bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design variables for optimizing adaptive metacomposite made of shunted piezoelectric patches distribution
Authors: Tateo F , Collet M , Ouisse M , Cunefare KA
Published: August 2014

A two-dimensional array of a piezoelectric transducer shunted on a negative capacitance circuit is designed and applied to achieve broadband vibration reduction of a flexible plate over tunable frequency bands. Each surface-bonded patch is connected to a single independent negative capacitance synthetic circuit. A finite-element-based design methodology is used to predict and optimize the attenuation properties of the smart structure. The predictions are then experimentally validated by measuring the harmonic response of the plate and evaluating some derived quantity such as the loss factor and the kinetic energy ratio. The validated model is finally used to explore different configurations with the aim of defining some useful design criteria. The results obtained clearly show how the proposed strategy represents a robust and effective solution for the control of vibrations in complex structures.
Some remarks on generalized continuum mechanics
Authors: Maugin Gérard A
Published: August 2014

In this essay, a critical review of the bases and main characters of the theories of generalized continua is given within the general context of complex systems. After a brief reminder of the various extensions from standard to so-called “generalized” continua, the emphasis is placed on various disputable essential points. These are: the theoretically irreconcilable concepts of material point and continuum, the opposing notions of “discretization” and “continualization”, the important role played by symmetries and invariances in a definitely modern view of the subject matter, and the inevitable introduction of complexity in the mechanics of real materials as illustrated by several examples.
The obligation to know: From FAQ to Feminism 101
Authors: Reagle Joseph
Published: August 2014

In addition to documenting and sharing information, geek culture has a complementary norm obliging others to educate themselves on rudimentary topics. This obligation to know is expressed by way of jargon-laden exhortations such as “check the FAQ” (frequently asked questions) and “RTFM” (read the fucking manual). Additionally, the geek lexicon includes designations of the stature of the knower and the extent of what he or she knows (e.g. alpha geek and newbie). Online feminists, especially geek feminists, are similarly beset by naive or disruptive questions and demonstrate and further their geekiness through the deployment of the obligation to know. However, in this community, the obligation reflects the increased likelihood of disruptive, or “derailing,” questions and a more complex and gendered relationship with stature, as seen in the notions of impostor syndrome, the Unicorn Law, and mansplaining.
Nature 2.0: Exploring and theorizing the links between new media and nature conservation
Authors: Büscher Bram
Published: August 2014

Web 2.0 and social media applications that allow people to share, co-create and rate online content are crucial new ways for conservation organizations to reach audiences and for concerned individuals and organizations to be (seen as) ‘green’. These dynamics are rapidly changing the politics and political economy of nature conservation. By developing the concept of ‘nature 2.0’ and building on empirical insights, the article explores and theorizes these changes. It argues that online activities stimulate and complicate the commodification of biodiversity and help to reimagine ideas, ideals and experiences of (‘pristine’) nature. By exploring the implications of these arguments in relation to several key themes in new media studies, the article aims to provide building blocks for further investigations into the world of nature 2.0 and the effects of new media on human–nature dynamics more broadly.
The unconditional ‘ought’: A theoretical model for the anthropology of morality
Authors: Beldo Les
Published: August 2014

Despite growing interest in the study of morality in anthropology, the field continues to be hindered by the lack of a common theoretical framework that adequately conceptualizes morality as an analytic concept and distinguishes it from other domains of social judgment. Drawing upon and critiquing efforts by Laidlaw and Zigon, I propose a theoretical model that recognizes morality as one of three kinds of ‘ought’ propositions. As a special kind of ‘ought’, moral judgment and practice imply prescriptive standards that are experienced as factual and unconditional, independent of prudence or consensus. The distinction between moral discourse and ‘embodied’ morality, as well as the relationship between morality and ontological categories such as personhood and self, are discussed in light of this understanding. The essay concludes with a brief analysis of moral discourse among members of organized atheist groups.
Moralizing emotion: A breakdown in Thailand
Authors: Cassaniti Julia L
Published: August 2014

Emotional practices serve as privileged sites for moral action in a Buddhist community in Northern Thailand. In this article I draw out some of the theoretical implications of this emphasis for the study of morality, combining an anthropological focus on moments of moral breakdown with a psychological claim about the importance of emotion in moral practice. I do this through a case of emotions experienced surrounding a Northern Thai man afflicted with a severe alcohol-related illness. I trace the emotions experienced by the man, his friends, and his family during this difficult time, and analyze the ways in which their emotions are moralized within their community. Contrasting these emotions with quite different reactions raised by the same situation by members of a nearby Christian Karen community, I show how such emotions are broadly connected to locally constructed religious ideas about the value of calmness and the letting go of affective attachments. Through this study I argue that emotions provide new evidence for culturally variable expressions of morality, less as the underpinning of moral judgments and more as objects of moral assessments, and in doing so suggest a new theoretical and methodological domain for the anthropological study of morality.
Piaget and Durkheim: Competing paradigms in the anthropology of morality
Authors: Eberhardt Nancy
Published: August 2014

