bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chronic Heart Failure Does Not Attenuate the Total Activity of Sympathetic Outflow to Skin During Whole-Body Heating
Authors: Cui Jian , Boehmer John P. , Blaha Cheryl , Lucking Robert , Kunselman Allen R. , Sinoway Lawrence I.
Published: February 2013

Background—

Previous studies show that the rise in skin blood flow and cutaneous vascular conductance during heat stress is substantially attenuated in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. The mechanisms responsible for this finding are not clear. In particular, little is known regarding the responses of skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) that control the skin blood flow during heat stress in CHF patients. We examined the effects of a modest heat stress to test the hypothesis that SSNA responses could be attenuated in CHF.

Methods and Results—

We assessed SSNA (microneurography) from the peroneal nerve and skin blood flow (forearm laser Doppler) in 9 patients with stable class II–III CHF and in matched healthy subjects during passive whole-body heating with a water-perfused suit. Whole-body heating induced similar increases in internal temperature (≈0.6°C) in both groups. Whole-body heat stress evoked similar SSNA activation in CHF patients (Δ891±110 U/min) and the control subjects (Δ787±84 U/min;
P
=0.66), whereas the elevation in forearm cutaneous vascular conductance in patients with CHF was significantly lower than that in healthy control subjects (Δ131±29% vs Δ623±131%;
P
=0.001).

Conclusions—

The present data show that SSNA activation during a modest whole-body heat stress is not attenuated in CHF. Thus, the attenuated skin vasodilator response in CHF patients is not attributable to a reduction in total activity of sympathetic outflow to skin.
Cytotoxic and Proinflammatory CD8
+
T Lymphocytes Promote Development of Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques in ApoE-Deficient Mice
Authors: Kyaw Tin , Winship Amy , Tay Christopher , Kanellakis Peter , Hosseini Hamid , Cao Anh , Li Priscilla , Tipping Peter , Bobik Alex , Toh Ban-Hock
Published: February 2013

Background—

Heart attacks and strokes, leading causes of deaths globally, arise from thrombotic occlusion of ruptured vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques characterized by abundant apoptosis, large necrotic cores derived from inefficient apoptotic cell clearance, thin fibrous caps, and focal inflammation. The genesis of apoptosis and necrotic cores in these vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques remains unknown. Cytotoxic CD8
+
T lymphocytes represent up to 50% of leukocytes in advanced human plaques and dominate early immune responses in mouse lesions, yet their role in atherosclerosis also remains unresolved.

Methods and Results—

CD8
+
T-lymphocyte depletion by CD8α or CD8β monoclonal antibody in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed a high-fat diet ameliorated atherosclerosis by reducing lipid and macrophage accumulation, apoptosis, necrotic cores, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin 1β, interferon γ, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1. Transfer of CD8
+
T cells into lymphocyte-deficient, apolipoprotein E-deficient mice partially reconstituted CD8
+
T cells in lymphoid compartments and was associated with CD8
+
T-cell infiltration in lesions, increased lipid and macrophage accumulation, apoptotic cells, necrotic cores, and interleukin 1β in atherosclerotic lesions. Transfer of CD8
+
T cells deficient in perforin, granzyme B, or tumor necrosis factor α but not interferon γ failed to increase atherosclerotic lesions despite partial reconstitution in the lymphoid system and the presence in atherosclerotic lesions. Macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells were identified as apoptotic targets.

Conclusions—

We conclude that CD8
+
T lymphocytes promote the development of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques by perforin- and granzyme B–mediated apoptosis of macrophages, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells that, in turn, leads to necrotic core formation and further augments inflammation by tumor necrosis factor α secretion.
Pity the Women and Children: Punishment by Siege in Josephus’s Jewish War
Authors: Reeder Caryn A.
Published: February 2013

Abstract

This paper analyzes the neglected theme of suffering women and children in Josephus’s Jewish War. Women and children did suffer the effects of sieges in Greco-Roman antiquity, but historiographers also use the stories of their suffering to interpret warfare. Josephus participates in this tradition by using the imagery of suffering women and children to condemn the Jewish rebels, a presentation which is also influenced by Deut 28 and Lamentations. The warnings against rebellion in J.W. 2.237, 400, and 5.418 heighten the rhetorical power of this condemnation by offering the alternative of surrender for the sake of women and children.
Living Organ Donation and Minors: A Major Dilemma
Authors: Broeckx Nils
Published: February 2013

Abstract

In this article, the case of living organ donation by minors is discussed. A distinction can be made between minors who are in fact already competent and those who are not. Minors who are in fact competent, should be able to decide on organ donation under the same conditions as competent adults. Incompetent minors could be allowed to act as living organ donors under exceptional circumstances on the basis of a best interest test. Decisions on living organ donation by incompetent minors should be embedded into a procedural framework in which parental consent, the approval of an independent body of health professionals, and the minor’s wishes play a substantial role.
Lighting and work: Light for seeing and healthy light
Authors: Lillo Julio , Moreira Humberto , Álvaro Leticia , Majarín Delia
Published: February 2013

