bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
User perspectives, preferences and priorities relating to products for managing bladder and bowel dysfunctions
Authors: Buckley Brian S
Published: December 2017

A great many people of all ages around the world cannot fully control their bladder or bowel, or both. Either in the short or long term, they rely upon products and devices to manage the emptying of their bladders and bowels and to collect, absorb and contain leaked urine or faeces. The incontinence product market is large and growing, and ongoing developments in materials and technologies should lead to improvements in these products and devices. Engineers and designers who work in this field – or who plan to do so – need to recognise the breadth of factors that affect the effectiveness and acceptability of products. The primary functions of products for managing bladder and bowel dysfunctions are the collection and containment of urine or faeces – and the associated engineering and design challenges may be considered in terms of flow rates and volumes and methods of acquisition and containment. But products will fail if they do not take into account other factors, some of which relate less directly to these primary functions and some not at all. This article aims to highlight the product characteristics that are most important to the people who use them, and areas where user-centred innovation and development may lead to improvements.
Another look at causes and consequences of pension privatization reform reversals in Eastern Europe
Authors: Altiparmakov Nikola
Published: December 2017

In order for ‘carve-out’ pension privatization to improve long-term sustainability, the transition should not be predominantly debt financed, and private pension funds should deliver (net) rates of return tangibly higher than gross domestic product (GDP) growth. We show that none of the reforming countries in Eastern Europe was successful in fulfilling these two preconditions, even before the emergence of the global financial crisis. While existing literature mostly describes a recent wave of reform reversals as politically driven short-sighted policies that deteriorate long-term sustainability, we argue the contrary: that pension privatization structural deficiencies and disappointing performance allow reversals to improve the short-term stance without necessarily undermining long-term pension sustainability. We conclude that unless political consensus exists to support the multi-decade fiscal austerity required to finance pension privatization, reform adjustments and reversals can be a rational alternative to maintaining economically suboptimal or politically unstable pension systems in some Eastern European countries.
Ageing, health inequalities and the welfare state: A multilevel analysis
Authors: Högberg Björn , Strandh Mattias , Baranowska-Rataj Anna , Sevä Ingemar Johansson
Published: December 2017

Comparative studies of health inequalities have largely neglected age and ageing aspects, while ageing research has often paid little attention to questions of social inequalities. This article investigates cross-country differences in gradients in self-rated health and limiting long-standing illness (LLSI) in middle-aged and in older people (aged 50–64 and 65–80 years) linked to social class, and degrees to which the social health gradients are associated with minimum pension levels and expenditure on elderly care. For these purposes, data from the European Social Survey (2002–2010) are analysed using multilevel regression techniques. We find significant cross-level interaction effects between class and welfare policies: higher expenditure on elderly care and particularly more generous minimum pensions are associated with smaller health inequalities in the older age group (65–80 years). It is concluded that welfare policies moderate the association between social class and health, highlighting the importance of welfare state efforts for older persons, who are strongly reliant on the welfare state and welfare state arrangements such as pensions and care policies.
Varieties of embodiment in cognitive science
Authors: Alessandroni Nicolás
Published: December 2017

This article presents an epistemological multilevel analysis of the embodied cognition studies’ programme. It is proposed that within the cognitive-embodied type it is possible to find at least four distinct hypotheses regarding the role of the body in human cognition: (a) body-in-action hypothesis, (b) extended body hypothesis, (c) ecological body hypothesis, and (d) body-as-a-physical-datum hypothesis. The foundations of these hypotheses and some philosophical debates underlying embodiment are discussed in-depth. After briefly addressing the key contributions of social embodied theories, the article presents a hierarchical model that allows for the analysis of the epistemological consequences derived from each embodiment conception. Finally, a prospective epistemological criticism is introduced to provide a comprehensive and contemporary overview of the issue.
A stratification approach using logit-based models for confounder adjustment in the study of continuous outcomes
Authors: Tan Chuen Seng , Støer Nathalie C , Chen Ying , Andersson Marielle , Ning Yilin , Wee Hwee-Lin , Khoo Eric Yin Hao , Tai E-Shyong , Kao Shih Ling , Reilly Marie
Published: December 2017

