bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Maps of the History of World Christianity: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives
Authors: Koschorke Klaus
Published: June 2014

The new global situation of Christianity requires new historiographical approaches. Despite many recent efforts by contemporary historians, we are only at the first stages of drawing up an integrated history of world Christianity. Written from a European academic perspective, this article suggests that comparative studies among different regions of the Christian world and the search for early instances of transcontinental links in the “Global South” are critical to such a new historiography. As an example of such an approach, I introduce a new research project currently underway in Munich that examines journals published by indigenous Christian elites from Asia and Africa around 1900. These journals served not only as a “mouthpiece” for local Christians, but also contributed significantly to their cognitive interaction and transregional networking.
Development and Validation of the Critical Consciousness Scale
Authors: Diemer Matthew A. , Rapa Luke J. , Park Catalina J. , Perry Justin C.
Published: June 2014

This article details the development and validation of a measure of critical consciousness, defined as the capacity of oppressed or marginalized people to critically analyze their social and political conditions, endorsement of societal equality, and action to change perceived inequities. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with a diverse sample of youth, resulting in three internally consistent factors: (a) Critical Reflection: Perceived Inequality, (b) Critical Reflection: Egalitarianism, and (c) Critical Action: Sociopolitical Participation. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was completed with a new sample of youth. Strong model fit estimates in Study 2 confirmed the factor structure of Study 1 and resulted in a final 22-item measure called the “Critical Consciousness Scale” (CCS). The CCS has the potential to unite and advance the fragmented conceptualization and measurement of critical consciousness, the primary motivation for the development of the scale.
Job burnout’s relationship with sleep difficulties in the presence of control variables: a self-report study
Authors: de Beer Leon T , Pienaar Jaco , Rothmann Sebastiaan
Published: June 2014

Burnout, as a work-related phenomenon, has negative consequences on employee functioning and is well documented. What is deserving of further investigation is how effort-recovery processes may be affected, in this instance, sleep. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether significant sleep difficulties are reported when employees report experienced burnout, while also controlling for age, gender, exercise, smoking habits, and treatment for depression. A cross-sectional survey design was used in data collection. The sample consisted of 734 participants with white collar positions in the financial industry of South Africa. Structural equation modelling methods were implemented in order to investigate the hypotheses. The results of the structural model indicated that burnout was significantly related to sleep difficulties, even in the presence of reported treatment for depression, and the other control variables. The correlations between burnout, treatment for depression, as well as sleep difficulties were all positive and practically significant. The results, recommendations, limitations, and practical implications of the study are discussed.
The Utility of the YLS/CMI-SV for Assessing Youth Offenders in Singapore
Authors: Chu Chi Meng , Yu Hui , Lee Yirong , Zeng Gerald
Published: June 2014

The Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory–Screening Version (YLS/CMI-SV) is designed to provide a preliminary estimate of the level of risk for antisocial behaviors as well as an indication of areas for intervention in youth offenders. This study examined the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI-SV for violent, nonviolent, and general recidivism in a sample of 3,264 youth offenders within a Singaporean context ( Mfollow-up = 1,764.5 days; SDfollow-up = 521.5). Cox regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses revealed that the YLS/CMI-SV is significantly predictive of general, violent, and nonviolent recidivism for the male youth offenders, but there were mixed results for the female youth offenders. Overall, these results indicated that the YLS/CMI-SV is a useful measure for assessing the levels of risk for male youth offenders, and more investigation is needed to determine the suitability of the YLS/CMI-SV for the female youth offenders. Its implications for clinical practice and policy are discussed.
The Great Chicago Waiters’ Strike
Authors: Garb Margaret
Published: June 2014

In the 1890s, restaurant and hotel waiters in Chicago formed a biracial labor organization that successfully challenged their employers. The Culinary Alliance, a rare example of biracial unionism in the late nineteenth century, was produced by, and helped to shape, a dramatic reorganization of urban space with the emergence of corporate capitalism and consumer culture in the city. The Alliance’s rise and demise demonstrates the ways urban space was a powerful force in the complex interactions between race and gender relations in urban labor markets.
Depression and Adherence to Lifestyle Changes in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Sumlin Lisa L. , Garcia Theresa J. , Brown Sharon A. , Winter Mary A. , García Alexandra A. , Brown Adama , Cuevas Heather E.
Published: June 2014

Purpose

Depression affects millions of people worldwide and is prevalent among those with diabetes. The purpose of this review was to synthesize recent research on depression and adherence to dietary and physical activity recommendations in persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods

This systematic review is a subanalysis of an NIH-funded model-testing meta-analysis. Thirteen electronic databases were searched using terms: depression, adherence, T2DM, diabetes. Selected studies: were reported in English between 2000 and 2012, focused on adults with T2DM, and measured depression and dietary and/or physical activity adherence.

