bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond psychopathology: A case–control psychological autopsy study of young adult males
Authors: Ross Victoria , Kõlves Kairi , De Leo Diego
Published: January 2017

Background:

As young Australian males are at a high risk of suicide, the identification of risk factors other than psychopathology is vital for the development of comprehensive suicide prevention measures.

Aims:

The study investigated whether there were differences in risk factors and pathways to suicide in young adult males from Queensland, Australia, with and without a diagnosable psychiatric disorder.

Methods:

A case–control, psychological autopsy method was applied using a control group of young males who had died suddenly from causes other than suicide.

Results:

Suicide cases without a psychiatric diagnosis more frequently displayed behaviours indicative of their suicidality (such as previous attempts, disposing of possessions and making statements of hopelessness) than controls without a diagnosis. Suicides without a diagnosis also displayed more ‘difficult’ personality traits, such as higher levels of neuroticism and aggression. They also experienced poorer quality of life and were significantly more likely than their controls to have experienced a recent separation from a spouse or partner.

Conclusion:

The results of this study confirmed the existence of several distinct characteristics of young males who die by suicide in the absence of any diagnosable psychiatric disorder.
Significantly Reduced Catalyst Consumption in Rigid Foams
Authors: Moore S. E. , Williams S. J.
Published: January 2017

The use of Mannich base initiated polyether polyols for the production of rigid polyurethane foams has been employed for many years. The use of this class of polyols has primarily been directed toward sprayed polyurethane foam applications. The inherent properties of these polyols include aromatic character, increased compatibility and inherent catalytic capabilities. The use of this family of polyols has not widely spread to other rigid foam applications.

During the transition to HCFC-141b as the primary blowing agent for rigid polyurethane foams, increased catalyst levels were required. This introduced additional cost and handling concerns. This paper presents 20 rigid foam formulations which show how the use of a variety of Mannich polyols can reduce catalyst consumption by more than 40% while maintaining compressive strength, flowability and maintaining or improving the insulation properties of the foam (K-factor) and dimensional stability.
Risk-Taking under Conditions of Chance and Skill in India and Canada
Authors: Carment D. W.
Published: January 2017

The risk-taking behavior of male Indian and Canadian students was observed in a gambling situation and in a situation dependent on skill. It was found that the Indians were more conservative than the Canadians in both situations. They chose high-probability bets when gambling and underestimated their performance on the skill task. The overall approach of the Indians was similar to that of individuals with low achievement drive, high fear of failure and a belief in the external control of reinforcement. The antecedents of these motives and implications for change and development are noted.
Achievement Motivation Levels of Immigrants in New Zealand
Authors: Hines George H.
Published: January 2017

Comparisons were made of the achievement motivation levels of British, Australian, and American immigrants in New Zealand with their occupational counterparts in their native countries. Results, obtained through use of a nonprojective measure, indicated that immigrant entrepreneurs and educators did not differ in need for achievement from those in similar jobs in their respective homelands. Immigrant middle managers recorded significantly lower n Ach than their native comparison groups. Findings were interpreted as supportive of the McClelland model.
The Effect of Language on Concept Acquisition in Bilingual Children
Authors: Keats Daphne M. , Keats John A.
Published: January 2017

The aim was to determine whether logical concepts acquired in one language could be transferred to another language. Subjects included 35 children bilingual in Polish and English, 31 children bilingual in German and English, and a control group of 34 Australian children, none of whom was able to conserve weight. After pretesting in one language, they were trained in the acquisition of the concept of weight using the other, then posttested in the previous language. One month later, delayed posttests were given in both languages. Results showed that the concept was acquired in either language, and there was some generalization to other concepts. Results gave some support to the Piagetian standpoint that a concept may be considered independently from the language by which it is acquired. Interference between languages was indicated in the German group in that the earlier they had learned English, the poorer was their final performance in both languages.
Person Perception, Self-Identity, and Ethnic Group Preference in Anglo, Black, and Chicano Preschool and Third-Grade Children
Authors: Rice Audrey S. , Ruiz Rene A. , Padilla A. M.
Published: January 2017

Seventy-two preschool and 68 third-grade Anglo, Black, and Chicano children were shown color photographs of young male adults from the same three ethnic groups as Ss. All children were able to discriminate between the photographs of the white and Black males, but the preschool Ss were unable to make the finer discrimination between the Anglo and Chicano photographs. All pools of Ss indicated the appropriate photograph when asked which looked most like them. Among the preschool Ss neither the Blacks nor the Chicanos expressed a significant preference for their own ethnic group, while a significant number of the Anglo Ss selected the Anglo photograph as the one they liked the most. At the third-grade level, only the Chicano Ss displayed a strong preference for their own ethnic group.
Impact of Obesity on Orthodontic Tooth Movement in Adolescents: A Prospective Clinical Cohort Study
Authors: Saloom H.F. , Papageorgiou S.N. , Carpenter G.H. , Cobourne M.T.
Published: January 2017

