bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishing a Russian-Spanish Master’s Degree in Social Work: Harmonization or a Cultural Fit?
Authors: Kozlova Inna , Kupriyanov Roman , Quintana Lluis , Valeyeva Nailya , Valeyeva Elvira
Published: April 2017

This paper reports on the experience of developing a double-degree master’s program in social work between a Russian and a Spanish university. It focuses on the complementarity of the existing training programs in social work and on the handling of cultural and institutional particularities. Developing international master’s degrees programs is a challenge in terms of both adjustments to the curricula and economic viability. A genuine interest in learning from the other country is asine qua noncondition difficult to meet because the traditions of social work and welfare in each county are deeply rooted in that country’s culture and history. The authors explain how they worked to establish a common ground and describe the results they were able to achieve.
An Integrated Theory of Lethal Punishment: Social Geometry, Status Relationships, and the Dehumanization Process
Authors: Michalski Joseph H.
Published: April 2017

Punishment exists universally as a form of social control, spanning a continuum from the physically inconsequential to lethality. What explains observable variations in punishment, or lethal punishment as a form of social control? This paper builds upon Black’s pure sociology framework and Milner’s theory of status relations to argue that lethal punishment occurs mainly under conditions of marginalization, disruptions of the previous social geometries, and social polarization that characterize interpersonal encounters or inter-group relationships. These conditions facilitate the status degradation processes that lead to the dehumanization of the “other.” By the same token, such conditions do not often prevail in familial settings and hence lethal punishments are far less common than the lethality associated with other forms of moralistic violence and state-sanctioned punishments.
Clan-Culture Attributes in a Privatized Kibbutz Industry: An Israeli Case Study
Authors: Moskovich Yaffa , Achouch Yuval
Published: April 2017

This article focuses on one privatized kibbutz factory. The research question was: How did this factory preserve clan cultural features after the process of privatization, while most other privatized kibbutz factories discarded their communal nature and became bureaucratic and highly hierarchic? While most privatized kibbutz factories experienced worker alienation and frustration, this case study describes an organization with a strong culture of commitment and solidarity among workers. Management, on its part, invests in the workers and encourages them to develop with the factory. The findings indicate that a double social control mechanism maintains the factory’s success. Within a family-like working environment, internal control demands professionalism, commitment, integrity, quality, and innovation. External control, from the surrounding kibbutz community, reinforces communal values.
Temperature Dependence of Optical Constants for Chinese Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels in the Near-Infrared (NIR) Region from Room Temperature to 400 K
Authors: Ai Qing , Liu Meng , Sun Chuang , Xia Xinlin
Published: April 2017

An improved double-thickness method combined with genetic algorithm was developed to determine the optical constants of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Different from traditional transmission measurement, it obtained the total transmittance of a window–liquid–window three-layer structure, which is the ratio of the transmission intensity of the filled cell and that of the empty sample compartment. Also, the change of the surface reflectance at the interface of the liquid sample and the optical window and the difference between forward reflection and back reflection are considered. Experiments were operated to measure spectra in the wavelength range of 0.83–2.2 µm using a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. To verify the reliability of this method, optical constants of the distilled water were determined from its experimental transmittance spectra and the results agreed well with published data. On the basis of verification, the transmittance spectra of Chinese No. -35 diesel fuel were measured at 300 K, 350 K, and 400 K with liquid sample thicknesses of 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm. Then the optical constants of the diesel sample were obtained and the temperature dependence was analyzed. Analytical results indicate that the biggest change of the extinction coefficient between 300 K and 400 K can reach 30%, while that of the refractive index is 4.7%.
Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) Modeling of Laser-Induced Plasma Emission Spectra of Edible Salts for Accurate Classification
Authors: Lee Yonghoon , Han Song-Hee , Nam Sang-Ho
Published: April 2017

We report soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) analysis of laser-induced plasma emission spectra of edible salts from 12 different geographical origins for their classification model. The spectra were recorded by using a simple laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) device. Each class was modeled by principal component analysis (PCA) of the LIBS spectra. For the classification of a separate test data set, the SIMCA model showed 97% accuracy in classification. An additional insight could be obtained by comparing the SIMCA classification result with that of partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Different from SIMCA, the PLS-DA classification accuracy seems to be sensitive to addition of new sample classes to the whole data set. This indicates that the individual modeling approach (SIMCA) can be an alternative to global modeling (PLS-DA), particularly for the classification problems with a relatively large number of sample classes.
Degradation of serum microRNAs during transient storage of serum samples at 4℃
Authors: Aiso Toshiko , Takigami Shu , Yamaki Akiko , Ohnishi Hiroaki
Published: April 2017

Background

Numerous studies demonstrate the potential of circulating microRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for several diseases. Circulating microRNAs are much more stable than mRNAs and remain largely intact even after prolonged incubation at room temperature. However, recent reports show that microRNAs in serum or plasma samples have diverse stabilities. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the stabilities of miR-92a, miR-122 and miR-145 in serum during transient storage at 4℃ before freezing.