The control of confounding is an area of extensive epidemiological research, especially in the field of causal inference for observational studies. Matched cohort and case-control study designs are commonly implemented to control for confounding effects without specifying the functional form of the relationship between the outcome and confounders. This paper extends the commonly used regression models in matched designs for binary and survival outcomes (i.e. conditional logistic and stratified Cox proportional hazards) to studies of continuous outcomes through a novel interpretation and application of logit-based regression models from the econometrics and marketing research literature. We compare the performance of the maximum likelihood estimators using simulated data and propose a heuristic argument for obtaining the residuals for model diagnostics. We illustrate our proposed approach with two real data applications. Our simulation studies demonstrate that our stratification approach is robust to model misspecification and that the distribution of the estimated residuals provides a useful diagnostic when the strata are of moderate size. In our applications to real data, we demonstrate that parity and menopausal status are associated with percent mammographic density, and that the mean level and variability of inpatient blood glucose readings vary between medical and surgical wards within a national tertiary hospital. Our work highlights how the same class of regression models, available in most statistical software, can be used to adjust for confounding in the study of binary, time-to-event and continuous outcomes.
Bayesian hidden Markov models for delineating the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kang Kai , Cai Jingheng , Song Xinyuan , Zhu Hongtu
Published: December 2017

Alzheimer’s disease is a firmly incurable and progressive disease. The pathology of Alzheimer’s disease usually evolves from cognitive normal, to mild cognitive impairment, to Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this paper is to develop a Bayesian hidden Markov model to characterize disease pathology, identify hidden states corresponding to the diagnosed stages of cognitive decline, and examine the dynamic changes of potential risk factors associated with the cognitive normal–mild cognitive impairment–Alzheimer’s disease transition. The hidden Markov model framework consists of two major components. The first one is a state-dependent semiparametric regression for delineating the complex associations between clinical outcomes of interest and a set of prognostic biomarkers across neurodegenerative states. The second one is a parametric transition model, while accounting for potential covariate effects on the cross-state transition. The inter-individual and inter-process differences are taken into account via correlated random effects in both components. Based on the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative data set, we are able to identify four states of Alzheimer’s disease pathology, corresponding to common diagnosed cognitive decline stages, including cognitive normal, early mild cognitive impairment, late mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease and examine the effects of hippocampus, age, gender, and APOE-[Formula: see text] on degeneration of cognitive function across the four cognitive states.
Dream of a World Without Borders
Authors: Gera Roy Anjali
Published: December 2017

This essay revisits the ‘Komagata Maru’ incident of 1914 to investigate the legalities that have complicated migration from some parts of the world to others since the era of apparently porous colonial borders to the highly bordered contemporary world that is differentially porous. It shows that the promise of free movement in the global village is undercut by the reality of legislation and juridical issues that continue to regulate the movements of people from one part of the world to the other. It focuses on legal borders that restrict the movement of people in the contemporary world by returning to an earlier moment when several of these issues were foregrounded. The essay draws on Hardt and Negri’s (2000) Empire and Foucault’s notion of governmentality to identify the juridical procedures, tactics, apparatuses of security and machineries of surveillance that the British government employed against imperial subjects during the Komagata Maru episode of 1914. It argues that the national and supranational organisms united under the single logic of the sovereignty of the British Empire, through which state-centric imperialism obstructed the mobility of the passengers on the Komagata Maru, make it resemble the new Empire.
Transformative Justice, Reparations and Transatlantic Slavery
Authors: Evans Matthew , Wilkins David
Published: December 2017

This article considers lessons recent debates concerning transitional and transformative justice, and surrounding transformative reparations, could offer to discussions regarding reparations for transatlantic slavery. Even transitional justice programmes aiming to provide transformative reparations in the form of development programmes (such as healthcare, education and housing provision) have enabled governments to avoid addressing structural causes of inequalities. The article argues that calling for reparations for transatlantic slavery in the form of development projects is potentially regressive. Framing development programmes as reparations, as parts of the Caribbean Community Ten-Point Plan for reparations do, risks presenting these as necessary only because of powerful states’ duty to make amends for past wrongdoing. The article calls for advocates of reparations for transatlantic slavery to be more explicit in demarcating the backward- and forward-looking foundations of their claims. The importance of symbolic and non-financial reparations ought to be more explicitly highlighted as a potential contributor to the social repair of transatlantic slavery’s harmful legacies. Moreover, distributive justice should be explicitly emphasized as being necessary to realize the present-day and future rights of people suffering from the historical legacy of transatlantic slavery and not simply because the present situation is the result of historical injustice.
Labour Constitutions and Market Logics
Authors: Knegt Robert
Published: December 2017

The article evaluates labour law’s strategies of coping with the pressure put on its project of realizing justice by a hegemony of economic perspectives on labour markets. Its consequences for a methodology of labour law are set out by critically engaging with recent proposals made by Simon Deakin and Ruth Dukes. It is argued that a socio-historical perspective on the role of legal models in actually shaping labour relations can enrich the concept of a ‘labour constitution’.
Decision Modeling for Manufacturing Sustainability with Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Ocampo Lanndon A.
Published: December 2017

