bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Voting after the change: A natural experiment on the effect of electoral reform on party system fragmentation
Authors: Riera Pedro
Published: March 2019

This article analyses the causal effect of the 1993 electoral reform in New Zealand on party system fragmentation using the ‘synthetic’ control method. Previous studies using cross-national evidence suggest that electoral reforms change the number of parties. However, they do not take into account possible endogeneity problems and usually focus on their short-term effects. Since the electoral system in use in this country before the change was first past the post (FPTP), I can create a ‘synthetic’ control democracy that had the same institutional framework but did not modify the rules of the game. The results indicate that the electoral reform produced the expected effects on party system size at the electoral level, but that these effects tended to disappear in the long run. In contrast, electoral system effects at the legislative level were larger and stickier over time.
Business dynamics, knowledge economy, and the economic performance of African countries
Authors: Asongu Simplice A , Amavilah Voxi HS , Andrés Antonio R
Published: March 2019

This paper develops a framework (a) to examine whether or not the African business environment hinders or promotes the knowledge economy (KE), (b) to determine how the KE affects economic performance, and (c) how economic performance relates to the inequality-adjusted human socioeconomic development (IHDI) of 53 African countries during the 1996-2010 time period. We estimate the linkages with three related equations. The results support a strong correlation between the dynamics of starting and doing business and variations in KE. The results also show that there exists a weak link between KE and economic performance. Nonetheless, KE-influenced performance plays a more important role in socioeconomic development than some of the conventional control variables like foreign direct investment (FDI), foreign aid, and even private investment.
The dynamics of institutional pressures and stakeholder behavior in national electronic health record implementations: A tale of two countries
Authors: Klecun Ela , Zhou Ya , Kankanhalli Atreyi , Wee Yap Hwee , Hibberd Ralph
Published: March 2019

Through electronic health record implementation, national healthcare systems are aiming for care integration and enhancement. However, the path to large-scale electronic health record implementation is seldom smooth, involving multiple stakeholders with diverse interests and influences. This study proposes a framework that draws on both stakeholder and institutional theories to understand the complex dynamics of stakeholder interactions and institutional pressures over time during electronic health record systems implementation. This framework is utilized to analyze the national electronic health record programs of Singapore and England, which provide contrasting perspectives on how two top-down system implementations took place with different outcomes. Our results suggest that in the Singapore case, the presence of boundary spanners, supporting implementation agency that included IT staff from healthcare organizations, and greater engagement with medical professionals were associated with more positive dynamics of stakeholder interactions (e.g. limited pushback from professionals or the press) during electronic health record implementation than in England. Differences in the healthcare structures and systems, electronic health record project organization, and the combined influences of institutional pressures shed light on the varying implementation paths and outcomes in the two cases. This study adds to the health information technology literature through a comparative examination of the organizational and social processes during complex national healthcare integration projects. It also contributes to the institutional and stakeholder literatures in several ways, in particular by depicting the processes and outcomes of the dynamics of isomorphic pressures played out under different institutional conditions. Finally, our proposed framework provides a useful conceptual tool for analyzing such complex IT implementations across multiple stakeholders.
Predictors of Sibling Victimization and Associations With Self-Perception and Relationship Attachment in Adolescence
Authors: Walters Jeanette M. , Farley Julee P. , Deater-Deckard Kirby , Kim-Spoon Jungmeen
Published: March 2019

Research shows that sibling victimization may be as detrimental to adolescent outcomes as peer victimization. However, many questions remain unanswered with regard to protective parenting factors and consequences of sibling victimization among adolescents. This study tested a mediation model in which sibling victimization, predicted by parental monitoring, is associated with parent and peer-adolescent attachment as mediated through adolescent self-perceptions of social competence and self-worth. A three path mediation from parental monitoring → sibling victimization → adolescent self-perceptions → peer-/parent-adolescent attachment was tested. Structural equation modeling results revealed that parental monitoring was negatively associated with sibling victimization for girls. For boys and girls, sibling victimization had negative direct and indirect effects on parent- and peer-adolescent attachment via adolescent self-perceptions of social competence and self-worth. Findings suggest that parental monitoring may be important in the prevention of sibling victimization and self-perceptions may be an important point of intervention for adolescents experiencing sibling victimization.
Maximal cytoreduction is related to improved disease-free survival in low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma
Authors: Kimyon Comert Gunsu , Turkmen Osman , Mesci Cigdem Guler , Karalok Alper , Sever Ozge , Sinaci Selcan , Boran Nurettin , Basaran Derman , Turan Taner
Published: March 2019

Objective:

To evaluate the factors predicting oncologic outcomes in low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma (LGOSC).

