bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence silica, kaolin and epoxy resin on heat and thermal properties of rigid polyurethane– polyisocyanurate foams
Authors: Liszkowska Joanna , Czupryński Bogusław , Paciorek-Sadowska Joanna
Published: May 2013

The following fillers were added to rigid polyurethane–polyisocyanurate foams in the amount of 2,5-10wt%: silica, kaolin and epoxy resin. The effect of these fillers on the thermal resistance of the foams was studied. The biggest influence on the temperature of the first loss in foam mass (beginning of change in mass) is addition of silica. The temperature increased from 44℃ (foam without filler W) to 88℃ (foam containing 10% wt/wt of silica S10). The temperature at the extrapolated beginning of the first mass loss in the foam (beginning of decomposition) increases from 102℃ (Wfoam) to 110℃ (K10 foam), to 222℃ (S10 foam), to 144℃ (E10 foam). The temperature of the highest speed of loss in mass (beginning of rapid decomposition) increases from 220℃ (W) to 425℃ (S10) and to 243℃ (E10) for foams with kaolin and Epidian 5, respectively. As the content of silica and epoxy resin (Epidian 5) were increased in foam composition, softening point of foams increased from 230℃ (foam W) to 239℃ (foam K10) and to 244℃ (foam E10). Addition of kaolin resulted in softening point decrease to 198℃ (foam S10).
Two-dimensional, M-mode and Doppler-derived echocardiographic parameters in sedated healthy growing female sheep
Authors: Poser H , Semplicini L , Benedictis GM De , Gerardi G , Contiero B , Maschietto N , Valerio E , Milanesi O , Semplicini A , Bernardini D
Published: May 2013

Despite the fact that sheep are a widely used animal model in cardiovascular research, reference values for transthoracic echocardiography in normal growing animals are not available. Eight healthy female lambs underwent two-dimensional, M-mode and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiographic examination at 100 days of age and every three months thereafter over a 12-month period. The study was conducted under sedation with midazolam, butorphanol and constant rate infusion of intravenous propofol. Their growth phase was completed at about one year of age. All the echocardiographic parameters considered were significantly correlated with body weight and age class except for the left ventricular systolic and diastolic diameters. Functional indices were not correlated to body weight or age except for the E-point to septal separation distance (EPSS). Doppler-derived parameters were not influenced by independent variables. Transthoracic echocardiography can be considered an applicable method for cardiovascular research using a growing lamb animal model after appropriate adjustments for age and body size.
Food and water intake, growth, and adiposity of Sprague-Dawley rats with diet board for 24 months
Authors: Laaksonen KS , Nevalainen TO , Haasio K , Kasanen IHE , Nieminen PA , Voipio H-M
Published: May 2013

Ad libitum (AL) feeding of rats leads to obesity and increased result variability, as well as premature morbidity and mortality. It may also alter metabolism and responses to foreign compounds. Moderate dietary restriction (DR) reduces these untoward effects without compromising the sensitivity of rodent bioassays. The diet board (DB) is a novel method for achieving moderate DR in group housing. Food pellets are firmly attached into grooves in an aspen board, and rats have to gnaw the wood in order to eat. Food is available continuously, but due to the effort involved rats eat less. This study simulated a chronic safety test to assess the long-term effects of DB feeding. A total of 146 male and female outbred Sprague-Dawley rats, nine weeks old at onset, were housed in groups of three and fed either AL or with DBs for two years. Food and water consumption were measured at six time points. The rats were weighed every one to two weeks. Body and tibial lengths and epididymal fat weight were measured at necropsy. Modified body mass index was calculated at five time points after one year of age. DB feeding reduced body weight and fat tissue moderately, more so in males. DB males ate less than AL males, but no differences were seen in the total food consumption in the females. There was no consistent difference in the within-group variations of the measured parameters. DB is a workable DR method, albeit some modification could enhance and standardize its DR effects, especially in female rats.
The effect of cage shelf on the behaviour of male C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice in the elevated plus maze test
Authors: Õkva K , Nevalainen T , Pokk P
Published: May 2013

The effect of environmental enrichment in the form of a cage shelf on the behaviour of male C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice was compared. Male C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were randomly allocated into 12 cages per strain. The mice were kept in control conditions or exposed to a cage shelf for two, four, six or eight weeks, and thereafter assessed with the elevated plus maze. C57BL/6 mice displayed a trend of being less anxious than the BALB/c mice. A cage shelf increased the number of entries made into the open arms and the total number of entries only in the case of the C57BL/6 mice, but had no effect on the behaviour of the BALB/c mice. In conclusion, the effect of a cage shelf on the elevated plus maze behaviour of mice depends on the strain of the animals.
QMAEA: A quantum multi-agent evolutionary algorithm for multi-objective combinatorial optimization
Authors: Tao F , Laili Y J , Zhang L , Zhang Z H , Nee AY C
Published: May 2013

