bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A carcinoid tumour arising within a tailgut cyst: a diagnostic challenge
Authors: Kim JH , Jin S-Y , Hong SS , Lee TH
Published: January 2014

A 49-year-old man was referred with constipation that had lasted for a few months. On colonoscopy, a subepithelial tumour more than 4 cm in size was seen in the rectum. He underwent endoscopic ultrasound and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging. He was preoperatively diagnosed with a rectal duplication cyst based on imaging studies. However, the final histopathologic diagnosis after transanal excision of the rectal mass was rectal carcinoid tumour with tailgut cyst. Tailgut cysts are very rare congenital lesions in the presacral area and are most often discovered incidentally in middle-aged women. It is difficult to distinguish the imaging appearance of tailgut cysts from that of many other retrorectal cysts. Malignant transformation of tailgut cysts has been estimated to occur in 2 to 13% of cases. We report the diagnostic difficulties encountered in a case of carcinoid tumour arising from a tailgut cyst in a male patient.
Clinical engagement: improving healthcare together
Authors: Riches E , Robson B
Published: January 2014

Clinical engagement can achieve lasting change in the delivery of healthcare. In October 2011, Healthcare Improvement Scotland formulated a clinical engagement strategy to ensure that a progressive and sustainable approach to engaging healthcare professionals is firmly embedded in its health improvement and public assurance activities. The strategy was developed using a 90-day process, combining an evidence base of best practice and feedback from semi-structured interviews and focus groups.

The strategy aims to create a culture where clinicians view working with Healthcare Improvement Scotland as a worthwhile venture, which offers a number of positive benefits such as training, career development and research opportunities. The strategy works towards developing a respectful partnership between Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the clinical community and key stakeholders whereby clinicians’ contributions are recognised in a non-financial reward system. To do this, the organisation needs a sustainable infrastructure and an efficient, cost-effective approach to clinical engagement. There are a number of obstacles to achieving successful clinical engagement and these must be addressed as key drivers in its implementation. The implementation of the strategy is supported by an action and resource plan, and its impact will be monitored by a measurement plan to ensure the organisation reviews its approaches towards clinical engagement.
Reframing European security: Russia’s proposal for a new European security architecture
Authors: Layton Samuel
Published: January 2014

On 5 June 2008, then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proposed a new European security architecture. Medvedev suggested that the new security architecture could be considered a ‘Helsinki Plus’ treaty, an adaptation of the Helsinki Final Act to the current international state of affairs. This article examines how Russia was strategically reframing European security through its proposal for a new European security architecture, and in particular the sub-issues of how Russia was strategically framing security and European security and how this framing was an attempt to change existing formulations and perspectives on European security.
Competence and Just War
Authors: Amoureux Jack L. , Steele Brent J.
Published: January 2014

This article argues that the Just War tradition would do well to consider the importance of competence – and that doing so would invigorate debates about the use of organized violence. The article defends this argument through several moves. First, inspired by Aristotle’s thoughts on phronesis and chance, we view competence as a practice among those who, as a matter of course, engage in practical reasoning that takes into account the contingency of political action. Second, following from Arendt, competence can be considered that which foregrounds means over ends. Third, because competence is a continuous and more vigilant consideration of justice within war, it extends through both jus ad bellum and jus in bello principles, including the ‘proper authority’ and ‘reasonable chance for success’ conditions of the former, and the ‘double effect’ doctrine discussed in the latter. The article concludes by acknowledging the challenges presented by an overemphasis on competence, before ultimately restating its purchase for Just War debates in the twenty-first century.
Characteristics of patients admitted to the emergency department due to tick bite
Authors: Erenler Ali Kemal , Kulaksiz Fuat , Ülger Hüseyin , Erdem Murat , Koçak Cem , Söylemez Fatih , Öztürk Özkan , Baydin Ahmet
Published: January 2014

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease endemic in Turkey since 2002. Çorum is one of the leading five cities in Turkey in which CCHF disease is seen most. We studied characteristics of the patients with tick bites in our emergency department (ED) and determined the fatality rate of the disease in city of Çorum for the first time. We retrospectively analysed the characteristics of the patients admitted to our ED from the medical files of 21,680 patients in a 5-year period. The number of patients with definite diagnosis and who have died was determined. Our results demonstrated that the fatality rate of CCHF in Çorum is 6.78%. Among 21,680 patients, blood samples of 970 patients were sent to an advanced centre in Ankara for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Results of 560 patients were reported to be PCR (+) and 38 of them have died.
Modest, Industrious, and Loyal: Reinterpreting Conflicting Evidence for Women's Roles
Authors: Hylen Susan E.
Published: January 2014

