bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial and Ethnic Politics in American Suburbs
Authors: Frasure-Yokley Lorrie
Published: December 2015

Racial and Ethnic Politics in American Suburbs examines racial and ethnic politics outside traditional urban contexts and questions the standard theories we use to understand mobility and government responses to rapid demographic change and political demands. This study moves beyond traditional scholarship in urban politics, departing from the persistent treatment of racial dynamics in terms of a simple black-white binary. Combining an interdisciplinary, multi-method, and multiracial approach with a well-integrated analysis of multiple forms of data including focus groups, in-depth interviews, and census data, Racial and Ethnic Politics in American Suburbs explains how redistributive policies and programs are developed and implemented at the local level to assist immigrants, racial/ethnic minorities, and low-income groups - something that given earlier knowledge and theorizing should rarely happen. Lorrie Frasure-Yokley relies on the framework of suburban institutional interdependency (SII), which presents a new way of thinking systematically about local politics within the context of suburban political institutions in the United States today.
Unit Equations in Diophantine Number Theory
Authors: Evertse Jan-Hendrik , Győry Kálmán
Published: December 2015

Diophantine number theory is an active area that has seen tremendous growth over the past century, and in this theory unit equations play a central role. This comprehensive treatment is the first volume devoted to these equations. The authors gather together all the most important results and look at many different aspects, including effective results on unit equations over number fields, estimates on the number of solutions, analogues for function fields and effective results for unit equations over finitely generated domains. They also present a variety of applications. Introductory chapters provide the necessary background in algebraic number theory and function field theory, as well as an account of the required tools from Diophantine approximation and transcendence theory. This makes the book suitable for young researchers as well as experts who are looking for an up-to-date overview of the field.
African Socialism in Postcolonial Tanzania
Authors: Lal Priya
Published: December 2015

Drawing on a wide range of oral and written sources, this book tells the story of Tanzania's socialist experiment: the ujamaa villagization initiative of 1967–1975. Inaugurated shortly after independence, ujamaa ('familyhood' in Swahili) both invoked established socialist themes and departed from the existing global repertoire of development policy, seeking to reorganize the Tanzanian countryside into communal villages to achieve national development. Priya Lal investigates how Tanzanian leaders and rural people creatively envisioned ujamaa and documents how villagization unfolded on the ground, without affixing the project to a trajectory of inevitable failure. By forging an empirically rich and conceptually nuanced account of ujamaa, African Socialism in Postcolonial Tanzania restores a sense of possibility and process to the early years of African independence, refines prevailing theories of nation building and development, and expands our understanding of the 1960s and 70s world.
Boundaries and Secession in Africa and International Law
Authors: Ahmed Dirdeiry M.
Published: December 2015

This book challenges a central assumption of the international law of territory. The author argues that, contrary to the finding in the Frontier Dispute case, uti possidetis is not a general principle of law enjoining states to preserve pre-existing boundaries on state succession. It demonstrates that African state practice and opinio juris gave rise to customary rules that govern sovereign territory transfer in Africa. It explains that those rules changed international law as it relates to Africa in many respects, leading chiefly to creating norms of African jus cogens prohibiting secession and the redrawing of boundaries. The book examines in-depth the singularity of secession in Africa exploring extensive state practice and case law. Finally, it advances a daring argument for a right to egalitarian self-determination, addressing people-to-people domination in multi-ethnic African states, to serve as an exception to the fast special customary rule against secession.
The Virtual School for Children in Out-of-Home Care: A Strategic Approach to Improving Their Educational Attainment
Authors: Jackson Sonia
Published: December 2015

In all countries where the evidence is available, the educational performance of children looked after away from home falls markedly below that of their peers. In the recent years this has become a subject of intense debate. Is it an inevitable consequence of the adversity they have suffered before coming into care, and only to be expected given the characteristics of their families of origin? Or does the care system itself bear some responsibility? This question is not simply one of academic interest. Longitudinal research on social exclusion has shown the strong association between low levels of education and negative adult outcomes which disproportionately affect those with a background in care. This paper argues that efforts to narrow the gap in achievement between children in public care and their home-based peers will meet with little success as long as the problem is only tackled at the individual level. In an attempt to bring about systemic change, the English government in 2006 introduced a new concept: the Virtual School for “looked after” children. The Virtual School encompasses as pupils all children and young people in a particular area who are in public care, but has no physical existence other than an office base. The children continue to attend their own schools, which are responsible for their progress. Initially a difficult concept to grasp, the model now seems to be fully accepted and all local authorities in England are legally required to appoint a Virtual School Head (VSH). The article reviews the limited available research and offers an illustrative case study. In conclusion, it suggests that the virtual school may be a model with potential to help raise the attainment of children in care in countries other than England.
Current Capabilities and Capacity of Ebola Treatment Centers in the United States
Authors: Herstein Jocelyn J. , Biddinger Paul D. , Kraft Colleen S. , Saiman Lisa , Gibbs Shawn G. , Le Aurora B. , Smith Philip W. , Hewlett Angela L. , Lowe John J.
Published: December 2015

OBJECTIVE

To describe current Ebola treatment center (ETC) locations, their capacity to care for Ebola virus disease patients, and infection control infrastructure features.

