bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A dual‐system framework to understand preference construction processes in choice
Authors: Dhar Ravi , Gorlin Margarita
Published: June 2013

Building on the dual‐system theory of judgment, we propose an intuitive and deliberate framework for understanding the effects of preference construction in choice. We argue that while certain choice effects can be attributed primarily to rapid, unintentional, and intuitive processing, others arise from intentional and deliberate processing. We use this distinction to group choice effects previously identified in the literature, discuss evidence in support of the dual‐system framework of preference construction, and propose new research directions. Since the defining property of intuitive versus deliberate mental processes is the degree to which they engage working memory, the proposed framework sheds light on how these previously identified effects will change with conditions such as the availability of cognitive resources. We conclude by calling for additional research to explore the interplay between intuitive and deliberate processing to determine which processes are implicated in generating a preference, as well as research on new moderators of choice effects based on the difference in the amount of willful information processing that underlies decision making.
Is problem‐based learning an ideal format for developing ethical decision skills?
Authors: Harasym Peter H. , Tsai Tsuen‐Chiuan , Munshi Fadi M.
Published: June 2013

Ethical decision making is a complex process, which involves the interaction of knowledge, skills, and attitude. To enhance the teaching and learning on ethics reasoning, multiple teaching strategies have to be applied. A medical ethical reasoning (MER) model served as a framework of the development of ethics reasoning and their suggested instructional strategies. Problem‐based learning (PBL), being used to facilitate students' critical thinking, self‐directed learning, collaboration, and communication skills, has been considered effective on ethics education, especially when incorporated with experiential experience. Unlike lecturing that mainly disseminates knowledge and activates the left brain, PBL encourages “whole‐brain” learning. However, PBL has several disadvantages, such as its inefficiency, lack of adequately trained preceptors, and the in‐depth, silo learning within a relatively small number of cases. Because each school tends to utilize PBL in different ways, either the curriculum designer or the learning strategy, it is important to maximize the advantages of a PBL session, PBL then becomes an ideal format for refining students' ethical decisions and behaviors.
Ex-vivo ocular surface stem cell therapies: current techniques, applications, hurdles and future directions
Authors: Angunawela Romesh I. , Mehta Jodhbir S. , Daniels Julie T.
Published: June 2013

Engineered tissue derived from ocular surface stem cells (SCs) are a cutting edge biotechnology for repair and restoration of severely damaged eyes as a result of ocular surface dysfunction because of SC failure. Ex-vivo SC expansion techniques have advanced significantly since the first patients were treated in the late 1990s. The techniques and clinical reports reviewed here highlight the evolution and successes of these techniques, while also revealing gaps in our understanding of ocular surface and SC biology that drives further research and development in this field. Although hurdles still remain before stem-cell-based therapies are more widely available for patients with devastating ocular surface disease, recent discoveries in the field of mesenchymal SCs and the potential of induced pluripotent SCs heralds a promising future for clinicians and our patients.
Non-classical gas dynamics of vapour mixtures
Authors: Guardone Alberto , Colonna Piero , Casati Emiliano , Rinaldi Enrico
Published: June 2013

The non-classical gas dynamics of binary mixtures of organic fluids in the vapour phase is investigated for the first time. A predictive thermodynamic model is used to compute the relevant mixture properties, including its critical point coordinates and the local value of the fundamental derivative of gas dynamics $\Gamma $. The considered model is the improved Peng–Robinson Stryjek–Vera cubic equation of state, complemented by the Wong–Sandler mixing rules. A finite thermodynamic region is found where the nonlinearity parameter $\Gamma $ is negative and therefore non-classical gas dynamics phenomena are admissible. A non-monotone dependence of $\Gamma $ on the mixture composition is observed in the case of binary mixtures of siloxane and perfluorocarbon fluids, with the minimum value of $\Gamma $ in the mixture being always larger than that of its more complex component. The observed dependence indicates that non-ideal mixing has a strong influence on the gas dynamics behaviour, either classical or non-classical, of the mixture. Numerical experiments of the supersonic expansion of a mixture flow around a sharp corner show the transition from the classical configuration, exhibiting an isentropic rarefaction fan centred at the expansion corner, to non-classical ones, including mixed expansion waves and rarefaction shock waves, if the mixture composition is changed.
Boundary-layer noise induced by arrays of roughness elements
Authors: Yang Qin , Wang Meng
Published: June 2013

Sound induced by arrays of $10\times 4$ roughness elements in low-Mach-number turbulent boundary layers at ${\mathit{Re}}_{\theta } = 3065$ is studied with Lighthill’s theory and large-eddy simulation. Three roughness fetches consisting of hemispheres, cuboids and short cylinders are considered. The roughness elements of different shapes have the same height of $0. 124\delta $, the same element-to-element spacing of $0. 727\delta $ and the same flow blockage area. The acoustically compact roughness elements and their images in the wall radiate sound primarily as acoustic dipoles in the plane of wall. The dipole strength, orientation and spatial distribution show strong dependence on the roughness shape. Correlations between dipole sources associated with neighbouring elements are found to be small for these sparsely distributed roughness arrays. Correlations and coherence between roughness dipoles and surface pressure fluctuations are analysed, which reveals the importance of the impingement of upstream turbulence and surrounding vortical structures to dipole sound radiation, especially in the streamwise direction. For roughness shapes with sharp frontal edges, the edge-induced unsteady separation and reattachment also play important roles in sound generation. Large-scale turbulent structures in the boundary layer have a relatively low influence on roughness dipoles, except for the first row of elements.
The Embodied Sacrifice
Authors: Hill Erica
Published: June 2013

