bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunocytochemical studies of axial resin canals. I. Localization of non-cellulosic polysaccharides in epithelium of Norway spruce xylem
Authors: Kim Jong Sik , Daniel Geoffrey
Published: September 2014

The microdistribution of non-cellulosic polysaccharides in epithelial cells of axial resin canals was investigated in Norway spruce xylem using immunolocalization methods combined with monoclonal antibodies specific for (1→4)-β-galactan (LM5), (1→5)-α-arabinan (LM6), homogalacturonan (LM 19, LM20), xyloglucan (LM15), xylan (LM10, LM11) and mannan (LM21, LM22). The ultrastructure and lignin distribution of epithelial cell walls was also examined after cytochemical staining for lignin. Compared with tracheids, epithelial cells showed several different ultrastructural characteristics, such as the thickness of three layers forming the cell wall, the boundary structure between layers and the lamellate structure of cell walls, with slightly stronger reaction with chemical staining for lignin than tracheids. After staining with potassium permanganate, the layer of the epithelial cell wall adjacent to the canal showed typical characteristics of middle lamella (C-ML). However, C-ML regions showed completely different chemical characteristics from E-ML (middle lamella between epithelial cells) regions of epithelial cells and compound middle lamella (CML) regions of tracheids. Unlike tracheids, epitopes of pectic polysaccharides were detected in the epithelial cell wall with variations in amounts between cell wall layers. Epitopes of hemicelluloses were also detected in the epithelial cells with differences in distribution patterns from tracheids, particularly xyloglucan (LM15) and low substituted xylan (LM10) epitopes. Together, our results suggest that the ultrastructure and chemistry of epithelial cells including C-ML regions significantly differ from tracheids.
Wood anatomical variability in Early Permian ‘araucarioids’
Authors: Booi Menno , van Waveren Isabel M. , van Konijnenburg-van Cittert Johanna H.A.
Published: September 2014

Although araucarioid wood is poor in diagnostic characters, well in excess of 200 Late Paleozoic species have been described. This study presents a largescale anatomical analysis of this wood type based on the fossil wood collections from the Early Permian Mengkarang Formation of Sumatra, Indonesia. Principal Component Analysis visualisation, in conjunction with uni- and multivariate statistical analyses clearly show the wood from the Mengkarang Formation to be a contiguous micromorphological unit in which no individual species can be distinguished. Pycnoxylic wood species described previously from this collection or other collections from the Mengkarang Formation fall within the larger variability described here. Based on comparison with wood from modern-day Araucariaceae, the Early Permian specimens can be differentiated from extant (but unrelated) “araucarioids” by a few (continuous) characters.
Social Movement Organization Leaders and the Creation of Markets for “Local” Goods
Authors: Kurland Nancy B. , McCaffrey Sara Jane
Published: September 2014

Research illustrates that social movements can fuel new markets and that these markets can create social change, but the role of leaders in this process is less understood. This exploratory interview-based study of the localism movement contributes to such understanding. It articulates the relationship of social movement leaders and the legitimacy of their organizations to new market creation. Specifically, leaders in this study engaged in a dual role to legitimize their organizations and to legitimize the movement. At an organizational level, leaders chose strategies that conformed to a conventional organizational model of the social movement organization (SMO) as a business network, much like a local chamber of commerce. At a movement level, the SMO’s level of legitimacy influenced the leader’s choice of strategies to grow a “local” market. These strategies aimed, primarily, to shape consumer purchase behavior and, secondarily, to foster the development of producers’ skills, and only in a tertiary way, to alter the nature of exchange. Finally, this study’s findings suggest a tension between the dual roles that may ultimately challenge the efficacy of the movement.
Why Are the Relative Wages of Immigrants Declining? A Distributional Approach
Authors: Boudarbat Brahim , Lemieux Thomas
Published: September 2014

The authors show that the decline in the relative wages of immigrants in Canada is far from homogeneous across the wage distribution. The well-documented decline in the mean wage gap between immigrants and Canadian-born workers hides a much larger decline at the low end of the wage distribution, while the gap hardly changed at the top end of the distribution. Using standard OLS regressions and unconditional quantile regressions, the authors show that both the changes in the mean wage gap and in the gap at different quantiles are well explained by standard factors such as experience, education, and country of origin of immigrants. Interestingly, an important source of change in the wages of immigrants relative to the Canadian born is the aging of the baby boom generation, which has resulted in a relative increase in the labor market experience, and thus in the wages, of Canadian-born workers relative to immigrants.
My End of the Bargain
Authors: Goldhaber Dan , Lavery Lesley , Theobald Roddy
Published: September 2014

