bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in Health Following Housing Improvement in a Vulnerable Population in Spain
Authors: Novoa Ana M. , Amat Jordi , Malmusi Davide , Díaz Fernando , Darnell Mercè , Trilla Carme , Bosch Jordi , Borrell Carme
Published: November 2016

The objective of this study is to compare changes in health among a sample of families living in substandard dwellings or with housing affordability problems assisted by Caritas Diocesana de Barcelona, according to the improvement of their socioeconomic and housing situation during the study period. A quasi-experimental study was performed, including 232 families assisted by Caritas who were interviewed in 2012 and one year later. Participants could have received a set of interventions, including relocation and different types of economic subsidies. Regression models were fitted to identify the association of participants' changes in self-rated general health and mental health between baseline and follow-up with improvements across three dimensions: socioeconomic situation and housing affordability, physical housing characteristics, and neighborhood. An improvement in self-reported health status was associated with having found a job and reporting fewer problems in meeting monthly housing costs. Mental health improved among participants with an increased household income, with a reduction in the perceived risk of losing their house, and with reduced housing-related material deprivations. The study shows that health gains can derive from improvements in housing conditions, especially those related to housing affordability.
Observer-based echo-state neural network control for a class of nonlinear systems
Authors: Mahmoud Tarek A , Elshenawy Lamiaa M
Published: November 2016

The echo-state network is a new structure of recurrent neural networks. Based on the echo-state network, this paper develops an adaptive output feedback control method for a class of perturbed Sngle-Input Single-Output (SISO) nonlinear system in which only the system output is measured. The echo-state network is developed to approximate the control law based on the certainty equivalent approach. A Luenberger like observer is used to estimate the state signals. The echo-state network controller’s parameters are updated on-line using the gradient of descent method. The overall adaptive scheme guarantees that all signals involved are bounded and the output of the closed-loop system will asymptotically track the desired output trajectory without using a supervisory control term. Two nonlinear systems are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Robust adaptive state estimation for uncertain nonlinear switched systems with unknown inputs
Authors: Yang Junqi , Chen Yantao , Zheng Zheng , Qian Wei
Published: November 2016

This paper discusses the issue of the continuous state estimation for a class of uncertain nonlinear switched systems under the two cases of both average dwell time and mode-dependent average dwell time. A robust and adaptive switched observer is developed such that the states of an original nonlinear switched system can be asymptotically estimated, where the Lipschitz constant of the nonlinear term may be unknown since the designed adaptation law can adaptively adjust it. Based on the feasible solution of an optimization problem with a linear matrix inequality constraint, the observer gain matrices are obtained and guarantee the existence of a robust switched observer. Meanwhile, the switching signals are designed such that the observer error dynamics is globally uniformly exponentially stable, and the sufficient conditions of the existence of a robust sliding-mode switched observer are derived. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approaches is illustrated by a numerical example and switched Rössler chaotic dynamics.
The Truthiness about Hurricane Catastrophe Models
Authors: Weinkle Jessica , Pielke Roger
Published: November 2016

In recent years, US policy makers have faced persistent calls for the price of flood and hurricane insurance cover to reflect the true or real risk. The appeal to a true or real measure of risk is rooted in two assumptions. First, scientific research can provide an accurate measure of risk. Second, this information can and should dictate decision-making about the cost of insurance. As a result, contemporary disputes over the cost of catastrophe insurance coverage, hurricane risk being a prime example, become technical battles over estimating risk. Using examples from the Florida hurricane rate-making decision context, we provide a quantitative investigation of the integrity of these two assumptions. We argue that catastrophe models are politically stylized views of the intractable scientific problem of precise characterization of hurricane risk. Faced with many conflicting scientific theories, model theorists use choice and preference for outcomes to develop a model. Models therefore come to include political positions on relevant knowledge and the risk that society ought to manage. Earnest consideration of model capabilities and inherent uncertainties may help evolve public debate from one focused on “true” or “real” measures of risk, of which there are many, toward one of improved understanding and management of insurance regimes.
The politics of a ‘Poncy Pillowcase’: Migration and borders in Coronation Street’
Authors: Innes Alexandria J , Topinka Robert J
Published: November 2016

This article examines the ways in which popular culture stages and supplies resources for agency in everyday life, with particular attention to migration and borders. Drawing upon cultural studies, and specific insights originating from the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, we explore how intersectional identities such as race, ethnicity, class, and gender are experienced in relation to the globalisation of culture and identity in a 2007 Coronation Street storyline. The soap opera genre offers particular insights into how agency emerges in everyday life as migrants and locals navigate the forces of globalisation. We argue that a focus on popular culture can mitigate the problem of isolating migrant experiences from local experiences in migrant-receiving areas.
Utility of multiparametric MRI in Caesarean section scar characterization and preoperative prediction of scar dehiscence: a prospective study
Authors: Kumar Ishan , Verma Ashish , Matah Manjari , Satpathy Gayatri
Published: November 2016

Background

Post-Caesarean uterine scar rupture during vaginal birth after Caesarean section (VBAC) is a potentially life-threatening complication. Prediction of scar dehiscence and scar rupture is vital in treatment planning and selecting candidates of trial of labor after a Caesarean section (CS).

