bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the validity of the Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist in an inner city population of people presenting with suicidal behaviours
Authors: Wilhelm Kay , Handley Tonelle , Reddy Prasuna
Published: December 2015

Purpose:

Although patients demonstrate a range of problematic health-related lifestyle behaviours preceding suicidal behaviour, there is little research that routinely measure these behaviours. This paper seeks to establish the utility of health-related lifestyle measure (Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist) in people presenting to a major inner city Emergency Department with a range of suicidal behaviours.

Methods:

From 2007–2014, data from the 366 patients who had completed the Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist, after referral by the Emergency Department to a service for people with deliberate self-harm or suicidal ideation, were included in the analysis study. A Maximum Likelihood factor analysis was performed to assess the factor structure of the Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist and the resultant factors were explored in relation to measures of health; namely the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey.

Results:

A three-component factor structure emerged comprising Component 1 ‘ positive life investments’, Component 2 ‘poor emotional regulation’ and Component 3 ‘poor health behaviours’. There was a significant negative correlation between ‘positive life investments’ and each of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scales subscales and significant positive associations with ‘poor emotional regulation’ and Short Form Health Survey-12 mental health scores. Only the Short Form Health Survey-12 physical health subscale was weakly correlated with ‘poor health behaviours’, in females.

Conclusion:

Our findings support the construct and concurrent validity of the Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist measure. The three factors obtained for the Fantastic Lifestyle Checklist were coherent and seem useful for research and clinical practice.
Narcissism, Overconfidence, and Risk Taking in U.S. and Chinese Student Samples
Authors: Meisel Matthew K. , Ning He , Campbell W. Keith , Goodie Adam S.
Published: December 2015

Narcissism, overconfidence, and risk seeking are all positively correlated in U.S. samples. Overconfidence and risk seeking show consistent cross-cultural variation with higher averages among Chinese samples than U.S. samples, whereas the prior literature is mixed with regard to narcissism. These variables have never been studied simultaneously across U.S. and Chinese cultures. In two studies, we investigated within-cultural and cross-cultural variability in narcissism, overconfidence, and risk taking between college students from comparable universities in the United States and China. In both studies and in both nations, all three variables correlated positively with each other when questions were asked about one’s own country. Individuals from China were more overconfident and risk seeking. Individuals from the United States displayed greater narcissism scores, but standard indexes of scale invariance were inadequate, rendering cross-cultural comparisons of narcissism itself infeasible. In Study 2, independent self-construal explained cross-cultural differences in narcissism scores, supporting the argument that cultural differences in viewing oneself as autonomous and separate from society are responsible for differences in narcissism scores across cultures. Parallel analyses with regard to overconfidence and risk taking were non-significant. Taken together, although narcissism, overconfidence, and risk taking tend to co-occur within cultures, the present cross-cultural analyses demonstrate that they may arise through different mechanisms. Independent self-construal may account for narcissism effects, but the explanations for overconfidence and risk taking remain speculative.
A novel postoperative immobilization model for murine Achilles tendon sutures
Authors: Shibuya Yoichiro , Takayama Yuzo , Kushige Hiroko , Jacinto Sandra , Sekido Mitsuru , Kida Yasuyuki S
Published: December 2015

The body’s motion and function are all in part effected by a vital tissue, the tendon. Tendon injury often results in limited functioning after postoperative procedures and even for a long time after rehabilitation. Although numerous studies have reported surgical procedures using animal models which have contributed to both basic and clinical research, modeling of tendon sutures or postoperative immobilizations has not been performed on small experimental animals, such as mice. In this study we have developed an easy Achilles tendon suture and postoperative ankle fixation model in a mouse. Right Achilles tendons were incised and 10-0 nylons were passed through the proximal and distal ends using a modified Kessler method. Subsequently, the right ankle was immobilized in a plantarflexed position with novel splints, which were made from readily available extension tubes. Restriction of the tendon using handmade splints reduced swelling, as opposed to fixating with the usual plaster of Paris. Using this method, the usage of the right Achilles tendons began on postoperative days 13.5 ± 4.6, which indicated healing within two weeks. Therefore our simple short-term murine Achilles tendon suture procedure is useful for studying immediate tendon repair mechanisms in various models, including genetically-modified mice.
Evaluating a Public School Relocation in Urban Taiwan
Authors: Sung Chiu-I
Published: December 2015

