bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study
Authors: Bogenschutz Michael P , Forcehimes Alyssa A , Pommy Jessica A , Wilcox Claire E , Barbosa PCR , Strassman Rick J
Published: January 2015

Several lines of evidence suggest that classic (5HT2A agonist) hallucinogens have clinically relevant effects in alcohol and drug addiction. Although recent studies have investigated the effects of psilocybin in various populations, there have been no studies on the efficacy of psilocybin for alcohol dependence. We conducted a single-group proof-of-concept study to quantify acute effects of psilocybin in alcohol-dependent participants and to provide preliminary outcome and safety data. Ten volunteers with DSM-IV alcohol dependence received orally administered psilocybin in one or two supervised sessions in addition to Motivational Enhancement Therapy and therapy sessions devoted to preparation for and debriefing from the psilocybin sessions. Participants’ responses to psilocybin were qualitatively similar to those described in other populations. Abstinence did not increase significantly in the first 4 weeks of treatment (when participants had not yet received psilocybin), but increased significantly following psilocybin administration ( p < 0.05). Gains were largely maintained at follow-up to 36 weeks. The intensity of effects in the first psilocybin session (at week 4) strongly predicted change in drinking during weeks 5–8 ( r = 0.76 to r = 0.89) and also predicted decreases in craving and increases in abstinence self-efficacy during week 5. There were no significant treatment-related adverse events. These preliminary findings provide a strong rationale for controlled trials with larger samples to investigate efficacy and mechanisms.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02061293
How accurate is the label “allergic to iodinated contrast agents”?
Authors: Mammarappallil Joseph G , Hiatt Kevin D , Vincent William , Bettmann Michael A
Published: January 2015

Background

Iodinated contrast agents (ICAs) are crucial to the use of many imaging studies. Reported allergies to ICAs in the medical record can interfere with optimal diagnostic imaging workups.

Purpose

To investigate the accuracy with which the label “allergic to ICAs” is applied.

Material and Methods

The medical records of 500 patients labeled “allergic to ICAs” at a single tertiary care hospital were reviewed. Patients were separated into three groups based on documentation in their medical records, as follows: Group 1, documented hypersensitivity reaction to ICAs; Group 2, documented ICA exposure with non-hypersensitivity adverse event (Group 2a) or without documented reaction (Group 2b); and Group 3, no documented prior exposure to an ICA. We then further reviewed the EMR to determine whether or not patients had subsequent administration of an ICA, whether or not they were given specific premedication, and whether or not they had a subsequent ICA-related event.

Results

A total of 16.6% of patients ( n = 83) listed as “allergic to ICAs” had a documented hypersensitivity reaction following ICA administration (Group 1) while 58.6% ( n = 293) of patients (Group 2) had a documented exposure to ICAs with either: (i) a non-hypersensitivity adverse event (23.5%, n = 69) or (ii) no record of a reaction to ICAs (76.5%, n = 224). The remaining 24.8% ( n = 124), Group 3, had no record of exposure to an ICA, yet still carried the label.

Conclusion

The majority of patients carrying the label “allergic to ICAs” had no record of a prior hypersensitivity reaction to ICAs.
Testing For Measurement Invariance of Attachment Across Chinese and American Adolescent Samples
Authors: Ren Ling , Zhao Jihong “Solomon” , He Ni “Phil” , Marshall Ineke Haen , Zhang Hongwei , Zhao Ruohui , Jin Cheng
Published: January 2015

Adolescent attachment to formal and informal institutions has emerged as a major focus of criminological theories since the publication of Hirschi’s work in 1969. This study attempts to examine the psychometric equivalence of the factorial structure of attachment measures across nations reflecting Western and Eastern cultures. Twelve manifest variables are used tapping the concepts of adolescent attachment to parents, school, and neighborhood. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to conduct invariance test across approximately 3,000 Chinese and U.S. adolescents. Results provide strong support for a three-factor model; the multigroup invariance tests reveal mixed results. While the family attachment measure appears invariant between the two samples, significant differences in the coefficients of the factor loadings are detected in the school attachment and neighborhood attachment measures. The results of regression analyses lend support to the predictive validity of three types of attachment. Finally, the limitations of the study are discussed.
Intra- and Interobserver Agreement in the Classification and Treatment of Distal Third Clavicle Fractures
Authors: Bishop Julie Y. , Jones Grant L. , Lewis Brian , Pedroza Angela ,   MOON Shoulder Group, Baumgarten Keith , Kuhn Jed , Dunn Warren , Cox Charlie , Wolf Brian , Hettrich Carolyn , Bollier Matt , Carey James , Kelly John , Sennett Brian , McCarty Eric , Vidal Armando , Bravman Jonathan , Poddar Sourav , Spencer Edwin , Holloway Brian , Ma Ben , Allen Christina , Feeley Brian , Marx Robert , Miller Bruce , Carpenter Jim , Wright Rick , Brophy Robert , Smith Matt , Abboud Joseph
Published: January 2015

Background:

In treatment of distal third clavicle fractures, the Neer classification system, based on the location of the fracture in relation to the coracoclavicular ligaments, has traditionally been used to determine fracture pattern stability.

