bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Open source column
Authors: Zeilemaker Niels , Pouwelse Johan
Published: May 2012

Six years ago, we created a new open source P2P file sharing program called Tribler. During this time over one million users have used it, and three generations of Ph.D. students tested their algorithms in the real world.
Self-organizing multimedia delivery
Authors: Sobe Anita
Published: May 2012

In this thesis the non-sequential delivery of media in dynamic networks is investigated. Consider a scenario where people participate at a social event. With the increased popularity of smart phones and tablet computers people produce more and more multimedia content. They share their content and consume it on popular web platforms. The production and the consumption of such media are, however, different from the typical sequential movie pattern: we call this non-sequential media access. If the infrastructure is not available, visitors cannot share their content with other visitors during the event. The idea is to connect the devices directly, which is further robust even if people move during the event (dynamic networks). Non-sequential media access in combination with dynamic networks brings new challenges for the whole multimedia life cycle. A formalism called Video Notation helps to define the single parts of the life cycle with a simple and short notation. New measures for transport are needed as well. A caching technique is introduced that allows for evaluating the goodness of content for being cached based on its popularity in different user groups. However, this cache does not cope with the dynamic network requirement, because such a delivery has to be robust, adaptive and scalable. Therefore, we concentrate on self-organizing algorithms that provide these characteristics. In this thesis the implemented algorithm is inspired by the endocrine system of higher mammals. A client can express its demands by creating hormones that will be released to the network. The corresponding resources are attracted by this hormone and travel towards a higher hormone concentration. This leads to a placement of content near to the users. Furthermore, the robustness and service quality is increased by placing replicas of the traveling content along the transport path. Unused replicas are automatically removed from the nodes, to ensure storage balancing. Finally, we show with a use case that a middleware based on the hormone-based delivery including well-defined interfaces to the user and to the network can be used for content delivery. For such a general application recommendations on possible configurations are made.
Multipath aggregation of heterogeneous access networks
Authors: Kaspar Dominik
Published: May 2012

The explosive deployment of wired and wireless communication infrastructure has recently enabled many novel applications and sparked new research problems. One of the unsolved issues in today's Internet - the main topic of this thesis - is the goal of increasing data transfer speeds of end hosts by aggregating and simultaneously using multiple network interfaces. This objective is most interesting when the Internet is accessible through several, relatively slow and variable (typically wireless) networks, which are unable to single-handedly provide the required data rate for resource-intensive applications, such as bulk file transfers and high-definition multimedia streaming.
Privacy-sensitive audio features for conversational speech processing
Authors: Parthasarathi Sree Hari Krishnan
Published: May 2012

The work described in this thesis takes place in the context of capturing real-life audio for the analysis of spontaneous social interactions. Towards this goal, we wish to capture conversational and ambient sounds using portable audio recorders. Analysis of conversations can then proceed by modeling the speaker turns and durations produced by speaker diarization. However, a key factor against the ubiquitous capture of real-life audio is privacy. Particularly, recording and storing raw audio would breach the privacy of people whose consent has not been explicitly obtained.
Biliary Leak in Post-Liver-Transplant Patients: Is There Any Place for Metal Stent?
Authors: Martins Fernanda P. , Phillips Melissa , Gaidhane Monica R. , Schmitt Timothy , Kahaleh Michel
Published: May 2012

Objectives. Endoscopic management of bile leak after orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) is widely accepted. Preliminary studies demonstrated encouraging results for covered self-expandable metal stents (CSEMS) in complex bile leaks. Methods. Thirty-one patients with post-OLT bile leaks underwent endoscopic temporary placement of CSEMS (3 partially CSEMS , 18 fully CSEMS with fins and 10 fully CSEMS with flare ends) between December 2003 and December 2010. Long-term clinical success and safety were evaluated. Results. Median stent indwelling and follow-up were 89 and 1,353 days for PCSEMS, 102 and 849 for FCSEMS with fins and 98 and 203 for FCSEMS with flare ends. Clinical success was achieved in 100%, 77.8%, and 70%, respectively. Postplacement complications: cholangitis (1) and proximal migration (1), both in the FCSEMS with fins. Postremoval complications were biliary strictures requiring drainage: PCSEMS (1), FCSEMS with fins (6) and with flare ends (1). There was no significant differences in the FCSEMS groups regarding clinical success, age, gender, leak location, previous treatment, stent indwelling, and complications. Conclusion. Temporary placement of CSEMS is effective to treat post-OLT biliary leaks. However, a high number of post removal biliary strictures occurred especially in the FCSEMS with fins. CSEMS cannot be recommended in this patient population.
The Next Challenge in Cancer Immunotherapy: Controlling T-Cell Traffic to the Tumor
Authors: Abastado Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2012