Obesity is a widespread chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by an increased overall disease burden and significant association with periodontitis. The aim of this prospective clinical cohort study was to investigate the effect of obesity on orthodontic tooth movement. Fifty-five adolescent patients (27 males, 28 females) with a mean (SD) age of 15.1 (1.7) years and mean (SD) body mass index (BMI) of 30.2 (3.5) kg/m2 in obese and 19.4 (2.2) kg/m2 in normal-weight groups were followed from start of treatment to completion of tooth alignment with fixed orthodontic appliances. Primary outcome was time taken to complete tooth alignment, while secondary outcomes included rate of tooth movement and change in clinical parameters (plaque/gingival indices, unstimulated whole-mouth salivary flow rate, gingival crevicular fluid biomarkers). Data collection took place at baseline (start of treatment: appliance placement), 1 h and 1 wk following appliance placement, and completion of alignment. Results were analyzed by descriptive statistics followed by generalized estimating equation regression modeling. There were no significant differences between groups in time taken to achieve tooth alignment (mean [SD] 158.7 [75.3] d; P = 0.486). However, at 1 wk, initial tooth displacement was significantly increased in the obese group ( P < 0.001), and after adjusting for confounders, obese patients had a significantly higher rate of tooth movement compared with normal-weight patients (+0.017 mm/d; 95% confidence interval, 0.008–0.025; P < 0.001) over the period of alignment. Explorative analyses indicated that levels of the adipokines leptin and resistin, the inflammatory marker myeloperoxidase (MPO), and the cytokine receptor for nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) were significantly different between obese- and normal-weight patients and associated with observed rates of tooth movement. This represents the first prospective data demonstrating a different response in obese patients compared with normal-weight patients during early orthodontic treatment. These differences in the response of periodontal tissues to orthodontic force in the presence of obesity have potential short- and long-term clinical implications.
Rogerian Psychotherapy and the Problem of Power: A Foucauldian Interpretation
Authors: Margolin Leslie
Published: January 2017

Guided by Foucault’s argument that “knowledge is an ‘invention’ behind which lies something completely different from itself: the play of instincts, impulses, desires, fears, and the will to appropriate,” this study considers the possibility that “nondirectivity” in Rogerian psychotherapy operates as a trope for power. This is partly based on Edwin Kahn’s observation that nondirective therapists may be less mindful of their own fallibility than other therapists, less wary of their capacity to influence clients, and therefore, less prepared to interrogate the ways they might actually be influencing them. Nondirective, client-centered therapists, in short, may be less likely to have doubts about their comments and interventions, and thus more likely to exercise influence. What I show in this study is how Rogers did just this in his famous session with Gloria, how—without telling Gloria about his personal and theoretic biases, without first discussing them with her to see if and how they fit her goals—he continually pushed her to view herself through the lens of those biases.
The revitalized tutoring center
Authors: Koselak Jeremy
Published: January 2017

One high-leverage strategy rooted in a strong research base — the revitalized tutoring center — provides a wealth of opportunity to students who may be otherwise underserved. This embedded, open-all-day tutoring center supports collaborative teacher teams by using peer tutors and community volunteers. By centralizing resources and providing supports during the school day, free to all students and targeted to some, the center helps schools close the opportunity gap without overburdening teachers, schedules, or budgets. One high school in Colorado that implemented the approach experienced a dramatic improvement in on-time graduation rates.
Backtalk
Authors: Pittinsky Todd L.
Published: January 2017

Educators tend to be familiar with an educational achievement gap between black and Hispanic students on one hand and white students on the other, a gap that seems to be tied up with relative rates of poverty. But there is also a fairly startling — and growing — achievement gap between white students and Asian-American students, and it can’t be chalked up to family income or education.
The Promotion Exams
Authors: Devlin J. Daniel
Published: January 2017

The sixth of a series of articles of interest to examination candidates and all concerned with training.
Sublingual glyceryl trinitrate during colonoscopy and terminal ileal intubation: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hill Patsy-Anne , Panteleimonitis Sofoklis , McKay Graham , Watson Carol , Prach Andre , Macdonald Angus
Published: January 2017

Background and aims

Sublingual glyceryl trinitrate has been used as an aid to cannulate the Sphincter of Oddi during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Its role in terminal ileal intubation during colonoscopy is unknown. This study examines the role of sublingual glyceryl trinitrate in terminal ileal intubation during colonoscopy.

Methods

A triple-blind randomized controlled trial comparing sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (800 µg) vs. placebo (saline) in relation to terminal ileal intubation during colonoscopy was performed. Following caecal intubation, participants received sublingual glyceryl trinitrate/placebo followed by a 2-min observation period before intubation was attempted. Data on time to intubate the terminal ileum and intubation rate were collected.

