bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CNS neuroplasticity and salt-sensitive hypertension induced by prior treatment with subpressor doses of ANG II or aldosterone
Authors: Clayton Sarah C. , Zhang Zhongming , Beltz Terry , Xue Baojian , Johnson Alan Kim
Published: April 2014

Although sensitivity to high dietary NaCl is regarded to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the causes of salt-sensitive hypertension remain elusive. Previously, we have shown that rats pretreated with subpressor doses of either ANG II or aldosterone (Aldo) show sensitized hypertensive responses to a mild pressor dose of ANG II when tested after an intervening delay. The current studies investigated whether such treatments will induce salt sensitivity. In studies employing an induction-delay-expression experimental design, male rats were instrumented for chronic mean arterial pressure (MAP) recording. In separate experiments, ANG II, Aldo, or vehicle was delivered either subcutaneously or intracerebroventricularly during the induction. There were no sustained differences in BP during the delay prior to being given 2% saline. While consuming 2% saline during the expression, both ANG II- and Aldo-pretreated rats showed significantly greater hypertension. When hexamethonium was used to assess autonomic control of MAP, no differences in the decrease of MAP in response to ganglionic blockade were detected during the induction. However, during the expression, the fall was greater in sensitized rats. In separate experiments, brain tissue that was collected at the end of delay showed increases in message or activation of putative markers of neuroplasticity (i.e., brain-derived neurotrophic factor, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and cAMP response element-binding protein). These experiments demonstrate that prior administration of nonpressor doses of either ANG II or Aldo will induce salt sensitivity. Collectively, our findings indicate that treatment with subpressor doses of ANG II and Aldo initiate central neuroplastic changes that are involved in hypertension of different etiologies.
Visuomotor adaptation in Parkinson's disease: effects of perturbation type and medication state
Authors: Semrau Jennifer A. , Perlmutter Joel S. , Thoroughman Kurt A.
Published: April 2014

To perform simple everyday tasks, we use visual feedback from our external environment to generate and guide movements. However, tasks like reaching for a cup may become extremely difficult in movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), and it is unknown whether PD patients use visual information to compensate for motor deficiencies. We tested adaptation to changes in visual feedback of the hand in three subject groups, PD patients on daily levodopa (l-dopa) therapy (PD ON), PD patients off l-dopa (PD OFF), and age-matched control subjects, to determine the effects of PD on the visual control of movement. Subjects were tested on two classes of visual perturbations, one that altered visual direction of movement and one that altered visual extent of movement, allowing us to test adaptive sensitivity to changes in both movement direction (visual rotations) and extent (visual gain). The PD OFF group displayed more complete adaptation to visuomotor rotations compared with control subjects but initial, transient difficulty with adaptation to visual gain perturbations. The PD ON group displayed feedback control more sensitive to visual error compared with control subjects but compared with the PD OFF group had mild impairments during adaptation to changes in visual extent. We conclude that PD subjects can adapt to changes in visual information but that l-dopa may impair visual-based motor adaptation.
Impact Responses of Composite Cushioning System considering Critical Component with Simply Supported Beam Type
Authors: Lu Fu-de , Gao De
Published: April 2014

In some microelectronic products, one or several components can be idealized as simply supported beam type and viewed as vulnerable elements or critical component due to the fact that they are destroyed easily under impact loadings. The composite cushioning structure made of expanded polyethylene (EPE), and expanded polystyrene (EPS) was utilized to protect the vulnerable elements against impact loadings during transportation. The vibration equations of composite cushioning system were deducted and virtual mass method was applied to predict impact behavior of critical component. Numerical results indicate that virtual mass method is appropriate for computing impact response of composite cushioning system with vulnerable element of simply supported beam type, which is affirmed by the fact that the impact responses of structure element in terms of velocity- and displacement-time curves are almost unchanged when virtual mass is smaller than a certain value. The results in this paper make it possible for installation of packaging optimization design.
A Model for Video Quality Assessment Considering Packet Loss for Broadcast Digital Television Coded in H.264
Authors: Joskowicz Jose , Sotelo Rafael
Published: April 2014

This paper presents a model to predict video quality perceived by the broadcast digital television (DTV) viewer. We present how noise on DTV can introduce individual transport stream (TS) packet losses at the receiver. The type of these errors is different than the produced on IP networks. Different scenarios of TS packet loss are analyzed, including uniform and burst distributions. The results show that there is a high variability on the perceived quality for a given percentage of packet loss and type of error. This implies that there is practically no correlation between the type of error or the percentage of packets loss and the perceived degradation. A new metric is introduced, theweighted percentageof slice loss, which takes into account the affected slice type in each lost TS packet. We show that this metric is correlated with the video quality degradation. A novel parametric model for video quality estimation is proposed, designed, and verified based on the results of subjective tests in SD and HD. The results were compared to a standard model used in IP transmission scenarios. The proposed model improves Pearson Correlation and root mean square error between the subjective and the predicted MOS.
The Evolution-Dominated Hydrodynamic Model and the Pseudorapidity Distributions in High Energy Physics
Authors: Jiang Z. J. , Zhang H. L. , Wang J. , Ma K.
Published: April 2014

