bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tactile Localization on Digits and Hand
Authors: Yoshioka Takashi , Dillon Moira R. , Beck Graham C. , Rapp Brenda , Landau Barbara
Published: August 2013

Localization of tactile stimuli to the hand and digits is fundamental to somatosensory perception. However, little is known about the development or genetic bases of this ability in humans. We examined tactile localization in normally developing children, adolescents, and adults and in people with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder resulting in a wide range of severe visual-spatial deficits. Normally developing 4-year-olds made large stimulus-localization errors, sometimes across digits, but nevertheless their errors revealed a structured internal representation of the hand. In normally developing individuals, errors became exponentially smaller over age, reaching the adult level by adolescence. In contrast, people with WS showed large localization errors regardless of age and a significant proportion of cross-digit errors, a profile similar to that of normally developing 4-year-olds. Thus, tactile localization reflects internal organization of the hand even early in normal development, undergoes substantial development in normal children, and is susceptible to developmental, but not organizational, impairment under genetic deficit.
Physical Order Produces Healthy Choices, Generosity, and Conventionality, Whereas Disorder Produces Creativity
Authors: Vohs Kathleen D. , Redden Joseph P. , Rahinel Ryan
Published: August 2013

Order and disorder are prevalent in both nature and culture, which suggests that each environ confers advantages for different outcomes. Three experiments tested the novel hypotheses that orderly environments lead people toward tradition and convention, whereas disorderly environments encourage breaking with tradition and convention—and that both settings can alter preferences, choice, and behavior. Experiment 1 showed that relative to participants in a disorderly room, participants in an orderly room chose healthier snacks and donated more money. Experiment 2 showed that participants in a disorderly room were more creative than participants in an orderly room. Experiment 3 showed a predicted crossover effect: Participants in an orderly room preferred an option labeled as classic, but those in a disorderly room preferred an option labeled as new. Whereas prior research on physical settings has shown that orderly settings encourage better behavior than disorderly ones, the current research tells a nuanced story of how different environments suit different outcomes.
The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met Polymorphism Moderates an Effect of Physical Activity on Working Memory Performance
Authors: Erickson Kirk I. , Banducci Sarah E. , Weinstein Andrea M. , MacDonald Angus W. , Ferrell Robert E. , Halder Indrani , Flory Janine D. , Manuck Stephen B.
Published: August 2013

Physical activity enhances cognitive performance, yet individual variability in its effectiveness limits its widespread therapeutic application. Genetic differences might be one source of this variation. For example, carriers of the methionine-specifying (Met) allele of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism have reduced secretion of BDNF and poorer memory, yet physical activity increases BDNF levels. To determine whether the BDNF polymorphism moderated an association of physical activity with cognitive functioning among 1,032 midlife volunteers (mean age = 44.59 years), we evaluated participants’ performance on a battery of tests assessing memory, learning, and executive processes, and evaluated their physical activity with the Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire. BDNF genotype interacted robustly with physical activity to affect working memory, but not other areas of cognitive functioning. In particular, greater levels of physical activity offset a deleterious effect of the Met allele on working memory performance. These findings suggest that physical activity can modulate domain-specific genetic ( BDNF) effects on cognition.
Dissociable Neural Routes to Successful Prospective Memory
Authors: McDaniel Mark A. , LaMontagne Pamela , Beck Stefanie M. , Scullin Michael K. , Braver Todd S.
Published: August 2013

Identifying the processes by which people remember to execute an intention at an appropriate moment ( prospective memory) remains a fundamental theoretical challenge. According to one account, top-down attentional control is required to maintain activation of the intention, initiate intention retrieval, or support monitoring. A diverging account suggests that bottom-up, spontaneous retrieval can be triggered by cues that have been associated with the intention and that sustained attentional processes are not required. We used a specialized experimental design and functional MRI methods to selectively marshal and identify each process. Results revealed a clear dissociation. One prospective-memory task recruited sustained activity in attentional-control areas, such as the anterior prefrontal cortex; the other engaged purely transient activity in parietal and ventral brain regions associated with attentional capture, target detection, and episodic retrieval. These patterns provide critical evidence that there are two neural routes to prospective memory, with each route emerging under different circumstances.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Longitudinal Structure of Neuroticism
Authors: Laceulle Odilia M. , Ormel Johan , Aggen Steven H. , Neale Michael C. , Kendler Kenneth S.
Published: August 2013

