bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved clinical outcomes and efficacy with a nurse-led dysphagia hotline service
Authors: Murray Iain Alexander , Waters Carolyn , Maskell Giles , Despott Edward J , Palmer Joanne , Dalton Harry R
Published: December 2012

Background

A nurse practitioner-led dysphagia service was introduced to improve appropriateness of investigations.

Objective

To determine the clinical outcomes and efficacy of this service.

Design and patients

A 7-year prospective audit of the first 2000 patients referred for investigation of dysphagia.

Setting

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.

Intervention

An innovative nurse practitioner-led telephone dysphagia hotline (DHL) assessment service for all patients and consultant review following investigation prior to discharge.

Outcomes

Clinical outcomes, service efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Results

2000 patients (median age 70 years, 48% male) were referred in less than 7 years, 1775 being managed fully through the DHL. 67% patients had gastroscopy only, 13% barium swallow only and 8.8% both and 11.2% had no investigation. Reflux was the commonest cause (41.3%), 9% had peptic stricture, 10% malignancy 1.9% pharyngeal pouches and 0.8% achalasia. The did not attend rate was reduced from 3.9% to 1.1% and 151 patients either refused or did not require investigation saving a potential £53 040. Although some patients with pharyngeal pouches had gastroscopy as initial investigation, no complications resulted.

Conclusions

The nurse practitioner-led DHL service has improved efficiency and resulted in a safe prompt service to patients.
How to teach reflective ethical practice in postgraduate gastroenterology: the SLICE framework
Authors: Webster Shelby
Published: December 2012

Professionalism and performance are now the focus of assessment in postgraduate medical training and revalidation in the UK. Ethical decision making and clinical reasoning are key elements for practising gastroenterologists to master. The skills required to reflect, teach and appraise ethical decision making are central to the effectiveness of relationships with patients and colleagues. A framework is presented to enable gastroenterologists to reflect and learn from everyday ethical dilemmas in clinical practice.
Impact of social and technological distraction on pedestrian crossing behaviour: an observational study
Authors: Thompson Leah L , Rivara Frederick P , Ayyagari Rajiv C , Ebel Beth E
Published: December 2012

Objectives

The objective of the present work was to study the impact of technological and social distraction on cautionary behaviours and crossing times in pedestrians.

Methods

Pedestrians were observed at 20 high-risk intersections during 1 of 3 randomly assigned time windows in 2012. Observers recorded demographic and behavioural information, including use of a mobile device (talking on the phone, text messaging, or listening to music). We examined the association between distraction and crossing behaviours, adjusting for age and gender. All multivariate analyses were conducted with random effect logistic regression (binary outcomes) and random effect linear regression (continuous outcomes), accounting for clustering by site.

Results

Observers recorded crossing behaviours for 1102 pedestrians. Nearly one-third (29.8%) of all pedestrians performed a distracting activity while crossing. Distractions included listening to music (11.2%), text messaging (7.3%) and using a handheld phone (6.2%). Text messaging, mobile phone use and talking with a companion increased crossing time. Texting pedestrians took 1.87 additional seconds (18.0%) to cross the average intersection (3.4 lanes), compared to undistracted pedestrians. Texting pedestrians were 3.9 times more likely than undistracted pedestrians to display at least 1 unsafe crossing behaviour (disobeying the lights, crossing mid-intersection, or failing to look both ways). Pedestrians listening to music walked more than half a second (0.54) faster across the average intersection than undistracted pedestrians.

Conclusions

Distracting activity is common among pedestrians, even while crossing intersections. Technological and social distractions increase crossing times, with text messaging associated with the highest risk. Our findings suggest the need for intervention studies to reduce risk of pedestrian injury.
The role of radiology in the diagnosis and treatment of mesenteric ischaemia
Authors: Upponi Sara , Harvey John Julian , Uberoi Raman , Ganeshan Arul
Published: December 2012

Clinicians working in any acute medical/surgical unit need an understanding of mesenteric ischaemia. Acute mesenteric ischaemia is a life-threatening vascular emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality. However, prompt diagnosis with the use of contrast-enhanced CT, more specifically CT angiography, has replaced catheter angiography as the new standard and is readily available in many emergency departments. Similarly, new hybrid open surgery endovascular treatment can minimise the surgical insult to these often critically ill elderly patients. Together, these changes can change the previously grim prognosis associated with this condition.

By contrast, chronic mesenteric ischaemia (CMI) is an insidious disease and often a diagnosis of exclusion. However, it can cause a significant reduction in a patient's quality of life, due to ‘mesenteric angina’ and food avoidance, yet can potentially be treated simply and effectively. Recognition of the typical clinical history and imaging findings is key to making the diagnosis in a timely fashion.

