bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Ecstasy Tablets Using Capillary Electrophoresis with Capacitively Coupled Contactless Conductivity Detection
Authors: Porto Suely K. S. S. , Nogueira Thiago , Blanes Lucas , Doble Philip , Sabino Bruno D. , do Lago Claudimir L. , Angnes Lúcio
Published: July 2014

A method for the identification of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and meta‐chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) was developed employing capillary electrophoresis (CE) with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D). Sample extraction, separation, and detection of “Ecstasy” tablets were performed in <10 min without sample derivatization. The separation electrolyte was 20 mm TAPS/Lithium, pH 8.7. Average minimal detectable amounts for MDMA and mCPP were 0.04 mg/tablet, several orders of magnitude lower than the minimum amount encountered in a tablet. Seven different Ecstasy tablets seized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were analyzed by CE‐C4D and compared against routine gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The CE method demonstrated sufficient selectivity to discriminate the two target drugs, MDMA and mCPP, from the other drugs present in seizures, namely amphepramone, fenproporex, caffeine, lidocaine, and cocaine. Separation was performed in <90 sec. The advantages of using C4D instead of traditional CE‐UV methods for in‐field analysis are also discussed.
Effects of Protein in Wheat Flour on Retrogradation of Wheat Starch
Authors: Xijun Lian , Junjie Guo , Danli Wang , Lin Li , Jiaran Zhu
Published: July 2014

Albumins, globulins, gliadins, and glutenins were isolated from wheat flour and the effects of those proteins on retrogradation of wheat starch were investigated. The results showed that only glutenins retarded retrogradation of wheat starch and other 3 proteins promoted it. The results of IR spectra proved that no S–S linkage formed during retrogradation of wheat starch blended with wheat proteins. Combination of wheat starch and globulins or gliadins through glucosidic bonds hindered the hydrolysis of wheat starch by α‐amylase. The melting peak temperatures of retrograded wheat starch attached to different proteins were 128.46, 126.14, 132.03, 121.65, and 134.84 °C for the control with no protein, albumins, glutenins, globulins, gliadins groups, respectively, and there was no second melting temperature for albumins group. Interaction of wheat proteins and starch in retrograded wheat starch greatly decreased the endothermic enthalpy (△H) of retrograded wheat starch. Retrograded wheat starch bound to gliadins might be a new kind of resistant starch based on glycosidic bond between starch and protein.
Diagnostic efficacy of diffusion‐weighted MRI for pre‐operative assessment of myometrial and cervical invasion and pelvic lymph node metastasis in endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Koplay Mustafa , Dogan Nasuh Utku , Erdogan Hasan , Sivri Mesut , Erol Cengiz , Nayman Alaaddin , Karabagli Pinar , Paksoy Yahya , Celik Cetin
Published: July 2014

Introduction

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW‐MRI) for the pre‐operative assessment of patients with endometrial carcinoma and to assess myometrial and cervical invasion as well as pelvic lymph node metastasis.

Methods

Fifty‐eight women who underwent surgery for histopathologically confirmed endometrial carcinoma were included in the current study. Prior to surgery, patients were evaluated using pelvic DW‐MRI and gadolinium‐enhanced T1‐weighted imaging (Gd‐T1WI). Gd‐T1WI was evaluated together with T2‐weighted images. DW‐MR images were obtained in the axial plane using echo‐planar spin‐echo pulse sequences with different b factors. Endometrial carcinomas were observed as areas of increased intensity on DW‐MRI images, and their intensity was compared with the surrounding hypo‐intense myometrium. Pre‐operative DW‐MRI and Gd‐T1WI results were compared with post‐operative histopathological findings that served as reference standards.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of DW‐MRI for differentiation between superficial myometrial invasion and deep myometrial invasion were 85%, 89%, 81%, 92% and 88%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy rates were 82%, 91% and 89.6% for cervical invasion and 100%, 96% and 96.5% for pelvic lymph node metastasis, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV, and diagnostic accuracy of Gd‐T1WI for differentiation between superficial myometrial invasion and deep myometrial invasion were 85%, 81.5%, 71%, 91% and 83%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were 73%, 89% and 86% for cervical invasion, respectively.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that DW‐MRI may be a good diagnostic tool with high sensitivity and specificity for assessing myometrial invasion and detecting tumour extension. We suggest that DW‐MRI should be considered as a routine part of the pre‐operative pelvic MRI in all patients with endometrial carcinoma.
Associations of OPRM1 A118G and alcohol sensitivity with intravenous alcohol self‐administration in young adults
Authors: Hendershot Christian S. , Claus Eric D. , Ramchandani Vijay A.
Published: July 2014

