bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Possible Selves: Applications for Career Counseling
Authors: Meara Naomi M. , Day Jeanne D. , Chalk Linda M. , Phelps Rosemary E.
Published: January 2017

Possible selves is a future-oriented, personalized, affect-laden, motivating form of self-knowledge, which provides a link between one's self-concept and incentives for future behavior, an interpretive framework for an individual's current views of self, and a way to link present behaviors with future outcomes. This article explores the usefulness of thinking about one's occupational future in the context of possible selves. Beneficial aspects of doing so include a personalization of career-related choices including their affective components, incentives to be planful, and an explicit focus on the future. Ideas are presented for applying possible selves to a career-counseling focus for racial/ethnic minorities and women. Cautions related to the construct and directions for research are explored.
Developing a Theory-Based Measure of Career Decision-Making: The Decisional Process Inventory
Authors: Hartung Paul J.
Published: January 2017

The present study describes the development and an initial assessment of the psychometric properties of the Decisional Process Inventory (DPI). The DPI served as an empirical test of Gestalt therapy homeostasis theory for conceptualizing and facilitating career development and decision-making. The inventory is intended to assess career decidedness or individual level of progress toward reaching a career-decided state. The DPI consists of 70 items that address respondents' perceptions and experiences of the career decision-making process. Participants responded to the DPI (n = 248), the Career Decision Scale (CDS; Osipow, Carney, Winer, Yanico, & Koschier, 1976) (n = 242), the Occupational Alternatives Question (OAQ; Zener & Schnuelle, 1976) (n = 244), and the Gestalt Contact Styles Questionnaire-Revised (GSCQ-R; Woldt & Kepner, 1986) (n = 243). Results supported the content validity of the items and criterion-related validity of the inventory. Seven factors related to the career decision-making process are described.
Career Self-Efficacy and the Prediction of Work and Home Role Salience
Authors: Matzeder Mary E. , Krieshok Thomas S.
Published: January 2017

This study investigated whether there were gender differences in the relationship between career-related self-efficacy expectations and both work and home role salience. Self-efficacy expectations to perform duties in both male and female-dominated occupations were assessed in 113 students from a large midwestern university. In addition, salience for the work and home roles was explored with Super and Nevill's The Salience Inventory (1986) for both genders. Super and Nevill defined role salience in terms of three dimensions: commitment, participation, and value expectations. Results suggest that self-efficacy in traditionally male-dominated occupations positively predicted commitment to the work role for women but not for men. Previous research was also supported in the finding that women expected to participate more in home-related activities than did men.
Elaboration of the Relation Between Interest Congruence and Satisfaction
Authors: Meir Elchanan I.
Published: January 2017

In two meta-analyses (Assouline & Meir, 1987; Tranberg, Slane, & Ekeberg, 1993) of studies investigating Holland's (1985) theory of congruence, the mean congruence-satisfaction correlations were found to be around .20. It is argued that this relation is meaningful (a) despite the lack of statistical significance in each of these studies, and (b) because adequate breakdown of the correlations by content and methodological moderators reveals statistically significant mean correlations ranging from .29 to .42, p < .05.
Automatic design and synthesis of control for a plug and play active vibration control module
Authors: Uhlmann Eckart , Kushwaha Shashwat , Mewis Jan , Richarz Sebastian
Published: January 2017

In this paper, a technique for automatic robust control design and synthesis for plug and play active vibration control module is presented. Robust control theory offers the uncertainty analysis and graphical manipulation of the frequency response as well as analytical solution approach. The prior knowledge of the plant model imposes limitations on the fast and effective implementation of the robust control. Moreover, the design of the weight functions for the robust control is usually a trial and error process. The plant identification and subsequent control design becomes even more tedious for modular devices with plug and play capability. In the present paper, the plant model is identified by using polyreference least square complex frequency estimator and an innovative automatic pole clustering algorithm. The [Formula: see text] loop shaping robust control is designed, where the parameters of the weight functions are optimised using genetic algorithm. An experimental evaluation is also presented on a prototype modular structure.
A method for evaluating the comfort during blasting vibration based on energy absorbing principle
Authors: Qiang Yao , Xingguo Yang , Hongtao Li
Published: January 2017