DESIGN

A 19-question survey was distributed electronically in April 2015. Responses were collected via email by June 2015 and analyzed in an electronic spreadsheet.

SETTING

The survey was sent to and completed by site representatives of each ETC.

PARTICIPANTS

The survey was sent to all 55 ETCs; 47 (85%) responded.

RESULTS

Of the 47 responding ETCs, there are 84 isolation beds available for adults and 91 for children; of these pediatric beds, 35 (38%) are in children’s hospitals. In total, the simultaneous capacity of the 47 reporting ETCs is 121 beds. On the basis of the current US census, there are 0.38 beds per million population. Most ETCs have negative pressure isolation rooms, anterooms, and a process for category A waste sterilization, although only 11 facilities (23%) have the capability to sterilize infectious waste on site.

CONCLUSIONS

Facilities developed ETCs on the basis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, but specific capabilities are not mandated at this present time. Owing to the complex and costly nature of Ebola virus disease treatment and variability in capabilities from facility to facility, in conjunction with the lack of regulations, nationwide capacity in specialized facilities is limited. Further assessments should determine whether ETCs can adapt to safely manage other highly infectious disease threats.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;37(3):313–318
Internal wave attractors over random, small-amplitude topography
Authors: Guo Yuan , Holmes-Cerfon Miranda
Published: December 2015

We consider whether small-amplitude topography in a two-dimensional ocean may contain internal wave attractors. These are closed orbits formed by the characteristics (or wave beam paths) of the linear, inviscid, steady-state Boussinesq equations, and their existence may imply enhanced scattering and energy decay for the internal tide when dissipation is present. We develop a numerical code to detect attractors over arbitrary topography, and apply this to random, Gaussian topography with different covariance functions. The rate of attractors per length of topography increases with the fraction of supercritical topography, but surprisingly, it also increases as the amplitude of the topography is decreased, while the supercritical fraction is held constant. This can partly be understood by appealing to Rice’s formula for the rate of zero crossings of a stochastic process. We compute the rate of attractors for a covariance function typical of ocean bathymetry away from large features and find it is about 10 attractors per 1000 km. This could have implications for the overall energy budget of the ocean.
Intertwined vorticity and elastodynamics in flapping wing propulsion
Authors: Mysa Ravi C. , Venkatraman Kartik
Published: December 2015

We performed numerical experiments on a one-dimensional elastic solid oscillating in a two-dimensional viscous incompressible fluid with the intent of discerning the interplay of vorticity and elastodynamics in flapping wing propulsion. Perhaps for the first time, we have established the role of foil deflection topology and its influence on vorticity generation, through spatially and temporally evolving foil slope and curvature. Though the frequency of oscillation of the foil has a definite role, it is the phase relation between foil slope and pressure that determines thrust or drag. Similarly, the phase difference between flapping velocity, and pressure and inertial forces, determine the power input to the foil, and in turn drives propulsive efficiency. At low frequencies of oscillation, the sympathetic slope and curvature of deformation of the foil allow generation of leading-edge vortices that do not separate; they cause substantial rise in pressure between the leading edge and mid-chord. The circulatory component of pressure is determined primarily by the leading-edge vortex and therefore thrust too is predominantly circulatory in origin at low frequencies. In the intermediate and high-frequency range, thrust and drag on the foil spatially alternate and non-circulatory forces dominate over circulatory and viscous forces. For the mass ratios we simulated, thrust due to flapping varies quadratically as a function of Strouhal number or trailing-edge flapping velocity; further, the trailing edge flapping velocities peak at the same set of frequencies where the thrust is also a maximum. Propulsive efficiency, on the other hand, is roughly a mirror image of the thrust variation with respect to Strouhal number. Given that most instances of flapping propulsion in nature are primarily through distributed muscular actuation that enables precise control of deformation shape, leading to high thrust and efficiency, the results presented here are pointers towards understanding some of the mechanisms that drive thrust and propulsive efficiency.
Identifying high growth firms: Where are we?
Authors: Dwyer Bruce , Kotey Bernice
Published: December 2015

