bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the developing sound system: interactions between sounds and words
Authors: Curtin Suzanne , Zamuner Tania S.
Published: August 2014

Over the course of the first 2 years of life, infants are learning a great deal about the sound system of their native language. Acquiring the sound system requires the infant to learn about sounds and their distributions, sound combinations, and prosodic information, such as syllables, rhythm, and stress. These aspects of the phonological system are being learned simultaneously as the infant experiences the language around him or her. What binds all of the phonological units is the context in which they occur, namely, words. In this review, we explore the development of phonetics and phonology by showcasing the interactive nature of the developing lexicon and sound system with a focus on perception. We first review seminal research in the foundations of phonological development. We then discuss early word recognition and learning followed by a discussion of phonological and lexical representations. We conclude by discussing the interactive nature of lexical and phonological representations and highlight some further directions for exploring the developing sound system. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:589–602. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1307

This article is categorized under:

Linguistics > Language Acquisition

Psychology > Language
Alkynyl Compounds of the Rare‐earth Metals
Authors: Nieland Anja , Lamm Jan‐Hendrik , Mix Andreas , Neumann Beate , Stammler Hans‐Georg , Mitzel Norbert W.
Published: August 2014

Conversion of the rare‐earth tetramethylaluminates [Ln(AlMe4)3] with phenylacetylene afforded the homoleptic alkynylaluminates [Ln{(μ‐C≡CPh)2AlMe2}3] [Ln = Ce (1), Er(2)]. The reaction of five equivalents of phenylacetylene with the yttrium aluminate [Y(AlMe4)3] afforded [Y{(μ‐C≡CPh)AlMe3}{(μ‐C≡CPh)2AlMe2}2] (3). The cationic yttrium complex [(TMTAC)2YMe2][AlMe4] (4) (TMTAC = 1, 3,5‐trimethyl‐1, 3,5triazacyclohexane) was reacted with phenylacetylene to give the product [(TMTAC)2Y(C≡CPh)2][Me2Al(C≡CPh)2] (5), in which two methyl groups of each, the cation and the anion, were substituted by phenylacetylide groups. Under the same conditions as for the synthesis of compound 5, the holmium analogue reveals different reactivity in forming a neutral alkynyl complex [(TMTAC)2Ho(C≡CPh)3] (6). The introduction of 1, 8‐diethynylanthracene to 4 leads to a structural very similar complex [(TMTAC)2Ho(μ‐1, 8‐diethynylanthracene)3] (7) and offers the same reactivity as observed for the synthesis of 6. All compounds were characterized by X‐ray diffraction experiments. Compounds 1–3 and 5 were also characterized by NMR and elemental analyses.
Nutrition of the captive western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla): A dietary survey
Authors: Smith B.K. , Remis M.J. , Dierenfeld E.S.
Published: August 2014

The successful management of captive animals requires attention to multiple interconnected factors. One critical aspect of the daily life of a captive animal is the recommended and/or provisioned diet. This study focuses on the diets of zoo‐housed gorillas. A national survey of diets among zoo‐housed gorillas was conducted to examine diets being offered to captive gorillas in the United States and Canada. This survey serves as a follow‐up to a 1995 dietary survey of zoo‐housed gorillas and goes further to quantify nutritional profiles at responding institutions. Results are encouraging, as zoos have made clear improvements in dietary nutrient profiles offered over the past 15 years. However, we suggest that zoological and sanctuary institutions follow Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendations and work to continuously improve diets provided, which could improve gorillas' health and well‐being. Zoo Biol. 33:419–425, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Estimation of Shear Wave Velocity in Drifts Using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) Technique – A Case Study from Jammu & Kashmir, India
Authors: Srinivas G.S. , Goverdhan K. , Narsimhulu CH. , Seshunarayana T.
Published: August 2014

Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) is a non-destructive seismic prospecting method utilizing Rayleigh waves for imaging and characterizing shallow sub-surface structure. Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) studies were conducted in drift areas of two bridge sites in the hilly terrain of J&K for imaging and characterizing shallow sub-surface structure. The purpose of the present study is to estimate the shear wave velocity (VS) and sub-surface structure in four drifts made in a hilly terrain for construction of two bridges. Rayleigh waves are having dispersive properties, travelling along or near the ground surface and are usually characterized by relatively low velocity, low frequency, and high amplitude. The study area comprises of Tertiary group of rocks which are underlain by Siwalik group. The main rock type in the study area is dolomite which has undergone various geological processes like weathering, jointing, fracturing and shearing. MASW data was collected inside four drifts in the mountainous terrain of J&K state which are located on either sides of Chenab river. The data was analyzed by relevant processing software using dispersion and inversion technique. Shear wave velocities were estimated up to 30 m depth. Average shear wave velocity (VS30) up to top 30m was also computed. It is observed that, VS in the range 400-800 m/s upto 10-15 m corresponding to weathered rock, followed by compact dolomite rock up to the depth of about 30 m with VS in the range 1200-1600 m/s. Some low velocity zones are also identified from these sections which represent shear zones.
Compositional Variation in Magma through Early Neogene in the Northeast Indian Ocean: A Testimony from Glass Shards
Authors: Shrivastava J. P. , Sharma V.
Published: August 2014

