bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Undermet Needs for Assistance in Personal Activities of Daily Living Among Community-Dwelling Oldest Old in China From 2005 to 2008
Authors: Peng Rong , Wu Bei , Ling Li
Published: March 2014

Based on the 2005 and 2008 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, this study examined the prevalence of undermet needs for assistance in personal activities of daily living (ADL) and its associated risk factors among the oldest old aged 80+. Multilevel multinomial logistic modeling was used to analyze the risk factors and changes of undermet needs over time. The results show that the prevalence of slightly undermet needs decreased in urban China from 2005 to 2008. However, the prevalence of undermet needs remained high; 50% or more for both rural and urban residents. Compared to 2005, the likelihood of having slightly undermet needs in 2008 significantly decreased by 28% among rural residents and 22% among urban residents. The common risk factors of undermet needs among rural and urban residents included financial dependence, living alone, having unwilling caregivers, more ADL disabilities, and having poor self-rated health.
Aara’– a system for mining the polarity of Saudi public opinion through e-newspaper comments
Authors: Azmi Aqil M. , Alzanin Samah M.
Published: March 2014

Aara’ is a system for mining opinion polarity through the pool of comments that readers write anonymously at the online edition of Saudi newspapers. We use a nave Bayes classifier with a revised n-gram approach to extract the public opinion polarity, which is expressed in Arabic, classifying it into four categories. For training we manually marked the comments as belonging to one of the categories. All the words in the documents of the training set were removed except those with explicit connotations. After the training the words designated as vocabulary were classified into one of the categories. Our system carries out polarity classification over informal colloquial Arabic that is unstructured and with a reasonable proportion of spelling errors. The result of testing our system showed a macro-averaged precision of 86.5%, while the macro-averaged F-score was 84.5%. The accuracy of the system is 82%.
Syncretism and Pilgrimage in India
Authors: Pandya Samta P.
Published: March 2014

This article, partly based on fieldwork with the Saibaba Sansthan of Shirdi, examines the complex interplay of syncretism, pilgrimage and associated Hinduisation which contributes to the contemporary countenance of the Sansthan, its recreation and recasting of Saibaba memories and the transposing of Shirdi social geographies. Through syncretism and pilgrimage, eventually usurped by the dominant Hindu majoritarian lens, Saibaba devotionalism complements the contemporary theoretical work on ‘lived religion’. The Sansthan traditions not only supply relevant doctrines, narratives and belief systems but also embodied technologies through which the moral subjectivities of Saibaba devotees can be transformed. Akin to Bourdieu’s concepts of practice and habitus, the Sansthan’s doctrines shape the moral and faith-oriented selves of devotees while working towards a kind of holism wherein the goal is not solely individual spiritual enhancement but much more.
Muslim Self-exclusion and Public Health Services in Delhi
Authors: Nasir Rosina
Published: March 2014

This study is an account, largely based on field research, of how Muslims in Delhi experience the public healthcare sector. It identifies how negative memories of the Indian Emergency and sterilisation campaigns of that time may still get recalled today whenever any untoward incident happens concerning Indian Muslims in relation to public health services. The research seeks to identify to what extent this kind of historical memory translates into perceptions of disadvantage that then gradually initiate a process of self-exclusion, reinforcing a spiral of disadvantage.
No news from abroad: A comparative content analysis of news issues on Italian radio
Authors: Bonini Tiziano , Morello Giuseppe
Published: March 2014

This article examines radio information in Italy. A quantitative content analysis was performed of the news editions of the main national broadcasters that transmit mainly informational content (RTL 102.5, Radio24, RAI Radio1, Radio Capital), as well as a regional broadcaster with a strong focus on information (Radio Popolare) and a national network whose informational spaces are minimal due to target and format (Radio 105). The study sampled one week of broadcasting from these radio stations, for a total of 1008 hours, from 23 to 29 January 2012. Results show how information in Italy is highly focused on internal politics and news stories, pushing news from abroad to the fringes and confirming the image of a nation that is little interested in what occurs outside its borders.
Peer Norm Salience for Academic Achievement, Prosocial Behavior, and Bullying
Authors: Dijkstra Jan Kornelis , Gest Scott D.
Published: March 2014

This study investigated the significance of classroom-level norm salience, calculated as the within-classroom correlation between a behavior and peer-nominated popularity, by examining the extent to which norm salience moderated the relation of individual classroom behaviors (academic achievement, prosocial behavior, and bullying) with peer acceptance, and was associated with between-classroom differences in student-rated feelings about school and teacher-rated academic performance. Participants were students ( n = 3,231, [Formula: see text] = 13.60) attending 164 school classrooms in 30 secondary schools in the Netherlands. Results of our study demonstrate that norm salience scores are distinct from measures of descriptive norms, moderate the relations of individual classroom behaviors with peer acceptance, and can be used to define an overall profile of classroom peer norms that is related to independent measures of student adjustment.
Increased Slope of the Lateral Tibial Plateau Subchondral Bone Is Associated With Greater Risk of Noncontact ACL Injury in Females but Not in Males
Authors: Beynnon Bruce D. , Hall John S. , Sturnick Daniel R. , DeSarno Mike J. , Gardner-Morse Mack , Tourville Timothy W. , Smith Helen C. , Slauterbeck James R. , Shultz Sandra J. , Johnson Robert J. , Vacek Pamela M.
Published: March 2014

Background:

There is an emerging consensus that increased posterior-inferior directed slope of the subchondral bone portion of the tibial plateau is associated with increased risk of suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury; however, most of what is known about this relationship has come from unmatched case-control studies. These observations need to be confirmed in more rigorously designed investigations.