Purpose

To assess the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluation of post-Caesarean uterine scar and to predict scar dehiscence during repeat CS.

Material and Methods

Thirty patients with a history of at least one previous CS underwent pelvic MRI for assessment of uterine scar during a subsequent gestation, all of whom underwent lower segment Caesarean section (LSCS) subsequently due to one of the established indications of CSs. Thickness, T1, T2 signal intensity ratio (SER), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of scar site were charted. The lower uterine segment was assessed and graded intraoperatively and findings were correlated with MRI findings.

Results

A total of 30 participants were included in this study, of which nine were classified as having an abnormal scar (of various grades) based on surgical observations. T2 SER with a cutoff value of 0.935 showed the highest sensitivity of 100% and scar thickness value of 3.45 mm showed highest specificity of 91% in prediction of abnormal scar. On drawing a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, T2 signal intensity ratio showed the highest area under the curve (AUC) closely followed by scar thickness values.

Conclusion

MRI derived parameters may be utilized for differentiation of an abnormal post-Caesarean uterine scar from a normal one. Both scar thickness and T2 SER measured on MRI can be used to predict scar dehiscence. However, T2 SER can serve as a more standardized and objective criterion.
Post herpes zoster SUNCT like syndrome: Insights from two case reports
Authors: Mathew Thomas , Srinivas Meghana , Badachi Sagar , Nadig Raghunandan
Published: November 2016

Background

SUNCT like syndrome secondary to post herpes zoster infection has not been reported in literature.

Case

We are reporting two cases of SUNCT like syndrome secondary to post herpes zoster infection of the V1 distribution of the trigeminal nerve. Treatment with pregabalin and lamotrigine achieved complete symptomatic relief in both patients.

Conclusion

SUNCT like syndrome can occur after herpetic infection of the trigeminal nerve. Unlike primary SUNCT syndrome, post-herpetic SUNCT like syndrome seems to respond well to pharmacological treatment and has a good prognosis.
Arabinoxylan rice bran (Biobran) suppresses the viremia level in patients with chronic HCV infection: A randomized trial
Authors: Salama Hosny , Medhat Eman , Shaheen Magda , Zekri Abdel-Rahman N , Darwish Tarneem , Ghoneum Mamdooh
Published: November 2016

Current treatments for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) have severe side effects and are very expensive. There is a need to explore effective natural therapies against HCV that are less toxic and more cost-effective. In the current study, 37 chronic HCV patients were randomized into two groups and treated with either pegylated interferon (PEG IFN) plus ribavirin (n = 21) or Biobran, an arabinoxylan from rice bran (1 g/day) (n = 16). We examined viremia, liver enzymes, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels in serum, and toxicity before and three months after treatment. Both groups showed a significant and similar reduction in viral load after three months of treatment relative to the baseline viral load ( P <0.05). In addition, treatment with Biobran resulted in a significant increase in the level of IFN-γ ( P <0.001). Patients in the PEG IFN plus ribavirin group showed fever, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and easy fatigue. Patients in the Biobran group showed no side effects and reported good health. We conclude that Biobran is a potential novel therapeutic regimen that has a similar effect to PEG IFN plus ribavirin and is safe and cost-effective in the treatment of chronic HCV. Our finding of Biobran’s efficacy against HCV infection warrants further investigation in multiple clinical trials (Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02690103).
Perceptions of Racial Group Size in a Minority-majority Area
Authors: Kunovich Robert M.
Published: November 2016

Americans overestimate the size of minority groups and underestimate the size of the majority. Research on perceived racial group size, however, has focused on areas where non-Hispanic whites are dominant and has neglected to examine the impact of group conflict attitudes other than perceived threats. This study examines perceptions of group size in Harris County, Texas, in 2007, which became a minority-majority area by 2006. It also examines whether perceived racial discrimination influences perceived group size. Analyses demonstrate that people underestimate the size of the largest group, which in this case is the local Hispanic population. The sizes of the black and Asian populations, by contrast, are overestimated while estimates of the white population are accurate. Race and perceived discrimination play important roles in shaping perceptions of group size. Perceptions of group size are also based on the objective size of these groups, but are unrelated to recent changes in group size.
The Relative Effects of Normative and Instrumental Models of Policing on Police Empowerment: Evidence From a Sample of Sub-Saharan African Immigrants
Authors: Pryce Daniel K.
Published: November 2016

