bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transplacental Administration of Rosiglitazone Attenuates Hyperoxic Lung Injury in a Preterm Rabbit Model
Authors: Richter Jute , Toelen Jaan , Nagatomo Taro , Jimenez Julio , Vanoirbeek Jeroen , Deprest Jan
Published: September 2015

Introduction: Continuous improvements in perinatal care have allowed the survival of increasingly more prematurely born infants. The establishment of respiration in an extremely immature yet still developing lung results in chronic lung injury with significant mortality and morbidity. We experimentally evaluated a novel medical strategy to prevent hyperoxia-induced lung injury by prenatal rosiglitazone. Materials and Methods: Pregnant rabbits were injected with saline or rosiglitazone (3 mg/kg) 48 and 24 h prior to preterm delivery at 28 days of gestation (term = 31 days). The pups were held in normoxia (21% O2) or hyperoxia (>95% O2), and assessment was done at three different time points (1 h, 24 h and 7 days). Results: The administration of rosiglitazone resulted in a significant decrease in tissue damping (resistance) on day 7. Furthermore, significantly increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, fetal liver kinase 1 and surfactant protein B immediately after delivery was noted by immunohistochemistery. On day 7, there was a more mature lung parenchymal architecture in rosiglitazone-exposed pups. Discussion: In a preterm rabbit model, prenatal maternal administration of rosiglitazone attenuates neonatal hyperoxic lung injury and results in a more mature pulmonary parenchyma.
Antenatal Determinants of Long-Term Kidney Outcome in Boys with Posterior Urethral Valves
Authors: Matsell Douglas G. , Yu Simon , Morrison Sarah Jane
Published: September 2015

Background: Posterior urethral valves (PUV) are the most important cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in young boys. The objective of this report was to define the antenatal determinants of long-term postnatal renal outcome in this condition. Design: This was a retrospective cohort analysis. The primary outcome was the development of ESRD defined as starting dialysis or receiving a preemptive kidney transplant. Results: Eighty-two cases of PUV were identified, with 17 (21%) developing ESRD at 6.1 ± 7.1 years. Cases developing ESRD were more likely diagnosed antenatally (41 vs. 19%, p = 0.05), had a younger gestational age (35.5 ± 3.4 weeks vs. 37.3 ± 2.1 weeks, p = 0.02), and on antenatal ultrasound scan were more likely to have oligohydramnios (60 vs. 26%, p = 0.02), renal cortical cysts (47 vs. 17%, p = 0.02), and the combination of oligohydramnios, renal cortical cysts, and increased renal echogenicity (47 vs. 9%, p = 0.002). Conclusions: In boys with PUV, decreased gestational age, oligohydramnios, renal cysts, and the combination of oligohydramnios, cortical cysts, and echogenic kidneys were associated with ESRD, while the combination was an independent predictor of poor long-term postnatal kidney function.
Risk Factors for Polyautoimmunity among Patients with Celiac Disease: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Demirezer Bolat Aylin , Akın Fatma Ebru , Tahtacı Mustafa , Tayfur Yürekli Öykü , Köseoğlu Hüseyin , Erten Şükran , Başaran Murat , Selvi Eyüp , Büyükaşık Şemnur , Ersoy Osman
Published: September 2015

Aim: To define the prevalence of polyautoimmunity (PAI) among celiac disease (CD) patients and to compare clinical and laboratory features of CD patients with or without PAI in order to determine the risk factors for PAI in CD. Material and Method: Patients diagnosed with CD in our clinic between 2007 and 2014 with at least 1 year of follow-up were retrospectively evaluated. Totally 145 patients were included in the study. Information on patient demographics and laboratory data were obtained from patient records. The study participants were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was the CD-alone group consisting of patients without any other autoimmune diseases (AIDs), while group 2 was the PAI group consisting of patients with accompanying one or more AIDs. Results: The mean age of 145 CD patients (106 female and 39 male) included in the study was 37.2 ± 12.3 years. Of the 145 patients included, 48 (33.1%) were in the PAI group. When two groups were compared with each other in terms of the demographic features and laboratory data, the following were identified as risk factors for PAI: female gender, family history for AIDs, antigliadin IgG positivity, vitamin D deficiency, antinuclear antibody positivity ≥1/80 titer and having any musculoskeletal disease. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the largest studies in the literature on CD patients for the PAI prevalence and related risk factors. Identification of the risk factors in early stages is important to explore PAI among CD patients. Larger, prospective studies are warranted about the risk factors and autoimmune characteristics of CD.
Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for the Prevention of Cognitive Decline After Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Matz Karl , Teuschl Yvonne , Firlinger Bernadette , Dachenhausen Alexandra , Keindl Magdalena , Seyfang Leonhard , Tuomilehto Jaakko , Brainin Michael ,   Participants in the ASPIS Study Group in addition to the authors named, Schnider Peter , Bancher Christian , Pinter Michaela , Kepplinger Berthold , Asenbaum-Nan Susanne , Oberndorfer Stefan , Heiss Wolf-Dieter
Published: September 2015

Background and Purpose—

Cognitive impairment occurs in ≤30% of all stroke survivors. However, effective therapies aimed at preventing poststroke cognitive decline are lacking. We assessed the efficacy of a multidomain intervention on preventing cognitive decline after stroke.