One of the steps that limits the efficacy of T-cell–based immunotherapy of cancer is T-cell access to the tumor. We recently showed that several chemotherapeutic drugs induce intratumoral expression of chemokines that attract effector T cells. Moreover, in a cohort of patients with melanoma who had been treated with dacarbazine, one of the most frequently used chemotherapies for metastatic melanoma, tumor response to the treatment correlated with intratumoral expression of T-cell–attracting chemokines and with T-cell infiltration. These findings reveal the possibility of developing novel systemic strategies aimed at improving T-cell homing to tumors. Such strategies, used alone or in combination with adoptive T-cell therapies or therapeutic cancer vaccines, may prove to be more efficient in prolonging patient survival. Cancer Res; 72(9); 2159–61. ©2012 AACR.
Common PIK3CA Mutants and a Novel 3′ UTR Mutation Are Associated with Increased Sensitivity to Saracatinib
Authors: Arcaroli John J. , Quackenbush Kevin S. , Powell Rebecca W. , Pitts Todd M. , Spreafico Anna , Varella-Garcia Marileila , Bemis Lynne , Tan Aik Choon , Reinemann Jaclyn M. , Touban Basel M. , Dasari Arvind , Eckhardt S. Gail , Messersmith Wells A.
Published: May 2012

Purpose: Dysregulation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Src signaling pathways commonly occur in colorectal cancer. Mutations in the PIK3CA gene are associated with an increase in severity of disease and worse clinical outcomes. Elevated levels of Src have been identified in premalignant lesions and are suggested to play a central role in tumor progression. Because these pathways appear to enhance tumor growth and metastasis, molecularly targeted agents for both pathways are currently being evaluated in early-phase clinical trials.

Experimental Design: We used colorectal cancer cell lines and a patient-derived explant model to investigate the efficacy of saracatinib. Mutations in the PIK3CA were evaluated to examine the association between mutations in the PIK3CA gene and sensitivity to saracatinib.

Results: We have identified a subset of patients with a PIK3CA (exon 9 and 20) mutation with increased sensitivity to saracatinib. A novel 3′ untranslated region (UTR) mutation was also shown to be associated with increased sensitivity to saracatinib and have a reduced affinity for miR-520a and miR-525a. Importantly, we show that Src inhibition reduces the interaction between Src and p85, subsequently decreasing Akt-dependent signaling.

Conclusion: These results indicate that a personalized approach in targeting Src in PIK3CA-mutant patients with colorectal cancers may prove effective in a subset of patients with this genetic alteration. Clin Cancer Res; 18(9); 2704–14. ©2012 AACR.
Risk Score for Predicting Long-Term Mortality After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Authors: Wu Chuntao , Camacho Fabian T. , Wechsler Andrew S. , Lahey Stephen , Culliford Alfred T. , Jordan Desmond , Gold Jeffrey P. , Higgins Robert S.D. , Smith Craig R. , Hannan Edward L.
Published: May 2012

Background—

No simplified bedside risk scores have been created to predict long-term mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Methods and Results—

The New York State Cardiac Surgery Reporting System was used to identify 8597 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery in July through December 2000. The National Death Index was used to ascertain patients' vital statuses through December 31, 2007. A Cox proportional hazards model was fit to predict death after CABG surgery using preprocedural risk factors. Then, points were assigned to significant predictors of death on the basis of the values of their regression coefficients. For each possible point total, the predicted risks of death at years 1, 3, 5, and 7 were calculated. It was found that the 7-year mortality rate was 24.2 in the study population. Significant predictors of death included age, body mass index, ejection fraction, unstable hemodynamic state or shock, left main coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, congestive heart failure, malignant ventricular arrhythmia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, and history of open heart surgery. The points assigned to these risk factors ranged from 1 to 7; possible point totals for each patient ranged from 0 to 28. The observed and predicted risks of death at years 1, 3, 5, and 7 across patient groups stratified by point totals were highly correlated.

Conclusion—

The simplified risk score accurately predicted the risk of mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and can be used for informed consent and as an aid in determining treatment choice.
Effects of Prehypertension and Hypertension Subtype on Cardiovascular Disease in the Asia-Pacific Region
Authors: Arima Hisatomi , Murakami Yoshitaka , Lam Tai Hing , Kim Hyeon Chang , Ueshima Hirotsugu , Woo Jean , Suh Il , Fang Xianghua , Woodward Mark
Published: May 2012

