bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Very High Specific Area Lithium-Air Battery
Authors: Stevens Philippe , Toussaint Gwenaëlle , Puech Laurent , Vinatier Philippe
Published: April 2013

Unlike traditional batteries, the lithium-air cell is an open system by definition, since it needs to have access to oxygen from the surrounding air to work. This has important implications on the cell design. The traditional lithium-ion or LMP (lithium metal polymer) sealed designs can no longer be applied and completely new architectures need to be developed. For example, very large, very thin electrodes tightly wound into cylindrical cells or folded into prismatic cells will be difficult to use since they would lead to air starvation. Positive and negative compartments with high specific surface area capacities therefore need to be developed in order to reduce the size of the electrodes packed into a cell. As a consequence, the negative electrode needs to be able cycle over much greater lithium thicknesses than a lithium battery in order to limit its size. Large amounts of the discharge product per geometrical area unit also have to be stored in the positive electrode. In the aqueous lithium-air design developed by EDF and its partners, the areal capacity of the positive electrode is not limited since the product of the reaction is stored as solid LiOH.H2O in the aqueous electrolyte compartment, and not in the air electrode as in the anhydrous design. The precipitation of LiOH in the aqueous compartment have little impact on the performance of the cell, even up 80% solid LiOH.H2O by volume. Cells that can be charged to more than 100 mAh/cm² on the negative electrode have been obtained.
The Kinetic Reaction of Aluminum-Air Battery in Different Aqueous Solution
Authors: Wang Chih-Min , Hsueh Kan-Lin , Hsieh Chin-Lung
Published: April 2013

Aluminum air battery is considered as a promising battery for portable power and for large scale energy storage. In this battery, electrochemical reaction taking place on the anode is the aluminum oxidation and on the cathode is the oxygen reduction reaction. The output cell voltage is the potential difference between the cathode and the anode. This study uses half-cell to measure the reaction rate of aluminum oxidation and oxygen reduction in different alkaline solutions.
Reevaluating Metabolism in Alzheimer's Disease from the Perspective of the Astrocyte-Neuron Lactate Shuttle Model
Authors: Newington Jordan T. , Harris Richard A. , Cumming Robert C.
Published: April 2013

The conventional view of central nervous system (CNS) metabolism is based on the assumption that glucose is the main fuel source for active neurons and is processed in an oxidative manner. However, since the early 1990s research has challenged the idea that the energy needs of nerve cells are met exclusively by glucose and oxidative metabolism. This alternative view of glucose utilization contends that astrocytes metabolize glucose to lactate, which is then released and taken up by nearby neurons and used as a fuel source, commonly known as the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS) model. Once thought of as a waste metabolite, lactate has emerged as a central player in the maintenance of neuronal function and long-term memory. Decreased neuronal metabolism has traditionally been viewed as a hallmark feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, a more complex picture of CNS metabolism is emerging that may provide valuable insight into the pathophysiological changes that occur during AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. This review will examine the ANLS model and present recent evidence highlighting the critical role that lactate plays in neuronal survival and memory. Moreover, the role of glucose and lactate metabolism in AD will be re-evaluated from the perspective of the ANLS.
SEM Analysis and Management of Fracture Dental Implant
Authors: Singh Archana , Singh Ankita , Vivek Rajul , Chaturvedi T. P. , Chauhan Pankaj , Gupta Shruti
Published: April 2013

Implant fracture is one of the important biomechanical complications which can present with a considerable problem to the patient as well as the dental surgeon. The aim of this case report is to describe the management of a case of fractured endosseous dental implant in premolar region and microscopic evaluation of the fractured implant segment using scanning electron microscopy. In most of such cases, complete removal of the fractured implant has been a preferred treatment option. In the present case, fractured implant segment was successfully removed and rehabilitated immediately with larger diameter implant. It was found that retrieved fracture segment had a diameter of 3.3 mm, and SEM analysis shows fatigue fractures which may be the result of excessive overloading and use of small diameter implant which enhances fatigue failure.
Autofluorescence Images with Carl Zeiss versus Topcon Eye Fundus Camera: A Comparative Study
Authors: Muñoz Juan M. , Coco Rosa M. , Sanabria M. Rosa , Cuadrado Ruben , Blanco Eduardo
Published: April 2013

Purpose. To compare the autofluorescence images of the Zeiss versus Topcon eye fundus cameras and design an objective way to quantify it.Procedures. The IMAGEJ software was used to determine the gray level corresponding to the darkest veins and the peripapillary ring (thresholds), the level of white of the brightest perifoveal area, their difference (contrast level), and the suprathreshold area for each photograph.Results. Carl Zeiss has higher contrast values than Topcon. The Topcon contrast presented a crest with further decline as the suprathreshold area continued to increase. On the contrary, the Zeiss profile did not decline in contrast.Conclusions and Message. The Carl Zeiss camera showed superior contrast ability over the Topcon when performing autofluorescence imaging. We set objective parameters to compare fundus cameras FAF images. These parameters could be the base to objectively measure and determine changes and realize followup to areas of hyper- or hypofluorescence.
What Works and What Does Not: A Discussion of Popular Approaches for the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation
Authors: Johansen R. Elise B. , Diop Nafissatou J. , Laverack Glenn , Leye Els
Published: April 2013

The prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is reducing in almost all countries in which it is a traditional practice. There are huge variations between countries and communities though, ranging from no change at all to countries and communities where the practice has been more than halved from one generation to the next. Various interventions implemented over the last 30–40 years are believed to have been instrumental in stimulating this reduction, even though in most cases the decrease in prevalence has been slow. This raises questions about the efficacy of interventions to eliminate FGM and an urgent need to channel the limited resources available, where it can make the most difference in the abandonment of FGM. This paper is intended to contribute to the design of more effective interventions by assessing existing knowledge of what works and what does not and discusses some of the most common approaches that have been evaluated: health risk approaches, conversion of excisers, training of health professionals as change agents, alternative rituals, community-led approaches, public statements, and legal measures.
Simple and Selective Spectrophotometric Determination of Ofloxacin in Pharmaceutical Formulations Using Two Sulphonphthalein Acid Dyes
Authors: Prashanth Kudige N. , Basavaiah Kanakapura , Raghu Madihalli S.
Published: April 2013

Two new simple and sensitive extraction-free spectrophotometric methods have been established for the determination of ofloxacin (OFX). The methods are based on ion-pair complex formation reaction between OFX and acidic sulphonphthalein dyes, bromocresol purple (method A), and bromocresol green (method B) in dichloromethane. The experimental variables such as reaction medium, reaction time, and reagent concentration have been carefully optimized to achieve the highest sensitivity. Both dyes react spontaneously with OFX to give yellow-colored complexes. Beer’s law is obeyed over the concentration ranges of 1.0–16 µg ml−1OFX with correlation coefficient of 0.999 in both methods. The molar absorptivity values are calculated to be and l mol−1 cm−1, for method A and method B, respectively, with corresponding Sandell's sensitivity values of 0.015 and 0.019 µg cm−2. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) are also reported. A Job’s plot of the absorbance versus the molar ratio of OFX to each of dyes under consideration indicated (1 : 1) ratio and the conditional stability constant () of the complexes have been calculated. The proposed methods were applied successfully to the determination of OFX in tablets with good accuracy and precision and without interference from common additives. The results obtained by the proposed methods were compared favorably with those of the reference method.
Development of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detection ofLeifsonia xylisubsp.xyliin Sugarcane
Authors: Liu Jing , Xu Liping , Guo Jinlong , Chen Rukai , Grisham Michael Paul , Que Youxiong
Published: April 2013

Ratoon stunt, caused by the xylem-limited coryneform bacteriumLeifsonia xylisubsp.xyli(Lxx), is a deep bacteriosis and prevalent in most of sugarcane-producing countries. Based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), we developed a method for detectingLxx. The major advantages of the LAMP method are visual judgment by color and time saving with only 60 min for identification ofLxxand without the need for costly PCR apparatus and gel scanner. In the present study, positive and negative samples detected by the LAMP method were clearly distinguishable. When total DNA extracted from internode juice was used as the template, the sensitivity of LAMP was 10 times higher than that of the conventional PCR detection. The LAMP assay is a highly specific, rapid, and sensitive method for the diagnosis of ratoon stunt caused byLxxin sugarcane. This is the first report of LAMP-based assay for the detection ofLxxin sugarcane.
A Generalization of Prešić Type Mappings in Metric-Like Spaces
Authors: Shukla Satish , Fisher Brian
Published: April 2013

We generalize the result of Prešić in metric-like spaces by proving some common fixed point theorems for Prešić type mappings in metric-like spaces. An example is given which shows that the generalization is proper.
Delineating Molecular Mechanisms of Squamous Tissue Homeostasis and Neoplasia: Focus on p63
Authors: King Kathryn E. , Ha Linan , Camilli Tura , Weinberg Wendy C.
Published: April 2013

Mouse models have informed us that p63 is critical for normal epidermal development and homeostasis. The p53/p63/p73 family is expressed as multiple protein isoforms due to a combination of alternative promoter usage and C-terminal alternative splicing. These isoforms can mimic or interfere with one another, and their balance ultimately determines biological outcome in a context-dependent manner. While not frequently mutated, p63, and in particular the ΔNp63 subclass, is commonly overexpressed in human squamous cell cancers.In vitrokeratinocytes and murine transgenic and transplantation models have been invaluable in elucidating the contribution of altered p63 levels to cancer development, and studies have identified the roles for ΔNp63 isoforms in keratinocyte survival and malignant progression, likely due in part to their transcriptional regulatory function. These findings can be extended to human cancers; for example, the novel recognition of NFκB/c-Rel as a downstream effector of p63 has identified a role for NFκB/c-Rel in human squamous cell cancers. These models will be critical in enhancing the understanding of the specific molecular mechanisms of cancer development and progression.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Prinzmetal Angina Culminating in Transmural Infarction in the Setting of Acute Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
Authors: Ruisi Michael , Ruisi Phillip , Rosero Hugo , Schweitzer Paul
Published: April 2013

