bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unattended Versus Attended Blood Pressure Measurement
Authors: Salvetti Massimo , Paini Anna , Aggiusti Carlo , Bertacchini Fabio , Stassaldi Deborah , Capellini Sara , De Ciuceis Carolina , Rizzoni Damiano , Gatta Roberto , Agabiti Rosei Enrico , Muiesan Maria Lorenza
Published: January 2019

It has been suggested that measurement of unattended or automated oscillatory blood pressure (BP) values may provide advantages over conventional BP measurement. Some international guidelines now suggest automated oscillatory BP as the preferred approach for measuring BP. Data on the relationship between automated oscillatory BP and cardiovascular events are much less solid as compared to those obtained with the standard approach; preliminary data suggested that automated oscillatory BP might be more strictly correlated with organ damage. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between attended or unattended BP and organ damage in 564 subjects undergoing an echocardiogram and carotid ultrasound at an European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center.Both unattended BP (patient alone in the room, an oscillometric device programmed to perform 3 BP measurements, at 1-minute intervals, after 5 minutes) and attended BP were measured with the same device, on the same day of the ultrasonographic examination, in random order. In 564 patients (age 61±15 years, 41% female 78% hypertensives) systolic unattended BP was lower as compared with attended BP (128.0±15.5 versus 134.5±19.9 mm Hg). Left ventricular mass index was similarly correlated with attended and unattended systolic BP (
r
=0.205 and
r
=0.194, respectively). Carotid intima-media thickness was also significantly correlated with both attended and unattended systolic BP (mean max intima-media thickness:
r
=0.206 and
r
=0.194, respectively,
P
<0.0001). The differences between correlations were not statistically significant. Our results suggest that attended and unattended BP values are similarly related with hypertensive organ damage.
Circulating Long Noncoding RNA LIPCAR Predicts Heart Failure Outcomes in Patients Without Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Santer Laura , López Begoña , Ravassa Susana , Baer Christian , Riedel Isabelle , Chatterjee Shambhabi , Moreno María U. , González Arantxa , Querejeta Ramón , Pinet Florence , Thum Thomas , Díez Javier
Published: January 2019

The plasma levels of long noncoding RNA LIPCAR are elevated in heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction and associated with left ventricular remodeling and poor outcomes. We studied whether the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), as defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate value <60mL/(min·1.73m2) modified the associations of plasma LIPCAR with left ventricular remodeling and outcomes in HF patients. Two hundred and thirty-four patients (mean age 74 [9.14] years, 50% male) were enrolled and followed for 4.73 (0.24–7.25) years. Plasma LIPCAR was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. LIPCAR was increased (
P
=0.005) in patients compared with 17 age- and sex-matched controls, directly correlated with age (
P
=0.001) and with the maximal early transmitral flow velocity to the mean peak early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus displacement ratio (
P
=0.001) and inversely correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (
P
<0.001). LIPCAR was associated with hospitalization for HF, cardiovascular death, and a composite of hospitalization for HF or cardiovascular death (
P
≤0.010), these associations being dependent of estimated glomerular filtration rate. The interactions between estimated glomerular filtration rate and LIPCAR with respect to these outcomes were statistically significant or of borderline significance (
P
≤0.060). LIPCAR was increased in CKD patients compared with non-CKD patients (
P
=0.021). LIPCAR was independently associated with hospitalization for HF (
P
≤0.039) only in non-CKD patients, but its addition to traditional risk factors did not improve risk prediction in these patients. In conclusion, plasma LIPCAR prognosticates outcomes in elderly HF patients without CKD. Thus, there is an effect modification of CKD on the association of circulating LIPCAR with outcomes in HF patients.
Opioid Prescriptions at Hospital Discharge Are Associated With More Postdischarge Healthcare Utilization
Authors: Liberman Justin S. , Samuels Lauren R. , Goggins Kathryn , Kripalani Sunil , Roumie Christianne L. ,   the VICS (Vanderbilt Inpatient Cohort Study), Bachmann Justin , Bell Susan P. , Donato Katharine M. , Harrell Frank E. , Mayberry Lindsay S. , Mixon Amanda S. , Rothman Russell L. , Schildcrout Jonathan S. , Schnelle John F. , Vasilevskis Eduard E. , Wallston Kenneth A. , Nwosu Samuel K.
Published: January 2019

Background

Many patients use opioids for nonmalignant pain, and opioid use in the general population has been associated with poor long‐term outcomes. The use of high‐risk medications, including opioid analgesics, may increase the risk of unplanned healthcare utilization.