Vibration from blasting operations exert negative effects on the comfort of nearby buildings (structures) resulting in the dissatisfaction of and even complaints from nearby residents. This problem impacts both blasting activities and social stability. Therefore, establishing a method for reasonably evaluating blasting vibration (BV) comfort and a standard can significantly reduce the complaints and civil disputes caused by construction activities involving blasting. This paper systematically reviewed the factors influencing BV comfort as well as the current evaluation indexes and criteria, and analyzed the mechanism of BV comfort. Starting with the three elements of BV, this paper developed a human body linear-elastic vibration model, according to which the effect of BV on the human body is regarded as an energy transmission and conversion process. Consequently, a comfort evaluation index, the human body absorbed blasting vibration energy (ABVE) index, was proposed. ABVE was used to determine the magnitude of human body ABVE in various bands, so as to quantitatively analyze the magnitude and frequency composition of ABVE. After a thorough investigation of the differences among BV energies produced by different blasting sources in terms of frequency composition, it was found that the main frequency bands of surface BV waves were closer to the natural frequency of vibration of the human body and thus exerted the greatest discomfort to humans.
High-Minded Utilitarian Public Relations Students Dance to Two Drummers
Authors: Chen Ni , Culbertson Hugh M.
Published: January 2017

Many critics view deontology (focusing largely on the merits of an action itself) and utilitarianism (evaluation of an action based on its projected consequences) as rival approaches to ethical decision making. This survey of public relations students at three universities in the United States and one each in Hong Kong and mainland China suggest that, as various theorists propose, many people adhere to both schools of thought, with utilitarianism being the dominant view overall. Furthermore, belief in both schools appears to correlate with high-minded ethical thinking as measured by assessments of several hypothetical ethical decisions. Implications for teaching are suggested.
Perceived News Overload and Its Cognitive and Attitudinal Consequences for News Usage in South Korea
Authors: Song Haeyeop , Jung Jaemin , Kim Youngju
Published: January 2017

This study focuses on the ironic situation in which news is more available than ever but people are becoming overwhelmed and thus avoid it. A theoretical model is suggested to investigate the relationships between perceived news overload and its cognitive and attitudinal consequences among South Korean Internet users. A structural model reveals that perceived news overload induced news avoidance by increasing news fatigue and news analysis paralysis. Furthermore, this study finds evidence that news consumers are willing to use news curation services to alleviate news avoidance and thus stay informed.
Comparing the Effects of Vivid Writing and Photographs on Moral Judgment in Public Relations
Authors: McEntee Rebecca S. , Coleman Renita , Yaschur Carolyn
Published: January 2017

This experiment explores whether vivid writing can improve ethical reasoning by testing it in public relations against non-vivid writing, alone and in combination with pictures. Vivid writing has effects similar to photographs on attention, memory, emotion, and persuasion; this study explores whether vivid writing effects includes one of the more important effects that photographs can have—improving ethical reasoning. Results show non-vivid writing alone raised participants’ moral judgment, however photographs increased participants’ perceptions of the issues as morally important. Vivid writing did increase participants’ empathy, and empathy was related to support for the organization. Photographs increased participants’ perception of the issue as morally important.
Exploring Public Service Journalism
Authors: Ferrucci Patrick
Published: January 2017

Although the public journalism movement met its demise in U.S. newsrooms around the turn of the 21st century, new market models and technological tools now make it far easier for journalists to accomplish the goals of the now-dead movement. Through in-depth interviews with 19 journalists at digitally native news nonprofits (DNNNs), this study seeks to examine whether this relatively new market model practices a new form of public journalism, one prior research dubbed public service journalism. The results show that, indeed, this market model does practice public service journalism. These results are interpreted through the framework of Habermas’s theory of the public sphere.
Digital Democracy in America
Authors: Nelson Jacob L. , Lewis Dan A. , Lei Ryan
Published: January 2017

Although the Internet has redefined interactions between the individual and the community, the U.S. civic engagement that so impressed Tocqueville still occurs today. Using data derived from a longitudinal survey of undergraduate students at a Midwestern university, we find that digital civic engagement fills the void left by drops in more conventional forms of political participation. We also find that educators have an important role to play in cultivating and maintaining online and offline civic engagement among younger people. We conclude that scholars and undergraduate educators need to develop curricula that build upon the ways students currently participate in democracy.
Capitation Contracts: Opportunities for Successful Partnerships
Authors: Crawford Robert F.
Published: January 2017

Increasing dominance of capitation as a reimbursement mechanism to providers from health plans and integrated health systems presents opportunities. Managed care contracting for services has become more competitive, and the complexity of risk-based contracts is explored in the article. Through understanding the elements of risk and flow of funds, providers can define terms to protect against undue risk. Additionally opportunities for partnership with medical groups and institutions can be achieved.
Collaborative Leadership: Using the Involution RevolutionTM to Improve Decisions
Authors: Kochanowski Yvonne J.
Published: January 2017

Frequently today, providers of patient care at many different service levels are asked to work together on health care system problems. An answer to conflicts in this joint decision making may be found in the concept of collaborative leadership, a theory school that recognizes that other options exist for peer-to-peer associations in individual and organizational leadership roles. This article focuses on the concept of collaborative leadership, opening with a discussion of its basis in the theories of organization, management, leadership, and collaboration. The Involution RevolutionTM model will be used to explain how these relationships move from decisionmaking isolation through phases of inspiration, perspiration, and expectation to collaboration.
Experimental Research in Home Health Care: Obtaining and Retaining Subjects
Authors: Quinn Christina
Published: January 2017

