi Jean-Paul
Published: March 2012

Dow and Rosen’s work in 1965 formed an intellectual framework for compressive strength of unidirectional composites. Compressive strength was explained in terms of micro-buckling, in which filaments are beams on an elastic foundation. While groundbreaking, the discrepancy between model predictions and observed compressive strength is well known. This study builds on Dow and Rosen’s model specifically with respect to the dominant shear mode instability. A new method that accounts for matrix thermal residual strain, matrix compressive and shear stresses, with associated reductions in tangent modulus due to matrix non-linearity, is proposed. The method is validated using a specific test case, which is conducted to precisely account for microscopic fiber alignment and matrix non-linearity. Accordingly, a method of measuring and accounting for a continuum of fiber misalignment is developed. Predictions are compared to literature values, with variations in fiber modulus, matrix modulus, and volume fraction. Good agreement is shown, both in terms of trend and magnitude. The approach successfully preserves initial in-plane shear stiffness, while showing that in-plane shear stiffness decreases significantly as compressive stress increases.
Early Regression of the Dental Lamina Underlies the Development of Diphyodont Dentitions
Authors: Buchtová M. , Štembírek J. , Glocová K. , Matalová E. , Tucker A.S.
Published: March 2012

Functional tooth germs in mammals, reptiles, and chondrichthyans are initiated from a dental lamina. The longevity of the lamina plays a role in governing the number of tooth generations. Monophyodont species have no replacement dental lamina, while polyphyodont species have a permanent continuous lamina. In diphyodont species, the dental lamina fragments and regresses after initiation of the second tooth generation. Regression of the lamina seems to be an important mechanism in preventing the further development of replacement teeth. Defects in the complete removal of the lamina lead to cyst formation and has been linked to ameloblastomas. Here, we show the previously unknown mechanisms behind the disappearance of the dental lamina, involving a combination of cell migration, cell-fate transformation, and apoptosis. Lamina regression starts with the loss of the basement membrane, allowing the epithelial cells to break away from the lamina and migrate into the surrounding mesenchyme. Cells deactivate epithelial markers (E-cadherin, cytokeratin), up-regulate Slug and MMP2, and activate mesenchymal markers (vimentin), while residual lamina cells are removed by apoptosis. The uncovering of the processes behind lamina degradation allows us to clarify the evolution of diphyodonty, and provides a mechanism for future manipulation of the number of tooth generations.
Test Differences in Diagnosing Reading Comprehension Deficits
Authors: Keenan Janice M. , Meenan Chelsea E.
Published: March 2012

The authors examined the implications of test differences for defining and diagnosing comprehension deficits using reading comprehension tests. They had 995 children complete the Gray Oral Reading Test–3, the Qualitative Reading Inventory–3, the Woodcock–Johnson Passage Comprehension–3, and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test and compared which children were identified by each test as being in the lowest 10%. Although a child who performs so poorly might be expected to do poorly on all tests, the authors found that the average overlap between tests in diagnosing comprehension difficulties was only 43%. Consistency in diagnosis was greater for younger children, when comprehension deficits are the result of weaker decoding skills, than for older children. Inconsistencies between tests were just as evident when identifying the top performers. The different children identified as having a comprehension deficit by each test were compared on four profile variables—word decoding skill, IQ, ADHD symptoms, and working memory skill—to understand the nature of the different deficits assessed by each test. Theoretical and practical implications of these test differences in defining and diagnosing comprehension deficits are discussed.
Socioemotional Self-Perceptions, Family Climate, and Hopeful Thinking Among Students With Learning Disabilities and Typically Achieving Students From the Same Classes
Authors: Idan Orly , Margalit Malka
Published: March 2012

This study aimed at examining the adjustment of students with learning disabilities (LD) and at exploring the mediating role of hope. By means of a multidimensional approach, the interactions between risk and protective factors emerging from internal and external resources among 856 high school students (10th to 12th grades) were analyzed. A total of 529 typically achieving students and 327 students with LD attending general education classes in seven high schools completed seven instruments measuring sense of coherence, basic psychological needs, loneliness, family climate, hope, academic self-efficacy, and effort. The students’ achievements in English, history, and mathematics were collected. The analysis used structural equation modeling, and the results emphasized the significant role of hope as a mediator between risk and protective factors and academic self-efficacy and its significance for students with and without LD in explaining achievements and effort investment.
Health Care Expenditure Among People With Disabilities
Authors: Karpur Arun , Bruyère Susanne M.
Published: March 2012