A large literature on teacher collective bargaining describes the potential influence of the provisions in collectively bargained teacher union contracts on teachers and student achievement, but little is known about what influences the provisions that end up in these contracts. Using a unique data set made up of every active teacher collective bargaining agreement in Washington State, the authors estimate spatial lag models to explore the relationship between the restrictiveness of a bargained contract in one district and the restrictiveness of contracts in nearby districts. Employing various measures of geographic and institutional proximity, they find that spatial relationships play a major role in determining bargaining outcomes. These spatial relationships, however, are actually driven by two “institutional bargaining structures”: education service districts (ESDs), which support school districts, and UniServ councils, which determine who is bargaining on behalf of local teachers’ unions. This finding suggests that the influence of geographic distance found in previous studies of teacher wages may simply reflect the influence of these bargaining structures.
Early Childhood Education (ECE) in South Africa: Black Student Teachers’ Views on Push and Pull Forces in their Training
Authors: Steyn MG , Harris TT , Hartell CG
Published: September 2014

Although the Black student population in South Africa now amounts to 72% of student enrolments in higher education, the same trend is not experienced in early childhood education (ECE). Research suggests that cultural and linguistic differences between home communities and university settings as well as meeting the academic demands of an institution that is unfamiliar with students’ home languages and cultures can be overwhelming. Using the Force Field Model of Professional Development as a theoretical lens, the experiences of Black students are explored at a previous White university. Findings from focus group interviews indicate that financial restraints, unfamiliar teaching practices and language barriers are amongst the factors that are experienced as barriers and could serve as reasons for the low enrolment in ECE.
Language Teachers of Technology Education: Challenges, Needs and Transformations
Authors: Renuga M. , Ezhilan S.
Published: September 2014

This study looked at the challenges, needs and transformations of the technology education language teachers who responded to questionnaires and extensive interviews. In total, 88 teachers from 20 institutions, heads of English departments and placement professionals of engineering institutions were involved in the study. It was found that hands-on communication and soft skills training in industry was the uppermost need. The lack of industry exposure and opportunities to articulate is the highest challenge. The heads of department revealed that industrial collaboration is the highest priority. The placement professionals made the point that institutions need to develop communication skills with respect to the current trends in industry.
Linguistic and Religious Diversity and Inclusivity in the Botswana School Curriculum
Authors: Kamwendo Gregory , Seretse Tebogo
Published: September 2014

Botswana, an African country, is characterized by linguistic and religious diversity. To this end, the paper assesses the extent to which the school curriculum accommodates and reflects the country’s linguistic and religious diversity. The paper argues that whilst Botswana’s Vision 2016 calls on the education system to accommodate linguistic diversity, the curriculum does not do so. Through the pursuit of a linguistic assimilation policy, the education system promotes and recognizes only one local language (Setswana), leaving other local languages out of the curriculum. In contrast, the curriculum houses a multi-faith religious education. This brand of religious education is an attempt to accommodate the religious diversity that exists in Botswana. Previously, schools had a mono-faith religious education syllabus. The multi-faith syllabus is considered to be a meaningful way of enabling learners to appreciate religious diversity.
A comparison of wear rate of direct and indirect resin composites: A two-body wear abrasion test
Authors: Yildirim Bicer Arzu Zeynep , Karakis Duygu , Dogan Arife , Mert Faruk
Published: September 2014

Purpose

The objective of this in vitro study was to investigate and compare two-body wear of hybrid, microhybrid, and nanohybrid direct and indirect composite resins.

Materials and methods

A pin-on-disc wear device was used to study the effects of the water on two-body wear rate of two microhybrid composites (Solidex® and Dialog®), a nanohybrid composite (Grandio®SO), and three direct composite resins: a hybrid composite (Herculite Classic™), a submicron hybrid composite (Charisma®), and a nanohybrid composite (Tetric® N-Ceram). For testing, 12 specimens of each material with 6.5 mm diameter and 4 mm height were made and half of the specimens were stored in the distilled water for 1 week at 37℃. In order to evaluate the wear rate of samples, a normal load of 15 N was applied to specimen’s surface. The 6.5 mm diameter composite sample held to pin holder and AISI 316 L stainless steel was employed as the disc. The following experimental parameters were kept constant for all tests: sliding velocity = 0.6 m/s, temperature 25 ± 3℃, 1.2 Hz, and 10,000 cycles. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey’s test were performed to compare the wear rate of resin composites.

Results

Ranking of wear rate (most to least) without water exposure was as follows: Dialog>Solidex>Charisma>GrandioSO>Tetric Ceram=Herculite. No significant difference in wear was observed between GrandioSO, Tetric N-Ceram, and Herculite Classic, with and without water exposure (p > .05, respectively).

