bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Cardiac Output in Man by Dye Dilution Curves Using Simultaneous Ear Oximeter and Whole Blood Cuvette Techniques
Authors: MCGREGOR MAURICE , SEKELJ PAUL , ADAM WILLIAM , Anderson Naomi M. , Teri Andre
Published: June 2012

In 10 subjects, dye dilution curves were performed on 31 occasions by intravenous in jection of Coomassie blue dye. The curves were recorded by a conventional whole blood cuvette technique using arterial blood with drawn from the brachial artery, and by an ear oximetric technique. Comparison was made of the time contponents of the two curves and of the cardiac output values derived from them. The differences in time components were frequently considerable. It was con cluded that the ear curves were thus unsuit able for estimation of indices such as the "central blood volume." By contrast there was no systematic difference between the car diac output values computed by the two methods. The standard deviation of the differ ences between the two methods was 11.7 per cent of the average cardiac index observed. It was concluded that the ear oximetric tech nique employed offered a satisfactory method of studying the cardiac output in man.
Systolic Hypertension and Subendocardial Hemorrhages Produced by Electrical Stimulation of the Stellate Ganglion
Authors: KAYE MICHAEL P. , MCDONALD ROBERT H. , RANDALL WALTER C.
Published: June 2012

During prolonged electrical stimulation of the stellate ganglion in the dog, blood pressure, and more specifically systolic pressure, is significantly elevated. The amount of augmentation in pulse pressure is related to the frequency of stimulation, as is the duration of the sustained pressor response. Postmortem examination of the hearts revealed a distinctive pattern of subendocardial hemorrhages distributed along the long axis of the papillary muscles and the trabeculae carneae. They also frequently marked the endocardium at the base of the mitral valve. These lesions appeared in the left ventricle in 29 of 33 animals in which the left stellate ganglion was stimulated at a frequency of three to ten per second. They were found in only five instances in the right ventricles of these animals. The incidence of lesions in the ventricular wall was low during stimulation of the right stellate ganglion, although the mitral valve became involved in about 50 per cent of the animals. The similarity of the lesions to those induced during hemorrhagic hypotension, elevated intracranial pressures, and infusion of large quantities of the catecholamines suggests the possibility of a similar etiology. A satisfactory explanation of the lesion, however, is not yet available.
Medication for psychosis – consumption and consequences: The second Australian national survey of psychosis
Authors: Waterreus Anna , Morgan Vera A , Castle David , Galletly Cherrie , Jablensky Assen , Di Prinzio Patsy , Shah Sonal
Published: June 2012

Background:

Most people diagnosed with a psychotic disorder will be prescribed psychotropic medication. The second Australian national survey of psychosis provided a unique opportunity to examine the pharmacological treatment of psychotic disorders from the perspective of the consumer. The aim of this paper is to report on medication use, adherence and perceived efficacy, and to describe side effect profiles.

Method:

Data on self-reported medication use in the 4 weeks prior to interview, including type, duration, adherence, side effects and helpfulness was collected from participants interviewed in the course of the second Australian national survey of psychosis.

Results:

The majority (91.6%) of participants were using psychotropic medication: 89.0% of people aged 18–34 years and 93.5% of people aged 35–64 years. The most commonly used class of medication was antipsychotic medication (81.6%). In addition, 37.4% were using antidepressants, 26.7% were using mood stabilisers and 17.8% were using anxiolytics/hypnotics. Polypharmacy was common with almost two-thirds (63.4%) using more than one class of medication and over a quarter (28.1%) of people with schizophrenia using more than one antipsychotic. Many participants (84.4%) reported experiencing side effects. The side effect profile of people using atypical antipsychotics was on average better than that of people using typical antipsychotics. Most people (85.2%) felt their medication relieved their mental health symptoms and most (88.2%) medication was taken as prescribed.

Conclusions:

Many people with a psychotic disorder are receiving antipsychotics, with a substantial proportion also taking antidepressants, mood stabilisers and anxiolytics/hypnotics. Medication use differs by age group, diagnostic group and course of illness. Many people using antipsychotics describe significant impairment in their everyday life as a result of medication side effects. Users of typical antipsychotics reported more side effects and more impairment than people using atypical antipsychotics. Most of our participants were prescribed psychotropic medications, and most reported that they were taking them.
A Study on the Legal Literacy of Urban Public School Administrators
Authors: Tie Fatt Hee
Published: June 2012

