bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effects of consumer's subjective and objective knowledge on perceptions and attitude towards genetically modified foods: objective knowledge as a determinant
Authors: Zhang Meng , Liu Guo‐Liang 
Published: February 2015

SummaryConsumer's knowledge and perceptions are suspected of playing key roles in the formation of consumer's attitudes to genetically modified foods (GM foods). Specifically, the study distinguishes between consumer's objective and subjective knowledge and also distinguishes between risk and benefit perceptions. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact paths from consumer's different types of knowledge to consumer's attitudes towards GM foods purchase. A structural equation model (SEM) is constructed, and an empirical test is done using data from 570 consumer respondents collected from five representative cities in China. Interestingly, the paths from subjective knowledge to benefit perceptions (βH1 = −0.098, P = 0.085) and risk perceptions (βH2 = 0.098, P = 0.113) indicate that both the two paths are not significant, while the paths from objective knowledge to benefit receptions (βH3 = 0.769, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH4 = −0.578, P < 0.001) imply that objective knowledge exerts great influence both on benefit and risk perceptions. That is to say, consumers’ objective knowledge rather than subjective knowledge plays an important role in the formation of consumer's attitudes to GM foods in urban China. This result is very different from (AgBioForum, 7, 2004 and 113). At the same time, the results show that in urban China, consumer's attitude towards GM Foods is significantly influenced both by benefit perceptions (βH5 = 0.649, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH6 = −0.286, P < 0.001) but is mainly determined by benefit perceptions, and consumer's attitude towards GM foods is significantly related to his or her attitude towards GM foods purchase. Finally, recommendations for relevant industries and regulating agencies in the GM foods area and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Evaluation of the effects of different thawing methods on texture, colour and ascorbic acid retention of frozen hami melon (Cucumis melo var. saccharinus)
Authors: Wen Xin , Hu Rui , Zhao Jin‐Hong , Peng Yu , Ni Yuan‐Ying 
Published: February 2015

SummaryThe effects of different thawing methods (room temperature thawing, running water thawing, microwave thawing at 300 W, 500 W, 700 W and high‐pressure thawing at 100 MPa, 150 MPa, 200 MPa) on quality (drip loss, texture, colour, ascorbic acid contents and sensory quality) of frozen hami melon were investigated. The results showed that different thawing treatments affected the quality of hami melon significantly (P < 0.05). Samples thawed by microwave at 500 W best preserved ascorbic acid for nearly half of fresh hami melon. Less drip loss, texture damage and discolouring were observed for the samples thawed by microwave at 700 W than other thawed samples; however, serious ascorbic acid loss was detected. High‐pressure‐thawed samples exhibited shorter thawing time but severe quality losses. The results suggested that microwave thawing at 500 W was an appropriate method to thaw frozen hami melon with the highest sensory score (6.7).
Preparation and use of apple skin polyphenol extracts in milk: enhancement of the viability and adhesion of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC 1643) bacteria
Authors: Shinde Tanvi S. , Brooks John D. , Sun‐Waterhouse Dongxiao 
Published: February 2015