Hypothesis:

Increased posterior-inferior directed slope of the medial and lateral tibial plateaus are associated with increased risk of suffering a noncontact ACL injury.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

In sum, 176 athletes competing in organized sports at the college and high school levels participated in the study: 88 suffering their first noncontact ACL injury and 88 matched controls. Magnetic resonance images were acquired, and geometry of the subchondral bone portion of the tibial plateau was characterized on each athlete bilaterally by measuring the medial and lateral tibial plateau slopes, coronal tibial slope, and the depth of the medial tibial plateau. Comparisons between knees of the same person were made with paired t tests, and associations with injury risk were assessed by conditional logistic regression analysis of ACL-injured and control participants.

Results:

Controls exhibited side-to-side symmetry of subchondral bone geometry, while the ACL-injured athletes did not, suggesting that the ACL injury may have changed the subchondral bone geometry. Therefore, the uninjured knees of the ACL-injured athletes and the corresponding limbs of their matched controls were used to assess associations with injury risk. Analyses of males and females as a combined group and females as a separate group showed a significant association between ACL injury risk and increased posterior-inferior directed slope of the lateral tibial plateau slope. This relationship was not apparent when males were analyzed as a group. Multivariate analyses indicated that these results were independent of the medial tibial plateau slope, coronal tibial slope, and depth of the medial tibial plateau, which were not associated with ACL injury.

Conclusion:

There is a 21.7% increased risk of noncontact ACL injury with each degree increase of the lateral tibial plateau slope among females but not among males. The medial tibial plateau slope, coronal tibial slope, and depth of the medial tibial plateau were not associated with risk of injury for females or males.
From alienation to capability deprivation: Reconstructing a sociological concept
Authors: Gangas Spiros
Published: March 2014

Among sociology’s normative narratives, alienation figures as one of the most captivating, influential and contested. Anchored in Hegel and Marx, the idea of alienation generated valuable theoretical and empirical tools for explanation as well as offering a normative critique of modernity. However, I argue that the concept of alienation needs to be reconstructed, suggesting that it can be renewed via Amartya Sen’s idea of capability deprivation. The article seeks to accomplish the dual task of showing what capability deprivation can replace in the standard accounts of alienation and what can be productively retained. It reconstructs alienation’s normative core, discussing it within the context of Sen’s and Nussbaum’s versions of capabilities. Having already inaugurated a novel research program in economics and political philosophy, the article proposes that the capabilities approach can contribute to improving sociological reasoning on pressing social problems and can serve as an explanatory partner to sociology’s scientific tools. I argue, therefore, that the explanatory power and normative appeal of the concept of alienation has waned considerably and that whatever correct intuitions about human sociality supported it and gave it its impetus for several decades no longer continue do so.
The effects of work experience during higher education on labour market entry: learning by doing or an entry ticket?
Authors: Weiss Felix , Klein Markus , Grauenhorst Thomas
Published: March 2014

Graduates from higher education often enter the labour market with a considerable amount of work experience. Using German data, we address the question of whether early work experience pays off upon labour market entry. We compare the labour market benefits of different types of work experience. This comparison allows us to more generally test hypotheses about different explanations of why education pays off. Results indicate that tertiary graduates do not profit from work experience that is unrelated to the field of study or was a mandatory part of the study programme. Even though field-related and voluntary work experience helps graduates to realize a fast integration into the labour market, it is not linked to higher chances for entering a favourable class position or to higher wages in the long run. These results provide evidence for the signalling explanation of educational benefits in the labour market rather than the human capital explanation.
Study of coating's effects on mechanical performances for sleeve of cotton picker with fluid–structure interaction method
Authors: Meng FM , Chen ZW
Published: March 2014

A sleeve and its matched spindle are key components of a cotton picker, whose performances affect picking cotton efficiency directly. To enhance the sleeve strength and wear resistance, it is desired to add coatings on the inner surface of the sleeve. In this paper, influences of the coatings on the mechanical performances of the sleeve are investigated with fluid–structure interaction method. Mechanical performances of the sleeve are studied at the varied elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, and thickness of the coating and different operating conditions. The numerical results show that both the amplitude and position of the von Mises stress and strain of the coated sleeve depend on the varied elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, and thickness of coating. The coating effect on the sleeve is significant at a big eccentricity ratio or high rotational speed of the spindle.
When doctors cry wolf: a systematic review of the literature on clinical lycanthropy
Authors: Blom Jan Dirk
Published: March 2014