Workplace health-promotion programs have the potential to reduce health care expenditures, especially among people with disabilities. Utilizing nationally representative survey data, the authors provide estimates for health care expenditures related to secondary conditions, obesity, and health behaviors among working-age people with disabilities. Furthermore, by computing the expenditures attributable to secondary conditions, obesity, and health behaviors, the authors emphasize the importance of disability-inclusive workplace health-promotion programs for employees with disabilities. Overall, the authors observed that the annual average health care expenditure among employed people with disabilities was US$4,524 (95% confidence interval [CI] = US$4,248–US$4,800) compared with US$1,325 (95% CI = US$1,299–US$1,351) for employed people without disabilities. Furthermore, obesity accounted for 27% to 41% of excess expenditures for people with various disability classifications compared with their nonobese peers with disabilities. Secondary conditions accounted for about 20% to 25% of higher health care expenditures among working people with various disability classifications, compared with their peers with disabilities who do not have secondary conditions. In addition, lack of exercise and alcohol consumption accounted for one fourth to over one third of excess health care expenditures among employed people with disabilities. The authors discuss implications of these findings for rehabilitation counselors and public health practitioners.
Physical Activity in Individuals With Severe Mental Illness
Authors: Bezyak Jill L. , Chan Fong , Lee Eun-Jeong , Catalano Denise , Chiu Chung-Yi
Published: March 2012

The Physical Activity Scale for Individuals With Physical Disabilities was examined as a physical activity measure for people with severe mental illness. Case manager ratings were more closely related to body mass index than clients’ ratings, challenging the accuracy of self-report physical activity measures for individuals with severe mental illness.
Notional all-electric ship systems integration thermal simulation and visualization
Authors: Vargas JVC , Souza JA , Hovsapian R , Ordonez JC , Chiocchio T , Chalfant J , Chryssostomidis C , Dilay E
Published: March 2012

This work presents a simplified mathematical model for fast visualization and thermal simulation of complex and integrated energy systems that is capable of providing quick responses during system design. The tool allows for the determination of the resulting whole system temperature and relative humidity distribution. For that, the simplified physical model combines principles of classical thermodynamics and heat transfer, resulting in a system of three-dimensional (3D) differential equations that are discretized in space using a 3D cell-centered finite volume scheme. As an example of a complex and integrated system analysis, 3D simulations are performed in order to determine the temperature and relative humidity distributions inside an all-electric ship for a baseline medium voltage direct current power system architecture, under different operating conditions. A relatively coarse mesh was used (9410 volume elements) to obtain converged results for a large computational domain (185m×24m×34m) containing diverse equipment. The largest computational time required for obtaining results was 560 s, that is, less than 10 min. Therefore, after experimental validation for a particular system, it is reasonable to state that the model could be used as an efficient tool for complex and integrated systems thermal design, control and optimization.
Prostate cancer region prediction by fusing results from MALDI spectra–processing and texture analysis
Authors: Chuang Shao-Hui , Li Jiang , Sun Xiaoyan , Vadlamudi Ayyappa , Sun Bo , Cazares Lisa , Nyalwidhe Julius , Troyer Dean , Semmes John , McKenzie Frederic D
Published: March 2012

We present a three-step method to predict prostate cancer (PCa) regions on biopsy tissue samples based on high-confidence, low-resolution PCa regions marked by a pathologist. First, we will apply a texture-analysis technique on a high-magnification optical image to predict PCa regions on an adjacent tissue slice. Second, we will design a prediction model for the same purpose, using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) tissue-imaging data from the adjacent slice. Finally, we will fuse those two results to obtain the PCa regions that will assist MALDI imaging biomarker identification. Experiment results show that the texture analysis–based prediction is sensitive (87.45%) but less specific (75%), and the prediction based on the MALDI spectra data processing is not sensitive (50.98%) but supremely specific (100%). By combining these two results, an optimized prediction for PCa regions on the adjacent slice can be achieved (sensitivity: 80.39%, specificity: 93.09%).
Not by the Book
Authors: Brickman Bhutta Christine
Published: March 2012

Social networking sites and online questionnaires make it possible to do survey research faster, cheaper, and with less assistance than ever before. The methods are especially well-suited for snowball sampling of elusive sub-populations. This note describes my experience surveying thousands of Catholics via Facebook in less than a month, at little expense, and without hired help. Although the respondents were disproportionately female, young, educated, and religiously active, their responses preserved key correlations found in standard surveys conducted by Gallup and the GSS. I relate my methods to existing web-based methods and offer concrete suggestions for future work.
More Applicants or More Applications per Applicant? A Big Question When Pools Are Small
Authors: Scullen Steven E. , Meyer Brad C.
Published: March 2012

Two aspects of many real-world hiring situations affect hiring success in ways that are not well understood. One is that many applicant pools are relatively small, with perhaps fewer than 20 and sometimes fewer than 10 applicants. The other is that job seekers are likely to apply for more than one job at a time. Despite calls for more research that would be relevant to the small-scale hiring situation, scholars have given little attention to expected new-hire quality in small-pool hiring in general and even less to more specific questions of how that expected quality is affected if applicants apply for multiple jobs simultaneously. Most currently accepted methods linking expected new-hire quality to the selection ratio (or hiring rate) are based on the properties of large pools. The authors argue that those methods are based on the inherent, but dubious, assumption that all job seekers in a given applicant pool are pursuing that particular job and no other jobs. In the small-pool context, these factors have significant, and previously unrealized, negative effects on the expected quality of new hires when job seekers apply for multiple jobs at once. The authors present a conceptual development of a method, based on averages of order statistics, for estimating correct values of expected new-hire quality when pools are small and job seekers tend to apply for multiple jobs simultaneously. A series of simulations support the conclusion that the method yields accurate estimates.
International Immigration, Internal Migration, and Homicide in Canadian Provinces
Authors: Andresen Martin A.
Published: March 2012

