bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Silodosin, an α1A-Adrenoceptor Antagonist, and Distigmine, an Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor, and Their Combined Effects on Impaired Voiding Function in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats
Authors: Tatemichi Satoshi , Tsuchioka Kumi , Yonekubo Saori , Maruyama Kazuyasu , Kobayashi Mamoru
Published: May 2015

Background/Aims: To evaluate the effects of silodosin (α1A-adrenoceptor antagonist) and distigmine (acetylcholinesterase inhibitor), alone or in combination, on voiding dysfunction in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats, a type 2 diabetes model, by pressure flow study. Methods: Male ZDF rats were anesthetized with urethane and a catheter was implanted into the bladder through the dome. Saline was continuously infused into the bladder at 6 ml/h to induce the micturition reflex. Intravesical pressure and micturition volume were recorded continuously and various urodynamic parameters were calculated using a waveform analysis system. Results: Increased bladder capacity, residual volume, and urethral resistance and decreased maximum detrusor contraction velocity and urine flow rate, considered to be detrusor underactivity-like symptoms, were observed in ZDF rats. Although both silodosin and distigmine improved impaired voiding function, administration of both drugs in combination was more effective than either drug alone. Conclusions: ZDF rats showed symptoms suggestive of detrusor underactivity, and silodosin tended to ameliorate these symptoms in ZDF rats. These results suggested that an α1A-adrenoceptor antagonists may be effective against the voiding disorder accompanying not only bladder outlet obstruction but also deficiency of bladder function. Moreover, combined administration of an α1A-adrenoceptor antagonist with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor may have additive efficacy in clinical use.
Is Klotho F352V Polymorphism the Missing Piece of the Bone Loss Puzzle in Renal Transplant Recipients?
Authors: Ozdem Sebahat , Yılmaz Vural Taner , Ozdem Sadi S. , Donmez Levent , Cetinkaya Ramazan , Suleymanlar Gultekin , Ersoy F. Fevzi
Published: May 2015

Background: Bone disorders are next to cardiovascular problems in frequency in renal transplant (RT) recipients. Reduction in 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25D) levels is among the reasons causing bone loss in these patients. Klotho (KL) serves as a co-receptor for fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and functions in vitamin D metabolism. KL polymorphisms have been identified in several studies, and phenylalanine to valine substitution at amino acid position 352 seemed to be important to KL function. We investigated KL F352V polymorphism and its relation with 1,25D levels in RT recipients. Methods: The study included 25 RT recipients (8 female, 17 male) and 26 (14 female, 12 male) healthy control subjects who were wild (FF) phenotypes in terms of KL F352V polymorphism. RT recipients with (FV, n = 11) and without (FF, n = 14) a heterozygote polymorphism were determined with high resolution DNA melting analysis of KL F352V polymorphism. Serum 1,25D levels were measured using the RIA method. Results: RT recipients with FV phenotype had significantly lower 1,25D levels (17.58 ± 18.38 pg/ml) compared to recipients with FF phenotype (44.91 ± 24.68 pg/ml) and control subjects (28.24 ± 12.13 pg/ml). 1,25D levels in RT recipients with FF phenotype were significantly higher than control subjects. Conclusions: KL F352V polymorphism may increase the expression of FGF23 co-receptor, KL protein and thus may decrease renal expression of 1α-hydroxylase, and/or stimulate 24-hydroxylase in RT recipients. The resultant decrease 1,25D levels may participate in bone loss in these patients.
EGb761 Ameliorates Neuropathic Pain by Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Yu Xiangdi , Chen Chun , Ke Qibin , Tang Heqing , Hou Jun , Fang Wei
Published: May 2015

Background: Neuropathic pain is a well-known type of chronic pain caused by damage to the nervous system. Until recently, researchers have found that increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributes to the development of exaggerated pain hypersensitivity during neuropathic pain. Methods: In this study, we investigated the antinociceptive efficacy of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761) in chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain of rats. To explore the underlying mechanisms, the effects of EGb761 on the excitability of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and activation of JNK in DRG were explored. Results: We showed that systemic administration of EGb761 inhibited the behavioral responses of neuropathic pain and found that EGb761 treatment could inhibit the H2O2-induced depolarization in the acutely dissociated DRG neurons. In addition, we found that EGb761 treatment could inhibit the expression of p-JNK in DRG. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that administration of EGb761 can ameliorate neuropathic pain, and further indicate that JNK, which is activated by both exogenous and endogenous ROS, might be the mechanism underlying the effects of EGb761 on CCI neuropathic pain.
Exploring the Effectiveness of Mandatory Premarital Screening and Genetic Counselling Programmes for β-Thalassaemia in the Middle East: A Scoping Review
Authors: Saffi Marwa , Howard Natasha
Published: May 2015