Methods:

Seventy patients with LGOSC were included in the study. According to the residual disease present at the end of the initial cytoreductive surgery (CRS), surgical outcomes are defined as follows: maximal CRS for absence of macroscopic residual tumors, optimal CRS for macroscopic residual tumors with diameters ranging from 0.1 to ⩽1 cm diameter, and suboptimal CRS for macroscopic residual tumors measuring >1 cm in diameter.

Results:

Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were 61% and 83%, respectively. Surgical outcomes were suboptimal in 3 (4.3%) patients, optimal in 8 (11.4%) patients, and maximal in 59 (84.3%) patients. Stage and surgical outcomes were related to DFS ( p < 0.05). Compared with maximal CRS, the presence of residual tumors (suboptimal and optimal debulking) was related to threefold increased risk of disease failure (recurrence or progression) (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 3.00 [1.27–7.09]; P=0.012). CSS was associated with disease stage alone ( P=0.03). Advanced stage was related with lower DFS and CSS.

Conclusions:

Maximal CRS facilitates an improvement in DFS. Achieving no residual disease after the completion of surgery should be a cornerstone of LGOSC management.
Psychosocial Factors and Juvenile Homicide in Argentina
Authors: Wiese Renata , Cálcena Eugenio , Aramayo Criniti Adrián Darío , Catanesi Cecilia Inés , Folino Jorge Oscar
Published: March 2019

Although knowledge on and prevention of juvenile homicide are crucial for social welfare and have been approached through different methodological instruments, this behavior is still quite difficult to be addressed. In this study, we have analyzed several psychological and social factors that could be theoretically related to juvenile homicidal behavior. Our case-control study included young ( M = 16.8 years) males institutionalized in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, under judicial order for crime. Out of 195 cases, 130 had committed homicide, 15 had repeated homicide, and 50 had attempted homicide. The control group comprised 305 young males who had committed other types of crimes. Self-reported and informant-reported instruments and professional assessment were used: Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) Scale, Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI), Resistance to Peer Influence (RPI), Psychopathy Checklist–Youth Version (PCL-YV), and Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU). Differences between indicators of the psychological and social dimensions were not statistically significant. Only Factor 4 of the PCL-YV showed statistically significant difference. However, the relevance of this result is under discussion.
Smart Signal Control System for Accident Prevention and Arterial Speed Harmonization under Connected Vehicle Environment
Authors: Yang Xianfeng (Terry) , Chang Gang-Len , Zhang Zhao , Li Pengfei (Taylor)
Published: March 2019

The intent of this paper is to develop a system that can integrate connected vehicle (CV) data and traffic sensor information to concurrently address the need to improve urban arterial safety and mobility. Under the mixed traffic pattern of CVs and human-driven vehicles (HVs), the system aims to achieve three primary objectives: proactively preventing rear-end collision, reactively protecting side-street traffic from red-light-running vehicles, and effectively facilitating speed harmonization along local arterials. The embedded safety function will integrate CV and roadside sensor data to compute the distribution of dilemma zones for vehicles of different approaching speeds in real-time. Such data fusion will enable the proposed system to offer the advice of either “stop” or “go” to both CVs and HVs so as to prevent rear-end collisions and side-angled crashes. Given the locations and speeds of CVs, and the number of vehicles monitored by sensors, the proposed system can further compute the time-varying intersection queue length. Then the embedded mobility function will optimize the arterial signal plan in real-time and produce the speed advisory for approaching vehicles to facilitate their progression through intersections. Results from extensive simulation experiments confirm the effectiveness of the proposed system in both reducing potential intersection crash rates and improving arterial progression efficiency. The proposed control framework also proves the effectiveness of using dilemma zone protection sensors for traffic mobility improvement.
Impact of prostate needle biopsy on erectile function: A prospective study
Authors: Kamali Koosha , Nabizadeh Mostafa , Ameli Mojtaba , Emami Maryam , Mahvari-Habibabadi Mohadese , Amirpoor Minoo
Published: March 2019

Background:

Needle biopsy of the prostate is a diagnostic method for prostate cancer which is a relatively safe method with low risk of serious complications. The evidences regarding the occurrence of erectile dysfunction following prostate biopsy are controversial. Herein, we aimed at determining the rate of erectile dysfunction in those undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.

Method:

All candidates for prostate biopsy were enrolled. The International Index of Erectile Function-5 was completed 1 m before and 1, 3, and 6 months after ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy by each patient for erectile dysfunction. Patients with a previous history of erectile dysfunction which due to a positive pathology had received any type of treatment were excluded from the study.

