bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calibrations and Performance of the Airborne Cloud Extinction Probe
Authors: Korolev Alexei , Shashkov Alex , Barker Howard
Published: November 2013

A new airborne instrument that measures extinction coefficient β in clouds and precipitation has been designed by Environment Canada. The cloud extinction probe (CEP) utilizes the transmissometric method, which is based on direct measurement of light attenuation between the transmitter and receiver. Transmissometers are known to be susceptible to forward scattering, which becomes increasingly significant as the particle size increases. A new technique for calibrating transmissometers was developed here in order to determine the response function of the probe. Laboratory calibrations show that CEP-derived β may be underestimated by a factor of 2 for circular particles with diameters greater than 100 μm. Results for spherical particles are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. For nonspherical particles, however, estimates of β can deviate significantly from those derived for spheres that have the same projected area. For in situ observations of ice particles, CEP measurements often deviate significantly from theoretical calculations, whereas for small cloud droplets agreement is good. It is hypothesized that CEP-derived estimates of β for ice clouds depend much on variations in the scattering phase function that arise from details in ice crystal surface roughness and fine crystal structure. This would complicate greatly the estimation of β from transmissometers for ice-bearing clouds.
Why Are Tropical Cyclone Tracks over the Western North Pacific Sensitive to the Cumulus Parameterization Scheme in Regional Climate Modeling? A Case Study for Megi (2010)
Authors: Sun Yuan , Zhong Zhong , Lu Wei , Hu Yijia
Published: November 2013

The Weather Research and Forecasting Model is employed to simulate Tropical Cyclone (TC) Megi (2010) using the Grell–Devenyi (GD) and Betts–Miller–Janjić (BMJ) cumulus parameterization schemes, respectively. The TC track can be well reproduced with the GD scheme, whereas it turns earlier than observations with the BMJ scheme. The physical mechanism behind different performances of the two cumulus parameterization schemes in the TC simulation is revealed. The failure in the simulation of the TC track with the BMJ scheme is attributed to the overestimation of anvil clouds, which extend far away from the TC center and reach the area of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH). Such extensive anvil clouds, which result from the excessively deep convection in the eyewall, eventually lead to a large bias in microphysics latent heating. The warming of the upper troposphere due to the condensation in anvil clouds coupled with the cooling of the lower troposphere due to precipitation evaporation cause a weakening of the WPSH, which in turn is favorable for the early recurvature of Megi.
Staggered Vertical Discretization of the Canadian Environmental Multiscale (GEM) Model Using a Coordinate of the Log-Hydrostatic-Pressure Type
Authors: Girard Claude , Plante André , Desgagné Michel , McTaggart-Cowan Ron , Côté Jean , Charron Martin , Gravel Sylvie , Lee Vivian , Patoine Alain , Qaddouri Abdessamad , Roch Michel , Spacek Lubos , Tanguay Monique , Vaillancourt Paul A. , Zadra Ayrton
Published: November 2013

The Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model is the Canadian atmospheric model used for meteorological forecasting at all scales. A limited-area version now also exists. It is a gridpoint model with an implicit semi-Lagrangian iterative space–time integration scheme. In the “horizontal,” the equations are written in spherical coordinates with the traditional shallow atmosphere approximations and are discretized on an Arakawa C grid. In the “vertical,” the equations were originally defined using a hydrostatic-pressure coordinate and discretized on a regular (unstaggered) grid, a configuration found to be particularly susceptible to noise. Among the possible alternatives, the Charney–Phillips grid, with its unique characteristics, and, as the vertical coordinate, log-hydrostatic pressure are adopted. In this paper, an attempt is made to justify these two choices on theoretical grounds. The resulting equations and their vertical discretization are described and the solution method of what is forming the new dynamical core of GEM is presented, focusing on these two aspects.
A Probabilistic Derivation of Heidke Skill Score
Authors: Hyvärinen Otto
Published: November 2013

An alternative derivation of Heidke skill score for 2 × 2 tables is presented, starting from the assumption that a categorical forecast is useful, if the probability of an occurrence of an event, given the forecast, is greater than the base rate of the event. A tentative measure of skill would then be the difference of these probabilities, normalized by the maximum value based on the base rate. For binary events, the Heidke skill score is then the harmonic mean of these differences for both the occurrence and the nonoccurrence of the event. This derivation differs from the usual derivation in that the concept of chance agreement is not used. It is Bayesian in nature with implied updating of prior probabilities to posterior probabilities.
Death Anxiety and the Relational
Authors: Vance Lee Michael
Published: November 2013