Prinzmetal angina or vasospastic angina is a clinical phenomenon that is often transient and self-resolving. Clinically it is associated with ST elevations on the electrocardiogram, and initially it may be difficult to differentiate from an acute myocardial infarction. The vasospasm induced in this setting occurs in normal or mildly to moderately diseased vessels and can be triggered by a number of etiologies including smoking, changes in autonomic activity, or drug ingestion. While the ischemia induced is usually transient, myocardial infarction and life-threatening arrhythmias can occur in 25% of cases. We present the case of a 65-year-old female where repetitive intermittent coronary vasospasm culminated in transmural infarction in the setting of gastrointestinal bleeding. This case highlights the mortality associated with prinzmetal angina and the importance of recognizing the underlying etiology.
Consumption of Noncommercial Alcohol among Alcohol-Dependent Patients
Authors: Razvodovsky Y. E.
Published: April 2013

This study explores types of alcohol and surrogates consumed, patterns of consumption, and reasons behind noncommercial alcohol consumption among alcohol-dependent patients in Belarus. The study was conducted in the Belarusian city Grodno in 2012 with 223 alcoholics admitted to narcological clinic using structured interviews. The results suggest that at least 20.2% of alcohol dependent patients regularly consume samogon and 11.8% of patients use surrogates, the most popular among which are medications with a high percentage of ethanol and industrial spirits. The belief that, according to quality criteria, samogon exceeds licensed vodka is the main motive for its consumption. The results of this study suggest the existence of the problem of consumption of noncommercial alcohol among alcohol dependent patients in Belarus.
Age and Positional Effect on the Anterior Chamber Angle: Assessment by Ultrasound Biomicroscopy
Authors: Bell Nicholas P. , Nagi Kundandeep S. , Cumba Ricardo J. , Chuang Alice Z. , Lee David A. , Prager Thomas C. , Rao Kavita , Feldman Robert M.
Published: April 2013

Purpose. To investigate age- and position-related changes of anterior chamber angle anatomy in normal, healthy eyes.Patients and Methods. Thirty subjects were separated into a younger and older cohort. The superior and inferior anterior chamber angles of the eyes were measured in supine and sitting positions by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) with bag/balloon technology. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate positional and age-related changes in angle morphology.Results. In the younger cohort, no location or positional differences in angle anatomy were observed. In the older cohort, the inferior quadrant was significantly narrower than the superior quadrant (P=0.0186) in the supine position. This cohort also demonstrated an interaction effect between position and location. In the older cohort, the angle was deeper inferiorly while the subject was sitting but was deeper superiorly while the subject was supine.Conclusion. Comparison of positional variations in anterior chamber angle anatomy as measured by UBM has recently become possible. This study found that age-related positional changes in the anterior chamber angle anatomy exist in normal healthy eyes.
Influence of Phase-Change Materials on Thermo-Physiological Comfort in Warm Environment
Authors: Celcar Damjana
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this research work is to investigate the influence of phase-change materials (PCMs) on thermo-physiological comfort of different male business clothing systems evaluated in warm environment. The impact of particular business clothing on the thermo-physiological comfort of the wearer during different physical activity and environmental conditions (between 25°C and 10°C with step of 5°C), artificially created in a climate chamber, was determined experimentally, as a change of three physiological parameters of a human being: mean skin temperature, heart rate, and the amount of evaporated and condensed sweat. A questionnaire and an assessment scale were also used before, during, and after each experiment in order to evaluate the wearer’s subjective feeling of comfort. The results of the performed research work show that male business clothing systems in combination with PCMs do not affect the thermal-physiological comfort of the wearer in warm environment significantly, except at an ambient temperature of 15°C, where clothing systems in combination with PCMs produce a small heating effect. Furthermore, it was concluded that clothing systems in combination with PCMs indicate a small temporary thermal effect that is reflected in a slight rising or lowering of mean skin temperature during activity changes.
Microwave Heating as an Alternative Quarantine Method for Disinfestation of Stored Food Grains
Authors: Das Ipsita , Kumar Girish , Shah Narendra G.
Published: April 2013

Insects and pests constitute a major threat to food supplies all over the world. Some estimates put the loss of food grains because of infestation to about 40% of the world production. Contemporary disinfestation methods are chemical fumigation, ionizing radiation, controlled atmosphere, conventional hot air treatment, and dielectric heating, that is, radio frequency and microwave energy, and so forth. Though chemical fumigation is being used extensively in stored food grains, regulatory issues, insect resistance, and environmental concerns demand technically effective and environmentally sound quarantine methods. Recent studies have indicated that microwave treatment is a potential means of replacing other techniques because of selective heating, pollution free environment, equivalent or better quality retention, energy minimization, and so forth. The current paper reviews the recent advances in Microwave (MW) disinfestation of stored food products and its principle and experimental results from previous studies in order to establish the usefulness of this technology.
Resistant Hypertension in Nondialysis Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Borrelli Silvio , De Nicola Luca , Stanzione Giovanna , Conte Giuseppe , Minutolo Roberto
Published: April 2013

