bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonpharmacological Interventions for Pain Management in Paramedicine and the Emergency Setting: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Pak Sok Cheon , Micalos Peter S. , Maria Sonja J. , Lord Bill
Published: April 2015

Paramedicine and the emergency medical services have been moving in the direction of advancing pharmaceutical intervention for the management of pain in both acute and chronic situations. This coincides with other areas of advanced life support and patient management strategies that have been well researched and continue to benefit from the increasing evidence. Even though paramedic practice is firmly focused on pharmacological interventions to alleviate pain, there is emerging evidence proposing a range of nonpharmacological options that can have an important role in pain management. This review highlights literature that suggests that paramedicine and emergency medical services should be considering the application of complementary and alternative therapies which can enhance current practice and reduce the use of pharmacological interventions.
Canine Bilateral Conjunctivo-Palpebral Dermoid: Description of Two Clinical Cases and Discussion of the Relevance of the Terminology
Authors: Balland O. , Raymond I. , Mathieson I. , Isard P. F. , Vidémont-Drevon Emilie , Dulaurent T.
Published: April 2015

Two young dogs were presented for the evaluation of an abnormally haired appearance of both eyes since adoption. In one dog, the lesions were symmetrical and appeared as disorganized skin tissue located on the cutaneous aspect of the lateral portion of both lower eyelids, and continuing to the palpebral and the bulbar conjunctiva, thus forming continuous lesions. In the other dog, a similar lesion was present in the right eye (OD), but the lesion of the left eye (OS) was of discontinuous, disorganized skin tissue located midway on the lower eyelid and on the lateral bulbar conjunctiva. The lesions were surgically removed and routinely processed for histopathological analysis. Definitive diagnosis was conjunctivo-palpebral dermoids for each dog. Dermoids are usually considered to be choristoma (normal tissue in an abnormal location) when they are located on the ocular surface (cornea and/or conjunctiva) and as hamartoma when located on the palpebral skin. The lesion presentation in these two dogs reveals that names of “choristoma” alone or “hamartoma” alone are not accurate to depict the continuous, composite, conjunctivo-palpebral dermoids. These cases suggest that choristoma and hamartoma might develop subsequently from the same abnormal event during the embryonic development, which means that the lesion location might be the only difference between the two terms.
Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need in Obese Adolescents
Authors: Giuca Maria Rita , Pasini Marco , Caruso Silvia , Tecco Simona , Necozione Stefano , Gatto Roberto
Published: April 2015

Aim. This case-control retrospective study is aimed at assessing if obese adolescents need more orthodontic treatment in comparison with normal-weight patients of the same age.Methods. The test group included 100 obese subjects (50 males and 50 females; average age: 13.09 ± 1.19 years old) and the control group included 100 normal-weight patients matched for age and sex (50 males and 50 females; average age: 13.07 ± 1.26 years old). Clinical examinations were conducted on dental casts to assess the need of orthodontic treatment, by using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) (DHC, dental health component; AC, aesthetic components).Results. No statistically significant difference (P>0.05) was observed between the two groups with regard to AC. Obese females showed a significant (P<0.05) higher percentage of DHC 3 (32%) in comparison to the normal-weight girls (22%); for the other grades of DHC and for the single kind of malocclusion, no significant difference was found.Conclusions. Obese adolescents showed a similar need for orthodontic treatment compared to normal-weight patients of the same age. However, in obese females, a slightly greater need for orthodontic treatment was observed, compared to normal-weight patients.
Diagnostic Challenges in Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Case Reports and Review of the Literature
Authors: Pazgan-Simon Monika , Serafinska Sylwia , Janocha-Litwin Justyna , Simon Krzysztof , Zuwala-Jagiello Jolanta
Published: April 2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common malignancy and the third leading mortality cause worldwide. It typically develops secondarily to liver cirrhosis, due to hepatitis B or C infection, alcohol abuse, metabolic disease, and so forth. According to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) guidelines, which constitute diagnostic standards, the diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) should be based on contrast-enhanced imaging. Lesion hyperenhancement should be observed throughout the arterial phase, followed by the washout during the venous phase. The diagnosis can also be based on the histopathological evaluation of liver biopsy specimen. Although the standards are clear, we often see patients with advanced HCC in clinical practice, who cannot be offered any effective treatment. Patients with chronic liver disease, presenting with inconclusive and changeable test results, constitute a separate problem. In such cases the diagnostic process is typically long-term and delayed. In this paper we present three case reports where the diagnosis could not be made promptly and the patients died as a result of a delayed diagnostic process.
An Analytical Approach to Evaluating Nonmonotonic Functions of Fuzzy Numbers
Authors: Seibel Arthur , Schlattmann Josef
Published: April 2015

This paper presents a novel analytical approach to evaluating continuous, nonmonotonic functions of independent fuzzy numbers. The approach is based on a parametricα-cut representation of fuzzy numbers and allows for the inclusion of parameter uncertainties into mathematical models.
Robust Optimisation Approach for Vehicle Routing Problems with Uncertainty
Authors: Sun Liang , Wang Bing
Published: April 2015