Results

Twenty-seven studies involving 7266 participants were selected; participants were 54% female and 62 years of age, on average. When reported, depression prevalence in study samples ranged from 4.5% to 74%. Six intervention studies targeted diabetes treatment, with or without depression treatment; no studies focused solely on treating depression. Twenty-one descriptive studies examined relationships between depression and diet/physical activity adherence, finding a negative association. Only 2 of the 6 intervention studies examined this relationship; findings were inconsistent.

Conclusion

Depression was associated with lower adherence to diabetes self-care, as evidenced primarily by descriptive studies; results of intervention studies were conflicting. Future research should focus on the effects of treating depression on diabetes health outcomes.
A gesture of compliance: media convergence in China
Authors: Yin Liangen , Liu Xiaoyan
Published: June 2014

Media convergence is thriving in terms of either practical experience or scholastic debates around the world. This study aims to examine journalistic convergence in China. Using qualitative data drawn from the case study of Shenzhen Press Group in Guangdong, South China, we argue that the media’s response to the Chinese government’s push for media convergence is simply a gesture of compliance. While media management do not consider convergence as a prime concern, rank-and-file editors and journalists respond to media convergence with non-cooperation or non-acceptance. The study concludes, on the basis of the specific contexts in which China’s media convergence operates, that social context and, in particular, the relationship between media and state should be fully taken into consideration in studies of media convergence.
Are discrepancies in perceptions of psychological control related to maladjustment? A study of adolescents and their parents in Turkey
Authors: Yaban E. Helin , Sayıl Melike , Tepe Yeliz Kındap
Published: June 2014

The current study examined whether adolescent–parent discrepancies in the perception of psychological control are associated with adolescent maladjustment. The sample consisted of 552 Turkish adolescents attending high school and their parents. Half of the adolescents had similar scores to their parents, while the remaining half thought differently. The results of the polynomial regression with response surface analysis showed that the incongruence between reports was positively associated with having deviant friends for males, and feelings of loneliness for females. Results suggested that reports of low levels of psychological control for father–adolescent pairs were associated with fewer deviant friends for males and lower levels of loneliness for females. Moreover, the possibility of having deviant friends was higher when males and their mothers were congruent in reporting high levels of psychological control. These findings highlight the importance of consideration of perceptual differences in parental practices in relation to adolescent maladjustment.
Still the “Ireland of Asia”? Declining Female Age at Marriage in Sri Lanka
Authors: De Silva W. Indralal
Published: June 2014

Unlike the rest of South Asia, female age at marriage in Sri Lanka reached a high level of 25.5 years by 1993 and declined thereafter to 23.6 years as reported by the 2006-2007 Demographic and Health Survey. This article examines this trend and potential contributors to the trend by using data from Population Censuses and Demographic and Health Surveys. The relaxation of the marriage squeeze with the more balanced sex ratio at the turn of the present century and decline in male unemployment from mass labor migration are some factors contributing to decline in female marriage age. Increased female employment opportunities allow more young girls to accumulate money for dowry and other marriage expenses at younger ages than their older cohorts could and further contributions come from remittances from labor migrants. Changing attitudes to late marriage and government curbs on abortion services too may have contributed to the decline in female marriage age.
Spontaneous Background Pathology in Göttingen Minipigs
Authors: Jeppesen Gitte , Skydsgaard Mikala
Published: June 2014

The Göttingen minipig is gaining increasing popularity as a nonrodent species in nonclinical testing. The Göttingen minipig is easy to handle; has many anatomical and physiological similarities to man; and causes fewer ethical concerns than usage of the traditional nonrodent species, nonhuman primates, and dogs. The increasing usage of the Göttingen minipig has raised the need of appropriate background data. This article summarizes the background pathology of 835 untreated control Göttingen minipigs of both sexes used at CiToxLAB Scantox A/S during the period of 1995 to 2007.
Multiple ruptures of left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into main pulmonary artery
Authors: Vamsidhar Akkulagari , Rajasekhar Durgaprasad , Vanajakshamma Velam , Babu Devarakonda Sarath , Rao Kanchumarthi Sudhakar , Vinod Bhan
Published: June 2014

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm is a rare congenital glitch. We report an extremely rare case of left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm compressing and rupturing into the main pulmonary artery with 2 communications. The 34-year-old man also had severe aortic regurgitation and severe tricuspid regurgitation. He underwent successful polytetrafluoroethylene patch repair and aortic valve replacement. The rarity of this case highlights the need for a precise preoperative diagnosis, the roles of transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, and 3-dimensional echocardiography, and the importance of prompt surgical management.
Gender equality and parental leave policies in Switzerland: A discursive and feminist perspective
Authors: Lanfranconi Lucia M. , Valarino Isabel
Published: June 2014