Radiology plays a significant role in the diagnosis and increasingly in the treatment of mesenteric ischaemia. Other clinicians should have a basic understanding of what radiology can and cannot offer. The advantages and limitations of commonly used imaging modalities—plain films, CT, MRI and ultrasound, are examined. The significance of findings, such as pneumatosis coli and portal gas are explained. Finally, the different endovascular management of both acute and CMI is discussed, which have emerged as minimally invasive options to complement open revascularisation surgery.
Evolution ofNeisseria gonorrhoeaeis a continuing challenge for molecular detection of gonorrhoea: false negative gonococcalporAmutants are spreading internationally
Authors: Ison Catherine A , Golparian Daniel , Saunders Pamela , Chisholm Stephanie , Unemo Magnus
Published: December 2012

Objectives

Identification of genetic targets specific toNeisseria gonorrhoeaefor use in molecular detection methods has been a challenge. TheporApseudogene inN gonorrhoeaehas been commonly used but recently gonococcal isolates giving a negative result in these PCRs have been reported. Here we describe the characterisation of two such gonococcal isolates received by the reference service at the Health Protection Agency, London, England.

Methods

Phenotypic characterisation was achieved using conventional biochemical and immunological tests, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), antimicrobial susceptibility testing, serovar determination and detection of meningococcal PorA using monoclonal antibody 4BG4-E7. Genetic species confirmation was determined using commercial and in house PCRs and16S rRNAgene sequencing. Molecular typing using theN gonorrhoeaemulti-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed. The DNA sequence of the full-length gonococcalporApseudogene was determined and compared with published sequences.

Results

Both isolates were confirmed, biochemically and immunologically asN gonorrhoeae, but repeatedly gave negative results with two in house real-time PCR assays for theporApseudogene. Further characterisation of these isolates identified the presence of a meningococcalporAsequence and showed these isolates belong to serovar Bropyst, and to NG-MAST sequence type (ST) 5967 and MLST ST1901.

Conclusions

Gonococcal isolates that give false negative results withporApseudogene PCR assays have now been identified in four countries, three of which are in Europe, and do not appear clonal. This report highlights the genetic diversity ofN gonorrhoeae, which remains a challenge for the molecular detection methods.
Meta-analyses of the effects of river flow on fish movement and activity
Authors: Taylor Mark K. , Cooke Steven J.
Published: December 2012

Estimating the timing and magnitude of fish movements relative to environmental factors can provide insight into why fishes behave as they do. To make broad-level inferences about fish movement in lotic environments, we conducted random-effects meta-analyses on the effects of river flow magnitude on (i) non-migratory movements, (ii) upstream migratory movements, (iii) downstream migratory movements, and (iv) fine-scale activity. We found a significant positive effect of river discharge on non-migratory movements ([Formula: see text] = 0.41 (mean) ± 0.07 (SE), Z = 6.06, p < 0.01, k (sample size) = 27); fishes made larger and (or) more frequent movements during periods of elevated discharge. Furthermore, non-salmonids were more affected by river flow than salmonids. River discharge also had a significant positive effect on the rate, frequency, and probability of upstream migratory movements ([Formula: see text] = 0.23 ± 0.10, Z = 2.24, p < 0.05, k = 8). However, the effect of discharge on the rate of downstream migratory movements ([Formula: see text] = –0.05 ± 0.15, Z = –0.35, p > 0.05, k = 5) and fine-scale activity ([Formula: see text] = 0.01 ± 0.11, Z = 0.08, p > 0.05, k = 5) were not significant. Heterogeneity of effect sizes was evident in all meta-analyses as well as inclusion and (or) publication bias. Collectively, our meta-analyses suggested that changes to a river’s flow regime can modulate non-migratory fish behaviour, the consequences of which need to be explored in terms of habitat use and energy budgets. However, more studies are needed to examine potential effect modifiers and improve sample sizes overall.
Invasive male round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) release pheromones in their urine to attract females
Authors: Tierney Keith B. , Kereliuk Matthew , Katare Yogesh Kumar , Scott Alexander P. , Loeb Stephen J. , Zielinski Barbara
Published: December 2012

The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is an invasive fish in the Laurentian Great Lakes and beyond. Pheromones appear to be important for their reproductive success, as females are attracted to water in which reproductive males have resided (“conditioned water”). Previous investigation has shown conjugated and unconjugated forms of 3α-hydroxy-5β-androstane-11,17-dione (11-oxo-etiocholanolone; 11-O-ETIO) are released in the urine of these males. The goal of this study was to determine if the urine of reproductive males and fractionated extracts attract females. We found that reproductively active females were attracted to male urine and to isolates of male-conditioned water that contained conjugated 11-O-ETIO. The fractionated preparation that corresponded to unconjugated 11-O-ETIO (i.e., “free” steroid released via the gills of males) was not attractive to reproductive females, but curiously, it was attractive to nonreproductive females. Olfactory sensory deprivation confirmed that the behavioural responses were mediated by olfaction. These findings take us closer towards identifying the pheromone(s) that attract female gobies and, therefore, closer to having a method to limit this species' damaging invasion.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 preserves coronary microvascular endothelial function after cardiac arrest and resuscitation: potential antioxidant effects
Authors: Dokken Betsy B. , Piermarini Charles V. , Teachey Mary K. , Gura Michael T. , Dameff Christian J. , Heller Brian D. , Krate Jonida , Asghar Aeen M. , Querin Lauren , Mitchell Jennifer L. , Hilwig Ronald W. , Kern Karl B.
Published: December 2012

