bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nostalgia and the social perception of the past: The ethnographic revisit of an industrial community (1980 and 2010)
Authors: Monteiro Bruno
Published: April 2015

Through the revisit of a previous study, conducted in 1980, the present research inquiries, in 2010, the relationship between economic and social circumstances, territorial rootedness, and temporal experience among the workers of a Portuguese industrial community. Interlocking ethnographic observation, biographic interviews, and extensive survey, the research explores the inflection, occurred between 1980 and 2010, in the interpretation of historical change spread among those workers, especially the transformation of their retrospective vision of the past dictatorial regime of Estado Novo (1933–1974). The research brings, therefore, a contribution to the study of the schemata of temporal perception and interpretation used in a particular community, pointing especially to the verbal and emotional expressions that constitute there the remembrance of the past. Nostalgia or melancholy emerges, thus, as expressions introduced by the changes on the local systems of expectations and opportunities of the community and, simultaneously, as personal and collective tactics used to cope with the present situation through the rehabilitation of the memory. At the same time, this article shows the pregnancy in revaluating or reproducing preceding researches, in the original or similar sites of inquiry, with a reflexive posture regarding the situated production of knowledge.
Comparison of trace mineral concentrations in tail hair, body hair, blood, and liver of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in California
Authors: Roug Annette , Swift Pamela K. , Gerstenberg Greg , Woods Leslie W. , Kreuder-Johnson Christine , Torres Steven G. , Puschner Birgit
Published: April 2015

Measuring trace mineral concentrations can be an important component of assessing the health of free-ranging deer. Trace mineral concentrations in liver most accurately reflect the trace mineral status of an individual, but, in live animals, whole blood or serum are the most commonly used sample types. Trace minerals measured in serum, such as copper, zinc, and iron, do not always accurately correlate to liver concentrations, and supplementary samples for evaluating the trace mineral status in live deer would be useful. We evaluated the utility of body and tail hair for measuring selenium, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese in free-ranging mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus) by using Spearman rank correlations and linear regression. Correlations were strongest at the time of or shortly after growth of the winter coat and in resident deer. In live deer, strong correlations and moderate linear associations ( R2 = 0.57) were detected between body and tail hair and whole blood selenium in December. In postmortem-sampled deer, a strong correlation and linear association ( R2 = 0.80) were found between liver and body hair selenium in August–November. Results indicate that body hair, if collected during or shortly after growth of the winter coat, can be used as a supplementary sample for measuring selenium concentrations in deer. None of the other correlations and linear associations were found to be sufficiently strong to conclude that hair can reliably be utilized as a complementary sample for measuring these trace mineral concentrations.
DOG1 is a sensitive and specific immunohistochemical marker for diagnosis of canine gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Authors: Dailey Deanna D. , Ehrhart E. J. , Duval Dawn L. , Bass Todd , Powers B. E.
Published: April 2015

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and leiomyosarcomas are histologically similar primary neoplasms commonly occurring in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs and humans. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) is needed to differentiate between these 2 entities and positive reactivity for KIT (cluster of differentiation [CD]117) is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis of canine GIST. Studies estimate 5–10% of human GISTs stain negative or only weakly positive for KIT and have identified DOG1 (discovered on gastrointestinal stromal tumors protein 1) as a highly sensitive and specific marker for human GISTs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate immunoreactivity of a commercially available DOG1 antibody for use in diagnosis of canine GISTs. Fifty-five primary mesenchymal gastrointestinal tumors with histologic features consistent with GIST or leiomyosarcoma were evaluated via IHC for KIT, DOG1, and desmin. A subset of tumors was additionally evaluated for reactivity for smooth muscle actin (SMA). Thirty-three tumors (60%) were diagnosed as GIST based on positive immunoreactivity for KIT or DOG1 regardless of reactivity for desmin or SMA. Most GISTs (32/33, 97.0%) had similar staining for both KIT and DOG1. DOG1 expression was identified in 2 tumors (1 study tumor and 1 additional tumor) negative for KIT and desmin that had histologic features consistent with KIT-negative, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFRA)-mutant human GISTs. Our results suggest that DOG1 has improved specificity and sensitivity to that of KIT for differentiating between canine GISTs and leiomyosarcomas. Inclusion of both DOG1 and KIT IHC in diagnostic panels will improve the accuracy of canine GIST diagnosis.
Detection of Aleutian mink disease virus DNA and antiviral antibodies in American mink (Neovison vison) 10 days postinoculation
Authors: Farid A. Hossain , Hussain Irshad , Arju Irin
Published: April 2015

