bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amauroderma calcitum sp. nov. and notes on taxonomy and distribution of Amauroderma species (Ganodermataceae)
Authors: Costa-Rezende Diogo Henrique , GUGLIOTTA ADRIANA MELLO , GÓES-NETO ARISTÓTELES , RECK MATEUS ARDUVINO , ROBLEDO GERARDO Lucio , Drechsler-Santos Elisandro Ricardo
Published: January 2016

During a polypore survey in the Cerrado (Mato Grosso state, Brazil), Amauroderma specimens were collected and some of them deserved special taxonomic attention due to their intermediate morphology between A. calcigenum and A. partitum. A comparative study of the types and reference material, as well as phylogenetic analysis, led us to conclude that these specimens represent an undescribed species, presented here as Amauroderma calcitum. In addition A. brasiliense is presented as a new record for the Brazilian Cerrado. Illustrations, taxonomic analyses and a discussion are presented for each taxon, and a key to the Amauroderma species from Brazil is provided. A phylogenetic discussion about the genus is also presented.
Urosolenia and Acanthoceras species from Hainan Province, China
Authors: Liu Yan , Kociolek John Patrick , Fan Yawen
Published: January 2016

Urosolenia and Acanthoceras are reported as cosmopolitan centric genera, but records of these two taxa are infrequent. During an investigation of the diatom flora from Hainan Province, South of China, three Urosolenia and one Acanthoceras species were observed. Based on the morphological and ultrastructural features, we propose these three Urosolenia species as new to Science, named as U. yalongii sp. nov., U. truncata sp. nov. and U. subtenuis sp. nov. Urosolenia yalongii differs from other species such as U. amazonica, U. delicatissima and U. eriensis by its lower density of cingula, and the presence of elongated poroids on the valve and 3–5 teeth on the end of extension. Urosolenia truncata is similar to U. yalongii but it has denser cingula and the blunt ends of the extension make it very distinctive from other known species of the genus. Urosolenia subtenuis can be separated from all other Urosolenia species by its small frustule, lower density of bands and by having 2–3 teeth with a ligula on the tip of the extension. Additionally, one taxon of Acanthoceras resembling A. zachariasii was observed; the Hainan specimens differ from previous descriptions of A. zachariasii by presenting a lower density of cingula and 5–7 teeth at the tip of the extension. Lack of information on the type of this species suggests to avoid determining the Hainan specimens as a separate species.
Response of Northern Hemisphere Midlatitude Circulation to Arctic Amplification in a Simple Atmospheric General Circulation Model
Authors: Wu Yutian , Smith Karen L.
Published: January 2016

This study examines the Northern Hemisphere midlatitude circulation response to Arctic amplification (AA) in a simple atmospheric general circulation model. It is found that, in response to AA, the tropospheric jet shifts equatorward and the stratospheric polar vortex weakens, robustly for various AA forcing strengths. Despite this, no statistically significant change in the frequency of sudden stratospheric warming events is identified. In addition, in order to quantitatively assess the role of stratosphere–troposphere coupling, the tropospheric pathway is isolated by nudging the stratospheric zonal mean state toward the reference state. When the nudging is applied, rendering the stratosphere inactive, the tropospheric jet still shifts equatorward but by approximately half the magnitude compared to that of an active stratosphere. The difference represents the stratospheric pathway and the downward influence of the stratosphere on the troposphere. This suggests that stratosphere–troposphere coupling plays a nonnegligible role in establishing the midlatitude circulation response to AA.
Advances in Geostationary-Derived Longwave Fluxes for the CERES Synoptic (SYN1deg) Product
Authors: Doelling David R. , Sun Moguo , Nguyen Le Trang , Nordeen Michele L. , Haney Conor O. , Keyes Dennis F. , Mlynczak Pamela E.
Published: January 2016

The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) project has provided the climate community 15 years of globally observed top-of-the-atmosphere fluxes critical for climate and cloud feedback studies. To accurately monitor the earth’s radiation budget, the CERES instrument footprint fluxes must be spatially and temporally averaged properly. The CERES synoptic 1° (SYN1deg) product incorporates derived fluxes from the geostationary satellites (GEOs) to account for the regional diurnal flux variations in between Terra and Aqua CERES measurements. The Edition 4 CERES reprocessing effort has provided the opportunity to reevaluate the derivation of longwave (LW) fluxes from GEO narrowband radiances by examining the improvements from incorporating 1-hourly versus 3-hourly GEO data, additional GEO infrared (IR) channels, and multichannel GEO cloud properties. The resultant GEO LW fluxes need to be consistent across the 16-satellite climate data record. To that end, the addition of the water vapor channel, available on all GEOs, was more effective than using a reanalysis dataset’s column-weighted relative humidity combined with the window channel radiance. The benefit of the CERES LW angular directional model to derive fluxes was limited by the inconsistency of the GEO cloud retrievals. Greater success was found in the direct conversion of window and water vapor channel radiances into fluxes. Incorporating 1-hourly GEO fluxes had the greatest impact on improving the accuracy of high-temporal-resolution fluxes, and normalizing the GEO LW fluxes with CERES greatly reduced the monthly regional LW flux bias.
Risk factors for repetition of a deliberate self-harm episode within seven days in adolescents and young adults: A population-level record linkage study in Western Australia
Authors: Hu Nan , Glauert Rebecca A , Li Jianghong , Taylor Catherine L
Published: January 2016

