bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is hyperoxaemia helping or hurting patients during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation? Review of a complex problem
Authors: Hayes RA , Shekar K , Fraser JF
Published: January 2013

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) facilitates organ support in patients with refractory cardiorespiratory failure whilst disease-modifying treatments can be administered. Improvements to the ECMO process have resulted in its increased utilisation. However, iatrogenic injuries remain, with bleeding and thrombosis the most significant concerns. Many factors contribute to the formation of thrombi, with the hyperoxaemia experienced during ECMO a potential contributor. Outside of ECMO, emerging evidence associates hyperoxaemia with increased mortality. Currently, no universal definition of hyperoxaemia exists, a gap in clinical standards that may impact patient outcomes. Hyperoxaemia has the potential to induce platelet activation, aggregation and, subsequently, thrombosis through markedly increasing the production of reactive oxygen species. There are minimal data in the current literature that explore the relationship between ECMO-induced hyperoxaemia and the production of reactive oxygen species – a putative link towards pathology. Furthermore, there is limited research directly linking hyperoxaemia and platelet activation. These are areas that warrant investigation as definitive data regarding the nascence of these pathological processes may delineate and define the relative risk of supranormal oxygen tension. These data could then assist in defining optimal oxygenation practice, reducing the risks associated with extracorporeal support.
Appreciating ‘Le Non/Nom’
Authors: Billow Richard M.
Published: January 2013

Among Lacan’s fundamental developmental concepts is the dynamic of ‘le non/nom’. Lacan held that the paternal ‘non’ functions to separate the baby from the symbiotic and preverbal maternal relationship. Hence, ‘le non’ inaugurates ‘le nom’, naming, i.e., language usage, and energizes the infantile Oedipus complex. Likewise, in the development of new group, and as an element of any self-reflecting group, the leader serves as the ‘third,’ using and encouraging the use of language to move process from its underlying basic assumptiveness to verbally symbolized and articulated emotional experience. As illustrated in a two-day group process workshop, a therapeutic strategy of ‘le non/nom’—structuring, limit-setting, refusing, inviting, and embracing was effective to the extent to which verbal communication could be tolerated, trusted, and appreciated.
Bond degradation of glass fibre reinforced plastic bars in concrete subjected to tensile cyclic loads
Authors: Lee JungYoon , Yi ChongKu , Kim ByungIl , Cheong YeonGul
Published: January 2013

An adequate bond between reinforcement and concrete is critical in ensuring the composite behaviour of a reinforced concrete structure. Although fibre reinforced plastic rebar–concrete bond behaviour under monotonic load has been studied by many researchers, little is known about its behaviour under repeated loads. In this study, a series of pull-out tests were performed to investigate the bond stress-slip behaviours under tensile cyclic loads at local slips greater than elastic range. Conventional reinforcing steel bars and two common types of glass fibre reinforced plastic bars, embedded in concrete with strength of 42 MPa, were tested under four different loading patterns (monotonic + 3 tensile cyclic load patterns), and the bond failure of each specimen was examined. The results indicate that the bond strengths of fibre reinforced plastic rebar, unlike steel rebar, can be affected by as much as 24% by tensile loading history. In addition, the analysis of the failure surfaces of the rebar after the tests showed that bond strength degradation of the glass fibre reinforced plastic rebar types considered in this study can be attributed to the degree of interlaminar failure.
Polymer chains incorporating caprolactone and arginine–glycine–aspartic acid functionalities: Synthesis, characterization and biological response in vitro of the Schwann cell
Authors: Pérez Eduard Rodriguez , García Cruz Dunia M. , Araque Monrós Maria C. , Gómez-Pinedo U , Pradas Manuel Monleón , Escobar Ivirico Jorge L.
Published: January 2013

