bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intestinal cell kinase regulates chondrocyte proliferation and maturation during skeletal development
Authors: Ding Mengmeng , Jin Li , Xie Lin , Park So Hyun , Tong Yixin , Wu Di , Fu Zheng , Li Xudong
Published: May 2017

An autosomal recessive loss-of-function mutation R272Q in humanICK(intestinal cell kinase) gene causes profound multiplex developmental defects in human ECO (endocrine-cerebro-osteodysplasia) syndrome. ECO patients exhibit a wide variety of skeletal abnormalities, yet the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms by which ICK regulates skeletal development remain largely unknown. The goal of this study is to understand the structural and mechanistic basis underlying skeletal anomalies caused by ICK dysfunction.IckR272Q knock in transgenic mouse model not only recapitulated major ECO skeletal defects such as short limbs and polydactyly but also revealed a deformed spine with deficient intervertebral disc. Loss of ICK functions markedly reduces mineralization in the spinal column, ribs, and long bones.Ickmutants show a significant decrease in the number of proliferating chondrocytes and type X collagen-expressing hypertrophic chondrocytes in the spinal column and the growth plate of long bones. Our results demonstrate that ICK plays an important role in bone and intervertebral disc development by promoting chondrocyte proliferation and maturation, and thus provide novel mechanistic insights into the skeletal phenotypes of human ECO syndrome.
Reef fishes of praia do Tofo and praia da Barra, Inhambane, Mozambique
Authors: Fordyce Alexander J.
Published: May 2017

The coral reefs around Praia do Tofo and Praia da Barra, southern Mozambique, are known for their aggregations of marine megafauna but few studies have examined their reef fish biodiversity. This study assesses for the first time the ichthyofaunal diversity of the seas around Praia do Tofo and Praia da Barra. Methods involved underwater observations during recreational dives between February and September 2016, and the use of photographic records from 2015. A total of 353 species, representing 79 families, were recorded from 16 patch reefs in the region. The area shows comparable species diversity to others in the southwestern Indian Ocean, suggesting these reefs are in good condition. But high primary productivity driven by coastal upwelling may make fish diversity and trophic structure unreliable measures of the health of these reefs. Future studies investigating the sustainability of this ecosystem would benefit from utilising a wide range of reef health measures.
Discharging inpatients with intellectual disability from secure to community services: risk assessment and management considerations
Authors: Chester Verity , Brown Anthony Scott , Devapriam John , Axby Sharon , Hargreaves Claire , Shankar Rohit
Published: May 2017

Purpose

There is increasing emphasis on caring for people with intellectual disabilities in the least restrictive, ideally community settings. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the risk factors considered by clinicians involved in discharging people from secure services.

Design/methodology/approach

The views of five senior clinicians were sought in semi structured interviews. Data were analysed thematically.

Findings

Themes related to risk assessment, risk management, and multidisciplinary and multiagency working. Illustrative quotes are used to evidence themes.

Practical implications

This study described the risk assessment and management factors considered during the discharge of patients from secure to community services, which are of direct relevance to multiple stakeholders post-Winterbourne.

Originality/value

Challenges when facilitating discharge were highlighted, such as ongoing risk management issues, or unexpected discharge from tribunals, and how these were addressed, via the development of extensive risk assessment and management processes, and interdisciplinary and interagency working.
The case for guided self-help for people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Chaplin Eddie , Marshall-Tate Karina
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine guided self-help (GSH), and some of the barriers as to why it is not routinely available for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper offers an overview of GSH and the potential benefits of it as an intervention for people with ID with mild depression and/or anxiety.

Findings

The current literature reports the successful use and effectiveness of GSH in the general population. However, despite this there is little evidence that it is being used in practice for people with ID.

Originality/value

This paper offers an overview of GSH and advocates for its increasing use for people with ID to help bring about equality in mental healthcare.
Select the best supply chain by risk analysis for Indian industries environment using MCDM approaches
Authors: Chand Mahesh , Raj Tilak , Shankar Ravi , Agarwal Aashish
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Risk management in supply chain (SC) is not an easy task due to different uncertainty and intricacy. Management of risk is necessary for smooth operation of SC. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches to select the best SC which has minimum risks.

Design/methodology/approach

In proposed methodologies different steps, i.e. goal, risk attributes, risk sub-attributes and alternatives are identified for the selection of best SC using analytical network process which is being followed by the Multi-Objective Optimization by Rational Analysis method.

Findings

Findings of this paper are highly valuable for Indian manufacturing industries for risk management in SC. It helps the researchers and managers to deal with different types of uncertainty and risks associated with SC.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited only for risk management in SC. Other issues in SC can be analyzed and further extended by other MCDM approaches.

