bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Allograft Reconstruction for the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Tumors of the Upper Extremity
Authors: Aponte-Tinao Luis A. , Ayerza Miguel A. , Muscolo D. Luis , Farfalli German L.
Published: February 2013

In comparison with the lower extremity, there is relatively paucity literature reporting survival and clinical results of allograft reconstructions after excision of a bone tumor of the upper extremity. We analyze the survival of allograft reconstructions in the upper extremity and analyze the final functional score according to anatomical site and type of reconstruction. A consecutive series of 70 allograft reconstruction in the upper limb with a mean followup of 5 years was analyzed, 38 osteoarticular allografts, 24 allograft-prosthetic composites, and 8 intercalary allografts. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the allografts was performed, with implant revision for any cause and amputation used as the end points. The function evaluation was performed using MSTS functional score. Sixteen patients (23%) had revision surgery for 5 factures, 2 infections, 5 allograft resorptions, and 2 local recurrences. Allograft survival at five years was 79% and 69% at ten years. In the group of patients treated with an osteoarticular allograft the articular surface survival was 90% at five years and 54% at ten years. The limb salvage rate was 98% at five and 10 years. We conclude that articular deterioration and fracture were the most frequent mode of failure in proximal humeral osteoarticular reconstructions and allograft resorption in elbow reconstructions. The best functional score was observed in the intercalary humeral allograft.
Cerebral Vasospasm with Ischemia following a Spontaneous Spinal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Shakur Sophia F. , Farhat Hamad I.
Published: February 2013

Cerebral vasospasm is a well-known consequence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) triggered by blood breakdown products. Here, we present the first case of cerebral vasospasm with ischemia following a spontaneous spinal SAH. A 67-year-old woman, who was on Coumadin for atrial fibrillation, presented with chest pain radiating to the back accompanied by headache and leg paresthesias. The international normalized ratio (INR) was 4.5. Ten hours after presentation, she developed loss of movement in both legs and lack of sensation below the umbilicus. Spine MRI showed intradural hemorrhage. Her coagulopathy was reversed, and she underwent T2 to T12 laminectomies. A large subarachnoid hematoma was evacuated. Given her complaint of headache preoperatively and the intraoperative finding of spinal SAH, a head CT was done postoperatively that displayed SAH in peripheral sulci. On postoperative day 5, she became obtunded. Brain MRI demonstrated focal restricted diffusion in the left frontoparietal area. Formal angiography revealed vasospasm in anterior cerebral arteries bilaterally and right middle cerebral artery. Vasospasm was treated, and she returned to baseline within 48 hours. Spontaneous spinal SAH can result in the same sequelae typically associated with aneurysmal SAH, and the clinician must have a degree of suspicion in such patients. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cerebral vasospasm may explain this unique case.
mTORC1 Inhibitors Suppress Meningioma Growth in Mouse Models
Authors: Pachow Doreen , Andrae Nadine , Kliese Nadine , Angenstein Frank , Stork Oliver , Wilisch-Neumann Annette , Kirches Elmar , Mawrin Christian
Published: February 2013

Purpose: To evaluate the mTORC1 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1) pathway in meningiomas and to explore mTORC1 as a therapeutic target in meningioma cell lines and mouse models.

Experimental Design: Tissue microarrays (53 meningiomas of all WHO grades) were stained for phosphorylated polypeptides of mTOR, Akt, and the mTORC1 targets 4EBP1 and p70S6K, the latter being the consensus marker for mTORC1 activity. Expression of proteins and mRNAs was assessed by Western blotting and real-time PCR in 25 tumors. Cell lines Ben-Men-1 (benign), IOMM-Lee and KT21 (malignant), and pairs of merlin-positive or -negative meningioma cells were used to assess sensitivity toward mTORC1 inhibitors in methyl-tetrazolium and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) assays. The effect of temsirolimus (20 mg/kg daily) on tumor weight or MRI-estimated tumor volume was tested by treatment of eight nude mice (vs. 7 controls) carrying subcutaneous IOMM-Lee xenografts, or of eight (5) mice xenotransplanted intracranially with IOMM-Lee (KT21) cells in comparison to eight (5) untreated controls.

Results: All components of the mTORC1 pathway were expressed and activated in meningiomas, independent of their WHO grade. A significant dosage-dependent growth inhibition by temsirolimus and everolimus was observed in all cell lines. It was slightly diminished by merlin loss. In the orthotopic and subcutaneous xenograft models, temsirolimus treatment resulted in about 70% growth reduction of tumors (P < 0.01), which was paralleled by reduction of Ki67 mitotic index (P < 0.05) and reduction of mTORC1 activity (p70S6K phosphorylation) within the tumors.