Results

A total of 110 patients (age: 58 years (18–75)) were recruited and randomised as per protocol: 54 received sublingual glyceryl trinitrate. Terminal ileal intubation was successful in all patients receiving sublingual glyceryl trinitrate and in 53 (94.6%) of those receiving saline ( p = 0.243: Fischer’s exact). The median time taken for ileal intubation after application of spray was 72.5 (7–900) s in the glyceryl trinitrate group compared with 125 (5–900) s in the placebo group ( p = 0.150: Mann–Whitney). There were no major adverse events reported in either group.

Conclusions

Terminal ileal intubation rates and timing were very good in both groups. Routine sublingual glyceryl trinitrate was not proven to be beneficial in improving terminal ileal intubation or intubation success rates in the hands of experienced colonoscopists. However, trends in this small study might suggest that glyceryl trinitrate could be useful in the hands of less experienced colonoscopists or in difficult terminal ileal intubation cases.
The Wavelet Spectral Finite Element-based user-defined element in Abaqus for wave propagation in one-dimensional composite structures
Authors: Khalili Ashkan , Jha Ratneshwar , Samaratunga Dulip
Published: January 2017

A Wavelet Spectral Finite Element (WSFE)-based user-defined element (UEL) is formulated and implemented in Abaqus (commercial finite element software) for wave propagation analysis in one-dimensional composite structures. The WSFE method is based on the first-order shear deformation theory to yield accurate and computationally efficient results for high-frequency wave motion. The frequency domain formulation of the WSFE leads to complex-valued parameters, which are decoupled into real and imaginary parts and presented to Abaqus as real values. The final solution is obtained by forming a complex value using the real number solutions given by Abaqus. Four numerical examples are presented in this article, namely an undamaged beam, a beam with impact damage, a beam with a delamination, and a truss structure. A multi-point constraint subroutine, defining the connectivity between nodes, is developed for modeling the delamination in a beam. Wave motions predicted by the UEL correlate very well with Abaqus simulations. The developed UEL largely retains the computational efficiency of the WSFE method and extends its ability to model complex features.
Immigrant Clergy in the Promised Land
Authors: Nüesch-Olver Delia
Published: January 2017

This article is based on an ethnographic study of a new wave of missionaries doing cross-cultural work in the United States without the preparation, orientation, or support systems available to most Western missionaries who go overseas. Some of these missionaries experience intense personal turmoil in the immigration process. This significantly affects their ability to do ministry. The study finds that immigrant pastors pay a heavy personal price for the “blessing” of coming to America. The final section begins a dialogue on how this challenge can be addressed.
A Residual-Based Approach to Validate Q-Matrix Specifications
Authors: Chen Jinsong
Published: January 2017

Q-matrix validation is of increasing concern due to the significance and subjective tendency of Q-matrix construction in the modeling process. This research proposes a residual-based approach to empirically validate Q-matrix specification based on a combination of fit measures. The approach separates Q-matrix validation into four logical steps, including the test-level evaluation, possible distinction between attribute-level and item-level misspecifications, identification of the hit item, and fit information to aid in item adjustment. Through simulation studies and real-life examples, it is shown that the misspecified items can be detected as the hit item and adjusted sequentially when the misspecification occurs at the item level or at random. Adjustment can be based on the maximum reduction of the test-level measures. When adjustment of individual items tends to be useless, attribute-level misspecification is of concern. The approach can accommodate a variety of cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) and be extended to cover other response formats.
Detecting Item Preknowledge Using a Predictive Checking Method
Authors: Wang Xi , Liu Yang , Hambleton Ronald K.
Published: January 2017

Repeatedly using items in high-stake testing programs provides a chance for test takers to have knowledge of particular items in advance of test administrations. A predictive checking method is proposed to detect whether a person uses preknowledge on repeatedly used items (i.e., possibly compromised items) by using information from secure items that have zero or very low exposure rates. Responses on the secure items are first used to estimate a person’s proficiency distribution, and then the corresponding predictive distribution for the person’s responses on the possibly compromised items is constructed. The use of preknowledge is identified by comparing the observed responses to the predictive distribution. Different estimation methods for obtaining a person’s proficiency distribution and different choices of test statistic in predictive checking are considered. A simulation study was conducted to evaluate the empirical Type I error and power rate of the proposed method. The simulation results suggested that the Type I error of this method is well controlled, and this method is effective in detecting preknowledge when a large proportion of items are compromised even with a short secure section. An empirical example is also presented to demonstrate its practical use.
Innovative Strategic Management: The Case of Mumbai Suburban Railway System
Authors: Sehgal P C , Surayya Teki
Published: January 2017

Business organizations today have to survive and grow in a turbulent and volatile business environment. Continuous metamorphosis in technology, competition, inconsistent government policies, group dynamics of employees and militant unions, rational customers and their forums have been constantly reminding them to be more vigilant.