Human laboratory and animal models implicate variation in the μ‐opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) as relevant for alcohol‐related reward. OPRM1 is associated with alcohol self‐administration in non‐human primate studies, but the relevance of this finding to human models is unclear. This study used computer‐assisted self‐infusion of ethanol (CASE) to examine associations among OPRM1 A118G genotype, subjective responses to alcohol and intravenous alcohol self‐administration in young heavy drinkers (n = 40, mean age = 19.95 years, SD = 0.82). Participants completed a 2‐hour CASE session comprising a priming phase followed by ad libitum self‐administration in a free‐access paradigm. Participants achieved a mean peak breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) of 81.18 mg% (SD = 24.96). Those with the OPRM1 118G variant (GA or GG genotypes) achieved significantly higher peak BrAC (M = 94.90 mg%, SD = 16.56) than those with the AA genotype (M = 74.46 mg%, SD = 25.36), reflecting a significantly greater number of alcohol requests among GA/GG participants. Eighty percent of GA/GG participants surpassed a threshold defining a laboratory analog of heavy alcohol exposure (80 mg%) compared with 46 percent of AA participants. Results indicated significant associations between subjective measures of alcohol sensitivity and CASE outcomes, although the pattern of findings differed across self‐report measures. Subjective responses did not differ by OPRM1 status. These results offer further support for the feasibility of the CASE paradigm and provide initial evidence for an association of OPRM1 with alcohol self‐administration in a human laboratory context.
Mapping and understanding the diversity of insects in the tropics: past achievements and future directions
Authors: Novotny Vojtech , Miller Scott E
Published: July 2014

We still do not know how many insect species there are in tropical forests. The rate of species description peaked a century ago. Unfortunately, taxonomy ceased to be fashionable before it had completed cataloguing insect diversity. Molecular information combined with web‐based data dissemination promises to shorten the 20 years it takes on average for insect specimens to be described as new species. Our inability to enumerate tropical species has made estimates of their diversity popular. Plant‐based estimates, multiplying the number of plant species by the number of insect species effectively specialized to them, have been used for the past 150 years for global insect diversity estimates and recently also for the first local rainforest diversity estimate of arthropods, at 25 000 species. Why are there so many insect species in tropical forests? Insect diversity may be driven by latitudinal trends in vegetation. The near impossibility of conducting a complete census of complex plant–insect food webs in tropical forests should focus our attention upon the most common species and interactions. Recent studies of trees in Amazonia and herbivores in New Guinea suggest that such reduced food webs may be surprisingly simple and, thus, amenable to study, while still including more than 50% of all plant and insect individuals and their interactions. A pan‐tropical network of plots, modelled on the existing network of forest dynamics plots, and potentially utilizing the existing, but rather poorly used, network of canopy cranes, could provide spatially resolved data on plant–insect food webs. The study of food web dynamics requires experimental manipulation, which can range from exclusion or addition of single species to ecosystem‐wide manipulation of species composition and habitat fragmentation. Recent progress in molecular taxonomy, proliferation of community phylogenies, improved food web census techniques and an increasing focus on experiments promise an exciting time for tropical entomology.
Comparison of Complement Activity in Adult and Preterm Sheep Serum
Authors: Ahmed Shatha , Kemp Matthew W. , Payne Matthew S. , Kallapur Suhas G. , Stock Sarah J. , Marsh Henry C. , Jobe Alan H. , Newnham John P. , Spiller Owen B.
Published: July 2014

Problem

Functional complement activity is routinely measured utilizing rabbit antibody‐sensitized sheep erythrocytes. Due to complement inhibitor expression on erythrocytes, the development of an alternative method to measure complement function in sheep serum was required.

Method of study

Several species of target erythrocyte and sensitizing antibody were investigated for improved measurement of complement function testing.

Results and conclusion

Guinea pig erythrocytes were identified as the optimal target, although sensitizing them with rabbit antiguinea pig erythrocyte antibody did not enhance the lysis by maternal sheep serum. In contrast, preterm neonatal sheep serum was unable to efficiently lyse guinea pig erythrocytes unless pre‐sensitized with antibody. Further investigation revealed that maternal serum contained high levels of antibodies that cross‐reacted with guinea pig and rabbit erythrocytes, while no cross‐reacting antierythrocyte antibodies were found in preterm neonatal serum. Therefore, unlike primates, rabbits, and guinea pigs, no transplacental transfer of maternal IgG to foetal sheep occurs. Use of exogenous complement regulators is often used to dissect the contribution of complement to disease pathogenesis; however, we found that while full‐length soluble human complement receptor 1 (sCR1, CDX‐1135) was able to inhibit lysis of guinea pig erythrocytes by human and rat serum, no inhibition of sheep serum could be observed. Investigation of complement contribution to disease pathogenesis in the future will require the identification of an inhibitor that is effective against sheep complement.
The Paediatric migraine disability assessment score is a useful tool for evaluating prophylactic migraine treatment
Authors: Topcu Yasemin , Hiz Kurul Semra , Bayram Erhan , Sozmen Kaan , Yis Uluc
Published: July 2014

Aim

There is a need for an objective assessment scoring system to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic drugs in paediatric migraine, and the aim of this study was to evaluate the Paediatric Migraine Disability Assessment Score (PedMIDAS).

