bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regional Retrieval Processor for Direct Broadcast High-Resolution Infrared Data
Authors: Antonelli Paolo , Revercomb Henry E. , Giuliani Graziano , Cherubini Tiziana , Businger Steven , Lyman Ryan , Tjemkes Stephen , Stuhlmann Rolf , Moncet Jean-Luc
Published: April 2017

The Space Science Engineering Center, in collaboration with the Mauna Kea Weather Center at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, has developed a regional retrieval processor for high-spectral-resolution infrared data. The core of the processor makes use of an inversion system, referred to as Mirto, which combines, in a Bayesian way, the a priori knowledge of the atmospheric state, based on available numerical weather prediction forecasts, with the physical information embedded in satellite observations. Forecast temperature and water vapor mixing ratio fields over the central North Pacific Ocean are adjusted to produce synthetic radiances closer and closer to the Suomi NPP Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) observations taken in clear-sky conditions. The paucity of synoptic observations over this area and the highly homogeneous background represented by the ocean provide a good framework for the implementation of this hyperspectral data inversion system. Nearly real-time (less than 60 min from overpass time) Internet publication of retrieved atmospheric profiles is made possible by the availability of a direct broadcast system that provides data from the Suomi NPP platform (CrIS and VIIRS). The main goal for the implemented system is to provide the forecasting community with products suitable for nowcasting applications and for optimal data assimilation. The implemented processor has been running routinely since August 2013. Validation based on the comparisons of retrievals with rawinsonde data from Hilo, Hawaii, and Lihue, Hawaii, and GPS-derived total precipitable water from four stations, performed over a time period of more than 1 year, shows a statistically significant improvement on the background atmospheric state used as a priori information.
The MERRA-2 Aerosol Reanalysis, 1980 Onward. Part I: System Description and Data Assimilation Evaluation
Authors: Randles C. A. , da Silva A. M. , Buchard V. , Colarco P. R. , Darmenov A. , Govindaraju R. , Smirnov A. , Holben B. , Ferrare R. , Hair J. , Shinozuka Y. , Flynn C. J.
Published: April 2017

The Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), updates NASA’s previous satellite-era (1980 onward) reanalysis system to include additional observations and improvements to the Goddard Earth Observing System, version 5 (GEOS-5), Earth system model. As a major step toward a full Integrated Earth Systems Analysis (IESA), in addition to meteorological observations, MERRA-2 now includes assimilation of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from various ground- and space-based remote sensing platforms. Here, in the first of a pair of studies, the MERRA-2 aerosol assimilation is documented, including a description of the prognostic model (GEOS-5 coupled to the GOCART aerosol module), aerosol emissions, and the quality control of ingested observations. Initial validation and evaluation of the analyzed AOD fields are provided using independent observations from ground, aircraft, and shipborne instruments. The positive impact of the AOD assimilation on simulated aerosols is demonstrated by comparing MERRA-2 aerosol fields to an identical control simulation that does not include AOD assimilation. After showing the AOD evaluation, this paper takes a first look at aerosol–climate interactions by examining the shortwave, clear-sky aerosol direct radiative effect. The companion paper (Part II) evaluates and validates available MERRA-2 aerosol properties not directly impacted by the AOD assimilation (e.g., aerosol vertical distribution and absorption). Importantly, while highlighting the skill of the MERRA-2 aerosol assimilation products, both studies point out caveats that must be considered when using this new reanalysis product for future studies of aerosols and their interactions with weather and climate.
Striking Seasonality in the Secular Warming of the Northern Continents: Structure and Mechanisms
Authors: Nigam Sumant , Thomas Natalie P. , Ruiz-Barradas Alfredo , Weaver Scott J.
Published: April 2017

The linear trend in twentieth-century surface air temperature (SAT)—a key secular warming signal—exhibits striking seasonal variations over Northern Hemisphere continents; SAT trends are pronounced in winter and spring but notably weaker in summer and fall. The SAT trends in historical twentieth-century climate simulations informing the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment show varied (and often unrealistic) strength and structure, and markedly weaker seasonal variation. The large intra-ensemble spread of winter SAT trends in some historical simulations was surprising, especially in the context of century-long linear trends, with implications for the detection of the secular warming signal.