Resistant hypertension (RH) is defined as blood pressure (BP) that remains above the target of less than 140/90 mmHg in the general population and 130/80 mmHg in people with diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease (CKD) in spite of the use of at least three full-dose antihypertensive drugs including a diuretic or as BP that reaches the target by means of four or more drugs. In CKD, RH is a common condition due to a combination of factors including sodium retention, increased activity of the renin-angiotensin system, and enhanced activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Before defining the hypertensive patient as resistant it is mandatory to exclude the so-called “pseudoresistance.” This condition, which refers to the apparent failure to reach BP target in spite of an appropriate antihypertensive treatment, is mainly caused by white coat hypertension that is prevalent (30%) in CKD patients. Recently we have demonstrated that “true” RH represents an independent risk factor for renal and cardiovascular outcomes in CKD patients.
Genu Recurvatum after Tibial Tuberosity Fracture
Authors: Nathan Senthil T. , Parikh Shital N.
Published: April 2013

Fractures of the tibial tuberosity are infrequent injuries that occur during adolescence. Displaced tibial tuberosity fractures are typically treated with open reduction and internal fixation. Since these fractures occur at or near skeletal maturity, growth disturbances are not seen. This paper presents a case, the first report to our knowledge, of genu recurvatum deformity after open reduction and internal fixation of a tibial tuberosity fracture. A successful treatment plan of tibial tuberosity osteotomy with proximal tibial opening wedge osteotomy was used for the correction of genu recurvatum deformity and to maintain appropriate patellar height. At eighteen-month followup, the deformity remains corrected with satisfactory functional results. This case highlights the importance of recognition of potential complications of fracture management in adolescence.
Mitral Annular Caseous Calcification: A Rare Variant of a Common Echocardiographic Finding Discovered with Advanced Imaging Techniques
Authors: Pomeroy William L. , Markelz Brian , Steel Kevin , Slim Ahmad M.
Published: April 2013

We present the case of a 90-year-old diabetic male and medically managed three-vessel coronary artery disease with evidence of an oval, nonmobile echo-density located on the posterior mitral valve annulus measuring two centimeters in diameter without significant impingement of the mitral valve on initial screening echocardiogram which was initially thought to be prominent mitral annular calcification which was later confirmed to be a rare case of caseoma as confirmed by both cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as well as coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).
Adenylyl Cyclase Subtype–Specific Compartmentalization
Authors: Timofeyev Valeriy , Myers Richard E. , Kim Hyo Jeong , Woltz Ryan L. , Sirish Padmini , Heiserman James P. , Li Ning , Singapuri Anil , Tang Tong , Yarov-Yarovoy Vladimir , Yamoah Ebenezer N. , Hammond H. Kirk , Chiamvimonvat Nipavan
Published: April 2013

Rationale:

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) represents one of the principal molecules in the β-adrenergic receptor signaling pathway, responsible for the conversion of ATP to the second messenger, cAMP. AC types 5 (AC
V
) and 6 (AC
VI
) are the 2 main isoforms in the heart. Although highly homologous in sequence, these 2 proteins play different roles during the development of heart failure. Caveolin-3 is a scaffolding protein, integrating many intracellular signaling molecules in specialized areas called caveolae. In cardiomyocytes, caveolin is located predominantly along invaginations of the cell membrane known as t-tubules.

Objective:

We take advantage of
AC

V

and
AC

VI

knockout mouse models to test the hypothesis that there is distinct compartmentalization of these isoforms in ventricular myocytes.

Methods and Results:

We demonstrate that AC
V
and AC
VI
isoforms exhibit distinct subcellular localization. The AC
VI
isoform is localized in the plasma membrane outside the t-tubular region and is responsible for β
1
-adrenergic receptor signaling–mediated enhancement of the L-type Ca
2+
current (
I
Ca,L
) in ventricular myocytes. In contrast, the AC
V
isoform is localized mainly in the t-tubular region where its influence on
I
Ca,L
is restricted by phosphodiesterase. We further demonstrate that the interaction between caveolin-3 with AC
V
and phosphodiesterase is responsible for the compartmentalization of AC
V
signaling.

Conclusions:

Our results provide new insights into the compartmentalization of the 2 AC isoforms in the regulation of
I
Ca,L
in ventricular myocytes. Because caveolae are found in most mammalian cells, the mechanism of β- adrenergic receptor and AC compartmentalization may also be important for β-adrenergic receptor signaling in other cell types.
Random Walks for Knowledge-Based Word Sense Disambiguation
Authors: Agirre Eneko , López de Lacalle Oier , Soroa Aitor
Published: April 2013

Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) systems automatically choose the intended meaning of a word in context. In this article we present a WSD algorithm based on random walks over large Lexical Knowledge Bases (LKB). We show that our algorithm performs better than other graph-based methods when run on a graph built from WordNet and eXtended WordNet. Our algorithm and LKB combination compares favorably to other knowledge-based approaches in the literature that use similar knowledge on a variety of English data sets and a data set on Spanish. We include a detailed analysis of the factors that affect the algorithm. The algorithm and the LKBs used are publicly available, and the results easily reproducible.
A note on the typification of Hechtia galeottii (Hechtioideae, Bromeliaceae)
Authors: ESPEJO-SERNA ADOLFO , LÓPEZ-FERRARI ANA ROSA , MARTÍNEZ-CORREA NANCY , TILL WALTER
Published: April 2013

We explain why the lectotypification of Hechtia galeottii proposed by Smith & Downs is inaccurate and in serious conflict with the protologue and should be discarded. Accordingly, we propose a new lectotype and include a more detailed description of the species.
Crenicichla gillmorlisi, a new species of cichlid fish (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Paraná river drainage in Paraguay
Authors: KULLANDER SVEN O. , DE LUCENA CARLOS A. SANTOS
Published: April 2013

Crenicichla gillmorlisi, new species, is described from the río Acaray, a right bank tributary to the río Paraná. It is most similar to C. mandelburgeri in proportional measurements and meristics, but differs in colour pattern, adults having the body covered with small spots.
Metopa gigas sp. nov. from southern Greenland, a giant among congeners (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Stenothoidae)
Authors: JUST JEAN
Published: April 2013

Metopa gigas sp. nov. is described from southern Greenland (east and west). This new species which reaches a length of around 20 mm is, together with M. mirifica Gurjanova, 1948 from the North Pacific, by far the largest member of the ge-nus. The species is easily separated from sympatric Metopa clypeata (Kroyer, 1842; 15 mm; type species of Metopa) with which it has been confused, by small saddle-like ornaments dorsally on pereonites, and much longer antenna 1. It can be distinguished from Metopa mirifica by the simple propodus of gnathopod 1, whereas that of M. mirifica is strongly sub-chelate.
DNA-sequence data require revision of the parrot genus Aratinga (Aves: Psittacidae)
Authors: REMSEN J. JR. V. , SCHIRTZINGER ERIN E. , FERRARONI ANNA , SILVEIRA LUÍS FÁBIO , WRIGHT TIMOTHY F.
Published: April 2013

The genus Aratinga von Spix, 1824, as treated since Peters (1937), consists of 20 to 21 species (Kremer 1989, Collar 1997, Juniper & Parr 1998, Silveira et al. 2005, Dickinson 2003, Forshaw 2010) of medium-sized, pointed-tailed, mostly green parakeets that range throughout the Neotropical region. All species currently included in the genus Aratinga had already been recognized by Salvadori (1891) and placed in the genus Conurus. Ridgway (1916) placed the species in four genera: Aratinga, Eupsittula, Nandayus, and Thectocercus; Ridgway provided a rationale for his treatment using morphological and plumage characters, and he included a dichotomous key. Cory (1918) followed Ridgway’s (1916) classification. Miranda-Ribeiro (1920) placed the species in four genera: Conurus, “Nendayus” (=Nandayus), Gymnopsittacus, and “Eupsittacula” (=Eupsittula). Peters (1937) placed all members of these genera but Nandayus nenday into a single genus, Aratinga (Table 1), but provided no rationale for his classification. Nonetheless, his treatment has been followed in all subsequent classifications, including Meyer de Schauensee (1970), Sibley & Ahlquist (1990), Collar (1997), Dickinson (2003), and Forshaw (2010), although Marien & Koopman (1955) suggested retention of three subgenera.
Understanding Profiles of Preservice Teachers With Different Levels of Commitment to Teaching in Urban Schools
Authors: Aragon Antonette , Culpepper Steven A. , McKee Malaika W. , Perkins Mark
Published: April 2013

Understanding the beliefs of preservice teachers is an important area to investigate in the teacher education process. This article examines the relationship between preservice teachers’ beliefs pertaining to diversity and urban schooling and how these inclinations contribute to a commitment to teaching urban students. Canonical correlation analysis was used to identify profiles of preservice teachers who exhibited varying degrees of interest to teach in urban schools. The statistical analysis provides a range of positive and negative attitudinal inclinations toward urban teaching. It is important to examine preservice teacher beliefs to benefit students in urban schools especially in light of prevailing teacher attrition.
Ahıska Refugee Families’ Configuration of Resettlement and Academic Success in U.S. Schools
Authors: Bal Aydin , Arzubiaga Angela E.
Published: April 2013

In this article, we report on an ethnographic study of figured worlds of resettlement and identities that Muslim refugee youth from the Russian Federation coconstructed in an urban school at the Southwestern U.S. border. In the school, multiple cultural-historical discourses came together within a glocal context: refugee families, a global Islamic movement, and deficit-oriented educational ideologies. Three empirically derived themes emerged: Glocal adaptation, multiple literacies, and sticking together. The overall impact of this study derives from two aspects of the analysis: The cultural-historical analysis of refugee resettlement and the hybrid identities of refugee students.
Victim satisfaction with restorative justice
Authors: Van Camp Tinneke , Wemmers Jo-Anne
Published: April 2013