The interest in the study of the body that is emerging in European archaeologies has not yet penetrated Americanist approaches to prehistoric iconography. Nevertheless, American materials provide an excellent data base with which to work. This article employs the complex human representational imagery of the Moche (Peruvian North Coast, c.AD 100–800) to explore how the body was situated within the context of ritual sacrifice. Employing both the Foucauldian concept of the disciplined body and the work of Mary Douglas, two forms of bodily representation are discussed: the naked male prisoner and the spread-eagled female sacrifice. These bodies are defined iconographically not only by their sex, but also by their qualities of anonymity or individuality. While the sacrificed female represents an individual who is notable because of who she is (i.e. who she embodies), the male prisoners represent an undifferentiated and anonymous group. These two examples suggest that the body can be read as an individual symbolic field (the female body) and, alternatively, can serve as an undifferentiated forum (the bodies of prisoners) for sacrificial discourse. Despite these differences in representation, both forms of the body present potentially liminal sites within the context of sacrificial ritual. This liminality is essential for the discursive re-ordering of the body politic to occur.
Pathological Gamblers and a Non-Psychiatric Control Group Taking Gender Differences into Account
Authors: Echeburúa Enrique , González-Ortega Itxaso , de Corral Paz , Polo-López Rocío
Published: June 2013

The current study aimed to identify personality traits, emotional states and adjustment variables in a sample of pathological gamblers as compared to a non-gambling control group taking gender differences into account. The sample for this study consisted of 206 subjects (103 pathological gamblers and 103 non-psychiatric subjects from the general population matched for age and gender). Pathological gamblers had a lower educational level and a family history of alcohol abuse higher than non-gamblers. In turn, female gamblers were affected by unemployment and a lower socioeconomic status more often than female non-gamblers. Pathological gamblers were more anxious and impulsive and suffered from a poorer self-esteem than non-gamblers. Likewise, pathological gamblers had a greater history of other Axis I psychiatric disorders and were more often affected by anxiety and depression symptoms and showed a more problematic adjustment to everyday life than non-gamblers. Alcohol abuse was not higher in pathological gamblers than in non-gamblers, but, when gender was taken into account, male gamblers were more affected by alcohol abuse than male non-gamblers. Importantly 68.6% of female gamblers versus 9.8% of control group women reported being victims of intimate partner violence. These findings can be used to specifically inform prevention and intervention efforts.
Quality of Life in Disability: Validation of Schalock’s Multi-Dimensional Model in the Portuguese Context
Authors: Loja Ema , Costa Maria Emília , Menezes Isabel
Published: June 2013

This paper aims to evaluate the validation of Schalock’s quality of life multi-dimensional model (1996) in the Portuguese context. We also analyze the quality of life of disabled people by adding a political dimension (adapted from the Minorities’ Rights Support Scale by Nata & Menezes, 2007) to this construct and seeking to understand the impact of discrimination. The sample is composed of 217 participants, most of whom have a physical disability, aged 16 to 81. Validation procedures of the Quality of Life Questionnaire (Schalock & Keith, 1993) and descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed good local and global fit indices, and the internal consistency of the scales was satisfactory. An adapted version of the instrument composed of five scales—satisfaction, competence, empowerment, equality of rights and positive discrimination—is proposed. The results reveal the importance of rights and empowerment for the quality of life of disabled people and indicate a strong critical consciousness concerning the experience of discrimination in different contexts. Taken together, the findings indicate the strong need for social and political changes in this domain.
Psychometric Properties of a Test for ADHD Based on Binocular Rivalry
Authors: Amador-Campos Juan Antonio , Aznar-Casanova J. Antonio , Moreno-Sánchez Manuel , Medina-Peña Antonio , Ortiz-Guerra Juan Jairo
Published: June 2013

The psychometric properties of a Binocular Rivalry (BR)-based test on a group of 159 participants (57 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD) aged between 6 and 15 years are presented. Two factors, which explained 56.82% of the variance, were obtained by exploratory factor analysis: (a) Alternations and Duration of exclusive dominances, and (b) Decision time. Reliability was excellent (Cronbach’s α = .834 and .884). The ADHD group showed fewer alternations and longer duration of dominances and decision time than the control group. Correlations between measures of BR, IQ, working memory, and processing speed of the WISC-IV, and ADHD symptoms, assessed by parents and teachers, ranged between low and medium.
Bullying in Spanish Secondary Schools: Gender-Based Differences
Authors: Carrera Fernández María Victoria , Fernández María Lameiras , Castro Yolanda Rodríguez , Failde Garrido José María , Otero María Calado
Published: June 2013