This study describes a strategy for the covalent immobilization of active adhesion peptide moieties onto polymers through the intermediacy of itaconic acid. The arginine–glycine–aspartic acid peptide was grafted to a novel poly(caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester)- co-itaconic acid bulk biomaterial, in order to improve the cell adhesion of the polymer. First, the arginine–glycine–aspartic acid sequence was grafted onto itaconic acid via an amidation reaction using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)- N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/ N-hydroxysuccinimide as activation complex. The itaconic acid–arginine–glycine–aspartic acid macromer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H-NMR, yielding a functionalization degree of 85%. In a second step, poly(caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester- co-itaconic acid–arginine–glycine–aspartic acid) (with a feed mixture of 90 wt% of caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester and 10 wt% of itaconic acid–arginine–glycine–aspartic acid macromer) and a series of copolymers of caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester and itaconic acid with different compositions (weight fractions of itaconic acid up to 20 wt%) were synthesized by radical copolymerization. The microstructure and network architecture of the new polymer systems were investigated. Mechanical moduli of poly(caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester- co-itaconic acid), evaluated by dynamic–mechanical analysis, increase with the itaconic acid content. In poly(caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester- co-itaconic acid–arginine–glycine–aspartic acid), the glass transition temperature and the mechanical moduli of the system are smaller than in the nonfunctionalized poly(caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester- co-itaconic acid) copolymers, and the polymer is less hydrophilic. The results indicate that arginine–glycine–aspartic acid grafting of poly(caprolactone 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl ester- co-itaconic acid) copolymer networks can be useful for tissue engineering applications, because regenerative processes in the nervous system can be promoted and accelerated, thus, opening a possibility to generate materials with a high potential for clinical applicability.
Altruism, Helping, and Volunteering
Authors: Kahana Eva , Bhatta Tirth , Lovegreen Loren D. , Kahana Boaz , Midlarsky Elizabeth
Published: January 2013

Objectives: We examined the influence of prosocial orientations including altruism, volunteering, and informal helping on positive and negative well-being outcomes among retirement community dwelling elders. Method: We utilize data from 2 waves, 3 years apart, of a panel study of successful aging ( N = 585). Psychosocial well-being outcomes measured include life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and depressive symptomatology. Results: Ordinal logistic regression results indicate that altruistic attitudes, volunteering, and informal helping behaviors make unique contributions to the maintenance of life satisfaction, positive affect and other well being outcomes considered in this research. Predictors explain variance primarily in the positive indicators of psychological well-being, but are not significantly associated with the negative outcomes. Female gender and functional limitations are also associated with diminished psychological well-being. Discussion: Our findings underscore the value of altruistic attitudes as important additional predictors, along with prosocial behaviors in fostering life satisfaction and positive affect in old age.
Design of full electric power steering with enhanced performance over that of hydraulic power-assisted steering
Authors: Baharom Masri B , Hussain Khalid , Day Andrew J
Published: January 2013

This paper presents a method of designing a full electrical power steering system to replace a hydraulic power-assisted steering system with improved performance and benefits including energy saving, improved steering ‘feel’, simpler construction and environmental gain. The designed performance of the electrical power steering system represented an ideal hydraulic power-assisted steering power boost curve which was mathematically modelled to provide the required control characteristic for the electrical power steering system, including variation in the perceived power assistance with the vehicle’s forward speed. A full electrical power steering system provides all the torque necessary to steer the wheels, and the steering feel is artificially generated by an electric ‘feedback’ motor which provides resistance to the driver’s input. The performance of the electrical power steering system described in this paper was enhanced by manipulating the reactive torque to the driver’s input at the steering wheel so that it depended upon the driving conditions. Full-vehicle software models were generated using ADAMS/car software based on an actual car fitted with hydraulic power-assisted steering and full electrical power steering. The simulation results from both models were compared, and it is concluded that the steering performances of both systems were similar but the steering feel of the full electrical power steering system could be tuned to provide improved feedback to the driver in use. The performance of the full electrical power steering system could be further improved with the introduction of a controller to manipulate the steering feel during undesired conditions.
The Good Life of the Powerful
Authors: Kifer Yona , Heller Daniel , Perunovic Wei Qi Elaine , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: January 2013

A common cliché and system-justifying stereotype is that power leads to misery and self-alienation. Drawing on the power and authenticity literatures, however, we predicted the opposite relationship. Because power increases the correspondence between internal states and behavior, we hypothesized that power enhances subjective well-being (SWB) by leading people to feel more authentic. Across four surveys representing markedly different primary social roles (general, work, romantic-relationship, and friendship surveys; Study 1), and in an experiment (Study 2a), we found consistent evidence that experiencing power leads to greater SWB. Moreover, authenticity mediated this effect. Further establishing the causal importance of authenticity, a final experiment (Study 2b), in which authenticity was manipulated, demonstrated that greater authenticity directly increased SWB. Although striving for power lowers well-being, these results demonstrate the pervasive positive psychological effects of having power, and indicate the importance of spreading power to enhance collective well-being.
Municipal councillors in metropolitan governance: Assessing the democratic deficit of new regionalism in Switzerland
Authors: Plüss Larissa
Published: January 2013

