bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterizing Journey Time Performance on Urban Metro Systems under Varying Operating Conditions
Authors: Singh Ramandeep , Graham Daniel J. , Anderson Richard J.
Published: May 2019

Automated fare collection (AFC) data provide opportunities for improved measurement of public transport service quality from the passenger perspective. In this paper, AFC data from the London Underground are used to measure service quality through an analysis of journey time performance under regular and incident-affected operating conditions. The analysis involves two parts: (i) parametrically defining the shape of journey time distributions, and (ii) defining three performance metrics based on the moments of the distributions to measure the mean and variance of journey times. The metrics show that mean journey times are longest during the afternoon peak across all lines analyzed, and are more variable during the afternoon and off-peak periods depending on the line. Under incident conditions, mean journey times range from 8% to 39% longer compared with regular conditions, depending on the line. Overall, the main application of this work is that the metrics presented here can be directly applied by operators to quantify customer journey time performance, and can be further extended for industry-wide application to compare performance across metro networks.
Masculinity and Military Culture in VA Hospice and Palliative Care: A Narrative Review With Clinical Recommendations
Authors: Plys Evan , Smith Ronald , Jacobs M. Lindsey
Published: May 2019

This article examines the intersection between masculinity, military culture, and hospice and palliative care (HPC). The authors conducted a narrative literature review, supplemented with clinical annotations, to identify the impact of masculinity and military culture on the following topics salient to end-of-life care with older male veterans: pain management, mental health, coping, communication, autonomy and respect, and family roles. Findings suggest that traits associated with masculinity and military culture have an influence on the end-of-life process and HPC for older male veterans. Specifically, results suggest that older male veterans may deny or minimize physical pain, decline mental health treatment, utilize maladaptive coping strategies, avoid emotional conversations, struggle to manage perceived shifts in autonomy, and experience challenges negotiating changing family roles. The authors provide clinical recommendations for providers across various disciplines to address the aforementioned concerns with older male veterans in HPC. Overall, information presented in this article may be an important contribution to the literature for building cultural competencies with older male veterans and has the potential to improve the delivery of HPC for veterans and their families.
Chronic Pain, Physical Activity, and All-Cause Mortality in the US Adults: The NHANES 1999-2004 Follow-Up Study
Authors: Kim Youngdeok , Umeda Masataka
Published: May 2019

Purpose:

The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the relationship between chronic pain and the risk of all-cause mortality and (2) to explore the role of physical activity (PA) in this relationship.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Setting:

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 1999 and 2004.

Participants:

A total of 7384 adults aged ≥40 years old.

Measures:

Chronic pain and PA were assessed based on the responses to miscellaneous pain and leisure-time PA questionnaires collected during the household interview. The 2011 mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics were linked to the NHANES participants.

Analysis:

Cox proportional hazard analyses after accounting for the complex sampling design of the NHANES.

Results:

After adjusting for several key covariates including sociodemographic variables, chronic health conditions, and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, individuals with localized or widespread chronic pains showed greater risk of all-cause mortality when compared to individuals with no chronic pain (hazard ratios [HRs] = 1.26 and 1.41, respectively). However, the association was attenuated by further adjustment of PA levels, where engagement of PA ≥150 min/wk was associated with reduced risk of mortality regardless of chronic pain conditions ( P for trends between <.001 and .028). The joint analysis further demonstrated that individuals with localized or widespread chronic pains who had PA ≥150 min/wk had lower risk of mortality (HRs = 0.53 and 0.58, respectively) when compared to those without chronic pain who reported no leisure time PA.

Conclusion:

This study highlighted the important role of PA in reducing the risk of mortality for individuals with chronic pain. Further public health efforts to promote PA in this vulnerable population group are required.
A theoretical parallel between cognitive and biological development with potential implications for measurement in psychology
Authors: Humphry Stephen M.
Published: May 2019

This article identifies a formal parallel between quantitative analysis of cognitive and biological development based on work by Georg Rasch in psychometrics and Julian Huxley in biology. The analysis and synthesis results in an interpretation of the parameters of Rasch’s item response model whereby increases in latent cognitive development manifest as exponential increases in performance odds. This relationship directly parallels a relationship between biological development and its manifestation in weight, termed simple allometry. Attainment data analysed by Rasch were shown to exhibit a simple allometry. It is shown that the formal theoretical parallel may have applications for formulating and testing theory regarding cognitive development. Such tests may have implications for establishing a substantive basis for the measurement of cognitive abilities.
The Würzburg School today: The three—now four—world theory and new psychological research
Authors: Wettersten John
Published: May 2019