Objective:

The risk of repetition of deliberate self-harm peaks in the first 7 days after a deliberate self-harm episode. However, thus far no studies have examined the risk factors for repeating deliberate self-harm during this short-term period. We aimed to investigate the effects of socio-demographic factors, self-harm method and mental health factors in adolescents (10–19 years old) and young adults (20–29 years old).

Methods:

We used data linkage of population-wide administrative records from hospital inpatients and emergency departments to identify all the deliberate self-harm–related episodes that occurred in adolescents and young adults in Western Australia from 2000 to 2011. Logistic regression with generalised estimating equations was used for the analyses.

Results:

The incidence of repeating deliberate self-harm within the first 7 days after an index episode was 6% (403/6,768) in adolescents and 8% (842/10,198) in young adults. Socio-demographic risk factors included female gender and socioeconomic disadvantage. Compared with non-poisoning, self-poisoning predicted increased risk of having a repeated deliberate self-harm episode in males, but not in females. Borderline personality, impulse-control and substance use disorders diagnosed within one week before and one week after an index deliberate self-harm episode conferred the highest risk, followed by depressive and anxiety disorders. Having a preceding deliberate self-harm episode up to 7 days before an index episode was a strong predictor for the future repetition of a deliberate self-harm episode.

Conclusion:

Having a repeated deliberate self-harm episode within the first 7 days was related to a wide range of factors present at an index deliberate self-harm episode including socio-demographic characteristics, deliberate self-harm method and co-existing psychiatric conditions. These factors can inform risk assessments tailored to adolescents and young adults respectively to reduce the repetition of deliberate self-harm within a short but critical period, potentially contributing to reduce the repetition of deliberate self-harm in the long term.
Effects of Funding Allocation for Safe Routes to School Programs on Active Commuting to School and Related Behavioral, Knowledge, and Psychosocial Outcomes
Authors: Hoelscher Deanna , Ory Marcia , Dowdy Diane , Miao Jingang , Atteberry Heather , Nichols Donna , Evans Alexandra , Menendez Tiffni , Lee Chanam , Wang Suojin
Published: January 2016

Few controlled evaluations of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) initiatives have been conducted. The Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation (T-COPPE) study included three conditions: schools awarded infrastructure (I) projects ( n = 23), schools awarded noninfrastructure (NI) projects ( n = 21), and matched comparison (C) schools ( n = 34). Fourth-grade children completed tallies to determine transport to/from schools. Serial cross-sectional surveys were collected from students and parents at baseline (2009) and follow-up (2012). Data were analyzed using mixed linear regression and growth curve models. Morning percent active commuting to school (ACS) in I and NI schools were higher than C schools ( p = .024, p = .013, respectively). Afternoon percent ACS in NI schools decreased more over time compared with C schools ( p = .009). I and NI school students had higher ACS self-efficacy; similar results were noted for parents in I schools. Policies that provide cost-reimbursement funding for SRTS achieve modest short-term ACS outcomes, with few differences between types of funding allocations.
Destination Competitiveness—A Comparison of Subjective and Objective Indicators for Winter Sports Areas
Authors: Zehrer Anita , Smeral Egon , Hallmann Kirstin
Published: January 2016

Studies about measuring competitiveness of winter sport destinations are rare. Subjective measurements seem to dominate research mostly either from demand or supply side; however, seldom integrated approaches from both sides are used. Objective measures seem to be scarce, and comparisons of both subjective and objective measures seem to have been neglected so far. To increase the credibility of previous findings, this article relies on subjective primary data (demand and supply side), also named “soft” data, and objective secondary data (demand side), also named “hard” data, on the competitiveness of six Alpine destinations. Findings show evidence that subjective performance measures show deviations from the results based on objective measures.
A hybrid discrete differential evolution algorithm for deadlock-free scheduling with setup times of flexible manufacturing systems
Authors: Lei Hang , Xing Keyi , Gao Zhenxin , Xiong Fuli
Published: January 2016