Metropolitan decision-making in flexible policy networks based on voluntary cooperation is present in most industrialised countries and a widely debated topic in governance research. The research focus primarily lies on the ability of metropolitan governance networks to organise area-wide public service provision efficiently and effectively – as opposed to hierarchical, bureaucratic policy-making. However, the inherent lack of input-orientated democratic legitimacy in governance institutions has only recently come to the forefront of research. In the present article, the democratic deficit of metropolitan governance is investigated with respect to the role of the municipal councillors and their inclusion in such institutions. The objects of study are local councillors in Swiss metropolitan areas, where regional cooperation is traditionally organised in functional associations that correspond to the flexible, informal logic of governance networks. The impact of metropolitan governance on the councillors’ political influence and on their behavioural patterns is assessed on the basis of large-scale survey data and comprehensive multilevel analyses accounting for the multilevel system of Swiss federalism.
Health-Compromising Behaviors Among Young Adults in the Urban Emergency Department
Authors: Sommers Marilyn S. , Lyons Michael S. , Bohn Chad M. , Ribak Judith H. , Fargo Jamison D.
Published: January 2013

Emergency departments (ED) are a point of care for many young adults and may provide a teachable moment leading to behavioral change. We determined the descriptive epidemiology of health-compromising behaviors in the young adult ED population by computing demographic-adjusted estimates of prevalence and frequency of hazardous drinking, risky driving, cigarette smoking, fast-food consumption, lack of exercise, and sleep deficit. We screened 8,815 young adults during an ED visit. Younger males had higher levels of fast-food and cigarette consumption. Non-Whites and females reported more days of little to no exercise. Whites and older individuals reported more nights of less sleep. Younger Whites reported consuming the most alcohol, with males consuming more than females. Risky driving was more frequent among younger males. Prevalence of health-compromising behaviors varied by demographics, but was higher than in the general population. Prevention strategies such as implementing a teachable moment in the ED may hold promise to reduce health-compromising behaviors.
Footprint of the Lateral Ligament Complex of the Ankle
Authors: Neuschwander Timothy B. , Indresano Andrew A. , Hughes Tudor H. , Smith Bertil W.
Published: January 2013

Background:

We describe the topographic anatomy of the lateral ligament complex of the ankle using 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) imaging.

Methods:

Dissection of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) was performed on 8 unpaired fresh-frozen cadaver feet. Ligaments were sharply dissected from bone, and the footprint was outlined with radio-opaque paint. The specimen underwent a 0.625-mm slice CT scan of the ankle with 3D reconstructions. Software was used to determine the surface area of the ligament footprint as well as measure the distance from the peroneal tubercle to the center of the CFL footprint. Data are presented as mean ± standard error.

Results:

Six specimens had a bifid ATFL. Seven ankles had a bifid ATFL footprint on the talus. All specimens had intact CFL fibers. The intact superior and inferior limbs of the ATFL measured 19.7 ± 1.2 mm and 16.7 ± 1.1 mm. The CFL measured 24.8 ± 2.4 mm. The area of the footprints of the superior ATFL and inferior ATFL on the talus measured 1.5 ± 0.26 cm2 and 0.90 ± 0.07 cm2. The CFL and ATFL origins on the fibula were continuous and measured 3.48 ± 0.39 cm2. The CFL insertion on the calcaneus measured 2.68 ± 0.20 cm2. The CFL was found 27.1 ± 1.0 mm posterior and superior from the peroneal tubercle.

Conclusions:

In presumably uninjured specimens, both the ATFL and its footprint on the talus were bifid. The CFL and ATFL origins have a single confluent footprint on the anterior border of the distal fibula. The CFL footprint on the calcaneus is almost 3 cm posterior and superior to the peroneal tubercle.

Clinical Relevance:

This study may assist surgeons in anatomically reconstructing the lateral ligament complex of the ankle.
Simple Excision vs the Kidner Procedure for Type 2 Accessory Navicular Associated With Flatfoot in Pediatric Population
Authors: Cha Soo-Min , Shin Hyun-Dae , Kim Kyung-Cheon , Lee Jeong-Kil
Published: January 2013

Background:

Recently, many studies have argued against the Kidner procedure and its several modifications, with the accessory navicular considered an irritant rather than a hindrance to foot function, and simple excision has been advocated. We designed this prospective, comparative study of simple excision and the Kidner procedure in children and adolescents with flatfoot and evaluated functional and radiographic outcomes.

Methods:

From February 2004 to March 2009, we followed 50 consecutive feet of symptomatic type 2 accessory navicular. Simple excision and the Kidner procedure were performed in 25 feet each, respectively. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Midfoot Scale, the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the talo–first metatarsal, talocalcaneal, and calcaneal pitch angles were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively for a minimum of 3 years. Patient satisfaction was assessed.

Results:

The preoperative AOFAS midfoot scale and VAS of each group were improved at final follow-up. The talo–first metatarsal and talocalcaneal angles were not significantly different pre- and postoperatively. However, the calcaneal pitch angle of both groups was improved at the final follow-up. At the final follow-up, we observed no significant differences between the 2 groups in the AOFAS midfoot scale, the VAS, and the talo–first metatarsal, talocalcaneal, and calcaneal pitch angles. The satisfaction frequencies were 86% and 82% in groups 1 and 2, respectively.

