bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Repeating Input-based Tasks with Young Beginner Learners
Authors: Shintani Natsuko
Published: May 2012

The study reported in this article investigated task-repetition with young Japanese children. Fifteen children with no prior knowledge of English completed a communicative listening task that was designed to introduce new vocabulary. The same task was repeated nine times over five weeks. In line with Allwright’s (1984) claim that ‘interaction is the fundamental fact of language pedagogy’, the interactions that arose during the repeated performance of the task were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively to examine (1) the input provided by the teacher, (2) the learners’ voluntary production, (3) the learners’ comprehension, (4) language learning and (5) the learners’ motivation to communicate in English. The study found that repeating the same task resulted in changes in the teacher’s input and students’ output. The learners’ comprehension improved steadily and their motivation to engage actively in the task remained strong throughout. The article concludes by discussing a number of general principles that can guide teachers when repeating the same task with young learners.
The Development and Validation of a Bilingual Version of the Vocabulary Size Test
Authors: Karami Hossein
Published: May 2012

This paper reports an attempt to develop and validate a bilingual Persian version of the Vocabulary Size Test (VST). Due to the particular educational system in Iran, there is a dire need for a test that can effectively estimate English learners’ vocabulary sizes. Previous research ( Nguyen and Nation, 2011 ) has indicated that bilingual versions of the VST can be more efficient than the monolingual one. A calibration of the Persian version of the test with 190 English learners indicated that the test enjoys a high level of validity and reliability. The results of a factor analysis revealed a single construct, presumably word knowledge, is underlying the test. A one-way between-subjects ANOVA also indicated that the test can effectively distinguish between different proficiency levels. The hypothesized difficulty order was also realized in the data though it was found that clusters of 1,000 word levels provide more meaningful difficulty levels as they are less susceptible to the idiosyncrasies at each 1,000 level. The results were also against the common assumption in the literature that not all test takers should sit the entire test. The administration of the whole test leads to a more valid estimate of the examinees’ vocabulary sizes.
Are Alliterative Word Combinations Comparatively Easy To Remember For Adult Learners?
Authors: Boers Frank , Lindstromberg Seth , Eyckmans June
Published: May 2012

Lindstromberg and Boers (2008a, 2008b) have reported experiments with adult learners of English which revealed a comparative mnemonic advantage afforded by word combinations that display sound patterns such as alliteration ( green grass) and assonance ( home phone). These findings are relevant for TESOL, given the fact that English phraseology abounds with alliterative and assonant expressions (Boers and Lindstromberg, 2009, chapter 6). The authors recommend classroom interventions that draw learners’ attention to the alliteration or assonance in standardized word strings such as collocations so as to unlock their mnemonic potential. They contend that such interventions are justified because learners are unlikely to take notice of a sound pattern such as alliteration spontaneously, while noticing is widely believed to be a crucial step towards retention (e.g. Schmidt, 2001). The mnemonic advantage of alliteration and assonance in Lindstromberg and Boers’ (2008a, 2008b) experiments was attested after tasks that required the participants’ conscious engagement with the given sound pattern. This does not actually preclude the possibility that learners reap some mnemonic benefits of these sound patterns also without being made aware of the sound repetition. In this article, we report a new within-participant experiment in which matched samples of alliterative and non-alliterative word pairs were dictated to upper-intermediate to advanced learners of English. The participants were not briefed about the presence of alliterative stimuli; they were merely asked to repeat each dictated word pair before writing it down. The results of an unannounced free recall test revealed significantly better recall of the alliterative stimuli, but the difference was not at all as pronounced as in the aforementioned experiments, where the participants had engaged in more explicit and more elaborate processing of phonological form.
Second Language Listening and Unfamiliar Proper Names: Comprehension Barrier?
Authors: Kobeleva Polina P.
Published: May 2012

This study examines whether unfamiliar proper names affect English as a second language (ESL) learners’ listening comprehension. A total of 110 intermediate to advanced ESL learners participated; comprehension of a short news text was tested under two conditions, Names Known (all proper names pre-taught in advance) and Names Unknown (all proper names unfamiliar prior to listening). The Names Known group performed significantly better than the Names Unknown group on two measures, true-false-don’t know statements and open-ended questions. The effect of unfamiliar proper names on comprehension remained statistically significant after the listening proficiency variable was controlled. Listeners in the Names Unknown treatment were able to derive 44.8% of information about the referents of proper names from context but they could not identify all the referents successfully. Unfamiliar proper names evidently hinder comprehension, which was also supported by the participants’ task difficulty ratings. When proper names were familiar, participants rated all comprehension tasks as easier to do and self-reported higher comprehension success. In contrast, when proper names were unfamiliar, participants rated all comprehension tasks as harder to do and self-reported a lower amount of comprehension.

