bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Various Functionally Graded Femoral Prostheses by Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Ataollahi Oshkour Azim , Talebi Hossein , Seyed Shirazi Seyed Farid , Bayat Mehdi , Yau Yat Huang , Tarlochan Faris , Abu Osman Noor Azuan
Published: August 2014

This study is focused on finite element analysis of a model comprising femur into which a femoral component of a total hip replacement was implanted. The considered prosthesis is fabricated from a functionally graded material (FGM) comprising a layer of a titanium alloy bonded to a layer of hydroxyapatite. The elastic modulus of the FGM was adjusted in the radial, longitudinal, and longitudinal-radial directions by altering the volume fraction gradient exponent. Four cases were studied, involving two different methods of anchoring the prosthesis to the spongy bone and two cases of applied loading. The results revealed that the FG prostheses provoked more SED to the bone. The FG prostheses carried less stress, while more stress was induced to the bone and cement. Meanwhile, less shear interface stress was stimulated to the prosthesis-bone interface in the noncemented FG prostheses. The cement-bone interface carried more stress compared to the prosthesis-cement interface. Stair climbing induced more harmful effects to the implanted femur components compared to the normal walking by causing more stress. Therefore, stress shielding, developed stresses, and interface stresses in the THR components could be adjusted through the controlling stiffness of the FG prosthesis by managing volume fraction gradient exponent.
Quantitative Analysis of Pork and Chicken Products by Droplet Digital PCR
Authors: Cai Yicun , Li Xiang , Lv Rong , Yang Jielin , Li Jian , He Yuping , Pan Liangwen
Published: August 2014

In this project, a highly precise quantitative method based on the digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) technique was developed to determine the weight of pork and chicken in meat products. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is currently used for quantitative molecular analysis of the presence of species-specific DNAs in meat products. However, it is limited in amplification efficiency and relies on standard curves based Ct values, detecting and quantifying low copy number target DNA, as in some complex mixture meat products. By using the dPCR method, we find the relationships between the raw meat weight and DNA weight and between the DNA weight and DNA copy number were both close to linear. This enabled us to establish formulae to calculate the raw meat weight based on the DNA copy number. The accuracy and applicability of this method were tested and verified using samples of pork and chicken powder mixed in known proportions. Quantitative analysis indicated that dPCR is highly precise in quantifying pork and chicken in meat products and therefore has the potential to be used in routine analysis by government regulators and quality control departments of commercial food and feed enterprises.
Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Lithium Nickel Oxide Thin Films
Authors: Cho Gyu-bong , Kwon Tae-hoon , Nam Tae-hyun , Huh Sun-chul , Choi Byeong-keun , Jeong Hyo-min , Noh Jung-pil
Published: August 2014

LiNiO2thin films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering. The microstructure of the films was determined by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties were investigated with a battery cycler using coin-type half-cells. The LiNiO2thin films annealed below 500°C had the surface carbonate. The results suggest that surface carbonate interrupted the Li intercalation and deintercalation during charge/discharge. Although the annealing process enhanced the crystallization of LiNiO2, the capacity did not increase. When the annealing temperature was increased to 600°C, the FeCrNiO4oxide phase was generated and the discharge capacity decreased due to an oxygen deficiency in the LiNiO2thin film. The ZrO2-coated LiNiO2thin film provided an improved discharge capacity compared to bare LiNiO2thin film suggesting that the improved electrochemical characteristic may be attributed to the inhibition of surface carbonate by ZrO2coating layer.
Pleuritic Chest Pain in a Young Female: A Reminder for Acute Health Care Providers
Authors: Mirrakhimov Aibek E. , Ali Alaa M. , Stroncek Carolyn
Published: August 2014

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for emergency department visits. Emergency medicine doctors should focus their initial assessment on patients’ stability. History, physical examination, and ancillary testing should exclude serious causes such as acute coronary syndrome, acute aortic syndromes, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, esophageal perforation, and rupture as well as pericardial tamponade. Young age should not be used alone as a predictor of a benign condition. Below we present a case of a 24-year-old female who was found to have ascending aortic dissection and was sent for emergent surgery.
Parameters Identification for Photovoltaic Module Based on an Improved Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm
Authors: Han Wei , Wang Hong-Hua , Chen Ling
Published: August 2014

A precise mathematical model plays a pivotal role in the simulation, evaluation, and optimization of photovoltaic (PV) power systems. Different from the traditional linear model, the model of PV module has the features of nonlinearity and multiparameters. Since conventional methods are incapable of identifying the parameters of PV module, an excellent optimization algorithm is required. Artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA), originally inspired by the simulation of collective behavior of real fish swarms, is proposed to fast and accurately extract the parameters of PV module. In addition to the regular operation, a mutation operator (MO) is designed to enhance the searching performance of the algorithm. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by various parameters of PV module under different environmental conditions, and the testing results are compared with other studied methods in terms of final solutions and computational time. The simulation results show that the proposed method is capable of obtaining higher parameters identification precision.
Identification and Analysis of Driver Missense Mutations Using Rotation Forest with Feature Selection
Authors: Du Xiuquan , Cheng Jiaxing
Published: August 2014

