bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonadditive Neuroprotection With Early Glutamate Receptor Blockade and Delayed Hypothermia After Asphyxia in Preterm Fetal Sheep
Authors: George Sherly A. , Barrett Robert D. , Bennet Laura , Mathai Sam , Jensen Ellen C. , Gunn Alistair J.
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose—

Hypothermia induced after perinatal hypoxia–ischemia is partially protective. This study examined whether early treatment with the noncompetitive N-methyl
-d-
aspartate receptor antagonist, dizocilpine, can augment neuroprotection with delayed hypothermia after severe asphyxia in preterm fetal sheep at 0.7 weeks gestation (equivalent to 28–32 weeks in humans).

Methods—

Fifty minutes after umbilical cord occlusion for 25 minutes, fetuses were randomized to either dizocilpine (2 mg/kg estimated fetal weight intravenously, then 0.07 mg/kg/h for 4 hours) and then after 5.5 hours to whole-body cooling to 3°C below baseline, or sham cooling, until 72 hours, and euthanized 7 days after umbilical cord occlusion.

Results—

Delayed hypothermia was associated with improved neuronal survival (
P
<0.02) and reduced microglia (
P
=0.004) and caspase-3-positive cells (
P
<0.01) compared with umbilical cord occlusion. Dizocilpine was associated with reduced microglia (
P
<0.05) but no effect on caspase-3 induction and improved survival only in CA1/2 (
P
<0.05) with no apparent additive effect with delayed hypothermia.

Conclusions—

Early N-methyl
-d-
aspartate blockade and a clinical regime of delayed whole-body hypothermia provide nonadditive neuroprotection in the preterm brain.
Sedentary Behavior of the Nontravel Segment
Authors: Litvin Stephen W. , Smith Wayne W. , Pitts Robert E.
Published: August 2012

Nontravel behavior has been studied in some depth, with the intent generally to find ways to motivate the segment to travel. This research examined an aspect of nontravel behavior previously unexplored: their “at-home” behavior. The results are very informative and reflect a highly sedentary lifestyle. The nontravelerers were found to be far less active in their daily lives, both recreationally and culturally, than were those who traveled. This sedentary lifestyle, not before identified, is an important characteristic adding to the difficulty of motivating the nontravel segment to travel.
Remember the Alamo
Authors: Lin Hui-Nien (Sylvia) , Morgan Mark , Coble Theresa
Published: August 2012

Honoring a memorialized past while being responsive to the needs of contemporary visitors is a challenge for heritage tourism managers. Visitor-employed photography (VEP) and a means–end investigation were used to identify, organize, and explain numerous descriptions of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Nine images were obtained through VEP and used during 71 on-site interviews (41 Anglo and 30 Hispanic visitors). Four primary meanings about the images were articulated by visitors, including patriotism, remembering and reembracing history, multiculturalism, and identity. However, the explanations given to achieve these outcomes differed between Anglo and Hispanic respondents. Managerial implications in relation to heritage tourism sites were discussed.
Asymmetry of Price Competition in the Lodging Market
Authors: Lee Seul Ki , Jang SooCheong (Shawn)
Published: August 2012

Although competition in the lodging market is often highlighted by researchers and practitioners, there has been little discussion of price competition among hotels and the related strategic implications. Meanwhile, literature suggests that when products are differentiated by quality, the outcome of simultaneous price discounts may not be symmetric. Hotels are clearly differentiated in terms of quality and their room rates are likely to be dependent on neighbors’ room rates. Suspecting that hotels may engage in asymmetric price competition, the current study utilizes a spatial econometric model to test for such asymmetry in competition among hotels. Result of the analysis shows significant spatial cross-dependence among the hotels’ room rates regardless of seasonality. More importantly, the findings indicate that lower-quality hotels are forced to discount deeper in the low season, conforming to the preceding literature on price competition.
Parental Support During Young Adulthood
Authors: Hartnett Caroline Sten , Furstenberg Frank F. , Birditt Kira S. , Fingerman Karen L.
Published: August 2012

Previous research has found that financial transfers from parents to young adult children decline as children age and that age is one of the strongest predictors of support. Using data collected from young adults (age 18-34 years) and their parents (age 40-60 years; N = 536 parent–child dyads), the authors explore the possibility that the relationship between age and financial support is mediated by offspring needs, acquisition of adult roles, or geographical and emotional closeness. The authors find that age-related declines in offspring’s needs help explain why financial support falls with age. However, offspring age remains a robust predictor of financial support after controlling for a wide range of factors, suggesting that age norms condition support from parents to offspring.
Analysis of cardiopulmonary bypass status in China: eight-year development trends
Authors: Zhao M , Wu B , Yang S , Long C
Published: August 2012

Objective:

To study the development of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in the past 8 years and to come up with predictions and recommendations for the future in China.