This study examines the relative impacts of normative and instrumental models of policing on willingness to empower the police in a sample of sub-Saharan African immigrants in the United States. Using data from a survey of 304 Ghanaian immigrants, obligation to obey, procedural justice, effectiveness, and gender predicted police empowerment; legitimacy of Ghana police and risk of sanctioning did not. The results also show that obligation to obey may be distinct from legitimacy. The findings from the current study point to the importance of the process-based model of policing in different geopolitical contexts, including the sub-Saharan African immigrant community in the United States. Specifically, obligation to obey and procedural justice play pivotal roles in engendering willingness to empower the police in the sub-Saharan African immigrant community. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Systemic lupus erythematosus in Spanish males: a study of the Spanish Rheumatology Society Lupus Registry (RELESSER) cohort
Authors: Riveros Frutos A , Casas I , Rúa-Figueroa I , López-Longo F J , Calvo-Alén J , Galindo M , Fernández-Nebro A , Pego-Reigosa J M , Olivé Marqués A
Published: November 2016

Objective

The objective of this study was to describe the demographic, clinical, and immunological manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in male patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional, multicenter study was carried out of 3651 patients (353 men, 9.7%, and 3298 women, 90.2%) diagnosed with SLE, included in the Spanish Rheumatology Society SLE Registry (RELESSER).

Results

Mean ages (18–92 years) of symptom onset were 37 (SD 17) years (men) and 32 (SD 14) years (women). Male/female ratio was 1/9. Age of onset of symptoms and age at diagnosis were higher in men than in women ( p < 0.001). Males were diagnosed earlier than females (p = 0.04) and had more cardiovascular comorbidities ( p < 0.001). Two hundred and thirty-six males (68%) with SLE required hospitalization in comparison with 1713 females (53%) ( p < 0.001). During follow-up, 208 patients died: 30 men (9.3%) and 178 women (5.9%) ( p = 0.02). As regards clinical manifestations, loss of weight ( p = 0.01), lymphadenopathies ( p = 0.02), and splenomegaly ( p = 0.02) were more common in male patients. Female patients were more likely to have inflammatory rash, alopecia, and arthritis ( p < 0.05). As for lung involvement, men with SLE had more pleural fibrosis ( p < 0.001) and pulmonary embolism ( p = 0.01). However, Raynaud’s phenomenon was more common in women (35%) than in men (23.7%) ( p < 0.001); lupus nephritis was more common in men, being present in 155 (44.8%) of males versus 933 (29%) of females ( p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that SLE patients with a high Charlson index (more than 3 points) and age > 50 years had a higher mortality (odds ratios 3.6 and 2.1, respectively). Furthermore, SLE patients who developed pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary hypertension, psychiatric involvement, complement deficiency, and hemophagocytic syndrome also had higher mortality, regardless of gender.

Conclusion

Patients with SLE over the age of 50 years have an increased risk of mortality. In Caucasians, age at diagnosis and symptom onset is higher in men than in women. The diagnostic delay is shorter in men. Male SLE patients present more cardiovascular comorbidities, and also more serositis, adenopathies, splenomegaly, renal involvement, convulsion, thrombosis, and lupus anticoagulant positivity than women.
Successful reintroduction of blinatumomab in a patient with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia following grade 4 cytokine release syndrome
Authors: Marini Bernard L , Sun Yihan , Burke Patrick W , Perissinotti Anthony J
Published: November 2016

Relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia poses a clinical challenge due to its poor prognosis and lack of effective treatment. Blinatumomab, a novel immunotherapy, has demonstrated excellent efficacy in relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia; however, life-threatening toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome have been reported in pivotal clinical trials. In this report, we describe the safe reintroduction of blinatumomab in an adult patient with relapsed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia after experiencing grade 4 blinatumomab-induced cytokine release syndrome using a unique dosing strategy and a very diligent monitoring approach. As blinatumomab often represents a last-line therapeutic option for many patients, such a step-wise dosing approach and diligent monitoring plan may be useful in an attempt to retrial blinatumomab in patients who require reintroduction of therapy.
Supratherapeutic INR resulting from the initiation of warfarin in a patient receiving axitinib
Authors: Primeaux Brian , Burton Bradley , Shuey Stephanie
Published: November 2016

Axitinib is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor indicated for advanced renal cell cancer after failure of one prior systemic therapy. We report a case where a patient receiving axitinib experienced a supratherapeutic INR soon after initiation of an age-appropriate warfarin dose. We propose two possible mechanisms for this interaction, including competitive protein binding and decreased metabolism. Close INR monitoring and dose adjustments of warfarin may be necessary in patients receiving concomitant axitinib and warfarin in order to decrease the risks associated with this interaction.
Smoking during pregnancy: A population-based study
Authors: Oskarsdottir Gudrun Nina , Sigurdsson Hedinn , Gudmundsson Kristjan G.
Published: November 2016

