bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Casting Youth as Information Leaders
Authors: McDevitt Michael , Sindorf Shannon
Published: December 2013

Promotion of the DREAM Act during the 2012 campaign presented an opportunity to examine how social media might cast youth as information leaders in the promotion of voting in Latino families. To identify opportunities and barriers to enactment of the information-leading role, we triangulate findings from a post-election survey of young adults and an analysis of campaign strategies focused on access to higher education. We find that young Latinos lagged behind non-Latinos in voting and in discussion about politics with parents and that campaign messaging typically ignored the family as a context for the cultivation of aspiration through information exchange. We conclude with recommendations for how mobilization efforts in future elections can harness new media by recruiting youth as information leaders.
Ulnar Polydactyly
Authors: Mills Janith K. , Ezaki Marybeth , Oishi Scott N.
Published: December 2013

Background. Postaxial polydactyly type B (PAPD-B) refers to the nonfunctional, floppy extra digit on the ulnar border of the hand. Suture ligation is applied in the newborn unit if the base is narrow or pedunculated. However, wart-like scars, residual bumps, or neuromas are frequent complications. Wider-based extra digits are treated at a later age by surgical excision under general anesthesia. Surgical clip application expands the indications for PAPD treatment in the newborn unit or outpatient setting with lesser incidences of complications. Design. A retrospective review identified 231 hands with PAPD-B in 132 newborns treated with surgical clips between January 1, 1996, and November 30, 2010, having a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. Medical records were queried for complications, revision procedures, and parent satisfaction. A relative cost survey compares the costs of surgical clips to surgery. Conclusions. In all, 16 extremities in 9 patients (7%) required surgical scar revision. No wound complications were noted.
When Do Political Parties Protest Election Results?
Authors: Chernykh Svitlana
Published: December 2013

Often, one or more of the parties participating in an election refuse to comply with the announced results and frequently resort to extra-legal strategies to dispute electoral outcomes. Such protests frequently turn violent, occasionally with major repercussions for political stability and the process of democratization. But, why do some political parties use legal avenues to reject electoral outcomes whereas others go outside of the established legal routes? Based on the original data from new democracies in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union from 1990 to 2009, I show that political parties are more likely to reject electoral outcomes using extra-legal means when election-related institutions have been changed prior to an election. This study demonstrates the importance of accounting for pre-election day factors when analyzing post-electoral disputes. It also contributes to the literature by presenting a new conceptual framework for studying electoral compliance.
Examining Student Factors in Sources of Setting Accommodation DIF
Authors: Lin Pei-Ying , Lin Yu-Cheng
Published: December 2013

This exploratory study investigated potential sources of setting accommodation resulting in differential item functioning (DIF) on math and reading assessments for examinees with varied learning characteristics. The examinees were those who participated in large-scale assessments and were tested in either standardized or accommodated testing conditions. The data were examined using multilevel measurement modeling, latent class analyses (LCA), and log-linear and odds ratio analyses. The results indicate that LCA models yielded substantially better fits to the observed data when they included only one covariate (total scores) than others with multiple covariates. Consistent patterns emerged from the results also show that the observed math and reading DIF can be explained by examinees’ latent abilities, accommodation status, and characteristics (including gender, home language, and learning attitudes). The present study not only confirmed previous findings that examinees’ characteristics are helpful in identifying sources of DIF but also addressed some limitations of previous studies by using an alternative and viable covariate strategy for LCA models.
Measuring Cognition in Teams
Authors: Wildman Jessica L. , Salas Eduardo , Scott Charles P. R.
Published: December 2013

Objective:

The purpose of this article is twofold: to provide a critical cross-domain evaluation of team cognition measurement options and to provide novice researchers with practical guidance when selecting a measurement method.

Background:

A vast selection of measurement approaches exist for measuring team cognition constructs including team mental models, transactive memory systems, team situation awareness, strategic consensus, and cognitive processes.

Methods:

Empirical studies and theoretical articles were reviewed to identify all of the existing approaches for measuring team cognition. These approaches were evaluated based on theoretical perspective assumed, constructs studied, resources required, level of obtrusiveness, internal consistency reliability, and predictive validity.

Results:

The evaluations suggest that all existing methods are viable options from the point of view of reliability and validity, and that there are potential opportunities for cross-domain use. For example, methods traditionally used only to measure mental models may be useful for examining transactive memory and situation awareness. The selection of team cognition measures requires researchers to answer several key questions regarding the theoretical nature of team cognition and the practical feasibility of each method.

Conclusions:

We provide novice researchers with guidance regarding how to begin the search for a team cognition measure and suggest several new ideas regarding future measurement research.