Scholars have long recognized the diverse and contradictory evidence for women's activities in the Roman world. Women are expected to be modest and subordinate to men; yet they are also found in leadership roles. A common solution has been to say that women leaders were exceptions to the rule. Certain women or groups stepped outside of cultural norms and took on influential roles. Instead of reading the conflicting reports as evidence of distinct groups of women, I interpret them as evidence of a tension that pervades the culture. At the same time that women are ideally described as modest and confined to the home, some virtues required women to exercise leadership and to pursue the broad interests of their households and cities. Women who exhibit leadership are not stepping outside of culture but also inhabit familiar social norms. Because of this, I argue that we should approach the contradictions in early Christian sources as evidence of participation in this shared cultural background. Both inside and outside the church, conformity to social norms for womanly virtue left open a range of possibilities for women's behavior, including active leadership.
The Role of the Pathologist in GLP Studies
Authors: Weber Klaus , Hailey James R. , Mann Peter C. , Seaton Mark , Funk Kathleen A.
Published: January 2014

This continuing education course presented at the Society of Toxicologic Pathology’s 31st Annual Symposium explored and defined the many roles that toxicologic pathologists serve Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)-conducted toxicology and carcinogenicity studies.
Mapping concrete and abstract meanings to new words using verbal contexts
Authors: Mestres-Missé Anna , Münte Thomas F , Rodriguez-Fornells Antoni
Published: January 2014

In three experiments, we examine the effects of semantic context and word concreteness on the mapping of existing meanings to new words. We developed a new-word-learning paradigm in which participants were required to discover the meaning of a new-word form from a specific verbal context. The stimulus materials were manipulated according to word concreteness, context availability and semantic congruency across contexts. Overall, participants successfully learned the meaning of the new word whether it was a concrete or an abstract word. Concrete word meanings were discovered and learned faster than abstract word meanings even when matched on context availability. The present results are discussed considering the various hypotheses that have been used to try to explain the ‘concreteness effect’. We conclude that the present investigation provides new evidence that the concreteness effect observed in learning is due to the different organization of abstract and concrete conceptual information in semantic memory.
Local Enterprise Agency loan funds and investment readiness in UK small firms
Authors: Irwin David , Pattinson Steve , Scott Jonathan M
Published: January 2014

We considered (i) whether loan funds managed by Local Enterprise Agencies (LEAs) in England addressed the finance gap faced by new and small firms that are unable to raise investment capital from other sources, and (ii) whether LEA loan funds offered value-for-money and sustainability. Utilising realistic evaluation and data provided by LEAs, we found that funds had a high conversion rate of applications to loans, presumably because most referrals came from advisers and so propositions unlikely to be supported had already been weeded out, and due to high repayment rates. The level of demand suggested that knowledge of the availability of loans from these sources was still low, but that loans from LEAs were genuinely additional for small firms that would not otherwise have been able to raise the required finance from other sources, indeed in many cases leveraging commercially sourced funds. While LEA loan funds were becoming more efficient, they were not – and were unlikely to become – wholly sustainable. The high conversion rate (and low default rate) suggested that the real need for prospective entrepreneurs is effective advice and support to improve their ‘investment readiness’ and thus assist in unlocking the necessary financial support.
Characterising the plasma-target occupancy relationship of the neurokinin antagonist GSK1144814 with PET
Authors: Ridler Khanum , Gunn Roger N , Searle Graham E , Barletta Julien , Passchier Jan , Dixson Luanna , Hallett William A , Ashworth Sharon , Gray Frank A , Burgess Clare , Poggesi Italo , Bullman Jonathan N , Ratti Emiliangelo , Laruelle Marc A , Rabiner Eugenii A
Published: January 2014

GSK1144814 is a potent, insurmountable antagonist at human NK1 and NK3 receptors. Understanding the relationship between plasma pharmacokinetics and receptor occupancy in the human brain, was crucial for dose selection in future clinical studies. GSK1144814 occupancy data were acquired in parallel with the first-time-in-human safety and tolerability study. [11C]GR-205171 a selective NK1 receptor PET ligand was used to estimate NK1 occupancy at several time-points following single dose administration of GSK1144814. The time-plasma concentration–occupancy relationship post-single dose administration was assessed, and used to predict the plasma concentration–occupancy relationship following repeat dose administration. Repeat dose predictions were tested in a subsequent cohort of subjects examined following approximately 7 and 14 days dosing with GSK1144814. GSK1144814 was shown to demonstrate a dose-dependent occupancy of the NK1 receptor with an estimated in vivo EC50 ~0.9 ng/mL in the human brain. A direct relationship was seen between the GSK1144814 plasma concentration and its occupancy of the brain NK1 receptor, indicating that in future clinical trials the occupancy of brain receptors can be accurately inferred from the measured plasma concentration. Our data provided support for the further progression of this compound and have optimised the likely therapeutic dose range.
Interfacial and mechanical properties of polypropylene/silica nano- and microcomposites
Authors: Pustak A , Leskovac M , Denac M , Švab I , Pohleven J , Makarovič M , Musil V , Šmit I
Published: January 2014

