bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Workplace Wellness Recognition for Optimizing Workplace Health
Authors: Fonarow Gregg C. , Calitz Chris , Arena Ross , Baase Catherine , Isaac Fikry W. , Lloyd-Jones Donald , Peterson Eric D. , Pronk Nico , Sanchez Eduardo , Terry Paul E. , Volpp Kevin G. , Antman Elliott M.
Published: April 2015

The workplace is an important setting for promoting cardiovascular health and cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention in the United States. Well-designed, comprehensive workplace wellness programs have the potential to improve cardiovascular health and to reduce mortality, morbidity, and disability resulting from cardiovascular disease and stroke. Nevertheless, widespread implementation of comprehensive workplace wellness programs is lacking, and program composition and quality vary. Several organizations provide worksite wellness recognition programs; however, there is variation in recognition criteria, and they do not specifically focus on cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention. Although there is limited evidence to suggest that company performance on employer health management scorecards is associated with favorable healthcare cost trends, these data are not currently robust, and further evaluation is needed. As a recognized national leader in evidence-based guidelines, care systems, and quality programs, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is uniquely positioned and committed to promoting the adoption of comprehensive workplace wellness programs, as well as improving program quality and workforce health outcomes. As part of its commitment to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association will promote science-based best practices for comprehensive workplace wellness programs and establish benchmarks for a national workplace wellness recognition program to assist employers in applying the best systems and strategies for optimal programming. The recognition program will integrate identification of a workplace culture of health and achievement of rigorous standards for cardiovascular health based on Life’s Simple 7 metrics. In addition, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association will develop resources that assist employers in meeting these rigorous standards, facilitating access to high-quality comprehensive workplace wellness programs for both employees and dependents, and fostering innovation and additional research.
Characteristics of Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation in Patients With Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices
Authors: Sacher Frederic , Reichlin Tobias , Zado Erica S. , Field Michael E. , Viles-Gonzalez Juan F. , Peichl Petr , Ellenbogen Kenneth A. , Maury Philippe , Dukkipati Srinivas R. , Picard Francois , Kautzner Josef , Barandon Laurent , Koneru Jayanthi N. , Ritter Philippe , Mahida Saagar , Calderon Joachim , Derval Nicolas , Denis Arnaud , Cochet Hubert , Shepard Richard K. , Corre Jerome , Coffey James O. , Garcia Fermin , Hocini Meleze , Tedrow Usha , Haissaguerre Michel , d’Avila Andre , Stevenson William G. , Marchlinski Francis E. , Jais Pierre
Published: April 2015

Background—

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used as a bridge to cardiac transplantation or as destination therapy. Patients with LVADs are at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias. This study describes ventricular arrhythmia characteristics and ablation in patients implanted with a Heart Mate II device.

Methods and Results—

All patients with a Heart Mate II device who underwent ventricular arrhythmia catheter ablation at 9 tertiary centers were included. Thirty-four patients (30 male, age 58±10 years) underwent 39 ablation procedures. The underlying cardiomyopathy pathogenesis was ischemic in 21 and nonischemic in 13 patients with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 17%±5% before LVAD implantation. One hundred and ten ventricular tachycardias (VTs; cycle lengths, 230–740 ms, arrhythmic storm n=28) and 2 ventricular fibrillation triggers were targeted (25 transseptal, 14 retrograde aortic approaches). Nine patients required VT ablation <1 month after LVAD implantation because of intractable VT. Only 10/110 (9%) of the targeted VTs were related to the Heart Mate II cannula. During follow-up, 7 patients were transplanted and 10 died. Of the remaining 17 patients, 13 were arrhythmia-free at 25±15 months. In 1 patient with VT recurrence, change of turbine speed from 9400 to 9000 rpm extinguished VT.

Conclusions—

Catheter ablation of VT among LVAD recipients is feasible and reasonably safe even soon after LVAD implantation. Intrinsic myocardial scar, rather than the apical cannula, seems to be the dominant substrate.
6β-Hydroxytestosterone, a Cytochrome P450 1B1 Metabolite of Testosterone, Contributes to Angiotensin II–Induced Hypertension and Its Pathogenesis in Male Mice
Authors: Pingili Ajeeth K. , Kara Mehmet , Khan Nayaab S. , Estes Anne M. , Lin Zongtao , Li Wei , Gonzalez Frank J. , Malik Kafait U.
Published: April 2015

