bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Costs and readmission rates for the resection of primary and metastatic spinal tumors: a comparative analysis of 181 patients
Authors: Lau Darryl , Chan Andrew K. , Theologis Alexander A. , Chou Dean , Mummaneni Praveen V. , Burch Shane , Berven Sigurd , Deviren Vedat , Ames Christopher
Published: April 2016

OBJECTIVE

Because the surgical strategies for primary and metastatic spinal tumors are different, the respective associated costs and morbidities associated with those treatments likely vary. This study compares the direct costs and 90-day readmission rates between the resection of extradural metastatic and primary spinal tumors. The factors associated with cost and readmission are identified.

METHODS

Adults (age 18 years or older) who underwent the resection of spinal tumors between 2008 and 2013 were included in the study. Patients with intradural tumors were excluded. The direct costs of index hospitalization and 90-day readmission hospitalization were evaluated. The direct costs were compared between patients who were treated surgically for primary and metastatic spinal tumors. The independent factors associated with costs and readmissions were identified using multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 181 patients with spinal tumors were included (63 primary and 118 metastatic tumors). Overall, the mean index hospital admission cost for the surgical management of spinal tumors was $52,083. There was no significant difference in the cost of hospitalization between primary ($55,801) and metastatic ($50,098) tumors (p = 0.426). The independent factors associated with higher cost were male sex (p = 0.032), preoperative inability to ambulate (p = 0.002), having more than 3 comorbidities (p = 0.037), undergoing corpectomy (p = 0.021), instrumentation greater than 7 levels (p < 0.001), combined anterior-posterior approach (p < 0.001), presence of a perioperative complication (p < 0.001), and longer hospital stay (p < 0.001). The perioperative complication rate was 21.0%. Of this cohort, 11.6% of patients were readmitted within 90 days, and the mean hospitalization cost of that readmission was $20,078. Readmission rates after surgical treatment for primary and metastatic tumors were similar (11.1% vs 11.9%, respectively) (p = 0.880). Prior hospital stay greater than 15 days (OR 6.62, p = 0.016) and diagnosis of lung metastasis (OR 52.99, p = 0.007) were independent predictors of readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary and metastatic spinal tumors are comparable with regard to the direct costs of the index surgical hospitalization and readmission rate within 90 days. The factors independently associated with costs are related to preoperative health status, type and complexity of surgery, and postoperative course.
The Other Industrial Art: Deleuze, Cinema, Affect and Sport
Authors: McMahon Melissa
Published: April 2016

The emergence of cinema in the nineteenth century was contemporaneous with the rise of modern sports, both popular spectacles connected with the industrial revolution. Deleuze sees film in his Cinema books as the aesthetic expression of a specifically modern understanding of movement, in contrast to the science and philosophy of antiquity. This article uses Deleuze's analysis of cinema to characterise the aesthetic of modern sports as another ‘industrial art’ with a similarly innovative approach to space, time and movement. It also shows how the aesthetic impact of a sporting match is aligned with the dimensions of Deleuze's ‘affection-image’ in cinema, which frames the world as a ‘face’ divided between absorption and agitation.
The Convergence of Dancing and Drawing Practices in the Reign of Louis XIV: Costume Designs from the Edmond de Rothschild Collection in the Louvre
Authors: Bouffard Mickaël , Gorce Jérôme de La , McGowan Margaret M.
Published: April 2016

This article takes as its starting point the large corpus of costume drawings contained in the Edmond de Rothschild collection in the Louvre. This corpus represents a significant fraction of the works from the 17th and 18th centuries built up by the collector Claude Pioche du Rondray with the intention of publishing an illustrated history of French spectacle. An attempt is made here to set aside the view that choreographic images from the Ancien Regime cannot be used as a source for understanding the technical aspects of dancing from that time. While accepting that no image can be entirely trustworthy, it is nonetheless the case that the true nature of choreographic art from the reign of Louis XIV can be discovered from the way the skirt is held in the minuet, from the coordination of arms and legs in opposition, and from the double bend of the elbows or the high positioning of the arms. Study of these precise examples also helps to date the introduction of certain dance movements and to clarify certain choreographic descriptions. Thus, in order to select and exploit images of the dance as useful sources of information, this article argues that the scholar must bring together a deep knowledge of technique and a familiarity with the workshop practices used by artists to reduce their production time whether through borrowing postures from other images or making etched silhouettes.
‘Sie lieber Hans Brandenburg’. Gertrud Leistikow and Hans Brandenburg
Authors: Boer Jacobien de
Published: April 2016

Hans Brandenburg (1885–1968) was one of the first authors of his time to write seriously about modern dance. His book Der moderne Tanz (Modern dance) can be seen as an important source for dance historians. The best known contemporary dancers are discussed as are the schools that Brandenburg considered of relevance for this new art. Brandenburg seems to have been especially impressed by the dancer Gertrud Leistikow (1885–1948) with whom he and his wife Dora Brandenburg-Polster corresponded regularly from 1912 onwards. 1 He regarded her as a great artist, a genius even.

