bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post Heat Treatment Effect on Electrochemically Synthesized CuO Thin Films
Authors: Dhanasekaran Vikraman , Mahalingam Thaiyan , Chandramohan Rathinam
Published: April 2013

We have investigated the post heat treatment effect of electrochemically prepared cupric oxide (CuO) thin films. The films were annealed at different temperatures ranging from 200 to 400°C in air medium. The annealed films structural, optical, compositional and morphological properties were studied. X-ray diffraction patterns show that as-deposited film exhibited cubic structure with preferential orientation along the (111) plane. Annealing was induced further grain growth and tightened the grain size distribution. The morphological properties and surface roughness were studied using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Optical properties of the films were analyzed by recording transmission, absorption and reflection spectra. Optical band gap of as-deposited and annealed CuO thin films were estimated by conventional method.
Colloidal Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles as Bifunctional Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Reactions in Lithium/Air Batteries
Authors: Augustin Matthias , Yezerska Olga , Derendorf Janis , Knipper Martin , Fenske Daniela , Plaggenborg Thorsten , Parisi Jürgen
Published: April 2013

A main challenge concerning the Li/air battery system is the search for bifunctional cathode catalysts for the oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) during discharge and charge, respectively. Furthermore, a replacement of noble metal catalysts by metal oxide nanoparticles is necessary for cost reduction. The main problem of the system, however, is the decomposition of the electrolyte during cell cycling, so that most of the previous studies on ORR/OER catalysts only reported the catalytic activity for electrolyte decomposition. Therefore, a stable electrolyte is required before any catalyst investigation can be carried out. Here we report on BMP-TFSI as electrolyte solvent and the effects of the addition of LiTFSI as conducting salt and DMSO as superoxide- and Li ion-coordinating solvent additive, which are investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The catalytic activity of the Mn3O4 particles synthesized via colloidal synthesis is evaluated by CV measurements.
Recent Progress in Garnet-Type Structure Solid Li Ion Electrolytes: Composition – Structure – Ionic Conductivity Relationship and Chemical Stability Focused
Authors: Truong Lina , Narayanan Sumaletha , Thangadurai Venkataraman
Published: April 2013

Garnet-type oxides, Li5La3M2O12 (M = Nb, Ta) are a group of materials that exhibit high electrochemical stability and high conductivity for Li ions, making them promising electrolyte materials for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. Li ion conductivity can continue to be increased by substituting alkaline earth and Li ions for La3+ in the structure. Our recent work has shown a simple empirical relation between concentration of Li and ionic conductivity in several garnet-type compounds. The occupation of Li ions in various crystallographic sites also appears to control Li ion conductivity in the garnet-type structures. In the present paper, we report current progress in garnet-based Li ion electrolytes and also discuss the effect of chemical doping on ionic conductivity and chemical stability of Li5La3Nb2O12 in water and organic acids.
Molybdate-Based Conversion Coatings for Aluminum Alloys Part I: Coating Formation
Authors: Rodriguez David , Misra Roshan , Chidambaram Dev
Published: April 2013

In order to prevent the corrosion of aluminum alloys, a chromate conversion coating (CCC) is applied to the surface. However, chromate is a carcinogen. Thus, the development of chromate-free and environmentally-friendly replacement coatings is currently being pursued. In this study, a molybdate conversion coating (MoCC) was developed on aluminum alloy AA2024-T6. The coating ennobled the corrosion potential of AA2024-T6 and protected the underlying aluminum alloy via anodic inhibition. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the surface morphology to consist of a mud cracked pattern that is similar to what would be seen on a sample coated with a chromium conversion coating. A dense underlying protective layer was observed when examined using optical and scanning electron microscopes.
Improvement of Switching Characteristics for TiO2 Based RRAM Cell
Authors: Huang Yu-Chih , Lin Huan-Min , Li Hung-Hsien , Chang Chia-Tsung , Tsai Wan-Lin , Cheng Huang-Chung
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this study was to fabricate the resistive random access memory (RRAM) cells that consisted of the TiO2 films and oxidized copper electrode. The sample shows better stability and larger memory window as compared with the conventional non-oxidation copper electrode. It was conjectured that the nano-tips structures and reduced copper atomic concentration of the oxidized copper electrode are favorable to form the more concentrated conductive filaments and avoid the excess residual copper atoms in the TiO2 layers of the high resistive state (OFF-state) than the conventional one. Therefore, the sample of oxidized copper electrode could exhibited the lower OFF-state current and the better endurance than the conventional non-oxidation copper electrode ones.
Specific food structures supress appetite through reduced gastric emptying rate
Authors: Mackie Alan R. , Rafiee Hameed , Malcolm Paul , Salt Louise , van Aken George
Published: April 2013