Background: β-Thalassaemia is a common genetic blood disorder in the Middle Eastern region. Mandatory premarital screening and genetic counselling (PMSGC) programmes are implemented in 8 Middle East countries to reduce at-risk marriages and thus disease prevalence. A scoping review was conducted to explore the effectiveness of these programmes. Methods: The 6-stage scoping framework of Arksey and O'Malley [Int J Soc Res Methodol 2005;8:19-32] was used. Reported outcomes were analysed per country, with success defined as achieving a 65% reduction in at-risk marriages and/or thalassaemia-affected births. Emergent enablers and barriers were analysed thematically. Results: Twenty-one sources were included from the 1,348 identified, discussing 7 country programmes, with 95% (20/21) published during 2003-2013. Five publications each were included for Iran and Saudi Arabia, 3 for Turkey, 2 each for Bahrain and Iraq (Kurdistan), and 1 for the United Arab Emirates, plus 2 multi-country evaluations. No programme achieved a 65% at-risk marriage cancellation rate. Though data on thalassaemia-affected birth reductions were minimal, programmes in Iran, Turkey and Iraq reported at least 65% reductions. A thematic analysis found that screening timing, access to prenatal detection and abortion, socio-religious issues, awareness and counselling affected decisions. Conclusion: This review found that PMSGC programmes were unsuccessful in discouraging at-risk marriages but successful in reducing the prevalence of affected births in countries providing prenatal detection and therapeutic abortion. A life cycle approach to prevention, incorporation of school screening, awareness campaigns, reconsideration of therapeutic abortion, and screening and counselling of couples married prior to programme inception are likely to improve the effectiveness of such programmes in the Middle Eastern region.
About the Therapy of Laryngotracheitis (Croup): Significance of Rectal Dosage Forms
Authors: Beubler Eckhard , Dittrich Peter
Published: May 2015

Glucocorticoids are drugs of choice for treatment of laryngotracheitis (croup). They may be administered orally as tablets or juice, locally as inhalation or rectally as suppository or capsule. If doctors decide to use a rectal administration for practical reasons, it is obvious from a pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic point of view that prednisolone capsules have an earlier and stronger anti-inflammatory effect than a prednisone suppository.
Thromboembolic resolution assessed by CT pulmonary angiography after treatment for acute pulmonary embolism
Authors: Kroft Lucia J. M. , Erkens Petra M. G. , Douma Renée A. , Mos Inge C. M. , Jonkers Gé , Hovens Marcel M. C. , Durian Marc F. , Cate Hugo ten , Beenen Ludo F. M. , Kamphuisen Pieter Willem , Huisman Menno V. , den Exter Paul L. , van Es Josien ,   for the Prometheus Follow-Up Investigators
Published: May 2015

The systematic assessment of residual thromboembolic obstruction after treatment for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) has been under-studied. This assessment is of potential clinical importance, should clinically suspected recurrent PE occur, or as tool for risk stratification of cardiopulmonary complications or recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE). This study aimed to assess the rate of PE resolution and its implications for clinical outcome. In this prospective, multi-center cohort study, 157 patients with acute PE diagnosed by CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) underwent follow-up CTPA-imaging after six months of anticoagulant treatment. Two expert thoracic radiologists independently assessed the presence of residual thromboembolic obstruction. The degree of obstruction at baseline and follow-up was calculated using the Qanadli obstruction index. All patients were followed-up for 2.5 years. At baseline, the median obstruction index was 27.5 %. After six months of treatment, complete PE resolution had occurred in 84.1 % of the patients (95 % confidence interval (CI): 77.4–89.4 %). The median obstruction index of the 25 patients with residual thrombotic obstruction was 5.0 %. During follow-up, 16 (10.2 %) patients experienced recurrent VTE. The presence of residual thromboembolic obstruction was not associated with recurrent VTE (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.92; 95 % CI: 0.2–4.1). This study indicates that the incidence of residual thrombotic obstruction following treatment for PE is considerably lower than currently anticipated. These findings, combined with the absence of a correlation between residual thrombotic obstruction and recurrent VTE, do not support the routine use of follow-up CTPA-imaging in patients treated for acute PE.
Design and rationale for RE-VERSE AD: A phase 3 study of idarucizumab, a specific reversal agent for dabigatran
Authors: Reilly Paul A. , Bernstein Richard , Dubiel Robert , Eikelboom John , Glund Stephan , Huisman Menno V. , Hylek Elaine , Kam Chak-Wah , Kamphuisen Pieter W. , Kreuzer Joerg , Levy Jerrold H. , Sellke Frank , Stangier Joachim , Steiner Thorsten , Wang Bushi , Weitz Jeffrey I. , Pollack Charles V.
Published: May 2015

Idarucizumab, a Fab fragment directed against dabigatran, produced rapid and complete reversal of the anticoagulation effect of dabigatran in animals and in healthy volunteers. The Study of the REVERS al E ffects of Idarucizumab in Patients on A ctive D abigatran (RE-VERSE AD™) is a global phase 3 prospective cohort study aimed at investigating idarucizumab in dabigatran-treated patients who present with uncontrollable or life-threatening bleeding, and in those requiring urgent surgery or intervention. We describe the rationale for, and design of the trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT02104947).
Third Trimester Fetal Heart Rate Predicts Phenotype and Mutation Burden in the Type 1 Long QT Syndrome
Authors: Winbo Annika , Fosdal Inger , Lindh Maria , Diamant Ulla-Britt , Persson Johan , Wettrell Göran , Rydberg Annika
Published: May 2015

Background—

Early diagnosis and risk stratification is of clinical importance in the long QT syndrome (LQTS), however, little genotype-specific data are available regarding fetal LQTS. We investigate third trimester fetal heart rate, routinely recorded within public maternal health care, as a possible marker for LQT1 genotype and phenotype.

