bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community Safety Officers in Western Canada
Authors: Walby Kevin , Lippert Randy K.
Published: August 2014

Community safety officers (CSOs) have been prominent local security providers in the United Kingdom, Australia, and elsewhere for two decades. Examining the establishment of CSOs in cities in Western Canada, this article responds to calls for international, comparative research on CSOs. We demonstrate that CSO establishment in Canada has not entailed a straightforward transfer of criminal justice policy. Instead, there have been policy mutations, most notably when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police implemented a pilot CSO program in several cities. By examining CSO programs and practices in Canada, we contribute to international literature on CSOs as well as related debates about reassurance and community policing.
Republican civic virtue, enlightened self-interest and Tocqueville
Authors: Kimpell Jessica L.
Published: August 2014

Tocqueville’s claim in Democracy in America about the link between associations and a vibrant public sphere is interpreted especially by neo-republicans in political theory as aligned with their argument that civic virtue can and ought to be fostered in today’s democracies. This paper challenges such a reading of Tocqueville by considering his notion of enlightened self-interest. Tocqueville’s ideas about the nature of political activity differ markedly from the republican ideal of a citizenry marked by civic virtue, as Tocqueville appeals to self-interest, albeit an enlightened sort, as the primary motive for involvement. Tocqueville also suggests that the character of political behaviour he describes in contrast to civic virtue contributes to a more nuanced understanding of what motivates citizens to engage in public life in modern democracy.
Reflections on Mirror Therapy
Authors: Deconinck Frederik J. A. , Smorenburg Ana R. P. , Benham Alex , Ledebt Annick , Feltham Max G. , Savelsbergh Geert J. P.
Published: August 2014

Background. Mirror visual feedback (MVF), a phenomenon where movement of one limb is perceived as movement of the other limb, has the capacity to alleviate phantom limb pain or promote motor recovery of the upper limbs after stroke. The tool has received great interest from health professionals; however, a clear understanding of the mechanisms underlying the neural recovery owing to MVF is lacking. Objective. We performed a systematic review to assess the effect of MVF on brain activation during a motor task. Methods. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases for neuroimaging studies investigating the effect of MVF on the brain. Key details for each study regarding participants, imaging methods, and results were extracted. Results. The database search yielded 347 article, of which we identified 33 suitable for inclusion. Compared with a control condition, MVF increases neural activity in areas involved with allocation of attention and cognitive control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, S1 and S2, precuneus). Apart from activation in the superior temporal gyrus and premotor cortex, there is little evidence that MVF activates the mirror neuron system. MVF increases the excitability of the ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1) that projects to the “untrained” hand/arm. There is also evidence for ipsilateral projections from the contralateral M1 to the untrained/affected hand as a consequence of training with MVF. Conclusion. MVF can exert a strong influence on the motor network, mainly through increased cognitive penetration in action control, though the variance in methodology and the lack of studies that shed light on the functional connectivity between areas still limit insight into the actual underlying mechanisms.
Health Insurance Status and Symptoms of Psychological Distress among Low-income Urban Women
Authors: Jacobs Anna W. , Hill Terrence D. , Burdette Amy M.
Published: August 2014

Although numerous studies have considered the effects of having health insurance on access to health care, physical health, and mortality risk, the association between insurance coverage and mental health has been surprisingly understudied. Building on previous work, we use data collected from a two-year follow-up of low-income women living in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio to estimate a series of latent fixed-effects regression models assessing the association between insurance status and symptoms of psychological distress. We find that having any insurance and private insurance is unrelated to depression, anxiety, and somatization. Having public insurance is unrelated to depression and somatization, but there is some evidence that having public insurance is associated with greater anxiety. Although not a direct test of the Affordable Care Act, our results suggest that the expansion of coverage may have a limited impact on symptoms of psychological distress among low-income urban women with children.
“When Do I Feel Like an Adult?”
Authors: Katsiaficas Dalal , Suárez-Orozco Carola , Dias Sandra Isabel
Published: August 2014

The aim of this study was to understand how Latino and Afro-Caribbean immigrant-origin community college students conceptualize adulthood and understand their adult identities. The data are drawn from semi-structured group interviews with 17 low-income immigrant-origin students from three diverse community college campuses in an urban center in the Northeast. The The authors organized the results as a series of dialectic tensions that highlight the contradictions present in the everyday lives of participants. Results reveal that the central task of emerging adulthood is to navigate the multiple divergent messages about what it means to be an adult between home and school contexts. For low-income immigrant-origin community college students, adulthood was defined both by individual responsibility and by social responsibility. Emerging adulthood becomes a time of assuming responsibility for oneself as well as for other loved ones. These findings suggest that developmental pathways vary for immigrant-origin emerging adults and provide avenues for further research to explore how this population emerges into adulthood.
Diverse modes of genomic alteration in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Jhunjhunwala Suchit , Jiang Zhaoshi , Stawiski Eric W , Gnad Florian , Liu Jinfeng , Mayba Oleg , Du Pan , Diao Jingyu , Johnson Stephanie , Wong Kwong-Fai , Gao Zhibo , Li Yingrui , Wu Thomas D , Kapadia Sharookh B , Modrusan Zora , French Dorothy M , Luk John M , Seshagiri Somasekar , Zhang Zemin
Published: August 2014

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous disease with high mortality rate. Recent genomic studies have identified TP53, AXIN1, and CTNNB1 as the most frequently mutated genes. Lower frequency mutations have been reported in ARID1A, ARID2 and JAK1. In addition, hepatitis B virus (HBV) integrations into the human genome have been associated with HCC.

