bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O Grande Ressonador: o que a antropologia histórica e uma abordagem etnográfica da sala de teatro podem nos dizer sobre o público
Authors: Mervant-Roux Marie-Madeleine , Scudeler Camila
Published: December 2013

Este artigo traz uma revisão da pesquisa realizada pela professora Mervant-Roux entre os anos de 1986 e 2010, sintetizando grande parte dos resultados teóricos obtidos.
Teatro Popular Criado Pelas Mulheres da Fortaleza da Mulher Maya (FOMMA) nos Altos de Chiapas, México.
Authors: Difarnecio Doris , Scudeler Camila , Fischer Stela
Published: December 2013

FOMMA (Fortaleza de la Mujer Maya) é um coletivo de mulheres formado em 1994 por Isabel Juarez Espinosa (Aguacatenango, Chiapas) e Petrona de la Cruz Cruz (Zinacantan, Chiapas), mulheres maias que utilizam o teatro como ferramenta para a educação e construção de comunidade. São atrizes, escritoras, dramaturgas e professoras que viajam com seus trabalhos para suas comunidades, nacional e internacionalmente, criando montagens que enfocam os direitos das mulheres e indígenas, alfabetização, sexualidade, saúde e educação em Tzeltal e tzotzil, suas línguas indígenas originárias. Seu teatro é um processo criativo, político e educativo criado por meio de testemunhos autobiográficos das atrizes que buscam representar realidades alternativas para o seu público e criar reflexão sobre os problemas sociais e emocionais que enfrentam a população indígena. Por meio da expressão corporal e da memória das atrizes documentam a maneira que vivem, pensam e lutam desde uma perspectiva de gênero.
Arterial Spin Labeling Versus Bolus-Tracking Perfusion in Hyperacute Stroke
Authors: Bivard Andrew , Krishnamurthy Venkatesh , Stanwell Peter , Levi Christopher , Spratt Neil J. , Davis Stephen , Parsons Mark
Published: December 2013

Background and Purpose—

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that does not require contrast administration and thus may be more practical in hyperacute stroke than susceptibility-weighted bolus-tracking perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI). However, a threshold for ASL measurement of the ischemic penumbra needs to be determined.

Methods—

A total of 58 patients with acute hemispheric ischemic stroke were imaged within 6 hours of symptom onset with MRI including ASL, diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and PWI, after perfusion computed tomography (CTP). Patients had repeat MRI at 24 hours. On repeat imaging, 32 patients did not reperfuse and were used to determine the penumbra threshold. A receiver-operating curve and a volumetric analysis were undertaken to identify the ASL-cerebral blood flow (CBF) threshold for the acute penumbra compared with the 24-hour DWI lesion in patients without reperfusion and with the acute PWI and CTP-Tmax thresholds.

Results—

An ASL-CBF threshold of 40% showed the highest area under the curve (AUC) for detection of the acute penumbra, defined by 24-hour DWI in nonreperfused patients (AUC 0.76, 95% confidence interval, 0.63–0.85), and was also accurate compared with the acute PWI-Tmax+6 seconds penumbral threshold (AUC 0.79, 95% confidence interval, 73–84) and acute CTP-Tmax 5.5 seconds penumbral threshold (AUC 0.77, 95% confidence interval, 72–84). Using a perfusion-to-diffusion mismatch ratio of 1.8:1, an ASL-CBF 40% mismatch compared with PWI-Tmax+ 6 seconds-DWI and CTP mismatch showed good sensitivity (0.81) and specificity (0.71).

Conclusions—

ASL-DWI mismatch shows potential to identify salvageable tissue in hyperacute stroke.
On Aggregators
Authors: Joselit David
Published: December 2013

The term contemporary has shifted from an adjective to a noun. Once a neutral descriptor meant to indicate recentness, the contemporary is now widely claimed as a period, composed of loosely related aesthetic tendencies, following and displacing modernism. In this regard, it enters a tradition of now discredited movements that includes “pluralism” and “postmodernism.” Unlike these predecessors, however, which took Euro-Amer ican art as their pr imary archive, contemporary encompasses the temporally coeval but geographically diverse expressions of a global art world—a point critics often emphasize by noting that the literal meaning of con-temporary is “with time,” which in turn is sometimes poetically glossed as referring to “comrades in time.” A framework for global art is thus furnished through the undeniable and ostensibly value-free contention that work so designated occupies the same moment in time. There is, however, a paradox in rendering the adjective contemporary as a noun: When packaged as a period, the contemporary unconsciously reinscribes a model of temporal progression that was fundamental to modernism. While discussions of the contemporary typically emphasize its synchronic dimension—calling upon, as I've mentioned, the con to suggest simultaneity across different locations and perspectives—by definition it is always advancing. Like an avant-garde, the contemporary can only go forward, but unlike an avant-garde, the contemporary doesn't have an avant: Its forward movement does not carry the productive shock of being in advance or, perhaps more appropriate, of being out of sync with its time. In its discursive structure, the contemporary is a kind of blank or denatured modernism, one that is only ever “with” its moment. And this seemingly innocuous “with” masks the dramatically uneven development of globalization. For being together in time does nothing to redress economic disparity, as the victims of collapsed Bangladeshi garment factories producing inexpensive clothes for Western corporations can attest.
Complexio Oppositorum: Hugo Ball and Carl Schmitt
Authors: Stark Trevor
Published: December 2013

