bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HIV Susceptibility Among Migrant Miners in Chokwe
Authors: Martins-Fonteyn Emilia , Loquiha Osvaldo , Wouters Edwin , Raimundo Ines , Hens Niel , Aerts Marc , Meulemans Herman
Published: May 2015

This article examines the association between risky sexual behavior and HIV risk perception among miners. A cross-sectional survey (n = 293) was conducted with miners who worked in South African mines and lived in the Chokwe district of Gaza Province in southern Mozambique. The study used ordinary logistic and cumulative logistic models to understand what drives miners to HIV susceptibility. The study revealed that most miners were at risk of HIV infection as a result of risky sexual behavior. However, there was a strong negative association between risky sexual behavior and HIV risk perception. Seventy percent of the miners practicing risky sexual behavior reported low HIV risk perception. This demonstrates that miners tend to underestimate their HIV risk, which makes them more susceptible to contracting HIV. Risk perception among miners is related to a range of factors, both individual and environmental. Informed risk awareness is essential for these men to adopt preventive measures against HIV/AIDS. Therefore, it is important to consider cultural beliefs, as they influence the understanding of HIV risk perception.
A Critique of Grossman’s Canonical Model of Health Capital
Authors: Sepehri Ardeshir
Published: May 2015

In the health economics literature, the demand for health and market health inputs is dominated by adaptations of Grossman’s health capital model. The model has been widely used to explore a wide range of issues related to health, socioeconomic inequalities in health, demand for medical care, health preventions, occupational choice, and retirement decisions. The commodity of health is viewed as a durable capital stock that yields a flow of healthy time or illness-free time, that depreciates with age, and that can be augmented with the help of market health inputs and own time. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive critical review of the model. Underlying Grossman’s model are a faulty conceptual framework and assumptions that tend to exaggerate the degree of control consumers/patients may have over their state of health and survival. The assumption of full information about one’s state of health and the efficacy of various health inputs abstracts away from the problems posed by the agency relationship under uncertainty and informational asymmetry. Grossman’s individualistic and mechanistic view of health strips health capital and its production of much of their biological/physiological content and their interactions with the individual’s social and physical environment.
The internalized vermin of exile in Montréal: Rawi Hage’s Cockroach
Authors: Abdul-Jabbar Wisam Kh.
Published: May 2015

This article argues that the protagonist in Hage’s Cockroach (2008) introjects the vermin as a representation of internalized antagonism. As the unnamed narrator struggles in an inhospitable city, he internalizes this unflinching feeling of estrangement through introjection. This process reveals how the loss of home entails the state of a vagabond who resists normalization and seeks the unruly life of the underground. The way the city of Montréal is portrayed as notorious for its indifference towards newcomers aggravates the condition of the divided self in exile, which necessitates the intrusion of the monstrous. In effect, not only does introjecting the cockroach signify a menacing presence but also suggests a decolonizing act of insubordination against a city whose hegemonic order, like its freezing weather, looms large.
Visual Inspection for Caries Detection
Authors: Gimenez T. , Piovesan C. , Braga M.M. , Raggio D.P. , Deery C. , Ricketts D.N. , Ekstrand K.R. , Mendes F.M.
Published: May 2015

We aimed to perform a systematic review including a meta-analysis to evaluate the overall accuracy of visual methods for detecting carious lesions and to identify possible sources of heterogeneity among the studies included. Two reviewers searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and other sources through July 2014 to identify published and nonpublished studies in English. Studies of visual inspection were included that 1) assessed accuracy of the method in detecting caries lesions; 2) were performed on occlusal, proximal, or free smooth surfaces in primary or permanent teeth; 3) had a reference standard; and 4) reported sufficient data about sample size and accuracy of methods. The data were used to calculate the pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and summary receiver operating characteristics curve. Heterogeneity of the studies was also assessed. A total of 102 manuscripts (from 5,808 articles initially identified) and 1 abstract (from 168) met the inclusion criteria. In general, the analysis demonstrated that the visual method had good accuracy for detecting caries lesions. Although laboratory and clinical studies have presented similar accuracy, clinically obtained specificity was higher. We also observed moderate to high heterogeneity and evidence of publication bias in most papers. Moreover, studies employing widely recognized visual scoring systems presented significantly better accuracy as compared to studies that used their own criteria. In conclusion, visual caries detection method has good overall performance. Furthermore, although the identified studies had high heterogeneity and risk of bias, the use of detailed and validated indices seems to improve the accuracy of the method.
Interviewing Women Again: Power, Time and the Gift
Authors: Oakley Ann
Published: May 2015