Results

Here, we deep-sequence 42 HCC patients with a combination of whole genome, exome and transcriptome sequencing to identify the mutational landscape of HCC using a reasonably large discovery cohort. We find frequent mutations in TP53, CTNNB1 and AXIN1, and rare but likely functional mutations in BAP1 and IDH1. Besides frequent hepatitis B virus integrations at TERT, we identify translocations at the boundaries of TERT. A novel deletion is identified in CTNNB1 in a region that is heavily mutated in multiple cancers. We also find multiple high-allelic frequency mutations in the extracellular matrix protein LAMA2. Lower expression levels of LAMA2 correlate with a proliferative signature, and predict poor survival and higher chance of cancer recurrence in HCC patients, suggesting an important role of the extracellular matrix and cell adhesion in tumor progression of a subgroup of HCC patients.

Conclusions

The heterogeneous disease of HCC features diverse modes of genomic alteration. In addition to common point mutations, structural variations and methylation changes, there are several virus-associated changes, including gene disruption or activation, formation of chimeric viral-human transcripts, and DNA copy number changes. Such a multitude of genomic events likely contributes to the heterogeneous nature of HCC.
GoIFISH: a system for the quantification of single cell heterogeneity from IFISH images
Authors: Trinh Anne , Rye Inga H , Almendro Vanessa , Helland Åslaug , Russnes Hege G , Markowetz Florian
Published: August 2014

Molecular analysis has revealed extensive intra-tumor heterogeneity in human cancer samples, but cannot identify cell-to-cell variations within the tissue microenvironment. In contrast, in situ analysis can identify genetic aberrations in phenotypically defined cell subpopulations while preserving tissue-context specificity. GoIFISH is a widely applicable, user-friendly system tailored for the objective and semi-automated visualization, detection and quantification of genomic alterations and protein expression obtained from fluorescence in situ analysis. In a sample set of HER2-positive breast cancers GoIFISH is highly robust in visual analysis and its accuracy compares favorably to other leading image analysis methods. GoIFISH is freely available at www.sourceforge.net/projects/goifish/.
Next-generation carrier screening: are we ready?
Authors: Prior Thomas W
Published: August 2014

Editorial summary

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) methodology allows for a major expansion in current carrier screening tests. NGS testing has been shown to be analytically accurate and cost-effective, but major challenges include educational and counseling issues.
The value of spatial information for determining well placement: A geothermal example
Authors: Trainor-Guitton Whitney J. , Hoversten G. Michael , Ramirez Abelardo , Roberts Jeffery , Juliusson Egill , Key Kerry , Mellors Robert
Published: August 2014

We have developed a spatial, value of information (VOI) methodology that is designed specifically to include the inaccuracies of multidimensional geophysical inversions. VOI assesses the worth of information in terms of how it can improve the decision maker’s likelihood of a higher valued outcome. VOI can be applied to spatial data using an exploration example for hidden geothermal resources. This methodology is applicable for spatial decisions for other exploration decisions (e.g., oil, mining, etc.). This example evaluates how well the magnetotelluric (MT) technique is able to delineate the lateral position of electrically conductive materials that are indicative of a hidden geothermal resource. The conductive structure (referred to as the clay cap) represented where the geothermal alteration occurred. The prior uncertainty of the position of the clay cap (drilling target) is represented with multiple earth models. These prior models are used to numerically simulate the data collection, noise, inversion, and interpretation of the MT technique. MT’s ability to delineate the correct lateral location can be quantified by comparing the true location in each prior model to the location that is interpreted from each respective inverted model. Additional complexity in the earth models is included by adding more electrical conductors (not associated with the clay cap) and deeper targets. Both degrade the ability of the MT technique (the signal and inversion) to locate the clay cap thereby decreasing the VOI. The results indicate the ability of the prior uncertainty to increase and decrease the final VOI assessment. The results also demonstrate how VOI depends on whether or not a resource still exists below the clay cap because the clay cap is only a potential indicator of economic temperatures.
Seismic modeling by optimizing regularized staggered-grid finite-difference operators using a time-space-domain dispersion-relationship-preserving method
Authors: Wang Yanfei , Liang Wenquan , Nashed Zuhair , Li Xiao , Liang Guanghe , Yang Changchun
Published: August 2014