Applications:

We provide (1) a broad overview and evaluation of existing team cognition measurement methods, (2) suggestions for new uses of those methods across research domains, and (3) critical guidance for novice researchers looking to measure team cognition.
South Africa and China as BRICS Partners: Media Perspectives on Geopolitical Shifts
Authors: Wasserman Herman
Published: December 2013

The emergence of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) group of states as a new geopolitical power bloc has received substantial coverage in the media. South Africa’s inclusion in the group has been particularly controversial, and media attention tended to focus on the country’s relationship with China against the backdrop of the BRICS alignment. The media industry itself has also been a part of global movements of people and capital. This article seeks to establish how this relationship has been represented in the South African media, and to explore the attitudes of senior journalists and editors towards South Africa’s position within the changing global geopolitical landscape.
Understanding Depressive Symptoms Among Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries
Authors: O’Shea Amber , Smedema Susan Miller
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between various biopsychosocial factors and depressive symptoms in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Survey data were collected from 238 individuals with SCIs. The survey measured symptoms of depression, injury level, pain, catastrophizing beliefs, coping skills, perceived stress, and social support. Results indicated that pain (β = .14, p < .05), catastrophizing beliefs (β = .13, p < .05), and perceived stress (β = .50, p < .001) have a positive association with depressive symptoms. Positive coping skills (β = −.16, p < .01) were found to have a negative relationship with depressive symptoms. Injury level (β = .05, ns) and social support (β = −.09, ns) were not found to significantly affect depressive symptoms. The results of the study generally support the biopsychosocial model of depression in individuals with SCIs. Interventions should be aimed at promoting positive coping and ameliorating pain, catastrophizing beliefs, and perceived stress.
Chinese-Style Constitutionalism
Authors: Shigong Jiang
Published: December 2013

Currently, besides traditional national constitutionalism, there are three general approaches to constitutionalism in the world: transnational constitutionalism, theocratic constitutionalism, and party-state constitu-tionalism. The focus of this article is on Larry Backer’s research concerning China’s party-state system. Party-state constitutionalism is rooted in Marxism-Leninism, and was initially put into practice by the former Soviet Union. The People’s Republic of China in its early years largely followed in the USSR’s footsteps and developed its constitutional system under the traditional Soviet framework. However, since 1982, the Chinese party-state constitutional system has undergone several major reforms, and China has been gradually transforming into a “single-party constitutional state.” Grounded in the separation of powers between the party and the state, this new constitutional model serves to further the rule of law, reaffirm the paramount authority of the constitution, and dynamically balance the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) leadership position with the rule of law. The CCP, being an articulator of social norms and values, provides the substantive norms and values that form the basis of the rule-of-law constitution. The constitution, in turn, serves to limit the behavior of the party, so that the CCP will be subject to the constraints of the constitution and the rule of law.
Mondragon’s Chinese subsidiaries: Coopitalist multinationals in practice
Authors: Errasti Anjel
Published: December 2013

The Mondragon worker-owned and worker-governed cooperatives are an example of the struggle that some alternative work organizations face when dealing with the external pressures of competing in the global economy while at the same time endeavouring to retain their long-held values of workplace democracy. This article analyses the Mondragon cooperative-multinationals with regard to their subsidiaries in China at a time when the cooperatives are undergoing deep internal and external transformations. The study centres on the characteristics of governance and working conditions at the Mondragon subsidiaries in the Kunshan Industrial Park near Shanghai. The article asks whether, from the perspective of China and Chinese workers, there are any substantial differences between the Chinese subsidiaries of Mondragon and those of conventional multinationals. Overall, it concludes that while there are significant challenges inherent in extending the democratic and participative model of the parent cooperatives to their subsidiaries, there are also indications that if the cooperatives can muster the political will to act in accordance with their stated principles, they could potentially become a real if modest force for change in the labour relations of developing economies.
A Flexible Impact of Affective Feelings on Priming Effects
Authors: Huntsinger Jeffrey R.
Published: December 2013

Four experiments found that positive and negative affect dictated whether primed social categories and trait concepts led to assimilation or contrast. This influence was further found to be flexibly responsive to the momentary activation of a global or local focus. When a global focus was dominant, positive affect resulted in assimilation to primed traits and social categories, and negative affect resulted in contrast. But, when a local focus was dominant, the opposite pattern of assimilation and contrast as a consequence of positive and negative affect was observed. These results are consistent with the more general view that positive and negative affect signal the value of currently accessible response tendencies and are, therefore, flexibly responsive in their influence cognition to changing situations and mental contexts.
Shareholder Activism
Authors: Goranova Maria , Ryan Lori Verstegen
Published: December 2013

