bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Neurologic Profile of Children and Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Ben-Or Orly , Zelnik Nathanel , Shaoul Ron , Pacht Avi , Lerner Aaron
Published: April 2014

In recent years, there has been an increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in children and adolescents. Neurologic involvement has been mainly reported in adults, and information in pediatrics is based primarily on individual case reports. In this study, we explored the prevalence and spectrum of neurologic manifestations of 50 children with inflammatory bowel disease in comparison to healthy controls. Based on clinical reports and neurologic evaluation, 34 patients (68%) exhibited neurologic manifestations compared with 10 children (23.8%) in the control group ( P < .001). The main symptoms associated with inflammatory bowel disease in comparison to the control subjects were headache: 46% vs 3% ( P < 0.001), dizziness: 26% vs none ( P < .001), hypotonia: 10% vs none ( P = .06), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): 28% vs 7.1% ( P < .001), tics and sensory complaints: 16% vs 2.4% ( P = .036). Seizures and neuropsychiatric disorders were less characteristic. A larger-scale prospective study is required to further clarify this association.
Acute Motor-Sensory Axonal Neuropathy With Hyperreflexia in Guillain-Barré Syndrome
Authors: Tosun Ayşe , Dursun Şiar , Akyildiz Utku Ogan , Oktay Seçil , Tataroğlu Cengiz
Published: April 2014

Guillain-Barré syndrome is an acute inflammatory autoimmune polyradiculoneuritis. Progressive motor weakness and areflexia are essential for its diagnosis. Hyperreflexia has rarely been reported in the early healing period of Guillain-Barré syndrome following Campylobacter jejuni infection in patients with acute motor axonal neuropathy with antiganglioside antibody positivity. In this study, we report a 12-year-old girl presenting with complaints of inability to walk, numbness in hands and feet, and hyperactive deep tendon reflexes since the onset of the clinical picture, diagnosed with acute motor-sensory axonal neuropathy type of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
The Story of a Slut Walk
Authors: Reger Jo
Published: April 2014

Drawing on a participant observation at a 2011 slut walk, I use elements of autoethnography to investigate issues and divisions in contemporary feminism. Slut walks emerged as a form of feminist protest early in 2011 when a police officer remarked that women should stop dressing like sluts if they did not want to be victimized, spurring a global mobilization promoting ideas such as “sexual profiling” and “slut shaming.” As quickly as the slut walks spread, critiques also emerged. In this essay, I explore the critiques of claiming slut as an empowering identity through my own experiences. I present five scenarios from the protest as a way of examining ideas such as “inverted” generational disidentification, the legitimization of patriarchal and feminist gazes, the articulation and silencing of women’s and girls’ sexual desire, social movement spillover, and the continuation of racial divides in North American feminism.
Gender Differences in Trajectories of Self-Rated Health in Middle and Old Age
Authors: Rohlfsen Leah S. , Jacobs Kronenfeld Jennie
Published: April 2014

Objective: This research examined gender differences in self-rated health (SRH) using the differential exposure and differential vulnerability explanations of gender differences in health. Method: Trajectories of SRH were estimated using data that spanned 12 years (1992-2004) from the Health and Retirement Study. Results: There was no gender difference in SRH at baseline, but SRH declined faster for males over time. Factors that mediated the gender difference included changes in employment status, smoking behavior, and the onset of health conditions. Moreover, were it not for gender differences in various structural and health status factors, females would have better SRH at baseline and over time. Discussion: Our results differ from previous research, which often shows a female disadvantage that is reduced or disappears at older ages. Furthermore, gender differences in the predictors of SRH (exposure) contribute more to understanding gender differences in SRH than different responses to the predictors (vulnerability).
Influential factor to dimensional precision of cold-drawn tubes
Authors: Kuroda Koichi , Kawakami Tadashi , Okui Tatsuya , Akiyama Masayoshi , Kiuchi Manabu
Published: April 2014

Elastic–plastic finite element analyses were carried out to sort out the influential factors on the dimensional precision of cold-drawn stainless steel seamless tube for energy industry. Good agreement was obtained between the predicted dimensions and the measured dimensions of tube after drawing experiment for validity check. Geometrical parameters of tools and geometry of parent tube have little influence on the geometrical precision of finished tube. Most influential factor on the geometrical precision of drawn tube is the temperature of tools. Observation and measurement on a production line showed that the temperature of tools increases according to the increase in the number of drawn tubes. Increase in the temperature of tool leads to the change in the geometry of drawn tube. A methodology for evaluating the thermal expansion of tools is shown to take it into consideration the designing procedure of cold-drawing process by using finite element analysis.
Cut quality assessment of CO2 laser cutting of twinning-induced plasticity steel sheets
Authors: Russo Spena Pasquale , De Maddis Manuela , Lombardi Franco
Published: April 2014