The recent resurgence of interest in the anthropology of morality has been accompanied by repeated calls to disentangle the moral from the cultural. The conflation of these domains is seen as a hindrance to further advancement in developing a theory of morality and is frequently blamed on the persistent influence of Durkheim’s powerful conception of society as the ultimate moral authority. In this essay, I explore the contrasting views of one of Durkheim’s contemporaries, the psychologist Jean Piaget, and consider their relevance for understanding the relationship between culture and morality. To do so, I draw on ethnographic research on moral development and culture acquisition conducted with Shan children and adults in northwest Thailand. Based on this research, I suggest that indigenous concepts of personhood, agency, and human development are intrinsic to any formulation of morality, and that they provide an entry point for culturally sensitive anthropological investigations of moral discourse.
Ancestral personhood and moral justification
Authors: Hickman Jacob R
Published: August 2014

In this article I seek to elucidate the theoretical relationship between the concepts of morality and personhood. I argue that cultural models of personhood are more concretely available to the imagination as compared to philosophizing about objective moral goods, despite the fact that people commonly gravitate toward moral realism. Models of personhood provide a more practical underpinning for conceptual moral goods. I demonstrate these connections through an exegesis of a Hmong model of ancestral personhood and its relationship to moral discourse collected during my fieldwork. Future emphasis on these explicit connections between cultural models of personhood and moral discourse will help answer some of the methodological and theoretical concerns in the evolving anthropology of morality.
Old questions for the new anthropology of morality: A commentary
Authors: Shweder Richard A , Menon Usha
Published: August 2014

The return of anthropological interest to the descriptive study of the moral foundations of social life is a very welcome development. Nevertheless, if there is going to be a new anthropology of morality, it must have something new to say about some very old questions. The first is the analytic question: what counts as a morality? The second and third are descriptive questions: is some idea of an objective moral charter a feature of human social life and individual judgment; and what is the scope, generality and detail with which various aspects or domains of the social order (from gender relations to food customs) are understood and experienced as extensions of a moral order from the ‘native point of view’? Finally, why do the many peoples of the world apparently disagree with each other so much in both their spontaneous-habitual-unreflective-internalized-‘embodied’ (and hence implicit) judgments and in their reflective-reasoned-thoughtful-spelled out (and hence explicit) judgments about the rightness or wrongness of specific actions? Those are questions that no anthropology of morality, old or new, can or should avoid.
Immigrant organisations as schools of bureaucracy
Authors: Takle Marianne
Published: August 2014

This article analyses the way Norwegian authorities facilitate and expect immigrant organisations to serve as schools of democracy – and to what extent there are elements of bureaucratic schooling. Moreover, it examines how immigrant organisations’ adaptation to these expectations can be understood as an adaptation to an administrative culture. The article concludes that adaptation to democratic ideals is emphasised in the political rhetoric, while in practice street-level bureaucrats educate members of immigrant organisations in how to establish and run a formal, hierarchical, rule-based and impersonal organisation in Norway. The emphasis on bureaucratic schooling is especially relevant in a Nordic context, where the voluntary sector functions as a parallel bureaucratic structure to the government administration. Most immigrant organisations formulate written statutes the way the authorities expect of them and in accordance with these statutes they construct their own democratic and bureaucratically structured organisations. By formulating their statutes, the immigrant organisations are socialised into the Norwegian administrative culture.
Plasma copeptin as marker of cardiovascular disease in asymptomatic type 2 diabetes patients
Authors: Bar-Shalom Dana , Poulsen Mikael K , Rasmussen Lars M , Diederichsen Axel CP , Sand Niels PR , Henriksen Jan E , Nybo Mads
Published: August 2014

Recently, copeptin was found associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients treated in primary care. This study aimed to evaluate whether plasma copeptin correlated to CVD in asymptomatic T2DM patients intensively investigated for sub-clinical CVD. A total of 302 T2DM patients referred to the Diabetes Clinic at Odense University Hospital, Denmark, entered the study. None of the patients had known or suspected CVD. As a control group, 30 healthy adults were recruited from the DanRisk study – a random sample of middle-aged Danes. A variety of clinical investigations were performed, including blood pressure measurements, carotid intima media thickness evaluation and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Blood sample analyses included copeptin measurements. Median plasma copeptin concentrations were similar in the T2DM group and the control group. However, men had significantly higher copeptin concentrations than women in the T2DM group (p < 0.001), and also, T2DM men had significantly higher copeptin concentrations than men without T2DM (p = 0.038). Copeptin correlated significantly with a number of variables, but the strongest correlation was with creatinine (R = 0.432, p < 0.001), and in multiple regression analysis, only this correlation remained significant. When association with clinical scores were investigated, plasma copeptin remained significantly associated with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (p = 0.01). We found correlations between creatinine, copeptin levels and PAD in T2DM patients, and if confirmed, plasma copeptin combined with plasma creatinine could be a candidate for PAD screening in T2DM patients.
The “Critical” Turn
Authors: Gedro Julie , Collins Joshua C. , Rocco Tonette S.
Published: August 2014

