bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parallel Changes in Neuronal AT1R and GRK5 Expression Following Exercise Training in Heart Failure
Authors: Haack Karla K.V. , Engler Christopher W. , Papoutsi Evlampia , Pipinos Iraklis I. , Patel Kaushik P. , Zucker Irving H.
Published: July 2012

Although exercise training (ExT) is an important therapeutic strategy for improving quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), the central mechanisms by which ExT is beneficial are not well understood. The angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) plays a pivotal role in the development of CHF and is upregulated in a number of tissues owing, in part, to transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). In addition, AT1R is marked for internalization and recycling via G-protein–coupled receptor kinase (GRK) phosphorylation. Because previous studies have shown that the beneficial effects of ExT in CHF rely on a reduction in angiotensin II, we hypothesized ExT would decrease AT1R, GRK5, and NF-κB protein expression in the paraventricular nucleus and rostral ventrolateral medulla of CHF rats. Following infarction by coronary artery ligation, animals were exercised 4 weeks postsurgery on a treadmill at a final speed of 25 miles per minute for 60 minutes, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Western blot analysis of paraventricular nucleus and rostral ventrolateral medulla micropunches revealed an upregulation of AT1R, GRK5, and NF-κB in the infarcted group that was reversed by ExT. Furthermore, the relative expression of phosphorylated AT1R and AT1R/GRK5 physical association was increased in the CHF sedentary group and reversed by ExT. Overexpression of GRK5 in cultured CATH.a neurons blunted angiotensin II-mediated upregulation of AT1R and NF-κB; conversely, silencing of GRK5 exacerbated angiotensin II-mediated AT1R and NF-κB upregulation. Taken together, increased GRK5 may regulate AT1R expression in CHF, and ExT mitigates AT1R and its pathway components.
Constructing Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty
Authors: Silva Jennifer M.
Published: July 2012

Past research in both the transitions to adulthood literature and cultural sociology more broadly suggests that the working class relies on traditional cultural models in their construction of identity. In the contemporary post-industrial world, however, traditional life pathways are now much less available to working-class men and women. I draw on 93 interviews with black and white working-class young people in their 20s to 30s and ask, in an era of increasing uncertainty, where traditional markers of adulthood have become tenuous, what kinds of cultural models do working-class young people employ to validate their adult identities? In contrast to previous studies of working-class identity, I found that respondents embraced a model of therapeutic selfhood—that is, an inwardly directed self preoccupied with its own psychic development. I demonstrate that the therapeutic narrative allows working-class men and women to redefine competent adulthood in terms of overcoming a painful family past. Respondents required a witness to validate their performances of adulthood, however, and the inability to find one left many lost in transition.
Simulation on the Web with distributed models and intelligent agents
Authors: Jávor András , Fűr Attila
Published: July 2012

Simulation is aimed very often to solve problems of great complexity requiring – beyond using the advanced simulation software tools – platforms that enable the implementation of such software systems. In recent years the concept of cloud computing has emerged and is being applied more and more widely for solving such problems. This paper, beyond delineating the main trends of the development of distributed simulation over a grid, especially over the Internet through Web-based applications, highlights the concepts of service-based simulation system approach. This concept gives the possibility of implementing Web- or cloud agents and other ASP system compliant simulation services based on simulation standards. As a sample application, Fuzzy Web Service is demonstrated as a part of CASSANDRA 4.0 (Cognizant Adaptive Simulation System for Applications in Numerous Different Relevant Areas) that is developed by the McLeod Institute of Simulation Sciences Hungarian Center.
Theoretical modeling of spacer-yarn arrangement for warp-knitted spacer fabrics and experimental verification
Authors: Guo Xiaofang , Long Hairu , Sun Yao , Zhao Li
Published: July 2012

Different surface structure of spacer fabric implies different spacer yarn arrangement and therefore the compression resistance of fabric. The spacer yarns' arrangement modeling of warp knitted spacer fabrics having identical parameters (thickness, density, material etc.) but different surface structures on double-needle-bar Raschel knitting machine is presented in the study. In a sample, there are several spacer yarns' inclination directions, which differ according to surface structures despite the same lapping movement of spacer guide bars. To simplify the arrangement modeling, it was considered that there was only one inclination angle in a sample, and that was weighted average angle η. The theoretical compression curves were obtained by substituting η into derived equation then simulating by Matlab. To verify proposed arrangement modeling, the compression experiment was done to gain experimental compression curves. The curves of theoretical simulation and experiment of each sample were compared in a figure and the curves exhibited agreement with each other while there were still some deviations derived from the partial approximate substitutions of equations and arrangement angles, as well as the differences between theoretical and actual fabric parameters after removing from knitting machine such as thickness, density, and so on.
Race, Class, and Religious Differences in the Social Networks of Children and Their Parents
Authors: Hunter Andrea G. , Friend Christian A. , Williams-Wheeler Meeshay , Fletcher Anne C.
Published: July 2012