One of the stumbling blocks encountered when designing a research proposal for home health care relates to the selection of subjects. Variables to consider when developing subject inclusion criteria include diagnosis, length of stay within the agency, informed consent, and number of visits scheduled by the researcher. These and others are discussed in this guide to obtaining research subjects from the home care setting.
Food Outreach, Inc: A Community-Based Nutrition Program for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Shields Margaret Foy , Cook Abby
Published: January 2017

In major cities within the past decade, community-based nutrition programs have emerged. These programs are designed to meet the specialized nutrition needs of people such as those individuals living with the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). This article details one such program, Food Outreach, Inc. People living with HIV/AIDS may need the services of programs such as Food Outreach throughout the course of HIV disease. Home health care practitioners should become familiar with programs in their area and refer clients to services as needed.
Transcultural Nursing In Home Health Care: Learning To Be Culturally Sensitive
Authors: Hahn Joyce A.
Published: January 2017

The culturally diverse backgrounds of our American society is reflected in the home health care nursing environment. Realizing that health and illness are both strongly influenced by the client's cultural background is the primary step in becoming culturally sensitive. Madeline Leininger coined the term “transcultural nursing” and developed the “Sunrise Model” to depict the theory of cultural care diversity and universality. The model presents the components of cultural and social dimensions that influence health care. The use of Leininger's model for home health care leads to the development of transcultural nursing actions and decisions that meet the client's health needs within the context of their environment. Learning to practice effectively within the transcultural client's subculture is essential for the home care professional.
The Functional Impact of Sleep Disorders in Children With ADHD
Authors: Craig Stephanie G. , Weiss Margaret D. , Hudec Kristen L. , Gibbins Christopher
Published: January 2017

Objective: Children with ADHD display higher rates of sleep problems, and both sleep disorders and ADHD have been shown to affect functioning in childhood. The current study examines the frequency and relationship between sleep problems and ADHD, and their impact on quality of life (QoL) and functional impairment. Method: Parents of 192 children with ADHD ( M = 10.23 years) completed measures regarding their child’s ADHD symptoms (Swanson, Nolan and Pelham [SNAP]), sleep disorders (Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire [PSQ]), QoL (Child Health Illness Profile [CHIP-PE]), and functioning (Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale–Parent Report [WFIRS-P]). Results: Common sleep complaints in participants were insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and variability in sleep schedule. Regression analysis indicated that sleep problems and ADHD symptoms independently predicted lower levels of QoL (Δ R2 = .12, p < .001) and social functioning (Δ R2 = .12, p < .001). Conclusion: The results suggest that ADHD may coexist with somnolence and that both conditions have a significant impact on a child’s functioning and QoL.
Similar familial risk in multiple sclerosis subgroups
Authors: Song Jie , Karrenbauer Virginija , Manouchehrinia Ali , Almqvist Catarina , Hillert Jan , Westerlind Helga
Published: January 2017

Background:

A subgroup of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) present with no oligoclonal bands (OCB) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Several studies report different clinical characteristics and genetic associations between the two groups.

Objective:

To investigate whether the OCB negative subgroup has a distinct etiology from band positive MS.

Methods:

Using nationwide registers to estimate familial risks, which reflect the genetic contribution of a disease.

Results:

Odds ratios of MS were similar for relatives to band positive and negative patients.

Conclusion:

From the perspective of familial liability, MS without OCB is etiologically closely related to the dominant subgroup of OCB positive MS.
Neuropsychological assessment in multiple sclerosis: methodological issues and concerns
Authors: Hutchinson J , Burke T , Hutchinson M
Published: January 2017

A brief overview of research findings in five key areas pertaining to the study of neuropsychological aspects of multiple sclerosis is presented. The areas covered are: (1) general and specific cognitive deficits (2) prevalence of these deficits (3) attempts to correlate these deficits with dinico-pathological features (4) attempts to investigate the relationship between deficits and abnormalities detected on magnetic resonance scanning and (5) longitudinal studies of cognitive deficits and MS. Based on this review, methodological issues that continue to hinder comparison between research reports, and across research centres, are outlined. Problem areas identified are (1) patient selection (2) selection of control subjects (3) lack of consensus regarding test selection (4) problems with statistical procedures (5) the relationship between depression and cognition (6) problems with measuring disability and MR abnormalities and (7) lack of longitudinal data.
Oligoclonal expansion of γδT cells in cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Bieganowski Pawel , Bieganowska Katarzyna , Zaborski Jacek , Czionkowska Anna
Published: January 2017