This study investigates a proposal to relocate a secondary school in Taiwan because of political and urbanization forces. This important issue has received little attention in the educational literature. Interviews, a focus group, and surveys were used to collect the views of parents, students, teachers, administrators, and local influential people. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis was adopted to evaluate the possibility of school relocation. The results showed that teachers were less likely to agree to relocate, whereas policymakers supported the move. The principal, many students, and their parents would agree to relocate if the new site offered a high-quality learning environment.
Advancing Black Male Success: Understanding the Contributions of Urban Black Colleges and Universities
Authors: Gasman Marybeth , Nguyen Thai-Huy , Commodore Felecia
Published: December 2015

To understand the context of urban Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their role in educating Black males, we conducted a literature review examining the academic contributions of these institutions to Black males. To bolster the literature, we examined Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data, determining a set of urban HBCUs based on urban areas as defined by the U.S. Department of Education in 2012. We explored success among Black males, including retention, graduation, and major selection. We then presented several institutions as case studies of urban HBCUs and examined programs and services that encourage student success among Black males.
Reading Wacquant in Oakland: Poor people’s movements and the state
Authors: Crane Emma Shaw
Published: December 2015

In ‘Class, ethnicity and state in the making of marginality: Revisiting territories of urban relegation’, Loïc Wacquant argues that the state is central to the production and maintenance of racialised urban marginality. This rejoinder draws upon recent work on territory to extend Wacquant’s relational analysis to the everyday operation of state antipoverty programs. I use an early War on Poverty community development program in Oakland, California, to demonstrate that poor people’s movements engage and subvert attempts to govern urban space. I argue that antipoverty programs are not the direct implementation of repressive state policies on the ground but programs of government, characterised by contradictions, unexpected slippages and multiple political agendas.
The role of interpreters in mental health care
Authors: Elkington Emily J , Talbot Kirsten M
Published: December 2015

Increasing globalization and immigration has seen an increase in linguistic and cultural diversity worldwide. This has necessitated the use of interpreters in public service settings. Of particular interest to the authors, and the focus of this article, is the impact of linguistic diversity on access to health care and, more specifically, to mental healthcare services. It is widely documented that language discordance impedes access to, and quality of, health care and that formally trained interpreter-assisted consults vastly improve client satisfaction and clinical outcomes. This article examines the current situation in South Africa regarding the use of interpreters in this setting. The ethical and practical implications for psychotherapy and psychodiagnostics are considered. Current policy and legislation relevant to language services and health care is reviewed. Possible ways forward to ensure equal access to healthcare services are discussed.
Distress Tolerance
Authors: Vujanovic Anka A. , Rathnayaka Nuvan , Amador Christina D. , Schmitz Joy M.
Published: December 2015

The present investigation examined associations between distress tolerance and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a cocaine-dependent sample. Participants were comprised of 138 cocaine-dependent adults ( Mage = 45.4, SD = 9.9; 81% male; 76.3% African American) who endorsed trauma exposure, defined according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR) PTSD Criterion A. Participants were administered interview-based measures and completed a series of self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that distress tolerance was significantly, incrementally (negatively) associated with PTSD symptom severity, contributing 6.8% of unique variance to the model ( p < .001); notably, the overall model explained 44.8% of variance in PTSD symptomatology. Distress tolerance also contributed between 2.7% and 6.8% of unique variance across each of the PTSD symptom clusters ( ps < .05). Incremental effects were documented, after accounting for the variance explained by theoretically relevant covariates (i.e., gender, cocaine-use severity, depressive symptoms, trauma-exposure severity). Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Living Arrangements and Quality of Life
Authors: Xiao Huimin , Yoon Ju Young , Bowers Barbara
Published: December 2015

Living arrangements are often assumed to be associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among older adults. This study aimed to explore how living arrangements affect HRQoL. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the relationships between HRQoL, activities of daily living (ADLs), depression, and living arrangements among older adults. A total of 220 community dwelling older adults and 231 nursing home residents completed the questionnaires. The path analysis indicated that the older adults’ living arrangement did not directly influence their HRQoL, but it had indirect effects through ADLs and depression. The whole model explained 55% of the variance of HRQoL, which suggests that living in nursing homes does not directly cause older adults’ poor HRQoL, but poor ADLs and more severe depression among nursing home residents lead to poor HRQoL. To improve their HRQoL, additional focus should be placed on maintaining ADLs and increasing community participation.
A survey on Weifang teachers’ attitudes toward teaching Chinese folk music
Authors: Han Ruochen , Leung Bo Wah
Published: December 2015