The study is a qualitative investigation of mothers’ perspectives about and their role in negotiating and developing intergenerational closure across race, class, and religious differences and their management of children’s diverse friendships. Black and White mothers ( n = 25) of third graders were interviewed about social networks, children’s friendships, and closure relationships. Race, class, and faith were critical vantage points from which parents thought about social difference and managed closure relationships. Mothers’ involvement in diverse networks reflected articulated ideologies, socialization goals, and active engagement of strategies to build relationships between parents and children. However, de facto social barriers and ideologies about the invisibility of social differences created barriers to building intergenerational closure across social differences as did mothers’ perceptions of these relationships as threats to aspired to or salient identities and values.
Estimating the Effect of Premarital Cohabitation on Timing of Marital Disruption
Authors: Lu Bo , Qian Zhenchao , Cunningham Anna , Li Chih-Lin
Published: July 2012

In this article, we extend the propensity score method by matching on multiple groups. Using data from first wave (1987–1988) and third wave (2001–2003) of National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), we match married individuals with no premarital cohabitation, single premarital cohabitation with the spouse, and serial premarital cohabitations, and apply Cox proportional hazards models to explore how premarital cohabitation history affects marital disruption. Our results indicate that both selection and causation help explain the relationship. The selection effect played a large role in 1987–88 when cohabitation was uncommon but disappeared in 2001–03 when cohabitation became prevalent. Postmatching results demonstrate that the causal effect of cohabitation on marital disruption was strong among serial cohabitors and weak among one-time cohabitors with the spouse. The imputation-based sensitivity analysis shows that our conclusion is robust even with the presence of unobserved characteristics that have a moderate association with cohabitation and marital disruption.
Modeling Longitudinal Count Data
Authors: Mustillo Sarah , Landerman Lawrence R. , Land Kenneth C.
Published: July 2012

To test for group differences in growth trajectories in mixed (fixed and random effects) models, researchers frequently interpret the coefficient of Group-by-Time product terms. While this practice is straightforward in linear mixed models, it is less so in generalized linear mixed models. Using both an empirical example and synthetic data, we show that the coefficient of Group-by-Time product terms in a specific class of mixed models—mixed Poisson models for count outcome variables—estimates the group difference in slope as the multiplicative change with respect to the baseline rates, not differences in the predicted rate of change between groups. The latter can be obtained from computing the marginal effect for the expected response with respect to time by group following model estimation. We propose and illustrate the use of marginal effects to test and interpret group differences in rate of change over time following estimation with mixed Poisson regression models.
Isaiah Berlin as Essayist
Authors: Ferrell Jason
Published: July 2012

One of the largest contemporary debates in political theory revolves around the question of how pluralists can justify their political commitments. Isaiah Berlin, one of the first to face this problem, was a self-proclaimed liberal, whose political writings have led to controversy. In this essay, I take up the issue of how Berlin’s use of the essay genre contributes to his defense of liberalism given his pluralist beliefs. I argue that while his reliance upon the essay generates particular interpretive problems, it need not undermine his commitment to liberalism. Rather, Berlin’s defense of liberalism involves a rhetorical attempt to discredit alternatives to liberalism while drawing attention to suggestive ties between history, political judgment, and liberalism.
Realism without Illusions
Authors: Philp Mark
Published: July 2012

This essay engages critically with the recent emergence of “political realism” in political theory (centrally in the work of Raymond Geuss and Bernard Williams). While sympathetic to and convinced of the importance of the core of the enterprise which it identifies, the essay is critical of some of the claims made about the independence of politics from morality and the historically contingent character of political values, and suggests that realism may itself succumb to illusion. The final section sketches an account of the nature of evaluative judgment in the study of politics and, in conclusion, defends both the pluralist character of political theory and the pressing importance of the questions that realism raises and that are inadequately attended to by the bulk of post-war political theory.
Iterative Linking With the Differential Functioning of Items and Tests (DFIT) Method
Authors: Seybert Jacob , Stark Stephen
Published: July 2012

A Monte Carlo study was conducted to examine the accuracy of differential item functioning (DIF) detection using the differential functioning of items and tests (DFIT) method. Specifically, the performance of DFIT was compared using “testwide” critical values suggested by Flowers, Oshima, and Raju, based on simulations involving large numbers of DIF-free items, with item-specific critical values obtained via the newer item parameter replication (IPR) method. Also examined were the benefits of single-stage, two-stage, and iterative linking for dichotomous and ordered polytomous data involving samples of various size, tests of different length, types and percentages of DIF items, and levels of impact. Overall, the results indicated that testwide and IPR-based critical values corresponding to a nominal alpha of .01 provided similar power for detecting DIF due to shifts in extremity parameters, but IPR power was generally lower when DIF was due to differences in discrimination. In addition, IPR-based critical values provided as good as or better control of Type I error under most conditions, and results improved for all methods when using two-stage and iterative linking rather than single-stage linking and DIF analysis. The implications of these findings for future research involving the DFIT method with various item response models are discussed.
A Mixture Rasch Model–Based Computerized Adaptive Test for Latent Class Identification
Authors: Jiao Hong , Macready George , Liu Junhui , Cho Youngmi
Published: July 2012