Multi-objective combinatorial optimization (MOCO) is an essential concern for the implementation of large-scale distributed modeling and simulation (MS) system. It is more complex than general computing systems, with higher dynamics and stricter demands on real-time performance. The quality and speed of the optimal decision directly decides the efficiency of the simulation. However, few works have been carried out for multi-objective combinatorial optimization MOCO especially in large-scale and service-oriented distributed simulation systems (SoDSSs). The existing algorithms for MOCO in SoDSSs are far from enough owing to their low accuracy or long decision time. To overcome this bottleneck, in this paper, a quantum multi-agent evolutionary algorithm (QMAEA), for addressing MOCO in large-scale SoDSSs is proposed. In QMAEA, the concept and characteristics of agent and quantum encoding are introduced for high intelligent searching. Each agent represented by a quantum bit, called a quantum agent (QAgent), is defined as a candidate solution for a MOCO problem, and each QAgent is assigned an energy, which denotes the fitness or objective function value of the candidate solution represented by it. Each QAgent is connected by four other QAgents nearby, and all QAgents are organized by an annular grid, called a multi-agent grid (MAG). In a MAG system, the population of QAgents can reproduce, perish, compete for survival, observe and communicate with the environment, and make all their decisions autonomously. Several operators, i.e. energy-evaluation-operator, competition-operator, crossover-operator, mutation-operator and trimming-operator, are designed to specify the evolvement of the MAG. The theory of predatory search strategy of animals is introduced in the evolution of QMAEA. Multiple evolutionary strategies, such as local-evolution-strategy, local-mutation-strategy and global-mutation-strategy are designed and used to balance the exploration (global search ability) and the exploitation (local search ability) of QMAEA. The framework and procedures of QMAEA are presented in detail. The simulation and comparison results demonstrate the proposed method is very effective and efficient for addressing MOCO in SoDSSs.
Neighbourhood for Playing: Using GPS, GIS and Accelerometry to Delineate Areas within which Youth are Physically Active
Authors: Yin Li , Raja Samina , Li Xiao , Lai Yuan , Epstein Leonard , Roemmich James
Published: May 2013

Despite the documented importance of the neighbourhood environment on youth physical activity, little empirical research exists regarding the geographical boundaries of neighbourhoods within which youth are physically active around their homes. Studies and public policies often arbitrarily assume the extent of these boundaries, which vary from study to study. This paper combines GPS data, diaries and accelerometry to delineate empirically the local area and distance within which youth play in Erie County, New York. The study found that youth tend to be physically active within a quarter-mile radius around their homes and to focus on one section of the often assumed circled neighbourhood.
Rethinking Cities in Contentious Times: The Mobilisation of Urban Dissent in the ‘Arab Spring’
Authors: Allegra Marco , Bono Irene , Rokem Jonathan , Casaglia Anna , Marzorati Roberta , Yacobi Haim
Published: May 2013

Throughout history, cities have been the theatre of social and spatial struggles. The issue of urban protests, however, has not yet been investigated in detail in the light of the growing concern of the need to rethink urban studies, from theoretical and epistemic assumptions, to methodological issues. It is argued that the mobilisation of urban dissent in the so-called Arab Spring offers a good opportunity to develop a critical approach based on the observation of the nexus between an event (a punctual expression of dissent) and a site (the urban environment in which the former takes place). The goal is to avoid theoretical rigidities inherent to the assumptions about the intrinsic qualities of cities or social movements. The paper also aims at connecting different academic and disciplinary traditions across linguistic divides—and especially the Anglophone urban studies with the Francophone stream of city-focused political science and political sociology.
Urban Growth and Climate Adaptation in Australia: Divergent Discourses and Implications for Policy-making
Authors: Taylor Bruce , Wallington Tabatha , Heyenga Sonja , Harman Ben
Published: May 2013

Managing urban growth is inherently contentious. Government policies seek to facilitate and spatially contain growth, while balancing public and private interests. The need for climate adaptation strategies in the urban context is recognised but arguably poorly institutionalised in growth management policies or in urban governance more broadly. This paper considers how debates around urban adaptation and growth management are structured in the discourses of local government, private developers and other actors. A discourse analysis of written submissions and media releases from four urban policy debates in Queensland, Australia, is presented. The analysis highlights the discursive strategies employed by different actors and the way their arguments have been consolidated in the practices of urban policy-making. The analysis suggests a divergence of growth and adaptation storylines, contributing to maintaining the gap between these policy agendas. Progress may be made, however, in the pragmatic discourses of actual policy implementation.
Democratic Accountability and Metropolitan Governance: The Case of South Hampshire, UK
Authors: Buser Michael
Published: May 2013

