bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why Coins Turned Round the World Over? A Critical Analysis of the Origins and Transmission of Ancient Metallic Money
Authors: Horesh Niv , Kim Hyun Jin
Published: May 2012

The inspiration behind the pre-modern bronze round coinage standardised across China by the First Emperor of Qin in the 3rd century BC have remained fairly obscure and are still a contentious issue. We demonstrate in this article that the various theories arguing for an exclusively endogenous impetus behind the spread and development of Chinese round coinage vouched for by many scholars in either East Asia or the West all carry inherent contradictions. In contrast, circumstantial and archaeological evidence in support of partly exogenous origins are mounting. Evidence from the Middle East points to the early invention and wide circulation of round coinage in Lydia, Greece and the Achaemenid Empire. The expansion of the Persians into India in the 6th century BC and the later incursions by Alexander and the Greco-Bactrians in the fourth and third centuries BC all facilitated and may have decisively contributed to India’s adoption of round coinage. Similarly, the flow of ideas, artistic motifs and metallurgic knowhow from West Asia to China via Central Asia had occurred much earlier than the 3rd century BC. Active adoption of foreign (Central Eurasian steppe) customs in the fourth century BC is recorded in Chinese pre-imperial records and confirmed by recent archaeological findings across Eurasia. Ongoing archaeological work in China’s western provinces could further highlight this ancient phase of globalization that, quite literally, still shapes our most fundamental grasp of money.
A Survey of undergraduate student perceptions and use of nutrition information labels in a university dining hall
Authors: Martinez Olivia D , Roberto Christina A , Kim Jane H , Schwartz Marlene B , Brownell Kelly D
Published: May 2012

Objective:

To examine undergraduate student perceptions and reported use of nutrition information labels in campus dining halls.

Design:

Paper surveys were administered to a convenience sample of undergraduates.

Setting:

This study was conducted at an urban United States university.

Method:

A survey about perceptions and use of nutrition information labels in the dining halls was distributed to 487 students over a three-month period during the 2009–2010 academic year.

Results:

Of survey respondents, 98% were in favour of making nutrition information available to students, while 96% preferred the information to appear in the dining halls or both in the dining halls and online, rather than online only. Some 88% of survey respondents indicated that the labels affect their food choices at least sometimes.

Conclusion:

The results suggest that college and university dining halls should consider student opinion when deciding whether to provide nutrition information labels in the dining halls.
Identity, Choices and Crisis: A Study of Muslim Political Leadership in Sri Lanka
Authors: Imtiyaz ARM
Published: May 2012

This study attempts to understand the choices made by Muslim political leaders in general, and after independence in particular. Muslim leadership has been broadly classified into two categories based on their respective agendas. This paper looks critically at the choices made by Muslim leaders, as well as some state concessions that could have contributed to growing Islamic fundamentalism. It finally suggests some measures to the current problems of (North and East) Muslims: socio-economic concessions and local power-sharing.
Ethnicity and Degree of Partisan Attachment in Kenyan Politics
Authors: Battera Federico
Published: May 2012

The present analysis disaggregates election results and voter turnout according to the voters’ ethnic background during a time span which covers three electoral processes (1997–2007) in Kenya. The two data combined produced an index which was called the ‘degree of mobilization index’. Given that most of the Kenyan parties proved to be ethnic or made of ethnic alliances, voter turnout was found crucial in differentiating the degree of ethnic mobilization. Ethnicity alone, however, failed to explain these differences. The findings were likely linked to the past record of patronage for the five selected ethnic groups and the ability of such groups to provide a cohesive ethnic leadership.
Fabrication and characterization of triple nanobioceramic composite foam
Authors: Ghomi H , Fathi MH , Edris H
Published: May 2012

In this study, triple nanobioceramic composite foam consisting of bioactive glass (BG), forsterite, and hydroxyapatite (HA) with highly porous structure and high mechanical strength was successfully fabricated via gelcasting method. The BG and forsterite were added to HA as second-phase ceramics to enhance simultaneously its bioactivity, biodegradability, and mechanical properties. The prepared foams have a crystallite size in the range 30–52 nm (while the crystallite size of initial HA and forsterite powders is about 22 nm), pore size in the range 100–300 µm, and total and interconnected porosity upto 87% and 81%, respectively. The compressive strength measurements showed that the foams have an excellent compressive strength (2.19–3.68 MPa), which is appropriate for load-bearing tissue engineering applications and is close to the compressive strength of spongy bone. In vitro tests proved the good bioactivity and resorbability of the foams. The resulting composite foams have similar chemical composition to the mineral phase of bone and it is possible to optimize the ratio of BG phase to ceramic phases for achieving appropriate mechanical strength, bioactivity, and biodegradability level needed for different applications.
Machismo and Marital Satisfaction in Mexican American Couples
Authors: Pardo Yobany , Weisfeld Carol , Hill Elizabeth , Slatcher Richard B.
Published: May 2012