This paper provides an overview and critical reassessment of the cases of clinical lycanthropy reported in the medical literature from 1850 onwards. Out of 56 original case descriptions of metamorphosis into an animal, only 13 fulfilled the criteria of clinical lycanthropy proper. The remaining cases constituted variants of the overarching class of clinical zoanthropy. Forty-seven cases involved primary delusions, and nine secondary delusions on the basis of somatic and/or visual hallucinations which may well have affected the patients’ sense of physical existence, also known as coenaesthesis. Cases of secondary delusions in particular warrant proper somatic and auxiliary investigations to rule out any underlying organic pathology, notably in somatosensory areas and those representing the body scheme.
Resilience of institutional culture: mental nursing in a decade of radical change
Authors: McCrae Niall
Published: March 2014

Mental nursing has continued to be neglected in the history of psychiatry. This paper considers the impact of a decade of radical developments on the role and outlook of nurses in British mental hospitals during the 1930s. The Mental Treatment Act 1930 introduced voluntary admission for early, supposedly treatable cases, although there was paucity of effective treatment. In the mid-1930s shock therapies, administered with great enthusiasm by asylum doctors, promised to cure insanity by physical means. Although these were important milestones in the progress of psychiatry, for the majority of nurses and patients life continued much as before. Despite advances in training, working conditions and therapeutic activity, the institutional culture of nursing was remarkably resilient to the forces of change.
‘Febrile Anxiety’, by Robert James (1745)
Authors: Berrios GE
Published: March 2014

The current class of psychiatric conditions called ‘Anxiety Disorders’ was constructed during the 20th century. Before 1900, its clinical components were conceptualized differently: some were not considered as diseases at all and others were looked after by physicians (not alienists). Whether it can be claimed that the complaints included under the ‘Anxiety Disorders’ have always existed, that is, constitute a form of ‘natural kind’, is a moot point that needs further historical investigation. This is because psychiatric complaints (mental symptoms) are no more than culturally configured segments of biological or symbolic information. Therefore, symptom-invariance or -perdurance can be explained by either biological or cultural factors. This can only be resolved by studying symptoms individually. Classic Text No. 97 shows how ‘Anxiety’ was conceptualized during the 18th century.
Recent paludification rates and effects on total ecosystem carbon storage in two boreal peatlands of Northeast European Russia
Authors: Pluchon Nathalie , Hugelius Gustaf , Kuusinen Nea , Kuhry Peter
Published: March 2014

Forest and peatland ecosystems constitute the two major carbon pools in the boreal region. We assess the evolution in total storage and partitioning of ecosystem carbon following recent paludification of forest into peatland at two sites in Northeast European Russia. Based on radiocarbon dating of basal peat and quantification of total ecosystem carbon storage, our results show that paludification rates and its consequences for carbon storage vary significantly between sites. A peatland expanding on ground with steeper slopes has experienced a slow lateral advance in recent times, about 2.6 m on average per century, whereas a peatland in flatter terrain has expanded much more rapidly, about 35 m on average per century. The total ecosystem carbon storage (sum of phytomass, top soil organics or peat, and 30 cm of underlying mineral soil) showed a long-term trend toward increased ecosystem C storage following the replacement of forest (mean value = 20.8 kg C/m2, range = 13.0–43.4 kg C/m2) by peatland (>100 kg C/m2 in the deepest peat deposits). However, the transitional stage in which the forest is replaced by the margin of the peatland results in a short-term decrease of carbon stored in the ecosystem with a mean loss of 7.5 kg C/m2. After the initiation of a peatland through paludification, a period of decades to centuries of peat accumulation is needed to compensate for the initial loss of carbon. In the short term, an intensification of the paludification process could lead to a loss of carbon stored in the boreal region.
Mansur ibn Ilyas (1380–1422 AD): A Persian anatomist and his book of anatomy, Tashrih-i Mansuri
Authors: Zarshenas Mohammad M , Zargaran Arman , Mehdizadeh Alireza , Mohagheghzadeh Abdolali
Published: March 2014

A Persian scholar, Mansur ibn Elyas, a late 14th century anatomist and physician from Shiraz, published his illustrated book on anatomy. Mansur’s anatomy ( Tashrih-i Badan-i Insan) was written following the Mansur’s medical synopsis, Kefaye Mojahedieh. The book of Mansur is believed to be the first anatomical illustrated manuscript containing two-dimensional pictures of the human body. This 14th-century treatise is composed in Persian and is organized into five articles on the skeleton, nerves, muscles, veins and arteries, each illustrated with a full page diagram and with a final chapter including an image of a pregnant woman delivering a breech baby. These chapters have description part and related figure involving brief explanation. Mansur’s illustrations were often used in other Persian or Arabic medical manuscripts for at least two centuries in Persia.
Purposeful Normalization When Caring for Husbands Recovering From Prostate Cancer
Authors: Williams Kristen C. , Hicks Elisabeth M. , Chang Nancy , Connor Sarah E. , Maliski Sally L.
Published: March 2014

