bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipid-lowering therapy with statins reduces microparticle shedding from endothelium, platelets and inflammatory cells
Authors: Suades Rosa , Padró Teresa , Alonso Rodrigo , Mata Pedro , Badimon Lina
Published: June 2013

Hyperlipidaemia is a causal factor in the ethiopathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Statins are the cornerstone drug therapy for LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) lowering, that exert beneficial effects beyond lipid lowering. Circulating microparticles (cMPs), microvesicles released by activated cells into the bloodstream, are markers of vascular and inflammatory cell activation with tentative role in disease progression. However, the role of statins on cMPs seems controversial. We aimed at the evaluation of the effects of lipid-lowering treatment (LLT) on cMP generation in patients in primary prevention of atherosclerosis. A case-control study was conducted in hypercholesterolaemic patients receiving LLT with statins and normocholesterolaemic controls (LLT+ and LLT−, respectively, n=37/group), matched by age, gender and LDL-c levels. cMPs were characterised by flow cytometry using annexin-V and cellspecific antibodies. In LLT+-patients overall numbers of cMPs (p<0.005) were lower than in controls. Levels of cMPs carrying parental cell markers from vascular and circulating cell origin (platelet, endothelial cell, pan-leukocyte and specific-leukocyte subsets) were significantly lower in blood of LLT+ compared to LLT−-patients. Moreover, MPs from LLT+-patients had reduced markers of activated platelets (αIIbβ3-integrin), activated inflammatory cells (αM-integrin) and tissue factor. The effect of LLT on cMP shedding was found to be accumulative in years. cMP shedding associated to cardiovascular risk in LLT+-patients. In summary, at similar plasma cholesterol levels patients on statin treatment had a significant lower number of cMPs carrying markers of activated cells. These findings indicate that statins protect against vascular cell activation.
Two Chromosome 9p21 Haplotype Blocks Distinguish Between Coronary Artery Disease and Myocardial Infarction Risk
Authors: Fan Meng , Dandona Sonny , McPherson Ruth , Allayee Hooman , Hazen Stanley L. , Wells George A. , Roberts Robert , Stewart Alexandre F.R.
Published: June 2013

Background—

Variants at the 9p21 locus associate with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) or myocardial infarction (MI). However, atherosclerotic plaque deposition is distinct from MI (plaque rupture and thrombosis), and recent studies showed no association between these variants and MI in patients with preexisting CAD. We performed haplotype analysis at the 9p21 locus to test whether haplotypes at distinct linkage disequilibrium blocks predict these phenotypes.

Methods and Results—

Using 24 single-nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped in white patients without diabetes mellitus, we reconstructed haplotypes at the 9p21 locus. Patients with angiograhic CAD/MI had ≥1 epicardial stenosis >50% (n=2352), whereas controls were asymptomatic and over the age of 60 years (n=2116). For CAD patients, regression models examined the association of haplotypes with initial age of symptomatic CAD, number of diseased vessels, and history of MI. In the case-control study, only haplotypes at 1 block tagged by rs1333049 associated with CAD more so than MI. These haplotypes also associated with early onset of CAD (β=−0.13;
P
=1.37×10
–4
) and disease severity (β=0.1823;
P
=0.006) but not with prevalent MI among patients with CAD. In contrast, haplotypes at another block tagged by rs518394 associated with prevalent MI (β=0.239;
P
=2.05×10
–4
), but remarkably these are inversely associated with disease severity (β=−0.196;
P
=0.003). This MI association was replicated in the Cleveland Clinic GeneBank premature CAD cohort (n=1385; β=0.207;
P
=0.019).

Conclusions—

Variants/haplotypes at 2 blocks are distinguished at 9p21; those at 1 block predispose to atherosclerosis, whereas those at the other predispose to MI among patients with preexisting CAD.
Twenty-Year Analysis of Trends in the Incidence and In-Hospital Mortality for Lower-Extremity Arterial Thromboembolism
Authors: Korabathina Ravikiran , Weintraub Andrew R. , Price Lori Lyn , Kapur Navin K. , Kimmelstiel Carey D. , Iafrati Mark D. , Ali Tahir Syed M.
Published: June 2013

Background—

Epidemiology data for lower-extremity arterial thromboembolism (LET) are limited and may result from either acute limb ischemia or an acute exacerbation of critical limb ischemia. Given marked changes in both diagnosis and therapy over the last 2 decades, we hypothesized that this time period would have witnessed reductions in both the incidence and in-hospital mortality of LET.

Methods and Results—

Data from 1988 through 2007 from the National Hospital Discharge Survey were analyzed. All admissions for patients with LET were extracted, and the respective
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification
codes were internally validated for both LET and acute limb ischemia. Descriptive statistics were used. The validity of the codes was good for identifying LET cases but poor for identifying acute limb ischemia cases because many of these acute presentations were attributable to critical limb ischemia. Over the 20-year span, there were 1.76 million cases of LET. The incidence of LET decreased significantly from 42.4 per 100 000 persons between 1988 and 1997 to 23.3 per 100 000 persons between 1998 and 2007. The in-hospital mortality for LET decreased significantly from 8.28% between 1988 and 1997 to 6.34% between 1998 and 2007, and male patients achieved greater mortality reduction compared with female patients. Treatments for acute limb ischemia showed decreasing use of surgical bypass and amputation and increasing rates of catheter-based thrombolysis.