It has long been established that vocabulary knowledge is a prerequisite to successful comprehension. This study confirms that, similarly to common vocabulary, the presence of unfamiliar proper names decreases the ESL learners’ chances of understanding spoken English. Implications of the findings for second language learning and testing are discussed.

It is recommended that teachers be flexible when setting up listening exercises and use different techniques depending on the depth of understanding the learners are supposed to achieve. If the instructional goal is listening for gist, proper names will unlikely affect the outcomes of the activity. However, if detailed and precise understanding is required, then it is unrealistic to expect ESL listeners to cope with unfamiliar proper names ‘on the spot’ without assistance or preparation. It is also advisable to avoid unfamiliar proper names in a testing situation because they may cause unwarranted anxiety and reflect negatively on the ESL listeners’ performance.
Correlates of Medication Nonadherence Among Latinos With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Parada Humberto , Horton Lucy A. , Cherrington Andrea , Ibarra Leticia , Ayala Guadalupe X.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess factors related to diabetes medication nonadherence in a sample of predominantly Spanish-speaking Mexican-origin adults residing along the US-Mexico border.

Methods

As part of a randomized controlled trial, 302 patients randomly sampled from a clinic roster completed a baseline interview. Medication nonadherence was assessed with the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Consistent with the framework proposed by Venturini et al, four factors were examined: patient-related attributes, drug regimen characteristics and complexity, health status, and patient-provider interaction characteristics.

Results

Sixty percent of the patients were classified as nonadherent. Men, those who engaged in diabetes control behaviors less frequently, and individuals with depression were more likely to be classified as nonadherent. Among those who were Spanish-dominant, education and self-rated health also were significantly and negatively related to medication adherence; patients with a high school education or greater and those who more positively rated their health were more likely to be classified as nonadherent compared to those with less than a high school education and those who rated their health as poor.

Conclusions

Results reflect potentially higher medication nonadherence rates for Latinos with type 2 diabetes living in rural communities along the US-Mexico border. Additionally, this study supports the need to address strategies to support medication adherence, including addressing depression, for diabetes control. Strategies to promote adherence among Latino men are sorely needed, as are strategies to address forgetfulness and carelessness regarding diabetes medicine taking.
Alan Freed still casts a long shadow: the persistence of payola and the ambiguous value of music
Authors: Fairchild Charles
Published: May 2012

Despite the enormous changes in the music industry in recent years, some things have persisted. Payola, the exchange of money or promotional consideration for radio airplay, has persisted if not increased over the past decade in the United States. This is due to the corresponding persistence of a series of contradictory social relationships between broadcasters, their sponsors and the audiences they seek to construct and maintain through the targeted deployment of music. I show here that payola, and its more legitimate cousin deregulation, are forms of ‘inter-elite communication’ designed to make the market in music more manageable and stable.
The life cycle of iconic sound bites: politicians’ transgressive utterances in media discourses
Authors: Lee Francis L.F.
Published: May 2012

Politicians in contemporary societies constantly appear in and talk to the media. While media appearances constitute opportunities to communicate ideas and images, politicians can damage their own reputation through making statements that transgress political and/or cultural norms. Politicians’ transgressive utterances not only attract negative media coverage – they may also be recycled in media discourses. Drawing upon the theoretical concepts of “talk scandal” and “news icon,” this article develops a three-stage life-cycle for analyzing the media construction, contestation, and recycling of politicians’ transgressive utterances. The media first construct the utterance concerned as transgressive by serving as the platform for the articulation and expression of opprobrious discourses. In the second stage, intensive public discussion of the significance of the transgressive utterance ensues. In the third stage, the transgressive utterance can become an “iconic sound bite” decontextualized from the original event. This article illustrates and elaborates upon the arguments with a case study in Hong Kong.
Role of Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis in Central Node Metastasis of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Paulson Lorien M. , Shindo Maisie L. , Schuff Kathryn G.
Published: May 2012

Objective

(1) To investigate the role of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) in central node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and (2) to evaluate the presence of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis according to PTC‐specific molecular markers.

Study Design. Historical cohort study.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Subjects and Methods

All patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection for PTC at Oregon Health & Science University between 2005 and 2010 were screened for the presence of CLT and reviewed for clinical prognostic factors. Patients with inadequate central neck dissections were excluded. Molecular markers for PTC were analyzed on archived tumor samples.

Results

A total of 139 patients met selection criteria. The rate of CLT was 43.8%. The rate of central node positivity was 63%. Presence of CLT was associated with a significantly lower proportion of central node metastases (49% vs 74%, P =. 003) and angiolymphatic invasion (31% vs 15%, P =. 03). There was no significant difference in mean age, tumor size, and extracapsular extension. Molecular genotyping did not reveal a significant difference in the types of mutations found in both groups.