Conclusions

The nanohybrid resins—regardless of indirect or direct use—showed significantly less abrasive wear than the microhybrid resins.
Does Warfare Matter? Severity, Duration, and Outcomes of Civil Wars
Authors: Balcells Laia , Kalyvas Stathis N.
Published: September 2014

Does it matter whether a civil war is fought as a conventional, irregular, or symmetric nonconventional conflict? Put differently, do “technologies of rebellion” impact a war’s severity, duration, or outcome? Our answer is positive. We find that irregular conflicts last significantly longer than all other types of conflict, while conventional ones tend to be more severe in terms of battlefield lethality. Irregular conflicts generate greater civilian victimization and tend to be won by incumbents, while conventional ones are more likely to end in rebel victories. Substantively, these findings help us make sense of how civil wars are changing: they are becoming shorter, deadlier on the battlefield, and more challenging for existing governments—but also more likely to end with some kind of settlement between governments and armed opposition. Theoretically, our findings support the idea of taking into account technologies of rebellion (capturing characteristics of conflicts that tend to be visible mostly at the micro level) when studying macro-level patterns of conflicts such as the severity, duration, and outcomes of civil wars; they also point to the specific contribution of irregular war to both state building and social change.
Bridging Micro and Macro Approaches on Civil Wars and Political Violence
Authors: Balcells Laia , Justino Patricia
Published: September 2014

This article reflects on the importance of linking micro and macro levels of analysis in order to advance our current understanding of civil wars and political violence processes and discusses the contributions of the articles in this special issue. We first identify the main problems in research on political violence that is focused on a single level of analysis and describe the challenges faced by research that attempts to establish connections between different levels. We then introduce the different articles in the special issue, with an emphasis on the micro–macro-level linkages they develop and highlighting their commonalities. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of a new research agenda for the study of civil wars and political violence that bridges social, economic, and political dynamics occurring at the local level and conflict processes taking place in the macro arena.
Development of an Antibacterial Root Canal Filling System Containing MDPB
Authors: Kitagawa R. , Kitagawa H. , Izutani N. , Hirose N. , Hayashi M. , Imazato S.
Published: September 2014

An antibacterial monomer 12-methacryloyloxydodecylpyridinum bromide (MDPB)-containing experimental, chemically cured primer was prepared to develop a new resin-based root canal filling system. This study investigated the antibacterial effects of the MDPB-containing primer (experimental primer [EP]) against Enterococcus faecalis and assessed the in vitro bonding and sealing abilities of the filling system, consisting of EP and a Bis-GMA-based sealer resin. Antibacterial effects of EP were evaluated by contact with planktonic or adherent bacteria for 30 or 60 sec, and the viable bacterial number was counted. The antibacterial effects against E. faecalis in dentinal tubules were also assessed, according to a root canal infection model. Bonding and sealing abilities of the experimental filling system were examined by microtensile bond strength tests and leakage tests based on fluid filtration methods. Significantly greater reduction in viable bacteria in planktonic and adherent form was obtained by short-period contact with EP compared with the control primer (without MDPB) or with the proprietary (Epiphany) primer ( p < .05). Significantly greater bactericidal effects of the EP inside the dentinal tubule of root, as opposed to the control primer or Epiphany primer, were confirmed according to a root canal infection model ( p < .05), and 100% killing of E. faecalis could be obtained by the application of EP after irrigation with a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution. The experimental endodontic filling system demonstrated significantly greater bond strength to root dentin than Epiphany sealer system (Epiphany primer and Epiphany Root Canal Sealant; p < .05), showing formation of resin tags and a hybridized layer. Leakage tests clarified that the experimental system provided excellent sealing. This study confirmed that the MDPB-containing experimental antibacterial primer has the ability to effectively disinfect the root canal. Additionally, the experimental root canal filling system employing this primer and the Bis-GMA-based sealer resin is useful for achieving good sealing, suggesting its possible benefit for successful endodontic treatments.
Framing Teacher Preparation Research
Authors: Cochran-Smith Marilyn , Villegas Ana Maria
Published: September 2014

This is the first of a two-part article that aims to chart the contemporary landscape of research on teacher preparation and certification. It is based on a review of more than 1,500 studies published between 2000 and 2012. Part 1 provides information about how the review was conducted and describes the theoretical/analytic framework the authors developed to guide the review. The framework combines ideas from the sociology of knowledge and research as social practice. This framework situates the research on teacher education within salient economic, intellectual, and demographic developments of the past half century and also examines the practices of researchers who are differently positioned from one another, have divergent purposes and audiences, and who work both inside and outside teacher education. Part 1 also analyzes the first of three major research programs—research on teacher preparation accountability, effectiveness, and policies, identifying strengths and weaknesses in this body of studies.
The Effects of Prison-Based Educational Programming on Recidivism and Employment
Authors: Duwe Grant , Clark Valerie
Published: September 2014

This study evaluated the effectiveness of prison-based educational programming by examining the effects of obtaining secondary and post-secondary degrees on recidivism and post-release employment outcomes among offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 2007 and 2008. Obtaining a secondary degree in prison significantly increased the odds of securing post-release employment but did not have a significant effect on recidivism or other employment measures such as hourly wage, total hours worked, or total wages earned. Earning a post-secondary degree in prison, however, was associated with greater number of hours worked, higher overall wages, and less recidivism.
Registered sex offenders and house prices: An hedonic analysis
Authors: Caudill Steven B , Affuso Ermanno , Yang Ming
Published: September 2014

