bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intimate Partner Violence and Housing
Authors: Zufferey Carole , Chung Donna , Franzway Suzanne , Wendt Sarah , Moulding Nicole
Published: January 2016

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an extreme example of gender inequality that compromises women’s citizenship. This article discusses the effects of IPV on women’s housing circumstances based on the findings of a large national Australian survey. The analysis found that IPV erodes women’s citizenship, which includes their access to safe and affordable housing, connections to “home,” and participation in community life. Drawing on notions of gendered citizenship, this article provides new understandings about how women negotiate housing as a key dimension of citizenship in the context of IPV.
Changing Frames of Reconciliation
Authors: Touquet Heleen , Vermeersch Peter
Published: January 2016

In this article, we examine reconciliation as a category of political practice. More particularly, we explore the ways in which the term reconciliation has been employed and invested with meaning in the recent legal, social, and political discussions on transitional justice and EU accession in the former Yugoslavia. Much of the literature on the former Yugoslavia highlights the need for reconciliation and envisages it as the ultimate goal of a process of societal and political transformation. But what does reconciliation mean? Our assertion is that reconciliation is a dynamic term; its meaning varies across discursive fields and according to the implicit assumptions associated with it. This article investigates a number of ways in which the term reconciliation has been given meaning in the former Yugoslavia through an exploratory analysis of three related fields of political discussion: (1) transitional justice, in particular the arena of discursive interaction surrounding the completion of the activities of the ICTY in The Hague; (2) the human rights and enlargement agenda of the EU; and (3) local and regional civil society initiatives, including the RECOM initiative, which calls for the establishment of a mechanism for truth-telling and reconciliation across all the countries of the former Yugoslavia. On the basis of an analysis of public statements by politicians and activists, as well as some interviews with key actors in these three fields, we show that reconciliation is mobilized in varying and often conflicting ways.
Interrogating the Historical Revisionism of the Hungarian Right
Authors: Kurimay Anita
Published: January 2016

The article examines the historical processes and the motivations of contemporary Hungarian politicians to officially rehabilitate the memory of Cécile Tormay, the internationally acclaimed writer and founder of Hungary’s conservative women’s movement. Through tracing the politics of remembering Tormay since World War II, it demonstrates how Tormay’s recent reemergence as a new national icon was intimately tied to a decisive shift in the direction of Hungarian politics from a pro-Western stance to one that is openly hostile towards Western liberalism. Tormay, part of the ruling elite in the authoritarian interwar Horthy regime, was a fierce anticommunist, antisemite, and staunch nationalist who rallied Hungarians to reclaim territories lost after World War I. Already a national icon, Tormay became a central protagonist of one of the largest interwar political scandals in which she was accused of homosexuality and sleeping with the wives of high aristocrats. Yet, stunningly, neither during the interwar years nor since 1989 has the scandal around her alleged homosexuality stopped centre right and increasingly right wing (Fidesz) and far right (Jobbik) politicians from embracing her as Hungary’s ideal patriotic female figure of the past century. Such a paradox, the article contends, can be explained by these regimes’ different approaches to public and private sexuality. By making Tormay’s private sexuality irrelevant, both the interwar and post-socialist conservative governments could hold up Tormay’s public vision of anticommunism, antisemitism, nationalism, and traditional gender norms as their own.
An Age Old Problem? Estimating the Impact of Dementia on Past Human Populations
Authors: Smith Martin , Atkin Alison , Cutler Clare
Published: January 2016

Objective: To model the impact of dementia on past societies. Method: We consider multiple lines of evidence indicating elderly individuals to have been more common throughout the past than is frequently accepted. We then apply known dementia incidence/prevalence rates to plausible assumptions of past population structures to suggest prevalence in the past. Results: Dementia prevalence in premodern societies is likely to have been around 5% of the rate seen in modern, developed countries but with a total past incidence running into billions. Discussion: Dementia is often seen as a “modern” challenge that humans have not had to contend with before. We argue that this condition has had considerably greater effects than previously envisaged and is a challenge that humans have already withstood successfully, on one hand at a lower incidence but on the other without the considerable clinical, technological, and social advances that have been made in recent times.
Dynamics of exemption: ‘Gang’ ethos in literature and film
Authors: Nitschke Claudia , Sunderland Luke
Published: January 2016

This Special Issue compiles selected contributions from a workshop held in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University, United Kingdom in 2013. The introduction details the specific terminology and the epistemological interest in aesthetic representations of `gangs`, here understood as a lens through which a conventional understanding of morality can be scrutinised.
Beyond the Protestantism of Political Theology: Thinking the Politics of Theological Voluntarism
Authors: Emon Anver M.
Published: January 2016