We formulated a solution procedure for vehicle routing problems with uncertainty (VRPU for short) with regard to future demand and transportation cost. Unlike E-SDROA (expectation semideviation robust optimisation approach) for solving the proposed problem, the formulation focuses on robust optimisation considering situations possibly related to bidding and capital budgets. Besides, numerical experiments showed significant increments in the robustness of the solutions without much loss in solution quality. The differences and similarities of the robust optimisation model and existing robust optimisation approaches were also compared.
Enhancing Fluoride Mediated Dentine Sensitivity Relief through Functionalised Tricalcium Phosphate Activity
Authors: Naoum Steven J. , Lenard Andrea , Martin F. Elizabeth , Ellakwa Ayman
Published: April 2015

Background.To assess the clinical efficacy of a dentifrice containing fluoride and functionalised tricalcium phosphate (fTCP) in reducing dentine sensitivity.Methods.A 10-week parallel blind randomised control trial was conducted. Subjects were assigned to one of four groups and instructed to brush twice daily: A: Colgate Cavity Protection (1000 ppmF-MFP); B: Sensodyne Total Care (1000 ppmF-NaF + 19300 ppmK+-KNO3); C: Clinpro Tooth Crème (950 ppmF-NaF + fTCP); and D: Clinpro Tooth Crème (brushing + additional topical application). Seventy-one patients were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 10 weeks for cold, tactile, and hypertonic sensitivity using the NRS-11 pain rating scale. A combined modalities sensitivity score (CMS) was calculated.Results.At 6 weeks, patients reported the following reduction in CMS: A (20%); B (30%); C (42%); D (52%). At 10 weeks, patients reported the following reduction in CMS: A (18%), B (40%), C (24%), and D (54%). The only CMS comparisons to show a significant difference (P<0.05) were between Groups A and D (6 and 10 weeks).Conclusions.Addition of fTCP to a dentifrice enhances the ability of dentifrice fluoride in reducing dentine sensitivity. Using Clinpro Tooth Crème twice daily for brushing can be as effective to reduce dentine sensitivity as twice daily brushing using Sensodyne Total Care. However, additional nightly topical application of fTCP, in addition to twice daily brushing, showed an enhanced reduction in dentine sensitivity.
Characterization of Olfactory Ensheathing Glial Cells Cultured on Polyurethane/Polylactide Electrospun Nonwovens
Authors: Grzesiak Jakub , Fryczkowski Ryszard , Lis Anna , Szarek Dariusz , Laska Jadwiga , Marycz Krzysztof
Published: April 2015

The aim of this research was to evaluate novel biomaterials for neural regeneration. The investigated materials were composed of polyurethane (PU) and polylactide (PLDL) blended at three different w/w ratios, that is, 5/5, 6/4, and 8/2 of PU/PLDL. Ultrathin fibrous scaffolds were prepared using electrospinning. The scaffolds were investigated for their applicability for nerve regeneration by culturing rat olfactory ensheathing glial cells. Cells were cultured on the materials for seven days, during which cellular morphology, phenotype, and metabolic activity were analysed. SEM analysis of the fabricated fibrous scaffolds showed fibers of a diameter mainly lower than 600 μm with unimportant volume of protrusions situated along the fibers, with nonsignificant differences between all analysed materials. Cells cultured on the materials showed differences in their morphology and metabolic activity, depending on the blend composition. The most proper morphology, with numerous p75+and GFAP+cells present, was observed in the sample 6/4, whereas the highest metabolic activity was measured in the sample 5/5. However, none of the investigated samples showed cytotoxicity or negatively influenced cellular morphology. Therefore, the novel electrospun fibrous materials may be considered for regenerative medicine applications, and especially when contacting with highly sensitive nervous cells.
Detection of Prosthetic Knee Movement Phases via In‐Socket Sensors: A Feasibility Study
Authors: El-Sayed Amr M. , Hamzaid Nur Azah , Tan Kenneth Y. S. , Abu Osman Noor Azuan
Published: April 2015

This paper presents an approach of identifying prosthetic knee movements through pattern recognition of mechanical responses at the internal socket’s wall. A quadrilateral double socket was custom made and instrumented with two force sensing resistors (FSR) attached to specific anterior and posterior sites of the socket’s wall. A second setup was established by attaching three piezoelectric sensors at the anterior distal, anterior proximal, and posterior sites. Gait cycle and locomotion movements such as stair ascent and sit to stand were adopted to characterize the validity of the technique. FSR and piezoelectric outputs were measured with reference to the knee angle during each phase. Piezoelectric sensors could identify the movement of midswing and terminal swing, pre‐full standing, pull‐up at gait, sit to stand, and stair ascent. In contrast, FSR could estimate the gait cycle stance and swing phases and identify the pre‐full standing at sit to stand. FSR showed less variation during sit to stand and stair ascent to sensitively represent the different movement states. The study highlighted the capacity of using in‐socket sensors for knee movement identification. In addition, it validated the efficacy of the system and warrants further investigation with more amputee subjects and different sockets types.
Inhibition of mTOR by Rapamycin Results in Auditory Hair Cell Damage and Decreased Spiral Ganglion Neuron Outgrowth and Neurite FormationIn Vitro
Authors: Leitmeyer Katharina , Glutz Andrea , Radojevic Vesna , Setz Cristian , Huerzeler Nathan , Bumann Helen , Bodmer Daniel , Brand Yves
Published: April 2015