We have used a PCR based method to analyse TCRγ chain repertoire and clonality of γδ T cells in the CSF and blood of 11 MS patients. Samples collected from nine patients with other neurological diseases were used as a control. Five controls had central nervous system inflammation and four had non-inflammatory processes. We have observed a decreased percentage of γδ T cells expressing TCRγ with Vγ9 and Jγp fragments in the CSF samples in comparison with the blood. We did not find clonal expansion of the γ cells in any control case. Clonal expansion of γδ T cells occurred in five of 11 MS cases in the CSF but not in the blood. Two of these clones expressed TCRγ rearranged with Vγ9 and Jγ1 fragments, two others used Vγ10 and Jγp1, and one used Vγ9 and Jγp fragments. We found no correlation between clonality and clinical state of patients, duration of the disease or number of cells in CSF. Our study provides additional evidence for the possible role of the γδ T cells in the MS pathogenesis.
Survey of herpes simplex virus infections of the central nervous system, including acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, in the Kyushu and Okinawa regions of Japan
Authors: Kaji M , Kusuhara T , Ayabe M , Hino H , Shoji H , Nagao T
Published: January 2017

We analysed data from 27 patients with herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections of the central nervous system (CNS) found in a 1990–1992 survey in Kyushu and Okinawa, Japan. Patients ranged in age from one year to 70 years, with peaks seen in the 20s and 50s. Temporal lobe-limbic encephalitis was the most common HSV infection (13 patients), followed by meningitis (5), diffuse encephalitis (4), disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) (3) and brain stem encephalitis (2). Another three patients with non-herpetic, non-paraneoplastic acute limbic encephalitis were presented. Our study indicates that HSV infection can cause ADEM, although temporal lobe-limbic encephalitis or meningitis are more common. The early diagnosis of HSV-related ADEM is important because of the efficacy of the timely administration of corticosteroids.
Multiple Sclerosis and HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis are two distinct clinical entities
Authors: Leon-S Fidias E , Arimura Kimiyoshi , Osame Mitsuhiro
Published: January 2017

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) can overlap in their clinical features and thereby cause difficulties for clinicians in relation to diagnosis and therapy. However, epidemiological biochemical, immunological, virological and radiological studies point to a number of significant differences. Recent comparative neurophysiological data, induding blink reflex studies, obtained in these disorders, is briefly reviewed here and provides additional evidence of difference. The abnormal blink reflex in patients with MS consist of prolonged latencies and absences of R1 and R2 responses and are mainly due to demyelinating lesions around the pons. In contrast, in HAM/TSP the blink reflex abnormalities frequently include an unusual early response, R/k, which is probably a consequence of interneuronal hyperexcitability around the brainstem. Thus these findings provide further support for our contention that HAM/TSP and multiple sclerosis are distinctly different both as clinical entities and in their underlying pathomechanisms.
Comparison of Alternative Sources of Data on Health Service Encounters
Authors: Coyle Douglas , Lee Karen , Drummond Michael
Published: January 2017

Objectives:

Due to the paucity and incompleteness of routine databases, many areas of health services research rely on the accuracy of individuals' recollections of health service encounters. The objective of this study is to explore differences between patient and physician recall of health care resource use by employing data from two randomized controlled trials.

Methods:

Data on the frequency of use of community-based health services were reported by both patients and their general practitioners (GPs) at three-month intervals for the first year after randomization. Analysis compared the completeness of data collected, the level of agreement between GPs and patients and differences in the estimated cost of community services. Further analysis assessed the impact of patient characteristics on reporting.

Results:

Data provided by GPs were less likely to be complete than patient data. There were significant differences between GPs and patients in their reported use of certain community services, particularly in relation to GP—patient contacts. However, this did not lead to significant differences in estimates of costs. Patient characteristics influenced the level of agreement with GPs, but not the proportion of forms completed.

Conclusions:

In research in which the use of community resources is a major component of costs, differential estimates of resource use may influence study results. Further research is required to identify optimal data collection methods for health service encounters. Where possible, studies should incorporate estimates of resource use from a variety of sources and conduct sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the results.
Evaluation of a Hospital Picture Archiving and Communication System
Authors: Bryan Stirling , Weatherburn Gwyn , Buxton Martin , Watkins Jess , Keen Justin , Muris Nicole
Published: January 2017

Objectives:

To establish the net costs to the hospital and the broad range of benefits associated with a hospital-wide picture archiving and communication system (PACS) that comprised digital acquisition, storage and transmission of radiological images via a hospital-wide network to 150 workstations.

