bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the effect of economic development, region, and time period on the fisheries footprints of nations (1961–2010)
Authors: Clark Timothy P , Longo Stefano B
Published: August 2019

Anthropogenic activities are impacting marine systems, and the future sustainability of many global fisheries are in serious question. Our analysis draws on prior research in environmental sociology and food systems to better understand the association between economic development and the ecological footprint of fisheries. We provide a series of models to make comparisons across all nations, distinguishing between less-affluent nations and affluent nations over a 50-year period. We focus our analysis on the fisheries footprint of less-affluent nations to further explore how the effect of economic development varies across levels of national economic prosperity, region, and time period. The results of the study indicate that, over time, economic development is increasingly driving the fisheries footprint in less-affluent nations. Because this effect does not occur in affluent nations, we posit that less-affluent nations suffer the ecologically deleterious consequences of economic development more acutely. Furthermore, by utilizing post-estimation techniques for easier comparisons, our findings suggest that the magnitude of economic development’s effect on fisheries is strongest in more recent decades. Our findings also reveal that the effect of economic development is modified by region, as it has a stronger effect on fisheries footprint for less-affluent nations in Central and South America, but weaker in the Middle East and Africa. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for marine sustainability and the challenges posed by an environmentally intensive world capitalist food system.
‘Embarrassing the State’: The ‘Ordinary’ Prisoner Rights Movement in Ireland, 1972–6
Authors: Wall Oisín
Published: August 2019

This article explores the early years of the campaign for ‘ordinary’, not politically-aligned, prisoners’ rights in Ireland. It argues that this campaign has often been overshadowed by the activities of ‘political prisoners’, who only constituted a small minority of prisoners in the period. The article follows the development and changing tactics of the ordinary prisoners’ movement, through the rise and fall of the Prisoners’ Union (PU) (1972–3) and into the early years of the Prisoners’ Rights Organisation (PRO) (1973–6), which would become the longest-lasting and most vocal penal reform organisation in Ireland, until the formation of the Irish Penal Reform Trust in 1994. It argues that the movement constantly adapted its tactics to address emerging issues and opportunities. Ultimately, it contends that by 1976 the PRO was an increasingly legitimate voice in Ireland’s public discourse on prisons. It shows that, although the campaign did not achieve any major penal reforms in this period, it had a significant impact on public debates about prisons, prisoners’ mental health, the failures of the penal system, and prisoners’ entitlement to human rights.
Politics, Networks and Community: Recruitment for the International Brigades Reassessed
Authors: Raeburn Fraser
Published: August 2019

Despite decades of scholarship, historians have struggled to explain the decision made by the tens of thousands of volunteers who joined the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War (1936–9). Recent methodological innovations, particularly the embrace of transnational perspectives, have led to richer appreciations of complex individual motives and circumstances, but have done less to advance general explanations of the phenomenon. Drawing on a Scottish case study, this account argues that while motives may indeed have been highly individual, the context for the decision to enlist was not, with most volunteers coming from within well-defined social and political spheres. The density of recruitment among particular Communist Party networks suggests that far from being an internalised choice, the decision was made alongside and influenced by friends, family and colleagues. The communal nature of this process offers a useful explanation of the scale of recruitment for Spain across contexts, and suggests several specific factors that enabled the international communist movement to mobilise itself on such a large scale compared to other historical contingents of foreign fighters.
Angelic Encounters as Reported by Burn Survivors
Authors: Royse David
Published: August 2019

After collecting personal accounts of near-death experiences from persons with large burn injuries, it was discovered that several of the participants described seeing, talking with (and even hugging and praying with) a person or spirit they identified as an angel. Although the number of individuals in this qualitative study is small ( n = 6), verification of some key details in these interesting accounts may have been possible if one had the inclination and resources to investigate at the time. The author suggests helping professionals may want to consider that some patients may be able to relate other anecdotal accounts and a collection of these could assist with understanding their prevalence and could be a source of comfort to those experiencing great pain, loss, or crisis in their lives.
Uncovering Hidden Emotional Work: Professional Practice in Paediatric Post-Mortem
Authors: Reed Kate , Ellis Julie
Published: August 2019

The concepts of emotional labour and emotion management have been extensively explored across a range of health and social care occupations. Less is known about emotionality in ‘hidden’ and ‘taboo’ realms of health work. Drawing on data from an ethnographic study on fetal and neonatal post-mortem, we explore the ways in which professionals across occupation and status positions both articulate and manage their emotions. Post-mortem involves a range of practices which take place around the edges of life and death, medicine and hospital space. Although often concealed from members of the public (and from some professionals), such practices tend to be highly valued by professionals and parents. Our analysis moves beyond the current sociological focus on occupation, illuminating instead how emotional work is performed across multi-disciplinary teams in this secret context. In doing so we seek to contribute to the conceptual and empirical development of the sociology of emotion work.
A review on the mechanical properties of textile structural composite T-beams
Authors: Ouyang Yiwei , Wu Xianyan
Published: August 2019