Identifying cancer-associated mutations (driver mutations) is critical for understanding the cellular function of cancer genome that leads to activation of oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Many approaches are proposed which use supervised machine learning techniques for prediction with features obtained by some databases. However, often we do not know which features are important for driver mutations prediction. In this study, we propose a novel feature selection method (called DX) from 126 candidate features’ set. In order to obtain the best performance, rotation forest algorithm was adopted to perform the experiment. On the train dataset which was collected from COSMIC and Swiss-Prot databases, we are able to obtain high prediction performance with 88.03% accuracy, 93.9% precision, and 81.35% recall when the 11 top-ranked features were used. Comparison with other various techniques in the TP53, EGFR, and Cosmic2plus datasets shows the generality of our method.
Time‐Delayed Impulsive Control of Chaotic System Based on T‐S Fuzzy Model
Authors: Hu Cheng , Jiang Haijun
Published: August 2014

This paper is concerned with the time‐delayed impulsive control and
synchronization of general chaotic system based on T‐S fuzzy model. By utilizing
impulsive control theory, time‐delayed feedback control technique, and T‐S fuzzy
model, some useful and new conditions are derived to guarantee the stability and
synchronization of the addressed chaotic system. Finally, some numerical simulations
are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the derived results.
Protocol for Quantification of Defects in Natural Fibres for Composites
Authors: Mortensen Ulrich Andreas , Madsen Bo
Published: August 2014

Natural bast-type plant fibres are attracting increasing interest for being used for structural composite applications where high quality fibres with good mechanical properties are required. A protocol for the quantification of defects in natural fibres is presented. The protocol is based on the experimental method of optical microscopy and the image analysis algorithms of the seeded region growing method and Otsu’s method. The use of the protocol is demonstrated by examining two types of differently processed flax fibres to give mean defect contents of 6.9 and 3.9%, a difference which is tested to be statistically significant. The protocol is evaluated with respect to the selection of image analysis algorithms, and Otsu’s method is found to be a more appropriate method than the alternative coefficient of variation method. The traditional way of defining defect size by area is compared to the definition of defect size by width, and it is shown that both definitions can be used to give unbiased findings for the comparison between fibre types. Finally, considerations are given with respect to true measures of defect content, number of determinations, and number of significant figures used for the descriptive statistics.
Targeting BCL2-Proteins for the Treatment of Solid Tumours
Authors: Vogler Meike
Published: August 2014

Due to their central role in the regulation of apoptosis, the antiapoptotic BCL2-proteins are highly promising targets for the development of novel anticancer treatments. To this end, several strategies have been developed to inhibit BCL2,BCL-XL, BCL-w, and MCL1. While early clinical trials in haematological malignancies demonstrated exciting single-agent activity of BCL2-inhibitors, the response in solid tumours was limited, indicating that, in solid tumours, different strategies have to be developed in order to successfully treat patients with BCL2-inhibitors. In this review, the function of the different antiapoptotic BCL2-proteins and their role in solid tumours will be discussed. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of current small molecules targeting these antiapoptotic BCL2-proteins (e.g., ABT-737, ABT-263, ABT-199, TW-37, sabutoclax, obatoclax, and MIM1) will be provided including a discussion of the results of any clinical trials. This analysis will summarise the potential of BCL2-inhibitors for the treatment of solid tumours and will unravel novel approaches to utilise these inhibitors in clinical applications.
Multigrid Method for Solution of 3D Helmholtz Equation Based on HOC Schemes
Authors: Ghaffar Fazal , Badshah Noor , Islam Saeed
Published: August 2014

A higher order compact difference (HOC) scheme with uniform mesh sizes in different coordinate directions is employed to discretize a two- and three-dimensional Helmholtz equation. In case of two dimension, the stencil is of 9 points while in three-dimensional case, the scheme has 27 points and has fourth- to fifth-order accuracy. Multigrid method using Gauss-Seidel relaxation is designed to solve the resulting sparse linear systems. Numerical experiments were conducted to test the accuracy of the sixth-order compact difference scheme with Multigrid method and to compare it with the standard second-order finite-difference scheme and fourth-order compact difference scheme. Performance of the scheme is tested through numerical examples. Accuracy and efficiency of the new scheme are established by using the errors normsl2.
Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Chondroprotective Activities ofCryptolepis buchananiExtract:In VitroandIn VivoStudies
Authors: Hanprasertpong Nutthiya , Teekachunhatean Supanimit , Chaiwongsa Rujirek , Ongchai Siriwan , Kunanusorn Puongtip , Sangdee Chaichan , Panthong Ampai , Bunteang Samreang , Nathasaen Narong , Reutrakul Vichai
Published: August 2014