This study investigates the legal literacy of urban public school administrators in Malaysia. Data were collected from 109 school administrators. The instrument that was administered to the respondents comprised two parts: Part 1, the background information of the respondents; and Part 2, items on the law related to schools, such as teachers’ duty of care, classroom supervision, and corporal punishment. The article discusses the findings of the research and provides some recommendations to school administrators to reduce the risk of litigation.
Formation of Educational Expectations of Lower Socioeconomic Status Children
Authors: Kim Kyung-Nyun
Published: June 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediation effects of children’s cognitive and noncognitive traits on the relationship between dropout mothers’ traits and their children’s educational expectations and to examine the interaction effects of dropout mothers’ General Education Development (GED) on children’s traits and educational expectations. The data were drawn from a series of National Longitudinal Survey Data. This study demonstrated the effect of mothers’ self-esteem on children’s educational expectations, which were mediated through children’s cognitive ability and self-esteem after controlling for the mothers’ cognitive ability, self-esteem, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, mothers’ GED attainment moderated the relationship between children’s self-esteem and educational expectations. These findings provide better understanding of the intergenerational connections between cognitive and noncognitive traits and educational expectations.
School Choice and the Achievement Gap
Authors: Jeynes William H.
Published: June 2012

The possibility is examined that school choice programs could be a means to reducing the achievement gap. Data based on meta-analytic research and the examination of nationwide data sets suggest that school choice programs that include private schools could reduce the achievement gap by 25%. The propounding of this possibility is based on research indicating that the achievement gap in faith-based schools is generally 25% narrower than one finds in public schools. Results of these studies suggest that both the racial achievement gap and the socioeconomic achievement gap are reduced by the same degree (25%). The significance of these results is discussed, especially as it pertains to the attitudes that people frequently have toward school choice.
Early Determinants of Postsecondary Education Participation and Degree Attainment
Authors: Ou Suh-Ruu , Reynolds Arthur J.
Published: June 2012

Early determinants of college attendance and degree attainment for economically disadvantaged minority youth were examined in the present study. The study sample ( n = 1,379) was drawn from the Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS), an ongoing investigation of a panel of low-income minority children born in 1980, growing up in high-poverty neighborhoods in Chicago. Regression findings indicated that three factors in elementary grades can potentially improve both college attendance and bachelor’s (BA) degree completion for economically disadvantaged minority students: better classroom adjustment, high parent expectation in child’s education, and better academic performance. Findings have implications for schools, educators, and policy makers.
The historical institutionalism analysis of Taiwan’s administrative reform
Authors: Shih Mei-Chiang , Sun Milan Tung-Wen , Wang Guang-Xu
Published: June 2012

Government restructuring has been discussed extensively in Taiwan for more than three decades, and the first NPM-style administrative reform programme, which emphasizes ‘a leaner and businesslike government’, was launched in 1996. Since then, NPM has been the key guideline producing a strong path-dependence effect for subsequent administrative reform programmes in Taiwan. This article examines the trajectory of administrative reform in Taiwan from 1949 to 2010, the latter being the year when the Organizational Act of the Executive Yuan was passed, which symbolically represents the end of the current phase of administrative reform. Similar to many Asian countries, exogenous and endogenous factors have induced efforts at administrative reform in Taiwan. Although it is argued that it is difficult to generate any common path of administrative reform among Asian countries, the analysis of the case in Taiwan may provide some observations for future discussions on this topic, such as evidence of political manipulation, the transformation of the role of the state, the desire for an indigenous reform strategy, and the demand to revitalize the civil service system.

Points for practitioners

1. Administrative reform is a political process, and pubic servants have to deal with value conflicts carefully. 2. Professionalism and political neutrality are the two most important things in the administrative reform process. 3. Public servants can have a critical role in the administrative reform process when the critical juncture appears, but democratic values and public purposes should be the cornerstone for the bureaucrats in action.
Corruption control in the United States: law, values, and the political foundations of reform
Authors: Johnston Michael
Published: June 2012

The United States is generally regarded as more successful than most other societies at controlling corruption. But how accurate is that picture? I argue that corruption control in the US is more problematical than index scores suggest. Much corruption in the United States flies beneath the radar; while legal institutions are credible the United States often ‘controls’ abusive uses of wealth by removing restrictions that elsewhere are the focus of corruption. That strategy may reduce high-level bribery, but major questions of justice and accountability remain. In liberal democracies such as the US, whose corruption can be seen as ‘influence markets’, value-based controls, many applied through political processes, are crucial. If the political order is perceived by most citizens as inherently corrupt, those kinds of controls may be seriously undermined.

Points for practitioners

Officials and others concerned with corruption control in liberal democracies should pay close attention to public opinion and social values, not just as a source of general guidance but as a barometer indicating the state of values-based corruption controls. While the separation of politics and administration remains important in many ways, in other respects healthy and competitive political processes can be critical, both in lending force and legitimacy to corruption controls and as indications of what citizens and civil society regard as integrity – or, as its absence. Most widely used corruption indicators will tell us little about these key dimensions of corruption control.
Citizens’ attitudes toward Open Government and Government 2.0
Authors: Nam Taewoo
Published: June 2012

This empirical study sees Open Government and Government 2.0 as a new ends and means of e-government in the United States. The analysis of the data from the Pew Research Center’s national survey ( 2009 Government Online) highlights what influences American citizens’ attitudes toward Open Government and Government 2.0. This article presents four main findings. First, while the use of existing e-government services does not significantly influence attitudes toward Open Government, recent use of Government 2.0 does contribute to positive attitudes toward Government 2.0. Second, those who value transactions with e-government have a positive attitude regarding Open Government and Government 2.0. Third, general trust in government leads to a positive attitude toward the new ends and means of e-government. Finally, frequent Web use and broadband adoption do not affect citizens’ attitudes concerning the new modes of e-government. The study reveals that citizens’ attitudes toward government workings do not change much with the introduction of new goals and tools of e-government.

