bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gym for Free: The short-term impact of an innovative public health policy on the health and wellbeing of residents in a deprived constituency in Birmingham, UK
Authors: Rabiee Fatemeh , Robbins Anne , Khan Maryam
Published: November 2014

Background:

This paper describes the process, impact and outcomes of an innovative health policy project entitled Gym for Free in Birmingham, UK.

Objectives:

To explore the short-term effectiveness of the pilot scheme in relation to access, utilisation, perceived benefits and sustainability.

Design:

Cross-sectional study using survey and focus group interviews.

Setting:

Community-based physical activity intervention programme.

Methods:

Data were collected using a validated questionnaire ( n = 257) and focus group interviews ( n = 9). Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted where appropriate. Focus group interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.

Results:

Findings showed that the pilot scheme increased the uptake of exercise particularly for women in an economically deprived inner city area. The use of leisure facilities also increased markedly ( p < .05). Thus, the Gym for Free scheme was a step towards addressing health inequality by increasing access to and widening participation in exercise with multiple physical, mental and emotional benefits.

Conclusion:

Based on the findings of this pilot research project, Gym for Free won numerous national awards for its policy innovation, and, through the support and advocacy of the research team, was extended so as to be available to the whole population of Birmingham, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days a week.
Has Economic Growth Contributed to Human Development in Ethiopia?
Authors: Ramesh R , Abebe Azanaw
Published: November 2014

This study explores the reflection of recorded economic growth on human development in Ethiopia. The principal puzzle the study unravels is if there is a positive co-variance between per capita income levels and achievements made in life expectancy, educational attainments and reduction in the levels of income poverty in the past decade. To put Ethiopia in a comparative perspective we have attempted to contrast Ethiopia with some of the Eastern African countries. The results of this exercise show that economic growth made in Ethiopia has contributed to human development. Income, life expectancy and school attainments move together; however, life expectancy progresses faster than educational attainments.
Panoramic Measures for Oral Bone Mass in Detecting Osteoporosis
Authors: Calciolari E. , Donos N. , Park J.C. , Petrie A. , Mardas N.
Published: November 2014

Different quantitative and qualitative indices calculated on oral panoramic radiographs have been proposed as useful tools to screen for reduced skeletal bone mineral density (BMD). Our aim was to systematically review the literature on linear and qualitative panoramic measures and to assess the accuracy of these indices by performing a meta-analysis of their sensitivity and specificity. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed. Fifty studies were included in the qualitative appraisal and 19 were considered for meta-analysis. The methodological quality of the retrieved studies, assessed with the QUADAS-2 tool, was on average low. Three indices were reported by most of the studies: mandibular cortical width, panoramic mandibular index, and the Klemetti index. Mandibular cortical width presented with a better accuracy in excluding osteopenia/osteoporosis (specificity), since patients with a cortical width more than 4 mm had a normal BMD in 90% of the cases. Almost all studies used a cutoff of 0.3 for the panoramic mandibular index, resulting in an estimated sensitivity and specificity in detecting reduced BMD, respectively, of 0.723 (SE 0.160; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.352–0.926) and 0.733 (SE 0.066; 95% CI, 0.587–0.841). The presence of any kind of mandibular cortical erosion gave an estimated sensitivity and specificity in detecting reduced BMD, respectively, of 0.789 (SE 0.031; 95% CI, 0.721–0.843) and 0.562 (SE 0.047; 95% CI, 0.47–0.651) and a sensitivity and specificity in detecting osteoporosis, respectively, of 0.806 (SE 0.105; 95% CI, 0.528–0.9200) and 0.643 (SE 0.109; 95% CI, 0.417–0.820). The mandibular cortical width, panoramic mandibular index, and Klemetti index are overall useful tools that potentially could be used by dentists to screen for low BMD. Their limitations are mainly related to the experience/agreement between different operators and the different image quality and magnification of the panoramic radiographs.
Financial Innovations and the Stability of the Housing Market
Authors: Allen Franklin , Barth James R. , Yago Glenn
Published: November 2014

The recent crisis has underlined the importance of the interaction of financial innovations and the housing market. We consider five major innovations relevant to housing finance. These are (i) mortgages; (ii) specialised housing finance institutions; (iii) government interventions in housing finance in the US during the Great Depression; (iv) covered bonds; and (v) securitised mortgages. The history of these innovations and their positive and negative aspects are discussed. Future innovations to help the stability of the housing market are also suggested.
Housing Finance in Canada: Looking Back to Move Forward
Authors: Schembri Lawrence L.
Published: November 2014