It is remarkable that the career of Gertrud Leistikow has remained relatively underexposed, which may also be the reason for various misconceptions about her. 2 One of these is that she was a Nackttänzerin (nude dancer), ashamed of her face and wearing masks or veils to hide it. 3 Using Brandenburg's works and his correspondence with Leistikow (of which only the letters written by Leistikow survive) this essay evaluates Leistikow's role in the emergence of modern dance, deals with misunderstandings and also provides some explanations for her disappearance in obscurity.
Unraveling the neurotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles: focusing on molecular mechanisms
Authors: Song Bin , Zhang Yanli , Liu Jia , Feng Xiaoli , Zhou Ting , Shao Longquan
Published: April 2016

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) possess unique characteristics and are widely used in many fields. Numerous in vivo studies, exposing experimental animals to these NPs through systematic administration, have suggested that TiO2 NPs can accumulate in the brain and induce brain dysfunction. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms underlying the neurotoxicity of TiO2 NPs remain unclear. However, we have concluded from previous studies that these mechanisms mainly consist of oxidative stress (OS), apoptosis, inflammatory response, genotoxicity, and direct impairment of cell components. Meanwhile, other factors such as disturbed distributions of trace elements, disrupted signaling pathways, dysregulated neurotransmitters and synaptic plasticity have also been shown to contribute to neurotoxicity of TiO2 NPs. Recently, studies on autophagy and DNA methylation have shed some light on possible mechanisms of nanotoxicity. Therefore, we offer a new perspective that autophagy and DNA methylation could contribute to neurotoxicity of TiO2 NPs. Undoubtedly, more studies are needed to test this idea in the future. In short, to fully understand the health threats posed by TiO2 NPs and to improve the bio-safety of TiO2 NPs-based products, the neurotoxicity of TiO2 NPs must be investigated comprehensively through studying every possible molecular mechanism.
La métropole de Miami. Dynamiques de croissance et projection régionale et mondiale
Authors: Girault Christian
Published: April 2016

Miami est devenue en un peu plus de cent ans un carrefour obligé de la vie économique des Amériques. Cette contribution vise à préciser les points forts d’un rayonnement régional et intercontinental qui s’est affirmé à partir des années 1980. Les fonctions portuaire et aéroportuaire forment la base d’une expansion solide, qui concerne également le commerce de gros et de détail, le secteur hôtelier, le secteur financier et de nombreuses activités de service. La métropole pâtit encore de certaines faiblesses mais l’avenir dessine pour Miami une projection puissante vers le Bassin des Caraïbes, l’Amérique du Sud et plus avant.
Design of an Expert System for Distribution Planning System using Soft Computing Techniques
Authors: Uddin Shabbir , Ray Amitava , Sherpa Karma Sonam , Chakravorty Sandeep
Published: April 2016

An expert system for distribution planning is proposed in this paper. Choosing a best location of a distribution substation and grouping the various load points to be fed from a particular distribution substation has always been a concern to the distribution planners. Here in this paper the authors present a hybridization of K-means clustering method with fuzzy context aware decision algorithm for choosing the optimum location of distribution substation and its feeder layout. K means clustering has been applied to various loads which are at different location to form a cluster with load points in closer proximity so that a substation could be placed for each cluster for the distribution of power. Fuzzy Context Aware Decision Algorithm based on the Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) is then applied on each cluster to decide on the feeder layout connecting the load points in each cluster. The feeder layout is based on the various reliability factors and thus the result obtained will lead to optimum feeder path and will hence lower long range distribution expenses.
Let's Spend Some Time Together
Authors: Burrows Alison , Mitchell Val , Nicolle Colette
Published: April 2016

Designing technology for older people has traditionally focused on compensating for the decline in abilities that occurs with ageing. The research described in this paper followed a more holistic approach, focusing on the broader user experience of technology in the home environment. Specifically, this research was concerned with the very first interactions with a new product known as the Out-of-Box Experience (OoBE): how older people acquire their technology, how they unpack it, and how they set it up. This paper describes two exploratory studies that used a design ethnography approach to build a rich picture of the OoBE of new technology for older adults. The findings indicate that older people experience varying benefits from the involvement of other people during the OoBE of new technology. Lastly, the paper discusses the value of social interaction in this context and offer recommendations on the design of the OoBE of technology to engage older adults.
Design of high density SiP for complex computing system in micro SD format
Authors: Baratt Chris
Published: April 2016

This paper addresses the design process for the miniaturization of a complex computing system within the micro SD format. The complete device is capable of running a Linux OS in a standalone mode.

The process is illustrated by a real design example that has been taken through all the steps from architecture through a PCB hardware prototype to a fully integrated miniature SIP solution.