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of bullying in its various forms from the perspective of all of the individuals involved (victims, bullies, and witnesses) and to explore its distribution as a function of gender. The study had a correlational design and used a representative sample of 1500 Spanish students attending compulsory secondary education in the academic year 2007–2008. It applied an instrument measuring different types of bullying, taken from the studies conducted by Díaz-Aguado, Martínez, and Martín (2004) and the Defensor del Pueblo (Spanish Ombudsman’s Office)-UNICEF (2007). The findings reveal that all the types of bullying considered take place at school and that there is an inverse relationship between the severity and the prevalence of bullying behaviors, with verbal abuse proving to be the most common type of abusive behavior. Boys are involved in all kinds of bullying incidents as bullies significantly more often than girls are, except in cases involving ‘talking about someone behind their back’; in these situations, girls are involved significantly more often as bullies than boys are. As for victimization, boys are victims of direct physical abuse significantly more often than girls are, while girls are more often the subject of malicious gossip.
An Analysis of the Relationship between Victimization and Violent Behavior at School
Authors: Estévez Estefanía , Jiménez Teresa I. , Moreno David , Musitu Gonzalo
Published: June 2013

Previous studies have identified two subgroups of school violence victims: submissive and aggressive. Submissive victims are characterized by their withdrawal in violent situations, while aggressive victims combine hostile behavior with victimization. This study focuses on the second subgroup and aims to analyze possible factors influencing the transition from passive victimization to involvement in aggressive behaviors within the school context. To test these relationships, 1319 adolescents between 12 and 16 years of age were recruited from seven secondary schools in various Spanish provinces. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze the data. Results supported Emler’s theory, which posits that the victim’s helplessness in situations of intimidation, along with disappointment resulting from a lack of expected protection from adult authority figures, may result in adolescents searching and developing an antisocial and non-conformist reputation that helps them defend themselves against future attacks. Practical implications of these results are further discussed.
Workplace Attachment and Meaning of Work in a French Secondary School
Authors: Rioux Liliane , Pignault Anne
Published: June 2013

This research aims to gain a better understanding of the attachment of teachers to their workplace by identifying the areas to which they become attached and which give meaning to their work. Based on the belief that place attachment is an affective bond between a person and his or her environment (Bonnes & Secchiaroli, 1995), its aim is to identify the attachment of secondary school teachers to their workplace, which is viewed as a whole but also as a combination of specific places, and to show that the places that predict overall workplace attachment are also those that give meaning to work. A Workplace Attachment Scale was completed by 158 teachers in a secondary school in the Paris region (France). This questionnaire contained items evaluating attachment to each specific place of work and others adapted from the meaning-of-work scale evaluating the meaning given to each of these places. The results show that all the teachers were more closely attached to places that provide opportunities for informal communication than to those directly related to teaching. The main workplace attachment predictors also concern places constituting the essence of the profession and/or places where teachers can manage their organizational stress.
Spanish Version of the New Ecological Paradigm Scale for Children
Authors: Corraliza José A. , Collado Silvia , Bethelmy Lisbeth
Published: June 2013

The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale has been extensively used to measure adults’ environmental attitudes. However, it has only recently been adapted for use with children. This paper presents a Spanish version of the NEP Scale for Children, examines children’s ecological beliefs according to socio-demographic variables as well as the relationship between children’s ecological beliefs and pro-environmental behavior. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted, followed by confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, the instrument’s internal consistency was studied and links between environmental attitudes, age, and ecological behavior in children were examined through correlation analyses. The results show that children’s ecological worldviews can be described by a dimension called “overall ecocentrism”. Analysis of variance demonstrated that children from rural areas exhibit a more ecocentric worldview than those from urban areas. The results also denote gender differences.
HIV- and AIDS-Related Stigma: Psychosocial Aspects in a Representative Spanish Sample
Authors: Fuster Maria J. , Molero Fernando , de Montes Lorena Gil , Agirrezabal Arrate , Vitoria Amaia
Published: June 2013

This study evaluates the prevalence of HIV stigma in Spain and analyzes some variables that may affect its existence. In 2008, we conducted a computer-assisted telephone survey of 1607 people, representative of the Spanish population. Two-wave random stratified sampling was performed, first selecting the home and then the person, depending on the rates of age and sex. About 50% of the population feels discomfort about potential contact with people with HIV and tries to avoid it and 20% advocate discriminatory policies involving physical or social segregation of people with HIV. The belief that HIV is easily transmitted through social contact (15%) and blaming people with HIV for their disease (19.3%) are associated with stigmatization. Degree of proximity to people with HIV, political ideology, educational level, and age are also associated with the degree of stigmatization. According to these results, we suggest that, in order to reduce stigma, we need to modify the erroneous beliefs about the transmission pathways, decrease attributions of blame to people with HIV, and increase contact with them. These interventions should particularly target older people, people with a low educational level, and people with a more conservative political ideology.
A Psychology of Liberation for Central America: The Unfinished Work of Ignacio Martín-Baró (1942–1989)
Authors: Gondra José María
Published: June 2013

