bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Doubled-Up Homeless: Comparing Educational Outcomes With Low-Income Students
Authors: Low Justin A. , Hallett Ronald E. , Mo Elaine
Published: July 2016

Living doubled-up is a form of homelessness that can go undetected by schools, yet the toll it takes on the lives of students is significant. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine how students who live in doubled-up homeless families differ from low-income students who live in permanent housing with regard to demographics, academics, and behavior problems. The study used records from a Northern California school district and a nonexperimental research design to determine how student homelessness predicts various school-related outcomes. Results indicated that doubled-up homeless students earned significantly lower grade point averages (GPAs) and were less likely to graduate on time than students in permanent housing. Doubled-up homeless students were also more likely to have truancy problems. Previous research has mainly focused on more visible forms of student homelessness (e.g., living in shelters, cars, or hotels). Given that this group has been largely avoided by research, our study suggests that this group warrants consideration. School districts need to identify students living in doubled-up families and seek ways to improve their academic experiences.
Services and Supports, Partnership, and Family Quality of Life
Authors: Kyzar Kathleen B. , Brady Sara E. , Summers Jean Ann , Haines Shana J. , Turnbull Ann P.
Published: July 2016

In this, study, the authors examined the moderating effects of partnership on the relationship between services and supports adequacy and family quality of life (FQOL) for families of children with deaf-blindness ages birth to 21. A social-ecological approach enabled examining the impact of disability on the family system. A survey, consisting of four measures, was completed by 227 parents of children with deaf-blindness. Results suggest that FQOL for families of children with deaf-blindness is explained, in part, by satisfaction with the adequacy of friend and family supports and child-care services. Satisfaction with partnership also significantly predicted FQOL for these families. Significant interaction effects indicated that the relationships (a) between education services adequacy and FQOL and (b) between related services adequacy and FQOL are dependent on satisfaction with partnership. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
The Psychological Cost of Making Control Responses in the Nonstereotype Direction
Authors: Chan Alan H. S. , Hoffmann Errol R.
Published: July 2016

Objective:

The aim of this study was to develop a scale for the “psychological cost” of making control responses in the nonstereotype direction.

Background:

Wickens, Keller, and Small suggested values for the psychological cost arising from having control/display relationships that were not in the common stereotype directions. We provide values of such costs specifically for these situations.

Method:

Working from data of Chan and Hoffmann for 168 combinations of display location, control type, and display movement direction, we define values for the cost and compare these with the suggested values of Wickens et al.’s Frame of Reference Transformation Tool (FORT) model.

Results:

We found marked differences between the values of the FORT model and the data of our experiments. The differences arise largely from the effects of the Worringham and Beringer visual field principle not being adequately considered in the previous research.

Conclusion:

A better indication of the psychological cost for use of incorrect control/display stereotypes is given. It is noted that these costs are applicable only to the factor of stereotype strength and not other factors considered in the FORT model.

Application:

Effects of having controls and displays that are not arranged to operate with population expectancies can be readily determined from the data in this paper.
Organizational commitment of public service employees in Ghana: do codes of ethics matter?
Authors: Kumasey Anthony Sumnaya , Bawole Justice Nyigmah , Hossain Farhad
Published: July 2016

One of the most difficult and under-examined issues in the ethics research of developing countries is whether the establishment of codes of ethics in public service organizations leads to employees’ organizational commitment. This study investigates the link between codes of ethics and organizational commitment, as well as its three dimensions of affective, normative and continuance commitment, in Ghanaian public service organizations. Correlational, regression and descriptive statistics were used to study 228 participants conveniently sampled from selected public service organizations within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Empirical evidence showed that codes of ethics significantly and positively predicted employees’ organizational commitment, as well as the three dimensions of the affective, normative and continuance commitment of employees.

Points for practitioners

Codes are intended to educate the general public, and employees in particular, about the mission of an organization, to foster a good ethical climate, and to provide guidance for resolving ethical problems in an organization. To ensure employee commitment to the organization, the codes should be effectively implemented, well communicated and strictly enforced with impartiality; otherwise, the codes will appear merely as ‘cosmetic dressing’ to the organization.
Exploring the Relationship between Subjectively Experienced Severity of Imprisonment and Recidivism
Authors: Raaijmakers Ellen A. C. , Loughran Thomas A. , de Keijser Jan W. , Nieuwbeerta Paul , Dirkzwager Anja J. E.
Published: July 2016

Objectives:

This study assessed to what extent differences in the subjectively experienced severity of imprisonment (SESI) affect postrelease offending behavior.

Methods:

Interview and questionnaire data from the Prison Project, a sample of 1,344 Dutch inmates who were incarcerated for up to two years.