Purpose:

To determine the intra- and interobserver reliability in the classification of distal third clavicle fractures via standard plain radiographs and the intra- and interobserver agreement in the preferred treatment of these fractures.

Study Design:

Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Thirty radiographs of distal clavicle fractures were randomly selected from patients treated for distal clavicle fractures between 2006 and 2011. The radiographs were distributed to 22 shoulder/sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons. Fourteen surgeons responded and took part in the study. The evaluators were asked to measure the size of the distal fragment, classify the fracture pattern as stable or unstable, assign the Neer classification, and recommend operative versus nonoperative treatment. The radiographs were reordered and redistributed 3 months later. Inter- and intrarater agreement was determined for the distal fragment size, stability of the fracture, Neer classification, and decision to operate. Single variable logistic regression was performed to determine what factors could most accurately predict the decision for surgery.

Results:

Interrater agreement was fair for distal fragment size, moderate for stability, fair for Neer classification, slight for type IIB and III fractures, and moderate for treatment approach. Intrarater agreement was moderate for distal fragment size categories (κ = 0.50, P < .001) and Neer classification (κ = 0.42, P < .001) and substantial for stable fracture (κ = 0.65, P < .001) and decision to operate (κ = 0.65, P < .001). Fracture stability was the best predictor of treatment, with 89% accuracy ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

Fracture stability determination and the decision to operate had the highest interobserver agreement. Fracture stability was the key determinant of treatment, rather than the Neer classification system or the size of the distal fragment.
The Prevalence and Combined Prevalences of Anatomic Factors Associated With Recurrent Patellar Dislocation
Authors: Steensen Robert N. , Bentley Jared C. , Trinh Thai Q. , Backes Jeffrey R. , Wiltfong Roger E.
Published: January 2015

Background:

Anatomic factors, including patella alta, increased tibial tubercle–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, rotational deformities, and trochlear dysplasia, are associated with dislocation of the patella. Identifying the presence of these anatomic factors both in isolation and in combination may influence treatment in patients with patellar dislocation.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence and combined prevalences of these anatomic factors using magnetic resonance imaging in a group of patients with and without histories of recurrent dislocation of the patella.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

The prevalence and combined prevalences of patella alta, increased TT-TG distance, rotational deformity, and trochlear dysplasia on magnetic resonance imaging were reported and compared in 60 patients (60 knees) with and 120 patients (120 knees) without histories of recurrent patellar dislocation.

Results:

Patients with recurrent patellar dislocation possessed higher rates of patella alta (60.0% vs 20.8%), increased TT-TG distance (42.0% vs 3.2%), rotational deformity (26.7% vs 2.5%), and trochlear dysplasia (68.3% vs 5.8%) compared with patients without histories of patellar dislocation. Multiple anatomic factors were identified in 58.3% of patients (35/60) with recurrent dislocation compared with only 1.7% of controls (2/120).

Conclusion:

Recurrent patellar dislocation is associated with an increased prevalence of patella alta, increased TT-TG distance, rotational deformity, and trochlear dysplasia compared with patients with no histories of patellar dislocation. Multiple anatomic factors were identified in the majority of patients with recurrent dislocation. Further research may identify which factors play a greater role in patellar stability and may allow physicians to predict which first-time dislocation patients are more likely to sustain recurrence.
Speaking with Silence. An Exploration of Silence and Its Relationship to Speech in Analytic Groups
Authors: Barnes Claire
Published: January 2015

This article suggests that silence has been undervalued and neglected in group analysis. This includes the way it is split off from theoretical group paradigms, which traditionally hold verbal communication as central to therapeutic change. At the core of this argument is an assertion that speech and silence are inseparable and need to be understood in relationship to each other. The article also explores how silence might emerge in groups both helpfully and problematically. Using clinical examples, from her training group, the author describes two different kinds of group silences, which might be loosely identified as ‘mature’ and ‘primitive’. She discusses the complex dialectic between speech and silence emerging in these vignettes, suggesting that this is what underpins the therapeutic exchange and developments in these examples and in analytic groups generally.
Multi-Population Invariance With Dichotomous Measures
Authors: Sideridis Georgios D. , Tsaousis Ioannis , Al-harbi Khaleel A.
Published: January 2015