This paper proposes an effective hybrid discrete differential evolution (DDE) algorithm for solving a scheduling problem of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs), where sequence-dependent setup times are considered. The objective is to find a deadlock-free schedule that minimizes the makespan. Based on the timed Petri net models of FMSs, a possible solution of the scheduling problem is represented as an individual that is a permutation with repetition of jobs. For the existence of deadlocks, most of the individuals cannot be directly decoded into feasible (live) schedules. Therefore, a deadlock controller is applied in the decoding scheme, and infeasible individuals are amended into feasible ones. Moreover, in order to overcome the premature convergence of DDE algorithm and improve solution quality, a variable neighbourhood search algorithm, which performs a systematic change of neighbourhood in solution searching, is adopted. Then a hybrid scheduling algorithm that combines a DDE with a variable neighbourhood search is presented. Computational results and comparison based on a variety of instances show the feasibility and superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Is there (or should there be) a right to basic income?
Authors: De Wispelaere Jurgen , Morales Leticia
Published: January 2016

A basic income is typically defined as an individual’s entitlement to receive a regular payment as a right, independent of other sources of income, employment or willingness to work, or living situation. In this article, we examine what it means for the state to institute a right to basic income. The normative literature on basic income has developed numerous arguments in support of basic income as an inextricable component of a just social order, but there exists little analysis about basic income within a jurisprudential or philosophical rights perspective. In our view, strong reasons of either a principled or a pragmatic nature in support of instituting a basic income scheme nevertheless often fall short of ascribing to basic income a distinctive Hohfeldian rights status. This article aims to partially redress this gap by examining two sets of questions. First, what are the implications – ethical and practical – of adopting basic income as a legal right as opposed to a mere policy? Second, we also enquire whether there should be such a right: what, if anything, is the ethical foundation that warrants granting basic income a distinctive legal rights status? This article suggests that any such foundation must be grounded in comparative evaluation and discusses several comparative strategies available to basic income advocates. The aim of this article is not to offer a definite argument in favor of a legal right to basic income, but to chart several lines of argument that a rights perspective might add to the contemporary discussion.
Cerebrovascular and microglial states are not altered by functional neuroinflammatory gene variant
Authors: Felsky Daniel , De Jager Philip L , Schneider Julie A , Arfanakis Konstantinos , Fleischman Debra A , Arvanitakis Zoe , Honer William G , Pouget Jennie G , Mizrahi Romina , Pollock Bruce G , Kennedy James L , Bennett David A , Voineskos Aristotle N ,   for the authors of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: January 2016

The translocator protein, a microglial-expressed marker of neuroinflammation, has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by alterations in vascular and inflammatory states. A TSPO variant, rs6971, determines binding affinity of exogenous radioligands in vivo; however, the effect of these altered binding characteristics on inflammatory and cerebrovascular biomarkers has not been assessed. In 2345 living subjects (Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, n = 1330) and postmortem brain samples (Religious Orders Study and Memory and Aging Project, n = 1015), we analyzed effects of rs6971 on white matter hyperintensisites, cerebral infarcts, circulating inflammatory biomarkers, amyloid angiopathy, and microglial activation. We found that rs6971 does not alter translocator protein in a way that impacts cerebrovascular and inflammatory states known to be affected in dementia.
Redressing anti-imperial amnesia
Authors: Gopal Priyamvada
Published: January 2016

Discussing the essence of reparative history, the author articulates the need to go beyond an examination of the impact of colonialism (for good or ill) or a simplistic inclusion of cultural minorities into the national story. Instead she urges an examination of the agency and influence of peripheries’ struggles – rebellions and resistance in the colonies – such as the Haitian revolution, the Sepoy Mutiny, the Morant Bay Uprising, the Urabi Revolt on the metropole itself. How did they shape British domestic criticism of empire and ultimately ideas about liberty and independence? Where, she asks, is the acknowledgement of the agency of those who struggled against empire and slavery in present day debates about what constitutes British values.
Effects of Instant Messaging on School Performance in Adolescents
Authors: Grover Karan , Pecor Keith , Malkowski Michael , Kang Lilia , Machado Sasha , Lulla Roshni , Heisey David , Ming Xue
Published: January 2016

Instant messaging may compromise sleep quality and school performance in adolescents. We aimed to determine associations between nighttime messaging and daytime sleepiness, self-reported sleep parameters, and/or school performance. Students from 3 high schools in New Jersey completed anonymous questionnaires assessing sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, messaging habits, and academic performance. Of the 2,352 students sampled, 1,537 responses were contrasted among grades, sexes, and messaging duration, both before and after lights out. Students who reported longer duration of messaging after lights out were more likely to report a shorter sleep duration, higher rate of daytime sleepiness, and poorer academic performance. Messaging before lights out was not associated with higher rates of daytime sleepiness or poorer academic performance. Females reported more messaging, more daytime sleepiness, and better academic performance than males. There may be an association between text messaging and school performance in this cohort of students.
Exploring the Correlates of Perceived Job Dangerousness Among Correctional Staff at a Maximum Security Prison
Authors: Lambert Eric G. , Minor Kevin I. , Gordon Jill , Wells James B. , Hogan Nancy L.
Published: January 2016