The staggered-grid finite-difference (FD) method is widely used in numerical simulation of the wave equation. With stability conditions, grid dispersion often exists because of the discretization of the time and the spatial derivatives in the wave equation. Therefore, suppressing grid dispersion is a key problem for the staggered-grid FD schemes. To reduce the grid dispersion, the traditional method uses high-order staggered-grid schemes in the space domain. However, the wave is propagated in the time and space domain simultaneously. Therefore, some researchers proposed to derive staggered-grid FD schemes based on the time-space domain dispersion relationship. However, such methods were restricted to low frequencies and special angles of propagation. We have developed a regularizing technique to tackle the ill-conditioned property of the symmetric linear system and to stably provide approximate solutions of the FD coefficients for acoustic-wave equations. Dispersion analysis and seismic numerical simulations determined that the proposed method satisfies the dispersion relationship over a much wider range of frequencies and angles of propagation and can ensure FD coefficients being solved via a well-posed linear system and hence improve the forward modeling precision.
Phenotypic Shift of Adipocytes by Cholecalciferol and 1α,25 Dihydroxycholecalciferol in Relation to Inflammatory Status and Calcium Content
Authors: Zoico Elena , Franceschetti Guido , Chirumbolo Salvatore , Rossi Andrea P. , Mazzali Gloria , Rizzatti Vanni , Budui Simona , Zamboni Mauro
Published: August 2014

Recent experimental data seem to suggest a relevant role for 1,25[OH]2cholecalciferol (1,25[OH]2D3) in adipocyte physiology and pathophysiology, with some studies showing adipogenic and pro-inflammatory properties, and others lipolytic and anti-inflammatory functions. Moreover, to our knowledge, the role of cholecalciferol (D3) in adipocytes function is still not known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the effects of 1,25[OH]2D3, as well as of D3, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in basal and inflammatory conditions, testing the effects of different calcium concentrations in adipocytes culture medium. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, CYP27A1 and CYP27B1 mRNA were detected in basal conditions and induced after D3 treatment. Pre-treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes not only with 1,25[OH]2D3, but also with D3 before inflammatory stimulation, significantly prevented the increase in gene expression and protein secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α, and significantly increased IL-10 mRNA and protein production compared with adipocytes treated only with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Biological effects of D3 were still present after inhibition of P450 activity with ketokonazole. LPS determined a decrease in cell area compared with controls, paralleled by a significant increase in optical density (OD) of lipid droplets, whereas 1,25[OH]2D3 and D3 alone significantly increased adipocytes area and decreased OD. Pretreatment with both forms of vitamin D preserved cells from the reduction in their area observed after LPS treatment. LPS decreased more the area of cells grown in a high calcium medium than of adipocytes grown in a low calcium medium. In the presence of a high calcium medium, 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment preserved cell area, maintaining its anti-inflammatory and adipogenic properties. In conclusion our results show that D3, besides 1,25[OH]2D3, presents anti-inflammatory effects on 3T3-L1, as well as that adipocytes have the enzymatic pathways necessary to locally regulate the production of active forms of vitamin D, capable of influencing adipocyte phenotype and function.
Excess Thermodynamic Properties of Ternary Mixtures of N-Methylcyclohexylamine and Toluene with 1-Alcohols
Authors: Venkatramana Losetty , Rao C Narasimha , Kumar Kasibhatta Siva , Gardas Ramesh L
Published: August 2014

Excess volume and speed of sound data for the ternary mixtures were reported at 303.15 K over the entire composition range for three ternary mixtures containing N-methylcyclohexylamine and toluene as common components and 1-alcohols as third component, namely 1-propanol, 1-butanol, and 1-pentanol. The experimental speed of sound and density of ternary mixtures were used to compute isentropic compressibility (ḱs123) and the quantity Δks123, the difference between measured value and that computed from the constituent binary data. Further, the experimental ternary excess volume data were compared with calculated data obtained by empirical relations proposed by Redlich–Kister, Kohler, Tsao–Smith, and Hwang. The results were analyzed on the basis of intermolecular interactions between component molecules and also in terms of constituent binary data.
Anharmonic Downward Distortion Following for Automated Exploration of Quantum Chemical Potential Energy Surfaces
Authors: Maeda Satoshi , Taketsugu Tetsuya , Morokuma Keiji , Ohno Koichi
Published: August 2014

This article gives a comprehensive review of the anharmonic downward distortion following (ADDF) method. The ADDF method has been developed as an automated reaction path search method. This method follows the anharmonic downward distortion (ADD) toward transition states and dissociation channels starting from a local minimum on the potential energy surface (PES). Systematic applications of the ADDF method to all local minima provide a global network of reaction pathways on the PES of given chemical formulas. Various extensions have been proposed and applied to many interesting chemical problems such as elucidation of photodissociation mechanisms, structure prediction of H-bonded clusters, mechanistic studies of organometallic catalysis, design of generation–conversion routes of amino acid molecules, and so on. It has also been employed in efficient construction of anharmonic PESs for highly accurate vibrational analysis. These developments and applications are illustrated with some representative results.
Substituent Site Effect Induced Assemblies of Porphyrin Derivatives on Graphite Surface Characterized Using a Scanning Probe Microscope
Authors: Li Min , Xu Haijun , Yang Yanlian , Zhao Lina , Shen Zhen , Zeng Qingdao , Wang Chen
Published: August 2014

