bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD): Rationale, Study Design, and Cohort Description
Authors: Dardiotis Efthimios , Kosmidis Mary H. , Yannakoulia Mary , Hadjigeorgiou Georgios M. , Scarmeas Nikolaos
Published: July 2014

Background: Accumulating epidemiological evidence from several populations supports the important role of the Mediterranean-type diet (MeDi) in reducing the risk for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relevant literature is clearly deficient for most Mediterranean countries that more closely adhere to the originally described MeDi. Greece resides in the Mediterranean basin, and older generations traditionally adhere to a MeDi. Methods: We here present the design and the preliminary baseline characteristics of the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD). The HELIAD is a population-based, multidisciplinary, collaborative study designed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of AD, other dementias, mild cognitive impairment, and other neuropsychiatric conditions of aging in the Greek population and to investigate associations between nutrition and cognitive dysfunction/age-related neuropsychiatric diseases in this Mediterranean population. The study also ascertains several demographic, medical, social, environmental, clinical, nutritional, and neuropsychological determinants and lifestyle activities. Results: In total, 1,050 participants of a random sample have already completed the initial evaluation. The subjects were, on average, 73.4 (SD = 6.0) years old, 60% of the sample were female, and most of the participants were poorly educated with an average of 5.41 (SD = 3.5) years of education. The performance on the neuropsychological tests was equivalent to the average scores of previous normative Greek samples. More than one third of the population under investigation was considered to be at high risk for malnutrition. Conclusions: The HELIAD may provide important data for expanding our knowledge regarding the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors of AD and several other neuropsychiatric diseases in the Mediterranean region.
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Diagnosing Dementia: A Dutch Outpatient Memory Clinics Survey
Authors: Boelaarts Leo , Scheltens Philip , de Jonghe Jos
Published: July 2014

Background: In the Netherlands, dementia syndromes are diagnosed in specialized memory outpatient clinics (MC). Many radiologists are not trained to assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans with respect to possible radiological changes that may indicate neurodegenerative disease. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. A survey was sent to all Dutch MC and included questions as to how MRI scans are assessed by radiologists and how these assessments are used in the diagnostic process. Results: In most MC, radiologists report on typical Alzheimer pathology and large vessel disease. Small vessel disease and other anatomical changes signifying neurodegenerative disease frequently are not assessed. In the majority of MC, the radiological assessment is not standardized, and physicians assess MRI for themselves to use this information to discuss the consensus diagnosis subsequently. Conclusion: MRI assessment by radiologists in Dutch MC probably underestimates the presence of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disease. The validity of standardized assessment protocols in routine clinical practice deserves further study, as the implementation of standardization outside research settings could improve diagnostic accuracy.
Prediction of 30-Year Risk for Cardiovascular Mortality by Fitness and Risk Factor Levels
Authors: Wickramasinghe Chanaka D. , Ayers Colby R. , Das Sandeep , de Lemos James A. , Willis Benjamin L. , Berry Jarett D.
Published: July 2014

Background—

Fitness and traditional risk factors have well-known associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD) death in both short-term (10 years) and across the remaining lifespan. However, currently available short-term and long-term risk prediction tools do not incorporate measured fitness.

Methods and Results—

We included 16 533 participants from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (CCLS) without prior CVD. Fitness was measured using the Balke protocol. Sex-specific fitness levels were derived from the Balke treadmill times and categorized into low, intermediate, and high fit according to age- and sex-specific treadmill times. Sex-specific 30-year risk estimates for CVD death adjusted for competing risk of non-CVD death were estimated using the cause-specific hazards model and included age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fitness, diabetes mellitus, total cholesterol, and smoking. During a median follow-up period of 28 years, there were 1123 CVD deaths. The 30-year risk estimates for CVD mortality derived from the cause-specific hazards model demonstrated overall good calibration (Nam-D’Agostino χ
2
[men,
P
=0.286; women,
P
=0.664] and discrimination (
c
statistic; men, 0.81 [0.80–0.82] and women, 0.86 [0.82–0.91]). Across all risk factor strata, the presence of low fitness was associated with a greater 30-year risk for CVD death.

Conclusions—

Fitness represents an important additional covariate in 30-year risk prediction functions that may serve as a useful tool in clinical practice.
Socioeconomic Inequality and Peripheral Artery Disease Prevalence in US Adults
Authors: Pande Reena L. , Creager Mark A.
Published: July 2014

Background—

Lower socioeconomic status is associated with cardiovascular disease. We sought to determine whether there is a higher prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in individuals with lower socioeconomic status.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2004. PAD was defined based on an ankle–brachial index ≤0.90. Measures of socioeconomic status included poverty–income ratio, a ratio of self-reported income relative to the poverty line, and attained education level. Of 6791 eligible participants, overall weighted prevalence of PAD was 5.8% (SE, 0.3). PAD prevalence was significantly higher in individuals with low income and lower education. Individuals in the lowest of the 6 poverty–income ratio categories had more than a 2-fold increased odds of PAD compared with those in the highest poverty–income ratio category (odds ratio, 2.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.80–4.03;
P
<0.0001). This association remained significant even after multivariable adjustment (odds ratio, 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–2.6;
P
=0.034). Lower attained education level also associated with higher PAD prevalence (odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.96–4.0;
P
<0.0001) but was no longer significant after multivariable adjustment.