In this study, the effects of the main process parameters involved in CO2 laser cutting of 1.5-mm twinning-induced plasticity steel sheets have been investigated by means of experimental tests. The quality of the cut edges of the sheets was evaluated by analyzing the kerf width, kerf deviation, roughness of the cut surfaces, and dross attachment. The process parameters used were the laser power, cutting speed, oxygen pressure, and pulse frequency of the CO2 laser beam. The optimal settings of the process parameters were predicted using the Taguchi parameter design approach with an L27(313) orthogonal array and calculating the average effect of both the laser parameters and the signal-to-noise ratios. Analysis of variance was performed to evaluate the statistical significance and the contribution of the laser process parameters to the examined kerf features and roughness. On the basis of the Taguchi approach, the predicted optimal settings of the process parameters were verified through confirmation tests. The results show that the selected process parameters, as well as their interactions, can have a remarkable effect on the cutting quality of twinning-induced plasticity steel sheets. The laser power is the main process parameter that affects the kerf width on both sheet sides, while the pulse frequency and its interaction with the laser power are the main factors that influence the kerf deviation, followed by the cutting speed. The roughness of the cut surfaces is mainly affected by the oxygen pressure and the interaction between laser power and cutting speed. Dross attachment was primarily observed in the specimens cut with high laser power and low cutting speed.
Cutting forces and tool failure in high-speed milling of titanium alloy TC21 with coated carbide tools
Authors: Zhang Hongxia , Zhao Jun , Wang Fuzeng , Zhao Jiabang , Li Anhai
Published: April 2014

TC21 alloy is a new alpha–beta damage tolerance titanium alloy with high strength and high toughness. Little work has been done in the field of machinability analysis since this alloy was developed. The cutting forces and tool wear in high-speed milling of TC21 alloy with physical vapor deposition ((Ti, Al)N-TiN)-coated carbide tools under different cutting conditions were investigated in this article. The results showed that the cutting force component Fx was more dominant of the three components, and the cutting forces presented an increasing trend with the tool wear progress, which in turn deteriorated the cutting condition and accelerated the tool failure progress. The major tool wear modes in high-speed side-milling TC21 alloy with coated carbide were adhesion and chipping on the rake face along with chipping and transverse crack on the flank face. Moreover, there was obvious nose depression from both the rake face and the flank face. Chipping along the flank and rake faces was identified as the main factor responsible for the failure of the coated carbide tools during the milling of titanium alloy TC21.
Numerical simulation of optical fiber behavior during the cooling stage of drawing process
Authors: Venkatasubbaiah K , Singh Mohan
Published: April 2014

Thermal behavior of optical fiber during the cooling stage of drawing process has been studied numerically. An optical fiber during the cooling stage of drawing process has been modeled as finite-length of the cylinder moving in still air at a constant drawing speed. A two-dimensional unsteady-state energy equation is solved using finite difference schemes. Two-dimensional steady-state boundary layer equations are solved using implicit finite difference method to estimate a convective heat transfer coefficient of air at the surface of fiber. The effects of drawing speed, diameter and fiber material on cooling rate of optical fiber are reported here. The average convective heat transfer coefficient of air around the surface of fiber has been estimated accurately and validated with the experimental results available in the literature. Results have shown that there is an increase in cooling rate of optical fiber with increase in drawing speed. The size of fiber has shown a significant effect on cooling rate of fiber at low drawing speeds. Present results are matching well with the analytical and experimental results available in the literature.
Social-structural indices and between-nation differences in HIV prevalence
Authors: Tan Judy Y , Earnshaw Valerie A , Pratto Felicia , Rosenthal Lisa , Kalichman Seth
Published: April 2014

Summary

Research emphasises the role that social structures play in shaping national HIV prevalence. This study examined how social, economic, and political contexts that may represent the confluence of individual capabilities and environmental affordances or constraints are associated with national HIV prevalence. Based on social-ecological perspectives, we examined social-structural dimensions in relation to national HIV prevalence. The study identified six publicly available nation-level social, political, and economic indices and examined their associations with national 2009 HIV prevalence across 225 nations. National indices, (a) education expenditures, (b) unemployment rate, (c) homicide rate, (d) freedom of religion, and (e) women's social rights, altogether explained 43% of the variability in national HIV prevalence. Education expenditures, homicide rate, and freedom of religion were significant predictors of national HIV prevalence in the multivariate analysis. The present study identified nation-level factors that capture social, economic, and political contexts to explain between-nation differences in HIV prevalence. Findings extend current literature on the social-structural foundation of HIV-risk and the relationship between human rights and health. National safeguards that afford individuals the power to promote general quality of life and protection from structural violence may be most important to lowering overall rates of HIV transmission.
The financial and service implications of splitting fixed-dose antiretroviral drugs – a case study
Authors: Taylor R , Carlin E , Sadique Z , Ahmed I , Adams EJ
Published: April 2014