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which gastric layering and retention of a meal could be used to reduce appetite using the same caloric load. Liquid (control) and semi-solid (active) meals were produced with the same protein, fat, carbohydrate, and mass. These were fed to 10 volunteers on separate days in a crossover study, and subjective appetite ratings, gastric contents, and plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) were assessed over a period of 3 h. The active meal showed food boluses in the stomach persisting for ∼45 min, slower emptying rates, and lower plasma CCK levels over the first hour. After the first hour, both gastric emptying rates and plasma CCK levels were similar for both systems and slightly increased compared with the unfed situation. Despite the lower plasma CCK levels for the active meal over the first hour, this meal reduced appetite more than the control meal over the 3 h of the study. For a moderately increased plasma CCK level in the fed state, appetite was correlated with the volume of gastric contents rather than gastric emptying rates or plasma CCK. This suggests that enhanced gastric retention was the key factor in decreasing appetite and was probably mediated by a combination of intestinal nutrient sensing and increased viscosity in the stomach.
Regulation of myofibroblast differentiation and bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by adrenomedullin
Authors: Kach Jacob , Sandbo Nathan , Sethakorn Nan , Williams Jesse , Reed Eleanor B. , La Jennifer , Tian Xinyong , Brain Susan D. , Rajendran Kavitha , Krishnan Ramaswamy , Sperling Anne I. , Birukov Konstantin , Dulin Nickolai O.
Published: April 2013

Myofibroblast differentiation induced by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is characterized by the expression of smooth muscle α-actin (SMA) and extracellular matrix proteins. We and others have previously shown that these changes are regulated by protein kinase A (PKA). Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a vasodilator peptide that activates cAMP/PKA signaling through the calcitonin-receptor-like receptor (CRLR) and receptor-activity-modifying proteins (RAMP). In this study, we found that recombinant ADM had little effect on cAMP/PKA in quiescent human pulmonary fibroblasts, whereas it induced a profound activation of cAMP/PKA signaling in differentiated (by TGF-β) myofibroblasts. In contrast, the prostacyclin agonist iloprost was equally effective at activating PKA in both quiescent fibroblasts and differentiated myofibroblasts. TGF-β stimulated a profound expression of CRLR with a time course that mirrored the increased PKA responses to ADM. The TGF-β receptor kinase inhibitor SB431542 abolished expression of CRLR and attenuated the PKA responses of cells to ADM but not to iloprost. CRLR expression was also dramatically increased in lungs from bleomycin-treated mice. Functionally, ADM did not affect initial differentiation of quiescent fibroblasts in response to TGF-β but significantly attenuated the expression of SMA, collagen-1, and fibronectin in pre-differentiated myofibroblasts, which was accompanied by decreased contractility of myofibroblasts. Finally, sensitization of ADM signaling by transgenic overexpression of RAMP2 in myofibroblasts resulted in enhanced survival and reduced pulmonary fibrosis in the bleomycin model of the disease. In conclusion, differentiated pulmonary myofibroblasts gain responsiveness to ADM via increased CRLR expression, suggesting the possibility of using ADM for targeting pathological myofibroblasts without affecting normal fibroblasts.
Meat Consumption and the Risk of Barrett's Esophagus in a Large Dutch Cohort
Authors: Keszei András P. , Schouten Leo J. , Driessen Ann L.C. , Huysentruyt Clément J.R. , Keulemans Yolande C.A. , van den Brandt Piet A.
Published: April 2013

Background: Increasing meat intake and its possible role in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma raises the question whether meat consumption is associated with the premalignant lesion, Barrett's esophagus.

Methods: Associations between the risk of Barrett's esophagus and meat consumption, intake of N-nitrosodimethylamine, nitrite, and heme iron were examined in the Netherlands Cohort Study among 120,852 subjects aged 55 to 69 years in 1986. Exposure was measured on the basis of a 150-item food frequency questionnaire. After 16.3 years of follow-up, 447 Barrett's esophagus cases with specialized intestinal metaplasia and 3,919 subcohort members were analyzed in a case-cohort design.

Results: There was no association of any of the examined exposures with Barrett's risk in men or women. Results were similar in age-adjusted and fully adjusted models and in models excluding the first two years of follow-up.

Conclusions: Our results do not support a role of meat consumption and N-nitrosation related factors in the development of Barrett's esophagus.

