bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Internal Migration in Thailand
Authors: Guest Philip , Chamratrithirong Aphichat , Archavanitkul Kritaya , Piriyathamwong Nittaya , Richter Kerry
Published: January 2015

Internal migration of the population of Thailand involves a number of distinct forms of movement. Three forms are identified in this research: single-move, seasonal and repeat. The first can be treated as long-term migration while the latter two are more temporary. All forms are characterized by different geographical flows and different selectivity patterns. Long-term migration is highly selective of young adults, females and the more highly educated. It is most likely to occur between urban areas or from rural to urban areas. Temporary migration mainly involves movement back and forth between urban and rural places and is most likely to be engaged in by those with a medium level of education. The census, the traditional source of migration data, tends to underestimate the levels of migration and overestimate the selectivity of migration. The need for detailed migration data to be used for formulating population redistribution policies is seen in the results of the research.
Patterns of Spouse/Fiance Sponsorship to Australia
Authors: Iredale Robin
Published: January 2015

In the late 1980s, repeat spouse/fiance sponsorship emerged as an issue of concern in the Australian community, especially because of the growing incidence of domestic violence. This article is based on research conducted in 1992 for the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. The aim was to investigate both repeat and serial sponsorship ( i.e., where domestic violence was present) for all groups of women, through the majority are from Asia. Interviews with women who had been sponsored, community and health workers, refuge workers and others revealed that repeat sponsorship was a common phenomenon. Further, repeat sponsors demonstrated a high level of perpetration of various forms of domestic violence. In July 1994, the Minister for Immigration announced changes in government policy.
The Social Construction of Gendered Migration from the Philippines
Authors: Tyner James A.
Published: January 2015

Despite a considerable amount of research conducted on Asian labor migration, decidedly little attention has focused on the vulnerability and exploitation of women overseas contract workers. This article examines how the social construction of gender influences the migration of Filipina overseas workers and contributes to the increased vulnerability and exploitation of women migrants. In particular, direct and indirect socialization processes, as well as gendered and racial stereotypes, are manifest within the labor recruitment process, helping to channel women migrants into the domestic services and entertainment sectors of this migration flow.
Migration and Remittances in the South Pacific: Towards New Perspectives
Authors: Connell John , Brown Richard P.C.
Published: January 2015

For more than a quarter of a century there has been substantial emigration from the smaller island states of the Pacific to metropolitan fringe states, mainly the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Migration reduced unemployment in the island states and remittances have contributed to raised living standards. There has been some shift of remittances from consumption to investment. Communal remittances are of greater significance than in other world regions. There is a high propensity to sustain remittance flows over long periods of time at some cost to the senders. The duration and magnitude of migration, the remittance flows and their considerable social and economic consequences in a range of contexts has demonstrated the need for much more attention to be given, in terms of both studies and policy formation, to the role of migration and remittances in economic and social development in the Pacific region.
The Determinants of Remittances among Tongans in Auckland
Authors: Vete Mele Fuka
Published: January 2015

Aspects of the Auckland Tongan community's remittance patterns in 1984 are identified and explained. It is argued that the attitudes of Tongan people regarding gender differences contribute to a distinctive feature of the group's remittance behavior and contemporary obligations also influenced the amount of remittances and the percentage of income remitted. Employment and residence status, length of stay in New Zealand and dependents in Tonga are other explanations for attitudes to remittances. Most migrants send substantial sums, especially recent migrants, without secure residence status in New Zealand. Most remittances are sent for subsistence needs, though a very high proportion of remitters are unconcerned about remittance use, and believe that the duty of supporting kin is the critical factor in remittance flows.
To the Islands: The Remittances of Fijians in Sydney
Authors: Stanwix Clare , Connell John
Published: January 2015

Migration of Melanesian Fijians to Sydney has become substantial since the 1980s. Much migration is of individuals, rather than families, and based on individual decisions. Though remittances are not a primary goal of migration, they are considerable and comparable to those of overseas Polynesian communities. Remittances, in goods and money, were usually sent to close kin, especially parents, in accordance with perceptions of needs and were usually mainly for food and clothes. A smaller but still substantial proportion was sent through churches and provincial groups for development projects benefiting communities and wider regions. Social distance, geographical scale, household size and the impact of recession on employment and incomes were critical influences on the volume of remittances.
Migration, Remittances, and the Distribution of Income: Evidence from the Pacific
Authors: Ahlburg Dennis A.
Published: January 2015

This article discusses why it is not surprising that empirical studies of the effect of remittances on the distribution of income sometimes find that remittances increase inequality and sometimes find that they decrease it. As has been shown by Stark, Taylor and Yitzhaki (1986), the impact depends on the share of remittances in total income, the distribution of remittances, and where the recipients of remittances are located in the overall distribution of income. These factors differ across locations over time.
Theories of International Labor Migration: An Overview
Authors: Stahl Charles W.
Published: January 2015