Methods and Results—

This retrospective study includes 184 fetuses from 2 LQT1 founder populations segregating p.Y111C and p.R518X (74 noncarriers and 110
KCNQ1
mutation carriers, whereof 13 double mutation carriers). Pedigree-based measured genotype analysis revealed significant associations between fetal heart rate, genotype, and phenotype; mean third trimester prelabor fetal heart rates obtained from obstetric records (gestational week 29–41) were lower per added mutation (no mutation, 143±5 beats per minute; single mutation, 134±8 beats per minute; double mutations, 111±6 beats per minute;
P
<0.0001), and lower in symptomatic versus asymptomatic mutation carriers (122±10 versus 137±9 beats per minute;
P
<0.0001). Strong correlations between fetal heart rate and neonatal heart rate (
r
=0.700;
P
<0.001), and postnatal QTc (
r
=−0.762;
P
<0.001) were found. In a multivariable model, fetal genotype explained the majority of variance in fetal heart rate (−10 beats per minute per added mutation;
P
<1.0×10
–23
). Arrhythmia symptoms and intrauterine β-blocker exposure each predicted −7 beats per minute,
P
<0.0001.

Conclusions—

In this study including 184 fetuses from 2 LQT1 founder populations, third trimester fetal heart rate discriminated between fetal genotypes and correlated with severity of postnatal cardiac phenotype. This finding strengthens the role of fetal heart rate in the early detection and risk stratification of LQTS, particularly for fetuses with double mutations, at high risk of early life-threatening arrhythmias.
The Impact of Lifecourse Socioeconomic Position on Cardiovascular Disease Events in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study
Authors: Gebreab Samson Y. , Diez Roux Ana V. , Brenner Allison B. , Hickson DeMarc A. , Sims Mario , Subramanyam Malavika , Griswold Michael E. , Wyatt Sharon B. , James Sherman A.
Published: May 2015

Background

Few studies have examined the impact of lifecourse socioeconomic position (
SEP
) on cardiovascular disease (
CVD
) risk among African Americans.

Methods and Results

We used data from the Jackson Heart Study (
JHS
) to examine the associations of multiple measures of lifecourse
SEP
with
CVD
events in a large cohort of African Americans. During a median of 7.2‐year follow‐up, 362 new or recurrent
CVD
events occurred in a sample of 5301 participants aged 21 to 94. Childhood
SEP
was assessed by using mother's education, parental home ownership, and childhood amenities. Adult
SEP
was assessed by using education, income, wealth, and public assistance. Adult
SEP
was more consistently associated with
CVD
risk in women than in men: age‐adjusted hazard ratios for low versus high income (95% CIs), 2.46 (1.19 to 5.09) in women and 1.50 (0.87 to 2.58) in men,
P
for interaction=0.1244, and hazard ratio for low versus high wealth, 2.14 (1.39 to 3.29) in women and 1.06 (0.62 to 1.81) in men,
P
for interaction=0.0224. After simultaneous adjustment for all adult
SEP
measures, wealth remained a significant predictor of
CVD
events in women (
HR
=1.73 [1.04, 2.85] for low versus high). Education and public assistance were less consistently associated with
CVD
. Adult
SEP
was a stronger predictor of
CVD
events in younger than in older participants (
HR
for high versus low summary adult
SEP
score 3.28 [1.43, 7.53] for participants ≤50 years, and 1.90 (1.36 to 2.66) for participants >50 years,
P
for interaction 0.0846). Childhood
SEP
was not associated with
CVD
risk in women or men.

Conclusions

Adult
SEP
is an important predictor of
CVD
events in African American women and in younger African Americans. Childhood
SEP
was not associated with
CVD
events in this population.
Buttons, Handles, and Keys: Advances in Continuous-Control Keyboard Instruments
Authors: McPherson Andrew
Published: May 2015