By taking into account the effects of leading particles, we discuss the pseudorapidity distributions of the charged particles produced in high energy heavy ion collisions in the context of evolution-dominated hydrodynamic model. The leading particles are supposed to have a Gaussian rapidity distribution normalized to the number of participants. A comparison is made between the theoretical results and the experimental measurements performed by BRAHMS and PHOBOS Collaboration at BNL-RHIC in Au-Au and Cu-Cu collisions atsNN=200 GeV and by ALICE Collaboration at CERN-LHC in Pb-Pb collisions atsNN=2.76 TeV.
A Theory of Farsightedness in Committee Games
Authors: Fodouop Fotso Alphonse , Momo Kenfack Joseph Armel , Tchantcho Bertrand
Published: April 2014

We study the committee decision making process using game theory. A committee here refers to any group of people who have to select one option from a given set of alternatives under a specified rule. Shenoy (1980) introduced two solution concepts, namely, the one-core and a version of bargaining set for committee games. Shortcomings of these solutions concepts are raised and discussed in this paper. These shortcomings are resolved by introducing two new solutions concepts: the farsighted one-core and the bargaining set revised, inspired by an idea of farsightedness initially defined by Rubinstein (1980). It is shown that the farsighted one-core is always non-empty and is better than the one-core. In a well-specified sense, the bargaining set revised is also better than the bargaining set as defined by Shenoy (1980) and it is always non-empty for simple committee games with linear preferences. Other attractive properties are also proved.
Nondestructive Online Detection of Welding Defects in Track Crane Boom Using Acoustic Emission Technique
Authors: Tao Yong , Wang Wei , Sun Baishu
Published: April 2014

Nondestructive detection of structural component of track crane is a difficult and costly problem. In the present study, acoustic emission (AE) was used to detect two kinds of typical welding defects, that is, welding porosity and incomplete penetration, in the truck crane boom. Firstly, a subsidiary test specimen with special preset welding defect was designed and added on the boom surface with the aid of steel plates to get the synchronous deformation of the main boom. Then, the AE feature information of the welding defect could be got without influencing normal operation of equipment. As a result, the rudimentary location analysis can be attained using the linear location method and the two kinds of welding defects can be distinguished clearly using AE characteristic parameters such as amplitude and centroid frequency. Also, through the comparison of two loading processes, we concluded that the signal produced during the first loading process was mainly caused by plastic deformation damage and during the second loading process the stress release and structure friction between sections in welding area are the main acoustic emission sources. Thus, the AE is an available tool for nondestructive online detection of latent welding defects of structural component of track crane.
Analytic Continuation of Euler Polynomials and the Euler Zeta Function
Authors: Ryoo C. S.
Published: April 2014

We study that the Euler numbersEnand Euler polynomialsEnzare analytically continued toEsandE(s,w). We investigate the new concept of dynamics of the zeros of analytica continued polynomials. Finally, we observe an interesting phenomenon of “scattering” of the zeros ofE(s,w).
Development of Epoxy Based Surface Tolerant Coating Improvised with Zn Dust and MIO on Steel Surfaces
Authors: Jain Rachna , Wasnik Manish , Sharma Amit , Kr Bhadu Manish , Rout T. K. , Khanna A. S.
Published: April 2014

Couple of high strength and flexible surface tolerant coatings were designed for oil contaminated, rusty, and minimally prepared steel surfaces. These coatings are to have strong interfacial adhesion due to low surface tension and sustain more than 5 MPa pull out force consistently. The effect of optimized concentration of zinc dust and micaceous iron oxide (MIO) as pigments is evaluated for these surface tolerant coating systems. It has been noticed that the presence of these two ingredients has enhanced corrosion resistance more than several times as compared to commercially available coating systems. The corrosion simulation test in 3.5 wt.% NaCl has evident for significant improvement in terms of delaying blistering and delamination. The high pore resistance
(Rp) indicates the slow migration of ions and water into the substrate and coating interface, which could be the reason of the improvement in corrosion process.
Self-Compacting Concrete Incorporating Micro-SiO2and Acrylic Polymer
Authors: Heidari Ali , Zabihi Marzieh
Published: April 2014

This study examined the effects of using acrylic polymer and micro-SiO2in self-compacting concrete (SCC). Using these materials in SCC improves the characteristics of the concrete. Self-compacting samples with 1-2% of a polymer and 10% micro-SiO2were made. In all cases, compressive strength, water absorption, and self-compacting tests were done. The results show that adding acrylic polymer and micro-SiO2does not have a significant negative effect on the mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete. In addition using these materials leads to improving them.
Shock Response Spectra Reconstruction of Pointwise Explosive-Induced Pyroshock Based on Signal Processing of Laser Shocks
Authors: Chong S. Y. , Lee J. R. , Kong C. W.
Published: April 2014