In order to review the most effective ways to improve the mechanical properties of composite T-beams and further increase their application potential, research progress on the mechanical properties of textile structural composite T-beams was summarized based on two-dimensional (2-D) ply structure composite T-beams, delamination resistance enhanced 2-D ply structure T-beams, and three-dimensional (3-D) textile structural composite T-beams; future research directions for composite T-beams were also considered. From existing literature, the research status and application bottlenecks of 2-D ply structure composite T-beams and T-beams with enhanced delamination resistance performance were described, as were the specific classification, research progress, and mechanical properties of 3-D textile structural composite T-beams. In addition, the superior mechanical properties of 3-D braided textile structural composite T-beams, specifically their application potential based on excellent delamination resistance capacity, were highlighted. Future research directions for composite T-beams, that is, the applications of high-performance raw materials, locally enhanced design, structural blending enhancement, functionality, and intelligence are presented in this review.
Christian ethics and migration in Germany since 2015: a critical response to Robert Heimburger
Authors: Feiler Therese
Published: August 2019

Grounded in experiences in German migration policy since 2015, this article criticizes Robert Heimburger’s approach to migration due to its lack of theological distinctions.
Christian identity, the racialized migrant and the development of virtue: extending Robert Heimburger’s account of neighbours and borders
Authors: Adam Margaret B.
Published: August 2019

Heimburger’s account of Christianity claiming for its own the identity of God’s chosen people benefits from attention to the concurrent racialization and displacement of others from desirable land. Faithful discernments about Christian identity and national borders require the communal development and mutual accountability of the cardinal virtues as a penitential response to neighbours in need.
Luke’s Gospel and the Qur’an
Authors: Laird Stephen
Published: August 2019

An interesting series of shared motifs and theological nuances are revealed when materials and themes from the Qur’an that relate to Jesus and John the Baptist are compared with their counterparts in Luke’s Gospel. Some previously acknowledged similarities between passages in the Qur’an and the non-canonical gospels are revisited, with attention given to likely background influences from Luke’s Gospel. The implications of the study for future perceptions of Luke’s Gospel and for traditional claims about the origins of the Qur’an are briefly considered.
The Catholic trouble with justification: comments on Scott Hahn’s Romans
Authors: Anton Emil
Published: August 2019

Despite the Catholic–Lutheran Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, justification by faith is a troublesome doctrine to Catholics. Scott Hahn’s Romans is used to illustrate four inadequate ways of explaining (away) Paul’s doctrine of justification.
Income-Based Disparities in Financial Burdens of Medical Spending Under the Affordable Care Act in Families With Individuals Having Chronic Conditions
Authors: Xu Wendy Yi , Retchin Sheldon M. , Seiber Eric E. , Li Yiting
Published: August 2019

This study examined income-based disparities in financial burdens from out-of-pocket (OOP) medical spending among individuals with multiple chronic physical and behavioral conditions, before and after the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) implementation in 2014. Using the 2012-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, we studied changes in financial burdens experienced by nonelderly U.S. populations. Financial burdens were measured by (1) high financial burden, defined as total OOP medical spending exceeding 10% of annual household income; (2) health care cost-sharing ratio, defined as self-paid payments as a percent of total health care payments, excluding individual contributions to premiums; and (3) the total OOP costs spent on health care utilization. The findings indicated reductions in the proportion of those who experienced a high financial burden, as well as reductions in the OOP costs for some individuals. However, individuals with incomes below 138% federal poverty level (FPL) and those with incomes between 251% and 400% FPL who had multiple physical and/or behavioral chronic conditions experienced large increases in high financial burden after the ACA, relative to those with incomes greater than 400% FPL. While the ACA was associated with relieved medical financial burdens for some individuals, the worsening high financial burden for moderate-income individuals with chronic physical and behavioral conditions is a concern. Policymakers should revisit the cost subsidies for these individuals, with a particular focus on those with chronic conditions.
“We no longer fear brides from afar”: Marriage markets and gendered mobilities in rural Vietnam
Authors: Bélanger Danièle , Haemmerli Guillaume
Published: August 2019