Previously, we showed that
Cyp1b1
gene disruption minimizes angiotensin II–induced hypertension and associated pathophysiological changes in male mice. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that cytochrome P450 1B1-generated metabolites of testosterone, 6β-hydroxytestosterone and 16α-hydroxytestosterone, contribute to angiotensin II–induced hypertension and its pathogenesis. Angiotensin II infusion for 2 weeks increased cardiac cytochrome P450 1B1 activity and plasma levels of 6β-hydroxytestosterone, but not 16α-hydroxytestosterone, in
Cyp1b1
+/+
mice without altering
Cyp1b1
gene expression; these effects of angiotensin II were not observed in
Cyp1b1
−/−
mice. Angiotensin II–induced increase in systolic blood pressure and associated cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis, measured by intracardiac accumulation of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen, and transforming growth factor-β, and increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity and production of reactive oxygen species; these changes were minimized in
Cyp1b1
−/−
or castrated
Cyp1b1
+/+
mice, and restored by treatment with 6β-hydroxytestoterone. In
Cyp1b1
+/+
mice, 6β-hydroxytestosterone did not alter the angiotensin II–induced increase in systolic blood pressure; the basal systolic blood pressure was also not affected by this agent in either genotype. Angiotensin II or castration did not alter cardiac, angiotensin II type 1 receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme, Mas receptor, or androgen receptor mRNA levels in
Cyp1b1
+/+
or in
Cyp1b1
−/−
mice. These data suggest that the testosterone metabolite, 6β-hydroxytestosterone, contributes to angiotensin II–induced hypertension and associated cardiac pathogenesis in male mice, most probably by acting as a permissive factor. Moreover, cytochrome P450 1B1 could serve as a novel target for developing agents for treating renin–angiotensin and testosterone-dependent hypertension and associated pathogenesis in males.
Racial Differences in Clinical Treatment and Self‐Care Behaviors of Adults With Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Dickson Victoria Vaughan , Knafl George J. , Wald Joyce , Riegel Barbara
Published: April 2015

Background

In the
United States
, the highest prevalence of heart failure (
HF
) is in blacks followed by whites. Compared with whites, blacks have a higher risk of
HF
‐related morbidity and mortality and
HF
‐related hospitalization. Little research has focused on explaining the reasons for these disparities. The purpose of this study was to examine racial differences in demographic and clinical characteristics in blacks and whites with
HF
and to determine if these characteristics influenced treatment, or together with treatment, influenced self‐care behaviors.

Methods and Results

This was a secondary analysis of existing data collected from adults (n=272) with chronic
HF
enrolled from outpatient sites in the northeastern
United States
and followed for 6 months. After adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics within reduced (
HF
r
EF
) and preserved ejection fraction (
HF
p
EF
) groups, there were 2 significant racial differences in clinical treatment. Blacks with
HF
r
EF
were prescribed
ACE
inhibitors and hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate (H‐
ISDN
) more often than whites. In the
HF
p
EF
group, blacks were taking more medications and were prescribed digoxin and a diuretic when symptomatic. Deficits in
HF
knowledge and decreased medication adherence, objectively measured, were more prominent in blacks. These racial differences were not explained by sociodemographic or clinical characteristics or clinical treatment variables. Premorbid intellect and the quality of support received contributed to clinical treatment and self‐care.

Conclusion

Although few differences in clinical treatment could be attributed solely to race, knowledge about
HF
and medication adherence is lower in blacks than whites. Further research is needed to explain these observations, which may be targets for future intervention research.
On the Performance of Different Genetic Programming Approaches for the SORTING Problem
Authors: Wagner Markus , Neumann Frank , Urli Tommaso
Published: April 2015

In genetic programming, the size of a solution is typically not specified in advance, and solutions of larger size may have a larger benefit. The flexibility often comes at the cost of the so-called bloat problem: individuals grow without providing additional benefit to the quality of solutions, and the additional elements can block the optimization process. Consequently, problems that are relatively easy to optimize cannot be handled by variable-length evolutionary algorithms. In this article, we analyze different single- and multiobjective algorithms on the sorting problem, a problem that typically lacks independent and additive fitness structures. We complement the theoretical results with comprehensive experiments to indicate the tightness of existing bounds, and to indicate bounds where theoretical results are missing.
Figures of Silence: The Intrigues of Desire in Merleau-Ponty and Lyotard
Authors: Kristensen Stefan
Published: April 2015

My article examines the role played by the phenomenon of silence both in Merleau- Ponty’s thinking and in Lyotard’s. I show thereby the continuity between the two philosophers in spite of the distance taken by Lyotard towards the phenomenological tradition. The aim of phenomenology to express the pure sense of silent experience is in fact taken up in a peculiar way by Lyotard as the action of desire and can well be used as a key to understand the unity of his thinking. The comparison between Merleau-Ponty and Lyotard also shows that silence is a central topic in order to understand the political dimension of works of art, not as participants in political struggles, but as tools made for the empowerment of our capacity to perceive.
THE TRIPARTITE POLICE COMPLAINTS SYSTEM OF HONG KONG
Authors: Smith Graham
Published: April 2015

Practitioners define the police complaints system of Hong Kong as a two-tier system. In this article, written at the request of the organisers of a 2014 Symposium, the international reform trend and purposes of police complaints systems are briefly outlined before examination of the Hong Kong system. A different conceptualisation is suggested to the one currently preferred by practitioners. It is observed that three organisations – the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Complaints Against Police Office of the Hong Kong Police Force, and the Independent Police Complaints Council – share responsibility for handling complaints against the police. It is proposed that a full and comprehensive audit of the powers, duties and responsibilities of the three organisations that comprise this tripartite system, supported by research on the experiences of complainants, would provide an important evidence base for developing the system.
THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN SOUTH ASIA: LESSONS FROM KAMPALA
Authors: Lecamwasam Menaka
Published: April 2015