On November 16, 1989 the world was shocked by the news of the assassination of six Jesuits at the campus of the Universidad Centro Americana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) in San Salvador, El Salvador. Among those murdered by government soldiers was Ignacio Martín-Baró, a PhD in social psychology from the University of Chicago who at that time was the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Vice-President of the Interamerican Society of Psychology (SIP). Drawing on Martín-Baró’s published writings and non-published academic papers and correspondence, this article traces the evolution of the Spanish-born Jesuit who became a leading authority among Latin American social psychologists. In particular, it analyzes his project of becoming a clinical psychologist under the influence of psychoanalysis, his critical social psychology aimed to “de-ideologize” the oppressed social classes of El Salvador, and his ultimate project of a psychology of liberation for Latin America. Martín-Baró’s work came to a tragic end just when it began to bear fruit, but it stands as a testimony to a lifetime committed to the human values of democracy, social justice and service to society’s poorest and most neglected.
Associative Relationships in Human Predictive Learning
Authors: Gámez A. Matías , Martos Rafael , Abad María J.F. , Rosas Juan M.
Published: June 2013

Two experiments were conducted to explore the associations involved in human predictive learning. Experiment 1 found that post-training devaluation of one of the outcomes by instructing participants that one of the attackers was indestructible, led to a significant decrease in participants’ predictive responses to the cue that was initially followed by the devalued outcome, suggesting that cue-outcome associations play a major role in human simple predictive learning. In Experiment 2, immediately after receiving cue-outcome predictive judgment training, participants were instructed to destroy the attackers by using the same responses previously used to give predictive judgments, but they were not informed as to which response should be used on each attacker. During a test in which both attackers were present at the same time, when the cue was present, participants preferentially chose the instrumental response alternative that was previously used as a predictive judgment about the relationship between the present cue and its outcome. In the absence of cues, participants equally chose either response alternative. This transfer of control shows that participants also establish judgment-outcome associations during predictive training.
Labelling Improves False Belief Understanding. A Training Study
Authors: Sellabona Elisabet Serrat , Sánchez Carles Rostan , Majoral Eduard Vallès , Guitart Moisès Esteban , Caballero Francesc Sidera , Ortiz Jèssica Serrano
Published: June 2013

A total of 104 children aged between 41 and 47 months were selected to study the relationship between language and false belief understanding. Participants were assigned to four different training conditions: discourse, labelling, control (all with deceptive objects), and sentential complements (involving non-deceptive objects). Post-test results showed an improvement in children’s false belief understanding in the discourse and the labelling conditions, but not in the sentential complements with non-deceptive objects or the control group. Furthermore, the most remarkable improvement in false belief understanding occurred in the labelling group. These results suggest that some types of linguistic experience promote the development of false belief understanding, provided that differing perspectives are confronted.
Prototypicality and Intensity of Emotional Faces using an Anchor-Point Method
Authors: Sánchez Álvaro , Vázquez Carmelo
Published: June 2013

Emotional faces are commonly used as stimuli in a wide number of research fields. The present study provides values of 198 pictures from one of the amplest available face databases, the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces (KDEF). We used a new validation strategy that consisted of presenting pairs of faces which included an emotional face (i.e., angry, happy, sad) and its corresponding neutral face from the same model. This design allowed participants to keep a comparison face (i.e., neutral) as a constant anchor point to evaluate parameters on each emotional expression presented. Raters were asked to judge both the prototypicality of the emotional expressions (i.e., the degree to which they represent their corresponding emotional prototypes) as well as their emotional intensity. We finally discuss the potential advantages of this anchor-point method as a system to elicit judgments on facial emotional expressions.
Die Therapie der Analfistel – Wahl zwischen Skylla und Charybdis
Authors: Marti Lukas , Kruse Christina , Zadnikar Marcel , Maurus Christine , Kim Chan-Hi , Herold Alexander
Published: June 2013

Die Analfistel, die zunächst meist als akuter Abszess symptomatisch wird, ist die chronische Form derselben Krankheit. Die Fistel äußert sich durch persistierende Sekretion neben dem After und kann die Lebensqualität der Patienten durch langwierige Verläufe massiv einschränken. Die chirurgische Therapie zielt darauf ab, die Erkrankung bleibend ohne Rezidiv zu heilen, ohne dabei die Kontinenz zu schädigen. Dies sind zwei sich teilweise entgegenlaufende Forderungen, weswegen je nach Fistel verschiedene Operationen zum Einsatz kommen. Distale, einfache Fisteln werden gespalten, jedoch darf, um die Kontinenz nicht zu gefährden, nicht zu viel Schließmuskel geopfert werden. Höher gelegene, komplexe Fisteln werden meist mit Entfernung der gesamten Fistel und nachfolgender Schließmuskelnaht (Advancement Flap oder primäre Sphinkterrekonstruktion) behandelt. Neuere Techniken wie z. B. der Fistula Plug, haben eine deutlich höhere Rezidivrate, schonen anderseits die Kontinenz noch mehr und sind deshalb eine Alternative für speziell geeignete Patienten.
Stuhlinkontinenz – ein behandelbares Problem!
Authors: Remmen Friederike , Dindo Daniel
Published: June 2013

