bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal Infarction in a Patient with Pulmonary Vein Thrombosis after Left Upper Lobectomy
Authors: Manabe Shun , Oshima Yasuko , Nakano Marie , Fujii Teruhiro , Maehara Takamitsu , Nitta Kosaku , Hatano Michiyasu
Published: May 2014

A 43-year-old male experienced renal infarction (RI) following left upper lobectomy for lung cancer. The patient complained of acute-onset severe left flank pain on the 14th postoperative day. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed RI by a large wedge-shaped defect in the left kidney. A chest CT scan located the thrombus in the stump (a blind-ended vessel) of the left superior pulmonary vein. Therefore, thromboembolic RI caused by pulmonary vein thrombosis was suspected. Anticoagulation therapy was initiated with heparin and warfarin to treat RI and to prevent further embolic episodes. Two months later, pulmonary vein thrombosis had resolved without the appearance of additional peripheral infarction. This case emphasizes the need to consider thrombus in the stump of the pulmonary vein as a cause of RI.
Mechanisms That Regulate Macrophage Burden in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Randolph Gwendalyn J
Published: May 2014

Mononuclear phagocytes (MPs) relevant to atherosclerosis include monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. A decade ago, studies on macrophage behavior in atherosclerotic lesions were often limited to quantification of total macrophage area in cross-sections of plaques. Although technological advances are still needed to examine plaque MP populations in an increasingly dynamic and informative manner, innovative methods to interrogate the biology of MPs in atherosclerotic plaques developed in the past few years point to several mechanisms that regulate the accumulation and function of MPs within plaques. Here, I review the evolution of atherosclerotic plaques with respect to changes in the MP compartment from the initiation of plaque to its progression and regression, discussing the roles that recruitment, proliferation, and retention of MPs play at these different disease stages. Additional work in the future will be needed to better distinguish macrophages and dendritic cells in plaque and to address some basic unknowns in the field, including just how cholesterol drives accumulation of macrophages in lesions to build plaques in the first place and how macrophages as major effectors of innate immunity work together with components of the adaptive immune response to drive atherosclerosis. Answers to these questions are sought with the goal in mind of reversing disease where it exists and preventing its development where it does not.
Home‐Based Walking Exercise in Peripheral Artery Disease: 12‐Month Follow‐up of the Goals Randomized Trial
Authors: McDermott Mary M. , Guralnik Jack M. , Criqui Michael H. , Ferrucci Luigi , Zhao Lihui , Liu Kiang , Domanchuk Kathryn , Spring Bonnie , Tian Lu , Kibbe Melina , Liao Yihua , Lloyd Jones Donald , Rejeski W. Jack
Published: May 2014

Background

We studied whether a 6‐month group‐mediated cognitive behavioral (
GMCB
) intervention for peripheral artery disease (
PAD
) participants, which promoted home‐based walking exercise, improved 6‐minute walk and other outcomes at 12‐month follow‐up, 6 months after completing the intervention, compared to a control group.

Methods and Results

We randomized
PAD
participants to a
GMCB
intervention or a control group. During phase I (months 1 to 6), the intervention used group support and self‐regulatory skills during weekly on‐site meetings to help participants adhere to home‐based exercise. The control group received weekly on‐site lectures on topics unrelated to exercise. Primary outcomes were measured at the end of phase I. During phase II (months 7 to 12), each group received telephone contact. Compared to controls, participants randomized to the intervention increased their 6‐minute walk distance from baseline to 12‐month follow‐up, (from 355.4 to 381.9 m in the intervention versus 353.1 to 345.6 m in the control group; mean difference=+34.1 m; 95% confidence interval [
CI]
=+14.6, +53.5;
P
<0.001) and their Walking Impairment Questionnaire (
WIQ
) speed score (from 36.1 to 46.5 in the intervention group versus 34.9 to 36.5 in the control group; mean difference =+8.8; 95%
CI
=+1.6, +16.1;
P
=0.018). Change in the
WIQ
distance score was not different between the 2 groups at 12‐month follow‐up (
P
=0.139).

Conclusions

A weekly on‐site
GMCB
intervention that promoted home‐based walking exercise intervention for people with
PAD
demonstrated continued benefit at 12‐month follow‐up, 6 months after the
GMCB
intervention was completed.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL:
ClinicalTrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00693940.
Assessed by a Teacher Like Me: Race and Teacher Assessments
Authors: Ouazad Amine
Published: May 2014

Do teachers assess same-race students more favorably? This paper uses nationally representative data on teacher assessments of student ability that can be compared with test scores to determine whether teachers give better assessments to same-race students. The data set follows students from kindergarten to grade 5, a period during which racial gaps in test scores increase rapidly. Teacher assessments comprise up to twenty items measuring specific skills. Using a unique within-student and within-teacher identification and while controlling for subject-specific test scores, I find that teachers do assess same-race students more favorably. Effects appear in kindergarten and persist thereafter. Robustness checks suggest that: student behavior does not explain this effect; same-race effects are evident in teacher assessments of most of the skills; grading “on the curve” should be associated with lower assessments; and measurement error in assessments or test scores does not significantly affect the estimates.
Dissociation of Neural Mechanisms for Intersensory Timing Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Harrington Deborah L. , Castillo Gabriel N. , Reed Jason D. , Song David D. , Litvan Irene , Lee Roland R.
Published: May 2014