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has protective effects in the heart. We hypothesized that GLP-1 would mitigate coronary microvascular and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction if administered after cardiac arrest and resuscitation (CAR). Eighteen swine were subjected to ventricular fibrillation followed by resuscitation. Swine surviving to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were randomized to receive an intravenous infusion of either human rGLP-1 (10 pmol·kg−1·min−1; n = 8) or 0.9% saline ( n = 8) for 4 h, beginning 1 min after ROSC. CAR caused a decline in coronary flow reserve (CFR) in control animals (pre-arrest, 1.86 ± 0.20; 1 h post-ROSC, 1.3 ± 0.05; 4 h post-ROSC, 1.25 ± 0.06; P < 0.05). GLP-1 preserved CFR for up to 4 h after ROSC (pre-arrest, 1.31 ± 0.17; 1 h post-ROSC, 1.5 ± 0.01; 4 h post-ROSC, 1.55 ± 0.22). Although there was a trend toward improvement in LV relaxation in the GLP-1-treated animals, overall LV function was not consistently different between groups. 8 -iso-PGF2α, a measure of reactive oxygen species load, was decreased in post-ROSC GLP-1-treated animals [placebo, control (NS): 38.1 ± 1.54 pg/ml; GLP-1: 26.59 ± 1.56 pg/ml; P < 0.05]. Infusion of GLP-1 after CAR preserved coronary microvascular and LV diastolic function. These effects may be mediated through a reduction in oxidative stress.
Flow recirculation zone length and shear rate are differentially affected by stenosis severity in human coronary arteries
Authors: Javadzadegan Ashkan , Yong Andy S. C. , Chang Michael , Ng Austin C. C. , Yiannikas John , Ng Martin K. C. , Behnia Masud , Kritharides Leonard
Published: December 2012

Flow recirculation zones and shear rate are associated with distinct pathogenic biological pathways relevant to thrombosis and atherogenesis. The interaction between stenosis severity and lesion eccentricity in determining the length of flow recirculation zones and peak shear rate in human coronary arteries in vivo is unclear. Computational fluid dynamic simulations were performed under resting and hyperemic conditions on computer-generated models and three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions of coronary arteriograms of 25 patients. Boundary conditions for 3-D reconstructions simulations were obtained by direct measurements using a pressure-temperature sensor guidewire. In the computer-generated models, stenosis severity and lesion eccentricity were strongly associated with recirculation zone length and maximum shear rate. In the 3-D reconstructions, eccentricity increased recirculation zone length and shear rate when lesions of the same stenosis severity were compared. However, across the whole population of coronary lesions, eccentricity did not correlate with recirculation zone length or shear rate ( P = not signficant for both), whereas stenosis severity correlated strongly with both parameters ( r = 0.97, P < 0.001, and r = 0.96, P < 0.001, respectively). Nonlinear regression analyses demonstrated that the relationship between stenosis severity and peak shear was exponential, whereas the relationship between stenosis severity and recirculation zone length was sigmoidal, with an apparent threshold effect, demonstrating a steep increase in recirculation zone length between 40% and 60% diameter stenosis. Increasing stenosis severity and lesion eccentricity can both increase flow recirculation and shear rate in human coronary arteries. Flow recirculation is much more sensitive to mild changes in the severity of intermediate stenoses than is peak shear.
Endogenous metabolites as ligands for G protein-coupled receptors modulating risk factors for metabolic and cardiovascular disease
Authors: Tonack Sarah , Tang Cong , Offermanns Stefan
Published: December 2012

During the last decade, several G protein-coupled receptors activated by endogenous metabolites have been described. These receptors respond to fatty acids, mono- and disaccharides, amino acids, or various intermediates and products of metabolism, including ketone bodies, lactate, succinate, or bile acids. Receptors of endogenous metabolites are expressed in taste cells, the gastrointestinal tract, adipose tissue, endocrine glands, immune cells, or the kidney and are therefore in a position to sense food intake in the gastrointestinal tract or to link metabolite levels to the appropriate responses of metabolic organs. Some of the receptors appear to provide a link between metabolic and neuronal or immune functions. Given that many of these metabolic processes are dysregulated under pathological conditions, including diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity, receptors of endogenous metabolites have also been recognized as potential drug targets to prevent and/or treat metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. This review describes G protein-coupled receptors activated by endogenous metabolites and summarizes their physiological, pathophysiological, and potential pharmacological roles.
Mitochondrial-targeted DNA repair enzyme 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 protects against ventilator-induced lung injury in intact mice
Authors: Hashizume Masahiro , Mouner Marc , Chouteau Joshua M. , Gorodnya Olena M. , Ruchko Mykhaylo V. , Potter Barry J. , Wilson Glenn L. , Gillespie Mark N. , Parker James C.
Published: December 2012