Traditional machismo in Mexican American culture has been considered detrimental to marital satisfaction (MS). Contrary to this notion, contemporary views of machismo suggest that masculinity in Mexican American couples is contextual and fluid along a continuum of positive and negative dimensions. In this study, the dyadic effects of positive and negative machismo on MS in Mexican American couples were explored using actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) analyses. A sample of 112 Mexican American couples completed bilingual self-report questionnaires assessing endorsement of machismo beliefs and MS. Adjustments were made for income, acculturation, and number of children. Results showed an actor effect of overall machismo on MS for husbands among low-acculturated but not high-acculturated couples. Furthermore, we found that wives’ endorsement of positive machismo beliefs was associated with higher levels of their own MS, whereas moderate levels of positive machismo were associated with higher levels of MS for husbands. In contrast, wives’ endorsement of negative machismo was associated with lower levels of their husbands’ MS (a partner effect). Additional analyses revealed that among low-acculturated couples, husbands’ positive machismo was positively associated with their own MS, but not among high-acculturated couples. Among wives, we found the opposite pattern: wives in low-acculturated couples showed no association between positive machismo and MS, but among high-acculturated couples, wives’ endorsement of positive machismo was positively associated with their own MS. These findings call for a more nuanced understanding of positive and negative machismo and challenge stereotypical notions of machismo still prevalent in popular culture and research as intrinsically pathological.
The Mediating Effect of Place Attachment on the Relationship between Festival Satisfaction and Loyalty to the Festival Hosting Destination
Authors: Lee Jenny (Jiyeon) , Kyle Gerard , Scott David
Published: May 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that drive festival visitor loyalty to host destinations. Our analysis focused on the role of place attachment as a mediator of the relationship between visitors’ positive evaluation of their festival experience and their loyalty to the host destination. Using structural equation modeling, we found that satisfied visitors at a festival develop a moderate level of emotional attachment to the festival host destination and ultimately become loyal to that destination. Not all dimensions of place attachment and festival satisfaction, however, were statistically significant, nor were they of equal valence in their prediction of the destination loyalty dimensions. Based on these findings, both theoretical and practical implications of this investigation are discussed.
Checkerboard Neighborhood
Authors: Frisone Nicole
Published: May 2012

In 1957, local newspaper the Princeton Packet announced plans to develop integrated housing in Princeton and West Windsor Townships, New Jersey. These developments and the events surrounding them illustrate the racial and class implications of integration in the 1950s. Decisions made about the occupancy of these developments highlight decisions that would lead to an affluent suburb by 1970 that was decreasingly affordable and accessible to middle- and low-income African Americans and whites.
Outcomes of a Behavioral Education Model for Children With Autism in a Mainstream School Setting
Authors: Grindle Corinna F. , Hastings Richard P. , Saville Maria , Hughes J. Carl , Huxley Kathleen , Kovshoff Hanna , Griffith Gemma M. , Walker-Jones Elin , Devonshire Katherine , Remington Bob
Published: May 2012

The authors report 1-year outcomes for 11 children (3-7 years) with autism who attended an “Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) classroom” educational intervention in a mainstream school setting. The children learned new skills by the end of 1 year and learned additional skills during a 2nd year. Group analysis of standardized test outcomes (IQ and adaptive behavior) showed moderate to large effect size changes over 1 year, with further changes during a 2nd year. Standardized test outcomes for nine children after 2 years were also analyzed against a comparison group ( n = 18) of children with autism receiving “education as usual.” These controlled comparisons were associated with statistically significant large effects in favor of the ABA group for adaptive skills. Exploratory analysis also showed that increases in language and learning skills in the ABA class group were generally associated with positive changes in standardized test scores. A comprehensive behavioral intervention model can be successfully implemented in a mainstream school setting.
Observational Learning and Children With Autism
Authors: Taylor Bridget A. , DeQuinzio Jaime A.
Published: May 2012

A skill essential for successful inclusion in general education settings is the ability to learn by observing others. Research, however, has documented children with autism display significant deficits in the fundamental skills necessary for observational learning. This article outlines the skills essential for observational learning from an operant learning perspective, the research base on teaching observational learning to children with autism, and suggests practical strategies to increase these skills in children with autism so they may more fully benefit from inclusion in general education settings.
Different Groups, Different Motives
Authors: Easterbrook Matt , Vignoles Vivian L.
Published: May 2012

Social identification is known to have wide-reaching implications, but theorists disagree about the underlying motives. Integrating motivated identity construction theory with recent social identity research, the authors predicted which motives underlie identification with two types of groups: interpersonal networks and social categories. In a five-wave longitudinal study of social identity processes among 268 new university residents, multilevel analyses showed that motives involved in identity enactment processes—self-esteem, belonging, and efficacy—significantly predicted within-person changes in identification with flatmates (an interpersonal network group), whereas motives involved in identity definition processes—meaning, self-esteem, and distinctiveness—significantly predicted within-person changes in identification with halls of residence (an abstract social category). This article discusses implications for research into identity motives and social identity.
Sense of Control in Late Life
Authors: Chipperfield Judith G. , Newall Nancy E. , Perry Raymond P. , Stewart Tara L. , Bailis Daniel S. , Ruthig Joelle C.
Published: May 2012