Early detection of infection by the Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV; Carnivore amdoparvovirus 1) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) has important ramifications in virus eradication programs. A spleen homogenate containing a local isolate of AMDV was injected intraperitoneally into black ( n = 44) and sapphire ( n = 12) American mink ( Neovison vison). Animals were euthanized 10 days postinoculation and anti-AMDV antibodies and AMDV DNA were tested in plasma and 7 organs by CIEP and PCR, respectively. Viral DNA was detected in the plasma, spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and lung samples of all inoculated mink, but was not detected in some small intestine, kidney, and liver samples. In contrast, antibodies were detected in the plasma of 3 sapphire (25.0%) and 19 black (43.2%) mink but not in any of the organs. The sensitivity of the CIEP test on plasma samples was 39.3%, implying that low levels of antibodies during the early stages of virus exposure resulted in failure to detect infection by the CIEP test. We concluded that CIEP is not a reliable test for early detection of AMDV infection in mink and that there were considerable differences among mink of each color type for production of detectable levels of antibodies. PCR tests on samples of saliva, rectal swabs, and feces did not produce consistent and reliable results.
Developing a Web-Based Intervention to Prevent Drug Use Among Adolescent Girls
Authors: Schwinn Traci Marie , Hopkins Jessica Elizabeth , Schinke Steven Paul
Published: April 2015

Objectives:

Girls’ rates of drug use have met up with and, in some instances, surpassed boys’ rates. Although girls and boys share risk and protective factors associated with drug use, girls also have gender-specific risks. Interventions to prevent girls’ drug use must be tailored to address the dynamics of female adolescence.

Methods:

One such intervention, called RealTeen, is a 9-session, web-based drug abuse prevention program designed to address such gender-specific risk factors associated with young girls’ drug use as depressed mood, low self-esteem, and high levels of perceived stress as well as general drug use risk factors of peer and social influences. Web-based delivery enables girls to interact with the program at their own pace and in a location of their choosing.

Implications:

This article describes the processes and challenges associated with developing and programming a gender-specific, web-based intervention to prevent drug use among adolescent girls.
Comparison of Service Effectiveness for Youth With Depressed Versus Nondepressed Caregivers
Authors: McCarthy Michael , Schellinger Jeffrey , Smith Rachel R. , Behimer Gretchen , Hargraves Daniel , Scherra Karen
Published: April 2015

Purpose:

(1) To compare demographic, mental health, service usage, and emotional and behavioral characteristics and strengths of youth receiving care from depressed versus nondepressed caregivers and (2) to determine whether a community-based program for reducing problematic behaviors and bolstering strengths is equally effective for youth with depressed versus nondepressed caregivers.

Methods:

Data from 165 caregiver–youth dyads were analyzed using Pearson’s χ2 tests, unpaired t-tests, and paired t-tests to determine pretreatment differences between groups and differences in youth outcomes over time.

Results:

Results indicated that youth with depressed caregivers accessed different services, exhibited more problematic behaviors, and possessed fewer strengths. However, youth with depressed caregivers also showed significantly more improvement over time than did youth with nondepressed caregivers.

Discussion:

Findings suggest that additional outreach to depressed caregivers about available services is needed. Additionally, caregiver depression may not always have as negative of an impact on youth outcomes as previously thought.
Doubts and Fears
Authors: Eng Helen
Published: April 2015

This submission is meant to explore the care giver's concerns with respect to her husband's Parkinson's Disease and her role as the care giver in a long term marriage. As every relationship is tested through time and circumstance, the author's writing attempts to articulate the self-reflective concerns she has regarding her husband's disease and what it means to her life going forward in the relationship. The excerpt from her journals is a snapshot from her writings prior to his passing. Predominantly, the article explores her doubts and fears with respect to her own strength and ability to come to terms with the disease and her having lived with his diagnosis for 17 years. The sudden and unexpected passing of her husband in April 2014 catapulted her into the hitherto unforeseen position of being a widow. The poem “Not Yet” explores the sense of dislocation and “unpreparedness” for this new psychological and emotional state of this sudden singularity.
Workplace Skills Development
Authors: Chen Danxia , Johnson Ursula Y. , Hull Darrell M. , Reid Jon. K.
Published: April 2015

Youth are the future of a country and their workplace skills are vital for a society’s growth and development. Unattached youth, neither at school nor at employment, pose a great challenge to the society. This study examines the impact of certain factors on unattached youth workplace skill development. Using a group of 322 unattached Jamaican youth who were recruited by the Jamaican National Youth Service, this study investigates certain individual differences such as five personality factors (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), cognitive ability, and gender’s impact on workplace skills development among this group of Jamaican unattached youth using the multilevel modeling (MLM) analysis. The findings indicated that certain individual characteristics such as neuroticism and agreeableness have significant impact on their workplace skills development. Based on these results, career counseling and development should be considered to help unattached youth to develop their workplace skills to reach their potential.
Effect of Age on Outcomes in Total Ankle Arthroplasty
Authors: Demetracopoulos Constantine A. , Adams Samuel B. , Queen Robin M. , DeOrio James K. , Nunley James A. , Easley Mark E.
Published: April 2015

Background:

Little is known about the efficacy and durability of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) in younger patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of age on the clinical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes of patients with end-stage ankle arthritis treated with TAA using modern prostheses.

