bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compliance With Inpatient Drug Use Process Steps
Authors: Barthélémy Isabelle , Huet Estelle , Guilbeault Mélanie , Bussières Jean-François
Published: November 2012

Objectives:

The aim was to compare nursing staff compliance over the years, per health care unit, and per drug use process step.

Methods:

Compliance assessment was performed by nursing consultants with direct observation of the registered nurses and nursing assistants during the performance of 7 steps of the drug use process. A total of 36 compliance criteria were developed. The compliance to drug use process criteria was measured in 2007 (Prephase), 2008 (post 1), and 2011 (post 2). Totally, 10 health care units were evaluated, with a minimum of 10 doses evaluated per health care unit, including a minimum of 5 parental doses and a total of 100 nurses observed.

Results:

A total of 142 nurses were observed in the prephase, 140 nurses in the post 1 phase, and 98 in the post 2 phase (90% regular staff and 10% float staff). The overall compliance rates went from 77% in 2007 up to 87% in 2008 and down to 78% in 2011.

Conclusions:

This cross-sectional observational study revealed a significant difference in the drug use process compliance in terms of drug preparation and drug administration for inpatients at the bedside, between 2007 and 2011.
Novel Direct-Acting Anticoagulants for Risk Reduction in ACS
Authors: Dobesh Paul P. , Oestreich Julie H.
Published: November 2012

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a devastating adverse cardiovascular event with a massive burden on patient morbility and mortality, as well as the economy. Approximately 1.2 million people are hospitalized annually for ACS in the United States, with direct medical costs estimated at $150 billion in 2009. Rehospitalization is common, often as the result of recurrence of the initial event or complications of ACS or its therapy. Thrombosis is central to the pathogenesis of ACS. The current standard of care includes dual antiplatelet therapy, which reduces platelet activation and aggregation, integral steps for forming a thrombus. However, antiplatelet therapy does not prevent continued thrombin generation or the deposition of fibrin in the clot and residual risk of a recurrent event remains high. New oral anticoagulants offer a mechanism of action that is different from and complementary to that of antiplatelet agents. The ATLAS ACS-TIMI 51 (Anti-Xa Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events in Addition to Standard Therapy in Subjects with Acute Coronary Syndrome–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 51) trial, using rivaroxaban, is the first trial of the new oral anticoagulants to show a benefit when added to antiplatelet therapy in reducing ACS events and mortality. While there was more major bleeding with the addition of rivaroxaban, fatal bleeding was not increased. These agents, if added to the current standard of care, might substantially reduce the high clinical and economic consequences of ACS.
Treatment of Dabigatran-Associated Bleeding
Authors: Harinstein Lisa M. , Morgan Joseph W. , Russo Nicholas
Published: November 2012

Dabigatran etexilate is a competitive, direct thrombin inhibitor that works in the coagulation cascade to ultimately prevent thrombus formation. It is recommended by the 2012 American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines as first-line therapy over vitamin k antagonists for long-term antithrombotic therapy in patients with paroxysmal or persistent nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation who are at intermediate to high risk of stroke and systemic embolism (grade 2B). However, serious postmarketing events involving life-threatening bleeding are emerging with no antidote for reversal of the anticoagulant effect being available for use. Potential reversal agents are being used in clinical practice with questionable efficacy and safety profiles. We report a case involving an 84-year-old male with acute kidney injury who developed life-threatening gastrointestinal and surgical site bleeding secondary to dabigatran accumulation. Use of the Naranjo probability scale indicated a probable cause between the bleeding event and dabigatran use. After discontinuation of drug therapy, fresh frozen plasma, recombinant coagulation factor VIIa, and cryoprecipitate were administered as potential reversal agents with negligible benefit. However, this patient appeared to slowly benefit with administration of continuous venovenous hemodialysis. Based upon our experience with this patient and literature review, the most effective treatment algorithm for dabigatran-associated bleeding may be to utilize hemodialysis initially.
Contemporary Anticoagulation Reversal
Authors: Mancl Erin E. , Crawford Alexis N. , Voils Stacy A.
Published: November 2012

Several oral direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) and factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors have recent Food and Drug Administration approval or are under investigation in late-stage clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic events. Rapid reversal of anticoagulation is typically recommended in patients with severe or life-threatening bleeding and in patients requiring surgery or invasive procedures. However, no antidote exists for DTIs or FXa inhibitors though replacement of coagulation factors using clotting factor concentrates is routinely considered in some clinical scenarios. Clotting factor concentrates available in the United States include prothrombin complex concentrate, activated prothrombin complex concentrate, and recombinant factor VII, activated. Coagulation tests to confirm adequate reversal of anticoagulation should be considered and commonly include activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time (TT) for DTIs, and chromogenic FXa assay and TT for FXa inhibitors. Monitoring of coagulation tests should continue for 1 to 2 days after achievement of hemostasis, since the duration of the clotting factor concentrate may be shorter than the oral anticoagulant, especially in patients with organ dysfunction. Utilization of decision-support tools and use of standardized reversal protocols are recommended to prevent errors in prescribing and dispensing for clotting factor concentrates.
Childhood Misfortune and Adult Health
Authors: Schafer Markus H. , Ferraro Kenneth F.
Published: November 2012