Generation and rendering of services is often more vulnerable as services are perishable and dynamic. The strategic management of any service sector must be innovative and sustainable. Efficient urban transport systems are critical elements of the sustainable development of urban areas. This paper presents the innovative strategic management system of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) in addressing the Mumbai suburban public transport problems. An incredible 88 per cent of all travel in Mumbai is by bus and rail; this illustrates the popularity and necessity of having an effective and efficient public transport system, particularly the railways.

The paper outlines a case study of US $2.5 billion expansion and improvement of the Suburban Railway Network, as a part of the multi-modal Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). Increase in suburban trains in Mumbai has not kept pace with the passenger demand and therefore loading in the existing suburban trains have increased and the travelling conditions in the trains have become unbearable. The paper gives an insight into the process of building social and political consensus while taking into consideration the aspirations of people for conducive and comfortable commutation. The diverse but integrated objectives that were achieved holistically, is indeed through innovative strategic management that led MRVC to attain customer satisfaction, energy conservations, socioeconomic benefits, environmental upgradation through afforestation, rain water harvesting, and noise reduction. MRVC is doing rain water harvesting, mangrove plantation, tree plantation and transplantation to compensate for cutting of tress at project sites. A glaring example of an infrastructure project that aptly envisaged ecological balance and environmental and social upgradation of slum dwellers. Innovative improvement in commuters' amenities including ventilation system, GPS-based passenger information system, pneumatic suspension for comfortable riding, etc., have enhanced customer satisfaction that is required for a long-term business growth.
Distinguished … or dissonant
Authors: Hajek Christopher
Published: January 2017

This article is based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of stories of 40 early midlife gay men concerning their conversations with younger gay men. Utilizing the communication theory of identity (CTI) as a sensitizing framework, open and axial coding revealed three overarching themes: shifted perspective on gay identity, evolved performance of gay identity, and discord with gay cultural expectations. The findings contribute to broadened understandings of how gay men experience midlife, and these are discussed in light of key CTI concepts.
Quantifying scenic areas using crowdsourced data
Authors: Seresinhe Chanuki Illushka , Moat Helen Susannah , Preis Tobias
Published: January 2017

For centuries, philosophers, policy-makers and urban planners have debated whether aesthetically pleasing surroundings can improve our wellbeing. To date, quantifying how scenic an area is has proved challenging, due to the difficulty of gathering large-scale measurements of scenicness. In this study we ask whether images uploaded to the website Flickr, combined with crowdsourced geographic data from OpenStreetMap, can help us estimate how scenic people consider an area to be. We validate our findings using crowdsourced data from Scenic-Or-Not, a website where users rate the scenicness of photos from all around Great Britain. We find that models including crowdsourced data from Flickr and OpenStreetMap can generate more accurate estimates of scenicness than models that consider only basic census measurements such as population density or whether an area is urban or rural. Our results provide evidence that by exploiting the vast quantity of data generated on the Internet, scientists and policy-makers may be able to develop a better understanding of people's subjective experience of the environment in which they live.
Inversion of neurovascular coupling after subarachnoid hemorrhage in vivo
Authors: Balbi Matilde , Koide Masayo , Wellman George C , Plesnila Nikolaus
Published: January 2017

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) induces acute changes in the cerebral microcirculation. Recent findings ex vivo suggest neurovascular coupling (NVC), the process that increases cerebral blood flow upon neuronal activity, is also impaired after SAH. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether this occurs also in vivo. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to either sham surgery or SAH by filament perforation. Twenty-four hours later NVC was tested by forepaw stimulation and CO2 reactivity by inhalation of 10% CO2. Vessel diameter was assessed in vivo by two-photon microscopy. NVC was also investigated ex vivo using brain slices. Cerebral arterioles of sham-operated mice dilated to 130% of baseline upon CO2 inhalation or forepaw stimulation and cerebral blood flow (CBF) increased. Following SAH, however, CO2 reactivity was completely lost and the majority of cerebral arterioles showed paradoxical constriction in vivo and ex vivo resulting in a reduced CBF response. As previous results showed intact NVC 3 h after SAH, the current findings indicate that impairment of NVC after cerebral hemorrhage occurs secondarily and is progressive. Since neuronal activity-induced vasoconstriction (inverse NVC) is likely to further aggravate SAH-induced cerebral ischemia and subsequent brain damage, inverse NVC may represent a novel therapeutic target after SAH.
Art Beyond Art’s Sake: The Influence of Artistic Cues on Prosocial Choice
Authors: Kim Dooiee , Kim Sang-Hoon
Published: January 2017