Impact: The possible causal association between red meat intake and esophageal adenocarcinoma is unlikely to be mediated by mechanisms through the development of Barrett's esophagus. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(6); 1162–6. ©2013 AACR.
Vascular Steal Explains Early Paradoxical Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Cerebrovascular Response in Brain Regions with Delayed Arterial Transit Times
Authors: Poublanc Julien , Han Jay Show , Mandell Daniel Michael , Conklin John , Stainsby Jeffrey Alan , Fisher Joseph Arnold , Mikulis David John , Crawley Adrian Philip
Published: April 2013

Introduction: Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during manipulation of inhaled carbon dioxide (CO2) can be used to measure cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and map regions of exhausted cerebrovascular reserve. These regions exhibit a reduced or negative BOLD response to inhaled CO2. In this study, we sought to clarify the mechanism behind the negative BOLD response by investigating its time delay (TD). Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI with the injection of a contrast agent was used as the gold standard in order to provide measurement of the blood arrival time to which CVR TD could be compared. We hypothesize that if negative BOLD responses are the result of a steal phenomenon, they should be synchronized with positive BOLD responses from healthy brain tissue, even though the blood arrival time would be delayed. Methods: On a 3-tesla MRI system, BOLD CVR and DSC images were collected in a group of 19 patients with steno-occlusive cerebrovascular disease. For each patient, we generated a CVR magnitude map by regressing the BOLD signal with the end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 (PETCO2), and a CVR TD map by extracting the time of maximum cross-correlation between the BOLD signal and PETCO2. In addition, a blood arrival time map was generated by fitting the DSC signal with a gamma variate function. ROI masks corresponding to varying degrees of reactivity were constructed. Within these masks, the mean CVR magnitude, CVR TD and DSC blood arrival time were extracted and averaged over the 19 patients. CVR magnitude and CVR TD were then plotted against DSC blood arrival time. Results: The results show that CVR magnitude is highly correlated to DSC blood arrival time. As expected, the most compromised tissues with the longest blood arrival time have the lowest (most negative) CVR magnitude. However, CVR TD shows a noncontinuous relationship with DSC blood arrival time. CVR TD is well correlated to DSC blood arrival time (p < 0.0001) for tissue of positive reactivity, but fails to maintain this trend for tissue of negative reactivity. Regions with negative reactivity have similar CVR TD than healthy regions. Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that negative reactivity is the result of a steal phenomenon, lowering the BOLD signal as soon as healthier parts of the brain start to react and augment their blood flow. BOLD CVR MRI is capable of identifying this steal distribution, which has particular diagnostic significance as it represents an actual reduction in flow to already compromised tissue.
Abdominal Obesity in German Adolescents Defined by Waist-to-Height Ratio and Its Association to Elevated Blood Pressure: The KiGGS Study
Authors: Kromeyer-Hauschild Katrin , Neuhauser Hannelore , Schaffrath Rosario Angelika , Schienkiewitz Anja
Published: April 2013

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the fixed 0.5 cut-off and the age- and sex-specific 90th percentile (P90) for waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in German adolescents with respect to the prevalence of abdominal obesity and to compare the screening ability of WHtR and BMI to identify hypertensive blood pressure (BP) values. Methods: Between 2003 and 2006, the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) was carried out including 3,492 boys and 3,321 girls aged 11-17 years. Abdominal obesity was assessed by two WHtR cut-points (P90; 0.5). Hypertensive BP was defined as BP exceeding age-, sex- and height-specific 95th percentiles or the adult threshold for hypertension (140/90 mm Hg). Results: Agreement between the WHtR cut-offs was very good (Kappa 0.89 for boys; 0.81 for girls), and the prevalence of abdominal obesity was slightly higher using P90 (boys 12.0%; girls 11.3%) compared to 0.5 (boys 10.7%; girls 8.0%). WHtR and BMI-for-age had equivalent ability to discriminate hypertensive BP (ROC-AUC < 0.7; sensitivity of the 0.5 cut-off for detecting hypertensive BP < 30%). Conclusion: The fixed 0.5 WHtR cut-off can be used in German adolescents to characterize abdominal obesity. However, WHtR is not suitable as a screening tool for hypertensive BP in adolescents.
Endothelial Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: He Ming , Liang Xiao , He Lan , Wen Wen , Zhao Sijia , Wen Liang , Liu Yan , Shyy John Y.-J. , Yuan Zuyi
Published: April 2013

Objective—

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are prone to atherosclerosis. We explored the role of elevated level of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1)–induced protein (MCPIP) in endothelial dysfunction associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Approach and Results—

The level of MCP-1 was elevated in sera from mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and was negatively correlated with endothelium-dependent vessel dilation. Aortas from CIA mice showed increased expression of MCPIP but decreased bioavailability of endothelial NO synthase–derived NO. Administering MCP-1 neutralizing antibody to CIA mice decreased the MCPIP level in aortas and alleviated endothelial dysfunction. In vitro, treating cultured vascular endothelial cells with MCP-1 or sera from CIA mice or rheumatoid arthritis patients increased the expression of MCPIP but inhibited endothelial NO synthase phosphorylation. These detrimental effects were reproduced in endothelial cells overexpressing MCPIP, with elevated redox stress. Small interfering RNA knockdown of MCPIP restored the endothelial NO synthase–derived NO bioavailability. Administering simvastatin to CIA mice ameliorated the endothelial dysfunction, with attendant decreased aortic level of MCPIP. The beneficial effect of the statin was mediated by inhibiting nuclear factor κB binding to the
MCPIP
gene enhancer.