Objective: This article traces the influence of early misfortune on somatic and psychological symptoms, examining whether the health disadvantages endure and/or worsen over a decade. Method: The study uses two waves of data from the Midlife Development in the United States study. Structural equation models are used to assess change in somatic and psychological symptoms. Results: Findings reveal that childhood abuse is associated with more initial somatic and psychological symptoms among American adults, but that family structure and financial strain had little association with baseline adult symptoms. The effects of abuse were not observed at Wave 2 (W2), net of Wave 1 (W1) symptoms. Discussion: The results suggest an enduring—but not cascadic—effect of childhood abuse on adult health. There was little evidence that the consequences of early misfortune waned over the course of time or were less substantial for older adults; but neither did these early life experiences contribute to worsened symptoms over a decade of observation.
Experimental study and modeling of friction stir welding process to produce optimized AA2219 butt welds for aerospace application
Authors: Balaji Srinivasan , Mahapatra Manas M
Published: November 2012

This article describes the effect of friction stir welding parameters on the mechanical properties and overall macrostructure features of AA2219-T87 welds. The aim is to develop a suitable combination of process parameters for producing sound friction stir welding joints of AA2219 for aerospace applications such as fabrication of space launch vehicle’s propellant tank. Design of experiments approach was used to determine the influential control factors for the optimization of friction stir welding responses. The observed responses, such as the ultimate tensile strength and percentage of elongation of welds, were compared with the specified requirements for the said application. Weld cross-sectional area and the grain size in various zones of the weld were also recorded. A full-factorial experimental design was conducted to obtain the weld responses. Analysis of variance, interaction effects and desirability function–based techniques were used to determine the significant welding parameters and to set the optimal level for each control factor. Regression equations were developed to predict output characteristics of welds. The experimental and the predicted values were in a good agreement. Response surface modeling was carried out to identify the combination of process parameters to optimize the responses. The modeling methodology adopted and the optimization technique used in the present investigation are observed to be adequate for producing sound AA2219-T87 welds to meet the specification requirements of the intended aerospace application.
Modelling of temperatures during railway tread braking: Influence of contact conditions and rail cooling effect
Authors: Teimourimanesh Shahab , Vernersson Tore , Lundén Roger
Published: November 2012

The temperature rise of wheels and blocks due to frictional heating during railway tread braking along with the transfer of heat through the wheel–rail contact is studied in this paper. In particular, heat partitioning between block, wheel and rail for stop braking cycles is considered. The wheels are of interest because they are a limiting factor for railway tread braking systems. Two types of thermal models are employed to investigate the maximum temperatures over the wheel tread. In a circumferential (plane) model of wheel, block and rail, the heat transfer problem is studied by use of a finite element formulation of the two-dimensional time-dependent convection–diffusion equation. The hot spot phenomenon is simulated by introducing a prescribed wheel-fixed contact pressure distribution between wheel and block. In an axisymmetric (axial) model of wheel, block and rail, the lateral movements of the wheel–rail contact are studied. A general result is that the cooling effect provided by the rail is important when local temperatures on the tread are considered, but not when studying bulk temperatures created in a single stop braking event. Furthermore, it is found from the lateral movements of the wheel–rail contact that slow oscillations result in maximum temperatures over the wheel tread that are somewhat lower than for travelling on straight track (rolling at the rolling circle).
When What You Hear Influences When You See
Authors: Miller Jared E. , Carlson Laura A. , McAuley J. Devin
Published: November 2012

The three experiments reported here demonstrated a cross-modal influence of an auditory rhythm on the temporal allocation of visual attention. In Experiment 1, participants moved their eyes to a test dot with a temporal onset that was either synchronous or asynchronous with a preceding auditory rhythm. Saccadic latencies were faster for the synchronous condition than for the asynchronous conditions. In Experiment 2, the effect was replicated in a condition in which the auditory context stopped prior to the onset of the test dot, and the effect did not occur in a condition in which auditory tones were presented at irregular intervals. Experiment 3 replicated the effect using an accuracy measure within a nontimed visual task. Together, the experiments’ findings support a general entrainment perspective on attention to events over time.
Affective Signals of Threat Increase Perceived Proximity
Authors: Cole Shana , Balcetis Emily , Dunning David
Published: November 2012