A critical analysis was performed of legislation regarding lighting conditions in working environments. It is shown that the Royal Decree 486/1997 uses a version of the traditional approach to lighting design as conceptual framework, in which: (1) Only the effects of light related to visual system performance are considered. (2) The quantitative effects associated with changes in type of lighting (different coloured lights) are ignored. A review was carried out of the aspects of lighting which should be taken into consideration to complement those included in the traditional approach. These aspects were: (1) Differentiation between photometric and apparent illumination. (2) The type (colour temperature) and quality (colour rendering index) of illumination. (3) The effects of lighting on the health of workers owing to its influence on the functioning of the circadian system.
A better physical environment in the workplace means higher well-being? A study with healthcare professionals
Authors: Campos-Andrade Cláudia , Hernández-Fernaud Estefanía , Lima Maria-Luísa
Published: February 2013

Physical working conditions have potential effects on health, and play an important role in quality of life, and job satisfaction, yet most studies on the direct or indirect consequences of physical environmental conditions on healthcare professionals' focus on outcomes such as performance, efficiency, and error. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of the physical environment quality of healthcare settings on professionals' well-being. The sample comprised 148 healthcare professionals working in inpatient or outpatient care units from four different hospitals. Two independent variables were used: Objective environmental quality (high/low) and Type of care unit (inpatient/outpatient); and three well-being indicators were analyzed: Job satisfaction, Perception of the care unit as close to an ideal care unit, and Subjective stress. Results show that healthcare professionals working in hospitals with better physical conditions feel more satisfied with their job, and perceive the care unit as closer to the ideal. Stress levels were not affected by physical environment quality or the type of care unit.
Special issue: Environment and the workplace. Introduction
Authors: Hernández-Fernaud Estefanía
Published: February 2013

This special issue is devoted to analysing the effect that the physical conditions of work environments have on the health and wellbeing of workers. Although the physical working environment is usually included as a factor in the design and management of healthy organisations, relatively little research has been carried out to define their impact. This issue presents four articles, one theoretical review and three empirical papers, which evaluate how different environmental variables affect occupational health and wellbeing.
The enduring mental health impact of mass violence: A community comparison study of Cambodian civilians living in Cambodia and Thailand
Authors: Mollica Richard F , Brooks Robert , Tor Svang , Lopes-Cardozo Barbara , Silove Derrick
Published: February 2013

Background:

No population-based studies have directly compared the long-term health and mental health outcomes of conflict- versus non-conflict-affected communities from the same ethnic background.

Aims:

To identify and compare levels of psychiatric morbidity between a traumatized and non-traumatized civilian community; to investigate the long-term impact of mass violence.

Methods:

Double-stratified community surveys in Siem Reap and Surin provinces were conducted by highly qualified Cambodian interviewers using culturally validated survey instruments with known psychometric properties. These included Cambodian versions of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Medical Outcome Study Short Form.

Results:

Siem Reap and Surin respondents experienced 12,266 and 621 major trauma events, respectively; 745 (76.2%) Siem Reap respondents and six (0.6%) Surin respondents reported torture events; 499 (49.5%) Siem Reap respondents and 203 (19.7%) Surin respondents met the clinical threshold for depression (OR 4.01, 95% CI 3.29–4.88); 204 (20.6%) Siem Reap respondents and 23 (2.2%) Surin respondents met the clinical threshold for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR 11.39, 95% CI 7.3–17.7). The MOS physical disability was higher in Siem Reap versus Surin respondents (74 (7.5%) vs 13 (1.3%), χ2 = 47.4 df = 1, p < .001). Health status was poorest among Siem Reap respondents when compared with Surin respondents (mean score 1.59 vs 0.59, respectively; t = 19.85 df = 2018, p < .001). Path analysis reveals that recent and past extreme violence are associated with the health and mental health status of the Siem Reap community.

Conclusion:

After 25 years, the Khmer civilian population that experienced the Pol Pot genocide continues to suffer psychiatric morbidity and poor health.
Psychometric evaluation of the Dutch version of the Mental Health Recovery Measure (MHRM)
Authors: van Nieuwenhuizen Chijs , Wilrycx Greet , Moradi Mozhgan , Brouwers Evelien
Published: February 2013

Background:

During the past decade, the mental health consumer movement has drawn the attention of mental health providers, researchers and policy makers to the concept of recovery. Traditionally, recovery primarily refers to the remission of symptoms. Nowadays, recovery is also regarded in a sense that all individuals, even those with severe psychiatric disabilities, can improve. Accordingly, recovery for people with severe mental illness refers to hope and optimism, empowerment, regained control and increased self-esteem, illness self-management and engagement in meaningful daily activities (Corrigan, Giffort, Rashid, Leary & Okeke, 1999; Jacobson & Greenley, 2001; Leamy, Bird, le Boutillier, Williams & Slade, 2011; van Gestel-Timmermans, Brouwers, van Assen, Bongers & van Nieuwenhuizen, 2012). Little empirical research, however, has been done and instruments to measure recovery are scarce.