The assembly behavior of both symmetrically substituted tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) (sym-16OTPP, meso-tetra(3,5-dihexadecyloxyphenyl)) and asymmetrically substituted tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) (asym-16OTPP, meso-tetra(3,4-dihexadecyloxyphenyl)) on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface has been studied by a scanning probe microscope in this work. Scanning tunneling microscope results show that asym-16OTPP and sym-16OTPP form different arrangements on the graphite surface in a “face-on” manner due to different site substitution. The atomic force microscope detection further confirms the site effect on one-dimensional ordered assembling structures formed from sym- and asym-16OTPP on HOPG by adopting the “edge-on” mode.
A Facile One-pot Route to One-dimensional Fe3O4–Polypyrrole Nanocomposites
Authors: Chen Fei , Chen Aihua
Published: August 2014

The fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) Fe3O4–PPy nanocomposites was successfully accomplished by using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO)-mediated vapor deposition polymerization (VDP) method via a one-pot route. The observation of the Fe3O4–PPy nanocomposites confirmed that the morphology of the products was influenced effectively by the size of the AAO template, and the in situ formation procedure effectively prevented the aggregation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with ca. 3 nm diameter.
Modeling Short-Range Ballistic Missile Defense and Israel's Iron Dome System
Authors: Armstrong Michael J.
Published: August 2014

This paper develops a model of short-range ballistic missile defense and uses it to study the performance of Israel's Iron Dome system. The deterministic base model allows for inaccurate missiles, unsuccessful interceptions, and civil defense. Model enhancements consider the trade-offs in attacking the interception system, the difficulties faced by militants in assembling large salvos, and the effects of imperfect missile classification by the defender. A stochastic model is also developed. Analysis shows that system performance can be highly sensitive to the missile salvo size, and that systems with higher interception rates are more “fragile” when overloaded. The model is calibrated using publically available data about Iron Dome's use during Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012. If the systems performed as claimed, they saved Israel an estimated 1,778 casualties and $80 million in property damage, and thereby made preemptive strikes on Gaza about eight times less valuable to Israel. Gaza militants could have inflicted far more damage by grouping their rockets into large salvos, but this may have been difficult given Israel's suppression efforts. Counter-battery fire by the militants is unlikely to be worthwhile unless they can obtain much more accurate missiles.
Response of stream ecosystem function and structure to sediment metal: Context-dependency and variation among endpoints
Authors: Costello David M. , Burton G. Allen
Published: August 2014

Physicochemical and ecological attributes of ecosystems (i.e., environmental context) can modify the exposure and effects of metals, which presents a challenge for ecosystem management. Furthermore, the functional and structural attributes of an ecosystem may not respond equally to metals or be uniformly responsive to environmental context. We explored how physicochemical and ecological context modified sediment metal dose-response for a suite of functional and structural measures. Two sediments with high (HB) and low (LB) acid volatile sulfide and organic carbon content (i.e., physicochemical context) were amended with copper and nickel to establish a gradient of treatments from non-toxic to potentially toxic. Sediments were deployed in each of two streams (i.e., ecological context), incubated for four weeks, and measured for sediment microbe, biofilm, and macroinvertebrate dose-response to metal. The dose-response of microbial function was affected by physicochemical context, with cotton decomposition negatively related to sediment metal only on LB sediments. The abundance of invertebrates from the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) responded negatively to sediment metal only on LB sediments; however, this dose-response was only observed in one stream, likely because of greater abundance of sensitive EPT taxa (i.e., Baetidae and Ephemerellidae). Biofilm structure was negatively affected by sediment metal in only one stream and there was no difference in dose-response between the two sediment types. Biofilm function was affected by sediment type and stream; production by biofilms exposed to HB sediment was negatively related to sediment metal in only one stream. In all, the majority of our endpoints exhibited responses that were modified by environmental context; however, each component of the ecosystem exhibited unique context dependency. For management of sediment metals, an understanding of context dependency is useful for informed decision-making, but the application of simple contextual filters are unlikely to protect all elements of an ecosystem.
Promoting normality and providing a cost-effective service
Authors: Stephens Liz
Published: August 2014

I have recently returned from Royal College of Midwives (RCM) conference and, as always, it was a mixture of inspiring speakers, new evidence, great ideas from practice and a chance to network and meet up with old friends. What I have reflected on since my return is the enduring problem of the rising caesarean section rate, which does not fit well with the rhetoric of midwives as experts and guardians of normal birth. There is little doubt that the increase in caesarean sections is a result of the culture of medical dominance, fear of litigation and women's fear of the pain of childbirth, to name just three factors. However, as midwives we have been complicit in this; midwives are just as present as obstetricians on our labour wards.
Leading other midwives: experience of midwife team leaders
Authors: Kay Lesley
Published: August 2014