In an attempt to think through the Islamic alongside the Christian, this article draws upon the political theology of Carl Schmitt to reflect on the salience of sovereignty. But in doing so, the article re-reads Schmitt’s political theology for its Protestant voluntarism, and adopts a more robust theological voluntarism as a vehicle for reflecting on political thought across both Christian and Islamic history. Moreover, this approach to political theology makes possible reflections on how political theology, whether in Christian or Islamic thought, may offer a critical lens by which to gain new analytic insights into the operation of sovereignty in presumably secularised regimes of thought, such as international law.
Linear stability analysis of an electrified incompressible liquid sheet streaming into a compressible ambient gas
Authors: Liu Yuxin , Mo Chaojie , Liu Lujia , Fu Qingfei , Yang Lijun
Published: January 2016

This article presents the linear stability analysis of an electrified liquid sheet injected into a compressible ambient gas in the presence of a transverse electric field. The disturbance wave growth rates of sinuous and varicose modes were determined by solving the dispersion relation of the electrified liquid sheet. It was determined that by increasing the Mach number of the ambient gas from subsonic to transonic, the maximum growth rate and the dominant wave number of the disturbances were increased, and the increase was greater in the presence of the electric field. The electrified liquid sheet was more unstable than the non-electrified sheet. The increase of both the gas-to-liquid density ratio and the electrical Euler number accelerated the breakup of the liquid sheet for both modes; while the ratio of distance between the horizontal electrode and the liquid-sheet-to-sheet thickness had the opposite effect. High Reynolds and Weber numbers accelerated the breakup of the electrified liquid sheet.
Safety and availability evaluation of railway operation based on the state of signalling systems
Authors: Morant Amparo , Gustafson Anna , Söderholm Peter , Larsson-Kråik Per-Olof , Kumar Uday
Published: January 2016

A framework is presented to evaluate the safety and availability of the railway operation, and quantifying the probability of the signalling system not to supervise the railway traffic. Since a failure of the signalling systems still allows operation of the railway, it is not sufficient to study their effect on the railway operation by considering only the failures and delays. The safety and availability are evaluated, handling both repairs and replacements by using a Markov model. The model is verified with a case study of Swedish railway signalling systems with different scenarios. The results show that the probability of being in a state where operation is possible in a degraded mode is greater than the probability of not being operative at all, which reduces delays but requires other risk mitigation measures to ensure safe operation. The effects that different improvements can have on the safety and availability of the railway operation are simulated. The results show that combining maintenance improvements to reduce the failure rate and increase the repair rate is more efficient at increasing the probability of being in an operative state and reducing the probability of operating in a degraded state.
Pavel Ivanovich Karpov (1873–1932?) – the Russian Prinzhorn: art of the insane in Russia
Authors: Lerner Vladimir , Podolsky Grigory , Witztum Eliezer
Published: January 2016

The complicated relationship between the discipline of mental health and the arts has barely been studied systematically. Mental hospitals, shelters and prisons – institutions that accommodate the mentally ill – sometimes promote but often discourage and disrupt the patients’ artistic creativity and the images created. In psychiatric circles, the recognition of patient art was a long, slow and frustrating process. Among the Western psychiatrists who studied the creative activity of the mentally ill, researchers usually mention such names as C. Lombroso, M. Shearing, V. Morgentaller, H. Prinzhorn and others, but rarely refer to their Russian colleagues and contemporaries. Pavel Ivanovich Karpov (1873–1932?), a Russian psychiatrist, was one of the most extensive researchers in the field of the art of the insane, but unfortunately his name is little known among modern psychiatrists. For his clinical and scientific contributions, he deserves to be remembered in the history of psychiatry.
Effects of a one-year physical activity programme for women with systemic lupus erythematosus – a randomized controlled study
Authors: Boström C , Elfving B , Dupré B , Opava C H , Lundberg I E , Jansson E
Published: January 2016

Objectives

To study the effects of a one-year physical activity programme on aerobic capacity, physical activity and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by a randomized control design.

Methods

Thirty-five women with low or moderate disease activity and organ damage were randomized to intervention (I) or control (C) group. The intervention during months 0–3 consisted of education, supervised aerobic exercise at high intensity and individual coaching, as well as self-managed physical activity at low-to-moderate intensity. During months 4–12, the physical activity was self-managed and the coaching was successively reduced over time. Outcome measures included: maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) from a bicycle ergometer test, self-reported physical activity and HRQL (SF-36).

Results

VO2 at sub-max. and max. increased, independent of group, during the one-year study period (main effect of time p < 0.0001). VO2 max. increased between baseline and month 3 ( p < 0.0001), between months 3 and 6 ( p = 0.01) and the increase was sustained at month 12 (ns). Frequency of physical activity at high intensity also increased, independent of group, during the study period. It was increased at months 3, 6 and 12 compared to baseline ( p = 0.02, p < 0.001, p = 0.03). Improvement in mental health between baseline and month 6 ( p = 0.002) was seen for the I-group, not the C-group ( p = 0.03). Disease activity and organ damage did not change.