Methods:

Domestic hospitals performing cardiovascular operations were supplied with questionnaires, annually (between 2003 and 2008), upon the number of on-pump and off-pump cardiovascular operations, oxygenators of different types and the number of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). All the hospitals in this study were divided into 8 grades, according to the number of cardiovascular operations. The market share of hospitals in each grade was analyzed.

Results:

The total anumber of cardiovascular operations was 170,547 in 2010, of which 136,753 were performed under CPB. The ratio of imported membrane oxygenators increased from 43.22% in 2003 to 59.75% in 2010, while bubble oxygenator composition decreased from 43.78% in 2003 to 14.59% in 2010. Forty-four hospitals carried out 206 cases of ECMO in 2010. There were 32 hospitals that performed cardiovascular operations of over 1,000 cases and their market share was 43%. There were 255 hospitals that performed cardiovascular operations in less than 50 cases and their market share was only 3%.

Conclusions:

CPB in China has gone through a rapid development in the past eight years. Medical resources for CPB should be concentrated and systematic training regulations should be established in the future.
Criminal Prosecution of Suicide Attempt Survivors in Ghana
Authors: Adinkrah Mensah
Published: August 2012

Recently, there have been calls for the decriminalization (or depenalization) of nonfatal suicidal behavior (attempted suicide) in Ghana, India, Uganda, and other societies that currently criminalize nonfatal suicidal behavior. Despite this, there is a dearth of systematic studies that examine the extent, nature, and characteristics of attempted suicide prosecutions in countries that currently criminalize nonfatal suicidal behavior. The current study, therefore, explores the phenomenon of criminal prosecution and punishment for suicide attempters in Ghana, one among several countries where nonfatal suicidal behavior is a crime. Drawing from data extracted from local Ghanaian print and electronic news media articles, the study examines the sociodemographic characteristics of suicide attempt survivors, the patterns of nonfatal suicidal behavior, as well as the criminal justice outcomes of the criminal prosecutions. The findings indicate that the majority of defendants pled guilty to or were found guilty of the charge and sentenced to penalties ranging from monetary fines to incarceration. The results are discussed with regard to their implications for reducing nonfatal suicidal behavior in Ghana.
Multi-hit ballistic impact on S-2 glass/SC15 thick-section composites: experiments
Authors: (Gama) Haque Bazle Z , Harrington Jessica L , Gillespie John W
Published: August 2012

Multi-hit ballistic impact and damage behavior of thick-section composites are of interest to many military and aerospace applications. The effect of support spans on single-hit penetration resistance and the effect of relative distance between multiple impacts on the penetration resistance are the subject matter of the present investigation. In order to study the effect of support spans on penetration resistance, single-hit ballistic experiments are conducted on two plain-weave (PW) S-2 glass/SC15 composite laminates of thickness, 13.5 mm (22 layers, 22L) and 20.4 mm (33 layers, 33L), respectively at two different support span diameters, i.e. 102 mm and 203 mm. On the other hand, the effect of multiple impacts on penetration resistance has been investigated by impacting both the laminates (22L and 33L) at four additional radial shot locations (90 degrees apart) with a support span diameter of 203 mm. In both the impact scenarios, 0.50cal fragment simulating projectiles (0.50cal FSP) were used while the composite laminates were clamped between a cover and a support plate. In addition, the maximum dynamic deflection of the composite laminates were recorded using a thin aluminum witness plate at the rear end of the laminate, and the through-thickness ballistic damage of the composite laminates was investigated by sectioning through the impact centers, dying with an ink-alcohol solution, and taking optical photographs of the cross-sections.

Results show that the single-hit ballistic limit velocity increases marginally with support span diameter investigated. The curvatures of the dynamic deflection profiles at the support edge suggest that the dynamic deflection was constrained by the smaller support span while the dynamic deflection was not constrained by the larger support span. There was no noticeable difference in the single-hit maximum dynamic deflection between the two laminate thicknesses as a function of impact velocity to ballistic limit velocity ratios. Single-hit through-thickness damage extended toward the edges of the larger support spans such that the subsequent multiple impacts were on partially damaged laminates; however, the pre-existing ballistic damage showed about 4.5% and 9.0% decrease in site specific multi-hit ballistic limit and energy, respectively.
How Can Women Escape the Compensation Negotiation Dilemma? Relational Accounts Are One Answer
Authors: Bowles Hannah Riley , Babcock Linda
Published: August 2012

Policy makers, academics, and media reports suggest that women could shrink the gender pay gap by negotiating more effectively for higher compensation. Yet women entering compensation negotiations face a dilemma: They have to weigh the benefits of negotiating against the social consequences of having negotiated. Research shows that women are penalized socially more than men for negotiating for higher pay. To address this dilemma, the authors test strategies to help women improve both their negotiation and social outcomes in compensation negotiations. In Study 1, communicating concern for organizational relationships improved female negotiators’ social outcomes, and offering a legitimate account for compensation requests improved negotiation outcomes. However, neither strategy—alone or in combination—improved both women’s social and negotiation outcomes. Study 2 tested two strategies devised to improve female negotiators’ social and negotiation outcomes by explaining why a compensation request is legitimate in relational terms. Results showed that, although adherence to the feminine stereotype is insufficient, using these “relational accounts” can improve women’s social and negotiation outcomes at the same time. Normative implications of conformity to gender stereotypes to reduce gender pay disparities are discussed.
Exploring the Temporal Dynamics of the Neutralization/Delinquency Relationship
Authors: Morris Robert G. , Copes Heith
Published: August 2012