The starting point for this article is a contribution to qualitative research methodology published in 1981 called ‘Interviewing women: A contradiction in terms?’ This was based on the experience of interviewing women in a longitudinal study of the transition to motherhood – the Becoming a Mother (BAM) study (1974–79) – and was subsequently much cited as helping to establish a new paradigm of feminist research. This article re-appraises the arguments put forward in ‘Interviewing women’, discusses its incorporation into a narrative about feminist methodology and presents and comments on new data collected in a follow-up to the BAM study conducted 37 years later. It argues that the complex political and social relationship between researcher and researched cannot easily be fitted into a paradigm of ‘feminist’ research, and that the concepts of a gift and of friendship as components in this relationship deserve more attention.
The UK Press and the Deficit Debate
Authors: Berry Mike
Published: May 2015

The 2008 financial crisis initially appeared to challenge the sustainability of neoliberal finance capitalism. However, the focus of political and public debate soon shifted to state spending and the need for austerity. This research examines how this shift took place in the British press during 2009. The article begins by charting the rise of neoliberalism and its role in financializing the economy. It then examines how such developments impacted news production and made neoliberal perspectives more prominent in the media. This meant, as the data in this article demonstrate, that the key definers of the crisis in the media were among the strongest advocates of neoliberalism. Reporting of the deficit was characterized by fear appeals, the presentation of misleading data and false comparisons. Finally the article notes the consistent endorsement of austerity measures, by almost all newspapers, despite their consistent history of policy failure during recessions.
Interpretive Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences
Authors: Babones Salvatore
Published: May 2015

Quantitative social science has long been dominated by self-consciously positivist approaches to the philosophy, rhetoric and methodology of research. This article outlines an alternative approach based on interpretive research methods. Interpretative approaches are usually associated with qualitative social science but are equally applicable to the analysis of quantitative data. In interpretive quantitative research, statistics are used to shed light on the unobservable data generating processes that underlie observed data. Key tenets of interpretive quantitative methodology are the triangulation of research results arrived at by analysing data from multiple perspectives, the integration of measurement and modelling into a more holistic process of discovery and the need to think reflexively about the manner in which data have come into existence. Interpretive quantitative research has the potential to yield results that are more meaningful, more understandable and more applicable (from a policy standpoint) than those achieved through conventional positivist approaches.
Understanding the Health Communication Process
Authors: Baker Susan C. , Watson Bernadette M.
Published: May 2015

The articles presented in this special issue bring attention to important sociocultural variables and language strategies present in the ever-changing and complex health care system. These articles were selected from the health communication symposium of the 14th International Conference of Language and Social Psychology held in Hawaii in 2014. The articles each concentrate on different aspects of health communication and employ different theoretical and analytical approaches, but they all call for more education and better interventions to improve relations in the health context and patient care.
A longitudinal fMRI investigation in acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Authors: Ke Jun , Zhang Li , Qi Rongfeng , Li Weihui , Hou Cailan , Zhong Yuan , He Zhong , Li Lingjiang , Lu Guangming
Published: May 2015

Background

Neuroimaging studies have implicated limbic, paralimbic, and prefrontal cortex in the pathophysiology of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about the neural substrates of acute PTSD and how they change with symptom improvement.

Purpose

To examine the neural circuitry underlying acute PTSD and brain function changes during clinical recovery from this disorder.

Material and Methods

Nineteen acute PTSD patients and nine non-PTSD subjects who all experienced a devastating mining accident underwent clinical assessment as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning while viewing trauma-related and neutral pictures. Two years after the accident, a subgroup of 17 patients completed a second clinical evaluation, of which 13 were given an identical follow-up scan.

Results

Acute PTSD patients demonstrated greater activation in the vermis and right posterior cingulate, and greater deactivation in the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobules than controls in the traumatic versus neutral condition. At follow-up, PTSD patients showed symptom reduction and decreased activation in the right middle frontal gyrus, bilateral posterior cingulate/precuneus, and cerebellum. Correlation results confirmed these findings and indicated that brain activation in the posterior cingulate/precuneus and vermis was predictive of PTSD symptom improvement.

Conclusion

The findings support the involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal lobule, posterior cingulate, and vermis in the pathogenesis of acute PTSD. Brain activation in the vermis and posterior cingulate/precuneus appears to be a biological marker of recovery potential from PTSD. Furthermore, decreased activation of the middle frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate/precuneus, and cerebellum may reflect symptom improvement.
The Influence of Rehabilitative and Punishment Ideology on Correctional Officers’ Perceptions of Informal Bases of Power
Authors: Gordon Jill A. , Stichman Amy J.
Published: May 2015

