bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cattle make two‐stage discriminations in patch choice
Authors: Hirata Masahiko , Tajiri Yuko , Murakami Kozue , Ikeda Kazuki , Oka Kanako , Tobisa Manabu
Published: December 2014

Discrimination among vegetation patches differing in quantity and quality is crucial to the foraging success of grazing animals living in grasslands. Animals are assumed to discriminate preferred patches from others first, before they visit patches to eat, and then when they are eating patches. We conducted six experiments to test the ability of cattle (Bos taurus) to discriminate among vegetation patches at these two stages during foraging. In each experiment, a group of Japanese Black cows was allowed to graze a tropical grass (Paspalum notatum) for 30 min in a 20 × 20 m area comprising 4, 6 or 9 types of patches. Animals almost always visited and grazed the patches selectively, with a longer residence (grazing) time per visit in more frequently visited patches. Allocation of grazing time was correlated more closely with allocation of visits than with residence time per visit. Faced with patchy vegetation, cattle can discriminate preferred patches from less‐preferred and non‐preferred patches at two stages during foraging. The first‐stage discrimination (pre‐visit‐and‐eating discrimination) is more important than the second (eating discrimination) as a determinant of grazing time allocation to patches.
Tree diameter structural diversity in Central European forests withAbies albaandFagus sylvatica: managed versus unmanaged forest stands
Authors: Pach Maciej , Podlaski Rafał
Published: December 2014

The biodiversity of forest stands should be analysed from the point of view of not only compositional elements but also structural diversity. The main objective of this study was to compare tree diameter structural diversity of the mixed managed and unmanaged stands withAbies albaandFagus sylvatica. There were 62 study plots established in the Carpathians (Southern Poland) and in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Central Poland) in managed and unmanaged stands. The comparison of the studied stands involved the identification and modelling of size structures, the use of the Gini coefficient and the relative distribution method (including entropy and polarisation). Six structural types were distinguished: three unimodals of a different width of diameter at breast height (DBH) range (mainly for the managed stands), reverse‐J, rotated‐sigmoid and bimodal (for unmanaged stands). Modelling of the distinguished structural types by means of theoretical distributions has shown that the best results of approximation for unimodal skewed and reverse‐J DBH distributions were obtained with the single Weibull and gamma distribution, while in the case of rotated‐sigmoid and bimodal DBH distributions the best results were obtained with mixture models. The comparisons have shown that tree diameter structural diversity was more complex in unmanaged forests compared to managed stands. For managed stands the Gini coefficient assumed values from 0.31 to 0.48, while in the case of the unmanaged forests, from 0.33 to 0.73. One should aim to increase tree diameter structural diversity in managed forests, adopting the close‐to‐nature silviculture concept which consists of imitating natural processes.
Ocular herpes: the pathophysiology, management and treatment of herpetic eye diseases
Authors: Zhu Lucy , Zhu Hua
Published: December 2014

Herpesviruses are a prominent cause of human viral disease, second only to the cold and influenza viruses. Most herpesvirus infections are mild or asymptomatic. However, when the virus invades the eye, a number of pathologies can develop and its associated sequelae have become a considerable source of ocular morbidity. The most common culprits of herpetic eye disease are the herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). While primary infection can produce ocular disease, the most destructive manifestations tend to arise from recurrent infection. These recurrent infections can wreck devastating effects and lead to irreversible vision loss accompanied by a decreased quality of life, increased healthcare usage, and significant cost burden. Unfortunately, no method currently exists to eradicate herpesviruses from the body after infection. Treatment and management of herpes-related eye conditions continue to revolve around antiviral drugs, although corticosteroids, interferons, and other newer therapies may also be appropriate depending on the disease presentation. Ultimately, the advent of effective vaccines will be crucial to preventing herpesvirus diseases altogether and cutting the incidence of ocular complications.
K153R polymorphism in myostatin gene increases the rate of promyostatin activation by furin
Authors: Szláma György , Trexler Mária , Buday László , Patthy László
Published: December 2014

Recent studies demonstrated an association between the K153R polymorphism in the myostatin gene with extreme longevity, lower muscle strength and obesity but the molecular basis of these associations has not been clarified. Here, we show that the K153R mutation significantly increases the rate of proteolysis of promyostatin by furin, but has no effect on the activity of the latent complex or the cleavage of the latent complex by bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP‐1). The increased rate of activation of K153R mutant promyostatin may explain why this polymorphism is associated with obesity, lower muscle strength and extension of lifespan.
Interaction of Bordetella adenylate cyclase toxin with complement receptor 3 involves multivalent glycan binding
Authors: Hasan Shakir , Osickova Adriana , Bumba Ladislav , Novák Petr , Sebo Peter , Osicka Radim
Published: December 2014