Results:

Bivariate analyses indicate that inmates who experience their imprisonment as more aversive are less likely to be reconvicted following release. While this relation persists after accounting for the duration of confinement, it disappears once potential confounders are accounted for.

Conclusions:

Even when accounting for the SESI, more severe prison sentences do not deter offenders from subsequent involvement in crime. Hence, while a growing number of scholars argued that accounting for the SESI would result in a different conclusion about the specific deterrent effect of imprisonment than previously assumed, this body of skepticism is not grounded in empirical evidence.
Thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafted polyester textiles with switchable surface wettability
Authors: Wu Jindan , Jiang Yuelin , He Ju , Zhao Sufang , Cai Guoqiang , Wang Jiping
Published: July 2016

Thermo-responsive textile is newly developed and has wide application potentials in various fields. As the most commonly used textile, polyester has advantages in easy care, great durability and low cost. Since it has no reactive groups in fiber for surface functionalization, amino groups were generated by aminolysis in this study. By applying alkali deweighting during the aminolysis process, more -NH2 was produced. Poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was then grafted onto the surface via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Infrared and X-ray photoelectron scanning measurements confirmed the success of PNIPAAm grafting. The thermo-switchable surface wettability was then explored by the test of surface wettability and fiber swelling–deswelling behavior. When the temperature rose, the surface switched from hydrophilic to hydrophobic as the contact angle transited from 0° to 120° reversely. This work established a feasible way and provided a new insight for preparing thermo-responsive polyester fabrics with smart cleaning and smart comfort properties.
Friendship networks and encounters in student-migrants’ negotiations of translocal subjectivity
Authors: Robertson Shanthi
Published: July 2016

This paper explores the complex intersections between place, friendship networks and encounters, and the development and negotiation of ‘translocal subjectivities’ for student-migrants living in Melbourne, Australia. Drawing on qualitative research with student-migrants of various nationalities, the paper explores how student-migrants narrate encounters with friends and the formation of different friendship networks in relation to place at two significant stages of their migration journey: during initial arrival and ‘settling in’ in Melbourne, and during return visits to their hometowns and cities. This analysis uses the concept of ‘translocal subjectivities’ (Conradson and Mckay (2007), Translocal subjectivities: Mobility, connection, emotion. Mobilities 2: 167-174 to highlight how encounters with friends shape senses of self that are both multiply located and transformed through transnational mobility; and how specific urban localities, materialities and social practices are involved in the negotiation of the ‘translocal’ self.
Impacts of airport traffic volumes on house prices of New Zealand’s major regions: A panel data approach
Authors: Tsui Wai Hong Kan , Tan David Tat Wei , Shi Song
Published: July 2016

The direction and mechanisms of the relationship between airport traffic volumes and property prices are somewhat unclear in the literature. This study adds to that body of knowledge by empirically investigating the role of airports as an essential driver of economic activity by creating employment and facilitating air travel between destinations. The two-stage least-squares (2SLS) approach is employed to investigate the link between house prices and the airport traffic volumes of New Zealand’s three key regions and airports (Auckland, Canterbury/Christchurch and Wellington) from July 2004 to December 2014. The empirical findings of the study suggest that airport traffic volumes positively and significantly influence the urban house prices of New Zealand’s three major regions.
Decentralized controller design by continuous pole placement for neutral time-delay systems
Authors: Erol HE , İftar A
Published: July 2016

The stabilizing decentralized controller design problem for (possibly descriptor-type) linear time-invariant neutral time-delay systems is considered. A design approach, based on the continuous pole placement algorithm and the decentralized pole assignment algorithm, is proposed. A design example is also presented, to demonstrate the proposed approach.
NN approach to state-feedback control of high-order non-linear time-delay systems with time-varying control coefficient
Authors: Huifang Min , Na Duan
Published: July 2016

This paper considers the adaptive state-feedback control problem for a class of high-order non-linear systems with unknown control coefficient and time delays. By applying the neural network approximation method and the Nussbaum function approach, the restrictions on non-linear functions and the conditions on the time-varying control coefficient are largely relaxed. In addition, an adaptive neural network state-feedback controller with only one adaptive parameter is successfully constructed by introducing proper Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals and using the backstepping technique. The proposed scheme guarantees the closed-loop system to be semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, a simulation example demonstrates the effectiveness of the controller.
Analytical comparison of traffic noise indices—A case study in District 14 of Tehran City
Authors: Nassiri Parvin , Karimi Elham , Monazzam Mohammad Reza , Abbaspour Majid , Taghavi Lobat
Published: July 2016

