bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact analysis of the decline of agricultural land-use on flood risk and material flux in hilly and mountainous watersheds
Authors: Shimizu Y. , Onodera S. , Takahashi H. , Matsumori K.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Agricultural land-use has been reduced by mainly urbanization and devastation in Japan. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the decline of agricultural land-use on flood risk and material flux in hilly and mountainous watersheds using Soil Water Assessment Tool. The results indicated that increase of flood risk due to abandonment of agricultural land-use. Furthermore, the abandonment of rice paddy field on steep slope areas may have larger impacts on sediment discharges than cultivated field. Therefore, it is suggested that prevention of expansion of abandonment of rice paddy field is an important factor in the decrease of yields of sediment and nutrients.
Anvendt etik og forhandlet normdannelse
Authors: Achen Thomas
Published: June 2015

Anvendt etik har i for ringe grad interesseret sig for de procedurale og refleksive aspekter ved det som i artiklen kaldes den forhandlede normdannelse. Diskursetikken således som den udvikles hos Jürgen Habermas kan fungere som teoretisk ramme for en sådan analyse. Artiklen præsenterer en undersøgelse af det svenske Gentekniknævn med henblik på at vise hvorledes den forhandlede normdannelse foregår i dette nævn. Artiklen konkluderer på baggrund heraf at den forhandlede normdannelse peger på et bredere politisk spørgsmål om mulighedsbetingelserne for et deliberativt demokrati. I denne optik er anvendt etik ikke primært et spørgsmål om applicering af normer eller principper, men om studiet af mulighedsbetingelserne og formerne for en kollektiv evaluering af det normative grundlag for konkrete handlinger.
When is normative recruitment legitimate?
Authors: Ursin Lars Øystein , Solberg Berge
Published: June 2015

Rosamond Rhodes and John Harris have both recently argued that we all have a general moral duty to participate in medical research. However, neither Rhodes' nor Harris' arguments in support of this obligation stand up to scrutiny, and severe and convincing criticism has been levelled against their case. Still, to refute their arguments is not to refute the conclusion. There seems to be some truth in the view that when people are asked to take part in medical research, their choice is not completely morally neutral. In this article, we argue that the proper question to ask is when, rather than if, a certain moral duty to volunteer for medical research can be appealed to. To answer this question, we need a denser description of relevant research projects and their context rather than just describing medical research in general. Drawing on our study of participants in the Norwegian HUNT biobank, we use the normative implications of the Norwegian concept «dugnad» as an analogy to discuss the requirement of providing neutral information to potential biobank participants in order to promote their free and informed decision as to whether or not to take part. We suggest that normative recruitment is not just a question of principles and ethics. It is also a question of research design and the creation of the common good in the community where the research takes place.
Mat – teknologi, sikkerhet og rettferdighet
Authors: Myskja Bjørn , Nydal Rune , Solberg Berge
Published: June 2015

Mat er så mangt, som David Kaplan påpeker i innledningen til The Philosophy of Food, blant annet næring, natur, kultur, et sosialt gode, åndelighet, begjærsgjenstand og estetisk objekt. Ikke minst er det et politisk tema på så mange måter. Derfor inviterte vi til et temanummer om matens etikk, for det er lite som berører våre liv så sterkt og fundamentalt som mat. Det er et område som til alle tider har hatt tydelige etiske regler, både hva man kan og ikke kan spise, men også hvordan man skal behandle mat. I Første Mosebok står det: «Med svette i ansiktet skal du spise ditt brød». Vi gjør oss fortjent til å spise gjennom vårt arbeid. Til det er det også knyttet sterke tradisjoner rundt det å dele mat, takke for den, behandle den med respekt og ikke la noe gå til spille. Dette er tradisjoner som står stadig svakere ettersom vår kontakt med opphavet til mat i jordbruk, jakt og fiske blir svekket. Vi står ikke lenger i et direkte og intimt forhold til maten i vår del av verden, og det får betydning for matens etikk.
Temanummer om styring av naturressurser
Authors: Thorseth May , Carson Siri Granum
Published: June 2015

Dette nummeret av Etikk i praksis – Nordic Journal of Applied Ethics er et temanummer om styring av naturressurser. Den tematiske delen inneholder tre artikler, mens den åpne delen har to artikler som drøfter svært dagsaktuelle tema.
Effects of moderate- to high-level physical performance on blood levels of cardiac biomarkers in extreme conditions of Antarctica
Authors: Brat Kristian , Merta Zdeněk , Ševčík Pavel
Published: June 2015