Pyroshock has been an issue of great concern for aerospace and defense industrial applications. When pyroshock devices are detonated, they can easily cause failures in electronic, optical, relay, and magnetic components generally in mid- and far-fields which is not avoidable at the design level. Thus, many numerical and experimental pyroshock simulations have been widely studied to predict explosive-induced pyroshock effect quantitatively, especially the shock response spectrum (SRS). In this study, a laser shock-based pyroshock reconstruction method is proposed to simulate a pointwise explosive-induced pyroshock signal. The signal processing algorithm for the laser shock-based pyroshock reconstruction is developed in a LabVIEW platform and consists of subbands decomposition, SRS matching in decomposed bands, and wave synthesizing. Then, two experimental setups are configured to obtain pyroshock signals and laser shock signals at four points in an aluminum plate. The reconstructed pyroshock signals synthesized according to the signal processing of the laser shocks demonstrate high similarity to the real pyroshock signals, where the similarity is evaluated by the mean acceleration difference between the SRS curves. The optimized settings of the subband decomposition were obtained and can be in the future used in a pyroshock simulator based on laser shock for pyroshock simulation at any arbitrary point.
Marcinkiewicz Integrals on Weighted Weak Hardy Spaces
Authors: Hu Yue , Wang Yueshan
Published: April 2014

We prove that, under the conditionΩ∈Lipα, Marcinkiewicz integralμΩis bounded from weighted weak Hardy spaceWHwpRnto weighted weak Lebesgue spaceWLwpRnformaxn/n+1/2,n/n+α<p≤1, wherewbelongs to the Muckenhoupt weight class. We also give weaker smoothness condition assumed on Ω to imply the boundedness ofμΩfromWHw1ℝntoWLw1Rn.
Comparing the Efficacy of Excitatory Transcranial Stimulation Methods Measuring Motor Evoked Potentials
Authors: Moliadze Vera , Fritzsche Georg , Antal Andrea
Published: April 2014

The common aim of transcranial stimulation methods is the induction or alterations of cortical excitability in a controlled way. Significant effects of each individual stimulation method have been published; however, conclusive direct comparisons of many of these methods are rare. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of three widely applied stimulation methods inducing excitability enhancement in the motor cortex: 1 mA anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS), intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), and 1 mA transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) within one subject group. The effect of each stimulation condition was quantified by evaluating motor-evoked-potential amplitudes (MEPs) in a fixed time sequence after stimulation. The analyses confirmed a significant enhancement of the M1 excitability caused by all three types of active stimulations compared to sham stimulation. There was no significant difference between the types of active stimulations, although the time course of the excitatory effects slightly differed. Among the stimulation methods, tRNS resulted in the strongest and atDCS significantly longest MEP increase compared to sham. Different time courses of the applied stimulation methods suggest different underlying mechanisms of action. Better understanding may be useful for better targeting of different transcranial stimulation techniques.
On the Issue of Radiation-Induced Instability in Binary Solid Solutions
Authors: Dubey Santosh , Joshi S. K. , Tewari B. S.
Published: April 2014

The stability of a binary solid solution under irradiation has been studied. This has been done by performing linear stability analysis of a set of nonlinear reaction-diffusion equations under uniform irradiation. Owing to the complexity of the resulting system of eigenvalue equations, a numerical solution has been attempted to calculate the dispersion relations. The set of reaction-diffusion equations represent the coupled dynamics of vacancies, dumbbell-type interstitials, and lattice atoms. For a miscible system (Cu-Au) under uniform irradiation, the initiation and growth of the instability have been studied as a function of various control parameters.
Diagnostic Applications of Cone-Beam CT for Periodontal Diseases
Authors: AlJehani Yousef A.
Published: April 2014

Objectives. This paper aims to review the diagnostic application of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the field of periodontology.Data. Original articles that reported on the use of CBCT for periodontal disease diagnosis were included.Sources. MEDLINE (1990 to January 2014), PubMed (using medical subject headings), and Google Scholar were searched using the following terms in different combinations: “CBCT,” “volumetric CT,” “periodontal disease ,” and “periodontitis.” This was supplemented by hand-searching in peer-reviewed journals and cross-referenced with the articles accessed.Conclusions. Bony defects, caters, and furcation involvements seem to be better depicted on CBCT, whereas bone quality and periodontal ligament space scored better on conventional intraoral radiography. CBCT does not offer a significant advantage over conventional radiography for assessing the periodontal bone levels.
Aspirin and Other NSAIDs as Chemoprevention Agents in Melanoma
Authors: Goodman James R. , Grossman Douglas
Published: April 2014