Methods:

Patients who underwent primary TAA from June 2007 to July 2011 were prospectively enrolled in the study. Three hundred and ninety-five consecutive patients were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 3.5 years (range, 2-5.4 years). Patients were divided into 3 groups based on age at the time of surgery (<55, 55-70, and >70 years). Patient-reported outcome scores, physical performance scores, and weight-bearing radiographs were used to assess patients preoperatively and at yearly postoperative office visits. Revision was defined as failure of either the tibial or talar components requiring removal of the metallic implants. A repeated-measures analysis of variance with post hoc testing and the Pearson chi-square test were used to assess differences between the 3 groups. Statistical significance was set at an alpha level of .05.

Results:

Patients under the age of 55 had a greater improvement in Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Vitality (P = .026) and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Function scores (P < .001) compared with patients over the age of 70 at most recent follow-up. There were no differences in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score or the physical performance outcomes between the age groups. The incidence of wound complications, need for reoperation, and revision were not different between groups.

Conclusions:

Outcomes of TAA in younger patients were similar to outcomes in older patients at early follow-up. This study establishes a cohort of patients that will be followed to determine the effect of age on the long-term outcomes of TAA with an emphasis on the need for reoperation and revision.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective comparative study.
Chaos control in lateral oscillations of spinning disk via linear optimal control of discrete systems
Authors: Chekan Jafar Abbaszadeh , Ali Nojoumian Mohammad , Merat Kaveh , Salarieh Hassan
Published: April 2015

Chaos control of a spinning disk having transverse vibration is considered in this article by stabilizing the system on its corresponding unstable periodic orbit (UPO). At the first step, the system continuous-time dynamic equations are quantized by utilizing a proper Poincare map. Then, using the regression method a linear description from the obtained cross points is achieved around the corresponding fixed point of the target UPO. Finally, through solving the Riccati equation, an optimal controller is introduced which stabilizes the system on its unstable fixed point. At the end, the effectiveness of the proposed control method is examined through numerical simulations.
Poetic Language, Interdiscursivity and Intertextuality in Fifth Graders’ Poetry
Authors: Certo Janine
Published: April 2015

In spite of views that children’s writing development is in large part a linguistic complex process involved in their engagement within and across social activities in and out of school, the literature is scant on the wide range of semiotic resources that children may draw on to animate their poetry writing and performances. Drawing from a case study of poetry writing and performance in one U.S. fifth-grade classroom, this article uses interpretive methods and textual analysis to ask the following questions: (a) What, if any, poetic language do children draw on and identify in their written poems? (b) What interdiscursive and intertextual writing practices do children draw on to write poetry? and (c) How, if at all, might the act of reading an original poem influence children’s writing practices and literacy learning? Highlighted by three focal students, data suggest that children’s poems most often used features, including stanza break, varied types of rhyme, alliteration, and metaphor. Furthermore, some children’s poems could even be classified into distinct poetic structures. The data also suggest that children appropriated and recontextualized content for a single poem from a variety of semiotic resources in and out of school. Finally, children’s performances were caught up with satisfying multiple audiences, including themselves. This study suggests that elementary children can control the process of poetry writing and performance through active integration of formal poetic language taught with interdiscursive and intertextual practices.
The Importance of Efficacy
Authors: Askelson Natoshia M. , Chi Donald L. , Momany Elizabeth T. , Kuthy Raymond A. , Carter Knute D. , Field Kathryn , Damiano Peter C.
Published: April 2015

Early preventive dental visits are vital to the oral health of children. Yet many children, especially preschool-age children enrolled in Medicaid, do not receive early visits. This study attempts to uncover factors that can be used to encourage parents to seek preventive dental care for preschool-age children enrolled in Medicaid. The extended parallel process model was used as a theoretical framework for this research. This model suggests that people will act if the perceived threat (severity and susceptibility) is high enough and if efficacy levels (self-efficacy and response efficacy) are likewise high. Following Witte’s method of categorizing people’s perceptions and emotions into one of four categories based on levels of threat and efficacy, this article describes four groups (high threat/high efficacy, high threat/low efficacy, low threat/high efficacy, and low threat/low efficacy) of parents and how they compare to each other. Using logistic regression to model if a child had a preventive visit, results indicate that parents with low threat/high efficacy and parents with high threat/high efficacy had approximately 2.5 times the odds of having a child with a preventive oral health visit compared to parents with low threat/low efficacy, when controlling for perceived oral health status, health literacy, and child’s age. The importance of efficacy needs to be incorporated in interventions aimed at increasing preventive dental visits for young children.
A new approach for the optimization of the thermo-mechanical behaviour of dry-running clutches using fibre-optic sensing technology with high spatial measurement density
Authors: Jonas Kniel , Michael Gommeringer , Benoit Lorentz
Published: April 2015

