bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges and Solutions for Using Informatics in Research
Authors: Ryan Catherine J. , Choi Heeseung , Fritschi Cynthia , Hershberger Patricia E. , Vincent Catherine V. , Hacker Eileen Danaher , Zerwic Julie J. , Norr Kathleen , Park Hanjong , Tastan Sevinc , Keenan Gail M. , Finnegan Lorna , Zhao Zhongsheng , Gallo Agatha M. , Wilkie Diana J.
Published: March 2013

Computer technology provides innovations for research but not without concomitant challenges. Herein, we present our experiences with technology challenges and solutions across 16 nursing research studies. Issues included intervention integrity, software updates and compatibility, web accessibility and implementation, hardware and equipment, computer literacy of participants, and programming. Our researchers found solutions related to best practices for computer-screen design and usability testing, especially as they relate to the target populations’ computer literacy levels and use patterns; changes in software; availability and limitations of operating systems and web browsers; resources for on-site technology help for participants; and creative facilitators to access participants and implement study procedures. Researchers may find this information helpful as they consider successful ways to integrate informatics in the design and implementation of future studies with technology that maximizes research productivity.
The second language acquisition of number and gender in Swahili: A Feature Reassembly approach
Authors: Spinner Patti
Published: March 2013

Much of the recent discussion surrounding the second language acquisition of morphology has centered on the question of whether learners can acquire new formal features. Lardiere’s (2008, 2009) Feature Reassembly approach offers a new direction for research in this area by emphasizing the challenges presented by crosslinguistic differences in the overt expression of formal features. In this study, I examine the acquisition of number and gender in Swahili by speakers of English and explore how the data can be described by a number of current approaches, including the Full Transfer Full Access Hypothesis (Schwartz and Sprouse, 1996), the Representational Deficit Hypothesis (e.g. Hawkins and Chan, 1997), and the Feature Reassembly approach. The results of an elicited production task and a written gender-assignment task indicate that learners have difficulty detecting the number feature on Swahili noun prefixes, and because of this they are initially unsuccessful at marking plurals. The findings are best described under a Feature Reassembly approach. I suggest some directions for expanding the Feature Reassembly approach in future research.
The need for thoracic surgery in adult patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a 16-year experience
Authors: Joshi V , Harvey C , Nakas A , Waller DA , Peek GJ , Firmin R
Published: March 2013

Objectives:

Patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are at risk from thoracic complications such as bleeding or pneumothorax, which may subsequently necessitate thoracic surgical intervention. We aimed to: 1) analyse the indication and nature of thoracic surgical intervention in these patients and 2) analyse the effect of a change in the ECMO circuit from roller pump to centrifugal pump on transfusion requirements pre and post thoracotomy.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of 569 adults put on ECMO between 1995 and 2011. Patients undergoing thoracotomy were identified and outcomes were statistically analysed.

Results:

Forty thoracotomies were performed in 18 patients [61% male, median age 31 (14-56) years, one bilateral procedure]. The indications for ECMO included: pneumonia 14/18 (78%), trauma 2/18 (11%) and other 2/18 (11%). Median duration on ECMO was 13 (1–257) days and the time to initial thoracotomy was 10 (1-183) days. The indications for thoracotomy were: excessive bleeding post chest drain insertion (11/19, 58%), uncontrolled air leak (9/19, 47%) and pleural effusion (4/19, 21%). The primary operations were 12/19 (63%) evacuation of haemothorax, 3/19 (16%) lung repair, 2/19 (11%) diagnostic lung biopsy and 2/19 (11%) other. Ten patients needed a further 21 thoracotomies (3 lobectomies); average 2 (1-5) per patient. In total, 30/40 (75%) thoracotomies were performed for bleeding complication. The change from roller to centrifugal pump trended towards a reduction in mean transfusion requirements in these patients following thoracotomy (11.5 versus 4 units, p=0.14). The in-hospital mortality was 7/18 (39%) patients. There were no statistically significant predictors of poor outcome.

Conclusions:

The need for thoracotomy whilst on ECMO is 3.2% in this large series. Intervention may be complicated, thus, either ECMO specialists should have thoracic training or thoracic surgeons should be on-site. Potential mortality is high and, although not statistically significant, a difference in transfusion requirements was observed following the change of circuit.
Relations Between Parental Discipline, Empathy-Related Traits, and Prosocial Moral Reasoning
Authors: Shen Yuh-Ling , Carlo Gustavo , Knight George P.
Published: March 2013

The current study explored how parental inductions and punitiveness were related to the prosocial moral reasoning through perspective taking and sympathy. Data were collected from three ethnic groups: 106 European American, 202 Mexican American, and 196 Taiwanese fifth and sixth graders (approximately 50% girls). Using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, the results generally indicated that the relation between parental inductions and prosocial moral reasoning was partially mediated by perspective taking and sympathy, and that punitiveness had direct relations to prosocial moral reasoning. Furthermore, some ethnic group differences were found such that Taiwanese early adolescents reported less parental inductions and weaker effects of parental punitiveness than early adolescents from the United States. Discussion focuses on the socialization of prosocial moral reasoning across cultural groups.
Predicting the ICECAP-O Capability Index from the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index
Authors: Mitchell Paul M. , Roberts Tracy E. , Barton Pelham M. , Pollard Beth S. , Coast Joanna
Published: March 2013

