bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health education beyond the school gates: Use of school newsletters to communicate health messages to parents and their families
Authors: Merga Margaret K , Hu Qi Mei
Published: February 2016

Western Australian schools are expected to educate beyond the classroom context, promoting the health of students, their families and their communities. Little is known about the frequency with which schools employ newsletters to communicate health messages. This content analysis draws from a sample of 70 newsletters from 46 diverse Western Australian schools, to explore the frequency with which health messages were communicated. Across an average of 1.3 newsletters per school during the November period, 48 instances of a health-promoting message were identified, giving an average of 0.69 health-promoting messages per newsletter. This result suggests that school newsletters may be underutilised as a mechanism for health promotion within school communities. While mental health issues were explored to the greatest extent, a number of areas, such as smoking, alcohol and substance abuse and sun safety received limited attention. Health-promoting messages about driver road safety were comparatively highly represented in the sample, which was unanticipated. While this paper offers insight into the frequency of health message communication through newsletters, and the kinds of messages being transmitted, longitudinal research in this area could provide further insight, in addition to examination of parental perceptions of school newsletter mediated health messages.
Impressions of Lighting in Public Squares After Dark
Authors: Nasar Jack L. , Bokharaei Saleheh
Published: February 2016

Lighting may affect impressions of public squares. Following studies on office interior lighting, the present research manipulated three modes of lighting—non-uniform–uniform, peripheral–overhead, and dim–bright—in three virtual squares. One study had 32 participants (15 men, 17 women) judge the spaciousness and privacy of each of the 24 public squares. A second study had a different group of 30 participants (16 men, 14 women) rate the appeal, safety from crime, and excitement of each square. Study 1 found that judged spaciousness increased with uniform and bright lighting, and that privacy increased with non-uniform, dim, and peripheral lighting. Study 2 found that rated appeal increased with uniform and bright lighting, as did safety from crime and excitement. Across the two studies, the uniform and bright lighting conditions contributed most to the kinds of favorable experiences people might expect to have in public spaces after dark.
On the potential of progressive performativity: Definitional purity, re-engagement and empirical points of departure
Authors: Schaefer Stephan M , Wickert Christopher
Published: February 2016

In this article, we respond to Cabantous, Gond, Harding and Learmonth’s (2016) critique of recent conceptual contributions that employ the concept of performativity for prompting progressive changes in organizations. All in all, we seem to share the general unease concerning the marginal impact of Critical Management Studies on re-defining organizational realities. At the same time, we largely disagree on how critical scholars could support effective, progressive changes. In this rejoinder, we respond to but also absorb Cabantous et al.’s critique of progressive performativity and sketch three ways of how to advance discussions of Critical Management Studies’ role in organizational scholarship.
Predicting Periodontitis at State and Local Levels in the United States
Authors: Eke P.I. , Zhang X. , Lu H. , Wei L. , Thornton-Evans G. , Greenlund K.J. , Holt J.B. , Croft J.B.
Published: February 2016

The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of periodontitis at state and local levels across the United States by using a novel, small area estimation (SAE) method. Extended multilevel regression and poststratification analyses were used to estimate the prevalence of periodontitis among adults aged 30 to 79 y at state, county, congressional district, and census tract levels by using periodontal data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2012, population counts from the 2010 US census, and smoking status estimates from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2012. The SAE method used age, race, gender, smoking, and poverty variables to estimate the prevalence of periodontitis as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology case definitions at the census block levels and aggregated to larger administrative and geographic areas of interest. Model-based SAEs were validated against national estimates directly from NHANES 2009–2012. Estimated prevalence of periodontitis ranged from 37.7% in Utah to 52.8% in New Mexico among the states (mean, 45.1%; median, 44.9%) and from 33.7% to 68% among counties (mean, 46.6%; median, 45.9%). Severe periodontitis ranged from 7.27% in New Hampshire to 10.26% in Louisiana among the states (mean, 8.9%; median, 8.8%) and from 5.2% to 17.9% among counties (mean, 9.2%; median, 8.8%). Overall, the predicted prevalence of periodontitis was highest for southeastern and southwestern states and for geographic areas in the Southeast along the Mississippi Delta, as well as along the US and Mexico border. Aggregated model-based SAEs were consistent with national prevalence estimates from NHANES 2009–2012. This study is the first-ever estimation of periodontitis prevalence at state and local levels in the United States, and this modeling approach complements public health surveillance efforts to identify areas with a high burden of periodontitis.
Plasma of Argon Affects the Earliest Biological Response of Different Implant Surfaces
Authors: Canullo L. , Genova T. , Tallarico M. , Gautier G. , Mussano F. , Botticelli D.
Published: February 2016

