bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Congolese Migration to Belgium and Postcolonial Perspectives
Authors: Demart Sarah
Published: September 2013

Abstract

Long absent from the scholarly literature, Congolese migration to Belgium now occupies a greater place in academic research. Nevertheless the various disciplinary approaches undertaken and the many topics of interest explored have not exhausted the complexity of this diaspora, too often the object of prejudice in popular opinion and public policies. The position of “the Congolese issue” in the academic world is thus rarely problematized due to confusion over how to categorize the Congo and the Congolese – either as ‘Africa,’ ‘Central Africa,’ ‘Sub-Sahara,’ etc. This reflects a ‘geography of the Other’ that significantly confounds current social processes at work in Belgium and the particularity of this (post)migratory situation. Grounded in empirical research, this issue in moving beyond merely highlighting a relatively marginalized group in Belgian Migration Studies, is focusing on the postcolonial stakes of the Congolese presence in Belgium. The authors take different viewpoints to explore the place of the Congolese in the former metropole and the forms of marginalization they face. The everyday life, the state regulations and the dynamics of identity are then various lens to bring to light the racial logics at work in the Belgian multiculturalism.
The Rarities of Russia (1662): A Pamphlet Ghostwritten by John Milton
Authors: Dunning Chester
Published: September 2013

In 1662 a pamphlet was published in London under the title The Rarities of Russia. Although it was ostensibly written by a merchant named William White, internal evidence reveals that it was written by John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost. It is well known that Milton penned a study of Russia during the 1640s, but his Moscovia manuscript remained unpublished during the poet’s lifetime. When a little book finally appeared in print in 1682 as A Brief History of Moscovia, Milton’s study of Russia was quickly dismissed as inconsequential. Today it is still considered to be his least significant prose work. In fact, the main problem with A Brief History of Moscovia is that it is simply incomplete. Most of the description of Russia that Milton had included in his Moscovia manuscript (on topics such as Russia’s climate, its commodities, people, religion, laws, and customs, the tsar’s court, his government and its revenues, the nobility, and the tsar’s military forces and their weaponry) ended up in The Rarities of Russia. Here is the complete text of that curious pamphlet that was ghostwritten by John Milton while he was composing his long poem.
Miconia paralimoides (Miconieae: Melastomataceae), a new species from the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic
Authors: Majure Lucas Charles
Published: September 2013

In the course of a taxonomic revision of Miconia sect. Lima, we discovered a previously undescribed species, Miconia paralimoides, from the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. This species is part of the Miconia lima species complex, and is most similar morphologically to Miconia limoides. We illustrate and provide a distribution map of the species, as well as a key to distinguish M. paralimoides from other members of the Miconia lima complex, i.e., species with very well-developed, bulla-based hairs on the adaxial leaf surface, which mostly or completely cover the areoles.
Mimosa sobralii (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae), a new tree species endemic to the southern Brazilian highland slopes
Authors: GRINGS MARTIN , RIBAS OSMAR DOS SANTOS
Published: September 2013

Mimosa sobralii (Fabaceae), a new species of tree endemic to the northern highland slopes of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, is described and illustrated. The new species is close to M. bifurca, from which it is set apart by the arborescent habit, yellow flowers and differences in leaflet morphology.
A new species of Tephrosia (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae-Millettieae) from Misiones, Argentina
Authors: QUEIROZ RUBENS TEIXEIRA DE , TOZZI ANA MARIA G. A.
Published: September 2013

A new species of Tephrosia endemic to Argentina is described and illustrated. Tephrosia fertilis has affinities with T. adunca, based on the type and colour of indumentum, but differs in the relative length of pedicel to bracts, calyx indumentum, presence of a callus and the absence of secretory structure on the standard petal.
Effects of Turbulent Mixing on the Structure and Macroscopic Properties of Stratocumulus Clouds Demonstrated by a Lagrangian Trajectory Model
Authors: Magaritz-Ronen L. , Pinsky M. , Khain A.
Published: September 2013

The role of turbulent mixing in the formation of the structure of stratocumulus clouds is investigated using a Lagrangian–Eulerian parcel cloud model. The model contains approximately 2000–5000 adjacent parcels with the linear size of 25–40 m, moving with a turbulent-like velocity field with observed energetic and statistical properties. The process of turbulent mixing of Lagrangian parcels is parameterized using the k-epsilon theory extended to the case of mixing nonconservative values. The model includes the interaction of cloud and the overlying inversion layer. The stratocumulus clouds observed during flight RF01 of the Second Dynamics and Chemistry of the Marine Stratocumulus field study (DYCOMS II) are simulated.