Background. There is a growing interest in the application of the capability approach in health economic analysis. The aim of the research reported here is to assess the feasibility of mapping from a condition-specific questionnaire (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities [WOMAC] Osteoarthritis Index) to a capability well-being questionnaire (ICEpop CAPability measure for Older people [ICECAP-O]). Methods. One hundred five osteoarthritis patients requiring joint replacement completed the 5 attributes on the ICECAP-O (attachment, security, role, enjoyment, and control) and the 3 WOMAC categories (pain, stiffness, and physical function). The prediction data set consisted of baseline scores, whereas follow-up data were used to validate the predictions. The mapping algorithms used ordinary least squares and multinomial logistic regression models to predict the relationship between WOMAC scores, categories, or items and ICECAP-O scores or the 5 ICECAP-O attributes. Results. ICECAP-O scores predicted from WOMAC category scores produced the lowest mapping error statistics (mean absolute error = 0.0832; mean squared error = 0.0142) as well as highest goodness of fit (R2 = 0.3976). Prediction of ICECAP-O attributes from WOMAC category scores was possible for the majority of capability dimensions. The “control” attribute and physical function WOMAC category exhibited the strongest relationship (R2 = 0.2143). The “attachment” attribute proved difficult to predict from any WOMAC category, which is in line with intuition given this attribute captures psychological well-being rather than pain, stiffness, or physical function. Conclusion. This is the first study to investigate the predictive ability of a condition-specific measure of health onto capability. The results presented here suggest it is feasible to map from condition-specific measures to an overall capability index, although WOMAC cannot predict individual capability in its entirety. Although the results here are encouraging for those interested in using ICECAP-O, given the small validation sample size applied, further research will be required to verify these findings.
Common Scale Valuations across Different Preference-Based Measures
Authors: Hernández Alava Mónica , Brazier John , Rowen Donna , Tsuchiya Aki
Published: March 2013

Background. Different preference-based measures (PBMs) used to estimate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) provide different utility values for the same patient. Differences are expected since values have been obtained using different samples, valuation techniques, and descriptive systems. Previous studies have estimated the relationship between pairs of PBMs using patient self-reported data. However, there is a need for an approach capable of generating values directly on a common scale for a range of PBMs using the same sample of general population respondents and valuation technique but keeping the advantages of the different descriptive systems. Methods. General public survey data ( n = 501) in which respondents ranked health states described using subsets of 6 PBMs were analyzed. We develop a new model based on the mixed logit to overcome 2 key limitations of the standard rank-ordered logit model—namely, the unrealistic choice pattern (independence of irrelevant alternatives) and the independence of repeated observations. Results. There are substantial differences in the estimated parameters between the 2 models (mean difference 0.07), leading to different orderings across the measures. Estimated values for the best states described by different PBMs are substantially and significantly different using the standard model, unlike our approach, which yields more consistent results. Limitations. Data come from an exploratory study that is relatively small both in sample size and coverage of health states. Conclusions. This study develops a new, flexible econometric model specifically designed to reflect appropriately the features of rank data. Results support the view that the standard model is not appropriate in this setting and will yield very different and apparently inconsistent results. PBMs can be compared using a common scale by implementation of this new approach.
Scoring the 5-Level EQ-5D
Authors: Pullenayegum Eleanor , Xie Feng
Published: March 2013

Background: The EuroQol Group is evaluating the use of discrete choice experiments (DCEs) in valuing health states from the 5-level EQ-5D. Notably, a discrete choice (DC) model yields a latent utility that is ordinal and unbounded, whereas health utilities must have interval properties and be anchored at 0 (representing death) and 1 (representing full health). Latent utilities must therefore be transformed to health utilities. This pilot study investigated the feasibility of performing such a transformation. Methods: 545 respondents from Canada and 403 respondents from the UK each completed a series of DC and time tradeoff (TTO) tasks. Generalized linear mixed models were used to derive latent utilities. Linear regression models incorporating logarithmic and polynomial terms, as well as nonparametric LOESS and spline models, were assessed as candidate functions for transforming the latent utilities onto the health utilities. Results: There was a high correlation between health utilities measured through TTO tasks and latent utilities derived from modeling of DC data (Spearman rho of 0.79 in Canada and 0.86 in the UK). All transforming functions explained the between-state variation in health utilities and, upon cross-validation, had minimal bias and small mean squared errors. Although the transformation functions derived through linear regression had the desirable feature of being monotone, the LOESS transform in Canada and the spline transform in the UK lacked monotonicity. Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that transforming latent utilities to health utilities is feasible, and the study provides preliminary evidence that linear regression involving polynomial and logarithmic terms may be more desirable than nonparametric spline or LOESS functions.
Bivariate Random-Effects Meta-analysis of Sensitivity and Specificity with the Bayesian SAS PROC MCMC
Authors: Menke Jan
Published: March 2013