On November 22, 1923, Emmy Hennings received an ecstatic letter from Hugo Ball, her husband and fellow founder of Zurich Dada, describing his “constant immersion in jurisprudence”:

For months, I have studied the writings of Professor Schmitt, of Bonn. He is more important for Germany than the entirety of the Rhineland, with its carbon mines included. Rarely have I read a philosophy with as much passion as his, and a philosophy of law at that! A great triumph for the German language and for legality. He seems to me even more precise than Kant, and rigorous like a Great Spanish Inquisitor when it comes to ideas.
Hypermetricality and Synchronic Vowel Elision in Hiatus Contexts in Eastern Old Japanese Poetry
Authors: Kupchik John E.
Published: December 2013

This study examines hypermetricality and synchronic vowel elision in hiatus contexts in Eastern Old Japanese poetry, as attested in books 14 and 20 of the Man’yōshū poetry anthology. I argue that the typologically rare V2 elision is the default type of elision in Eastern Old Japanese. In contrast, V1 elision in Eastern Old Japanese is only attested in those cases where the vowel sequences [ia] or [ua] are found in hiatus. For that reason, I argue that the trigger for V1 elision is a maximal increase in sonority from V1 to V2.  Cet article traite des phénomènes d’hypermétricalité et d’élision synchronique des voyelles dans des contextes de hiatus dans la poésie en japonais ancien de l’Est, attestés notamment dans les livres 14 et 20 de l’anthologie poétique Man’yōshū. Il est montré que l’élision de V2, typologiquement rare, est le type d’élision par défaut en japonais ancien de l’Est. En revanche, l’élision de V1 en japonais ancien n’est attestée que dans les cas où les séquences vocaliques [ia] ou [ua] apparaissent dans des contextes de hiatus. Pour cette raison, il est montré que l’élision de V1 est due à une augmentation maximale du degré de sonorité de V1 à V2.
Two new species of scale mites (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) parasitizing Agama agama (Sauria: Agamidae) from Kenya
Authors: FAJFER MONIKA
Published: December 2013

Two new species of pterygosomatid mites Pterygosoma garissi sp. nov. and P. fragilis sp. nov. (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) are described from the agamid lizard Agama agama (Sauria: Agamidae) from Kenya. P. garissi sp. nov. is similar to P. annectans Jack, 1962 but in the new species the peripheral setae are slightly expanded apically, 3 pairs of setae are situated on the coxal fields I and and 2 pairs on II coxal fields, all pseudoanal setae are paddle-shaped with minute spicules on the apical part, setae dFIV are absent and lTrIV present. P. fragilis sp. nov. is most closely related to P. garissi sp. nov. but differs by the presence of setae n on the subcapitulum, the hypostome with several denticles at the apex, the fixed cheliceral digit bearing a spinous process, the presence of 8–9 pairs of the peripheral setae, 1–2 pairs of genital setae g, and by the cheliceral shaft 2.1 times longer than the cheliceral base.
Impact of Pediatric Mental Health Screening on Clinical Discussion and Referral for Services
Authors: Jonovich Sarah J. , Alpert-Gillis Linda J.
Published: December 2013

Objective. This study discusses the impact of mental health screening in pediatric primary care on the management of mental health concerns. Methods. Youth aged 11 years and their parents completed the Pediatric Symptom Checklist and chart reviews were used to gather information about discussion of mental health concerns and connection with mental health services. The study design was a post-intervention study with a concurrent comparison group of youth aged 12 years who were not offered a screening. The χ2 or Fisher’s exact tests and logistic regression were used to compare groups on outcome variables. Results. Parents who completed a mental health screening for their child were more likely to be referred and attend mental health services, attend a psychiatrist appointment, and discuss their concerns with the primary care provider compared with the comparison group. Conclusions. Screening by parents improves detection of problems and fosters conversations with providers and subsequent connection with services.
Measuring the needs of mental health patients in Greece: Reliability and validity of the Greek version of the Camberwell Assessment of Need
Authors: Stefanatou Pentagiotissa , Giannouli Eleni , Konstantakopoulos George , Vitoratou Silia , Mavreas Venetsanos
Published: December 2013

Background:

Evaluation of mental health services based on patients’ needs assessments has never taken place in Greece, although it is a crucial factor for the efficient use of their limited resources.

Aim:

To examine the inter-rater and test–retest reliability and the concurrent/convergent validity of the Greek research version of the Camberwell Assessment of Need–Research (CAN-R).