Emigration pressures are primarily the result of increasing inequalities between countries which, in turn, are the result of factors internal to less developed countries and their relations with developed countries. Both micro (neoclassical) and macrostructural theories of migration are re-viewed. It is argued that the neoclassical theory of migration is often unjustly criticized and is sufficiently robust to incorporate those structural considerations which are at the core of macrostructural theories. Moreover, the neoclassical theory, with slight modification, can incorporate the “new economics of migration.” The major empirical problem confronting models of international labor migration is that migration flows are constrained by immigration policy. This policy, in turn, is influenced by various special interest groups. The direction and form of migration flows is conditioned by contemporary and historical relationships between source and destination countries.
Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore
Authors: Wong Diana
Published: January 2015

This paper discusses the regulatory and economic context of Filipina migration into domestic waged labor in Singapore. It places this migration in the history of female rural-urban migration as well as the history of domestic labor in Singapore. Finally, it raises the question as to why domestic waged labor has persisted in the global capitalist economy.
International Trade in Services: A Growing Trend among Highly Skilled Migrants with Special Reference to Asia
Authors: Garnier Philippe
Published: January 2015

International trade in services gained worldwide recognition with the 1994 GATT Agreements in Marrakech. Its predominant role in international exchanges as well as its contribution to the development of a global economy is now widely acknowledged. An essential component of trade in services is cross-border movements of service providers. However, contemporary literature has focused on skilled migration in general without paying much attention to this major constituent and has resulted in confusion. On the one hand, there are international movements of skilled transients who emigrate for individual reasons in a long term perspective. On the other hand, there are skilled temporary migrants who perform services abroad without the intention or right to settle or seek employment in the host country. This study aims to clarify these differences using the example provided by the Asian Pacific region. Moreover, this study shows that the dynamics of skilled international migration is largely determined by the circulatory movement of skills of international service providers and has emerged as an essential component of economic development strategy of the countries in the region.
Determinants of Migration Values and Expectations in Rural Thailand
Authors: De Jong Gordon F. , Johnson Andrea G. , Richter Kerry
Published: January 2015

Based on the argument that values and expectations underlie behavioral motives, this study explores the determinants of migration-related values and expectations, and whether they are intervening factors in explaining intentions to move among residents of rural northeast Thailand. Data from the 1992 National Migration Survey of Thailand identify four migration-related value-expectancy dimensions: income, affiliation, stimulation, and comfort. Logistic regression analysis shows that landownership and being married are associated with higher expectations, while a diversified village economy, a village economic development program, and a younger and extended household structure are associated with lower expectations of attaining valued goals in the local rural village. The analysis also shows that value-expectancy concepts are only partial intervening explanations for intentions to move or stay.
Impact of Migration on Rural Employment and Earnings in the Western Development Region of Nepal
Authors: Tiwari Indra P.
Published: January 2015

This study was carried out to examine the impact of migration on rural employment and earnings in the Western Development Region of Nepal. Spatial mobility in expectation of employment and earning opportunities has remained a phenomenon in rural areas. Destinations of migrants have either been long or short distance. However, rural-to-rural migration has not contributed to occupational mobility and attainment of a higher level of earnings at the place of destination in comparison to the native population who have stayed behind. Temporary migration, largely to India, has resulted in occupational mobility, reduced rural underemployment, and contributed higher cash income to the participating households. Consequently, households with temporary outmigrant members who contribute to household earnings by salary, remittances, or pension, distinctly increase the earning level of this group and is significantly higher than that of households without any migrant members. The temporary outmigration of at least one member from more than one-third of total rural households has not had a negative impact on the subsistence production of agriculture.
Canada's Changing Immigration Policy: Implications for Asian Immigrants
Authors: Frideres James S.
Published: January 2015

Canada has accepted immigrants since the turn of the century and has been a major player in the world wide movement of people. However, until the 1960s, most immigrants were white and from Western Europe. By the late 60s, Canada's immigration policy took on a more universalistic criteria and immigrants from around the world were able to enter. In 1971, Canada established a multicultural policy, reflecting the multi-ethnic composition of Canadian society. However, a quarter century later, economic and ideological pressures have forced the government of the day to rethink its immigration policy.