Originality/value

This paper identified the different risks in SC and a systematic way to find out the best SC which helps the researchers and managers in risk mitigation.
Corporate political activity and environmental sustainability disclosure
Authors: Kuo Lopin , Yu Hui-Cheng
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Taking on a corporate political activity (CPA) perspective, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how CPA affects environmental sustainability disclosure among firms in China and whether the disclosure level varies across ownership structures and environmental sensitivity statuses.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises 652 corporate social responsibility reports released by firms in China during 2008-2010. Data are coded through a content analysis procedure before being analyzed using regression analysis.

Findings

The authors find a significant and positive association between CPA and environmental sustainability disclosure. However, the effect of CPA on environmental sustainability disclosure is significantly negative among firms in the environmentally sensitive industries (ESIs) and privately owned enterprises (POEs). More specifically, a firm’s environmental disclosure level is lower when the proportion of board members with a significant status, such as party chief of the Communist Party, is higher among firms in ESIs and POEs. This implies that firms withguanxi(i.e. Chinese-specific CPA) are more likely to be free from trouble.

Originality/value

This empirical study offers important evidence on the fulfillment of environmental sustainability policies and the effectiveness of regulatory controls that China has used in the development toward a low-carbon economy.
The effect of global dynamic capabilities on internationalizing SMEs performance
Authors: Peng Yao-Ping , Lin Ku-Ho
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Based on a dynamic capability (DC) view, the purpose of this paper is to explore whether market orientation (MO) (external) and learning orientation (LO) (internal) facilitate internationalizing small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (ISMEs) global dynamic capabilities (GDCs) – i.e., their global marketing and product-design capabilities – and promote firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data are randomly selected from Taiwanese ISMEs, yielding 206 valid responses. Informants’ (CEOs, vice presidents, senior managers) knowledge about and shouldering of firm responsibilities are explored.

Findings

A significant increase in global marketing and product-design capabilities is found to affect firm performance. MO and LO positively influence GDCs, which increase firm performance. Furthermore, LO and MO support GDCs’ development.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is reasonably diverse in terms of demographics including firm location, size, industry, and market type. Disaggregation results are generally robust regarding model parameters. However, future research should target different countries to assess result generalizability.

Practical implications

The findings reveal two practical implications for managers. First, successful GDCs help firms spread the costs of designing products or components across many contexts and to offer appealing products to consumers worldwide. Second, it is important that managers foster development of MOs and LOs.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature in two ways. First, by conceptualizing GDCs of ISMEs, DC literature is expanded based on a global context. Second, the complexity of extending DC literature into ISMEs may arise from the fact that ISMEs, as separate and living entities, devise their own organizational culture, which significantly affects their GDC development.
Subordinates’ helping, voice, and supervisors’ evaluation of job performance
Authors: Choi Byoung Kwon , Moon Hyoung Koo
Published: May 2017

Purpose

It is recognized that employees’ helping and voice behaviors are dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior used by supervisors to evaluate their job performance. However, existing empirical studies of these relationships have shown inconsistent findings. From the perspective of attributional theory, the purpose of this paper is to explain when subordinates’ helping and voice behaviors are more positively related to job performance by considering supervisor-attributed prosocial and impression management motives.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 200 supervisors in South Korea, the authors tested the hypotheses with hierarchical multiple regression analyses.

Findings

Results indicate that the positive effects of helping and voice behaviors on job performance were stronger when supervisors attributed such behaviors as driven less by impression management motives related to self-interest. However, contrary to the expectations, the positive influences of helping and voice behaviors on job performance were stronger when supervisors perceived low prosocial motives.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that supervisors need to avoid making the wrong attributions with regard to their subordinates’ helping and voice behaviors during the evaluation process. In addition, subordinates need to have clear motives and demonstrate consistent behavioral stances when engaging in such behaviors.

Originality/value

Using social information theory and attribution theory, this study contributes to explain when helping and voice behaviors improve evaluations of employees’ job performances by considering supervisor-attributed motives.
Work values underlying protean and boundaryless career orientations
Authors: Abessolo Marc , Hirschi Andreas , Rossier Jérôme
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation among work values and protean and boundaryless career orientations.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 238 employees aged 16 to 65 years from the French-speaking region of Switzerland completed two different work values scales as well as protean and boundaryless career attitudes scales. To assess the relationships among these constructs, correlations, multiple regression, and exploratory factorial analysis techniques were used.

Findings

Results suggested that protean and boundaryless career orientations were significantly positively related to intrinsic, social, and status work values. A boundaryless-organizational mobility orientation was significantly negatively associated with extrinsic/material work values.

