bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low vitamin D levels are associated with symptoms of depression in young adult males
Authors: Black Lucinda J , Jacoby Peter , Allen Karina L , Trapp Gina S , Hart Prue H , Byrne Susan M , Mori Trevor A , Beilin Lawrence J , Oddy Wendy H
Published: November 2013

Objective:

Results from studies examining associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and depressive symptoms are equivocal. We investigated the relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in a cross-sectional analysis of a population-based sample of young adults participating in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study.

Methods:

Participants provided a blood sample at the 20-year follow-up (March 2010-April 2012) for the measurement of serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Mental health symptoms were assessed using the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Associations between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and total DASS-21 scores and subscale scores of depression, anxiety and stress were explored in males and females using negative binomial regression, adjusting for age, race, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity ( n=735). Models examining subscale scores were also adjusted for the other subscale scores.

Results:

After adjusting for confounders, an increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations of 10 nmol/L decreased total DASS-21 scores in males by 9% (rate ratio (RR) 0.91; 95%CI 0.87,0.95; p<0.001) and depression subscale scores in males by 8% (RR 0.92; 95%CI 0.87,0.96; p=0.001). However, in adjusted models there were no significant associations between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and symptoms of anxiety and stress in males. There were no significant associations between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in females.

Conclusions:

We found an association between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and symptoms of depression, but not anxiety and stress, in males. Randomised controlled trials are necessary to determine any benefit of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of depressive symptoms in young adults.
From design to interpretation: Lessons from a public health campaign promoting physical activity
Authors: Goodwin Denise May , Peerbhoy Denise , Murphy Rebecca , Stratton Gareth
Published: November 2013

Objective:

Rising inactivity has led to an increase in health promotion campaigns aimed at encouraging healthy behaviour change. While this has become common place, often practices advised by social marketing to maximise effectiveness are overlooked. This study investigates the development and effectiveness of one particular physical activity public health campaign implemented in Liverpool, United Kingdom (UK). A formative evaluation feedback session was included to communicate findings back to key stakeholders to reflect on the experience and identify learning points for future campaigns.

Design:

Based on a pragmatic paradigm the study was conducted in three parts: (1) campaign designer interview; (2) public on-street survey; and (3) stakeholder formative evaluation feedback session.

Setting:

The context of this study was Liverpool, UK.

Method:

Deductive content analysis was guided by key themes of the campaign design, including the poster image, tagline, main text, and overall layout.

Results:

The design team had aimed for a ‘tongue in cheek’ image and message on which to base the campaign. However, the public survey suggests that the campaign largely failed to translate the proposed message and reach the intended Liverpool population. Formative evaluation feedback highlighted a lack of application of social marketing principles in campaign development, in particular audience targeting and pilot assessment.

Conclusion:

This study highlights the importance of the inclusion of social marketing principles in the development of health promotion campaigns in an attempt to aid audience understanding and adoption of the desired health behaviour.
A Cultural Analysis of the Achievement Gap Discourse
Authors: Carey Roderick L.
Published: November 2013

In this article, I critique the labels and terms used to frame practices aimed at closing the achievement gap. I examine how an unacknowledged achievement gap Discourse has emerged from the language that informs practices and policies of contemporary school reform. I use Gee’s uppercase “Discourse” and a cultural analytic framework to critique what I refer to as the achievement gap “Discourse.” I challenge educational stakeholders to rethink (a) student comparisons, (b) teacher and student assessments, (c) labels, (d) community input and involvement, and (e) the collective commitment to public schooling as an institution.
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter for Use in Home Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Christensen Line Dahlstrøm , Rasmussen Henrik Højgaard , Vinter‐Jensen Lars
Published: November 2013

Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are a relatively new device for home parenteral nutrition (HPN). Usually, tunneled central catheters such as the Hickman catheter are used for this purpose. However, severe complications (eg, pneumothorax) have been reported in association with the insertion of the central catheter. In contrast, PICCs may offer some advantages due to the peripheral insertion. There are only few studies on the use of PICCs for HPN. Method: A retrospective study (2008–2012) was performed in our Center for Nutrition and Bowel Disease. Patients receiving parenteral nutrition through PICCs were identified, their files examined, and indication, dwell time, cause of removal, and complications recorded. Results: Fifty‐six patients (aged 28–81 years) had a total of 94 lines. Total catheter days were 9859. Mean catheter days per patient were 179.1, and mean dwell time of each line was 104.9 days (longest, 572 days). There were no major complications in relation to the insertion of the catheters. The catheters were removed due to catheter‐related sepsis, mechanical reasons, and thrombotic complications in 1.7, 2.1, and 0.2 per 1000 catheter days, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that PICCs are appropriate for use in HPN for at least 3–4 months (a period that sometimes unexpectedly becomes long term). The complications equal those reported for tunneled central catheters. We conclude that PICCs are a relevant alternative to patients receiving HPN, especially if they cannot handle a central line. At present, the choice of catheter must be determined on an individual basis.
Current Methods in Health Behavior Research Among U.S. Community College Students
Authors: Pokhrel Pallav , Little Melissa A. , Herzog Thaddeus A.
Published: November 2013