The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure defined blood pressure (BP) levels of 120 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg as prehypertension and those of ≥140/90 mm Hg as hypertension. Hypertension can be divided into 3 categories, isolated diastolic (IDH; systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg), isolated systolic (systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <90 mmHg), and systolic-diastolic hypertension (systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg and diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg). Although there is clear evidence that isolated systolic hypertension and systolic-diastolic hypertension increase the risks of future vascular events, there remains uncertainty about the effects of IDH. The objective was to determine the effects of prehypertension and hypertension subtypes (IDH, isolated systolic hypertension, and systolic-diastolic hypertension) on the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Asia-Pacific Region. The Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration is an individual participant data overview of cohort studies in the region. This analysis included a total of 346570 participants from 36 cohort studies. Outcomes were fatal and nonfatal CVD. The relationship between BP categories and CVD was explored using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, cholesterol, and smoking and stratified by sex and study. Compared with normal BP (<120/80 mmHg), hazard ratios (95% CIs) for CVD were 1.41 (1.31–1.53) for prehypertension, 1.81 (1.61–2.04) for IDH, 2.18 (2.00–2.37) for isolated systolic hypertension, and 3.42 (3.17–3.70) for systolic-diastolic hypertension. Separately significant effects of prehypertension and hypertension subtypes were also observed for coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. In the Asia-Pacific region, prehypertension and all hypertension subtypes, including IDH, thus clearly predicted increased risks of CVD.
Identification of a Novel Vasoconstrictor Peptide Specific for the Systemic Circulation
Authors: Wenzel Daniela , Koch Manuel , Matthey Michaela , Heinemann Jan C. , Fleischmann Bernd K.
Published: May 2012

Some small molecular weight peptides possess potent vasoactive properties. Herein we have identified the laminin nonapeptide (LNP) CDPGYIGSR as a novel vasoconstrictive agent. Isometric force measurements revealed that LNP induced vasoconstriction in small and large murine arteries in a dose-dependent fashion; LNP also increased vascular tone in human mammary arteries. The vasoactive response was specific for the nonapeptide, because neither scrambled nor very similar peptide sequences modulated vascular tone. As an underlying mechanism we found in [Ca
2+
]
i
imaging experiments that the nonapeptide induced transmembrane [Ca
2+
]
i
influx in vascular smooth muscle cells. Patch clamp experiments showed that LNP activated nonselective cation channels, causing depolarization of the membrane potential and opening of L-type Ca
2+
channels. The functional effect of LNP was also assessed with catheter measurements in mice in vivo and confirmed vasoconstriction. This effect was restricted to the systemic circulation, because measurements with the perfused lung system demonstrated that LNP did not alter vascular tone in pulmonary arteries. Thus, LNP is a vasoconstrictor in mouse and human arteries, and its vasoactivity is restricted to the systemic vasculature.
Nighttime Blood Pressure Dipping in Young Adults and Coronary Artery Calcium 10–15 Years Later
Authors: Viera Anthony J. , Lin Feng-Chang , Hinderliter Alan L. , Shimbo Daichi , Person Sharina D. , Pletcher Mark J. , Jacobs David R.
Published: May 2012

Nighttime blood pressure (BP) dipping can be quantified as the ratio of mean nighttime (sleep) BP to mean daytime (awake) BP. People whose dipping ratio is ≥0.90 have been referred to as nondippers, and nondipping is associated with cardiovascular disease events. We examined the relationship between systolic nighttime BP dipping in young adults and the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) 10 to 15 years later using data from the ambulatory BP monitoring substudy of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Among 239 participants with adequate measures of both nighttime and daytime readings and coronary artery calcium, the systolic BP dipping ratio ranged from 0.72 to 1.24 (mean, 0.88; SD, 0.06), and CAC was present 10 to 15 years later in 54 participants (22.6%). Compared with those whose systolic BP dipping ratio ranged from 0.88 to 0.92 (quartile 3), the 57 participants (23.9%) with less pronounced or absent dipping (ratio, 0.92–1.24; quartile 4) had an unadjusted odds ratio of 4.08 (95% CI, 1.48–11.2) for the presence of CAC. The 60 participants (25.1%) with a more pronounced dipping (ratio, 0.72–0.85; quartile 1) also had greater odds for presence of CAC (odds ratio, 4.76 [95% CI, 1.76–12.9]). When modeled as a continuous predictor, a U-shaped relationship between systolic BP dipping ratio and future CAC was apparent and persisted after adjustment for multiple potential confounders (
P
<0.001 for quadratic term). Both failure of systolic BP to dip sufficiently and “overdipping” during nighttime may be associated with future subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.
Gene Trapping Uncovers Sex-Specific Mechanisms for Upstream Stimulatory Factors 1 and 2 in Angiotensinogen Expression
Authors: Park Sungmi , Liu Xuebo , Davis Deborah R. , Sigmund Curt D.
Published: May 2012

A single-nucleotide polymorphism (C/A) located within an E-box at the −20 position of the human angiotensinogen (AGT) promoter may regulate transcriptional activation through differential recruitment of the transcription factors upstream stimulatory factor (USF) 1 and 2. To study the contribution of USF1 on AGT gene expression, mice carrying a (−20C) human AGT (hAGT) transgene were bred with mice harboring a USF1 gene trap allele designed to knock down USF1 expression. USF1 mRNA was reduced relative to controls in liver (9±1%), perigenital adipose (16±3%), kidney (17±1%), and brain (34±2%) in double-transgenic mice. This decrease was confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses revealed a decrease in USF1, with retention of USF2 binding at the hAGT promoter in the liver of male mice. hAGT expression was reduced in the liver and other tissues of female but not male mice. The decrease in endogenous AGT expression was insufficient to alter systolic blood pressure at baseline but caused reduced systolic blood pressure in female USF1 gene trap mice fed a high-fat diet. Treatment of USF1 knockdown males with intravenous adenoviral short hairpin RNA targeting USF2 resulted in reduced expression of USF1, USF2, and hAGT protein. Our data from chromatin immunoprecipitation assays suggests that this decrease in hAGT is attributed to decreased USF2 binding to the hAGT promoter. In conclusion, both USF1 and USF2 are essential for AGT transcriptional regulation, and distinct sex-specific and tissue-specific mechanisms are involved in the activities of these transcription factors in vivo.
The Spatial Meaning of διά with the Accusative in Homeric Greek
Authors: Luraghi Silvia
Published: May 2012