In this study, we sought to elucidate both stable and changing factors in the longitudinal structure of neuroticism using a behavioral genetic twin design. We tested whether this structure is best accounted for by a trait-state, a trait-only, or a state-only model. In line with classic views on personality, our results revealed substantial trait and state components. The contributions of genetic and environmental influences on the trait component were nearly equal, whereas environmental influences on the state component were much stronger than genetic influences. Although the overall findings were similar for older and younger twins, genetic influences on the trait component were stronger than environmental influences in younger twins, whereas the opposite was found for older twins. The current findings help to elucidate how the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors contributes to both stability and change in neuroticism.
Unit Asking
Authors: Hsee Christopher K. , Zhang Jiao , Lu Zoe Y. , Xu Fei
Published: August 2013

The solicitation of charitable donations costs billions of dollars annually. Here, we introduce a virtually costless method for boosting charitable donations to a group of needy persons: merely asking donors to indicate a hypothetical amount for helping one of the needy persons before asking donors to decide how much to donate for all of the needy persons. We demonstrated, in both real fund-raisers and scenario-based research, that this simple unit-asking method greatly increases donations for the group of needy persons. Different from phenomena such as the foot-in-the-door and identifiable-victim effects, the unit-asking effect arises because donors are initially scope insensitive and subsequently scope consistent. The method applies to both traditional paper-based fund-raisers and increasingly popular Web-based fund-raisers and has implications for domains other than fund-raisers, such as auctions and budget proposals. Our research suggests that a subtle manipulation based on psychological science can generate a substantial effect in real life.
Advanced colorectal neoplasia risk stratification by penalized logistic regression
Authors: Lin Yunzhi , Yu Menggang , Wang Sijian , Chappell Richard , Imperiale Thomas F
Published: August 2013

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. To facilitate the efficiency of colorectal cancer screening, there is a need to stratify risk for colorectal cancer among the 90% of US residents who are considered “average risk.” In this article, we investigate such risk stratification rules for advanced colorectal neoplasia (colorectal cancer and advanced, precancerous polyps). We use a recently completed large cohort study of subjects who underwent a first screening colonoscopy. Logistic regression models have been used in the literature to estimate the risk of advanced colorectal neoplasia based on quantifiable risk factors. However, logistic regression may be prone to overfitting and instability in variable selection. Since most of the risk factors in our study have several categories, it was tempting to collapse these categories into fewer risk groups. We propose a penalized logistic regression method that automatically and simultaneously selects variables, groups categories, and estimates their coefficients by penalizing the [Formula: see text]-norm of both the coefficients and their differences. Hence, it encourages sparsity in the categories, i.e. grouping of the categories, and sparsity in the variables, i.e. variable selection. We apply the penalized logistic regression method to our data. The important variables are selected, with close categories simultaneously grouped, by penalized regression models with and without the interactions terms. The models are validated with 10-fold cross-validation. The receiver operating characteristic curves of the penalized regression models dominate the receiver operating characteristic curve of naive logistic regressions, indicating a superior discriminative performance.
A flexible semiparametric modeling approach for doubly censored data with an application to prostate cancer
Authors: Han Seungbong , Andrei Adin-Cristian , Tsui Kam-Wah
Published: August 2013

Doubly censored data often arise in medical studies of disease progression involving two related events for which both an originating and a terminating event are interval-censored. Although regression modeling for such doubly censored data may be complicated, we propose a simple semiparametric regression modeling strategy based on jackknife pseudo-observations obtained using nonparametric estimators of the survival function. Inference is carried out via generalized estimating equations. Simulations studies show that the proposed method produces virtually unbiased covariate effect estimates, even for moderate sample sizes. A prostate cancer study example illustrates the practical advantages of the proposed approach.
Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents among bovine mastitis pathogens isolated from North American dairy cattle, 2002–2010
Authors: Lindeman Cynthia J. , Portis Ellen , Johansen Lacie , Mullins Lisa M. , Stoltman Gillian A.
Published: August 2013

Approximately 8,000 isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, isolated by 25 veterinary laboratories across North America between 2002 and 2010, were tested for in vitro susceptibility to beta-lactam, macrolide, and lincosamide drugs. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the beta-lactam drugs remained low against most of the Gram-positive strains tested, and no substantial changes in the MIC distributions were seen over time. Of the beta-lactam antimicrobial agents tested, only ceftiofur showed good in vitro activity against E. coli. The MICs of the macrolides and lincosamides also remained low against Gram-positive mastitis pathogens. While the MIC values given by 50% of isolates (MIC50) for erythromycin and pirlimycin and the streptococci were all low (≤0.5 µg/ml), the MIC values given by 90% of isolates (MIC90) were higher and more variable, but with no apparent increase over time. Staphylococcus aureus showed little change in erythromycin susceptibility over time, but there may be a small, numerical increase in pirlimycin MIC50 and MIC90 values. Overall, the results suggest that mastitis pathogens in the United States and Canada have not shown any substantial changes in the in vitro susceptibility to beta-lactam, macrolide, and lincosamide drugs tested over the 9 years of the study.
Self-healing thermally conductive adhesives
Authors: Lafont Ugo , Moreno-Belle Christian , van Zeijl Henk , van der Zwaag Sybrand
Published: August 2013

