bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scholarly Publishing’s Evolving Landscape
Authors: Antell Karen , Foote Joe S. , Foote Jody Bales
Published: September 2016

This study surveys the landscape of scholarly publishing, with particular emphasis on scholarly journals in the communication discipline, measuring the shift to electronic publishing in six selected disciplines and exploring two other important emerging topics: open-access publishing and new journal citation metrics. The goals are to inform communication researchers about emerging topics in scholarly publishing; to provide updated information about the proportion of electronic-only journals; to compare the impact of electronic-only journals and open-access journals to other journals in the same discipline; and to provide a list of communication journals showing each journal’s Impact Factor, open-access status, and other information relevant to researchers’ decisions about publication venue.
In Her Own Words: Women Describe Their Use of Force Resulting in Court-Ordered Intervention
Authors: Larance Lisa Young , Miller Susan L.
Published: September 2016

Although researchers and practitioners have established that men and women use force in their intimate heterosexual relationships for very different reasons, there is a dearth of information regarding the events that surrounds women’s arrests and subsequent court orders to anti-violence intervention programming. This information is fundamental to improving Criminal Legal System (CLS) and community-partner understanding of and response to intimate partner violence (IPV). The authors meet this need by analyzing 208 women’s descriptions of their arrests and subsequent court order to intervention programs for using force. From these, the authors frame nine categorical descriptions of women’s actions. The descriptions and categories highlight areas for CLS and community-partners’ growing understanding of this complex issue.
Indigenous Partner Violence, Indigenous Sentencing Courts, and Pathways to Desistance
Authors: Marchetti Elena , Daly Kathleen
Published: September 2016

Mainstream sentencing courts do little to change the behavior of partner violence offenders, let alone members of more socially marginal groups. Indigenous offenders face a court system that has little relevance to the complexity of their relations and lived experiences. Assisted by respected Elders and Community Representatives, Australian Indigenous sentencing courts seek to create a more meaningful sentencing process that has a deeper impact on Indigenous offenders’ attitudes and, ultimately, their behavior. Drawing from interviews with 30 Indigenous offenders, we explore the ways in which the courts can motivate Indigenous partner violence offenders on pathways to desistence.
The Historical Development of Evaluation Use
Authors: Alkin Marvin C. , King Jean A.
Published: September 2016

The first article in this series traces the initial development of the concept of evaluation use. As a field, evaluation has always paid attention to the potential for use, both in decision-making and in changing people’s thinking. The broad history of the field as we know it today stemmed from two streams: one focused on tests and measurement, primarily in education, and a second focused on social research methods, primarily concerning knowledge utilization. Evaluation use had its roots in both streams, resulting in three broad categories for discussing the use of evaluation findings: instrumental use, conceptual use or enlightenment, and symbolic use. The additional category of process use, added years later, highlighted the potential utility of people’s participation in the evaluation process.
The ABCs of Perineal Streptococcal Dermatitis
Authors: Zhang Connie , Haber Richard M.
Published: September 2016

Perineal streptococcal dermatitis (PSD) is largely known to be caused by group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus (GAS). We would like to bring cases of non-GAS PSD to the attention of dermatologists, as there are implications for workup and therapy. We report 3 pediatric cases of PSD: 1 caused by GAS, 1 caused by group B β-hemolytic Streptococcus (GBS), and 1 associated with group C β-hemolytic Streptococcus (GCS). GBS and GCS are very rarely reported in pediatric cases of PSD. The literature on non-GAS PSD is reviewed, which additionally revealed several instances of PSD caused by group G β-hemolytic Streptococcus (GGS) and Staphylococcus aureus. GBS, GCS, GGS, and S aureus are significant causes of PSD to consider, particularly among adult patients, based on our encountered cases and the literature. If using rapid antigen tests to expedite the diagnosis of GAS, we recommend supplementing with a lesional swab for bacterial culture and sensitivity as the rapid antigen test does not detect non-GAS organisms. Therapy should be tailored to the microbiologic cause.
Longitudinal analysis of virtual community perceptions of cohesion: The role of cooperation, communication, and competition
Authors: Lyles Annmarie A , Loomis Colleen , Mama Scherezade K , Siddiqi Sameer , Lee Rebecca E
Published: September 2016

Online, virtual group interactions may help adherence to health promotion programs. The purpose of this study was to explore longitudinal relationships among dimensions of group cohesion and group-interaction variables to inform and improve group-based strategies within programs aimed at promoting physical activity in virtual communities. In all, 56 online virtual users completed a group dynamics–based physical activity promotion intervention and assessments of group cohesion and group interaction at baseline and 4 weeks. Friendly competition and cooperation were consistently strong predictors of cohesion. Facilitating a sense of friendly competition and cooperation may increase engagement in physical activity programs by bolstering group cohesion.
Politics of prediction
Authors: Aradau Claudia , Blanke Tobias
Published: September 2016