In 2010/2011, regional commissioners withdrew payment for the fixed-dose combination Combivir, forcing a switch to component drugs. This was deemed clinically acceptable and annual savings of £44 k expected. We estimated the true costs of switching and examined patient outcomes. Information for 46 patients using Combivir was extracted from case notes for each clinical contact in the 12 months pre- and post-switch (clinician seen, tests, antiretrovirals). Post-switch care costs £93/patient more annually versus pre-switch (95% CI £424 to £609), yielding £4278/year more post-switch for all patients. Drug and pathology costs were more expensive post-switch and extra clinical visits required. None of these results were statistically significant. Forty-two per cent of patients switched directly or in the subsequent year to an alternative fixed-dose combination rather than generics. Costs in this group were significantly higher post-switch driven by drug cost. Six patients (13%) reported problems with the switch including confusion around dosing and new side effects. As less-expensive generic antiretroviral drugs become available, it may appear cheaper to switch from fixed-dose combinations to component drugs. However, the additional clinical costs involved may outweigh the initial cost savings of the drugs and switching may cause confusion for some patients, risking loss of adherence.
Dynamic balance and motion control for wheeled inverted pendulum vehicle via hierarchical sliding mode approach
Authors: Yue Ming , Wei Xing
Published: April 2014

Dynamic balance and motion control for a class of underactuated wheeled inverted pendulum vehicles that are inherent unstable are investigated in this study. The control objective is to stable the posture of the vehicle platform (longitudinal and rotational position/velocity) as well as hold upright position of the pendulum (tilt angle stability), only with two control inputs generated by the left and right motors. The overall dynamic system is separated into two decoupled subsystems: one is a one-dimensional fully actuated subsystem while the other is a two-dimensional underactuated subsystem. A new hierarchical sliding mode control methodology is first developed to resolve the underactuated problem of this kind of unstable vehicles. The first layer sliding mode surfaces are established upon tilt angle and longitudinal displacement of the vehicle body, respectively; while the second layer sliding mode surface is constructed by the first layer sliding mode surfaces. Consequently, the total control law is deduced, and then the asymptotic stabilities for the overall closed-loop control system are addressed via Lyapunov stability theorem and Barbalat’s Lemma. Numerical simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control approaches and methodologies.
Scales of impact: Settlement history and landscape change in the Gordion Region, central Anatolia
Authors: Marsh Ben , Kealhofer Lisa
Published: April 2014

The expansion of agriculture in the Near East during the middle Holocene significantly altered the physical landscape. However, the relationship between the scale of agriculture and the magnitude and timing of the environmental impacts is not well known. The Gordion Regional Survey provides a novel dataset to compare settlement density during archaeological periods to rates of environmental disruption. Sediment samples from alluvial cores directly date the environmental disruption, which can be matched to period-specific settlement intensities in the watershed as constructed from archaeological survey ceramics. Degradation rates rose sharply within a millennium of the earliest Chalcolithic occupation. Early Bronze Age (EBA) land use induced the greatest rates of environmental degradation, although settlement density was relatively low on the landscape. The degradation rate subsequently decreased to one-third its early peak by the Iron Age, even as settlement intensity climbed. This trajectory reveals how complex interaction effects can amplify or subdue the responses of the landscape–land use system. Prior to settlement, landscape soil reservoirs were highly vulnerable, easily tipped by early agricultural expansion. Subsequent reduced rates of erosion are tied both to changes in sociopolitical organization and to depletion of the vulnerable soil supply.
Pityriasis rosea-like drug eruption due to bupropion
Authors: Polat M. , Uzun Ö. , Örs İ. , Boran Ç.
Published: April 2014

Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a common, acute, and self-limited inflammatory skin disease. The typical clinical presentation includes the appearance of a primary “herald” patch followed within days to weeks by the onset of secondary scaly skin eruptions distributed along the skin tension line in most cases. Although PR is a well-known and relatively common disease, its cause is still not completely understood. However, viral agents, autoimmunity, psychogenic status, and numerous drugs have been proposed as possible factors to PR. Bupropion is known to cause hypersensitivity reactions. We present a clinical case of PR eruption caused by the use of bupropion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published case of PR associated with bupropion use.
Genetic variation and coronary atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Chung CP , Solus JF , Oeser A , Li C , Raggi P , Smith JR , Stein CM
Published: April 2014