Background and Objective: Meta-analysis allows for summarizing the sensitivities and specificities from several primary diagnostic test accuracy studies quantitatively. This article presents and evaluates a full Bayesian method for bivariate random-effects meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity with SAS PROC MCMC. Methods: First, the formula of the bivariate random-effects model is presented. Then its implementation with the Bayesian SAS PROC MCMC is empirically evaluated, using the published 2 × 2 count data of 50 meta-analyses. The convergence of the Markov chains is analyzed visually and qualitatively. The results are compared with a Bayesian WinBUGS approach, using the Bland-Altman analysis for assessing agreement between 2 methods. Results: The 50 meta-analyses covered broad ranges of pooled sensitivity (17.4% to 98.8%) and specificity (60.0% to 99.7%), and the between-study heterogeneity varied as well. In all meta-analyses, the Markov chains converged well. The meta-analytic results from the SAS PROC MCMC and the WinBUGS random-effects approaches were nearly similar, showing close 95% limits of agreement for the pooled sensitivity (–0.06% to 0.05%) and specificity (–0.05% to 0.05%) without significant differences (P > 0.05). This indicates that the bivariate model is well implemented with both different statistical programs, without systematic differences arising from program attributes. Conclusions: As alternative to a WinBUGS approach, the Bayesian SAS PROC MCMC is well suited for bivariate random-effects meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity.
A comparison of benign and inflammatory manifestations of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome
Authors: Hung Chih-Hsien , Chang Kuo-Hsuan , Wu Yi-Ming , Chen Yao-Liang , Lyu Rong-Kuo , Chang Hong-Shiu , Wu Yih-Ru , Chen Chiung-Mei , Huang Chin-Chang , Chu Chun-Che , Liao Ming-Feng , Wai Yau-Yau , Hsu Shih-Pin , Ro Long-Sun
Published: March 2013

Background

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) manifests as a benign or an inflammatory type disease. The nosography differences between these types remain to be elucidated. We aimed to analyze and compare the clinical presentations of benign and inflammatory THS.

Methods

The ward patients who presented with THS from January 1990 to May 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. THS was diagnosed according to the recommendations of the International Headache Society.

Results

Of the 53 THS cases (49 patients), 30 (56.6%) were classified as benign and 23 (43.4%) as inflammatory THS. There were strong similarities between the groups in terms of clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, responses to glucocorticoid treatment, and outcomes. However, patients with inflammatory THS tended to be younger (mean age, 43.4 years; p < 0.05) and have optic nerve dysfunction (56.5%; p < 0.05) and longer disease duration (2.3  ±  1.0 months; p < 0.05) compared to those with benign THS (mean age, 56.4 years; mean disease duration, 1.6  ±  0.7 months). The patients with additional involvement of both the optic nerve and the second division of the trigeminal nerve experienced a longer disease duration ( p < 0.05). Additionally, patients with orbital pseudotumors had diplopia that responded poorly to treatment with glucocorticoids ( p < 0.05). High-dose (>0.5  mg/kg/day) and low-dose (≤0.5  mg/kg/day) prednisolone were equally effective in relieving symptoms in both groups ( p >  0.05).

Conclusion

Benign and inflammatory THS were highly similar in terms of nosography. The responses to glucocorticoid treatment were generally good except in patients with orbital pseudotumors.
The typical duration of migraine aura: A systematic review
Authors: Viana Michele , Sprenger Till , Andelova Michaela , Goadsby Peter J
Published: March 2013

Background

According to ICHD-II, and as proposed for ICHD-III, non-hemiplegic migraine aura (NHMA) symptoms last between five and 60 minutes whereas hemiplegic migraine aura can be longer. In ICHD-III it is proposed to label aura longer than an hour and less than a week as probable migraine with aura. We tested whether this was appropriate based on the available literature.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search identifying articles pertaining to a typical or prolonged duration of NHMA. We also performed a comprehensive literature search in order to identify all population-based studies or case series in which clinical features of NHMA, including but not restricted to aura duration, were reported, in order to gain a complete coverage of the available scientific data on aura duration.

Results

We did not find any article exclusively focusing on the prevalence of a prolonged aura or more generally on typical NHMA duration. We found 10 articles that investigated NHMA features, including the aura duration. Five articles recorded the proportion of patients in whom whole NHMA lasted for more than one hour, which was the case in 12%–37% of patients. Six articles reported some information on the duration of single NHMA symptoms: visual aura disturbances lasting for more than one hour occurred in 6%–10% of patients, sensory aura in 14%–27% of patients and aphasic aura in 17%–60% of patients.