Melanoma incidence is increasing and, despite recent therapeutic advances, the prognosis for patients with metastatic disease remains poor. Thus, early detection and chemoprevention are promising strategies for improving patient outcomes. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) have demonstrated chemoprotective activity in several other cancers, and have been proposed as chemopreventive agents for melanoma. Throughout the last decade, however, a number of case–control, prospective, and interventional studies of NSAIDs and melanoma risk have yielded conflicting results. These inconsistent findings have led to uncertainty about the clinical utility of NSAIDs for melanoma chemoprevention. This mini-review highlights current knowledge of NSAID mechanisms of action and rationale for use in melanoma, provides a comparative review of outcomes and limitations of prior studies, and discusses the future challenges in demonstrating that these drugs are effective agents for mitigating melanoma risk. Cancer Prev Res; 7(6); 557–64. ©2014 AACR.
Evaluation of Vitamin D Supplementation Doses during Pregnancy in a Population at High Risk for Deficiency
Authors: Yesiltepe Mutlu Gul , Ozsu Elif , Kalaca Sibel , Yuksel Aysegul , Pehlevan Yuksel , Cizmecioglu Filiz , Hatun Sukru
Published: April 2014

Aim/Background: Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy is a well-accepted recommendation worldwide; however, the debate about the correct dose is ongoing. We aimed to compare daily doses of 600, 1,200, and 2,000 IU in this randomized, controlled study. Methods: The study group consisted of 91 pregnant women aged 16-42 years admitted to Kocaeli Maternity and Children Hospital between April 2011 and April 2012. The participants were randomly divided into 3 groups. 600, 1,200, and 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D was supplemented to group 1 (control group, n = 31), group 2 (n = 31), and group 3 (n = 32), respectively. Serum calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), and the calcium/creatinine ratio in spot urine samples were measured in the follow-up period. The serum calcium and 25OHD levels of the mothers' infants were measured as well. Results: The frequency of vitamin D sufficiency after supplementation was 80% in group 3 and it was significantly higher than in groups 1 (42%) and 2 (39%) (p = 0.03). The frequency of vitamin D sufficiency in the infants of the participants was 91% in group 3 and it was significantly higher than in groups 1 (36%) and 2 (52%) (p = 0.006). Conclusions: At least 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D is needed to ensure adequate vitamin D status in pregnancy and early infancy.
Treatment of Cephalocranial Disproportion in Shunt-Induced Slit Ventricle Syndrome with Cranial Vault Distraction Osteogenesis
Authors: de Lima Maria Helena N. , Harshbarger Raymond J. , George Timothy M.
Published: April 2014

Background: Slit ventricle syndrome (SVS) is a known late complication of shunting procedures. Some patients develop cephalocranial disproportion (CCD) that will require surgical treatment to increase craniocerebral compliance. Methods: We performed cranial vault distraction osteogenesis to treat 2 teenage patients who presented with SVS, increased intracranial pressure and CCD. Bilateral temporo-parieto-occipital craniotomies were performed. Results: Both patients successfully completed distraction and consolidated without the need for bone grafting. Postoperatively, both patients showed an increase in intracranial and intraventricular volume, as well as decreased shunt revisions. One patient had improvement of her headaches, while the other continues to have chronic headaches. Conclusion: Distraction osteogenesis is an option to expand the cranial vault in older children with SVS and CCD, in which the traditional cranial vault expansion would be a challenge and may or may not provide adequate expansion.
Sustained pro-haemostatic activity of rFVIIa in plasma and platelets in non-bleeding pigs may explain the efficacy of a once-daily prophylaxis in humans
Authors: Schut Anne Marieke , Hyseni Agon , Adelmeijer Jelle , Meijers Joost C. M. , de Groot Philip G. , Lisman Ton
Published: April 2014

Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is registered for treatment of inhibitor-complicated haemophilia, and a once-daily prophylactic administration of rFVIIa is successful in reducing the number of bleeding events. This suggests that a single rFVIIa dose has a pro-haemostatic effect up to 24 hours (h), which is difficult to explain given its half-life of 2 h. In this study, six pigs received a 90 µg/kg rFVIIa bolus. Plasma was collected and platelets were isolated at various time points up to 48 h, and analysed for FVIIa levels and associated haemostatic activity. Elevated plasma FVIIa levels were detected up to 24 h post-administration (36 (32–56) mU/ml [median (interquartile range [IQR]), 24 h] vs 2 (2–14) mU/ml [baseline]). Corresponding prothrombin time (PT) values remained shortened compared to baseline until 24 h post-administration (9.4 (9.3–9.9) seconds (s) [24 h] vs 10.5 (10.2–11.0) s [baseline], p ≤0.01). The lag time in thrombin generation testing as well as clotting times in plasma-based assays were shortened up to 12 or 24 h post-administration, respectively (lag times 1.8 (1.7–2.1) minutes (min) [12 h] vs 2.3 (2.3–2.6) min [baseline], p ≤0.01 and clotting times 3.8 (3.2–3.9) min [24 h] vs 5.2 (4.6–5.5) min [baseline], p ≤0.001). Platelet FVIIa levels were elevated up to 48 h (7.7 (3.4–9.0) ng VIIa/mg actin [48 h] vs 2.5 (0.7–4.8) ng VIIa/mg actin [baseline]). In conclusion, elevated and haemostatically active plasma and platelet FVIIa levels are detectable up to 24–48 h following rFVIIa administration in pigs. This prolonged pro-haemostatic effect of FVIIa may explain the prophylactic efficacy of a once-daily rFVIIa treatment.
Herding Cats: Observing Live Coding in the Wild
Authors: Magnusson Thor
Published: April 2014

