bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors associated with sexually transmitted infections among women under community supervision in New York City
Authors: Davis Alissa , Goddard-Eckrich Dawn , Dasgupta Anindita , El-Bassel Nabila
Published: February 2018

The number of women under community supervision in the United States has increased, and this population has a high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We examined STI prevalence and multiple risk factors among drug-involved women under community supervision in New York City. Data were from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a behavioral HIV/STI intervention (Women on the Road to Health [WORTH]) among drug-involved women in the community corrections system in New York City from 2009 to 2012. To be eligible for inclusion, women had to be under community supervision within the past 90 days, have used illicit drugs at least once in the past six months, and have unprotected sex at least once in the past 90 days. Participants completed a survey containing items on STI risk factors and were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Multivariable regression was used to examine associations between risk factors and STI diagnosis. Of 333 women tested, 89 (26.7%) tested positive for an STI. Ten (3.0%) were positive for C. trachomatis, 4 (1.2%) for N. gonorrhoeae, and 77 (23.1%) for T. vaginalis. Women with any STI were more likely to be black (AOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.08–3.77), homeless in the past 90 days (AOR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.01–4.26), arrested in the past 90 days (AOR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.14–3.39), and have a greater number of sexual partners in the past 90 days (AOR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.08–1.42). Drug-using women under community supervision have a high burden of STIs driven by multiple risk factors. Implementing STI screening, prevention, and treatment programs in community supervision settings could facilitate a reduction in STIs among this population.
Oropharyngeal HPV infection: prevalence and sampling methods among HIV-infected men in South Africa
Authors: Chikandiwa Admire , Pisa Pedro T , Chersich Matthew F , Muller Etienne E , Mayaud Philippe , Delany-Moretlwe Sinead
Published: February 2018

Worldwide, 96,000 cases of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) occurred in 2012. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for OPC. Data on oropharyngeal HPV infection are limited. There is no consensus on the best sampling method for detecting the infection. We describe the prevalence of oropharyngeal HPV infection among HIV-infected men and compare the performance of oral rinses and swabs in detecting oropharyngeal HPV infection. Paired oral rinses and swabs for 181 men were tested for HPV DNA using the Roche Linear Array. Performance was determined by the number of infections detected and the percentage of samples with adequate DNA extraction. Agreement between sampling methods was assessed by the kappa statistic. Prevalence of oropharyngeal HPV infection with rinse samples was 1.8% (three infections) and 0.6% (one infection) with swabs (p = 0.06). Adequate cellular DNA extraction was more likely with rinse (93.4%) than swab samples (89.0%, p = 0.05). There was moderate agreement between the methods (kappa = 0.49). The prevalence of oropharyngeal HPV DNA infection among this predominantly heterosexual sample of men living with HIV was low and consistent with the infrequent oral sex practices. Oral rinse performed better than oral swab in detecting oropharyngeal HPV DNA infection and might contribute to screening for OPCs.
Performance analysis of a novel oil-free rotary compressor
Authors: Farkas Balázs , Suda JenőMiklós
Published: February 2018

A novel rotating piston-type compressor is presented. The conventional rolling piston architecture was redesigned to allow oil-free operation. The spring activated vane was replaced by a directly driven swinging vane to provide constant contact to the rotating piston. The model of the compressor was implemented in the AMESim simulation platform. Experiments were conducted on prototypes and the data were evaluated based on the simulation results. Directly unobservable geometric dimensions were estimated by adjusting the mathematical model parameters to the measured thermodynamic state variables with the use of a multi-parametric genetic algorithm. The simple genetic algorithm proved fast and adequate solutions. According to the collected results, the oil-free rotating piston architecture is significantly more sensitive to the sealing clearances compared to the conventional oil lubricated rolling piston compressors. Therefore, the theoretically estimated performance can only be achieved with extremely small manufacturing tolerances, which has to be maintained during the operation.
Book Review: Bharat Wakhlu and Savita Bhan Wakhlu, Navigating the Maze: Simple, Smarter Strategies to Fast-track Success
Authors: Pillania Rajesh K.
Published: February 2018

Bharat Wakhlu and Savita Bhan Wakhlu, Navigating the Maze: Simple, Smarter Strategies to Fast-track Success, SAGE Publications, 2017, 188 pp, 599. ISBN 978-93-860-4237-8
Political Instability and Herding Behaviour: Evidence from Egypt’s Stock Market
Authors: Mertzanis Charilaos , Allam Noha
Published: February 2018

This article examines the existence of herding behaviour in the Egyptian stock market during the 2011 revolution period. Using daily and monthly data, we test for the existence of herding for the whole period, as well as for the pre- and post-revolution phases. For the whole period, our results fail to provide evidence of herding behaviour in the Egyptian stock market, but do provide evidence of adverse herding behaviour that exhibits non-linearity. The results also fail to provide evidence of herding behaviour during bull and bear markets, and show that herding behaviour is a short-lived phenomenon. When the pre- and post-revolution phases are considered separately, the results provide evidence of weak adverse herding for both phases and of adverse herding in bullish markets, but they are inconclusive regarding bearish markets.

