bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical Postprocessing of Ensemble Precipitation Forecasts by Fitting Censored, Shifted Gamma Distributions*
Authors: Scheuerer Michael , Hamill Thomas M.
Published: September 2015

A parametric statistical postprocessing method is presented that transforms raw (and frequently biased) ensemble forecasts from the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) into reliable predictive probability distributions for precipitation accumulations. Exploratory analysis based on 12 years of reforecast data and ⅛° climatology-calibrated precipitation analyses shows that censored, shifted gamma distributions can well approximate the conditional distribution of observed precipitation accumulations given the ensemble forecasts. A nonhomogeneous regression model is set up to link the parameters of this distribution to ensemble statistics that summarize the mean and spread of predicted precipitation amounts within a certain neighborhood of the location of interest, and in addition the predicted mean of precipitable water. The proposed method is demonstrated with precipitation reforecasts over the conterminous United States using common metrics such as Brier skill scores and reliability diagrams. It yields probabilistic forecasts that are reliable, highly skillful, and sharper than the previously demonstrated analog procedure. In situations with limited predictability, increasing the size of the neighborhood within which ensemble forecasts are considered as predictors can further improve forecast skill. It is found, however, that even a parametric postprocessing approach crucially relies on the availability of a sufficiently large training dataset.
Paving the Way for Future Race Research
Authors: Hughey Matthew W. , Embrick David G. , Doane Ashley “Woody”
Published: September 2015

In a day when many are fatigued with discourse on racism, discrimination, and inequality but others face a socially and politically trenchant White backlash against the gains of the civil rights movement, race scholars are faced with the complex scenario in which they must simultaneously articulate (1) what, when, and where racism operates to exercise both deleterious and advantageous effects on differently racialized actors and (2) exactly why and how racism (especially its “color-blind” variant) functions toward the reproduction of the racialized social system. While scholarship on the former is well rehearsed, we see this special issue as a clarion call for new scholarship to interrogate the precise mechanisms by which color-blind racism and the racialized social system operate. New work on mechanisms gestures (at the least) toward the three directions laid out in this issue: the axiological (the study of values), ontological (the study of being), and epistemological (the study of knowledge) dimensions of social life. Race scholars would be well served to illumine how color-blind racism and the racialized social system hold specific properties and processes by which values, being, and knowledge function intimately and integrally.
“Perpetually Self-Reflective”
Authors: Carroll Lynne , Tuason Ma. Teresa G.
Published: September 2015

Twelve lesbians from various locales throughout the United States were interviewed regarding their experiences as sexual minorities and daughters of mothers with severe mental illness (SMI). Using resiliency and intersectionality as theoretical frameworks, and consensual qualitative research as methodology, we identified six domains: (a) childhood responses to mother’s SMI, (b) childhood/adolescent coping with mother’s SMI, (c) responses of others, (d) managing in adulthood, (e) coming out to self and others, and (f) relating sexual orientation to mother’s SMI. Results show that all participants navigated adulthood by being “perpetually self-reflective.” For many, dealing with their mothers’ SMI gave them coping skills that made coming out much less challenging. For some, their mothers’ SMI made it more difficult to come out to others. Participants discussed the complexly interwoven relation between these sources of marginalization, consistent with intersectionality theory.
Citizens’ Perceptions of Policy Objectives and Support for Military Action
Authors: Mader Matthias
Published: September 2015

This article is concerned with the role of perceived policy objectives in German citizens’ attitude formation toward military action in Afghanistan. While some scholars have claimed that public opinion is prudent because citizens assess the effectiveness of a mission on the basis of these perceptions, micro-level tests of this kind of prudence remain scare. Drawing on two cross-sectional surveys of the German population conducted in 2008 and 2009, we use responses to open-ended questions about the German government’s policy goals in Afghanistan to analyze whether such perceptions influenced support and whether any such influence was mediated via the perceived effectiveness of the mission. The results indicate that, irrespective of the level of political awareness, it was virtually irrelevant what German citizens perceived the military mission’s objectives to be. In contrast, value-based attitude formation emerges as more important, with the foreign policy predispositions antimilitarism and Atlanticism exhibiting especially large effects.
Cigarette Use by Turkish Adolescents and Its Links to Strain, Depression, and Anger
Authors: Yilmaz Mustafa , Lo Celia C. , Solakoğlu Özgür
Published: September 2015