Points for practitioners

A government may gain considerable popular support from the public by introducing to citizens new objectives and channels for the existing e-government. However, government practitioners should know that offering new directives and technological tools does not necessarily guarantee a positive response from citizens. When new goals and vehicles of e-government reach citizens, a set of conventional determinants, such as perceived value of government services and general trust in government, shapes the collective attitude toward new modes of e-government. Practitioners need to assess leverage by those fundamental factors.
Why should they listen to me? Developing social work education and social work in Tajikistan
Authors: McInnes Alison
Published: June 2012

A critique of the notion that social work is an international profession operating with similar values and methodologies is presented. This is based on an ethnographic study of a project carried out in Tajikistan. It found that the Western social work universal values and models of working can be challenged.
Preparing Teachers to Work in Inclusive Classrooms
Authors: Florian Lani
Published: June 2012

The increasing cultural, linguistic, and developmental diversity of today’s classrooms demands more inclusive approaches to schooling, but classroom teachers often report feeling unprepared for inclusive education. This article reports some lessons learned from the Inclusive Practice Project, a teacher education reform project that has developed an innovative approach to preparing teachers to enter a profession in which they take responsibility for the learning and achievement of all students. It identifies four crucial issues, describes how they were addressed, and considers the challenges of professional development of teacher educators that emerged from the project studies. Key lessons focusing on the professional development of teacher educators in the establishment of a new curricular approach to teacher education for inclusive education are discussed.
Farmers’ suicides and the state in India: Conceptual and ethnographic notes from Wayanad, Kerala
Authors: Münster Daniel
Published: June 2012

This article reflects on the challenge of making ‘farmers’ suicides’ an object of ethnographic enquiry. This challenge is not just a matter of methods, ethics and access but also a matter of categorical choices involved in studying this over-determined and politicised category of self-killing. Drawing on fieldwork in the Wayanad district of Kerala, the article argues that ‘farmers’ suicides’ are not self-evident types of rural death, but become reified and visible through the state’s enumerative practices. This state-defined category, conveyed and scandalised by the media, rests on a connection between suicide and—–an equally reified—‘agrarian crisis’. The ethnographic endeavour of ‘chasing’ the elusive object of farmers’ suicides may destabilise this seemingly self-evident link. Despite this, farmers’ suicides have taken on a political life of their own. They have become a constructed yet real interface for the reworking of the relationship between state and rural citizens in liberalising India. The Indian state has launched unprecedented relief and rehabilitation measures in response to the suicide crisis. This article makes a strong case for grounding the study of farmers’ suicides in ethnographies of agrarian practice and the local developmental state.
Risk Factors for Violent Behavior in Prison Inmates
Authors: Arbach-Lucioni Karin , Martinez-García Marian , Andrés-Pueyo Antonio
Published: June 2012

A large body of research has focused on indicators of the risk of prison violence, especially in the United States. Little is known about this question in Spain, despite the fact that in 2010, this country had the most crowded prison system in western Europe. This prospective study draws on official data to examine the relationship between individual and situational characteristics and misconduct in a sample of 1,330 inmates from 11 penitentiary facilities across a 10-month period. Violent misconduct was less frequent than potentially violent behavior, with prevalence rates of 9% and 13%, respectively. Younger age, being on remand, classification as first degree, prior violent behavior, drug and/or alcohol problems, poor response to treatment, and procriminal attitudes were significant risk factors of inmate misbehavior in an ordinal regression model (areas under the curve = 0.74 to 0.82). Having a violent conviction offense was not a significant predictor of outcome. The implications for current classification practices are discussed, and the importance of cross-cultural and empirically based research is stressed.
Morphological and Immunohistochemical Characterization of Spontaneous Thyroid Gland Neoplasms in Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)
Authors: Gibbons P. M. , Garner M. M. , Kiupel M.
Published: June 2012