The sex offender registry system provides consumers with locations of registered sex offenders. This paper uses two methods to evaluate the impact of sex offender registries on house prices in Memphis. Using an hedonic spatial error model, we find that each additional sex offender in a one-mile radius results in a loss of about 2% of the property value and that a 10% increase in distance from the nearest sex offender increases value by about 0.17%. At the mean values of the independent variables we find a 7% loss of value within a one-mile radius and a 14% loss of value within a 0.1 mile radius.
To Narrate and Denounce
Authors: Bennett Nolan
Published: September 2014

What political problem can autobiography solve? This article examines the politics of Frederick Douglass’s antebellum personal narratives: his 1845 slave narrative, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, and his 1855 autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom, written at the opposite ends of Douglass’s transition from the abolitionist politics of William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips to Douglass’s defense of political action and the Constitution as anti-slavery. Placing the two texts alongside Douglass’s distinction “to narrate wrongs” and “denouncing them,” I argue that Douglass writes My Bondage and My Freedom as a mode of denunciation: an autobiographical critique of injustice that balances analysis of collective oppression with advocacy for communal emancipation. Whereas to narrate wrongs encouraged readers to judge Douglass’s story alongside popular criteria of justice, to denounce wrongs is to implicate readers within the structures that create antebellum subjects on and off the plantation, by revealing the coercions and conditionings of society that make not simply slaves but slaveowners, sympathizers, and abolitionists. This article claims that autobiography is a distinct genre of political theory, one that challenges present relations between the individual and the collective by representing not simply its author but an expanded view of “the people.”
On-the-Fly Assembled Multistage Adaptive Testing
Authors: Zheng Yi , Chang Hua-Hua
Published: September 2014

Recently, multistage testing (MST) has been adopted by several important large-scale testing programs and become popular among practitioners and researchers. Stemming from the decades of history of computerized adaptive testing (CAT), the rapidly growing MST alleviates several major problems of earlier CAT applications. Nevertheless, MST is only one among all possible solutions to these problems. This article presents a new adaptive testing design, “on-the-fly assembled multistage adaptive testing” (OMST), which combines the benefits of CAT and MST and offsets their limitations. Moreover, OMST also provides some unique advantages over both CAT and MST. A simulation study was conducted to compare OMST with MST and CAT, and the results demonstrated the promising features of OMST. Finally, the “Discussion” section provides suggestions on possible future adaptive testing designs based on the OMST framework, which could provide great flexibility for adaptive tests in the digital future and open an avenue for all types of hybrid designs based on the different needs of specific tests.
Employer sanctions: The impact of workplace raids and fines on undocumented migrants and ethnic enclave employers
Authors: Bloch Alice , Kumarappan Leena , Mckay Sonia
Published: September 2014

The context of this article is the use of employer sanctions, in the form of raids and fines on businesses found to be employing people who do not have permission to work in the UK, as a method of in-border immigration control. Drawing on qualitative interviews with undocumented migrants and ethnic enclave employers in London, this article examines the impact of sanctions from the perspectives of those who have been or are most likely to be affected. More specifically the article sheds light on individual experiences of and strategies against immigration enforcement raids, and the effect of raids on the labour market, conditions of work and more widely, on local community relations. The paper concludes that there is a disjuncture between the real impact of sanctions and at least some of the stated policy aims.
The impact of obesity on venous insufficiency
Authors: Seidel AC , Belczak CEQ , Campos MB , Campos RB , Harada DS
Published: September 2014

Association between chronic venous disease and obesity has recently been studied, with indications that it may worsen in obese patients. The aim of study was to correlate clinical classes of chronic venous disease according to Clinical Etiology Anatomy Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification and body mass index, as well as to compare the severity of chronic venous disease in obese and nonobese patients. This retrospective cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted at the Maringá State University and Belczak Vascular Center along a period of 2 years, consisting of a random sample of 482 patients with complaints compatible with chronic venous disease. Data obtained from patient’s files included gender, age, weight and height (for calculating body mass index), and clinical class (C) of chronic venous disease according to CEAP classification. Statistical analysis included Spearman’s correlation coefficient, Chi-square test (for comparing frequencies), and Student’s t-test (for comparing means). Significant positive correlation between body mass index and clinical classes was established for women (0.43), but not for men (0.07). Obesity (body mass index ≥ 30.0) was significantly more frequent in patients with chronic venous disease in clinical classes 3 (p < 0.001) and 4 (p = 0.002) and less frequent in patients with chronic venous disease in clinical class 1 (p < 0.001). This study evidenced significant correlation between body mass index and clinical classes of chronic venous disease in women, but not in men. It also corroborated the negative impact of obesity on the clinical severity of chronic venous disease.
Extension of an energy-based life prediction method to low and combined cycle fatigue regimes
Authors: Holycross Casey , Shen M-H Herman , Scott-Emuakpor Onome , George Tommy
Published: September 2014

