bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adipocyte Phospholipid Transfer Protein and Lipoprotein Metabolism
Authors: Jiang Hui , Yazdanyar Amirfarbod , Lou Bin , Chen Yunqin , Zhao Xiaomin , Li Ruohan , Hoang Bui Hai , Kuo Ming-Shang , Navab Mohamad , Qin Shucun , Li Zhiqiang , Jin Weijun , Jiang Xian-Cheng
Published: December 2014

Objective—

Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) is highly expressed in adipose tissues. Thus, the effect of adipose tissue PLTP on plasma lipoprotein metabolism was examined.

Approach and Results—

We crossed PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo and adipocyte protein 2 (aP2)-Cre recombinase (Cre) transgenic mice to create PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo/aP2-Cre mice that have a 90 and a 60% reduction in PLTP mRNA in adipose tissue and macrophages, respectively. PLTP ablation resulted in a significant reduction in plasma PLTP activity (22%), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (21%), high-density lipoprotein-phospholipid (20%), and apolipoprotein A-I (33%) levels, but had no effect on nonhigh-density lipoprotein levels in comparison with those of PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo controls. To eliminate possible effects of PLTP ablation by macrophages, we lethally irradiated PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo/aP2-Cre mice and PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo mice, and then transplanted wild-type mouse bone marrow into them to create wild-type→PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo/aP2-Cre and wild-type→PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo mice. Thus, we constructed a mouse model (wild-type→PLTP-Flox-ΔNeo/aP2-Cre) with PLTP deficiency in adipocytes but not in macrophages. These knockout mice also showed significant decreases in plasma PLTP activity (19%) and cholesterol (18%), phospholipid (17%), and apolipoprotein A-I (26%) levels. To further investigate the mechanisms behind the reduction in plasma apolipoprotein A-I and high-density lipoprotein lipids, we measured apolipoprotein A-I–mediated cholesterol efflux in adipose tissue explants and found that endogenous and exogenous PLTP significantly increased cholesterol efflux from the explants.

Conclusions—

Adipocyte PLTP plays a small but significant role in plasma PLTP activity and promotes cholesterol efflux from adipose tissues.
Sex Differences in Predictors of Longitudinal Changes in Carotid Artery Stiffness
Authors: Stern Rebecca , Tattersall Matthew C. , Gepner Adam D. , Korcarz Claudia E. , Kaufman Joel , Colangelo Laura A. , Liu Kiang , Stein James H.
Published: December 2014

Objective—

To identify sex differences in predictors of longitudinal changes in carotid arterial stiffness in a multiethnic cohort.

Approach and Results—

Carotid artery distensibility coefficient (DC) and Young’s elastic modulus (YEM) were measured in 2650 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants (45–84 years old and free of cardiovascular disease) at baseline and after a mean of 9.4 years. Predictors of changes in DC and YEM for each sex were evaluated using multivariable linear regression models. The 1236 men (46.6%) were 60.0 (SD, 9.3) years: 40% were white, 22% black, 16% Chinese, and 22% Hispanic. The 1414 (53.4%) women were 59.8 (9.4) years old with a similar race distribution. Despite similar rates of change in DC and YEM, predictors of changes in distensibility markers differed by sex. In men, Chinese (
P
=0.002) and black (
P
=0.003) race/ethnicity, systolic blood pressure (
P
=0.012), and diabetes mellitus (
P
=0.05) were associated with more rapidly decreasing DC (accelerated stiffening). Starting antihypertensive medication was associated with improved DC (
P
=0.03); stopping antihypertensives was associated with more rapid stiffening (increased YEM,
P
=0.05). In women, higher education was associated with slower stiffening (DC,
P
=0.041; YEM,
P
<0.001) as was use of lipid-lowering medication (
P
=0.03), whereas baseline use of antihypertensive medications (YEM,
P
=0.01) and systolic blood pressure (DC,
P
=0.02;
P
=0.04) predicted increasing stiffening in women.

Conclusions—

Longitudinal changes in carotid artery stiffness are associated with systolic blood pressure and antihypertensive therapy in both sexes; however, race/ethnicity (in men) and level of education (in women) may have different contributions between the sexes.
Activation of Foxo1 by Insulin Resistance Promotes Cardiac Dysfunction and β–Myosin Heavy Chain Gene Expression
Authors: Qi Yajuan , Zhu Qinglei , Zhang Kebin , Thomas Candice , Wu Yuxin , Kumar Rajesh , Baker Kenneth M. , Xu Zihui , Chen Shouwen , Guo Shaodong
Published: December 2014

Background—

Heart failure is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA and is closely associated with diabetes mellitus. The molecular link between diabetes mellitus and heart failure is incompletely understood. We recently demonstrated that insulin receptor substrates 1, 2 (IRS1, 2) are key components of insulin signaling and loss of IRS1 and IRS2 mediates insulin resistance, resulting in metabolic dysregulation and heart failure, which is associated with downstream Akt inactivation and in turn activation of the forkhead transcription factor Foxo1.

