bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combination of artificial neural network and genetic algorithm method for modeling of methylene blue adsorption onto wood sawdust from water samples
Authors: Khajeh Mostafa , Sarafraz-Yazdi Ali , Natavan Zahra Bameri
Published: October 2013

The aim of this research was to develop a low price and environmentally friendly adsorbent with abundant of source to remove methylene blue (MB) from water samples. Sawdust solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was used for the extraction and determination of MB. In this study, an experimental data-based artificial neural network model is constructed to describe the performance of sawdust solid-phase extraction method for various operating conditions. The pH, time, amount of sawdust, and temperature were the input variables, while the percentage of extraction of MB was the output. The optimum operating condition was then determined by genetic algorithm method. The optimized conditions were obtained as follows: 11.5, 22.0 min, 0.3 g, and 26.0°C for pH of the solution, extraction time, amount of adsorbent, and temperature, respectively. Under these optimum conditions, the detection limit and relative standard deviation were 0.067 μg L−1 and <2.4%, respectively. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were applied to describe the isotherm constant and for the removal and determination of MB from water samples.
Serotonin Syndrome
Authors: Park Susie H. , Wackernah Robin C. , Stimmel Glen L.
Published: October 2013

Background:

There is a warning associated with all serotonergic antidepressants and its concomitant use with tramadol due to the concern for a drug–drug interaction resulting in serotonin syndrome (SS). The prescribing of antidepressants with tramadol may be unnecessarily restricted due to fear of causing this syndrome.

Objectives:

There are 3 objectives of this review. To (1) review case reports of SS associated with the combination of tramadol and antidepressant drugs in recommended doses, (2) describe the mechanisms of the drug interaction, and (3) identify the potential risk factors for SS.

Methods:

Case reports of SS associated with tramadol and antidepressants were identified via Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Ovid (through October 2012) using search terms SS, tramadol, antidepressants, fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, citalopram, escitalopram, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, mirtazapine, milnacipran, trazodone, vilazodone, and bupropion. Cases involving monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and tricyclic antidepressants were excluded.

Results:

Nine articles were identified describing 10 cases of suspected SS associated with therapeutic doses of tramadol combined with an antidepressant. Mechanisms of the drug–drug interactions involve pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and possible pharmacogenetic factors.

Conclusions:

Review of the available case reports of tramadol combined with antidepressant drugs in therapeutic doses indicates caution in regard to the potential for SS but does not constitute a contraindication to their use. Tramadol is only contraindicated in combination with MAOIs but not other antidepressants in common use today. These case reports do suggest several factors associated with a greater risk of SS, including increased age, higher dosages, and use of concomitant potent cytochrome P450 2D6 inhibitors. Tramadol can be safely combined with antidepressants; however, monitoring and counseling patients are prudent when starting a new serotonergic agent or when doses are increased.
Bayesian semi-parametric analysis for locomotive wheel degradation using gamma frailties
Authors: Lin Jing , Asplund Matthias
Published: October 2013

A reliability study based on a Bayesian semi-parametric framework is performed in order to explore the impact of the position of a locomotive wheel on its service lifetime and to predict its other reliability characteristics. A piecewise constant hazard regression model is used to analyse the lifetime of locomotive wheels using degradation data and taking into account the bogie on which the wheel is located. Gamma frailties are included in this study to explore unobserved covariates within the same group. The goal is to flexibly determine reliability for the wheel. A case study is performed using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and the following conclusions are drawn. First, a polynomial degradation path is a better choice for the studied locomotive wheels; second, under given operational conditions, the position of the locomotive wheel, i.e. on which bogie it is mounted, can influence its reliability; third, a piecewise constant hazard regression model can be used to undertake reliability studies; fourth, considering gamma frailties is useful for exploring the influence of unobserved covariates; and fifth, the wheels have a higher failure risk after running a threshold distance, a finding which could be applied in optimisation of maintenance activities.
Greek public service employment relations: A Gordian knot in the era of sovereign default
Authors: Ioannou Christos A
Published: October 2013

Public sector employment relations are at the centre of the Troika’s programmes for Greece. These require a reduction of primary public expenditure by 10 percent of GDP, a total redesign of public services and massive privatizations. Public wages have been subject to incremental cuts, together with moves towards weakening the special status of public sector employment. It remains an open question whether the urgent pressure to reduce public expenditure through successive quantitative adjustments may result in successful structural reforms towards a leaner and more efficient public sector.
Public service employment relations in an era of austerity: The case of Denmark
Authors: Hansen Nana Wesley , Mailand Mikkel
Published: October 2013