Exoduses, chiefly due to uncertain social and political factors, are a recurrent phenomenon in todays’ world and a reality for large numbers of people. Some cross international geo-political borders and avail themselves of the international refugee protection regime. However this is not a luxury enjoyed by all. Most displaced persons, by virtue of remaining within the borders of their own countries or territories are excluded from international protection afforded to refugees. Conflict is one of the most common causes of displacement, especially in South Asia. Conflict effected internal displacement forces the displaced to remain as a minority group within the governance of a regime that was instrumental in the initial displacement and places them in a precarious position. Even though conflict effected internal displacement is rampant in South Asia there is no parallel protection regime for internally displaced persons (IDPs). There is a dearth in comprehensive domestic laws in South Asia to address this issue and a lack of regional and/or international treaties to obligate states to take appropriate measures for the protection of IDPs. This article examines the adequacy of existing legislative and institutional arrangements in the South Asian region catering to IDPs, identifies gaps in the existing protection framework, and proposes the formulation of a new treaty for the region drawing inspiration from the Kampala Convention, addressing all phases of conflict induced displacement, as a measure of bridging this gap in protection.
The State, Informal Networks, and Financial Market Regulation in Post-Soviet Russia, 1990–2008
Authors: Viktorov Ilja
Published: April 2015

The article examines how informal networks inside the Russian state influenced the formation and further development of the country’s financial markets during the 1990s and 2000s. The main argument is that the activities of these networks made it difficult to implement any coherent state regulation policy in the field. At the same time, rivalry between competing informal networks and different organizations contributed to institutional development and some improvements. The result was a dualist institutional structure of the Russian speculative financial markets that reproduced itself throughout the period in question. The study is based on in-depth interviews conducted at Moscow-based financial institutions.
Risks and Constraints of Sub-Federal Politics in Russia under Vladimir Putin
Authors: Grebennikov Marat
Published: April 2015

Russia’s political system can be best understood as an electoral patronal regime in which key actors are organized into a single pyramid of authority that dominates the political arena, particularly in the ethnic republics. It is argued that the asymmetric federalization of post-Soviet Russia and centralization of governance were stabilizing for the state because, during the tumultuous transition from Communism, they have acted as counterweights to such centrifugal forces as nationalism and religious radicalism. The article addresses this question: Does the political regime under Putin limit the behaviour of regional elites by structuring and prioritizing their agendas or, on the contrary, does this regime gradually devolve to match the underlying political configuration of the state? The article concludes that in multi-ethnic hybrid regimes that preserve contested elections, as does Russia, regional politics matters more than in typical authoritarian regimes. Since Putin’s popularity and power are closely tied to Russia’s economic stability and anti-Western sentiment, protracted economic stagnation coupled with growing social discontent at the regional level will trigger a long-awaited centrifugal change in political authority and may eventually lead to political fragmentation after Putin.
Task-Specific, Age Related Effects in the Cross-Modal Identification and Localisation of Objects
Authors: Barrett Maeve M. , Newell Fiona N.
Published: April 2015

We investigated age-related effects in cross-modal interactions using tasks assessing spatial perception and object perception. Specifically, an audio-visual object identification task and an audio-visual object localisation task were used to assess putatively distinct perceptual functions in four age groups: children (8–11 years), adolescents (12–14 years), young and older adults. Participants were required to either identify or locate target objects. Targets were specified as unisensory (visual/auditory) or multisensory (audio-visual congruent/audio-visual incongruent) stimuli. We found age-related effects in performance across both tasks. Both children and older adults were less accurate at locating objects than adolescents or young adults. Children were also less accurate at identifying objects relative to young adults, but the performance between young adults, adolescents and older adults did not differ. A greater cost in accuracy for audio-visual incongruent relative to audio-visual congruent targets was found for older adults, children and adolescents relative to young adults. However, we failed to find a benefit in performance for any age group in either the identification or localisation task for audio-visual congruent targets relative to visual-only targets. Our findings suggest that visual information dominated when identifying or localising audio-visual stimuli. Furthermore, on the basis of our results, object identification and object localisation abilities seem to mature late in development and that spatial abilities may be more prone to decline as we age relative to object identification abilities. In addition, the results suggest that multisensory facilitation may require more sensitive measures to reveal differences in cross-modal interactions across higher-level perceptual tasks.
Reassessment of the hairy long-nosed armadillo “Dasypus” pilosus (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) and revalidation of the genus Cryptophractus Fitzinger, 1856
Authors: CASTRO MARIELA C. , CIANCIO MARTÍN R. , PACHECO VÍCTOR , SALAS-GISMONDI RODOLFO M. , BOSTELMANN J. ENRIQUE , CARLINI ALFREDO A.
Published: April 2015