The present paper reviews Canadian immigration policy and assesses the current situation. An analysis of the 1994 immigration consultation process is presented which led to the new changes in immigration policy. Recent changes in the organizational structure of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and its policy are evaluated. The implications of the new immigration policy are discussed, particularly as it relates to Asian immigration.
Violence against Women Migrant Workers: Issues, Data and Partial Solutions
Authors: Shah Nasra M. , Menon Indu
Published: January 2015

Despite the creation of specific norms, procedures, and institutions to protect women migrant workers, serious gaps remain. Statistics for measuring violence are not compiled comprehensively or regularly. Two occupations that increase the risk of violence are domestic service and entertainment-related services. Migration through illegal channels and trafficking also increase the risk. This article suggests a list of indicators to measure violence of three major types: 1) economic, 2) social/psychological, and 3) physical/sexual. Evidence from several countries to document instances of violence is reviewed. Major policy issues for the sending and receiving countries are outlined, and some recommendations for addressing such violations are made.
The Vulnerability of Asian Women Migrant Workers to a Lack of Protection and to Violence
Authors: Cox David
Published: January 2015

The paper argues that women moving abroad as domestic workers are, in many instances, unprepared, unprotected, and therefore open to exploitation and violent treatment. It suggests that the factors resulting in this common outcome are clear, and that an examination of the situation and the relevant factors leads us to a set of intervention strategies which are feasible. Six areas of intervention are identified: conventions, legislation, government control of processes, supervision, preparation and empowerment of the women, and support NGOs including self-help groups.
The Chinese of Papua New Guinea: From Settlers to Sojourners
Authors: Inglis Christine
Published: January 2015

The renewed interest in diaspora populations in this age of globalization has inevitably led to a re-examination of the Chinese diaspora which, especially in Southeast Asia, has achieved prominence through its association with the ëAsian economic miracle.í This article examines the contemporary transformation of the Papua New Guinea part of this Chinese diaspora from a long settled, homogeneous community into a highly segmented and fragmented sojourner population. Integral to this process has been the intersection of post-colonial nationalism with the emergence of new opportunities for economic development attracting Asian and other international investors. The new sojourner Chinese population differs in significant respects from the sojourner populations associated with much nineteenth and early twentieth century Chinese migration. A particular feature which emerges from the exploration of the variant patterns of Chinese migration and settlement in Papua New Guinea is the need to re-examine the nature of ìChineseî identity and frequent assumptions about the characteristics of Chinese diaspora populations. The Papua New Guinea Chinese case highlights the diversity in the way the Chinese identities related to the concept of a ëhomelandí as well as the very different ways in which segments of the same diaspora group relate to each other and to Chinese elsewhere.
The Demographic Underpinnings of Current and Future International Migration in Asia
Authors: Hugo Graeme
Published: January 2015

There has been an unprecedented increase in international population movement in the Asia-Pacific region in the last decade. The causes of this are complex and associated with the rapid economic and social change in the region, the forces of globalization, improvements in transport and communication and proliferation of migration networks. However, the present paper suggests that one element which needs to be considered in explaining contemporary international migration but especially in anticipating trends over the next decade are the differential patterns of growth of population within the region. While population growth overall has slowed, the work force age groups will continue to grow rapidly in Asia over the next decade or so and the contrasts between individual countries will increase. The proportion in the peak mobility age groups will thus continue to grow rapidly in particular countries and will be one of the elements contributing to increased levels of international migration within and out of the region.
Kinship Networks and Child Fostering in Labor Migration from Ilocos, Philippines to Italy
Authors: Nagasaka Itaru
Published: January 2015

This paper is an attempt to analyze the process of contemporary overseas labor migration from a village in the Ilocos region in the Philippines to Italy. As such, it will seek to outline the basic characteristics of the process of migration and examine them in relation to the local social structure. It will demonstrate how the Ilocanos responded to new opportunities of migration by manipulating existing social relations. Particular attention will be given to the process of constructing kinship networks among the migrants and the practice of fosterage in the homeland community, both of which are considered as adaptive processes to the new migration opportunity.
South-North Immigrants' Settlement and Opportunity Structures in the U.S.
Authors: Frey William H. , Liaw Kao-Lee , Hayase Yasuko
Published: January 2015

The increased migration to the U.S. from developing countries in Latin America and Asia has aroused concerns that new immigrants will impose new costs on U.S. citizens and the government. Less concern has been given to how current policy is affecting the social well being of immigrants them-selves. This article makes the case that the new immigration, motivated by kinship ties and family reunification provisions of U.S. immigration law leads to a clustering of new immigrants into areas that are no longer attracting large numbers of native born Americans. It is argued that the concentration of these groups into “high immigration regions” will limit their access to employment and education opportunities that would facilitate their spatial assimilation and upward mobility.
The Impact of the Asian Financial Crisis on Foreign Workers in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Joseph S.
Published: January 2015

Having experienced an economic crisis earlier, Taiwan was on its way to recovery when the crisis struck in 1997. In general, Taiwan's labor market was hardly affected by the crisis. Although the demand for foreign workers continues, there will be a decline in the employment of foreign workers in the future. The completion of construction projects and the upgrading of the economic structure would imply a lesser demand for foreign workers in the next few years. In the future, while the Taiwanese labor market would be more restrictive of less-skilled workers, it would be more open to professionals and highly skilled.
The Regional Economic Crisis and Singapore: Implications for Labor Migration
Authors: Hui Weng-Tat
Published: January 2015