This article analyses the impact of the economic crisis on the public sector in Denmark. It first examines the overall public sector responses and presents local case studies, before offering a comparative perspective with other Nordic countries. The article concludes that responses to the crisis in Denmark mostly involve ‘resetting recent reform’. The crisis has affected on job levels and employment relations, but other drivers are also important. Analysis at the local level reveals that the reduction in job levels is as much an expression of the implementation of pre-crisis reforms and demographic change as a manifestation of a direct crisis impact. The moderate impact of the crises on public sector reforms is also found in Norway, Finland and Sweden.
Beaconhouse School System (BSS) Restructuring
Authors: Alvi Sara , Butt Arif N. , Khurshid Anwar
Published: October 2013

The case discusses the hierarchical and structural changes brought about in 2008 within the Beaconhouse School System. The restructuring was mainly undertaken due to the school’s rapid expansion and fierce competitive environment. Kasim Kasuri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BSS, felt that the introduction of school group heads (SGHs) in BSS would help in the improvement of coordination with the regional head office and bring more efficiency and devolution at the school level.

The CEO felt that even though restructuring had brought about positive changes within the organization, it had also created some problems that needed to be addressed quickly. These problems included: (a) lack of management skills pertaining to managing and appraising employees by the SGHs; (b) new competencies and skill sets requiring strong leadership and managerial expertise in SGHs; (c) refinement of standard operating procedures and also, support infrastructure, for example, information technology (IT) and performance appraisal systems that needed upgradation; and (d) anxiety and confusion experienced by the principals and staff members regarding new reporting lines and relationships.

Kasim was now exploring options that would help BSS to exploit its full potential after the restructuring effort. He knew that restructuring had been progressing well, but now the issues that had arisen needed to be resolved quickly so that employees did not feel alienated from the system.
Husk Power Systems: Bringing Light to Rural India and Tapping Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid
Authors: Gupta Rakesh , Pandit Ajay , Nirjar Abhishek , Gupta Prashant
Published: October 2013

Lighting over 200 villages through de-centralized power plants, impacting 200,000 people’s lives and counting - Acumen Fund.

Although the rapid growth of the Indian economy in the last two decades has brought prosperity to a large segment of its population, thereby leading to higher living standards, there still remain some dark spots that cast doubts on this success story. There are still many remote parts of the country which are deprived of power supply owing to lack of regular supply of electricity through normal grid connections. This scenario changed with the launch of Husk Power Systems (HPS), which was initiated after a conversation between two friends, Gyanesh Pandey in Los Angeles, United States of America (USA), and Ratnesh Yadav in Patna, Bihar, India, and their strong desire to bring change to rural India. After several attempts over five years, to generate power through various biodiesel resources, they settled on rice husk as a source for generating electricity. Husk Power Systems was started in 2007 and today, they have already lit up more than 200 villages with a typical power plant by HPS catering to around five villages depending on the number of households. Currently, they can provide power for up to 12 hours a day, which can be scaled-up to an uninterrupted 24 hour power supply. The challenge here is that there is no current demand for 24 hour power supply in remote villages where people have just started realizing the benefits of electricity and don’t feel the need for continuous power, and also don’t have adequate finances to pay for it. While working on scaling-up their business, the issue which is bothering them most is how to encourage villagers to increase their power consumption to 24 hours a day instead of just 6 hours a day.
The Daanish Schools: To Expand or Not to Expand!
Authors: Qureshi Zafar I. , Jilani Hira I.
Published: October 2013

The case discusses the Daanish School System (DSS) as an innovative education system for the marginalized children of southern Punjab. The English equivalent of Daanish (an Urdu word) means ‘wisdom’. The Chief Minister (CM) of the province of Punjab had asked Mr Iqbal Qureshi, Chairman, Core Group of the Daanish School & Centre of Excellence Authority (DS&CEA), to recommend a strategy to expand DSS further and to ensure its financial sustainability as opposed to the upgradation of the existing public sector schools. The opponents of DSS were supporting the latter, while there were others who supported DSS expansion. The core group was also divided on the expansion strategy into two sub-groups: one sub-group was supporting the expansion strategy, whereas the other sub-group was not. In parallel, the core group was also expected to suggest steps to ensure future sustainability of DSS.
Football fans’ views of racism in British football
Authors: Cleland Jamie , Cashmore Ellis
Published: October 2013

This article analyses 2500 responses from association football (soccer) fans to an anonymous online survey conducted from November 2011 to February 2012 that examined the extent of racism in British football. Eighty-three per cent of the participants stated that racism remains culturally embedded and when exploring the reasons behind its continuation from the 1970s and 1980s, Bourdieu’s concepts of field and habitus proved useful for understanding why some white fans continue to express racist thoughts and behaviours at football. Central to this were explanations concerning class and education and how historical notions of whiteness remain culturally embedded for some supporters.
Recovery from addiction and the potential role of sport: Using a life-course theory to study change
Authors: Landale Sarah , Roderick Martin
Published: October 2013