Do stimuli appear to be closer when they are more threatening? We tested people’s perceptions of distance to stimuli that they felt were threatening relative to perceptions of stimuli they felt were disgusting or neutral. Two studies demonstrated that stimuli that emitted affective signals of threat (e.g., an aggressive male student) were seen as physically closer than stimuli that emitted affective signals of disgust (e.g., a repulsive male student) or no affective signal. Even after controlling for the direct effects of physiological arousal, object familiarity, and intensity of the negative emotional reaction, we found that threatening stimuli appeared to be physically closer than did disgusting ones (Study 2). These findings highlight the links among biased perception, action regulation, and successful navigation of the environment.
Denial of compensation for patients who developed multiple sclerosis or have existing disease made worse following acute stress or trauma
Authors: Behan Peter Oliver , Chaudhuri Abhijit , Hutchinson Simone
Published: November 2012

An important legal question is the role of acute trauma on the central nervous system with stress in precipitating or worsening multiple sclerosis (MS). At present, the prevailing view in neurology is that there is no relationship. We show here that this opinion needs to be reappraised. Medicolegal decisions for compensation in court have hinged on this question, as do the future research and treatment. A critical analysis of highly important but hitherto neglected articles shows the prevailing view to be gravely mistaken. Modern molecular medicine has shown conclusively that trauma and stress (either alone or together) to the central nervous system cause disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Disruption of this BBB, a complex molecular process, is the basic pathological feature of MS and is affected in both trauma and stress. Its further study should lead to a rational mode of therapy and resolve the legal quagmire.
Clinical Practice Implications of Immunizations After Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant
Authors: Luke Julie L. , McDonald Lisa , Jude Veronica , Chan Ka Wah , Cuellar Norma G.
Published: November 2012

The number of pediatric bone marrow transplants is increasing for malignant and nonmalignant diseases. The number of survivors is also increasing, and their long-term health and protection from infection is increasingly important. To prevent infections, it is standard practice to re-immunize pediatric patients after bone marrow transplant (BMT) using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunization guidelines; however, surveys in the United States and other parts of the world indicate that many BMT patients do not receive all the recommended immunizations. A literature review was conducted to identify research based on evidence for immunization following BMT and to recognize barriers to the process. Also, the immunization clinical guidelines from 2000 and 2011 for patients following BMT were compared and an updated clinical protocol and immunization schedule was developed to reflect the current evidence, encourage a change in practice, and discourage fragmented care.
Learning Objectives and Content of Science Curricula for Undergraduate Management Education
Authors: Ledley Fred D. , Holt Stephen S.
Published: November 2012

Business is progressively integrating technologies and R&D with corporate and business strategy. This trend is creating increasing demand for executives and managers who have sufficient technology-centered knowledge to work effectively in interdisciplinary environments. This study addresses how management education could address the growing need for such pluralistic training by embracing development of undergraduate science curriculum attuned to the needs of business students. We found that science courses are part of the required curriculum at 80% of BusinessWeek’s “top business schools.” To assess what content and learning objectives might best meet the needs of business students, we conducted a survey of educators from business, science, and arts and sciences in general and examined curriculum developed explicitly for business students at two freestanding business institutions. These results suggest that science courses could better serve business education by providing a broad picture of scientific principles and their presence in everyday life, promoting critical thinking and inductive reasoning, and enabling understanding of scientific research, technical innovation, and product development as well as their ethical and social implications. Development of such courses would require collaboration between management and science educators to ensure that the scientific content of the courses meet the highest standards of evidence-based science education and the business context is grounded in rigorous management principles and practices.
Pathologizing the Healthy But Ineffective
Authors: Lindebaum Dirk
Published: November 2012

A number of studies seek to integrate leadership research with the field of neuroscience, arguing that neuroscience can aid scholars and practitioners to identify and develop leaders with what I refer to as socially desirable brain characteristics, whereas those leaders not equipped with such characteristics can be subjected to interventions based on neuroscientific principles or methods. Scrutinizing an emerging body of research, I argue that many leadership scholars and practitioners overlook the wider ethical implications of neuroscientific approaches to identifying and developing effective leaders. Given the mounting interest in the topic, I also outline a number of useful sources and debates to better respond ethically to the use of neuroscience in leadership research.
A micromechanical analysis of time-dependent behavior based on subcritical damage in claystones
Authors: Huang Y , Shao JF
Published: November 2012