This study explored a computerized adaptive test delivery algorithm for latent class identification based on the mixture Rasch model. Four item selection methods based on the Kullback–Leibler (KL) information were proposed and compared with the reversed and the adaptive KL information under simulated testing conditions. When item separation was large, all item selection methods did not differ evidently in terms of accuracy in classifying examinees into different latent classes and estimating latent ability. However, when item separation was small, two methods with class-specific ability estimates performed better than the other two methods based on a single latent ability estimate across all latent classes. The three types of KL information distributions were compared. The KL and the reversed KL information could be the same or different depending on the ability level and the item difficulty difference between latent classes. Although the KL information and the reversed KL information were different at some ability levels and item difficulty difference levels, the use of the KL, the reversed KL, or the adaptive KL information did not affect the results substantially due to the symmetric distribution of item difficulty differences between latent classes in the simulated item pools. Item pool usage and classification convergence points were examined as well.
A Meta‐Analysis of Probiotic and Synbiotic Use in Elective Surgery
Authors: Kinross James Macalister , Markar Sheraz , Karthikesalingam Alan , Chow Andre , Penney Nicholas , Silk David , Darzi Ara
Published: July 2012

Background: Perioperative nutrition modulation of gut microbiota is increasingly used as a strategy for reducing the infective complications of elective surgery. This meta‐analysis assessed the effect of probiotic and synbiotic preparations on the incidence of postoperative sepsis. Methods: Randomized controlled trials that compared preoperative dosing of probiotics and synbiotics in patients undergoing elective general surgical procedures were included. The primary outcome measure was the postoperative sepsis rate. Pooled outcome measures were determined using random effects models. Results: Thirteen randomized controlled trials totaling 962 patients were included in this analysis (304 received synbiotics and 182 received probiotics). The incidence of postoperative sepsis was reduced in the probiotic group vs the control (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23–0.75; P = .003) and in the synbiotic group vs the control (pooled OR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.1–0.6; P = .002). However, subgroup analysis failed to identify a significant reduction in the incidence of pneumonia, urinary tract infections, or wound infections in the postoperative phase for either treatment group. Synbiotics reduced the length of postoperative antibiotic use (weighted mean differences = −1.71; 95% CI, −3.2 to −0.21; P = .03). Conclusion: Probiotic and synbiotic nutrition strategies reduce the incidence of postoperative sepsis in the elective general surgery setting. These effects appear more pronounced with the use of synbiotics. High‐powered, mechanistic studies are now required for the optimization of pro‐ and prebiotic regimens to further improve their efficacy.
An Unpaid Labor of Love
Authors: Roderick Martin J.
Published: July 2012

This article presents qualitative findings which cast light on experiences of job-related geographical relocation for professional footballers and their families. Job relocation is an issue for players and partners, as labor market migration is commonplace in this profession. Although cultural expectations often lead to personal sacrifice, initial research findings indicate that many partners are deciding against relinquishing control over their own prospects and identities, and exercising influence in relation to negotiations concerning living arrangements. Professional footballers are an interesting group to examine for their work contaminates the lives of significant others. Based on interviews with 49 professional footballers, the data presented illuminate the interdependence between home and work and illustrate how decision-making processes and subsequent outcomes impact on the organization of, and living arrangements for, family members.
Sialendoscopy in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sialolithiasis
Authors: Zenk Johannes , Koch Michael , Klintworth Nils , König Barbara , Konz Katharina , Gillespie M. Boyd , Iro Heinrich
Published: July 2012

Objective

Sialendoscopy and other gland‐preserving techniques such as extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), transoral stone removal, and combinations of these methods have fundamentally changed the therapeutic approach to salivary stones. Since 2003, all patients presenting with sialolithiasis have been diagnosed and treated with the same algorithm and routine salivary gland endoscopy (SGE).

Study Design

Case series with chart review of patients with sialolithiasis treated between 2003 and 2008 using an algorithm for gland preservation.

Setting

Tertiary referral academic medical center.

Subjects and Methods

A total of 1154 patients with suspected sialolithiasis were identified and reviewed. Factors analyzed included stone location, size, surgical method, rate of stone clearance, complications, and rate of short‐ and long‐term symptom resolution. Successful treatment was defined as freedom from symptoms at follow‐up.