Conclusions

The data indicate the duration of NHMA may be longer than one hour in a significant proportion of migraineurs. This seems to be especially true for non-visual aura symptoms. The term probable seems inappropriate in ICHD-III so we propose reinstating the category of prolonged aura for patients with symptoms longer than an hour and less than one week.
Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome with concurrent bilateral carotid artery dissection
Authors: Bayer-Karpinska Anna , Patzig Maximilian , Adamczyk Christopher , Dimitriadis Konstantinos , Wollenweber Frank A , Dichgans Martin , Jahn Klaus , Opherk Christian
Published: March 2013

Background

The pathophysiological basis of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is poorly understood but carotid artery dissection has been discussed as a rare possible cause. So far, only single cases of unilateral carotid artery dissection and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome have been reported.

Case

Here, we describe the case of a 54-year old patient presenting to the emergency department with right hemiparesis, hypaesthesia and dysarthria. Furthermore, he reported two episodes of thunderclap headache after autosexual activity. Cerebral imaging showed ischaemic infarcts, slight cortical subarachnoid haemorrhage, bilateral carotid artery dissection and fluctuating intracranial vessel irregularities, compatible with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. An extensive diagnostic work-up was normal. No typical trigger factors of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome could be found. The patient received intravenous heparin and the calcium channel blocker nimodipine. Follow-up imaging revealed no vessel irregularities, the left internal carotid artery was still occluded.

Conclusion

This case supports the assumption that carotid artery dissection should be considered as a potential trigger of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, possibly by altering sympathetic vascular tone.
Repair of Peripheral Vertical Meniscus Lesions in Porcine Menisci
Authors: Lee Yee Han Dave , Nyland John , Burden Robert , Caborn David N.M.
Published: March 2013

Background:

All-inside meniscus repair eliminates the need for an extra incision and decreases neurovascular injury risk. Biomechanical testing can help delineate the efficacy of all-inside device use.

Hypothesis:

There would be no group differences between 4 peripheral meniscus repair techniques and 3 different devices tested.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Equivalent-sized menisci with attached tibiae were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 test groups (8 specimens each), as follows: group 1, Fast-Fix using No. 0 braided polyester suture; group 2, inside-out repair using 2-0 braided polyester suture; group 3, Sequent using No. 0 ultra–high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) suture in a continuous “N” configuration; and group 4, Sequent using No. 0 UHMWPE suture in an interrupted configuration. After placement in a clamp, specimens underwent preconditioning from 5 to 20 N for 10 cycles (0.1 Hz), 500 submaximal loading cycles from 5 to 20 N (0.5 Hz), and load-to-failure testing at 12.5 mm/s. A 30-second pause after 10 preconditioning cycles and after 10, 100, and 500 submaximal loading cycles enabled digital photographs to be taken for gapping measurements. Failure mode was recorded.

Results:

Specimens in group 3 withstood greater failure loads than did those in groups 1 and 4 ( P ≤ .027), and group 3 specimens were stiffer than those in groups 2 and 4 ( P ≤ .048). Displacement during submaximal loading and load-to-failure testing did not differ between groups. Groups 1, 3, and 4 each gapped less than group 2 during submaximal cyclic loading ( P ≤ .05). Groups 1 and 2 failed primarily by suture breakage ( P < .0001), while groups 3 and 4 failed primarily by the suture pulling free from an implant ( P < .0001).

Conclusion:

Sequent using No. 0 UHMWPE suture in a continuous “N” configuration displayed superior load at failure compared with repairs using Fast-Fix with No. 0 braided polyester suture and displayed greater stiffness and less gapping than inside-out repair using 2-0 braided polyester suture. The suture pulling free from an implant was the primary failure mode for Sequent using No. 0 UHMWPE suture regardless of whether a continuous “N” or an interrupted configuration was used. Study groups that used No. 0 UHMWPE sutures (groups 3 and 4) had more specimens fail by the suture pulling free from an implant. Compared with the weaker braided polyester suture in the inside-out and Fast-Fix groups, the No. 0 UHMWPE suture used in the Sequent groups likely influenced study results, as this suture has stronger material properties. However, the continuous “N” configuration likely also improved the performance of the Sequent with No. 0 UHMWPE suture, as failure load was significantly less with an interrupted configuration.