Effects of turbulent mixing are analyzed by comparing simulations with and without mixing. When mixing between parcels is included, the thermodynamical and microphysical structure of the measured stratocumulus clouds is properly reproduced. Mixing leads to a more uniform cloud structure with well-defined borders. Good agreement is found between Paluch diagrams calculated in the model and those reproduced from measurements. The radius of correlation of liquid water content and other variables calculated in the model is on the order of several hundred meters and agrees well with observations. When mixing is not included, the radius of correlation is on the scale of a single parcel and the cloud layer contains dry entrained parcels, making the microphysical structure unrealistic. It is also shown that turbulent mixing leads to an increase in the effective radius and facilitates and accelerates drizzle formation. The time in which a 40-m air parcel preserves its identification is estimated from the results and is found to be on the order of 25 min.
Decadal Evolution of Ocean Thermal Anomalies in the North Atlantic: The Effects of Ekman, Overturning, and Horizontal Transport
Authors: Williams Richard G. , Roussenov Vassil , Smith Doug , Lozier M. Susan
Published: September 2013

Basin-scale thermal anomalies in the North Atlantic, extending to depths of 1–2 km, are more pronounced than the background warming over the last 60 years. A dynamical analysis based on reanalyses of historical data from 1965 to 2000 suggests that these thermal anomalies are formed by ocean heat convergences, augmented by the poorly known air–sea fluxes. The heat convergence is separated into contributions from the horizontal circulation and the meridional overturning circulation (MOC), the latter further separated into Ekman and MOC transport minus Ekman transport (MOC-Ekman) cells. The subtropical thermal anomalies are mainly controlled by wind-induced changes in the Ekman heat convergence, while the subpolar thermal anomalies are controlled by the MOC-Ekman heat convergence; the horizontal heat convergence is generally weaker, only becoming significant within the subpolar gyre. These thermal anomalies often have an opposing sign between the subtropical and subpolar gyres, associated with opposing changes in the meridional volume transport driving the Ekman and MOC-Ekman heat convergences. These changes in gyre-scale convergences in heat transport are probably induced by the winds, as they correlate with the zonal wind stress at gyre boundaries.
On Spectral Analysis of Mesoscale Eddies. Part I: Linear Analysis
Authors: Berloff P. , Kamenkovich I.
Published: September 2013

This study aims to understand the ocean’s circulation, which is characterized by the presence of multiple alternating zonal jets and transient mesoscale eddies, by systematic analysis of the underlying linear dynamics of this system. For this purpose, properties of the linear normal modes such as growth rates, dispersion, spatial structure, and nonlinear self-interactions are explored for a hierarchy of idealized, vertically, and horizontally sheared flows with increasing complexity. The authors find that large-scale background vertical shear, alternating multiple zonal jets, bottom friction, and the Reynolds number have important effects on these modes. This study hypothesizes that when these effects are taken into account, the linear results can be used to predict many properties of nonlinear mesoscale eddies. This hypothesis is confirmed in Part II of this paper.
On Spectral Analysis of Mesoscale Eddies. Part II: Nonlinear Analysis
Authors: Berloff P. , Kamenkovich I.
Published: September 2013

Several turbulent flow regimes of an idealized ocean circulation model are systematically analyzed in physical and spectral domains. Zonal dispersion properties of transient mesoscale eddies are described by the zonal wavenumber/temporal frequency spectra. The eddy patterns and the corresponding nonlinear eddy forcing exerted on the jets are examined by filtering different parts of the spectra. Comparison of the outcome of this nonlinear analysis with the properties of the linearized solutions (obtained in Part I of this paper) demonstrates that a very substantial part of the flow dynamics is controlled by the underlying linear dynamics. This result supports the hypothesis that it is possible to describe most of the oceanic mesoscale eddies as a wave turbulence phenomenon.
A Climatological Baseline for Assessing the Skill of Tropical Cyclone Phase Forecasts
Authors: Aberson Sim D.
Published: September 2013

A simple linear discriminant analysis scheme using climatological predictors is derived for the Atlantic basin as a no-skill baseline for operational phase forecasts from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The model with independent data correctly classifies 80% of the cases at 12 h, and this value decreases to about 45% by 60 h, remaining steady thereafter. Using the same cases, NHC-issued phase predictions were more frequently accurate than the baseline, so their forecasts are said to have skill.
Is serum human epididymis protein 4 ready for prime time?
Authors: Ferraro Simona , Panteghini Mauro
Published: September 2013

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines have sparked hot debate regarding the role of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA-125) for ovarian cancer (OC) detection. Recent literature and evidence calls into question the use of CA-125 in diagnostic algorithms, given the better performance of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) vs. CA-125 to rule OC. This is an important consideration since combined measurements are not cost-effective. The quality of this evidence is, however, threatened by important gaps related to study design, enrolled populations and analytical issues. For instance, despite the clinical need to prioritize the evaluation of biomarker performance in early stage tumours, sound evidence on this cannot be provided. In addition, results should be cautiously interpreted due to wide differences in the type of employed assays and in adopted diagnostic thresholds for HE4. Comparability among results obtained by different commercially available HE4 assays, together with an objective establishment of analytical goals is essential for the optimal clinical application of this marker.
On the Relationship Between Peer Isolation and Offending Specialization
Authors: Thomas Kyle J.
Published: September 2013