To date, sport has played little part as an adjunct or alternative to adult alcohol and drug treatment programmes. However, research into natural recovery (overcoming addiction without formal treatment) identifies that sustained, meaningful activities located within the community, supportive social networks and new identities are a key part of desistance. This article draws on longitudinal data which tracked substance-misusing offenders engaging in a community-based sports programme – Second Chance – as part of their journeys of recovery from alcohol and other drug problems. Employing a life-course theory of informal social controls, the study identified that Second Chance offered participants a space for the opportunity for change, within which an identity transformation was occurring for some respondents. The identity transformation, and subsequent desistance, was facilitated through a confluence of meaningful routine activities, informal social controls and personal agency, both within and outside of Second Chance. This article analyses the life stories told by two Second Chance players, focusing on the meanings they attached to the programme in the context of their recovery and located in their day-to-day lives over 12 months. In doing so the authors highlight the complex nature of recovery from addiction, how structure and agency interrelate in this context and possible implications for sports-based interventions seeking to support disadvantaged adults.
Bonhoeffer, Schmitt, and the state of exception
Authors: Brown Petra
Published: October 2013

In this article I examine the concept of ‘the extraordinary’ in two Bonhoeffer books, Discipleship and Ethics. Through a comparison with Carl Schmitt’s political concept of ‘the state of exception’, I draw attention to the political theology that I argue lies inherent in Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The contemporary application of this lies in the use of Bonhoeffer and the idea of ‘exception’ in contemporary American political discourse since 9/11. I investigate the consequences of this using Giorgio Agamben’s critique that states of exceptions lead to violence without reference. I address two objections to my reading of Bonhoeffer, and the political theology that I argue arises out of Bonhoeffer’s concept of the ‘extraordinary’.
Revisiting soteriology
Authors: O’Collins Gerald
Published: October 2013

This article enters into dialogue with the reviewers of three books, all of which concerned the redemptive ‘work’ of Christ ‘for us’: S. T. Davis, D. Kendall, and G. O’Collins (eds.), The Redemption (2004), G. O’Collins, Jesus Our Redeemer (2007), and G. O’Collins, Salvation forAll (2009). The aim is to carry forward debates that concern the biblical basis and theological nature of the redemption effected by Jesus Christ, interdisciplinary approaches to this mystery, the methodology and terminology to be adopted, and the salvation of unbelievers and the non-evangelized.
Development and evaluation of an automated histology classification system for veterinary pathology
Authors: Hattel Arthur , Monga Vishal , Srinivas Umamahesh , Gillespie Jim , Brooks Jason , Fisher Jenny , Jayarao Bhushan
Published: October 2013

A 2-stage algorithmic framework was developed to automatically classify digitized photomicrographs of tissues obtained from bovine liver, lung, spleen, and kidney into different histologic categories. The categories included normal tissue, acute necrosis, and inflammation (acute suppurative; chronic). In the current study, a total of 60 images per category (normal; acute necrosis; acute suppurative inflammation) were obtained from liver samples, 60 images per category (normal; acute suppurative inflammation) were obtained from spleen and lung samples, and 60 images per category (normal; chronic inflammation) were obtained from kidney samples. An automated support vector machine (SVM) classifier was trained to assign each test image to a specific category. Using 10 training images/category/organ, 40 test images/category/organ were examined. Employing confusion matrices to represent category-specific classification accuracy, the classifier-attained accuracies were found to be in the 74–90% range. The same set of test images was evaluated using a SVM classifier trained on 20 images/category/organ. The average classification accuracies were noted to be in the 84–95% range. The accuracy in correctly identifying normal tissue and specific tissue lesions was markedly improved by a small increase in the number of training images. The preliminary results from the study indicate the importance and potential use of automated image classification systems in the histologic identification of normal tissues and specific tissue lesions.
Dielectric elastomer–based energy harvesting: Material, generator design, and optimization
Authors: Graf Christian , Hitzbleck Julia , Feller Torsten , Clauberg Karin , Wagner Joachim , Krause Jens , Maas Juergen
Published: October 2013

Electroactive polymers are soft capacitors made of thin elastic and electrically insulating films coated with compliant electrodes offering a large amount of deformation. They can either be used as actuators by applying an electric charge or used as energy converters based on the electrostatic principle. These unique properties enable the industrial development of highly efficient and environmentally sustainable energy converters, which opens up the possibility to further exploit large renewable and inexhaustible energy sources like wind and water that are widely unused otherwise. Compared to other electroactive polymer materials, polyurethanes have certain advantages over silicones and acrylates. Due to the inherently higher permittivity as well as the higher dielectric breakdown strength, the overall specific energy, a measure for the energy gain, is better by at least factor of 10, that is, more than 10 times the energy can be gained out of the same amount of material. In order to reduce conduction losses on the electrode during charging and discharging, a highly conductive bidirectional stretchable electrode has been developed. Other important material parameters like stiffness and bulk resistivity have been optimized to fit the requirements. We also report on different measures to evaluate and improve electroactive polymer materials for energy harvesting by, for example, reducing the defect occurrence and improving the electrode behavior.
Development of a miniaturized clamping device driven by magnetic shape memory alloys
Authors: Wegener Kathrin , Blumenthal Philipp , Raatz Annika
Published: October 2013