Rapamycin is an antifungal agent with immunosuppressive properties. Rapamycin inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) by blocking the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1). mTOR is an atypical serine/threonine protein kinase, which controls cell growth, cell proliferation, and cell metabolism. However, less is known about the mTOR pathway in the inner ear. First, we evaluated whether or not the two mTOR complexes (mTORC1 and mTORC2, resp.) are present in the mammalian cochlea. Next, tissue explants of 5-day-old rats were treated with increasing concentrations of rapamycin to explore the effects of rapamycin on auditory hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons. Auditory hair cell survival, spiral ganglion neuron number, length of neurites, and neuronal survival were analyzedin vitro. Our data indicates that both mTOR complexes are expressed in the mammalian cochlea. We observed that inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin results in a dose dependent damage of auditory hair cells. Moreover, spiral ganglion neurite number and length of neurites were significantly decreased in all concentrations used compared to control in a dose dependent manner. Our data indicate that the mTOR may play a role in the survival of hair cells and modulates spiral ganglion neuronal outgrowth and neurite formation.
Decision Rules Acquisition for Inconsistent Disjunctive Set-Valued Ordered Decision Information Systems
Authors: Wang Hongkai , Guan Yanyong , Huang Jilin , Shen Jianting
Published: April 2015

Set-valued information system is an important formal framework for the development of decision support systems. We focus on the decision rules acquisition for the inconsistent disjunctive set-valued ordered decision information system in this paper. In order to derive optimal decision rules for an inconsistent disjunctive set-valued ordered decision information system, we define the concept of reduct of an object. By constructing the dominance discernibility function for an object, we compute reducts of the object via utilizing Boolean reasoning techniques, and then the corresponding optimal decision rules are induced. Finally, we discuss the certain reduct of the inconsistent disjunctive set-valued ordered decision information system, which can be used to simplify all certain decision rules as much as possible.
Cognitive Reserve in Parkinson’s Disease: The Effects of Welsh-English Bilingualism on Executive Function
Authors: Hindle John V. , Martin-Forbes Pamela A. , Bastable Alexandra J. M. , Pye Kirstie L. , Martyr Anthony , Whitaker Christopher J. , Craik Fergus I. M. , Bialystok Ellen , Thomas Enlli M. , Mueller Gathercole Virginia C. , Clare Linda
Published: April 2015

Objective. Bilingualism has been shown to benefit executive function (EF) and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. This study aims at examining whether a bilingual advantage applies to EF in Parkinson’s disease (PD).Method. In a cross-sectional outpatient cohort of monolingual English (n=57) and bilingual Welsh/English (n=46) speakers with PD we evaluated the effects of bilingualism compared with monolingualism on performance on EF tasks. In bilinguals we also assessed the effects of the degree of daily usage of each language and the degree of bilingualism.Results. Monolinguals showed an advantage in performance of language tests. There were no differences in performance of EF tests in monolinguals and bilinguals. Those who used Welsh less in daily life had better performance on one test of English vocabulary. The degree of bilingualism correlated with one test of nonverbal reasoning and one of working memory but with no other tests of EF.Discussion. The reasons why the expected benefit in EF in Welsh-English bilinguals with PD was not found require further study. Future studies in PD should include other language pairs, analysis of the effects of the degree of bilingualism, and longitudinal analysis of cognitive decline or dementia together with structural or functional neuroimaging.
The Utility of Capsule Endoscopy in Patients under 50 Years of Age with Recurrent Iron Deficiency Anaemia: Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?
Authors: Sidhu Prabhjot Singh , McAlindon Mark E. , Drew Kaye , Sidhu Reena
Published: April 2015

Background and Aims. The role of capsule endoscopy (CE) in the <50 years of age patients with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) remains unclear. We aim to assess its utility in this cohort.Methods. All patients referred for CE for recurrent IDA were included retrospectively. Patients were divided into Group 1 (<50 years) and Group 2 (≥50 years).Results. There were 971 patients with recurrent IDA and 28% belonged to Group 1. The mean age was 40 years in this group with a DY of 28% (n=76). Significant diagnoses included erosions and ulcers (26%;n=71), small bowel (SB) angioectasia (AE) (10%;n=27), SB tumours (3%;n=7), Crohn’s disease (3%;n=7), SB bowel strictures (1%;n=3), and SB varices (1%;n=2). On logistic regression, the presence of diabetes (P=0.02) and the use of warfarin (P=0.049) was associated with increased DY. The DY in Group 2 was 38% which was significantly higher than in Group 1 (P=0.02). While SB tumours were equally common in both groups, AE was commoner in Group 2 (P<0.001).Conclusion. A significant proportion of patients <50 years are referred for CE. Although the DY is lower compared to those ≥50 years, significant pathology is found in this age group. CE is advisable in patients <50 years old with recurrent IDA and negative bidirectional endoscopies.
Acid Hydrolysis of Bromazepam Catalyzed by Micelles, Reverse Micelles, and Microemulsions
Authors: Begum Ferdousi , Mollah M. Yousuf A. , Rahman M. Muhibur , Susan Md. Abu Bin Hasan
Published: April 2015

Kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of bromazepam (Bz) has been investigated in micelles, reverse micelles, and microemulcions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) by spectrophotometric method. The rate of the acid hydrolysis of Bz was found to be enhanced both below and above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of CTAB in aqueous solution. The pseudo-first-order rate constant (k′) shows an initial decrease for both low and high H+concentrations. With further increase in [CTAB], at low [H+], thek′attains an almost constant value, while, at high [H+], thek′passes through a maximum and then decreases. The kinetic data for catalysis by micelles of CTAB was interpreted with the pseudophase ion exchange (PIE) model. In CTAB/cyclohexane/1-butanol/water microemulsions, as the water to surfactant ratio (wo) increases, the physicochemical properties and droplet sizes of microemulsions significantly change and distinct changes in reaction environment can be marked. The rate of the hydrolysis reaction exhibits excellent correlation with the physicochemical properties and droplet sizes of the microemulsions and reverse micelles of CTAB. At [H+] = 0.001 M, in reverse micelles and microemulsions of CTAB, thek′of the acid hydrolysis of Bz decreases sharply followed by a slight increase with increasingwo.
Impaired Adipose Tissue Expandability and Lipogenic Capacities as Ones of the Main Causes of Metabolic Disorders
Authors: Moreno-Indias Isabel , Tinahones Francisco José
Published: April 2015

Obesity is considered a major health problem. However, mechanisms involved and its comorbidities are not elucidated. Recent theories concerning the causes of obesity have focused on a limit to the functional capacity of adipose tissue, comparing it with other vital organs. This assumption has been the central point of interest in our laboratory. We proposed that the failure of adipose tissue is initiated by the difficulty of this tissue to increase its cellularity due to excess in fat contribution, owing to genetic or environmental factors. Nevertheless, why the adipose tissue reduces its capacity to make new adipocytes via mesenchymal cells of the stroma has not yet been elucidated. Thus, we suggest that this tissue ceases fulfilling its main function, the storage of excess fat, thereby affecting some of the key factors involved in lipogenesis, some of which are reviewed in this paper (PPARγ, ROR1, FASN, SCD1, Rab18, BrCa1, ZAG, and FABP4). On the other hand, mechanisms involved in adipose tissue expandability are also impaired, predominating hypertrophy via an increase in apoptosis and a decrease in adipogenesis and angiogenesis. However, adipose tissue failure is only part of this great orchestra, only a chapter of this nightmare.
Extrinsic Subclavian Vein Compression after Osteosynthesis of a Midshaft Clavicular Fracture in an Athlete
Authors: Rossi Luciano A. , Piuzzi Nicolas S. , Bongiovanni Santiago L. , Tanoira Ignacio , Maignon Gaston , Ranalletta Maximiliano
Published: April 2015

Clavicle fractures are common injuries. Traditionally, nonsurgical management has been favored; however, recent evidence has emerged indicating that operative fixation produces lower nonunion rates, better functional outcomes, improved cosmesis, and greater patient satisfaction. Although clavicle fixation has been considered a safe procedure, several complications related to plate fixation have been reported. We report a case of a 21-year-old basketball player that had a vascular complication associated with internal fixation of a clavicle fracture. An external compression of the subclavian vein was attributed to a long screw of a precontoured clavicular plate. Although vascular complications associated with clavicle fixation are rare, they may be limb and even life threating. It is advisable that surgeons take measures to avoid them especially when placing the medial screws.
A MAC Protocol for CR-WSN without a Dedicated Common Control Channel
Authors: Joshi Gyanendra Prasad , Acharya Srijana , Kim Sung Won
Published: April 2015

We present a decentralized medium access control protocol for cognitive radio wireless sensor networks. The proposed protocol allows secondary wireless sensors nodes to recognize spectrum opportunities and transmits data based on the licensed users’ arrival prediction on the channel. It estimates the number of active cognitive wireless sensor nodes and it also adjusts the sleep cycle in order to conserve energy. The proposed protocol does not need a dedicated common control channel to negotiate for the data channels. We evaluate delay, energy consumption, and goodput, which are the three important qualities of service parameters through simulation. The simulation results show that the proposed approach achieves higher energy conservation with a small cost of delay and adequate aggregated goodput.
Old Habits Die Hard: Addiction of BRAF-Mutant Cancer Cells to MAP Kinase Signaling
Authors: Meador Catherine B. , Pao William
Published: April 2015

Summary: Dual and triple combination therapies with RAF inhibitors plus other targeted agents have demonstrated promising clinical utility in BRAFV600-mutant solid tumors. However, despite vertical inhibition at multiple nodes on the MAPK signaling pathway, resistant tumors emerge. Ahronian and colleagues show that in BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer, resistance involves reactivation of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling and may be overcome by newly emerging ERK inhibitors. Cancer Discov; 5(4); 348–50. ©2015 AACR.