JEL Classification: G10, G15
The Choice of Exit: Influence of Private Equity Investors and Buyout Entry
Authors: Chinchwadkar Rohan , Seth Rama
Published: February 2018

The choice of exit method is an inevitable decision faced by entrepreneurs and private equity (PE) investors. The existing literature addresses four categories of factors which influence this choice of exit method between initial public offering (IPO) and acquisition: industry-related factors, market-timing variables, deal-specific factors and demand-for-funds factors. We extend the literature by introducing a new category of factors, ‘PE investor characteristics’, and test if this category has a significant effect on the choice of exit method. We also test if the type of entry has an influence on the exit method. We find that PE investor characteristics play an important role in the choice of exit method. The existence of a large syndicate of PE investors in the same firm increases the probability of an IPO exit, but the presence of a foreign PE investor reduces this probability. Moreover, unlike in developed markets, the cost of debt does not affect the choice of exit method in India. We further consider specific exit methods such as strategic sale, financial sale and buyback and find consistent results. We find that in buyout transactions, the probability of an IPO exit is less than that of a strategic sale. Finally, we present a unique finding that the probability of a buyback as opposed to an IPO is higher if a firm is in the real estate sector.
The waiting game: How securitization became the solution for the growth problem of the Eurozone
Authors: Engelen Ewald , Glasmacher Anna
Published: February 2018

This paper takes a closer look at those parts of the European Commission’s Capital Market Union (CMU) that bear upon the attempt to set up a new market for securitizations, called ‘simple, transparent and standardized securitizations’, in brief STS-securitization. The ‘puzzle’ at its heart is the discrepancy between narratives and content. While the narrative is about the construction of a US-style market-based financial system to overcome the problems of Europe’s bank-based system and help medium-sized enterprises, the first legal initiative aims to create a European market for securitizations, which are a source of funding for large (mortgage) banks and as such are squarely at odds with the headline goals of the Capital Market Union. The paper discusses in detail key passages from the proposal to tease out the discrepancy between story and fact and ventures an explanation based on the identification of the interest coalitions behind the package.
Governing through financial markets: Towards a critical political economy of Capital Markets Union
Authors: Braun Benjamin , Gabor Daniela , Hübner Marina
Published: February 2018

Capital Markets Union is a large-scale political project to strengthen and further integrate European market-based finance. An initiative of the European Commission under Jean-Claude Juncker’s leadership, Capital Markets Union seeks to realize a long-standing goal of European policy makers: a financial system in which capital markets will absorb more of citizens’ savings and play a greater role in corporate finance. Market-based banking, too, is set to benefit from Capital Markets Union, which includes measures to revive the European securitization market. Given that market-based finance – or shadow banking – shouldered much of the blame for the financial crisis of 2007–2008, its resurgence as a policy priority of the European Union constitutes a puzzle. The present article lays the theoretical groundwork for a special issue that tackles this puzzle. It argues that rather than an end in itself, Capital Markets Union represents an exercise in ‘governing through financial markets’. Pioneered in the United States, governing through financial markets is a political strategy adopted by state actors in pursuit of policy goals that exceed their institutional capacity.
Implementation of Proton Pump Inhibitor Deprescription Protocol in Geriatric Residents
Authors: Avraham Ovadyah , Biglow Michael
Published: February 2018

Background: Deprescribing is a recommended intervention to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by polypharmacy in older residents. However, a lack of definite deprescription guidelines and evidence of clinically meaningful outcomes complicates or precludes the practicality of such an approach. Objective: The objective of the present pilot study is to establish and implement a stepwise taper protocol that can potentially minimize overuse of proton pump inhibitors in a safe, effective, and feasible manner in the nursing home. Methods: Proton pump inhibitor dosage was reduced by half every 3 weeks until the lowest dose was reached; thereafter, the frequency was changed to every other day for 3 weeks, if tolerated. Subsequently, histamine receptor antagonists replaced proton pump inhibitors and followed the same deprescription regimen until discontinuation. Patient-specific interventions also included reassessment of therapeutic agents and dosage forms for more tolerable alternatives to facilitate deprescription efforts and minimize gastric ulceration or discomfort. Results: The pilot study enrolled 10 patients (average age 65.6 years, medication burden 16.8 units, and antisecretory duration 37.5 months). Physicians accepted >95% of interventions, and 90% of patients achieved cessation at 12 weeks. Post cessation, none of the patients needed antacid, prokinetic, or antisecretory agents at 4 weeks. Difficulties in order interpretation and transcription among nurses as well as order entry and calculations among pharmacists were noted. Conclusions: The present pilot study added to the growing body of evidence that gradual deprescription of antisecretory medications is feasible. Nonetheless, the pilot design precludes any conclusions about safety and efficacy of the intervention.
Organizational reshuffling to facilitate coordinated decisions in complex projects
Authors: Ventroux Julien , Marle Franck , Vidal Ludovic-Alexandre
Published: February 2018