Conclusions—

Increased MCPIP is found in rheumatoid arthritis leading to endothelial dysfunction. Statin treatment or MCP-1 neutralizing antibody administration antagonizes MCPIP expression, thereby attenuating the endothelial dysfunction.
The Antarctic Atmospheric Energy Budget. Part I: Climatology and Intraseasonal-to-Interannual Variability
Authors: Previdi Michael , Smith Karen L. , Polvani Lorenzo M.
Published: April 2013

The authors present a new, observationally based estimate of the atmospheric energy budget for the Antarctic polar cap (the region poleward of 70°S). This energy budget is constructed using state-of-the-art reanalysis products from ECMWF [the ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim)] and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiative fluxes for the period 2001–10. The climatological mean Antarctic energy budget is characterized by an approximate balance between the TOA net outgoing radiation and the horizontal convergence of atmospheric energy transport, with the net surface energy flux and atmospheric energy storage generally being small in comparison. Variability in the energy budget on intraseasonal-to-interannual time scales bears a strong signature of the southern annular mode (SAM), with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) having a smaller impact. The energy budget framework is shown to be a useful alternative to the SAM for interpreting surface climate variability in the Antarctic region.
Logics in Action
Authors: McPherson Chad Michael , Sauder Michael
Published: April 2013

Drawing on a 15-month ethnographic study of a drug court, we investigate how actors from different institutional and professional backgrounds employ logical frameworks in their micro-level interactions and thus how logics affect day-to-day organizational activity. While institutional theory presumes that professionals closely adhere to the logics of their professional groups, we find that actors exercise a great deal of agency in their everyday use of logics, both in terms of which logics they adopt and for what purpose. Available logics closely resemble tools that can be creatively employed by actors to achieve individual and organizational goals. A close analysis of court negotiations allowed us to identify the logics that are available to these actors, show how they are employed, and demonstrate how their use affects the severity of the court’s decisions. We examine the ways in which professionals with four distinct logical orientations—the logics of criminal punishment, rehabilitation, community accountability, and efficiency—use logics to negotiate decisions in a drug court. We provide evidence of the discretionary use of these logics, specifying the procedural, definitional, and dispositional constraints that limit actors’ discretion and propose an explanation for why professionals stray from their “home” logics and “hijack” the logics of other court actors. Examining these micro-level processes improves our understanding of how local actors use logics to manage institutional complexity, reach consensus, and get the work of the court done.
Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin and Cystatin C are early Biomarkers of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Coronary Angiography in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Alharazy Sabah Mohamed , Kong Norella , Saidin Rashidi , Gafor Abdul Halim Abdul , Maskon Oteh , Mohd Marlyn , Zakaria Syed Zulkifli Syed
Published: April 2013

We had previously reported on serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as an earlier biomarker of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) than serum creatinine (SCr) in 100 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing coronary angiography.1 We then compared serum NGAL to serum cystatin C (CysC) in the same group of patients. The SCr, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum NGAL, and serum CysC were measured at baseline and various time points as appropriate postprocedure. The frequency of CIN was 11% (n = 11). Serum NGAL increased ≥25% from baseline at 24 hours in 7 patients with CIN ( P = .04). Serum CysC increased ≥25% from baseline at 24 hours in 4 patients with CIN ( P = .008). Changes in serum NGAL and serum CysC from baseline at 24 hours (▵ values) could diagnose CIN 24 hours earlier than SCr with serum NGAL showing a superior performance.
Rape and Gender Conflict in a Patriarchal State
Authors: Johnson Richard R.
Published: April 2013

The handling of rape by the criminal justice system may be intimately intertwined with the gender inequality found in patriarchal communities. The present study examined the empirical relationship between female sociopolitical power and the rape rates and rape case clearance rates of 105 counties in an agrarian state with a reputation for patriarchal culture. The results suggested that, after controlling for contextual variables, counties with higher levels of female sociopolitical power also experienced higher rates of rape, and lower proportions of rape cases cleared by an arrest. The findings suggested that women in patriarchal communities experience a backlash effect as they achieve progress toward gender equality.
Development and application of an experimental system for the study of thin composites undergoing large deformations in combined bending–compression loading
Authors: Guo S-M , Sutton MA , Majumdar P , Reifsnider KM , Yu Lucy , Gresil M
Published: April 2013