The striking seasonality of observed secular warming over northern continents warrants an explanation and the representation of related processes in climate models. Here, the seasonality of SAT trends over North America is shown to result from land surface–hydroclimate interactions and, to an extent, also from the secular change in low-level atmospheric circulation and related thermal advection. It is argued that the winter dormancy and summer vigor of the hydrologic cycle over middle- to high-latitude continents permit different responses to the additional incident radiative energy from increasing greenhouse gas concentrations.

The seasonal cycle of climate, despite its monotony, provides an expanded phase space for the exposition of the dynamical and thermodynamical processes generating secular warming, and an exceptional cost-effective opportunity for benchmarking climate projection models.
A Fair Game? Racial Bias and Repeated Interaction between NBA Coaches and Players
Authors: Zhang Letian
Published: April 2017

There is strong evidence of racial bias in organizations but little understanding of how it changes with repeated interaction. This study proposes that repeated interaction has the potential to reduce racial bias, but its moderating effects may be limited to the treatment of individuals rather than of entire racial groups. Using data from 2,360 National Basketball Association (NBA) players and 163 coaches from 1955 to 2000, I find that players receive more playing time under coaches of the same race, even though there is no difference in their performance. This racial bias is greatly reduced, however, as the player and the coach spend more time on the same team, suggesting that repeated interaction minimizes coaches’ biases toward their players. But it does not reduce coaches’ racial biases in general. Even after years of coaching other-race players, coaches still exhibit the same levels of racial bias as they did upon first entering the league. These results suggest that repeated workplace interaction is effective in reducing racial bias toward individuals but not toward groups, making an important contribution to the literature on organizational inequality.
‘Central London under siege’: Diaspora, ‘race’ and the right to the (global) city
Authors: Garbin David , Millington Gareth
Published: April 2017

Drawing upon an ethnography of recent Congolese diasporic protests in central London, this article pays attention to the traversal histories of ‘race’ and the postcolonial dynamics that precede the emergence of a contemporary diasporic ‘right to the city’ movement. The authors critically engage with Henri Lefebvre’s ‘right to the city’ as a way of explaining how the urban is not only the site but also, increasingly, a stake in urban protests. In doing so the authors relocate urban centrality – its meaning, symbolic power and heuristic status in protests – in a context where activists’ claims are not restricted to one city or, simply, the political present. Rather, protestors talk about making geopolitical connections between local and global scales and contemporary and historical injustices. Drawing upon Simone’s notion of ‘black urbanism’, the authors claim to enrich Lefebvre’s original formulation by unpacking the complex performative dimensions of protest as they intersect with race and, more specifically, blackness and postcolonialism. It is concluded that activists’ experience is fundamentally ambivalent; they are at once enchanted and disenchanted with protest in central London.
We still need the coming of God
Authors: Liu Gerald
Published: April 2017

The article underscores and explores the conversion of Jürgen Moltmann as a departure point for considering the importance of conversion for ministers and theological educators today. Through summary of a 2016 untranslated essay from Moltmann, “Hoffen und Denken,” comparison showing how the intellectual work from Moltmann and Martin Heidegger arise and mature as divergent responses to World War II, and reflection upon Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a Hiroshima survivor and Japanese Methodist Minister who graduated from Candler School of Theology and went on to found International World Peace Day, the article traces why conversion matters as an elemental beginning for Christian theological thinking and practice. In order to ground the line of argumentation within a wider context of US political and ecclesial reform, the article also brings special attention to the need for ministers and theological educators to repent for the United States’ nuclear bombings of World War II.
Diagnosing Sarcopenia in Male Patients With Cirrhosis by Dual‐Energy X‐Ray Absorptiometry Estimates of Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass
Authors: Belarmino Giliane , Gonzalez Maria Cristina , Sala Priscila , Torrinhas Raquel Susana , Andraus Wellington , D’Albuquerque Luiz Augusto Carneiro , Pereira Rosa Maria R. , Caparbo Valéria F. , Ferrioli Eduardo , Pfrimer Karina , Damiani Lucas , Heymsfield Steven B. , Waitzberg Dan L.
Published: April 2017