Conclusions—

Over the 20-year study period, there have been significant reductions in both LET incidence and in-hospital mortality. Unfortunately, LET admissions extracted from an administrative database comprise a diverse group of individuals, including those with acute and chronic forms of limb ischemia and iatrogenic arterial injury, limiting the true assessment of ALI incidence.
The evolution of behavioural systems: a study of grooming in rodents
Authors: Malange J. , Alberts C.C. , Oliveira E.S. , Japyassú H.F.
Published: June 2013

In the present paper we focus on the study of complex behavioural systems, within an explicit phylogenetic framework. We reconstruct the phylogeny of rodents using grooming sequences from 12 terminals. Using a method derived from graph theory, we decompose complex behavioural systems into strings of behavioural units (behavioural routines) which are then used as behavioural characters to compose the phylogenetic matrix in addition to three mitochondrial markers as molecular characters (the cytochrome b gene (cytb), the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and the 12S ribosomal RNA gene). Our results point to a highly structured behavioural morphospace: only a few characters have been selected for, within the total space of possibilities. The optimization of hundreds of non-homoplastic routines onto three distinct phylogenies (behavioural, combined data and the molecular supertree of Fabre et al., 2012) reveals the same evolutionary trend from simple to complex: while simple behavioural routines (zero- or first-order sequences) are synapomorphies at basal levels of the phylogeny, progressively more complex behaviours evolve later, appearing closer to the tips of the phylogeny. Also, the optimization shows that the organisation of units into modules of coordinated action patterns first evolved around large body parts, namely the head and the trunk, modules that were later fused into one single organising module among rodents. We support the use of complex behavioural systems as a promising tool in the study of evolutionary scenarios and discuss the role of routines length and microstructure to provide phylogenetic information and elucidate evolutionary processes.
Taxonomy and richness of nine genera of Amaranthaceae s.s. (Caryophyllales) in the Yucatan Peninsula Biotic Province
Authors: SÁNCHEZ-DEL PINO IVONNE , ESPADAS CELENE , POOL ROLANDO
Published: June 2013

Amaranthaceae s.s. (Caryophyllales) is a cosmopolitan family well represented in the Yucatan Peninsula Biotic Province (YPBP). The YPBP is a biogeographic area that comprises entirely three Mexican states (Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan), partially two Mexican states (Chiapas and Tabasco), northern Belize, and northern Guatemala (Petén department). Most of the available checklists of the vascular plants from the Yucatan Peninsula (YP) merely include taxa from the Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan. A study of the Amaranthaceae diversity in the YPBP in its expanded delimitation is here presented for the first time, on the basis of field surveys and examinations of the specimens kept in the main Mexican herbaria (CICY, ENCB and MEXU). Accepted names, main synonyms, morphological descriptions, phenology, habitat, elevation, ethnobotanical uses, vernacular Spanish and Mayan names, origin status, and digital illustrations are provided for each taxon. Keys of identification are also given. Each taxon was geographically mapped using ArcGIS software. Notes about diversity and distribution analyses were conducted comparing maps of distribution for each taxon considering vegetation types and climatic types characterizing the YPBP. A total of 28 species (with 4 varieties) representing nine genera of Amaranthaceae s.s. (excluding Iresine) ocurring in the YPBP were studied. An estimate of the family diversity in the YPBP is increased here, as records of four new taxa are presented for this region. Results suggest that most of the taxa are natives, aliens, and/or weeds mostly occupying perturbed vegetation types. Only Blutaparon vermiculare, Amaranthus greggii, and A. arenicola show affinity to sand dunes primary vegetation. This new information about the distribution of Amaranthaceae s.s. in the YPBP, considering its invasion and origin status, can help to develop further studies focused on conservative approaching to know more about natural biogeographic regions such as YPBP.
A review of Vellozo’s names for Polygalaceae in his Flora Fluminensis
Authors: PASTORE JOSÉ FLORIANO B.
Published: June 2013

Names of Polygalaceae used by Vellozo in his Flora Fluminensis are reviewed within the current floristic context of the State of Rio de Janeiro and its bordering areas, as well as the morphological evidence provided. Nearly all of Vellozo’s names are placed as synonyms of older names, except for a new combination for Polygala disperma as Bredemeyera and Polygala appendiculata which is considered a valid name for P. leptocaulis. All names not yet typified are here lectotypified, except for B. autranii.
A new species of Hieracium sect. Pannosa (Asteraceae) from Bulgaria
Authors: SZELĄG ZBIGNIEW , VLADIMIROV VLADIMIR
Published: June 2013