Noise pollution is a growing concern of majority of people around the world. Accordingly, the present study was carried out to analyze, for the first time, traffic noise indices and to introduce an optimal noise index for road traffic noise. For this purpose, the District 14 of Tehran Metropolitan City was selected as a case study wherein a total number of 91 stations were selected so as to cover noise susceptible areas. The measurements were performed at three occasions of morning, noon, and evening. In order to estimate the traffic noise index, noise pollution level, and noise impact index, the L10, L50, and L90, were recorded at each station with 40 replicates. According to the obtained results, among different land uses in the study area, the maximum and minimum traffic noise index values of 113.7 dBA and 50.1 dBA were reported from educational land use. The highest noise pollution level of 96.8 dBA was measured at the educational land use while the lowest noise pollution level of 65 dBA was recorded at the medical land use. The noise impact index value was estimated at 1.5 for the entire region indicating noise level is much higher than the acceptable threshold for residents. Overall, noise pollution level would be a better index when the objective is to measure the overall noise pollution condition in the study area, whereas it gives much more weight to the difference between the ambient and peak noise levels. However, in situations where traffic-induced noise measurement is required, the traffic noise index seems more appropriate. Further, the noise impact index would be more useful to quantify the effect of noise pollution on exposed people.
‘We Have to Become the Quasi-cause of Nothing – of Nihil’: An Interview with Bernard Stiegler
Authors: Wambacq Judith , Ross Daniel , Buseyne Bart
Published: July 2016

This interview with the philosopher Bernard Stiegler was conducted in Paris on 28 January 2015, and first appeared in Dutch translation in the journal De uil van Minerva. The conversation begins by discussing the fundamental place occupied by the concept of ‘technics’ in Stiegler’s work, and how the ‘constitutivity’ of technics does and does not relate to Kant and Husserl. Stiegler is then asked about his relationship with Deleuze, and he responds by focusing on the concept of quasi-causality, but also by arguing that there is a certain trajectory in Deleuze’s thought, situating his own philosophy in relation to its various moments. Stiegler is then asked to respond to the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks carried out three weeks prior to the interview. After making a couple of precautionary remarks, Stiegler relates such occurrences to the problem of what he calls ‘spiritual poverty’, to the intensification of ‘negative sublimation’ that can occur when there is a disconnection between the generations, and more generally to the growth of nihilism. All of these phenomena relate to the exploitation of technology by a virulent capitalism that irrationally believes that only the market is rational. After consideration of the complex historical relationship between Islam and modernization, and of both of these to Nietzsche’s ‘death of God’, and after recalling the destructive role played by the West in the rise of fundamentalism and jihadism, Stiegler concludes by reflecting on the fact that, ultimately, ‘intellectuals’ have failed to use technologies in ways that produce alternatives to consumerism.
The NK1R-/- mouse phenotype suggests that small body size, with a sex- and diet-dependent excess in body mass and fat, are physical biomarkers for a human endophenotype with vulnerability to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Pillidge Katharine , Heal David J , Stanford S Clare
Published: July 2016

The abnormal behaviour of NK1R-/- mice (locomotor hyperactivity, inattentiveness and impulsivity in the 5-Choice Serial Reaction-Time Test) is arguably analogous to that of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Evidence suggests that small body size and increased body weight are risk factors for ADHD. Here, we compared the body size, body mass and body composition of male and female NK1R-/- mice and their wildtypes that had been fed either standard laboratory chow or a high-fat (45%: ‘Western’) diet. Male NK1R-/- mice from both cohorts were approximately 7% shorter than wildtypes. A similar trend was evident in females. Male NK1R-/- mice fed the normal diet weighed less than wildtypes but the ‘body mass index’ (‘mBMI’: weight (mg)/length (cm)2) of female NK1R-/- mice was higher than wildtypes. When given the high-fat diet, the mBMI of both male and female NK1R-/- mice was higher than wildtypes. There were no consistent genotype or sex differences in protein, ash or water content of mice from the two cohorts. However, the fat content of male NK1R-/- mice on the Western diet was considerably (35%) higher than wildtypes and resembled that of females from both genotypes. We conclude that a lack of functional NK1R is associated with small body size but increases vulnerability to an increase in mBMI and fat content, especially in males. This phenotype could also be evident in ADHD patients with polymorphism(s) of the TACR1 gene (the human equivalent of Nk1r).
Rumination, Excessive Reassurance Seeking, and Stress Generation Among Early Adolescent Girls
Authors: Stroud Catherine B. , Sosoo Effua E. , Wilson Sylia
Published: July 2016