SummaryThis study explored the feasibility of using apple skin as a source for generating antioxidant extracts, that is ethanolic or aqueous apple skin polyphenol extract (ASPE) and examined the effects of such ASPEs and six purified polyphenols (PPs), that is rutin, epicatechin, phlorizin, cholorogenic acid, quercetin and p‐coumaric acid on the viability of probiotic bacteria (PB) Lactobacillus acidophilus in a PP‐enhanced milk drink at 4 °C and the in vitroPB adhesion to hydrophilic tissue culture microtitre plates (TCMPs) at 4 °C or 37 °C. The two ASPEs differed slightly in antioxidant activity, PP composition and total extracted PP, vitamin C and uronic acid contents. PB. had over 10× better viability in milk with added PPs than without over a 50‐day storage at 4 °C, while the aqueous extract was more effective than any of the pure PPs, except rutin. PB exhibited significantly greater potential adhesion to intestinal cells in the presence of the aqueous ASPE than the ethanolic ASPE or purified PP, while temperature (4 °C or 37 °C) had a negligible effect on adhesion. Use of apple skin as a source of PPs for enhancing PB functionality in dairy foods may offer a means of deriving value from this waste stream.
Role of decompressive hemicraniectomy in extensive middle cerebral artery strokes: a meta‐analysis of randomised trials
Authors: Back L. , Nagaraja V. , Kapur A. , Eslick G. D. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBackgroundPrognosis for patients with ‘malignant’ or space‐occupying oedema post middle cerebral artery infarct remains poor despite maximal medical therapy delivered in the intensive care setting.AimWe performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the value of surgical decompression versus medical management alone in patients suffering from malignant middle cerebral artery infarct.MethodsA systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Current Contents Connect, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Web of Science. Original data was abstracted from each study and used to calculate a pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).ResultsThe overall OR for mRS 6 (death) at 6 months for decompressive surgery as compared with standard medical management revealed a statistically significant reduction with OR of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.10–0.37). The frequency of patients with mRS 2, 3 and 5 outcomes was higher in the decompressive surgery cohort; however, these outcomes did not reach statistical significance. On the other hand, the number of patients with a mRS score of 4 was significantly higher in the decompressive surgery cohort with an OR of 3.29 (95% CI: 1.76–6.13). The overall OR for mRS 6 (death) at 12 months for decompressive surgery as compared with standard medical management revealed a statistically significant reduction with OR of 0.17 (95% CI: 0.10–0.29). The frequency of patients with mRS 3 and 5 outcomes was higher in the decompressive surgery cohort; however, these outcomes did not reach statistical significance. On the other hand, the number of patients with a mRS score of 4 was significantly higher in the decompressive surgery cohort with an OR of 4.43 (95% CI: 2.27–8.66). In the long run it was also observed that the number of patients with a mRS score of 2 was significantly higher in the decompressive surgery cohort an OR of 4.51 (95% CI: 1.06–19.24).ConclusionsOur results imply that surgical intervention decreased mortality of patients with fatal middle cerebral artery infarct at the expense of increasing the proportion suffering from substantial disability at the conclusion of follow up.
Assessing the use of initial oxygen therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: a retrospective audit of pre‐hospital and hospital emergency management
Authors: Susanto C. , Thomas P. S. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBackgroundCarbon dioxide retention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations can be a complication of oxygen therapy. Current recommendations suggest an inspired oxygen level (FiO2) < 0.28, aiming for saturation (SpO2) of 88–92% until arterial blood gas analysis is available.AimsThis study aims to assess the use of O2 therapy and FiO2 in the emergency management of patients with a known diagnosis of COPD.MethodsRetrospective audit of 150 COPD patients admitted over 18 months, data being extracted from the hospital records.ResultsOf the records reviewed, 57% were male, mean age 75 years. COPD was recognised in 53%. SpO2 recorded in 124 patients, with SpO2 < 88% seen in 40 patients. Oxygen was administered in 123 patients in ambulances; high flow in 111 patients, and only 12 patients received O2 therapy in line with the recommended FiO2 < 0.28. In the emergency department (ED), 112 patients received O2 supplementation; high flow given in 68 patients. Hypercapnia was seen in 71 patients; FiO2 > 0.28 given in 54 patients in ambulances and in 35 patients in ED. Non‐invasive ventilation was required in 53 patients; FiO2 > 0.28 given in 29 patients in the ED. Seven patients were admitted to intensive care unit, and 10 patients died.ConclusionHigh‐flow oxygen is used for the initial treatment of COPD exacerbations, but only 53% are recognised as having COPD. A FiO2 > 0.28 is often initiated before admission and continued in the ED. A larger study would be required to assess any possible harm of this approach, but education of those involved in the care of COPD patients may reduce the risk of complications of hypercapnia.
Relied upon for the heavy lifting: can employment protection legislation reforms lead the EU out of the jobs crisis?