The education and support of leaders at the level of ward or team leader is essential to move the government's plan forward for modernizing the NHS. This study considered the experiences of midwifery team leaders in a local community midwifery service in the NHS in England. A critical ethnographical approach was used. In-depth interviews with midwife leaders were the main source of data. Non-participant observation of team meetings and an examination of relevant job descriptions ensured immersion in the culture. Four main interconnected themes emerged: the need to define and understand the leadership role and its remit; the need to develop the person within the role; the concept of having the space and time to meet the requirements of the role; and the need for a career pathway to the role.
Should midwives care for close relatives and friends?
Authors: Pearson Susan
Published: August 2014

As a supervisor of midwives (SOM) I am often approached by other midwives who wish to care for family and friends. I am also aware of midwives giving care to family and friends without prior consultation with their named SOM.
Effective ‘criminalization’ of home birth in Hungary?
Authors: Symon Andrew
Published: August 2014

Readers may be aware of recent news stories concerning a prominent home birth practitioner in Hungary. A story in The Guardian headlined ‘Midwife Agnes Gereb taken to court for championing home births, (Hill, 2010) has been taken up by a number of websites which have criticized the actions of the Hungarian authorities.
IV hydration in the terminally ill: ritual or therapy?
Authors: Fox Elizabeth T
Published: August 2014

The capacity to prolong life and to ease the plight of dying patients has improved to the extent that almost all acutely ill and seriously ill patients are hospitalized. As a consequence, most deaths now occur in institutions (Bandeman and Bandeman, 1990). The issue of whether artificial nutrition and hydration should be considered medical treatments that can be terminated, or basic elements of care that cannot be withheld, has been controversial and frequently adjudicated before state courts and the subject of legislation, particularly in the USA (Emanuel, 1992). While cases such as Anthony Bland in the UK and Nancy Cruzan in the USA have highlighted the problems surrounding patients who are not terminally ill, there is a paucity of research literature and guidelines on the ever-increasing problem of intravenous (IV) hydration in the terminally ill.
Palms of hands, in images
Authors: Watkins Jean
Published: August 2014

DERMATOLOGY

The palms of the hands can be affected by a number of skin conditions. Jean Watkins describes the symptoms, causes and treatment for some of the most common
Should aesthetic clinics be stocking and supporting nutritional supplements?
Authors: Pearson Kim
Published: August 2014

Although procedures such as the administration of dermal fillers and non-invasive body contouring can go a long way in improving patients' appearance from the outside, they cannot tackle any internal factors which may be ageing the skin from within. Clinical nutritionist Kim Pearson asks whether medical aesthetic practitioners should advocate the use of supplements alongside their existing treatment menus
Avoiding litigation: a case study exploring litigation pursued post dermal fillers
Authors: Luckman Mandy
Published: August 2014

To bring a successful clinical negligence claim, the claimant has to prove that the duty of care afforded to him or her has been breached and that injury, loss or damage has resulted from this breach. In this article, medical lawyer Mandy Luckman presents the case of Hayley, a patient who suffered from nerve damage after facial disfigurement after being injected with dermal fillers at a local specialist cosmetic surgery clinic
Nursing and Midwifery Council summit on revalidation and the code of conduct
Authors: Brackenbury Julie
Published: August 2014

While the Nursing and Midwifery Council is working towards the implementation of revalidation in 2015, reference group meetings and workshops are taking place around the UK to aid decision-making with regard to the new code of conduct. Aesthetic Nurse Specialist Julie Brackenbury recently attended the regulatory body's stakeholder summit in Cardiff and summarises the key points made in this article
Reflecting on a decade of operation: an interview with two key nurse members
Authors: Senior Yvonne
Published: August 2014

The Private Independent Aesthetic Practices Association was formed to support all aesthetic practitioners, promoting best practice and professionalism at every level of the profession. In this article, experienced aesthetic nurse Heather Irvine and industry newcomer Suzanne Liebersbach speak openly about their experiences with the group and how it has enhanced their nursing practice
Body image and the breast: the psychological wound
Authors: Chan L.K.
Published: August 2014

Breast reconstruction or cosmetic surgery inevitably results in an altered body image. An awareness of the effects of such surgery on the patient's body image, and thus quality of life, is as important as treating the physiological wound
Diabetes outpatient care before and after admission for diabetic foot complications
Authors: Ellis E. , Ballance K. , Lunt H. , Lewis D.
Published: August 2014

Objective:

To assess the number of patients admitted with a diabetic foot complication to a regional teaching hospital over a 12-month period (July 2005 to June 2006) and determine the percentage that went though an optimal diabetes outpatient management pathway before and after this admission.

Method:

Diabetic inpatients with foot ulcers and infections were identified through the relevant International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Both inpatient and outpatient data were obtained through the local electronic patient management system and review of clinical notes.

Results:

Forty-nine patients were admitted to hospital with diabetic foot ulcers or infections during the audit period. Median age was 66 years and 67% were male. The most common admitting speciality was vascular surgery. The main associated procedure was toe amputation. In the six month period before and after the index admission, 63% of patients were seen by a health professional at the diabetes centre before or after the admission. 45% of patients were seen at the diabetes centre before and after the admission; 33% were seen by a podiatrist before and after the admission. However, 37% had no contact with the diabetes Centre and 51% did not see a podiatrist from the diabetes centre at any time during the six months before and after their admission.