Shareholder activism has become a dynamic institutional force, and its associated, rapidly increasing body of scholarly literature affects numerous disciplines within the organization science academy. In addition to equivocal results concerning the impact of shareholder activism on corporate outcomes, the separation of prior research into financial and social activism has left unanswered questions critical for both the scholarly discourse on shareholder activism and the normative debate on shareholder empowerment. The heterogeneity of factors in shareholder activism, such as the firm, activist, and environmental characteristics that promote or inhibit activism, along with the breadth of activism’s issues, methods, and processes, provide a plethora of theoretical and methodological opportunities and challenges for activism researchers. Our multidisciplinary review incorporates the financial and social activism streams and explores shareholder activism heterogeneity and controversy, seeking to provide an impetus for more cohesive conceptual and empirical work in the field.
Understanding the Relationship Between Instability in Child Care and Instability in Employment for Families With Subsidized Care
Authors: Scott Ellen K. , Abelson Miriam J.
Published: December 2013

Through the federal child care funding and unspent Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds, states provide subsidies for child care to some employed parents who are income-eligible. Subsidies cannot alter labor market conditions or stabilize low-wage jobs, but they can stabilize child care arrangements. With stable child care, policy makers hope parents’ workforce participation will be more stable. While researchers agree there is a strong relationship between stability in child care and stability in employment, how they are related is not clear. What drives instability in child care and instability in employment, and does instability in one arena affect the other? How might subsidies affect stability in either arena? Using data from in-depth interviews with 44 parents who received child care subsidies in Oregon, we explore the nuanced and often complex relationship between child care stability and employment stability and the effect of subsidies on that stability.
Forget Me . . . Not
Authors: Douglas Delia D.
Published: December 2013

In 2008, Marion Jones was convicted and sentenced to 6 months in a federal prison for lying to federal prosecutors about steroid use and knowledge of a check-cashing scheme. This article explores the Jones scandal and the aftermath in the context of the contemporary cultural politics of Black female bodies and Black womanhood. I examine these events in the era of mass incarceration and a post-9/11 culture. I argue that the fervor and contempt expressed toward Jones are emblematic of a climate where the ideology of color blindness and claims to post-raciality promote and sustain the normalization of humiliation and punishment of Black females.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthetase genetic variants, metabolic syndrome and endothelial function in schizophrenia
Authors: Burghardt KJ , Grove TB , Ellingrod VL
Published: December 2013

Objective:

The increasing rates of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in schizophrenia led to investigation into their causes, including atypical antipsychotics and pharmacogenetic variants. This study focused on the peripheral vasculature as a cardiovascular phenotype and the influence of atypical antipsychotics, the aberrant metabolism of nitric oxide caused by endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) genetic variants and metabolic syndrome in a cross-sectional sample of schizophrenia subjects.

Methods:

Associations between eNOS genetic variants and endothelial function was assessed in a cohort of schizophrenia patients taking antipsychotic drugs, whom were undergoing a clinical assessment for endothelial function via the method of peripheral artery tonometry (RH-PAT), as well as metabolic syndrome criteria screening. Analyses were conducted on the entire cohort, then again after stratifying by metabolic syndrome, to investigate the effect of the eNOS variants and metabolic syndrome on endothelial functionality.

Results:

We included 203 subjects with a mean age of 46 years. The cohort was 36% female, 36% had metabolic syndrome and 85% were currently using atypical antipsychotics. We found associations between the eNOS T-786C and worse endothelial functioning (lower RH-PAT values) only in schizophrenia patients without metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions:

Our results suggested that when schizophrenia patients progress to meet metabolic syndrome criteria, the genetic protection of the eNOS T-786C variant on endothelial function is no longer seen: Other factors of this pro-inflammatory state may be overriding this effect. The results of this study need replication and the factors driving endothelial dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome warrant further investigation.
Very high resolution environmental predictors in species distribution models
Authors: Pradervand Jean-Nicolas , Dubuis Anne , Pellissier Loïc , Guisan Antoine , Randin Christophe
Published: December 2013

Recent advances in remote sensing technologies have facilitated the generation of very high resolution (VHR) environmental data. Exploratory studies suggested that, if used in species distribution models (SDMs), these data should enable modelling species’ micro-habitats and allow improving predictions for fine-scale biodiversity management. In the present study, we tested the influence, in SDMs, of predictors derived from a VHR digital elevation model (DEM) by comparing the predictive power of models for 239 plant species and their assemblages fitted at six different resolutions in the Swiss Alps. We also tested whether changes of the model quality for a species is related to its functional and ecological characteristics. Refining the resolution only contributed to slight improvement of the models for more than half of the examined species, with the best results obtained at 5 m, but no significant improvement was observed, on average, across all species. Contrary to our expectations, we could not consistently correlate the changes in model performance with species characteristics such as vegetation height. Temperature, the most important variable in the SDMs across the different resolutions, did not contribute any substantial improvement. Our results suggest that improving resolution of topographic data only is not sufficient to improve SDM predictions – and therefore local management – compared to previously used resolutions (here 25 and 100 m). More effort should be dedicated now to conduct finer-scale in-situ environmental measurements (e.g. for temperature, moisture, snow) to obtain improved environmental measurements for fine-scale species mapping and management.
Corporate governance and securities class actions
Authors: Chapple Larelle , Clout Victoria J , Tan David
Published: December 2013