This study investigated the ability of individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to synthesize temporal information across the senses, namely audition and vision. Auditory signals (A) are perceived as lasting longer than visual signals (V) when they are compared together, since attention is captured and sustained more easily than for visual information. We used the audiovisual illusion to probe for disturbances in brain networks that govern the resolution of time in two intersensory conditions that putatively differ in their attention demands. PD patients and controls judged the relative duration of successively presented pairs of unimodal (AA, VV) and crossmodal (VA, AV) signals whilst undergoing fMRI. There were four main findings. First, underestimation of time was exaggerated in PD when timing depended on controlled attention (AV), whereas subtle deficits were found when audition dominated and attention was more easily sustained (VA). Second, group differences in regional activation were observed only for the AV-unimodal comparison, where the PD group failed to modulate basal ganglia, anterior insula, and inferior cerebellum activity in accord with the timing condition. Third, the intersensory timing conditions were dissociated by patterns of abnormal functional connectivity. When intersensory timing emphasized controlled attention, patients showed weakened connectivity of the cortico-thalamus-basal ganglia (CTBG) circuit and the anterior insula with widespread cortical regions, yet enhanced cerebellar connectivity. When audition dominated intersensory timing, patients showed enhanced connectivity of CTBG elements, the anterior insula, and the cerebellum with the caudate tail and frontal cortex. Fourth, abnormal connectivity measures showed excellent sensitivity and specificity in accurately classifying subjects. The results demonstrate that intersensory timing deficits in PD were well characterized by context-dependent patterns of functional connectivity within a presumed core timing system (CTBG) and a ventral attention hub (anterior insula), and enhanced cerebellar connectivity irrespective of the hypothesized attention demands of timing.
Impaired Numerical Ability Affects Supra-Second Time Estimation
Authors: Gilaie-Dotan Sharon , Rees Geraint , Butterworth Brian , Cappelletti Marinella
Published: May 2014

It has been suggested that the human ability to process number and time both rely on common magnitude mechanisms, yet for time this commonality has mainly been investigated in the sub-second rather than longer time ranges. Here we examined whether number processing is associated with timing in time ranges greater than a second. Specifically, we tested long duration estimation abilities in adults with a developmental impairment in numerical processing (dyscalculia), reasoning that any such timing impairment co-occurring with dyscalculia may be consistent with joint mechanisms for time estimation and number processing. Dyscalculics and age-matched controls were tested on supra-second temporal estimation (12 s), a difficulty-matched non-temporal control task, as well as mathematical abilities. Consistent with our hypothesis, dyscalculics were significantly impaired in supra-second duration estimation but not in the control task. Furthermore, supra-second timing ability positively correlated with mathematical proficiency. All participants reported that they used counting to estimate time, although no specific instructions were given with respect to counting. These results suggest that numerical processing and supra-second temporal estimation share common mechanisms. However, since this conclusion is also based on subjective observations, further work needs to be done to determine whether mathematical impairment co-occurs with supra-second time estimation impairment when counting is not involved in and is objectively controlled for during supra-second timing. We hypothesize that counting, that does not develop normally in dyscalculics, might underlie and adversely affect dyscalculics’ supra-second time estimation performance, rather than an impairment of a magnitude mechanism or the internal clock pacemaker.
The new Southeast Asian goblin spider genus Aposphragisma (Araneae, Oonopidae): diversity and phylogeny
Authors: THOMA MARCO , KRANZ-BALTENSPERGER YVONNE , KROPF CHRISTIAN , GRABER WERNER , NENTWIG WOLFGANG , FRICK HOLGER
Published: May 2014

The new genus Aposphragisma (Araneae, Oonopidae, Oonopinae) comprising the new species A. baltenspergerae, A. borgulai, A. brunomanseri, A. confluens, A. dayak, A. dentatum, A. draconigenum, A. hausammannae, A. helvetiorum, A. kolleri, A. menzi, A. monoceros, A. nocturnum, A. retifer, A. rimba, A. salewskii, A. scimitar, A. sepilok and A. stannum is described. It is characterised by very hard bodied, strongly sclerotized species with completely armoured prosoma and strongly sclerotized ventral and dorsal abdominal scuta. Aposphragisma gen. nov. is placed within the Gamasomorpha-group sensu Saaristo (2001). Descriptions and illustrations are given for all new species. A phylogenetic analysis based on 40 characters using Prethopalpus fosuma, Gamasomorpha asterobothros, G. cataphracta, G. seximpressa, Xestaspis biflocci, X. kandy and X. paulina as outgroup-taxa and Cortestina thaleri (Oonopidae, Sulsulinae) as the root is presented and discussed. Furthermore it is shown that females of Aposphragisma gen. nov. possess complex internal genitalia. The members of the new genus are ground-dwelling litter inhabitants restricted to Southeast Asian lowland and montane forests, with more than 60% of the species only known from single localities. They are presumed to be negatively affected by the massive destruction of pristine forest habitats within their range. This work has been conducted within the framework of the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory (PBI) of Oonopidae (see http://research.amnh.org/oonopidae).
A world revision of the bee fly tribe Usiini (Diptera, Bombyliidae) Part 2: Usia sensu stricto
Authors: GIBBS DAVID
Published: May 2014