Hieracium crinitopannosum, a new species of presumably hybrid origin between H. petrovae and H. crinitum, is described from the Rhodopes in southern Bulgaria and illustrated. It is similar to H. cappadocicum from Turkey, but differs in the densely and conspicuously serrate-dentate leaves. The new species is triploid (x=9) and reproduces apomictically.
Crangonidae and Glyphocrangonidae (Decapoda; Caridea) of the Southern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: VÁZQUEZ-BADER ANA ROSA , GRACIA ADOLFO
Published: June 2013

Distribution and abundance of species of Crangonidae and Glyphocrangonidae in the Mexican deep-waters of the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed through six research cruises onboard of the R/V Justo Sierra of the Universidad Nacional Autóno-ma de México using an otter trawl in a depth range of 300–1200 m. We collected two and five species of the Crangonidae and Glyphocrangonidae families, respectively. We provide information about its depth and geographic distribution, abun-dance, frequency of occurrence and size structure. Glyphocrangon, composed of five species (G. aculeata, G. alispina, G. haematonotus, G. longleyi and G. spinicauda), was the most common and abundant component during the benthic trawls with a total of 1125 individuals. The family Crangonidae recorded only one genus and two species (Parapontocaris ca-ribbaea and P. vicina) with 21 individuals. A taxonomic key for these crangonid and glyphocrangonid shrimps of the Gulf of Mexico is also provided.
Taxonomy of the genus Aporcelaimellus Heyns, 1965 (Nematoda, Dorylaimida, Aporcelaimidae)
Authors: ÁLVAREZ-ORTEGA SERGIO , PEÑA-SANTIAGO REYES
Published: June 2013

The taxonomy of the genus Aporcelaimellus is revised and updated. A new definition is proposed, with several remarkable diagnostic characters: cuticle three-layered, especially distinguishable at caudal region, usually bearing a hyaline space between inner and intermediate layers at terminal portion of tail; cervical lacunae often present and well developed; oral aperture a dorso-ventral, hexagonal open slit; lip region showing bilateral symmetry and offset by a more or less distinct constriction; odontostyle short, robust and with wide aperture; uterus simple, bi- or tripartite; pars refringens vaginae present, well developed; tail similar in both sexes, short, rounded to conical with more or less rounded terminus; and ventromedian supplements 7–25 in number, separated, almost always with pre-cloacal space (hiatus). A list of 28 valid species and their synonyms is provided as well as a key to their identification and a tabular compendium of their morpho-metrics. Aporcelaimellus faridpuriensis is considered to be a species inquirenda. Twenty-one species are regarded as in-certae sedis: A. amplexor, A. budauniensis, A. canis, A. digicaudatus, Dorylaimus domus glauci, A. estonicus, A. gerlachi, A. goldeni, A. index, A. jairajpurii, A. monodelphus, A. nawabganjense, A. nivalis, A. paracentrocercus, A. paraobtusicau-datus, A. radicus, A. sacchari, A. seinhorsti, A. stilus, A. submissus and A. subsimilis. Two species are retained under other genera: A. bicuticulus under Labronema, and A. cocophilus under Aporcelaimus. Sixteen species are transferred to other genera: A. baqrii and A. odhneri to Crassolabium; A. dubius to Discolaimium as Discolaimium geraldi nom. n.; A. duhouxi to Labronema; A. glandus, A. heynsi, A. maitai and A. paraconicaudatus to Discolaimium; A. insularis, A. jiaonanensis, A. kikereensis and A. propinquus to Aporcelinus; A. maximus to Aporcella; A. paracentrocercus apud Andrássy (1960) to Aporcelinus as Aporcelinus africanus sp. n.; A. saprophilus to Eudorylaimus; and A. tritici to Makatinus. Finally, A. con-cavus becomes a non-valid binomen.
Two new species of Melanoplus Stål, 1873 (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae) from northeastern Mexico
Authors: BARRIENTOS-LOZANO LUDIVINA , ROCHA-SÁNCHEZ AURORA Y. , HORTA-VEGA JORGE V.
Published: June 2013

Two new species of the genus Melanoplus Stål 1873 are described. M. trachodes n. sp., and M. parvus n. sp., both of which are endemic to the cool-temperate mountains of the Eastern Sierra Madre (ESM) in northeastern Mexico. Their habitat represents a transition zone between the ESM and the semiarid High Plateau Biogeographic provinces. This transition zone is characterized by an elevation range from 1,900 to 3,400 m and unique ecological conditions, which give rise to a considerable number of endemisms.
Revision of the Australian endemic ant genera Pseudonotoncus and Teratomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae)
Authors: SHATTUCK S. O. , O’REILLY A. J.
Published: June 2013

