bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The distribution and extent of reflux and obstruction in patients with active venous ulceration
Authors: Kanth Aditi M , Khan Sami U , Gasparis Antonis , Labropoulos Nicos
Published: March 2014

Objectives

This study was performed to precisely define the underlying pathophysiology in patients with active venous ulcers.

Methods

A PubMed search was conducted from 1991 to 2013 to select papers reporting the anatomic and physiologic etiology of ulceration in CEAP Class 6 patients. Studies which did not decipher between active and healed ulcers, did not use clear definitions, or did not give detailed accounts on the distribution/extent of venous pathology were excluded. Using the PRISMA guidelines, 12 studies were selected for further analysis.

Results

Primary insufficiency was reportedly the most common etiology of ulcers. Reflux most frequently occurred in the superficial system, either isolated or in conjunction with perforating and/or deep systems. Combined superficial and deep disease was observed in a median of 11.6% of limbs (range of 0–48%). Triple system disease was seen in a median of 31.6% of limbs (range of 22–52%). Isolated deep reflux was infrequently reported (2.1–28.4% of limbs). Previous deep venous thrombosis, reported in a median of 33% of patients, is likely underreported as it may resolve without detectable damage.

Conclusion

There is a lack of data in the literature regarding the etiology of chronic active venous ulcers. Insufficiency of the superficial venous system from the micro- to the macro-vasculature has been frequently implicated in the development of venous ulceration. A prospective randomized controlled study is required for more conclusive results.
Interpretation of automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) with and without knowledge of mammography: a reader performance study
Authors: Skaane Per , Gullien Randi , Eben Ellen B. , Sandhaug Merete , Schulz-Wendtland Ruediger , Stoeblen Frank
Published: March 2014

Background

Automated breast ultrasonography (ABUS) has the potential to be an important adjunct to mammography in women with dense breasts.

Purpose

To compare reader performance and inter-observer variation of ABUS alone and in combination with mammography.

Material and Methods

This retrospective study had ethical committee approval. All women gave written informed consent. One hundred and fourteen breasts in 90 women examined by digital mammography and ABUS were interpreted by five radiologists using BI-RADS categories. The 114 breasts included 38 cancers and 76 normal or benign findings. In the first reading session ABUS only was interpreted, and in the second ABUS plus digital mammography. Image interpretations were done without knowledge of clinical or imaging results. A consensus panel analyzed false negative and false positive interpretations. Reading time was recorded for one radiologist. AUC was used for performance measurement, and kappa statistic for inter-observer variability.

Results

Mean size for cancers was 16.2 mm; area under the curve (AUC) values for ABUS alone and for combined reading were, respectively: reader A, 0.592–0.744; reader B, 0.740–0.947; reader, C 0.759–0.823; reader D, 0.670–0.688; reader E, 0.904–0.923; and all readers combined 0.730–0.823. The higher AUC for combined reading was statistically significant ( P < 0.05) for reader B and for all readers. There was a considerable inter-observer variability. Observer agreement revealed following kappa values for ABUS alone and combined reading, respectively: reader A, 0.22–0.30; reader B, 0.33–0.44; reader C, 0.32–0.39; reader D, 0.07–0.14; and reader E, 0.34–0.43. Shadowing from dense parenchyma was the most common cause of false positive ABUS interpretations. Mean interpretation time for a bilateral normal ABUS examination was 9 min.

Conclusion

Observer agreement was higher and all radiologists improved diagnostic performance using combined ABUS and mammography interpretation. Combined reading should be standard if ABUS is implemented in screening of women with dense breasts.
Primary renal synovial sarcoma: computed tomography imaging findings
Authors: Lv Xiao-Fei , Qiu Ying-Wei , Han Lu-Jun , Cao Jing , Zhang Chao , Liu Zhen-Yin , Zhang Xue-Lin , Cai Pei-Qiang , Li Li
Published: March 2014

Background:

A synovial sarcoma arising from the kidney is extremely rare. To date, few data are available on their radiological features.

Purpose:

To identify the computer tomography (CT) imaging findings of primary renal synovial sarcomas (PRSSs).

Material and Methods:

Five cases of PRSS confirmed by histopathological and cytogenetic studies were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had undergone unenhanced and multiphase enhanced CT examinations (one patient underwent CT twice). The CT characteristics, including shape, size, margin, attenuation, and enhancement pattern after intravenous contrast medium injection, were analyzed.

Results:

The study involved two female and three male patients (mean age, 27.4 years; range, 15–43 years). Unenhanced CT showed completely or partly well-defined masses, with heterogeneous ( n = 5) or homogeneous ( n = 1) patchy low density. On multiphase contrast-enhanced CT, in five of the six CT examinations, the tumors appeared as solid-cystic masses with cyst walls or pseudo-capsules, and demonstrated moderately heterogeneous ( n = 5) and/or septate enhancement ( n = 2), with a “rapid wash-in and slow wash-out” pattern of enhancement in the solid component. Only one tumor showed a simple cyst appearance and developed an irregular, intratumoral, septate soft density 8 months later. A renal vein and inferior vena cava thrombus was noticed in one patient, while lymphadenopathy was not observed in any patient.