This article intends to integrate sustainability and the classical manufacturing strategy (MS) into a coherent hierarchical decision-making framework that identifies the content of a sustainable MS using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP). Instead of using the traditional fundamental scale of the AHP, linguistic variables with equivalent triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs) are used to elucidate judgement of elements in pairwise comparisons. AHP, as a widely adopted tool in multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problems, effectively handles the subjectivity and comprehensiveness of decision-making complexity that is structured hierarchically. Domain experts in MS and sustainability were asked to elicit judgement in AHP pairwise comparison approach. Results show the content strategy of the nine decision categories in manufacturing that addresses sustainability and competitiveness. A priority list of decisions is also presented which may guide decision-makers in resource allocation, medium- and long-range planning, and in formulating strategic initiatives. The main contribution of this article is the formulation of a sustainable MS from a hybrid approach that captures uncertainty and subjectivity in decision-making.
Oh Snap: Chat Style in the 2016 US Presidential Primaries
Authors: Nashmi Eisa Al , Painter David Lynn
Published: December 2017

Based on Goffman’s theories of self-presentation and framing, this exploratory investigation adapted Videostyle and Webstyle protocols to analyse the 2016 US presidential primary candidates’ Snapchat posts. This quantitative content analysis ( N = 871) coded for the visual content, production techniques, nonverbal content and frames used by the five candidates who used Snapchat as a strategic tool to engage voters throughout the course of the 2016 US primary campaign. The results indicate Clinton (D) deviated from the other candidates in the visual and nonverbal content as well as the frames used in her snaps. The implications of these findings on gendered self-presentation theory as well as inferences about the campaigns’ strategic social media motivations and effectiveness are also explored.
Waging Peace Through Symphonic Discourse in the Sudan–Uganda Conflicts
Authors: Papa Michael J. , Mapendere Jeffrey
Published: December 2017

In 1999, former US President Carter and The Carter Center (TCC) negotiated the Nairobi Agreement (NA) restoring diplomatic relations between Sudan and Uganda. The focus of this study was on the diplomatic activities undertaken by TCC to implement the NA from 2000 to 2004. Our primary purpose was to stimulate new thinking about the communicative dimensions of peacemaking in complicated hostile environments. Based on our analysis of TCC’s involvement in the peace implementation process in Sudan and Uganda, we found that the implementation of a peace agreement required significant use of symphonic discourse (SD). SD was displayed in the following ways: (a) integration of heterogeneous material, (b) collaborating with multiple groups, (c) combining and reconciling harmonious and acrimonious discourses, (d) learning through interaction in a community and (e) climax as a moment of recognizing what has already been achieved.
Student Employment as a Model for Experiential Learning
Authors: Fede Jacquelyn H. , Gorman Kathleen S. , Cimini Maria E.
Published: December 2017

Background: Evidence suggests experiential learning promotes the development of a range of transferrable skills including communication, responsibility, and social skills. However, many students are unable to participate in internships or other common forms of experiential education because they need to work for pay. University employment has been positively associated with academic success, but less is known about its potential to develop transferrable skills. Purpose: This evaluation assessed the outcomes and experiences of former student workers employed by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Outreach project in a paid, university position. Methodology/Approach: Former workers were surveyed regarding grade point average and graduation, employment and post-graduate education, transferrable skill development, and civic behaviors and attitudes. Findings/Conclusions: Former workers reported growth on transferrable skills (e.g., communication, problem-solving), civic behaviors, and attitudes and qualitatively attributed these gains to their work as outreach workers, particularly in terms of interacting with diverse clients in the community. Results suggest benefits associated with structuring meaningful experiences in university jobs similar to those observed in other experiential education settings. Implications: University employment may be a viable route for promoting transferrable skill development. Greater consideration of employment opportunities that foster partnerships between the institution and the community may benefit the university, community, and students.
Coping Strategies Used by Syrian Refugees in Jordan
Authors: Alzoubi Fatmeh Ahmad , Al-Smadi Ahmed Mohammad , Gougazeh Yazeed Mohammad
Published: December 2017

This study examined the coping strategies used by Syrian refugees in Jordan in relation to their demographics. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with a convenient sample of 550 Syrian refugees. Out of all the study participants, 88% reported seeking social support, 64.5% reported using avoidance, and 39.5% reported using problem solving. Participants who were male, single, and younger, and who had a higher education and a higher total income were satisfied with their income, were employed and free of chronic illnesses, and had higher problem-solving scores. Higher social support-seeking scores were associated with being female, older, and widowed; having a lower education and lower total income; being dissatisfied with their income; being nonemployed; and having chronic illnesses. A number of significant predictors were identified for each coping strategy. The results of this study could be used to formulate programs and develop services regarding the stressors encountered by Syrian refugees and their coping strategies.
Drug Market Criminology
Authors: Moeller Kim
Published: December 2017

