bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imagination, Virtue, and Human Rights: Lessons from Australian and U.S. Law
Authors: Kaveny M. Cathleen
Published: March 2014

The article attempts to bridge the gap between virtue theory and rights theory by asking what virtues are needed to recognize and protect human rights in concrete circumstances. Drawing on legal cases from Australia and the United States as examples, the author argues that three types of imagination are necessary: ontic, empathetic, and strategic.
Fundamental Moral Theology: Tradition
Authors: Keenan James F.
Published: March 2014

Theological ethicists around the world are turning toward history to comment on the method and arguments of earlier authoritative voices. The intent of this turn to the tradition is precisely to liberate theologians so as to find grounds for Roman Catholics to enter into greater dialogue with others around the world. To examine this development, the Note reviews recent research in narrative, responsibility, and virtue ethics, as well as related works on Christology and ethics and on globalization.
The Galilean Jesus and a Contemporary Christology
Authors: Freyne Sean
Published: March 2014

Current interest in the Galilean Jesus as a historical figure has obscured the christological claims of the New Testament with regard to his person and ministry. This article seeks to build bridges between Jesus and the proclamation about him by exploring three themes arising from accounts of his ministry (messiahship, openness to Gentiles, and the role of wisdom teacher) by examining each theme within the context of Galilean life in the Herodian period, and by demonstrating how these aspects of Jesus' Galilean career are carried forward and developed into the early Christian proclamation.
Jesus and the Undocumented Immigrant: A Spiritual Geography of a Crucified People
Authors: Groody Daniel G.
Published: March 2014

The article explores the spirituality of undocumented immigrants along the U.S./Mexico border. It first examines the connection between the outer geography of the immigrant journey and the inner landscape that shapes immigrant spirituality. It then explores how this journey gives rise to the theological concept of the crucified peoples. Finally it looks at this christological concept in light of Christian mission and discipleship. As the article explores what strengthens and empowers immigrants, it also examines how the immigrant experience offers new ways of seeing some core elements of the Gospel narrative.
Lonergan and Pannenberg's Methodologies: A Critical Examination
Authors: Orji Cyril
Published: March 2014

Perhaps without intending it, Robert Doran began a conversation that contrasts the methodological procedures of Wolfhart Pannenberg with the methodology of Bernard Lonergan. This essay explores the differences further and shows how a clarification of these two distinct but helpful methodological procedures not only enhances an understanding of the mysteries of the Christian faith and aids ecumenical discussion but also yields “mutually self-mediating advantages of dialogues.”
Divine Wrath and Human Anger: Embarrassment Ancient and New
Authors: McCarthy Michael C.
Published: March 2014

The author argues that embarrassment over references to divine wrath in more recent times reflects a similar embarrassment or at least ambivalence among writers, pagan and Christian, in Late Antiquity. Patristic writers were especially sensitive to the ways human rage could inform Scripture readers' understanding of divine wrath. Although insisting that God's indignation was a component of divine justice, these writers employed a range of strategies to dissociate God from forms of violence generated by anger.
The Nonviolent Cross: Lonergan and Girard on Redemption
Authors: Doran Robert M.
Published: March 2014

Bernard Lonergan and René Girard provide succinct statements of the meaning of redemption. The article, having raised the question as to how the statements relate to one another, argues that Lonergan provides a heuristic structure for understanding redemption, while Girard supplies much of the data that the heuristic structure would organize. Complementarities between the two thinkers are highlighted, along with a few differences.
Quaestio Disputata Further Thoughts on the Meaning of Subsistit in
Authors: Sullivan Francis A.
Published: March 2014

The author argues that the intention of the theological commission in proposing the change from “is” to “subsists in” was no longer to affirm full identity between the church of Christ and the Catholic Church, for the reason that such full identity contradicted the tradition followed by the popes and Western councils of recognizing the separated Eastern communities as churches. He supports his case with two statements by Joseph Ratzinger: one made as a professor of theology, the other as cardinal prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Christ's Human Knowledge: A Conversation with Lonergan and Balthasar
Authors: Rosenberg Randall S.
Published: March 2014

The article explores the contribution of Balthasar and Lonergan to a contemporary understanding of Christ's human knowledge. It argues methodologically that Lonergan's account of Christ's human knowledge, by its use of technical terms and a carefully worked out analogy from human knowing, represents an advance on Balthasar's often fluid position. While sympathetic to the notion of systematic theology as primarily an explanatory discipline, the article suggests several openings where more dramatically oriented categories might complement such an approach.
Remembering Tradition: Women's Monastic Rituals and the Diaconate
Authors: Zagano Phyllis
Published: March 2014

