bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Website Content Features Using Retrospective Pretest Methodology
Authors: Mueller Christoph Emanuel
Published: April 2015

Background and Objectives:

In order to assess website content effectiveness (WCE), investigations have to be made into whether the reception of website contents leads to a change in the characteristics of website visitors or not. Because randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are not always the method of choice, researchers may have to follow other strategies such as using retrospective pretest methodology (RPM), a straightforward and easy-to-implement tool for estimating intervention effects. This article aims to introduce RPM in the context of website evaluation and test its viability under experimental conditions.

Method:

Building on the idea that RCTs deliver unbiased estimates of the true causal effects of website content reception, I compared the performance of RPM with that of an RCT within the same study. Hence, if RPM provides effect estimates similar to those of the RCT, it can be considered a viable tool for assessing the effectiveness of the website content features under study.

Results and Conclusions:

RPM was capable of delivering comparatively resilient estimates of the effects of a YouTube video and a text feature on knowledge and attitudes. With regard to all of the outcome variables considered, the differences between the sizes of the effects estimated by the RCT and RPM were not significant. Additionally, RPM delivered relatively accurate effect size estimates in most of the cases. Therefore, I conclude that RPM could be a viable alternative for assessing WCE in cases where RCTs are not the preferred method.
The Palestinian Middle Class in Rawabi
Authors: Grandinetti Tina
Published: April 2015

This article examines the neoliberal promotion of the idea of a Palestinian “middle class” that can lead to peace by transcending perceived Arab backwardness or irrationality through market logic and capitalist reasoning. The Palestinian city of Rawabi is used as a case study, as it is marketed as a middle-class city built with support from both Israeli and Arab businesses and as a project that will “eliminate radicals on both sides.” An analysis of the marketing rhetoric of Rawabi provides insight into the political and cultural subjectivities being articulated by this new middle class. Ultimately, while the middle-class ethos being cultivated by Rawabi views neoliberal capitalism and consumerism as a sign of modernity and a new form of resistance, it operates to depoliticize economic development under occupation, preclude alternative models for “resistance” economies, and make the occupation less costly, or even profitable, to Israeli and Palestinian elite.
Quality of life in primary headache disorders: A review
Authors: Abu Bakar Norazah , Tanprawate Surat , Lambru Giorgio , Torkamani Mariam , Jahanshahi Marjan , Matharu Manjit
Published: April 2015

Background

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is emerging as an important element of clinical research in primary headache disorders, allowing a measure of the impact of headache on patients’ well-being and daily life. A better understanding of this may contribute to improved resource allocations and treatment approaches.

Objective

The objective of this study is to review available data on HRQoL in primary headache disorders and identify any influencing factors.

Methods

Database searches including MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE were performed. Studies that investigated HRQoL in patients with primary headache disorders were included and reviewed. Trials that evaluated the efficacy of medications or interventions were excluded.

Results

A total of 80 articles were included in the review. Both physical and emotional/mental aspects of HRQoL were impaired across headache subtypes, although the extent varied depending on headache type. A number of factors influencing HRQoL were also identified.

Conclusion

This narrative review suggests that headache, particularly in its chronic form, has a great impact on HRQoL. Clinical practice should not solely focus on pain alleviation but rather adopt routine assessment of HRQoL. Furthermore, identification and management of associated psychological comorbidities, which can significantly influence HRQoL in headache sufferers, are essential for optimal clinical management.
Reduced functional connectivity between salience and visual networks in migraine with aura
Authors: Niddam David M , Lai Kuan-Lin , Fuh Jong-Ling , Chuang Chih-Ying Naomi , Chen Wei-Ta , Wang Shuu-Jiun
Published: April 2015

Background

Migraine with visual aura (MA) is associated with distinct visual disturbances preceding migraine attacks, but shares other visual deficits in between attacks with migraine without aura (MO). Here, we seek to determine if abnormalities specific to interictal MA patients exist in functional brain connectivity of intrinsic cognitive networks. In particular, these networks are involved in top-down modulation of visual processing.

Methods

Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, whole-brain functional connectivity maps were derived from seeds placed in the anterior insula and the middle frontal gyrus, key nodes of the salience and dorsal attention networks, respectively. Twenty-six interictal MA patients were compared with 26 matched MO patients and 26 healthy matched controls.

Results

The major findings were: connectivity between the anterior insula and occipital areas, including area V3A, was reduced in MA but not in MO. Connectivity changes between the anterior insula and occipital areas further correlated with the headache severity in MA only.