Conclusion

The data indicate a lower incidence of central compartment lymph node metastasis in those with CLT in this patient population, suggesting a potential protective role in tumor spread. The equal distribution of tumor mutations between the carcinomas with and without evidence of CLT argues against a mutation‐specific antigen as the immunologic stimulus. Further research is needed to characterize the role of autoimmunity in thyroid cancer.
Endoscopic Endonasal Resection of Anterior Skull Base Meningiomas
Authors: Padhye Vikram , Naidoo Yuresh , Alexander Hamish , Floreani Stephen , Robinson Simon , Santoreneos Stephen , Wickremesekera Agadha , Brophy Brian , Harding Marguerite , Vrodos Nick , Wormald Peter‐John
Published: May 2012

Objective

Anterior cranial fossa (ACF) meningiomas are difficult to surgically manage. Endoscopic transnasal approaches have increasingly been used as a minimally invasive route and thus offer significant advantages. However, a paucity of literature describing the intraoperative challenges and postoperative outcomes of this technique still exists.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

The Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre, Wellington Hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Fifteen consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic resection of ACF meningiomas between 2004 and 2010 by the South Australian and Wellington Skull Base Units. Demographic and clinical information was compiled by reviewing patient charts and operation notes. Safety and efficacy of the procedure, role of a team approach, and areas for further improvement were analyzed.

Results

Of the patients, 87% were women. Tumor locations: 8 olfactory groove, 2 tuberculum sellae, 1 clinoidal, 1 jugum sphenoidale, 1 planum sphenoidale, 1 subfrontal, and 1 midline ACF floor. Commonest presenting symptom was visual change. Mean volume of tumor was 25.69 cm3, with a size area of 7.28 cm2. Five were revision cases. None had previous endonasal surgery. Average operating times decreased over time. Gross total removal was achieved in 14, with no deaths. Four patients had postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Rate of CSF leak decreased over time. Sixty percent of patients reported visual improvement. Two patients had radiological evidence of recurrence.

Conclusion

ACF meningiomas can be safely removed endonasally, offering significant advantages over the traditional transcranial approach for suitable tumors. Early audit of this approach shows results achieved by this unit are comparable with the published literature.
Perceptions of love and sex across the adult life span
Authors: Neto Félix
Published: May 2012

Four distinct aspects of the perceptions of love and sex have recently been proposed: (a) Love is Most Important – the emotion of love is more important than anything else; (b) Sex Demonstrates Love – although sex is important, it demonstrates the deeper sentiment of love; (c) Love Comes Before Sex – love comes before and “drives” sex; and (d) Sex is Declining – sex diminishes in a relationship (Hendrick & Hendrick, 2002). This study explored the factor structure of perceptions of love and sex in a Portuguese sample throughout the adult life span. A total of 924 men and women (52% women) participated, all of whom were currently in a romantic relationship. The Perceptions of Love and Sex Scale showed the same four-factor structure that was evidenced in U.S. samples, and acceptable psychometric properties. Age and gender influenced these perceptions of love and sex. Expected correlations with measures of other relationship constructs were found.
Expected Net Present Value of Sample Information
Authors: Hall Peter S. , Edlin Richard , Kharroubi Samer , Gregory Walter , McCabe Christopher
Published: May 2012

The Expected Value of Information Framework has been proposed as a method for identifying when health care technologies should be immediately reimbursed and when any reimbursement should be withheld while awaiting more evidence. This framework assesses the value of obtaining additional evidence to inform a current reimbursement decision. This represents the burden of not having the additional evidence at the time of the decision. However, when deciding whether to reimburse now or await more evidence, decision makers need to know the value of investing in more research to inform a future decision. Assessing this value requires consideration of research costs, research time, and what happens to patients while the research is undertaken and after completion. The investigators describe a development of the calculation of the expected value of sample information that assesses the value of investing in further research, including an only-in-research strategy and an only-with-research strategy.
Choosing between Hospitals
Authors: de Groot I. B. , Otten W. , Dijs-Elsinga J. , Smeets H. J. , Kievit J. , Marang-van de Mheen P. J. ,   for the CHOICE-2 Study Group
Published: May 2012