Despite a growing awareness that prostate cancer is a “couple’s disease,” the coping strategies, subjective distress, and emotional needs of partners are not adequately addressed. To better understand wives’ experiences and processes they enact, we recruited 28 low-income Latinas caring for husbands recovering from prostatectomies to participate in interviews at three time points. Their narratives destabilize a common focus on physical side effects and an implicit bias toward men’s reactions. We critically examine an overarching process of normalization, with underlying themes working both toward and against normality. We identified dissonance between detailed accounts of major lifestyle changes and professed normalization. We detail the women’s purposeful methods to counteract negative impacts on their lives while seeking support externally. A better understanding of women’s strategies and coping is critical to design interventions and education to both capitalize on partners’ role in recovery while also addressing hidden causes of increased subjective distress.
Rationality and Relationality in the Process of Whistleblowing
Authors: Contu Alessia
Published: March 2014

Reporting wrongdoing is seen as desirable to fight illegal practices, but whistleblowers often suffer retaliations and are in need of protection. Overall, whistleblowers engender strong reactions and are cast either as saints or rats. I consider why whistleblowers are seen as unsettling and ambivalent figures by exploring the analogy between Antigone, the Sophoclean heroine, and whistleblowers. These reflections reconfigure the rationality and relationality of the process of whistleblowing. The rationality of the whistleblower is singular and not easily subsumed into universalizing norms which explains some of the limits reached by the empiricist pro-social research agenda. The relationality of the process of whistleblowing indicates that the reactions of those who hear the whistle are as important. This opens up to an appreciation of the ethical and political valence of the process of whistleblowing and highlights a number of counter-intuitive and interesting issues in its synchronic and diachronic dimension.
Orphan Volunteer Tourism in Thailand: Volunteer Tourists’ Motivations And On-Site Experiences
Authors: Proyrungroj Raweewan
Published: March 2014

This study examines motivations and on-site experiences of volunteer tourists who participate in volunteer tourism at the Home and Life Orphanage in Phang Nga province, Thailand. An interpretive paradigm using qualitative data collection methods (semi-structured interviews, a focus group, participant observation, and diaries) was adopted. The informants included 24 volunteer tourists. The findings of the study suggest that the volunteer tourists’ motivations and on-site experiences are multidimensional. Five main themes of motivations have been identified: (a) to help the children who were affected by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, (b) to gain personal development and growth, (c) to gain new experiences, (d) to learn about/be immersed in local culture, and (e) to meet and make friends. In terms of the volunteer tourists’ on-site experiences, four experiential dimensions were found: (a) personal development and growth, (b) social, (c) cultural, and (d) feeling.
The psychological impact of overactive bladder: A systematic review
Authors: Kinsey Debbie , Pretorius Sara , Glover Lesley , Alexander Tim
Published: March 2014

This review aimed to provide an overview of the current research on the psychological impact of overactive bladder. A systematic search yielded 32 papers. It was found that people with overactive bladder tended to have greater levels of depression, anxiety and embarrassment/shame; difficulties with social life; impact on sleep and sexual relationships; and a lower quality of life than people without overactive bladder. A psychological impact on family members was also found. Psychological health should be considered an important aspect of managing overactive bladder and further research is required to determine how best to provide psychological care and support in this area.
Adolescent girls’ views on cosmetic surgery: A focus group study
Authors: Ashikali Eleni-Marina , Dittmar Helga , Ayers Susan
Published: March 2014

This study examined adolescent girls’ views of cosmetic surgery. Seven focus groups were run with girls aged 15–18 years ( N = 27). Participants read case studies of women having cosmetic surgery, followed by discussion and exploration of their views. Thematic analysis identified four themes: (1) dissatisfaction with appearance, (2) acceptability of cosmetic surgery, (3) feelings about undergoing cosmetic surgery and (4) cosmetic surgery in the media. Results suggest the acceptability of cosmetic surgery varies according to the reasons for having it and that the media play an important role by normalising surgery and under-representing the risks associated with it.
International tourists’ motivations to choose homestay: Do their socio-demographics have any influence?
Authors: Agyeiwaah Elizabeth , Akyeampong Oheneba , Amenumey Edem K
Published: March 2014

The relationship between tourist socio-demographics and homestay use has received scant attention from researchers. Insights gained from this study will guide market segmentation and targeting by tourism planners. The main objective of this research was to examine the influence of socio-demographics on tourists’ motivations for choosing homestay in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Data were collected from 151 international tourists in the Kumasi Metropolis who lived in homestay facilities. Results of t-test and one-way analysis of variance suggest that socio-demographics are influential factors on international tourists’ motivations for choosing homestay. It is concluded that socio-demographics influence tourist motivations for choosing homestay.
Inhibition of cellular transdifferentiation by losartan minimizes but does not reverse type 2 diabetes-induced renal fibrosis
Authors: Arnoni Carine P , Maquigussa Edgar , Passos Clévia S , Pereira Luciana G , Boim Mirian A
Published: March 2014

Hypothesis/Introduction:

Transformer Growth Factor (TGF-β1) and angiotensin II (AngII) induce epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and myofibroblastic transdifferentiation (MFT) contributing to renal fibrosis. The present study evaluated the capacity of an AT1 receptor blocker (losartan) to induce the regression of pre-existing fibrosis via interference with MFT and EMT in a rat model of type 2 diabetes, and in cultured mesangial cells (MCs) stimulated with high glucose and AngII.