The article reviews the literature for the key markers of high growth firms, which create the majority of new jobs. From the review, a template is developed comprising the key markers. They include: training and experience in entrepreneurship and management; and strategies that emphasise innovation, marketing and employee and organisational learning. High growth firm owners take steps to access management skills that complement theirs through employment of a management team, outsourcing management tasks or making decisions with oversight from an informal board. Good reward structures, which may include ownership interests, are essential to performance of the management team. Access to resources, especially finance and human capital is critical to growth but abundant resources could compromise efficiency. The article finds that personality characteristics of owners and postgraduate education in management are not effective identifiers of high growth firms. Some of the barriers to identifying high growth firms are presented and suggestions made to overcome them.
CLERICAL CONFORMITY AND THE ELIZABETHAN SETTLEMENT REVISITED
Authors: MARSHALL PETER , MORGAN JOHN
Published: December 2015

This article re-examines the nature and extent of conformity to the Religious Settlement amongst the parish clergy in the first decades of Elizabeth I's reign. The estimate of Henry Gee, made over a century ago, that only around 300 clergymen were deprived for non-conformity to the Settlement has been remarkably influential and durable, and it continues to shape broader assessments of the ways in which religio-political change was implemented and received in this period. Using digital resources such as the Clergy of the Church of England Database, in conjunction with hitherto neglected biographical compilations, the article argues for a significant revision of Gee's figures. More broadly, it reflects on the complex meanings of ‘conformity’ in a period of perplexing change and dramatic institutional disruption, disputing any suggestion that apparent acquiescence signalled pervasive ‘acceptance’ of the alteration in religion among the clergy. In the process, it draws attention to the pitfalls of uncritical deployment of numbers and statistics, and of using them as explanatory short-cuts in understanding the dynamics of Reformation change.
Nitrogen-limited light use efficiency in wheat crop simulators: comparing three model approaches
Authors: RATJEN A. M. , KAGE H.
Published: December 2015

Three different explanatory indicators for reduced light use efficiency (LUE) under limited nitrogen (N) supply were evaluated. The indicators can be used to adapt dry matter production of crop simulators to N-limited growth conditions. The first indicator, nitrogen factor (NFAC), originates from the CERES-Wheat model and calculates the critical N concentration of the shoot as a function of phenological development. The second indicator, N nutrition index (NNI), calculates a critical N concentration as a function of shoot dry matter. The third indicator, specific leaf nitrogen (SLN) index (SLNI), has been newly developed. It compares the actual SLN with the maximum SLN (SLNmax). The latter is calculated as a function of the green area index (GAI). The comparison was based on growth curves and fitted to empirical data, and was carried out independently from a dynamic crop model. The data set included four growing seasons (2004–2006, 2012) in Northern Germany and seven modern bread wheat cultivars with varying N fertilization levels (0–320 kg N/ha). The influence of N shortage on LUE was evaluated from the beginning of stem elongation until flowering. With the exception of 2005, the highest productivity was observed for the highest N level. A moderate N shortage primarily reduced GAI and therefore light interception, while LUE remained stable under moderate N shortage. The relative LUE (rLUE) of a specific day was defined as the ratio of actual to maximal LUE. None of the indicators was proportional to rLUE, but the relationships were described well by quadratic plateau curves. The correlation between simulated and measured rLUE was significant for all explanatory indicators, but different in terms of mean absolute error and coefficient of determination (R2). The performance of SLNI and NNI was similar, but the goodness of prediction was much lower for NFAC. Compared with NNI and NFAC, SLNI corresponded to leaf N and was therefore sensitive to N translocation from leaves to growing grains during the reproductive stage. For this reason, SLNI may have the potential to improve simulation of dry matter production in wheat crop simulators.
Agency and Environment in the Work of Jesmyn Ward Response to Anna Hartnell, “When Cars Become Churches”
Authors: CROWNSHAW RICHARD
Published: December 2015

Throughout this interview, Jesmyn Ward emphasizes the humanity of her fictional and nonfictional subjects – subjects whose humanity has been eviscerated by what has been characterized as the postwar, neoliberal shift in American politics and economics. The socioeconomic and political neglect of African Americans was, of course, demonstrable in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, revealing the structural racism that had often resided in the US's political unconscious. Ward's emphasis on the ideas of survival and renewal – a “savage” resilience of humanity in its most precarious state – offers a corrective to the proclivities of some critical theory deployed in the framing of Hurricane Katrina's victims and the longer history of suffering they represented. For examples, theories of biopolitics used to conceptualize the ways in which African American life has been removed from the protections of citizenship and state sovereignty do run the risk of universalization. A transhistorical version of that life, consistent from slavery to the present day, might emerge from such theory, indistinct from examples of “bare” lives rendered by states of emergency beyond the US and across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as Giorgio Agamben might describe such life. In other words, theory risks a process of re-othering and a suspension of historical agency. Anna Hartnell finds in Ward's work the resonance of the jeremiad, and so narratives that are structured by the possibility of the redemption of historical experience – future-oriented narratives. These are narratives that represent the negotiation of historical conditions, not utter submission to them, and following Hartnell's reference they are aptly framed by Henry Giroux's reconceptualization of biopolitical life and the limits of American democracy.
The effects of single and mixed infections ofApicystis bombiand deformed wing virus inBombus terrestris
Authors: GRAYSTOCK PETER , MEEUS IVAN , SMAGGHE GUY , GOULSON DAVE , HUGHES WILLIAM O. H.
Published: December 2015

