bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
an Exhibit/an Aesthetic: Richard Hamilton and Postwar Exhibition Design
Authors: Lotery Kevin
Published: December 2014

The story, as Richard Hamilton told it years later, begins with something of an insult. Upon viewing Hamilton's 1955 exhibition Man, Machine, and Motion, Victor Pasmore, the Constructivist sculptor and Hamilton's then-colleague at King's College in Newcast le, delivered a snide quasi-compliment, dismissing the iconographical content (and main attraction) of the project only to praise the mere apparatus of exhibiting—the bracket and framing system that Hamilton had invented to exhibit his imposing photographic enlargements of men and their technical prostheses. “It would have been very good,” Pasmore is purport-ed to have said, “if it hadn't been for all those photographs.”2But clearly the exhibition intrigued Pasmore, who would approach Hamilton later in the hope of collaborating with the younger artist. Hamilton recalls:

Remembering his comment on Man, Machine and Motion I proposed that we might make a show which would be its own justification: no theme, no subject, not a display of things or ideas—pure abstract exhibition.3
2DVD Data Revisited: Multifractal Insights into Cuts of the Spatiotemporal Rainfall Process
Authors: Gires Auguste , Tchiguirinskaia Ioulia , Schertzer Daniel , Berne Alexis
Published: December 2014

Data collected during four heavy rainfall events that occurred in Ardèche (France) with the help of a 2D video disdrometer (2DVD) are used to investigate the structure of the raindrop distribution in both space and time. A first type of analysis is based on the reconstruction of 36-m-height vertical rainfall columns above the measuring device. This reconstruction is obtained with the help of a ballistic hypothesis applied to 1-ms time step series. The corresponding snapshots are analyzed with the help of universal multifractals. For comparison, a similar analysis is performed on the time series with 1-ms time steps, as well as on time series of accumulation maps of N consecutive recorded drops (therefore with variable time steps). It turns out that the drop distribution exhibits a good scaling behavior in the range 0.5–36 m during the heaviest portion of the events, confirming the lack of empirical evidence of the widely used homogenous assumption for drop distribution. For smaller scales, drop positions seem to be homogeneously distributed. The notion of multifractal singularity is well illustrated by the very high-resolution time series.
Should Drivers Be Operating Within an Automation-Free Bandwidth? Evaluating Haptic Steering Support Systems With Different Levels of Authority
Authors: Petermeijer Sebastiaan M. , Abbink David A. , de Winter Joost C. F.
Published: December 2014

Objective:

The aim of this study was to compare continuous versus bandwidth haptic steering guidance in terms of lane-keeping behavior, aftereffects, and satisfaction.

Background:

An important human factors question is whether operators should be supported continuously or only when tolerance limits are exceeded. We aimed to clarify this issue for haptic steering guidance by investigating costs and benefits of both approaches in a driving simulator.

Methods:

Thirty-two participants drove five trials, each with a different level of haptic support: no guidance (Manual); guidance outside a 0.5-m bandwidth (Band1); a hysteresis version of Band1, which guided back to the lane center once triggered (Band2); continuous guidance (Cont); and Cont with double feedback gain (ContS). Participants performed a reaction time task while driving. Toward the end of each trial, the guidance was unexpectedly disabled to investigate aftereffects.

Results:

All four guidance systems prevented large lateral errors (>0.7 m). Cont and especially ContS yielded smaller lateral errors and higher time to line crossing than Manual, Band1, and Band2. Cont and ContS yielded short-lasting aftereffects, whereas Band1 and Band2 did not. Cont yielded higher self-reported satisfaction and faster reaction times than Band1.

Conclusions:

Continuous and bandwidth guidance both prevent large driver errors. Continuous guidance yields improved performance and satisfaction over bandwidth guidance at the cost of aftereffects and variability in driver torque (indicating human–automation conflicts).

Application:

The presented results are useful for designers of haptic guidance systems and support critical thinking about the costs and benefits of automation support systems.
Phonological Encoding in Mandarin Chinese: Evidence from Tongue Twisters
Authors: Kember Heather , Croot Karen , Patrick Ellis
Published: December 2014

Models of connected speech production in Mandarin Chinese must specify how lexical tone, speech segments, and phrase-level prosody are integrated in speech production. This study used tongue twisters to test predictions of the two different models of word form encoding. Tongue twisters were constructed from 5 sets of characters that rotated pairs of initial segments or pairs of tones, or both, across format (ABAB, ABBA), and across position of the characters in four-character tongue twister strings. Fifty two native Mandarin Chinese speakers read aloud 120 tongue twisters, repeating each one six times in a row. They made a total of 3503 (2.34%) segment errors and 1372 (.92%) tone errors. Segment errors occurred on the onsets of the first and third characters in the ABBA but not ABAB segment-alternating tongue twisters, and on the onsets of the second and fourth characters of the tone-alternating tongue twisters. Tone errors were highest on the third and fourth characters in the tone-alternating tongue twisters. The pattern of tone errors is consistent with the claim that tone is associated to a metrical frame prior to segment encoding, while the format by position interaction found for the segment-alternating tongue twisters suggest articulatory gestures oscillate in segment production as proposed by gestural phonology.
‘Le spectateur engagé’: French war correspondents’ conceptions of detachment and commitment
Authors: Boudana Sandrine
Published: December 2014