Objective. Publicly available information on hospital performance is increasing, with the aim to support consumers when choosing a hospital. Besides general hospital information and information on outcomes of care, there is increasing availability of systematically collected information on experiences of other patients. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of previous patients’ experiences relative to other information when choosing a hospital for surgical treatment. Methods. Three hundred thirty-seven patient volunteers and 280 healthy volunteers (response rate of 52.4% and 93.3%, respectively) filled out an Internet-based questionnaire that included an adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis. They were asked to select hospital characteristics they would use for future hospital choice, compare hospitals, and choose the overall best hospital. Based on the respondents’ choices, the relative importance (RI) of each hospital characteristic for each respondent was estimated using hierarchical Bayes estimation. Results. Information based on previous patients’ experience was considered at least as important as information provided by hospitals. “Report card regarding physician’s expertise” had the highest RI (16.83 [15.37–18.30]) followed by “waiting time for outpatient clinic appointment” (14.88 [13.42–16.34]) and “waiting time for surgery” (7.95 [7.12–8.78]). Patient and healthy volunteers considered the same hospital attributes to be important, except that patient volunteers assigned greater importance to “positive judgment about physician communication” (7.65 v. 5.80, P < 0.05) and lower importance to “complications” (2.56 v. 4.22, P < 0.05). Conclusion. Consumers consider patient experience–based information at least as important as hospital-based information. They rely most on information regarding physicians’ expertise, waiting time, and physicians’ communication when choosing a hospital.
Effectiveness of a Decision-Training Aid on Referral Prioritization Capacity
Authors: Harries Priscilla , Tomlinson Christopher , Notley Elizabeth , Davies Miranda , Gilhooly Kenneth
Published: May 2012

Background. In the community mental health field, occupational therapy students lack the capacity to prioritize referrals effectively. Objective. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a clinical decision-training aid on referral prioritization capacity. Design. A double-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial was conducted using a judgment analysis approach. Setting. Each participant used the World Wide Web to prioritize referral sets at baseline, immediate posttest, and 2-wk follow-up. The intervention group was provided with training after baseline testing; control group was purely given instructions to continue with the task. Participants. One hundred sixty-five students were randomly allocated to intervention ( n = 87) or control ( n = 81). Intervention. Written and graphical descriptions were given of an expert consensus standard explaining how referral information should be used to prioritize referrals. Measurements. Participants’ prioritization ratings were correlated with the experts’ ratings of the same referrals at each stage of testing, as well as to examine the effect on mean group scores, regression weights, and the lens model indices. Results. At baseline, no differences were found between control and intervention on rating capacity or demographic characteristics. Comparison of the difference in mean correlation baseline scores of the control and intervention group compared with immediate posttest showed a statistically significant result that was maintained at 2-wk follow-up. The effect size was classified as large. At immediate posttest and follow-up, the intervention group improved rating capacity, whereas the control group’s capacity remained poor. The results of this study indicate that the decision-training aid has a positive effect on referral prioritization capacity. Conclusions. This freely available, Web-based decision-training aid will be a valuable adjunct to the education of these novice health professionals internationally.
Young Adults’ Attitudes and Reasoning About Gender Roles in the Family Context
Authors: Gere Judith , Helwig Charles C.
Published: May 2012

Although the roles of men and women in society and the workplace have undergone dramatic change, there has been comparatively less change in the family roles of men and women. This study investigated young adults’ endorsements of and reasoning about gender roles in the context of the family. Participants ( N = 224) indicated their level of agreement with six different family roles and provided open-ended reasons to support their views. Social cognitive domain theory was used as a framework to interpret their open-ended reasoning. Results showed that participants applied reasoning based on ideas of morality (fairness and well-being), social conventions, and personal choice in ways that varied by participants’ gender, ethnic background (Asian or European Canadian), and the particular gender role to which they were responding. When supporting egalitarian role divisions, women were more likely to base their reasoning on morality, whereas men were more likely to rely on social conventions. In contrast, stereotypes and issues of well-being (regarding women’s roles), and social conventions (regarding men’s traditional roles) were used to support the maintenance of traditional role divisions. The results have implications for educators and policy makers and are discussed with a focus on how attitudes about family roles may be changed most effectively to increase egalitarian attitudes. Implications for the measurement of gender-role attitudes are also discussed.
Serum levels of copper, selenium and manganese in forestry workers testing IgG positive for Brucella, Borrelia, and Rickettsia
Authors: Abbate Simona , Giorgianni Concetto , D’Arrigo Graziella , Brecciaroli Renato , Catanoso Rosaria , Alibrando Carmela , Spatari Giovanna , Gangemi Silvia , Abbate Carmelo
Published: May 2012