Various silica grades differing in particle size (micro- versus nanosilica) and surface modification (untreated versus modified surface) have affected interfacial and mechanical properties of compression-molded polypropylene composites with 2, 4, 6, 8 vol% of added silica. Mechanical properties have been influenced primarily by combination of stiff fillers and tough polypropylene matrix and additionally by restructured matrix. Namely, silica particles with different surface properties have influenced nucleation and spherulite growth differently affecting thus tensile properties of the composites. All composites exhibited best tensile strength in silica content range 2–6 vol%.
Emergency Contraception Counseling in a Retail Pharmacy Setting
Authors: Ragland Denise , Payakachat Nalin , Stafford Rachel A.
Published: January 2014

Introduction:

Nonprescription emergency contraception (EC) is now available for purchase without age restrictions. This is a great opportunity for pharmacists to provide counseling to ensure that customers use EC correctly.

Objective:

This pilot study explored the impact of student pharmacist counseling on customer knowledge of EC in a retail pharmacy setting and assessed customer satisfaction with the counseling.

Methods:

Counseling was performed at 2 retail pharmacies during June and July 2012. Participants completed a 12-question pretest that measured baseline knowledge of EC prior to a 5- to 10-minute education session, followed by the same 12-question posttest. A follow-up test was conducted via telephone within 1 to 3 months after the counseling.

Results:

Eighty-seven women participated with a mean age of 30.2 (standard deviation = 7.2) years. The average posttest score was significantly higher than the pretest score (11.5 ± 1.0 vs 8.5 ± 2.5; P < .001). The mean follow-up score (9.9 ± 1.1) was significantly higher than the pretest score ( P = .014), which indicated retained knowledge. Participants reported being highly satisfied with the counseling session and strongly agreed that the counseling would help them use EC correctly.

Conclusion:

Student pharmacist-provided EC counseling increased participants’ EC knowledge both immediate and long term. This study suggests that EC counseling is feasible and valued by customers.
The effects of agency reform in Europe: A review of the evidence
Authors: Dan Sorin
Published: January 2014

This paper reviews the New Public Management literature on the effects of the creation and ongoing operations of agencies across European public sectors. It finds that the bulk of evidence concerns internal effects on processes/activities of agency creation and management and little evidence on outputs and outcomes. The article identifies a number of patterns across the sample and finds positive effects on improved processes and an orientation toward results and service users’ needs. Similarly, it finds improvements in transparency and accountability across various countries, but evidence in these areas is less clear. It finds that 46% of the studies included in the sample identified concerns about fragmentation, coordination or organizational stability and shows that unintended consequences are an important part of the evaluation of the effects of agencification. The paper argues that the picture of the effects of agencies is nuanced and discusses possible factors that can tip the balance for or against the success of the agency model.
Studying implementation beyond deficit analysis: The top-down view reconsidered
Authors: Hupe Peter , Hill Michael , Nangia Monika
Published: January 2014

Contemporary researchers of policy implementation make a plea for explaining variation in policy outputs. At the same time, still much implementation research, dispersed across the social sciences, entails studies of single cases in which a perceived gap between the intentions and the results of a public policy is analysed. In this article, a case is made for the lasting relevance of studying single policy processes, seen ‘from the top’, provided that the multi-dimensional character of these processes is taken into account. Empirical material from a study of educational inclusion policy in the United Kingdom shows how public policies may refer to different values (normative dimension) and imply ongoing policy formation between a variety of actors, each with particular stakes (political dimension), while policy goals seldom speak for themselves (practical dimension). By consequence, in implementation research the issues of, respectively, what needs explanation (the explanandum), locus specification and the appropriate unit of observation and analysis need attention.
Surveillance and the Eye of God
Authors: Lyon David
Published: January 2014

Surveillance is sometimes spoken of as a God’s eye view of the world. This idea is explored in relation to the ‘objective gaze’ of disengaged reason in the Enlightenment and its technologically-reinforced modes in the twenty-first century. The rise of the eye-centred viewpoint is coincident with the ‘great disembedding’ of individuals from the social. This in turn also prompted the self-disciplines of modernity, which are now key aspects of the power-base of modern institutions. A crucial moment in this shift was Bentham’s panopticon proposal, in which the knowledge regime of secular ism started to shape social imaginaries in relation to surveillance. While secular omniscience was sought through the surveillance gaze, and explored later in the work of Foucault, Debord and others, the eye-centred view is not without critics. We draw upon some biblical resources, notably, the story of Hagar, that query the centrality of ‘objective vision’. Instead, an ethic of care is proposed, based in part on a fresh understanding of the ‘eye of God’. It is argued that the implications of the care ethic go far deeper than current appeals to privacy, data protection, civil liberties or human rights.
What Do We Want from the Just War Tradition? New Challenges of Surveillance and the Security State
Authors: Gregory Eric
Published: January 2014