Conclusion: mTORC1 inhibitors suppress meningioma growth in mouse models, although the present study did not measure survival. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1180–9. ©2012 AACR.
Characteristics of abdominal vein thrombosis in children and adults
Authors: Landi Daniel , Beckman Michele G. , Shah Nirmish R. , Bockenstedt Paula , Grant Althea M. , Heit John A. , Key Nigel S. , Kulkarni Roshni , Manco-Johnson Marilyn , Moll Stephan , Philipp Claire S. , Andersen Judith C. , Ortel Thomas L.
Published: February 2013

The demographic and clinical characteristics of adults and children with lower extremity deep-vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism (LE DVT/PE) may differ from those with abdominal vein thrombosis (abdominal VT). Abdominal VT can be a presenting sign of an underlying prothrombotic state, and its presence in the setting of known disease might have prognostic implications different from LE DVT/PE. This study describes clinical presentations of abdominal VT compared to LE DVT/PE in adults and children. We analysed prospec-tively-collected data from consecutive consenting patients enrolled in one of seven Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network Centers from August 2003 to April 2011 to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of adults and children with abdominal VT. Both adults and children with abdominal VT tended to be younger and have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those with LE DVT/PE. Of patients with abdominal V T, children were more likely to have inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis than adults. For adults with venous thromboembolism (VTE), relatively more women had abdominal VT than LE DVT/PE, while the proportions with LE DVT/PE and abdominal VT by sex were similar in children. Children with abdominal VT were more likely to have diagnosed inherited thrombophilia, while trauma was more common in children with LE DVT/PE. In conclusion, both children and adults with abdominal VT were younger with a lower BMI than those with LE DVT/ PE. Significant differences exist between children and adults in respect to abdominal VT compared to LE DVT/PE.

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Genetics of Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Fahed Akl C. , Gelb Bruce D. , Seidman J. G. , Seidman Christine E.
Published: February 2013

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly in newborn babies. Cardiac malformations have been produced in multiple experimental animal models, by perturbing selected molecules that function in the developmental pathways involved in myocyte specification, differentiation, or cardiac morphogenesis. In contrast, the precise genetic, epigenetic, or environmental basis for these perturbations in humans remains poorly understood. Over the past few decades, researchers have tried to bridge this knowledge gap through conventional genome-wide analyses of rare Mendelian CHD families, and by sequencing candidate genes in CHD cohorts. Although yielding few, usually highly penetrant, disease gene mutations, these discoveries provided 3 notable insights. First, human CHD mutations impact a heterogeneous set of molecules that orchestrate cardiac development. Second, CHD mutations often alter gene/protein dosage. Third, identical pathogenic CHD mutations cause a variety of distinct malformations, implying that higher order interactions account for particular CHD phenotypes. The advent of contemporary genomic technologies including single nucleotide polymorphism arrays, next-generation sequencing, and copy number variant platforms are accelerating the discovery of genetic causes of CHD. Importantly, these approaches enable study of sporadic cases, the most common presentation of CHD. Emerging results from ongoing genomic efforts have validated earlier observations learned from the monogenic CHD families. In this review, we explore how continued use of these technologies and integration of systems biology is expected to expand our understanding of the genetic architecture of CHD.
Time Trends in Patient Characteristics Treated on Acute Stroke-Units
Authors: Teuschl Yvonne , Brainin Michael , Matz Karl , Dachenhausen Alexandra , Ferrari Julia , Seyfang Leonhard , Lang Wilfried ,   for the Austrian Stroke Unit Registry Collaborators
Published: February 2013

Background and Purpose—

Demographic changes, increased awareness of vascular risk factors, better diagnostic, progress in medical care, and increasing primary stroke prevention influence the profile of patients admitted to stroke-units. Changes in patient population and stroke type have important consequences on outcome and management at stroke-units.

Methods—

Data from the national database of the Austrian
Stroke
Unit Registry were analyzed for time-trends in demography, risk factors, cause, and stroke severity.

Results—

Data of 48 038 ischemic and 5088 hemorrhagic strokes were analyzed. Between 2003 and 2011, median age increased significantly for ischemic strokes from 68 to 71 years in men and from 76 to 78 years in women, respectively. Ischemic stroke patients showed significantly increased rates of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and atrial fibrillation. In hemorrhagic strokes an increase for hypercholesterolemia and cardiac diseases other than atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction were only found in men. A small but significant decrease in stroke severity was found for ischemic strokes from 4 to 3 points on the National Institutes of Health
Stroke
Scale in men and from 5 to 4 in women, and for hemorrhagic strokes from 9 to 6 points in men and from 9 to 7 in women. Cardioembolic strokes increased slightly, whereas macroangiopathy decreased.