Since the late 1990s, Vietnamese women’s participation in international marriage migration has garnered academic and media attention. In contrast, internal marriage migration, a key driver of overall internal migration flows, has received scant consideration. In this paper, we examine marriage and migration dynamics in four rural communes that have “lost” significant numbers of their single women to international marriage and gained brides through internal migration. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2012 and 2013 in four villages and analysis of local marriage registration data and census data, this article examines internal and international marriage migration. We probed marriage migration vis-a-vis marriage markets, internal labor migration and gendered mobility patterns. The increased diversification of marriage with respect to spousal places of origin indicates a reconfiguration of marital norms and practices and changing social constructions of a desirable wife and daughter-in-law. Results underscore the role of labor migration and interprovincial networks in expanding mate-seeking circles among rural youth and in altering marital norms. Female international marriage migration is one piece of a larger puzzle whereby various forms of mobility are intertwined with changes in the realms of gender, family and marriage.
Photovoltaic maximum power point tracking under dynamic partial shading changes by novel adaptive particle swarm optimization strategy
Authors: Eltamaly Ali M , Al-Saud Mamdooh S , Abokhalil Ahmed G , Farh Hassan MH
Published: August 2019

Maximum power point tracker (MPPT) is vital device in the Photovoltaic (PV) system because it can increase the generated power considerably. Partial shading conditions (PSCs) on the PV array generates many peaks in the P-V curve of PV array. Metaheuristic techniques like particle swarm optimization (PSO) have the ability to track the global peak (GP) at any operating conditions. PSO technique can track the GP but once the shading pattern (SP) changes, the value and location of the new GP will change and may PSO cannot catch the new GP because all particles are busy around the previous GP. This problem is classified into two conditions: the first condition if the GP change its location and value suddenly, the second condition occurs when the GP changes its value gradually and still in same place. The first problem is solved by reinitializing the particles. The second problem is solved using a new adaptive strategy that has not been treated or adopted in any literature before. The results obtained prove the superiority of the new proposed strategy in always catching GP in dynamic change PSCs.
Coexistence of primary thyroid diffuse large B cell lymphoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma: a case report and literature review
Authors: Chen Ling , Liu Yihui , Dong Chunhui
Published: August 2019

Primary thyroid lymphoma (PTL) is a very rare type of thyroid malignant tumor. PTL coexisting with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is even scarcer and can be easily overlooked. We present our experience of the diagnosis and treatment of a 37-year-old woman with primary thyroid diffuse large B cell lymphoma complicated with PTC. We also considered this case in the context of previous reports. The results indicated that the incidence of concurrent Hashimoto’s disease varied among patients with different lymphoma subtypes, with the highest incidence in patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Furthermore, thyroid cancer and thus the combination of PTL and PTC were more common in women.
Long-term sustainability of a quality improvement program on cancer pain management: a complex intervention in an inpatient setting
Authors: Tanzi Silvia , Leo Silvia Di , Mazzini Elisa , Castagnetti Mattia , Turrà Caterina , Peruselli Carlo , Costantini Massimo
Published: August 2019

Background:

Several approaches towards pain control for admitted cancer patients have been suggested by the literature without achieving satisfactory results. In this quality improvement project, we proposed a multicomponent intervention.

Measures:

A set of indicators was established for each component of the project. The feasibility of both the intervention and its evaluation system was measured. According to the literature review and the analysis of the local context, 5 active components were identified, piloted, and assessed: training of ward professionals, education of patients and nonprofessional caregivers, regular pain assessment, specialist-level pain consultation procedures, and involvement of hospital management.

Results:

Multiprofessional training programs with daily discussions, daily pain assessment, and a readily available specialized palliative care service seem to be the active components of this complex intervention. The quality improvement project achieved 2 years sustainability.

Conclusion:

Consolidated educational and organizational methodologies support the feasibility of this complex intervention.
Treatment strategy for brain metastases from esophageal cancer
Authors: Domeki Yasushi , Nakajima Masanobu , Takahashi Masakazu , Kikuchi Maiko , Yokoyama Haruka , Ogata Hideo , Okamoto Kentaro , Yamaguchi Satoru , Sasaki Kinro , Tsuchioka Takashi , Kato Hiroyuki
Published: August 2019

Background:

This study aimed to examine the treatment outcomes of patients with brain metastases from esophageal cancer. Brain metastases from esophageal cancer are rare and have a poorer prognosis than brain metastases from lung and breast cancer.

Methods:

This study included patients who were diagnosed with and treated for esophageal cancer in our department and subsequently developed brain metastases between April 2010 and December 2014. We examined the differences in survival in patients based on receiving chemotherapy.

Results:

In total, 8 patients (7 men and 1 woman) with a mean age of 65 years (range 51–73) were included. Seven presented with neurologic symptoms. Two were diagnosed via computed tomography (CT), 5 via magnetic resonance imaging, and 1 via positron emission tomography/CT. They were treated using whole-brain irradiation or with a gamma knife. In 5 patients, chemotherapy was administered after treatment of the brain metastases. The mean survival from the start of treatment was 358 days (range 31–1196).