Nolen-Hoeksema proposed that rumination increases stressful events and circumstances; however, few studies have examined this question. Thus, we explored whether (a) rumination predicted increases in the generation of chronic and acute stress, (b) excessive reassurance seeking (ERS) mediated links between rumination and stress generation, (c) rumination increased exposure to acute independent (uncontrollable) stress, and (d) rumination predicted chronic stress generation in certain domains, but not others. These questions were examined in a 1-year study of 126 early adolescent girls ( Mage = 12.39 years) using contextual objective stress interviews. Findings indicated that rumination predicted increases in acute dependent interpersonal stress and chronic interpersonal stress, and ERS mediated these associations. Moreover, rumination was not associated with acute independent stress. Finally, the effect of rumination on chronic stress generation was most salient in adolescents’ romantic lives and in parent-adolescent relationships. These findings suggest that ruminators create stressful interpersonal environments.
Ultrasonography features of medullary thyroid cancer as predictors of its biological behavior
Authors: Kim Cherry , Baek Jung Hwan , Ha EunJu , Lee Jeong Hyun , Choi Young Jun , Song Dong Eun , Kim Jae Kyun , Chung Ki-Wook , Kim Won Bae , Shong Young Kee
Published: July 2016

Background

Although there are many well-known prognostic predictors of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), the ultrasonography (US) findings of MTC have not been sufficiently validated in this regard.

Purpose

To investigate the US findings of MTC and their relationship with the biological behavior of MTC.

Material and Methods

The US findings and clinical and pathology records of 123 MTC nodules from 108 patients were retrospectively analyzed at two tertiary referral hospitals. MTCs were classified according to US findings, i.e. MTC with benign (B-MTC) and malignant US findings (M-MTC). We then compared the clinical and pathology findings between the two groups.

Results

Eighty-two M-MTCs (66.7%) and 41 B-MTCs (33.3%) were identified. M-MTCs showed a significantly higher prevalence of lateral lymph node metastases as well as extrathyroidal and extranodal extension (all P < 0.05). M-MTCs larger than 1 cm showed a significantly higher prevalence of multifocality, recurrence, extrathyroidal and extranodal extension than B-MTCs larger than 1 cm in the largest dimension (all P < 0.05). Tumors > 1 cm were more likely to be B-MTC and one-third of all MTCs had benign US features. The common findings of B-MTC included a solid, ovoid to round shape, with a smooth margin, hypoechogenicity, and without calcification.

Conclusion

The biological behavior of M-MTCs results in poorer outcomes than that of B-MTCs.
Correlation of circumferentially notched and smooth specimen fatigue test results in two nickel base superalloys
Authors: Pickard Andrew Charles
Published: July 2016

Prediction of the fatigue lives of components in engineered products is an important area of study; fatigue failure of a component may have product safety implications. Nearly all components contain stress concentration features and fatigue cracks will typically develop from these stress concentrations. Therefore, it is important that fatigue life prediction methods take into account the presence of stress concentrations. This article compares two methods of correlating fatigue test results between smooth and notched specimens in order to be better able to predict the fatigue lives of full-scale components. The first method uses the Neuber analysis approach to predict the strain range and mean strain at the root of the notch; the second uses elastic-plastic finite element analysis of the notched specimens. Two circumferentially notched specimen geometries are considered, with Kt values of 2.19 and 3.43. The analyses show that the Neuber method under-predicts the fatigue lives of the notched specimens, whereas a closer correlation is obtained using the finite element models. This is explained in terms of the different levels of constraint on yielding in a circumferentially notched specimen relative to the pure shear loading that is the basis of the Neuber analysis. Four methods of enhancing the finite element correlations are described. The first uses a method developed by Peterson to define a fatigue stress concentration factor. The second uses a mean stress and stress range approach developed by Smith, Watson and Topper. The third uses a critical distance approach developed by Pluvinage. The final method takes into account the volume of highly stressed material at the root of the notch using an approach first described by Waters and Norris to define a fatigue stress concentration factor. This approach has many parallels with the strain energy density approach.
Stress concentration around a spherical cavity in transversely isotropic materials subjected to pure shear
Authors: Chiang Chun-Ron
Published: July 2016

Problems of stress concentration around a spherical cavity in transversely isotropic materials under pure shear are solved by the equivalent inclusion method. A method previously devised for finding the solution requires introducing harmonic functions in three different spheroidal coordinates and this complicates the analysis. Compared with that approach, the present method is simpler and more transparent; any possible error can be easily detected as the solution procedure requires only elementary algebraic manipulations. Stress concentrations around the cavity are obtained in explicit mathematical expressions and maximum hoop stress can be conveniently calculated. Numerical results of several transversely isotropic materials (zinc, magnesium, β-quartz, and poled barium titanate) are tabulated and graphically displayed to highlight the nature of the solution.
John Massey, George Lowther, and the taking of the Gambia Castle, 1721
Authors: Gibbs Joseph
Published: July 2016