The nature and scope of government surveillance have intensified debates about liberty and security in a post-9/11 world. Critics of the just war tradition argue it is not able to constructively address these new challenges. Defenders often simply re-affirm its various criteria in making retrospective judgments or clarifying principles. By contrast, this article argues that our political moment—marked by the arbitrary exercise of power, the prospect of permanent war, and the rapid speed of global politics—reinforces the need to frame just war thinking within a constructive account of statecraft and practical reasoning. In particular, I highlight moral (rather than simply legal) dimensions of authority and intention which reveal a fundamental question about what we want from the just war tradition in relation to democratic social criticism and the possibility of political morality.
Combustion modelling for a diesel engine with multi-stage injection using a stochastic combustion model
Authors: Liu Long , Horibe Naoto , Ishiyama Takuji
Published: January 2014

This study presents the development of a phenomenological combustion model to simulate the combustion processes in diesel engines with multi-stage fuel injection. A newly developed zero-dimensional spray propagation model and a model of spray-to-spray interaction were combined with a stochastic combustion model, which had been developed for the calculation of diesel combustion in the case of single-stage injection. In this model, the combustion chamber is divided into an ambient air zone and several spray zones, where the spray formed by each injection is treated as a spray zone. The turbulent mixing, the fuel evaporation, the heat loss and the chemical reactions are calculated in each spray zone separately. A zero-dimensional spray propagation model including the spray evolution after the end of injection and a model of interaction between the sprays from sequential injections are developed to describe the spray behaviour for the case of multi-stage injection. Then the developed combustion model is validated against the experimental data from a single-cylinder direct-injection diesel engine with two-stage pilot–main injection, in which the pilot injection conditions are varied with a fixed main-injection timing. Based on the analysis of the heat release rate, the entrainment rate and the microscopic information inside the spray, such as the probability density function of the equivalence ratio, the effects of the wall impingement and the interaction between adjacent sprays on the fuel–air mixing rate and the entrainment rate are formularized and employed to reproduce the measured histories of the heat release rate. The reduction in the fuel–air mixing rate is considered when the spray flows into the squish region after wall impingement, which is effective in obtaining the measured decrease in the heat release of the pilot spray with advancing pilot injection timing. The effects of the wall impingement of the main spray and the interaction between adjacent sprays are modelled to reproduce the heat release rate during the initial part and later part of the mixing-controlled combustion. After these improvements, the heat release rates of the test engine when varying the pilot injection conditions were successfully predicted.
Experimental study on improvement in the shift quality for an automatic transmission using a motor-driven wedge clutch
Authors: Yao Jian , Chen Li , Liu Fengyu , Yin Chengliang
Published: January 2014

Electrification technology is becoming increasingly popular in the actuation system of modern vehicles. A novel wedge-clutch-based actuation system driven by a motor is developed. The wedge clutch, which features a self-reinforcement function, can apply a large normal force on the clutch plates while requiring a small motor torque. However, the self-reinforcement feature results in a different dynamic behaviour of the vehicle driveline; therefore, careful control is needed during clutch engagement. A detailed analysis is performed to describe the different challenges of a wedge clutch in comparison with those of a conventional clutch. Based on the integrated engine and transmission control method, a new method of combined control of the motor actuation torque and the engine torque is proposed to improve the shift quality. The proposed control method is validated on a specialized transmission dynamometer by emulating the change from first-gear power to second-gear power in upshift vehicle conditions. The experimental results present how the shift quality of the wedge clutch is improved significantly by introducing the control method. Not only is the maximum transmission output torque about 25.5% smaller, but also the slipping energy is reduced by about 35.1%, which contributes to a smaller temperature rise on the clutch plates. Also, the smaller motor actuation torque has the potential to downsize the electric actuator further and to decrease its power consumption.
Biochemical analyses of human osteoarthritic and periprosthetic synovial fluid
Authors: Guenther Leah E , Pyle Bryan W , Turgeon Thomas R , Bohm Eric R , Wyss Urs P , Schmidt Tannin A , Brandt Jan-M
Published: January 2014

Biochemical analyses were performed on osteoarthritic and periprosthetic synovial fluid in order to propose changes to lubricant specifications currently outlined in orthopaedic wear testing standards. Osteoarthritic and periprosthetic synovial fluid samples were obtained from the hip and knee joints of 40 patients. The samples in each group were analysed and compared in order to identify differences between the protein concentration, constituent fractions, osmolality, thermal stability and the hyaluronic acid concentration and molecular weight distribution of osteoarthritic and periprosthetic synovial fluid. The average total protein concentration was approximately 30 g/L, which was much higher than the 20 g/L currently specified in the knee wear testing standard; however, the 30 g/L protein concentration matched the recently revised standard for hip simulator wear testing. No significant difference was found between the protein concentration, osmolality, thermal stability, and hyaluronic acid concentration of osteoarthritic and periprosthetic synovial fluid. The clinical data provided should be used to better define the composition of a more clinically relevant lubricant for orthopaedic wear testing.
Anal cytology and p16 immunostaining for screening anal intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV-positive and HIV-negative men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Arora Rahul , Pandhi Deepika , Mishra Kiran , Bhattacharya Sambit N , Yhome Vizodilhou A
Published: January 2014