This study investigates the governance attributes of firms that have been subject to securities class actions (SCAs). There has been a recent sizable increase in the number of firms subject to SCAs in Australia. We examine a sample of firms that have been subject to SCAs due to disclosure breaches and match the firms by industry and size to a control sample. First, we examine the compliance culture of the SCA firms via the frequency of Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) queries of the firm and find that the frequency of ASX queries is positively associated with the occurrence of a SCA. Secondly, we provide evidence that SCA firms exhibit weaker levels of corporate governance than the matched control sample. In addition, we contribute to the understanding of firms subject to SCAs and their corporate governance attributes. Our results suggest the presence of a nomination committee may be associated with higher agency costs and that the influence of CEO duality may reduce the effectiveness of a nomination committee.
Civil Courts and Jewish Divorce
Authors: Blom Suzette
Published: December 2013

Jewish divorces that became causes célèbres in eighteenth-century France provide a new perspective on the link between the acceptance of divorce and the reform of Jewish status. These cases bridged the space between the private sphere and the public sphere, highlighting the untenable nature of the Jews’ juridical status before the revolution. These cases were also a neutral platform for the debate over divorce while undermining the state’s apparent right to impose a uniform religious doctrine on its citizens. Despite legal and political nuances, the gradual evolution in social attitudes reflected by these causes célèbres helped to create the context for the revolutionary emancipation decrees. The ensuing erosion of the traditional structure of the church's authority created a space in the social fabric for the acceptance of religious minorities, while the erosion of Jewish autonomy provided new routes for integration.
Nutrition Optimization Prior to Surgery
Authors: Evans David C. , Martindale Robert G. , Kiraly Laszlo N. , Jones Christopher M.
Published: December 2013

Optimization of metabolic state prior to major surgery leads to improved surgical outcomes. Nutrition screening protocols should be implemented in the preoperative evaluation, possibly as part of a bundle. Strategies to minimize hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by aggressive preoperative nutrition and carbohydrate loading may promote maintenance of a perioperative anabolic state, improving healing, reducing complications, and shortening the time to recovery of bowel function and hospital discharge. Short courses of preoperative immune‐modulating formulas, using combinations of arginine, ω‐3 fatty acids, and other nutrients, have been associated with improved surgical outcomes. These immune‐modulating nutrients are key elements of metabolic pathways that promote attenuation of the metabolic response to stress and improve both wound healing and immune function. Patients with severe malnutrition and gastrointestinal dysfunction may benefit from preoperative parenteral nutrition. Continuation of feeding through the intraoperative period for severely stressed hypermetabolic patients undergoing nongastrointestinal surgery is another strategy to optimize metabolic state and reduce prolonged nutrition deficits. In this paper, we review the importance of preoperative nutrition and strategies for effective preoperative nutrition optimization.
Processes and Patterns in Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Sexual Assault
Authors: Menning Chadwick L. , Holtzman Mellisa
Published: December 2013

Although prior research suggests that sexual minorities are at equivalent or greater risk of sexual assault compared with heterosexual women, few studies have examined simultaneously a broad array of assault types, the forms of force and pressure experienced, and the relative risks of experiencing different kinds of assault or force or pressure during an assault according to sex and sexual orientation. Moreover, very little is known about how subjective interpretations of assault may differ by sex and sexual orientation. We address these gaps using a multimethodological analysis of original survey data ( N = 342) with a snowball oversample of sexual minority respondents. Quantitative results indicate that both sexual minority status and sex are predictive of increased assault risk of most assault types, but that most effects of sexual minority status are restricted to men. The probabilities of experiencing verbal pressure or physical force are largely uniform across categories. Qualitative analyses of open-ended questions suggest that men and women interpret the experience of assault differently, such that sexual minority men conceptualize their unwanted sexual experiences as “giving in” due to feelings of guilt or low self-worth, whereas women of all sexual orientations acquiesced because it was perceived to be easier or more practical than resisting. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Rumination Mediates the Association Between Cyber-Victimization and Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Feinstein Brian A. , Bhatia Vickie , Davila Joanne
Published: December 2013