The Problem

Dominant paradigms have begun to be questioned in some human resource development (HRD) scholarship. However, to date, there have been few systematic interrogations of power and privilege within the field. As a result, there remain unquestioned and tacit assumptions about HRD research and practice that hinder the ability of HRD to address the complexity of identity, perspective, and philosophy that characterize and influence organizations today.

The Solution

The use of theories and perspectives based on critical theory to interrogate HRD is needed for a deep and careful analysis of whose interests are served by HRD and whose interests can and perhaps should be served by HRD. This concluding article sets forth a hopeful retrospective synopsis of the articles in this Advances issue and illustrates how this body of work can inform HRD research and practice.

The Stakeholders

Those who are interested in acquiring a greater sense of awareness about how power and privilege serve as organizing frameworks in society in general, and in the workplace in specific, will benefit from this concluding article that casts a hopeful tone over complex and sometimes controversial issues. In particular, we imagine stakeholders to be corporate executives, diversity and inclusion executives, HRD scholars interested in gaining more awareness about diversity, and HRD practitioners who seek to develop programs that embrace those who are visible as well as those who have less visible identities.
Online Learning Perceptions and Effectiveness of Research Methods Courses in a Hispanic-Serving Higher Education Institute
Authors: Lu Ming-Tsan Pierre , Cavazos Vela Javier
Published: August 2014

In this article, the authors first reviewed related literature on possible factors that influence learning between an online learning (OL) course format and a face-to-face (F2F) course format. The authors investigated OL and F2F learning perceptions and effectiveness of a graduate-level research methods course at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). Thirty-three graduate students who took the same introductory research methods course in different formats participated in this exploratory study. The authors conducted content analysis for qualitative data and exploratory data analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and mean comparisons for quantitative data using SPSS. Similarities and differences between OL and F2F in a research methods course from HSI learners’ perspectives were presented. Findings also revealed that perceived difficulty of coursework and perceived time involvement were important factors in delivering course content when designing either OL or F2F courses. Future directions, study limitations, and practical implications are discussed.
Understanding Latina/o Students’ Meaning in Life, Spirituality, and Subjective Happiness
Authors: Cavazos Vela Javier , Castro Veronica , Cavazos Leticia , Cavazos Michelle , Gonzalez Stacey Lee
Published: August 2014

One-hundred nineteen Latina/o college students provided perceptions of presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, daily spiritual experiences, and subjective happiness. Perceptions of meaning in life and daily spiritual experiences were significant predictors of subjective happiness. A discussion regarding the importance of these findings is provided, and implications for university staff are offered.
Aphasia Severity in Chronic Stroke Patients
Authors: Rosso Charlotte , Vargas Patricia , Valabregue Romain , Arbizu Céline , Henry-Amar François , Leger Anne , Lehéricy Stéphane , Samson Yves
Published: August 2014

Background. The contribution of lesion size and location in poststroke aphasia is debated, especially the extent to which aphasia severity is affected by damage to specific white matter areas. Objective. To identify specific white matter areas critical for poststroke aphasia global severity and to determine whether injury to these areas had more impact on aphasia severity than the infarct volume. Methods. Twenty-three chronic poststroke aphasic patients were assessed with the Aphasia Rapid Test (ART) and the Boston Diagnosis Aphasia Examination (BDAE) global severity scales and underwent diffusion tensor and structural imaging. Voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging regression analysis was used to determine in which areas fractional anisotropy (FA) abnormalities were correlated with ART and BDAE severity scales. The relationships between aphasia severity, FA values, and infarct volumes were investigated using global and partial correlations. Results. We found a critical area associated with aphasia severity overlapping with the arcuate and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, resulting in a combined disconnection of the dorsal and ventral pathways. ART scores were inversely correlated with FA values in this region, with greater severity present with lower FA values (correlation coefficient = −0.833, P < .0001). The proportion of variance explained by the FA value was higher than the proportion of variance explained by the infarct volume ( R2 = 68% vs 27%, P = .01). The impact of infarct volume on aphasia severity disappeared when damage to this critical white matter area was taken into account ( P = .38). Conclusion. The assessment of the integrity of this region may potentially have a clinical impact in neurorehabilitation and acute decision making.
The Effect of Age on Rehabilitation Outcome After Traumatic Brain Injury Assessed by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM)
Authors: Pedersen Asger R. , Severinsen Kaare , Nielsen Jørgen F.
Published: August 2014