Conclusion:

The relatively successful local control of brain metastases in these patients indicates that long-term survival may be attainable via concomitant chemotherapy.
God’s staff and Moses’ hand(s): The battle against the Amalekites as a turning point in the role of the divine warrior
Authors: Trimm Charlie
Published: August 2019

The account of the battle against the Amalekites in Exodus 17.8-16 contains several contested portions, including the interpretation of the raising of Moses’ hands, the significance of the staff of God, and the number of hands Moses holds up. This article will argue that the ambiguity surrounding the presence/absence of the staff and the number of upraised hands functions to portray the episode as a transition in the narrative (a high-level Janus parallelism) in relation to the role of the divine warrior in Israelite combat. The presence of the staff of God in the one hand raised by Moses recalls the great works of God in the exodus and emphasizes divine initiative in battle, while the raising of two hands signifies prayer (as supported by parallels in the Zakkur stela and Egyptian reliefs) and looks forward to Israel fighting at its own initiative in future battles.
Professional Athletes Are at Higher Risk of Septic Arthritis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: An Analysis of 4421 Consecutive Patients Including 265 Elite Athletes From the SANTI Study Group
Authors: Sonnery-Cottet Bertrand , Saithna Adnan , Abreu Felipe Galvão , Franck Florent , de Abreu Guilherme Venturi , Vieira Thais D. , Daggett Matthew , Pioger Charles
Published: August 2019

Background:

Professional athletes are reported to be at greater risk of septic arthritis (SA) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) than the nonprofessional population. However, this finding has been controversial, and confusion has arisen in the literature owing to the underpowering of previous studies.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose was to report the differences in the rate of SA after ACLR in a large series of patients and to perform pooled data analysis including previously published studies. The hypothesis was that professional athletes have a significantly higher risk of SA than nonprofessional athletes.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed. Patients who underwent ACLR between January 2009 and July 2017 (with a minimum follow-up of 12 months) were considered for study eligibility. The rate of SA was determined, and multivariate analysis was used to evaluate potentially important risk factors, including participation in professional sport. Furthermore, a literature search was performed, and data were extracted from all identified relevant studies. A pooled data analysis was performed to determine differences in the risk of SA between professional and nonprofessional populations.

Results:

The current series comprised 4421 anterior cruciate ligament surgical procedures with 265 professional athletes. There were 15 cases of SA diagnosed over the study period (0.34%; 95% CI, 0.19%-0.56%). Ten cases occurred in professional athletes (3.8%; 95% CI, 1.82%-6.83%). The percentage of SA was 0.12% (95% CI, 0.04%-0.28%) in the nonprofessional population. Being a professional athlete was associated with a significantly increased risk of SA after ACLR (odds ratio, 21.038; 95% CI, 6.585-75.789; P < .0001). This finding was confirmed in the pooled data analysis comprising 11,416 patients including 1118 professional athletes (odds ratio, 5.03; 95% CI, 1.17-21.61).

Conclusion:

Professional athletes are at greater risk of SA after ACLR than nonprofessional athletes. The results of previous studies may have been conflicting owing to underpowering. The current study confirms the elevated risk by using a large clinical series and pooled data analysis to avoid the limitations of previous studies.
Cyborg agency: The technological self-production of the (post-)human and the anti-hermeneutic trajectory
Authors: Beinsteiner Andreas
Published: August 2019

This paper situates Günther Anders’s diagnosis of a shift in the modes of human self-production from hermeneutic and educational practices to techno-scientific interventions in the broader context of observations concerning posthumanism and biopolitics (e.g. Peter Sloterdijk, Giorgio Agamben). It proposes to reframe the problem of human self-production within the philosophy of media and traces a common anti-hermeneutic trajectory to which both technoscientific transhumanism and certain strands of posthumanism belong, insofar as they are based on an ontology that exclusively considers causally effective agency. With Anders and Martin Heidegger it is argued that such a focus on agency neglects the dimension of meaning that irreducibly guides technoscientific interventions. The paper claims that, with regard to the escalating dynamics both of human enhancement and of the Anthropocene, neither a truly critical theoretical stance nor a practical subversion is possible without taking the horizons of meaning into account that drive these dynamics. The last section sketches an outline of the complex interrelations of humans, technologies and meaning that cannot be mapped in terms of causally effective agency.
From radioactivity to data mining: Günther Anders in the Anthropocene
Authors: Müller Christopher John
Published: August 2019