To increase understanding of damage evolution in advanced composite material systems, stereo digital image correlation has been integrated with a compression–bending mechanical loading system to obtain full-field deformations on both compression and tension surfaces throughout the loading process. The integrated system is employed to simultaneously quantify full-field deformations along the length of the specimen. Specifically, the integrated system is employed to experimentally study the progressive failure behavior of thin, woven glass–epoxy composite specimens undergoing both cyclic and monotonic compression–bending loading resulting in large out-of-plane bending deformations with end conditions that allow free out-of-plane rotation. Experimental results obtained using the measurement system for specimens undergoing both linear and highly non-linear deformations during monotonic loading are presented. Results clearly show (a) the presence and magnitude of anticlastic (double) specimen curvature near mid-length for all fiber angles, (b) the distinct differences in the strain fields between the tension and compression surfaces at the critical location, (c) the corresponding disparity in local material failure mechanisms between the tension (e.g. matrix cracking) and compression (e.g. fiber buckling) surfaces in the critical regions and (d) the highly localized character of the strain fields, focused in regions of increased damage.
Assessing the application of the 3Rs: a survey among animal welfare officers in The Netherlands
Authors: van Luijk Judith , Cuijpers Yvonne , van der Vaart Lilian , de Roo Tineke Coenen , Leenaars Marlies , Ritskes-Hoitinga Merel
Published: April 2013

Implementation of the 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction) in animal studies is a legal requirement in many countries. In The Netherlands, animal welfare officers (AWOs) are appointed to monitor the welfare of laboratory animals. As part of this task, AWOs give advice to researchers and can therefore have an influential role in implementing 3R methods in research. A national survey was conducted to gain more insight into how Dutch AWOs obtain and apply 3R information in their daily work. Nearly half of the AWO population filled out the questionnaire (15/32; a response rate of 46.9%). Two-thirds of the respondents pointed out that finding 3R information is not an easy task and more than half of the respondents believed that information on possibilities to implement the 3Rs is regularly being missed. The respondents indicated that most 3R information is obtained directly from colleagues and other AWOs. Special online 3R databases are rarely used. All the responding AWOs feel that they contribute to Refinement (15/15), nearly one-third of the respondents feel they contribute to Reduction (4/15), and one AWO feels he/she contributes to Replacement (1/15). According to the respondents, better exchange of knowledge can contribute to more successful implementation of the 3Rs. How this knowledge exchange can best be established and facilitated needs further exploration. To this end, the authors make suggestions for a 3R-integrated evidence-based approach.
Cultural Amenities and Unemployment in Dutch Cities: Disentangling a Consumerist and Productivist Explanation for Less-educated Urbanites’ Varying Unemployment Levels across Urban Economies
Authors: van der Waal Jeroen
Published: April 2013

Previous studies on the advanced economies have shown that unemployment levels of the less-educated are low in cities with high employment shares in the advanced producer services. Scholars have consistently interpreted this finding according to Sassen’s polarisation thesis. This article confronts this production-based interpretation with a competing consumption-based explanation, which focuses on the role of cultural amenities. Analysing data on 22 Dutch metropolitan agglomerations between 1996 and 2008, it is shown that, in line with consumerists notions of Richard Florida, advanced producer services settle in cities that are rich in cultural amenities, instead of the other way around as classical labour-follows-capital explanations imply. Yet, only advanced producer services prove to reduce the unemployment levels of the less-educated, meaning that the polarisation thesis, and not the theory on cultural amenities, is a valid explanation for the low level of unemployment in post-industrial cities.
Urban Neoliberalism with Islamic Characteristics
Authors: Karaman Ozan
Published: April 2013

This paper discusses the changing urban policy framework in Turkey through a detailed analysis of a unique coupling of neoliberalism and Islamism. In this, rather than political projects with clear ultimate ends, both neoliberalism and Islamism are approached as distinct political rationalities aiming to reconfigure all aspects of social life. Turkey’s Justice and Development Party has successfully established networks of economic and political interdependence (or has tapped into existing networks) by appeasing both the emergent Islamic capitalist class through lucrative contracts and business-friendly reforms, and the urban poor through gracious gestures ingrained in traditional Islamic community values and morality. The working of this co-articulation is examined in the case of an urban renewal project in a peripheral neighbourhood in Istanbul.
Teaching and learning reflection in MPA programs
Authors: van der Meer FB , Marks P
Published: April 2013

Reflection is an essential ingredient of academic education in Public Administration, both for an academic and a professional career. Making a distinction between reflectivity and reflexivity we identify 30 foci of reflection. The main question of the article is how these forms of reflection can be taught and learned in PA programs, especially in post-experience PA programs. To answer this question, we studied de program and interviewed the teaching staff op the post-experience MPA program at Erasmus University in Rotterdam to describe what is actually done in the to teach students reflection competences and to identify success and limitations of these efforts. We present our findings and describe how we, in consultation with the teaching staff, developed a number of feasible options for improvement. We discuss these options and present a strategy to actually get these implemented.
On Hearing (Rather Than Reading) Intertextual Echoes: Christology and Monotheistic Scriptures in an Oral Context
Authors: McGrath James F.
Published: April 2013