The relationship between immigration and crime is politically charged and often fueled by the presence (or lack) of xenophobia. Many theoretical and empirical assessments of this relationship indicate that immigration does indeed lead to increased crime, but more recent (and very early) research investigating homicide calls this finding into question. The current analysis investigates the relationship between immigration and homicide using multiple measures of migration and Canadian provinces as the unit of analysis. It is found that the link between immigration and homicide is complex and dependent on the measure of migration used. Generally speaking, the results presented here are consistent with the more recent and very early research. Immigration, in and of itself, does not increase homicide. Rather it is the increase in the most criminogenic subpopulation that matters, that is young males.
Cultural Processes and Homicide Across Nations
Authors: Altheimer Irshad
Published: March 2012

This article is concerned with the macro-level propositions of Nisbett and Cohen’s culture of honor thesis. The results suggest that the culture of honor proxy has a strong positive influence on homicide across nations. In fact, culture of honor exhibited larger effect sizes than all of the important social-structural controls. These results suggest that consideration of cultural processes is important for understanding macro-level variation in violence.
Preparation and properties of coir fiber-reinforced ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-based composite
Authors: Roy Juganta K , Akter Nousin , Zaman Haydar U , Ashraf KM , Sultana Sabrina , Shahruzzaman  , Khan Nuruzzaman , Rahman M Arifur , Islam Tuhidul , Khan MA , Khan Ruhul A
Published: March 2012

The mechanical properties of the coir fibers were evaluated in this study. Tensile strength (TS), Young’s modulus (YM) and elongation at break (Eb%) of virgin coir fibers were found to be 152 MPa, 5.3 GPa and 36%, respectively. Coir fibers were treated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation and were found to improve the mechanical properties significantly. Coir fiber-reinforced ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA)-based composite was prepared and characterized. The surface of the coir fibers was modified with monomer EGDMA under UV radiation. Soaking time, monomer (EGDMA) concentration and radiation intensities were optimized over mechanical properties. The highest values of TS, YM, Eb and polymer loading (PL) were found for 50% EGDMA at 125th pass of UV radiation for 7 min soaking time. Pretreatment with UV radiation on the coir fiber was found to be more effective for the increment of its mechanical properties. The surface of the fiber was also mercerized (alkali treatment) using aqueous NaOH solutions (5–50%) at varied time and temperature. It was found that TS of the mercerized composites increased with the increase in NaOH solutions (up to 10%) and then decreased. The composites made using mercerized fibers treated with EGDMA showed further increase in TS. Pretreatment with mercerization + UV treatment of coir fiber showed significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the coir fiber-based composites.
Detection of delamination in composite laminated plates using filtered mode shapes
Authors: Bazardehi Sayyed Roohollah Kazemi , Kouchakzadeh Mohammad Ali
Published: March 2012

Filtered mode shapes are used to detect the presence, location, size and shape of the delaminations in composite laminated plates with various boundary conditions. This method is the extension of a previous study by the authors on the delamination detection in the beams using irregularities of the mode shapes. The mode shapes are filtered to separate the smooth and irregular parts. Presence and situation of delamination affects these separated parts, and these effects are used to detect the delamination. Here, two new indicators, named ‘slope of smooth part’ and ‘irregularities in the slope of smooth part’, are introduced to increase the clarity of detected damage and reduce the noisy effects. The former one is obtained by differentiating the smooth part of the mode shape and the latter by applying the filter on the slope of smooth part for another time. Using this method and the mentioned indicators, delaminations may be detected in the plates using the data of just the damaged structure. This is considered as an important advantage of the method as we do not need the intact structure data. The method is validated utilizing the numerical data for a delaminated plate model. This method lacks the ability to locate the position of delamination through the thickness and the delamination should not be too close to the edges of the plate.
Zonal safety analysis in aircraft conceptual design: application to SAvE aircraft
Authors: Chiesa Sergio , Corpino Sabrina , Fioriti Marco , Rougier Alessandro , Viola Nicole
Published: March 2012