In this study, we examined whether exposure to art can promote an abstract mindset. Specifically, based on construal level theory, we tested the relationship between artistic cues and an abstract mindset, and how this mindset could in turn impact prosocial choice. Experiment 1 ( N = 54) revealed that artistic cues lead participants to consider more abstract features than concrete features. In Experiment 2 ( N = 83), it was shown that the effect of artistic cues on an abstract mindset is mediated by psychological distance. In addition, this abstract mindset was shown to mediate the link between artistic cues and prosocial choice. The findings of this study highlight the mechanisms that extend the effects of art beyond preference to choice and thought.
Small Ruminant Lentiviruses in Sheep: Pathology and Tropism of 2 Strains Using the Bone Marrow Route
Authors: Pinczowski P. , Sanjosé L. , Gimeno M. , Crespo H. , Glaria I. , Amorena B. , de Andrés D. , Pérez M. , Reina R. , Luján L.
Published: January 2017

The objective of this work was to comparatively study the tissue tropism and the associated pathology of 2 autochthonous small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) field strains using an experimental infection in sheep through the bone marrow. Fifteen male, SRLV-free lambs of the Rasa Aragonesa breed were inoculated with strain 697 (nervous tissue origin, animals A1–A6), with strain 496 (articular origin, animals B1–B6), or with uninfected culture medium (C1–C3). Clinical, serologic, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) evaluations were performed periodically. Two lambs from each infected group and a control animal were euthanized at 134, 273, and 319 days postinfection. Tissues were analyzed by gross and histopathologic evaluation; immunohistochemistry for CD3, CD4, CD8, CD68, and FoxP3 cell markers; lung morphometric evaluation; and tissue proviral quantification by PCR. All infected animals became positive either by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or PCR, with group B lambs showing the highest serologic values and more consistently positive PCR reactions. Group A lambs showed representative lung lesions but only mild histopathologic changes in the central nervous system (CNS) or in carpal joints. Contrarily, group B lambs demonstrated intense carpal arthritis and interstitial pneumonia but an absence of lesions in the CNS. Proviral copies in tissues were detected only in group B lambs. Experimental infection with these SRLV strains indicates that strain 496 is more virulent than strain 697 and more prone to induce arthritis, whereas strain 697 is more likely to reproduce encephalitis in Rasa Aragonesa lambs. Host factors as well as viral factors are responsible for the final clinicopathologic picture during SRLV infections.
Clinical and Histopathologic Characterization of Canine Chronic Ulcerative Stomatitis
Authors: Anderson J. G. , Peralta S. , Kol A. , Kass P. H. , Murphy B.
Published: January 2017

Canine chronic ulcerative stomatitis, also known as chronic ulcerative paradental stomatitis, is a painful condition of the oral cavity. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are commonalities in clinical and radiographic features among patients, whether the histopathologic evaluation might inform the pathogenesis, and whether the condition appears similar to human oral mucosal diseases. To do this, we prospectively collected clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic data from 20 dogs diagnosed with the disease. Clinical data were based on a clinical disease activity index, oral and periodontal examination parameters, and full-mouth dental radiographs. The histopathological and immunohistochemical data were based on oral mucosal samples obtained from erosive or ulcerated areas. Our findings revealed that canine chronic stomatitis is clinically characterized by painful oral mucosal ulcers of varying size, pattern, appearance, and distribution, most often associated with teeth with early periodontitis. Histologic examination revealed a subepithelial lichenoid band (interface mucositis) where B cells, T cells, and Forkhead-box protein 3 (FoxP3)– and interleukin-17–expressing cells were present. These cells might play a role in the underlying immune response and an immune-mediated pathogenesis is suspected. The clinical and histopathologic features of this chronic inflammatory mucosal disease in dogs resemble those of oral lichen planus in humans.
A Place for Plastic Space?
Authors: Forer Pip
Published: January 2017

Circumstances on the surface of the earth, for various more or less accidental reasons, suggest conceptions which turn out to be inaccurate, although they have come to seem like necessities of thought. The most important of these circumstances is that most objects on the earth's surface are fairly persistent and nearly stationary from a terrestrial point of view. If this were not the case the idea of going on a journey would not seem so definite as it does. If you want to travel from King's Cross to Edinburgh you know that you will find Kings Cross where it always has been, that the railway line will take the course that it did when you last made the journey and that Waverley Station in Edinburgh will not have walked up to the Castle. You therefore say and think that you have travelled to Edinburgh, not mat Edinburgh has travelled to you. The success of this common-sense point of view depends on a number of things which are really of the nature of luck. Suppose all the houses in London were perpetually moving about like a swarm of bees; suppose railways moved and changed their shape like avalanches; and finally suppose that material objects were perpetually being formed and dissolved like clouds. There is nothing impossible in these suppositions. But obviously what we call a journey to Edinburgh would have no meaning in such a world. You would begin, no doubt, by asking the taxi-driver: ‘Where is King's Cross this morning?’ At the station you would have to ask a similar question about Edinburgh, but the booking clerk would reply: ‘What part of Edinburgh do you mean, sir? Princes' Street has gone to Glasgow, the Castle has moved up into the Highlands, and Waverley Station is under water in the middle of the Firth of Forth.’ And on the journey the stations would not be staying quiet, but some would be travelling North, some South, some East, some West, perhaps much faster man the train. Under these circumstances you would not be able to say where you were at any moment. Indeed the whole notion that one is always in some definite place is due to the fortunate immobility of most of the large objects on the earth's surface (Russell, 1958, 11—12).
Estimation of the amount of asbestos-cement roofing in Poland
Authors: Wilk Ewa , Krówczyńska Małgorzata , Pabjanek Piotr , Mędrzycki Piotr
Published: January 2017