Method:

A total of 53 schizophrenic patient–staff pairs were interviewed twice to test the inter-rater and test–retest reliability of the Greek version of the CAN-R. The World Health Organization Quality of Life–Brief Form (WHOQOL-BREF) and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule–2.0 (WHODAS-2.0) were administered to the patients to examine concurrent validity.

Results:

The inter-rater and test–retest reliability of patient and staff interviews for the 22 individual items and the eight summary scores of the instrument’s four sections were good to excellent. Significant correlations emerged between CAN scores and the WHOQOL-BREF and WHODAS-2.0 domains for both patient and staff ratings, indicating good concurrent validity.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that the Greek version of the CAN-R is a reliable instrument for assessing mental health patients’ needs. Moreover, it is the first CAN-R validity study with satisfactory results using WHOQOL-BREF and WHODAS-2.0 as criterion variables.
Towards a theory of integrity systems: a configurational approach
Authors: Six Frédérique , Lawton Alan
Published: December 2013

The integrity of public officials is considered a key determinant of public trust in government and a central concept in good governance. An integrity system consists of all components, such as policies, practices, institutions and integrity guardians meant to contribute to the integrity of the organization at the heart of the integrity system. In this article we propose a theoretical model for the effectiveness of integrity systems that can be tested empirically. Six conditions are proposed as important for delivering the outcome of high integrity performance. Different configurations are expected to deliver the same outcome, because of varying developmental trajectories. Implications for further research are discussed.

Points for practitioners

Many countries have in place measures for dealing with corruption and unethical behaviour on the part of public officials. Rarely are these measures considered as part of a whole system. At the same time, there is little research evidence for the effectiveness of individual measures or the system as a whole. This article addresses these issues and is, therefore, important for policy makers who are developing anti-corruption measures.
Determinants of functional decentralization and their relation to debt: empirical evidence based on the analysis of Spanish municipalities
Authors: Cuadrado-Ballesteros Beatriz , García-Sánchez Isabel-María , Prado-Lorenzo José-Manuel
Published: December 2013

Functional decentralization is aimed at increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of public services, among other advantages, by simplifying the organizational structure and by achieving greater proximity to the end user. Nonetheless, the creation of these entities has been criticized because of the potential to make political use of them to avoid the debt limits imposed on sub-national administrations, as debt would then be transferred to the accounting statements of these agencies. The empirical evidence found in the current study shows that the use of these companies as a mechanism for obtaining external financing is determined by the accounting regulations applicable in relation to the consolidation of accounts. Decentralization processes oriented toward increasing debt are more common among left-wing local governments and are strongly linked to fiscal pressure.

Points for practitioners

Our results show that foundations are now displacing public companies in decentralization processes in order to obtain external funds, since these agencies are not included in the consolidated accounts. Thus, more rigorous regulation should be established in Spain. This opportunistic use of decentralized agencies is developed on the whole by left-leaning political ideologies as a means of incurring more debt that they need. Thus, it is necessary that external auditing offices ( Cámaras de Cuentas) reinforce the monitoring process over local governments in order to circumvent their managerial discretion.
The determinants of public trust in English local government: how important is the ethical behaviour of elected councillors?
Authors: Downe James , Cowell Richard , Chen Alex , Morgan Karen
Published: December 2013

One of the most difficult and under-examined issues in integrity research is understanding whether regulatory interventions designed to improve the ethical conduct of public bodies actually have any effect on public trust. In this article, we present the results of research which has sought to unpack this issue. Drawing on a large-scale public survey and case study analysis of nine local councils in England, the research examined the relative importance of ethical conduct (whether elected councillors displayed good behaviour) on public trust in local government. We found that contextual factors (such as the size of the population and its social and ethnic diversity) and the ethical standards and behaviour of councillors were among the more important determinants of public trust. The most important variable in explaining levels of public trust was how a council performed.

Points for practitioners

One of the aims of ethics regulation is to improve levels of trust by promoting changes in behaviour and providing some reassurance for the public. Our results show that councils with low levels of councillor misconduct and good performance generally enjoy higher levels of public trust. The behaviour of councillors and whether they told the truth were important determinants of public trust, but ‘good conduct’ is not always narrowly ‘caused’ by ethics regulation; rather, it may reflect the culture of an organization. Public trust is also determined by a range of contextual variables which are difficult for public institutions to steer.
Public administration and citizen satisfaction with democracy: cross-national evidence
Authors: Ariely Gal
Published: December 2013

This article examines the democracy–bureaucracy nexus by addressing the role of public administration in sustaining citizen satisfaction with democracy. Employing cross-national data across 35 countries, the multi-level analysis enables investigation at both the individual and the country level. With respect to the former, the findings indicate that citizens’ evaluation of public administration is related more strongly to their satisfaction with democracy than other explanations – such as political trust, electoral fairness, and political efficacy. With respect to the latter, they demonstrate that public administration quality is related to satisfaction with democracy to a degree similar to other macro-level factors – such as the level of democracy, political trust, and human development in a country. The results are discussed in the framework of the debate regarding the democracy–bureaucracy nexus.