Results

Diagnostic sialendoscopy confirmed 221 parotid stones and 812 submandibular stones, of which 206 and 736, respectively, were treated. Transoral stone removal was the most frequently used method to remove submandibular stones (92%), with a smaller percentage able to be removed by SGE alone (5%) with long‐term success rates ≥90%. Only 4% (29/736) required submandibular gland removal. Parotid stones were removed by SGE (22%), combined SGE and incisional technique (26%), or ESWL (52%), with long‐term success rates of 98%, 89%, and 79%, respectively. Only 8 of 206 (4%) patients eventually required parotidectomy.

Conclusion

Salivary gland endoscopy is an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the management of sialolithiasis but must be combined with additional techniques to ensure a high rate of stone clearance, symptom resolution, and gland preservation.
Conquering the Castle
Authors: Eren Erdem , Başoğlu M. Sinan , Gürcan Bingölballı Aslıhan , Aslan Hale , Kiray Amaç , Özbay Can , Öztürkcan Sedat , Katılmış Hüseyin
Published: July 2012

Objective

To describe 2 subapproaches of the middle fossa approach: the transillumination method and transection of lines using the foramen spinosum, greater superficial petrosal nerve, and trigeminal impression to locate the malleus head for safe identification and decompression of the geniculate ganglion and facial nerve.

Study Design

Cadaver study.

Setting

A tertiary university hospital anatomy laboratory.

Subjects and Methods

The present study was conducted using 7 formalin‐fixed cadaver heads (14 sides). A 0° endoscope was introduced into the external ear canal toward the posterosuperior quadrant of the tympanic membrane, after which transillumination was used to locate the malleus head. The brightest point indicated the convergence of the greater superficial petrosal nerve and a line drawn along the superior semicircular canal. An additional line was drawn parallel to the petrous ridge from the foramen spinosum and along the pathway of the greater superficial petrosal nerve. A third line connected the trigeminal impression to the zygomatic root. The area posterior to the intersection of these 2 lines separately with the third line was considered the zone of location of the malleus head. Among 17 patients undergoing surgery for facial paralysis between 1993 and 2011, transillumination was used in 6 patients to identify the malleus head to locate the geniculate ganglion.

Results

These techniques were proven to be reliable in locating the malleus head to find the geniculate ganglion in 14 dissected cadaveric temporal bones.

Conclusion

Two methods of locating the malleus head for facial decompression were defined.
The Use of Vestibular Test Battery to Identify the Stages of Delayed Endolymphatic Hydrops
Authors: Lin Mei‐Chun , Young Yi‐Ho
Published: July 2012

Objective

Patients with delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) underwent a vestibular test battery to evaluate the residual function, assess their clinical stage, and predict outcome.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

University hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Twenty patients with DEH, 15 with ipsilateral type and 5 with contralateral type, were enrolled. All patients underwent audiometry and caloric, ocular vestibular‐evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP), and cervical VEMP (cVEMP) tests. The DEH staging was based on vestibular test results. Stage 0 indicates that all 3 vestibular tests are normal, while stages I through III indicate abnormal results in tests 1 through 3, respectively.

Results

Of the 20 DEH patients, 2 patients were stage 0, 12 patients were stage I, 4 patients were stage II, and 2 patients were stage III. The median frequency of vertigo in patients with stages II and III was 4 episodes monthly, significantly less than 15 episodes monthly in those with stages 0 and I. Ipsilateral and contralateral types did not differ significantly in the stage distribution. The percentages of abnormal cVEMP, oVEMP, and caloric test results for patients with ipsilateral type were 80%, 33%, and 13%, not significantly different from those for contralateral type.

Conclusions

As a vertiginous attack may subside spontaneously for patients with long‐term DEH, one must identify its clinical stage based on cVEMP, oVEMP, and caloric test results. In early stage DEH, most vestibular function remained relatively intact, leading to repeated vertiginous attacks. Conversely, subsidence of vertiginous episode can be anticipated in patients with late stage DEH.
Hypopharyngeal Surgery in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Kezirian Eric J. , Hussey Heather M. , Brietzke Scott E. , Cohen Seth M. , Davis Greg E. , Shin Jennifer J. , Weinberger Debra G. , Cabana Michael D.
Published: July 2012

Objective

To characterize factors that surgeons perceive as affecting selection of procedures designed to treat hypopharyngeal obstruction in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to compare those factors among 2 groups of American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (AAO‐HNS) member surgeons.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional online survey.

Subjects and Methods

AAO‐HNS members with a self‐identified subspecialty interest either in sleep medicine or general otolaryngology were asked to complete an online survey, each respondent rated (5‐point Likert scale) the perceived quality of their education and training and the role of specific factors in selection, both for procedure categories (eg, all hypopharyngeal) and individual procedures. Responses were examined for the entire group and for subgroups.