Backed by sound economic fundamentals and policies, the Singapore economy has so far been able to cope relatively well with the economic crisis. However because of its close links with the regional economies, the deepening crisis is expected to result in a significant economic slowdown not seen since the last recession in 1985. The worsening labor market conditions are not expected to lead to massive retrenchment and repatriation of foreign workers because of the policy of retaining workers by performance rather than by their nationality. Irregular migration is an increasing problem and as unemployment rises, the effective regulation and management of foreign labor and migration flows pose a crucial challenge to policy makers in Singapore.
The Impact of the Economic Crisis on Migrant Labor in Malaysia: Policy Implications
Authors: Pillai Patrick
Published: January 2015

The regional crisis will increase employment and income inequalities within and between countries, thereby further increasing emigration pressures and drawing into sharper focus the disjunction between capital movement, State sovereignty and migration. Malaysia, with one of Asia's largest foreign labor pools, is a case in point. The financial crisis has hit most sectors, but migrants in construction and services are particularly affected. Official retrenchment data do not include the tens of thousands of documented migrants whose permits were not renewed on expiry, or the undocumented migrants repatriated. Though security concerns appeared to override market factors soon after the crisis broke out, demand for labor, employer pressure, and the prospect of higher revenues from migrant levies and pension fund contributions encouraged the State to change its stance and adopt a more flexible policy on migrant recruitment. Nationally, there is an urgent need for a clearer social consensus, culminating in a more consistent, predictable and detailed program to reduce foreign labor dependence. Regionally, governments have to create more jobs and reduce poverty so that migration pressures are eased.
Individual Aspiration or Family Survival: Rural-Urban Female Migration in Malaysia
Authors: Kusago Takayoshi
Published: January 2015

This paper analyzes the determinants of female migration to export processing zones (EPZs) in Malaysia. A comparison of the individual and household migration models reveals interesting and important contrasting results. First, the role played by the expected net income gains is opposite in the two models: negative in the individual model, positive in the household model. Second, family migration experience is significant in the individual model but not in the household model. Third, attitudes matter to the household decision on a daughter's migration but not in the individual model. These contrasting results suggest that explaining the daughter's migration decision may require more than separation of the individual motives and familial needs.
Strategies for reducing poor indoor air quality and adverse temperature exposure in Delhi's households: A multi-objective assessment
Authors: Nix Emily , Das Payel , Jain Nishesh , Davies Michael
Published: January 2015

High temperatures, an extremely polluted ambient environment, alongside disparities in housing quality and household energy use, indicate overheating risk and poor indoor air quality in Delhi dwellings. In this study, we explore a range of interventions to reduce adverse temperature exposure and improve indoor air quality, focusing on PM2.5, for exemplar base case households developed to cover the range of settlements types found in Delhi. Interventions are modelled using dynamic thermal simulation, and include a range of modifications to dwelling operation and building fabric, as well as additional building components. A weighted multi-objective assessment considering annual energy use, intervention cost, and a health metric encompassing heat, cold and PM2.5 exposure, is employed to score the suitability of strategies for each settlement type. The most effective strategy is found to be a combination of changes in building fabric with evaporative cooling and cooking ventilation in all archetypes. The results demonstrate how a weighted multi-objective assessment is effective in selecting strategies for settlement types with differing priorities.

Practical application: Current dwellings in Delhi risk significant energy consumption or provide inadequate indoor environmental quality. This work presents the performance of potential interventions, by considering multiple criteria, which could be deployed in Delhi households to provide low-energy healthy homes.
City Limits in a Postrecessionary World
Authors: Opp Susan M. , Osgood Jeffery L. , Rugeley Cynthia R.
Published: January 2015

This article explores the changing landscape of local economic development in the United States from a period of stability (1999) to a period of recessionary pressures (2009). This research finds support for one of the key components of the city limits thesis: competition drives developmental policy use. Additional notable findings include a declining role for private business in the economic development process, a mixed relationship between policy adoption and resident’s level of need for economic development, and an emphasis on higher visibility policies during recessionary periods.
Civic Engagement and Fiscal Stress in American Cities
Authors: Godwin Marcia L.
Published: January 2015

The Great Recession had a major effect on the provision of local public services. This article examines civic engagement before, during, and after the Great Recession using data from State of the Profession surveys sponsored by the International City/County Management Association. This study finds that cities increased their use of technology to inform citizens during the recession, but there were declines in the use of citizen surveys and strategic plans. The cities that were most impacted by the downturn had greater support for civic engagement activities in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The results indicate that fiscal stress impacts civic engagement in complex ways.
Cutback Management during the Great Recession
Authors: Smirnova Olga V. , Leland Suzanne M.
Published: January 2015