Conclusion:

Despite the availability of a multidisciplinary high risk foot clinic, only 45% of patients admitted to our regional hospital during the audit period followed an interdisciplinary pathway that included specialist diabetes input of some form and only 33% were assessed by a specialist diabetes podiatrist both before and after their hospital admission. A formalised patient pathway is likely to improve clinical management and may minimise further admissions. In this way it will help reduce morbidity and mortality in this high-risk patient group. In the future, this might best be achieved using an electronic referral and decision support system.
Managing Customer and Organizational Complexity in Sales Organizations
Authors: Schmitz Christian , Ganesan Shankar
Published: August 2014

Salespeople face increasingly complex work environments, both externally with customers and internally with various departments in their own organizations. Because managing such customer and organizational complexity is crucial to performance, the authors conceptualize and develop measures of customer and organizational complexity and examine the effects on salesperson outcomes. In line with job demands-resources theory, salespeople leverage personal and supervisory resources to manage complexity. The test of the conceptual model uses matched salespeople–sales manager data gathered from a large business-to-business firm. The empirical findings reveal that personal resources (sales self-efficacy) help manage complexity in general but create greater role stress in the face of customer complexity. The effectiveness of supervisory resources (transactional leadership behavior) is contingent on the type of complexity and the personal resources available to a salesperson. These results indicate not only how salespeople manage different complexities but also how sales managers should adapt their leadership behaviors to enhance salesperson performance.
Bringing “Place” Back In: Regional Clusters, Project Governance, and New Product Outcomes
Authors: Tracey Paul , Heide Jan B. , Bell Simon J.
Published: August 2014

The authors examine new product outcomes in the context of regional clusters. On the basis of prior research on marketing relationships, clusters, and social networks, they propose that the overall configuration of a cluster helps promote particular governance practices among its members. These practices have distinct value-creating properties, and when they are brought to bear on a specific new product development project within a cluster, they promote performance outcomes such as product novelty and speed to market. Ultimately, these performance effects are reinforced by the configuration of the cluster itself. In general, the authors propose that new product outcomes result from complex interactions between a cluster's macro-level configuration and its micro-level governance processes. More broadly, their framework points to the importance of geographical variables and to the role of “place” in marketing decision making.
Take Turns or March in Sync? The Impact of the National Brand Promotion Calendar on Manufacturer and Retailer Performance
Authors: Guyt Jonne Y. , Gijsbrechts Els
Published: August 2014

Featured price cuts are a popular tool among brand manufacturers and retailers. However, there is increasing concern about the net sales and revenue gains from these promotions, because retailers and manufacturers may simply be subsidizing consumers who shop around. Thus, the (co-)occurrence of a brand's promotions across retailers has been placed high on the promotion-planning agenda. This article examines the mechanisms underlying out-of-phase versus in-phase schedules and empirically demonstrates their sales and revenue implications in four product categories, covering purchases of a national panel of households across eight years. The results reveal that calendar effects primarily materialize in categories in which the chosen retailer is driven by brand promotions. In those categories, alternating the timing of featured price cuts across chains substantially increases the manufacturer and retailers' immediate sales lift. However, with regard to net gains, striving for out-of-phase promotions—the dominant approach among chains—is not necessarily the best practice, because retailers observe the revenue advantage diminish, and manufacturers may even earn less.
Amenable minimal Cantor systems of free groups arising from diagonal actions
Authors: Suzuki Yuhei
Published: August 2014

We study amenable minimal Cantor systems of free groups
arising from the diagonal actions of the boundary actions and certain Cantor systems.
It is shown that every virtually free group
admits continuously many amenable minimal Cantor systems
whose crossed products are mutually non-isomorphic Kirchberg algebras in the UCT class
(with explicitly determined K-theory).
The technique developed in our study also enables us to compute the K-theory of
certain amenable minimal Cantor systems.
We apply it to the diagonal actions of
the boundary actions and the products of the odometer transformations,
and determine their K-theory.
Then we classify them in terms of the topological full groups, continuous orbit equivalence,
strong orbit equivalence, and the crossed products.
»Il maladetto fiore«. Zu Philosophie und Psychologie des Geldes bei Dante
Authors: Hoffmann Thomas Sören
Published: August 2014

Riassunto

Il contributo mette in luce, attraverso una lettura dei passi relativi al tema nella Divina Commedia, il pensiero di Dante riguardo al denaro, e il sistema etico ed economico su cui si basa tale pensiero. Dante non conosce ancora una concezione sistemica dell’economia nel senso dell’epoca moderna; egli si attiene alla teoria, all’etica e alla psicologia del denaro com’era nota alla tradizione aristotelica, la quale vede già nell’istituzione del denaro in quanto tale un fattore di sopraffazione, ovvero di possibile ingiustizia. Tuttavia, Dante aggiunge a questo modello di pensiero il motivo della Fortuna, e inoltre la trasforma attraverso il tentativo di inserirvi il pauperismo francescano. Le riflessioni di Dante lasciano trasparire un concetto di »bene comune«, il quale aumenta proporzionalmente alla possibilità che hanno i singoli di parteciparvi
Do ut des oder wie ›Dante‹ in der Commedia mit den Seelen handelt
Authors: Schwarze Michael
Published: August 2014