Results:

Eighty patients with the mean age of 64.8 years, the mean prostate-specific antigen level of 11.64 ng/dL, and the mean prostate volume of 62.43 cc were included. The prostate biopsy result was positive in 38.8% of the cases. No significant relationship was found between erectile dysfunction and prostate-specific antigen level, prostate volume, and the pathology result (P = 0.320, 0.509, and 0.131). The mean questionnaire score 1 month before and after the biopsy was 23 and 18, respectively; it demonstrated a significant difference (P < 0.001). The same score was 17 and 14.5 three and six months after biopsy. The mean score 1 m before and 3 m after biopsy also revealed a significant difference (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the prostate causes progressive erectile dysfunction in these patients. This relationship is not affected by the biopsy result, prostate volume, or the prostate-specific antigen level.
Automated Writing Evaluation and Feedback: Multiple Metrics of Efficacy
Authors: Wilson Joshua , Roscoe Rod D.
Published: March 2019

The present study extended research on the effectiveness of automated writing evaluation (AWE) systems. Sixth graders were randomly assigned by classroom to an AWE condition that used Project Essay Grade Writing ( n = 56) or a word-processing condition that used Google Docs ( n = 58). Effectiveness was evaluated using multiple metrics: writing self-efficacy, holistic writing quality, performance on a state English language arts test, and teachers' perceptions of AWE's social validity. Path analyses showed that after controlling for pretest measures, composing condition had no effect on holistic writing quality, but students in the AWE condition had more positive writing self-efficacy and better performance on the state English language arts test. Posttest writing self-efficacy partially mediated the effect of composing condition on state test performance. Teachers reported positive perceptions of AWE's social validity. Results emphasize the importance of using multiple metrics and considering both contextual factors and AWE implementation methods when evaluating AWE effectiveness.
The democracy dilemma. Aid, power-sharing governments, and post-conflict democratization
Authors: Haass Felix
Published: March 2019

How does development aid shape democracy after civil conflicts? I argue that political aid conditionalities and the economic utility that recipient elites gain from office give rise to a rent-seeking/democracy dilemma: recipients can initiate democratic reforms but also risk uncertainty over office and rents. Or they can refuse to implement such reforms, but risk losing aid rents if donors reduce aid flows in response to failed democratic reforms. This dilemma is strongest in power-sharing cabinets. By granting rebel groups temporally limited access to the state budget, such cabinets intensify elites’ rent-seeking motives. Thus, aid-dependent power-sharing elites will hold cleaner elections, but also limit judicial independence and increase particularistic spending to simultaneously reap aid benefits and remain in power. I find statistical support for this argument using data on aid flows and power-sharing governments for all post-conflict states between 1990 and 2010.
Factors Influencing Time to Diagnosis in Childhood Narcolepsy Type 1
Authors: Levy Sarah , McArthur Irene , Crow Blair , Zuberi Sameer
Published: March 2019

Objective:

To study the variables impacting on time from symptom onset to diagnosis in childhood narcolepsy, including presence of cataplexy, onset in infancy, administration of the H1N1 Pandemrix vaccine, and date of diagnosis following the H1N1 pandemic.

Design:

A retrospective cohort study of 42 children seen in a single tertiary pediatric neurology center between 1996 and 2016.

Key results:

Onset of symptoms of narcolepsy occurred between infancy and 15 years, with 92.9% of children symptomatic by 13 years. Time from reported symptom onset to diagnosis ranged from 3 months to 11 years, with 51.3% diagnosed within 12 months of symptom onset. Those patients who were reportedly symptomatic from birth had a statistically significant increased time from reported symptom onset to diagnosis.

Conclusions:

The symptoms of childhood narcolepsy progress over time. The number of annual diagnoses in this center increased over the study period, but there is no evidence that the time from symptom onset to diagnosis is decreasing. Being reportedly symptomatic from the age of <1 year is associated with an increased time to diagnosis. We recommend raising awareness of narcolepsy among medical students and general practitioners. It is important that clinicians appreciate the clinical relevance of excessive daytime sleepiness.
Controlling Behavior and Lifetime Physical, Sexual, and Emotional Violence in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: McClintock Heather F. , Trego Marsha L. , Wang Evangeline M.
Published: March 2019

Intimate partner violence (IPV), commonly accompanied by controlling behavior, is a serious public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from women ( n = 37,115) aged 15 to 49 years who completed the Demographic Health Survey’s (DHS) domestic violence module in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], Côte d’Ivoire, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Zambia) between 2011 and 2015 were obtained. DHS questions assessed lifetime physical, emotional, and sexual violence (ever vs. never). Controlling behavior was measured by a revised Conflict Tactics Scale. Multivariate logistic regression examined the association between controlling behavior and IPV adjusting for all covariates, including age, education, marital status, wealth, urban/rural setting, and occupation. An interaction term was included to evaluate the consistency of effect estimates across countries. In all, 45.60% of women reported experiencing one or more forms of IPV (physical, sexual, or emotional violence) in their lifetime, ranging from 31.16% in Côte d’Ivoire to 57.37% in Cameroon. Women who reported controlling behavior by a spouse/partner were more likely to have experienced lifetime physical (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [3.31, 3.85], sexual (AOR = 3.98, CI = [3.47, 4.57]) or emotional (AOR = 3.52, CI = [3.22, 3.85]) violence than women who did not report controlling behavior. Women who reported controlling behavior were also more likely to have experienced one (AOR = 2.57, CI = [2.36, 2.81]) or two/three types (AOR = 5.34, CI = [4.80, 5.94]) of violence. AORs did not significantly differ across countries. Further research is needed to evaluate whether policies, programs, and education aimed at preventing or modifying controlling behavior may reduce IPV.
The Burden of Disease in Mexican Older Adults: Premature Mortality Challenging a Limited-Resource Health System
Authors: Parra-Rodríguez Lorena , González-Meljem José Mario , Gómez-Dantés Héctor , Gutiérrez-Robledo Luis Miguel , López-Ortega Mariana , García-Peña Carmen , Medina-Campos Raúl Hernán
Published: March 2019