The hairy long-nosed armadillo, currently referred as Dasypus (Cryptophractus) pilosus, is an enigmatic species endemic to montane cloud forests and subparamo of Peruvian Andes. Its strikingly different external features, which include the carapace concealed by abundant hair, the presence of more movable bands, and a slender skull, have raised questions regarding its taxonomic status as subgenus or as genus. This paper assesses this issue based on a cladistic study and provides a detailed comparative description of the species, including the first account on the distinctive ornamentation of its osteoderms. Based on several unique characters in the carapace, skull, mandible, and teeth, as well as on the external phylogenetic position relative to other Dasypus, we favor the assignment of the hairy long-nosed armadillo to other genus. As result, we revalidate the original generic epithet, so that the valid name of the species is Cryptophractus pilosus Fitzinger, 1856.
Molecular phylogenetic relationships of the lizard clade Liolaemus elongatus (Iguania: Liolaemini) with the description of a new species from an isolated volcanic peak in northern Patagonia
Authors: Avila LUCIANO Javier , Medina Cintia debora , PEREZ CRISTIAN hERNAN FULVIO , Sites Jack W. Jr. , Morando Mariana
Published: April 2015

A new species of the Andean-Patagonian Liolaemus elongatus clade is described. Liolaemus crandalli sp. nov. differs from other members of its clade by a combination of coloration characters, scale counts and genetic traits. Liolaemus crandalli sp. nov. is known only from an isolated volcanic mountain in northwestern Patagonia above 1500 m.a.s.l. unconnected with other habitat suitable for species of the Liolaemus elongatus clade.
Three new species of genus Apotropina Hendel from China (Diptera, Chloropidae)
Authors: LIU XIAOYAN , YANG DING
Published: April 2015

A review of the species of the genus Apotropina Hendel from China is provided. The following 3 species are described as new to science: A. bistriata sp. nov., A. longiprocessa sp. nov. and A. tristriata sp. nov. A key to all species of Apotropina from the Oriental Region is given.
Tabasconura tapijulapana gen. nov. sp. nov. (Collembola: Neanuridae) from Tabasco, México
Authors: PALACIOS-VARGAS JOSÉ G. , CATALÁN ELIHÚ
Published: April 2015

Tabasconura gen. nov. (Neanuridae) and type species T. tapijulapana sp. nov., are described and illustrated. The new genus possesses all characters of the tribe Sensillanurini Cassagnau, and is characterised by the presence of slightly elongated tubercles on the body and also elongation and thickening of the sensillum S2 as well as S7 on antennal segment IV. Development of S7 is a character of the tribe.
Applicability of the Bulk-Transfer Approach to Estimate Evapotranspiration from Boreal Peatlands
Authors: Isabelle Pierre-Erik , Nadeau Daniel F. , Rousseau Alain N. , Coursolle Carole , Margolis Hank A.
Published: April 2015

In northern landscapes, peatlands are widespread and their hydrological processes are complex. Furthermore, they are typically remote, limiting the amount and accuracy of in situ measurements. This is especially the case for evapotranspiration ET, which strongly influences watershed hydrology. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the validity of the bulk-transfer approach to estimate ET over boreal peatlands. The simplicity of the model relies on four assumptions: (i) near-neutral atmospheric conditions; (ii) wet surface; (iii) constant momentum roughness length depending on vegetation height; and (iv) constant water vapor roughness length, with the last two assumptions implying a constant water vapor transfer coefficient CE. Using eddy covariance data from three Canadian peatlands—Necopastic (James Bay, Québec), Mer Bleue (Ottawa, Ontario), and Western Peatland (Athabasca, Alberta)—this paper shows that these sites are characterized by frequent occurrences of near-neutral atmospheric conditions, especially the Necopastic site, with nearly 76% of the 30-min data segments occurring under near-neutral stratification. The analysis suggests these near-neutral conditions occur as a result of strong mechanical turbulence and weak buoyancy effects. The bulk-transfer approach gives promising results for 30-min and daily ET in terms of mean error and correlation, with performances similar to the Penman equation, without requiring net radiation data. The accuracy of the approach is likely related to the number of near-neutral periods and the elevated position of the water table, which backs up the wet surface assumption.
Toward a Relational Account of Neighborhood Governance
Authors: Fu Qiang , He Shenjing , Zhu Yushu , Li Si-ming , He Yanling , Zhou Huoning , Lin Nan
Published: April 2015

Although changes in urban space often mean a restructuring of social relations, few studies elucidate why network-related frameworks are inherently related to residential outcomes in urban neighborhoods. By proposing a relational account of neighborhood governance, we investigate outcomes of neighborhood governance by incorporating a series of measures of network forms of organization, network-based social capital, and neighborly interactions. Based on a collaborative survey project conducted in Guangzhou, we find that neighborhood ties and neighborly interactions are positively associated with neighborhood attachment and cohesion, whereas uneven power relations between grassroots governments and civic homeowners associations are negatively associated with these two measures. These results not only reveal new social dynamics in urban space but also lend support to a relational account of neighborhood governance.
Birds of a Feather
Authors: Ruan Danching , Zhu Shu
Published: April 2015