Maintaining order is a key goal for prison managers. Much of the research on order maintenance focuses, however, on disruptions of order, even when order is more common. Examining factors related to perceptions on how officers get inmates to comply is, therefore, an important consideration. Using a survey of correctional officers from a Mid-Atlantic state, this study considers three dimensions of French and Raven’s theory on the bases of power. The focus is to examine correctional orientation and compliance regarding three dimensions of power that rely on informal control and relationships. The results indicate that officers’ belief in rehabilitative ideals is consistently related to the dimensions of legitimate, referent, and expert control. Other individual and organizational factors are also related to dimensions of power. Implications for policies and for future research are discussed.
Geographic information science II
Authors: Roche Stéphane
Published: May 2015

This second report is dedicated to the concept of ‘place’ revisited in the context of smart cities. Some recent studies suggest that today’s digital cities rely more on an approach to the urban context based on a network of connected places than on an approach to the city built on areal spaces. Does it mean that there are more places and fewer spaces in spatially enabled cities? Is the intelligence of a city mainly related to its ability to sound out the genesis of urban places? These issues raise questions about the design of spatial models used to build GIS, as well as place-based urban design methods and tools. This second report explores these questions from the standpoint of GISciences.
Maintaining a grasp on reality – Is our validation and design effort focused in the same direction?
Authors: Price Mark , Murphy Adrian
Published: May 2015

This article examines the influence on the engineering design process of the primary objective of validation, whether it is proving a model, a technology or a product. Through the examination of a number of stiffened panel case studies, the relationships between simulation, validation, design and the final product are established and discussed. The work demonstrates the complex interactions between the original (or anticipated) design model, the analysis model, the validation activities and the product in service. The outcome shows clearly some unintended consequences. High fidelity validation test simulations require a different set of detailed parameters to accurately capture behaviour. By doing so, there is a divergence from the original computer-aided design model, intrinsically limiting the value of the validation with respect to the product. This work represents a shift from the traditional perspective of encapsulating and controlling errors between simulation and experimental test to consideration of the wider design-test process. Specifically, it is a reflection on the implications of how models are built and validated, and the effect on results and understanding of structural behaviour. This article then identifies key checkpoints in the design process and how these should be used to update the computer-aided design system parameters for a design. This work strikes at a fundamental challenge in understanding the interaction between design, certification and operation of any complex system.
School meal sociality or lunch pack individualism? Using an intervention study to compare the social impacts of school meals and packed lunches from home
Authors: Andersen Sidse S. , Holm Lotte , Baarts Charlotte
Published: May 2015

The present article specifies and broadens our understanding of the concept of commensality by investigating what it means to ‘share a meal’. The study utilizes a school meal intervention carried out in Denmark in 2011/2012. It shows how different types of school meal arrangement influence the social life of a school class, and how these arrangements involve strategies of both inclusion and exclusion. Two types of school meals are compared in the intervention study: a hot meal based on Nordic ingredients and the normal Danish school meal arrangement in which children bring lunch packs to school. The study discusses commensality by examining and comparing lunchtime interactions within the same group of children in the two contrasting meal situations. The results fail to confirm the conventional view that shared meals have greater social impacts and benefits than eating individualized foods. The article argues that the social entrepreneurship involved in sharing individual lunch packs might even outweigh some of the benefits of shared meals where everyone is served the same food.
Do Personnel Policies Matter for Organizational Mission Coherence? A Public School Test
Authors: Cheng Albert
Published: May 2015

Public administration theory suggests that building mission coherence within an organization is important for its effectiveness. Personnel policies may influence the capacity to foster mission coherence. Through hiring or dismissal, managers could compose a staff of workers who match with the organizational mission and abide by its associated norms and values. Policies that limit the manager’s influence over personnel may have the opposite effect. This article empirically tests this link between personnel policies and mission coherence within the U.S. public schools system. Ordinary least squares regression is used to analyze a nationally representative sample of nearly 6,500 schools. Results indicate that schools where administrators have greater influence over hiring decisions or face fewer formal barriers against dismissing teachers tend to have teachers who report greater mission coherence. Implications for theory and practice as well as study limitations are also discussed.
Racial zigzags
Authors: Teicher Amir
Published: May 2015

In 1907, German anthropologist Theodor Mollison invented a unique method for racial differentiation, called ‘deviation curves’. By transforming anthropometric data matrices into graphs, Mollison’s method enabled the simultaneous comparison of a large number of physical attributes of individuals and groups. However, the construction of deviation curves had been highly desultory, and their interpretation had been prone to various visual misjudgements. Despite their methodological shortcomings, deviation curves became very popular among racial anthropologists. This positive reception not only stemmed from the method’s utilities, but was related to additional interests of its protagonists which the method helped promote. Deviation curves provided a unique solution to the holistic–atomistic controversy in German anthropology. By giving separate measurements a consolidated visual form, they substantiated the idea that the attributes of certain social groups were part of distinct racial compounds. Deviation curves thus reinforced racial suppositions, in face of severe criticism on the ontological reality of race itself. Finally, deviation curves emphasized the biological singularity of disadvantaged human groups – Jews, Africans and also women – and of their divergence from ideologically defined physical norms. Disciplinary and social interests thus became intertwined in the formation of a scientific method, which is used to this day in physical anthropology.
An image dimensionality reduction method for rolling bearing fault diagnosis based on singular value decomposition
Authors: Wang Yi , Liu Dan , Xu Guanghua , Jiang Kuosheng
Published: May 2015