This article deals with the potential of magnetic shape memory actuators for the use in micro applications and in particular in clamping devices. The most common actuator concepts are introduced briefly, including the so-called push–push concept. Subsequently, an overview of clamping technology is given and the advantages of mechanical clamping are pointed out. It is proposed to use the push–push actuation concept for the development of an energy-efficient clamping device driven by magnetic shape memory alloys. Hence, the design of the magnetic shape memory clamping device and the dimensioning of its magnetic circuits are presented. Finally, the characteristics of the device are experimentally examined and the results are summarized.
Identification of crack size and orientation in continuous cylindrical structure using macro-fiber composite
Authors: Cui Lin , Liu Yu , Soh Chee Kiong
Published: October 2013

The geometric properties of cylindrical structures are complex as compared with plate-like structures. Structural health monitoring of such structures is thus more complicated. Even though many efforts have been carried out on the detection of cracks in cylindrical structures, the crack sizes and orientations have not received enough attention. Recently, a method to correlate the root-mean-square deviation change of torsional wave pack of signal with axial crack growth has been developed. In this article, based on the same principle and experimental setup, the detection of crack size and orientation is studied. Macro-fiber composite transducers are used as either an actuator or a sensor. First, a crack of finite size is induced in a laboratory specimen. Later, the size is gradually increased along various orientations. The effects of the crack size and transmitted waves, captured by the sensor, are correlated with the root-mean-square deviation values of the torsional wave packs and the longitudinal wave packs. The results show that both size and orientation of the crack can be evaluated based on the proposed method. The system developed in this article is easy to setup, cost-effective, and able to achieve automatic continuous online monitoring with good results.
Response of impedance measured by polyvinylidene fluoride film sensors to damage propagation for wind turbine blade
Authors: Huh Yong-Hak , Kim Jongil , Hong Seonggu
Published: October 2013

To establish an effective operation and maintenance system for the wind turbine system, techniques for early detecting the damage, which may occur during its operation, may be required. In this study, responses of impedance, which can be a technique to early detect the damage, to the damage extension in the wind turbine blade were investigated through the full-scale structural test of the 100 kW wind blade. The impedance was measured with polyvinylidene fluoride film sensors with dimension of 25 × 20 mm2 patched on the blade skin. The damages were initiated along the trailing and leading edges and extended with increasing static load level. Impedance signatures varied with increasing the damage size were analyzed in the frequency ranging from 1 to 300 MHz. It was found that the patterns of the impedance signatures are remarkably dependent upon the static load level and sensor location. The change in the signatures was quantitatively quantified by the damage metric. The scalar metric values were closely correlated to the damage extension size and the sensor locations to the extended damage.
Piezoelectric-based energy harvesting in bridge systems
Authors: Zhang Ye , Cai Steve CS , Deng Lu
Published: October 2013

This article examines the piezoelectric-based energy harvesting on civil infrastructures. Piezoelectric cantilever–based harvesters are adopted considering their wide usage. Four concrete slab-on-girder bridges that represent the majority of bridges in the United States are used as the platforms for the energy harvesting. In the simulation, the distributed-parameter model is used for the energy harvester, while four three-dimensional bridges with HS20-44 truck models are developed using ANSYS and MATLAB. Two scenarios for the bridge–vehicle systems are simulated: bridges with only one passing vehicle and bridges with a continuous vehicle flow. A parametric study is carried out to study the effect of various properties of the bridge and vehicle on energy harvesting. The simulation result shows that the energy output power increases with poorer road conditions and smaller bridge span lengths. Optimal vehicle speeds and energy harvester positions are also investigated and discussed in this article.
Modeling, validation, and performance of low-frequency piezoelectric energy harvesters
Authors: Abdelkefi Abdessattar , Barsallo Nilma , Tang Lihua , Yang Yaowen , Hajj Muhammad R
Published: October 2013