Conclusions—

Significant time trends were seen for characteristics of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients admitted to acute stroke-units in Austria. These include trends for older age and toward milder strokes with more cardioembolic causes. This signals a need for increased resources for managing multimorbidity and enabling early mobilization.
Introduction to David Kareyan's “Pure Creativity” and
Hratch Armenakyan's “Post-Art Situation: Logical
Syntax”
Authors: Harutyunyan Angela
Published: February 2013

The two texts presented here were written by members of conceptual artists' group ACT operating in Armenia in 1994–1996. The group developed affirmative artistic actions and exhibitions to support the constitution of the new state based on the principles of liberal democracy and market capitalism. Its conceptual interventions and actions, both in conventional spaces of exhibition, but also on the street and in the already dysfunctional factories, were often formally minimal and austere, but almost always prescriptive in terms of offering a model of political and aesthetic participation.
Retard Six Hours
Authors: Zamojski Honza
Published: February 2013

“Transatlantic”—interdisciplinary project by two emerging Polish artists Radek Szlaga and Honza Zamojski presented in the FOCUS section at Frieze Art Fair New York from 4–7 May 2012 by LETO Gallery. First issue of the newspaper “One Hour Retard” was presented during the fairs.
Stuck in the Middle: How to Review Dubai Art Month 2012
Authors: Muller Nat
Published: February 2013

This article examines the cultural, economic and political context of the Art Dubai art fair and its symposium the Global Art Forum, as well as the commercial, educational and curatorial role of the recent flourishing of galleries in Dubai. It unpacks the complex connections that exist in the MENA region between art as a critical practice, and art a marker of modernity and a commodity of hyper-capitalist consumption. The article evaluates the consequences of importing internationalist and activist art discourses to a conservative and absolutist monarchies in the Gulf with curtailed freedom of speech and of expression.
Corticostriatal Contributions to Musical Expectancy Perception
Authors: Seger Carol A. , Spiering Brian J. , Sares Anastasia G. , Quraini Sarah I. , Alpeter Catherine , David James , Thaut Michael H.
Published: February 2013

This study investigates the functional neuroanatomy of harmonic music perception with fMRI. We presented short pieces of Western classical music to nonmusicians. The ending of each piece was systematically manipulated in the following four ways: Standard Cadence (expected resolution), Deceptive Cadence (moderate deviation from expectation), Modulated Cadence (strong deviation from expectation but remaining within the harmonic structure of Western tonal music), and Atonal Cadence (strongest deviation from expectation by leaving the harmonic structure of Western tonal music). Music compared with baseline broadly recruited regions of the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Parametric regressors scaled to the degree of deviation from harmonic expectancy identified regions sensitive to expectancy violation. Areas within the BG were significantly modulated by expectancy violation, indicating a previously unappreciated role in harmonic processing. Expectancy violation also recruited bilateral cortical regions in the IFG and anterior STG, previously associated with syntactic processing in other domains. The posterior STG was not significantly modulated by expectancy. Granger causality mapping found functional connectivity between IFG, anterior STG, posterior STG, and the BG during music perception. Our results imply the IFG, anterior STG, and the BG are recruited for higher-order harmonic processing, whereas the posterior STG is recruited for basic pitch and melodic processing.
L’infinité divine chez Grégoire de Nysse : de l’anthropologie à la polémique trinitaire
Authors: Sferlea Ovidiu
Published: February 2013

Abstract

In this article, I propose to call into question the opinion according to which the Contra Eunomium was a founding moment for the idea of God’s infinity in Gregory of Nyssa. I take into account two writings whose evidence on this subject was often neglected by most scholars of Gregory: De hominis opificio and De anima et resurrectione. I point out to the fact that virtually all the ideas related to the theme of God’s infinity are already present in these treaties. Instead of considering the Contra Eunomium as a breaking point in the intellectual developement of Gregory, I then suggest one should read it in the light and the continuity of his anthropological treaties.
Individual Differences in Perceived Elevation and Verticality: Evidence of a Common Visual Process
Authors: Shavit Adam Y. , Li Wenxun , Matin Leonard
Published: February 2013

The frontoparallel orientation of a long peripheral line influences two visual norms, elevation, also called the visual perception of eye level (VPEL), and orientation in the frontoparallel plane, called visually perceived vertical (VPV). However, VPEL and VPV are distinct in that different integration rules describe the combinatorial effects of two lines symmetrically located on opposite sides of the median plane. Nevertheless, we propose that the same orientation-sensitive process underlies the two discriminations. We measured the two norms while we manipulated visual orientation with 1-line and 2-line stimuli (on opposite sides of the median plane), then modeled the large and significant effect of line orientation on VPEL and VPV settings as linear averages of signals from vision and from non-visual, body-referenced, vestibular and proprioceptive mechanisms. Significant correlations are evident between observers () in the effect of visual orientation on both VPEL and VPV, and in the baseline measures (dark value, intercept) on both norms. The latter egocentric bias is further discussed in the context of the operation of the body-referenced mechanism across different egocentric discriminations for an individual subject. Given the evidence for different integration rules, the pattern of individual co-variation implies the existence of a single, shared visual orientation process that feeds to separate integration processes.
Revision of the genus Coletinia (Zygentoma: Nicoletiidae) in the Iberian Peninsula, with descriptions of nine new species
Authors: MOLERO RAFAEL , BACH CARMEN , SENDRA ALBERTO , MONTAGUD SERGIO , BARRANCO PABLO , GAJU MIGUEL
Published: February 2013