In literature on correctional staff, one poorly understood antecedent of job stress and other negative outcomes is perceived danger from the job. Survey results from 272 staff at a state-run Midwestern maximum security prison were analyzed with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression to determine the relationships between personal/work environment variables and perceptions of job danger. Analyses revealed the effects of the personal variables were conditional on staff position (custody vs. non-custody). Irrespective of position, two of seven work environment variables studied (less input into decision making and more daily contact with prisoners) were related to greater perceived risk of harm from the job. Also, greater organizational formalization was related to greater perceived risk among custodial staff. Perceived danger from the job is a real issue, and the current results indicate workplace factors play a role.
Pharmacists’ Perceptions Regarding Optimization of Antibiotic Prescribing in the Community
Authors: Res Rebecca , Hoti Kreshnik , Charrois Theresa L.
Published: January 2016

Background and Objective:

The overuse of antibiotics in the community is a primary cause of antibiotic resistance. Community pharmacists are the most accessible health professionals and so they are in an ideal position to implement interventions to ensure the appropriate use of antibiotics. This study aimed to explore the role of community pharmacists in the optimization of antibiotic prescribing and utilization.

Method:

Four focus groups were conducted with community pharmacists in Perth, Western Australia. Audio-recorded data were compared with field notes, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.

Results:

There were twenty-four participants in four focus group sessions. Four main themes were identified: patient perceptions and behaviors, prescribing behaviors, pharmacists’ roles and responsibilities, and health care system interventions in relation to antibiotic utilization. A number of interventions that could be implemented by community pharmacists were identified. In addition to interventions that are currently in place in Australia, forward dispensing, improved interprofessional collaboration, an expansion of current prescribing role, and vaccination capabilities were also suggested.

Conclusions:

This study indicated that current scope of pharmacists’ roles has room for more intervention strategies aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing and utilization in the community.
Possible Hepatotoxicity Associated With Daptomycin
Authors: Mo Yoonsun , Nehring Fletcher , Jung Andrew H. , Housman Seth T.
Published: January 2016

Purpose

To report a case of isolated daptomycin-induced acute liver injury without elevations in creatine kinase (CK) levels or kidney dysfunction.

A 49-year-old female with a history of pancreatitis, lupus, diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, and chronic pain syndrome presented to the emergency department with alteration in mental status and acute liver failure. The patient had been treated with daptomycin for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) endocarditis for 3 weeks. After ruling out other possible etiologies, daptomycin was suspected as a cause of acute liver failure. Her liver failure resolved gradually following withdrawal of daptomycin.

Conclusion

Although hepatic abnormalities caused by daptomycin are rare, a handful of cases with daptomycin-induced liver injury have been reported in the literature. Of note, in most cases, patients on daptomycin therapy developed liver damage with elevations in CK levels. Our case report suggests possible severe liver injury associated with high-dose and long-term daptomycin treatment in the absence of rhabdomyolysis. Future research is warranted to further investigate the relationship between daptomycin use and liver injury, yet it is reasonable to monitor liver function tests at baseline and weekly thereafter along with CK levels, especially in patients requiring long-term daptomycin therapy.
Optimal dimensioning of redundantly actuated mechanism for maximizing energy efficiency and workspace via Taguchi method
Authors: Park Sumin , Kim Jehyeok , Jeong Jay I , Kim Jongwon , Lee Giuk
Published: January 2016

A kinematic optimization of a redundantly actuated parallel mechanism is developed via the Taguchi method to maximize the sum of energy efficiency and workspace. In the optimization process, the energy consumption in a representative pathway of a predefined workspace is used as the performance index of the energy efficiency. The horizontal reach and stroke, and the vertical reach of mechanism, are used for the performance index of the workspace. The kinematic parameters of a chain that was added to the proposed non-redundantly actuated parallel mechanism as an extension to achieve redundant actuation are selected as the controllable factors. The velocity of the end-effector is considered to be a noise factor. Because the Taguchi method was originally used for robust optimization, we can improve the energy efficiency and workspace under various velocities for the end-effector. In the first stage of optimization, the number of controllable factors is reduced, and their correlations are eliminated using a response analysis. Quasi-optimized results are derived after the second stage of optimization. The optimized redundantly actuated parallel mechanism result is validated by comparing the energy efficiencies and workspaces of the original and optimal redundantly actuated parallel mechanisms.
Hemodynamic study of the elliptic St. Jude Medical valve: A computational study
Authors: Jahandardoost Mehdi , Fradet Guy , Mohammadi Hadi
Published: January 2016