The following study looks at both qualitative and quantitative data collected from surveys of transit agency managers during and after the Great Recession to see if managers report changes in service provision arrangements in response to fiscal pressure. We investigate whether contracting out services is used as a method of cutback management. We find that the majority of agencies are unable to respond to current economic situation by changing service arrangements because of various and sometimes costly constraints such as state law, the level of competition in the bidding process, and length of contracts.
Early childhood aggression trajectories
Authors: Wildeboer Andrea , Thijssen Sandra , van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , van der Ende Jan , Jaddoe Vincent W. V. , Verhulst Frank C. , Hofman Albert , White Tonya , Tiemeier Henning , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J.
Published: January 2015

High and stable levels of aggression and the presence of aggressive behaviour in multiple settings according to different informants are risk factors for later problems. However, these two factors have not been investigated in early childhood. The present study investigates trajectories of parent-reported child aggression from 1.5 up to 6 years of age and their association with aggressive behaviour, attention problems and rule-breaking behaviour in a different setting, as reported by the teacher. In a longitudinal population-based cohort study, parent-reported measures of aggressive behaviour were obtained using the CBCL when children were 1.5, 3, and 6 years of age ( n = 4,781). Teacher-reported problem behaviour at school was assessed at age 6.5, using the TRF questionnaire ( n = 2,756). Growth mixture modelling yielded three aggression trajectories, with high increasing (3.0%), intermediate (21.3%), and low decreasing (75.7%) aggression levels. Children in trajectories with higher and increasing levels of aggression showed more teacher-reported aggressive behaviour, attention problems and rule breaking behaviour. However, parent-reported aggression at age six predicted problem behaviour at school to the same extent as did the aggression trajectories, suggesting that the incremental value of trajectories is not always self-evident.
Turkish politics of doxa
Authors: Dressler Markus
Published: January 2015

The religious identity of Turkey’s Alevis, with the origins of their traditions, and in particular their relation to Islam, are the focus of a debate current in Turkey as well as in those western European countries with strong Turkish migrant populations. This debate began in the late 1980s, with the public coming-out of the Alevi community, when the Alevis set out on a manifest campaign to be recognized as a distinct cultural and/or religious tradition. Against the backdrop of this debate, this article discusses the impact of Turkish politics of doxa on the possibilities of Alevi representation in Turkey. It gives particular attention to the implication of secularism and nationalism in the knowledge regime that subscribes heterodoxy to the Alevis – an ascription that secures their principal integratability in the Turkish nation, while at the same time preparing the ground for otherizing them from the Sunni majority perspective.
Reexamining elicited imitation as a measure of implicit grammatical knowledge and beyond…?
Authors: Sarandi Hedayat
Published: January 2015

This study examines elicited imitation (EI) both as a measure of implicit grammatical knowledge and more global semantic and syntactic knowledge. It also examines whether length affects the difficulty of EI tests when they contain both grammatical and ungrammatical items. Fifty language learners took an EI test and an oral narrative task. The data were analyzed once for the accuracy of a single target structure, third person ‘-s’, and then for the global semantic and syntactic accuracy. Moderate correlations were recorded between the learners’ third person accuracy scores on the oral narrative task and the grammatical and ungrammatical items of the EI test ( r = 0.62 and r = 0.66 respectively). A moderate correlation was also found between the learners’ global semantic and syntactic scores on the EI test and the oral narrative task ( r = 0.51). Furthermore, unlike the grammatical items, no significant correlation was recorded between length and the performance of the learners on the ungrammatical items. The findings underscore the need to validate EI against other tests of productive skills especially when EI is used as a measure of global language proficiency. Suggestion is made to explore structural-specific factors that contribute to difficulty level of EI tests.
Interventions to reduce dependency in personal activities of daily living in community dwelling adults who use homecare services: a systematic review
Authors: Whitehead Phillip J , Worthington Esme J , Parry Ruth H , Walker Marion F , Drummond Avril ER
Published: January 2015

Objectives:

To identify interventions that aim to reduce dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) in homecare service users. To determine: content; effectiveness in improving ability to perform ADL; and whether delivery by qualified occupational therapists influences effectiveness.

Data sources:

The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, PsycINFO, OTseeker, PEDro, Web of Science, CIRRIE, and ASSIA.

Review methods:

We included: randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials and controlled before and after studies. Two reviewers independently screened studies for inclusion, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. A narrative synthesis of the findings was conducted.