The interaction of Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) with complement receptor 3 (CR3, CD11b/CD18) involves N‐linked oligosaccharide chains. To investigate the relative importance of the individual N‐glycans of CR3 for toxin activity, the asparagine residues of the consensus N‐glycosylation sites of CR3 were substituted with glutamine residues that cannot be glycosylated. Examination of CR3 mutant variants and mass spectrometry analysis of the N‐glycosylation pattern of CR3 revealed that N‐glycans located in the C‐terminal part of the CD11b subunit are involved in binding and cytotoxic activity of CyaA. We suggest that these N‐glycans form a defined clustered saccharide patch that enables multivalent contact of CR3 with CyaA, enhancing both affinity and specificity of the integrin–toxin interaction.
Output temporal contrast simulation of a large aperture high power short pulse laser system
Authors: Zhu Ping , Xie Xinglong , Ouyang Xiaoping , Zhu Jianqiang
Published: December 2014

The work presented in this paper is a study of output temporal contrast degradation by near-field quality deterioration, such as intensity modulation and wavefront deviation, in a large aperture high power short pulse laser system. A two-step focusing algorithm with a coordinate transform based on the Fresnel approximation in the space domain is used for simulating the output focused by an off-axis parabolic mirror. The temporal contrast degradation by intensity modulation and wavefront deviation is analyzed and the influence of the diameter on the temporal contrast degradation is revealed. The simulation and assumption results based on the parameters of the Shen Guang-II laser system are compared with the online experimental temporal contrast data. The near-field quality deterioration might lead to temporal contrast degradation, hindering higher temporal contrast in large aperture high power short pulse laser systems.
African Borders as Sources of Natural Experiments Promise and Pitfalls
Authors: McCauley John F. , Posner Daniel N.
Published: December 2014

Africa’s arbitrary country borders have been seized upon as sources of “natural experiments”: having randomly assigned people to different country treatments, differences in outcomes on either side of the border can then be attributed to the institutions, demographics, or policies put in place in each country. While methodologically attractive, the use of African borders as sources of natural experiments presents several potential pitfalls. We describe these pitfalls—some common to all studies that employ jurisdictional boundaries, some unique to African borders—and offer guidelines for overcoming them. We conclude that African cross-border studies can provide research advantages similar to well-executed comparative case studies, but that they frequently offer weaker inferential leverage than is claimed.
Variability in age and growth of common rock oysterSaccostrea cucullata(Bivalvia) in Ascension Island (central-east Atlantic)
Authors: Arkhipkin Alexander , Boucher Elena , Gras Michaël , Brickle Paul
Published: December 2014

Common rock oystersSaccostrea cucullata(Bivalvia) were sampled from intertidal volcanic rocks at five sites around Ascension Island (central-east Atlantic) in austral winter 2012–2014. Their left valves were sectioned to reveal annual growth increments. Their periodicity was validated by the presence of specific growth marks in the increment sequence visible in consecutive years of sampling. No significant differences in shell height-weight relationships were revealed between sites. Marginal analysis of the increment width showed thatS. cucullataaccelerated their growth in cooler winter months and decelerated the growth in warmer summer months. Rock oysters in Ascension Island lived up to 14–16 years with maximum age of 26 years. Young oysters (1–5 years old) had the same growth rates both in shell height and weight in all sites. However, their starting point (size and weight of 1-year-old animals) was different in various sites, with largest animals occurring in the most protected site Northeast Bay with sheltered inlets and smallest animals inhabiting exposed to surf site of Letterbox. Growth in shell height was best described by von Bertalanffy growth function with the largestL∞in animals inhabiting the windward side and smallest animals occurring in the leeward side of the Island. In summary,S. cucullataaround Ascension Island lived longer but had slower growth than those from tropical regions of Southwest Asia probably due to comparatively low productivity observed in the central part of the equatorial tropical Atlantic.
The place names of Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa: the Wellman polar expedition, 1898–1899
Authors: Capelotti P.J. , Forsberg M.
Published: December 2014

In 1898–1899, the first American polar expedition to Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa [Franz Josef Land], under the leadership of journalist Walter Wellman, added at least forty place names to the islands, of which many survive on modern charts. These include the main discovery of the expedition, the large island named for Scottish-born Alexander Graham Bell, then president of the National Geographic Society, along with numerous smaller islands, capes and waterways. The origins of several of these names are now confirmed using recently discovered notes in the papers of Wellman's brother and business manager, Arthur Wellman. They demonstrate the close relationship between Walter Wellman and the political, financial and scientific elites of turn-of-the-century Chicago, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and the state of Ohio, associations derived from Wellman's profession as a Washington correspondent for Chicago newspapers.
Factorial validity, measurement equivalence and cognitive performance of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) between patients with first-episode psychosis and healthy volunteers
Authors: Haring L. , Mõttus R. , Koch K. , Trei M. , Maron E.
Published: December 2014

Background

The purpose of this study was to use selected Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) tests to examine the dimensional structure of cognitive dysfunction in first episode of psychosis (FEP) patients compared with cognition in healthy subjects.