The discovery of several members of the genus Coletinia Wygodzinsky, 1980, from subterranean habitats (endogean and troglobiont), prompted the review of this genus in the Iberian Peninsula. Most of the samples came from caves of the Mediterranean basin of Spain, from Cádiz to the Tarragona province. As a result of this revision, nine new species have been established: C. herculea n. sp., an endogean from Cádiz; C. vergitana n. sp. from the Gádor calcareous mountains in Almería; C. calaforrai n. sp. from the gypsum karst in Almería; C. intermedia n. sp. from caves in Murcia and Alicante; C. diania n. sp., found in the north of the province of Alicante; C. longitibia n. sp. and C. tessella n. sp., both troglobites from Valencia; C. redetecta n. sp. from Castellón caves and finally C. hernandoi n. sp., an endogean from Tarragona. Moreover, Coletinia maggii (Grassi, 1887) is reported for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula, and new data are presented regarding C. mendesi, C. tinautiand C. capolongoi that widen their geographic distribution and enhance the information about their anatomic characteristics and biology. These results increase the number of known species of this genus to 14 in the region and to 21 in the world. The new species are described and compared with the most closely related previously known species of the genus. Characters with the most taxonomic relevance are discussed using optical and scanning microscope studies. A key for the identification of the Iberian Coletinia species and a distribution map including all of them are also provided.
Doors, Floors, Ladders, and Nets
Authors: Bertram Eva
Published: February 2013

Policy decisions during and after the New Deal tied the U.S. social contract to the employment contract, by conditioning eligibility and benefit levels for core welfare-state programs on work status and performance. The resulting system of social provision, however, embodied a set of assumptions about labor-market conditions that began to unravel with the structural economic shifts that began in the mid-1970s. Work was expected to provide open doors to employment, stable floors of security and stability over time, income ladders promising adequate and rising earnings, and safety nets providing public and/or private protections against unforeseen or unavoidable hardships. Each of these assumptions was undermined by fundamental changes in the market, and this, in turn, has redefined patterns of social provision. As a result, core welfare-state programs have become less effective at meeting their own objectives of providing adequate social protections for rising numbers of working Americans. These trends preceded the recent recession and weak recovery, and cannot be reversed by the return of robust growth or pre-recession employment levels, in the absence of more fundamental change in the social contract. The roots of the current dilemma lie in the 1930s-40s, when politically mobilized employers fought alongside conservative policymakers to constrain the scope of the original system of social protections during and after the New Deal. In recent decades, they have battled to keep even this limited system from reaching those it was intended to assist, by blocking or limiting reform initiatives in areas such as employment policy, the minimum wage, health and pension insurance and modernization of the unemployment compensation system.
Community Organizations in the Foreclosure Crisis
Authors: McQuarrie Michael
Published: February 2013

This paper looks at the prehistory of the foreclosure crisis in Cleveland, Ohio, in order to understand the effectiveness of civil society organizations in mitigating its impact on the city’s neighborhoods. Social theorists and movement activists have often postulated civil society as an authentic and voluntaristic realm in which we constitute and act on shared values. The voluntary nature of civil society organizations also, it is argued, make them more responsive, adaptable, and effective in meeting the needs of the communities they operate in. The question is whether or not this has held true in the contemporary crisis. I find that in the 1970s, Cleveland’s community-based organizations were instrumental in securing resources from government and private philanthropies to deal with the urban crisis. The unintended result of this success was a general rationalization of Cleveland’s civil society around narrow practices and market-based conceptions of value. In the process, civil society was transformed into a political technology that solved various dilemmas of rule, but at the same time it was transformed into a civic monoculture that made the city especially vulnerable to foreclosure. A key implication of this analysis is that civil society has been transformed into an object and stake of urban politics and, as a result, it should not be expected to protect society against neoliberal institutional transformations.
Conversations With God
Authors: Rodriguez Valerie J. , Glover-Graf Noreen M. , Blanco E. Lisette
Published: February 2013

The role of religiosity and spirituality in the process of adjustment to disability is of increasing interest to rehabilitation professionals. Beginning with the Kubler-Ross models of grief and adjustment to disability and terminal illness, a number of stage models have included spiritual and religious interactions as a part of the adjustment process. These models, and even more recent models, point to a stage of bargaining with God for improvement or a cure through contingent prayerful interactions. However, little empirical evidence exists to support this stage as a part of adjustment to disability. Eighty-one current and previous consumers of state–federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) services in a southwestern state participated in an online survey to examine prayer content and explore the extent of bargaining with God. Research findings revealed that although prayer requests related to disability are frequent, bargaining is not applicable to many individuals with acquired disabilities. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed significant findings relevant to practitioners, researchers, and educators within the field of VR.
Translation of UML state machines to Modelica: Handling semantic issues
Authors: Schamai Wladimir , Fritzson Peter , Paredis Chris JJ
Published: February 2013