This study tested the hypothesis that oxidative mitochondrial-targeted DNA (mtDNA) damage triggered ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Control mice and mice infused with a fusion protein targeting the DNA repair enzyme, 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1) to mitochondria were mechanically ventilated with a range of peak inflation pressures (PIP) for specified durations. In minimal VILI (1 h at 40 cmH2O PIP), lung total extravascular albumin space increased 2.8-fold even though neither lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratios nor bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 or IL-6 failed to differ from nonventilated or low PIP controls. This increase in albumin space was attenuated by OGG1. Moderately severe VILI (2 h at 40 cmH2O PIP) produced a 25-fold increase in total extravascular albumin space, a 60% increase in W/D weight ratio and marked increases in BAL MIP-2 and IL-6, accompanied by oxidative mitochondrial DNA damage, as well as decreases in the total tissue glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSH ratio compared with nonventilated lungs. All of these injury indices were attenuated in OGG1-treated mice. At the highest level of VILI (2 h at 50 cmH2O PIP), OGG1 failed to protect against massive lung edema and BAL cytokines or against depletion of the tissue GSH pool. Interestingly, whereas untreated mice died before completing the 2-h protocol, OGG1-treated mice lived for the duration of observation. Thus mitochondrially targeted OGG1 prevented VILI over a range of ventilation times and pressures and enhanced survival in the most severely injured group. These findings support the concept that oxidative mtDNA damage caused by high PIP triggers induction of acute lung inflammation and injury.
EGFR activity is required for renal tubular cell dedifferentiation and proliferation in a murine model of folic acid-induced acute kidney injury
Authors: He Song , Liu Na , Bayliss George , Zhuang Shougang
Published: December 2012

Proliferation of dedifferentiated intrinsic renal tubular cells has been recognized to be the major cellular event that contributes to renal repair after acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the underlying mechanism that initiates renal tubular dedifferentiation in vivo remains unexplored. Here we investigated whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mediates this process in a murine model of folic acid (FA)-induced AKI using waved-2 mice that have reduced tyrosine kinase activity of EGFR and gefitinib, a specific EGFR inhibitor. Administration of FA for 48 h induced EGFR phosphorylation in the kidney of wild-type mice, but this was inhibited in waved-2 mice and wild-type mice given gefitinib. Compared with wild-type mice, waved-2 mice and wild-type mice treated with gefitinib had increased renal dysfunction, histologic damage, and tubular cell apoptosis after FA administration. PAX2, a dedifferentiation marker, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, a proliferating marker, were highly expressed in renal tubular cells in wild-type mice; however, their expression was largely inhibited in the kidney of waved-2 mice. Inhibition of EGFR with gefitinib also blocked FA-induced expression of these two proteins in wild-type mice. Moreover, FA exposure resulted in phosphorylation of AKT, a downstream signaling molecule of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases pathway associated with renal epithelial proliferation in wild-type mice, and its phosphorylation was totally suppressed in waved-2 mice and wild-type mice given gefitinib. Taken together, these results suggest that EGFR activation is essential for initiation of renal tubular cell dedifferentiation and proliferation after AKI.
The legacies of partial possession: From agrarian struggle to neoliberal restructuring in Mexico and Colombia
Authors: Bair Jennifer , Hough Phillip A
Published: December 2012

How have communities in Latin America responded to neoliberal agrarian reforms? We address this question via an incorporated comparison of two regions affected by rural restructuring: La Laguna, Mexico and Viejo Caldas, Colombia. Prior to the introduction of market-led reforms, agricultural producers in both regions were heavily dependent on state support, yet in neither did they mobilize to resist neoliberal policies that were incompatible with the prevailing system of state-managed commercial agriculture. What explains this outcome? We argue that acquiescence to neoliberalism was, paradoxically, a legacy of agrarian unrest: In response to major mobilizations, historic land reforms were carried out in La Laguna and Viejo Caldas during the 1930s that created regional political economies organized around cotton and coffee, respectively. Over time, these economies evolved into regimes of ‘partial possession’ wherein the social reproduction of rural livelihoods came to depend on specific state institutions: the Ejido Bank in Mexico and Fedecafé in Colombia. We attribute the absence of organized opposition to neoliberal reforms in La Laguna and Viejo Caldas to the conservatizing political transformation that partial possession engendered. In so doing, we highlight the importance of regional histories in shaping popular responses to neoliberal restructuring across the variegated landscape of Latin America’s countryside.
Structural embeddedness, uncertainty, and international trade
Authors: Kim Sangmoon , Skvoretz John
Published: December 2012

We examine the impact of structural embeddedness, operationalized as a third-party effect, on bilateral trade of two goods (apparel and grain) with different levels of product differentiation and transactional uncertainty. Specifically, we test two competing hypotheses for how trade ties to third parties affect trade in a dyad: the balance hypothesis – common third-party contact(s) mediate information flows between two otherwise disconnected actors, thereby encouraging direct dyadic interactions between them and the structural hole hypothesis – such contact inhibits dyadic trade. Our longitudinal analyses of international trade data show that the balance hypothesis is supported in apparel trade (a differentiated good), whereas the structural hole hypothesis tends to be supported in grain trade (a homogeneous good). Implications of the findings are discussed.
The future of disillusionment: Rushdie’s Fury and the politics of time
Authors: Frangos Mike
Published: December 2012