In 2002 the International Theological Commission wrote that “it pertains to the ministry of discernment which the Lord has established in his Church to pronounce authoritatively” on the question of women deacons. This study discusses the ways by which ancient and contemporary ceremonies for women demonstrate the tradition of the ordination of women as deacons. It distinguishes between and among monastic profession, consecration of a virgin, and diaconal ordination, addressing in particular the ceremonials of Carthusian nuns.
The Irruption of Migrants: Theology of Migration in the 21st Century
Authors: Campese Gioacchino
Published: March 2014

Migration, a defining dimension of human history since its very origins, is slowly becoming a significant issue in contemporary theological reflection. Reviewing the theological literature on this phenomenon in the last 30 years, the author reconstructs the recent history of the theology of migration, analyzes its relevance in Latino/a and Asian American theologies in the United States, and highlights its main trajectories, themes, and perspectives for the foreseeable future.
Absolutism to Ultimacy: Rhetoric and Reality of Religious “Pluralism”
Authors: Karuvelil George V.
Published: March 2014

The article questions the basic assumption underlying the so-called “Copernican revolution” in theology. The assumption is that the so-called “Ptolemaic theology” (which places one's own religion at the center) is a mistake to be corrected. Examining the relevant data shows that this assumption is unwarranted. Undermining that assumption results in a fresh perspective that would enable us to leave behind the polemics of the pluralistic discussions and advance the conversation in more fruitful directions.
The Election of Bishops by Clergy and People: Antonio Rosmini's Neglected Solution
Authors: Confalonieri Luca Badini
Published: March 2014

Nineteenth-century priest, philosopher, and theologian Antonio Rosmini argued that the ordinary way of appointing bishops must be through elections by the local clergy and people. All other procedures, including papal nominations, are extraordinary measures that must be resorted to only as a “lesser evil” when exceptional circumstances prevent carrying out elections. This article recovers and critically assesses Rosmini's insights in favor of episcopal elections, with an eye to their relevance to both the current situation in the Roman Catholic Church and ecumenism.
Reframing Displacement and Membership: Ethics of Migration
Authors: Heyer Kristin E.
Published: March 2014

The mounting human costs of contemporary displacement challenge dominant interpretations that frame migration in terms of security or economic functionalism alone. Surveying global realities and recent academic and pastoral contributions, the author argues that a migration ethic attentive to transnational human rights, scriptural hospitality, and mutually (re)constituted membership remains well poised to reorient reigning approaches. The analysis suggests that greater attentiveness to the Church's posture toward new migrants and the gender-specific experiences of migration are warranted.
Toward a Political Theology of Refugee Resettlement
Authors: Ralston Joshua
Published: March 2014

The author evaluates the current partnership between the church, religious NGOs, and the US State Department on refugee resettlement. In conversation with refugee studies, he teases out positive implications of and limitations in two prominent models of post-Christendom political theology, those of William Cavanaugh and David Fergusson. He then draws on the thought of Johann Baptist Metz and the practice of the Jesuit Refuge Service to suggest ways that a political theology of refugee resettlement might reform current practice and occupy a space between the theologies of Cavanaugh and Fergusson.
Toward a Comprehensive Interpretation of the Council and Its Documents
Authors: Rush Ormond
Published: March 2014

Contemporary proposals regarding an appropriate hermeneutic for interpreting Vatican II vary in their emphasis on three elements: the conciliar process, the conciliar documents, and the shifting contexts from which future generations interpret the council and its documents. Drawing on these insights, this article outlines six principles, which the author proposes as basic for ensuring a comprehensive interpretation of the council.
Toward a Virtue Ethics of Marriage: Augustine and Aquinas on Friendship in Marriage
Authors: Fullam Lisa
Published: March 2014

Pius XI called the mutual perfection of spouses “the chief reason and purpose” of marriage, thereby opening the door for a consideration of the virtues spouses may seek in marriage. The article shows that for Augustine marriage is an instrumental good, serving the larger end of friendship, and that for Aquinas the bond of spouses—potentially a friendship of virtue—is the form, or defining quality, of marriage. The article concludes with a methodological coda on how and why a turn to virtue might be brought to the fore in a Catholic ethics of marriage.
Vatican II: The History and the Narratives
Authors: Faggioli Massimo
Published: March 2014

The author discusses the relationship between historical studies and the hermeneutics of the Second Vatican Council. He seeks to develop a critical understanding of the two-sided debate about how to understand and assess the event of the council by showing how one side argues not on the basis of historical understanding of the council but on the basis of “narratives,” which are constructs governed more by ideologies than by historical research and analysis.
The Groupe Des Dombes Document “One Teacher” (2005): Toward a Postconciliar Catholic Reception
Authors: Gaillardetz Richard R.
Published: March 2014