Coronary artery disease is the major cause of mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Increased cardiovascular risk in SLE is not explained by traditional risk factors. We examined the hypothesis that genetic variation contributes to the presence of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with SLE. The genotypes of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 152 candidate genes linked with autoimmune or cardiovascular risk were determined in 125 patients with SLE. Coronary artery calcium (CAC), a measure of coronary atherosclerosis, was detected in 32 patients (26%) by electron-beam computed tomography. Polymorphism in 20 of the candidate genes ( ADAM33, ADIPOQ, CCL5, CCR7, CDKN2B, CSF1, IL4, IL12A, IL23R, INS, IRF5, MIF, MS4A1, PTGS1, PTPN22, RETN, SELE, TNFSF4, TNFRSF11B, and VCAM1) were nominally associated with the presence of CAC ( p-values = 0.001–0.047 after adjustment for age, sex and race). Some of these are known susceptibility genes for SLE and others have been implicated in cardiovascular disease in other populations. No association withstood false discovery rate adjustment. Replication studies in additional cohorts of patients with SLE may be informative.
Lupus – the cold, hard facts
Authors: Wong NWK , Ng VT-Y , Ibrahim S , Slessarev M , Chandran V
Published: April 2014

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem chronic disease with a multitude of clinical presentations. We review and synthesize how an environmental insult (exposure to extreme cold for a short duration) and endogenous (antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, SLE vasculitis) insults in a susceptible young female with lupus (peripheral arterial disease, smoking, SLE) led to a perfect storm resulting in catastrophic injuries (frostbite).
New nuclear, new security? Framing security in the policy case for new nuclear power in the United Kingdom
Authors: Peoples Columba
Published: April 2014

Over the period of the past decade and across successive governments, the case for new nuclear power in the UK has, in policy terms, become embedded as a key facet of UK energy policy. Crucial in this respect, this article argues, has been the framing of the case for nuclear power stations and associated infrastructure in security terms: that is, the case for new nuclear power has come to be articulated and reiterated in direct relation to future energy provision and climate change as key impending ‘security challenges’ faced by the UK. This article assesses the political significance and effects of framing nuclear power in security terms. In particular, it focuses on how the specific and ‘performative’ framing of new nuclear power in relation to security has the political effect of narrowly defining and delimiting the ways in which security – and nuclear insecurities – can be articulated and understood.
Exchange Rate Misalignment in Nepal
Authors: Panday Anjan
Published: April 2014

Nepal has a large and persistently growing trade deficit with India and an overall negative trade balance. Its economy is growing slowly relative to India’s, while the exchange rate is pegged with India at a parity that is believed to be overvalued. In this article, possible misalignment of Nepal’s real effective exchange rate is considered by estimating a behavioural equilibrium exchange rate, using a set of fundamentals for the period 1975–2008. The estimates from the Johansen (1988) cointegrated vector autoregression (VAR) model as well as a single-equation bounds-testing approach to cointegration suggest that Nepal’s trade-weighted real exchange rate was overvalued in the last decade-and-a-half.
The Unburdening of Lack of Evidence
Authors: Acharya Arnab
Published: April 2014

Professors Bhagwati and Panagariya in their recent book have sought to debunk what they perceive to be common mistaken perceptions about the Indian economic performance. They argue reforms centering on a more open economy of early 1990s is the primary spurt behind economic growth. India’s economic growth has been equitable in reducing income poverty at a dramatic rate; Indians enjoy human development indicators that far surpass what would be expected given the average income level. However, much of the arguments made in the book fail to properly engage with the debates that centre on evaluating Indian economic progress since the 1990s and the decade before. The arguments often use selective data and ignore the nuanced debate that would place India’s performance in much less favorable terms requiring solutions that would affect many Indians who have not seen significant improvements in their lives over the past two or three decades.
The IAPT@Flinders Service: adapting the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies model to the emergency department setting in Australia
Authors: Bastiampillai Tarun , Jones Gabrielle M , Furber Gareth , Moreau Michele , Healey David , Watson Julianne , Battersby Malcolm
Published: April 2014

Objective:

To describe the implementation of an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service at Flinders Medical Centre emergency department (IAPT@Flinders). IAPT, a population-based model of guided self-help for anxiety and depression delivered mainly by phone, was rolled-out nationally in the UK in 2010. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating its clinical effectiveness and efficiency that can improve treatment adherence, reduce stigma, remove appointment attendance barriers and improve access for hard-to-reach populations.