Methods—

In this randomized, observer-blind trial patients were recruited within 3 months after an acute stroke in 5 Austrian neurological centers. Patients were assigned to a 24-month lifestyle-based multidomain intervention or standard stroke care. Primary outcomes were the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) and occurrence of cognitive decline in the composite scores of at least 2 of 5 cognitive domains at 24 months.

Results—

A total of 101 patients were randomized into multi-intervention and 101 into standard care during June 2010 and November 2012. Of them, 76 patients in the intervention group and 83 in the control group were included in the final intention-to-treat analysis. At 24 months, 8 of 76 (10.5%) patients in the intervention group and 10 of 83 (12.0%) patients in the control group showed cognitive decline corresponding to a relative risk reduction of 0.874 (95% confidence interval, 0.364–2.098). The change in ADAS-cog from baseline to 24 months was not different either (median 0 [IQR, −1 to 2] in both groups;
P
=0.808).

Conclusions—

This trial found no benefit of 24-month multidomain intervention with focus on improvement in lifestyle and vascular risk factors on the incidence of poststroke cognitive decline in comparison with standard stroke care. Studies with a larger sample size are needed.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01109836.
n
-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Reduce Neonatal Hypoxic/Ischemic Brain Injury by Promoting Phosphatidylserine Formation and Akt Signaling
Authors: Zhang Wenting , Liu Jia , Hu Xiaoming , Li Peiying , Leak Rehana K. , Gao Yanqin , Chen Jun
Published: September 2015

Background and Purpose—

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (
n-3
PUFAs) attenuate neonatal hypoxic/ischemic (H/I) brain damage, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study tested the hypothesis that
n-3
PUFAs enhance Akt-dependent prosurvival signaling by promoting the biosynthesis of phosphatidylserine in neuronal cell membranes.

Methods—

Dietary
n-3
PUFA supplementation was initiated on the second day of pregnancy in dams. H/I was induced in 7-day-old rat pups by ipsilateral common carotid artery occlusion followed by hypoxia (8% oxygen for 2.5 hours). Neurological outcomes, brain tissue loss, cell death, and the activation of signaling events were assessed after H/I. The effects of
n-3
PUFAs (docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid) on oxygen-glucose deprivation–induced cell death and the underlying mechanism of protection were also examined in primary cortical neuron cultures.

Results—

n-3
PUFAs reduced brain tissue loss at 7 days after H/I and improved neurological outcomes, whereas inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling by LY294002 partially abrogated this neuroprotective effect. Docosahexaenoic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid also prevented ischemic neuronal death through the Akt prosurvival pathway in vitro. Furthermore, docosahexaenoic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid increased the production of phosphatidylserine, the major membrane-bound phospholipids, after ischemia both in vitro and in vivo. A reduction in membrane phosphatidylserine by shRNA-mediated knockdown of phosphatidylserine synthetase-1 attenuated Akt activation and neuronal survival after docosahexaenoic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid treatment in the oxygen-glucose deprivation model.

Conclusions—

n-3
PUFAs robustly protect against H/I-induced brain damage in neonates by activating Akt prosurvival pathway in compromised neurons. In addition,
n-3
PUFAs promote the formation of membrane phosphatidylserine, thereby promoting Akt activity and improving cellular survival.
Le problème des équinoxes dans l’astronomie grecque
Authors: Corre Jean-François
Published: September 2015

When were equinoxes first understood? If the notion were as simple as it might seem, it ought not to be difficult to determine; but the controversies around it show that the matter is not so simple. In fact, it is very difficult to establish the equinoxes, and that difficulty led to several revisions of the notion. But with them came a change to the object under discussion changed as well – more profound than one would think given the stability of the term. This article traces the story.
Growing Old Gracefully: The Role of Old Age Pension in Lesotho
Authors: Tanga Pius T.
Published: September 2015

The introduction of an old age pension in Lesotho in November 2004 brought relief and hope to the elderly. The paper examines how the old age pension has helped in the acquisition of material goods, increased access to health care and, most importantly, strengthened the status of the elderly in their households. Two hundred and fifteen old age pension recipients in rural areas were interviewed. Results show that the elderly now participate more in household decision-making and contribute towards income and community projects. The poverty and hunger vulnerability existing before the pension have been halved. Pensioners play an increasing role in the care of orphans and vulnerable children. This has boosted pensioners’ self-esteem and strengthened respect given to them. Although the pension is seen as meagre, elections results show the efforts of the government continue to be highly appreciated. The paper concludes the old age pension has empowered the elderly and helps them live a more graceful life.
In Communion with the Trinitarian God
Authors: Fubara-Manuel Benebo Fubara
Published: September 2015