Methods and Results

We performed a nested evaluation in the VICS (Vanderbilt Inpatient Cohort Study) (N=3000) on patients with an admitting diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and/or acute decompensated heart failure. Patient enrollment occurred from October 2011 until December 2015 and involved a single investigational site, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN). Of the 2495 eligible patients, 501 (20%) were discharged with an opioid prescription and were predominantly white and men, with a median age of 59 (interquartile range, 53–67) years. Our primary outcome was unplanned healthcare utilization, which included emergency department presentation or readmission. Secondary outcomes included mortality and a composite of planned utilization behaviors: cardiac rehabilitation and provider follow‐up within 30 days. Cox proportional hazards models did not show a statistically significant association with increased unplanned utilization (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.87–1.28) or mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.08; 95%
CI
, 0.84–1.39), compared with those without opioids at discharge. Patients discharged with opioids were less likely to complete planned healthcare utilization (adjusted odds ratio, 0.69; 95%
CI
, 0.52–0.91).

Conclusions

There are decreased odds of planned healthcare utilization among patients with acute coronary syndrome and acute decompensated heart failure discharged with opioid medication. It is imperative to understand how opioid use can affect a patient's relationship with the healthcare system.
Notes on calycophyllous Rubiaceae. Part V. A succinct overview of genera with calycophylls, and a revision of Pteridocalyx (Sipaneeae) with observations on distyly and calycophyll variation
Authors: DELPRETE PIERO G.
Published: January 2019

The first part of this paper includes a short discussion on calycophylls in Rubiaceae, followed by a succinct overview of calycophyllous genera and their systematic position within the family (subfamilies and tribes). The second part is focused on Pteridocalyx, the sole genus of the tribe Sipaneeae with calycophylls, until recently only known by three historic collections (including two type gatherings) from Guyana. Recent field observations and collection of numerous herbarium specimens permitted a detailed study of this genus, which is here reported for the first time to have distylous flowers. Two species were described in the genus. As a result of a detailed morphological analysis, Pteridocalyx is here treated as monospecific, and is here illustrated for the first time.
An Investigation of Cold-Season Short-Wave Troughs in the Great Lakes Region and Their Concurrence with Lake-Effect Clouds
Authors: Metz Nicholas D. , Bruick Zachary S. , Capute Peyton K. , Neureuter Molly M. , Ott Emily W. , Sessa Michael F.
Published: January 2019

The downwind shores of the Laurentian Great Lakes region often receive prolific amounts of lake-effect snowfall during the cold season (October–March). The location and intensity of this snowfall can be influenced by upper-tropospheric features such as short-wave troughs. A 7-yr cold-season climatology of 500-hPa short-wave troughs was developed for the Great Lakes region. A total of 607 short-wave troughs were identified, with an average of approximately 87 short waves per cold season. Five classes of short-wave troughs were identified on the basis of their movement through the Great Lakes region. This short-wave trough dataset was subsequently compared with the lake-effect cloud-band climatology created by N. F. Laird et al. in 2017 to determine how frequently short-wave troughs occurred concurrently with lake-effect cloud bands. Of the 607 short-wave troughs identified, 380 were concurrent with lake-effect clouds. Over 65% of these 380 short-wave troughs occurred with a lake-effect cloud band on at least four of the five Great Lakes. Short-wave troughs that rotated around the base of a long-wave trough were found to have the highest frequency of concurrence. In general, concurrence was most likely during the middle cold-season months. Further, Lake Michigan featured the highest number of concurrent events, and Lake Erie featured the fewest. It is evident that short-wave troughs are a ubiquitous feature near the Great Lakes during the cold season and have the potential to impart substantial impacts on lake-effect snowbands.
Past and Projected Freezing/Thawing Indices in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Peng Xiaoqing , Zhang Tingjun , Liu Yijing , Luo Jing
Published: January 2019

Freezing/thawing indices are useful for assessments of climate change, surface and subsurface hydrology, energy balance, moisture balance, carbon exchange, ecosystem diversity and productivity. Current freezing/thawing indices are inadequate to meet these requirements. We use 16 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) models available for 1850–2005, three representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) during 2006–2100, and Climatic Research Unit gridded observations for 1901–2014, to assess the performance of freezing/thawing indices derived from CMIP5 models during 1901–2005. We also analyzed past spatial patterns of freezing/thawing indices and projected these over three RCPs. Results show that CMIP5 models can reproduce the spatial pattern of freezing/thawing indices in the Northern Hemisphere but that the thawing index slightly underestimated observations and the freezing index slightly overestimated them. The thawing index agreed slightly better with observations than did the freezing index. There is significant spatial variability in the freezing/thawing indices, ranging from 0° to 10 000°C day. Over the entire Northern Hemisphere, the time series of the area-averaged thawing index derived from CMIP5 output increased significantly at about 1.14°C day yr−1 during 1850–2005, 1.51°C day yr−1 for RCP2.6, 5.32°C day yr−1 for RCP4.5, and 13.85°C day yr−1 for RCP8.5 during 2006–2100. The area-averaged freezing index decreased significantly at −1.39°C day yr−1 during 1850–2004, −1.2°C day yr−1 for RCP2.6, −4.3°C day yr−1 for RCP4.5, and −9.8°C day yr−1 for RCP8.5 during 2006–2100. The greatest decreases in the freezing index are projected to occur at high latitudes and high altitudes, where the magnitude of the decreasing rate of the freezing index is far greater than that of the increasing rate of the thawing index.
Trends in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) Conditions at Major Airports in the United States
Authors: Stevens Scott E.
Published: January 2019