Methods:

‘Before and after’ comparisons and time series analyses at Hammersmith Hospital (London, UK), and comparison with five other British hospitals where PACS was not being installed. The cost analysis considered implementation costs and changes in key elements of hospital running costs, including the impact of changes in the length of inpatient stays. A range of benefit measures were investigated, including image availability, avoidance of repeat imaging, avoidance of exposure to radiation, patient turn-round speed, time from examination to image availability in intensive care, avoidance of diagnostic ‘errors' by casualty doctors, the additional diagnostic value of PACS-based images and clinician satisfaction.

Results:

The annual equivalent capital cost of the PACS was £1.7 million (annual equivalent replacement cost: £0.8 million). Overall, the PACS substantially increased running costs. No convincing evidence of a PACS-induced change in length of inpatient stay was found. PACS was associated with some improvements in the performance of the radiology department: improved image availability (97.7% versus 86.9%), lower repeat imaging rate (7.3% versus 9.9%) and 20% lower total radiation doses for examinations of the lateral lumbar spine. No improvements were identified in the quality of the radiology reporting service. Benefits outside radiology included shorter time from examination to image availability for routine uses in intensive care (19 versus 37 minutes), and a lower rate of diagnostic ‘errors' in casualty (0.65% versus 1.51%). High levels of satisfaction with PACS were found amongst both providers and clinical users.

Conclusions:

PACS was almost universally preferred by users and brought many operational and clinical benefits. However, these advantages came at a significant capital and net running cost.
Using teledentistry in clinical practice as an enabler to improve access to clinical care: A qualitative systematic review.
Authors: Irving Michelle , Stewart Rosemary , Spallek Heiko , Blinkhorn Anthony
Published: January 2017

Background

Access to dental care is important for overall health, but can remain problematic for those in rural or isolated locations. It can be difficult to encourage clinicians to choose or continue a rural health career. Teledentistry is showing some promise as a strategy to support rural, isolated and new health care workers. This study aims to explore the quantitative and qualitative framework associated with teledentistry in an effort to uncover the interaction of multiple influences on its delivery and sustainability.

Methods

A systematic search of the literature was undertaken and studies were included if they evaluated consultative teledentistry, reports on implementation of teledentistry in practice or attitudes to teledentistry. Studies were evaluated qualitatively.

Results

Thirty-nine studies were included focusing on the accuracy, effectiveness or description a teledentistry project in practice. Five main themes were identified in the qualitative analysis: (1) using information and communication technology (ICT), (2) regulatory and system improvements, (3) accuracy of teledentistry, (4) effectiveness, including increasing access to clinical services, efficiencies and acceptability, and (5) building and increasing clinical capacity of the dental workforce.

Conclusion

Teledentistry provides a viable option for remote screening, diagnosis, consultation, treatment planning and mentoring in the field of dentistry. Rapidly developing information and communication technologies have increasingly shown improving cost effectiveness, accuracy and efficient remote assistance for clinicians. There is high acceptability for teledentistry amongst clinicians and patients alike. Remuneration of advising clinicians is critical to sustainability.
Is Elvis a God?
Authors: Frow John
Published: January 2017

The fame of major stars, and especially dead ones, has been entangled throughout the 20th century with a religious vocabulary: the figures of apotheosis, ritual, cult, and sacrifice are the staple of the most banal analyses of high celebrity. I ask whether the idea of a religious dimension to stardom can and should be taken literally, and what kind of rethinking both of stardom itself and of the methodological concerns of cultural studies such a move might entail. I explore various usages of the categories of the sacred and the numinous in order to ask whether they are formally empty or carry a set of meanings relevant to the sorts of transcendence peculiar to stars, and I seek to locate that transcendence in the structures of repetition and seriality in which the being of stars is grounded. I conclude by questioning the secularization thesis which has sought to explain away apparently vestigial religious categories, and by asking what it would mean for cultural studies to abandon it.
The Neo/Bio/Colonial Hot Zone
Authors: Lynch Lisa
Published: January 2017

This article explores the proliferation of nonfiction narratives which warn of an impending global pandemic of African origin. Through a reading of four texts — Richard Preston's The Hot Zone, Laurie Garrett's The Coming Plague, Richard Kaplan's The Ends of the Earth, and Jeffrey Goldberg's ‘Our Africa Problem’ — the author argues that such pandemic narratives reflect unease about the United States' current and future role in Africa or other non-Western places, after a half-century of largely unsuccessful ‘development’. Second, plague tales reflect anxieties about environmental devastation in Africa and elsewhere. The article concludes that the most frightening aspect of these contemporary ‘plague tales' is the solutions they suggest to the ‘problem’ of a coming plague.
Drawing on healthcare professionals’ ethnicity: lessons learned from a Danish community pharmacy intervention for ethnic minorities
Authors: Mygind Anna , Nørgaard Lotte Stig , Traulsen Janine M. , El-Souri Mira , Kristiansen Maria
Published: January 2017