The majority of health behavior research involving college students in the United States has focused on 4-year college students. Two-year or community college students have been less studied, although a significant proportion of U.S. undergraduates, primarily those from disadvantaged socioeconomic and/or racial/ethnic background, are enrolled in community colleges. Thus, there is a need to enhance health behavior and health promotion research among community college students. This study systematically reviewed 42 published, peer-reviewed health behavior studies conducted among U.S. community college students in order to determine the current state of research in the area with regard to behaviors studied, research designs used, recruitment and data collection strategies practiced, rates of student participation, and characteristics of the participants represented. Findings identified the methodological limitations of current research and suggested optimal recruitment and data collection methods suitable for various research needs. Findings are discussed in the context of enhancing health behavior research among U.S. community college students.
It’s a Bittersweet Symphony, this Life: Fragile Academic Selves and Insecure Identities at Work
Authors: Knights David , Clarke Caroline A.
Published: November 2013

This article demonstrates the importance of studying insecurity in relation to identities at work. Drawing upon empirical research with business school academics in the context of the proliferation of managerialist controls of audit, accountability, monitoring and performativity, we illustrate how insecurities in the form of fragile and insecure academic selves are variously manifested. Emerging from our data were three forms of insecurity—imposters, aspirants and those preoccupied with existential concerns, and we analyse these in the context of psychoanalytic, sociological and philosophical frameworks. In so doing, we make a three-fold contribution to the organization studies literature: first, we develop an understanding of identities whereby they are treated as a topic and not merely a resource for studying something else; second, we demonstrate how insecurity and identity are more nuanced and less monolithic concepts than has sometimes been deployed in the literature; and third, we theorize the concepts of identity and insecurity as conditions and consequences of one another rather than monocausally related. Through this analysis of insecure identities, insightful understandings into the contemporary bittersweet experiences of working in academia, and specifically in business schools are developed that could prove fruitful for future research within and beyond this occupational group.
Mexican Adolescents’ Education and Hopes in an Anti-Immigrant Environment
Authors: Gurrola Maria , Ayón Cecilia , Moya Salas Lorraine
Published: November 2013

This study examines consequences of recent policy changes on the lives of Latino adolescents from the perspective of Latino youth and adults. The sample included 1.5- and second-generation youth and adult immigrant parents ( N = 43). Findings indicate three common themes including sense of belonging, barriers to education, and lack of opportunities and consequences. Participants view the United States as a home, while enduring discriminatory practices they find supports in their communities where their sense of belonging is nurtured. Youths’ educational access and opportunities are limited. They experience many challenges including documentation status, economic insecurity, and threat of family disintegration through deportation. Responding to barriers created by legislation many youth report shifting from an educational path to a work path, as they are ineligible for financial aid, to support their families. Participants linked limited opportunities, as result of policy changes, to maladaptive behavior among youth. Implications for practice are discussed.
Not Just Mom and Dad
Authors: Lui Lake , Choi Susanne Y. P.
Published: November 2013

This article investigates how children actively influence the division of childcare between couples in intact families in Hong Kong. Past studies that draw on West and Zimmerman’s perspective of “doing gender” have focused narrowly on the dyadic interactions between couples that produce, reproduce, or challenge the unequal division of household labor, but these studies have left unanswered the question of the role children play in shaping and sustaining relations of inequality in families. Using data collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups, we show that children make choices based on the gender of their primary caregivers. Specifically, they use strategies such as emotional displays and protests to obtain the compliance of their mothers. Mothers resist these emotional manipulations, but their resistance conflicts with cultural scripts of ideal motherhood and intensive parenting, and it is undermined by their desire not to be demoted in the hierarchy of love.
Children with Limited Oral Opening Can Be Safely Managed without a Tracheostomy
Authors: Meyers Jason A. , Sidman James
Published: November 2013

Objective

To describe airway management of children with limited oral opening that does not allow for routine orotracheal intubation by direct laryngoscopy. To analyze the incidence and outcome of airway compromise or loss in patients without a tracheostomy in place.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary children's hospital.

Subjects

Children with limited oral opening that does not allow for routine orotracheal intubation.