Many pollinators are currently suffering from declines, diminishing their gene pool and increasing their vulnerability to parasites. Recently, an increasing diversity of parasites has been recorded in bumblebees, yet for many, knowledge of their virulence and hence the risk their presence poses, is lacking. The deformed wing virus (DWV), known to be ubiquitous in honey bees, has now been detected in bumblebees. In addition, the neogregarineApicystis bombihas been discovered to be more prevalent than previously thought. Here, we assess for the first time the lethal and sublethal effects of these parasites during single and mixed infections of worker bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). Fifteen days after experimental exposure, 22% of bees exposed toA. bombi, 50% of bees exposed to DWV and 86% of bees exposed to both parasites had died. Bumblebees that had ingestedA. bombihad increased sucrose sensitivity (SS) and a lower lipid:body size ratio than control bees. While dual infected bumblebees showed no increase in SS. Overall, we find thatA. bombiexhibits both lethal and sublethal effects. DWV causes lethal effect and may reduce the sub lethal effects imposed byA. bombi. The results show that both parasites have significant, negative effects on bumblebee health, making them potentially of conservation concern.
Hume and Smith on Natural Religion
Authors: Graham Gordon
Published: December 2015

The prominence of David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion in contemporary philosophy of religion has led it to overshadow his other short work, The Natural History of Religion, and thus obscure the fact that the social psychology of religion was in many ways of greater interest and more widely debated among the philosophers of the Scottish Enlightenment than philosophical theology. This paper examines and compares the social psychology of religion advanced by Hume and Adam Smith. It argues that Hume's account of the psychological sources and social significance of religion is less satisfactory than Smith's.
Intrusive memories to traumatic footage: the neural basis of their encoding and involuntary recall
Authors: Clark I. A. , Holmes E. A. , Woolrich M. W. , Mackay C. E.
Published: December 2015

Background

A hallmark symptom after psychological trauma is the presence of intrusive memories. It is unclear why only some moments of trauma become intrusive, and how these memories involuntarily return to mind. Understanding the neural mechanisms involved in the encoding and involuntary recall of intrusive memories may elucidate these questions.

Method

Participants (n= 35) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while being exposed to traumatic film footage. After film viewing, participants indicated within the scanner, while undergoing fMRI, if they experienced an intrusive memory of the film. Further intrusive memories in daily life were recorded for 7 days. After 7 days, participants completed a recognition memory test. Intrusive memory encoding was captured by comparing activity at the time of viewing ‘Intrusive scenes’ (scenes recalled involuntarily), ‘Control scenes’ (scenes never recalled involuntarily) and ‘Potential scenes’ (scenes recalled involuntarily by others but not that individual). Signal change associated with intrusive memory involuntary recall was modelled using finite impulse response basis functions.

Results

We found a widespread pattern of increased activation for Intrusivev. both Potential and Control scenes at encoding. The left inferior frontal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus showed increased activity in Intrusive scenes compared with Potential scenes, but not in Intrusive scenes compared with Control scenes. This pattern of activation persisted when taking recognition memory performance into account. Intrusive memory involuntary recall was characterized by activity in frontal regions, notably the left inferior frontal gyrus.

Conclusions

The left inferior frontal gyrus may be implicated in both the encoding and involuntary recall of intrusive memories.
Maternal bereavement and the risk of preterm delivery: the importance of gestational age and of the precursor of preterm birth
Authors: László K. D. , Li J. , Olsen J. , Vestergaard M. , Obel C. , Cnattingius S.
Published: December 2015

Background

Maternal stress during pregnancy may increase the risk of preterm delivery (PD), but the associations between stress and subtypes of PD are not clear. We investigated maternal loss of a close relative and risks of very and moderately PD (<32 and 32–36 weeks, respectively) and spontaneous and medically indicated PD.

Method

We studied 4 940 764 live singleton births in Denmark (1978–2008) and Sweden (1973–2006). We retrieved information on death of women's family members (children, partner, siblings, parents), birth outcomes and maternal characteristics from nationwide registries.

Results

Overall, the death of a close family member the year before pregnancy or in the first 36 weeks of pregnancy was associated with a 7% increased risk of PD [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.10]. The highest hazard ratios (HR) for PD were found for death of an older child [HR (95% CI) 1.20 (1.10–1.31)] and for death of a partner [HR (95% CI) 1.31 (1.03–1.66)]. These losses were associated with higher risks of very preterm [HR (95% CI) 1.61 (1.29–2.01) and 2.07 (1.15–3.74), respectively] than of moderately preterm [HR (95% CI) 1.14 (1.03–1.26) and 1.22 (0.94–1.58), respectively] delivery. There were no substantial differences in the association between death of a child or partner and the risk of spontaneous v. medically indicated PD.