Abstract

The semantic difference between spatial usages of διά with the accusative and with the genitive in Homeric Greek is not clearly described in reference works. The available literature leaves readers the feeling that there is wide overlap between the two cases, possibly to be explained through metrical factors. This paper is an attempt to shed light on the issue, through a careful scrutiny of all passages in which the preposition occurs. It turns out that, if the analysis is extended to a large enough context, semantic motivations for the occurrence of either case can be detected, which lead to a distinction between the genitive on the one hand, and the non-directional and directional accusative on the other. While the genitive occurs in passages in which a unidirectional path or a simple location are indicated, the non-directional accusative indicates multidirectional path or multiple location. Finally, the directional accusative indicates that an entity is crossed over. The semantic description makes use of concepts and terminology common in cognitive grammar.
The Case for Children’s Budgeting in Botswana
Authors: Botlhale Emmanuel
Published: May 2012

Using the rights argument, this paper argues the case for children’s budgeting in Botswana. It argues that traditional budgeting systems neither mention adults nor children, thus, it is assumed that the budget will equally cater for everyone. Apparently, this is not so because these different groups have different needs and, very importantly, the budget affects them very differently. Inarguably, access to economic resources is unequally shared between adults and children, with the latter often getting the rawest deal. Overall, the latter’s economic disenfranchisement manifests itself in child poverty, child labour and child prostitution. While Botswana has enacted children-friendly laws and ratified supranational conventions, children-friendliness is yet to find expression in resource allocation by way of Children Budgeting (CB). Arising from the foregoing, there is a need to institute budget reforms to provide for the enactment of a Budget Act, institutionalisation of CB and election of children into decision-making bodies.
Exploring public participation as a vehicle for child participation in governance: A view from South Africa
Authors: Couzens Meda
Published: May 2012

Systematic child participation in governance decision-making has been slow to develop, and full realisation of the rights protected in Art. 12(1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, lags behind. This article explores alternative avenues for realising children's participation in governance, by analysing the legal protection of non-electoral forms of public participation, internationally as well as nationally in South Africa. The author provides a case study of the South African law, which arguably supports the inclusion of children's views in governance processes, through their involvement in public participation.
Analysis of Water Vapor over Nigeria Using Radiosonde and Satellite Data
Authors: Adeyemi Babatunde , Joerg Schulz
Published: May 2012

The Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM-SAF) focuses on retrieving geophysical parameters from satellite data by using inversion schemes that are based on radiative transfer theory. In this study, the focus is on the daily mean vertically integrated water vapor [i.e., total precipitable water vapor (TPW)] and the monthly mean layered vertically integrated water vapor [i.e., low-level precipitable water vapor (LPW), midlevel precipitable water vapor (MPW), and upper-level precipitable water vapor] obtained from CM-SAF Germany for the 2004–08 period and for 20 radiosonde stations distributed over Nigeria. The mean annual cycle shows a structure with two maxima, in May and September, respectively, for all low- and midlevel water vapor in the coastal and Guinea savannah regions, whereas at the midland and Sahelian regions, an almost constant maximum lasting between May and September occurs. The two-maxima structure manifested by TPW, LPW, and MPW at the coastal and Guinea savannah regions and the single maximum exhibited by them at the midland and the Sahelian regions are in synchronism with the movement of the intertropical discontinuity. In addition, comparisons have been made between the precipitable water from CM-SAF (CM-SAF PWV) and precipitable water from radiosonde (RS-PWV). Comparisons of the products at the seasonal scale show that CM-SAF PWV at all levels is larger than that of RS-PWV. In addition, a seasonal intercomparison between them shows that CM-SAF PWV and RS-PWV agree significantly at all of the stations that were investigated.
Workforce disengagement stressors and retiree alcohol misuse: The mediating effects of sleep problems and the moderating effects of gender
Authors: Belogolovsky Elena , Bamberger Peter A , Bacharach Samuel B
Published: May 2012