Conclusions

The unique pattern of connectivity changes found in interictal MA patients involved area V3A, an area previously implicated in aura generation. Hypoconnectivity to this and other occipital regions may either represent a compensatory response to occipital dysfunctions or predispose MA patients to the development of aura.
Challenging the Status Quo
Authors: Curtin Nicola , Stewart Abigail J. , Cole Elizabeth R.
Published: April 2015

Intersectionality theory is increasingly seen as a valuable tool for understanding and contextualizing the complexity of individual lives. However, psychologists have generally focused on intersectionality as defining a social location rather than as an individual difference that affects social attitudes and behavior. Using secondary data analyses from three separate studies, we examined the antecedents and implications of intersectional awareness (IA), or an understanding of structural inequality from an intersectional perspective. Data from Study 1 were used to establish construct validity and test the relationship between IA and activism in a student sample. Study 2 was a limited replication of Study 1 using a non-student sample. Finally, Study 3 examined the longitudinal relationship between IA and pro-social attitudes toward out-groups as well as the intention to be politically engaged. In this third study, IA was related to basic personality traits, beliefs about the social status quo, pro-social attitudes toward out-groups, intentions to be active, and activism but was unrelated to changes in pro-social attitudes toward out-groups or intentions to be active over time. We discuss how IA can help explain why people may reject prejudicial attitudes and social inequalities as well as when they may engage in collective action.
Two Views on Urban Revolution
Authors: de Kadt Maarten
Published: April 2015

The word “revolution” is used very differently by Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley in their mainstream liberal work as opposed to the way David Harvey uses the word in his book where he advocates for a revolution by moving decision making away from the elite class currently in control to working people currently subject to those decisions. Both works see urban centers as loci of change. Both want very different changes.
Race, Skin Tone, and Educational Achievement
Authors: Thompson Maxine S. , McDonald Steve
Published: April 2015

Research on skin-tone bias has focused primarily on intraracial inequality with little attention to skin-tone inequality across ethnoracial groups. We engage the debate over the color line by considering the independent, simultaneous, and interactive impacts of skin tone and self-identified race on educational performance. Analyses of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement (AHAA) data show significant skin-tone differences in grade point average (GPA) both across and within racial groups, with darker skinned tone individuals receiving significantly lower grades than their lighter skinned tone counterparts. Net of controls, skin-tone differences in GPA are essentially flat among African Americans but are notably stronger among other race/ethnic groups. These findings highlight the interplay between racial categorization and colorism by revealing the categorical disadvantage of racial stigma versus the more fluid colorism boundaries of nonblack groups.
Plasma-electrochemical deposition of porous zirconia on titanium-based dental material and in vitro interactions with primary osteoblasts cells
Authors: Kaluđerović Milena R , Schreckenbach Joachim P , Graf Hans-Ludwig
Published: April 2015

Three new porous zirconia-coated titanium materials using anodic plasma-electrochemical oxidation have been fabricated and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis and X-ray diffraction. These ZrO2/TiO2 surfaces contained up to 43 wt% of ZrO2, 49 wt% TiO2 (M1–M3) and 8 wt% P2O5 (M2, M3). Zirconium titanate was detected as dominant microcrystalline phase. Primary human osteoblast cells were used for in vitro investigations. Cell proliferation and immunohistochemical analyses of morphology and expression of bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin were performed. Novel coatings M2 and M3 were shown to induce proliferation and expression of osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein to the extent comparable to that of Ticer, a material already employed in clinical practice.
Depressive Symptoms in College Women
Authors: Al-Modallal Hanan
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the cumulative effect of childhood and adulthood violence on depressive symptoms in a sample of Jordanian college women. Snowball sampling technique was used to recruit the participants. The participants were heterosexual college-aged women between the ages of 18 and 25. The participants were asked about their experiences of childhood violence (including physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and witnessing parental violence), partner violence (including physical partner violence and sexual partner violence), experiences of depressive symptoms, and about other demographic and familial factors as possible predictors for their complaints of depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression analysis was implemented to identify demographic- and violence-related predictors of their complainants of depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis was further performed to identify possible type(s) of violence associated with the increased risk of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in this sample was 47.4%. For the violence experience, witnessing parental violence was the most common during childhood, experienced by 40 (41.2%) women, and physical partner violence was the most common in adulthood, experienced by 35 (36.1%) women. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that experiencing two types of violence (regardless of the time of occurrence) was significant in predicting depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 3.45, p < .05). Among college women’s demographic characteristics, marital status (single vs. engaged), mothers’ level of education, income, and smoking were significant in predicting depressive symptoms. Assessment of physical violence and depressive symptoms including the cumulative impact of longer periods of violence on depressive symptoms is recommended to be explored in future studies.
Re-Evaluating Sexual Violence Prevention Through Bystander Education
Authors: Shaw Jessica , Janulis Patrick
Published: April 2015