From ‘connecting the dots’ and finding ‘the needle in the haystack’ to predictive policing and data mining for counterinsurgency, security professionals have increasingly adopted the language and methods of computing for the purposes of prediction. Digital devices and big data appear to offer answers to a wide array of problems of (in)security by promising insights into unknown futures. This article investigates the transformation of prediction today by placing it within governmental apparatuses of discipline, biopower and big data. Unlike disciplinary and biopolitical governmentality, we argue that prediction with big data is underpinned by the production of a different time/space of ‘between-ness’. The digital mode of prediction with big data reconfigures how we are governed today, which we illustrate through an analysis of how predictive policing actualizes between-ness as hotspots and near-real-time decisions.
Evaluation of existing prestressed concrete bridges considering the randomness of live load distribution factor due to random vehicle loading position
Authors: Yan Junyuan , Deng Lu , He Wei
Published: September 2016

The live load distribution factor is a very important parameter in both the design of new bridges and the evaluation of in-service bridges. Studies have shown that there can be large discrepancy between the actual load distribution factors of field bridges and the load distribution factors predicted by bridge design codes. In addition, the load distribution factor is always treated as a constant in bridge assessment even though it is a random variable with certain statistical properties. In this study, the reliability indexes of 15 prestressed concrete girder bridges designed following the AASHTO LRFD code are calculated by considering the randomness of the load distribution factors induced by the random vehicle transverse position. It is found that there is a considerable increase in the calculated bridge reliability indexes, especially for short-span bridges, when the load distribution factor is modeled as a random variable with the statistical properties obtained from numerical simulations. This suggests that vehicle transverse position is one important factor that can be considered if a refined analysis is desirable when traditional evaluation methods predict unsatisfactory bridge assessment results. The findings in this article also highlight the importance of considering the actual vehicle transverse position in the evaluation of existing bridges.
Experimental model for predicting the semi-rigid connections’ behaviour with angles and stiffeners
Authors: Maali Mahyar , Kılıç Mahmut , Sağıroğlu Merve , Aydın Abdulkadir Cüneyt
Published: September 2016

This article presents the experimental results of nine specimens of steel bolted beam-to-column connections with top-and-seat angle and stiffener. All of the connections have the angles and beams reinforced with stiffeners in the extended parts. The results are analysed on the basis of the global moment–rotation curves. The main parameters observed are the failure modes, the evolution of the resistance, the stiffness, the rotation capacity, the ductility of a joint and the energy dissipation. The aim was to provide necessary data to improve the Eurocode 3. While the stiffness decreased with the increased thickness of beam stiffeners of 5–10 mm, the maximum bending moment (Mj.max) increased with the increased length of top-and-seat angle.
The minister, the Commandant and the cadets: Scandal and the mediation of Australian civil–military relations
Authors: Wadham Ben
Published: September 2016

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has recently undergone the most comprehensive review of its organizational culture since federation. Western militaries across the USA, Canada and the UK are similarly engaged. Military misconduct, including rape, assault and the long traditions of hazing and bastardization, have been increasingly exposed, engaging civil society, agitating government and undermining military integrity. The Skype Affair is described as a particularly important military misconduct scandal that brought these relations, and ruling relations more specifically, into focus. The article describes the contest over democratic control of the armed forces initiated when the jurisdictions and authority of the Defence Minister, the Chief of Defence and the Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) converged over the management of this military scandal. This article looks at how relations between Australian civil society, the military and the state are affected by the varying engagements of these sectors with the question of violence in the military and, subsequently, military modernization. The news-mediated discourse is one that highlights the structural split of civil–military relations, between two white masculinized institutions in a context of distinct cultural divergence over the rule of nation.
Managing rehabilitation: Negotiating performance accountability at the frontlines of reentry service provision
Authors: Halushka John
Published: September 2016

Based on a three-year ethnographic study of two prisoner reentry agencies, this article explores how frontline service providers negotiate the contradictory demands of performance accountability. Performance accountability systems—collectively known as the New Public Management (NPM)—force service providers to make difficult trade-offs between these managerial goals and the substantive goals of rehabilitation. However, we know little about how frontline service providers negotiate these competing demands. I show how, despite efforts to develop distinct organizational brands, both organizations I studied responded to performance pressures and resource constraints according to a set of practices I call “defensive institutionalism.” This involved strategies designed to protect organizational resources from high risk clients by (1) filtering the client pool and (2) responsibilizing clients. While these practices allowed these organizations to reconcile managerial and substantive goals in situ, they did not resolve the underlying contradictions of New Public Management. New Public Management incentivizes service providers to pursue short-term, individuated approaches to rehabilitation, and it induces isomorphism rather than innovation. I conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for current efforts to implement “evidence-based” criminal justice policies.
Towards an ethics of the theoretical encounter
Authors: Hage Ghassan
Published: September 2016