Conclusions—

Low income and lower attained education level are associated with PAD in US adults. These data suggest that individuals of lower socioeconomic status remain at high risk and highlight the need for education and advocacy efforts focused on these at-risk populations.
Quality-of-Life Outcomes With a Disodium EDTA Chelation Regimen for Coronary Disease
Authors: Mark Daniel B. , Anstrom Kevin J. , Clapp-Channing Nancy E. , Knight J. David , Boineau Robin , Goertz Christine , Rozema Theodore C. , Liu Diane M. , Nahin Richard L. , Rosenberg Yves , Drisko Jeanne , Lee Kerry L. , Lamas Gervasio A.
Published: July 2014

Background—

The National Institutes of Health–funded Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) randomized 1708 stable coronary disease patients aged ≥50 years who were ≥6 months post–myocardial infarction (2003–2010) to 40 infusions of a multicomponent EDTA chelation solution or placebo. Chelation reduced the primary composite end point of mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for angina (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.69–0.99;
P
=0.035).

Methods and Results—

In a randomly selected subset of 911 patients, we prospectively collected a battery of quality-of-life (QOL) instruments at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months after randomization. The prespecified primary QOL measures were the Duke Activity Status Index (Table I in the Data Supplement) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 Mental Health Inventory-5. All comparisons were by intention to treat. Baseline clinical and QOL variables were well balanced in the 451 patients randomized to chelation and in the 460 patients randomized to placebo. The Duke Activity Status Index improved in both groups during the first 6 months of therapy, but we found no evidence for a treatment-related difference (mean difference [chelation−placebo] during follow-up, 0.9 [95% confidence interval, −0.7 to 2.6;
P
=0.27]). There was no statistically significant evidence of a treatment-related difference in the Mental Health Inventory-5 during follow-up (mean difference, 1.0; 95% confidence interval, −0.1 to 2.0;
P
=0.08). None of the secondary QOL measures showed a consistent treatment-related difference.

Conclusions—

In stable, predominantly asymptomatic coronary disease patients with a history of myocardial infarction, EDTA chelation therapy did not have a detectable effect on QOL during 2 years of follow-up.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00044213.
Bone Marrow Cell Transplantation Time-Dependently Abolishes Efficacy of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor After Stroke in Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Pösel Claudia , Scheibe Johanna , Kranz Alexander , Bothe Viktoria , Quente Elfi , Fröhlich Wenke , Lange Franziska , Schäbitz Wolf-Rüdiger , Minnerup Jens , Boltze Johannes , Wagner Daniel-Christoph
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose—

We aimed to determine a possible synergistic effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and bone marrow–derived mononuclear cells (BM MNC) after stroke in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Methods—

Male spontaneously hypertensive rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and randomly assigned to daily injection of 50 μg/kg G-CSF for 5 days starting 1 hour after stroke (groups 1, 2, and 3) with additional intravenous transplantation of 1.5×10E7 BM MNC per kilogram at 6 hours (group 2) or 48 hours (group 3) after stroke, or control treatment (group 4). Circulating leukocyte counts and functional deficits, infarct volume, and brain edema were repeatedly assessed in the first week and first month.

Results—

G-CSF treatment led to a significant neutrophilia, to a reversal of postischemic depression of circulating leukocytes, and to a significantly improved functional recovery without affecting the infarct volume or brain edema. BM MNC cotransplantation was neutral after 6 hours, but reversed the functional effect of G-CSF after 48 hours. Short-term investigation of combined G-CSF and BM MNC treatment at 48 hours indicated splenic accumulation of granulocytes and transplanted cells, accompanied by a significant rise of granulocytes in the circulation and the ischemic brain.

Conclusions—

G-CSF improved functional recovery in spontaneously hypertensive rats, but this effect was abolished by cotransplantation of BM MNC after 48 hours. In the spleen, transplanted cells may hinder the clearance of granulocytes that were massively increased by G-CSF. Increased circulation and infiltration of granulocytes into the ischemic brain may be detrimental for stroke outcome.
Rivaroxaban and Apixaban Reduce Hemorrhagic Transformation After Thrombolysis by Protection of Neurovascular Unit in Rat
Authors: Kono Syoichiro , Yamashita Toru , Deguchi Kentaro , Omote Yoshio , Yunoki Taijun , Sato Kota , Kurata Tomoko , Hishikawa Nozomi , Abe Koji
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose—

This study aimed to assess the risk and benefit of tissue-type plasminogen activator treatment after oral anticoagulation with rivaroxaban or apixaban compared with warfarin or placebo.