Authors: Heyes Jason , Lewis Paul 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis article examines the current drive within the European Union to weaken employment protection legislation. It subjects the case for reform to critical scrutiny and argues that labour market deregulation and the erosion of employment and social protections are reducing workers' security while failing to stimulate economic recovery.
Artistic Understanding and Motivational Characteristics
Authors: Lekue Pablo 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis study aims to analyse artistic understanding in primary and secondary education and the relationship between this understanding and motivational characteristics such as goal orientation, engagement in art activities and attitude to art education at school, which determine (according to prior research) learners' academic achievement, in this case the achievement of a group of young students aged between 10 and 17. A positive relationship was hypothesised between artistic understanding and achievement goals, engagement in art activities and attitudes towards art education, respectively. The results obtained partially support this hypothesis, since a statistically significant relationship was observed between artistic understanding and achievement goals, and the significant relationships hypothesised between artistic understanding and both engagement in art activities and attitudes to art education are largely supported by the findings of this study.
Of All Studies, Study Your Present Condition: Essay Review of Denis Dutton'sThe Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009)
Authors: McAleavey David 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn this review I will assess the validity of Denis Dutton's provocative argument for Darwinian aesthetics. InThe Art InstinctDutton draws on the insights of Darwin and the evolutionary psychologists Geoffrey Miller and Steven Pinker to analyse art as the product of evolution. Pinker asserts on the dust cover that ‘this book marks out the future of the humanities – connecting aesthetics and criticism to an understanding of human nature from the cognitive and biological sciences' and that ‘Dutton has made a bold and original contribution to this exciting new field’. Miller's opinion ofThe Art Instinctis noticeable by its absence. In his review ofThe Art Instinct, arts academic Richard Hickman concludes: ‘for educators, if we accept that young people have an “art instinct”, then it is incumbent upon us to ensure that this instinct is nurtured and developed’. I agree. My aim is to critically assess Dutton's contribution and speculate about how it might inform future directions in educational research.
The Thesis, the Pendulum and the Battlefield
Authors: Ameri Amir 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe debate over the design thesis is often entangled in the dialectics of the practical and the theoretical. Whether the argument is waged and weighted in favour of a practical emphasis or a theoretical emphasis, or more insidious, a judicious balance between the two, what is inevitably assumed in the debate is the possibility of drawing and/or locating a dividing line between the practical and the theoretical. This article explores the inherent contradictions of this dichotomy, that make the traditional definition of thesis – a theorem or a hypothesis regarding the nature of the phenomenon under investigation – a problematic definition for architecture. Inasmuch as architecture is, in each iteration, a cultural construct, it is always and already the formal expression or embodiment of a theory. To avoid the tautology of positing a theorem about a theorem or a hypothesis regarding a hypothesis, the design thesis may be defined, not as a theorem or a hypothesis, but as an analytical posture assumed or a critical stance taken on the theorem that is or should be the phenomenon under investigation. In this case, the question to ask at the outset of a design thesis is not what patent ‘theory’ should the proposed building speak of, but what arcane theory does its type historically hide under the rubrics of ‘function’ or ‘practical’ requirements? It must begin, in other words, by de‐familiarising the familiar.
Improving Student Engagement in Commercial Art and Design Programmes
Authors:   Rutherford 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe continued viability of art and design programmes depends on our ability to produce graduates able to contribute successfully and confidently to the future of the creative industries. This in turn depends on our ability to lead students to develop both the ability and the motivation to learn. A significant proportion of our students however, are not adequately prepared or inclined to engage with the learning environment. Based on a review of the literature on student engagement, this article attempts to identify the origins and examine the impact of the perceptions and attitudes (the ‘mental pictures’) that currently limit our students' ability and inclination to engage as well as those factors (including the features of our programmes) through which these ‘mental pictures’ may be inadvertently reinforced. It then proposes a number of practical suggestions to make more effective use of the learning outcomes of art and design programmes in order to mitigate their influence and thereby improve both our graduates' capacity and inclination to become more competent professionals, as well as self‐directed learners.
Investigating the Role of Cultural Capital and Organisational Habitus in Architectural Education: A Case Study Approach
Authors: Payne Jennifer Chamberlin 
Published: February 2015