This is the second part of a world revision of the genera Usia Latreille and Parageron Paramonov, of the tribe Usiini Becker, and covers the pale-haired species, the Usia sensu stricto group. Usia sensu stricto as defined here contains 24 species of which 16 species fall into two monophyletic groups, the U. lata group with 10 species and the U. florea group with six species. Eight species cannot be placed in either of these two groups, four of them form two pairs of sibling species while the remaining four species have no clear affinities. Of the 25 formerly available names that belong in Usia sensu stricto, U. putilla Becker stat. rev., previously synonymised under U. angustifrons, is reinstated as a full species. U. sicula Egger syn. nov., is synonymised under U. manca Loew, U. anus Becker syn. nov., is synonymised under U. vestita Macquart and U. claripennis Macquart syn. nov., is synonymised under U. atrata (Fabricius). Usia vicina Macquart, formerly placed as a synonym of U. atrata, is shown to be a junior synonym of U. aenea Rossi. Five new species are described, U. anatoliensis sp. nov., U. annetteae sp. nov., U. greatheadi sp. nov., U. maghrebensis sp. nov. and U. cornigera sp. nov. Both the male and female genitalia are illustrated in detail for 21 species, female only in the cases of U. calva Loew and U. notata Loew and male only for U. incognita Paramonov.
South Asian Summer Monsoon and the Eastern Mediterranean Climate: The Monsoon–Desert Mechanism in CMIP5 Simulations
Authors: Cherchi Annalisa , Annamalai H. , Masina Simona , Navarra Antonio
Published: May 2014

Dry summers over the eastern Mediterranean are characterized by strong descent anchored by long Rossby waves, which are forced by diabatic heating associated with summer monsoon rainfall over South Asia. The large-scale teleconnection between rising and subsiding air masses is referred to as the “monsoon–desert mechanism.” This study evaluates the ability of the phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) models in representing the physical processes involved in this mechanism.

An evaluation of statistics between summer climatologies of monsoon diabatic heating and that of vertical velocity over the eastern Mediterranean suggests a linear relationship. Despite large spatial diversity in monsoon heating, descent over the Mediterranean is coherently located and realistic in intensity. To measure the sensitivity of descent to the diversity in the horizontal and vertical distribution of monsoon heating, a series of linear atmosphere model experiments are performed. It is shown that column-integrated heating over both the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea provides the largest descent with a more realistic spatial pattern. In the vertical, CMIP5 models underestimate the diabatic heating at upper levels, while they overestimate it at lower levels, resulting in a weaker forced response and weaker associated descent over the Mediterranean. A moist static energy budget analysis applied to CMIP5 suggests that most models capture the dominant role of horizontal temperature advection and radiative fluxes in balancing descent over the Mediterranean. Based on the objective analysis herein, a subset of models is identified that captures the teleconnection for reasons consistent with observations. The recognized processes vary at interannual time scales as well, with imprints of severe weak/strong monsoons noticeable over the Mediterranean.
The Changing Governance of Education
Authors: Balarin Maria
Published: May 2014

This paper explores the changing governance of education in two distinct contexts: England and Peru. While there are major differences between these two cases, the paper argues that a common agenda can be identified where an increasing degree of organizational hybridity is patent—where the traditionally distinct goals and rationales of public and private sectors are being recombined. Although this agenda has been very differently enacted in the two contexts, it has generated similar outcomes, which include an increasing degree of fragmentation of educational services and a consequent depolitization of education. In this process, education has been transformed from a contested space of knowledge and identity formation to a commodity bought, sold, and administered through the rules of the market and has been recast as a private rather than public good. This, it is argued, is contributing to the emergence of more segregated education systems and to the rise of equally segregated societies.
Mean Platelet Volume on Admission Improves Risk Prediction in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Niu Xiaowei , Yang Cuiling , Zhang Yiming , Zhang Hengliang , Yao Yali
Published: May 2014