Research in cognitive psychology has been by and large dominated by attempts to explain how psychological processes can be explained as products of biological ones; these processes are presumed to be causal. These theories fail to account for and be integrated with theories of non-causal mental activities. In order to bridge this gap a new theory of mental processes is needed. Karl Popper and John Eccles’s three world theory offers a promising path. According to this view there are biological entities, rational thought processes and ideas’. It is a revision of a view that Popper adopted as a member and student of the Würzburg School, which held that there are biological entities, causal psychological processes and ideas’. By going back towards the original and redoing it as a four world theory, by adding to it non-causal rational thought processes, the unfortunate widespread influence of associationist psychology and inductivist methods may be overcome and new social aspects of cognitive psychology may be opened.
Developing a Reflective Mind: From Core Metacognition to Explicit Self-Reflection
Authors: Goupil Louise , Kouider Sid
Published: May 2019

Metacognition is the ability to monitor and control cognition. Because young children often provide inaccurate metacognitive judgments when prompted to do so verbally, it has long been assumed that this ability does not develop until late childhood. This claim is now challenged by new studies using nonverbal paradigms and revealing that basic forms of metacognition—such as the ability to estimate decision confidence or to monitor errors—are present even in preverbal infants. This new line of evidence suggests that young children adapt to their environment not only by considering their physical and social surroundings but also by reflecting on their own cognitive states.
Book review: Jeanne Bliss, Would You Do That to Your Mother?
Authors: Lakshmi K.
Published: May 2019

Jeanne Bliss, Would You Do That to Your Mother? 2018, New York, NY: Penguin Random House LLC, 264 pp., USD27/CAD36 (paperback). ISBN: 978-07352-178-12.
Book review: Ganesh Chella, Harish Devarajan and V. J. Rao, HR Here and Now: The Making of the Quintessential People Champion
Authors: Bisht Nidhi S.
Published: May 2019

Ganesh Chella, Harish Devarajan and V. J. Rao, HR Here and Now: The Making of the Quintessential People Champion, 2018, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 372 pp., ₹595, ISBN: 978-93-528-0693-5.
Book review: Anne-Mette Rosting, The Law of Possibilities: How to Get What You Want
Authors: Kaushal Leena Ajit
Published: May 2019

Anne-Mette Rosting, The Law of Possibilities: How to Get What You Want (1st ed.), 2018, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 232 pp., $14.99. ISBN: 9789352805723.
Women, men, and five Olympic rings: An examination of Chinese Central Television’s broadcast of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Authors: Xu Qingru , Billings Andrew , Wang Hua , Jin Rui , Guo Sitong , Xu Mingming
Published: May 2019

This study conducts a content analysis on Chinese Central Television’s broadcasting of figure skating, short track speed skating, and freestyle skiing—the three most popular winter sports in the People’s Republic of China—at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics from the perspective of biological sex. A full examination of 100% (over 37 h) of Chinese Central Television’s broadcast coverage was analyzed in terms of clock-time, name-mentions, and descriptors. In each sport examined, female athletes received less clock-time and fewer name-mentions compared to their male counterparts. However, in the analysis of 7765 descriptors, relatively few significant differences between depictions of male and female athletes were uncovered, potentially explained by the Communist legacy of erasing women’s feminine characteristics and the relatively equal number of male and female commentators in Chinese Central Television’s sports newsrooms. Also, compared to many Western countries, male figure skaters in the People’s Republic of China received more clock-time and name-mentions, possibly attributed to cultural differences in defining ideal masculinity across East Asia and the West.
Mesoscopic free energy as a framework for modeling shape memory alloys
Authors: Ballew Wesley , Seelecke Stefan
Published: May 2019

This article presents a reinterpretation of the one-dimensional shape memory alloy model by Müller, Achenbach, and Seelecke (M-A-S) that offers extended capabilities and a simpler formulation. The cornerstone of this model is a continuous, multi-well free energy that governs phase change at a mesoscopic material scale. The free energy has been reformulated to allow asymmetric tensile and compressive behavior as well as temperature-dependent hysteresis while maintaining the necessary smoothness conditions. The free energy is then used to derive expressions for latent heat coefficients that include the influence of stress, the difference in stiffness between the phases, and irreversibility. Special attention is devoted to the role of irreversibility and latent heat predictions, which are compared to experimental measurements. The new model also includes an updated set of kinetics equations that operate on the convexity of the energy wells instead of the height of the energy barriers. This modification eliminates several sets of equations from the overall formulation without any compromises in performance and also bypasses limitations of the barrier-based equations.
Development and Application of a Novel Patient-Reported Outcome Measure on QoL and Facial Aesthetics—A Study on South Indian Population
Authors: Menon Akash , Krishnan Shalini , Shetty Vikram
Published: May 2019

Background:

The goal of cleft therapy has progressed from simply correcting the deformity to uplifting the patient’s quality of life (QoL). At the end of comprehensive treatment, a patient with cleft lip and palate (CLP) should report with satisfactory QoL scores in all domains such as aesthetics, speech, function, and psychology.

Objective:

To develop and validate a novel, disease-specific questionnaire designed in 2 regional languages to assess the QoL in young adult patients with CLP of South India following comprehensive treatment.

Methods:

A preliminary questionnaire was created from the literature review and patient interviews, considering regional sociodemographic conditions. The questionnaire was then validated by subject experts and pilot tested. The resultant tool was implemented on patients at treatment completion. Data collected were assimilated for statistical evaluation.