There is a divide between economic and criminological research on illicit drug markets. Economists have focused on modeling markets at an abstract level, while criminologists have focused on offending in individual street-level marketplaces. This article combines the economic and criminological research on illicit drug markets through the lens of social embeddedness theory. The analysis concerns how participants reduce the uncertainties that follow from the illegality of the product, the lack of reliable information on product quality, and the trustworthiness of the trading partner. Social embeddedness theory is reconcilable with transaction cost economics but puts more emphasis on the importance of longer term interpersonal relations and trust. Using this framework provides a middle-range interpretation for the economic irregularities observed in drug markets: how prices deviate from the competitive equilibrium and how distributors develop and maintain interpersonal trust and balance competitiveness with security concerns.
Automated identification of distinct events in an assembly process using tracking of body postures
Authors: Balaraman Santhi , Chakrabarti Amaresh , Gurumoorthy Balan , Sen Dibakar
Published: December 2017

An ergonomic assembly process is safer for operators and is more efficient in quality, time, cost and productivity. An assembly process is carried out in a series of distinct events. Ergonomic assessment of an assembly process therefore involves identification of the distinct events within the process and assessment of difficulty in carrying out each event, so that the process can be improved in an event-specific manner. So far, such assessment of assembly is carried out using video by identifying key frames manually. Manual identification of key frames consumes more time. To resolve this drawback, a novel approach has been proposed for tracking the body segments using electromagnetic trackers. It is done automatically in real time. Then, a data smoothening method is used for analysing automatically the tracked data to identify distinct events in an assembly process. An experiment in a laboratory setting is used in this study to test the following hypothesis: ‘An event is characterized by gross movements at its beginning and its end’. This hypothesis encapsulates the essence of the signature in postural data, which is used by the proposed method for identifying distinct events within an assembly; the tracked data were used to identify this signature automatically from the trackers and the tracked data set with a threshold of movement for each body segment; using this threshold, gross motions and thereby starts and ends of distinct events can be identified. The method of identifying events was based on a reach experiment; thus, the variation of torso angle was studied in this work. The result of the study indicates that this method can be applied easily in detecting events in an assembly. Performance of the proposed method is compared with the traditional method and it is observed that the proposed approach outperforms traditional method in terms of time and accuracy.
Cellular Origin of [18F]FDG-PET Imaging Signals During Ceftriaxone-Stimulated Glutamate Uptake: Astrocytes and Neurons
Authors: Dienel Gerald A. , Behar Kevin L. , Rothman Douglas L.
Published: December 2017

Ceftriaxone stimulates astrocytic uptake of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, and it is used to treat glutamatergic excitotoxicity that becomes manifest during many brain diseases. Ceftriaxone-stimulated glutamate transport was reported to drive signals underlying [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomographic ([18F]FDG-PET) metabolic images of brain glucose utilization and interpreted as supportive of the notion of lactate shuttling from astrocytes to neurons. This study draws attention to critical roles of astrocytes in the energetics and imaging of brain activity, but the results are provocative because (1) the method does not have cellular resolution or provide information about downstream pathways of glucose metabolism, (2) neuronal and astrocytic [18F]FDG uptake were not separately measured, and (3) strong evidence against lactate shuttling was not discussed. Evaluation of potential metabolic responses to ceftriaxone suggests lack of astrocytic specificity and significant contributions by pre- and postsynaptic neuronal compartments. Indeed, astrocytic glycolysis may not make a strong contribution to the [18F]FDG-PET signal because partial or complete oxidation of one glutamate molecule on its uptake generates enough ATP to fuel uptake of 3 to 10 more glutamate molecules, diminishing reliance on glycolysis. The influence of ceftriaxone on energetics of glutamate-glutamine cycling must be determined in astrocytes and neurons to elucidate its roles in excitotoxicity treatment.
Integrating Reproductive Health Services Into Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Victim Service Programs
Authors: Gmelin Theresa , Raible Claire A. , Dick Rebecca , Kukke Surabhi , Miller Elizabeth
Published: December 2017