Despite Ernest Becker’s claim, nearly 40 years ago, that the denial of death has relevance to the depth of the individual psyche as well as to human bonding behaviors, death anxiety continues to be heavily denied in its clinical application. This denial largely persists in the field of psychology and the practice of psychotherapy as death anxiety is reserved for comprehensive, philosophical, and ontological concerns but rarely informs the organization of the therapeutic dyad or the treatment of patients. The purpose of this article is to illustrate that death anxiety acts as a bonding agent to the close psychotherapeutic relationship and that mortality salient dyadic encounters can be assessed and used by the psychotherapy practitioner. This article introduces death anxiety experiments and theories (mostly contributions of Terror Management Theory) that have more recently demonstrated the buffering and mitigating potential of close relationships on an individual’s death fears. Additionally, this article illuminates the significance of the close relationship, which is a commonly accepted psychotherapeutic agent of change and also, paradoxically, produces death fears. The article concludes by suggesting that death anxiety plays a dominant role in the socially constructed mind and should therefore play a prevalent role in clinical depth work.
Dynamic Spectral Structure Specifies Vowels for Adults and Children
Authors: Nittrouer Susan , Lowenstein Joanna H.
Published: November 2013

The dynamic specification account of vowel recognition suggests that formant movement between vowel targets and consonant margins is used by listeners to recognize vowels. This study tested that account by measuring contributions to vowel recognition of dynamic (i.e., time-varying) spectral structure and coarticulatory effects on stationary structure. Adults and children (four- and seven-year-olds) were tested with three kinds of consonant-vowel-consonant syllables: (1) unprocessed; (2) sine waves that preserved both stationary coarticulated and dynamic spectral structure; and (3) vocoded signals that primarily preserved that stationary, but not dynamic structure. Sections of two lengths were removed from syllable middles: (1) half the vocalic portion; and (2) all but the first and last three pitch periods. Adults performed accurately with unprocessed and sine-wave signals, as long as half the syllable remained; their recognition was poorer for vocoded signals, but above chance. Seven-year-olds performed more poorly than adults with both sorts of processed signals, but disproportionately worse with vocoded than sine-wave signals. Most four-year-olds were unable to recognize vowels at all with vocoded signals. Conclusions were that both dynamic and stationary coarticulated structures support vowel recognition for adults, but children attend to dynamic spectral structure more strongly because early phonological organization favors whole words.
Edinburgh, the Scottish pioneers of anatomy and their lasting influence in South Africa
Authors: Correia JC , Wessels Q , Vorster W
Published: November 2013

The history of the origin of anatomy education in South Africa is the history of an arduous journey through time. The lasting influence of Edinburgh came in the form of Robert Black Thomson. He was a student and assistant of Sir William Turner who gave rise to the first chair of anatomy and the establishment of a department at the South African College, known today as University of Cape Town. Thomson was later succeeded by Matthew Drennan, a keen anthropologist, who was revered by his students. This Scottish link prevailed over time with the appointment of Edward Philip Stibbe as the chair of anatomy at the South African School of Mines and Technology, which later became the University of the Witwatersrand. Stibbe’s successor, Raymond Arthur Dart, a graduate of the University of Sydney, was trained in an anatomy department sculpted on that of Edinburgh by Professor James Thomas Wilson. Wilson’s influence at the University of Sydney can be traced back to Edinburgh and William Turner through Thomas Anderson Stuart. Both Dart and Robert Broom, another Scot, were considered as Africa’s wild men by the late Professor Tobias. Here, the authors explore the Scottish link and origins of anatomy pedagogy in South Africa.
Peri-operative renal morbidity secondary to gentamicin and flucloxacillin chemoprophylaxis for hip and knee arthroplasty
Authors: Ross AD , Boscainos PJ , Malhas A , Wigderowitz C
Published: November 2013

Introduction

This retrospective cohort study uses serum creatinine levels to assess the effect of gentamicin and flucloxacillin on renal function in hip and knee arthroplasty patients.

Methods

Serum creatinine levels were recorded pre-operatively and at two points post-operatively (sample 1 and sample 2) for all patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty. Either cefuroxime, or gentamicin and flucloxacillin were used for chemoprophylaxis. The Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End Stage classification was used to assess renal injury.

Results

The differences in mean percentage change between the two groups were 5.86% ( p = 0.077) and 11.34% ( p = 0.030) at sample 1 and sample 2, respectively. Two patients (1.62%) receiving cefuroxime were exposed to renal risk or worse at some point. A total of nine patients (6.04%) receiving flucloxacillin and gentamicin were exposed to renal risk. Of these, three (2.01%) sustained renal injury and two (1.34%) sustained renal failure. The risk of being exposed to renal risk was 3.75 times greater for the gentamicin and flucloxacillin group. The risks of sustaining a significant deterioration of renal function were 1.9 and 17 times greater for the gentamicin and flucloxacillin group at the first and second post-operative samples, respectively.