While recent studies of the New Testament have found the methods of intertextuality and orality studies to be fruitful approaches, there has been insufficient interplay between the two. This article explores the capacity of hearers of texts to pick up on echoes of familiar texts, stories, and songs. Using as an example Paul's interpretation of Scripture in connection with the topics of monotheism and Christology, the article suggests that, in the absence of explicit and emphatic statements of the difference or distinctiveness of his views, Paul's allusions to key monotheistic texts would have been understood to indicate Paul's agreement with the axiom of Jewish monotheism, the Shema.
Exploring Periods of Psychological Development in MENA (Middle East North Africa) Societies: A Tentative Model
Authors: Pilch John J.
Published: April 2013

This article draws upon insights from Gary S. Gregg to sketch an outline of periods of psychological development in one MENA (Middle East North Africa) society, ancient Israel, fleshing it out with select examples from the Bible. Cross-cultural psychology is the most appropriate discipline for pursuing this project. Six stages from infancy to adulthood are investigated constituting a first step in developing a suitable model for similar future research.
Signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in caregivers following an expected death: A qualitative study
Authors: Sanderson Christine , Lobb Elizabeth A , Mowll Jane , Butow Phyllis N , McGowan Naomi , Price Melanie A
Published: April 2013

Background:

Complications of grief are an important area of investigation with potential to improve the well-being of palliative care caregivers. There has been little study of the prevalence or significance of post-traumatic stress disorder for those bereaved after an expected death.

Aim:

To identify evidence suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in a population of bereaved caregivers of patients who have died of ovarian cancer.

Design:

Caregivers’ recollections of their end-of-life experiences were coded and analysed, using qualitative data obtained from interviews 6 months after the patient’s death.

Setting/participants:

Australian Ovarian Cancer Study–Quality of Life Study is a population-based epidemiological study using mixed methods to explore caregivers’ experiences following the expected death of a woman with ovarian cancer. Thirty-two caregivers from the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study–Quality of Life Study participated in semi-structured telephone interviews 6 months post-bereavement.

Results:

When describing the patient’s death at their 6-month interview, all interviewees used language consistent with some degree of shock and traumatisation. For the majority, there was also evidence suggesting resilience and resolution. However, a number of interviewees describe intrusive memories associated with physical sights and sounds that they witnessed at the deathbed.

Conclusions:

This exploratory study demonstrates the phenomenon of the ‘shocked caregiver’. If trauma symptoms are present in bereaved carers in palliative care, it has implications for palliative care provision. Given that trauma symptoms may be distinct from prolonged grief disorder, this may also have implications for provision of bereavement counselling. Further research into this phenomenon is required.
The Influence of Female Role Models on Women’s Implicit Science Cognitions
Authors: Young Danielle M. , Rudman Laurie A. , Buettner Helen M. , McLean Meghan C.
Published: April 2013

Can female science professors benefit women? Women’s negative implicit cognitions about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines impact performance in these fields, marking implicit associations as a space for potential change to improve women’s participation in STEM. Examining college student science majors ( N = 320, 63% women) enrolled in chemistry and engineering courses, our study investigates how meaningful contact with female role models impacts women’s implicit cognitions about STEM. We used the Implicit Association Test to measure attitudes toward science, identification with science, and gendered stereotypes about science, and we compared students with female versus male professors. Our study first demonstrates both direct and indirect paths between implicit cognitions and women’s career aspirations in STEM. Next, when female professors were seen as positive role models, women automatically identified with science and stereotyped science as more feminine than masculine. Moreover, viewing professors as positive role models was associated with pro-science career aspirations and attitudes (both implicit and explicit), for men and women alike. The findings suggest that female science professors benefit women provided students identify with them as role models. We conclude that female STEM professors not only provide positive role models for women, but they also help to reduce the implicit stereotype that science is masculine in the culture-at-large. We further discuss how shifting implicit gendered stereotypes about science can impact women’s investment in a science career.
The Common Pain of Surrealism and Death
Authors: Randles Daniel , Heine Steven J. , Santos Nathan
Published: April 2013

The meaning-maintenance model posits that any violation of expectations leads to an affective experience that motivates compensatory affirmation. We explore whether the neural mechanism that responds to meaning threats can be inhibited by acetaminophen, in the same way that acetaminophen inhibits physical pain or the distress caused by social rejection. In two studies, participants received either acetaminophen or a placebo and were provided with either an unsettling experience or a control experience. In Study 1, participants wrote about either their death or a control topic. In Study 2, participants watched either a surrealist film clip or a control film clip. In both studies, participants in the meaning-threat condition who had taken a placebo showed typical compensatory affirmations by becoming more punitive toward lawbreakers, whereas those who had taken acetaminophen, and those in the control conditions, did not.
Elaborating the Context-Mechanism-Outcome configuration (CMOc) in realist evaluation: A critical realist perspective
Authors: de Souza Denise E.
Published: April 2013