Die anale Inkontinenz ist für Patienten eine schwere Belastung im Alltag und führt zu einer deutlichen Einschränkung der Lebensqualität. Obgleich die Ursachen der Stuhlinkontinenz sehr vielfältig sein können (idiopatisch, neurogen, traumatisch durch Geburten oder anorektaler Chirurgie), stehen heute für die Therapie der Stuhlinkontinenz, nach Versagen der konservativen Therapie, verschiedene operative Verfahren zur Verfügung. Besonders die Sakrale Nervenstimulation (SNS) hat in den letzten 10 Jahren zu einer geradezu revolutionären Verbesserung in der Therapie der analen Inkontinenz geführt. Die Erfolgsrate der SNS liegt bei über 80 %, unabhängig von der zugrunde liegenden Erkrankung (Sphinkterdefekt, Diabetes mellitus, Multiple Sklerose, idiopathisch). Die Operation kann in Lokalanästhesie durchgeführt werden und zeigt eine sehr geringe Morbidität. Die guten Langzeitergebnisse der SNS, wie auch ihre Kosteneffizienz sind in wissenschaftlichen Studien eindeutig belegt.
The Discovery of the Vitamins
Authors: Semba Richard D.
Published: June 2013

The discovery of the vitamins was a major scientific achievement in our understanding of health and disease. In 1912, Casimir Funk originally coined the term vitamine. The major period of discovery began in the early nineteenth century and ended at the mid-twentieth century. The puzzle of each vitamin was solved through the work and contributions of epidemiologists, physicians, physiologists, and chemists. Rather than a mythical story of crowning scientific breakthroughs, the reality was a slow, stepwise progress that included setbacks, contradictions, refutations, and some chicanery. Research on the vitamins that are related to major deficiency syndromes began when the germ theory of disease was dominant and dogma held that only four nutritional factors were essential: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals. Clinicians soon recognized scurvy, beriberi, rickets, pellagra, and xerophthalmia as specific vitamin deficiencies, rather than diseases due to infections or toxins. Experimental physiology with animal models played a fundamental role in nutrition research and greatly shortened the period of human suffering from vitamin deficiencies. Ultimately it was the chemists who isolated the various vitamins, deduced their chemical structure, and developed methods for synthesis of vitamins. Our understanding of the vitamins continues to evolve from the initial period of discovery.
Micronutrients - a Global Perspective on Intake, Health Benefits and Economics
Authors: Hoeft Birgit , Weber Peter , Eggersdorfer Manfred
Published: June 2013

The link between a sufficient intake of vitamins and long term health, cognition, healthy development and aging is increasingly supported by experimental animal, human and epidemiology studies. In low income countries billions of people still suffer from the burden of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. However, inadequate micronutrient status might also be an issue in industrialized countries. Recent results from nutritional surveys in countries like the United States, Germany, and Great Britain indicate that the recommended intake of micronutrients is not reached. This notably concerns certain vulnerable population groups, such as pregnant women, young children and the elderly, but also greatly influences the general healthcare costs. An overview is provided on the gap that exists between current vitamin intakes and requirements, even in countries where diverse foods are plentiful. Folic acid and vitamin D intake and status are evaluated in more detail, providing insight on health and potential impact on health care systems.
Vitamin D - From Essentiality to Functionality
Authors: Bischoff-Ferrari Heike
Published: June 2013

Vitamin D is essential in bone and muscle health. Severe deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels < 25 nmol/l) can result in rickets and osteomalacia, fractures, myopathy and falls. All recent recommendations on vitamin D agree that children and adults should reach a target 25-hydroxyvitamin D range of at least 50 nmol/l (threshold for normal vitamin D status) and 50 % of the population may be below that threshold. A vitamin D intake of 600 to 800 IU per day as recommended today will prevent about 97 % of children and adults from vitamin D deficiency. Notably, a higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D threshold of more than 60 nmol/l is needed for optimal functionality, fall and fracture in adults age 65 and older.
Vitamins - Wrong Approaches
Authors: Moser Ulrich
Published: June 2013