We report unusual occurrence of glass shards with diverse morphologies and compositions in the volcanic ash associated with the early Neogene marine stratigraphic succession (early Miocene to early middle Miocene) of Andaman-Nicobar Islands, Northeast Indian Ocean. These small, ash-size (200 to 800 µm) broken pieces of glass shards when viewed under Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), represent distinctive - platy, sickle, bicuspate, concentric, angular, horn shape and slivers with broken angular bubble wall - morphologies. Glass shards are colourless. But, a few are grey or reddish-brown, indicate high Fe content. Chilled, juvenile, angular and blocky shards show fragments of highly viscous, silicic magma. Spindle and ribbon-shape shards form from a low viscosity basalt and rhyolite. Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA) was used to measure low concentration variations of major oxides within individual amorphous silicate solid glass shards whose disordered atomic structure is that of a liquid derived from a silicate melt. Major elemental chemistry of early Miocene glass shards from Colebrook island show low silica, alkalis, high FeO(T) MgO and CaO, whereas, early middle Miocene glass shards from Inglis island show high silica, alkalis, low FeO(T), MgO and CaO contents. These data-sets when plotted on ternary Total Alkali-Silica and Na2O+K2O-MgO-FeO (T) diagrams show that their data plots lie within the basaltic-andesite, tephri-phonolite, rhyolite and trachyte fields. These glass shards which were present in the provenance, formed by explosive eruption of lavas, ranging in composition from basalt to rhyolite with andesite/ basalt-andesite being the most common magma types erupted sub-areally, implying island arc type of tectono-magmatic setting for the formation of these lavas. However, more evolutionary variant rhyolite was most likely formed by crystal fractionation.
The development and intellectual structure of continuous auditing research✩
Authors: Chiu Victoria , Liu Qi , Vasarhelyi Miklos A.
Published: August 2014

The advances and continuous development of technology have been identified as significant influences on the accounting profession (AICPA, 1998). In the last twenty years, both academia and the accounting profession have been giving much attention to the demand and opportunity for audits to be performed automatically, continuously and in nearly real time. This paper presents a comprehensive review of continuous auditing research by providing an overview of the emergence and growth of the continuous auditing literature and classifying the extant continuous auditing research on the basis of four research characteristics indicated by a newly developed research taxonomy.
Dynamic Computed Tomography Angiography in Suspected Brain Death: A Noninvasive Biomarker
Authors: Chakraborty Santanu , Adas Reem A.
Published: August 2014

Purpose

Neurologic determination of death or brain death is primarily a clinical diagnosis. This must respect all guarantees required by law and should be determined early to avoid unnecessary treatment and allow organ harvesting for transplantation. Ancillary testing is used in situations in which clinical assessment is impossible or confounded by other factors. Our purpose is to determine the utility of dynamic computed tomographic angiography (dCTA) as an ancillary test for diagnosis of brain death.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 13 consecutive patients with suspected brain death in the intensive care unit who had dCTA. Contrast appearance timings recorded from the dCTA data were compared to findings from 15 controls selected from patients who presented with symptoms of acute stroke but showed no stroke in follow-up imaging.

Results

The dCTA allows us to reliably assess cerebral blood flow and to record time of individual cerebral vessels opacification. It also helps us to assess the intracranial flow qualitatively against the flow in extracranial vessels as a reference. We compared the time difference between enhancement of the external and internal carotid arteries and branches. In all patients who were brain dead, internal carotid artery enhancement was delayed, which occurred after external carotid artery branches were opacified.

Conclusion

In patients with suspected brain death, dCTA reliably demonstrated the lack of cerebral blood flow, with extracranial circulation as an internal reference. Our initial results suggest that inversion of time of contrast appearance between internal carotid artery and external carotid artery branches at the skull base could predict a lack of distal intracranial flow.
PDE7A1 hydrolyzes cCMP
Authors: Monzel Maike , Kuhn Maike , Bähre Heike , Seifert Roland , Schneider Erich H.
Published: August 2014

The degradation and biological role of the cyclic pyrimidine nucleotide cCMP is largely elusive. We investigated nucleoside 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cNMP) specificity of six different recombinant phosphodiesterases (PDEs) by using a highly‐sensitive HPLC–MS/MS detection method. PDE7A1 was the only enzyme that hydrolyzed significant amounts of cCMP. Enzyme kinetic studies using purified GST‐tagged truncated PDE7A1 revealed a cCMP K
M value of 135 ± 19 μM. The V
max for cCMP hydrolysis reached 745 ± 27 nmol/(min mg), which is about 6‐fold higher than the corresponding velocity for adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) degradation. In summary, PDE7A is a high‐speed and low‐affinity PDE for cCMP.
Defining the anesthesia gap for reproductive health procedures in resource‐limited settings
Authors: Anderson R. Eleanor , Ahn Roy , Nelson Brett D. , Chavez Jean , de Redon Emily , Burke Thomas
Published: August 2014

Background

In resource‐limited settings, severe shortages of anesthetists and anesthesiologists lead to surgical delays that increase maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Objectives

To more clearly understand the individual components of the anesthesia gap pertaining to reproductive health surgeries and procedures in resource‐limited settings.

Search strategy

Medline, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, and POPLINE were systematically searched for reports published before December 31, 2013. Search terms were related to obstetric surgery, resource‐limited settings, and anesthesia.

Selection criteria

Studies that addressed the use of anesthesia in reproductive procedures in resource‐limited settings were included.

Data collection and analysis

Reviewers independently evaluated the full text of identified studies, extracted information related to study objectives and conclusions, and identified the anesthesia gap.