Points for practitioners

This article points to the central role of public administration in sustaining citizen support of democracy. The analysis demonstrates that the image of public service correlated strongly with satisfaction with democracy and that public administration quality appears to be correlated positively with satisfaction with democracy to a degree comparable with alternative explanations. The implications for professionals working in public management and administration is that despite the ongoing castigating of the public service by politicians and pundits, its relevance for the democratic satisfaction of citizens should not be overlooked.
Hakka cultural roots: Metalinguistic awareness and practice principles
Authors: Leung Carol A
Published: December 2013

Through examining the Hakka cultural heritage, the author describes a specific Chinese ethnic group – ‘global Hakka’ – based on its unique Hakka multifaceted languages. These ‘guest’ immigrants integrate their culture and languages into the host province in China or host country outside of China. They seek cultural permanency through active participation in learning a new language or another Chinese dialect for cultural adjustment. Through learning from these clients’ strong adjustment abilities, social workers can practice metalinguistic awareness skills with the application of 10 principles by means of self-evaluation and reflection around their clients’ linguistic learning motivation.
Novel Mutations in PTH1R Associated with Primary Failure of Eruption and Osteoarthritis
Authors: Frazier-Bowers S.A. , Hendricks H.M. , Wright J.T. , Lee J. , Long K. , Dibble C.F. , Bencharit S.
Published: December 2013

Autosomal dominant mutations in PTH1R segregate with primary failure of eruption (PFE), marked by clinical eruption failure of adult teeth without mechanical obstruction. While the diagnosis of PFE conveys a poor dental prognosis, there are no reports of PFE patients who carry PTH1R mutations and exhibit any other skeletal problems. We performed polymerase chain reaction–based mutational analysis of the PTH1R gene to determine the genetic contribution of PTH1R in 10 families with PFE. Sequence analysis of the coding regions and intron-exon boundaries of the PTH1R gene in 10 families ( n = 54) and 7 isolated individuals revealed 2 novel autosomal dominant mutations in PTH1R (c.996_997insC and C.572delA) that occur in the coding region and result in a truncated protein. One family showed incomplete penetrance. Of 10 families diagnosed with PFE, 8 did not reveal functional (nonsynonymous) mutations in PTH1R; furthermore, 4 families and 1 sporadic case carried synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Five PFE patients in 2 families carried PTH1R mutations and presented with osteoarthritis. We propose that the autosomal dominant mutations of PTH1R that cause PFE may also be associated with osteoarthritis; a dose-dependent model may explain isolated PFE and osteoarthritis in the absence of other known symptoms in the skeletal system.
Putting Words to Work
Authors: McCutchen Deborah , Stull Sara , Herrera Becky Logan , Lotas Sasha , Evans Sarah
Published: December 2013

This quasi-experimental study examined effects of a 12-week, teacher-delivered, morphologically focused intervention on writing outcomes for fifth-grade U.S. students. In order to help students gain control over the morphologically complex words that typify academic writing, the intervention called students’ attention to the morphological structure of words drawn from the district’s science curriculum, taught morphologically related forms of those words, and provided opportunities for students to use morphologically related forms in reading and writing. Multilevel model results of posttests showed that, compared to control students ( n = 75), intervention students ( n = 95) included more morphologically complex words in a sentence-combining task, whether this was scored by a strict (correct spellings only) or lenient (plausible incorrect spellings accepted) criterion, and used more morphologically complex words that had been targeted in the intervention in their extended written responses. In addition, students with lower pretest scores on the sentence-combining measure showed greater intervention effects on the sentence-combining measure than did higher performing peers. Taken together, these results support the use of morphological instruction in the classroom, especially for students who struggle with writing.
Gender and ‘positive’ security
Authors: Roe Paul
Published: December 2013

Focusing predominantly on the works of Ken Booth and Bill McSweeney, this article explores how the normative commitment of the two writers to the individual referent and to a set of values constitutive of human agency is reflective of a more ‘positive’ security. In particular, the article focuses on how in their formulation of values, both Booth (security as emancipation) and McSweeney (ontological security) draw on gender and feminist approaches and, importantly, how critical feminist scholarship can profitably be used to reconcile concentration on both the global and the local, thus providing greater conceptual clarity and empirical grounding to the positive security project.
Feasibility of Accessing Data in Hospitalized Patients to Support Diagnosis of Malnutrition by the Academy‐A.S.P.E.N. Malnutrition Consensus Recommended Clinical Characteristics
Authors: Nicolo Michele , Compher Charlene W. , Still Christopher , Huseini Mustafa , Dayton Sarah , Jensen Gordon L.
Published: December 2013