The aim of this study is to measure the alterations in the trace levels of serum copper (Cu), selenium (Se), and manganese (Mn) in forestry workers testing immunoglobulin G (IgG)-positive for Brucella, Borrelia, and Rickettsia. The study was conducted on a sample of 758 subjects (560 male and 198 female). All the subjects underwent medical examinations, which investigated particularly the presence of clinical signs compatible with zoonoses, and routine blood tests from venous blood sample, which tested previous immunisation versus cited microorganisms and serum concentration of Cu, Se, and Mn. The subjects were divided according to IgG positivity versus the cited microorganisms. The group of subjects with IgG positive versus Brucella showed statistically significant higher Cu levels than controls, while the Mn levels were not; the group of subjects with IgG positive versus Rickettsia showed higher levels of all three tested metals. The concentration of the examined metals did not show statistically significant difference between IgG-positive subjects versus subjects with Borrelia compared to controls. These data could confirm the role of both Cu and Se  in the regulation of immune response.
The effect of CF and nano-SiO2 modification on the flexural and tribological properties of POM composites
Authors: Zhaohong Xu , Zhenhua Li , Jian Li , Fei Fu Yuan
Published: May 2012

Carbon fiber (CF) and nano-silica (nano-SiO2) particles were employed simultaneously to modify polyoxymethylene (POM). Our goal was to control the distribution and dispersion of CF and nano-SiO2 particles in POM matrix using an appropriate processing method and adjusting the dispersion of nano-SiO2 particles toward CF and POM, so as to achieve a simultaneous enhancement of toughness and modulus of POM. The results of tribological tests showed that the POM with 3 vol% nano-SiO2 presented better tribological properties. When the content of nano-SiO2 was not more than 3 vol%, the CF/POM/nano-SiO2 samples presented lower friction coefficients and smaller wear volumes. However, higher contents of nano-SiO2 than 3 vol% were very disadvantageous to the tribological performances.
Fuzzy integral sliding mode based on backstepping control synthesis for an autonomous helicopter
Authors: Meguenni Kadda Zemalache , Tahar M , Benhadria MR , Bestaoui Yasmina
Published: May 2012

In this article, we present the result of a nonlinear control technique applied to an autonomous quadrotor helicopter called X4-flyer. Using sliding mode-backstepping procedure, we can stabilize the engine in hovering mode. Moreover, for rejecting external load disturbance, two controls are presented: proportional-integral sliding mode-backstepping which is the combination between proportional-integral and sliding mode-backstepping into the so-called integral sliding mode-backstepping and the second is fuzzy integral sliding mode-backstepping. Finally fuzzy integral sliding mode-backstepping controller is investigated, where a fuzzy inference mechanism is used to achieve position tracking objective. The robustness of the controllers is studied in the presence of disturbances. Simulation results are also provided in order to illustrate the performances of the proposed controller versus the wind.
Decentralized robust coordinated control for formation flying spacecraft with coupled attitude and translational dynamics
Authors: Zhang Bao-Qun , Song Shen-Min , Chen Xing-Lin
Published: May 2012

This article investigates the decentralized coordinated control problem for formation flying spacecraft associated with coupled attitude and translational dynamics by probing into local information exchange among spacecraft. A six degree-of-freedom coupled model is established by employing the unified Euler–Lagrange formulations of attitude dynamics and translational dynamics. With the novel use of adaptive control, a six degree-of-freedom continuous robust coordinated controller is proposed in the presence of parametric uncertainty and time-varying disturbances with unknown bounds. Furthermore, it is extended to the case where both of switching topologies and non-constant communication delays exist. The six degree-of-freedom coordinated controller can guarantee formation spacecraft follow a time-varying reference trajectory while aligning their attitudes and keeping some special formation configuration. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Personalized Persuasion
Authors: Hirsh Jacob B. , Kang Sonia K. , Bodenhausen Galen V.
Published: May 2012

Persuasive messages are more effective when they are custom-tailored to reflect the interests and concerns of the intended audience. Much of the message-framing literature has focused on the advantages of using either gain or loss frames, depending on the motivational orientation of the target group. In the current study, we extended this research to examine whether a persuasive appeal’s effectiveness can be increased by aligning the message framing with the recipient’s personality profile. For a single product, we constructed five advertisements, each designed to target one of the five major trait domains of human personality. In a sample of 324 survey respondents, advertisements were evaluated more positively the more they cohered with participants’ dispositional motives. These results suggest that adapting persuasive messages to the personality traits of the target audience can be an effective way of increasing the messages’ impact, and highlight the potential value of personality-based communication strategies.
Projections of cancer mortality risks using spatio-temporal P-spline models
Authors: Ugarte MD , Goicoa T , Etxeberria J , Militino AF
Published: May 2012