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the early cell response and protein adsorption elicited by the argon plasma treatment of different commercially available titanium surfaces via a chair-side device. Sterile disks made of grade 4 titanium ( n = 450, 4-mm diameter) with 3 surface topographies (machined, plasma sprayed, and zirconia blasted and acid etched) were allocated to receive 4 testing treatments (2% and 10% protein adsorption and cell adhesion with MC3T3-E1 and MG-63). Furthermore, the specimens were divided to undergo 1) argon plasma treatment (10 W, 1 bar for 12 min) in a plasma reactor, 2) ultraviolet (UV) light treatment for 2 h (positive control group), or 3) no treatment (control group). Pretreatment surface analyses based on a scanning electron microscope and profilometer images were also performed. Profilometric analysis demonstrated that the evaluated specimens perfectly suit the standard parameters. The use of argon plasma was capable of affecting the quantity of proteins adsorbed on the different surfaces, notwithstanding their roughness or topographic features at a low fetal bovine serum concentration (2%). UV light treatment for 2 h attained similar results. Moreover, both the plasma of argon and the UV light demonstrated a significant increase in the number of osteoblasts adherent at 10 min in all tested surfaces. Within its limitations, this in vitro study highlights the potential biological benefits of treating implant surfaces with plasma of argon or UV, irrespective of the roughness of the titanium surface. However, in vivo experiments are needed to confirm these preliminary data and settle the rationale of a treatment that might be clinically relevant in case of bone-reparative deficiencies.
Nonthermal Atmospheric Plasmas in Dental Restoration
Authors: Liu Y. , Liu Q. , Yu Q.S. , Wang Y.
Published: February 2016

It is well known that the service life of contemporary composite restoration is unsatisfactory, and longevity of dentin bonding is one of the major culprits. Bonding is essentially a hybridization process in which dental substrate and adhesive resin interact with each other through an exchange process. Thus, the longevity of dentin bonding can only be improved with enhanced qualities in substrate, adhesive resin, and their interaction within the hybridization zone. This review aims to collect and summarize recent advances in utilizing nonthermal atmospheric plasmas (NTAPs)—a novel technology that delivers highly reactive species in a gaseous medium at or below physiologic temperature—to improve the durability of dentin bonding by addressing these 3 issues simultaneously. Overall, NTAP has demonstrated efficacies in improving a number of critical properties for dentin bonding, including deactivation of oral pathogens, modification of surface chemistry/properties, resin polymerization, improvement in adhesive-dentin interactions, and establishment of auxiliary bonding mechanism. While a few preliminary studies have indicated the benefit of NTAP to bond strength and stability, additional researches are warranted to employ knowledge acquired so far and to evaluate these properties in a systematic way.
Dental Surface Texture Characterization Based on Erosive Tooth Wear Processes
Authors: Hara A.T. , Livengood S.V. , Lippert F. , Eckert G.J. , Ungar P.S.
Published: February 2016

The differential diagnosis of dental wear lesions affects their clinical management. We hypothesized that surface texture parameters can differentiate simulated erosion, abrasion, and erosion-abrasion lesions on human enamel and dentin. This in vitro study comprised 2 parts (both factorial 4 × 2), with 4 lesion types (erosion, abrasion, erosion-abrasion, and sound [no lesion; control]) and 2 substrates (enamel and dentin). Flattened/polished dental specimens were used in part 1, whereas natural dental surfaces were used in part 2. Testing surfaces were evaluated in blind conditions, using average surface roughness ( Sa) and the following scale-sensitive fractal analysis parameters: area-scale fractal complexity ( Asfc), exact proportion length-scale anisotropy of relief ( eplsar), scale of maximum complexity ( Smc), and textural fill volume ( Tfv). Two-way analyses of variance, followed by Fisher’s protected least significant difference tests (α = 0.05), were used to evaluate the effects of lesion and substrate. Classification trees were constructed to verify the strength of potential associations of the tested parameters. In part 1, Asfc, Sa, and Tfv were able to differentiate erosion and erosion-abrasion lesions from the sound (no lesion) control in both substrates; only Asfc differentiated erosion and erosion-abrasion enamel lesions (all P < 0.05). The best association of parameters correctly classified up to 84% and 94% of the lesions on enamel and dentin, respectively. In part 2, only Asfc differentiated erosion and erosion-abrasion lesions from the sound (no lesion) control in both substrates, whereas eplsar was able to differentiate erosion from erosion-abrasion (all P < 0.05). The association of parameters correctly classified up to 81% and 91% of the lesions in enamel and dentin, respectively. Asfc, Sa, and Tfv were able to differentiate erosion and erosion-abrasion lesions, despite their complicated surface textures. The association of parameters improved the differentiation of lesions for both enamel and dentin in polished or natural surfaces.
The Effects of Associative Slogans on Tourists’ Attitudes and Travel Intention
Authors: Zhang Hui , Gursoy Dogan , Xu Honggang
Published: February 2016