Believing that one can influence outcomes presumably fosters a psychological sense of control. So too, however, might adaptive ways of thinking known as secondary control (SC) processes that operate when outcomes are believed to be unattainable. Using a 5-year prospective design and a representative sample of adults (ages 79-98), folk beliefs (e.g., “negative experiences can be a blessing in disguise”) were used to assess SC processes. The authors expected SC Folk Beliefs would predict Sense of Control (Hypothesis 1) which, in turn, would predict self-rated health, hospital admissions, and survival (Hypothesis 2). An indirect relationship was hypothesized: SC Folk Beliefs were expected to predict outcomes through the Sense of Control (Hypothesis 3). Support was found for all hypotheses providing insights into the antecedents and consequences of a sense of control and about how SC beliefs and a sense of control function in the context of health.
Do Unto Others as Others Have Done Unto You?
Authors: Craig Maureen A. , DeHart Tracy , Richeson Jennifer A. , Fiedorowicz Luke
Published: May 2012

The present research examines how making discrimination salient influences stigmatized group members’ evaluations of other stigmatized groups. Specifically, three studies examine how salient sexism affects women’s attitudes toward racial minorities. White women primed with sexism expressed more pro-White (relative to Black and Latino) self-report (Studies 1 and 3) and automatic (Study 2) intergroup bias, compared with White women who were not primed with sexism. Furthermore, group affirmation reduced the pro-White/antiminority bias White women expressed after exposure to sexism (Study 3), suggesting the mediating role of social identity threat. Overall, the results suggest that making discrimination salient triggers social identity threat, rather than a sense of common disadvantage, among stigmatized group members, leading to the derogation of other stigmatized groups. Implications for relations among members of different stigmatized groups are discussed.
If You Wrong Us, Shall We Not Revenge? Moderating Roles of Self-Control and Perceived Aggressive Work Culture in Predicting Responses to Psychological Contract Breach
Authors: Restubog Simon Lloyd D. , Zagenczyk Thomas J. , Bordia Prashant , Bordia Sarbari , Chapman Georgia J.
Published: May 2012

The authors develop and test a moderated mediation model that accounts for employee emotions (psychological contract violation), employee motivation (revenge cognitions), employee personality (self-control), and context (perceived aggressive culture) in the relationship between psychological contract breach and workplace deviance. In Sample 1, involving 146 hospitality workers and their peers, the authors found support for a conditional indirect effect of psychological contract violation in predicting workplace deviance via revenge cognitions for those employees who perceive a high as opposed to low aggressive work culture. In addition, they found that at high levels of perceived aggressive work culture, the conditional indirect effects of psychological contract violation in predicting workplace deviance via revenge cognitions were statistically significant for those employees with low as opposed to high self-control. These results were replicated in Sample 2 using an independent sample of 168 hospitality workers in a different cultural context. Overall, the results suggest that self-control and perceived aggressive culture, taken together, influence the enactment of deviant acts. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Spontaneous Cerebellar Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor in a Juvenile Cynomolgus Monkey (Macaca fascicularis)
Authors: Mukaratirwa Sydney , Rogerson Petrina , Blanco Ana L. , Naylor Stuart W. , Bradley Alys
Published: May 2012

A neoplastic mass compressing the left cerebellar hemisphere and hindbrain was observed at trimming in a 3½-year-old male cynomolgus monkey from a control dose group. Microscopically, the neoplastic mass was nonencapsulated, invasive, and showed two morphological patterns. The predominant area consisted of densely packed undifferentiated, polygonal to spindle cells arranged in vague sheets supported by a scant fibrovascular stroma. The other area was less cellular and composed of round neoplastic cells separated by eosinophilic fibrillar material. Immunohistochemical staining for vimentin, synaptophysin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, neuron-specific enolase, neurofilament, and S-100 confirmed the presence of primitive undifferentiated neuroectodermal cells and some cells with neuronal or glial differentiation. On the basis of histopathology and immunohistochemical findings, a diagnosis of cerebellar primitive neuroectodermal tumor with neuronal and glial differentiation was made. Primitive neuroectodermal tumors are rare in animals including nonhuman primates; this is the first published report in this species.
Enzymatically cross-linked injectable gelatin gel as osteoblast delivery vehicle
Authors: Amini Ashley A , Nair Lakshmi S
Published: May 2012