Methods

We recruited 88 children aged between 6 and 17 years of age with migraine. The 53 children in the treatment group were divided into three groups according to the prophylactic drug they received topiramate, flunarizine and propranolol and assessed using PedMIDAS before the start of treatment and 3 and 6 months after treatment. The 35 patients in the control group did not receive prophylactic treatment and were assessed with PedMIDAS on three occasions, 3 months apart.

Results

Topiramate, propranolol and flunarizine treatments significantly decreased PedMIDASs and were shown to be effective in improving the patients’ quality of life. Topiramate and propranolol were more effective than flunarizine. The number of days on analgesic treatment significantly decreased in the patients who had received topiramate and propranolol treatments (p < 0.05), but remained unchanged in the flunarizine prophylaxis group (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The PedMIDAS scoring system is useful in evaluating the efficacy of prophylactic therapy in paediatric migraine. Topiramate and propranolol lowered the PedMIDASs better than flunarizine.
Histopathological screening for prostate carcinoma: is a benign biopsy a negative biopsy?
Authors: Sailer Verena , Kristiansen Glen
Published: July 2014

In case of clinical suspicion of a prostate malignancy, a prostate biopsy is the most widely used approach to confirm prostate cancer. Unfortunately, exclusion of prostate cancer is not feasible by means of biopsy and also the negative rate remains consistently high. Here, we review the information the surgical pathologist can still gain from a prostate biopsy in absence of overt carcinoma.
Personalized oncology: genomic screening in phase 1
Authors: Tuxen Ida Viller , Jønson Lars , Santoni‐Rugiu Eric , Hasselby Jane Preuss , Nielsen Finn Cilius , Lassen Ulrik
Published: July 2014

Improvements in cancer genomics and tumor biology have reinforced the evidence of cancer development driven by numerous genomic alterations. Advanced genomics technology can be used to characterize genomic alterations that potentially drive tumor growth. With the possibility of screening thousands of genes simultaneously, personalized molecular medicine has become an option. New treatments are being investigated in phase 1 trials around the world. Traditionally, the goal of phase 1 studies was to determine the optimal dose and assess dose‐limiting toxicity of a potential new experimental drug. Only a limited number of patients will benefit from the treatment. However, introducing genomic mapping to select patients for early clinical trials with targeted molecular therapy according to the genomic findings, may lead to a better outcome for the patient, an enrichment of phase 1 trials, and thereby accelerated drug development. The overall advantage is to determine which mutation profiles correlate with sensitivity or lack of resistance to specific targeted therapies. The utility and current limitations of genomic screening to guide selection to Phase 1 clinical trial will be discussed.
Expertise reversal for different forms of instructional designs in dynamic visual representations
Authors: Khacharem Aïmen , Zoudji Bachir , Kalyuga Slava
Published: July 2014

The recent advances in software and computer technology have enabled the incorporation of dynamic representations into a multitude of educational and training environments. Cognitive load theory has been extensively used to enhance learning from complex dynamic representations by providing appropriate instructional designs to manage learner cognitive load. The available evidence, however, indicates that the suggested instructional designs that are effective for novice learners can reverse and become ineffective for learners with higher levels of prior knowledge. This phenomenon is called the expertise reversal effect. This paper reviews a series of recent experimental studies that have found interactions between levels of learners' organized knowledge structures (endogenous support) and effectiveness of different instructional designs (exogenous support), leading to the expertise reversal effect. It is argued that adapting instructional designs to learners with different amount of prior knowledge is a crucial part of effective learning.
‘Sex is violence’: African‐American parents' perceptions of the link between exposure to community violence and youth sexual behaviours
Authors: Voisin Dexter , Takahashi Lois , Berringer Kathryn , Burr Sean , Kuhnen Jessica
Published: July 2014

In Chicago, African‐American youth experience disproportionately high rates of exposure to community violence. Growing evidence documents that such exposures are related to youth sexual behaviours. This qualitative study seeks to illuminate the various ways in which violence and sex are intertwined in the lives of African‐American youth. Analysing data from four focus groups (N = 54), major themes indicated that parents linked community violence with: (i) influencing youth sexual interests and opportunities for having sex; (ii) specific notions of youth sexual identities and social status; (iii) increased gang involvement and sexual initiations; and (iv) girls' grudges and their sexual concurrency with boys. These findings suggest that addressing these specific issues is important in parent‐centred and community‐grounded interventions aimed at reducing risky sexual behaviours among African‐American youth.
Contact visits between foster children and their birth family: the views of foster children, foster parents and social workers
Authors: Salas Martínez María D. , Fuentes María J. , Bernedo Isabel M. , García‐Martín Miguel A.
Published: July 2014