Despite the salient role many criminologists accord peers as a source of influence in the frequency and character of offending, little is known about the role peers play in promoting offending versatility. The current study contributes to this understanding by testing the hypothesis that individuals isolated from peers display greater levels of specialization than their nonisolate counterparts. Using data from the National Youth Survey, the analyses examine (a) the contemporaneous effects of isolation from peers on offending versatility and (b) how changes in isolation status affect changes in offending diversity. Results indicate that peer isolates are more likely to specialize in offending than nonisolates. Moreover, individuals change their level of offending diversity after their status as a peer isolate changes. The discussion considers the implications of these findings and offers avenues for future research.
Bias in Terms of Culture and a Method for Reducing It
Authors: Mylonas Kostas , Furnham Adrian ,   Country Collaborators
Published: September 2013

Several sources of bias can plague research data and individual assessment. When cultural groups are considered, across or even within countries, it is essential that the constructs assessed and evaluated are as free as possible from any source of bias and specifically from bias caused due to culturally specific characteristics. Employing the Explanations of Unemployment Scale (revised form) for a sample of 1,894 employed and unemployed adults across eight countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, and Brazil), we applied a method based on individual differences multidimensional scaling and principal component analysis to detect item bias in terms of culture and try to eliminate this bias variance from the overall item variance so as to (a) avoid jeopardizing validity levels and (b) arrive at clearer and more meaningful dimensions after adjusting the raw scores by removing the bias part. The results supported our statistical–psychometric intervention as the structure computed for the unadjusted data was enhanced and clarified when the data were adjusted for bias in terms of culture. Finally, implications for individual assessment procedures are discussed, and a method for evaluating the relative impact of bias in terms of culture on the raw assessment scores is also presented.
Explanatory models of somatoform disorder patients attending a psychiatry outpatient clinic: A study from North India
Authors: Grover Sandeep , Aneja Jitender , Sharma Akhilesh , Malhotra Rama , Varma Sannidhya , Basu Debasish , Avasthi Ajit
Published: September 2013

Background:

The symptoms of somatoform disorders are very distressing to the sufferer as well as pose significant burden on the health-care delivery system. Although the nature of symptoms is physical, the underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to assess the explanatory models of patients with somatoform disorders presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Northern India.

Method:

A total of 99 consecutive adult patients (≥18 years) with diagnosis of somatoform disorders according to the International Classification of Diseases–10th Revision (ICD-10) were evaluated for their explanatory models using the causal models section of Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC).

Results:

The mean age of the study sample was 36.52 years, and the mean duration of illness was 59.39 ± 57.68 months. The most common clinical diagnosis was that of persistent somatoform pain disorder. The most common explanations given belonged to the category of psychological factors (68.7%) followed by weakness (67.7%), social causes (51%) and karma–deed–heredity (53.5%) category. The mean number of etiological categories reported were 2.6 (standard deviation ( SD) = 1.7). Among the various specific causes, the commonly reported explanations by one half of the sample in decreasing order were general weakness (63.6%), mind–thoughts–worry category (59.6%) and loneliness (53.5%). The mean number of specific etiologies was 4.9 ( SD = 3.83).

Conclusion:

Most of the patients with somatoform disorder attribute their symptoms to psychological factors. It also becomes imperative to understand the physical symptoms in somatoform disorders from the sociocultural aspects of patients.
Impact of personality temperaments and characters on academic performance and specialty selection among a group of Egyptian medical graduates
Authors: El Sheikh Mona M , Shaker Nermin M , Hussein Hanan , Ramy Hisham A
Published: September 2013

Background:

The relationship between personality temperaments, academic achievement and specialty interest is important because of its implications in career counseling.

Aim:

To assess the effect of personality on academic performance and career selection and to study the impact of some sociodemographic factors on academic achievement and career choice of medical graduates.

Methodology:

A total of 436 medical graduates of Ain Shams medical school were approached, out of which 331 participated. They were given a sociodemographic questionnaire, and the Temperament and Character Inventory–Revised (TCI-R; 240) for personality construct; they had to answer questions about academic achievement, ranking, scores and choice of medical specialty.

Results:

Novelty seeking (NS1, NS2 and NS3) and self-transcendence (ST1 and ST2) were correlated with graduation ranking, ( r = .2, p = .00; r = .15, p = .009; r = .16, p = .005; r = .12, p = .003; r = .14, p = .02; r = .17, p = .004; r = .13, p = .03, respectively), that is, lower NS and ST had better academic outcome. Only high school score was associated with better achievement ( p = .00). In specialty selection, females were significantly overrepresented in pediatrics and clinical pathology, whereas males were significantly predominating surgical specialties except for obstetrics and gynecology ( p = .00). Students choosing patient-centered specialties had higher reward dependence (RD), persistence (PS) and cooperativeness (C); those choosing clinical pathology had highest harm avoidance (HA), whereas those choosing radiology had lowest HA and those choosing surgery had significantly higher self-directedness (SD3).