Recently, there has been a call for more advanced analytic techniques in violence against women research, particularly in community interventions that use longitudinal designs. The current study re-evaluates experimental evaluation data from a sexual violence bystander intervention program. Using an exploratory latent growth curve approach, we were able to model the longitudinal growth trajectories of individual participants over the course of the entire study. Although the results largely confirm the original evaluation findings, the latent growth curve approach better fits the demands of “messy” data (e.g., missing data, varying number of time points per participant, and unequal time spacing within and between participants) that are frequently obtained during a community-based intervention. The benefits of modern statistical techniques to practitioners and researchers in the field of sexual violence prevention, and violence against women more generally, are further discussed.
Short- and Mid-Term Effects of Violent Victimization on Delinquency
Authors: Kim Young S. , Lo Celia C.
Published: April 2015

The present study investigates how adolescents’ experiences of violent victimization exert short- and mid-term effects on their involvement in delinquency. The study compares and contrasts delinquency trajectories of youths whose experiences of violent victimization differ. A multilevel growth-curve modeling approach is applied to analyze data from five waves of the National Youth Survey. The results show that, although delinquency involvement increases as youths experience violent victimization, delinquency trajectories differ with the type of violent victimization, specifically, parental versus non-parental victimization. Violent victimization by parents produced a sharp initial decline in delinquency (short-term effect) followed by a rapid acceleration (mid-term effect). In turn, non-parental violence showed a stable trend over time. The findings have important implications for prevention and treatment services.
Perceived High-Performance Work Systems and Subjective Well-Being
Authors: Carvalho Vânia Sofia , Chambel Maria José
Published: April 2015

Perceived high-performance work systems (HPWS) have presented mixed results related to subjective well-being. Additionally, there remains a lack of an integrative analysis of the relationship between work–family balance and these practices. To explore this relationship more fully, we developed and tested a model that proposed work–family balance and well-being at work as mediators. Data gathered from 218 participants employed in a city council with different occupations indicated a positive relationship between perceived HPWS and work-to-family enrichment and a negative relationship between perceived HPWS and work-to-family conflict. More interestingly, based on Conservation of Resources theory and on Job-Demands Resources, the results also indicated the presence of a serial mediation model where work–family balance and well-being at work act as mediators of perceived HPWS and subjective well-being.
Resistance to teamworking in a UK research and development laboratory
Authors: Thursfield Denise
Published: April 2015

This article presents an ethnographic exploration of resistance to teamworking in a UK research and development laboratory named RDL. It focuses on the nature of autonomy and responsibility and the implications for resistance. It finds that resistance is shaped by the laboratory technicians’ individualistic interactions with technology, the laboratory layout and the technicians’ desire for personal task-related autonomy and individual responsibility rather than team-based accountability. However, although resistance is linked to an individualistic interpretation of work it is supported by collective collusion. The article also finds that resistance is not necessarily anti-work. It is simultaneously oriented towards the interests of the company and individual technicians through the technicians’ desire to perform their job well. Finally, the article demonstrates the local and constructed nature of resistance.
Does adult education contribute to securing non-precarious employment? A cross-national comparison
Authors: Vono de Vilhena Daniela , Kosyakova Yuliya , Kilpi-Jakonen Elina , McMullin Patricia
Published: April 2015

The objective of this article is to analyse the effect of acquiring a new formal qualification as an adult (measured as an upgrade or a side-step) on the likelihood of being in non-precarious employment. Three countries with similar longitudinal datasets are compared: Spain, the UK and Russia. The results indicate that adult education is beneficial in the three countries; with differences, however, depending on the definition of precarious employment used and the (previous) employment status of individuals. The findings suggest that the differences among countries are related to different labour market structures: adult education has a clearer beneficial impact on accessing and remaining in non-precarious employment in more flexible employment systems than in more rigid insider-outsider economies, where labour trajectories are strongly determined by what happens during the first years after school.
The ideal worker as real abstraction: labour conflict and subjectivity in nursing
Authors: Granberg Magnus
Published: April 2015

The article interrogates the significance of the ideal nurse as an ideal worker in a context of labour conflict, using interview material from a study of an episode of conflict ending in the collective resignation of a group of nurses from a Swedish hospital ward. It puts forward the thesis that this ideal worker is best understood as an abstraction that ‘achieves practical truth’, that is, as a hypostasized practice or a ‘real abstraction’. Hence, this management ideology exceeds strictly discursive dimensions. The analysis points to an enactment at the level of work practice prior to any explicit articulation of this ideology. Analysis attends to positioning on collective action, the identity work this positioning entailed and the ‘truth’ of nursing summoned therein, pointing to the ubiquity of the ideal worker in nursing along with its practical enactment.
‘Yes Chef’: life at the vanguard of culinary excellence
Authors: Burrow Robin , Smith John , Yakinthou Christalla
Published: April 2015