Discussion

Flucloxacillin and gentamicin significantly worsens renal function post-operatively compared with cefuroxime.
An epidemiological study of the association of coffee with chronic liver disease
Authors: Walton HB , Masterton GS , Hayes PC
Published: November 2013

Background and aims

Chronic liver disease affects 855 people per million in the UK. Previous studies have reported that coffee appears protective against the development of abnormal liver enzymes, hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. The aim of this study, the first in a Scottish population, was to compare coffee consumption in patients with liver disease and that of control populations to determine correlations between coffee intake and the incidence of non-cancerous liver disease and with Child’s-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores.

Methods and results

Two hundred and eighty-six patients attending the liver outpatient department at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh completed a questionnaire regarding coffee consumption and lifestyle factors. Control questionnaires were also completed by 100 orthopaedic outpatients and 120 medical students. Patients with cirrhosis ( n = 95) drank significantly less coffee than those without cirrhosis ( p = <0.001). There was no correlation between Child’s-Pugh (−0.018) and MELD scores (−0.132) with coffee consumption.

Conclusion

Coffee drinking is associated with a reduced prevalence of cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease. However, there was no significant difference in the amount of coffee drunk by liver patients and the control groups. It is possible that by changing the amount of coffee drunk, the development of cirrhosis in liver disease could be postponed.
Total knee replacement in patients with haemophilia: the Scottish experience
Authors: Jenkins PJ , Ekrol I , Lawson GM
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Patients with haemophilia commonly develop arthropathy secondary to recurrent haemarthroses. Although modern treatment with replacement coagulation factors has reduced the prevalence of end-stage arthropathy, total joint replacement is still required in a small group of patients. These patients may be at higher risk of complications and the outcome of surgery may not be comparable to reports of outcomes of total joint replacement in the general population. The purpose of this study was to describe the change in function in patients undergoing total knee replacement for haemophilic arthropathy.

Patients and methods

Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty in a tertiary centre had prospective evaluations of patient reported outcome measures and range of movement. Their post-operative function was evaluated in a combined orthopaedic–haematology clinic. Eight male patients underwent 13 total knee replacements from 1999 to 2007 and were followed up for a median of 78 months (range 17–116).

Results

The median Oxford knee score improved from 45.5 pre-operatively to 28 ( p = 0.049). There was a similar improvement in SF-12 physical ( p = 0.017) and Knee Society scores (objective p = 0.001; function p = 0.002). Four total knee replacements were performed in patients with inhibitor antibodies and were treated with recombinant activated factor VIIa. These patients had reduced range of movement ( p = 0.047). No patients suffered deep infection.

Conclusions

Total knee replacement in patients with haemophiliac arthropathy resulted in improvement in range of movement and function. The presence of factor VIII inhibitors resulted in reduced range of movement, but similar patient reported outcome measures.
Neurology liaison services in the acute medical receiving unit
Authors: Morrison I , Jamdar R , Shah P , Fisher M , Leach JP
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Guidelines from the Association of British Neurologists and National Health Service Quality Improvement Scotland suggest that neurologists should be involved in the early management of patients presenting to hospital with acute neurological illness.

Aim

We chose to evaluate whether regular neurology review in an acute medical receiving unit in a busy city hospital was feasible, and whether it would have an impact on patient care.

Methods

Over a 5-week period from Monday to Friday, all neurology patients admitted to an acute medical receiving unit were identified and all headaches and blackouts were reviewed.

Results

Fourteen (24%) were headache patients, 37 (63%) presumed seizure and 8 (13%) had another neurological illness. Diagnosis was made by the admitting physician in six headache patients (43%). The remaining eight headache patients were diagnosed by the visiting neurologist and two physician diagnoses were revised. The diagnosis made by the admitting physician was clarified by the visiting neurologist in 13 blackout patients (35%) and nine other diagnoses were revised (24%). Appropriate outpatient follow-up or transfer was arranged.

Conclusion

These results suggest that a daily neurology review service is useful in medical receiving units by clarifying diagnoses, directing tests and limiting inappropriate follow-up.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in chronic infection
Authors: Galea F , Abela GP , Felice H
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is the acquired, reversible syndrome characterised by apical ballooning and base hypercontractility and probably precipitated by emotional and physical stressors that cause a hyperadrenergic state. It presents as an acute coronary event without there being coronary disease.

Case presentation

We present a case of a 73-year-old woman who developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy with concomitant septic shock from a chronic hemiarthroplasty site infection. The prosthesis had been removed, the surgical site drained twice and multiple antibiotics prescribed. She also had a previous episode of sepsis from she recovered with vasopressor support.

Conclusion

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first case of this syndrome occurring in such a prolonged septic process and where the primary focus was a surgical wound. This may indicate continued myocardial injury secondary to a sustained hyperadrenergic state as a possible mechanism for takotsubo cardiomyopathy, rather than a one-time catecholamine surge.
Treating tuberculosis in the elderly population: a lesson in multi-disciplinary care
Authors: Mamo JP , Brij SO
Published: November 2013

Introduction

It is estimated that the risk of reactivation of previously untreated healed or latent tuberculosis is around 0.04 cases per 100 person-years. The incidence of active tuberculosis in Peterborough is 28.0 per 100,000 population compared with 8.3 in the East of England region. 2 The majority of patients are of Indian or Pakistani origin and aged between 15 and 65.