The Groupe des Dombes is a unique gathering of French-speaking ecumenists who, over almost 70 years, have provided a distinguished corpus of ecumenical documents addressing a wide range of issues. This article outlines the Groupe's history and distinctive methodology, then summarizes its document on doctrinal teaching authority, “‘Un seul maître’: L'autorité doctrinale dans l'église.” Finally the article addresses the document's principal contributions and limitations and considers the possibility of its Catholic reception 50 years after Vatican II.
What Should They be Saying about Biblical Inspiration? A Note on the State of the Question
Authors: Moller Philip
Published: March 2014

Since the promulgation of Vatican Il's Dei verbum, exegetes and theologians have paid scant attention to the subject of biblical inspiration and the theology of inspiration. The author argues that developing a theology of inspiration first requires location of the doctrine within its proper context, namely, the doctrine of revelation. Next, inspiration needs to be carefully distinguished from revelation so as to clarify how the word of God may be said to find expression in human words.
Ecclesial Conversion after Vatican II: Renewing “the Face of the Church” to Reflect “the Genuine Face of God”
Authors: Rush Ormond
Published: March 2014

The Second Vatican Council was an event of conversion for the participating bishops, and the council's documents propose a vision for the conversion of the Catholic ecclesial imagination. The author argues that this ecclesial conversion entails a refashioning of the Catholic Church's understanding of the divine-human relationship in history. This relationship includes the divine-ecclesial relationship and, consequently, relationships within the Church. The article concludes by examining two particular dimensions of the council's call for ongoing ecclesial conversion that remain unfulfilled.
Bernard Lonergan and the Recovery of a Metaphysical Frame
Authors: Ormerod Neil
Published: March 2014

The article was prompted by considerations such as those proposed by Heidi Ann Russell in the previous article. Ormerod argues that to recover a proper metaphysical frame to address questions around science and religion, theologians must appropriate intellectual conversion as specified by Bernard Lonergan. Such an appropriation is fully congruent with scientific method but identifies metaphysics as a form of metascience, relatively independent of the actual findings of science. Once secured, intellectual conversion provides a basis for resistance to the reductionist account of modern science and opens the door to a reappropriation of natural theology.
Human rabies in Iran
Authors: Farahtaj Firouzeh , Fayaz Ahmad , Howaizi Nader , Biglari Peyvand , Gholami Alirez
Published: March 2014

Background

Like most Asian and African countries, Iran is highly endemic for rabies, which is a preventable disease with the timely utilisation of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). With the availability of affordable vaccination in Iran, there are still several rabies deaths which are assumed misdiagnosed or received ineffective PEP.

Methods

We reviewed the files of 16 human rabies deaths, consisting of two groups: 1, ineffective treatment; and 2, erroneous PEP.

Results

Most of the studied cases were male and were from rural areas. Stray dogs were found to be the common biting animal (68.75%). Of the patients, 10/16 (62.5%) who had injuries on their head and/or face demonstrated shorter incubation periods. The incubation period was longer in a 4-year-old boy who sustained injuries in his abdomen and back. All the patients in group 1 received four doses of vaccine and administration of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and death occurred with the mean of 49 days after the bite. This mean was 27 days in three patients in group 2, who received vaccine without administration of HRIG.

Conclusion

In a total of 1,188,579 cases of PEP given in Iran during: 2002–2011, it is not known whether all PEPs were correctly administered by World Health Organization standards. Extending rabies awareness programmes and timely PEP education in the community in accordance with the implementation of rabies control measures might lead to a decrease in these unfortunate scenarios and heavy financial burden of vaccination required due to the prevalence of rabies.
Connecting in mobile communities: an African case study
Authors: de Bruijn Mirjam
Published: March 2014

African geographical mobilities should be understood in terms of their increasingly global development over the last two decades, and as an interplay of scales of mobility between continents and between African regions or nations. The relationship between these various times and scales of mobility shape mobile communities as a daily reality for many Africans. African family histories and personal lives are full of connecting with those who have left. In recent years, these daily practices have been radically altered by improvements in communication technology – with travel, radio messages and letter writing being replaced by mobile telephony as the main connecting technology. This article explores how the development of connecting technology has changed the social dynamics of African mobile communities and focuses on the changes in (old and new) social hierarchies that are related to possibilities of accessing mobility and connecting technologies. It is based on a qualitative case study of a mobile community in Africa, which is part of the Mobile Africa Revisited programme that is investigating the relationship between new ICTs, mobility, marginality and social hierarchies.
Automatic image annotation using affective vocabularies: Attribute-based learning approach
Authors: Jeong Jin-Woo , Lee Dong-Ho
Published: March 2014