This article foregrounds the experiences of a young chef (‘John’) during the early years of his career in the fine dining industry. His descriptions paint a vivid picture of life as an elite chef, which is thrilling, exciting and rewarding, but also mundane, degrading and dehumanizing. The environment John describes is characterized by strong ideologies and him working hard to align himself with a highly gendered (often fantastical) image of what it means to be a haute cuisine chef. John’s narrative informs our understanding of what life is like for this small and rarely studied occupational group. In particular readers gain a detailed, candid and thought-provoking insight into extreme cultures of commitment and practice. John tells us how workers are socialized into accepting, adopting and propagating extreme workplace behaviour. This account speaks to a long-standing interest in extreme workplace practice and commitment, identity regulation and masculinity at work.
The health and well-being of bankers following downsizing: a comparison of stayers and leavers
Authors: Snorradóttir Ásta , Tómasson Kristinn , Vilhjálmsson Rúnar , Rafnsdóttir Guðbjörg Linda
Published: April 2015

Following the sudden and unprecedented collapse of Icelandic banks during the recent economic recession, 20 per cent of bank employees were laid off. This nation-wide study compared the health and well-being of university-educated stayers and leavers following the downsizing of the banks and took into account labour market trajectories among the leavers following downsizing and job insecurity among the stayers. Results indicate a clear difference for the stayers and leavers on all outcomes of health and well-being, indicating that stayers fare worse than leavers in the early aftermath of downsizing. Overall, those male and female leavers who had found steady employment and male leavers with temporary employment fared the best of all groups. Of all the groups in this study, insecure stayers are the group of employees that experiences the lowest well-being and worst health.
‘Flexible’ workers for ‘flexible’ jobs? The labour market function of A8 migrant labour in the UK
Authors: McCollum David , Findlay Allan
Published: April 2015

There is considerable academic and policy interest in how immigrants fare in the labour market of their host economy. This research is situated within these debates and explores the nexus between migrant labour and segmented labour markets. Specifically the analysis focuses on East-Central Europeans in Britain: a sizeable cohort of largely economic and recent migrants. A large quantity of interviews with low-wage employers and recruiters is used to examine the role served by East-Central European migrant labour in the UK labour market, to question whether this function is distinct from conventional understandings of the function of migrant labour and to explore how employer practices and other processes ‘produce’ these employment relations. Based on the findings from this approach, an argument is developed which contends that the ready availability of a well perceived cohort of migrant labour has sustained and extended flexible labour market structures towards the bottom end of the labour market.
Extended state observer based impact angle constrained guidance law for maneuvering target interception
Authors: Xiong Shaofeng , Wang Weihong , Song Siyang , Wang Sen , Lai Chao
Published: April 2015

In this paper, a nonsingular, essentially continuous and finite-time convergent impact angle constrained guidance law for intercepting stationary, constant speed, and maneuvering targets is developed using advanced terminal sliding mode control schemes and extended state observer. In order to achieve the specified intercept angle in finite time without singularity, the nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control algorithm is employed to construct sliding surface. The fast terminal sliding mode control technique is used to establish the reaching law, so the system trajectory converges quickly from initial state to the switching surface in the whole reaching phase and the proposed guidance law is essentially continuous. Noticing the interception of a maneuvering target, the unknown target acceleration is estimated and compensated using extended state observer. Due to its inherent attribute of singularity-free, continuity, and faster convergence rate, no approximation is necessary in the implementation of the proposed guidance law, so better tracking accuracy of the desired intercept angle in a shorter time with a smoother guidance command can be guaranteed compared with conventional terminal sliding mode guidance law. A large number of numerical simulations are implemented to justify the effectiveness of the proposed guidance law.
Chorioamnionitis in pregnancy: a comparative study of HIV-positive and HIV-negative parturients
Authors: Ocheke Amaka N , Agaba Patricia A , Imade Godwin E , Silas Olugbenga A , Ajetunmobi Olanrewaju I , Echejoh Godwins , Ekere Clement , Sendht Ayuba , Bitrus James , Agaba Emmanuel I , Sagay Atiene S
Published: April 2015