Methods

Children treated at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota from 1997 to 2012 with severe trismus were identified and included in the study. Hospital and clinic records were reviewed.

Results

Ten children (mean age, 13 years; range, 7‐17 years) were identified for inclusion into the study. A total of 109 operations requiring general anesthesia (average of 10.9 per patient; range, 0‐23) were performed on patients without a tracheostomy in place. Flexible fiber‐optic nasotracheal intubation was performed in 58 cases. The remainder of airway control was by mask ventilation (33 cases), various methods of orotracheal intubation (10 cases), unknown (6 cases), and laryngeal mask airway (2 cases). There was a total of 118 patient‐years of follow‐up without a tracheostomy tube in place (average of 11.8 years per patient). During this period, there were no episodes of acute airway compromise that resulted in neurologic deficits.

Conclusion

Children with limited oral opening that does not allow for routine orotracheal intubation with direct laryngoscopy may be safely managed without a tracheostomy, even when the child requires frequent procedures under general anesthesia.
Competing discourses within parent–adolescent conversations
Authors: Wozniak Agnieszka , Lollis Susan , Marshall Sheila K.
Published: November 2013

This qualitative study utilized relational dialectics theory (Baxter, 2011) to examine competing discourses within parent–adolescent conversations about extracurricular activities during the transition to high school. The data for this study consisted of self-generated, self-directed conversations between 20 parent–adolescent dyads. Using content analysis, data were coded for the category of conversation topic and then the presence of Baxter’s (1988) three competing discourses within each category: autonomy–connection, openness–closedness, and certainty–uncertainty. Results suggest that the dyads spoke most about the transition to high school, extracurricular activities, peer relationships, and academics. Baxter’s (1990, 2011) three competing discourses were evident in parent–adolescent conversations with autonomy–connection being the most frequent competing discourse noted either alone or co-occurring with another competing discourse.
Endogenous gas formation of carbon dioxide used for wound flooding – an experimental study with implications regarding gas microembolism during cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Lindholm L , Engström KG
Published: November 2013

Background:

Gas microembolisation is an identified risk in cardiac surgery. Flooding the wound with carbon dioxide is a method proposed to reduce this problem. The high solubility of carbon dioxide is beneficial, but may also cause problems. The gas solubility diminishes at warming and endogenous bubbles are formed when cold blood saturated with carbon dioxide is returned by cardiotomy suction.

Methods:

The release of endogenous gas was measured at high resolution in an experimental digital model. A medium (water or blood) was incubated and equilibrated with gas (100% carbon dioxide or air) at a low temperature (10°C or 23°C). The temperature was increased to 37°C and the gas release was measured, at rest and at fluid motion.

Results:

The amount of carbon dioxide released at warming was substantial for both water and blood (both p=0.005). The effect was more pronounced when the temperature differential increased (p=0.005). However, blood and water differed in these terms: with water, the release of carbon-dioxide started instantly at warming; with blood, carbon dioxide remained dissolved and was released at fluid motion. When blood was warmed from 10°C to 37°C, the gas release corresponded to 44.4% (40.6/46.5) of the medium volume (median with quartile range).

Conclusion:

Gas dissolved in a medium becomes released at warming, as confirmed here. Blood exposed to carbon dioxide became heavily oversaturated at warming, with the gas instantly released at fluid motion. The amount of contained gas increased with a higher temperature differential. Our study has relevance to wound flushing, using carbon dioxide, in cardiac surgery. The clinical consequences of these findings remain to be answered.
Localization and navigation of the CoBots over long-term deployments
Authors: Biswas Joydeep , Veloso Manuela M.
Published: November 2013

For the last three years, we have developed and researched multiple collaborative robots, CoBots, which have been autonomously traversing our multi-floor buildings. We pursue the goal of long-term autonomy for indoor service mobile robots as the ability for them to be deployed indefinitely while they perform tasks in an evolving environment. The CoBots include several levels of autonomy, and in this paper we focus on their localization and navigation algorithms. We present the Corrective Gradient Refinement (CGR) algorithm, which refines the proposal distribution of the particle filter used for localization with sensor observations using analytically computed state space derivatives on a vector map. We also present the Fast Sampling Plane Filtering algorithm that extracts planar regions from depth images in real time. These planar regions are then projected onto the 2D vector map of the building, and along with the laser rangefinder observations, used with CGR for localization. For navigation, we present a hierarchical planner, which computes a topological policy using a graph representation of the environment, computes motion commands based on the topological policy, and then modifies the motion commands to side-step perceived obstacles. We started logging the deployments of the CoBots one and a half years ago, and have since collected logs of the CoBots traversing more than 130 km over 1082 deployments and a total run time of 182 h, which we publish as a dataset consisting of more than 10 million laser scans. The logs show that although there have been continuous changes in the environment, the robots are robust to most of them, and there exist only a few locations where changes in the environment cause increased uncertainty in localization.
Camera-IMU-based localization: Observability analysis and consistency improvement
Authors: Hesch Joel A , Kottas Dimitrios G , Bowman Sean L , Roumeliotis Stergios I
Published: November 2013