Studies that measure journalists’ detachment from the object of their investigation generally predefine ‘detachment’ as professionalism. This is challengeable when it comes to French journalism, which is rooted in political and literary traditions, especially in fields such as war correspondence. Interviews with 13 French war correspondents help us grasp their own conceptions of detachment/commitment. The study shows that this crucial issue refers to the journalists’ self-perceptions of their own role and place in society. Three roles appear to be close to the journalistic profession: the righter of wrongs, the storyteller and the educator. The first part of the paper examines the degree of involvement implied by each of these roles. The second part analyses the journalists’ place in society defined in terms of distance from other actors: whereas political detachment is endorsed as a professional attitude, emotional involvement is considered unavoidable and sometimes mandatory. The paper examines the difficulties posed by these conceptions.
Methods for Evaluating Composite Reliability, Classification Consistency, and Classification Accuracy for Mixed-Format Licensure Tests
Authors: Moses Tim , Kim Sooyeon
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to propose extensions of reliability estimation methods that could be used to determine the conditions under which single scoring for constructed-response ( CR) items is as effective as double scoring in mixed-format licensure tests. Multivariate generalizability theory methods traditionally used to estimate overall composite score reliability were extended with simulations so that classification consistency and classification accuracy estimates could also be obtained. Composite score reliabilities, classification consistencies, and accuracies were estimated based on the double and single scoring of the CR items of three licensure tests. Composite score reliabilities, classification consistencies, and accuracies were also estimated in decision studies considering varied testing situations such as different numbers of CR items and different CR section weights.
The Adults and Older Adults Functional Assessment Inventory
Authors: Sousa Liliana B. , Prieto Gerardo , Vilar Manuela , Firmino Horácio , Simões Mário R.
Published: December 2014

Functional assessment methods are an important element in multidimensional neuropsychological evaluations, particularly in older adults. The Adults and Older Adults Functional Assessment Inventory is a new measure of basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Rasch model analyses were used to analyze the psychometric characteristics of the instrument in a sample of 803 participants. The original categories did not provide an optimal assessment of functional incapacity. The scale was dichotomized to achieve a better reliability score and item fit. The final 50 items revealed a moderately high variability in item difficulty, acceptable fits to items and persons, and a good Person Separation Reliability score. The scores were able to discriminate between normal controls and clinical patients. None of the items showed Differential Item Functioning associated with age, gender, or education. The instrument is able to achieve measures of functional incapacity with the useful properties of the Rasch model.
Meeting the expectations of your heritage culture
Authors: Ferenczi Nelli , Marshall Tara C.
Published: December 2014

Do insecurely attached individuals perceive greater rejection from their heritage culture? Few studies have examined the antecedents and outcomes of this perceived rejection – termed intragroup marginalization – in spite of its implications for the adjustment of cultural migrants to the mainstream culture. This study investigated whether anxious and avoidant attachment orientations among cultural migrants were associated with greater intragroup marginalization and, in turn, with lower subjective well-being and flourishing and higher acculturative stress. Anxious attachment was associated with heightened intragroup marginalization from friends and, in turn, with increased acculturative stress; anxious attachment was also associated with increased intragroup marginalization from family. Avoidant attachment was linked with increased intragroup marginalization from family and, in turn, with decreased subjective well-being.
Burnout: Evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of TARGET 1® for professional fatigue syndrome (burnout)
Authors: Jacquet Alain , Grolleau Adeline , Jove Jérémy , Lassalle Régis , Moore Nicholas
Published: December 2014

Objective

To study the effect of a dietary supplement (TARGET 1®: a combination of casozepine, taurine, Eleutherococcus senticosus and extramel) on burnout symptomatology.

Methods

A 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in workers engaged in professional contact with patients, students or clients. All were affected by burnout syndrome based on a score of ≥4 on the Burnout Measure Scale (BMS-10). The primary outcome measure was the change in the BMS-10 score; secondary outcome measures included the change in the Maslach’s Burnout Inventory scale-Human Service Survey (MBI-HSS) score and the Beck Depression Inventory. Five scores were evaluated.

Results

Eighty-seven participants were enrolled in the study: 44 received the active formulation (verum group); 43 received placebo. After 12 weeks’ supplementation, the placebo group showed significant improvements in scores for BMS-10, MBI-HSS fatigue and the Beck Depression Inventory, but MBI-HSS depersonalization and task management were not improved; the verum group showed significant improvements in all five scores. The verum group consistently showed significantly greater improvements in scores than the placebo group.