In this study of Turkish adolescents and cigarette smoking, we applied general strain theory, conceptualizing smoking as a coping strategy for various types of strain and negative emotions associated with strain. Our secondary data were collected via a survey prepared (in English, by the Icelandic Center for Social Research and Analysis, later translated into Turkish) for the Youth in Europe Project fighting drug use by urban European students. The present data came from students in the populous Bagcilar district of Istanbul, Turkey, where in 2008, 10th-grade students completed the questionnaire. Our final sample included 1,949 students. Logistic regression showed cigarette smoking (both lifetime and 30-day) to be associated with strain arising from school, from negative life events, and from violent victimization. Smoking also appeared linked to negative affect, specifically anger and depression. Gender was observed to moderate a link between lifetime cigarette smoking and anger.
Convergence and Divergence of Process and Portfolio Approaches to L2 Writing Instruction: Issues and Implications
Authors: Lam Ricky
Published: September 2015

In the L2 writing literature, there has been a rich history of scholarship in theory, research and practice since the 1960s. Two of the most prominent L2 writing approaches are process and portfolio pedagogy. The former approach promotes the use of diverse writing strategies (e.g. pre-writing) to enhance student writers’ expression and fluency. The latter emphasizes the documentation of student growth as writers through self-reflection. These two instructional approaches exhibit a range of divergent characteristics, including focus, construct, delivery, and application –especially when adopted in a wider East Asian educational context. Owing to the dearth of research comparing process and portfolio pedagogies, this paper critically reviews the theory, research and practice of these two approaches in L2 writing environments. Salient issues emerging from the analysis of literature include advocacy of an eclectic and context-sensitive approach to process and portfolio pedagogies; a need for more empirical research to substantiate how both approaches support writing improvement; and provision of training for developing knowledge and skills in understanding what process-oriented writing instruction entails. The paper ends with a discussion of implications for L2 writing research and instruction. Two research methods that could help investigate how writing improvement and self-regulated learning can be measured are qualitative and quantitative investigations, namely ethnographic and quasi-experimental studies. In the context of incorporating these pedagogies into other East Asian writing environments, teachers can be encouraged to align teaching, learning, and assessment of writing as regular pedagogical practices and engage in sustainable professional training in giving written feedback to support learning.
Provider Behavior Under Global Budgeting and Policy Responses
Authors: Chang Chao-Kai , Xirasagar Sudha , Chen Brian , Hussey James R. , Wang I-Jong , Chen Jen-Chieh , Lian Ie-Bin
Published: September 2015

Third-party payer systems are consistently associated with health care cost escalation. Taiwan’s single-payer, universal coverage National Health Insurance (NHI) adopted global budgeting (GB) to achieve cost control. This study captures ophthalmologists’ response to GB, specifically service volume changes and service substitution between low-revenue and high-revenue services following GB implementation, the subsequent Bureau of NHI policy response, and the policy impact. De-identified eye clinic claims data for the years 2000, 2005, and 2007 were analyzed to study the changes in Simple Claim Form (SCF) claims versus Special Case Claims (SCCs). The 3 study years represent the pre-GB period, post-GB but prior to region-wise service cap implementation period, and the post-service cap period, respectively. Repeated measures multilevel regression analysis was used to study the changes adjusting for clinic characteristics and competition within each health care market. SCF service volume (low-revenue, fixed-price patient visits) remained constant throughout the study period, but SCCs (covering services involving variable provider effort and resource use with flexibility for discretionary billing) increased in 2005 with no further change in 2007. The latter is attributable to a 30% cap negotiated by the NHI Bureau with the ophthalmology association and enforced by the association. This study demonstrates that GB deployed with ongoing monitoring and timely policy responses that are designed in collaboration with professional stakeholders can contain costs in a health insurance–financed health care system.
Examining the Impact of a Domestic Violence Simulation on the Development of Empathy in Sociology Classes
Authors: Latshaw Beth A.
Published: September 2015

Increasing empathy toward others is an unspoken goal of many sociology courses, but rarely do instructors measure changes in empathy throughout a semester. To address this gap in the literature, I use a combination of quantitative and qualitative data gathered before and after students from five sociology classes participated in a simulation on domestic violence. I systematically evaluate whether students’ levels of global empathy, empathetic responses toward victims, definitions of abuse, and propensity to agree with victim-blaming attitudes change after completing this experiential learning activity. Posttest results suggest a statistically significant but small increase in global empathy scores, a growth in empathetic responses toward victims, an expansion in students’ definitions of abuse, and greater disagreement with victim-blaming attitudes. I discuss ways sociology instructors can use this simulation as a tool to help students comprehend a difficult subject matter while simultaneously engendering empathy toward victims of abuse.
Talking About Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Myers Melanie F. , Fernandes Sara L. , Arduser Lora , Hopper Jennifer L. , Koehly Laura M.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe type 2 diabetes (T2DM) communication and risk reduction recommendations from the perspective of family members at risk for T2DM based on family history.

Methods

Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 33 individuals with a first-degree relative with T2DM. Participants were recruited from the community and a previous pharmacogenetics study. Deductive and inductive codes were applied to the transcripts.