Materials and methods:

After 12 weeks of diabetes induction (D12 group), animals showing evidence of nephropathy, were divided in groups untreated for additional 8 weeks (D20 group) and treated for additional 8 weeks with losartan (D20+los group).

Results:

D12 animals presented hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, proteinuria, increased levels of TGF-β1 and MFT/EMT markers. Losartan stabilized all of these parameters and hindered the progression of fibrosis, but it did not reverse the pre-existing fibrotic manifestations. Losartan reduced TGF-β1 in the tubules, but not in the glomeruli. Stimulated MC exhibited myofibroblast phenotype and capacity for migration, which were completely reversed by losartan.

Conclusions:

Cellular transition may play a role in diabetes-inducing renal fibrogenesis in both AngII-TGF-β1 axis-dependent and independent manners. Losartan was efficient in preventing cells from undergoing further transdifferentiation, but this strategy was not sufficient to induce regression of the pre-existing tissue fibrosis.
EEG Synchronization Evaluation
Authors: Yi Ran , Zhan Xiao-rong , Tang Jing , Zhang Li-ming , Liu Xiao-min , Dong Qi
Published: March 2014

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is known as a leading cause of dementia in elderly persons. It is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunction. AD can disrupt functional connectivity in distributed cortical networks. The S-estimator, which is a measure of multivariate intraregional synchronization, was analyzed in this study. Twenty patients with AD and 20 age-matched controls were tested at baseline and after 1 year to evaluate the potential of synchronization to be a possible marker of AD progression. All the subjects had clinical evaluations and electroencephalography (EEG) at baseline and post 1 year. Hyposynchronization had an important effect in the medial temporal and frontal regions, while there were no significant effects for hypersynchronization. Hypersynchronized clusters changed more slowly with time ( P = .067), whereas hyposynchronized clusters changed more quickly ( P = .032). Hyposynchronized cluster-averaged S-estimator correlated negatively with progression of AD ( r = −0.98769, P = .0103). In conclusion, the present study provides a whole-brain, AD-specific phenotype of temporal coordination in distributed cortical networks, which is an early diagnostic tool for progression of AD.
LORETA Neurofeedback in the Precuneus
Authors: Cannon Rex L. , Baldwin Debora R. , Diloreto Dominic J. , Phillips Sherman T. , Shaw Tiffany L. , Levy Jacob J.
Published: March 2014

Low-resolution brain electomagnetic tomography (LORETA) neurofeedback provides a mechanism to influence the electrical activity of the brain in intracranial space. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of LORETA neurofeedback (LNFB) in the precuneus as a mechanism for improving self-regulation in controls and a heterogeneous diagnostic group (DX). Thirteen participants completed between 10 and 20 sessions of LNFB training in a 3-voxel cluster in the left precuneus. The participants included 5 nonclinical university students, and 8 adults with heterogeneous psychiatric diagnoses. We assessed the effects of LNFB with neurophysiological measures as well as pre- and post-Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) subscales and selected subtests from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS). There was a significant total relative power increase at the precuneus for baseline contrasts for the control group. The DX group did not reach significant levels. All participants showed improvements in executive functions and tended to report significantly less psychopathology. The basic neural mechanisms of self-regulation are poorly understood. The data obtained in this study demonstrate that LNFB in a heterogeneous population enhances executive functions while concordantly decreasing endorsement of psychological symptoms. The alpha frequency in the brain may represent integrative functioning relative to operant efficiency and self-regulatory mechanisms.
A General Theoretical Integrative Model of Individual Differences in Interests, Abilities, Personality Traits, and Academic and Occupational Achievement: A Commentary on Four Recent Articles
Authors: Schmidt Frank L.
Published: March 2014

This commentary integrates the contents of four recent articles on individual differences (Nye, Su, Rounds, & Drasgow, 2012; Schmidt, 2011; Valla & Ceci, 2011; von Stumm, Hell, & Chamorro-Premuzic, 2011) in a causal theoretical model. In this model, introversion and fluid intelligence cause interest in general learning (intellectual curiosity), which in turn is a major cause of crystallized intelligence. Certain specific interests and fluid intelligence also contribute to crystallized intelligence. Prenatal testosterone hormone conditioning is postulated to cause sex differences in certain specific interests but not in others. Crystallized intelligence, specific interests, and the personality trait of conscientiousness cause adult academic and occupational performance, whereas crystallized intelligence is the main cause of good mental functioning at older ages. Research is presented supporting each link in the model.
Do People Have Insight Into Their Abilities? A Metasynthesis
Authors: Zell Ethan , Krizan Zlatan
Published: March 2014