Conclusion:

Personality impacts academic achievement and specialty choice with other factors as gender and previous scholastic performance.
Politics and IMF Conditionality
Authors: Dreher Axel , Sturm Jan-Egbert , Vreeland James Raymond
Published: September 2013

Bailouts sponsored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are famous for their conditionality: in return for continued installments of desperately needed loans, governments must comply with austere policy changes. Many have suggested, however, that politically important countries face rather weak stringency. Obstacles to testing this hypothesis include finding a measure of political importance that is not plagued by endogeneity and obtaining data on IMF conditionality. We propose to measure political importance using temporary membership on the UN Security Council and analyze a newly available data set on the level of conditionality attached to (a maximum of) 314 IMF arrangements with 101 countries over the 1992–2008 period. We find a negative relationship: Security Council members receive about 30 percent fewer conditions. This suggests that the major shareholders of the IMF trade softer conditionality in return for political influence over the Security Council.
Using fuzzy logic control for the robust carrier tracking loop in a Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System tightly integrated system
Authors: Qin Honglei , Sun Xingli , Cong Li
Published: September 2013

The noise bandwidth is an important parameter on the Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking loop; the larger the bandwidth the better the high dynamic performance, but the thermal noise suppression capability is reduced. In a GPS/Inertial Navigation System (INS) tightly integration system, the GPS receiver’s carrier phase lock loops (PLLs) are aided by the Doppler shift from the INS, which can reduce user most dynamics. So the noise bandwidth can be narrowed to decrease the thermal noise tracking errors. However, due to the inertial sensor errors, the external INS-derived Doppler shift information are not completely accurate, therefore a Doppler-aiding error-induced phase error source must exist. The part of tracking error is derived in this paper. Other error sources are still present, so the bandwidth of PLLs cannot be set arbitrarily. This paper applies one artificial intelligence technique, the fuzzy logic controller (FLC), to calculate the PLL noise bandwidth on-line. Simulation results prove that the proposed FLC-based software receiver does achieve a superior tracking ability over conventional tracking loops in complicated conditions. In addition, the proposed algorithm works in the real-time mode and can be used in many practical applications.
Tés, Licuados, and Cápsulas
Authors: Amirehsani Karen A. , Wallace Debra C.
Published: September 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this cross-sectional, descriptive study was to explore the characteristics of herbal remedy use for diabetes among Latinos/Hispanics with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

A convenience sample of 75 Latino/Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes was recruited from community-based settings in North Carolina. Data were collected through face-to-face bilingual interviews. Measures included a demographic questionnaire; the Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Practices Questionnaire; and biophysical indicators of A1C and body mass index.

Results

Sixty-nine percent of the sample reported using herbal remedies for diabetes self-care. Forty-nine herbal products were identified. The most commonly reported products were prickly pear cactus, aloe vera, celery, and chayote. The perceived effectiveness of products varied; some said they helped “a lot” while others noted the development of side effects. Over three quarters (77%) of persons using herbal remedies reported concurrent use with prescribed medications. Also, some participants reported skipping or altering the dose of diabetes medications when using herbal remedies. Most (77%) reported not disclosing herbal remedy use to health care providers.

Conclusions

Diabetes educators and other health care providers need to ask Latino/Hispanic clients about their use of herbal remedies and become knowledgeable about herbal products to provide advice about safety.
The Leader–Member Exchange Relationship
Authors: Gooty Janaki , Yammarino Francis J.
Published: September 2013

Drawing on shared reality theory and social exchange processes in leader–member exchange (LMX), we posit that variability in LMX ratings at both the dyadic and group levels act as cross-level moderators of the routinely studied individual-level LMX–performance ratings association. Specifically, we introduce dyadic dispersion LMX as a key dyad-level variable that attenuates the positive individual LMX–performance association. Furthermore, we conceptualize that LMX differentiation, a group-level construct, is dysfunctional for individual outcomes as it violates norms of equality, and we suggest that the positive individual-level LMX–performance ratings association is plausible only in low differentiation workgroups and not high differentiation workgroups. Our analyses invoke new cross-classified and traditional nested models with multisource ratings of performance, and the findings largely support the study hypotheses. Implications for LMX at different levels of analyses as well as future theory and research are discussed.
Are Commitment Profiles Stable and Predictable? A Latent Transition Analysis
Authors: Kam Chester , Morin Alexandre J. S. , Meyer John P. , Topolnytsky Laryssa
Published: September 2013