We examine the formation process of friendship networks of Mainland Chinese undergraduates in Hong Kong. The data comes from a 2011 survey of Mainland undergraduates at a university in Hong Kong and from in-depth interviews with students. We found a strong in-group pattern in the friendship networks of these students. More than 60% do not have good local friends. On a campus where nearly 90% of the students are locals, on average, only 18% of the good friends named by Mainland students are locals. We find that cultural differences—such as the language barrier, differences in values and ideologies, and differences in academic orientation and future plan—discourage formation of intergroup friendship. But intergroup contacts, as indicated by participation in local organizations, have positive effects on intergroup friendship formation. Both contact opportunities and their timing (i.e., when they become available) are important. During their first year, Mainland students have many more opportunities to interact with other Mainlanders than with local students. This may also be an important factor accounting for the strong in-group pattern in Mainland students’ friendship networks.
Practice theory and the study of diplomacy: A research agenda
Authors: Pouliot Vincent , Cornut Jérémie
Published: April 2015

This introductory article explores the multiple synergies between international practice theory and diplomatic studies. The timing for this cross-fertilizing exchange could not be better, as the study of diplomacy enters a phase of theorization while practice scholars look to confront the approach to new empirical and analytical challenges. The article first defines diplomacy as a historically and culturally contingent bundle of practices that are analytically alike in their claim to represent a given polity to the outside world. Then the key analytical wagers that practice theory makes are introduced, and debates currently raging in the discipline are briefly reviewed. Next, it is suggested what a practice theory of diplomacy may look like, discussing a variety of existing works through their common objective to explain the constitution of world politics in and through practice. Finally, a few research avenues to foster the dialogue between diplomatic studies and practice theory are outlined, centered on the nexuses of transformation and reproduction, rationality and know-how, and the technical vs. social dimensions of practices –diplomatic or otherwise.
EU foreign policy through the lens of practice theory: A different approach to the European External Action Service
Authors: Lequesne Christian
Published: April 2015

There is a proliferation of works on the new European External Action Service (EEAS). Most of these approach the EEAS through a rationalist framework, assessing how a new institution can solve long-term questions of EU foreign policy-making to ensure consistency and coherence while reducing transaction costs between actors (both supranational and national) in a multilevel governance structure. This paper takes a different direction. Using 30 interviews with officials from the EEAS, the European Commission, and national ministries of foreign affairs, conducted between 2010 and 2013, it shows how the study of practice aids understanding of the nature of the EEAS. As a new institution, the EEAS lends itself particularly well to practice-based study because new institutions must develop new practices.

The first section of the article defines the notion of practice and shows the importance of historicizing the struggles around practices in understanding the creation of the EEAS. The second section demonstrates how agents’ practices shape professional cultures within the EEAS. The third section highlights the relationship between practices and rule-making. Going over the EEAS as a case study, the conclusion focuses on the importance of analysing actors’ practices for understanding the current evolution of diplomacy and international relations in general.
Introduction
Authors: Kirchhof Astrid Mignon , MacDougall Carla , Weiß Peter Ulrich
Published: April 2015

The contributors to this special section of the Journal of Urban History investigate the relationship between protest and the city in 1980s Europe. The special section acknowledges in particular the role of grassroots politics and unconventional actors in transforming politics and society in Cold War Europe.
Locomotion control with sensor-driven reflex for a hexapod robot walking on uneven terrain
Authors: Chen Weihai , Liu Tao , Li Wenlu , Wang Jianhua , Wu Xingming , Liu Dong
Published: April 2015

This paper presents a central pattern generator (CPG)-based locomotion controller, with a foot trajectory generator and sensor-driven reflex, aiming to increase the adaptability of the hexapod robot walking on uneven terrain. The trajectory generator was used to precisely control the foot trajectories to constrain the leg movement in the workspace. The foot trajectories were further shaped by the sensor information from the proposed sensor-driven reflex, making the hexapod able to pass obstacles of different sizes on uneven terrain. In addition, a novel neck joint was designed to implement the sensor-driven reflex, with an active control mechanism for the climbing of high steps or large obstacles. Finally, a series of simulations and prototype tests were carried out to prove the feasibility of the proposed controller. The results showed that with the integration of the foot trajectory generator, sensor-driven reflex and active neck joint, the hexapod robot can achieve a stronger adaptability to uneven terrain and better performance in walking.
Minority Stress Across the Career-Lifespan Trajectory
Authors: Dispenza Franco , Brown Colton , Chastain Taylor E.
Published: April 2015

Sexual minority persons (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer) are likely to encounter minority stress, such as discrimination, concealment, expectation of rejection, and internalized heterosexism. Minority stress occurs alongside one’s lifespan and has considerable implications in the context of the career lifespan trajectory. Using the approach of developmental contextualism as a framework to embed minority stress, this article reviews the existing literature regarding facets of minority stress across the career lifespan trajectory and provides a conceptualization on how to incorporate minority stress into affirmative career appraisal, intervention, and research practices.
Students’ Perception of an Integrated Approach of Teaching Entire Sequence of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Pharmacotherapeutics Courses in PharmD Curriculum
Authors: Islam Mohammed A. , Schweiger Teresa A.
Published: April 2015

Purpose:

To develop an integrated approach of teaching medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmacotherapeutics and to evaluate students’ perceptions of integration as they progress through the PharmD curriculum.

