bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Five new cave-dwelling species of Hemirrhagus Simon 1903 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae), with notes on the generic distribution and novel morphological features
Authors: MENDOZA JORGE I. , FRANCKE OSCAR F.
Published: April 2018

The suborder Mygalomorphae is generally poorly represented in the cave faunas of the world. The genus Hemirrhagus is endemic to Mexico and has 22 described species. It is the only one with epigean, troglophile and troglobitic species. Lack of urticating setae, loss of eye pigmentation and ocular reduction are interpreted as evolutionary reversals related to their troglobitic habits. From five troglobitic species in the genus, only the male of Hemirrhagus stygius is known. Five new troglobitic species are described with both sexes: Hemirrhagus akheronteus sp. nov., Hemirrhagus billsteelei sp. nov., Hemirrhaugus diablo sp. nov., Hemirrhagus kalebi sp. nov. and Hemirrhagus sprousei sp. nov. The female of Hemirrhagus chilango is described for the first time. Hemirrhagus akheronteus sp. nov. has a group of spinose setae on the opisthosoma; this setal modification was never reported in any other theraphosid spiders. Females of Hemirrhagus kalebi sp. nov. and Hemirrhagus sprousei sp. nov. lay fixed hammock egg sacs, which is an unusual behavior among species in Theraphosinae. Two stridulating setae previously reported only in epigean species are present on some of the new troglobites.
A new species of Stenomicra Coquillett (Diptera: Periscelididae) from the Brazilian Amazon and its life history
Authors: GOMES ELIANE SOLAR , ALE-ROCHA ROSALY , KEPPLER RUTH LEILA FERREIRA
Published: April 2018

A new species of Stenomicra is described for the Neotropical Region, from phytotelmata of Araceae at an urban forest fragment in the city of Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Morphological descriptions of the immatures and the adults (male and female) are provided, together with biological information on the life cycle of the species and its “host” plant.
Distribution of six taxa in the family Bosminidae Baird (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Anomopoda) in the plankton of lakes and reservoirs within the continental United States, including expanded range of the invasive cladoceran Bosmina (Eubosmina) coregoni Baird
Authors: BEAVER JOHN R. , RENICKER THOMAS R. , TAUSZ CLAUDIA E. , VITANYE BENJAMIN T.
Published: April 2018

Updated range distributions in lakes and reservoirs of the continental United States are provided for six taxa in the family Bosminidae (Bosmina (Bosmina) cf. longirostris (Müller), Bosmina (Eubosmina) coregoni Baird, Bosmina cf. longispina Leydig, Bosmina (Liederobosmina) cf. tubicen Brehm, Bosmina (Liederobosmina) cf. hagmanni Stingelin, and Bosminopsis deitersi Richard), an ecologically important and taxonomically confusing group. This paper provides updated range distribution and information on the westward expansion of the invasive species Bosmina (Eubosmina) coregoni, which was first established in the Great Lakes in the late 1960’s. Current survey data are compared with previous distribution records and discussed in the context of environmental variables.
New species of the genera Havelockia and Thyone (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) and first record of T. crassidisca from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean
Authors: MARTINS LUCIANA , TAVARES MARCOS
Published: April 2018

Two new species in the genera Thyone and Havelockia are described and illustrated based upon specimens collected from off the southeastern Brazilian coast. Thyone florianoi sp. nov. is characterized by having two pillared body wall tables with four-holed discs and introvert with multilocular tables. Thyone crassidisca is recorded herein for the first time from the South Atlantic Ocean (Brazil). Havelockia mansoae sp. nov. is distinctive in having two pillared body wall tables with four-holed discs and introvert with plates. This is the first record of the genus Havelockia from Brazilian waters.
Two new species of Medeventor Wheeler from South America (Diptera, Chloropidae, Oscinellinae)
Authors: BAZYAR ZEINAB , SILVA VERA CRISTINA
Published: April 2018

The oscinelline genus Medeventor Wheeler, 2007 was originally proposed for a single quite aberrant species from Central America, M. nubosus Wheeler, 2007. In this paper, we present two new Brazilian species of Medeventor—M. minimus sp. n. and M. tschirnhausi sp. n. (both from the State of Mato Grosso). A key for the species of the genus is provided. Some comments are made on the diagnosis of the genus.
1. Introduction
Authors: Hujon Janet
Published: April 2018

Soso Tham refused to believe that a people with no evidence of a written history was without foundation or worth. He set out to compile in verse shared memories of the ancient past—ki sngi barim—presenting his people with their own mythology depicting a social and moral universe still relevant to the present day. For him the past is not a dark place but a source of Light, of Enlightenment. It may lie buried but it is not dead, and when discovered will provide the reason for its continued survival. Ki Sngi Barim U Hynñiew Trep is the lyrical result of dedicated devotion. It is an account of how Seven Clans—U Hynñiew Trep—came down to live on this earth.
3. Khasi Folktales About Darkness and Light
Authors: Hujon Janet
Published: April 2018