Conclusion:

PRSS should be included in the differential diagnosis when an adolescent or young adult presents with a renal neoplasm appearing as a solid-cystic mass with well-defined borders, a cystic wall or pseudo-capsule, heterogeneous or septate enhancement, a “rapid wash-in and slow wash-out” pattern of enhancement in the solid component, and no sign of lymphadenopathy.
Respiratory gated and prolonged acquisition 18F-FDG PET improve preoperative assessment of colorectal liver metastases
Authors: Revheim Mona-Elisabeth , Haugvik Sven-Petter , Johnsrud Kjersti , Mathisen Øystein , Fjeld Jan Gunnar , Skretting Arne
Published: March 2014

Background

Detection of small liver metastases from colorectal cancer by 18F-FDG PET/CT is hampered by high physiologic uptake in the liver parenchyma and respiratory movements during image acquisition.

Purpose

To investigate whether two tailored 18F-FDG PET liver acquisitions (prolonged liver acquisition time [PL-PET] and repeated breath-hold respiratory gated liver acquisition [RGL-PET]) would improve detection of colorectal liver metastases, when added to a standard whole body PET (WB-PET).

Material and Methods

Twenty consecutive patients referred to our hospital for surgical treatment of colorectal liver metastases diagnosed with contrast-enhanced CT underwent preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT tailored for detection of liver metastases. Concordance between preoperative imaging results and true findings (histology and/or follow-up imaging) as well as changes in clinical management, based on 18F-FDG PET/CT findings, were documented. Background noise, defined as the standard deviation measured in a reference region within the normal liver parenchyma, was compared between the three 18F-FDG PET/CT protocols.

Results

WB-PET, PL-PET, and RGL-PET showed suspicious liver lesions in 18 out of 20 patients. Compared to WB-PET alone, the combination of PL-PET and RGL-PET showed additional lesions in the liver in seven out of the 18 patients. The combination of all three PET acquisitions changed clinical management in four patients. Two patients with negative PET results were later found to have benign liver lesions.

Conclusion

The addition of tailored liver-specific 18F-FDG PET/CT protocols (PL-PET and RGL-PET) to a WB-PET, improved the detection of intrahepatic colorectal metastases, compared to WB-PET alone. Such add-ons can change clinical patient management of potentially resectable colorectal liver metastases.
Phenotype of migraine headache and migraine aura of Richard Wagner
Authors: Göbel Anna , Göbel Carl H , Göbel Hartmut
Published: March 2014

Background

The headache phenotype and neurological symptoms of the German composer Richard Wagner (1813–1883), whose music dramas count towards the most frequently performed operas across the world, are previously undocumented.

Methods

Richard Wagner’s own descriptions of his headache symptoms in his original writings and letters are investigated, as well as the complete diary records of his second wife, Cosima Wagner.

Results

There are manifold indications that Richard Wagner suffered from a severe headache disorder, which fulfils most likely the diagnostic criteria of migraine without aura and migraine with aura of ICHD-3 beta.

Conclusions

Richard Wagner’s life and opus can help to better understand the burden and suffering caused by migraine with its severe effects on the individual, familial and social life, the culture and community.
Measurement of the Glenoid Track In Vivo as Investigated by 3-Dimensional Motion Analysis Using Open MRI
Authors: Omori Yasushi , Yamamoto Nobuyuki , Koishi Hayato , Futai Kazuma , Goto Akira , Sugamoto Kazuomi , Itoi Eiji
Published: March 2014

Background:

A Hill-Sachs lesion is a common injury associated with anterior glenohumeral instability, and a Hill-Sachs lesion that engages with the anterior glenoid rim is 1 factor related to recurrent instability. In a cadaveric study in 2007, a new concept, the “glenoid track,” was proposed to evaluate the risk of engagement of Hill-Sachs lesions with the glenoid.

Purpose:

To investigate the glenoid track in vivo using a custom-developed noninvasive motion analysis system.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Using a wide-gantry magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, the right shoulders of 30 healthy volunteers were examined. The MRI scans were taken of the right arm in 7 static supine positions from 0° to maximum abduction, keeping maximum external rotation and horizontal extension. Using the custom motion analysis system, 3-dimensional models of the scapula and humerus were created from the MRI data. Then, the movement of the humerus and scapula was calculated using voxel-based registration of each model, and the motion of the glenoid on the humeral head was analyzed.

Results:

The models demonstrated that glenoid contact shifted from the inferomedial to the superolateral portion of the humeral head. The mean widths of the glenoid track with the arm at 60°, 90°, 120°, and 150° of abduction were 20.7 ± 4.5 mm, 19.4 ± 3.9 mm, 18.9 ± 2.7 mm, and 18.7 ± 2.5 mm (89%, 83%, 82%, and 81% of the glenoid width), respectively. The width of the glenoid track at 60° of abduction was significantly greater than those at 90°, 120°, and 150° of abduction ( P = .0472, .0148, and .0083, respectively). There were no significant differences among widths measured at 90°, 120°, and 150° of abduction.