We generate and test a moderated mediation model of the effects of two retirement-related stressors (namely, financial and marital) on the severity of alcohol misuse among retirees. We posit that in addition to using alcohol to cope with stressors in retirement, alcohol may also be used to self-medicate the secondary, sleep-related effects of such stressors, and that gender serves as a key boundary condition, moderating the impact of such stressors on sleep-related problems, and of sleep-related problems on alcohol misuse. Using longitudinal data collected from a sample of 292 retirees, our findings generally support this model, suggesting that both stressors are associated with the severity of alcohol misuse among male retirees. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that – for male retirees – the effect of both stressors on the severity of alcohol misuse is to a large extent secondary to the stressors themselves, mediated by the sleep-related problems they may generate.
Horizontal Inequality, Crosscutting Cleavages, and Civil War
Authors: Gubler Joshua R. , Selway Joel Sawat
Published: May 2012

In this article, the authors bring together research on horizontal inequality, geographic dispersion of ethnic groups and crosscutting cleavages to present a more holistic theory of ethnic structure and civil war onset. The authors argue that rebel leaders are thwarted in their mobilization efforts in highly crosscutting societies due to a lower probability of potential combatants identifying with nationalist goals, decreased ability to exert social control, and diminished in-group communication. Using cross-national data from over 100 countries, the authors provide evidence that civil war onset is an average of nearly twelve times less probable in societies where ethnicity is crosscut by socioeconomic class, geographic region, and religion.
Pre-service Teacher Cognition and Vocabulary Teaching
Authors: Macalister John
Published: May 2012

The knowledge and beliefs that teachers hold are an important determiner of what happens in the classroom. Ideally teacher cognition should be informed by research and theory about effective language learning. This paper examines the beliefs related to vocabulary teaching held by a cohort of 60 Malaysian pre-service teachers engaged in a multi-year trans-national teacher education programme. It also examines how these beliefs are reflected in descriptions of imagined teaching. This examination suggests that pre-service teachers hold beliefs that coincide with those of their trainers to some extent, but that they do not give effective expression to their beliefs in descriptions of teaching. It may therefore be more appropriate to focus on developing knowledge of language teaching practices in pre-service teacher education than on beliefs.
Academic Vocabulary, Writing and English for Academic Purposes: Perspectives from Second Language Learners
Authors: Coxhead Averil
Published: May 2012

This article focuses on vocabulary and writing at university level from the perspectives of 14 English as an additional language students studying at a New Zealand university. The students individually carried out an integrated reading and writing task and then participated in an interview which focused on their language learning background and academic studies through to vocabulary use in the reading and writing task. Data analysis showed that these students have an overall sense of the importance or need for academic vocabulary for their university studies. They demonstrated a high level of awareness of the academic audience for their writing and its impact on their word choice. Finally, these writers used a variety of techniques to incorporate academic or technical words into their essays. This article concludes by considering possible implications of the findings of this study for teaching second language writing and vocabulary in English for Academic Purposes programmes.
The Most Frequent English Homonyms
Authors: Parent Kevin
Published: May 2012

This article distinguishes homonymy, homophony, homography amd polysemy, and provides a list of the most frequent homonyms using corpus-derived data. For most of the homonyms, the most common meaning accounts for 90% or more of the total uses of the form. The pedagogical and research implications of these findings are discussed.
The Effects of a Speed Reading Course and Speed Transfer to Other Types of Texts
Authors: Yen Tran Thi Ngoc
Published: May 2012

Reading fluency plays an important part in academic achievement at colleges and universities. Speed reading courses, along with repeated reading and extensive reading, are popularly used methods to help students increase their reading speed. Several studies have shown the positive influence of a speed reading course in L2/FL on students’ reading speed but there has been little research on the effect of reading speed improvement on other types of reading outside the course. This research was carried out to determine if speed increases transfer to other types of texts that were not in the speed reading course. The results showed that the treatment groups outperformed the control groups both in the course and on other types of texts ( p<.05). It was found that most of the participants increased their reading rate without a comprehension decrease. The study found a strong relationship between the amount of speed improvement in the course and the amount of speed improvement on other types of texts.
RETRACTED: “Boom, Headshot!”
Authors: Whitaker Jodi L. , Bushman Brad J.
Published: May 2012

The editors of Communication Research, Drs. Gibbs and Knobloch-Westerwick, wish to issue a retraction of the article entitled ““Boom, Headshot!?”: Effect of Video Game Play and Controller Type on Firing Aim and Accuracy” by Jodi L. Whitaker and Brad J. Bushman.

This article was first published online on April 30, 2012 and in print in the October 2014 issue of Communication Research (issue 41, pp. 879-891) as doi:10.1177/0093650212446622. It should be noted that, to ensure impartiality, Dr. Knobloch-Westerwick was not involved in the preparation of this decision, because she is on the faculty at the same institution as the corresponding author. This retraction is in response to inquiries from Drs. Markey (Villanova U) and Elson (Ruhr U Bochum), in agreement with the corresponding author Dr. Bushman.