Conclusions

Physical activity and aerobic capacity increased after supervised exercise and coaching, and the improvement was sustained during the one-year programme. However, no interactions between the group differences were seen, which suggests that repeated measurements could motivate to increased physical activity and thereby to increased aerobic capacity. As sub-max. VO2 increased over time, training-induced changes in VO2 on-kinetics could be another explanation. Little influence on HRQL was seen after the programme. The study indicates that physical activity at high intensity over one year is tolerated by patients with mild to moderate SLE.
Informed consent in international normative texts and biobanking policies
Authors: Granados Moreno Palmira , Joly Yann
Published: January 2016

With the progress in bioinformatics, genomics, and epidemiology, biobanks, as repositories of populations’ biological samples as well as of personal and medical information, are becoming an essential research tool. Despite the potential benefits biobanks may bring and the options presented by some of the current biobanks’ consent policies, there remain ethical concerns regarding the autonomy and dignity of research participants if consent is not fully informed as dictated in the terms of traditional informed consent. This article aims at providing an overview of the approaches taken by the main international norms with respect to informed and broad consent and how well these norms are integrated by biobanks or biobank consortia. We conclude that broad consent could be an important tool to achieve the benefits of large-scale biobanks projects. If it is to be accepted, its regulation and implementation need to be mindful of the participant’s dignity and autonomy and sensitive to the need for international coherence and harmonization.
Religion and Attitudes toward Redistributive Policies among Americans
Authors: McCarthy Angela Farizo , Davis Nicholas T. , Garand James C. , Olson Laura R.
Published: January 2016

Scholars have devoted considerable attention to understanding how individuals’ political and economic attitudes shape their views toward government policies designed to alleviate growing income inequality in the United States. However, much less attention has been paid to the question of how religion shapes Americans’ attitudes toward income inequality and redistributive policies. Using data drawn from the 2013 Economic Values Survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), we explore the role that religion—including religious affiliation, the degree and nature of religiosity, the nexus of politics and religion, and interpretations of biblical text—plays in structuring individuals’ attitudes toward government redistribution policies. We find that religious affiliation and participation do not meaningfully shape attitudes toward redistributive policies; however, identification with the “religious right” and specific interpretations of scripture do influence how Americans think about redistribution. These findings provide evidence that standard treatments of religion focusing primarily on affiliation and religiosity may have somewhat limited explanatory power with regard to attitudes about issues that fall outside of the standard “culture wars” framework, at least relative to the explanatory power of more specific expressions of religious belief.
Recommendations for Creating Better Concept Definitions in the Organizational, Behavioral, and Social Sciences
Authors: Podsakoff Philip M. , MacKenzie Scott B. , Podsakoff Nathan P.
Published: January 2016

Despite the importance of establishing good, clear concept definitions in organizational research, the field lacks a comprehensive source that explains how to effectively develop and articulate a concept’s domain. Thus, the purpose of this article is to explain why clear conceptual definitions are essential for scientific progress and provide a concrete set of steps that researchers can follow to improve their conceptual definitions. First, we define what is meant by a concept, describe the functions served by concepts in scientific endeavors, and identify problems associated with a lack of conceptual clarity. Then we explain why it is so difficult to adequately define concepts. Next, we provide a series of recommendations for scholars in the organizational, behavioral, and social sciences who are either trying to define a new concept or revise the definition of one that already exists in the field. Following this, we provide some examples that generally meet the criteria for a good conceptual definition. We conclude with a set of questions that authors, reviewers, and editors can use as a guide for evaluating concept definitions.
Biologic variability of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in adult healthy cats
Authors: Harris Autumn N , Estrada Amara H , Gallagher Alexander E , Winter Brandy , Lamb Kenneth E , Bohannon Mary , Hanscom Jancy , Mainville Celine A
Published: January 2016

Objectives

The biologic variability of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and its impact on diagnostic utility is unknown in healthy cats and those with cardiac disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the biologic variation of NT-proBNP within-day and week-to-week in healthy adult cats.

Methods

Adult cats were prospectively evaluated by complete blood count (CBC), biochemistry, total thyroxine, echocardiography, electrocardiography and blood pressure, to exclude underlying systemic or cardiac disease. Adult healthy cats were enrolled and blood samples were obtained at 11 time points over a 6 week period (0, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 10 h and at weeks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). The intra-individual (coefficient of variation [CVI]) biologic variation along with index of individuality and reference change values (RCVs) were calculated. Univariate models were analyzed and included comparison of the six different time points for both daily and weekly samples. This was followed by a Tukey’s post-hoc adjustment, with a P value of <0.05 being significant.

Results

The median daily and weekly CVI for the population were 13.1% (range 0–28.7%) and 21.2% (range 3.9–68.1%), respectively. The index of individuality was 0.99 and 1 for daily and weekly samples, respectively. The median daily and weekly RCVs for the population were 39.8% (range 17.0–80.5%) and 60.5% (range 20.1–187.8%), respectively.