Recent efforts have been made to identify and compare employees with profiles reflecting different combinations of affective (AC), normative (NC), and continuance (CC) organizational commitment. To date, the optimal profiles in terms of employee behavior and well-being have been found to be those in which AC, NC, and CC are all strong, or those where AC, or AC and NC, dominate. The poorest outcomes are found for profiles where AC, NC, and CC are all weak, or CC dominates. The primary goal of the current study was to use latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis to identify profile groups and examine changes in profile membership over an 8-month period in an organization undergoing a strategic change. We also tested hypotheses concerning the relation between perceived trustworthiness of management and employees’ commitment profile within and across time. We found that commitment profiles have substantial temporal stability and that trustworthiness positively predicts memberships in more desirable commitment profiles. There was also some, albeit weak, evidence that changes in perceived trustworthiness were accompanied by corresponding shifts in the commitment profile.
Are Disruptive CEO Successions Viewed as a Governance Lapse? Evidence From Board Turnover
Authors: Marcel Jeremy J. , Cowen Amanda P. , Ballinger Gary A.
Published: September 2013

A wealth of governance research has examined CEO successions and the negative organizational consequences that arise when boards are unable to effect smooth leadership transitions. Despite those findings, empirical and anecdotal evidence indicates that disruptive successions are still very common. In this article, we investigate whether disruptive CEO successions are viewed as a governance lapse by the board. We focus specifically on succession processes that involve the use of an interim leader. We leverage established research that shows that the pattern of board turnover observed in the wake of negative events is indicative of whether board behaviors are—in practice—viewed as normative violations. We theorize that audiences will disapprove of boards’ use of interim CEOs and, therefore, expect that these successions will prompt higher rates of board turnover than those observed following noninterim successions. However, we also anticipate that this relationship will be moderated by situational characteristics (e.g., surprise CEO departure, dynamic industry environment) that complicate succession planning and make audiences more accepting of a board’s decision to rely on an interim CEO. Our analysis of 438 successions at publicly traded U.S. firms provides support for these arguments. We discuss the implications of our findings for successions and corporate governance.
The Baby Bump
Authors: Jones Kristen P. , King Eden B. , Gilrane Veronica L. , McCausland Tracy C. , Cortina Jose M. , Grimm Kevin J.
Published: September 2013

In light of the prevalent experience, theoretical importance, and underexamination of the intersection of pregnancy and work, the current study explores how pregnant employees manage their concealable stigmatized identities at work over the course of pregnancy. Using a weekly survey methodology, we were able to examine within-person changes in identity management and physical health. Results suggested a reciprocal relationship between revealing and physical health wherein revealing led to more frequent physical health symptoms and more frequent physical health symptoms led to decreased revealing. Furthermore, concealing exerted a unidirectional impact on physical health wherein concealing predicted subsequent decreases in physical health symptoms. Finally, supportive work–family cultures and supervisor support were linked to lower concealing, higher revealing, and less frequent physical health symptoms at the initial measurement occasion (i.e., earlier stages of pregnancy); however, these benefits appeared to diminish over time. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed.
Family Obligation Across Contexts
Authors: Yahirun Jenjira J. , Perreira Krista M. , Fuligni Andrew J.
Published: September 2013

Over the past decade, the Hispanic population has grown in areas with little to no history of recent immigration. Prior research comparing Hispanics in new and established destinations has chiefly focused on differences in socioeconomic indicators of assimilation. Our article departs from this work by shifting the focus to sociocultural outcomes. Specifically, we use data from Los Angeles and North Carolina to examine differences in the strength of family obligation ( N = 552). We find that demographic characteristics explain all of the geographic difference in family obligation between these locations. However, we also find that co-ethnic concentration is positively correlated with adolescents’ endorsement of future family support, once ethnic identity is included in the analysis.
The Protective Role of Familism in the Lives of Latino Adolescents
Authors: Stein Gabriela L. , Gonzalez Laura M. , Cupito Alexandra M. , Kiang Lisa , Supple Andrew J.
Published: September 2013

Familism, a Latino value that promotes loyalty, cohesiveness, and obedience within the family, predicts improved outcomes for Latino adolescents. However, few studies have tested whether familism serves a protective role when adolescents are facing stress. We examined whether familism predicted psychosocial outcomes in the context of stress, and whether familism moderated the relationship between peer discrimination, acculturative stress, and economic stress predicting these outcomes in a sample of 173 Latino adolescents. Familism was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and greater school attachment, but it did not moderate the relationship between any of the stressors and outcomes. Discrimination was associated with greater depressive symptoms, worse school attachment, and greater perceived barriers to college, but socioeconomic stress and acculturation stress did not uniquely predict these outcomes once taking into account discrimination. Thus, although familial culture values lead to improved outcomes in youth, they are unable to counter the detrimental effects of discrimination.
Mobilizing Experimental Life: Spaces of Becoming with Mutant Mice
Authors: Davies Gail
Published: September 2013