Weather-related delays are among the most common in aviation and are frequently the result of low visibility or cloud ceilings, which cause landing aircraft to be spaced farther apart for safety, reducing the capacity of an airport to land aircraft in a timely fashion. Using 45 years of archived surface observations from 30 of the busiest airports across the United States, the prevalence of low-visibility and low-ceiling conditions is examined, along with the meteorological conditions that support them and the associated trends over time. It is shown that these conditions are becoming less frequent at most locations—for many significantly so—and that this decrease can be seen at all times of day and in all seasons.
The Early Development of the 2015/16 Quasi-Biennial Oscillation Disruption
Authors: Lin Pu , Held Isaac , Ming Yi
Published: January 2019

An unprecedented disruption of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) started to develop from late 2015. The early development of this event is analyzed using the space–time spectra of eddies from reanalysis data. While the extratropical waves propagating horizontally into the tropics were assumed to be the main driver for the disruption, it was not clear why these waves dissipated near the jet core instead of near the jet edge as linear theory predicts. This study shows that the drastic deceleration of the equatorial jet was largely brought about by a single strong wave packet, and the local winds experienced by the wave packet served as a better indicator of the wave breaking latitude than the zonal mean winds. Surprisingly, tropical mixed Rossby–gravity waves also made an appreciable contribution to the deceleration of the equatorial westerly jet by the horizontal eddy momentum fluxes, especially before January 2016. The horizontal eddy momentum fluxes associated with the tropical waves arise from the deformation of the wave structure when background westerlies increase with height. These horizontal eddy momentum anomalies from the tropical waves are commonly observed in the reanalysis data but are typically much weaker than those in the 2015/16 winter. The possibility exists that exceptionally strong equatorially trapped waves precondition the flow to disruption by an extratropical disturbance.
The Corresponding Tropospheric Environments during Downward-Extending and Nondownward-Extending Events of Stratospheric Northern Annular Mode Anomalies
Authors: Zhang Ruhua , Tian Wenshou , Zhang Jiankai , Huang Jinlong , Xie Fei , Xu Mian
Published: January 2019

Using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis dataset, this study classifies stratospheric northern annular mode (NAM) anomalies during the negative or positive phase into two categories—anomalies extending into the troposphere [trop event (TE); referred to as negative or positive TEs] and those not extending into the troposphere [nontrop event (NTE); referred to as negative or positive NTEs], and the corresponding tropospheric environments during the TEs and NTEs are identified. Compared with that for the negative NTEs, the upward wave fluxes entering the stratosphere are stronger and more persistent during the negative TEs. Furthermore, the stronger and more persistent upward wave fluxes during the negative TEs are due to more favorable conditions for upward wave propagation, which is manifested by fewer occurrences of negative refractive index squared in the mid- to high-latitude troposphere and stronger wave intensity in the mid- to high-latitude troposphere. However, the tropospheric wave intensity plays a more important role than the tropospheric conditions of planetary wave propagation in modulating the upward wave fluxes into the stratosphere. Stronger and more persistent upward wave fluxes in the negative TEs, particularly wave-1 fluxes, are closely related to the negative geopotential height anomalies over the North Pacific and positive geopotential height anomalies over the Euro-Atlantic sectors. These negative (positive) geopotential height anomalies over the North Pacific (Euro-Atlantic) are related to the positive (negative) diabatic heating anomalies and the decreased (increased) blocking activities in the mid- to high latitudes. The subtropical diabatic heating could also impact the strength of the mid- to high-latitude geopotential height anomalies through modulating horizontal wave fluxes. For positive NAM events, the results are roughly similar to those for negative NAM events, but with opposite signal.
Upstream Cyclone Influence on the Predictability of Block Onsets over the Euro-Atlantic Region
Authors: Maddison J. W. , Gray S. L. , Martínez-Alvarado O. , Williams K. D.
Published: January 2019