AbstractCompared to other professions in recent years, architecture has lagged woefully behind in attracting and retaining a diverse population, as defined by class, race and gender. This research investigates the extent to which architecture culturally reproduces itself, specifically examining the socialisation process of students into the subculture of architecture during formal education. The work of French sociologist and anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu, who has written extensively on the subject of socialisation in education, serves as a theoretical framework for this research. Specifically, two factors are examined in this study: a student's level of cultural capital and the organisational habitus of the architecture programme. Using a comparative case study research strategy of two US schools of architecture, both quantitative and qualitative tactics are employed to provide a rich description of architecture students' and faculties' experiences. Building upon cultural reproduction and cultural mobility theories, findings from this research present a more nuanced understanding of students' backgrounds, beyond the typical dichotomous definition of high vs low cultural capital. Recommendations are made for architectural education to consider meaningful curricular reform in an effort to attract and engage a more diverse student population.
A Cross‐Cultural and Interdisciplinary Collaboration in a Joint Design Studio
Authors: Kim Mi Jeong , Ju Seo Ryeung , Lee Lina 
Published: February 2015

AbstractA design studio is a critical venue for design students, as they are educated to develop design thinking and other skills through studio courses. This article introduces a design studio project in which Korean and Malaysian students worked jointly for one semester to design affordable urban housing. The Korean students were interior design majors and the Malaysian students were architecture majors; thus it was thought that the students' areas of expertise were likely to differ. It was also anticipated that the students would display cultural differences in terms of housing and planning practices. The motive for starting the joint design studio was the idea that a cross‐cultural collaborative working setting could redefine students' thinking styles and stimulate students to obtain non‐routine perspectives on the design of buildings and spaces. Through observation and interviews, we explored how students tackled affordable housing problems within the context of cross‐cultural and interdisciplinary design education. Collaborative learning in a joint studio situation supplemented students' expertise, re‐orienting approaches to design and opening up a holistic approach to the design issues of affordability, sustainability and community. Overall, the practical learning in the joint studio project validated the importance of exploring alternative solutions based on varied levels of information, and input of those from different educational and cultural backgrounds. The cross‐cultural and interdisciplinary collaboration allowed for a previously unavailable enhancement of design education by encouraging students to obtain divergent thinking for innovative design ideas.
Safe Spaces, Support, Social Capital: A Critical Analysis of Artists Working with Vulnerable Young People in Educational Contexts
Authors: Sellman Edward 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThis article provides a critical and thematic analysis of three research projects involving artists working with vulnerable young people in educational contexts. It argues that artists create safe spaces in contrast to traditional educational activities but it will also raise questions about what constitutes such a space for participants. It will then show that skilled artists often mediate dichotomous pedagogical positions, characterised by competency and performance. It will employ the metaphor of a trellis to illustrate how artists provide flexible structure and support whilst allowing freedom and growth. Finally, it will discuss the social impact of the arts through the lens of social capital theory, highlighting the utility of the approach whilst also indicating areas for critical refinement.
Major Complications and Mortality Within 30 Days of an Electrophysiological Procedure at an Academic Medical Center: Implications for Developing National Standards
Authors: HUSSAIN SARAH K. , EDDY MEGHAN M. , MOORMAN LIZA , MALHOTRA ROHIT , DARBY ANDREW E. , BILCHICK KENNETH , MASON PAMELA , MANGRUM MICHAEL J. , DIMARCO JOHN P. , FERGUSON JOHN D. 
Published: February 2015

Major Complications Following EP ProceduresBackgroundDespite growing attention to performance and quality measures, national standards for reporting of outcomes after all electrophysiology (EP) procedures have not yet been developed. We sought to characterize the incidence and timing of adverse events up to 30 days after EP procedures at a tertiary academic medical center.Methods and ResultsWe prospectively followed all patients undergoing EP procedures between January 2010 and September 2012. All were followed for 30 days postprocedure either in clinic or by telephone. Major complications were defined as events related to the procedure that led to prolongation of hospital stay or readmission, required additional procedural intervention, or resulted in death or significant injury. These were further categorized as intraprocedure, postprocedure, or postdischarge events. Seven EP physicians collectively adjudicated whether complications were directly related to the procedure. A total of 3,213 procedures were performed. Major complications occurred in 2.2% of patients; 49% of these events occurred after discharge. Death occurred in 0.6% of patients; 73% of these deaths were found to be secondary to worsening of the patient's underlying comorbid conditions and unrelated to the procedure.ConclusionsWhen considering national standards for reporting outcomes of all EP procedures, continued follow‐up after discharge is important. In our cohort, half of major complications occurring within 30 days occurred after discharge. In addition, three‐quarters of deaths within 30 days were not directly related to the procedure and caution should be used in using all‐cause mortality as an outcome measure for EP procedures.
Influence of Zoledronic Acid on Atrial Electrophysiological Parameters and Electrocardiographic Measurements
Authors: TISDALE JAMES E. , ALLEN MATTHEW R. , OVERHOLSER BRIAN R. , JAYNES HEATHER A. , KOVACS RICHARD J. 
Published: February 2015

Zoledronic Acid Alters Atrial ElectrophysiologyIntroductionOur objective was to determine effects of zoledronic acid (ZA) on atrial electrophysiological parameters and electrocardiographic measurements.Methods and ResultsEx vivo perfusion study: Isolated guinea pig hearts were perfused with modified Krebs‐Henseleit (K‐H) buffer with or without ZA 0.07 mg/kg/L (each n = 6). In ZA‐perfused hearts, atrial action potential at 90% repolarization (APD90) decreased more from baseline than in controls (−23.2% ± −5.1% vs. −2.1% ± −8.1%, P < 0 .0001), as did APD30 (−28.8% ± −3.8% vs. −2.1% ± −2.1%, P < 0.0001). In vivo dose‐response study: Guinea pigs underwent intraperitoneal injections every 2 weeks in 1 of 4 groups (each n = 8): ZA 0.007 mg/kg (low‐dose), ZA 0.07 mg/kg (medium‐dose), ZA 0.7 mg/kg (high‐dose), or placebo. Hearts were excised at 8 weeks and perfused with modified K‐H. Atrial effective refractory period (ERP) was lower with medium‐ and high‐dose ZA versus placebo (P = 0.004). Atrial APD30 was lower with high‐dose ZA versus placebo, low and medium doses (P < 0.001). Canine ECG study: Mature female beagles received intravenous ZA 0.067 mg/kg or saline (placebo; each n = 6) every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. P wave dispersion was greater in the ZA group (7.7 ± 3.7 vs. 3.4 ± 2.6 ms, P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in P wave index, maximum or minimum P wave duration, or PR interval.ConclusionZA shortens left atrial APD and ERP and increases P wave dispersion.