Conclusions

Death of a close family member the year before or during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of PD, especially very PD. Possible mechanisms include both spontaneous and medically indicated preterm birth.
When is “Delivering the Goods” Not Good Enough?
Authors: Córdova Abby , Layton Matthew L.
Published: December 2015

This article develops and tests a theory to explain why perceptions of good government performance are a necessary but insufficient condition for the poor to trust their local government. The authors theorize that independent of partisan sympathies, the poor evaluate local government on the basis of government performance and the economic disparities that they observe in their neighborhood of residence. Accordingly, even if the poor hold positive perceptions of government performance, they are less likely to trust their local government when they live in a context of high economic inequality. To test their theory, the authors rely on census, public opinion, and systematic observation data collected within resident-identified neighborhood borders in each of seventy-one neighborhoods sampled from six municipalities in El Salvador. The findings are consistent with the hypotheses and indicate that economic inequality at the neighborhood level may produce a reservoir of distrust in local government among the poor. The results further highlight the political relevance of neighborhoods for the formation of citizen attitudes toward local government in the Latin American context.
Prisons should mirror society: the debate on age-segregated housing for older prisoners
Authors: WANGMO TENZIN , HANDTKE VIOLET , BRETSCHNEIDER WIEBKE , ELGER BERNICE SIMONE
Published: December 2015

The debate on age-segregated housing for older prisoners has seldom captured the perspectives of older prisoners and professionals (‘stakeholders’) working in a European prison setting. To address this gap in the research, 35 older prisoners from Switzerland and 40 stakeholders from three European countries (including Switzerland) were interviewed for the study. Data analysis was conducted thematically, and the validity of coding was established independently from the primary author. Interpretation of study results was agreed upon by all authors. Participants' opinions regarding age-segregated housing for older prisoners were split. An almost equal number of prisoners and stakeholders had similar arguments in favour of and against such living arrangements. The findings encompassed three major themes: ‘prisons should mirror society’ and thus age-mixed housing was preferable as it ensured generational exchange; a ‘separate unit within the prison’ would allow continuity of personal and other relationships and at the same time respond to older prisoners' specific health and environmental needs; finally, participants felt it was important to think critically about ‘the criteria’ for placing older prisoners in an age-segregated arrangement. We conclude that the debate on consolidated versus separate housing is bifurcated. Any push towards segregation based only on high prison violence and unvalidated context-specific information may result in unreliable public policy.
Self-pumped SBS effect of high-power super-Gaussian-shaped laser pulses
Authors: Wang Yulei , Zhu Xuehua , Lu Zhiwei , Zhang Hengkang
Published: December 2015

Most of the high-energy laser systems deliver temporally super-Gaussian-shaped laser pulses. The propagation properties of this kind of pulses in a nonlinear medium are studied in this paper. There is Stokes component in the sideband spectrum of super-Gaussian-shaped pulses, and the frequency difference between the Stokes component and the center frequency is equals to the Brillouin frequency of the nonlinear medium. When the laser is reflected by optical elements in the light path, Stokes component in the reflected light can be amplified by the subsequent part of the laser pulse and excite stimulated Brillouin scattering (self-pumped SBS). The self-pumped SBS is studied theoretically and experimentally, and the experimental results agreed well with the calculated results. The simulation results show that lower-order super-Gaussian-shaped pulses are more suitable for suppressing the self-pumped SBS and of great benefit to the energy delivering of the high-power laser pulses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to experimentally demonstrate the self-pumped SBS of high-power super-Gaussian-shaped laser pulses.
IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE PRODUCTION FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Authors: Facey Karen , Henshall Chris , Sampietro-Colom Laura , Thomas Sarah
Published: December 2015

Objectives: Health Technology Assessment (HTA) needs to address the challenges posed by high cost, effective technologies, expedited regulatory approaches, and the opportunities provided by collaborative real-world evaluation of technologies. The Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Policy Forum met to consider these issues and the implications for evidence production to inform HTA. This paper shares their discussion to stimulate further debate.

Methods: A background paper, presentations, group discussions, and stakeholder role play at the 2015 HTAi Policy Forum meeting informed this paper.

Results: HTA has an important role to play in helping improve evidence production and ensuring that the health service is ready to adopt effective technologies. It needs to move from simply informing health system decisions to also working actively to align stakeholder expectations about realistic evidence requirements. Processes to support dialogue over the health technology life cycle need to be developed that are mindful of limited resources, operate across jurisdictions and learn from past processes. Collaborations between health technology developers and health systems in different countries should be encouraged to develop evidence that will inform decision making. New analytical techniques emerging for real-world data should be harnessed to support modeling for HTA.