This paper examines the notion of democratic accountability through an investigation of metropolitan governance in South Hampshire, UK. The author employs an interpretive approach to trace varying readings of democratic accountability and to analyse how these notions reflect and influence specific institutional arrangements. The paper highlights how accountability can be strategically deployed to accomplish and bolster diverse policy and political objectives and how these interpretations impact the quality of democratic engagement
Open to Business? An Exploration of the Impact of the Built Environment and Zoning Plans on Local Businesses in Pre-war and Post-war Residential Neighbourhoods in Dutch Cities
Authors: Beckers Pascal , Kloosterman Robert C.
Published: May 2013

Urban residential neighbourhoods, including migrant neighbourhoods, have become important incubation zones for small businesses in recent years and policy-makers and academics alike are wondering which local factors affect this development. This paper analyses the extent to which migrant neighbourhood characteristics related to the built environment and the local regulations matter in determining the possibilities for small businesses. It contrasts two types of neighbourhood in the Netherlands—pre-war neighbourhoods with little functional separation between residential and commercial purposes, and post-war predominantly mono-functional residential neighbourhoods. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies are combined using available firm data from trade registers of the Dutch chambers of commerce, reviewing neighbourhood zoning regulations and conducting focus group and individual interviews with neighbourhood experts and entrepreneurs. It is found that the built and regulatory environment of migrant neighbourhoods does indeed appear to impact significantly on the chances of setting up a business and its subsequent fate.
Explaining Smart Growth Applications: Lessons Learned from the US Capital Region
Authors: Ali Amal K.
Published: May 2013

The counties of the US Capital Region represent unique case studies of urban areas that face tremendous development pressures resulting from their proximity to Washington, DC. They cross two states: Maryland with a statewide smart growth programme and Virginia without such a programme. This unique location raises two questions: do statewide smart growth programmes lead counties to adopt smart growth policies?; and what are the local factors contributing to county decisions to apply these policies? Case study analysis was applied to examine these questions in the Capital Region based on three sources of evidence: state and county regulations and plans; interviews with county planners; and secondary data. The analysis indicates that state mandates shape county land use planning. While statewide incentive programmes/policies help Maryland’s counties to preserve their farmlands, they seem insufficient to change sprawling development patterns. County applications of smart growth policies are mainly driven by local needs and priorities.
AIRNET: A Programme for Generating Intercity Networks
Authors: Neal Zachary
Published: May 2013

Despite growing interest in the study of intercity networks, researchers routinely lament the difficulties involved in obtaining the necessary data. This paper introduces and demonstrates a new programme, AIRNET, which generates intercity networks from publicly available data. Specifically, AIRNET processes airline traffic data from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to produce networks among US cities and airports. These data and networks are restricted to US cities, but nonetheless offer two major benefits to researchers seeking intercity network data. First, AIRNET produces four types of network—route, origin–destination, business and leisure—that can be used to explore distinct research questions and which can be customised using adjustable parameters that alter how the network is created. Secondly, it can produce each of these networks at multiple time points beginning in 1993, thereby providing researchers access to one of the only sources of longitudinal, dynamic intercity networks.
Imagine all the Neighbours: Perceived Neighbourhood Ethnicity, Interethnic Friendship Ties and Perceived Ethnic Threat in Four Nordic Countries
Authors: Kouvo Antti , Lockmer Carita
Published: May 2013

The aim of the article is to analyse the impact of the self-evaluated ethnic composition of the place of residence on interethnic contacts and attitudes through the comparison of four Nordic countries. Data come from the European Social Survey 2002. Compared with ethnically homogeneous neighbourhoods, interethnic relationships are more common in ethnically mixed neighbourhoods with some self-reported ethnic minorities. However, living in an area with many perceived ethnic minorities does not necessarily increase the probability of having interethnic friends in all four countries. As contact theory suggests that, having interethnic friendship ties in combination with living in an ethnically mixed or ethnic neighbourhood is associated with the probability of having more tolerant attitudes towards immigrants in all four countries. Perceived ethnic threat, however, is generally at its lowest level in areas with only some ethnic minorities, which may leave some room for conflict or competition theories as well.
The Spatio-temporal Clustering of Green Buildings in the United States
Authors: Kaza Nikhil , Lester T. William , Rodriguez Daniel A.
Published: May 2013

This paper explores the spatial and temporal patterns of green building in the commercial and institutional sectors in the US. While these buildings are becoming more commonplace, they have yet to reach a critical mass to affect the entire construction industry. Given the potential for green building practices to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, the paper seeks to understand the geography of green building. Using multiple metrics, it explains the patterning of geography of LEED and Energy Star certified buildings in the US. Strong evidence is found of clustering at the metropolitan and sub-metropolitan scales. This exploratory research serves as a foundation for future research aimed at specifying the nature of agglomerative processes in green buildings.
The Città Abusiva in Contemporary Southern Italy: Illegal Building and Prospects for Change
Authors: Zanfi Federico
Published: May 2013