Having insight into one’s abilities is essential, yet it remains unclear whether people generally perceive their skills accurately or inaccurately. In the present analysis, we examined the overall correspondence between self-evaluations of ability (e.g., academic ability, intelligence, language competence, medical skills, sports ability, and vocational skills) and objective performance measures (e.g., standardized test scores, grades, and supervisor evaluations) across 22 meta-analyses, in addition to considering factors that moderate this relationship. Although individual meta-analytic effects ranged from .09 to .63, the mean correlation between ability self-evaluations and performance outcomes across meta-analyses was moderate ( M = .29, SD = .11). Further, the relation was stronger when self-evaluations were specific to a given domain rather than broad and when performance tasks were objective, familiar, or low in complexity. Taken together, these findings indicate that people have only moderate insight into their abilities but also underscore the contextual factors that enable accurate self-perception of ability.
Interests, Gender, and Science
Authors: Valian Virginia
Published: March 2014

In this commentary on Nye, Su, Rounds, and Drasgow (2012) and Schmidt (2011), I address the value of occupational interest inventories for understanding sex differences in occupational choice and the extent to which occupational interests are malleable. In particular, I argue (a) that some subscales in interest inventories are too heterogeneous to be given a single label and that the labels that are applied to some subscales are inaccurate and misleading; (b) that “things versus people” is an inaccurate and misleading characterization of a dimension that is frequently associated with interest inventories and linked to sex differences; (c) that vocational interests will be valid predictors of job performance primarily in cases in which the job has been held for some time by a diverse group of people and not in cases in which jobholders have been homogeneous; (d) that sex differences in interests are malleable and sensitive to small and subtle environmental cues; and (e) that women’s interest in math and science will increase if they have a feeling of belonging and an expectation of success.
Missed Programs (You Can’t TiVo This One): Why Psychologists Should Study Media
Authors: Okdie Bradley M. , Ewoldsen David R. , Muscanell Nicole L. , Guadagno Rosanna E. , Eno Cassie A. , Velez John A. , Dunn Robert A. , O’Mally Jamie , Smith Lauren Reichart
Published: March 2014

Media psychology involves the scientific examination of the cognitive processes and behavior involved in the selection, use, interpretation, and effects of communication across a variety of media (e.g., via the Internet, television, telephone, film). Media are central to people’s lives, with projections indicating that an average person spent over 3,515 hours using media in 2012. New technologies are increasing the importance of media. Data from two content analyses demonstrate the underrepresentation of media psychology in mainstream psychological literature and in undergraduate and graduate psychology course offerings. We argue for the importance of a psychological approach to the study of media because of its presence in people’s lives and because psychologists use it in their research and their choices may affect the external validity of their findings. We provide a useful framework from which psychologists can approach the study of media, and we conclude with recommendations for further areas of scientific inquiry relevant to psychological science.
Beyond the Correlation Coefficient in Studies of Self-Assessment Accuracy: Commentary on Zell & Krizan (2014)
Authors: Dunning David , Helzer Erik G.
Published: March 2014

Zell and Krizan (2014, this issue) provide a comprehensive yet incomplete portrait of the factors influencing accurate self-assessment. This is no fault of their own. Much work on self-accuracy focuses on the correlation coefficient as the measure of accuracy, but it is not the only way self-accuracy can be measured. As such, its use can provide an incomplete and potentially misleading story. We urge researchers to explore measures of bias as well as correlation, because there are indirect hints that each respond to a different psychological dynamic. We further entreat researchers to develop other creative measures of accuracy and not to forget that self-accuracy may come not only from personal knowledge but also from insight about human nature more generally.
Improving Outcome of Psychosocial Treatments by Enhancing Memory and Learning
Authors: Harvey Allison G. , Lee Jason , Williams Joseph , Hollon Steven D. , Walker Matthew P. , Thompson Monique A. , Smith Rita
Published: March 2014

Mental disorders are prevalent and can lead to significant impairment. Some progress has been made toward establishing treatments; however, effect sizes are small to moderate, gains may not persist, and many patients derive no benefit. Our goal is to highlight the potential for empirically supported psychosocial treatments to be improved by incorporating insights from cognitive psychology and research on education. Our central question is: If it were possible to improve memory for the content of sessions of psychosocial treatments, would outcome substantially improve? We leverage insights from scientific knowledge on learning and memory to derive strategies for transdiagnostic and transtreatment cognitive support interventions. These strategies can be applied within and between sessions and to interventions delivered via computer, the Internet, and text message. Additional novel pathways to improving memory include improving sleep, engaging in exercise, and using imagery. Given that memory processes change across the lifespan, services to children and older adults may benefit from different types and amounts of cognitive support.
Implementing the ban on smoking in Israeli pubs: measuring airborne nicotine and enforcement by local authorities
Authors: Satran Carmit , Drach-Zahavy Anat , Hammond S. Katharine , Baron-Epel Orna
Published: March 2014

Background:

In 2007 an amendment to the law restricting smoking in pubs and bars (P&Bs) was enacted in Israel. However, a year after the ban only slight decreases in airborne smoke in P&Bs in one city have been reported.