Thermally conductive composites with a temperature-triggered self-healing response were produced by dispersing boron nitride or graphite particles into two types of polysulphide-based thermoset matrices. The composites produced exhibit recovery of both cohesion and adhesion properties upon thermally activated healing. Using a mild healing temperature (65°C), the materials show full recovery of their initial adhesive strength during multiple healing cycles. The composites behave differently regarding the cohesion recovery: 20%–100% recovery is achieved depending on the filler type, filler loading and the type of matrix. The thermal conductivity of the composites increases with the amount of filler. Values of 1 and 2 W/m K can be achieved for the boron nitride and graphite-based composite, respectively. The results presented in this work clearly show that multifunctional materials with different functionalities and mechanical self-healing responses can be designed using this strategy.
Design and development of a broadband magnet-induced dual-cantilever piezoelectric energy harvester
Authors: Su Wei-Jiun , Zu Jean , Zhu Yang
Published: August 2013

In this article, a broadband magnet-induced dual-cantilever piezoelectric energy harvester is designed and developed. The dual-cantilever structure consists of an outer and an inner beams with magnets attached to the tips. The magnets generate nonlinear repulsive force between the two beams and make the structure bistable. In the theoretical model, each beam is considered as a single-degree-of-freedom system with magnetic force applied at the free end. From the simulation results, chaotic motion is observed in a wide frequency range. A prototype of the harvester is built and verified with the simulation results. The simulation and experimental results show good agreement with respect to the power bandwidth and amplitude. The distance between magnets is adjusted to observe its effect on the power response of the harvester. The inner and outer beams are simulated and tested independently first to observe the performance of each beam. Finally, an interface circuit is designed to combine all piezoelectric plates to acquire the overall performance. By comparing with the traditional piezoelectric energy harvester, the new design is shown to provide a significant improvement in bandwidth.
Developing a Reporting Guideline for Social and Psychological Intervention Trials
Authors: Grant Sean , Montgomery Paul , Hopewell Sally , Macdonald Geraldine , Moher David , Mayo-Wilson Evan
Published: August 2013

Social and psychological interventions are often complex. Understanding randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of these complex interventions requires a detailed description of the interventions tested and the methods used to evaluate them; however, RCT reports often omit, or inadequately report, this information. Incomplete and inaccurate reporting hinders the optimal use of research, wastes resources, and fails to meet ethical obligations to research participants and consumers. In this article, we explain how reporting guidelines have improved the quality of reports in medicine and describe the ongoing development of a new reporting guideline for RCTs: Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials-SPI (an extension for social and psychological interventions). We invite readers to participate in the project by visiting our website, in order to help us reach the best-informed consensus on these guidelines ( http://tinyurl.com/CONSORT-study ).
Measuring the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory in Marital Relationships
Authors: Wong Lai Cheung , Chu Amanda M. Y. , Chan Cecilia L. W.
Published: August 2013

Objective:

Because forgiveness is an important aspect of studies in marital relationships, there is a need for a culturally relevant measure of forgiveness for Chinese couples. This study aims to validate the Transgression-related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory in marital relationships within a Chinese context (C-TRIM).

Method:

Data were collected from 665 married individuals in Hong Kong who completed a self-administered questionnaire.

Results:

It is suggested that C-TRIM is a one-factor scale consisting of 12 items. It is also found that C-TRIM and benevolence are two distinct dimensions in measuring forgiveness in a marriage. C-TRIM represents negative forgiveness, whereas benevolence refers to positive forgiveness.

Conclusion:

C-TRIM demonstrates to be a valid and reliable scale with which to assess the forgiveness level of individuals toward their offending partner in Chinese communities.
Dynamic group communication for large-scale parallel data mining
Authors: Katti Amogh , Di Fatta Giuseppe
Published: August 2013

Exascale systems are the next frontier in high-performance computing and are expected to deliver a performance of the order of 1018 operations per second using massive multicore processors. Very large- and extreme-scale parallel systems pose critical algorithmic challenges, especially related to concurrency, locality and the need to avoid global communication patterns. This work investigates a novel protocol for dynamic group communication that can be used to remove the global communication requirement and to reduce the communication cost in parallel formulations of iterative data mining algorithms. The protocol is used to provide a communication-efficient parallel formulation of the k-means algorithm for cluster analysis. The approach is based on a collective communication operation for dynamic groups of processes and exploits non-uniform data distributions. Non-uniform data distributions can be either found in real-world distributed applications or induced by means of multidimensional binary search trees. The analysis of the proposed dynamic group communication protocol has shown that it does not introduce significant communication overhead. The parallel clustering algorithm has also been extended to accommodate an approximation error, which allows a further reduction of the communication costs. The effectiveness of the exact and approximate methods has been tested in a parallel computing system with 64 processors and in simulations with 1024 processing elements.
Judicial Consensus and Public Opinion
Authors: Salamone Michael F.
Published: August 2013