Research limitations/implications

Results have important implications for understanding which work values are typically endorsed by people with a protean or a boundaryless career orientation.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the understanding of protean and boundaryless careers by clarifying the relationships among these career orientations and work values.
Mobile web application for students’ and lecturers’ portfolio gallery
Authors: Adinugroho Timothy Yudi , Heriyanni Eileen , Musthofa Tegar Aryo Sulthon
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to curate and promote students’ and lecturers’ works and creations, and to provide pleasing user experience for mobile device users when browsing the portfolio gallery information.

Design/methodology/approach

The design of the mobile web application using Rational Unified Process (RUP) methodology includes Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams. The evaluation is done in three steps: first step by comparing similar software, the second step by evaluate the interface using the eight golden rules and the last one by taking user questionnaire.

Findings

Evaluation of the application of Bina Nusantara University (BINUS) Store Mobile Web.

Originality/value

The authors report the development of BINUS Store Mobile web application by using Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) with Laravel framework and evaluate it in Android and iOS environments.
The influence of supply chain quality management practices on quality performance: an empirical investigation
Authors: Soares Anabela , Soltani Ebrahim , Liao Ying-Ying
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The extant literature highlights the notable lack of a consensus among operations and supply chain management scholars regarding the theoretical underpinnings and associated empirical evidence for the performance impact of supply chain quality management (SCQM) practices on quality. The purpose of this paper is to redress this imbalance in the literature through empirical examination of the relationship between SCQM practices and quality performance outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

In accordance with the research aim, a quantitative approach was adopted, and a multi-item scale Web-based survey was designed to collect primary data. A total number of 325 questionnaires were collected from a sample of UK-based manufacturing companies. Factor analysis, internal consistency and multivariate regressions were used to validate the multi-item scale and test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings confirm the proposed hypotheses and reveal statistically significant results for the performance impact of SCQM practices on quality at an aggregate level. However, the results of the individual level analysis of SCQM practices appear to vary from practice to practice. Of various SCQM practices, customer focus with the highest beta value (i.e.ß= 0.303;t-value = 6.120;p= 0.000) was found to have the greatest impact on quality performance.

Practical implications

The findings encourage managers to place high priority on both inter-firm and intra-firm relationships as prerequisites for achieving superior quality performance. The propositions and the results of the study provide managers with some guidelines about effective management of upstream, midstream and downstream supply chain networks and awareness of the potential synergies arising from the combined effects of SCQM practices that could bring about desired quality performance outcomes across the entire supply chain network.

Originality/value

Real and sustainable quality performance often requires an equal focus on both intra- and inter-firm relationships among supply chain partners. Therefore, effective management of quality across the entire supply chain is deemed essential if a firm is to smoothly supply high-quality products and services to customers. But little research has been devoted to understanding conceptual underpinnings of SCQM as well as empirical support and validation for the conceptualisation and measurement of SCQM practices. Based on the insights gained from social network theory, this paper makes an attempt to address this gap and examine the impact of SCQM practices on quality performance.
Developing social skills
Authors: Kelly Alex
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different features of social skills and outline a hierarchy of social skills model.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on clinical work over 25 years and presents the results of research using a hierarchical approach to developing social skills.

Findings

Social skills interventions delivered according to a hierarchy of social skills (self-awareness and self-esteem; body language; conversational skills; friendship skills; assertiveness) are effective in improving social skills.

Practical implications

Effective assessment should determine which skills to start with. Intervention should involve the environment, peers and a variety of direct instructional approaches to maximise the potential for success and generalisation into everyday life.

Originality/value

This paper provides an overview of social skills and social competence, stresses the importance of good assessment to target the start point for intervention and emphasises the need to involve others to maximise success and generalisation.
A review of social skills interventions for adults with autism and intellectual disability
Authors: Bundock Kerrie Elizabeth , Hewitt Olivia
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Individuals with autism and intellectual disability (ID) have increased needs regarding social interaction. Social skills interventions have focussed on children; however, development of these skills is important across the lifespan. The purpose of this paper is to critically review strategies and interventions used to develop social skills with adults with autism and ID.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature search identified five studies meeting inclusion criteria.

Findings

Positive outcomes were reported in promoting positive social behaviours. However, it is not possible to make conclusions regarding the efficacy of social skills interventions for this population due to the limited quantifiable data and small sample sizes.

Research limitations/implications

The limited number of studies in the review impacts on its conclusions. Two of the papers included only one participant with both ID and autism.