Conclusions:

IAPT@Flinders was the test site for the first IAPT in Australia and also the first IAPT service that was integrated with an emergency department (ED). IAPT@Flinders offers rapid access, low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy, social prescribing and signposting to clients with adjustment disorders, anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. Successful implementation within an Australian crisis setting has demonstrated that many IAPT structures and protocols are applicable to ED settings and the model can be implemented with fidelity. Adaption required consideration of positioning of the service within the Australian mental health framework; staff qualifications; the referral pathways; and exclusion criteria. It is recommended additional test sites and larger scale trials are conducted to provide further evidence of the applicability of large-scale adoption of the UK IAPT model into Australian ED settings.
A case of anorexia nervosa in an elderly man
Authors: Malik Fahd , Wijayatunga Uditha , Bruxner George M
Published: April 2014

Objective:

To explore aspects of anorexia nervosa occurring in older populations, especially men, by reviewing the literature and presenting a case study of an elderly man with unexplained vomiting and weight loss.

Method:

The literature is reviewed and an illustrative case study of an elderly man with unexplained vomiting and weight loss is described.

Conclusions:

Anorexia nervosa is an uncommon cause of unexplained weight loss in the elderly, but may be under-recognized and associated with a high level of mortality.
Problem Situations Experienced By Urban Middle School Students With High Incidence Disabilities That Impact Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment
Authors: Sullivan Terri N. , Sutherland Kevin S. , Lotze Geri M. , Helms Sarah W. , Wright Stephen A. , Ulmer Lisa J.
Published: April 2014

A mixed methods approach was used to identify problem situations in peer and school contexts experienced by urban middle school students with high incidence disabilities that may impact their emotional and behavioral adjustment. A survey and semi-structured interview were conducted with a predominantly African American sample (95%) of 74 adolescents (61% boys) with high incidence disabilities (71% with learning disabilities, 15% with intellectual disabilities, and 14% with emotional or behavioral disorders). Focus groups were conducted with 35 school staff members. Based on the survey data, 14 peer and school problem situations were rated as frequently occurring and difficult to cope with. Data from the student interviews and focus groups revealed five themes of problem situations, including three in peer (i.e., peer influence, provocation, and teasing) and two in school (i.e., academic challenges and student–teacher relationships) contexts. These findings have important implications for school-based interventions focused on reducing risk for emotional and behavioral adjustment problems.
Relational Dynamics of Swinging Relationships
Authors: Vaillancourt Kourtney T. , Few-Demo April L.
Published: April 2014

This exploratory study used qualitative methods to gain a richer understanding of the relational dynamics in modern swinging relationships. Swinging was defined at the onset of the study as sexual activities that married couples engage in with people other than their spouses. Twenty people (10 couples) volunteered and were interviewed using computer-mediated communication. Symbolic interactionism provides the theoretical framework for the study. Within the construct of relational dynamics, themes of power and decision making, commitment to swinging, and privacy about swinging emerged.
The Impact of Father Absence on Daughter Sexual Development and Behaviors
Authors: Guardia Amanda C. La , Nelson Judith A. , Lertora Ian M.
Published: April 2014

Our study investigated the relationship among daughters from father-absent homes, daughters’ age of menarche, and daughters’ first sexual intercourse. This study was conducted as a paper-and-pencil survey with a total of 12 questions answered by 342 undergraduate female students. Results indicated that females from father-absent homes reported experiencing menarche significantly earlier than females from father-present homes; significant correlations at the p < .001 level were found between first reported menarche and first reported consensual intercourse. There was a significant group difference found between father-present and father-absent homes in terms of the age at which participants reported the first onset of their menarche. As there was a significant correlation between onset of menarche and age of first intercourse, it could be surmised that pubertal timing could serve as a mediating factor between father absence and initial engagement in sexual activity.
Making Meaning
Authors: Pender Rebecca L. , Stinchfield Tracy A.
Published: April 2014

The reflecting team (RT) process was once a common practice in couple and family therapy training programs. This qualitative case study utilized the interview process to gain understanding about a couple’s perspective of the RT process. Categories constructed included (a) characteristics of the RT and (b) reactions to reflections. These findings underscore the need for additional research that specifically addresses these themes and aims to help counselor educators and counselors in training better understand and serve their clients. While this study supports many of the previous research findings, it adds the elements of encouraging listening, fostering hope, and facilitating engagement in the reflective process.
Exploring the Intersection of Race and Gender in Self-Defense Training
Authors: Speidel Lisa
Published: April 2014

Research on the impact of women’s self-defense classes has primarily focused on White women. I explore perceptions of race and gender identity of five African American women who participated in a semester-long self-defense class. I examine the relevance of the intersection of race and gender to their self-defense experience, focusing on three concepts commonly considered barriers in self-defense classes: body image and beauty standards, perceptions of strength, and perceived vulnerability to violence. Participants’ responses reveal the ways that gender and race are experienced as integrated aspects of identity, pointing to the need for self-defense curricula to include an intersectional approach.
Governing differentiation: On standardisation as political steering
Authors: Peña Alejandro M.
Published: April 2014