Cryptolepis buchananiRoem. & Schult. is widely used in folk medicine in Southeast Asia for treating muscle tension and arthritis. This study aimed to investigate an analgesic activity of the methanol extract ofC. buchanani(CBE) in acetic acid-induced writhing response in mice, and to examine its anti-inflammatory activity in ethyl phenylpropiolate- (EPP-) induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. Its effects on cartilage degradation induced by interleukin-1β(IL-1β) in porcine cartilage explant culture were also determined. This study demonstrated that CBE significantly reduced acetic acid-induced writhing response. It also inhibited edema formation in both EPP-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema models. In cartilage explant culture, CBE significantly reduced the sulfated glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronan released into culture media while it reserved the uronic acid and collagen within the cartilage tissues. It also suppressed the matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity with no effect on cell viability. In conclusion, CBE shows analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and chondroprotective effects in this preliminary study. Therefore, CBE may be useful as an alternative treatment for osteoarthritis.
The Extension of the German CERAD Neuropsychological Assessment Battery with Tests Assessing Subcortical, Executive and Frontal Functions Improves Accuracy in Dementia Diagnosis
Authors: Schmid Nicole S. , Ehrensperger Michael M. , Berres Manfred , Beck Irene R. , Monsch Andreas U.
Published: August 2014

Background/Aims: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Neuropsychological assessment of individuals with AD primarily focuses on tests of cortical functioning. However, in clinical practice, the underlying pathologies of dementia are unknown, and a focus on cortical functioning may neglect other domains of cognition, including subcortical and executive functioning. The current study aimed to improve the diagnostic discrimination ability of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease - Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (CERAD-NAB) by adding three tests of executive functioning and mental speed (Trail Making Tests A and B, S-Words). Methods: Logistic regression analyses of 594 normal controls (NC), 326 patients with mild AD and 224 patients with other types of dementia (OD) were carried out, and the area under the curve values were compared to those of CERAD-NAB alone. Results: All comparisons except AD-OD (65.5%) showed excellent classification rates (NC-AD: 92.7%; NC-OD: 89.0%; NC-all patients: 91.0%) and a superior diagnostic accuracy of the extended version. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that these three tests provide a sensible addition to the CERAD-NAB and can improve neuropsychological diagnosis of dementia.
Social Adaptive Functioning, Apathy, and Nondysphoric Depression among Nursing Home-Dwelling Very Old Adults
Authors: Onwuameze Obiora E. , Paradiso Sergio
Published: August 2014

Background: Apathetic and subsyndromal depressive conditions are common in the oldest old. This study examined whether nondysphoric depression (NDD), a clinical condition characterized by ideational and vegetative but no emotional symptoms of depression, belongs to the apathetic presentations of late-life depression. Rates of NDD, dysphoric depression (DD), apathy, and social functional impairment were examined in a sample of nondemented very old (mean age 87.5 years, SD = 7.7) nursing home residents. It was hypothesized that individuals with NDD show greater apathy and greater social functional impairment relative to DD and nondepressed individuals. Methods: Social functioning was measured using the Social-Adaptive Functioning Evaluation (SAFE) and apathy was measured using the global apathy rating on the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Results: The rates of DD (50.0%) and NDD (27.4%) were quite high. Participants with DD reported greater apathy than those with NDD (and nondepressed individuals). NDD and DD subjects showed greater social functional impairment relative to the comparison group. There was no difference in social functioning between DD and NDD individuals. Conclusions: The present data are inconsistent with the view that NDD among the oldest old is an apathetic form of depression. NDD involves social functional impairment. Limitations include rather selected population of nursing home residents that may have included individuals with early dementia, lack of data on prior depressive episodes, and apathy assessment not validated on the specific population.
Bilateral Retrobulbar Optic Neuropathy in the Setting of Interferon Alpha-2a Therapy
Authors: Fuzzard Dujon R.W. , Mack Heather G. , Symons R.C. Andrew
Published: August 2014

The development of biopharmaceutical agents, including the interferons (IFN), offers new treatment options for a wide range of medical conditions. Such advancements, however, have not come without risk to patients. Optic neuropathy in the setting of IFN therapy has been previously documented and is usually attributed to anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy; however, the pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Retrobulbar optic neuropathy associated with IFN treatment has not been described in the medical literature to date. We report the case of a 38-year-old Caucasian female with refractory acute myeloid leukaemia who developed painless bilateral blurred vision within 2 weeks of commencing a course of IFN alpha-2a. Extensive clinical workup demonstrated bilateral retrobulbar optic neuropathy. We report the clinical evaluation of this first documented case and discuss the possible aetiologies of her presentation.
Pulmonary Tumor Thrombotic Microangiopathy Induced by Ureteral Carcinoma: A Necropsy Case Report
Authors: Marumo Satoshi , Sakaguchi Masahiro , Teranishi Takashi , Higami Yuichi , Koshimo Yoshiyuki , Kato Motokazu
Published: August 2014