Background: Ascites in cirrhotic patients interfere with accurate assessment of skeletal muscle when diagnosing sarcopenia. We hypothesized measurement of appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) with dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) improves the diagnosis of sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients as ASMI does not include the fluid‐filled abdominal compartment. Objective: To evaluate if ASMI is influenced by ascites, lower limb edema (LLE) and predicts mortality alone or combined with handgrip strength (HGS) in cirrhotic patients. Design: ASMI, HGS, and 36‐month mortality were obtained in 144 men with cirrhosis. ASMI was compared before and after paracentesis in 20 men with ascites and to results from 20 matched controls. The prognostic value of ASMI alone and with HGS was tested in a survival. Survival probabilities were obtained for sarcopenia diagnosed by standard ASMI and HGS European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) cutoffs and a new cutoff calculated from our ASMI + HGS tertiles. Results: ASMI did not change after paracentesis, was lower in patients than in controls (P < .001), and was not influenced by LLE (D = 0.30 kg/m2, P = .068; R2 = 2.40%). Mortality was influenced by ASMI and HGS (Pinteraction = 0.028). Sarcopenia diagnosed by EWGSOP was also diagnosed by our new cutoff; both predicted mortality with the latter more sensitive for mortality risk prediction (P = .011). Conclusions: DXA‐measured ASMI is not influenced by ascites or LLE in cirrhotic patients; can diagnose low skeletal muscle/sarcopenia; and predicts mortality, particularly when combined with HGS.
Fundamental Standards of Humanity: What Future?
Authors: Vigny Jean-Daniel , Thompson Cecilia
Published: April 2017

This article focusses on the issue of fundamental standards of humanity, a set of principles to reflect both international human rights and humanitarian law, as a means to address the insufficient protection of persons in situations of internal violence. Such fundamental standards of humanity, applicable at all times, in all circumstances and to all parties, are necessary to address four areas: 1) States are not party to international instruments; 2) human rights obligations are derogated from; 3) international humanitarian law is not applicable or is so but is not applied; and 4) non-State actors may not be bound by obligations under international law. The article provides an overview of the steps taken by the international community to address the issue, discusses the sources of international human rights law, humanitarian law and refugee law from which fundamental standards of humanity could be drawn, and suggests further steps to be taken. The authors are convinced that fundamental standards of humanity would serve as an educational tool to enhance effective implementation of relevant international law.
Courts for Africa: Considering the Co-Existence of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and the African Court of Justice
Authors: Viljoen Frans , Baimu Evarist
Published: April 2017

Institutional strengthening has characterised the transformation of the OAU into the AU. This contribution focuses on two new judicial institutions in Africa, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHR) and the African Court of Justice (ACJ). The ACHR Protocol, adopted in 1998, and entering into force in 2004, mainly entrusts the ACHR with the application and interpretation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Charter). The ACJ Protocol, adopted in 2003, not yet in force, establishes the ACJ as the AU's principal judicial organ. As the AU Constitutive Act embraces the promotion and protection of human rights as founding principle, the possibility of overlapping mandates and conflicting judgments between the two Courts arises. The authors try to balance the important role of the ACJ in realising human rights with the need for coherence, consistency and certainty with respect to African human rights law. Some solutions, such as institutional cooperation, preliminary referrals on crucial questions of human rights from the ACJ to the ACHR, the accession of the AU to the African Charter and harmonisation through Rules of Procedure, are suggested.
National Human Rights Institutions. Criteria and Factors for Assessing Their Effectiveness
Authors: Murray Rachel
Published: April 2017

This article seeks to examine how useful the Paris Principles are in assessing the effectiveness of National Human Rights Institutions. It will argue that while they are an appropriate starting point, they focus more on factors relevant to the establishment of such bodies, rather than how they perform once created and how they are perceived by others. Some greater thought now needs to be given to a variety of issues that render these institutions effective and to question some of the underlying presumptions on which the Paris Principles are based.
A Tale of Two Instruments: Religious Minorities and the Council of Europe's Rights Regime
Authors: Berry Stephanie E.
Published: April 2017