The introduction of Luhmann’s System Theory to International Relations has been long overdue. In the last few years, articles by Donnelly (2012) and Buzan and Albert (2010) have started to discuss the application of the concept of differentiation to International Relations theory, and an edited book by Albert et al. (2010) has examined how systemic thought can reinvigorate the study of world politics. This article welcomes and continues these developments by proposing a Luhmannian reinterpretation of the evolution and functioning of governance via standards. The article argues that standardisation — involving the proliferation of standards but also of standardised instruments such as rankings, indicators and benchmarks — can be understood as a mechanism of political steering in a growingly differentiated (world) society. By considering standardisation as a systemic adaptation of the political system to a multifunctional environment, this article contests conventional economistic and power-based explanations where the ‘standardisation turn’ in global governance is a mere consequence of neoliberal globalisation, power struggles among states or some type of hegemonic logic. In this manner, the article suggests that Luhmann’s Systems Theory can provide a more encompassing framework to understand the operation of standards as an extension of politics beyond territory, and to frame the challenges of governing an increasingly complex world.
Why is there no Queer International Theory?
Authors: Weber Cynthia
Published: April 2014

Over the last decade, Queer Studies have become Global Queer Studies, generating significant insights into key international political processes. Yet, the transformation from Queer to Global Queer has left the discipline of International Relations largely unaffected, which begs the question: if Queer Studies has gone global, why has the discipline of International Relations not gone somewhat queer? Or, to put it in Martin Wight’s provocative terms, why is there no Queer International Theory? This article claims that the presumed non-existence of Queer International Theory is an effect of how the discipline of International Relations combines homologization, figuration, and gentrification to code various types of theory as failures in order to manage the conduct of international theorizing in all its forms. This means there are generalizable lessons to be drawn from how the discipline categorizes Queer International Theory out of existence to bring a specific understanding of International Relations into existence.
The effect of organisational resources and eligibility issues on transition from child and adolescent to adult mental health services
Authors: Belling Ruth , McLaren Susan , Paul Moli , Ford Tamsin , Kramer Tami , Weaver Tim , Hovish Kimberly , Islam Zoebia , White Sarah , Singh Swaran P
Published: April 2014

Objectives

To investigate the organisational factors that impede or facilitate transition of young people from child and adolescent (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS).

Methods

Thirty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with health and social care professionals working in child and adult services in four English NHS Mental Health Trusts and voluntary organisations. Data were analysed thematically using a structured framework.

Results

Findings revealed a lack of clarity on service availability and the operation of different eligibility criteria between child and adult mental health services, with variable service provision for young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders and learning disabilities. High workloads and staff shortages were perceived to influence service thresholds and eligibility criteria.

Conclusions

A mutual lack of understanding of services and structures together with restrictive eligibility criteria exacerbated by perceived lack of resources can impact negatively on the transition between CAMHS and AMHS, disrupting continuity of care for young people.
Personalization of health care in England: have the wrong lessons been drawn from the personal health budget pilots?
Authors: Slasberg Colin , Watson Nick , Beresford Peter , Schofield Peter
Published: April 2014

The Government has introduced personal health budgets in England's National Health Service (NHS). A three-year programme of pilots has shown that personal health budgets have improved outcomes and are generally cost-effective. They are seen as a key step toward creating a personalized service. However, the Government is attributing the success of the pilots to entirely the wrong factors. It believes that a process similar to the one introduced in social care – where it is called self-directed support – based on the person being given a sum of money ‘up-front’ with which to plan their own care – is responsible for the better outcomes. However, this is not supported by the evidence from the pilots which points to quite different factors being at play. The consequences are potentially very serious. The success of the pilots will not be repeated in roll out. Further, there is the potential to greatly weaken the service by creating confused process and practice, and additional dysfunctional bureaucracy. The practice and process implications from a correct reading of the reasons for success within the pilots centre on replacing the consumerist concepts underpinning self-directed support with what we have called ‘flexibility through partnership’. This will require freeing up the resource base as cash and creating a policy framework to enable decisions about how much resource each person should get within a cash-limited budget that will almost certainly be less than would be required to meet all assessed need.
Content analysis of neurodegenerative and mental diseases social groups
Authors: Martínez-Pérez Borja , de la Torre-Díez Isabel , Bargiela-Flórez Beatriz , López-Coronado Miguel , Rodrigues Joel JPC
Published: April 2014