Injectable and degradable hydrogels are potential candidates as cell delivery vehicles for the regeneration of osseous defects. We evaluated the potential of injectable enzymatically cross-linked gelatin gel as an osteoblast delivery vehicle using murine preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. Injectable hydrogels were prepared by enzymatic cross-linking of the phenol derivatives of gelatin (tyramine-modified) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and horseradish peroxidase. The effect of gelatin concentration on gel morphology and in supporting the adhesion and spreading of encapsulated MC3T3-E1 cells, activation of intercellular signaling in MC3T3-E1 cells by extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation, β-catenin and Runx2 was evaluated. Both tyramine-modified and unmodified gelatins as well as gelatin gels did not activate intercellular signaling pathways in MC3T3-E1 cells. The encapsulated cells in gelatin gel showed extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation and active β-catenin expression in the presence of inductive molecules such as insulin and LiCl. The gelatin gels formed from 10 to 25 mg/mL tyramine-modified gelatin supported the adhesion, spreading, and three-dimensional growth of MC3T3-E1 cells. However, the lack of activation of intercellular signaling in the gelatin gel indicates the need to add exogenous bioactive molecules to modulate the osteogenic functions of the encapsulated cells.
Preparation and characterization of thermoplastic acrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive/nickel/multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Zhang Fan , Qi Shu Hua , Zhang Yi
Published: May 2012

In this work, a novel polymer magnetic composite based on thermoplastic acrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive (acrylate PSA) filled with the nickel plating multiwall carbon nanotubes (Ni/MWNTs) were prepared using Ni/MWNTs obtained by electroless plating method. Then their morphology and properties were characterized by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and so on. Both SEM and XRD indicate that a large number of nickel particles are homogenously coated on the surface of MWNTs. SEM reveals that the Ni/MWNTs are homogeneously dispersed in thermoplastic acrylate PSA. The VSM show that the saturation magnetization ( Ms) of the Ni/MWNTs is 92.0 emu/g and the increase in the Ni/MWNTs content could enhance the Ms of the thermoplastic acrylate PSA/Ni/MWNTs composites and decrease their coercivity ( Hc). When the content of Ni/MWNTs is 10.0 wt%, the magnetic and mechanical properties of the thermoplastic acrylate PSA/Ni/MWNTs composites are optimum.
Dynamic mechanic and creep behaviors of polyoxymethylene/boehmite alumina nanocomposites produced by water-mediated compounding
Authors: Siengchin S
Published: May 2012

Nanocomposites composed of polyoxymethylene (POM) and synthetic boehmite alumina (BA) are produced by water-mediated (WM) technique. According to WM technique, an aqueous BA 25 and BA 220 nm dispersion was injected into the molten POM in a twin-screw extruder to prepare the related nanocomposite with 3 wt% BA content. The dispersion of BA was studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The thermal, mechanical and creep properties of the composites were determined in dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and short-time creep tests, respectively (performed at various temperatures). The data indicate that an improvement in the stiffness of nanocomposites can be achieved. The POM/BA 25 nm composite outperformed the POM and POM/BA 220 nm composite with respect to the storage modulus and creep characteristics. This was attributed to the particle size effect of BA. Master curves of storage modulus versus frequency and creep compliance versus time were constructed by applying the time–temperature superposition principle. It was established that the Burgers model and the Findley power law are fairly applicable to the creep compliance results.
Fire retardation of polystyrene/clay nanocomposites
Authors: Dujkova Zuzana , Merinska Dagmar , Slouf Miroslav
Published: May 2012

Polystyrene and its copolymers are a group of polymers with a wide field of applications. A major disadvantage among many of them is their high flammability. Previous research showed that one of the possibilities to reduce this negative property is to synergize conventional fire retardants and other types of fillers. Recent research showed that there is a synergy effect in clay-containing composites. This initial study is focused not only on the evaluation of synergy with modified or unmodified layered clay nanofillers but also on wide variety of other fillers such as clay nanotubes, melamine or magnesium hydroxide. All results are compared with pure polymer and polymer with conventional fire retardants. The samples were prepared in laboratory using Brabender Plasti-Corder kneader and analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Flammability was the most important property evaluated, and mechanical properties were also observed.
Disrupting normal: Toward the ‘ordinary and familiar’ in fat politics
Authors: Meleo-Erwin Zoë
Published: May 2012

As a nascent movement, fat activism must look critically at the tactics and strategies it chooses precisely because the movement is helping to produce ‘Fat’ as a mode of subjectification and identification. I argue that the desire of some fat activists to bring fatness under the banner of ‘normal,’ particularly through attempts to link certain forms of fatness and health, is a losing battle. Further, this strategy may lead to an ethic of assimilation that leaves behind the very people that fat activism should most benefit and represent. By drawing the connections between queer theory, disability studies and fat activism, I suggest that bodily normativity is an unstable category that must be constantly re/performed because it is always, in effect, failing ( McRuer 2006 ). Given this, fat activism should resist the seduction of normal and instead develop a more critical politics of embodiment and more effective challenge to healthism. I suggest that Eli Clare’s (2002) notion of the ‘ordinary and familiar’ offers one such framework.
On the problem of radial vibrations in non-homogeneity isotropic cylinder under influence of initial stress and magnetic field
Authors: Abd-Alla AM , Mahmoud SR
Published: May 2012