The study tests a model that examines the influence of characteristics of associative slogans on tourists’ attitudes toward slogan, attitudes toward destination, and travel intentions as well as the moderating effects of the need for cognition and destination familiarity on these relationships. Findings reveal that extremity has negative effects on attitudes toward slogan, attitudes toward destination, and travel intention; specificity has a positive effect on attitudes toward slogan; and relevancy has positive effects on attitudes toward slogan, and attitudes toward destination. Need for cognition moderates the relationship between extremity and intention, relevancy and attitudes toward slogan and destination, and intention. Familiarity moderates the relationships between extremity and attitudes toward slogan, attitudes toward destination, and the relationship between relevancy and attitudes toward destination.
Economics Imperialism in Social Epistemology
Authors: Fernández Pinto Manuela
Published: February 2016

Expanding on recent philosophical contributions to the conceptual and normative framework of scientific imperialism, I examine whether the economics approach to social epistemology can be considered a case of economics imperialism and determine whether economics’ explanatory expansionism appropriately contributes to this philosophical subfield or not. I argue first that the economics approach to social epistemology counts as a case of economics imperialism under a broad conception of the term, and second that we have good reasons to doubt the appropriateness of the incursion of economics into social epistemology, insofar as economics’ attempt at explanatory unification fails to express significant human interests.
Analyzing Relationships of Necessity Not Just in Kind But Also in Degree
Authors: Vis Barbara , Dul Jan
Published: February 2016

Analyzing relationships of necessity is important for both scholarly and applied research questions in the social sciences. An often-used technique for identifying such relationships— fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA)—has limited ability to make the most out of the data used. The set-theoretical technique fsQCA makes statements in kind (e.g., “a condition or configuration is necessary or not for an outcome”), thereby ignoring the variation in degree. We propose to apply a recently developed technique for identifying relationships of necessity that can make both statements in kind and in degree, thus making full use of variation in the data: Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). With its ability to also make statements in degree (“a specific level of a condition is necessary or not for a specific level of the outcome”), NCA can complement the in kind analysis of necessity with fsQCA.
Gaps Among Desired, Sought, and Received Support: Deficits and Surpluses in Support When Coping With Taboo Marital Stressors
Authors: High Andrew C. , Crowley Jenny L.
Published: February 2016

When faced with a taboo stressor, people might have desires for support yet feel reticent to seek assistance from others. This study contextualizes desires for support by theorizing that they are directly associated with the support people seek and indirectly associated with what they receive. There may be discrepancies among any of these perspectives, and we expand research on support gaps by considering the existence and outcomes of deficits or surpluses in the support people desire, seek, and receive. A community sample ( N = 205) completed a survey regarding a taboo marital stressor. Respondents desired more support than they sought or received (i.e., support deficit) but received more support than they sought (i.e., support surplus). These discrepancies and their outcomes varied by type and source of support. Whereas deficits in support mostly decreased reappraisal of a taboo stressor, support surpluses mainly enhanced reappraisal. Implications for research on supportive communication are discussed.
Let’s Start From the Beginning: Examining the Connections Between Partner Selection, Trust, and Communicative Effectiveness in Voluntary Partnerships Among Human Services Nonprofits
Authors: Atouba Yannick C.
Published: February 2016

The increasing popularity of interorganizational collaboration among human services nonprofits has generated significant interest and research from a variety of disciplines. However, the current literature has not sufficiently addressed the factors that shape trust and communication in human services nonprofit partnerships. As such, this study proposes that partner selection shapes trust and communication and, using data on 202 human services nonprofit partnerships in the state of Illinois, examines the relationship between partner selection factors and communication and trust in human services nonprofit partnerships. The results from the hierarchical regression analyses suggest that two partner selection factors, reputation and homophily, are significantly positively related to trust. Regarding the factors that shape communication, the results suggest that prior experience and trust are significantly positively related to communicative effectiveness.
Optional opacity: A syntactically-based analysis of early Hebrew verb morphology
Authors: Lustigman Lyle
Published: February 2016

The study aims to account for the distribution of finite versus non-finite verbs during a developmental period when children use both types of verb forms in contexts requiring finiteness. To meet this goal, longitudinal samples from three Hebrew-acquiring children (aged 1;4–2;6) are examined from the onset of verb production and across the ‘optional’ period in which finite and non-finite verbs occur side by side. Each verb-containing utterance is specified for structural transparency (whether the verb has a clearly unambiguous target) and for additional clausal constituents. Analysis reveals that during the ‘optional’ period non-transparent verb forms favor elaborated syntactic environments (i.e., accompanied by objects and/or adverbs) at significantly higher rates than their transparent counterparts. These morpho-syntactic patterns in children’s verb usage provide a line of explanation for the distribution of inflected versus non-inflected forms, and highlight the role of between-domain inter-relations in language acquisition.
Characteristics of the Spanish- and English-Language Self-Efficacy to Manage Diabetes Scales
Authors: Ritter Philip L. , Lorig Kate , Laurent Diana D.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of the Spanish-language diabetes self-efficacy scale (DSES-S) and the English-language version (DSES).