Conclusions

TARGET 1® significantly improved the symptoms of burnout after 12 weeks’ use.
Criminalising the Other: challenging the race-gang nexus
Authors: Williams Patrick
Published: December 2014

Whilst criminologists, sociologists and policy-makers fuel a perennial debate over the existential value of the ‘gang’,1 the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in England and Wales creeps further into the lives of marginalised and excluded young Black men who have been identified as ‘gang-involved’, a ‘gang-concern’ or ‘associated’ with a gang. Drawing on research commissioned by two North West (English) Local Authority Crime Reduction Partnerships, this article offers a unique insight into the problematic way that the term ‘gang’ is being appropriated and used by criminal justice agencies. The findings suggest that the ‘gang’ label legitimises the over-policing of Black people and communities and acts as an inhibitor to the reconciliation of other, more acute, socio-economic problems endured within Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. Inspired by the paper ‘White sociology, black struggle’,2 this article is concerned with the problematising effects and the enduring features of the gang construct as a ‘signifier’ for Black men. More contentiously, it highlights the contribution of criminology to the Othering of young Black men, to show that the contemporary position of young Black men as significantly overrepresented and differentially treated within the CJS reflects a continuity with the idea of the ‘Black folk devil’ inherent within a burgeoning body of ‘uncritical’ criminology.
German policing at the intersection: race, gender, migrant status and mental health
Authors: Bruce-Jones Eddie
Published: December 2014

Germany not only avoids using the term ‘race’, but its institutions, such as the police, refrain from collecting statistics according to race, gender, ethnicity and so on, which makes it hard to prove that police actions, and particularly violence, differentially affect non-white Germans. Examining a series of controversial cases in which non-white Germans have been killed in encounters with the police, the author argues for an understanding of how race and other identities intersect, and shows how the police mount a dubious ‘cultural defence’ – based on their perceived fears – to justify their disproportionate use of force. Deaths in custody provide a lens through which to view the need in Germany to identify and accept the presence of patterns of institutional racism.
Return to Bosnia
Authors: Pelz Peter
Published: December 2014

The author, who directs Soul of Europe, a mediation project working in the Balkans for the last fifteen years, assesses the changes that have taken place in Bosnia – ‘a broken country’. He contrasts the thoughtful creative work of community-based people’s plenums with the crushing uncaring bureaucracy of international agencies, particularly via the EU – the latest imperial power. It is, he argues, the clarity and practicality of the plenum movement’s demands in dealing with corruption and the need for justice that puts it in the political vanguard.
Internet Administration of the Paper-and-Pencil Gifted Rating Scale
Authors: Yarnell Jordy B. , Pfeiffer Steven I.
Published: December 2014

The present study examined the psychometric equivalence of administering a computer-based version of the Gifted Rating Scale (GRS) compared with the traditional paper-and-pencil GRS-School Form (GRS-S). The GRS-S is a teacher-completed rating scale used in gifted assessment. The GRS-Electronic Form provides an alternative method of administering and completing the 72-item scale, which eases scoring and interpretation of the measure. The GRS-E reduces the potential for human error by implementing automated scoring. An automated form may increase the likelihood that the measure is utilized, supporting wider screening in the schools for gifted identification. Five of the six subscales were completed by teachers in matched pairs on 185 students. Results indicate strong internal consistency across both administration forms and no significant difference in mean scores. This study contributes to the growing body of literature in support of the psychometric equivalence of paper-and-pencil report forms administered in a computer-based environment.
Are Inner-City Neighborhoods Underserved? An Empirical Analysis of Food Markets in a U.S. Metropolitan Area
Authors: Diao Mi
Published: December 2014

Food accessibility in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods has caused increasing concern because of its potential impacts on public health and neighborhood development. This article proposes a new approach to test whether and to what extent inner-city neighborhoods are “underserved” in food markets controlling for multiple factors that may influence food supply levels. An improved measure of market potential is developed. Using the Boston metropolitan area as an example, we demonstrate that inner-city tracts have significantly lower levels of food store sales than non-inner-city tracts. The research helps to sort out the impact of multiple factors on food environment and contributes to more informed policy design to improve food access and revitalize inner-city neighborhoods.
Practitioners Theorize, Too
Authors: Whittemore Andrew H.
Published: December 2014

Many scholars have voiced frustration with planning theory’s marginalization. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate the relevance of theory to practice by exploring what practitioners have theorized. It reviews the development of procedural theories of city planning from 1959 until 1983, and juxtaposes this review with a survey of theory-articulating literature in U.S. trade journals. The article concludes that practitioners value theorizing, that practitioners’ theories mirror academics’ theories, and that practitioners maintained diverse theories of planning rather than pursuing a single theory of planning. These findings can remind the reader of how planning theory speaks to professional experience.
Measuring Voice in Poetry Written by Second Language Learners
Authors: Hanauer David I.
Published: December 2014