Results

Conversations with family members with and without T2DM focused on symptoms and disease management of the family member with T2DM. With at-risk relatives, conversations also focused on prevention. Lack of perceived relevance to family members without T2DM was a barrier to communication. Recommendations to facilitate communication included education of an at-risk family member to increase awareness of risk, followed by sharing of learned information with others.

Conclusion

Efforts are needed to increase awareness and improve communication about T2DM risk factors, familial risk, and risk reduction behaviors within families with a family history of T2DM. Family members with and without T2DM should be encouraged to communicate with their relatives about T2DM and the risk to family members. Identification of family members who can facilitate communication, education, and modeling of healthy behaviors may increase awareness and motivate at-risk individuals to engage in risk-reducing behaviors.
Embedding library and information management techniques into business processes
Authors: Ahern Thérèse , Beattie Jacqueline
Published: September 2015

This case study explores the experiences of embedded librarianship and integrating the working practices and skills of the content management team with company workflows and processes at Netflex, a geosciences consultancy. The case study addresses the key principle behind successfully embedding library and information techniques within business processes.
Perspectives
Authors: White Martin
Published: September 2015

This column provides a commentary on recent research into cognitive barriers to search, the use of an agent-based simulation model to explore collaborative information seeking, the opportunities and challenges of knowledge transfer between health care professionals and the adoption of communities of practice in Indian companies.
Good knowledge drives good business
Authors: Corney Paul J
Published: September 2015

This article sets out to illustrate why good knowledge and information management matters to a new business. A business is the sum total of its intellectual capital/property (‘knowledge assets’). Drawing on examples from hospitality, renewable energy storage and third sectors, it will demonstrate the value of checklists, a technical backbone, the right cultural environment and feedback loops in identifying, nurturing and exploiting knowledge assets.
On the suspension of law and the total transformation of labour
Authors: Nguyen Duy Lap
Published: September 2015

This paper argues for the contemporary significance of the ‘Critique of Violence’ by proposing a Benjaminian reading of two important analyses of the relationship between history, politics and the Rights of Man: Hegel’s account of the French Revolution and the concept of dissensus proposed by Jacques Rancière. For both Hegel and Rancière, the gap between right and reality – between the ideal of equality, for example, and the existence of concrete inequality – does not warrant a rejection of the Rights of Man. Rather, the gap is a constitutive condition of law and political rights. From the perspective of Benjamin’s ‘Critique of Violence’, however, these analyses serve to perpetuate a bourgeois legality, one that both Hegel and Rancière acknowledge can never be realized due to the constitutive discrepancy between right and reality. In preserving the promise of legal equality, these analyses preclude the possibility of a suspension or ‘absolution’ from law. This suspension of law is a task that Benjamin identified with the proletarian general strike, a strategy whose pure violence is supposed to secure what Benjamin described, enigmatically, as a ‘wholly transformed work’. Remarkably, however, the relationship between the suspension of law in a general strike and a total transformation of labour is never clearly defined in the ‘Critique’. This paper will develop an account of this relationship by pursuing the references to Marx’s critical theory of capitalism in Benjamin’s writings.
Sensory Functions, Balance, and Mobility in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Without Overt Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Brief Report
Authors: Deshpande Nandini , Hewston Patricia , Aldred Alison
Published: September 2015

This study examined possible subtle degradation in sensory functions, balance, and mobility in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) prior to overt development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Twenty-five healthy controls (HC group, age = 74.6 ± 5.4) and 35 T2D elderly without DPN (T2D group, age = 70.6 ± 4.7) were recruited. Sensory assessment included vibrotactile sensitivity, bilateral caloric weakness, and visual contrast sensitivity. Self-report measures comprised of Activity-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC), Human Activity Profile–adjusted activity scores (HAP-AAS), falls, and mobility disability. Performance measures included modified Timed-Up and Go (mTUG), Clinical Test of Sensory Integration for Balance (mCTSIB), and Frailty and Injuries (FICSIT-4) balance test. T2D group demonstrated significantly worse bilateral caloric weakness, marginally higher threshold of vibrotactile sensitivity and lower visual contrast sensitivity, and as well as signifcantly lower HAP-AAS. A significantly higher proportion of the T2D group failed mCTSIB Condition 4 than in the HC group. Subtle changes in multiple sensory systems of older adults with T2D may reduce redundancy available for balance control while performing challenging activities much before DPN development.
Taking Up Faith
Authors: Pavia Catherine Matthews
Published: September 2015