The unique set of physical and chemical properties has led to many industrial applications of asbestos worldwide; one of them was roof covering. Asbestos is harmful to human health, and therefore its use was legally forbidden. Since in Poland there is no adequate data on the amount of asbestos-cement roofing, the objective of this study was to estimate its quantity on the basis of physical inventory taking with the use of aerial imagery, and the application of selected statistical features. Data pre-processing and analysis was executed in R Statistical Environment v. 3.1.0. Best random forest models were computed; model explaining 72.9% of the variance was subsequently used to prepare the prediction map of the amount of asbestos-cement roofing in Poland. Variables defining the number of farms, number and age of buildings, and regional differences were crucial for the analysis. The total amount of asbestos roofing in Poland was estimated at 738,068,000 m2 (8.2m t). It is crucial for the landfill development programme, financial resources distribution, and application of monitoring policies.
Adrenomedullin Is Associated With Surgical Trauma and Impaired Renal Function in Vascular Surgery Patients
Authors: Gillmann Hans-Jörg , Meinders Antje , Larmann Jan , Sahlmann Bianca , Schrimpf Claudia , Aper Thomas , Lichtinghagen Ralf , Teebken Omke E. , Theilmeier Gregor
Published: January 2017

Background:

Patients undergoing vascular surgery are prone to perioperative organ injury because of both higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and the extent of surgery. Early detection of organ failure is essential to facilitate appropriate medical care. Midregional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) has been investigated in acute medical care settings to guide clinical decision-making regarding patient pathways and to identify patients prone to imminent cardiovascular or inflammatory complications. In this study, we evaluated the impact of perioperative MR-proADM levels as an early marker of perioperative cardiovascular and inflammatory stress reactions and kidney injury.

Methods:

The study was conducted as a monocentric, prospective, noninterventional trial at Hannover Medical School, Germany. A total of 454 consecutive patients who underwent open vascular surgery were followed from the day prior to until 30 days after surgery. The composite primary end point was defined as the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), acute kidney injury (AKI), or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Measurements were correlated with both medical history and postoperative MACE, AKI, or SIRS using univariate and multivariate regression analysis.

Results:

One hundred thirty-nine (31%) of the patients reached the primary end point within the study interval. Midregional pro-adrenomedullin change was associated with the combined primary end point and with the intensity of surgical trauma. Midregional pro-adrenomedullin change was increased in patients reaching the secondary end points, SIRS (optimal cutoff: 0.2 nmol/L) and AKI (optimal cutoff: 0.7 nmol/L), but not in patients with MACEs.

Conclusion:

Increased levels of MR-proADM within the perioperative setting (1) were linked to the invasiveness of surgery and (2) identified patients with ongoing loss of renal function. Increased MR-proADM levels may therefore identify a subgroup of patients prone to excessive cardiovascular stress but did not directly correlate with adverse cardiac events. Consistently low levels of MR-proADM may identify a subgroup of patients with acceptable low risk to guide discharge from high-density care units.
Church-Affiliated Hospital Pension Plans and the ERISA Exemption
Authors: Kilgour John G.
Published: January 2017

There are hundreds of church-affiliated hospitals and other not-for-profit organizations that are exempt from ERISA’s funding and other requirements because they have IRS private letter rulings granting them church plan status. Many of them are seriously underfunded. Over the past few years, a number of class action lawsuits have been brought on behalf of participants challenging the validity of these exemptions and dismissing the authority of the private letter rulings. While the district courts have split on the issue, two appellate courts have ruled in favor of the participants and against the hospitals. The matter will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. This article is an analysis of this complex and important development.
Community Nurses’ Experiences Regarding the Meaning and Promotion of Healthy Aging in Northeastern Thailand
Authors: Manasatchakun Pornpun , Choowattanapakorn Tassana , Roxberg Åsa , Asp Margareta
Published: January 2017

Purpose: Describe community nurses’ experiences regarding the meaning and promotion of healthy aging in northeastern Thailand. Method: Data were collected through five focus group interviews with 36 community nurses in northeastern Thailand. Latent content analysis was conducted to analyze the data. Findings: Healthy aging was characterized by the interconnection of older persons, older persons’ family members, and the community. Healthy aging was associated with two themes: “being strong” and “being a supporter and feeling supported.” The nurses’ experiences in promoting healthy aging were described by the themes “providing health assessment,” “sharing knowledge,” and “having limited resources.” Conclusions: The findings of this study provide a deeper understanding of the meaning of healthy aging from a holistic viewpoint. Community nurses must pay attention to older persons and their surroundings when planning how to promote healthy aging. Person-centeredness should be applied in practice to promote healthy aging. The current findings contribute useful information that should help policy makers develop healthy aging strategies in Thailand.
The efficiency of ministries in transposing EU directives: Evidence from Ireland
Authors: Thomas Martha
Published: January 2017