After an eventful decade of live-coding activities, this article seeks to explore the practice with the aim of situating it in the history of contemporary arts and music. The article introduces several key points of investigation in live-coding research and discusses some examples of how live-coding practitioners engage with these points in their system design and performances. In light of the extremely diverse manifestations of live-coding activities, the problem of defining the practice is discussed, and the question is raised whether live coding is actually necessary as an independent category.
Free as in BEER: Some Explorations into Structured Improvisation Using Networked Live-Coding Systems
Authors: Wilson Scott , Lorway Norah , Coull Rosalyn , Vasilakos Konstantinos , Moyers Tim
Published: April 2014

Much improvised music that has developed since the advent of free jazz has been concerned with the imposition of structure, often through systems of directed improvisation, or through the use of rule-based approaches (e.g., game pieces). In this article, we explore the possibility of a networked live-coding system as a structural intervention mechanism par excellence, through the discussion of two pieces from the repertoire of the Birmingham Ensemble for Electroacoustic Research.
Live Coding the Law: Improvisation, Code, and Copyright
Authors: Zeilinger Martin
Published: April 2014

This article concerns the emerging creative practice of live coding (i.e., the real-time programming of electronic music in text-based programming environments), and explores how this practice can be deployed as a tactic of resistance against the overreach of restrictive intellectual property policy. I begin by surveying definitions of copyright and patent law, and related issues, to situate live coding in the field of existing perspectives on cultural ownership. Drawing on legal theory and critical discourse on improvised music in other genres, I then argue that the dynamic, palimpsestic, and improvisational qualities of live coding contradict many of copyright law's core assumptions regarding the nature of “fixed” works of art. These contradictions can be usefully mobilized for the purpose of resisting legal and economic enclosures of the digital cultural commons. As I conclude, live coding can, from its current, inherently ambivalent position on copyright matters, develop a strong, performance-based critical stance against the imbalances and shortcomings of intellectual property regimes and outdated notions of exclusive cultural ownership. Integrating artistic practices with ongoing and emerging critiques of intellectual property, such resistance can go a long way towards highlighting readily available opportunities to oppose and confound the law.
Electrophysiological Evidence for the Involvement of the Approximate Number System in Preschoolers' Processing of Spoken Number Words
Authors: Pinhas Michal , Donohue Sarah E. , Woldorff Marty G. , Brannon Elizabeth M.
Published: April 2014

Little is known about the neural underpinnings of number word comprehension in young children. Here we investigated the neural processing of these words during the crucial developmental window in which children learn their meanings and asked whether such processing relies on the Approximate Number System. ERPs were recorded as 3- to 5-year-old children heard the words one, two, three, or six while looking at pictures of 1, 2, 3, or 6 objects. The auditory number word was incongruent with the number of visual objects on half the trials and congruent on the other half. Children's number word comprehension predicted their ERP incongruency effects. Specifically, children with the least number word knowledge did not show any ERP incongruency effects, whereas those with intermediate and high number word knowledge showed an enhanced, negative polarity incongruency response (Ninc) over centroparietal sites from 200 to 500 msec after the number word onset. This negativity was followed by an enhanced, positive polarity incongruency effect (Pinc) that emerged bilaterally over parietal sites at about 700 msec. Moreover, children with the most number word knowledge showed ratio dependence in the Pinc (larger for greater compared with smaller numerical mismatches), a hallmark of the Approximate Number System. Importantly, a similar modulation of the Pinc from 700 to 800 msec was found in children with intermediate number word knowledge. These results provide the first neural correlates of spoken number word comprehension in preschoolers and are consistent with the view that children map number words onto approximate number representations before they fully master the verbal count list.
Human Rights and Reproductive Choices in the Case-law of Italian and European Courts
Authors: Valongo Alessia
Published: April 2014

Abstract

The major issues regarding human fertilisation and embryology are addressed in a comparative perspective and in the light of relevant rulings of the European Court for Human Rights: the relationship between artificial procreation and parental responsibilities, the legal nature of the unborn child, the human right to reproduce and to have a healthy child. The article focuses on the key data of the latest Italian regulation regarding assisted conception, especially compared with British law. Particular attention is paid to the contribution given by recent European decisions to the protection of new human rights. National and international judgements ensure the right to private life and to health that are not always guaranteed by law. Converging developments in case-law panorama make the right to have children, to responsible procreation, to information about medical treatments, much less disharmonic realities than the Member States legislation suggests.
Accommodation as a Rhetorical Principle
Authors: Schloesser Stephen
Published: April 2014