This paper is a Reformed reflection on The Church: Towards a Common Vision (ctcv). It seeks to explore an aspect of the rich contribution of ctcv to the understanding of the depth of the unity that the church has received from the Trinitarian God as a gift, and to which it has been called to witness, namely, the communion that exists between God and creation. It shall argue that, whereas ctcv has worked upon several years of ecumenical labour, and whereas it is a most invaluable work in ecumenical understanding of church unity, it fails to develop a robust theology of creation and, as such, fails to do justice to the richness of communion that the church and creation has with the Trinitarian God. This reflection shall be informed by some of the historic Reformed confessions, some modern Reformed confessions and the rich history of Reformed participation in ecumenical conversations.1
Biogeochemical Ecology of six Species of Sphagnum in Costa Rica

Authors: Wolfe John , McQueen Cyrus B.
Published: September 2015

There is very little information on the biogeochemical ecology of Sphagnum species in tropical regions. The majority of the ecological information on Sphagnum species in the tropics consists of general habitat information and pH values that are reported in new species descriptions and regional floras such as those of Crum (1980, 1989), Crum and Buck (1988), Karlin (1991), and McQueen (1989).
On the asexual reproduction of Plagiochila pluma Steph.

Authors: Piippo Sinikka
Published: September 2015

Four types of asexual reproduction in Plagiochila and the Plagiochilaceae are known: propagules, caducous leaves, gemmae and cladia. Plagiochila pluma Steph. has caducous leaves and teeth with regenerants. The terms for asexual reproduction modes in liverworts are briefly discussed and new definitions proposed.
Meteoridium and Zelometeorium in Bolivia

Authors: Lewis Marko
Published: September 2015

The genera Meteoridium and Zelometeorium are described and illustrated from 73 collections made by the author in Bolivia. Barbella tenuissima (Hook. & Wils.) Fleisch. is transferred to the genus Meteoridium as Meteoridium tenuissimum (Hook. & Wils.) M. Lewis comb. nov. Due to its hypnobryoid peristome and other characters, the genus Meteoridium is placed in the Brachytheciaceae. Meteoridium remotifolium (C. Müll.) Manuel shows marked variation over its altitudinal range and four ecoforms are recognized. Distribution records show that the species of these two genera have distinct ranges, with only Meteoridium remotifolium overlapping the ranges of the other species. Habitat data shows that none of the species treated are obligate epiphytes, and that they grow equally well in terrestrial habitats.
The distribution and synonyms of Breutelia microdonta (Mitt.) Broth. with additional notes on certain taxa of Breutelia

Authors: Griffin Dana
Published: September 2015

Breutelia microdonta (Mitt.) Broth., described originally from Brazil, is the oldest name for a disjunct widespread tropical species that includes as synonyms B. angustifolia Rehm. ex Sim of Southern Africa and B. merrillii Broth. of the Philippines. Breutelia kilaueae (C. Muell.) Broth. of Hawaii is considered a synonym of the austral Pacific species B. affinis (Hook.) Mitt., and B. brachyphylla Broth. of Ecuador is reduced to synonymy under the North Andean B. squarrosa Jaeg. Breutelia anacolioides Herz. of Bolivia is removed to Philonotis as a synonym of the North Andean P. incana (Tayl.) H. Robins. Differences in spore ornamentation offer an additional character distinguishing Breutelia from Philonotis.
Sellaphora smirnovii (Bacillariophyta, Sellaphoraceae), a new small-celled species from Lake Glubokoe, European Russia, together with transfer of Navicula pseudoventralis to the genus Sellaphora
Authors: Chudaev Dmitry , Gololobova Maria
Published: September 2015

A new small-celled species of the genus Sellaphora is described from Lake Glubokoe (Moscow Region, European Russia). For another taxon (also small-celled), a new combination in the same genus is proposed. Both species were studied with light and scanning electron microscopy. Analysis of valve morphology supported assignment to the genus Sellaphora. Sellaphora smirnovii sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to S. pulchra, however it differs from the latter in shape of valve apices, striation pattern and absence of a marginal fold. This taxon is also compared to other morphologically similar species. Navicula pseudoventralis is transferred to the genus Sellaphora as Sellaphora pseudoventralis comb. nov. Observations on S. pseudoventralis showed the presence of biseriate striae, similar to those found in S. seminulum and S. barae.
A new species of Scleroramularia associated with sooty blotch and flyspeck in Southern China
Authors: Gao Liu , Wei Zhuoya , Wang Bo , Gleason Mark L. , Zhang Rong , Sun Guangyu
Published: September 2015

Scleroramularia is a genus that includes species of the sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) fungal complex that blemishes the surface of apple, pawpaw, and other fruit. In a survey of SBFS on banana (Musa basjoo), an isolate associated with the flyspeck mycelial type of SBFS was obtained from Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. Based on analysis of morphology and phylogeny (the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed space region and translation elongation factor 1-alpha), it was delimited as a new species of Scleroramularia, described here as S. musae. Conidia of S. musae have more septa than other species presently known in the genus.
Taxonomic revision of the Andean leaf-eared mouse, Phyllotis andium Thomas 1912 (Rodentia: Cricetidae), with the description of a new species
Authors: RENGIFO EDGARDO M. , PACHECO VÍCTOR M.
Published: September 2015