Results

Response rate was 27% (163/610). Sixty‐five percent of respondents rated their surgical OSA education and training during postgraduate continuing medical education (CME) courses as of high quality, compared with 39% for residency/fellowship and 4% for medical school (P < 0.01). For individual hypopharyngeal procedures, over 40% of respondents reported limited training (except for tongue radiofrequency), and over 30% raised concerns about scientific evidence and reimbursement. Surgeon personal experience suggested treatment benefits without clearly favoring individual procedures. Respondents noted that patients were reluctant to undergo procedures, despite treatment recommendations, particularly maxillomandibular advancement. The sleep medicine subgroup reported higher ratings for education and training quality, research evidence, and personal experience with hypopharyngeal procedures. Concerns about adequate education and training, the quality of research evidence, and reimbursement issues were major factors in procedure selection.

Conclusion

Multiple factors affect procedure selection. Surgeons identify concerns regarding education and training and research evidence.
Energy conservation for fatigue management in multiple sclerosis: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: García Jalón E Guiomar , Lennon Sheila , Peoples Louise , Murphy Sam , Lowe-Strong Andrea
Published: July 2012

Objective:

To develop and test the feasibility of an energy conservation programme to manage fatigue in multiple sclerosis.

Design:

A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Community setting.

Subjects:

People with multiple sclerosis reporting fatigue.

Interventions:

An energy conservation programme was compared to a peer support group. Both interventions were delivered in group format with 2-hour sessions once a week for five weeks. Patients’ views about the interventions were sought in discussion groups one week post intervention.

Main measures:

The primary feasibility outcomes were recruitment and adherence. Other outcome measures were the Fatigue Impact Scale, Fatigue Severity Scale, MS-Impact Scale-29, MS Self-efficacy Scale, Beck’s Depression Scale-Fast Screen and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Outcomes were administered at baseline, post intervention, 6-week and 3-month follow-up.

Results:

Almost 30% of the people approached to take part in the study did not commit to participation because of transport/time issues. Twenty-three patients took part in the study. Three patients dropped out, one reporting adverse effects. A power calculation indicated that a sample of 56 (28 per group) would be required for a main randomized controlled trial. Patients valued peer support and those in the energy conservation group described the programme as useful, but reported difficulties completing some practice activities.

Conclusion:

An energy conservation programme in the community is feasible and welcomed by people with multiple sclerosis. However, future research needs to consider longer follow-ups and practical issues to improve recruitment rate by accommodating to patients’ needs.
Motivation and Perceived Control in Early Adolescent Friendships
Authors: Ojanen Tiina , Stratman Aaron , Card Noel A. , Little Todd D.
Published: July 2012

Motivation is assumed to influence behaviors via perceived agency over goal pursuits, but empirical research integrating motivation and action-control processes in social development is close to nonexistent. We applied this perspective to the study of early adolescent friendships by examining motivation for and perceived control (ability and effort) over establishing and maintaining friendships in association with adolescents’ emotional adjustment, friend-reported friendship closeness, and peer-reported social adjustment. Participants were 648 early adolescents (12-14 years). As expected, intrinsic friendship motivation was associated with perceived ability and effort in the self as well as positive adjustment, whereas extrinsic motivation was associated with relying on others in friendship tasks and poor adjustment. Motivation was also directly related to adjustment and the observed associations differed by gender. The integrated motivation-action control model was supported in terms of adolescent emotional adjustment and friendship quality.
Use of Natural Health Products
Authors: Boon Heather , Kachan Natasha , Boecker Andreas
Published: July 2012

Introduction. Little is currently known about how and why consumers choose to use natural health products (NHPs), such as herbs and vitamins. Objective. The objective of this study was to explore how the product attributes of NHPs and conventional pharmaceutical sleep aids are linked to consequences and values in consumers’ decision making. Methods. During the spring and summer of 2007, 60- to 90-minute semistructured, laddering interviews based on the means-ends chain approach were conducted with 25 participants experiencing sleep problems in Toronto, Canada, who were selected to have a range of demographic characteristics. Results. Participants varied considerably in the complexity of their decision processes, as between 3 and 14 attribute-consequence-value associations were elicited per interview. The factors found to be most important in determining the type of sleep aid chosen by consumers were whether the product was natural or chemical, whether it was perceived to work or have side effects, and participants’ perceptions of the impact of product use on their relationships and, subsequently, on their quality of life. Participants described making different tradeoffs between product attributes (e.g., naturalness) and perceived consequences (e.g., efficacy and side effects) depending on the situational context and indicated that these tradeoffs were done in an effort to maximize values such as overall quality of life. Conclusions. The naturalness and associated perceived lack of side effects of a product were more important than perceived efficacy for consumers selecting sleep aids for regular use. Only in special cases where efficacy was deemed essential (e.g., prior to important life or work events) did efficacy become a more important factor in the decision-making process.
Simple and Multistate Survival Curves
Authors: Rakow Tim , Wright Rebecca J. , Bull Catherine , Spiegelhalter David J.
Published: July 2012