Aims:

In the current study, the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Mental Health Recovery Measure (MHRM) are explored. Convergent and divergent validity of the MHRM was assessed using standardized measures of hope (Hope Herth Index (HHI)), recovery-promoting professional competence (Recovery Promoting Relationships Scale (RPRS)) and general physical health and well-being (RAND Measure of Health-Related Quality of Life (RAND-36)).

Methods:

A factor analysis was conducted and Cronbach’s α of the MHRM scales was assessed. The construct validity was assessed by computing the intercorrelations of the MHRM, HHI, RPRS and RAND-36.

Results:

Data were available for 212 patients: 70 patients completed the MHRM, HHI and RAND 36 and 142 filled out the MHRM and RPRS. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in an interpretable three-factor solution. Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.86 to 0.94. The convergent validity of the instrument was satisfactory; the divergent validity was less clear.

Conclusions:

This study offers evidence to suggest that the Dutch version of the MHRM is a reliable measure (in terms of internal consistency) with a generally acceptable convergent and divergent validity. Further research is needed to clarify the extent to which the MHRM is sensitive enough to capture the individual recovery process of patients.
Managing Crisis in the Skills Industry: Closing the Aspiration–Pretension Gap through Privatization and Commercialization of Nigeria’s University System (1986–2012)
Authors: Moruku Robert Kemepade
Published: February 2013

Drawing on the human capital theory and the pretext and aspiration theory, this paper aims at disentangling and making explicit or visible the pretension wrapped up in the aspiration of the Nigerian state to build universities for national development. It was found that there was and continues to be an aspiration to build universities for creating a knowledge-based economy (KBE). But, simultaneously, there also was, and continues to be, a pretension in it as indicated in the unwillingness of the state to fund universities. To survive, universities have resorted to commercialize their services. To cope with the increasing demand for access to universities, the state too embarked on the privatization of universities. To realize its aspiration to build the KBE, the state was urged to banish its pretension, partner with the Academic Staff Union of Universities in reforming the university system, and widen its university funding sources.
Writing and reading Sri Lanka: Shifting politics of cultural translation, consumption, and the implied reader
Authors: Ranasinha Ruvani
Published: February 2013

This article seeks to explore the politics of diasporic Sri Lankan fiction in relation to global markets and readerships. It argues for a revision of a long-standing notion of the informed reader in the Euro-American tradition in line with the rise of postcolonial literature. It explores the politics of linguistic and cultural “untranslatability” primarily in relation to Romesh Gunesekera’s fiction, and demonstrates how such diasporic novels problematize the nature of readership, as well as the tension between aesthetics and politics in the literary text. It asks to what extent are the differing responses to diasporic, intercultural texts explicable in terms of differing “horizons of expectations” of diverse, multi-levelled readerships? If so, how and why has this changed over the last decade?
Gender and the “postcolonial exotic”
Authors: Martins Ana Margarida Dias
Published: February 2013

This article questions the distinction between what qualifies as “marginal” (i.e., Lusophone) and “central” (i.e., Anglophone) theorizations of the postcolonial. I argue that Lusophone postcolonialism will carve far more pertinent solutions to the legacies of colonial power by carefully examining the coincidences, and not solely the differences, between Anglo-Saxon and Lusophone postcolonial theories. Current theorizations from each side in fact overlap in their negligence of gender and sexual difference variables when discussing how marginality is valued and affected by local and global markets (i.e., how it is commodified). This article deals with the political significance of such theoretical-imposed silence, in the light of two Anglophone and Lusophone key theory texts: respectively, Graham Huggan’s The Postcolonial Exotic: Marketing the Margins and Boaventura de Sousa Santos’ “Between Prospero and Caliban”.
Ibadan modernism: Poetry and the literary present in mid-century Nigeria
Authors: Suhr-Sytsma Nathan
Published: February 2013

This article traces the early careers of Nigerian writers educated in the 1950s at University College, Ibadan, through the appearance of their poetry in student magazines and limited-edition collections. Adapting Pascale Casanova’s concept of the literary present, it highlights what these published texts reveal about the position of modernist poetics in the literary system of the day. Ibadan modernism, it contends, emerged through aspiring writers’ dialectical relationship to the colonial university, which mediated to them metropolitan perceptions of the literary present. While the Ibadan writers, along with African and expatriate allies, soon developed their own cultural institutions, the fact that the CIA underwrote the most notable of these institutions — the journal Black Orpheus, the Mbari Artists’ and Writers’ Club, and Mbari Publications — suggests the extent to which aesthetic and cultural autonomy is historically negotiated rather than simply achieved.
Incomplete Caries Removal
Authors: Schwendicke F. , Dörfer C.E. , Paris S.
Published: February 2013