Background: Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a fatal cancer-related pulmonary complication with rapidly progressing dyspnea and pulmonary hypertension that occasionally induces sudden death. We report the first case of PTTM induced by ureter carcinoma. Case Presentation: The patient was an 80-year-old Japanese female with chief complaints of dry cough and dyspnea. An echocardiogram revealed severe pulmonary hypertension. A chest radiograph showed ground glass opacity of bilateral lower lung field predominance, and an abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a left ureter mass suggestive of ureter carcinoma. The patient died of respiratory failure on the eighth day of hospitalization. Postmortem examination indicated that the primary lesion was a left ureter cancer with tumor microemboli extending to both lungs through the right side of the heart. The final diagnosis of this case was PTTM induced by ureter carcinoma. Conclusion: The pathogenesis and pathophysiology of PTTM remains obscure with no effective management available. In cases of rapidly progressing respiratory failure with pulmonary hypertension, it is necessary to consider PTTM in the differential diagnosis.
Comparative Trends in the Incidence of Hospitalized Myocardial Infarction and Coronary Heart Disease in Adults With and Without Diabetes Mellitus in Western Australia From 1998 to 2010
Authors: Nedkoff Lee , Knuiman Matthew , Hung Joseph , Briffa Tom G.
Published: August 2014

Background—

The risk of myocardial infarction (MI) is elevated in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) compared with non-DM counterparts. The aim of this study was to compare population trends in the incidence of hospitalized MI and coronary heart disease (CHD) in adults with and without DM.

Methods and Results—

All incident hospitalized MI and CHD events were identified from whole-population hospital data in Western Australia for 1998 to 2010. Annual age-standardized MI and CHD incidence rates were calculated for people with and without DM aged 35 to 84 years and age-adjusted trends estimated from Poisson regression. There were 26 610 incident MI and 56 142 incident CHD cases during the study period. MI incidence rates fell in men (−2.9%/y; 95% confidence interval [CI], −3.7 to −2.1) and women (−3.8%/y; 95% CI, −4.8 to −2.1) with DM, representing overall reductions of 35% and 43% respectively, with comparable reductions in incident CHD. Downward trends in MI incidence in those with DM were most apparent in 55- to 84-year olds. In adults without DM, there was no decline in MI incidence but a small significant decrease in incident CHD (men, −1.5%/y; 95% CI, −1.8 to −1.2 and women, −1.3%/y; 95% CI, −1.8 to −0.9). Incidence rate ratios for MI in men with versus without DM declined from 4.5 (95% CI, 4.2–4.8) to 3.1 (95% CI, 2.9–3.3) and from 6.0 (95% CI, 5.4–6.6) to 3.8 (95% CI, 3.5–4.1) in women between 1998 and 2010.

Conclusions—

There have been significant reductions in incidence rates of MI and CHD in adults with DM between 1998 and 2010; however, the excess risk of MI incidence remains 3 to 4× greater in people with DM.
NR2B Phosphorylation at Tyrosine 1472 Contributes to Brain Injury in a Rodent Model of Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia
Authors: Knox Renatta , Brennan-Minnella Angela M. , Lu Fuxin , Yang Diana , Nakazawa Takanobu , Yamamoto Tadashi , Swanson Raymond A. , Ferriero Donna M. , Jiang Xiangning
Published: August 2014

Background and Purpose—

The NR2B subunit of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is phosphorylated by the Src family kinase Fyn in brain, with tyrosine (Y) 1472 as the major phosphorylation site. Although Y1472 phosphorylation is important for synaptic plasticity, it is unknown whether it is involved in NMDA receptor–mediated excitotoxicity in neonatal brain hypoxia-ischemia (HI). This study was designed to elucidate the specific role of Y1472 phosphorylation of NR2B in neonatal HI in vivo and in NMDA-mediated neuronal death in vitro.

Methods—

Neonatal mice with a knockin mutation of Y1472 to phenylalanine (YF-KI) and their wild-type littermates were subjected to HI using the Vannucci model. Brains were scored 5 days later for damage using cresyl violet and iron staining. Western blotting and immunoprecipitation were performed to determine NR2B tyrosine phosphorylation. Expression of NADPH oxidase subunits and superoxide production were measured in vivo. NMDA-induced calcium response, superoxide formation, and cell death were evaluated in primary cortical neurons.

Results—

After neonatal HI, YF-KI mice have reduced expression of NADPH oxidase subunit gp91
phox
and p47
phox
and superoxide production, lower activity of proteases implicated in necrotic and apoptotic cell death, and less brain damage when compared with the wild-type mice. In vitro, YF-KI mutation diminishes superoxide generation in response to NMDA without effect on calcium accumulation and inhibits NMDA and glutamate-induced cell death.

Conclusions—

Upregulation of NR2B phosphorylation at Y1472 after neonatal HI is involved in superoxide-mediated oxidative stress and contributes to brain injury.
Geographic Access to Acute Stroke Care in the United States
Authors: Adeoye Opeolu , Albright Karen C. , Carr Brendan G. , Wolff Catherine , Mullen Micheal T. , Abruzzo Todd , Ringer Andrew , Khatri Pooja , Branas Charles , Kleindorfer Dawn
Published: August 2014

Background and Purpose—

Only 3% to 5% of patients with acute ischemic stroke receive intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (r-tPA) and <1% receive endovascular therapy. We describe access of the US population to all facilities that actually provide intravenous r-tPA or endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke.