The Andean Leaf-eared mouse, Phyllotis andium Thomas 1912, has been considered a widespread medium-size sigmodontine rodent (230 mm of total length and 35 grams approximately) that occurs from Tungurahua, Ecuador, through the Andes, to Lima, Peru. Previous studies performed on Phyllotis noted evidence of morphological geographical variation within the species, which is likely because of the several potential geographical barriers that exist within the distribution range of P. andium. We carried out a taxonomic revision of this species based on qualitative and quantitative morphological analyses of 330 specimens from 92 localities. This included appropriate comparisons with other species of the andium/amicus group and performed molecular analysis based on cytochrome b sequences. As a result, morphologic qualitative analysis suggested the recognition of three different taxa, which are supported by morphologic quantitative and molecular analyses. The three taxa here identified have allopatric distributional ranges separated by important geographic barriers. Following these identification criteria, P. andium is now recognized for the samples from Tungurahua, Ecuador to Huánuco, Peru, and includes melanius and fruticicolus as synonymous; the southern populations from the Ancash and Lima departments, in the western Peruvian Andes, are proposed to represent a new species; and we recognize P. stenops as a valid species with tamborum as a synonym. Finally, we postulate that the diversification of these three species is related to key events in the Andean orogeny.
A new species of the genus Stiphodon from Palawan, Philippines (Gobiidae: Sicydiinae)
Authors: MAEDA KEN , PALLA HERMINIE P.
Published: September 2015

Palawan is an island in the western Philippines, and the freshwater fish fauna of this island has received limited research attention. In the present study, a new goby species, Stiphodon palawanensis, is described on the basis of 57 specimens collected from freshwater streams on the island. This species can be distinguished from its congeners by having nine segmented rays in the second dorsal fin, 15 rays in the pectoral fin, a pointed first dorsal fin in males, premaxilla with 45–71 tricuspid teeth, the nape and posterior half of the occipital region covered by cycloid scales, 9–11 dusky transverse bars laterally on the trunk and tail, a line of black blotches (in male) or a black band (in female) on the distal part of the second dorsal fin, and the first dorsal and pectoral fins lacking distinctive markings. The new species has been found only on the Sulu Sea side of central Palawan. Three congeners, S. percnopterygionus, S. atropurpureus, and S. pulchellus have also been recorded from Palawan.
The genus Macroocula Panfilov in Egypt, with two new species (Hymenoptera: Bradynobaenidae: Apterogyninae)
Authors: GADALLAH NEVEEN S. , SOLIMAN AHMED M. , AL-SHAHAT AHMED M. , HOSSNI MOHAMMED T.
Published: September 2015

The genus Macroocula Panfilov in Egypt is reviewed. Seven species were previously recorded from Egypt: M. magna (Invrea, 1965), M. mahunkai Argaman, 1994, M. morawitzi (Radoszkowski, 1888), M. nigriventris (Invrea, 1960), M. nitida (Bischoff, 1920), M. savignyi (Klug, 1829) and M. sinaica (Invrea, 1963). Macroocula brothersi Gadallah & Soliman, sp. nov. (Egypt, Wadi Shab, Red Sea) and M. salehi Gadallah & Soliman, sp. nov. (Egypt, Wadi Shaghab, Aswan) are described and illustrated. The subspecies M. nitida nitida (Bischoff, 1920) and M. nitida patrizii (Invrea, 1932) are raised to species level. An illustrated key and a faunistic list of Macroocula species are given.
A new species of Neuraphes Thomson, 1859 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) from Kazakhstan
Authors: HLAVÁČ PETER , NAKLÁDAL OTO
Published: September 2015

Neuraphes (s. str.) kazakhstanicus, new species of the tribe Cyrtoscydmini, is described from Kazakhstan. The genus is for the first time recorded from Central Asia. A detailed morphological study is presented.
Effects of Dynamic Crop Growth on the Simulated Precipitation Response to Irrigation*
Authors: Harding Keith J. , Twine Tracy E. , Lu Yaqiong
Published: September 2015