Main results

Overall, 14 publications met the inclusion criteria. A significant lack of infrastructure, equipment and supplies, and trained personnel were identified as key factors responsible for a lack of anesthesia services.

Conclusions

A shortage of trained anesthesia providers, equipment, supplies, medications, and infrastructure, along with limitations in transportation in resource‐limited settings have produced a wide gap between available anesthesia services and the demand for them for reproductive health surgeries and procedures. Safe, affordable, and scalable solutions to address the anesthesia gap are urgently needed.
A Cantilever Subjected to Axial Force, Bending Moment, and Shear Force
Authors: Tseng W.-D. , Tarn J.-Q. , Chang C.-C.
Published: August 2014

We present an exact analysis of the displacement and stress fields in an elastic 2-D cantilever subjected to axial force, shear force and moment, in which the end conditions are exactly satisfied. The problem is formulated on the basis of the state space formalism for 2-D deformation of an orthotropic body. Upon delineating the Hamiltonian characteristics of the formulation and by using eigenfunction expansion, a rigorous solution which satisfies the end conditions is determined. The results show that the end condition alters the stress significantly only near the end, and elementary solutions in the form of polynomials can give sufficiently accurate results except near the ends. Such a system would give rise to localized stresses and displacements in the immediate neighborhood of the ends, and the effect may be expected to diminish with distance on account of geometrical divergence.
Lower Cretaceous alkali feldspar granites in the central part of the Great Xing’an Range, northeastern China: chronology, geochemistry and tectonic implications
Authors: TIAN DEXIN , GE WENCHUN , YANG HAO , ZHAO GUOCHUN , ZHANG YANLONG
Published: August 2014

The Mingshui–Jilasitai–Suolun area, located in the central part of the Great Xing’an Range, is characterized by large volumes of alkali feldspar granites. However, the formation time and tectonic setting of these rocks remains controversial owing to a lack of precise geochronological and detailed geochemical data. In this paper, we report new SIMS U–Pb zircon ages and mineralogical, petrographical and geochemical data for Lower Cretaceous alkali feldspar granites from the Mingshui–Jilasitai–Suolun area. The SIMS zircon dating results indicate that these granites formed at 133.6–135.9 Ma. The mineralogical, petrographical and geochemical data show that these granitic rocks belong to highly fractionated I-type granites. Combined with the regional geology data, we propose that the formation of the Lower Cretaceous alkali feldspar granitic rocks was related to an extension induced by delamination of the lithosphere that arose from subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific plate.
From Loss to Looting? Battlefield Costs and Rebel Incentives for Violence
Authors: Wood Reed M.
Published: August 2014

Research into the causes of civilian abuse during civil conflict has increased significantly in recent years, yet the mechanisms responsible for changes in actors' tactics remain poorly understood. I investigate how the outcomes of discrete conflict interactions influence subsequent patterns of rebel violence against civilians. Two competing logics suggest opposite influences of material loss on violence. A stylized model of rebel-civilian bargaining illustrates how acute resource demands resulting from recent severe conflict losses may incentivize insurgent violence and predation. I also identify several factors that might condition this relationship. I evaluate hypotheses based on these expectations by first analyzing the behaviors of the Lord's Resistance Army using subnational conflict data and then analyzing a cross-sectional sample of post–Cold War African insurgencies. Results from both the micro- and macrolevel analyses suggest that rising battlefield costs incentivize attacks on civilians in the period immediately following the accrual of losses. However, group-level factors such as effective control over territory and the sources of rebel financing condition this relationship. The findings suggest potential benefits from examining the interaction of strategic conditions and more static organizational characteristics in explaining temporal and geographic variation in rebel violence.
“Too many goddamn echoes”: Historicizing the Iraq War in Don DeLillo's Point Omega
Authors: Eve Martin Paul
Published: August 2014

This piece provides a detailed engagement with Don DeLillo's depiction of the 2003 Iraq War in his latest novel, Point Omega. Framed through both formal aesthetic signposting of the interrelations between modernist and postmodernist practice and also through explicit thematic comparison between the conflicts, I trace DeLillo's treatment of Iraq in Point Omega back to his earlier writing on the Cold War in Underworld and focus upon the ways in which this comparative historical metaphor can be read with particular emphasis upon its implications for the nation-1state.
Reproductive biology of the lane snapper, Lutjanus synagris, and recommendations for its management on the Abrolhos Shelf, Brazil
Authors: Freitas Matheus Oliveira , Rocha Gecely Rodrigues Alves , Chaves Paulo De Tarso Da Cunha , De Moura Rodrigo Leão
Published: August 2014

The reproductive biology of the lane snapper, Lutjanus synagris, was evaluated from 770 specimens (434 females and 336 males) obtained on the Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil, between May 2005 and October 2007. Total length ranged from 14.7 to 56.0 cm for females and from 16.5 to 54.3 cm for males, with size composition not varying significantly between sexes. Five distinct maturity stages were identified based on macroscopic and histological examination of the gonads. Mean value of the gonadosomatic index (GSI) for females peaked in September and October, with a secondary peak in February and March. Histological analyses confirmed the reproductive cycle inferred by GSI variation. Asynchronous-type ovarian development was observed, and batch fecundity ranged from less than 104,743 oocytes for a 25.5 cm female of to 568,400 oocytes for a 56.0 cm female (250.0 and 2260 g, respectively), with an average of 345,700 oocytes. The reproductive parameters obtained for L. synagris in the Abrolhos Bank were similar to those reported in studies in northern Brazil and the north-west Atlantic. The species is an important fishery resource in the study region, and management measures are needed before the species becomes overfished. Exploitation occurs largely during spawning aggregations, a situation that has caused other lane snapper populations (and congeners) to decline acutely elsewhere. Our results provide support for size limits and seasonal spawning closures on the Abrolhos Bank, a region that sustains artisanal fisheries involving >20,000 fishermen.
Stylisations as teacher practice
Authors: Jaspers Jürgen
Published: August 2014