To improve image search results, understanding and exploiting the subjective aspects of an image is critical. However, how to effectively extract these subjective aspects (e.g. feeling, emotion, and so on) from an image is a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for predicting affective aspects, one of the most interesting subjective aspects, of concepts in images by learning the semantic attributes of the concept and mining the association between the attributes and affective aspects. The main idea of the proposed approach comes from the assumption that semantic attributes of a concept will influence the user’s affect towards the concept (e.g. an animal with the semantic attributes ‘ small’, ‘ furry’, ‘ white’ can be associated with the affective term ‘ cute’). Based on this assumption, we build a multi-layer affect learning framework that consists of (1) an attribute learning layer that predicts semantic attributes of a concept and (2) an affect learning layer that exploits the outputs from the attribute learning layer for predicting the affective aspects of the concept. Through the experimental results on the Animals with Attributes dataset, we show that the proposed approach outperforms traditional approaches by up to 25% in terms of precision and successfully predicts the affect of concepts in images according to different user preferences.
Stories of Six Successful African American Males High School Students
Authors: Land A’Lesia , Mixon Jason R. , Butcher Jennifer , Harris Sandra
Published: March 2014

This qualitative, narrative study explored experiences of six successful African American male high school students. Findings suggested that barriers prior to high school were negative elements in the home and community. To be successful in high school, they overcame barriers of absent fathers, disruptive homes, negative community, and peers, and an inadequate school system. They found support in spirituality, a desire to make mother proud, and from school personnel. Personal characteristics contributing to their success included self-esteem, spiritual maturity, and inner motivation to succeed.
Evaluating Effects of Developmental Education for College Students Using a Regression Discontinuity Design
Authors: Moss Brian G. , Yeaton William H.
Published: March 2014

Background:

Annually, American colleges and universities provide developmental education (DE) to millions of underprepared students; however, evaluation estimates of DE benefits have been mixed.

Objectives:

Using a prototypic exemplar of DE, our primary objective was to investigate the utility of a replicative evaluative framework for assessing program effectiveness.

Research design:

Within the context of the regression discontinuity (RD) design, this research examined the effectiveness of a DE program for five, sequential cohorts of first-time college students. Discontinuity estimates were generated for individual terms and cumulatively, across terms.

Subjects:

Participants were 3,589 first-time community college students.

Measures:

DE program effects were measured by contrasting both college-level English grades and a dichotomous measure of pass/fail, for DE and non-DE students.

Results:

Parametric and nonparametric estimates of overall effect were positive for continuous and dichotomous measures of achievement (grade and pass/fail). The variability of program effects over time was determined by tracking results within individual terms and cumulatively, across terms. Applying this replication strategy, DE’s overall impact was modest (an effect size of approximately .20) but quite consistent, based on parametric and nonparametric estimation approaches. A meta-analysis of five RD results yielded virtually the same estimate as the overall, parametric findings. Subset analysis, though tentative, suggested that males benefited more than females, while academic gains were comparable for different ethnicities.

Conclusion:

The cumulative, within-study comparison, replication approach offers considerable potential for the evaluation of new and existing policies, particularly when effects are relatively small, as is often the case in applied settings.
Utility of Stepping, Walking, and Head Impulses for Screening Patients for Vestibular Impairments
Authors: Cohen Helen S. , Sangi‐Haghpeykar Haleh , Ricci Natalia A. , Kampangkaew June , Williamson Robert A.
Published: March 2014

Objective

To determine if some common screening tests predict scores on detailed, objective diagnostic tests of the vestibular system.

Study Design

Sixty patients with vestibular disorders were compared with 60 asymptomatic controls.

Setting

Vestibular diagnostic laboratory, tertiary care center.

Subjects and Methods

Subjects were screened with head impulse tests, Fukuda stepping tests while walking and marching in place, and tandem walking tests with eyes open and closed. All subjects underwent bithermal caloric tests and Dix‐Hallpike maneuvers; patients underwent low‐frequency sinusoidal tests of the vestibulo‐ocular reflex in darkness and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.

Results

On tandem walking tests, patients differed significantly from controls, but receiver operating characteristic scores were < 0.80. On Fukuda tests, patients turned significantly more than controls for walking but not marching, but receiver operating characteristic values were considerably less than 0.80. On head impulse tests, patients with bithermal caloric weakness (≥20% and <60%) did not differ from controls, but patients with severe bithermal caloric weakness (≥60%) differed significantly from controls. Receiver operating characteristic values were >0.80 only for subjects with severe bithermal caloric weakness and were highest, at 0.88, for subjects with severe weakness and age ≥ 60 years.