Increasing numbers of clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of incomplete caries removal, in particular in the treatment of deep caries. This study systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials investigating one- or two-step incomplete compared with complete caries removal. Studies treating primary and permanent teeth with primary caries lesions requiring a restoration were analyzed. The following primary and secondary outcomes were investigated: risk of pulpal exposure, post-operative pulpal symptoms, overall failure, and caries progression. Electronic databases were screened for studies from 1967 to 2012. Cross-referencing was used to identify further articles. Odds ratios (OR) as effect estimates were calculated in a random-effects model. From 364 screened articles, 10 studies representing 1,257 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed risk reduction for both pulpal exposure (OR [95% CI] 0.31 [0.19-0.49]) and pulpal symptoms (OR 0.58 [0.31-1.10]) for teeth treated with one- or two-step incomplete excavation. Risk of failure seemed to be similar for both complete and incomplete excavation, but data for this outcome were of limited quality and inconclusive (OR 0.97 [0.64-1.46]). Based on reviewed studies, incomplete caries removal seems advantageous compared with complete excavation, especially in proximity to the pulp. However, evidence levels are currently insufficient for definitive conclusions because of high risk of bias within studies.
Endothelin Receptor-mediated Responses in Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons
Authors: Yamamoto T. , Ono K. , Hitomi S. , Harano N. , Sago T. , Yoshida M. , Nunomaki M. , Shiiba S. , Watanabe S. , Nakanishi O. , Inenaga K.
Published: February 2013

Recent evidence implicates endothelin in nociception, but it is unclear how endothelin activates trigeminal ganglion (TRG) neurons. In the present study, we investigated the expression of the endothelin receptors ETA and ETB and endothelin-induced responses in rat TRG neurons. Double-immunofluorescence studies demonstrated that ETA and ETB were expressed in TRG neurons and that 26% of ETA- or ETB-expressing neurons expressed both receptors. During whole-cell patch-clamp recording, endothelin-1 enhanced an induced current in response to capsaicin, a TRPV1 agonist, in approximately 20% of dissociated neurons. The enhancement was blocked by the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine and by the ETA antagonist BQ-123, but not by the ETB antagonist BQ-788. Ca2+-imaging showed that endothelin-1 increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration in more than 20% of the dissociated neurons. Importantly, unlike the effect of endothelin-1 on capsaicin-induced current, the Ca2+ response was largely suppressed by BQ-788 but not by BQ-123. These results suggest that ETA-mediated TRPV1 hyperactivation via PKC activation and ETB-mediated Ca2+ mobilization occurs in different subsets of TRG neurons. These endothelin-induced responses may contribute to the induction of orofacial pain. The ETB-mediated function in TRG neurons is a special feature in the trigeminal system because of no ETB expression in dorsal root ganglion neurons.
From “Social Supply” to “Real Dealing”
Authors: Taylor Matthew , Potter Gary R.
Published: February 2013

This article reports on an empirical study into a group of drug dealers supplying cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, and other drugs in and around a small English city. It reveals a market that is not overly structured or hierarchically controlled, and certainly not dominated by organized crime or characterized by violence. Dealers involved had often drifted into “real” dealing from backgrounds in “social supply.” However, despite an increase of their dealing activity (and of their profits), they still maintained the “social supply” values of friendship and trust as the key elements to relationships with suppliers and customers. Escalation of drug dealing did not seem to be accompanied by any wider escalation in criminality or involvement with organized crime.
Causal simulation models for facing third millennium air transport sustainability
Authors: Piera Miquel A , Ramos Juan José , Moreno Romualdo , Narciso Mercedes
Published: February 2013

Aeronautics and air transport is a vital sector of our society and economy. Air transport logistics is one of the key players to support efficient globalization; however, sustainable mobility is at stake, due to facts such as the interdependencies with the financial system, climate change and an increasing scarcity of resources. This paper highlights the consequences of a lack of a proper understanding of air-side and land-side, leading to an unsustainable air transport system. A system approach for knowledge sharing between air traffic controllers, handling operators, airlines and airport managers is justified by means of causal models to design a mitigation mechanism to tackle perturbations instead of increasing the latent capacity. The simulation benefits to design indicators of sustainability are also mentioned.
Disturbance observer assisted robust control of wing rock motion based on contraction theory
Authors: Kuperman Alon , Zhong Qing-Chang
Published: February 2013

A nonlinear robust control strategy is proposed in this paper to deal with wing rock motion. The method is based on the disturbance observer enforced contraction theory results. The disturbance observer calculates and robustly cancels system uncertainties and input disturbances. The information regarding the known part of the nonlinear plant dynamics is used by the controller, while the uncertainties and disturbances are treated as an additional input to the system and dealt with by the disturbance observer. The algorithm demonstrates good performance in damping the oscillations while rejecting the disturbances. Simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method via an application to an experimentally derived delta wing rock model operating in both nominal and uncertain environments.
Homeownership, Social Capital and Satisfaction with Local Government
Authors: Roskruge Matthew , Grimes Arthur , McCann Philip , Poot Jacques
Published: February 2013