The Canadian system of housing finance proved to be resilient and efficient during the global financial crisis and its aftermath. The system's effectiveness is the result of a rigorous prudential regulatory and supervisory regime coupled with targeted government guarantees of mortgage insurance and securitisation products. In the post-crisis period, household debt levels and house prices have risen, owing, in part, to accommodative monetary conditions necessary to support the economic recovery. These vulnerabilities were mitigated by tightening macroprudential policy, specifically mortgage insurance rules, and strengthening mortgage-underwriting standards. Looking ahead, the housing finance framework needs to be adjusted and strengthened by rebalancing the risk exposures away from the government towards the private sector participants in the housing finance market. Although some measures have already been taken for this purpose, more adjustments may be needed to create the right incentives and achieve a sustainable rebalancing in risk exposures. Measures should also be considered to promote a liquid private-label mortgage securitisation market in Canada.
Un/doing Chrononormativity: Negotiating Ageing, Gender and Sexuality in Organizational Life
Authors: Riach Kathleen , Rumens Nicholas , Tyler Melissa
Published: November 2014

This paper is based on a series of ‘anti-narrative’ interviews designed to explore the ways in which lived experiences of age, gender and sexuality are negotiated and narrated within organizations in later life. It draws on Judith Butler’s performative ontology of gender, particularly her account of the ways in which the desire for recognition is shaped by heteronormativity, considering its implications for how we study ageing and organizations. In doing so, the paper develops a critique of the impact of heteronormative life course expectations on the negotiation of viable subjectivity within organizational settings. Focusing on the ways in which ‘chrononormativity’ shapes the lived experiences of ageing within organizations, at the same time as constituting an organizing process in itself, the paper draws on Butler’s concept of ‘un/doing’ in its analysis of the simultaneously affirming and negating organizational experiences of older self-identifying LGBT people. The paper concludes by emphasizing the theoretical potential of a performative ontology of ageing, gender and sexuality for organization studies, as well as the methodological insights to be derived from an ‘anti-narrative’ approach to organizational research, arguing for the need to develop a more inclusive politics of ageing within both organizational practice and research.
Negotiating the Self Between Past and Present: Narratives of Older Women Moving Towards Self-Employment
Authors: Tomlinson Frances , Colgan Fiona
Published: November 2014

Older people are encouraged into self-employment as a means to extend their working lives; however, both age and gender are thought to constrain the capacity of individuals to take on an enterprising identity. This paper explores the narrative identity work of women over 50 contemplating a move into self-employment. It reveals how they negotiated a provisional self-employed identity in relation to an aged identity, an enterprising identity and an identity as organizational outsider. It discusses the implications of contrasting forms of engagement with these identities for the subsequent enactment of participants’ business plans. The paper briefly considers the implications of its findings for the following areas: enacting and realizing provisional identities; the relationship of self-employment to enterprise; and a process-based conceptualization of age.
Esophageal Dysfunction in Friesian Horses
Authors: Ploeg M. , Gröne A. , Saey V. , de Bruijn C. M. , Back W. , van Weeren P. R. , Scheideman W. , Picavet T. , Ducro B. J. , Wijnberg I. , Delesalle C.
Published: November 2014

Megaesophagus appears to be more common in Friesian horses than in other breeds. A prevalence of approximately 2% was observed among Friesian horses presented to the Wolvega Equine Clinic and the Utrecht University Equine Clinic. In this study, morphologic changes in the esophagi of Friesian horses with megaesophagus were compared with those of 6 control horses. Of 18 horses with clinically observed megaesophagus, only 12 animals had esophageal dilation at necropsy, usually involving the thoracic portion. Muscular hypertrophy of the distal esophagus was present in only one-third of the affected horses, indicating that this change is not the most relevant cause of megaesophagus in Friesians. Increased deposition of clumped and disorganized collagen was present in these clinically affected horses mainly in the non-dilated portion of the esophagus. At necropsy, a decrease in neural elements and elastin was present principally in horses with megaesophagus. Mild degeneration and necrosis of the tunica muscularis along the entire length of the esophagus were present in clinically affected horses and encountered only rarely in control animals. There were no significant differences among affected and control horses with respect to inflammation, mineralization, or the number of cells of Cajal. The increased occurrence of megaesophagus in the Friesian breed compared with other horse breeds, together with the presence of abnormal collagen in very young foals, supports the hypothesis that megaesophagus is hereditary in Friesians.
A human capsaicin model to quantitatively assess salivary CGRP secretion
Authors: van Oosterhout WPJ , Schoonman GG , Garrelds IM , Danser AHJ , Chan KY , Terwindt GM , Ferrari MD , MaassenVanDenBrink A
Published: November 2014

Background

Capsaicin induces the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) via the transient receptor potential channel V1 (TRPV1). The CGRP response after capsaicin application on the tongue might reflect the “activation state” of the trigeminal nerve, since trigeminal CGRP-containing vesicles are depleted on capsaicin application. We tested (i) the quantitative CGRP response after oral capsaicin application; (ii) the optimal concentration of red chili homogenate; and (iii) the day-to-day variability in this response.