In this paper, a micromechanical model is proposed for time-dependent strain in claystones. The representative volume element of claystone is characterized by a three-phase composite. Quartz and calcite grains are embedded inside clay matrix. The time-dependent strain is related to subcritical propagation of microcracks inside the clay matrix. A two-step homogenization procedure is proposed. A micromechanics-based isotropic damage model is first formulated for the subcritical growth of microcracks inside the clay matrix. Different homogenization schemes are considered by taking into account opening and closure of microcracks. Two driving forces are used respectively for the subcritical evolution of damage under tensile and compressive stresses. Then the macroscopic properties of the claystone are determined by a second-level homogenization procedure using three different schemes. The numerical algorithm for numerical implementation of the proposed model in standard finite element code is proposed. Numerical evaluations of the proposed model are performed through simulations of creep tests under different loading paths and using different homogenization schemes. Finally, comparisons between numerical results and experimental data are presented.
Different Fit Perceptions in an Academic Environment
Authors: Li Yixuan , Yao Xiang , Chen Kun , Wang Yi
Published: November 2012

This study examines whether students perceive three different types of fit in an academic environment (i.e., interest–major [I–M] fit, demands–abilities [D–A] fit, and needs–supplies [N–S] fit) and whether these factors predict important academic and well-being criteria using a Chinese student sample. Results from confirmatory factor analyses support the assumption that students differentiate among the three fit perceptions. Incremental validity analysis and relative importance analysis reveal that the three types of fit each have a unique relationship with situational outcomes. Specifically, I–M fit predicts greater proportions of variance in major change intention; D–A fit predicts greater proportions of variance in academic performance; and N–S fit predicts greater proportions of variance in well-being (e.g., academic satisfaction and depression). Practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.
Building Evidence of Validity
Authors: Leuty Melanie E. , Hansen Jo-Ida C.
Published: November 2012

The current study used work values components (WVC) to examine the relationship between work values, vocational interests, personality, and personal values. Most intercorrelations between work values and other constructs were in the small effect range. Overall correlations between scale scores provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for values scales. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested personal values were the most significant predictor of WVC. Interests and personality also contributed a small amount of additional variance in predicting work values. Overall, results suggested that other variables (e.g., personal values, vocational interests, and personality) accounted for 22% (Autonomy) to 48% (Status) in WVC. Results supported growing evidence of construct validity for work values, given study findings. Implications for the study of values and career counseling interventions are discussed.
Perceived Career Counselor Relational and Technical Behaviors and Outcomes Among Italian University Students
Authors: Di Fabio Annamaria , Bernaud Jean-Luc , Kenny Maureen E.
Published: November 2012

This study was designed to assess the relationship of the relational and technical skills of the career counselor to five different career counseling outcomes (Client Satisfaction, Placement Skills, Self-Awareness, Psychological Mobilization, and Environmental Knowledge). Two hundred fifty-three university students participated in a study designed to investigate these relationships. The results reveal that both perceived relational and technical behaviors of the career counselor explain four of the five outcomes. Counselor perceived technical behaviors, and not relational behaviors, was a significant predictor of client Psychological Mobilization.
Time Perspective and Career Decision-Making Difficulties in Adults
Authors: Taber Brian J.
Published: November 2012

Decision making is not only contingent upon what takes place in the present but also on how one feels about the past and one’s hopes for the future. However, when it comes to time perspective and career decision making, vocational psychology has focused exclusively on future time perspective. The present study examines the relations among past, present, and future time perspectives and career decision-making difficulties in a sample of 195 adults seeking career counseling services. Participants completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ). Results from canonical correlation analysis produced three significant canonical variates. The results indicate that different patterns in time perspective are associated with different types of career decision-making difficulties. Areas for future research regarding time perspective and career decision making are discussed.
The Adolescent–Parent Career Congruence Scale
Authors: Sawitri Dian R. , Creed Peter A. , Zimmer-Gembeck Melanie J.
Published: November 2012

Although there is a growing interest in the discrepancy between parents and their adolescent children in relation to career expectations, there is no existing, psychometrically sound scale that directly measures adolescent–parent career congruence or incongruence. This study reports the development and initial validation of the Adolescent–Parent Career Congruence Scale. Phase 1 utilized a review of literature, focus groups, and expert feedback to formulate 20 items. In Phase 2, with a sample of 550 students, item and exploratory factor analyses were employed to reduce the number of items to 12, which represented two reliable subscales. In Phase 3, with a second sample of 512 students, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the initial structure. In Phase 4, the construct validity was examined by correlating the total and subscale scores with measures of parental support, living-up-to parental expectations, and life satisfaction. The implications for use in research and practice are discussed.
Paronychia induced by the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor cetuximab
Authors: Lee Soo Lin , Tan Boon Seang , Chan Lee Chin
Published: November 2012