Methods

Serum samples were stored for 24 h at 4℃, and then RNA was extracted from whole serum or extracellular vesicles in serum. Total Exosome Isolation Reagent (from serum) was used for the fractionation of extracellular vesicles. Reverse transcription and real-time PCR of microRNAs were performed using the TaqMan MicroRNA Assays for miR-92a, miR-122 and miR-145.

Results

MiR-122 and miR-145 were degraded rapidly in serum; the concentrations dropped to 35.9% ( P < 0.001) and 29.3% ( P < 0.0001), respectively. These microRNAs in extracellular vesicles exhibited similar instability; the concentrations were 52.2% ( P < 0.05) and 56.5% ( P < 0.01), respectively. On the other hand, no significant degradation of miR-92a was observed (whole serum: P = 0.052, extracellular vesicles: P = 0.196).

Conclusions

MiR-122 and miR-145 in serum are extremely unstable and could be degraded during transient storage of serum at 4℃ prior to freezing.
Raising the standard of care in the treatment of schizophrenia: Yes we can!
Authors: Catts Stanley Victor , O’Toole Brian
Published: April 2017

Objective:

In response to evidence of deteriorating outcomes of people with schizophrenia we recently published a critical review in the journal concerning why outcomes for schizophrenia are not improving. A published commentary on our review raised criticisms that we aim to address herein.

Method:

Published data related to four issues raised in the commentary were reviewed.

Results:

There is a body of evidence that supports the possibility of dramatic improvements in treatment effectiveness, presented in our critical review, and these can be achieved within existing financial resources and present day understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, the commentary leads us to highlight four current obstacles to improving treatment effectiveness: (1) the belief of many psychiatrists that long-term antipsychotic medication raises the cardiovascular mortality rate in schizophrenia when the opposite is almost certainly the case; (2) the need to improve psychiatrist training in diagnostic and communication skills, especially with first episode presentations; (3) the requirement for comprehensive and structured assessment of the highly prevalent deficits in insight and decision making capacity associated with schizophrenia; and (4) the need for improved intervention design to minimise the impact of these deficits on treatment choice and refusal.

Conclusion:

With a sense of professional urgency, a genuinely respectful and caring partnership between clinicians, affected individuals and their families, and researchers, with relative little innovation, we conclude that the standard of care can definitely be raised now in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Acute Biophysical Responses and Psychological Effects of Different Types of Forests in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Lee Kyung Ju , Hur Junguk , Yang Kyung-Sook , Lee Mi-Kyoung , Lee Sung-Jae
Published: April 2017

We aimed to examine the biophysical and psychological effects of two different types of forests on women with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Seventy-one middle-aged Korean women participated in a half-day healing program at either Saneum Recreational Forest (a wild forest) or Seoul Forest (a tended forest) depending on their preference. The participants’ biophysical parameters and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were measured before and after the healing program. The two groups differed significantly in acute insulin responses, pulse rate, oxidative stress markers, and stress hormone level, suggesting better homeostasis in the wild forest. The POMS suggested that the mean vigor and confusion scores significantly decreased in the wild forest. Considering the significantly more favorable acute insulin reaction and levels of oxidative stress and the trend toward positive mood state in the wild forest, we recommend that middle-aged patients with MetS participate in healing programs in wild forests.
Influence of Emotions on the Acceptance of an Oil Drilling Project
Authors: Ruiz Cristina , Marrero Rosario , Hernández Bernardo
Published: April 2017

In 2014, the Canary Islands were exposed to a decision-making process for an oil drilling project 80 kilometers offshore. Whereas the national government was in favor of oil drilling, the local government was against it because of the environmental impact, and the effect on tourism and the coastal ecosystem. In this study, we analyze the reactions of the local community to this project by connecting beliefs, perceived benefits, perceived risk, procedural justice, negative emotions, and acceptance through a tested structural equation model. The results showed that acceptance was essentially explained by perceived benefits and negative emotions, whereas perceived benefits and procedural justice predicted negative emotions. Several differences between males and females were found. These results are discussed in relation to the importance of understanding the effects and emotional reactions of this type of project on the population before the final decision making.
The influence of functionalization time of carbon nanotube on the mechanical properties of the epoxy composites
Authors: Zakharychev EA , Razov EN , Semchikov Yu D , Zakharycheva NS , Kabina MA
Published: April 2017