Atmospheric blocking has been shown to be a phenomenon that models struggle to predict accurately, particularly the onset of a blocked state following a more zonal flow. This struggle is, in part, due to the lack of a complete dynamical theory for block onset and maintenance. Here, we evaluate the impact cyclone representation had on the forecast of block onset in two case studies from the North Atlantic Waveguide and Downstream Impact Experiment field campaign and the 20 most unpredictable block onsets over the Euro-Atlantic region in medium-range forecasts from the ECMWF. The 6-day forecast of block onset in the case studies is sensitive to changes in the forecast location and intensity of upstream cyclones (one cyclone for one case and two for the other case) in the days preceding the onset. Ensemble sensitivity analysis reveals that this is often the case in unpredictable block onset cases: a one standard deviation change in 1000-hPa geopotential height near an upstream cyclone, or 320-K potential vorticity near the tropopause, two or three days prior to block onset is associated with more than a 10% change in block area on the analyzed onset day in 17 of the 20 onset cases. These results imply that improvement in the forecasts of upstream cyclone location and intensity may help improve block onset forecasts.
High-Temporal Resolution Observations of the 27 May 2015 Canadian, Texas, Tornado Using the Atmospheric Imaging Radar
Authors: Griffin Casey B. , Bodine David J. , Kurdzo James M. , Mahre Andrew , Palmer Robert D.
Published: January 2019

On 27 May 2015, the Atmospheric Imaging Radar (AIR) collected high-temporal resolution radar observations of an EF-2 tornado near Canadian, Texas. The AIR is a mobile, X-band, imaging radar that uses digital beamforming to collect simultaneous RHI scans while steering mechanically in azimuth to obtain rapid-update weather data. During this deployment, 20°-by-80° (elevation × azimuth) sector volumes were collected every 5.5 s at ranges as close as 6 km. The AIR captured the late-mature and decaying stages of the tornado. Early in the deployment, the tornado had a radius of maximum winds (RMW) of 500 m and exhibited maximum Doppler velocities near 65 m s−1. This study documents the rapid changes associated with the dissipation stages of the tornado. A 10-s resolution time–height investigation of vortex tilt and differential velocity is presented and illustrates an instance of upward vortex intensification as well as downward tornado decay. Changes in tornado intensity over periods of less than 30 s coincided with rapid changes in tornado diameter. At least two small-scale vortices were observed being shed from the tornado during a brief weakening period. A persistent layer of vortex tilt was observed near the level of free convection, which separated two layers with contrasting modes of tornado decay. Finally, the vertical cross correlation of vortex intensity reveals that apart from the brief instances of upward vortex intensification and downward decay, tornado intensity was highly correlated throughout the observation period.
Vocal Fold Injection of Absorbable Materials: A Histologic Analysis With Clinical Ramifications
Authors: Zeitels Steven M. , Lombardo Patrick J. , Chaves Jaime L. , Faquin William C. , Hillman Robert E. , Heaton James T. , Kobler James B.
Published: January 2019

Objectives:

Gels composed of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and cross-linked hyaluronic acid are commonly used as temporary or resorbable injectable materials for vocal fold medialization. However, there is limited information about tissue injection patterns, soft tissue reaction, degradation, and residence time, particularly for the newer CMC gels.

Study Design:

Prospective, laboratory.

Methods:

Ten canines underwent paraglottic (deep to the vocal ligament) microlaryngoscopic injection with about 100 µL (0.1 mL) of cross-linked hyaluronic acid (Restylane) in the right vocal fold and about 100 µl (0.1 mL) of CMC gel in the left vocal fold. Two commercial CMC gels of similar formulation (Prolaryn Gel and Renú Gel) were used in 5 animals each. Two subjects were sacrificed for histologic analysis at 3, 13, 29, 42, and 55 days.

Results:

Histology showed that injected Restylane formed cohesive ovoid-shaped aggregated implants with minimal dispersion, inflammation, or cellular invasion in all subjects. Approximately 86% of Restylane injected remained at 8 weeks, as estimated from postmortem, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans. In contrast, histology showed that both CMC gels dispersed widely through fascial planes during and after injection within and outside the thyroarytenoid muscle fascicles. There was a robust macrophage and histiocyte phagocytic response, with moderate to severe inflammation noted around residual CMC gel at early time points, and at 6 to 8 weeks, very little free gel was observed.

Conclusions:

None of the studied materials induced a clinical inflammatory reaction on laryngoscopy such that they would be considered problematic or dangerous. Restylane demonstrated superior injection localization, tissue compatibility, and residence time. Both CMC gels did not localize well in the paraglottic region, and there was a robust inflammatory response, with clearance by macrophages and short residence time. These results suggest that CMC gels may have a more limited application than previously thought for vocal fold medialization in patients in whom the injection is being used to achieve voice enhancement while awaiting reinnervation. Level of Evidence: NA
Effect of Donor Milk Supplementation on Breastfeeding Outcomes in Term Newborns: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kair Laura R. , Flaherman Valerie J. , Colaizy Tarah T.
Published: January 2019