While the development of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors has been hailed as a remarkable triumph in the field of oncology, it has inherited with it a host of cutaneous side-effects that have been increasingly observed in a substantial number of patients in the recent years. One cutaneous manifestation that may inflict significant pain and affect activities of daily living among some of the patients receiving epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors is paronychia. A case of paronychia associated with the use of cetuximab in the management of KRAS wild-type midrectal adenocarcinoma along with its management has been described.
Viscozyme L action on soy slurry affects carbohydrates and antioxidant properties of silken tofu
Authors: Rosset Michele , Prudencio Sandra Helena , Beléia Adelaide Del Pino
Published: November 2012

This study investigated the enzymatic treatment of soy slurry using Viscozyme L to hydrolyze the carbohydrates. The optimum temperature of Viscozyme L action was 55 °C. The increase of glucose and galactose content in tofu (1.36 and 0.19 g/100 g, respectively) confirmed the Viscozyme activity on soy slurry when compared to the control. The treated tofu had more total phenolics than the control (173 and 161 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g freeze-dried tofu, respectively) and higher antioxidant activity by the 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl,2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical tests. Total reducing sugar (glucose equivalents) content in treated tofu was approximately four times higher than that in the control under the optimum conditions (30 Fungal Beta-Glucanase units/10 g solids, 55 °C, 30 min). The tofus differed in the sensory analysis for soy odor and surface uniformity, but there was no preference for one over the other.
Persistent Handwriting Difficulties in Children With ADHD After Treatment With Stimulant Medication
Authors: Brossard-Racine Marie , Shevell Michael , Snider Laurie , Bélanger Stacey Ageranioti , Julien Marilyse , Majnemer Annette
Published: November 2012

Objective: Children with ADHD often present with handwriting difficulties. However, the extent to which motor and attention skills influence performance in this group has not yet been explored. The objective of this study was to examine the factors associated with change in handwriting performance. Method: This study examines the factors associated with change in handwriting performance of 49 children newly diagnosed with ADHD (mean age = 8.4 [SD=1.3] years) prior to and 3 months following use of a stimulant medication. Results: Handwriting legibility and speed improved significantly at follow-up evaluation. However, most of the children with legibility difficulties at baseline continued to demonstrate difficulties when evaluated 3 months after initiation of medication. Change in handwriting legibility was best determined by improvements in visual-motor integration skills (β = 0.07-0.10; p < .001), while the change in speed did not appear to be consistently related to a single factor. Conclusion: Handwriting difficulties are common in children with ADHD, and medication alone is not sufficient to resolve these challenges.
Excise Taxes, Tax Incidence, and the Flight to Quality
Authors: Espinosa Javier , Evans William N.
Published: November 2012

Because excise taxes are independent of product price, rate hikes are predicted to lower the relative cost of high-priced goods, encouraging a shift toward their purchase. Using scanner data on cigarette sales from twenty-nine states over a six-year period, we examine whether tax hikes encourage a flight to quality. Results demonstrate that a one-cent hike in taxes increases retail prices of name-brand and generic cigarettes by exactly one cent. We find no tax-induced substitution toward name brands but a large substitution away from carton to pack sales, suggesting that tax hikes encourage within-product changes in purchase but little between-product substitution.
Progress towards accelerating HOMME on hybrid multi-core systems
Authors: Carpenter I. , Archibald R.K. , Evans K.J. , Larkin J. , Micikevicius P. , Norman M. , Rosinski J. , Schwarzmeier J. , Taylor M.A.
Published: November 2012

The suitability of a spectral element based dynamical core (HOMME) within the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) for GPU-based architectures is examined and initial performance results are reported. This work was done within a project to enable CAM to run at high resolution on next-generation, multi-petaflop systems. The dynamical core is the present focus because it dominates the performance profile of our target problem. HOMME enjoys good scalability due to its underlying cubed-sphere mesh with full two-dimensional decomposition and the localization of all computational work within each element. The thread blocking and code changes that allow HOMME to effectively use GPUs are described along with a rewritten vertical remapping scheme, which improves performance on both CPUs and GPUs. Validation of results in the full HOMME model is also described. We demonstrate that the most expensive kernel in the model executes more than three times faster on the GPU than the CPU. These improvements are expected to provide improved efficiency when incorporated into the full model that has been configured for the target problem. Remaining issues affecting performance include optimizing the boundary exchanges for the case of multiple spectral elements being computed on the GPU.
Designing a pattern recognition system on GPU for discriminating between patients with micro-ischaemic and multiple sclerosis lesions, using MRI images
Authors: Solomou Ekaterini , Kostopoulos Spiros , Sidiropoulos Konstantinos , Athanasiadis Emmanouil , Lavdas Eleftherios , Glotsos Dimitris , Sakellaropoulos George , Zampakis Petros , Stonham John , Cavouras Dionisis
Published: November 2012