Conclusions

The Fukuda test is a poor screening test because it does not correlate well with objective test findings. Tandem walking is best used for screening older patients for vestibular disorders. Positive findings on a head impulse test are probably consistent with severe peripheral vestibular impairment and may be most useful in older patients. In younger patients with vertigo, negative results on head impulse tests may not be informative.
The ‘surprise’ question in advanced cancer patients: A prospective study among general practitioners
Authors: Moroni Matteo , Zocchi Donato , Bolognesi Deborah , Abernethy Amy , Rondelli Roberto , Savorani Giandomenico , Salera Marcello , Dall’Olio Filippo G , Galli Giulia , Biasco Guido ,   on behalf of the SUQ-P group, Balduzzi Antonio , Bandi Giulio , Baraldini Laura , Bauleo Salvatore , Bertini Luigi , Borghi Paolo , Calzoni Paolo , Camanzi Maurizio , Cammarata Antonino , Casarini Piero , Cau Roberto , Deni Cecilia , Ehrlich Shirley , Ermini Giuliano , Franco Livio , Furlò Giancarlo , Grandi Marina , Luigi Lalli Antonio , Maccaferri Marco , Marzo Carla , Masi Angelo , Matrà Annunzio , Mazzetti Gaito Piero , Montanari Federico , Oggianu Massimo , Ognibene Gianluca , Palasciano Maria , Palestini Saida , Perrone Fernando , Quadrelli Stefano , Rappacciolo Antonino , Rubini Stefano , Salera Marcello , Santi Sandra , Savorani Giandomenico , Serio Alberto , Maria Severino Anna , Siena Matteo , Speziali Pietro , Spinnato Luigi , Tosetti Cesare , Velonà Pietro , Verri Andrea , Zocchi Donato
Published: March 2014

Background:

Using the ‘surprise’ question ‘Would you be surprised if this patient died in the next year?’ may improve physicians’ prognostic accuracy and identify people appropriate for palliative care.

Aim:

Determine the prognostic accuracy of general practitioners asking the ‘surprise’ question about their patients with advanced (stage IV) cancer.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Setting/participants:

Between December 2011 and February 2012, 42 of 50 randomly selected general practitioners (Bologna area, Italy) prospectively classified 231 patients diagnosed with advanced cancer according to the ‘surprise’ question and supplied the status of each patient 1 year later.

Results:

Of the 231 patients, general practitioners responded ‘No’ to the ‘surprise’ question for 126 (54.5%) and ‘Yes’ for 105 (45.5%). After 12 months, 104 (45.0%) patients had died; 87 (83.7%) were in the ‘No’ group. The sensitivity of the ‘surprise’ question was 69.3%; the specificity was 83.6%. Positive predictive value was 83.8%; negative predictive value was 69.0%. The answer to the ‘surprise’ question was significantly correlated with survival at 1 year. Patients in the ‘No’ group had an odds ratio of 11.55 (95% confidence interval: 5.83–23.28) and a hazard ratio of 6.99 (95% confidence interval: 3.75–13.03) of being dead in the next year compared to patients in the ‘Yes’ group ( p = 0.000 for both odds ratio and hazard ratio).

Conclusion:

When general practitioners used the ‘surprise’ question for their patients with advanced cancer, the accuracy of survival prognosis was very high. This has clinical potential as a method to identify patients who might benefit from palliative care.
Latent dimensions of attitudes towards contemporary music: A structural model
Authors: Mateos-Moreno Daniel
Published: March 2014

Contemporary music from the Western Classical tradition, a term usually reduced to simply “contemporary music,” is widely considered as being quite under-represented on the current musical scene in comparison to the music from any other period. As a perspective from which to explore this aversion beyond the obvious likes and dislikes, our aim was to find non-observable variables or latent dimensions by means of psychological constructs modelling attitudes towards contemporary music in a relevant population, such as music teachers to-be, in order to inform thinking about how to effect a change in this aversion. In doing so, a quantitative psychometric instrument was developed, validated and applied to a sample of this population during their university training period. Retrieved data was analysed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, leading to the proposal of a second-order, structural equations model comprising three constructs identified as “Perceived complexity & stridency”, “Desire to discover” and “Aesthetic respect”. Results could help in a) finding strategies to address aversion, both by the identification of its latent components and their interrelations; and b) proposing a model suitable to be compared to that of other population subgroups and to be connected to other variables for testing the effectiveness of future experimental actions in the teacher training context.
Epidemiology and ‘developing countries’: Writing pesticides, poverty and political engagement in Latin America
Authors: Brisbois Ben W
Published: March 2014