Taking a discursive and feminist perspective, this paper aims to understand policy changes as well as gendered outcomes in two policy areas within the Swiss welfare state: gender equality and parental leave policies. We conduct a discourse analysis from a social science perspective of policy documents and interviews from 1996 to 2011. Our results show similar discourses concerning welfare responsibility between the two case studies. Specifically, there are opposing state- and economic-oriented discourses, which reveal different gendered assumptions. However, the time period under study shows an increasing mobilisation of discourses arguing for non-state, negotiated solutions between social partners or within work organisations. We discuss the potential risks of gender and class inequalities as well as scenarios for further policy change. Our findings call for an integrative approach to discourse and gender for welfare state analysis in general.
Urban Debt, Neoliberalism and the Politics of the Commons
Authors: Parr Adrian
Published: June 2014

The rural/metropolitan/wilderness hybrid central to urban shrinkage directly challenges a commonly held belief that a city consists of a dense concentration of people living in a limited geographical area, one where the primary means of production is non-agricultural. In addition, the urban condition of shrinkage tests the dominant current of growth management that has guided urban design, development, and land use. In this essay we will explore how this hybrid presents an alternative to the production and realization of surplus value that predominates throughout the contemporary landscape of neoliberal planetary urbanization. It will be argued that this process of urbanization is premised upon modalities of urban commoning, or practices that bring a variety of social and environmental struggles into relationship with each other, dismantling the apparatuses of capture that bring land-use and the collective energies animating available land under the control of capital.
Intra-arterial and intravenous applications of Iosimenol 340 injection, a new non-ionic, dimeric, iso-osmolar radiographic contrast medium: phase 2 experience
Authors: Meurer Karoline , Laniado Michael , Hosten Norbert , Kelsch Bettina , Hogstrom Barry
Published: June 2014

Background

Iosimenol 340 injection is a new, dimeric, iso-osmolar, iodinated contrast medium for X-ray angiography.

Purpose

To compare the safety and efficacy of iosimenol injection to iodixanol injection in two randomized, controlled phase 2 trials.

Material and Methods

One hundred and forty-four adult patients were enrolled in the two trials, one for evaluation during arteriography and the other for evaluation during computed tomography. Safety was compared by assessing adverse events, vital signs, ECGs, and laboratory parameters. Efficacy was assessed as X-ray attenuation in the computed tomography (CT) trial and as the quality of contrast enhancement in the arteriography trial.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in terms of safety or efficacy between the two contrast media. Both were well tolerated upon intravenous as well as intra-arterial injection. The most common adverse event was a feeling of warmth (observed in 35.1% of the patients with Iosimenol injection and 44.3% with iodixanol injection).

Conclusion

Iosimenol upon intravenous as well as upon intra-arterial injection exhibits a safety profile and shows an efficacy similar to that of iodixanol.
Diagnostic performance of indirect MR arthrography for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears at 3.0 T
Authors: Lee Ji Hyun , Yoon Young Cheol , Jee Sukkyung
Published: June 2014

Background

Indirect magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography is a non-invasive method for shoulder imaging. However, there are no studies that have examined the diagnostic performance of indirect MR arthrography for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears in a large patient population.

Purpose

To assess the diagnostic performance of indirect fast spin-echo (FSE) MR arthrography for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears at 3.0 T.

Material and Methods

A total of 149 patients who had undergone indirect shoulder MR arthrography followed by arthroscopic surgery were enrolled in this retrospective study. Two musculoskeletal radiologists evaluated images from each patient for the presence of supraspinatus-infraspinatus (SSP-ISP) or subscapularis (SSC) tendon tears. Using the arthroscopic findings as the reference standard, the overall diagnostic performance and detection rates for SSP-ISP and SSC tendon tears were calculated.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of readers I and II for the diagnosis of SSP-ISP tendon tears were 94% and 95%, 89% and 85%, and 93% and 93%, respectively. The sensitivity of imaging for detection of SSP-ISP tendon tears by readers I and II were 100% and 100% for full-thickness tears and 84% and 86% for partial-thickness tears, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of readers I and II for the diagnosis of SSC tendon tears were 80% and 76%, 89% and 93%, and 85% and 85%, respectively.

Conclusion

Indirect MR arthrography is useful for the detection of SSP-ISP and SSC tendon tears.
In vivo characterization of urinary calculi on dual-energy CT: going a step ahead with sub-differentiation of calcium stones
Authors: Acharya Sudeep , Goyal Ankur , Bhalla Ashu Seith , Sharma Raju , Seth Amlesh , Gupta Arun Kumar
Published: June 2014

Background

The role of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in characterization of urinary calculi is evolving and literature regarding differentiation of calcium calculi is sparse and confounding.

Purpose

To evaluate the capability of DECT in assessing the urinary calculi composition in vivo, especially in differentiating various types of calcium calculi.