There is increasing usage of creative writing in the ESL/EFL classroom based on the argument that this pedagogy develops writer’s voice, emotional engagement, and ownership. Within the context of teaching poetry writing to second language learners, the current article develops a scientific approach to ways in which voice can be measured and then empirically explores the claim that voice is present within poetry written by second language learners. The study explored this question: Do second language poetry writers have a discernable voice in their written poetry? This issue was investigated in two different ways: (a) utilizing human reader ratings of the likelihood that two poems were written by the same poet and (b) using computational linguistic methodology to explore systematic differences in specific linguistic features in poetry written by second language poets. The data presented here show that poetry written by the same L2 writer is more readily recognized as such and that relevant linguistic items have patterns of frequency of usage that are different for different poets. Together the two studies provide a compelling case that voice is measureable and present in the poetry written by second language learners.
Co-treatment of chlorpyrifos and lead induce serum lipid disorders in rats
Authors: Akande Motunrayo G , Aliu Yusuf O , Ambali Suleiman F , Ayo Joseph O
Published: December 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of taurine (TA) on serum lipid profiles following chronic coadministration of chlorpyrifos (CP) and lead acetate (Pb) in male Wistar rats. Fifty rats randomly distributed into five groups served as subjects. Distilled water (DW) was given to DW group, while soya oil (SO; 1 mL kg−1) was given to SO group. The TA group was treated with TA (50 mg kg−1). The CP + Pb group was administered sequentially with CP (4.25 mg kg−1; 1/20th median lethal dose (LD50)) and Pb at 233.25 mg kg−1 (1/20th LD50), while the TA + CP + Pb group received TA (50 mg kg−1), CP (4.25 mg kg−1), and Pb (233.25 mg kg−1) sequentially. The treatments were administered once daily by oral gavage for 16 weeks. The rats were euthanised, and the blood samples were collected at the termination of the study. Sera obtained from the blood samples were analyzed for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and malondialdehyde, and also the activities of serum antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were analyzed. The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and atherogenic index were calculated. The results showed that CP and Pb induced alterations in the serum lipid profiles and evoked oxidative stress. TA alleviated the disruptions in the serum lipid profiles of the rats partially by mitigating oxidative stress. It was concluded that TA may be used for prophylaxis against serum lipid disorders in animals that were constantly co-exposed to CP and Pb in the environment.
Timing of Examinations Affects School Performance Differently in Early and Late Chronotypes
Authors: van der Vinne Vincent , Zerbini Giulia , Siersema Anne , Pieper Amy , Merrow Martha , Hut Roelof A. , Roenneberg Till , Kantermann Thomas
Published: December 2014

Circadian clocks of adolescents typically run late—including sleep times—yet adolescents generally are expected at school early in the morning. Due to this mismatch between internal (circadian) and external (social) times, adolescents suffer from chronic sleep deficiency, which, in turn, affects academic performance negatively. This constellation affects students’ future career prospects. Our study correlates chronotype and examination performance. In total, 4734 grades were collected from 741 Dutch high school students (ages 11-18 years) who had completed the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire to estimate their internal time. Overall, the lowest grades were obtained by students who were very late chronotypes (MSFsc > 5.31 h) or slept very short on schooldays (SDw < 7.03 h). The effect of chronotype on examination performance depended on the time of day that examinations were taken. Opposed to late types, early chronotypes obtained significantly higher grades during the early (0815-0945 h) and late (1000-1215 h) morning. This group difference in grades disappeared in the early afternoon (1245-1500 h). Late types also obtained lower grades than early types when tested at the same internal time (hours after MSFsc), which may reflect general attention and learning disadvantages of late chronotypes during the early morning. Our results support delaying high school starting times as well as scheduling examinations in the early afternoon to avoid discrimination of late chronotypes and to give all high school students equal academic opportunities.
Intimate Partner Violence Between Male Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and Their Female Partners Who Seek Couples Therapy
Authors: Tharp Andra Teten , Sherman Michelle D. , Bowling Ursula , Townsend Bradford J.
Published: December 2014

The current study has three aims: (1) to describe the frequency, gender differences, and agreement in couples’ reports of male-to-female and female-to-male intimate partner violence (IPV) reported by male veterans and their female partners who were seeking couples therapy; (2) to describe the pattern of violence reported by these couples (e.g., one-sided, mutual) and determine if frequency of violence varied based on patterns; and (3) to examine whether frequency of violence or pattern of violence were associated with veteran diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One hundred heterosexual couples (male Iraq/Afghanistan veteran, female civilian) seeking couples therapy at a Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic completed self-report measures of violence in their relationship. Almost all couples reported verbal aggression. Men reported perpetrating more frequent sexual coercion, and women reported perpetrating more frequent physical aggression. Correspondence in partners’ reports of violence varied based on type of violence from high correspondence on verbal aggression to low correspondence on sexual coercion. Three patterns of violence were identified: verbally aggressive ( n = 45), one-sided physically aggressive ( n = 27), and mutually physically aggressive ( n = 26). Mutually physically aggressive couples generally reported the most frequent violence. Frequency and pattern of violence were not associated with veteran diagnosis of PTSD. Findings underscore the need for clinicians to assess both partners for violence perpetration and the need for effective prevention strategies and treatments for IPV among veterans.
Longitudinal Relationships of Social Reactions, PTSD, and Revictimization in Sexual Assault Survivors
Authors: Ullman Sarah E. , Peter-Hagene Liana C.
Published: December 2014