This essay traces the complex constellation of ideas that informs Anders's turn to the generalizing expression ‘the human’ in his postwar work. It mobilizes the properties of radioactive material and digital data, which are both curiously imperceptible to our senses, to discuss Anders’s insistence on the universalizing pronoun `we' and assess its significance in the contemporary world. To do so, it aligns Anders's work with current debates about the Anthropocene and critiques of the use of the term ‘the human’ in postcolonial settings.
Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
Authors: Gourd Nicholas M. , Nikitas Nikitas
Published: August 2019

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is one of the most common syndromes of critical illness and the leading cause of mortality among critically ill patients. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome is the clinical consequence of a dysregulated inflammatory response, triggered by clinically diverse factors with the main pillar of management being invasive organ support. During the last years, the advances in the clarification of the molecular pathways that trigger, mitigate, and determine the outcome of MODS have led to the increasing recognition of MODS as a distinct disease entity with distinct etiology, pathophysiology, and potential future therapeutic interventions. Given the lack of effective treatment for MODS, its early recognition, the early intensive care unit admission, and the initiation of invasive organ support remain the most effective strategies of preventing its progression and improving outcomes.
Disentangling Honor-Based Violence and Religion: The Differential Influence of Individual and Social Religious Practices and Fundamentalism on Support for Honor Killings in a Cross-National Sample of Muslims
Authors: Beller Johannes , Kröger Christoph , Hosser Daniela
Published: August 2019

Religion is seen as one of the main causes of honor violence; yet, empirical studies investigating this purported relationship remain scarce. Therefore, we investigated how individual and social religious practices, religious fundamentalism, and demographic variables contribute to support for honor killings of women and men. We analyzed multinational face-to-face interview data of Muslims with a final sample size of N = 25,723. Using multilevel ordinal regression, we found that increased support for honor killings was strongly predicted by the frequency of mosque attendance, religious fundamentalism, a lower educational level, and living in a rural area. Conversely, gender and the frequency of private prayer did not significantly relate to support for honor killings. Thus, different aspects of religion have differential effects: Individual aspects of religious practice such as private prayer seem to be not significantly related to support for honor violence, whereas social aspects such as mosque attendance and religious fundamentalism strongly predict an increased support for honor killings.
Does African American Women’s Racial Identity Mediate Gendered Racism on Anticipated Relationship Threat?
Authors: Young Giana N. , Gamst Glenn , Meyers Lawrence S. , Der-Karabetian Aghop , Grills Cheryl T.
Published: August 2019

The present study examined the question of whether racial identity among African American women mediated the relationship between gendered racism and anticipated relationship threat. Using the Multicultural Assessment Intervention Process (MAIP) framework, we examined the relationship of gendered racism, racial identity, and anticipated relationship threat among a convenience sample of 411 African American women. A structural model was configured with gendered racism directly predicting anticipated relationship threat and racial identity serving as a mediator. Results indicated that greater levels of perceived gendered racism were associated with greater perceptions of anticipated relationship threat. Racial identity was found to not mediate the association with anticipated relationship threat. Individuals with less education experienced higher levels of concern regarding physical safety and controlling behaviors than those with more education. Implications for future relationship threat research with African American women are discussed.
Mental Illness, Social Suffering and Structural Antagonism in the Labour Process
Authors: Woods Megan , Macklin Rob , Dawkins Sarah , Martin Angela
Published: August 2019

Workplace conditions and experiences powerfully influence mental health and individuals experiencing mental illness, including the extent to which people experiencing mental ill-health are ‘disabled’ by their work environments. This article explains how examination of the social suffering experienced in workplaces by people with mental illness could enhance understanding of the inter-relationships between mental health and workplace conditions, including experiences and characteristics of the overarching labour process. It examines how workplace perceptions and narratives around mental illness act as discursive resources to influence the social realities of people with mental ill-health. It applies Labour Process Theory to highlight how such discursive resources could be used by workers and employers to influence the power, agency and control in workplace environments and the labour process, and the implications such attempts might have for social suffering. It concludes with an agenda for future research exploring these issues.
Emotional labour: Exploring emotional policy discourses of pregnancy and childbirth in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Paterson Stephanie
Published: August 2019