Greater attention to methods and methodologies when studying writing in religious contexts is needed to help researchers navigate ethical issues specific to faith communities and religious practices; to improve knowledge regarding the relationships among writing, religion, and faith; and to encourage respect for religious and nonreligious beliefs. To that end, I present findings from a study based on interviews of 14 scholars who have published results from their empirical studies on writing and religion or faith. Specifically, interview data show, first, researchers’ religious positionalities acting as terministic screens and promoting identification with participants, and, second, researchers’ efforts to fairly represent participants’ beliefs and the methods they use to do so. The article also offers a heuristic, based on findings from the interviews, for maintaining a reflective position when conducting research on writing and religious contexts.
Reliability of Early Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Necessity of Repeating MRI in Noncooled and Cooled Infants With Neonatal Encephalopathy
Authors: Chakkarapani Elavazhagan , Poskitt Kenneth J. , Miller Steven P. , Zwicker Jill G. , Xu Qi , Wong Darren S. T. , Roland Elke H. , Hill Alan , Chau Vann
Published: September 2015

In cooled newborns with encephalopathy, although late magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (10-14 days of age) is reliable in predicting long-term outcome, it is unknown whether early scan (3-6 days of life) is. We compared the predominant pattern and extent of lesion between early and late MRI in 89 term neonates with neonatal encephalopathy. Forty-three neonates (48%) were cooled. The predominant pattern of lesions and the extent of lesion in the watershed region agreed near perfectly in noncooled (kappa = 0.94; k = 0.88) and cooled (k = 0.89; k = 0.87) infants respectively. There was perfect agreement in the extent of lesion in the basal nuclei in noncooled infants (k = 0.83) and excellent agreement in cooled infants (k = 0.67). Changes in extent of lesions on late MRI occurred in 19 of 89 infants, with higher risk in infants with hypoglycemia and moderate-severe lesions in basal nuclei. In most term neonates with neonatal encephalopathy, early MRI (relative to late scan) robustly predicts the predominant pattern and extent of injury.
Visual Attention in Children With Migraine
Authors: Villa Thaís Rodrigues , Agessi Larissa M. , Moutran Andréa R. C. , Gabbai Alberto A. , Carvalho Deusvenir de S.
Published: September 2015

This study aimed to compare the visual attention performance of children newly diagnosed with migraine, children undergoing migraine prophylaxis, and a healthy control group. Eighty-two children aged 8 to 12 years were divided into 3 groups: untreated migraine (n = 30), migraine prophylaxis (n = 22), and control (n = 30). All were subjected to a visual attention assessment with the Trail Making Test parts A and B, Letter-Cancellation Test, and the Brazilian Visual Attention Test 3rd edition. Although performance in attention tasks was within the normal range in all groups, children with untreated migraine performed significantly worse in some visual attention tests than did the control children or children undergoing migraine prophylaxis. The migraine prophylaxis group performed as well as the control group. The deregulation of the neurochemical mechanisms underlying the physiopathology of migraine might induce visual attention deficits, but an effective prophylactic treatment might reverse migraine symptoms.
Early Infant Development and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Sacrey Lori-Ann R. , Bennett Jeffrey A. , Zwaigenbaum Lonnie
Published: September 2015

Objective:

The objective is to overview recent findings on early detection/diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, as well as clinical trials of early interventions for toddlers at risk for/diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Findings:

Prospective studies of infants at high risk of autism spectrum disorder have yielded significant advances in understanding early development in autism spectrum disorder. Findings from prospective studies indicate that abnormalities in social communication and repetitive behaviors emerge during the second year, whereas additional “prodromal features” (motor and sensory abnormalities) emerge in the first year. Subsequently, exciting progress has been made in establishing the efficacy of autism spectrum disorder–specific interventions for toddlers as young as 15 months. Finally, efforts occur to characterize autism spectrum disorder–specific characteristics in genetic syndromes with concurrent autism spectrum disorder symptomatology.

Conclusion:

Substantial progress in characterizing early developmental trajectories as well as the identification of specific behavioral markers has aided early detection. Work remains to ensure that research findings are translated into clinical practice for uptake in the health care system.
Comparing Sex Buyers With Men Who Do Not Buy Sex: New Data on Prostitution and Trafficking
Authors: Farley Melissa , Golding Jacqueline M. , Matthews Emily Schuckman , Malamuth Neil M. , Jarrett Laura
Published: September 2015

We investigated attitudes and behaviors associated with prostitution and sexual aggression among 101 men who buy sex and 101 age-, education-, and ethnicity-matched men who did not buy sex. Both groups tended to accept rape myths, be aware of harms of prostitution and trafficking, express ambivalence about the nature of prostitution, and believe that jail time and public exposure are the most effective deterrents to buying sex. Sex buyers were more likely than men who did not buy sex to report sexual aggression and likelihood to rape. Men who bought sex scored higher on measures of impersonal sex and hostile masculinity and had less empathy for prostituted women, viewing them as intrinsically different from other women. When compared with non-sex-buyers, these findings indicate that men who buy sex share certain key characteristics with men at risk of committing sexual aggression as documented by research based on the leading scientific model of the characteristics of non-criminal sexually aggressive men, the Confluence Model of sexual aggression.
The Effects of Wearing a Compression Top on Trunk and Golf Club Motions During Golf Swing
Authors: Song Soyoung J. , Beard Carol A. , Ustinova Ksenia I.
Published: September 2015