Material and Methods

One hundred and twenty patients underwent DECT for characterization of urinary calculi. Seventy patients with 114 calculi, including 93 calcium stones, were retrospectively analyzed. DE ratios and attenuation differences were compared using ANOVA and receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis was done to predict cut-off values, in particular for detecting calcium-oxalate-monohydrate (COM) stones.

Results

DE ratio ≤1.14 accurately detected uric acid calculi, ≥1.29 was definitive for calcium and intermediate values were characteristic of cystine stones. DE ratios were significantly different between group 1 (COM [ n = 32]; mean 1.376 ± 0.041), group 2 ([calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) + COM] [ n = 51]; 1.416 ± 0.048), and group 3 ([carbonate apatite (CaP) + COD + COM] [ n = 10]; 1.468 ± 0.038) (group 1 vs. 2, P = 0.001; 1 vs. 3, P = 0.000; 2 vs. 3, P = 0.004). More importantly, pure COM calculi (group 1) had significantly lower DE ratio compared with mixed calcium calculi (groups 2 and 3) ( P = 0.000). Attenuation differences (between low and high kV images) could not distinguish between COM and mixed calculi. ROC analysis for detection of COM calculi yielded AUC of 0.770 with cut-off DE ratio 1.385 (sensitivity 65.6%, specificity 82%) and value <1.335 was seen only with COM calculi (100% specificity).

Conclusion

DECT can be employed for in vivo differentiation of various types of calculi and for detection of relatively lithotripsy-resistant COM calculi.
Invasive cribriform carcinoma of the breast: mammographic, sonographic, MRI, and 18 F-FDG PET-CT features
Authors: Lee Young Ju , Choi Bo Bae , Suh Kwang Sun
Published: June 2014

Background

Invasive cribriform carcinoma (ICC) of the breast is a rare type of invasive carcinoma which shows a favorable prognosis and a lower frequency of axillary nodal metastases. Few imaging findings related to ICC have been reported.

Purpose

To evaluate imaging findings with multiple imaging techniques in ICC of the breast.

Material and Methods

Twenty-eight cases of histopathologically proven ICC of the breast were gathered for this study. We retrospectively reviewed the mammographic, sonographic, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of ICC according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) lexicon. 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18 F-FDG PET-CT) findings were also evaluated. Microscopic slides of surgical specimens were reviewed by a breast pathologist.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 51 years. The most common mammographic findings were irregular shape (72.8%), spiculated margin (63.7%), and a high density (81.8%) mass. Microcalcifications were noted in 9/28 cases. The most common shape was pleomorphic (66.7%). The most common sonographic findings were irregular shape (77.8%), spiculated margin (29.6%), hypoechogenicity (81.5%), and no posterior acoustic features (85.2%). On MRI, most ICCs presented as irregular shaped mass (62.0%) and irregular (42.9%) margin. All four patients (16.0%) who presented with non-mass-like enhancement pattern showed a segmental distribution. The 18 F-FDG PET-CT showed a mean maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 5.90. Axillary nodal metastases were found in 17.9% (5/28) of the surgical specimens. Immunohistochemical studies showed a high positivity for estrogen and progesterone receptor (100% and 87.5%, respectively).

Conclusion

The imaging features of invasive cribriform carcinoma are highly suggestive of malignancy and are not distinguishable from those of other breast cancers like infiltrating ductal carcinoma.
Advancing science diplomacy: Indonesia and the US Naval Medical Research Unit
Authors: Smith Frank L
Published: June 2014

Science diplomacy supposedly builds international cooperation through scientific and technical exchange. In practice, however, there are important but often overlooked instances where it might create conflict instead – as with accusations of espionage surrounding the US Naval Medical Research Unit 2 (NAMRU-2) in Indonesia. Did American science diplomacy backfire in Indonesia and, if so, why? Most literature fails to anticipate this possibility, let alone explain it, since science diplomacy is rarely subject to critical analysis. Rather than shun politics or, similarly, simply blame the demise of NAMRU-2 on the military or avian influenza, I consider both the successes and failures of this research unit in the context of Indonesia’s transition to democracy and America’s legacy from the Cold War. Based on this history, I propose that the effects of science diplomacy depend on strategic communication and exchange, as well as elite influence and material incentives. Therefore, by challenging the conventional wisdom about science diplomacy, NAMRU-2 can help advance the theory and practice of this potentially useful tool of statecraft.
Probable Tolosa-Hunt syndrome with a normal MRI
Authors: Abdelghany Mahmoud , Orozco Daniel , Fink William , Begley Christopher
Published: June 2014

Background

We are reporting a rare case of a 60-year-old woman with a past history of end-stage renal disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma who presented to our hospital with confusion, unilateral headache, painful ophthalmoplegia and ptosis. The patient was diagnosed clinically with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS).