Sexual assault survivors receive various positive and negative social reactions to assault disclosures, yet little is known about the directionality of associations of social reactions to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms over time. Data from a large, diverse sample of women who had experienced adult sexual assault was analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine how negative and positive reactions relate to PTSD symptoms over 3 years and to test the hypothesis that the relationship between negative social reactions and PTSD symptoms is reciprocal. We found that, as predicted, social reactions predicted subsequent PTSD symptoms, and in turn PTSD symptoms predicted subsequent social reactions. We also investigated the role of sexual revictimization by comparing women who suffered (vs. not) additional sexual victimization during the course of our study. Revictimized women had greater PTSD symptoms and more negative social reactions, but associations of social reactions with PTSD symptoms did not vary according to revictimization status. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.
The Effect of Attorney Type on Bail Decisions
Authors: Williams Marian R.
Published: December 2014

The U.S. Supreme Court has indicated that defendants are entitled to effective assistance of counsel. Despite this, many research studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that defense counsel, particularly appointed counsel, struggles to provide effective assistance, especially with regard to case outcomes. These studies suggest that having appointed counsel negatively affects case outcomes, such as conviction and sentencing, in that those with appointed counsel are more likely to be convicted and/or sentenced to longer incarceration terms. Previous research has largely ignored earlier stages of a case and the effect of type of counsel on these earlier case outcomes. The current study examines the effect of counsel—public defender versus retained—on bail decisions in Florida. Previous research has indicated that bail decisions have an effect on the outcome of a case, so the importance of bail decisions cannot be overlooked.
The Gender Binary Meets the Gender-Variant Child
Authors: Rahilly Elizabeth P.
Published: December 2014

Until recently, raising a young child as transgender was culturally unintelligible. Most scholarship on transgender identity refers to adults’ experiences and perspectives. Now, the increasing visibility of gender-variant children, as they are identified by the parents who raise them, presents new opportunities to examine how individuals confront the gender binary and imagine more gender-inclusive possibilities. Drawing on Foucault’s notion of “truth regime” to conceptualize the regulatory forces of the gender binary in everyday life, this work examines the strategies of 24 such parents, who represent 16 cases of childhood gender variance. Specifically, I analyze three practices—“gender hedging,” “gender literacy,” and “playing along”—through which these parents develop a critical consciousness about gender binary ideology and work to accommodate their children’s nonconformity in diverse discursive interactions. Taken together, their newfound strategies and perspectives subvert traditional conceptions of “gender-neutral” or “feminist” parenting, and reveal new modes of resistance to the normative transmission and regulation of gender practices.
Is Capital a Thing? Remarks on Piketty’s Concept of Capital
Authors: Lotz Christian
Published: December 2014

The thesis of my remarks is that Piketty’s overall position understands capital as something that exists within society, whereas I submit (on the grounds of Marx’s theory of society) that capital is the main category that determines the existence of capitalist society. Put differently, capital in the form of valorized labor determines the specific social form of capitalist society. Whereas Piketty’s position is built upon a positivistic concept of capital, I argue that capital is not ‘some-thing’; rather, capital is the central category of capitalist social reproduction. Capital, in other words, must describe the functioning of a social totality as a whole and cannot be related to a single aspect of it. Accordingly, though the focus on inequality is important, it tends to hide the real social organization of capitalist society.
Solution space reduction of disassembly sequences generated automatically via computer aids
Authors: Issaoui Louisa , Aifaoui Nizar , Benamara Abdelmajid
Published: December 2014

To develop a simulation tool for automatic disassembly in computer aid design (CAD) environment two difficulties are found: the huge space of generated sequences and their feasibility especially in combinatory generation. This article deals with automatic sequence generation for selective disassembly of mechanical product. Starting from a CAD model a new appropriate connection tree of a target component is constructed. This tree aims at reducing space solution by eliminatory rules. The generation of sequence is based on reading of connection tree branches and eliminatory tests of feasibility. The feasibility is checked by updating the disassembly mobility of each sequence’s element. A case study is presented to prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Axial stiffness of a rotating trunnion joint
Authors: Feng Sheng , Geng Haipeng , Zhang Bo , Yang Lihua , Yu Lie
Published: December 2014