Documents from UK archives and surviving contemporary journalism provide a wealth of detail (some of it long overlooked) about the 1723 piracy trial of English army officer John Massey. He, along with mutineer George Lowther, ran away in 1721 with the well-armed Royal African Company ship Gambia Castle and went on a short piratical cruise in the Caribbean. The documents and articles shed light not only on Massey, who would be hanged for his crimes, and the taking of the Gambia Castle itself, but also on Lowther and the pirate outfit which the pair spawned, strands of which remained active into the mid-1720s.
Parental Physical Force and Alcohol Use in Emerging Adults: Mediation by Psychological Problems
Authors: Pollard Mary Ward , McKinney Cliff
Published: July 2016

Research has indicated that negative parenting practices, such as physical punishment, are associated with negative outcomes in children. These negative outcomes can present during childhood and during emerging adulthood. One negative consequence can be excessive alcohol use, a problematic outcome with its own myriad consequences. The goal of the current study was to examine the effects of parental physical force on emerging adult functioning, specifically alcohol and psychological problems. A sample of 488 young adults completed questionnaires on current perceptions related to alcohol-related problems, physical and psychological aggression by their parents experienced during the previous year, and current emotional and behavioral functioning. Results showed full mediation between paternal physical force and emerging adult alcohol problems by emerging adult psychological problems. Emerging adult psychological problems partially mediated the effect of maternal physical force on emerging adult alcohol problem. Gender did not moderate these effects. The results support existing literature suggesting that the use of parental physical force may lead to a chain reaction of problems, even during emerging adulthood. These results also reveal that emerging adults report currently receiving physical force from their parents, which brings to light a concerning lack of literature on the use of parental physical force on emerging adult children. These results advocate for positive parenting practives and efforts to teach them, even for emerging adult children. The results may also clinically suggest that paying attention to parental force in emerging adult clients could yield a better understanding of their current functioning, especially including excessive alcohol use.
Holistic Comfort Interventions for Pediatric Nursing Procedures: A Systematic Review
Authors: Bice April A. , Wyatt Tami H.
Published: July 2016

Comfort interventions for children during invasive nursing procedures have been well documented in the literature. It is important, however, to distinguish between the provision of holistic comfort management and pain alleviation. Holistic comfort focuses on treating the child’s whole procedural experience and includes more than simply reducing pain. In this literature review, 33 intervention studies were examined. These studies focused on evaluating comfort effects from nursing interventions on pain, anxiety, fear, and distress. Four themes of procedural comfort intervention emerged: music therapy, amusement and entertainment, caregiver facilitation, and a multifaceted approach. Important findings of this review, gaps in the literature, and implications for future research are discussed.
Assessment of quality of life in people living with HIV in Georgia
Authors: Karkashadze Ekaterine , Gates Margaret A. , Chkhartishvili Nikoloz , DeHovitz Jack , Tsertsvadze Tengiz
Published: July 2016

The purpose of our study was to assess quality of life (QoL) among Georgian HIV-infected individuals and to examine factors associated with QoL. Our cross-sectional study sample consisted of 201 HIV-infected adult outpatients recruited at the National AIDS Center in Tbilisi, Georgia. WHOQOL-HIV-BREF was used to measure QoL. Data about other variables of interest were obtained from medical records. Modified Poisson regression with robust variance estimates was performed to create a predictive model of factors that influenced QoL. The study results showed the following factors as predictors of good general QoL: antiretroviral (ARV) treatment (prevalence ratio (PR)=2.87 (95% CI: 1.45, 5.67)); higher education level (PR = 1.51 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.17)); CD4 cells ≥200 cells/mm3 (PR = 1.83 (95% CI: 1.13, 2.94)); and age ≥40 years (PR = 1.60 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.36)). However, all factors examined were associated with at least one QoL domain. Our study suggests that HIV-infected individuals younger than 40 years and those with lower education level are more likely to have poorer QoL, while those receiving ARV treatment tend to have better QoL. This highlights the importance of educational interventions and ARV treatment in HIV patients. Future research should seek to implement additional evidence-based actions to improve QoL in this population.
Criminology and the “Essence” of Crime
Authors: DiCristina Bruce
Published: July 2016

The first and perhaps most fundamental problem of criminology, when practiced as a science, is the challenge of defining crime, of identifying a stable, empirical “essence” of crime that can guide data collection. In this article, an early stage in the history of this problem—represented by the competing views of Raffaele Garofalo, Émile Durkheim, and Willem Bonger—is examined to illustrate its complexity and its seemingly unavoidable ideological dimension. All three of these scholars embraced inductive scientific research and, to a degree, attempted to construct an empirically grounded definition of crime. Nonetheless, they “discovered” three very different essences of crime. These essences represent contradictory reality claims concerning human/social evolution, imply significantly different images of criminals, and serve as important historical reference points for several ideological currents that continue to flow through the field of criminology.
Radiographic Correction Following Reconstruction of Adult Acquired Flat Foot Deformity Using the Cotton Medial Cuneiform Osteotomy
Authors: Aiyer Amiethab , Dall Graham F. , Shub Jeffrey , Myerson Mark S.
Published: July 2016

Background:

The Cotton osteotomy has been used to correct residual forefoot supination in flexible flatfoot deformity reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to delineate the radiographic effects of the Cotton osteotomy by controlling for concomitant procedures used for deformity correction.