Purpose:

We aimed to assess levels of airborne nicotine in Israeli P&Bs and to measure ifself-reported enforcement of the law by local officials was associated with levels of airborne nicotine in P&Bs.

Methods:

Airborne nicotine levels were measured in 72 P&Bs in 29 towns in Israel; this consisted of 90% of eligible towns. In addition, 73 local authority officials were interviewed in 25 of these towns. The officials were asked to assess the local authority’s level of enforcement of the law banning smoking in P&Bs. The association of levels of airborne nicotine with the levels of enforcement of the law was calculated. Data were collected during 2009–2010 and analyzed in 2010–2011.

Results:

Levels of airborne nicotine were comparatively high in P&Bs. No association was detected between levels of nicotine and the P&Bs’ characteristics. In the larger towns, levels of airborne nicotine were higher. In 16% of towns the local authority officials reported high levels of law enforcement. Generally, levels of reported enforcement by local authorities were low and did not predict levels of airborne nicotine in the P&Bs.

Conclusions:

Self-reported local authorities’ law enforcement was not associated with levels of airborne nicotine in P&Bs in these towns. There is a need to develop ways to increase law enforcement by the local authorities or other agencies.
Glomus tumour of the elbow: a case of mistaken identity
Authors: Zreik Nasri , Talbot Christopher , Peach Chris
Published: March 2014

Glomus tumours are small vascular tumours that are usually benign and rarely occur. However, atypical locations of these tumours can lead to misdiagnosis, particularly where the lesion is rarely reported. We report a case of glomus tumour located on the posterior aspect of the elbow, which was mistaken for, and treated as the commonly diagnosed, olecranon bursitis for several years. With worsening symptoms, mainly pain, pinpoint tenderness and hypersensitivity, the patient was referred for a further opinion, and the lesion was diagnosed as a glomus tumour following complete excision under anaesthesia. This present case highlights the importance in considering this rare entity in the differential diagnosis of posterior elbow swelling and pain. Furthermore, this report provides a review of the literature and identifies the need for early specialist referral to confirm diagnosis, alleviate patient symptoms and improve function.
Differences in Glycemic Variability Between Normoglycemic and Prediabetic Subjects
Authors: Hanefeld Markolf , Sulk Stefan , Helbig Matthias , Thomas Andreas , Köhler Carsta
Published: March 2014

Objective:

So far the criteria for NGT and abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT) are based on HbA1c and 75 g oGTT. We present data on GV and diurnal profiles in stratified cohorts with AGT versus controls.

Research designs and methods:

28 NGT, 42 AGT (15 IGT, 11 IFG, 16 CGI) matched for age and BMI classified by 75 g oGTT underwent a CGM with test meal (TM). Diurnal profiles, glucose excursion after TM, and GV (SD, MAGE) were calculated for day 2 and 3.

Results:

HbA1c, with its values of 5.5 ± 0.37% versus 5.65 ± 0.36%, was within normal range. Average interstitial glucose (AiG) was 5.84 ± 0.52 mmol/l) in NGT and 6.35 ± 0.65 mmol/l in AGT ( P = .002). The 2 h incremental area under curve (iAUC) from TM until 2 h after TM was 1.94 ± 1.31 mmol/l*h versus 2.89 ( ± 1.75) mmol/l*h ( P = .012), AiG 2 hours after TM was 5.99 ± 1.14 mmol/l*d versus 6.64 ± 1.30 mmol/l ( P = .035). Peaks of AiG after TM were 7.69 ± 1.48 mmol/l*d versus 9.18 ± 1.67 mmol/l*d ( P = .001). SD was significantly higher for AGT (1.12 ± 0.37 vs. 0.85 ± 0.32 mmol/l, P = .01) and MAGE 2.26 ± 0.84 vs. 1.60 ± 0.69 mmol/l, P = .005).

Conclusions:

In this comparative analysis NGT and AGT well matched for age, BMI, and comorbidities, CGM revealed significant differences in daytime AiG, pp glucose excursion and postprandial peaks. SD and MAGE was significantly higher for subjects with AGT. I Impaired glucose homeostasis a better characterizes degree of AGTe than HbA1c and 75 g OGTT.
“Glucose-at-a-Glance”
Authors: Henriques Teresa , Munshi Medha N. , Segal Alissa R. , Costa Madalena D. , Goldberger Ary L.
Published: March 2014

Background:

The standard continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) output provides multiple graphical and numerical summaries. A useful adjunct would be a visualization tool that facilitates immediate assessment of both long- and short-term variability.

Methods:

We developed an algorithm based on the mathematical method of delay maps to display CGM signals in which the glucose value at time ti is plotted against its value at time ti+1. The data points are then color-coded based on their frequency of occurrence (density).