Practical implications

A range of people need to be involved in supporting and developing social skills (peers, care staff, professionals). More research is needed in a variety of settings. Future research should attend to consistency of outcome measurement, service user perspectives, generalisation of skills, and documenting consent procedures.

Originality/value

This review focussed on interventions for both positive and negative social behaviours used with adults with ID (of all levels) and autism.
Clinical severity in Japanese patients with neurofibromatosis 1 based on DNB classification
Authors: Ehara Yuko , Yamamoto Osamu , Kosaki Kenjiro , Yoshida Yuichi
Published: May 2017

Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a genetic disease characterized by cutaneous, neurological and osseous complications. Although clinical manifestations of NF1 are variable, there has been no report on evaluation of severity in patients with NF1. To elucidate the grade of severity of NF1, a retrospective study was conducted in 124 NF1 patients at the Department of Dermatology of Tottori University Hospital in 2007–2016. The DNB classification (dermatological, neurological and bone manifestations) in Japan was used for assessment. Based on our current epidemiological data, there were 55 patients (44.3%) in stage 1, 23 (18.6%) in stage 2, three (2.4%) in stage 3, one (0.8%) in stage 4 and 42 (33.9%) in stage 5. The grade of severity in patients with NF1 tended to be higher with aging. Remarkably, 61.8% of the patients in stage 5 had diffuse plexiform neurofibromas with functional disability. We should pay attention to diffuse plexiform neurofibromas that greatly affect quality of life in patients with NF1.
Imaging after treatment in uterine malignancies: Spectrum of normal findings and most common complications
Authors: Miccò Maura , Telesca Anna Maria , Gui Benedetta , Grimaldi Pier Paolo , Cambi Francesco , Marini Maria Giulia , Valentini Anna Lia , Bonomo Lorenzo
Published: May 2017

Uterine malignancies account for the majority of gynaecologic cancers. Different treatment options are available depending on histology, disease grade and stage. Hysterectomy is the most frequent surgical procedure. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT) represents the preferred therapeutic choice for locally advanced uterine and cervical malignancies. Imaging of the female pelvis following these treatments is particularly challenging due to alteration of the normal anatomy. Radiologists should be familiar with both the expected post‐treatment imaging findings and the imaging features of possible complications to make the correct interpretation and avoid possible pitfalls. The purpose of this review is to show the expected computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) appearances of the female pelvis following surgery and CRT for uterine and cervical cancer, to illustrate the imaging findings of early and delayed most common complications after surgery and CRT, describing the suitable imaging modalities and protocols for evaluation of patients treated for gynaecologic malignancies.
Endothelial damage effects of circulating microparticles from patients with stable angina are reduced by aspirin through ERK/p38 MAPKs pathways
Authors: Cheng Gong , Shan Xue‐Feng , Wang Xu‐Lang , Dong Wei‐Wei , Li Zhe , Liu Xin‐Hong , Zhang Wei , Xing Kun , Chang Feng‐Jun
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Platelet activation participates in the development of both coronary artery disease (CAD) and circulating microparticles (MPs). As a commonly used medicine for coronary heart disease, whether aspirin affects the function of MPs remains unclear.

Aims

This study was designed to test MPs from healthy subjects, and stable angina (SA) patients before and after aspirin administration were obtained. MPs origins were tested by flow cytometry. Rat thoracic aortas were incubated with MPs (with or without aspirin) to determine the effects of MPs on expression of ERK1/2, JNKs, and p38 MAPK. Affect on levels of NF‐κB, VCAM‐1, NO, and O2‐.

Results

Compared with healthy subjects, MPs concentrations increased in SA patients, but decreased after aspirin administration. According to flow cytometry, aspirin mainly decreased platelet‐derived MP. MPs from SA patients decreased the expression of ERK1/2, increased expression of p38 MAPKs, JNKs. Increased NF‐κB, VCAM‐1, and (O2‐) levels decreased NO content. Aspirin therapy significantly inhibited function of MPs from SA patients, and pathway inhibitors (ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059, p38 MAPKs inhibitor SB203580, NF‐kB inhibitor PDTC) show similar effects with aspirin.

Conclusion

These results indicate that the pro‐inflammatory, oxidative stress, procoagulant, and adhesion properties of MPs can be partly blocked by aspirin via the ERK‐NO/O2‐ and p38 ‐NF‐κB‐VCAM‐1 signal pathway, which clarified other functions beyond anti‐atherothrombotic of aspirin.
An equation‐free method reveals the ecological interaction networks within complex microbial ecosystems
Authors: Suzuki Kenta , Yoshida Katsuhiko , Nakanishi Yumiko , Fukuda Shinji
Published: May 2017

Mapping the network of ecological interactions is a key to understanding the composition, stability, function and dynamics of microbial communities. In recent years various approaches have been used to reveal microbial interaction networks from metagenomic sequencing data, such as time‐series analysis, machine learning and statistical techniques. Despite these efforts it is still not possible to capture details of the ecological interactions behind complex microbial dynamics.