This chapter imparts understanding of the origins of the Hynñiew Trep – the Seven Families, who were sent down by God to care for all living creatures and forces. They are considered the ancestors of all Khasis today. The tales track the tribulations of these original peoples as they became overcome by greed and evil, which, consequentially, displeased God and the sun. As punishment, the peoples were made to suffer in darkness, and plead for light. These folktales explain and give background to some of the rituals that the Khasis peoples have today.
11. Ka Meirilung – Gentle Motherland
Authors: Tham Soso
Published: April 2018

In the plaintive lyrical opening of this section, Soso Tham draws attention to the unanswered question concerning the historical origins of the Khasis. But he then steers them gently away from the bondage of accepting positions undermining their sense of self. Once again, he sees the natural world as a source from which to draw upon for moral strength. He lists the forethought and ingenuity of those who led before – ‘Dimly they glimmer, one or two’, he describes the codes of warfare, and most importantly he names the luminaries who fought with pride and integrity. It is in the last verse that Tham highlights what is or should be the lasting legacy of his forebears, a principle which we would be foolish to ignore –Boundaries defined, rights respected…Of mutual concern – another’s welfare another’s woe. These words carry a message no less relevant to a troubled world even beyond the frontiers of the Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills.
12. Lum Lamare – Lamare Peak
Authors: Tham Soso
Published: April 2018

This section is a dreamlike meandering through memory, myth, reflection and the immediacy of experience found in the simple pleasures of daily life. It is an account alive with movement with telling image and detail. He names flowers, waterfalls and rivers not only because he delights in them or because of the stories they tell, but to underline the imaginative rapport that exists between the people and the wonders gracing their land, all of which make him finally pose the question ‘Which gods have made your slopes their home?’ Nearing the end of his composition, Tham gathers together the different strands making up the weave of his work ‘lest we forget’.
Application of NICE guideline NG12 to the initial assessment of patients with lower gastrointestinal symptoms: not FIT for purpose?
Authors: Quyn Aaron J , Steele Robert JC , Digby Jayne , Strachan Judith A , Mowat Craig , McDonald Paula J , Carey Francis A , Godber Ian M , Younes Hakim B , Fraser Callum G
Published: April 2018

Background

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published NG12 in 2015. The referral criteria for suspected colorectal cancer (CRC) caused controversy, because tests for occult blood in faeces were recommended. Faecal immunochemical tests for haemoglobin (FIT), which estimate faecal haemoglobin concentrations (f-Hb), might more than fulfil the intentions. Our aim was to compare the utility of f-Hb as the initial investigation with the NICE NG12 symptom-based guidelines.

Methods

Data from three studies were included. Patients had sex, age, symptoms, f-Hb and colonoscopy and histology data recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of f-Hb and NG12 were calculated for all significant colorectal disease (SCD: CRC, higher risk adenoma and inflammatory bowel disease). Overall diagnostic accuracy was also estimated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

A total of 1514 patients were included. At a cut-off of ≥10  µg Hb/g faeces, the sensitivity of f-Hb for CRC was 93.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 80.7–98.3) with NPV of 99.7% (95%CI: 99.2–99.9). The sensitivity and NPV for SCD were 63.2% (95%CI: 56.6–69.4) and 96.0% (95%CI: 91.4–94.4), respectively. The NG12 sensitivity and NPV for SCD were 58.4% (95%CI: 51.8–64.8) and 87.6% (95%CI: 85.0–89.8), respectively. The AUC for CRC was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.87–0.90) for f-Hb versus 0.65 (95%CI: 0.58–0.73) for NG12 ( P < 0.005). For SCD, the AUC was 0.73 (95%CI: 0.69–0.77) for f-Hb versus 0.56 (95%CI: 0.52–0.60) for NG12 ( P < 0.0005).

Conclusion

f-Hb provides a good rule-out test for SCD and has significantly higher overall diagnostic accuracy than NG12.
Clinical evaluation and treatment of phaeochromocytoma
Authors: Davison Andrew S , Jones Danielle M , Ruthven Stuart , Helliwell Timothy , Shore Susannah L
Published: April 2018

Phaeochromocytoma and extra adrenal paraganglioma are rare neuroendocrine tumours and have the potential to secrete adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine causing a myriad of clinical symptoms. Prompt diagnosis is essential for clinicians and requires a multidisciplinary specialist approach for the clinical and laboratory investigation, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients. This paper is an integrated review of the clinical and laboratory evaluation and treatment of patients suspected to have phaeochromocytoma or paraganglioma, highlighting recent developments and best practices from recent published clinical guidelines.
Social Media and New Technology: A Primer
Authors: Hogan Marjorie , Strasburger Victor C.
Published: April 2018

Social media and new media are becoming increasingly important in the lives of preteens and teens. This article reviews what is currently known about positive and negative effects of social media, social networking, and internet use and what safety measures should be considered.
Indirect Colonial Rule Undermines Support for Democracy: Evidence From a Natural Experiment in Namibia
Authors: Lechler Marie , McNamee Lachlan
Published: April 2018