The rapid expansion of irrigation since the 1950s has significantly depleted the Ogallala Aquifer. This study examines the warm-season climate impacts of irrigation over the Ogallala using high-resolution (6.33 km) simulations of a version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model that has been coupled to the Community Land Model with dynamic crop growth (WRF-CLM4crop). To examine how dynamic crops influence the simulated impact of irrigation, the authors compare simulations with dynamic crops to simulations with a fixed annual cycle of crop leaf area index (static crops). For each crop scheme, simulations were completed with and without irrigation for 9 years that represent the range of observed precipitation. Reduced temperature and precipitation biases occur with dynamic versus static crops. Fundamental differences in the precipitation response to irrigation occur with dynamic crops, as enhanced surface roughness weakens low-level winds, enabling more water from irrigation to remain over the region. Greater simulated rainfall increases (12.42 mm) occur with dynamic crops compared to static crops (9.08 mm), with the greatest differences during drought years (+20.1 vs +5.9 mm). Water use for irrigation significantly impacts precipitation with dynamic crops (R2 = 0.29), but no relationship exists with static crops. Dynamic crop growth has the largest effect on the simulated impact of irrigation on precipitation during drought years, with little impact during nondrought years, highlighting the need to simulate the dynamic response of crops to environmental variability within Earth system models to improve prediction of the agroecosystem response to variations in climate.
Comparing the Impacts of Tropical SST Variability and Polar Stratospheric Ozone Loss on the Southern Ocean Westerly Winds*
Authors: Schneider David P. , Deser Clara , Fan Tingting
Published: September 2015

Westerly wind trends at 850 hPa over the Southern Ocean during 1979–2011 exhibit strong regional and seasonal asymmetries. On an annual basis, trends in the Pacific sector (40°–60°S, 70°–160°W) are 3 times larger than zonal-mean trends related to the increase in the southern annular mode (SAM). Seasonally, the SAM-related trend is largest in austral summer, and many studies have linked this trend with stratospheric ozone depletion. In contrast, the Pacific sector trends are largest in austral autumn. It is proposed that these asymmetries can be explained by a combination of tropical teleconnections and polar ozone depletion. Six ensembles of transient atmospheric model experiments, each forced with different combinations of time-dependent radiative forcings and SSTs, support this idea. In summer, the model simulates a positive SAM-like pattern, to which ozone depletion and tropical SSTs (which contain signatures of internal variability and warming from greenhouse gasses) contribute. In autumn, the ensemble-mean response consists of stronger westerlies over the Pacific sector, explained by a Rossby wave originating from the central equatorial Pacific. While these responses resemble observations, attribution is complicated by intrinsic atmospheric variability. In the experiments forced only with tropical SSTs, individual ensemble members exhibit wind trend patterns that mimic the forced response to ozone. When the analysis presented herein is applied to 1960–2000, the primary period of ozone loss, ozone depletion largely explains the model’s SAM-like zonal wind trend. The time-varying importance of these different drivers has implications for relating the historical experiments of free-running, coupled models to observations.
Critical Essay: Building new management theories on sound data? The case of neuroscience
Authors: Lindebaum Dirk
Published: September 2015

In this critical essay, I contend that accelerating demands for novel theories in management studies imply that new methodologies and data are sometimes accepted prematurely as supply of these novel theories. This point is illustrated with reference to how neuroscience can inform management research. I propose two demand forces that foster the increased focus on neuroscience in management studies, these being (i) the direction of public research funding, and (ii) publication bias as a boost for journal impact factor. Looking at the supply side, I note that (i) the statistical power of studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (or fMRI, the ‘gold’ standard) is unacceptably low, (ii) the use of imprecise ‘motherhood’ statements, and (iii) the dismissal of ethical concerns in the formulation of management theories and practice informed by neuroscience. I then briefly outline the bad consequences of this for management theory and practice, emphasize why it is important to prevent these consequences, and offer some methodological suggestions for future research.
Musical Learning and Teaching Conceptions as Sociocultural Productions in Classical, Flamenco, and Jazz Cultures
Authors: Casas-Mas Amalia , Pozo Juan Ignacio , Scheuer Nora
Published: September 2015

This study analyzes the discourse of musicians from three different cultures of musical learning, ranging from the more formal classical European culture, through the jazz culture, to the less formal flamenco culture in Roma communities. It is based on cultural studies of learning and education and the implicit conceptions theory. Thirty-one semi-professional guitarists were interviewed about learning and teaching music. We applied the lexicometrical method using correspondence analysis. We found significant lexical differences among the three cultures for all the three educational dimensions analyzed (teaching, learning, and evaluation). We describe literal answers from the most representative participants from each culture (using the automatic selection of modal response procedure according to χ2 distance) and a qualitative analysis of their full answers. Finally, we project a distribution of the three cultures of learning onto a factorial plane, which summarizes distribution of the three cultures of learning according to two axes that we have interpreted in terms of (a) locus of control (self-others) and (b) phenomenology (analytical–emotional distance–conceptual–explicit knowledge/sensory–involvement–embodied–implicit knowledge), respectively. The discourse of classical and flamenco participants expressed other-regulated learning, although classical participants were closer to an explicit, conceptual pole, whereas flamenco participants were closer to an implicit, embodied pole. The discourse of jazz participants lay in between the other two, closer to the explicit pole, but including characteristic language about self-regulation.
The Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Driving While Intoxicated Recidivism
Authors: Quinn Thomas P. , Quinn Elizabeth L.
Published: September 2015