Results:

The questionnaire was deemed reliable (Cronbach α = .854 and test–retest reliability, κ = 0.8) and was administered to 100 young adult patients with CLP (mean age: 22 years). A large majority (83%) of the population felt more confident about themselves, with positive responses to familial relations, social interaction, and self-image. About 25% of the patients faced problems with speech regularly, while a majority of patients did not face problems with chewing and swallowing. Nearly 60% of patients were fully satisfied with their facial appearance, while others had concerns about their lip and nose aesthetics. The results were descriptive of the local population.

Conclusions:

Most patients achieved satisfactory QoL in all domains following comprehensive multispeciality therapy. The novel tool is simple, reliable, and can be adapted to homogenous population groups.
Clientelism by Committee: The Effect of Legislator–Constituent Relationships on Legislative Organization
Authors: VanDusky-Allen Julie , Touchton Michael
Published: May 2019

In this paper, we analyze how legislator–voter relationships influence legislative organization. We argue that legislators who engage in clientelistic practices to gain votes will create much larger committee systems, with more committees, than legislators who engage in more programmatic practices. We test these arguments using an original dataset on the number of committees in the lower chambers of seventy-seven democracies throughout the world. Our analysis demonstrates that the number of committees is higher in legislatures with clientelistic practices than in legislatures with programmatic practices. The results provide a new understanding of how legislator–voter relationships influence legislative organization and lay the groundwork for a series of studies that examine how the clientelism-programmatic spectrum influences legislative organization.
Relational Style and Couple Sexual Style: Similar or Different
Authors: McCarthy Barry , Ross Lana Wald
Published: May 2019

Relational style focuses on how a couple organizes their relationship and deals with differences and conflicts. In contrast, the couple sexual style refers to how each person maintains their sexual autonomy (i.e., sexual voice) while being an intimate sexual team integrating intimacy and eroticism. Typically, a couple’s sexual style is different than their relational style. This concept can be motivating and empowering, especially for couples in therapy.
A Model Shows Utility in Predicting Postoperative Recurrence and Distant Metastasis in Curatively Resected Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer
Authors: Wang Weidong , Chen Yongqiang , Zhang Xuewen , Xi Kexing , Feng Xiaoli , Zhang Lanjun
Published: May 2019

After curative treatment of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC), patients are at high risk for recurrence. The objective of this study was to develop an index with a high sensitivity and specificity to predict ESCC patients’ recurrence and prognosis. A retrospective analysis was conducted on consecutive patients with EC who underwent esophagectomy. In total, 1417 patients were included in the current investigation. In total, 770 patients were included in the current study’s exploratory group. Alcohol consumption, TNM classification, number of lymph node station metastases, and number of lymph node metastases were significantly correlated with recurrence. Multivariate logistical regression analysis resulted in the development of an equation for predicting recurrence and prognosis (REEC). When using the REEC value to predict recurrence, the cutoff value was 1.095, the area under the curve (AUC) values of the REEC were 0.68 ( p < 0.001) in the Exploratory Group and 0.65 ( p < 0.001) in the Validation Group, and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.68% and 51.18%, respectively. When using the REEC value to predict prognosis, the cutoff value was 1.215, the AUC values of the REEC were 0.65 ( p < 0.001) in the Exploratory Group and 0.64 ( p < 0.001) in the Validation Group, and the sensitivity and specificity were 73.12% and 50.67%, respectively. In the Exploratory Group, when the REEC value was >1.095, patients had a longer median overall survival (OS) and median disease-free survival (DFS) than those whose REEC value was < 1.095 (70.01±2.01 months versus 50.92±2.85 months and 75.66±1.35 months versus 53.68±2.81 months, respectively, p < 0.001). The differences were confirmed to still exist in the Validation Group (48.12±1.47 vs 32.68±2.53 months and 55.61±1.32 vs 35.68±2.73 months respectively, p < 0.001).This study reported an index that can predict esophageal cancer recurrence and prognosis, and its use can benefit patients.
Atypical Prefrontal–Amygdala Circuitry Following Childhood Exposure to Abuse: Links With Adolescent Psychopathology
Authors: Peverill Matthew , Sheridan Margaret A. , Busso Daniel S. , McLaughlin Katie A.
Published: May 2019

Adverse childhood experiences have been associated with more negative coupling between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and amygdala, a brain network involved in emotion regulation in both children and adults. This pattern may be particularly likely to emerge in individuals exposed to threatening experiences during childhood (e.g., exposure to child abuse), although this has not been examined in prior research. We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data on 57 adolescents during an emotion regulation task. Greater negative functional connectivity between vmPFC and amygdala occurred during viewing of negative compared to neutral images. This vmPFC-amygdala task-related functional connectivity was more negative in adolescents exposed to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse than those without a history of maltreatment and was associated with abuse severity. This pattern of more negative functional connectivity was associated with higher levels of externalizing psychopathology concurrently and 2 years later. Greater negative connectivity in the vmPFC-amygdala network during passive viewing of negative images may reflect disengagement of regulatory responses from vmPFC in situations eliciting strong amygdala reactivity, potentially due to stronger appraisals of threat in children exposed to early threatening environments. This pattern may be adaptive in the short term but place adolescents at higher risk of psychopathology later in life.
Effect of different encapsulating agent combinations on viability of Lactobacillus casei Shirota during storage, in simulated gastrointestinal conditions and dairy dessert
Authors: Gul Osman , Atalar Ilyas , Gul Latife Betul
Published: May 2019