The keyboard is one of the most popular and enduring musical interfaces ever created. Today, the keyboard is most closely associated with the acoustic piano and the electronic keyboards inspired by it, which share the essential feature of being discrete: Notes are defined temporally by their onset and release only, with little control over each note beyond velocity and timing. Many keyboard instruments have been invented, however, that let the player continuously shape each note. This article provides a review of keyboards whose keys allow continuous control, from early mechanical origins to the latest digital controllers and augmented instruments. Two of the author’s own contributions will be described in detail: a portable optical scanner that can measure continuous key angle on any acoustic piano, and the TouchKeys capacitive multi-touch sensors, which measure the position of fingers on the key surfaces. These two instrument technologies share the trait that they transform the keys of existing keyboards into fully continuous controllers. In addition to their ability to shape the sound of a sustaining note, both technologies also give the keyboardist new dimensions of articulation beyond key velocity. Even in an era of new and imaginative musical interfaces, the keyboard is likely to remain with us for the foreseeable future, and the incorporation of continuous control can bring new levels of richness and nuance to a performance.
The Radium Terrors
Authors: Candela Andrea
Published: May 2015

At the beginning of the 20th century the collective imagination was fascinated and terrified by the discovery of radium. A scientific imagery sprang up around radioactivity and was disseminated by public lectures and newspaper articles discussing the ambiguous power of this strange substance. It was claimed that radium could be used to treat cholera, typhus and tuberculosis, but at the same time there were warnings that it could be used for military purposes. The media and the scientists themselves employed a rich vocabulary influenced by religion, alchemy and magic. The ambivalent power of radioactive elements exerted a great influence on science fiction novelists. This paper will examine some significant works published in Europe, America and Russia during the first decades of the 20th century and their role in the creation of the complex imagery of radioactivity that seized the public imagination long before the invention of the atomic bomb.
A revision of the genus Leontodon (Asteraceae) in the Azores based on morphological and molecular evidence
Authors: MOURA MÓNICA , SILVA LUÍS , DIAS ELISABETE F. , SCHAEFER HANNO , CARINE MARK
Published: May 2015

Two endemic species of Leontodon are currently recognized in the Azores archipelago: Leontodon filii and L. rigens. However, there has been confusion regarding the application of these names and field observations and herbarium studies suggested three morphotypes in the islands. Here, we present a taxonomic revision of the Azorean endemic Leontodon species using morphological characters and new molecular data from the ITS region and from three chloroplast regions: trnQ, trnV and matK. Fifty-one quantitative and qualitative morphological characters were examined that revealed consistent differences between specimens from the western, central and eastern subarchipelagos (where, on the latter, Leontodon is restricted to São Miguel). Molecular analysis revealed two well defined monophyletic groups, one comprising accessions from São Miguel and the second comprising accessions from the western group, while central group accessions were in an unresolved polytomy. Both analyses also indicated the occurrence of hybridization with L. saxatilis, a widespread non-endemic species. Taken together, molecular and morphological data suggest the reinstatement of a third Azorean Leontodon taxon endemic to the western group. A key to the Leontodon of the Azores and descriptions of the endemic taxa are provided.
Expanding Horizons
Authors: Curtin Carol , Humphrey Kristin , Vronsky Kaela , Mattern Kathryn , Nicastro Susan , Perrin Ellen C.
Published: May 2015

A small pilot program of 9 youth 13 to 18 years old with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s syndrome assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of an individualized mentoring program. Youth met weekly for 6 months with trained young adult mentors at a local boys and girls club. Participants reported improvements in self-esteem, social anxiety, and quality of life. Participants, parents, mentors, and staff reported that the program improved participants’ social connectedness. Although the pilot study was small, it provides preliminary data that mentoring for youth with ASD has promise for increasing self-esteem, social skills, and quality of life.
Exploring information-seeking processes by businesses: analyzing source and channel choices in business-to-government service interactions
Authors: van den Boer Yvon , Pieterson Willem , van Dijk Jan , Arendsen Rex
Published: May 2015

With the rise of electronic channels it has become easier for businesses to consult various types of information sources in information-seeking processes. Governments are urged to rethink their role as reliable information source and the roles of their (electronic) service channels to provide efficient service support. This article addresses how governments cope with the availability of numerous sources and channels and focuses on similarities, differences and interdependencies between source and channel selection processes. Individual and group interviews were held with businesses throughout the Netherlands. The results indicate that some factors influence source and channel choices (e.g. task characteristics), others influence only channel choice (e.g. situational factors, channel characteristics). Source and relationship characteristics uncover interdependencies between both, since these source-related concepts influence channel choices. Further insight is needed to increase our understanding and come to an integrated theory of source and channel choices in information-seeking processes.

Points for practitioners

The channels used by the government are in their own control (i.e. information quality); however, other sources and their channels are outside their control. Management of these sources can be realized through strategic partnerships with crucial sources. The first implication is that governments provide content to other sources, which these sources can use for advice to its customers. The second implication concerns the use of cross-referrals between sources and their channels. For instance, the government website contains a recommendation to call an advisor for specific information since this source-channel combination provides only general information.
Environmental Violence and Its Consequences
Authors: de la Cueva Salcedo Horacio
Published: May 2015

Environmental changes happen all the time. Changing environments bring about selection of organisms, and there is no organism that does not modify its environment to make a living, survive, and reproduce. These changes are the main motors of evolution and, consequently, the main cause of biodiversity. Environmental violence—unsustainable use and extraction of natural resources—is the way capitalist economies exploit nature. The extinction rates associated with the current unsustainable use of resources are sufficient to assume that we are experiencing a sixth mass extinction event. The rate at which humans are transforming the environment leaves no time for evolutionary adaptation. We need to reduce environmental violence for life to maintain its normal processes. Without knowledge of nature and the consequences of violence against nature, we will become another of the planet’s extinct species.