Conclusions and relevance

This study demonstrates high individual variability for NT-proBNP concentrations in a population of adult healthy cats. Further research is warranted to evaluate NT-proBNP variability, particularly how serial measurements of NT-proBNP may be used in the diagnosis and management of cats with cardiac disease.
Genetic predictors of relapse rate in pediatric MS
Authors: Graves Jennifer S , Barcellos Lisa F , Shao Xiaorong , Noble Janelle , Mowry Ellen M , Quach Hong , Belman Anita , Casper T. Charles , Krupp Lauren B , Waubant Emmanuelle ,   on behalf of the U.S. Network of Pediatric MS Centers
Published: January 2016

Background:

Genetic ancestry, sex, and individual alleles have been associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility.

Objective:

To determine whether established risk factors for disease onset are associated with relapse rate in pediatric MS.

Methods:

Whole-genome genotyping was performed for 181 MS or high-risk clinically isolated syndrome patients from two pediatric MS centers. Relapses and disease-modifying therapies were recorded as part of continued follow-up. Participants were characterized for 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum status. Ancestral estimates (STRUCTURE v2.3.1), human leukocyte antigen ( HLA) -DRB1*15 carrier status (direct sequencing), sex, and a genetic risk score (GRS) of 110 non-HLA susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were evaluated for association with relapse rate with Cox and negative binomial regression models.

Results:

Over 622 patient-years, 408 relapses were captured. Girls had greater relapse rate than boys (incident rate ratio (IRR) = 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04–1.87, p = 0.026). Participants were genetically diverse; ~40% ( N = 75) had <50% European ancestry. HLA-DRB1*15 status modified the association of vitamin D status ( pixn = 0.022) with relapse rate (per 10 ng/mL, in DRB1*15+ hazard ratio (HR) = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.58–0.88, p = 0.002; in DRB1*15− HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.83–1.12, p = 0.64). Neither European ancestry nor GRS was associated with relapse rate.

Conclusion:

We demonstrate that HLA-DRB1*15 modifies the association of vitamin D status with relapse rate. Our findings emphasize the need to pursue disease-modifying effects of MS genes in the context of environmental factors.
Hospital steam sterilizer usage: could we switch off to save electricity and water?
Authors: McGain Forbes , Moore Graham , Black Jim
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Steam sterilization in hospitals is an energy and water intensive process. Our aim was to identify opportunities to improve electricity and water use. The objectives were to find: the time sterilizers spent active, idle and off; the variability in sterilizer use with the time of day and day of the week; and opportunities to switch off sterilizers instead of idling when no loads were waiting, and the resultant electricity and water savings.

Methods

Analyses of routine data for one year of the activity of the four steam sterilizers in one hospital in Melbourne, Australia. We examined active sterilizer cycles, routine sterilizer switch-offs, and when sterilizers were active, idle and off. Several switch-off strategies were examined to identify electricity and water savings: switch off idle sterilizers when no loads are waiting and switch off one sterilizer after 10:00 h and a second sterilizer after midnight on all days.

Results

Sterilizers were active for 13,430 (38%) sterilizer–hours, off for 4822 (14%) sterilizer–hours, and idle for 16,788 (48%) sterilizer–hours. All four sterilizers were simultaneously active 9% of the time, and two or more sterilizers were idle for 69% of the time. A sterilizer was idle for two hours or less 13% of the time and idle for more than 2 h 87% of the time. A strategy to switch off idle sterilizers would reduce electricity use by 66 MWh and water use by 1004 kl per year, saving 26% electricity use and 13% of water use, resulting in financial savings of AUD$13,867 (UK£6,517) and a reduction in 79 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. An alternative switch-off strategy of one sterilizer from 10:00 h onwards and a second from midnight would have saved 30 MWh and 456 kl of water.

Conclusions

The methodology used of how hospital sterilizer use could be improved could be applied to all hospitals and more broadly to other equipment used in hospitals.
Multi-objective optimization of process parameters involved in micro-finishing of Al/SiC MMCs by abrasive flow machining process
Authors: Sushil Mittal , Vinod Kumar , Harmesh Kumar
Published: January 2016

It is hard to finish small slots in composite materials which have wide applications nowadays in aerospace, automobile and medical. Abrasive flow machining is a process that is suitable for such type of operations. In this paper, by using abrasive flow machining, investigation of SiC Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) with aluminum as base material has been done. Material removal rate and change in surface roughness (ΔRa) are taken as response parameters. Response surface methodology has been applied to find out the effect of input parameters like fluid pressure, percentage of oil in media, grit size, concentration of abrasives, workpiece material and number of cycles on response parameters. Box–Behnken design has been preferred. Response parameters have been optimized using the desirability approach in response surface methodology. The significance of different parameters is identified using analysis of variance. An optimum combination of parameters is designed for the process. Furthermore, specimens were examined and analyzed using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction techniques.
Finite element simulation of dynamic brittle fracture in pipeline steel: A XFEM-based cohesive zone approach
Authors: Hojjati-Talemi Reza , Cooreman Steven , Van Hoecke Dennis
Published: January 2016