The purpose of the present study was to extend the model of measurement invariance by simultaneously estimating invariance across multiple populations in the dichotomous instrument case using multi-group confirmatory factor analytic and multiple indicator multiple causes (MIMIC) methodologies. Using the Arabic version of the General Aptitude Test (GAT), invariance was tested at the configural, metric, and scalar levels. Results indicated that the hybrid model that incorporates both the multi-group case and the MIMIC model provide a viable alternative to the measurement of invariance between variables when they interact. Metric and scalar invariance were supported for all of GAT’s subscales with the exception of Word Meaning for which lack of invariance was likely caused by model misspecification. Subtle effects were observed in favor of public school testees, but they did not exceed significance levels.
Retail attraction revisited: From gravitation to purchase flows, a geomarketing application
Authors: Douard Jean-Pierre , Heitz Michèle , Cliquet Gérard
Published: January 2015

Retail attraction evolves with increasing consumer mobility. This article develops a method for analyzing purchase flows based on the use of localized databases, in order to estimate opportunities for sales outlets to capture customer stocks and flows in a market area. This method facilitates the evaluation of actual rather than speculative purchase behavior from a limited number of explanatory variables. It leads to new possibilities for evaluating purchase behavior induced by changes in the offering. The method is compared to traditional attraction models and shows greater reliability of results in measuring the attraction of outlets. It highlights the complementarities in local markets between territories and retail leakage phenomena. The method is an aid to decision making regarding the choice of location, size, format and product mix of stores.
Workplace Giving in Universities
Authors: Shaker Genevieve G. , Borden Victor M. H. , Kienker Brittany L.
Published: January 2015

The phenomenon of workplace giving is underexamined in the scholarly literature; philanthropic gifts by employees to their nonprofit employers have received less attention within national and transnational contexts. This study considered the association between university staff propensity toward “internal workplace giving” and donor characteristics, drawing on literature about organizational commitment and identification as a beginning for advancing theoretical understanding of employee–employer relationships and giving at both the micro-level and meso-level. The sample of 17,038 employees covered 3 years at Indiana University, an American, public, multicampus institution. Despite its specific national and cultural context, the study raises relevant issues about workplace giving. Relational and personal characteristics were found to be significant predictors for determining who donates; using these characteristics to predict giving levels, however, was less successful. The study anticipates a growing need for related research and provides direction for further methodological and theoretical approaches.
Flexural behavior of high-density polyethylene railroad crossties
Authors: Lotfy Ibrahim , Farhat Maen , Issa Mohsen A , Al-Obaidi Mustafa
Published: January 2015

Hardwood timber has been the predominant material of choice for crossties since the establishment of the railroad industry in the US. Recently, several concerns, including higher speeds, heavier loads, durability and negative environmental effects associated with deforestation and wood-treating chemicals, have invoked the railroad industry's interest in alternative materials for crossties. Currently, several manufacturers offer alternative and sustainable solutions using different recycled plastic composite materials. Thousands of plastic crossties are currently in service in a wide variety of railroad applications. Several researchers have been studying and testing these new materials, specifically high-density polyethylene, however, their behavior when subjected to rail loading is not yet fully understood. Uncertainties in mechanical properties, failure modes and fracture render their performance and safety questionable. More research is required to properly characterize, describe and model the behavior of these materials as well as to assess the feasibility of implementing these materials in railway applications in terms of performance, safety, practicality and economy. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the performance of plastic composite crossties through experimental testing and analytical modeling. A flexural testing program addressing two AREMA recommended tests for crossties; center and rail seat bending, was conducted. The behavior of the crosstie with the rail and fastening system installed was also investigated. An analytical finite element model, capable of simulating the flexural behavior of plastic crossties, was constructed using a material model that was calibrated using the experimental data. The plastic composite crossties demonstrated adequate performance throughout the experimental testing program. This paper also highlights the potential structural, social and economic benefits of implementing high-density polyethylene crossties in railroad applications.
Discourses of development in the consulting room: Analysing family therapy with children
Authors: Avdi Evrinomy
Published: January 2015

This paper aims to highlight the potential contribution of the arguments developed in Burman’s Deconstructing Developmental Psychology for exploring the implications of discourses around development for the practice of family therapy with children. Through the analysis of one brief systemic therapy with a stepfamily, formed following the mother’s death, this paper examined how discourses from developmental psychology, including representations of children, father, mother, stepmother and family, are implicated in the construction of the problem and in the positioning of the participants. The diverse ways in which the family members made sense of their difficulties and the positions they assumed were shown to be intimately linked with culturally dominant representations of the biological nuclear family ideal and with representations of parents as responsible for their children’s difficulties. The position of stepmother in particular was shown to be characterised by conflict and ambiguity, reflecting discourses that idealise motherhood and vilify stepmothers. Moreover, the children were found to be positioned as ‘half-members’ at several points in the conversation, whilst at other points they themselves resisted calls to a more equal positioning, particularly when disagreeing with the adults’ talk. Family therapy, as an institutional practice, was shown to be intimately linked with developmental psychology accounts about childhood, family life and parenthood and Deconstructing Developmental Psychology was shown to provide valuable insights in researching family therapy with children. Based on the analysis, it is argued that paying attention to the social, ideological and cultural context in which family therapy takes place opens up novel ways of conceptualising and researching the process of therapy and allows the exploration of taken-for-granted assumptions about childhood, adulthood, parenthood and the family.
Chironomid-inferred Holocene temperature changes in the South Carpathians (Romania)
Authors: Tóth Mónika , Magyari Enikő K , Buczkó Krisztina , Braun Mihály , Panagiotopoulos Konstantinos , Heiri Oliver
Published: January 2015