This article aims to contribute to the methodological discussion initiated by Pawson and Manzano-Santaella (2012). It proposes a possible elaboration of the ‘trio of explanatory components’ (Pawson and Tilley, 1997: 77) used as a strategy in realist evaluation – the Context-Mechanism-Outcome configuration (CMOc). This temporarily diverts attention away from social programs to focus on the pre-existing context of action and related mechanisms that may be operating within it. It draws on the conceptual and theoretical guidance offered in Roy Bhaskar’s Transformational Model of Social Action (TMSA) and elaborated later by Margaret Archer in Realist Social Theory: The Morphogenetic Approach. The article concludes by articulating how the CMOc elaboration complements the work on realist evaluation.
Fatal anaphylactoid reaction associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Singla Atul , Amini Mohammad R , Alpert Martin A , Gornik Heather L
Published: April 2013

Acute systemic (anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid) reactions have been well described in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Both necrotizing and non-necrotizing skin lesions at heparin injection sites have been reported and may occur in 10–20% of patients with HIT. We report herein a patient treated with subcutaneous enoxaparin sodium who developed non-necrotizing erythematous skin lesions at enoxaparin sodium injection sites. A subsequent intravenous bolus of unfractionated heparin produced a fatal anaphylactoid reaction. This suggests that caution should be exercised in the administration of intravenous heparin to patients with non-necrotizing erythematous skin lesions at prior heparin injection sites.
Augmenting the educational curriculum with the Visual Analytics Science and Technology Challenge: Opportunities and pitfalls
Authors: Rohrdantz Christian , Mansmann Florian , North Chris , Keim Daniel A
Published: April 2013

With its mission to move science into practice, the Visual Analytics Science and Technology Challenge has become an integrated part of the annual Visual Analytics Science and Technology Conference since its inception in 2006. In this article, we discuss how we can transfer this objective into a classroom setting by using the Visual Analytics Science and Technology Challenge datasets and by encouraging student submissions to the challenge. By means of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives for Knowledge-Based Goals, we show how the Visual Analytics Science and Technology Challenge enables the integration of additional learning objectives into two types of courses: a dedicated course that focuses on the contest participation and an integrated course that uses the contest data to emphasize practical course elements. The core contribution of this article is that we assess the opportunities and pitfalls that we experienced at the University of Konstanz in Germany and Virginia Tech in the United States when augmenting the educational curriculum with the Visual Analytics Science and Technology Challenge.
Responding to competing strategic demands: How organizing, belonging, and performing paradoxes coevolve
Authors: Jarzabkowski Paula , Lê Jane K , Van de Ven Andrew H
Published: April 2013

This article develops an empirically grounded process model of how managers in organizations respond to coexisting paradoxical tensions. With a longitudinal real-time study, we examine how a telecommunications firm copes with an organizing paradox between market and regulatory demands and how this paradox influences belonging and performing paradoxes for managers. These paradoxes coevolve over time as managers shift from defensive responses that attempt to circumvent paradox to active responses that accept and work within paradox. Our process model clarifies the recursive relationship between different kinds of paradox, the cumulative impact of responses to paradox over time, and the way that responses to paradox become embedded in organizational structures.
An evidence-based review of botulinum toxin (Botox) applications in non-cosmetic head and neck conditions
Authors: Persaud Ricardo , Garas George , Silva Sanjeev , Stamatoglou Constantine , Chatrath Paul , Patel Kalpesh
Published: April 2013

Botulinum toxin (Botox) is an exotoxin produced from Clostridium botulinum. It works by blocking the release of acetylcholine from the cholinergic nerve end plates leading to inactivity of the muscles or glands innervated. Botox is best known for its beneficial role in facial aesthetics but recent literature has highlighted its usage in multiple non-cosmetic medical and surgical conditions. This article reviews the current evidence pertaining to Botox use in the head and neck. A literature review was conducted using The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline and EMBASE databases limited to English Language articles published from 1980 to 2012. The findings suggest that there is level 1 evidence supporting the efficacy of Botox in the treatment of spasmodic dysphonia, essential voice tremor, headache, cervical dystonia, masticatory myalgia, sialorrhoea, temporomandibular joint disorders, bruxism, blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm and rhinitis. For chronic neck pain there is level 1 evidence to show that Botox is ineffective. Level 2 evidence exists for vocal tics, trigeminal neuralgia, dysphagia and post-laryngectomy oesophageal speech. For stuttering, ‘first bite syndrome’, facial nerve paresis, Frey's syndrome, oromandibular dystonia and palatal/stapedial myoclonus the evidence is level 4. Thus, the literature highlights a therapeutic role for Botox in a wide range of non-cosmetic conditions pertaining to the head and neck (mainly level 1 evidence). With ongoing research, the spectrum of clinical applications and number of people receiving Botox will no doubt increase. Botox appears to justify its title as ‘the poison that heals’.
Aspirin treatment failure: is this a real phenomenon? A review of the aetiology and how to treat it
Authors: Shahid F , Chahal C A A , Akhtar M J
Published: April 2013