Methods and Results—

To determine the role of Foxo1 in control of heart failure in insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, we generated mice lacking
Foxo1
gene specifically in the heart. Mice lacking both IRS1 and IRS2 in adult hearts exhibited severe heart failure and a remarkable increase in the β-isoform of myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) gene expression, whereas deletion of cardiac
Foxo1
gene largely prevented the heart failure and resulted in a decrease in β-MHC expression. The effect of Foxo1 deficiency on rescuing cardiac dysfunction was also observed in db/db mice and high-fat diet mice. Using cultures of primary ventricular cardiomyocytes, we found that Foxo1 interacts with the promoter region of β-MHC and stimulates gene expression, mediating an effect of insulin that suppresses β-MHC expression.

Conclusions—

Our study suggests that Foxo1 has important roles in promoting diabetic cardiomyopathy and controls β-MHC expression in the development of cardiac dysfunction. Targeting Foxo1 and its regulation will provide novel strategies in preventing metabolic and myocardial dysfunction and influencing MHC plasticity in diabetes mellitus.
Cost-Effectiveness of Transfers to Centers With Neurological Intensive Care Units After Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Fletcher Jeffrey J. , Kotagal Vikas , Mammoser Aaron , Peterson Mark , Morgenstern Lewis B. , Burke James F.
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose—

Our aim was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of transferring patients with intracerebral hemorrhage from centers without specialized neurological intensive care units (neuro-ICUs) to centers with neuro-ICUs.

Methods—

Decision analytic models were developed for the lifetime horizons. Model inputs were derived from the best available data, informed by a variety of previous cost-effectiveness models of stroke. The effect of neuro-ICU care on functional outcomes was modeled in 3 scenarios. A favorable outcomes scenario was modeled based on the best observational data and compared with moderately favorable and least-favorable outcomes scenarios. Health benefits were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and costs were estimated from a societal perspective. Costs were combined with QALYs gained to generate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. One-way sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulations were performed to test robustness of the model assumptions.

Results—

Transferring patients to centers with neuro-ICUs yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the lifetime horizon of $47 431 per QALY, $91 674 per QALY, and $380 358 per QALY for favorable, moderately favorable, and least-favorable scenarios, respectively. Models were robust at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000 per QALY, with 95.5%, 75.0%, and 2.1% of simulations below the threshold for favorable, moderately favorable, and least-favorable scenarios, respectively.

Conclusions—

Transferring patients with intracerebral hemorrhage to centers with specialized neuro-ICUs is cost-effective if observational estimates of the neuro-ICU–based functional outcome distribution are accurate. If future work confirms these functional outcome distributions, then a strong societal rationale exists to build systems of care designed to transfer intracerebral hemorrhage patients to specialized neuro-ICUs.
Sensitivity and Specificity of the Hyperdense Artery Sign for Arterial Obstruction in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Mair Grant , Boyd Elena V. , Chappell Francesca M. , von Kummer Rüdiger , Lindley Richard I. , Sandercock Peter , Wardlaw Joanna M.
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose—

In acute ischemic stroke, the hyperdense artery sign (HAS) on noncontrast computed tomography (CT) is thought to represent intraluminal thrombus and, therefore, is a surrogate of arterial obstruction. We sought to assess the accuracy of HAS as a marker of arterial obstruction by thrombus.

Methods—

The Third International Stroke Trial (IST-3) was a randomized controlled trial testing the use of intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke in patients who did not clearly meet the prevailing license criteria. Some participating IST-3 centers routinely performed CT or MR angiography at baseline. One reader assessed all relevant scans independently, blinded to all other data; we checked observer reliability. We combined IST-3 data with a systematic review and meta-analysis of all studies that assessed the accuracy of HAS using angiography (any modality).

Results—

IST-3 had 273 patients with baseline CT or MR angiography and was the largest study of HAS accuracy. The meta-analysis (n=902+273=1175, including IST-3) found sensitivity and specificity of HAS for arterial obstruction on angiography to be 52% and 95%, respectively. HAS was more commonly identified in proximal than distal arteries (47% versus 37%;
P
=0.015), and its sensitivity increased with thinner CT slices (
r
=−0.73;
P
=0.001). Neither extent of obstruction nor time after stroke influenced HAS accuracy.

Conclusions—

When present in acute ischemic stroke, HAS indicates a high likelihood of arterial obstruction, but its absence indicates only a 50/50 chance of normal arterial patency. Thin-slice CT improves sensitivity of HAS detection.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN25765518
. Unique identifier: ISRCTN25765518.
Blood–Brain Barrier KCa3.1 Channels
Authors: Chen Yi-Je , Wallace Breanna K. , Yuen Natalie , Jenkins David P. , Wulff Heike , O’Donnell Martha E.
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose—

KCa3.1, a calcium-activated potassium channel, regulates ion and fluid secretion in the lung and gastrointestinal tract. It is also expressed on vascular endothelium where it participates in blood pressure regulation. However, the expression and physiological role of KCa3.1 in blood–brain barrier (BBB) endothelium has not been investigated. BBB endothelial cells transport Na
+
and Cl
−
from the blood into the brain transcellularly through the co-operation of multiple cotransporters, exchangers, pumps, and channels. In the early stages of cerebral ischemia, when the BBB is intact, edema formation occurs by processes involving increased BBB transcellular Na
+
transport. This study evaluated whether KCa3.1 is expressed on and participates in BBB ion transport.