It has been argued that contact visits between foster children and birth parents can help maintain attachment bonds and support the child's development. However, some research suggests that such visits can be detrimental. This study analyses the characteristics of contact visits and examines children's perceptions of the emotional relationship they have with foster carers and their biological parents. Participants were 104 non‐kinship foster children and their respective foster carers and social workers. Fifty‐six of these foster children had contact visits with their birth parents. Foster children rated the quality of their relationship with foster carers and birth parents using the Affect Scale. Foster children, foster carers and social workers all completed the Evaluation of Contact Visits Questionnaire. Results showed that (i) a high proportion of children had no contact visits; (ii) the contact agreement was often not fulfilled; (iii) many visits were rated as poor quality; (iv) foster carers' evaluation of visits was more negative than that of both foster children and social workers; and (v) children who experienced poor‐quality visits and perceived less warmth and more criticism/rejection from their parents. These results highlight the need to improve contact visits by developing intervention strategies targeted at all those involved.
Whole‐exome sequencing broadens the phenotypic spectrum of rare pediatric epilepsy: a retrospective study
Authors: Dyment D.A. , Tétreault M. , Beaulieu C.L. , Hartley T. , Ferreira P. , Chardon J.W. , Marcadier J. , Sawyer S.L. , Mosca S.J. , Innes A.M. , Parboosingh J.S. , Bulman D.E. , Schwartzentruber J. , Majewski J. , Tarnopolsky M. , Boycott K.M. ,   FORGE Canada Consortium,   Care4Rare Canada
Published: July 2014

Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) has transformed our ability to detect mutations causing rare diseases. FORGE (Finding Of Rare disease GEnes) and Care4Rare Canada are nation‐wide projects focused on identifying disease genes using WES and translating this technology to patient care. Rare forms of epilepsy are well‐suited for WES and we retrospectively selected FORGE and Care4Rare families with clinical descriptions that included childhood‐onset epilepsy or seizures not part of a recognizable syndrome or an early‐onset encephalopathy where standard‐of‐care investigations were unrevealing. Nine families met these criteria and a diagnosis was made in seven, and potentially eight, of the families. In the eight families we identified mutations in genes associated with known neurological and epilepsy disorders: ASAH1, FOLR1, GRIN2A (two families), SCN8A, SYNGAP1 and SYNJ1. A novel and rare mutation was identified in KCNQ2 and was likely responsible for the benign seizures segregating in the family though additional evidence would be required to be definitive. In retrospect, the clinical presentation of four of the patients was considered atypical, thereby broadening the phenotypic spectrum of these conditions. Given the extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity associated with epilepsy, our findings suggest that WES may be considered when a specific gene is not immediately suspected as causal.
Microcirculation of skeletal muscle adapts differently to a resistive exercise intervention with and without superimposed whole‐body vibrations
Authors: Beijer Åsa , Degens Hans , Weber Tobias , Rosenberger André , Gehlert Sebastian , Herrera Frankyn , Kohl‐Bareis Matthias , Zange Jochen , Bloch Wilhelm , Rittweger Jörn
Published: July 2014

Whole‐body vibration (WBV) training is commonly practiced and may enhance peripheral blood flow. Here, we investigated muscle morphology and acute microcirculatory responses before and after a 6‐week resistive exercise training intervention without (RE) or with (RVE) simultaneous whole‐body vibrations (20 Hz, 6 mm peak‐to‐peak amplitude) in 26 healthy men in a randomized, controlled parallel‐design study. Total haemoglobin (tHb) and tissue oxygenation index (TOI) were measured in gastrocnemius muscle (GM) with near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Whole‐body oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured via spirometry, and skeletal muscle morphology was determined in soleus (SOL) muscle biopsies. Our data reveal that exercise‐induced muscle deoxygenation both before and after 6 weeks training was similar in RE and RVE (P = 0·76), although VO2 was 20% higher in the RVE group (P<0·001). The RVE group showed a 14%‐point increase in reactive hyperaemia (P = 0·007) and a 27% increase in blood volume (P<0·01) in GM after 6 weeks of training. The number of capillaries around fibres was increased by 15% after 6 weeks training in both groups (P<0·001) with no specific effect of superimposed WBV (P = 0·61). Neither of the training regimens induced fibre hypertrophy in SOL. The present findings suggest an increased blood volume and vasodilator response in GM as an adaptation to long‐term RVE, which was not observed after RE alone. We conclude that RVE training enhances vasodilation of small arterioles and possibly capillaries. This effect might be advantageous for muscle thermoregulation and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to exercising muscle and removal of carbon dioxide and metabolites.
Exploring co‐occurrence of closely‐related guild members in a fragmented landscape subject to rapid transformation
Authors: Lindenmayer David B. , Welsh Alan , Blanchard Wade , Tennant Philip , Donnelly Christine
Published: July 2014

Quantifying biotic responses to landscape transformation is a major research focus. Most past studies have explored co‐occurrence of entire communities of a given group (e.g. birds) within largely intact ecosystems or over a limited time‐frame. By contrast, here we use data from a 15 yr experimental study, to explore intra‐guild co‐occurrence of six closely‐related and functionally‐similar sets of birds within 55 woodland fragments. Areas surrounding these remnants are undergoing transformation from grazed paddocks to Pinus radiata plantations, leading to a novel assemblage of forest and woodland birds. We sought to determine if the occurrence of a given species in a guild influenced the occurrence of other closely‐related species in that guild, and through this relationship whether there was evidence of co‐occurrence between species.