Method

A total of 109 FEP patients and 96 healthy volunteers were administered eight CANTAB tests of cognitive function. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to estimate dimensionality within the test results. The dimensions identified by the PCA were assumed to reflect underlying cognitive traits. The plausibility of latent factor models was estimated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Multi-group CFA (MGCFA) was used to test for measurement invariance of factors between groups. The nature and severity of cognitive deficits amongst patients as opposed to controls were evaluated using a general linear model.

Results

Amongst subjects PCA identified two underlying cognitive traits: (i) a broad cognitive domain; (ii) attention/memory and executive function domains. Corresponding CFA models were built that fitted data well for both FEP patients and healthy volunteers. As in MGCFA latent variables appeared differently defined in patient and control groups, differences had to be ascribed using subtest scores rather than their aggregates. At subtest score level the patients performed significantly worse than healthy subjects in all comparisons (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Results of this study demonstrate that the structure of underlying cognitive abilities as measured by a selection of CANTAB tests is not the same for healthy individuals and FEP patients, with patients displaying widespread cognitive impairment.
The Fire of Demons and the Steam of Mortality: Edward Gordon Craig and the Ideal Performer
Authors: Degli Esposti Paola
Published: December 2014

More than a century after Edward Gordon Craig published “The Actor and the Über-Marionette” (1908), the core of his conception of acting still poses a hermeneutical challenge to the theatre scholar. Many intriguing interpretations have stemmed from his statements on acting: from Denis Bablet's or Christopher Innes's argument that the Über-marionette is a metaphor for the perfect performer, to Irène Eynat-Confino's thesis that it is a real, oversized puppet; from the idea (Lindsay Mary Newman's or Cesare Molinari's, for instance) that the concept evolved with time along with the details of Craig's acting theory, to Patrick Le Boeuf's recent hypothesis that the Über-marionette is a full-body puppet. Le Boeuf's interpretation is somehow a telling example of the puzzling quality of Craig's acting theory: his studies originally led him to believe that the Über-marionette was a technically perfect gymnast, in perfect control of his own body, but he was induced to reconsider his hypothesis only a couple of years later, in the light of newly recovered documents. The same ineffable quality Jane Goodall detects in “stage presence” seems to be an inherent feature of Craig's ideal performer, and as with presence, the Über-marionette appears to be best definable by approximation.
Transacting Value on the Transatlantic Stage
Authors: Walker Julia A.
Published: December 2014

With the modesty then expected of a daughter of Britain's theatrical royalty, Fanny Kemble attributed the necessity of her 1829 stage debut to the hard circumstance of financial need. As she explained in her journal, hers was not an act of self-promotion; rather, she exposed herself to the scrutiny of London's critical establishment with the hope that interest in her performance might draw much-needed revenue into the cashbox of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, a venue jointly managed by her father and uncle, Charles and John Philip Kemble. However rhetorically necessary the narrative was for preserving her respectability, Kemble's financial motivation was also very real. The theatre was fiscally impaired, never quite able to square itself in relation to the expensive footing upon which the new building was erected after the fire of 1808. With construction costs high and materials scarce in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars, Charles attempted to raise ticket prices in the new theatre to help cover his expenses, raising instead public ire, in the form of protracted demonstrations known as the Old Price Riots, which bullied him into restoring the original ticket prices.
From Broadway Tabernacle to the Gettysburg Battlefield: Did Edwin Forrest Influence Abraham Lincoln?
Authors: Carlyon David
Published: December 2014

“Threescore years and two have now elapsed since our fathers ventured on the grand experiment of freedom.” So said the renowned actor Edwin Forrest in a Fourth of July address at New York City's Broadway Tabernacle in 1838. The similarity to the start of the Gettysburg Address in 1863 is striking: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty.”
Perception and action planning: Getting it together
Authors: Westwood David A. , Goodale Melvyn A.
Published: December 2014

Hommel et al. propose that high-level perception and action planning share a common representational domain, which facilitates the control of intentional actions. On the surface, this point of view appears quite different from an alternative account that suggests that “action” and “perception” are functionally and neurologically dissociable processes. But it is difficult to reconcile these apparently different perspectives, because Hommel et al. do not clearly specify what they mean by “perception” and “action planning.” With respect to the visual control of action, a distinction must be made between conscious visual perception and unconscious visuomotor processing. Hommel et al. must also distinguish between the what and how aspects of action planning, that is, planning what to do versus planning how to do it.
Commentary: Neuroplasticity as a model for bilingualism: Commentary on Baum and Titone—ADDENDUM
Authors: PHILLIPS NATALIE A.
Published: December 2014

This commentary was not included with the original publication of the issue, but it has now been added to the online version.
INFERENCE ON NONSTATIONARY TIME SERIES WITH MOVING MEAN
Authors: Gao Jiti , Robinson Peter M.
Published: December 2014