Cancer mortality risk estimates are essential for planning resource allocation and designing and evaluating cancer prevention and management strategies. However, mortality figures generally become available after a few years, making necessary to develop reliable procedures to provide current and near future mortality risks. In this work, a spatio-temporal P-spline model is used to provide predictions of mortality/incidence counts. The model is appropriate to capture smooth temporal trends and to predict cancer mortality/incidence counts in different regions for future years. The prediction mean squared error of the forecast values as well as an appropriate estimator are derived. Spanish prostate cancer mortality data in the period 1975–2008 will be used to illustrate results with a focus on cancer mortality forecasting in 2009–2011.
Anticipating the Past
Authors: Waldorf Lars
Published: May 2012

Even as transitional justice struggles to deliver on its original promises of truth, justice and reconciliation, more demands are being placed on it. Over the past several years, the transitional justice ‘industry’ has embraced holistic approaches that have it doing ever more. This article critically examines transitional justice’s recent attention towards historically constructed socio-economic inequalities. It begins by looking at the shift in transitional justice discourse and practice with respect to economic and social rights. Next, it discusses the arguments made for transitional justice’s engagement with those rights and looks at efforts by truth commissions and administrative reparations programmes to address them. Finally, it argues that transitional justice should avoid directly addressing past socio-economic wrongs and explores some alternate paths.
Implied consent and nursing practice
Authors: Cole Clare A
Published: May 2012

Nursing professionals in a variety of practice settings routinely use implied consent. This form of consent is used in place of or in conjunction with informed or explicit consent. This article looks at one aspect of a qualitative exploratory study conducted in a Day of Surgery Admission unit. This article focuses on the examination of nurses’ understandings of implied consent and its use in patient care in nursing practice. Data were collected through one-on-one interviews and analysed using a thematic analysis. Nurses participating in this study revealed that they routinely used implied consent in their nursing practice. This article will look at whether implied consent supports or impedes a patient’s autonomy.
Organisations, practices, actors, and events: Exploring inside the distance running social world
Authors: Shipway Richard , Holloway Immy , Jones Ian
Published: May 2012

This paper revisits Unruh’s notions of social worlds, exploring the organisations, practices, events and actors involved within the culture of distance running, as an increasingly popular leisure activity. An ethnographic research design was utilised using a combination of interviews, observation and participant observation. Data was collected over a two-year period on a weekly basis at two local distance running clubs, and also at a series of international distance running events. This study examines the distance running world from the “emic” perspective of the twenty participants involved. The key findings illustrate how the distance running social world permits both development and confirmation of a running identity and, with it, social fulfilment. In addition to the four main components of a distance running social world, this paper highlights a paradox whereby individuals follow an individual pursuit within the social world of the distance running community – highlighting that the focus is on both the individual and the social, an area which sociologists have to date not extensively analysed within the context of sport.
The Angular Gyrus
Authors: Seghier Mohamed L.
Published: May 2012

There is considerable interest in the structural and functional properties of the angular gyrus (AG). Located in the posterior part of the inferior parietal lobule, the AG has been shown in numerous meta-analysis reviews to be consistently activated in a variety of tasks. This review discusses the involvement of the AG in semantic processing, word reading and comprehension, number processing, default mode network, memory retrieval, attention and spatial cognition, reasoning, and social cognition. This large functional neuroimaging literature depicts a major role for the AG in processing concepts rather than percepts when interfacing perception-to-recognition-to-action. More specifically, the AG emerges as a cross-modal hub where converging multisensory information is combined and integrated to comprehend and give sense to events, manipulate mental representations, solve familiar problems, and reorient attention to relevant information. In addition, this review discusses recent findings that point to the existence of multiple subdivisions in the AG. This spatial parcellation can serve as a framework for reporting AG activations with greater definition. This review also acknowledges that the role of the AG cannot comprehensibly be identified in isolation but needs to be understood in parallel with the influence from other regions. Several interesting questions that warrant further investigations are finally emphasized.
Viscothermoelastic waves - a statistical study
Authors: Sharma JN , Grover D , Sangal AL
Published: May 2012

A statistical analysis is presented to investigate the influence of temperature, rotation, viscosity and thermal relaxation time on the propagation characteristics of different waves in an elastic medium. The solution of complex secular equation governing the characteristics of the bulk waves in an infinite homogenous isotropic, Kelvin-Voigt type generalized viscothermoelastic rotating media is carried out by employing both direct and perturbation methods. The analytical developments are supported with numerical illustrations for copper material in respect of phase velocities, attenuation coefficients and specific loss factor of various possible waves. The computer simulated results have been presented graphically with respect to Kibel number. In order to explore and analyze the effects of viscosity and temperature on the elastic waves, the Karl-Pearson correlation coefficient has been used. The student t-test is used to judge and decide the suitability of Cardano’s method vis-à-vis perturbation one for computing different characteristics. The present study may be useful in geophysics and gyroscopic sensor applications and industry.
Neighborhood Connections, Physical Disorder, and Neighborhood Satisfaction in Las Vegas
Authors: Dassopoulos Andrea , Batson Christie D. , Futrell Robert , Brents Barbara G.
Published: May 2012