In this study, the effects of various matrices consisting of maltodextrin and reconstitute skim milk and their binary and ternary mixtures with gum Arabic in the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus casei Shirota by freeze-drying technique were assessed. Microcapsules produced with reconstitute skim milk showed high viability (>99%) after freeze drying. While the free cells were completely inactivated after exposure to simulated gastrointestinal conditions, the survival rates of microencapsulated L. casei Shirota were found high for all microcapsules except for maltodextrin and maltodextrin:gum Arabic formulas. The viability of microencapsulated L. casei Shirota during storage at refrigerate and room temperatures decreased between 0.39 and 2.43 log cycles and microcapsules produced with reconstitute skim milk:gum Arabic was found more durable at the both storage conditions. Reduction in the number of free cells was higher than encapsulated L. casei Shirota numbers during production of dessert, however the viability of encapsulated L. casei Shirota was found stable for 14 days of storage and consequently desserts containing encapsulated L. casei Shirota (except maltodextrin) showed stable pH values. This study revealed that combination of reconstitute skim milk:gum Arabic was an effective wall matrix for microencapsulation of L. casei Shirota by freeze drying and also very resistant against gastrointestinal fluids and storage conditions in view of protection of L. casei Shirota.
Massive iridoschisis after penetrating keratoplasty successfully managed with nd:Yag punctures: A case report
Authors: Petrovic Aleksandra , Kymionis Georgios
Published: May 2019

Background:

To describe the successful management of a massive iridoschisis after penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus, using the nd:YAG punctures.

Case presentation:

A 73-year-old male patient has undergone four penetrating keratoplasties for keratoconus. Nine months after the last surgery, patient presented with massive iridoschisis involving the visual axis. Patient was successfully treated with nd:YAG laser iridopunctures.

Conclusion:

Massive iridoschisis could be a potential complication of keratoconus, especially after penetrating keratoplasty. This condition can be potentially treated with nd:YAG iridopunctures.
Ultrasound-guided central venous vascular access—novel needle navigation technology compared with conventional method: A randomized study
Authors: Chew Sou Chen , Beh Zhi Yuen , Hakumat Rai Vineya Rai , Jamaluddin Mohamad Fadhil , Ng Ching Choe , Chinna Karuthan , Hasan M Shahnaz
Published: May 2019

Purpose:

Central venous catheter insertion is a common procedure in the intensive care setting. However, complications persist despite real-time ultrasound guidance. Recent innovation in needle navigation technology using guided positioning system enables the clinician to visualize the needle’s real-time position and trajectory as it approaches the target. We hypothesized that the guided positioning system would improve performance time in central venous catheter insertion.

Methods:

A prospective randomized study was conducted in a single-center adult intensive care unit. In total, 100 patients were randomized into two groups. These patients underwent internal jugular vein central venous catheter cannulation with ultrasound guidance (short-axis scan, out-of-plane needling approach) in which one group adopted conventional method, while the other group was aided with the guided positioning system. Outcomes were measured by procedural efficacy (success rate, number of attempts, time to successful cannulation), complications, level of operators’ experience, and their satisfaction.

Results:

All patients had successful cannulation on the first attempt except for one case in the conventional group. The median performance time for the guided positioning system method was longer (25.5 vs 15.5 s; p = 0.01). And 86% of the operators had more than 3-year experience in anesthesia. One post-insertion hematoma occurred in the conventional group. Only 88% of the operators using the guided positioning system method were satisfied compared to 100% in the conventional group.

Conclusion:

Ultrasound-guided central venous catheter insertion via internal jugular vein was a safe procedure in both conventional and guided positioning system methods. The guided positioning system did not confer additional benefit but was associated with slower performance time and lower satisfaction level among the experienced operators.
Frequency and characteristics of short versus longitudinally extensive myelitis in adults with MOG antibodies: A retrospective multicentric study
Authors: Ciron Jonathan , Cobo-Calvo Alvaro , Audoin Bertrand , Bourre Bertrand , Brassat David , Cohen Mikael , Collongues Nicolas , Deschamps Romain , Durand-Dubief Françoise , Laplaud David , Maillart Elisabeth , Papeix Caroline , Zephir Hélène , Bereau Matthieu , Brochet Bruno , Carra-Dallière Clarisse , Derache Nathalie , Gagou-Scherer Clarisse , Henry Carole , Kerschen Philippe , Mathey Guillaume , Maubeuge Nicolas , Maurousset Aude , Montcuquet Alexis , Moreau Thibault , Prat Christophe , Taithe Frédéric , Thouvenot Eric , Tourbah Ayman , Rollot Fabien , Vukusic Sandra , Marignier Romain
Published: May 2019

Objectives:

We aim to (1) determine the frequency and distinctive features of short myelitis (SM) and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) in a cohort of adults with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-antibody (Ab)-associated myelitis and (2) determine baseline prognostic factors among MOG-Ab-positive patients whose disease started with myelitis.