Studies on stylised language use have tended to focus on the creative exploitation of linguistic heteroglossia among urban multi-ethnic youth. This article argues that there are good reasons for exploring how such practices can also be initiated by norm-enforcing white adults such as teachers. I report on linguistic ethnographic fieldwork in one mixed-ethnicity class at a Brussels Dutch-medium school and describe how one teacher often produced the creative, stylised language use one usually associates with younger speakers. The analysis emphasizes that while teacher stylisations provided alleviation from the friction between linguistic expectations and the reality of the classroom floor, they were also functional in maintaining the school linguistic policy inasmuch as they typified nonstylised, nonaccented, and standard language use as normal and expected. These findings suggest that stylisations can be closely tuned to linguistic normativity and reproductive of wider patterns of sociolinguistic stratification. (Stylisations, urban heteroglossia, crossing, classroom interaction, Brussels, Dutch, enregisterment)*
Diagnostic Tools Using a Multi-Constellation Single-Receiver Single-Satellite Data Validation Method
Authors: El-Mowafy Ahmed
Published: August 2014

The use of single-receiver single-satellite data validation parameters for numerical and graphical diagnostics of the multi-frequency observations is presented. This method validates Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements of a single receiver where data from each satellite are independently processed using a geometry-free observation model with a reparameterised form of the unknowns. The method is applicable to any GNSS with any number of frequencies. The diagnostic tools are based on checking agreement of characteristics of the validation test statistics against theory. The use of these diagnostics in static and kinematic modes is demonstrated using multiple-frequency data from three GNSS constellations; Global Positioning System (GPS), Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS) and Galileo.
RethinkingPeople v. Croswell: Alexander Hamilton and the Nature and Scope of “Common Law” in the Early Republic
Authors: Brown Kate Elizabeth
Published: August 2014

While serving in the New York Assembly in 1787, Alexander Hamilton identified a problematic clause in New York's constitution. Remarking on an act for settling intestate estates, Hamilton asked, “The question is what is meant in the constitution, by this phrase ‘the common law’?” He went on to describe an important distinction in his legal and constitutional thought:

These words have in a legal view two senses, one moreextensive,the other morestrict.In their most extensive sense, they comprehend the [British] constitution, of all those courts which were established by memorial custom, such as the court of chancery, the ecclesiastical court, &c. though these courts proceed according to a peculiar law. In their more strict sense, they are confined to the course of proceedings in the courts of Westminster in England, or in the supreme court of this state.

After suggesting that the constitution's reference to “common law” encompassed more than just the case reports generated by the central courts in Westminster, Hamilton determined that, “I view it as a delicate and difficult question; yet, I am inclined to think that the moreextensive sensemay be fairly adopted.” Although Hamilton referred here only to the intestacy bill, the distinction between a “strict” and an “extensive” common law would animate his constitutional and legal thought, many years later, during his famous defense of Federalist publisher Harry Croswell.
The proliferation of functions: Multiple systems playing multiple roles in multiple supersystems
Authors: Crilly Nathan
Published: August 2014

When considering a system that performs a role, it is often stated that performing that role is afunctionof the system. The general form of such statements is that “the function ofSisR,” whereSis the functioning system andRis the functional role it plays. However, such statements do not represent how that single function was selected from many possible alternatives. This article renders those alternatives explicit by revealing the other possible function statements that might be made when eitherSorRis being considered. In particular, two forms of selection are emphasized. First, when we say “the function ofSisR,” there are typically many systems other thanSthat are required to be in operation for that role to be fulfilled. The functioning system,S, does not perform the role,R, all by itself, and those systems that supportSin performing that role might also have been considered as functioning. Second, when we say, “the function ofSisR,” there are typically many other roles thatSplays apart fromR, and those other roles might also have been considered functional. When we make function assignments, we select both the functioning system,S, and the functional role,R, from a range of alternatives. To emphasize these alternatives, this article develops a diagrammatic representation of multiple systems playing multiple roles in multiple supersystems.
Solemnisation of Same-sex Marriage and Religious Freedom
Authors: Ahdar Rex
Published: August 2014

Same-sex marriage is legal or likely to be legalised in many Western nations. One important safeguard invariably incorporated in the legislation providing for same-sex marriage has been an exemption for religious ministers who object to solemnising such marriages. Another category of potential objectors consists of marriage registrars, commissioners or celebrants employed or appointed by the state. By contrast, an accommodation grounded in the right of religious freedom and conscience for these governmental celebrants has not been granted. This article examines the introduction of same-sex marriage in three jurisdictions – England and Wales, New Zealand and Canada. It analyses the precise ambit of the exemption for religious celebrants, considers the vulnerability of such exemptions to future legal challenge and questions the validity of denying free exercise accommodation to state-appointed celebrants.
Law and Religion Scholars Network
Authors: Roberts Caroline K
Published: August 2014