A Committee of Initial Inquiry at Ohio State University recommended retracting this article after being alerted to irregularities in some variables of the data set by Drs. Markey and Elson in January 2015. Unfortunately, the values of the questioned variables could not be confirmed because the original research records were unavailable. In 2016, Drs. Markey and Elson sent their report to Dr. Gibbs, one of the editors of Communication Research, who decided that a retraction was warranted. A replication of the study by Dr. Bushman is in review.
Teaching Public Administration in Kazakhstan
Authors: Bhuiyan Shahjahan H.
Published: May 2012

There has been increasing interest in public administration teaching in post-communist Central Asian countries, particularly in Kazakhstan. This article discusses the development of teaching public administration in Kazakhstan. An important observation is that, within two decades of independence, Kazakhstan has made considerable advances in developing public administration teaching. This study explores key challenges to higher education in Kazakhstan, such as the education ministry’s control, corruption, lack of scientific research by faculty, demographic impact, and revenue diversification. These challenges also have an impact on public administration teaching. The findings of the study suggest that the establishment of a relatively solid base of public administration teaching contributes to Kazakhstan’s rapid transition from party administration to modern public administration.
One earthquake, two tales: narrative analysis of the tenth anniversary coverage of the 921 Earthquake in Taiwan
Authors: Su Chiaoning
Published: May 2012

This article studies media coverage of the ‘921’ Earthquake in Taiwan during two periods in 2009, ten years after the disaster, which occurred on 21 September 1999 (the date which provided the event with its compressed identifier). First it looks at coverage in the wake of another major disaster (Typhoon Morakot) that occurred just before the tenth anniversary of the earthquake, and then during the regular tenth anniversary commemorations of the earthquake. Using narrative analysis, this article notes that during the first period, journalists responded to a disaster event with an historical precedent by adopting the 921 Earthquake as a benchmark, ‘villain’, and moral allegory to explain the current disaster and forecast future closure. During the second period, this study shows how journalists used regular commemorative features on the 921 Earthquake to describe that event based on survivor testimony and present commemorative events. By portraying two interpretations of a single past event back to back, this study demonstrates how news media selectively employ the ‘usable past,’ and the implications of this for the formation of collective memories of past events.
Constructing the public at the royal wedding
Authors: Dekavalla Marina
Published: May 2012

This article examines the way ordinary members of the public, who were present at the celebrations for the 2011 UK royal wedding, were constructed in the televised coverage of the event on the BBC and ITV. It draws on theories of media events and on theories of the mediated construction of the views of ordinary citizens, and focuses on the way vox-pop interviews and inferences about what the public thinks were used by the two television channels. It argues that by presenting the people on the scene of the celebrations as a homogenized group which thought and acted as one, by inferring what was in the mind of this group and what they would say if they spoke, and by allowing individual members of the public relatively little flexibility in expressing themselves in their own terms during vox-pops, the coverage contributed to a dramatization of the event and at the same time constructed public acceptance of the centrality and significance of the day. Moreover these techniques functioned as an invitation to the viewer of the broadcast to identify with the group, its thoughts and emotions.
At the crossroads of migrant workers, class, and media: a case study of a migrant workers’ television project
Authors: Lee Hun-Yul
Published: May 2012

This article examines Migrant Workers’ Television (MWTV) in Korea, exploring relationships between migration, media, and class. Existing studies on migrants have mainly focused on the ethnic and media consumption sides of migration. However, MWTV provides a unique picture of migrants, who joined together across diverse ethnic backgrounds and started a media production NGO with shared class interests. MWTV has produced television shows, film festivals, and other cultural projects since 2006 to claim a place for migrant workers in Korean society. This article provides three critical findings. First, it finds that globalization and new transnational systems make class one of the most important elements in the process of migration. Second, this moment of class realization results in active involvement in media production among migrant workers, who work against negative portrayals of them by mainstream media. Third, this realization is not an isolated event in Korean society, and different national and global democratic alliances emerge to support MWTV. They help MWTV overcome its limitations as a migrant group, but allow it to maintain its independence. Finally, this article asks for more focused attention on class and production in the study of media and migration.
Involvement of Minor Salivary Glands in the Pathogenesis of Peritonsillar Abscess
Authors: El‐Saied Sabri , Puterman Marc , Kaplan Daniel M. , Cohen‐Lahav Merav , Joshua Ben‐Zion
Published: May 2012

Objectives

To study the relationship between peritonsillar abscess (PTA) and minor salivary glands surrounding the palatine tonsils.

Study Design

Prospective population‐based study.

Settings

Tertiary care university hospital.

Subjects and Method

Prospective study including 41 patients with PTA and 6 patients with a neck abscess. Amylase levels of the pus and serum were measured and compared between the 2 groups. Clinical data regarding hospitalization length and recurrence rate were also collected.

Results

Of the 41 patients with PTA, 7 suffered from recurrent PTA. Average level of amylase in the pus of the PTA group was 3841 U/L versus 7.7 U/L in the neck abscess group (P <. 001; median, 62 vs 9.5). Serum amylase was higher in the PTA group (49.3 U/L vs 37.3 U/L; P =. 008). There were no recurrences in PTA patients with amylase greater than 65 U/dL in the pus in 0 of 20 (0%) versus 7 of 21 (33%) for amylase lower than 65 U/L (P =. 01).