Analytical and finite element electromechanical models that take into account the fact that the piezoelectric sheet does not cover the whole substrate beam are developed. A linear analysis of the analytical model is performed to determine the optimal load resistance. The analytical and finite element models are validated with experimental measurements. The results show that the analytical model that takes into account the fact that the piezoelectric patch does not cover the whole beam predicts accurately the experimental measurements. The finite element results yield a slight discrepancy in the global frequency and a slight overestimation in the value of the harvested power at resonance. On the contrary, using an approximate analytical model based on mode shapes of the full covered beam leads to erroneous results and overestimation of the global frequency as well as the level of harvested power. In order to design enhanced piezoelectric energy harvesters that can generate energy at low-frequency excitations, further analysis is performed to investigate the effects of varying the length of the piezoelectric material on the natural frequency and the performance of the harvester. The results show that there is a compromise between the length of the piezoelectric material, the electrical load resistance, and the available excitation frequency. By quantifying this compromise, we optimize the performance of beam–mass systems to efficiently harvest energy from a specified low frequency of the ambient vibrations.
Damage assessment of wind turbine blade under static loading test using acoustic emission
Authors: Han Byeong-Hee , Yoon Dong-Jin , Huh Yong-Hak , Lee Young-Shin
Published: October 2013

Acoustic emission is known as a powerful nondestructive tool to detect any further growth of preexisting cracks or to characterize failure mechanisms. Recently, this kind of technique, which is an in situ monitoring of integrity of materials or structures, becomes increasingly popular for monitoring the conditions of large structures such as a wind turbine blade. Therefore, it is required to find a symptom of damage progress before catastrophic failure through a continuous monitoring. In this study, acoustic emission technology was applied to assess the damage in the wind turbine blade during step-by-step static load test. In this static loading test, we have used a full-scale blade of 100 kW in capacity, and an attempt was made to apply a new source location method using a new algorithm with energy contour mapping concept. We also measured the deflection of blade tip by linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) and the strain of inner shear web in order to analyze the correlation between stress condition and damage identification. The results show that the acoustic emission activities give a good agreement with the stress distribution and damage location in the blade, especially in bonding edges around 1000–1500 mm far from the root. Finally, the applicability of new source location method was confirmed by comparison of the result of source location and experimental damage location.
Malignant Potential of Endometrial Stromal Tumor With Limited Infiltration
Authors: Su Ting-Fu , Chao Tai-Kuang , Lee Herng-Sheng , Perng Cherng-Lih , Nieh Shin
Published: October 2013

Endometrial stromal tumors (ESTs) with limited infiltration were first proposed by Dionigi et al.1 However, the prognostic significance of these tumors is unclear. We report a case of a 60-year-old woman who presented with a prolapsed uterine corpus and then underwent laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy. A very small EST was incidentally found. The tumor manifested focal irregularity and finger-like permeation into the adjacent myometrium not exceeding 3 mm but exceeding 3 in number, features intermediate between a low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma and an endometrial stromal nodule. By definition, we rendered a descriptive diagnosis of “endometrial stromal tumor with limited infiltration.” A subsequent staging operation confirmed metastasis and, hence, a malignant potential.
Reversible slurred speech related to capecitabine and lapatinib combination in patients with breast cancer
Authors: Mutlu Hasan , Büyükçelik Abdullah , Akça Zeki , Erden Abdülsamet
Published: October 2013

Capecitabine plus lapatinib combination is an effective chemotherapy regimen in patients with advanced breast cancer. Neurological adverse effects secondary to this regimen were reported rarely in literature. A woman with breast cancer presented with complaints of slurred speech while using the capecitabine and lapatinib combination. Her major complaint was slurred speech. No other radiologic or laboratory disorders were detected in the patient. Slurred speech improved one week after the capecitabine and lapatinib combination was discontinued without any further intervention.
‘Me and my Bump’: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experiences of pregnancy for vulnerable women
Authors: Birtwell Beatrice , Hammond Linda , Puckering Christine
Published: October 2013

Eight pregnant women, considered to be ‘vulnerable’ due to exposure to a number of underlying risk factors, participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their experiences of pregnancy and of Mellow Bumps, a 6-week targeted antenatal intervention. Interview transcripts were explored using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The analysis revealed five superordinate themes: pregnancy as a time of reflection; the body being taken over; pregnancy as an emotional rollercoaster; relationships as important; separating identities. Pre- and post-natal attachment theories were found to be useful in interpreting the data. Findings suggest that pregnancy may be ‘normalising’ and provide an important opportunity for building more positive representations of the self. Findings also provide clinical support for the assertion that the attachment relationship begins before birth. The Mellow Bumps intervention was uniformly seen as helpful. It appeared to nurture prenatal attachment relationships, playing a potentially protective role, by helping to establish the foundations for secure mother–infant relationships in the future. Meeting similar women and engaging in ordinary, supportive conversation during Mellow Bumps seemed to reduce feelings of isolation and stigma. Implications for clinical practice are considered.
Measuring kidney patients’ motivation to pursue living donor kidney transplant: Development of Stage of Change, Decisional Balance and Self-Efficacy measures
Authors: Waterman Amy D , Robbins Mark L , Paiva Andrea L , Peipert John D , Davis LaShara A , Hyland Shelley S , Schenk Emily A , Baldwin Kari A , Amoyal Nicole R
Published: October 2013