Objectives: To assess the burden of disease and disability in older persons in Mexico from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016 study data. Methods: Analysis of the Mexican data from the GBD 2016 study is presented by state, sex, and stratified into four age groups: 60 to 69, 70 to 79, 80 to 89, and 90+ years. Results: The majority of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to disorders in persons 60+ in Mexico were due to premature mortality (68%). Diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and chronic kidney disease were the main causes of DALYs. With progressing age, sense organ diseases, dementias, and falls climbed to the top causes of years lived with disability (YLDs) in both sexes. Discussion: Most of the burden of disease in older Mexicans is due to premature mortality, underlining the need to strengthen the health system to respond better to health care needs of older persons with non-communicable diseases. This analysis provides information for the development of national health policies.
Assessing worker performance using dynamic cost functions in human robot collaborative tasks
Authors: Smith Thomas , Benardos Panorios , Branson David
Published: March 2019

The aim of this research is to develop a framework to allow efficient human robot collaboration on manufacturing assembly tasks based on cost functions that quantify capabilities and performance of each element in a system and enable their efficient evaluation. A proposed cost function format is developed along with initial development of two example cost function variables, completion time and fatigue, obtained as each worker is completing assembly tasks. The cost function format and example variables were tested with two example tasks utilizing an ABB YuMi Robot in addition to a simulated human worker under various levels of fatigue. The total costs produced clearly identified the best worker to complete each task with these costs also clearly indicating when a human worker is fatigued to a greater or lesser degree than expected.
Numerical analysis of multiphysical field for independent three-stage magnetorheological damper of double rod during recoil process of artillery
Authors: Zhang Guang , Wang Huixing , Qing Ouyang , Wang Jiong
Published: March 2019

In order to investigate the multiphysics in the recoil process of magnetorheological damper, independent three-stage magnetorheological damper of double rod has been designed. The magnetorheological gel with carbonyl iron powder mass fraction of 70% (MRG-70) has been prepared and the steady-state shear test was carried out for obtaining the consistency coefficient k and the non-Newtonian index n of the Herschel–Bulkley model. MRG-70 has been applied to the damper and the motion analysis of the recoil part has been carried out by combining the law of chancing of the bore resultant force of a certain type of fixed artillery. Results of the theoretical analysis and numerical calculation of multiple physical fields for damper showed: (1) there was a scattered magnetic flux inside the damper. The magnetic field was generated by the combined coil with a high degree of nonlinearity and time variability; (2) the internal energy dissipation of damper comprises five parts, in which Poiseuille pressure flow loss and Couette viscous flow loss were the primary and controllable part of the damper. The temperature of each pole reaches a peak value, and it is different at different times; the pressure drop at the magnetic pole was less than the pressure drop at the coil; (3) the dynamic viscosity of the central axial surface of the effective damping channel shows obvious nonlinearity and time variability from the spatial and time dimension, and varies very sharply at each pole, and the peak value fluctuates with the position.
The Social Origins of Human Prosociality
Authors: Dahl Audun , Brownell Celia A.
Published: March 2019

From early in life, children help, comfort, and share with other people. Recent research has deepened scientific understanding of the development of prosociality—efforts to promote the welfare of others. In this article, we discuss two key insights about the emergence and early development of prosocial behavior, focusing on the development of helping. First, children’s motivations and capabilities for helping change in quality as well as quantity over the opening years of life. Specifically, helping begins in participatory activities without prosocial intent in the first year of life, becoming increasingly autonomous and motivated by prosocial intent over the second year. Second, helping emerges through bidirectional social interactions starting at birth: Caregivers and other individuals support the development of helping in a variety of ways, and young children play active roles that often influence caregiver behavior. The question now is not whether but how social interactions contribute to the development of prosocial behavior. Recent methodological and theoretical advances provide exciting avenues for future research on the social and emotional origins of human prosociality.
Autonomous precarity or precarious autonomy? Dilemmas of young workers in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong Victor , Au-Yeung Tat Chor
Published: March 2019