The current study examined the 3-week prospective associations between cyber-victimization and both depressive symptoms and rumination. In addition, a mediation model was tested, wherein rumination mediated the association between cyber-victimization and depressive symptoms. Participants ( N = 565 college-age young adults) completed online surveys at two time points 3 weeks apart. Results indicated that cyber-victimization was associated with increases in both depressive symptoms and rumination over time. Furthermore, results of the path analysis indicated that cyber-victimization was associated with increases in rumination over time, which were then associated with greater depressive symptoms, providing support for the proposed mediation effect for women, but not men. Findings extend previous correlational findings by demonstrating that cyber-victimization is associated with increases in symptomatology over time. Findings also suggest that the negative consequences of cyber-victimization extend beyond mental health problems to maladaptive emotion regulation. In fact, rumination may be a mechanism through which cyber-victimization influences mental health problems, at least for women. Mental health professionals are encouraged to assess cyber-victimization as part of standard victimization assessments and to consider targeting maladaptive emotion regulation in addition to mental health problems in clients who have experienced cyber-victimization.
The Role of Rumination in Elevating Perceived Stress in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Hu Emily , Koucky Ellen M. , Brown Wilson J. , Bruce Steven E. , Sheline Yvette I.
Published: December 2013

Rumination has been shown to be important in both the maintenance and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Increased rumination has also been linked to perceptions of increased stress, which in turn are significantly associated with increased PTSD severity. The present study sought to examine this relationship in more detail by means of a mediation analysis. Forty-nine female survivors of interpersonal violence who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR) criteria for PTSD were administered the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II). Results indicated that perceived stress mediates the relationship between rumination and PTSD, but did not do so after controlling for depression. Such results provide further evidence for the overlap between PTSD and MDD, and, in broader clinical practice, translate to a sharper focus on rumination and perceived stress as maintenance factors in both disorders.
Apparel Fit and Size Concerns and Intentions to Use Virtual Try-On
Authors: Shin Eonyou , Baytar Fatma
Published: December 2013

The objectives of this study were to investigate whether images of female bodies shown in a website influence female consumers' level of body satisfaction and to examine how these variables affect online shoppers' concerns with garment fit and size and their intentions to use a virtual try-on model. We conducted an experiment using a 2 × 2 between-subject factorial design with 249 college students. The results showed the main effects of female bodies associated with body satisfaction on female consumers' concerns with garment fit and size. We also found a negative relationship between body satisfaction and concerns with garment fit and size as well as a positive relationship between concerns and intentions to use virtual try-on technology. However, we found no significant effect of female bodies on female consumers' body satisfaction.
Research on selecting the optimal design of antivibrational lathe tool using computer simulation
Authors: Rogov Vladimir A , Ghorbani Siamak
Published: December 2013

Computer simulation of machining processes can save cost, time, and lead to reach an effective predictive capability. In this paper, by using computer simulation, damping capability of the lathe tools under static and vibrational analysis at different tool overhang conditions is studied. A novel predictive model of the cutting tool is developed, in which damping capability of the tool is improved by using composite material with high damping capability. Epoxy granites with normal, rigid, and plastic structures were used as composite materials in modified model of tool holder. The all-metal model, model with holes in tool holder and the modified model filled up with the composite material, with the same geometry and dimensions are used.
Experimental investigation of a trailing edge L-shaped tab on a pitching airfoil in deep dynamic stall conditions
Authors: Zanotti A , Grassi D , Gibertini G
Published: December 2013

An L-shaped tab was tested at the trailing edge of an oscillating airfoil to evaluate its effects on blades aerodynamic performance. The tests were conducted on a NACA 23012 pitching airfoil in deep dynamic stall conditions with the L-shaped tab fixed in two different positions. When deployed the tab is attached to the airfoil upper surface so that the end prong protrudes at the airfoil trailing edge. In retracted position the tab features an angle of 9.1° with the airfoil upper surface, since its prong tip touches the airfoil trailing edge. The airloads time histories during a pitching cycle were evaluated by pressure measurements carried out on the airfoil midspan contour. The phase-averaged flow field at the trailing edge region was investigated by means of particle image velocimetry to evaluate the detailed flow physics involved in the use of the device. The experimental results indicate that the use of such a pivoting L-shaped tab can introduce similar effects to those that can be obtained by the use of an active Gurney flap. Thus, the L-shaped tab can be considered an attractive device due to its easier integration on helicopter blades.
A surface reconstruction strategy based on deformable template for repairing damaged turbine blades
Authors: Rong Yu , Xu Jinting , Sun Yuwen
Published: December 2013