Methods—

The expression of KCa3.1 on cultured cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, isolated microvessels, and brain sections was evaluated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Activity of KCa3.1 on cerebral microvascular endothelial cells was examined by K
+
flux assays and patch-clamp. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and MRI were used to measure brain Na
+
uptake and edema formation in rats with focal ischemic stroke after TRAM-34 treatment.

Results—

KCa3.1 current and channel protein were identified on bovine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells and freshly isolated rat microvessels. In situ KCa3.1 expression on BBB endothelium was confirmed in rat and human brain sections. TRAM-34 treatment significantly reduced Na
+
uptake, and cytotoxic edema in the ischemic brain.

Conclusions—

BBB endothelial cells exhibit KCa3.1 protein and activity and pharmacological blockade of KCa3.1 seems to provide an effective therapeutic approach for reducing cerebral edema formation in the first 3 hours of ischemic stroke.
odNEAT: An Algorithm for Decentralised Online Evolution of Robotic Controllers
Authors: Silva Fernando , Urbano Paulo , Correia Luís , Christensen Anders Lyhne
Published: December 2014

Online evolution gives robots the capacity to learn new tasks and to adapt to changing environmental conditions during task execution. Previous approaches to online evolution of neural controllers are typically limited to the optimisation of weights in networks with a prespecified, fixed topology. In this article, we propose a novel approach to online learning in groups of autonomous robots called odNEAT. odNEAT is a distributed and decentralised neuroevolution algorithm that evolves both weights and network topology. We demonstrate odNEAT in three multirobot tasks: aggregation, integrated navigation and obstacle avoidance, and phototaxis. Results show that odNEAT approximates the performance of rtNEAT, an efficient centralised method, and outperforms IM-([Formula: see text]), a decentralised neuroevolution algorithm. Compared with rtNEAT and IM-([Formula: see text]), odNEAT’s evolutionary dynamics lead to the synthesis of less complex neural controllers with superior generalisation capabilities. We show that robots executing odNEAT can display a high degree of fault tolerance as they are able to adapt and learn new behaviours in the presence of faults. We conclude with a series of ablation studies to analyse the impact of each algorithmic component on performance.
Intermediaries and Local Knowledge in a Changing Political Environment: Complaints from Libya at the Turn of the 20th Century
Authors: Sievert Henning
Published: December 2014

As historiography on Ottoman Tripolitania and Benghazi focuses mainly on the Italian invasion and on the Sanūsiyya and pays little attention to Ottoman records, studies on political practice and change in that period are rare. However, the special circumstances of that remote and sparsely populated part of the empire enable us to focus on the role of intermediaries and complaints within the imperial framework. Complaints and related correspondence were crucial in the negotiation of order, both from the government’s and from the subjects’ point of view. With the 19th-century reforms, new notions of order emerged, and old notions were modified. The new mode of politics did not, however, consist of immutable prescriptions but could acquire new layers of meaning in a process of translation into the vernacular politics of the Libyan provinces and vice versa. Imperial notions of order were thus read and utilised in various ways. The key interpreters and translators in this process were intermediaries between imperial, provincial and local levels. This contribution suggests to study political communication within the imperial framework by focussing on these intermediaries.
Uncommunicative Communication: Competing Egyptian, Ottoman and British Imperial Ventures in 19th-Century Egypt
Authors: Reinkowski Maurus
Published: December 2014

The contribution “Uncommunicative Communication: Competing Egyptian, Ottoman and British Notions of Imperial Order in 19th-Century Egypt” by Maurus Reinkowski (University of Basel) sees Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th century as a particularly illustrative case of competing imperial ventures, in particular of the Egyptian, Ottoman and British states. Whereas the Egyptian imperial venture, prominent under Muḥammad ʿAlī in the 1820s and 1830s and revived under Ismāʿīl (r. 1863–1879) in the early 1870s, quickly degenerates into bankruptcy and finally British occupation from 1882 onwards, the Ottoman-British imperial competition continues until 1914. A particularly colorful example of how the Ottoman Empire and Great Britain – in the way of uncommunicative communication – strived to maintain respectively to enforce their notion of an appropriate imperial order is to compare of Aḥmed Muḫtār Paşa and Lord Cromer. Aḥmed Muḫtār, a high-ranking Ottoman officer, was sent in 1885 as Extraordinary Commissioner to Cairo, where he stayed until 1908. Muḫtār’s semi-exile in Cairo was characterized by factual powerlessness as he was completely overshadowed by Sir Evelyn Baring, the British consul general who was the factual ruler of Egypt between 1882 and 1907. Starting from the assumption that Aḥmed Muḫtār’s status in Egypt does not only reflect his personal isolation, but also the precarious imperial status of the Ottoman Empire, this paper examines Aḥmed Muḫtār’s presence and politics in Cairo as a case of both personal self-reassurance and imperial self-representation.
Conforming Haji Bektash: A Saint and His Followers between Orthopraxy and Heteropraxy
Authors: Soileau Mark
Published: December 2014