The aim of this study was to employ state-of-art graphics processing unit (GPU) technology and CUDA parallel programming to design and implement a stand-alone pattern recognition (PR) system to discriminate between patients with micro-ischaemic (mIS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. The dataset comprised MRI image series of 32 patients with mIS and 19 with MS lesions. The probabilistic neural network classifier and 40 textural features, calculated from lesions in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, were used to design the PR system. The highest classification accuracy was 90.2%, employing six textural features. It took about 135 minutes to design the PR system on a desktop CPU (Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550), using sequential programming, against 250 seconds on the Nvidia 8800GT GPU card, using parallel programming. The proposed PR system may be redesigned on site, when new verified data are incorporated in its depository, and it may serve as a second opinion tool in a clinical environment.
Optimisation and parallelisation of a 2D MOSFET multi-subband ensemble Monte Carlo simulator
Authors: Valín Raúl , Sampedro Carlos , Seoane Natalia , Aldegunde Manuel , Garcia-Loureiro Antonio , Godoy Andres , Gámiz Francisco
Published: November 2012

Multi-subband ensemble Monte Carlo simulators (MSB-EMC) are essential in semiconductor device modelling in order to study confinement effects when devices are scaled to gate lengths and silicon thicknesses approaching nanometre dimensions. To consider these effects it is necessary to solve the Schrödinger equation in the confinement direction, which has a high computational cost. In this paper we propose the parallelisation and optimisation of a 2D MSB-EMC simulator. The Open Multi-Processing (OpenMP) application program interface (API) is employed for the parallelisation and the simulations are performed using a multi-core machine. Numerical results show a speed-up of 7.40 when eight cores are used with a parallel efficiency higher than 90%.
An Empirical Examination of Retired Police Officers’ Length of Retirement and Age at Death
Authors: Brandl Steven G. , Smith Brad W.
Published: November 2012

The purpose of this research note was to compare Detroit police officers with other City of Detroit employees in terms of the length of their retirements and the age at which they die. Data on retired and deceased police officers and other city employees were obtained from the City of Detroit ( N = 7,325). Ordinary least squares regression equations were estimated using age at death and length of retirement as dependent variables. The results show that retired officers die significantly younger than other retired city employees and that officers have significantly shorter retirements prior to death than other city employees. Given the limitations of the data analyzed here, the reasons for the differences among retired police officers and other retired workers with regard to mortality largely remain speculative. However, the findings suggest that additional attention to health concerns and issues among current and retired officers may be warranted in policy as well as in research.
Finite element buckling analysis of laminated composite sandwich panels with transversely flexible core carrying attached elastic strip
Authors: Fard Karamat Malekzadeh , Sayyidmousavi Alireza , Fawaz Zouheir , Bougherara Habiba
Published: November 2012

In this article, a three-dimensional finite element model is proposed to study the effect of distributed attached mass with thickness and stiffness on the buckling instability of sandwich panels with transversely flexible cores. Unlike the previous works in the literature which have made use of unified displacement theories, the present model uses different types of finite elements to model the core and the face sheets. It utilizes shell elements for the face sheets and three-dimensional solid elements for the core which enables the model to account for the transverse flexibility of the structure. The motions of the face sheets and the core as well as the attached mass are related through defining constraint equations between the nodes of their respective finite elements based on the concept of master and slave nodes which is incorporated into the finite element analysis program ANSYS through a user-defined subroutine. The validated finite element model is then used to study the effects of size, thickness, material property, aspect ratio, and the position of the attached mass on the buckling load of a sandwich panel under different combinations of boundary conditions. The results presented in this study have hitherto not been reported in the literature.
Bay Street as Contested Space
Authors: Martin Nona P. , Storr Virgil Henry
Published: November 2012

Bay Street, the main thoroughfare in Nassau, The Bahamas’ capital city, is a storehouse for much of that country’s social memory. It has been the stage for some of the most significant events in The Bahamas’ history and continues to be at the center of Bahamian cultural, economic, and political life. Understandably, Bay Street has also been a contested space. This article discusses the contested nature of Bay Street using the 1942 riot, a key event in Bahamian political history that occurred on Bay Street, and Junkanoo, an important cultural festival in The Bahamas.
Afterimages of Steel
Authors: Swanton Dan
Published: November 2012