Our aim was to evaluate the incremental predictive value of adding mean platelet volume (MPV) to the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score. The MPV and GRACE score were determined on admission in 509 consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Six-month mortality or nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) was the study end point. Overall, 61 (12%) patients reached the combined end point. Cox multivariate analysis showed that an elevated MPV was an independent predictor of 6-month mortality or MI in patients with ACS. The addition of MPV to the GRACE model improved its global fit and discriminatory capacity. The new model including MPV allowed adequate reclassification of 16% of the patients. In conclusion, the inclusion of MPV into the GRACE risk score could allow improved risk classification, thereby refining risk stratification of patients with ACS.
The visible hand of consultants in the construction of the markets for virtue: Translating issues, negotiating boundaries and enacting responsive regulations
Authors: Brès Luc , Gond Jean-Pascal
Published: May 2014

Although the resurgence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been described as the development of ‘markets for virtue’, little is known about the social construction of CSR markets. Prior works either focus on the economic potential of these markets or criticize the social commodification they reflect, denying them any virtue other than generating profit or maintaining the capitalist status quo. This article uses the case of the market for CSR consultancy in Québec to make ‘visible’ the hand of management consultants in the creation of markets for virtue. Building on interviews with 23 consultants and secondary data, we relate three narrative accounts that highlight complementary facets of the construction of the market for CSR consultancy. Our narratives shed light on three distinctive roles of CSR consultants as social and environmental issues translators, market boundary negotiators and responsive regulation enactors. These roles clarify the regulative dynamics underlying CSR commodification and advance our understanding of consultancy work in the CSR domain.
Transformation through tension: The moderating impact of negative affect on transformational leadership in teams
Authors: Mitchell Rebecca , Boyle Brendan , Parker Vicki , Giles Michelle , Joyce Pauline , Chiang Vico
Published: May 2014

Transformational leadership has consistently been argued to enhance diverse team outcomes, yet related research has generated ambiguous findings. We suggest that effectiveness is enhanced in interprofessional teams when transformational leaders engender dynamics that are characterized by interprofessional motivation and openness to diversity. Drawing on the mood-as-information perspective, we argue that negative affective tone moderates the impact of these mediators on team effectiveness. Further, we suggest that this moderating role is such that conditions of high negative affect enhance the mediating role of interprofessional motivation, while low negative affect strengthens the mediating role of openness to diversity. In order to investigate these divergent effects, the current study develops a model of leadership and interprofessional team effectiveness through two pathways reflecting the parallel mediating effects of interprofessional motivation and openness to diversity, and a moderating role for negative affect. Findings from a survey-based study of 75 healthcare teams support the utility of this model.
Nourishing the city: The rise of the urban food question in the Global North
Authors: Morgan Kevin
Published: May 2014

The urban food question is forcing itself up the political agenda in the Global North because of a new food equation that spells the end of the ‘cheap food’ era, fuelling nutritional poverty in the cities of Europe and North America. This article explores the rise of the urban food question in the Global North through the multiple prisms of theory, policy and political practice. First, it explores the theoretical ways in which the food system is being framed in urban planning, urban political ecology and community food security. Second, it charts the rise of new urban foodscapes associated with urban agriculture and public health. Finally, it identifies a new urban food politics and asks if this constitutes a new social movement.
Rural Tourism Development
Authors: Nicely Annmarie , Sydnor Sandra
Published: May 2014

Cultural characteristics that make rural destinations appealing to visitors could limit local engagement in rural tourism development as well. So, the paper looked at St. Thomas in Jamaica to determine the elements of their culture on which a strong rural tourism product could be built but could also limit local participation in the development of their rural tourism industry. St. Thomas is a rural island community with a rich history steeped in colonialism. Interviews and radio program transcripts as well as notes from a town hall meeting of residents were analyzed. Fifteen elements were identified in this community’s culture that explain their traditional, conservative, close to nature, and spiritual way of life; five were identified as possible drivers of community members’ nonengagement behaviors. A holistic approach to resolving cultural dichotomies in rural tourism communities that would preserve cultural characteristics treasured locally and improve local engagement behaviors was proposed.
Women Warriors
Authors: King Anthony C.
Published: May 2014

In a recent article on female marines in the US Marine Corps, Connie Brownson has proposed the concept of equivalency rather than equality as a way of understanding their integration into the organization. Because of their almost inevitable physical inferiority to their male comrades, women cannot be regarded as fully equal in a Corps that prioritizes physical strength. However, they are respected and accepted as equivalent if they can perform their specialist military roles with competence and professionalism. This response examines the question of equivalence to assess its adequacy to contemporary gender transformations in the military.
Assessing the Psychological Consequences of Internalized Colonialism on the Psychological Well-Being of Young Adults in Ghana
Authors: Utsey Shawn O. , Abrams Jasmine A. , Opare-Henaku Annabella , Bolden Mark A. , Williams Otis
Published: May 2014