Do judicial dissents affect mass politics? The conventional wisdom is that unanimous rulings boost support for Supreme Court decisions, while division fuels popular opposition. However, empirical analysis of public reaction to unanimity and dissent is sparse, incomplete, and inconsistent. Through a series of survey experiments, I expand upon existing research on public opinion of judicial unity. I find that reaction to judicial consensus is dependent on the ideological salience of the issue involved and that, contrary to conventional wisdom and recent findings, dissent can foster acceptance of rulings among the Court’s opponents by suggesting evidence of procedural justice.
Development and Validation of the Transition to Retirement Questionnaire
Authors: Maggiori Christian , Nihil Roberto , Froidevaux Ariane , Rossier Jérôme
Published: August 2013

The aim of this study was to present the initial validation of a new questionnaire, the Transition to Retirement Questionnaire (TRQ) and to study its relationship with resistance to change and personality dimensions. Based on Schlossberg’s typology of the retired, the TRQ is designed to assess five dimensions related to personal perceptions of transition to retirement, retirement, and personal plans and activities. The sample consisted of 1,054 professionally active or retired adults from the Swiss French-speaking Canton of Vaud. Exploratory principal components and confirmatory factor analyses highlighted a five-factor solution that fit coherently with Schlossberg’s typology. Moreover, TRQ dimensions were related to resistance to change tendencies and personality dimensions. The TRQ seems to be an interesting tool for use in research but also for interventions with young retirees or people preparing for retirement.
External Fixator Kickstands for Free Soft Tissue Flap Protection
Authors: Ting Beverlie L. , Abousayed Mostafa M. , Holzer Paul , Cetrulo Curtis L. , Kwon John Y.
Published: August 2013

Background:

Protected elevation represents a critical component of postoperative care, particularly in posteriorly located flaps, to prevent pressure on the flap’s vascular pedicle and ensure a successful skin graft. Although several short case series and technique papers have described kickstand placement to prevent heel ulcers as an adjuvant to fixator placement for fracture management, there remains a paucity of reports describing external fixator placement solely for extremity elevation and pressure alleviation in the postoperative care of flap coverage procedures.

Methods:

Patients who underwent lower extremity free flap coverage procedures requiring temporary elevation were included. Age, diagnosis, soft tissue procedures performed, type of external fixator placed, duration of frame placement, mode of removal, and complications related to external fixator placement were documented. Patients requiring external fixator placement for fracture management were excluded.

Results:

Twelve patients with 13 lower limb soft tissue defects were included in our case series. A thin-wire ring external fixator kickstand was applied in 5 limbs while the rest underwent placement of a uniplanar carbon fiber bar type external fixator kickstands. The average time for removal of the frames was 4 weeks. No complications were reported from kickstand placement.

Conclusion:

The use of external fixator kickstands is an effective and safe adjuvant to soft tissue flap procedures for the lower extremity. Our case series is the largest in the literature and first to address the technical considerations for frame placement, positioning, and removal for external fixator kickstands placed solely for flap coverage procedures.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Outcome of Nonoperative Management of Displaced Oblique Spiral Fractures of the Fifth Metatarsal Shaft
Authors: Aynardi Michael , Pedowitz David I. , Saffel Heather , Piper Christine , Raikin Steven M.
Published: August 2013

Background:

Nonoperative management has been the preferred treatment for displaced oblique spiral fractures of the fifth metatarsal shaft; yet a paucity of literature supports this claim. The purpose of this investigation was to report the incidence and long-term outcome in the largest cohort of these fractures reported to date.

Methods:

From 2006 through 2010, 2990 patients sustaining closed metatarsal fractures were seen and treated. Displaced, oblique, spiral fractures of the distal shaft of the fifth metatarsal were identified and follow-up was conducted. Only patients who were initially treated with nonoperative management were included. Patients were seen at 6 and 12 weeks, and a minimum 2-year follow-up was conducted. In addition, demographic information was obtained, and the Short Form–12 (SF-12) and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) were administered. Average follow-up was 3.5 years.