Summary

Akin to cervical cancer in sexually-active women, men who have sex with men (MSM) are predisposed to anal cancers, especially those with HIV co-infection. This cross-sectional study endeavored to assess the prevalence of anal dysplasia using Pap smears and p16 immunostaining amongst Indian MSM. A total of 31 consecutive HIV-positive and 34 HIV-negative MSM, from a cohort of sexually transmitted infection clinic attendees, underwent anal cytological evaluation with Pap smear and p16 staining. Chi square test and coefficient of correlation were used for comparison. Eighteen (27.7%) had abnormal anal cytology; increased in HIV-positive as compared to HIV-negative men (35% versus 20%, p = 0.180). Similarly, both low-grade (25.8% versus 17.6%) and high-grade lesions (8.3% versus 4.8%) were comparable in HIV-positive and HIV-negative group. Thirteen (20%) smears were p16-positive with a sensitivity and specificity for anal dysplasia of 72.3% and 100%, respectively. Anal cytology may be used to screen for anal dysplasia in MSM irrespective of HIV status. Furthermore, the addition of p16, with greater specificity for high-grade lesions, may improve diagnostic accuracy especially for high-grade lesions. A larger study to further corroborate these observations is warranted.
The Attentional Blink Reveals the Probabilistic Nature of Discrete Conscious Perception
Authors: Asplund Christopher L. , Fougnie Daryl , Zughni Samir , Martin Justin W. , Marois René
Published: January 2014

Attention and awareness are two tightly coupled processes that have been the subject of the same enduring debate: Are they allocated in a discrete or in a graded fashion? Using the attentional blink paradigm and mixture-modeling analysis, we show that awareness arises at central stages of information processing in an all-or-none manner. Manipulating the temporal delay between two targets affected subjects’ likelihood of consciously perceiving the second target, but did not affect the precision of its representation. Furthermore, these results held across stimulus categories and paradigms, and they were dependent on attention having been allocated to the first target. The findings distinguish the fundamental contributions of attention and awareness at central stages of visual cognition: Conscious perception emerges in a quantal manner, with attention serving to modulate the probability that representations reach awareness.
A Lack of Material Resources Causes Harsher Moral Judgments
Authors: Pitesa Marko , Thau Stefan
Published: January 2014

In the research presented here, we tested the idea that a lack of material resources (e.g., low income) causes people to make harsher moral judgments because a lack of material resources is associated with a lower ability to cope with the effects of others’ harmful behavior. Consistent with this idea, results from a large cross-cultural survey (Study 1) showed that both a chronic (due to low income) and a situational (due to inflation) lack of material resources were associated with harsher moral judgments. The effect of inflation was stronger for low-income individuals, whom inflation renders relatively more vulnerable. In a follow-up experiment (Study 2), we manipulated whether participants perceived themselves as lacking material resources by employing different anchors on the scale they used to report their income. The manipulation led participants in the material-resources-lacking condition to make harsher judgments of harmful, but not of nonharmful, transgressions, and this effect was explained by a sense of vulnerability. Alternative explanations were excluded. These results demonstrate a functional and contextually situated nature of moral psychology.
Cognitive Skills, Student Achievement Tests, and Schools
Authors: Finn Amy S. , Kraft Matthew A. , West Martin R. , Leonard Julia A. , Bish Crystal E. , Martin Rebecca E. , Sheridan Margaret A. , Gabrieli Christopher F. O. , Gabrieli John D. E.
Published: January 2014

Cognitive skills predict academic performance, so schools that improve academic performance might also improve cognitive skills. To investigate the impact schools have on both academic performance and cognitive skills, we related standardized achievement-test scores to measures of cognitive skills in a large sample ( N = 1,367) of eighth-grade students attending traditional, exam, and charter public schools. Test scores and gains in test scores over time correlated with measures of cognitive skills. Despite wide variation in test scores across schools, differences in cognitive skills across schools were negligible after we controlled for fourth-grade test scores. Random offers of enrollment to oversubscribed charter schools resulted in positive impacts of such school attendance on math achievement but had no impact on cognitive skills. These findings suggest that schools that improve standardized achievement-test scores do so primarily through channels other than improving cognitive skills.
Influence of volute-induced distortion on the performance of a high-pressure-ratio centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser for turbocharger applications
Authors: Zheng Xinqian , Jin Lei , Tamaki Hideaki
Published: January 2014