This article is taken from a presentation I give graduate students on how to make use of theory in the process of writing their thesis. It aims to highlight a pragmatic and practical orientation to theory and to subordinate it to the more important goal of making sense of one’s research object and one’s research material. As such it is structured by the tension between the deployment of theory as a mark of sophistication and a form of cultural capital, and the deployment of theory in terms of its analytical ‘use’ value. Most importantly, it argues for the importance of making theory generate new insights which would otherwise be impossible without it. It exemplifies this through a reflexive loop where the theories of Marx, Bourdieu and Freud are activated to show how they can generate different insights about how writers relate to theory.
Theorizing in ex-centric sites
Authors: Harrison Faye V.
Published: September 2016

This essay explores ways that theory is being engaged in recent trends in sociocultural anthropology. It addresses how some anthropologists are rethinking and working with theory in their social and cultural analyses. The current theoretical moment is conditioned by an expansion of the space and a multiplication of the sites where various forms of theorizing take place and are being acknowledged as such. The interrelated questions of what theory is and who produces it are being raised in the writings of a number of intellectuals around the world. Their theoretical and meta-theoretical claims have both disciplinary and transdisciplinary significance, warranting their being more seriously engaged, especially within the context of critical projects seeking to decolonize the making of anthropological knowledge.
Anthropology of power: Beyond state-centric politics
Authors: Victoria José Luis Escalona
Published: September 2016

Since the labeling of the ‘anthropology of politics’ in the mid-20th century, the discipline has changed in multiple ways. Anthropology moved from state-centric politics (in the forms of state, stateless, anti-state or alter-state notions) to wider and contradictory realms of configurations of power, and the ways in which power works out day-by-day. A per- spective on power entails a privileged ethnographic focus on everyday differentiation, contradiction and struggle in the making of social organization, as well as in arrangements and disputes over the labor of categorizing (or grassroots philosophical work) invested in these processes. In this article, and in light of these concerns, I ask if anthropologists could reframe some questions that have been present since the very foundation of modern social sciences.
Theory as vision
Authors: Xiang Biao
Published: September 2016

Theorization is indispensable for making academic research relevant to social struggles, but not all types of theorization are equally useful. We need theory as vision. Conceived consciously from a particular vantage point and with a purpose, theory as vision reveals hidden connections among different aspects of life and enables alternative imaginations about the future. Theory as vision must explain why things are as they are and at the same time show how things could be different. Key to this is a type of imaginative ethnographic accuracy that captures not only existing reality but also potentials for change. This article illustrates this by revisiting historical debates on theorizing the Chinese peasantry between Mao Zedong and Liang Shuming, a philosopher and social reformer, in the 1930s and then the 1950s. The article in the end proposes articulation of connections across scales as a mode of anthropological theorization.
Beyond Agatha Christie: Relationality and critique in anthropological theory
Authors: Eckert Julia
Published: September 2016

Critical anthropological theory needs to be a theory of relationality. Only through a relational theory can we come to a perception of our fundamental commonality and conceptualise difference as being given significance by the unequal relations that we stand in towards each other. A relational theory needs concepts that reflect on the asymmetrical interdependence that shapes the dynamics of power relations, which give rise to institutions of ‘significant difference’. I propose Luc Boltanski’s notion of ‘situation’ as a concept that enables us to grasp the structured contingency that shapes our mutual interdependence. Situation, by making possible the micro-analysis of macro-relations, also provides the conceptual tools to think beyond that which is, towards that which is possible.
‘I don’t engage’: Online communication and social media use among New Zealand journalists
Authors: Neilson Tai
Published: September 2016

Social media, comment threads, and other means of online communication are important to journalists’ work processes, but expand their workload and pose challenges to their professional identity. The concept of ‘engagement’ is used by news workers in New Zealand to describe the role of digitally mediated communication in their work. Engagement deserves scholarly treatment akin to concepts such as ‘participatory journalism’ because it is employed by journalists to place professional and practical limits on online interaction. Their decisions about engagement are based on professional commitments, past experiences, and the allocation of time and resources. Journalists in newsrooms that are already understaffed and under-resourced are expected to take on new tasks; like other digital laborers, journalists experience the interpenetration of work and leisure and the incorporation of affective and unpaid work. News workers have an opportunity to develop best practices for engagement and determine how and when they should engage online.
Legitimation of hybrid cultural products
Authors: Coskuner-Balli Gokcen , Ertimur Burçak
Published: September 2016