While educational interventions to increase patient motivation to pursue living donor kidney transplant have shown success in increasing living donor kidney transplant rates, there are no validated, theoretically consistent measures of Stage of Change, a measure of readiness to pursue living donor kidney transplant; Decisional Balance, a weighted assessment of living donor kidney transplant’s advantages/disadvantages; and Self-Efficacy, a measure of belief that patients can pursue living donor kidney transplant in difficult circumstances. This study developed and validated measures of these three constructs. In two independent samples of kidney patients ( N1 = 279 and N2 = 204), results showed good psychometric properties and support for their use in the assessment of living donor kidney transplant interventions.
Are child anxiety and somatization associated with pain in pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders?
Authors: Williams Amy E , Czyzewski Danita I , Self Mariella M , Shulman Robert J
Published: October 2013

This study investigated individual and incremental contributions of somatization and trait anxiety to pain report in children with pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders. Eighty children (7–10 years) with pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, the Children’s Somatization Inventory, and 2-week pain diaries (assessing pain frequency and maximum pain). Hierarchical regressions indicated that both trait anxiety and somatization were significantly related to maximum pain and pain frequency, with somatization explaining more variance. Trait anxiety did not significantly add to prediction above somatization. Assessment of somatization may assist with treatment planning for children with functional abdominal pain.
Weight- and race-based bullying: Health associations among urban adolescents
Authors: Rosenthal Lisa , Earnshaw Valerie A , Carroll-Scott Amy , Henderson Kathryn E , Peters Susan M , McCaslin Catherine , Ickovics Jeannette R
Published: October 2013

Stigma-based bullying is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes. In a longitudinal study, surveys and physical assessments were conducted with mostly Black and Latino, socioeconomically disadvantaged, urban students. As hypothesized, greater weight- and race-based bullying each was significantly indirectly associated with increased blood pressure and body mass index, as well as decreased overall self-rated health across 2 years, through the mechanism of more negative emotional symptoms. Results support important avenues for future research on mechanisms and longitudinal associations of stigma-based bullying with health. Interventions are needed to reduce stigma-based bullying and buffer adolescents from adverse health effects.
Human papillomavirus vaccine intentions among males: A test of the Parallel Processing Model
Authors: Wheldon Christopher W , Buhi Eric R , Daley Ellen M , Hernandez Natalie D , Anstey Erica Hesch , Kolar Stephanie , Giuliano Anna R
Published: October 2013

We investigated the cognitive and emotional reactions resulting from a human papillomavirus–related illness threat (i.e. testing positive for human papillomavirus) and the potential behavioral implications resulting from these psychosocial processes among men ( N = 536). Structural equation modeling was used to explore a theoretical model explaining human papillomavirus vaccine intentions. The model fit the data well and explained 16 percent of the variance in vaccine intentions. Negative emotional response mediated the path between illness threat and vaccine intentions. Threat of genital warts was a salient concern and was positively associated with negative emotional response and subsequent vaccine intentions. Implications for vaccine promotion are discussed.
Lay theories of smoking and young adult nonsmokers’ and smokers’ smoking expectations
Authors: Fitz Caroline C , Kaufman Annette , Moore Philip J
Published: October 2013

This study investigated the relationship between lay theories of cigarette smoking and expectations to smoke. An incremental lay theory of smoking entails the belief that smoking behavior can change; an entity theory entails the belief that smoking behavior cannot change. Undergraduate nonsmokers and smokers completed a survey that assessed lay theories of smoking and smoking expectations. Results demonstrated that lay theories of smoking were differentially associated with smoking expectations for nonsmokers and smokers: stronger incremental beliefs were associated with greater expectations of trying smoking for nonsmokers but lower expectations of becoming a regular smoker for smokers. Implications for interventions are discussed.
Association between anxiety and pain in the latent phase of labour upon admission to the maternity hospital: A prospective, descriptive study
Authors: Floris Lucia , Irion Olivier
Published: October 2013

This study investigated the association between anxiety experienced by the mother, a request for analgesia, and the level of pain at maternity hospital admission in early labour. Anxiety levels were measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and pain was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale. Anxiety and Visual Analogue Scale scores were compared using a linear regression model and indicated a statistically significant association between the anxiety state and degree of pain ( p < 0.016; Y = 0.895 x score + 32.656). There was no significant association between anxiety and a request for epidural analgesia. During labour, an evaluation of anxiety should be associated with an assessment of the perceived degree of pain.
Metonymic objects, cultural practices and narrative repair: Sri Lankan responses to the Indian Ocean tsunami
Authors: Cassim Shemana , Stolte Ottilie , Hodgetts Darrin
Published: October 2013