Clinical Relevance:

All-inside meniscus repair with continuous suture function may translate into improved patient outcomes.
Can the Socialist Market Economy in China Adhere to Socialism?
Authors: Xie Fusheng , Li An , Li Zhongjin
Published: March 2013

The recent round of debate over China’s state and private economy has fundamentally touched upon whether or not China should abandon or strengthen the socialist elements within the market economy. In this paper, we argue that the debate is, in essence, a continued class struggle in the political and ideological superstructure. Then we discuss the foreseeable future of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) under current political and economic conditions. We will further propose the necessary reforms for the SOEs to move towards a truly socialist form of public ownership.
Climate Change and the Limits to the Growth-Oriented Model of Development
Authors: Piovani Chiara , Li Minqi
Published: March 2013

This paper discusses the interplay between the rise of China and India in the world economy and the global climate emergency. It considers alternative growth scenarios for China and India. The results show that, to meet their respective global climate obligations, both China and India need to accept much slower economic growth rates and possibly economic stagnation in the coming decades. This clearly indicates that both China and India need to revise their growth-oriented model of development. Only a new development strategy focused on social and environmental progress, rather than economic growth, can be compatible with climate stabilization.
Neo-Liberalism at Work
Authors: Seifert Roger , Mather Kim
Published: March 2013

This paper examines changes in labor management of workers in UK emergency services under a regime of budget cuts and neoliberal state strategies. It takes an extreme case study, the emergency services, as an example of the limits of privatization and of the need, nonetheless, to re-assert management control over the labor process as part of the long-term strategy to solve the labor problem in public services.
Taking Back Globalization
Authors: Duggan Marie Christine
Published: March 2013

Many Americans believe free trade destroyed the U.S. industrial base, and blame foreign workers for taking their jobs. During World War II, Keynes had similar misgivings about the effect of postwar free trade on Britain’s economy. Yet for Keynes, economic forces are never inevitable, and capital rather than labor was the cause of trouble. His 1941 proposal for an International Clearing Union suggested capital controls, forced creditor adjustment, and an international fiat reserve as remedies for deindustrialization. This framework channeled financing toward production rather than speculation, leading to a rising standard of living for workers. A counterfactual with balance of payments data for the United States and China since 1982 suggests his ICU would have prevented U.S. deindustrialization, while yet permitting export-led growth in China.
An efficient approach for modeling interlaminar damage in composite laminates with explicit finite element codes
Authors: Airoldi Alessandro , Sala Giuseppe , Bettini Paolo , Baldi Andrea
Published: March 2013

A computationally efficient technique for the analysis of delamination in composite structures with the explicit finite element method is proposed. In the approach, the in-plane and the out-of-plane stiffness of a composite laminate are represented by different material phases. The laminate is seen as a stack of sub-laminates modeled by 2D elements that carry the in-plane stress components. These sub-laminates are connected together with three-dimensional elements that carry the out-of-plane stress components and account for the transverse shear stiffness. Cohesive zone models are adapted to represent the interlaminar damage within the connection elements. The principal advantage of this hybrid modeling technique is that interlaminar damage can be modeled without introducing zero-thickness cohesive elements, which are characterized by means of very large penalty stiffnesses. Consequently, the material stiffness is specified according to physical considerations and, therefore, stable time steps in explicit analyses are not affected by non-physical stiffnesses. The theoretical aspects of the modeling technique and the assessment of a laminate’s model are introduced. Then, three different test cases are considered to confirm that the correct kinematic response is achieved and to demonstrate that sequences of complex delamination events can be predicted accurately and efficiently.
Damping research of fiber-reinforced resin mineral composite-based micromechanical modeling
Authors: Wang Tao , Zhang Jianhua , Hao Shimei
Published: March 2013

Compared with cast iron and welded steel, fiber-reinforced resin mineral composite has better damping property that it can be used to produce precision machine tool beds in order to better satisfy the requirement of vibration alleviating. Suppose that the distribution of fibers in fiber-reinforced resin mineral composite is homogeneous, the damping model of single fiber is built on the basis of energy dissipation theory and the direction efficiency coefficient is defined as a new parameter to indicate the influence of single fiber’s orientation to the damping property of fiber-reinforced resin mineral composite. Typical fiber-reinforced resin mineral composite samples with different component ratio and surface treatment of fibers are prepared and their damping ratio is measured to validate the aforementioned assumptions. Research results show that the damping performance is better with longer fiber and lower interfacial bonding strength.
Factors affecting the adhesive force between metallic substrate and carbon black filled rubber composites
Authors: Salam MH Abd-El , Khaliel JA , Hassan HH
Published: March 2013

This article is devoted to study the factors affecting the performance of the adhesively bonded joints between rubber composites and metal substrates. The mechanical strength of the adhesively bonded joint is assessed with regard to several parameters as the type of rubber, type and/or concentration of black fillers, type of adhesive system and type of metallic substrate. The mechanical properties of the adhesively bonded composites were measured under different modes of deformation such as the uniaxial extension, shear and peel tests. The results showed that the presence of black filler and/or polar group in the rubber composites enhanced adhesion effectiveness between the rubber composites and the metal substrate. This was confirmed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopic analysis and the swelling characteristics in benzene. Moreover, the two-component adhesive system was more effective in adhesion than the one-component adhesive.
Kinetics of internal structure evolution in gypsum board exposed to standard fire
Authors: Rojo Amandine , Mélinge Yannick , Guillou Olivier
Published: March 2013