This article reads the sense of futurity pervading Rushdie’s Fury, particularly the depiction of a pre-9/11 New York in which the future is said to have already arrived, by placing Rushdie’s depiction of globalization at the turn of the century in dialogue with theories of neoliberalism and space–time compression. Both in Fury and in his non-fiction works from this period (collected in Step Across This Line), Rushdie critiques neoliberal globalization as a utopian inflation of human expectations tinged with the foreboding sense of a coming catastrophe. In both Fury and the contemporaneously written New York Times opinion piece “Two Crashes”, the July 2000 crash of Concorde Flight 4590 illustrates not only the neoliberal drama of expectation and disappointment, but also the acceleration of daily life resulting from instantaneous and ubiquitous global media. Fury’s meticulous and frenzied account of pre-9/11 New York may be read as an attempt to develop aesthetic strategies to capture a moment not only of increasing acceleration but also of the premonition of impending catastrophe. However, what distinguishes Fury from the attempt in previous novels such as Midnight’s Children to poke holes in the utopian promises of nationalist ideologies is a sense of disillusionment with the aesthetic as an autonomous space from which to unmoor the subject’s fixed coordinates in time and space. Instead, Fury is Rushdie’s greatest creative risk (as he has described it in interview) precisely because of the sense of extreme close-up wherein the novel attempts to match neoliberalism’s politics of time with its own aesthetics of speed, while at the same time losing the distance necessary for aesthetic reflection. From this point of view, the article reads Fury’s conclusion as an ambivalent return to the literal and the secular in contrast to the utopian and apocalyptic.
Regime Vulnerability and the Diversionary Threat of Force
Authors: Powell Jonathan M.
Published: December 2012

In this article, I move beyond prior efforts to explore the relationship between the risk of a coup and international conflict by considering alternatives that leaders can utilize to strengthen their regimes. I offer two theoretical expectations. First, I theorize that leaders lose the incentive and ability to use diversion when the structural coup-proofing apparatus is strengthened. Second, I expect military finances to lead to disparate behavior when considering regime type. Autocrats are expected to use military funds to provide private incentives to the armed forces, largely in the form of allowances. Democracies, in contrast, will be required to use expenditures to promote the public good of national security due to the transparency of their regimes. Autocrats are expected to lose the incentive to use diversion as the financial endowment of their militaries increase, while democracies will continue to show a diversionary trend due to their increased military capabilities. The theory is tested using global data from 1962 to 2000, with the findings strongly supporting the theory.
Online calibration of infrared binocular vision measurement system with large field of view
Authors: Chen Yuming , Zhang Guangming , Yuan Yuhao
Published: December 2012

High-precision calibration of a binocular vision measurement system is the foundation of the precise measurement in a large field of view (FOV). Given the complexity of light variation in a variety of workplaces, an optical reference target, which has five strong reflective feature points, is designed in this paper. Aiming at the self-designed target, this paper puts forward an online calibration method of the binocular vision measurement system. Because of the strong reflective properties, the feature points produce a sharper image in infrared light. In the different locations of the intersection area of the binocular vision being measured, the target has been placed five times. According to the image co-ordinates of feature points and distance constraints between feature points, the intrinsic parameters of cameras and structure parameters of the binocular vision measurement system are simultaneously estimated by the proposed method. This method is simple and applicable for all kinds of workplaces. Even without pre-calibration, the vision measurement system produces fairly high accuracy using this method. With the maximum error of 0.079 mm in the measurement range of 4500 mm (length)×4300 mm (wide)×3000 mm (distance), the experimental results have proved the effectiveness of the proposed calibration method for online calibration.
Adaptive approaches to nonlinear state estimation for mobile robot localization: an experimental comparison
Authors: Forbes James Richard
Published: December 2012

We compare the state estimation performance of various nonlinear filters using experimental data. The experiment, a mobile robot driving on a planar surface, provides noisy odometry and laser rangefinder measurements, while groundtruth is provided by an accurate motion capture system. We investigate the localization accuracy of standard extended Kalman and sigma point filters, and compare their performance with adaptive extended Kalman and adaptive sigma point filters. The adaptive filters update the noise covariance matrices based on the measurements available at a given time step (without using groundtruth data). The groundtruth data is used to assess the performance of each filter. Our results show that the adaptive schemes outperform the equivalent traditional formulations, however, they are slightly more difficult to implement and tune.
Sliding mode synchronization of chaotic and hyperchaotic systems with mismatched fractional derivatives
Authors: Wang Zhen , Huang Xia , Lu Junwei
Published: December 2012