Los cambios ambientales ocurren todo el tiempo. Los ambientes cambiantes propician la selección de organismos y no hay organismo que no modifique su ambiente para subsistir y reproducirse. Estos cambios son los principales motores de la evolución y por lo tanto la causa principal de la biodiversidad. La violencia ambiental—el uso y la extracción insostenibles de los recursos naturales—es la manera en que las economías capitalistas explotan la naturaleza. Las tasas de extinción asociadas con el uso insostenible de los recursos son suficientes para considerar que estamos experimentando la sexta extinción masiva de especies. El ritmo al cual los seres humanos están transformando el ambiente no deja tiempo para la adaptación evolutiva. Necesitamos reducir la violencia ambiental para que la vida pueda mantener sus procesos normales. Sin el conocimiento de la naturaleza y de las consecuencias de la violencia contra ella, nos convertiremos en otra de las especies extintas de nuestro planeta.
Television audiences and transnational nostalgia: Mad Men in Israel
Authors: Tsapovsky Flora , Frosh Paul
Published: May 2015

Nostalgia is a transnational condition. It not only describes temporal displacement from a vanished past but also spatial dislocation from a lost dwelling place: home. What happens, then, when the spatio-temporal dimensions of nostalgia are realigned by media globalization? Can the transnational consumption of media texts create memory-structures that allow viewers to feel ‘at home’ in a past that is not ‘theirs’? What might such a reconstitution of nostalgia tell us about practices of interpretation, recollection, and identification among media audiences? Addressing these questions, this article investigates the responses of Israeli television viewers to a purportedly nostalgic US drama series, Mad Men. In the process, it reemphasizes nostalgia’s spatial axis, while reframing nostalgia as a construct of viewer engagement rather than as a feature of media texts. Ultimately, it proposes that contemporary transnational nostalgia possesses a double structure: it is selective, acting as an emotional and cognitive resource consciously used by audiences to examine their present personal and socio-political realities; that very use, however, depends on a ‘banal cosmopolitanism’ in which the mediated pasts of distant societies are seamlessly experienced as a part of viewers’ proximate lifeworlds.
Melatonin Suppression by Light in Humans Is More Sensitive Than Previously Reported
Authors: Vartanian Garen V. , Li Benjamin Y. , Chervenak Andrew P. , Walch Olivia J. , Pack Weston , Ala-Laurila Petri , Wong Kwoon Y.
Published: May 2015

The retina drives various non-image-forming photoresponses, including circadian photoentrainment and pupil constriction. Previous investigators showed that in humans, photic suppression of the clock-controlled hormone melatonin is most sensitive to 460-nm blue light, with a threshold of ~12 log photons cm–2 s–1. This threshold is surprising because non-image-forming vision is mediated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, which receive rod-driven synaptic input and can respond to light levels as low as ~7 log photons cm–2 s–1. Using a protocol that enhances data precision, we have found the threshold for human melatonin suppression to be ~10 log photons cm–2 s–1 at 460 nm. This finding has far-reaching implications since there is mounting evidence that nocturnal activation of the circadian system can be harmful.
Human aortic endothelial cell morphology influenced by topography of porous silicon substrates
Authors: Formentín Pilar , Catalán Úrsula , Fernández-Castillejo Sara , Alba Maria , Baranowska Malgorzata , Solà Rosa , Pallarès Josep , Marsal Lluís F
Published: May 2015

Porous silicon has received much attention because of its optical properties and for its usefulness in cell-based biosensing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering applications. Surface properties of the biomaterial are associated with cell adhesion and with proliferation, migration, and differentiation. The present article analyzes the behavior of human aortic endothelial cells in macro- and nanoporous collagen-modified porous silicon samples. On both substrates, cells are well adhered and numerous. Confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to study the effects of porosity on the morphology of the cells. On macroporous silicon, filopodia is not observed but the cell spreads on the surface, increasing the lamellipodia surface which penetrates the macropore. On nanoporous silicon, multiple filopodia were found to branch out from the cell body. These results demonstrate that the pore size plays a key role in controlling the morphology and growth rate of human aortic endothelial cells, and that these forms of silicon can be used to control cell development in tissue engineering as well as in basic cell biology research.
Searching for the microcosm
Authors: Cornejo Carlos
Published: May 2015