Methods

Saliva was collected for two consecutive days after oral application of eight capsaicin dilutions (red chili homogenates) of increasing concentrations in 13 healthy individuals. Effects of homogenate concentration were assessed. Consecutively, saliva was sampled after application of vehicle and undiluted homogenates.

Results

CGRP secretion (pg/ml) increased dose-dependently with homogenate concentration ( p < 0.001). CGRP levels were highest after application of nondiluted homogenate (vs. baseline: 13.3 (5.0) vs. 9.7 (2.9); p = 0.003, as was total CGRP secretion in five minutes (pg) with undiluted (vs. baseline): 89.2 (44.1) vs. 14.1 (2.8); p < 0.001. The dose-dependent response in CGRP was not affected by day ( p = 0.14) or day*concentration ( p = 0.60). Increase in CGRP (undiluted – baseline; pg/ml) did not differ between measurements on dose-finding ( p = 0.67) and follow-up days ( p = 0.46).

Conclusion

Oral application of red chili homogenate is well tolerated and causes a dose-dependent CGRP release in saliva, without day-to-day effects in this response. This model could be used to noninvasively study the activation state of the trigeminal nerve innervating salivary glands.
Print Is Dead
Authors: Debies-Carl Jeffrey S.
Published: November 2014

Researchers have maintained a consistent interest in subcultural resistance: marginalized groups challenging their subordinate positions in society through words or deeds. Resisting groups increasingly use online media for resistance, but we know little about the web’s consequences for subcultural challengers. In this article, I explore the promise and peril of digital media for resistance relative to traditional, printed media, from an ethnographic exploration of punk subculture. Rather than finding support for either supporters or critics of online resistance, I find evidence for an alternative, dialectical perspective in which the Internet simultaneously invigorates and problematizes punk resistance. It provides the oppositional group with many technical advantages for the dissemination of subversive culture but also entails social costs such as making the subculture more accessible to its opponents, undermining some of its more radical aspects, and making it complicit in processes of commodification and exploitation. Previous studies, which tend to focus on how the Internet empowers challenging groups, largely neglect this dark side of the web. These findings contribute to our understanding of resistance in the new millennium, and its feasibility for subcultural goal attainment, by elucidating the transformative relationship between resistance and the media through which groups practice it.
Playfights as Trouble and Respite
Authors: Wästerfors David
Published: November 2014

Playfulness is easily overlooked in studies of total institutions because it does not match what we expect from institutional order. By studying playfulness ethnographically, social life in today’s institutions can be depicted both more naturalistically and more unexpectedly. This article explores how members of Swedish youth care institutions enact and respond to playful disputes or aggression in ways that make physical contact accountable and soften or transform controversial masculinity shows. Staff tries to down-key playfight invitations to “treatment” or “learning,” but playfighting also offers youth and staff identificatory respite from the institutional regime. Playfighting is a recurrent pattern in the social life of a youth care institution and sits at the core of what inmates and staff have to deal with.
Bayesian modeling and prediction of accrual in multi-regional clinical trials
Authors: Deng Yi , Zhang Xiaoxi , Long Qi
Published: November 2014

In multi-regional trials, the underlying overall and region-specific accrual rates often do not hold constant over time and different regions could have different start-up times, which combined with initial jump in accrual within each region often leads to a discontinuous overall accrual rate, and these issues associated with multi-regional trials have not been adequately investigated. In this paper, we clarify the implication of the multi-regional nature on modeling and prediction of accrual in clinical trials and investigate a Bayesian approach for accrual modeling and prediction, which models region-specific accrual using a nonhomogeneous Poisson process and allows the underlying Poisson rate in each region to vary over time. The proposed approach can accommodate staggered start-up times and different initial accrual rates across regions/centers. Our numerical studies show that the proposed method improves accuracy and precision of accrual prediction compared to existing methods including the nonhomogeneous Poisson process model that does not model region-specific accrual.
Constructing the Meaning of Survivor With Former Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients
Authors: Zwiers Angela , Campbell Craig , Evans Marilyn , Kirkwood Ken
Published: November 2014

Although the term survivor is frequently used in cancer discourse, the meaning of survivor and how people identify with this term can be difficult to understand. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the meaning of the term survivor from the perspective of young adults who have experienced a pediatric brain tumor (PBT). A constructivist grounded theory was utilized in this study with 6 young adults who had a PBT. This study also used semistructured interviews with participants who also completed reflective journals, which were focused on the survivor concept. Data were analyzed through coding strategies and constant comparative methods. Findings present 4 major themes of process: ( a) reviewing the illness experience, ( b) qualifying as a survivor, ( c) thinking positive, and ( d) being changed. These themes are important to consider in the construction, interpretation, and understanding of how the majority of this population do not identify with the current social use of the term survivor. Clearly, there is a need for a clearer understanding of survivor and how it specifically applies to those who have had a PBT. Everyone should remain conscious and consider how a broad, generalizing term such as survivor may influence a person’s attitude and advocacy toward their health.
Power Relations and Cassava: Conservation and Development in Cameroon
Authors: Tafon Ralph , Saunders Fred P.
Published: November 2014