Background. Pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) use for healthy newborns is increasing; however, no studies have explored its effect on breastfeeding outcomes. Patients and Methods. We enrolled 60 healthy, term breastfeeding newborns with ≥4.5% weight loss in the first 36 hours in a randomized controlled trial. Thirty newborns were randomly assigned to early limited-volume DHM supplementation and 30 newborns to exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers were surveyed at 1 week and 1, 2, and 3 months regarding the mode of infant feeding. Comparing infants randomized to DHM supplementation with those exclusively breastfeeding, there was no significant difference in the proportion using formula at 1 week (21% vs 7%, P = .15), nor in the proportion of any breastfeeding (79% vs 90%, P = .30) or breastfeeding without formula at 3 months (62% vs 77%, P = .27). Conclusion For newborns with ≥4.5% weight loss in the first 36 hours, early limited-volume supplementation with DHM is unlikely to have a significant favorable impact on breastfeeding outcomes.
Fostering Critical Feminist Multicultural Qualitative Research Mentoring
Authors: Arczynski Alexis V. , Christensen M. Candace , Hoover Stephanie M.
Published: January 2019

Qualitative research mentorship is essential to the development of counseling psychology as a field that supports socially just and multicultural inquiry. This type of research aligns with the core values proposed by the American Psychological Association. However, the governing beliefs and practices of neoliberal structures in higher education challenge critical qualitative research mentorship in counseling psychology. Namely, the values of economic gain promote practices that may constrain the potential for effective mentoring and socially just qualitative research practices. In opposition to these forces, we propose a critical multicultural feminist praxis for qualitative research mentoring. Critical feminist multicultural mentoring attends to systemic and relational power dynamics through transparency, collaboration, reflexivity, and attention to context. We describe the assumptions of critical feminist multicultural mentoring and apply them to case vignettes to illustrate ways to mentor students engaging in socially just qualitative research. In our discussion, we articulate implementation, policy, and research implications.
Pharmacists’ Perceptions on Their Role, Activities, Facilitators, and Barriers to Practicing in a Post-Intensive Care Recovery Clinic
Authors: Coe Antoinette B. , Bookstaver Rebecca E. , Fritschle Andrew C. , Kenes Michael T. , MacTavish Pamela , Mohammad Rima A. , Simonelli Robert J. , Whitten Jessica A. , Stollings Joanna L.
Published: January 2019

Background: Complex medication regimen changes burden intensive care unit (ICU) survivors and their caregivers during the transition to home. Intensive care unit recovery clinics are a prime setting for pharmacists to address patients’ and their caregivers’ medication-related needs. The purpose of this study was to describe ICU recovery clinic pharmacists’ activities, roles, and perceived barriers and facilitators to practicing in ICU recovery clinics across different institutions. Methods: An expert panel of ICU recovery clinic pharmacists completed a 15-item survey. Survey items addressed the pharmacists’ years in practice, education and training, activities performed, their perceptions of facilitators and barriers to practicing in an ICU recovery clinic setting, and general ICU recovery clinic characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: Nine ICU recovery clinic pharmacists participated. The average number of years in practice was 16.5 years (SD = 13.5, range = 2-38). All pharmacists practiced in an interprofessional ICU recovery clinic affiliated with an academic medical center. Seven (78%) pharmacists always performed medication reconciliation and a comprehensive medication review in each patient visit. Need for medication education was the most prevalent item found in patient comprehensive medication reviews. The main facilitators for pharmacists’ successful participation in an ICU recovery clinic were incorporation into clinic workflow, support from other health care providers, and adequate space to see patients. The ICU recovery clinic pharmacists perceived the top barriers to be lack of dedicated time and inadequate billing for services. Conclusions: The ICU recovery clinic pharmacists address ICU survivors’ medication needs by providing direct patient care in the clinic. Strategies to mitigate pharmacists’ barriers to practicing in ICU recovery clinics, such as lack of dedicated time and adequate billing for pharmacist services, warrant a multifaceted solution, potentially including advocacy and policy work by national pharmacy professional organizations.
Noncritical State Transitions During Conditionally Automated Driving on German Freeways: Effects of Non–Driving Related Tasks on Takeover Time and Takeover Quality
Authors: Naujoks Frederik , Purucker Christian , Wiedemann Katharina , Marberger Claus
Published: January 2019

Objective:

This study aimed at investigating the driver’s takeover performance when switching from working on different non–driving related tasks (NDRTs) while driving with a conditionally automated driving function (SAE L3), which was simulated by a Wizard of Oz vehicle, to manual vehicle control under naturalistic driving conditions.

Background:

Conditionally automated driving systems, which are currently close to market introduction, require the user to stay fallback ready. As users will be allowed to engage in more complex NDRTs during the automated drive than when driving manually, the time needed to regain full manual control could likely be increased.

Method:

Thirty-four users engaged in different everyday NDRTs while driving automatically with a Wizard of Oz vehicle. After approximately either 5 min or 15 min of automated driving, users were requested to take back vehicle control in noncritical situations. The test drive took place in everyday traffic on German freeways in the metropolitan area of Stuttgart.