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami resulted in a tragic loss of life and immense suffering. This article explores the ways in which a group of people from Sri Lanka worked to address the disruption to their life narratives caused by the loss of loved ones. We go beyond a focus on ‘talk’ in narrative research in health psychology to explore the importance of material objects in sustaining continued bonds with the deceased. This article provides an alternative to the tendency in mainstream psychology to pathologise grief and highlights the importance of culturally patterned responses to disaster.
Psychometric assessment of the Health Care Alliance Questionnaire with women in prenatal care
Authors: Roosevelt Lee K , Holland Kathryn J , Hiser Jan , Seng Julia S
Published: October 2013

The current study assessed the reliability and validity of the Health Care Alliance Questionnaire, which was developed using a Delphi process and embedded in an ongoing perinatal outcomes study. The Health Care Alliance Questionnaire exhibited content and face validity and high reliability. Results indicated concurrent validity in relation to satisfaction with practitioner and discriminant validity in relation to interpersonal sensitivity and posttraumatic stress disorder. The Health Care Alliance Questionnaire demonstrated predictive validity in relation to perceptions of practitioner’s care during labor and postpartum depression. Overall, results suggest that alliance may be an important factor in maternity care processes and outcomes. Further psychometric work is warranted.
New, normative, English-sample data for the Short Form Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4)
Authors: Warttig Sheryl L , Forshaw Mark J , South Jane , White Alan K
Published: October 2013

This article provides population norms for the Short Form Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) and investigates the relationship between PSS-4 scores and sociodemographic variables. The PSS-4 was administered to an English sample ( n = 1568) and was found to have acceptable psychometric properties. Sociodemographic variables explained 19.5% of variance in PSS-4 scores, and mean PSS-4 scores were significantly different from the mean scores reported in Cohen and Williamson’s original study. Greater levels of perceived health status, greater levels of social support, being male and being older were predictive of lower PSS-4 scores. Norm values for interpreting PSS-4 scores are presented.
Psychometric properties of the self-report Malay version of the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQLTM) 4.0 Generic Core Scales among multiethnic Malaysian adolescents
Authors: Ainuddin Husna A , Loh Siew Yim , Chinna Karuthan , Low Wah Yun , Roslani April Camilla
Published: October 2013

Adolescence is the potential period for growth and optimal functioning, but developmental issues like time of transition from childhood to adulthood will create stress and affect the adolescent’s quality of life (QOL). However, there is a lack of research tool for measuring adolescent’s QOL in Malaysia. The aim of the study was to determine the validity and reliability of the self-report Malay version of the pediatric QOL (PedsQL™) 4.0 Generic Core Scales in assessing the QOL of Malaysian adolescents. A cross-sectional study design using the 23-item self-report Malay version of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales was administered on a convenient cluster sampling ( n = 297 adolescent) from a secondary school. The internal consistency reliability had Cronbach’s α values ranging from .70 to .89. Factor analysis reported a six-factor structure via principal axis factor analysis. In conclusion, the self-report Malay version of the pediatric QOL 4.0 Generic Core Scales is a reliable and valid tool to measure the QOL of multiethnic Malaysian adolescents.
Social practices from the viewpoint of trans-subjective existentialism
Authors: Ginev Dimitri
Published: October 2013

The principal aim of this article is to examine the capacity of existential analytic to suggest alternatives to entrenched dichotomies and dilemmas in practice theory, and more generally, in social theory. In this regard, the doctrine of trans-subjective existentialism is developed. The underlying aim is to inform hermeneutic engagement with social practices’ potentiality-for-being in order to illuminate a possible existential ontology of practices. It is argued that the concept of chronotope should be central in this ontology. Thus, the possibility of hermeneutic realism about social practices becomes open to scrutiny.
Thematizing speed
Authors: Vostal Filip
Published: October 2013

This article makes the case that speed has become significant, indeed central, as a social scientific category and focus of attention today. In particular, it engages with two contemporary theoretical currents that conceptualize the causes, consequences and manifestations of social speed as a fundamental feature of modernity. One key contribution is Hartmut Rosa’s interpretation of ‘social acceleration’, which is offered by him as part of a reinvigorated version of Critical Theory. Another is John Tomlinson’s (complementary but different) orientation, focusing on variant cultural settings and implications of speed. By juxtaposing and assessing these two thematizations of speed/acceleration, with other recent treatments brought in at various points, the article underlines the need to clarify and debate these modal notions as a distinctive issue for social analysis. In addition, I bring out more explicitly the ambiguous nature of speed as a descriptive and normative concern. In this respect, while there can be no denying its negative-oppressive force – both structurally and experientially – it is also necessary to attend to the more positive-enabling aspects of ‘fast’ subjectivity.
The ethnography of process: Excavating and re-generating civic engagement and political subjectivity
Authors: Vidali Debra Spitulnik
Published: October 2013