This essay works with afterimages of the steel industry to explore the material legacies and many afterlives of industrial remains in Dortmund. Inspired both by Walter Benjamin’s writings on the afterimages of capitalist modernity in the Arcades Project, and by the afterimages of steel produced by Haiko Hebig, the article gathers fragmented encounters in an account that evokes the materiality, textures, co-habitations, and memories of Dortmund’s postindustrial landscape.
‘If you’re struggling to survive day-to-day’: Class optimism and contradiction in entrepreneurial discourse
Authors: Gill Rebecca
Published: November 2012

Entrepreneurship is commonly talked about in the West as a freely chosen, optimistic occupational choice. Yet, as an ideological construct, entrepreneurship is ultimately shaped in ways that legitimize some entrepreneurs while marginalizing others. Taking cues from scholarship that has unpacked the gendered and raced dimensions of entrepreneurial discourse, this article examines the classed dimensions of such discourse. Illuminating the ideological contradiction between American dream promises of class mobility and enterprise initiatives, I argue that the hegemonic allure of entrepreneurial discourse stems in large part from the (re)production of class hierarchies around notions of exceptional capitalist ownership, action and innovation and opportunity recognition.
Fatigue life of TiN and CrN coatings in rolling contact
Authors: Vera EE , Vite M , Gallardo EA , Laguna-Camacho JR
Published: November 2012

In this study, experimental tests to assess rolling contact fatigue in uncoated and coated steel substrates with TiN and CrN coatings are presented. A thrust bearing tester was used. The tests were carried out in lubricated conditions at 1560 r/min, using a contact pressure of 2.09 GPa. The surface damage was analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The substrates coated with CrN showed a fatigue life above 100 million cycles. On the other hand, with TiN, the time for crack nucleation was much shorter, approximately 60 × 104 cycles.
Debris particle indentation and abrasion of machine-element contacts: An experimentally validated, thermoelastoplastic numerical model with micro-hardness and frictional heating effects
Authors: Nikas George K
Published: November 2012

For a very long time, debris particles have been blamed to causing serious problems in machine-element contacts such as those of bearings and gears. This involves a huge number of mechanisms and machines worldwide. The financial cost associated with machinery failure under such circumstances is enormous. Past research has identified the main mechanisms governing damage from debris particles. A few theoretical models have been built on the experience accumulated on damage mechanics. The capabilities of said models vary a lot. The model originally developed by this author in the 1990s was recently expanded. The previous version of the model, which was published in this journal in May 2012, offered a number of innovative features to calculate spherical-particle indentation and soft abrasion in lubricated rolling-sliding contacts. It was experimentally validated following a rigorous programme. However, it neglected frictional heating from particle extrusion. This study significantly expands the previous model of the author by integrating thermal effects. It includes flash temperature calculations with moving sources of heat, dynamic heat partition, three-dimensional conduction and convection, and thermally anisotropic surfaces with temperature-dependent thermal and mechanical properties, all integrated in the elastoplastic model of indentation and abrasion. These are in addition to model features such as nonlinear strain hardening, strain-gradient plasticity, particle work hardening, generalised local kinematics, pile-up/sink-in plasticity effects and many more. The same rigorous experimental verification programme as in the previous model of the author is used here, too. It is shown that in some cases, the theoretical results on dent geometry are even closer to the experimental ones than with the isothermal model of the author. Furthermore, the thermal analysis reveals that extreme frictional heating can take place, often leading to melting wear in a fraction of a millisecond. The formation of dimples inside and outside main dents, which have been shown experimentally and verified theoretically by this author’s previous model, is revisited in light of frictional heating. A parametric study shows the effects of particle size and hardness, kinetic friction coefficients, and strain hardening on dent geometry and flash temperatures, including effects on particle and surface melting. Finally, the reality of flash temperatures is explored.
Radial basis function neural network based comparison of dimensionality reduction techniques for effective bearing diagnostics
Authors: GS Vijay , Pai Srinivasa P , Sriram NS , Rao Raj BKN
Published: November 2012

This article uses the cluster dependent weighted fuzzy C-means based radial basis function neural network for comparing the different dimensionality reduction techniques for the fault diagnosis in the rolling element bearing. The vibration signals from normal bearing, bearing with defect on the inner race, and bearing with defect on the outer race were acquired under one radial load and two shaft speeds. These signals were subjected to the wavelet transform based denoising from which several time and frequency domain features were extracted. Dimensionality reduction techniques, namely, principal component analysis, Fisher’s criterion, and separation index, have been used to select the sensitive features. The selected features were used to train and test the radial basis function neural network, where the centers of the radial basis function units have been optimized by the cluster dependent weighted fuzzy C-means and the widths of the radial basis function units have been fixed by trial and error. Finally, a comparison of the dimensionality reduction techniques based on the radial basis function neural network performance is presented.
The nutrition needs of low-income families regarding living healthier lifestyles
Authors: Davis Ann M , Befort Christie , Steiger Katherine , Simpson Shanna , Mijares Martha
Published: November 2012