Oil and gas development projects are characterized by numerous contractual agreements. This forms a complex organization, with the challenge to coordinate diverse and interrelated stakeholders at different moments in the project. A critical issue is the communication and coordination between actors on cross-boundaries decisions. This is notably due to the classical definition of organizational boundaries, with several physical packages and, of course, several contractors. The approach consists in, first, modeling interdependencies between project elements such as product components, activities, and organizational entities. Second, some complex phenomena such as propagation chains and loops are identified, in order to anticipate potential undesired consequences if those are not properly managed. Third, an organizational reshuffling is computed, based on the double objective of incorporating at best within clusters the critical interactions and the critical complex phenomena. Results show an improvement on both objectives compared to current organization, meaning that communication and coordination about some crucial cross-boundaries decisions are expected to be facilitated within and between clusters. An industrial application in the oil and gas sector is introduced in order to highlight possible benefits and implementation strategies for such an approach.
Task-space asymptotic tracking control of robots using a direct adaptive Taylor series controller
Authors: Ahmadi Seyed Mohammad , Fateh Mohammad Mehdi
Published: February 2018

This paper presents a robust task-space control approach using a direct adaptive Taylor series controller for electrically driven robot manipulators. In an adaptive Taylor series control scheme, the parameters of controller are directly tuned in order to reduce the task-space tracking error in the presence of structured and unstructured uncertainty. Also, the upper bound of approximation error is estimated to form a robustifying term and the asymptotic convergence of task-space tracking error and its time derivative is proven based on the stability analysis. Simulation results are included to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Isotropic polyconvex electromagnetoelastic bodies
Authors: Šilhavý M
Published: February 2018

The recent renewal of interest in nonlinear electromagnetoelastic interactions comes from the technological importance of electro- or magnetosensitive elastomers, smart materials whose mechanical properties change instantly on the application of an electric or magnetic field. We consider materials with free energy functions of the form [Formula: see text], where F is the deformation gradient, d is the electric displacement, and b is the magnetic induction. It was recently shown by the author that such an energy function is polyconvex if and only if it is of the form

[Formula: see text]

where [Formula: see text] is a convex function (of 31 scalar variables). Moreover, an existence theorem was proved for the equilibrium solution for a system consisting of a polyconvex electromagnetoelastic solid plus the vacuum electromagnetic field outside the body. The condition (8), is not just the combination of Ball’s polyconvexity of elastomers

[Formula: see text]

with the convexity in the electromagnetic variables. The differential constraints div [Formula: see text], div [Formula: see text] allow for the cross mechanical–electric and mechanical–magnetic terms Fd and Fb which substantially enlarge the class of energies covered by the theory. The result (*), applies to a material of any symmetry; this paper analyzes the condition in the case of isotropic materials. A broad sufficient condition for the polyconvexity is given in that case. Further, it is shown that the commonly used isotropic electroelastic or magnetoelastic invariants are polyconvex except for the biquadratic ones; the paper explicitly determines their quasiconvex envelopes and shows that they are polyconvex.
Bad Is Stronger Than Good for Stigmatized, but Not Admired Outgroups: Meta-Analytical Tests of Intergroup Valence Asymmetry in Individual-to-Group Generalization Experiments
Authors: Paolini Stefania , McIntyre Kylie
Published: February 2018

Theories of risk aversion, epistemic defense, and ingroup enhancement converge in predicting greater impact of negative (vs. positive) experiences with outgroup members on generalized evaluations of stigmatized outgroups. However, they diverge in predictions for admired outgroups. Past tests have focused on negative outgroups using correlational designs without a control group. Consequently, they have not distinguished between alternative explanations or ascertained the direction of causality/generalization, and they have suffered from self-selection biases. These limitations were redressed by a meta-analysis of experimental research on individual-to-group generalization with positive and negative outgroups (59 tests; 3,012 participants). Controlling for modest confounds, the meta-analysis found a generalization advantage of negative experiences for stigmatized outgroups and a generalization advantage of positive experiences for admired outgroups. These results highlight the centrality of valenced expectations about outgroups, consistent with epistemic defense and ingroup enhancement and inconsistent with risk aversion. Implications for positive changes in intergroup dynamics are discussed.
Multilevel Latent Profile Analysis With Covariates
Authors: Mäkikangas Anne , Tolvanen Asko , Aunola Kaisa , Feldt Taru , Mauno Saija , Kinnunen Ulla
Published: February 2018