Despite successful implantation of St. Jude Medical bileaflet mechanical heart valves, red blood cell lysis and thrombogenic complications associated with these types of valves are yet to be addressed. In our previous study, we proposed an elliptic housing where 10% ovality was applied to the housing of St. Jude Medical valves. Our preliminary results suggested that the overall hemodynamic performance of St. Jude Medical valves improved in both the closing and opening phases. In this study, we evaluated the hemodynamics around the leaflets in the opening phase using a more sophisticated computational platform, computational fluid dynamics. Results suggested both lower shear stress and wall shear stress values and an overall improved hemodynamic performance in the proposed design. This improvement is characterized by lower values of shear stress and wall shear stress in the regions downstream of the leaflets, lower pressure drop across the valve and smaller recirculation zones in the sinuses areas. The proposed design may open a new chapter in the concept of design and hemodynamic improvement of the next generation of mechanical heart valves.
Association between toll-like receptor polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis update
Authors: Lee Y H , Choi S J , Ji J D , Song G G
Published: January 2016

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine whether polymorphisms of the Toll-like receptor ( TLR) genes are associated with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

The authors conducted a meta-analysis of the relationship between 12 TLR polymorphisms and SLE susceptibility.

Results

In total, 26 studies that involved 11,984 patients and 14,572 controls were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed no association between the two alleles of the rs352140, rs5743836, and rs352139 polymorphisms of TLR9 and SLE, but indicated an association between the two alleles of the rs187084 polymorphism ( TLR9) and SLE in the overall population (OR = 0.869, 95% CI = 0.762–0.992, P = 0.038). No association was detected between rs3764880 ( TLR8) and SLE; however, our meta-analysis indicated an association between rs3764879 ( TLR8) and SLE in Caucasians (OR = 1.414, 95% CI = 1.139–1.756, P = 0.002). An association between rs179008 ( TLR7) and SLE was found in the African (OR = 0.430, 95% CI = 0.238–0.775, P = 0.005), but not in the Caucasian population (OR = 1.206, 95% CI = 0.932–1.614, P = 0.145). Furthermore, our meta-analysis indicated a significant association between rs3853839 ( TLR7) and SLE in the Asian population (OR = 0.773, 95% CI = 0.735, 0.823, P < 1.0 × 10−9). No associations were found between rs5744168 ( TLR5), rs4986791 ( TLR4), rs4986790 ( TLR4), and rs3775291 ( TLR3) polymorphisms and SLE susceptibility.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis suggests that TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 polymorphisms are associated with the development of SLE in Caucasian, Asian, and African populations.
Controlled multi-arm platform design using predictive probability
Authors: Hobbs Brian P , Chen Nan , Lee J Jack
Published: January 2016

The process of screening agents one-at-a-time under the current clinical trials system suffers from several deficiencies that could be addressed in order to extend financial and patient resources. In this article, we introduce a statistical framework for designing and conducting randomized multi-arm screening platforms with binary endpoints using Bayesian modeling. In essence, the proposed platform design consolidates inter-study control arms, enables investigators to assign more new patients to novel therapies, and accommodates mid-trial modifications to the study arms that allow both dropping poorly performing agents as well as incorporating new candidate agents. When compared to sequentially conducted randomized two-arm trials, screening platform designs have the potential to yield considerable reductions in cost, alleviate the bottleneck between phase I and II, eliminate bias stemming from inter-trial heterogeneity, and control for multiplicity over a sequence of a priori planned studies. When screening five experimental agents, our results suggest that platform designs have the potential to reduce the mean total sample size by as much as 40% and boost the mean overall response rate by as much as 15%. We explain how to design and conduct platform designs to achieve the aforementioned aims and preserve desirable frequentist properties for the treatment comparisons. In addition, we demonstrate how to conduct a platform design using look-up tables that can be generated in advance of the study. The gains in efficiency facilitated by platform design could prove to be consequential in oncologic settings, wherein trials often lack a proper control, and drug development suffers from low enrollment, long inter-trial latency periods, and an unacceptably high rate of failure in phase III.
Nurses in the Private Health Sector in Kerala: Any Lessons Learnt from Their Strikes in Recent Years?
Authors: Nair Sreelekha , Timmons Stephen , Evans Catrin
Published: January 2016

This article analyses the series of strikes initiated by staff nurses in private hospitals in the state of Kerala. In spite of the growth of private sector health care institutions, working terms and conditions of nursing professionals are structured by a deeply iniquitous ethos. A number of strikes were organised that generated public interest and resulted in some potential long-term changes in the perspectives on health care professionals’ recruitment and terms of work. How did the nurses in the private sector negotiate their demand for better working conditions using strike as a strategy? What were the responses of the key stakeholders and the general public? It is obvious that gender mediated the negotiations between the state, private sector hospital managements and unions, on the one hand, and nurses who were predominantly women, on the other. In that case, what were the ways in which gender was factored into the discussions? This bears important implications for the regulation and governance of the private health care sector. This article thus argues that the legislation on clinical establishments should be expedited and any attempt to jeopardise it should be resisted; rather there should be collective efforts to work on the shortcomings of the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Bill.
Volunteerism to Incentivisation: Changing Priorities of Mitanins Work in Chhattisgarh
Authors: Som Mithun
Published: January 2016