Multiple clinical trials have shown that aspirin can reduce all cardiovascular events in primary and secondary prevention and yet there is a large population in whom aspirin fails. This review brings together the evidence and controversies surrounding the definition of ‘aspirin treatment failure’, its clinical significance and the possible approaches to managing such patients. Several different assays have been developed to measure the biochemical action of aspirin. At present there is no ‘gold standard’ and there is massive disparity between methods. Studies thus far have shown inconsistent results and to date the treatment of aspirin therapy failure is left to the discretion of the leading physician.
Case studies illustrating the management of trigeminal neuropathic pain using topical 5% lidocaine plasters
Authors: Khawaja Nadine , Yilmaz Zehra , Renton Tara
Published: April 2013

Chronic trigeminal pain, with its severe related functional problems, is difficult to treat. Treatment is often empirically based on medications used for other chronic pain conditions. Systemic sodium channel and calcium channel blocking agents may cause a multitude of complications that are often poorly tolerated by the patient.

Aim:

The aim of this case report was to assess the efficacy of topical 5% lidocaine plasters in reducing pain and reducing adjuvant medication in patients with orofacial neuropathic pain.

Method:

Fourteen patients with chronic orofacial pain conditions referred to the oral surgery department were instructed to wear 5% lidocaine plasters for 12 hours each day over the painful area. The conditions included post-surgical neuropathy ( n = 10), multiple sclerosis-related pain ( n = 1), persistent idiopathic facial pain ( n = 1), Ramsay Hunt syndrome (post-herpetic neuralgia, n = 1) and trigeminal neuralgia ( n = 1). Data were collected on patient demographics, pain levels and medication.

Results:

Pain levels improved in 12 out of 14 patients. Nine patients had a reduction in adjuvant medication, two of whom completely stopped adjuvant treatment.

Conclusion:

This case series demonstrates that of the use of 5% lidocaine plasters may play a useful role in the management of chronic trigeminal pain. A suggested novel approach for the management of orofacial pain, for clinicians, is presented.

Summary points

Management of chronic orofacial pain continues to be a major challenge to the clinician. Patients are often placed on a multitude of medications in an attempt to alleviate pain without success. Topical 5% lidocaine plasters, currently used for the management of post-herpetic neuralgia, offer the option of locally targeting trigeminal pain without the multiple side-effects of systemic medication. This case series demonstrates that lidocaine plasters decrease verbal pain scores in extraoral, trigeminal and neuropathic pain, and reduce the use of other neuromodulatory agents in some, but not all, patients. The plasters should be considered as a useful adjuvant in the management of pain in these patients.
Transcriptional profile of P. syringaepv. phaseolicola NPS3121 at low temperature: Physiology of phytopathogenic bacteria
Authors: Arvizu-Gómez Jackeline Lizzeta , Hernández-Morales Alejandro , Aguilar Juan Ramiro Pacheco , Álvarez-Morales Ariel
Published: April 2013

Background

Low temperatures play key roles in the development of most plant diseases, mainly because of their influence on the expression of various virulence factors in phytopathogenic bacteria. Thus far, studies regarding this environmental parameter have focused on specific themes and little is known about phytopathogenic bacteria physiology under these conditions. To obtain a global view regarding phytopathogenic bacteria strategies in response to physiologically relevant temperature changes, we used DNA microarray technology to compare the gene expression profile of the model bacterial pathogenP. syringaepv. phaseolicola NPS3121 grown at 18°C and 28°C.

Results

A total of 236 differentially regulated genes were identified, of which 133 were up-regulated and 103 were down-regulated at 18°C compared to 28°C. The majority of these genes are involved in pathogenicity and virulence processes. In general, the results of this study suggest that the expression profile obtained may be related to the fact that low temperatures induce oxidative stress in bacterial cells, which in turn influences the expression of iron metabolism genes. The expression also appears to be correlated with the profile expression obtained in genes related to motility, biofilm production, and the type III secretion system.

Conclusions

From the data obtained in this study, we can begin to understand the strategies used by this phytopathogen during low temperature growth, which can occur in host interactions and disease development.