The design process starts with a detailed architecture definition describing in detail the individual functions that must be implemented within the design. Once the architecture has been defined a detailed schematic is created, in which care is taken to ensure that all the components will be available in die format or low profile WLCSP so as to fit the low profile of the micro SD card.

Prior to starting detail design of the SiP a complete working prototype must be constructed using packaged parts mounted on a PCB. This step ensures that the complete system is functional and any firmware, OS development or software can be tested independently of the SiP. This breadboard also allows for experimentation on passive BoM reduction, a necessary step towards reducing component count prior to SiP integration.

A revised schematic for the SiP is created in which the packaged components are replaced by bare die equivalents with all the individual bond pads. Prior to this step negotiations have to be made with all bare die suppliers to confirm availability and obtain detailed information concerning the die pad layout and technology.

Appropriate substrate technology choice has to be made. Miniaturization of complex heterogeneous SiPs requires best in world class substrates. In this case extremely high definition 6-layer build up substrates were required with complex plating techniques for wire-bonding compatibility.

The detailed design is carried out using standard PCB or SIP layout tools. In the design example a total of 6 dies, 4 packaged parts and 40 small chip SMTs were integrated. A memory stack of 3 dies plus the 6 layer substrate and over-mold was integrated within the maximum height of 0.8mm. This required the use of state of the art Film on Wire with dies thinned to less than 80im. Signal integrity simulations of the substrate are made at this stage for critical parts of the system.

The debug process of such complex designs requires constant interaction between breadboard performance and SIP performance to determine root causes for potential failure of the SiP. Since the design has 1000 nets of which only 35 are visible on the SIP, probing is impossible.

In the actual design example the miniature micro SD SiP is fully functional and operates as a stand-alone Linux computer.
Thin WLFO and based WLSiP enabling WL3D, realized using Temporary Reconstituted Panel Bonding Technology
Authors: Kroehnert Steffen , Campos Jose , Cardoso André , Pires Mariana , O'Toole Eoin , Pinto Raquel , Jolivet Emilie , Uhrmann Thomas , Brandl Elizabeth , Burggraf Jürgen , Wiesbauer Harald , Bravin Julian , Wimplinger Markus , Lindner Paul
Published: April 2016

The interest in FOWLP as new flexible packaging technology platform is continuously increasing. High volume capability is proven for configurations with single die (WLFO), multi-die side-by-side, partially with discrete passives integration (WLMCM and WLSiP), both with single sided single and multiple RDL layers. The next step to achieve higher integration density, e.g. for mobile and IoT applications, is to go in the third dimension (WL3D/WLPoP) with total package thickness below 1mm, targeting 0.8mm and even less in the next development step. High design flexibility, superior performance and small form-factor in x and y, but even more important in z-dimension, are the essential packaging characteristics required for this type of smart system integration. The eWLB based WLFO technology platform of NANIUM promises to deliver all of those requirements. While previous generations of WLFO packages only consisted of one plane of single or multiple RDL layers (frontside RDL at BGA side), recent evolutions enable Package-on-Package (PoP) stacking of discrete passives too large to be embedded in the WLSiP, FlipChip, BGA or even another WLSiP on top of a thin bottom WLSiP, enabled by a second plane of single or multiple RDL layers (backside RDL) connected to the frontside RDL by TPV (thru package vias). This is allowing 3D integration on molded reconstituted round panel, resulting in so called WL3D/WLPoP solutions. For TPV processing and even more important to achieve the required total package thickness, WLSiP round recon panels need to be thinned below a thickness that allows self-supported handling of the panel anymore. Arising bow and warp triggers the demand for a temporary carrier solution to enable high backside processing yields at lowest total package thickness. The main challenge is the very high and non-linear thermal expansion of molded panels that needs to be combined with a temporary carrier solution. In this joint paper a study of different temporary carrier solutions, investigating different temporary bonding adhesive classes as well as carrier wafers with different thermal expansion properties will be discussed. The suitability of the carrier systems along the WLSiP panel backside thin-film RDL processing will be evaluated at identified critical process steps. Technology development test vehicles and first products using the newly developed technology will be presented including first reliability and manufacturability test results.
Photolithography Alignment Mark Transfer System for Low Cost, Advanced Packaging, and Bonded Wafer Applications
Authors: Swarbrick Tom , Best Keith , Donaher Casey , Gardner Steve
Published: April 2016