In the present work, the effects of initial stress, magnetic field and non-homogeneity on wave propagation of free harmonic waves in isotropic material are discussed. The one-dimensional equation of elastodynamic is solved in terms of radial displacement and different cases of the boundary conditions for the hollow cylinder are considered. The determination is concerned with the eigenvalues of the natural frequencies of the radial vibrations for different boundary conditions in the case of harmonic vibrations. Numerical results are given and illustrated graphically for each case considered. Comparisons are made with the results in the absence of initial stress, magnetic field and non-homogeneity.
Vibration suppression for laminated cylindrical panels with arbitrary edge conditions
Authors: Li Jinqiang , Narita Yoshihiro
Published: May 2012

Active vibration control of laminated cylindrical panels with arbitrary edge condition is investigated using piezoelectric fiber reinforced composite (PFRC) material. The boundary cases considered are free edge, simply supported edge and clamped edge for thin panels. Adopting a velocity feedback control strategy the transient response of cylindrical panels can be suppressed efficiently, and the relationship between the control gain and active damping ratio has been investigated. The active damping ratio curves are numerically calculated, and from the simulation results it is also found that the piezoelectric fiber orientation of the PFRC patches plays an important role in the vibration suppression capability.
Penny-shaped Dugdale crack in a transversely isotropic medium and under axisymmetric loading
Authors: Li Xiang-Yu , Gu Shui-Tao , He Qi-Chang , Chen Wei-Qiu
Published: May 2012

The present work is concerned with a penny-shaped crack embedded in a transversely isotropic medium and oriented in parallel with the isotropic plane of the latter. Three axisymmetric crack problems are investigated. In the first one, the upper and lower lips of the crack are subjected to a pair of annular opposite pressures. In the second and third problems, two opposite concentrated forces of the same magnitude are applied successively at the upper and lower crack lip centres and at any two points outside the crack and on the axis perpendicular to the crack. Using the basic idea underlying Dugdale's crack model, the extent of the plastic zone is analytically estimated in each of the three cases. In addition, the corresponding crack surface displacement is determined explicitly. Numerical examples are provided to discuss the effects of some geometrical and material parameters involved. Apart from their own usefulness in carrying out some simplified crack analyses, the results obtained in this work can in particular serve as benchmarks for computational fracture mechanics.
Local Tax Competition and Indirect Tax Exportation
Authors: Kächelein Holger
Published: May 2012

This article studies capital tax competition in a model with external ownership of fixed factors. A simple condition is provided on the feasibility of an efficient Nash equilibrium, which depends only on factor income shares, the elasticity of substitution in production, and the size of the public sector. For a reasonable setting and related values, tax exporting incentives are too weak to cancel out the positive externality of tax competition, leading to the conclusion that the most likely outcome is that there will be an undersupply of public activity.
Multiple sclerosis in diverse populations: characteristics in distinct Arab ethnicities in Israel
Authors: Siegel Michal , Paperna Tamar , Lejbkowicz Izabella , Petrou Panayiota , Shahien Radi , Karussis Dimitrios , Lavi Idit , Dishon Sara , Rawashdeh Hanna , Miller Ariel
Published: May 2012

Background:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence and genetic susceptibility varies among the different ethnic groups of Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Objective:

Characterization of MS disease course in Christian, Muslim and Druze Arabs in Israel.

Methods:

Historical cohort and three-year follow-up cohort analyses based on interviews and clinical charts of 149 Arab MS patients (78 Muslims, 49 Christians and 22 Druze) from three MS centers in Israel. Significant findings were adjusted for use of disease modifying therapy.

Results:

Age of onset (means between 30 and 31 years) and incomplete recovery rates after the first relapse (~50%) were similar for Christian, Muslim and Druze patients. Low rates of primary progressive MS (≤1%) were observed. Differences between the ethnicities in the time from onset to the second neurological episode were observed among females, but not males. Druze and Muslim women were more likely to have a second event within two years from the first event compared with Christians (odds ratios =8.8, p= 0.02; odds ratio=6.6, p=0.007 respectively). Trends for higher annual relapse rates, annual disability progression rates and MS Severity Scores were observed among the Druze.

Conclusions:

Among the Israeli Arab female MS patients, Druze and Muslims exhibit a more rapid disease course in comparison with Christians. Further elucidation of population-specific MS phenotypes may contribute to improved disease management.
Natalizumab strongly suppresses cortical pathology in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: Rinaldi F , Calabrese M , Seppi D , Puthenparampil M , Perini P , Gallo P
Published: May 2012

Background:

Since cortical pathology has been indicated to play a relevant role in the physical and cognitive disability of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, this study aims to analyze the efficacy of natalizumab in slowing down its progression.