Results

THS is a diagnosis of exclusion. Other diseases were ruled out. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and orbit was negative twice within a week. The patient was treated with corticosteroids with marked improvement of the orbital pain and headache and mild improvement of the cranial nerves palsy.

Conclusion

Clinical diagnosis of THS could be supported by radiological findings. According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-3 beta diagnostic criteria, the diagnosis must be confirmed with an abnormal MRI and/or pathological sample. We add to the previous findings of THS with a normal MRI. Although MRI plays a crucial role in differential diagnosis, it should not, nor should the biopsy, be a must for the diagnosis. Limitations of using MRI in some patients are another problem.
Evolution and moral relativism
Authors: Mizzoni John
Published: June 2014

This article looks at whether moral relativism fits within an evolutionary framework. As a metaethical theory, the main ideas of moral relativism include: conventions, moral reasons, moral diversity, and moral disagreement. Two different versions of moral relativism are examined, those developed by Gilbert Harman and by David Wong. Several other writers who have characterized the relationship between moral relativism and an evolutionary perspective are also discussed. In addition, the article examines what three different models of evolution (those of Darwin, Dawkins, and Gould) imply about moral relativism. I argue that Wong’s version of moral relativism, which eschews moral conventionalism, has the best fit with an evolutionary perspective. This may be the case, though, because Wong’s version is quite flexible and leaves us with the lingering question of whether it is really moral relativism.
The centrality of politeia for Aristotle’s Politics: Part II – the marginalization of Aristotle’s politeia in modern political thought
Authors: Bates Clifford Angell
Published: June 2014

Political theorists today are addressing issues of global concern confronting state systems and in so doing are often forced to confront the concept of Homo sapiens as a ‘political animal’. This article continues the presentation of Aristotle’s treatment of politeia (initiated in ‘The centrality of politeia for Aristotle’s Politics: Aristotle’s continuing significance for social and political science’, in this journal) as the concept allowing us to understand the nature and workings of human political community in a way that lets us see how the fundamentally social nature of human beings manifests itself. I look at how Aristotle’s politeia became marginalized as a useful means to understand the shape and direction of human community. While the state has become the new frame for the human political community, the concept of the state rests on the fundamental a-social assumptions of early modern thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, etc., whose model of how the state emerges denies the fundamental social character of man and instead insists that political action consists merely of the rational calculations of willing agents for common utility and society. In doing so the model renders politics and political actions as merely another form of economics.
Chemical substances on the frontiers of health security: Metrological controversies over endocrine disruptors and low doses
Authors: Chateauraynaud Francis , Debaz Josquin , Fintz Matthieu
Published: June 2014

The issue of low doses already has a long history. Initially linked with radioactivity, it can be traced through a series of metrological controversies about the evaluation of health and environmental risks. Building on recent developments, including the increased public profile of endocrine disruptors, this article offers an exploration of the different epistemic logics at work in research environments and of the expertise brought to bear on low doses. Based on an analysis of documents, participant observation in groups of experts, and a series of interviews, it examines the cognitive support and techniques used by the actors, and the practicalities of what some of them have called a ‘paradigm shift’, leading to the redefinition of the concepts and tools of toxicology in the 21st century.
Are BIDs Good for Business? The Impact of BIDs on Neighborhood Retailers in New York City
Authors: Sutton Stacey A.
Published: June 2014

The business improvement district (BID) model has been widely adopted as a place-based strategy for commercial renewal and sustainability. This study uses the National Establishment Time-Series (NETS) Database to estimate the impact of New York City BIDs on change in retail sales and change employment between 2000 and 2008. Since the self-financing mechanism of BIDs becomes a compulsory tax on retail tenants, this study examines whether the model improves retail performance relative to comparable areas of the city that never adopted BIDs. Although effects vary by BID size, retail sales and employment are depressed by small community BIDs.
A Storyville Education
Authors: Platt R. Eric , Hill Lilian H.
Published: June 2014

Storyville, the legalized red-light district of New Orleans (1897-1917), was a designated space containing informal opportunities for learning in which its residents practiced the sex trade. Although Storyville was created to regulate prostitution, prostitutes and madams learned the city’s legal system, politics, and economics to survive in a socially constructed space. Using primary and secondary sources and informed by theory, including informal learning, spatial production, and critical and feminist geography, this study explores the adult learning that took place in Storyville.
“Media Time = Family Time”
Authors: Coyne Sarah M. , Padilla-Walker Laura M. , Fraser Ashley M. , Fellows Kaylene , Day Randal D.
Published: June 2014