Advanced packaging technologies continue to enable the semiconductor industry to meet the needs for ever thinner, smaller and faster components required in mobile devices and other high performance applications. However, the increase in chip I/O count, driven by Moore's law, and the ability to produce FinFETs below 10nm has presented numerous additional challenges to the existing advanced packaging processes. Furthermore, unlike Moore's law, which predicted the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit to double approximately every two years, advanced packaging is experiencing an alternate “law”; where instead of the number of transistors increasing, it is the number of functions increasing, within the ever decreasing volume constraints of the final product that drives the technology roadmap. Inevitably, as functionality increases, so does the process complexity and cost. And in the very cost sensitive advanced packaging arena, Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test suppliers (OSATs) need to compensate by reducing their manufacturing costs. This requires the OSAT to reduce material costs, increase throughput, yield, and look for new ways to reduce the number of process steps. One of the ways in which the OSATs have reduced the cost of materials is by removing the silicon wafer from the backend processing altogether; using epoxy mold compound (EMC) to create reconstituted wafers, or by using glass carriers. In the case of glass carriers, it is often the case, where the dice are attached face down on the carrier and subsequent processing prevents the front side patterns from being visible from the top side of the composite stack, even with Infrared (IR) imaging. In this particular case, an additional lithography “clear out” window is defined in photoresist over the alignment mark so the opaque film can be etched away from the alignment mark, the resist is then stripped and cleaned. This additional processing is obviously costly and time consuming. This paper specifically focuses on the concepts, methodology, and performance of a stepper based photolithography solution that utilizes a photoresist latent image to provide temporary alignment marks for the lithography process, removing the need for the additional patterning and etching steps. This revolutionary system employs a backside camera, to align to die through the carrier. A separate exposure unit, calibrated to the alignment camera center, exposes temporary latent image targets which are then detected by the system's regular alignment system during the normal stepper lithography operation. The performance data for the alignment, overlay, and latent image depth control are discussed in detail. The final analysis proves that overlay of < 2um is readily achievable, with no impact on system throughput.
Nonlinear Observability Analysis of Micro-machined Electrostatic Actuators Using Self-Sensing
Authors: Li Chong , Dean Robert N. , Flowers George T.
Published: April 2016

Micro-machined electrostatic actuators (MEA) like parallel plate actuators (PPAs) and comb drive actuators (GCAs) are commonly used in many applications, including gyroscopes, resonators and RF switches. The detection of an actuators' mechanical motion is desired when they are combined with feedback control techniques, especially when the application requires high performance or is affected by disturbances. The motion can be detected by a variety of sensing techniques, including capacitive, piezoresistive and optical. Electrostatic parallel plate actuators can be modeled as a type of variable capacitor, which depends on the gap between a fixed electrode and a movable electrode. Thus, the displacement of the actuator can be obtained by measuring the capacitance. However, this practical method often requires high frequency excitation signal sources or additional sensing structures. The excitation power source not only affects the performance in the actuator's steady state, but it may also generate harmonics that distort the measurement signals due to the nonlinear characteristics of the actuator. In addition, the information about velocity may not be obtained without specific sensing structures. The additional structures occupy more space in each die, which could increase the cost and size, or decrease the performance. In this study, an estimator with a series resistor configuration is proposed. The estimator can estimate the displacement and velocity by measuring the voltage of the power supply and the voltage across the actuator itself. To evaluate the feasibility, a nonlinear observability analysis is applied. The analysis shows the observability index among different system states. A simulation study verified the proposed theories.
Campionamenti di Carabidi nel Parco Fluviale del Po (tratto alessandrino, Piemonte) mediante trappole luminose a luce di Wood (Coleoptera Carabidae)
Authors: Allegro Gianni , Cristaldi Luca
Published: April 2016

Un’indagine condotta negli anni 2014 e 2015 in quattro stazioni del Parco fluviale del Po (tratto alessandrino) utilizzando trappole luminose a luce di Wood ha consentito di censire 71 specie di Carabidi, 18 delle quali non segnalate nell’articolo di Allegro & Sciaky (2001) relativo a questo stesso territorio. Vengono discusse le segnalazioni di alcune specie interessanti come Bembidion assimile, Lymnastis galilaeus, Egadroma marginatum, Acupalpus brunnipes, Trechicus nigriceps e Zuphium olens e, infine, i principali fattori limitanti relativi a questa tecnica di campionamento.
Information and communication technology and climate change adaptation: Evidence from selected mining companies in South Africa
Authors: Aleke Bartholomew I. , Nhamo Godwell
Published: April 2016

The mining sector is a significant contributor to the gross domestic product of many global economies. Given the increasing trends in climate-induced disasters and the growing desire to find lasting solutions, information and communication technology (ICT) has been introduced into the climate change adaptation mix. Climate change-induced extreme weather events such as flooding, drought, excessive fog, and cyclones have compounded the environmental challenges faced by the mining sector. This article presents the adoption of ICT innovation as part of the adaptation strategies towards reducing the mining sector’s vulnerability and exposure to climate change disaster risks. Document analysis and systematic literature review were adopted as the methodology. Findings from the study reflect how ICT intervention orchestrated changes in communication patterns which are tailored towards the reduction in climate change vulnerability and exposure. The research concludes with a proposition that ICT intervention must be part of the bigger and ongoing climate change adaptation agenda in the mining sector.Keywords: ICT; climate change; disaster risk reduction; mining; adaptation; South Africa
High-voltage electrocution causing bulbar dysfunction
Authors: Parvathy G. , Shaji C. V. , Kabeer K. A. , Prasanth S. R.
Published: April 2016