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of extreme climatic conditions (particularly cold) on levels of cardiac biomarkers after moderate- to high-level physical performance in members of the 6th and 7th Czech Antarctic Scientific Expeditions during their field work in Antarctica. A study evaluating performance-related changes in levels of cardiac biomarkers in extreme conditions of Antarctica. A total of 35 venous blood samples were collected and analyzed from 17 subjects. The first series of blood samples were collected prior to physical performance, the second 8 to 12 hours post-exercise. The third series of samples were collected only in those subjects where pathological values were detected previously. In 1 subject (12.5%), an increase in NT-proBNP level lasting 24 hours was present after physical performance. Interestingly, none of the individuals had a rise in TnT and DD blood levels following physical exertion. We didn’t find changes in TnT and DD blood levels comparable with changes reported in athletes after a marathon. In only one subject, transitional elevation od NT-proBNP was present. This finding might be due to protective effects of cold on cardiac cells. The effects of physical performance and of work in polar regions should be better investigated in future studies.
Trapping Reactive Intermediates by Mechanochemistry: Elusive Aryl N‐Thiocarbamoylbenzotriazoles as Bench‐Stable Reagents
Authors: Štrukil Vjekoslav , Gracin Davor , Magdysyuk Oxana V. , Dinnebier Robert E. , Friščić Tomislav
Published: June 2015

Monitoring of mechanochemical thiocarbamoylation by in situ Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of aryl N‐thiocarbamoylbenzotriazoles, reactive intermediates deemed unisolable in solution. The first‐time isolation and structural characterization of these elusive molecules demonstrates the ability of mechanochemistry to access otherwise unobtainable intermediates and offers a new range of masked isothiocyanate reagents.
Preparation and characteristics of polyacrylic ester‐based water‐free powder coatings in supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Yang Ren‐dang , Cheng Zheng , Chen Guo‐wei , Yang Fei
Published: June 2015

Powder coating for dry coating technique of paper as the promising method has attracted more and more attentions in recent years due to its advantages in reducing the dosage of water and saving energy compared with conventional coating. This study focused on the in situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate (PMMA) under a water‐free condition in supercritical carbon dioxide in the presence of inorganic kaolin. The effects of varying the concentrations of the monomer, initiator, and stabilizer on the molecular weight and morphology of the resultant PMMA were investigated and discussed. Then the powder coating was systematically evaluated and characterized by gel permeation chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Meanwhile, the feasibility of manufacturing PMMA/kaolin powder coatings was explored, and the mechanism of polymerization and the thermal degradation kinetics of powder coating were studied. The experimental results showed that the properties of PMMA as a film former were suitable with the molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution close to that in conventional coating when the concentration of monomer was about 10 wt %, concentration of initiator ∼1–1.5 wt % and stabilizer about 10 wt % with respect to monomer. Moreover, the interfacial bonds and dispersion situation of polyacrylic ester‐based water‐free powder coating particles were fairly well, the powder coating possesses good film‐forming property combined with outstanding thermal‐stability performance. The combination of these characteristics makes PMMA/kaolin powder coating an excellent candidate for dry coating technique of paper applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42439.
Historical ecology can inform restoration site selection: the case of black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) along California's Channel Islands
Authors: Braje Todd J. , Rick Torben C. , Erlandson Jon M. , Rogers‐Bennett Laura , Catton Cynthia A.
Published: June 2015

Identifying appropriate ecological conditions for population restoration is important for endangered species such as black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) in California, but limited information exists regarding restoration locations.

Using a combination of ancient and historical archaeological data and modern commercial fishing records, four optimal locations for restoration based on past relative abundances of black abalone were identified: north‐western, north‐eastern, and south‐central San Miguel Island and western San Nicolas Island.

These locations around California's Channel Islands have supported dense black abalone populations for at least 10 000 years and may offer optimal environmental conditions to enhance the success of black abalone restoration.

The strategy outlined here illustrates the promise of integrating prehistoric, historical, and modern fishery data to inform restoration of threatened and endangered abalone, oysters, and other shellfish around the world.

Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Students helping students: Evaluating a pilot program of peer teaching for an undergraduate course in human anatomy
Authors: Bruno Paul A. , Love Green Jennifer K. , Illerbrun Sara L. , Holness Duncan A. , Illerbrun Samantha J. , Haus Kara A. , Poirier Sylvianne M. , Sveinson Katherine L.
Published: June 2015