This study returns to the topic of unauthorised development in the south of Italy. It starts by assessing the main positions that have informed the debate since the 1960s and evaluates the consequences of the condono edilizio (building amnesty) policy, in the light of the impact that illegal construction has had on the landscape, both urban, rural and coastal. A close observation of three case studies, unplanned settlements in Lazio, Campania and Sicily, suggests that the original energies and expectations behind their development have long since lost their momentum. Rather, the emergence of new evolutionary trends—hitherto underrepresented within the political debate—demand a different interpretative framework. Three design scenarios are outlined, based on recycling existing social and physical material: they translate into a future-oriented discourse those symptoms of change that are already appearing in an embryonic form throughout Italy’s Mezzogiorno.
Descriptive Analysis of a Staff Injury-Reduction Intervention in a Human Services Setting for Children and Youth With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Luiselli James K.
Published: May 2013

Clinical safety is a dominant concern for human services organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and high-risk challenging behaviors. This article is a descriptive analysis of components that comprised an injury-reduction intervention among direct-care staff at a specialized school. Using a behavior-based safety approach, intervention was associated with fewer staff injuries and more weeks without injury reports. The article focuses on systems-level strategies and recommendations for future research and practice.
Family Alliance as a Moderator of the Link Between Maternal Postpartum Depression and Child Symptoms Assessed by Both Parents
Authors: Tissot Hervé , Scaiola Chloé Lavanchy , Frascarolo France , Despland Jean-Nicolas , Stiefel Friedrich , Favez Nicolas
Published: May 2013

We investigated the moderating effect of family relationships on the links between maternal postpartum depression and child symptoms in a low-risk community sample of families with 3-month-old infants ( n = 57). The level of maternal depression was assessed by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale from a clinical interview, child symptoms by the Symptom Check List completed by both parents, and family relationships by direct observation of father–mother–baby interactions (Lausanne Trilogue Play). Families were categorized as high coordination or low coordination from their overall coordination level throughout the play. Results showed no significant links between maternal depression level and child symptoms reported by both parents. Mothers with a high depressive level in high coordination families tended to report more symptoms in their child than did mothers with lower depressive scores, whereas this link was not found in low coordination families. Prevention perspectives and clinical implications of these results are discussed.
Investigating the effects of prompt characteristics on the comparability of TOEFL iBT™ integrated writing tasks
Authors: Cho Yeonsuk , Rijmen Frank , Novák Jakub
Published: May 2013

This study examined the influence of prompt characteristics on the averages of all scores given to test taker responses on the TOEFL iBTTM integrated Read-Listen-Write (RLW) writing tasks for multiple administrations from 2005 to 2009. In the context of TOEFL iBT RLW tasks, the prompt consists of a reading passage and a lecture.

To understand characteristics of individual prompts, 107 previously administered RLW prompts were evaluated by participants on nine measures of perceived task difficulty via a questionnaire. Because some of the RLW prompts were administered more than once, multilevel modeling analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between ratings of the prompt characteristics and the average RLW scores, while taking into account dependency among the observed average RLW scores and controlling for differences in the English ability of the test takers across administrations.

Results showed that some of the variation in the average RLW scores was attributable to differences in the English ability of the test takers that also varied across administrations. Two variables related to perceived task difficulty, distinctness of ideas within the prompt and difficulty of ideas in the passage, were also identified as potential sources of variation in the average RLW scores.
Understanding the experience of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who access specialist palliative care: A qualitative study
Authors: Hayle Catherine , Coventry Peter A , Gomm Stephanie , Caress Ann-Louise
Published: May 2013

Background:

Palliative care for people with life-limiting non-malignant disease is increasingly prioritised. People with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are among a key group of non-cancer patients likely to benefit from specialist palliative care, but it remains uncertain whether the needs of this group are met by existing services.

Aim:

To evaluate the experiences of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who accessed specialist palliative care.

Design:

Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach.

Setting/participants:

Eight patients accessing specialist palliative care within one city in North West England.

Results:

Perceived benefits of specialist palliative care included reduced frequency of hospital admission, improved physical and psychological symptoms, reduced social isolation and a broadened physical environment. Participants were mainly aware of their poor prognosis, but discussion of referral to palliative care sometimes caused distress owing to the historical associations between dying and hospice care. Following engagement with services, participants’ perceptions changed: palliative care was associated with social inclusion and opportunities to engage in reciprocal and altruistic social action. Negative associations were replaced by uncertainty and anxiety about the prospect of discharge.