Reports of thyroid gland neoplasms in guinea pigs ( Cavia porcellus) are rare, but thyroid tumors are among the most common neoplasms seen in cases submitted to Northwest ZooPath. This report describes the histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of thyroid neoplasms and lists the concurrent conditions found in guinea pig cases submitted to Northwest ZooPath during 1998 to 2008. Of 526 guinea pig case submissions, 19 had thyroid neoplasms. The most common clinical findings included a palpable mass on the ventral neck and progressive weight loss. Neoplasms were removed as an excisional biopsy from 7 guinea pigs, and 3 of these animals died within a few days after surgery. Radiographic mineral density was detected in 2 masses. Five of the neoplasms were reported as cystic; 5 were black or a dark color. Histologically, the neoplasms were classified as macrofollicular thyroid adenoma (8), thyroid cystadenoma (1), papillary thyroid adenoma (3), follicular thyroid carcinoma (5), follicular-compact thyroid carcinoma (1), and small-cell thyroid carcinoma (1). Osseous metaplasia was present in 8 neoplasms, and myeloid hyperplasia was present in 1 neoplasm. All 19 neoplasms were positive for thyroid transcription factor 1 and thyroglobulin but negative for parathyroid hormone and calcitonin. Numerous concurrent diseases, including hepatopathies, cardiomyopathies, and nephropathies, were present and considered to be the cause of death in many cases. Research is needed to determine the appropriate modalities for antemortem diagnosis and treatment and whether thyroid disease plays a role in the pathogenesis of chronic degenerative diseases in guinea pigs.
Prognostic Value of Histological Grading in Noninflammatory Canine Mammary Carcinomas in a Prospective Study With Two-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Peña L. , Andrés P. J. De , Clemente M. , Cuesta P. , Pérez-Alenza M. D.
Published: June 2012

In this prospective study, a canine-adapted histological grading method was compared with histopathological and clinical characteristics and was evaluated as a prognostic indicator in canine mammary carcinomas (CMCs). Recruited dogs with at least 1 malignant mammary tumor ( n = 65) were clinically evaluated, surgically treated, and followed up (minimum follow-up 28 months, maximum 38 months). Histopathological diagnoses were performed according to Goldschmidt et al (2011). Tumors were graded as grade I (29/65), grade II (19/65), and grade III (17/65). The tumor size, clinical stage, histological diagnosis, presence/absence of myoepithelial proliferation, and regional lymph node metastases at diagnosis were significantly associated with histological grade. The histological grade, age, clinical stage, tumor subtype group, and lymph node metastases at time of diagnosis were significantly associated with the development of recurrences and/or metastases, cancer-associated death, and survival times (disease-free survival and overall survival) in univariate analyses. A subdivision of clinical stage I (T1N0M0) into stages IA and IB was proposed in terms of prognosis. The clinical stage, histological grade, and spay status were selected as independent prognostic variables (multivariate analyses) with disease-free survival as the dependent variable. When overall survival was evaluated as a dependent variable, clinical stage and histological grade were selected as the independent covariates. This grading system is a useful prognostic tool, facilitates histological interpretation, and offers uniform criteria for veterinary pathologists. Comparative studies on CMCs performed in different countries should take into account possible changes in the prognoses due to different proportions of spayed females among the selected dog population.
The inherent challenges in creative musical performance in a paediatric hospital setting
Authors: Preti Costanza , Welch Graham F.
Published: June 2012

The paper investigates the challenges that musicians face when playing in a paediatric hospital, drawing on case study evidence from a long-standing programme in Italy. The research focussed on identifying: (i) the inherent challenges of being a performer in a hospital; and (ii) the professional characteristics of the musicians who perform in hospitals. As part of a wider, cross-cultural study, musicians ( N = 8) were asked to report their (i) physical and (ii) psychological perceptions, before and after their musical performance in the hospital across four weeks. Interview data were analyzed according to content analysis and were informed by grounded theory. Results suggest that performing in a hospital setting is particularly demanding psychologically and emotionally where the nature of the musicians’ role requires them to improvise (i) as part of their normal performance practice, seeking active collaboration by the patient, and (ii) environmentally, in relation to changes in the medical condition of their client/patient/audience. The results are also explained in terms of inherent tensions in a professional musical identity that requires expert performance in a clinical setting.
Verifying the Miles and Snow strategy types in Australian small- and medium-size enterprises
Authors: Blackmore Karen , Nesbitt Keith
Published: June 2012

In this paper we set out to verify the existence of Miles and Snow strategy types in Australian small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) through objective classification. Australian SMEs, in particular, are interesting as they are reported to have some unique characteristics, with as many as 70% following a low growth or life-style pathway. While numerous empirical studies have been conducted to validate the existence and characteristics of the Miles and Snow strategy types in different domains for both larger and smaller enterprises, these studies typically rely on a subjective, ‘self-typing’ approach. In this study we employ a more objective approach by identifying measures from existing survey data that capture the strategic dimensions proposed by Miles and Snow. We use these objective measures in a K-means cluster analysis to identify four different strategic groups. Three of the groups correspond to the three ‘viable’ Miles and Snow strategy types of Defender, Prospector and Analyser; however, we also identify a ‘Static’ strategy type that constitutes 42% of SMEs in the sample.
Population and Family in Central and Northern Italy at the Dawn of the Modern Age
Authors: Dalla-Zuanna Gianpiero , Tullio Matteo Di , Leverotti Franca , Rossi Fiorenzo
Published: June 2012