Chorioamnionitis is an important risk factor for vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS. We compared the prevalence and correlates of histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) in HIV-positive and HIV-negative pregnant women. HIV-positive and -negative parturients were interviewed, examined and had their placentas examined histologically for chorioamnionitis. Data regarding HIV were also retrieved from their hospital records. A total of 298 parturients (150 HIV positive and 148 HIV negative) were enrolled. The two groups were similar in socio-demographic and obstetric parameters except for age. The prevalence of HCA was 57.1% in HIV-positive women and 61.6% in HIV-negative women ( p = 0.43). HCA staging was associated with the number of intrapartum vaginal examinations in HIV-positive subjects and nulliparity in HIV-negative subjects. The number of intrapartum vaginal examinations and coitus in the week prior to delivery significantly affected the grade of HCA in HIV-negative subjects. The prevalence of HCA in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative is high. Most variables did not affect the occurrence of HCA in both groups studied except number of intrapartum examinations, coitus in the preceding one week and nulliparity, which were related to severity of the disease.
Perceived Stigmatization, Resilience, and Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm Among Children of Parents Living With HIV
Authors: Chi Peilian , Slatcher Richard B. , Li Xiaoming , Zhao Junfeng , Zhao Guoxiang , Ren Xuequn , Zhu Jianfeng , Stanton Bonita
Published: April 2015

Stigmatization often puts at risk the health and well-being of children from marginalized groups. One potential protective factor for such children is resilience—one’s capability to adapt flexibly, persistently, and resourcefully to stressful situations. In this study, we investigated the associations among stigmatization, resilience, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in a sample of 645 youths affected by parents infected with HIV. Perceived stigmatization was associated with lower cortisol levels at awakening and flatter cortisol slopes, whereas resilience was independently associated with higher levels of salivary cortisol at awakening and steeper cortisol slopes. We found evidence for an indirect effect of resilience on diurnal cortisol through lower perceived stigmatization. These associations remained significant after we controlled for demographic and health factors and stressful life events. Our findings demonstrate that perceived stigmatization and resilience are associated with HPA-axis functioning in childhood. Broadly, the data suggest that resilience-promoting and stigma-reducing efforts should be considered to improve the health of children from disadvantaged groups.
Retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thinning in systemic lupus erythematosus: an optical coherence tomography study comparing SLE and neuropsychiatric SLE
Authors: Liu G Y , Utset T O , Bernard J T
Published: April 2015

Objective

Due to the lack of reliable biomarkers in diagnosing and monitoring neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE), the aim of this study was to examine the utility of measurements obtained through spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) as a biomarker for NP involvement in SLE.

Methods

Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macula scans were performed using SD-OCT on 15 NPSLE patients, 16 SLE patients without NP symptoms (non-NP SLE), and 16 healthy controls. Macular volume and thickness of the central macula and peripapillary RNFL were compared between the groups and to scores on two validated cognitive tests.

Results

NPSLE patients did not differ significantly from non-NP SLE patients in retinal thickness or macular volume. However, SLE patients as a whole showed significant RNFL and macular thinning compared to controls. Scores on the Trail Making Test B, a test of complex attention, showed significant correlation to temporal superior and temporal inferior RNFL thickness.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate RNFL thinning in SLE, and confirm the previous finding of high incidence of abnormal brain scans in SLE. These findings suggest that OCT measurements may be indicative of neurodegeneration in SLE and may be a useful biomarker for early cognitive impairment in SLE.
Open-ended tasks and time discipline
Authors: van Wijk Gilles
Published: April 2015

This paper uses data from the healthcare sector to explore how clock time organization influences therapeutic performance. The case of a pediatric physiotherapist offers an important opportunity to examine how clock time, mediated by a variety of organizational and social systems, imposes limitations to the individual activity, in terms of learning, experimenting, and innovating. Social, cultural, institutional, and organizational layers have developed around this universal time reference. They impose an in-depth and taken for granted time discipline on organizational actors. The job of the physiotherapist conflicts with this clock time discipline when she has to respond to the evolving needs of her patients. Based on her expertise, the therapist decides on the necessary care, including duration and frequency of treatment. The measured time allocation imposed by the healthcare system and the time-based reward system generate pressure on, and interfere with, the unfolding activity. The study illustrates how the therapist escapes these multiple constraints and how this enables her to focus on the therapeutic acts. Taking the therapeutic process as temporal reference reveals the impact of clock time discipline on the unfolding therapeutic activity. I conclude that open-ended activities are inhibited and distorted by this socially constructed time not only because they cannot unfold but also because the temporal framing prevents deliberation and initiative.
A fine education but no “bluestocking”: Harriett Amies, pioneer female accounting professional
Authors: Hronsky Jane JF , Burrows Geoffrey H , Cobbin Phillip E
Published: April 2015