Methods:

Instructors from each discipline jointly mapped the course contents and sequenced the course delivery based on organ systems/disease states. Medicinal chemistry and pharmacology contents were integrated and aligned with respective pharmacotherapeutics contents to deliver throughout second and third year of the curriculum. In addition to classroom lectures, active learning strategies such as recitation, case studies, online-discussion boards, open book quizzes, and writing patient progress notes were incorporated to enhance student learning. Student learning was assessed by examination scores, patient progress notes, and writing assignments. The impact of course integration was evaluated by a Web-based survey.

Results:

One hundred and sixty-nine students completed the survey. Students exhibited positive attitude toward the integrated approach of teaching medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics. The P3 and P4 students better appreciated the benefits of integration compared to P2 students ( P < .05).

Conclusion:

Students perceived the course integration as an effective way of learning. This study supports course improvement and the viability of expanding the concept of integration to other courses in the curriculum.
LCZ696 (Angiotensin–Neprilysin Inhibition)
Authors: Pham Antony Q. , Patel Yesha , Gallagher Brittany
Published: April 2015

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) have been the cornerstone in systolic heart failure (HF) regimens over the past 25 years. Their ability to block the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and their vasodilatory properties has repeatedly been shown to lower morbidity and mortality in patients with HF having reduced ejection fractions. In August 2014, the New England Journal of Medicine published a large trial studying a novel LCZ696 (angiotensin–neprilysin inhibition) agent against enalapril, an ACEI. In the phase III trial, LCZ696 demonstrated superiority to enalapril in composite death from cardiovascular causes and hospitalization for HF. The trial was stopped early due to overwhelming benefit of the study agent. This article provides an extensive review of the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic properties, clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of LCZ696.
Writing about cannibal diets and consuming black Africans in France during the first half of the twentieth century
Authors: Janes Lauren
Published: April 2015

This article examines the meaning of references to cannibalism in French descriptions of black African cuisine in the first half of the twentieth century. Because of the intimacy of eating and the perceived importance of diet in defining racial boundaries, exotic dining and gastronomic writing about the colonised Other were fraught with tension about the possible crossing of boundaries. When African cuisine was discussed in cooking magazines, by gastronomes, and in the context of the 1931 Colonial Exposition, references to cannibalism guarded these borders. The discourse surrounding African food and African chefs at the exposition also used eating as a metaphor for the cannibalistic nature of French imperialism in Africa. The physical and metaphoric consumption of the colonised African Other was featured dramatically in the French dessert tête de nègre, which presented a representation of an African head for French consumption, ritualising and taming the violent incorporation of African bodies into the French empire.
Starch wars: Rice, bread and South Asian difference in the French Enlightenment
Authors: Smith Blake
Published: April 2015

This article investigates the imperial dimensions of the French Enlightenment’s science of diet, tracing their development in relation to perceptions of South Asian food. In the last years of the eighteenth century, political theorists, journalists, doctors and Orientalists became concerned with the effects of different staple grains, arguing over whether rice or wheat bread was most conducive to physical well-being and national power. Many of them invoked this dietary discourse on staples in order to scientifically justify European imperialism in South Asia. Journalist Simon-Henri-Nicolas Linguet, however, developed an alternative vision of the imagined connections between staple grains and politics. Linguet’s work was a landmark in the conceptualisation of European ‘gastro-politics’, and suggests a road not taken by other Enlightenment critics of empire: a vision of dietary science, the body and the state that imagined European ventures abroad as a symptom of bad digestion.
The Israeli Army’s Official Memory of the 1948 Palestinian Exodus, 1949–2004
Authors: Nets-Zehngut Rafi
Published: April 2015

The Publishing Branch at the Education Corps of the Israeli army (IDF) is its main unit charged with disseminating information to its soldiers. This article seeks to determine whether this branch, from 1949 to 2004, chose the institutional/Zionist (voluntary flight) or the critical (voluntary flight accompanied by expulsion) narrative as its official memory of the 1948 Palestinian exodus. By analysing all of the Branch publications produced during that period, the article determines that the Branch presented largely the institutional narrative. Various related phenomena are discussed: the reasons for the publications’ narratives, centrality and collective amnesia, internal and external memories, and self and external censorship.
Influence of Different β-Blockers on Platelet Aggregation in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease on Dual Antiplatelet Therapy
Authors: Ignjatovic Vladimir , Pavlovic Sinisa , Miloradovic Vladimir , Andjelkovic Nebojsa , Davidovic Goran , Djurdjevic Predrag , Stolic Radojica , Iric-Cupic Violeta , Simic Ivan , Ignjatovic Vesna D. , Petrovic Njegos , Smiljanic Zorica , Zdravkovic Vladimir , Simovic Stefan , Jovanovic Danijela , Nesic Jelena
Published: April 2015