After controlling for environmental and habitat variables which can affect species occurrence like time since commencement of landscape transformation, patch size and vegetation type, we found the occurrence of a given species was influenced by the occurrence of a closely‐related species in the same guild. Co‐occurrence varied among bird guilds and included: 1) positive co‐occurrence in which occurrence of one species within fragments positively affected the occurrence of another closely‐related guild member (e.g. eastern and crimson rosellas); and 2) negative co‐occurrence in which the occurrence of one species was negatively associated with the occurrence of another within the same guild (e.g. willie wagtail and grey fantail).

We also identified interactions between patch size and species recording frequency within members of two guilds. For example, modelling of conditional recording frequency revealed the eastern rosella increased with increasing recordings of the crimson rosella in large patches, but decreased with increasing recordings of the crimson rosella in small patches.

Our results provide empirical evidence of co‐occurrence among guild members and underscore the complexity of biotic responses to landscape transformation.
The role of the area postrema in the anorectic effects of amylin and salmon calcitonin: behavioral and neuronal phenotyping
Authors: Braegger Fiona E. , Asarian Lori , Dahl Kirsten , Lutz Thomas A. , Boyle Christina N.
Published: July 2014

Amylin reduces meal size by activating noradrenergic neurons in the area postrema (AP). Neurons in the AP also mediate the eating‐inhibitory effects of salmon calcitonin (sCT), a potent amylin agonist, but the phenotypes of the neurons mediating its effect are unknown. Here we investigated whether sCT activates similar neuronal populations to amylin, and if its anorectic properties also depend on AP function. Male rats underwent AP lesion (APX) or sham surgery. Meal patterns were analysed under ad libitum and post‐deprivation conditions. The importance of the AP in mediating the anorectic action of sCT was examined in feeding experiments of dose–response effects of sCT in APX vs. sham rats. The effect of sCT to induce Fos expression was compared between surgery groups, and relative to amylin. The phenotype of Fos‐expressing neurons in the brainstem was examined by testing for the co‐expression of dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH) or tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH). By measuring the apposition of vesicular glutamate transporter‐2 (VGLUT2)‐positive boutons, potential glutamatergic input to amylin‐ and sCT‐activated AP neurons was compared. Similar to amylin, an intact AP was necessary for sCT to reduce eating. Further, co‐expression between Fos activation and DBH after amylin or sCT did not differ markedly, while co‐localization of Fos and TPH was minor. Approximately 95% of neurons expressing Fos and DBH after amylin or sCT treatment were closely apposed to VGLUT2‐positive boutons. Our study suggests that the hindbrain pathways engaged by amylin and sCT share many similarities, including the mediation by AP neurons.
Family Court and a Review of Family Services in the Department of Veterans Affairs
Authors: Sayers Steven L. , Glynn Shirley M. , McCutcheon Susan
Published: July 2014

Behavioral health family services provided by the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can play an important role for U.S. military veterans and their family members who are involved in family court. VA Family services provided to veterans may include education about family reintegration, posttraumatic stress disorder, and reactions to trauma; couples therapy; family consultation; and family psychoeducation. Coordination of VA staff with family court officers can occur at several levels, including education about family services available within VA and, with the consent of the veteran, progress reports to family court of services provided to veteran families. It is important for family court officers to understand some limitations to family services provided to Veterans and their families, which could be based on the veteran's eligibility for services as well as the determination that a particular clinical service is not deemed appropriate. There is room for an expansion of social supports for veterans involved in family court, and this may involve veterans' peers and volunteers, burgeoning approaches that may have significant promise and benefit for veterans involved in family court.

Key Points for the Family Court Community

This article provides background in the development of couple and family services provided to veterans and their family members.

Key concepts regarding the role of family services can play in supporting the work of family court officers.

Opportunities and limitations in the relationship between mental health providers in the Department of Veterans Affairs and family court personnel are discussed.
Intimate Partner Violence, Military Personnel, Veterans, and Their Families
Authors: Tinney Glenna , Gerlock April A.
Published: July 2014

Communities throughout the country are grappling with the aftermath of the protracted wars in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and how to serve military personnel, veterans, and their families effectively with sensitivity to the experiences they have had and the issues they face. This article begins with a discussion of bringing a contextual analysis to the understanding of intimate partner violence (IPV) and how IPV may or may not overlap with potential co‐occurring combat‐related conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, substance use disorder, and depression. Elements of risk and danger, especially in relationship to IPV, these co‐occurring conditions, and suicide are also addressed. Implications for family court personnel start with effective methods for screening and assessment within the framework of the larger contextual analysis. The article provides tips for family court personnel by addressing the larger context, applying effective screening/assessment strategies, and utilizing resources available within the military, Veterans' Health Administration, and community settings.