Case presentation

Here, we present the case of an 88-year-old gentleman who successfully completed anti-tuberculous therapy for smear-negative tuberculosis and discuss some of the issues encountered in his management, with particular emphasis on drug surveillance, tolerance of anti-tuberculous therapy and drug interactions.

Conclusion

Elderly persons presenting with tuberculosis are more likely to present atypically and may need a staged initiation of therapy with continued pharmacist advice, due to high risk of interactions.
Large solitary fibrous tumour of the retroperitoneum: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Orsaria M , Marzinotto S , Mariuzzi L
Published: November 2013

Introduction

This report describes an unusual case of a large solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) arising in the retroperitoneum.

Case presentation

A 53-year-old woman presented at the Emergency Department with urinary retention and lumbar pain. The urological examination was negative, whereas a presacral retroperitoneal mass was disclosed on ultrasound. The laboratory studies, including tumour markers, were negative. On laparotomy, it was not possible to remove the mass completely due to the difficulty of dissecting it free of the sacrum. Grossly, the fragment had a yellowish-white surface, with areas of necrosis and haemorrhage. On immunohistochemistry, tumour cells were positive for CD34, CD99 and Bcl-2 and negative for CD45, synaptophysin, chromogranin, S100, neuron-specific enolase, CK AE1-AE3, CK7, Wilms’ tumour 1, smooth muscle actin, factor VIII, myogenin, epithelial membrane antigen, thyroid transcription factor-1 and CD117, leading to a diagnosis of SFT. Molecular investigation ruled out synovial sarcoma.

Conclusion

Although SFT usually has a favourable prognosis, close follow-up is recommended due to the limited information on its long-term behaviour.
Adaptation of cultural norms after merger and acquisition based on the heterogeneous agent-based relative-agreement model
Authors: Zhu Hou , Hu Bin , Wu Jiang , Hu Xiaolin
Published: November 2013

The subject of norm formation and diffusion has gained lots of attention in social science and organizational science in the last decade. This paper explores how public dissenters in acquired firms can affect success or failure of merger and acquisition (M&A). In the classical relative-agreement model, all individuals observe their neighbors’ behavior and update their own opinion and behavior following the same rule. This paper proposes a new heterogeneous relative-agreement model where individuals update their behavior following different rules after M&A. Simulation experiments show that the time shortly after acquisition is a key period to guide the acculturation in a way consistent with the intent of the acquiring firm, and that the risk of cultural norm reversing after acquisition is influenced by several important factors. Some suggestions for guiding the acculturation process after M&A are also provided.
Exploiting the Imperialist Competition Algorithm to determine exit door efficacy for public buildings
Authors: Kamkarian Pejman , Hexmoor Henry
Published: November 2013

The Imperialist Competition Algorithm has recently shown superior performance in optimizing goals. This algorithm has inspired us to apply it to exit doors. The Imperialist Competition Algorithm is applied to an environment to find the best possible locations for exit doors and also to estimate the minimum required width for each door in order to be able to rapidly evacuate a crowd out of danger in emergency situations. The results of our system are applied to a few prototypical scenarios that have demonstrated that the location of each exit door in an indoor space can play a significant role in the evacuation of a crowd out of an emergency situation. Our results thus far are promising and future work will account for more complex floor layouts.
What School Movies and TFA Teach Us About Who Should Teach Urban Youth
Authors: Cann Colette N.
Published: November 2013

White teacher savior films (WTSFs) depict the teaching profession as one for which conventional credentialing is unnecessary. White teachers with little training and experience perform miracles in urban classrooms where trained, experienced teachers have failed. This same narrative is echoed in alternative credential programs such as Teach For America ( TFA). This article compares the WTSF and TFA narratives with the educational research and finds inconsistencies that unravel the myth. The author suggests that the WTSF and TFA narratives serve instead as public pedagogy, teaching movie-goers that urban schools need only well-meaning, less expensive, underqualified and inexperienced White teachers despite the research showing otherwise.
Necessary but Not Sufficient
Authors: McGinnis Johnson Jasmine
Published: November 2013

Despite normative claims that elite foundation boards select elite nonprofits, foundations increasingly use community volunteers to allocate grants. There is an assumption that community involvement in grant making leads to better grant decisions. However, no one has tested this assumption and explored whether community members are even making different grant decisions than traditional boards. Drawing on a sample of six funders who use a community and traditional board, their 616 grantees, and 955 nongrantees, this paper empirically tests anecdotes replete in literature, identifying the organizational and financial determinants that influence community boards grant decisions versus those that influence traditional board decisions.
All in the Family
Authors: Apter Norman D.
Published: November 2013