This longitudinal study examined differences in driving while intoxicated (DWI) recidivism among defendants with multiple DWI offenses after receiving a 16-week cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program compared with those who received standard services. Defendants on probation supervision with histories of repeated DWI offenses ( N = 286; male = 240, female = 46) were referred to CBT. There was a significant difference in DWI recidivism 3 years after CBT among participants (11%) and the New York State (25%) and national (30%) rates; the comparison group reoffended at the rate of 25%. Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R) scores of the CBT group also decreased significantly compared with the comparison group, and CBT participants showed significant improvement in overall functioning measured by Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). CBT offered in this innovative manner was more effective with recalcitrant, hard to treat, DWI offenders. It may also benefit precontemplative offenders by helping them recognize that their drinking is negatively impacting their lives and may warrant more traditional alcohol treatment.
The Law Commission’s proposals for the reform of the defences of insanity and automatism
Authors: Ormerod David
Published: September 2015

The article offers an overview of the Law Commission's project on Insanity and Automatism and the provisional conclusions reached in its Discussion Paper in 2013.
Hypoglycaemia and automatism
Authors: Marks Vincent
Published: September 2015

Cognitive impairment unattended by subjective symptoms or objective signs is an uncommon but important consequence of hypoglycaemia. It can lead to a condition in which a patient behaves as an automaton in a manner totally alien to their usual personality and of which they have no recollection when their blood glucose level is restored to normal. It can cause a wide range of criminal behaviour, although the commonest offences relate to a loss of control, for example driving offences. Determination of criminal responsibility is extremely difficult and relies very heavily upon the quality of the medical evidence and interpretation of the law, which is out of step with current medical science.
Integrating acoustic simulation in architectural design workflows: the FabPod meeting room prototype
Authors: Peters Brady
Published: September 2015

Sound is an important part of our experience of buildings. However, architects design largely using visually based techniques and largely for visual phenomena. Aiming to address this problem, the research presented in this paper proposes four digital design workflows that integrate acoustic computer simulation into architectural design. These techniques enable architects to design for both visual and acoustic criteria. The goal is to develop rapid and accessible workflows for architects that allow acoustic performance to be tuned as geometry and materials are modified at the scale of the room, and also at the scale of the surface. The discovery and testing of these techniques takes place within the design of the FabPod, a semi-enclosed meeting room situated within an open-plan working environment. The project builds on previous research investigating the design principles, the acoustic performance, and the fabrication methods of hyperboloid surface geometry. Four design workflows were developed: two of these investigate the acoustic performance of the room and use existing acoustic simulation software, and the other two workflows investigate the acoustic performance of the surface and use custom-written scripts to calculate and visualize sound scattering. This paper presents the background to the study, outlines the digital workflows, describes how they integrate acoustic simulation, and shows some of the data produced by these simulations.
Interpreting foreign policy: National, comparative and regional studies
Authors: Bevir Mark , Daddow Oliver
Published: September 2015

This Special Issue advances an interpretive research programme into Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) and International Relations by showcasing new work on the study of foreign policy and regional cooperation. This introductory article explains the rationale and contents of the Special Issue in three parts. The opening part explains how the contributions complement the broader study of ideas in FPA and International Relations through a critique of methodological positivism in the social sciences. The second part elaborates the theoretical framework used to cohere the collection, which centres on the study of ‘situated agents’ who, when confronted with policy dilemmas, draw on inherited traditions to inform their foreign policy practices. This is accompanied by a methods case study centring on David Cameron’s European Union referendum strategy, which is used to illustrate the practical ways in which one can conduct interpretivist research into foreign policy. In conclusion, we spell out how the contributors conducted their work to advance the interpretivist research programme.
Interpreting change: International challenges and variations in foreign policy beliefs as explanations for shifts in China’s policy towards the European Union
Authors: Gaenssmantel Frank
Published: September 2015

This article examines why and how China upgraded its engagement with the European Union (EU) in the years between 2001 and 2004, with reference to pre-existing foreign policy traditions and practices in reform-era China. It argues that most of the observed changes can be explained with reference to two dynamics. First, the changing international environment, mostly with regard to the roles of the United States and the EU, challenged the established approach to foreign policy inherited from Deng Xiaoping, China’s pre-eminent leadership figure from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. In this sense, the shift towards the EU was part of wider efforts to solve this dilemma. Second, differences in how various groups in the Chinese foreign policy establishment understood and implemented Deng’s guidelines and their respective influence in policy-making can help to grasp some of the more specific developments in Chinese policy towards the EU in the early 2000s. To supplement this main claim, the article also critically evaluates the changes less well explained by these two dynamics and proposes additional explanations.
‘Essentially sound and fundamental’: Historicizing the logic of deterrence in the counterforce debate
Authors: Szalai András
Published: September 2015