Key Points for the Family Court Community

Understand how the larger context in which intimate partner violence is embedded affects risk, danger, and treatment/intervention.

Be able to discuss the intersection of intimate partner violence and co‐occurring combat‐related conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, substance use disorder, and depression and how to approach screening, assessment, and treatment/intervention.

Understand the importance of screening and assessing for intimate partner violence and co‐occurring combat‐related conditions when making decisions in family court involving military and veteran families.
Educating Family Court Judges on the Front Lines of Combat Readjustment: Toward the Formulation and Delivery of a Core Curriculum on Military Family Issues
Authors: Seamone Evan R.
Published: July 2014

This article considers the results of the first national survey of family court judges, in which they ranked key concerns for cases involving military families. Consistent with estimates recognizing the significant number of service members with operational stress injuries and the link between such unseen injuries and military family turmoil, judges who initially had little experience with military families have encountered increasing numbers of such cases as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan intensified. This article reviews current efforts to establish a standardized curriculum that is responsive to judges' foremost concerns. After describing potential approaches for delivery of this core curriculum, the article suggests three factors that will greatly enhance efforts to meet judges' needs: (1) awareness of key aspects of military culture that have a bearing on family functioning, (2) greater incorporation of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Service Organizations in family court cases involving military families, and (3) identification of best practices in family courts located near military communities which function as de facto centers of excellence. The article draws on selected experiences and opinions of family court judges in North Carolina, Georgia, Hawaii, and Tennessee military communities and suggests key recommendations for meeting all courts' most dire needs.

Key Points for the Family Court Community

In a recent national study, family court judges ranked deployment and postdeployment readjustment considerations among their most important needs for training on military family issues.

Family courts adjudicating disputes involving veterans with operational stress injuries must often transcend existing scientific studies to craft meaningful parenting plans and family interventions.

Courts operating within high‐density military populations have developed uncommon solutions to common problems and can provide a wealth of knowledge to family courts that do not regularly hear such cases.

Although family court interactions with veterans service organizations and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are limited or nonexistent—even within large military communities—these organizations possess special knowledge and resources that can enhance the family courts' effectiveness.

Family court judges located within jurisdictions that have operational Veterans Treatment Courts can easily draw on the expertise of veterans court judges to obtain necessary knowledge and vital insights.

Many approaches to military family deployments and combat‐related mental conditions equally apply to the tens of thousands of families of private contractors who worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially on security details.
Safe Haven: Granting Support to Victims of Child Abuse Who Have Been Judicially Emancipated
Authors: Cataldo Mayra Alicia
Published: July 2014

Emancipation is the process by which a minor becomes free from the custody and control of the minor's parents. There are twenty‐eight states with emancipation statutes that set forth the procedure for obtaining emancipation status. Current emancipation statutes terminate the parents' obligation to support the minor. Thus, parents of emancipated minors are no longer required to provide financial assistance, health care or housing to the minor. Although minors must show that they have an independent and legitimate source of income when they first petition for emancipation status, the increased financial burden and limited options of support available to minors leave them vulnerable to becoming impoverished. Minors who seek emancipation due to domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, and abandonment are especially vulnerable to becoming impoverished and homeless due to financial insecurity, lack of affordable housing, and mental illness resulting from traumatic experiences in violent households. This Note proposes an amendment to state emancipation statutes authorizing the court to exercise its discretion in granting continued parental support to minors who are seeking emancipation due to maltreatment. Assistance should be calculated based on the state's guidelines for child support payments, but parents should not be responsible for debts incurred by the minor after emancipation is granted. Assistance should continue only until the minor reaches the age of majority. A grant of postemancipation financial assistance will further the state's interest in protecting the welfare of children by ensuring that minors have sustenance, housing, health care, and the opportunity to complete their education.

Key Points for the Family Court Community

Currently twenty‐eight states have statutes that set forth the procedure in which a minor can petition for emancipation status.

Nearly half of states with emancipation statutes terminate the parent's obligation to provide financial support to the minor.

Without support from their parents and limited options for work and housing, judicially emancipated minors are vulnerable to impoverishment.