The delivery systems for caring for dependent children have undergone a radical transformation in Reform-era China. Beginning in the mid-1980s, a dramatic resurgence in the number of abandoned infants as well as homeless youths from rural to urban areas placed great strains on the existing framework of state-run institutions for the young. China’s Civil Affairs branch has responded to the crisis by embracing a policy of “multi-approachism” 多元化 that places primacy on local experimentation and initiative. Civil Affairs workers have expressed the need to “societalize” 社会化 social welfare work, in which the government works hand-in-hand with both outside organizations and Chinese families to provide a better future for at-risk children. These findings suggest that societalization has led not to the privatization of services or the withdrawal of the state, but rather to the formation of creative partnerships between government and nongovernment entities in aiding the dependent child. Throughout the post-Mao period, we can also observe a paradigmatic shift from institution-based care to a family-centered approach that aims at providing the disadvantaged youngster with the warmth and love of the kin unit.
Hails From the Crypt
Authors: McCabe Simon , Vail Kenneth E. , Arndt Jamie , Goldenberg Jamie L.
Published: November 2013

Interfacing the terror management health model with the meaning transfer model, we offer novel hypotheses concerning the effectiveness of celebrity and medical endorsements for consumer products and health behavior decisions. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that, compared with control topic primes, death thoughts in focal attention increased the effectiveness of health-oriented (doctor) endorsers but not culture-oriented (celebrity) endorsers, whereas death thoughts outside of focal attention increased the effectiveness of culture-oriented endorsers but not health-oriented endorsers. Studies 3 and 4 then focus more specifically on the valence and specificity of culture-oriented endorsements, revealing that death thoughts outside focal attention increase the effectiveness of culture-oriented endorsers only on the behaviors specifically endorsed and only when the endorser is characterized as possessing cultural value. Discussion focuses on everyday management of existential concerns and implications for persuasive communications in the health domain.
Early development of emerging and English-proficient bilingual children at school entry in an Australian population cohort
Authors: Goldfeld Sharon , O’Connor Meredith , Mithen Johanna , Sayers Mary , Brinkman Sally
Published: November 2013

Children who enter school with limited proficiency in the language of instruction face a range of challenges in negotiating this new context, yet limited data have been available to describe the early developmental outcomes of this subpopulation in the Australian context. The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) is a teacher-rated checklist that measures five important domains of child development: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communication skills and general knowledge. In 2009, the AEDI was completed for 97.5% of Australian children in their first year of schooling ( N = 261,147; M = 5 years, 7 months of age), providing a unique opportunity to explore the cross-sectional associations between language background, proficiency in English, and early developmental outcomes at the population-level. Logistic regression analyses revealed that, compared to their peers from English-speaking backgrounds, bilingual children who were not yet proficient in English had substantially higher odds of being in the “vulnerable” range (bottom 10th percentile) on the AEDI domains ( OR = 2.88, p < .001, to OR = 7.49, p < .001), whereas English-proficient bilingual children had equal or slightly lower odds ( OR = .84, p < .001, to OR = .97, ns). Future research with longitudinal data is now needed to establish causal pathways and explore long term outcomes.
Does visual attention span relate to eye movements during reading and copying?
Authors: Bosse Marie-Line , Kandel Sonia , Prado Chloé , Valdois Sylviane
Published: November 2013

This research investigated whether text reading and copying involve visual attention-processing skills. Children in grades 3 and 5 read and copied the same text. We measured eye movements while reading and the number of gaze lifts (GL) during copying. The children were also administered letter report tasks that constitute an estimation of the number of letters that are processed simultaneously. The tasks were designed to assess visual attention span abilities (VA). The results for both grades revealed that the children who reported more letters, i.e., processed more consonants in parallel, produced fewer rightward fixations during text reading suggesting they could process more letters at each fixation. They also copied more letters per gaze lift from the same text. Furthermore, a regression analysis showed that VA span predicted variations in copying independently of the influence of reading skills. The findings support a role of VA span abilities in the early extraction of orthographic information, for both reading and copying tasks.
Assessment Standards
Authors: Shea Katherine , Stewart Sharron , Rouse Rodney
Published: November 2013

Histopathology generally represents the reference standard for performance evaluation of nonclinical biomarkers used to inform regulatory decision making. This study uses drug-induced nephrotoxicity in rats to evaluate histopathology methods utilized in biomarker performance assessments. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received a single dose of cisplatin (0.5–5.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) to produce mild renal injury. Animals were euthanized 72 hr postdose and perfusion fixed. Kidneys were processed for histology and stereology procedures. Kidney injury molecule-1 (Kim-1) was measured in urine and in kidney tissue. Digital slide images were generated and analyzed by pathologists after collaborating on a training set of glass slides and digital images. Image analysis identified immunohistochemistry (IHC)-defined tubular injury. Stereology methods yielded estimations of proximal tubular cell number and volume. Statistical relationships among data sets were determined using correlation coefficients. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses determined the effect of method on biomarker assessment. Urinary Kim-1 was strongly correlated with digital image analysis and secondarily to histopathology evaluations. Stereology demonstrated weak or no correlation to pathology and urinary Kim-1. In ROC analyses, semiquantitative evaluations determined higher values for urinary Kim-1 performance than did IHC-based qualitative digital analyses. Semiquantitative evaluation as used in this study was most predictive of urinary Kim-1 values.
Analysis of the NSQIP Database in 676 Patients Undergoing Laryngopharyngectomy: The Impact of Flap Reconstruction
Authors: Kim Kuylhee , Ibrahim Ahmed M. S. , Koolen Pieter G. L. , Frankenthaler Robert A. , Lin Samuel J.
Published: November 2013