An energy-based fatigue life prediction method has been developed to accurately predict lifetimes of coupon specimens in excess of 105 cycles. The method has been shown to agree with empirically determined room temperature high-cycle fatigue data for both Al 6061-T6 and Ti-6Al-4V in uniaxial, bending, and shear at various stress ratios (R). As with any life prediction method, using a testing scheme to accurately predict fatigue performance from a reduced data set greatly reduces test time and material costs. For gas turbine engine components, this can account for a large portion of development costs, making the use of reduced order models very attractive. The stress state of these components can be difficult to characterize and simulate, as they are subjected to both low-cycle fatigue and high-cycle fatigue from both mechanical and vibrational loading. Mechanical loading is generally within the low-cycle fatigue regime and attributed to throttle excursions of various flight maneuvers or engine start-up/shut-down cycles over the course of a component’s lifetime, typically less than 105 cycles. Vibrational loading causes high-cycle fatigue, sometimes of a multiaxial stress state, and is attributed to various forced and free vibration sources manifested as high-order bending or torsion modes. Understanding the interaction of these two fatigue regimes, as combined cycle fatigue, is necessary to develop robust design techniques for gas turbine engine and turbomachinery in general. This study focuses on extending a previously developed energy-based fatigue life prediction method to account for both low-cycle fatigue and combined cycle fatigue of Al 6061-T6511 cylindrical test specimens subjected to various stress ratios, mean stresses, and high-cycle fatigue–low-cycle fatigue interaction.
Assessment of lipid peroxidation and p53 as a biomarker of carcinogenesis among workers exposed to formaldehyde in the cosmetic industry
Authors: Attia Dalia , Mansour Neveen , Taha Fatma , Seif El Dein Aisha
Published: September 2014

Despite the wide use of cosmetic products, they exert a number of health effects on tissues ranging from irritation to cancer. Our study aimed at assessing the effect of formaldehyde on lipid peroxidation and verifying the susceptibility to carcinogenesis using p53 as a biomarker among workers exposed to formaldehyde in cosmetic industry. Our entire exposed group ( n = 40) and the controls ( n = 20) were subjected to estimation of formate in urine, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), and p53. Also, complete blood picture, liver, and kidney function tests were carried out. The study revealed significant increase in the levels of formate, MDA, and p53 in the exposed group compared with their control group. Our results showed that workers in cosmetic industry had significant exposure to formaldehyde. Furthermore, the study pointed to the negative impact of formaldehyde as a cause of oxidative stress and suspicious carcinogen.
Magnetohydrodynamic stagnation point flow of a power-law nanofluid towards a convectively heated stretching sheet with slip
Authors: Ibrahim Wubshet , Makinde OD
Published: September 2014

In this study, the combined effects of velocity slip and convective heating, Brownian motion and thermophoresis on the magnetohydrodynamic stagnation point flow, and heat transfer of a power-law nanofluid over a stretching sheet is investigated. Using appropriate similarity transformation and the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg fourth fifth order with shooting technique, the model nonlinear governing differential equations are obtained and solved numerically. The effect of variations of parameters on nanofluid velocity, temperature, concentration, skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number, and local Sherwood number are presented and discussed. It is found that the skin friction coefficient is an increasing function of a power-law index n and a decreasing function of the slip parameter δ. Both local Nusselt number and local Sherwood number are increasing function of a power-law index. Increase in Biot number increases local Nusselt number but decreases the local Sherwood number. The results of the study are compared with the previously published result and are found to be in excellent agreement with it.
Social Connection Modulates Perceptions of Animacy
Authors: Powers Katherine E. , Worsham Andrea L. , Freeman Jonathan B. , Wheatley Thalia , Heatherton Todd F.
Published: September 2014

Human survival depends on identifying targets potentially capable of engaging in meaningful social connection. Using sets of morphed images created from animate (human) and inanimate (doll) faces, we found converging evidence across two studies showing that the motivation to connect with other people systematically alters the interpretation of the physical features that signal that a face is alive. Specifically, in their efforts to find and connect with other social agents, individuals who feel socially disconnected actually decrease their thresholds for what it means to be alive, consistently observing animacy when fewer definitively human cues are present. From an evolutionary perspective, overattributing animacy may be an adaptive strategy that allows people to cast a wide net when identifying possible sources of social connection and maximize their opportunities to renew social relationships.
Robust control of valves in ship diesel engines with the use of the Derivative-free nonlinear Kalman filter
Authors: Rigatos Gerasimos , Siano Pierluigi
Published: September 2014