Linking conservation and development activities requires local institutional change that can deliver global conservation as well as local socioeconomic benefits. Participatory approaches are considered a key element to this end, although recent research demonstrates that they may reinforce existing inequitable governance systems. This article examines microinstitutional formations and development interventions in the Mount Cameroon National Park. The study found that blending new governance approaches with traditional institutions at Mount Cameroon National Park led to diminished participation of the project and a failure to listen to and deliver meaningful development opportunities to Bavenga villagers. The article concludes that while local participation and governance institutions constitute laudable additions to Integrated Conservation and Development Projects, the implications of reproducing traditional authority structures must be carefully considered, and locally grounded development opportunities need to be better embedded into these projects.
Initial Hospital-Related Cost Comparison of Total Ankle Replacement and Ankle Fusion With Hip and Knee Joint Replacement
Authors: Younger Alastair S. E. , MacLean Scott , Daniels Timothy R. , Penner Murray J. , Wing Kevin J. , Dunbar Michael , Glazebrook Mark
Published: November 2014

Background:

Total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) are accessible to patients with end-stage hip and knee arthritis in most health care systems. The availability of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) to patients with end-stage ankle arthritis is often restricted because of prosthesis cost. Ankle fusion (AF) is often offered as the only alternative. Patients should have equal access to procedures that are equivalent in total cost. We compared total costs of TAA, AF, THA, and TKA for similar cohorts in a government-funded teaching hospital.

Methods:

A subset of 13 TAA and 13 AF patients were selected from the Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Prospective Ankle Reconstruction Database, and 13 THA and 13 TKA patients were randomly selected from the Canadian Joint Replacement Registry. Total cost was estimated from operating room time, hospital stay, surgeon billing, and equipment used.

Results:

Mean total cost associated with TAA was $13,500 ± 1000 and was the same as THA ($14,500 ± 1500) and TKA ($12,500 ± 1000). Mean total cost associated with AF was significantly less at $5500 ± 500. Mean operating room time was longer, but mean hospital stay was shorter for the ankle procedures compared with THA and TKA.

Conclusion:

All arthroplasties had similar total costs. Total ankle arthroplasty should not be denied based on prosthetic cost alone, as total procedure cost is equivalent to THA and TKA. We believe ankle fusion is a less expensive and preferable alternative for some patient groups.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, comparative series.
Encapsulation of black carrot juice using spray and freeze drying
Authors: Murali S , Kar Abhijit , Mohapatra Debabandya , Kalia Pritam
Published: November 2014

Black carrot juice extracted using pectinase enzyme was encapsulated in three different carrier materials (maltodextrin 20DE, gum arabic and tapioca starch) using spray drying at four inlet temperatures (150, 175, 200 and 225 ℃) and freeze drying at a constant temperature of − 53 ℃ and vacuum of 0.22–0.11 mbar with the constant feed mixture. The products were analyzed for total anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, water solubility index, encapsulation efficiency and total colour change. For both the drying methods followed in this study, maltodextrin 20DE as the carrier material has proven to be better in retaining maximum anthocyanin and antioxidant activity compared to gum arabic and tapioca starch. The best spray dried product, was obtained at 150 ℃. The most acceptable was the freeze dried product with maximum anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, water solubility index, encapsulation efficiency and colour change.
Impact of various and arbitrary porous structure in the study of squeeze step bearing lubricated with magnetic fluid considering variable magnetic field
Authors: Shah Rajesh C , Patel Nayan I
Published: November 2014

The aim of this paper is to study the impact of various and arbitrary porous structure on the performance of the step bearing lubricated with magnetic fluid. The paper also studied about the effect of squeeze velocity which appears when two lubricated surfaces approaches to each other with a normal velocity. The porous layer (region or wall or matrix) is attached to the lower flat impermeable plate (surface or disc). Two porous structure models given by Kozeny-Carman (a globular sphere model) and Irmay (a capillary fissures model) are considered for the study. The upper surface is a step surface approaching to lower one. The magnetic field considered here is variable and oblique to the lower plate. Expressions for pressure under the step surfaces and load-carrying capacity are obtained. The dimensionless load-carrying capacity [Formula: see text] is calculated for various values of permeability, porous width, length of first step of the bearing, width of the film region, and strength of magnetic field. From the results it is observed that [Formula: see text] increases with the increase of the length of the first step and with the increase of K (which leads increase of H) for both the models. It is also observed that permeability and width of porous matrix have almost no effect on [Formula: see text] . In the case of width of the film region, it is observed that [Formula: see text] attains same behavior whether film thickness is small or large. Moreover, calculation shows that globular sphere model have better performance for [Formula: see text] than capillary fissures model. Thus, it is suggested to have a design of porous squeeze step bearing with globular spheres in the porous region considering variable magnetic field strength H of order 104.
Towards a Bourdieusian frame of moral panic analysis: The history of a moral panic inside the field of humanitarian aid
Authors: Dandoy Arnaud
Published: November 2014