Methods—

Pretreatment with warfarin (0.2 mg/kg per day), rivaroxaban (2 mg/kg per day), apixaban (10 mg/kg per day), or vehicle (0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt) was performed for 7 days. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was then induced for 120 minutes, followed by reperfusion with tissue-type plasminogen activator (10 mg/kg per 10 mL). Clinical parameters, including cerebral infarction volume, hemorrhagic volume, and blood coagulation, were examined. Twenty-four hours after reperfusion, markers for the neurovascular unit at the peri-ischemic lesion were immunohistochemically examined in brain sections, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity was measured by zymography.

Results—

The paraparesis score was significantly improved in the rivaroxaban-pretreated group compared with the warfarin-pretreated group. Intracerebral hemorrhage was observed in the warfarin-pretreated group, and this was reduced in the rivaroxaban and apixaban-pretreated groups compared with the vehicle group. Marked dissociation of astrocyte foot processes and the basal lamina or pericytes was observed in the warfarin-pretreated group, and this was improved in the rivaroxaban and apixaban-pretreated groups. Furthermore, activation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the ipsilateral warfarin-pretreated brain was greatly reduced in rivaroxaban- and apixaban-pretreated rats.

Conclusions—

This study shows a lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage after tissue-type plasminogen activator treatment in rats with ischemic stroke that are pretreated with rivaroxaban and apixaban compared with pretreatment with warfarin. Reducing neurovascular dissociation by rivaroxaban and apixaban compared with warfarin could partly explain a reduction in hemorrhagic complications reported in clinical studies.
Hemodynamic Quantification in Brain Arteriovenous Malformations With Time-Resolved Spin-Labeled Magnetic Resonance Angiography
Authors: Raoult Hélène , Bannier Elise , Maurel Pierre , Neyton Clément , Ferré Jean-Christophe , Schmitt Peter , Barillot Christian , Gauvrit Jean-Yves
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose—

Unenhanced time-resolved spin-labeled magnetic resonance angiography enables hemodynamic quantification in arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Our purpose was to identify quantitative parameters that discriminate among different AVM components and to relate hemodynamic patterns with rupture risk.

Methods—

Sixteen patients presenting with AVMs (7 women, 9 men; mean age 37.1±15.9 years) were assigned to the high rupture risk or low rupture risk group according to anatomic AVM characteristics and rupture history. High temporal resolution (<70 ms) unenhanced time-resolved spin-labeled magnetic resonance angiography was performed on a 3-T MR system. After dedicated image processing, hemodynamic quantitative parameters were computed.
T
tests were used to compare quantitative parameters among AVM components, between the high rupture risk and low rupture risk groups, and between the hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic groups.

Results—

Among the quantitative parameters, time-to-peak (
P
<0.001) and maximum outflow gradient (
P
=0.01) allowed discriminating various intranidal flow patterns with significantly different values between feeding arteries and draining veins. With 9 AVMs classified into the high rupture risk group (whose 6 were hemorrhagic) and 7 into the low rupture risk group, the observed venous-to-arterial time-to-peak ratio was significantly lower in the high rupture risk (
P
=0.003) and hemorrhagic (
P
=0.001) groups.

Conclusions—

Unenhanced time-resolved spin-labeled magnetic resonance angiography allows AVM-specific combined anatomic and quantitative analysis of AVM hemodynamics.
Two new Sabicea (Rubiaceae) species from West Central Africa: Sabicea bullata and Sabicea urniformis
Authors: Zemagho Lise , Lachenaud Olivier , Dessein Steven , Liede-Schumann Sigrid , Sonké Bonaventure
Published: July 2014

Two distinctive new species of Sabicea (Rubiaceae) from the Lower Guinea region are described and illustrated. Sabicea bullata is easily recognized by its cordate leaves, which are strongly bullate above, and its sessile glomerulate inflorescences. It is restricted to the Rumpi Hills and Bakossi Mountains, in southwestern Cameroon. Sabicea urniformis, from southern Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville, is remarkable in having discolorous leaves and an urn-shaped involucre with bracts shortly connate at the base.         Detailed descriptions and botanical drawings are provided, conservation status assessed and taxonomic affinities discussed.
Himalaiella lushaiensis (Asteraceae), a new species from India
Authors: Chen Yousheng , Yuan Qian
Published: July 2014

Himalaiella lushaiensis (Asteraceae) from India is described and illustrated. It is compared in morphology and distribution with H. natmataungensis and H. foliosa. A key to all the species of the genus Himalaiella is provided in aid of their identification.
Lycium ningxiaense, a replacement name for Lycium parvifolium T.Y. Chen & Xu L. Jiang (Solanaceae)
Authors: Liao Qi , Wang Ruijiang
Published: July 2014