Since his death in the 13th century, the Anatolian Sufi saint Haji Bektash Veli has been the subject of a debate as to whether he conformed to the sharīʿa, different parties having at different times portrayed him as either an antinomian charismatic mystic or a sharīʿa-abiding Sufi scholar. This paper traces the course of the debate from the 14th century until today, situating the various interpretations in their historical contexts. As will be seen, interpretations of Haji Bektash’s character are often influenced by that of his followers, the Bektashis, who have come to be known as antinomian. Because this non-conformity poses a problem for sharīʿa-minded commentators, the debate is usually framed in terms that can be summarized as a dichotomy between orthopraxy and heteropraxy. Responding to this, Bektashis have instead reframed the dichotomy as one between what we can call esopraxy and exopraxy. The debate is still active today, showing that the concern for this 13th-century saint’s praxis is still relevant in modern Turkey.
Visions of Islamic Unity: A Comparison of Djemal Pasha’s al-Sharq and Sharīf Ḥusayn’s al-Qibla Periodicals
Authors: Çiçek M. Talha
Published: December 2014

During the First World War, the Ottomans undertook a pan-Islamism propaganda campaign through the newspaper al-Sharq (published by Djemal Pasha in Damascus) to motivate its Arab subjects to support the Ottoman struggle against the Entente powers. To this end, many articles and news items appeared in al-Sharq to inspire Muslim unity around the figure of the caliph. Unity was presented as a crucial part of saving Muslims; disasters were predicted should the Ottoman Empire fall to the ‘infidels’. Sharīf Ḥusayn and his followers were explicitly or implicitly accused of splitting the umma and rendering the Ḥijāz and the remainder of independent Muslim territories vulnerable to British and other European imperialists. In 1916, Sharīf Ḥusayn launched a revolt in Mecca against the Ottoman Caliph and established a periodical, al-Qibla, to target the same audience. In al-Qibla, Ḥusayn presented the Committee of Union and Progress as amoral and irreligious usurpers of the caliph’s authority, and therefore undeserving of allegiance. In this article I analyse the discourse of the two competing sides by examining their propaganda on issues such as loyalty to the caliph, the unity of the Muslims and the formation of alliances with the Great Powers. I argue that Islam shaped the propaganda battle between the Ottomans and the sharīf to a greater extent than did Arabism or Turkism.
Faculty-library collaboration:
Authors: Øvern Karen Marie
Published: December 2014

The aim of this article is to discuss some of the challenges and possibilities that librarians may face when engaging in faculty-library collaboration. The main objective is to present findings from two case studies of embedded librarianship at Gjøvik University College (GUC) and to compare these findings with results from a literature review. The literature review is concentrated around collaboration challenges, a possible role-expansion for librarians, team-teaching and assessment of information skills courses. Another objective is to present two pedagogical approaches that are in use at GUC; the tutor approach and the team-teaching approach. Findings from the case studies suggest that faculty staff were impressed with the librarian’s knowledge and they quickly became comfortable with team-teaching and/or leaving the librarian in charge of the students. However there were concerns from both the teacher and librarian about the time-consuming nature of collaborative work. This paper contributes to the literature through a literature review, two case studies and teaching approaches that highlight factors leading to success when collaborating with faculty.
Developing a new approach to information literacy learning design
Authors: McNicol Sarah , Shields Emily
Published: December 2014

This article reports on the development of a new model for information literacy (IL) learning design created as part of Innovative Technologies for Engaging Classrooms (iTEC), a European project focused on redesigning teaching and learning. Findings from this project, along with a review of previous studies of IL models, demonstrate why a new approach is needed. The resulting model, InFlow, has been designed to encourage students to engage with information in a variety of ways as they map, explore, ask, make, reflect, imagine, show and collaborate. The rationale behind the development of this model raises fundamental questions about current teaching practices in relation to IL, such as the need to encourage collaborative working; the role of students as producers of information as well as consumers; and the privileging of particular types of information sources and outputs. This article describes the process by which this model was developed, based on approaches used in iTEC, and explains how it responds to criticisms of existing models. A short case study of the use of InFlow in a UK university library demonstrates how the model can work in practice to create IL programmes for students of the 21st century.
Fostering the integration of information literacy and journalism practice:
Authors: MacMillan Margy Elizabeth
Published: December 2014