A semiparametric model is proposed in which a parametric filtering of a nonstationary time series, incorporating fractionally differencing with short memory correction, removes correlation but leaves a nonparametric deterministic trend. Estimates of the memory parameter and other dependence parameters are proposed, and shown to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed with parametric rate. Tests with standard asymptotics forI(1) and other hypotheses are thereby justified. Estimation of the trend function is also considered. We include a Monte Carlo study of finite-sample performance.
Seroepidemiology and risk factors ofToxoplasma gondiiinfection in undergraduate university female students in Jordan
Authors: OBAIDAT M. M. , AL-SHEYAB N. A. , BANI SALMAN A. E. , LAFI S. Q.
Published: December 2014

This study estimated the seroprevalence and risk factors for acquiringToxoplasma gondiiinfection by undergraduate female university students in Jordan. A cross-sectional study from September 2013 to July 2014 analysed 202 blood samples for IgG and IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a semi-constructed questionnaire was completed by participants to gather information aboutToxoplasmainfection risk factors.T. gondiiIgG antibodies were detected in 66·5% of the females. Only one sample was positive for both IgG and IgM. Usingχ2test, six factors showed significant association withT. gondiiinfection (P⩽ 0·01). The multivariate logistic regression model showed that female students living in houses, wet areas, with income >US$750/month and using spring (untreated) water were 47·42, 10·20, 5·00, 3·25 more times at risk to be seropositive forT. gondii, respectively, compared to female students living in apartments, dry areas, with income ≤US$750/month and using treated water, respectively. This study concluded thatT. gondiiinfection in female university students in Jordan is high and most women become infected before marriage; however, congenital toxoplasmosis is still likely to occur in Jordan. Thus, dissemination of protective measures and knowledge by healthcare professionals is essential especially for pregnant women.
Decomposing Random Graphs into Few Cycles and Edges
Authors: KORÁNDI DÁNIEL , KRIVELEVICH MICHAEL , SUDAKOV BENNY
Published: December 2014

Over 50 years ago, Erdős and Gallai conjectured that the edges of every graph on n vertices can be decomposed into O(n) cycles and edges. Among other results, Conlon, Fox and Sudakov recently proved that this holds for the random graph G(n, p) with probability approaching 1 as n → ∞. In this paper we show that for most edge probabilities G(n, p) can be decomposed into a union of n/4 + np/2 + o(n) cycles and edges w.h.p. This result is asymptotically tight.
Primary cardiovascular care for patients with valvar cardiac disease
Authors: Boris Jeffrey R.
Published: December 2014

Outpatient management of patients with structurally or functionally abnormal cardiac valves combines an ability to record an appropriate history, a directed physical examination, a knowledge of both the interpretation as well as the context of any associated testing, and an understanding of the care guidelines in the medical literature. This article attempts to integrate these various features to guide the clinician towards more appropriate and timely management of patients with cardiac valve disease.
Impact of prenatal haemodynamic and functional abnormalities in Ebstein’s anomaly on survival
Authors: Freire Grace , Nguyen Thieu , Sekar Priya , Wilhm Marilyn , Arnold Kathy , Leshko Jenny , Amankwah Ernest K. , Huhta James
Published: December 2014

Predicting outcomes of foetuses with Ebstein’s anomaly and tricuspid valve dysplasia continues to be challenging. Limited data exist on the prognostic significance of prenatal haemodynamic and functional parameters in this population. Our aim was to investigate the prognostic significance of haemodynamic and ventricular functional parameters in addition to associated morphometric parameters in patients with Ebstein’s anomaly. We reviewed medical records of foetuses with Ebstein’s anomaly and tricuspid valve dysplasia at All Children’s Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine and Johns Hopkins University between 2005 and 2012. The main outcome was survival past 30 days from birth; participants who died in utero or <30 days after birth were considered non-survivors. There were 13 survivors and seven non-survivors. We found that participants with abnormal right ventricular function predicted by low tricuspid regurgitation velocity (<2.3 m/second) (p=0.012) and low estimated right ventricular pressure (<24 mmHg) (p=0.029), a low (<7) cardiovascular profile score (p=0.029) and high (>0.53) cardiothoracic ratio (p=0.008) at the first foetal echocardiogram were less likely to survive. In addition, participants with a fossa ovalis/atrial septal length ratio <0.36 at the last foetal echocardiogram (p=0.051) were more likely to die, albeit of borderline statistical significance. Low tricuspid regurgitation velocity and low right ventricular estimated pressure, or a low cardiovascular profile score could be potential prognostic factors for Ebstein’s anomaly and tricuspid valve dysplasia. However, future larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these initial findings.
Transcatheter pulmonary valve insertion, expanded use (beyond large conduits from the right ventricle to pulmonary artery), and future directions
Authors: Ringewald Jeremy M. , Suh Elsa J.
Published: December 2014

Transcatheter pulmonary valve insertion is the most important advance in congenital interventional cardiology since atrial septal defect devices became commonly available 15 years ago. It has changed the way we look at a number of diverse diagnoses and changes how we plan, diagnose, operate, and follow-up patients. It has changed how we counsel families expecting a child that may benefit from it. Expanded use of the Melody® valve, outside its United States Food and Drug Administration approved indications, has helped numerous additional patients. The use of transcatheter pulmonary valve insertion in selected patients following surgical Gore-tex® bileaflet in valve right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction and those with a history of prior small homograft conduits will be discussed.
Preoperative management of the neonate with critical aortic valvar stenosis
Authors: Affolter Jeremy T. , Ghanayem Nancy S.
Published: December 2014