In 1991, Ontario became the first Canadian province to pass legislation establishing midwifery as a self-regulated healthcare profession and integrating it into the provincial healthcare insurance plan. Since its implementation, there has been a partial convergence of obstetric practice in the province, where, despite seemingly distinct professional philosophies of care, both midwives and physicians cohere around representations of pregnancy and birth as “normal” or “natural” life events rather than medical conditions requiring treatment. In this paper, I suggest that understanding this convergence and the effects produced by it requires an interrogation of the emotional policy discourses that shape (and are shaped by) the ways we experience the world around us. In doing so, I develop a framework for tracing the emotional policy discourses surrounding pregnancy and birth from the turn of the 20th century until the early 1990s, demonstrating that these representations reflect the merging of two emotional registers, joy and fear, where pregnancy and birth are represented as joyous, life changing events, but where joy is tempered by the fear of complications and potential tragedy. I thus show that contemporary emotional landscapes bind various “birth experts” and bracket “expertise” around particular forms of knowledge, shaping expert and maternal subjectivities along gendered, racialized, ableist, and class-based lines.
A rule-based exclusion method for tolerance specification of revolving components
Authors: Zhao Qijian , Li Tukun , Cao Yanlong , Yang Jiangxin , Jiang Xiangqian
Published: August 2019

This article proposes a novel method for tolerance specification on revolving components. The revolving parts are widely used and functionally important. An exclusion approach is introduced to construct a tolerance specification method. A functional analysis tool is developed to select features to be specified and to generate their datum reference frame. A set of rules are modelled to create suitable specification schemes. The independent axiom and entropy theory are applied for further specification refinement. A software application is developed, and an RV (RV is a code of model) reducer is used as a case study. A comparison with other specification methods is undertaken.
Adaptive designs in multi-reader multi-case clinical trials of imaging devices
Authors: Huang Zhipeng , Samuelson Frank , Tcheuko Lucas , Chen Weijie
Published: August 2019

Evaluation of medical imaging devices often involves clinical studies where multiple readers (MR) read images of multiple cases (MC) for a clinical task, which are often called MRMC studies. In addition to sizing patient cases as is required in most clinical trials, MRMC studies also require sizing readers, since both readers and cases contribute to the uncertainty of the estimated diagnostic performance, which is often measured by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Due to limited prior information, sizing of such a study is often unreliable. It is desired to adaptively resize the study toward a target power after an interim analysis. Although adaptive methods are available in clinical trials where only the patient sample is sized, such methodologies have not been established for MRMC studies. The challenge lies in the fact that there is a correlation structure in MRMC data and the sizing involves both readers and cases. We develop adaptive MRMC design methodologies to enable study resizing. In particular, we resize the study and adjust the critical value for hypothesis testing simultaneously after an interim analysis to achieve a target power and control the type I error rate in comparing AUCs of two modalities. Analytical results have been derived. Simulations show that the type I error rate is controlled close to the nominal level and the power is adjusted toward the target value under a variety of simulation conditions. We demonstrate the use of our methods in a real-world application comparing two imaging modalities for breast cancer detection.
The Effect of Non-pecuniary-based Incentive Mechanisms to Reduce Water Usage at the Household Level and to Achieve Positive Environmental Outcomes
Authors: Sengupta Jhumur
Published: August 2019

There has been a sixfold increase in global water use over the twentieth century. The study answers the question, ‘how can scarce water be saved in an efficient manner?’ The current study uses the non-pecuniary incentive, ‘neighbourhood comparison’, as a tool for giving signals to water users. This study stresses on the negative linkage between water usage by households and ‘neighbourhood comparison’ in the Indian context. The field survey of this study considers household-level data related to water usage. In the present study, it is revealed that ‘neighbourhood comparison’ message causes significant reductions in water consumption per capita.
Impacts of Vermi­compost Manure on MV Paddy Production in Bangladesh: A Case Study of Jessore District
Authors: Barmon Basanta Kumar , Tarafder Sushanta Kumar
Published: August 2019

The study estimates impacts of vermicompost manure on modern varieties (MV) of paddy produced in Bangladesh. Primary data were used in this study. The findings of the study indicated that on an average, the sampled farmers who used vermicompost comparatively used less proportion of chemical fertilizers such as urea, triple super phosphate, zypsum, zinc and manure except muriate of potash. The yield of MV boro and the net profit of per hectare was significantly much higher (about 1.91 times) in the farms that used vermicompost compared to those farmers who did not use it. The household income of the farmers who used vermicompost with irrigation has risen significantly (about 1.19 times). The farmers had experienced constant return to scale in MV boro paddy farms in both techniques. The farm area, seed, pesticide, irrigation, urea cost and vermicompost cost were the main factors that significantly affected the MV boro paddy production in farms that used vermicompost. On the other hand, the farm size, urea, chemical fertilizers, manure and labour had significant impact on MV boro paddy production under the farms that did not use vermicompost. Vermicompost normally retains the moisture as well as organic matter in topsoil. As a result, comparatively lesser amount of chemical fertilizers and irrigations are required for per hectare MV boro paddy production. There was inefficient and non-optimal use of resources in both the farms which hindered production of maximum level of output in the study area.
Productivity and Resource Use Efficiency of Tiger Shrimp Farming in Some Selected Areas of Bagerhat District in Bangladesh
Authors: Rasha Rezoyana Kabir , Rahman Md. Rakibur , Huq A. S. M. Anwarul , Jalil Gazi M. A.
Published: August 2019