In mainland China, the implementation of the junior secondary school’s music curriculum is highly dependent on music teachers’ attitudes towards music and music education. This study investigated the possible relationship between teachers’ attitudes towards teaching Chinese folk music and their music teaching practice in junior secondary schools in Weifang, China. A total of 72 secondary school teachers responded to a questionnaire regarding their attitude towards teaching Chinese folk music and their perception of students’ attitudes to learning the genre. Six semi-structured interviews with voluntary teachers were conducted to explore the constraints of teaching Chinese folk music. Findings indicate that most respondents have a positive attitude towards teaching Chinese folk music although they spent limited time teaching the genre. Teachers’ attitudes are not only related to their personal musical preference and students’ responses, but are also shaped and modified by the educational context of China, including music teachers’ professional training, teaching responsibility, and the needs of the job market. Promoting Chinese music through education requires both music teachers and teaching policy makers to have an appropriate understanding of Chinese folk music which should not be supplementary to the main content; rather, it should be an imperative part of the music curriculum. Learning Chinese folk music is beneficial for nurturing students’ musical identities. Balancing the ratio of Western classical music and Chinese folk music in music classes is helpful in cultivating students’ multicultural perspectives.
Integrating multiple environmental regimes: Land and forest policies under broader democratic reforms in the Bolivian tropical lowlands
Authors: de Jong Wil , Pacheco Pablo
Published: December 2015

The paper uses a policy integration (PI) approach to analyse forest sector reforms in tropical countries, using the case of reforms that affected the northern Bolivia forest economy. The paper provides a brief overview of PI and then analyses the various reforms that all contributed to reshaping Bolivia's forest sector. The major related reforms are not only forestland tenure reforms, a new forestry law, but also important public administrative and democratic reforms. The case of democratic reforms linked with land and forestry reforms in northern Bolivia makes it possible to discuss environmental PI in a tropical context, and thus to review some of the key postulates that have been formulated on the topic, but which are to date largely based on empirical experiences from the northern hemisphere.
Chronic pain causes a persistent anxiety state leading to increased ethanol intake in CD1 mice
Authors: González-Sepúlveda Marta , Pozo Oscar J , Marcos Josep , Valverde Olga
Published: December 2015

Mood disorders and chronic pain are closely linked, but limited progress has been made in understanding the role of chronic and neuropathic pain in the aetiopathogenesis of depression. To explore the pathological mechanisms that mediate the association between pain and depressive-like behaviours, we studied the time-dependent effect of neuropathic pain on the development of anxiety-like and despair behaviours in CD1 mice. We analysed behavioural data, neuroinflammation reactions and changes in neurotransmitter (glutamate and serotonin) levels in the mouse prefrontal cortex. Sciatic-operated mice displayed long-lasting anxiety-like and despair behaviours, starting 5 and 20 days after partial sciatic nerve ligation, respectively. Glutamatergic neurotransmission and IL-1β cytokine expression were enhanced in the prefrontal cortex of mice with neuropathic pain. We found no change in serotonin metabolism, cytokine IL-6 or brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. While sciatic-operated mice exposed to intermittent ethanol intake (20% v/v) using the drinking in the dark procedure consumed higher amounts of ethanol than sham-operated mice, thermal allodynia and despair behaviour were not attenuated by ethanol consumption. Our findings reveal an association between glutamatergic neurotransmission and pain-induced mood disorders, and indicate that moderate ethanol consumption does not relieve nociceptive and depressive behaviours associated with chronic pain in mice.
Reflections on Group Analysis and Philosophy
Authors: Nitzgen Dieter
Published: December 2015

The article firstly questions the possible relationship between group analysis and philosophy. It then discusses the Foulkesean ‘ethics’ of leadership and its roots in Freudian psychoanalysis and the European Enlightenment. In this context, Foulkes’ group analytic conception of the superego and his view that the group members ‘collectively’ constitute the norm from which ‘individually’, they deviate being (re-)considered. Building on this ‘Law of Group Dynamics’, it is argued that the particular kind of experience allowed for in and by group psychotherapy is one of ‘moral intimacy’, a concept borrowed from the Swiss philosopher and novelist Peter Bieri. Ending on a note on aesthetics, some aspects of the relation between imagination and social-historical creation are being elucidated.
Bond–slip behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer/concrete interface in single shear pull-out and beam tests
Authors: Mohammadi Tayyebeh , Wan Baolin , Harries Kent A
Published: December 2015