ModelicaML is a UML profile that enables modeling and simulation of systems and their dynamic behavior. ModelicaML combines the power of the OMG UML standardized graphical notation for systems and software modeling, and the simulation power of Modelica. This addresses the increasing need for precise and integrated modeling of products containing both software and hardware. This article discusses the usage of executable UML state machines for system modeling, i.e. usage of the same formalism for describing the state-based dynamic behavior of physical system components and software. Moreover, it points out that the usage of Modelica as an action language enables an integrated simulation of continuous-time and reactive/event-based system dynamics. The main purpose of this article is however to highlight issues that are identified regarding the UML specification which are experienced with typical executable implementations of UML state machines. The issues identified are resolved and rationales for the taken design decisions are provided.
The African American Student Network
Authors: Grier-Reed Tabitha
Published: February 2013

Informal support networks as opposed to formal mental health counseling may represent a culture-specific, indigenous style of coping for Black college students. Using the African American Student Network (or as students refer to it AFAM), this article comments on the potential of an informal networking group as a culturally sensitive therapeutic intervention. Along with a description of the group process is a discussion of traditional therapeutic factors associated with group work in students’ lived experience of AFAM. The major contention is that even in an informal networking setting, the group process associated with counseling or therapy may occur and generate therapeutic factors. To more fully explore this idea, future development and study of informal networking groups for Black students on predominantly White campuses is recommended. This line of inquiry may have important implications for the development of culturally sensitive mental health practices that better support the psychological health and well-being of Black college students.
Reconsidering Overlap-Based Measures for Quantitative Synthesis of Single-Subject Data
Authors: Carter Mark
Published: February 2013

Overlap-based measures are increasingly applied in the synthesis of single-subject research. This article considers two criticisms of overlap-based metrics, specifically that they do not measure magnitude of effect and do not adequately correspond with visual analysis. It is argued that these criticisms are based on fundamental misconceptions regarding the nature of effect sizes and their appropriate interpretation in single-subject research. Suggestions for considerations in evaluating single-subject research studies are offered, including the need to separately consider experimental control and magnitude of effect.
Closeness Discrepancies in Romantic Relationships: Implications for Relational Well-Being, Stability, and Mental Health
Authors: Frost David M. , Forrester Cat
Published: February 2013

Experiences of closeness in romantic relationships are associated with heightened levels of relational well-being and mental health. However, individuals differ in the degree of closeness they desire in their relationships. This study used the construct of inclusion of other in self (IOS) to analyze discrepancies between individuals’ actual and ideal levels of closeness in their relationships and the implications of these discrepancies for relational well-being and mental health. A longitudinal survey of partnered individuals demonstrated that optimal levels of relational well-being and mental health existed when individuals had minimal discrepancies between actual and ideal IOS, regardless of their actual levels of IOS. Individuals whose actual levels of IOS moved closer to their ideal levels over a 2-year period reported improved relational well-being and mental health. Individuals with little to no discrepancies between actual and ideal IOS were also less likely to break-up with their partners over time.
From the Arab Spring to the Chinese Winter: The institutional sources of authoritarian vulnerability and resilience in Egypt, Tunisia, and China
Authors: Hess Steve
Published: February 2013

Following the collapse of long-lived dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt in early 2011, many analysts have turned their attention to China to identify possible stirrings of revolution. Of course, whereas efforts spiraled into revolutionary outcomes in the Middle East and North Africa, the Chinese Jasmine Revolution stimulated little domestic interest and failed to materialize into a popular movement. Beginning with the cases of Egypt and Tunisia, this article critically examines recent literature identifying the causes of the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions to develop several hypotheses on the sources of regime vulnerability in these countries and considers their applicability in explaining the exceptional resilience of single-party rule in China.
Predicting Final Course Performance From Students’ Written Self-Introductions
Authors: Robinson Rebecca L. , Navea Reanelle , Ickes William
Published: February 2013

Using a sample of 363 participants, we tested whether differences in the use of linguistic categories in written self-introductions at the start of the semester predicted final course performance at the end of the semester. The results supported this possibility: Course performance could indeed be predicted by relative word usage in particular linguistic categories—predominantly by the use of punctuation (commas and quotes), word simplicity, first-person singular pronouns, present tense, details concerning home and social life, and words pertaining to eating, drinking, and sex. Our interpretation of the findings emphasizes the egocentric “narrowed focus” of low-performing students and therefore stands in contrast to a previous interpretation that characterized these students as being “dynamic thinkers.”
Working with communities-of-place: Complexities of empowerment
Authors: Skerratt Sarah , Steiner Artur
Published: February 2013