The educational literature generally suggests that supplemental instruction (SI) is effective in improving academic performance in traditionally difficult courses. A pilot program of peer teaching based on the SI model was implemented for an undergraduate course in human anatomy. Students in the course were stratified into three groups based on the number of peer teaching sessions they attended: nonattendees (0 sessions), infrequently attended (1‐3 sessions), and frequently attended (≥ 4 sessions). After controlling for academic preparedness [i.e., admission grade point average (AGPA)] using an analysis of covariance, the final grades of frequent attendees were significantly higher than those of nonattendees (P = 0.025) and infrequent attendees (P = 0.015). A multiple regression analysis was performed to estimate the relative independent contribution of several variables in predicting the final grade. The results suggest that frequent attendance (β = 0.245,P = 0.007) and AGPA (β = 0.555,P < 0.001) were significant positive predictors, while being a first‐year student (β = −0.217,P = 0.006) was a significant negative predictor. Collectively, these results suggest that attending a certain number of sessions may be required to gain a noticeable benefit from the program, and that first‐year students (particularly those with a lower level of academic preparedness) would likely stand to benefit from maximally using the program. End‐of‐semester surveys and reports indicate that the program had several additional benefits, both to the students taking the course and to the students who served as program leaders. Anat Sci Educ 9: 132–142. © 2015 The Authors. Anatomical Sciences Education published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of the American Association of Anatomists.
CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated genome engineering of CHO cell factories: Application and perspectives
Authors: Lee Jae Seong , Grav Lise Marie , Lewis Nathan E. , Faustrup Kildegaard Helene
Published: June 2015

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most widely used production host for therapeutic proteins. With the recent emergence of CHO genome sequences, CHO cell line engineering has taken on a new aspect through targeted genome editing. The bacterial clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (Cas9) system enables rapid, easy and efficient engineering of mammalian genomes. It has a wide range of applications from modification of individual genes to genome‐wide screening or regulation of genes. Facile genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 empowers researchers in the CHO community to elucidate the mechanistic basis behind high level production of proteins and product quality attributes of interest. In this review, we describe the basis of CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated genome editing and its application for development of next generation CHO cell factories while highlighting both future perspectives and challenges. As one of the main drivers for the CHO systems biology era, genome engineering with CRISPR/Cas9 will pave the way for rational design of CHO cell factories.
Comparison of the effect of raw and blanched‐frozen broccoli on DNA damage in colonocytes
Authors: Lynn Anthony , Fuller Zoë , Collins Andrew R. , Ratcliffe Brian
Published: June 2015

Consumption of cruciferous vegetables may protect against colorectal cancer. Cruciferous vegetables are rich in a number of bioactive constituents including polyphenols, vitamins and glucosinolates. Before consumption, cruciferous vegetables often undergo some form of processing that reduces their content of bioactive constituents and may determine whether they exert protective effects. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of raw and blanched‐frozen broccoli to protect colonocytes against DNA damage, improve antioxidant status and induce xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (XME). Fifteen Landrace × Large White male pigs were divided into five age‐matched and weight‐matched sets (79 days, SD 3, and 34·7 kg, SD 3·9, respectively). Each set consisted of siblings to minimize genetic variation. Within each set, pigs received a cereal‐based diet, unsupplemented (control) or supplemented with 600 g day−1 of raw or blanched‐frozen broccoli for 12 days. The consumption of raw broccoli caused a significant 27% increase in DNA damage in colonocytes (p = 0·03) relative to the control diet, whereas blanched‐frozen broccoli had no significant effect. Both broccoli diets had no significant effect on plasma antioxidant status or hepatic and colonic XME. This study is the first to report that the consumption of raw broccoli can damage DNA in porcine colonocytes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinetics of Carbon Dioxide Binding by Promoted Organic Liquids
Authors: Orhan Ozge Yuksel , Alper Erdogan
Published: June 2015

The reaction kinetics of carbon dioxide and CO2‐binding organic liquids (CO2BOLs) promoted by piperazine (PZ) and its derivatives were investigated experimentally by stopped‐flow conductimetry. The study was carried out at 298 K and for a concentration range of 0–0.25 kmol m−3 of PZ, 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperazine (AEPZ) or 1‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)piperazine (NHEPZ) while the superbase (1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidine or 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene) concentrations were kept constant at 10.0 wt %. Based on pseudo‐first‐order reaction conditions, the intrinsic reaction rate data were analyzed according to a modified termolecular reaction mechanism. The results showed that the rate of reaction between CO2BOLs and CO2 could be significantly enhanced by blending with small amounts of PZ, NHEPZ or AEPZ as promoters.
Neue kosteneffektive Mess‐ und Regeltechnik für das Numbering‐up von reaktiven Pfropfenströmungen in Mikrokanälen
Authors: Antweiler Nicolai , Gatberg Sascha , Franzke Joachim , Agar David William
Published: June 2015

Die Durchführung von Mehrphasenreaktionen in Mikrokanälen hat ein großes Potenzial zur Effizienzsteigerung, da neben dem Wärmetransport auch der Stofftransport intensiviert wird und im Pfropfenströmungsregime definiert abläuft. Für eine industrielle Anwendung ist eine Parallelisierung der Reaktoren nötig, die gegenüber konventionellen Reaktorsystemen jedoch häufig nicht wirtschaftlich ist. Wirtschaftliche Module für die Parallelisierung von Pfropfenströmungsreaktoren wurden entwickelt, die eine homogene Gleichverteilung der Pfropenströmung ohne Parallelisierung des preisintensiven Equipments ermöglichen. Das aktive Mess‐ und Regelsystem erlaubt einen robusten Betrieb von Mikrokanal‐Pfropfenströmunsgsreaktoren bei optimaler Reaktorperformance und zudem den Einsatz als Multipurposeanlage.
Solution‐Processable Platinum‐Acetylide‐based Small Molecular Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Hongyu , Chen Ming , Jiang Bin , Tong Weiqi , Qian Qun , Lin Kunhua , Liu Feng
Published: June 2015