This paper uses the figure of the inbred laboratory mouse to reflect upon the management and mobilization of biological difference in the contemporary biosciences. Working through the concept of shifting experimental systems, the paper seeks to connect practices concerned with standardization and control in contemporary research with the emergent and stochastic qualities of biological life. Specifically, it reviews the importance of historical narratives of standardization in experimental systems based around model organisms, before identifying a tension in contemporary accounts of the reproduction and differentiation of inbred mouse strains within them. Firstly, narratives of new strain development, foregrounding personal biography and chance discovery, attest to the contingency and situatedness of apparently universal biotechnological production. Secondly, discoveries of unexpected animal litters challenge efforts to standardize mouse phenotypes and control the reproduction of murine strains over space. The co-existence of these two narratives draws attention to the importance of and interplay between both chance and control, determination and emergence, and the making and moving of experimental life in biomedical research. The reception or denial of such biological excess reflects the distribution of agencies and the emerging spatialities of the global infrastructures of biotechnological development, with implications for future relations between animal lives and human becomings in experimental practices.
What’s in a name: Dual sensory impairment or deafblindness?
Authors: Wittich Walter , Southall Kenneth , Sikora Lindsey , Watanabe Donald H , Gagné Jean-Pierre
Published: September 2013

Communications about deafblindness within the clinical and research literature are littered with several terms that have not yet been well established or defined, such as deafblindness, dual sensory loss, or combined vision and hearing impairment. Depending on the context (e.g. service delivery for children, adults, or seniors) or the user (e.g. educators, clinicians, researchers, or clients), these terms are sometimes used interchangeably; such practice, however, can be misleading and does not assist the scientific goal of precise communication. The goal of this study was to review the existing definitions of these terms and their use through a systematic review of the literature and by conducting a qualitative survey to solicit the opinions of clinicians and researchers in the field of deafblindness. A systematic review of five databases resulted in 809 references containing terms relevant to deafblindness, which were then searched using the terms, such as deafblind, deaf-blind, deaf AND blind, dual, vision AND hearing, and combined, as they appeared in the titles and/or abstracts. In addition, a survey of researchers and rehabilitation professionals in this domain was conducted. The large majority of articles using deafblind-related terminology were published in clinician-oriented journals, whereas authors of high-impact research journal articles (many outside the domain of sensory rehabilitation) were more likely to utilize terms such as dual sensory or combined impairment. This segregation was similar in the 68 responses obtained through the survey. There is a need to harmonize the interpretation of terminology, specifically across professionals and interest groups relevant to deafblindness. Through the development of comparable terminology and clarity in communication, rehabilitation professionals will find it easier to access (and translate) research findings in their respective fields. In addition, the exchange of ideas between practitioners and researchers will be easier, resulting in more practically relevant research projects.
The importance of ‘strategic chat time’ for people who are blind or low vision
Authors: Naraine Mala D , Fels Deborah I
Published: September 2013

This article discusses the importance of ‘strategic chat time’ for the integration of blind and low vision (B/LV) employees. Strategic chat time refers to social time not related to workplace business such as lunch, breaks, and informal social activities, where employees build relationships and assimilate into the company’s culture. This study examined barriers B/LV employees experienced and strategies used in getting to know colleagues, developing friendships, and networking for career advancement. This qualitative research study was based on data gathered for a dissertation at the University of Toronto. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 B/LV employees in Canada. Valuable insights were discovered regarding coping strategies used by B/LV employees to access the social arena. Strategies ranged from avoidance to active intervention. Thematic analysis was used to identify four categories for the reported strategies, namely, passive, resourceful, receptive, and proactive. These strategies reveal strong motivation to engage in the social arena and achieve social acceptance. Further research is warranted on the benefits of ‘strategic chat time’.
‘Is Seeing Perceiving?’ Exploring issues concerning access to public transport for people with sight loss
Authors: Casey Hilary , Brady Nuala , Guerin Suzanne
Published: September 2013

This research examined the needs and experiences of people with sight loss regarding access to bus and rail services in a large urban area in Ireland. A broad qualitative approach was used, so as to investigate people’s lived experiences both as passengers and as providers of public transport. Participants included 13 people with differing levels of sight loss and the Access Officers from two public transport organisations in the area. From this research, it is apparent that travel in the area by people with sight loss has improved since the introduction of key pieces of legislation. Awareness of sight loss and assistance given by staff members was the most prominent area of improvement reported by the participants. However, there appeared to be an inequality in access among people with sight loss, in that people with low vision appear to benefit more from access services than people who are totally blind. Research also showed that although technologies, including audible announcements, to assist passengers with more severe sight loss exist, they are not all available in Ireland yet or are not always effective. People’s own experience of sight loss and travelling as a person with reduced vision seems also to contribute to how accessible a transport service is and further research in this area is recommended.
CHOMP: Covariant Hamiltonian optimization for motion planning
Authors: Zucker Matt , Ratliff Nathan , Dragan Anca D. , Pivtoraiko Mihail , Klingensmith Matthew , Dellin Christopher M. , Bagnell J. Andrew , Srinivasa Siddhartha S.
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we present CHOMP (covariant Hamiltonian optimization for motion planning), a method for trajectory optimization invariant to reparametrization. CHOMP uses functional gradient techniques to iteratively improve the quality of an initial trajectory, optimizing a functional that trades off between a smoothness and an obstacle avoidance component. CHOMP can be used to locally optimize feasible trajectories, as well as to solve motion planning queries, converging to low-cost trajectories even when initialized with infeasible ones. It uses Hamiltonian Monte Carlo to alleviate the problem of convergence to high-cost local minima (and for probabilistic completeness), and is capable of respecting hard constraints along the trajectory. We present extensive experiments with CHOMP on manipulation and locomotion tasks, using seven-degree-of-freedom manipulators and a rough-terrain quadruped robot.
Online obstacle avoidance at high speeds
Authors: Shiller Zvi , Sharma Sanjeev , Stern Ishai , Stern Asher
Published: September 2013