Recent legislative and other policy-related developments seek to enhance local agenda-setting through empowered communities. However, community development is separated from community empowerment, thus implicitly supporting a more uncritical perspective of empowerment processes. In this article we: (1) focus on communities who do not engage; (2) identify in-community sub-groups and differences as the norm rather than exception; (3) recognise the backwards and forwards motion of community development processes; (4) identify the fluidity of in-community interests and powers; and (5) recognise differences between individual and community-level aspirations. We use evidence from a development project which targets communities that do not engage. Based on interviews with the project manager, project officer, and 155 community members, we conclude that: demoting capacity-building betrays an intrinsic and naïve belief in self-fulfilling processes of community empowerment, rather than acknowledgement of complexities; there is a need, therefore, to remain sceptical in order that analyses are sensitive to complexities of empowerment.
The Association Between Social Disorganization and Rural Violence Is Sensitive to the Measurement of the Dependent Variable
Authors: Kaylen Maria T. , Pridemore William Alex
Published: February 2013

A widely cited study by Osgood and Chambers appeared to extend the generalizability of social disorganization theory to youth violence in rural areas. The results of a very similar study we conducted, however, did not show support for social disorganization, and we concluded that the theory may not be as robust an explanation for rural youth violence as believed. In the current article, we take an important first step in addressing the conflicting findings by examining three likely methodological reasons for the inconsistent results: spatial autocorrelation, sample composition, and measurement of the dependent variable. Multiple tests suggest the first two explanations do not influence the results. Our analyses do indicate, however, that the association between social disorganization and violence in rural areas is sensitive to how the dependent variable is measured. We conclude that scholars should not rely solely on official crime data from rural areas when testing sociological and criminological theories.
At the Coalface
Authors: Winkler Tanja
Published: February 2013

This paper aims to assess who benefits from community–university engagements and if a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology can fulfill its well-known objectives. Reflections on a studio-based project facilitated with residents—from two informal settlements located in Gugulethu, Cape Town—show that under certain circumstances it cannot be assumed that community partners benefit from PAR-led engagements. Findings spotlight some of the limitations of service learning and PAR that warrant identifying recommendations to better equip students for future engagements. Findings also highlight some of the difficulties of working with “gatekeepers” for information and of facilitating partnerships with economically stressed communities.
Genotoxicity potentials of anionic and cationic amino acid-based surfactants
Authors: Kekeç Güzin , Cosgun Sedat
Published: February 2013

To understand the genotoxic consequences of chemical agents, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) as a useful biomarker to be used as an investigation tool for environmental toxicology. In this study, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as a toxic anionic surfactant, and glutamic acid-based cationic bicatanar surfactant (GS) was used as less toxic cationic amino acid-based surfactant. Experimental results show significant correlations between the RAPD profile changes with root growth, mitotic activity and chromosomal aberration test. The inhibitory rates of root growth at 400 ppm of SDS and GS were 85% and 32%, respectively. Mitotic activity results showed a drastic decrease in SDS exposures, whereas there was no significant decrease in GS treatment. Comparison of the chromosomal aberration test results, rates were indicated at 100, 200 and 400 ppm of SDS and GS; 10, 17, 26 (SDS) and 6, 9, 9 (GS) consequently. Also DNA alterations started at 100 and 200 ppm during SDS and GS exposures, respectively. These preliminary findings encourage the utilization of GS as an environmental friendly surfactant detected by these tools in the investigation of genotoxicity potentials of SDS and GS on maize and the other crops.
Heavy metals’ concentration in sediment, shrimp and two fish species from the northwest Persian Gulf
Authors: Monikh Fazel Abdolahpur , Maryamabadi Ammar , Savari Ahmad , Ghanemi Kamal
Published: February 2013

The concentrations of heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)) were measured in hepatopancreas and muscle of a commercial shrimp ( Metapenaeus affinis), in the muscle, liver and gills of two fish species ( Thryssa vitrirostris and Johnius belangerii) and in the sediment samples taken from the mouth of the Arvand river, Meleh estuary and Musa estuary in the northeast Persian Gulf. Concentration of heavy metals varied depending on different tissues, species and sampling sites. Liver of fish and hepatopancreas of shrimp exhibited higher metals’ concentration than the other tissues. Generally, in the mouth of the Arvand river, the highest concentration of metals was found in benthic species; while in the mouth of Musa estuary, the highest level of the metals was found in pelagic fish species. Bioaccumulation factors were observed to follow the order: J. belangerii-liver-Cd > T. vitrirostris-liver-Pb > M. affinis-hepatopancreas-Zn > M. affinis-hepatopancreas-Cu > M. affinis- hepatopancreas-Ni. The analysed heavy metals were found in sediment samples at mean concentration in the sediment quality guideline proposed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Regional Organization for the Protection of The Marine Environment (ROPME), except for Ni concentration in some cases.
Toxicity effect of dichlorvos on loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) assessed by micronucleus test, hepatase activity analysis and comet assay
Authors: Nan Ping , Yan Shuaiguo , Li Li , Chen Jianjun , Du Qiyan , Chang Zhongjie
Published: February 2013