Electrical shock can result in neurological complications, involving both peripheral and central nervous systems, which may present immediately or later on. High-voltage electrical injuries are uncommonly reported and may predispose to both immediate and delayed neurologic complications. We report the case of a 68-year-old man who experienced a high-voltage electrocution injury, subsequently developed bulbar dysfunction and spontaneously recovered. We describe the development of bulbar palsy following a significant electrical injury, which showed no evidence of this on magnetic resonance imaging. High-voltage electrocution injuries are a serious problem with potential for both immediate and delayed neurologic sequelae. The existing literature has no reports on bulbar dysfunction following electrocution, apart from motor neuron disease.
Incidence, histopathology, and surgical outcome of tumors of spinal cord, nerve roots, meninges, and vertebral column-Data based on single institutional (Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences) experience
Authors: Bhat Abdul Rashid , Kirmani Altaf Rehman , Wani Muhammed Afzal , Bhat Mohammed Haneef
Published: April 2016

Context: In the absence of a community-based study on the spinal tumors in the Valley, medical records of the only Regional Neurosurgical Center are available. Aim: The aim of this study is to establish a hospital-based regional epidemiology of spinal tumors in the Valley since the data are derived from a single institution. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 531 malignant and nonmalignant tumors of spinal cord, its coverings and vertebrae, which were managed in a Regional Neurosurgical Center under a standard and uniform medical-protocol over 30-year period from 1983 to 2014. Results: The hospital-based incidence for all spinal tumors was 0.24/100,000 persons per year. The malignant spinal cord and vertebral tumors comprised 32.58% (173/531) of all tumors, and benign spinal cord and vertebral tumors comprised 67.42% (358/531). The extradural–intradural tumors such as metastatic lesions and primary malignant vertebral tumors were on rise with 16.38% (87/531) cases. The children below 18 years were 5.46% (29/531), of which 55.17% (16/29) were below 9 years. The most common primary bone malignancy was multiple myeloma (54.54% =12/22). Histopathologically, the most common metastatic deposit in the spinal canal was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (24.61% =16/65). A mortality of 3.20% (17/531) was noted. Recurrences were noted in 4.90% (26/531), and adjuvant therapies were given to 16.38% (87/531) patients. Conclusion: The malignant spinal cord and vertebral tumors, especially metastatic deposits, are on rise in elderly population. The surgical outcome, in terms of recovery and spinal stability, of benign tumors, is comparatively better than malignant ones. The study reveals a low regional incidence (hospital-based) of spinal tumors.
“Reverse Tigroid” Pattern in Pachygyria: A Novel Finding
Authors: Roy Ujjawal , Pandit Alak , Das Urmila , Panwar Ajay
Published: April 2016

Pachygyria is considered a subtype of lissencephaly which, in turn, is a spectrum of disorders caused by abnormal neuronal migration. Clinical presentation in this disorder may be varied including microcephaly, developmental delay, facial dysmorphism, seizures, and mental retardation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain identifies the exact nature and extent of the disease and helps in delineating further plan of management. A Tigroid pattern on axial MRI scan and leopard pattern on a sagittal plane has been classically reported in disorders of myelin formation such as metachromatic leukodystrophy and Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease. We present here a case of pachygyria who presented to us with some atypical features including “tigroid-like stripes” and “leopard-like pattern” on MRI brain which has not been reported in the medical literature previously.
Paving the Way and Passing the Torch
Authors: Ensom Mary H H
Published: April 2016

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Assessment of Preceptor Development Strategies across Canadian Pharmacy Residency Programs
Authors: Bolt Jennifer , Baranski Brittany , Bell Ali , Semchuk William M
Published: April 2016

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Researching Religion on the WWW: Identifying an Object of Study for Hinduism
Authors: Scheifinger Heinz
Published: April 2016

As a result of the increasing importance of the Internet, it is imperative that social researchers subject online phenomena to investigation and analysis. However, online methodology is largely in its infancy which means that researchers are, as yet, ill-equipped to approach this important task. In this article – focusing upon researching religion online – I outline problems regarding researching the WWW and put forward one way of identifying an object of study which can then be subjected to further analysis. Hinduism on the WWW is used as an example, and the discussion of my methodological approach applied to this area demonstrates that the identification of the object of study is actually bound up with the processes that occur online. This means that details of the area under investigation are revealed and that preliminary analysis of the situation can occur at the same time that the object of study is being identified. After this demonstration I challenge the claim that because the WWW is constantly changing, online research can only constitute a snapshot in time, and conclude the article with a plea to other researchers to share their methodological approaches to researching online phenomena in order that effective online research methods will be able to be developed.
Quantitative versus Qualitative is a Distraction: Variations on a Theme by Brewer and Hunter (2006)
Authors: Vogt W. Paul
Published: April 2016