Deficiencies of essential nutrients have been responsible for many epidemic outbreaks of deficiency diseases in the past. Large observational studies point at possible links between nutrition and chronic diseases. Low intake of antioxidant vitamins e. g. have been correlated to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases or cancer. The main results of these studies are indications that an intake below the recommendation could be one of the risk factors for chronic diseases. There was hardly any evidence that amounts above the RDA could be of additional benefit. Since observational studies cannot prove causality, the scientific community has been asking for placebo-controlled, randomized intervention trials (RCTs). Thus, the consequences of the epidemiological studies would have been to select volunteers whose baseline vitamin levels were below the recommended values. The hypothesis of the trial should be that correcting this risk factor up to RDA levels lowers the risk of a disease like CVD by 20 - 30 %. However, none of the RCTs of western countries was designed to correct a chronic marginal deficiency, but they rather tested whether an additional supplement on top of the recommended values would be beneficial in reducing a disease risk or its prognosis. It was, therefore, not surprising that the results were disappointing. As a matter of fact, the results confirmed the findings of the observational studies: chronic diseases are the product of several risk factors, among them most probably a chronic vitamin deficiency. Vitamin supplements could only correct the part of the overall risk that is due to the insufficient vitamin intake.
Nutrition Throughout Life: Folate
Authors: McNulty Helene , Pentieva Kristina , Hoey Leane , Strain JJ , Ward Mary
Published: June 2013

Scientific evidence supports a number of roles for folate in maintaining health from early life to old age. Folate is required for one-carbon metabolism, including the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine; thus elevated plasma homocysteine reflects functional folate deficiency. Optimal folate status has an established role in preventing NTD and there is strong evidence indicating that it also has a role in the primary prevention of stroke. The most important genetic determinant of homocysteine in the general population is the common 677C → T variant in the gene encoding the folate-metabolising enzyme, MTHFR; homozygous individuals (TT genotype) have reduced enzyme activity and elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations. Meta-analyses indicate that the TT genotype carries a 14 to 21 % increased risk of CVD, but there is considerable geographic variation in the extent of excess CVD risk. A novel interaction between this folate polymorphism and riboflavin (a co-factor for MTHFR) has recently been identified. Intervention with supplemental riboflavin targeted specifically at individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype was shown to result in significant lowering of blood pressure in hypertensive people and in patients with CVD. This review considers the established and emerging roles for folate throughout the lifecycle, and some public health issues related to optimising folate status.
Vitamins: Preparing for the Next 100 Years
Authors: Blumberg Jeffrey B.
Published: June 2013

The insights gained from the last 100 years of vitamin research and applications have contributed substantially to our fundamental understanding of biology and importantly to the promotion of human health. There is no reason to think that the next 100 years will be any less fruitful if we are committed to preparing for them, particularly by changing four critical nutrition paradigms. First, we must move beyond the concept of preventing vitamin deficiencies and inadequacies to establishing health and, further, to creating optimal physiological functions. Each essential vitamin possesses different concentration thresholds for its variety of effects and the required balance necessary to achieving each has yet to be fully defined. Second, we must apply the research approaches and methods of -omics, systems biology, and imaging technologies to define the dynamic role of vitamins and their broad array of genomic, molecular, biochemical, and functional interactions. Such work is necessary to understand the multiplicity of vitamin actions and ultimately apply them directly at the level of the individual. Third, we must revise the concept of evidence-based nutrition away from its current hierarchical system to recognize in a comprehensive and integrated way the attributes of each type of approach to research. To adhere to a single gold standard of the randomized clinical trial ignores both how we have moved forward so productively during the last 100 years and the vital information to be gained from basic research and other human studies; further, it acts to stifle innovation in both scientific and regulatory affairs. Fourth, we must understand that changes in the supply and distribution of food during the next century are likely to be at least as dramatic as those which have occurred over this last one. For example, inevitable environmental constraints will require more food protein be derived from plant than animal sources, a shift that will directly impact the dietary sources for vitamins. To meet the challenge of achieving global health in 2113 among a population of 9 billion people, effectively managing these four changes demands new and creative ways in which those in academia, government and non-government organizations, and industry must work together.
The chromatin remodelling complex NoRC safeguards genome stability by heterochromatin formation at telomeres and centromeres
Authors: Postepska‐Igielska Anna , Krunic Damir , Schmitt Nina , Greulich‐Bode Karin M , Boukamp Petra , Grummt Ingrid
Published: June 2013

Constitutive heterochromatin is crucial for the integrity of chromosomes and genomic stability. Here, we show that the chromatin remodelling complex NoRC, known to silence a fraction of rRNA genes, also establishes a repressive heterochromatic structure at centromeres and telomeres, preserving the structural integrity of these repetitive loci. Knockdown of NoRC leads to relaxation of centromeric and telomeric heterochromatin, abnormalities in mitotic spindle assembly, impaired chromosome segregation and enhanced chromosomal instability. The results demonstrate that NoRC safeguards genomic stability by coordinating enzymatic activities that establish features of repressive chromatin at centromeric and telomeric regions, and this heterochromatic structure is required for sustaining genomic integrity.
Myeloid‐derived suppressor cells in cancer: recent progress and prospects
Authors: Khaled Yazan S , Ammori Basil J , Elkord Eyad
Published: June 2013