An increased interest in compression garments has led to a new golf fashion trend that includes wearing a long-sleeve compression top layered with a short-sleeve T-shirt over the compression top. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing a commercial compression top on golfers' kinematic variables required in full swing. This pilot study compared eleven male golfers' trunk rotations in a transverse plane recorded during ten full golf club swings under two conditions: wearing a golf T-shirt with and without a compression top. The results showed that wearing a compression top slightly restricted golfers' trunk rotational movement, but only marginally increased the peak velocity of the golf club during swing, though the increase was not statistically significant. The results of this study could help elite golfers make apparel decisions if they elect to use compression garments in order to reduce muscle soreness and aid muscle recovery post exercise.
A comparison of confidence/credible interval methods for the area under the ROC curve for continuous diagnostic tests with small sample size
Authors: Feng Dai , Cortese Giuliana , Baumgartner Richard
Published: September 2015

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is frequently used as a measure of accuracy of continuous markers in diagnostic tests. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is arguably the most widely used summary index for the ROC curve. Although the small sample size scenario is common in medical tests, a comprehensive study of small sample size properties of various methods for the construction of the confidence/credible interval (CI) for the AUC has been by and large missing in the literature. In this paper, we describe and compare 29 non-parametric and parametric methods for the construction of the CI for the AUC when the number of available observations is small. The methods considered include not only those that have been widely adopted, but also those that have been less frequently mentioned or, to our knowledge, never applied to the AUC context. To compare different methods, we carried out a simulation study with data generated from binormal models with equal and unequal variances and from exponential models with various parameters and with equal and unequal small sample sizes. We found that the larger the true AUC value and the smaller the sample size, the larger the discrepancy among the results of different approaches. When the model is correctly specified, the parametric approaches tend to outperform the non-parametric ones. Moreover, in the non-parametric domain, we found that a method based on the Mann–Whitney statistic is in general superior to the others. We further elucidate potential issues and provide possible solutions to along with general guidance on the CI construction for the AUC when the sample size is small. Finally, we illustrate the utility of different methods through real life examples.
Gender, Gender ‘Ideology’ and Cultural War: Local Consequences of a Global Idea – Croatian Example
Authors: Anić Jadranka Rebeka
Published: September 2015

The intention of this article is to shed light on the contemporary polarization of Croatian society to the Left and Right of politics and the way in which the ideas of gender, gender ‘ideology’ and cultural war are used in this polarization, as well as the possible influence of these polarizations on the further development of equitable gender relations in Croatia. The reason why the debate about gender ‘ideology’ is a powerful polarizing factor in Croatia will be expounded against the background of the historical antagonism between communism and the Catholic Church and the role attributed in this antagonism to the feminist movement, as well as on the basis of the presentations of gender ‘ideology’ interpretations in the documents of the Catholic Church. The basic postulation in the article is that contemporary socio-political discourses will not stop the developmental process of egalitarian gender models in Croatia. Sociological research shows that Croatian society is not actually polarized but represents a complex structure in which elements of pre-modern, modern and post-modern interweave, and that alongside tendencies to reinstitute traditional values the trend toward the modernization of value-orientated stands is also apparent. As far as the latter is concerned, gender equality is precisely the thin thread of modernization that can be pinpointed in the process.
Decolonizing Public Space: A Challenge of Bonhoeffer’s and Spivak’s Concepts of Resistance, ‘Religion’ and ‘Gender’
Authors: Auga Ulrike
Published: September 2015

This paper underlines the surprising ways in which subject formation, agency and human flourishing emerge in counter discourses. As examples I offer a post-colonial critique of Rosa Parks in the USA and Fayza in the film Cairo 678. Economic and epistemic violence of neo-liberalism, neo-colonialism, racism, fundamentalism, nationalism, classism, sexism, homophobia, speciesism, etc. call for a critique of religion with corresponding answers. For such a project, the analysis brings together the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the post-colonial scholar Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and questions their notions of religion and gender as well as resistance and representation. Spivak’s critique of capitalism, the post-colonial condition and epistemic violence in terms of gender constructions is seminal. However, her understanding of ‘religion’ remains ambivalent, yet influences post-colonial theologies tremendously. Bonhoeffer is interesting for a de-essentialized understanding of religion in the post-secular context, because he keeps the tension between a secularized world, engagement with the world and the appreciation of religious knowledge. His final perspective on gender and representation might be more advanced than expected.
The Ultimate Trickster in the Story of Tamar from a Feminist Perspective
Authors: Chan Chi Wai
Published: September 2015