Background: The feasibility of accessing data in hospitalized patients to support a malnutrition diagnosis using the new Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics–American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (AND‐A.S.P.E.N.) consensus recommended clinical characteristics of malnutrition is largely unknown. We sought to characterize baseline practice to guide the development of appropriate interventions for implementation of the recommended approach. Materials and Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted of 262 consecutive adults who were referred for dietitian or nutrition support team assessments at 2 tertiary teaching hospitals in Pennsylvania. The availability of data to support the proposed AND‐A.S.P.E.N. approach and the resulting malnutrition diagnoses were examined. Results: Mean ± SD age was 58.2 ± 17.1 years, and half were female. Food intake history was available for 76%, weight history for 67%, and physical examination for loss of fat and muscle mass for 94% and for edema for 84%. Hand‐grip strength was not available. The prevalence of malnutrition among the patients referred for nutrition assessment was 6.7% moderate, 7.6% severe with acute illness; 12.2% moderate, 11% severe with chronic illness; and 0.8% moderate, 0.4% severe with social circumstances. Decline in typical food intake and weight loss were the most commonly used clinical characteristics. Conclusion: Data could generally be accessed to support the AND‐A.S.P.E.N. consensus clinical characteristics for malnutrition diagnosis, but further testing in multiple care settings is needed before these observations may be generalized. Training in assessment methods and dissemination of the necessary tools will be necessary for full implementation.
The adoption of social media by Thai university students
Authors: Suksa-ngiam Watanyoo , Chaiyasoonthorn Wornchanok
Published: December 2013

The purposes of this research are to explain why Thai university students use social media and how differences between groups of respondents moderate the structure of relationships. Four core latent constructs were investigated in this study: behavioural intention (BI), subjective norms (SN), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and perceived usefulness (PU). Two moderating variables, gender and age, were employed to answer the research questions. Respondents (n = 600) in three universities in Bangkok, Thailand, were selected and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed to analyse the data. The results show that behavioural intention is influenced by perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and perceived usefulness respectively. Perceived usefulness is also influenced by perceived ease of use. Moreover, our study affirms that the path from subjective norm to behavioural intention is moderated by age. This path is stronger for older people than for younger people. Discussions, limitations, and recommendations for future research are addressed.
A vital feedback loop in educating and training archival professionals: a tracer study of records and archives management graduates in Zimbabwe
Authors: Noko Phethehile , Ngulube Patrick
Published: December 2013

Tracer studies are one of the tools that educational institutions may use to gauge the applicability of the courses they offer to their work environments. This study traced records and archives management (RAM) alumni who graduated from the National University of Science and Technology between 2008 and 2012. The main purpose of the study was to find out where RAM graduates were and what they were doing and establish if the skills they acquired during their education placed them in jobs relevant to their profession. A quantitative survey with a triangulation of data collection methods was employed. Data were collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. Data was analysed using quantitative methods with the assistance of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The results indicate that 67 percent of RAM graduates were employed, with the greatest number employed in parastatals, that is, agencies which are quasi-governmental. Skills that graduates acquired during their education were relevant to their jobs though they were not happy with the limited industrial attachment and exposure to practical training, and the sketchy coverage of aspects of information technology in the curriculum. Results also indicate that some organizations in industry did not appreciate the essence of the RAM profession. It is recommended that the Department of Records and Archives Management should involve stakeholders such as employers when designing the curriculum so that they may appreciate what the Department was doing, and should equip its graduates with skills that are always relevant to industry. Information technology aspects of the curriculum and industrial attachment for students need a rethink.
Treatment of “Patellofemoral” Cartilage Lesions With Matrix-Assisted Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation
Authors: Filardo Giuseppe , Kon Elizaveta , Andriolo Luca , Di Martino Alessandro , Zaffagnini Stefano , Marcacci Maurilio
Published: December 2013

Background:

Matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) has been shown to offer good outcomes at midterm follow-up, but results are heterogeneous among different patients and lesion types. Being part of the same joint, both patellar and trochlear cartilage lesions are commonly considered to be affected by the same treatment issues, and therefore, it is common practice to report results obtained treating these lesions together.

Purpose:

To determine, in a large cohort of patients prospectively followed at midterm follow-up for patellofemoral chondral defects, if patellar and trochlear defects actually represent different clinical conditions with different healing potentials after cartilage treatment.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A total of 49 consecutive patients with full-thickness patellofemoral chondral lesions of the knee were treated with MACT at the authors’ institute and followed prospectively for a minimum follow-up of 5 years. Among these 49 patients, 28 were affected by patellar lesions, 17 were affected by trochlear lesions, and 4 had both patellar and trochlear defects. The clinical outcome was analyzed with International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective, EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS), Kujala, and Tegner scores.