Conclusion:

The existence and widths of the glenoid track were confirmed in vivo.
Impact of The Personal Strengths Program on Self-Determination Levels of College Students With LD and/or ADHD
Authors: Farmer Jennie L. , Allsopp David H. , Ferron John M.
Published: March 2014

This study investigates the impact of The Personal Strengths Program (PSP) on seven college students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (LD/ADHD) using a multiple baseline design. Students with LD/ADHD experience increased challenges in school settings and decreased post-secondary outcomes when compared with their peers without disabilities. Research has indicated that students who are able to transition into post-secondary settings successfully often have higher levels of self-determination than those who do not transition as successfully. PSP is grounded in effective teaching practices for students with LD/ADHD, self-determination, and positive psychology. It utilizes guided cognitive strategy instruction to assist students in identifying and using their strengths to achieve their goals related to their academic classes. Results were mixed, but do suggest there is some effect from participating in PSP on self-determination levels. Implications for students with LD/ADHD and researchers conducting intervention studies are discussed.
Emerging Versus Emancipating
Authors: Berzin Stephanie Cosner , Singer Erin , Hokanson Kimberly
Published: March 2014

Emerging adulthood has been defined as a distinct developmental stage in which youth experience opportunities for identity development and transition toward independence. While this period has been examined for youth in the general population, less is known about how foster youth experience this transition. This study uses qualitative interviews with 20 foster youth to understand their experiences during emerging adulthood. Consensual qualitative research is used to analyze data and develop core themes around youth experiences. Foster youth not only report sharing many characteristics with youth in the general population during this stage but also have experiences that are uniquely tied to their foster care history. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Effects of the Duper Mutation on Responses to Light
Authors: Bittman Eric L.
Published: March 2014

The duper mutation in Syrian hamsters shortens the free-running period (τDD) of locomotor activity by approximately 1 h when expressed on the wild-type background and by 2 h on the tau mutant background (“super duper”). In either case, duper markedly amplifies the phase response curve (PRC) of the light pulse. This work examined whether the duper mutation alters parametric as well as nonparametric properties, intensity thresholds, and noncircadian responses to light. Furthermore, it assessed the effects of duper on the range of entrainment and circadian aftereffects. In the first study, duper mutant and wild-type (wt) hamsters showed a similar intensity threshold for light-induced phase shifts. In the second, wt, tau mutant, and super duper hamsters were exposed to LD cycles whose period (T) progressively shortened. Regardless of whether the light phase was held at 50% of T or fixed at 3 h, super duper mutants entrained to a wider range of T cycles and showed aftereffects upon release into DD. In the third study, τLL was measured in mutant and wt hamsters that were maintained for 30-day intervals in constant light of progressively greater intensities. With increasing light intensity, the circadian period shortened in duper mutants. Circadian rhythms of super duper hamsters were disrupted at light intensities considerably below those that induced arrhythmicity in wt, tau heterozygote, or duper homozygote hamsters. In the fourth study, hamsters that were wt or homozygous for duper received two 15-min light pulses: the first at CT14 to CT16 or CT17 to CT19 and the second 2 h later. As expected, wt and duper mutants showed weak and strong resetting, respectively. Light pulses in early subjective night had an additive effect in mutant but not in wt hamsters, indicating that larger phase shifts of the pacemaker take longer to complete. Finally, super duper hamsters showed slightly but not significantly more negative masking than did wt or duper mutant hamsters. These results indicate that the duper mutation affects the properties of the central circadian pacemaker. The mutant allele affects not only the PRC but also parametric responses to light.
HSP90 Affects the Stability of BMAL1 and Circadian Gene Expression
Authors: Schneider Rebecca , Linka René M. , Reinke Hans
Published: March 2014

The mammalian circadian clock comprises a system of interconnected transcriptional and translational feedback loops. Proper oscillator function requires the precisely timed synthesis and degradation of core clock proteins. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent molecular chaperone, has important functions in many cellular regulatory pathways by controlling the activity and stability of its various client proteins. Despite accumulating evidence for interplay between the heat shock response and the circadian system, the role of HSP90 in the mammalian core clock is not known. The results of this study suggest that inhibition of the ATP-dependent chaperone activity of HSP90 impairs circadian rhythmicity of cultured mouse fibroblasts whereby amplitude and phase of the oscillations are predominantly affected. Inhibition of HSP90 shortened the half-life of BMAL1, which resulted in reduced cellular protein levels and blunted expression of rhythmic BMAL1-CLOCK target genes. Furthermore, the HSP90 isoforms HSP90AA1 and HSP90AB1, and not HSP90B1-GRP94 or TRAP1, are responsible for maintaining proper cellular levels of BMAL1 protein. In summary, these findings provide evidence for a model in which cytoplasmic HSP90 is required for transcriptional activation processes by the positive arm of the mammalian circadian clock.
Insights into Behavioral Vulnerability to Differential Sleep Pressure and Circadian Phase from a Functional ADA Polymorphism
Authors: Reichert Carolin F. , Maire Micheline , Gabel Virginie , Viola Antoine U. , Kolodyazhniy Vitaliy , Strobel Werner , Götz Thomas , Bachmann Valérie , Landolt Hans-Peter , Cajochen Christian , Schmidt Christina
Published: March 2014