Faced with the strategic uncertainties of the early nuclear age, the US Air Force (USAF) turned to civilian experts (defense rationalists) for help. Although the two communities shared the perception that science-based policies were required, the marriage of two distinct traditions – military and scientific – was not without conflict. Using an interpretivist approach, this article investigates this problematic reconciliation. It construes the realm of nuclear strategy-making as an interpretive enterprise where a multitude of ideas competed. Experts in this environment influenced policy decisions by rendering their ideas persuasive for their military ‘patrons’ through narrative framing devices. Within this conceptualization, bureaucratic dilemmas faced by the patron offered opportunities for experts to establish metaphorical correspondence between their tradition and the patron’s tradition. Such correspondence then lent ideas legitimacy and encouraged organizational support. As an illustration, an analysis is conducted on the role that hallmark RAND ideas on war limitation played in the so-called ‘counterforce’ debate in the early 1960s. This case suggests that the lasting impact of deterrence ideas had less to do with their correspondence to reality, than with their versatility as carriers of constructed ‘scientific’ and ‘rational’ storylines that gained traction within the USAF.
Landscape in Motion
Authors: Reynolds Matt
Published: September 2015

Ed Ruscha’s photo book Then & Now: Hollywood Boulevard, 1973-2004 consists of two continuous photographic panoramas of the north and south sides of the eponymous street taken thirty years apart. The juxtaposition of these two time periods depicts a dramatic transformation of the neighborhood, a result of the ongoing Hollywood Redevelopment Project (HRP). From its inception in 1986, the HRP has enlisted a nostalgic image of the city during the heyday of the film industry to mobilize redevelopment efforts. At first glance, Then & Now seems complicit in the HRP’s nostalgic enterprise. However, Ruscha’s book provides a device for rethinking the city’s renewal and the historical narratives that drive it. “Reading” this unusual text disrupts our relationship to “now” and “then,” problematizing nostalgia’s function as a condition of Hollywood’s revitalization and urban redevelopment more broadly.
Incorporating Psychological Predictors of Treatment Response into Health Economic Simulation Models
Authors: Kruger Jen , Pollard Daniel , Basarir Hasan , Thokala Praveen , Cooke Debbie , Clark Marie , Bond Rod , Heller Simon , Brennan Alan
Published: September 2015

Background. Health economic modeling has paid limited attention to the effects that patients’ psychological characteristics have on the effectiveness of treatments. This case study tests 1) the feasibility of incorporating psychological prediction models of treatment response within an economic model of type 1 diabetes, 2) the potential value of providing treatment to a subgroup of patients, and 3) the cost-effectiveness of providing treatment to a subgroup of responders defined using 5 different algorithms. Methods. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate relationships between patients’ psychological characteristics and treatment effectiveness. Two psychological prediction models were integrated with a patient-level simulation model of type 1 diabetes. Expected value of individualized care analysis was undertaken. Five different algorithms were used to provide treatment to a subgroup of predicted responders. A cost-effectiveness analysis compared using the algorithms to providing treatment to all patients. Results. The psychological prediction models had low predictive power for treatment effectiveness. Expected value of individualized care results suggested that targeting education at responders could be of value. The cost-effectiveness analysis suggested, for all 5 algorithms, that providing structured education to a subgroup of predicted responders would not be cost-effective. Limitations. The psychological prediction models tested did not have sufficient predictive power to make targeting treatment cost-effective. The psychological prediction models are simple linear models of psychological behavior. Collection of data on additional covariates could potentially increase statistical power. Conclusions. By collecting data on psychological variables before an intervention, we can construct predictive models of treatment response to interventions. These predictive models can be incorporated into health economic models to investigate more complex service delivery and reimbursement strategies.
The Frequency of White Blood Cell and Temperature Events During Mechanical Ventilation and Their Association With Ventilator-Associated Events
Authors: Edriss Hawa , Whiting Jeremy , Nugent Kenneth
Published: September 2015

Background:

Changes in white blood cell (WBC) counts and/or temperature could have important implications in patients on ventilators, but the frequency of these events is uncertain.

Methods:

We reviewed the medical records from 281 ventilation episodes in our medical intensive care unit to determine patient characteristics and the indications for ventilation. We determined the number of days during each ventilation episode in which the temperature (<96.8°F, >100.4°F) or WBC count (<4000/µL, >12 000/µL) was out of the normal range.

Results:

This study included 257 patients with a mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation 2 score of 13.5 ± 5.9 and a mean initial Pao2/Fio2 of 210 ± 110. The median number of ventilator days was 4 (interquartile range, 3-9). One hundred ninety-six of 275 eligible ventilator episodes (71.3%) had 1 or more temperature events, and 194 of 253 eligible ventilator episodes (76.7%) had 1 or more WBC events. Nineteen patients met the Center for Disease Control criteria for a ventilator-associated event (VAE). Twelve patients had an increased WBC count during the VAE period, and 11 had an increased temperature during this period.