Measuring temperature in tribological contacts remains being a huge challenge. The present paper proposes a new approach to analyze and optimize the thermo-mechanical behaviour of a dry-running clutch without affecting the real interacting surfaces. Using fibre-optic sensing technology makes it possible to gain a very detailed view of temperature distribution in the system. The interpretation of the measurements for different load situations has shown that the behaviour in the first 0.8 s is very similar. But after 0.8 s slip-time, the temperature distribution varies considerably according to the load situations. This behaviour is linked to the clutch engagement parameters and the resulting slip time. Non-lubricated clutches are still subject to numerous investigations in order to determine their dynamic behaviour, especially the dynamic behaviour. Measuring the temperature distribution in the friction contact would deliver a more detailed view of the live friction process. Main restriction remaining to establish this information is the low spatial measurement density of conventional thermal measurement facilities. On this account, fibre-optic sensing technology has been used at the IPEK to measure the temperature distribution with high spatial resolution in a pressure plate of a clutch system. One sensing fibre offers not less than 700 measurement points, divided across 28 measurement sections belonging to the pressure plate. In addition to the very high spatial measurement density, there are two more advantages. Through the low thermal mass of the optical fibre, fast variations of the temperature can be measured. By using only one sensing fibre, with a low capacity to transfer heat in itself, the heat dissipation through the sensor is very low. By means of this measurement method, it is possible to analyze the thermo-mechanical behaviour of a friction system with a high level of details. This method enables the control of temperature distribution in the counter plate. This parameter is an indicator of the load capacity of the system as an optimal homogenization leads to the elimination of local temperature peaks and so to wear reduction. Another topic is the specific adaptation of a system to its working area. The investigation of the influence on the thermo-mechanical behaviour of parameters such as friction energy or power allows the system to be optimally designed regarding to its working area. Another field of application is the validation of the thermal CAE-models.
Long-Term Natural Outcome (7–26 Years) of Lichtman Stage III Kienböck’s Lunatomalacia
Authors: Viljakka T. , Tallroth K. , Vastamäki M.
Published: April 2015

Background and Aims:

The natural history of Kienböck’s disease is controversial. Only three papers report a pure natural history without treatment. We hypothesized that the natural course of Kienböck’s disease may be better than reported.

Material and Methods:

We examined eight patients with Lichtman stage III Kienböck’s disease without any treatment, evaluating clinical and radiological results (9 wrists; 7 men, mean age at onset of symptoms 34 years) over a period of 10–38 years (mean, 27.3 years) after symptom onset.

Results:

Lichtman stage remained the same in five of nine wrists. The inner structure of the lunate improved in three, remained the same in three, and deteriorated in three wrists, and its shape improved in two, remained the same in four, and deteriorated in three wrists. Pain averaged visual analog scale 3.1 at rest, 3.4 during motion, 3.6 with slight, and 5.2 with heavy exertion. The range of motion improved at extension 19% and at flexion 14%, reaching 81% and 72% of that of the contralateral wrist, and grip strength reaching 93%. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand averaged 11.3, Optional Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand 18.0, and Mayo Clinic score 70.0. The radiographic course did not correlate with clinical course.

Conclusions:

The long-term natural history of Lichtman stage III Kienböck’s disease is insufficiently good to suggest thoughtful observation alone as an option to treat it.
Analysis of polymerization shrinkage and thermo-mechanical characterizations of resin-based dental composite reinforced with silane modified nanosilica filler particle
Authors: Kumar Shiv Ranjan , Patnaik Amar , Bhat IK
Published: April 2015

The main challenges encountered in the development of dental composites are to formulate the composites with minimum polymerization shrinkage without sacrificing degree of conversion. To overcome this problem, various fillers and composite materials have been proposed till date, but the analysis was limited. Hence, our main objective of this study was to investigate the polymerization shrinkage and mechanical behavior of resin-based dental composite by means of adding different weight fraction of silane-modified nanosilica particles. The dental composite consisting of a monomer system (50 wt.% bisphenol-A glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA), 49 wt.% tri-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), 0.2 wt.-% Camphorquinone and 0.8 wt.-% Ethyl 4 dimethyl amino benzoate) was filled with different weight percentage of silane-modified nanosilica particles. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis of modified nanosilica particles clearly indicated the presence of C = O bond of carbonyl group and stable siloxane linkage between the monomer and filler particle. The mechanical results indicated that the composite with 3 wt.% nanosilica particle exhibited maximum depth of cure (4.2 mm) and the lowest polymerization shrinkage (1.53%). However, unfilled dental composite exhibited maximum compression strength (464 MPa) which was approximately 55% more than the compressive strength of filled composite. Finally, Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results revealed that 1 wt.-% nanosilica content recorded the highest value of storage modulus. The proposed dental material exhibited better mechanical properties and lowest polymerization shrinkage with maximum conversion.
Development of hybrid amorphous barrier coatings on polymer substrates
Authors: Liang Chih-Hao , Lik Hang Chau Joseph , Pan Alfred I-Tsung , Yang Chih-Chao , Shih Hsi-Hsin
Published: April 2015