The fast kurtogram, a faint signal extraction method, has been regarded as an effective approach to detect and characterize faint transient features in vibration signals. However, the fast kurtogram, a band-pass filtering method, which extracts transient signals by optimal frequency band selection and leaves the noise in the selected frequency band unprocessed. Therefore, to overcome the shortcoming of the fast kurtogram method, a method which can wipe off the noise in the whole frequency band is necessary. This paper proposes a novel faint signal extraction method by time–frequency distribution image dimensionality reduction. Since time–frequency distribution image can reveal intrinsic feature of nonstationary signals and can make the weak impulses feature prominent, and besides, the transient impulse feature and the noise component lie in different dimensions, so using the dimensionality reduction method based on singular value decomposition to suppress the background noise in the raw time–frequency distribution image is motivated. A bearing outer race fault signal obtained from a test-to-failure experiment and a bearing inner race fault signal obtained from an experimental motor are employed to demonstrate the enhanced performance of the proposed method in faint signal extraction. The results indicate that the proposed method outperforms the fast kurtogram method and is effective in faint signal extraction.
An enhanced tunable rotational energy harvester with variable stiffness system for low-frequency vibration
Authors: Jang Seon-Jun , Kim In-Ho , Park Kyoungwoo , Jung Hyung-Jo
Published: May 2015

An enhanced tunable rotational energy harvester for low-frequency vibration is proposed. It consists of a rotational vibrating system and a translating proof mass suspended by wire. The active tuning of the resonant frequency is implemented using the serial connection control of spiral springs, which is named here as a variable stiffness system. The concept, design, and implementation for the proposed device are presented. The numerical simulation and the vertical shaker test are performed, respectively, and the results showed that the proposed energy harvester could effectively generate the electricity under the low-frequency vibration and readily change its natural frequency as well.
Building a Norm of Internationalization
Authors: Tamtik Merli , Kirss Laura
Published: May 2015

The aim of this article is to explain how internationalization that is so widespread today has developed into an accepted standard in local contexts. This study demonstrates that internationalization of higher education can be regarded as a norm-building process that is facilitated through the active behavior of institutional agents. By using the illustrative case of Estonia, the article identifies different stages, actors, motives, and mechanisms that played a crucial role in establishing internationalization practices in Estonia’s higher education system. Informed by the data gathered through 28 interviews and three focus groups, the study also reveals the specific contextual conditions that may influence a country’s internationalization practices.
Nonlinear acoustics for structural health monitoring using mobile, wireless and smartphone-based transducer platform
Authors: Oraczewski Tomasz , Staszewski Wieslaw J , Uhl Tadeusz
Published: May 2015

This article demonstrates a mobile, wireless and smartphone-based platform that can be used for damage detection. This platform consists of sensors, electronics, Android-based software and a smartphone that is used for control, communication, data storage, damage detection analysis and the presentation of damage detection results. The method applied for crack detection is based on nonlinear acoustics. Nonlinear vibro-acoustic wave modulations are used to detect damage. The performance of the proposed damage detection system is demonstrated using a simple example of fatigue crack detection in aluminium plates. The results show that cracks in aluminium plates can be detected wirelessly by a smartphone. This proof-of-concept not only demonstrates the capability of the entire transducer platform but also shows that nonlinear acoustic methods can be applied wirelessly on systems that are operated by a smartphone. This is particularly important when monitored structures are difficult to access and/or operate in harsh conditions.
Providing Palliative Care in a Swedish Support Home for People Who Are Homeless
Authors: Håkanson Cecilia , Sandberg Jonas , Ekstedt Mirjam , Kenne Sarenmalm Elisabeth , Christiansen Mats , Öhlén Joakim
Published: May 2015