Twenty years after its publication, John O’Malley’s The First Jesuits (1993) can be located within a broader “postmodern” intellectual context that followed in the wake of 1989 and the consequent end of the Cold War. This context included both Stephen Toulmin’s Cosmopolis (1990), a revisionist account of the origins of “modernity,” and Homi K. Bhabha’s The Location of Culture (1994), a foundational work in post-colonial theorization of cultural hybridity. O’Malley’s thesis that early Jesuit ministries shared a common fundamental “rhetorical” dimension exemplifies Toulmin’s account of a sixteenth-century rhetorical preference for the particular, local, and timely. This rhetorical accommodation to the individual also informed the missionary strategies developed by Valignano and Ricci in the Far East. Ricci’s True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven (1603) can be read as a hybridizing cultural accommodation, a strategy with both promise and peril for self-identity. However, as the tumultuous (and eventually tragic) history of the Chinese Rites demonstrates, a Renaissance preference for the particular would encounter serious opposition during the seventeenth-century’s “quest for certainty” and corollary embrace of universals. Toulmin would argue, however, that this “Counter-Renaissance” repudiation of accommodation did not make the sixteenth-century project any less “modern.” Rather, he would see O’Malley’s first Jesuits as exemplars of modernity’s original form—a preference for the particular and openness to hybridity which Toulmin imagined being recovered in late-twentieth-century “postmodernity.”
A Physically Based Algorithm for Non-Blackbody Correction of Cloud-Top Temperature and Application to Convection Study
Authors: Wang Chunpeng , Luo Zhengzhao Johnny , Chen Xiuhong , Zeng Xiping , Tao Wei-Kuo , Huang Xianglei
Published: April 2014

Cloud-top temperature (CTT) is an important parameter for convective clouds and is usually different from the 11-μm brightness temperature due to non-blackbody effects. This paper presents an algorithm for estimating convective CTT by using simultaneous passive [Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)] and active [CloudSat + Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO)] measurements of clouds to correct for the non-blackbody effect. To do this, a weighting function of the MODIS 11-μm band is explicitly calculated by feeding cloud hydrometer profiles from CloudSat and CALIPSO retrievals and temperature and humidity profiles based on ECMWF analyses into a radiation transfer model. Among 16 837 tropical deep convective clouds observed by CloudSat in 2008, the averaged effective emission level (EEL) of the 11-μm channel is located at optical depth ~0.72, with a standard deviation of 0.3. The distance between the EEL and cloud-top height determined by CloudSat is shown to be related to a parameter called cloud-top fuzziness (CTF), defined as the vertical separation between −30 and 10 dBZ of CloudSat radar reflectivity. On the basis of these findings a relationship is then developed between the CTF and the difference between MODIS 11-μm brightness temperature and physical CTT, the latter being the non-blackbody correction of CTT. Correction of the non-blackbody effect of CTT is applied to analyze convective cloud-top buoyancy. With this correction, about 70% of the convective cores observed by CloudSat in the height range of 6–10 km have positive buoyancy near cloud top, meaning clouds are still growing vertically, although their final fate cannot be determined by snapshot observations.
Extreme Precipitation and Climate Gradients in Patagonia Revealed by High-Resolution Regional Atmospheric Climate Modeling
Authors: Lenaerts Jan T. M. , van den Broeke Michiel R. , van Wessem Jan M. , van de Berg Willem Jan , van Meijgaard Erik , van Ulft Lambertus H. , Schaefer Marius
Published: April 2014

This study uses output of a high-resolution (5.5 km) regional atmospheric climate model to describe the present-day (1979–2012) climate of Patagonia, with a particular focus on the surface mass balance (SMB) of the Patagonian ice fields. Through a comparison with available in situ observations, it is shown that the model is able to simulate the sharp climate gradients in western Patagonia. The southern Andes are an efficient barrier for the prevalent atmospheric flow, generating strong orographic uplift and precipitation throughout the entire year. The model suggests extreme orographic precipitation west of the Andes divide, with annual precipitation rates of >5 to 34 m w.e. (water equivalent), and a clear rain shadow east of the divide. These modeled precipitation rates are supported qualitatively by available precipitation stations and SMB estimates on the ice fields derived from firn cores. For the period 1979–2012, a slight atmospheric cooling at upper ice field elevations is found, leading to a small but insignificant increase in the ice field SMB.
Dual implantation of a radio-telemeter and vascular access port allows repeated hemodynamic and pharmacological measures in conscious lean and obese rats
Authors: Bussey C T , Leeuw A E de , Cook R F , Ashley Z , Schofield J , Lamberts R R
Published: April 2014