For the concept of moral panic to avoid approaching its expiration date, it is essential to include novel approaches and perspectives. This article aims to augment the under-developed theoretical grounding of the sociology of moral panic by expanding on Pierre Bourdieu’s social theory. It begins by offering a critical appraisal of recent developments in moral panic studies and explains how Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus and hysteresis might help overcome the inherent weaknesses of moral panic research. This novel approach is put into empirical work to exploring the rise of a moral panic about the dangers humanitarian aid workers face in the post-Cold War era. It shows that, while today’s threats do not radically differ from those of the past, the widespread sense of concern and anxiety about humanitarian insecurity is a response to effects of hysteresis inside the field of humanitarian aid.
Antihypertensive effectiveness of combination therapy with losartan/hydrochlorothiazide for ‘real world’ management of isolated systolic hypertension
Authors: Suzuki Hiromichi , Shimada Kazuyuki , Fujiwara Kenji
Published: November 2014

Objectives:

The guidelines for hypertension require the presence of compelling indications for pharmacological management of hypertension associated with various diseases. Data mainly obtained through randomized controlled trials have provided evidence supporting effectiveness of the combination of losartan (Lo) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) for management of hypertensive patients. However, there have been few reports discussing the effectiveness of Lo/HTCZ (losartan 50 mg/hydrochlorothizide 12.5 mg) in the ‘real world’ in the management of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). This study was designed to investigate the ‘real world’ effectiveness of Lo/HTCZ-based treatment of ISH associated with various diseases.

Methods:

This was a retrospective, uncontrolled analysis of data derived from a large, cross-sectional web-based clinical database collected by physicians.

Results:

Of 24,825 eligible patients, 20,726 were followed during a 6-month period. Among these, subjects for analysis included those with systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP) <90 mmHg; patients with diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease were excluded. A total of 15,846 patients were analysed. Among the various complications, hypercholesterolemia was the most frequent concomitant cardiovascular (CV) risk factor (48.1%), followed by obesity (16.3%). Associated clinical conditions were cerebrovascular diseases (9.6%), ischemic heart disease (7.9%) and left ventricular hypertrophy (4.6%). Total numbers of patients exhibiting any type of complications were 62% (≤64 years old), 69% (65–74 years old) and 67% (≥75 years old) (stratification of age). Mean SBP/DBP measurements (mm Hg) were 156/78 at the start, 140/72 at 1 month and 134/72 at 6 months. Blood pressure (BP) reductions associated with various diseases were similar among patients. Laboratory data including serum levels of total cholesterol, uric acid, hemoglobin A1c and serum potassium did not change during the study. Adverse effects such as orthostatic hypotension and considerable reductions in BP (>30 mmHg SBP) were rare.

Conclusions:

Lo/HTCZ is safe and effective in reducing and improving BP control in a ‘real world’ setting. Treatment with Lo/HTCZ enabled a substantial proportion of hypertensive patients with associated diseases to achieve the recommended goal of <140 mm Hg.
Comparative outcomes of open and robotic-assisted radical cystectomy in an enhanced recovery programme era
Authors: Pai Aakash , Nair Rajesh , Ayres Benjamin , Tsoi Hermione , Sooriakumaran Prasanna , Issa Rami , Perry Matthew
Published: November 2014

Aim:

The aim of this study was to determine the added value of robotic surgery for radical cystectomy in the context of an established enhanced recovery programme (ERP).

Background:

We have previously reported on ERP in open radical cystectomy (ORC) and shown that it is safe and not associated with an increase in complications or readmissions. Further, it is associated with reductions in ICU stay, length of hospital stay and duration of postoperative ileus. The recent introduction of robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC), with its perceived benefit of minimal invasiveness, has led to the question of whether patients who have their radical cystectomy in the environment of ERP would experience an added benefit if the surgery were performed robotically. We implemented the ERP for all patients undergoing radical cystectomy in 2008. In 2010 we started to offer RARC as the first line treatment for all bladder cancer patients with an indication for bladder extirpation. In this study we compare the perioperative results of the last 50 RARC patients with the last 50 ORC. The same ERP protocol was implemented in all patients.