This article identifies indirect and direct colonial rule as causal factors in shaping support for democracy by exploiting a within-country natural experiment in Namibia. Throughout the colonial era, northern Namibia was indirectly ruled through a system of appointed indigenous traditional elites whereas colonial authorities directly ruled southern Namibia. This variation originally stems from where the progressive extension of direct German control was stopped after a rinderpest epidemic in the 1890s, and, thus, constitutes plausibly exogenous within-country variation in the form of colonial rule. Using this spatial discontinuity, we find that individuals in indirectly ruled areas are less likely to support democracy and turnout at elections. We explore potential mechanisms and find suggestive evidence that the greater influence of traditional leaders in indirectly ruled areas has socialized individuals to accept nonelectoral bases of political authority.
Principal Instructional Leadership, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and Teacher Professional Learning in China: Testing a Mediated-Effects Model
Authors: Liu Shengnan , Hallinger Philip
Published: April 2018

Background: Empirical evidence increasingly suggests that leadership which motivates, supports, and sustains the professional learning of teachers has a knock-on effect for both student learning and school improvement. The current study was conducted in China, where the workplace learning of teachers is embedded in a strong tradition of school-based, teacher learning practices such as the Master Teacher–Apprentice Bond and Teacher Research Groups. Purpose: The study investigated a mediated-effects model of principal instructional leadership and teacher learning. The model proposed principal time management skills and self-efficacy as antecedents of instructional leadership and teacher self-efficacy as a mediator of principal instructional leadership effects on the professional learning of teachers. Method: Survey data were collected from 3,414 teachers and 186 principals in 186 middle schools in Qingdao, China. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping were used to analyze the multisource data. Results: The research confirmed a partial mediation model whereby principal instructional leadership evidenced moderate direct and indirect effects on teacher professional learning. Principal time management and self-efficacy exercised small effects on principal instructional leadership. Implications: The research adds to a growing body of research that affirms a positive relationship between principal leadership and teacher professional learning and emphasizes the importance of self-efficacy in shaping educator practice. The authors suggest the timeliness for scholars to undertake systematic reviews of this literature on leadership and teacher professional learning, and offer recommendations for school leadership practice.
Taming Labor: Workers’ Struggles, Workplace Unionism, and Collective Bargaining on a Chinese Waterfront
Authors: Pringle Tim , Meng Quan
Published: April 2018

This article examines the case of the Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) to consider under what conditions unions can provide effective workplace representation in China. The authors draw on semi-structured interviews to analyze how and why the union was effective, despite rigid prohibitions against organizing outside of the Party-led All-China Federation of Trade Unions. The authors argue that the YICT union developed a system of annual collective bargaining that tamed the power of militant dockworkers and helped prevent strikes. This outcome required an effective enterprise-level trade union that was nevertheless able to influence and manage members’ somewhat ambiguous acceptance of its role. Ultimately, workers’ interests were partially represented and their acquisition of associational power—in the form of trade unions—increased.
Mouse Models for Studying Oral Cancer: Impact in the Era of Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Luo J.J. , Young C.D. , Zhou H.M. , Wang X.J.
Published: April 2018

Model systems for oral cancer research have progressed from tumor epithelial cell cultures to in vivo systems that mimic oral cancer genetics, pathological characteristics, and tumor-stroma interactions of oral cancer patients. In the era of cancer immunotherapy, it is imperative to use model systems to test oral cancer prevention and therapeutic interventions in the presence of an immune system and to discover mechanisms of stromal contributions to oral cancer carcinogenesis. Here, we review in vivo mouse model systems commonly used for studying oral cancer and discuss the impact these models are having in advancing basic mechanisms, chemoprevention, and therapeutic intervention of oral cancer while highlighting recent discoveries concerning the role of immune cells in oral cancer. Improvements to in vivo model systems that highly recapitulate human oral cancer hold the key to identifying features of oral cancer initiation, progression, and invasion as well as molecular and cellular targets for prevention, therapeutic response, and immunotherapy development.
Households’ aspirations for rural development through agriculture
Authors: Mausch K , Harris D , Heather E , Jones E , Yim J , Hauser M
Published: April 2018

In sub-Saharan Africa, rural households are the focus of many development efforts and the transformation of smallholder agriculture is one entry point for this process. Understanding farming households’ technology choices remains one of the most critical aspects of agricultural research in rural areas. However, many technologies that are known to be effective and potentially highly beneficial have remained widely unused. One reason is that predicting farmers’ decisions concerning agricultural technologies using conventional economic theories is flawed. In this article, we suggest that human aspirations have a much greater influence on technology choices than hitherto believed. We further argue that a better understanding of aspirations will improve the targeting of technology development by researchers. We propose distributed ethnography to empirically test the influence of human aspirations on technology choice. From such insight, we anticipate better research priority setting as well as more effective rural development strategies in general.
Virtual Life Sentences: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Henry Jessica S. , Salvatore Christopher , Pugh Bai-Eyse
Published: April 2018