Expansion of physiological knowledge increasingly requires examination of processes in the normal, conscious state. The current study describes a novel approach combining surgical implantation of radio-telemeters with vascular access ports (VAPs) to allow repeated hemodynamic and pharmacological measures in conscious rats. Dual implantation was conducted on 16-week-old male lean and obese Zucker rats. Continued viability one month after surgery was observed in 67% of lean and 44% of obese animals, giving an overall 54% completion rate. Over the five-week measurement period, reliable and reproducible basal mean arterial pressure and heart rate measures were observed. VAP patency and receptor-independent vascular reactivity were confirmed by consistent hemodynamic responses to sodium nitroprusside (6.25 µg/kg). Acutely, minimal hemodynamic responses to repeated bolus administration of 0.2 mL saline indicated no significant effect of increased blood volume or administration stress, making repeated acute measures viable. Similarly, repeated administration of the β-adrenoceptor agonist dobutamine (30 µg/kg) at 10 min intervals resulted in reproducible hemodynamic changes in both lean and obese animals. Therefore, our study demonstrates that this new approach is viable for the acute and chronic assessment of hemodynamic and pharmacological responses in both lean and obese conscious rats. This technique reduces the demand for animal numbers and allows hemodynamic measures with minimal disruption to animals’ welfare, while providing reliable and reproducible results over several weeks. In conclusion, dual implantation of a radio-telemeter and VAP introduces a valuable technique for undertaking comprehensive studies involving repeated pharmacological tests in conscious animals to address important physiological questions.
Gender and commuting time in São Paulo Metropolitan Region
Authors: Silveira Neto Raul , Duarte Gisleia , Páez Antonio
Published: April 2014

Gender differentials in commuting have been reported in the literature, often couched within the household responsibility hypothesis. This hypothesis attributes shorter commutes to females due to a disproportionate load of household responsibilities. The objective of the present study is to report research regarding commuting time in São Paulo Metropolitan Region, in Brazil. Based on microdata from the Demographic Census of 2010 the focus of the present study is on the role of marital status and presence of dependents on gender differentials in commuting time. Specifically, the research seeks to determine whether there is empirical support in this region for the household responsibility hypothesis. The results suggest that marital status exerts a stronger influence on the commuting time of working women, with the number of dependents (children and elderly) exerting a smaller influence on commuting time. Gender differentials are observed also for single and formerly married working females, which suggests other cultural or environmental factors not fully captured by the household responsibility hypothesis. Most studies, however, are set in North America. This research contributes towards the development of a broader, international knowledge foundation regarding gender and commuting patterns.
Rising regional powers meet the global leader: A strategic analysis of influence competition
Authors: Kim Sung Eun , Urpelainen Johannes
Published: April 2014

Emerging regional powers, such as Brazil and India, are reshaping world politics. We conduct a game-theoretic analysis to examine how growing regional powers compete for influence against a global power, such as the United States, in different circumstances. If the global power regards dominant positions in different regions as strategic substitutes (complements), a stronger regional power in region A increases (decreases) the global power’s efforts to dominate in region B. For example, if Iran grows stronger, the United States should increase its efforts to secure energy resources in Central Asia as substitutes for Middle Eastern oil. Conversely, suppose the United States fails to create support for stringent intellectual property rights protection in Latin America because Brazil opposes new rules. In this case, we expect the United States to have fewer incentives to create support in other regions because intellectual property rights rules are most valuable when they constitute a complementary global standard.
How politics-news parallelism invigorates partisanship strength
Authors: Horwitz S. Nechama , Nir Lilach
Published: April 2014

Although past research has found that news exposure correlates with strong partisanship, insights are based on single-country studies. Other studies have shown that cross-national variations in news systems correlate with turnout, but have not explored partisanship. The current study fills this gap by testing the strength of the relationship between news exposure and partisanship cross-nationally. We argue that the greater the political parallelism in news systems, the stronger the correlation between news exposure and partisanship and the smaller the gaps in partisanship between those most and least educated. Multivariate analyses of the cross-national European Social Survey find empirical support for both hypotheses.
Rapidly progressing left atrial hemangiopericytoma
Authors: Nakamura Tamami , Ito Hiroshi , Sakata Kensuke , Kobayashi Yurio
Published: April 2014

Cardiac hemangiopericytoma is a rare soft tissue tumor. We describe a case of hemangiopericytoma in the left atrium, which was diagnosed as myxoma preoperatively. A 70-year-old woman was admitted with heart failure. An echocardiogram showed a large myxoma-like mass in the left atrium, herniating into the left ventricle; therefore, an emergency operation was performed. Histological examination revealed a malignant hemangiopericytoma. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, but she died due to a local recurrence 4 months after the operation.
Measuring Representative Communication in Young Children With Developmental Delay
Authors: Sandbank Micheal , Yoder Paul
Published: April 2014

Generalizability and decision studies provide a mathematical framework for quantifying the stability of a given number of measurements. This approach is especially relevant to the task of obtaining a representative measure of communicative behavior in young children and supports an alternative to the debate regarding which type of assessment yields the most representative scores. The current article provides a report of a generalizability and decision study on 63 toddlers with developmental delay who were treated for 6 months using an intervention that targeted communication and vocabulary goals. Two variables—rate of intentional communication acts and rate of different words—were measured across three assessment contexts at four communication sampling periods. Results verified that measurement stability increased with time and development for both variables, regardless of the type of assessment procedure used.
Reuse and Recycling of Clothing and Textiles—A Network Approach
Authors: Ekström Karin M. , Salomonson Nicklas
Published: April 2014