Evaluative studies have demonstrated that victims of crime are satisfied with their participation in a restorative intervention. Meanwhile, the explanation of victim satisfaction with restorative practices remains to be established. In this article, we study factors contributing to victim satisfaction with the restorative approach and ask to what extent victim satisfaction is simply due to procedural justice. Procedural justice theory predicts that the perceived fairness of a conflict resolution procedure is not only explained by the favourability of its outcome, but also by the appreciation of procedural factors, such as trust, neutrality, respect and voice, and that procedures can be assessed irrespective of their outcome. We conducted semi-directive interviews with 34 victims of violent crime who participated in victim–offender mediation, family group conferencing or victim–offender encounters in Canada and Belgium. We found that appreciation of a restorative approach is related to it being perceived as procedurally just. However, it is also related to other factors, namely the restorative approach being flexible, providing care, centring on dialogue and permitting pro-social motives to be addressed. These factors are not accounted for by the procedural justice model. Therefore, procedural justice partially but not entirely explains victim satisfaction with restorative practices.
Reflecting on a Difficult Life
Authors: McLean Kate C. , Wood Becky , Breen Andrea V.
Published: April 2013

We examined narrative processes of identity development as they related to desistance from delinquent behavior in a sample of vulnerable adolescents. Building on a robust theoretical and empirical foundation in the field of narrative identity, we examined processes of meaning-making and agency in relation to desistance. Thirty-one adolescents were interviewed to elicit commonly studied autobiographical memories (e.g., turning points, self-defining memories). Interviews were coded for meaning-making and agency. Results showed that desistance was related to agency, but not meaning-making, which was related to higher numbers of past delinquent behaviors. Results are interpreted in terms of the possibilities for desistance and growth from a narrative perspective and are situated within a structural and cultural perspective on the development of vulnerable youth.
Defining Faith-Based Organizations and Understanding Them Through Research
Authors: Bielefeld Wolfgang , Cleveland William Suhs
Published: April 2013

Welfare reform discussions in the 1990s included proposals for government to support religious organizations that provide social services. This fostered a debate about the proper relationship between government and faith-based organizations. This spurred an increase in academic publications by scholars from disciplines such as social work, religious studies, public policy, and nonprofit studies. Publications focused on a number of topics, including the unique characteristics of faith-based organizations, the services and outcomes they provided, their involvement with the government, and methodologies available for studying them. We found a rapid increase in publications starting in 1996. These peaked in 2003 and have declined since 2008. Our scan of the literature on U.S. noncongregation faith-based service providers identified over 600 works. In this article, we review the literature on the definition of faith-based organizations, typologies used to place them on a spectrum of religious expression, and methodological considerations for research on them.
Not Just for Consumers
Authors: Trueblood Jennifer S. , Brown Scott D. , Heathcote Andrew , Busemeyer Jerome R.
Published: April 2013

Context effects—preference changes that depend on the availability of other options—have attracted a great deal of attention among consumer researchers studying high-level decision tasks. In the experiments reported here, we showed that these effects also arise in simple perceptual-decision-making tasks. This finding casts doubt on explanations limited to consumer choice and high-level decisions, and it indicates that context effects may be amenable to a general explanation at the level of the basic decision process. We demonstrated for the first time that three important context effects from the preferential-choice literature—similarity, attraction, and compromise effects—all occurred within a single perceptual-decision task. Not only do our results challenge previous explanations for context effects proposed by consumer researchers, but they also challenge the choice rules assumed in theories of perceptual decision making.
The Effects of Group Factors on Deception Detection Performance
Authors: Zhou Lina , Zhang Dongsong , Sung Yu-wei
Published: April 2013

Deception has been an important problem in interactive groups, impeding effective group communication and group work, yet deception detection in such a context remains understudied. Extrapolated from the interpersonal deception theory (IDT) and group composition research in cooperative contexts, this research proposes that group factors, including diversity and familiarity, have influence on the performance of deception detection. The measurement of group performance was not limited to success, as previous deception studies did, but included efficiency as well because it is fundamental to the effectiveness of deception detection. An analysis of data collected from a real-world online community found that behavioral familiarity had a positive effect, and gender diversity had a negative effect, on group success in deception detection. In addition, behavioral familiarity had a negative effect and functional diversity had a positive effect on the group efficiency of deception detection. The findings not only extend IDT in several important ways but also suggest the need to distinguish between noncooperative and cooperative groups, an important theoretical implication for group composition research.
Venous Thromboembolism in Elderly High-Risk Medical Patients
Authors: Hull Russell D. , Merali Tazmin , Mills Allan , Stevenson Abigail L. , Liang Jane
Published: April 2013