Despite high frequencies of multiple, life-limiting conditions relating to palliative care needs, people who are homeless are one of the most underserved and rarely encountered groups in palliative care settings. Instead, they often die in care places where palliative competence is not available. In this qualitative single-case study, we explored the conditions and practices of palliative care from the perspective of staff at a Swedish support home for homeless people. Interpretive description guided the research process, and data were generated from repeated reflective conversations with staff in groups, individually, and in pairs. The findings disclose a person-centered approach to palliative care, grounded in the understanding of the person’s health/illness and health literacy, and how this is related to and determinant on life as a homeless individual. Four patterns shape this approach: building trustful and family-like relationships, re-dignifying the person, re-considering communication about illness and dying, and re-defining flexible and pragmatic care solutions.
Lymphedema Characteristics and the Efficacy of Complex Decongestive Physiotherapy in Malignant Lymphedema
Authors: Liao Su-Fen
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study is to identify the lymphedema characteristics and the efficacy of complex decongestive physiotherapy (CDP) in 29 patients with malignant lymphedema. After CDP, total decreased volume of lymphedema was 306 mL, percentage of excess volume (PEV) changed from 43.4% to 22.7%, and lymphedema severity improved from severe to moderate status. The CDP efficacy-percentage reduction in excess volume (PREV) was 46.6%. The stage of lymphedema ( P = .004), range of motion ( P < .001), pain, heaviness, and tension scores ( P < .001) were significantly improved after CDP. This shows that CDP is efficacious and useful in malignant lymphedema.
Atypical Cellular Chorangioma
Authors: Vellone Valerio Gaetano , Calamaro Paola , Vignale Cristina , Novaro Gianni , Penna Lucia , Fulcheri Ezio
Published: May 2015

Chorangiomas are rather frequent neoplasms encountered on placental examination but in rare cases they present some worrisome histological features that could alarm the pathologist and be misinterpreted as a malignant neoplasm, even if their biological behavior is favorable. We describe an unusual chorangioma with high cellularity and abundant mitosis that, after careful examination and postpartum follow-up, showed benign clinical course for mother and child confirming previous reported cases. This type of tumor is known in the literature as atypical cellular chorangioma and its identification is important in order to exclude potentially dangerous overtreatment.
Concurrent Acute Necrotizing Adenovirus Hepatitis and Enterocolitis in an Adult Patient After Double Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplant for Refractory Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Lo Amy A. , Lo Edward C. , Rao M. Sambasivia , Yang Guang-Yu
Published: May 2015

It has been recently recognized that adenovirus is a pathogen with high morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients, particularly after solid organ or stem cell transplant. Confluent necrotizing hepatitis secondary to adenovirus infection alone or together with other organ involvement is extremely rare. There are only 32 cases of confluent necrotizing hepatitis reported in adults since 1960 and most occur after iatrogenic immunosuppression for bone marrow or solid organ transplantation or in other states of immunosuppression, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or chemotherapy treatment. We present the first case of concurrent adenovirus-induced necrotizing hepatitis and enterocolitis in an adult patient after double cord stem cell transplant for refractory Crohn’s disease. Additionally, we report the imaging and morphologic findings and discuss the potential significance of morphology and immunohistochemistry as a practical approach for identifying adenovirus.
A first case report of diffuse acneiform eruption caused by capecitabine in a patient with small-cell neuroendocrine lung carcinoma
Authors: Kara Asude , Alatas EmineTugba , Dogan Gursoy , Celik Serkan Y , Tanriverdi Ozgur
Published: May 2015

Capecitabine is a chemotherapeutic agent which is converted to fluorouracil by thymidine phosphorylase in human body. It is one of the commonly used agents in colorectal and metastatic breast cancers. Hand-foot syndrome is most commonly observed adverse effect of capecitabine; however, it has several adverse cutaneous and mucosal effects. To the best of our knowledge, no case with acneiform eruption has been reported so far. Here, we presented a 54-year-old man with development of capecitabine-related acneiform drug eruption.
ADHD in Childhood and/or Adulthood as a Risk Factor for Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review
Authors: Buitelaar Nannet J. L. , Posthumus Jocelyne A. , Buitelaar Jan K.
Published: May 2015

Objective: To date, treatment programs for adult domestic violence (DV) or intimate partner violence (IPV) have had minimal impact. To make treatment more effective, programs should be adjusted to psychopathology of the offender. As emotional lability and poor emotional self-regulation and self-control are common features of ADHD, it may play a pivotal role as a predictor for adult DV/IPV. Method: This systematic review synthesizes the available evidence for childhood and/or adult ADHD being a risk factor for DV/IPV. Results: Four case control studies and three cohort studies were included in the review. Although three case control studies showed positive associations between childhood and/or adult ADHD and adult DV/IPV, two did insufficiently control for the presence of comorbid Conduct Disorder (CD) or Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). Conclusion: Cohort studies identified hyperactive, impulsive, and inattention symptoms as risk factors for adult IPV. CD and ASPD were regarded as mediators in three studies.
Cocreating the Arab Spring
Authors: Skålén Per , Aal Kotaiba Abdul , Edvardsson Bo
Published: May 2015