Conclusions:

White blood cell counts and temperature events occur frequently in patients on ventilators and need evaluation but do not reliably identify patients with ventilator-associated complications.
Impact of Web Survey Invitation Design on Survey Participation, Respondents, and Survey Responses
Authors: Liu Mingnan , Kuriakose Noble , Cohen Jon , Cho Sarah
Published: September 2015

This article investigates how webpages shown to respondents before they enter a self-administered survey impact whether and how they respond. Using the SurveyMonkey “end page,” a page that is displayed nearly 3 million times daily to survey respondents who have completed a user-created survey, this article examines whether the type of image and text that are displayed on the end page has a large impact on survey participation, whether different images/texts appeal to different types of respondents, and whether they render different substance responses. The topic of the survey is about the U.K. 2015 General Election. The findings show that when a concrete image/text combination is displayed, the click rate is lower than more general and abstract image/text combinations. The completion rates across different webpages are similar. We also find that the sample compositions and selected survey responses differ by different end pages. As a last step, we conducted poststratification in each condition separately to produce estimates that match known population proportions for selected demographic characteristics. After weighting adjustment, the differences in substantive responses disappeared or reduced, suggesting that different people drawn into the survey through different webpages contribute to the different substantive responses.
Por el camino verde: Long-term tropical socioecosystem dynamics and the Anthropocene as seen from Puerto Rico
Authors: Rivera-Collazo Isabel C
Published: September 2015

Islands are traditionally considered sensitive to environment and climate change. The Caribbean Islands are a biodiversity hotspot, where conservation efforts should be a priority. However, the archaeological record suggests that the biotic characteristics of the islands, even within nature or forests reserves, are strongly shaped by thousands of years of intense human activity. This presents an issue for conservation efforts because defining what should be preserved and what should be reconstructed is not straightforward. Using Puerto Rico as case study, this article explores how socioecosystem dynamics influenced the biotic characteristics of the island at specific archaeological periods and to what extent these processes have affected the environmental resources on the island today. Climatic data, its implications on forest type and cover, and landscape characteristics as seen from sedimentary records, combined with archaeological data on human–environment interactions over time, from the mid-Holocene to the present are used to investigate these themes. This article brings forth more questions than answers, but it reflects the status of deep-time environmental research on the island, which is still in its early stages. I argue that, starting from the earliest occupations, human influence has altered the ecology of Puerto Rico so deeply that the natural resources we work toward preserving, conserving, or restoring today cannot be understood without considering the social contexts that shaped them. In this sense, if the Anthropocene is a proposal to rename the current geological period because of the overwhelming physical evidence of change that human activity has left behind, then the history of the Puerto Rico supports the proposal for the application of the term since at least 5 ka. Applying the concept would bring the relevance of human activity to the forefront, contributing to the reconsideration of the role of humans in the formation and preservation of modern ecological systems.
Do-It-Yourself World Music Curriculum
Authors: Bartolome Sarah J.
Published: September 2015

Your integration of children’s musical culture into the general music curriculum does not need to end with the song collections on your bookshelf. Consider expanding on the materials available by reaching out to friends, students, colleagues, and elders and collecting children’s musical culture for yourself and your classroom.
Personality Assessment Screener, Childhood Abuse, and Adult Partner Violence in African American Women Using Primary Care
Authors: Porcerelli John H. , Hurrell Kristen , Cogan Rosemary , Jeffries Keturah , Markova Tsveti
Published: September 2015

This study assessed the relationship between psychopathology with the Personality Assessment Screener (PAS) and childhood physical and sexual abuse and adult physical and sexual partner violence in a primary care sample of 98 urban-dwelling African American women. Patients completed the PAS, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the Conflict Tactics Scale. The PAS total score significantly correlated with all measures of childhood and adult abuse. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that PAS element scores of Suicidal Thinking and Hostile Control significantly predicted a history of childhood physical abuse; Suicidal Thinking, Hostile Control, and Acting Out significantly predicted a history of childhood sexual abuse; Suicidal Thinking, Negative Affect, and Alienation significantly predicted current adult partner physical violence; and Psychotic Features, Alcohol Problems, and Anger Control significantly predicted current adult sexual partner violence. The PAS appears to be a useful measure for fast-paced primary care settings for identifying patients who need a more thorough assessment for abuse.
Similar Subgroups Based on Cognitive Performance Parse Heterogeneity in Adults With ADHD and Healthy Controls
Authors: Mostert Jeanette C. , Hoogman Martine , Onnink A. Marten H. , van Rooij Daan , von Rhein Daniel , van Hulzen Kimm J. E. , Dammers Janneke , Kan Cornelis C. , Buitelaar Jan K. , Norris David G. , Franke Barbara
Published: September 2015

Objective: To characterize heterogeneity in adults with ADHD we aimed to identify subgroups within the adult ADHD spectrum, which differ in their cognitive profile. Method: Neuropsychological data from adults with ADHD ( n = 133) and healthy control participants ( n = 132) were used in a confirmatory factor analysis. The resulting six cognitive factors were correlated across participants to form networks. We used a community detection algorithm to cluster these networks into subgroups. Results: Both the ADHD and control group separated into three profiles that differed in cognitive performance. Profile 1 was characterized by aberrant attention and inhibition, profile 2 by increased delay discounting, and profile 3 by atypical working memory and verbal fluency. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that qualitative differences in neuropsychological performance exist in both control and ADHD adult individuals. This extends prior findings in children with and without ADHD and provides a framework to parse participants into well-defined subgroups.