Background. The impact of age on rehabilitation outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) as measured by changes in the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) has been addressed in several seemingly conflicting reports. Differences may be explained by different study populations and different ways of analyzing data. Objective. To investigate the role of data analysis in the interpretation of the age effect on rehabilitation outcome after TBI by comparing classical analyses of the total FIM score with a new item-wise analysis that unfolds the comprehensive amount of information contained in the FIM measurement otherwise concealed by the total score. Methods. We analyzed admission and discharge FIM data from 411 consecutive TBI patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation during 1998-2011 by both methods. Results. The classical analysis indicated similar rehabilitation outcome in the 18 to 39, 40 to 64, and 65+ years age groups, which could be explained by selection of strong elderly patients and/or methodological problems with classical data analyses, whereas the item-wise analysis demonstrated profound age effect on most FIM items throughout the age interval covered. Conclusions. The item-wise analysis meets requirements of proper data analysis, avoids concealing diversity in rehabilitation outcome behind the total FIM score, and provides a flexible, informative, and clinically relevant data analysis.
Flexion stiffness of a racing cross-country ski boot
Authors: Hladnik Jurij , Resman Franc , Jerman Boris
Published: August 2014

For greater energy efficiency of sports footwear, mass needs to be minimized while preserving other favourable characteristics. In this article, an analysis of the flexion stiffness of the foot region, precisely its middle region, of a specific racing cross-country ski boot for the skating technique regarding its mass was performed. On the basis of a complex finite element model of the ski boot and an existing boot stiffness measuring set-up, flexion stiffness portions, mass portions and flexion stiffness/mass portion ratios were determined for individual boot components regarding the middle boot region. These values were determined for the shoe-upper with strengthening bands and shoelaces (altogether S-U), the sole, the midsole and the glue layer between. The S-U turned out to contribute a high flexion stiffness portion to the boot’s middle region’s flexion stiffness and also its flexion stiffness/mass portion ratio turned out to be the highest. The midsole and the sole present the highest potential for flexion stiffness/mass optimization due to their lowest flexion stiffness/mass ratios and highest mass portions. In order to increase the flexion stiffness/mass ratio of the middle boot region, the sole’s and the midsole’s size portions should be reduced, while the S-U’s size portion should be increased. Beside these findings, other suggestions in order to increase the flexion stiffness/mass ratio of the boot’s middle region are also given.
Randomized controlled trial of cyclic and continuous therapy with trospium and solifenacin combination for severe overactive bladder in elderly patients with regard to patient compliance
Authors: Kosilov Kirill V. , Loparev Sergay A. , Ivanovskaya Marina A. , Kosilova Liliya V.
Published: August 2014

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to increase the efficiency of treatment for severe symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) with antimuscarinic drugs in elderly men and women.

Methods:

A total of 341 patients over 65 years of age (average age 69.9; 186 women and 155 men) with severe symptoms of OAB (frequency of incontinence episodes [IEs] ≥ 3/day) underwent examination. Patients were distributed into three main groups: A ( n = 58; trospium 60 mg/day + solifenacin 20): three cycles, each cycle 8 weeks, with an 8-week interval; B ( n = 55; trospium 30 mg/day + solifenacin 10), regimen was the same as in group A; C ( n = 62; trospium 30 mg/day + solifenacin 10) daily during 1 year.

Results:

The most successful treatment for the clinical and urodynamic symptoms of OAB was observed in group A, without an increase in the quantity or intensity of side effects (IEs = 4.8 (0.9) → 1.4 (0.8); p ≤ 0.01). Groups B and C also demonstrated positive effects for most of the markers for lower urinary tract state with statistical significance p ≤ 0.01. Nonparametric correlation between decrease in IEs and relative number of patients who accurately fulfilled prescriptions was in group A, r = 0.53, p ≤ 0.05; in group B, r = 0.61; p ≤ 0.05; in group C, r = 0.55, p ≤ 0.05.

Conclusions:

Cyclic therapy with two different spectrum antimuscarinics appears to be effective for controlling severe OAB in elderly patients. One-year cyclic therapy with a trospium and solifenacin combination provides a high compliance level (76–84%). However, continuous therapy with standard doses of trospium and solifenacin results in low adherence and high rates of treatment withdrawals (≥ 66%) despite satisfactory clinical and urodynamic results.
A Novel Quantitative Method for Diabetic Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy Assessment in Type 1 Diabetic Mice
Authors: Chon Ki H. , Yang Bufan , Posada-Quintero Hugo F. , Siu Kin L. , Rolle Marsha , Brink Peter , Birzgalis Aija , Moore Leon C.
Published: August 2014

Background:

In this work, we used a sensitive and noninvasive computational method to assess diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (DCAN) from pulse oximeter (photoplethysmographic; PPG) recordings from mice. The method, which could be easily applied to humans, is based on principal dynamic mode (PDM) analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). Unlike the power spectral density, PDM has been shown to be able to separately identify the activities of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems without pharmacological intervention.