Results:

Thirteen studies were included, totalling 4975 participants. Ten (77%) were judged to have risk of bias. Interventions were categorised as those termed ‘re-ablement’ or ‘restorative homecare’ ( n=5/13); and those involving separate components which were not described using this terminology ( n=8/13). Content of the intervention and level of health professional input varied within and between studies. Effectiveness on ADL: eight studies included an ADL outcome, five favoured the intervention group, only two with statistical significance, both these were controlled before and after studies judged at high risk of bias. ADL outcome was reported using seven different measures. Occupational therapy: there was insufficient evidence to determine whether involvement of qualified occupational therapists influenced effectiveness.

Conclusion:

There is limited evidence that interventions targeted at personal ADL can reduce homecare service users’ dependency with activities, the content of evaluated interventions varies greatly.
Subchronic administration of short-acting naltrexone has no effect on striatal dopamine transporter availability, food intake or body weight gain in rats
Authors: Zaaijer Eline R , de Bruin Kora , la Fleur Susanne E , Goudriaan Anna E , van den Brink Wim , Booij Jan
Published: January 2015

The opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone is successfully used in the treatment of opioid and alcohol dependence. However, questions have been raised about possible anhedonic side effects, because the opioid system is directly involved in hedonic responses to natural rewarding activities, possibly due to its indirect effects on the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT). In order to test this hypothesis, 30 rats were randomized to either a 10-day treatment with 3 mg/kg short-acting naltrexone or vehicle. No significant differences between the groups were found in striatal DAT availability, cumulative food intake (for 48 or 72 h), body weight gain and abdominal fatpad weight. Thus, the results of this study suggest that (sub)chronic treatment with short-acting naltrexone does not induce possible anhedonic effects. However, it cannot be ruled out the anhedonic effect of naltrexone is only short-lived and thus not detected in the current study. Therefore, future studies are needed to study possible acute anhedonic effects at several time points shortly after short-acting naltrexone administration and to directly compare the possible anhedonic effects of long-acting with those of short-acting opioid antagonists.
Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population
Authors: Hendricks Peter S , Thorne Christopher B , Clark C Brendan , Coombs David W , Johnson Matthew W
Published: January 2015

Mental health problems are endemic across the globe, and suicide, a strong corollary of poor mental health, is a leading cause of death. Classic psychedelic use may occasion lasting improvements in mental health, but the effects of classic psychedelic use on suicidality are unknown. We evaluated the relationships of classic psychedelic use with psychological distress and suicidality among over 190,000 USA adult respondents pooled from the last five available years of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008–2012) while controlling for a range of covariates. Lifetime classic psychedelic use was associated with a significantly reduced odds of past month psychological distress (weighted odds ratio (OR)=0.81 (0.72–0.91)), past year suicidal thinking (weighted OR=0.86 (0.78–0.94)), past year suicidal planning (weighted OR=0.71 (0.54–0.94)), and past year suicide attempt (weighted OR=0.64 (0.46–0.89)), whereas lifetime illicit use of other drugs was largely associated with an increased likelihood of these outcomes. These findings indicate that classic psychedelics may hold promise in the prevention of suicide, supporting the view that classic psychedelics’ most highly restricted legal status should be reconsidered to facilitate scientific study, and suggesting that more extensive clinical research with classic psychedelics is warranted.
Computer tomography imaging findings of adrenal cavernous hemangiomas: a report of 10 cases
Authors: Peng Jun-Ping , Lv Xiao-Fei , Lin Chu-Lan , Zhou Jian , Zhang You-Ming , Zhang Yu-Han , Zhang Xue-Lin
Published: January 2015

Background

Cavernous hemangiomas (CHs) of the adrenal gland are extremely rare. To date, only a few studies of adrenal CH imaging have been reported.

Purpose

To analyze the computed tomography (CT) imaging findings of adrenal CHs.

Material and Methods

Ten cases of adrenal CHs confirmed by a histopathological examination were retrospectively analyzed. All of the patients had undergone unenhanced and enhanced CT examinations, and eight had also undergone multiphase CT enhancement examinations. CT characteristics, including shape, size, margin, attenuation, and enhancement patterns, were analyzed.

Results

The study included six women and four men with a mean age of 49.2 years (age range, 25–62 years) and no signs of abnormal endocrine activity. The unenhanced CTs showed well-defined, heterogeneous ( n = 8) or homogeneous ( n = 2) density masses with scattered ( n = 8) or spread calcifications ( n = 2) in six tumors. In the contrast-enhanced CTs, seven tumors appeared to be marked with heterogeneous enhancement, whereas three cases exhibited no obvious enhancement. The evaluation of the pattern of dynamic enhancement in eight patients revealed that the tumors showed early peripheral enhancement ( n = 4), early central enhancement ( n = 1), and mixed enhancement ( n = 1) with progressive partial filling-in, and no obvious enhancement in any phases ( n = 2).