This article studies robust nonlinear control for gas exchange valves in ship diesel engines, with the use of the derivative-free nonlinear Kalman filter. Robust control of gas exchange valves is important for improving the efficiency in the operation of diesel engines. Due to the relatively wide range of typical internal combustion engine operating conditions imposed on a variable valve timing actuator, the control scheme must compensate for model uncertainties, parametric variations and rapid external disturbances. By applying differential flatness theory, the initial nonlinear model of the system is transformed into the linear canonical (Brunovsky) form. For the latter model, it is possible to design a state feedback controller that enables accurate tracking of the valve’s reference setpoints. To estimate the non-measurable state variables of the model and the unknown external disturbances, the derivative-free nonlinear Kalman filter is used as a disturbance observer. The derivative-free nonlinear Kalman filter consists of the standard Kalman filter recursion on the linearized equivalent model of the valve and of computation of state and disturbance estimates using the diffeomorphism (relations about state variables’ transformation) provided by differential flatness theory. Evaluation tests are performed for assessing the performance of the proposed control scheme.
Weibull regression with Bayesian variable selection to identify prognostic tumour markers of breast cancer survival
Authors: Newcombe PJ , Raza Ali H , Blows FM , Provenzano E , Pharoah PD , Caldas C , Richardson S
Published: September 2014

As data-rich medical datasets are becoming routinely collected, there is a growing demand for regression methodology that facilitates variable selection over a large number of predictors. Bayesian variable selection algorithms offer an attractive solution, whereby a sparsity inducing prior allows inclusion of sets of predictors simultaneously, leading to adjusted effect estimates and inference of which covariates are most important. We present a new implementation of Bayesian variable selection, based on a Reversible Jump MCMC algorithm, for survival analysis under the Weibull regression model. A realistic simulation study is presented comparing against an alternative LASSO-based variable selection strategy in datasets of up to 20,000 covariates. Across half the scenarios, our new method achieved identical sensitivity and specificity to the LASSO strategy, and a marginal improvement otherwise. Runtimes were comparable for both approaches, taking approximately a day for 20,000 covariates. Subsequently, we present a real data application in which 119 protein-based markers are explored for association with breast cancer survival in a case cohort of 2287 patients with oestrogen receptor-positive disease. Evidence was found for three independent prognostic tumour markers of survival, one of which is novel. Our new approach demonstrated the best specificity.
Perspectives of Adults With Epilepsy and Their Support Persons on Self-Management Support
Authors: Walker Elizabeth Reisinger , Barmon Christina , McGee Robin E. , Engelhard George , Sterk Claire E. , DiIorio Colleen , Thompson Nancy J.
Published: September 2014

Social support is an important mechanism for improving self-management, although little is known about its role in epilepsy self-management. We examined the type of support provided to people with epilepsy and its influence on self-management. We conducted in-depth interviews with 22 people with epilepsy and 16 support persons, representing 14 pairs and 10 unpaired individuals. We analyzed the data using principles of grounded theory. Supporters, who were mainly parents and spouses, aided people with epilepsy in every dimension of self-management. Support for self-management occurred along a continuum from person with epilepsy-led management to support person-led management. Where the pairs fell on the continuum depended on developmental stage, relationship type, and relationship dynamics. Seizure control shaped individuals’ experiences with self-management and support within each group. The self-management continuum provides a new aspect that can be integrated into existing models of self- and family management.
The Importance of Transformational Leadership Behaviors in Team Mental Model Similarity, Team Efficacy, and Intra-Team Conflict
Authors: Ayoko Oluremi B. , Chua Eunice L.
Published: September 2014

Using data from 36 combat teams, we examined how transformational leadership is connected with team mental model (TMM) similarity. In addition, we investigated the mediating role of TMM similarity and team efficacy in the link between transformational leadership and intra-team conflict. Data analysis revealed that well-defined transformational leadership behaviors were positively associated with TMM similarity, whereas TMM similarity was positively connected with team efficacy. Results also indicated that higher levels of team efficacy were associated with lower levels of intra-team conflict (task, relationship, and process). In addition, both TMM similarity and team efficacy mediated the link between transformational leadership and intra-team conflict. Implications of findings are discussed.
Preoperative Radiological Factors Correlated to Long-Term Recurrence of Hallux Valgus Following Distal Chevron Osteotomy
Authors: Pentikainen Ilkka , Ojala Risto , Ohtonen Pasi , Piippo Jouni , Leppilahti Juhana
Published: September 2014

Background:

The purpose of this article was to analyze the long-term radiologic results after distal chevron osteotomy for hallux valgus treatment and to determine the preoperative radiographic factors correlating with radiological recurrence of the deformity.

Methods:

The study included 100 consecutive patients who received distal chevron osteotomy for hallux valgus. The osteotomy included fixation with an absorbable pin in 50 cases, and no fixation in the other 50. For 6 weeks postoperatively, half of each group used a soft cast and half had a traditional elastic bandage. Weight-bearing radiographs were evaluated at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and a mean of 7.9 (range, 5.8-9.4) years postoperatively.