There is increasing informalisation in the public sector workforce, especially at the lower levels. Women form a huge part of the informal labour force. The health sector is also witnessing similar trends where another concept of ‘volunteerism’ is also emerging, as seen in the Mitanins of Chhattisgarh. The Mitanin programme, considered to be a precursor to the accredited social health activist (ASHA), had started on a different note. It had hoped that the community will pay for the loss of wages in future, instead of the government, so that the Mitanin remains a community representative. In the initial couple of years, the Mitanins were not compensated and later, activity-oriented payment was started, thus leading to incentivisation of their activities. Post-National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), this mode of compensation got cemented. This article will explore how one of the most important agendas during the conceptualisation of the programme, of the Mitanin being able to raise the community’s concerns and demands, being a community representative and organiser, was not met and she became a very lowly paid, honorary worker of the government health service system. This article is based on extensive fieldwork conducted intermittently between 2004 and 2008.
Falling Through the Gaps: Women Accessing Care under Health Insurance Schemes in Karnataka
Authors: Karpagam Sylvia , Vasan Akhila , Seethappa Vijaykumar
Published: January 2016

This article focuses on the struggles of women from marginalised communities in accessing health care through health insurance schemes like Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and Vajpayee Arogyasri Scheme (VAS). It also draws attention to the design and implementation of the health insurance schemes and how they exclude the most vulnerable—ailing, single and elderly women. The article foregrounds the politics and futility of ‘cards’ used under the schemes by juxtaposing women’s struggle to access them with policymakers’ misplaced priorities of diverting scarce resources from government facilities and ‘non-profitable’ disease prevention activities to ‘profitable’ tertiary care services in the private sector. It further illustrates the opaque administrative structure, each with its own trusts, state nodal agency (SNA), the third-party administrator (TPA), empanelled hospitals, insurance companies and vendors, making it impossible to hold anyone accountable for violations and lapses.
Corporate Hospitals in India and Representation of Women’s Medical Care
Authors: Roy Bijoya
Published: January 2016

By the turn of the century, in India, there had been a major expansion of corporate hospitals. They are a melting pot of global and local dynamics. As Habermas says, corporate entities share certain values, which shape other institutions, communities and the public mind as well. Corporate medical care means expensive medicine, individualisation of care, promotion of risk management, along with profit-oriented managerial techniques and healthism with minimal or no intervention from the government. This article traces how this emerging sector is shaping the notion of women’s medical care in the public mind. This is traced through the study of corporate health care institutional websites focusing on the services for women. Even though they make the clinical setting women friendly, they promote women’s health services selectively. Through various services, it normalises the usage of market-driven technology and the need for it.
Book Review: Suparna Banerjee, Science, Gender and History: The Fantastic in Mary Shelley and Margaret Atwood
Authors: Bini B.S.
Published: January 2016

Suparna Banerjee, Science, Gender and History: The Fantastic in Mary Shelley and Margaret Atwood. UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014. 157 pages. £41.99.
Book Review: Sumi Krishna and Gita Chadha (Eds), Feminists and Science: Critiques and Changing Perspectives in India, Vol. 1
Authors: Bal Vineeta
Published: January 2016

Sumi Krishna and Gita Chadha (Eds), Feminists and Science: Critiques and Changing Perspectives in India, Vol. 1. Kolkata: Stree, 2015. 348 pages. ₹ 500, ISBN 978-93-813-4507-8.
Effectiveness of Percutaneous Celiac Plexus Ablation in the Treatment of Severe Cancer Pain in Upper Abdomen and Evaluation of Health Economics
Authors: Cao Jun , He Yang , Liu Hongqiang , Wang Saibo , Zhao Baocheng , Zheng Xiaohui , Yang Kai , Xie Donghao
Published: January 2016

Objective:

To compare the effectiveness, adverse effects, and cost-effectiveness of percutaneous neurolytic celiac plexus block (NCPB) versus traditional medication strategies for the treatment of patients with advanced cancer having severe upper abdominal cancer pain.

Methods:

This retrospective study included 81 patients with advanced upper abdominal cancer admitted to The Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University between January 2013 and July 2014. The patients were divided into percutaneous NCPB (treatment) and medication for pain (control) groups. The outcomes were measured in terms of Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score before treatment and on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 28th days posttreatment. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the therapy were assessed using analysis of the health economics.