Recently, rapid repair of damaged blade has become the focus of considerable interest for extending its service life. However, due to the defects caused by high temperature and pressure of operations as well as foreign object impact, the turbine blades often undergo the deviations of the actual part profile from its design model, such that this nominal Computer Aided Design (CAD) model cannot be directly used in the process of repair for tool path generation of laser cladding and Numerical Control (NC) machining, thus to nicely repair the damaged or worn blades, it is necessary to reconstruct the surface model of the actual blade. This paper develops a deformable template-based approach to recovering the surface of blade from the cross-sectional profiles. The mathematical model for cross-sectional profile reconstruction is first established and is then solved by an alternate iteration optimization strategy consisting of registration and deformation of the template curve. Since the proposed method can automatically transform and deform the template curve to best fit the cross-sectional points, the compatibility conditions between different sections are automatically satisfied and there is no need for the data preprocessing such as data sorting, parameterization, etc. which are necessary for the traditional surface fitting methods. Undoubtedly, this considerably simplifies the reconstruction problem of the damaged blade and nicely adapts to blade part-to-part variation. Moreover, a method of closest point computation that combines the arithmetic for Bernstein-form polynomials and Bézier curve subdivision is also given based on bintree decomposition to improve the iteration processes of 2D profile reconstruction. Then, according to these reconstructed sectional profiles, the actual blade surface is reconstructed by surface skinning operations. Finally, the proposed method is tested on a sample blade, and the experimental results show that our method can precisely reconstruct the surface of the damaged blade, especially for the blades with area defects.
Getting stung by black scorpion Androctonus crassicauda
Authors: Aghabiklooei A , Zamani N , Hassanian-Moghaddam H
Published: December 2013

Importance of the correct diagnosis in the correct early management of a scorpion stung patient by using antivenom is not emphasized, particularly when there are little evidences. A 65-year-old female was brought to our emergency department with the chief compliant of being stung by an unknown object 3 h earlier while traveling in an intercity bus. She became agitated and simultaneously experienced tachycardia, very severe generalized sweating, cold and wet extremities, bilateral diffuse crackle in the base of lungs, tachypnea, and lethargy. With the primitive diagnosis of myocardial infarction, scorpion sting was documented as the cause of this combined cholinergic and adrenergic syndrome after the scorpion was found in the patient’s bed clothes. She dramatically responded to the administration of low dose of scorpion antivenom. This case dramatically responded to the antivenom administration, especially the cholinergic and sympathetic signs, pulmonary edema, and electrocardiographic changes were fully and almost immediately recovered. Scorpion antivenom may reverse life-threatening manifestations of scorpion envenomation if used early and in appropriate patients.
Mitochondrial dysfunction and respiratory chain defects in a rodent model of methotrexate-induced enteritis
Authors: Kolli VK , Natarajan K , Isaac B , Selvakumar D , Abraham P
Published: December 2013

The efficacy of methotrexate (MTX), a widely used chemotherapeutic drug, is limited by its gastrointestinal toxicity and the mechanism of which is not clear. The present study investigates the possible role of mitochondrial damage in MTX-induced enteritis. Small intestinal injury was induced in Wistar rats by the administration of 7 mg kg−1 body wt. MTX intraperitoneally for 3 consecutive days. MTX administration resulted in severe small intestinal injury and extensive damage to enterocyte mitochondria. Respiratory control ratio, the single most useful and reliable test of mitochondrial function, and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yll)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide reduction, a measure of cell viability were significantly reduced in all the fractions of MTX-treated rat enterocytes. A massive decrease (nearly 70%) in the activities of complexes II and IV was also observed. The results of the present study suggest that MTX-induced damage to enterocyte mitochondria may play a critical role in enteritis. MTX-induced alteration in mitochondrial structure may cause its dysfunction and decreases the activities of the electron chain complexes. MTX-induced mitochondrial damage can result in reduced adenosine triphosphate synthesis, thereby interfering with nutrient absorption and enterocyte renewal. This derangement may contribute to malabsorption of nutrients, diarrhea, and weight loss seen in patients on MTX chemotherapy.
Drinking with the derby girls: Exploring the hidden ethnography in research of women’s flat track roller derby
Authors: Donnelly Michele K
Published: December 2013

This paper explores Blackman’s concept of ‘hidden ethnography’ with respect to drinking alcohol by and with participants during ethnographic research of a women’s flat track roller derby league. A brief review of the positive and negative consequences of drinking alcohol for the research process pays specific attention to the potential consequences for research participants and the researcher. Following this, the researcher reveals elements of the hidden ethnography of this project, and explores how drinking by and with women’s flat track roller derby skaters contributed to the development of understanding and knowledge about this social world, about women’s flat track roller derby as a contemporary women-only social formation, and about women onlyness.
Framing Doctoral Education for a Science of Social Work
Authors: Fong Rowena
Published: December 2013