Neonatal critical aortic stenosis is a rare form of CHD that often presents with cardiogenic shock. Although surgical and cardiac catheterisation-based interventions have been successful in alleviating left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, it remains associated with high morbidity and mortality. Critical aortic stenosis results in elevated left ventricular wall stress, which ultimately increases myocardial oxygen consumption and disrupts coronary artery perfusion during diastole, leading to ventricular dysfunction and cardiogenic shock. Critical care management before definitive intervention should be tailored to optimising oxygen delivery and reducing metabolic consumption of the myocardium and peripheral organ systems. This can be accomplished with prostaglandin infusion to maintain system perfusion through patency of the arterial duct, inotropic support, mechanical ventilation, and central nervous system abrogation. Management should also include a multi-specialty medical team including paediatric cardiothoracic surgeons and paediatric cardiologists with expertise in cardiac catheterisation, imaging, and transplantation.
Transcatheter management of neonatal aortic stenosis
Authors: Stapleton Gary E.
Published: December 2014

Neonatal aortic valvar stenosis can be challenging to treat because of the varied morphology of the valve, the association with hypoplasia of other left heart structures, and the presence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction or endomyocardial fibroelastosis. Balloon valvuloplasty and surgical valvotomy have been well described in the literature for the treatment of neonatal aortic stenosis. Transcatheter therapy for neonatal aortic stenosis is the preferred method at many centres; however, some centres prefer a surgical approach. Balloon valvuloplasty for neonatal aortic stenosis is reviewed in this manuscript, including the history of the procedure, technical aspects, and acute and long-term outcomes.
Development of paediatric electrophysiology standards for Florida Children’s Medical Services
Authors: McCormack Jorge , Seslar Stephen , Wolff Grace , Young Ming , Bryant Randall , Neghme Rodrigo , Fishberger Steven , Decker Jamie A. , Sokoloski Mary , Ho Jason , Lawrence David , Jenkins Chrishonda , Stannard Kelli , Schiebler Gerold L. , Blanchard William , Jacobs Jeffrey P.
Published: December 2014

Abstract

The Florida Children’s Medical Services (CMS) has a long-standing history of ensuring that providers of multiple paediatric subspecialties abide by the highest standards. The cardiac sub-committee has written quality standard documents that participating programmes must meet or exceed. These standards oversee paediatric cardiology services including surgery, catheterisations, and outpatient services. On April, 2012, the cardiac sub-committee decided to develop similar standards in paediatric electrophysiology. A task force was created and began this process. These standards include a catalogue of required and optional equipment, as well as staff and physician credentials. We sought to establish expectations of procedural numbers by practitioner and facility. The task force surveyed the members of the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society. Finding no consensus, the task force is committed to generate the data by requiring that the CMS participating programmes enrol and submit data to the Multicenter Pediatric and Adult Congenital EP Quality (MAP-IT™) Initiative. This manuscript details the work of the Florida CMS Paediatric Electrophysiology Task Force.
Echocardiography of the tricuspid and pulmonary valve in children
Authors: Kreeger Joseph , Watson Timotheus , Mahle William T.
Published: December 2014

Diseases of the tricuspid and pulmonary valve are common in childhood. These include congenital anomalies, acquired lesions, and secondary valve compromise due to left heart disease. A comprehensive and methodical approach to the echocardiographic assessment of these diseases of the tricuspid and pulmonary valve is necessary for best care of children with these conditions.
Polytetrafluoroethylene pulmonary valve conduit implantation for chronic pulmonary insufficiency
Authors: Quintessenza James A.
Published: December 2014

Pulmonary valve replacement in patients with congenital cardiac disease is now being performed with more liberal indications in light of the data that chronic pulmonary insufficiency is not a benign lesion. The beneficial effects of valve replacement with low operative mortality and morbidity support this approach. Many options exist for a pulmonary valve prosthesis, which underscores the fact that there is no ideal valve available. Our efforts are focussed around a synthetic valve that avoids the bio-degeneration of a bio-prosthesis and avoids the need for life-long coumadin. We developed a bicuspid (bileaflet) polytetrafluoroethylene valve design, which has now gone through three major revisions in >200 patients over 14 years. We began the experience utilising a polytetrafluoroethylene hand-sewn bicuspid valve in the right ventricular outflow tract, initially using 0.6 mm and more recently 0.1 mm polytetrafluoroethylene. The 0.1 mm thickness material functions well as a leaflet, maintaining a relatively thin and flexible nature. It does not calcify or initiate thromboses at least for the first several years. We identified issues with dehiscence of the leaflet from the right ventricular outflow tract muscle, especially in the larger, potentially expansive right ventricular outflow tracts, and this prompted our latest design change to place the valve within a polytetrafluoroethylene tube. This current version of the polytetrafluoroethylene valve conduit has excellent short-to-intermediate-term function. Further follow-up is necessary to determine late durability and life-long valve-related procedural risk for our patients.
Evidence-based Effective Triage Operation During Disaster: Application of Human-trajectory Data to Triage Drill Sessions
Authors: Ohta Shoichi , Yoda Ikushi , Takeda Munekazu , Kuroshima Satomi , Uchida Kotaro , Kawai Kentaro , Yukioka Tetsuo
Published: December 2014