Despite the laborious process of gathering the data and some limitations due to selective incompleteness, catasti and estimi (fiscal cadastres) provide precious information on demographic differences within Italy during the Late Middle Ages and early Modern Age. The authors compare three areas: the countryside surrounding Lucca in 1411 (Tuscany, 5,792 individuals) and Varese in 1530 (Lombardy, 2,703), and the “quasi-city” of Legnago in 1430 (Veneto, 2,101), reconsidering also the Florentine catasto of 1427. Family-type distribution, age at marriage, and residence after marriage are noticeably different, showing that the territorial diversity in family of nineteenth-century Italy was already present four centuries earlier.
Provision of Enteral Nutrition During Vasopressor Therapy for Hemodynamic Instability
Authors: Wells Diana L.
Published: June 2012

Critical illness is associated with many complications that affect both medical and nutrition aspects of patient outcomes. Early enteral feeding is the preferred method of nutrition for patients in the intensive care unit due to apparent benefits in this patient population. However, these patients are also at risk for complications related to enteral nutrition (EN), which may be potentiated with the addition of vasopressors often used in the setting of hemodynamic instability. The clinician is often confronted with the decision of when to proceed with EN in critically ill patients who require vasopressors for hemodynamic support. This article reviews the effects of vasopressors on gastrointestinal blood flow, discusses complications associated with vasopressor use during EN, and proposes important considerations to determine the safety of EN in hemodynamically unstable patients requiring vasopressor support.
Breastfeeding Promotion Plan in Madrid, Spain
Authors: Flores-Antón Beatriz , Temboury-Molina Mª Carmen , Ares-Segura Susana , Arana-Cañedo-Argüelles Celina , Nicolás-Bueno Concepción , Navarro-Royo Cristina , Pardo-Hernández Alberto , Pallás-Alonso Carmen Rosa
Published: June 2012

Background:

Promotion and protection of breastfeeding is a public health objective. In April 2009, health authorities in the Madrid region in central Spain signed a collaboration agreement with The United Nations Children’s Fund and created a breastfeeding committee.

Objective:

To report the creation and implementation of a plan to promote and improve the quality of breastfeeding care in public hospitals in the region of Madrid, according to the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) standards.

Methods:

The action plan included institutional commitment; creation of a breastfeeding committee in each hospital; outcome analyses, staff training, creation of educational materials; and dissemination of activities. The plan was adopted by the 19 non-BFHI-designated public maternity units in the Madrid region. Each hospital completed a modified version of the World Health Organization self-assessment questionnaire in 2009 (pre-intervention) and again in 2011.

Results:

Thirteen maternity units (68.4%) established a breastfeeding committee, and 32 months after implementation of the plan, the other 6 hospitals have created one. Nine training courses have been carried out to train professional experts on breastfeeding as trainers. The 271 trainers provided 18-hour breastfeeding courses for 1423 professionals. In 2009, there was only 1 BFHI-accredited hospital. Currently, 52.6% of the other 19 hospitals have some level of accreditation, and 2 are fully accredited.

Conclusions:

An intervention to improve the quality of breastfeeding care based on an organized regional approach to the BFHI was useful for BFHI implementation.
Brazilian Security and Defence Policy under President Dilma Rousseff: Transition and Initial Challenges
Authors: Bertazzo Juliana
Published: June 2012

The new president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, who resisted the civilian-military rule (1964–1985) in her youth, has been engaging civil society and congress in security and defence issues for the production of the first national defence white paper. Her performance in this area is a good indication of the state of democracy in post-transition Brazil. Using the literature on third wave democracy transition and consolidation, this piece examines how previous presidents dealt with the main security and defence issues in order to identify change and continuity early in the Rousseff administration and also what sort of challenges the new president must rise to. As part of Latin America, Brazil lies in a largely demilitarized, but at the same time extremely violent region of the world. As an emerging soft power, Brazil has recently made defence a bigger issue in the national political agenda but still struggles to deal with its dark history of human rights abuses in the civilian-military dictatorship. Rousseff has shown an awareness of civilian-military issues, but it is still unclear whether she has enough political capital and whether that will translate into the required political support to democratically define the role of the armed forces in Brazil.
Building a Foundation for Africana Sociology: Black Sociology, Afrocentricity, and Transdisciplinary Applied Social Justice
Authors: Pratt-Clarke Menah A. E.
Published: June 2012