Flexible hybrid Ta–C–O–F coatings were deposited on polyethylene naphthalate substrates using RF co-sputtering method. The morphologies of the hybrid Ta–C–O–F coatings co-sputtering were strongly dependent on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sputtering power. By increasing the polymer sputtering power from 20 to 60 W, the water vapor transmission rate increase from 0.015 to 0.030 g/m2day. The water vapor transmission rate remains relatively constant at 0.030 g/m2day with further increasing the PTFE power to 80 W. Coatings prepared by PTFE sputtering power of 20 to 80 W exhibits an average optical transmittance of higher than 70% in the visible range. The Ta–C–O–F coating with a thickness of 577.5 nm was repeatedly ﬂexed back and forth to a radius of curvature of 3 mm. No cracks were observed in the layer after bending. The results show that the hybrid coatings are not only highly flexible, but also with good water vapor barrier property.
Participation in child protection: A small-scale qualitative study
Authors: Dillon Jo , Greenop Daz , Hills Mel
Published: April 2015

This small-scale qualitative study explores how children participate in their own child protection/child in need planning within a statutory setting in England. Their experience of participation and the impact that voicing their wishes and feelings had on outcomes are highlighted and discussed against a background of conflicting discourses of statutory safeguarding and empowering participation, barriers to engagement and hearing the child’s voice.
Sudden cardiac death in patients with diabetes mellitus and chronic heart failure
Authors: Walker Andrew MN , Cubbon Richard M
Published: April 2015

In patients with diabetes mellitus, around 50% of deaths due to cardiovascular causes are sudden cardiac deaths. The prevalence of diabetes in cohorts with chronic heart failure is increasing, and while sudden cardiac death is an increasingly rare mode of death in chronic heart failure patients as a whole, the risk of this outcome remains high in those with diabetes. This review summarises the current knowledge on the incidence of sudden cardiac death in patients with diabetes and chronic heart failure, before discussing the causes of the excess risk seen in those with these coexistent conditions. We then describe current strategies for risk stratification and prevention of sudden cardiac death in these patients before discussing the priorities for further study in this area.
Role of lipoprotein(a) in predicting the severity of new on-set coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetics: A Gensini score evaluation
Authors: Chen Juan , Zhang Yan , Liu Jun , Chen Man-Hua , Guo Yuan-Lin , Zhu Cheng-Gang , Xu Rui-Xia , Dong Qian , Li Jian-Jun
Published: April 2015

The objective of the study was to investigate the usefulness of serum lipoprotein(a) level in predicting the severity of new on-set coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetics. A total of 1254 new on-set, consecutive coronary artery disease patients were classified into two groups: diabetes group ( n = 380) and non-diabetes group ( n = 874). The relationship between serum lipoprotein(a) levels and the severity of coronary artery disease assessed by Gensini score was analysed. Data showed that the diabetes group had higher serum triglyceride and high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels but lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (all p < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that lipoprotein(a) was an independent predictor for high Gensini score (odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–3.12, p = 0.029) after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Additionally, lipoprotein(a) levels were positively correlated with Gensini score (rho = 0.15, p = 0.014) and significantly elevated according to the tertiles of Gensini score ( p = 0.008) in diabetics. However, no such results were observed in non-diabetics. Our data indicate that lipoprotein(a) is an independent predictor for the severity of new on-set coronary artery disease patients accompanied by type 2 diabetes, suggesting that these patients may benefit from lipoprotein(a) management in clinical assessment.
Perceptions of Health-Related Quality of Life: A Minority Men’s Perspective
Authors: Bukavina Laura , Zaramo Carlumandarlo E. B. , Tarabonata Laura , Modlin Charles S.
Published: April 2015