The article presents an innovative zonal safety analysis method that can be applied to future products in conceptual design and discusses the results of the application of this technique to two different configurations of the all electric secondary power system (the conventional configuration and the hybrid fuel cells configuration) of a future medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, the system for unmanned aerial vehicle advanced alternative energy aircraft. Main advantages and criticalities of the application of the zonal safety analysis very early during the design process are addressed first, together with the description of the main characteristics of system for unmanned aerial vehicle advanced alternative energy aircraft. Then, the methodology, that has been used, is described in detail and the main results of the application of the zonal safety analysis to two significant aircraft bays are shown and discussed. Eventually, the main conclusions are drawn and the choice of the best configuration from the safety point of view is made.
It’s not all bad: Women’s construction and lived experience of positive premenstrual change
Authors: King Marlee , Ussher Jane M
Published: March 2012

Although premenstrual change is invariably pathologized and described as PMS or PMDD, there is evidence that many women experience premenstrual changes positively. This suggests that premenstrual change is both a lived experience and social construction, which is not inevitably positioned as debilitating or distressing. However, previous research has provided little insight into how and why women construct premenstrual change as positive. Accordingly, the present study used a critical realist epistemology and a material-discursive-intrapsychic model to explore women’s construction and lived experience of positive premenstrual change. Drawing on focus groups with 47 women, explanations for positive premenstrual experiences included: ‘positive emotional outcomes’, ‘releasing tension’, ‘increased attractiveness’, ‘legitimacy of self-care’ and ‘indication of menstruation’. Findings not only reinforce reports from previous research that many women experience positive premenstrual changes, but also challenge bio-medical conceptualizations of premenstrual change as inherently negative, with accounts of relational negotiation emphasizing the context-dependent nature of premenstrual change.
Outcomes of maintenance therapy with tacrolimus versus azathioprine for active lupus nephritis: a multicenter randomized clinical trial
Authors: Chen W , Liu Q , Chen W , Tang X , Fu P , Liu F , Liao Y , Yang Z , Zhang J , Chen J , Lou T , Fu J , Kong Y , Liu Z , Li Z , Yu X
Published: March 2012

Aim: The optimal maintenance therapy for active diffuse lupus nephritis remains to be established. In this study, we explored the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus for maintaining remission of active lupus nephritis compared to that of azathioprine. Methods: Seventy patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis who achieved remission were enrolled in nine nephrology centers in China from 2006 to 2008. Patients were randomized either to tacrolimus plus prednisone ( n = 34) or azathioprine plus prednisone ( n = 36) for six months. Tacrolimus was titrated to achieve a trough blood concentration of 4–6 ng/mL, and the dosage of azathioprine was 2 mg/kg/d. Prednisone was administered at a dose of 10 mg/d to both groups. The primary outcome was incidence of relapse. Response, clinical parameters and adverse effects were secondary endpoints. Results: After six months of therapy, two of the azathioprine-treated patients developed renal relapse compared to none of the tacrolimus-treated patients ( p = 0.49; odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI (0.98, 1.15)). Leucopenia (defined as < 2000 cells per cubic millimeter) was significantly more frequent in the azathioprine group than the tacrolimus group (47% vs. 9%, p < .001). Conclusion: In conjunction with prednisone, maintenance therapy with tacrolimus and azathioprine has a similar low rate of renal relapse, and the tacrolimus regimen has a more favorable safety profile, with less leucopenia. However, since our study lacked sufficient power, longer follow-up is needed to draw final conclusions.
Controlling Influenza A (H1N1) in China
Authors: Lai Dejian , Hsu Chiehwen Ed , Glasser Jay H.
Published: March 2012

This article discusses two approaches to controlling the newly identified influenza A (H1N1): via Bayesian and frequentist statistical reasoning. This study reviewed the measures implemented in China as an example to illustrate these two approaches. Since May 2009, China has deployed strict controlling mechanisms based on the strong prior Bayesian assumption that the origin of influenza A (H1N1) was from outside China and as such strict border control would keep the virus from entering China. After more than 4 months of hard work by Chinese health professionals and officials, the number of confirmed influenza A (H1N1) has increased steadily against the expectations of the general public. Taking into account the great financial burden in maintaining strict measures, Chinese health authorities have slowly adjusted their policies of controlling influenza A (H1N1) in China according to frequentist reasoning since July 2009.
A National Study of the Prevalence and Correlates of Domestic Violence Among Women in India
Authors: Dalal Koustuv , Lindqvist Kent
Published: March 2012

This article estimates the national prevalence rate of domestic violence in India and examines the demographic and socioeconomic status of the victims of domestic violence. The study used the Indian National Family Health Survey 3, a cross-sectional national survey of 124 385 ever-married women of reproductive age from all the 29 member states. χ2 Analysis and logistic regression were used. Lifetime experiences of violence among respondents were as follows: emotional violence, 14%; less severe physical violence, 31%; severe physical violence, 10%; and sexual violence, 8%. Women of scheduled castes and Muslim religion were most often exposed to domestic violence. Women’s poorer economic background, working status, and husband’s controlling behavior emerged as strong predictors for domestic violence in India. Elimination of structural inequalities inherent in the indigenous oppressive institutions of religion, caste, and the traditional male hierarchy in society could prevent domestic violence.
Active control of sound transmission through a stiffened panel using a hybrid control strategy
Authors: Yuan Ming , Ji Hongli , Qiu Jinhao , Ma Tianbing
Published: March 2012