Methods—

We used US demographic data and intravenous r-tPA and endovascular therapy rates in the 2011 US Medicare Provider and Analysis Review data set.
International Classification of Diseases
-
Ninth Revision
codes 433.xx, 434.xx and 436 identified acute ischemic stroke cases.
International Classification of Diseases
-
Ninth Revision
code 99.10 defined intravenous r-tPA treatment and
International Classification of Diseases
-
Ninth Revision
code 39.74 defined endovascular therapy. We estimated ambulance response times using arc-Geographic Information System’s network analyst and helicopter transport times using validated models. Population access to care was determined by summing the population contained within travel sheds that could reach capable hospitals within 60 and 120 minutes.

Results—

Of 370 351 acute ischemic stroke primary diagnosis discharges, 14 926 (4%) received intravenous r-tPA and 1889 (0.5%) had endovascular therapy. By ground, 81% of the US population had access to intravenous-capable hospitals within 60 minutes and 56% had access to endovascular-capable hospitals. By air, 97% had access to intravenous-capable hospitals within 60 minutes and 85% had access to endovascular hospitals. Within 120 minutes, 99% of the population had access to both intravenous and endovascular hospitals.

Conclusions—

More than half of the US population has geographic access to hospitals that actually deliver acute stroke care but treatment rates remain low. These data provide a national perspective on acute stroke care and should inform the planning and optimization of stroke systems in the United States.
Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for the Evaluation of Neovascularization in Atherosclerotic Carotid Artery Plaques
Authors: Saito Kozue , Nagatsuka Kazuyuki , Ishibashi-Ueda Hatsue , Watanabe Akihiro , Kannki Hideaki , Iihara Koji
Published: August 2014

Background and Purpose—

Neovascularization associated with plaque vulnerability, particularly in the plaque shoulder, is susceptible to rupture, causing ischemic events. We aimed to use contrast-enhanced ultrasound to evaluate neovessels in carotid plaques quantitatively, focusing on plaque shoulders.

Methods—

Using contrast-enhanced ultrasound with perflubutane, we analyzed 50 consecutive patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. We measured enhanced intensity and assessed the correlation between contrast effect and histopathology, comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic plaques.

Results—

Enhanced intensity of the plaque shoulder was associated with neovessel density (
P
<0.01; ρ=0.43). Enhanced intensity of the plaque shoulder was higher in plaques with rupture than in those without (
P
<0.05), and in symptomatic plaques (n=31) than in asymptomatic ones (n=19;
P
<0.01).

Conclusions—

Quantitative evaluation of the contrast effect using contrast-enhanced ultrasound enabled the assessment of neovascularization of plaque shoulders in vivo real time, which may help stratify plaque vulnerability.
Taxonomic revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epiclopus Spinola, 1851 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Ericrocidini)
Authors: VIVALLO FELIPE
Published: August 2014

A taxonomic revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epiclopus Spinola is presented. The following species are recognized: Epiclopus gayi Spinola, E. lendlianus (Friese), E. wagenknechti (Ruiz) and E. ecphorus new species from northern Chile. Floral associations, hosts, distribution records and diagnoses of both sexes based on type specimens, are given. An identification key, illustrations and an updated catalogue of the species are provided. In addition, a neotype for Mesonychium wagenknechti and lectotypes for Melissa (Epiclopus) gayi albescens Friese and M. lendliana are also designated.
The sparid fishes of Pakistan, with new distribution records
Authors: SIDDIQUI PIRZADA JAMAL , AMIR SHABIR ALI , MASROOR RAFAQAT
Published: August 2014

The family sparidae is represented in Pakistan by 14 species belonging to eight genera: the genus Acanthopagrus with four species, A. berda, A. arabicus, A. sheim, and A. catenula; Rhabdosargus, Sparidentex and Diplodus are each represented by two species, R. sarba and R. haffara, Sparidentex hasta and S. jamalensis, and Diplodus capensis and D. omanensis, and the remaining four genera are represented by single species, Crenidens indicus, Argyrops spinifer, Pagellus affinis, and Cheimerius nufar. Five species, Acanthopagrus arabicus, A. sheim, A. catenula, Diplodus capensis and Rhabdosargus haffara are reported for the first time from Pakistani coastal waters. The Arabian Yellowfin Seabream Acanthopagrus arabicus and Spotted Yellowfin Seabream Acanthopagrus sheim have only recently been described from Pakistani waters, while Diplodus omanensis and Pagellus affinis are newly identified from Pakistan. Acanthopagrus catenula has long been incorrectly identified as A. bifasciatus, a species which has not been recorded from Pakistan. All species are briefly described and a key is provided for them.
Two new species of Conognatha Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae, Stigmoderini) from Southeast and South Brazilian regions with distributional notes
Authors: PORTELA CLAYTON , MERMUDES JOSÉ RICARDO M.
Published: August 2014