Informed by autonomist perspectives on precarious work and labour subjectivity, this article discusses the dynamics between autonomy and job precarity. Based on purposive sampling, the qualitative findings, drawn from interviews with precarious workers aged 18–29 years in Hong Kong, reveal tensions among four types of aspirations. First, the desire for achieving freedom and individual ambition in work made the respondents critical of the notion of employment-related stability. Second, a determination to break with mainstream career paths empowered young people to take alternative pathways to new modes of work and life. Third, precarious employment was seen as a stepping stone for realising plans for travel or study. Finally, tolerance of precarity was perceived as a transitional stage in their striving for future stability. However, the findings also show the structured dilemmas experienced by young workers regarding the complex relationship between autonomy and precarity in a neoliberal labour market. Some young workers pursued work–life autonomy, constrained by precarious employment relations, acknowledging and bearing the costs, while some strategically used precarity in individual negotiations with employers to realise their goals. This article analyses young workers’ subjectivity through the lenses of autonomy and age and pushes the boundary of precarity studies beyond an implicit dichotomy between determinism and voluntarism.

JEL codes: I38, J38, J62
Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Modalities and Hospice Care: The Need for High Level Care Coordination
Authors: Burnside Lee , Whyte Sharon , Cooper Stephanie G.
Published: March 2019

Advanced heart failure therapies such as ventricular assist devices and home inotrope use are becoming more common. Technology advances as well as increased indications for use of such therapies is leading to a higher percentage of patients with end-stage heart failure receiving these therapies at end of life. We present a case of a young man with dilated cardiomyopathy who undergoes advanced cardiac care in the setting of progressively declining cardiac function. Our case outlines the importance of acute care, palliative care, and hospice services being coordinated prior to and during acute-care services to provide goal-concordant and expeditious care. With advancing medical therapies for heart disease, increased coordination and collaboration of services are needed, particularly between hospice and acute-care services.
Cross-Ethnic Measurement Equivalence of the Children’s Depression Inventory Among Youth in Foster Care
Authors: Gonzales-Backen Melinda A. , Holcomb Jamila E. , McWey Lenore M.
Published: March 2019

Previous research has indicated differences in the presentation and measurement of depressive symptoms across ethnic groups. In the current study, we examined the factor structure of the Children’s Depression Inventory in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents in foster care ( n = 346; Mage = 13.13 years, SD = 2.18 years) and examined the configural invariance of the measure across ethnic groups. Findings indicated a two-factor structure in the total sample. Furthermore, configural invariance was not supported, in that unique factor structures emerged for African American, White, and Hispanic subsamples. Findings hold implications for research and practice involving the assessment of depressive symptoms among youth in out-of-home care and among ethnic minority adolescents.
Whose Post-Truth Era? Confronting the Epistemological Challenges of Teaching Journalism
Authors: Tischauser Jeff , Benn Jesse
Published: March 2019

While discussions on validity, professional standards, and routines have become more challenging to many educators of journalism, these challenges are old news to communities of color whose experiences are often discounted or erased by information gathering practices taught in journalism schools. We argue that using the label “post-truth” reinforces the privileged and entitled position of journalism educators, and curtails our responsibility as arbiters of professional practice and routine. In this article, we examine how journalism classrooms can bring in ways of knowing and seeing that can provide a refreshing counter to the staid dis-embedded outsider perspective that views journalism as the protector of one truth, liberal democracy. Borrowing ideas from press theory that places journalism inside community, and counterpublic theory that places agency inside culture, we explore an opportunity for journalists to become mediators and translators between publics as a way to strengthen understanding between communities. To do so, we identify and examine reporting practices used in the Black press to understand how to confront the multiplicity of truth. By unpacking how the ethnic press examines the diverse conditions and experiences that lead to alternative versions of events, we can better gauge what reporting practices are relevant to our students today. Indeed, the so-called post-truth era is part of a larger sociohistoric process of truth-making that reflects the dynamics of power and authority in civil society, which we unpack in this article. In the end, we argue that it is more valuable for journalism students to view their work as mediators and translators of truths between communities.
My Child and His Beautiful Body
Authors: Yoo Joanne
Published: March 2019

This article derives from the physical markers of “non-belonging” associated with my female and ethnic body, which are strong markers of deficit power levels in mainstream academic discourses. It discusses the sense of dis “ease” experienced by academics who feel coerced to adopt positivist and scientific rationalist approaches to knowledge at the expense of personal voice. It explores through an autoethnography of a mother’s gaze, how embodied modes of writing and inquiry can enable greater comfort in one’s own skin.
The Lone Ranger, Tonto, and Katherine: What Is the Script for a Senior Faculty Member?
Authors: Hendrix Katherine Grace
Published: March 2019