This work investigates the relationship between system observability properties and estimator inconsistency for a Vision-aided Inertial Navigation System (VINS). In particular, first we introduce a new methodology for determining the unobservable directions of nonlinear systems by factorizing the observability matrix according to the observable and unobservable modes. Subsequently, we apply this method to the VINS nonlinear model and determine its unobservable directions analytically. We leverage our analysis to improve the accuracy and consistency of linearized estimators applied to VINS. Our key findings are evaluated through extensive simulations and experimental validation on real-world data, demonstrating the superior accuracy and consistency of the proposed VINS framework compared to standard approaches.
Latest developments in the imaging of fibrotic liver disease
Authors: Sangwaiya Minal J , Sherman David IN , Lomas David J , Shorvon Philip J
Published: November 2013

According to the World Health Organization, liver cirrhosis accounted for 1.8% of all deaths in Europe, causing about 170,000 deaths per year. Approximately 29 million persons in the EU suffer from chronic liver disease and this trend is on the rise. Liver disease is the EU’s fifth most common cause of death accounting for at least one in six deaths. Early detection and monitoring of fibrosis has the potential to direct management of these chronic liver diseases and avert morbidity and mortality. Although the available techniques are in their infancy and the very early stages of fibrosis are difficult to detect, there have been significant advances in imaging over the last decade that has resulted in the use of these new imaging techniques being introduced into the patient pathway. This review explores the accuracies of these imaging techniques, their role in the management of patients, and the potential for the future.
Percutaneous embolization of symptomatic dissecting aneurysms of the celiac artery
Authors: Perini Paolo , Baque Jean , Chau Yves , Sedat Jacques , Batt Michel
Published: November 2013

Background

Isolated spontaneous dissection of visceral arteries, not associated with aortic dissection, is a rare condition. To date, there is no consensus on the optimal treatment strategy.

Purpose

To investigate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of percutaneous embolization for the treatment of isolated and symptomatic dissecting aneurysm of the celiac artery.

Material and Methods

From March 2010 to October 2011, four patients were diagnosed at our institution with symptomatic dissecting aneurysm of the celiac trunk. All patients had acute abdominal pain, two had intra-abdominal hemorrhage and bleeding shock. Three patients underwent elective “trapping” embolization of the celiac trunk with Amplatzer vascular plugs in the hepatic and splenic artery and celiac trunk, and coils in left gastric artery. One patient had a splenic artery rupture and underwent selective embolization of this vessel with platinum-fiber coils.

Results

Angiography and postoperative CT scan confirmed artery occlusion after embolization in all cases. Revascularization of celiac trunk branches was obtained via collaterals. No procedure-related adverse events occurred during follow-up (median, 4.5 months; range, 3–24 months) and vessel occlusion was maintained.

Conclusion

Isolated and symptomatic dissecting aneurysm of the celiac trunk can be successfully managed by embolization techniques with good short- to mid-term results.
Bleeding after expandable nitinol stent placement in patients with esophageal and upper gastrointestinal obstruction: incidence, management, and predictors
Authors: Oh Se Jin , Song Ho-Young , Nam Deok Ho , Ko Heung Kyu , Park Jung-Hoon , Na Han Kyu , Lee Jong Jin , Kang Min Kyoung
Published: November 2013

Background

Placement of self-expandable nitinol stents is useful for the treatment of esophageal and upper gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction. However, complications such as stent migration, tumor overgrowth, and bleeding occur. Although stent migration and tumor overgrowth are well documented in previous studies, the occurrence of bleeding has not been fully evaluated.

Purpose

To evaluate the incidence, management strategies, and predictors of bleeding after placement of self-expandable nitinol stents in patients with esophageal and upper GI obstruction.

Material and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and results of computed tomography and endoscopy of 1485 consecutive patients with esophageal and upper GI obstructions who underwent fluoroscopically guided stent placement.