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for online avoidance of static obstacles that accounts for robot dynamics and actuator constraints. The robot trajectory (path and speed) is generated incrementally by avoiding obstacles optimally one at a time, thus reducing the original problem from one that avoids m obstacles to m simpler problems that avoid one obstacle each. The computational complexity of this planner is therefore linear in the number of obstacles, instead of the typical exponential complexity of traditional geometric planners. This approach is quite general and applicable to any cost function and to any robot dynamics; it is treated here for minimum time motions, a planar point mass robot, and circular obstacles. Numerical experiments demonstrate the algorithm for very cluttered environments (70 obstacles) and narrow passages. Upper and lower bounds on the motion time and on the path length were derived as functions of the Euclidean distance between the end points and the average obstacle size. Comparing a kinematic version of this algorithm to the RRT and RRT* planners showed significant advantages over both planners. The algorithm was demonstrated on an experimental mobile robot moving at high speeds in a known environment.
Three-dimensional coverage planning for an underwater inspection robot
Authors: Englot Brendan , Hover Franz S.
Published: September 2013

To support autonomous, in-water inspection of a ship hull, we propose and implement new techniques for coverage path planning over complex 3D structures. Our main contribution is a comprehensive methodology for sampling-based design of inspection routes, including an algorithm for planning, an algorithm for smoothing, and an analysis of probabilistic completeness. The latter two outcomes are the first of their kind in the area of coverage planning. Our algorithms give high-quality solutions over expansive structures, and we demonstrate this with experiments in the laboratory and on a 75 m Coast Guard cutter.
Mutual localization in multi-robot systems using anonymous relative measurements
Authors: Franchi Antonio , Oriolo Giuseppe , Stegagno Paolo
Published: September 2013

We propose a decentralized method to perform mutual localization in multi-robot systems using anonymous relative measurements, i.e. measurements that do not include the identity of the measured robot. This is a challenging and practically relevant operating scenario that has received little attention in the literature. Our mutual localization algorithm includes two main components: a probabilistic multiple registration stage, which provides all data associations that are consistent with the relative robot measurements and the current belief, and a dynamic filtering stage, which incorporates odometric data into the estimation process. The design of the proposed method proceeds from a detailed formal analysis of the implications of anonymity on the mutual localization problem. Experimental results on a team of differential-drive robots illustrate the effectiveness of the approach, and in particular its robustness against false positives and negatives that may affect the robot measurement process. We also provide an experimental comparison that shows how the proposed method outperforms more classical approaches that may be designed building on existing techniques. The source code of the proposed method is available within the MLAM ROS stack.
Progressive decrease of N-acetylaspartate to total creatine ratio in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in patients with major depressive disorder: longitudinal 1H-MR spectroscopy study
Authors: Tae Woo Suk , Kim Sam Soo , Lee Kang Uk , Nam Eui-Cheol , Koh Sung Hye
Published: September 2013

Background

Longitudinal metabolic changes of total choline (tCho), creatine + phosphocreatine (total creatine, tCr), and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC) of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have not been well evaluated.

Purpose

To evaluate the longitudinal changes of the metabolic levels of tCho, tCr, and NAA in the pACC of MDD patients and normal controls with the use of Single-voxel 1HMRS.

Material and Methods

Single-voxel 1HMRS was acquired in the pACC of 21 female patients with MDD and 26 age- and gender–matched controls. Follow-up scans were acquired in 10 patients with MDD and 15 controls after 9–10 months from baseline scans. Absolute concentrations of tCho, tCr, and NAA, and the ratios of NAA/tCr and tCho/tCr were calculated and compared between and within groups.

Results

The patient group showed slightly improved clinical symptoms, as measured by Beck’s Depression Inventory ( P = 0.035), after treatment with antidepressants. Comparison of baseline scans between the groups showed no differences in any of the absolute metabolite concentrations or ratios. The NAA/tCr ratio in the pACC of patients with MDD showed a significant decrease in the follow-up scan ( P = 0.032), and the NAA/tCr ratio of the baseline scan showed logarithmic negative association with illness duration ( P = 0.024).