Methods:

A total of 120 relapsing–remitting MS patients completed a 2-year prospective study: 35 received natalizumab, 50 received interferon beta-1a or glatiramer acetate (immunomodulatory agents - IMA) and 35 remained untreated. Forty healthy subjects constituted the reference population. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluations (including cortical lesions and atrophy) were performed at baseline and after 2 years.

Results:

Natalizumab significantly reduced accumulation of new cortical lesions (0.2±0.6,range 0–3) compared to immunomodulatory agents (1.3±1.1 togli spazio, range 1–6, p=0.001) and no treatment (2.9±1.5, range 1–8, p<0.001). The percentage of patients with new cortical lesions was also lower in natalizumab-treated patients (20%) compared to IMA-treated and untreated patients (68.0% and 74.2%; p<0.001 for both comparisons). Furthermore, the progression of cortical atrophy was significantly reduced by natalizumab (% change=1.7%) compared to IMA (3.7%, p=0.003) and no therapy (4.6%, p<0.001). Finally, a greater percentage (51.4%) of natalizumab-treated patients remained disease-free (no clinical or MRI evidence of disease activity or progression) compared to IMA-treated (18%, p=0.001) and untreated patients (5.7%, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

Natalizumab treatment significantly decreases cortical lesion accumulation and cortical atrophy progression in severe relapsing–remitting MS. While supporting the inflammatory origin of cortical lesions, our results highlight the significant impact of natalizumab on cortical pathology.
Intercepting the intergenerational cycle of maternal trauma and loss through mother–infant psychotherapy: A case study using attachment-derived methods
Authors: Belt Ritva H. , Kouvo Anna , Flykt Marjo , Punamäki Raija-Leena , Haltigan John D. , Biringen Zeynep , Tamminen Tuula
Published: May 2012

Some mothers who have recently lost a significant attachment figure may become mentally incoherent and sporadically even enter a trancelike, dissociative state. Such states of mind have been shown to predict infant attachment disorganization. Infants born close to the time of a parental loss are at a greater risk for intergenerational trauma. A background of maternal substance abuse is also known to increase such risk. We illustrate by way of a case study how a mother–infant group psychotherapy programme aimed at substance-abusing mothers may help to prevent the transmission of mother’s unresolved trauma to the infant. Another goal was to discuss how attachment-derived methods (namely, Adult Attachment Interview, Strange Situation Procedure and the Emotional Availability Scales) may aid in understanding the effects of the intervention.
Psychological well-being in persons affected by Huntington’s disease: A comparison of at-risk, prodromal, and symptomatic groups
Authors: Chisholm Lauren Zeranski , Flavin Kaitlin T , Paulsen Jane S , Ready Rebecca
Published: May 2012

In order to broaden knowledge of psychological functioning in Huntington’s disease (HD), participants at-risk, prodromal, and symptomatic for HD reported on stress, negative affect, and depressive symptoms as well as life satisfaction, positive affect, and quality of life. Persons with symptomatic HD reported fewer psychological assets and greater stress, depressive symptoms, and negative affect than other groups. Positive affect in symptomatic persons did not significantly differ from other groups, and was higher in persons at-risk for HD than in controls. Greater attention to psychological assets in HD is warranted, particularly positive affect which may not decline early in the disease.
Rebels without a cause: Discrimination appraised as legitimate harms group commitment
Authors: Jetten Jolanda , Schmitt Michael T. , Branscombe Nyla R.
Published: May 2012

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that perceptions of the legitimacy of discrimination moderate the extent to which targets respond to pervasive discrimination with commitment to their ingroup. Both the perceived pervasiveness and legitimacy of discrimination directed toward the ingroup were manipulated among group members of a stigmatized group: People with body piercings. Generalizing previous research findings to this non-typical stigmatized group, perceiving discrimination as pervasive and legitimate affected group commitment. On a number of group commitment indicators, we found that pervasive and legitimate discrimination lowered group identification (Experiment 1), outrage about the treatment received, and liking for a victimized ingroup member, but enhanced willingness to remove body-piercings in order to pass (Experiment 2) compared to legitimate and rare discrimination. Group commitment was relatively high when discrimination was appraised as illegitimate and was not affected by pervasiveness of discrimination. These results highlight that, for this non-typical stigmatized group, pervasive discrimination that is appraised as legitimate undermines group commitment.
Going to pieces at the funeral: Completeness and complexity in early Bronze Age jet ‘necklace’ assemblages
Authors: Frieman Catherine
Published: May 2012

This article explores how the ways in which we as archaeologists view material culture – as being constituted of many parts or attributes, as complete, as dynamic, as unchanging – can affect the ways we interpret it. In doing so, it addresses the inherent conflict of object classification: while individual objects vary in significant and observable ways, to be included in broader research agendas they must be approximated to normative and idealized types, effectively effacing the actions of the individuals who made and used them. This conflict is explored through the study of beaded ornaments of jet and jet-like material found in Early Bronze Age burials across Britain. Although each bead assemblage comprises a variety of bead forms, types and materials, archaeologists and curators continue to treat them as singular, whole objects. I argue that tacking back and forth between the scale of the whole assemblage and that of the individual part allows us to make use of the variety of singular objects and make sense of their broader similarities to create a more nuanced and highly novel model of the social context in which they were worn, circulated and deposited.
The Art School in Ruins
Authors: Beck John , Cornford Matthew
Published: May 2012