The growth of the field of global health has prompted renewed interest in discursive aspects of North–South biomedical encounters, but analysis of the role of disciplinary identities and writing conventions remains scarce. In this article, I examine ways of framing pesticide problems in 88 peer-reviewed epidemiology papers produced by Northerners and their collaborators studying pesticide-related health impacts in Latin America. I identify prominent geographic frames in which truncated and selective histories of Latin America are used to justify research projects in specific research sites, which nevertheless function rhetorically as generic ‘developing country’ settings. These frames legitimize health sector interventions as solutions to pesticide-related health problems, largely avoiding more politically charged possibilities. In contrast, some epidemiologists appear to be actively pushing the bounds of epidemiology’s traditional journal article genre by engaging with considerations of political power, especially that of the international pesticide industry. I therefore employ a finer-grained analysis to a subsample of 20 papers to explore how the writing conventions of epidemiology interact with portrayals of poverty and pesticides in Latin America. Through analysis of a minor scientific controversy, authorial presence in epidemiology articles, and variance of framing strategies across genres, I show how the tension between ‘objectivity’ and ‘advocacy’ observed in Northern epidemiology and public health is expressed in North–South interaction. I end by discussing implications for postcolonial and socially engaged approaches to science and technology studies, as well as their relevance to the actual practice of global health research. In particular, the complicated interaction of the conflicted traditions of Northern epidemiology with Latin American settings on paper hints at a far more complex interaction in the form of public health programming involving researchers and research participants who differ by nationality, ethnicity, gender, profession, and class.
Biomechanical Comparison of the Interval Throwing Program and Baseball Pitching
Authors: Slenker Nicholas R. , Limpisvasti Orr , Mohr Karen , Aguinaldo Arnel , ElAttrache Neal S.
Published: March 2014

Background:

The interval throwing progression has been part of baseball rehabilitation and conditioning for decades, yet little is known about the upper extremity loads an athlete is subjected to during this progression.

Hypothesis:

A biomechanical comparison of fastball pitching, variable-effort pitching, and throwing various flat-ground distances will show significant torque differences in the throwing shoulder and elbow.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Twenty-nine healthy college baseball pitchers were analyzed using a quantitative motion analysis system. The participants threw from flat ground at distances of 18, 27, 37, and 55 m, having been instructed to throw “hard, on a horizontal line.” The participants then threw fastballs 18.4 m from a mound at 3 different effort levels: 60%, 80%, and full effort. The kinetic values for humeral internal rotational torque (HIRT) and elbow valgus load (EVL) were extracted for each throw. Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to compare all 7 throwing conditions within pitchers. The kinetic data were also compared against ball velocity to evaluate throwing efficiency. A separate analysis was conducted using a 3-level repeated-measures ANOVA with post hoc paired t tests comparing just the variable-effort throws from the mound.

Results:

No statistically significant differences were found in either HIRT or EVL between any of the flat-ground distances and throwing from the mound ( P > .05). Despite similar biomechanical loads compared with the mound, throwing from flat ground showed significantly decreased ball velocity (82% of maximum). Statistically significant differences were found in humeral internal rotational torque and elbow valgus load between fastball pitching off the mound at 60% and 100%, as these parameters increased with throwing effort ( P < .05). At 60% perceived effort from the mound, pitchers generated forces of 76% and ball speeds approaching 84% of maximum.

Conclusion:

Partial-effort pitching demonstrates significantly lower loads on the shoulder and elbow. Flat-ground throwing at even the shortest distances had similar biomechanical loads compared with pitching from the mound, yet at significantly lower ball velocity. This illustrates the mechanical advantage and increased efficiency of throwing from a mound. No increase in shoulder or elbow loads was seen with increasing distances from flat ground, as pitchers began using a “crow hop” for the longer distances, facilitating the throw with their lower extremity. The mechanical advantage of throwing from a mound or using the crow hop is likely protective during rehabilitation and training throws.

Clinical Relevance:

The findings of this study may be used to improve rehabilitation programs designed for baseball players returning from shoulder or elbow injury.
Scapulothoracic Bursitis and Snapping Scapula Syndrome
Authors: Warth Ryan J. , Spiegl Ulrich J. , Millett Peter J.
Published: March 2014

Background:

Symptomatic scapulothoracic disorders, such as painful scapular crepitus and/or bursitis, are uncommon; however, they can produce significant pain and disability in many patients.

Purpose:

To review the current knowledge pertaining to snapping scapula syndrome and to identify areas of further research that may be helpful to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

We performed a preliminary search of the PubMed and Embase databases using the search terms “snapping scapula,” “scapulothoracic bursitis,” “partial scapulectomy,” and “superomedial angle resection” in September 2013. All nonreview articles related to the topic of snapping scapula syndrome were included.

Results:

The search identified a total of 167 unique articles, 81 of which were relevant to the topic of snapping scapula syndrome. There were 36 case series of fewer than 10 patients, 16 technique papers, 11 imaging studies, 9 anatomic studies, and 9 level IV outcomes studies. The level of evidence obtained from this literature search was inadequate to perform a formal systematic review or meta-analysis. Therefore, a critical review of current evidence is presented.