Results:

At the final follow-up, radiological recurrence of hallux valgus deformity (HVA > 15 degrees) was observed in 56 feet (73%). Eleven feet (14%) had mild recurrence (HVA < 20 degrees), 44 (57%) moderate (20 degrees ≥ HVA < 40 degrees), and 1 (1%) severe (HVA ≥ 40 degrees). All recurrences were painless, and thus no revision surgery was required. Long-term hallux valgus recurrence was significantly affected by preoperative congruence, DMAA, sesamoid position, HVA, and I/II IMA.

Conclusions:

Radiological recurrence of hallux valgus deformity of 15 degrees or more was very common at long-term follow-up after distal chevron osteotomy. Preoperative congruence, DMAA, sesamoid position (LaPorta), HVA, and I/II IMA significantly affected recurrence.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, comparative case series.
A three-species model for simulating torsional response of shape memory alloy components using thermodynamic principles and discrete Preisach models
Authors: Rao Ashwin , Srinivasa Arun R
Published: September 2014

Shape memory alloy (SMA) components under torsional loading have shown the ability to deliver near-constant forces over large working strokes, thus enabling them to find various engineering applications. In this work, a model to capture the torsional response of SMA components under both superelastic and shape memory effects is formulated. A three-species Gibbs-potential-based formulation is employed to separate the thermoelastic response of the SMA from its dissipative response. The dissipative part is then modeled with a discrete Preisach approach. The proposed approach combines the elegance of the thermodynamic-based approach with the algorithmic efficiency/simplicity of the Preisach model and thus providing an effective way in predicting complex SMA responses. The model is constructed directly in terms of experimentally measurable quantities: torque and angle of twist rather than estimating them by solving for non-homogeneous shear stresses across the specimen cross-section. The model is used to predict the torsional response of SMA components such as wires, rods and springs at different twists and temperatures. Models capable of predicting torsional responses directly in terms of torque and angle of twist at different temperatures or twists under superelastic and twinning response conditions would play a pivotal role in the design of many SMA devices from both structural and control systems standpoints.
Estimating the Demand for Lottery Gambling
Authors: Dunn Richard A. , Trousdale Michael A.
Published: September 2014

This study examines the role of functional form and the definition of effective price in the estimation of the demand elasticity for Lotto Texas. Using a nonparametric local mean function analysis, we find that the demand restriction imbedded in a semilog specification with effective price defined as net expected revenue per ticket best matches the observed data. In contrast, the restriction of a constant elasticity of sales with respect to net expected revenue—implicitly assumed by the log-linear specification typically adopted in this literature—is strongly rejected. Further, we find that omission of drawings with negative net expected revenue can meaningfully influence coefficient estimation. Our regression analysis finds that the effect of omitting such drawings is an order of magnitude times greater than that of failing to account for the endogeneity of effective price.
Strategic learning, foresight and hyperopia
Authors: Mackay David , Burt George
Published: September 2014

Analogous to long-sightedness, hyperopia describes the condition of being able to grasp with acuity matters which are far removed from current experience (temporally, spatially or cognitively) while encountering difficulty in interpreting and acting on that which is close at hand. We examine data from a top management team’s activity in which they collectively display a hyperopic approach. A single in-depth field study is analysed retroductively to examine the plausibility of potential causal mechanisms that might explain the emergence of hyperopia. In the case examined, hyperopia appears to emerge from a strategic learning approach that emphasises foresightful learning mechanisms while neglecting experiential learning from direct exposure to operations. To avoid the emergence of pathologies of managerial approaches, such as hyperopia or myopia, practitioners are encouraged to engage with balanced strategic learning mechanisms of varying temporal, spatial and cognitive scope.
Distribution of calcification in carotid endarterectomy tissues: Comparison of micro-computed tomography imaging with histology
Authors: Ababneh Bashar , Rejjal Loui , Pokharel Yashashwi , Nambi Vijay , Wang Xukui , Tung Ching-Hsuan , Han Richard I , Taylor Addison A , Kougias Panagiotis , Lumsden Alan B , Lawrie Gerald , Reardon Michael , Ballantyne Christie M , Morrisett Joel D , Brunner Gerd
Published: September 2014

Background:

Calcification in atherosclerotic plaques has been viewed as a marker of plaque stability, but whether calcification accumulates in specific anatomic sites in the carotid artery is unknown. We determined the burden and distribution of calcified plaque in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) tissues.

Methods:

A total of 22 CEA tissues were imaged with high-resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Total plaque burden and total calcium score using the Agatston method were quantified. The Agatston score (AS) was also normalized for tissue size. Plaque and calcium distribution were analyzed separately for three CEA regions: common segment (CS), bulb segment (BS), and internal/external segments (IES).