Much thinking about the nature of research problems today uses the quant-qual distinction as a master category. This can do more harm than good. The emergence of so-called mixed methods has not alleviated the problem of overemphasizing the differences between quant and qual. This paper discusses how the quant-qual distinction distracts us from consideration of more important issues, and tends to constrain opportunities for innovation. It is written following the analogy of variations on a simple musical theme. The simple theme is: focusing on the distinction between quantitative and qualitative, and on methods of mixing them, ‘ignores a wider range of methodological problems and opportunities to solve them’. I have written 10 variations on this theme of how the quantitative-qualitative division distracts from more important methodological problems and solutions. I will first quickly introduce the variations, as a sort of overture, and then return to each and elaborate on it.
Similarity and Difference: The Ethnographer, the Subject, and Objectivity
Authors: Williams Kate , Treadwell James
Published: April 2016

This paper is based on the experiences of two criminological researchers and their reflections of undertaking ethnographic study. We first set out and briefly discuss our methodological standpoint. Then, by examining the differences in our backgrounds and biographies, we begin reflecting on how these influences have impacted upon our motivations for studying and our choice of research areas. We then consider how our biographies have also influenced the fieldwork conducted. We argue that by viewing the researcher as a ‘subjective subject’ – and therefore an integral part of the research process (together with drawing upon the analytic realist concept of ‘reflexive accounting’ (Altheide and Johnson, 1994)) – it is possible to create a more accurate representation of ethnographic research findings. Furthermore, we argue that similar reflexivity might be employed by other researchers, as this process may in itself yield a rich source of valid data.
Contrasting Variable-Analytic and Case-Based Approaches to the Analysis of Survey Datasets: Exploring How Achievement Varies by Ability across Configurations of Social Class and Sex
Authors: Cooper Barry , Glaesser Judith
Published: April 2016

The context for this paper is the ongoing debate concerning the relative merits, for the analysis of quantitative data, of, on the one hand, variable-analytic correlational methods, and, on the other, the case-based set theoretic methods developed by Charles Ragin. While correlational approaches, based in linear algebra, typically use regression to establish the net effects of several “independent” variables on an outcome, the set theoretic approach analyses, more holistically, the conjunctions of factors sufficient and/or necessary for an outcome to occur. Here, in order to bring out key differences between the approaches, we focus our attention on the basic building blocks of the two approaches: respectively, the concept of linear correlation and the concept of a sufficient and/or necessary condition. We initially use invented data (for ability, educational achievement, and social class) to simulate what is at stake in this methodological debate and we then employ data taken from the British National Child Development Study to explore the structuring of the relationship between respondents' early measured ability and later educational achievement across various configurations of parental and grandparental class origin and sex. The substantive idea informing the analysis, derived from Boudon's work, is that, for respondents from higher class origins, ability will tend to be sufficient but not necessary for later educational achievement while, for lower class respondents, ability will tend to be necessary but not sufficient. We compare correlational analyses, controlling for class and gender, with fuzzy set analyses to show that set theoretic indices can better capture these varying relationships than correlational measures. In conclusion, we briefly consider how our demonstration of some of the advantages of the set theoretic approach for modelling empirical relationships might be related to the debate concerning the relation between observed regularities and causal mechanisms.
Comparing Multiple Social NetworksUsing Mutiple Dimensional Scaling
Authors: Stevens John
Published: April 2016

This paper explores the comparison of social networks and gives a description of a method I developed for comparing many social networks. I developed this new technique by using multi-dimensional scaling to differentiate between several social networks. Others have used various methods and factors for comparing these social networks, such as descriptive network statistics, triads census and network similarities. These other methods compare only one feature of the given networks and are numerical in output. This new method has the advantage of comparing several network features and being an easy graphical method for the end user to compare multiple social networks.
Construction et application sur le terrain d'une méthode d’échantillonnage indirect (Time-Location Sampling): L'exemple des enquêtes auprès des personnes sans domicile et d'usagers de drogues en France
Authors: Quaglia Martine , Vivier Géraldine
Published: April 2016

Depuis le milieu des années 1990, les méthodes d’échantillonnage espace-temps (ou Time-Location Sampling) ont été largement utilisées en France dans les recherches quantitatives auprès des populations sans domicile (Marpsat et Firdion, 2000; Brousse, 2002) et d'usagers de drogues (Emmanuelli et al. 2003; Jauffret-Roustide M. et al. 20061). Adaptées de méthodes d’échantillonnage indirect initialement développées aux Etats-Unis (Burt et Cohen, 1989; Dennis et Iachan, 1993), elles permettent de construire des échantillons représentatifs de populations difficiles à joindre, pour lesquelles il n'existe pas de base de sondage, en s'appuyant sur les dispositifs d'aide aux populations concernées: services d'accueil, de restauration, d'hébergement, de soins, équipes itinérantes… Toutefois, du protocole théorique à sa mise en œuvre pratique, diverses difficultés émergent. En particulier, la nécessaire implication de ces services d'aides, les contraintes associées à la passation de questionnaires dans des conditions parfois très particulières (de nuit, dans des espaces publics ou au sein d’équipes mobiles…), l'organisation singulière de chacun des services dans lesquels on est amené à enquêter, invitent à réfléchir aux enjeux de couverture du champ investigué mais aussi de représentativité de l’échantillon, et à adapter la méthode aux différentes configurations rencontrées. Dans cette perspective, nous montrerons comment l'intégration de méthodes d'enquêtes qualitatives, telles que l'observation des services et la réalisation d'entretiens auprès des responsables, a contribué, au fil des collectes et des expériences capitalisées, à améliorer la méthodologie et le champ couvert par les enquêtes quantitatives.
Échantillonnage déterminé selon les répondants pour les populations difficiles à joindre
Authors: Johnston Lisa G. , Sabin Keith
Published: April 2016