Conclusion:

Snapping scapula syndrome, a likely underdiagnosed condition, can produce significant shoulder dysfunction in many patients. Because the precise origin is typically unknown, specific treatments that are effective for some patients may not be effective for others. Nevertheless, bursectomy with or without partial scapulectomy is currently the most effective primary method of treatment in patients who fail nonoperative therapy. However, many patients experience continued shoulder disability even after surgical intervention. Future studies should focus on identifying the modifiable factors associated with poor outcomes after operative and nonoperative management for snapping scapula syndrome in an effort to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
An Analysis of Group Avoidance Following a Rare Group Event: A Contribution to Understanding a ‘Near Death Experience’ in Analytic Group Therapy
Authors: Roth Bennett
Published: March 2014

A patient with a compulsive need to act out a near death wish (Joseph, 1982) was asked to join a therapy group as a last resort to a blocked treatment. While in the group, following an interpretation (during a co-joint session) of his violent wish, he acted out by nearly putting himself in a coma towards the end of a group session.

The effects of the rare event are discussed in terms of the precipitating interpretation and the group tolerance for primitive regression in an empty and emptied state of indifference. A theoretical discussion follows the clinical material.
It’s complicated
Authors: Carter Kay , Sood Krishan
Published: March 2014

A view from the dance floor of ALICSE participants showed that the integrated children’s services remain under pressure to become multi-dimensional, with the rhetorical push to a joint working becoming increasingly complex and difficult to navigate. This was the view of a 360 degree questionnaire to a number of ALICSE participants and reflections from an in-depth dialogue. The main findings suggested that collective professionalism requires collaborative relationships between organizations and individuals, and this collaboration poses the most significant challenge for educational leadership and management. The participants on the dance floor often recite phrases such as: letting go of control; no hierarchy; self-organizing. The main conclusion is that an individual needs to be self-organized and it takes a leader to be confident to manage ambiguity and complexity. Using complex adaptive systems theory and blended leadership style theories, we will assert that distributional leadership is required to navigate the complex environment. Futures thinking suggests that we could use complex adaptive systems theory to help build an effective communication strategy for individuals, teams and services that allows them to self-organize.
Impact of Homophily on Diffusion Dynamics Over Social Networks
Authors: Yavaş Mustafa , Yücel Gönenç
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of homophily on diffusion over social networks. An agent-based simulation model is developed to serve as the experimental ground for this analysis. Diffusion dynamics of a nonsticky innovation is investigated by varying homophily levels in the social network depicted in the model as the primary control variable. First of all, the results show that homophily is self-reinforcing. Second, starting from a nonhomophilous network, early increases in the level of homophily have a positive effect on the extent of diffusion, whereas further increases have a negative impact. Finally, several local minima and maxima are observed in the relation between the homophily level and the extent of diffusion. Our analysis focuses on node properties such as connectedness and average degrees in order to explain the observed regular relationship between homophily and diffusion. We argue that (i) homophily increases the connectedness of different status groups separately and (ii) increasing levels of homophily decreases the marginal importance of a single homophilous tie by increasing the sources of valuable information. Future research involves investigating the coevolution of social behavior and networks by allowing the adopted innovation to lead to value homophily, exploration of different diffusion initiation types, and different adoption heuristics.
Validation of the Beneficial and Harmful Work-Related Social Media Behavioral Taxonomies
Authors: Landers Richard N. , Callan Rachel C.
Published: March 2014

Although social media are increasingly used by employees during work, little is known about what employees are actually doing on social media or why. To remedy this key gap in the literature, a series of three studies were conducted. In Study 1, a qualitative critical incident study was conducted to develop a taxonomy of social media behaviors that are beneficial to work performance, along with a taxonomy of behaviors that are harmful. In Study 2, the Work-related Social Media Questionnaire (WSMQ) was developed to measure these behaviors. In Study 3, cross-validation and criterion-related validity evidence was collected on the WSMQ. Behaviors identified by employees as harmful to job performance were positively related to counterproductive work behaviors and negatively related to task, contextual, and adaptive job performance. Behaviors identified by employees as beneficial to job performance were generally unrelated to actual job performance. Thus, behaviors identified as harmful by employees were indeed harmful, but behaviors identified as beneficial were not beneficial. This suggests limited value in permitting access to social media by employees without a particular plan in place to utilize the features of social media productively.
Conflict bargaining as a signal to third parties
Authors: Tyson Chatagnier John
Published: March 2014

Within the international system, states frequently fight even when opponents have little or nothing to offer them. Yet, international relations scholars envision conflict as a means for states to acquire some amount of a desired good, and view bargaining through this lens. This paper presents a model in which war and conflict bargaining can serve as signals to potentially hostile third parties. The analysis indicates that states sometimes have incentives to bargain harder than they would otherwise, in order to conceal information from future enemies. This can lead to war, even when a peaceful settlement should be possible.
The Effects of Pre-university Study of Journalism on Entry to the Job Market
Authors: Becker Lee B. , Han Jeong Yeob , Wilcox Donna , Vlad Tudor
Published: March 2014