This paper is concerned with the problem of synchronization of nonidentical fractional-order chaotic and hyperchaotic systems, where the mismatched fractional derivatives are taken into account. A fraction–integer integral switching surface is constructed and a sliding mode controller is synthesized to guarantee the reachability of the sliding surface. Based on the theory of fractional-order linear systems, stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed. In addition, two numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Design of multiple controllers for networked control systems with delays and packet losses
Authors: Yu Junyan , Deng Zhiliang , Yu Mei , Gao Yanping
Published: December 2012

We address stabilization problems of networked control systems in the presence of bounded packet losses and time-varying network-induced delays. When the delay is less than the transmission interval, we prove that the stability of the closed-loop system is implied by that of a switched system. Based on theories on switched systems, we present stabilizing conditions by using packet-loss-dependent Lyapunov functions, and design multiple controllers depending on the packet loss and the network-induced delay. Furthermore, based on the stabilizing conditions, we discuss the robustness of the stabilization against the packet loss and the network-induced delay. Several numerical examples and simulations are worked out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design approach.
Application of PD-type iterative learning control in hydraulically driven 6-DOF parallel platform
Authors: Wang Shou-Kun , Wang Jun-Zheng , Zhao Jiang-bo
Published: December 2012

The movement of the hydraulically driven six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) parallel platform is driven by six sets of valve-controlled asymmetrical cylinders (VCACs), so the precision of the platform is mainly determined by the control precision of the VCACs. Unfortunately, the asymmetrical movement of the VCACs caused by its asymmetrical structure can significantly compromise control precision because of this asymmetry, and more fundamentally, with the inherent non-linearity of hydraulic systems as well as complicated load variations, it is very difficult to achieve ideal control precision with traditional PID control. In the present study, the working principle and characteristics of a VCAC were analysed, with particular focus on the asymmetry problem. In order to improve the precision of both VCAC control and 6-DOF parallel platform movement, a PD-type iterative learning control (ILC) method is presented, and applied to a hydraulically driven 6-DOF parallel platform. Experiments on both the single VCAC system and the parallel platform were developed to verify the validity and effectiveness of this control method. The theoretical analysis and testing results, compared with those for the conventional PID control, proved that the proposed PD-type ILC method can acquire high precision on the 6-DOF parallel platform without the need to build a mathematical model or obtain accurate loading conditions.
My Brother’s Keeper? The Association Between Having Siblings in Poor Health and Wealth Accumulation
Authors: Heflin Colleen M. , Chiteji Ngina
Published: December 2012

When confronted with the economic costs of addressing a serious health problem, many American households do not possess the ability to deal with the crises on their own and may turn to family members for help. Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we examine if the level of wealth held by individuals is related to the health problems of their siblings. We find evidence that having a sibling who has experienced a health problem decreases the amount of wealth that some families have. The research has implications for the existing literatures on altruism and kin networks, as it sheds some light on the nature of altruism that prevails in U.S. families and on how kinship networks matter. Because of its focus on the consequences of health problems, the research also has implications for public policy discussions about the health care system and social insurance more generally.
Transfacial Ultrasound‐Guided Gland‐Preserving Resection of Parotid Sialoliths
Authors: Carroll William W. , Walvekar Rohan R. , Gillespie M. Boyd
Published: December 2012

Objective

Review surgical techniques and outcomes of ultrasound‐guided, transfacial, gland‐preserving removal of difficult parotid stones.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Two academic tertiary care centers.

Methods

Patients who underwent ultrasound‐guided, combined transfacial‐endoscopic operation for symptomatic parotid sialolithiasis from June 2010 through June 2012 at 2 tertiary care university hospitals were evaluated. Outcome measurements included stone size, stone location, complications, symptom relief, and gland preservation rate.

Results

A total of 14 patients underwent ultrasound‐guided, transfacial operation for symptomatic parotid sialolithiasis. Ten of 14 patients (71%) had completely successful therapy defined by no symptoms postoperatively with a preserved, functional gland. Three of the 4 patients without complete symptom resolution did endorse symptom improvement, whereas the fourth patient eventually underwent parotidectomy. Needle localization was used to aid in transfacial stone retrieval in 57% of cases.

Conclusion

Ultrasound‐guided, combined transfacial‐endoscopic removal of certain parotid stones is an alternative to parotidectomy for patients in whom endoscopy or shock wave therapy for stone retrieval is ineffective, unavailable, or contraindicated. Needle localization is a useful adjunct in stone retrieval.
Prisoners’ Assessments of Mental Health Problems Among Their Children
Authors: Tasca Melinda , Turanovic Jillian J. , White Clair , Rodriguez Nancy
Published: December 2012

High rates of imprisonment among American men and women have motivated recent research on the well-being of children of incarcerated parents. Despite advances in the literature, little is known regarding the mental health status of children who experience maternal relative to paternal incarceration. Accordingly, we examine whether there are differences in mental health needs among children of incarcerated parents. Specifically, we assess whether incarcerated mothers are more likely than incarcerated fathers to report that their children suffer from mental health problems. Using cross-sectional data on children ( N = 1,221) compiled from a sample of parents confined in the Arizona Department of Corrections, we find that children of incarcerated mothers are significantly more likely to be identified as suffering from mental health problems. This effect remained even after controlling for additional parent stressors and child risk factors such as exposure to violence, in utero exposure to drugs/alcohol, and parental mental illness. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Surface modification of polyurethane towards promoting the ex vivo cytocompatibility and in vivo biocompatibility for hypopharyngeal tissue engineering
Authors: Shen Zhisen , Kang Cheng , Chen Jingjing , Ye Dong , Qiu Shijie , Guo Shanshan , Zhu Yabin
Published: December 2012