La mise en place de programmes ciblés et aux coûts maîtrisés de prévention, d'intervention et de traitement des populations difficiles à joindre à risque d'infection par le VIH ou d'autres infections repose sur la collecte de données de qualité au moyen d'enquêtes de surveillance comportementale et biologique (ESCOMB). Au cours des dix dernières années, les ESCOMB visant à mesurer la prévalence du VIH et d'autres infections, des comportements à risque associés chez les usagers de drogues injectables, les hommes ayant des rapports sexuels avec d'autres hommes et les travailleuses du sexe ont connu une expansion mondiale. Toutefois, le fait que ces populations difficiles à joindre soient habituellement stigmatisées et/ou qu'elles aient des comportements illicites constitue un défi majeur à leur échantillonnage car elles sont difficilement accessibles et peu enclines à participer à des efforts de recherche. Ces dix dernières années, l’échantillonnage déterminé selon les répondants (RDS, en anglais) a été reconnu comme une option viable pour l’échantillonnage rigoureux de populations difficiles à joindre. Cet article présente les méthodes RDS et décrit certains des avantages et des difficultés à mettre en œuvre et analyser des enquêtes réalisées avec un RDS.
Can We Measure Homelessness? A Critical Evaluation of ‘Capture-Recapture’
Authors: Williams Malcolm
Published: April 2016

Homeless people constitute a rare and elusive population, but additionally counting the numbers homeless is made more difficult as a result of the absence of agreed definitions, across time and place, of what constitutes homelessness. This paper reviews some of the methods of counting used and critically evaluates one particular method, that of ‘capture-recapture’. Projects undertaken by the author and his colleagues, in the UK, are used as illustrations of the possibilities and limitations of the method.
Use of Clustering Methods to Understand More about the Case
Authors: Dymnicki Allison B. , Henry David B.
Published: April 2016

During the past seventy years, the field of cluster analysis has emerged, accompanied by a plethora of methods, algorithms, concepts, and terminology that are used in cluster-related research. We refer to cluster analysis (CA) as a general approach composed of several multivariate methods for delineating natural groups or clusters in data sets. In this paper, we describe the ability of CA to provide rich information about the individual case and highlight potential underlying social processes. First, we discuss the theory behind CA as well as differentiate between more and less familiar clustering approaches. Second, we illustrate the value of less familiar clustering techniques by comparing the results of a four wave growth mixture model of family variables versus clustering the same data with a more familiar two-step approach. The growth mixture modelling approach suggested a one-class cluster solution where all families shared similar growth trajectories in parenting practices and family relationship characteristics. However the two-step clustering approach suggested a four-class solution. Finally, we describe ways that CA allows researchers to model processes whose outcomes are the results of a combination of multiple factors and additional benefits of less familiar clustering methods.
Selecting Cases for in-Depth Study from a Survey Dataset: An Application of Ragin's Configurational Methods
Authors: Glaesser Judith , Cooper Barry
Published: April 2016

While ‘establishing the phenomena’, to use Merton's phrase, is an important part of the sociological enterprise, in then accounting for such empirical regularities, theoretical models are required to understand causal processes. Both regression analysis and configurational methods applied to large datasets can establish patterns of relationships. Following a realist view, we assume that causal mechanisms have generated such patterns, and sound theoretical models are required to understand them. In-depth case studies can contribute to advancing such causal knowledge. We describe how, in the particular context of the configurational mode of analysis that characterises Ragin's Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), we have selected individuals for in-depth study with the eventual purpose of advancing causal or explanatory understanding of conjunctural empirical regularities concerning educational careers. While forms of regression analysis seek to establish the net effects of ‘independent’ variables, QCA, employing Boolean algebra, analyses the conjunctions of conditions sufficient and/or necessary for an outcome to occur. QCA aims to preserve, holistically, the features of cases and is therefore well-suited to case selection. We use QCA both to undertake an initial large scale cross-case analysis and to subsequently select cases to develop theoretical understanding via within-case analysis. Using QCA's measures of consistency with relations of sufficiency and necessity, we can classify cases as typical and deviant, with these two types of cases playing different roles in testing and developing theory. Drawing on analyses of the German SOEP dataset undertaken as part of a larger study which is applying case-based configurational methods to English and German survey datasets while undertaking subsequent in-depth interviews with selected cases, we demonstrate how QCA can be used to select cases for interview in a systematic and theoretically informed manner.
Conditional Hypotheses in Comparative Social Science: Mixed-Method Approaches to Middle-Sized Data Analysis
Authors: Hellström Johan
Published: April 2016