Two new solution‐processable A′‐D‐‐Pt(PEt3)2‐‐D‐A′ structured molecules, namely, CNPT and DRPT, were synthesized and characterized for photovoltaic applications. Their optoelectronic properties were investigated by UV‐vis absorption and cyclic voltammograms. Grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering and resonant soft X‐ray scattering studies revealed that the DIO additive could enhance the crystallization of CNPT and reduce the size of phase separation of CNPT:PC71BM blends, while the addition of DIO showed little influence on the crystallization and morphology of the DRPT:PC71BM blends. Processing with the DIO additive, CNPT:PC71BM based solar cells showed a best power conversion efficiency of 1.4%, with a Jsc of 4.14 mA·cm−2, a Voc of 0.75 V, and a fill factor of 45.4%.
Microwave and blanch‐assisted drying of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
Authors: Abano Ernest Ekow , Amoah Robert Sarpong
Published: June 2015

The effect of microwave and blanch pretreatments on the drying kinetics and quality of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) was investigated. Yam cubes destined for hot air drying at temperatures 70–90°C were predried in a domestic microwave or blanched in hot water for 1–5 min. Microwave pretreatment time had a positive significant effect on drying rate but both pretreatments had a negative influence on the ascorbic acid content and the nonenzymatic browning. The optimum drying conditions were a microwave pretreatment time of 5 min and a temperature of 70°C and a blanching time of 1 min at a temperature of 80°C. Among the models fitted, the Midilli et al. and the Page models gave the best fits for yam cubes predried with microwave and blanch, respectively. The effective moisture diffusivity for microwave‐assisted drying increased from 1.05 × 10−8 m2 s−1 to 2.00 × 10−8 m2 s−1 while the hot water blanched samples decreased from 1.53 × 10−8 to 8.81 × 10−9 m2 s−1 with time. The study demonstrates that microwave‐assisted drying could be used to enhance heat and mass transfer processes to produce better quality dried yam products.
Operative margin control with high‐resolution optical microendoscopy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Miles Brett A. , Patsias Alexis , Quang Timothy , Polydorides Alexandros D. , Richards‐Kortum Rebecca , Sikora Andrew G.
Published: June 2015

Objectives/Hypothesis

High‐resolution microendoscopy (HRME) provides real‐time visualization of the mucosal surface in the upper aerodigestive tract. This technology allows noninvasive discrimination of benign and neoplastic epithelium and has potential applications for intraoperative margin detection.

Study Design

Single institution, prospective, feasibility trial (phase I) of in vivo optical imaging.

Methods

The study was conducted on patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. High‐resolution microendoscopy images obtained during surgery were correlated with histopathologic diagnosis to determine the ability of HRME to differentiate between benign and malignant mucosa. Blinded reviewers evaluated HRME images and made determinations of the status of the mucosa. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and interrater agreement between multiple raters were calculated to determine the accuracy of HRME imaging.

Results

The mean accuracy of reviewers in differentiating neoplastic or benign mucosa was 95.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94%–96 %). Sensitivity and specificity were 96% (95% CI, 94%–99 %) and 95% (95 % CI, 90%–99 %), respectively. The NPV was 98% (95% CI, 97%–99%), and PPV was 91% (95% CI, 85%–98%). The Fleiss kappa statistic for interrater reliability was 0.81, with a standard error of 0.014 and a 95% CI (0.78–0.84).

Conclusion

High‐resolution microendoscopy allows real‐time discrimination between benign and neoplastic mucosa. High levels of sensitivity and specificity can be obtained with this technology when interrogating mucosal surfaces. Despite several technical limitations, HRME shows promise as a technique for intraoperative margin control and platform for molecular imaging technologies.

Level of Evidence

3b. Laryngoscope, 125:2308–2316, 2015
Smiles over Frowns: When Curved Lines Influence Product Preference
Authors: Salgado‐Montejo Alejandro , Tapia Leon Isabell , Elliot Andrew J. , Salgado Carlos José , Spence Charles
Published: June 2015