Latent profile analysis (LPA) is a person-centered method commonly used in organizational research to identify homogeneous subpopulations of employees within a heterogeneous population. However, in the case of nested data structures, such as employees nested in work departments, multilevel techniques are needed. Multilevel LPA (MLPA) enables adequate modeling of subpopulations in hierarchical data sets. MLPA enables investigation of variability in the proportions of Level 1 profiles across Level 2 units, and of Level 2 latent classes based on the proportions of Level 1 latent profiles and Level 1 ratings, and the extent to which covariates drawn from the different hierarchical levels of the data affect the probability of a membership of a particular profile. We demonstrate the use of MLPA by investigating job characteristics profiles based on the job-demand-control-support (JDCS) model using data from 1,958 university employees clustered in 78 work departments. The implications of the results for organizational research are discussed, together with several issues related to the potential of MLPA for wider application.
Increase in Oxytocin From Skin-to-Skin Contact Enhances Development of Parent–Infant Relationship
Authors: Vittner Dorothy , McGrath Jacqueline , Robinson JoAnn , Lawhon Gretchen , Cusson Regina , Eisenfeld Leonard , Walsh Stephen , Young Erin , Cong Xiaomei
Published: February 2018

Objective:

To examine changes that occur in infant and parent salivary oxytocin (OT) and salivary cortisol (SC) levels during skin-to-skin contact (SSC) and whether SSC alleviates parental stress and anxiety while also supporting mother–father–infant relationships.

Methods:

This randomized crossover study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with a sample of 28 stable preterm infants and their parents. Saliva samples were collected from infants, mothers, and fathers on Days 1 and 2 (1/parent) for OT and cortisol measurement pre-SSC, during a 60-min SSC session, and a 45-min post-SSC. Parental anxiety was measured at the same time points. Parent–infant interaction was examined prior to discharge on Day 3 via video for synchrony and responsiveness using Dyadic Mutuality Coding.

Results:

Salivary OT levels increased significantly during SSC for mothers ( p < .001), fathers ( p < .002), and infants ( p < .002). Infant SC levels decreased significantly ( p < .001) during SSC as compared to before and after SSC. Parent anxiety scores were significantly related to parent OT and SC levels. Parents with higher OT levels exhibited more synchrony and responsiveness ( p < .001) in their infant interactions.

Conclusion:

This study addresses a gap in understanding the mechanisms linking parent–infant contact to biobehavioral responses. SSC activated OT release and decreased infant SC levels. Facilitation of SSC may be an effective intervention to reduce parent and infant stress in the NICU. Findings advance the exploration of OT as a potential moderator for improving responsiveness and synchrony in parent–infant interactions.
Delayed Onset of Sleep in Adolescents With PAX6 Haploinsufficiency
Authors: Hanish Alyson E. , Han Joan C.
Published: February 2018

Objective:

PAX6 haploinsufficiency ( +/−) can occur due to mutations involving only PAX6 in patients with isolated aniridia or as contiguous gene deletions in patients with Wilms tumor, aniridia, genitourinary anomalies, and range of developmental and intellectual disabilities syndrome. Given the role of PAX6 in pineal development and circadian regulation, adolescents with PAX6+/− may experience sleep–wake disturbances. The purpose of this observational study was to explore sleep-related phenotypes in adolescents with PAX6+/−.

Methods:

This study compared sleep phenotypes of nine subjects with PAX6+/− (aged 10–19 years) with previously published data on healthy adolescents ( n = 25, aged 10–18 years). Subjects completed the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire (CASQ), Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Sleep Disturbance (v. 1.0; 8a), and PROMIS Sleep-Related Impairment (v. 1.0; 8b) Questionnaires and wore actigraphs for seven nights to record sleep patterns.

Results:

Total CASQ, PROMIS sleep-related impairment, and PROMIS sleep disturbance scores were not statistically different between the groups ( ps > .15). Actigraph data for lights off to sleep-onset time were found to be significantly higher in subjects with PAX6+/− versus the healthy comparison group (adjusted mean [95% confidence interval]: 20.1 min [8.1, 49.8] vs. 6.2 min [3.7, 10.4], respectively, p = .04).