We developed the sparse S‐map method (SSM), which generates a sparse interaction network from a multivariate ecological time series without presuming any mathematical formulation for the underlying microbial processes. The advantage of the SSM over alternative methodologies is that it fully utilizes the observed data using a framework of empirical dynamic modelling. This makes the SSM robust to non‐equilibrium dynamics and underlying complexity (nonlinearity) in microbial processes.

We showed that an increase in dataset size or a decrease in observational error improved the accuracy of SSM However, the accuracy of a comparative equation‐based method was almost unchanged for both cases and equivalent to the SSM at best. Hence, the SSM outperformed a comparative equation‐based method when datasets were large and the magnitude of observational errors was small. The results were robust to the magnitude of process noise and the functional forms of interspecific interactions that we tested. We applied the method to a microbiome data of six mice and found that there were different microbial interaction regimes between young to middle age (4–40 week‐old) and middle to old age (36–72 week‐old) mice.

The complexity of microbial relationships impedes detailed equation‐based modelling. Our method provides a powerful alternative framework to infer ecological interaction networks of microbial communities in various environments and will be improved by further developments in metagenomics sequencing technologies leading to increased dataset size and improved accuracy and precision.
Activism across the lifecourse: Circumstantial, dormant and embedded activisms
Authors: Maynard Naomi
Published: May 2017

Focusing on the relationship between activism, the individual and the lifecourse, this paper argues for the importance of conceptualising activism as a dynamic temporal, as well as spatial, process. Transferring Nancy Worth's understanding of youth transitions “as becoming” onto activism, and using empirical research with adults who were involved in organisationally mediated activism as young people, three states of activism are offered and considered: circumstantial, dormant and embedded. Firstly activism that is circumstantial, important in the moment, is shown to play a significant role for young people in making possible multiple potential futures. Exploring these connections between the past and future unsettles the recent (over)emphasis in the studies of children and young people and P/politics, of the “here and now”. Secondly, it is argued that when involvement in organisationally mediated activism has finished, these experiences of activism have not ended but are dormant. They may be rejuvenated and curated at a different position in the lifecourse or following a new moment of conscientisation. Thirdly, contributing to a growing body of literature within activist geographies, instances where activism has become embedded in everyday spaces are examined. Complex transitions to adulthood are suggested to contribute to the nature of activism in these spaces. Going beyond the documentation of small‐scale activisms, these activisms are also presented as entwined with other scales.
Single‐incision totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair is feasible and safe in patients on antithrombotic therapy: A single‐center experience of 92 procedures
Authors: Wakasugi Masaki , Tei Mitsuyoshi , Suzuki Yozo , Furukawa Kenta , Masuzawa Toru , Kishi Kentaro , Tanemura Masahiro , Akamatsu Hiroki
Published: May 2017

Introduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of SILS for totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair for patients on antithrombotic therapy.

Methods

A total of 365 patients who underwent SILS for totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair between January 2011 and November 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Antithrombotic drugs were stopped preoperatively, and bridging intravenous heparin therapy was given according to the operative risk of each patient. Data on the patients' characteristics and perioperative outcomes were collected from their medical records.

Results

Ninety‐two patients (25%, 92/365) were treated with antithrombotic drugs preoperatively. The mean operative times for unilateral and bilateral hernia repairs were 96 min and 94 min (P = 0.5), respectively, in the antithrombotic therapy group and 140 min and 130 min (P = 0.2), respectively, in the control group. Bleeding volume was minimal in all patients. There was no significant difference in the conversion rate. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.5 days in the antithrombotic therapy group and 2.1 days in the control group (P = 0.1). Postoperative complications were seen in 16% (15/92) of patients in the antithrombotic therapy group and in 11% (29/273) of patients in the control group (P = 0.2). Pulmonary embolism was seen in one patient (0.4%, 1/273) in the control group.

Conclusions

SILS for totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair with bridging heparin therapy can be performed safely for patients on antithrombotic therapy.
Conservative Politics, Sacred Cows, and Sacrificial Lambs: The (Mis)Use of Evidence in Canada's Political and Penal Fields
Authors: Dawe Meghan , Goodman Philip
Published: May 2017

This article explores the federal government's justifications for its decision to cancel Canada's prison farm program, and demonstrates how Harper's Conservatives used talk of “evidence,” “science,” and “research” to appear to be performing good, modern governance. We argue that developments within the penal field are deeply intertwined with activities within the political field—and are more clearly understood when situated within the broader context of politics, science, and the strategic (mis)use of evidence. Scholars must be careful in assuming the state is actually engaging evidence rather than doing so only at the level of rhetoric and discourse.