Conclusions:

We found that in children and adolescents with accessory navicular and flatfoot, simple excision and the Kidner procedure both gave satisfactory results and both minimally restored the medial longitudinal arch similarly.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective therapeutic study.
Relationship Characteristics and Cash Flow Variability
Authors: Tarasi Crina O. , Bolton Ruth N. , Gustafsson Anders , Walker Beth A.
Published: January 2013

Service firms seek customers with high revenues, profits, or lifetime value. However, they frequently ignore variations in consumption that lead to cash flow variability and adversely influence service operations and financial performance. This study shows that variation in individual customers' consumption or spending on services can be decreased in ways that are actionable by most managers, without decreasing revenues or profits. First, customer satisfaction has a ``double-whammy'' effect: lower cash flow variability and higher cash flow levels. This finding is important because firms can increase satisfaction in many ways. Second, customers who participate in loyalty programs have more variable cash flows, but not higher average cash flows. Hence, firms should design loyalty programs to improve customer satisfaction or intangible benefits (e.g., membership recognition), rather than offering economic incentives. Third, customers who purchase many different offerings, or allocate a large share of their purchases to the firm, have higher cash flow variability and higher average cash flows. Firms can optimize the customer portfolio by combining customers with high variability with customers who have different, offsetting cash flow patterns. Fourth, personal characteristics, such as age and income, also influence cash flow variability. Empirical findings are robust across two settings: telecommunications and financial services. The study describes sensitivity analyses of how different service and relationship marketing strategies influence a firm's business outcomes. The article concludes with insights into how to integrate service management principles, which emphasize consistency or low variability in processes, with customer relationship management principles that emphasize growing relationships and cash flows.
Strengthening Customer Relationships
Authors: Polo Yolanda , Sese F. Javier
Published: January 2013

Building long-term, profitable, customer relationships has become a strategic mandate for service firms. In this research, the authors present a modeling framework for understanding the decision of a noncontractual customer to strengthen the relationship with the firm by migrating to a contractual relationship. Drawing upon expected utility theory, the customer migration decision is modeled as a function of expected gains (actual expectations of service usage) and losses (price of the noncontractual service). In addition, the authors investigate the direct and indirect effects of the age of the noncontractual relationship and propose a model to understand the process of expectations formation. The framework is tested empirically in a business-to-consumer context in mobile communications services. The findings provide strong support for the proposed model and they reveal that actual expected service usage and noncontractual price increase the probability of the customer migrating to a contract, and that relationship age has both direct (positive) and indirect (through expected service usage) effects on the studied behavior. The present study also provides new theoretical and empirical insights into the formation of actual customer usage expectations. Finally, the study findings have several important implications for service managers to strengthen their relationships with their current noncontractual customers. For example, they need to proactively manage customers’ actual expectations about future service usage in order to increase a customer’s probability to migrate to a contract.
Feline eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis: a retrospective study of 45 cases (56 eyes)
Authors: Dean Eric , Meunier Valerie
Published: January 2013

The medical records of 45 cases (56 eyes) of feline eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) diagnosed between 2005 and 2011 were reviewed. Cats were included if a clinical diagnosis of EKC was recorded and eosinophils were found on corneal cytology. Median age at presentation was 5 years (interquartiles 5-9 years) for both males and females. Domestic shorthair was the predominant breed, accounting for 77.8% of the cats. The condition was unilateral in 75.6% of cases, with the superotemporal quadrant of the cornea the most frequently affected position (76.8% of eyes). A history of corneal ulceration was recorded in 37.8% of cases, and corneal ulcers were present at or before diagnosis in 66.7% of the cats. Eosinophils were found in 92.0% of conjunctival scrapings. We performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) for 33/45 cats. Viral DNA was detected in 54.5% of these cats. FHV-1 DNA was detected by PCR in 66.7% of cats with a history and/or presence of a corneal ulcer at first presentation, which is significantly more than those with no corneal ulcer at any time (22.2% FHV-1 DNA detected). Our findings suggest that a corneal ulcer can be present prior to the development of eosinophilic keratitis. Further studies are mandatory to explore the role that FHV-1 could play in EKC-associated corneal ulceration.
A trial with 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine and human interferon-α in cats naturally infected with feline leukaemia virus
Authors: Stuetzer Bianca , Brunner Konstanze , Lutz Hans , Hartmann Katrin
Published: January 2013