Leaking in a CO2 pipeline could escalate to sudden crack propagation, due to a large temperature drop. The resulting drop in fracture toughness together with the pressure stresses at the defect plane leads to pipeline brittle fracture. The main objective of this study is to monitor and predict brittle fracture behaviour of API X70 pipeline steel by means of experimental and numerical approaches, respectively. Dynamic fracture properties of CO2 line pipe steels are generally assessed using the Charpy impact test. To this end, Charpy V-notch tests are performed at different temperatures in order to study the resistance of materials subjected to impact loading conditions. The Charpy test provides valuable indications on the impact properties of materials. Using the experimental results the ductile to brittle transition temperature curve is presented. The extended finite element method based cohesive zone approach is introduced to model the brittle fracture at low temperature. After validation of the developed model against experimental observation significant results from the simulation are graphically presented and discussed.
Early childhood teachers’ beliefs about readiness for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Authors: Park Mi-Hwa , Dimitrov Dimiter M , Patterson Lynn G , Park Do-Yong
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine beliefs of early childhood teachers about their readiness for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, with a focus on testing for heterogeneity of such beliefs and differential effects of teacher-related factors. The results from latent class analysis of survey data revealed two latent classes of teachers, not known a priori, with significant differences in levels of teachers’ beliefs about readiness to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The teachers’ teaching experience and their awareness of the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and potential challenges in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics played a differential role in the classification of teachers into latent classes. In addition, the analysis of two open-ended survey questions revealed several themes in the early childhood teachers’ opinions about early childhood science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Study findings support the necessity for professional development practices that will enhance teachers’ understanding of the importance of early childhood science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, as well as their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines and potential challenges of teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Fathers’ and mothers’ language acculturation and parenting practices: Links to Mexican American children’s academic readiness
Authors: Baker Claire E
Published: January 2016

This study used a family-centered ecological lens to examine predictive relations among fathers’ and mothers’ language acculturation, parenting practices, and academic readiness in a large sample of Mexican American children in preschool ( N = 880). In line with prior early childhood research, parent language acculturation was operationalized as fathers’ and mothers’ English proficiency and primary language used in the home. Parenting was operationalized as fathers’ and mothers’ participation in home learning stimulation (e.g. shared book reading). Analyses showed that, after controlling for demographics, fathers’ and mothers’ primary language in the home predicted children’s reading achievement and fathers’ and mothers’ English proficiency predicted children’s math achievement. Furthermore, maternal home learning stimulation made a unique contribution to children’s reading achievement after the influence of parent language acculturation was accounted for, underscoring the importance of home learning stimulation for strengthening Mexican American children’s reading skills prior to school entry.
Young children’s preferences: What stimulates children’s cognitive play in outdoor preschools?
Authors: Zamani Zahra
Published: January 2016

A number of studies have identified childcare environments as significant resources for children’s development, learning through play, and contact with nature. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how, from a child’s perspective, specific outdoor physical environments in preschools stimulate children’s cognitive play. Emphasizing on the value of listening to children, this study reports the perspectives of 22, 4- to 5-year-olds. The study context was an outdoor preschool with natural, mixed, and manufactured settings. A combination of photo preferences and semi-structured interviews was used to investigate children’s perception of preferred settings and cognitive plays. The results identified that children mainly enjoyed functional and dramatic play. They mostly preferred mixed behavior settings that incorporated ranges of natural and manufactured elements. Compared to other settings, children found mixed settings provided the most opportunities for functional, constructive, dramatic, and game with rules play. The outcomes of this study have implications for the design of outdoor preschools, suggesting a balanced integration of nature with manufactured play features to enhance cognitive play experiences.
Visual tools as mediational means: A methodological investigation
Authors: Hilppö Jaakko , Lipponen Lasse , Kumpulainen Kristiina , Rajala Antti
Published: January 2016

In this study, we investigated how Finnish children used photographs and drawings to discuss their preschool day experiences in focus groups. Building on sociocultural perspectives on mediated action, we specifically focused on how these visual tools were used as mediational means in sharing experiences. The results of our embodied interaction analysis highlight the relevance of visual tools for the participants and the task at hand in the moment-to-moment, micro-level flow of interaction and its material environment. More specifically, our analysis illuminates different ways in which the visual tools were relevant for participating children and adults when sharing and talking about their experiences. In all, our study advances present-day understanding regarding how sociocultural and embodied interaction frameworks can guide visual research with children.
The Karen resettlement story: A participatory action research project on refugee educational experiences in the United States
Authors: Gilhooly Daniel , Lee Eunbae
Published: January 2016