This paper investigates the structure, length, and percentage of functional groups of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) depending on the time taken for functionalization in HNO3 and H2SO4 mixture. The carbon nanotube content and influence of functionalization time on mechanical properties of polymer composite materials based on epoxy matrix are studied. The extreme dependencies of mechanical properties of carbon nanotube functionalization time of polymer composites were established. The rise in tensile strength of obtained composites reaches 102% and elastic modulus reaches 227% as compared to that of unfilled polymer. The composites exhibited best mechanical properties by including carbon nanotube with 0.5 h functionalization time.
Synthesis of the in situ aluminum matrix composite through pyrolysis of high temperature vulcanization silicone
Authors: Senemar Mohammad , Niroumand Behzad , Maleki Ali , Rohatgi Pradeep K
Published: April 2017

In this study, in situ aluminum matrix composites were synthesized through pyrolysis of high temperature vulcanization silicone in commercially pure aluminum melt. For this purpose, 1 to 4 wt% of high temperature vulcanization silicone was added to a vortex of molten aluminum at 750℃ and the resulting slurries were cast in steel dies. Microstructure, hardness, and tensile properties of the as-cast samples were examined at ambient and high temperatures. The results revealed the in situ formation and distribution of reinforcement particles in the matrix. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis indicated that the formed reinforcement particles consisted of O and Si elements. This confirms the in situ reinforcement formation by pyrolysis of high temperature vulcanization silicone in the melt. The size of the in situ formed particles was mostly in the range of 200–2000 nm. It was shown that the composites synthesized by the addition of 4 wt% high temperature vulcanization had the highest mechanical properties both at ambient and high temperatures. Room temperature hardness, tensile strength, and yield strength of this sample were increased by about 50%, 23%, and 19% compared to the monolithic sample, respectively.
Absent Jews and Invisible Antisemitism in Postwar Vienna: Der Prozeß (1948) and The Third Man (1949)
Authors: Silverman Lisa
Published: April 2017

After the Second World War, using culture – such as theater, film, and writing – to promote Austria as a separate nation became a helpful strategy for Austrians and the Allied Forces alike. In this context, the role of Jews and Jewish difference in revising Austrian self-definitions was particularly fraught. Antisemitic prejudices persisted after the Holocaust, even though Austrian Jews were now largely absent. However, in the early postwar years, antisemitism was more likely to rear its head via code words or backhandedly, in efforts to deny its very existence.

This article investigates the presence and consequences of this ‘invisible’ antisemitism in postwar Vienna by juxtaposing two films made at roughly the same time: Der Prozeß (1948), a film about antisemitism that takes place in a nineteenth-century village over 300 miles away and features only innocent rural Jews and diabolical antisemites, while The Third Man (1949) features an urban tale of the black market and poisoned children set in post-1945 Vienna that does not mention either Jews or the reasons for their absence. This comparison suggests that the simultaneous repression and evocation of Jewish difference that characterized the creation of culture in Vienna before the Holocaust persisted in the immediate postwar era.
Data Mining in Tourism Data Analysis: Inbound Visitors to Japan
Authors: Shapoval Valeriya , Wang Morgan C. , Hara Tadayuki , Shioya Hideo
Published: April 2017

The increasing power of technology puts new, advanced statistical tools at the disposal of researchers. This is one of the first research articles to use a data mining tool—namely, decision trees—to analyze the behavior of inbound tourists for the purpose of effective future destination marketing in Japan. The research results of approximately 4,000 observations show that the main motivation for visitors’ future return is not driven by experiences had during their most current visit but rather by experiences anticipated in the future, such as visiting hot springs or immersing themselves in beautiful natural settings. The data mining method largely excludes the possibility of the intrusion of researcher subjectivity and is conducive to useful discoveries of certain visitor patterns in large data sets, providing governments and destination marketing organizations with additional tools to better formulate effective destination marketing strategies.
Groups That Work: Student Achievement in Group Research Projects and Effects on Individual Learning
Authors: Monson Renee
Published: April 2017

Group research projects frequently are used to teach undergraduate research methods. This study uses multivariate analyses to examine the characteristics of higher-achieving groups (those that earn higher grades on group research projects) and to estimate the effects of participating in higher-achieving groups on subsequent individual learning (grade on final paper). The sample includes 257 students who completed a sociology research methods course at a small liberal arts institution between 2004 and 2015. Group achievement (grade on group research project) is predicted by group size, gender composition of the group, and group’s average grade on midterm exams. Group achievement on the research project contributes to subsequent individual learning (grade on final paper) even after controlling for individual characteristics (student’s gender, race, and average grade on midterm exams) and group characteristics. The findings support claims that group research projects are an effective pedagogy for undergraduate sociology research methods courses and point to some guidelines for instructors’ composition of groups for research projects.
Sensing Heroes and Villains: Character-Schema and the Disposition Formation Process
Authors: Grizzard Matthew , Huang Jialing , Fitzgerald Kaitlin , Ahn Changhyun , Chu Haoran
Published: April 2017