The 2014 Law and Religion Scholars Network (LARSN) Conference was held at Cardiff University Law School on 12 May and was attended by a great number of delegates both from the UK and from overseas. LARSN, which was set up by Cardiff's Centre for Law and Religion in 2008 to bring together academics interested in the study of law and religion, has continued to grow in popularity and now has over 270 members.
Echocardiographic factors discriminating biventricular versus univentricular approach in the foetus with borderline left ventricle
Authors: Jantzen David W. , Gelehrter Sarah K. , Yu Sunkyung , Donohue Janet E. , Fifer Carlen G.
Published: August 2014

Background: The term “borderline left ventricle” describes a small left heart that may be inadequate to provide systemic cardiac output and implies the potential need for a single-ventricle palliation. The aim of this study was to identify foetal echocardiographic features that help discriminate which infants will undergo single-ventricle palliation versus biventricular repair to aid in prenatal counselling. Methods: The foetal database at our institution was searched to identify all foetuses with borderline left ventricle, as determined subjectively by a foetal cardiologist, from 2000 to 2011. The foetal images were retrospectively analysed for morphologic and physiologic features to determine which best predicted the postnatal surgical choice. Results: Of 39 foetuses identified with borderline left ventricle, 15 were planned for a univentricular approach, and 24 were planned for a biventricular approach. There were significant differences between the two outcome groups in the Z-scores of the mitral valve annulus, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, aortic valve annulus, and ascending aorta diameter (p<0.05). With respect to discriminating univentricular outcomes, cut-offs of mitral valve Z-score ⩽−1.9 and tricuspid:mitral valve ratio ⩾1.5 were extremely sensitive (100%), whereas a right:left ventricular end-diastolic dimension ratio ⩾2.1 provided the highest specificity (95.8%). Conclusion: In foetuses with borderline left ventricle, a mitral valve Z-score ⩾−1.9 or a tricuspid:mitral valve ratio ⩽1.5 suggests a high probability of biventricular repair, whereas a right:left ventricular end-diastolic dimension ratio ⩾2.1 confers a likelihood of single-ventricle palliation.
Retrospective Non-Uniform Illumination Correction Techniques in Images of Tuberculosis
Authors: Priya Ebenezer , Srinivasan Subramanian , Ramakrishnan Swaminathan
Published: August 2014

Image pre-processing is highly significant in automated analysis of microscopy images. In this work, non-uniform illumination correction has been attempted using the surface fitting method (SFM), multiple regression method (MRM), and bidirectional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) in digital microscopy images of tuberculosis (TB). The sputum smear positive and negative images recorded under a standard image acquisition protocol were subjected to illumination correction techniques and evaluated by error and statistical measures. Results show that SFM performs more efficiently than MRM or BEMD. The SFM produced sharp images of TB bacilli with better contrast. To further validate the results, multifractal analysis was performed that showed distinct variation before and after implementation of illumination correction by SFM. Results demonstrate that after illumination correction, there is a 26% increase in the number of bacilli, which aids in classification of the TB images into positive and negative, as TB positivity depends on the count of bacilli.
The impact of Universal Health Coverage on health care consumption and risky behaviours: evidence from Thailand
Authors: Ghislandi Simone , Manachotphong Wanwiphang , Perego Viviana M.E.
Published: August 2014

Thailand is among the first non-OECD countries to have introduced a form of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This policy represents a natural experiment to evaluate the effects of public health insurance on health behaviours. In this paper, we examine the impact of Thailand’s UHC programme on preventive activities, unhealthy or risky behaviours and health care consumption using data from the Thai Health and Welfare Survey. We use doubly robust estimators that combine propensity scores and linear regressions to estimate differences-in-differences (DD) and differences-in-DD models. Our results offer important insights. First, UHC increases individuals’ likelihood of having an annual check-up, especially among women. Regarding health care consumption, we observe that UHC increases hospital admissions by over 2% and increases outpatient visits by 13%. However, there is no evidence that UHC leads to an increase in unhealthy behaviours or a reduction of preventive efforts. In other words, we find no evidence ofex antemoral hazard. Overall, these findings suggest positive health impacts among the Thai population covered by UHC.
Implizites Lernen und LRS: Spielen Defizite im impliziten Lernen eine Rolle bei der Entstehung von Schwierigkeiten im Lesen und Rechtschreiben?
Authors: Ise Elena , Schulte-Körne Gerd
Published: August 2014

Zusammenfassung:Zirka fünf Prozent aller Kinder und Jugendlichen in Deutschland leiden an einer Lese-Rechtschreibstörung (LRS). Bisher ist kaum bekannt, auf welche Art und Weise das Lesen- und Schreibenlernen bei Kindern mit einer LRS beeinträchtigt ist. Studien zeigen, dass der Erwerb der Schriftsprache nicht nur explizit durch Unterrichtung stattfindet, sondern auch implizit (unbewusst) durch häufigen Kontakt mit geschriebenen Wörtern. D. h. Kinder lernen implizit, welche Buchstabenkombinationen häufig vorkommen und wie oft und unter welchen Bedingungen Laute und Buchstaben miteinander assoziiert sind. Möglicherweise können Schwierigkeiten im Lesen und Rechtschreiben dadurch erklärt werden, dass diese impliziten Lernprozesse beeinträchtigt sind. In aktuellen Studien wurden daher anhand von Serial Reaction Time (SRT) und Artificial Grammar Learning (AGL) Aufgaben implizite Lernprozesse bei Kindern und Erwachsenen mit einer LRS untersucht. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Ergebnisse dieser Studien systematisch zusammengefasst und kritisch diskutiert. Die Mehrzahl der Studien weist darauf hin, dass Kinder mit einer LRS sowohl im impliziten Lernen von Reihenfolgen (gemessen mit SRT-Aufgaben) als auch im impliziten Lernen von Regeln und Fragmenthäufigkeiten (gemessen mit AGL-Aufgaben) beeinträchtigt sind. Implikationen für die Praxis werden vorgestellt.
Rechenschwach oder nicht rechenschwach?
Authors: Moser Opitz Elisabeth , Ramseier Erich
Published: August 2014