The qualitative methodological approach of autoethnography is used to compose a narrative relating to my experiences at this stage in my career. More specifically, my inner thoughts as a senior faculty member, nearing the end of her career, are laid bare for the audience. The conflictual nature of deciding when, how, and whether to make an exit is shared across four themes: self-concept, new knowledge, aging, and retirement.
The Sex of Firstborn Children and Intimate Partner Violence in India
Authors: Weitzman Abigail
Published: March 2019

This article investigates the effects of firstborn sex on intimate partner violence (IPV) in India, taking into account heterogeneity across state sex ratios and maternal education. In states with masculine sex ratios of first births, firstborn daughters are found to elevate the risk and severity of IPV. The effects of firstborn daughters on sexual IPV are particularly pronounced among uneducated women in these states. These findings suggest that amid son preference at low birth orders, the sex of firstborn children can contribute to violence against mothers, providing new insights into the household reproduction of gender discrimination and violence.
A Tale of Two Confucian Capitals: The Role of Friends and Secrecy in Beijing and Seoul
Authors: Emery Clifton R. , Wu Shali
Published: March 2019

How do your friends respond to intimate partner violence (IPV), and does it make a difference? This article examines the relationships between wives’ IPV secrecy, Confucian sex-role norms, informal social control by friends, totalitarian style partner control by husbands, and husbands’ IPV in a study of Beijing and Seoul. Hypotheses were tested using a three-stage cluster sample of 760 married/partnered women from Beijing ( n = 301) and Seoul ( n = 459). Multilevel regression models run on the combined data found that totalitarian partner control by husbands was positively associated with husband IPV severity. Friends’ protective approaches to informal social control of IPV were associated with less husband IPV severity, but punitive approaches were marginally associated with more. However, the combined findings gloss over very different findings for the two cities. The authors argue that the etiology of much IPV in Beijing is better characterized by social disorganization, but the etiology of much IPV in Seoul is better characterized by totalitarian control (deviant order).
Race, Representation, and Revenue: Reliance on Fines and Forfeitures in City Governments
Authors: Singla Akheil , Kirschner Charlotte , Stone Samuel B.
Published: March 2019

Historically, revenue associated with things like traffic citations—termed fines and forfeitures—has made up an insignificant portion of city revenue. In recent years, however, cities are increasingly reliant on these revenues. This changed without fanfare, meaning there is little understanding of how or why it occurred. One potential explanation is budgetary, meaning cities rely more on fines due to increased fiscal stress or demand for public safety services. Alternatively, existing research demonstrates that race and representation are significant predictors of crime and punishment outcomes, including traffic citations. Using a stratified random sample of California cities, this study investigates which of these factors explain city reliance on revenue from fines and forfeitures. It finds that cities’ reliance on fines and forfeitures is not associated with budgetary need or public safety service provision, but is associated with the race of the population and the racial composition of law enforcement.
Relationship Between Nursing Students’ Attitudes Toward Elderly Discrimination and Opinions About Home Care Services
Authors: Meriç Meltem , Ergün Gül , Pola Ganna , Dölek Meral , Totur Dikmen Burcu , Dal Yılmaz Ümran
Published: March 2019

The determination of nursing students’ attitudes toward elderly discrimination and their opinions about home care is important in that it will affect the quality of care provided to elderly individuals in their homes by the students in the future. For this reason, the aim of this study was to determine relationship between nursing students’ attitudes toward elderly discrimination and their opinions about home care services. This descriptive study was conducted with a total of 318 students from a university nursing faculty during the fall semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. Data for the study were collected using the Home Care Services Evaluation Questionnaire and the Ageism Attitude Scale. It was found that there was a positively significant but weak relationship between the students’ age discrimination scale total score and the positive discrimination subdimension score, and their opinions about home care services ( p < .001). Students’ attitudes toward elderly discrimination were found to make a statistically significant contribution to their opinions about home care services. It was ascertained that students’ attitudes toward elderly discrimination affected their opinions about home care services. It is recommended that geriatric nursing and home care nursing lectures be included in the nursing education curriculum, awareness of the importance of the concept of old age and elderly care be increased by establishing internship fields for students in institutions that provide home care for the elderly, and positive attitudes toward the elderly be promoted.
Pulmonary Infantile Hemangioma Mimicking a Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation
Authors: Dauge Coralie , Fenouil Tanguy , Petit Thierry , Jeanne-Pasquier Corinne , Collardeau-Frachon Sophie
Published: March 2019

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign vascular tumor of infancy, occurring predominantly in the head and neck. It is characterized by specific endothelial expression of glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) and involution with time, spontaneous or on beta-blockers treatment. Although some predisposing factors are known, the exact pathogenesis remains unclear. We report a case of pulmonary IH GLUT-1 positive, initially suspected as a cystic pulmonary airway malformation, in a child presenting with both cardiac and renal malformations. The clinical, radiological, pathological, and genetics findings are discussed with a review of the literature. Although pulmonary IH is a rare lesion, it should be suspected when facing a pulmonary cystic mass in a child.
Blister propagation in sandwich panels
Authors: Burman Magnus , Stig Fredrik , Zenkert Dan
Published: March 2019