Sleep loss affects human behavior in a nonuniform manner, depending on the cognitive domain and also the circadian phase. Besides, evidence exists about stable interindividual variations in sleep loss–related performance impairments. Despite this evidence, only a few studies have considered both circadian phase and neurobehavioral domain when investigating trait-like vulnerability to sleep manipulation. By applying a randomized, crossover design with 2 sleep pressure conditions (40 h sleep deprivation vs. 40 h multiple naps), we investigated the influence of a human adenosine deaminase ( ADA) polymorphism (rs73598374) on several behavioral measures throughout nearly 2 circadian cycles. Confirming earlier studies, we observed that under sleep deprivation the previously reported vulnerable G/A-allele carriers felt overall sleepier than G/G-allele carriers. As expected, this difference was no longer present when sleep pressure was reduced by the application of multiple naps. Concomitantly, well-being was worse in the G/A genotype under sleep loss when compared to the nap protocol, and n-back working memory performance appeared to be specifically susceptible to sleep-wake manipulation in this genotype. When considering psychomotor vigilance performance, however, a higher sensitivity to sleep-wake manipulation was detected in homozygous participants, but specifically at the end of the night and only for optimal task performance. Although these data are based on a small sample size and hence require replication (12 G/A- and 12 G/G-allele carriers), they confirm the assumption that interindividual differences regarding the effect of sleep manipulation highly depend on the cognitive task and circadian phase, and thus emphasize the necessity of a multimethodological approach. Moreover, they indicate that napping might be suitable to counteract endogenously heightened sleep pressure depending on the neurobehavioral domain.
Celestial Orientation with the Sun Not in View
Authors: Maoret Francesco , Beltrami Giulia , Bertolucci Cristiano , Foà Augusto
Published: March 2014

The present investigation was aimed at testing whether the lizard sky polarization compass is time compensated. For this purpose, ruin lizards, Podarcis sicula, were both trained and tested for orientation inside a Morris water maze under clear skies with the sun not in view. During training, lizards showed a striking bimodal orientation along the training axis, demonstrating their capability of determining the symmetry plane of the sky polarization pattern and thus the use of polarization information in orientation. After reaching criteria, lizards were kept 7 days in a 6-h fast clock-shift treatment and then released with the sun not in view. Six-hour clock-shifted lizards showed a bimodal distribution of directional choices, which was oriented perpendicularly to the training axis, as it was expected on the basis of the clock-shift. The results show that the only celestial diurnal compass mechanism that does not need a direct vision of the sun disk (i.e., the sky polarization compass) is a time-compensated compass.
Guiding the orientation of smooth muscle cells on random and aligned polyurethane/collagen nanofibers
Authors: Jia Lin , Prabhakaran Molamma P , Qin Xiaohong , Ramakrishna Seeram
Published: March 2014

Fabricating scaffolds that can simulate the architecture and functionality of native extracellular matrix is a huge challenge in vascular tissue engineering. Various kinds of materials are engineered via nano-technological approaches to meet the current challenges in vascular tissue regeneration. During this study, nanofibers from pure polyurethane and hybrid polyurethane/collagen in two different morphologies (random and aligned) and in three different ratios of polyurethane:collagen (75:25; 50:50; 25:75) are fabricated by electrospinning. The fiber diameters of the nanofibrous scaffolds are in the range of 174–453 nm and 145–419 for random and aligned fibers, respectively, where they closely mimic the nanoscale dimensions of native extracellular matrix. The aligned polyurethane/collagen nanofibers expressed anisotropic wettability with mechanical properties which is suitable for regeneration of the artery. After 12 days of human aortic smooth muscle cells culture on different scaffolds, the proliferation of smooth muscle cells on hybrid polyurethane/collagen (3:1) nanofibers was 173% and 212% higher than on pure polyurethane scaffolds for random and aligned scaffolds, respectively. The results of cell morphology and protein staining showed that the aligned polyurethane/collagen (3:1) scaffold promote smooth muscle cells alignment through contact guidance, while the random polyurethane/collagen (3:1) also guided cell orientation most probably due to the inherent biochemical composition. Our studies demonstrate the potential of aligned and random polyurethane/collagen (3:1) as promising substrates for vascular tissue regeneration.
The War at Home: Militarized and Racialized Identities in the University ‘Critical Language’ Classroom
Authors: Maghbouleh Neda
Published: March 2014