As the geometry of the volute of a turbocharger centrifugal compressor is non-axisymmetric, it causes a distortion at the outlet of the diffuser and influences the upstream components to make the distribution of the flow parameters non-axisymmetric. To quantify the circumferential distortion induced by the volute, a distortion model was proposed to replace the volute by imposing a circumferentially asymmetric pressure distribution. The simulation results prove that this model could reproduce the distortion induced by the volute and, therefore, was sufficient to allow research on the volute’s effect. Based on the distortion model, variable amplitudes of distortion were realized, and the influence of the amplitude of the distortion on the performance of a centrifugal compressor was studied in detail. The results show that the distortion severely harms the aerodynamic stability of the compressor. Larger amplitude distortion cause worse compressor performance. The distortion induced by an asymmetric volute propagates to the upstream components and causes local flow separations in the diffuser and impeller, contributing to compressor surge. When the amplitude of the distortion increases up to 15%, the stable flow range of the compressor decreases 37.7%. The results provide useful guidelines to improve the performance of turbocharger compressors by decreasing the distortion induced by the asymmetric volute.
On the weakness of strong ties
Authors: Horst Maja
Published: January 2014

Departing from experiences at a recent conference on Science in Dialogue, the paper reflects on the significance of the closure of the Danish Board of Technology as a government funded institution. It is argued that the lack of active support from the Danish public might be an unanticipated consequence of the Board’s successful institutionalisation.
Building the capacity for public engagement with science in the United States
Authors: Guston David H.
Published: January 2014

This paper reviews efforts of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University (CNS-ASU) to begin to build capacity for public engagement with science in the United States. First, the paper sets a context in the US of the current challenges to democracy and for science. It then reviews the literature on the accomplishments of the National Citizens’ Technology Forum (NCTF) on nanotechnology and human enhancement, held in 2008, as well as some caveats that emerged from that enterprise. It concludes with a brief discussion of two kinds of activities – participation in the World Wide Views process organized by the Danish Board of Technology, and methodological innovations that include more concrete and experiential modes of engagement – that have spun off from the NCTF.
A mirror for science
Authors: Jasanoff Sheila
Published: January 2014

Early conceptions of the public understanding of science suffered from a narrow framing of what science means and a presumption that science is divided from its publics by walls of ignorance and indifference. Those assumptions amplified misunderstanding and led to faulty policies. It is time to reopen each element in the term “public understanding of science” to renewed reflection. This journal can advance that goal by encouraging research on actual rather than imagined public responses to science, on representations of science in the public sphere, and on interactions between science, technology and society.
From deficit to democracy (re-visited)
Authors: Irwin Alan
Published: January 2014

Taking as its frame the last twenty years of policy-making and academic discussion regarding public engagement with science (PES), this short article offers a personal evaluation of the balance between failure and achievement, and reflects upon some of the other contributions to the special issue. Put in the most general terms, have we been moving forwards or in circles? The persistence of public engagement efforts and existence of constructive science–social science collaborations are noted. However, the ambiguous character of the institutional embrace of social science and the instrumental role accorded to PES research remain as significant issues. Following a retrospective discussion of the ‘deficit’ model of science–public relations, some conclusions are drawn concerning the future needs of both reflective practice and practical reflection.
Placation and provocation
Authors: Tasoff Joshua
Published: January 2014

It has been observed that industries self-regulate to placate a regulator from taking action, and revolutionary vanguards sometimes provoke an apathetic populace into revolt. This paper presents a very simple model that captures this strategic maneuvering, and applies it to several other examples. Two players have preferences over the realization of a policy; the first player has a marginal cost to affect the policy and the second player has a fixed cost. The fixed cost provides strategic incentives for the first mover to placate or provoke the second player. In equilibrium, the second mover may benefit from having preferences that diverge more from the first mover, and may benefit by having higher fixed costs. As the number of first movers increases, placation and provocation both become more likely, and the second player’s incentives to occlude or reveal its fixed cost become stronger as well.
Efficacy of a Creon Delayed-Release Pancreatic Enzyme Protocol for Clearing Occluded Enteral Feeding Tubes
Authors: Stumpf Janice L. , Kurian Rebecca M. , Vuong Jennifer , Dang Kimberlyn , Kraft Michael D.
Published: January 2014