Results:

In all, 142 acute fractures were managed for an incidence of 4.8% of all metatarsal fractures. There were 117 females and 25 males, average age was 55. FAAM activities of daily living subscale scores averaged 95.5 (±5.7), while FAAM sports subscales were 92.7 (±9.1). SF-12 physical and mental scores averaged 51.4 (±4.9) and 50.3 (±4.6), respectively. There were 2 delayed unions, 1 asymptomatic nonunion treated nonoperatively, and 2 painful nonunions that required open reduction internal fixation with bone grafting.

Conclusion:

This large cohort described the relative incidence and functional outcomes of displaced oblique fracture of shaft of the fifth metatarsal bone treated nonoperatively. Nonoperative management of these fractures resulted in excellent, long-term functional outcomes.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective cohort study.
Effect of roasting on rheological and functional properties of sorghum flour
Authors: Ranganathan Veena , Nunjundiah Indira Tyakal , Bhattacharya Sila
Published: August 2013

In this study, the effect of grain moisture content (12–20%), temperature (140–180 ℃), and time (5–15 min) of roasting on the quality attributes of sorghum grain was studied. The response functions were rheological attributes of powder flowability, color, water absorption capacity, and sensory acceptability. These response functions could be correlated ( r ≥ 0.91, p ≤ 0.01) with the independent variables by second order polynomials. Higher temperature and longer roasting time had a detrimental effect on color and sensory acceptability of product. An increase in moisture content of grain induced lower cohesion characteristics in the flour as evidenced by less energy for compression. Raw sorghum flour exhibited highest peak viscosity of 297 BU compared to only 32–71 BU for roasted samples. Roasted sorghum flour exhibited less shear-thinning phenomenon compared to raw sample, and was more stable towards retrogradation. Optimum condition for maximum sensory acceptability was achieved with a grain moisture content of 16–20% and temperature 161–179 ℃ for 12 min of roasting.
Strengthening Evaluation for Development
Authors: Ofir Zenda
Published: August 2013

Although some argue that distinctions between “evaluation” and “development evaluation” are increasingly superfluous, it is important to recognize that some distinctions still matter. The severe vulnerabilities and power asymmetries inherent in most developing country systems and societies make the task of evaluation specialists in these contexts both highly challenging and highly responsible. It calls for specialists from diverse fields, in particular those in developing countries, to be equipped and active, and visible where evaluation is done and shaped. These specialists need to work in a concerted fashion on evaluation priorities that enable a critical scrutiny of current and emerging development frameworks and models (from global to local level), and their implications for evaluation–and vice versa. The agenda would include studying the paradigms and values underlying development interventions; working with complex adaptive systems; interrogating new private sector linked development financing modalities; and opening up to other scientific disciplines' notions of what constitutes “rigor” and “credible evidence.” It would also promote a shift focus from a feverish enthrallment with “measuring impact” to how to better manage for sustained impact. The explosion in the development profession over the last decade also opens up the potential for non-Western wisdom and traditions, including indigenous knowledge systems, to help shape novel development as well as evaluation frameworks in support of local contexts. For all these efforts, intellectual and financial resources have to be mobilized across disciplinary, paradigm, sector and geographic boundaries. This demands powerful thought leadership in evaluation–a challenge in particular for the global South and East.
Haematological and biochemical reference intervals of four feline breeds
Authors: Paltrinieri Saverio , Ibba Fabrizio , Rossi Gabriele
Published: August 2013

Many feline breeds have been generated from a small number of ancestors. Thus, breed-specific peculiarities can be expected, which could include haematological and biochemical measurements. Despite this, there are only a few reports on breed-specific reference intervals (RI). This information is essential in routine practice where results from individual patients are usually compared with an RI. The aim was to compare haematological and biochemical data from clinically healthy Abyssinian, Holy Birman, Norwegian Forest and Siberian cats with published RIs to assess whether the published RIs are acceptable in these breeds. Comparison with established RIs using guidelines from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards and the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, revealed a number of breed-related clinicopathological differences. New RIs were established, but in most cases the new RIs overlapped with published RIs, and the use of the breed-specific data would minimally affect the clinical interpretation of laboratory results. Important differences that could result in misinterpretation of laboratory results were as follows: microcytosis and high α2-globulin concentrations in Abyssinian cats; high serum creatinine, α2-globulin and glucose concentrations in Holy Birman cats; high serum alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium and phosphate concentration in Norwegian Forest cats; low β2-globulin and γ-globulin concentrations in Norwegian Forest and Siberian cats. Breed-specific RIs should be used for these analytes. In addition, care should be taken in interpreting clinicopathological data in purebred cats for which specific RIs have not been established.
Making sense of institutional trust in organizations: Bridging institutional context and trust
Authors: Fuglsang Lars , Jagd Søren
Published: August 2013