Conognatha (Pithiscus) coffeatus sp. nov. and Conognatha (Pithiscus) puris sp. nov., both from the Atlantic Rainforest (type locality: Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil), are described and illustrated. They differ from each other mainly by the elytral colour pattern, presence of a short longitudinal groove between the vertex and the frons in C. (P.) puris sp. nov., and differences in frons shape, antennae sensory fields, pronotum and aedeagus. The distribution of C. (P.) gounellei is extended to the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A modified key to include the new species, as well as illustrations, are presented.
Stratiform and Convective Precipitation Observed by Multiple Radars during the DYNAMO/AMIE Experiment
Authors: Deng Min , Kollias Pavlos , Feng Zhe , Zhang Chidong , Long Charles N. , Kalesse Heike , Chandra Arunchandra , Kumar Vickal V. , Protat Alain
Published: August 2014

In this study, methods of convective/stratiform precipitation classification and surface rain-rate estimation based on the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) cloud radar measurements were developed and evaluated. Simultaneous and collocated observations of the Ka-band ARM zenith radar (KAZR), two scanning precipitation radars [NCAR S-band/Ka-band Dual Polarization, Dual Wavelength Doppler Radar (S-PolKa) and Texas A&M University Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching Radar (SMART-R)], and surface precipitation during the Dynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation/ARM MJO Investigation Experiment (DYNAMO/AMIE) field campaign were used. The motivation of this study is to apply the unique long-term ARM cloud radar observations without accompanying precipitation radars to the study of cloud life cycle and precipitation features under different weather and climate regimes. The resulting convective/stratiform classification from KAZR was evaluated against precipitation radars. Precipitation occurrence and classified convective/stratiform rain fractions from KAZR compared favorably to the collocated SMART-R and S-PolKa observations. Both KAZR and S-PolKa radars observed about 5% precipitation occurrence. The convective (stratiform) precipitation fraction is about 18% (82%). Collocated disdrometer observations of two days showed an increased number concentration of small and large raindrops in convective rain relative to dominant small raindrops in stratiform rain. The composite distributions of KAZR reflectivity and Doppler velocity also showed distinct structures for convective and stratiform rain. These evidences indicate that the method produces physically consistent results for the two types of rain. A new KAZR-based, two-parameter [the gradient of accumulative radar reflectivity Ze (GAZ) below 1 km and near-surface Ze] rain-rate estimation procedure was developed for both convective and stratiform rain. This estimate was compared with the exponential Z–R (reflectivity–rain rate) relation. The relative difference between the estimated and surface-measured rainfall rates showed that the two-parameter relation can improve rainfall estimation relative to the Z–R relation.
The High School Environment and the Gender Gap in Science and Engineering
Authors: Legewie Joscha , DiPrete Thomas A.
Published: August 2014

Despite the striking reversal of the gender gap in education, women pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees at much lower rates than those of their male peers. This study extends existing explanations for these gender differences and examines the role of the high school context for plans to major in STEM fields. Building on recent gender theories, we argue that widely shared and hegemonic gender beliefs manifest differently across schools so that the gender-specific formation of study plans is shaped by the local environment of high schools. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study, we first show large variations between high schools in the ability to attract students to STEM fields conditional on a large set of pre–high school measures. Schools that are successful in attracting students to these fields reduce the gender gap by 25 percent or more. As a first step toward understanding what matters about schools, we then estimate the effect of two concrete high school characteristics on plans to major in STEM fields in college—a high school’s curriculum in STEM and gender segregation of extracurricular activities. These factors have a substantial effect on the gender gap in plans to major in STEM: a finding that is reaffirmed in a number of sensitivity analyses. Our focus on the high school context opens concrete avenues for policy intervention and is of central theoretical importance to understand the gender gap in orientations toward STEM fields.
Decomposing the Gini Inequality Index
Authors: Larraz Beatriz
Published: August 2014

The aim of this article is to propose a new breakdown of the Gini inequality ratio into three components ( within-group inequality, between-group inequality, and intensity of transvariation between groups to the total inequality index). The between-group inequality concept computes all the differences in salaries between men and women. The main contribution is to show this relationship when dealing with noninteger frequency data appearing on survey data. This article also proves the relationship between the very intuitive Gini concentration ratio and the very commonly used Gini index in the case of discrete distributions with a finite number of observations. The former refers to the relationship between the cumulative proportion of population and income, while the latter is the absolute mean difference divided by twice the arithmetic mean. This article complements the inequality decomposition literature that has stemmed from Gini’s work. The research is applied to analyze gender income inequality in a Spanish region using Spanish Structure of Earnings Survey data from 2010.
“Not Wishing to Be the White Rhino in the Crowd”
Authors: Blockmans Inge G. E.
Published: August 2014