Research in the United States has shown that extracurricular activities at the high school level are beneficial for students. One type of extracurricular activity common in U.S. high schools is journalistic, including production of a student newspaper, involvement with student radio and television, and production of a yearbook. Little is known about the lasting effects of participation in high school extracurricular communication activities. This article examines the impact of participation in high school extracurricular communication activities on initial success in the job market, using data from a national sample of journalism and mass communication graduates.
Does gastric acid suppression affect sunitinib efficacy in patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell cancer?
Authors: Ha Vincent H , Ngo Margaret , Chu Michael P , Ghosh Sunita , Sawyer Michael B , Chambers Carole R
Published: March 2014

Introduction:

Renal cell cancer is a chemotherapy-insensitive cancer treated by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor antagonists. Recently, a question has arisen on whether there is an interaction between tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib, and acid suppressing agents.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients at two tertiary care centers who received sunitinib between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2013. Using electronic systems and a province-wide electronic health records database, medication dispensing records were obtained. A univariate Cox’s proportional hazard model determined if acid suppression had effects on progression-free survival and overall survival.

Results:

Of 383 patient charts reviewed, 231 were included in the study. Patients on intermittent acid suppression, lost to follow-up or received sunitinib for less than one week were excluded from the study. The median age of the study population was 65. Patients who received no acid suppression (n = 186) had a median progression-free survival of 23.6 weeks (95% CI, 19.0–31.9 weeks) and patients who received continuous acid suppression (n = 45) had a median progression-free survival of 18.9 weeks (95% CI, 11.0–23.7  p = 0.04). A median overall survival of 62.4 weeks (95% CI, 42.0–82.7 weeks) was observed in the group with no acid suppression, while a median overall survival of 40.9 weeks (95% CI, 26.1–74.4 weeks) was observed in the continuous acid suppression group ( p = 0.02).

Conclusion:

There was a significant difference in progression-free survival and overall survival between the acid suppressed and no acid suppression groups. Further research is required to confirm this potential interaction.
Manufacturing consent: Framing the liberation war of Bangladesh in the US and UK media
Authors: Hossain Mohammad D
Published: March 2014

This study examined how The New York Times and The Times (London) framed the liberation war of Bangladesh. This study looked comprehensively at the framing, the tones, and sources of news in the newspapers. The results suggest that both newspapers used three frames most frequently: military-conflict frame, prognostic frame, and human-interest frame. The findings also show that both newspapers published news stories with more neutral tones than with positive and negative tones. The New York Times and The Times (London) relied mostly on official sources as their primary sources.
Rules of engagement: Journalists’ attitudes to industry influence in health news reporting
Authors: Morrell Bronwen , Forsyth Rowena , Lipworth Wendy , Kerridge Ian , Jordens Christopher FC
Published: March 2014

Health-related industries use a variety of methods to influence health news, including the formation and maintenance of direct relationships with journalists. These interactions have the potential to subvert news reporting such that it comes to serve the interests of industry in promoting their products, rather than the public interest in critical and accurate news and information. Here, we report the findings of qualitative interviews conducted in Sydney, Australia, in which we examined journalists’ experiences of, and attitudes towards, their relationships with health-related industries. Participants’ belief in their ability to manage industry influence and their perceptions of what it means to be unduly influenced by industry raise important concerns relating to the psychology of influence and the realities of power relationships between industry and journalists. The analysis also indicates ways in which concerned academics and working journalists might establish more fruitful dialogue regarding the role of industry in health-related news and the extent to which increased regulation of journalist–industry relationships might be needed.
Cosmopolitanism as Cultural Capital: Exploring the Intersection of Globalization, Education and Stratification
Authors: Igarashi Hiroki , Saito Hiro
Published: March 2014

In recent years, sociological research on cosmopolitanism has begun to draw on Pierre Bourdieu to critically examine how cosmopolitanism is implicated in stratification on an increasingly global scale. In this paper, we examine the analytical potential of the Bourdieusian approach by exploring how education systems help to institutionalize cosmopolitanism as cultural capital whose access is rendered structurally unequal. To this end, we first probe how education systems legitimate cosmopolitanism as a desirable disposition at the global level, while simultaneously distributing it unequally among different groups of actors according to their geographical locations and volumes of economic, cultural, and social capital their families possess. We then explore how education systems undergird profitability of cosmopolitanism as cultural capital by linking academic qualifications that signal cosmopolitan dispositions with the growing number of positions that require extensive interactions with people of multiple nationalities.