We present a Holocene summer air temperature reconstruction based on fossil chironomids from Lake Brazi (1740 m.a.s.l.), a shallow mountain lake in the South Carpathians. Summer air temperature reconstruction was performed using transfer functions based on the Swiss (Sw-TF) and the merged Norwegian–Swiss calibration data set (NS-TF). Our results suggest that summer air temperatures increased rapidly from the onset of the early Holocene onwards ( ca. 11,500–10,200 cal. yr BP), reaching close to present July air temperatures (~11.2°C). Between ca. 10,200 and 8500 cal. yr BP mean reconstructed temperatures increased further by 1.5–2.0°C. Later on, from ca. 8500 cal. yr BP, chironomid-based summer temperatures started to decrease, although mean values were still above present-day temperatures. The next time period ( ca. 6000–3000 cal. yr BP) was cooler and with less variable temperature conditions than earlier. Afterwards ( ca. 3000–2000 cal. yr BP), a sharp decrease occurred in inferred temperatures with values under present-day conditions by 1.8°C. Finally, in the last 2000 years, reconstructed temperatures showed again an increasing trend at Lake Brazi. Short-term temperature declines of 0.6–1.2°C were observed between ca. 10,350–10,190, 9750–9500, 8700–8500, 7600–7300, 7100–6900 and 4400–4000 cal. yr BP. These temperature declines are, however, within the estimated error of prediction of the chironomid-based inferences. Generally, our reconstructed temperatures complied with the summer insolation curve at 45°N, with other proxy-records (i.e. pollen and diatoms) from the same sediment and with other records from the Carpathians and from Western Europe.
The important role of ADAM8 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine in mice
Authors: Li S-Q , Wang D-M , Zhu S , Ma Z , Li R-F , Xu Z-S , Han H-M
Published: January 2015

This study focuses on investigating the concrete role of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 8 (ADAM8) in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mice received anti-ADAM8 monoclonal antibody (mAb) of 100 μg/100 μl, 200 μg/100 μl or 300 μg/100 μl, respectively, in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or PBS intervention during the progression of HCC induced by diethylnitrosamine. The survival rate, body weight, and relative liver weight were determined in the mice. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) level, hematoxylin–eosin staining, the expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), caspase 3 (Casp3), B cell leukemia 2 (Bcl2), B cell leukemia 2-associated X protein (Bax), protein p53 (P53), and ADAM8 were detected in the mice at the end of the 24th week. Our results showed that anti-ADAM8 mAb intervention effectively improved the survival rate, reduced the body weight loss and increased the relative liver weight in mice in a dose-dependent manner ( p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Anti-ADAM8 mAb intervention also significantly lowered serum AST, ALT, and AFP levels ( p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), slowed the progression of HCC ( p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), induced the expression of Casp3, Bax, and P53 ( p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), and inhibited the expression of VEGF-A, PCNA, and Bcl2 in the liver of mice ( p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) in a dose-dependent manner compared with the mice receiving PBS intervention. Our study suggested that ADAM8 might promote the progression of HCC by regulating the expression of these factors. Anti-ADAM8 mAb intervention might be suitable as a potential method for HCC therapy.
Irreconcilable Narratives and Overlapping Consensus
Authors: Abdel-Nour Farid
Published: January 2015

The Israeli demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and the Palestinian demand that Israelis recognize the Palestinian refugees’ moral right to return express the two peoples’ need to have their respective causes affirmed by the “other side.” Yet, the two causes are irreconcilable as are the core political narratives that give them meaning. The question then arises as to whether an end to the conflict can even be conceptualized, let alone implemented, with the two peoples adhering to their core narratives and expecting affirmation of their respective causes. This paper’s argument is that John Rawls’ later work contains resources that allow for such a conceptualization. An overlapping consensus over a list of common acknowledgments is possible between adherents to the two peoples’ core narratives. In that list, which is proposed in the paper, each of the two peoples can see its cause implicitly affirmed and its need for recognition met, without having to abandon its core narrative or to explicitly grant the demand for recognition made on it by the other side. Thus, the irreconcilability of narratives does not present an insurmountable obstacle to conceptualizing potentially just and stable relations between the two peoples.
Middle School Students’ Attitudes Toward a Peer With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Tonnsen Bridgette L. , Hahn Erin R.
Published: January 2015