Objective and Sample: This investigation assessed the comprehension of survival curves in a community sample of 88 young and middle-aged adults when several aspects of good practice for graphical communication were implemented, and it compared comprehension for alternative presentation formats. Design, Method, and Measurements: After reading worked examples of using survival curves that provided explanation and answers, participants answered questions on survival data for pairs of treatments. Study 1 compared presenting survival curves for both treatments on the same figure against presentation via 2 separate figures. Study 2 compared presenting data for 3 possible outcome states via a single “multistate” figure for each treatment against presenting each outcome on a separate figure (with both treatments on the same figure). Both studies compared alternative forms of questioning (e.g., “number alive” versus “number dead”). Numeracy levels (self-rated and objective measures) were also assessed. Results: Comprehension was generally good—exceeding 90% correct answers on half the questions—and was similar across alternative graphical formats. Lower accuracy was observed for questions requiring a calculation but was significantly lower only when the requirement for calculation was not explicit (13%–28% decrements in performance). In study 1, this effect was most acute for those with lower levels of numeracy. Subjective (self-rated) numeracy and objective (measured) numeracy were both moderate positive predictors of overall task accuracy (r ≈ 0.3). Conclusions: A high degree of accuracy in extracting information from survival curves is possible, as long as any calculations that are required are made explicit (e.g., finding differences between 2 survival rates). Therefore, practitioners need not avoid using survival curves in discussions with patients, although clear and explicit explanations are important
Are Standard Diagnostic Test Characteristics Sufficient for the Assessment of Continual Patient Monitoring?
Authors: Chen Liangyou , Reisner Andrew T. , Chen Xiaoxiao , Gribok Andrei , Reifman Jaques
Published: July 2012

Background. For diagnostic processes involving continual measurements from a single patient, conventional test characteristics, such as sensitivity and specificity, do not consider decision consistency, which might be a distinct, clinically relevant test characteristic. Objective. The authors investigated the performance of a decision-support classifier for the diagnosis of traumatic injury with blood loss, implemented with three different data-processing methods. For each method, they computed standard diagnostic test characteristics and novel metrics related to decision consistency and latency. Setting. Prehospital air ambulance transport. Patients. A total of 557 trauma patients. Design. Continually monitored vital-sign data from 279 patients (50%) were randomly selected for classifier development, and the remaining were used for testing. Three data-processing methods were evaluated over 16 min of patient monitoring: a 2-min moving window, time averaging, and postprocessing with the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). Measurements. Sensitivity and specificity were computed. Consistency was quantified through cumulative counts of decision changes over time and the fraction of patients affected by false alarms. Latency was evaluated by the fraction of patients without a decision. Results. All 3 methods showed very similar final sensitivities and specificities. Yet, there were significant differences in terms of the fraction of patients affected by false alarms, decision changes through time, and latency. For instance, use of the SPRT led to a 75% reduction in the number of decision changes and a 36% reduction in the number of patients affected by false alarms, at the expense of 3% unresolved final decisions. Conclusion. The proposed metrics of decision consistency and decision latency provided additional information beyond what could be obtained from test sensitivity and specificity and are likely to be clinically relevant in some applications involving temporal decision making.
The Presence of p16CDKN2A Protein Immunostaining Within Feline Nasal Planum Squamous Cell Carcinomas Is Associated With an Increased Survival Time and the Presence of Papillomaviral DNA
Authors: Munday J. S. , French A. F. , Gibson I. R. , Knight C. G.
Published: July 2012

In humans, oral SCCs are either caused by papillomavirus (PV) infection or by other carcinogens such as tobacco. As these 2 groups of SCCs have different causes they also have different clinical behaviors. Immunostaining using anti-p16CDKN2A protein (p16) antibodies is used to indicate a PV etiology in human oral SCCs and p16-positive SCCs have a more favorable prognosis. The present study investigated whether p16 immunostaining within feline nasal planum SCCs was similarly associated with the presence of PV DNA and with a longer survival time. Intense p16 immunostaining was visible in 32 of 51 (63%) SCCs. In 30 cats with nonexcised SCCs, cats with p16-positive neoplasms had a longer estimated mean survival time (643 days) than cats with p16-negative SCCs (217 days, P = .013). Papillomavirus DNA was amplified more frequently from p16-positive nasal planum SCCs (28 of 32) than p16-negative SCCs (5 of 19, P < .001). The different survival times in cats with p16-positive and p16-negative SCCs suggests that p16 could be a useful prognostic indicator in these common feline cancers. As the clinical behavior of the SCCs can be subdivided using p16 immunostaining, the 2 groups of SCCs may be caused by different factors, supporting a PV etiology in a proportion of feline nasal planum SCCs.
Modeling and Remodeling Writing
Authors: Hayes John R.
Published: July 2012