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has increasingly deferred to States' margin of appreciation when considering interferences with the right to manifest religion under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In contrast, the Advisory Committee (AC) on the Framework Convention on National Minorities (FCNM), despite originally being feared to be a highly politicised body, has allowed States very little room for manoeuvre when considering the implementation of Convention rights. In order to explore these seemingly contradictory positions, this article examines the approaches of the ECtHR and the AC towards two controversial manifestations of religion: the right to construct places of worship and the right to wear religious clothing. It argues that the ECtHR, by developing minimum standards that defer to the prejudices of the majority, is in danger of undermining the progress made by the AC towards establishing consistent minority rights standards throughout Europe.
Western States, the UN Commission on Human Rights, and the ‘1235 Procedure’: The ‘Question of Bias’ Revisited
Authors: Boekle Henning
Published: April 2017

For nearly three decades, the UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has been conducting public, country-specific investigations of gross human rights violations under the ‘1235 Procedure’. Being a UN body comprised of governmental representatives, its proceedings have often been highly politicised. During the 1980s, charges of bias against the CHR were especially frequent among American observers. However, a comparative analysis of individual governments' policies towards the 1235 Procedure is yet missing. This article provides such an analysis for the Western States and shows that these have themselves at least occasionally pursued biased policies in the CHR concerning gross violations of human rights. More importantly, they have since the late 1970s influenced the CHR's monitoring performance stronger than commonly acknowledged. Despite its exposure to the impact of governments' political interests, the 1235 Procedure nevertheless provides a valuable forum for continuous exchange and coordination of policies with respect to human rights violations, thus inciting governments to review their understanding of ‘national interest’ in light of the promotion of human rights and establishing precedents of legitimate interference leading to a partial reinterpretation of the doctrine of State sovereignty.
Knowledge Attitude and Practices Toward Lassa Fever Control and Prevention Among Residents of Ile-Ife, Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Olowookere S. A. , Adegbenro C. A. , Idowu A. , Omisore A. G. , Shabi O. M. , Ikem U. R. , Ekwere G. A. , Oderinde I. F.
Published: April 2017

Lassa fever had been reported as a cause of death especially in endemic parts of Nigeria. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices toward Lassa fever control and prevention among residents of Ile-Ife, southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among consenting randomly selected adults using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A total of 400 questionnaires with completed data were analyzed (response rate 96%). Majority, 207 (51.8%), were males while 193 (48.2%) were females. Most, 234 (58.5%), had tertiary education while 148 (37%) had secondary education. Fifty-nine percent had heard of Lassa fever with radio as their major source of information. About 76% had inadequate knowledge, 54% had negative attitude while 51% had poor practice toward Lassa fever. Determinants of knowledge of Lassa fever include having higher education (Adjusted Odd Ratio (AOR) = 11.49, 95% CI [3.10, 42.69], p = .0001), being in civil service (AOR = 0.22, 95% CI [0.09, 0.51], p = .01), and earning higher income (AOR = 4.23, 95% CI [2.61, 6.84], p = .0001). In conclusion, the knowledge, attitude, as well as preventive practices to Lassa fever were poor. It is necessary to increase public education and improve hygienic practices.
Geographies of media and communication II
Authors: Adams Paul C.
Published: April 2017

Some of the most perceptive contributions to the geographic study of media and communication have been in areas of landscapes studies and geohumanities. To bring landscape and geohumanities insights together more explicitly with communication and media, this progress report draws on George Revill’s concept of an ‘arc of sound’, expanding the concept’s scope to an arc of communication – a dynamic trajectory connecting one vantage point to another through various translations and shifts. It is a mix of integration and translation that forms its own space, place and time, integrating elements of embodied performance, multiple sensory modalities, temporality, absence and excess. Arcs of communication often depend on collaboration and can produce transformations of identity. The concept of the arc of communication enables discovery of numerous threads connecting landscape studies to geohumanities while deepening geographical understandings of media and communication.
Describing tube formability during pulsating hydroforming using forming limit diagrams
Authors: Yang Lianfa , Tang Daofu , He Yulin
Published: April 2017