Pesticides and other chemicals at environmental concentrations often have detrimental effects. Many aquatic species are particularly threatened because of their susceptibility and also because water environment are often polluted. This study preliminarily evaluated the toxicity effect of dichlorvos (DDVP) on loach ( Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) using the methods of micronucleus (MN) test, hepatase activity and comet assay. The tested results showed that indeed very little DDVP had strong toxicity effect on loach and its 50% lethal concentration (LC50) at 24 h, 48 h and 96 h was 8.38 μg l−1, 7.168 μg l−1 and 6.411 μg l−1, respectively; The glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic–oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) activity of loach liver decreased; meanwhile, the GPT and GOT activity of loach serum, the MN rate (‰) and three comet parameters of tested fish increased with the increase in the treatment concentration and treatment time of DDVP, and there was significant difference between control group and each treatment group ( p < 0.05). These results suggested that DDVP residues might become toxic chemical contaminant in environment and would threaten aquatic and other organisms.
Evaluation of oxidant–antioxidant status in oral toxicity of fish oil methyl esters and diesel fuel in male rats
Authors: Aksoy Laçine
Published: February 2013

This study was conducted to compare the effects of oral toxicity induced by fish oil biodiesel and diesel fuel. Diesel and fish oil biodiesel were administered by oral gavage to rats. For this purpose, 35 rats were divided into five groups. Sunflower oil of 250 mg kg−1 was administered to the rats in the control group by oral gavage. The rats in the D250 and D500 groups were administered by oral gavage 250 mg kg−1 and 500 mg kg−1 of diesel fuel dissolved in equal amounts of sunflower oil, respectively. The rats in the F250 and F500 groups were administered by oral gavage 250 mg kg−1 and 500 mg kg−1 of fish oil biodiesel dissolved in equal amounts of sunflower oil, respectively. At the end of the study, malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were measured in the whole blood; catalase (CAT) activity level was measured in erythrocytes; and nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3) levels were measured in the serum. It was observed that the whole blood MDA levels of the diesel groups were considerably different from those in the control and fish oil biodiesel groups ( p < 0.001). GSH levels in the control group were observed to be considerably different from those in all other groups ( p < 0.001). Serum NO3 concentrations in the diesel groups were found to be considerably different from those in the control and biodiesel groups. Serum NO2 concentrations in one of the diesel groups were significantly different from those in the control and biodiesel groups ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). The CAT activity of the control group was observed to be different from that in the other groups. According to these results, both fish oil biodiesel and diesel fuel are thought to cause lipid peroxidation. It was observed that fish oil biodiesel does not induce as much oxidative damage as does the diesel fuel. It is suggested that fish oil biodiesel should be preferred as an alternative to the diesel.
Analyzing lead concentration in the sycamore tree species in high- and low-traffic areas of Rasht, Iran
Authors: Hashemi Seyed Armin , Alinejad Farzaneh , FallahChay Mozaffar
Published: February 2013

Important heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are part of the pollutants produced by cars and are spread in the urban environment by traffic flow. In order to study the amount of contamination in the trees along the streets and to determine the traffic parameters that affect the lead content in sycamore leaves in Rasht, four stations on the margins of the city streets were selected for this case study in terms of traffic volume (low or high). Traffic parameters including three high-traffic stations considering daily and monthly traffic volumes and one low-traffic station were selected. First, 32 sycamore bases were randomly chosen at the intervals of 10–15 m from the whole range of tree canopy in order to determine the absorption of lead; and then, 20 g of each sample were tested to determine the amount of lead absorption. The results of this study, on the amount of lead absorption by the sycamore tree species at three high-traffic and one control station, showed that Takhti station had the highest amount of lead absorption (37.19 ppm) compared with other three stations. Therefore, the sycamore tree species can be an appropriate one for the margins of urban streets.
Professional Development Experiences in Co-Teaching
Authors: Pancsofar Nadya , Petroff Jerry G.
Published: February 2013

Co-teaching is a widely implemented instructional strategy that poses unique challenges to teachers and may require targeted training. This study considers the role of pre-service and in-service professional development opportunities regarding co-teaching and teacher confidence, interests, and attitudes regarding co-teaching in a sample of general education and special education teachers. After controlling for key teacher demographics, professional development opportunities around co-teaching were positively associated with each teacher outcome. Teachers with more frequent in-service opportunities in co-teaching were more confident in their co-teaching practice and demonstrated higher levels of interest and more positive attitudes about co-teaching than did those teachers with less frequent in-service opportunities. Pre-service training on co-teaching was also positively associated with teacher confidence.
Medical Outcome of Patients With Dementia in a Free-Standing Psychiatric Hospital
Authors: Manu Peter , Grudnikoff Eugene , Khan Sameer , Kremen Neil J. , Greenwald Blaine S. , Kane John M. , Correll Christoph U.
Published: February 2013

Background:

The hospital outcome of patients with dementia is significantly worse than that of cognitively intact persons of the same age admitted to medical or surgical units but has not been investigated in psychiatric settings.