Cultural hybridization indicates mixing, intermingling, and fusion of cultures that the globalized world enables and produces. Adopting an institutional theoretic framework, this article examines how hybrid cultural products strive for legitimacy in the context of yoga. We conceptualize American Yoga as a hybrid cultural practice that emerged as yoga was reconfigured through dialectical exchanges between India and the West and acquired new forms and meanings in the geographical and cultural sphere of the United States. The findings reveal a series of reterritorialization strategies through which market actors seek to advance moral, cognitive, and pragmatic legitimacy for American Yoga, accompanied by identity, ownership, and authenticity centered tensions. We illustrate reterritorialization as a legitimation process mediated by strategies of market actors and identify unique outcomes in legitimation of hybrid cultural products drawing from polar perspectives on hybridization.
Impact of a Clinical Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacist on Tacrolimus Nephrotoxicity, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, and Institutional Revenue Generation in Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Griffin Shawn P. , Nelson Joelle E.
Published: September 2016

Context:

Tacrolimus requires close therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to ensure efficacy and minimize adverse effects. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned on transplant teams to interpret levels and recommend therapy modifications. Their impact in the immediate postoperative setting has not been described previously.

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of a clinical solid organ transplant pharmacist on nephrotoxicity, TDM, and revenue generation in adult kidney transplant recipients on tacrolimus.

Design, Setting, and Patients:

Retrospective assessment of adult kidney transplant recipients at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.

Intervention:

A transplant pharmacist rounded 5 days a week and made medication recommendations on transplant recipients—including tacrolimus dose modifications based on levels. Pharmacy services were expanded to include medication reconciliation, medication counseling, and delivery of discharge medications to bedside.

Main Outcome Measure:

Incidence of nephrotoxicity during tacrolimus exposure.

Results:

Of the 70 kidney transplant recipients in the postpharmacist cohort, 18 (25.7%) experienced nephrotoxicity while on tacrolimus, compared to 18 (25%) of the 72 in the prepharmacist cohort ( P = .922). A significantly greater proportion of recipients who experienced nephrotoxicity were male, had hypertension, or experienced delayed or slow graft function. The rate of appropriately drawn tacrolimus troughs significantly increased from 23.4% to 30.3% in the postpharmacist cohort ( P < .001). The median outpatient pharmacy revenue generated per recipient significantly increased from US$345.49 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0-4727.56) to US$4834.95 per recipient (IQR: 3592.78-6224.60; P < .001). The length of stay (7 days, IQR: 6-9, vs 8 days, IQR: 6-9; P = .107) and the 30-day readmission rate were similar between groups (20.8% vs 21.4%; P = .931).
A Mindfulness-Based Lifestyle Intervention for Obese, Inactive Endometrial Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Lucas Alexander R. , Focht Brian C. , Cohn David E. , Buckworth Janet , Klatt Maryanna D.
Published: September 2016

Background: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to address self-regulation and lifestyle behaviors (diet, physical activity) may benefit endometrial cancer survivors (ECS), who are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality associated with obesity. However, the acceptability of mindfulness training and whether it can augment behavior change in ECS is unknown. We aimed to examine; 1) the feasibility of the Mindfulness in Motion + Diet (MIM+D) intervention and 2) the preliminary efficacy of MIM+D for improving mindfulness, diet, PA and health-related quality of life (HRQL). Methods: ECS (Mage=62.4, ±5yrs from diagnosis) completed assessments at baseline, 8 and 14 weeks. Feasibility was determined by intervention completion surveys, attendance and adherence data. We used repeated measures ANOVA’s (SPSS 22.0) and effect size estimates (Cohen’s d) to examine changes in mindfulness, diet, PA, and HRQL over time. Results: Thirteen ECS (76%) completed the MIM+D program and attendance (≥6/8 sessions) was 90%. Women reported favorably on the overall quality (mean of 4.75/5) and benefits of the MIM+D program; however, would have preferred receiving MIM+D closer to diagnosis. Intention to treat analyses found MIM+D did not significantly improve any outcomes. However, an intervention completers analysis showed significant change in mindfulness (p=.0039) and small to moderate estimates for change in fruits and vegetable intake (d=.23), MVPA (d=.45), RAND SF-36: MCS (d=.46), and sleep quality (d=.68). Conclusions: Integrating mindfulness training into behavioral interventions is feasible and ECS that adhere to these lifestyle programs may benefit. However, to future research should examine the-long term effects of mindfulness-based behavioral lifestyle interventions.
Being Assigned Work in Prison: Do Gender and Race Matter?
Authors: Crittenden Courtney A. , Koons-Witt Barbara A. , Kaminski Robert J.
Published: September 2016