This article reports on a qualitative study identifying the drivers for and boundaries to disability-disclosure in interability interactions as experienced by 13 students with physical impairments at five Belgian higher education institutions. Through surveys and in-depth interviews, the study explored whether the students experience, prefer, and expect differences in communication about their impairments with temporarily able-bodied peers, instructors, and staff. Interviews provided insight into the nuances of disclosure and topic avoidance decisions that differ by disclosure target: disability-disclosure is mainly a balancing act between fulfilling physical needs and maintaining a normal, positive identity. The visibility of impairments seems to play a minor role in the students’ initial orientation toward disclosing. The functions of disability-disclosure as posited by the Communication Predicament of Disability Model and the CARE-keys to effective interability communication (i.e., Contact, Ask, Respect, Empathy) are discussed as well as the implications of the findings for Communication Accommodation Theory.
Understanding Mission: Two Centuries of Scottish Experience
Authors: Ross Kenneth R.
Published: August 2014

Though a small and relatively obscure country, Scotland enjoyed a certain prominence in the modern Western missionary movement. Explanation of this may be attempted by an examination of some principal characteristics of Scottish engagement in worldwide mission during the 19th and 20th centuries. These include social vision, ecclesial commitment, intellectual quality, extensive engagement, an inclination to the long view, and a balance struck between national identity and global outlook. As new movements of mission find their shape and direction, the Scottish experience worldwide across two centuries may have some value as a point of reference.
The Importance of Place in the Life and Career of a Social Work Pioneer
Authors: Carlton-LaNey Iris
Published: August 2014

This column explores the importance of place in the life of social work pioneer Hortense McClinton. McClinton's story is underscored by the centrality of place, especially her all-black hometown. McClinton’s insights were garnered through interviews and unprecedented access to McClinton’s personal archives. McClinton’s words explicate the role place plays in shaping values, character, and behavior. Her story exemplifies strength and endurance during times when women and African Americans had staunchly circumscribed roles and limited access to social involvement and resources. This article illustrates the intersection of multiple factors that shaped her life, her career, and her contribution to social work.
Leadership in academic health centers in the US: A review of the role and some recommendations
Authors: Weil Thomas P
Published: August 2014

The leadership of the US's most complex academic health centers (AHCs)/medical centers requires individuals who possess a high level of clinical, organizational, managerial, and interpersonal skills. This paper first outlines the major attributes desired in a dean/vice president of health affairs before then summarizing the educational opportunities now generally available to train for such leadership and management roles. For the most part, the masters in health administration (MHA), the traditional MBA, and the numerous alternatives primarily available at universities are considered far too general and too lacking in emotional intelligence tutoring to be particularly relevant for those who aspire to these most senior leadership positions. More appropriate educational options for these roles are discussed: (a) the in-house leadership and management programs now underway at some AHCs for those selected early on in their career for future executive-type roles as well as for those who are appointed later on to a chair, directorship or similar position; and (b) a more controversial approach of potentially establishing at one or a few universities, a mid-career, professional program (a maximum of 12 months and therefore, being completed in less time than an MBA) leading to a masters degree in academic health center administration (MHCA) for those who aspire to fill a senior AHC leadership position. The proposed curriculum as outlined herein might be along the lines of some carefully designed masters level on-line, self-teaching modules for the more technical subjects, yet vigorously emphasizing integrate-type courses focused on enhancing personal and professional team building and leadership skills.
A Descriptive and Graphical Analysis of the (Lack of) Association Between Age and Homicide Cross-Nationally
Authors: Rogers Meghan L.
Published: August 2014

Why is it necessary to control for the percentage of the population between the ages of 15 and 24 in cross-national homicide studies? While it seems like a simple question, the answer is elusive. The theoretical arguments most often cited or alluded to in previous literature are compositional and contextual effects. Each theoretical argument indicates that having a larger portion of the population that is young should increase homicide rates within nations. To explore these propositions, I ask two research questions. First, are the 15- to 24-year age-specific homicide rates consistently the highest age-specific homicide rates across nations and over time? Second, is there a correlation between the percentage of the population that is young and overall or age-specific homicide rates within nations? I use exploratory data analysis (EDA) to address these questions. EDA is an important tool that can both answer research questions and provide a crucial initial step to address more sophisticated research questions. The results of EDA indicated that (1) age-specific homicide rates for the young population are not the highest age-specific homicide victimization rates across nations or time and (2) there is reason to question the theoretical arguments for an association between the percentage of the population that is young and homicide victimization rates across nations.
Interobserver Variability by Pathologists in the Distinction Between Cellular Fibroadenomas and Phyllodes Tumors
Authors: Lawton Thomas J. , Acs Geza , Argani Pedram , Farshid Gelareh , Gilcrease Michael , Goldstein Neal , Koerner Frederick , Rowe J. Jordi , Sanders Melinda , Shah Sejal S. , Reynolds Carol
Published: August 2014