Zusammenfassung: Trotz verstärkten Forschungsaktivitäten bezogen auf das Thema Rechenschwäche bleiben bezüglich deren Diagnose viele Fragen offen. Diagnoseinstrumente liegen im deutschsprachigen Raum fast ausschließlich für den Grundschulbereich vor, und es fehlen Tests, die sich zum Einsatz bei älteren Lernenden eignen. Zudem werden die auf der ICD-10 bzw. der DSM-IV basierenden Diagnose- und Klassifikationskriterien und das Diskrepanzmodell kritisch diskutiert. Diese Auseinandersetzung wird im Artikel dargestellt. Davon ausgehend wird auf die Bedeutung der verwendeten Instrumente und deren Validität – insbesondere deren Inhaltsvalidität – verwiesen, und es wird herausgearbeitet, welche empirischen Ergebnisse als Grundlage für die Auswahl von Testinhalten und Aufgaben dienen können. Einige ausgewählte Rechenschwäche-Tests werden hinsichtlich ihrer Begründung der Validität untersucht. Anschließend wird anhand von Daten aus Basisdiagnostik Mathematik für die Klassen 4 – 8 aufgezeigt, dass die Verwendung von unterschiedlich effektiven Rechenstrategien bei einfachen Kopfrechenaufgaben (z. B. Abrufen von Ergebnissen versus Abzählen/schriftliches Rechnen) als eigenständiges Diagnosekriterium sinnvoll ist und bei der Testkonstruktion vermehrt berücksichtigt werden müsste. Weiter wird dargestellt, dass die Bestimmung der Kriteriumsvalidität auf der Basis von Noten und Leistungseinschätzungen der Lehrperson fragwürdig ist und dass im Sinne einer integralen Validierung möglichst viele weitere Aspekte wie Intelligenz und Strategieverwendung einbezogen und insbesondere die inhaltlich-theoretische Begründung der ausgewählten Testaufgaben als Basis der Validität genutzt werden müssen.
Differentielle Entwicklung arithmetischer Fähigkeiten nach der Grundschule: Manche Schere öffnet und schließt sich wieder
Authors: Huber Stefan , Moeller Korbinian , Nuerk Hans-Christoph
Published: August 2014

Zusammenfassung: Nach der Grundschule differenziert das deutsche Schulsystem zwischen unterschiedlichen Schulformen (Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium oder Gesamtschule). Verschiedene Studien belegen, dass sich der Lernfortschritt zwischen den Schulformen der Sekundarstufe unterscheidet. Die Leistungsunterschiede zwischen den Schulformen scheinen dabei immer größer zu werden (Schereneffekt), jedoch ist die Befundlage dazu nicht immer einheitlich. Speziell für die mathematischen Kompetenzen gibt es divergierende Ergebnisse.In der vorliegenden Studie wurde einer möglichen Ursache der inkonsistenten Ergebnisse bisheriger Studien nachgegangen indem inhaltliche Unterschiede zwischen den verwendeten Aufgaben vermieden wurden. Dazu wurden von 415 SchülerInnen der 5. und 6. Klasse an Haupt- und Realschulen deren arithmetische Basiskompetenzen in den vier Grundrechenarten erhoben. Die Ergebnisse zeigen zum einen konsistent, dass Realschüler in den Aufgaben besser abschnitten als Hauptschüler. Jedoch ergaben sich differentielle Ergebnisse hinsichtlich der Leistungsentwicklung an den beiden Schulformen abhängig von der jeweiligen Grundrechenart. Während für Additionsaufgaben sogar eine Verringerung des Leistungsunterschiedes zwischen Haupt- und Realschule von der 5. zur 6. Klasse beobachtet werden konnte, wurde nur für schwierige Divisionen eine Vergrößerung des Leistungsunterschieds beobachtet. Wir schließen daraus, dass die zur Untersuchung differentieller Leistungsentwicklung an verschiedenen Schulformen verwendeten Aufgaben einen bedeutsamen Einfluss auf die beobachteten Ergebnisse haben können und damit eine mögliche Erklärung für die bisher inkonsistenten Ergebnisse sein könnten. Es wird angeregt die eingesetzten Aufgaben in zukünftigen Studien besser zu kontrollieren.
Neurokognitive Grundlagen der typischen und atypischen Zahlenverarbeitung
Authors: Vogel Stephan E. , Ansari Daniel
Published: August 2014