Character morality is an integral variable within disposition theories. Zillmann proposed that moral judgments of characters result from a viewer monitoring and approving/disapproving of a character’s behaviors. Raney proposed a schema-based theoretical expansion of this model, wherein moral judgments of characters and disposition formation—facilitated by the activation of character-schema (e.g., hero/villain)—might occur prior to the observation of behavior. Three experimental studies were conducted to test Raney’s hypotheses and to integrate them into Zillmann’s original models. Study 1 indicates that visual cues associated with heroes and villains evoke character-consistent moral judgments absent character behaviors. Study 2 demonstrates that character-schema activation is magnified by the presence of an opposing character. Finally, Study 3 demonstrates that schema-based moral judgments can bias approbation of behaviors and subsequent moral judgments of characters. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
A Meta-Analysis of the Interactive, Additive, and Relative Effects of Cognitive Ability and Motivation on Performance
Authors: Van Iddekinge Chad H. , Aguinis Herman , Mackey Jeremy D. , DeOrtentiis Philip S.
Published: April 2017

We tested the longstanding belief that performance is a function of the interaction between cognitive ability and motivation. Using raw data or values obtained from primary study authors as input (k = 40 to 55; N = 8,507 to 11,283), we used meta-analysis to assess the strength and consistency of the multiplicative effects of ability and motivation on performance. A triangulation of evidence based on several types of analyses revealed that the effects of ability and motivation on performance are additive rather than multiplicative. For example, the additive effects of ability and motivation accounted for about 91% of the explained variance in job performance, whereas the ability-motivation interaction accounted for only about 9% of the explained variance. In addition, when there was an interaction, it did not consistently reflect the predicted form (i.e., a stronger ability-performance relation when motivation is higher). Other key findings include that ability was relatively more important to training performance and to performance on work-related tasks in laboratory studies, whereas ability and motivation were similarly important to job performance. In addition, statelike measures of motivation were better predictors of performance than were traitlike measures. These findings have implications for theories about predictors of performance, state versus trait motivation, and maximal versus typical performance. They also have implications for talent management practices concerned with human capital acquisition and the prediction of employee performance.
Tether or Stepping Stone? The Relationship between Perceived External Reputation and Collective Voluntary Turnover Rates
Authors: Makarius Erin E. , Stevens Charles E. , Tenhiälä Aino
Published: April 2017

Signaling theory suggests that resources such as firm reputation can send multiple signals that create dual pressures on stakeholders. These tensions are apparent when examining the relationship between a firm’s reputation and the collective voluntary turnover rates it experiences. On the one hand, a favorable reputation may tether employees to the firm due to the perceived desirability of working for a reputable company, resulting in lower voluntary turnover rates. On the other hand, a favorable reputation may make employees believe they are more marketable and thus may serve as a stepping stone relating to higher voluntary turnover rates. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and when reputation acts as a signal of desirability or a signal of ease of movement in predicting collective voluntary turnover rates. We find some evidence for an overall tethering effect for more reputable firms. In addition, our findings demonstrate that reputation is more likely to result in stepping stone effects in certain signaling environments including when firms are in more munificent industries, are younger, and have higher pay levels. Tethering effects are observed when firms are in less munificent industries, are older, and have lower pay levels.
Beyond autistic politics
Authors: Dallmayr Fred R.
Published: April 2017

Western modernity is frequently praised as a process of emancipation liberating individuals from external tutelage. While in the early phases of modernity, individual autonomy was still socially nurtured and embedded, subsequent developments put the premium steadily on negative liberty, thus pushing individuals into private self-enclosure. Autonomy thus became divorced from social and political agency. In psychoanalysis such divorce is called autism or narcissism. The article first examines Zygmunt Bauman’s discussion of the pathology in his The Individualized Society. Next to show the progressive globalization of the malaise, the article turns to an analysis of contemporary Indian society by Ashis Nandy. Finally, the article considers a possible remedy for the pathology: the restoration of a ‘public realm’ as recommended by Hannah Arendt.
Panel 7: Otitis Media: Treatment and Complications
Authors: Schilder Anne G. M. , Marom Tal , Bhutta Mahmood F. , Casselbrant Margaretha L. , Coates Harvey , Gisselsson‐Solén Marie , Hall Amanda J. , Marchisio Paola , Ruohola Aino , Venekamp Roderick P. , Mandel Ellen M.
Published: April 2017

Objective

We aimed to summarize key articles published between 2011 and 2015 on the treatment of (recurrent) acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, tympanostomy tube otorrhea, chronic suppurative otitis media and complications of otitis media, and their implications for clinical practice.

Data Sources

PubMed, Ovid Medline, the Cochrane Library, and Clinical Evidence (BMJ Publishing).

Review Methods

All types of articles related to otitis media treatment and complications between June 2011 and March 2015 were identified. A total of 1122 potential related articles were reviewed by the panel members; 118 relevant articles were ultimately included in this summary.