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed 67 patients who underwent a Cotton osteotomy as part of a flatfoot reconstructive procedure. We evaluated 12 radiographic parameters including the articular surface angles of the foot, Meary angle, and a newly defined medial arch sag angle (MASA). Twenty-eight of these patients were matched to a cohort that did not undergo a Cotton osteotomy.

Results:

In all patients who underwent a Cotton osteotomy, there were statistically significant changes in the articular surface angles and medial arch height ( P < .05). No radiographic secondary sag of the medial column was seen at final follow-up. Compared to 28 matched controls, the Cotton osteotomy did not improve Meary angle but provided an additional 6.5 degrees correction of the MASA ( P = .002). After reliability testing, the intraclass correlation coefficient was found to be substantial for the MASA compared to Meary angle.

Discussion:

The data suggest that the MASA was a useful radiographic tool for assessing midfoot collapse in the setting of pes planovalgus. The current study demonstrated the corrective capacity of the Cotton osteotomy on the MASA; at final follow-up, there was no evidence of radiographic instability. This is suggestive that a naviculocuneiform arthrodesis may not be warranted for medial column stabilization in the setting of flatfoot reconstruction.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, case control study.
Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Therapies for Prevention of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kapil Nikhil , Datta Yvonne H. , Alakbarova Naila , Bershad Eric , Selim Magdy , Liebeskind David S. , Bachour Ornina , Rao Gundu H. R. , Divani Afshin A.
Published: July 2016

Ischemic stroke represents one of the leading causes of death and disability in both the United States and abroad, particularly for patients with prior ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). A quintessential aspect of secondary stroke prevention is the use of different pharmacological agents, mainly antiplatelets and anticoagulants. Antiplatelets and anticoagulants exhibit their effect by blocking the activation pathways of platelets and the coagulation cascade, respectively. Clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of antiplatelets for noncardioembolic stroke prevention, while anticoagulants are more often used for cardioembolic stroke prevention. Commonly used antiplatelets include aspirin, clopidogrel, and aggrenox (aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole). Furthermore, commonly used anticoagulants include warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban. Each of these drugs has a unique mechanism of action, and they share some common adverse events such as gastrointestinal bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage in more serious cases. Consequently, physicians should carefully assess the benefits and risks of using different antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapies when managing patients with previous ischemic stroke or TIA. This review discuses the published literature on major clinical trials assessing the efficacy of different antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs under varying circumstances and the subsequent guidelines that have been developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Additionally, the role of imaging in stroke prevention is discussed.
Baseline Functioning and Stress Reactivity in Maltreating Parents and At-Risk Adults
Authors: Reijman Sophie , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J. , Hiraoka Regina , Crouch Julie L. , Milner Joel S. , Alink Lenneke R. A. , van IJzendoorn Marinus H.
Published: July 2016

We reviewed and meta-analyzed 10 studies ( N = 492) that examined the association between (risk for) child maltreatment perpetration and basal autonomic activity, and 10 studies ( N = 471) that examined the association between (risk for) child maltreatment and autonomic stress reactivity. We hypothesized that maltreating parents/at-risk adults would show higher basal levels of heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) and lower levels of HR variability (HRV) and would show greater HR and SC stress reactivity, but blunted HRV reactivity. A narrative review showed that evidence from significance testing within and across studies was mixed. The first set of meta-analyses revealed that (risk for) child maltreatment was associated with higher HR baseline activity ( g = 0.24), a possible indication of allostatic load. The second set of meta-analyses yielded no differences in autonomic stress reactivity between maltreating/at-risk participants and nonmaltreating/low-risk comparison groups. Cumulative meta-analyses showed that positive effects for sympathetic stress reactivity as a risk factor for child maltreatment were found in a few early studies, whereas each subsequently aggregated study reduced the combined effect size to a null effect, an indication of the winner’s curse. Most studies were underpowered. Future directions for research are suggested.
Conclusions: Calls to action for improving the life of MS patients and their families
Authors: Vermersch Patrick , Smets Louis , Gold Ralf
Published: July 2016

Background:

The first and second Pan-European MS Multi-stakeholder Colloquia were set up to increase cross-talk and communication between the different stakeholders in MS and developed joint Calls to Action to improve (equal) access to quality care and treatment for MS in Europe.