Conclusions: A paradigm shift (to “Health Innovation System 2.0”) is suggested where HTA adopts a more central, proactive role to support alignment within and amongst stakeholders over the whole life cycle of the technology. This could help ensure that evidence production is better aligned with patient and health system needs and so is more effective and efficient.
A QUANTILE-BASED PROBABILISTIC MEAN VALUE THEOREM
Authors: Di Crescenzo Antonio , Martinucci Barbara , Mulero Julio
Published: December 2015

For non-negative random variables with finite means we introduce an analogous of the equilibrium residual-lifetime distribution based on the quantile function. This allows us to construct new distributions with support (0, 1), and to obtain a new quantile-based version of the probabilistic generalization of Taylor's theorem. Similarly, for pairs of stochastically ordered random variables we come to a new quantile-based form of the probabilistic mean value theorem. The latter involves a distribution that generalizes the Lorenz curve. We investigate the special case of proportional quantile functions and apply the given results to various models based on classes of distributions and measures of risk theory. Motivated by some stochastic comparisons, we also introduce the “expected reversed proportional shortfall order”, and a new characterization of random lifetimes involving the reversed hazard rate function.
Witnessing substance use increases same-day antisocial behavior among at-risk adolescents: Gene–environment interaction in a 30-day ecological momentary assessment study
Authors: Russell Michael A. , Wang Lin , Odgers Candice L.
Published: December 2015

Many young adolescents are embedded in neighborhoods, schools, and homes where alcohol and drugs are frequently used. However, little is known about (a) how witnessing others' substance use affects adolescents in their daily lives and (b) which adolescents will be most affected. The current study used ecological momentary assessment with 151 young adolescents (ages 11–15) to examine the daily association between witnessing substance use and antisocial behavior across 38 consecutive days. Results from multilevel logistic regression models indicated that adolescents were more likely to engage in antisocial behavior on days when they witnessed others using substances, an association that held when substance use was witnessed inside the home as well as outside the home (e.g., at school or in their neighborhoods). A significant Gene × Environment interaction suggested that the same-day association between witnessing substance use and antisocial behavior was significantly stronger among adolescents with, versus without, the dopamine receptor D4 seven repeat (DRD4-7R) allele. The implications of the findings for theory and research related to adolescent antisocial behavior are discussed.
Role of temperament in early adolescent pure and co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problems using a bifactor model: Moderation by parenting and gender
Authors: Wang Frances L. , Eisenberg Nancy , Valiente Carlos , Spinrad Tracy L.
Published: December 2015

We contribute to the literature on the relations of temperament to externalizing and internalizing problems by considering parental emotional expressivity and child gender as moderators of such relations and examining prediction of pure and co-occurring problem behaviors during early to middle adolescence using bifactor models (which provide unique and continuous factors for pure and co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problems). Parents and teachers reported on children's (4.5- to 8-year-olds; N = 214) and early adolescents’ (6 years later; N = 168) effortful control, impulsivity, anger, sadness, and problem behaviors. Parental emotional expressivity was measured observationally and with parents’ self-reports. Early-adolescents’ pure externalizing and co-occurring problems shared childhood and/or early-adolescent risk factors of low effortful control, high impulsivity, and high anger. Lower childhood and early-adolescent impulsivity and higher early-adolescent sadness predicted early-adolescents’ pure internalizing. Childhood positive parental emotional expressivity more consistently related to early-adolescents’ lower pure externalizing compared to co-occurring problems and pure internalizing. Lower effortful control predicted changes in externalizing (pure and co-occurring) over 6 years, but only when parental positive expressivity was low. Higher impulsivity predicted co-occurring problems only for boys. Findings highlight the probable complex developmental pathways to adolescent pure and co-occurring externalizing and internalizing problems.
Threshold temperatures for seed germination in nine species ofVerbascum(Scrophulariaceae)
Authors: Catara Stefania , Cristaudo Antonia , Gualtieri Andrea , Galesi Rosario , Impelluso Carmen , Onofri Andrea
Published: December 2015