Objective

Assess impact of reconstructive procedures on patients undergoing laryngopharyngectomy and to determine whether 30‐day postoperative morbidity and mortality varied between patients who underwent flap reconstruction and those who did not.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis of the prospectively collected American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement (ACS‐NSQIP) database.

Setting

Tertiary medical center.

Subjects and Methods

We reviewed the 2005‐2011 ACS‐NSQIP database to identify patients undergoing laryngectomy and/or pharyngectomy. Bivariate analysis was done to compare preoperative variables and postoperative outcomes between the flap reconstruction group and non‐reconstruction group. Chi‐square tests were used for categorical variables and t‐tests for continuous variables. Logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratio to account for potential confounders. To create a valid logistic analysis model, F‐test was used to determine whether certain variables should be included in the model.

Results

Six hundred seventy‐six patients were included in our study; 213 patients received concurrent flap reconstruction whereas 463 did not. After risk adjustment, analyses revealed no statistically significant difference in wound complication, minor morbidity, and mortality between the 2 groups. The flap reconstruction cohort showed significantly longer operative times (8.09 ± 3.36 hours vs 5.63 ± 3.47 hours; P =. 001) and higher major morbidity rate (OR = 5.906, 95% CI, 3.131‐11.139, P =. 001).

Conclusions

This is the first comprehensive analysis of flap reconstruction for laryngopharyngeal defects using the ACS‐NSQIP registry. Additional measures involved in flap reconstruction are associated with an increase in major morbidity but not mortality. An understanding of these variables may optimize the decision‐making process for patients undergoing laryngectomy and/or pharyngectomy.
Teachers’ views of constructivist theory: A qualitative study illuminating relationships between epistemological understanding and music teaching practice
Authors: Cleaver David , Ballantyne Julie
Published: November 2013

While constructivist theory is widely promoted in pre-service music teacher education, there has been a lack of research conducted to reveal the ways in which the theory is individually personalized, then subsumed, translated and adopted into in-service classroom teaching practice. To address this shortfall, this article explores some of the ways that music teachers individually apply their understanding of the philosophically generated ideas and the cognitive concepts and principles that are broadly regarded as “constructivist.”

In seeking to contribute to professional dialogue and debate surrounding this matter, this study seeks to illuminate how a small sample of music teachers engages both theoretically and practically with constructivist views of learning. Using a qualitative approach, the researchers incorporated staged, informal interviews with invited teacher participants. Preliminary analyses of interview data were returned to the participants for review and further commentary. This process was designed to contribute to both the trustworthiness of representation and to enhance the transactional process between participants and researchers. The commentaries are designed to problematize issues, raise points for discussion and the article concludes with implications for practice in schools and universities.
An integrated, ontology-based agricultural information system
Authors: Liao Jianwei , Li Li , Liu Xiaoyan
Published: November 2013

This paper proposes an integrated, ontology-based agricultural information system (AIS) to provide all-round and precise information for efficiently guiding farmers and agri-professionals to conduct agricultural processing. Since the existing independent AIS platforms can only offer specific but incomplete agricultural information service, aiming at this issue, the newly proposed AIS system employs ontology techniques, including RDF-based representation and semantic reasoning, to integrate the index information provided by all involved independent agricultural information platforms. As a result, this newly proposed AIS system can provide users with integrated and accurate response information. Through a realistic case study and relevant experiments, it is clear that the accuracy ratio and integrity ratio of response information offered by this ontology-based integrated AIS can be enhanced to a great extent. In summary, not only agri-professionals, but also farmers, who might not understand information retrieval skills, can benefit from this newly proposed AIS to conduct activities in agricultural production life cycle.
Subaerial sediment-water flows on hillslopes
Authors: Germain Daniel , Ouellet Marie-Audray
Published: November 2013

Subaerial sediment-water flows on hillslopes have received growing attention from the scientific community in recent years. Interest in this type of geomorphic process is twofold: they constitute a major risk factor and they have generally been poorly defined in the past. Major classification schemes are considered here, with a particular interest in criteria for discriminating between various subaerial flow type processes. Identification techniques from various fields (morphometry, rheology, geomorphology, sedimentology) are reviewed. Recent accounts of flow processes as part of a continuum of processes as opposed to belonging to distinct categories are discussed. It is proposed that process identification include information drawn from various methods in order to minimize identification error, given that correct identification is essential to appropriate hazard assessment and mitigation measures.
Isaiah Bowman’s Forest Physiography
Authors: Butler David R.
Published: November 2013