African American women are continually engaged in challenging invisibility, marginalization, and exclusion. Africana Sociology has the potential to support these efforts by incorporating key conceptual models and constructs from Black Sociology, Afrocentricity, and Transdisciplinary Applied Social Justice (TASJ©). Africana Sociology should recognize the role of intersectionality and socially-constructed and intertwined race, class, and gender identities; it should acknowledge the importance of African-centered thought, including the role of Ma’at; and it should reflect a commitment to praxis – using theory to transform social institutions and thus, social outcomes. With this conceptual foundation, Africana Sociology can serve as a theoretical, methodological, and practical approach for implementing transformative change in the experiences of African Americans, and African American women, in particular.
The Psycho- and Sociogenesis of Neoliberalism
Authors: Gammon Earl
Published: June 2012

This analysis examines the psycho-social pressures that gave rise to neoliberal subjectivity in the 1970s, drawing insights from the work of Norbert Elias, Sigmund Freud and Georges Bataille. Specifically, it looks to new codes of shame regarding feelings of superiority that were developing with the civil and women’s rights movements as pivotal in neoliberalism’s ascendancy. These codes of shame heightened psychical tensions for the normalized Fordist subject by making taboo entrenched registers of social hierarchy. The transition to neoliberal subjectivity, with its emphasis on hyper-individualism and the increasing mediation of social relations by impersonal market forces, reflected a compensatory strategy for organizing selfhood. The neoliberal subject, while nominally adhering to notions of political equality, sublimated aggression through a form of economic sociality that reinforced historical inequalities. As the article concludes, neoliberalism is akin to a narcissistic neurosis, obstructing identification with others, and manifests itself in a dispassionate social destructiveness.
A comparison of two methods of estimating propensity scores after multiple imputation
Authors: Mitra Robin , Reiter Jerome P
Published: June 2012

In many observational studies, analysts estimate treatment effects using propensity scores, e.g. by matching or sub-classifying on the scores. When some values of the covariates are missing, analysts can use multiple imputation to fill in the missing data, estimate propensity scores based on the m completed datasets, and use the propensity scores to estimate treatment effects. We compare two approaches to implement this process. In the first, the analyst estimates the treatment effect using propensity score matching within each completed data set, and averages the m treatment effect estimates. In the second approach, the analyst averages the m propensity scores for each record across the completed datasets, and performs propensity score matching with these averaged scores to estimate the treatment effect. We compare properties of both methods via simulation studies using artificial and real data. The simulations suggest that the second method has greater potential to produce substantial bias reductions than the first, particularly when the missing values are predictive of treatment assignment.
Effects of etching holes on complementary metal oxide semiconductor–microelectromechanical systems capacitive structure
Authors: Tu Wei-Hsiang , Chu Wen-Chang , Lee Chih-Kung , Chang Pei-Zen , Hu Yuh-Chung
Published: June 2012

Etching the large area of sacrificial layer under the microstructure to be released is a common method used in microelectromechanical systems technology. In order to completely release the microstructures, many etching holes are often required on the microstructure to enable the etchant to completely etch the sacrificial layer. However, the etching holes often alter the electromechanical properties of the micro devices, especially capacitive devices, because the fringe fields induced by the etching holes can significantly alter the electrical properties. This article is aimed at evaluating the fringe field capacitance caused by etching holes on microstructures. The authors aim to find a general capacitance compensation formula for the fringe capacitance of etching holes by the use of ANSYS simulation. According to the simulation results, the design of a capacitive structure with small etching holes is recommended to prevent an extreme capacitance decrease. In conclusion, this article provides a fringing field capacitance estimation method that shows the capacitance compensation tendency of the design of etching holes; this method is expected to be applicable to the design in capacitive devices of complementary metal oxide semiconductor–microelectromechanical systems technology.
Classical conditioning in different temporal constraints: an STDP learning rule for robots controlled by spiking neural networks
Authors: Cyr André , Boukadoum Mounir
Published: June 2012

This work investigates adaptive behaviours for an intelligent robotic agent when subjected to temporal stimuli consisting of associations of contextual cues and simple reflexes. This is made possible thanks to a novel learning rule based on spike-timing-dependent plasticity and embedded in an artificial spiking neural network serving as a brain-like controller. The subsequent bio-inspired cognitive system carries out different classical conditioning tasks in a controlled virtual 3D-world while the timing and frequency of unconditioned and conditioned parameters are varied. The results of this simulated robotic environment are analysed at different stages from stimuli capture to neural spike generation and show extended behavioural capabilities by the robot in the temporal domain.
Encapsulated Insular Carcinoma of the Thyroid Arising in Graves’ Disease
Authors: Foroughi Forough , Saadat Navid , Salehian Mohammad Taghi
Published: June 2012

Insular carcinoma represents a rather rare form of thyroid cancer. Total encapsulation and history of hyperthyroidism are even extremely rarer events with only a few cases reported in the literature. This article reports an insular carcinoma of the thyroid in a 51-year-old woman, displaying these features and pulmonary metastasis with no cervical lymph node involvement.
The Stability and Structure of Career Decision-Making Profiles
Authors: Gati Itamar , Levin Nimrod
Published: June 2012