Patients and methods:

We used our prospectively kept electronic database to identify the last 50 ORC and 50 RARC patients (we excluded the first 10 RARC in our series to reduce learning curve effect). We compared preoperative (age, sex, comorbidity), intraoperative (diversion type, fluid loss, blood transfusion, conversion and number of lymph node dissections (LND)) and post-operative (length of stay LOS, nodal yield and pathological T stage) variables. We also reported on the 30 day complications according to Clavien–Dindo classification.

Results:

The two groups did not differ significantly in their preoperative variables, number of LND performed and pathological T and N stage. Patients in the RARC arm were more likely to have continent diversion and had significantly less intraoperative fluid loss. LOS and lymph nodal yield was no worse in the RARC cohort in comparison to the ORC patients. The RARC patients had significantly lower transfusion rates and overall 30-day complication rates.

Conclusions:

We have shown that robotic surgery offers an added value to patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer in addition to the benefits gained from enrolling in an ERP. This is likely due to the minimally invasive nature of robotic surgery, and thus an attenuation of its physiological insult, which is the cornerstone of ERP theory.
Challenges for Peacemakers
Authors: Hameiri Boaz , Bar-Tal Daniel , Halperin Eran
Published: November 2014

Resolving intergroup conflicts is one of humanity’s most important challenges. Social psychologists join this endeavor, not only to understand the psychological foundations of intergroup conflicts but also to suggest interventions that aim to resolve conflicts peacefully. The present article begins by describing a specific type of conflict, namely, an intractable conflict that has distinguishing characteristics. One characteristic that fuels its intractability is the presence of socio-psychological barriers. These barriers result in one-sided information processing that obstructs the penetration of new information to promote peace: Members of a society immersed in an intractable conflict are frozen in their conflict-supporting societal beliefs. The most challenging question is how to unfreeze these beliefs, to overcome these barriers. Various interventions have been designed to promote intergroup peace, within a new taxonomy specifying the nature and goals of the interventions. Peace-promoting interventions can be divided into three categories: (a) interventions that provide contradictory information, (b) interventions that provide information through experiences, and (c) interventions that teach a new skill. Finally, a number of conclusions and limitations stem from the reviewed interventions, suggesting a new line of intervention based on “paradoxical thinking.”
Racial Disparities in Legal Outcomes
Authors: Sommers Samuel R. , Marotta Satia A.
Published: November 2014

Life-altering decisions are made every day in the legal world. Police officers make split-second judgments about whether an individual poses a threat. Prosecutors sort through conflicting accounts of an event in determining whether to charge a suspect. Juries try to reconcile complex evidence in criminal trials and render a unanimous verdict. These decisions often hinge on interpretations of subjective, ambiguous information. Besides being difficult, these decisions are also ripe with the potential for bias, despite their high-stakes nature. The present article focuses on one potential bias, racial disparity in legal outcomes. Here, “bias” refers not just to intentional discrimination or decisions based on overt prejudice (although, of course, as for everyone, some police officers, attorneys, judges, and jurors likely hold conscious prejudices and act on them). Rather, our review of the behavioral science research literature indicates that unconscious—or implicit—racial biases also taint legal decision making. Specifically, this review examines the influence of race on (a) policing, (b) charging decisions, and (c) criminal trial outcomes. Policy interventions include bias training, increasing institutional diversity, and empirically documenting the disparities’ scope. Addressing these disparities also requires acknowledging that all of us, regardless of personal ideology or professional oath, are susceptible to such biases, even when making life-and-death decisions.
Designing Classrooms to Maximize Student Achievement
Authors: Cheryan Sapna , Ziegler Sianna A. , Plaut Victoria C. , Meltzoff Andrew N.
Published: November 2014

Improving student achievement is vital for our nation’s competitiveness. Scientific research shows how the physical classroom environment influences student achievement. Two findings are key: First, the building’s structural facilities profoundly influence learning. Inadequate lighting, noise, low air quality, and deficient heating in the classroom are significantly related to worse student achievement. Over half of U.S. schools have inadequate structural facilities, and students of color and lower income students are more likely to attend schools with inadequate structural facilities. Second, scientific studies reveal the unexpected importance of a classroom’s symbolic features, such as objects and wall décor, in influencing student learning and achievement in that environment. Symbols inform students whether they are valued learners and belong within the classroom, with far-reaching consequences for students’ educational choices and achievement. We outline policy implications of the scientific findings—noting relevant policy audiences—and specify critical features of classroom design that can improve student achievement, especially for the most vulnerable students.
Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Authors: Dasgupta Nilanjana , Stout Jane G.
Published: November 2014