See related article by Ahronian et al., p. 358
Targeting Autophagy in BRAF-Mutant Tumors
Authors: Thorburn Andrew , Morgan Michael J.
Published: April 2015

Summary: Recent studies have highlighted the opportunity to treat cancer by inhibiting autophagy, but have also raised important caveats with this idea. An article in this issue of Cancer Discovery adds to accumulating evidence suggesting that we should focus our efforts (at least initially) on specific tumors where we are most likely to see beneficial effects. Cancer Discov; 5(4); 353–4. ©2015 AACR.

See related article by Xie et al., p. 410
Relative Dispersion in the Atmosphere from Reanalysis Winds
Authors: Graff L. S. , Guttu S. , LaCasce J. H.
Published: April 2015

The dispersion of pairs of synthetic particles, advected with ECMWF winds, is examined. The particles were deployed at three latitudes and on three potential temperature surfaces in both hemispheres. Separation statistics are calculated and evaluated in relation to 2D turbulence theory and to Eulerian structure functions calculated directly from the wind data.

At the smallest sampled scales (100–1000 km), the pair-separation velocities are correlated, and the dispersion is laterally isotropic, at least at the higher latitudes. At larger scales, the dispersion is zonally anisotropic, and the pair velocities are uncorrelated. In all cases, the dispersion grows exponentially in time, and the second-order Eulerian structure functions consistently increase as separation squared. This implies nonlocal dispersion, which obtains with energy spectra at least as steep as K−3.

Regional variations are seen in the parameters however. The e-folding times and the maximum scales for exponential growth are significantly larger on the 430-K surface than on the 315-K surface, and the dispersion is anisotropic at low latitudes, even at the smallest scales. Therefore, 2D homogeneous turbulence theory is applicable at best at subdeformation scales at the higher latitudes.
Scale-Dependent Performance of CMIP5 Earth System Models in Simulating Terrestrial Vegetation Carbon*
Authors: Jiang Lifen , Yan Yaner , Hararuk Oleksandra , Mikle Nathaniel , Xia Jianyang , Shi Zheng , Tjiputra Jerry , Wu Tongwen , Luo Yiqi
Published: April 2015

Model intercomparisons and evaluations against observations are essential for better understanding of models’ performance and for identifying the sources of uncertainty in their output. The terrestrial vegetation carbon simulated by 11 Earth system models (ESMs) involved in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) was evaluated in this study. The simulated vegetation carbon was compared at three distinct spatial scales (grid, biome, and global) among models and against the observations (an updated database from Olson et al.’s “Major World Ecosystem Complexes Ranked by Carbon in Live Vegetation: A Database”). Moreover, the underlying causes of the differences in the models’ predictions were explored. Model–data fit at the grid scale was poor but greatly improved at the biome scale. Large intermodel variability was pronounced in the tropical and boreal regions, where total vegetation carbon stocks were high. While 8 out of 11 ESMs reproduced the global vegetation carbon to within 20% uncertainty of the observational estimate (560 ± 112 Pg C), the simulated global totals varied nearly threefold between the models. The goodness of fit of ESMs in simulating vegetation carbon depended strongly on the spatial scales. Sixty-three percent of the variability in contemporary global vegetation carbon stocks across ESMs could be explained by differences in vegetation carbon residence time across ESMs (P < 0.01). The analysis indicated that ESMs’ performance of vegetation carbon predictions can be substantially improved through better representation of plant longevity (i.e., carbon residence time) and its respective spatial distributions.
Temperature Trends over Germany from Homogenized Radiosonde Data
Authors: Pattantyús-Ábrahám Margit , Steinbrecht Wolfgang
Published: April 2015

Temperature data from radiosondes over Germany have been homogenized manually. The method makes use of the different radiosonde (RS) networks existing in East and West Germany until 1990. The largest temperature adjustments, up to 2.5 K, apply to Freiberg sondes used in the east in the 1950s and 1960s. Adjustments for Graw Hamburg 1948 (H48), 1950 (H50), and Munich 1960 (M60) sondes, used in the west from the 1950s to the late 1980s, and for RKZ sondes, used in the east in the 1970s and 1980s, are also significant: 0.3–0.5 K. Small differences between Vaisala RS80 and RS92 sondes used throughout Germany since 1990 and ~2004, respectively, were not corrected for at levels from the ground to 300 hPa. Comparison of the homogenized data with other datasets—Radiosonde Innovation Composite Homogenization (RICH) and Hadley Centre Atmospheric Temperature, version 2 (HadAT2)—and with Microwave Sounding Unit satellite data shows generally good agreement. HadAT2 data exhibit a few suspicious spikes in the 1970s and 1980s and some suspicious offsets up to 1 K after 1995. Compared to RICH, the homogenized data show slightly different temperatures, by less than ~0.4 K, in the 1960s and 1970s. As reported in other studies, the troposphere over Germany has been warming by 0.2 ± 0.1 K decade−1 from ~1950 to 2013, and the stratosphere has been cooling. The stratospheric trend increases from almost no change near 230 hPa (the tropopause) to −0.4 ± 0.2 K decade−1 near 50 hPa. Trends from the homogenized data are more positive by about 0.1 K decade−1 compared to the original data, both in the troposphere and stratosphere.
Assessment of a Dual-Channel Array Spectrometer for Ground-Based Ozone Retrievals
Authors: Smedley Andrew R. D. , Kift Richard C. , Webb Ann R.
Published: April 2015