Minors who seek emancipation status because they were abused, neglected or abandoned by their parents should not be forced to incur all expenses that result from leaving the household.
Discovery and characterization of pseudocyclic cystine‐knot α‐amylase inhibitors with high resistance to heat and proteolytic degradation
Authors: Nguyen Phuong Q. T. , Wang Shujing , Kumar Akshita , Yap Li J. , Luu Thuy T. , Lescar Julien , Tam James P.
Published: July 2014

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are chronic metabolic diseases, and those affected could benefit from the use of α‐amylase inhibitors to manage starch intake. The pseudocyclics, wrightides Wr‐AI1 to Wr‐AI3, isolated from an Apocynaceae plant show promise for further development as orally active α‐amylase inhibitors. These linear peptides retain the stability known for cystine‐knot peptides in the presence of harsh treatment. They are resistant to heat treatment and endopeptidase and exopeptidase degradation, which is characteristic of cyclic cystine‐knot peptides. Our NMR and crystallography analysis also showed that wrightides, which are currently the smallest proteinaceous α‐amylase inhibitors reported, contain the backbone‐twisting cis‐proline, which is preceded by a nonaromatic residue rather than a conventional aromatic residue. The modeled structure and a molecular dynamics study of Wr‐AI1 in complex with yellow mealworm α‐amylase suggested that, despite having a similar structure and cystine‐knot fold, the knottin‐type α‐amylase inhibitors may bind to insect α‐amylase via a different set of interactions. Finally, we showed that the precursors of pseudocyclic cystine‐knot α‐amylase inhibitors and their biosynthesis in plants follow a secretory protein synthesis pathway. Together, our findings provide insights for the use of the pseudocyclic α‐amylase inhibitors as useful leads for the development of orally active peptidyl bioactives, as well as an alternative scaffold for cyclic peptides for engineering metabolically stable human α‐amylase inhibitors.

Database

The nucleotide sequences for Wr‐AI1 to Wr‐AI3 have been deposited in the GenBank database under GenBank accession numbers KF679826, KF679827, and KF679828, respectively. The Wr‐AI1 solution structure solved for 10 ensembles with the lowest target function is available in the Protein Data Bank under accession code 2MAU. The coordinates of Wr‐AI1 crystal structure are available in the Protein Data Bank database under accession code 4BFH.
Banking on Seniority: The IMF and the Sovereign's Creditors
Authors: Erce Aitor
Published: July 2014

The programs designed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the Global Financial Crisis have shown more awareness of the importance of domestic demand for the prospects of economic recovery. Yet the IMF has continued to do little about the late payments made by governments to domestic creditors and suppliers. In contrast, the greater protection historically awarded by the IMF to foreign creditors has endured throughout the recent crisis. The article suggests that, in order to adequately balance foreign creditor seniority and growth objectives, the IMF may sometimes need to emphasize equitable burden‐sharing across categories of creditors rather than privilege the interests of international bond markets.
Comparison of effectiveness of abrasive and enzymatic action of whitening toothpastes in removal of extrinsic stains – a clinical trial
Authors: Patil PA , Ankola AV , Hebbal MI , Patil AC
Published: July 2014

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of abrasive component (perlite/calcium carbonate) and enzymatic component (papain and bromelain) of whitening toothpaste in removal of extrinsic stains.

Methods

This study is a randomized, triple blind and parallel group study in which 90 subjects aged 18–40 years were included. At baseline, stains scores were assessed by Macpherson's modification of Lobene Stain Index and subjects were randomly assigned to two groups with 45 subjects in each. Group 1 used whitening toothpaste with enzymatic action and group 2 with abrasive action. After 1 month, stain scores were assessed for the effectiveness of the two toothpastes and 2 months later to check the stain prevention efficacy. Wilcoxson's test was used to compare between baseline 1 and 2 months stain scores, and Mann–Witney U‐test was applied for intragroup comparison.

Results

The mean baseline total stain score for the subjects allocated to the enzymatic toothpaste was 37.24 ± 2.11 which reduced to 30.77 ± 2.48 in 1 month, and for the abrasive paste, total stain reduced from 35.08 ± 2.96 to 32.89 ± 1.95. The reductions in total stain scores with both the pastes were significant compared with baseline stain scores (at 1 month Group 1, P = 0.0233 and Group 2, P = 0.0324; at 2 months, Group 1 P = 0.0356). Both the toothpastes proved to be equally good in removal of extrinsic stains; however, the enzymatic paste showed better results as compared to abrasive toothpaste.

Conclusion

Whitening toothpaste with abrasive action and enzymatic action are equally effective in removal of extrinsic stains; however, whitening toothpaste with abrasive action needs to be used with caution.
Thermal Expansion Mismatch Analysis of Nano‐bonded Refractory Castables
Authors: Prestes Eduardo , Souza Tiago , Pandolfelli Victor , Gomes Daniel
Published: July 2014

A mathematical model to predict the thermomechanical stresses was used to understand the expansion mismatch damage in castables, evaluated by hot elastic modulus measurements. The results indicated that via elastic modulus evaluation and the tensile stress calculation, the critical interactions among the particles leading to the formation of flaws were identified. To assure the materials' integrity, it is fundamental to keep a low Δα between the components and not only a low overall linear thermal expansion coefficient. For multicomponent compositions, a second‐phase raw material with different properties should be added as finer particles to minimize the thermomechanical stresses generated.
The imaginary invalid. Conference interpreters and English as a lingua franca
Authors: Albl‐Mikasa Michaela
Published: July 2014