Social work education grounded in social work practice has been recently challenged to examine the role of science in its history, core constructs and domains, philosophical underpinnings, and graduate curriculum. Doctoral education has been added to the scrutiny at the recent Science in Social Work Roundtable in Doctoral Education. Based on Lev Vygotsky’s scaffolding approach to facilitate learning, this article discusses doctoral student education with the four stages of (1) positioning doctoral students for a scientific career, (2) promoting doctoral students as scholars of the academy, (3) promulgating doctoral students as scientists of the profession, and (4) preparing doctoral student to be stewards of the discipline.
Communication Instruction in Landscape Architecture Courses
Authors: Gaffney Amy L. Housley
Published: December 2013

Communication skills are an increasingly important component of college students’ education because these skills are in high demand from employers. This study provides a close examination of communication instruction in both a typical landscape architecture class and a modified one (i.e., with the addition of formalized communication instruction that is grounded in design), analyzing changes in students’ perceptions of their own communication abilities (self-efficacy). The study reveals that in the typical class, students had a decrease in self-efficacy whereas in the modified class, students had a significant increase in self-efficacy. Viewing these results through the lens of self-efficacy and situated learning provides a complex understanding of the influences on students’ experiences. For both teaching and research in communication across the curriculum, this study has implications about the importance of the nature of instruction.
Playing the Cards
Authors: Carlsen Arne , Rudningen Gudrun , Mortensen Tord F.
Published: December 2013

How can collaborative artifacts mediate processes of researcher–practitioner interactions to make research more co-generative? Research on knowledge co-production has paid little attention to how joint theory building is socio-materially mediated and tends to downplay discovery and wonder as sources of generativity. This article provides an empirical investigation of the use of thin categories on hard-copy A5 cards, combining brief texts and images to communicate tentative theoretical categories and involve practitioners in theorizing. Playing these cards opened up a new discursive space in the dialogue, making it an event of tactile engagement, ludic interaction, and power symmetry. We discuss how the transformed dialogue can be understood as processes of (a) dealing–touching–receiving collaborative artifacts that invite participants into rating, comparing, and combining, and (b) thickening of thin categories by recognition/appropriation and expansion/search. The article implicates a new vocabulary for mediating collaborative research, combining visual and material elements with notions of social poetics.
A Case Study of a Stepfamily’s Relationship Experiences Before and After the Death of a Custodial Biological Parent
Authors: George Cindy M. , Fernandez M. Sylvia
Published: December 2013

Over the past two decades, the traditional family of mother, father, and shared biological children as the dominant structure of a family has been replaced by the modern family—the stepfamily. The present study explored a stepfamily for the purpose of understanding a phenomenon, that is, a stepfamily’s experiences before and after the death of a custodial biological parent. This article, therefore, presents the findings of the examination of the stepparent–stepchild relationship and the effects of the death of the custodial biological parent on the stepfamily as individuals and as a family unit. Findings demonstrated the premises of Minuchin’s structural theory and Bowlby’s attachment theory as theoretical frameworks and Social Constructionism as the philosophical framework, respectively. Family counselors in their role as clinicians will be informed of a stepfamily’s relational associations, interactions, and cultural worldviews, thereby providing direction for clinical interventions from an empirically based perspective. Moreover, the findings will inform better practice through the understanding of how the death of a custodial biological parent affects continued association between a stepparent and stepchild (children).
High-Dose Atorvastatin Reloading Before Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Increased Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Reduced Inflammatory Cytokine Expression During the Perioperative Period
Authors: Ye Honghua , He Fuwei , Fei Xiaohong , Lou Yanru , Wang Shiqi , Yang Rui , Hu Yewen , Chen Xiaomin
Published: December 2013

Objective:

We investigated atorvastatin reloading effects on endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) count and inflammatory cytokine expression after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with stable angina pectoris who had previously received long-term statin treatments.

Methods:

Patients with stable angina pectoris were treated with 80 mg atorvastatin 12 hours and 40 mg atorvastatin 2 hours before coronary angioplasty (n = 15) or preoperatively with 40 mg/d atorvastatin for 7 days (n = 15) or did not receive atorvastatin (n = 15). CD45−/133+/34+, CD45−/CD34+/kinase insert domain receptor (KDR)+, and CD45−/CD144+/KDR+ EPCs in the peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry 1 hour before as well as 1 hour, 6 hours, and 24 hours after PCI. Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hCRP), and troponin-I (TnI) serum concentrations were analyzed immediately prior to and 24 hours after PCI.