With a majority of inmates being assigned some type of work while incarcerated, work assignments are a staple of U.S. prisons. These work assignments are likely to impact not only prisoner behavior while in prison, but also may impact their ability to obtain gainful employment after prison. Historically, it has been noted that work in prison has been influenced by gender and racial norms and stereotypes. These stereotypical assignments may not be beneficial for inmates, especially in a time when work assignments are increasingly providing the only work skills inmates may receive while incarcerated. Using a nationwide data set of prisoners incarcerated facilities, the current study uses multilevel modeling to examine the nature of work assignments for male and female state prisoners and whether these assignments are based on gender and/or racial stereotypes. Results indicate that there are indeed lingering stereotypes influencing work assignments for men and women in U.S. prisons.
Flexor Tendon Rupture Due to Previously Undiagnosed Kienböck Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Turner Kenrick , Sheppard Nicholas N. , Norton Samuel E.
Published: September 2016

Background: Spontaneous flexor tendon rupture is rare and most common in the little finger. The pathogenesis of spontaneous tendon ruptures is unclear but may occur through attrition or mechanical abrasion over a bony prominence. Kienböck disease is avascular necrosis of the lunate, with an unknown etiology. Methods: We present a case of spontaneous rupture of flexor digitorum profundus due to Kienböck disease, which we believe is the first recorded case of flexor tendon rupture attributable to osteonecrosis of the lunate. Results: The patient underwent single-stage reconstruction of FDP and regained a good range of motion at the affected DIPJ. Conclusions: This case illustrates the the importance of plain radiographs in the assessment of a patient presenting with spontaneous flexor tendon rupture in the hand to exclude bony pathology as a cause.
An Economic Analysis of MAC Versus WALANT: A Trigger Finger Release Surgery Case Study
Authors: Codding Jason L. , Bhat Suneel B. , Ilyas Asif M.
Published: September 2016

Background: There has been recent interest in wide awake hand surgery, also referred to as “wide awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet” (WALANT) surgery. Using a model of single trigger finger release (TFR) surgery, a hypothesis was made that WALANT would result in decreased hospital time and cost than patients receiving sedation with monitored anesthetic care (MAC). Methods: Consecutive cases of single TFR surgery with MAC were compared with WALANT. All surgeries were performed in the same manner, at the same facility, and by the same surgeon. Total operating room (OR) time, surgical time, recovery time, and anesthesia costs were analyzed. Results: There were 78 patients: 31 MAC and 47 WALANT. The MAC group averaged 27.2 minutes of OR time; the WALANT group averaged 25.2 minutes. The MAC group surgical time was 10.2 minutes versus WALANT of 10.4 minutes. Post-operatively, the MAC group averaged 72.3 minutes in the recovery room compared with WALANT group of 30.2 minutes. Each case performed under MAC had a minimum of excess charges from anesthesia of approximately $105. Conclusions: Patients undergoing single TFR surgery under WALANT trended toward less time in the OR, had similar surgical times, and spent significantly less time in the recovery room, compared with MAC, thereby resulting in less indirect costs. Each MAC case also had minimum direct excess anesthesia charges of $105, which knowingly underestimates overall charges as it excludes material and fixed costs associated with the delivery of anesthesia. Avoiding sedation for high-volume procedures such as TFR may result in significant systemic savings to payers, and in the future with bundling and episode-based payments can become increasingly important to patients, facilities, and surgeons.
Two vignettes of adolescent sexual disclosure: guidance for HIV clinical practice
Authors: Lichtenstein Bronwen , Rodgers Cynthia , Marefka Lauren EB , Hinson Marla D , Cook-Heard Dayna , Rygiel Stephen D , Sturdevant Marsha S
Published: September 2016

HIV-positive adolescents are required by law to notify sexual partners, but can find it difficult to achieve this goal. This article offers practice guidance for counselling HIV-positive adolescents about sexual disclosure in clinical settings and for building confidence in managing sexual lives with HIV. We use two vignettes to illustrate key differences between perinatally and sexually infected adolescents in terms of readiness to disclose, and include a set of strategies for both groups that can be tailored to individual circumstances and contexts. The toolbox of strategies we describe include pre-counselling, focused counselling, social support groups and technical support. Pre-counselling helps to identify barriers and motivations to sexual disclosure and is followed by counselling sessions in which the focus is on role playing and sexual scripts for disclosure. Peer-led support groups are designed to boost adolescent confidence, and pre-paid cell phones, text messaging, ready-dial phone numbers and a private Facebook page provide back-up support and out-of-hours contact. Since sexual disclosure can be a risky proposition, safety plans, such as having an emergency contact person, should always be in place. These strategies are designed to empower vulnerable adolescents, foster trust between patient and provider, and reduce HIV transmission to sexual partners.
Blast characterization using a ballistic pendulum with a centrally mounted Hopkinson bar
Authors: Cloete Trevor J , Nurick Gerald N
Published: September 2016