The Career Decision-Making Profile (CDMP) questionnaire is a multidimensional measure of the way individuals make career decisions, developed as an alternative to the single, most-dominant trait approach. Using a sample of freshmen students, the 2-week reliability ( N = 273) and 1-year stability ( N = 182) of the CDMP was tested for each of the 12 CDMP dimensions. The median Pearson correlation of the 12 dimensions was .81 for the 2-week test–retest and .62 for the 1-year test–retest. The structure of the 12 CDMP dimensions was compatible with the underlying model and stable across administrations. The median within-individual Pearson correlation across the 12 dimensions, reflecting the 2-week reliability and 1-year stability of the participants’ profiles, were .90 and .81, respectively. The career-decision adaptability (CDA) of individuals, referring to the quality of the way individuals approach and make career decisions, was derived from 6 of the 12 dimensions. The CDA was also found reliable ( r = .99) and stable ( r = .75). Implications for the assessment of the way individuals make career decisions are discussed.
Long-Term Temporal Stability of Measured Inattention and Impulsivity in Typical and Referred Children
Authors: Mayes Susan D. , Gordon Michael , Calhoun Susan L. , Bixler Edward O.
Published: June 2012

Objective: This study investigates the stability of measured inattention and impulsivity in children. Method: The Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS) assesses inattention and impulsivity and has been administered in the same manner since its 1983 publication. GDS scores were compared between the 1983 standardization sample and a recent typical sample of 445 children, 562 children with ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C) type, 235 with ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-I) type, and 231 with autism. Results: Typical children earned a GDS composite standard score of 100, consistent with the normal mean of 100 in the 1983 standardization sample. Means for children with ADHD-C, ADHD-I, and autism were 70, 78, and 76, respectively, approximately two standard deviations below the normal mean. Conclusion: As measured by the GDS, children are no more or less inattentive and impulsive today than in 1983, suggesting that inattention and impulsivity are stable neurobiological traits largely unaffected by cultural, educational, and environmental factors.
In Silico Predicative Studies for Cytotoxic Potential of NSAIDs Using Self-Organizing Molecular Field Analysis
Authors: Goel Honey , Thareja Suresh , Malla Priyanka , Kumar Manoj , Sinha V. R.
Published: June 2012

Antiproliferative potential of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has generated an immense interest among the scientific fraternity to assess its broader role in the chemoprevention of colon cancer. Due to serious adverse events associated with the chemotherapy, NSAIDs have been exploited as adjuvants to synergize the cytotoxic potential of conventional chemotherapeutic agents at low-dose regimens. The present investigation has been focused on in silico model generation for in vitro cytotoxicity activity of the clinically active NSAIDs using self-organizing molecular field analysis (SOMFA) studies. A statistically validated robust model for a diverse group of NSAIDs having flexibility in structure and cytotoxicity activity was obtained using SOMFA. The statistical measures having good cross-validated correlation coefficient r2cv (.8291), noncross-validated correlation coefficient r2 values (.8686), and high F test value (41.8722) proved significance in the generated model. Analysis of 3-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models through electrostatic and shape grids provided additional valuable information regarding shape and electrostatic potential influence on in vitro cytotoxicity profile. The analysis of SOMFA results provided a better insight about the generation of molecular architecture of novel NSAIDs yet to be synthesized, with optimum in vitro cytotoxicity activity and improved therapeutic profile.
Examining the use of message tailoring to promote physical activity among medically underserved adults
Authors: Martinez Josefa L , Duncan Lindsay R , Rivers Susan E , Latimer Amy E , Salovey Peter
Published: June 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine if messages tailored to an individual’s regulatory focus (i.e. their tendency to focus on prevention or promotion) increased exercise intentions and behavior in a medically underserved sample. Adult English as a Second Language students ( N = 58) were presented with tailored exercise messages. There was a significant main effect for message type; participants who received promotion messages reported greater exercise intentions than those who received prevention messages. Intentions and behavior were not higher among those who received messages matching their regulatory focus. Implications for message tailoring frameworks are discussed.
Alcohol-related injury among Greek-letter college students: Defining a target population for secondary prevention
Authors: O’Brien Mary Claire , McNamara Robert S , McCoy Thomas P , Sutfin Erin L , Wolfson Mark , Rhodes Scott D
Published: June 2012

Members of Greek-letter societies are the heaviest drinkers on college campuses, and experience more alcohol-related problems than their peers. This study reports the results of a web-based survey administered to stratified random samples of college students from 10 North Carolina universities. Greek-letter status was a significant independent risk factor for increased injury (both experienced and caused to others), even after adjusting for drinking behaviors. Prevention, screening, and intervention strategies are discussed in the context of these results.
When do condom use intentions lead to actions? Examining the role of sexual communication on safer sexual behavior among people living with HIV
Authors: Widman Laura , Golin Carol E , Noar Seth M
Published: June 2012