Light and fluctuating temperatures are two important factors triggering seed germination. The aim of this work was to: (1) elucidate the effect of temperature, light regime and storage time on seed germination in nine taxa ofVerbascumspp., collected from different habitats in the Mediterranean area; and (2) estimate threshold temperatures for seed germination. For all taxa, germination assays were performed at constant and fluctuating temperatures, both in continuous darkness (D) and in alternating light/dark (L/D; 12 h photoperiod). Final germinated proportions (FGPs), base (Tb), optimal (To) and cut-off (Tc) temperatures were derived. At constant temperatures, seed germination was strongly suppressed under the D regime. In L/D, the effect of storage time was very small and the highest FGPs were observed from 15 to 30°C (40–100%), depending on the species.Tbranged from below 7 to above 10°C and it appeared to be constant within each seed lot.ToandTcshowed some within-lot variability and were higher for fast-germinating seeds in each lot. Considering fluctuating temperatures, germination appeared to be quicker and more complete than at constant temperatures. The germination ofVerbascumspp. is favoured in L/D and fluctuating temperatures, which explains their pioneer character when positioned near the soil surface and under a low vegetation canopy.V. arcturusandV. pinnatifidumwere shown to be less favoured by L and fluctuating temperatures, which might explain their ability to germinate in rocky areas or sandy dunes, even when they are not directly exposed to the light.
Maggot Debridement Therapy in Disaster Medicine
Authors: Stadler Frank , Shaban Ramon Z. , Tatham Peter
Published: December 2015

Background

When disaster strikes, the number of patients requiring treatment can be overwhelming. In low-income countries, resources to assist the injured in a timely fashion may be limited. As a consequence, necrosis and wound infection in disaster patients is common and frequently leads to adverse health outcomes such as amputations, chronic wounds, and loss of life. In such compromised health care environments, low-tech and cheap wound care options are required that are in ready supply, easy to use, and have multiple therapeutic benefits. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) is one such wound care option and may prove to be an invaluable tool in the treatment of wounds post-disaster.

Discussion

This report provides an overview of the wound burden experienced in various types of disaster, followed by a discussion of current treatment approaches, and the role MDT may play in the treatment of complex wounds in challenging health care conditions. Maggot debridement therapy removes necrotic and devitalized tissue, controls wound infection, and stimulates wound healing. These properties suggest that medicinal maggots could assist health care professionals in the debridement of disaster wounds, to control or prevent infection, and to prepare the wound bed for reconstructive surgery. Maggot debridement therapy-assisted wound care would be led by health care workers rather than physicians, which would allow the latter to focus on reconstructive and other surgical interventions. Moreover, MDT could provide a larger window for time-critical interventions, such as fasciotomies to treat compartment syndrome and amputations in case of life-threatening wound infection.

Recommendations

There are social, medical, and logistic hurdles to overcome before MDT can become widely available in disaster medical aid. Thus, research is needed to further demonstrate the utility of MDT in Disaster Medicine. There is also a need for reliable MDT logistics and supply chain networks. Integration with other disaster management activities will also be essential.

Conclusions

In the aftermath of disasters, MDT could play an important role facilitating timely and efficient medical treatment and improving patient outcomes. Existing social, medical, and logistic barriers will need to be overcome for MDT to be mainstreamed in Disaster Medicine.

StadlerF,ShabanRZ,TathamP.Maggot debridement therapy in Disaster Medicine.Prehosp Disaster Med.2016;31(1):79–84.
An audit of service-user involvement and quality of HCR-20 version 2 risk assessments on rehabilitation and low secure wards
Authors: Gough Karen , Richardson Charlotte , Weeks Hannah
Published: December 2015

The HCR-20 is the most widely used structured professional judgement instrument for assessing risk of violence. Recent developments in secure settings have addressed service user involvement in risk assessment to empower service users, and encourage them to take responsibility for their pathway through hospital. This audit aimed to examine the quality of, and service-user involvement in, the HCR-20 assessments completed on two wards (a low secure and a psychiatric rehabilitation ward) within Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Data from the current RiO (electronic patient record system) Risk Screen and Risk Information sections and the most up-to date HCR-20 report (if there was one) was reviewed across a number of domains. The in-house HCR-20 training programme appeared to be effective, with most assessors following the appropriate data collection process. The quality of the risk assessments was mixed with the historical section being more consistently completed than the clinical and risk sections. The results of the audit facilitated the development of standards for the completion of HCR-20 risk assessments on the two wards reviewed. Limitations of the audit in terms of generalisation are noted. Nonetheless, this audit serves to give an early impression on the extent of collaboration with service users on risk assessments.
Thailand's Kra Isthmus and Elusive Canal Plans since the 1850s
Authors: Dobbs Stephen
Published: December 2015

This article uses primarily British colonial documents and Singapore sources to examine the history of proposals for the construction of a shipping canal through Thailand's Kra Isthmus from the 1850s. It provides historical background for continuing interest in constructing a Kra canal with the most recent speculative discussions involving Chinese interests. Since the 1850s the idea of a canal was revived on numerous occasions with several detailed surveys conducted over this time to assess the feasibility of a shipping canal via the Kra Isthmus. This research examines how speculation and actual proposals were handled by the British colonial authorities and how this related to the British policy of using Siam/Thailand as a buffer state separating their colonies and those of their European rival France. In colonial Singapore canal proposals created great angst and to some extent this has continued to be the case to the present day. The article suggests that while British colonial policy was always against, or at least not in favour of, the construction of a canal, other factors are equally important for explaining why canal proposals never proceeded beyond planning and surveys.
Wind, Water, and Risk: Shaping a Transnational History of the Western North Pacific
Authors: Bankoff Greg
Published: December 2015