Background: Alkalinized Viokase pancreatic enzyme tablets restored patency to 71.9% of occluded Dobhoff tubes in a prospective study. After removal of Viokase tablets from the US market, the hospital protocol for unclogging enteral feeding tubes was adapted to use Creon pancreatic enzyme delayed-release capsules, despite the lack of published data. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Creon-based protocol to clear occluded enteral feeding tubes. Methods: This retrospective study included all adult and pediatric patients seen in the emergency department or in an inpatient setting who received Creon 12 000 units lipase delayed-release capsule dissolved in a solution of sodium bicarbonate 650 mg and sterile water for clearing occluded enteral feeding tubes between May 1 and November 30, 2010. The Creon protocol was deemed effective if tube clearance was documented in the medical record or if enteral feedings were resumed with no note regarding tube replacement. Results: Alkalinized Creon delayed-release capsules were administered to 83 patients with a total of 118 clogged tubes. Three poorly documented cases and 5 tubes with mechanical clogs were excluded from data analysis. Patency was restored to 53 of 110 (48.2%) occluded tubes. More than 1 treatment course was attempted in 5 cases, with success in 3. Conclusion: An alkalinized Creon pancreatic enzyme protocol was effective in clearing approximately half of the occluded enteral feeding tubes in this retrospective study, an efficacy rate much less than that previously reported in the literature with a Viokase-based protocol.
Use of Propofol-Containing Versus Benzodiazepine Regimens for Alcohol Withdrawal Requiring Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Sohraby Rose , Attridge Rebecca L. , Hughes Darrel W.
Published: January 2014

Background: When chronic, excessive alcohol intake is abruptly halted, patients are at risk for developing life-threatening alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Benzodiazepines have established efficacy, yet some patients’ symptoms persist despite treatment with high doses. Objectives: The study objective was to compare time to resolution of AWS symptoms in mechanically ventilated patients receiving propofol-containing versus benzodiazepine infusions. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort analysis of adult patients with ICD-9 codes for AWS who required mechanical ventilation for AWS symptoms. Results: A total of 1637 records were reviewed, and 64 were included. Propofol-containing regimens were used in 46 cases (72%), whereas benzodiazepine infusion monotherapy accounted for 18 cases (28%). Patients were predominantly male (97%), with a mean age of 45 years. Lorazepam-equivalent benzodiazepine doses given prior to intubation were greater in patients receiving propofol infusion (56 vs 15 mg, P = .03). Time to resolution of AWS symptoms for propofol- and benzodiazepine-treated patients was 8 and 7 days, respectively ( P = .34). Median hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay were similar (9 vs 10 days and 4 vs 4 days, respectively; P > .05 for both comparisons), as were days of mechanical ventilation (4 vs 3 days, P = .98). Patients in the benzodiazepine infusion monotherapy group required numerically increased amounts of benzodiazepine bolus doses while on continuous sedation, compared with patients receiving propofol infusion (36 vs 10 mg, P = .06). Conclusions: Propofol and Benzodiazepine-treated patients with AWS requiring mechanical ventilation experienced similar days of AWS symptoms, length of stay, and mechanical ventilation.
Risk Assessment to Predict Arterial and Venous Events in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Vardi Moshe , Piazza Gregory , Pencina Michael J. , Burke David A. , Lei Lanyu , Goldhaber Samuel Z. , Cutlip Donald E.
Published: January 2014

Atherosclerosis and venous thromboembolism (VTE) share common risk factors. We set to assess the strength of the association between atherosclerosis risk factors and disease manifestation, and VTE, in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. We pooled data from 6 global randomized controlled trials assessing coronary stenting (ENDEAVOR and SIRIUS programs), developed separate risk scores to predict major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs: cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) and VTE, and compared their performance. The 5-year rates of MACCE and VTE were 10.8% and 2.04%, respectively. Selected predictors for MACCE performed equally well in predicting VTE (area under the receiver–operating characteristic curve [AUC] 0.651 vs 0.672), and selected predictors for VTE performed equally well in predicting MACCE (AUC 0.699 vs 0.620). Ejection fraction and age were associated with both MACCE and VTE. These findings support the concept of overlapping pathophysiology of VTE and atherothrombosis.
The Utility of the Platelet–Lymphocyte Ratio for Predicting No Reflow in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Yildiz Abdulkadir , Yuksel Murat , Oylumlu Mustafa , Polat Nihat , Akyuz Abdurrahman , Acet Halit , Aydin Mesut , Ülgen Mehmet Siddik
Published: January 2014

The aim of the study was to evaluate the utility of the preprocedural platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for predicting no reflow in patients undergoing primary percutaneous intervention (PCI) for the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grades of 287 patients treated with primary PCI were assessed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 3 tertiles based upon preprocedural PLR. Pre- and postprocedural TIMI flow grades were evaluated. No reflow developed in 6, 14, and 43 patients in the lower, middle, and higher tertiles, respectively ( P < .001). After multivariate analysis, PLR remained a significant predictor of no reflow together with neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR). A cutoff value of 160 for PLR and 5.9 for NLR predicted no reflow with sensitivities and specificities of 75% and 71% and 74% and 70%, respectively. In conclusion, high preprocedural PLR and NLR levels are significant and independent predictors of no reflow in patients undergoing primary PCI.
Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects—Combustion Engineering and Global Health in the 21st Century
Authors: Lomnicki Slawo , Gullett Brian , Stöger Tobias , Kennedy Ian , Diaz Jim , Dugas Tammy R. , Varner Kurt , Carlin Danielle J. , Dellinger Barry , Cormier Stephania A.
Published: January 2014