The present research examined the possibility that subtle face‐like features (a smile‐ or a frown‐like line) on a product can influence evaluations of and preferences for that product. The same within‐participants experiment was conducted twice, once in the United Kingdom and once in Colombia: participants viewed four variants (concave [smile‐like] line, convex [frown‐like] line, straight line, line absent) of three different products (tea, shampoo, juice) and both evaluated the products on visual analogue scales and completed a forced choice decision task. The results revealed a general tendency across scales, products, and countries for the participants to rate products more positively and to choose products more frequently when they displayed a concave line relative to a convex line; comparisons with the straight line and absent line conditions suggested that the effects were present for both concave and convex lines, but were stronger in the concave instance. These findings provide both a deeper theoretical understanding of the influence of subtle cues on evaluation and decision making, and concrete, practical information for both product designers and marketers.
Advances in mosquito dynamics modeling
Authors: Wijaya Karunia Putra , Götz Thomas , Soewono Edy
Published: June 2015

It is preliminarily known that Aedes mosquitoes be very close to humans and their dwellings also give rises to a broad spectrum of diseases: dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya. In this paper, we explore a multi‐age‐class model for mosquito population secondarily classified into indoor–outdoor dynamics. We accentuate a novel design for the model in which periodicity of the affecting time‐varying environmental condition is taken into account. Application of optimal control with collocated measure as apposed to widely used prototypic smooth time‐continuous measure is also considered. Using two approaches, least square and maximum likelihood, we estimate several involving undetermined parameters. We analyze the model enforceability to biological point of view such as existence, uniqueness, positivity, and boundedness of solution trajectory, also existence and stability of (non)trivial periodic solution(s) by means of the basic mosquito offspring number. Some numerical tests are brought along at the rest of the paper as a compact realistic visualization of the model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experiments and numerical simulations of low‐velocity impact of sandwich composite panels
Authors: Zhang Taotao , Yan Ying , Li Jianfeng
Published: June 2015

This article investigates the response of composite sandwich panel with Nomex honeycomb core subjected to low‐velocity impact and compression after impact (CAI) by using the methods of experiments and numerical simulations. Low‐velocity impact of sandwich panels at five energy levels is carried out to research the damage resistance and tolerance. A failure model based on Hashin failure criterion is implemented to model the intralaminar damage behavior of laminated plies in the numerical simulation. The cohesive zone model is used to simulate the delamination damage between adjacent laminated plies. The honeycomb core behavior is defined as an elastic–plastic material. Good agreements, in terms of contact‐force histories, damage shapes, and indentation depths of the sandwich panels, are observed between the experimental and numerical results. During CAI analysis, the damaged panels present a phenomenon of quick crack propagation from impact indentation location to each unloaded side after the structural strength reached. It is found that the in‐plane compressive strength of damaged sandwich panels is almost 25–35% reduction than that of undamaged panels. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:646–656, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Improving the effectiveness of short‐term courses for multidisciplinary health care professionals
Authors: Kapur Kavita , McAleer Sean , Persson Frederik , Bjerre‐Christensen Ulla
Published: June 2015

The Practical Diabetology (PD) course for multidisciplinary health care professionals (HCPs) is directed at building a team‐based approach to diabetes care delivery. Participants were asked to apply course learning to identify deficiencies in care delivery in their own settings and develop action plans to improve care and continuing self‐development.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the short‐ and mid‐term impact of seven PD courses held between March 2011 and March 2012. Three methods of assessment were carried out: an end of course evaluation; pre‐ and post‐tests to assess gain in knowledge and change in attitudes; and self‐assessment of action plan implementation at six months to determine level of behaviour change.

In total, 327 multidisciplinary HCPs participated in the seven PD courses. End of course evaluation indicated that the PD course was valued by course participants in terms of relevance of the topics and learning experience. A significant gain in knowledge and positive changes in attitudes were seen immediately post course in both groups. Of the 160 action plans prepared by participating teams (consisting of at least two members each – one medical and one non‐medical HCP), 68 (42.5%) were implemented. At six months, continued positive change was demonstrated through self‐assessment of action plan implementation.

PD courses were appreciated by the participants; significant gain in knowledge and positive change in selected attitudes were seen in the short term. Implementation of action plans helped enhance participants’ competency for teamwork, problem solving and self‐development skills. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons.
Change in interpersonal functioning during psychological interventions for borderline personality disorder—a systematic review of measures and efficacy
Authors: Sinnaeve Roland , van den Bosch Louisa M. C. , van Steenbergen‐Weijenburg Kirsten M.
Published: June 2015

Objective

To provide a systematic review of measures of interpersonal functioning used in treatments for people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and to report the effectiveness of treatments on these measures of interpersonal functioning.

Method

Literature was reviewed using the online databases and reference lists of previous systematic reviews. Selected studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined psychotherapeutic interventions for people with BPD and contained quantitative outcomes on various aspects of interpersonal functioning and reported their results in peer‐reviewed journals. Reliability and validity of the results were evaluated.

Results

Nineteen RCTs met our inclusion criteria. We found 16 different (sub)scales that measured some aspect of interpersonal functioning. Only four instruments were used by more than one research team. There is some evidence that psychotherapeutic interventions have beneficial effects on some aspects of interpersonal functioning in people diagnosed with BPD, both after individual and group therapy. Generalizability of these findings is limited.