Results:

Particularly tasks that required users to turn away from the central road scene or hold an object in their hands led to increased takeover times. Accordingly, increased variance in the driver’s lane position was found shortly after the switch to manual control. However, the drivers rated the takeover situations to be mostly “harmless.”

Conclusion:

Drivers managed to regain control over the vehicle safely, but they needed more time to prepare for the manual takeover when the NDRTs caused motoric workload.

Application:

The timings found in the study can be used to design comfortable and safe takeover concepts for automated vehicles.
Retracted : The Link Between Budget Deficit and Current Account Deficit in India
Authors: Aneja Ranjan , Banday Umer Jeelanie
Published: January 2019

At the request of the Journal Editor and the Authors, the following article has been retracted.

Aneja, R., & Banday, U. J. (2015). The link between Budget deficit and Current Account deficit in India. Journal of the Indian Economic Association 63(4), 750–761. DOI: 10.1177/0019466220160411

The article has been retracted from The Indian Economic Journal as the authors had not provided the due permission for its publication. The said article is now duly published in another journal.
After the cultural turn: For a textural sociology
Authors: de la Fuente Eduardo
Published: January 2019

This article proposes the social sciences consider texture – rather than text − as the important legacy of the ‘cultural turn’ in the social sciences. The article considers texture in the literal sense of surface-patterns, as well as texture as a metaphor for the ‘dynamic’ and hard-to-capture qualities of social life. The article draws on the philosopher Stephen C. Pepper and the anthropologist Tim Ingold, the ‘practice turn’ in organizational studies and recent developments in geography and cultural research to map out different textural frameworks. While sociologists have lagged behind their counterparts in other fields in embracing a textural sensibility, the article considers the writings of Georg Simmel and the Yale School of Cultural Sociology as prominent exceptions to that rule. The article concludes by encouraging sociologists to consider the textural as a way into a ‘theoretical’ – as against a purely ‘methodological’ conception – of the qualitative.
Class and the post-Fordist work ethic: Subjects of passion and subjects of achievement in the work society
Authors: Farrugia David
Published: January 2019

This article explores how the ‘post-Fordist work ethic’ contributes to the formation of classed subjectivities. Drawing on the work of Kathi Weeks, the article approaches the post-Fordist promise of self-realisation through work in terms of the individualised accrual of value that has become so central to the experience of class within the cultural politics of neoliberalism. Empirically, the article draws on a programme of research on the formation of young workers to describe two ideal typical manifestations of the post-Fordist work ethic, characterised as ‘subjects of achievement’ and ‘subjects of passion’, which reflect classed differences in the way that self-realisation through work is defined and experienced. In this way, the article argues that the contemporary work ethic is inflected with forms of class distinction that pre-date the shift to post-Fordism, and that these distinctions within the post-Fordist work ethic are critical to classed modes of contemporary subjectification. This differentiation reflects the ideological history of work and class under capitalism as well as the promise of individualised self-realisation that is so critical to subject formation in the post-Fordist present.
Processes of domination in the contemporary workplace: Managing disputes in the Swedish healthcare sector
Authors: Nyberg Daniel , De Cock Christian
Published: January 2019

The aim of this article is to explain how forms of consent-driven domination are produced over actors with critical capacity to question the processes of domination to which they are subjected. Drawing on observations of meetings during which actors evaluated employee sick leave, we show how domination is locally achieved in situated interactions by (a) constructing a specific situational reality, (b) transferring responsibilities in accordance with this reality, and (c) positioning the actors within the confirmed bounds of the situation. Domination is produced by exploiting a gap between the reified instituted reality and the lived realities of embodied actors. Doing so enables critiques of the workplace to be absorbed and situational responsibility to be directed towards individual employees. Engaging with French sociologist Luc Boltanski’s recent work, we refer to these processes as ‘complex domination’: the domination appears centre-less and well-intentioned politics result in permanent asymmetrical outcomes – that is, the same people always lose.
How Should We Study Relational Structure? Critically Comparing the Epistemological Positions of Social Network Analysis and Field Theory
Authors: Singh Sourabh
Published: January 2019

I argue that the main difference between two schools of relational sociology – field theory and social network analysis – lies in the difference between their respective epistemological stances rather than between their ontological assumptions. While social network analysts have developed sophisticated quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, they epistemologically rely on their commonsensical understanding of relational structure. In contrast, field theorists are expected to study relational structure by making an epistemological break from their commonsensical understanding of relational structure. Social network analysts’ epistemological position reveals only social ties as the form of relational structure. Field theory’s epistemological position reveals multiple forms of relational structure, including but not limited to those formed by social ties. The main lesson to be learned is that relational sociologists must develop their notion of relational structure by investigating the history of contests among field actors over the meaning of being a member of their field.
Flows in formation: The global-urban networks of climate change adaptation
Authors: Goh Kian
Published: January 2019