As the British government effectively privatizes higher education in the arts, humanities and social sciences, this article tours the monuments that remain (and some that do not) of the last great era in state-funded training in art and design in the UK: the time between the Second World War and the absorption of art schools into polytechnics and universities when institutions intended to provide artisanal training became the autonomously regulated spaces where much of British popular culture was produced and disseminated. As recently as 1984, Simon Frith and Howard Horne could still write that in Britain ‘every small town has its art school.’ This is no longer the case; while in 1959 there were 180 dedicated art and design institutions in the UK, now there are only a dozen left. The rest of the buildings have been quietly forgotten, renovated as luxury apartments and social housing, adapted as annexes of other, larger institutions, abandoned to the elements, or demolished. Combining image and text, this article explores the abandoned and reused sites of British art schools as the ruined markers of a lost future of unregulated creative practice.
Heapviz: Interactive heap visualization for program understanding and debugging
Authors: Kelley Sean , Aftandilian Edward , Gramazio Connor , Ricci Nathan , Su Sara L. , Guyer Samuel Z.
Published: May 2012

Understanding the data structures in a program is crucial to understanding how the program works, or why it does not work. Inspecting the code that implements the data structures, however, is an arduous task and often fails to yield insights into the global organization of a program’s data. Inspecting the actual contents of the heap solves these problems but presents a significant challenge of its own: finding an effective way to present the enormous number of objects it contains.

In this paper we present Heapviz, a tool for visualizing and exploring snapshots of the heap obtained from a running Java program. Unlike existing tools, such as traditional debuggers, Heapviz presents a global view of the program state as a graph, together with powerful interactive capabilities for navigating it. Our tool employs several key techniques that help manage the scale of the data. First, we reduce the size and complexity of the graph by using algorithms inspired by static shape analysis to aggregate the nodes that make up a data structure. Second, we implement a powerful visualization component whose interactive interface provides extensive support for exploring the graph. The user can search for objects based on type, connectivity, and field values; group objects; and color or hide and show each group. The user may also inspect individual objects to see their field values and neighbors in the graph. These interactive abilities help the user manage the complexity of these huge graphs.

By applying Heapviz to both constructed and real-world examples, we show that it provides programmers with a powerful and intuitive tool for exploring program behavior.
Determination of stick-slip stage of single and multiple yarn ends pull-out in para-aramid (Kevlar®) woven fabric
Authors: Bilisik Kadir
Published: May 2012

The aim of this study was to understand the stick-slip properties of para-aramid woven fabrics. For this reasons, pull-out test was conducted on para-aramid Kevlar® 29 and Kevlar® 129 woven fabrics. The force–displacement curve from each fabric sample was obtained. The stick-slip region and accumulative retraction force region were defined based on the force–displacement curve. It was found that stick-slip and accumulative retraction forces depend on fabric density and the number of pulled ends in the fabric. Stick-slip and accumulative retraction forces in the multiple yarn pull-out test were higher than those of the single yarn pull-out test. Stick-slip and accumulative retraction forces in single and multiple yarn pull-out tests in the dense K29 fabric were higher than those of the loose K129 fabric. In addition, long fabric samples showed high stick-slip force compared to that of the short fabric samples.
Conditions Associated With Wandering in People With Dementia From the Viewpoint of Self-Awareness
Authors: Yokoi Teruo , Aoyama Keiji , Ishida Kie , Okamura Hitoshi
Published: May 2012

The conditions associated with wandering in people with dementia include purposeless activity, purposeful actions, irritation, and symptoms of depression. The words and actions of 5 people admitted to long-term health care facilities who often exhibited wandering behavior were observed, and the above conditions were studied based on our self-awareness model (consisting of “theory of mind,” “self-evaluation,” and “self-consciousness”). One person who had not passed the theory of mind task but had passed the self-evaluation task was aware of her wandering. However, she could not understand where she wanted to go or for what purpose. Four persons who had not passed the self-evaluation tasks were not aware of their wandering and had no purpose for their wandering.
Apathy
Authors: Moretti Rita , Torre Paola , Antonello Rodolfo M. , Rosin Marta Vidus , Esposito Francesca , Furman Matej Rubelli , Bellini Giuseppe
Published: May 2012