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures among the African American populations have previously been inadequately studied. This study sought to further analyze the quality of life of African American men at the Cleveland Clinic Minority Men’s Health Center and Cleveland Clinic Minority Men’s Health Fair. Subjects were randomly selected at the Minority Health Fair and Minority Men’s Health Center clinics over the duration of 2 weeks to participate in the anonymous survey with the help of independent surveyors. Convenience sampling was done at the Minority Men’s Health Fair and at the Minority Men’s Health Clinics. Participants were administered in-person Short Form-36 (SF-36v2). A total of 83 participants were surveyed, and the response rate from the surveyed population was 100%. The only exclusion criterion for the study was the refusal to participate ( n = 0). As compared with healthy U.S. norms, African American men reported lower HRQOL across six health domains: physical functioning (60.69 ± 2.82 vs. 84.2), general health (57.56 ± 2.41 vs. 72), social functioning (72.65 ± 3.17 vs. 83.3), role-emotional (55.89 ± 3.02 vs. 81.3), mental health (61.23 ± 2.34 vs. 74.7), and role-physical (62.5 ± 2.88 vs. 81). The largest difference between the health domains was reported in role limitations due to emotional problems (55.89 ± 3.02 vs. 81.3, 25.4). Marital analysis revealed clinically significant lower HRQOL in married African Americans as compared with nonmarried, statistically significant in physical functioning and physical health component ( p < .05). African Americans disproportionally face pervasive disparities in health, as supported by extensive quality of life impairment. No other study, to our knowledge, has used quality of life assessment in African Americans to quantitate how such disparities are affecting important domains in their lives.
The fusion of school improvement and leadership capacity in an elementary school
Authors: Sigurðardóttir Sigríður Margrét , Sigþórsson Rúnar
Published: April 2015

The article reports the findings of a qualitative case study in one elementary school in Iceland. The aim was to investigate the level of leadership capacity within the school, and how this had evolved through the school’s improvement. Information was gathered over one school year about planned improvements that had taken place in the school over the 10-year period prior to the study. Data was collected through observations, document analysis, semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and a survey. Participants came from all sectors of the school community. A conceptual framework developed by Lambert (2003a) was used to analyse the leadership capacity within the school. The findings show that the leadership capacity of the school, and of groups within the school, had grown considerably during the period under study and was connected to the degree of involvement in school improvement work. The findings indicated an interactive relationship between school improvement and the building of leadership capacity during the period under study.
Managing teacher leave and absence in South African rural schools
Authors: Moletsane Relebohile , Juan Andrea , Prinsloo Cas , Reddy Vijay
Published: April 2015

Research increasingly points to the negative impacts of teacher absence from school on access to schooling and success in learning in schools, in particular in schools in areas of multiple-deprivation (including rural schools). South African schools are no exception. In this regard, like any other employer, the South African Department of Basic Education has a set of policies that govern teachers’ conditions of service. Among others, these include policies that govern leave and absence from school. While the policies are meant to enhance teachers’ conditions of service, they are also aimed at safeguarding the rights of learners to quality education by ensuring that teachers remain on task, and that teaching and learning is not interrupted. Using Lipsky’s theory of discretion, this paper takes the view that as street-level bureaucrats, principals use their discretionary power to manage teacher leave and absence from school, and that the strategies they employ are informed by their understandings and conceptualisations of policy. The paper reports on a study undertaken to explore teacher leave in South African schools. In particular, it critically examines principals’ use of their discretionary powers to make decisions about teacher leave-taking, and the coping mechanisms they use to manage teacher absence and to safeguard the rights of learners to quality education.
The DSM-5 and the Continuing Transformation of Normal Sadness Into Depressive Disorder
Authors: Horwitz Allan V.
Published: April 2015

For millennia, diagnosticians distinguished natural sadness that arose from social circumstances from depressive disorders that were disproportionate to their contexts. In 1980, the DSM-III transformed this tradition through equating depressive disorders with symptoms without regard to context. Nevertheless, it excluded grieving people without especially severe or enduring symptoms from diagnosis. Subsequently, considerable empirical research indicated that bereavement was not unique but a model for all stressor-maintained conditions. Yet, despite the evidence showing that the causes, prognoses, and optimal treatments for context-specific depressions differ from those that aren’t, the DSM-5 removed the bereavement exclusion from the diagnostic criteria for major depression. This article considers the reasons behind this elimination and its implications for the research, labeling, and treatment of depression.
Processing of Emotional Information in Major Depressive Disorder: Toward a Dimensional Understanding
Authors: Kircanski Katharina , Gotlib Ian H.
Published: April 2015

Several decades of research converge on the formulation that individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit negative biases in their processing of emotional information. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that traditional between-group comparisons have obscured the substantial heterogeneity of cognitive and affective dysfunction that is associated with depressive symptomatology. In this article, we review the findings of research examining attention to and memory for negative emotional information using a more dimensional perspective on depression. Specifically, we explore studies that assess cognitive biases along a continuum of depressive symptom severity and consider the influence of co-occurring dimensions of functioning, in particular the severity of anxiety symptoms. Finally, we identify critical empirical questions and issues in this growing literature.
The Appraisal Bias Model of Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression
Authors: Mehu Marc , Scherer Klaus R.
Published: April 2015