Results:

A statistically significant improvement in all scores was observed after treatment. Patellar lesions required more realignment procedures and were more common in women. The comparative analysis showed better results for trochlear lesions compared with patellar lesions at all follow-ups, with mean IKDC scores at 5-year follow-up of 89.6 ± 12.7 and 69.7 ± 17.6, respectively ( P < .0005). Better results were also shown for the mean Kujala score (92.4 ± 14.7 vs 81.5 ± 12.7, respectively; P = .012) and mean EQ-VAS score (90.0 ± 10.8 vs 81.9 ± 11.7, respectively; P = .027). Finally, the sport activity level evaluated with the Tegner score confirmed the same trend; even though neither patellar nor trochlear lesion groups reached the preinjury level, both improved after treatment, with a significantly higher improvement in the trochlear lesion group (5.9 ± 1.8 vs 3.9 ± 1.7, respectively; P < .0005).

Conclusion:

Patient characteristics differ between patellar and trochlear cartilage defects, and moreover, the results obtained are significantly different, with a markedly good outcome in cases with trochlear lesions and less satisfactory results for patients affected by cartilage lesions of the patella. Thus, patellar and trochlear defects should be considered separately when evaluating the outcome of cartilage treatments in this anatomic region.
Classrooms of Spatial Justice: Counter-Spaces and Young Men of Color in a GED Program
Authors: Schwartz Joni
Published: December 2013

This article, based on an ethnographic study of an urban General Education Development (GED) program, suggests that for some marginalized young men of color, Adult education programs are counter-spaces of spatial justice in opposition to previous negative school spaces. Framed by critical race theory (CRT) and drawing on critical geography and adult education literature on space and place, the author defines these counter-spaces through four dimensions: place, temporal, intrapersonal, and interpersonal, maintaining that they are not equivalent to activities or experiences although they may inhabit them. The article concludes with implications for the use of CRT in understanding GED as potential counter-space.
Driving Regulation
Authors: Levy Karen E. C. , Franklin Michael
Published: December 2013

Public comments submitted during agency rulemakings can provide rich insight into stakeholders’ viewpoints around contentious political issues but have been largely untapped as a data source by social scientists. This is in part due to the lack of access to comments in machine-readable formats and in part due to the difficulty in analyzing large corpora of textual data. However, new online repositories and analytic methodologies are beginning to open up this trove of data for researchers. Using data from the online portal regulations.gov, we employ probabilistic topic modeling to identify latent themes in a series of regulatory debates about electronic monitoring in the U.S. trucking industry. Our model suggests that different types of commenters use alternative discursive frames in talking about monitoring. Comments submitted by individuals were more likely to place the electronic monitoring debate in the context of broader logistical problems plaguing the industry, such as long wait times at shippers’ terminals, while organizational stakeholders were more likely than individuals to frame their comments in terms of technological standards and language suggesting cost / benefit quantification.
Modeling the electoral dynamics of party polarization in two-party legislatures
Authors: Merrill Samuel , Grofman Bernard , Brunell Thomas L
Published: December 2013

While there are many formal models that generate predictions about polarization, only a handful address the question of how, with no change in electoral rules, levels of polarization can dramatically vary over time, as they have in the US House during 150 years of two-party competition. We propose a model that emphasizes national party constraints on district candidates’ ability to locate at positions far from the national party stance. The model predicts a close relation between tight tethers maintained by the national parties and congressional polarization, suggests implications for political competition, and generates the empirically accurate prediction that partisan polarization and within-party differentiation are negatively correlated. When the tethers of the two parties are not equally strong, the model suggests modifications to the conditional party governance approach and helps explain ideological shift/drift affecting both parties, with the party with the tighter tether moving the other party toward its ideological wake.
Managing global engineering networks part II: Case studies and directions for the future research
Authors: Zhang Yufeng , Gregory Mike , Shi Yongjiang
Published: December 2013

The second part of this article reports our query into the essential characteristics of effective engineering networks in the current business environments through case studies focusing on engineering design, manufacturing engineering, and engineering services. The engineering networks of four global leading companies were studied to refine, enrich, and extend the preliminary understandings gained from the first part of this article. The case studies suggested essential characteristics of effective engineering networks in four main areas, including (1) efficient engineering processes, (2) effective engineering learning, (3) flexible engineering resources, and (4) digital engineering environment. This contributes to the theoretical understanding of international engineering operations by bridging a missing link between the engineering network theories and the unique nature of engineering. It is expected that the findings can help managers to improve the performance of their engineering networks and facilitate the effective interface management between engineering and other functional areas.
Output force capacity polytope approach for actuator forces selection of three degrees of freedom excavating manipulator
Authors: Wei Baochen , Gao Feng
Published: December 2013