This study discusses Karen refugees and their education experiences in the United States via a participatory action research. A White male American English tutor and three adolescent Karen brothers took a road trip and visited with the Karen diaspora communities throughout the United States. Researchers in collaboration designed the study, collected qualitative data (interviews, participant observations, artifacts), and analyzed the data and identified five challenges facing Karen youth in- and out-of school: English language divide, parental involvement in their children’s schooling, bullying, gangs, and gender. We discuss how involvement in such a participatory action research can promote new awareness and agency for minority youth. Furthermore, we suggest ways for teachers, school administrators, and community members to help refugee youth better adapt to their communities and schools.
Double microcatheter technique for coil embolization of small aneurysms with unfavorable configurations: A comparative study of the aneurysms that are ≤3 mm or >3 mm
Authors: Yin Long , Wei Ming , Ren Hecheng
Published: January 2016

Introduction

The endovascular coiling of small ruptured aneurysms with difficult geometries presents a significant treatment challenge. We report our initial experience and the technical details of dual microcatheter coil embolizations that were applied in these difficult lesions.

Method and results

Eighty-five small aneurysms (<7 mm) that exhibited difficult configurations, such as a wide neck or an important branch vessel arising from the fundus, were successfully treated using a dual microcatheter technique. The packing attenuation, adverse events during the procedures, and angiographic occlusions from 21 very small aneurysm (≤3 mm) were recorded and compared with our coiling results of 64 small aneurysms (>3 mm, <7 mm). There were no significant differences in intraprocedural ruptures or procedure-related thromboembolisms between the two groups. At the last post-procedure clinical follow-up, a good clinical outcome (an modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of 0–2) was observed in 18 of the patients (85.7%). The recanalization rates at follow-up were significantly lower in the very small aneurysm group compared to the small aneurysm group ( p < 0.05) and the mean packing density in the very small aneurysm group was significantly higher compared to the small aneurysm group (35.2% vs 24.8%, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The dual technique was feasible, safe, and effective for coil embolization of aneurysms with difficult configurations and, in particular, it provided an alternative option for treating very small aneurysms.
Whole brain C-arm computed tomography parenchymal blood volume measurements
Authors: Kamran Mudassar , Byrne James V
Published: January 2016

Introduction

C-arm flat detector computed tomography (FDCT) parenchymal blood volume (PBV) imaging in the neuro-interventional suite is a new technique for which detailed whole brain measurements have not been previously reported. This study aims to create a catalogue of PBV measurements for various anatomical regions encompassing the whole brain, using a three-dimensional volume-of-interest (3D-VOI) analysis.

Methods

We acquired and analysed 30 C-arm FDCT datasets from 26 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), as part of a prospective study comparing C-arm computed tomography (CT) PBV with magnetic resonance perfusion-weighted imaging (MR-PWI). We calculated the PBV values for various brain regions with an automated analysis, using 58 pre-defined atlas-based 3D-VOIs encompassing the whole brain. VOIs partially or completely overlapping regions of magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging (MR-DWI) abnormality or magnetic resonance cerebral blood flow (MR-CBF) asymmetry were excluded from the analysis.

Results

Of the 30 C-arm CT PBV datasets, 14 (54%; 12 patients) had areas of restricted diffusion, the majority of which were focal. The PBV values for the cerebral cortex and cerebral white matter were 4.01 ± 0.47 (mean ± SD) and 3.01 ± 0.39 ml per 100 ml. Lobar PBV values were: frontal lobe 4.2 ± 0.8, temporal lobe 4.2 ± 0.9, parietal lobe 3.9 ± 0.7 and occipital lobe 4.3 ± 0.8 ml/100 ml. The basal ganglia and brainstem PBV values were 3.4 ± 0.7 and 4.6 ± 0.6 ml/100 ml, respectively.

Conclusions

Compared with the typical reference cerebral blood volume (CBV) values reported in the literature for Positron Emission Tomography (PET), the PBV values were relatively high for the white matter and relatively low for the cortical grey matter. The reported catalogue of PBV values for various brain regions would be useful to inform future studies and could be used in clinical practice, when interpreting PBV maps.
The path to personalized vascular therapy – We are closer than we think
Authors: Forbes Thomas L
Published: January 2016

The terms “personalized” or “precision” medicine are being used commonly in some branches of medicine but have yet to be widely adopted in vascular surgery. Despite this, personalized vascular therapy occurs on a daily basis in every vascular specialist’s office as we strive to make informed recommendations at the individual patient level. The following is a description of several of the areas where advances in personalized vascular care have been achieved, including custom devices, personalized predictions, pharmacogenetics and surgicogenetics.
Statistical considerations for a trial of Ebola virus disease therapeutics
Authors: Proschan Michael A , Dodd Lori E , Price Dionne
Published: January 2016