Despite the popularity of neutralization theory, numerous issues about the theory still exist. This study examines the stability of neutralization acceptance, the role of neutralization acceptance on self-reported delinquency, and the impact of social bonds on neutralization acceptance. Analyses were conducted using data culled from one cohort of respondents to the Denver Youth Survey. These issues are explored via structural equation modeling with measures of neutralization acceptance that are contextualized to specific subtypes of delinquency. The findings suggest that neutralization acceptance is a more robust predictor of delinquency than delinquency is of neutralizing attitudes, and that some of these effects are generally stable across time. However, many of these effects operate differently across types of delinquency and sometimes across levels of social bonds. Implications for theoretical development and for future research are discussed.
Preparation and characterization of carbon nanotube filled poly (2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) nanocomposites
Authors: Prashantha K. , Rashmi Baralu J. , Lee J. H.
Published: August 2012

Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) nanocomposites were prepared by solvent casting using dimethyl formamide (DMF) solvent via sonication process. Effect of addition of MWNTs on the properties of nanocomposites was investigated at different nanofiller contents. Uniform dispersion and distrubution of nanotubes in PHEMA matrix is obtained within the studied composition range. The electrical resistivity, dielectric permittivity and the loss factor of dry PHEMA and PHEMA/MWNT nanocomposites were studied by varying the MWNT concentration in the frequency range of 30 Hz to 1 MHz. The obtained results indicated that the addition MWNTs to PHEMA matrix decreases the electrical resistivity and increases the dielectric constant at low dielectric loss. The thermal properties of the PHEMA/MWNT nanocomposites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The thermal behavior of these nanocomposites was also compared with PHEMA homopolymer. The glass transition temperature ( Tg) of PHEMA homopolymer was found to increase with nanotube concentration. Experimental results also demonstrated that the incorporation of the MWNTs into the PHEMA matrix not only enhanced the mechanical property but also increased and the thermal stability of the PHEMA/MWNT nanocomposites increases with increase in MWNT concentration.
Preparation and thermal properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/aluminum-containing layered double hydroxides nanocomposites
Authors: Zhang Rui , Huang Hua , Yang Wei , Xiao Xifu , Yang Jian , Hu Yuan
Published: August 2012

In this study, the nanocomposites based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3,4)HB) and three kinds of aluminum-containing layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were prepared via melting intercalation. The thermal stability, thermal combustion and thermomechanical properties for these systems were systematically investigated. Both x-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy analyses for P(3,4)HB/LDH system confirm that P(3,4)HB/magnesium–aluminum (MgAl) system has a main exfoliated microstructure and P(3,4)HB/ZnAl system has an intercalated or partially exfoliated microstructure, while P(3,4)HB/NiAl system has an intercalated or phase separated microstructure. The microscale combustion calorimetry results show that the peak of heat release rate for P(3,4)HB/LDH systems, as an important parameter for the assessment of fire hazard of materials, is significantly reduced with the addition of LDHs. The storage modulus of three systems with small amount of LDHs measured by dynamic mechanical analysis is remarkably enhanced. The increment in the storage modulus of P(3,4)HB/LDH nanocomposites will increase with the increase in the atomic number of M2+ of LDHs.
Fatigue design of lightweight welded vehicle structures: influence of material and production procedures
Authors: Barsoum Zuheir , Samuelsson Jack , Jonsson Bertil , Björkblad Anders
Published: August 2012

Structural details and components in many types of products are continuously subjected to variable amplitude loading during operation. Fatigue loading and fatigue damage is thus the most common failure mode for the mentioned equipment in operation. The influence of the material grade, weld quality and fabrication procedure have a major impact on the structural durability of welded vehicle structures. The comprehensive research work within the Nordic research and development community have contained development of finite element modelling of complex structures, including crack growth in two- and three-dimensional fatigue testing of welded small-scale specimen and full-scale components, investigations of weld defects and flaws (e.g. cold laps) and weld roots. An important part of these projects is related to simulation and measurements of formation and relaxation of residual stresses. Within these projects three new quality systems, for welded and cast components and for cut edges, have been developed based on a scientific ground and a fitness for purpose design philosophy. Volvos new weld class system, which is an open standard, is now a base for the revision of the international weld quality system ISO 5817. In this article the major findings in these research activities are briefly presented and discussed.
Mitigating train-type heterogeneity on a single-track line
Authors: Dingler Mark H , (Rex) Lai Yung-Cheng , Barkan Christopher P L
Published: August 2012