The study has been applied for measuring productivity, profitability and efficiency of shrimp (Penaeusmonodon) farming in Bangladesh. It was found that per hectare gross return (GR), net return and gross margin were Tk. 364,222, Tk. 215,931 and Tk. 260,095, respectively, and Benefit Cost Ratio was 2.46 for shrimp farming. All the explanatory variables had a positive and significant effect, except for cost of lime had a negative and insignificant effect on the GR of shrimp farming. Efficiency analysis indicated that most of the farmers inefficiently used their inputs. This study also identified some of the problems faced by the farmers associated with shrimp farming.
Simulation as a Tool to Promote Professional Identity Formation and Patient Ownership in Medical Students
Authors: Tien Lillie , Wyatt Tasha R. , Tews Matthew , Kleinheksel A. J.
Published: August 2019

Background. Simulation has become a valuable tool in medical education, providing standardized clinical experiences without jeopardizing patient safety. Simulation may also help promote students’ professional identity formation (PIF) and patient ownership.

Methods. A mixed-methods study was performed to explore the relationship between simulation, PIF, and patient ownership among third-year medical students in between their clerkship rotation blocks. Data were collected from 76 students after a simulated emergent case. A priori codes were developed and categorized into individual and contextual elements, and latent content analysis was conducted on the responses. Quantitative analysis identified how clerkship rotations and prior clinical experience affected students’ PIF and feelings of patient ownership.

Results. Students exhibited both PIF and feelings of patient ownership as a result of the simulation. Students who completed an in-patient clerkship block described individual elements more frequently than students who completed the out-patient clerkship block (p = 0.017). Students who had no clinical experience prior to medical school remarked on individual elements more frequently than students who did have prior clinical experience (p = 0.017).

Conclusions. When medical students felt like a physician, they took ownership of their patients. When they took ownership of their patients, they felt like a physician. Simulation has long been recognized as a valuable tool for developing clinical skills and teamwork behaviors, but it also fosters PIF and a sense of patient ownership. By introducing simulation activities earlier in medical education, students will have opportunities to develop patient ownership and professional identity earlier, allowing for a fuller, more mature development process.
Assessment of the fracture process zone in rocks using digital image correlation technique: The role of mode-mixity, size, geometry and material
Authors: Moazzami M , Ayatollahi MR , Akhavan-Safar A
Published: August 2019

This paper presents an experimental research on the length and shape of the fracture process zone of rocks under mode I, mixed mode (I + II) and mode II loading conditions for different geometries of cracked specimens made of two types of rocks, using the digital image correlation approach. Single edge notch bending (SENB) and semi-circular bend specimens are the two geometries considered. In order to investigate the effect of the specimen size on the fracture process zone length, rocks with three different sizes are produced and tested. To investigate the effect of the mode mixity on the fracture process zone length of marble and sandstone, the specimens are tested under different modes of loading. According to the experimental results, it is found that the fracture process zone length changes with mode ratio, specimen size, geometry and the material properties. The fracture process zone length increases when the mode of loading moves from mode I to mode II. Experimental results also show that fracture process zone becomes longer for specimens with larger sizes. The fracture process zone is also affected by the specimen geometry.
Attachment, Parental Meta-Emotion, and Emotion Regulation in Adoptive Mother–Child Dyads
Authors: Merchant Erin K. , Borders L. DiAnne , Henson Robert A.
Published: August 2019

Adopted children are at risk for a number of unfavorable environmental factors and thus have an increased likelihood of developing social, emotional, cognitive, and attachment issues that can stunt the child’s ability to build intimate relationships and regulate emotion. These potential issues may make it difficult for adoptive parents to emotionally connect with their adopted child. Through the theories of parental meta-emotion philosophy (PMEP) and attachment, the researchers explored how adoptive mothers’ level of emotion coaching (the ideal PMEP) and their attachment impacted the adoptive child’s ability to emotionally regulate. Findings indicated that emotion coaching is an effective method of aiding adopted children’s ability to emotionally regulate. The researchers also found that adoptive mothers struggling with attachment may still be able to learn emotion coaching and positively impact her adopted child’s emotion regulation development.
Evaluation of the quality of local butters: A new approach based on Raman spectroscopy and supported by the classical pycnometer method
Authors: Iordache Stefan-Marian , Gatin Eduard , Iordache Ana-Maria , Luculescu Catalin
Published: August 2019