This study examined the psychometric properties of a revised version of the Colonial Mentality Scale in a sample Ghanaian young adults (CMS-G; N = 431). In addition, the degree to which mental health and self- and group-concept was effected by internalized notions of colonial mentality was assessed. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to evaluate the underlying factor structure of the CMS-G. The findings indicated that the CMS-G produced a four-factor orthogonal model as best representing the construct of colonial mentality among Ghanaian young adults. CMS-G scores correlated in the anticipated direction with self-esteem, collective self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Additional analyses indicated that Ghanaian young adults endorsed colonial mentality items associated with physical characteristics and colonial debt with a higher frequency than other CMS-G items. Men endorsed colonial debt items statistically significantly more than women. Implications for the study’s findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are presented.
Dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in apical ballooning syndrome (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy)
Authors: Liang JJ , Janish CD , Bishu KG , Reeder GS
Published: May 2014

Patients with apical ballooning syndrome may develop dynamic left ventricular outflow obstruction due to systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve leaflet and secondary functional mitral regurgitation, causing decreased cardiac output and hypotension. If suspected, bedside echocardiography will quickly confirm this complication. Positive inotropic/chronotropic agents should be avoided as they may exacerbate outflow tract obstruction, resulting in further hemodynamic compromise.
Competitiveness through cooperation: Analysis of spatial patterns and inter-jurisdictional collaboration in the place branding of Ontario communities, Canada
Authors: Cleave Evan , Arku Godwin
Published: May 2014

Place branding is an important tool of economic development, underpinned by neoliberal policy and the processes of global competitiveness as communities at all geographic scales are becoming the primary nexus for economic development, and are forced to compete with one another for finite resources, direct investment, talent and immigrants, and tourism. Within the framework of global competition, it is often argued that communities can undertake inter-jurisdictional cooperation to enhance their competitiveness. To this end, this paper attempts to fill a gap in place branding literature by examining whether there are clusters of communities that currently have the potential to cooperate in their branding efforts. This research uses spatial autocorrelation of place brands amongst the communities of Ontario, Canada, to identify potential global patterns in branding and groups of neighbouring communities with similar brand messages. The results of this analysis show that Ontario has the potential for as many as 20 clusters in a variety of economic sectors. The existence of these clusters, therefore, provides a template for future place branding policy development within the province, allowing the participating communities an opportunity to remain relevant against global competitors.
Indirect pushing based automated micromanipulation of biological cells using optical tweezers
Authors: Thakur Atul , Chowdhury Sagar , Švec Petr , Wang Chenlu , Losert Wolfgang , Gupta Satyandra K.
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we introduce an indirect pushing based technique for automated micromanipulation of biological cells. In indirect pushing, an optically trapped glass bead pushes a freely diffusing intermediate bead that in turn pushes a freely diffusing target cell towards a desired goal. Some cells can undergo significant changes in their behaviors as a result of direct exposure to a laser beam. Indirect pushing eliminates this problem by minimizing the exposure of the cell to the laser beam. We report an automated feedback planning algorithm that combines three motion maneuvers, namely, push, align, and backup for micromanipulation of cells. We have developed a dynamics based simulation model of indirect pushing dynamics and also identified parameters of measurement noise using physical experiments. We present an optimization-based approach for automated tuning of planner parameters to enhance its robustness. Finally, we have tested the developed planner using our optical tweezers physical setup and carried out a detailed analysis of the experimental results. The developed approach can be utilized in biological experiments for studying collective cell migration by accurately arranging the cells in arrays without exposing them to a laser beam.
The rise and fall of startups: Creation and destruction of revenue and jobs by young companies
Authors: Davila Antonio , Foster George , He Xiaobin , Shimizu Carlos
Published: May 2014

Using a large multi-country multi-industry sample of over 158,000 companies, the early-stage company sector is documented to have sizable destruction of revenues and jobs and as well as sizable gross creation of revenues and jobs. The creation aspect has captured the dominant attention of researchers, commentators, and policy makers. Destruction, despite its large magnitude, has long been a backwater of research and most commentary on this sector. Destruction is not simply non-growth but rather prior growth that is subsequently reversed. This paper analyzes creation and destruction evidence across 10 different countries and across eight different major industry groups. Yearly growth/decline rates using revenues and headcount for Years 2 to 5 are analyzed. In each of the three growth years examined there are large amounts of destruction as well as creation simultaneously occurring. For example, in Year 5 gross revenue destruction is 34% of gross revenue creation whilst gross job destruction is 65% of gross job creation. A small percentage of companies accounts for a large percentage of the total job and revenue destruction each year. This small percentage of large destroyers is especially interesting because they had to have had, by necessity, prior sizable creation. This rapid rise and subsequent rapid fall has been very much ignored in the research literature. Regression analysis highlights this aspect for the sample of destroyers. The diverse sources of revenue and job destruction are discussed and potential fruitful research directions highlighted.
Two Novel Mutations in the C-Terminal Region of Centrosomal Protein 290 (CEP290) Result in Classic Joubert Syndrome
Authors: Wang Lixia , Yang Yun , Song Jieping , Mao Liangwei , Wei Xiaoming , Sun Yan , Yang Shuang , Mu Feng , Wang Hairong , Niu Yanfeng
Published: May 2014