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) infection is still one of the leading causes of infection-related deaths in domestic cats. Treatment with various drugs has been attempted, but none has resulted in cure or complete virus elimination. Human interferon-α2a (huIFN-α2a) and 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (AZT) have been proven to decrease antigenaemia in cats infected experimentally with FeLV. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of huIFN-α2a, AZT and a combination of both drugs in cats infected naturally with FeLV in a placebo-controlled double-blinded trial. Fourty-four FeLV-infected cats in which free FeLV p27 antigen was detected in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were included in the study. Cats were assigned to one of four treatment groups that received either high dose huIFN-α2a (105 IU/kg q24h; 12 cats), AZT (5 mg/kg q12h; 10 cats, both of these treatments (12 cats) or placebo (10 cats). All cats were treated for 6 weeks. Clinical variables, including stomatitis, and laboratory parameters, such as CD4+ and CD8+ counts and serum FeLV p 27 antigen concentration, were recorded throughout the treatment period. No significant difference among the groups was observed during the treatment period for any of the parameters. Aside from anaemia in one cat treated with AZT, no adverse effects were observed. It was not possible to demonstrate efficacy of huIFN-α2a or AZT alone or together in cats infected naturally with FeLV when given according to this regimen for 6 weeks; however, no notable side effects were detected.
How will the 2014 Commonwealth Games impact on Glasgow’s health, and how will we know?
Authors: McCartney Gerry , Hanlon Phil , Bond Lyndal
Published: January 2013

This article identifies pathways through which impacts from the 2014 Commonwealth Games might arise. It also assesses the likelihood of positive impacts and considers how best to evaluate the games. The pathways identified are: economic growth; increased sports participation; increased pride and sense of identity; volunteering; improved environment; and legacy programmes. There is little or no evidence from previous major multi-sports events to suggest that any of these pathways are likely to generate meaningful positive outcomes although there is an absence of evidence for some. The available evidence could be improved if the 2014 Games were to be evaluated using: retrospective cohort analysis for discrete interventions; theory-based comparative cohort analyses, which includes an assessment of opportunity costs for effects that are intrinsic to hosting the event; and a realist evaluation of ‘catalytic impacts’.
A social media revolution or just a case of history repeating itself? The use of social media in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary elections
Authors: Strandberg Kim
Published: January 2013

This article analyses the use of social media by both candidates and citizens in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary election campaign. Utilizing data on the candidates’ use of various social media sites, survey data from the 2011 Finnish election study, and survey data from a Finnish panel, the analyses reveal that the significance of social media was generally modest in the election campaign. The findings show that although candidates did use social media extensively, the on-line electoral patterns were found to be mostly normalized. The citizens’ use of social media in the campaign was also very low and its impact on their voting decision even smaller. However, the irrelevance of political interest in explaining extensive social media use, found in the analyses, break established patterns explaining political participation.
The Role of Vitamin D in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Lương Khanh Vinh Quốc , Nguyễn Lan Thi Hoàng
Published: January 2013

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly individuals and is associated with progressive memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. A significant association between AD and low levels of vitamin D has been demonstrated. Furthermore, vitamin D supplements appear to have a beneficial clinical effect on AD by regulating micro-RNA, enhancing toll-like receptors, modulating vascular endothelial factor expression, modulating angiogenin, and advanced glycation end products. Vitamin D also exerts its effects on AD by regulating calcium-sensing receptor expression, enhancing amyloid-β peptides clearance, interleukin 10, downregulating matrix metalloproteinases, upregulating heme oxygenase 1, and suppressing the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate expression. In conclusion, vitamin D may play a beneficial role in AD. Calcitriol is the best vitamin D supplement for AD, because it is the active form of the vitamin D3 metabolite and modulates inflammatory cytokine expression. Therefore, further investigation of the role of calcitriol in AD is needed.
Verifying Quantitative Stigma and Medication Adherence Scales Using Qualitative Methods among Thai Youth Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Fongkaew Warunee , Viseskul Nongkran , Suksatit Benjamas , Settheekul Saowaluck , Chontawan Ratanawadee , Grimes Richard M. , Grimes Deanna E.
Published: January 2013

HIV/AIDS-related stigma has been linked to poor adherence resulting in drug resistance and the failure to control HIV. This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine stigma and its relationship to adherence in 30 HIV-infected Thai youth aged 14 to 21 years. Stigma was measured using the HIV stigma scale and its 4 subscales, and adherence was measured using a visual analog scale. Stigma and adherence were also examined by in-depth interviews. The interviews were to determine whether verbal responses would match the scale’s results. The mean score of stigma perception from the overall scale and its 4 subscales ranged from 2.14 to 2.45 on a scale of 1 to 4, indicating moderate levels of stigma. The mean adherence score was .74. The stigma scale and its subscales did not correlate with the adherence. Totally, 17 of the respondents were interviewed. Contrary to the quantitative results, the interviewees reported that the stigma led to poor adherence because the fear of disclosure often caused them to miss medication doses. The differences between the quantitative and the qualitative results highlight the importance of validating psychometric scales when they are translated and used in other cultures.
A school-based intervention associated with improvements in cardiometabolic risk profiles in young people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Wallén Eva Flygare , Müllersdorf Maria , Christensson Kyllike , Marcus Claude
Published: January 2013