Results

Bleeding occurred in 25 of 1485 (1.7%) patients 0 to 348 days after stent placement. Early stent-related bleeding occurred in 10 patients (40%) and angiographic embolization was used for 5/10. Late bleeding occurred in 15 patients (60%) and endoscopic hemostasis was used for 7/15. Twenty-two of 25 (88%) patients with bleeding had received prior radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

Conclusion

Bleeding is a rare complication after placement of expandable nitinol stents in patients with esophageal and upper GI obstruction, but patients with early bleeding may require embolization for control. Care must be exercised on placing stents in patients who have received prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Canine Mammary Tumors
Authors: Peña L. , Gama A. , Goldschmidt M. H. , Abadie J. , Benazzi C. , Castagnaro M. , Díez L. , Gärtner F. , Hellmén E. , Kiupel M. , Millán Y. , Miller M. A. , Nguyen F. , Poli A. , Sarli G. , Zappulli V. , Mulas J. Martín de las
Published: November 2013

Although there have been several studies on the use of immunohistochemical biomarkers of canine mammary tumors (CMTs), the results are difficult to compare. This article provides guidelines on the most useful immunohistochemical markers to standardize their use and understand how outcomes are measured, thus ensuring reproducibility of results. We have reviewed the biomarkers of canine mammary epithelial and myoepithelial cells and identified those biomarkers that are most useful and those biomarkers for invasion and lymph node micrometastatic disease. A 10% threshold for positive reaction for most of these markers is recommended. Guidelines on immunolabeling for HER2, estrogen receptors (ERs), and progesterone receptors (PRs) are provided along with the specific recommendations for interpretation of the results for each of these biomarkers in CMTs. Only 3+ HER2-positive tumors should be considered positive, as found in human breast cancer. The lack of any known response to adjuvant endocrine therapy of ER- and PR-positive CMTs prevents the use of the biological positive/negative threshold used in human breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry results of ER and PR in CMTs should be reported as the sum of the percentage of positive cells and the intensity of immunolabeling (Allred score). Incorporation of these recommendations in future studies, either prospective or retrospective, will provide a mechanism for the direct comparison of studies and will help to determine whether these biomarkers have prognostic significance. Finally, these biomarkers may ascertain the most appropriate treatment(s) for canine malignant mammary neoplasms.
Veterinary and Human Biobanking Practices
Authors: Hostetter G. , Collins E. , Varlan P. , Edewaard E. , Harbach P. R. , Hudson E. A. , Feenstra K. J. , Turner L. M. , Berghuis B. D. , Resau J. H. , Jewell S. D.
Published: November 2013

Animal models have historically informed veterinary and human pathophysiology. Next-generation genomic sequencing and molecular analyses using analytes derived from tissue require integrative approaches to determine macroanalyte integrity as well as morphology for imaging algorithms that can extend translational applications. The field of biospecimen science and biobanking will play critical roles in tissue sample collection and processing to ensure the integrity of macromolecules, aid experimental design, and provide more accurate and reproducible downstream genomic data. Herein, we employ animal experiments to combine protein expression analysis by microscopy with RNA integrity number and quantitative measures of morphologic changes of autolysis. These analyses can be used to predict the effect of preanalytic variables and provide the basis for standardized methods in tissue sample collection and processing. We also discuss the application of digital imaging with quantitative RNA and tissue-based protein measurements to show that genomic methods augment traditional in vivo imaging to support biospecimen science. To make these observations, we have established a time course experiment of murine kidney tissues that predicts conventional measures of RNA integrity by RIN analysis and provides reliable and accurate measures of biospecimen integrity and fitness, in particular for time points less than 3 hours post–tissue resection.
Ratcheting response of dented pipes under monotonic and cyclic axial loadings
Authors: Azadeh Mohamad , Taheri Farid
Published: November 2013

Offshore pipelines are usually subject to hostile environments. Temperature changes and repetitive start-up/shutdown in offshore pipelines generate cycles of axial compression and relaxation. Consequently, the pipes may become subject to loading magnitudes that could cause them to locally buckle and wrinkle, and if subject to repeated loading, they could undergo ratcheting. Pipelines could also be subject to damage in the form of dents. This form of damage would have a profound effect on a pipe’s ratcheting response when subjected to cyclic loading. In this article, the ratcheting response of locally dented pipes that were subject to axially applied cyclic loading has been experimentally investigated. Scaled pipes (tubes) were first laterally indented with a cylindrical indenter and then were subjected to a monotonic axial compressive load that initiated small amplitude wrinkles on them. The pipes were subsequently subjected to repeated axial strain. The experiments were conducted on low carbon steel pipes (API 5L-grade B), with Do/t ≃ 35, which were indented to three different indentation depths. Significant variation in pipes’ responses was observed, and the number of cycles prior to collapse dramatically decreased by as much as 75% when the indentation depth was marginally increased.
Measuring Empathetic Care
Authors: Lamberton Cait M. , Leana Carrie R. , Williams John M.
Published: November 2013

Purpose:

This study describes the development of a self-report survey measure of empathetic care. Empathetic care is defined as caregiving that supports clients’ socioemotional capabilities and addresses their emotional needs. It is distinct from instrumental care, which involves assisting with physical needs such as activities of daily living.