Joubert syndrome is a neurologic disorder with a pathognomonic “molar tooth sign” on brain imaging. The purpose of this study was to identify potential mutations in a Chinese patient with Joubert syndrome by targeted massively parallel sequencing. Taking advantage of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, 18 Joubert-causing genes of a Chinese patient with classic Joubert syndrome were sequenced at a time, and 2 novel variants in the CEP290 gene (c.7323_7327delAGAAG and c.6012-2A>G) were identified in this patient. Sanger validation showed that 2 variants were inherited from each parents, respectively. Both variants are located in the C-terminal region of the CEP290 protein and are predicted to be deleterious. The results support that the combination of targeted genes enrichment and next-generation sequencing is valuable molecular diagnostic tool and suitable for clinical application.
Transient Restricted Diffusion of Corpus Callosum and Subcortical White Matter Following Febrile Status Epilepticus
Authors: Jain Puneet , Sharma Suvasini , Dhingra Dhulika , Aneja Satinder
Published: May 2014

We describe the case of a 4½-year-old girl with prolonged febrile status followed by abnormal behavior and loss of speech. Interesting findings on diffusion-restricted imaging were noted. The clinicoradiologic possibilities are discussed.
Encouraging Responses in Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention
Authors: Moynihan Mary M. , Banyard Victoria L. , Cares Alison C. , Potter Sharyn J. , Williams Linda M. , Stapleton Jane G.
Published: May 2014

Colleges and universities are high-risk settings for sexual and relationship violence. To address these problems, institutions of higher education have implemented prevention programs, many of which train students as potential bystanders who can step in to help diffuse risky situations, identify and challenge perpetrators, and assist victims. The impact of bystander sexual and relationship violence prevention programs on long-term behavior of bystanders has remained a key unanswered question for those who seek to offer the most effective programs as well as for policy makers. In this study, the researchers experimentally evaluated the effectiveness of the Bringing in the Bystander® in-person program. Participants were 948 1st-year college students of whom 47.8% were women and 85.2% identified as White (15% also identified as Hispanic in a separate question) between the ages of 18 and 24 at two universities (one a rural, primarily residential campus and the other an urban, highly commuter campus) in the northeastern United States. To date, this is the first study to have found positive behavior changes as long-lasting as 1 year following an educational workshop focusing on engaging bystanders in preventing sexual and relationship violence. Even so, many questions remain to be answered about prevention and intervention of this type. More prospective research is needed on bystander-focused prevention of these forms of violence to help understand and better predict the complicated relationships both between and among the attitudes and behaviors related to preventing sexual and relationship violence. In this regard, we make specific recommendations for designing and evaluating programs based on our findings relating to the importance of moderators, especially two key understudied ones, readiness to help and opportunity to intervene.
Child Maltreatment and Educational Attainment in Young Adulthood
Authors: Tanaka Masako , Georgiades Katholiki , Boyle Michael H. , MacMillan Harriet L.
Published: May 2014

There is increasing evidence for the adverse effects of child maltreatment on academic performance; however, most of these studies used selective samples and did not account for potential confounding or mediating factors. We examined the relationship between child physical abuse (PA; severe and non-severe) and sexual abuse (SA) and educational attainment (years of education, failure to graduate from high school) with a Canadian community sample. We used data from the Ontario Child Health Study ( N = 1,893), a province-wide longitudinal survey. Potential confounding variables (family socio-demographic and parental capacity) and child-level characteristics were assessed in 1983, and child abuse was determined in 2000-2001 based on retrospective self-report. Results showed that PA and SA were associated with several factors indicative of social disadvantage in childhood. Multilevel regression analyses for years of education revealed a significant estimate for severe PA based on the unadjusted model (−0.60 years, 95% CI = [−0.45, −0.76]); estimates for non-severe PA (0.05 years, CI = [−0.15, 0.26]) and SA (−0.25 years, CI = [−0.09, −0.42]) were not significant. In the adjusted full model, the only association to reach significance was between severe PA and reduced years of education (−0.31 years, CI = [−0.18, −0.44]). Multilevel regression analyses for failure to graduate from high school showed significant unadjusted estimates for severe PA (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = [1.21, 2.58]) and non-severe PA (OR = 1.61, CI = [1.01, 2.57]); SA was not associated with this outcome (OR = 1.40, CI = [0.94, 2.07]). In the adjusted full models, there were no significant associations between child abuse variables and failure to graduate. The magnitude of effect of PA on both outcomes was reduced largely by child individual characteristics. These findings generally support earlier research, indicating the adverse effects of child maltreatment on educational attainment. Of particular note, severe PA was associated with reduced years of education after accounting for a comprehensive set of potential confounding variables and child characteristics.
Consumer Oriented and Operated [Health Care] Plans
Authors: Martin William (Marty)
Published: May 2014