The Australian endemic formicine ant genera Pseudonotoncus and Teratomyrmex are revised and their distributions and biologies reviewed. Both genera are limited to forested areas along the east coast of Australia. Pseudonotoncus is known from two species, P. eurysikos (new species) and P. hirsutus (= P. turneri, new synonym), while Teratomyrmex is known from three species, T. greavesi, T. substrictus (new species) and T. tinae (new species). Distribution modelling was used to examine habitat preferences within the Pseudonotoncus species.
The immature stages of Phylloicus lituratus (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae) with new records of Phylloicus and Banyallarga species in northwestern Argentina and southern Bolivia
Authors: MARTÍN PAOLA A. RUEDA
Published: June 2013

Phylloicus lituratus Banks 1920 larva and pupa were associated. It is a new record for Argentina and represents the most austral record for the species. New records of other Calamoceratidae species are provided also from northwestern Argen-tina and southern Bolivia. Banyallarga (B.) argentinica Flint 1983 is recorded for the first time for Bolivia; B. (B.) loxana (Navás 1934) and B .(B.) yungensis Flint 1983 are both newly recorded from Salta province in northwestern Argentina. Illustrations of male genitalia of all species and of immature stages of P. lituratus are included. Presence of a Banyallarga larva in a leaf case suggests a need to change some larval keys used to identify the two endemic genera of Neotropical Calamoceratidae.
Determinants of high rates of smoking among people with psychosis living in a socially disadvantaged region in South Australia
Authors: Hahn Lisa , Rigby Ashlee , Galletly Cherrie
Published: June 2013

Objective:

This study aimed to identify factors associated with the high rates of smoking amongst people with psychosis living in a disadvantaged region in Adelaide, South Australia.

Methods:

Data were collected from 402 people with psychosis, aged 18–64 years, who lived in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. This area is disadvantaged on many measures of socioeconomic well-being and people living in this region have higher rates of smoking compared to the general Australian population. We hypothesised that whilst tobacco use by people with psychosis living in this region was primarily associated with mental illness, factors related to social disadvantage also contributed to the high rates of smoking.

Results:

Approximately 74% of men and 71% of women with psychotic disorders living in the northern suburbs of Adelaide were current smokers. Factors such as unemployment, lower levels of education and receiving government welfare, factors known to be associated with smoking in the general population, were more prevalent in the northern region. Smokers with psychosis were less likely to participate in recreational programs and physical activity, and more likely to use illicit substances and be a victim of crime. They had poorer health and financial outcomes than non-smokers. There were some gender differences: for men with psychosis, employment and having a post-school qualification decreased the risk of smoking while cannabis use increased the risk; for women with psychosis, a diagnosis of alcohol abuse/dependence, using cannabis and being sedentary were risk factors for smoking, while attending recreational programs reduced this risk.

Conclusion:

Smoking rates were strikingly high in both men and women, and particularly high in women when compared with previous research. Our study shows that the risk of smoking is increased by factors related to the social disadvantage of living in the northern Adelaide region. Smoking cessation interventions for people with mental illness should take into account the social context, and also address relevant comorbidities such as drug and alcohol disorders.
Ethics and the Spirit in Paul (1): Religious-Ethical Empowerment through Infusion-Transformation?
Authors: Rabens Volker
Published: June 2013

This article, and its companion “Ethics and the Spirit in Paul (2): Religious-Ethical Empowerment through the Relational Work of the Spirit”, deal with the question of how, according to Paul, the Holy Spirit enables religious ethical life. This article challenges the “infusion-transformation” approach to Pauline pneumatology which builds on a Stoic concept of the Spirit as a material substance that transforms the substance of its recipients in order to enable ethical behaviour. The second article argues that in Paul (as well as in a significant number of texts from early Judaism) the Spirit transforms and empowers people for ethical living primarily through initiating and sustaining an intimate relationship with the divine and with the community of faith.
How perceived social support relates to suicidal ideation: A Japanese social resident survey
Authors: Endo Go , Tachikawa Hirokazu , Fukuoka Yoshiharu , Aiba Miyuki , Nemoto Kiyotaka , Shiratori Yuki , Matsui Yutaka , Doi Nagafumi , Asada Takashi
Published: June 2013

Background:

The loss of social support is one of the major risk factors for suicide. However, there are few empirical studies that have examined how a person’s suicide ideation relates to their social support.

Aims:

To examine the relationship between social support and suicidal ideation.

Methods:

Self-report questionnaires were sent to 2,200 randomly selected adults in Japan. The questionnaire inquired the participants about the severity of suicidal ideation, the details of current perceived social support and their degree of satisfaction with this social support. Social support and related indicators were compared among three groups of participants that varied in severity of suicidal ideation.

Results:

People in the group that had suicide ideation during their lives reported receiving significantly less support from their family and had greater feelings of dissatisfaction with that support than those in the other groups. Furthermore, people who had suicide ideation during the month immediately preceding the survey reported providing less support to their family, relatives or friends, as well as receiving less support from family than other groups, and having stronger feelings of dissatisfaction with social support.