It has been assumed that the fiber-reinforced polymer/concrete interface is subjected to in-plane shear condition when intermediate crack debonding failure occurs. Therefore, the single shear pull-out test results are often used to predict the intermediate crack debonding failure in beams. In this study, the behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer-strengthened concrete beams and single shear pull-out specimens were studied experimentally and numerically. The bond–slip behavior of the fiber-reinforced polymer/concrete interface was obtained by single shear pull-out and beam tests. In all beam specimens, a concrete wedge located at the edge of the notch detached with the fiber-reinforced polymer debonding failure. This phenomenon shows that the initiation of debonding is due to a diagonal crack formation close to the major flexural/shear crack inside the concrete. The diagonal crack formation is due to a local moment at the tip of the notch. This causes the different stress state and slip of the fiber-reinforced polymer/concrete interface of beam specimens from that of the pull-out specimens. It is found that the bond–slip relation obtained from the pull-out test does not represent the bond–slip relation of the fiber-reinforced polymer/concrete interface in the fiber-reinforced polymer-strengthened concrete beams, and it cannot be directly used for predicting the load capacity of the fiber-reinforced polymer-strengthened concrete beams.
Life in the foreign quarters of Canton: The case of the Swedish East India Company in the long eighteenth century
Authors: Hellman Lisa
Published: December 2015

This note describes a project analysing the everyday life in the foreign quarters of Canton, focusing on the Swedish East India Company employees 1730–1830. Canton was a well-known hub in the global trade during the long 18th century. However, it had strict restrictions on the foreign traders. Additionally, this port had a complex make-up in terms of ethnicity, class and religion, and I argue for the need to take its many groups into account. The Swedish company is a rare topic of study compared to other, larger companies, but it provides an unusual perspective: that of the small and non-colonial European company meeting a large and powerful Asian empire. The intercultural interaction in Canton took place in a very small space. This environment, in a restricted space, under Asian control, with many different groups, made for special relations among the foreign traders, and between the foreigners. This is particularly clear when focusing on the everyday life. I have studied the daily life Swedish employees in terms of how they acted as parts of groups, how they lived in this cramped space, their communication (amongst themselves and with others), their consumption and material practices, and finally which practices and strategies they used to establish trust.
Constraints and possibilities: Scandinavian shipping companies and transmigration, 1898–1914
Authors: Sebak Per Kristian
Published: December 2015

In the early twentieth century, transatlantic migration peaked. Transmigrants, i.e. migrants who travelled through third countries on the way to their destination, comprised more than half of all emigrants departing from German, Belgian, Dutch and British ports which together were the most important. The most important countries of origin were Russia and Austria-Hungary, in addition to Italy. Because of this, shipping companies had to deal with networks and manage a transport system extending far beyond their traditional sphere of economic interest. In the process, the companies became ever more dependent on influencing state actors in Europe as well as in North America to keep their long-established business structures going. In many ways, the transatlantic passenger business between the 1890s and 1914 should therefore be viewed more as a transmigrant business rather than an emigrant business, which is the most common understanding of this massive human movement.

The article focuses on the transmigration phenomenon from the point of view of three very different shipping companies/initiatives in Norway, Sweden and Denmark respectively. Norway and Sweden had among the highest rates of transatlantic migration, and Norway had the third largest merchant fleet in the word by the turn of the twentieth century. Yet only Denmark provided a direct transatlantic service throughout the most important period for transatlantic migration. What possibilities were there for these three countries to engage in the transatlantic passenger business and what constrained their efforts? By concentrating on the transmigration phenomenon and three countries with differing points of departure, the article provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and dynamics involved in shaping the transatlantic passenger business, of how the business worked, and of how the companies could influence the flow and pattern of migratory movements between Europe and North America.
Some thoughts about migration of maritime workers in the eighteenth-century North Sea region
Authors: van Lottum Jelle
Published: December 2015

This article discusses some key aspects of labour migration in the eighteenth-century maritime labour market, focussing in particular on the changes that occurred over the course of the century and their effect on receiving and sending economies. These changes consisted not only of a marked expansion in the number of migrant workers engaged in the maritime sector; the characteristics of the migrant population were significantly altered as well. The article argues that the quantitative and qualitative changes in the maritime labour market caused the effects of migration in this important economic sector to change substantially throughout the century, having an impact on both the sending and receiving regions.
The ‘Yellow Danger’? Global forces and global fears in the North Sea and beyond (1600–1950)
Authors: van Rossum Matthias
Published: December 2015

Since direct shipping routes between Europe and Asia opened up at the end of the 15th century, the growing intercontinental and regional shipping connections resulted in increasing entanglements between European and Asian maritime labour markets. This article analyses the long term development of the connections between European and Asian maritime labour markets and its impact on socio-cultural (and labour) relations through three elements: first, the changing connections between European and Asian maritime labour markets; second, the changing nature of European and Asian maritime labour markets and its influence on the positions of sailors; and third, the changing relations between European and Asian sailors and its effects on the reactions and interactions in a globalising maritime labour market. It explores how these changing global connections shaped encounters between European and Asian sailors on (intercontinental) shipping in and from the North Sea region, and how it affected the positions and reactions of its workers.
Globalisation and maritime labour in Norway after the Second World War
Authors: Tenold Stig
Published: December 2015