This study helps to disentangle the mutual effects of neighborhood disorder and social cohesion on how residents evaluate their neighborhoods. We draw upon data from the 2009 Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey to understand how neighborhood cohesion, physical disorder, and perceptions of crime and safety influence neighborhood satisfaction and neighborhood quality of life among residents in the dynamic, yet understudied, urban context of Las Vegas, Nevada. We use ordinary least squares and binary logistic regression to predict two measures of neighborhood satisfaction. Our results show that even with significant neighborhood disorder, social connectedness with neighbors remains a significant predictor of neighborhood satisfaction. We discuss implications of neighborhood satisfaction research for other fast-changing metropolitan areas.
Organizational ignorance: Towards a managerial perspective on the unknown
Authors: Roberts Joanne
Published: May 2012

This article aims to bring organizational ignorance to the attention of management scholars and practitioners and thereby initiate the development of a managerial perspective on the unknown. Although managing every aspect of the unknown is beyond reach, the development of an appreciation of organizational ignorance can offer a valuable means of reflecting on management issues, particularly given the bounded rationality of organizational actors in contexts characterized by ever increasing supplies of knowledge and information, growing complexity, and the need to respond quickly to opportunities and challenges. The article begins with an account of why organizational ignorance warrants attention. The nature of ignorance and organizational ignorance is then considered and a typology of organizational ignorance is presented. The article concludes with a call for the development of a managerial perspective on the unknown, together with the elaboration of research questions that can usefully direct future investigations into organizational ignorance.
In search of democratic agency in deliberative governance
Authors: Erman Eva
Published: May 2012

In recent years, we have witnessed deliberative democracy take a ‘civil society turn’ to address the democratic deficit of global governance. In light of the present circumstances of world politics, it is argued that civil society offers a rich soil for reformulating democracy globally. This article engages in this debate with particular focus on democratic agency. It investigates the notion of democratic agency built into this deliberative civil society view with regard to its democratic qualities. This is done by problematizing a common feature underlying this view, here called the ‘separability premise’, which presumes that it is possible to define democracy as two or more separate core democratic qualities or mechanisms — most importantly, inclusive participation, accountability, authorization and deliberation — and that democracy increases the more one or more of these are strengthened. The article defends the thesis that the proposed political subject is not equipped to be a democratic agent insofar as the deliberative civil society view does not fulfil two basic requirements for an arrangement to qualify as minimally democratic, namely, political equality and political bindingness. The article concludes that insofar as we wish to hold on to a deliberative conception of democracy, something along the lines of Habermas’s two-track view is still our best bet for accommodating these two conditions, even in a transnational context, since it is able to avoid the problems connected with the separability premise.
Stranger situations: Examining a self-regulatory model of socially awkward encounters
Authors: Clegg Joshua W.
Published: May 2012

A self-regulatory systems model of socially awkward situations was assessed through a mixed-methods analysis of an ecologically valid simulation. Specific hypotheses were that introducing social novelty and inducing explicit social attention would increase reported feelings of social awkwardness. Participant awkwardness ratings, recorded from continuous measurement devices operated by participants viewing taped simulations, were analysed and results were consistent with hypotheses. Further exploratory analysis revealed that events associated with extreme increases in awkwardness ratings included non- and counter-normative situations and behaviors, negative social judgments, and events that made social processes explicit. Events associated with extreme decreases in awkwardness ratings included social acts that emphasized common, shared or familiar interests, helping behaviors, acts of positive social evaluation, and acts that diffused social awkwardness through humor. These findings were interpreted as offering general support for the model and suggesting its utility in distinguishing dispositional and situational factors involved in alienated social functioning.
Extension of an operating load range of a four-cylinder gasoline homogeneous charge compression ignition engine via a blowdown supercharge system, aiming at in-cylinder thermal stratification
Authors: Kuboyama Tatsuya , Moriyoshi Yasuo , Hatamura Koichi , Takanashi Junichi , Urata Yasuhiro , Yamada Toshio
Published: May 2012