Output force or velocity polytopes are usually used as an index of the manipulability of robot. This paper discusses the relationship between the actuator force and the variation of the output force capacity polytope and proposes the output force capacity polytope method for the selection of actuator forces of a three degrees of freedom excavating manipulator with the requirement that the output force on the end effector is a set of all possible forces rather than a single force. In this paper, the method to calculate capacity polytope is introduced with the consideration of gravity effect. With the concept that the required output force space should be within the output capacity polytope, the output force capacity polytope approach for selecting actuator forces is proposed.
Theoretical modeling and error analysis for CNC whirling of the helical surfaces of custom screws using common inserts
Authors: Han Quanquan , Liu Riliang
Published: December 2013

With the wide use of complex helical surfaces in screw components, it becomes more and more urgent to investigate efficient ways for the design and manufacture of components of this kind. This study establishes the mathematical model of helical surface based on discrete points on its axial section profile using cubic spline curve fitting method, and presents a theoretical approach to calculate the tool path for the whirling process which aims to produce the helical surface through enwrapping movements of standard cutters inserted in the tool ring. The approach is implemented in MATLAB environment focusing on the calculation of the cutter location points. After that, the theoretical machining error is analyzed focusing on the scallop height, which can be divided into axial and cross-sectional errors. Finally, a case study is provided, together with numerical simulation demonstrating the validity of the proposed approach.
Vibration signal demodulation and bearing fault detection: A clustering-based segmentation method
Authors: Hou Shumin , Liang Ming , Zhang Yi , Li Chuan
Published: December 2013

The resonance demodulation technique has been widely employed in vibration signal analysis. In order to construct a proper bandpass filter, the prior knowledge, i.e. the resonance frequency band of the mechanical system is required in the traditional demodulation method. However, as the collected vibration signal is often tainted by the background noise and interferences often with unknown frequency contents, it is difficult to identify the center frequency and the bandwidth of the filter. This paper introduces a clustering-based segmentation method to determine these parameters automatically. Envelope analysis is then applied to demodulating the vibration data. According to the simulated cases, the proposed approach is robust to Gaussian noise and interferences. Its effectiveness is further validated by applying it to detect rolling bearing faults based on experimental data.
Squeal propensity due to rigid modes of brake pad
Authors: Kang Jaeyoung
Published: December 2013

This paper examines the squeal propensity associated with the rigid motion of a brake pad. For the description of the rigid motion, the brake pad is analytically modeled as a composite annular sector plate with both the back plate and friction material rigid. The friction material is subject to friction contact with a rotating disc. The vibration modes of the rigid pad consist of the six rigid modes including three rotation and three translation modes coupled with contact stiffness. The analytical formulation for the dynamic motion of the composite rigid pad is presented. From the numerical calculation, the rigid pad modes are shown to be coupled with one another and thus generate the modal instability in both finite element full model and simplified pad model. It is suggested that the squeal propensity of the rigid pad modes can be estimated by using the simplified pad model and controlled by the certain design modification such as the contact area.
Comparison of the fatigue and impact fracture behaviour of five different steel grades used in the frog of a turnout
Authors: Eck Sven , Oßberger Heinz , Oßberger Uwe , Marsoner Stefan , Ebner Reinhold
Published: December 2013

The material requirements for the frog of a turnout are quite complex. The crossing nose region of the frog represents a discontinuity in the track as the wheel needs to change from one rail to the other. This causes increased dynamic contact forces and slip between wheel and frog. The high contact pressures and slip can cause damage such as wear, rolling contact fatigue and severe plastic deformation in the frog. The material from which the frog is constructed plays a crucial role in the development of damage. On the one hand, a plastic material response can reduce the contact pressures by an adaption of the frog’s geometry. On the other hand, materials have a different resistance to wear, crack initiation and growth. To clarify the requirements for materials for the manufacture of frogs, five different steel grades used to create frogs that are in service in various railway turnouts were investigated. The chosen materials were ‘Hadfield steel’ (an Mn-13, abrasion-resistant grain-refined steel with 400 HV), bainitic railway steel, tempered steel 51CrV4 (DIN 1.8159) and maraging steel. They were investigated in the same conditions as they would experience in service, covering a variety of steel microstructures and macroscopic hardness values. To compare the materials’ responses to the high impact forces, their impact fracture toughness was measured and selected fracture surfaces were investigated with scanning electron microscopy. To compare their response to the cyclic loading, the materials were tested with respect to their monotonic tensile strength as well as fatigue strength by means of low cycle fatigue tests. Measurements of the fracture toughness KIC were performed on all materials to compare their fracture resistance. The achieved results can be used as input data for finite-element-based calculations of the local loading conditions in railway turnouts. Additionally, the comparison can help the choice of the best material for specific loading conditions, i.e. specific crossing geometries and track loading conditions.
Effects of indirect exposure of mice pups to endosulfan via their dams during gestation and lactation periods and the ameliorative effect of vitamin E
Authors: Mansour SA , Mohamed DA , Gamet-Payrastre L
Published: December 2013