Despite the defunding and shuttering of many language courses and departments in public American universities, offerings deemed ‘critical’ to security and military interests have seen a dramatic rise since 11 September 2001. These courses are largely populated by Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) learners interested in career advancement and payment through military stipends for course enrollment and ‘heritage’ learners interested in deepening their familial connections and cultural identities as expressed through language. Drawing on nine months of participant-observation and interviews in one such course, the author identifies three locally constructed symbolic boundaries ( us/them; soldier/civilian; white/non-white) used by students to reflect unequal identities and classroom experiences. Findings suggest that the federally-funded American critical language classroom can serve as a domestic stage upon which ROTC students may informally ‘try on’ militarized identities vis-à-vis classmates who are sartorially, spatially, culturally, and racially cast as native-civilian others.
A Review of Current Evidence of Olmesartan Medoxomil Mimicking Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Authors: Sanford Michele L. , Nagel Angela K.
Published: March 2014

Objective:

To review the evidence of an association between olmesartan medoxomil and symptoms mimicking celiac disease.

Data Sources:

Literature was searched in PubMed (1965-November 2013) using the key words or MeSH terms olmesartan, enteropathy, celiac disease, sprue, and diarrhea. References from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Dipiro’s Pharmacotherapy eighth edition textbook were also reviewed.

Data Synthesis:

There have been recent implications of olmesartan medoxomil being linked to symptoms mimicking celiac disease. Investigators first identified the association in 22 patients who presented with presumed refractory celiac disease. Upon further evaluation, it was discovered that these symptoms improved when olmesartan was discontinued. In response to this report, additional case studies have been published. DeGaetani et al also further analyzed patients with seronegative villous atrophy from the Celiac Disease Center and found that olmesartan accounted for 22% of previously unclassified sprue cases. Conversely, the authors of the ROADMAP trial, which compared olmesartan to placebo, found no significant differences in the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse effects.

Conclusions:

There is growing evidence supporting the association between olmesartan and sprue-like symptoms; however, further research is warranted. These symptoms can be life threatening and clinicians should be aware of the potential association.
Federal employee unionization and presidential control of the bureaucracy: Estimating and explaining ideological change in executive agencies
Authors: Chen Jowei , Johnson Tim
Published: March 2014

We present a formal model explaining that US presidents strategically unionize federal employees to reduce bureaucratic turnover and ‘anchor’ the ideological composition of like-minded agency workforces. To test our model’s predictions, we advance a method of estimating bureaucratic ideology via the campaign contributions of federal employees; we then use these bureaucratic ideal point estimates in a comprehensive empirical test of our model. Consistent with our model’s predictions, our empirical tests find that federal employee unionization stifles agency turnover, suppresses ideological volatility when the president’s partisanship changes, and occurs more frequently in agencies ideologically proximate to the president.
Chemical functionalization for improving dispersion and interfacial bonding of halloysite nanotubes in epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Zhang Junheng , Jia Zhixin , Jia Demin , Zhang Daohong , Zhang Aiqing
Published: March 2014

The effects of chemical functionalization of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) on dispersion, interfacial interaction, and mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites were investigated. HNT-filled epoxy nanocomposites were fabricated and their morphology and mechanical properties were systematically studied; the results were compared with those for neat epoxy resin. Transmission electron microscopic micrographs revealed uniform morphologic dispersion of functional HNTs in the epoxy matrix. The interfacial interaction between functional HNTs and the epoxy matrix was shown by differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy analyses. The reaction between the functional amine--terminated groups of HNTs and epoxy monomers improved the dispersion of HNTs and the interfacial adhesion between HNTs and epoxies. The functional HNT-filled epoxy nanocomposites showed improved mechanical properties compared with the as-received HNT-filled nanocomposites. This was attributed to better dispersion and stronger interfacial interaction.
Effect of hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphazene combined with octapropylglycidylether polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane on thermal stability and flame retardancy of epoxy resin
Authors: Pan Miao , Zhang Chunling , Zhai Xiaojie , Qu Lijie , Mu Jianxin
Published: March 2014

A novel phosphazene-based compound called hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphazene (HPCTP) was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as proton and phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. Epoxy (EP) resin composites containing HPCTP and octapropylglycidylether polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OGPOSS) were prepared using 4,4′-diamino diphenylmethane as curing agent. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, UL 94 vertical burning test, and cone calorimetry test were used to assess thermal stability and flame retardancy of the composites. Evaluation of thermal properties demonstrated that the resulting composites achieved less thermal stability compared with control EP resin but possessed high char yields at high temperatures. It indicated that both HPCTP and OGPOSS could induce the formation of intumescent char layer that retarded the degradation and combustion process of EP resin. The peak heat release rate of EP resin composite containing 15 wt% HPCTP was 61% less than that of control EP resin. Meanwhile, other flame-retardant parameters were also improved. Results of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy of residual chars confirmed that both HPCTP and OGPOSS can enhance thermal stability and flame retardancy of EP resin.
Applied torque control of friction stir welding using motor current as feedback
Authors: Longhurst William R , Cox Chase D , Gibson Brian T , Cook George E , Strauss Alvin M , DeLapp David R
Published: March 2014