Harriett Amies (1907–2006) was the first female Bachelor of Commerce graduate of the University of Melbourne and the first female to qualify for membership of an accounting professional body in Victoria largely on the basis of tertiary qualifications. Her career encompassed teaching and accounting, as well as army service during World War II. In a last altruistic gesture, she donated her body to the Department of Anatomy at the University of Melbourne, coming full circle back to her alma mater. Her life and career spanned almost a century, one in which women went from almost no presence in the public arenas of universities and the professions, to almost equal representation in numbers of students and members. A narrative and interpretive approach to the life and career of Harriett Amies contributes to the literature on gender and accounting history, including the social construction of the accounting professional and women’s economic self-determination.
Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale
Authors: Gözüm Sebahat , Tuzcu Ayla , Kirca Nurcan
Published: April 2015

Purpose: Measuring the cultural competence of nurses is becoming an increasingly important aspect to assess the quality care for individuals in multicultural populations such as Turkey. The purpose is to adapt the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale (NCCS) into the Turkish language and to determine its validity and reliability. Design: A total of 235 nurses were included in the methodological study in Antalya, Turkey. The NCCS-Turkish (NCCS-T) form was used after linguistics and psychometric measurements. Results: Cronbach’s α value was .96, which demonstrated high reliability, and item–total correlations were between .66 and .81.Test–retest reliability correlation was .90. The content validity index was .98, and the 20 items of the NCCS-T loading on one factor varied between .70 and .83, explaining 59.02% of the variance. Conclusions: Psychometric properties of the NCCS-T were highly reliable and valid. Implications for Practice: The scale can be used in the cross-cultural studies to compare nurses’ cultural competency.
Enhancing Collaborative Leadership Among Parents of Children With Disabilities
Authors: Shepherd Katharine G. , Kervick Colby T.
Published: April 2015

Parent involvement and leadership have evolved over time and carry different meanings within various educational contexts in the United States. In special education, parent involvement includes the roles that parents of children with disabilities play in the development of their children’s Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), as well as in leadership and policy development and evaluation. In spite of the purported benefits of parent leadership in educational planning and policy, little research has been conducted on models that intentionally build critical skills and leadership opportunities among parents of children with disabilities. This article describes results associated with a leadership development project known as “Parents as Collaborative Leaders” (PACL) in which parents from across the United States participated in a leadership curriculum and individualized internship experiences at the local, state, and national levels. Participants reported a number of positive outcomes, including skills and experiences gained through curriculum and internship experiences, increased participation in leadership and policy activities, increased networking and relationships, and a sense of leading for a larger purpose. The article describes the development and implementation of the PACL model, outcomes associated with a subset of participants, and implications for policy and practice.
Mixed Methods Research
Authors: Hesse-Biber Sharlene
Published: April 2015

Contemporary mixed methods research (MMR) veers away from a “loosely bounded” to a “bounded” concept that has important negative implications for how qualitatively driven mixed methods approaches are positioned in the field of mixed methods and overall innovation in the praxis of MMR. I deploy the concept of reification defined as taking an object/abstraction and treating it as if it were real such that it takes on the quality of “thing-ness,” having a concrete independent existence. I argue that the contemporary reification of mixed methods as a “thing” is fueled by three interrelated factors: (a) the growing formalization of mixed methods as design, (b) the unexamined belief in the “synergy” of mixed methods and, (c) the deployment of a “practical pragmatism” as the “philosophical partner” for mixed methods inquiry.
A numerical study on dynamic shear rupture along frictional faults
Authors: Xu Dandan , Liu Zhanli , Liu Xiaoming , Zhuang Zhuo
Published: April 2015

The Wenchuan earthquake (Sichuan province, China, 2008) was caused by the dynamic rupture of Longmen Mountain fault. Such catastrophic disaster had led to a huge damage of life as well as major economic loss. The Longmen Mountain fault consisted of three faults with complex geometries, which gathered together as a main fault underground. The dynamic shear ruptures along the faults including bends and branches are frequently observed during earthquakes. In this study, the finite element method (FEM) is adopted to simulate the dynamic ruptures along both straight and branched faults, which are considered as frictional interfaces. A slip-weakening friction law is used to describe the interface behavior along faults. For the straight fault, the effects of pre-stress state and nucleation parameters on the dynamic shear rupture process are investigated; for the branched faults, the effects of pre-stress state and fault geometry on the rupture path selection are presented. The results are used to explain the rupture mechanism of Longmen Mountain fault during the earthquake.
Mechanism of Deep Brain Stimulation
Authors: Chiken Satomi , Nambu Atsushi
Published: April 2015