Results:

The improvements in NRS score (1.42 ± 1.09 vs 4.03 ± 0.96, P < .01) and KPS score (65.55 ± 9.09 vs 63.03 ± 8.961, P < .01) in the treatment group were significantly superior compared to the control group on the 7th day of treatment, followed by no significant difference between the 2 groups on the 14th and the 28th day of treatment. Health economics evaluation revealed that the medicine-specific costs and total health care costs were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to the control group ( P < .05), but no significant differences between the 2 groups ( P > .05) were seen in the costs of hospitalization, examinations, and treatment.

Conclusion:

The percutaneous NCPB method shows promising results and better cost-effectiveness for treating patients with advanced cancer having severe upper abdominal pain.
“I Told Myself to Stay Positive” Perceptions of Coping Among Latinos With a Cancer Diagnosis Living in the United States
Authors: Carrion Iraida V. , Nedjat-Haiem Frances , Macip-Billbe Melania , Black Ryan
Published: January 2016

Purpose:

This study contributes to the sparse body of literature examining perceptions of coping among Latino men and women with a cancer diagnosis living in the United States. There are currently 50 million Latinos in the United States and, by 2050, projected to grow to 128 million. Although some research indicates that Latinos have unique sociocultural beliefs that influence their cancer care, very little is known about their perceptions of coping after being diagnosed with cancer. We examined Latino men and women’s perceptions of coping to understand the meaning of their experience with cancer

Method:

Using criterion sampling technique, 60 immigrant and migrant Latino men and women diagnosed with cancer within the past 5 years were recruited from community-based organizations, clinics, and churches. The study consisted of 60- to 90-minute semistructured interviews asking open-ended questions pertaining to coping. The qualitative design facilitated an understanding of coping within the participants’ social and cultural contexts.

Results:

Median age of the participants was 55 years. Among the women, 80% had breast cancer; 12% had ovarian cancer; and 8% had throat, thyroid, stomach, or skin cancers. Among the men, 94% had prostate cancer and 6% had brain, colorectal, or lung cancers. Emerging themes associated with the development of coping strategies involved positive reframing, family support, religion and spirituality, and support from health care providers. The term “positive reframing” relates to finding meaning and positive emotions that help sustain the coping process, despite having a cancer diagnosis. In addition, when medical and helping professionals provided tangible support, participants engaged in meaning-based coping.

Conclusion:

This study provides insights regarding the existing coping strategies which Latinos utilize and provides clinician-tangible information pertaining to participant’s engagement in meaning-based coping. Family support facilitated coping among the Latino men and women. The role of religion and spirituality in the lives of the participants enabled them to cope with the cancer diagnosis. Future research is necessary to examine coping strategies regarding specific cancers at end of life.
The Screwball Bromance: Regression, Bisexuality, and Reconfigured Masculinity in Step Brothers
Authors: Tait R. Colin
Published: January 2016

This article argues that the 2008 movie Step Brothers subverts the classical form of the screwball comedy, which always presents the outcome of heterosexual marriage. Instead, Step Brothers presents a love story between the two main male characters. Despite its “low” comedic form, the film is ultimately a sophisticated rumination on the status of male love within 21st-century America as well as the latest iteration of the contemporary “bromance” film.
Who’s Citing Whom?
Authors: Turcotte Jason
Published: January 2016

In a news environment that falls short in covering public priorities, debates play an important role in bringing electoral politics closer to constituents. Given that political elites routinely influence campaign news through the gatekeeping process of source selection and that journalists facilitate debates, it is worth examining the indexing of elite sources in these campaign events. This study uniquely explores the routines of news professionals in debates by examining source selection. This study finds that debate questions citing exogenous sources tap political elites far more frequently than members of the public and identifies media characteristics predictive of elite indexing.
Hidden Voices
Authors: Shah Sonali , Tsitsou Lito , Woodin Sarah
Published: January 2016

Violence against women is a worldwide social and human rights problem that cuts across cultural, geographic, religious, social, and economic boundaries. It affects women in countries around the world, regardless of class, religion, disability, age, or sexual identity. International evidence shows that approximately three in five women experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. However, across the globe, women and girls with impairments or life-limiting illnesses are more susceptible to different forms of violence across a range of environments and by different perpetrators including professionals and family members as well as partners. However, they are likely to be seriously disadvantaged in gaining information and support to escape the abusive relationships. This article stems from the United Kingdom part of a comparative study with three other countries (Austria, Germany, and Iceland) funded by the European Commission (EC; 2013-2015). It presents preliminary findings, generated from life history interviews, about disabled women’s experiences of violence and access to support (both formal and informal) over their life course and their aspirations for the prevention of violence in the future. The article includes examples of impairment-specific violence that non-disabled women do not experience. By bringing the voices of disabled women into the public domain, the article will facilitate a historically marginalized group to contribute to the debate about disability, violence, and support.
Rifampin–sirolimus–voriconazole interaction in a hematopoietic cell transplant recipient
Authors: Wasko Justin A , Westholder James S , Jacobson Pamala A
Published: January 2016

Purpose

Patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation are treated with multiple medications, potentially complicated by drug–drug interactions. Drug interactions with sirolimus, voriconazole, and rifampin are particularly difficult because of the complex and simultaneous enzyme inhibition and induction mechanisms. We report a hematopoietic cell transplantation patient receiving sirolimus and voriconazole who was given rifampin while being treated for presumed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus meningitis.