As climate change threats to urban centres become more alarming, cities are proposing ambitious plans to adapt to climate impacts. These plans are increasingly subsumed within urban development projects, and embedded in global flows of capital and networks of environmental governance and planning. And yet, scholarship on urban adaptation has tended to approach the city as an analytically bounded territory, neglecting interconnections across space and processes of globalisation, urbanisation, and geopolitics. This paper extends theories of relational geographies to explore the emerging conditions of urban adaptation in the context of climate change and globalised urban development. Focusing on the global links of Dutch water expertise, and tracing relationships within and between Rotterdam, New York, and Jakarta, it illustrates the formation of global-urban networks – the multiscalar, multilevel connections through which capital, knowledge, and influence flow. It probes the ways in which these networks emerge to mobilise ideas and influence across geographical scales and political boundaries, driven and defined by interrelated factors including economic relationships, historically defined situational relationships, and interface conditions including narratives of culture and environmental urgency. The paper introduces the concept of ‘network formation’ to see and understand such interconnected, relational processes. It explains the spatial and temporal interconnections within and across sites, and the relationships between urban spatial projects and broader political economies and ecologies. The paper asserts the importance of conceptualising the relationships and interfaces of increasingly mobile and interconnected urban environmental futures.
Urban resilience in the making? The governance of critical infrastructures in German cities
Authors: Monstadt Jochen , Schmidt Martin
Published: January 2019

Over the last decade, the protection of urban infrastructures has become a focus in German security policies. These point not solely to the multiple external infrastructural threats (e.g. natural disasters, terrorist and cyber-attacks), but also to the endogenous risks of cascading failures across geographical and functional borders that arise from interlocking and often mutually dependent infrastructures. As geographical nodes in infrastructurally mediated flows, cities are considered to be particularly vulnerable to infrastructure breakdowns. Their capability to prevent and to prepare for infrastructural failures, and thus to manage infrastructural interdependencies, is seen as a major prerequisite for resilient societies. However, as our article demonstrates, the institutional capacity of the local authorities and utility companies for risk mitigation and preparedness is limited. Drawing on qualitative research in selected German cities, we argue that the governance of critical infrastructures involves considerable challenges: it overarches different, often fragmented, policy domains and territories and institutionally unbundled utility (sub-) domains. Moreover, risk mitigation and preparedness are usually not based on experience from past events, but on destructive scenarios. They involve considerable uncertainty and contestations among local decision-makers. Interviews with local experts indicate that effective governance of critical infrastructures requires more regulatory efforts by national policies. At the same time, they point to the need for identifying and assessing place-based vulnerabilities, for defining locally differentiated mitigation and preparedness strategies and for the training of local utility companies as well as crisis management.
Community Service and Voting Among Veterans and Nonveterans Using a National Sample of College Undergraduates
Authors: Griffith James
Published: January 2019

Research studies have shown an association between military service and later civic involvement, largely defined as political activities. The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2008 ( N = 95,650) was used to compare veteran and nonveteran students on community service activities and voting. Proportionately more nonveteran than veteran students reported community service (i.e., working with children both in educational and noneducational settings and fund-raising). Nonveteran students also were more likely to have participated in community service in last 12 months. The two groups did not differ in average hours spent on community service per month (16 hr). Veterans compared to nonveterans were far more likely to have registered to vote (78% vs. 59%) and to have voted (90% vs. 82%). When gender, age, race, and income were considered in comparisons, previous differences were not statistically different. Results are discussed relative to past proposals and research regarding veterans’ civic engagement.
Administering prevention or administering atrocities? Public affairs education in dark times
Authors: Rubaii Nadia , Appe Susan , Lippez-De Castro Sebastian
Published: January 2019

Despite repeated calls to temper the bureaucratic ethos and its associated process-oriented pathologies with more of a democratic ethos grounded in normative values and the public interest, the practice, research, and teaching of public administration continues to largely perpetuate the former. In this paper we build upon the work of Camila Stivers’ book Governance in Dark Times and Nabatchi and colleagues’ subsequent call to search for opportunities to better address issues of war, terrorism, climate change, economic calamity, refugee crises, and other atrocities which characterize dark times. We focus our attention on one specific issue within this realm, that of genocides and mass atrocities, as a way to illustrate that public servants—from street-level bureaucrats through high-level policy makers—may be part of the problem or part of the solution. We assert the responsibility of public affairs educators to ensure that their students are prepared to administer prevention or we risk that traditional administrative pathologies may lead them to inadvertently engage in administering atrocities. We position our overarching proposal in the context of fundamental public service values as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16. We also align our more specific recommendations with the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration’s universal competencies and the core content domains of the Atlas for Public Management.
Protect to Damage? Institutional work, unintended consequences and institutional dynamics
Authors: Song Eun Young
Published: January 2019