Virtual life sentences are sentences with a term of years that exceed an individual’s natural life expectancy. This exploratory study is one of the first to collect data that establish the existence, prevalence, and scope of virtual life sentences in state prisons in the United States. Initial data reveal that more than 31,000 people in 26 states are serving virtual life sentences for violent and nonviolent offenses, and suggest racial disparities in the distribution of these sentences. This study also presents potential policy implications and suggestions for future research.
Validating Translation Test Items via the Many-Facet Rasch Model
Authors: Tseng Wen-Ta , Su Tzi-Ying , Nix John-Michael L.
Published: April 2018

This study applied the many-facet Rasch model to assess learners’ translation ability in an English as a foreign language context. Few attempts have been made in extant research to detect and calibrate rater severity in the domain of translation testing. To fill the research gap, this study documented the process of validating a test of Chinese-to-English sentence translation and modeled raters’ scoring propensity defined by harshness or leniency, expert/novice effects on severity, and concomitant effects on item difficulty. Two hundred twenty-five, third-year senior high school Taiwanese students and six educators from tertiary and secondary educational institutions served as participants. The students’ mean age was 17.80 years ( SD = 1.20, range 17–19). The exam consisted of 10 translation items adapted from two entrance exam tests. The results showed that this subjectively scored performance assessment exhibited robust unidimensionality, thus reliably measuring translation ability free from unmodeled disturbances. Furthermore, discrepancies in ratings between novice and expert raters were also identified and modeled by the many-facet Rasch model. The implications for applying the many-facet Rasch model in translation tests at the tertiary level were discussed.
Reconsidering Literacy in the 21st Century: Exploring the Role of Digital Stories in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Authors: Towndrow Phillip A. , Pereira Andrew J.
Published: April 2018

The call for an expanded, critical and socially-constructed view of literacy in response to contemporary semiotic and technological developments is not new. However, an under investigated area relates to the impact and influence of new media in the teaching and learning of English to speakers of other languages (ESOL). Following an overview of some key terms and concepts in the fields of Multimodal Composition and Communication, we describe and critique a number of the multimodal elements in ESOL textbooks. Subsequently, we present a case for cultivating a ‘personal’ sense of semiotic awareness and illustrate this with a brief analysis of an ESOL teacher’s exploration of meaning making through digital storytelling. Finally, we end by listing several benefits of introducing multimodality into ESOL supporting the irreducible viewpoint that envisages teachers as designers of apt learning environments in contrast to the static and immutable realms of content- and skills-based language instruction.
Techne, a virtue to be thickened: Rethinking technical concerns in teaching and teacher education
Authors: Ma Ying
Published: April 2018

This article brings stories of teaching and learning to teach in China into conversation with Aristotle’s intellectual virtue techne and its reinterpretations. The intent is to challenge the overwhelming trend of instrumental rationality in teaching and teacher education in both China and Canada. I explore and thicken the concept of techne, one of the Aristotelian intellectual virtues, to understand what is at stake in today’s technical approaches to teaching and to imagine alternative possibilities. Aristotelian conception of techne is often translated as technical expertise, craft or skills and could to some extent justify today’s enthusiasm around technical concerns in teaching and teacher education. However, some of its contemporary re-appropriations critique and extend the restricted understanding of techne and offer educators a richer, more ethical view of techne and technical thinking in education. An interplay of Aristotelian intellectual virtues of techne and phronesis (practical wisdom) may reconnect techne to the rough ground of experience, challenge its preoccupation with instrumental ends, and assert its moral dimension.
The executioner’s shadow: Coerced sterilization and the creation of “Latin” eugenics in Chile
Authors: Walsh Sarah
Published: April 2018

Scholars such as Nancy Leys Stepan, Alexandra Minna Stern, Marius Turda and Aaron Gillette have all argued that the rejection of coerced sterilization was a defining feature of “Latin” eugenic theory and practice. These studies highlight the influence of neo-Lamarckism in this development not only in Latin America but also in parts of Europe in the first half of the twentieth century. This article builds upon this historiographical framework to examine an often-neglected site of Latin American eugenic knowledge production: Chile. By focusing on Chilean eugenicists’ understandings of environment and coerced sterilization, this article argues that there was no uniquely Latin objection to the practice initially. In fact, Chilean eugenicists echoed concerns of eugenicists from a variety of locations, both “mainstream” and Latin, who felt that sterilization was not the most effective way to ensure the eugenic improvement of national populations. Instead, the article contends that it was not until the implementation of the 1933 German racial purity laws, which included coerced sterilization legislation, that Chilean eugenicists began to define their objections to the practice as explicitly Latin. Using a variety of medical texts which appeared in popular periodicals as well as professional journals, this article reveals the complexity of eugenic thought and practice in Chile in the early twentieth century.
Logics of Legitimation in Swedish Treatment for Youth Cannabis Use
Authors: Ekendahl Mats , Karlsson Patrik , Månsson Josefin
Published: April 2018