The genus Lycium Linnaeus (1753: 191) is one of the largest genera in Solanaceae Jussieu (1789: 124), with approximately 92 species in the monogeneric tribe Lycieae Hunziker (1977: 28; Levin et al. 2011). It is disjunctly distributed in temperate to subtropical regions between the northern and southern hemispheres, mainly in North America, South America, southern Africa, and Eurasia (Zhang et al. 1994, Fukuda et al. 2001). It is characterized by spiny shrubs and small trees, fasciculate leaves, campanulate calyx, and by fleshy and juicy berry. Traditionally Lycium berry has been used medicinally worldwide.
Benchmark Tests for Numerical Weather Forecasts on Inexact Hardware
Authors: Düben Peter D. , Palmer T. N.
Published: July 2014

A reduction of computational cost would allow higher resolution in numerical weather predictions within the same budget for computation. This paper investigates two approaches that promise significant savings in computational cost: the use of reduced precision hardware, which reduces floating point precision beyond the standard double- and single-precision arithmetic, and the use of stochastic processors, which allow hardware faults in a trade-off between reduced precision and savings in power consumption and computing time. Reduced precision is emulated within simulations of a spectral dynamical core of a global atmosphere model and a detailed study of the sensitivity of different parts of the model to inexact hardware is performed. Afterward, benchmark simulations were performed for which as many parts of the model as possible were put onto inexact hardware. Results show that large parts of the model could be integrated with inexact hardware at error rates that are surprisingly high or with reduced precision to only a couple of bits in the significand of floating point numbers. However, the sensitivities to inexact hardware of different parts of the model need to be respected, for example, via scale separation. In the last part of the paper, simulations with a full operational weather forecast model in single precision are presented. It is shown that differences in accuracy between the single- and double-precision forecasts are smaller than differences between ensemble members of the ensemble forecast at the resolution of the standard ensemble forecasting system. The simulations prove that the trade-off between precision and performance is a worthwhile effort, already on existing hardware.
Designing School Systems to Encourage Data Use and Instructional Improvement
Authors: Farrell Caitlin C.
Published: July 2014

Purpose: As state and federal accountability systems have increased demands for evidence of student achievement, the use of data to inform practice has become more prevalent. More research is needed to understand not only what organizational factors shape data-use efforts but also how these factors enable or constrain educators’ use of data for instructional improvement. This article addresses this gap by examining how two types of education systems—school districts and charter management organizations (CMOs)—use data and allocate their organizational resources to this end. Methods: Data were collected from six secondary schools in two districts and two CMOs during the 2010-2011 school year. Over 70 interviews were conducted with teachers and school and system leaders. Patterns from within and across school systems are presented. Findings: Key contextual differences had a strong influence on data-use efforts: Accountability pressures shaped the patterns in data use, whereas other organizational conditions—structure and decision-making rights, size and growth trajectory, financial resources, and degree of regulation—restricted or facilitated the systems’ mobilization of resources for these efforts. Implications: This study suggests that the school systems as a whole play a critical role in supporting schools and educators in using data, regardless of whether that system is district or charter. As this article is one of the first to offer a comparative look at data use between school districts and CMOs, it lays the groundwork for diffusion of promising practices across these systems for school and system leaders.
A partially flexible virtual trailer link model for vehicle-following systems
Authors: Chen Weihai , Zhao Changchen , Dai Guanxiong , Zhao Zhiwen
Published: July 2014

Vehicle-following systems are one of the most important parts of advanced driver assistance in intelligent transportation systems. While tracking performance has attracted many researchers’ attention, improving the tracking accuracy remains challenging. This paper proposes a partially flexible virtual trailer link model to address the problem. We assume that the follower vehicle is guided by a towing bar that is partially flexible. Whether a slice of the link is flexible or rigid is associated with whether its curvature changes or not. It becomes flexible whenever its curvature changes and remains rigid otherwise. A video-laser-based leader-pose detection algorithm is also proposed to guarantee the overall tracking accuracy. The simulation and experiment results have shown that the proposed method can achieve better tracking accuracy while meeting the real-time requirement.
Stability region analysis in Smith predictor configurations using a PI controller
Authors: Deniz Furkan Nur , Tan Nusret , Hamamci Serdar Ethem , Kaya Ibrahim
Published: July 2014

This paper deals with the stabilization problem of Smith predictor structures using a PI controller. Stability regions that include all stabilizing parameters of a PI controller for the case of perfect matching between the plant and model and for mismatched case are obtained. The models of the plant are assumed to be FOPDT (first-order plus dead time) and SOPDT (second-order plus dead time) transfer functions. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine all stabilizing PI controllers for the Smith predictor scheme and to compare the stability regions obtained for perfectly matched and mismatched models. It is observed that the stability regions obtained for both cases are quite different and the stability regions for FOPDT and SOPDT models are broader than the stability region of the actual model. Furthermore, an approach is presented to find different models of an actual system using the stability region and it is shown that the stability region of these models can fit the stability region of actual system. A simulation example is provided to illustrate the results.
Two Faces of Group-Based Shame
Authors: Allpress Jesse A. , Brown Rupert , Giner-Sorolla Roger , Deonna Julien A. , Teroni Fabrice
Published: July 2014