Prior studies suggest that homeownership positively impacts on social capital formation. However, many studies find it difficult to control adequately for selection effects in the form of factors, some of which may be unobserved, that encourage both homeownership and investment in social capital by households. A biennial survey conducted in New Zealand cities provides data that enable the control of such selection effects with propensity score matching methods, while also benchmarking the results by means of regression methods. The results confirm that homeownership exerts positive impacts on the formation of social capital. At the same time, homeownership demands greater accountability of local government and leads to reduced satisfaction with local government performance, thereby negatively impacting on community social capital. Hence these two dimensions of housing-related social capital work in opposite directions from each other, a finding which has not been previously observed.
The Problem of Poverty and the Limits of Freedom in Hegel’s Theory of the Ethical State
Authors: Whitt Matt S.
Published: February 2013

This article reinterprets Hegel’s much discussed “failure” to theorize a remedy for the poverty that disrupts modern society. I argue that Hegel does not offer any solution to the problem of poverty because, in his view, the sovereign state depends upon the persistence of poverty. Whereas a state’s achievement of external sovereignty requires the presence of another state, its achievement of internal sovereignty requires the presence of a different, internal other. This role is played by the impoverished and rebellious “rabble,” which opposes the state’s unity and stability. Ethical life cannot eliminate poverty because poverty, and the insecurity that it engenders, are dialectical conditions of the state’s highest development. This interpretation reveals a critical dimension to Hegel’s political philosophy, insofar as the state’s promise of actualized freedom can only be sustained in relation to a mass of internal “outsiders” to whom that freedom does not extend.
John Henryism, Depression, and Perceived Social Support in Black Women
Authors: Bronder Ellen C. , Speight Suzette L. , Witherspoon Karen M. , Thomas Anita J.
Published: February 2013

John Henryism, a construct developed to describe high effort coping, may help explain the observed health disparities between Blacks and Whites. Previous research suggests that John Henryism is associated with negative physical health factors. However, little research has focused on the relationship between John Henryism and psychological distress. Accordingly, in this exploratory study, we examined the relationships between John Henryism, psychological distress, and well-being in a diverse sample of Black women. Results indicate that there is a negative correlation between John Henryism and depressive symptomatology. This finding is in contrast to past research and suggests that John Henryism may be maladaptive to physical health but not mental health. The limitations and implications of the findings are discussed.
A Profile of Self-Care Behaviors in Emerging Adults With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Hendricks Melissa , Monaghan Maureen , Soutor Sari , Chen Rusan , Holmes Clarissa S.
Published: February 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to characterize daily diabetes self-care behaviors and to evaluate associations among self-care behaviors, psychosocial adjustment, and glycemic control in an understudied sample of emerging adults with type 1 diabetes.

Methods

Forty-nine emerging adults (65% women; ages 18-26 years) completed 2 diabetes interviews to assess self-care behaviors and self-report measures of psychosocial adjustment. Glycemic control was assessed via hemoglobin A1C.

Results

Diabetes self-care behaviors varied widely and were largely suboptimal; only a small percentage of participants demonstrated self-care behaviors consistent with national and international recommendations. Psychosocial adjustment was within normal limits and was unrelated to frequency of self-care behaviors in this sample. Mean glycemic control (8.3%) was higher than the recommended A1C level (< 7.0%) for this age group. Use of intensive (eg, multiple daily injections or pump) insulin regimens was related to better glycemic control.

Conclusions

The majority of emerging adults in this sample did not engage in optimal daily diabetes self-care. Intensive insulin therapy was associated with better glycemic control without corresponding psychosocial distress. Diabetes care behaviors could be improved in this age group, and emerging adults may benefit from targeted education and behavioral support to enhance diabetes self-management and optimize health outcomes.
Automatic keyphrase annotation of scientific documents using Wikipedia and genetic algorithms
Authors: Joorabchi Arash , Mahdi Abdulhussain E.
Published: February 2013

Topical annotation of documents with keyphrases is a proven method for revealing the subject of scientific and research documents to both human readers and information retrieval systems. This article describes a machine learning-based keyphrase annotation method for scientific documents that utilizes Wikipedia as a thesaurus for candidate selection from documents’ content. We have devised a set of 20 statistical, positional and semantical features for candidate phrases to capture and reflect various properties of those candidates that have the highest keyphraseness probability. We first introduce a simple unsupervised method for ranking and filtering the most probable keyphrases, and then evolve it into a novel supervised method using genetic algorithms. We have evaluated the performance of both methods on a third-party dataset of research papers. Reported experimental results show that the performance of our proposed methods, measured in terms of consistency with human annotators, is on a par with that achieved by humans and outperforms rival supervised and unsupervised methods.
Comprehensive Management of Presbycusis: Central and Peripheral
Authors: Parham Kourosh , Lin Frank R. , Coelho Daniel H. , Sataloff Robert T. , Gates George A.
Published: February 2013