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience peer conflict and social challenges, which likely relate to compounded characteristics of both the child with ASD and his or her peers. However, few studies have experimentally investigated these associations to inform prevention and intervention efforts. The present study used social networking blogs to examine how middle school students’ attitudes toward a fictional peer with ASD, Charlie, vary according to whether Charlie was (a) physically included with typically developing peers and (b) socially accepted. Participants expressed less favorable attitudes when Charlie was socially excluded by his peers, regardless of whether his peers had disabilities. More favorable attitudes were associated with participant popularity, previous exposure to ASD, younger age, and being female. Charlie’s ASD status was associated with more negative anticipated peer attitudes. These results indicate that facilitating positive, public social experiences of students with ASD may promote positive attitudes and social acceptance by peers.
Resuming an Unfinished Tale
Authors: Schraven Daan F. J. , Hartmann Andreas , Dewulf Geert P. M. R.
Published: January 2015

In aiming to understand how structures, such as rules, norms, and routines, establish inside organizations, scholars now focus their explanation on practitioners who enact a multitude of behavioral logics. Studies adopting this institutional logic perspective apply assumptions about the apparency and dominance of logics and consequently cannot adequately explain, with empirical evidence, how logics coexist or compete for dominance among practitioners. To fill this gap, we open these concepts up to recent academic inquiry as to the dominant logics that practitioners enact. In so doing, we address the still unanswered call by Von Krogh and Roos to collect empirical evidence on dominant logics by operationalizing two concepts: self-reference and self-similarity. We introduce a methodology that involves causal mapping enhanced with statistical tests and graphical approaches. Through an empirical investigation, we show how this method provides the enacted patterns of multiple logics, validates their dominance, and detects internal contradictions and inconsistencies. These findings highlight that if one defines dominant logics in terms of self-reference and self-similarity, causal mapping then generates competing and coexisting logics that practitioners enact.
The uncritical realism of realist evaluation
Authors: Porter Sam
Published: January 2015

This article is a response to Ray Pawson’s critique of critical realism, the philosophy of science elaborated by Roy Bhaskar. I argue with Pawson’s interpretation of critical realism’s positions on both natural and social science and his charges concerning its totalizing ontology, its arrogant epistemology and its naive methodology. The differences between critical realism and realist evaluation are not as significant as Pawson contends. The main differences between the two realisms lie in their approaches to the relationship between social structures and human agency, and between facts and values. I argue that evaluation scientists need to clearly distinguish structure and agency. They should also make their values explicit. The uncritical approach of realist evaluation, combined with its underplaying of the importance of agency, leaves it open to implication in the abuses of bureaucratic instrumentalism.
The effect of telemedicine on the duration of treatment in dementia patients
Authors: Cheong Chae-Kyo , Lim Kyu-Hyoung , Jang Jae-Won , Jhoo Jin Hyeong
Published: January 2015

We studied 442 patients who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for dementia and whose treatment was initiated at the Kangwon National University Hospital (KNUH) in Chuncheon. Over a five-year period, there were 259 patients who regularly visited the KNUH dementia clinic in person, and 168 patients who received medical services from the dementia clinic via telemedicine. The telemedicine patients attended a public health centre in Hongcheon, a facility located in a rural area about 50 km south east of the KNUH. The mean treatment duration was significantly longer for the telemedicine group than for the clinical visit group (P < 0.001), with durations of 26.6 and 14.6 months, respectively. Low Clinical Dementia Rating scores (hazard ratio = 1.47, 95% confidence interval = 1.26–1.71) and use of telemedicine (hazard ratio = 0.55, 95% confidence interval = 0.42–0.72) were found to be independent predictive factors of increased treatment duration. These findings suggest that telemedicine may be useful in slowing disease progression in dementia patients in rural areas.
A randomised clinical trial of the effectiveness of home-based health care with telemonitoring in patients with COPD
Authors: McDowell Janet E , McClean Sally , FitzGibbon Francis , Tate Stephen
Published: January 2015