Tamar in Genesis 38.6–30 has conventionally been interpreted as either a righteous woman who restored the discontinuity of the line of Judah or a wicked woman who employed wit and cunningness to achieve her desired ends. This paper tries to reinterpret Tamar’s act by taking account of imagination, and the women’s perspective and experiences.
Tradition in Liberation: Women, the Transnational Family, and Caritas in Veritate
Authors: Cruz Gemma Tulud
Published: September 2015

Caritas in Veritate, the first social encylical of Benedict XVI, tackles the problems of global development and progress towards the common good of all peoples. Taking its cue from the encyclical’s discussion on migration as an ‘aspect of integral human development’ (CV, 62) this article examines the experience of contemporary migrant women and the transnational family vis-à-vis Caritas in Veritate. The paper begins with an overview of Caritas in Veritate followed by a look at the effects of the global economy on women and a discussion on the effects of transnationalism to women and their families, especially with women-away transnational families. The paper then explores the points of convergence and divergence between Caritas in Veritate and the experience of migrant women and the transnational family and ends with a brief conclusion.
Do We Know What We Are Doing? Reflections on Learning, Knowledge, Economics, Community and Sustainability
Authors: Carroll Michael
Published: September 2015

Rolf Jucker, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014, 73 pages, $ 57.27 (paperback, Amazon). ISBN-13: 978-1443866859
Availability of Heart Failure Medications in Hospice Care
Authors: Lum Hillary D. , Horney Carolyn , Koets David , Kutner Jean S. , Matlock Daniel D.
Published: September 2015

Background:

Availability of cardiac medications in hospice for acute symptom management of heart failure is unknown. This study explored hospice approaches to cardiac medications for patients with heart failure.

Methods:

Descriptive study using a quantitative survey of 46 US hospice agencies and clinician interviews.

Results:

Of 31 hospices that provided standard home medication kits for acute symptom management, only 1 provided medication with cardiac indications (oral furosemide). Only 22% of the hospice agencies had a specific cardiac medication kit. Just over half (57%) of the agencies could provide intravenous inotropic therapy, often in multiple hospice settings. Clinicians described an individualized approach to cardiac medications for patients with heart failure.

Conclusion:

This study highlights opportunities for practice guidelines that inform medical therapy for hospice patients with heart failure.
Acquired Isolated FVII Deficiency
Authors: Girolami Antonio , Santarossa Claudia , Cosi Elisabetta , Ferrari Silvia , Lombardi Anna Maria
Published: September 2015

Objective:

To investigate all cases of isolated factor VII (FVII) deficiency as gathered from personal files or by a PubMed search.

Patients and Methods:

Personal files dealing with patients studied in Padua during the years 1970 to 2010 were reevaluated. The PubMed search was time unlimited and was carried on 2 occasions during 2014. Cross-checking of the references, listed in every article, was also carried out to avoid omissions. Inclusion criteria were isolated FVII defect of less than 40% of normal, negative coagulation pattern in the family, normal level of other vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, and normalization of the clotting factor after the therapeutic procedures, unless the patient died.

Results:

Twenty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria (18 male and 9 female, in 2 cases gender was unreported). This number included 1 personal case. Mean age was 37.9 (range 3-80). Underlying diseases were the following: neoplasia, infections, polytrauma, penicillin administration, nephrotic syndrome Wiskott Aldrich syndrome, and left heart failure (1 case, each); 2 patients had no underlying disease. Bleeding was variable but usually mild. There were 11 fatalities.

Conclusions:

Isolated FVII deficiency is a rare defect, which appears to be a finding associated with several morbid conditions, especially sepsis and tumors. This indicates the need for a careful investigation of even a mild prolongation of prothrombin time, especially when fibrinogen and partial thromboplastin time are normal.
PQRS Participation, Inappropriate Utilization of Health Care Services, and Medicare Expenditures
Authors: Dowd Bryan E. , Swenson Tami , Parashuram Shriram , Coulam Robert , Kane Robert
Published: September 2015

Medicare’s Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is the largest quality-reporting system in the U.S. health care system and a basis for the new value-based modifier system for physician payment. The PQRS allows health care providers to report measures of quality of care that include both the process of care and physiological outcomes. Using a multivariate difference-in-differences model, we examine the relationship of PQRS participation to three claims-computable measures of inappropriate utilization of health care services and risk-adjusted per capita Medicare expenditures. The data are a national random sample of PQRS-participating providers matched to nonparticipating providers by zip code and caseload. We found few significant relationships in the overall analysis. However, the magnitude and statistical significance of the desirable associations increased in subgroups of providers and beneficiaries more prone to overutilization (e.g., males, older beneficiaries, beneficiaries treated in larger medical practices or by nonphysicians, and practices in rural areas), and among beneficiaries with heart conditions, diabetes, and eye problems.
“Us Up Here and Them Down There”
Authors: Tersteeg Anouk K. , Pinkster Fenne M.
Published: September 2015