Studies on how the European Union’s (EU) directives are transposed by national governments have consistently concluded that bureaucratic efficiency of member-states is a crucial determinant of timely transposition. These studies usually focus on the bureaucracy as a whole and utilize static aggregate measures of efficiency. They do not examine how differences in management performance among ministries impact transposition outcomes. This study advances our insight by disaggregating the features of the bureaucracy and examining whether differences in ministries’ decentralization, leadership, past experience with timely transposition, and budgetary allocations explain how bureaucratic processes impacts effective transposition. An original dataset focusing on transposition of EU directives by Ireland is constructed and applied to the problem. Quantitative analysis, informed by original field research, reveals that significant differences in performance can exist among a member state’s ministries. Ministerial leadership, past experience, and favorable budgetary allocations predict the most timely transposition of Brussels’ directives.
Combination of polymerization and polycondensation in the synthesis, chemical modification, and cure of rolivsan thermosetting resins
Authors: Zaitsev Boris A
Published: January 2017

Rolivsan thermosetting resins (ROLs) attract constant attention due to their epoxy-like high processability; at the same time, their high-temperature performance is much better than that of epoxy resins and bismaleimides. Development of these materials involves a nontrivial approach to synthesis of thermostable resins; this approach is based on introducing a new structure-forming tool, that is, 1-arylethanol group. The present article demonstrates the important role of polycondensation in rolivsan chemistry. ROLs consist of (di)vinylaromatic ethers and thermosensitive monomeric and oligomeric (di)methacrylates, which are formed after a series of acid-catalyzed reactions between di-secondary aliphatic-aromatic diols, such as bis-[4-( α-hydroxyethyl)phenyl] ether, and unsaturated carboxylic acids, such as methacrylic acid. The process of ROL cure is a combination of polymerization and polycondensation. In the course of this process, in the temperature range from 140°С to 170°С, the initial densely cross-linked ROL-copolymer is formed as a result of three-dimensional radical copolymerization of highly unsaturated components. Post-cure of ROLs in the 200–300°С temperature interval leads to structural rearrangement (polycondensation). Cured ROLs demonstrate morphology typical of thermosets; they consist of highly cross-linked spherical microdomains that are weakly bound by less densely cross-linked polymer interlayers. Thermocatalytic transformations of rolivsans modified by small amounts of additives (epoxies and aromatic diamines) were used in the development of a new approach to synthesis of heat-resistant thermosetting resins via high-temperature polycondensation in interdomain layers (which are used as a peculiar kind of microreactors).
A fabrication process to make CNT/EP composite strain sensors
Authors: Kaiyan Huang , Weifeng Yuan , Shuying Tong , Haidong Liu
Published: January 2017

Carbon nanotube (CNT)/epoxy resin (EP) conductive composite can be obtained by solidifying the mixture of CNT and EP at specific temperature. The conductivity of the CNT/EP composite rises as the CNT content increases. It has been proven that the electrical resistance of a CNT/EP film varies when it experiences tension or compression. Therefore, the current research focuses on the design of strain sensors, based on the piezoresistivity of CNT/EP composite. In this article, an efficient method used to fabricate CNT/EP sensors is introduced in detail. One main novelty of the present method is that it provides an easy process to install metal electrodes for each piece of CNT/EP film. Another importance of the method is that it tackles the obstacles on the way to bulk production. A cantilever beam system was used to test the sensors fabricated through the self-developed process. The experimental results show that the sensors have consistent properties, and their gauge factors are much higher than that of typical foil strain gauges.
Effect of thermal asymmetries on the entropy generation analysis of a variable viscosity Couette–Poiseuille flow
Authors: Mondal Pranab K , Gaikwad Harshad , Kundu Pranab Kumar , Wongwises Somchai
Published: January 2017

The influence of viscous dissipation on forced convective heat transfer and entropy generation rate in the conduction limit for a variable-viscosity flow between asymmetrically heated parallel plates is studied in an analytical framework consistent with perturbation method. The study considers a flow of Newtonian fluid under the simultaneous action of an applied pressure gradient and an axial movement of the upper plate. The present study emphasizes on the effect of dissipative heat produced by the movable upper plate as well as viscous heating generated due to applied pressure gradient on the underlying thermo-hydrodynamic transport. A few non-dimensional parameters such as dimensionless upper plate velocity, degree of asymmetry parameter and Brinkman number have been defined and their influential role on the variation of temperature profile, the Nusselt number and entropy generation number has been discussed in detail. The study shows that the variation of Nusselt number exhibits an unbounded swing, which, in turn, leads to appearance of the point of singularities at some cases of asymmetrical plate heating. Finally, the source of appearance of point of singularities has been discussed in view of the energy balance, and from the second-law analysis of thermodynamics.
Efficacy of crocin and safranal as protective agents against genotoxic stress induced by gamma radiation, urethane and procarbazine in mice
Authors: Koul A , Abraham SK
Published: January 2017