Journalism students draw on a range of information skills and resources to complete both practical and academic assignments. A five-year qualitative study gathered annual reflections on information use from a total of 215 students. A thematic analysis of the statements made by students demonstrates the value of reconfiguring information literacy (IL) instruction to align with the professional needs and practices in their discipline. Deliberate scaffolding encouraged students to transfer ways of understanding and using information between personal, academic, and journalistic contexts. Student statements provide evidence that many are integrating formal learning with experience to develop IL that serves their academic and professional information needs. The long-term nature of the study also provides evidence of students developing their understanding of threshold concepts in IL and internalising those concepts into their practice. Insights from the study may inform changes to instruction within and beyond professional programmes to encourage transfer of IL skills and knowledge between students’ personal, professional, and academic information ecosystems.
First record and a new species of Alvinocaris Williams & Chace, 1982 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Alvinocarididae) from the Indian Ocean
Authors: YAHAGI TAKUYA , WATANABE HIROMI , KOJIMA SHIGEAKI , BEEDESSEE GIRISH , KOMAI TOMOYUKI
Published: December 2014

A new species of the alvinocaridid shrimp genus Alvinocaris Williams & Chace, 1982 is described from the Solitaire hydrothermal vent field at 2606 m depth on the Central Indian Ridge. Alvinocaris solitaire sp. nov., the first species of the genus to be recorded from the Indian Ocean, is morphologically most similar to A. lusca Williams & Chace, 1982 from the Galapagos Rift, East Pacific Rise. The new species is distinguished from A. lusca by the less produced pterygostomial angle of the carapace, the presence of small teeth on the posterolateral margin of the third pleuron, and the lack of short plumose setae on the posteromedian margin of the telson. The genetic divergence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene (600 bp) among the nine Alvinocaris species analyzed clearly indicates that the new taxon is distinct from the congeneric species for which genetic data are available.
Left Bundle Branch Block in Acute Cardiac Events
Authors: Alkindi Fahad , El-Menyar Ayman , Al-Suwaidi Jassim , Patel Ashfaq , Gehani Abdurrazzak A. , Singh Rajvir , Albinali Hajar , Arabi Abdulrahman
Published: December 2014

Between 1991 and 2013, we evaluated the demographics, presentations, and final diagnosis of patients hospitalized with acute cardiac events and left bundle branch block (LBBB). Of 50 992 patients, 768 (1.5%) had LBBB. Compared with non-LBBB patients, patients with LBBB were mostly older, female, diabetic, and had hypertension and chronic kidney failure (CKF; P < .001 for all). Dyspnea ( P < .001) and dizziness ( P = .037) were more frequent in patients with LBBB. The most frequent cause of admission with LBBB was congestive heart failure (CHF; 54.2%), followed by ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI; 13.3%), valvular heart disease (9.4%), unstable angina (8.3%) and Non-STEMI (7.7%). On multivariate analysis, CKF (odds ratio [OR]: 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-3.70) and LBBB (OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 2.01-4.42) were predictors of in-hospital mortality in the entire study population. Further analysis of patients with LBBB showed that CKF (OR: 2.93, 95% CI: 1.40-6.12) was the only predictor of in-hospital mortality. Regardless the presenting symptoms, CHF was the final diagnosis in most cases with LBBB.
Are Well-Calibrated Users Effective Users? Associations Between Calibration of Trust and Performance on an Automation-Aided Task
Authors: Merritt Stephanie M. , Lee Deborah , Unnerstall Jennifer L. , Huber Kelli
Published: December 2014

Objective:

We present alternative operationalizations of trust calibration and examine their associations with predictors and outcomes.

Background:

It is thought that trust calibration (correspondence between aid reliability and user trust in the aid) is a key to effective human–automation performance. We propose that calibration can be operationalized in three ways. Perceptual accuracy is the extent to which the user perceives the aid’s reliability accurately at one point in time. Perceptual sensitivity and trust sensitivity reflect user adjustment of perceived reliability and trust as the aid’s actual reliability changes over time.

Method:

One hundred fifty-five students completed an X-ray screening task with an automated screener. Awareness of the aid’s accuracy trajectory and error type was examined as predictors, and task performance and aid failure detection were examined as outcomes.

Results:

Awareness of accuracy trajectory was significantly associated with all three operationalizations of calibration, but awareness of error type was not when considered in conjunction with accuracy trajectory. Contrary to expectations, only perceptual accuracy was significantly associated with task performance and failure detection, and combined, the three operationalizations accounted for only 9% and 4% of the variance in these outcomes, respectively.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that the potential importance of trust calibration warrants further examination. Moderators may exist.