Riassunto

Il quesito che fa da sfondo al presente lavoro è quello di individuare, nella Commedia, argomentazioni o procedimenti discorsivi che mostrino analogie strutturali con principi fondamentali dello scambio di denaro. L’analisi si concentra sugli scambi di battute, perlopiù brevi, fra Dante-personaggio e le anime che incontra nell’Inferno e nel Purgatorio. In questi dialoghi, Dante si serve di un modello argomentativo di stampo mercantile: infatti, essi si presentano spesso come delle trattative in cui, seguendo il principio del Do ut des, si scambiano favori immateriali. Partendo da questo assunto, il saggio propone alcune microletture che s’interrogano sul profitto di tali scambi - sia per le anime che vi partecipano, sia per l’io narrante della Commedia. Ne emergerà che, a più riprese, il modello argomentativo mercantile sovrasta il modello esegetico cristiano, che pur gli è generalmente sovraordinato. In questo modo, dal testo dantesco scaturisce una fondamentale ambivalenza: gli affari di scambi assolvono sia ad una funzione esemplare che autocostruttiva. Questa doppia strategia della Commedia, infatti, consiste nel fatto che gli scambi di favori immateriali messi in scena da essa sono sia affari conclusi nel nome di Dio che nel nome di un autore alla ricerca di autorità.
Armut und geistiger Aufstieg. San Francesco und Dante
Authors: Westerwelle Karin
Published: August 2014

Riassunto

Qual’è il rapporto fra arte e povertà? Possono, la pittura e la letteratura, rappresentare forme radicali di povertà? Quanto povera e bisognosa in senso materiale, e quanto ricca e virtuosa in senso spirituale appare la donna Povertà che Giotto ha dipinto sulla volta a crociera della Basilica inferiore di Assisi? Nell’undicesimo Canto del Paradiso Dante presenta il personaggio di San Francesco, fondatore dell’ordine omonimo, la cui vita viene narrata dalla voce di San Tommaso d’Aquino, domenicano ed esponente della scolastica. Nella sua presentazione, Dante non si attiene a uno stile retorico ›povero‹, e non rispetta il divieto »sine glossa« formulato da Francesco: infatti il discorso di Tommaso, per rendere trasparente il proprio ermetismo, non può fare a meno di autocommenti e di glosse. Per descrivere il luogo in cui Francesco ricevette le stimmate, Dante si serve di una strategia di visibilizzazione che, con i fiumi Arno e Tevere, evoca topografie e cultura cittadine, ovvero una ricchezza del tutto materiale. Il dibattito fondamentale che Dante apre con l’ideale di povertà di San Francesco, sta nel confronto tra l’ascesa della figura allegorica della donna Povertà e quella di Beatrice. La differenziazione delle due figure segna il divario tra etica religiosa e visione artistica: si dischiude allora uno spazio letterario fondato in questo modo da Dante
Selective fluorescence sensor for Cu2+ with a novel triazole Schiff-base derivative with coumarin units
Authors: Wang Wei , Yuan Wen-Jing , Liu Qing-Lei , Lei Ya-Nan , Qi Shuai , Gao Yan
Published: August 2014

Novel triazole Schiff-base derivative 3 bearing a coumarin unit was synthesized by the reaction of 4-formylbenzocoumarin (1) with 3,5-diphenyl-4-amino-1,2,4-triazole (2). The structure of the product was characterized by means of IR, MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis. The UV-vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of compound 3 exhibit blue-shifted absorption and fluorescent enhancement upon chelation to cupric ion. Fluorometric titration revealed a 2:1 ligand to metal ratio in the complex and the binding constant of 4.62×106
m
-1.
Comparison of kangaroo mother care and tactile kinesthetic stimulation in low birth weight babies – an experimental study
Authors: Metgud Deepa , Honap Radhika
Published: August 2014

Low birth weight (LBW) is the most common cause of neonatal death. The management includes admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, use of high frequency oscillator, and so on. The conventional management of LBW babies also includes kangaroo mother care and tactile kinesthetic stimulation (TKS), which are both non-invasive and easily affordable. However, very few studies have compared these two techniques. Hence, the aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of kangaroo mother care (KMC) and TKS in LBW babies.

This was an experimental study including 40 LBW babies weighing 1500–2500 g with gestational age of ≥32 weeks. Group A (n=20) was treated with KMC and group B (n=20) was treated with TKS for 5 consecutive days. The weight and parental bonding of all the neonates before and after intervention were recorded.