There is currently no consensus on the nosological position of apathy in clinical practice, although many different articles indicate that apathy is a common, behavioral disturbance in the general Parkinson’s disease (PD) population, often related to severe motor symptoms, hypothesizing that the dysfunction of the nigrostriatal pathway may play an important role in its pathophysiology. However, not all patients with PD become apathetic, indicating that apathy should not entirely be considered a dopamine-dependent syndrome in PD. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and clinical correlates of apathy in a representative community-based sample of patients within 2 variants of the PD: akinetic-rigid type and tremor-dominant type. Specifically, we wanted to investigate whether these 2 variants of PD would present with apathy as a primary behavioral disorder and whether apathy could be associated with different cognitive and behavioral disorders. Apathy is present in both the groups but significantly more evident in the akinetic-rigid group associated with frontal impairment but not related to motor impairment or depression. We discuss the results, starting with anatomical and physiological brain studies.
Taking the long view: how to design a series of Phase III trials to maximize cumulative therapeutic benefit
Authors: Deley Marie-Cécile Le , Ballman Karla V , Marandet Julien , Sargent Daniel
Published: May 2012

Background Traditional clinical trial designs strive to definitively establish the superiority of an experimental treatment, which results in risk-adverse criteria and large sample sizes. Increasingly, common cancers are recognized as consisting of small subsets with specific aberrations for targeted therapy, making large trials infeasible.

Purpose To compare the performance of different trial design strategies over a long-term research horizon.

Methods We simulated a series of two-treatment superiority trials over 15 years using different design parameters. Trial parameters examined included the number of positive trials to establish superiority (one-trial vs. two-trial rule), α level (2.5%–50%), and the number of trials in the 15-year period, K (thus, trial sample size). The design parameters were evaluated for different disease scenarios, accrual rates, and distributions of treatment effect. Metrics used included the overall survival gain at a 15-year horizon measured by the hazard ratio (HR), year 15 versus year 0. We also computed the expected total survival benefit and the risk of selecting as new standard of care at year 15 a treatment inferior to the initial control treatment, P(detrimental effect).

Results Expected survival benefits over the 15-year horizon were maximized when more (smaller) trials were conducted than recommended under traditional criteria, using the criterion of one positive trial (vs. two), and relaxing the α value from 2.5% to 20%. Reducing the sample size and relaxing the α value also increased the likelihood of selecting an inferior treatment at the end. The impact of α and K on the survival benefit depended on the specific disease scenario and accrual rate: greater gains for relaxing α in diseases with good outcome and/or low accrual rates and greater gains for increasing K for diseases with poor outcomes. Trials with smaller sample size did not perform well when using stringent (standard) level of evidence. For each disease scenario and accrual rate studied, the optimal design, defined as the design that the maximized expected total survival benefit while constraining P(detrimental effect) < 2.5%, specified α = 20% or 10%, and a sample size considerably smaller than that recommended by the traditional designs. The results were consistent under different assumed distributions for treatment effect.

Limitations The simulations assumed no toxicity issues and did not consider interim analyses.

Conclusions It is worthwhile to consider a design paradigm that seeks to maximize the expected survival benefit across a series of trials, over a longer research horizon. In today’s environment of constrained, biomarker-selected populations, our results indicate that smaller sample sizes and larger α values lead to greater long-term survival gains compared to traditional large trials designed to meet stringent criteria with a low efficacy bar.
Judicial Discourse as Feeling Rules: Obscenity Regulation and Inner Life Control, 1873–1956
Authors: Popescu Mihaela
Published: May 2012

This essay argues that U.S. judicial decisions in obscenity cases at the beginning of the twentieth century reveal a systematic social process of emotion management that supported, in ways not previously recognized, the emotional culture of the middle class and, through it, middle-class status policy. Using a grounded theory analysis on a sample of 256 U.S. federal judicial opinions between 1873 and 1956, the analysis shows how the evidentiary rules developed by judges in anti-obscenity cases at the turn of the twentieth century were actually “feeling rules” meant to penalize lust, assert social control over women via normative shame, and define normalcy as self-control over inner life.
Eminent Domain and the Rhetorical Construction of Sovereign Necessity
Authors: Skinner Daniel , Feldman Leonard
Published: May 2012

This article examines the logic of necessity in eminent domain cases in the United States. While much has been written about “public use” justifications as adjudicated by courts, less attention has been paid to necessity. In part this is because public use is an explicit part of Fifth Amendment limitations on “takings” while necessity is part of the buried logic of sovereignty that grounds its exercise. Readings of pivotal cases from McCulloch to Kelo lead us to question recent attempts to revive necessity as a legal standard for reining in eminent domain power.
Mourning Emmett Till
Authors: Pool Heather
Published: May 2012

After Emmett Till’s murder in 1955, African-Americans mobilized political mourning to oppose the status quo of white power. Till’s death and media coverage that followed generated an affective connection by white Northern liberals to the plight of African-Americans in the South; as a result, Till’s death and the mourning that followed contributed to subtle but important changes that enabled the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement to appeal to the white majority. This effort succeeded in generating white sympathy because it exposed the distance between formal law and law on the ground and expanded the audience to the conflict.