Liberal views on cannabis use are widespread in many Western countries, but prohibitionism remains strong in Sweden. According to Swedish drug policy, comprehensive prevention and treatment interventions are necessary because young people are considered particularly vulnerable to cannabis-related harm. In this article, we examine how staff at Swedish outpatient treatment centers for young substance users (called “MiniMaria”) use different logics when legitimizing their work in youth treatment. We also analyze how this legitimizing process contributes to both justifying solutions and constituting the cannabis “problem” that MiniMaria centers are established to handle. This will shed light on what “drug reality” the staff make up through their articulations. Eighteen interviews with social workers from six MiniMaria centers in the Stockholm region were analyzed. To illustrate how staff made sense of their work, we used the concepts of “problem representation”, “legitimation”, and “logics”. We identified four logics: A scientific and a structural logic linked to knowledge claims, policy goals, and organizational setting, and a professional and a procedural logic linked to work experience, client interaction, and therapeutic methods. Participants used logics to emphasize that the character of the cannabis problem demands wide-ranging interventions and to explain how they made youth cannabis users realize they need treatment. The structural logic of drug prohibitionism was only mentioned as a last resort when other logics were not applicable, for example, when a young person refused to engage in treatment and quit using cannabis. The strategic use of logics provided MiniMaria with a moral legitimacy that represented youth cannabis use as a high-profile problem and young people as in need of protection and control. This legitimizes prevention of youth cannabis use in a national setting where cannabis prevalence and harm remains relatively low.
Malignant ureteric obstruction decompression: how much gain for how much pain? A narrative review
Authors: Prentice Joanna , Amer Tarik , Tasleem Ali , Aboumarzouk Omar
Published: April 2018

Over the last thirty years, the management of Malignant Ureteric Obstruction (MUO) has evolved from a single disciplinary decision to a multi-disciplinary approach. Careful consideration must be given to the risks and benefits of decompression of hydronephrosis for an individual patient. There is a lack of consensus of opinion as well as strong evidence to support the decision process. Outcomes that were identified amongst patients undergoing treatment for MUO included prognosis, quality of life (QOL), complications, morbidity and prognostication tools. A total of 63 papers were included. Median survival was 6.4 months in the 53 papers that stated this outcome. Significant predictors to poor outcomes included low serum albumin, hyponatremia, the number of malignancy related events, and performance status of 2 or worse on the European cooperative cancer group. We propose a multi-centre review of outcomes to enable evidence-based consultations for patients and their families.
Role of individual dosimetry for affected residents in postaccident recovery: the Fukushima experience
Authors: Naito W. , Uesaka M.
Published: April 2018

The accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 11 March 2011 released radioactive material into the atmosphere, and contaminated land in Fukushima and several neighbouring prefectures. During rehabilitation, it is important to accurately understand and determine individual external doses to allow individuals to make informed decisions about whether or not to return to the affected areas. Personal dosimeters (D-Shuttle), used together with a global positioning system and geographic information system device, can provide realistic individual external doses and associated individual external doses, ambient doses, and activity patterns of individuals in the affected areas of Fukushima. This study involved more than 250 affected residents. The results help to determine realistic individual external doses, and corresponding time–activity patterns and airborne monitoring ambient dose rates, which can be used to predict future cumulative external doses after residents return to their homes in evacuation areas. In addition, insights gained by the study can help to explain the role of individual external dose measurements for affected residents in postaccident recovery, based mainly upon the experience gained in measuring, assessing, and communicating individual external doses.
The role of experts in postaccident recovery: lessons learnt from Chernobyl and Fukushima
Authors: Gariel J.C. , Rollinger F. , Schneider T.
Published: April 2018

Following a nuclear accident, a major dilemma for affected people is whether to stay or leave the affected area, or, for those who have been evacuated, whether or not to return to the decontaminated zones. Populations who have to make such decisions have to consider many parameters, one of which is the radiological situation. Feedback from Chernobyl and Fukushima has demonstrated that involvement and empowerment of the affected population is a way to provide them with the necessary elements to make informed decisions and, if they decide to return to decontaminated areas, to minimise exposure by contributing to the development of a prudent attitude and vigilance towards exposure. However, involving stakeholders in postaccident management raises the question of the role of experts and public authorities in supporting the inhabitants who have to make decisions about their future. Based on experiences in Chernobyl and Fukushima, this paper will discuss various principles that have to be taken into account by experts and public authorities about their role and position when dealing with stakeholders in a postaccident recovery process.
Local Managerial Perceptions of Intergovernmental Management
Authors: Fowler Luke
Published: April 2018

Interjurisdictional policy problems have facilitated both interlocal cooperation and opportunities for self-interested behavior from local governments. However, intergovernmental management (IGM) approaches shape how local governments interact with each other and how much influence local managerial efforts have on policy outcomes. After identifying three IGM models used to manage air quality, analyses of local managerial perceptions indicate that some approaches facilitate more cooperation and organizational efficacy than others through structuring responsibilities in Clean Air Act policy implementation. Conclusions suggest that approaches to IGM are important in shaping how managers perceive efforts to manage complex policy problems.
On the Making of Sense in Sensemaking: Decentred Sensemaking in the Meshwork of Life
Authors: Introna Lucas D.
Published: April 2018