Immunosuppressive cells, mainly myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and T regulatory cells, downregulate antitumour immunity and cancer immunotherapy. MDSCs are a heterogeneous group of immature myeloid cells that negatively regulate the immune responses during tumour progression, inflammation and infection. Whilst there have been extensive laboratory investigations aimed at characterising the MDSC subsets in cancer, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of their phenotypical and functional heterogeneity. In this article, we review data concerning the phenotypical and functional role of MDSCs in cancers. Importantly, we analyse the value of MDSCs as a prognostic factor in various clinical settings and the possible therapeutic approaches towards elimination of their immunosuppressive activity and enhancement of beneficial antitumour immune responses. MDSCs promote tumour immune evasion by inhibiting T‐cell responses, as well as by supporting tumour progression. Accumulation of MDSCs is associated with the progression of human cancers, and their elimination was shown to improve anti‐tumour immune responses. Phenotypical characterisation of MDSCs has been poorly investigated in many human cancers and lacks comprehensive clinicopathological correlation data. Although the need for effective therapeutic agents to eliminate the MDSC suppressive effect is immense, their role has been examined only in a few clinical settings.
In vitro integration of ribosomal RNA synthesis, ribosome assembly, and translation
Authors: Jewett Michael C , Fritz Brian R , Timmerman Laura E , Church George M
Published: June 2013

Purely in vitro ribosome synthesis could provide a critical step towards unraveling the systems biology of ribosome biogenesis, constructing minimal cells from defined components, and engineering ribosomes with new functions. Here, as an initial step towards this goal, we report a method for constructing Escherichia coli ribosomes in crude S150 E. coli extracts. While conventional methods for E. coli ribosome reconstitution are non‐physiological, our approach attempts to mimic chemical conditions in the cytoplasm, thus permitting several biological processes to occur simultaneously. Specifically, our integrated synthesis, assembly, and translation (iSAT) technology enables one‐step co‐activation of rRNA transcription, assembly of transcribed rRNA with native ribosomal proteins into functional ribosomes, and synthesis of active protein by these ribosomes in the same compartment. We show that iSAT makes possible the in vitro construction of modified ribosomes by introducing a 23S rRNA mutation that mediates resistance against clindamycin. We anticipate that iSAT will aid studies of ribosome assembly and open new avenues for making ribosomes with altered properties.
How “Proficient” Is Proficient? Comparison of English and Relative Proficiency Rating as a Predictor of Bilingual Listeners' Word Recognition
Authors: Shi Lu-Feng
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The current study attempted to validate that English proficiency self-ratings predict bilinguals' recognition of English words as reported in Shi (2011) and to explore whether relative proficiency ratings (English vs. first language) improve prediction.

Method

One hundred and twenty-four participants in Shi (2011) and an additional set of 145 participants were included (Groups 1 and 2, respectively) in this study. All listeners rated their proficiency in listening, speaking, and reading (English and first language) on an 11-point scale and listened to a list of words from the Northwestern University Auditory Tests No. 6 (Tillman & Carhart, 1966) at 45 dB HL in quiet.

Results

English proficiency ratings by Group 2 yielded sensitivity/specificity values comparable to those of Group 1 (Shi, 2011) in predicting word recognition. A cutoff of 8 or 9 in minimum English proficiency rating across listening, speaking, and reading resulted in the best combination of prediction sensitivity/specificity. When relative proficiency was used, prediction of Group 1 performance significantly improved as compared to English proficiency. Improvement was slight for Group 2, mainly due to low specificity.

Conclusion

Self-rated English proficiency provides clinically acceptable sensitivity/specificity values as a predictor of bilinguals' English word recognition. Relative proficiency has the potential to further improve predictive power, but the size of improvement depends on the characteristics of the test population.
New HRCT-Based Measurement of the Human Outer Ear Canal as a Basis for Acoustical Methods
Authors: Grewe Johanna , Thiele Cornelia , Mojallal Hamidreza , Raab Peter , Sankowsky-Rothe Tobias , Lenarz Thomas , Blau Matthias , Teschner Magnus
Published: June 2013

Purpose

As the form and size of the external auditory canal determine its transmitting function and hence the sound pressure in front of the eardrum, it is important to understand its anatomy in order to develop, optimize, and compare acoustical methods.

Method

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) data were measured retrospectively for 100 patients who had received a cochlear implant. In order to visualize the anatomy of the auditory canal, its length, radius, and the angle at which it runs were determined for the patients' right and left ears. The canal's volume was calculated, and a radius function was created.

Results

The determined length of the auditory canal averaged 23.6 mm for the right ear and 23.5 mm for the left ear. The calculated auditory canal volume (

V
total

) was 0.7 ml for the right ear and 0.69 ml for the left ear. The auditory canal was found to be significantly longer in men than in women, and the volume greater.

Conclusion

The values obtained can be employed to develop a method that represents the shape of the auditory canal as accurately as possible to allow the best possible outcomes for hearing aid fitting.
Evaluation of a Pinna Compensation Algorithm for Sound Localization and Speech Perception in Noise
Authors: Kuk Francis , Korhonen Petri , Lau Chi , Keenan Denise , Norgaard Magnus
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of a pinna compensation (PC) algorithm on localization performance in the horizontal plane and speech intelligibility in noise.