This article presents active control laws for sound transmission through a stiffened panel in the low-frequency range. A stiffened panel mounted on a metallic box is used to simulate aircraft fuselage and cabin system. A loudspeaker located outside the box is driven by band-limited white noise to exert acoustic excitation. Dynamic properties of the stiffened panel are characterized through a series of modal testing. Sound isolation performance is evaluated both analytically and experimentally for further efficient control algorithms design. Based on the analysis of these results, a hybrid control strategy combining both feedback and feedforward control is proposed, which utilizes a high-authority/low-authority control architecture. The low-authority control loop is positive position feedback control and high-authority control loop is filtered-X control. When positive position feedback is implemented, active damping is added on the secondary path, which makes filtered-X least mean square more robust, accelerates convergence rates, and reduces residue errors. In the end, the effectiveness of the hybrid control is verified through a serious of closed-loop control experiments. These results demonstrate that sound pressure level could be lowered by a maximum of 15.9 dB at the first resonance frequency. In addition, the overall sound reduction in the cabin is more than 7 dB.
The Changing Role of China in the Global Illegal Cigarette Trade
Authors: Lampe Klaus von , Kurti Marin K. , Shen Anqi , Antonopoulos Georgios A.
Published: March 2012

This study explores the history of the illegal production, distribution, and smuggling of cigarettes in mainland China. Data were obtained from a content analysis of 931 media reports retrieved from LexisNexis for the time period 1975 until 2010, and from other open sources. The illegal cigarette trade first emerged in the form of violations of state tobacco monopoly regulations. In the course of the restructuring of the legal tobacco sector, which occurred under external political pressure to open the Chinese market to foreign competition, an illegal cigarette industry emerged which at first primarily produced fake Chinese brand cigarettes for the domestic black market. At the same time, China became a destination country for smuggled genuine Western brand cigarettes. It was only after effective crackdowns against cigarette smuggling and domestic distribution channels in the late 1990s that the Chinese illegal cigarette industry shifted to exporting large numbers of counterfeit Western brand cigarettes to black markets abroad. China’s current role as a leading supplier of counterfeit cigarettes is a result of the contradictions of the economic reform process and of external licit and illicit forces that worked toward opening up the Chinese tobacco sector to the outside world.
An Exploratory Comparison of Policing Views Between Indian and U.S. College Students
Authors: Wu Yuning , Lambert Eric G. , Smith Brad W. , Pasupuleti Sudershan , Jaishankar Karuppannan , Bhimarasetty Jagadish V.
Published: March 2012

While there is a large amount of research on public attitudes toward the police, far fewer studies have examined citizen’s views of the police in non-Western nations. Even less is known regarding Indian citizens’ perceptions of the police. Based on survey data collected from over 900 college students, this exploratory study compared and contrasted college students’ views of policing in India and the United States. The results uncovered both intranational and international differences in three areas of views of the police, including general satisfaction with the police, support for aggressive policing, and support for community policing. Indian students in general were less satisfied with the performance of the police; yet, more supportive of both aggressive policing and community policing than their U.S. counterparts. Perceptions of the police varied somewhat by gender, age, and academic level.
Characterizing the Home Health Care Supply Chain
Authors: Milburn Ashlea Bennett , Mason Scott J. , Spicer Jessica
Published: March 2012

Many home health agencies report low direct supply costs, but the total cost of the home health care supply chain may be much higher when indirect costs associated with ordering, storing, handling, and delivering supplies are considered. Results of a 2010 survey of home health agencies aimed at characterizing the home health care supply chain are presented, and statistical analysis is used to identify patterns based on agency affiliation, for profit status, and patient volume. Findings of interest to home health executives indicate the supply chain is performing well with respect to supply lead time and availability in patient homes. However, frequent practices reported may be leading to inefficiencies and high levels of nurse involvement in nonclinical duties such as ordering, sorting, and picking supplies.
German Validation of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale–Self-Report
Authors: Christiansen Hanna , Hirsch Oliver , Philipsen Alexandra , Oades Robert D. , Matthies Swantje , Hebebrand Johannes , Ueckermann Jennifer , Abdel-Hamid Mona , Kraemer Markus , Wiltfang Jens , Graf Erika , Colla Michael , Sobanski Esther , Alm Barbara , Rösler Michael , Jacob Christian , Jans Thomas , Huss Michael , Schimmelmann Benno G. , Kis Bernhard
Published: March 2012