Conclusion

High amylase in the pus lends further support for involvement of minor salivary glands. However, high recurrence rates related to low amylase in the pus imply an additional pathogenesis possibly related to tonsillar infection. It is possible that both minor salivary glands as well as tonsillar infection play a role in the pathogenesis of peritonsillar infections.
The empirical validation of cognitive domain characteristics in the gifted screening checklist
Authors: Dalia Nasvytienė , Agnė Brandišauskienė
Published: May 2012

The identification of gifted children is an interactive procedure consisting of two consecutive steps – screening for above-average cognitive abilities, followed by their monitoring. Teacher nomination is among the most widely used methods of screening. However, it is not free from bias. The analysis of screening criteria is of prime importance for gifted education. The aim of our study was to assess the criterion-related validity of the checklist for outstanding cognitive characteristics suggested by Clark (2008). Eighty-three teachers screened for giftedness 1230 children in 6- to 9-grades. Twenty-one of them nominated as gifted by the concordant opinion of three teachers were confirmed to be gifted by the scores of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – IIILT (≥ 2 standard deviations above average intelligence). Results confirm the predictive power of the checklist. Mostly non-significant correlations with achievement outcomes indicate these children to be “underachievers”. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the two factors (verbal and non-verbal) underlying the cognitive performance of gifted children.
Relationship theories and relationship violence
Authors: Franiuk Renae , Shain E. Ashley , Bieritz Lauren , Murray Courtney
Published: May 2012

Franiuk and colleagues (2002) distinguished between two implicit theories of relationships (ITRs)—a soulmate theory and a work-it-out theory. The soulmate theory reflects beliefs that finding the right person is important for relationship success while the work-it-out theory reflects beliefs that relationships take effort to be successful. The current research explores the association between the ITRs and relationship violence. Surveying an older sample than a traditional college sample ( N = 143), the ITRs interacted with partner fit and relationship length to predict relationship violence. As predicted, for those with poor partner fit, the soulmate theory was associated with low violence early in relationships, but the soulmate theory lost some of its protective benefits in longer relationships.
Citizen Input in the Budget Process
Authors: Guo Hai (David) , Neshkova Milena I.
Published: May 2012

Citizen participation in public budgeting processes has been widely advocated by both theorists and practitioners of public administration. Yet there is less agreement on when the public should be brought into the process and how the timing of citizen inclusion affects the outcomes of public agencies. Using survey data about citizen involvement practices utilized by the state departments of transportation (DOTs) across the country, the authors construct citizen input indices for different stages of the budget process and examine the impact of participation on the overall organizational effectiveness. The study results show that citizen participation in the budget process has greatest positive effect on organizational performance at both the early and ending stages of the budget process, namely, the stages of information sharing and program assessment.
Metacognition in Student Academic Writing
Authors: Negretti Raffaella
Published: May 2012

This article proposes a novel approach to the investigation of student academic writing. It applies theories of metacognition and self-regulated learning to understand how beginning academic writers develop the ability to participate in the communicative practices of academic written communication and develop rhetorical consciousness. The study investigates how this awareness changes over time and how it relates to students’ perceptions of the writing task, metacognitive awareness of strategic choices, and evaluation of their writing. Through a constructivist grounded theory approach, journals collected throughout a semester from students of beginning academic composition were analyzed to determine qualitative changes. The data suggest a link between task perception and students’ conditional metacognitive awareness —their understanding of how to adapt writing strategies to specific rhetorical requirements of the task and why—and performance evaluation. Metacognitive awareness also seems to have a reciprocal relationship with self-regulation and students’ development of individual writing approaches.
Influence of gilaburu (Viburnum opulus) juice on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon cancer
Authors: Ulger Harun , Ertekin Tolga , Karaca Omur , Canoz Ozlem , Nisari Mehtap , Unur Erdoğan , Elmalı Ferhan
Published: May 2012

In this study, the effects of gilaburu ( Viburnum opulus) juice on colon tumorogenesis were investigated. Eight weeks old Balb-C male mice received subcutaneous injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) (20 mg/kg body weight) once a week for 12 weeks. Both the sham control (group 1) and the DMH control (group 2) groups received drinking water alone, whereas the mice of groups 3 and 4 received gilaburu juice for 30 weeks (started with first DMH injection) and for 18 weeks (started after last DMH injection), respectively. Eighteen weeks after the last DMH injection, all mice were killed and the histogenesis of colon tumors was investigated from the paraffin-embedded sections of colon, which were stained with hematoxylin–eosin. The sites and incidences of tumoral lesions (low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia, intramucosal carcinoma and invasive carcinoma) were analyzed and compared with control. The results showed that the body weights of the mice were similar in all the groups. No tumoral lesions were found in group 1. Colon tumors developed in all DMH-treated mice (groups 2, 3 and 4). In these groups, the greatest numbers of tumor lesions were detected in the distal colon, followed by the mid-colon and only a few in the proximal colon. There was a reduction in the mean total number of tumor lesion in groups 3 (8.5) and 4 (8.3), when compared to group 2 (11.3). The incidence of invasive carcinoma in group 3 was significantly lower than group 2 ( p < 0.05). On the basis of these results, we conclude that gilaburu juice may be useful for the prevention of colon cancer at the initiation stage.
A Novel Case of Transient Right Ventricular Failure in a Patient With Respiratory Distress
Authors: Liu Stanley S. , Kovell Lara C. , Horne Aaron , Chang David , Petronis John D. , Zakaria Sammy
Published: May 2012