Material and Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed clinical and paraclinical variables from a multicentric French cohort of adults with MOG-Ab-associated myelitis. At last follow-up, patients were classified into two groups according to the severity of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) as ⩽2.5 or ⩾3.0.

Results:

Seventy-three patients with at least one episode of myelitis over disease course were included; among them, 28 (38.4%) presented with SM at the time of the first myelitis. Motor and sphincter involvement was less frequently observed in SM (51.9% and 48.2%, respectively) than in LETM patients (83.3% and 78.6%, respectively), p = 0.007 and p = 0.017; 61% of LETM patients displayed brain lesions compared to 28.6% in the SM group, p = 0.008, and the thoracic segment was more frequently involved in the LETM (82.2%) than in the SM group (39.3%), p < 0.001. EDSS at last follow-up was higher in LETM (median 3.0 (interquartile range: 2.0–4.0)) compared to SM patients (2.0, (1.0–3.0)), p = 0.042. Finally, a higher EDSS at onset was identified as the only independent risk factor for EDSS ⩾3.0 (odds ratio, 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.95, p = 0.046).

Conclusion:

SM in MOG-Ab-associated disease is not rare. The severity at onset was the only independent factor related to the final prognosis in MOG-Ab-associated myelitis.
Rebel funding and child soldiers: Exploring the relationship between natural resources and forcible recruitment
Authors: Haer Roos , Faulkner Christopher Michael , Whitaker Beth Elise
Published: May 2019

Why do some rebel groups forcibly recruit children while others largely refrain from using this strategy? We argue that it depends, in part, on their ability to profit from natural resources. Rebel groups that earn funding from natural resources have less incentive to restrain abusive behavior such as the forced recruitment of children and more incentive to tolerate and even promote this recruitment strategy. To test our expectations, we collected new data on the level of forcible recruitment of children by rebel groups. This is distinct from the broader use of child soldiers, a significant portion of whom volunteer to join armed groups. We combined the information on forced recruitment with a recent data set on rebel groups’ exploitation of natural resources. Our analyses show that rebel groups that profit from natural resources are significantly more likely to forcibly recruit children than groups that do not exploit natural resources. Looking at specific characteristics, rebels that extract lootable resources are more likely to engage in the forced recruitment of children than groups that profit only from non-lootable resources or from no natural resources at all. The findings have important implications for our understanding of the relationship between rebels’ revenue streams and their engagement in human rights violations.
Therapy competence in delivering a brief cognitive behavioural therapy intervention to reduce maternal anxiety associated with child food allergy
Authors: Vickers Bea , Boyle Robert J , Umasunthar Thisanayagam , Smith Jared G , Hodes Matthew
Published: May 2019

Child food allergy is increasingly prevalent, and caring for such children is associated with elevated parental anxiety. We previously carried out a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) of brief cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for parental anxiety associated with child food allergy which found that treatment to be effective. This study describes the manualized brief CBT intervention and assesses the acquisition of competence in delivering this therapy. Three healthcare professionals were trained and supervised in the delivery of brief CBT to 98 mothers of food-allergic children. Competency was assessed using the Revised Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS-R), with ‘competency’ defined as a CTS-R score ≥3. All therapists’ CTS-R scores increased over time. In the first four months, the mean (SD) CTS-R score was 2.31 (0.56), increasing to 3.14 (0.41) in the second four months ( p < .001). Overall, 13/19 (68%) of CBT sessions were rated with a CTS-R score ≥3 in the second four months. After eight months, all therapists were performing CBT at a competent level (17 of the 18 sessions or 94%). The therapists participated in a RCT that reduced maternal anxiety (reported elsewhere). We have shown that therapists not previously trained in CBT can be trained in specific interventions and reach competent levels quickly.
Internal coordination of social security in the United Kingdom
Authors: Poole Ed Gareth , Ifan Guto
Published: May 2019

Although social security is traditionally viewed as a highly centralised function in the UK, health care and long-term social care have long been devolved to sub-state governments, an arrangement requiring extensive internal coordination agreements. This coordination has various objectives, including ensuring parity of benefits provision in Northern Ireland (where social assistance is devolved) and Great Britain (where it is centralised), securing financial reimbursements for cross-border health care provision, and determining responsibility and eligibility criteria for individuals in need of social care. Further devolution and decentralisation of social security benefits over the past decade have made such coordination arrangements even more essential.
Internal coordination of social security in federal Belgium
Authors: Schoukens Paul , Gorissen Greta
Published: May 2019