The prevailing otolaryngologic approach to treatment of age‐related hearing loss (ARHL), presbycusis, emphasizes compensation of peripheral functional deficits (ie, hearing aids and cochlear implants). This approach does not address adequately the needs of the geriatric population, 1 in 5 of whom is expected to consist of the “old old” in the coming decades. Aging affects both the peripheral and central auditory systems, and disorders of executive function become more prevalent with advancing age. Growing evidence supports an association between age‐related hearing loss and cognitive decline. Thus, to facilitate optimal functional capacity in our geriatric patients, a more comprehensive management strategy of ARHL is needed. Diagnostic evaluation should go beyond standard audiometric testing and include measures of central auditory function, including dichotic tasks and speech‐in‐noise testing. Treatment should include not only appropriate means of peripheral compensation but also auditory rehabilitative training and counseling.
Consistency of Voice Frequency and Perturbation Measures in Children
Authors: Hill Courtney A. , Ojha Shilpa , Maturo Stephen , Maurer Rie , Bunting Glenn , Hartnick Christopher J.
Published: February 2013

Objective

Evaluate normal pediatric voice frequency and perturbation measures with Voice Evaluation Suite (VES) and Multi Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP), determine the consistency of these measures over time, and understand which measures might be most useful for evaluating children with voice disorders.

Study Design

Prospective, longitudinal study of normal voices of 50 children aged 4 to 17 years.

Setting

Pediatric otolaryngology clinic within tertiary hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Two tests of sustained utterances from each child were evaluated by 2 computerized voice analysis programs for frequency and perturbation. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the reliability between the samples.

Results

Children (male/female, 1.08:1) with a mean age of 8.34 years were tested on an average of 54.2 minutes apart. Each test included 4 utterances; 1 was analyzed by MDVP, and 3 grouped utterances were averaged and evaluated by VES. Fundamental frequency had excellent reliability (ICC = 0.95) in both VES and MDVP. Jitter, shimmer, and noise to harmonic ratio were poorly reliable (ICC ≤0.4) in MDVP but had good to excellent reliability (ICC 0.66‐0.8) in VES.

Conclusion

Single, sustained utterances in children provide consistent measures of frequency. Perturbation is not reliably measured by such testing, but averaging multiple samples yields improved consistency. Evaluating acoustic measure stability in spontaneous speech and in sustained utterances cued by a tuning frequency can provide further insight on pediatric voice consistency.
The Development and Validation of the Children’s Anxiety in Math Scale
Authors: Jameson Molly M.
Published: February 2013

Math anxiety has been historically overlooked in samples of children. This may be due in part to the lack of appropriate tools to measure anxiety in young children. The current exploratory study reports on the development and examination of reliability, validity, and factor structure of a new tool to measure math anxiety in young children. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that the Children’s Anxiety in Math Scale is a reliable and valid measure to assess math anxiety in children as young as first grade.
Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Environmental School Transition Anxiety Scale
Authors: Loke Stephen W. , Lowe Patricia A.
Published: February 2013

A pilot study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the Environmental School Transition Anxiety Scale (E-STAS) with a sample of 220 fourth- to sixth-grade students who were about to or had completed their school transition. The results of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the students’ responses on the E-STAS produced a two-factor (Academic and School Organization) structure. The E-STAS scores demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability and 1- to 3-week test score stability. Gender differences were also found on the E-STAS, with females outscoring males. In addition, the results of correlational analyses provided support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the E-STAS scores. Implications of the findings for school professionals are discussed.
Socialism, Synecdoche, and Tadeusz Konwicki’s Palace of Culture
Authors: Wampuszyc Ewa V.
Published: February 2013

Tadeusz Konwicki’s literary and cinematic treatment of the Palace of Culture and Science has had a significant influence on the perception and meaning of this Stalinist edifice. In his novels, Wniebowstąpienie [Ascension] (1967) and A Minor Apocalypse (1979), Konwicki uses the Palace as a means of critiquing communist ideology by adopting a Christian discourse that, in turn, invokes and questions the Polish Romantic messianic and martyrological tradition. In the 1989 film Lawa: Opowieść o “Dziadach” Adama Mickiewicza, Konwicki’s presentation of the Palace visually explodes into what seems to be the author’s “final” statement on the signification of the Palace. By examining the poetics of the Palace of Culture in Wniebowstąpienie, A Minor Apocalypse, and Lawa, this essay considers how over a period of twenty years Konwicki appropriated the meaning of the Palace by playing on the tension between the intended original signification of the building (as a Stalinist structure) and its function as a dynamic edifice that could be redefined in a localized (Polish), urban (Varsovian), and historical context.
Trading and Managing Stigma
Authors: Saxena Preeta
Published: February 2013