Method:

HRV parameters were measured by processing PPG signals from conscious 1.5- to 5-month-old C57/BL6 control mice and in Akita mice, a model of insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes, and compared with the gold-standard Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses.

Results:

The PDM results indicate significant cardiac autonomic impairment in the diabetic mice in comparison to the controls. When tail-cuff PPG recordings were collected and analyzed starting from 1.5 months of age in both C57/Bl6 controls and Akita mice, onset of DCAN was seen at 3 months in the Akita mice, which persisted up to the termination of the recording at 5 months.

Conclusions:

Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses also showed a reduction in nerve density in Akita mice at 3 and 4 months as compared to the control mice, thus, corroborating our PDM data analysis of HRV records. Western blot analysis of autonomic nerve proteins corroborated the PPG-based HRV analysis via the PDM approach. In contrast, traditional HRV analysis (based on either the power spectral density or time-domain measures) failed to detect the nerve rarefaction.
Look Closer . . . I Am Not “Just Shy”
Authors: Burns Erin , Thiessen Kellie
Published: August 2014

Early recognition, assessment, and treatment of social anxiety disorder are criteria to prevent persistent functional impairment in educational and occupational settings and in relationships. Individuals who avoid social settings due to the fear of embarrassment miss out on activities, learning opportunities, and interactions with others. Those who work with children in schools or health care settings are in an ideal position to help those who often don’t have a voice. The 2013 updated NICE guideline, Social Anxiety Disorder: Recognition, Assessment and Treatment, has been critically reviewed and applied to a case study. The guideline is intended to provide evidence-based best practice advice for providers on how to recognize, complete assessments of, and treat social anxiety disorder.
Evidence of a Viable Pool of Stem Cells within Human Osteoarthritic Cartilage
Authors: Nelson Larissa , McCarthy Helen E. , Fairclough John , Williams Rebecca , Archer Charles W.
Published: August 2014

Objectives

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease affecting more than 4 million people in the United Kingdom. Despite its prevalence, there is no successful cell-based therapy currently used to treat patients whose cartilage is deemed irrecoverable. The present study aimed to isolate stem cells from tibial plateaux cartilage obtained from patients who underwent total knee replacements for OA and investigate their stem cell characteristics.

Design

Clonally derived cell lines were selected using a differential adhesion assay to fibronectin and expanded in monolayer culture. Colony forming efficiencies and growth kinetics were investigated. The potential for tri-lineage differentiation into chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic phenotypes were analyzed using histological stains, immunocytochemistry, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Colony forming cells were successfully isolated from osteoarthritic cartilage and extensively expanded in monolayer culture. Colony forming efficiencies were consistently below 0.1%. Clonal cell lines were expanded beyond 40 population doublings but disparities were observed in the number of population doublings per day. Clonally derived cell lines also demonstrated in vitro multilineage potential via successful differentiation into chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic lineages. However, variation in the degree of differentiation was observed between these clonal cell lines.

Conclusions

A viable pool of cells with stem cell characteristics have been identified within human osteoarthritic cartilage. Variation in the degree of differentiation suggests the possibility of further subpopulations of cells. The identification of this stem cell population highlights the reparative potential of these cells in osteoarthritic cartilage, which could be further exploited to aid the field of regenerative medicine.
Big and broad social data and the sociological imagination: A collaborative response
Authors: Housley William , Procter Rob , Edwards Adam , Burnap Peter , Williams Matthew , Sloan Luke , Rana Omer , Morgan Jeffrey , Voss Alex , Greenhill Anita
Published: August 2014

In this paper, we reflect on the disciplinary contours of contemporary sociology, and social science more generally, in the age of ‘big and broad’ social data. Our aim is to suggest how sociology and social sciences may respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by this ‘data deluge’ in ways that are innovative yet sensitive to the social and ethical life of data and methods. We begin by reviewing relevant contemporary methodological debates and consider how they relate to the emergence of big and broad social data as a product, reflexive artefact and organizational feature of emerging global digital society. We then explore the challenges and opportunities afforded to social science through the widespread adoption of a new generation of distributed, digital technologies and the gathering momentum of the open data movement, grounding our observations in the work of the Collaborative Online Social Media ObServatory (COSMOS) project. In conclusion, we argue that these challenges and opportunities motivate a renewed interest in the programme for a ‘public sociology’, characterized by the co-production of social scientific knowledge involving a broad range of actors and publics.
Rehabilitation: What does ‘good’ look like anyway?
Authors: Frazer Lesley , Drinkwater Nicola , Mullen Jessica , Hayes Clare , O’ Donoghue Katie , Cumbo Ellie
Published: August 2014