Given the recent passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA), the current environment represents an opportunity for employers to reevaluate their approaches to health care provision. In this vein, the aim of this article is to explore a possibly significant source of innovation in the provision of health care benefits, the financing of health care coverage and the delivery of health care services: the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP), which is a new choice for employers arising from the PPACA. This article examines whether employers will continue to offer health insurance as a benefit, whether nonprofit employers will develop CO-OPs and whether all employers will encourage their employees to sign up for CO-OPs from among the health plan alternatives in the public exchanges. CO-OPs are found to be a potentially attractive health care alternative that should be considered by various types of organizations.
Shell mounds as environmental proxies on the southern coast of Brazil
Authors: Villagran Ximena S , Giannini Paulo CF
Published: May 2014

Despite the multiple constraints of using shell mounds for building relative-sea-level (RSL) curves, one of the premises behind this use is still valid in modern archaeological research. This refers to the sites being continuously built near bodies of water rich in fish species and mollusk beds. Studies that combine the evolution of settlement patterns with the geological evolution of coastal areas in Brazil reach analogous results: the distribution of shell mounds in time and space follows the landscape transformations induced by RSL variations through the Holocene. Although shell mounds are not precise indicators of RSL, they provide evidences of the paleo-geographical changes during the Holocene, of which RSL is one of the many control variables. By collecting and transporting mollusks to the shell mounds, humans inevitably carry sediments from the substrate where mollusks live, for example, the beaches and lagoons near the sites. In this work, the geoarchaeological study of three shell mounds located in the southern coast of Santa Catarina State, combined with mollusk taxa identification, show the direct association of shell mound content with the changing landscape. The predominance of Ostrea sp. versus Anomalocardia brasiliana, the presence of colluvial versus lagoonal sediments, and the occurrence of echinoid spines versus muddy aggregates with diatoms, gastropods, and glauconitic clay characterize the distinction between sites built before and after the maximum Holocene transgression, respectively. This attests the potential of geoarchaeological analyses in shell mounds as a complementary proxy for paleo-environmental reconstructions.
Individualized dynamic prediction of prostate cancer recurrence with and without the initiation of a second treatment: Development and validation
Authors: Sène Mbéry , Taylor Jeremy MG , Dignam James J , Jacqmin-Gadda Hélène , Proust-Lima Cécile
Published: May 2014

With the emergence of rich information on biomarkers after treatments, new types of prognostic tools are being developed: dynamic prognostic tools that can be updated at each new biomarker measurement. Such predictions are of interest in oncology where after an initial treatment, patients are monitored with repeated biomarker data. However, in such setting, patients may receive second treatments to slow down the progression of the disease. This paper aims to develop and validate dynamic individual predictions that allow the possibility of a new treatment in order to help understand the benefit of initiating new treatments during the monitoring period. The prediction of the event in the next x years is done under two scenarios: (1) the patient initiates immediately a second treatment, (2) the patient does not initiate any treatment in the next x years. Predictions are derived from shared random-effect models. Applied to prostate cancer data, different specifications for the dependence between the prostate-specific antigen repeated measures, the initiation of a second treatment (hormonal therapy), and the risk of clinical recurrence are investigated and compared. The predictive accuracy of the dynamic predictions is evaluated with two measures (Brier score and prognostic cross-entropy) for which approximated cross-validated estimators are proposed.
Health Care Providers’ Perceptions of Maternal Health Concerns in the Solomon Islands
Authors: Yang Yung-Mei , Hsiao Shih-Huai , Chou Fan-Hao , Hou Levi , Lee Shu-Li , Lin Yu-Hua
Published: May 2014

Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the maternal health risk factors and sentinel events among women in the Solomon Islands, from the viewpoints of health care providers in the Solomon Islands. Design and Method: Three focus group interviews were conducted in July and August 2011 at a secondary referral hospital in an urban area. The study consisted of 10 registered nurses and 11 skilled birth assistants. Thematic analysis was used for this qualitative data analysis. Findings: Six major themes were emerged from the data: (a) environmental hazard: malaria, (b) malnutrition: iron deficiency anemia, (c) adolescent pregnancy, (d) betel nut chewing, (e) cultural beliefs influencing women’s health, and (f) difficulty accessing health care services. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: The results of this study provide a useful first step toward identifying specific maternal health risks among women in the Solomon Islands. The findings may assist the health sector and midwives/antenatal educators to better understand the health risks and reduce the disease burden among pregnant women in South Pacific countries. The results may also contribute to the development of policies to improve maternal health and to accelerate progress toward the fifth target goal of UNICEF’s Millennium Development Goals.
Acculturation, Medication Adherence, Lifestyle Behaviors, and Blood Pressure Control Among Arab Americans
Authors: Tailakh Ayman K. , Evangelista Lorraine S. , Morisky Donald E. , Mentes Janet C. , Pike Nancy A. , Phillips Linda R.
Published: May 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between acculturation, medication adherence, lifestyle behaviors (e.g., physical activity, nutrition, weight control), and blood pressure control among hypertensive Arab Americans. Design: The study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive design. A convenience sample of 126 participants completed questionnaires and had measures of blood pressure, weight, and height. Forty-six participants were hypertensive and were included in the analysis. Results: Only 29.2% of participants reported high medication adherence. High medication adherence was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure, eating a healthy diet, and following lifestyle modifications. Acculturation was significantly associated with physical activity and body mass index. Conclusion: Our study found that acculturated participants were more adherent to medications and physical activity and had better blood pressure control. Further studies are needed to explore how acculturation improves adherence and what factors contribute to better adherence in order to design culturally sensitive interventions.
Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Korean American Immigrant Women
Authors: Lee Hee Yun , Stange Mia Ju , Ahluwalia Jasjit S.
Published: May 2014