Introduction

Though many governmental and nongovernmental efforts for disaster prevention have been sought throughout Japan since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, most of the preparation efforts for disasters have been based more on structural and conventionalized regulations than on scientific and objective grounds.

Problem

There has been a lack of scientific knowledge for space utilization for triage posts in disaster drill sessions. This report addresses how participants occupy and make use of the space within a triage post in terms of areas of use and occupied time.

Method

The trajectories of human movement by using Ubiquitous Stereo Vision (USV) cameras during two emergency drill sessions held in 2012 in a large commercial building have been measured. The USV cameras collect each participant's travel distance and the wait time before, during, and after undergoing triage. The correlation between the wait time and the space utilization of patients at a triage post has been analyzed.

Results

In the first session, there were some spaces not entirely used. This was caused largely by a patient who arrived earlier than others and lingered in the middle area, which caused the later arrivals to crowd the entrance area. On the other hand, in the second session, the area was used in a more evenly-distributed manner. This is mainly because the earlier arrivals were guided to the back space of the triage post (ie, the opposite side of the entrance), and the late arrivals were also guided to the front half, which was not occupied by anyone. As a result, the entire space was effectively utilized without crowding the entrance.

Conclusion

This study has shown that this system could measure people's arrival times and the speed of their movements at the triage post, as well as where they are placed until they receive triage. Space utilization can be improved by efficiently planning and controlling the positioning of arriving patients. Based on the results, it has been suggested that for triage operation, it is necessary to efficiently plan and control the placement of patients in order to use strategically limited spatial resources.

OhtaS, YodaI, TakedaM, KuroshimaS, UchidaK, KawaiK, YukiokaT. Evidence-based effective triage operation during disaster: application of human-trajectory data to triage drill sessions. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(1):1-8.
Disaster Metrics: Evaluation of de Boer's Disaster Severity Scale (DSS) Applied to Earthquakes
Authors: Bayram Jamil D. , Zuabi Shawki , McCord Caitlin M. , Sherak Raphael A.G. , Hsu Edberdt B. , Kelen Gabor D.
Published: December 2014

Introduction

Quantitative measurement of the medical severity following multiple-casualty events (MCEs) is an important goal in disaster medicine. In 1990, de Boer proposed a 13-point, 7-parameter scale called the Disaster Severity Scale (DSS). Parameters include cause, duration, radius, number of casualties, nature of injuries, rescue time, and effect on surrounding community.

Hypothesis

This study aimed to examine the reliability and dimensionality (number of salient themes) of de Boer's DSS scale through its application to 144 discrete earthquake events.

Methods

A search for earthquake events was conducted via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Geological Survey (USGS) databases. Two experts in the field of disaster medicine independently reviewed and assigned scores for parameters that had no data readily available (nature of injuries, rescue time, and effect on surrounding community), and differences were reconciled via consensus. Principle Component Analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 22.0 (IBM Corp; Armonk, New York USA) to evaluate the reliability and dimensionality of the DSS.

Results

A total of 144 individual earthquakes from 2003 through 2013 were identified and scored. Of 13 points possible, the mean score was 6.04, the mode = 5, minimum = 4, maximum = 11, and standard deviation = 2.23. Three parameters in the DSS had zero variance (ie, the parameter received the same score in all 144 earthquakes). Because of the zero contribution to variance, these three parameters (cause, duration, and radius) were removed to run the statistical analysis. Cronbach's alpha score, a coefficient of internal consistency, for the remaining four parameters was found to be robust at 0.89. Principle Component Analysis showed uni-dimensional characteristics with only one component having an eigenvalue greater than one at 3.17. The 4-parameter DSS, however, suffered from restriction of scoring range on both parameter and scale levels.

Conclusion

Jan de Boer's DSS in its 7-parameter format fails to hold statistically in a dataset of 144 earthquakes subjected to analysis. A modified 4-parameter scale was found to quantitatively assess medical severity more directly, but remains flawed due to range restriction on both individual parameter and scale levels. Further research is needed in the field of disaster metrics to develop a scale that is reliable in its complete set of parameters, capable of better fine discrimination, and uni-dimensional in measurement of the medical severity of MCEs.