This study investigated the moderating role of sexual communication in the association between intentions to use condoms and unprotected sex in a sample of 358 individuals living with HIV (233 men, 125 women, M age = 43). Longitudinal analyses revealed a significant interaction between condom intentions and sexual communication: individuals who were high in both condom intentions and safer sex communication engaged in less unprotected sex with all partners and with partners of HIV negative or unknown serostatus over six months of follow-up. Among individuals low in communication, intentions were not associated with unprotected sex. Implications for interventions are discussed.
Extreme sports are good for your health: A phenomenological understanding of fear and anxiety in extreme sport
Authors: Brymer Eric , Schweitzer Robert
Published: June 2012

Extreme sports are traditionally explored from a risk-taking perspective which often assumes that participants do not experience fear. In this article we explore participants’ experience of fear associated with participation in extreme sports. An interpretive phenomenological method was used with 15 participants. Four themes emerged: experience of fear, relationship to fear, management of fear, and fear and self-transformation. Participants’ experience of extreme sports was revealed in terms of intense fear but this fear was integrated and experienced as a potentially meaningful and constructive event in their lives. The findings have implications for understanding fear as a potentially transformative process.
Understanding communication of health information: A lesson in health literacy for junior medical and physiotherapy students
Authors: Doyle Frank , Doherty Sally , Morgan Karen , McBride Orla , Hickey Anne
Published: June 2012

Best practice communication between healthcare professionals and patients involves using quality patient information leaflets (PILs). We assessed medical and physiotherapy students’ ( N = 337) ability to appraise the readability, psychology theory content and quality of nine international smoking PILs. Flesch scores ranged from 52.8–79.7% (fairly difficult to fairly easy). Students identified components of the Health Belief Model (84–98%), Theory of Planned Behaviour (65–88%) and Transtheoretical Model (37–86%). Importantly, student-proposed additional theory-based content had no detrimental effect on readability scores. Overall quality scores indicated low–moderate quality. This assignment helped students critically evaluate the utility of PILs for communication.
Certain investigations on the effect of nano metal oxide finishes on the multifunctional characteristics of cotton fabrics
Authors: Sivakumar A , Murugan R , Sundaresan K
Published: June 2012

The performance of ultraviolet protection, antimicrobial activity, soil release action and self-cleaning characteristics of nano zinc oxide (ZnO) with acrylic binder were assessed on the cotton fabric using pad-dry-cure method. Different precursors such as zinc chloride and zinc nitrate were used to synthesize nanoparticles by wet chemical technique. The synthesized nanoparticles were then characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, particle size analyser, powder X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The nano ZnO finished cotton fabrics were tested for ultraviolet protection factor, antimicrobial activity, soil release action and self-cleaning action. The wash fastness of nano zinc oxide (ZnO) finished cotton fabrics after 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th washes were assessed. Also the ultraviolet protection factor values, percentage reduction in bacteria and soil release percentage in each washing stage are reported. The self-cleaning activity was assessed for 12, 24and 48 h duration by exposing 6% of coffee stain on the specimen fabrics to sunlight. The zinc oxide nanoparticle size of 24 nm was obtained from synthesis of zinc chloride as a precursor, and another nanoparticle size of 38 nm were obtained from synthesis of zinc nitrate as a precursor. The smaller nanoparticles (24 nm) show better results in terms of antimicrobial activity, soil release and self-cleaning action. In case of ultraviolet protection function, it was found that the fabrics treated with 38 nm nanoparticles exhibit higher ultraviolet protection factor values than the fabric treated with 24 nm nanoparticles. The durability of the imparted functions was in the range 25–38 washes for antimicrobial activity, soil release action and ultraviolet protection, respectively.
Content validity of the comprehensive international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) core set for low back pain from the perspective of physicians: a Delphi survey
Authors: Glocker Catherine , Kirchberger Inge , Gläßel Andrea , Fincziczki Agnes , Stucki Gerold , Cieza Alarcos
Published: June 2012

Objectives: The ‘Comprehensive ICF Core Set for low back pain (LBP)’ is an application of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and represents the typical spectrum of problems in functioning of patients with LBP. The objective of this study was to validate this ICF Core Set from the perspective of physicians.

Methods: Physicians experienced in the treatment of LBP were asked about the patients’ problems, patients’ resources and aspects of environment that physicians take care of in a three-round survey using the Delphi technique. Responses were linked to the ICF.

Results: Seventy-one physicians in 36 countries named 707 concepts that covered all ICF components. One hundred ninety-three ICF categories were linked to these answers. Three ICF categories were not represented in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for LBP although at least 75% of the participants have rated them as important. Twenty-six concepts were linked to the not yet developed ICF component personal factors and 21 issues were not covered by the ICF.

Discussion: The high percentage of ICF categories represented in the ICF Core Set for LBP indicates good content validity from the perspective of the physicians. However, some issues were raised that were not covered and need to be investigated further.