How does institutional work to uphold an institution unintentionally challenge that institution? To answer this question, I trace institutional work of proponents of change and the norm majority – members of the public who show rectitude vis-à-vis perceived provocation against an established institution, in the context of America’s first bird protection movement. A historical process analysis reveals that institutional work unintentionally compromises institutions because the work can be seen as public conformity to the established institution. A model developed from the findings provides a more refined understanding of unintended consequences in institutional studies.
Mythologizing the Story of a Scientific Invention: Constructing the legitimacy of research commercialization
Authors: Sapir Adi
Published: January 2019

This paper explores the processes through which an organizational story acquires mythological status within an organizational field. To this end, I analyse a story of a successful case of academic technology transfer that gained mythological status in the field of higher education in Israel: the commercialization of the innovative pharmaceutical drug Copaxone. I identify three concurrent processes of mythologizing work: organizational storytelling, media diffusion and reconstruction, and field-level retelling and countering. I argue that myth-making is a collective work, in which an organizational story is shaped not only through the strategic rhetorical work of managers but also through interpretations and modifications by the media as well as other actors in the field. The myth of Copaxone, as it is currently told in the field of higher education in Israel, is a complex assemblage of the organizational story and various counter-narratives. I further suggest that this myth not only serves to naturalize and reinforce academic patenting, but also constitutes a discursive space for reflections about the ambiguities inherent in academic commercialization.
Recycling Stories: Mantras, Communication, and Organizational Materialization
Authors: Brummans Boris H. J. M. , Hwang Jennie M. , Cheong Pauline Hope
Published: January 2019

Religious non-governmental organizations (RNGOs) are becoming powerful organizational actors, but how are these organizations enacted through the communicative practices of their members? To address this question, this article offers a conceptual framework for investigating how the terse retelling of an inspirational organizational story, encapsulated in a mantra, contributes to materializing a Buddhist NGO’s ethos and worldview. The value of this framework is subsequently demonstrated through an in-depth naturalistic case study of a mantra’s constitutive force in the enactment of a large international Buddhist NGO that is increasingly focused on environmental protection. By showing how a mantra acts as a textualization, substantiation, and invocation device in mass, social media, and face-to-face communication, this study makes important contributions to the literature on the intersection between religion and organization as well as the communicative constitution of organizations.
Typology of Technology-Supported Dementia Care Interventions From an In-Home Telehealth Trial
Authors: Kim Sohyun , Shaw Clarissa , Williams Kristine N. , Hein Maria
Published: January 2019

Identifying the needs of dementia caregivers is critical for supporting dementia home care. This study identified a typology of expert interventions delivered to dementia caregivers during an innovative telehealth trial that used in-home video recordings to directly observe care challenges. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze narrative notes describing interventions that were developed based on video data submitted by 33 caregiver–care recipient dyads. Two major themes emerged: education and skills for dementia care and caregiver support. Ten subthemes included education and skills related to: behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, disease expectations, safety, activities of daily living, medical care optimization, and medication utilization and caregiver support related to: respite, positive reinforcement, social and financial support, and self-care. Families providing in-home dementia care experience a wide range of care challenges. By using video data, dementia care experts were able to witness and evaluate challenging care situations and provide individualized feedback.
Space for intuition – the ‘Surprise’-Question in haemato-oncology: Qualitative analysis of experiences and perceptions of haemato-oncologists
Authors: Gerlach Christina , Goebel Swantje , Weber Sascha , Weber Martin , Sleeman Katherine E
Published: January 2019

Background:

Early integration of palliative care can improve outcomes for people with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses. However, prediction of survival for individuals is challenging, in particular in patients with haematological malignancies who are known to have limited access to palliative care. The ‘Surprise’-Question can be used to facilitate referral to palliative care.

Aim:

To explore experiences, views and perceptions of haemato-oncologists on the use of the ‘Surprise’-Question in the haemato-oncology outpatients clinics of a university hospital in Germany.

Design:

A qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically based on the framework approach.

Setting/participants:

The study took place at the haemato-oncology outpatient clinic and the bone marrow transplantation outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Nine haemato-oncologists participated in qualitative interviews.

Results:

Thematic analysis identified 4 themes and 11 subthemes: (1) meaning and relevance of the ‘Surprise’-Question; (2) feasibility; (3) the concept of ‘surprise’ and (4) personal aspects of prognostication. A key function of the ‘Surprise’-Question was to stimulate intuition and promote patient-centred goals of care by initiating a process of pause → reflection → change of perspective. It was easy and quick to use, but required time and communication skills to act on. Participants’ training in palliative care enhanced their willingness to use the ‘Surprise’-Question.

Conclusion:

Irrespective of its use in prognostication, the ‘Surprise’-Question is a valuable tool to facilitate consideration of patient-centred goals and promote holistic care in haemato-oncology. However, prognostic uncertainty, lack of time and communication skills are barriers for integration into daily practice. Further research should involve haematology patients to integrate their needs and preferences.