Objective: The Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) assess symptoms specific to adults that are frequently used and have been translated into German. The current study tests the factor structure of the CAARS in a large sample of German adults with ADHD and compares the means of the CAARS subscales with those of healthy German controls. Method: CAARS were completed by 466 participants with ADHD and 851 healthy control participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to establish model fit with the American original. Comparisons between participants with ADHD and healthy controls and influences of gender, age, and degree of education were analyzed. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis showed a very good fit with the model for the American original. Differences between ADHD participants and healthy controls on all Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales–Self-Report (CAARS-S) subscales were substantial and significant. Conclusion: The factor structure of the original American model was successfully replicated in this sample of adult German ADHD participants.
Comparison of Mother, Father, and Teacher Reports of ADHD Core Symptoms in a Sample of Child Psychiatric Outpatients
Authors: Sollie Henrik , Larsson Bo , Mørch Willy-Tore
Published: March 2012

Objective: To explore the significance of adding father ratings to mother and teacher ratings in the assessment of ADHD symptoms in children. Method: The ADHD Rating Scale–IV, the Child Behavior Checklist, and the Teacher Report Form were filled out by all three informants for a sample of 48 clinically referred children (79% boys) aged 6 to 15 ( M = 10.1) years. Results: Correspondence between father and teacher reports on ADHD-specific symptoms (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = .38) exceeded that between mothers and teachers (ICC = .23). Fathers rated their children as having fewer problems than did mothers and teachers on Total scale scores and the Inattention subscale of the ADHD Rating Scale–IV. Mother ratings were more sensitive to an ADHD diagnosis, whereas father ratings better predicted an ADHD diagnosis requiring the two-setting criterion. Conclusion: The choice of parent informant and informant combination had a considerable impact on parent–teacher concordance and estimates of ADHD symptoms and subtypes in the child.
The Trade-Offs of Transferring Demand Risk on Urban Transit Public–Private Partnerships
Authors: Siemiatycki Matti , Friedman Jonathan
Published: March 2012

There is a long history of ridership on urban rapid transit projects failing to meet predevelopment forecasts. This article examines the trade-offs for government associated with transferring the financial risk of ridership demand shortfalls to the private sector through public–private partnerships (PPPs). First, the article develops a theory of the way that PPPs are designed to clamp down on the causes of transit ridership shortfalls. Second, it outlines technical, planning, and financial trade-offs associated with transferring ridership demand risk to the private sector. Third, examples are presented to show how these trade-offs manifest in the most popular models of allocating ridership demand risk in PPPs. The article concludes that transit projects have particular characteristics that challenge the effective transferring of ridership demand risk to the private sector. Governments should instead focus on project procurement models that encourage risk sharing between the partners.
Severe haematological complications during treatment with natalizumab
Authors: Midaglia L , Rodriguez Ruiz M , Muñoz-García D
Published: March 2012

The safety profile of natalizumab has been widely discussed due to several cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, reported worldwide. Since the launch of natalizumab, 32 patients have been treated at our centre. In this context, we describe two cases (6.25%), one of immune-mediated acute haemolytic anaemia (IAHA) and another of immune thrombocytopenic purpura during treatment with natalizumab. The temporal relationship between drug administration and the nature of the haematological complications, confirmed with the serological findings in the case of the IAHA, suggests that natalizumab is the most probable cause for these adverse events. Although very uncommon, the haematological complications are severe enough to justify a close and careful monitoring for all patients with multiple sclerosis treated with an immunosuppressant treatment.
New ICTs and social interaction: Modelling communication frequency and communication mode choice
Authors: van den Berg Pauline E.W , Arentze Theo A. , Timmermans Harry J.P.
Published: March 2012

New information and communication technologies (ICTs) have provided new ways of communicating and maintaining social networks. However, relatively little is known on the effect of ICT-use on social interaction. Therefore, this article aims to explore the factors influencing individuals’ communication frequency and choice of communication mode. The analyses are based on social interaction diary data gathered in 2008 in the Eindhoven region in the Netherlands among 747 respondents. Using these data two models are estimated analysing the number of social interactions in two days and the choice of a communication mode used for the social interaction. Many significant effects of personal and household characteristics were found. In addition, the results for communication mode choice show the importance of including characteristics of the contacted person(s) to explain communication mode choice. The findings allow us to reconstruct the generation of social activities and the relationship between face-to-face and ICT-mediated communication.
Coverage of emerging technologies: A comparison between print and online media
Authors: Cacciatore Michael A. , Anderson Ashley A. , Choi Doo-Hun , Brossard Dominique , Scheufele Dietram A. , Liang Xuan , Ladwig Peter J. , Xenos Michael , Dudo Anthony
Published: March 2012

This study explores differences in volume of coverage and thematic content between US print news and online media coverage for an emerging technology – nanotechnology. We found that while American print news media and Google News coverage of this emerging technology has peaked and started to decline, Google Blog Search coverage of nanotechnology is still growing. Additionally, our data show discrepancies in thematic content of online and print news coverage. Specifically, online users are more likely to encounter environmentally themed content relating to nanotechnology than are users of American print newspapers. Differences in the amount of coverage of nanotechnology in print news and online media as well as thematic content suggest that public discourse on related issues will be shaped, in part, by media consumers’ preferred information platform.
Light-emitting diodes in street and roadway lighting – a case study involving mesopic effects
Authors: Kostic AM , Kremic MM , Djokic LS , Kostic MB
Published: March 2012