Methods

This study consists of secondary data from 3 randomized studies that administered the DSES-S and DSES at 2 time points. The scales consist of 8 Likert-type 10-point items. Principal component analysis was applied to determine if the scales were unitary or consisted of subscales. Univariate statistics were used to describe the scales. Sensitivity to change was measured by comparing randomized treatment with control groups, where the treatment included methods designed to enhance self-efficacy. General linear models were used to examine the association between the scales and the 8 medical outcomes after controlling for demographic variables.

Results

Principal component analysis indicated that there were 2 subscales for both versions: self-efficacy for behaviors and self-efficacy to manage blood levels and medical condition. The measures had similar means across the 3 studies, high internal consistent reliability, values distributed across the entire range, and they showed no evidence of floor effects and little evidence of ceiling effects. The measures were sensitive to change. They were associated with several health indicators and behaviors at baseline, and changes were associated with changes in health measures.

Conclusions

The self-efficacy measures behaved consistently across the 3 studies and were highly reliable. Associations with medical indicators and behaviors suggested validity, although further study would be desirable to compare other measures of self-efficacy for people with type 2 diabetes. These brief scales are appropriate for measuring self-efficacy to manage diabetes.
A constitutional horizon?
Authors: Michelman Frank I.
Published: February 2016

In The Democratic Horizon: Hyperpluralism and the Renewal of Political Liberalism, Alessandro Ferrara seeks a philosophical breakthrough from what looks like it could be a pending dead-end for democracy. The best hope, Ferrara superbly maintains, lies through an extension or updating – a “renewal,” as he calls it – of lines of thought bequeathed to us, by John Rawls and others, under the name of political liberalism. Somewhere near the crux of Ferrara’s reflection stands a class of institutional fixtures whose name is missing from his title. I mean the class “constitution.” I use that word to name a country’s scriptural basic law, its publicly cognizable corpus of canonically worded sentences ordaining the country’s basic institutional framework. My suggestion will be that it is no less tellingly a “constitutional” than a “democratic” horizon that Ferrara’s work, in conjunction with Rawls’s, shows us to be facing.
Libertarian personal responsibility
Authors: Preiss Joshua
Published: February 2016

While libertarians (by most accounts) affirm personal responsibility as a central moral and political value, libertarian theorists write relatively little about the theory and practice of this value. Focusing on the work of F. A. Hayek and David Schmidtz, this article identifies the core of a libertarian approach to personal responsibility and demonstrates the ways in which this approach entails a radical revision of the ethics and American politics of personal responsibility. Then, I highlight several central implications of this analysis in the American political and economic status quo. First, this analysis makes a mockery of so-called libertarian/conservative ‘fusionism’, such that libertarian personal responsibility cannot partner with meritocratic conservative thought to provide a plural grounding for rejecting progressive or redistributive economic policy. Next, preferred libertarian policies threaten the status, esteem and social bases of self-respect of citizens who are worse-off through little or no fault of their own. Finally, these policies undermine the ethics of personal responsibility that Americans from across the ideological spectrum value and many conservatives and libertarians celebrate. In the American status quo, those who value personal responsibility must reserve a central place for policies that mitigate opportunity and distributive inequalities.
‘République and laïcité’
Authors: Gaudin Philippe
Published: February 2016

How should one define the republican democratic and ‘ laïque’ spirit in both the most concise and effective manner, as well as that most suited to the French case? The republican spirit resides without doubt in refusing submission to any single individual whoever that individual may be. The democratic spirit does not consist of decreeing the sovereignty of the people, but in developing formal modalities of political life allowing the people not to be divested of it. The ‘ laïque’ spirit rejects all distinctions concerning the nature and rights of citizens; it also equally rejects religious laws being imposed over political law.
Surgical treatment of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung: 20 years’ experience
Authors: Yamamoto Takayoshi , Nakajima Takahiro , Suzuki Hidemi , Tagawa Tetsuzo , Iwata Takekazu , Mizobuchi Teruaki , Yoshida Shigetoshi , Nakatani Yukio , Yoshino Ichiro
Published: February 2016

Background

Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a rare salivary gland-type neoplasm. We aimed to elucidate the optimal management of this rare condition by reviewing the treatment outcomes of patients at our institution with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of all patients with pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma who underwent surgical treatment between January 1993 and December 2012. We reviewed the patients’ clinical characteristics and the therapeutic interventions undertaken.