In Section 1 of this article, the author discusses the succession of models of adult writing that he and his colleagues have proposed from 1980 to the present. He notes the most important changes that differentiate earlier and later models and discusses reasons for the changes. In Section 2, he describes his recent efforts to model young children’s expository writing. He proposes three models that constitute an elaboration of Bereiter and Scardamalia’s knowledge-telling model. In Section 3, he describes three running computer programs that simulate the action of the models described in Section 2.
Introducing Solid Foods
Authors: Coit Julia , Grossman Xena , Buczek Magdalena , Feldman-Winter Lori , Merewood Anne
Published: July 2012

Background:

Introducing solids foods to infants before 6 months has been associated with adverse long-term health outcomes. Studies and surveys frequently use maternal report to identify the age when infants start solid foods.

Objective:

To address the accuracy of maternal report at 1 year postpartum regarding introduction of solid foods.

Methods:

Between 2008 and 2009, the authors enrolled mothers of healthy term singletons at an urban Boston hospital within 72 hours of giving birth. We called mothers monthly for 6 months and asked if they had given their baby solid foods in the previous month. At 1 year, we contacted mothers again and asked when they first gave solid foods; answers at 1 year were compared with the data collected monthly.

Results:

The authors analyzed data on 157 women, all of whom had, according to monthly responses, started solid foods before 6 months. At 1 year, only 14% (22/157) of reports matched data recorded monthly. Although 100% of women introduced solids before 6 months, at 1 year, 41.4% reported starting solids at 6 months.

Conclusions:

Among women who started feeding solids before 6 months, most did not give an accurate response at 1 year. Most said they started giving solids later than they did. Maternal report may not be the best way to collect such data, and health outcomes based on such data may be biased toward the null.
The Communicative Constitution of Collective Identity in Interorganizational Collaboration
Authors: Koschmann Matthew A.
Published: July 2012

This study reconceptualizes collective identity from a communication perspective using a constitutive model of communication as a theoretical framework. A longitudinal case study is used to explain the complications and inaction of a social services interorganizational collaboration as a lack of collective identity, also tracing the emergence of a new collective identity. Collective identity is theorized as an authoritative text that emerges through communicative practice and is drawn on for certain strategic ends. A communicative model of organizational constitution—based on the ‘Montreal School’ theory of coorientation—shows how textual representations of situated conversations can gain authority through abstraction and reification, providing a mechanism to organize and direct the voluntary actions of diverse stakeholders. Implications for theory and research are discussed.
Dividend Announcement and Market Response in Indian Stock Market: An Event-Study Analysis
Authors: Maitra Debasish , Dey Kushankur
Published: July 2012

Event study has remained one of the highly pursued areas of research in corporate finance. Studies reported in this realm empirically show that the economic model or the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) yields relatively better results with respect to the abnormal return of stocks preceded by dividend announcement by the dividend payers as compared to the statistical model, namely, constant return or market model approaches. Both models are incorporated in the study to triangulate the outcomes more accurately. A few hypotheses posited in this paper are namely, there will be significant differences in share prices of sampled companies mediated (moderated) by dividend announcement, and there will be significant differences between positive and negative average abnormal returns along with the ranks of firms.
Tourism Service Quality: A Dimension-specific Assessment of SERVQUAL*
Authors: Bhat Mushtaq Ahmad
Published: July 2012

In the ever more competitive nature-based tourism market, service providers must maintain every edge to remain competitive. Owing to the customer-oriented service endeavours, tourism enterprises, either private or public, need to improve their service offerings so as to retain or improve their market share. To help service providers identify their strengths and weaknesses, the most widely accepted measurement scale for service quality is the SERVQUAL instrument. One of the criticisms levelled against the SERVQUAL scale is its inappropriateness as a generic measure for all service settings. Empirical research as to the dimensionality of service quality within a professional service environment, in particular, tourism sector, is scant and this study, therefore, is aimed to extend the line of research in service quality measurement. Based on data gathered from 320 tourists, the study brought to light four interpretable service quality dimensions for tourism services: Assurance, Tangibility, Responsiveness and Reliability. The overall quality of tourism services as provided by the Kashmir Valley to its tourists is slightly satisfactory. However, management has to improve upon Reliability and Responsiveness where the SERVQUAL scores were relatively low to improve the overall quality of tourism services.
Psychometric Development of the Iceland-Expressive Family Functioning Questionnaire (ICE-EFFQ)
Authors: Sveinbjarnardottir Eydis K. , Svavarsdottir Erla Kolbrun , Hrafnkelsson Birgir
Published: July 2012