This article explores the need for a clearer vision of what ‘good’ looks like in the rehabilitation of offenders, whether in prison or in the community. Such a vision is needed to underpin not only innovative, and evidence-based service development but also outcomes led commissioning, and (in the context of England and Wales) the procurement of packages of rehabilitation services most likely to support the desistance process. The need for this is greater than ever, due to the current UK Government’s Transforming Rehabilitation reforms1 that are set to dramatically alter criminal justice policy in England and Wales.
The Conscientious Responders Scale
Authors: Marjanovic Zdravko , Struthers C. Ward , Cribbie Robert , Greenglass Esther R.
Published: August 2014

This investigation introduces a novel tool for identifying conscientious responders (CRs) and random responders (RRs) in psychological inventory data. The Conscientious Responders Scale (CRS) is a five-item validity measure that uses instructional items to identify responders. Because each item instructs responders exactly how to answer that particular item, each response can be scored as either correct or incorrect. Given the long odds of answering a CRS item correctly by chance alone on a 7-point scale (14.29%), we reasoned that RRs would answer most items incorrectly, whereas CRs would answer them correctly. This rationale was evaluated in two experiments in which CRs’ CRS scores were compared against RRs’ scores. As predicted, results showed large differences in CRS scores across responder groups. Moreover, the CRS correctly classified responders as either conscientious or random with greater than 93% accuracy. Implications for the reliability and effectiveness of the CRS are discussed.
Implementing Secondary Transition Evidence-Based Practices
Authors: Mazzotti Valerie L. , Plotner Anthony J.
Published: August 2014

Inadequate transition outcomes for youth with disabilities have produced a call for enhanced transition service delivery that includes implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, research indicates transition service providers still lack the knowledge and skills to effectively implement EBPs to ensure youth with disabilities experience positive in-school and post-school success. The purpose of this study was to investigate transition service provider and implementation factors that may impact transition service providers’ use of secondary transition EBPs. Results indicated transition service providers had limited training, access, and preparation related to secondary transition EBPs. In addition, results were promising indicating the majority of respondents were always, often, or sometimes using EBPs across the transition-related skill categories. Future research, implications for practice, and limitations are discussed.
Enhance cycling performance of LiMn2O4 cathode by Sr2+ and Cr3+ doping
Authors: Liang X. , Zeng S. , Liu Y. , Shi L. , Liu T.
Published: August 2014

Spinel LiSr0·1Cr0·1Mn1·8O4 was synthesised by high temperature solid state method in order to enhance the electrochemical performance. The LiSr0·1Cr0·1Mn1·8O4 (LSCMO) materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical tests. The XRD and SEM studies confirm that LSCMO had spinel crystal structure with a space group of Fd3m, and the particle of LSCMO shows irregular shape. The cyclic voltammetry data illustrated that the heavy current charge–discharge performance of LMO was improved by Sr2+ and Cr3+ doping. The galvanostatic charge–discharge of LSCMO cathode materials was measured at 1, 5, 10 and 20 C. The results indicated that LSCMO improved the capacity retention.
Vitamin C revisited
Authors: Oudemans-van Straaten Heleen M , Man Angelique ME Spoelstra-de , de Waard Monique C
Published: August 2014

This narrative review summarizes the role of vitamin C in mitigating oxidative injury-induced microcirculatory impairment and associated organ failure in ischemia/reperfusion or sepsis. Preclinical studies show that high-dose vitamin C can prevent or restore microcirculatory flow impairment by inhibiting activation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase, augmenting tetrahydrobiopterin, preventing uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, and decreasing the formation of superoxide and peroxynitrite, and by directly scavenging superoxide. Vitamin C can additionally restore vascular responsiveness to vasoconstrictors, preserve endothelial barrier by maintaining cyclic guanylate phosphatase and occludin phosphorylation and preventing apoptosis. Finally, high-dose vitamin C can augment antibacterial defense. These protective effects against overwhelming oxidative stress due to ischemia/reperfusion, sepsis or burn seems to mitigate organ injury and dysfunction, and promote recovery after cardiac revascularization and in critically ill patients, in the latter partially in combination with other antioxidants. Of note, several questions remain to be solved, including optimal dose, timing and combination of vitamin C with other antioxidants. The combination obviously offers a synergistic effect and seems reasonable during sustained critical illness. High-dose vitamin C, however, provides a cheap, strong and multifaceted antioxidant, especially robust for resuscitation of the circulation. Vitamin C given as early as possible after the injurious event, or before if feasible, seems most effective. The latter could be considered at the start of cardiac surgery, organ transplant or major gastrointestinal surgery. Preoperative supplementation should consider the inhibiting effect of vitamin C on ischemic preconditioning. In critically ill patients, future research should focus on the use of short-term high-dose intravenous vitamin C as a resuscitation drug, to intervene as early as possible in the oxidant cascade in order to optimize macrocirculation and microcirculation and limit cellular injury.
MBASED: allele-specific expression detection in cancer tissues and cell lines
Authors: Mayba Oleg , Gilbert Houston N , Liu Jinfeng , Haverty Peter M , Jhunjhunwala Suchit , Jiang Zhaoshi , Watanabe Colin , Zhang Zemin
Published: August 2014