Crocin (CRO) and safranal (SAF) are bioactive constituents of saffron (dried stigma of Crocus sativus flower), an expensive spice with medicinal properties. Aqueous extract of saffron is known for its antigenotoxic effect against environmental genotoxins/carcinogens. However, there is need to identify saffron constituents responsible for this antigenotoxic effect. The aim of our investigation was to ascertain the role of CRO and SAF as inhibitors of in vivo genotoxic stress. For this purpose, Swiss albino mice were pretreated with CRO (50-mg/kg body weight (bw))/SAF (0.025- and 0.25-ml/kg bw) by gavage for 2 days. Thereafter, the pretreated mice were exposed to the genotoxic agents: (1) gamma radiation (GR; 2 Gy), (2) urethane (URE; 800 mg/kg) and (3) procarbazine (PCB; 60 mg/kg). In addition, CRO (50 mg/kg) was co-administered with the nitrosation reaction mixture of methylurea (MU; 300-mg/kg bw) + sodium nitrite (15 mg/kg) which can form N-nitroso-N-MU in the stomach. Genotoxic damage was measured by performing the bone marrow micronucleus test. Results obtained demonstrated significant reductions in the incidence of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in the bone marrow of mice pretreated with CRO/SAF before exposure to the above DNA damaging agents, GR, URE and PCB. Co-administration of CRO with the nitrosation reaction mixture led to significant decrease in genotoxicity when compared to nitrosation reaction mixture alone. Histopathological studies revealed that these saffron constituents reduced testicular cell damage induced by the test genotoxins. The cell-free DNA-nicking assay using pBR322 DNA showed significant protective effects of CRO against hydroxyl radical-induced strand breaks.
Labouring under neoliberalism: The Australian Labor government’s ideological constraint, 2007–2013
Authors: Battin Tim
Published: January 2017

When viewed against its ostensibly successful management of the global economic crisis between 2008 and 2013, growing electoral disenchantment with the Australian Labor Party government during that time defied standard explanations and calls for further analysis. A major reason for the party’s electoral loss in 2013 was arguably popular disappointment with its eschewal of social democratic principles. Notwithstanding some progressive measures initiated between 2008 and 2013, successive Australian Labor Party governments were constrained by neoliberal strictures, even when they chose to implement progressive policies. Whatever other reasons exist for its decline in popularity between 2007 and 2013, the Australian Labor Party’s unwillingness or inability to mark out a clear alternative to neoliberalism was fundamental. In making this case, this article uses the conceptual framework of ‘depoliticisation’, defined as the displacement of policy decisions from the sphere of democratic accountability and public debate, making them matters for regulation by technocratic experts operating according to supposed edicts of the market.
Aztreonam-Induced Myelosuppression during Treatment of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pneumonia
Authors: Dallal Mohammed M. , Czachor John S.
Published: January 2017

Aztreonam is a synthetic, monobactam antibiotic structurally related to the beta-lactam class of drugs. It has inhibitory activity against many aerobic gram-negative bacteria, although it does not inhibit gram-positive or anaerobic bacteria. Administration of aztreonam occasionally is associated with minimal and transient adverse effects. This case report describes a patient we believe experienced bone marrow suppression approximately ten days after aztreonam was given for treatment of pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This untoward effect primarily was manifested as neutropenia, although normochromic, normocytic anemia and thrombocytopenia were noted as well. One week after aztreonam was discontinued, the patient's bone marrow suppression resolved spontaneously. Although the mechanism responsible for myelosuppression is unclear, aztreonam may be implicated as the offending agent based on the temporal relationship between the development of neutropenia and its administration, and the resolution of neutropenia upon its discontinuation.
Decreased Hypoprothrombinemic Response to Warfarin Secondary to the Warfarin-Nafcillin Interaction
Authors: Shovick Virginia A. , Rihn Thomas L.
Published: January 2017

Patients who are receiving multiple medications must be screened for significant drug interactions. The specific mechanism of a drug interaction determines whether the patient may experience a subtherapeutic effect or a potentially toxic reaction. Three cases of relative warfarin resistance, possibly related to high-dose nafcillin, are described in this report. Several reports have suggested that penicillinase-resistant penicillins, such as nafcillin and dicloxacillin, exert an important enzyme-inducing effect in patients receiving warfarin. This potential interaction must be appropriately recognized and managed in order to maintain adequate anticoagulation in this patient population.