When controlling friction stir welding, effort must be given to maintaining proper tool shoulder contact with the workpiece in order to achieve consolidation of the parent materials. Axial force control has been used prior with some success. The research presented in this article examines the controlling of welding torque as an alternative to force control. A mathematical model of welding torque was enhanced for the design and study of convex shoulder profiles. Focus was placed on linearizing the response between plunge depth and torque. The model predicted that a spherical profiled shoulder was preferred for a more linear response. In conjunction with the spherical shoulder, a closed-loop torque controller was implemented and its performance evaluated. Welding torque for feedback control was sensed indirectly through the spindle motor current using a commercially available clamp-on current meter. The system produced 1/4 in (6 mm) bead-on-plate welds that were 10 ft (3 m) in length. Over the course of the welds, the torque controller responded to workpiece elevation changes of 1/8 in (3 mm) and 1/4 in (6 mm). Results show that the tool maintained a near constant plunge depth into the workpiece as the tool traversed along the workpiece. It was concluded that the presented method of torque control is a reliable and less complex alternative to axial force control of friction stir welding.
To model joints with clearance for tolerance analysis
Authors: Polini Wilma
Published: March 2014

Mechanical products are usually made by assembling many parts. Among the different types of links, bolts are widely used to join the components of an assembly. In a bolting, a clearance exists among the bolt and the holes of the part to join. This clearance has to be modelled in order to define the possible movements agreed to the joined parts. To model a joint with clearance between two components is the aim of this work. This model takes part of a tolerance analysis model for rigid parts developed to overcome some limits of the literature’s works. It allows the assembly design to choose the tolerances on the basis of their impact on the assembling of the components and on the functional requirements. It adopts the simplified hypothesis that each surface maintains its nominal shape, that is, the effects of the form deviations are neglected. The proposed model has been successfully applied to a case study, a belt drive.
Persistent surveillance for a swarm of micro aerial vehicles by flocking algorithm
Authors: Li Wei
Published: March 2014

Persistent surveillance is a major role envisioned for autonomous unmanned vehicles. The mission of persistent surveillance requires the vehicles to continuously survey a target region. This paper investigates the techniques of persistent surveillance control for a swarm of micro aerial vehicles. We present a flocking algorithm to drive the micro aerial vehicles flying in a coordinate formation with a capability of obstacle avoidance. We propose a new digital pheromone mechanism to control and coordinate the swarms of micro aerial vehicles to search a field of interest and to reduce the uncertainty of every region in the field over time. Simulation results show the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm in generating collision-free persistent surveillance trajectories for a swarm of micro aerial vehicles in a coordinated manner.
Testosterone Reactivity to Provocation Mediates the Effect of Early Intervention on Aggressive Behavior
Authors: Carré Justin M. , Iselin Anne-Marie R. , Welker Keith M. , Hariri Ahmad R. , Dodge Kenneth A.
Published: March 2014

We tested the hypotheses that the Fast Track intervention program for high-risk children would reduce adult aggressive behavior and that this effect would be mediated by decreased testosterone responses to social provocation. Participants were a subsample of males from the full trial sample, who during kindergarten had been randomly assigned to the 10-year Fast Track intervention or to a control group. The Fast Track program attempted to develop children’s social competencies through child social-cognitive and emotional-coping skills training, peer-relations coaching, academic tutoring, and classroom management, as well as training for parents to manage their child’s behavior. At a mean age of 26 years, participants responded to laboratory provocations. Results indicated that, relative to control participants, men assigned to the intervention demonstrated reduced aggression and testosterone reactivity to social provocations. Moreover, reduced testosterone reactivity mediated the effect of intervention on aggressive behavior, which provides evidence for an enduring biological mechanism underlying the effect of early psychosocial intervention on aggressive behavior in adulthood.
Clinical features of macrophage activation syndrome in the adult northern Chinese population
Authors: Li X , Qu B , Nie Y , Zhu G , Li W , Mu F
Published: March 2014

Objective

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a relatively rare but potentially fatal complication of childhood rheumatic illnesses. We sought to provide insight for the timely recognition and diagnosis of MAS and efficacious disease management in adults with rheumatic diseases.

Methods

Clinical files for eight adult MAS patients treated at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were analyzed for clinical manifestations, laboratory investigations, therapeutic measurements and clinical outcomes.

Results

The study included male and female patients with ages ranging from 16 to 59 years old. All patients were diagnosed with underlying rheumatic diseases with five patients having adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD), two patients having systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and one patient having Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). The interval from fever onset to MAS diagnosis varied from seven days to 40 days. The most common clinical presentations were prolonged high fever, respiratory symptoms and jaundice. No patients had symptoms involving the central nervous system (CNS). Laboratory findings showed peripheral cytopenias, elevated liver enzymes, elevated triglycerides, hypofibrinogenemia and bone marrow hemophagocytosis. Potential effective treatments for MAS include glucocorticoid plus immunoglobulin therapy, but delays in diagnosis and treatment may lead to a fatal disease course.