A 31 year-old female received a nonmyeloablative allogeneic umbilical cord hematopoietic cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndrome transformed to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Her graft versus host disease and antifungal prophylaxis included sirolimus and voriconazole, respectively. Therapeutic drug monitoring prior to admission revealed a stable outpatient sirolimus regimen of 0.4 mg orally daily (trough goal 3–12 mcg/L). She was admitted to the inpatient hematopoietic cell transplantation service and diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia and presumed bacterial meningitis 217 days after transplant. Intravenous rifampin and vancomycin were initiated and voriconazole was changed to micafungin. Sirolimus trough concentrations were undetectable two days after starting rifampin. Therapeutic sirolimus concentrations were achieved four days later, at a sirolimus dose of 16–18 mg orally daily. Rifampin was discontinued after nine days and the sirolimus dose was adjusted accordingly, maintaining therapeutic levels throughout follow-up. The patient suffered a flare of chronic skin graft versus host disease requiring etanercept, high-dose systemic steroids, and topical steroids.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the management of sirolimus during the transition from voriconazole inhibition to rifampin induction. Clinicians should be aware of potential drug–drug interactions.
Organizational Permeability to Environmental Conditions
Authors: Brinser Kadee L. , King William R.
Published: January 2016

Organizations are expected to assess and respond to environmental conditions. For police agencies in the post-9/11 and post hurricane Katrina era, the environment includes assessing the threat posed by terrorism and disasters. We use organizational contingency and institutional theories to predict the permeability of local police chiefs’ assessments of various environmental threats and what factors affect the sensing process. We use survey data from 350 police agencies to explore the dimensionality of agency assessments on disasters, accidents, and terrorism. Our findings indicate that local police chiefs view environmental threats as having three dimensions. Additionally, institutional sovereigns have a greater influence on agency assessments of threat than do contingency factors.
Semen quality and interval to sterility in tom cats treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin implant
Authors: Romagnoli Stefano , Baldan Anna , Righetti Camilla , Milani Chiara , Mollo Antonio , Stelletta Calogero
Published: January 2016

Objectives

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists like deslorelin are being increasingly used in tom cats for their efficacy in controlling reproductive behaviour and fertility. Deslorelin implants have been widely available in Europe since 2008. Little, if anything, is known about the interval between treatment and onset of sterility, as well as semen quality, after treatment in tom cats. The purpose of this study was to investigate semen quality and interval to sterility in tom cats treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin implant.

Methods

Fifteen healthy adult tom cats were treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin implant (Suprelorin 12). For each cat, semen collection and a GnRH stimulation test (intramuscular administration of 50 μg gonadorelin [Fertagyl], followed by blood sampling 1 h later, to assay serum testosterone) were performed on the first consultation and then repeated every 15 days until complete sterility was achieved. Semen collection was performed by introducing a 14 cm, open-end feline catheter (Argyle) 9 cm into the distal urethra 10 mins after sedation by intramuscular injection of 100 μg/kg medetomidine (Domitor).

Results

Semen collection was not successful in all cats at each attempt. In the first month after treatment, the semen of only four cats could be evaluated, while the semen of eight cats could be evaluated during the second and third months of the study. Semen quality (ejaculate volume, progressive motility and morphological abnormalities) improved slightly during the first 19–25 days in 2/4 cats, and in 1/4 cats motility was still very high (80%) 25 days post-treatment (PT), but we have no data regarding fertility prior to treatment in this cat. The last cat never produced spermatozoa. Subsequently, semen quality gradually worsened in all cats from 30 days onwards. At 70 days PT, one cat was still potentially fertile. After 72 days all cats were sterile.

Conclusions and relevance

Semen quality increased slightly in treated cats during the first month after treatment, and then gradually decreased over the following months. Complete sterility was reached within 40–72 days following implantation.
Measuring political agenda setting and representation in Turkey
Authors: Bulut Alper T
Published: January 2016

This article introduces a novel data set on the agenda of the Turkish legislature and political parties. Using the Comparative Agendas Project approach, we trace political issue attention over an 11–year-period (2003–2013). By topic coding various political activities, this approach illustrates the dynamics of the Turkish political agenda and the issue attention of the political parties, and, therefore, sheds new empirical light on the dynamics of Turkish legislative politics and party competition. In this article, we explain the construction of the data set from data collection to coding, describe its features, and provide examples of possible applications.