We studied the effect of telemonitoring in addition to usual care compared to usual care alone in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 110 patients with moderate to severe COPD were recruited from a specialist respiratory service in Northern Ireland. Patients had at least two of: emergency department admissions, hospital admissions or emergency general practitioner (GP) contacts in the 12 months before the study. Exclusion criteria were patients who had any respiratory disorder other than COPD, or were cognitively unable to learn the process of monitoring. Patients were randomised to receive six months of home telemonitoring with usual care, or six months of usual care. The primary outcome measure was disease-specific quality of life, as measured by the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD patients (SGRQ-C). Of 100 patients completing the study, 48 patients were randomised to telemonitoring and 52 patients were randomised to the control group. The SGRQ-C scores improved significantly in the intervention group compared to usual care ( P = 0.001). The HADS anxiety score was significantly higher in the telehealth group compared to the usual care group ( P = 0.01). There were significantly more contacts with the Community Respiratory Team in the telemonitoring group compared to the control group ( P = 0.029). There were no significant between group differences in EQ-5D scores, HADS depression scores, GP activity, emergency department visits, hospital admissions or exacerbations. The total cost to the health service of the intervention over the 6-month study period was £2039, giving an estimated ICER of £203,900. In selected patients with COPD, telemonitoring was effective in improving health-related quality of life and anxiety, but was not a cost-effective intervention.
Confronting neoliberal penality: Placing prison reform and critical criminology at the core of social work's social justice agenda
Authors: Garrett Paul Michael
Published: January 2015

Social work practitioners and educators should be more attentive to the expansion of the penal estate occurring across a number of jurisdictions. The article presents an overview of the crisis in prisons within one European state, the Republic of Ireland.

Findings

Relying on official sources and critical commentaries on those sources, six factors are highlighted: the growth in prisoner numbers; the cost of imprisonment; ‘inhuman and degrading’ conditions prisoners are subjected to; particular hardships faced by specific groups of detainees; the changing role of probation services; the lack of robust, independent inspection mechanisms.

Application

The value base of the profession and its commitment to the promotion of social justice could prompt social workers to become better informed about the growth of the penal estate and more intent on campaigning for better conditions for prisoners and their families and less reliance on incarceration.
Fractionation of engine exhaust hydrocarbons using flame ionization detection with variable temperature sample conditioner
Authors: Northrop William F , Avenido Aaron S
Published: January 2015

The flame ionization detector is a standard instrument for measuring total hydrocarbon concentration in engine exhaust. Engine combustion modes such as diesel low-temperature combustion are known to produce higher levels of total hydrocarbon than conventional combustion modes, and a need exists to estimate species that may nucleate into nanoparticles upon dilution in the atmosphere. Exhaust hydrocarbon fractionation is useful for gaining better understanding about engine combustion and for developing aftertreatment catalysts for reducing emissions. Methods capable of measuring individual hydrocarbon species such as gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry do not measure the full range of species present in engine exhaust and are expensive. In this work, a custom-designed variable temperature sample conditioner was developed for use with two fast-response flame ionization detectors to fractionate the hydrocarbons present in engine exhaust as a function of component volatility. A condensation model for fuel alkanes was also developed to be used in concert with the experimental data to determine the fraction of fuel-like hydrocarbons within the total hydrocarbon measurement. Our results indicate that the variable temperature flame ionization detector method yields similar unburned hydrocarbon fraction to reported literature values using more extensive speciation studies at similar engine conditions. We find that while low-temperature combustion engine operation emits higher concentrations of total hydrocarbon than conventional combustion modes, the fraction of less volatile hydrocarbon species is higher for lower engine load, regardless of the combustion mode.
Physical Activity Opportunities in Afterschool Programs
Authors: Weaver R. Glenn , Beets Michael W. , Huberty Jennifer , Freedman Darcy , Turner-Mcgrievy Gabrielle , Ward Diane
Published: January 2015

Afterschool programs (ASPs) have potential to provide children moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The availability and types (e.g., free play or organized activities) of physical activity opportunities, their structure (e.g., presence of lines, elimination games), and staff behaviors (e.g., encouragement, engaged) can influence children’s MVPA. This study explored these factors in 20 ASPs serving over 1,700 elementary-age children. The occurrence, types, and structure of physical activity opportunities, and staff behaviors were collected via the SOSPAN (System for Observing Staff Promotion of Physical Activity and Nutrition). A total of 4,660 SOSPAN scans were completed across 63 complete program days (1,733 during physical activity opportunities). Physical activity opportunities were observed on 60 program days across all 20 sites, with 73% of those opportunities classified as free play. ASPs scheduled an average of 66.3 minutes (range 15-150 minutes) of physical activity opportunities daily. Games played included basketball, tag, soccer, and football. Staff rarely engaged in physical activity promotion behaviors, and the structure of organized games discouraged MVPA. For example, staff verbally promoted physical activity in just 6.1% of scans, while organized games were more likely to involve lines and elimination. Professional development training may enhance staffs’ physical activity promotion and the structure of activity opportunities.
When Does Familiarity Promote Versus Undermine Interpersonal Attraction? A Proposed Integrative Model From Erstwhile Adversaries
Authors: Finkel Eli J. , Norton Michael I. , Reis Harry T. , Ariely Dan , Caprariello Peter A. , Eastwick Paul W. , Frost Jeana H. , Maniaci Michael R.
Published: January 2015