This article examines the transformation of service systems through actors’ resource integration and value cocreation in contention. It is based on a netnographic study focusing on the use of information and communications technology (ICT) tools by online activists during the “Arab Spring.” The transformation of service systems is conceptualized on the basis of existing service research and on the theory of strategic action fields. Focusing on Syria, the findings suggest that activists transformed four interdependent service systems—the media, the social movement, health care, and the financial service systems—during the Arab Spring by means of integrating resources and cocreating value within several ICT tools. A key contribution to transformative service research is the fact that the positive transformation of service systems derives from the conflict between two types of actors, namely, incumbents and challengers. This article also contributes to our knowledge of triggers of service system transformation, what motivates actors to transform service systems, how service system transformation is enabled by actors’ integration and use of ICT tools serving as opportunity spaces, and the transformative roles actors adopt. In addition, this article contributes to the conceptualization of service systems and to the understanding of resource integration and value cocreation.
The professionalization of paid domestic work and its limits: Experiences of Latin American migrants in Brussels
Authors: Pérez Inés , Stallaert Christiane
Published: May 2015

In Belgium, a service voucher scheme – known as Titres Services – was launched in 2004 in order to create employment and regularize the labor conditions of domestic workers. The extent to which this scheme has represented an improvement in domestic workers’ labor conditions, however, is still a matter of debate. This article explores the workers’ experience of the changes introduced by this scheme. It focuses on Latin American migrants that are currently working under this scheme in Brussels, situating them in relation to their previous experiences and the experience of other migrants who currently work in the informal market. The authors distinguish two tropes in their informants’ discourse, which describe their ambivalence regarding these changes. Using the Titres Services scheme’s rhetoric, the first one seeks to increase the social status of this occupation by presenting it as a ‘profession’. Contrarily, the second trope highlights the limits to professionalization.
The Word Part Levels Test
Authors: Sasao Yosuke , Webb Stuart
Published: May 2015

Knowledge of English affixes plays a significant role in increasing knowledge of words. However, few attempts have been made to create a valid and reliable measure of affix knowledge. The Word Part Levels Test (WPLT) was developed to measure three aspects of affix knowledge: form (recognition of written affix forms), meaning (knowledge of affix meanings), and use (knowledge of the syntactic properties of affixes). A total of 118 derivative affixes were selected based on frequency data from the British National Corpus. First, data was collected from 417 Japanese university students to revise poorly working items using Rasch analysis. Second, the responses of 1,348 people representing more than 30 different native languages were analysed to determine the affix difficulty levels. A description of the test, justification for its design, and practical implications are provided.
Prevalence of respiratory symptoms among children in rural Myanmar-disease burden assessment attributable to household biomass smoke
Authors: Rumchev Krassi , Win Thet , Bertolatti Dean , Dhaliwal Satvinder
Published: May 2015

More than three billion people continue to rely on solid fuels as their primary source of domestic energy which is associated with elevated concentrations of indoor air pollutants and increased morbidity and mortality both in adults and children. In Myanmar, solid fuel including coal and biomass (such as dung, crop and charcoal) is the main source of energy used in households. A community-based pilot study was conducted in rural Myanmar with the aim to determine the prevalence of childhood respiratory symptoms in association with the use of biomass for cooking. A total of eighty households were recruited and monitored for exposure to particulate matter with size less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO). In addition, mothers were interviewed to understand their cooking habits, some house characteristics and children’s respiratory health. The study found that PM2.5 and CO were significant contributors for the prevalence of acute respiratory infections and trouble breathing among young children. House characteristics including mosquito coil, associated with children’s respiratory health. The study confirms that domestic environments in developing countries, like Myanmar, continue to have significant health impacts on children.
Musical preferences and technologies: Contemporary material and symbolic distinctions criticized
Authors: Leguina Adrian , Arancibia-Carvajal Sara , Widdop Paul
Published: May 2015

Music as a mechanism for social distinction is well established. Yet, perhaps more than any other form of cultural expression, it is music which has been systematically transformed by emerging technologies. From the gramophone, radio, cassette and CD, through to portable devices and shared through social media, music is in constant flux. To separate taste for music from its various acquisitional forms is to undermine its role in society. In this article, our aim is to integrate within taste and cultural consumption analysis a salient dimension, such as technologies to acquire music, conceptualized as modes of musical exchange and formats used to listen to music. We argue that these are components of musical consumption practices which enhance our understanding on how symbolic boundaries are shaped today. Using multiple factor analysis, this study provides a simultaneous analysis of musical tastes and technological engagement in Chile. We find that uses of technologies share a unique relationship to musical taste. Musical taste remains a relevant process of distinction, but modes of exchange prove to be an emerging property. They, however, do not create new symbolic boundaries; rather, they are important in reinforcing those that exist.
Combining phenomenological and critical methodologies in qualitative research
Authors: Hood Rick
Published: May 2015