This paper proposes and argues for sensemaking practices as fundamentally decentred. Sensemaking has been, at least since the late 1980s, an enduring subject for organisation studies researchers, and much longer for organisational practitioners. This research tradition has, however, tended to have a particular understanding of temporality (as divisible), tended to be centred on the human sense-makers, and privileged as more valid that which can be made present, through deliberative sensemaking practices, at the expense of that which is absent, and perhaps ineffable. In short, by locating sensemaking in the deliberative sensemaking practices of humans other significant constitutive conditions of sensemaking became obscured from view. The main thrust of the paper is to develop a notion of sensemaking that is decentred – not simply at the disposal of human subjects – and where sense is always and already given and made simultaneously. That is, where every human attempt at framing is itself already enframed, significantly. We show how this reimagining of sensemaking, as decentred, has the potential to open up new avenues of research in sensemaking practices – avenues that are more sensitive to temporal flow, the more-than-human, immanence, and the precarity of such practices. This shift is significant theoretically but also practically.
Optimizing Prediction Using Bayesian Model Averaging: Examples Using Large-Scale Educational Assessments
Authors: Kaplan David , Lee Chansoon
Published: April 2018

This article provides a review of Bayesian model averaging as a means of optimizing the predictive performance of common statistical models applied to large-scale educational assessments. The Bayesian framework recognizes that in addition to parameter uncertainty, there is uncertainty in the choice of models themselves. A Bayesian approach to addressing the problem of model uncertainty is the method of Bayesian model averaging. Bayesian model averaging searches the space of possible models for a set of submodels that satisfy certain scientific principles and then averages the coefficients across these submodels weighted by each model’s posterior model probability (PMP). Using the weighted coefficients for prediction has been shown to yield optimal predictive performance according to certain scoring rules. We demonstrate the utility of Bayesian model averaging for prediction in education research with three examples: Bayesian regression analysis, Bayesian logistic regression, and a recently developed approach for Bayesian structural equation modeling. In each case, the model-averaged estimates are shown to yield better prediction of the outcome of interest than any submodel based on predictive coverage and the log-score rule. Implications for the design of large-scale assessments when the goal is optimal prediction in a policy context are discussed.
Adsorption of Congo red from aqueous solution onto shrimp shell powder
Authors: Zhou Youzhou , Ge Liuqin , Fan Neng , Xia Meisheng
Published: April 2018

Two novel adsorbents derived from shrimp shell were prepared and their adsorption performances on Congo red were investigated. The results suggested that treated shrimp shell powder exhibited a higher adsorption capacity than raw shrimp shell powder. The factors of initial concentration, solution pH, adsorption time, and temperature were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of treated shrimp shell powder calculated according to the Langmuir isotherm model was 288.2 mg/g, which is much higher than that of chitin. The adsorption behavior could be fitted well by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Intra-particle diffusion model was also used to study the adsorption process. The thermodynamic parameters indicated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption. Shrimp shell powder exhibited enough advantages such as large adsorption capacity, low cost, simple processing methods and high specific gravity compared with chitin or chitosan. This work confirmed that the shrimp shell biosorbent had a potential to be applied in dye wastewater treatment area.
Effects of mirror therapy on walking ability, balance and lower limb motor recovery after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Li Yi , Wei Qingchuan , Gou Wei , He Chengqi
Published: April 2018

Objective:

To investigate the effects of mirror therapy on walking ability, balance and lower limb motor recovery in patients with stroke.

Method:

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CENTRAL, PEDro Database, CNKI, VIP, Wan Fang, ClinicalTrials.gov, Current controlled trials and Open Grey were searched for randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of mirror therapy on lower limb function through January 2018. The primary outcomes included were walking speed, mobility and balance function. Secondary outcomes included lower limb motor recovery, spasticity and range of motion. Quality assessments were performed with the PEDro scale.

Results:

A total of 13 studies ( n = 572) met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis demonstrated a significant effect of mirror therapy on walking speed (mean difference (MD) 0.1 m/s, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.08 to 0.12, P < 0.00001), balance function (standard mean difference (SMD) 0.66, 95% CI: 0.43 to 0.88, P < 0.00001), lower limb motor recovery (SMD 0.83, 95% CI: 0.62 to 1.05, P < 0.00001) and passive range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion (MD 2.07°, 95% CI: 082 to 3.32, P = 0.001), without improving mobility (SMD 0.43, 95% CI: −0.12 to 0.98, P = 0.12) or spasticity of ankle muscles (MD −0.14, 95% CI: −0.43 to 0.15, P = 0.35).