Conclusions:

Much within existing services works well for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but opportunities to enhance palliative care for this underserved group remain. Future research might focus on prospectively evaluating the impact of key components of palliative care on core patient-centred outcomes. Additionally, work must be done to raise awareness of the benefits of specialist palliative care for non-cancer patients, as negative associations can form a barrier to access.
Semi-parametric learning for visual odometry
Authors: Guizilini Vitor , Ramos Fabio
Published: May 2013

This paper addresses the visual odometry problem from a machine learning perspective. Optical flow information from a single camera is used as input for a multiple-output Gaussian process (MOGP) framework, that estimates linear and angular camera velocities. This approach has several benefits. (1) It substitutes the need for conventional camera calibration, by introducing a semi-parametric model that is able to capture nuances that a strictly parametric geometric model struggles with. (2) It is able to recover absolute scale if a range sensor (e.g. a laser scanner) is used for ground-truth, provided that training and testing data share a certain similarity. (3) It is naturally able to provide measurement uncertainties. We extend the standard MOGP framework to include the ability to infer joint estimates (full covariance matrices) for both translation and rotation, taking advantage of the fact that all estimates are correlated since they are derived from the same vehicle. We also modify the common zero mean assumption of a Gaussian process to accommodate a standard geometric model of the camera, thus providing an initial estimate that is then further refined by the non-parametric model. Both Gaussian process hyperparameters and camera parameters are trained simultaneously, so there is still no need for traditional camera calibration, although if these values are known they can be used to speed up training. This approach has been tested in a wide variety of situations, both 2D in urban and off-road environments (two degrees of freedom) and 3D with unmanned aerial vehicles (six degrees of freedom), with results that are comparable to standard state-of-the-art visual odometry algorithms and even more traditional methods, such as wheel encoders and laser-based Iterative Closest Point. We also test its limits to generalize over environment changes by varying training and testing conditions independently, and also by changing cameras between training and testing.
Two-dimensional magnetic micro-module reconfigurations based on inter-modular interactions
Authors: Miyashita Shuhei , Diller Eric , Sitti Metin
Published: May 2013

We present a scheme of two-dimensional module reconfiguration based on interactions between microscale magnetic modules with potential applications in micro-robotics, particularly in automatic micro-fabrication, non-invasive diagnoses, micro-surgery, and drug delivery at unreachable sites. The approach taken is a mixture of a top-down engineering approach and a bottom-up self-assembly approach, where reconfiguration commands are delivered from outside the workspace in the form of a magnetic field, which directs configuration changes in the set of modules by changing the strengths of individual magnetic moments. The magnetic modules in the study, 750μm in size, are constrained to a liquid surface, providing a simplified two degrees of freedom translational motion environment, where the laterally interacting inter-module magnetic force determines the assembly configuration. In this way, the relative distance of the magnets simply reflects the strength of the interactions, and thus easily enables the design of the system’s reconfiguration scenario. Reconfiguration occurs when the magnetic attractive forces are changed. To direct the assembly morphology in a controlled manner, the modules are addressed magnetically by incorporating a different magnetic material into each module type, each with different magnetic hysteresis characteristics. For addressing different modules’ magnetizations, we incorporate three different magnetic materials that feature different magnetic coercivities. This allows for the independent control of the magnetization of each material using applied external fields of varying strength, leading to arbitrary configuration change in a three-module set and limited control over a four-module set. General cases with more than five modules are further discussed.
KnowRob: A knowledge processing infrastructure for cognition-enabled robots
Authors: Tenorth Moritz , Beetz Michael
Published: May 2013

Autonomous service robots will have to understand vaguely described tasks, such as “set the table” or “clean up”. Performing such tasks as intended requires robots to fully, precisely, and appropriately parameterize their low-level control programs. We propose knowledge processing as a computational resource for enabling robots to bridge the gap between vague task descriptions and the detailed information needed to actually perform those tasks in the intended way. In this article, we introduce the KnowRob knowledge processing system that is specifically designed to provide autonomous robots with the knowledge needed for performing everyday manipulation tasks. The system allows the realization of “virtual knowledge bases”: collections of knowledge pieces that are not explicitly represented but computed on demand from the robot’s internal data structures, its perception system, or external sources of information. This article gives an overview of the different kinds of knowledge, the different inference mechanisms, and interfaces for acquiring knowledge from external sources, such as the robot’s perception system, observations of human activities, Web sites on the Internet, as well as Web-based knowledge bases for information exchange between robots. We evaluate the system’s scalability and present different integrated experiments that show its versatility and comprehensiveness.
Simultaneous coil embolization and angioplasty using a self-expanding nitinol stent to treat pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysms associated with celiac artery stenosis
Authors: Ikeda Osamu , Nakasone Yutaka , Yokoyama Koichi , Inoue Seijiro , Tamura Yoshitaka , Yamashita Yasuyuki
Published: May 2013

Background

The degeneration of pancreaticoduodenal arcade vessels due to pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysms is associated with celiac artery stenosis or occlusion. While technical advances have made it possible to treat pancreaticoduodenal arcade aneurysms (PDAA) and celiac artery stenosis by endovascular techniques, there is no consensus regarding their optimal treatment.