Aims: Tobacco is a major cause of disease and mortality in modern times. The risk of smoking in pregnancy is a serious threat to the development and future health of an unborn child. The aim of this study was to explore the epidemiological factors associated with smoking during pregnancy in a primary healthcare setting. Methods: All 856 maternity records at the Glaesibaer Health Care Centre in Reykjavik during 2006–2013 were reviewed and information on smoking habits investigated. Results: The records showed that in 108 (12.2%) pregnancies, women smoked at first visit and 63 stopped smoking in early pregnancy, leaving 45 (5.3%) mothers smoking throughout the whole gestational period. The mean age of the smoking women was 27.8 years and for the non-smokers 29.7 years. Low social status (odds ratio (OR) = 2.66; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19–5.96), previous mental health diagnosis (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.3–5.6), and unstable relationship with a partner (OR = 3.78; 95% CI: 2.1–7.0) were associated with smoking. Smoking fewer cigarettes was associated with a 0.04-unit lower risk of smoking during pregnancy (OR = 0.04: 95% CI: 0.02–0.08). Conclusions: Our results indicated that the women who smoked during pregnancy were often heavy smokers and living without a partner. They were younger, had worse mental health, and a lower social status than those pregnant women who did not smoke. Bearing in mind the consequence of smoking in pregnancy, this subgroup should get increased assistance to quit smoking before and during early pregnancy, as well as appropriate medical and social support.
Primary trauma care curriculum: A qualitative analysis of impediments to improvement
Authors: Dickason Robert M , Cioè-Peña Eric , Chisolm-Straker Makini
Published: November 2016

Objectives

In 2014, the primary trauma care curriculum was delivered at a national trauma center in San Salvador, El Salvador. A quantitative analysis demonstrated that subsequent incorporation of primary trauma care algorithms did not occur. The purpose of this qualitative analysis is to explore why the delivery of the primary trauma care curriculum did not have a measurable effect on provider observance of primary trauma care algorithms.

Methods

Key informant interviews of primary trauma care instructors and students, trauma care observers, and hospital administrators involved in the delivery of the primary trauma care curriculum were conducted in February 2015. Interview transcripts were analyzed qualitatively using a grounded-theory approach and thematic analysis for insights and common themes.

Results

Four common themes emerged to explain why adherence to primary trauma care algorithms did not improve: Primary Trauma Care course delivery problems, insufficient equipment, insufficient nurse training, and unsystematic team response.

Conclusions

Despite the delivery of the primary trauma care curriculum, adherence to the primary trauma care algorithms did not improve as a result of problems integral to the primary trauma care model—including the teach-the-teachers method of curriculum dissemination—as well as local conditions at this hospital. These findings suggest that an isolated educational intervention may not be successful unless the host institution is able to commit to the implementation of the educational material in an ongoing and comprehensive fashion.
Balancing Play and Formal Training in the Design of Serious Games
Authors: Martey Rosa Mikeal , Stromer-Galley Jennifer , Shaw Adrienne , McKernan Brian , Saulnier Tobi , Mclaren Elizabeth , Rhodes Matt , Folkestad James , Taylor Sarah M. , Kenski Kate , Clegg Ben , Strzalkowski Tomek
Published: November 2016

This article discusses the design and development of two serious games intended to train people to reduce their reliance on cognitive biases in their decision-making in less than an hour each. In our development process, we found a tension between rich and flexible experimentation and exploration experiences and robust learning experiences that ensured the lesson content was easily understood and recalled. In line with game-based learning research, initial designs were oriented toward exploration and discovery. Analyses of interviews, playtesting, logs, and surveys revealed that many players were frustrated or confused by the interface and content of the more complex games, even when consistent differences between levels of visual detail or narrative complexity were not present. We conclude that teaching complex topics such as cognitive biases to the widest range of learners required reducing the games’ playful and exploratory elements and balancing formal training content with simpler visuals and text.
Do Athletes Imagine Being the Best, or Crossing the Finish Line First? A Mixed Methods Analysis of Construal Levels in Elite Athletes’ Spontaneous Imagery
Authors: Kacperski Celina , Ulloa Roberto , Hall Craig
Published: November 2016

The purpose of this article is to illustrate data transformation in a mixed methods research phenomenological study, investigating how athletes use concrete and abstract spontaneous imagery in and around competition. To achieve this, we combined the application of co-occurring codes and numerical transformation in a novel way. A thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 12 elite athletes identified concrete imagery to focus on strategy generation, error correction, technique, and preparation, and abstract imagery to focus on desirability, symbolic and verbal representations, and regulation of affect, arousal, and mastery. Statistical analysis identified that subjective effectiveness of imagery significantly differed for sport type (reactive/static) and competition times. Researchers wishing to apply statistical analyses to qualitative data are encouraged to employ our methodology.
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Long-Term Stroke Risk After Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Morris Nicholas A. , Cool Joséphine , Merkler Alexander E. , Kamel Hooman
Published: November 2016

Background:

Recent studies suggest that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for subsequent ischemic stroke, even years after the initial insult. The mechanisms of the association remain unclear. The presence of traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (tSAH) may mediate the effect of TBI on long-term stroke risk, as it has previously been linked to short-term vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia.

Methods:

Using administrative claims data, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of acute care hospitalizations. Patients discharged with a first-recorded diagnosis of tSAH were followed for a primary diagnosis of stroke. They were matched to patients with TBI but not tSAH. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to assess the association between tSAH and stroke while adjusting for covariates.