This article looks at how ‘Globalisation’ – narrowly defined as the causes and effects of increased international economic integration – has influenced the demand for and supply of maritime products and services, with a particular emphasis on maritime labour. A central argument is that the manner in which labour has been affected varies enormously among the maritime industries, and there is also variation among different occupations and countries. Today, the Norwegian maritime industries have found ‘a new equilibrium’, where old and national traditions have successfully merged with the new and global realities. The article is structured around six propositions about the relationship between globalisation and Norwegian maritime labour, and these propositions are discussed and linked to empirical data.
Self-Compassion and Responses to Trauma: The Role of Emotion Regulation
Authors: Scoglio Arielle A. J. , Rudat Deirdre A. , Garvert Donn , Jarmolowski Maggie , Jackson Christie , Herman Judith L.
Published: December 2015

Emerging literature suggests that self-compassion may be an important concept for understanding recovery from the impact of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study explored the interconnection among self-compassion, resilience, emotion dysregulation, and PTSD symptom severity in a sample of treatment-seeking women with PTSD. We predicted that self-compassion would be negatively related to PTSD symptom severity and to emotion dysregulation, and positively related to resilience. The results supported our main hypotheses. In addition, emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and self-compassion and affected the relationship between self-compassion and resilience. These findings corroborate previous research that points to the important role of self-compassion in mental health and in the aftermath of stressful life events. The present study expands this research by demonstrating that PTSD symptom severity is negatively related to self-compassion in a clinical population of women with experiences of severe and repeated interpersonal trauma.
Development and Implementation of Clinical Pharmacist Services Within an Integrated Medical Group
Authors: Musselman Kerri T. , Moczygemba Leticia R. , Pierce Andrea L. , Plum Mary-Beth F. , Brokaw Deborah K. , Kelly David L.
Published: December 2015

Background:

In 2012, pharmacists were integrated into a medical group to provide direct patient care, drug information activities, and health care provider education. The medical group encompasses 40 primary care and 60 specialty offices in Virginia.

Objective:

To describe the development and implementation of clinical pharmacist services integrated within a medical group.

Methods:

Pharmacists’ roles and responsibilities, type and number of patient encounters, and identification of strategies to facilitate implementation are described.

Results:

From June 2012 to December 2014, pharmacists had 809 patient encounters, which included patient-centered education, medication consults, Medicare annual wellness visits, senior care visits, and comprehensive medication reviews. Pharmacists addressed 403 drug information requests from nurse navigators, providers, and administrators. Pharmacists also have roles in risk management, quality improvement initiatives, and operations that benefit the medical group. Strategies to facilitate implementation include working with organizational leadership, identifying a physician champion, and establishing credibility by being responsive to practice needs and responding to requests in a timely manner to build trust within the health care team.

Conclusion:

Integration of pharmacists within health care teams involves more than direct patient care activities. Pharmacists should be involved at the organizational level to have a broader impact on patient and practice levels.
Prediction of gas–solid bed hydrodynamics using an improved drag correlation for nonspherical particles
Authors: Sarker Md Rashedul H , Chowdhury ASM Raufur , Love Norman
Published: December 2015

Gas–solid beds are ubiquitous in industrial and energy production applications. Examples include fluidized beds, which are used in many systems such as in integrated gasification combined cycle power plants or in chemical looping systems. These examples and others involve complicated interactions between each phase of reactants in the system. The motivation of this work stems from the need for a better understanding of bed hydrodynamics in existing energy systems; results from this work can be used directly in software such as Fluent to more accurately predict flow behaviors of gas and solid phases. The experimental data are collected from two setups including an optically accessible drag measurement facility that was used to obtain the drag coefficient at various particle Reynolds numbers and a lab-scale gas–solid packed bed which was used to validate the computational correlation through pressure drop measurements across the packed bed. Results showed that the new correlation predicted drag coefficients as accurate as 10% and deviated by up to 15% for particles with sphericities less than 0.9. This is a significant improvement compared to existing correlations, which can deviate as much as 50% for the same range of tested values. Similar findings are observed when the drag correlation is implemented into Fluent. It was found that the model predicted pressure drop in a particle bed with nonspherical particles with an error as low as 5% and as high as 28% near the fluidization velocity.
The McDonaldization of psychotherapy: Processed foods, processed therapies, and economic class
Authors: Goodman David M.
Published: December 2015