This study assessed the feasibility of integrating reproductive health services into intimate partner violence/sexual violence (IPV/SV) programs. After a training for victim service agencies on integration of health services, we conducted semistructured interviews with IPV/SV program leadership. Leadership reported advocates were more likely to recognize the need to refer clients to health services, and revealed challenges operationalizing partnerships with health care centers. Training to integrate basic health assessment into victim services may be one way to address women’s urgent health needs. Formal partnership agreements, protocols to facilitate referrals, and opportunities to cross-train are needed to nurture these cross-sector collaborations.
Women’s Decisions to Stay in or Leave an Abusive Relationship: Results From a Longitudinal Study in Bolivia
Authors: Heim Eva , Ajzen Icek , Schmidt Peter , Seddig Daniel
Published: December 2017

This study examined Bolivian women’s decisions to stay with or leave their violent partners. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used as the theoretical framework. One hundred thirty-four women were assessed 3 times over 6 months. The TPB constructs were measured at T1 and T2; relationship status was assessed at T3. At T2, attitudes about staying and leaving predicted the intention to leave. Intention to leave at T2 but not at T1 predicted relationship status at T3. These results suggest that the decision to leave was consolidated between T1 and T2, and attitudes toward staying were most relevant to this decision.
Organ Donor Management: Part 1. Toward a Consensus to Guide Anesthesia Services During Donation After Brain Death
Authors: Souter Michael J. , Eidbo E. , Findlay James Y. , Lebovitz Daniel J. , Moguilevitch Marina , Neidlinger Nikole A. , Wagener Gerhard , Paramesh Anil S. , Niemann Claus U. , Roberts Pamela R. , Pretto Ernesto A.
Published: December 2017

Worldwide 715 482 patients have received a lifesaving organ transplant since 1988. During this time, there have been advances in donor management and in the perioperative care of the organ transplant recipient, resulting in marked improvements in long-term survival. Although the number of organs recovered has increased year after year, a greater demand has produced a critical organ shortage. The majority of organs are from deceased donors; however, some are not suitable for transplantation. Some of this loss is due to management of the donor. Improved donor care may increase the number of available organs and help close the existing gap in supply and demand. In order to address this concern, The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, and the Transplant and Critical Care Committees of the American Society of Anesthesiologists have formulated evidence-based guidelines, which include a call for greater involvement and oversight by anesthesiologists and critical care specialists, as well as uniform reporting of data during organ procurement and recovery.
Examination of the plate twist specimen for thick specially orthotropic laminated composites and sandwich plates by using first-order shear deformation theory
Authors: Guillén-Rujano R. , Hernández-Pérez A. , Avilés F.
Published: December 2017

Analytical (closed-form) solutions are developed for the deflections and rotations of thick specially orthotropic plate twist specimens by using first-order shear deformation theory. Results are compared with outcomes from finite element method, previously reported experiments, and a classical laminated plate theory solution. A [(0/90)6]s cross-ply laminate and a sandwich panel with aluminum face sheets and a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam core are used as baseline materials. Overall, good agreement between first-order shear deformation theory and finite element method is obtained for compliance predictions. It is found that the proposed first-order shear deformation theory approach can be used to adequately calculate the deflections of specially orthotropic plates from low to moderately high side length to thickness ratios [Formula: see text]. Examination of the in-plane shear modulus ratio between face sheets and core ([Formula: see text]) points out that first-order shear deformation theory slightly underpredicts the compliance with respect to finite element method, specially for [Formula: see text] ratios larger than 100. Both solutions based on plate theories are suitable to estimate the compliance of cross-ply laminates with moderate [Formula: see text] ratios ([Formula: see text]). First-order shear deformation theory is able to properly predict the compliance of square and rectangular laminates with aspect ratios lower than 10. Good agreement between published compliance measurements and those predicted by first-order shear deformation theory is found for Maple plywoods, monolithic metals, and specially orthotropic sandwich panels.
Connection stiffness between thin-walled beam and sandwich panel
Authors: Studziński Robert , Ciesielczyk Katarzyna
Published: December 2017

In this paper, the connection stiffness between a thin-walled Z-beam and a sandwich panel is investigated by means of laboratory experiment, analytical approach, and numerical simulation. The scheme of the conducted experiment refers to a double lap shear test. The two thicknesses of the sandwich panel (100 mm and 60 mm) and two groups of fasteners (four and three) were investigated. The laboratory tests allowed for the determination of the failure mechanisms and the prediction of the reliability of the restraint of the thin-walled beam, provided by sandwich panels. The assumed finite element model created in Abaqus/CAE consisted of solid finite elements (core layer of the sandwich panel, roller support) and shell finite elements (thin-walled beam, facings of the sandwich panel). The fasteners were modeled implicitly, i.e. using spring connectors. The stiffness of the spring connector was determined on the basis of the derived analytical expression and the laboratory test results. The kinematical response of the adopted finite element model was in agreement with the laboratory results. Such a model can be used to verify more complex finite element models with explicitly introduced fasteners.
From Job-seekers to Self-searchers: Changing Contexts and Understandings of School-to-work Transitions
Authors: Vogt Kristoffer Chelsom
Published: December 2017