Isaiah Bowman’s book Forest Physiography (1911), subtitled Physiography of the United States and Principles of Soils in Relation to Forestry, was the first regional physiography text in the USA. This paper briefly describes Bowman’s background, the writing of the text, and its impact and legacy.
An experimental study of the contact of a rounded rigid indenter with a soft material block
Authors: Tan Xiaohua , Kang Yilan , Patterson Eann
Published: November 2013

Digital image correlation has been utilized for measuring the strains induced by the contact of a wedge-shaped indenter with a soft material block, which undergoes large deformation. The quality and extent of the experimental results allowed, for the first time, a detailed comparison with theoretical predictions using image decomposition and accounting for measurement uncertainties. Both in-plane strain and out-of-plane displacement calibrations of the digital image correlation system were conducted to establish the minimum measurement uncertainties (31.7 µε for in-plane strain and 0.65 µm for out-of-plane displacements) and to establish confidence in the measurements. It was concluded that the assumptions used in the theory were contravened when the depth of indentation exceeded 90% of the radius of the indenter tip so that the theory was no longer applicable.
Program Approaches for Girls in Gangs
Authors: Petersen Rebecca D. , Howell James C.
Published: November 2013

Although research over the past 20 years has specified with considerable certainty the extent and seriousness of female involvement in gangs, few gang prevention and intervention programs have been designed with girls in mind. As such, the extant research on this topic makes clear the need for both female-specific and gender-neutral programming to effectively address the needs of gang girls. This article considers various aspects of female gang involvement, keeping in mind the implications for gang prevention and control initiatives. These include the prevalence of female gang members, gender-linked risk and protective factors for gang joining, psychosocial experiences of gang-involved girls, the level and seriousness of female gang crime involvement, and the importance of gender composition in gangs. The article then reviews prevention and intervention strategies that appear most promising for girls in gangs within the framework of female-specific and gender-neutral approaches. The article concludes with policy implications and recommendations for future research in this area.
Compaction behavior of synthetic and natural MSW samples in different compositions
Authors: Pulat Hasan Firat , Yukselen-Aksoy Yeliz
Published: November 2013

Compaction is the one of the most important stages of the storage process in landfills. Well-compacted municipal solid waste (MSW) occupies less volume than an uncompacted MSW sample of the same weight and provides a safer storage area. The composition of MSW changes in between countries and even cities. For that reason, for effective compaction, the composition effect should be investigated. In this study, effects of composition, degradation and energy on the compaction behavior of artificially-prepared and natural fresh and aged MSW samples were determined. Artificial samples were prepared in representative different compositions Europe (E-1), Turkey (T-1) and the USA (U-1) to examine the effect of the composition. In addition to the synthetic MSW samples, natural MSW samples were obtained from the municipal landfill area of Manisa, Turkey. The standard Proctor test results have shown that the highest maximum dry unit weight was observed with the U-1 composition, which has the lowest organic content and the highest metal content. The degradation effect was investigated on the natural samples. The degraded MSW sample (3–4 years) has significantly higher maximum dry unit weight than the fresh natural MSW sample because of its low organic content. According to the results of this study, with respect to the composition effect, the percentage of organic waste is the most important factor on the compaction behavior of MSWs. As paper, organic and plastic contents increase in the MSW composition the γdry-max value decreases and wopt increases. The ash content does it reversely, as such that any increase in γdry-max decreases the wopt value of the MSW.
Documenting Disabilities in Postsecondary Settings
Authors: Harrison Allyson G. , Lovett Benjamin J. , Gordon Michael
Published: November 2013

Increasing numbers of students with learning disability and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses are applying for accommodations in postsecondary education and employment settings. However, students’ documentation of these conditions is often substandard. One possible reason for this is that clinicians have failed to apply proper criteria when determining disability status. We surveyed 119 clinicians who diagnosed these conditions in students applying for accommodations to determine clinician levels of knowledge about appropriate diagnostic and legal standards. We found weak clinician knowledge on certain key issues, including the meaning of functional impairment and understanding of the different laws governing academic accommodation of children versus adults. The average respondent’s score on a 30-item true/false questionnaire was only 69% correct. Implications of these results for practice and future research are discussed.
Biocompatibility, biodegradability, and drug carrier ability of hybrid collagen-based hydrogel nanocomposites
Authors: Nistor Manuela T , Vasile Cornelia , Chiriac Aurica P , Tarţău Liliana
Published: November 2013