Results:

We identified 40 908 patients with TBI (20 454 patients with tSAH) who were followed for a mean of 4.3 + 1.8 years. A total of 531 had an ischemic stroke after discharge. There was no significant difference in stroke risk between those with tSAH (1.79%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54%-2.08%) versus without tSAH (2.12%; 95% CI 1.83%-2.44%). The same pattern was found in adjusted analyses even when the group was stratified by age-group or by proxies of TBI severity.

Conclusions:

Our findings do not support a role of tSAH in mediating the association between TBI and protracted stroke risk. Further study is required to elucidate the mechanisms of long-term increased stroke risk after TBI.
Differences in outcome of patients with syncytial variant Hodgkin lymphoma compared with typical nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Sethi Tarsheen , Nguyen Van , Li Shaoying , Morgan David , Greer John , Reddy Nishitha
Published: November 2016

Background:

Nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma (NS-HL) is the most common subtype of HL and usually has a good prognosis. A variant of NS, the syncytial variant (SV) has well-established histopathologic features but little is known about its clinical behavior. Small case series have suggested that SV patients present with advanced disease and have a comparatively aggressive course. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and outcome of SV patients

Methods:

A total of 167 adult patients with NS-HL including 43 patients with SV and 124 patients with typical NS (t-NS) were included in our analysis following institutional review board (IRB) approval. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Log-rank test was used to determine the differences in survival.

Results:

Of the 167 patients, 43 were confirmed as SV based on morphology and immunophenotype. Doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD) was the most frequent induction regimen administered in 91% of all patients. The rate of complete response (CR) in the SV group was 74% versus 87% in the t-NS group ( p = 0.05). At 49 months follow up, the PFS was 17 months in the SV group and not reached in the t-NS group [ p < 0.0001; hazard ratio (HR) = 3.695; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.0, 11.07]. The median OS was not reached in both groups ( p = 0.32).

Conclusions:

Our results show that SV histology represents a poor risk group with lower CR rate and shorter PFS and this should be considered in the risk stratification of classical HL patients.
Whither climate change post-Paris?
Authors: Thompson Roy
Published: November 2016

The Paris Climate Agreement has been welcomed by many as providing a remarkably strong basis for global action on anthropogenically mediated climate change, by underpinning a highly ambitious, very clever and forward-looking political process. On the other hand, the sum total of the fresh emission reductions pledged is very small. A new climate-economics model is explored to help focus on two key points remaining at issue post-Paris, namely where are we now and where are we headed? The output reinforces the unpalatable finding that in the absence of even stronger carbon-pricing policies, temperatures and sea-level will, this century, rise significantly beyond what are currently deemed to be ‘dangerous’ levels. Pigouvian taxes have long been championed by economists as providing a simple, down-to-earth corrective remedy for market failures, such as excessive carbon emissions. The Wilsonian modification, or ‘feebate’, provides an attractive modern variant that could easily be implemented post-Paris.
The Effect of California’s Breast Density Notification Legislation on Breast Cancer Screening
Authors: Chau Stephanie Lynn , Alabaster Amy , Luikart Karin , Brenman Leslie Manace , Habel Laurel A.
Published: November 2016

Purpose: Half of US states mandate women be notified if they have dense breasts on their mammogram, yet guidelines and data on supplemental screening modalities are limited. Breast density (BD) refers to the extent that breast tissue appears radiographically dense on mammograms. High BD reduces the sensitivity of screening mammography and increases breast cancer risk. The aim of this study was to determine the potential impact of California’s 2013 BD notification legislation on breast cancer screening patterns. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of women aged 40 to 74 years who were members of a large Northern California integrated health plan (approximately 3.9 million members) in 2011-2015. We calculated pre- and post-legislation rates of screening mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We also examined whether women with dense breasts (defined as BI-RADS density c or d) had higher MRI rates than women with nondense breasts (defined as BI-RADS density a or b). Results: After adjustment for race/ethnicity, age, body mass index, medical facility, neighborhood median income, and cancer history, there was a relative 6.6% decrease (relative risk [RR] 0.934, confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.95) in the rate of screening mammography, largely driven by a decrease among women <50 years. While infrequent, there was a relative 16% increase (RR 1.16, CI 1.07-1.25) in the rate of screening MRI, with the greatest increase among the youngest women. In the postlegislation period, women with extremely dense breasts (BI-RADS d) had 2.77 times (CI 1.93-3.95) the odds of a MRI within 9 months of a screening mammogram compared with women with nondense breasts (BI-RADS b). Conclusions: In this setting, MRI rates increased in the postlegislation period. In addition, women with higher BD were more likely to have supplementary MRI. The decrease in mammography rates seen primarily among younger women may have been due to changes in national screening guidelines.
Neighborhood Conditions and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Middle-Aged African Americans
Authors: Tabet Maya , Sanders Erin A. , Schootman Mario , Chang Jen Jen , Wolinsky Fredric D. , Malmstrom Theodore K. , Miller Douglas K.
Published: November 2016