A trunnion joint is modeled as a circular plate with two types of outer boundary conditions. One is clamped supported and the other is simply supported. Symmetrical bending deflection is produced when an external force acts on the inner side of the circular plate. The governing equations of the circular plate with these two kinds of boundary conditions are solved by using finite difference method, and the axial stiffness of the circular plate is obtained according to the relationship between the external force and the bending deflection of the circular plate. In order to verify the accuracy of the finite difference method, a finite element method was also given. The effects of rotational speed and the ratio of inner radius to outer radius of the circular plate on the axial stiffness are studied. It is shown that the rotational speed can significantly affect the axial stiffness of the trunnion joint for these two cases, especially for a lower ratio of inner radius to outer radius of the circular plate. The axial stiffness increases monotonically with the increase in rotational speed. More specifically, for a lower ratio of inner radius to outer radius of the circular plate, the axial stiffness with the simply supported boundary condition at high rotational speed is more than twice as much as the case without considering the rotational speed. Correspondingly, it is more than one and a half times for the clamped supported boundary condition.
Development of a probabilistic buckling analysis scheme for continuous welded rail track
Authors: Bae Hyun-Ung , Choi Jin-Yu , Moon Jiho , Lim Nam-Hyoung
Published: December 2014

Continuous welded rail (CWR) track has several advantages when compared with conventional jointed rail track. However, a thermally induced axial load can lead to the buckling of CWR tracks, which can result in train derailment. The buckling of CWR tracks is affected by several parameters, including the rail’s neutral temperature, misalignment of the rails and ballast resistance. Most of these parameters can be considered as random variables. A deterministic analysis approach is generally used to predict the buckling of CWR tracks; however, it can provide conservative results since it is based on the worst-case scenario of these buckling parameters. This paper presents a probabilistic buckling analysis scheme for CWR tracks.
Why High-Poverty Neighborhoods Persist
Authors: Pendall Rolf , Theodos Brett , Hildner Kaitlin
Published: December 2014

Why do we see persistence, recurrence, and new emergence of concentrated poverty in U.S. cities? In this article, we explore an understudied connection: whether an important part of the built environment—a series of attributes that constitute precarious housing—constitutes a durable substrate on which concentrated poverty predictably emerges and recurs and if so, how this might vary across the United States. Poverty grew fastest between 2000 and 2005–2009 in tracts that began the decade with high levels of rented one- to four-family housing, multifamily housing, housing between 20 and 25 years old, and households paying over 30% of their income for housing costs. In addition, poverty grew fastest in tracts with high percentages of black or Hispanic households in 2000.
A case of rectal adenocarcinoma presented with palatine tonsil metastasis
Authors: Tonyali Onder , Sumbul Ahmet Taner , Ozturk Mehmet Akif , Koyuncuer Ali , Ekiz Fuat
Published: December 2014

The most common metastatic sites of colorectal cancer are liver, lung, peritoneum and lymph nodes. Metastasis of colorectal carcinoma to palatine tonsil is rarely seen. To our knowledge, only 11 patients were documented in English literature. Atypical metastases can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis. Precise diagnosis of atypical metastases requires a careful physical examination, good imaging method and comprehensive pathological evaluation. Here, we report a case of rectal adenocarcinoma presented with palatine tonsil metastasis.
Producing patient–avatar identification in animation video information on spinal anesthesia by different narrative strategies
Authors: Høybye Mette Terp , Vesterby Martin , Jørgensen Lene Bastrup
Published: December 2014

Visual approaches to health information reduce complexity and may bridge challenges in health literacy. But the mechanisms and meanings of using animated video in communication with patients undergoing surgery are not well described. By comparing two versions of a two-dimensional animated video on spinal anesthesia, this study tested the patient–avatar identification within two different narrative models. To explore the perspectives of total hip arthroplasty, we employed qualitative methods of interviews and ethnographic observation. The animated presentation of the spinal anesthesia procedure was immediately recognized by all participants as reflecting their experience of the procedure independent of the narrative form. The avatar gender did not affect this identification. We found no preference for either narrative form. This study supports the potential of animation video in health informatics as a didactic model for qualifying patient behavior. Animation video creates a high degree of identification that may work to reduce pre-surgical anxiety.
A Stereological Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Cartilage Repair Tissue
Authors: Foldager Casper Bindzus , Nyengaard Jens Randel , Lind Martin , Spector Myron
Published: December 2014

Objective

To implement stereological principles to develop an easy applicable algorithm for unbiased and quantitative evaluation of cartilage repair.