North American railroads are experiencing growth in traffic demand and increasingly need to expand capacity on their lines; this will require changes in the mode of operation and infrastructure. Infrastructure expansion requires long lead times and is capital-intensive. Alternatively, some additional capacity may be achieved by alteration of the mode of operation which is often less expensive and faster to implement. In this paper dispatch simulation software was used to analyze a model of a single-track signalized line with characteristics typical of a North American railroad subdivision. The objective was to determine the effects of various operational and infrastructure changes in terms of reducing train delay. For each scenario a reduction in the delay was considered to be a benefit of the project, while any increases in delay, additional locomotives, increased fuel consumption, increased track maintenance costs and additional infrastructure were considered the expenses of the project. A cost–benefit analysis was conducted in order to determine which operational or infrastructure changes are the most cost-effective for each scenario.
An analysis of resonance effects in locomotive drive systems experiencing wheel/rail saturation adhesion
Authors: Yao Yuan , Zhang Hong-jun , Luo Shi-hui
Published: August 2012

This study investigates the dynamic response of a locomotive drive system experiencing wheel/rail saturation adhesion. A dynamic locomotive model is created and then integrated with electromechanical and control systems to simulate the vibration in the component parts of the drive system. The model is used to investigate the drive system’s sensitivity to resonance effects. The obtained results show that the wheel/rail stick-slip state can experience both longitudinal vibrations and self-excited vibrations in the drive system. Different parts of the drive system are excited by the two types of vibrations; however, in both cases the main frequencies are multiples of the natural frequency vibration of the drive system. It is necessary to select an appropriate value for the motor suspension rubber stiffness if structural resonances of the drive system under wheel/rail saturated adhesion are to be avoided.
Statistical modelling for prediction of axis-switching in rectangular jets
Authors: Tipnis Tanmay J , Knowles Kevin , Bray Derek
Published: August 2012

Rectangular nozzles are increasingly used for modern military aircraft propulsion installations, including the roll nozzles on the F-35B vertical/short take-off and landing strike fighter. A peculiar phenomenon known as axis-switching is generally observed in such non-axisymmetric nozzle flows during which the jet spreads faster along the minor axis compared to the major axis. This might affect the under-wing stores and aircraft structure. A computational fluid dynamics study was performed to understand the effects of changing the upstream nozzle geometry on a rectangular free jet. A method is proposed, involving the formulation of an equation based upon a statistical model for a rectangular nozzle with an exit aspect ratio ( AR e) of 4; the variables under consideration (for a constant nozzle pressure ratio ( NPR)) being inlet aspect ratio ( AR i) and length of the contraction section. The jet development was characterised using two parameters: location of the cross-over point ( X c) and the difference in the jet half-velocity widths along the major and minor axes (Δ B30). Based on the observed results, two statistical models were formulated for the prediction of axis-switching; the first model gives the location of the cross-over point, while the second model indicates the occurrence of axis-switching for the given configuration.
Influence of open trailing edge on laminar aerofoils at low Reynolds number
Authors: Sant Rodolfo , Ayuso Luis , Meseguer Jose
Published: August 2012

This article deals with the effect of open trailing edge on the aerodynamic characteristics of laminar aerofoils at low Reynolds numbers, the attention being focussed on the influence of such a trailing-edge imperfection on the aerodynamic efficiency. Wind tunnel tests have been performed at different Reynolds numbers and angles of attack, and global aerodynamic as well as pressure distributions were measured (in these tests two types of open trailing edges, either sharp or rounded were considered). From experimental results, a quantitative analysis of the influence of the trailing-edge thickness on the degradation of aerofoil aerodynamic performances has been obtained, which allows the establishment of a criterion for an acceptance limit for this kind of imperfection.
Distinct Attention Networks for Feature Enhancement and Suppression in Vision
Authors: Bridwell David A. , Srinivasan Ramesh
Published: August 2012

Attention biases sensory processing toward neurons containing information about behaviorally relevant events. These attentional biases apparently reflect the combined influence of feature enhancement and suppression. We examined the separate influence of enhancement and suppression in visual processing by determining whether responses to an unattended flicker were modulated when the flicker features matched target features at the attended location, competed with those features, or were neutral. We found that suppression primarily modulated parietal networks with a preferred frequency in the lower alpha band (f2 = 8 Hz), and enhancement primarily influenced parietal networks with a preferred frequency in the upper alpha band (f2 = 12 Hz). These responses were coupled with perception, with large responses to the unattended flicker leading to subsequently detected targets when the target features matched the flicker features (i.e., during enhancement). Our results suggest that enhancement and suppression are two distinct processes that work together to shape visual perception.
Time-delay compensation for actuator-based hardware-in-the-loop testing of a jet engine fuel control unit
Authors: Nasiri Mostafa , Montazeri-Gh Morteza
Published: August 2012