Conclusion:

Our study identified a strong relationship between the severity of suicidal ideation and perceived social support.
Continuing education, registration and professional identity in New Zealand social work
Authors: Beddoe Liz
Published: June 2013

This article draws on a study of New Zealand social workers’ experiences of continuing professional education (CPE) during the first two years following the advent of limited statutory registration. A qualitative study demonstrates strong links between social workers’ educational aspirations and beliefs about the status of the profession. Social workers in the study perceived continuing education in part as a tool to achieve greater professional standing for social work in contested spaces. At a time when registration legislation is likely to be strengthened, this article contributes to the somewhat neglected scholarship of continuing education in an increasingly regulated social work profession.
The role of self-help groups in post-tsunami rehabilitation
Authors: Larson Grant , Drolet Julie , Samuel Miriam
Published: June 2013

This article provides an analysis of the importance of self-help groups for women in post-tsunami rehabilitation efforts in Tamil Nadu, India. The finding is one of eight key themes identified in a larger study of the long-term social, economic and gender implications of post-tsunami rehabilitation work. While self-help groups were reported as having provided women with a measure of new social and economic opportunities, status and power, little evidence existed for a substantial reduction of poverty levels or a change in the prevailing patriarchal attitudes. The authors suggest that multiple long-term sustainable approaches to post-disaster reconstruction are needed to provide fundamental social and economic change for women.
Radio broadcasting in the era of HIV/AIDS: Can this be the magic bullet?
Authors: Nyawasha Tawanda Sydesky , Chipunza Crispen
Published: June 2013

In this study, we assessed the relevance and effectiveness of radio broadcasting as a strategy that facilitates the adoption and use of safer sexual practices among students at a South African university. Based on ethnographic data, the article highlights that the essential and critical contribution of campus radio lies in its ability to create a social space for HIV/AIDS communication. The overall aim of this study was to assess the relationship between exposure to radio broadcasting messages and the adoption of safer sexual practices. Our analysis suggests that campus broadcasting can be instrumental in promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and education.
Investigation of crystallization behavior of solid and microcellular injection molded polypropylene/nano-calcium carbonate composites using carbon dioxide as a blowing agent
Authors: Chen Jie , Sun Xiaofei , Turng Lih-Sheng , Zhao Ling , Liu Tao , Yuan Wei-Kang
Published: June 2013

This work is aimed at investigating the crystallization behavior of solid and microcellular injection molded polypropylene/nano-calcium carbonate composites. The effects of processing conditions, such as injection speed, mold temperature, and carbon dioxide concentration (used in microcellular injection molding), as well as the filler concentration on the crystal form, crystal orientation, and crystallinity were studied using 2D-wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. β-form crystals found in the surface layer of injection molded samples under high injection and mold temperature due to stronger shear effect. The orientation degree calculated from the X-ray diffraction images by the Hermans function was high in the surface layer and decreased as the distance from the mold surface increased. The addition of the nano-calcium carbonate filler promoted the formation of β-form crystals but reduced the orientation degree and crystallinity as the nanoparticles disturbed the orientation of the molecular chains. On the other hand, when using the foaming process, the formation of β-form crystals was inhibited and the orientation degree was reduced, but the crystallinity of the samples increased, likely due to enhanced molecular chain mobility from the supercritical carbon dioxide which acted as a plasticizer. The crystallinity of the samples was greater in the surface layer but showed no dependence on the injection speed or mold temperature.
Effect of processing on microstructure and electrochemical performance of silicon/disordered carbon/carbon nanotubes composites
Authors: Zhou Zhibin , Hojamberdiev Mirabbos , Xu Yunhua , Liu Wengang , Eminov Ashraf
Published: June 2013

As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, silicon/disordered carbon/carbon nanotubes composites were prepared by a sucrose-aided combustion method using two different mixing methods, namely mechanical stirring and ball milling. In this study, sucrose was used as a carbon source. The as-prepared composites were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Both composites contain silicon and a small amount of carbon as predominating phases. The SDC-M composite prepared using mechanical stirring shows higher cycle performance (834.8 mAh/g) and first charge/discharge efficiency (72.4%) than the SDC-B composite prepared using ball milling (cycle performance of 815.2 mAh/g and first charge/discharge efficiency of 68.8%). The difference in the electrochemical performances of the SDC-M and SDC-B composites can be attributed to the distribution of carbon nanotubes and silicon particles in the disordered carbon matrices, which was greatly affected by mixing method.
What’s in a Claim? De Jure versus De Facto Borders in Interstate Territorial Disputes
Authors: Schultz Kenneth A.
Published: June 2013