Purpose

To treat pancreaticoduodenal arcade aneurysms (PDAA) by simultaneous coil embolization and celiac artery stenting, and propose indications for treating PDAA with celiac artery stenosis by this method.

Material and Methods

We reviewed 11 patients who underwent transcatheter coil embolization (TCE) to treat PDAA. When the aneurysmal neck size was less than half of the short axis of the aneurysm we used packing only, when it was more than half of the short axis we undertook isolation. In the latter situation, when there was evidence of celiac artery stenosis, we performed celiac artery stenting using self-expandable stents.

Results

Ten of the 11 patients (91%) presented with celiac axis stenosis due to median arcuate ligament compression. Coil-packing of the aneurysmal sac only, thus preserving the native arterial circulation, was done in five patients, another five underwent isolation by embolization of vessels distal and proximal to the PDAA with simultaneous stenting of the stenotic celiac axis, and one patient was treated by isolation only. One patient developed acute pancreatitis. There were no other complications and all aneurysms were successfully excluded. In one patient the celiac stent thrombosed after stopping the antiplatelet regimen.

Conclusion

TCE can be effective in patients with PDAA. In the presence of celiac artery stenosis, we recommend isolation of the aneurysms with simultaneous stenting of the stenotic celiac trunk using self-expandable stents.
Beneficial effects of nebivolol and hydrochlorothiazide combination in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Wang Yan , Evangelista Stefano , Liu Yu , Zhang Ming-Sheng
Published: May 2013

Objective

This study examined the combined effect of nebivolol (NEB) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) on cardiovascular function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

Methods

SHR normotensive male rats were randomly assigned to five groups ( n = 8 per group): (i) SHR control group; (ii) NEB 2 mg/kg per day group; (iii) HCTZ 10 mg/kg per day group; (iv) NEB 2 mg/kg per day + HCTZ 10 mg/kg per day group; (v) Eight age-matched Wistar-Kyoto normotensive male rats served as the control group. All groups were treated orally for 8 weeks.

Results

The combination of NEB + HCTZ synergistically reduced systolic blood pressure and heart rate compared with either monotherapy. HCTZ increased water intake, which is a sign of diuresis. NEB reduced plasma angiotensin II concentration, which was increased in SHR and after HCTZ treatment. NEB + HCTZ increased plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentration and NO synthase activity, which were both reduced in SHR. NEB + HCTZ normalized femoral arterial vasorelaxation induced by acetylcholine, which was impaired in SHR.

Conclusions

The combination of NEB + HCTZ provided a number of beneficial and additive effects due to the synergistic characteristics of both drugs, in an experimental rat model of hypertension.
National Identity and Group Narcissism as Predictors of Intergroup Attitudes Toward Undocumented Latino Immigrants in the United States
Authors: Lyons Patricia A. , Coursey Lauren E. , Kenworthy Jared B.
Published: May 2013

The debate surrounding immigration reform to address undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States has been emotionally charged and polarizing. This study’s goal was to better understand some of the psychological predictors of attitudes toward undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States, namely, collective identity as an American, group-level narcissism, and their interaction. A university sample ( N = 223) completed an online survey measuring attitudes toward undocumented Latino immigrants. As anticipated, we found that, at mean and high (but not low) levels of group narcissism, national in-group identification was a significant predictor of attitudes toward undocumented Latino immigrants. The implications of these findings, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed in light of the current debate on undocumented immigration in the United States.
New Research With Diets and Epilepsy
Authors: Cross J. Helen
Published: May 2013

The ketogenic diet is not a new treatment for the treatment of epilepsy, but the degree of literature now available seems to have given it a new lease of life. Over the past 12 years, there has been more scientific data on both benefits and effect of the ketogenic diet. Data demonstrate a clear benefit in efficacy. We also have a clearer idea in utilization, type of diet to use, and in whom. Questions however remain and further work is required, not least in recognizing likely candidates and in simplifying administration.
Skin Biopsy
Authors: Chakrabarty Biswaroop , Sharma M.C. , Gulati Sheffali , Kabra Madhulika , Pandey R.M. , Sarkar Chitra
Published: May 2013

Muscular dystrophies are progressive, genetic disorders of muscle degeneration. The current gold standard for diagnosis is muscle biopsy or genetic studies. Muscle biopsy is an invasive procedure and genetic testing facilities are available only in a few centers. Thus, a diagnostic test that is easily available, simpler, and less invasive is desirable. Over the past 2 decades, skin biopsy has been evolving as a suitable option. Two cases of sarcoglycanopathy are described here, which have been correctly diagnosed by skin biopsy. Muscle biopsy has been used as the gold-standard diagnostic method. Skin biopsy can substitute for muscle biopsy as the preliminary diagnostic tool directing appropriate molecular testing. However, these results require validation in studies with an adequate sample size. This holds promise for the future when repeated biopsies will be required for evaluating protein rescue in trials of novel treatment options in these disorders.
Topographical and chemical effects of electrochemically assisted deposited hydroxyapatite coatings on osteoblast-like cells
Authors: Pegg Elise C , Matboli Faisal , Marriott Tim , Khan Imran , Scotchford Colin A
Published: May 2013