This study describes a dual-channel array spectrometer system designed to make high-frequency simultaneous spectral global irradiance and direct solar irradiance measurements covering the visible and ultraviolet wavelength ranges. The dual-channel nature of the instrument allows spectrally integrated quantities (e.g., erythema or vitamin D) to be calculated at a rate similar to broadband instruments while retrieving total column ozone (TCO) from the direct solar channel. The characterization and calibration of the instrument is discussed, with emphasis on temperature stabilization (<±0.01°C) and stray light removal. Focusing on the TCO retrieval from direct spectra, results are compared to a collocated Brewer spectrophotometer during the study period of May 2013–January 2014. Agreement for individual measurements made within 20 min of a reference Brewer direct sun observation on relatively clear example days is <1.5%. For all valid individual measurements, the study found an overall bias of 1.1 Dobson units (DU; 0.4%) and scatter of ±6.7 DU (2.2%) for retrievals obtained at airmass values < 4. A dependence on air mass of 6.3 DU (2.0%) per airmass unit is observed and a correlation of R2 = 0.954 is found for all individual measurements, although this is reduced to 0.908 for daily means. TCO retrievals are limited to airmass values < 4 primarily because of residual structure in the transmission spectrum that cannot be attributed to other trace gases. These results are encouraging and suggest that similar instrument designs could make a significant and relatively low-cost contribution to surface measurements of atmospheric radiation.
Moving toward the Deliberate Coproduction of Climate Science Knowledge
Authors: Meadow Alison M. , Ferguson Daniel B. , Guido Zack , Horangic Alexandra , Owen Gigi , Wall Tamara
Published: April 2015

Coproduction of knowledge is believed to be an effective way to produce usable climate science knowledge through a process of collaboration between scientists and decision makers. While the general principles of coproduction—establishing long-term relationships between scientists and stakeholders, ensuring two-way communication between both groups, and keeping the focus on the production of usable science—are well understood, the mechanisms for achieving those goals have been discussed less. It is proposed here that a more deliberate approach to building the relationships and communication channels between scientists and stakeholders will yield better outcomes. The authors present five approaches to collaborative research that can be used to structure a coproduction process that each suit different types of research or management questions, decision-making contexts, and resources and skills available to contribute to the process of engagement. By using established collaborative research approaches scientists can be more effective in learning from stakeholders, can be more confident when engaging with stakeholders because there are guideposts to follow, and can assess both the process and outcomes of collaborative projects, which will help the whole community of stakeholder-engaged climate-scientists learn about coproduction of knowledge.
Insulin Resistance Increases the Risk of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients Undergoing Elective Coronary Intervention
Authors: Li Yueping , Liu Yuyang , Shi Dongmei , Yang Lixia , Liang Jing , Zhou Yujie
Published: April 2015

We assessed the influence of insulin resistance (IR) on the development of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients (n = 719) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients were divided into diabetes mellitus (DM = 242), nondiabetic IR (IR = 120), and nondiabetic insulin sensitivity (IS = 357) groups according to medical history and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index. Serum creatinine (SCr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured before and 72 hours after PCI. There were no differences in SCr and eGFR among the groups before PCI; SCr increased and eGFR decreased significantly in the DM and IR groups post-PCI ( P < .001). The incidence of CIN in the IR group was as high as in the DM group and were both significantly higher than in the IS group (6.7% vs 8.7% vs 2.2%, P < .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed DM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.08-1.510, P < .001), HOMA-IR (OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.23-1.58, P < 0.001), and eGFR (OR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.84-0.92, P < .001) were independent risk factors in predicting CIN. Screening IR patients and taking appropriate prophylactic strategy before PCI may reduce the incidence of CIN.
Does Language Do More Than Communicate Emotion?
Authors: Lindquist Kristen A. , Satpute Ajay B. , Gendron Maria
Published: April 2015

Language can certainly communicate emotions, but growing research suggests that language also helps constitute emotion by cohering sensations into specific perceptions of “anger,” “disgust,” “fear,” and other emotion categories. The powerful role of language in emotion is predicted by a constructionist approach, which suggests that emotions occur when sensations are categorized using emotion category knowledge supported by language. We discuss the accumulating evidence from social-cognitive, neuropsychological, cross-cultural, and neuroimaging studies that emotion words go beyond communication to help constitute emotional perceptions, and perhaps even emotional experiences. We look ahead to current directions in research on emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, and psychotherapy.
Contamination of Eyewitness Self-Reports and the Mistaken-Identification Problem
Authors: Smalarz Laura , Wells Gary L.
Published: April 2015