The accelerated pace of consumption in the Western world has led to an increase in clothing and textiles disposed of in the garbage rather than being reused or recycled. The purpose of this article is to increase understanding of how clothing and textile consumption can become more sustainable by demonstrating how members of a network view and deal with this problem. The study is based on meetings over one and a half years and on a survey. Different views on the problem as well as various solutions on how to increase reuse and recycling of clothing and textiles are presented, including means and challenges. A macromarketing perspective, involving different actors in society, is necessary in order to make consumption more sustainable and for finding long-term solutions. We argue that understanding symbolic consumption and the fashion system can contribute to the macromarketing study of societal development from a sustainable perspective.
Did birth relative attendance at adoption panels assist decision-making? Evaluating the Suffolk experience
Authors: Clifton John , Horne Jane , Smith Christine
Published: April 2014

This article evaluates an adoption agency’s scheme to encourage birth relative attendance at adoption panels considering whether their child required adoption. Using qualitative evaluations of panel minutes and adoption agency statistics, it was found that birth relative attendance generally enhanced the thoroughness and sensitivity of panel deliberations. Having met birth relatives, panel members were usually more confident about the need for adoption, but thought carefully about how they highlighted parental deficits, showing appreciation of birth relatives’ feelings for their child. The child’s heritage appeared to figure more prominently in discussions. There were rare instances of birth relative representations leading to diversion from the adoption proposal, usually in favour of kinship care.

Birth parents appeared to use attendance to record a construction of themselves for their child to discover in future, including their own perspective on the adoption plan (usually opposition) and expressions of love and good wishes. Vivid accounts of these parental interactions with panels could prove an important source for adopted people who search for their birth heritage. Independent facilitation of birth relative attendances emerged as crucial to successful attendance, providing emotional support at the meeting and improving the uptake of adoption support services.
Time and community: A scoping study
Authors: Bastian Michelle
Published: April 2014

This paper reports on the results of a commissioned scoping study that explored the extent of research available on time and community. Using a range of techniques designed to provide a rapid overview of this relatively indistinct research area, 885 studies were identified for inclusion in the study. Importantly, only 85 of these were identified as ‘highly relevant’ to the study’s focus. An analysis of these articles revealed 11 core themes in work on time and community. Two cross-cutting themes that arose from the full range of included studies were then selected for further analysis. These were the role of time in inclusion and exclusion and ‘critical temporalities’, that is, work that develops critical temporal responses as part of addressing social inequalities. This broader analysis suggested three overarching concerns shared by both cross-cutting themes: past, present and future; continuity and discontinuity; and multiple rhythms of time use. After exploring how these concerns are addressed in the literature, the paper concludes with an outline of the gaps in research on time and community, as well as recommendations for further research.
Monitoring and management of metabolic abnormalities: mixed-method evaluation of a successful intervention
Authors: Wilson Eleanor , Randall Christopher , Patterson Sue , Emmerson Brett , Moudgil Vikas , Weaver Tim
Published: April 2014

Objective:

To describe the process and impact of a service-level intervention on metabolic monitoring and follow-up of patients of a mental health service who were prescribed clozapine, and describe the metabolic health of these patients.

Methods:

The intervention − Let’s Get Physical − involved designating two months annually as ‘physical health months’, during which revised service protocol required metabolic monitoring for all eligible patients. Mixed methods were used to assess rates of monitoring at baseline, during the two physical health months, and follow-up and factors influencing practice. Data was analysed using a descriptive statistics and framework approach.

Results:

Monitoring was completed for around two thirds of eligible patients during each physical health month, representing a statistically significant increase (approximately fourfold) from baseline. Perceptions regarding scope of practice and perceived competency managing metabolic abnormalities were key determinants of clinicians’ practice. Low rates and inconsistency of follow-up were observed.

Conclusion:

Let’s Get Physical is cost effective in enhancing adherence to monitoring guidelines. The use of clinical algorithms supporting timely response to abnormalities should be considered. Ongoing education, role clarity and dedicated resources are required if psychiatrists are to contribute meaningfully to improving the physical health of people with mental illness.
What Influences the Attitudes of People in the United States Toward Marriage? A Critical Review
Authors: Li Xiaohui
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this article is to review a selected body of research published over the past 25 years, 1984 to 2008, and focus on what influences the attitudes of people in the United States toward marriage; to critique what is known about how attitudes toward marriage are affected by a variety of factors. A review of 14 studies revealed that research questions were limited in terms of scope. Theoretical guidance has been minimal, with only 5 of the 14 studies incorporating theoretical or conceptual frameworks. Despite these limitations, the findings of the 14 studies showed that offspring’s attitudes toward marriage is highly dependent on the parental/family environment: Those whose parents were having conflicts, were divorced, and were having post-divorce interparental conflict expressed negative attitudes toward marriage.