Despite the fact that social mix is an essential component of urban policies in Western Europe, it remains unclear at what spatial scale housing diversification programs may be most effective. When people with different backgrounds, household compositions, and lifestyles live in close proximity to one another, the emergence of close social ties is not always guaranteed. On the one hand, living in socially mixed environments may create bridges between residents of different social positions. On the other hand, it can lead to processes of social distancing and reproduce negative stereotypes. This article aims to provide insights into how these diverging experiences of social closeness or distance relate to place-specific features such as housing design, management practices, and the structure of local facilities. Lessons are drawn from a qualitative study on resident experiences of living with difference in a fine-grained mixed-tenure development in a newly built neighborhood in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
A constitutive model for an internally balanced compressible elastic material
Authors: Hadoush Ashraf , Demirkoparan Hasan , Pence Thomas J
Published: September 2015

Many large deformation constitutive models for the mechanical behavior of solid materials make use of the multiplicative decomposition [Formula: see text] as, for example, used by Kröner in the context of finite-strain plasticity. Then [Formula: see text] describes the elastic effect by letting the potential energy of the deformation depend upon [Formula: see text]. In this paper we allow the potential energy to depend upon both portions of the multiplicative decomposition. As in hyperelasticity, energy minimization with respect to displacement gives equilibrium field equations and traction boundary conditions. The new feature, minimization with respect to the decomposition itself, generates an additional mathematical requirement that is interpreted here in terms of a principle of internal mechanical balance. We specifically consider a Blatz–Ko-type solid suitably generalized to incorporate the notion of internal balance. Conventional results of hyperelasticity are retrieved for certain limiting forms of the energy density, whereas the general form of the energy density gives rise to an overall softening response, as is demonstrated in the context of pure pressure and uniaxial loading.
Ischemia-related changes in circulating stem and progenitor cells and associated clinical characteristics in peripheral artery disease
Authors: Saber Rana , Liu Kiang , Ferrucci Luigi , Criqui Michael H , Zhao Lihui , Tian Lu , Guralnik Jack M , Liao Yihua , Domanchuk Kathryn , Kibbe Melina R , Green David , Perlman Harris , McDermott Mary M
Published: September 2015

The extent and clinical significance of stem and progenitor cell (SPC) increases in response to lower-extremity ischemia in people with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are unclear. We compared changes in SPC levels immediately following a treadmill exercise test between individuals with and without PAD. Among participants with PAD, we determined whether more severe PAD was associated with greater increases in SPCs following treadmill exercise-induced lower-extremity ischemia. We measured SPC levels in 25 participants with PAD and 20 without PAD before and immediately after a treadmill exercise test. Participants with PAD, compared to participants without PAD, had greater increases in CD34+CD45dim (+0.08±0.03 vs −0.06±0.04, p=0.008), CD34+CD45dimCD133+ (+0.08±0.05 vs −0.08±0.04, p=0.014), CD34+CD45dimCD31+ (+0.10±0.03 vs −0.07±0.04, p=0.002), and CD34+CD45dimALDH+ SPCs (+0.18±0.07 vs −0.05±0.08, p=0.054) measured as a percentage of all white blood cells. Among participants with PAD, those with any increases in the percent of SPCs immediately after the treadmill exercise test compared to those with no change or a decrease in SPCs had lower baseline ankle–brachial index values (0.65±0.17 vs 0.90±0.19, p=0.004) and shorter treadmill times to onset of ischemic leg symptoms (2.17±1.54 vs 5.25±3.72 minutes, p=0.012). In conclusion, treadmill exercise-induced lower-extremity ischemia is associated with acute increases in circulating SPCs among people with PAD. More severe PAD is associated with a higher prevalence of SPC increases in response to lower-extremity ischemia. Further prospective study is needed to establish the prognostic significance of ischemia-related increases in SPCs among patients with PAD.
The framework for environmental regulation in Wales
Authors: Lewis Kerry
Published: September 2015

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) was created from the amalgamation of the functions of the Environment Agency Wales (EAW), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and the Forestry Commission Wales. The statutory functions of the three legacy environmental bodies had previously overlapped to some degree, and the rationale for a single body was to streamline activities and resources. However, the legacy bodies had differing – potentially conflicting – interests and duties, for example, in relation to balancing obligations regarding decisions affecting nature conservation. NRW’s duties now differ according to function. Furthermore, in certain circumstances, legislation required statutory consultation between the former bodies, such that EAW had to seek nature conservation advice from CCW as part of the environmental permitting process. NRW is now required to carry out such consultation internally. This research examines the duties of EAW, CCW and NRW with regard to nature conservation, and critically analyses the effect of the creation of a single body on the statutory consultation requirements. It concludes that the duties imposed on NRW with regard to nature conservation are weaker than those of the former CCW, and that the independence of the nature conservation body as consultee and the transparency of the statutory consultation process has been compromised by the creation of the single body.
Technologies of participation: Community news and social media in Northern Sweden
Authors: Carlsson Eric , Nilsson Bo
Published: September 2015