Instruments that are able to capture changes related to an intervention are of great value to the scientific as well as to the clinical community. The Iceland-Expressive Family Functioning Questionnaire (ICE-EFFQ) measures expressive emotions, collaboration, problem solving, communication, and behavior in families experiencing a chronic or an acute illness. The conceptual framework of the Calgary Family Assessment Model (Wright & Leahey, 2009) was used to construct the original questionnaire of 45 items and 10 subcategories. A total of 557 family members with a recent illness experience of a close relative answered the ICE-EFFQ in three different studies. Principal component factor analysis reduced the original questionnaire to 22 items with five factors emerging and a total Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of α = 0.912 accounting for 60.3% of the total variability. Confirmatory factor analysis from two studies produced the final version of the questionnaire consisting of 17 items and four factors.
Strategies for Teaching Social and Emotional Intelligence in Business Communication
Authors: Sigmar Lucia Stretcher , Hynes Geraldine E. , Hill Kathy L.
Published: July 2012

Incorporating social and emotional skills (EI) training into the business communication curriculum is important for preparing students to function effectively in a global workplace with its complex informal networks, intercultural issues, team emphasis, and participatory leadership. EI skills enhance communication behavior in work groups and improve the quality of student responses to various business scenarios. Scientific research indicates that modeling social and emotional behavior is key to acquiring competency in these skills. This article describes four classroom strategies for developing EI skills in business communication courses.
Knowledge sharing, sustained relationships and the habitus
Authors: Obembe Demola
Published: July 2012

This article explores knowledge-sharing tendencies among individuals in a UK project-based organization. While the knowledge management literature extensively considers the significant impact of relationships and trust on sharing knowledge, the underlying reasoning behind individual choices to share knowledge and expertise largely remains an underexplored area. Bourdieu’s conception of the habitus is used as an alternative tool to interpret individual dynamics and their propensity for sharing knowledge given their personal relationships. Data are drawn from in-depth interviews conducted across the organization and presented as a narrative indicative of relationship dynamics of individual actors. The findings suggest that individual predisposition towards knowledge sharing is influenced by experiences in sustained relationships, coupled with awareness of knowledge sources, expectations of reciprocity in relationships, and acceptance into social groups. Particularly, the predisposing nature of the habitus serves as guide to location and utilization of knowledge sources as well as on choices to share personal knowledge.
Predicting language and social outcomes at age 5 for later-born siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Malesa Elizabeth , Foss-Feig Jennifer , Yoder Paul , Warren Zachary , Walden Tedra , Stone Wendy L
Published: July 2012

The relation between early joint attention (in which a child coordinates attention between another person and an object or event) and later language and social outcomes was examined in younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (Sibs-ASD) and younger siblings of children with typical development (Sibs-TD). Initial levels of joint attention (at a mean age of 15 months) as well as growth in levels of joint attention (between 15 months and 34 months) were used as potential predictors of outcomes at age 5. The results revealed that initial levels of initiating joint attention (IJA) were associated with language skills at outcome. In addition, growth of responding to joint attention (RJA) was associated with social skills at age 5. These patterns of associations were not significantly different between the Sibs-TD and Sibs-ASD groups. Although the Sibs-ASD group had lower joint attention scores than the Sibs-TD group at younger ages, significant group differences were not found for most measures at age 5.
Academic specialization and contemporary university humanities centers
Authors: Brownley Martine W.
Published: July 2012

Given the academic specialization endemic today in humanities disciplines, some of the most important work of humanities centers has become promoting education about the humanities in general. After charting the rise of humanities centers in the US, three characteristics of centers that enable their advancement of larger concerns of the humanities as a whole are discussed: location, flexibility, and broadened perspective. Independence from departmental demands and responsibilities allows humanities centers to reach diverse public audiences, to explore new paradigms and alternative structures for knowledge, and to overcome the intellectual divisions created by organizational structures of the contemporary university.
Collaboration in the sciences and the humanities
Authors: Real Leslie A.
Published: July 2012

In the past, humanists and scientists have held very different views about the role of collaboration in scholarly research. From the point of view of a Principal Investigator in a scientific laboratory, this article examines the increasingly dominant role of collaboration in scientific research. In contrast to the ‘consensus research’ model of the sciences, humanists have often viewed the role of collaboration in research with considerable skepticism and have placed greater value on the traditional model of the solitary scholar pursuing knowledge and truth. An examination of some of the distinctive cultural differences between the humanities and sciences suggests that the benefits of collaboration may come to play an increasingly significant role in the future of humanistic research.
The humanities: plain and simple
Authors: Garland Robert
Published: July 2012

This article raises a number of questions that the author believes need to be addressed in order to defend and justify the teaching and practice of the humanities in an age when they continue to face swingeing cuts and unreasoned attacks from many quarters, both inside and outside the Academy. They are questions that have to do with the uniqueness of the humanities, its role in teaching values, the objectives of research, the connection between research and teaching, the value of an education in the humanities for society overall, and the ways in which humanists can play a useful public role. In sum, the author advocates for a coherent justification for what the humanities, plain and simple, are (or is).