Design and Method:

Based on a literature review, structured interviews, and focus groups, we identify three dimensions of empathetic care: extra-role behavior, emotional support, and relational richness. We then developed a large pool of items that could tap into these dimensions and administered versions of the survey to nearly 300 health care paraprofessionals.

Results:

After performing exploratory factor analyses on a larger survey of 138 paraprofessionals, a 10-item, three-factor measure, the Empathetic Care Scale (ECS), was developed that predicts decisions on consequential allocation scenarios. A second sample of 125 paraprofessionals provided data for a confirmatory factor analysis; results suggested that the ECS has desirable psychometric properties and evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Further samples demonstrated acceptable levels of test-retest reliability and no social desirability bias.

Implications:

This study provides a short self-report measure that can be used to gauge care workers’ individual levels of empathetic care. Future research can use this measure to explore relationships between ECS responses and previously proposed but untested outcomes such as patient well-being and employee burnout or turnover rates.
What Does Geography Have To Do With It?
Authors: Winfree L. Thomas
Published: November 2013

In the first decade of the 21st century, the Eurogang Program of Research (hereafter referred to as the Eurogang Network), a group of U.S. and European criminologists, began a systematic effort to examine the European gang phenomenon. However, the notion that American-style street gangs represent a real threat to European nations has not been universally accepted, as critics warn about the dangers of making gangs and gang members into “folk devils” for a broad range of societal ills. In order to provide insights into the status of troublesome youth groups in the European context, the present study examines three separate surveys of school children aged 13 to 16 years who resided in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, and the Netherlands. Using definitional and research protocols developed by the Eurogang Network, this article explores correlates of individual delinquency reported by street gang members and members of other delinquent youth groups that reportedly engaged in criminal activities but were not defined as street gangs using the Eurogang Network definition. The study turns on the extent to which the self-reported individual and group misbehavior can be understood in terms of personal-biographical characteristics—but especially citizenship status, specific youth-group membership, and nation of current residence—and the influence of putative risk and protective measures. The implications for youth gang intervention efforts are discussed, along with what the findings suggest about comparative efforts to explain misbehavior by members of two types of troublesome youth groups.
Assessing the Potential for Reducing Life-Cycle Environmental Impacts through Transit-Oriented Development Infill along Existing Light Rail in Phoenix
Authors: Kimball Mindy , Chester Mikhail , Gino Christopher , Reyna Janet
Published: November 2013

There is significant interest in reducing urban growth impacts yet little information exists to comprehensively estimate the energy and air quality tradeoffs. An integrated transportation and land-use life-cycle assessment framework is developed to quantify the long-term impacts from residential infill, using the Phoenix light rail system as a case study. The results show that (1) significant reductions in life-cycle energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, respiratory, and smog impacts are possible; (2) building construction, vehicle manufacturing, and energy feedstock effects are significant; and (3) marginal benefits from reduced automobile use and potential household behavior changes exceed marginal costs from new rail service.
African American Adolescents’ Perceptions of Ethnic Socialization and Racial Socialization as Distinct Processes
Authors: Paasch-Anderson Julie , Lamborn Susie D.
Published: November 2013

Ethnic socialization and racial socialization were examined as discrete concepts using a semistructured interview to assess message content for each form of socialization. We were interested in whether adolescents distinguished between these forms of socialization. Fifty-five African American 11th- and 12th-grade students were asked separate interview questions about the messages they received from mothers pertaining to ethnic socialization and racial socialization. As expected, the frequency of Black cultural messages was more strongly represented in response to the ethnic socialization question, whereas the frequency of minority messages was more strongly represented in response to the racial socialization question. The findings support distinct conceptualizations and measures of ethnic socialization and racial socialization.
Predictors of Outcome Post Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Bigham S. , Bigham C. , Martin D.
Published: November 2013

Early predictors of prognosis in comatose patients post cardiac arrest help inform decisions surrounding continuation or withdrawal of treatment and provide a framework on which to better inform relatives of the likely outcome. Markers defined prior to the widespread use of therapeutic hypothermia post arrest may no longer be reliable and an up-to-date analysis of the literature is presented.
Brain Death Determination
Authors: Spinello Irene M.
Published: November 2013

In the United States, each year 1% to 2% of deaths are brain deaths. Considerable variation in the practice of determining brain death still remains, despite the publication of practice parameters in 1995 and an evidence-based guideline update in 2010. This review is intended to give bedside clinicians an overview of definition, the causes and pitfalls of misdiagnosing brain death, and a focus on the specifics of the brain death determination process.
Strategies for Sustaining Self Used by Family Caregivers for Older Adults With Dementia
Authors: Bull Margaret J.
Published: November 2013