Objective: We examined associations between observed neighborhood conditions (good/adverse) and psychosocial outcomes (stress, depressive symptoms, resilience, and sense of control) among middle-aged and older African Americans. Methods: The sample included 455 middle-aged and older African Americans examined in Wave 10 of the African American Health (AAH) study. Linear regression was adjusted for attrition, self-selection into neighborhoods, and potential confounders, and stratified by the duration at current address (<5 vs ≥5 years) because of its hypothesized role as an effect modifier. Results: Among individuals who lived at their current address for ≥5 years, residing in neighborhoods with adverse versus good conditions was associated with significantly less stress (standardized β = −0.18; P = .002) and depressive symptoms (standardized β = −0.12; P = .048). Among those who lived at their current address for <5 years, residing in neighborhoods with adverse versus good conditions was not significantly associated with stress (standardized β = 0.18; P = .305) or depressive symptoms (standardized β = 0.36; P = .080). Conclusion: Neighborhood conditions appear to have significant, complex associations with psychosocial factors among middle-aged and older African Americans. This holds important policy implications, especially since adverse neighborhood conditions may still result in adverse physical health outcomes in individuals with >5 years at current residence despite being associated with better psychosocial outcomes.
Factors Related to Physical Activity Among the Elderly Population in Rural Thailand
Authors: Ethisan Plernta , Somrongthong Ratana , Ahmed Jamil , Kumar Ramesh , Chapman Robert S.
Published: November 2016

Physical activity in later years of life is not only essential to healthy aging and independent functioning, but it also helps prevent chronic diseases. We aimed this cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of physical activity and associated factors among rural elderly Thais. We conducted this study on a sample of 300 elderly in 2 rural districts of Phranakornsiayutthaya province in Thailand. The mean age of participants were 67.5±6 years and 42% of them did not perform physical activity. Prevalence of vigorous and moderate intensity physical activity was 43.7% and 48.7%, respectively. About 43.7% elderly used any active transport and spent 2.81 hours on sedentary activities, daily. Females and those with enough income were 3.64 and 0.59 times, respectively, less likely to be physically active ( P < .05). Our study concluded that almost half of the rural Thai elderly were physically inactive. Also male and wealthy elderly were less likely to be engaged in physical activity. We recommend for improved efforts to involve rural Thai elderly in physical activity by offering them opportunities for locally relevant recreational and leisure time physical activities, with special focus on males and higher income elderly.
In Whom Do We Trust? Racial Trust in the Early Years of Barack Obama’s Presidency
Authors: Dowe Pearl K. Ford , Franklin Sekou
Published: November 2016

For many African Americans, Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008 was a step toward a racially tolerant society. Yet for others, the attack on Obama’s religious faith and citizenship status reflected long-standing racial divisions within the electorate. Using ordered probit analyses, our study focuses on racial trust and social capital in the early years of Obama’s presidency. In assessing the relationship between Obama’s domestic policies and racial trust, our study closely aligns with the research on policy feedbacks. We investigate the possibility that Obama’s flagship economic and social policies—specifically the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and unemployment insurance—operated as a bridge between whites, blacks, and Latinos. We further consider whether higher support for these policies reproduced greater levels of interracial trust among the groups. To measure racial trust, we draw from a 2010 survey sponsored by the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society at the University of Arkansas. The Blair-Rockefeller Poll was administered shortly after the 2010 midterm elections and includes a sample size of 3,406 respondents with an oversample of blacks (825) and Latinos (932). Although we found noticeably high rates of racial distrust, blacks expressed the lowest levels of distrust compared to whites and Latinos. We also discovered varying effects of Obama’s policies on increasing racial trust.
“Authentic” Dance and Racialized Ethnic Identities in Multicultural America: The Chinese in Minnesota and Peruvians in New Jersey
Authors: Wilcox Hui Niu , Busse Erika
Published: November 2016

We investigate how Chinese and Peruvian immigrants in the United States construct the idea of authenticity through dance and what roles the discourse and practice surrounding authenticity play in the formation of racialized ethnic identities. This inquiry reveals that “authenticity” in the context of immigrant dance has two distinct but related dimensions; it is both a descriptor of cultural practice and a quality of individual subjectivities by which immigrants recognize the importance of dance for both cultural preservation and individual self-actualization. Additionally, through so-called authentic cultural practices such as dance, immigrants in the United States preserve their before-migration national identities. They do so in the institutional context of multiculturalism, where the host society’s demands for authenticity converge with immigrants’ desire for belonging and where immigrants experience racial formation and ethnic construction simultaneously.
Should psychiatrists be more cautious about the long-term prophylactic use of antipsychotics?
Authors: Murray Robin M. , Quattrone Diego , Natesan Sridhar , van Os Jim , Nordentoft Merete , Howes Oliver , Di Forti Marta , Taylor David
Published: November 2016