The 2014 West African outbreak of Ebola virus ravaged Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, causing hemorrhagic fever and death. The need to identify effective therapeutics was acute. The usual drug development paradigm of phase I, followed by phase II, and then phase III trials would take too long. These and other factors led to the design of a clinical trial of Ebola virus disease therapeutics that differs from more conventional clinical trial designs. This article describes the Ebola virus disease medical countermeasures trial design and the thinking behind it.
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the spleen
Authors: Omar Asha , Freeman Simon
Published: January 2016

Abnormalities in the spleen are less common than in most other abdominal organs. However, they will be regularly encountered by ultrasound practitioners, who carefully evaluate the spleen in their abdominal ultrasound studies. Conventional grey scale and Doppler ultrasound are frequently unable to characterise focal splenic abnormalities; even when clinical and laboratory information is added to the ultrasound findings, it is often not possible to make a definite diagnosis. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is easy to perform, inexpensive, safe and will usually provide valuable additional information about splenic abnormalities, allowing a definitive or short differential diagnosis to be made. It also identifies those lesions that may require further imaging or biopsy, from those that can be safely dismissed or followed with interval ultrasound imaging. CEUS is also indicated in confirming the nature of suspected accessory splenic tissue and in selected patients with abdominal trauma. This article describes the CEUS examination technique, summarises the indications for CEUS and provides guidance on interpretation of the CEUS findings in splenic ultrasound.
The influence of authentic leadership and supportive professional practice environments on new graduate nurses’ job satisfaction
Authors: Fallatah Fatmah , Laschinger Heather KS
Published: January 2016

It is important to uncover new approaches to attracting and retaining newly qualified nurses in Canada to address the growing nursing workforce shortage. Authentic leadership theory proposes mechanisms that allow managers to create positive and supportive environments that facilitate new graduate nurses’ transition into practice and subsequently improve nurses’ and organizational outcomes. The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model linking authentic leadership to new graduate nurses’ job satisfaction through its effect on supportive professional practice environments. A secondary analysis of data ( n = 93) from a larger study of new graduate nurses in their first two years of practice was conducted. Mediation multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the influence of authentic leadership and supportive professional practice environments on new graduate nurses’ job satisfaction. Measures of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ), the Revised Nursing Worklife Index (NWI-R) and the North Carolina Center for Nursing – Survey of Newly Licensed Nurses (NCCN-SNLN) were used. Supportive professional practice environment partially mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and new graduate nurses’ job satisfaction. The findings suggest that managers who demonstrate authentic leadership create supportive professional practice environments and are more likely to enhance new graduate nurses’ job satisfaction.
The Camitz transfer and its modifications: a review
Authors: Rymer B. , Thomas P. B. M.
Published: January 2016

The Camitz procedure involves transfer of the insertion of the palmaris longus tendon with a strip of the palmar aponeurosis to the insertion of abductor pollicis brevis in order to improve thumb opposition, and is usually done when severe carpal tunnel syndrome results in complete wasting of the thenar muscles. We carried out a systematic review of the published reports of this procedure. Analysis of available outcome data showed improvement in overall hand function in 86–100% of patients undergoing the original Camitz procedure. Several modifications of the original Camitz transfer have been described, with most focusing on the incorporation and placement of pulleys. All studies are limited by their small sample sizes. Overall, there is a lack of studies comparing the Camitz transfer with other opponensplasty techniques and comparing the various modifications of the original procedure.

Level of evidence: IV
Does collagenase injection disrupt or digest the Dupuytren’s cord: a magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Crivello K. M. , Potter H. G. , Moon E. S. , Rancy S. K. , Wolfe Scott W.
Published: January 2016

Collagenase clostridium histolyticum has been extensively studied as a treatment modality for Dupuytren’s contracture. Its mechanism of action has been documented. It is unknown whether injected collagenase weakens the Dupuytren’s cord sufficiently to cause failure during manipulation or if there is digestion and reduction in cord volume. We examined five patients with isolated contractures of the ring or middle metacarpalphalangeal (MP) joint using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to injection with collagenase and again 1 month following injection. All patients had full correction after manipulation which was maintained at follow-up. The Dupuytren’s cord was evaluated with respect to volume, signal intensity, inflammatory changes and continuity. Additionally, signal intensity changes of the flexor tendons and neurovascular structures were recorded. MRI demonstrated cord discontinuity, significant reduction of cord volume and a significant increase in cord signal intensity after treatment with collagenase. There was a slight increase in flexor tendon signal intensity that was not significant. These findings suggest that there may be local chemical dissolution of the cord. Future studies may establish whether or not this will have prognostic implications in terms of correction and recurrence following collagenase injection.