This study evaluates a multifactorial school-based intervention with the aim of decreasing cardiometabolic risk factors by means of a healthy lifestyle, primarily with daily physical activity and healthy food during school hours, at an upper secondary school for students with intellectual disabilities. The outcome is measured in terms of cardiometabolic risk factors and cardiovascular fitness, both known to increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Two years of intervention resulted in a positive trend in several measured cardiometabolic risk factors, with no increase in fat mass. Cardiovascular fitness levels were unchanged. We conclude that a healthy school environment can contribute to a deceleration of both fat mass gain and loss of cardiovascular fitness.
Modularity and the Cultural Mind
Authors: Chiao Joan Y. , Immordino-Yang Mary Helen
Published: January 2013

A central question in the study of the mind is how cognitive functions are shaped by a complex interplay of genetic and experiential processes. Recent evidence from cultural neuroscience indicates that cultural values, practices, and beliefs influence brain function across a variety of cognitive processes from vision to social cognition. This evidence extends to low-level perceptual systems comprised of domain-specific mechanisms, suggesting the importance of ecological and cultural variation in the evolutionary and developmental processes that give rise to the human mind and brain. In this article, we argue that investigating the architecture of the human mind will require understanding how the human mind and brain shape and are shaped by culture–gene coevolutionary processes.
How Can Functional Neuroimaging Inform Cognitive Theories?
Authors: Coltheart Max
Published: January 2013

Work on functional neuroimaging of cognition falls into two categories. The first aims at localizing specific cognitive subsystems in specific brain regions. In this research, the cognitive subsystems in question need to be defined independently of the neuroimaging data because the interpretation of the data requires such definition; so functional neuroimaging is informed by cognitive theories rather than informing them. The second category uses neuroimaging data to test cognitive theories. As cognitive theories are expressed in cognitive terms, such theories have to be embellished by explicit proposals about relationships between cognition and the brain if they are to become capable of generating predictions about the results of experiments that use functional neuroimaging. Whether functional neuroimaging can succeed in informing a cognitive theory depends critically upon the plausibility of such supplementary proposals. It is also critical to avoid the “consistency fallacy.” When neuroimaging data from an experiment are consistent with predictions from a particular cognitive theory, this cannot be offered as evidence in support of that theory unless it can be shown that there were possible other outcomes of the experiment that are inconsistent with the theory—outcomes that would have falsified predictions from the theory had they been obtained.
Hip Fracture in a Patient With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Friedman Susan M. , White R. James , Finkelstein Steven M. , Kellam James , Allen Egan F. , Sip Anna K. , Stanton Rebecca
Published: January 2013

This case presents a discussion of an 80-year-old woman with severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) on chronic intravenous treprostinil infusion and oxygen therapy who presents with a subcapital hip fracture. Care is closely coordinated by an interdisciplinary team, including her PH specialist, in order to optimize her outcome.
High pressure rolling of low carbon steel weld seams: Part 2 – Roller geometry and residual stress
Authors: Coules H E , Colegrove P , Cozzolino L D , Wen S W , Kelleher J F
Published: January 2013

Large residual stresses are an undesirable but inevitable side effect of fusion welding operations, and localised high pressure rolling of the weld seam is a proposed method for eliminating them. In this study, neutron diffraction has been used to map the residual stresses within low carbon steel weld seams treated with high pressure rolling. The effect on the residual stress distribution of using different roller types was determined, along with the influence of these different rollers on final weld seam geometry. Rolling was found to completely change the residual stress state in the weld, creating large compressive longitudinal residual stresses. It was effective for this purpose regardless of whether it was applied directly to the weld seam or to regions either side of it. The fatigue life of welded specimens was shown to be reduced by rolling; however, it is suggested that this is due to geometric and metallurgical effects.
Electrode tips geometry and penetrating in narrow gap welding
Authors: Sun Q J , Hun H F , Li W J , Liang Y C , Feng J C
Published: January 2013