Institutional-based approaches to trust can explain how trust logics can exist in a societal context as compared to logics of distrust. Strong institutions in the form of regulative, normative and cognitive structures can enable and inspire trust-relations among people at the interpersonal and inter-organizational level. We suggest, however, that the actor-dimension of institutional-based trust is an underexplored issue in the literature. Quoting Fligstein, institutional theory needs to explain how ‘some social actors are better at producing desired social outcomes than are others’ (Fligstein, 1997: 398). While Fligstein refers to actors who engage in ‘robust or local action’ we argue that actors who engage in (robust, local) sensemaking activities are better at (re)producing institutional-based trust. Particularly in situations when institutions are relatively unstable, unfamiliar to the actors and ambiguous, sensemaking strategies directed towards exploring the institutional foundations of trust at a local level can be an important basis of interpersonal trust-relations. First, based on a summary of studies of institutional-based trust we argue that an unresolved issue is how institutions more precisely form the basis for trust-relations. Second, we explore how sensemaking may serve as a bridge between institutional contexts and interpersonal trust processes. Based on Weber and Glynn’s (2006) model of relations between institutions and sensemaking, we argue that institutions are ‘emerging’ rather than ‘impacting’. The relevance of this view of sensemaking for bridging institutional-based and interpersonal trust processes is illustrated by reviewing a case study on how trust is created in a politically turbulent and foreign environment.
Liberal conservatism, ‘boardization’ and the government of civil servants
Authors: Barratt Edward
Published: August 2013

Drawing inspiration from the loosely coupled genre of studies of governmentality, this article explores the emergence in Britain during the early years of the millennium of a distinctive liberal conservative scheme for the government of civil servants. The term ‘boardization’ has been used to characterize the trend to reproduce the technology of the board of directors in central government. Conservatives currently assign a distinctive role to the work of departmental ‘boards’ in the effective management of the Civil Service. Intimating the costs and risks of the Conservatives’ programme, we explore the role of diverse governmental forces in the emergence of the boards of the Civil Service as an object for action and intervention during the early years of the new millennium. We explore a mutation in the application of practices and techniques drawn from the domain of the business enterprise to the organization of the Civil Service.
Implication of World Health Organization growth standards on estimation of malnutrition in young Chinese children
Authors: Dang Shaonong , Yan Hong , Wang Duolao
Published: August 2013

The aim of this study was to determine how malnutrition rates change in young Chinese children when 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards are used instead of 1978 WHO/National Center for Health Statistics reference. Cross-sectional survey data were used from rural western China and the Tibet region. The heights and weights of children of <36 months of age were measured. The nutritional status of the children was assessed by two references. Using 2006 reference instead of 1978 reference, the prevalence of stunting increased significantly (17.9% vs. 12.3% in rural western China and 37.5% vs. 28.1% in rural Tibet). The prevalence of underweight was lower in rural western China (7.7% vs. 11.7%) than rural Tibet (13.1% vs. 15.3%). For all ages, the prevalence of stunting increased and the greatest relative increase appeared in the first six months (102.9% in rural western China vs. 134.9% in rural Tibet). With respect to underweight, the relative increase occurred only during the first six months (314.3% in rural western China vs. 48.1% in rural Tibet); however, the reduction was observed in other age groups. For young Chinese Han and Tibetan children, the difference in estimation of malnutrition between two references differed in magnitude. The scale of change in the prevalence rates of stunting and underweight is much greater when 2006 reference was introduced.
Family socioeconomic status, household tobacco smoke, and asthma attack among children below 12 years of age
Authors: Strong Carol , Chang Ly-Yun
Published: August 2013

Studies have demonstrated the negative impact of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or parental cigarette smoking on pediatric asthma. Little is known, however, regarding whether there is a gender difference in the effect of household ETS on pediatric asthma. Using a nationwide survey in Taiwan, we examined the relationship between asthma prevalence in the past year and household ETS among children below 12 years of age ( N = 3761). We used multivariate regression models to assess odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of household ETS and asthma attacks by gender. In about 3% of the sample, parents reported that their children had an asthma attack in the past year, confirmed by physicians. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that household ETS predicted asthma attacks for girls (OR = 3.11, 95%CI = 1.24–7.76) but not for boys. Father’s education was significantly associated with asthma attack for both girls (OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.04–1.47) and boys (OR = 1.15, 95%CI = 1.05–1.26). Girls with lower family income were more likely to have had an asthma attack in the last year (OR = .48, 95%CI = .27–.87). The impact of household ETS and family socioeconomic status on asthma attacks differs by gender among children below 12 years.
Speaking about emotional events in hospital
Authors: Corsano Paola , Cigala Ada , Majorano Marinella , Vignola Valentina , Nuzzo Maria Josè , Cardinale Elisa , Izzi Giancarlo
Published: August 2013