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) causes significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized medical populations; however, medical patients do not currently receive thromboprophylaxis beyond their hospital stay. We reviewed the real-life occurrence of VTE-related care for 100 days post-hospitalization in Calgary, Canada. Using medical visit records with a unique patient identifier number applied throughout the city’s hospitals, 989 high-risk patients were selected for review. Almost three-quarters of the elderly patients received appropriate prophylaxis while in hospital, and only 2% received prophylaxis on discharge. Over the 100-day follow-up, 21% of the patients presented with clinically suspected VTE, of which 3.8% had confirmed VTE. Patients with multiple risk factors (≥3) had the highest frequency of confirmed VTE (≥6.1%). This study suggests that the actual rate of VTE-related follow-up care in patients post-hospitalization is high in the first 100 days, particularly among those who have multiple risk factors, warranting consideration of extended thromboprophylaxis in this population.
Watchdogs on a leash? The impact of organisational constraints on journalists’ perceived professional autonomy and their relationship with superiors
Authors: Skovsgaard Morten
Published: April 2013

The dependency of journalists on their news organisations seriously questions whether they can maintain their professional autonomy when they face organisational goals that conflict with their own professional goals. This article studies journalists’ sense of professional autonomy by looking at their relationship with their superiors and at their sense of independent discretion. A large-scale survey of Danish journalists (N = 1083) shows that the relationship to superiors is better characterised by consensus and agreement than by adjustment and conflict, and that journalists have substantial independent discretion. However, the sense of professional autonomy varies across different types of news organisations and is limited by gaps between journalists’ own goals and values and the goals and values of their organisation – especially when it comes to conflict on economic goals. Time constraints from the organisation also significantly decrease the sense of professional autonomy.
Urban security in southern Europe
Authors: Recasens Amadeu , Cardoso Carla , Castro Josefina , Nobili Gian Guido
Published: April 2013

This article examines comparative developments in the politics, policies and practices in public safety and crime prevention across Italy, Portugal and Spain. The article begins by plotting the relatively recent history of what may be termed ‘the preventive turn’ in this region of Europe. It is argued that systematic thinking and coordinated policy and practice regarding crime prevention and public safety remain limited and fragile, with notable exceptions in some cities (such as Barcelona) and regions (such as Emilia-Romagna) across the three countries. Overall, the progress of local safety and security programmes in southern Europe is uneven and fragmented when compared with much of northern Europe. In turn, the current pressures on these countries’ governmental capacities and resources in the light of the profound economic crisis they are undergoing are discussed and their implications for progressive as against repressive urban security management assessed. The article then compares the major areas of convergence and divergence across the three countries.
Urban security management in the capitals of the former Yugoslav republics
Authors: Meško Gorazd , Tominc Bernarda , Sotlar Andrej
Published: April 2013

This article presents a study on urban security management in the capitals of the former Yugoslav republics (FYR): Ljubljana (Slovenia), Zagreb (Croatia), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Belgrade (Serbia) and Skopje (FYR Macedonia). The article presents crime, natural disasters and other security threats in the region using semi-structured interviews with municipal security experts and officials as well as university researchers who deal with or manage security issues in the respective cities. The main findings show that collaboration between the various state and local organizations is necessary for the provision of safety and security in urban settings. Competencies, knowledge, skills and integrity are required for urban security managers and all partners in safety and security provision practice.
Local political leadership and the governance of urban security in Belgium and the Netherlands
Authors: Devroe Elke
Published: April 2013

In this paper, the meaning of the ‘governance of security’ in Belgium and the Netherlands will be explored. It is argued that the role of the mayor is substantial in both countries. This is why this article focuses explicitly on the political leadership of the mayor. The first section provides a comparison between Belgium and the Netherlands, contrasting their different constitutional-legal settlements and the relationship of these two cultures of control in the two countries. The consequences for which authorities and actors are ‘responsibilized’ for undertaking strategies of urban security governance are discussed. In a following section, the paper examines the current and potential challenges for governing urban security across both countries. In the final section, the dilemma of politics and science as drivers of policy responses to urban security problems is considered, identifying in particular certain deficits in mayoral expertise and training. The paper concludes that, despite a common tendency in comparative politics to group the ‘Low Countries’ together (given their strong historical and cultural connections), a powerful contrast is highlighted between the effects of federal and unitary constitution-legal settlements on policy responses to urban security.
The Effects of Social Support and Having a Partner on Sleep Quality in Dementia
Authors: Eshkoor Sima Ataollahi , Hamid Tengku Aizan , Nudin Siti Sa’adiah Hassan , Mun Chan Yoke
Published: April 2013

Objectives:

This study aimed to determine the effects of social support and having a partner on sleep quality in the elderly patients with dementia.

Methodology:

This research was conducted on 1210 noninstitutionalized elderly Malaysian individuals with dementia. The effects of age, ethnicity, educational level, marital status, sex differences, social support, and having a partner on sleep quality were evaluated in the respondents. The multiple logistic regression analysis was used to predict the risk of sleep disturbances among the participants.

Results:

Approximately, 41% of the participants experienced sleep disruption. Further findings showed that ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.62), social support (OR = 1.35), marital status (OR = 2.21), educational level (OR = 0.65), and having a partner (OR = 0.45) significantly affected sleep quality ( P < .05). Sex differences and age were unrelated predictors of sleep disturbances ( P > .05).