Conclusions

Recent literature and guidelines emphasize accurate diagnosis of acute otitis media and optimal management of ear pain. Watchful waiting is optional in mild to moderate acute otitis media; antibiotics do shorten symptoms and duration of middle ear effusion. The additive benefit of adenoidectomy to tympanostomy tubes in recurrent acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion is controversial and age dependent. Topical antibiotic is the treatment of choice in acute tube otorrhea. Symptomatic hearing loss due to persistent otitis media with effusion is best treated with tympanostomy tubes. Novel molecular and biomaterial treatments as adjuvants to surgical closure of eardrum perforations seem promising. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of complementary and alternative treatments.

Implications for Practice

Emphasis on accurate diagnosis of otitis media, in its various forms, is important to reduce overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and antibiotic resistance. Children at risk for otitis media and its complications deserve special attention.
Retrospective Evaluation of a Technique for Patient‐Customized Placement of Precurved Cochlear Implant Electrode Arrays
Authors: Wang Jianing , Dawant Benoit M. , Labadie Robert F. , Noble Jack H.
Published: April 2017

Objective

Precurved electrode arrays (EAs) are commonly used in cochlear implants (CIs). Modiolar placement of such arrays has been shown to lead to better hearing outcomes. In this project, we retrospectively evaluated the modiolar positioning of EAs within a large CI imaging database. We aimed to discover the rate at which perimodiolar placement is successfully achieved and to evaluate a new technique we propose to preoperatively plan patient‐customized EA insertion depths to improve perimodiolar placement at the time of surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review and radiographic analysis.

Setting

Single tertiary academic referral center.

Subjects and Methods

Ninety‐seven CI ears were evaluated. Perimodiolar positioning of electrodes was quantified using pre‐ and postimplantation computed tomography scans and automated image analysis techniques.

Results

Average perimodiolar distance was 0.59 ± 0.18 mm. Disagreement between the actual and our recommended insertion depth was found to be positively correlated with perimodiolar distance (r = 0.49, P <. 0001).

Conclusions

These results show that the average CI recipient with a precurved EA has a number of electrodes distant to the modiolus where they are not most effective. Our results also indicate the approach we propose for selecting patient‐customized EA insertion depth would lead to better perimodiolar placement of precurved EAs.
Determining information needs of science and technology policy makers in Iran
Authors: Nabavi Majid , Jamali Hamid R.
Published: April 2017

Information needs of policymakers have different aspects including type of needed information, information sources, information providers, and information formats. This study uses a qualitative approach to identify information needs of science and technology (S&T) policymakers in Iran. For achieving this goal, a task-based approach was adopted and preliminary exploratory interviews with three experts in the field of S&T were done to design the interview protocol. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 Iranian S&T policymakers. Interviews were transcribed and then thematic analysis was done. The results showed that S&T policymakers need aggregated, integrated, quantitative/statistical, analytical, and up-to-date information on different entities in the S&T area. The entities are mainly persons, organizations, research projects, research publications, indicators, products, patents, services, funds, and research facilities and equipment. To have clear and accurate information all of these entities should be clearly defined semantically. Information sources such as databases and consultancy service organizations and experts can be considered to provide policymakers’ needed information. The results of this study can be used by different groups. Librarians, information system developers, and consultant researchers that develop and provide information services for policymakers can use the results to determine the types and format of information about each entity that should be presented to policymakers.
Precarious welfare states: Urban struggles over housing delivery in post-apartheid South Africa
Authors: Levenson Zachary
Published: April 2017

This article demonstrates how popular struggles over housing distribution lead to the transformation of the welfare state. In post-apartheid South Africa, municipal governments distribute free, formal housing to recipients registered on waiting lists. But as formally rational distribution fails to keep pace with growing demand, residents begin to organize mass land occupations. Municipalities respond to these land struggles by either organizing repression, making clientelistic exceptions, or providing transitional housing in temporary relocation areas (TRAs). The growth of TRAs – a direct response to land occupations – signals the institution of a new form of housing distribution alongside the old: substantively rational delivery. This argument engages recent work on the rise of new welfare states in the global South, demonstrating the limits of viewing social expenditure in narrowly quantitative terms. Instead, drawing on 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Cape Town, it interrogates the emergence of qualitatively novel logics of distribution.
Peer Group Ethnic Diversity and Social Competencies in Youth Attending Rural Middle Schools
Authors: Williams Joanna L. , Hamm Jill V.
Published: April 2017

This study examines concurrent and short-term longitudinal (i.e., academic year) relations between peer network racial/ethnic diversity and indicators of social and academic competence in a sample of African American, Latino, Native American, and White sixth-grade students attending rural schools ( N = 481; 50% female). Results from two-level hierarchical linear models indicated that in the fall of sixth grade, peer network diversity was positively related to teacher-rated interpersonal competence for Native American youth and to peer protection from bullying for White youth. Students in more diverse peer groups had higher teacher-reported social and academic competence in the spring of sixth grade; these associations were moderated by racial/ethnic group, emerging most consistently for students of color. Results suggest benefits of peer network diversity in early adolescence and also highlight a need to understand mechanisms through which these benefits are incurred.
Two-Stage Biomarker Protocols for Improving the Precision of Early Detection of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Barnett Christine L. , Tomlins Scott A. , Underwood Daniel J. , Wei John T. , Morgan Todd M. , Montie James E. , Denton Brian T.
Published: April 2017