Models of cognitive vulnerability claim that depressive symptoms arise as a result of an interaction between negative affect and cognitive reactions, in the form of dysfunctional attitudes and negative inferential style. We present a model that complements this approach by focusing on the appraisal processes that elicit and differentiate everyday episodes of emotional experience, arguing that individual differences in appraisal patterns can foster negative emotional experiences related to depression (e.g., sadness and despair). In particular, dispositional appraisal biases facilitating the elicitation of these emotions more frequently and more intensely. This, in turn, is likely to have a negative influence on cognitive processing and emotion regulation in general.
Classification of Psychiatric Disorders: Challenges and Perspectives
Authors: Sartorius Norman
Published: April 2015

The publication of the DSM-5 awakened the interest in the classification of mental disorders and in factors which influence the production of a classification and its use. Among these are the debates about the limits between mental disorders and normality, the impact of vested interest in the publication of a revised version of a classification or its postponement, the problems of making those concerned use the classification and numerous others. The chapter discusses these issues and makes suggestions about the way forward.
Long-term oxygen therapy
Authors: Pickard Keir
Published: April 2015

Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) is the provision of oxygen therapy to a patient at home for at least 15 hours a day, usually for the duration of the remainder of the individual’s life. There are at least 85 000 people prescribed home oxygen in England alone, and many of these patients are assessed and monitored in primary care, with the aid of respiratory specialists from secondary care within a multi-disciplinary team. This article outlines the indications and assessments required for the prescription of LTOT, the cautions and contraindications to home oxygen use, and the practicalities of instigation, delivery and monitoring. The article does not cover nocturnal oxygen therapy, ambulatory oxygen therapy or short-burst oxygen therapy.
Analysis of type II diabetes mellitus adipose-derived stem cells for tissue engineering applications
Authors: Minteer Danielle Marie , Young Matthew T , Lin Yen-Chih , Over Patrick J , Rubin J Peter , Gerlach Jorg C , Marra Kacey G
Published: April 2015

To address the functionality of diabetic adipose-derived stem cells in tissue engineering applications, adipose-derived stem cells isolated from patients with and without type II diabetes mellitus were cultured in bioreactor culture systems. The adipose-derived stem cells were differentiated into adipocytes and maintained as functional adipocytes. The bioreactor system utilizes a hollow fiber–based technology for three-dimensional perfusion of tissues in vitro, creating a model in which long-term culture of adipocytes is feasible, and providing a potential tool useful for drug discovery. Daily metabolic activity of the adipose-derived stem cells was analyzed within the medium recirculating throughout the bioreactor system. At experiment termination, tissues were extracted from bioreactors for immunohistological analyses in addition to gene and protein expression. Type II diabetic adipose-derived stem cells did not exhibit significantly different glucose consumption compared to adipose-derived stem cells from patients without type II diabetes ( p > 0.05, N = 3). Expression of mature adipocyte genes was not significantly different between diabetic/non-diabetic groups ( p > 0.05, N = 3). Protein expression of adipose tissue grown within all bioreactors was verified by Western blotting.The results from this small-scale study reveal adipose-derived stem cells from patients with type II diabetes when removed from diabetic environments behave metabolically similar to the same cells of non-diabetic patients when cultured in a three-dimensional perfusion bioreactor, suggesting that glucose transport across the adipocyte cell membrane, the hindrance of which being characteristic of type II diabetes, is dependent on environment. The presented observation describes a tissue-engineered tool for long-term cell culture and, following future adjustments to the culture environment and increased sample sizes, potentially for anti-diabetic drug testing.
Does a Preoperative Educational Class Increase Patient Compliance
Authors: Kim Kelvin , Chin Garwin , Moore Tyler , Schwarzkopf Ran
Published: April 2015

Past studies have shown successful outcomes regarding the use of various interventional education methods in improving patient compliance. At our institution, different educational resources are offered and encouraged, including a 2-hour–long educational class, to prepare patients who are undergoing total joint arthroplasty procedures. Given the significant impact that patient compliance with preoperative instruction can have on overall outcomes of these procedures, this study was intended to assess the effects that the educational classes can have on patient compliance with this institution’s 6-point preoperative total joint arthroplasty protocol. The study analyzed 2 groups, those who did and did not attend the preoperative classes, and compliance rates were compared between the 2. It was hypothesized that patients who did attend the classes would be more compliant to the protocol compared to those who did not. Although results from the study showed that there were no significant differences in adherence between the 2 groups, future quality assessment studies can build off this in order to move toward achieving optimal patient compliance with preoperative instructions.
The Darker Side of Integration Policy
Authors: Moulettes Agneta
Published: April 2015