BayramJD, ZuabiS, McCordCM, SherakRAG, HsuEB, KelenGD. Disaster metrics: evaluation of de Boer's Disaster Severity Scale (DSS) applied to earthquakes. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(1):1-6.
MONETARY POLICY AND ENDOGENOUS MARKET STRUCTURE IN A SCHUMPETERIAN ECONOMY
Authors: Chu Angus C. , Ji Lei
Published: December 2014

This study develops a monetary Schumpeterian model with endogenous market structure (EMS) to explore the effects of monetary policy on the number of firms, firm size, economic growth, and social welfare. EMS leads to different results from previous studies in which market structure is exogenous. In the short run, a higher nominal interest rate reduces the growth rates of innovation, output, and consumption and decreases firm size through reduction in labor supply. In the long run, a higher nominal interest rate reduces the equilibrium number of firms but has no steady-state effect on economic growth and firm size because of EMS. Although monetary policy has no long-run growth effect, increasing the nominal interest rate permanently reduces the levels of output, consumption, and employment. Taking transition dynamics into account, we find that welfare is decreasing in the nominal interest rate and the Friedman rule is optimal in this economy.
Flexibility in task switching by monolinguals and bilinguals
Authors: WISEHEART MELODY , VISWANATHAN MYTHILI , BIALYSTOK ELLEN
Published: December 2014

Many bilinguals routinely switch between their languages, yet mixed evidence exists about the transfer of language switching skills to broader domains that require attentional control such as task switching. Monolingual and bilingual young adults performed a nonverbal task-switching paradigm in which they viewed colored pictures of animals and indicated either the animal or its color in response to a cue. Monolinguals and bilinguals performed similarly when switching between tasks (local switch cost) in a mixed-task block, but bilinguals demonstrated a smaller mixing effect (global switch cost) than monolinguals, indicating better ability to reconfigure stimulus–response associations. These results suggest that regular practice using multiple languages confers a broader executive function advantage shown as improved flexibility in task switching.
Prediction and integration in native and second-language processing of elliptical structures
Authors: KAAN EDITH , KIRKHAM JOSEPH , WIJNEN FRANK
Published: December 2014

According to recent views of L2-sentence processing, L2-speakers do not predict upcoming information to the same extent as do native speakers. To investigate L2-speakers’ predictive use and integration of syntactic information across clauses, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) from advanced L2-learners and native speakers while they read sentences in which the syntactic context did or did not allow noun-ellipsis (Lau, E., Stroud, C., Plesch, S., & Phillips, C. (2006). The role of structural prediction in rapid syntactic analysis. Brain and Language, 98, 74–88.) Both native and L2-speakers were sensitive to the context when integrating words after the potential ellipsis-site. However, native, but not L2-speakers, anticipated the ellipsis, as suggested by an ERP difference between elliptical and non-elliptical contexts preceding the potential ellipsis-site. In addition, L2-learners displayed a late frontal negativity for ungrammaticalities, suggesting differences in repair strategies or resources compared with native speakers.
Executive control in fluent and lapsed bilinguals
Authors: BOGULSKI CARI ANNE , RAKOCZY MICHAEL , GOODMAN MICHELLE , BIALYSTOK ELLEN
Published: December 2014

Previous research showing a bilingual advantage on a variety of executive control tasks has typically compared monolinguals and fluent bilinguals. No study to date, however, has examined whether these effects endure for bilingual individuals who revert to monolingualism (‘lapsed bilinguals’). We investigated this question by testing monolinguals, full bilinguals, and lapsed bilinguals on a flanker task and a working memory task. Fully fluent bilinguals exhibited significantly more accurate performance than monolinguals on the working memory task, with lapsed bilinguals performing between the other two groups. Thus, continued bilingual experience appears necessary to maintain these cognitive advantages at a high level.
‘It’s just so much waste.’ A qualitative investigation of food waste in a universal free School Breakfast Program
Authors: Blondin Stacy A , Djang Holly Carmichael , Metayer Nesly , Anzman-Frasca Stephanie , Economos Christina D
Published: December 2014

Objective

To understand stakeholders’ perspectives on food waste in a universal free School Breakfast Program implementing a Breakfast in the Classroom model.

Design

Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted with school district stakeholders. Inductive methods were used to code resulting transcripts, from which themes were identified. The analysis provides a thematic analysis of stakeholders’ perspectives on food waste in the School Breakfast Program.

Setting

Ten elementary schools in a large urban school district implementing a universal free Breakfast in the Classroom model of the US national School Breakfast Program.

Subjects

Elementary-school students (n85), parents (n86), teachers (n44), cafeteria managers (n10) and school principals (n10).

Results

Stakeholders perceived food waste as a problem and expressed concern regarding the amount of food wasted. Explanations reported for food waste included food-related (palatability and accessibility), child-related (taste preferences and satiation) and programme-related (duration, food service policies, and coordination) factors. Milk and fruit were perceived as foods particularly susceptible to waste. Several food waste mitigation strategies were identified by participants: saving food for later, actively encouraging children’s consumption, assisting children with foods during mealtime, increasing staff support, serving smaller portion sizes, and composting and donating uneaten food.