Conclusion:

The systematic review demonstrates that the use of mirror therapy in addition to some form of rehabilitation appears promising for some areas of lower limb function, but there is not enough evidence yet to suggest when and how to approach this therapy.
Retirement Planning Decisions: Choices Between Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Plans
Authors: Ali Susannah Bruns , Frank Howard A.
Published: April 2018

As states move toward offering defined contribution retirement plans as an alternative or addition to traditional defined benefit pensions, they need to consider the preferences and long-term consequences for different groups of employees. This study looks at which plan employees choose when given the option of either a defined contribution or defined benefit plan. The strongest driver of that choice is education level where the most educated prefer defined contribution plans and the least educated stay in defined benefit plans. A unique contribution of this study is that we include region of origin as a study and determine that cultural differences influence plan selection. The study also explores the role of sex, age, and tenure. Challenging other studies on financial planning, these findings indicate that sex and age are not significant factors. This research was conducted using data from more than 4,000 employees from Florida International University and an interview with HR professionals. By understanding retirement preferences in a more nuanced way, we can better craft our approaches to retirement security and financial literacy training in public sector organizations.
Sustaining Economic Geography? Business and Management Schools and the UK’s Great Economic Geography Diaspora
Authors: James Al , Bradshaw Michael , Coe Neil M , Faulconbridge James
Published: April 2018

This Exchanges commentary is concerned with the health of Economic Geography as a sub-discipline, and economic geography (as a wider community of practice) in one of its historical heartlands, the UK. Against a backdrop of prior achievement, recent years have witnessed a noticeable migration of economic geographers in the UK from Departments of Geography to academic positions in Business and Management Schools and related research centres. For the first time, a new (2018) research report by the Economic Geography Research Group of the RGS-IBG – We’re In Business! Sustaining Economic Geography? – has empirically evidenced this trend since 2000 (see supplementary material). In this parallel commentary, we summarise the major findings of that project in order to identify: the scale of this cross-disciplinary labour mobility; its operation at different levels of the academic career hierarchy; and the underlying motivations and variegated outcomes experienced by those making the transition. We then move to consider the wider implications of this ‘Economic Geography Diaspora’ for sustaining Economic Geography teaching, research and knowledge production. While economic geography clearly has a healthy appeal to Business and Management as an interdisciplinary community of practice, we raise multiple concerns around the largely uni-directional nature of this ‘movers’ phenomenon in UK universities. We make a number of suggestions for possible interventions to effect positive change and to prompt a larger conversation that benchmarks this UK experience against other national contexts.
Macroscopic Spatial Analysis of Pedestrian Crashes in Medellin, Colombia
Authors: Lizarazo Cristhian , Valencia Víctor
Published: April 2018

Pedestrians are regarded as vulnerable road users as they experience the most severe consequences in collisions with motor vehicles. Pedestrians were involved in fewer than 4% of all traffic accidents but represented more than 12% of traffic fatalities in Medellin, Colombia, from 2009 to 2016. A better understanding of the factors affecting the likelihood of such accidents is an area of interest across local and governmental agencies in Colombia. The paper provides a spatial lag model estimated using spatial two–stage least squares (S2SLS) method to analyze the impact of land use, socioeconomic factors, and transportation modes on vehicle–pedestrian collisions (“crashes”). Consideration is given to spatial spillovers, avoiding inconsistent and inefficient estimates. Commercial land use has a positive correlation with the number of crashes while residential land use correlates with fewer crashes. Analysis of transportation modes demonstrated a higher risk of crashes associated with public transit. In Medellin, buses stop at the passenger’s request instead of at regular bus stops, which increases the likelihood of pedestrians being involved in accidents. The effect of taxi as transportation mode, however, analysed using the number of taxi stands as proxy, is that the number of crashes is reduced. In this transportation mode, the entire trip is covered from point of origin to destination, reducing exposure to the risks of walking. These results might provide a better understanding of the dynamics involved in pedestrian crashes while validating the importance of including spatial econometrics for safety analysis.
Postoperative New-Onset Pseudoparalysis: A Retrospective Analysis of 430 Consecutive Arthroscopic Repairs for Large to Massive Rotator Cuff Tears
Authors: Jeong Hyeon Jang , Rhee Sung Min , Oh Joo Han
Published: April 2018

Background:

The authors have sometimes encountered postoperative new-onset pseudoparalysis (PONP) after arthroscopic repair for large to massive rotator cuff tear (ARCR). As there are insufficient data regarding PONP, the authors aimed to determine whether such a condition is characterized by obvious risk factors, as well as to assess the conditions under which it can be reversed.

Purpose:

To evaluate the predictors of PONP development after ARCR and its reversal and to integrate these predictors into a scoring system that can be applied in clinical practice.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

The authors retrospectively analyzed 430 consecutive ARCRs performed between March 2010 and May 2016. Patients were stratified according to the occurrence of PONP. To determine the risk factors of PONP, the authors compared the PONP and control groups (patients who did not experience PONP) in terms of demographic, clinical, and operative characteristics. Results were expressed in terms of odds ratios (ORs).