Mistaken identification testimony by highly confident eyewitnesses has been involved in approximately 72% of the cases in which innocent people have been convicted and later exonerated by DNA testing. Lab studies of eyewitness identification, however, show that mistaken eyewitnesses are usually not highly confident and that there is a useful confidence-accuracy relation that can help distinguish accurate from mistaken eyewitnesses. We describe research on important variables that can cause mistaken eyewitnesses to give inflated self-reports about their confidence and other testimony-relevant judgments. These testimony-bolstering variables tend to be controlled in pristine experiments, thereby permitting good confidence-accuracy relations. In the real world, however, methods of obtaining identifications and supporting testimony permit testimony-bolstering variables to contaminate witness self-reports in ways that make it difficult to distinguish between accurate and mistaken eyewitness identification testimony. We describe how the justice system can dramatically reduce the chances of such contamination.
Individual Differences in Executive Functioning and Their Relationship to Emotional Processes and Responses
Authors: Schmeichel Brandon J. , Tang David
Published: April 2015

The executive functions (including response inhibition, memory updating, and task switching) appear to form the core of higher-order cognitive processes in humans. Relatively little research has been devoted to the role of the executive functions in emotional and motivational processes. The current article surveys evidence on the contributions of individual differences in executive functioning to emotion and emotion regulation in adults. The findings reveal that cognitive ability helps to shape human emotional life and raise new questions about how and why this is so.
The Interpersonal Consequences of Processing Ease
Authors: Lick David J. , Johnson Kerri L.
Published: April 2015

Existing theories of prejudice formation focus primarily on the contents of social cognition (stereotypes, emotions) as laying the foundation for interpersonal animus. However, recent studies have revealed that experiential cues associated with the process of social cognition may also fuel prejudice. In particular, fluency—the metacognitive ease or difficulty of processing a stimulus—has emerged as an important factor contributing to prejudice. Across diverse operational definitions and at various levels of analysis, fluent processing is associated with positive social evaluations whereas disfluent processing is associated with negative social evaluations. Here, we review this burgeoning literature and highlight continued knowledge gaps to guide the next wave of research on the social consequences of fluency.
Divorce and Health
Authors: Sbarra David A. , Hasselmo Karen , Bourassa Kyle J.
Published: April 2015

In this article, we review what is known about the association between marital dissolution and health outcomes in adults. Two of the major empirical findings in the literature—that most people do well following marital separation and that this life event increases risk for poor outcomes—appear to be in contrast. We provide an individual differences framework for reconciling these competing perspectives and suggest that the bulk of the risk for poor outcomes following marital dissolution is carried by a minority of people. Research focusing on at-risk populations is beginning to shed light on the processes that explain why and how marital separation and divorce are associated with ill health. This article outlines a series of future directions that go beyond individual differences to study these mechanisms.
On Means and Ends
Authors: Freund Alexandra M. , Hennecke Marie
Published: April 2015

When pursuing a goal, one can focus more on the process or on the outcome of goal pursuit. We take a closer look at the hypothesis that when one pursues goals that are demanding in terms of the level of skill or self-regulation required to achieve them, focusing on the process is more adaptive and focusing on the outcome can even be detrimental to goal achievement. We summarize the evidence from the emerging literature on the adaptiveness of process focus and outcome focus for goal pursuit and attainment.
Transnationalization of Turkish dramas: Exploring the convergence of local and global market imperatives
Authors: Yesil Bilge
Published: April 2015

Since the mid-2000s, an ever-increasing number of Turkish dramas have been exported to several markets and commanded high prices and ratings. To explain the transnationalization of Turkish dramas, this article explores the political economic imperatives as opposed to the commonly cited cultural proximity thesis. Based on in-depth interviews with television producers, distributors and executives, it analyses the burgeoning of the Turkish production sector, the search for additional revenue streams in foreign markets by Turkish producers, their integration into global networks of television trade, governmental support and the converging local and global dynamics that created favourable export conditions for Turkish dramas.
The five Rs of educational research
Authors: Goodson Ivor F
Published: April 2015

This article proposes a series of ideas to guide future education research and thinking about education, formulated as the 5Rs: remembering, regression, reconceptualisation, reflection, and renewal. Together they can provide at least a partial antidote to the dubious and damaging educational rhetoric associated with the promotion and normalisation of the neoliberal order. Identifying them, and acting on them, represents a useful step towards the 6thR: resistance.
The co-operative university: Labour, property and pedagogy
Authors: Winn Joss
Published: April 2015