Despite the popularity of cosmetic surgery and a decrease in medical risks associated with breast implant surgeries, there remains both social and cultural stigma attached to those who undergo the procedure. Although a variety of perspectives have been examined in research on cosmetic surgeries, sociological attention toward stigma and cosmetic surgery is underdeveloped. Through in-depth interviews of twenty women with breast implants, I explore stigma as it manifests in women’s accounts of breast implant surgery experiences, both pre and post surgery. Aligning with Goffman’s concept of stigma, for the study participants, breast implant surgery represents a motivation for reducing visibility of a physical stigma, and a consequence of making a stigmatized choice leading to character blemishes and tribal stigma. As they confront new stigmas post cosmetic surgery, women with breast implants engage in various stigma management strategies.
Enzymatic pretreatment of seed flax- and polylactide-commingled nonwovens for composite processing
Authors: Hallila Tiina , Maijala Pekka , Vuorinen Jyrki , Viikari Liisa
Published: February 2013

Commingled composites of polylactide (PLA) and seed flax fibers were prepared by carding and needle pressing of PLA and flax fibers to nonwoven mats followed by compression molding. The nonwoven mats were treated using two different types of cellulolytic enzymes, namely cellobiohydrolases and endoglucanases. Both the enzymes changed the properties of the seed flax fibers surface. The resulting composites were studied using scanning electron microscopy, mechanical testing and thermal analysis. The effects of these modifications were minor on the thermal and mechanical properties measured. However, in the scanning electron micrographs, a difference in the fiber pull-out behavior of the untreated and treated fibers was observed. Treated seed flax fibers showed an improvement in adhesion with PLA.
Cross-National Educational Inequalities and Opportunities to Learn
Authors: Long Daniel A.
Published: February 2013

Educational reformers use international evidence to argue that increasing the number of days in school and the length of the school day will improve academic achievement. However, the international data used to support these claims (1999 Third International Math and Science Survey and 2000 Program for International Student Assessment) show no correlation between time in school and achievement. In this article, the author re-examines the effects of instructional time using improved measures of instructional time, a more extensive data set (2006 Program for International Student Assessment), and a more nuanced multilevel model. The author finds mixed evidence of a positive effect of subject-specific instructional time on achievement, controlling for socioeconomic status, school characteristics, and country-level traits. The author finds no effect of the length of the school year on academic achievement and that sample selection and the specific uses of time in school have a strong influence on conclusions about the effectiveness of instructional time.
Knowledge Regimes and Contradictions in Education Reforms
Authors: Aasen Petter , Prøitz Tine Sophie , Sandberg Nina
Published: February 2013

The article outlines a theoretical framework for understanding education policy and education reforms based on the concept of knowledge regimes. The concept refers to understandings and definitions of governance and procedural aspects, manners of governing and curriculum issues, thus it comprises contents, structures, and processes of education policy and governance. The article discusses how the concept may be helpful in understanding the complexity and ambiguity of education policy and development. The article argues that the concept of knowledge regimes enables us to gain a better understanding of education policy, the politics of education, and the political in education. Greater awareness of knowledge regimes can also help us to better understand both the circulation of national policy documents and technical and administrative plans, and the situation of those involved in education practice.
Thermolysis parameter and kinetic research in copolyamide 66 containing triaryl phosphine oxide
Authors: Xiao-Feng Yang , Qiao-Ling Li , Zhi-Ping Chen , Hong-Xia Jin , Bo Liu
Published: February 2013

Flame-retardant polyamide 66 (FR-PA66) was fabricated with adipic acid hexamethylene salt and bis(4-carboxyphenyl)phenyl phosphine oxide as raw materials. Thermogravimetric (TG) data of flame-retardant FR-PA66 at different heating rates were measured by employing TG analyzer, and analyzed with Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Coast–Redfer method, respectively. The results show that the flame-retardant properties of triaryl phosphine oxide on FR-PA66 come from the first cleavage of P–C bond and forming of carbonized protective layer. The former reduces the initial thermolysis activation energy of FR-PA66 to 75 kJ/mol. The latter improves the middle and late thermolysis activation energy of FR-PA66 to 190 kJ/mol and 195 kJ/mol, which is higher than that of PA66 for 50 kJ/mol and 46 kJ/mol, respectively. The most probable thermolysis kinetic mechanism function ( f( α)) of FR-PA66 in three different stages are showed as following: when the rate of decomposition ( α) is lower than 0.1, [Formula: see text]; when α is between 0.1 and 0.7, [Formula: see text]; and when α is beyond 0.7, [Formula: see text].
Rotator cuff repair: A biomechanical ex vivo ovine study
Authors: Bisbinas Ilias , Magnissalis Evangelos , Gigis Ioannis , Beslikas Theodoros , Hatzokos Ippokratis , Christoforidis Ioannis
Published: February 2013