In this article, I examine Vygotsky’s holism by considering his usage of ‘microcosm’ and chronicling the term’s origin and development. This exploration leads first to Spinoza’s monism as the primordial source of Vygotsky’s holism. Then, I present the notion of microcosm in the context of German Romanticism and J. W. Goethe. Humboldt’s Cosmos and Lotze’s Microcosmus are presented as 19th-century exemplars of the holistic tradition. Finally, I examine Vygotsky’s usage of the term ‘microcosm’ and argue that this concept cannot be fully understood outside the long tradition of holism in western philosophy. This understanding helps to explain apparent contradictions in his texts as well as affinities with his contemporaries’ philosophy of life and German holistic approaches.
Conceptual design and optimization of a 3-DoF parallel mechanism for a turbine blade grinding machine
Authors: Xie Fugui , Liu Xin-Jun , Wang Jinsong
Published: May 2015

This paper firstly presents the conceptual design of a turbine blade grinding machine, and a hybrid mechanism with six degrees of freedom (DoFs) is proposed for the development of the machine. In this concept, a 3-DoF parallel kinematic mechanism is used to realize the high-speed and high dynamic performance. To ensure that the 3-DoF parallel kinematic mechanism has continuous workspace, the singularity is analyzed and discussed in detail. By taking motion/force transmissibility into consideration, kinematic optimization is carried out based on a local transmission index and the geometrical parameters are derived. The conceptual design and optimization presented in this paper are very helpful to the development of the turbine blade grinding machine.
Output variance constrained bending control of rotating Euler–Bernoulli beam
Authors: Oktay Tugrul
Published: May 2015

In this article bending control of rotating Euler–Bernoulli beam is considered. It is assumed that the fixed-free elastic beam is attached to a servomotor using a variance constrained controller, specifically output variance constrained controller for vibration suppression. Equations of motion of the system obtained via Hamilton's principle and Galerkin method are used. The resulting linearized state-space models obtained considering just one or three modes are used for control system design. Output variance constrained controllers are designed in order to control bending at the beam tip and beam rotation angle with different variance constraint magnitudes. Closed-loop responses are analyzed when they experience white noise perturbations. Comparisons between system having tighter variance constraint and weaker variance constraint are also performed. Finally, robustness of Output variance constrained controllers with respect to the modeling uncertainty (i.e. variation of number of modes) is examined.
Anthropocene and early human behavior
Authors: Albert Rosa M
Published: May 2015

When is the baseline for Anthropocene? The first indications of human impact on earth closely relate to early human behavior and use of resources. First agricultural societies modified the landscape with the aim of generating their own resources to satisfy the needs of an increasing population. This new system was the result of years of learning and continuous interaction with landscape. Hunter-gatherer societies had shown a vast knowledge of their surrounding environment, which allowed them to exploit and optimize the available resources. But, had these societies the capacity to modify the landscape in such a way that can be traced up until today? How far back in time can we go to find the first evidence of human impact on earth? In this paper, we will try to analyze early human behavior and the possible impact of their activities on the landscape. We will use the paleoanthropological site of Olduvai Gorge (northern Tanzania) as a case study to suggest that the baseline for Anthropocene, taking the term as human impact on earth through cognitive-behavioral strategies, can be moved back to the time when early hominins visited Olduvai. Olduvai Gorge is perfectly suited for this study since the latest scientific research and publications have yielded a detailed knowledge of the vegetation, the landscape, and of the wildlife that lived in the area.
Hypochondriasis: treatment options for a diagnostic quagmire
Authors: Starcevic Vladan
Published: May 2015

Objective:

This article presents the conceptual and diagnostic conundrums surrounding hypochondriasis and reviews current treatment options for this disorder.

Conclusions:

The removal of hypochondriasis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition and its replacement with two new diagnostic entities have been controversial. It appears that the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases will take a more cautious approach and emphasise the links between hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders. The cornerstone of any treatment approach to hypochondriasis is establishing a good therapeutic relationship with the patient. Psychological treatments, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy, have been more useful than pharmacotherapy, but there is much room for improving treatment outcomes.
Improving Student Confidence in Using Group Work Standards
Authors: Macgowan Mark J. , Wong Stephen E.
Published: May 2015

Objective:

This is a replication of a study that examined the effects of teaching foundation competencies in group work to social work students and assessed their self-confidence in applying these skills. This study improves on the first by utilizing a controlled design.

Method:

Twenty-six master of social work students were taught group work competencies derived from the International Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups’ (IASWG) Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups using didactic activities and micro-skill exercises. Students were assessed 4 times on their confidence in group work competencies using a validated 70-item inventory. Group work skills were divided into three blocks and taught successively in an abbreviated multiple-baseline design.

Results:

The t-tests indicated significant increases in confidence ratings after training on the respective skills but not before skills training.

Conclusion:

The results provide additional support for the effectiveness of the teaching approach in building student confidence in using IASWG Standards.
Patients’ and Family Members’ Decision-Making and Information Disclosure Preferences in a Single-Center Survey in China
Authors: Wei Shanshan , Chen Fanglin , Chen Hongyan , Guo Ying , Hui David , Yennurajalingam Sriram , Chisholm Gary , Liu En , Liao Zhongli , Yang Li , Cheng Heng , Zhou Yuanyuan , Guo Hong , Bruera Eduardo
Published: May 2015

Background:

Understanding the medical decision-making and information disclosure preferences is important for care quality.