Polymeric substrates with good biocompatibility have been widely employed to create a living construct with the complexities of tissue histology and function in the field of tissue engineering. In this study, poly(ester-urethane) (58213, NAT022) was used to be substrate due to its good physical and chemical properties. Proteins like gelatin or silk fibroin were covalently bonded on its surface using method of diamine aminolysis and glutaraldehyde crosslinking, which had been setup in our group in order to improve poly(ester-urethane)’s hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. The modification was proved by the measurements of static and dynamic contact angles and fluorescence detection. The biological properties were evaluated as in vitro cell culture and in vivo transplantation via cell number counting, morphology observation, immunohistochemistry analysis, etc. The results showed that gelatin or silk fibroin grafted membrane displayed good cytocompatibility, i.e. good proliferation and differentiation of human hypopharynx fibroblast and skeletal muscle cell though the control poly(ester-urethane) indicated low toxicity to cells and good biocompatibility, which was also verified in in vivo experiment. After poly(ester-urethane)–silk fibroin was implanted subcutaneously in rat back, it exhibited a better compatibility to peripheral tissue and faster biodegradation than the control poly(ester-urethane) did. This information supplied us valuable knowledge for poly(ester-urethane) to be used as matrix in situ hypopharynx regeneration study.
Hydroxyapatite/poly(ɛ-caprolactone) double coating on magnesium for enhanced corrosion resistance and coating flexibility
Authors: Jo Ji-Hoon , Li Yuanlong , Kim Sae-Mi , Kim Hyoun-Ee , Koh Young-Hag
Published: December 2012

Hydroxyapatite was deposited on pure magnesium (Mg) with a flexible poly(ɛ-caprolactone) interlayer to reduce the corrosion rate of Mg and enhance coating flexibility. The poly(ɛ-caprolactone) interlayer was uniformly coated on Mg by a spraying method, followed by hydroxyapatite deposition on the poly(ɛ-caprolactone) using an aerosol deposition method. In scanning electron microscopy observations, inorganic/organic composite-like structure was observed between the hydroxyapatite and poly(ɛ-caprolactone) layers, resulting from the collisions of hydroxyapatite particles into the poly(ɛ-caprolactone) matrix at the initial stage of the aerosol deposition. The corrosion resistance of the coated Mg was examined using potentiodynamic polarization tests. The hydroxyapatite/poly(ɛ-caprolactone) double coating remarkably improved the corrosion resistance of Mg in Hank’s solution. In the in vitro cell tests, the coated Mg showed better cell adhesion compared with the bare Mg due to the reduced corrosion rate and enhanced biocompatibility. The stability and flexibility of hydroxyapatite/poly(ɛ-caprolactone) double coating was investigated by scanning electron microscopy inspections after the coated Mg was deformed. The hydroxyapatite coating on the poly(ɛ-caprolactone) interlayer revealed enhanced coating stability and flexibility without cracking or delamination during bending and stretching compared with the hydroxyapatite single coating. These results demonstrated that the hydroxyapatite/poly(ɛ-caprolactone) double coating significantly improved the surface corrosion resistance of Mg and enhanced coating flexibility for use of Mg as a biodegradable implant.
Evaluation of borate bioactive glass scaffolds with different pore sizes in a rat subcutaneous implantation model
Authors: Deliormanlı Aylin M , Liu Xin , Rahaman Mohamed N
Published: December 2012

Borate bioactive glass has been shown to convert faster and more completely to hydroxyapatite and enhance new bone formation in vivo when compared to silicate bioactive glass (such as 45S5 and 13-93 bioactive glass). In this work, the effects of the borate glass microstructure on its conversion to hydroxyapatite (HA) in vitro and its ability to support tissue ingrowth in a rat subcutaneous implantation model were investigated. Bioactive borate glass scaffolds, designated 13-93B3, with a grid-like microstructure and pore widths of 300, 600, and 900 µm were prepared by a robocasting technique. The scaffolds were implanted subcutaneously for 4 weeks in Sprague Dawley rats. Silicate 13-93 glass scaffolds with the same microstructure were used as the control. The conversion of the scaffolds to HA was studied as a function of immersion time in a simulated body fluid. Histology and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate conversion of the bioactive glass implants to hydroxyapatite, as well as tissue ingrowth and blood vessel formation in the implants. The pore size of the scaffolds was found to have little effect on tissue infiltration and angiogenesis after the 4-week implantation.
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
Authors: Spriggs Mark , Yu Andy , Deeds David , Sorenson Ritch L.
Published: December 2012