Gypsum is often used as passive fire protection. Indeed, its latent heat effect reduces heat transfer through the structure. To improve composition and physical properties of such material, it is necessary to model its behaviour. Heat and mass transfer have to be considered in the model. For a better understanding of phenomena occurring during a fire event, it is important to study the porosity. In this study, a porosity measurement protocol is developed. The porosity distribution along the thickness of large board sample subjected to standard fire (ISO 834) on one face is studied. In addition, scale effect is taken into account. Finally, the effect of temperature and microstructure are analysed.
‘Anyone Can Be an Illegal’: Color-Blind Ideology and Maintaining Latino/Citizen Borders
Authors: Bloch Katrina Rebecca
Published: March 2013

Previous research has shown that nativist ideology racializes nonwhite immigrants, but little research has looked at how color-blind racist discourse shapes how people accomplish this while maintaining a race-neutral identity. This study examines how online discussion forum participants of an anti-immigrant organization in the United States use color-blind racist discourse. The qualitative analysis of 200 threads (2,168 posts) shows that forum participants use the color-blind discursive tactic of diminishing the importance of race through rhetoric of legality, cultural racism, and reverse racism. This rhetoric frees forum participants to conflate illegal, criminal, and Hispanic. This neutralizes contradictions in their claims of a race-neutral stance, which is most evident in their discussions of Puerto Rico whereby participants reinforce a dichotomy between citizen and Latino. While color-blind racism has been used to explain race relations between white and nonwhite citizens, this research shows how the ideology extends to include nonwhite immigrants.
Earnings Quality in Nonprofit Versus For-Profit Organizations
Authors: Beisland Leif Atle , Mersland Roy
Published: March 2013

This study uses data from the microfinance industry to analyze differences in earnings quality between for-profit and nonprofit organizations. The two sets of organizations differ with respect to both governance mechanisms and managerial incentives, and little research has been conducted to investigate how such differences affect the quality of financial reporting. Overall, we find little evidence of differences in earnings quality between our two samples in the aggregate. We do, however, observe significant differences among the types of nonprofit organizations; this finding suggests that the concept of a “nonprofit level of earnings quality” is ill defined.
The labour market experiences and strategies of young undocumented migrants
Authors: Bloch Alice
Published: March 2013

The article draws on data from in-depth interviews and testimonies with 75 young undocumented migrants from Brazil, China, Kurds from Turkey, Ukraine and Zimbabwe living in England. The article provides a detailed qualitative understanding of the working lives and decision making of undocumented migrants, a group about which little is known. Sectors of employment and working conditions are explored alongside job-seeking strategies and the role of and use of social capital in job seeking. Variations in employment experiences between undocumented migrants, particularly in relation to work within or outside of the ethnic enclave, are evident from the data. Moreover, the role of narrow, usually co-ethnic and often undocumented, social networks in finding work and the intersections between job-seeking strategies and being undocumented is clear throughout the narratives.
Titanium implant with nanostructured zirconia surface promotes maturation of peri-implant bone in osseointegration
Authors: Dusad Anand , Chakkalakal Dennis A , Namavar Fereydoon , Haider Hani , Hanisch Brock , Duryee Michael J , Diaz April , Rensch Adam , Zhang Yijia , Hess Ryan , Thiele Geoffrey M , Fehringer Edward V
Published: March 2013

The goal of the experiment outlined in this article is to improve upon noncemented methods of arthroplasty for clinical application in elderly patients. This was done by determining whether titanium implants with a novel nanostructured zirconia surface, which was created by ion beam–assisted deposition, would prevent impaired osseointegration of intramedullary implants in 1-year-old rats receiving a protein-deficient diet. Specifically, we asked whether the implant with the nanostructured zirconia surface would increase expression of markers of bone maturation within the remodeling of peri-implant woven bone. The control implants, which were made of commercially pure titanium, had a polished surface ex vivo but are known to acquire a microstructured titania surface in vivo. Ten 1-year-old rats received experimental implant (group A) and 10 had control (group B) implants. Ten 3-month-old rats received normal protein diet and the control implant (group C). Animals were euthanized 8 weeks after implantation, and transverse sections of femur-implant samples were used for histology, micro-computed tomography and immunohistochemical evaluations. In group B, the expression of α2β1 and α5β1 integrins, which are known to mediate osteoblast adhesion, glycosaminoglycans, heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, was less than half of that in group C. Important to this study, the zirconia surface used in group A prevented these deficiencies. Therefore, these results indicate that nanostructured zirconia surface created on clinical implants by ion beam–assisted deposition may prevent impaired osseointegration in elderly patients by promoting quicker maturation of peri-implant woven bone.
Investigation of the biomechanical behaviour of hindfoot ligaments
Authors: Forestiero Antonella , Carniel Emanuele L , Venturato Chiara , Natali Arturo N
Published: March 2013