Pediatric obesity and nutrition-related problems continue to be problematic around the world. The purpose of the current qualitative study was to learn more about the barriers low-income, minority families face to healthy living and where they turn for health-related information. Five focus groups were conducted using open-ended standardized questions. Standardized transcript analysis and coding techniques were used to arrive at five saturated themes. The project was conducted in partnership with a community based Early/Head Start agency. Adult parents of preschool children were invited to participate. Results indicate that low-income minority families face many barriers to eating healthily: while families do eat some healthy foods, they also eat many unhealthy foods; they rely primarily on family members for their nutrition information; they have some desire to change their own health habits (but generally not those of their children); and they have inadequate nutritional knowledge. Options for better reaching this population with important health information are discussed.
Moderating effects of gender on the relationship between poverty and children’s externalizing behaviors
Authors: Henninger William R , Luze Gayle
Published: November 2012

Previous research suggests that boys are at a greater likelihood of exhibiting externalizing behaviors throughout their childhood than girls. In addition, previous research suggests that children who are born into impoverished conditions are more likely to exhibit externalizing behaviors than their peers who are born into higher socio-economic conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the trajectory of externalizing behaviors between boys and girls. In addition, the effects of poverty on externalizing behaviors by gender were also investigated. The findings suggest that in the sample used for this study, boys and girls were virtually equal in externalizing behaviors from 2 years old through 5th grade. In addition, analyses revealed that time spent in poverty predicted a greater occurrence of externalizing behaviors over time for girls, but not boys. These findings suggest that what has previously been assumed about externalizing behaviors in boys and girls may be less concrete than was once thought. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Enhancing early attachment
Authors: Leigh Francisca Figueroa , Vergara Victoria Binda , Santelices María Pía
Published: November 2012

The attachment style of an infant with his caregiver can greatly influence his future development. Many interventions have been proposed to enhance early secure attachment styles, but few have characteristics that make them suitable for primary health care. The objective of the study wasto design a complex intervention for promoting secure attachment in dyads detected in Primary Health Care with altered patterns of attachment styles. The methodology proposed by the UK Medical Research Council was used: (1) theoretical phase: literature review; (2) modelling phase: the main components of the intervention were defined through qualitative research; and (3) exploration phase: pilot study of the preliminary intervention. The attachment style of the dyads was evaluated using the Massie-Campbell scale prior to and four months after the pilot intervention. The preliminary intervention was designed: a group workshop (five to seven dyads, with children aged between 6 and 12 months and two health care professional monitors) structured around various activities that specifically dealt with the skills associated with parental sensitivity and addressed relevant issues to child rearing. The intervention was then tested in a pilot study of 11 dyads in two primary health care centres. The analysis was done with nine dyads (two were lost in the second evaluation), and showed an improvement of 33 per cent in the secure attachment style in the dyads (not statistically significant). An original intervention is designed and proposed for dyads who have early indicators of altered styles of attachment in primary health care.
Attitudes of women from five European countries regarding tobacco control policies
Authors: Dresler Carolyn , Wei Mei , Heck Julia E. , Allwright Shane , Haglund Margaretha , Sanchez Sara , Kralikova Eva , Stücker Isabelle , Tamang Elizabeth , Gritz Ellen R. , Hashibe Mia
Published: November 2012

Aims: Tobacco-related cancers and, in particular, lung cancer still represents a substantial public health epidemic across Europe as a result of high rates of smoking prevalence. Countries in Europe have proposed and implemented tobacco control policies to reduce smoking prevalence, with some countries being more progressive than others. The aim of this study was to examine factors that influenced women’s attitudes across five European countries relative to comprehensive smokefree laws in their countries. Methods: A cross-sectional landline telephone survey on attitudes towards tobacco control laws was conducted in five European countries: France, Ireland, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. Attitudinal scores were determined for each respondent relative to questions about smokefree laws. Logistic regression models were used to obtain odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 5000 women were interviewed (1000 women from each country). The majority of women, regardless of smoking history, objected to smoking in public buses, enclosed shopping centers, hospitals, and other indoor work places. More women who had quit smoking believed that new tobacco control laws would prompt cessation – as compared with women who still smoked. Conclusions: In general, there is very high support for national smokefree laws that cover bars, restaurants, and public transport systems. As such laws are implemented, attitudes do change, as demonstrated by the differences between countries such as Ireland and the Czech Republic. Implementing comprehensive smokefree laws will gain high approval and will be associated with prompting people to quit.