A series of laboratory-scale blast characterization experiments are presented to show the degree to which two alternative configurations of an instrumented ballistic pendulum can provide an ideal impulsive load. Both the total impulses and blast pressure histories were captured, the latter using a centrally mounted Hopkinson bar. Repeatable and consistent total impulse values were achieved, while the Hopkinson bar technique was sufficient to capture the essential shape of the blast loads, although the fine detail of the peak pressure could not be resolved due to higher mode dispersion. A short stand-off configuration produced short duration blast loads that approached an ideal impulsive load condition with near uniform impulse distributions, although the blast pressure distributions were non-uniform. Conversely, a blast tube configuration produced blast loads with near uniform pressure and impulse distributions but did not approach an ideal impulsive load condition, that is, the pressure history must be accounted for in subsequent analytical work.
Improved procedure for calculating the cleared pressure acting on a finite target due to a mid-field blast
Authors: Qasrawi Yazan , Heffernan Pat J
Published: September 2016

For a structure subjected to it, a blast shockwave may be the severest load it will experience in its service life. A structure inadequately designed against blast may experience extensive damage and, in extreme cases, may collapse completely. Ensuring an adequate design depends on the accurate prediction of the blast shockwave and the loads it will impart on the structure. Blast shockwaves, however, are notoriously difficult to predict. The difficulties arise in part due to the reflected pressure and impulse developed by a blast shockwave depending on the obstacle’s response and geometry. Clearing is a result of the blast shockwave propagating around the edge of an obstacle, thus reducing the pressure build up from what would develop on an infinite surface. Thus, a clearer understanding of this phenomenon, and a simple practical method for predicting it, would improve blast load predictions and aid in blast resistant design. There are several experimental studies reported in the literature investigating this phenomenon. The studies, however, are limited to small scale blasts, and the prediction tools they propose are complicated to use. This article extends the range of available results numerically using ANSYS Autodyn, and proposes a tool to aid the blast resistant design engineer in more accurately quantifying the cleared blast loads imparted on a structure or structural element. Thus, after validating that Autodyn was suitable for investigating clearing problems, a series of two-dimensional models were built to investigate the parameters affecting clearing. The parameters investigated were the range, blast scaled distance, and distance to the edge of the target. The results of the numerical study resulted in a design aid for determining the cleared blast shockwave pressure on a finite target a given distance from the edge. The design aid proposed in this article is simple and applicable over a wide range of scaled distances.
Effectiveness of rivastigmine on positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia: a double-blind clinical trial
Authors: Shoja Shafti Saeed , Azizi Khoei Abbas
Published: September 2016

Background:

Several lines of evidence suggest that the cholinergic system may be disrupted in schizophrenia and so this may contribute to the cognitive impairments of schizophrenic patients. Because such deficits do not respond to neuroleptic treatment, different approaches have been done by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs). The objective of the present assessment was to evaluate the safety and clinical effects of rivastigmine, as an adjunctive drug, on the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia.

Methods:

A total of 46 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia entered into a 12-week, double-blind, clinical trial for random assignment to rivastigmine or placebo, as adjuvant to their current antipsychotic medication. Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) had been used as the primary outcome measures. Clinical Global Impressions- Improvement (CGI-I) Scale and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS) had been used as the secondary measures. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by a Student’s t test and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical significance was defined as a two-sided p value ⩽ 0.05. Cohen’s standard ( d) and correlation measures of effect size ( r) had been calculated for comparing baseline to endpoint changes.

Results:

According to the findings, except for significant enhancement of MMSE by rivastigmine ( p < 0.001), no significant improvement in PANSS (negative symptoms), PANSS (positive symptoms), and PANSS (general psychopathology) was evident in the target group. Also, except for significant improvement of CGI-I by rivastigmine in intragroup analysis, no significant effectiveness was evident in between-group analysis or repeated-measures ANOVA. ESRS, also, did not show any significant alteration in either group. Effect size (ES) analysis showed a large improvement in MMSE by rivastigmine.