Method

Nine and 18 experienced hearing aid users with bilaterally symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss participated in the localization study and the speech-in-noise study, respectively. Performance was evaluated unaided, aided with a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid with an omnidirectional microphone (Omni), and aided with the same hearing aid with the PC algorithm (Omni+PC). Localization performance was measured using 12 loudspeakers spaced 30° apart on a horizontal plane. Speech-in-noise performance was measured with speech presented from 0° or 180°. A single-blinded, repeated measures design was used.

Results

Significant improvement in localization accuracy was found when comparing the Omni+PC condition to the Omni condition. Also, the Omni+PC condition improved the signal-to-noise ratio by 2.4 dB when compared to the Omni condition when speech was presented from the front in a diffuse noise background.

Conclusion

Use of the PC algorithm improved localization on the horizontal plane and speech-in-noise performance. These results support use of the PC algorithm in BTE hearing aid fittings.
Introduction to the
AJA
Research Forum on Hearing Screening in Adults and Older Adults
Authors: Grandori Ferdinando , Paglialonga Alessia
Published: June 2013

Purpose

To illustrate the overall project that led to the development of a series of research forums highlighting several key contributions to AHS 2012, the 2nd International Conference on Adult Hearing Screening, in Cernobbio (Lake Como), Italy, and, in particular, to provide an overview of the first research forum, “Hearing Screening in Adults and Older Adults,” which contains a set of brief papers that tackle prominent issues related to adult hearing screening: guiding principles for adult screening, development of methods and technologies, program implementation and evaluation, possible future scenarios, and health policy issues.
The Effects and Costs of a Hearing Screening and Rehabilitation Program in Residential Care Homes for the Elderly in the Netherlands1
Authors: Linssen A. M. , Joore M. A. , Theunissen E. J. J. M. , Anteunis L. J. C.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This study describes the effects and costs of hearing screening and rehabilitation in residential care homes for the elderly. It was hypothesized that offering an in-house hearing screening and rehabilitation program would be an effective strategy to increase hearing aid ownership among the residents.

Method

All 705 residents of 8 residential care homes in the Netherlands were invited to participate in a hearing screening (pure-tone audiometry) and rehabilitation (hearing aids) program. Resident participation was analyzed, and the costs were calculated.

Results

A total of 243 residents (34%) participated in the screening, 222 (91%) of whom had hearing loss. Ninety-one (41%) of the screening participants with hearing loss started rehabilitation, which was successful for 50 (55%) of them. Hearing aid ownership among the residents with hearing loss increased from 28% at the start of the program to 33% at the end. The costs were €1,896 (US $2,480) per successfully rehabilitated resident. Hearing aid trials and hearing aids together accounted for 83% of the total costs.

Conclusion

The effectiveness of the program was limited, as hearing aid ownership increased only slightly. Cost reduction measures should focus on decreasing the number of unsuccessful hearing aid trials.
Adult Hearing Screening: Follow-Up and Outcomes1
Authors: Thodi C. , Parazzini M. , Kramer S. E. , Davis A. , Stenfelt S. , Janssen T. , Smith P. , Stephens D. , Pronk M. , Anteunis L. I. , Schirkonyer V. , Grandori F.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

To screen hearing and evaluate outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.

Method

Three thousand and twenty-five adults responded to an invitation to be screened by questionnaire, otoscopy, and pure-tone audiometry. Pure-tone average (PTA) >35 dB HL in the worse ear, unilateral hearing loss, or otoscopic findings were the criteria for referral for services. A questionnaire related to compliance with referral recommendations was completed by telephone interview for 160 randomly selected participants after 1–2 years from referral.

Results

The referral rate for audiologic/hearing aid evaluation was 46%, and referral for cerumen removal/medical evaluation was 17%. Of the people referred for audiologic/hearing aid evaluation, 18% tried a hearing aid; 2 years later, 11% were using a hearing aid. Screening recommendations affected participants' decision to seek help. Study participants stated that the screening was helpful, it should be offered to everybody, and they would participate in future screenings.

Conclusion

Although adult hearing screening offered timely identification of hearing loss for adults seeking help, follow-up with hearing aid treatment was low.
Current adjustable clock distribution network scheme for GDDR5
Authors: Lim S.‐B. , Hwang S. , You J. , Baek Y. , Kim C.
Published: June 2013

Presented is a current adjustable clock distribution network for GDDR5. In general, GDDR5 uses a current mode logic (CML) buffer as the global driver of the clock distribution. The wide‐frequency range conventional CML buffer is designed to the fastest frequency. However, the CML buffer consumes constant current at all frequencies. For this reason, the conventional buffer dissipates current more than necessary at low frequencies. A proposed current adjustable clock distribution network scheme adjusts the amount of the current consumption of the global driver according to the clock frequency. The proposed scheme is implemented in 65 nm CMOS technology, reduces power consumption by 17.7% in the wide frequency range from an average 10.26 mW of the conventional scheme to 8.44 mW.