Objective & Methods:

To summarise the 10 integrated and interrelated Calls to Action developed.

Results & Conclusion:

Call 1: increase awareness in the European community about the burden MS places on patients, caregivers and society. Call 2: improve communication towards the European community on the direct and indirect cost burden of MS. Call 3: perform patient research to (re)define treatment goals/endpoints from a humanistic/patient perspective point of view. Call 4: develop new tools to better capture the total clinical burden of MS. Call 5: develop a protocol for standardisation of MRI for optimising its use as a marker of disability progression in MS. Call 6: support research to find other (molecular) biomarkers which can predict long-term disability progression and (monitor) individual treatment response. Call 7: align CHMP/EMA and HTA decision-making process. Call 8: develop separate EMA guidelines for evaluating follow-on products of non-biological complex drugs. Call 9: support people with MS remaining (physically) active and at work and stimulate the implementation of specialised care centres. Call 10: support the continuation of multi-stakeholder colloquia.
The clinical perspective: How to personalise treatment in MS and how may biomarkers including imaging contribute to this?
Authors: Vermersch Patrick , Berger Thomas , Gold Ralf , Lukas Carsten , Rovira Alex , Meesen Bianca , Chard Declan , Comabella Manuel , Palace Jacqueline , Trojano Maria
Published: July 2016

Background:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a highly heterogeneous disease, both in its course and in its response to treatments. Effective biomarkers may help predict disability progression and monitor patients’ treatment responses.

Objective:

The aim of this review was to focus on how biomarkers may contribute to treatment individualisation in MS patients.

Methods:

This review reflects the content of presentations, polling results and discussions on the clinical perspective of MS during the first and second Pan-European MS Multi-stakeholder Colloquia in Brussels in May 2014 and 2015.

Results:

In clinical practice, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures play a significant role in the diagnosis and follow-up of MS patients. Together with clinical markers, the rate of MRI-visible lesion accrual once a patient has started treatment may also help to predict subsequent treatment responsiveness. In addition, several molecular (immunological, genetic) biomarkers have been established that may play a role in predictive models of MS relapses and progression. To reach personalised treatment decisions, estimates of disability progression and likely treatment response should be carefully considered alongside the risk of serious adverse events, together with the patient’s treatment expectations.

Conclusion:

Although biomarkers may be very useful for individualised decision making in MS, many are still research tools and need to be validated before implementation in clinical practice.
The importance of a multi-disciplinary perspective and patient activation programmes in MS management
Authors: Feys Peter , Giovannoni Gavin , Dijsselbloem Nathalie , Centonze Diego , Eelen Piet , Lykke Andersen Stine
Published: July 2016

Background:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease associated with a large variety of symptoms and changing patients’ needs during the disease course. In order to provide appropriate care in every disease stage and let patients live their lives to the full, a multi-disciplinary approach and patient activation is needed.

Objective:

To summarise the multi-disciplinary perspective of MS, with focus on the organisation of a multi-disciplinary care team and possibilities to support patient activation.

Methods:

This review reflects the content of the presentations, audience polling results and discussions on the multi-disciplinary perspective of MS during the second Pan-European MS Multi-stakeholder Colloquium.

Results:

In many countries, the neurologist with or without the support of an MS nurse is responsible for the long-term care of MS patients. When needed, they should refer to other (non-)medical specialists. However, the patient should be empowered as well to manage his/her disease and to implement a physically active lifestyle in order to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life.

Conclusion:

To create equal access to care for MS patients across Europe, evidence-based standards of care, symptom self-monitoring tools and educational programmes for patients and healthcare professionals including non-medical treatment strategies should be developed at the European level.
The regulator’s perspective: How should new therapies and follow-on products for MS be clinically evaluated in the future?
Authors: Crommelin Daan JA , Broich Karl , Holloway Chris , Meesen Bianca , Lizrova Preiningerova Jana , Prugnaud Jean-Louis , Silva-Lima Beatriz
Published: July 2016

Background:

Although there is still no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), the introduction of several innovative drugs with modes of action different from that of the existing drug arsenal and the progress in monitoring disease progression by imaging and using biomarkers are currently causing a knowledge surge. This provides opportunities for improving patient disease management. New therapies are also under development and pose challenges to the regulatory bodies regarding the optimal design of clinical trials with more patient-focused clinical endpoints. Moreover, with the upcoming patent expiry of some of the key first-line MS treatments in Europe, regulatory bodies will also face the challenge of recommending marketing authorisation for generic and abridged versions based on appropriate requirements for demonstrating equality/similarity to the innovator’s product.