The problem of sidewall incomplete fusion in narrow gap tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding could be well solved when the proper magnetic field was added. However, the various tungsten electrode tips seriously affect the distribution of arc pressure and the quality of welding seams. In addition, it is a 350 A GTA, as this is in a regime in which finger penetration is common. This paper studies the distribution of arc pressure of five different styles of tungsten electrode tips: 30° circular cone, 60° circular cone, 60° circular cone with truncated cone of 2 mm diameter, terrace of 2×2 mm and terrace of 2×0·8 mm with the same welding parameters. The character of arc pressure is verified by assaying the seam cross-section under the controlling magnetic field condition in narrow gap welding. The measuring equipment that we designed independently is creative and applicative in narrow gap TIG welding under magnetic fields.
Investigation of heat affected zone softening in armour steels Part 2 – Mechanical and microstructure heterogeneity
Authors: Hanhold B , Babu S S , Cola G
Published: January 2013

Flash processed (FP) steels have shown potential for armour applications based on the response to ballistic loading. In this research, weldability of these steels was studied and compared to commercial high hard (HH) armour steel. Simulated heat affected zone (HAZ) microstructures in these steels were investigated by comprehensive microscopy and hardness mapping. HAZ softening in HH steel was observed on heating to a peak temperature below Ac1 due to overtempering of original microstructure. In FP steel, the softening was associated with allotriomorphic ferrite formation when heated to a peak temperature between Ac1 and Ac3. The transformation kinetics, softening, and hardening characteristics are rationalised based on changes in prior austenite grain size, cooling rate and underlying chemical heterogeneity.
Study of gadolinium based protective coating for magnesium alloys
Authors: Cui X F , Jin G , Yang Y Y , Lin L L , Wang H D , Xu B S
Published: January 2013

Gadolinium based conversion coating, a new chemical protective coating for magnesium alloys, was prepared and its microstructure and corrosion resistance were investigated. The micromorphology, composition and elemental chemical states were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) respectively. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by a potentiodynamic polarisation curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Nanomechanics integrated test system was used to represent the nanomechanical property and residual stress. The results indicate that the morphology of the coating is a cracked mud structure. The EDS and XPS results reveal that the coating is primarily made of magnesium and gadolinium oxides. Gadolinium coating forming mechanism can be generally divided into two periods: the dissolution of the substrate, the codeposition of Gd(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2. The potentiodynamic polarisation curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that the coating can improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys.
DBD plasma improved spot repair of automotive polymer surfaces
Authors: Bellmann M , Gerhard C , Haese C , Wieneke S , Viöl W
Published: January 2013

Plasma activation effects on automotive polymers by low temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure have been studied. The aim of this work was the improvement of the polymer surface polarity in order to replace the use of adhesive layers before application of lacquering. Two different concepts of dielectric barrier discharge, direct and indirect plasma treatment, were applied. The efficiency of such plasma treatment was determined by adhesive pull strength tests and surface energy calculations. It was shown that both plasma treatment methods allow a significant increase in surface polarity up to a factor of 20 and adhesive pull strength of lacquers up to a factor of 29 respectively. In comparison to indirect surface treatment, the direct treatment features a higher efficiency in terms of increasing both, polarity and adhesive pull strength.
Effect of heat treatment on coating microstructure applied by high activity diffusion process on IN738LC
Authors: Mojaddami M , Rastegari S , Arabi H , Rafiee H
Published: January 2013

To study the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and composition of high activity aluminide diffusion coating, a number of IN738LC specimens were coated at 850 and 1050°C via high activity aluminising process for 4 h and then heat treated at 1120°C for 2 h. Then, the microstructures of the coatings were examined via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). For the high temperature process, the thickness of the outer layer of the coating increased basically due to the inward diffusion of aluminium, which demonstrated that a chemical potential gradient exists for the inward diffusion of aluminium even after 4 h of inward diffusion at 1050°C. The EDS results provided the evidence that the partition of interdiffusion zone into two separate zones could be due to the outward diffusion of chromium. Surprisingly, the decomposition of the precipitates formed in the first step was observed, indicating that those precipitates were not stable.
Surface coating on Bertesi's wooden bas relief (seventeenth century)
Authors: Malagodi M , Basso E , Avagliano R , Licchelli M
Published: January 2013

It is known that the physical properties and the conservation rate of a wooden artefact are strictly related to its surface treatment, especially in order to control mechanical and rheological properties and to increase the durability of the wood. The pictorial film of painting forms a structure that, adhering to the wood surface, plays both a protective and an aesthetic role. In order to restore artefacts, it is important to know the original function of the external coating. The aim of this paper is to define the nature and the function of a white coating covering all the surface of a bas relief made by Giacomo Bertesi, one of the most important artists and wood carvers in northern Italy, in the second half of the seventeenth century. Three microsamples were taken from the surface. Micro-Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses were performed to characterise the materials and the different layers.
Synthesis and tribological properties of CuS/ZnS nanoparticles doped polyelectrolyte multilayers
Authors: Guo Y B , Wang D G , Liu S H , Zhang S W
Published: January 2013