Background. New cancer biomarkers are being discovered at a rapid pace; however, these tests vary in their predictive performance characteristics, and it is unclear how best to use them. Methods. We investigated 2-stage biomarker-based screening strategies in the context of prostate cancer using a partially observable Markov model to simulate patients’ progression through prostate cancer states to mortality from prostate cancer or other causes. Patients were screened every 2 years from ages 55 to 69. If the patient’s serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was over a specified threshold in the first stage, a second stage biomarker test was administered. We evaluated design characteristics for these 2-stage strategies using 7 newly discovered biomarkers as examples. Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the number of screening biopsies, prostate cancer deaths, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) per 1000 men. Results. The all-cancer biomarkers significantly underperformed the high-grade cancer biomarkers in terms of QALYs. The screening strategy that used a PSA threshold of 2 ng/mL and a second biomarker test with high-grade sensitivity and specificity of 0.86 and 0.62, respectively, maximized QALYs. This strategy resulted in a prostate cancer death rate within 1% of using PSA alone with a threshold of 2 ng/mL, while reducing the number of biopsies by 20%. Sensitivity analysis suggests that the results are robust with respect to variation in model parameters. Conclusions. Two-stage biomarker screening strategies using new biomarkers with risk thresholds optimized for high-grade cancer detection may increase quality-adjusted survival and reduce unnecessary biopsies.
Why Terminate? Exploring the End of Interlocal Contracts for Police Service in California Cities
Authors: Zeemering Eric S.
Published: April 2017

With the recent growth in interlocal contracts for municipal service delivery, insufficient attention has been given to city governments that choose to terminate interlocal contracts. The termination of interlocal contracts deserves scrutiny because theory points to multiple possible explanations for service change. This research examines the termination of interlocal contracts for police service delivery by California cities between 2001 and 2010. Public documents from the nine cities that terminated interlocal contracts are analyzed to assess rationale for termination. The stated reasons for termination include problems related to community responsiveness, the contract relationship, local control, service cost, service levels, and staffing. Grounded theory is advanced through analysis of the nine cities. The research refines our understanding of how cities weigh the costs and benefits of in-house production versus production through interlocal contract. While contract failure is evident in some cities, termination may also be explained as a process of vertical integration and service expansion. The research refines theories about local government service delivery and informs the practice of interlocal contract management.
A grasp-based passivity signature for haptics-enabled human-robot interaction: Application to design of a new safety mechanism for robotic rehabilitation
Authors: Atashzar Seyed Farokh , Shahbazi Mahya , Tavakoli Mahdi , Patel Rajni V
Published: April 2017

In this paper, the biomechanical capability of the human upper limb in absorbing physical interaction energy during human-robot interaction is analyzed. The outcome is a graphical map that can quantitatively correlate the extent of the grasp pressure and the geometry of interaction to the extent of hand passivity. For this purpose, a user study has been conducted for 11 healthy human subjects to characterize the energy absorption capability in their arm and wrist. The above correlation is statistically validated. The identified user-specific grasp-based passivity signature map can be used as a graphical tool to assess the biomechanical capabilities of the upper limb in absorbing interaction energy. In this paper, the proposed grasp-based passivity signature map is utilized in the design of a new stabilizer for haptic systems, that takes into account the variation in energy absorption during haptic task execution. The goal is to optimize the haptic system fidelity while guaranteeing human-robot interaction stability despite the potential existence of delays and a non-passive environment. The controller is termed grasp-based passivity signature map stabilizer. If the user provides minimum to no energy absorption during the interaction, the controller makes the force reflection gate tight to guarantee stability. However, when the user demonstrates high capability in absorbing interaction energy, the controller allows the forces to be reflected. The grasp-based passivity signature map stabilizer is an alternative for both conventional stabilizers of haptic/telerobotic systems and fixed conservative force limits in rehabilitation systems where patient-robot interaction safety is a crucial requirement. This provides the practical motivation for this work. Experimental results are presented.
Yale-CMU-Berkeley dataset for robotic manipulation research
Authors: Calli Berk , Singh Arjun , Bruce James , Walsman Aaron , Konolige Kurt , Srinivasa Siddhartha , Abbeel Pieter , Dollar Aaron M
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we present an image and model dataset of the real-life objects from the Yale-CMU-Berkeley Object Set, which is specifically designed for benchmarking in manipulation research. For each object, the dataset presents 600 high-resolution RGB images, 600 RGB-D images and five sets of textured three-dimensional geometric models. Segmentation masks and calibration information for each image are also provided. These data are acquired using the BigBIRD Object Scanning Rig and Google Scanners. Together with the dataset, Python scripts and a Robot Operating System node are provided to download the data, generate point clouds and create Unified Robot Description Files. The dataset is also supported by our website, www.ycbbenchmarks.org , which serves as a portal for publishing and discussing test results along with proposing task protocols and benchmarks.
Safety profile of gadoxetate disodium in elderly patients (≥65 years)
Authors: Endrikat Jan , Schwenke Carsten , Vogtlaender Kai , Dohannish Susan , Breuer Josy
Published: April 2017