Actuator-based hardware-in-the-loop is a form of hardware-in-the-loop testing where the hardware components are mechanical systems. Hardware-in-the-loop testing of mechanical components requires an additional transfer system which typically comprises sensors and actuators to link the software and hardware. Inaccuracy and instability can occur during actuator-based hardware-in-the-loop testing if the time delay due to the transfer system dynamics is not properly compensated for. This paper presents a new application of the Smith predictor strategy for hardware-in-the-loop testing of an electro-hydraulic fuel control unit for a turbojet engine. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method for time-delay compensation of actuator-based hardware-in-the-loop testing.
A simple parametric identification procedure based on the final value theorem
Authors: Naumović Milica B
Published: August 2012

The present paper describes the application of the final value theorem of the Laplace transform in the identification procedure of a continuous-time parametric model. The presented identification approach involves only a number of integrating processes and is suitable for easy automation. Three examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and merits of the considered identification algorithm.
Persuasive images in popular science: Testing judgments of scientific reasoning and credibility
Authors: Gruber David , Dickerson Jacob A.
Published: August 2012

This article tested the assumption that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) images in popular science news articles make those articles appear more reasonable and persuasive to readers. In addition to fMRI images, this study also examined the potential impact of science fiction and artistic images commonly found in popular news articles. 183 undergraduates were asked to evaluate one of four versions of an article, each with a different image. The researchers discovered no significant differences between readers’ evaluations of the news article with the images isolated as the only independent variable. This suggests that images alone may not have a strong effect upon evaluation, that no image is necessarily more persuasive than another as implied by earlier studies and that further research is needed to determine what, if any, role images play in conjunction with the text to create a persuasive effect.
What conceptions of science communication are espoused by science research funding bodies?
Authors: Palmer Sarah E. , Schibeci Renato A.
Published: August 2012

We examine the conceptions of science communication, especially in relation to “public engagement with science” (PES), evident in the literature and websites of science research funding bodies in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Oceania, and Africa. The analysis uses a fourfold classification of science communication to situate these conceptions: professional, deficit, consultative and deliberative. We find that all bodies engage in professional communication (within the research community); however, engagement with the broader community is variable. Deficit (information dissemination) models still prevail but there is evidence of movement towards more deliberative, participatory models.
Expanding Acts of Citizenship
Authors: Barbero Iker
Published: August 2012

This article investigates the acts of protest that occurred in the city of Barcelona and other Spanish cities in 2001 in response to imminent toughening of the Foreigners’ law 8/2000. The sit-ins, demonstrations and hunger strikes led to negotiation with the government and the government’s acceptance of some of the undocumented migrants or ‘sinpapeles’ demands for regularization of their status. At the same time, the sinpapeles also expressed a critique of the entire anti-immigrant border regime. These events demonstrated that citizenship could not be viewed exclusively as a fixed regime. Rather, it was a site for legal and political contestation. With the emergence of new subjects as claimants of rights, a number of scholars have pointed to the need for an alternative vocabulary of citizenship studies, one that includes certain practices that were previously excluded. The concept ‘acts of citizenship’ offers an approach to investigating such actions that considers actors not currently recognized as legal and political subjects. Applying this concept to the struggles of the sinpapeles, this article demonstrates how a number of acts converted previously undocumented immigrants into subjects of legaity, and to a certain extent, into citizens.
A Muted Voice from the Past
Authors: Ballinger Anette
Published: August 2012

This article contributes to debates about gender and punishment by providing a critical analysis of the appeal of Ruth Ellis which took place in 2003, 48 years after her trial and execution in 1955. Utilising original transcripts, the article argues that, despite considerable gains for women in terms of formal equality during the five decades since the trial, ideological/discursive gains have remained more elusive. To this end, comparisons are made between legal discourses activated during the trial and those that featured in the appeal. This allows the identification of continuities within the operation of the legal system, particularly with respect to the subject positions available to women who kill their abusive partners. Specific aspects of the partial defence of provocation are explored, as is its replacement – the ‘loss of control’ defence, effective since 2010. The article concludes by applying Thomas Mathiesen’s concepts of ‘silent’ and ‘hidden’ silencing in order to further illuminate the processes involved in preserving continuities within the legal process with respect to the social control of women.
Patient Centered, Nurse Averse? Nurses’ Care Experiences in a 21st-Century Hospital
Authors: Mikesell Lisa , Bromley Elizabeth
Published: August 2012