In order to extend the operational range with a gasoline fueled multi-cylinder homogeneous charge compression ignition engine, a blowdown supercharge system and an exhaust gas recirculation guide was developed. The concept was to provide a large amount of diluted mixture and a strong in-cylinder thermal stratification for decreasing nitrogen oxide emissions and pressure rise rate during high-load homogeneous charge compression ignition operation. Secondary air injection was also proposed to reduce a cylinder-to-cylinder variation in ignition timing, which is one of the limiting factors of multi-cylinder homogeneous charge compression ignition operation. In advance of experimental works, the blowdown supercharge system and the exhaust gas recirculation guide were proved to be effective to reduce pressure rise rate for high-load operation using three-dimensional in-cylinder flow simulations and zero-dimensional multi-zone simulations with detailed chemical kinetics. Based on the simulation results, experiments were conducted using a slightly modified production four-cylinder gasoline engine. At first, the effects of the proposed techniques were experimentally investigated by focusing on one cylinder out of four. Then, a four-cylinder homogeneous charge compression ignition operation test using the new techniques was carried out. The one-cylinder measurements revealed that the blowdown supercharge system with an exhaust gas recirculation guide is capable of extending the homogeneous charge compression ignition operating range up to a net indicated mean effective pressure of 590 kPa for naturally aspirated conditions. In addition, secondary air injection was experimentally demonstrated as a technique for reducing a cylinder-to-cylinder variation in ignition timing. Reducing the cylinder-to-cylinder variation in ignition timing, four-cylinder homogeneous charge compression ignition operation with a net indicated mean effective pressure of 570 kPa was successfully achieved with the blowdown supercharge system and the exhaust gas recirculation guide.
Clinical Applications of Noninvasive Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Rothwell John C.
Published: May 2012

Both transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can produce lasting aftereffects on cortical function that are thought to be due to the initial stages of synaptic potentiation/depression. They can also interact with processes of normal learning, to increase or decrease the rate of learning and retention. These features have spurred a number of investigators to test whether there is any clinical therapeutic potential for the methods to improve recovery of function after damage to the brain by injury or disease. The only condition where there is sufficient evidence is in certain forms of depression where excitatory rTMS is a recommended treatment protocol; there is insufficient evidence for any other condition. The problem facing investigators is the variety of possible paradigms that can be applied. Particularly for tDCS, only a small range of possible parameters has been tested, even in healthy volunteers; in addition, it is unclear whether stimulation should be applied at the same time as a behavioral therapy or whether stimulation should be applied at rest. Present trials give some evidence that can be used to address these questions, but until they are answered more securely it will be difficult to reach a consensus about “standard” protocols that can then be tested widely in multicenter trials.
Considerations in the rationale, design and methods of the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) study
Authors: Babiker Abdel G , Emery Sean , Fätkenheuer Gerd , Gordin Fred M , Grund Birgit , Lundgren Jens D , Neaton James D , Pett Sarah L , Phillips Andrew , Touloumi Giota , Vjechaj Michael J ,   for the INSIGHT START Study Group
Published: May 2012

Background

Untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is characterized by progressive depletion of CD4+ T lymphocyte (CD4) count leading to the development of opportunistic diseases (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)), and more recent data suggest that HIV is also associated with an increased risk of serious non-AIDS (SNA) diseases including cardiovascular, renal, and liver diseases and non-AIDS-defining cancers. Although combination antiretroviral treatment (ART) has resulted in a substantial decrease in morbidity and mortality in persons with HIV infection, viral eradication is not feasible with currently available drugs. The optimal time to start ART for asymptomatic HIV infection is controversial and remains one of the key unanswered questions in the clinical management of HIV-infected individuals.

Purpose

In this article, we outline the rationale and methods of the Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) study, an ongoing multicenter international trial designed to assess the risks and benefits of initiating ART earlier than is currently practiced. We also describe some of the challenges encountered in the design and implementation of the study and how these challenges were addressed.

Methods

A total of 4000 study participants who are HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infected, ART naïve with CD4 count > 500 cells/µL are to be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to start ART immediately (early ART) or defer treatment until CD4 count is <350 cells/µL (deferred ART) and followed for a minimum of 3 years. The primary outcome is time to AIDS, SNA, or death. The study had a pilot phase to establish feasibility of accrual, which was set as the enrollment of at least 900 participants in the first year.

Results

Challenges encountered in the design and implementation of the study included the limited amount of data on the risk of a major component of the primary endpoint (SNA) in the study population, changes in treatment guidelines when the pilot phase was well underway, and the complexities of conducting the trial in a geographically wide population with diverse regulatory requirements. With the successful completion of the pilot phase, more than 1000 participants from 100 sites in 23 countries have been enrolled. The study will expand to include 237 sites in 36 countries to reach the target accrual of 4000 participants.

Conclusions

START is addressing one of the most important questions in the clinical management of ART. The randomization provided a platform for the conduct of several substudies aimed at increasing our understanding of HIV disease and the effects of antiretroviral therapy beyond the primary question of the trial. The lessons learned from its design and implementation will hopefully be of use to future publicly funded international trials.