The aim of this work is to provide a computational tool for the mechanical characterization of the hindfoot ligaments. The investigation is performed by a coupled numerical and experimental approach. For this purpose, a numerical model that represents the complex structural configuration of the hindfoot and the typical features of the mechanical behaviour of the ligament tissue is developed. The geometrical analysis of the anatomical site is performed starting from the processing of computed tomography and magnetic resonance images. Accounting for morphometric measurements, the virtual solid model provides an averaged configuration of the hindfoot structure. In order to specify the mechanical behaviour of the ligament tissue, a fibre-reinforced visco-hyperelastic model is adopted. The formulation accounts for the anisotropic configuration, geometric non-linearity, non-linear elasticity and time-dependent phenomena. Numerical analyses are performed to evaluate the biological tissues and structure mechanics with regard to physiological boundary conditions, accounting for dorsiflexion and plantarflexion movements. In order to evaluate the reliability of the numerical model developed, the experimental data are compared with the numerical results. The numerical results are in agreement with the range of values obtained by experimental test confirming the accuracy of the procedure adopted.
Gendered Races
Authors: Galinsky Adam D. , Hall Erika V. , Cuddy Amy J. C.
Published: March 2013

Six studies explored the overlap between racial and gender stereotypes, and the consequences of this overlap for interracial dating, leadership selection, and athletic participation. Two initial studies captured the explicit and implicit gender content of racial stereotypes: Compared with the White stereotype, the Asian stereotype was more feminine, whereas the Black stereotype was more masculine. Study 3 found that heterosexual White men had a romantic preference for Asians over Blacks and that heterosexual White women had a romantic preference for Blacks over Asians; preferences for masculinity versus femininity mediated participants’ attraction to Blacks relative to Asians. The pattern of romantic preferences observed in Study 3 was replicated in Study 4, an analysis of the data on interracial marriages from the 2000 U.S. Census. Study 5 showed that Blacks were more likely and Asians less likely than Whites to be selected for a masculine leadership position. In Study 6, an analysis of college athletics showed that Blacks were more heavily represented in more masculine sports, relative to Asians. These studies demonstrate that the gender content of racial stereotypes has important real-world consequences.
Perceived Causality Can Alter the Perceived Trajectory of Apparent Motion
Authors: Kim Sung-Ho , Feldman Jacob , Singh Manish
Published: March 2013

When objects collide, human observers perceive not only motion but also causal relations, such as which object caused the other to move. In the present experiments, we investigated whether such causal interpretations can actually influence the perceived path of apparent motion. Displays contained two alternately flashing motion targets positioned at either end of a semicircular occluder. Two additional “context objects” moved in such a way that the motion targets appeared to collide with and launch them. The collision was manipulated so that it was consistent with apparent motion either along the straight path between the targets or along a curved path passing behind the occluder. Subjects almost exclusively perceived motion consistent with the implied launch, which suggests that causally coherent interpretations can influence basic perceptual processes.
The Temporal Doppler Effect
Authors: Caruso Eugene M. , Van Boven Leaf , Chin Mark , Ward Andrew
Published: March 2013

People routinely remember events that have passed and imagine those that are yet to come. The past and the future are sometimes psychologically close (“just around the corner”) and other times psychologically distant (“ages away”). Four studies demonstrate a systematic asymmetry whereby future events are psychologically closer than past events of equivalent objective distance. When considering specific times (e.g., 1 year) or events (e.g., Valentine’s Day), people consistently reported that the future was closer than the past. We suggest that this asymmetry arises because the subjective experience of movement through time (whereby future events approach and past events recede) is analogous to the physical experience of movement through space. Consistent with this hypothesis, experimentally reversing the metaphorical arrow of time (by having participants move backward through virtual space) completely eliminated the past-future asymmetry. We discuss how reducing psychological distance to the future may function to prepare people for upcoming action.
Negotiating daughterhood and strangerhood: Retrospective accounts of serial migration
Authors: Phoenix Ann , Seu Bruna
Published: March 2013

Most considerations of daughtering and mothering take for granted that the subjectivities of mothers and daughters are negotiated in contexts of physical proximity throughout daughters’ childhoods. Yet many mothers and daughters spend periods separated from each other, sometimes across national borders. Globally, an increasing number of children experience life in transnational families. This paper examines the retrospective narratives of four women selected from a larger corpus who were serial migrants as children (whose parents migrated before they did). It focuses on their accounts of the reunion with their mothers and how these fit with the ways in which they construct their mother–daughter relationships. We take a psychosocial approach by using a psychoanalytically informed reading of these narratives to acknowledge the complexities of the attachments produced in the context of migration and to attend to the multi-layered psychodynamics of the resulting relationships. The paper argues that serial migration positioned many of the daughters in a conflictual emotional landscape from which they had to negotiate ‘strangerhood’ in the context of sadness at leaving people to whom they were attached in order to join their mothers (or parents). As a result, many were resistant to being positioned as daughters, doing daughtering and being mothered in their new homes.
Microscopic fungi as subfossil woodland indicators
Authors: Lageard Jonathan GA , Ryan Peter A
Published: March 2013