Allele-specific gene expression, ASE, is an important aspect of gene regulation. We developed a novel method MBASED, meta-analysis based allele-specific expression detection for ASE detection using RNA-seq data that aggregates information across multiple single nucleotide variation loci to obtain a gene-level measure of ASE, even when prior phasing information is unavailable. MBASED is capable of one-sample and two-sample analyses and performs well in simulations. We applied MBASED to a panel of cancer cell lines and paired tumor-normal tissue samples, and observed extensive ASE in cancer, but not normal, samples, mainly driven by genomic copy number alterations.
Advancing clinical oncology through genome biology and technology
Authors: Varghese Anna M , Berger Michael F
Published: August 2014

The use of genomic technologies for the molecular characterization of tumors has propelled our understanding of cancer biology and is transforming the way patients with cancer are diagnosed and treated.
Noise reduction procedures for gravity-gradiometer data
Authors: Pilkington Mark , Shamsipour Pejman
Published: August 2014

Noise suppression of airborne gravity-gradiometer data is a crucial part of the data processing stream. We considered two approaches to removing noise: kriging and directional filtering. Kriging is an estimation procedure for the interpolation of spatial data. The estimator is calculated from the data variogram, which characterizes the noise level and correlation length of the measurements. Directional filtering uses a user-defined operator that is oriented to preferentially smooth the data along the strike, but it leaves short-wavelength components in the cross-strike direction for definition of the trend edges. Both methods were applied to a recently collected offshore gravity gradient survey. The kriging and directional filtering results revealed a similar level of smoothness, but the main difference between them was the extra smoothing along the strike for the directionally filtered data. Because kriging is a data-driven procedure, it provides an objective estimate of the data noise level and degree of smoothness. The processing parameters required for directional filtering can then be chosen to give a similar level of smoothness and noise suppression to the kriging results, but with the added advantage of directional smoothing, which more effectively delineates geologic trends in the data.
Visual saliency and potential field data enhancements: Where is your attention drawn?
Authors: Sivarajah Yathunanthan , Holden Eun-Jung , Togneri Roberto , Dentith Michael , Lindsay Mark
Published: August 2014

Interpretation of gravity and magnetic data for exploration applications may be based on pattern recognition in which geophysical signatures of geologic features associated with localized characteristics are sought within data. A crucial control on what comprises noticeable and comparable characteristics in a data set is how images displaying those data are enhanced. Interpreters are provided with various image enhancement and display tools to assist their interpretation, although the effectiveness of these tools to improve geologic feature detection is difficult to measure. We addressed this challenge by analyzing how image enhancement methods impact the interpreter’s visual attention when interpreting the data because features that are more salient to the human visual system are more likely to be noticed. We used geologic target-spotting exercises within images generated from magnetic data to assess commonly used magnetic data visualization methods for their visual saliency. Our aim was achieved in two stages. In the first stage, we identified a suitable saliency detection algorithm that can computationally predict visual attention of magnetic data interpreters. The computer vision community has developed various image saliency detection algorithms, and we assessed which algorithm best matches the interpreter’s data observation patterns for magnetic target-spotting exercises. In the second stage, we applied this saliency detection algorithm to understand potential visual biases for commonly used magnetic data enhancement methods. We developed a guide to choosing image enhancement methods, based on saliency maps that minimize unintended visual biases in magnetic data interpretation, and some recommendations for identifying exploration targets in different types of magnetic data.
Out with the old, in with the new: reassessing morpholino knockdowns in light of genome editing technology
Authors: Schulte-Merker Stefan , Stainier Didier Y. R.
Published: August 2014

Morpholino oligomers have been used widely and for many years in the zebrafish community to transiently knock down the function of target genes. It has often been difficult, however, to reliably discriminate between specific and non-specific effects, and thus generally accepted guidelines to control for morpholino side effects do not exist. In light of recent methodologies to generate mutant lines in virtually any zebrafish gene, we discuss these different approaches with a specific focus on how the first description of a loss-of-function phenotype in zebrafish should be accomplished.
In Situ XAFS Study of the Photoinduced Potential Shift of a MnOx Cocatalyst on a SrTiO3 Photocatalyst
Authors: Yoshida Masaaki , Gon Narihiro , Maeda Saaya , Mineo Takehiro , Nitta Kiyofumi , Kato Kazuo , Nitani Hiroaki , Abe Hitoshi , Uruga Tomoya , Kondoh Hiroshi
Published: August 2014