Conclusion:

Both adolescents with PAX6+/− and the healthy comparison group on average slept less than 8 hr/night, and overall sleep deprivation in adolescents may have masked differences between groups. This study used rare genetic disorders with biological vulnerability to sleep problems as a genotype–phenotype model. Knowledge of sleep-related phenotypes will assist in designing studies to manage sleep-related symptoms in adolescents.
Study on the normal contact stiffness of the fractal rough surface in mixed lubrication
Authors: Sun Yunyun , Xiao Huifang , Xu Jinwu , Yu Wennian
Published: February 2018

In this paper, an elastic interface model is developed to theoretically analyze the contact stiffness of a mixed lubrication surface where the solid and the lubricant contacts have to-be-determined contributions to the whole contact stiffness. The interfacial contact stiffness is composed of the solid contact stiffness and the lubricant contact stiffness, in which the two components are associated with each other via the equivalent thickness of lubricant. Based on the combination of two widely acknowledged ultrasonic measurement models and the Taylor approximating equation, the derivation of the lubricant contact stiffness is mostly affected by the material properties and the equivalent thickness of lubricant, and the equivalent thickness is determined by the solid contact properties under the mixed lubrication condition. Results of the mathematical analysis show that the contact stiffness of the mixed lubrication surface is larger than that of the dry rough surface due to the presence of lubricant. The interfacial contact stiffness of the mixed lubrication is obviously affected by the surface topography and the lubricant property. The proportions of contact stiffness contributed from the solid part and the lubricant part are varying with the contact area and the surface topography. Model predictions are compared with experiment results to verify the accuracy of proposed model. The analysis of the interfacial contact stiffness involved in mixed lubrication provides a theoretical basis for the performance prediction of machine tools, and might be useful to elucidate the contact properties by ultrasonic pulse probing in real engineering applications.
Severe hypertriglyceridemia associated with teriflunomide in a patient with multiple sclerosis: A case report
Authors: Camara-Lemarroy Carlos R , Castilló Joaquín , Sastre-Garriga Jaume , Tintore Mar , Montalban Xavier
Published: February 2018

Objective:

To describe a case of severe hypertriglyceridemia in a patient receiving teriflunomide.

Methods:

This is a case study.

Results:

Our patient developed severe hypertriglyceridemia (>5000 mg/dL) while on teriflunomide. The drug was withdrawn. Resolution began over 3 weeks later.

Conclusion:

We describe the first probable case of teriflunomide-associated severe hypertriglyceridemia in a patient with multiple sclerosis, an adverse event previously associated with leflunomide in patients with rheumatologic diseases. Clinicians should be aware of this rare but potentially dangerous adverse event.
Community activists from different cultures: Implications for social work
Authors: Zanbar Lea , Itzhaky Haya
Published: February 2018

Community activists, supervised by macro-intervention social workers, can realize the potential to go from passive consumers of social services to producers of appropriate responses to the needs of their communities. While the literature describes the influence of religious and cultural characteristics on the effectiveness of such interventions, the question of whether there are differences in personal resources and community activity between activists from different cultures has yet to be investigated. The current study compared community activists from the ultra-Orthodox sector in Israel, a traditional society, with activists from the general population, examining personality traits defined in the literature as critical for community activists (self-esteem, mastery), aspects of community activity (client participation, representation, level of activity), and outcomes of community activity (dimensions of well-being). The sample consisted of 351 activists, 163 from the ultra-Orthodox population and 188 from the general population.

Findings

The findings reveal significant differences between the two groups, with higher levels of most personal and community variables found among the activists from the general population. This is consistent with the literature and may be attributed to the insularity of the ultra-Orthodox sector, which keeps itself apart from society at large. Interestingly, despite the resource deficits in this community, its activists reported higher levels of personal well-being.

Applications

The findings have implications for researchers and practitioners. They indicate the importance of working closely with the leaders of traditional societies and designing unique methods of social work intervention to enhance the activists’ personal resources and community characteristics, while maintaining cultural sensitivity.
Factors associated with informant-reported cognitive decline in older adults: A systemised literature review
Authors: Morrell Lucy , Camic Paul M , Genis Michelle
Published: February 2018

Background

Dementia diagnoses are typically made where there is a significant, progressive decline in cognitive functioning. Evidence of such decline is increasingly established through information provided by informants. However, some studies demonstrate that informant reports may not always be accurate and may be biased by extraneous factors. This review aimed to elucidate factors that have been identified as potentially having some influence on informant reports of cognitive decline.

Method

A search of PsychInfo, ASSIA, PubMed and Web of Science databases identified 13 peer-reviewed studies that met criteria for inclusion in the review.