The purpose of this study was to assess load to failure of sutures, suturing techniques, and suture anchors used in rotator cuff surgery in order to explore their weaknesses. Ten types of sutures (absorbable and nonabsorbable), four types of suturing techniques, and eight types of suture anchors (bioabsorbable and metallic) were tested. Material Testing Machine and attached load cell were used to test the biomaterials in ex vivo ovine tissues. The results show that the mean load to failure and stiffness were higher in nonabsorbable sutures. Massive cuff tear and modified Mason-Allen suturing techniques had higher failure strength and stiffness when compared to simple and mattress techniques, but there was no substantial difference between them. Metallic suture anchors had higher failure strength when compared to bioabsorbable ones. Often either in metallic or in bioabsorbable anchors, the eyelet fails first. The failure sequence in ovine tissues is found to be in the following order: simple and mattress suturing techniques, nonabsorbable sutures, massive cuff tear and modified Mason-Allen suturing techniques, bioabsorbable anchors, and metallic anchors. Thus, it is concluded that metallic anchors mounted with modern nonabsorbable sutures will fail last. If we use simple and mattress techniques, the tendon–suture level will fail first, but it will improve substantially using more sophisticated suturing techniques (massive cuff tear or modified Mason-Allen).
Why It’s Easier to Remember Seeing a Face We Already Know Than One We Don’t
Authors: Reder Lynne M. , Victoria Lindsay W. , Manelis Anna , Oates Joyce M. , Dutcher Janine M. , Bates Jordan T. , Cook Shaun , Aizenstein Howard J. , Quinlan Joseph , Gyulai Ferenc
Published: February 2013

In two experiments, we provided support for the hypothesis that stimuli with preexisting memory representations (e.g., famous faces) are easier to associate to their encoding context than are stimuli that lack long-term memory representations (e.g., unknown faces). Subjects viewed faces superimposed on different backgrounds (e.g., the Eiffel Tower). Face recognition on a surprise memory test was better when the encoding background was reinstated than when it was swapped with a different background; however, the reinstatement advantage was modulated by how many faces had been seen with a given background, and reinstatement did not improve recognition for unknown faces. The follow-up experiment added a drug intervention that inhibited the ability to form new associations. Context reinstatement did not improve recognition for famous or unknown faces under the influence of the drug. The results suggest that it is easier to associate context to faces that have a preexisting long-term memory representation than to faces that do not.
Temporal trends in characteristics and outcome of intensive care unit patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Taiwan: a national population-based study
Authors: Shen H-N , Yang H-H , Lu C-Li
Published: February 2013

This study assessed temporal trends in characteristics and outcome of the intensive care unit (ICU) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We analyzed 2870 SLE patients (≥15 years) with first-time ICU admission between 1999 and 2008. Patient data were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Median age of the patients increased from 38.5 to 44.0 years during the study period. Most patients were women (overall 85.5%); the proportion varied insignificantly over time. Median duration from SLE diagnosis to ICU admission (disease duration) increased by four years. The proportion of patients with disease duration of more than three years increased from 42.6% to 61.4%, whereas the proportion of patients with a primary rheumatic diagnosis decreased from 41.7% to 25.1%. The incidence of infection increased from 39.1% to 47.2%. The incidence of organ dysfunction increased from 64.1% to 69.2%, especially in neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Conversely, the incidence of renal dysfunction decreased from 36.2% to 28.8%. Meanwhile, there were decreasing uses of hemodialysis (from 37.3% to 28.7%) and vasopressors (from 58.3% to 47.9%). Hospital mortality also decreased from 42.6% to 31.2% during the 10 years. After the patient and hospital characteristics were adjusted, patients admitted in 2007 and 2008 were 50% less likely to die than those admitted in 1999 and 2000 (adjusted odds ratio 0.5, 95% confidence interval 0.38–0.67). This study demonstrates a temporal improvement of the short-term survival of the ICU patients with SLE in Taiwan despite changing characteristics and increasing severity of the acute critical illnesses.
A Disciplinary Perspective
Authors: Fitch Kate
Published: February 2013

This article investigates the internationalization of public relations education, by examining public relations education in Australia, its relation with the public relations industry, and its growth in response to international student- and market-led demand. The discussion highlights the tensions within what is essentially an education project driven in part by stakeholders seeking to professionalize the industry and in part by university staff seeking academic legitimacy and disciplinary status for public relations within a rapidly changing higher education sector. Tensions between the local, national, and global contexts of higher education, and academic, industry and market factors are evident. In particular, the process of developing an internationalized curriculum exposes the narrow disciplinarity and weak theoretical foundations of a field, which emerged out of industry practice and is strongly influenced by U.S. scholarship. It is concluded that internationalization of the public relations curriculum offers scholars the possibility to address the ethnocentric values and narratives of their discipline and improve learning outcomes for students.
Internationalizing the Curriculum in the Disciplines—Imagining New Possibilities
Authors: Leask Betty
Published: February 2013

Internationalization of the curriculum provides challenges and opportunities for academic staff and institutions. This article reports on research undertaken in 2010-2011, which engaged academic staff in different disciplines and universities in the process of exploring and making explicit the meaning of internationalization of the curriculum in their disciplines. One of the outcomes of the research was a five-stage model of the process of internationalization of the curriculum. A critical part of the process involved small groups of staff discussing existing paradigms within their disciplines, questioning “what we believe” in relation to the curriculum and student learning and imagining and negotiating new possibilities. The article argues that internationalization of the curriculum should be a planned, developmental, and cyclical process and that employing the imagination is an essential part of the process of internationalization of the curriculum in any discipline.