A recently commercialised hydroxyapatite electrochemically assisted chemical deposition technique (BoneMaster) has been shown to induce increased bone apposition; whether this response is caused by the surface topography or chemistry is unknown. An in-vitro examination using human osteoblast-like cells was performed on a series of BoneMaster-coated surfaces. The chemistry was separated from the topography using a thin gold coating; Thermanox coverslips were used as a control. BoneMaster surfaces showed significantly greater alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin production compared with controls; however, no difference was found between the gold-coated and uncoated BoneMaster samples, indicating topography is the main contributing factor.
Relationship Status Acceptance, Alcohol Use, and the Perpetration of Verbal Aggression Among Males Mandated to Treatment for Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Crane Cory A. , Hawes Samuel W. , Oberleitner Lindsay M. S. , Mandel Dolores , Easton Caroline J.
Published: May 2013

Forty substance using, male offenders of intimate partner violence completed measures of alcohol use and relationship status acceptance during a pretreatment screening session. They also completed a measure of verbal aggression after each month of a 12-week intervention program. Treatment length, heavy episodic drinking, and relationship status acceptance were used to assess the frequency of verbal aggression at each of the four assessment periods in a repeated measures ANCOVA. Main effects were detected for both alcohol and acceptance variables such that greater verbal aggression was observed among participants with a recent history of heavy episodic drinking and failure to accept the status of the relationship with their female victim. The interaction between time in treatment and relationship status acceptance was significant and showed that participants who accepted their relationship status reported low verbal aggression across measurement occasions while those who did not accept their relationship status reported high initial verbal aggression that decreased over treatment.
Staff Perspectives on Juvenile Drug Court Operations
Authors: Mericle Amy A. , Belenko Steven , Festinger David , Fairfax-Columbo Jaymes , McCart Michael R.
Published: May 2013

Substance use is pervasive among youth, particularly among those involved in the juvenile justice system. Juvenile drug courts (JDCs) are a promising approach for delinquent youth with substance abuse issues. However, research regarding JDCs has shown inconsistent effects, and little is known about the specific components associated with positive outcomes. The current study examines data from interviews of JDC judges and team member focus groups in six JDCs from two contiguous southeastern states to identify stakeholders’ perceptions about what places youth at risk for involvement in JDC and the factors that may contribute to successful outcomes. In addition, we examine these stakeholders’ perceptions of the strengths and challenges facing their JDCs. Our findings highlight the importance of parents and specific strategies implemented by JDCs in influencing the outcomes of youth in JDCs and the importance of interagency collaboration and access to treatment and community resources for the overall success of JDCs.
Oblique circular torus, Villarceau circles, and four types of Bennett linkages
Authors: Lee Chung-Ching , Hervé Jacques M.
Published: May 2013

The oblique circular torus (OCT) and its main geometric properties are introduced. Intrinsic vector calculation is utilized to mathematically describe the OCT. The coordinate-free approach leads to the algebraic equation of an OCT in a privileged Cartesian reference frame. The OCT equation is used to confirm a theorem of Euclidean geometry. In a broad category of OCT, through any point five circles can be drawn on the surface, namely the parallel of latitude and four circular generatrices whose planes pass through the OCT center of symmetry. In the special case of a right circular torus, the Villarceau theorem is verified. Next, consider the four RRS open chains whose S spherical-joint centers move on the same OCT and their possible in-parallel assemblies in single-loop RRRS chains. From a category of the foregoing RRRS chains, a new derivation of the amazing Bennett 4R linkage is proposed. Two kinds of Bennett linkages are further verified and each kind contains two enantiomorphic or symmetric linkages. Four types of Bennett linkages associated with one OCT are established by uniquely specifying the link twist as an acute value. Two cases of special type, rectangular and equilateral configurations, are also confirmed.
Regeneratively cooled scramjet heat transfer calculation and comparison with experimental data
Authors: Jiang Jin , Zhang Ruo-ling , Le Jia-ling , Liu Wei-xiong , Yang Yang , Zhang Lei , Zhao Guo-zhu
Published: May 2013

Regeneratively cooled scramjet heat transfer calculation method was developed using three-dimensional calculation for engine solid wall heat conduction. The scramjet thermal environment was determined by engine heat flux measurement and the engine three-dimensional combustion flow calculations. Different heat transfer relationships in the laminar, transition and turbulence fuel flow regions were applied. The cooling fuel flow distribution data inside combustion chamber side panel were obtained by three-dimensional fuel cooling flow calculation. The results of a light weight regeneratively cooled combustion chamber heat transfer tests were adopted to verify the calculation method. The comparisons showed good agreement, indicating that the calculation method is applicable.
Vaccination Perceptions and Barriers of School Employees
Authors: Luthy Karlen E. , Houle Kim , Beckstrand Renea L. , Macintosh Janelle , Lakin Richard G.
Published: May 2013