Results

Reviewed studies provide some evidence for associations between informant-reported cognitive decline and demographic characteristics (patient age, education, ethnicity and informant gender), clinical factors (dementia severity, diagnosis, behavioural disturbance, everyday functioning) and psychological factors (patient depressive symptoms and neuroticism, informant psychological distress and burden). Several methodological limitations of the evidence base were identified.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that informant-reported cognitive decline may not always be wholly reliable in that information holds potential to be influenced by both patient and informant characteristics. Clinical and empirical implications are discussed.
Mixed-type distribution plots
Authors: Weld Christopher , Leemis Lawrence
Published: February 2018

Plotting is among the most effective ways to quickly and accurately describe a probability distribution. It makes often complex information accessible, enabling intuition for respective outcomes at a glance. Matters complicate, however, for mixed-type distributions. Mixed-type distributions contain both continuous and discrete components, and accurately portraying those on a single axis can prove difficult—misleading intuition as a consequence of pulling two otherwise disjoint components into focus together. This article examines the challenges of maintaining the simple, concise, and accurate format of traditional probability distribution plots for mixed-type distributions. We illustrate issues arising within this plot classification paradigm, and why a secondary axis is uniquely suited to improve its communication. An algorithm is devised to consistently scale such plots so that they better coincide with intuition. National Football League football starting field position, meteorological data, and financial instruments provide examples demonstrating effectiveness of this plot technique.
Battle Battle: Engaging Diversity in the American Liberal Arts College
Authors: Lu Joyce
Published: February 2018

Battle Battle: Engaging Diversity in the American Liberal Arts College examines the production of an Asian American hip-hop musical, directed by the author, at a private liberal arts college in the US. This article demonstrates how the production process was determined by the complex history of racial formation and relations in America. Those who were extremely attached to standardized Eurocentric practices of control in education could only read this complexity as disorder and found the process to be out of control or anarchic. The author claims, however, that the process was necessarily anarchic insofar as the production was undertaken as a decolonizing project; an attempt to undermine structures of domination and employ an ethical and democratic way of working that directly conflicted with the violent constraints of White hegemony that are present in elite educational institutions.
Exploring global responsibility in higher education students’ cross-cultural dialogues
Authors: Lehtomäki Elina , Moate Josephine , Posti-Ahokas Hanna
Published: February 2018

This study engages with current debate around global education and internationalization of higher education(HE). There is an identified need to critically reflect on how global education commitments are introduced to HE students, and how the debates are brought to individual as well as institutional levels. The study explores how students in a Finnish university develop their understanding of global education, citizenship and potential dispositions towards global responsibility. The students participated in an international seminar on the global Education for All (EFA) process, with purposefully planned participatory activities and cross-cultural dialogues, and reflected on their learning about the global process in assignments. A rigorous qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the students’ written learning assignments ( n = 43). The analysis revealed that students learned about the global EFA process and targets, and reflected on general and personal significance of the process as well as the connections between the local and global. They placed the responsibility for educational transformation in three distinct levels: the ‘other’; ‘we’; and ‘I’. The findings suggest that purposefully designed learning activities guide students to develop their understanding of global education and to disposition themselves as responsible future education professionals, both prerequisites of global citizenship and transformation of education.
Predicting the variability of natural frequencies and its causes by Second-Order Blind Identification
Authors: Rainieri Carlo , Magalhaes Filipe , Gargaro Danilo , Fabbrocino Giovanni , Cunha Alvaro
Published: February 2018

Structural aging, degradation phenomena, and damage due to hazardous events are common causes of failure in civil structures and infrastructures. The increasing need of extending the structure lifespan for sustainability and economic reasons motivated the rapid development of remote, fully automated structural health monitoring systems. Different approaches have been developed for damage detection based on the incoming data. Modal-based damage detection is probably one of the most popular procedures for structural health monitoring of civil structures, also thanks to the development of robust automated operational modal analysis algorithms in the last decade. However, the sensitivity of modal parameter estimates and the associated damage features to environmental and operational factors represents a significant drawback to the extensive application of this technology. Thus, effective damage detection cannot skip the preliminary compensation of the effect of those variables on modal properties. Different approaches to compensate the environmental influence on modal property estimates are reported in the literature. In this article, the use of Second-Order Blind Identification is proposed. It is applied to a number of case studies in order to validate its effectiveness in the presence of one or more environmental or operational variables. Results demonstrate that it can model the variability of natural frequency estimates in operational conditions and, above all, it can give a fundamental insight in determining the causes of such variability.
Luminous intensity correction method for misalignment-induced measurement error of light-emitting diode arrays
Authors: Wu HY , Cheng HB , Feng YP , Chen X
Published: February 2018