Conclusion

Adrenal CHs should be included in the differential diagnosis when an adrenal neoplasm is incidentally found and appears as a well-defined, heterogeneous mass with calcifications and various enhancement patterns, including heterogeneous enhancement with characteristic progressive partial filling-in, as well as lack of enhancement in any phase.
Assessment of operability by means of CTPA and perfusion SPECT in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Grgic Aleksandar , Miodek Florian , Schäfers Hans-Joachim , Held Matthias , Kaiser Ralf , Khreish Fadi , Buecker Arno , Bals Robert , Kirsch Carl-Martin , Wilkens Heinrike
Published: January 2015

Background

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) can potentially be cured by pulmonary thrombendarterectomy (PEA), the criteria for differentiation between operable and non-operable patients are not standardized.

Purpose

To retrospectively evaluate the value of rigidly registered computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and single photon emission CT (SPECT) in differentiating for PEA.

Material and Methods

Forty-nine patients with CTEPH (21 men; age, 58 ± 13 years) were evaluated by an interdisciplinary expert board using all available diagnostic information and their consensus statement as gold standard. For SPECT a lobe based perfusion score was visually assessed using the score of 0 (lack of perfusion) to 1 (normal perfusion) calculating percentage of vascular obstruction (PVO). By CTPA, vascular obstruction index (OI) of central, peripheral, and global PA-bed were determined. The accuracy of the alignment between CTPA and SPECT was determined by fusion score (FS) ranging from 1 (no alignment) to 5 (exact alignment). Angiography provided PA pressure (PAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and PA wedge pressure (PAWP). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed.

Results

Twenty-nine patients were considered surgically amenable, and 20 patients were inoperable. Mean PAP, PVR, and PAWP were 48 ± 11 mmHg, 868 ± 461 dynes*sec*cm−5, and 11 ± 5 mmHg, without differences between surgical and non-surgical patients ( P > 0.5). In all patients accurate registration was reached (FS = 4.1 ± 0.7; range, 2–5). PVO and central OI separated PEA-amenable patients ( P ≤ 0.001) resulting in the area under the curve of 0.828 (cutoff for PVO: 37.8% with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 79%) and 0.755 (cutoff for central OI: 29% with a sensitivity and specificity of 86.2% and 79%) for operability.

Conclusion

An accurate interpretation of rigidly registered CTPA and perfusion SPECT may contribute to stratification of operability in patients with CTEPH.
Resting-state networks in healthy adult subjects: a comparison between a 32-element and an 8-element phased array head coil at 3.0 Tesla
Authors: Paolini Marco , Keeser Daniel , Ingrisch Michael , Werner Natalie , Kindermann Nicole , Reiser Maximilian , Blautzik Janusch
Published: January 2015

Background

Little research exists on the influence of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) head coil’s channel count on measured resting-state functional connectivity.

Purpose

To compare a 32-element (32ch) and an 8-element (8ch) phased array head coil with respect to their potential to detect functional connectivity within resting-state networks.

Material and Methods

Twenty-six healthy adults (mean age, 21.7 years; SD, 2.1 years) underwent resting-state functional MRI at 3.0 Tesla with both coils using equal standard imaging parameters and a counterbalanced design. Independent component analysis (ICA) at different model orders and a dual regression approach were performed. Voxel-wise non-parametric statistical between-group contrasts were determined using permutation-based non-parametric inference.

Results

Phantom measurements demonstrated a generally higher image signal-to-noise ratio using the 32ch head coil. However, the results showed no significant differences between corresponding resting-state networks derived from both coils ( p < 0.05, FWE-corrected).

Conclusion

Using the identical standard acquisition parameters, the 32ch head coil does not offer any significant advantages in detecting ICA-based functional connectivity within RSNs.
Three-dimensional isotropic T2-weighted fast spin-echo (VISTA) knee MRI at 3.0 T in the evaluation of the anterior cruciate ligament injury with additional views: comparison with two-dimensional fast spin-echo T2-weighted sequences
Authors: Park Hee Jin , Lee So Yeon , Park Noh Hyuck , Ahn Jin Hwan , Chung Eun Chul , Kim Sung Jun , Cha Jang Gyu
Published: January 2015

Background

There has been no comparison study to assess the diagnostic efficacy of additional anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) views in three-dimensional (3D) volume isotropic turbo spin-echo acquisition (VISTA) and two-dimensional (2D) fast spin-echo (FSE) T2-weighted (T2W) images for the diagnosis of ACL tear.

Purpose

To compare the diagnostic performances of additional ACL views on VISTA with those on the 2D FSE T2W images.

Material and Methods

This retrospective study included 78 patients who were suspected to have ACL injury and underwent both 2D TSE T2W magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 3D VISTA MRI of the knee between November 2012 and March 2013. The diagnostic performance of each oblique sagittal and coronal view and the combined images was evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing an ACL tear. The arthroscopically and clinically confirmed diagnoses were used as the reference standard. The values were statistically analyzed using the McNemar test.