In this study, the quality of the local Romanian butters was investigated using the classical pycnometer and optic microscopy methods, combined with Raman spectroscopy. We used a pool of 10 samples with different characteristics, and analyzed them by the three aforementioned methods. Pycnometric measurements showed a direct correlation between the fat content and the density values of the samples. Raman spectroscopy validated the results from the pycnometric measurements and the optical microscopy and indicated several other properties, such as protein content, hydration, saturation level of the polycarbonate chains, as well as the total cis isomer content and the type of arrangement preferred by the aliphatic chains (polymorphic transition). The methods employed in the present study have a strong potential to become analytical tools for the food industry and food safety agencies in order to assess the quality of butters and margarines, in a fast and cost-effective manner.
How can the spatial equity of health services be defined and measured? A systematic review of spatial equity definitions and methods
Authors: Whitehead Jesse , L. Pearson Amber , Lawrenson Ross , Atatoa-Carr Polly
Published: August 2019

Background

Spatial equity analysis has been carried out in a variety of contexts and on a range of health services. However, there is no clear consensus on spatial equity definitions or measures. This review seeks to summarize spatial equity definitions and methods of analysis.

Methods

We systematically searched two electronic databases and six journals for papers providing a definition of spatial equity or performing a spatial equity analysis on health services. Studies were classified according to four definition themes: (1) distributional fairness; (2) needs-based distribution; (3) focus on outcomes or causes and (4) none provided.

Results

Seventy-five studies met our inclusion criteria. Sixty-one papers provided a definition of spatial equity, while a further 14 papers analysed the spatial equity of health services without providing a definition. Most authors used a needs-based definition of spatial equity, while the Gini coefficient was the most commonly used equity measure. However, analysis approaches varied according to the definition provided by each paper. Among the needs-based definitions, spatial autocorrelation was the most common spatial equity measure.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review summarizing spatial equity definitions and analysis methods. A lack of consensus on definitions and measures persists. The classification of measures according to definition themes makes this review a useful tool for planning and interpreting spatial equity investigations. Future research should examine the impact different measures of accessibility and need have on the results of spatial equity research.
‘Where are the people? What are they doing? Why are they doing it?’(Mindell) Situating artificial intelligence within a socio-technical framework
Authors: Holton Robert , Boyd Ross
Published: August 2019

This article explores the sociology of artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on interactions between social actors and technological processes. The aim is to locate social actors in the key elements of Bell’s framework for understanding AI, featuring big data, algorithms, machine learning, sensors and rationale/logic. We dispute notions of human autonomy and machine autonomy, seeking alternatives to both anthropocentric and technological determinist accounts of AI. While human actors and technological devices are co-producers of the assemblages around AI, we challenge the argument that their respective contributions are symmetrical. The theoretical problem is to establish quite how human actors are positioned asymmetrically within AI processes. This challenge has strong resonances for issues of inequality, democracy, governance and public policy. The theoretical questions raised do not support the argument that sociology should respond to the rise of big data by becoming a primarily empirical discipline.
Twenty-three women officers’ experiences of policing in England: The same old story or a different story?
Authors: Cunningham Emma , Ramshaw Pauline
Published: August 2019

Our research project was concerned primarily with using a feminist analysis to explore the lived reality of 23 women police officers in England and Wales. We undertook 23 qualitative interviews with our participants and our research straddles four decades of policing practice, which allowed us to explore changes that were seen to have taken place during this period. First, participants discussed their lived reality, which included banter, bullying and harassment for many. Second, and perhaps more surprisingly, at certain times of unrest, riots or threats, some of our participants were provided with opportunities, for example, during the IRA threat, the riot in Toxteth and the miners’ strike. We suggest that examples from our data capture an early disruption of the ‘ideal’ heroic male police officer that Silvestri examines [Silvestri M (2018) Disrupting the ‘heroic’ male within policing: a case of direct entry. Feminist Criminology 13(3): 309–328] whose removal from their normal role during periods of socio-political disorder allowed women officers to leave the gendered division of labour and undertake the heroic police constable role while the men were busy being ‘heroic’ at the source of threat and unrest. We sought to explore changes such as the uniform as a site of protest for some of our officers who challenged an uncomfortable and unfit uniform in the early days, and explained that there were still problems with the kit and design at times. Our findings illustrated that, on the whole, although massive changes had been made, it was a case of the same old story in terms of sexual harassment and banter for female officers and more was required to address these issues, which fits with reviews and studies in both England and Wales and in Australia. Finally, we noted using participants’ words how much many of these women had enjoyed their role within policing in spite of these challenges.