Results

Nine patients were evaluated in this study, 7 of whom were female. The median age of all patients was 54 years (range 10–72 years). Six patients had tumors of a low histologic grade, and the other 3 had high-grade malignancies. Prior to surgery, 2 patients required endobronchial intervention for obstructive pneumonia. Eight patients underwent lobectomy, and one had a bilobectomy. Two patients required bronchoplasty, and one required resection of the left atrium for complete resection of the primary neoplasm. Two patients with advanced disease and high-grade tumors died due to cancer progression. The overall 5-year survival rate was 72.9%. One patient with a high-grade malignancy demonstrated exon 21 mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene.

Conclusions

Complete surgical resection is important for long-term survival in patients with pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The techniques of bronchoplasty and extended resection may contribute to better surgical management of this disease. Endobronchial interventions may be considered for the management of obstructive pneumonia prior to surgery.
Progress and divergence in palliative care education for medical students: A comparative survey of UK course structure, content, delivery, contact with patients and assessment of learning
Authors: Walker Steven , Gibbins Jane , Barclay Stephen , Adams Astrid , Paes Paul , Chandratilake Madawa , Gishen Faye , Lodge Philip , Wee Bee
Published: February 2016

Background:

Effective undergraduate education is required to enable newly qualified doctors to safely care for patients with palliative care and end-of-life needs. The status of palliative care teaching for UK medical students is unknown.

Aim:

To investigate palliative care training at UK medical schools and compare with data collected in 2000.

Design:

An anonymised, web-based multifactorial questionnaire.

Settings/participants:

Results were obtained from palliative care course organisers at all 30 medical schools in 2013 and compared with 23 medical schools (24 programmes) in 2000.

Results:

All continue to deliver mandatory teaching on ‘last days of life, death and bereavement’. Time devoted to palliative care teaching time varied (2000: 6–100 h, mean 20 h; 2013: 7–98 h, mean 36 h, median 25 h). Current palliative care teaching is more integrated. There was little change in core topics and teaching methods. New features include ‘involvement in clinical areas’, participation of patient and carers and attendance at multidisciplinary team meetings. Hospice visits are offered (22/24 (92%) vs 27/30 (90%)) although they do not always involve patient contact. There has been an increase in students’ assessments (2000: 6/24, 25% vs 2013: 25/30, 83%) using a mixture of formative and summative methods. Some course organisers lack an overview of what is delivered locally.

Conclusion:

Undergraduate palliative care training continues to evolve with greater integration, increased teaching, new delivery methods and wider assessment. There is a trend towards increased patient contact and clinical involvement. A minority of medical schools offer limited teaching and patient contact which could impact on the delivery of safe palliative care by newly qualified doctors.
Patient and caregiver perspectives on managing pain in advanced cancer: A qualitative longitudinal study
Authors: Hackett Julia , Godfrey Mary , Bennett Michael I
Published: February 2016

Background:

Despite advances in treatment of pain in advanced cancer, it remains a major source of suffering with adverse effects on patients’ life quality. There is increasing understanding of its multi-dimensional nature and the variable responsiveness of medication to complex pain. Less clear is how patients and their caregivers respond to and manage pain complexity.

Aim:

To explore patients’ and carers’ experiences of advanced cancer pain and the processes that they engage in to manage pain.

Design:

Qualitative study employing face-to-face interviews at two time points and audio diaries. Data were analysed using grounded theory strategies.

Setting/participants:

Purposive sample of 21 advanced cancer patients and 16 carers from oncology outpatients in a tertiary cancer centre and a hospice.

Results:

Three distinct patterns of pain were discerned in patients’ accounts, distinguishable in terms of complexity, severity, transiency and degree of perceived control over pain. Pain was dynamic reflecting changes in the disease process, access to and effectiveness of pain relief. For patients and carers, neither pain relief nor expertise in pain management is secured once and for all. The main drivers of help-seeking and action by patients to manage pain were the sensory experiences of pain and meaning attached to it, not beliefs about analgesia.

Conclusion:

The complex and dynamic nature of pain and how it was understood shaped help-seeking and pain management. Variable effectiveness of pain relief for different pain types were challenging for patients and professionals in achieving relief.
System contact and procedural justice policing
Authors: Barkworth Julie , Murphy Kristina
Published: February 2016

Victims of crime often feel re-victimised when they come into contact with criminal justice professionals. Police, as first responders to many victimisation experiences, therefore need to be particularly sensitive to the way in which they treat victims if they wish to reduce the occurrence of such secondary victimisation. The present study seeks to explore the role that procedural justice policing can play in improving the wellbeing and quality of life of crime victims after system contact. Importantly, it also seeks to put forward a framework for understanding why procedural justice policing might improve victims’ quality of life; this framework draws heavily on theories of emotion. The study utilises survey data collected from 171 crime victims to show that procedural justice policing can indeed reduce the negative impact that system contact can have on a victim’s quality of life. It will be shown that procedural justice enhances victims’ quality of life because it serves to diminish the negative emotions experienced by victims of crime when they come into contact with legal authorities.
The Trajectory of Popularity Goal During the Transition to Middle School
Authors: Dawes Molly , Xie Hongling
Published: February 2016