The peoples who inhabit the states that lie in the direct paths of typhoons in the Western North Pacific share a common history of repeated dislocation, destruction, and death that delimits a zone of comparative enquiry and historiographical interest. The track left by typhoons across ocean and land perfectly outline the dimensions of a more transnational historical region encompassing the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the island states of Micronesia. The peoples of these lands are bound together by a common experience of risk. Wind and water together offer a radical alternative historiography to state-centred master narratives that are revealed by pursuing issues and questions that transcend the spatial and temporal boundaries of any one state or region.
Suicidal Behaviors Among Muslim Women
Authors: Canetto Silvia Sara
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Background: The literature on Muslim women's suicidality has been growing. Comprehensive reviews are, however, unavailable, and theory needs development. Aims: This article reviews and integrates theories and findings about Muslim women's suicidality. Method: Two databases (PsycINFO and Web of Science) were searched for publications about Muslim women's suicidality. Results: There is significant variability in Muslim women's patterns of suicidality across Muslim-majority communities and countries. Muslim women represent half to nearly all cases of nonfatal suicidal behavior. According to the official records of Muslim-majority countries, women's suicide mortality is lower than that of men. Community studies, however, show that in some areas, Muslim women have significantly higher suicide rates than Muslim men. Both nonfatal and fatal suicidal behaviors are most common among uneducated and poor rural young women. Muslim women's typical suicide methods vary by locale, and include self-burning, hanging, and poisoning. With regard to contexts and meanings, a recurring female script is that of suicidality as protest against and desperate escape from the oppressive regulation as well as the abuse many women endure within their families and societies. Conclusion: Understanding and preventing Muslim women's suicidality, and the socially sanctioned oppression it is often a response to, require system-level – not just individual-level – analyses and interventions as well as a human rights perspective.
Following the Ants
Authors: Janssen Anne B. , Schultze Martin , Grötsch Adrian
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Employees’ innovative work is a facet of proactive work behavior that is of increasing interest to industrial and organizational psychologists. As proactive personality and supervisor support are key predictors of innovative work behavior, reliable, and valid employee ratings of these two constructs are crucial for organizations’ planning of personnel development measures. However, the time for assessments is often limited. The present study therefore aimed at constructing reliable short scales of two measures of proactive personality and supervisor support. For this purpose, we compared an innovative approach of item selection, namely Ant Colony Optimization (ACO; Leite, Huang, & Marcoulides, 2008 ) and classical item selection procedures. For proactive personality, the two item selection approaches provided similar results. Both five-item short forms showed a satisfactory reliability and a small, however negligible loss of criterion validity. For a two-dimensional supervisor support scale, ACO found a reliable and valid short form. Psychometric properties of the short version were in accordance with those of the parent form. A manual supervisor support short form revealed a rather poor model fit and a serious loss of validity. We discuss benefits and shortcomings of ACO compared to classical item selection approaches and recommendations for the application of ACO.
Organizational Identification as a Double-Edged Sword
Authors: Li Yongxin , Fan Jinyan , Zhao Shenran
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Previous research on organizational identification has almost exclusively focused on its positive effects on organization-related outcomes, paying relatively less attention to its effects on individual-related outcomes and its potential negative effects on both organization-related and individual-related outcomes. We proposed a model in which organizational identification was hypothesized to have both positive and negative effects on job and life satisfaction. Further, we proposed work-to-family conflict as a mediator of the negative effects of organizational identification. Participants in this survey research were 545 teachers in the People’s Republic of China. Results based on structural equation modeling largely supported our proposition that in addition to the well-established positive effects, organizational identification may also have negative effects on organization-related and individual-related outcomes.
Job Crafting and Performance of Dutch and American Health Care	Professionals
Authors: Gordon Heather J. , Demerouti Evangelia , Le Blanc Pascale M. , Bipp Tanja
Published: December 2015

Abstract. We explore how job demands and job resources are related to job crafting, and how this, in turn, is related to performance in two samples of American (US; N = 70) and Dutch (NL; N = 144) health care professionals (HCP). A cross-sectional, cross-cultural design revealed that US HCP have higher job demands and reduce them more than NL HCP, who have higher and seek more job resources. Specifically, job demands positively related to seeking resources; job resources positively related to seeking challenges and seeking resources but negatively to reducing demands. While reducing demands negatively related to task and contextual performance, seeking resources positively related to task and creative performance. This study expands scientific and practical knowledge on employee proactive organizational behavior.