Interest in qualitative methodologies has grown over recent decades, encouraged by alternative research paradigms in the critical and postmodernist tradition. The array of interpretative frameworks now available to qualitative researchers suggests a potential for pluralist study designs that are not widely employed at present. Drawing on doctoral research in the field of child protection, this paper explores the scope for combining two such frameworks: interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and critical discourse analysis (CDA). It is argued from a critical realist perspective that these methodologies pose different but complementary questions about a given research topic. Within an integrated study design, they can provide a dual lens with which to explore qualitative information, which is interpreted both as lived experience and discursive practice. Textual examples are used in order to show how separate sets of findings are generated using IPA and CDA, and how these may usefully inform each other. The paper proceeds to discuss some broader issues about how researchers produce and interpret qualitative information.
Impact of exercise on diurnal and nocturnal markers of glycaemic variability and oxidative stress in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance
Authors: Farabi Sarah S , Carley David W , Smith Donald , Quinn Lauretta
Published: May 2015

Objective:

We measured the effects of a single bout of exercise on diurnal and nocturnal oxidative stress and glycaemic variability in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance versus obese healthy controls.

Methods:

Subjects (in random order) performed either a single 30-min bout of moderate-intensity exercise or remained sedentary for 30 min at two separate visits. To quantify glycaemic variability, standard deviation of glucose (measured by continuous glucose monitoring system) and continuous overlapping net glycaemic action of 1-h intervals (CONGA-1) were calculated for three 12-h intervals during each visit. Oxidative stress was measured by 15-isoprostane F2t levels in urine collections for matching 12-h intervals.

Results:

Exercise reduced daytime glycaemic variability (ΔCONGA-1 = −12.62 ± 5.31 mg/dL, p = 0.04) and urinary isoprostanes (ΔCONGA-1 = −0.26 ± 0.12 ng/mg, p = 0.04) in the type 2 diabetes mellitus/impaired glucose tolerance group. Daytime exercise-induced change in urinary 15-isoprostane F2t was significantly correlated with both daytime standard deviation ( r = 0.68, p = 0.03) and with subsequent overnight standard deviation ( r = 0.73, p = 0.027) in the type 2 diabetes mellitus/impaired glucose tolerance group.

Conclusion:

Exercise significantly impacts the relationship between diurnal oxidative stress and nocturnal glycaemic variability in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus/impaired glucose tolerance.
Alternate Assessments as One Measure of Teacher Effectiveness
Authors: Kearns Jacqueline F. , Kleinert Harold L. , Thurlow Martha L. , Gong Brian , Quenemoen Rachel
Published: May 2015

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility requires states to develop and implement teacher effectiveness measures that consider student assessment results, including assessment results for students with disabilities participating in general and alternate assessments. We describe how alternate assessment results for students with significant cognitive disabilities could appropriately be used in teacher effectiveness measures. In addition, we discuss the unique parameters faced by teachers serving students with significant cognitive disabilities that may warrant a multiple measures approach to evaluating teacher effectiveness. Using one of the two national initiatives presently developing alternate assessments based on the Common Core State Standards as an example, we describe how these new assessments might be applied in measuring teacher effectiveness. Finally, we offer implications for both policy makers and practitioners in measuring teacher effectiveness for teachers serving students with significant cognitive disabilities participating in alternate assessments.
Lesion Characteristics of Individuals With Upper Limb Spasticity After Stroke
Authors: Cheung Daniel K. , Climans Seth A. , Black Sandra E. , Gao Fuqiang , Szilagyi Gregory M. , Mochizuki George
Published: May 2015

This study explores the relationship between lesion location and volume and upper limb spasticity after stroke. Ninety-seven stroke patients (51 with spasticity) were included in the analysis (age = 67.5 ± 13.3 years, 57 males). Lesions were traced from computed tomography and magnetic resonance images and coregistered to a symmetrical brain template. Lesion overlays from the nonspastic group were subtracted from the spastic group to determine the regions of the brain more commonly lesioned in spastic patients. Similar analysis was performed across groups of participants whose upper limb (elbow or wrist) Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score ranged from 1 (mild) to 4 (severe). Following subtraction analysis and Fisher’s exact test, the putamen was identified as the area most frequently lesioned in individuals with spasticity. More severe spasticity was associated with a higher lesion volume. This study establishes the neuroanatomical correlates of poststroke spasticity and describes the relationship between lesion characteristics and the severity of spasticity using mixed brain imaging modalities, including computed tomography imaging, which is more readily available to clinicians. Understanding the association between lesion location and volume with the development and severity of spasticity is an important first step toward predicting the development of spasticity after stroke. Such information could inform the implementation of intervention strategies during the recovery process to minimize the extent of impairment.
Suicide in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Athletes
Authors: Rao Ashwin L. , Asif Irfan M. , Drezner Jonathan A. , Toresdahl Brett G. , Harmon Kimberly G.
Published: May 2015

Background:

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has recently highlighted mental health concerns in student athletes, though the incidence of suicide among NCAA athletes is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of suicide among NCAA athletes.