Design

Design-unbiased sampling was performed by systematically sectioning the defect perpendicular to the joint surface in parallel planes providing 7 to 10 hematoxylin–eosin stained histological sections. Counting windows were systematically selected and converted into image files (40-50 per defect). The quantification was performed by two-step point counting: (1) calculation of defect volume and (2) quantitative analysis of tissue composition. Step 2 was performed by assigning each point to one of the following categories based on validated and easy distinguishable morphological characteristics: (1) hyaline cartilage (rounded cells in lacunae in hyaline matrix), (2) fibrocartilage (rounded cells in lacunae in fibrous matrix), (3) fibrous tissue (elongated cells in fibrous tissue), (4) bone, (5) scaffold material, and (6) others. The ability to discriminate between the tissue types was determined using conventional or polarized light microscopy, and the interobserver variability was evaluated.

Results

We describe the application of the stereological method. In the example, we assessed the defect repair tissue volume to be 4.4 mm3 (CE = 0.01). The tissue fractions were subsequently evaluated. Polarized light illumination of the slides improved discrimination between hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage and increased the interobserver agreement compared with conventional transmitted light.

Conclusion

We have applied a design-unbiased method for quantitative evaluation of cartilage repair, and we propose this algorithm as a natural supplement to existing descriptive semiquantitative scoring systems. We also propose that polarized light is effective for discrimination between hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage.
Influence of angiotensin II receptor blocker combination tablet prescription on drug number and cost
Authors: Teramachi Hitomi , Takahashi Tatsuya , Tachi Tomoya , Noguchi Yoshihiro , Nagasawa Hiroyuki , Ino Yoko , Mizui Takashi , Goto Chitoshi , Tsuchiya Teruo
Published: December 2014

Objectives:

Combination therapy using an angiotensin II receptor blocker is expected to promote medication adherence and alleviate economic burden among patients by reducing the number of drugs taken, and thereby to lower associated medical costs. In the present retrospective study, we conducted a survey on the use of angiotensin II receptor blocker–containing combination tablets as anti-hypertensive drugs, in particular angiotensin II receptor blocker/diuretic and angiotensin II receptor blocker/calcium channel blocker combinations, in order to investigate the number of prescribed drugs and drug cost.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective study of patients who visited the outpatient clinic of GifuMunicipalHospital and received anti-hypertensive agents between June 2006 and December 2011.

Results:

No reductions in the number of prescribed drugs or drug cost were seen following a change in prescription to an angiotensin II receptor blocker/diuretic. Patients receiving an angiotensin II receptor blocker/calcium channel blocker had a significant reduction in the number of prescribed drugs and a slight decrease in drug cost.

Conclusion:

In this study, a reduction in the number of prescribed drugs and a decrease in economic burden were not observed after prescription of angiotensin II receptor blocker–containing combination tablets. In order to assess the usefulness of angiotensin II receptor blocker combination tablets, further studies are necessary to investigate their hypotensive effects, safety profile, and other factors.
Self-efficacy and arthritis disability: An updated synthesis of the evidence base and its relevance to optimal patient care
Authors: Marks Ray
Published: December 2014

Self-efficacy, denoting the degree of confidence an individual has in carrying out a specific activity, was initially discussed in the 1970s as a potential correlate of disease outcomes. Drawn from 35 years of related research, this review provides an updated understanding of the concept of self-efficacy and its relevance for arthritis management. There is a consistent link between self-efficacy, arthritis pain and disability, and adherence to recommended therapeutic strategies. A wide variety of intervention strategies improve arthritis self-efficacy, as well as outcomes. Steps to assess and intervene thoughtfully to maximize self-efficacy beliefs are likely to impact arthritis disability outcomes quite favorably and significantly, regardless of disease type, duration, or sociodemographic factors.
Expression of executioner procaspases and their activation by a procaspase-activating compound in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells
Authors: Patel Viralkumar , Balakrishnan Kumudha , Keating Michael J. , Wierda William G. , Gandhi Varsha
Published: December 2014

Key Points

Pharmacologic activation of executioner procaspases by B-PAC-1 in CLL bypasses antiapoptotic mechanisms and induces apoptosis. B-PAC-1 activates apoptosis by abrogating the zinc ion-dependent inhibition of executioner procaspase activation.
Identification of CD34+ and CD34− leukemia-initiating cells in MLL-rearranged human acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Aoki Yuki , Watanabe Takashi , Saito Yoriko , Kuroki Yoko , Hijikata Atsushi , Takagi Masatoshi , Tomizawa Daisuke , Eguchi Mariko , Eguchi-Ishimae Minenori , Kaneko Akiko , Ono Rintaro , Sato Kaori , Suzuki Nahoko , Fujiki Saera , Koh Katsuyoshi , Ishii Eiichi , Shultz Leonard D. , Ohara Osamu , Mizutani Shuki , Ishikawa Fumihiko
Published: December 2014

Key Points

Using an in vivo model for primary MLL-rearranged infant ALL, we identified phenotypically and functionally distinct LICs and HSCs. In MLL ALL patient samples, molecules differentially expressed between LICs and HSCs including CD9, CD32, and CD24 were identified.
Increased IgA production by B-cells in COPDvialung epithelial interleukin-6 and TACI pathways
Authors: Ladjemi Maha Zohra , Lecocq Marylène , Weynand Birgit , Bowen Holly , Gould Hannah J. , Van Snick Jacques , Detry Bruno , Pilette Charles
Published: December 2014

Despite their relevance to mucosal defense, production of IgA and the function of lung B-cells remain unknown in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

We assessed IgA synthesis in the lungs of COPD (n=28) and control (n=21) patients, and regulation of B-cells co-cultured within vitro-reconstituted airway epithelium.