This study examines the connection between innovative capacity and small family firm performance and how that relation is moderated by collaborative network orientation and family firm ownership. Using regression analyses of survey data, we found support for a link between innovative capacity and performance that was moderated by the collaborative network orientation and the dispersal of ownership of the family firm. Furthermore, our findings indicate that two configurations enhance this link: (a) concentrated ownership combined with high collaborative network orientation and (b) dispersed ownership and low collaborative network orientation.
National Giving Campaigns in the United States
Authors: Einolf Christopher J. , Philbrick Deborah M. , Slay Kelly
Published: December 2012

This study presents a narrative history and quantitative analysis of national campaigns in the United States, and analyzes how successful campaigns provide entertainment, foster empathy, and develop a national peer group with norms and networks that encourage giving. Our historical survey found that charity telethons flourished in the 1960s and 1970s, but changes in tax regulations and competition from other networks and cable television led most of them to discontinue operations in the 1980s and 1990s. In recent years, Internet and text messaging fundraising have become important, but benefit concerts continue to generate a significant percentage of total revenues. In our quantitative analyses, we found that campaigns for natural disasters raised more money than most campaigns for human-made disasters, and domestic campaigns brought more donations than international ones. Media attention, fundraising expenditures, and economic growth all correlated positively with donations, as expected, but fundraising events did not increase media coverage of disasters.
Early childhood studies as vocal studies: Examining the social practices of ‘giving voice to children’s voices’ in a crèche
Authors: Schnoor Oliver
Published: December 2012

The article suggests reconceptualizing the role of ‘children’s voices’ in childhood studies. By taking an institutional setting of early (or rather, earliest) childhood education and care as a test case, it argues for and empirically demonstrates a double shift in research perspectives. First, the principle of ‘giving voice to children’s voices’ is turned from an overarching research objective into a central object of research. Second, the metaphorical and the non-metaphorical meaning of ‘voice’ are clearly separated in order to relate them anew. Voices are observed and taken into account with respect to their sonic phenomenality before any abstract notions of ‘children’s voices’ come into play. By taking into account that even children with little or no speech mostly do have a voice, the paradoxical formula of ‘giving voice to children’s voices’ gains a renewed sensitizing function in research practice. Analyses of field notes delineate a range of observable vocal phenomena and respective social practices of ‘giving voice’ in a crèche and detect both various strategies of verbalization as well as strategies of practically dealing with children’s hearable voices.
Novel optically active poly(amide-thioester-imide)s containing l-α-amino acids and thiadiazol anticorrosion group
Authors: Mallakpour Shadpour , Zadehnazari Amin
Published: December 2012

Here, for the first time, we report the synthesis of a new class of optically active polymers, poly(amide-thioester-imide)s (PATEI)s, containing flexible and anticorrosion linkages. Step growth polymerization of a novel diamine with diacids containing amino acid and trimellitylimide groups in tetrabutylammonium bromide, in the molten state, which acts as a molten ionic salt medium, was carried out. The obtained polymeric materials were of the nanoscale size and were assembled by filamentary particles as shown by field-emission scanning electron microscopy micrographs, which were distributed uniformly and randomly, with an average nanosize diameter of about 40 nm. The polymeric samples were readily soluble in a variety of common organic solvents and formed low-colored and flexible thin films via solution casting. The values of absorption edge wavelength ( λ0) were determined by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and all of the resulting PATEI films exhibited high-optical transparency. According to x-ray diffraction patterns, all the PATEIs were amorphous. The structure of PATEIs were also characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Proton-nuclear magnetic resonance, elemental, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques. The effect of ultrasound on the morphology of polymers was also investigated. This study confirmed that the size of polymer particles decreased and there was a change in their morphology.
Investigation of physical properties and structure–property relationship in new poly(azo-sulfone-amide)s
Authors: Kausar Ayesha , Hussain Syed Tajammul
Published: December 2012

Series of aromatic polyamides containing azo groups have been synthesized by the phosphorylation polycondensation of a new dicarboxylic acid ( E)-1-(4-(4-(3-carboxypyridylazo)thiocarbamoylaminophenyl-sulfonyl)phenyl)-3-(3-carboxypyridylazo)-thiourea and various diamines. Poly(azo-sulfone-amide)s (PASAs) were characterized using spectroscopic techniques, solubility, molar mass, electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, nonflammability, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies. PASAs possessed fine solubility in polar solvents and high molar mass 70 × 103–75 × 103 gmol−1. These polyamides showed fibrous structure according to field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Thermal and nonflammability data indicated that PASAs were fairly stable above 500°C having initial weight loss of around 525–531°C, 10% of gravimetric loss in the range of 542–563°C, own high glass transition temperature 257–267°C and limiting oxygen index (LOI) values (35–47%). The polymers also demonstrated higher tensile strength (61.10–74.29 MPa) and elongation at break (1.49–1.57). FESEM images displayed fibrous morphology of the PASAs. Moreover, polyamides showed superior electrical conductivity (1.45–1.92 S cm−1). Fine balance of the properties render the new PASAs potential engineering plastics for a number of aerospace relevance.