This article sheds new light on a key topic in youth research over recent decades; how young people often rely on individualistic frames of interpretation in understanding their own lives. Based on biographical interviews with two cohorts of skilled men in Norway, the article demonstrates relations between historically specific institutional contexts and the ways in which people understand their school-to-work transitions. Whereas the older cohort accounted for their transitions as embedded processes, the younger cohort, who entered the same occupations three decades later, viewed their transitions as determined by self-searching in institutionalized choice situations. The wider implication of this is that the vocabulary fostered by contemporary transition contexts may invite researchers to overemphasize discrete moments ruptured from process, and thus obscure the dynamic relations between history and biography (Mills, 1959). A life course perspective, with its emphasis on transitions as contextualized processes, represents a viable theoretical alternative.
Collective narrative practice with unaccompanied refugee minors: “The Tree of Life” as a response to hardship
Authors: Jacobs Suzan FM
Published: December 2017

During the summer of 2016, in the midst of one of the biggest refugee crises in centuries, the author of this article joined the team from a shelter for unaccompanied refugee minors on Samos, Greece, in an effort to provide young boys seeking asylum in Europe with an opportunity to engage in speaking about the difficulties they have encountered in life. The team used a collective narrative methodology called the “Tree of Life”, originally developed by Ncube-Mlilo and Denborough. In addition to traditional psychological treatments, collective narrative practice creates a secure foundation for addressing trauma, suffering, and hardship. This approach takes into consideration cultural differences and is easy to access for refugees with perceived stigma of traditional mental health services. The Tree of Life is a minimum of 8-hour workshop involving a strength-based narrative methodology, using the tree as a metaphor. This enables participants to share and develop enriching stories about their lives, which are rooted in their cultural and social histories. The workshop conducted on Samos proved to be an effective way to invite young unaccompanied minors to speak about their difficulties in ways that were not retraumatizing, but instead made them stronger.
Intersectionality and social space: Educational justice in deprived schools
Authors: Bremm Nina , Racherbäumer Kathrin
Published: December 2017

Drawing upon a broad concept of inclusion, the first section of this article is dedicated to a critical discussion of the principle of ‘equal opportunities’, which currently dominates the social justice discourse in Germany. Specifically, this section examines how far this principle, which focuses on the role of the individual in socially unequal educational outcomes, could itself contain elements which reinforce inequality. It examines two versions, ‘talent-based’ and ‘attainment-based’. In the second section, this article discusses, from an intersectional perspective, how cumulative disadvantages in segregated social environments can increase inequalities in the educational participation and attainment of school pupils. The third section points to areas for action that have a real potential to address inequalities in the German school system. It draws on observations and findings which are grounded in the theory of justice and that emerge from cases of ‘overperforming schools in segregated environments’.
Unconfirmed accelerants
Authors: Henneberg Marika Linnéa , Morling Neil Richard
Published: December 2017

Fire investigation is arguably one of the most difficult areas of investigation. The fire scene and available evidence has often been burnt, melted, smoke-stained, water-damaged and trampled on, but the fire investigator still has to make important distinctions between whether a fire was accidental or deliberate (arson). Modern fire investigations often rely on portable electronic detectors to identify ignitable liquid residue (ILR), or accelerant detection canines (ADCs), trained on a number of target substances. An analysis of cases from England and Wales, the United States of America (USA) and Canada demonstrates that sophisticated admissibility frameworks have not been effective in rejecting opinion testimony given by investigators and dog handlers that unconfirmed dog alerts where laboratory tests were negative provided proof of arson. This is problematic and controversial, and the authors conclude that such testimony is not compatible with modern forensic or scientific standards and should not be admitted into courts.
Optimal Timing for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy After Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Systematic Review
Authors: Friis C. , Rothman J. P. , Burcharth J. , Rosenberg J.
Published: December 2017

Background and Aims:

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy is often used as definitive treatment for common bile duct stones. The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal time interval between endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Materials and Methods:

PubMed and Embase were searched for studies comparing different time delays between endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Observational studies and randomized controlled trials were included. Primary outcome was conversion rate from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy and secondary outcomes were complications, mortality, operating time, and length of stay.