Results:

Examples of this new visualization tool, along with the accompanying time series, are presented for selected patients with type 2 diabetes and non-diabetic controls over the age of 70 years. The method reveals differences in the structure of the glucose variability between subjects with a similar range of glucose values. We also observe that patients with comparable hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values may have very different delay maps, consistent with marked differences in the dynamics of glucose control. These differences are not accounted by the amplitude of the fluctuations. Furthermore, the delay maps allow for rapid recognition of hypo- and hyperglycemic periods over the full duration of monitoring or any subinterval.

Conclusion:

The glucose-at-a-glance visualization tool, based on colorized delay maps, provides a way to quickly assess the complex data acquired by CGM systems. This method yields dynamical information not contained in single summary statistics, such as HbA1c values, and may also serve as the basis for developing novel metrics of glycemic control.
Assessment of Patient Perceptions About Web Telemonitoring Applied to Artificial Pancreas Use at Home
Authors: Place Jérôme , Farret Anne , Del Favero Simone , Bruttomesso Daniela , Renard Eric
Published: March 2014

Background:

Patients with chronic diseases as well as health care systems could benefit from telemedicine applications such as remote monitoring (RM). RM relies on a device that sends patients’ health data to a remote server accessible by care teams. Recent smartphone-based artificial pancreas (AP) systems collect comprehensive set of information and could therefore support the development of RM applied to diabetes. To better understand how RM could be integrated in future AP systems, we wanted to get patients’ opinion on this concept, as they are the final users of these systems.

Method:

An online questionnaire with 11 items was sent to 20 experienced patients who tested AP and RM during our recent outpatient studies in France and Italy.

Results:

We received 17 answers. All patients considered that during their participation in trials, RM was useful, reassuring, and essential. One-third wouldn’t have participated without it. When AP is commercialized, 88% of respondents think that AP should go with a RM tool, but it should be activated only at certain times, at first use or in case of difficulties (82%). Participants ask for technical support when a device fails (88%) and for medical help in case of prolonged hyperglycemia (65%) or severe or repeated hypoglycemia (53%), but not after each case of hypoglycemia (6%). More than 75% think that RM could help them to improve their blood glucose control.

Conclusions:

This preliminary work indicates that patients expect RM to be part of future AP development. Larger studies remain to be performed to investigate its usefulness and potential economic effectiveness.
Updating the evidence for the effect of radiofrequency catheter ablation on left atrial volume and function in patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhuang Yan , Yong Yong-hong , Chen Ming-long
Published: March 2014

Summary

Objectives

To systematically review the effects of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) on left atrial (LA) size, volumes and function in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Highwire, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the reference lists of retrieved reports in July 2012.

Setting

China

Participants

Twenty-six studies (enrolling 1821 patients) were included in the final analysis.

Main outcome measures

Changes of LA size or volumes and/or function in patients with AF after RFCA.

Results

Compared to pre-ablation values, there were significant decreases in LA diameter and LA volumes at post-ablation follow-up. However, compared to pre-ablation values, there were no significant differences in LA ejection fraction/LA active emptying fraction and LA strain at post-ablation follow-up. Decreases in LA diameter and LA volumes remained significant in those without AF recurrence but not in those with AF recurrence. LA ejection fraction/LA active emptying fraction did not decrease in patients without AF recurrence, whereas they decreased in patients with AF recurrence. As for LA strain, it seems that LA strain increases in patients without AF recurrence, with less fibrosis and with more LA volumes decrease, but the differences were not significant.

Conclusions

Successful RFCA in patients with AF significantly decreases LA size and volumes and does not seem to adversely affect LA function.
What Works and What's Just?
Authors: McNeill Fergus
Published: March 2014

This paper is based on a presentation entitled ‘What Works in Probation’, delivered to an Invitational Conference for Directors of Probation Services in Europe organised by the Council of Europe, the Conference Permanente Européenne de la Probation and the French Ministry of Justice at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg (26th–28th November, 2008). Drawing on a much more extensive and separately published report about the effectiveness of offender supervision (McNeill, 2009), I try to argue here that, despite the apparently technical nature of questions of effectiveness, in fact any considered and critical analysis of the empirical evidence about desistance, rehabilitation and ‘what works?’ compel us to consider the moral character and context of criminal justice interventions.
From ‘Community Service’ to ‘Autonomous Work Penalty’ in Belgium. What's in a Name?
Authors: Beyens Kristel
Published: March 2014

In Belgium, community service (dienstverlening) for adults was introduced in 1994 as a condition of probation at the sentencing level and as a condition of mediation at the prosecution level. It became the so-called ‘work penalty’ (werkstraf) in 2002. This change in the terminology and the legal and penological basis, from an alternative sanction embedded in a rehabilitative approach to just another neoclassical form of punishment primarily aiming for retribution, ushered in another sentencing practice and led to a rapid increase in the number of work penalties imposed. This article describes the legal provisions governing the ‘work penalty’ and the peculiarities of its implementation in practice. It explores the possible explanations of the success of this sentence and the implications of that success for its execution.