Hypothesis:

The incidence of suicide in NCAA athletes differs by sex, race, sport, and division.

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

NCAA Memorial Resolutions list and published NCAA demographic data were used to identify student-athlete deaths and total participant seasons from 2003-2004 through 2011-2012. Deaths were analyzed by age, sex, race, division, and sport.

Results:

Over the 9-year study period, 35 cases of suicide were identified from a review of 477 student-athlete deaths during 3,773,309 individual participant seasons. The overall suicide rate was 0.93/100,000 per year. Suicide represented 7.3% (35/477) of all-cause mortality among NCAA student athletes. The annual incidence of suicide in male athletes was 1.35/100,000 and in female athletes was 0.37/100,000 (relative risk [RR], 3.7; P < 0.01). The incidence in African American athletes was 1.22/100,000 and in white athletes was 0.87/100,000 (RR, 1.4; P = 0.45). The highest rate of suicide occurred in men’s football (2.25/100,000), and football athletes had a relative risk of 2.2 ( P = 0.03) of committing suicide compared with other male, nonfootball athletes.

Conclusion:

The suicide rate in NCAA athletes appears to be lower than that of the general and collegiate population of similar age. NCAA male athletes have a significantly higher rate of suicide compared with female athletes, and football athletes appear to be at greatest risk.

Clinical Relevance:

Suicide represents a preventable cause of death, and development of effective prevention programs is recommended.
Availability and the Level of Implementation of Strategic Plans in Secondary Schools in Nandi County, Kenya
Authors: Sang Francis Kipkemboi , Kindiki Jonah Nyaga , Sang James K. , Rotich Gladys Jematia , Kipruto Keror
Published: May 2015

The need for performance-based management in Kenya has brought in itself changes in the approach of management of institutions. Strategic planning is very crucial in realization of this important management outlook. The purpose of this study was to establish availability and the level of implementation of strategic plans in schools in Nandi County. The study adopted a mixed-method design. The target population included district education officials, senior teachers, and principals of secondary schools. A sample of 322 respondents which form 16% of the population arrived at using Krejcie and Morgan Formula was used. The study sample comprised of 85 secondary school principals out of a population of 152 and 234 senior teachers out of 1,900, and all the 5 district education officers. The respondents were selected using purposive, proportionate, and simple random sampling technique, and the instruments for data collection were questionnaires and interview schedule. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendencies. The findings of this study revealed that majority of the secondary schools in Nandi County had no functional strategic plans to guide their respective schools to achieve their desired mission and vision; most of the plans in place are used in academic purposes, planning, and infrastructure development. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should train well all school managers in public secondary schools on strategic planning process. The study therefore amplifies the need for the government to streamline the strategic plan policy in view of expectations of Ministry of Education circular in strategic planning of 2003.
Supervisors’ Support for Nurses’ Meal Breaks and Mental Health
Authors: Hurtado David A. , Nelson Candace C. , Hashimoto Dean , Sorensen Glorian
Published: May 2015

Meal breaks promote occupational health and safety; however, less is known about supervisors’ support for nurses’ meal breaks. In this study, the researchers tested whether the frequency of meal breaks was positively related to supervisors’ support of nurses’ meal breaks, and whether more frequent meal breaks were associated with less psychological distress. This study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 1,595 hospital nurses working on 85 units supervised by nursing directors. Specific meal-break support was measured at the nursing director level; frequency of meal breaks and psychological distress were measured at the individual nurse level. Multilevel adjusted models showed a positive association between supervisors’ support for meal breaks and the frequency of nurses’ meal breaks (β = .16, p < .001). Moreover, nurses who took meal breaks more frequently reported lower psychological distress (β = −.09, p < .05). Meal breaks might be daily opportunities to promote mental health and fatigue recovery and provide downtime.
Effectiveness of a Neck Stretching Intervention on Nurses’ Primary Headaches
Authors: Lin Li-Ying , Wang Ruey-Hsia
Published: May 2015

This study examined the effects of a neck stretching exercise intervention on nurses’ primary headaches. Using a pretest and posttest two-group design, a total of 60 female staff nurses employed by a medical center in Taiwan were selected by convenience sampling. Participants in the experimental group ( N = 30) practiced neck stretching exercises while experiencing headaches. The participants in the control group ( N = 30) managed their headaches as usual. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on headache intensity at baseline, and at 30 minutes and 1 hour after intervention. Decrease in headache intensity of the experimental group was significantly larger than that of the control group. Neck stretching exercises is an effective method for treating primary headaches.