This article depicts the internal coordination of social security schemes, covered by EU Regulation no. 883/2004 in the federal state of Belgium. Since the first state reform in 1970, Belgium gradually evolved from a unitary into a federal state. Next to the federal level, there are two additional levels, the Communities and the Regions. Family allowances and long-term care insurance are, for instance, within the competence of the Communities. The article outlines the extent of federalism and decentralisation, the adjudication of competence between the federated entities and the financial arrangements between the federal state and the federated entities as well as the financial arrangements between the federated entities.
Internal coordination of social security in Spain
Authors: Suárez Corujo Borja
Published: May 2019

This paper introduces the topic of the internal coordination of regional and local social security schemes in Spain. In the field of social security, the constitutional framework imposes different solutions in terms of the division of competences between State and Autonomous Communities, depending on the branch of (public) social protection. In the provision of long-term social care, for instance, both the State and the Autonomous Communities participate. Healthcare services are mainly provided by the Autonomous Communities without prejudice to certain aspects of the role played by the State. Social assistance through cash benefits or social services are exclusively provided by the Autonomous Communities, with the deep participation of local entities, especially in the case of social services. The paper outlines the extent of devolution and decentralisation, and the adjudication of competence and financial arrangements. The final section addresses some specific questions in healthcare, long-term social care and social assistance.
Are LEED-certified healthcare buildings in the USA truly impacting sustainability?
Authors: Ullah Zeeshan , Thaheem Muhammad Jamaluddin , Waheed Abdul , Maqsoom Ahsen
Published: May 2019

Healthcare buildings are energy and water intensive, which remarkably impacts their sustainability. They also share a larger portion of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has been rating healthcare buildings under a separate category of Building Design and Construction (BD + C): Healthcare to acknowledge their role and importance. This research investigates the credit points achieved by these buildings using all versions and rating systems of LEED BD + C: Healthcare. The results report a very small number of Platinum-certified buildings as compared to other certification levels. Further, Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution is applied on credit points and certification levels according to their rating system, climate and location to reveal that buildings require a lot more effort to raise their certification level from Gold to Platinum as compared to the effort required between Gold, Silver and Certified. Based on this, a new certification level is proposed. Furthermore, buildings located in dry weather and South region of the USA have been shown to achieve better credit points. The findings can help designers in scoring better LEED points, which could help promote the culture of rating systems.
Self-reported harm from others’ alcohol, cigarette and illegal drug use in Norway
Authors: Moan Inger Synnøve , Bye Elin K , Storvoll Elisabet E , Lund Ingunn Olea
Published: May 2019

Aims:

While it is documented that substance use harms others than the user, less is known about which substances people experience most harm from, and who the victims and perpetrators are. The aims were: (i) to estimate the prevalence of and overlap in self-reported harm from others’ alcohol, cigarette, and illegal drug use; (ii) to examine potential differences in the prevalence of harm from close relations’ and strangers’ use; and (iii) to examine how the prevalence of harm varies according to demographics and the respondents’ substance use.

Methods:

Population surveys conducted among 16–64-year-old Norwegians in 2012 and 2016 ( N = 3407) assessed self-reported harm from others’ alcohol, cigarette and illegal drug use with identical measures, demographic variables and the respondents’ substance use.

Results:

Experience of harm from others’ alcohol use was most common, followed by others’ smoking. For all three substances, a higher proportion experienced harm from close relations’ use. Nearly half had experienced harm from others’ use of at least one substance. Women and younger participants were more likely to report harm from others’ alcohol and cigarette use. While alcohol and illegal drug users were more often harmed by others’ use of these substances, smokers reported being less often harmed by others’ smoking.

Conclusions:

Self-reported harm from others’ alcohol, cigarette and illegal drug use corresponds with the prevalence of use of these substances in Norway. For all three substances, close relations’ use accounted for more harm than strangers’ use. Own substance use was an important correlate of experienced harm.
‘Politics as a Vocation’: A contribution to Germany’s democratisation in 1919?
Authors: Bruhns Hinnerk
Published: May 2019

Max Weber’s much-commented speech of January 1919 on ‘ Politik als Beruf’ is analysed in this article in a double context – on the one hand, in the concrete political context of the months of January and February 1919; on the other hand, in connection with his major political treatises, especially Parliament and Government in Germany under a New Political Order. This leads to a reassessment of Weber’s concept of the professional politician, as well as to the insight that the frequent translation of the title of his lecture to ‘Politics as a Vocation’ does not touch the core of Weber’s view of politics in parliamentary democracies.
An archaeology of decolonization: Imperial intimacies in contemporary Lisbon
Authors: Coelho Rui Gomes
Published: May 2019