Objectives:

To examine the feasibility of using the questionnaires and to identify modifications needed in the following study.

Design:

Thirty-three pairs of patients with advanced cancers and their caregivers were asked to complete the questionnaires.

Results:

More than 60% of patients and caregivers had an educational level of middle school and below. The active, passive, or shared decision-making preferences for patients were 33.3%, 39.4%, and 27.3%, respectively. Twenty of 33 patients and 24 of 33 caregivers misunderstood the questions.

Conclusions:

Low educational levels may be the reason for poor understanding imprecision. It is necessary to use the modification version of the questionnaires in developing countries.
Writing Entrepreneurs
Authors: Spartz John M. , Weber Ryan P.
Published: May 2015

This article presents data from an electronic survey asking 101 entrepreneurs in Wisconsin and North Alabama about the documents they write before opening and while operating their businesses, the writing skills they value, and the audiences they consider when writing. The results demonstrate that entrepreneurs highly value writing and rhetorical skills, produce a huge range of documents, and require distinctive genres at different stages of their ventures. The results can help professional communication instructors, entrepreneurship and small-business consultants, and aspiring entrepreneurs to more effectively anticipate and meet the rhetorical challenges of opening and operating a business.
Correction to “Evidence for the Criterion Validity and Clinical Utility of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory”
Authors: Thomas Katherine M. , Wright Aidan G. C. , Lukowitsky Mark R. , Donnellan M. Brent , Hopwood Christopher J.
Published: May 2015

In our article “Evidence for the Criterion Validity and Clinical Utility of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory” (2012), we provided incorrect values for the rcontrast-cv coefficients we presented in Table 1. In the current report, we provide correct rcontrast-cv values in Table 1 and discuss the implications of our updated results, particularly with respect to how these results differ from our initial report.
Accelerated life testing of harmonic driver in space lubrication
Authors: Li Jun-Yang , Wang Jia-Xu , Zhou Guang-Wu , Pu Wei , Wang Zhi-Hua
Published: May 2015

For mechanical moving components in space applications, the accelerated life test for the verification of reliability is very important. Since traditional methods of the accelerated life test for liquid lubrication have some limitations, a new method is proposed in this paper, in which the harmonic driver is used as the object of study. First, the life test of a harmonic driver is performed in vacuum. The results show that the adhesive wear caused by asperity contact at the wave generator–flexspline interfaces is the crucial factor governing the life of harmonic driver. To clarify the lubricant film behavior at the wave generator–flexspline interface, a mixed lubrication analysis is conducted. Furthermore, the scheme of the accelerated life test is discussed. The speed and load are selected as the acceleration stresses of the test, while the load supported by asperity contact is defined as the characteristic quantity of the life and used to select acceleration factors. Finally, accelerated life tests under different working conditions are conducted to validate the results of the theoretical analysis.
Consumer preferences of Generation Y
Authors: Kruger Martinette , Saayman Melville
Published: May 2015

Generation Y (born between 1982 and 2002) has caught the attention of researchers due to the sheer size of this consumer segment and also its significant spending power. The purpose of this exploratory research was to cluster Generation Y concertgoers to various concerts held in South Africa during 2012 and 2013 based on their age to identify and profile different market segments at the concerts. Data were collected at eight live music performances, during 2012 and 2013, by performers Linkin Park, Adam Lambert, Celtic Woman, Lady Gaga, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bon Jovi, Justin Bieber and Rodriguez. This resulted in a total factor analysis conducted to identify the main motives of Generation Yers to attend live music performances. Generation Yers were then divided into three groups based on their age in order to give a better idea of the differences among these concertgoers. Three Generation Y clusters were identified, namely, Tweens, Twixters and Tweeds. Analyses of variance, two-way frequency tables and χ2 tests showed significant differences between the segments in terms of socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics as well as motives. Based on the results, it is evident that generation theory needs to be taken into consideration, and it can be a useful tool to segment markets.
Let’s talk about it: Peer victimization experiences as reported by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Fisher Marisa H , Taylor Julie Lounds
Published: May 2015

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience high rates of peer victimization; yet, their personal experiences and perceptions of such victimization are not well understood. In this qualitative investigation, responses to questions about bullying and teasing were examined to gain insight into the perception of peer victimization as reported by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. While the majority of participants provided examples of peer victimization, their situations differed from items typically assessed on bullying questionnaires. Participants were also able to provide explanations for why they believe they are targets and descriptions of their reactions to bullying. Findings from the interviews are used to provide suggestions for the development of more informative bullying assessments and prevention programs for students with autism spectrum disorder.
Further understanding of complex information processing in verbal adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Williams Diane L , Minshew Nancy J , Goldstein Gerald
Published: May 2015