This article began as an adversarial collaboration between two groups of researchers with competing views on a longstanding question: Does familiarity promote or undermine interpersonal attraction? As we explored our respective positions, it became clear that the limitations of our conceptualizations of the familiarity–attraction link, as well as the limitations of prior research, were masking a set of higher order principles capable of integrating these diverse conceptualizations. This realization led us to adopt a broader perspective, which focuses on three distinct relationship stages—awareness, surface contact, and mutuality—and suggests that the influence of familiarity on attraction depends on both the nature and the stage of the relationship between perceivers and targets. This article introduces the framework that emerged from our discussions and suggests directions for research to investigate its validity.
Hypothyroidism
Authors: Roe Emma
Published: January 2015

Hypothyroidism is one of the most common chronic disorders in the UK: it has an annual incidence of 3.5 per 1000 in women and 0.6 per 1000 in men. Around 12 000 000 prescriptions for levothyroxine are dispensed in England each year, which is equivalent to about 3% of the population taking long-term thyroid replacement therapy. In view of this, it is important for GPs to have a clear understanding of the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism. This article aims to provide an overview of this condition, outline when to consider investigation and how to provide continuing management for these patients.
Metformin and its use in chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer
Authors: Sultana Ramona-Rita , Rice Sam
Published: January 2015

Metformin is nowadays considered to be the first-line pharmaceutical agent in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). When used as monotherapy, it can reduce the glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level by up to 12 mmol/mol; a property that is not seen in many of the newer anti-diabetic agents. It also has the advantage of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with T2DM when compared with sulfonylureas and insulin. Metformin is not recommended in patients with degrees of renal impairment and there is a lack of guidelines on the use of metformin in patients with stable chronic kidney disease.
Addressing policy needs for prevention and control of type 2 diabetes in India
Authors: Atre Sachin
Published: January 2015

India carries nearly one-fifth of the global burden of diabetes cases, the majority of which are of type 2 diabetes. Recognising the need for controlling diabetes, the Government of India has initiated a national level programme for prevention and control of diabetes along with other non-communicable diseases in 2008. Despite being piloted and implemented, there is hardly any published literature about the national level situation of diabetes and its control efforts. The present article is written with the aim to fill this gap to some extent and to provide a situational analysis of the diabetes problem in India in a holistic way, addressing policy needs for the national programme. It focuses on three main areas, namely, awareness of diabetes, costs of drugs for its treatment and healthcare-system related issues. It argues that poor coverage and weak implementation of the national level programme are major forces that push patients to seek help in the weakly regulated private sector. Approaching the private sector is likely to increase the cost of care, which in turn can lead to an increased financial burden for patients and their families due to factors such as patients’ lack of awareness about diabetes, poor drug price regulation and prescriptions including combinations and/or patented products of medicines used for treating diabetes by the private sector. This article addresses several needs such as strengthening the national programme and increasing its reach to unreached districts, exerting drug price regulation and implementing community-based participatory programmes for prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. It also underscores a need for piloting and implementing a robust national level electronic reporting system for diabetes programmes.
IEP, IHP, and Section 504 Primer for New School Nurses
Authors: Galemore Cynthia A. , Sheetz Anne H.
Published: January 2015

Three types of documents and their frequently used acronyms play a vital role in ensuring that students with disabilities have the planning, services, and accommodations necessary to facilitate attendance and success in the school setting. Federal and state laws, as well as state nurse practice acts, govern the process and eligibility of students for these services. School nurses play a vital role in these processes, and new school nurses benefit from a comparison of the terms along with a historical explanation of the acronyms.
A Preseason Checklist for Predicting Elbow Injury in Little League Baseball Players
Authors: Yukutake Taiki , Kuwata Masumi , Yamada Minoru , Aoyama Tomoki
Published: January 2015

Background:

Despite pitch count limits, the incidence of Little League elbow is increasing. A risk-evaluation tool capable of predicting which players are predisposed to throwing injury could potentially prevent injuries.

Purpose:

To investigate the effectiveness of a risk factor checklist for predicting elbow injury in Little League baseball players during 1 season. The hypothesis was that a preseason risk-evaluation checklist could predict which players were predisposed to elbow injury.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A preseason risk-evaluation checklist was distributed to Little League baseball teams in Japan. Six months later, a follow-up questionnaire was mailed to determine injuries sustained during the season. Logistic regression analysis was performed, assigning presence or absence of elbow injury during the season as the dependent variable, and an injury risk score (IRS) was developed based on the statistically significant variables. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to determine the predictive validity of the checklist and the optimal cutoff IRS.

Results:

Data from 389 Little League players were analyzed. Among them, 53 players experienced an elbow injury requiring medical treatment during the season. Six checklist items associated with a medical history of throwing injury, pitch volume, and arm fatigue were found to be significant. Responses to the items could predict the players who were susceptible to injury during the season, with a two-thirds cutoff value for a 6-item checklist (area under the curve, 0.810; sensitivity, 0.717; specificity, 0.771).