Results:

In the 40mg Atorvastatin and control groups, none of the analyzed EPC blood concentrations changed significantly from 1h before operation to 1h and 6 h postoperative values. In contrast, the number of circulating early differentiation stage EPCs CD45-/133+/34+ and CD45-/CD34+/ KDR+ raised significantly from 1 h preoperative values (57.3±9.3; 57.3 ± 10.7) to 1 h postoperative ((74.4 ± 11.4; 78.8 ± 16.2), (p < 0.05)) and 6 h postoperative ((93 ± 16.9; 99.7 ± 11.9), (p < 0.05)) concentrations after coronary angioplasty in the 80mg Atorvastatin medication patients. In the control group, the sICAM-1 (174.55 ± 38.91 vs 204.11 ± 58.24) and hCRP (1.89 ± 1.93 vs 9.0 ± 11.1) serum concentrations at 24 hours after PCI were significantly elevated ( P < .05) compared to preoperative values, whereas the increases in the 2 groups treated with atorvastatin were not significant. In addition, the rise in serum TnI concentration level from pre- to postoperative in the 80-mg (0.02 ± 0.02 vs 0.09 ± 0.08) and the 40-mg (0.01 ± 0.03 vs 1.2 ± 2.59) reloading groups was less than that of the controls (0.01 ± 0.02 vs 1.75 ± 3.09) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Our results suggested that high-dose atorvastatin application before PCI triggered early EPC circulation. Furthermore, postoperative inflammatory cytokine sICAM-1 as well as hCRP serum levels were reduced, while postinterventional myocardial injury marker TnI elevations were inversely correlated with statin reloadings.
Help Preferences Among Employees Who Wish to Change Health Behaviors
Authors: Persson Roger , Cleal Bryan , Jakobsen Mette Øllgaard , Villadsen Ebbe , Andersen Lars L.
Published: December 2013

Objective. To examine the help preferences of employees in the Danish police who had acknowledged that they wished to change health behaviors. In addition, we explored whether preferences varied with age, gender, chronic health concerns, positive expectations of good health, and past experiences of in-house health promotion services (i.e., wellness service). Methods. Respondents to an electronic questionnaire who acknowledged wishing to change health behaviors in relation to smoking ( n = 845), alcohol ( n = 684), eating ( n = 4,431), and physical activity ( n = 5,179) were asked to choose up to three help alternatives on a predefined list. Results. In descending order, smokers preferred help from nicotine gum, no help, and help and support from family and friends. Alcohol consumers preferred no help or help and support from family and friends or “other” forms. Employees who wanted to change eating habits preferred a free fruit bowl, free nutritional guidance, and healthy food at work. Employees who wanted to change physical activity patterns preferred exercise at work, offers of free exercise, and exercise in a social/collegial context. Conclusion. Wishing to change health behaviors is not always accompanied by perceiving a need for assistance. The no-help option was selected fairly frequently and mostly in relation to alcohol and smoking. A fruit bowl was the most preferred option for help, followed by exercise at work and free exercise. Help from traditional health services was ranked low, possibly reflecting that they are primarily viewed as a solution for stopping disease rather than promoting health.
Changes in functional network centrality underlie cognitive dysfunction and physical disability in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Schoonheim M M , Geurts J J G , Wiebenga O T , De Munck J C , Polman C H , Stam C J , Barkhof F , Wink A M
Published: December 2013

Background:

Cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS) has a large impact on the quality of life and is poorly understood.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to investigate functional network integrity in MS, and relate this to cognitive dysfunction and physical disability.

Methods:

Resting state fMRI scans were included of 128 MS patients and 50 controls. Eigenvector centrality mapping (ECM) was applied, a graph analysis technique that ranks the importance of brain regions based on their connectivity patterns. Significant ECM changes were related to physical disability and cognitive dysfunction.

Results:

In MS patients, ECM values were increased in bilateral thalamus and posterior cingulate (PCC) areas, and decreased in sensorimotor and ventral stream areas. Sensorimotor ECM decreases were related to higher EDSS (rho = −0.24, p = 0.007), while ventral stream decreases were related to poorer average cognition (rho = 0.23, p = 0.009). The thalamus displayed increased connectivity to sensorimotor and ventral stream areas.

Conclusion:

In MS, areas in the ventral stream and sensorimotor cortex appear to become less central in the entire functional network of the brain, which is associated with clinico-cognitive dysfunction. The thalamus, however, displays increased connectivity with these areas. These findings may aid in further elucidating the function of functional reorganization processes in MS.
Destination brand image of Western Australia’s South-West region
Authors: Quintal Vanessa , Phau Ian , Polczynski Aleksandra
Published: December 2013

This article explores whether a destination brand image exists in Western Australia’s (WA) South-West region, and whether local and international visitors hold different perceptions of it. A questionnaire using a non-probability convenience sampling method was self-administered to students from a university in WA. From the 228 useable survey responses collected, differences were observed between the perceptions of local and international visitors. In-group approval played a significantly higher role in influencing destination choice for international visitors. Five factors were derived from the brand image of WA’s South-West region. The article highlights the need for researchers and practitioners to identify both the most salient and the least salient aspects of a destination in order to address what drives and inhibits destination choice. Examining perceptual differences between local and international visitors will help to identify the differential impacts of cultural perceptions on satisfaction and repeat visitation to the destination.