Implementations of patient centeredness can vary tremendously across settings, yet we know little about how clinicians experience local interpretations of patient centeredness. In this article, we investigate nurses’ experiences in a hospital designed to be patient centered in its emphasis on patient amenities and customer service. This environment altered nurses’ articulation work by shifting the visibility of a number of nursing tasks; customer service tasks became more visible whereas many medical and caring tasks were obscured. We found that these changes in nursing work challenged nurses’ professional roles, and the informants reported that the changes disrupted their relationships with patients and with one another. This implementation of patient centeredness resulted in a view of nursing that conflicted with many nurses’ implicit and explicit understanding of their work. Our findings suggest that the adoption of some versions of patient centeredness might obscure substantial and substantive nursing work and might undermine nurses’ concepts of caregiving.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients’ Experiences of Hope
Authors: Levi Ofir , Liechtentritt Ronit , Savaya Riki
Published: August 2012

In this qualitative study we examined the experience and perception of hope of 10 Israeli soldiers with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with the goal of achieving an understanding of the manners in which hope intertwines with trauma. The results indicate that hope is an integrative, changing, multidimensional phenomenon which plays a unique role in the individual’s life. Viewing hope as a crucial aspect of human life was further evident when participants referred to the traumatic event. Hope and trauma are interconnected phenomena. The form of hope a person possesses thus shapes the manner in which the traumatic event is perceived, whereas the trauma clearly reshapes the individual’s form of hope. We discuss practical implications for treatment of chronic PTSD, based on the important role of hope at times of trauma, as well as on the interrelation between hope and trauma.
Madam & Eve
Authors: Bradfield Shelley-Jean
Published: August 2012

The situation comedy Madam & Eve (2000-2005) debuted on e.tv, a free-to-air South African television channel, and emerged as one of the most popular local shows, even winning international recognition. Raising pertinent issues of race, class, and gender within the context of domestic service in postcolonial South Africa, Madam & Eve follows the interconnected lives of Gwen Anderson, a well-to-do, white “Madam,” and Eve, a younger, working-class, and black “Maid.” Although directly confronting inequalities of race and class by integrating the perspectives of the maid and the employer, and undermining hierarchies of power through the unruliness of mimicry, the comedy confines racial resolution to the individual. By scapegoating individuals for their discriminatory attitudes, and effectively quelling the motivation for collective resistance, the show embodies the larger industrial trend of promoting profitability at the expense of progressive politics.
Minute Type I Gastric Carcinoid With Regional Lymph Node Metastasis
Authors: Lupinacci Renato Micelli , Dias André Roncon , Mello Evandro Sobroza , Kondo André
Published: August 2012

Type I gastric carcinoids are indolent lesions that only rarely metastasize. Until now, lymph node metastasis had only being observed in large (≥10 mm) and usually invasive lesions (deep submucosa or beyond). This study reports a diminutive (8 mm) gastric carcinoid, limited to the superficial layer of the submucosa (sm1), with no angiovascular invasion, but with a high Ki-67 index (7%) and an involved perigastric lymph node. The aggressive behavior of this lesion ends the previous believe that small and superficial type I gastric carcinoids do not metastasize. This case also indicates that better parameters are necessary to evaluate the malignant potential of these lesions and presents a further support to the value of 2010 World Health Organization classification of gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors.
Sinonasal Teratocarcinosarcoma
Authors: Yang Shudong , Sun Rongchao , Liang Jiabei , Zhou Zhiyi , Zhou Jing , Rui Jun
Published: August 2012

The goal of this study was to assess the pathological and differential diagnoses of sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma (SNTCS) in order to ultimately improve the diagnosis and treatment of this rare disease. Data from 2 cases of sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma from the Wuxi People’s Hospital (China) were analyzed. The clinical presentation for these patients consisted of nasal obstruction, epistaxis, and headache. On further physical examination, the presence of a polypoid mass was identified and, despite surgery and radiotherapy, both cases experienced recurrence. Histologically, the tumors showed a heterogeneous mixture of components from the 3 germ layers, primitive neuroepithelial elements, diagnostic immature squamous cell nests (clear cell nests), and various epithelial and mesenchymal components. Staining of the different germ layers corresponded with the appropriate immune markers. In case 1, the postradiotherapy resection specimen was completely dominated by a mature teratoma, with a complete absence of the corresponding adenocarcinoma and fibrosarcoma components. To date, this is the first study describing this composition within an SNTCS recurrent tumor. In summary, SNTCS is a rare tumor characterized by the presence of benign and malignant epithelial, mesenchymal, and dysembryomal components. Owing to its heterogeneous histologic appearance, adequate sampling and recognition of all SNTCS components are needed for future diagnosis. Currently, surgical removal, postoperative radiotherapy, and a histology-specific multidrug chemotherapy appear to be the best therapeutic approach. Future individualized therapy may also hold promise.
Reliability and Effectiveness of GEWF Solution in the Identification of Lymph Nodes in Specimens of Colorectal Carcinoma
Authors: Tasi Chin-Kuan , Chen Ching-Yuan , Liu Chih-Yi , Wu Yih-Yiing
Published: August 2012