This paper discusses under which circumstances and how configurational comparative methods (i.e. QCA) and statistical methods can be combined to provide tests for the ‘quasi’-sufficiency of any given set of combination of causal conditions. When combined, QCA provides the ability to explore causal substitutability (i.e. multiple paths to a given outcome) and the ways in which many multiple causes interact with one another to produce effects, while the statistical elements can provide robust indications of the probable validity of postulated hypotheses. The potential utility of the mixed-method approach for analyzing political phenomena is demonstrated by applying it to cross-national data regarding party positions on European integration and party-based Euroscepticism in Western Europe. The findings show that oppositional stances to European integration are partly associated with non-governmental ideological fringe parties on both the left and right. The empirical example presented in this paper demonstrates that configurational methods can be successfully combined with statistical methods and supplement the QCA-framework by providing statistical tests of ‘almost sufficient’ claims. However, combining QCA with statistical methods can sometimes be problematic in middle-sized data analysis, especially as the latter usually cannot handle limited diversity (i.e. insufficient information) in the data and/or overtly complex relationships (i.e. having a large number of conjunctional conditions or interacting variables).
Ways of Knowing: Crossing Species Boundaries
Authors: Smart Carol
Published: April 2016

Empirical social science research is inevitably highly dependent on verbal communication. Observation, ethnographic and visual methods do of course go beyond words (or meanings derived and shared solely through language) but talking (or words)remains central to communicating meaning. In this paper I want to explore ways of knowing that, while not fully independent of talk, discourse and narrative, nonetheless form a bodily way of knowing. Thinking about other ways of knowing is a challenge, but it is important that there is space to appreciate the different ways in which people come to know things. So in this paper I shall give consideration to acquiring knowledge across species boundaries using the example of human interaction with horses. In this realm it is vital to speak through the body and to interpret through parts of the body not usually called upon in the research process. In this way I will also explore knowledge claims which are not usually regarded as legitimate but which may nonetheless offer insights more broadly into ways of knowing.
‘Common-Sense’ Research: Senses, Emotions and Embodiment in Researching Stag Tourism in Eastern Europe
Authors: Thurnell-Read Thomas
Published: April 2016

The article reflects on the experience of conducting participatory research with all-male premarital stag tour groups in Krakow, Poland. The research therefore concerns the performative and embodied aspects of hegemonic male behaviour that are encouraged and enacted by the British men who take part in such tours. Vital to the process of gaining an ethnographic insight into the highly gendered leisure spaces of the stag tourism phenomenon was a willingness to centre sensory, emotional and embodied data in the research process. Methodological reflections, therefore, recall the effects of conducting research in a setting mediated by the consumption of alcohol and collective drunkenness and pervaded with sensory (the thump of nightclub bass speakers, the drunken cheers of stag group participants, the smell of vodka) and emotive (feelings of elation, amusement and disgust) stimuli. Particular importance can be given to the benefit of mutual ‘common-sense’ experiences in building rapport between researchers and their participants. Such insights are of considerable epistemological value. In closing the article it is suggested that learning to recognise and work with such aspects of the research process is vital in developing effective research competencies.
From Methodology to Methodography: A Study of Qualitative and Quantitative Reasoning in Practice
Authors: Greiffenhagen Christian , Mair Michael , Sharrock Wes
Published: April 2016

Despite the huge literature on the methodology of the social sciences, relatively little interest has been shown in sociological description of social science research methods in practice, i.e., in the application of sociology to sociological work. The overwhelming (if not exhaustive) interest in research methods is an evaluative and prescriptive one. This is particularly surprising, since the sociology of science has in the past few decades scrutinised almost every aspect of natural science methodology. Ethnographic and historical case studies have moved from an analysis of the products of science to investigations of the processes of scientific work in the laboratory. Social scientists appear to have been rather reluctant to explore this aspect of their own work in any great depth.

In this paper, we report on a ‘methodography’, an empirical study of research methods in practice. This took the form of a small-scale investigation of the working practices of two groups of social scientists, one with a predominantly qualitative approach, the other involved in statistical modelling. The main part of the paper involves a comparison between two brief episodes taken from the work of each, one focussing on how two researchers analyse and draw conclusions from an interview transcript, the other on how collaborators work out an agreed final version of a statistical model for combining temporal and spatial data. Based on our analysis of these examples, we raise some questions about the way in which social scientists reason through their problems, and the role that characterisations of research, as research of a particular kind (e.g., qualitative or quantitative), play in actual research practice.