Conclusion

A progressive decrease in the NAA/tCr ratio in the pACC of patients with MDD was demonstrated and the decrease in this ratio was at the highest rate in the early period after illness onset. These findings indicate the neuronal degeneration and dysfunction of the pACC, and the importance of early clinical intervention in female patients with MDD.
Osteoporotic fractures and persistent non-fusion of the hand epiphyses caused by empty sella syndrome in an adult: A case report
Authors: Xu Peng , He Hailong , Chen Yongfen , Wang Ce , Zhu Yunrong , Ye Xiaojian
Published: September 2013

We report a case of primary empty sella syndrome (ESS) resulting in osteoporotic fractures and persistent non-fusion of the hand epiphyses, and discuss the potential pathogenesis of this disease. A 41-year-old man presented with pain in the right hand and back after a fall. X-radiographs revealed persistent epiphyses and severe osteoporosis. Serum phosphorus and prolactin levels were above normal levels, and free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine and testosterone levels were below normal limits. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head revealed empty sella. A lumbar bone mineral density examination indicated severe osteoporosis. ESS caused a systemic hormone disorder in this patient, resulting in osteoporotic fractures and persistent non-fusion of the hand epiphyses. Possible causes of this anomaly are chronic or congenital abnormities of the pituitary gland.
Comparison between ultrasound-guided sciatic–femoral nerve block and unilateral spinal anaesthesia for outpatient knee arthroscopy
Authors: Davarci Isil , Tuzcu Kasim , Karcioglu Murat , Hakimoglu Sedat , Özden Raif , Yengil Erhan , Akkurt Çagla Özbakis , Inanoğlu Kerem
Published: September 2013

Objective

To compare unilateral spinal anaesthesia (USA) and ultrasound-guided combined sciatic–femoral nerve block (USFB) in ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgeries in terms of haemodynamic stability, nerve block quality, bladder function, adverse events and time-to-readiness for discharge (TRD).

Methods

Patients undergoing ambulatory arthroscopic knee surgery were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The USA group received 2 ml (10 mg) of 0.5% levobupivacaine and the USFB group received a 25 ml mixture consisting of 10 ml of 2.0% lidocaine, 10 ml of 0.5% levobupivacaine and 5 ml of saline (15 ml for the femoral and 10 ml for the sciatic nerve block). Preparation time (PT), surgical anaesthesia time (SAT), operation time, total anaesthesia time, time-to-first spontaneous urination, time-to-first analgesia, TRD, adverse events and patient satisfaction were recorded.

Results

A total of 40 patients were enrolled in the study ( n = 20 per group). PT, SAT, total anaesthesia time and time-to-first analgesia were significantly shorter in the USA group than the USFB group; time-to-first spontaneous urination and TRD were significantly longer in the USA group than the USFB group.

Conclusions

USFB provided sufficient duration of sensory blockade and it reduced the TRD and the rate of adverse events.
Factors Associated With Meniscus Repair in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Wyatt Ronald W.B. , Inacio Maria C.S. , Liddle Kate D. , Maletis Gregory B.
Published: September 2013

Background:

Meniscus injuries are common in patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. Patient demographics, surgeon characteristics, and concurrent diagnostic factors affecting the prevalence of meniscus repairs in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction (ACLR) by community-based orthopaedic surgeons have not been fully studied.

Hypothesis:

Patient (age, sex, race, and body mass index [BMI]), surgeon (sports medicine fellowship training status and case volume), and injury characteristics (1 or both menisci injured, injury location, and concurrent cartilage injury) and surgical venue (case volume) are associated with a higher likelihood of meniscus repair.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study using data from a large community-based ACLR registry was performed. Patients with a meniscus injury and primary ACLR between February 2005 and June 2010 were included in the study. Meniscus repair rates by patient, surgeon, and injury characteristics were described. Associations were evaluated using generalized linear models.

Results:

During the study period, 5712 primary ACLRs with a meniscus tear diagnosis were registered. There was 1 torn meniscus in 4248 (74.4%) patients, and both menisci were torn in 1464 (25.6%) patients. Medial meniscus tears were repaired in 1192 (31.2%) of 3818 cases; the remaining 2626 (68.8%) tears were not repaired, underwent alternative treatment (meniscectomy, trephination, rasped), or were left in situ. Lateral meniscus tears were repaired in 893 (26.6%) of 3358 cases; the remaining 2465 (73.4%) tears underwent alternative treatment or were left in situ. Adjusted models showed that younger patient age ( P < .001), lower patient BMI ( P < .001), surgeon’s sports medicine fellowship training ( P < .001), higher surgeon case volume ( P < .001), higher surgical venue volume ( P = .019), and medial meniscus tears ( P < .001) were all associated with a higher likelihood of a meniscus repair.

Conclusion:

Younger patient age, lower patient BMI, surgeon’s sports medicine fellowship training, higher surgeon case volume, and higher site volume are associated with a higher likelihood of a meniscus repair in patients undergoing primary ACLR in a large cohort from a community-based ACLR registry.