Conclusion

There is preliminary evidence that psychotherapeutic interventions have beneficial effects on various aspects of interpersonal reactivity that characterize people diagnosed with BPD. However, none of these effects have a robust evidence base. There are serious concerns about the lack of agreed‐upon concepts and instruments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of water in the emergence of the pre‐Columbian Native American City Cahokia
Authors: Baires Sarah E.
Published: June 2015

Studies of the role of water in the emergence and maintenance of complex societies often span functional, political, and economic perspectives on water management with a particular focus on conservation and water storage. However, water is also symbolically important typifying urban environments like the Olmec site of San Lorenzo in Mexico, the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, and Ancestral Puebloan sites in the North American Southwest. In fact, the symbolic and relational importance of water contributes to the location and emergence of some of the world's most prominent early cities and urban environments. In examining the role of water in the emergence of one of North America's largest pre‐Columbian cities, Cahokia (ca. AD 1050), it becomes apparent that early Native American people valued more than the functional properties of water, directly incorporating natural and man‐made water features into the city plan. Nestled into the naturally wet ridge and swale setting of the Mississippi River floodplain at the confluence of the Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, water was a focal point of Cahokia's dynamic landscape impacting the location of earthen mounds, neighborhoods, causeways, and public plazas. Through an examination of the natural and built environments, I demonstrate the importance of water as symbolic and relational where Cahokians manipulated the natural environment to create a city that emerges out of a watery world. Understanding the relational and animate roles of water to the construction and maintenance of early urban environments can and does provide unique insight into ancient worldviews. WIREs Water 2015, 2:489–503. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1094

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Planning Water

Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented
A modified surgical approach of the hip in children: Is it safe and reliable in patients with developmental hip dysplasia?
Authors: Iyetin Yusuf , Turkmen Ismail , Saglam Yavuz , Akcal Mehmet Akif , Unay Koray , Unsac Bahattin
Published: June 2015

Purpose

Treatment is easier and complications are less likely to occur if developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is diagnosed early. In this study, we examined the early results of open reduction using a medial approach which we had modified for DDH and analyzed the success of this technique and the associated complication rates, with a focus on avascular necrosis (AVN).

Methods

This is an Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with DDH and treated with a modified medial approach at a single institution from July 1999 to December 2010. The patients’ charts were analyzed for clinical and radiographic features.

Results

Fifty-five hips of 41 patients, all of whom were treated by open reduction using a modified medial approach due to DDH, were evaluated retrospectively. The mean age of the patients at surgery was 19 (range 11–28) months, and the average follow-up was 5.5 (range 3–9.5) years. AVN was the most important complication in terms of radiological outcomes as assessed according to the Kalamchi–McEwen classification. Radiologic results were excellent or good in 51 hips (92.7 %) and fair–plus in four (7.3 %). Type 1 temporary AVN was detected in only two hips (3.6 %), and the lesions had disappeared completely in the final control graphs of these two patients. A secondary intervention was needed for two hips (3.6 %) of the same patients who were operated on due to bilateral DDH. No other complications, such as infection, re-dislocation, or subluxation, were seen in the operated patients.

Conclusions

We believe that treatment for DDH using a modified medial approach during early childhood is an effective and reliable method with low AVN rates. As shown here, this method achieves great success in radiological and clinical outcomes after a minimum 3-year follow-up.
Dance Britannia: The Impact of Global Shifts on Dance in Britain
Authors: Adair Christy , Burt Ramsay
Published: June 2015

The music and dance of African Diasporan artists has impacted current dance practice in Britain, and their legacies are testament to the global circulation of artistic ideas. This paper discusses the British Dance and the African Diaspora research project which seeks to write Black British dance artists and their legacies back into history. It aims to understand the nexus of aesthetic, institutional, and conceptual problems that have rendered these dancers invisible.

Since the 1970s, a number of black British-based dancers has been teaching and producing performance work in a variety of dance styles. It was influenced by the context of anti-colonialism and the struggle for independence, which has been the motivation for the post-war generation of Caribbean and Asian artists who migrated to Britain. These historical and cultural contexts form the basis for our argument for new approaches to frameworks for analysis of the work of black British dance artists.
Endorsing the Self: Embodied Improvisation in Prison Arts Programs
Authors: Genta Sarah
Published: June 2015

Michel Foucault, in Discipline and Punish, outlines a historical shift from punishment as public spectacle to punishment as “the most hidden part of the penal process.” Examining the resultant changes, he recognizes the quieter, psychological control and bodily supervision that have replaced public torture in our system.

I observe this control of incarcerated individuals and then correlate it with terms that Danielle Goldman uses to describe dance improvisation: continued confrontation with constraint(s). She advocates that the practice of freedom, through improvisation, is a “mode of making oneself ready for a range of ... situations,” and so is politically and socially powerful.