Pulsating hydroforming is a novel forming technique that applies pulsating hydraulic pressure to deform tubular materials. Larger expansions and more uniform wall thicknesses in tubes have reportedly been achieved using this technique. However, periodic oscillations of hydraulic pressure acting on the tubes during pulsating hydroforming make the tube deformation behaviour and formability unpredictable. Forming limit diagrams, which consist of two forming limit curves in a major–minor strain coordinate system, are widely used to indicate the formability of sheet materials in plastic deformation. The comparable use of forming limit diagrams to indicate the formability of tubular materials under the pulsating action of hydroforming has not been previously established. In this study, pulsating and non-pulsating hydro-bulging experiments were performed on SS304 stainless steel tubes. Under distinct tension–compression and tension–tension strain states with and without active axial feeding, the forming limit curves for the deformed tubes were constructed based on the experimental data. The effects of various hydraulic pressure pulsating parameters, including pulsating amplitude and frequency, on the forming limit curves were analysed and compared. The experimental results showed that each of the forming limit curves under pulsating hydro-bulging was higher than the forming limit curves under non-pulsating hydro-bulging, thereby confirming the influence of the pulsating parameters. In general, the height of the forming limit curves increased as the pulsating amplitude and frequency increased, largely independent of the tension–compression and tension–tension states. Overall, the results showed that the proposed method for determining the forming limit curves (and the subsequent forming limit diagram) for tubes during pulsating hydro-bulging is feasible.
Changes in anxiety and depression symptoms associated to the outcome of MOH: A post-hoc analysis of the Comoestas Project
Authors: Bottiroli Sara , Allena Marta , Sances Grazia , De Icco Roberto , Avenali Micol , Fadic Ricardo , Katsarava Zaza , Lainez Miguel JA , Goicochea Maria Teresa , Jensen Rigmor Højland , Nappi Giuseppe , Tassorelli Cristina ,   the Comoestas Consortium
Published: April 2017

Aims

To evaluate the impact of treatment success on depression and anxiety symptoms in medication-overuse headache (MOH) and whether depression and anxiety can be predictors of treatment outcome.

Methods

All consecutive patients entering the detoxification program were analysed in a prospective, non-randomised fashion over a six-month period. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results

A total of 663 MOH patients were evaluated, and 492 completed the entire protocol. Of these, 287 ceased overuse and reverted to an episodic pattern (responders) and 23 relapsed into overuse. At the final evaluation, the number of patients with depressive symptoms was reduced by 63.2% among responders ( p < 0.001) and did not change in relapsers ( p = 0.13). Anxious symptomatology was reduced by 43.1% in responders ( ps < 0.001) and did not change in relapsers ( p = 0.69). At the multivariate analysis, intake of a prophylactic drug and absence of symptoms of depression at six months emerged as prognostic factors for being a responder (OR 2.406; p = 0.002 and OR 1.989; p = 0.019 respectively), while lack of antidepressant drugs and presence of symptoms of depression at six months were prognostic factors for relapse into overuse (OR 3.745; p = 0.004 and OR 3.439; p = 0.031 respectively).

Conclusions

Symptomatology referred to affective state and anxiety can be significantly reduced by the treatment of MOH. Baseline levels of depression and anxiety do not generally predict the outcome at six months. Their persistence may represent a trait of patients with a negative outcome, rather than the consequence of a treatment failure.
Structure synthesis of reconfigurable parallel mechanisms with closed-loop metamorphic linkages
Authors: Tian Chunxu , Fang Yuefa , Guo Sheng , Qu Haibo
Published: April 2017