The results of this study revealed that the neonates in both groups showed significant weight gain after 5 days of treatment (p=0.00001) However, in Group B, parental bonding scores were significantly decreased with p=0.0126.

The present study concluded that KMC and TKS were equally effective in increasing the weight of the neonates and the mother-child bonding.
Zalta on Encoding Fictional Properties
Authors: Klauk Tobias
Published: August 2014

Theories which take fictional objects to be a kind of abstract object are faced with the obvious problem of how to explain the seeming truth of sentences ascribing internal properties. Abstract objects cannot be cynical, be magicians or smoke pipe. Call this the problem of the wrong kind of object. There are a number of well-known strategies which abstractists have employed to evade the problem. In this paper, I discuss whether Edward Zalta’s distinction between two kinds of predication, exemplifying and encoding, can help us solve the problem.

I start out in section 2 by reviewing the general debate between realists and antirealists concerning fictional objects. Realists think that fictional objects exist, while antirealists deny this. It is however useful to remember that participants in the debate differ in their interpretation of »exists« and »fictional«. Remembering this helps to locate Zalta’s account in the realist camp.

Section 3 introduces the problem of the wrong kind of object, namely of how we can simultaneously take fictional objects to be abstract objects and understand sentences like »Rick Blaine is cynical« as straightforwardly true. I distinguish five strategies of dealing with this problem. Abstractists can (a) assume that fictional names are ambiguous, (b) distinguish between two kinds of properties, (c) understand such sentences as being governed by a fiction operator, (d) distinguish between two kinds of predication, or (e) take the predicate to be evaluated in some special way (which needs to be specified). I shortly comment on (a) and (b), then a problem for strategy (c) is discussed: It seems to commit us to the view that fictions prescribe recipients to imagine

Section 4 introduces strategy (d), Zalta’s distinction between exemplifying and encoding. The distinction turns out to be a remedy against the problem of the wrong kind of object. Unfortunately it reintroduces the problem identified for strategy (c). I explore a radical way of evading the problem by understanding fictional objects to be representations. Although the idea can be found in Zalta’s writings, it leads to internal tensions in his account, cannot solve the problem at hand, and seems to generate additional problems. Additionally, Zalta’s assumption that fictional objects have their individuation conditions via the properties they encode is shown to be problematic on independent grounds.

Section 5 discusses whether Zalta’s distinction between exemplifying and encoding is compatible with an artefactualist account of fictional characters. Assuming that most artefactualists would not want to understand existence as a discriminating predicate, I argue that combining this idea with the exemplifying/encoding distinction goes at least against the spirit of the artefactualist account.

Section 6 introduces the idea of different evaluations of predicates without simultaneously being committed to Zalta’s strong assumptions. While this seems to be possible, such accounts also need to find a way of answering the argument given at the end of section 3.
About
Authors: Lamarque Peter
Published: August 2014

The paper looks at the diversity of contexts in which aboutness claims are made: e. g. »x is about

More specifically, certain long-established views on »about« are addressed, notably that of Nelson Goodman, who distinguishes a relational from a non-relational sense, the latter characterised by the one-place predicate »

So instead a principle of invocation is introduced, which asks what must be invoked in a competent interpretation of an aboutness claim. To say truthfully that S is about

Finally, consideration is given to claims about fictional characters. How can we »invoke« a fictional character in an interpretation if there are no such things? Reverting to Goodman’s terminology, in virtue of what is
De Re Essentialism, Species, and Modal Ambiguity
Authors: Inman Ross
Published: August 2014

I offer a concise critique of a recurring line of reasoning advanced by Joseph LaPorte and Samir Okasha that all modern species concepts render the view that biological organisms essentially belong to their species empirically untenable. The argument, I claim, trades on a crucial modal ambiguity that collapses the de re/de dicto distinction. Contra their claim that the continued adherence of such a view on behalf of contemporary metaphysicians stems from the latter’s ignorance of developments in modern biology, the modal ambiguity reveals the need to retrain in modal metaphysics.
Sider’s Third Realm
Authors: Goldwater Jonah P. B.
Published: August 2014

Sider (2011; Writing the Book of the World. Oxford: Oxford University Press) argues it is not only predicates that carve reality at its joints, but expressions of any logical or grammatical category – including quantifiers, operators, and sentential connectives. Even so, he denies these expressions pick out entities in the world; instead, they only represent the world’s “structure”. I argue that this distinction is not viable, and that Sider’s ambitious programme requires an exotic ontology – and even a Fregean “third realm” – of logical entities.
The “Constant” Threat to the Dispositional Essentialist Conception of Laws
Authors: Livanios Vassilios
Published: August 2014

According to the dispositional essentialist account of laws of nature, the latter express the dispositional nature of fundamental natural properties. In this paper I discuss the difficulty that the existence of fundamental constants of nature raises for that account. To this end, I examine a relevant argument against the account and describe how an advocate of the dispositionalist conception may try to undermine it by raising objections to its premises. Then I discuss those objections and show that eventually all fail. I finally conclude that the existence of the fundamental constants remains a “constant” threat to the dispositional essentialist conception of laws.