This note uses a new data set on international territorial disputes and boundary agreements to explore whether and how legal commitments affect state behavior. Do border treaties reduce subsequent conflict simply through their effect on the distribution of the disputed good, or do treaties have legal and political implications such that a given distribution of territory has different effects depending on whether it is de facto or de jure? There are three main results. First, among states that have homeland territory disputes, the adoption of a legally binding border is associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of future militarized conflict over the territory. Second, this effect is the same regardless of whether the treaty transfers territory or converts a de facto or contested border into a de jure border without changing the status quo distribution. Third, there is no equivalent reduction in conflict when states create explicitly provisional borders that allow them to retain their claims to areas that they do not possess. These findings suggest that border treaties do more than simply specify the distribution of territory and provide for transfers. By requiring states to renounce claims to territories that they do not receive, treaties generate ex ante costs of signing and/or ex post costs for reneging that explain their association with subsequent peace.
Development of a methodology to demonstrate the environmental impact of connected vehicles under lane-changing conditions
Authors: Choi Ji-Eun , Bae Sang-Hoon
Published: June 2013

This paper describes a lane-change model for connected vehicles, and evaluates the environmental impact per road level of service (LOS) when a host vehicle makes a lane change. During manual driving, the host vehicle accelerates or decelerates to create a safe distance before the vehicle makes a lane change. During automated driving, however, the host vehicle makes lane changes in response to the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in front of it through vehicle-to-vehicle communications. The gap, safe distance, and variation in vehicle speed depending on the LOS are analyzed using simulation for both automated and manual driving. For lane changing from a faster to a slower lane, the reduction in CO2 emissions of the connected vehicle was in the range 4770–54,291 g/km in comparison to the manual vehicle. For lane changing from a slower to a faster lane, the CO2 reductions were in the range 40,788–91,884 g/km. In more complex traffic situations, the CO2 reductions of the connected vehicles were larger than in simple traffic situations. This study indicates that the use of connected vehicles can result in a reduction of CO2 emissions.
Asymmetrical Dialectics of Sustainable Tourism
Authors: Weaver David B.
Published: June 2013

Using resolution-based dialectics, sustainable tourism is contextualized as an evolving synthesis arising from the need for the capitalist-based mass tourism thesis and the ethics-based alternative tourism antithesis to amalgamate because of internal contradictions that limit their contribution to development. That this synthesis is skewed to mass tourism is accounted for by the four alternative tourism contradictions of unrealistic and unrealized expectations, functional incompleteness, the growth implications of success, and nonreciprocal accommodation. Mass tourism, faced with a prime contradiction of self-destruction, is experiencing limited paradigm nudge characterized by the opportunistic adoption of practices that complement the dominant capitalist paradigm. Opportunities for expanding the ethical bridgehead in mass tourism created by adherence to corporate social responsibility policies derive from the integration of alternative tourism products within mass tourism destinations and itineraries, accompanying possibilities for transformational tourist learning, and the reassertion of indigenous rights. The desired outcome is termed “enlightened mass tourism.”
Self-Control, Thrill Seeking, and Crime
Authors: Burt Callie H. , Simons Ronald L.
Published: June 2013

Self-control theory (SCT), as a control theory, assumes that the pleasures gained from crime are equally obvious and attractive to all. This study brings a consideration of crime as a process into SCT, recognizing that the sensations inherent in offending may not be equally attractive to everyone. In doing so, we test the theory’s equal motivation assumption, bringing a consideration of individual differences in thrill seeking to the fore. Drawing on theory and research on the personality characteristic thrill seeking, we hypothesize that thrill seeking and self-control have independent influences on offending: that motivation to the process of crime matters. In addition, we investigate whether the effects of self-control are contingent on levels of thrill seeking, in part because high thrill seekers are less averse to the process of risk. These hypotheses are tested using data from the Family and Community Health Study, a sample of roughly 700 African American youth and their families. A new measure of self-control is employed in tandem with an existing attitudinal measure of self-control and thrill seeking. Consistent with hypotheses, the results suggest that self-control and thrill seeking have largely independent influences on offending and that the effects of self-control are contingent on levels of thrill seeking. These results provide further evidence that SCT’s assumption of equal motivation to crime is untenable, as individual differences in the personality characteristic thrill seeking influence the likelihood of offending.
Satisfaction with Methadone Treatment Among Prison Inmates
Authors: Marco Andrés , Gallego Carlos , Trujols Joan , Blanco Xosé R. , Argüelles María J. , Puig Arturo , Marín Eduardo , Moruno Lara , Argilés Víctor , Blanco Rosa M. , Golf Joan P. , Pérez De Los Cobos José
Published: June 2013

This study was designed to assess satisfaction with methadone treatment (MT) in a multidimensional manner among prison inmates and to identify significant independent predictors of inmates’ satisfaction with MT. A total of 158 prison inmates, who were currently on MT for at least the past 3 months, were assessed with the Verona Service Satisfaction Scale for MT. Inmate participants reported slight satisfaction with MT (3.1 on a 1-5 scale), with 51.3% of them feeling dissatisfied. Three factors were found to be independently associated with satisfaction with MT: HIV infection, odds ratio (OR) = 3.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [1.79, 7.73]; number of MT episodes, OR = 0.68, 95% CI = [0.53, 0.88]; and perceived influence on methadone dose changes, OR = 1.69, 95% CI = [1.25, 2.28]. Given that perceived involvement in treatment decisions is the only variable independently associated with MT satisfaction that can be modified by changing how MT is implemented, patient participation should be promoted and supported.
Exposure to Violence within Home and Community Environments and Psychopathic Tendencies in Detained Adolescents
Authors: Schraft Cody V. , Kosson David S. , McBride Cami K.
Published: June 2013