Conclusions:

According to the findings, while rivastigmine could not induce significant improvement of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, it caused significant enhancement of cognitive function in this group of patients.
The impact of the 2015–2016 presidential election campaign on American Asian policy debates
Authors: Sutter Robert
Published: September 2016

The 2015–2016 presidential election campaign had major effects on American debates regarding US policy toward Asia. Going into the campaign, the debates focused heavily on perceived US weaknesses in the face of growing challenges from China. As the campaign progressed, this broad concern with China remained active but secondary. It was overshadowed by strong debate on two sets of issues: international trade and the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) accord, and candidate Donald Trump’s controversial proposals on allied burden sharing, nuclear weapons proliferation, and North Korea. Criticism of the TPP received broad bi-partisan support and posed increasingly serious obstacles to US government approval of the pact. Trump’s controversial proposals were unpopular and seemed unlikely to be easily implemented even if he were elected; they were opposed by senior Republicans in Congress along with many others. Nevertheless, the proposals upset Japan, South Korea, and other Asian partners; they created major complications in US government efforts to reassure them in defining clear objectives toward regional partners and adversaries.
Public interactives, soft power, and China’s future at and beyond the 2010 Shanghai World Expo
Authors: Wallis Cara , Balsamo Anne
Published: September 2016

This article uses the Shanghai World Expo as a case study to examine how soft power and processes of nation branding are articulated to public interactives, defined as a range of technological devices and applications that serve as the stage for digitally mediated communication with audiences in communal spaces. We focus on three Expo pavilions—those of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and China—and show how their public interactives augmented the performance of culture, the production of soft power, and a future vision at a global mega-event. We argue that public interactives not only transformed built environments into spaces for the pleasure of physically proximate audiences but also were the conduit for mediated narratives that represented contemporary understandings of a particular nation and actively produced imagined futures of that nation in a China-centric world. This article adds to prior scholarship by analyzing the use of public interactives by both host and guest nations to produce culture through spatial and temporal logics, comparing how technologically mediated narratives communicated these three nations’ soft power goals more generally as well as within bilateral relations underscored by the rise of China, and discussing the significance of these (past) future visions in the present. We thus add to understandings of the concept of soft power and the role of technology in the praxis of public diplomacy.
The rise of China and its contest for discursive power
Authors: Lee Paul SN
Published: September 2016

The Chinese leadership has emphasized that China is pursuing a path of peaceful development, but much of the rest of the world, especially the West, is suspicious of this claim. In order to alleviate the anxiety and fear about its rise among nations who share different systems and interests, China has devoted significant efforts to cultivate its soft power. The results have been mixed. This article examines China’s bid for soft power and its public diplomacy, which, since President Xi Jinping’s ascendancy to power in 2013, has shifted from assuring the world of its peaceful rise to competing for discursive power on the global stage. The implications for the global order of this shift in public diplomacy are assessed.
Impact of Social Exclusion in Transsexual People in Spain From an Intersectional and Gender Perspective
Authors: Rondón García Luis Miguel , Romero Dolores Martin
Published: September 2016

Social exclusion refers to the processes by means of which individuals and groups of people have limited rights and opportunities to become fully integrated into society. In Spain, several social and legal developments have taken place. However, they have not necessarily resulted in real social advancement and equality for transsexual people. This discriminatory situation is organized within a structural and legal framework, which does not satisfy the particular needs of transsexual people. This reality, coupled with social intersubjectivity and a predominance of ignorance and negativity (both of which are directed by a dominant gender), requires a global strategy to address its structural, cultural, and intersubjective dimensions. A global strategy of this sort should originate from a participative perspective. By using a variety of methods, this article deals with the above issues, as well as the social factors and problems that limit the empowerment and social inclusion of this collective in a heterocentric society that is increasingly plural and diverse.
Modelling Social Dilemmas: A Regret-driven Neural Network Model
Authors: Birajdar Ganesh S. , Battu Balaraju , Jaiswal Krishnavtar , Pammi V. S. Chandrasekhar
Published: September 2016

Marchiori and Warglien (2008 , Science, 319(5866), 1111–1113) showed that a simple regret-driven neural network model outperforms almost all competing models when predicting human choice behaviour in games with ‘unique equilibrium in mixed strategies’. Considering its effectiveness in this class of games, we scale up the model to account for strategically more important decision-making scenarios like prisoners’ dilemma (PD). The modification is based on the assumption that the trajectory of behaviour observed in a repeated PD experiment is the result of the bidirectional attraction between pareto-optimal (mutual cooperation) versus self-interested defection (mutual defection) in repeated PD game. The simulation results significantly capture the qualitative trends in behaviour over time.
A Microfinance Program Targeting People Living with HIV in Uganda: Client Characteristics and Program Impact
Authors: Linnemayr Sebastian , Buzaalirwa Lydia , Balya James , Wagner Glenn
Published: September 2016