In COPD lung tissue, synthesis of IgA1 was increased, which led to its accumulation in subepithelial areas.In vitro, the COPD bronchial epithelium imprinted normal human B-cells for increased production of IgA (mainly IgA1) and maturation into CD38+plasma cells. These effects were associated with upregulation of TACI (transmembrane activator and CAML interactor) and were observed under resting conditions, while being partly inhibited upon stimulation with cigarette smoke extract. Interleukin (IL)-6 and BAFF (B-cell activating factor)/APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) were upregulated in the COPD epithelium and lung tissue, respectively; the IgA-promoting effect of the COPD bronchial epithelium was inhibited by targeting IL-6 and, to a lower extent, by blocking TACI.

These data show that in COPD, the bronchial epithelium imprints B-cells with signals promoting maturation into IgA-producing plasma cells through the action of two epithelial/B-cell axes, namely the IL-6/IL-6 receptor and BAFF-APRIL/TACI pathways, while cigarette smoke partly counteracts this IgA-promoting effect.
Diagnostic utility and accuracy of rapid on-site evaluation of bronchoscopic brushings
Authors: Steinfort Daniel P. , Leong Tracy L. , Laska Irena F. , Beaty Anne , Tsui Alpha , Irving Louis B.
Published: December 2014

The aim of the study was to determine the accuracy of rapid on-site examinations, performed on transbronchial brushings of peripheral pulmonary lesions, in determining final bronchoscopic diagnosis. In addition to determining if rapid on-site examination impacts procedural outcomes.

A prospective cohort study of consecutive patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions, which had been located by radial endobronchial ultrasound, was undertaken. Bronchoscopy was terminated if rapid on-site examination demonstrated diagnostic malignant material. Non-diagnostic rapid on-site examination resulted in further bronchoscopic sampling, including transbronchial lung biopsy and/or sampling from different locations.

128 peripheral pulmonary lesions were located by endobronchial ultrasound in 118 patients. The final bronchoscopic diagnoses included nonsmall cell lung cancer (n=76), carcinoid (n=3), and metastatic malignancy (n=3). Procedure times were significantly shorter for procedures when rapid on-site examinations demonstrated malignancy compared to those where rapid on-site examination was non-diagnostic (19±8 minversus31±11 min, respectively; p<0.0001). In four procedures, initial negative rapid on-site examination results prompted redirection of sampling from alternate bronchial segments, resulting in positive diagnostic tissue being obtained. Positive and negative predictive value of rapid on-site examination for a malignant bronchoscopic diagnosis was 63 (97%) out of 65, and 43 (68%) out of 63, respectively.

Rapid on-site examination of brushing specimens has a very high, positive, predictive value for bronchoscopic diagnosis of cancer and shortens the bronchoscopy procedure times. It has the potential to reduce complications, improve cost-effectiveness, and may improve diagnostic performancevialive feedback.
Use of forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second quality criteria for determining a valid test
Authors: Hankinson John L. , Eschenbacher Bill , Townsend Mary , Stocks Janet , Quanjer Philip H.
Published: December 2014

The 2005 American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) spirometry guidelines define valid tests as having three acceptable blows and a repeatable forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). The aim of this study was to determine how reviewer and computer-determined ATS/ERS quality could affect population reference values for FVC and FEV1.

Spirometry results from 7777 normal subjects aged 8–80 years (NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) III) were assigned quality grades A to F for FVC and FEV1 by a computer and one reviewer (reviewer 1). Results from a subgroup of 1466 Caucasian adults (aged 19–80 years) were reviewed by two additional reviewers. Mean deviations from NHANES III predicted for FVC and FEV1 were examined by quality grade (A to F).

Reviewer 1 rejected (D and F grade) 5.2% of the 7777 test sessions and the computer rejected ∼16%, primarily due to end-of-test (EOT) failures. Within the subgroup, the computer rejected 11.5% of the results and the three reviewers rejected 3.7–5.9%. Average FEV1 and FVC were minimally influenced by grades A to C allocated by reviewer 1.

Quality assessment of individual blows including EOT assessments should primarily be used as an aid to good quality during testing rather than for subsequently disregarding data. Reconsideration of EOT criteria and its application, and improved grading standards and training in over-reading are required. Present EOT criteria results in the exclusion of too many subjects while having minimal impact on predicted values.