Zusammenfassung: Numerische Kenntnisse bilden ein wichtiges Fundament für die schulische und berufliche Entwicklung. Viele Kinder leiden jedoch unter großen Schwierigkeiten beim Erlernen numerischer Kompetenzen und werden oft mit einer «entwicklungsbedingten Dyskalkulie» diagnostiziert. Eine wachsende Anzahl von Studien mit Hilfe bildgebender Verfahren zeigt nun, dass spezifische Regionen im Gehirn von Kindern mit Dyskalkulie einen atypischen Entwicklungsverlauf beim Erlernen basisnumerischer Kompetenzen – wie dem Vergleichen numerischer Mengen – aufweisen. Diese Studien deuten somit auf eine domänenspezifische Ursache der Rechenschwäche hin. In der vorliegenden Übersichtsarbeit möchten wir die Befunde zur typischen und atypischen Gehirnentwicklung der Zahlenverarbeitung von einer neurowissenschaftlichen Perspektive diskutieren. Weiters werden wichtige Implikationen für Diagnostik und Intervention besprochen.
Lipophilic Statin Use and Suicidal Ideation in a Sample of Adults With Mood Disorders
Authors: Davison Karen M. , Kaplan Bonnie J.
Published: August 2014

Background: Mood disorders are associated with a high risk of suicide. Statin therapy has been implicated in this relationship. Aims: To further clarify reported associations between suicide and cholesterol in mental health conditions, we conducted an analysis of dietary, clinical, and suicidal ideation measures in community-living adults with mood disorders. Method: Data were used from a cross-sectional study of a randomly selected community-based sample (> 18 years; n = 97) with verified mood disorders. Dietary (e.g., fat, iron, vitamin intakes), clinical (e.g., current depression and mania symptoms, medications), and sociodemographic (age, sex, and income) measures were analyzed using bivariate statistics and Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: Participants were predominantly female (71.1%) with bipolar disorder (59.8%); almost one-third (28.9%) were taking lipophilic statins. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was more than 2.5 times in those taking statins, PR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.27–5.31, p < .05. The prevalence ratio for suicidal ideation was 1.10, 95% CI 1.06–1.15, p < .001, for each unit increase in mania symptom scores. No associations between suicidal ideation and dietary intake measures were identified. Conclusion: Individuals with mood disorders may be susceptible to neuropsychiatric effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs, which warrants further research.
History of Suicide Attempts in Adults With Asperger Syndrome
Authors: Paquette-Smith Melissa , Weiss Jonathan , Lunsky Yona
Published: August 2014

Background: Individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) may be at higher risk for attempting suicide compared to the general population. Aims: This study examines the issue of suicidality in adults with AS. Method: An online survey was completed by 50 adults from across Ontario. The sample was dichotomized into individuals who had attempted suicide (n = 18) and those who had not (n = 32). We examined the relationship between predictor variables and previous attempts, and compared the services that both groups are currently receiving. Results: Over 35% of individuals with AS reported that they had attempted suicide in the past. Individuals who attempted suicide were more likely to have a history of depression and self-reported more severe autism symptomatology. Those with and without a suicidal history did not differ in terms of the services they were currently receiving. This study looks at predictors retrospectively and cannot ascertain how long ago the attempt was made. Although efforts were made to obtain a representative sample, there is the possibility that the individuals surveyed may be more or less distressed than the general population with AS. Conclusion: The suicide attempt rate in our sample is much higher than the 4.6% lifetime prevalence seen in the general population. These findings highlight a need for more specialized services to help prevent future attempts and to support this vulnerable group.
Suicide Ideation and Attempts and Bullying in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Dickerson Mayes Susan , Baweja Raman , Calhoun Susan L. , Syed Ehsan , Mahr Fauzia , Siddiqui Farhat
Published: August 2014

Background: Studies of the relationship between bullying and suicide behavior yield mixed results. Aims: This is the first study comparing frequencies of suicide behavior in four bullying groups (bully, victim, bully/victim, and neither) in two large psychiatric and community samples of young children and adolescents. Method: Maternal ratings of bullying and suicide ideation and attempts were analyzed for 1,291 children with psychiatric disorders and 658 children in the general population 6–18 years old. Results: For both the psychiatric and community samples, suicide ideation and attempt scores for bully/victims were significantly higher than for victims only and for neither bullies nor victims. Differences between victims only and neither victims nor bullies were nonsignificant. Controlling for sadness and conduct problems, suicide behavior did not differ between the four bullying groups. All children with suicide attempts had a comorbid psychiatric disorder, as did all but two children with suicide ideation. Conclusion: Although the contribution of bullying per se to suicide behavior independent of sadness and conduct problems is small, bullying has obvious negative psychological consequences that make intervention imperative. Interventions need to focus on the psychopathology associated with being a victim and/or perpetrator of bullying in order to reduce suicide behavior.
Fair and unfair punishers coexist in the Ultimatum Game
Authors: Brañas-Garza Pablo , Espín Antonio M. , Exadaktylos Filippos , Herrmann Benedikt
Published: August 2014

In the Ultimatum Game, a proposer suggests how to split a sum of money with a responder. If the responder rejects the proposal, both players get nothing. Rejection of unfair offers is regarded as a form of punishment implemented by fair-minded individuals, who are willing to impose the cooperation norm at a personal cost. However, recent research using other experimental frameworks has observed non-negligible levels of antisocial punishment by competitive, spiteful individuals, which can eventually undermine cooperation. Using two large-scale experiments, this note explores the nature of Ultimatum Game punishers by analyzing their behavior in a Dictator Game. In both studies, the coexistence of two entirely different sub-populations is confirmed: prosocial punishers on the one hand, who behave fairly as dictators and spiteful (antisocial) punishers on the other, who are totally unfair. The finding has important implications regarding the evolution of cooperation and the behavioral underpinnings of stable social systems.
The newt reprograms mature RPE cells into a unique multipotent state for retinal regeneration
Authors: Islam Md. Rafiqul , Nakamura Kenta , Casco-Robles Martin Miguel , Kunahong Ailidana , Inami Wataru , Toyama Fubito , Maruo Fumiaki , Chiba Chikafumi
Published: August 2014