The paper considers the justification for the application of light-emitting diode (LED) technology to urban lighting. The results suggest that LEDs are convenient for architectural lighting and deserve to be considered for use in ambient lighting. The recently developed Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) mesopic system enabled the inclusion of mesopic effects into a comprehensive techno-economic analysis, which dealt with efficiency, maintenance and financial aspects of the use of LEDs in street and roadway lighting. It is concluded that the average energy savings when using LED instead of high-pressure sodium (HPS) luminaires amount to 19–26% for single-sided, staggered and opposite layouts, although they are frequently negligible if mesopic effects are not included. The total costs of the LED lighting solutions, even including mesopic effects, are 1.36 to 6.44 times higher than those of the comparable HPS lighting solutions. Therefore, LEDs are questionable for street and roadway lighting.
Norm acquisition, rational judgment and moral particularism
Authors: Westphal Kenneth R.
Published: March 2012

Moral particularism, defined as the view that moral judgment does not require moral principles, has become prominent both in moral philosophy and in philosophy of education. This article re-examines Nussbaum’s case for particularism, based on Sophocles’ Antigone, because her stress on sensitive appreciation of circumstantial specifics is salutary, though it cannot justify particularism because the problem lies not with moral principles, nor with moral judgment, but with a constricted and untenable view of rational judgment as simple syllogistic ratiocination. To improve our understanding of the central role of principles in moral judgment and in educational theory, this article explicates ‘mature judgment’ and highlights key features of Thomas Green’s account of norm acquisition, and of Kant’s account of the autonomy of rational judgment. These provide a basis for justifying liberal arts education in today’s context.
Atherogenic indices and prehypertension in obese and non-obese children
Authors: Rodríguez-Morán Martha , Guerrero-Romero Fernando , Aradillas-García Celia , Bermudez-Peña Carmen , Simental-Mendia Luis E , Vargas Morales Juan M , Torres Rodríguez María L , de la Cruz Mendoza Esperanza
Published: March 2012

We evaluate the relationship between different lipoproteins and atherogenic indices with pre-hypertension in 297 obese and 942 non-obese children with Tanner stage 1 enrolled in a multicentre, community-based cross-sectional study. Height, weight, fasting glucose and insulin levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), non-HDL-c, LDL/HDL-c, triglycerides/cholesterol and total cholesterol/HDL-c ratios were measured. Mean age was 8.4 ± 1.2 years; pre-hypertension was identified in 104 (8.4%) participants, 46 (15.5%) obese and 58 (6.1%) non-obese children. The pre-hypertensive non-obese children show a high proportion of family history of hypertension (41.6 and 24.7%, p = 0.002) and elevation of insulin at a relatively low body mass index. The triglycerides:HDL-c ratio, but not other lipoproteins or atherogenic indices, was associated with pre-hypertension in obese (1.15, 95% confidence intervals 1.06–1.26) and non-obese children (1.38 95% confidence intervals 1.22–1.57). The triglycerides:HDL-c ratio is related to pre-hypertension in children; the family history of hypertension seems to be a risk factor in developing pre-hypertension.
Use of nonprescription medicines by patients with COPD: A survey in Chongqing Municipality, China
Authors: Cao Guoqiang , Li Jing , Li Lian , Li Haidong , Wang Fang , Wang Hucheng , Zhang Lin
Published: March 2012

To study the impact of self-administration of nonprescription medicines (NPMs) on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in Chongqing Municipality, China. A total of 85 patients who had used NPM were assigned to the NPM group. Another 83 patients who had only used prescription medicines (PMs) were assigned to the PM group. Their income, educational levels, health status, public health insurance coverage, the expense of drugs during exacerbation, and the numbers of acute exacerbations during the past year were surveyed, and the approved drugs for COPD were evaluated. The contents of corticosterone in various types of NPMs were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The proportion of use of NPM in hospitalized patients with COPD was 12.96%. The percentage of illiteracy and low income was significantly higher in COPD patients in the NPM group than those in the PM group. The cost of drugs per day and the quality of life in the NPM group were lower than those in the PM group. Further analysis revealed that 15 of 21 NPMs contained corticosteroids. More importantly, medical advice from doctors and nurses appeared to be effective. Some Chinese patients with COPD living in the Chongqing area of China used NPMs that contained corticosteroids. Health education and advisement can effectively limit the use of NPMs.
Evidence for Policy and Regulation
Authors: Shanta Linda L. , Kalanek Constance B. , Moulton Patricia , Lang Terri
Published: March 2012