Conclusion

MAS in adults may not be as rare as was once thought, although the clinical features of MAS in adults often differ from those seen in children. The MAS mortality in adults is far higher than that for children. A diagnosis of MAS should be considered when a patient with rheumatic disease presents with prolonged high fever, peripheral cytopenia and liver failure. Collection of bone marrow aspirates is critical for accurate diagnosis and MAS therapy should begin as early as possible.
Comparison of imputation variance estimators
Authors: Hughes RA , Sterne JAC , Tilling K
Published: March 2014

Appropriate imputation inference requires both an unbiased imputation estimator and an unbiased variance estimator. The commonly used variance estimator, proposed by Rubin, can be biased when the imputation and analysis models are misspecified and/or incompatible. Robins and Wang proposed an alternative approach, which allows for such misspecification and incompatibility, but it is considerably more complex. It is unknown whether in practice Robins and Wang’s multiple imputation procedure is an improvement over Rubin’s multiple imputation. We conducted a critical review of these two multiple imputation approaches, a re-sampling method called full mechanism bootstrapping and our modified Rubin’s multiple imputation procedure via simulations and an application to data. We explored four common scenarios of misspecification and incompatibility. In general, for a moderate sample size ( n = 1000), Robins and Wang’s multiple imputation produced the narrowest confidence intervals, with acceptable coverage. For a small sample size ( n = 100) Rubin’s multiple imputation, overall, outperformed the other methods. Full mechanism bootstrapping was inefficient relative to the other methods and required modelling of the missing data mechanism under the missing at random assumption. Our proposed modification showed an improvement over Rubin’s multiple imputation in the presence of misspecification. Overall, Rubin’s multiple imputation variance estimator can fail in the presence of incompatibility and/or misspecification. For unavoidable incompatibility and/or misspecification, Robins and Wang’s multiple imputation could provide more robust inferences.
Spatiotemporal hurdle models for zero-inflated count data: Exploring trends in emergency department visits
Authors: Neelon Brian , Chang Howard H , Ling Qiang , Hastings Nicole S
Published: March 2014

Motivated by a study exploring spatiotemporal trends in emergency department use, we develop a class of two-part hurdle models for the analysis of zero-inflated areal count data. The models consist of two components—one for the probability of any emergency department use and one for the number of emergency department visits given use. Through a hierarchical structure, the models incorporate both patient- and region-level predictors, as well as spatially and temporally correlated random effects for each model component. The random effects are assigned multivariate conditionally autoregressive priors, which induce dependence between the components and provide spatial and temporal smoothing across adjacent spatial units and time periods, resulting in improved inferences. To accommodate potential overdispersion, we consider a range of parametric specifications for the positive counts, including truncated negative binomial and generalized Poisson distributions. We adopt a Bayesian inferential approach, and posterior computation is handled conveniently within standard Bayesian software. Our results indicate that the negative binomial and generalized Poisson hurdle models vastly outperform the Poisson hurdle model, demonstrating that overdispersed hurdle models provide a useful approach to analyzing zero-inflated spatiotemporal data.
The Importance of Place for International Students’ Choice of University
Authors: Nachatar Singh Jasvir Kaur , Schapper Jan , Jack Gavin
Published: March 2014

The scholarly bias toward Western and English-speaking settings in the study of international education overlooks the experiences of international students in emerging education hubs in Asia. To redress this imbalance, this article offers insights into the crucial role of place in the study destination choices of a group of international postgraduate students currently enrolled at a Malaysian university. Findings from semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with 33 students indicated that place—and specifically the pull factors of the country of Malaysia—had a primary role in their choice of overseas university. More significant than the individual attributes of any one higher education institution, key social and cultural pull factors included the sense of Malaysia as a safe environment, shared cultural values with the students’ own background, the financial benefits derived from low tuition fees and low cost of living, proximity to the students’ home country as well as access to culturally important items such as halal and other dietary requirements. Understanding the significance of such national-level pull factors in study destination choice has important implications for the Malaysian government’s strategy of competing in the global market for international students.
The Lived Experience of Teaching About Race in Cultural Nursing Education
Authors: Holland Ann E.
Published: March 2014

Purpose: Some nursing scholars assert that race and racism require a more explicit focus in cultural nursing education if the profession is to positively impact health care disparities. This study explored what White BSN cultural educators think, believe, and teach about race, racism, and antiracism. Method: Phenomenological methods were used to analyze interview data from 10 White BSN faculty members who taught cultural content. Findings: Four themes were identified: living and learning in White spaces, a personal journey toward antiracism, values transformed through personal relationship, and race at the margins. Discussion/Conclusions: Whiteness obscured the participants’ understanding and teaching of race; White nursing faculty were not well prepared to teach about race and racism; learning about these topics occurs best over time and through personal relationships. Implications: Faculty development regarding race and racism is needed to facilitate student, curricular, and institutional change.
Japanese Men’s Success in Altered Fatherhood Role in a Foreign Country
Authors: Taniguchi Hatsumi , Shimada Mieki , McIntyre Meredith
Published: March 2014