Cet article explore les justifications utilisées par le gouvernement fédéral par rapport à sa décision d'annuler le programme canadien de prisons‐fermes, et démontre comment les conservateurs d'Harper ont utilisé les notions d’‘évidence’, de ‘science’ et de ‘recherche’ pour donner une apparence de bonne performance et de gouvernance moderne. Nous affirmons que les développements du champ pénal sont profondément imbriqués avec les activités à l'intérieur du champ politique—et sont mieux comprises lorsque situés dans le cadre plus large des politiques, de la science et des stratégies de (mal)utilisation d’évidences. Les spécialistes devraient être prudents lorsqu'ils assument que l’État prend réellement en compte les évidences alors qu'il est en fait seulement au niveau de la rhétorique et du discours.
The Future Lives of Sociology Graduates
Authors: Guppy Neil , Greer Kerry , Malette Nicole , Frank Kristyn
Published: May 2017

After earning a bachelor's degree, the fate of sociology undergraduates is mysterious. We know little about how many Canadians have sociology degrees and even less about what they do after graduation. Using a variety of data sources from Statistics Canada, we paint a historical portrait of the discipline by charting how many people, and who, become sociologists. We also examine where they are employed, how much they earn, and how satisfied they are with their degrees. Our findings show that sociology graduates are competitive with other fields of study on both wages and employment, but are less satisfied with their degrees. We stress how the discipline would be wise to pay more attention to our graduates and their opportunities.

Nous en savons peu sur l'avenir et le nombre de Canadiens ayant des diplômes de sociologie et encore moins ce qu'ils font après la graduation. Grâce à des données de Statistiques Canada, nous dressons un portrait historique de la discipline en montrant combien de personnes, et quel genre de personnes, deviennent sociologues. Nous examinons aussi où ils travaillent, combien ils gagnent et leur niveau de satisfaction par rapport à leurs diplômes. Nos résultats démontrent que les gradués en sociologie sont compétitifs par rapport aux autres champs d’étude en termes de salaire et de taux d'emploi, mais qu'ils sont moins satisfaits de leurs diplômes. Nous notons que la discipline aurait intérêt à porter plus d'attention sur les gradués et leurs opportunités.
Accuracy of computed tomography for detecting hepatic steatosis in donors for liver transplantation: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zheng Danping , Tian Wenshuo , Zheng Zhouying , Gu Jincui , Guo Zhiyong , He Xiaoshun
Published: May 2017

Background

The accuracy of computed tomography (CT) for detecting donor hepatic steatosis (HS) before liver transplantation is not well established.

Methods

A meta‐analysis was performed to determine the accuracy of CT for HS detection in liver donor candidates. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curves, and the area under the curve (AUC) were estimated using HSROC and bivariate random‐effects models.

Results

Twelve studies involving 1782 subjects were eligible for this meta‐analysis. For detecting significant HS (>10%‐30% steatosis in liver pathology) with CT in liver donors, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70‐0.89), 0.94 (95% CI: 0.90‐0.96), 13.7 (95% CI: 8.1‐23.1), and 0.20 (95% CI: 0.12‐0.33). The AUC was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92‐0.96). For detecting the presence of HS, these corresponding diagnostic estimates were 0.50 (95% CI: 0.36‐0.64), 0.90 (95% CI: 0.83‐0.95), 5.2 (95% CI: 3.1‐8.9), 0.55 (95% CI: 0.42‐0.72), and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.76‐0.83). Moderate‐to‐high heterogeneity was detected.

Conclusion

Computed tomography shows high accuracy in detecting significant HS while poor accuracy in detecting the presence of HS in liver donors. Donors estimated to have significant HS by CT may avoid unnecessary liver biopsy.
MAKINGtheLINK: A school‐based intervention to improve help‐seeking for substance use problems
Authors: Lubman Dan I. , Cheetham Ali , Berridge Bonita J. , McKay‐Brown Lisa
Published: May 2017

Background

Many young people are reluctant to seek professional help for alcohol and other substance use problems, preferring to rely on family and friends. MAKINGtheLINK is a school‐based intervention that teaches adolescents how to help their peers overcome barriers to engaging with professional help. The current study examined the effect of the MAKINGtheLINK programme in a sample of 12‐ to 15‐year‐old students.