Aims: To present and discuss implementation experiences regarding the involvement of community pharmacists with ethnic minority backgrounds in a medication review intervention for ethnic minority poly-pharmacy patients in Denmark. Methods: Data sources include 1) reflection notes from an introductory seminar with pharmacists and the cross-disciplinary research team and 2) five individual interviews and one focus group interview with pharmacists. Data were thematically coded and synthesised to identify underlying rationales and challenges encountered when involving professionals with ethnic minority backgrounds in interventions for ethnic minorities. Results: Informants perceived the need for interventions targeted at ethnic minority poly-pharmacy patients, and highlighted the potential of involving professionals with diverse ethnic backgrounds in such interventions. However, implementation created challenges, because the professional identity of the pharmacists reduced their options for serving as peers with the same ethnic background. Furthermore, issues related to organisational difficulties and overcoming language barriers in the intervention impacted on the potential of involving professionals with ethnic minority backgrounds. Conclusions: Involving healthcare professionals with ethnic minority backgrounds in encounters with ethnic minorities holds potential for the adaptation of services to ethnically diverse populations, thus improving access to and quality of care. However, it is important to ensure sufficient personal and organisational support and to acknowledge the delicate balance between simultaneously serving as a peer and as a professional.
Essential newborn care after home delivery in Nepal
Authors: Målqvist Mats , Pun Asha , KC Ashish
Published: January 2017

Aims: Postnatal care of the newborn is essential in order to reduce neonatal mortality. Nepal has made great efforts to improve maternal and child health by focusing on accessibility and outreach over the past decades. This study aims to examine trends, over the past decade, in levels and equity of facility delivery rates and the provision of newborn care after home delivery in Nepal. Methods: Household-level data from the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) 2006 and 2011 and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS5) from 2014 performed in Nepal was sourced for the study. Coverage rates of facility delivery and newborn care after home delivery were calculated and logistic regression models were used to ascertain inequity. Results: Home delivery rate dropped from 79.2% in 2006 to 46.5% in 2014, a development showing an inequitable distribution, with a larger share of better-off families shifting to facility delivery. For those who still delivered at home there was an increased rate of early initiation of breastfeeding and adequate temperature control, but only 2.2% of women delivering at home received a home visit by a health professional in the first week of delivery. No inequity in receiving newborn care after home delivery could be detected. Conclusions: There have been significant improvements in facility delivery rates over the last 10 years in Nepal and postnatal care at home has improved. There is, however, an alarmingly low level of home visits during an infant’s first week.
Socioeconomic differences in the use of alcohol and drunkenness in adolescents: Trends in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study in Finland 1990–2014
Authors: Liu Yang , Lintonen Tomi , Tynjälä Jorma , Villberg Jari , Välimaa Raili , Ojala Kristiina , Kannas Lasse
Published: January 2017

Aims: The aims of this study were to explore time-based trends of socioeconomic differences in alcohol use and drunkenness in Finnish adolescents from 1990 to 2014 and to investigate the significance of two indicators in detecting socioeconomic differences in alcohol use and drunkenness. Methods: Data were retrieved from seven surveys conducted as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Finland from 1990 to 2014. The alcohol use and drunkenness of 15-year-old students, as well as socioeconomic status, including educational aspiration and perceived family wealth, were assessed via a self-report questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationships between alcohol use, drunkenness and indicators of socioeconomic status. Results: The study showed that the alcohol use and drunkenness of Finnish 15-year-old adolescents have decreased since the late 1990s. However, the level of decrease is not consistent among different socioeconomic groups and socioeconomic differences in drinking behaviour between two educational aspiration groups have persisted over two decades. Girls from the groups with low perceived family wealth were more likely to be frequently drunk in the time period 2006–2014. Conclusions: This study suggests that students with low educational aspiration should be the target population for interventions aiming at reducing the alcohol use and drunkenness of Finnish adolescents. In future interventions aimed at reducing heavier drinking, adolescents (especially girls) from less wealthy families should be the first priority. Further studies on trends in socioeconomic differences in alcohol use and drunkenness in adolescence should be conducted using different indicators of socioeconomic status and other social context factors should also be taken into account.
Radon/thoron and progeny levels in dwellings: Regional variations and effect of dwelling characteristics – A case study in Jalandhar district of Punjab, India
Authors: Kumar Manish , Kaushal Anjali , Sarin Amit , Kumar Rajesh , Sharma Navjeet
Published: January 2017