Aim of study:

To determine the medical outcome of patients with dementia admitted for behavioral disturbance to a free-standing psychiatric hospital.

Methods:

Emergency transfers from the psychiatric setting to a general hospital were used as proxies for medical deteriorations occurring among the 71 patients with dementia (age 78.4 ± 10.4 years; 40.1% males) and 71 age- and gender-matched nondementia control patients. The patients were identified in a cohort of 1000 patients consecutively admitted to a free-standing mental health institution. Logistic regression was used to determine the clinical and laboratory variables independently associated with medical deteriorations.

Results:

A total of 30 patients with dementia and 25 nondementia patients were transferred to a general hospital after an acute medical deterioration (42.3% vs 35.2%, P = .38). Febrile illnesses and falls with head trauma were the most common reasons for transfers in the dementia group, in which they constituted more than half of medical deteriorations, a proportion significantly higher than in the control group ( P = .011). Admission hemoglobin levels were the only independent predictor of medical deterioration in this geriatric sample.

Conclusions:

Although nearly 50% of patients with dementia admitted for behavioral disturbance to a free-standing psychiatric institution required transfer to a general hospital, their rate of medical deteriorations was similar to age-matched nondementia control patients.
Between the vertical and the horizontal
Authors: Simonetti Cristián
Published: February 2013

Archaeology, like most sciences that rely on stratigraphic excavation for studying the past, tends to conceptualize this past as lying deep underneath the ground. Accordingly, chronologies tend to be depicted as a movement from bottom to top, which contrast with sciences that illustrate the passage of time horizontally. By paying attention to the development of the visual language of disciplines that follow stratigraphy, I show how chronologies get entangled with other temporalities, particularly those of writing. Relying on recent ethnographic work with archaeologists, the analysis reveals that excavation emerges as a double vertical movement of downward destruction and upward reconstruction that coincides with a systematic dissociation of time and space that has important effects for the understanding of the formation of sites. I conclude by looking at some of the implications of this dissociation for contemporary theoretical discussions, particularly those that emerged after the phenomenological push to horizontalize the discipline. Challenging this dissociation, I argue that the conceptualization of time in science should be understood as a process that depends on the body and unfolds in movement.
Social-Information-Processing Patterns Mediate the Impact of Preventive Intervention on Adolescent Antisocial Behavior
Authors: Dodge Kenneth A. , Godwin Jennifer ,   The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group
Published: February 2013

In the study reported here, we tested the hypothesis that the Fast Track preventive intervention’s positive impact on antisocial behavior in adolescence is mediated by its impact on social-cognitive processes during elementary school. Fast Track is the largest and longest federally funded preventive intervention trial for children showing aggressive behavior at an early age. Participants were 891 high-risk kindergarten children (69% male, 31% female; 49% ethnic minority, 51% ethnic majority) who were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group by school cluster. Multiyear intervention addressed social-cognitive processes through social-skill training groups, parent groups, classroom curricula, peer coaching, and tutoring. Assigning children to the intervention decreased their mean antisocial-behavior score after Grade 9 by 0.16 standardized units ( p < .01). Structural equation models indicated that 27% of the intervention’s impact on antisocial behavior was mediated by its impact on three social-cognitive processes: reducing hostile-attribution biases, increasing competent response generation to social problems, and devaluing aggression. These findings support a model of antisocial behavioral development mediated by social-cognitive processes, and they guide prevention planners to focus on these processes.
Transient electromechanical cracking of finite piezoelectric bodies
Authors: Wang Baolin
Published: February 2013

This article studies the problem of a finite crack in a finite piezoelectric medium subjected to transient electric and mechanical loads. Unlike past studies that mainly focused on the infinitesimal cracks, the current article considers the effect of the medium boundaries on the transient fracture behavior of piezoelectric materials. A system of singular integral equations is formulated in terms of the crack surface displacement and electric potential. Effects of crack length and medium size on the crack-tip field intensity factors are investigated in detail. Numerical results for the time-dependent stress and electric displacement intensity factors are obtained. Electrically impermeable crack assumption, electrically permeable crack assumption, and notch of finite height are investigated. Some new conclusions are drawn.