Conclusions

Stakeholders recognized food waste as a problem, reported myriad contributing factors, and have considered and employed multiple and diverse mitigation strategies. Changes to the menu and/or implementation logistics, as well as efforts to use leftover food productively, may be possible strategies of reducing waste and improving the School Breakfast Program’s economic, environmental and nutritional impact.
UNTIMELY HESITATIONS
Authors: PEDEN KNOX
Published: December 2014

Intellectual historians owe Nietzsche a debt for many things, not least for lending the quality of “untimeliness” a positive connotation. In the late 1990s, when Marxism was arguably at its nadir as an intellectual program, much less a political one, Warren Breckman published an insightful study of Marx's early thought and its genesis out of a series of disputes with the Young Hegelians concerning the state and its ambiguous relationship with theological conceptions of authority. The untimeliness of Breckman's intervention had much to recommend it. Taking his distance from the pallbearers, Breckman showed that a historical inquiry into the Marxist enterprise increased rather than diminished its contemporary relevance. In the wake of the eastern bloc's collapse, “civil society” had become the order of the day. Breckman showed that, far from being an innocuous panacea to the terror of state power, the concept had its own contested political history, one that Marx grappled with in ways whose resonance has only grown in the decade since Breckman's first book appeared.
THE ORDER OF THINGS: SYMPATHIES AND COLLABORATIONS IN 1930S FRANCE AND THE VICHY REGIME
Authors: ZOX-WEAVER ANNALISA
Published: December 2014

Sandrine Sanos has taken on a thorny topic inThe Aesthetics of Hate: Far-Right Intellectuals, Antisemitism, and Gender in 1930s France. Sanos opens this compelling study of 1930s far-right French intellectuals by briefly discussing a scene in Jonathan's Littell'sThe Kindly Ones(Les bienveillantes). Greeted with praise and controversy on publication, Littell's highly charged 2006 novel was steeped in sinister perversions and vicious physical perpetrations straight out of Klaus Theweleit's encyclopedic two-volumeMale Fantasies, dedicated to analyzing German anti-Semitic, anti-Bolshevist, and misogynist belligerence. In Sanos's description, the fictional protagonist ofThe Kindly Ones, an SS officer named Maximilien Aue, visits occupied Paris in 1943, where he enjoys the company of two now-infamous and very real French fascists—Robert Brasillach and Lucien Rabatet. Aue muses with the two anti-Semites on the possibilities of a uniquely fascist literature, enacts homosocial bonds over mutual hatred for Jews and communists, and exploits the abject sexual availability of men at a “faggot bar.” The pathology-filled narrative illuminates the mind of the protagonist even as it speaks to contemporary conceptions of the era's fanatical concern with self-regulation and masculinity.
RACISM, GROUP POSITION, AND ATTITUDES ABOUT IMMIGRATION AMONG BLACKS AND WHITES1
Authors: Hutchings Vincent L. , Wong Cara
Published: December 2014

Previous research has shown that racial or ethnic prejudice is one of the most influential antecedents of opposition to more expansive immigration policies. In this paper, we explore whether a theoretical perspective derived from the group position model might represent an additional and complementary explanation for immigration attitudes. We also compare how well the prejudice and group position models explain immigration attitudes among both White and Black Americans. Most of the previous work in this literature focuses solely on Whites’ attitudes, and it remains unclear how well models designed with this group in mind might also apply to African Americans. We rely upon the 2004–2005 National Politics Study to explore the power of these models. In general, we find that measures derived from the group position model account for immigration attitudes even after controlling for various forms of out-group prejudice. The pattern of results also differs considerably across the two racial groups in our study.
HOW EXTERNAL RACIAL CLASSIFICATIONS SHAPE LATINO DATING CHOICES1
Authors: Feliciano Cynthia , Robnett Belinda
Published: December 2014

Understanding how different dimensions of race relate to the lived experiences of Latinos may shed light on the assimilation trajectories of different segments of the Latino population. Existing research suggests that racial appearance influences Latinos’ socioeconomic outcomes due to discrimination. However, researchers have not examined how Latinos’ perceived race relates to their acceptance of other racial/ethnic groups, thus revealing their agency in the assimilation process and how it is shaped by existing racial structures. Using a sample of over 6000 profiles collected from an internet dating website, this study finds that considering others’ classifications of race in addition to self-identifications changes our understanding of Latinos’ acceptance of other racial/ethnic groups as dates. Latinos who appear White are most likely to exclude Blacks and include Whites as possible dates while the opposite is true for those classified as Black. Latinos perceivedasLatino fall somewhere in between those with a White versus Black racial phenotype in their acceptance of Blacks and Whites. These findings suggest that neither external classifications nor self-identifications of race alone can adequately assess the assimilation prospects of self-identified Latinos: those perceived as White may be assuming the position of Whites in the racial hierarchy, those perceived as Black may be assimilating into the bottom of the racial hierarchy along with African Americans, while those perceived as Latino may be maintaining an in-between status.