Media use in families has generally been examined from a narrow viewpoint, focusing on monitoring or co-viewing. The current research provides an expanded view of positive media use in families with adolescents by examining associations between diverse positive media use and family and adolescents outcomes. In addition, we used qualitative methods to provide a more comprehensive view of how families use media in positive ways, specifically drawing distinctions between traditional entertainment media and social media. Participants included 633 adolescents and their parents who completed a range of quantitative and qualitative measures on media use and adolescent and family outcomes. Results revealed that positive media use was positively associated with general family functioning (for girls), parental involvement (for both boys and girls), and adolescent disclosure to parents (for boys). Qualitative results revealed that families use media in diverse ways including for entertainment, emotional connection, discussion, information, and documentation. Results are discussed within the broad framework of family systems theory.
Characteristics of Brain Stem Auditory Evoked Potentials in Children With Hearing Impairment Due to Infectious Diseases
Authors: Ječmenica Jovana Radovan , Opančina Aleksandra Aleksandar Bajec
Published: June 2014

Among objective audiologic tests, the most important were tests of brain stem auditory evoked potentials. The objective of the study was to test the configuration, degree of hearing loss, and response characteristics of auditory brain stem evoked potentials in children with hearing loss occurred due to infectious disease. A case control study design was used. The study group consisted of 54 patients referred for a hearing test because of infectious diseases caused by other agents or that occurred as congenital infection. Infectious agents have led to the emergence of various forms of sensorineural hearing loss. We have found deviations from the normal values of absolute and interwave latencies in some children in our group. We found that in the group of children who had the diseases such as purulent meningitis, or were born with rubella virus and cytomegalovirus infection, a retrocochlear damage was present in children with and without cochlear damage.
Effects of Caffeine Treatment for Apnea of Prematurity on Cortical Speech-Sound Differentiation in Preterm Infants
Authors: Maitre Nathalie L. , Chan Jeremy , Stark Ann R. , Lambert Warren E. , Aschner Judy L. , Key Alexandra P.
Published: June 2014

Caffeine, standard treatment for apnea of prematurity, improves brainstem auditory processing. We hypothesized that caffeine also improves cortical differentiation of complex speech sounds. We used event-related potential methodology to measure responses to speech-sound contrasts in 45 intensive care neonates, stratified by cumulative exposure as no-, low-, and high-caffeine groups. Sound differentiation in the low-caffeine group and near-term no-caffeine infants was similar with repeated measures analysis of variance controlling for gestational and postnatal age. However, a generalized estimating equation approach demonstrated that, at equivalent postnatal age, differentiation was reduced in the high-caffeine (gestational age 25 weeks) compared to the low-caffeine group (gestational age 28 weeks), reflecting the importance of maturity at birth (Z = 2.77, P < .006). We conclude that caffeine improves measures of auditory processing associated with improved neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. However, current usage of caffeine for apnea of prematurity cannot fully compensate for the effects of brain immaturity on speech sound processing.
Surface modification of porous polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds for bone regeneration in rat calvaria defect
Authors: Kim Ji-Hyun , Linh Nguyen TB , Min Young K , Lee Byong-Taek
Published: June 2014

In this study, polycaprolactone scaffolds fabricated by a salt-leaching process were loaded with biphasic calcium phosphate successfully to improve the osteoconductivity in bone regeneration. The surface of polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds was aminolyzed by 1,6-hexamethylenediamine to introduce amino groups onto the surface, which was verified qualitatively by ninhyrin staining. Collagen was further immobilized on the aminolyzed porous polycaprolactone via N-ethyl- N′-(3-dimethylaminopropy) carbodiimide hydrochloride/hydroxy-2,5-dioxopyrolidine-3-sulfonic acid sodium cross-linking. The pore size of polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate-collagen scaffolds was 200–300 µm, which was suitable for bone in-growth. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the coupling of collagen immobilized on the surface of polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate. In vitro results demonstrated that the spreading and viability of MC3T3-E1 cells were remarkably improved in the polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate-collagen scaffolds. The in vivo study was carried out by implanting the porous polycaprolactone, polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate, and polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate-collagen to the skulls of rats. Although the addition of biphasic calcium phosphate particles in the polycaprolactone scaffolds does not have a strong effect on the new bone formation, the immobilization of collagen on the polycaprolactone/biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds significantly improved the bone regeneration even though the implantation time was short, 6 weeks. The present results provide more evidence that functionalizing polycaprolactone with biphasic calcium phosphate and collagen may be a feasible way to improve the osteoconduction in bone regeneration.
Effect of boron oxide addition on fibre drawing, mechanical properties and dissolution behaviour of phosphate-based glass fibres with fixed 40, 45 and 50 mol% P2O5
Authors: Sharmin Nusrat , Parsons Andrew J , Rudd Chris D , Ahmed Ifty
Published: June 2014