Questions pertaining to “empirically supported treatments” (ESTs) frequently address concerns about “measurement” and “evidence,” but rarely frame the conversation in terms of differences in the linguistic possibilities represented in each treatment orientation and how the availability and marketing of therapeutic languages are parsed out along class lines. Moving the conversation “beyond ESTs,” the author addresses how language positions persons into a particular relationship with their experience—a way of understanding their suffering and identity—and the significance of understanding therapeutic orientations as representing an epistemological pluralism rather than existing merely on an evaluative axis related to evidence and effectiveness. Next, the intersection between language, experience, and class access to treatment orientations and discourses is considered. It is argued that the emphasis on evidence-based modalities and symptom-reduction models impacts the experiential possibilities of persons in important and often disguised ways and this has a particular bearing on persons with fewer economic resources who have access to a narrow range of therapeutic and epistemological possibilities. Linguistic options are circumscribed and pre-decided. Lastly, the author illustrates the segregations and hierarchies of therapeutic approaches available at different class designations and the marketing of evidence-based epistemologies through the cultural allure and capital of “science.” The author concludes with expressed concerns regarding present epistemological narrowness in the mental health delivery system and proposes that additional dimensions be explored in the “evidence-based” discussions.
Realism, materialism, and the assemblage: Thinking psychologically with Manuel DeLanda
Authors: Price-Robertson Rhys , Duff Cameron
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this article is to introduce Manuel DeLanda’s “assemblage theory” to psychology. Based on a select review of this theory, we argue that DeLanda’s work may allow for new ways of approaching unresolved problems in psychological inquiry, such as the realism–constructivism impasse, and disputes regarding linear and non-linear models of causality. DeLanda’s systematic treatment of the assemblage, using terms familiar to social scientists and analytic philosophers alike, offers a host of novel concepts and methods for the analysis of social, biological, and/or political systems, while also indicating how this analysis may be deployed in innovative social science inquiry. A number of psychologists have recently begun to explore the concept of assemblage. We add to these efforts in the present paper by assessing how DeLanda’s assemblage theory may open up a new “image of the psychological” to guide research and practice.
Who Dares Fine a Murderer? The Changing Meaning of Money and Fines in Western European Criminal Systems
Authors: Faraldo-Cabana Patricia
Published: December 2015

This article offers a comprehensive analysis of the historical development of the penal fine as a sanction from the point of view that the changing meaning of money influences the perceived appropriateness of fines as a punishment for every type of offence, or only certain offences. As it is shown here, a series of associations based on the idea of money, its essence and its capabilities had a profound impact on modern European legal culture. The different perception of the significance of money in contrast to freedom explains the rise of imprisonment in the 19th century. The present use of fines to punish less serious crimes and misdemeanours within the criminal law is mainly a direct consequence of the development of money and its characteristics of impersonality and interchangeability since the 19th century.
Applying the welfare model to at-own-risk discharges
Authors: Krishna Lalit Kumar Radha , Menon Sumytra , Kanesvaran Ravindran
Published: December 2015

“At-own-risk discharges” or “self-discharges” evidences an irretrievable breakdown in the patient–clinician relationship when patients leave care facilities before completion of medical treatment and against medical advice. Dissolution of the therapeutic relationship terminates the physician’s duty of care and professional liability with respect to care of the patient. Acquiescence of an at-own-risk discharge by the clinician is seen as respecting patient autonomy. The validity of such requests pivot on the assumptions that the patient is fully informed and competent to invoke an at-own-risk discharge and that care up to the point of the at-own-risk discharge meets prevailing clinical standards. Palliative care’s use of a multidisciplinary team approach challenges both these assumptions. First by establishing multiple independent therapeutic relations between professionals in the multidisciplinary team and the patient who persists despite an at-own-risk discharge. These enduring therapeutic relationships negate the suggestion that no duty of care is owed the patient. Second, the continued employ of collusion, familial determinations, and the circumnavigation of direct patient involvement in family-centric societies compromises the patient’s decision-making capacity and raises questions as to the patient’s decision-making capacity and their ability to assume responsibility for the repercussions of invoking an at-own-risk discharge. With the validity of at-own-risk discharge request in question and the welfare and patient interest at stake, an alternative approach to assessing at-own-risk discharge requests are called for. The welfare model circumnavigates these concerns and preserves the patient’s welfare through the employ of a multidisciplinary team guided holistic appraisal of the patient’s specific situation that is informed by clinical and institutional standards and evidenced-based practice. The welfare model provides a robust decision-making framework for assessing the validity of at-own-risk discharge requests on a case-by-case basis.
Evaluation of Pharmacist Medication Education and Post-discharge Follow-up in Reducing Readmissions in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
Authors: Budiman Tantri , Snodgrass Kimberly , Komatsu Chang Allison
Published: December 2015