Citing multiple prison arts programs, I conclude that embodied improvisation both theoretically and practically addresses forces of oppression and confinement within the prison system by offering moments of creative self-direction and non-hierarchal interaction. I render this unique application an ideal artistic and actionable response to the framework of captivity.
Creative Process and Transformative Dance in Brazil
Authors: Vieira Alba Pedreira
Published: June 2015

This paper explores dance issues focusing on the creative process as it relates to transformative dance, embodiment, and power relations from an embodied perspective. I will illustrate the complexity of the Brazilian dance context in relation to similar as well as diverse aspects in a globalized society. The focus is on transformative dance as intimately related to values from an embodied perspective that defies contemporary thoughts on power relations between choreographers and dancers. This way of thinking and acting poses implications and challenges that might lead toward transformative dance through new ways of approaching self, world, body, power, and knowledge. Emphasizing the multiple dimensions of dance composition and research on dance in Brazil, the presentation is also intended to enrich, exchange, and mutually comment on ideas and issues raised.
Shifting the Beat: Exploring Tap Dance Performance and Identity on a Global Stage
Authors: Crawford Sally
Published: June 2015

The globalization of tap dance carries the possibility of hybridization as well as homogenization of the dance form. The transmission of tap dance to England during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries enabled individuals to learn repertoire for syllabus examinations and theatrical productions. In 2006, the implementation of the tap jam, an informal event featuring improvised tap dance and live music, introduced the concept of spontaneous musical and movement composition. The tap jams represent shifting cultural processes in global performances of tap dance. This paper will examine the application of global perspectives in how tap dance is performed and practiced in other countries. My discussion will draw from an ethnographic investigation of two tap dance communities located in Manchester and London, England. Utilizing examples from my fieldwork, I demonstrate how the tap jams in England act as a site for constructing individual performance identity, highlighting a move away from homogenized tap performance.
Critical voices against the Bologna Process in Turkey: Neo-liberal governance in higher education
Authors: Kaya Ayhan
Published: June 2015

This article analyzes critical voices raised against the Bologna Process by various stake-holders of higher education in Turkey, such as rectors, professors, international office staff, students, and civil society organizations. The data collected through in-depth interviews were analyzed using the discourse analysis method on the basis of the interlocutors’ reflections on the Bologna Process. It is claimed in the article that most universities in Turkey have attempted a process of internationalization and institutionalization, but that there have been several impediments during the implementation of the Bologna Process. Rising Euroskepticism in Turkey has also changed the process of Europeanization in the universities. It is revealed that the structural changes made in line with the Bologna Process are perceived by several different stake-holders as neo-liberal acts, and are presented as activities of internationalization, but not of Europeanization.
The Green Rings of Minimal Hopf Quivers
Authors: Huang Hua-Lin , Yang Yuping
Published: June 2015

Let be a field and let Q be a minimal Hopf quiver, i.e. a cyclic quiver or the infinite linear quiver, and let repln(Q) denote the category of locally nilpotent finite-dimensional -representations of Q. The category repln(Q) has natural tensor structures induced from graded Hopf structures on the path coalgebra . Tensor categories of the form repln(Q) are an interesting class of tame hereditary pointed tensor categories that are not finite. The aim of this paper is to compute the Clebsch–Gordan formulae and Green rings of such tensor categories.
Retirement and memory in Europe
Authors: BIANCHINI LAURA , BORELLA MARGHERITA
Published: June 2015

We investigate the effect of retirement on memory using the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The availability of a panel data-set allows individual heterogeneity to be controlled for when estimating the effect of transitions into retirement on a commonly employed memory measure, word recall. We control for endogeneity of the retirement decision applying an instrumental variable technique to our fixed-effects transformation. Our main finding is that, conditional on the average non-linear memory age path of the typical individual, time spent in retirement has a positive effect on word recall.
The use of probiotics versus psyllium husk as a bowel preparation for prostate radiotherapy: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Hamilton Daniel G. , McKenzie Dean , Wasiak Jason , Fenton Paul
Published: June 2015

Introduction

The use of bowel preparation strategies to reduce the degree of rectal distension during prostate radiotherapy is well documented. This retrospective pilot study analysed and compared a probiotic agent against a psyllium-supplemented diet to establish the feasibility of probiotics as a bowel preparation for patients receiving radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

Method

A retrospective chart review of five patients taking probiotics and five taking psyllium husk (psyllium) during their course of radiotherapy treatment was conducted. On treatment, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were compared with planning CTs to quantify inter-fractional variation in rectal volume and distension.

Results

Forty-five CBCT scans were available in both the psyllium and probiotics groups for analysis. Variation in mean difference in rectal volume from planning (ΔRV), mean rectal cross-section area (CSA) and mean relative cross-section area (CSArel) was significantly increased for the probiotics group compared with the psyllium group (p=0·001, 0·008 and 0·007, respectively). No statistically significant differences in mean ΔRV, CSA and CSArel were detected between the two groups.