Introduction:

The use of β-blockers in the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease is associated with a decrease in the frequency of angina pectoris and mortality of patients. Due to the severity of the disease and previous cardiovascular interventions, many patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) use dual antiplatelet therapy to achieve greater inhibition of platelet aggregation. The influence of β-blockers on platelet aggregation in patients using antiplatelet therapy is not well understood.

Objective:

To examine the effect of different β-blockers on platelet aggregation in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy.

Methodology:

The study included 331 patients who were treated at the Department of Cardiology, Clinical Center Kragujevac during 2011. Patients were divided into 4 groups depending on the type of β-blockers that were used (bisoprolol, nebivolol, metoprolol, and carvedilol). Platelet aggregation was measured using the multiplate analyzer and expressed through the value of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) test (to assess the effect of clopidogrel), ASPI test (to assess the effect of acetyl salicylic acid), TRAP test (to assess baseline platelet aggregation), and the ratio of ADP/TRAP and ASPI/TRAP ASPI/TRAP (ASPI - aranchidonic acid induced aggregation, TRAP - thrombin receptor activating peptide) representing the degree of inhibition of platelet aggregation compared to the basal value. In consideration were taken the representation of demographic, clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and cardiovascular medications between the groups.

Results:

Patients who used nebivolol had a significantly lower value of the ratio of ADP/TRAP (0.39 ± 0.30) compared to patients who used bisoprolol (0.48 ± 0.26; P = .038), and trend toward the lower values of ADP test (328.0 ± 197.3 vs 403.7 ± 213.2; P = .059), while there was no statistically significant difference in values of other laboratory parameters of platelet function between other groups.

Conclusion:

Patients with CAD on dual antiplatelet therapy who used nebivolol had significantly lower levels of residual ADP-induced platelet aggregation compared to baseline than patients who used bisoprolol.
A Replication Study of “Why Do Cities Hoard Cash?” (The Accounting Review 2009)
Authors: Hand Michael L. , Pierson Kawika , Thompson Fred
Published: April 2015

Gore’s article explores the determinants and implications of cash reserves. Here, we replicate Gore’s finding of a positive relationship between environmental uncertainty and municipal fund balances using the same data, the same specifications, and the same econometric software. We also test the robustness of her original findings by adding years and observations. We show that the empirical results reported in Gore’s article are largely replicable and that its results are robust to substantial data extensions. Nevertheless, we believe that Gore reaches normative conclusions that municipalities hold “excess cash reserves,” which are not justified by her empirical results.
Stuck with the stigma? How Muslim migrant women in the Netherlands deal – individually and collectively – with negative stereotypes
Authors: Eijberts Melanie , Roggeband Conny
Published: April 2015

This explorative study focuses on how first- and second-generation migrant women of Turkish and Moroccan descent in the Netherlands cope with increasing stigmatization – both individually and collectively. This study applies stigma coping responses identified in the psychological literature to qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with migrant women and migrant women’s organizations. The results help to uncover the dynamic changes of responses to stigmatization over time and detect differences between individual- and collective-level strategies. Furthermore, while most studies tend to omit the importance of intersecting social markers (e.g. gender and ethnicity) when it comes to dealing with stigmatization, this study explores how women’s coping strategies might be influenced by the intersection of their generational status, age, educational level, and ethno-nationality/cultural background. The findings have important implications for both stigmatization research and for Dutch policy makers.
Understanding Attendance in a Community-Based Parenting Intervention for Immigrant Latino Families
Authors: Garcia-Huidobro Diego , Allen Michele , Rosas-Lee Maira , Maldonado Francisco , Gutierrez Lois , Svetaz Maria Veronica , Wieling Elizabeth
Published: April 2015

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) can help increase the attendance in community programs. Padres Informados, Jovenes Preparados (PIJP) is a program that aims to prevent tobacco and other substance use among Latino youth by promoting positive parenting. Although the trial used CBPR approaches, attendance was inconsistent. In the present study, factors associated with attendance and nonattendance and recommendations to maximize participation were explored in 12 brief feedback discussions (BFDs) with participants and in 10 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with facilitators who delivered PIJP. Content analysis guided two pairs of researchers, who independently coded emerging themes and categories (κ = .86 for BFDs and .73 for IDIs). Data from BFDs and IDIs were merged and interpreted together. We grouped factors that positively affected participation into three categories: individual and family (e.g., motivation), program (e.g., offering food and childcare and having facilitators who are trusted), and research (e.g., having incentives). Barriers to participation were grouped into four categories: individual and family (e.g., family conflicts), sociocultural (e.g., community and cultural beliefs), program (e.g., fixed schedules), and research (e.g., recruitment procedures). Participants provided recommendations to address all types of barriers. Although PIJP used CBPR, complete satisfaction of community needs is difficult. Effective community programs must address participants’ needs and preferences.
Gender Dynamics from an Arab Perspective
Authors: Khan Marryam , Ro Heejung , Gregory Amy M. , Hara Tadayuki
Published: April 2015