Conclusion:

It was concluded that social isolation and being single increased sleep disruption among respondents, but having a partner and ethnic non-Malay decreased the rate of sleep problems.
Mixed lineage leukemia protein in normal and leukemic stem cells
Authors: Yip Bon Ham , So Chi Wai Eric
Published: April 2013

Transcription factors critical for normal hematopoietic stem cell functions are frequently mutated in acute leukemia leading to an aberrant re-programming of normal hematopoietic progenitor/stem cells into leukemic stem cells. Among them, re-arrangements of the mixed lineage leukemia gene (MLL), including chimeric fusion, partial tandem duplication (PTD), amplification and internal exonic deletion, represent one of the most common recurring oncogenic events and associate with very poor prognosis in human leukemias. Extensive research on wild type MLL and MLL-fusions has significant advanced our knowledge about their functions in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, which also provides a framework for the underlying pathogenic role of MLL re-arrangements in human leukemias. In contrast, research progress on MLL-PTD, MLL amplification and internal exonic deletion remains stagnant, in particular for the last two abnormalities where mouse model is not yet available. In this article, we will review the key features of both wild-type and re-arranged MLL proteins with particular focuses on MLL-PTD and MLL amplification for their roles in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
High-Performance Seizure Detection System Using a Wavelet-Approximate Entropy-fSVM Cascade With Clinical Validation
Authors: Shen Chia-Ping , Chen Chih-Chuan , Hsieh Sheau -Ling , Chen Wei-Hsin , Chen Jia-Ming , Chen Chih-Min , Lai Feipei , Chiu Ming-Jang
Published: April 2013

The classification of electroencephalography (EEG) signals is one of the most important methods for seizure detection. However, verification of an atypical epileptic seizure often can only be done through long-term EEG monitoring for 24 hours or longer. Hence, automatic EEG signal analysis for clinical screening is necessary for the diagnosis of epilepsy. We propose an EEG analysis system of seizure detection, based on a cascade of wavelet-approximate entropy for feature selection, Fisher scores for adaptive feature selection, and support vector machine for feature classification. Performance of the system was tested on open source data, and the overall accuracy reached 99.97%. We further tested the performance of the system on clinical EEG obtained from a clinical EEG laboratory and bedside EEG recordings. The results showed an overall accuracy of 98.73% for routine EEG, and 94.32% for bedside EEG, which verified the high performance and usefulness of such a cascade system for seizure detection. Also, the prediction model, trained by routine EEG, can be successfully generalized to bedside EEG of independent patients.
‘Full power despite stress’: A discourse analytical examination of the interconnectedness of postfeminism and neoliberalism in the domain of work in an international women’s magazine
Authors: Kauppinen Kati
Published: April 2013

Stories and images of successful career women and support for women’s advancement in working life have become hallmarks of contemporary postfeminist media culture, and especially of women’s magazines such as Cosmopolitan. While in previous research these features have been seen as signs for a new, popular feminism, more recently they have also been connected to the growing hegemony of neoliberal governance, a mode of power that ultimately aims at the economization of the social and is fundamentally exercised in and through discourse. The aim of this article is to investigate further the interconnectedness of these two phenomena, postfeminism and neoliberalism, in the domain of work, using the example of the German edition of Cosmopolitan. For a detailed and multilayered investigation the study draws on linguistically oriented discourse analysis, focusing on the operation of a ‘discourse of postfeminist self-management’. The examination shows how this discourse, while on the one hand evoking an ethos of feminist engagement, on the other seeks to guide readers to mould themselves into a version of the entrepreneurial self required by the neoliberalized world of work.
Perceptual Bias in Threat Distance
Authors: Cesario Joseph , Navarrete Carlos David
Published: April 2013

Across two studies, we investigate how perceptions of distances to out-group threats may be critically regulated by the presence or absence of one’s in-group and by beliefs regarding the potential for danger from the out-group. Threat regulation includes biases in the distance one perceives a threat, such that threats are perceived as relatively more distant by more formidable compared to less formidable individuals. We demonstrate that whether participants are alone or surrounded by their in-group modulates perceptual biases regarding an out-group male’s proximity, depending on the degree to which participants evaluate out-group males negatively. Our findings illustrate how investigations of the psychology of motivated biases may benefit from a consideration of such perceptual biases within the functional workings of defensive threat regulation systems (McNaughton & Corr, 2004) and the strategic logic of animal conflict (Parker, 1974).
Instructors’ Address Forms Influence Course Ratings
Authors: Wright Saundra K
Published: April 2013

AbstractWhen evaluating potential new courses, students take into account the address forms of the instructors. Seventy college students rated the desirability of courses based on their syllabus descriptions. Syllabi differed only in the presentation of the instructors’ names with seven variations in their address listings: Dr, Professor, Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss, or No Title. Results indicate that instructors’ address forms had a significant effect on course ratings. Specifically, courses with the instructor labeled with an academic title (i.e., Professor, Dr) received higher ratings than those with a generic title (i.e., Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss), and those with a male address form received higher ratings than those with a female address form. Unlike previous studies, the three female titles of address — Ms, Mrs, and Miss — were evaluated similarly, suggesting that connotative differences in meaning among these address forms are disappearing.