Results

The inter-observer agreement between two readers of the additional ACL views on 3D VISTA and 2D FSE T2W images were substantial on 2D FSE images and nearly concurred on the VISTA image. When considering both views of the oblique sagittal and coronal images, the inter-observer agreement between readers nearly concurred. There were no statistically significant differences in the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between 2D FSE images and VISTA images.

Conclusion

The performance of the additional ACL view on 3D VISTA MRI is comparable to that of 2D FSE T2W MRI in the diagnosis of ACL tear though the image quality of the 3D VISTA MRI is not equal to that of 2D FSE MRI.
Bringing Research Into Practice
Authors: Shaw Jessica , Campbell Rebecca , Hagstrom Julie , O’Reilly Leslie , Kreiger Gail , Cain Debi , Nye Jeff
Published: January 2015

The importance of research-informed practice for the field of sexual assault has been stressed by academics and practitioners alike. However, there are few examples of researcher–practitioner partnerships in the literature, therefore providing minimal guidance for this process. This article describes a researcher–practitioner partnership that was successful in using evaluation data to guide practice and policy decisions regarding the development and implementation of a new sexual assault kit for the state of Michigan. Cousins’s practical participatory evaluation theory was used as the guiding framework for the evaluation. Data collection methods included focus groups with practitioners from five, regionally dispersed health care settings in Michigan, and surveys with forensic scientists throughout the state’s regional laboratory system. This case study highlights how researchers and practitioners worked together for data collection, analysis, and dissemination to support research-informed practice in this state. Lessons learned and future recommendations for forming researcher–practitioner partnerships to improve the response to sexual assault are discussed1.
Mangrove history during middle- and late-Holocene in Pacific south-eastern Mexico
Authors: Joo-Chang Juan Carlos , Islebe Gerald Alexander , Torrescano-Valle Nuria
Published: January 2015

A paleoecological analysis of a 6-m-long sedimentary sequence from the La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve (RBLE) from southern Pacific Mexico provides detailed information about past vegetation changes between ~6200 and 700 cal. yr BP. Highest percentages of mangrove pollen in pollen zone I (from ~6200 to 5400 cal. yr BP) suggest moister and warmer conditions than at present related with global rates of sea-level rise and northward position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), suppressing El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Drier conditions and decreasing rates of sea-level rise at ~5400–4500 cal. yr BP are evidenced in pollen zone II by the lowest percentages of mangrove pollen and highest presence of disturbance pollen. Recovery of mangroves and tropical forests occurred from ~4500 cal. yr BP, suggesting moister conditions. Agricultural activities are recorded around ~4900, 4700 and 2400 cal. yr BP, although human occupation was scarce in the mangrove area. ENSO variability correlates to mangrove pollen variation between 3600 and 2400 cal. yr BP. A protracted drought is observed at ~1300–700 cal. yr BP characterized by proportions in montane forest pollen and may be related with southern oscillation of the ITCZ and the Classical Mayan Demise.
Mechanistic approach for the toxic effects of perfluorooctanoic acid on isolated rat liver and brain mitochondria
Authors: Mashayekhi V , Tehrani K Haj Mohammad Ebrahim , Hashemzaei M , Tabrizian K , Shahraki J , Hosseini M-J
Published: January 2015

Background:

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is one of the most widely used perfluoroalkanes as surfactants, lubricants and processing aids in the production of polymers, which has also been detected in the environment, wildlife and human body. Animal studies indicated that PFOA caused a wide array of toxic effects including liver and brain dysfunction, carcinogenicity and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Based on the established role of mitochondria-mediated pathways in the observed toxic effects of many drugs and chemicals, in this study, the potential toxic effects of PFOA on mitochondria isolated from rat liver and brain have been investigated.

Method:

Mitochondria were isolated by differential centrifugation method and incubated with different concentrations of PFOA (0.5–1.5 mM). The effects of PFOA were assessed on a series of mitochondrial parameters including reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, activities of mitochondrial complexes I/II/III, reduced glutathione (GSH) content, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level, membrane potential, lipid peroxidation (LPO), mitochondrial swelling and cytochrome c release.

Results:

The data on liver mitochondria indicated that PFOA-induced ROS elevation in both mitochondrial complexes I and III, mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, swelling, cytochrome c release and decreased ATP level which induces apoptosis or necrosis. On brain mitochondria, PFOA showed fairly similar effects on the above-mentioned parameters. However, different results were obtained when the effect of PFOA was assessed on LPO and complex II activity.

Conclusions:

Due to the fact that PFOA had toxic effects on the mitochondria isolated, it could be suggested that mitochondrial toxicity could be a plausible mechanism for the toxic effects of this fluorochemical on liver and brain function.