Results:

A total of 14 studies with a total of 1930 patients were included. The pooled estimate revealed an increase from a 4.2% conversion rate when laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed within 24 h of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to 7.6% for 24–72 h delay to 12.3% when performed within 2 weeks, to 12.3% for 2–6 weeks, and to a 14% conversion rate when operation was delayed more than 6 weeks.

Conclusion:

According to this systematic review, it is preferable to perform cholecystectomy within 24 h of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to reduce conversion rate. Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not increase mortality, perioperative complications, or length of stay and on the contrary it reduces the risk of reoccurrence and progression of disease in the delay between endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Archives and identity in the context of social media and algorithmic analytics: Towards an understanding of iArchive and predictive retention
Authors: Pötzsch Holger
Published: December 2017

This article reconceptualizes the archive in the context of digital media ecologies. Drawing upon archival theory and critical approaches to the political economy of the Internet, I account for new dynamics and implications afforded by digital archives. Operating at both a user-controlled explicit and a state- and corporate-owned implicit level, the digital archive at once facilitates empowerment and enables unprecedented forms of management and control. Connecting the politics and economy of digital media with issues of identity formation and curation on social networking sites, I coin the terms iArchive and predictive retention to highlight how recent technological advances both provide new means for self-expression, mobilization and resistance and afford an almost ubiquitous tracking, profiling and, indeed, moulding of emergent subjectivities.
Combination forecast model for concrete dam displacement considering residual correction
Authors: Wei Bowen , Yuan Dongyang , Li Huokun , Xu Zhenkai
Published: December 2017

In conventional dam displacement monitoring models, forecast precision is below the standard, the fitting residual sequence contains chaotic components, and information mining of dam prototype observation data is limited. In consideration of the chaotic characteristics of the fitting residual sequence in regression model, the multi-scale wavelet analysis is used to decompose and reconstruct the residual sequence in this study; back propagation neural network and autoregressive integrated moving average model are used to forecast the reconstructed residual sequence by identifying the high-frequency and low-frequency characteristics of signals. By superimposing the residual forecast value with the forecast value of regression model, the combination forecast model for concrete dam displacement considering residual correction is proposed. Examples show that, compared with conventional models, the proposed combination model is better in fitting precision and convergence speed. Forecast capability is significantly improved for dam displacement forecast when effective components contained in residual sequence are considered. A new method of displacement forecast for high slope and other hydraulic structures is presented.
Coordination problems in cryptomarkets: Changes in cooperation, competition and valuation
Authors: Bakken Silje Anderdal , Moeller Kim , Sandberg Sveinung
Published: December 2017

The new drug markets emerging on the dark net have reduced earlier drug market risk factors such as visibility and violence. This study uses economic sociology and transaction cost economics to broaden the present understanding of cryptomarkets. Results focus on three coordination problems characterizing illegal markets and how they are alleviated in cryptomarkets. More information and better visibility increase competition, the feedback system enforces cooperation and border control introduces a new cost influencing valuation. Cryptomarkets are formally structured and regulated by rules of conduct and centralized decisions. We argue that the online context circumvents earlier coordination problems in illegal markets, making dark net markets more structurally efficient compared with conventional drug markets.
Experiencing historical buildings through digital computer games
Authors: Şahbaz Eray , Özköse Aysun
Published: December 2017

This study aims to demonstrate the value of experiencing historical buildings through the digital game–based learning method. A three-dimensional computer game was developed to assess the digital game–based learning method as a supportive hypermedia tool in architectural education. The computer game features interactive game missions that enable students to get a close-up experience of the buildings. As part of the study, an experiment was conducted comparing the digital game–based learning method against other traditional methods in learning about historical buildings. The results of the study show that the digital game–based learning method can serve as a support for lecturing on historical buildings to help improve students’ learning experience.
The impact agenda and critical social research in education: Hitting the target but missing the spot?
Authors: Laing Karen , Mazzoli Smith Laura , Todd Liz
Published: December 2017