Previous studies investigating manufacture of phosphate-based glass fibres from glasses fixed with P2O5 content less than 50 mol% showed that continuous manufacture without breakage was very difficult. In this study, nine phosphate-based glass formulations from the system P2O5-CaO-Na2O-MgO-B2O3 were prepared with P2O5 contents fixed at 40, 45 and 50 mol%, where Na2O was replaced by 5 and 10 mol% B2O3 and MgO and CaO were fixed to 24 and 16 mol%, respectively. The effect of B2O3 addition on the fibre drawing, fibre mechanical properties and dissolution behaviour was investigated. It was found that addition of 5 and 10 mol% B2O3 enabled successful drawing of continuous fibres from glasses with phosphate (P2O5) contents fixed at 40, 45 and 50 mol%. The mechanical properties of the fibres were found to significantly increase with increasing B2O3 content. The highest tensile strength (1200 ± 130 MPa) was recorded for 45P2O5-16CaO-5Na2O-24MgO-10B2O3 glass fibres. The fibres were annealed, and a comparison of the mechanical properties and mode of degradation of annealed and non-annealed fibres were investigated. A decrease in tensile strength and an increase in tensile modulus were observed for the annealed fibres. An assessment of the change in mechanical properties of both the annealed and non-annealed fibres was performed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37℃ for 28 and 60 days, respectively. Initial loss of mechanical properties due to annealing was found to be recovered with degradation. The B2O3-containing glass fibres were found to degrade at a much slower rate as compared to the non-B2O3-containing fibres. Both annealed and non-annealed fibres exhibited a peeling effect of the fibre's outer layer during degradation.
Psychosocial Predictors of Primiparous Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration
Authors: Mathews Meagan E. , Leerkes Esther M. , Lovelady Cheryl A. , Labban Jeffrey D.
Published: June 2014

Background:

Many US women fall short of meeting the recommendations on breastfeeding. Whereas prenatal demographic factors have been well researched in relation to breastfeeding, psychosocial maternal characteristics are less understood but could be important predictors of breastfeeding initiation and duration.

Objective:

This study examined primiparous maternal psychosocial characteristics and temperamentally based negative infant affect as predictors of breastfeeding initiation and duration while accounting for depression and sociodemographic covariates.

Methods:

Prenatally, 237 primiparous women were administered the Adult Attachment Interview and completed a measure of beliefs related to infant crying. At 6 months postpartum, negative infant affect was assessed via mother report. Breastfeeding was assessed at 6 months and 1 year postpartum via mother report.

Results:

Results indicated that younger, low income, less educated, single, ethnic minority mothers and mothers with elevated depressive symptoms were less likely to initiate breastfeeding and breastfed for a shorter period than other women. Women who initiated breastfeeding tended to have higher adult attachment coherence scores (more secure attachment) than those who did not initiate breastfeeding (median score of 6.00 vs 4.00). An interaction was observed between negative infant affect and beliefs about crying related to spoiling, such that earlier cessation of breastfeeding was observed among mothers who reported high levels of negative infant affect and strongly endorsed the belief that responding to cries spoils infants (hazard ratio = 1.71, P < .01).

Conclusion:

Although these psychosocial variables predicted relatively little variation in breastfeeding over and above covariates, the results suggest some novel approaches to promote breastfeeding.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content May Be Increased in the Milk of Women with Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer
Authors: Qin Wenyi , Raatz Susan , Zhang Ke K. , Rosenberger Thad A. , Sauter Edward R.
Published: June 2014

Background:

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is aggressive and difficult to diagnose. High intake of most types of dietary fat is thought to increase breast cancer risk; however, results in humans supporting this premise remain equivocal. Fatty acid (FA) concentrations in the body comprise both dietary intake and endogenous FA production. Most assessments of FA levels have been performed on blood, with little information on the effect of FA levels in breast milk on PABC risk.

Objective:

This study aimed to determine if FA concentrations in the milk from women diagnosed with breast cancer while nursing were different in the cancer-containing breast and opposite breast.

Methods:

We quantified 16 long-chain FA and soluble FA synthase (sFAS) enzyme levels from 4 women diagnosed with PABC, comparing results from the cancer-containing breast to those from the normal breast.

Results:

Fatty acid concentrations consistently exceeded and trended higher ( P < .10) in each cancer-containing breast for 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid [AA]), 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]), and 22:5n-6 (docosapentaenoic acid [DPA]). Soluble FA synthase levels were similar in the cancer-containing and normal breasts.