This article problematizes the ethnography of process with respect to civic engagement and political subjectivity. Process is approached in a two-pronged sense: as a target of ethnographic/phenomenological discovery and as a place-based issue particular to the US. Regarding the first sense, I examine the dialogic emergence of political subjectivity in specific communication contexts. Concurrently, I raise epistemological questions about the power of words to name states and processes of civic-being. Regarding the second sense, I argue that the experience, expression, and investigation of political subjectivity in the US is informed and hampered by a political/discursive culture that emphasizes discrete ‘engagement measures’ and ‘decisive stances’ over processes. Interweaving these two prongs together, I argue for greater experimentation with re-presentational forms that excavate and regenerate processes of civic engagement and political subjectivity. Data stem from ethnographic and theatrical work with young adults in Atlanta and national survey instruments designed to measure ‘engagement’.
Speaking with revenants: Haunting and the ethnographic enterprise
Authors: Kilroy-Marac Katie
Published: October 2013

This article considers two revenants – a man and a ghost – who haunt the Fann Psychiatric Clinic in Dakar, Senegal. Following Derrida’s assertion that haunting is historical, I take seriously the concept of haunting and insist upon its relevance to anthropological inquiry. As a mode of storytelling that comes from a particular way of apprehending the world, I argue that anthropology might give credence to specters as social figures and assign ethnography the task of chasing after ghosts, not simply for the poetic spaces they may open up but out of a concern for justice and responsibility in the past, present, and future. My own ethnographic encounter with the two revenants described here has generated questions about the often taken-for-granted equivalence of the real and the true. Likewise, it has encouraged me to interrogate the unpredictable (and oftentimes uneasy) cohabitation of memory and history, both within the Fann Clinic and beyond.
Should the beneficiaries pay?
Authors: Huseby Robert
Published: October 2013

Many theorists claim that if an agent benefits from an action that harms others, that agent has a moral duty to compensate those who are harmed, even if the agent did not cause the harm herself. In the debate on climate justice, this idea is commonly referred to as the beneficiary-pays principle (BPP). This paper argues that the BPP is implausible, both in the context of climate change and as a normative principle more generally. It should therefore be rejected.
Can informed consent apply to information disclosure? Moral and practical implications
Authors: Tamin Jacques
Published: October 2013

This paper aims to show that the ethical justifications and the processes for requiring consent for interventional research or treatment are different to requiring consent for the disclosure of patient or subject information. I will argue that these process and theoretical differences are sufficient to view “consent” in the two situations as different concepts and suggest that the phrase “permission to disclose” would be more appropriate in the information disclosure situations.
Effect of atorvastatin on baroreflex sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia
Authors: Grigoropoulou Pinelopi , Eleftheriadou Ioanna , Zoupas Christos , Makrilakis Konstantinos , Papassotiriou Ioannis , Margeli Alexandra , Perrea Despoina , Katsilambros Nicholas , Tentolouris Nicholas
Published: October 2013

In this prospective study, we examined the effect of atorvastatin treatment on baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in subjects with type 2 diabetes. A total of 79 patients with type 2 diabetes with dyslipidaemia were recruited. A total of 46 subjects were enrolled to atorvastatin 10 mg daily and low-fat diet and 33 patients to low-fat diet only. BRS was assessed non-invasively using the sequence method at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. Treatment with atorvastatin increased BRS after 12 months (from 6.46 ± 2.79 ms/mmHg to 8.05 ± 4.28 ms/mmHg, p = 0.03), while no effect was seen with low-fat diet. Further sub-analysis according to obesity status showed that BRS increased significantly only in the non-obese group ( p = 0.036). A low dose of atorvastatin increased BRS in non-obese subjects with type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia after 1-year treatment. This finding emphasizes the beneficial effect of atorvastatin on cardiovascular system, beyond the lipid-lowering effects.
Lessons in Media Advocacy: A Look Back at Saskatchewan's Nursing Education Debate
Authors: Leurer Marie Dietrich
Published: October 2013

Nurses are encouraged to exert their influence in the realm of public policy, particularly policies related to the nursing profession, the health care system and the health of their clients. Media advocacy can be used by nursing organizations to mobilize public support on policy issues in order to influence policy makers. This article retrospectively examined the media advocacy efforts of nursing stakeholders in Saskatchewan, Canada in response to a new government policy that would have impacted educational requirements for licensure as a registered nurse (RN) in that province. Print media sources from the period January to March, 2000 were examined to determine the specific media advocacy techniques used by nursing organizations within the framework of the policy cycle. The success of nursing stakeholders in reversing the government position highlights the effectiveness of media advocacy as a tool to disseminate messages from the nursing profession in order to impact policy.