Lymph node status is pivotal in the staging process of cancer. With regards to colorectal cancer, lymph node retrieval is always laborious. Sometimes, it is also a challenge to recover a minimum of 12 lymph nodes from the pericolorectal tissue. Among many proposed adjunctive solutions, GEWF solution (glacial acetic acid, ethanol, distilled water, and formaldehyde) has been introduced recently and suggested to be superior. To further evaluate its efficiency, the pericolorectal tissue, which has been reexamined extensively in the conventional condition, was refixed into GEWF solution in this study. More lymph nodes were found in 75% (n = 6) of the 8 experimental cases, and 50% (n = 4) of them had 12 or more yielded lymph nodes eventually. In addition, no adverse influences on the expressions of immunohistochemical and special stains were seen. These data support the reliability and effectiveness of GEWF solution in improvement of lymph node yield.
A Mixed-Methods Study of the Quality of Care Provided to Patients Boarding in the Emergency Department
Authors: Liu Shan W. , Chang Yuchiao , Camargo Carlos A. , Weissman Joel S. , Walsh Kathleen , Schuur Jeremiah D. , Deal Jeffrey , Singer Sara J.
Published: August 2012

Concern exists regarding care patients receive while boarding (staying in the emergency department [ED] after a decision to admit has been made). This exploratory study compares care for such ED patients under “Inpatient Responsibility” (IPR) and “ED Responsibility” (EDR) models using mixed methods. The authors abstracted quantitative data from 1,431 patient charts for ED patients admitted to two academic hospitals in 2004-2005 and interviewed 10 providers for qualitative data. The authors compared delays using logistic regression and used provider interviews to explore reasons for quantitative findings. EDR patients had more delays to receiving home medications over the first 26 hours of admission but fewer while boarding; EDR patients had fewer delayed cardiac enzymes checks. Interviews revealed that culture, resource prioritization, and systems issues made care for boarded patients challenging. A theoretically better responsibility model may not deliver better care to boarded patients because of cultural, resource prioritization, and systems issues.
Cognitive bias modification training in adolescents reduces anxiety to a psychological challenge
Authors: Lau Jennifer YF , Belli Stefano R , Chopra Rajesh B
Published: August 2012

Many anxiety disorders begin in adolescence. Early interventions that target adolescent anxiety may prevent later disabling consequences. Previous studies show that cognitive bias modification training can generate positive interpretative styles of ambiguous information in adolescents but effects on anxious mood reduction are less clear. Adult studies suggest more consistent training effects on mood when assessed in response to a psychological challenge. Here, we assess whether positive training reduces adolescent anxious responses to a laboratory stressor. A total of 40 adolescents were randomly assigned to positive or negative computerised training. During training, ambiguous scenarios were resolved positively or negatively. After training, adolescents completed a test of interpretation bias and a difficult mental arithmetic task while believing that they were being videotaped for teaching purposes. First, positively-trained adolescents endorsed more positive and fewer negative interpretations of new ambiguous situations than negatively-trained adolescents. Second, positively-trained adolescents also showed attenuated anxiety levels after but not before the challenge. Induced positive interpretations via computerised cognitive training may modify anxious responsivity. Although there are some caveats to these data, in general they justify extensions of computerised training to adolescents with clinical anxiety, to reduce anxious responsivity.
Exploring the effect of media images on women’s leadership self-perceptions and aspirations
Authors: Simon Stefanie , Hoyt Crystal L.
Published: August 2012

Across two experimental studies, the present research explores how media images depicting counterstereotypical roles for women, compared to those that depict stereotypical roles for women, affect women’s gender role beliefs (Study 1) and responses to a leadership situation (Study 2). Study 1 predicted and found that women exposed to images depicting counterstereotypical roles subsequently reported stronger nontraditional gender role beliefs than women exposed to images depicting stereotypical roles. Study 2 then directly assessed the effect of media images of women on female participants’ self-reported responses following a leadership task. Women exposed to media images of women in counterstereotypical roles reported less negative self-perceptions and greater leadership aspirations than women exposed to images of women in stereotypical roles. Moreover, negative self-perceptions mediated the relationship between media images and leadership aspirations. Implications for increasing women’s representation in the leadership domain are discussed.
To pay or not to pay? Do extrinsic incentives alter the Köhler group motivation gain?
Authors: Kerr Norbert L. , Feltz Deborah L. , Irwin Brandon C.
Published: August 2012

The Köhler effect is an increase in task motivation that occurs in performance groups when one is (a) less capable than one’s fellow group members, and (b) one’s efforts are particularly indispensible for group success. Recently, it has been shown that the Köhler effect can dramatically increase one’s motivation to exercise. The present study examines the potential moderating effect of the provision of extrinsic incentives on such Köhler motivation gains. When participants were offered such an extrinsic incentive for persisting at an exercise task, a robust Köhler effect was observed—participants who thought they were the less capable member of a dyad working at a conjunctive-group exercise task persisted 26% longer than comparable individual exercisers. But an even stronger effect (a 43% improvement) was observed when no such incentive was on offer. Possible explanations and boundary conditions for this moderating effect are discussed.
Teacher-assigned literacy events in a bimodal, bilingual preschool with deaf and hearing children
Authors: Kristoffersen Ann Elise , Simonsen Eva
Published: August 2012