Application:

Users who were better able to perform the task unaided were better able to identify and correct aid failure, suggesting that user task training and expertise may benefit human–automation performance.
Can Thinking be Taught? Linking Critical Thinking and Writing in an EFL Context
Authors: Mehta Sandhya Rao , Al-Mahrooqi Rahma
Published: December 2014

While thinking critically is often perceived to be the primary purpose of reading, the question of whether it can actually be taught in classrooms has been extensively debated. This paper bases itself on a qualitative case study of university students completing a degree in English Language and Literature. It explores the way in which critical thinking can be taught in EFL contexts. The paper suggests that critical thinking is best defined as a series of skills which can be continuously worked upon by students for whom constant revision and application of these skills is a significant way of internalizing what has often been seen to be just an attitude or bent of mind. This skill is further enhanced when students get an opportunity to write on the areas which have been discussed in the class, particularly if they are of some relevance to the students’ own contexts. Based on the open question format of Norris and Ennis (1989) and subsequent evaluation using the rubrics of McLaughlin and Moore (2012) which take into account the critical reading component in writing, this paper investigates the extent to which critical thinking could be enhanced through in-class social practices such as discussions and subsequent writing. The study concludes that continuous practice, both oral and written, provide opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking abilities as they become more successful in incorporating nuanced and critical ideas into their academic writings. This has implications for students’ academic and personal achievements because, clearly, an inability to read critically will result in an inability to write insightfully. Various strategies are then suggested to facilitate learners’ use of critical thinking skills so that they may successfully incorporate them into their writing, both in an academic context and as a life-long skill.
Follower-Followee Network, Communication Networks, and Vote Agreement of the U.S. Members of Congress
Authors: Peng Tai-Quan , Liu Mengchen , Wu Yingcai , Liu Shixia
Published: December 2014

The digital traces of U.S. members of congress on Twitter enable researchers to observe how these public officials interact with one another in a direct and unobtrusive manner. Using data from Twitter and other sources (e.g., roll-call vote data), this study aims to examine how members of congress connect and communicate with one another on Twitter, why they will connect and communicate with one another in such a way, and what effects such connection and communication among members of congress have on their floor vote behavior. The follower-followee and communication networks of members of congress on Twitter demonstrate a high degree of partisan homogeneity. Members of congress prefer to follow or communicate with other members who are similar to them in terms of partisanship, home state, chamber, and public concern. This condition is known as the homophily effect in social network research. However, the magnitude of the homophily effect is mitigated when the effects of endogenous networking mechanisms (i.e., reciprocity and triadic closure) in such networks are controlled. Follower-followee ties can facilitate political discourse among members of congress on Twitter, whereas both follower-followee and communication ties on Twitter increase the likelihood of vote agreement among members of congress. The theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the findings are addressed.
“Old faith is often modern heresy”: Re-enchanted orthodoxy in Coleridge’s “The Eolian Harp” and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Authors: McQueen Joseph
Published: December 2014

Charles Taylor’s recent revision of secularization narratives allows for a rereading of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Eolian Harp” and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner—two poems frequently construed as incompatible with Christian orthodoxy. Rather than recording a conflict between Sara Coleridge’s orthodoxy and the poet’s heterodoxy, “The Eolian Harp,” I claim, registers the tension between two Christianities, one secularized, the other fully enchanted. I then read the Rime not as morally and religiously unintelligible as others have, but rather as another expression of enchanted orthodoxy, one that affirms the participation of all things in the divine and that leaves room for many expressions of the numinous, not all of them benign.
“Balaam’s Ass”: Smerdyakov as a paradoxical redeemer in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov
Authors: Cohen Sharon
Published: December 2014

Smerdyakov, the likely fourth brother—a bastard, an epileptic, a murderer, a suicide—is glaringly excluded from the tripartite Karamazov soul of the appetitive Dmitri, the rational Ivan, and the spiritual Alyosha. But to dismiss him as an inexplicable freak of nature is to dismiss the entire sobornost, or spiritual community, of Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov. This paper carefully examines the character of Smerdyakov, and argues that his willful self-denial of all aspects of life and humanity—his tripartite rejection of the Karamazov soul—culminates in the murder of his father Fyodor. However, I also maintain that Smerdyakov serves as Dostoevsky’s warning to Russia’s next generation of “gentlemen,” for this “Balaam’s ass” will give Russia occasion to reorient and restore her fracturing soul.
National Culture and Internal Control Material Weaknesses Around the World
Authors: Kanagaretnam Kiridaran , Lobo Gerald J. , Ma Chen , Zhou Jian
Published: December 2014

The scandals surrounding questionable accounting practices and corporate wrongdoing during 2000-2008 have often been attributed to the lack of effective internal controls. We examine the relations between national culture and the incidence and number of reported internal control material weaknesses (ICMWs). We focus on three dimensions of national culture—individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance (as identified by Hofstede)—which we hypothesize are related to ICMW. Consistent with our hypotheses, cross-country analysis indicates that individualism and power distance are positively related, and uncertainty avoidance is negatively related, to the existence of ICMW. We also find a significant positive relation between individualism and the number of ICMWs. These results are robust to a variety of sensitivity tests. In addition, we document that all three dimensions of national culture influence the propensity to remediate previously identified ICMW.
Haemorrhagic cerebral air embolism from an atrio-oesophageal fistula following atrial fibrillation ablation
Authors: Koa-Wing M , Jamil-Copley S , Ariff B , Kojodjojo P , Lim P B , Whinnett Z , Rajakulendran S , Malhotra P , Lefroy D , Peters N S , Davies D W , Kanagaratnam P
Published: December 2014