This study explores the meaning of the lived experience of childbirth and parenting of Japanese men who became fathers in a foreign country. Japanese men have been raised to maintain very strict gender roles, excluding them from sharing with their wives the experience of childbirth and the day-to-day parenting of young children. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach with in-depth interviews. Participants included nine Japanese men born and raised in Japan who were living in Honolulu. Three theme categories emerged from the data: “making active efforts in preparation for childbirth in a foreign country”; “challenges in pregnancy, childbirth, child care, and as husbands or partners”; and “challenges in transition to parenthood.” Japanese men successfully altered their transitional and authoritarian gender role to a family orientated social structure, under the influence of Western values, when living in foreign country. By spending more time with their new family, they acknowledged the processes of becoming a father. The ability to adapt their expectations of fatherhood in line with Western values was enhanced by the support of coworkers, their mature age, rich educational background, and the personal financial resources of the male participants in the study.
Parental Power and Prestige Moderate the Relationship Between Perceived Parental Acceptance and Offspring’s Psychological Adjustment
Authors: Rohner Ronald P.
Published: March 2014

Drawing stimulus from parental acceptance–rejection theory (PARTheory), which postulates a pancultural association between perceptions of parental acceptance–rejection and offspring’s (children’s and adults’) psychological adjustment, this article describes the International Father Acceptance–Rejection Project along with the results of 13 studies in 11 nations. These studies not only test this postulate but also more importantly explore the question of whether offspring’s perceptions of parental power and parental prestige tend to moderate the relationship between perceived parental acceptance and offspring adjustment. This question derives from the fact that offspring’s perceptions of their fathers’ acceptance sometimes have a greater impact on the psychological adjustment of youth than do offspring’s perceptions of their mothers’ acceptance. Sometimes, however, offspring’s perceptions of their mothers’ acceptance have a greater impact on adjustment than do offspring’s perceptions of their fathers’ acceptance. And sometimes there is no significant difference in the impact of one parent’s acceptance versus the other parent’s. This much is known. But what is not known is, Why or under what conditions do the love-related behaviors of one parent have a greater impact on the adjustment than the love-related behaviors of the other parent? Results of research described in this Special Issue point in the direction of one class of conditions that helps to answer this question.
The Moderating Role of Parental Power and Prestige on the Relationship Between Remembered Parental Acceptance and Psychological Adjustment Among Young Greek Adults
Authors: Giovazolias Theodoros
Published: March 2014

This article explored the effects of perceived maternal and paternal acceptances, parental power, and parental prestige on young adults’ psychological adjustment. The sample consisted of 252 university students (24% men) with a mean age of 20.74 years on the island of Crete, Greece. Measures used were the adult versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for mothers and fathers, youth version of the Parental Power–Prestige Questionnaire, and adult version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Men perceived their fathers to be significantly less accepting but more powerful than did women. For both men and women, perceived maternal and paternal acceptances were significantly correlated with psychological adjustment. Moreover, parental prestige was positively correlated with men’s psychological adjustment, but parental power was negatively correlated with women’s psychological adjustment. Furthermore, women’s (but not men’s) remembrances of paternal acceptance in childhood were positively correlated with both parental power and parental prestige. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that remembered maternal acceptance and the composite variable parental power–prestige were uniquely and positively associated with men’s psychological adjustment. Moreover, perceived parental power was uniquely but negatively associated with men’s adjustment. For women, however, both remembered maternal and paternal acceptances were unique predictors of psychological adjustment. Neither parental power nor prestige moderated the relation between perceived acceptance and psychological adjustment for women, but parental power did moderate this relationship for men.
Parental Power–Prestige and the Effects of Paternal Versus Maternal Acceptance on the Psychological Adjustment of Korean Children
Authors: Lee Julie , Chyung Yun-Joo
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not the relationship between perceived parental acceptance and psychological adjustment of Korean children is moderated by parental power and prestige. Two hundred nine children (49% boys) ages 11 through 13 years ( M = 11.63) participated in the study. The measures used were the child versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for mothers and fathers, the Parental Power and Prestige Questionnaire, and the child version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Significant gender difference was found in children’s psychological adjustment. Results showed that maternal acceptance and paternal acceptance were significantly correlated with psychological adjustment among both boys and girls. Parental prestige was significantly and negatively correlated with paternal acceptance among girls only. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that neither power nor prestige was uniquely associated with either boys’ or girls’ psychological adjustment. However, these analyses did reveal that children’s perceptions of parental power and prestige moderated the relationship between perceived parental acceptance and children’s psychological adjustment.