This article reports on a study of literacy practices in a Norwegian preschool where deaf and hearing children are enrolled in the same group and where communication is based on both sign language and spoken language. The aim of the study was to explore pathways to literacy for young deaf children within this setting. Our implicit assumption is that deaf children access literacy in much the same way as hearing children do. In the study we ask what kind of literacy events occur in the preschool and we examine how these events might allow for participation by the young deaf children on equal terms with their hearing peers. The study is conducted within a sociocultural framework. From this perspective, literacy is perceived as a social practice in everyday activities. Within the range of social activities in the preschool, some significant literacy events were analysed with regard to their nature and impact on literacy learning for deaf children. Data are based on video recordings, field notes and interviews with teachers. The results demonstrate that a number of events vital to literacy learning represent great educational challenges in inclusive settings with both hearing and deaf children.
The Friendship Assemblage
Authors: Bucher Taina
Published: August 2012

In an age in which social networking sites have become the preferred way of socializing online, the question of how to think about the contours of friendship in and through these mediated spaces becomes all the more important. In contrast to much existing research on online friendship, this article takes on a software-sensitive approach. Through a close reading of various sociotechnical processes in which friendship is activated on Facebook (i.e., registering, making a profile, finding friends, communicating, etc.), this article suggests that friendships online need to be understood as a gathering of heterogeneous elements that include both humans and nonhumans. Moreover, this article attempts to show how the traditional notion of friendship as something created between equals and free of structural constraints does not apply to the realm of social networking sites, where software increasingly assists users in making certain choices about who will and who will not be their friends.
Were Producers and Audiences Ever Separate? Conceptualizing Media Production as Social Situation
Authors: Ross Philippe
Published: August 2012

The emergence of “prosumers” and “produsers” suggests that production and reception are more conflated now than ever before. But is their mediation through the performance of hybrid roles new? And were the two ever separate? This article criticizes social theories of the media and “production studies” for overstating the distinction between producers and audiences and the instrumental means whereby the former engage the latter. It rejects this postulate of a “structured break” between production and reception by discussing the producers’ tacit knowledge of the audience, their reflexivity and socialization, and their use of “audience images.” The article then draws on Goffman (1959) and Meyrowitz (1985) to propose a new model for understanding production: as a social situation sustained by participants but explicitly oriented to an absent third party: the audience. It concludes by discussing the implications of the model for the study of production and producers.
“Witnessing” or “Mediating” Distant Suffering? Ethical Questions across Moments of Text, Production, and Reception
Authors: Ong Jonathan Corpus
Published: August 2012

This article identifies that the current literature on “distant suffering” lacks a nuanced account of the relationship between televised representations of suffering and the audiences that encounter these in their everyday lives. Text-centered studies overemphasize how news narratives cause compassion fatigue, while audience-centered studies enumerate audience responses with inadequate references to the textual elements and social factors that shape these responses. While recent theorizations about “media witnessing” have provided a guidepost in thinking about the ethical consequences of showing and seeing suffering in the media, it however obscures the normative from the descriptive and universalizes the experience of the “witness” it speaks about. To address these gaps and develop a holistic approach to examine televised suffering, the article proposes the use of mediation theory to account for the distinct ethical questions that arise from the specific “moments” of mediation and how they should altogether inform the ethical critique of media.
Trust-based coalition formation in multi-agent systems
Authors: Mikulski Dariusz G , Lewis Frank L , Gu Edward Y , Hudas Greg R
Published: August 2012

In this paper, we provide a framework to study trust-based coalition formation in multi-agent systems using cooperative game theory as the underlying mathematical framework. We describe how to study trust dynamics between agents as a result of their trust synergy and trust liability in cooperative coalitions. We also rigorously justify the behaviors of agents for different classes of games and discuss how to exploit the formal properties of these games for cooperative control in an unmanned military vehicle convoy.
Bone mineral density of the trapezium in osteoarthritic trapeziometacarpal joints
Authors: Hansen T. B. , Mosegaard K. B. , Sørensen O.G. , Mortensen J. , Stilling M.
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study was to test the precision and reliability of measurements of the bone mineral density (BMD) of the trapezium in patients with osteoarthritic trapeziometacarpal joints using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans and to assess whether there is an acceptable correlation between the BMD of the trapezium and that of the distal radius, for which normative data exist. We included 66 patients (52 women, 14 men) diagnosed with Eaton–Glickel stage II–IV osteoarthritis and a mean age of 59 years (range 40–77) in a prospective study. We found good intra- and inter-observer agreement of BMD measurements. Reliability was also good in repeated measurements. There was an indication of an increase in BMD with progression in the Eaton–Glickel stage. There was only a moderate correlation between the BMD of the trapezium and that of the radius.