Methods

Participants included 247 Grade 8 students (49% male, 51% female) recruited from 3 schools in Victoria, Australia. Participants completed questionnaires measuring barriers to professional help‐seeking, help‐seeking intentions and confidence to seek help at 3 time points (pre‐intervention, post‐intervention and 6‐week follow‐up). A non‐controlled repeated measures design was used to assess the effect of the programme on help‐seeking across time points.

Results

The programme decreased barriers, increased intentions to seek help from formal sources, decreased intentions to seek help from family and increased confidence to seek help for a peer. The decrease in barriers was maintained at the 6‐week follow‐up, as were decreased intentions to seek help from family members, and increased intentions to seek help from school counsellors and alcohol and drug workers. The effects of the intervention did not differ substantially between males and females.

Conclusions

The MAKINGtheLINK is the first intervention to focus on overcoming barriers to help‐seeking for substance use problems by helping adolescents develop skills to support their peers. The intervention has promise as a means of facilitating help‐seeking during adolescence, although further research is needed to test its effectiveness in a more rigorous design.
Does co‐occurring borderline personality disorder influence acute phase treatment for first‐episode psychosis?
Authors: Francey Shona M. , Jovev Martina , Phassouliotis Christina , Cotton Sue M. , Chanen Andrew M.
Published: May 2017

Background

This aims of this study were: (1) to determine the prevalence of co‐occurring borderline personality disorder (BPD) in a first‐episode psychosis (FEP) sample; (2) to determine differences between patients with and without BPD on demographics, comorbidities and clinical risks and other variables; and (3) to examine whether BPD comorbidity influenced treatment received by patients for FEP during their first 3 months after service entry to a specialist early psychosis service.

Methods

A file audit was conducted for 100 consecutive admissions to an early psychosis service. Patients with a clinician‐rated co‐occurring diagnosis of BPD were compared with patients without clinician‐rated BPD on a range of variables.

Results

Twenty‐two percent of the FEP sample was diagnosed with co‐occurring BPD by clinician ratings. The FEP group with co‐occurring BPD was found to be younger, more likely to have other comorbidities, and were at higher risk of suicide and violent behaviour. Group differences were found in treatment received for FEP, whereby patients with co‐occurring BPD had poorer access to standard treatment, including guideline concordant antipsychotic medication prescription.

Conclusion

Young people with co‐occurring clinician‐rated BPD and FEP experienced greater difficulty accessing standard care for FEP and received relatively different treatment, including different pharmacotherapy, compared with those FEP patients without BPD. There is a need to develop new clinical guidelines and effective treatments for this specific subgroup with early psychosis and co‐occurring BPD that take into account interpersonal and “premorbid” aspects of their presenting problems.
Differential Prediction in the Use of the SAT and High School Grades in Predicting College Performance: Joint Effects of Race and Language
Authors: Shewach Oren R. , Shen Winny , Sackett Paul R. , Kuncel Nathan R.
Published: May 2017

The literature on differential prediction of college performance of racial/ethnic minority students for standardized tests and high school grades indicates the use of these predictors often results in overprediction of minority student performance. However, these studies typically involve native English‐speaking students. In contrast, a smaller literature on language proficiency suggests academic performance of those with more limited English language proficiency may be underpredicted by standardized tests. These two literatures have not been well integrated, despite the fact that a number of racial/ethnic minority groups within the United States contain recent immigrant populations or heritage language speakers. This study investigates the joint role of race/ethnicity and language proficiency in Hispanic, Asian, and White ethnic groups across three educational admissions systems (SAT, HSGPA, and their composite) in predicting freshman grades. Our results indicate that language may differentially affect academic outcomes for different racial/ethnic subgroups. The SAT loses predictive power for Asian and White students who speak another best language, whereas it does not for Hispanic students who speak another best language. The differential prediction of college grades of linguistic minorities within racial/ethnic minority subgroups appears to be driven by the verbally loaded subtests of standardized tests but is largely unrelated to quantitative tests.
Comparability in Balanced Assessment Systems for State Accountability
Authors: Evans Carla M. , Lyons Susan
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this study was to test methods that strengthen the comparability claims about annual determinations of student proficiency in English language arts, math, and science (Grades 3–12) in the New Hampshire Performance Assessment of Competency Education (NH PACE) pilot project. First, we examined the literature in order to define comparability outside the bounds of strict score interchangeability and explored methods for estimating comparability that support a balanced assessment system for state accountability such as the NH PACE pilot. Second, we applied two strategies—consensus scoring and a rank‐ordering method—to estimate comparability in Year 1 of the NH PACE pilot based upon the expert judgment of 85 teachers using 396 student work samples. We found the methods were effective for providing evidence of comparability and also detecting when threats to comparability were present. The evidence did not indicate meaningful differences in district average scoring and therefore did not support adjustments to district‐level cut scores used to create annual determinations. The article concludes with a discussion of the technical challenges and opportunities associated with innovative, balanced assessment systems in an accountability context.
Exploiting the high‐resolution JRC‐MARS European climatic dataset for pest risk mapping
Authors: Korycinska A. , Baker R.
Published: May 2017