This article explores how different meanings of ‘participation’ are developed in the intersection between local journalism and social media. The study is based on qualitative interviews with media professionals working in community media organisations in northern Sweden. Three key themes are identified: participation as marketisation, participation and production, and participation and democracy. This article discusses how these three different forms of participation contribute to the constitution of journalistic identities in a local context and to its meanings within the media sphere in general. This article argues that the emergence of new digital media has not so much renewed the role of the media professional as it has led to a cementing of their professional identity. Social media are a necessity for the development of journalism and are celebrated for their potential to include audiences; yet journalists paradoxically seem to consider these same technologies of participation as a threat, not only to journalism but also to democracy.
Personality and European Union attitudes: Relationships across European Union attitude dimensions
Authors: Bakker Bert N , de Vreese Claes H
Published: September 2015

We still do not fully understand why attitudes toward the European Union differ among citizens. In this study, we turn to the Big Five personality traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism as antecedents of European Union attitudes. In a national survey, we focus on attitudes toward widening and deepening of the European Union, trust in European Union institutions, identification with the European Union and negative affect experienced toward the European Union. We theorize that the Big Five traits are heterogeneously associated with the different European Union attitudes. We confirm that the Big Five traits are indeed associated with some but not all European Union attitudes. Accordingly, personality is expected to shape how citizens’ respond to changes in the institutional set-up of the European Union.
Bringing the Social Media #Revolution to Health Care
Authors: Torres Jennifer
Published: September 2015

Bringing the Social Media #Revolution to Health Care is a book developed by the Mayo Clinic focused on using the social media revolution to improve patient care and communication at every stage of the care trajectory. The book provided an in-depth overview of Mayo Clinic’s experiences in using social media as a means of engaging patients, caregivers, and providers in clear, open, two-way communication at every point of care. The goal of this book is to demonstrate how active engagement between providers, patients, and caregivers can have an impact on patient and provider satisfaction, patient compliance, and clinical outcomes. The book showcases how the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Social Media has used the social media revolution to enhance the real value of health care for their patients without the constraints of time or geography. This book can serve as a good resource for health educators, clinic administrations, health system communication departments, physicians, and students who may want to develop a social media platform to enhance the communication practices of their organizations.
Diabetes Prevention for Latino Youth
Authors: Shaibi Gabriel Q. , Konopken Yolanda P. , Nagle-Williams Allison , McClain Darya D. , Castro Felipe Gonzalez , Keller Colleen S.
Published: September 2015

The translation of research findings into sustainable health promotion and disease prevention programs in community settings remains a challenge. This report describes the process of substantiating a community-developed diabetes prevention program for Latino youth through research. Included are design considerations, measurement strategies, and the context through which the project is culturally grounded for relevance and fit within a local community. The process included (1) refining the program to include salient, stakeholder-identified behavioral components; (2) refining the collaborative effort to embrace the capacity for facilitating relevant behavior change on targeted health-related outcomes to enhance intervention effectiveness; and (3) including the accurate assessment of intervention efficacy via precise assessment of diabetes-related health outcomes. We explain the process of collaborating with community partners to enhance the cultural relevance and sustainability of intervention effects on both individuals and communities. We discuss the rationale for empirical support for academic–community collaborations that function in both a “top-down” and a “bottom-up” manner to advance the science and practice of sustainable and efficacious community health promotion.
Enhancing hydroformability of nonaxisymmetric part with variable cross section
Authors: Kang Hyoung Seok , Joo Byeong Don , Li Min , Hwang Tae Woo , Moon Young Hoon
Published: September 2015

Methodology to enhance hydroformability of nonaxisymmetric thin-wall tubular component with variable cross sections was investigated in this study. In order to solve punch leakage problem occurred at nonaxisymmetric thin tube, the leak-resistive punch was suggested. Attaching lead at contact region of tube and punch was implemented to prevent leakage occurred due to uneven pressure distribution between punch and tube. And lead patch has also been attached at locally strain-concentrated tube surface to retard strain-concentrated necking. To validate the proposed enhancing methodology, nonaxisymmetric thin-wall tubular model part with variable cross sections has been hydroformed. The successful fabrication of model part that had previously failed during conventional hydroforming processing confirms the feasibility of proposed methodology.