This article proposes distinctions between guilt and two forms of shame: Guilt arises from a violated norm and is characterized by a focus on specific behavior; shame can be characterized by a threatened social image (Image Shame) or a threatened moral essence (Moral Shame). Applying this analysis to group-based emotions, three correlational studies are reported, set in the context of atrocities committed by (British) ingroup members during the Iraq war ( Ns = 147, 256, 399). Results showed that the two forms of shame could be distinguished. Moreover, once the other form of shame was controlled for, they were differentially related to orientations toward the outgroup: Image Shame was associated with negative orientations, whereas Moral Shame had associations with positive outgroup orientations. These associations were distinct from the associations of guilt and rejection. Study 3 used a longitudinal design and provided evidence suggestive of a causal direction from emotions to outgroup orientation.
The Causal Ordering of Prominence and Salience in Identity Theory
Authors: Brenner Philip S. , Serpe Richard T. , Stryker Sheldon
Published: July 2014

Identity theory invokes two distinct but related concepts, identity salience and prominence, to explain how the organization of identities that make up the self impacts the probability that a given identity is situationally enacted. However, much extant research has failed to clearly distinguish between salience and prominence, and their empirical relationship has not been adequately investigated, impeding a solid understanding of the significance and role of each in a general theory of the self. This study examines their causal ordering using three waves of panel data from 48 universities focusing on respondents’ identities as science students. Analyses strongly support a causal ordering from prominence to salience. We provide theoretical and empirical grounds to justify this ordering while acknowledging potential variation in its strength across identities. Finally, we offer recommendations about the use of prominence and salience when measures of one or both are available or when analyses use cross-sectional data.
Hippocampal Abnormalities in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of 15q Duplication Syndromes
Authors: Boronat Susana , Mehan William A. , Shaaya Elias A. , Thibert Ronald L. , Caruso Paul
Published: July 2014

Patients with 15q duplication syndromes, including isodicentric chromosome 15 and interstitial duplications, usually present with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and frequently epilepsy. Neuroimaging studies in these patients are typically reported as normal, but nonspecific findings such as thinning of the corpus callosum and increased pericerebral spaces have been reported. A review of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of 11 individuals seen at the Massachusetts General Hospital Dup15q Center was performed. Hippocampus morphology was specifically reviewed, as a recent neuropathologic study has found frequent hippocampal heterotopias and dysplasias in these disorders. Two subjects had unilateral hippocampal sclerosis and 6 had bilateral hippocampal malformations. Hypoplasia of the corpus callosum was present in 2 subjects.
She’s Not a Person . . . She’s Just a Woman! Infra-Humanization and Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Baldry Anna Costanza , Pacilli Maria Giuseppina , Pagliaro Stefano
Published: July 2014

This article examines the association between a target’s perceived humanness and individuals’ willingness to provide help and support in cases of violence against women (VAW), specifically, intimate partner violence (IPV). In an experimental study, undergraduates read a fictitious article from a newspaper describing an IPV episode of a man hitting his wife and accusing her of cheating on him. According to the experimental condition, they then read that the victim either had or had not admitted the infidelity. Participants then judged the victim on an infra-humanization scale and expressed their willingness to provide help and support to the victim herself as if they were a neighbor witnessing the attack. Results showed that a victim admitting an affair with another man (admission condition) elicited lower perceived humanness and lower willingness to provide help than a victim denying such adultery (no admission condition). Moreover, targets’ perceived humanness mediated the effect of contextual features on participants’ willingness to provide help to the victim. Results are discussed in terms of victim blaming, and practical implications for prevention strategies are presented.
Ethnography and the politics of silence
Authors: Fernando Mayanthi L
Published: July 2014

This article traces a few elements of Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s critique of anthropology, which was, I argue, part of his broader anthropology of the West. The article first considers Trouillot’s analysis of the conditions of possibility for anthropology’s emergence as a field formation, including the asymmetries and silences produced by academic disciplines like anthropology and history. It then attends to Trouillot’s attempts to remake and redeem anthropology from within, focusing in particular on two approaches: distinguishing between one’s object of study and one’s object of observation, and taking seriously the epistemological status of what he called the native voice. Finally, the article fleshes out these two approaches through a consideration of my own work on Islam and secularism in France, discussing persisting ethical, political, and epistemological quandaries that may—despite ethnographers’ best intentions—be constitutive to anthropology’s status as what Trouillot termed the Savage slot.
Ti dife boule sou istoua Ayiti: Considering the stakes of Trouillot’s earliest work
Authors: Past Mariana , Hebblethwaite Benjamin
Published: July 2014