To eliminate axial misalignment-induced measurement errors of discrete light-emitting diode arrays in the far-field condition, a robust and effective method for correcting the measured luminous intensity distribution is proposed. The precision of the correction can be determined beforehand by setting a criterion which can also be used to determine the required test distance. To validate the feasibility and practicability of the proposed approach, numerical simulations of light-emitting diode arrays with three kinds of typical luminous intensity distributions were performed. In addition, the test distances as a function of the light-emitting diode luminous intensity distribution, packing density and dimensions under translational misalignment were analysed. Some beneficial operating methods and rules for practical application are summarised. Finally, physical measurements of several experimental examples were collected. The correction results agreed with the desired data and again proved the utility of the presented method.
Youth unemployment, the brain drain and education policy in Croatia: A call for joining forces and for new visions
Authors: Hornstein Tomić Caroline , Taylor Karin
Published: February 2018

Since the economic recession and European Union accession, Croatia has seen a drastic increase in the emigration of tertiary-educated young people seeking further qualification and employment abroad. The brain drain has caused grave concern among political parties across the political spectrum and society as a whole. Recently, however, the tone of discourse has turned from accusations of national ‘disloyalty’ to engagement with how to mitigate the push factors for emigration on the one hand, and how to attract educated and successful migrants back to the country on the other. Changes to the education system are seen by experts and the public alike as one of the key factors in reducing the mismatch of prevailing education and training programmes with the specialist knowledge requirements of the domestic labour market and in improving youth employability. However, efforts to introduce urgently needed education reforms have recently been stalled by a lack of political consensus on aspects of a proposed reform package and its implementation rooted in the deep ideological rifts of post-socialist transformation. This contribution investigates how the impact of the brain drain, as well a shift towards recognition of the possible benefits of circular migration, have affected recent discourse on education policy and the growing involvement of non-governmental organizations and initiatives in introducing a more practice-based orientation to education on all levels.
Telmisartan reverses antiretroviral-induced adipocyte toxicity and insulin resistance in vitro
Authors: Pushpakom Sudeep P , Adaikalakoteswari Antonysunil , Owen Andrew , Back David J , Tripathi Gyanendra , Kumar Sudhesh , McTernan Philip , Pirmohamed Munir
Published: February 2018

Background:

Antiretroviral therapy in HIV-positive patients leads to insulin resistance which is central to the pathogenesis of various metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular disease seen in this patient group. We have investigated the dose–response relationship of telmisartan, an antihypertensive, on adipocytes in vitro in order to determine whether it may have metabolic beneficial effects.

Methods:

Using in vitro chronic toxicity models (3T3-F442A murine and primary human adipocytes), we evaluated the effects of different concentrations of telmisartan on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenic gene expression using lipid accumulation assays and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Adipokine secretion and expression of insulin signalling mediators were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results:

Telmisartan partially reversed the deleterious effects of antiretrovirals on adipocyte lipid accumulation, expression of adipogenic regulators (peroxisome proliferator receptor-gamma and lipin 1), adipokine secretion and expression of the insulin signalling mediator pAktSer473. The metabolic effects of telmisartan followed a non-monotonic response with the maximal effect observed at 5 µM in the primary human adipocyte model.

Conclusion:

Telmisartan has beneficial metabolic effects in adipocytes in vitro, but its potential to reduce antiretroviral-induced cardiometabolic disease in HIV-infected individuals needs to be evaluated in a well-designed adequately powered clinical trial.
Finding Keys: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators for Refugee Children’s Disclosure of Their Life Stories
Authors: van Os E. C. C. (Carla) , Zijlstra A. E. (Elianne) , Knorth E. J. (Erik) , Post W. J. (Wendy) , Kalverboer M. E. (Margrite)
Published: February 2018

The systematic review presented in this article aims to reveal what supports and hampers refugee children in telling their, often traumatic, life stories. This is important to ensure that migration decisions are based on reliable information about the children’s needs for protection. A systematic review was conducted in academic journals, collecting all available scientific knowledge about the disclosure of life stories by refugee minors in the context of social work, guardianship, foster care, asylum procedures, mental health assessment, and therapeutic settings. The resulting 39 studies were thoroughly reviewed with reference to what factors aided or hampered the refugee children’s disclosure of their life stories. The main barriers to disclosure were feelings of mistrust and self-protection from the side of the child and disrespect from the side of the host community. The facilitators for disclosing life stories were a positive and respectful attitude of the interviewer, taking time to build trust, using nonverbal methods, providing agency to the children, and involving trained interpreters. Social workers, mentors, and guardians should have time to build trust and to help a young refugee in revealing the life story before the minor is heard by the migration authorities. The lack of knowledge on how refugee children can be helped to disclose their experiences is a great concern because the decision in the migration procedure is based on the story the child is able to disclose.
Examining the Mediating Role of Commitment to the Supervisor in Employees’ Affective Commitment: Temporary Employees Versus Permanent Employees
Authors: Kidron Aviv
Published: February 2018