Prior studies have reported correlations between childhood abuse and antisocial behavior and psychopathy, which suggest that exposure to violence may be a risk factor for the development of psychopathy. However, prior studies are largely limited to retrospective studies of adult samples and studies of violence within the home environment. To increase our understanding of risk factors relevant to the development of psychopathy, we investigated associations between self-reports of exposure to violence within the home and community and psychopathic traits in adolescents. A total of 147 adolescents at an Illinois detention center completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Community Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV). CEQ and CTQ total scores were associated with psychopathy scores. Moreover, exposure to violence within the community correlated uniquely with scores on the interpersonal, behavioral, and antisocial factor of psychopathy, and exposure to home violence was uniquely related to behavioral factor scores. Results highlight the potential contribution of environmental factors to core components of psychopathy.
“Behind the Mug Shot Grin”
Authors: Coverdale John H. , Coverdale Sara M. , Nairn Raymond
Published: June 2013

There are few studies of the manner in which media portray the mental state of mass killers. There are also no formally tested frameworks or models for understanding how such portrayals contribute to the stigma of mental illness. In this article we analyzed the initial depictions of a high-profile mass killer applying discourse analytic methods to representations of the Tucson shooter, Jared Loughner, in the New York Times. We identified fourteen items that focused on Loughner and his actions that were published over the 1st week after the shooting prior to any authoritative assessment of his mental state. This study sought to deconstruct this portrayal of the killer as “mad”, and to show how the four cultural mechanisms of language in use, culture, social practices, and institutions contributed to that construction. Those cultural mechanisms underpinned links observed in the items between Loughner’s behavior, his putative mental illness, and the mass murders. This seamless interplay between the cultural mechanisms as related intertextually enabled the differing representations of Loughner as mad, dangerous, and fearsome. We argue that such a portrayal is a significant contributor to stigmatizing understandings of mental illness and people’s fear of mental disorders.
High levels of intravenous mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) self-administration in rats: Neural consequences and comparison with methamphetamine
Authors: Motbey Craig P , Clemens Kelly J , Apetz Nadine , Winstock Adam R , Ramsey John , Li Kong M , Wyatt Naomi , Callaghan Paul D , Bowen Michael T , Cornish Jennifer L , McGregor Iain S
Published: June 2013

Mephedrone (MMC) is a relatively new recreational drug that has rapidly increased in popularity in recent years. This study explored the characteristics of intravenous MMC self-administration in the rat, with methamphetamine (METH) used as a comparator drug. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to nose poke for intravenous MMC or METH in daily 2 h sessions over a 10 d acquisition period. Dose-response functions were then established under fixed- and progressive-ratio (FR and PR) schedules over three subsequent weeks of testing. Brains were analyzed ex vivo for striatal serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) levels and metabolites, while autoradiography assessed changes in the regional density of 5-HT and serotonin transporter (SERT) and DA transporter (DAT) and induction of the inflammation marker translocator protein (TSPO). Results showed that MMC was readily and vigorously self-administered via the intravenous route. Under a FR1 schedule, peak responding for MMC was obtained at 0.1 mg/kg/infusion, versus 0.01 mg/kg/infusion for METH. Break points under a PR schedule peaked at 1 mg/kg/infusion MMC versus 0.3 mg/kg/infusion for METH. Final intakes of MMC were 31.3 mg/kg/d compared to 4 mg/kg/d for METH. Rats self-administering MMC, but not METH, gained weight at a slower rate than control rats. METH, but not MMC, self-administration elevated TSPO receptor density in the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus, while MMC, but not METH, self-administration decreased striatal 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations. In summary, MMC supported high levels of self-administration, matching or exceeding those previously reported with other drugs of abuse.
Aesthetics of Urban Design
Authors: Paetzold Heinz
Published: June 2013

In the essay Aesthetics of Urban Design it is argued that contemporary aesthetics should have a base in the design of the city. It is in the everyday life of the city that people can train, exercise, improve and enlarge their aesthetic sensibilities. Given this context, two different approaches have to be distinguished. On one hand Lewis Mumford praised the medieval city as leading to the “dilation of the senses”. This is the historical approach to the question. On the other hand, however, urban design could play an important role in reconstructing the aesthetic sensibility especially today. Different reasons are relevant here. Since we can’ t presuppose that in the time after postmodernity people easily find access to the aesthetics, urban life could function as a new beginning. City life in many ways makes us acquainted with the aesthetic. The architecture of the houses, the layout of the street pattern or the atmospheres of a square have to be mentioned here. The relevance of urban design for the foundation of aesthetics can in different ways be argued from pragmatism’ s connecting the art more closely with the everyday life. John Dewey did so. But also neo-Marxism’ s idea of “sublating” art by realizing its promises in everyday life is relevant here. The essay argues that the slums, which are to be found all over the world sets some limits to the thesis that aesthetics, today, originates from urban design.
Nonlocal vibration of a piezoelectric polymeric nanoplate carrying nanoparticle via Mindlin plate theory
Authors: Haghshenas A , Arani A Ghorbanpour
Published: June 2013