This essay discusses Ti dife boule sou istoua Ayiti (Burning Issues in Haitian History) (1977), Trouillot’s first published book, which is currently being translated to English for the first time. Ti dife boule is a complex and innovative text that lays the groundwork for Trouillot’s later thought, but remains the least known of his publications because it was composed in Haitian Creole, was never circulated widely, and has long been out of print. This Marxist critique of colonial history through the prism of Haitian history shows how Haiti’s Revolution (1791–1803) holds the clues to interpreting and critiquing Haiti’s recent history. Instead of following the epic tradition glorifying revolutionary heroes, Trouillot critiques the European-inspired traditions of governance displayed by Haitian rebel generals and re-examines the contributions of the Haitian slave masses in the revolution. In a well-documented yet accessible manner, drawing from Haiti’s popular storytelling tradition, proverbs, and songs, Trouillot explores the rivalries, murders, and gamesmanship that mark the formation of the Haitian State and traces their harmful effect upon the evolution of the State in independent Haiti. Ti dife boule’s translators conclude this essay by reflecting upon possible reasons why Trouillot only recently authorized its translation to English.
Haiti, an urban nation? Revisiting Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s Haiti: State against Nation
Authors: Smith Katherine
Published: July 2014

In 1991, Michel-Rolph Trouillot published Haiti: State against Nation, which forcefully argued that in Haiti the peasantry is the nation. The peasantry is described as the “productive class,” from whom the state and urban elite extract value through a system of tariffs on agricultural exports, primarily coffee, and imported staples. The burden on the peasantry is further exacerbated by the country’s growing dependence on predatory loans from foreign states and International Financial Institutions. When Trouillot’s work was published, Haiti was on the eve of its first democratic elections. Amidst the optimism of those elections, he cautioned that the historical rift between state and nation had not yet been reconciled. In the years since the publication of State against Nation, much has changed. Here, I revisit Trouillot’s work in light of recent history to ask who, or what, is the nation today?
Combustion performance and stability of a dual-fuel diesel–natural-gas engine
Authors: Sun Lu , Liu Yifu , Zeng Ke , Yang Rui , Hang Zuohua
Published: July 2014

Experimental investigations on the combustion performance and the stability of a dual-fuel engine fuelled with diesel and natural gas were conducted. The effects of the pilot diesel quantity and the pilot diesel injection timing were analysed. The results show that the maximum (peak) in-cylinder pressure increases and appears earlier with increasing pilot diesel quantity. The heat release rate has two peaks during the process of combustion. Earlier pilot diesel injection resulted in an earlier pressure evolution and a higher peak in-cylinder pressure. Correspondingly, the ignition of the pilot diesel was advanced and the heat release rate of diesel ignition increases. Earlier diesel injection timing increases the diesel combustion heat release, and the combustion of the whole charge in cylinder is more drastic. The pilot diesel quantities have different effects on the cycle-by-cycle variations (i.e. the coefficient of variation). At a low load, both very high and very low pilot diesel quantities lead to a high coefficient of variation in the indicated mean effective pressure, and the effect becomes weaker with increasing load. The coefficient of variation in the indicated mean effective pressure decreases and the coefficient of variation in the the peak in-cylinder pressure increases with increasing load. Additionally, the coefficient of variation in the indicated mean effective pressure decreases as the pilot diesel injection was advanced. The largest value of the coefficient of variation in the peak in-cylinder pressure occurs at 20° crank angle before top dead centre. The maximum rate of pressure rise increases dramatically with earlier pilot diesel injection timing. Nitrogen oxide emissions increase and hydrocarbon emissions decrease with increasing pilot diesel quantity. The hydrocarbon emissions decrease at earlier diesel injection timing; however, the nitrogen oxide emissions increase.
Receiver operating characteristic curve generalization for non-monotone relationships
Authors: Martínez-Camblor Pablo , Corral Norberto , Rey Corsino , Pascual Julio , Cernuda-Morollón Eva
Published: July 2014

The receiver operating characteristic curve is a popular graphical method frequently used in order to study the diagnostic capacity of continuous markers. It represents in a plot true-positive rates against the false-positive ones. Both the practical and theoretical aspects of the receiver operating characteristic curve have been extensively studied. Conventionally, it is assumed that the considered marker has a monotone relationship with the studied characteristic; i.e., the upper (lower) values of the (bio)marker are associated with a higher probability of a positive result. However, there exist real situations where both the lower and the upper values of the marker are associated with higher probability of a positive result. We propose a receiver operating characteristic curve generalization, [Formula: see text], useful in this context. All pairs of possible cut-off points, one for the lower and another one for the upper marker values, are taken into account and the best of them are selected. The natural empirical estimator for the [Formula: see text] curve is considered and its uniform consistency and asymptotic distribution are derived. Finally, two real-world applications are studied.
Medical semiotics; its influence on art, psychoanalysis and Sherlock Holmes
Authors: Moore-McCann Brenda
Published: July 2014

Semiotics is the analysis and interpretation of signs and the basis of medicine since antiquity. It is suggested that the growth of technology has led to the virtual eclipse of the clinical examination with consequent loss of skill, empathy and patient trust. This paper views the value of medical semiotics through the method of the 19th century Italian doctor, Giovanni Morelli, which has had a significant but little recognised impact on the early development of psychoanalysis, the detective novel and art connoisseurship. Semiotics and, specifically, the linguistic semiotics of Ferdinand Saussure have been influential in the fields of the visual arts, literature and the social sciences since the 20th century. With its roots in the medical treatises of antiquity, medical semiotics should again be brought to the forefront of medical practice.
Understanding the Drivers of Job Satisfaction of Frontline Service Employees
Authors: Kumar Piyush , Dass Mayukh , Topaloglu Omer
Published: July 2014