HIV has disproportionately affected economically vulnerable populations. HIV medical care, including antiretroviral therapy, successfully restores physical health but can be insufficient to achieve social and economic health. It may therefore be necessary to offer innovative economic support programs such as providing business training and microcredit tailored to people living with HIV/AIDS. However, microfinance institutions have shown reluctance to reach out to HIV-infected individuals, resulting in nongovernment and HIV care organizations providing these services. The authors investigate the baseline characteristics of a sample of medically stable clients in HIV care who are eligible for microcredit loans and evaluate their business and financial needs; the authors also analyze their repayment pattern and how their socioeconomic status changes after receipt of the program. The authors find that there is a significant unmet need for business capital for the sample under investigation, pointing toward the potentially beneficial role of providing microfinance and business training for clients in HIV care. HIV clients participating in the loans show high rates of repayment, and significant increases in (disposable) income, as well as profits and savings. The authors therefore encourage other HIV care providers to consider providing their clients with such loans.
Teaching About Better Family–Clinician Partnerships in High-Risk Pediatric Asthma Care
Authors: Michalopoulou Georgia , Briller Sherylyn , Myers-Schim Stephanie , Muklewicz Kaitlin C , Katzer Kimberly Compton , Secord Elizabeth , Crider Beverly , Wasiluk Julia
Published: September 2016

Family–clinician partnership including communication, trust, respect, and power leveling is essential in pediatrics. Our case study illustrates elements supporting/hindering partnership in a high-risk urban pediatric asthma clinic. Data from observation of a 100-minute visit were qualitatively analyzed by applying codes to themes, using family-centered principles. Three key categories emerged from examining interactions and their sequencing: (1) partnership supported, (2) partnership missed, and (3) partnership hindered. Practitioners must become more sensitive to families’ lives and skilled in family-centered care delivery. Clinician education about partnership can help with negotiating workable treatment strategies for complex conditions such as asthma and reduce health disparities.
Nursing Strategies for Engaging Families of Older Immigrants Hospitalized for End-of-Life Care
Authors: Johnstone Megan-Jane , Hutchinson Alison M , Rawson Helen , Redley Bernice
Published: September 2016

Background:

Engaging with families of older non-English-speaking background (NESB) immigrants hospitalized for end-of-life (EOL) care can be challenging, especially when their cultures, lifeways, and family decision-making processes are unfamiliar to the nurses caring for them. Despite the recognized importance of family engagement when providing EOL care, the issue of ethnic minority family engagement has received little attention in the field.

Aim:

To explore and describe the strategies nurses use to facilitate engagement with families of older immigrant NESB patients hospitalized for EOL care.

Methods:

A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Data were collected via in-depth interviews conducted with 22 registered nurses recruited from 4 Australian health services.

Findings:

Using thematic analysis processes, 5 key strategies were identified: listening and understanding families, encouraging family members to speak first, dealing with angst, redressing naive views about the dying process, and managing intergenerational differences. Underpinning these strategies was a profound “will to engage” with the families and their cultural worldviews.

Conclusion:

Further cross-cultural comparative research is required to inform evidence-based policies, practice, and education on this issue.
Ten-Year Survival of Class II Restorations Placed by General Practitioners
Authors: Laske M. , Opdam N.J.M. , Bronkhorst E.M. , Braspenning J.C.C. , Huysmans M.C.D.N.J.M.
Published: September 2016

The aim of this retrospective practice-based study was to investigate the survival of direct class II restorations placed by a group of general dental practitioners (GDPs) and to analyze the effect of practice-, patient-, and tooth/restoration-related factors. Electronic patient files of 24 general dental practices were used for collecting the data for this study. From the patient files, survival rates of 222,836 composites, amalgams, glass ionomers, and compomers placed in 61,121 patients by 67 GDPs between 1999 and 2011 were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier statistics and a multiple Cox regression. The investigated group of GDPs placed restorations with a satisfactory survival (mean AFR10, 4.9%; 95% confidence interval, 2.1 to 7.7), although a wide variation in annual failure rate (AFR) existed between the different operators, varying between 2.6% and 7.0%. Restorations placed in young adults (21–30 y old) survived longest, whereas they showed a shorter survival in children (hazard ratio [HR], 1.553) and the elderly (HR, 1.593). Restorations in molar teeth, restorations placed in endodontically treated teeth, and multisurface restorations are more at risk for reintervention. However, restoration size (included surfaces) has a greater impact on restoration survival in premolar teeth. For the future, improved data collection at the practice/operator, patient, and tooth/restoration level (e.g., risk assessment and diagnoses) will provide the opportunity to evaluate even more extensively the risk factors involved.

Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study give insight into the long-term survival of direct dental restorations and the influencing practice-, patient-, and tooth/restoration-related variables.