Deep brain stimulation (DBS), applying high-frequency electrical stimulation to deep brain structures, has now provided an effective therapeutic option for treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. DBS targeting the internal segment of the globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus, and thalamus is used to treat symptoms of movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, and tremor. However, the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of DBS remains poorly understood and is still under debate: Does DBS inhibit or excite local neuronal elements? In this short review, we would like to introduce our recent work on the physiological mechanism of DBS and propose an alternative explanation: DBS dissociates input and output signals, resulting in the disruption of abnormal information flow through the stimulation site.
Once daily versus twice daily enoxaparin for acute pulmonary embolism in cancer patients
Authors: King Amber C , Ma Maggie Q , Chisholm Gary , Toale Katy M
Published: April 2015

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a thrombus occludes the vasculature. The incidence of VTE in cancer patients is three times higher than that of the general population. Enoxaparin 1 mg/kg subcutaneously (SC) twice daily and enoxaparin 1.5 mg/kg SC once daily are both FDA-approved dosing regimens for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE). The objectives of this study were to assess outcomes of cancer patients treated with once or twice daily enoxaparin for acute PE. Primary outcomes included recurrent or worsening PE and secondary outcomes included mortality or signs of clinically overt, major bleeding.

Methods

This study was a retrospective chart review of adult cancer patients treated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2011 to 2013 who received either 1 mg/kg twice daily or 1.5 mg/kg once daily enoxaparin for acute PE upon discharge.

Results

Among 48 patients in each the twice daily and once daily group, six recurrent PEs occurred. The incidence of recurrent PE was higher in the once daily group ( n = 4) versus twice daily group ( n = 2). More major bleeding events occurred in the once daily group than the twice daily group (15% vs. 6%). Mortality at 6 months was higher in the twice daily group versus once daily group (13% vs. 6%).

Conclusion

Cancer patients receiving once daily enoxaparin for the treatment of acute PE may be at increased risk of recurrent PE and clinically overt bleeding. Larger randomized trials are needed to confirm the results of this study.
Effects of high hydrostatic pressure and temperature increase on Escherichia coli spp. and pectin methyl esterase inactivation in orange juice
Authors: Torres EF , González-M G , Klotz B , Rodrigo D
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure treatment combined with moderate processing temperatures (25 ℃–50 ℃) on the inactivation of Escherichia coli O157: H7 (ATCC 700728), E. coli K12 (ATCC 23716), and pectin methyl esterase in orange juice, using pressures of 250 to 500 MPa with times ranging between 1 and 30 min. Loss of viability of E. coli O157:H7 increased significantly as pressure and treatment time increased, achieving a 6.5 log cycle reduction at 400 MPa for 3 min at 25 ℃ of treatment. With regard to the inactivation of pectin methyl esterase, the greatest reduction obtained was 90.05 ± 0.01% at 50 ℃ and 500 MPa of pressure for 15 min; therefore, the pectin methyl esterase enzyme was highly resistant to the treatments by high hydrostatic pressure. The results obtained in this study showed a synergistic effect between the high pressure and moderate temperatures in inactivating E. coli cells.
Dimensions and basic emotions
Authors: Pelegrín-Borondo Jorge , Juaneda-Ayensa Emma , González-Menorca Leonor , González-Menorca Carlos
Published: April 2015

Emotions are crucial to explaining consumer behavior. Following an in-depth review of the literature, we identified three types of emotional stimuli affecting consumers: emotions produced by the item being purchased, emotions related to various aspects of the evaluation process, and emotions stemming from factors unrelated to the purchase itself. Previous studies have identified two approaches to analyzing emotions, namely, a categorical approach, which looks at basic emotions, and a dimensional one, which studies the dimensions of the emotions. Although these approaches are thought to be complementary, very few studies have been conducted on the subject, and none have specifically examined it in the context of the tourism industry. We have thus conducted a detailed and empirical study measuring the basic emotions and emotional dimensions elicited by hotels in 841 tourists. We demonstrate the existence of differences in both basic emotions and emotional dimensions among tourists and the additional benefit of using both approaches to study them. The results of this research will facilitate the design of appropriate marketing strategies, thereby helping hospitality managers adapt to the different established tourism segments defined by emotions.
Factors influencing physicians’ knowledge sharing on web medical forums
Authors: Lin Tung Cheng , Lai Ming Cheng , Yang Shu Wen
Published: April 2015

Web medical forums are relatively unique as knowledge-sharing platforms because physicians participate exclusively as knowledge contributors and not as knowledge recipients. Using the perspective of social exchange theory and considering both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, this study aims to elicit the factors that significantly influence the willingness of physicians to share professional knowledge on web medical forums and develops a research model to explore the motivations that underlie physicians’ knowledge-sharing attitudes. This model hypothesizes that constructs, including shared vision, reputation, altruism, and self-efficacy, positively influence these attitudes and, by extension, positively impact knowledge-sharing intention. A conventional sampling method and the direct recruitment of physicians at their outpatient clinic gathered valid data from a total of 164 physicians for analysis in the model. The empirical results support the validity of the proposed model and identified shared vision as the most significant factor of influence on knowledge-sharing attitudes, followed in descending order by knowledge-sharing self-efficacy, reputation, and altruism.
A novel intelligent software-based approach to predict forces and delamination during drilling of fiber-reinforced plastics
Authors: Dhawan Vikas , Debnath Kishore , Singh Inderdeep , Singh Sehijpal
Published: April 2015