The 13th International Congress on Combustion By-Products and their Health Effects was held in New Orleans, Louisiana from May 15 to 18, 2013. The congress, sponsored by the Superfund Research Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and National Science Foundation, brought together international academic and government researchers, engineers, scientists, and policymakers. With industrial growth, increased power needs and generation and coal consumption and their concomitant emissions, pernicious health effects associated with exposures to these emissions are on the rise. This congress provides a unique platform for interdisciplinary exchange and discussion of these topics. The formation, conversion, control, and health effects of combustion by-products, including particulate matter and associated heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and environmentally persistent free radicals, were discussed during the congress. This review will summarize and discuss the implications of the data presented.
Making over practice: Using food magazines to make over food consumption practices
Authors: Cole Jennifer
Published: January 2014

This article presents a case study on the makeover process through the consumption of lifestyle media. Drawing on interviews with consumers of UK food magazines BBC Good Food and Delicious ( N = 26), it explores how consumers identify and use the magazines as manuals to make over their food consumption habits, not just shaping their ideas about food but affecting the decisions they make about food purchases and preparation. This is triggered by a change in personal circumstance, including motherhood.
Religion as makeover: Reality, lifestyle and spiritual transformation
Authors: Deller Ruth A
Published: January 2014

In this article I discuss the relationship between religion, spirituality and processes of makeover and transformation as presented in a number of British reality television shows. Programmes including The Monastery, The Convent and Make Me a Muslim placed participants in scenarios where they experimented with adopting religious or spiritual practices as part of their journey of self-transformation. I argue that the nature of transformation in these programmes is in line with standard reality and makeover television practices. However, it also makes a claim to be more ‘authentic’ than these because of its unfolding within the more traditional environs of religious communities from which makeover culture’s narratives of transgression, repentance and salvation were originally derived.
Calling all ‘fiberhoods’: Google Fiber and the politics of visibility
Authors: Halegoua Germaine
Published: January 2014

This article examines the promise of transformation and initial outcomes of Google’s ‘Fiber for Communities’ project in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. Through a discourse analysis of industry and popular press, press releases, Google’s official blog and YouTube channel, and user-generated content from Kansas City residents from 2010 to 2012, the article highlights the ways in which Google promised to transform the image and significance of Kansas City, upgrade experiences of internet access and use, and experiment with new deployment models for large-scale fiber optic infrastructure in the US. However, the process of transformation rendered certain pre-existing digital divides and inequities more visible rather than erasing them.
‘One city block at a time’: Researching and cultivating green transformations
Authors: Lewis Tania
Published: January 2014

A growing interest in environmental issues within the community has seen suburban backyards, streets, houses and curbsides become sites of experimentation around sustainable lifestyle practices. Drawing upon research on various grassroots green initiatives around inner urban and suburban Melbourne, this article discusses what the rise of these kinds of lifestyle politics might mean for conceptualizing scale, citizenship, and social change in the contemporary moment. Drawing on social practice theory and its focus on the embodied, habitual and more-than-human elements of everyday practices, I argue that green suburban lifestyle initiatives such as ‘permablitzes’ are transformational in a number of ways and that they embody, materialize and perform broader sets of changes in people’s lives as they seek to switch from practices of consumption to a focus on self-sufficiency and making do. Video-ethnography and photography are some of the ways in which I have sought to capture such enactments and, in this article, I discuss the ways in which such combined media methods can enable researchers to both document and participate in the politics and practices of lifestyle transformation. Finally, I conclude with a brief discussion of how such a participatory research agenda might be translated into an environmental planning and policy approach that draws upon and enables the distributed agency, creativity and performative energies of community-led green practices.
Clockwork corsets: Pressed against the past
Authors: Sundén Jenny
Published: January 2014

For a feminist scholar of technology, contemporary steampunk cultures incorporate several interesting elements. They embrace playful ways of relating to technology. They contain thrifty Do-It-Yourself strategies and ethics of recycling, linking the crafting of sexually specific bodies to imaginative time-play. They involve an intermingling of technological extensions with modes of embodiment and costuming. The corset is an emblematic Victorian, industrial technology in steampunk costuming, altering bodies and affects as well as aesthetics and politics. But how far can white, Victorian, middle-class, imperialist, corseted femininity be ‘punked’, twisted, modified or transformed? And how much do these transpositions in and through time get caught up in a machinery of repetition rather than revision? Or are there ways of thinking the old and the new differently altogether?