We report the case of a man found unconscious three weeks following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Cranial and thoracic imaging demonstrated multiple areas of pneumo-embolic infarction secondary to an atrio-oesophageal fistula (AEF). AEF is a recognised, but rare, complication of AF ablation.1–8 Early recognition is critical as the mortality is 100% without surgical intervention. We consider the postulated mechanisms of AEF formation, the spectrum of clinical presentation, investigations and treatment.
The non-prescriptive aspect of ethics. Ágnes Heller’s An Ethics of Personality
Authors: Vestrucci Andrea
Published: December 2014

According to Ágnes Heller’s plans in 1989 and 1990, the last volume of her moral trilogy should have been entitled A Theory of Proper Conduct. In 1996 the third volume finally appeared with the title An Ethics of Personality. Its content: a series of philosophical dialogues between many dramatis personæ. The change in style and methodology of the third volume led to many criticisms, amongst them Mihály Vajda’s questioning of the whole project’s consistency. The present paper aims to engage these criticisms by retracing the presence in An Ethics of Personality of the themes that, according to Heller’s previous intentions, should have informed the last part of her moral theory. The contribution analyses Heller’s definitions of modern paideia and moral wisdom, the issue of the possibility of happiness for modern people, and the philosophically problematic concept of moral aesthetics. In conclusion, the ‘literary’ methodology of the book is put in relationship with the non-prescriptive aspect of ethics.
Father Involvement, Dating Violence, and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among a National Sample of Adolescent Females
Authors: Alleyne-Green Binta , Grinnell-Davis Claudette , Clark Trenette T. , Quinn Camille R. , Cryer-Coupet Qiana R.
Published: December 2014

This study explored the relationship between the involvement of biological fathers and the sexual risk behaviors and dating violence/victimization and/or perpetration of adolescent girls. The data used in this cross-sectional analysis were drawn from the second wave of the public release of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Only adolescents who reported their biological sex as female, reported a history of being sexually active, and reported having a romantic partner in the previous 18 months were selected ( N = 879). This study focused on overall positive sexual behaviors and use of contraception. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to best utilize capacity for dealing with latent variables and to test for possible mediation effects. The analysis demonstrated main effects of dating violence and father involvement on sexual behaviors. The more dating violence an adolescent girl experiences, the less likely she is to engage in healthy sexual behaviors. Likewise, the more involvement the biological father has in a woman’s life, the more likely she is to engage in positive sexual behaviors. Perceived father involvement was associated with risky sexual behaviors among sexually experienced adolescent girls. Dating violence was directly associated with risky sexual behaviors among sexually experienced adolescent girls, particularly non-White girls. Future studies should use longitudinal models and test theoretically and empirically guided potential mediators. Future studies should also consider father figures such as step-fathers and grandfathers in addition to biological fathers, as having a father figure may be a stronger predictor of adolescent sexual behaviors than having a biological connection.
An approach to construct the relationship between the nonlinear normal mode and forced response of nonlinear systems
Authors: Liao Haitao
Published: December 2014

An approach for correlating the given forced response with the nonlinear normal mode utilizing the modal assurance criterion is explored. The problem is transformed into a nonlinear optimization problem with nonlinear constraints. The modal assurance criterion of the Fourier coefficient vectors which indicates the degree of correlation between the nonlinear normal mode and forced response is set as the objective function whereas the nonlinear constraints are built utilizing the harmonic balance method and the Floquet theory. With the aim to make the modal assurance criterion approach to 1, the unknown optimization variables including the Fourier coefficients and the nonlinear frequency are iteratively sought using the sequential quadratic programming algorithm to fit the given periodic solution. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is demonstrated via two numerical case studies. It is illustrated that the proposed approach can be used to construct the relationship between the nonlinear normal mode and forced response. In addition, numerical examples also confirm that resonance forced responses are in the neighborhood of nonlinear normal modes.
Saint-Venant torsion of orthotropic bars with a circular cross-section containing multiple cracks
Authors: Hassani Alireza , Faal Reza Teymoori
Published: December 2014

In this paper, the problem of the circular orthotropic bars with multiple cracks is investigated based on the Saint-Venant torsion theory. The solution to the problem of an orthotropic bar weakened by a Volterra-type screw dislocation is first obtained by means of the finite Fourier sine transform. In this research, the bar is assumed to be subjected to an axial net torsion when finding the dislocation solution. The closed form solution is then derived for displacement and stress fields in the bar. At the next step, the dislocation solution is employed to derive a set of Cauchy singular integral equations for analysis of the circular bar with curved cracks. The solution to these equations is used to determine the torsional rigidity of the bar and the stress intensity factors of the tips of the cracks. The paper is furnished with several examples of a single crack and multiple cracks.
A systematic review of telehealth tools and interventions to support family caregivers
Authors: Chi Nai-Ching , Demiris George
Published: December 2014