In this article, we examine the antecedent structure of the terminal level of job satisfaction of frontline service employees who have recently quit a firm. The results from the estimation of a latent, finite-mixture model, using data collected from former employees of a large supermarket chain, point to a two-dimensional heterogeneity among exiting employees. We find systematic variation in the relative importance of the drivers of job satisfaction, such as work environment, personality, and demographics, across employee subgroups. We also find that the threshold level of the terminal satisfaction for exiting employees could be high for some and low for others. These findings stand in contrast to the inverse satisfaction-turnover intent link documented for existing employees and provide new explanations for the observed weakness in the relationship. They are also inconsistent with the attraction-selection-attrition model that argues for a convergence in employee dispositions. We suggest that job satisfaction and turnover models can be enhanced by adopting a utility-theoretic perspective that accommodates variations in the structure and threshold levels of terminal satisfaction. To this end, we provide some guidelines for how exiting rather than existing employees can provide an alternative avenue for diagnosing the quitting process and ultimately improving the predictive power of turnover models. Finally, we suggest that the allocation of employee retention resources based on either a common model of job satisfaction, or assuming a monotonic satisfaction-intent relationship, may be inefficient. Instead, we argue for model-based, group-specific retention programs to reduce frontline service employee turnover.
The New Europe’s brave new world: Writing migration in Zuska Kepplová’s Sweet Rolls in a Tattoo
Authors: Eliášová Věra
Published: July 2014

The article takes up the novel Sweet Rolls in a Tattoo (2011) by a contemporary Slovak writer, Zuska Kepplová, in order to interrogate the issues of migration, nomadism, travel and mobility in the post-Schengen New Europe. This novel, offering a narrative of transcultural mobility, consists of several interconnected stories of young people moving from the post-socialist Europe in order to study, find work, or merely experience adventure in major European cities such as London or Paris. Unlike previous generations, the nomads of New Europe enjoy freedom to travel, but this unprecedented condition requires negotiating new social contracts, even searching for a new language for their new transnational and transcultural experience.
Are parents more willing to vaccinate their children than themselves?
Authors: Tang Mei Yee , Shahab Lion , Robb Kathryn A , Gardner Benjamin
Published: July 2014

Risk perception studies have focused on personal risks; yet many decisions are taken for others. Some studies have suggested that parents are especially sensitive to risks to their children. We compared 245 parents’ willingness to vaccinate their child versus themselves in nine hypothetical scenarios relating to influenza strains. Scenarios varied according to non-vaccination risk (low, medium and high) and ‘risk target’ (oneself, one’s child or, as a comparator, one’s elderly parent). Participants were more willing to vaccinate their child (61% acceptance) than themselves (54%) or their parent (56%). Parents may be more risk-sensitive when deciding for their child than for themselves.
Enlightening the Galaxy
Authors: Geraci Robert M. , Recine Nat
Published: July 2014

The role of political persuasion in Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) affirms the serious nature and even educational value possible in video games designed with entertainment as their primary motivation. Within SWTOR, players wrestle with political conflicts first posited centuries ago by Enlightenment thinkers and have an opportunity to use the game as a springboard for political reflection in the contemporary world. Based upon surveys and interviews, this study reveals that politics can inform the cultural experience of entertainment games; SWTOR offers valuable lessons in civics by providing opportunities to explore and engage with the political philosophies of our Enlightenment heritage.
Reliability analysis of direct drive electrohydraulic servo valves based on a wear degradation process and individual differences
Authors: Yang Yuan-Jian , Peng Weiwen , Meng Debiao , Zhu Shun-Peng , Huang Hong-Zhong
Published: July 2014

Electrohydraulic servo valves play critical roles in modern servo control systems, which require high reliability and high safety. The reliability analysis of a direct drive electrohydraulic servo valve is conducted in this article. First, the failure mechanism of the direct drive electrohydraulic servo valve is investigated by analyzing the structure and the working principle of the direct drive electrohydraulic servo valve. It shows that clamping stagnation, internal leakages and spring fatigue are the main failure modes of direct drive electrohydraulic servo valve. The structure degradation caused by wear enlarges the clearance and results in the increase in null leakages. Then, a gamma process is adopted to describe the internal structure degradation based on the failure mechanism analysis. Heterogeneity among different samples of direct drive electrohydraulic servo valves is studied and handled by introducing unit-specific random effects into the gamma process degradation model. Additionally, in this article, a Bayesian method is used to facilitate the degradation analysis and reliability estimation. The reliability models of sealing, springs and spool valves are presented. Finally, a brief introduction of the experiment of the direct drive electrohydraulic servo valves and an illustrative example of reliability analysis are presented to demonstrate the introduced failure mechanism analysis and the proposed reliability analysis method for direct drive electrohydraulic servo valves.
Potential of social media as a tool to combat foodborne illness
Authors: Chapman Benjamin , Raymond Benjamin , Powell Douglas
Published: July 2014