The biocompatibility, biodegradability, and drug carrier capacity of new types of hybrid hydrogels were evaluated for potential medical applications. The effects of swelling and deswelling of the hybrid hydrogels on drug loading and release capacity were evaluated. The hybrid hydrogels with Dellite® 67G and Cloisite® 93A had superior collagenase resistance compared to hydrogels without the inorganic nanoparticles. The effect of the hybrid hydrogels on the immune response parameters was followed by evaluating the chronic inflammation in rats. These hybrid hydrogels have the potential for medical and pharmaceutical applications as well as for scaffolds production in the reconstruction and regeneration of burned tissues with control of inflammatory processes.
Intimate Partner Violence and Utilization of Prenatal Care in the United States
Authors: Cha Susan , Masho Saba W.
Published: November 2013

Over 1.5 million women are victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by former or present intimate partners. Intimate partner violence (IPV) around pregnancy can lead to devastating health consequences to mothers and infants. While some research suggests that IPV negatively affects the utilization of health services like prenatal care (PNC), inconsistencies in the assessment of PNC utilization, timing of partner violence, and definitions of IPV yield conflicting results. The objective for the present study is to evaluate whether preconception IPV, prenatal IPV, or IPV in the preconception and/or prenatal period affects PNC utilization. This study analyzed the 2004-2008 national Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), which included 202,367 women who delivered a live birth in the United States. IPV victimization was measured using four items that addressed physical abuse by a current or former husband/partner in the 12 months before (preconception) and during (prenatal) pregnancy. Responses were categorized as preconception, prenatal, and preconception and/or prenatal IPV. The outcome was PNC adequacy categorized as inadequate, intermediate, adequate, and adequate plus based on the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization index. Separate logistic regression models provided crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Over 6% of women reported preconception and/or prenatal IPV and 26% had less than adequate PNC. Women who reported abuse before and/or during pregnancy were more likely to have inadequate PNC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.4, 95% CI = [1.3, 1.6]). Similarly, women who experienced preconception or prenatal IPV were 30% more likely to have inadequate PNC (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = [1.2, 1.5]; OR = 1.3, 95% CI = [1.1, 1.7], respectively). Adequate PNC is essential in improving pregnancy outcomes; however, women in abusive relationships may face ongoing challenges and difficulties with obtaining appropriate care. Findings underscore a critical problem and health providers are urged to screen and educate women about IPV during all preconception and prenatal visits.
Beyond Income, Access, and Knowledge
Authors: Trujillo Antonio J. , Fleisher Lisa K.
Published: November 2013

Objective: While the education gradient in prevention of chronic conditions is well documented, contributing factors remain underexplored. The contribution of income, knowledge and management of illness, market prices, cognitive ability, ability to act, perception about the future, and psychosocial constraints to the education gradient in prevention is examined. Methods: To solve problems of unobservable factors that influence prevention and illness severity, we estimate the role of each component of the education gradient on prevention using data on diabetes and hypertension from five Latin American countries. Results: Overall, these components explain 50% to 70% of the education gradient in prevention, with income being the most important. Discussion: Cognitive ability and ability to act capture an important part of the education gradient in prevention whereas knowledge about illness explains little. Medicine individualized to patients’ cognitive ability and ability to act could improve adherence to prevention protocols among patients with chronic conditions.
Charitable Practices of Latter-day Saints
Authors: Curtis Daniel W. , Evans Van , Cnaan Ram A.
Published: November 2013

This study aims to test whether there is a difference in charitable giving between practicing converts and practicing lifelong Latter-day Saints (Mormons, LDS). A cluster sample of 2,701 anonymous questionnaires was completed during worship services in California, Utah, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey from June 2010 through November 2011. We found that practicing Mormons in our sample donated at high rates to both religious and social causes. Compared with converts, lifelong members were more likely to donate 10% or more of their income to religious causes and to donate to social causes. Also, the number of years since conversion was significantly and positively related to the likelihood of fully tithing and making donations to social causes. Implications and future research are discussed.
Thermoelastohydrodynamic behavior of misaligned plain journal bearings
Authors: Zhang ZS , Dai XD , Xie YB
Published: November 2013

Under severe operating conditions, the thermal effects and various deformations play an important role in determining the performance of misaligned plain journal bearings. However, the thermal effects and various deformations are rarely considered simultaneously in most studies on the misaligned plain journal bearings. In this article, a comprehensive thermoelastohydrodynamic model of the misaligned plain journal bearings is developed that involves the synthetic solution of the generalized Reynolds equation, three-dimensional energy equation, and heat conduction equations of the solids. Based on this model, series of simulation results are provided to examine the influence of the thermal effects and deformations on the behavior of the misaligned plain journal bearings. In addition, the comparisons between the thermohydrodynamic and complete thermoelastohydrodynamic model are also presented for different misalignment angle and magnitude. Results show that the thermal effects and various deformations should not be ignored because of their significant influence on the film thickness, film pressure as well as other bearings characteristics.