The negative health consequences of caring for an older adult family member with dementia are well documented. However, not all family caregivers experience these negative health consequences. The purposes of this study were to describe strategies family caregivers use to help them continue to provide care for an older family member with dementia despite challenges and describe these family caregivers’ resilience and psychological distress. A mixed methods design was used with a narrative approach dominant and standardized scales for resilience and psychological distress used to enhance the description of the sample. Data were collected through telephone interviews with 18 family caregivers residing in an urban area. The findings indicate that family caregivers used four strategies to sustain the self: drawing on past life experiences, nourishing the self, relying on spirituality, and seeking information about dementia. Understanding strategies used by family caregivers to sustain themselves is essential for providing holistic nursing care and developing effective interventions.
Recruitment processes and immigration regulations: the disjointed pathways to employing migrant carers in ageing societies
Authors: Cangiano Alessio , Walsh Kieran
Published: November 2013

Older adult care in Ireland and the UK has seen substantial recruitment of migrant registered nurses and care assistants. However, there is little information on recruitment methods in this sector and on how the current immigration systems influence these strategies. This article aims to address this topic through a survey of care organizations and interviews with employers and migrant carers in Ireland and the UK. Recruitment of migrant carers is based on a combination of conventional approaches, informal networks and recruitment agencies. Choice of strategy is dependent on occupation type and the targeted labour pools. Findings demonstrate that immigration regulations effectively dictate the recruitment pools and shape employer recruitment methods.
Optimal design of wheel profiles for high-speed trains
Authors: Cui Dabin , Wang Hengyu , Li Li , Jin Xuesong
Published: November 2013

The high maintenance cost of high-speed wheels due to wear and rolling contact fatigue is a major problem in the commercial operation of high-speed trains in China. In order to understand the wear behavior of high-speed wheels and its influence on the motion stability of high-speed trains, the worn profiles and the work-hardening of the wheels of the CRH3 high-speed trains that operate on the Wuhan–Guangzhou line were monitored in different periods during service; in particular, the influence of hollow wear of the wheel on the lateral acceleration of the bearing-box was investigated in detail. A new wheel profile design method was suggested to reduce the hollow wear by seeking an optimization match of the wheel profiles, the vehicle’s suspension systems, and the wear behavior of wheels in service. The feasibility of the method was verified by numerical simulation using the operation conditions of CRH3 high-speed trains on the Wuhan–Guangzhou line. A new wheel profile was designed using this method. The wheel/rail contact performance and the vehicle’s dynamic behavior resulting from the designed new wheel were investigated in detail and compared with those of the original wheel. The wear behavior of the designed new wheel profile was predicted based on wear data measured on the original wheel. The results show that compared with the original wheel profile, the designed new wheel profile can improve the wheel/rail contact state, reduce the contact stress level, and lower the friction power of wheel and rail. The extent of hollow wear on the new wheel is significantly decreased and the vehicle has improved dynamic behavior when wheelsets with the designed new profile are used. Thus, the period before re-profiling is required can be effectively extended.
‘1L=10L for Africa’: Corporate social responsibility and the transformation of bottled water into a ‘consumer activist’ commodity
Authors: Brei Vinicius , Böhm Steffen
Published: November 2013

In recent years, it has become an increasingly common marketing practice to connect the sale of consumer products to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as aid and development projects in so-called ‘developing’ countries. One example is Volvic’s pioneering ‘1L=10L for Africa’ campaign (2005–2010), which linked the sale of each liter of bottled water in ‘developed’ countries with the promise by Danone, Volvic’s owner, to provide 10 liters of drinking water in Africa. In this article, we engage with this ‘cause-related marketing’ campaign, using critical discourse analysis (CDA) to uncover its mechanisms and ideological functioning. We show how Volvic was able to transform an ordinary commodity, bottled water, into a consumer activist brand through which consumers could take part in solving global social problems, such as the access to safe drinking water in ‘developing’ countries. Our analysis of this exemplary case shows the ways that CSR often operates to deflect ethical critiques, consolidate brand loyalty and corporate profits, and defuse political struggles around consumption. By doing so, we suggest that CSR forms part of a complex strategy deployed to legitimize particular brands and commodities. In this way CSR can be seen as playing an important role in the ideological makeup of contemporary consumer capitalism.
An evaluation of nurses’ professional autonomy in Turkey
Authors: Baykara Zehra Göçmen , Şahinoğlu Serap
Published: November 2013

Background:

The development of a profession’s autonomy closely relates to that profession’s level of autonomy in performing its specific role. For the nursing profession, this key role is nursing care.