This study examined the utilization of clinical breast examinations (CBEs) and mammograms among Korean American immigrant women and investigated how the six constructs of Health Belief Model (HBM) are associated with the receipt of breast cancer screening. Using a quota sampling strategy, 202 Korean American immigrant women were recruited in metropolitan areas in the northeastern United States. Approximately 64% of the participants reported having had at least one CBE in their lifetime, and about 81% of the sample had undergone at least one mammogram in their lifetime. Women who perceived themselves to be susceptible to breast cancer were more likely to have undergone a CBE, and women who had lower barriers to screening or demonstrated a higher level of confidence were more likely than their counterparts to undergo a mammogram. Findings suggest that HBM constructs such as susceptibility, barriers, and confidence should be considered when designing interventions aimed at promoting breast cancer screening.
Experimental characterization of a bi-dimensional array of negative capacitance piezo-patches for vibroacoustic control
Authors: Tateo F , Collet M , Ouisse M , Ichchou MN , Cunefare KA , Abbe P
Published: May 2014

This study presents an experimental investigation of the application of a periodic array of shunted piezoelectric patches with negative capacitance for the broadband control of waves propagating on a flexible plate. A 15 × 5 array of piezoelectric patches is bonded onto the top surface of a freely supported rectangular plate. The patch array is intended to serve as an active interface between two regions of the plate, where one region has an input disturbance force and the other does not. Each patch is shunted through a single circuit, reproducing a resistance in series with a negative capacitance. The magnitude of the reactive part of the negative shunting impedance is tuned close to the intrinsic capacitance of the piezoelectric patch. The real part is adjusted for either light damping so as to induce a reactive (reflective) response, or with heavy damping to induce greater absorption. The experimental responses of the system equipped with this active interface display a strong attenuation or reflection of vibrations, depending on the shunt resistance, over a large frequency range, including the mid-frequency regime. In an effort to control vibroacoustic phenomena, this study represents the first attempt to implement an integrated smart metacomposite active interface on a plate structure.
Dielectric relaxation effect on flow behavior of electrorheological fluids
Authors: Wang Zhiyuan , Gong Xinglong , Yang Fan , Jiang Wanquan , Xuan Shouhu
Published: May 2014

The dielectric relaxation effect on the flow behavior of electrorheological fluids under dynamic shear was studied. The flow curves of electrorheological fluids in the dynamic state were simulated with shear rates from 0.1 to 1000 s−1 under different relaxation times. When the magnitude of the relaxation time is smaller than 10−2 s, the break shear rate changes little at different relaxation times. But the break shear rate changes obviously when the magnitude of the relaxation time is larger than 10−2 s. To further understand the influence of the relaxation time, Sr/Ba-doped TiO2 electrorheological fluids were prepared and their dielectric properties and flow curves under shear flow were tested. The relaxation time of the electrorheological fluid is influenced by the Sr/Ti mole ratio but not the Ba/Ti mole ratio, and the electrorheological effects of the fluids were highly influenced by varying the Sr/Ti mole ratios. The experimental results agreed well with the above computer simulation. Finally, a possible mechanism was proposed to explain the effect of dielectric relaxation on flow behavior of electrorheological fluids.
The Role of Personality in the Career Decision-Making Difficulties of Italian Young Adults
Authors: Di Fabio Annamaria , Palazzeschi Letizia , Levin Nimrod , Gati Itamar
Published: May 2014

Both career-related developmental indecision and chronic indecisiveness are manifested in the difficulties individuals experience when choosing a career. Developmental career indecision is often regarded as a normal stage that many individuals undergo, regardless of individual differences in various personality factors. Testing this premise was the focus of this study. Specifically, the associations between career decision-making difficulties (Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire, a measure of developmental career indecision) and the Big Five personality factors were investigated among participants from three educational settings: 248 high school students, 167 on-the-job training (OJT) interns, and 186 university students. The results revealed that university students experience less developmental career indecision than high school students and OJT interns, suggesting that individuals’ educational setting affects the prevalence of such difficulties. However, the personality factors of Extroversion and Neuroticism consistently explained a significantly larger percentage of variance in participants’ developmental career indecision levels in all three samples than did educational setting or age. These results suggest that developmental career indecision may in fact be more personality related than previously thought.