This paper presents a qualitative study aimed at exploring the role of health-care professionals in hospitalized children’s emotional experiences. A total of 27 children and adolescents from ages 6 to 15 years admitted to the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology ward of an Italian hospital participated in the study. Each participant was asked to talk about an emotional experience of happiness, anger, sadness and fear, felt in the presence of a doctor or nurse on the ward. The emotional tales were coded and analyzed qualitatively. The results showed that all the emotions considered were experienced when the staff was present, nurses in particular. Doctors and nurses played a role of active participants, encouraging children’s emotions, especially for happy events. More research is needed to clarify the role of the staff in supporting children to cope with negative emotions.
Sunbed use and cutaneous melanoma in Norway
Authors: Moan Johan E. , Baturaite Zivile , Grigalavicius Mantas , Juzeniene Asta
Published: August 2013

Aims: Incidence rates of cutaneous melanoma (CM) in light skinned people in Norway are among the highest in the world. Sunbed use has increased in Norway since 1980. We will try to elucidate whether there is any correlation between the increase in sunbed use and the CM incidence rates, whether the increase in CM risk is similar for all age groups, and whether the possible difference between young and old persons can inform future healthcare strategies. Methods: The frequency of sunbed use by different age groups in the time period 1980–2011 and incidence rates (1980–2009) of CM at different age groups in Norway were studied. Time in minutes per day spent in front of screen of computers or TVs for boys and girls was also analysed. Results: The number of sunbed sessions per year in Norway increased throughout the entire period. The number of men and women diagnosed with CM per year, all ages combined, also increased. Sunbed use increased at a similar rate for three age groups (0–19, 20–50, and >50 years old), while the age-adjusted CM incidence rate increased only for the oldest group. Time spent in front of the screen of computers or TVs increased from 1985 to 2005 and is still increasing. Conclusions: CM incidence is decreasing while sunbed use is increasing in younger age groups. The present data indicate that more work needs to be done before one can know whether the overall health effects of sunbed exposure are positive or negative.
International organizations as policy actors: An ideational approach
Authors: Béland Daniel , Orenstein Mitchell A
Published: August 2013

The study of how ideas and discourse evolve within international organizations is one of the most important frontiers of global social policy theory. Setting forth an ideational approach to understanding their behavior, the article argues that international organizations are more open systems than most realists and structuralists believe. Their constantly evolving discourse and ideas can directly impact domestic policy. In order to stress this reality, drawing on the case of pension privatization, the article compares these organizations with ideologically driven domestic think tanks which, as far as pension privatization is concerned, have proved much more rigid in their policy prescriptions than the World Bank and other international organizations traditionally associated with the global pension privatization campaign.
Public assistance and poverty reduction: The case of Shanghai
Authors: Gao Qin
Published: August 2013

Using household survey data collected during November 2009 to January 2010 among 500 low-income families in Shanghai, this article provides updated evidence on the poverty reduction effects of the Minimum Living Standard Assurance (MLSA, or Dibao), urban China’s primary public assistance program. The article finds that, even though Shanghai’s MLSA line has been constantly raised, it has trailed behind the average living standard in Shanghai as measured by city per capita income and consumption levels. Low education, unemployment, being unmarried, and having child(ren) have been revealed to be strongly linked to MLSA participation and higher benefit amounts. MLSA’s poverty reduction effects were most prominent when a low poverty line was used, and the effect size became smaller as the level of the poverty line rose. When using two absolute poverty lines that were set in the national context, MLSA lowered the poverty rate, gap, and severity in Shanghai significantly but was unable to eliminate poverty. When using two much higher relative poverty lines, it is evident that MLSA was far from sufficient in lifting the relative positions of the recipient families in the context of the overall income distribution in Shanghai.
Are cash transfers a realistic policy tool for poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from Congo-Brazzaville and Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Hodges Anthony , Notten Geranda , O’Brien Clare , Tiberti Luca
Published: August 2013

This article uses evidence from two contrasting African countries, a middle-income oil producer (the Republic of Congo) and a low-income country (Côte d’Ivoire), on the potential role of cash transfers as instruments for poverty reduction and human development. Quantitative simulations of the targeting efficiency, impacts, cost, cost-effectiveness and affordability of different cash transfer options are combined with analysis of political and administrative feasibility. The analysis finds that cash transfers would have more impact on monetary poverty reduction than on human development, while a major practical challenge is to target efficiently in a context of mass poverty. Large-scale cash transfers could be financed domestically in Congo, but this is unlikely in Côte d’Ivoire, and political support is weak in both countries.
The politics of truth reconsidered: C. Wright Mills as radical social theorist
Authors: Oakes Guy
Published: August 2013