Conclusion

This retrospective analysis suggests that a probiotics-based bowel preparation that utilises Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis may result in increased rectal volume and CSA variation throughout treatment in comparison with a psyllium-supplemented diet.
Older people with incurable cancer: Existential meaning-making from a life-span perspective
Authors: Kjørven Haug Sigrid Helene , Danbolt Lars J. , Kvigne Kari , DeMarinis Valerie
Published: June 2015

Objective:

An increasing number of older people in Western countries are living with incurable cancer, receiving palliative care from specialized healthcare contexts. The aim of our article was to understand how they experience the existential meaning-making function in daily living from a life-span perspective.

Method:

Some 21 participants (12 men and 9 women), aged 70–88, were interviewed in a semistructured framework. They were recruited from somatic hospitals in southeastern Norway. We applied the model of selective optimization with compensation (SOC) from life-span developmental psychology in a deductive manner to explore the participants' life-oriented adaptive strategies. A meaning component was added to the SOC model.

Results:

The participants experienced the existential meaning-making function on two levels. On a superordinate level, it was an important component for interpreting and coordinating the adaptive strategies of SOC for reaching the most important goals in daily living. The existential meaning-making framework provided for a comprehensive understanding of resilience, allowing for both restoration and growth components to be identified. The second level was related to strategy, in that the existential meaning-making function was involved in a complex interaction with behavioral resources and resilience, leading to continuation of goals and more realistic goal adjustments. A few experienced existential meaning-making dysfunction.

Significance of results:

The modified SOC model was seen as applicable for palliative care in specialized healthcare contexts. Employing the existential meaning-making framework with its complementary understanding of resilience as growth potential to the SOC model's restoration potential can help older people to identify how they make meaning and how this influences their adaptation process to being incurably sick.
The effectiveness of caregiver social support is associated with cancer survivors' memories of stem cell transplantation: A linguistic analysis of survivor narratives
Authors: Rini Christine , Emmerling Dane , Austin Jane , Wu Lisa M. , Valdimarsdottir Heiddis , Redd William H. , Woodruff Rebecca , Warbet Rachel
Published: June 2015

Objective:

People who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are highly dependent on their caregiver during their lengthy treatment and recovery. The effectiveness of their caregiver's social support can profoundly affect their day-to-day treatment experiences and, in turn, how they recall those experiences and are affected by them long after the treatment ends.

Method:

Our participants were 182 men and women who had undergone a transplant within the previous 9 months to 3 years. They completed baseline measures (including a measure of caregiver social support effectiveness) and then completed three writing assignments describing their transplant experiences. Linguistic analyses were conducted to investigate their use of words indicating negative emotions, cognitive processing (insight and causation), and practical problems with money and insurance. Theory-based hypotheses predicted associations between specific functional types of caregiver support (emotional, informational, and instrumental) and these word categories.

Results:

As hypothesized, the effectiveness of different functional types of support from a caregiver were uniquely associated with theoretically relevant categories of word use. Structural equation models indicated that more effective caregiver emotional support predicted lower use of negative emotion words; more effective caregiver informational support predicted lower use of causation words; and more effective caregiver instrumental support predicted lower use of words related to money and insurance.

Significance of results:

Our findings provide insights to guide research on the mechanisms through which caregiver support influences patient outcomes after stem cell transplantation. For instance, research suggests that these kinds of effects could have implications for survivors' current self-concept, psychosocial functioning, and meaning-making.
Preferential Amplification of Pathogenic Sequences
Authors: Ge Fang , Parker Jayme , Chul Choi Sang , Layer Mark , Ross Katherine , Jilly Bernard , Chen Jack
Published: June 2015

The application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the diagnosis of human pathogens is hindered by the fact that pathogenic sequences, especially viral, are often scarce in human clinical specimens. This known disproportion leads to the requirement of subsequent deep sequencing and extensive bioinformatics analysis. Here we report a method we called “Preferential Amplification of Pathogenic Sequences (PATHseq)” that can be used to greatly enrich pathogenic sequences. Using a computer program, we developed 8-, 9- and 10-mer oligonucleotides called “non-human primers” that do not match the most abundant human transcripts, but instead selectively match transcripts of human pathogens. Instead of using random primers in the construction of cDNA libraries, the PATHseq method recruits these short non-human primers, which in turn, preferentially amplifies non-human, presumably pathogenic sequences. Using this method, we were able to enrich pathogenic sequences up to 200-fold in the final sequencing library. This method does not require prior knowledge of the pathogen or assumption of the infection; therefore, it provides a fast and sequence-independent approach for detection and identification of human viruses and other pathogens. The PATHseq method, coupled with NGS technology, can be broadly used in identification of known human pathogens and discovery of new pathogens.