Fibroepithelial lesions with cellular stroma are frequently termed cellular fibroadenomas although criteria for distinguishing them from a phyllodes tumor are vague and subjective. However, the clinical implications and surgical management for these 2 lesions may be different. We randomly selected 21 cases of fibroepithelial lesions sent in consultation to the senior author that were challenging to classify as cellular fibroadenoma or phyllodes tumor. One to 2 representative slides of each case along with patient age were sent to 10 pathologists who specialize in breast pathology. The World Health Organization criteria for phyllodes tumors and a diagnosis form were included with the study set. For the purposes of data reporting, fibroadenoma and cellular fibroadenoma are considered together. In only 2 cases was there uniform agreement as to whether the tumor represented a fibroadenoma or phyllodes tumor. Of the remaining 19 cases, if the diagnoses of fibroadenoma and benign phyllodes tumor were combined and separated from borderline and malignant phyllodes tumors, there was 100% agreement in 53% of cases and 90% agreement in 79% of cases. This study highlights the difficulty that exists in distinguishing some cellular fibroadenomas from phyllodes tumors even for pathologists who specialize in breast pathology. However, there appears to be considerable agreement when cellular fibroadenomas and benign phyllodes tumors are distinguished from borderline and malignant phyllodes tumors. Further studies are needed to determine if there is a clinically significant difference between cellular fibroadenomas and benign phyllodes tumors and how to better distinguish them from borderline and malignant phyllodes tumors.
Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy control for a wide class of fractional-order chaotic systems with uncertain parameters via linear matrix inequality
Authors: Wang Bin , Xue Jianyi , Chen Diyi
Published: August 2014

In this paper, the authors focus on the application of linear matrix inequality (LMI) in the stabilization of fractional-order chaotic systems and the strict mathematical description and proof of LMI. Based on the theory of the fractional-order interval system, the generalized Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model is applied to a wide class of fractional-order chaotic systems with uncertain parameters. The sufficient stability condition for the fractional-order systems is presented as a set of LMI for the first time and the strict mathematical norms of LMI are given. Furthermore, a controller is developed to stabilize fractional-order chaotic systems, and may be applied to fractional-order systems with uncertainty. Finally, two representative examples of the three-dimensional fractional-order permanent magnet synchronous motor system and the four-dimensional fractional-order hyperchaotic system based on Chen’s system are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of theoretical analysis.
Computer aided engineering prediction of brake noise: modeling of brake shims
Authors: Esgandari Mohammad , Olatunbosun Oluremi
Published: August 2014

Brake shims, applied to brake pads, are used for suppressing high frequency noise in disc brake units. Also called brake insulators, they do this mainly by adding more damping to the system in the brake pad area. This reduces the likelihood of the energy transfer between the components which would cause modal coupling. Finite element analysis (FEA), as a simulation and analysis technique, is widely used in the industry to perform squeal analysis as a part of the virtual development of new brake units. However, in most computer aided engineering (CAE) simulations of brake noise, shims are modeled as thin sheets of steel or are not modeled at all. This introduces some inaccuracy because the damping effect and flexibility of the rubber and adhesive material are ignored. Such inaccuracy in predicting system behavior, in the virtual design stage, means the analyst may not be able to locate the right frequencies of any occurring instability in order to decide on a noise fix. Also, the over-prediction of instabilities by complex eigenvalue analysis (CEA) adds to the inaccuracy of the process. This paper introduces a simplified CAE model for the brake shim, which when implemented in brake system modeling helps in highlighting the actual frequencies at which instability occurs in the system by taking into account the correct level of damping in the system in the virtual design stage. The method is confirmed by correlating the analysis predictions with the noise performance of a brake unit in dynamometer tests.
Researching the Practice of Fostering Transformative Learning
Authors: Taylor Edward W. , Laros Anna
Published: August 2014

This article identifies factors that have contributed to the challenges associated with the practice and research of fostering transformative learning (TL), by drawing on the work by Rachal and others in reviewing the study of andragogy—theory, research, and practice. Implications are also discussed of how scholars of TL can best respond to the challenges identified.
Automated performance assessment of ultrasound systems using a dynamic phantom
Authors: Joy J , Riedel F , Valente AA , Cochran S , Corner GA
Published: August 2014

Quality assurance of medical ultrasound imaging systems is limited by repeatability, difficulty in quantifying results, and the time involved. A particularly interesting approach is demonstrated in the Edinburgh pipe phantom which, with an accompanying mathematical transformation, produces a single figure of merit for image quality from individual measurements of resolution over a range of depths. However, the Edinburgh pipe phantom still requires time-consuming manual scanning, mitigating against its routine use. This paper presents a means to overcome this limitation with a new device, termed the Dundee dynamic phantom, allowing rapid set-up and automated operation. The Dundee dynamic phantom is based on imaging two filamentary targets, positioned by computer control at different depths in a tank of 9.4% ethanol–water solution. The images are analysed in real time to assess if the targets are resolved, with individual measurements at different depths again used to calculate a single figure of merit, in this case for lateral resolution only. Test results are presented for a total of 18 scanners in clinical use for different applications. As a qualitative indication of viability, the figure of merit produced by the Dundee dynamic phantom is shown to differentiate between scanners operating at different frequencies and between a relatively new, higher quality system and an older, lower quality system.