Nurses often do not become faculty through deliberate intention; rather they enter the role because of circumstance. While they may be expert practitioners, they are often not prepared for faculty roles. Unlike traditional preparation for nursing practice, which requires clinical education, the role of nurse teacher often has no systematic preparation. The purpose of the Nurse Faculty Intern (NFI) Pilot Study was to investigate the role development of nurse educators and the mechanism by which graduate students gain competencies related to pedagogy through practical experience and a relationship with mentors. Results from the study revealed need for intentional role development for the NFI. Even though NFI’s had many years of nursing experience, they expressed the need for orientation to teaching pedagogy to better use their nursing knowledge when working with students. This article will present the findings and recommendations from the study.
A study on the effect of construction parameters of metallic wire/core spun yarn based knitted fabrics on electromagnetic shielding
Authors: Rajendrakumar K , Thilagavathi G
Published: March 2012

Metallic wire based single jersey knitted fabrics were produced in different construction to study the electromagnetic shielding characteristics. In one construction, bare silver coated copper wire along with cotton yarn was used to knit fabric by ‘plating’ technique. In another construction, core spun metallic wire yarn produced by ring spinning was used to knit fabrics in two different loop lengths. Scattering ( S) parameters for reflection ( S11) and transmission ( S21) obtained for the fabrics by ASTM D4935 standard using coaxial transmission fixture and network analyser were analysed in the frequency range of 30–1500 MHz. All fabrics exhibited shielding effectiveness of 40 dB and above in low frequency region, the minimum mark for safer application to solve electromagnetic interferences. Fabric produced by ‘plating’ technique showed better electromagnetic shielding than core spun yarn knitted fabrics whereas no marked difference in shielding was noticed between the core spun yarn fabrics produced in two different loop lengths. However, fabric with smaller loop length showed a marginal increase in shielding at low frequency. Core spun yarn knitted fabrics show resonance peaks of reflection at different frequencies which suggest the possibility of tailoring frequency selective surfaces for high pass/no pass filtering. Antibacterial activity of the fabrics as per AATCC 100 test method was moderate with 60–63% bacterial reduction against the bacterium Escherichia coli.
Single-Port Transumbilical Laparoscopic Excision of Retroperitoneal Schwannoma Mimicking a Nonfunctional Endocrine Tumor in the Body of the Pancreas
Authors: Kameyama Noriaki , Tomita Masato , Mitsuhashi Hiroaki , Matsumoto Nobuaki , Obuchi Toru , Yoshikawa Yusuke , Tagaya Nobumi , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: March 2012

Schwannomas are benign tumors that arise from neural sheath Schwann cells. Solitary benign schwannoma is generally located in the head and neck and is a rare neoplasm among the tumors of the retroperitoneal space. Reports of laparoscopic excision of retroperitoneal schwannomas have recently been on the increase. However, few cases of single-port laparoscopic excision of these tumors have been reported. Moreover, there are no reports of single-port excision of schwannomas attached to the body of pancreas and around the splenic vessels. This is the first report of a schwannoma lying adjacent to the body of the pancreas between the splenic artery and vein that was excised by single-port laparoscopic surgery. The most notable aspect of our procedure is the use of bipolar forceps. Single-port laparoscopic excision using bipolar forceps is a feasible and safe procedure for retroperitoneal solitary tumors, even when they are close to the splenic artery and vein.
Electrohydrodynamic atomization deposition and patterning of a carbon nano-suspension
Authors: Wang Dazhi , Duan Hongbin , Li Jingliang , Liang Junsheng , Liu Chong
Published: March 2012

In this paper, a 6 wt% carbon nano-suspension was prepared and atomized using electrohydrodynamic atomization technique. The different atomization modes at certain regions of working parameters (applied voltage and flow rate) were studied. In the stable cone-jet mode, the effect of the working distance (distance between needle exit and substrate) on the size and distribution of the deposited relics was examined. It was observed that higher working distance resulted in larger size and higher number density of relics, mainly at the range of 0.2–0.4 µm. A continuous carbon line with the width of ~50 µm was also print-patterned using the electrohydrodynamic atomization deposition technique from the carbon nano-suspension.
Heat and mass transfer in non-Newtonian nanofluids over a non-isothermal stretching wall
Authors: Khan Waqar A , Gorla Rama Subba Reddy
Published: March 2012

A boundary layer analysis has been presented for the heat and mass transfer in non-Newtonian nanofluids over a stretching surface with prescribed wall temperature and surface nanoparticle concentration. A power-law model is used for non-Newtonian fluids whereas Brownian motion and thermophoresis effects are incorporated in the nanofluid model. A similarity transformation is used to reduce mass, momentum, thermal energy, and nanoparticles concentration equations into non-linear ordinary differential equations which are solved numerically by using a finite difference method. Effects of nanofluid parameters, suction/injection and temperature parameters, and generalized Pr and Le numbers on dimensionless functions, skin friction, local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are shown graphically. The present results of skin friction and heat transfer rates are compared with published results for special cases and are found to be in good agreement.