Drilling of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) results in drilling-induced damage which leads to reduced part life and extensive part rejection. Thus far, there exists no standard handbook or knowledge-based tool that can predict drilling-induced forces and damage. Therefore, the present research initiative is an attempt to develop a software tool based on artificial intelligence which can predict drilling-induced thrust force, torque and delamination factor during drilling of FRPs. The developed intelligent software has a friendly graphic user interface (GUI). The user just interacts through the GUI and fills the input choices, and upon execution, the software predicts the drilling forces and delamination factor. In order to generate the database for the software, drilling experiments have been performed in two different types of composite materials with four different types of drill point geometries of two distinct diameters. The drilling of composite laminate has been conducted at three different levels of spindle speed and feed rate. The software results are based on three different artificial intelligence techniques namely artificial neural network (ANN), fuzzy logic (FL) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The values of thrust force, torque and delamination factor for given inputs predicted by the developed tool are in close agreement with the experimental values.
Foster caregiver insightfulness and emotional investment in foster children
Authors: Koren-Karie Nina , Markman-Gefen Raanan
Published: April 2015

The study examined foster caregivers’ insightfulness ( Oppenheim & Koren-Karie, 2009 ) and emotional investment ( Bates & Dozier, 2002 ) in a sample of foster caregivers living in family group homes. Thirty caregivers were observed with two of the several children under their care: one identified by the social worker of the family group home as the most challenging child in the home, and one identified as the least challenging one. Study questions focused on the correlation between children’s levels of challenging behaviors and their foster caregivers’ insightfulness and emotional investment.

Findings

Results suggest that children’s challenging behaviors are associated with their caregivers’ emotional investment but not with their insightfulness. Caregivers tended to show similar patterns of insightfulness toward both easy and challenging children, but tended to show higher emotional investment in easy children than in more challenging ones.

Applications

The results demonstrate the complexity of foster parenting and the need to include both insightfulness and emotional investment in the supervision and training of foster parents.
Job search methods and immigrant earnings: A longitudinal analysis of the role of bridging social capital
Authors: Lancee Bram
Published: April 2015

This paper analyses how finding a new job affects the earnings of immigrants. I hypothesize that job changes are more successful for individuals who have access to bridging social capital. Using data from the German Socio-economic Panel (1996–2011), fixed-effects models show that finding a new job results in higher earnings only when immigrants have both native German friends and high levels of human capital. The effect is, however, not dependent on the search method: both formal (advertisement, employment agency), and informal search methods (referrals via friends) result in higher earnings. The presented evidence shows that bridging social capital can be activated and converted into a better position on the labour market. However, the effect of contact with natives is limited to those who are higher educated, or who have good German language proficiency, suggesting that only those individuals who are better off already profit from bridging social capital.
A systematic material selection process applied to a luminaire diffuser
Authors: Javierre C , Elduque D , Camañes VM , Cuartero J
Published: April 2015

This paper presents a systematic material selection process for technical, environmental and economic criteria. This methodology has been applied to the design of a weatherproof luminaire. The materials selected for the production of this diffuser were characterised to obtain their mechanical properties and to perform exhaustive research on impact analysis by means of finite element modelling. Also an economic analysis and an ecological impact assessment have been performed. Thanks to this working methodology, a final design of the diffuser has been developed having the optimum thickness to achieve the mechanical specifications and minimise the environmental impact and the cost of the diffuser.
Scenes from an Imaginary Country
Authors: Mulvin Dylan , Sterne Jonathan
Published: April 2015

American analog color television—so-called NTSC color—is likely the most pervasive image standard of the twentieth century, yet it is infamous for its technical shortcomings. Through a history and analysis of the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard, this article argues that the political presuppositions of engineers shaped the representational capacities of television for nearly sixty years. In particular, the test images used to develop a perceptually satisfying image evince assumptions of a leisurely and white United States as the “normal” subject matter of television. In this way, test materials coalesce abstract assumptions about the normal and the exceptional at the level of both form and content. This article concludes that NTSC color served as a model for how normed cultural sensibilities about image quality, perceptual ability, and the representational imaginary have been built into subsequent technical standards. A Scalar version of this paper, with more pictures, is available at http://colortvstandards.net