Following introductory remarks on Mills’s academic persona and current reputation, I pursue two lines of investigation. First, I analyze the deep structure of his thought, constituted by a pragmatist epistemology and a radical sociology, or ‘politics of truth.’ Then I argue that this structure is undermined by inconsistencies between its two components.
Updating Max Weber on the racial, the ethnic, and the national
Authors: Banton Michael
Published: August 2013

Weber said that his work would soon be superseded. While his 1911 drafts about race, ethnic community, and nation have recently attracted attention, his concern for the growth of objective knowledge has not been followed through. Weber maintained that a shared belief in common descent does not of itself constitute a group, but he failed (i) to develop his distinction between the concepts of the historian and the sociologist; (ii) to analyse the ways in which physical and cultural differences were used to mobilize for collective action; and (iii), while writing about social closure, to examine the opening of previously closed relationships. Contemporary social scientists working in this field may cite Weber as an authority, yet they have not built systematically upon the advances he pioneered. The possible future development of his line of analysis is sketched.
Natural resources and government responsiveness
Authors: Wiens David
Published: August 2013

Pogge (2008) and Wenar (2008) have recently argued that we are responsible for the persistence of the so-called ‘resource curse’. But their analyses are limited in important ways. I trace these limitations to their undue focus on the ways in which the international rules governing resource transactions undermine government accountability. To overcome the shortcomings of Pogge’s and Wenar’s analyses, I propose a normative framework organized around the social value of government responsiveness and discuss the implications of adopting this framework for future normative assessment of the resource curse and our relationships to it.
Conflict as driver of pluricentric coordination
Authors: Sørensen Eva
Published: August 2013

Governance theory and planning theory share a tendency to either overlook the role of conflicts in coordination processes or view them as a disruptive force that must be modified or neutralized. In effect, there is little research into the productive role of conflicts in constructing and reconstructing the institutional conditions that make coordination possible. The productive role of conflicts is particularly visible in times of radical change that calls for a recasting of the sedimented world views and practices of the involved actors, as well as the relationship between them. A case study of the formation of new pluricentric regional governance arenas in Denmark provides important insights into how conflicts contribute to a gradual recasting of the institutional conditions that make coordination possible.
Parties, Term Limits, and Representation in the U.S. States
Authors: Clark Jennifer Hayes , Williams R. Lucas
Published: August 2013

This research examines how severing the electoral connection influences legislative behavior. Unlike previous studies of legislative shirking, we argue for a more nuanced conceptualization that takes account of members’ electoral circumstances (beyond a dichotomous measure of term limited/nonterm limited) as well as the nature of the votes under consideration. This enables us to incorporate expectations of party influence into our model of legislative shirking. Our research demonstrates shirking among legislators leaving public office as they are no longer susceptible to party pressure, while those who face term limits and are seeking another public office may remain adherent to the party on votes most crucial to the party (i.e., procedural votes). Moreover, we find evidence that legislators who are no longer constrained by elections also exhibit a greater level of roll call abstention, although only those leaving public office demonstrate significant increases in abstentions on procedural votes. Thus, we may find very different shirking patterns among term-limited members depending on their future political ambition (or lack thereof) and also depending on the nature of the votes that we are examining.
The Morality of Play
Authors: McKernan Brian
Published: August 2013

Over the last several decades, video games have become one of America’s most popular pastimes. Sadly, little academic work has studied media coverage of video games during this transformation. Williams’ analysis of news magazines’ coverage from 1970 to 2000 offers the only research into this topic. However, the video game industry has significantly changed since 2000. To remedy this gap, I examine video game coverage in The New York Times over the last three decades. During this period, evaluative articles primarily treat video games as a major threat. However, a small subset of articles rejects this portrayal. During the 1980s and 1990s, this alternative account identifies video games’ functional benefits. This narrative changes in the 2000s to celebrating video games’ artistic merits. My work contributes to the social construction of technology literature in general by documenting how civil society’s cultural understanding of children and entertainment influence the specific narratives The New York Times attaches to video games.
The Rules of the Game—The Rules of the Player
Authors: Thorhauge Anne Mette
Published: August 2013

This article presents a critical view of the concept of rules in game studies on the basis of a case study of role-playing across media. Role-playing in its traditional form is a complex activity including a game system and a number of communicative conventions where one player takes the role of the game manager in order to implement the rules and provide a world for the other players. In online role-playing games, a programmed system simulates the rule system as well as part of the game manager’s tasks, while the rest of the activity is up to the players to define. Some aspects may translate more or less unproblematically across media, others are transformed by the introduction of the programmed system. This reveals some important perspectives on the sort of rules that can be simulated in a programmed system and what this means to the concept of rules in game studies.