Background: Hospital readmissions have been shown to contribute to both patient morbidity and rising health care expenditures across a number of disease processes. Adherence to a cardioprotective drug regimen is particularly important after ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) because it is an acute condition associated with high patient morbidity and mortality. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist intervention with regard to reduction in hospital readmissions and improvement in medication adherence and literacy. Methods: This was a prospective single-center study in which patients admitted with STEMI who received stents between January 2015 and April 2015 were included. Pharmacist intervention included medication reconciliation, medication education, facilitation of the delivery of discharge medications, and post-discharge telephone calls within 48 to 72 hours. A retrospective review of historical STEMI patients who did not have pharmacist transitions of care support was performed to compare readmission rates. Results: All-cause readmission at 30 days decreased from 13% to 5% ( P = 0.18). Twelve of 95 patients in the historical control group were readmitted, compared to 2 of 40 patients in the intervention group. In the historical group, 3 of 12 patients required subsequent stent placement upon readmission, compared to none in the intervention group., Medication adherence and literacy scores improved significantly from baseline to high adherence and literacy at 30 days post-discharge ( P = 0.0005). Conclusion: Pharmacist involvement in medication education signficantly improved medication adherence and literacy. There was a reduction in 30-day readmission rates, but the results were not statistically significant.
Using formal methods to scope performance challenges for Smart Manufacturing Systems: Focus on agility
Authors: Jung Kiwook , Morris KC , Lyons Kevin W , Leong Swee , Cho Hyunbo
Published: December 2015

Smart Manufacturing Systems need to be agile to adapt to new situations by using detailed, precise, and appropriate data for intelligent decision-making. The intricacy of the relationship of strategic goals with operational performance across the many levels of a manufacturing system inhibits the realization of Smart Manufacturing Systems. This article proposes a method for identifying what aspects of a manufacturing system should be addressed to respond to changing strategic goals. The method uses standard modeling techniques in specifying a manufacturing system and the relationship between strategic goals and operational performance metrics. Two existing reference models related to manufacturing operations are represented formally and harmonized to support the proposed method. The method is illustrated for a single scenario using agility as a strategic goal.
Care Seeking Patterns Among Women Who Have Experienced Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan
Authors: Stokes Sonya , Seritan Andreea L. , Miller Elizabeth
Published: December 2015

This study explored patterns of abuse and care seeking among women victims of gender-based violence (GBV) in Afghanistan. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 Afghan women ( M age = 19 years) living in a shelter for victims of GBV. Interviews were analyzed thematically. Participants reported experiencing multiple forms of abuse. The majority received medical treatment for abuse-related health concerns. However, less than half reported abuse to health care providers or were asked by health care providers about the context of their injuries. Strategies to improve health care responses to GBV are needed to ensure safety and support for Afghan women.
The Homegrown Downtown: Redevelopment in Asheville, North Carolina
Authors: Strom Elizabeth , Kerstein Robert
Published: December 2015

The successful transformation of Asheville’s downtown from desolate to vibrant is noteworthy. This article shows how successful redevelopment coalitions have shaped the downtown, with focus on the post-1980 period. In recent decades, public-sector officials and private investors have collaborated to create a downtown rooted in an architecturally significant historic built environment and based on independent business. Those most active have often crossed business, creative, and philanthropic sectors in ways we describe as “social entrepreneurial.” The Asheville downtown coalition differs from the progrowth as well as the populist (progressive) regimes identified in other literature, but offers insights into downtown development efforts as urban governance becomes more fragmented and city development policy more focused on tourism and consumption.
Utility of the Static-99 and Static-99R With Latino Sex Offenders
Authors: Leguízamo Alejandro , Lee Seung C. , Jeglic Elizabeth L. , Calkins Cynthia
Published: December 2015

The predictive validity of the Static-99 measures with ethnic minorities in the United States has only recently been assessed with mixed results. We assessed the predictive validity of the Static-99 and Static-99R with a sample of Latino sex offenders ( N = 483) as well as with two subsamples (U.S.-born, including Puerto Rico, and non-U.S.-born). The overall sexual recidivism rate was very low (1.9%). Both the Static-99 measures were able to predict sexual recidivism for offenders born in the United States and Puerto Rico, but neither was effective in doing so for other Latino immigrants. Calibration analyses ( N = 303) of the Static-99R were consistent with the literature and provided support for the potential use of the measure with Latinos born in the United States and Puerto Rico. These findings and their implications are discussed as they pertain to the assessment of Latino sex offenders.
Diagnosing ADHD in Adults: An Examination of the Discriminative Validity of Neuropsychological Tests and Diagnostic Assessment Instruments
Authors: Pettersson Richard , Söderström Staffan , Nilsson Kent W.
Published: December 2015