Objective:

The goal of this article is to improve the understanding of the relevant guidance documents of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on clinical investigation of medicinal products and to highlight the issues that the agency will need to clarify regarding follow-on products of first-line MS treatments.

Conclusion:

Today, it is clear that close collaboration between patients, healthcare professionals, regulatory bodies and industry is crucial for developing new safe and effective drugs, which satisfy the needs of MS patients.
How patients and clinicians make meaning of physical suffering in mental health evaluations
Authors: Carson Nicholas J. , Katz Arlene M. , Alegría Margarita
Published: July 2016

Clinicians in community mental health settings frequently evaluate individuals suffering from physical health problems. How patients make meaning of such “comorbidity” can affect mental health in ways that may be influenced by cultural expectations and by the responses of clinicians, with implications for delivering culturally sensitive care. A sample of 30 adult mental health intakes exemplifying physical illness assessment was identified from a larger study of patient–provider communication. The recordings of patient–provider interactions were coded using an information checklist containing 21 physical illness items. Intakes were analyzed for themes of meaning making by patients and responses by clinicians. Post-diagnostic interviews with these patients and clinicians were analyzed in similar fashion. Clinicians facilitated disclosures of physical suffering to varying degrees and formulated them in the context of the culture of mental health services. Patients discussed their perceptions of what was at stake in their experience of physical illness: existential loss, embodiment, and limits on the capacity to work and on their sense of agency. The experiences of physical illness, mental health difficulties, and social stressors were described as mutually reinforcing. In mental health intakes, patients attributed meaning to the negative effects of physical health problems in relation to mental health functioning and social stressors. Decreased capacity to work was a particularly salient concern. The complexity of these patient–provider interactions may best be captured by a sociosomatic formulation that addresses the meaning of physical and mental illness in relation to social stressors.
Measuring jurors’ views on sentencing: Results from the second Australian jury sentencing study
Authors: Warner Kate , Davis Julia , Spiranovic Caroline , Cockburn Helen , Freiberg Arie
Published: July 2016

This paper presents the results of the Victorian Jury Sentencing Study which aimed to measure jurors’ views on sentencing. The study asked jurors who had returned a guilty verdict to propose a sentence for the offender, to comment on the sentence given by the judge in their case and to give their opinions on general sentencing levels for different offence types. A total of 987 jurors from 124 criminal trials in the County Court of Victoria participated in this mixed-method and multi-phased study in 2013–2015. The results are based on juror responses to the Stage One and Stage Two surveys and show that the views of judges and jurors are much more closely aligned than mass public opinion surveys would suggest.
Book review: Culp, Julian. 2014: Global Justice and Development
Authors: Martens Karel
Published: July 2016

Culp, Julian. 2014: Global Justice and Development. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. 215 pp. 7 chapters. £63, ISBN 978–1-137–38992–3 (hardcover). £47.99, ISBN 978–1-137–38993–0 (eBook).
The extended palliative phase of dementia – An integrative literature review
Authors: Hanson Elizabeth , Hellström Amanda , Sandvide Åsa , Jackson Graham A , MacRae Rhoda , Waugh Anna , Abreu Wilson , Tolson Debbie
Published: July 2016

This article presents an integrative literature review of the experience of dementia care associated with the extended palliative phase of dementia. The aim was to highlight how dementia is defined in the literature and describe what is known about the symptomatology and management of advanced dementia regarding the needs and preferences of the person with dementia and their family carer/s. There was no consistent definition of advanced dementia. The extended palliative phase was generally synonymous with end-of-life care. Advanced care planning is purported to enable professionals to work together with people with dementia and their families. A lack of understanding of palliative care among frontline practitioners was related to a dearth of educational opportunities in advanced dementia care. There are few robust concepts and theories that embrace living the best life possible during the later stages of dementia. These findings informed our subsequent work around the concept, ‘Dementia Palliare’.
Which way is better for teacher evaluation? The discourse on teacher evaluation in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Juei-Hsin , Chen Yen-Ting
Published: July 2016

There are no summative evaluations for compulsory and basic education in Taiwan. This research discusses and analyzes present teacher evaluation implementation. The implementation of policy nowadays means “Teacher evaluation for professional development”. Teacher evaluation for professional development is a voluntary growing project of the Ministry of Education. The objective of this research is to understand the professional development of teachers and school leaders as a microscopic phenomenon, and discuss the interaction between strategies for school principals’ leadership and teachers’ professional development.

This research attempts to understand the correlation between school leadership and teacher evaluaction for professional development. The case study used the qualitative narrative inquiry method to gather information in the form of documents, records, interviews and observations. This research deals with both teacher evaluation policies and school case experiences in Taiwan. Finally, the study concludes with recommendations on enhancing the school administrative units. It also provides some suggestions for teacher evaluation programs in the future.