The fall of the European empires over the course of the 20th century forced massive migratory flows from the former colonies to the old metropolis and between colonized regions. The experiences that came with the loss of colonies were traumatic for the erstwhile colonials, who carried their imperial nostalgia to the old metropolises. The social and political consequences of these longings are still unfolding in former colonizing societies. This article critically engages the materialization of lusotropical sensibilities, focusing on contemporary Portuguese decolonization as it is experienced in Lisbon’s urban landscape. I argue that cafés, restaurants, and pastry shops frequented by retornados are not only places of memory but spaces where imperial longings are ingested and internalized.
Curriculum Framework development as space for lecturer professional learning: A teacher educator’s self-study
Authors: Mukeredzi Tabitha Grace
Published: May 2019

The self-study investigates my professional learning during participation, coordination and facilitation of a Curriculum Framework development project for Advanced Diploma in Adult Education with adult education academics from 10 South African universities. The potential for reflective questions as a key reflection and professional learning resource is also examined. Data were drawn from: my recorded experiences as teacher, education advisor, teacher educator and adult educator; transcripts of personal reflections and observations during workshops; audio recordings of workshop engagement; reading adult education as text and transcripts of participants’ responses to reflective questions. Content analysis revealed that use of reflective questions led to growth of my and participants’ professional learning, growth in my professional thinking and a re-assessment of my new role as teacher educator in adult education. The study was vital for challenging my beliefs and assumptions about collaborative engagement of adult education academics in Curriculum Framework development. Reflective questions emerged as a vital tool for reflection and professional learning which can promote systematic critical reflection and, consequently, professional learning and growth.
Concordance of Organ Donation and Other Altruistic Behaviors Among Twins
Authors: Huml Anne M. , Thornton J. Daryl , Figueroa Maria , Cain Katrice , Dolata Jacqueline , Scott Karen , Sullivan Catherine , Sehgal Ashwini R.
Published: May 2019

Introduction:

Organ donation and other altruistic behaviors may be influenced by multiple factors, such as demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, and social norms.

Research Question:

What is the role of genetic factors on altruism in identical and fraternal twin pairs?

Design:

Twins attending a twin festival (N = 296) completed an organ donation and altruistic behavior survey.

Results:

Concordance for stage of change for organ donation was 65% among identical twin pairs versus 33% among fraternal twin pairs ( P = .004). Concordance was higher among identical versus fraternal twin pairs for several altruistic behaviors, including giving directions to a stranger (63% vs 24%, P < .001), giving money to a stranger (51% vs 29%, P = .048), donating goods to charity (46% vs 16%, P = .005), and offering a seat on the bus (46% vs 24%, P = .04).

Discussion:

We conclude that genetic factors may play a role in decisions about organ donation and other altruistic behaviors.
Effects of Dose Rate on the Reproductive Cell Death and Early Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in Different Human Epithelium-Derived Cells Exposed to Gamma Rays
Authors: Vo Nguyen T. K. , Shahid Marwan , Seymour Colin B. , Mothersill Carmel E.
Published: May 2019

Dose rate is one of the most varied experimental parameters in radiation biology research. In this study, effects of dose rates on the radiation responses of 2 different types of human epithelium-derived cells, immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT), and colorectal cancer cells (HCT116 p53+/+ and HCT116 p53−/−) were systematically studied. Cells were γ-irradiated at one of the 4 dose rates (24.6, 109, 564, and 1168 mGy/min) to a total dose of 0.5 to 2 Gy. Clonogenic survival and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were measured to assess the levels of reproductive cell death and damage to mitochondrial physiology, respectively. It was found that clonogenic survival was similar at all 4 tested dose rates in the 3 cell lines. The loss of MMP occurred at all tested dose rates in all 3 cell lines except for one case where the MMP increased in HCT116 p53+/+cells after exposure to 0.5 Gy at 24.6 mGy/min. In HCT116 cells, the loss of MMP was the most severe at high dose/dose rate combination exposure and when p53 was expressed. In contrast, no effect in dose rate was observed with HaCaT cells as the reduction level of MMP was similar at the tested dose rates.
Study of the Kalthoff–Winkler experiment using an ordinary state-based peridynamic model under low velocity impact
Authors: Guo JS , Gao WC
Published: May 2019

To overcome the limitation of constant Poisson’s ratio in bond-based peridynamics, an ordinary state-based peridynamic (OSB PD) model was applied to simulate dynamic crack propagation in Kalthoff–Winkler specimen subjected to a low velocity impact. A typical linear peridynamic solid material constitutive was implemented to characterize the materials’ behavior. This article focuses on capturing the underlying mechanisms of dynamic crack propagation; thus a wave propagation analysis was conducted, and the analysis was further verified by changing configurations of the specimen in horizontal and/or vertical directions. In addition, to evaluate the influence of parameters, a detailed parametric study of impact speed, plate thickness, and notch tip radius was performed. Crack initiation and propagation results agree well with experimental observations. Through parametric analysis, it was found that the impact speed has a remarkable influence on both crack propagation speed and crack path: increase of impact speed causes increased crack propagation speed and decreased crack angle; plate thickness has influence only on crack propagation speed: thicker plate leads to lower crack propagation speed; and notch radius has almost no influence on both of them.
(In defense of) pedagogies of obscenity
Authors: Wolgemuth Jennifer R , Koro-Ljungberg Mirka , Barko Timothy
Published: May 2019