Objectives:

This study was undertaken to evaluate the professional autonomy of nurses in care provision, from an ethical perspective.

Research design:

A mixed methods approach is employed in this research, which makes use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative dimension of this research covers sociodemographic aspects and makes use of the Sociotropy–Autonomy Scale. The qualitative dimension of the research relates to the factors that affect professional autonomy in nursing care.

Participants and research context:

The sample consisted of 30 nurses working in the orthopedics, neurology, or intensive care units of three hospitals.

Ethical considerations:

Before conducting this research, we received permission from the ethical committee, as well as written permits from all the institutions in which the research was carried out. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Findings:

According to the findings of this study, only 6.7% of the nurses surveyed stated that nurses had professional autonomy; they also stated that professional autonomy in nursing was mostly restricted by the need to be “dependent upon the physician in nursing implementations” and that autonomy in nursing care was mostly limited by a “high number of patients per nurse.”

Discussion:

This study determined that delays in resolving problems with regard to professional autonomy in nursing care in Turkey could be creating many of the professional and ethical problems that nurses face there.

Conclusion:

It is recommended that: individuals choose the nursing profession conscientiously; nurses need to be given professional awareness; their professional organizations need to be strengthened; and plans need to be made to increase research and to accumulate both knowledge and expertise.
Political and organizational legitimacy of public sector auditing in New Zealand local government
Authors: Colquhoun Philip
Published: November 2013

This article expands our understanding of the introduction of new audit arrangements in the public sector by looking at two cases relating to the audit of local government using the dual lens of political legitimacy and organizational legitimacy. The first case saw the Audit Office replace the elected auditors as the sole auditor of municipalities in 1886 and the second case saw the Auditor-General fail to gain additional powers to control the financial management of local government in 1892. Following Power (2003), the article illustrates how legitimacy was sought in these cases using the three stages of controversy, closure and credibility. The nature of the legitimacy is viewed as organizational (Suchman, 1995) or political (Levi et al., 2009). The use of the dual lens provides a deeper understanding of the form of the legitimacy and how it was obtained within the setting of local government.
Different scenarios for accounting reform in non-Anglophone contexts: The case of Japanese local governments since the 1990s
Authors: Yamamoto Kiyoshi , Noguchi Masayoshi
Published: November 2013

On the basis of an analytical framework of New Institutional Sociology (NIS), this study examines the transformation from cash-based to accrual-based accounting systems among Japanese local governments since the 1990s. The analysis indicates that their accounting reforms stem from socio-political interactions among related actors. These actors were Japan’s local governments and the national government as represented by ministries involved in the administration of local governments, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and the Ministry of Finance. This analysis shows that NIS in general, and the concept of coercive isomorphism in particular, provide capable explanations for local governments’ widespread adoption of a modified model recommended by the MIC. In addition, the concept of decoupling explains well the lower perceived utility of accrual accounting information in managing the finances of local governments.
A Science of Social Work, and Social Work as an Integrative Scientific Discipline
Authors: Brekke John S.
Published: November 2013

There are two purposes to this article. The first is to update the science of social work framework. The second is to use recent discussions on the nature of realist science and on social work science to propose a definition of social work as an integrative scientific discipline that complements its definition as a profession.
Accessing Power in New Democracies
Authors: Bego Ingrid
Published: November 2013

This article seeks to improve our understanding of how women are gaining access to political power in third wave democracies. I extend the study of factors that affect the supply of and demand for female cabinet ministers from Latin America to Central and Eastern Europe, analyzing twelve new democracies from 1992 to 2008. I find that a high percentage of women’s enrollment in higher education correlates not only with the high percentage of women appointed to ministerial positions but also with a higher rate of appointments to prestigious posts.
Active vibration control of building structures using fuzzy proportional-derivative/proportional-integral-derivative control
Authors: Thenozhi Suresh , Yu Wen
Published: November 2013

Although most real building structure controllers are in the form of proportional-derivative/proportional-integral-derivative (PD/PID), there have been few published theory results of PD/PID on structural vibration control. In order to minimize the regulation error, a PD/PID control needs relatively large derivative and integral gains. These deteriorate the transient performances of the vibration control. In this paper, a natural combination of industrial PD/PID control with fuzzy compensation is proposed. The main contribution of this paper is that the stability of the fuzzy PD/PID control is proven with standard weight training algorithms. These conditions give explicit selection methods for the gains of the PD/PID control. Experimental studies on a two-story building prototype with the controllers are addressed. The experimental results validate our theoretical analysis.