Gender plays an important role in Arab customers’ evaluation of intercultural service encounters. Even though Middle Eastern tourists are a growing market segment in the travel industry, academic research on them from a service management perspective remains relatively sparse. To understand Arab customers’ evaluation of service experiences, this research focuses on the gender dynamics between service providers and Arab customers during a service encounter. Online surveys of a scenario-based experiment were created and distributed to respondents of Arab descent in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. The findings, based on 326 respondents, suggest that Arab customers are more comfortable—more satisfied with the service encounter and more willing to provide feedback—if the employee is the same gender. However, employee efforts to solicit feedback did not intensify the gender interaction effect on comfort. The findings of this research provide valuable implications for hospitality managers to better cater to the needs of Arab customers by understanding gender boundaries of them in an intercultural service encounter.
Modeling of non-equilibrium solute diffusion upon rapid solidification: Effective mobility versus kinetic energy
Authors: Wang H. , Lai C. , Zhang X. , Kuang W. , Liu F.
Published: April 2015

The effective mobility approach is compared with the kinetic energy approach in terms of sharp interface modeling and phase-field modelling of non-equilibrium solute diffusion upon rapid solidification of binary alloys. The two approaches are equivalent for modelling of long range solute diffusion in bulk phases, but only the effective mobility approach can introduce the non-equilibrium solute diffusion effect to short range solute diffusion at a sharp interface or within a diffuse interface. Addition of the kinetic energy terms results in an unreasonable non-bilinear expression of the flux and thermodynamic driving force in the free energy production of interface migration or phase field propagation, whereas the effective mobility approach allows the thermodynamic extremal principle workable.
Wading into the undeniable
Authors: Keep Stephanie , Reid Ann , Branch Glenn
Published: April 2015

In his review of Bill Nye’s Undeniable, Nicholas Wade proposes a “treaty” to defuse controversies over the teaching of evolution: describing evolution as a theory ambiguously—as a well-established scientific theory to supporters of evolution education, but as “just a theory” to opponents of evolution education. On inspection, Wade’s proposal misidentifies the focus of the creationist objection to evolution, distorts the nature of science, and involves a blatant equivocation. Rather than equivocating on the term theory à la Wade, teachers ought to focus on ensuring that students understand not only the important theories in the field of evolutionary biology but also what a theory in science is and isn’t.
Gene- and stem cell-based therapeutics for cartilage regeneration and repair
Authors: Tang Ying , Wang Bing
Published: April 2015

Cell-based regeneration of damaged or diseased articular cartilage still faces significant clinical challenge due to inadequate environmental regulation of stem cell proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation. The role of insulin-like growth factor in critical steps of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis has potential in optimizing the therapeutic use of mesenchymal stem cells in cartilage disorders. In addition to the previously described benefits of recombinant adeno-associated viral vector for in vivo gene therapy, demonstrated by Frisch and colleagues, such vector is also a safe and efficient delivery system for the genetic modification of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells via ex vivo insulin-like growth factor 1 gene transfer, so that implanted mesenchymal stem cells continuously release a therapeutic level of insulin-like growth factor 1 to achieve sustained mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis for cartilage regeneration.
The relationship between LAPTM4B polymorphisms and cancer risk in Chinese Han population: a meta-analysis
Authors: Xia Ling-Zi , Yin Zhi-Hua , Ren Yang-Wu , Shen Li , Wu Wei , Li Xue-Lian , Guan Peng , Zhou Bao-Sen
Published: April 2015

LAPTM4B is a newly cloned gene that shows an active role in many solid tumors progression in substantial researches, mainly through the autophage function. Accumulated studies have been conducted to determine the association of LAPTM4B polymorphism with cancer risk. While the results are inconsistent, we conducted the meta-analysis to determine the strength of the relationship. Results showed that allele*2 carriers exhibited a significantly increased risk of cancer development with comparison to allele*1 homozygote (for *1/2, OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.367-1.758; for *2/2, OR = 2.093, 95%CI 1.666-2.629; for *1/2 + *2/2, OR = 1.806, 95%CI 1.527-2.137). We also observed a significant association between *2/2 homozygote and cancer risk with comparison to allele*1 containing genotypes (OR = 1.714, 95%CI 1.408-2.088). Allele*2 is a risk factor for cancer risk (OR = 1.487, 95%CI 1.339-1.651). Stratified analysis by tumor type exhibits the significant association of this genetic variants with various cancers. In conclusion, LAPTM4B polymorphism is associated with cancer risk and allele*2 is a risk factor.