Climatic data with a high temporal and spatial resolution are invaluable when modelling the potential distribution of non‐native pests. The European Commission Joint Research Centre Monitoring Agricultural ResourceS (MARS) programme provides a unique source of European daily climatic data. Available from 1975 to 2015 and updated annually, the data are interpolated from over 5000 weather stations to 25‐km grid cells. All geographical Europe is included, plus Mediterranean areas of the Middle East and North Africa. The climatic parameters available include temperature (daily minima and maxima), solar radiation, rainfall and relative humidity. As well as the potential for use in simple pest models, selected parameters can be imported into more complex models, such as CLIMEX, for more detailed analyses. Case studies showing how the MARS data have been used by the UK in pest risk analyses are presented for three insect pests: Thaumetopoea pityocampa, Hyphantria cunea (both Lepidoptera) and Popillia japonica (Coleoptera). The case studies illustrate some methods of representing uncertainty where thresholds are lacking in the published literature, there are conflicting data and only air temperature data are available to model a soil‐dwelling organism.
Sarcopenia is a risk factor for falling in independently living Japanese older adults: A 2‐year prospective cohort study of the GAINA study
Authors: Matsumoto Hiromi , Tanimura Chika , Tanishima Shinji , Osaki Mari , Noma Hisashi , Hagino Hiroshi
Published: May 2017

Aim

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether sarcopenia was associated with future falls in the general Japanese older population.

Methods

This study was a 2‐year prospective observational study. Participants were recruited from individuals who had an annual town‐sponsored medical check‐up and had not received nursing care. The inclusion criteria for participants in our study were: (i) agreement to participate; (ii) living independently; and (iii) the ability to walk to where the survey was carried out and to provide self‐reported data. A total of 223 residents (82 men, 141 women) participated in the baseline assessment in the study. Demographic information, previous fall history, locomotive syndrome, body function and structural measurements and pain at the knee and/or lumber spine were assessed. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia algorithm was used to classify the presence of sarcopenia, and assess the history of falling when the participant received their annual medical check‐up.

Results

A total of 162 participants had an annual follow‐up assessment, 50 of whom (30.8%) fell at least once during the 2‐year observational period after baseline assessment. Previous falling history, prevalence of locomotive syndrome, sarcopenia and pain were significantly higher in participants who had fallen compared with participants who had not. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed the prevalence of sarcopenia was a significant predictor of falling.

Conclusion

The key finding of the present study suggests that sarcopenia is a risk factor for falling in older adults who are living independently even after adjustment for previous falls and confounding factors. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2124–2130.
Association between the frequency and autonomy of social participation and self‐rated health
Authors: Tomioka Kimiko , Kurumatani Norio , Hosoi Hiroshi
Published: May 2017

Aim

Although numerous studies have reported that social participation (SP) has favorable effects on older people's health, no studies have focused on the autonomy of SP. We investigated the cross‐sectional relationship between the type, frequency, and autonomy of SP and self‐rated health (SRH).

Methods

A postal survey was mailed to 19 354 citizens born between 1945 and 1949 in a city in Nara prefecture (response rate: 65.9%). A total of 12 157 respondents (5114 men and 7043 women) with independent basic activities of daily living made up the analytical participants. Six types of SP were measured: volunteer groups, sports groups, hobby groups, senior citizens’ clubs, neighborhood community associations and cultural groups. Using multiple logistic regressions, we calculated the odds ratio for poor SRH, with non‐participation as the reference. Covariates included age, family size, body mass index, comorbidities, smoking, drinking, walking, depression and cognitive function.

Results

Adjusted odds ratios for poor SRH decreased with more frequent SP or with more voluntary SP among both sexes, but this dose–response relationship was stronger in women than in men. After mutual adjustment for the frequency and autonomy of SP, voluntary SP had stronger effects on SRH than frequent SP, especially in sports and hobby groups among men, and in volunteer and hobby groups among women. For cultural groups, women with frequent and voluntary SP had positive effects on SRH, but frequent and obligatory SP had negative effects on men.

Conclusions

The present results imply that encouraging voluntarily chosen SP rather than frequent SP might be a key point for successful aging. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2537–2544.