I begin this article by discussing the recent work of academics and activists to identify the advantages and issues relating to co-operative forms of higher education, and then focus on the ‘worker co-operative’ organisational form and its applicability and suitability to the governance of and practices within higher educational institutions. Finally, I align the values and principles of worker co-ops with the critical pedagogic framework of ‘Student as Producer’. Throughout I employ the work of Karl Marx to theorise the role of labour and property in a ‘co-operative university’, drawing particularly on later Marxist writers who argue that Marx’s labour theory of value should be understood as a critique of labour under capitalism, rather than one developed from the standpoint of labour.
PISA’s colonialism: Success, money, and the eclipse of education
Authors: d’Agnese Vasco
Published: April 2015

This article provides a critical analysis of the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) based on an examination of the OECD’s public documents, including publications, webpages, and videos. Based on this analysis, I argue that PISA is not an assessment tool but rather an all-encompassing framework that intends to govern education and schooling worldwide. PISA, de facto, allows a monopoly on the right to establish who is well prepared for life, who is well prepared for society, and who can achieve success. Far from being only an assessment tool, PISA is a life brand. In a strong (although hidden) chain, the OECD identifies education with learning, learning with assessment, and assessment with PISA’s test. Thus, PISA, in the OECD’s opinion, signifies education. The OECD – at the very heart of its colonialist nature – expropriates culture and knowledge from subjects, denying their legitimacy and imposing the OECD’s own univocal logic. Under the aegis of objectivity, PISA manifests a clear ideology and situates education in a well-defined value square: money, success, evidence, and competition. This situation raises substantial doubts concerning a tool that claims to be “a mirror” of education.
Schooling, space and social justice
Authors: Cudworth Dave
Published: April 2015

The representational space of teachers and children in schools has changed beyond all recognition. Drawing on the idea that the school is a socio-spatial landscape, a highly significant institutional space with which children engage, we can understand forms of educational inequality as consequences of spatial production. This article contributes to the emerging literature suggesting that the spatial dimension of education is increasingly important in analysing the re/production of individual identities and social inequalities. Putting space at the centre of the article provides a further tool in which to analyse the possibilities for change in terms of educational social justice for all children. Using spatial theory, this article examines the overlapping relationships of spatial production, including: spatial practices of teaching and learning; representational space in terms of policy discourse; and spatial representations in terms of the daily experiences of school life. The particular emphasis is to examine the stories of people’s schooling experiences in order to investigate how schools shape, have shaped, and are shaped by the ‘structures’ and ‘landscapes’ of the education process, as well as by the social practices and interactions of participants. With a particular focus on Gypsy/Traveller experiences of school, this article examines the situation of children from these communities and their unique relationship with the schooling system and education more widely.
School Direct: A critique
Authors: Parker Gemma
Published: April 2015

This article critically evaluates School Direct, a recently introduced Initial Teacher Education pathway for English primary schools. Through doing so, power relations emerge as a key consideration, as the growing consensus within the education community suggests this new route towards Qualified Teacher Status embodies a long-held government objective to remove Initial Teacher Education from the influence of higher education. A critical inquiry approach is applied, for its utility in highlighting power relations in society and thus exposing the forces of hegemony and injustice. This sits within an interpretive perspective, which can illuminate and explore conditions that disadvantage or exclude individuals within society. As the emergent consensus echoes Foucault’s focus on, and account of, power relations in society, a Foucauldian lens is employed in this critical analysis.
Knowledge and reality as educational tools of violence
Authors: Moroz Jacek
Published: April 2015

When we look at institutional education, we see that behavioural approaches to teaching still dominate in educational reality. From this perspective, learning is completely dependent on teaching, just as students are under the authority of the teacher. In a sense, this is a situation of a specific kind of symbolic violence. It has its sources in traditional ways of understanding education as a particular form of training produced in the school. But this is not the only reason. Another one is a tacit assumption about the correctness of naïve realism: the belief that we can obtain objective and universal knowledge of the external world. In this article I argue that this generates the situation in which students’ thinking is subordinated to the system. Such education kills free and critical thinking, as well as effectively blocking social change. In other words, the current public educational system is oppressive at its very basis, because of its epistemological assumptions. However, before we start changing educational practice we should first change our way of looking at knowledge. Here, I discuss selected controversies around the traditional model of knowledge and learning, as well as suggesting different paradigms of knowledge and education.
Preparation and hydrophobic behaviours of polystyrene composite coating
Authors: Guo Y. B. , Yang L. , Wang D. G.
Published: April 2015

A polystyrene (PS)/paraffin wax composite coating with excellent hydrophobic property was prepared on stainless steel strainer using a simple, inexpensive immersion drying method. The thickness and bonding strength of the composite coating were measured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterise the coating surface of the stainless steel strainer. The effects of the paraffin concentration in the PS composite coating and the drying temperature of the coating were studied. The contact angles for oil and water were investigated. The results indicated that the composite coating on stainless steel strainer obtained the best hydrophobic property under paraffin concentration 5 mg mL− 1 and drying temperature 50°C. The water contact angle reached 154 ± 1°, and the coating of the stainless steel strainer also showed a distinct oleophilic characteristic, which could be used for oil–water separation.