Level of evidence: IV
Reliability and accuracy of spatial–temporal gait parameters measured by the WalkinSense®
Authors: Querido Ana , Castro Marcelo P , Vilas-Boas João Paulo , Corredeira Rui , Daly Daniel , Fernandes Ricardo J
Published: January 2016

The WalkinSense® is a relatively new device designed to monitor walking exercise. The purpose here was to assess its reliability and accuracy when analysing spatial–temporal gait parameters. Forty-two young adults performed 3 × 400 m walking at moderate intensity on a 400-m standard track, using both the WalkinSense and a pedometer. The between-trial reliability was excellent for all variables, with intraclass correlation coefficient values ranging from 0.90 to 0.98. The absolute and percentage differences between the WalkinSense and the track length were (mean ± standard deviation) −36.7 ± 45.0 m (95% confidence interval: −44.6, 28.6) and 9.2 ± 11.3% (95% confidence interval: −11.2, 7.2), respectively. The absolute and percentage differences between the WalkinSense and the pedometer for number of strides were 0.7 ± 10.5 strides (95% confidence interval: −1.2, 2.6) and 0.1 ± 4.0% (95% confidence interval: −0.7, 0.8), respectively. The WalkinSense system showed excellent reliability for assessing spatial–temporal gait parameters. Considering accuracy, users should be aware of the limitations of the device, which in this study ranged between −0.7% and 0.8% and between −11.2% and 7.2%, for number of strides and travelled distance, respectively.
The epistemological model of disability, and its role in understanding passive exclusion in eighteenth and nineteenth century Protestant educational asylums in the USA and Britain
Authors: Hayhoe Simon
Published: January 2016

This article examines how the process of constructing knowledge on impairment has affected the institutional construction of an ethic of disability. Its primary finding is that the process of creating knowledge in a number of historical contexts was influenced by traditions and the biases of philosophers and educators. This process was in order to signify moral and intellectual superiority, rather than a desire to improve the lives of disabled people through education. The article illustrates this epistemological process in a case study of the development of Protestant asylums in the latter years of the nineteenth century.
Does the Race of the Discrimination Agent in Latinos’ Discrimination Experiences Influence Latino Group Identity?
Authors: Sanchez Gabriel R. , Espinosa Patricia Rodriguez
Published: January 2016

Discrimination experiences are among the dominant conditions that define racial and ethnic populations in the United States. Although scholars in the social sciences have investigated the relationship between racial discrimination and various outcomes, less is known about how the sources of discrimination may vary within populations. Most studies and theories driving those studies assume that racial and ethnic minorities are being discriminated against by members of the dominant group. The authors test this assumption using the Latino National Survey, a nationally representative survey of 8,634 Latinos. Nearly 40 percent of Latinos in this rich sample report being discriminated against by other racial or ethnic minorities, many indicating that they were discriminated against by other Latinos. The authors then examine whether the race of the discrimination agent matters and find that the relationship between discrimination and group identity is dependent on the race of the discrimination agent. Although discrimination from out-groups (i.e., whites and blacks) motivates greater linked fate and perceptions of commonality among Latinos, internal discrimination negatively affects these two outcomes. Thus, contrary to discrimination from either whites or African Americans, internal discrimination actually suppresses a sense of group identity among Latinos. This work could similarly inform collective theories and measurement approaches in this area and should therefore be perceived as an important and timely modification to our research methodologies.
Some results on best proximity point on star-shaped sets in probabilistic Banach (Menger) spaces
Authors: Shayanpour Hamid , Shams Maryam , Nematizadeh Asiyeh
Published: January 2016

We first present the concepts of proximal contraction and proximal nonexpansive mappings on star-shaped sets in probabilistic Banach (Menger) spaces. We derive some results about the best proximity points for these mappings in probabilistic Banach (Menger) spaces. Next, we bring some examples that defend our main results.
Effects of Collagen Grafting on Cell Behaviors in BCP Scaffold with Interconnected Pore Structure
Authors: Yang Dong-Jun , Jeon Jae-Hui , Lee Sun-Young , An Hyun-Wook , Park Keun Oh , Park Kwang-Bum , Kim Sukyoung
Published: January 2016

Background

This study was to investigate the effect of collagen grafted porous biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) on cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. Porous BCP scaffolds with interconnected micropore structure were prepared with were prepared and then grafted with a collagen type I. The hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) ratio of the TCP scaffolds was about 60/40 and the collagen was crosslinked on the TCP scaffold surface (collagen-TCP).

Results

The sintered BCP scaffolds showed fully interconnected micropore structures with submicron-sized grains. The collagen crosslinking in the scaffolds was conducted using the the N-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) crosslinking method. The cell proliferation of collagen-BCP scaffolds showed a similar result to that of the BCP scaffolds. However, osteoblastic differentiation and cell attachment increased in the collagen-BCP scaffolds.

Conclusions

Collagen-BCP scaffold improved the cell attachment ability in early phase and osteoblastic differentiation.