Despite best efforts to the contrary, obscenity oozes out from under the rugs of “polite” schooling and “tidy” society. In this post-qualitative inquiry, the authors pursue questions in defense of pedagogies of obscenity. In what ways do educators fail to educate when they eschew obscenity, understand shame and disgust as opposite to curiosity, and seek to teach in safe and sanitized classrooms? How might obscenity be educative? Drawing on their classroom experiences, the authors engage Žižek and Gallop in an analysis of (potentially) offensive classroom practices and events. They conclude that (Žižek and Gallop’s) obscenity might enable scholars and educators to generate critical classroom spaces that travel a delicate line between offense, discomfort, and learning. The authors suggest that there is much to defend in a pedagogy of obscenity, and that the value of obscenity may be learning to live and work more critically with(in) and against the perversions of education.
Absenteeism and the new 10% ruling in Norway: A case study
Authors: Thomas Paul , Hennum Øyvind
Published: May 2019

This study considers the issue of absenteeism in Norwegian high schools with a particular focus on the new controversial 10% ceiling, which began in August 2016. Data was obtained through documentary sources and participant observation in one high school with one of the highest absenteeism rates in the capital, Oslo. Employing Foucault’s ‘panoptic gaze’, the study also interrogates schools’ growing dependence on technology in self-reporting absence and enacting more effective forms of ‘disciplinary power’. The study argues that each school and each individual case warrant careful attention before macro-policies on a national level are enacted by politicians, who at best have a superficial familiarity with the challenges and uncertainties that constrain these students’ academic progress.
Soft tissue resurfacing for glenohumeral arthritis: a systematic review
Authors: Meaike Joshua J , Patterson Diana C , Anthony Shawn G , Parsons Bradford O , Cagle Paul J
Published: May 2019

Background

Severe glenohumeral arthritis in the young/active patient remains challenging. Historically, glenohumeral arthrodesis was recommended with limited return of function. Total shoulder arthroplasty has shown increasing survivorship at 15 years; however it is still not ideal for young patients. Biologic resurfacing of the glenoid with humeral head replacement has shown promising results.

Methods

The PubMed and Embase databases were queried for studies evaluating outcomes of glenoid biologic resurfacing with autograft or allograft. Two independent reviewers performed a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines.

Results

Eleven studies (268 shoulders, 264 patients) were included. Minimum follow-up was 24 months in all but one study; patient age ranged from 14 to 75 years. Glenoid grafts used included 44.3% lateral meniscus allografts, 25.4% human acellular dermal matrix, 14.2% Achilles tendon allografts, 11.6% shoulder joint capsules, and 4.5% fascia lata autografts. Studies reported significantly improved American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Visual Analog Scale, and Simple Shoulder Test scores postoperatively; 43.3% were failures (Neer’s evaluation of unsatisfactory or requiring revision). Infection occurred in 12/235.

Conclusions

Biologic resurfacing of the glenoid with a metallic humeral component can provide a significant improvement in pain, motion, and standardized outcomes scores in the well-indicated situation. Appropriate counseling is required with an appreciated complication rate of over 36% and a revision rate of 34%.
Accuracy of nigrosome-1 detection to discriminate patients with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor
Authors: Perez Akly Manuel S , Stefani Carla V , Ciancaglini Lucía , Bestoso José S , Funes Jorge A , Bauso Diego J , Besada Cristina H
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The use of susceptibility weighted imaging in high field magnetic resonance imaging scanners can detect the nigrosome-1 area located in the caudo-lateral region of the pars compacta in the substantia nigra. This structure comprises a significant amount of dopaminergic neurons and degenerates in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Essential tremor is a neurological condition that in some cases could be confused with the early stages of Parkinson’s disease with a possible error in clinical diagnosis. Our purpose is to evaluate the accuracy of nigrosome-1 detection by high resolution magnetic resonance imaging to discriminate Parkinson’s disease from essential tremor.

Methods

A case–control study compared patients with a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. Magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed using a 3T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The susceptibility weighted imaging sequence was obtained in the axial plane with an isotropic voxel of 0.75 mm. Two independent neuroradiologists evaluated the images without access to clinical patient data.

Results

Sixteen patients were included in each group (Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor). Average age: Parkinson’s disease group: 71.3 (SD 6.3) and essential tremor group: 68.3 (SD 12.3). For the first evaluator, the nigrosome-1 area was absent in 15 patients with Parkinson’s disease and in two with essential tremor and for the second evaluator was absent in 15 patients with Parkinson’s disease and four with essential tremor. The sensitivity/specificity for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease was 93.75%/87.5% for the first evaluator and 93.75%/75% for the second evaluator.

Conclusion

The detection of the nigrosome-1 area is a useful tool in the differential diagnosis between Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, with high sensitivity and specificity.