An extensive survey to measure natural radioactivity in human environment in Jalandhar district of Punjab was undertaken. Results of measurements of indoor radon/thoron and their progeny concentrations are being presented here. Single-entry, pin-hole dosemeters were used for the measurement of radon/thoron concentrations. Deposition-based direct radon/thoron progeny sensors were used for measurement of progeny concentrations. The results have been analysed on the basis of regional characteristics, type of construction and building material used. The radon concentration was found to vary from 6.64 ± 1.72 Bq/m3 to 47.18 ± 4.43 Bq/m3 with geometric mean value of 17.9 ± 2.91 Bq/m3 while the thoron concentration varies from 7.75 ± 2.54 Bq/m3 to 82.68 ± 8.33 Bq/m3 with geometric mean value of 33.54 ± 5.09 Bq/m3. The geometric mean value of equilibrium factor for indoor radon and thoron was found to be 0.43 and 0.02, respectively. The estimated annual inhalation dose varies from 0.22 mSv to 1.76 mSv with geometric mean value of 0.66 mSv. Correlation of indoor radon and air gamma dose rate was also studied.
Masspersonal communication: A model bridging the mass-interpersonal divide
Authors: O’Sullivan Patrick B , Carr Caleb T
Published: January 2017

Theoretical discussions about the false dichotomy between interpersonal and mass communication scholarship continue while the emergence of powerful and flexible digital communication tools have made the old distinctions more permeable than ever. Individuals are using communication technologies in ways that expand the intersection of interpersonal communication and mass communication, calling for new frameworks. We introduce masspersonal communication as a concept at the intersections of mass and interpersonal communication, with examples from older and newer communication technologies and practices. The masspersonal communication model is introduced incorporating two dimensions—perceived message accessibility and message personalization—that link mass communication and interpersonal communication and redefine each independent of channel.
Beyond Judicial Sanctions: The Negative Impact of Conviction for Environmental Offences
Authors: de Prez Paula
Published: January 2017

This article examines the extent to which the criminal sanctioning mechanism of prosecution can be relied upon to provide a sufficient deterrent in environmental regulation. The implications of criminal law enforcement of pollution controls currently extend beyond the immediate financial burden of payment of fines and legal costs. Some of the dimensions of the adverse publicity attracted by enforcement action against non-compliant operators will be assessed (such as unfavourable entries on pollution control registers and loss of patronage) in order to determine whether they live up to the need for a real and substantial deterrent. Arguably, these publicity-based aspects of deterrence lack reliability: they operate only in exceptional cases and their impact is often sporadic. While the solution to inadequate deterrents is often thought to lie in increased levels of prosecution, this article highlights the disadvantages of such an approach and explores the Agency's more sophisticated practice of strategic litigation.
Specialist Environmental Courts: The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Stein Paul L.
Published: January 2017

In 1979 the establishment of a Land and Environment Court in New South Wales provided the opportunity for a new substantive and procedural approach to planning and development. This court has the status of a superior court of record, of equivalent status to the Supreme Court and subject only to appeal to the Court of Appeal. It acts as a ‘one-stop shop’, dealing with all land and environment matters, and the procedural rules endeavour to ensure streamlined hearings and prompt decisions. Cases are heard by commissioners either singly or in panels of two, and may refer matters of law to a judge for an immediate answer. The court also deals with environmental crime, and may impose penalties of fines and imprisonment. As it is still councils and state agencies that bring the majority of applications for civil enforcement and judicial review, the court has attempted to reduce some of the procedural barriers that may deter individuals and non-governmental organisations. Initial objections to the open standing provisions appear to have been overcome; to avoid complex technicalities the court has no formal pleadings; the open provision of documents from the outset is encouraged; and the use of preclusive certificates appears to have diminished. The court also has discretion as to the award of costs, and in some cases the fact that an applicant was acting in the public interest has been taken into account. On matters of substantive law the court has been called on to construe and interpret the meaning of all environmental law; it has dealt with cases of biodiversity, protecting old growth and rain forests from logging, and supporting core principles of ecological sustainability. It has also emphasised public participation rights and challenged the ability of corporations in pollution cases to refuse to produce documentary evidence that might incriminate them. Alternative dispute resolution has been an available option. A well-qualified specialist court such as the Land and Environment Court, with exclusive jurisdiction on environmental matters, seems to offer the best chance of successfully administering environmental law at a judicial level.
Underwater dissimilar friction stir welding of aluminum alloys: Elucidating the grain size and hardness of the joints
Authors: Bijanrostami Khosro , Vatankhah Barenji Reza
Published: January 2017