Results:

The average CEA tissue length was 40.83 (interquartile range [IQR] 33.31–42.41) mm with total plaque burden of 103.45 (IQR: 78.84–156.81) mm3 and total AS of 38.58 (IQR 11.59–89.97). Total plaque volume was 21.02 (IQR: 14.47–25.42) mm3 in the CS, 37.89 (22.59–48.32) mm3 in the BS, and 54.05 (36.87–74.52) mm3 in the IES. Of the 22 tissues, 15 had no calcium in the CS compared with three in the bulb and two in the IES. Normalized calcified plaque was most prevalent in the BS, the IES and was least prevalent in the CS. The overall correlation of calcification between histology sections and matched micro-CT images was 0.86 ( p<0.001).

Conclusions:

Calcified plaque is heterogeneously distributed in CEA tissues with most in the bulb and IES regions. The amount of calcification in micro-CT slices shows a high correlation with matched histology sections.
Phenotypic differences in individuals with autism spectrum disorder born preterm and at term gestation
Authors: Bowers Katherine , Wink Logan K , Pottenger Amy , McDougle Christopher J , Erickson Craig
Published: September 2014

The objective of the study was to characterize the phenotype of males and females with autism spectrum disorder born preterm versus those born at term. Descriptive statistical analyses identified differences between male and female autism spectrum disorder subjects born preterm compared to term for several phenotypic characteristics and comorbidities. Of the 115 (13.0% of 883) born preterm, a greater percentage of males had sleep apnea (13.8% vs 2.5%, p < 0.0001), seizure disorders (17.0% vs 8.5%, p = 0.01), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (14.9% vs 6.6%, p = 0.005). Females born preterm were more likely to be nonverbal (22.2% vs 4.6%, p = 0.001). In summary, phenotypic differences were observed, especially among males. The results may have implications for understanding the underpinnings of a subset of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and contribute to the development of focused treatments for autism spectrum disorder among children born preterm.
The borderscape of Punta Tarifa: concurrent invisibilisation practices at Europe’s ultimate peninsula
Authors: Ferrer-Gallardo Xavier , Albet-Mas Abel , Espiñeira Keina
Published: September 2014

This contribution aims to provide a cultural–geographical reading of the borderscape of Punta Tarifa: the southernmost point of so-called continental Europe and a key site vis-a-vis material and representational Euro-African (dis)connections. It is argued that Punta Tarifa harbours a complex process of symbolic and functional invisibilisation that turns this border landscape into a highly significant scenario within the ongoing European Union bordering process. This invisibilisation process is twofold. On the one hand, it lies with the selective public neglecting/ignoring of a crucial historical episode which challenges mainstream readings of Europe’s cultural heritage (the arrival of Tarif and Islam to Tarifa in the year 710). On the other hand, it concerns the veiling of the implemented migration management practices and, more precisely, the opacity surrounding the Migrant Detention Centre situated by Punta Tarifa. Having explored the case of Punta Tarifa, we suggest that a cultural–geographical reading – and hence the shedding of some light – on these and other similar invisibilisation processes is paramount in order to neutralise symbolic and functional exclusionary practices which lie at the heart of current European Union external bordering dynamics.
Ostentation and republican civility: Notes from the French face-veiling debates
Authors: Daly Eoin
Published: September 2014

France’s prohibition on public face-veiling was rationalised partly with reference to ‘fraternity’ – the third prong of the republican motto – as well as liberty and equality. Correspondingly, the voile intégral (‘full veil’) was widely described as transgressing republican standards of civility. Yet counterintuitively, republican civility was not understood, at least primarily, in terms of sociability or expressivity – but rather as requiring discretion, modesty and self-restraint. Therefore, the ‘full veil’ was not portrayed as an austere interpretation of religious modesty, but as precisely the opposite – as an ‘ostentatious’ defiance of republican civility. It was deemed anti-republican not because it was too modest – but rather because it was too flamboyant. In this light, I argue that the law should be understood neither as a coherent republican response to problems of domination in religious life nor, however, should it be seen purely as an expression of ethno-nationalist defensiveness. Rather, it can be understood as an attempt to legislate a republican habitus, that is a set of social mores – and bodily techniques – deemed appropriate in republican society. I use the French example to consider the political function of civility understood not in relation to speech constraints but rather in terms of bodily and linguistic technique.
The Poster and the Poster
Authors: Barney Daniel T. , Kalin Nadine M.
Published: September 2014

This essay articulates how arts-based inquiry acts as dissensual activity holding possibilities for the redistribution of the visible, audible, and sensible within knowledge production and dissemination associated with research. Rancière’s conceptions of politics and aesthetics are used to analyze expanded relations among art, inquiry, and democracy within the academic poster session format at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. We share how our reconceptualized poster defied institutionalized structures under the control of neoliberal logics through strategies of disidentification. This subversion of form and structure identifies exclusions in how we operate, so that we might redistribute spaces and processes associated with academic conferences for alternatives to be heard, seen, spoken, and performed. For these reasons, our poster serves as a generative locale from which researchers may articulate ways for representing data, engaging audiences, and undertaking critical arts-based inquiry with others that might further the practices of democracy.