This paper is concerned with the vibration characteristics of an embedded nanoplate-based nanoelectromechanical sensor made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) carrying a nanoparticle with different masses at any position. The nanoplate is surrounded by elastic medium which is simulated as Pasternak foundation. The PVDF nanoplate is subjected to an applied voltage in the thickness direction. In order to satisfy the Maxwell equation, electric potential distribution is assumed as a combination of a half-cosine and linear variation. Adopting the nonlocal Mindlin plate theory, the governing equations are derived based on the energy method and Hamilton’s principle which are then solved by Galerkin method to obtain the natural frequency of the nanoplate. A detailed parametric study is conducted to elucidate the influences of the nonlocal parameter, external electric voltage, position and mass of nanoparticle, temperature changes and dimension of nanoplate and elastic medium. Results indicate that the frequency is increased as the nanoparticle comes closer to the center of the nanoplate; also increasing mass of the nanoparticle decreases the frequency of the system. This study might be useful for the design of PVDF nanoplate-based resonator as nanoelectromechanical sensor.
Lay Theories of Obesity Predict Actual Body Mass
Authors: McFerran Brent , Mukhopadhyay Anirban
Published: June 2013

Obesity is a major public health problem, but despite much research into its causes, scientists have largely neglected to examine laypeople’s personal beliefs about it. Such naive beliefs are important because they guide actual goal-directed behaviors. In a series of studies across five countries on three continents, we found that people mainly believed either that obesity is caused by a lack of exercise or that it is caused by a poor diet. Moreover, laypeople who indicted a lack of exercise were more likely to actually be overweight than were those who implicated a poor diet. This effect held even after controlling for several known correlates of body mass index (BMI), thereby explaining previously unexplained variance. We also experimentally demonstrated the mechanism underlying this effect: People who implicated insufficient exercise tended to consume more food than did those who indicted a poor diet. These results suggest that obesity has an important, pervasive, and hitherto overlooked psychological antecedent.
An evidence-based analysis of epidemiologic associations between lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers and occupational exposure to gasoline
Authors: Keenan J.J. , Gaffney S. , Gross S.A. , Ronk C.J. , Paustenbach D.J. , Galbraith D. , Kerger B.D.
Published: June 2013

The presence of benzene in motor gasoline has been a health concern for potential increased risk of acute myelogenous leukemia and perhaps other lymphatic/hematopoietic cancers for approximately 40 years. Because of the widespread and increasing use of gasoline by consumers and the high exposure potential of occupational cohorts, a thorough understanding of this issue is important. The current study utilizes an evidence-based approach to examine whether or not the available epidemiologic studies demonstrate a strong and consistent association between occupational exposure to gasoline and lymphatic/hematopoietic cancers. Among 67 epidemiologic studies initially identified, 54 were ranked according to specific criteria relating to the relevance and robustness of each study for answering the research question. The 30 highest-ranked studies were sorted into three tiers of evidence and were analyzed for strength, specificity, consistency, temporality, dose-response trends and coherence. Meta statistics were also calculated for each general and specific lymphatic/hematopoietic cancer category with adequate data. The evidence-based analysis did not confirm any strong and consistent association between occupational exposure to gasoline and lymphatic/hematopoietic cancers based on the epidemiologic studies available to date. These epidemiologic findings, combined with the evidence showing relatively low occupational benzene vapor exposures associated with gasoline formulations during the last three decades, suggest that current motor gasoline formulations are not associated with increased lymphatic/hematopoietic cancer risks related to benzene.
Expectation maximization-based likelihood inference for flexible cure rate models with Weibull lifetimes
Authors: Balakrishnan Narayanaswamy , Pal Suvra
Published: June 2013

Recently, a flexible cure rate survival model has been developed by assuming the number of competing causes of the event of interest to follow the Conway–Maxwell–Poisson distribution. This model includes some of the well-known cure rate models discussed in the literature as special cases. Data obtained from cancer clinical trials are often right censored and expectation maximization algorithm can be used in this case to efficiently estimate the model parameters based on right censored data. In this paper, we consider the competing cause scenario and assuming the time-to-event to follow the Weibull distribution, we derive the necessary steps of the expectation maximization algorithm for estimating the parameters of different cure rate survival models. The standard errors of the maximum likelihood estimates are obtained by inverting the observed information matrix. The method of inference developed here is examined by means of an extensive Monte Carlo simulation study. Finally, we illustrate the proposed methodology with a real data on cancer recurrence.