Underwater dissimilar friction stir welding of the AA6061 and AA7075 aluminum alloys was performed in this study. The effect of friction stir welding parameters on the grain size and hardness of the joints was studied using empirical models. The microstructure of the joints was characterized by means of light and transmission electron microscopes. The Vickers hardness test was conducted to measure the hardness of the joints. In addition, the process parameters including traverse and rotational speeds, grain size and hardness of the joints were correlated. The results revealed that the developed models predicted the hardness and grain size of the joints, precisely. Higher traverse speed and lower rotational speeds resulted in finer grain size and larger hardness. The grain boundaries and dislocations were identified as responsible for the higher hardness of the joints welded at lower heat input conditions. Moreover, the Hall–Petch relationship showed a deviation from its linear classical equation, which was due to the formation of substructures such as dislocations inside the grains.
Cause-and-effect chain from flow and spray to heat release during lean gasoline combustion operation using conditional statistics
Authors: Krüger Christian , Schorr Jürgen , Nicollet Franck , Bode Johannes , Dreizler Andreas , Böhm Benjamin
Published: January 2017

This work comprises of experimental and numerical investigations of the volumetric flow in a direct injection spark-ignition engine to analyse the origin of cycle-to-cycle variations during stratified engine operation. High-speed two-dimensional two-component particle image velocimetry measurements are carried out simultaneously in the central tumble and mid-intake valve plane of an optically accessible engine, to capture the three-dimensional characteristic of the in-cylinder flow. Early investigation showed spray formation of stratified operation to be sensitive to cyclic fluctuations of the flow in a specific region below the spark within the central plane prior the first injection. Conditional statistics are used to track the origin of these variations back to the tumble flow in the valve plane during early compression underlining the three-dimensional structure of the flow. Moreover, conditional statistics reveals that the combustion performance is sensitive to the same specific flow region. According to this, computational fluid dynamics simulations are used to describe the in-cylinder flow with a map of four dominant flow structures. A new intake port geometry is derived from computational fluid dynamics simulations, optimized for high tumble generation. High-speed two-dimensional two-component particle image velocimetry in the central tumble plane is utilized to compare the optimized intake port with the original geometry. The new intake ports yield a considerable increased tumble movement with a favourable combustion performance and less cycle-to-cycle variation.
The shared oasis: An insider ethnographic account of a gay resort
Authors: Vorobjovas-Pinta Oskaras , Robards Brady
Published: January 2017

The literature pertaining to critical tourism studies has sought to challenge the traditional scientific dichotomy between the detached researcher and research participant in the production of tourism knowledge. This article argues for the value of an ethnographic approach in further challenging that dichotomy, by way of a study seeking to better understand a specific culture in tourism: gay resorts. We aim to outline the methodological component of this research project, centred on a gay resort in Australia, and to argue for the value of ethnography in understanding other specific tourism cultures. Often a researcher’s proximity to and pronounced familiarity with a topic is obfuscated in service of ‘non-biased’ and ‘value-neutral’ results, but in this article, we attend closely to the value of insider research in critical tourism studies. The experiences reported here – around insider perspectives, rapport building, in-depth interviews, participant observations, becoming embedded in a research environment and respecting participants – are argued to have much wider currency.
Shopaholic stories: Tales of therapeutic addiction, governance, and political economy
Authors: Hunter Keeley Megan Buehler
Published: January 2017

Contemporary culture encourages shopping to abate negative emotions or alter one’s disposition. This phenomenon has become known as retail therapy. Using two types of narratives – those told by mass media and those told by individual shoppers collected through interviews – this article compiles them together to illuminate the tension between the experience of agency (the therapeutic effects of shopping) and constraint (the addictive qualities of shopping) people experience. The article argues that this tension situates shoppers, especially those who participate in retail therapy, as ideal subjects for governance in a neoliberal society that values self-regulation and relies on immaterial labour. As shoppers participate in the narratives of retail therapy, they qualify themselves as citizens.
‘We achieve the impossible’: Discourses of freedom and escape at music festivals and free parties
Authors: Griffin Christine , Bengry-Howell Andrew , Riley Sarah , Morey Yvette , Szmigin Isabelle
Published: January 2017

In this article, we explore the notion of freedom as a form of governance within contemporary consumer culture in a sphere where ‘freedom’ appears as a key component: outdoor music-based leisure events, notably music festivals and free parties. ‘Freedom’ is commodified as central to the marketing of many music festivals, which now form a highly commercialised sector of the UK leisure industry, subject to various regulatory restrictions. Free parties, in contrast, are unlicensed, mostly illegal and far less commercialised leisure spaces. We present data from two related studies to investigate how participants at three major British outdoor music festivals and a small rural free party scene draw on discourses of freedom, escape and regulation. We argue that major music festivals operate as temporary bounded spheres of ‘licensed transgression’, in which an apparent lack of regulation operates as a form of governance. In contrast, free parties appear to ‘achieve the impossible’ by creating alternative (and illegal) spaces in which both freedom and regulation are constituted in different ways compared to music festival settings.