Background

Safety data on routine clinical use of gadoxetate disodium in elderly patients is not reported yet.

Purpose

To assess the safety of liver specific gadoxetate disodium in contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in elderly patients (≥65 years) in comparison to adults (18–64 years).

Material and Methods

Safety data on gadoxetate disodium were analyzed from 12 clinical phase II–III studies and from our pharmacovigilance database. A comparison between elderly (≥65 years) versus adults (18–64 years) was performed with respect to the frequency of drug-related adverse events (AEs) in clinical phase II–III studies and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the pharmacovigilance database.

Results

In clinical studies, 1989 patients were enrolled: 675 elderly and 1314 adults. Twenty-three elderly patients (3.4%) suffered at least one drug-related AE in contrast to 58 patients (4.4%) in the group of adults (odds ratio = 0.76; 95% confidence interval = 0.45–1.27). Since marketing authorization in 2004, more than 3.5 million patients have been exposed to gadoxetate disodium worldwide: 1.7 million (48.6%) in elderly and 1.8 million (51.4%) in adults. The number of patients with post-marketing ADRs (total n = 793) was 354 (0.021%) in the elderly group and 439 (0.024%) in the adult group. Thus, there were significantly fewer patients with ADRs reported in the group of elderly versus adults ( P = 0.028). Hypersensitivity/immune system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and respiratory disorders were the most frequent ADRs in both groups, elderly and adults.

Conclusion

The incidence of drug-related AEs in clinical studies was similar and that of patients with ADRs in the post-marketing setting was lower in elderly (≥65 years) compared with younger adults aged 18–64 years. Overall, gadoxetate disodium shows a favorable safety profile in both age groups.
US empire, World War 2 and the racialising of labour
Authors: Friedman Andrew
Published: April 2017

This essay examines US empire in World War 2 and showcases how the American war was based on the extraction of colonial labour. It focuses on builders laying infrastructure and supply lines for the Pentagon in the colonial world – in the Navy Seabees, Air Transport Command and Army Corps of Engineers – to retrieve the history of the planet-spanning, trans-colonial system of labour and transit that Americans established during this period. They called this system ‘the five highways’. They knew its crucial labourer as the ‘native’. Across the wartime archive, the ‘native’ appears in these accounts, the author argues, as the trace of US settler colonialism, a resource continually renewed for imperial projects in the mid-twentieth century. Histories of racialised labour in colonial settings, meanwhile, followed the five highways home, linking the creation of a global racial capitalist US market during the war to the country’s abundant postwar economy and built environment.
The story of Stepney Words
Authors: Searle Chris
Published: April 2017

In 1971 a young teacher was sacked from a London East End school after publishing a book of poetry written by its working-class pupils who acutely observed the sights and people’s struggles around them. In an unprecedented move, the school children and those from neighbouring schools went on strike to demand the reinstatement of their teacher. That teacher, Chris Searle, who went on to be one of the most radical and internationalist educationalists, has begun to write his memoirs in terms of the way poetry influenced him and he, in turn, used poetry as part of his educational practice. This is an excerpt from the memoirs which gives his account of life at Sir John Cass and Redcoat School, the publishing of Stepney Words and the way in which the public reacted to it. It reflects the history and changing nature of working-class London and the influence, in practice, of cultural tensions thrown up by ‘the 1960s’.
Racial violence and the Brexit state
Authors: Burnett Jon
Published: April 2017

Research by the Institute of Race Relations into over one hundred incidents of racial violence reported in the mass media in the month after the EU referendum indicates that the ‘spike’ in such attacks has to be understood in terms of the racist climate created not just during the clearly nativist referendum debate, but also in the divisive policies and programmes of successive governments preceding it. The politicians and police chiefs, who have recently condemned the violence, analyse it in terms of already given media frameworks about ‘hate crime’: bigoted individuals are to blame; this is a law-and-order issue not a socially based problem – thus avoiding any responsibility for the creation of state racism. The research also reveals the central role of the police, at the expense of community groups’ or victims’ voices, when the media decides an attack is newsworthy.
Using telerehabilitation to support people with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative analysis of interactions, processes, and issues across three interventions
Authors: Fakolade Afolasade , Finlayson Marcia , Plow Matthew
Published: April 2017

Introduction

It is important to understand the interactions, processes, and issues that occur within telerehabilitation interventions to inform research and practice. The aim of this study was to identify the difficulties reported and intervention features that were captured as helpful in the notes written by occupational therapists during a telerehabilitation trial.