The trajectory of early adolescents’ popularity goal during the transition to middle school was examined in a diverse sample of 401 students. Popularity goal was assessed at five time points from the spring semester of fifth grade through the spring semester of seventh grade with the transition to middle school occurring between the fifth and sixth grades. Results showed a significant increase in youth’s endorsement of popularity goal after the transition to middle school followed by a significant decrease in popularity goal over the course of the sixth and seventh grade years. The rate of change for popularity goal during the transition was significantly different depending on youth’s popularity and their perceptions of the popularity peer norm: youth with low popularity significantly increased their popularity goal during the transition, and youth who perceived high peer norms for popularity also significantly increased their popularity goal during the transition to middle school. No gender differences but significant ethnic differences were found in the popularity goal trajectories.
How to Measure the Power of Actors and Film Directors?
Authors: Antipov Evgeny A. , Pokryshevskaya Elena B.
Published: February 2016

Star power is considered to be one of the key drivers of motion picture success. The power of movie directors is another possible, yet controversial, determinant of movie success. However, measuring the power of actors and directors objectively is not an easy task. In this article, we give a detailed description of a fast method which is based on previous box office performance of movies with particular actors and directors. Our approach allows calculating movie star ratings of thousands of movies using a spreadsheet within several minutes. It is also shown empirically that the resulting measures are significant determinants of box office sales. The percentage contribution of each determinant is estimated using the Shapley value decomposition.
Initial Case Reports of Cancer in Naked Mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber)
Authors: Delaney M. A. , Ward J. M. , Walsh T. F. , Chinnadurai S. K. , Kerns K. , Kinsel M. J. , Treuting P. M.
Published: February 2016

Naked mole-rats (NMRs; Heterocephalus glaber) are highly adapted, eusocial rodents renowned for their extreme longevity and resistance to cancer. Because cancer has not been formally described in this species, NMRs have been increasingly utilized as an animal model in aging and cancer research. We previously reported the occurrence of several age-related diseases, including putative pre-neoplastic lesions, in zoo-housed NMR colonies. Here, we report for the first time 2 cases of cancer in zoo-housed NMRs. In Case No. 1, we observed a subcutaneous mass in the axillary region of a 22-year-old male NMR, with histologic, immunohistochemical (pancytokeratin positive, rare p63 immunolabeling, and smooth muscle actin negative), and ultrastructural characteristics of an adenocarcinoma possibly of mammary or salivary origin. In Case No. 2, we observed a densely cellular, poorly demarcated gastric mass of polygonal cells arranged in nests with positive immunolabeling for synaptophysin and chromogranin indicative of a neuroendocrine carcinoma in an approximately 20-year-old male NMR. We also include a brief discussion of other proliferative growths and pre-cancerous lesions diagnosed in 1 zoo colony. Although these case reports do not alter the longstanding observation of cancer resistance, they do raise questions about the scope of cancer resistance and the interpretation of biomedical studies in this model. These reports also highlight the benefit of long-term disease investigations in zoo-housed populations to better understand naturally occurring disease processes in species used as models in biomedical research.
Keeping gay and bisexual men safe: The arena of HIV prevention science and praxis
Authors: Green Adam Isaiah
Published: February 2016

In this article, I draw from an ongoing ethnographic study of HIV prevention for gay, bisexual, and ‘men who have sex with men’ to develop an institutional analysis of HIV behavioral intervention science and praxis. I approach this analysis through the lens of the social worlds framework, focusing on the institutional arena in which HIV behavioral interventions are devised and executed. Toward this end, I focus on two fundamental points of contention that lie at the heart of the prevention enterprise and put its social organization in high relief: (1) conceptions of health and lifestyle practices and (2) attributions of expertise. These core contentions reveal less the steady advance of normal science than an arena of actors ensconced in boundary work and jurisdictional struggles over how to engineer behavior change and reduce the scale of the HIV epidemic. Their resolution, I argue, has occurred in a historically contingent process determined by the political economy of the US HIV prevention arena and the differential structural location of its social worlds.
Graft Utilization in the Augmentation of Large-to-Massive Rotator Cuff Repairs
Authors: Ferguson Devin P. , Lewington Matthew R. , Smith T. Duncan , Wong Ivan H.
Published: February 2016

Background:

Current treatment options for symptomatic large-to-massive rotator cuff tears can reduce pain, but failure rates remain high. Surgeons have incorporated synthetic and biologic grafts to augment these repairs, with promising results. Multiple reviews exist that summarize these products; however, no systematic review has investigated the grafts’ ability to maintain structural integrity after augmentation of large-to-massive rotator cuff repairs.