One of the challenges faced by human resources management departments in recent years is how to manage employees with different employment contracts, in particular, temporary compared with permanent. This study tries to examine commitment to the supervisor as a mediating variable between psychological contract and empowerment, on one hand, and affective commitment, on the other. Commitment to the supervisor is considered a mediating variable since it emphasizes the importance of the supervisor’s role in the relationship between employees and the organization. The differences between commitment to the supervisor among temporary and permanent employees have not yet been studied, nor the effect of empowerment on organizational commitment among temporary employees. The sample comprised 367 permanent employees and 155 temporary employees from 11 organizations operating both in public and private sectors. Commitment to the supervisor partly mediated the relationships between empowerment, fulfillment of the psychological contract, and affective commitment among permanent and temporary employees. In practical terms, supervisors play a role in upholding and maintaining the psychological contract and cultivating employee empowerment, whether the employee is permanent or temporary.
Responses to Feedback: The Role of Acceptance, Affect, and Creative Behavior
Authors: Christensen-Salem Amanda , Kinicki Angelo , Zhang Zhen , Walumbwa Fred O.
Published: February 2018

The feedback literature has largely been developed under two divergent assumptions: individuals are either passive receivers or proactive seekers of feedback. We bridge these two literatures using affective events theory and expand understanding of the relationships between feedback delivered as part of a performance evaluation process and self-sought feedback (feedback seeking) by theorizing about feedback through a within-person, episodic lens while focusing on an important organizational behavioral outcome—creative behavior. We offer a dynamic theoretical and empirical account of how feedback acceptance and activating positive affect transmit the effects of supervisor developmental feedback and individuals’ self-sought feedback on creative behavior. We collected 10 days of data using experience sampling methodology to test our hypotheses with a multilevel model. Results revealed that supervisor developmental feedback and self-sought feedback from peers were positively related to feedback acceptance, which, in turn, related to activating positive affect and thereby creative behavior on a within-person basis. Finally, feedback acceptance and activating positive affect mediated the within-person association between feedback and creative behavior. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for better understanding how organizations formally shape individuals’ behavior and how individuals proactively supplement those attempts.
A New Surgical Device for Anterograde Intraoperative Rectal Washout
Authors: Rondelli Fabio , Santinelli Roberto , Stella Paolo , Bugiantella Walter , Ceccarelli Graziano , Balzarotti Ruben Carlo , De Rosa Michele , Avenia Nicola
Published: February 2018

Background. Colorectal cancer is the fourth most diffuse cause of death in the world and local recurrence is associated with a reduced long-term life expectancy, with a reduced quality of life. Rectal washout at the anastomosis site leads to a statistically significant reduction of local recurrences. Methods. We developed the idea of a new laparoscopic stapler with an integrated washout system that could decontaminate the rectal stump before resection, without the need to enlarge the standard surgical incision or even to distort the incision site, closing the rectal stump just below the inferior part of the cancer, and then proceeding with the resection and stapling of the distal part of the tumor. Combined with these canonical functionalities, the new device, equipped with a patented washout system (patent number EP 3103401A1) will also allow to inject in the closed bowel a physiologic saline liquid. Results. In force of the mechanical action of the liquid injected, carcinogenic exfoliated cells eventually floating in the affected region of the colonic lumen will be expelled through the anal orifice. The intraoperative rectal washout, both in minimally invasive and in traditional open surgery, thus becomes a simple, effective, and reproducible procedure. Conclusions. We describe the technical features and the possible clinical applications of a potentially new surgical laparoscopic stapler coupled with an integrated irrigation system. We have patented the system and we are developing a prototype with the aim to start an experimental pilot study.
“Where Did This [PrEP] Come From?” African American Mother/Daughter Perceptions Related to Adolescent Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Utilization and Clinical Trial Participation
Authors: Fletcher Faith E. , Fisher Celia , Buchberg Meredith K. , Floyd Brenikki , Hotton Anna , Ehioba Angelica , Donenberg Geri
Published: February 2018

Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce incident HIV infections, PrEP’s potential as an HIV prevention strategy for adolescent populations is unknown. This study assessed perceptions of adolescent PrEP use and clinical trial participation among African American women and their adolescent daughters. We conducted focus group discussions with 15 African American mother/daughter pairs ( N = 30). Findings suggest a general lack of PrEP awareness, favorable attitudes toward adolescent PrEP use, altruistic attitudes regarding research participation among daughters, and less favorable attitudes toward adolescent clinical trial participation among mothers. Study findings have the potential to inform strategies that provide equitable access to HIV scientific advances among African American women and girls and promote informed parent–child research decision making.