The use of social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, has been increasing substantially in recent years and has affected the way that people access information online. Social media rely on high levels of interaction and user-generated context shared through established and evolving social networks. Health information providers must know how to successfully participate through social media in order to meet the needs of these online audiences. This article reviews the current research on the use of social media for public health communication and suggests potential frameworks for developing social media strategies. The extension to food safety risk communication is explored, considering the potential of social media as a tool to combat foodborne illness.
Reducing the Risk of Hypoglycemia Associated With Intravenous Insulin
Authors: Sandler Victoria , Misiasz Meaghan R. , Jones Jocelyn , Baldwin David
Published: July 2014

Background:

Computerized insulin infusion protocols have facilitated more effective blood glucose (BG) control in intensive care units (ICUs). This is particularly important in light of the risks associated with hypoglycemia. End stage renal disease (ESRD) increases the risk of insulin-induced hypoglycemia.

Methods:

We evaluated BG control in 210 patients in 2 medical ICUs and in 2 surgical ICUs who were treated with a computerized insulin infusion program (CIIP). Our CIIP was programmed for a BG target of 140-180 mg/dL for medical ICU patients or 120-160 mg/dL for surgical ICU patients. In addition, we focused on BG control in the 11% of our patients with ESRD.

Results:

Mean BG was 147 ± 20 mg/dL for surgical ICU patients and 171 ± 26 mg/dL for medical ICU patients. Of both surgical and medical ICU patients, 17% had 1 or more BG 60-79 mg/dL, while 3% of surgical ICU and 8% of medical ICU patients had 1 or more BG < 60 mg/dL. Mean BG in ESRD patients was 147 ± 16 mg/dL similar to 152 ± 23 mg/dL in patients without ESRD. Of ESRD patients, 41% had 1 or more BG < 79 mg/dL as compared with 17.8% of non-ESRD patients ( P < .01).

Conclusions:

A higher BG target for medical ICU patients as compared with surgical ICU patients yielded comparably low rates of moderate or severe hypoglycemia. However, hypoglycemia among ESRD patients was more common compared to non-ESRD patients, suggesting a need for a higher BG target specific to ESRD patients.
Candidate geolocation and voter choice in the 2013 English County Council elections
Authors: Arzheimer Kai , Evans Jocelyn
Published: July 2014

The degree of ‘localness’ of candidates, including their residential location, has long been theorised to influence voters at election time. Individual-level tests of distance effects in the 2010 British general elections demonstrated that, controlling for standard explanations of vote, the distance from a voter’s home to that of the candidate was negatively associated with the likelihood of voting for that candidate. To test this theory in a sub-national electoral context more likely to produce distance effects than a national election, this paper builds upon previous analysis by using the 2013 English County Council elections. It improves upon the previous analysis in a number of ways, analysing an election where ‘localness’ effects would be expected to be stronger; combining a bespoke YouGov survey of voters with more precise locational data; including United Kingdom Independent Party candidates in its specification; and considering more closely how voters construe distance. It finds that distance does matter, not only as a linear measure but also in terms of candidates living in the same or different electoral division to voters. Finally, the paper simulates the effect of distance on candidate performances in this type of election to measure its real-world strength.
Cultural Competence and Perceptions of Community Health Workers’ Effectiveness for Reducing Health Care Disparities
Authors: Mobula Linda M. , Okoye Mekam T. , Boulware L. Ebony , Carson Kathryn A. , Marsteller Jill A. , Cooper Lisa A.
Published: July 2014

Introduction: Community health worker (CHW) interventions improve health outcomes of patients from underserved communities, but health professionals’ perceptions of their effectiveness may impede integration of CHWs into health care delivery systems. Whether health professionals’ attitudes and skills, such as those related to cultural competence, influence perceptions of CHWs, is unknown. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to providers and clinical staff from 6 primary care practices in Maryland from April to December 2011. We quantified the associations of self-reported cultural competence and preparedness with attitudes toward the effectiveness of CHWs using logistic regression adjusting for respondent age, race, gender, provider/staff status, and years at the practice. Results: We contacted 200 providers and staff, and 119 (60%) participated. Those reporting more cultural motivation had higher odds of perceiving CHWs as helpful for reducing health care disparities (odds ratio [OR] = 9.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.48-28.80). Those reporting more frequent culturally competent behaviors also had higher odds of believing CHWs would help reduce health disparities (OR = 3.58, 95% CI = 1.61-7.92). Attitudes toward power and assimilation were not associated with perceptions of CHWs. Cultural preparedness was associated with perceived utility of CHWs in reducing health care disparities (OR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.21-4.51). Conclusions: Providers and staff with greater cultural competence and preparedness have more positive expectations of CHW interventions to reduce healthcare disparities. Cultural competency training may complement the use of CHWs and support their effective integration into primary care clinics that are seeking to reduce disparities.