This paper considers whether the impact agenda that has developed over the last decade in UK universities is likely to help create the conditions in which critical educational research makes a more visible difference to society. The UK audit of university research quality (the research excellence framework (REF) now includes an assessment of impact. Impact pathways are requirements of both national and European Union research funding bodies and the Australian Research Council. Issues in the assessment of the social impact of research are explored by the European projects Evaluating the impact of EU SSH, social science humanities, research (IMPACT-EV) and ACcelerate CO-creation by setting up a Multi-actor Platform for Impact from Social Sciences and Humanities (ACCOMPLISSH). For many UK researchers the institutional focus on influencing the world outside the academy has brought welcome support and resources to engage with society and may appear to bring universities back to something approaching their original civic identity. However, evidence from across the academy suggests that impact as depicted in REF impact case studies does not accurately represent the experience either of the academic research endeavour or of impact as it may be more broadly construed. Analysis reported here of 85 highly rated impact case studies in the education unit of assessment of the 2014 REF suggests there is a risk that the REF impact process will embed a shift against qualitative and theoretically driven methodology that is often found in socially critical educational research. Impact is postured as neutral, hiding the neoliberal drive towards research models based on implementation, evaluation and policy. There is a need to create spaces in universities for rethinking of the impact agenda, perhaps looking at value or social creation instead of, or as an integral aspect of, impact.
Recounting Huronia Faithfully: Attenuating Our Methodology to the “Fabulation” of Truths-Telling
Authors: davis halifax nancy viva , Fancy David , Rinaldi Jen , Rossiter Kate , Tigchelaar Alex
Published: December 2017

If telling the truth is considered vital to research methodology, what happens in methodological spaces where “telling the truth” is futile? In this article, we examine the limitations, possibility, and even desirability of normative forms of empirically verifiable truth-telling and the potentialities for storied or fabulated truths with regard to knowledges that have historically been dismissed by their audiences as unreliable and even deceptive. To do so, we draw from critical theory, and Deleuzian theory in particular, to offer a detailed theoretical framework for understanding the notion of fabulated truth. We then turn to our own research to describe a project that embraced the potential of fabulation as a deeply generative methodological practice in regard to better understanding experiences of trauma. This project, which involved working alongside people with intellectual disabilities who have survived institutional incarceration, used fluid arts-based methods to help engage the affective force of trauma to story multiple truths about an otherwise unspeakable history.
Leaks in Latina/o Students’ College-Going Pipeline: Consequences of Educational Expectation Attrition
Authors: Langenkamp Amy G. , Hoyt Andrew D.
Published: December 2017

This study predicts Latina/o student attrition at two phases in the college-going pipeline. Findings suggest that academic achievement mediates Latina/o students’ attrition from expectations to college application. Preparatory commitment behaviors mediate attrition from application to attendance. Results also indicate that Latina/o students experience greater risk of attrition compared with other ethnoracial groups at both application and attendance stages of college-going pipeline. Implications for intervention points and adjusted models about college-going for Latina/o students are discussed.
Perceptions Matter: Administrators’ Vision of Instruction for Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Roberts Carly A. , Ruppar Andrea L. , Olson Amy J.
Published: December 2017

School administrators play an important role in shaping teaching and learning. However, very little is known regarding how school administrators perceive instruction for students with severe disabilities and how those perceptions shape expectations and visions for instruction. Semistructured interviews were used to interview 12 administrators responsible for evaluating teachers of students with severe disabilities across a variety of educational settings. The interviews were designed to ascertain administrators’ perceptions about teachers’ expertise and their ideal vision of instruction for students with severe disabilities. Findings highlight administrators’ varying visions of instruction, which reveal the ways these visions might influence their expectations for teachers and students. Implications for inclusion and instructional practices are discussed.
Serum Albumin Predicts Long-Term Neurological Outcomes After Acute Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Tong Bobo , Jutzeler Catherine R. , Cragg Jacquelyn J. , Grassner Lukas , Schwab Jan M. , Casha Steve , Geisler Fred , Kramer John L. K.
Published: December 2017

Background. There is a need to identify reliable biomarkers of spinal cord injury recovery for clinical practice and clinical trials. Objective. Our objective was to correlate serum albumin levels with spinal cord injury neurological outcomes. Methods. We performed a secondary analysis of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (n = 591) participating in the Sygen clinical trial. Serum albumin concentrations were obtained as part of routine blood chemistry analysis, at trial entry (24-72 hours), 1, 2, and 4 weeks after injury. The primary outcomes were “marked recovery” and lower extremity motor scores, derived from the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury. Data were analyzed with multivariable logistic and linear regression to adjust for potential confounders. Results. Serum albumin was significantly associated with spinal cord injury neurological outcomes. Higher serum albumin concentrations at 1, 2, and 4 weeks were associated with higher 52-week lower extremity motor score. Similarly, the odds of achieving “marked neurological recovery” was greater for individuals with higher serum albumin concentrations. The association between serum albumin concentrations and neurological outcomes was independent of initial injury severity, treatment with GM-1, and polytrauma. Conclusions. In spinal cord injury, serum albumin is an independent marker of long-term neurological outcomes. Serum albumin could serve as a feasible biomarker for prognosis at the time of injury and stratification in clinical trials.