Conclusion:

Results from a 6-item preseason checklist can predict which Little League players are to sustain an elbow injury by the end of the season.

Clinical Relevance:

The ability to predict which Little League baseball players are predisposed to elbow injury allows parents and coaches to initiate preventive measures in those players prior to and during the baseball season, which could lead to fewer elbow injuries.
Application of Simplified Analysis Procedures for Performance-Based Earthquake Evaluation of Steel Special Moment Frames
Authors: Lignos Dimitrios G. , Putman Christopher , Krawinkler Helmut
Published: January 2015

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of single and multi-mode nonlinear static procedures (NSPs) as well as the FEMA P58 simplified approach versus rigorous nonlinear response history analyses (NRHA) for estimating seismic demands of steel special moment frames (SMFs). This work was mostly conducted within the framework of the ATC-76-6 project and indicates the level to which simplified analysis procedures in combination with commonly used nonlinear component models can reliably predict story-level engineering demand parameters (EDPs) such as, story drift ratios, story shear forces, overturning moments, residual deformations and peak floor absolute accelerations. It is advisable to employ a combination of NSP and NRHA to understand the seismic performance of steel SMFs and quantify important EDPs.
X-ray Computerized Tomography Observation of the Interfacial Structure of Liquid Marbles
Authors: Matsukuma Daisuke , Watanabe Hirohmi , Fujimoto Aya , Uesugi Kentaro , Takeuchi Akihisa , Suzuki Yoshio , Jinnai Hiroshi , Takahara Atsushi
Published: January 2015

We have demonstrated that the liquid/solid interfacial structure of liquid marbles is determined by the surface–interface interaction between the encapsulating particles and liquid droplet. X-ray computerized tomography (X-ray CT) confirmed that the decrease of the solid-over-liquid spreading coefficient (SS/L) allowed the particles to be submerged in the liquid. Moreover, the difference in interfacial structure had a strong effect on the dynamic mechanical stability of liquid marbles. Two liquid marbles only merged upon contact when at least one liquid marble had a small SS/L value. X-ray CT observations also revealed that the liquid at the solid/liquid interface did not interdiffuse easily.
Beyond Fungible: Transforming Money into Moral and Social Resources
Authors: Bradford Tonya Williams
Published: January 2015

An essential characteristic of marketing practice and theory is the promotion of exchanges, many of which are funded by money. Marketing literature thus places great emphasis on determining what factors influence consumers to engage in the marketplace. Less understood, however, is how consumers allocate monetary resources to fund exchanges. Scholars have demonstrated that people employ earmarks to segregate money by source, meaning, or purpose. The ethnographic study of provisioning in the current research adds to prior scholarship with an explanation of how money, as a fungible resource, is transformed into moral and social resources by the behavioral process of ascribing earmarks and approaching provisioning. As part of this study, the author develops a typology that incorporates thrift provisioning and splurge provisioning approaches to categorize consumer goals derived from the use of prosaic and indexical earmarks. These goals are defined as economizing, sustaining, treating, and rewarding. The article closes with a discussion of implications for marketing managers and potential avenues for further research.
The Handmade Effect: What's Love Got to Do with It?
Authors: Fuchs Christoph , Schreier Martin , Van Osselaer Stijn M.J.
Published: January 2015

Despite the popularity and high quality of machine-made products, handmade products have not disappeared, even in product categories in which machinal production is common. The authors present the first systematic set of studies exploring whether and how stated production mode (handmade vs. machine-made) affects product attractiveness. Four studies provide evidence for the existence of a positive handmade effect on product attractiveness. This effect is, to an important extent, driven by perceptions that handmade products symbolically “contain love.” The authors validate this love account by controlling for alternative value drivers of handmade production (effort, product quality, uniqueness, authenticity, and pride). The handmade effect is moderated by two factors that affect the value of love. Specifically, consumers indicate stronger purchase intentions for handmade than machine-made products when buying gifts for their loved ones but not for more distant gift recipients, and they pay more for handmade gifts when purchased to convey love than simply to acquire the best-performing product.
The harmonic mean measure of symmetry for convex bodies
Authors: Taschuk Steven
Published: January 2015

We introduce a measure of (central) symmetry for a convex body K in ℝn based on the volume of the harmonic mean of K and −K (that is, the body whose gauge is the average of the gauges of K and −K), and compare it to other classical volumetric measures of symmetry. We prove sharp inequalities between the volume of the harmonic mean of K and −K and the volume of their intersection, and we show that, if K is in John’s position, then the harmonic mean of K and −K has the smallest volume exactly when K is the Euclidean ball and the largest volume exactly when K is a simplex.