We conducted a systematic review of studies employing telehealth interventions which focused on family caregivers’ outcomes. The Embase, CINHAL, Cochrane and PubMed databases were searched using combinations of keywords including “telehealth,” “telemedicine,” “telecare,” “telemonitoring,” “caregiver” and “family.” The initial search produced 4205 articles, of which 65 articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles included 52 experimental studies, 11 evaluation studies, one case study and one secondary analysis. Thirty-three articles focused on family caregivers of adult and older patients, while 32 articles focused on parental caregivers of paediatric patients. The technologies included video, web-based, telephone-based and telemetry/remote monitoring. Six main categories of interventions were delivered via technology: education, consultation (including decision support), psychosocial/cognitive behavioural therapy (including problem solving training), social support, data collection and monitoring, and clinical care delivery. More than 95% of the studies reported significant improvements in the caregivers’ outcomes and that caregivers were satisfied and comfortable with telehealth. The review showed that telehealth can positively affect chronic disease care, home and hospice care.
Student absenteeism and the comparisons of two sampling procedures for culturable bioaerosol measurement in classrooms with and without upper room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation devices
Authors: Su Chunxiao , Lau Josephine , Gibbs Shawn G.
Published: December 2014

Upper room ultraviolet germicidal irradiance (UVGI) has been shown to reduce the concentration of bioaerosols in controlled chambers. However, there is a lack of experimental results on the reduction of bioaerosol concentrations by UVGI devices in actual uncontrolled buildings. This study was carried out in an American elementary school in the Midwest. Two sampling procedures were carried out in six selected classrooms with similar dimensions that were separated into two groups: (1) UVGI exposure group and (2) non-UVGI control group. Two-stage Tisch culturable impactors were utilized to collect airborne culturable bacteria and fungi. Monthly samples were collected during unoccupied period in sampling Procedure A and during close-to-occupied periods in sampling Procedure B. Student absenteeism data were collected. Nonparametric statistical methods were applied. Neither analysis of microorganisms nor student absenteeism showed a significant difference between the UVGI exposure and non-UVGI control groups in Procedure A. Analysis of the airborne culturable fine and total bacteria levels (1–8 µm) was significantly lower in the exposure classroom than those of the control classroom using Procedure B ( P values < 0.05). The result indicates that collecting airborne bacteria close to occupied time could be more effective in evaluating the performance of upper room UVGI. In this case study, upper room UVGI can reduce culturable bioaerosols in a crowed environment like classrooms.
Punishment as moral communication: The experiences of long-term prisoners
Authors: Schinkel Marguerite
Published: December 2014

This article examines for the first time to what extent the lived experience of long-term prisoners matches the normative theory of criminal punishment as moral communication. The findings are based on 27 narrative interviews with men at different stages of a long-term prison sentence. The analysis suggests that Antony Duff’s normative vision of punishment as moral communication may be difficult to realise in practice because of the inevitable pressures on defendants in the courtroom and on prisoners during their incarceration. In the court, the men’s attention was focused on the length of the sentence imposed; they were often overwhelmed by emotion and did not interact with the court as a moral arena. Within prison the men tended to accept their sentence in order to make bearing their incarceration easier. Comparing these men’s lived experiences of punishment with Duff’s normative theory highlights problems with the theory’s potential implementation but also reveals normative problems with current practices of sentencing and sanctioning.
Reaching the ‘Hardest to Reach’
Authors: Nugent Briege
Published: December 2014

Services can play a vital role in promoting desistance from offending for those leaving prison. However, young men are the least likely group to engage with or sustain contact with support, and the most likely to return to prison. This article presents findings from a longitudinal evaluation in Scotland which highlights the often unreported wary attitude that this population have towards services, but also the ways in which this can be overcome. Ultimately, it is argued that a youth work– and solution-focused approach can be successful, and above all else the key worker’s persistence in building relationships crucial.
Intimate Partner Violence and the Rural–Urban–Suburban Divide
Authors: Edwards Katie M.
Published: December 2014

The author of this article presents a review of the published empirical and theoretical literature to date on similarities and differences in intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural locales compared to urban and suburban locales. A review of 63 studies indicates that (1) the rates of IPV are generally similar across rural, urban, and suburban locales, although some groups of rural women (e.g., multiracial and separated/divorced) may be at increased risk for IPV compared to similar groups of urban women, and rates of intimate partner homicide may be higher in rural locales than urban and suburban locales; (2) IPV perpetrator and victim characteristics in rural locales are generally similar to IPV perpetrator and victim characteristics in other locales with the exception of some demographic characteristics that can generally be accounted for by broader rural–urban–suburban demographic differences; (3) IPV perpetrators in rural locales, compared with perpetrators in urban locales, may perpetrate more chronic and severe IPV, which could be due to the higher rates of substance abuse and unemployment documented among rural perpetrators; (4) IPV victims in rural locales may have worse psychosocial and physical health outcomes due to the lack of availability, accessibility, and quality of IPV services; and (5) attitudes about IPV vary to some extent across locales, with individuals in rural locales generally supporting less governmental involvement in IPV issues than in urban locales. Limitations of the literature are reviewed and suggestions for research are provided as well as implications for practice and policy efforts, which primarily center on improving availability, accessibility, and quality of IPV services in rural locales.