This article aims to characterize the different types of Facebook and Twitter groups for different mental diseases, their purposes, and their functions. We focused the search on depressive disorders, dementia, and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and examined the Facebook ( www.facebook.com ) and Twitter ( www.twitter.com ) groups. We used four assessment criteria: (1) purpose, (2) type of creator, (3) telehealth content, and (4) free-text responses in surveys and interviews. We observed a total of 357 Parkinson groups, 325 dementia groups, 853 Alzheimer groups, and 1127 depression groups on Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, we analyze the responses provided by different users. The survey and interview responses showed that many people were interested in using social networks to support and help in the fight against these diseases. The results indicate that social networks are acceptable by users in terms of simplicity and utility. People use them for finding support, information, self-help, advocacy and awareness, and for collecting funds.
Investigating the Facebook experience through Q Methodology: Collective investment and a ‘Borg’ mentality
Authors: Orchard Lisa J , Fullwood Chris , Morris Neil , Galbraith Niall
Published: April 2014

Several recent studies have explored social networking sites, such as Facebook, in light of the uses and gratifications approach. However, research has tended to ignore the latter part of this paradigm. This article uses Q methodology to explore user experiences of Facebook, allowing further exploration of gratification from site usage. Four distinct viewpoints were found: Facebook as a superficial environment; Facebook as a valid and valuable social environment; Facebook as an environment of surveillance; and Facebook as a destructive environment. Although the viewpoints show elements of user satisfaction, some users view Facebook in an almost entirely negative way. The article concludes by theorising a model of Facebook usage, drawing upon a metaphor from Star Trek, specifically an analogy with the Borg. It is argued that a level of ‘collective investment’ resides over social networks that may sometimes promote compliance.
The effect of repeated post-weld heat treatment on low-carbon steel ASTM A216WCB
Authors: D’Arcy Cathal , Ruddy Mark , Haines John , Gibbons John P , Stanton Kenneth T
Published: April 2014

The subject of this study is the effect of repeated post-weld heat treatment on valves made of low-carbon steel, ASTM A216WCB. Post-weld heat treatment is a common technique used to alleviate detrimental stresses induced in the vicinity of the weld as a result or the weld process. This investigation was set out to characterise the effect of such heat treatments in the bulk material away from the weld site if carried out as part of a regular industrial maintenance routine. By exposing the steel to varying numbers of heat treatments up to a maximum of 20 cycles and performing tensile testing, hardness tests and metallographic analysis, it was possible to quantitatively assess the mechanical properties of the material. The objective was to determine whether the material’s properties were altered beyond the requirements of the applicable standard for the alloy. A 3.7 ℃/min ramp rate and a hold temperature of 615 ℃ ± 15 ℃ were used for each heat treatment cycle. The study found that A216WCB’s hardness decreased by 6%, to 141 Hv after 20 heat treatment cycles. Tensile tests showed that there was a decrease in yield strength of 2.98%, to 300.6, while ultimate tensile strength fell by 6.9% to 483.3 MPa after 20 cycles. The ultimate tensile strength values were approaching those listed in the material standard for A216WCB, whereas yield strength values were well within the minimum specified by the standard.
Challenges of planning a birth-to-three evaluation: A universal early childhood system evaluation
Authors: Leow Christine , Hilado Aimee , Limlingan Maria Cristina , Howard Eboni
Published: April 2014

In an effort to bring rigorous research into the education and social sciences field, the past decade had seen an increase in the advocacy of randomized controlled trials. The argument in favor of using randomized controlled trial is that one can evaluate the impact of an intervention in comparison to a control group with confidence during a summative evaluation. However, before coming to the stage of conducting a randomized controlled trial, extensive effort in planning and conducting process evaluation is needed. This article examines the perspective of an early childhood evaluation in the United States, and particularly highlights the challenges that arise when a state’s whole system is being evaluated, where the system consists of a variety of program models and the provision of early childhood services is universal in the system. The challenges are highlighted so that future evaluators will be aware of such issues in planning their universal systemwide evaluation.
Observing other pedestrians: Investigating the typical distance and duration of fixation
Authors: Fotios S , Yang B , Uttley J
Published: April 2014

After dark, road lighting should enhance the visual component of pedestrians’ interpersonal judgements such as evaluating the intent of others. Investigation of lighting effects requires better understanding of the nature of this task as expressed by the typical distance at which the judgement is made (and hence visual size) and the duration of observation, which in past studies have been arbitrary. Better understanding will help with interpretation of the significance of lighting characteristics such as illuminance and light spectrum. Conclusions of comfort distance in past studies are not consistent and hence this article presents new data determined using eye-tracking. We propose that further work on interpersonal judgements should examine the effects of lighting at a distance of 15 m with an observation duration of 500 ms.
A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationship Between Nonoffending Caregiver Support and Postdisclosure Functioning in Sexually Abused Children
Authors: Bolen Rebecca M. , Gergely Kellie B.
Published: April 2014