Purpose:

To systematically review and evaluate the effectiveness of grafts in the augmentation of large-to-massive rotator cuff repairs.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

A comprehensive search of 4 reputable databases was completed. Inclusion criteria were (1) large-to-massive rotator cuff tear, (2) graft augmentation of primary repairs ± primary repair control group, and (3) minimum clinical and radiologic follow-up of 12 months. Two reviewers screened the titles, abstracts, and full articles and extracted the data from eligible studies. Results were summarized into evidence tables stratified by graft origin and level of evidence.

Results:

Ten studies fit the inclusion criteria. Allograft augmentation was functionally and structurally superior to primary repair controls, with intact repairs in 85% versus 40% of patients ( P < .01). This was supported by observational study data. Xenograft augmentation failed to demonstrate superiority to primary repair controls, with worse structural healing rates (27% vs 60%; P =.11). Both comparative studies supported this finding. There have also been many reports of inflammatory reactions with xenograft use. Polypropylene patches are associated with improved structural (83% vs 59% and 49%; P < .01) and functional outcomes when compared with controls and xenograft augmentation; however, randomized data are lacking.

Conclusion:

Augmentation of large-to-massive rotator cuff repairs with human dermal allografts is associated with superior functional and structural outcome when compared with conventional primary repair. Xenograft augmentation failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference and may be associated with worse rerupture rates and occasional severe inflammatory reactions. Polypropylene patches have initial promising results. Research in this field is limited; future researchers should continue to develop prospective, randomized controlled trials to establish clear recommendations.
Is Reading Tests Aloud an Accommodation for Youth With or at Risk for ADHD?
Authors: Spiel Craig Freeman , Mixon Clifton S. , Holdaway Alex S. , Evans Steven W. , Harrison Judith R. , Zoromski Allison K. , Yost Joanna Sadler
Published: February 2016

In this study, we intend to determine if reading tests aloud provides a differential boost to youth with elevated symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) relative to same-aged peers. Participants were 36 youth, 44% with or at risk for ADHD, who participated in a week long summer camp. Over the course of the week, youth attended five 45-min classroom periods followed by 10-min tests. Participants were randomized into one of two conditions (i.e., read aloud and silent) that alternated across 5 days. Results indicate that reading tests aloud in small groups significantly improved the testing performance of youth with or at risk for ADHD and provided a differential boost relative to youth without ADHD. Implications for special education practice and future research are discussed.
Formation mechanism and biological activity of novel thiolated human-like collagen iron complex
Authors: Zhu Chenhui , Liu Lingyun , Deng Jianjun , Ma Xiaoxuan , Hui Junfeng , Fan Daidi
Published: February 2016

To develop an iron supplement that is effectively absorbed and utilized, thiolated human-like collagen was created to improve the iron binding capacity of human-like collagen. A thiolated human-like collagen-iron complex was prepared in a phosphate buffer, and one mole of thiolated human-like collagen-iron possessed approximately 28.83 moles of iron. The characteristics of thiolated human-like collagen-iron were investigated by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the thiolated human-like collagen-iron complex retained the secondary structure of human-like collagen and had greater thermodynamic stability than human-like collagen, although interactions between iron ions and human-like collagen occurred during the formation of the complex. In addition, to evaluate the bioavailability of thiolated human-like collagen-iron, an in vitro Caco-2 cell model and an in vivo iron deficiency anemia mouse model were employed. The data demonstrated that the thiolated human-like collagen-iron complex exhibited greater bioavailability and was more easily utilized than FeSO4, ferric ammonium citrate, or ferrous glycinate. These results indicated that the thiolated human-like collagen-iron complex is a potential iron supplement in the biomedical field.
Antibiotic-eluting hydrophilized PMMA bone cement with prolonged bactericidal effect for the treatment of osteomyelitis
Authors: Oh Eun Jo , Oh Se Heang , Lee In Soo , Kwon Oh Soo , Lee Jin Ho
Published: February 2016

Osteomyelitis is still considered to be one of the major challenges for orthopedic surgeons despite advanced antiseptic surgical procedures and pharmaceutical therapeutics. In this study, hydrophilized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cements containing Pluronic F68 (EG79PG28EG79) as a hydrophilic additive and vancomycin ( F68-VA cements) were prepared to allow the sustained release of the antibiotic for adequate periods of time without any significant loss of mechanical properties. The compressive strengths of the bone cements with Pluronic F68 compositions less than 7 wt% were not significantly different compared with the control vancomycin-loaded bone cement ( VA cement). The F68 (7 wt%)-VA cement showed sustained release of the antibiotic for up to 11 weeks and almost 100% release from the bone cement. It also prohibited the growth of S. aureus (zone of inhibition) over six weeks (the required period to treat osteomyelitis), and it did not show any notable cytotoxicity. From an animal study using a femoral osteomyelitis rat model, it was observed that the F68 (7 wt%)-VA cement was effective for the treatment of osteomyelitis, probably as a result of the prolonged release of antibiotic from the PMMA bone cement. On the basis of these findings, it can be suggested that the use of Pluronic F68 as a hydrophilic additive for antibiotic-eluting PMMA bone cement can be a promising strategy for the treatment of osteomyelitis.
Improving Judicial Administration Through Implementation of an Automated Sentencing Guidelines System
Authors: Fox Danielle P. , Yamagata Hisashi , Najaka Stacy S. , Soulé David A.
Published: February 2016