The migration of photoexcited carriers from a SrTiO3 photocatalyst to a MnOx cocatalyst during oxygen evolution from an aqueous AgNO3 solution under UV irradiation was investigated by in situ Mn K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. The absorption edge of the XAFS spectrum shifted to higher energy values during the photocatalytic reaction as the sacrificial reagent was consumed. This indicates that the MnOx cocatalyst was oxidized by the transfer of photogenerated holes, resulting in a positive potential shift of the cocatalyst throughout the oxygen evolution reaction.
Development of Novel Protease Assay Device Using a Nanoimprinted Two-dimensional Photonic Crystal
Authors: Hashimoto Wakana , Endo Tatsuro , Sueyoshi Kenji , Hisamoto Hideaki
Published: August 2014

We developed a novel protease assay device using nanoimprinted two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D-PhC) for the first time. 2D-PhC exhibits a characteristic reflection, and its intensity is strongly affected by small changes in refractive index (RI) of the 2D-PhC surface. In this study, protease substrate-immobilized 2D-PhC was newly developed in order to measure the protease activity, and the simple and selective detection of protease activity using 2D-PhC was successfully performed.
Nominal Group Technique consultation of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme
Authors: Hutchings Hayley A , Rapport Frances L , Wright Sarah , Doel Marcus A , Clement Clare , Lewis Keir E
Published: August 2014

Objective:The purpose of the study was to determine what patients, professionals and significant others regarded as the most important positive- and challenging aspects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and to gain insight into how such programmes could be developed and improved.

Method:A modified Nominal Group Technique method was used in three consultation workshops (one with COPD patients who had recently undertaken a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme; one with ‘significant others’ of the same patients; one with secondary care professionals who deliver the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme).

Results:Each of three workshops resulted in the production of approximately ten positive- and ten challenging aspects related to Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes.  These were further developed by a process of thematisation into seven broad themes.  The most important was ‘the patient’, followed by ‘physical health’; jointly ranked as third were: ‘mental health’ and ‘knowledge and education’.  ‘The programme’ and ‘professional characteristics’ were jointly ranked as fifth, with ‘the future’ being ranked as the least important theme.

Conclusions:The modified Nominal Group Technique method allowed the development of a ranked thematic list that illustrated the important positive- and challenging aspects of Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes for patients with COPD. These themes should be core to planning future Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes, particularly if patients and carer views are to be considered.
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: An ‘alternative’ approach to care
Authors: Tiran Denise
Published: August 2014

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is a complex biopsychosocial syndrome, which is multifactorial, both in terms of aetiology and manifestation. In some women, symptoms resolve after the first trimester, but for others prolonged and unremitting nausea has an adverse effect on their daily lives. A minority develop hyperemesis gravidarum, for which hospital admission is required, but it is those with moderately severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy who seem to suffer most, particularly as they are usually left to self-manage their condition. This paper explores a selection of commonly-used complementary therapies and natural remedies to which women resort to relieve their symptoms, including ginger, acupressure and acupuncture, stimulation of the vestibular apparatus and hypnosis.
Diabetes care, asthma, flu jab
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: August 2014

Journals Watch

In-depth analysis of the latest international research. Compiled by Mark Greener
Pregnancy in diabetics
Authors: Kochhar Suneeta
Published: August 2014

Pregnancy

Diabetic women require close monitoring during pregnancy. Suneeta Kochhar provides an overview of risks and management
Prescribing long-acting reversible contraception
Authors: Kraszewski Sarah
Published: August 2014

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) describes methods of contraception that do not require daily adherence to a medication or method regime. LARC methods are safe, reliable and cost-effective. The prescription of LARC methods requires a thorough consultation with the client to ensure suitability of the method, and this article takes the reader through the different components of the prescribing decision, before providing a discussion of the use of progestogen-only implants, progestogen-only injectable methods, copper bearing intrauterine devices (IUDs) and progestogen-only intrauterine systems (IUS).
Imaging hyphal growth of Physisporinus vitreus in Norway spruce wood by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)
Authors: Schubert Mark , Stührk Chris , Fuhr Matthias J. , Schwarze Francis W.M.R.
Published: August 2014

Light microscopy and electron microscopy are the most common methods for analyzing wood-decay fungi. However, the 3D visualization and quantification of the filamentous structure of fungi in wood is difficult to realize by means of these traditional techniques. In the present work, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was further developed for the quantitative imaging of the 3D microscopic hyphal growth of Physisporinus vitreus, a versatile fungus for engineering value-added wood products. To this purpose, the fungus was stained with a fluorescent dye Alexa Fluor. The 3D information obtained by CLSM has a high potential as a basis for the development of mathematical models for a more precise observation of the growth behavior of wood-decay fungi.