This paper deals with the problem of face/core interfacial disbonds in sandwich panels that are pressurised, i.e. the disbond has an initial fluid pressure that causes the disbond to deform. The problem is often referred to as a blister. The panel with a blister is then subjected to an in-plane compressive load. Four different panels are analysed and tested, having different size disbonds and different initial internal pressure. The cases are analysed using a finite element approach where the blister is modelled using fluid elements enabling the pressure inside the blister to vary as the in-plane load is applied. The analysis uses non-linear kinematics, and in each load step, the energy release rate is calculated along the disbond crack front. This model is used for failure load predictions. The four cases are then tested experimentally by filling a pre-manufactured disbond cavity with a prescribed volume of air. This air volume is then entrapped, and the panel is subjected to an in-plane compressive load. The load and blister pressures are measured throughout the test and compared with the finite element analysis. Surface strains and blister deformations are also measured using digital correlation measurements. The predicted failure loads compare well with the experimental results, and so does the blister pressures, the latter at least qualitatively.
An unexpected case of iatrogenic Escherichia coli endogenous pan-endopthalmitis after ERCP-associated biliary sepsis: A case report
Authors: Ansari Abdus Samad , Lai Ken , Tejwani Deepak
Published: March 2019

Introduction:

Endogenous endopthalmitis is a diagnostically challenging ophthalmic and medical emergency. It has the ability to manifest at any age and is associated with a number of predisposing factors. The rapid progression of disease poses catastrophic risk for adverse outcomes both localised and systemic. To our knowledge, we describe the first reported iatrogenic case of endogenous Escherichia coli–induced endopthalmitis progressing to pan-endopthalmitis as a consequence of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Diagnosis, Interventions and Outcomes:

The patient presented with reduced visual acuity and painless red eye; however, apart from biochemistry results suggesting biliary sepsis, no other clinical features of acute disease were noted. Despite rigorous systemic and intravitreal treatment, the rapid progression of disease led to irreversible damage to the eye.

Conclusion:

Clinicians must maintain a very high index of suspicion when encountering patients after interventional procedures, as misdiagnosis by trained ophthalmologists for endogenous endopthalmitis remains a common occurrence. Prompt identification and diagnosis ensured our patient avoided evisceration and early ophthalmic biopsies guaranteed the correct systemic intervention was started to address the severe subsequent septicaemia.
Accuracy of leg length and femoral offset restoration after total hip arthroplasty with the utilisation of an intraoperative calibration gauge
Authors: Enke Oliver , Levy Yadin D , Bruce Warwick JM
Published: March 2019

Background:

Offset and leg length (LL) restoration are critical for the achievement of a stable, well-functioning hip following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Several techniques are described in the literature, including a hip calibration gauge. We question whether meticulous preoperative planning of a specific surgical technique in combination with the utilisation of a calibration gauge can provide an accurate offset and LL restoration.

Methods:

Retrospective review of 101 unilateral THAs via a posterior approach by a single surgeon. Preoperative radiographic LL and offset were radiographically calculated. Intraoperatively prior to hip dislocation a calibration gauge was used to measure LL and offset with a pin inserted into the iliac crest acting as a static referencing point. All had pelvis x-ray performed 6 weeks postoperatively. A literature review was conducted to establish average postoperative LL/offset values for statistical comparison.

Results:

The average absolute postoperative leg-length discrepancy (LLD) was 2.51 mm compared to preoperatively 3.54 mm ( p = 0.018). A total of 93.1% and 100% had LLD of ⩽5 mm and ⩽10 mm, respectively. The mean postoperative offset difference was 2.39 mm. The investigated LLD and offset results were comparable with literature data of studies utilising an intraoperative measuring device. LLD was significantly decreased when compared to a free-hand technique (LLD 4.42 mm, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

The technique utilising preoperative templating, intraoperative offset verification together with the use of hip calibration gauge yielded accurate LLD and offset restoration as in the literature. Precise offset restoration, which often is a neglected issue, can lead to better abductor vector restoration, hip function and less pain.
Effect of CaCl2 and Various Wild Yeasts From Plant Origin on Controlling Penicillium expansum Postharvest Decays in Golden Delicious Apples
Authors: Tournas VH , Katsoudas EJ
Published: March 2019