The critical attitude of conference interpreters towards English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has so far been downplayed by ELF researchers. This paper aims at detailing the experience of professional conference interpreters in interpreter‐mediated ELF communication and argues that ELF research has a stake in looking into their complaints because this may produce a better understanding of a number of aspects of mediated and unmediated ELF communication. Interpreter experience may thus contribute to achieving a more comprehensive and balanced description of ELF.
Understanding organic food consumption: attitude as a mediator
Authors: Çabuk Serap , Tanrikulu Ceyda , Gelibolu Levent
Published: July 2014

The aim of this research was to examine the effect of health consciousness, environmental concern and food safety concern on both the intention to buy organic foods and the attitude towards organic foods, and the effect of attitude towards organic foods on the intention to buy organic foods. It had also a specific aim to explore whether attitude has a mediation effect on the relationship between the intention to buy and health consciousness, environmental concern and food safety concern. Data were gathered from consumers using a survey. The questionnaire used was administered to a convenience sample of 385 consumers from Adana, Turkey, through a self‐administered questionnaire. Regression and mediation analysis were used to test the hypotheses. The findings suggested that the attitude and the intention to buy were affected by health consciousness, environmental concern and food safety concern. They also showed that the attitude plays a fundamental role both in terms of the direct impact on the intention to buy and the indirect effect as a mediator on how the health consciousness, environmental concern and food safety concern affect the intention to buy. This research is useful to fill the gaps in the literature regarding the mediation effect of the attitude on the relationship between the intention to buy and food safety concern. Another contribution is being one of the first to examine the attitude as a mediator on the relationship between the intention to buy organic foods and health consciousness, environmental concern and food safety concern of Turkish consumers.
Segmentation analysis of US older adults living in multifamily housing: reasons for moving
Authors: Kwon Hyun Joo , Beamish Julia O.
Published: July 2014

This study investigated multifamily housing consumer profiles among the US people age 55 and above based on their reasons for moving into current multifamily housing. A total of 431 samples were collected by an online research survey company using convenience sampling. The three reasons for moving were found from an exploratory factor analysis: the multifamily living reason, the nearby activities reason and the financial reason. A cluster analysis uncovered three groups of multifamily housing consumers: the neighbourhood seekers, the upscale housing seekers and the affordable housing seekers. The segmentation of older consumers living in multifamily housing provides insights into the characteristics of consumers who find multifamily housing appealing and/or needed. It also identifies features and factors about multifamily that will appeal to each segment of the market.
Perceptual Literacy and the Construction of Significant Meanings within Art Education
Authors: Cerkez Beatriz Tomsic
Published: July 2014

In order to verify how important the ability to process visual images and sounds in a holistic way can be, we developed an experiment based on the production and reception of an art work that was conceived as a multi‐sensorial experience and implied a complex understanding of visual and auditory information. We departed from the idea that to foster processes that encourage constructions of significant meanings it is necessary to abandon vision/audio‐centric notions of objecthood and offer a general definition of the perceptual object.

The test was realised between the participants after modifying the performance conditions: some could not see the visuals, some could not hear the sound and others could appreciate the performance as a whole. Considering the results, we could infer that only the possibility to ‘read’ the performance as a whole encouraged construction of significant meanings. It would be possible to upgrade the approach, turning visual literacy into perceptual literacy, to contextualise artistic production that stimulates hybrid sensitive experiences. The education of critical perceivers should also enable transformations in responses to different stimuli. This is important if we consider the individuality of each student, his or her needs, affinities, cultural background, gender and so on.
Open classroom: enhancing student achievement on artificial intelligence through an international online competition
Authors: Carpio Cañada J. , Mateo Sanguino T.J. , Merelo Guervós J.J. , Rivas Santos V.M.
Published: July 2014

Limitations of formal learning (e.g., one‐way communication, rigid methodology, results‐oriented approach) can significantly influence the motivation and expectation of students, thus resulting in an academic progress reduction. In order to make learning processes more playful and motivating, this paper presents a new educational experience developed by two groups of Computer Science students at the University of Huelva (Spain). As a result, an authentic real experience was incorporated into the classical teaching of Artificial Intelligence courses where classroom sessions were changed during some days for an international online competition. A comprehensive study considering the competition ranking, the students' opinion and their academic progress was analysed to assess the followed methodology. We found out that the educational experience improved the students' motivation, thereby enhancing their academic performance and personal skills as a result of learning through play. Moreover, additional teaching goals (e.g., learning new programming languages or increasing exam attendance) were obtained because of the positive motivation experienced by the competition. As a conclusion, this paradigm of real‐life experience – not otherwise provided by traditional practical lessons – allowed us to ascertain that the process is more important than the outcome, which could be adapted to different teaching scenarios within an institution.