An in situ subfossil oak trunk located on the Lancashire coastal plain in northwest England provided a unique opportunity for a detailed multiproxy investigation attempting to link precisely macrofossil evidence for a palaeowoodland to its microfossil depositional record. Dendrochronological analyses revealed that the tree died shortly after 4189 bc and that it was part of a mire-rooting woodland between 4433 and 4165 bc. Rising water levels are implicated in prolonged growth restrictions evident in this woodland and inferred subsequent widespread tree mortality. The novelty of the research reported here is in the use of microscopic fungal indicators to identify precisely a stratigraphic horizon that can be correlated with this specific palaeoecological event, providing a routine method for future correlations of macro- and microfossil records.
Effect of nicotine pretreatment on arsenic-induced oxidative stress in male Wistar rats
Authors: Pachauri V. , Flora S.J.S.
Published: March 2013

Humans are commonly exposed to nicotine, one of the most important lifestyle chemicals. The occurrence of high levels of arsenic in the groundwater of the southeast region of Asia has received much attention in the past decade and has become a global health concern. Predominant occurrence of both these chemicals and ease of their human exposure led us to investigate the effect of nicotine, a major tobacco alkaloid, on arsenic toxicity. Adult male rats were pre-exposed to two different doses of nicotine (0.75 and 3 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) for 7 days followed by 30 days of arsenic exposure (50 ppm sodium arsenite in drinking water). Nicotine pre-exposure resulted in an increased brain arsenic accumulation and a decreased liver arsenic concentration. Arsenic also caused a significant oxidative stress in the blood, brain and liver of the exposed rats. Glutathione- S-transferase, a phase II enzyme, was inhibited by both arsenic and nicotine but no such inhibition was noted in arsenic-treated animals pre-exposed to nicotine. Upon nicotine pre-exposure, brain acetylcholinesterase increased, while monoamine oxidase (MAO) decreased. The toxic effects of MAO significantly attenuated with nicotine pre-exposure. The present study suggests that nicotine may not be the major contributing factor for the previously reported synergistic toxic interaction between tobacco and arsenic. Nicotine pre-exposure in arsenic-exposed animals revealed interesting toxicokinetics and oxidative stress modulating interactions in the brain and liver of rats, which requires further exploration.
Characteristics and determinants of adult patients with acute poisoning attending the accident and emergency department of a teaching hospital in Qatar
Authors: Khudair IF , Jassim Z , Hanssens Y , Alsaad WA
Published: March 2013

Data about etiologic and demographic characteristics of acute poisoning in adults in Qatar are lacking. This prospective observational study was undertaken to analyze characteristics and possible determinants of acute poisoning in adults in Qatar. During 2010, 18,073 patients attended the emergency department of Hamad General Hospital, a teaching hospital in Qatar. Out of them, 599 (3.3%) patients were diagnosed as “poisoning case” with either chemical or pharmaceutical substances. The prevalence rate of poisoning incidence was 35.3/100,000 population. Seven patients died, corresponding with a case-fatality rate of 0.39/1000. The majority were male (65%) and the mean age was 34 years. The poisons involved were mainly chemicals (61.6%) and pharmaceuticals (38.4%). Female, mainly single, suffered more intentional poisoning compared to male. Of the patients aged 60 years and above (7.2%), the majority (95.3%) suffered unintentional poisoning with pharmaceuticals; 56% with warfarin, 12% with digoxin and 7% with insulin. Multivariate analysis shows that female gender, single status, younger than 35 years of age, being poisoned by pharmaceutical products, and the need for hospitalization are significant determinants for acute intentional poisoning after adjusting all other possible covariates. The findings of this study can be used to establish awareness and prophylactic campaigns in Qatar.
Electrophysiological study for comparing the effect of biological activity between type A botulinum toxins in rat gastrocnemius muscle
Authors: Kim C-S. , Jang W.S. , Son I.P. , Nam S.H. , Kim Y.I. , Park K.Y. , Kim B.J. , Kim M.N.
Published: March 2013

Background:

New cosmetic applications and products based on the effects of botulinum toxin (BTX) treatment have stimulated demand for this class of natural compounds. This demand generates the need for appropriate standardized protocols to test and compare the effectiveness of new BTX preparations.

Objectives:

Based on the previously described electrophysiological methods, we measured and compared the inhibitory effects of two BTX type A (BTX-A) preparations on neuromuscular transmission through split-body test.

Methods:

The effectiveness was evaluated in terms of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and conduction velocity after BTX-A injection. We used a split-body method to compare two different BTX-As in the rat.

Results:

Based on the changes in the CMAP, the two different BTX-As induced paralytic effect on the rat tibialis anterior muscle. However, the two different BTX-A preparations did not differ significantly in effectiveness and did not induce a delay in conduction velocity.

Conclusions:

The new BTX-A preparation used in this electrophysiological study had similar effect compared with the previously marketed BTX-A.[AQ: Please approve the edits made to the sentence “The new BTX-A preparation…”) We propose that a split-body electrophysiological protocol will be useful in establishing the comparative effectiveness of new BTX products.