The biocontrol potential of four wild yeast strains ( Meyerozyma guilliermondii – strain YS-1, Meyerozyma caribbica – strain YS-3, Cryptococcus albidus – strain YS-4, and Cryptococcus sp. – strain YS-5) against Penicillium expansum was studied in vivo (on Golden Delicious apples). The test yeasts were applied to the fruits alone as well as in combination with 2% CaCl2. Treated apples were stored at room temperature (~21°C) for up to 2 weeks or under refrigeration (3°C) for up to 2 months. Candida oleophila was used as positive biocontrol agent. Biocontrol activities were expressed as percentages of lesion size reduction caused by the test yeasts or by test yeasts + CaCl2 as compared with decays on apples treated with P. expansum alone. All strains tested during this study showed some degree of biocontrol activity against P. expansum. When the test yeasts were applied alone, they effected moderate pathogen inhibition reducing the decay size by 28% to 52% at day 7 and 11% to 27% at day 14 of incubation at room temperature. When the treated apples were stored at 3°C, lesion size reduction was between 48% and 63% after 1 month and 24% to 41% after 2 months of incubation. Addition of CaCl2 to yeast suspensions facilitated much higher pathogen inhibition. At room temperature, lesion size reduction ranged between 74% and 77% during the first week. After 2 weeks of incubation, decays on yeast + CaCl2-treated apples were still substantially smaller (49%-73% lower) than those on apples treated with P. expansum alone. At refrigeration, lesion size reduction ranged between 76% and 92% in the first month of storage and between 75% and 87% after 2 months of incubation. Decay incidence was 75% to 100% in apples stored at room temperature and 30% to 85% in those kept under refrigeration. The inhibitory activities of the wild yeast strains were similar to those exhibited by C. oleophila for the most part. These strains, when combined with CaCl2, showed high potential as biocontrol agents against P. expansum on stored apples.
MicroRNAs in Brain Cancer: Look at the Forest, Not at the Tree
Authors: Peruzzi Pierpaolo , Bhaskaran Vivek
Published: March 2019

Much is known about microRNA biology and their involvement in essentially any biological processes in eukaryotic cells, including cancer. Now, to take advantage of them in clinics, a change in perspective is needed and a reappraisal of their features is warranted to re-ignite interest and translational hype. As we recently reported, their strength is in numbers, size and simplicity.
From the constructive memory of Bartlett to narrative theories of social (Brady Wagoner: The constructive mind. Bartlett's Psychology in Reconstruction. 2017)
Authors: Pléh Csaba
Published: March 2019

The paper is partly a review of a new book by Brady Wagoner on Frederick Bartlett as a theoretician of constructive memory, and partly a survey of what has become of memory constructionism. The basic message of Wagoner analyzing Bartlett is that constructive memory processes are not the exception but the rule. The details of the reemergence of this memory model in modern cognitive psychology are clearly presented by Wagoner. One crucial point is missing, however, that is analyzed in detail by the paper. Bartlett was using stories to support his contructionist theory. This attitude was coming up in the rediscovery of Bartlett as a narrative interpretation of memory schematization. New structural approaches to stories have been emerging in the work of Colby, Rumelhart, and others. Like Bartlett, they were looking for underlying social schematization and constraints, but this time round, there was a stronger linguistic and even structural emphasis. Narrative patterns promised to provide a substantial anchoring point for the otherwise elusive concept of schemata proposed by Bartlett. This turn affiliates memory schematization with theories that treat elementary sociality as a basic, not constructed feature of the human mind.
Ultrasound-assisted versus conventional catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute pulmonary embolism: A multicenter comparison of patient-centered outcomes
Authors: Rao Gaurav , Xu Hai , Wang Jason J , Galmer Andrew , Giri Jay , Jaff Michael R , Kolluri Raghu , Lau Joe F , Selim Samy , Weinberg Ido , Weinberg Mitchell D
Published: March 2019

Both catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) and ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis (USAT) are novel treatment modalities for patients presenting with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The objective of this study was to compare clinical and quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes for patients undergoing either treatment modality. We retrospectively studied 70 consecutive patients treated with either CDT or USAT over 3 years at a multicenter health system. The primary clinical efficacy endpoint was right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) reduction post-procedurally. Safety endpoints were mortality and bleeding incidents based on Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Arteries (GUSTO) criteria. Long-term QOL was assessed using the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) via phone interview. Thirty-seven patients (53%) in our study underwent USAT and 33 (47%) patients were treated with conventional CDT. Among all patients studied, 96% had echocardiographic evidence for right ventricular strain on admission. Mean RVSP decreased by 18 ± 13 mmHg in the USAT group post-procedurally as compared to 14 ± 16 mmHg in the CDT group, without significant difference between groups ( p = 0.31). Rates of moderate and severe bleeding were largely identical between USAT and CDT groups (USAT: 3%; CDT: 0%; p = 0.09). There was no death in either group during admission. At long-term follow-up, there was no significant difference in QOL between both treatment modalities in all eight functional domains of SF-36. Our retrospective study demonstrated using USAT over conventional CDT for acute submassive or massive PE did not yield additional clinical, safety, or long-term QOL benefit.