More than 20 years ago, Minshew and colleagues proposed the Complex Information Processing model of autism in which the impairment is characterized as a generalized deficit involving multiple modalities and cognitive domains that depend on distributed cortical systems responsible for higher order abilities. Subsequent behavioral work revealed a related dissociation between concept formation and concept identification in autism suggesting the lack of an underlying organizational structure to manage increases in processing loads. The results of a recent study supported the impact of this relative weakness in conceptual reasoning on adaptive functioning in children and adults with autism. In this study, we provide further evidence of the difficulty relatively able older adolescents and adults with autism have with conceptual reasoning and provide evidence that this characterizes their difference from age- and ability-matched controls with typical development better than their differences in language. For verbal adults with autism, language may serve as a bootstrap or compensatory mechanism for learning but cannot overcome an inherent weakness in concept formation that makes information processing challenging as task demands increase.
The role of appearance stigma in implicit racial ingroup bias
Authors: Rudman Laurie A. , McLean Meghan C.
Published: May 2015

Minority groups who show implicit outgroup preference (African Americans, the elderly, and the overweight) are also likely to suffer from appearance stigma (for deviating from cultural aesthetic norms; Goffman, 1963). Three studies showed that people who automatically preferred Whites using the attitude Implicit Association Test (IAT) also associated Whites more than Blacks with attractiveness using the aesthetic IAT. In Study 1, the aesthetic IAT covaried with Black American’s preference for Black women with chemically treated versus natural hair, and rating products that purchase “racial capital” (e.g., skin whiteners) as important and useful. In Study 2, Black American’s pro-White bias was only eliminated when the attitude IAT represented their group as more attractive than Whites (i.e., when appearance stigma was reversed). Further, the aesthetic IAT predicted the attitude IAT more uniquely than outgroup contact. In concert, the findings suggest that appearance stigma is an overlooked factor influencing racial asymmetries in automatic ingroup esteem.
Examining user satisfaction with single sign-on and computer application roaming within emergency departments
Authors: Hope Patti , Zhang Xiaoni
Published: May 2015

In an age where mandatory computer usage within clinical care settings is a non-negotiable term of employment, the amount of applications a provider must access to document care is rapidly increasing. Each application contains an associated username and password. The increasing frequency with which clinicians have to log in and out of different applications is a source of frustration for many healthcare professionals. Healthcare executives see lost productivity. Single sign-on with added computer application roaming capabilities on shared workstations is a viable solution for both the clinician and the organization. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of implementation of single sign-on technology with application roaming on shared workstations. This study focuses on the perception of satisfaction with the implementation of single sign-on technologies within a midsized integrated delivery health network’s five emergency departments. We contribute to theory with the following: (1) the development of a construct called facilitated technology interruptions, (2) validation of the construct facilitated technology interruptions, and (3) application of a quantitative method to test the relationship between facilitated technology interruptions and user satisfaction. We surveyed five emergency departments and proposed five hypotheses. We found the positive relationship between facilitated technology interruptions and user satisfaction; the positive relationships between effort expectancy and satisfaction, and effort expectancy and willingness to recommend; and the positive relationship between satisfaction and willingness to recommend. We did not confirm the positive relationship between facilitated technology interruptions and willingness to recommend. We conclude that single sign-on technology increases user satisfaction. Other organizations may use the findings from this study and perform pre–single sign-on versus post–single sign-on evaluations. In practice, single sign-on improved productivity and ensured compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, minimization of errors, and disruption for critical work.
Applying artificial intelligence technology to support decision-making in nursing: A case study in Taiwan
Authors: Liao Pei-Hung , Hsu Pei-Ti , Chu William , Chu Woei-Chyn
Published: May 2015

This study applied artificial intelligence to help nurses address problems and receive instructions through information technology. Nurses make diagnoses according to professional knowledge, clinical experience, and even instinct. Without comprehensive knowledge and thinking, diagnostic accuracy can be compromised and decisions may be delayed. We used a back-propagation neural network and other tools for data mining and statistical analysis. We further compared the prediction accuracy of the previous methods with an adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system and the back-propagation neural network, identifying differences in the questions and in nurse satisfaction levels before and after using the nursing information system. This study investigated the use of artificial intelligence to generate nursing diagnoses. The percentage of agreement between diagnoses suggested by the information system and those made by nurses was as much as 87 percent. When patients are hospitalized, we can calculate the probability of various nursing diagnoses based on certain characteristics.
BDSM and the boundaries of criticism: Feminism and neoliberalism in Fifty Shades of Grey and The Story of O
Authors: Musser Amber Jamilla
Published: May 2015

In 2011, Fifty Shades of Grey, an erotic novel by British author E.L. James, took the publishing world by storm. This article examines the lack of a feminist backlash to the book by comparing it to The Story of O (1954) and the backlash that that book engendered. In addition to parsing the terms of the existentialism that underlies The Story of O, this article unpacks the neoliberal logic of Fifty Shades of Grey.