The reprogramming of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in the adult newt immediately after retinal injury is an area of active research for the study of retinal disorders and regeneration. We demonstrate here that unlike embryonic/larval retinal regeneration, adult newt RPE cells are not directly reprogrammed into retinal stem/progenitor cells; instead, they are programmed into a unique state of multipotency that is similar to the early optic vesicle (embryo) but preserves certain adult characteristics. These cells then differentiate into two populations from which the prospective-neural retina and -RPE layers are formed with the correct polarity. Furthermore, our findings provide insight into the similarity between these unique multipotent cells in newts and those implicated in retinal disorders, such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy, in humans. These findings provide a foundation for biomedical approaches that aim to induce retinal self-regeneration for the treatment of RPE-mediated retinal disorders.
Identification and characterization of stress degradation products of piperine and profiling of a black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) extract using LC/Q-TOF-dual ESI-MS
Authors: Chandra Bose. Kotte Subhash , Dubey P. K. , Murali P. M.
Published: August 2014

A rapid, specific and reliable HPLC combined with quadrupole time-of-flight dual electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the identification and characterization of stressed degradation (oxidation and hydrolysis) products of piperine.
A hierarchical Ni–Co–O@Ni–Co–S nanoarray as an advanced oxygen evolution reaction electrode
Authors: Xu Wenwen , Lu Zhiyi , Lei Xiaodong , Li Yaping , Sun Xiaoming
Published: August 2014

Hierarchical Ni–Co–O@Ni–Co–S nanoarrays are developed by a facile approach and show excellent performance for water oxidation.
Mechanistic insights into the Nb2O5 and niobium phosphate catalyzed in situ condensation of a fluorescent halochromic assembly
Authors: Impellizzeri Stefania , Simoncelli Sabrina , Fasciani Chiara , Luisa Marin M. , Hallett-Tapley Geniece L. , Hodgson Gregory K. , Scaiano Juan C.
Published: August 2014

Solid niobium oxides (Nb2O5·nH2O) and niobium phosphate were used as heterogeneous acid catalysts to promote the condensation between a switchable oxazine and a fluorescent coumarin in aprotic solvents.
Iron(iii) complexes of multidentate pyridinyl ligands: synthesis, characterization and catalysis of the direct hydroxylation of benzene
Authors: Xu Beibei , Zhong Wei , Wei Zhenhong , Wang Hailong , Liu Jian , Wu Li , Feng Yonggang , Liu Xiaoming
Published: August 2014

Correlation between the electrochemistry and catalytic performance of multidentate pyridinyl iron complexes in the hydroxylation of benzene suggests that more electron-donating ligands are beneficial for catalysis.
Stepwise cyclopalladation of 2-phenacylthiopyridine to give C,C,N-pincer complexes
Authors: Chicote María-Teresa , Rubio Concepción , Bautista Delia , Vicente José
Published: August 2014

The synthesis of a family of palladium C,C,N-pincer complexes derived from 2-phenacylthiopyridine, obtained by an unprecedented stepwise double cyclopalladation process, is reported. The pincer moiety behaves as a metallaligand.
Synthesis and dynamic behaviour of zwitterionic [M(η6-C6H5-BPh3)(coe)2] (M = Rh, Ir) cyclooctene complexes
Authors: Pérez-Torrente Jesús J. , Angoy Marta , Gómez-Bautista Daniel , Palacios Adrián , Jiménez M. Victoria , Modrego F. Javier , Castarlenas Ricardo , Lahoz Fernando J. , Oro Luis A.
Published: August 2014

Hindered rotation about the metal–cyclooctene bond in bis-cyclooctene zwitterionic complexes results in an unusual equilibrium between two rotational isomers.
Au@TiO2 double-shelled octahedral nanocages with improved catalytic properties
Authors: Lv Xiaoming , Zhu Yihua , Jiang Hongliang , Zhong Hua , Yang Xiaoling , Li Chunzhong
Published: August 2014

The gold@titanium dioxide octahedral nanocages (Au@TiO2) with a well-defined double-shelled structure with Au as the internal shell and TiO2 as the external shell exhibit excellent and stable activity for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol.
NiCo2O4 nanostructure materials: morphology control and electrochemical energy storage
Authors: Zhang Deyang , Yan Hailong , Lu Yang , Qiu Kangwen , Wang Chunlei , Zhang Yihe , Liu Xianming , Luo Jingshan , Luo Yongsong
Published: August 2014

Three types of NiCo2O4 nanostructure, homogeneous NiCo2O4 nanoneedle arrays, heterogeneous NiCo2O4 nanoflake arrays and NiCo2O4 nanoneedle-assembled sisal-like microspheres, are synthesized. The NiCo2O4 nanoneedle arrays are evaluated as supercapacitor electrodes and demonstrate excellent electrochemical performances.
Reply to the ‘comment on “$ per W metrics for thermoelectric power generation: beyond ZT”’ by G. Nunes, Jr, Energy Environ. Sci., 2014, 7, DOI: 10.1039/C3EE43700K
Authors: Yee Shannon K. , LeBlanc Saniya , Goodson Kenneth E. , Dames Chris
Published: August 2014

The comment by Nunes suggests a welcome refinement to an approximation made in the original paper.