Patients who recover from an acute episode of psychosis are frequently prescribed prophylactic antipsychotics for many years, especially if they are diagnosed as having schizophrenia. However, there is a dearth of evidence concerning the long-term effectiveness of this practice, and growing concern over the cumulative effects of antipsychotics on physical health and brain structure. Although controversy remains concerning some of the data, the wise psychiatrist should regularly review the benefit to each patient of continuing prophylactic antipsychotics against the risk of side-effects and loss of effectiveness through the development of supersensitivity of the dopamine D2 receptor. Psychiatrists should work with their patients to slowly reduce the antipsychotic to the lowest dose that prevents the return of distressing symptoms. Up to 40% of those whose psychosis remits after a first episode should be able to achieve a good outcome in the long term either with no antipsychotic medication or with a very low dose.
Do Health Care Providers Respond to Demand-Side Incentives? Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Triyana Margaret
Published: November 2016

This paper exploits the subdistrict randomization of Indonesia's household Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program to analyze how the program affects the local health care market. The CCT program is associated with increased use of midwives as the main delivery attendants. The program is also associated with a 10 percent increase in both the number of midwives and the delivery fees charged by midwives in treated communities. Program participants report receiving a higher quality of prenatal care. This is due, however, not to improvements in quality of care in the market, but to increased utilization among program participants. (JEL H51, I13, I18, I32, I38, O15)
How Do Providers Respond to Changes in Public Health Insurance Coverage? Evidence from Adult Medicaid Dental Benefits
Authors: Buchmueller Thomas , Miller Sarah , Vujicic Marko
Published: November 2016

This study evaluates how large changes in public health insurance coverage affect provider behavior and patient wait times by analyzing a common type of primary care: dental services. When states expand coverage of dental services to adult Medicaid beneficiaries, dentists' participation in Medicaid increases and dentists see more publicly insured patients. Dentists supply more visits but only modestly increase the amount of time spent working. They achieve this in part by making greater use of dental hygienists. Wait times increase modestly, with the largest increases in wait times observed in states with restrictive scope of practice laws governing dental hygienists. (JEL G22, I11, I13, I18, I38, J22, J44)
Minister's to-do list grows
Authors: Allingham Sue
Published: November 2016

Working in the early years sector for a number of years you would be forgiven for thinking you had found yourself transported into the film Groundhog Day. The same issues continue to surface, year after year.
Professional development wish list
Authors: Lee Maureen
Published: November 2016

With a new minister in place, and a workforce strategy on the horizon, it feels timely to think about what we need from professional development to become more confident, effective and positive in our careers.
The sense of a sentence can be an emotional ride
Authors: Brown Paula
Published: November 2016

Children must come to terms with the complexities of verbs, including the complicated irregular variety, in their first and subsequent languages in order to master sentences and meaningful speech.
End-of-life prognostic indicators in patients with COPD: Part 1
Authors: Gleeson Aoife , Parry Andy , Higginson Ray
Published: November 2016

In the UK, chronic respiratory diseases cause 13% of adult disability. The major chronic respiratory disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition involving chronic airway inflammation that causes airflow obstruction and destruction of lung tissue. This leads to a progressive loss of respiratory membrane, which accounts for the clinical manifestation of COPD, which is difficulty maintaining sufficient gas exchange to meet metabolic demands. The primary cause is smoking, with the vast majority of COPD patients having a past or present history of smoking. However exposure to industrial pollutants is also a contributing factor, as is a rare genetic predisposition to developing COPD.
Politics and palliative care: Nigeria
Authors: Smyth Dion
Published: November 2016

Dion Smyth's review of the internet for palliative nursing
Flora da Bahia: Leguminosae – Parapiptadenia (Mimosoideae: Mimoseae)
Authors: Ribeiro Pétala Gomes , De Queiroz Luciano Paganucci , Morim Marli Pires
Published: November 2016

The taxonomic treatment of the genus Parapiptadenia (4 species)from the state of Bahia, Brazil, is presented. An identification key, morphological descriptions, taxonomic comments, illustrations and distribution maps of the species in Bahia are presented.
Être immortel à Paris Violence et prophétie durant la Révolution française
Authors: Solans Francisco Javier Ramón
Published: October 2016

L’objectif de cet article est de réfléchir à la relation entre événement et prophétie à l’époque de la Révolution française à travers le cas de Catherine Théot et son activité prophétique à Paris dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle. Face à une apparente immobilité, nous verrons que ses prophéties étaient en constante transformation et évolution, ce qui eut pour conséquence des discours hybrides et nourris d’influences variées tels que le jansénisme ou les discours révolutionnaires. L’affaire Théot permet de réfléchir à l’interprétation surnaturelle qui a été faite de la Révolution française. Ses prophéties apparaissent dans ce contexte comme une réponse aux besoins émotionnels provoqués par l’instabilité politique, la peur de la guerre, la violence politique et les changements religieux. Finalement, l’article met en évidence l’existence d’un discours religieux en marge de la dialectique entre révolution et contre-révolution bien qu’il y soit intimement lié par le poids des guerres révolutionnaires et de la Terreur.
Revolutionary Biology: The Dialectical Science of Christopher Caudwell
Authors: Wallace Rob
Published: November 2016