Right ventricular (RV) failure is characterized by an inability to pump blood into the pulmonary circulation and can often lead to hemodynamic instability. Common causes of RV failure include left ventricular (LV) failure, RV infarction, sepsis, cor pulmonale due to acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary emboli, or pulmonary hypertension. We report the case of a 61-year-old woman with no significant pulmonary or cardiac disease who presented with hypoxic respiratory failure in the setting of opioid overdose. She remained obtunded despite naloxone treatment and required endotracheal intubation as well as norepinephrine therapy for persistent hypotension. A transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated isolated severe RV dysfunction without any LV abnormalities. Cardiac catheterization showed no obstructive coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, or elevated left atrial pressures, and chest imaging only revealed signs of aspiration. Over the next 6 days, the patient’s cardiac and respiratory function improved, and a repeat echocardiogram demonstrated complete normalization of RV function. This case demonstrates a novel finding that marked, but transient, RV dysfunction can occur in the setting of acute respiratory failure.
Properties of clay nanocomposites based on poly(vinylidene fluoride-co- hexafluoropropylene)
Authors: Atanassov Atanas , Kostov George , Kiryakova Dimitrina , Borisova-Koleva Ljudmila
Published: May 2012

Poly(vinylidene fluoride- co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) nanocomposites with different contents of nanoclays were prepared by melt mixing. The clays used included unmodified clays, a commercially available hydrophilic nanoclay based on bentonite (nanoclay 1) and organically modified clay based on montmorillonite (nanoclay 2). The nanocomposites obtained were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, differential thermal and differential scanning calorimetry analyses and their basic tensile and other characteristics were determined. The distribution of the filler throughout the matrix was found to be good for both the types of nanocomposite materials. Nanoclay 1 induced slight increase in the β-phase and higher deviation of the main diffractions (2 θ = 18.6° and 20.1° at 10 mass% filler). The degree of crystallinity of the materials containing nanoclay 2 decreased from 26.4 to 20.5% and from 23.9 to 18.7%, respectively, for the first and second heating. The tensile strength of the materials based on PVDF-HFP with nanoclays 1 and 2 was close to that of the initial copolymer or slightly increased with the addition of nanoclay 2. Young’s modulus was in the range of 215–265 MPa. The heat resistance by Vicat increased by 7°C compared with the initial copolymer.
Career Maturity Growth Curve and Sex-Role Stereotypes of Korean Adolescents
Authors: Yon Kyu Jin , Choi Wonseok , Goh Michael
Published: May 2012

This longitudinal study investigated the career maturity growth curve of Korean Adolescents from 4th grade to 12th grade. The participants consisted of 3,241 male and 3,029 female students from the Korea Youth Panel Survey, a nationwide longitudinal study of South Korean adolescents. The present study explored the shape of the career maturity growth curve and the effects of sex-role stereotyping, gender, and socioeconomic status on the career maturity growth curve. Results indicated that the career maturity of Korean adolescents from 4th grade to 12th grade develops in a cubic manner. The authors found significant effects of household income and mother’s education level on the trajectory of the career maturity growth curve. The authors also found a significant, negative longitudinal relationship between sex-role stereotyping and career maturity as well as an interaction effect between gender and sex-role stereotyping on career maturity change. Implications for career guidance for Korean adolescents are discussed.
A cooperative line-of-sight guidance law for a three-dimensional phantom track generation using unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Lee Il-Hyoung , Bang Hyochoong
Published: May 2012

A cooperative guidance law for a team of unmanned aerial vehicles is addressed to deceive air defense radar networks by generating a so-called phantom track. The problem is viewed as a line of sight guidance problem in which unmanned aerial vehicles track the line of sight of a phantom. A guidance law based on input–output feedback linearization is developed in order to deal with a situation in which the phantom condition is not satisfied. The resultant solution is obtained in a feedback form. Since the system is over-actuated, a control allocation optimization problem is formulated and solved by adding an additional objective term to the cost function that forces unmanned aerial vehicles to fly parallel to the phantom using a predictive control method. A closed-form solution is constructed for the unmanned aerial vehicles trajectory corresponding to the pre-specified phantom track. The proposed method is expanded through a scenario in which multiple unmanned aerial vehicles cooperatively generate a coherent phantom track toward a desired waypoint by engaging with the same number of radars. The performance of the proposed guidance law is demonstrated through a simulation study.