Schools are where vaccine-preventable diseases can spread. Vaccination of school children has been studied; however, data are lacking on the vaccination status, perceptions, and barriers to vaccination for school employees. We surveyed school employees’ vaccination perceptions, awareness of current vaccination status, and potential barriers to vaccinations. Adult vaccination knowledge is lacking in the school employee population. School employees were unaware of their vaccination status for diseases such as measles and pertussis. Most subjects believed vaccinations were safe and effective, although they believed vaccinations were more important for children than adults. Many believed vaccine mandates should exist for school employees. Knowledge gaps regarding adult vaccines can be positively influenced by school nurses. Gaps may be especially important to bridge regarding adults working in the school setting, an environment ideal for the spreading of communicable diseases.
An anisotropic nonlinear elasticity model for tearing of fibrous soft biomaterials
Authors: Horgan Cornelius O , Smayda Michael G
Published: May 2013

The application of nonlinear elasticity concepts to the mechanical modeling of soft biomaterials is currently the subject of intense investigation. For fibrous soft biomaterials, some specific strain-energy density models for anisotropic hyperelastic materials have been proposed in the literature that are particularly useful as they reflect the typical J-shaped stress–stretch stiffening response due to collagen fibers that is observed experimentally. These models have the feature of incorporating the increased stiffness of the collagen fibers with deformation and involve a maximum fiber stretch (or locking stretch). Here we apply such models to the analysis of the fracture or tearing of fibrous soft biomaterials. Attention is focused on a particular fracture test namely the trousers test where two legs of a cut specimen are pulled horizontally apart out of the plane of the test piece. It is shown that, in general, the location of the cut in the specimen plays a key role in the fracture analysis, and that the effect of the cut position depends crucially on the degree of strain–stiffening. This dependence is characterized explicitly for the specific strain–stiffening constitutive models considered. The effects of anisotropy and strain–stiffening on the fracture toughness (resistance to tearing) are also examined.
Electromechanical modeling of anisotropic cardiac tissues
Authors: Nardinocchi Paola , Teresi Luciano
Published: May 2013

We model cardiac muscle contractions in the framework of finite elasticity with large distortions and couple a mechanical model with reaction–diffusion equations representing electrophysiological activity. Both models are implemented using anisotropic constitutive relations: we use stress–strain relations for fiber-reinforced materials, and anisotropic diffusion tensors for both the membrane potential and calcium ions. The effects of these choices on the electromechanical behavior are presented and discussed.
Differential sweetness of commercial sour liquids elicited by miracle fruit in healthy young adults
Authors: Igarashi Go , Higuchi Ryota , Yamazaki Takako , Ito Naoko , Ashida Ichiro , Miyaoka Yozo
Published: May 2013

Miracle fruit ( Synsepalum dulcificum) contains the glycoprotein miraculin which turns a sour taste into a sweet one. Chemical analyses and sensory evaluation experiments were conducted to examine the sweetening effect of miracle fruit with regard to five different commercial sour liquids which were diluted until they were subjectively equally sour. HPLC-based analyses revealed that (1) the predominating acids in two and three of the liquids were citric acid and acetic acid, respectively and (2) all five liquids contained fructose and glucose. Healthy young adults (eight males and 10 females) in the sensory evaluation experiments were asked to chew a miracle fruit and apply their saliva to the oral mucosae. They were asked to score the sweetness elicited by the five liquids relative to a sucrose standard at 0, 15, 25 and 35 min thereafter. The citric acid-based liquids were perceived as being sweeter than the acetic acid-based liquids at all timepoints. Thus, commercial sour liquids that mainly contain citric acid are more effective than acetic acid-based liquids in eliciting a perception of sweetness after the miracle fruit application, while the sugars in the liquids seemed to play a minimal role as determinants of sweetness.
Waves of media democratization
Authors: Carpentier Nico , Dahlgren Peter , Pasquali Francesca
Published: May 2013

The article aims to provide a more historically grounded approach to the relationship between communication and participation, by distinguishing different waves of media democratization. The article first discusses the concept of participation and some of its complexities, and then sketches a series of intense moments of participation in and through the media in (mainly the second half) the 20th and the 21st century. At the same time, care is taken not to organize a linear-historical narrative, keeping in mind that the history of the democratization of Western societies and their media spheres is characterized by a series of continuities and discontinuities, dead ends and sedimented practices. Despite these ever-present fluctuations, the article argues that we can still see that structures, cultural resources and subjective dispositions have over time been geared more towards participation and equality, also within the media sphere.