Results:

The incidence of PONP was 6.0% (26 of 430). Predictors of PONP included torn subscapularis (OR, 7.875; 95% CI, 1.780-34.956; P = .007), ≥30-mm retraction of the torn supraspinatus (OR, 4.657; 95% CI, 1.537-14.203; P = .007), age ≥65 years (OR, 3.865; 95% CI, 1.465-10.040; P = .006), and preoperative stiffness (OR, 2.954; 95% CI, 1.212-7.159; P = .017). The reversal rate of PONP was 65.4% (17 of 26), and the mean time to PONP reversal was 10 months. The occurrence and reversal of PONP were not related to retear. Fatty infiltration of the supraspinatus lower than Goutallier grade 3 was the sole predictor of reversal (OR, 22.000; 95% CI, 1.857-260.648; P = .014).

Conclusion:

Although the incidence of PONP after ARCR was low (6.0%), the risk of PONP was higher in patients with a torn subscapularis, larger supraspinatus tear size, older age, and preoperative stiffness. The mean time from PONP onset to reversal was 10 months, and PONP reversal was affected solely by fatty infiltration of the supraspinatus. Therefore, surgeons should consider the risk for PONP and attempt to identify high-risk patients before rotator cuff repair.
Challenges Confronting Whistleblowing and the International Civil Servant
Authors: Moloney Kim , Bowman James S. , West Jonathan P.
Published: April 2018

More than 800 international governmental organizations employ thousands of civil servants. Whistleblowers in them confront problems that are both common and uncommon compared with their nation-state counterparts. Drawing upon the relevant literature, as well as stakeholder interview data, a research framework is developed identifying whistle-blower challenges. These dilemmas focus on loyalty, impartiality, and immunity, as well as the desire to hold organizations accountable in a governance system lacking in sufficient checks and balances. In addition, significant hurdles confronting whistleblowers include definitions and policies, retaliation and restitution concerns, visa and short-contract constraints, and a resource gap along with judicial composition issues. Future research is needed because international public servants play a significant role in ensuring a transparent and accountable global system.
Using Two-Eyed Seeing to Explore Interagency Collaboration
Authors: Whiting Cheryl , Cavers Stephanie , Bassendowski Sandra , Petrucka Pammla
Published: April 2018

Background

Health-care environments influence service delivery; approaches need to be more wholistic and culturally competent requiring effective interagency collaboration to bridge traditional Indigenous and mainstream health services. Despite considerable research on collaboration, the concept remains misunderstood, at worst, and formative, at best. Within the nexus of these two diverse health services, there is limited information on how collaborations could be created and sustained effectively.

Purpose

To explore the perspectives/experiences of collaboration of select Saskatchewan health professionals practicing across these diverse services to understand the concept from their perspectives.

Methods

This qualitative study explored collaboration through observation and interviews to elicit perspectives (two-eyed seeing) of health professionals working within the context of a traditional–mainstream health services partnership.

Results

Individual- and system-level factors and accountabilities are needed for successful cross-cultural collaboration and can be enabled by embedding the virtues of Indigenous and values of mainstream health services along with building and maintaining relationships, valuing difference, creating supportive environments and wholistic approaches, having the right people at the table, and making a change for impactful outcomes.

Conclusion

Findings support the need for implementing contextually relevant collaborative practice models for productive, wholistic health services. Two-eyed seeing provides the ability to capture and catalyze the tremendous value and strengths of both worlds, potentiating complementary aspects to meet the needs of clients and communities.
Evaluation of Continuous Infusion Vancomycin Administration in a Critically Ill Trauma Population
Authors: Bissell Brittany D. , Riggi Gina , Morrison Christopher
Published: April 2018

Vancomycin is a first-line antibiotic for empiric treatment of gram-positive infections in the trauma intensive care unit. When dosed intermittently, difficulties arise from trough collection and drug monitoring. The objective of this study was to evaluate time to goal vancomycin levels comparing a continuous infusion protocol when compared to standard intermittent infusion dosing. This was a retrospective cohort of patients admitted to the trauma intensive care unit between July 2011 and July 2015 receiving vancomycin for at least 48 hours. In this cohort of 150 patients, continuous infusion vancomycin had a decreased time to goal vancomycin level (2.5 vs 3.8 days, P ≤ .05) with a higher incidence of target attainment (60% vs 40%, P ≤ .05). This reflected in a decrease in average number of blood samples per patient (1 vs 3, P ≤ .05) and shorter duration of therapy (3.8 vs 6.8 days, P ≤ .05). Patients receiving continuous infusion vancomycin also experienced less nephrotoxicity (21% vs 43%, P ≤ .05). Patients in the intermittent infusion group had more missed levels and doses, with only 1 in every 3 patients receiving all intended doses on time. Vancomycin continuous infusion resulted in a decrease in time to goal therapeutic vancomycin levels, number of blood samples required, and therapy duration. Larger trials are needed to validate these outcomes in broad patient groups and to validate the clinical implication and potential cost savings of these results.