Conclusion:

Breast milk concentrations of AA, EPA, and DPA increased in the cancer-containing breast of women with PABC. This increase was not associated with higher sFAS levels.
Sustainable Certification for Future Generations
Authors: Delmas Magali A. , Gergaud Olivier
Published: June 2014

Business sustainability has been defined as meeting current needs while providing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. However, few firms invest in practices geared at sustainability. In this article, we investigate how family ties to future generations via the intention of transgenerational succession can be associated with the adoption of sustainable practices. Using data from 281 wineries in the United States collected through a survey questionnaire, we show that ties to future generations, measured as the intention of the winery owner to pass down the winery to their children, are associated with the adoption of sustainable certification.
Feasibility of partial remelting process in globular microstructure preparation for semi-solid processing of M2 high-speed steel
Authors: Hosseini Yekta F , Sadough Vanini SA , Pouyafar V
Published: June 2014

Feasibility of partial remelting process in producing the feedstock for semi-solid processing of M2 high-speed steel (HSS) has been investigated. The effect of reheating parameters, that is, heating rate, holding temperature and holding time on final microstructure of M2 HSS, has been studied. For this purpose, a series of experiments based on Taguchi method was employed to determine the required reheating cycles. The experiments were carried out in a resistance furnace and in an argon-controlled atmosphere to avoid any oxidation and decarburization. During any reheating cycle, the temperature of surface and core of the samples were recorded and compared with the furnace temperature. Microstructural evolution of the samples was then studied and the formation of a globular microstructure in holding time has been evaluated. The particle shape factor and globule size in each stage of experiments have been derived and its relation to other parameters has been studied. Finally, appropriate reheating cycle and parameters has been determined and two-dimensional plots of parameters versus shape factor are introduced as a process window for reheating cycle derived.
Fabrication of microchannels: A review
Authors: Prakash Shashi , Kumar Subrata
Published: June 2014

Microchannels are primarily used in biomedical devices and microfluidic applications. Fabrication of microchannels has always been a tough task using conventional manufacturing technologies. Various types of materials are in use for fabricating microchannels in different types of applications including metals, polymers and ceramics. A number of methods are in use for fabricating different types of microchannels. These processes include both conventional and nonconventional fabrication techniques such as micromilling, lithography, embossing processes and laser ablation processing. During the recent years, some hybrid techniques have also been developed for fabrication of microchannels. This survey of various literatures reveals a broad spectrum of different processes used for fabricating microchannels. Currently, laser micromachining has been evolved as a potential technology for fabricating microchannels. Laser processing has been proved to be the most time efficient and clean. In this article, fabrication processes for creating microchannels have been reviewed with special emphasis on laser micromachining. This article mostly addresses the fabrication techniques for creating surface microchannels.
Research on a new hydraulic rolling shear shearing mechanism and its control system
Authors: Han Yong He , Wang Jun , Wang Jing , Ma Feng Li , Huang Xue Qing
Published: June 2014

According to the theory of rolling shear, a new composite connecting rod mechanism driven by cylinders is invented. The shearing mechanism moving curves and equilibrium equations are calculated to build the transfer function of unsymmetrical valve controlling unsymmetrical cylinder. The key points of the track of shearing mechanism, the pressure and position of cylinders are analysed when the rolling shear shearing the plates in different thickness by simulation. The data from the plant suggest that the new mechanism can meet the demands. Using unsymmetrical valve to control the unsymmetrical cylinder can achieve the position control for the system with high speed, massive flow and heavy load and can reduce the reversing impact.
Study on the self-evolution problem of an aircraft-engine assembly workshop with uncertain number of assembly times
Authors: Jiang Tian-Hua , Wang Hao-Xiang
Published: June 2014

Self-evolution problem of an aircraft-engine assembly workshop with uncertain number of assembly times in knowledgeable manufacturing environment is studied in this article. The whole dynamic self-evolution process is decomposed into a series of static ones by using the rolling horizon procedure. A rolling rule, which is employed to select operations into rolling windows, is designed on the basis of the level priority of each operation. An algorithm for the self-evolution algorithm is then proposed. Due to the deterministic production information, a static decision sub-problem is needed to be solved at each decision point. A general mathematical model of sub-problems is built to minimize the production cost. For solving it, a bi-level genetic algorithm is proposed. In the lower level genetic algorithm, an improved decoding method is also designed by considering production features. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the model and algorithms. Then, computational data indicate that the system with self-evolution capability pays lower costs for production.
Effect of ER4043 and ER5356 filler wire on mechanical properties and microstructure of dissimilar aluminium alloys, 5083-O and 6061-T6 joint, welded by the metal inert gas welding
Authors: Verma Rajesh P , Pandey KN , Sharma Yogesh
Published: June 2014

This work studies the effect of filler metal on the mechanical and microstructure properties of dissimilar aluminium alloys of 5083-O and 6061-T6 welded using metal inert gas welding. The metal inert gas welding was used because it is widely being used for joining aluminium alloys for aerospace, marine, automotive and many other application of commercial importance. The joints were fabricated using filler metals ER4043 and ER5356. Both welded samples were cut according to ASTM B-557M to obtain the tensile strength, and Vickers hardness was measured at welded metal, heat-affected zone and base metal. The mechanical properties of welded samples were analysed by using micrographs obtained from optical microscopy. From the results, the filler metals ER5356 were more able to enhance the mechanical properties and microstructure characteristics of the welded samples.