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the discriminative validity of neuropsychological tests and diagnostic assessment instruments in diagnosing adult ADHD in a clinical psychiatric population. Method: Of 108 patients, 60 were diagnosed with ADHD. The Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in adults (DIVA 2.0) and Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) v.1.1 together with eight neuropsychological tests were investigated. Results: All instruments showed poor discriminative ability except for the DIVA, which showed a relatively good ability to discriminate between the groups (sensitivity = 90.0; specificity = 72.9). A logistic regression analysis model with the DIVA and measures of inattention, impulsivity, and activity from continuous performance tests (CPTs) showed a sensitivity of 90.0 and a specificity of 83.3. Conclusion: Neuropsychological tests have a poor ability to discriminate between patients diagnosed with ADHD and patients not diagnosed with ADHD, but variables from CPT tests can contribute to increasing the specificity by 10% if used in combination with the DIVA.
Safety Assessment of Synthetic Fluorphlogopite as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Becker Lillian C. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Andersen F. Alan
Published: December 2015

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (the Panel) reviewed the safety of synthetic fluorphlogopite as used in cosmetics. Synthetic fluorphlogopite functions as a bulking agent and a viscosity-increasing agent. The Panel reviewed available animal and human data related to this ingredient along with a previous safety assessment of other magnesium silicates. The Panel concluded that synthetic fluorphlogopite was safe as cosmetic ingredients in the practices of use and concentration as given in this safety assessment.
Nicotine and Cotinine Levels With Electronic Cigarette
Authors: Marsot A. , Simon N.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Since their introduction in 2004, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have gained popularity worldwide. E-cigarettes are marketed as nicotine delivery devices. Commonly reported reasons for use include to quit smoking, to reduce urge to smoke, or the perceived lower risk alternative to smoking. But what are the actual amounts of nicotine delivered?

Aim:

This review summarizes all the published studies concerning nicotine or cotinine levels following e-cigarette use.

Methods:

A literature search was conducted from the PubMed database, from 1985 to January 2014, using the following terms: electronic cigarette(s), e-cigarette(s), electronic nicotine delivery system, cotinine, and nicotine. Articles were excluded if they were not pertinent according to our criteria. References of all relevant articles were also evaluated.

Results:

Eight studies were included in this review. The following information was extracted from the articles: population size, age of participants, recruitment, inclusion and exclusion criteria, concentration of nicotine in refills liquids, study sample design, and observed concentrations. Following design of studies, plasma nicotine Cmax was observed between 0 and 5 ng/mL (no significant changes) or between 13.9 and 16.3 ng/mL (similar to a tobacco cigarette) with a Tmax between 70 and 75 minutes. Cotinine levels after “vaping” an e-cigarette are similar to a tobacco cigarette.

Conclusion:

This review summarizes e-cigarette studies that contain information on nicotine or cotinine levels. The peak concentration of nicotine appears to be dependent on the use and dose level of e-cigarette cartridge. The value of this peak concentration is similar to the value found with a tobacco cigarette. However, the time corresponding to the peak concentration is delayed compared to a tobacco cigarette.
Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
Authors: Gattey Natasha , Bahrani Bahar , Hull Peter R.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is urticaria persisting for more than 6 weeks with no identifiable provoking cause and associated with significant disability.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to survey patients with CSU with a view to establishing prognosis, efficacy of treatments, suspected causality, and effects on lifestyle.

Methods:

One hundred seventy-four patients with CSU were seen between 2003 and 2013. A questionnaire was sent to all, and 101 participated.

Results:

The ratio of female to male participants was 4:1. The mean age of onset was 36 years. The average duration of symptoms was 8.8 years, with a range of 0.33 to 55 years. Seven percent of participants had autoimmune thyroiditis, and another 17% had various other autoimmune diseases. Common symptoms were pruritus, disturbed sleep, and anxiety. Slightly more than 70% had missed work or school. Most were frustrated at the lack of efficacy of treatments.

Conclusions

CSU is frequently associated with a history of autoimmune diseases. It may persist for decades and causes significant disruption to lifestyle.
The Changing Role of Journalism
Authors: Murphy Katharine
Published: December 2015

Journalism in the midst of a profound structural adjustment. In the last decade digital technology has disrupted print journalism, requiring journalists to rethink how they deliver content to audiences. But disruption has not altered the central mission of the profession. This article considers key trends, including the rise of the reader, the rolling news cycle, the impact of rolling news on the quality of journalism being produced, and the consequences of these changes for political discussion. The article ends with some observations intended for journalists just entering the profession.