Method

Administrative documentation in the form of 60 subjective, objective, assessment, and plan notes were collected. The trial examined the effectiveness of three teleconference-delivered interventions: physical activity alone, fatigue management with physical activity, and contact-control social support for people with multiple sclerosis.

Results

Five themes emerged: desiring change, taking action, experiencing difficulty, infrastructure support, and relief and appreciation. Desiring change captured therapists’ observations of clients’ desire to manage symptoms and improve participation; it was most apparent at the beginning and supported clients’ taking action as the interventions progressed. Therapists identified their own difficulties with group facilitation and time management and clients’ difficulties with some intervention materials. Infrastructure support was reported to be helpful in minimizing some of these difficulties. In the end, the therapists expressed relief that the clients appeared to benefit from and appreciate the interventions.

Conclusion

This study highlights the need for and importance of providing resources and training to support teleconference-delivered interventions in clinical practice.
Prospective testing of ICHD-3 beta diagnostic criteria for migraine with aura and migraine with typical aura in patients with transient ischemic attacks
Authors: Lebedeva Elena R , Gurary Natalia M , Gilev Denis V , Olesen Jes
Published: April 2017

Introduction

The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition beta (ICHD-3 beta) gave alternative diagnostic criteria for 1.2 migraine with aura (MA) and 1.2.1 migraine with typical aura (MTA) in the appendix. The latter were presumed to better differentiate transient ischemic attacks (TIA) from MA. The aim of the present study was to field test that.

Methods

Soon after admission, a neurologist interviewed 120 consecutive patients diagnosed with TIA after MRI or CT. Semi-structured interview forms addressed all details of the TIA episode and all information necessary to apply the ICHD-3beta diagnostic criteria for 1.2, 1.2.1, A1.2 and A1.2.1.

Results

Requiring at least one identical previous attack, the main body and the appendix criteria performed almost equally well. But requiring only one attack, more than a quarter of TIA patients also fulfilled the main body criteria for 1.2. Specificity was as follows for one attack: 1.2: 0.73, A1.2: 0.91, 1.2.1: 0.88 and A1.2.1: 1.0. Sensitivity when tested against ICHD-2 criteria were 100% for the main body criteria (because they were unchanged), 96% for A1.2 and 94% for A1.2.1.

Conclusion

The appendix criteria performed much better than the main body criteria for 1.2 MA and 1.2.1 MTA when diagnosing one attack (probable MA). We recommend that the appendix criteria should replace the main body criteria in the ICHD-3.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Ready-to-Use Supplementary Foods Demonstrates Benefit of the Higher Dairy Supplement for Reduced Wasting in Mothers, and Differential Impact in Infants and Children Associated With Maternal Supplement Response
Authors: Schlossman Nina , Brown Carrie , Batra Payal , de Sa Augusto Braima , Balan Ionela , Balan Adrian , Gamache Madeleine G. , Wood Lauren , Pruzensky William , Saltzman Edward , Roberts Susan B. , Balé Carlito
Published: April 2017

Background:

There is no consensus over best approaches to reliably prevent malnutrition in rural communities in low-income countries.

Objective:

We compared the effectiveness of 2 lipid-based ready-to-use supplementary foods (RUSFs) differing in dairy protein content to improve the nutritional status of mothers and at-risk infants and young children in rural Guinea-Bissau.

Methods:

A 3-month cluster-randomized controlled pilot trial of 2 RUSFs was conducted with 692 mothers and 580 mildly or moderately malnourished infants (6-23 months) and children (24-59 months) from 13 villages. The RUSFs contained either 478 (mothers, children) or 239 kcal/d (infants) with 15% or 33% of protein from dairy and were distributed at community health centers 5 d/wk. Controls were wait-listed to receive RUSF. Primary outcomes were mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) in mothers, and weight-for-age and height-for-age z-scores (WAZ and HAZ) in infants and children.

Results:

There was a significant effect of the RUSF-33% on MUAC in mothers ( P = .03). The WAZ and HAZ increased substantially, by ≈1 z-score, in infants and children ( P < .01) independent of group randomization. In children, but not infants, baseline WAZ and change in maternal MUAC were associated with change in WAZ (β = .07, P = .02).

Conclusion:

Ready-to-use supplementary foods with higher dairy protein content had a significant benefit in village mothers, supporting a comparable recent finding in preschool children. In addition, supplementation of children <2 years resulted in improved growth independent of family nutritional status, whereas success in older children was associated with change in maternal nutrition, suggesting the need for community-level education about preventing malnutrition in older, as well as younger, children.