To ensure public trust and confidence, courts must routinely examine the management of their operations and continuously explore improvement opportunities. Although technology can be a catalyst for improving judicial administration, without the requisite planning, organizational capital (e.g., people, process, and system alignment), and evaluation it is unlikely that such initiatives will be sustained let alone succeed. In 2012, a local circuit court in Maryland implemented the Maryland Automated Guidelines System (MAGS) developed by the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy to electronically initiate, complete, and submit sentencing guidelines worksheets. This study discusses the evaluation of MAGS implementation, highlighting the value of technology and monitoring as a means to enhance judicial administration.
Improving empirical mode decomposition for vibration signal analysis
Authors: Rezaee Mousa , Taraghi Osguei Amin
Published: February 2016

In this paper, the empirical mode decomposition as a signal processing method has been studied to overcome one of its shortcomings. In the previous studies, some improvements have been made on the empirical mode decomposition and it has been applied for condition monitoring of mechanical systems. These improvements include elimination of mode mixing and restraining of end effect in empirical mode decomposition method. In this research, to increase the accuracy of empirical mode decomposition, a new local mean has been proposed in the sifting process. Through the proposed local mean, the overshoot and undershoot problems in defining the local mean of common algorithm are alleviated. Meanwhile, it is capable to separate the components with close frequencies. Through the analysis of simulated signals via the new algorithm, it is shown that the accuracy is improved. Finally, empirical mode decomposition-based fault diagnosis approach has been applied to a vibration signal obtained from a faulty gearbox. The results show that the proposed method can resolve the effects of damage in vibration signals better than the common empirical mode decomposition method and helps for the isolation and localization of the fault.
Research on distribution pattern for central pose errors of 6-degrees of freedom docking mechanism
Authors: Li Jianguang , Ding Jian , guo Lijie , Yao Yingxue , Xu Chuntian , Fang Honggen
Published: February 2016

Central pose errors involving central position error and central orientation error are critical indexes for 6-degrees of freedom docking mechanism assembly quality. The performance of assembly could be evaluated during virtual assembly stage in terms of these indexes. However, the evaluation process for assembly has to employ Monte Carlo simulation, which leads to huge computation cost and usually makes the process impossible. This paper gives an insight of the relation between central pose errors and structural errors and finds that the central position error and central orientation error of docking mechanism conform to Rayleigh distribution model at symmetric pose configuration. In comparison, the maximum difference between results with Rayleigh model-based assembly performance and Monte Carlo simulation-based one is no more than 1.22%. With this model, the evaluation process for assembly performance could be facilitated significantly.
Is Empathic Accuracy Enough to Facilitate Responsive Behavior in Dyadic Interaction? Distinguishing Ability From Motivation
Authors: Winczewski Lauren A. , Bowen Jeffrey D. , Collins Nancy L.
Published: February 2016

Growing evidence suggests that interpersonal responsiveness—feeling understood, validated, and cared for by other people—plays a key role in shaping the quality of one’s social interactions and relationships. But what enables people to be interpersonally responsive to others? In the current study, we argued that responsiveness requires not only accurate understanding but also compassionate motivation. Specifically, we hypothesized that understanding another person’s thoughts and feelings (empathic accuracy) would foster responsive behavior only when paired with benevolent motivation (empathic concern). To test this idea, we asked couples ( N = 91) to discuss a personal or relationship stressor; we then assessed empathic accuracy, empathic concern, and responsive behavior. As predicted, when listeners’ empathic concern was high, empathic accuracy facilitated responsiveness; but when empathic concern was low, empathic accuracy was unhelpful (and possibly harmful) for responsiveness. These findings provide the first evidence that cognitive and affective forms of empathy work together to facilitate responsive behavior.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) – A novel member of the autoimmune family
Authors: Dahan S , Tomljenovic L , Shoenfeld Y
Published: February 2016

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a heterogeneous disorder of the autonomic nervous system in which a change from the supine position to an upright position causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate or tachycardia (30 bpm within 10 min of standing or head-up tilt). This response is accompanied by a decrease in blood flow to the brain and hence a spectrum of symptoms associated with cerebral hypoperfusion.1 Many of these POTS-related symptoms are also observed in chronic anxiety and panic disorders, and therefore POTS is frequently under- and misdiagnosed.2,3