Next year will mark the eightieth anniversary of the Battle of Jarama.… In February 1937, eleven thousand Republicans…fought and died defending Madrid against Francisco Franco's fascist incursion. At this point in Spain's Civil War, the country was split evenly between west and east by rebel Nationalist and Republican forces. An earlier direct assault on Madrid had been repulsed. Republican troops subsequently consolidated their defenses along the Manzanares River. An assault through Madrid's southern barrios would have cost Franco's forces dearly. General Emilio Mora's men north of the city in the meantime were held in check by Popular Front forces in the Sierra de Guadarrama.… The Nationalists turned to cutting off Madrid from the Republic's provisional capital. They planned to march south before swinging north and capturing the road to Valencia. In early February, Franco ordered 40,000 of his battle-hardened Moroccan troops and an Italian unit provided by Mussolini to attack. The forces crossed the Jarama River on February 11. Republican General José Miaja countered the thrust with three battalions of the XV International Brigade, including the Dimitrov Battalion and the British Battalion.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
Why Ecosocialism Needs Marx
Authors: Saito Kohei
Published: November 2016

In his recent foreword to the second edition of Paul Burkett's Marx and Nature, John Bellamy Foster reflected on a significant change in left attitudes toward Marx's ecology: "Today Marx's understanding of the ecological problem is being studied in universities worldwide and is inspiring ecological actions around the globe." This worldwide recognition of Marx's ecological critique of capitalism without doubt owes much to Burkett's Marx and Nature (1999) and Foster's Marx's Ecology (2000). Yet the new interest in ecological Marxism did not originate solely with these books. Rather, as their new co-authored book Marx and the Earth documents, over the last fifteen years Burkett and Foster have meticulously refuted the many criticisms of Marx from so-called "first-stage ecosocialists"…. It should be noted that, whatever their disagreements with Marx, the first-stage ecosocialists were also deeply critical of capitalism. So why are Foster and Burkett arguing with their potential comrades? Furthermore, some of the issues taken up in Marx and the Earth might appear abstruse at first glance—why bother debating them at such length?… [A] patient reader will soon recognize the book's importance and the significance of the issues at stake.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
An analysis of student performance in Chicago’s charter schools
Authors: Orfield Myron , Luce Thomas
Published: October 2016

Charter schools have become the cornerstone of school reform in Chicago and in many other large cities. Enrollments in Chicago charters increased by more than ten times between 2000 and 2014 and, with strong support from the current mayor and his administration, the system continues to grow. Indeed, although state law limits charter schools in Chicago to 75 schools, proponents have used a loophole that allows multiple campuses for some charters to bypass the limit and there are now more than 140 individual charter campuses in Chicago. This study uses comprehensive data for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years to show that, after controlling for the mix of students and challenges faced by individual schools, Chicago’s charter schools underperform their traditional counterparts in most measurable ways. Reading and math pass rates, reading and math growth rates, graduation rates, and average ACT scores (in one of the two years) are lower in charters all else equal, than in traditional neighborhood schools. The results for the two years also imply that the gap between charters and traditionals widened in the second year for most of the measures. The findings are strengthened by the fact that self-selection by parents and students into the charter system biases the results in favor of charter schools.
Sequía, crisis y malas cosechas en tierras meridionales valencianas durante la anomalía u oscilación Maldá (1760-1800)
Authors: García Torres Adrián
Published: November 2016

El presente artículo analiza las repercusiones que tuvo la sequía en las producciones agrícolas de las comarcas alicantinas del Medio Vinalopó, Bajo Vinalopó y Bajo Segura durante una de las pulsaciones de la Pequeña Edad del Hielo, la anomalía u oscilación Maldá, que afectó a la fachada mediterránea española entre 1760-1800. Las aproximaciones claves y de mayor rigor científico a esta temática en el solar valenciano han sido desarrolladas por Armando Alberola Romá. Nuestro objetivo es ampliar las contribuciones de este autor en aras de obtener una mayor muestra de este arco cronológico. Para ello, hemos trabajado y cruzado la información de diferentes fondos documentales que para este marco temporal se conservan. En los archivos históricos locales de Novelda, Elche y Orihuela se han consultado las Actas Capitulares, con el fin de articular las cuatro décadas estudiadas; en el Archivo de Protocolos del distrito de Novelda hemos realizado una cata de peticiones de moratorias de censos vinculados a ciclos agrarios nefastos en Novelda, Aspe y Monforte del Cid; y en el Archivo Histórico Provincial de Alicante la correspondencia entre las poblaciones de nuestro ámbito y la Intendencia de Valencia destinada a condonar las obligaciones fiscales tras darse escasas producciones agrícolas derivadas del clima adverso.