Polyelectrolyte multilayer thin films [poly(diallyl dimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)] for the synthesis of CuS and ZnS nanoparticles were prepared. The CuS/ZnS nanoparticles in situ synthesised by immersing the PDDA/PAA polyelectrolyte multilayer thin films into Cu2+(or Zn2+) and Na2S aqueous solutions alternately, which were characterised in detail by UV visible absorption spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The CuS and ZnS nanoparticles doped polyelectrolyte multilayer thin films were synthesised by the layer-by-layer molecular deposition technology and in situ synthesis method. The coefficient of friction (COF) decreased with the in situ synthesis CuS and ZnS nanoparticles doped into the polyelectrolyte layers. The in situ nanoparticles exhibited enhanced wear resistance performance of the plain polyelectrolyte multilayers.
Ceramic coatings in ancient times: high technology surface modification technologies
Authors: Memmi I T
Published: January 2013

Ceramic coatings on ancient pottery, in particular black gloss, transparent glaze (first alkali based and then lead based) and opaque glaze (enamel) up to the lustre decoration, can be considered as the top technological skill of ancient ceramists. Indeed, their production demands the ceramist a thorough knowledge of pyrotechnology, including the ability to strictly control furnace atmosphere conditions. Several papers have dealt with the study of ceramic coatings, aiming to reconstruct the production technology and the modality of application and to define the relations between coating and ceramic body. These tasks are quite difficult to accomplish, also due to the very fine details of these surface layers. A multianalytical approach is therefore necessary, including conventional (scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometry, electron probe microanalyser and Raman) and high resolution techniques (high resolution TEM, synchrotron radiation source based diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy). Two case studies on different ceramic coatings are presented: black gloss pottery from Northern Etruria and Sienese ‘Archaic’ majolica from Tuscany.
Arc enhanced laser melt injection WC particles on Al surface
Authors: Li F Q , Li L Q , Chen Y B
Published: January 2013

In order to overcome the difficulties of laser melt injection (LMI) on aluminium alloys, the process of tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc enhanced LMI ceramic particles was developed. The influence of process parameters, including laser power, TIG current, the direction of powder feeding, the carrier gas flow of powder and the shield gas flow of TIG, was investigated. The results have shown that to achieve appropriate surface enhancement effect, the powder should be fed from the back side of the laser beam. The depth of the arc enhanced LMI layer increases monotonously with increasing TIG current. The depth of the LMI layer increases first and then decreases with increasing laser power. The carrier gas flow and gas flow of TIG should be matched. Through optimisation of process parameters, WCp/Al layer was prepared successfully on the surface of aluminium alloy. The microstructure of the surface layer prepared by arc enhanced LMI was analysed.
Inhibition of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl impedes activation of the FLT3 internal tandem duplication in human acute myeloid leukemia: implications for Axl as a potential therapeutic target
Authors: Park Il-Kyoo , Mishra Anjali , Chandler Jason , Whitman Susan P. , Marcucci Guido , Caligiuri Michael A.
Published: January 2013

Key Points

The receptor tyrosine kinase Axl is important for constitutive FLT3 phosphorylation in FLT3-ITD+ AML Blocking phosphorylation of Axl suppresses the growth of human FLT3-ITD+ AML in vivo, which makes Axl a potential therapeutic target
Challenges and promises for the development of donor-independent platelet transfusions
Authors: Lambert Michele P. , Sullivan Spencer K. , Fuentes Rudy , French Deborah L. , Poncz Mortimer
Published: January 2013

Platelet transfusions are often a life-saving intervention, and the use of platelet transfusions has been increasing. Donor-derived platelet availability can be challenging. Compounding this concern are additional limitations of donor-derived platelets, including variability in product unit quality and quantity, limited shelf life and the risks of product bacterial contamination, other transfusion-transmitted infections, and immunologic reactions. Because of these issues, there has been an effort to develop strategies to generate platelets from exogenously generated precursor cells. If successful, such platelets have the potential to be a safer, more consistent platelet product, while reducing the necessity for human donations. Moreover, ex vivo–generated autologous platelets or precursors may be beneficial for patients who are refractory to allogeneic platelets. For patients with inherited platelet disorders, ex vivo–generated platelets offer the promise of a treatment via the generation of autologous gene-corrected platelets. Theoretically, ex vivo–generated platelets also offer targeted delivery of ectopic proteins to sites of vascular injury. This review summarizes the current, state-of-the-art methodologies in delivering a clinically relevant ex vivo–derived platelet product, and it discusses significant challenges that must be overcome for this approach to become a clinical reality.