Scientific advances fuel American economic competitiveness, quality of life, and national security. Much of the future job growth is projected in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, the supply of domestic students who pursue STEM careers remains small relative to the demand. On the supply side, girls and women represent untapped human capital that, if leveraged, could enhance the STEM workforce, given that they comprise 50% of the American population and more than 50% of the college-bound population. Yet the scarcity of women in STEM careers remains stark. What drives these gender disparities in STEM? And what are the solutions? Research points to different answers depending on the stage of human development. Distinct obstacles occur during three developmental periods: (a) childhood and adolescence, (b) emerging adulthood, and (c) young-to-middle adulthood. This article describes how specific learning environments, peer relations, and family characteristics become obstacles to STEM interest, achievement, and persistence in each period. Evidence-based policies and programs promise to eliminate these obstacles, increasing girls and women’s participation in STEM.
Whites’ Interpersonal Interactions Shape, and Are Shaped by, Implicit Prejudice
Authors: Sinclair Stacey , Kenrick Andreana C. , Jacoby-Senghor Drew S.
Published: November 2014

Implicit racial prejudice is a prevalent form of racial bias less subject to conscious awareness and control, compared with self-reported bias. Implicit pro-White/anti-Black bias has documented negative implications for the lives of African Americans. Guided by a “shared-reality” approach, research shows how implicit prejudice shapes the lives of White Americans. Two basic principles emerge. First, under the right circumstances, Whites’ implicit prejudice decreases to correspond with the apparent egalitarianism of their contacts. Second, although individuals cannot introspect much on it, implicit prejudice predicts Whites’ desire to affiliate with fellow Whites. Specifically, greater implicit prejudice predicts liking other Whites who seem uncomfortable interacting with Blacks. This work has ramifications for policies to mitigate prejudice—such as including own-group strategies—as well as societal implications of social networks saturated with individuals who hold similar degrees of implicit prejudice.
How Discrimination Against Ethnic and Religious Minorities Contributes to the Underutilization of Immigrants’ Skills
Authors: Esses Victoria M. , Bennett-AbuAyyash Caroline , Lapshina Natalia
Published: November 2014

The underutilization of immigrants’ skills, particularly the skills of ethnic and religious minorities, is of considerable concern to policy makers because of its economic and social costs. Recent research suggests that discrimination may be contributing to this well-documented unemployment and underemployment of skilled minority immigrants. In particular, the ambiguity of immigrants’ foreign-acquired skills and personal characteristics may provide a cover for the expression of bias toward immigrants who are religious and ethnic minorities. Experiments controlling for all other variables show that discrimination may influence both the hiring of minority immigrants and reactions to claims of employment discrimination by minority immigrants. Also, factors that reduce the ambiguity of minority immigrants’ credentials and factors that suppress the expression of bias reduce these effects. These findings point to policy interventions that have the potential to improve the labor-market outcomes of skilled immigrants and contribute to host nations’ economic and social outlooks. Interventions should focus not only on skilled minority immigrants and reducing the ambiguity of their credentials and skills but also on members of the host society and their motivation to control prejudiced reactions to minorities.
Processing AlSi10Mg by selective laser melting: Parameter optimisation and material characterisation
Authors: Kempen K. , Thijs L. , Van Humbeeck J. , Kruth J.-P.
Published: November 2014

Owing to their attractive combination of mechanical properties, high heat conductivity and low weight, the Al–Si alloys found a large number of applications in the Additive Manufacturing field for automotive, aerospace and domestic industries. However, due to their high reflectivity and heat conductivity, they are harder to process by Selective Laser Melting. This work elaborates on both the optimisation of process parameters, in order to get nearly fully dense parts, and the material properties resulting from this specific material process combination. A process parameter window is defined, in which the formed melt pool is stable and meets the set requirements. In this process window, the parameter set for optimal density is defined. It is shown that AlSi10Mg parts produced by SLM have mechanical properties higher or at least comparable to the cast material because of the very fine microstructure.
Integrated melt pool and microstructure control for Ti–6Al–4V thin wall additive manufacturing
Authors: Gockel J. , Fox J. , Beuth J. , Hafley R.
Published: November 2014

In additive manufacturing (AM), melt pool dimension control is needed to accurately build a geometry and determine process precision. Microstructure control is needed for its effect on mechanical properties. This research addresses both for Ti–6Al–4V thin walled structures fabricated by wire feed electron beam AM. Model results show that beam power and beam velocity combinations yielding constant melt pool cross-sectional areas also yield constant solidification cooling rates. Experimental measurements back up this finding and show roughly 20 beta grains across the width of a thin wall deposit which is consistent with an earlier study of single bead deposits, suggesting that links between melt pool geometry and beta grain size are independent of deposition geometry, with significant implications for AM process control.
Inequalities for sums of adapted random fields in Banach spaces and their application to strong law of large numbers
Authors: Dang Hung Thang , Ta Cong Son , Tran Manh Cuong
Published: November 2014

We obtain inequalities for sums of adapted random fields in p-uniformly smooth Banach spaces, and we extend Kolmogorov and Marcinkiewicz-Zygmund strong laws for blockwise α-martingale difference fields.