During gestation and lactation, the experimental mice dams received one of the following treatments: (a) diet free of pesticide; (b) diet enriched with endosulfan (END); 30.0 µg kg−1; (c) diet free of pesticide + oral vitamin E (α-tocopherol; 200 mg kg−1 per mouse); and (d) diet enriched with END (30.0 µg kg−1) + oral vitamin E (200 mg kg−1 per mouse). At weaning, pups and dams were killed, and selected organs as well as blood samples were collected for analyses. Compared with the control results, END induced alteration in a number of biochemical and histopathological parameters either in the dams or their offspring. The ameliorative effect of vitamin E to superoxide dismutase based on the “ameliorative index (AI)” for mothers and pups was 0.84 and 0.72, respectively. The AI for malondialdehyde reached a maximum value of nearly equal to 1.0 for dams or pups. For butyryl cholinesterase, the AI was 0.90 and 0.94 for dams and pups, respectively. In conclusion, a dietary exposure during gestation and lactation to low dose of END caused significant changes in the mother but also in the weaned animals that had not been directly exposed to this pesticide. These biological and histological alterations could be reversed to a great extent by oral supplementation of vitamin E.
The association of anti-annexin1 antibodies with the occurrence of skin lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Meng Z , Shi Z-R , Tan G-Z , Yin J , Wu J , Mi X-B , Wang L
Published: December 2013

Anti-annexin1 antibodies are associated with the subtypes of cutaneous lupus and are elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. In this study, we investigated the correlation of this antibody with the incidence of SLE skin lesions. The presence of anti-annexin1-IgG and-IgM determined by Western blot was no different among healthy controls and SLE patients with and without skin lesions. Serum levels of anti-annexin1-IgG and -IgM measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were comparable between patients with and without skin lesions, whereas anti-annexin1-IgM was lower in SLE patients than in healthy controls. Annexin1 was abundantly detected in each epidermal layer in lupus lesional skin. Additionally, anti-annexin1-IgG was higher in SLE patients with arthritis and negatively correlated with white blood cells (WBC). Anti-annexin1-IgM was higher in patients with antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive sera, and was positively related to hemoglobin and total serum IgM. Collectively, anti-annexin1 antibodies are not related to the incidence of skin lesions in SLE, and annexin1 abundantly distributes in epidermis in lesional skin.
Prognosis of proliferative lupus nephritis subsets in the Louvain Lupus Nephritis inception Cohort
Authors: Vandepapelière J , Aydin S , Cosyns J-P , Depresseux G , Jadoul M , Houssiau FA
Published: December 2013

Objective

The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether the different International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) classes of proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) have a distinct baseline presentation, short-term response to immunosuppression (IS) and long-term prognosis.

Methods

Ninety-eight patients with new onset (first renal biopsy) ISN/RPS proliferative LN (Class III: n = 24; IV-S: n = 23; IV-G: n = 51) were diagnosed at our institution between 1995 and 2012 (Louvain Lupus Nephritis inception Cohort). Their baseline renal parameters, primary response to IS at one year, survival and long-term renal outcome (mean follow-up: 77 months) were compared.

Results

At baseline, serum creatinine and 24-hour proteinuria were higher in Class IV-G, as was activity index on renal biopsy in Class IV-S and IV-G compared to III. Upon treatment, renal parameters improved with the same kinetics and to the same extent in the three pathological classes. On repeat renal biopsies ( n = 43), activity indices dropped similarly. Poor outcomes (death, end-stage renal disease, renal impairment defined by an eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2) did not statistically differ between groups, although there was a trend toward more renal impairment at follow-up in Class IV-G compared to IV-S and III. Finally, the presence of even mild chronic lesions on baseline biopsy was clearly predictive of late renal outcome.

Conclusion

Subsetting proliferative LN into Class III, IV-S and IV-G provides less clinically discriminant prognostic information than baseline chronicity index.
Understanding the Link Between Low Self-Esteem and Depression
Authors: Orth Ulrich , Robins Richard W.
Published: December 2013

Although it is well documented that low self-esteem and depression are related, the precise nature of the relation has been a topic of ongoing debate. We describe several theoretical models concerning the link between self-esteem and depression, and review recent research evaluating the validity of these competing models. Overall, the available evidence provides strong support for the vulnerability model (low self-esteem contributes to depression), weaker support for the scar model (depression erodes self-esteem), and little support for alternative accounts such as the diathesis-stress model. Moreover, the vulnerability model is robust and holds across gender, age, affective-cognitive versus somatic symptoms of depression, European background versus Mexican-origin participants, and clinical versus nonclinical samples. Research on further specifications of the vulnerability model suggests that the effect is (a) partially mediated by rumination, (b) not influenced by other characteristics of self-esteem (i.e., stability and contingency), and (c) driven predominantly by global rather than domain-specific self-esteem. The research has important theoretical implications because it counters the commonly repeated claim that self-esteem has no long-term impact. Moreover, the research has important practical implications, suggesting that depression can be prevented, or reduced, by interventions that improve self-esteem.