Despite its remarkable receptivity to immigrants entering the country, Sweden has one of the worst track records in Europe in terms of employing immigrants. However, although there are various studies devoted to integration issues, little scholarly attention has been directed toward public employment officers and their role as professional mediators in the integration process. By investigating the language used by public employment officers when they explain how they assist female immigrants in the process of entering the Swedish labor market, this study attempts to add to our knowledge of these officers and their role. It uses ideas from postcolonial theory and critical discourse analysis to show (a) how public employment officers make use of prevailing discourses to transform female immigrants from passive welfare beneficiaries into active and responsible job seekers, (b) how prevailing discourses contribute to the reproduction of culture and gender differences reminiscent of colonial discourses, and (c) how unequal power relations may favor the segregation of mainstream and alternative cultures.
Racialized Precarious Employment and the Inadequacies of the Canadian Welfare State
Authors: Bernhardt Nicole S.
Published: April 2015

Although the rise in precarious employment within Canada is tied to the ascendancy of neoliberalism, racialized persons have long been marginalized within the Canadian workforce and relegated to precarious workforce participation. Through an exploration of the relationship between precarious employment and racialized power structures, it will be demonstrated that while the moderate Keynesian welfare policies of the post–World War II era served to mitigate the experiences of those excluded from the workplace, racialized power structures were not fundamentally altered in that era. This critique offers a response to scholarship on the impact of neoliberalism that valorizes the welfare state without paying sufficient attention to its history of racial exclusions. It proposes new strategies to address these underlying inequalities within the existing structures of the Canadian workforce.
Learning Strategy Training and the Shift in Learners’ Beliefs About Language Learning
Authors: Mohammadi Mojtaba , Birjandi Parviz , Maftoon Parviz
Published: April 2015

This study examines the impact of teaching learning strategies on learners’ beliefs about language learning and reading comprehension ability. Participants were 78 university freshmen studying English language teaching, translation, and literature. They were divided into two groups. The experimental group received a number of learning strategies adopted and adapted by the researchers, including concept-mapping, vocabulary notebook, passage restatement, dictionary use, summary writing, and guessing. The treatment was carried out 4 hr a week for 15 consecutive weeks. The Language Learners’ Beliefs Scale, developed and validated by Birjandi and Mohammadi, and the reading comprehension section of Cambridge Preliminary English Test (PET) were administered before and after the treatment to identify the students’ shifts in beliefs about language learning and to measure reading comprehension ability, respectively. The results of independent t test indicated that the instruction of learning strategies changed the university students’ beliefs about language learning. Furthermore, learning strategy instruction could boost their reading comprehension ability.
Optimism and Psychological Well-Being of Police Officers With Different Work Experiences
Authors: Padhy Meera , Chelli Kavya , Padiri Ruth Angiel
Published: April 2015

This study examined the relationship between optimism and psychological well-being (PWB) among police officers. Sixty police officers, both male and female, between the age range of 26 to 57 years were categorized into two equal groups consisting of participants below 10 years of work experience (Group 1) and above 10 years of work experience (Group 2). They were administered the Psychological Well-Being Scale and Life Orientation Test. Results show that police officers of these two groups differed significantly on their optimism levels. Significant positive correlations were found between optimism and PWB, for Group 2 and the entire sample of police officers. The findings of this study indicate the need for organization-specific interventions to increase optimism to manage health outcomes, and improve the PWB of these officers.
Testing Times for the Implementation of Curriculum Change
Authors: Smeed Judy , Bourke Terri , Nickerson Julie , Corsbie Tracy
Published: April 2015

School curriculum change processes have traditionally been managed internally. However, in Queensland, Australia, as a response to the current high-stakes accountability regime, more and more principals are outsourcing this work to external change agents (ECAs). In 2009, one of the authors (a university lecturer and ECA) developed a curriculum change model (the Controlled Rapid Approach to Curriculum Change [CRACC]), specifically outlining the involvement of an ECA in the initiation phase of a school’s curriculum change process. The purpose of this article is to extend the CRACC model by unpacking the implementation phase, drawing on data from a pilot study of a single school. Interview responses revealed that during the implementation phase, teachers wanted to be kept informed of the wider educational context, use data to constantly track students, relate pedagogical practices to testing practices, share information between departments and professional levels, and own whole school performance. It is suggested that the findings would be transferable to other school settings and internal leadership of curriculum change. The article also strikes a chord of concern: Do the responses from teachers operating under thecurrent accountability regime live their professional lives within this corporate and globalized ideology whether they want to or not?
Critical Variables in Singing Accuracy Test Construction
Authors: Nichols Bryan E.
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this review of literature was to identify research findings for designing assessments in singing accuracy. The aim was to specify the test construction variables that directly affect test performance to guide future design in singing accuracy assessment for research and classroom uses. Three pitch-matching tasks—single pitch, interval pitch, and patterns—plus song-singing have each been shown to be discriminators of singing accuracy. Teachers and researchers should consider incorporating more than one task type when assessing children, since performance on one song or pitch-matching task cannot easily be generalized to others. Item-level and task-level difficulty must be taken into consideration when designing singing tests. In addition to task type, the variables of singing voice development, contextual presentation, model characteristics, range, and text must be a part of a priori decision making.