MSC:60B11, 60B12, 60F15, 60G42.
High prevalence of headaches in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Wang Xiang-qing , Lang Sen-yang , He Mian-wang , Zhang Xu , Zhu Fei , Dai Wei , Shi Xiao-bing , Wan Min , Ma Yun-feng , Chen Ya-nan , Yu Sheng-yuan
Published: November 2014

Background

To examine the association between headaches and epilepsy.

Methods

Consecutive adult epileptic patients who went to the outpatient clinic of the Epilepsy Center of PLA General Hospital between February 01, 2012, and May 10, 2013, were recruited into this study. A total of 1109 patients with epilepsy completed a questionnaire regarding headaches.

Results

Overall, 60.1% of the patients (male: 57.2%; female: 63.8%) reported headaches within the last year. The age-weighted prevalence of interictal migraine was 11.7% (male 8.9%, female 15.3%), which is higher than that reported in a large population-based study (8.5%, male 5.4%, female 11.6%) using the same screening questions. The prevalence of postictal headaches was 34.1% (males 32.7%, females 35.2%), and the presence of preictal headaches was 4.5% (males 4.3%, females 5.2%). The prevalence of headache yesterday in the general population was 4.8% (male 3.0%, female 6.6%). Thus, the prevalence of headaches, including migraine, is higher in epileptic patients in China.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of postictal headaches confirms the frequent triggering of a headache by a seizure. A much lower frequency of preictal headaches, a condition in which the real triggering effect of the headache on the seizure might be difficult to prove.
Relationship between betel quid chewing and radiographic alveolar bone loss among Taiwanese aboriginals: a retrospective study
Authors: Hsiao Chun-Nan , Ting Chun-Chan , Shieh Tien-Yu , Ko Edward Chengchuan
Published: November 2014

Background

Betel quid chewing is associated with the periodontal status; however, results of epidemiological studies are inconsistent. To the best of our knowledge, no study has reported radiographic alveolar bone loss (RABL) associated with betel quid chewing.

Methods

This survey was conducted in an aboriginal community in Taiwan because almost all betel quid chewers were city-dwelling cigarette smokers. In total, 114 subjects, aged 30–60 years, were included. Full-mouth intraoral RABL was retrospectively measured and adjusted for age, gender, and plaque index (PI). Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between RABL and potential risk factors.

Results

Age-, gender-, and PI-adjusted mean RABL was significantly higher in chewers with or without cigarette smoking than in controls. Multiple regression analysis showed that the RABL for consumption of 100,000 pieces betel quid for the chewer group was 0.40 mm. Full-mouth plotted curves for adjusted mean RABL in the maxilla were similar between the chewer and control groups, suggesting that chemical effects were not the main factors affecting the association between betel quid chewing and the periodontal status.

Conclusion

Betel quid chewing significantly increases RABL. The main contributory factors are age and oral hygiene; however, the major mechanism underlying this process may not be a chemical mechanism. Regular dental visits, maintenance of good oral hygiene, and reduction in the consumption of betel quid, additives, and cigarettes are highly recommended to improve the periodontal status.
Gene flow in environmental Legionella pneumophila leads to genetic and pathogenic heterogeneity within a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak
Authors: McAdam Paul R , Vander Broek Charles W , Lindsay Diane SJ , Ward Melissa J , Hanson Mary F , Gillies Michael , Watson Mick , Stevens Joanne M , Edwards Giles F , Fitzgerald J Ross
Published: November 2014

Background

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the environmental bacterium Legionella pneumophila. Outbreaks commonly affect people with known risk factors, but the genetic and pathogenic complexity of L. pneumophila within an outbreak is not well understood. Here, we investigate the etiology of the major Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that occurred in Edinburgh, UK, in 2012, by examining the evolutionary history, genome content, and virulence of L. pneumophila clinical isolates.

Results

Our high resolution genomic approach reveals that the outbreak was caused by multiple genetic subtypes of L. pneumophila, the majority of which had diversified from a single progenitor through mutation, recombination, and horizontal gene transfer within an environmental reservoir prior to release. In addition, we discover that some patients were infected with multiple L. pneumophila subtypes, a finding which can affect the certainty of source attribution. Importantly, variation in the complement of type IV secretion systems encoded by different genetic subtypes correlates with virulence in a Galleria mellonella model of infection, revealing variation in pathogenic potential among the outbreak source population of L. pneumophila.

Conclusions

Taken together, our study indicates previously cryptic levels of pathogen heterogeneity within a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, a discovery that impacts on source attribution for future outbreak investigations. Furthermore, our data suggest that in addition to host immune status, pathogen diversity may be an important influence on the clinical outcome of individual outbreak infections.