Postdisclosure caregiver support has long been considered a key factor in the functioning of children after their disclosure of sexual abuse, and numerous studies and reviews support this relationship. Yet, a closer look at this literature suggests that support for this relationship might not be as strong or consistent as reported. The purpose of this article is to review studies assessing the relationship between caregiver support of sexually abused children and postdisclosure functioning of their children. Studies were collected using various search engines, and the tables of contents of certain child maltreatment journals were reviewed. To be included, studies had to be published prior to 2012 and to quantitatively capture the bivariate relationship between a quantified assessment of nonoffending caregiver (NOC) support anytime after the child’s sexual abuse disclosure and a quantified assessment of at least 1 of the 11 types of postdisclosure functioning in the children. Twenty-nine studies met the criteria to be included. In the meta-analysis, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, transformed to a Fisher’s Z, was used as the effect size. Potential moderators of effect size were also coded and assessed. Postdisclosure caregiver support was significantly related to 3 of the 11 different types of postdisclosure functioning in children. However, the largest effect size was .170, and 8 of the 11 types of postdisclosure functioning in children had effect sizes smaller than ±.100. Few moderators of the relationship between NOC support and postdisclosure functioning in children were found. Minimal support for the relationship between caregiver support of sexually abused children and children’s postdisclosure functioning was found. At this time, it is impossible to determine whether this weak relationship can be attributed to the many methodological weaknesses in the measurement of caregiver support or whether caregiver support is not related to postdisclosure functioning in children.
The Implementation Road
Authors: Breslau Erica S. , Weiss Elisa S. , Williams Abigail , Burness Allison , Kepka Deanna
Published: April 2014

Southern rural and underserved counties have high proportions of individuals with increased mortality for cervical and breast cancers. To improve the integration of behavioral research into practice, the dissemination and implementation of efficacious interventions to encourage the use of screening have increased in recent years. This study addressed gaps in the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions with a pilot called Team Up. Qualitative interviews with 24 key individuals in six state-level partnerships explored partnership characteristics that influenced selection and use of evidence-based interventions among low-income, rarely or never screened women. Guided by diffusion of innovations theory and the Lasker and Weiss partnership functioning model, interviews about the intervention centered on (a) knowledge surrounding evidence base; (b) identification, selection, and adoption; (c) planning and adaptation; (d) implementation; and (e) partnership reflections and impact. Using grounded theory and content analysis, data revealed that lack of communication and high partner turnover hindered adoption and adaptation, whereas failure of partnership leaders to engage local stakeholders and lack of sufficient funds hampered implementation. Delivery of evidence-based interventions was more effective when partnerships included local partners in early decision making and when coaches were introduced to facilitate strategic thinking about translating evidence-based interventions into practice. A challenge for public health partnerships was the translation of interventions into successful programs, such that underserved communities benefited from early detection intervention research.
Against Divisiveness
Authors: Fuchs Christian
Published: April 2014

This piece is a short rejoinder to César Bolaño and Eloy Vieira’s paper The Political Economy of the Internet and related articles (e.g., Comor, Foley, Huws, Reveley, Rigi and Prey, Robinson) that center around the relevance of Marx’s labor theory of value for understanding social media. I argue that Dallas Smythe’s assessment of advertising was made to distinguish his approach from the one by Baran and Sweezy. Smythe developed the idea of capital’s exploitation of the audience at a time when both feminist and anti-imperialist Marxists challenged the orthodox idea that only white factory workers are exploited. The crucial question is how to conceptualize productive labor. This is a theoretical, normative, and political question. A mathematical example shows the importance of the “crowdsourcing” of value-production on Facebook. I also point out parallels of the contemporary debate to the Soviet question of who is a productive or unproductive worker in the Material Product System.
Working Memory Training and Semantic Structuring Improves Remembering Future Events, Not Past Events
Authors: Richter Kim Merle , Mödden Claudia , Eling Paul , Hildebrandt Helmut
Published: April 2014

Objectives. Memory training in combination with practice in semantic structuring and word fluency has been shown to improve memory performance. This study investigated the efficacy of a working memory training combined with exercises in semantic structuring and word fluency and examined whether training effects generalize to other cognitive tasks. Methods. In this double-blind randomized control study, 36 patients with memory impairments following brain damage were allocated to either the experimental or the active control condition, with both groups receiving 9 hours of therapy. The experimental group received a computer-based working memory training and exercises in word fluency and semantic structuring. The control group received the standard memory therapy provided in the rehabilitation center. Patients were tested on a neuropsychological test battery before and after therapy, resulting in composite scores for working memory; immediate, delayed, and prospective memory; word fluency; and attention. Results. The experimental group improved significantly in working memory and word fluency. The training effects also generalized to prospective memory tasks. No specific effect on episodic memory could be demonstrated. Conclusion. Combined treatment of working memory training with exercises in semantic structuring is an effective method for cognitive rehabilitation of organic memory impairment.