This paper proposes a class of closed-loop metamorphic linkages, which has different phases resulting from links annexing or locking of motors. Reconfigurable limbs are obtained by assembling these metamorphic linkages with kinematic chains. The potential metamorphic linkages are presented and the working phase transformation of the metamorphic linkages is analyzed. After adding suitable kinematic joints to the metamorphic linkage, the reconfigurable limbs whose constraint can be switched among different constraint forces and couples are synthesized. The serial limbs that can provide u ( u = 0, 1, 2) constraint forces and v ( v = 0, 1, 2) constraint couples are constructed by using screw theory method. The reconfigurable limbs which possess different configurations are combined with serial kinematic chains. By connecting the end moving platform to the fixed base with three identical kinematic limbs, a family of reconfigurable mechanisms with closed-loop metamorphic linkages is derived. These mechanisms have various output motion modes, such as 3R, 1T2R, 2T1R, and 3T.
An experimental investigation of the supersonic turbulent boundary layer subjected to convex curvature
Authors: Wang Qian-cheng , Wang Zhen-guo
Published: April 2017

By employing particle image velocimetry, the impact of convex curvature on the supersonic turbulent boundary layer with inflow Mach number of 2.95 is experimentally investigated. The test models are carefully designed to have a zero-pressure-gradient convex boundary layer to isolate the influence of the streamwise pressure gradient while looking at the impact of convex curvature only. The results are compared with the favorable-pressure-gradient case (with pressure gradient parameter [Formula: see text]). For both of the zero-pressure-gradient and favorable-pressure-gradient convex boundary layers, the log law is found to be well preserved in the profile of streamwise velocity with inner scaling. Both of the mean streamwise velocity and the principal strain rate of the zero-pressure-gradient case collapse after scaling. By accumulating the streamwise velocity along the wall normal direction, the convex curvature is found to have the potential of diminishing the organized motion of the large scale vortices, which contributes to the stabilization of the turbulence.
Tuberculosis of the glans penis: an important differential diagnosis of genital ulcer disease
Authors: Singal Archana , Pandhi Deepika , Kataria Vandana , Arora Vinod K
Published: April 2017

We report a 45-year-old, apparently healthy sero-negative man, presenting with multiple ulcers on the glans penis for a duration of three months. There was no significant inguinal lymphadenopathy. He showed no improvement on systemic antibiotics and acyclovir. Histopathology revealed the diagnosis of genital tuberculosis (TB), and polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis tested positive. The patient responded well to category I anti-tubercular treatment with complete resolution of lesions in six months. It is important to consider a differential diagnosis of penile TB in patients with non-healing genital ulcers.
Time, space, power, and the liminal transformation of the psychologised “self ”
Authors: Slater Rory , Coyle Adrian
Published: April 2017

Drawing on the concept of liminality, we provide an alternative language for understanding how time, space, and power intersect to impact upon the relationship that individuals hold with themselves as “self.” A historical (re)contextualisation is presented that traces the genesis of a notable development in British war-time psychiatry, the “Northfield experiments,” to its contemporary parallels in the democratic therapeutic community in prisons and Psychologically Informed Planned Environments. Links are made between the development of these “liminal events” and aspects of Foucault’s works on the technologies/techniques of objectification and subjectification/self, his critique of the object of painting and his critical analytics of “other” spaces. It is argued that the therapeutic community can be (re)contextualised as a highly functional liminal event that held/holds significant implications for how patients subjectively experience(d) “self” as certain forms of psychological power and knowledge were/are given (material) effect within this point in time and space.
Resilient territories and mobility adaptation strategies in times of economic recession: Evidence from the metropolitan region of Barcelona, Spain 2004–2012
Authors: Marquet Oriol , Miralles-Guasch Carme
Published: April 2017

The international financial crisis has affected people’s everyday activities, changing multiple aspects of their daily behavior. In countries deeply affected by the economic recession, the crisis has produced a significant incentive to change transport and mobility habits towards cheaper and affordable modes of transport. The impacts of the crisis have been spatially heterogeneous and socially diverse, and consequently mobility adaptation strategies depend on both territorial and social resilience. The present paper analyzes the main changes of mobility habits that occurred between 2004–2012 in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, covering the end of the era of economic growth, and the advent and unfolding of the economic crisis. The research uses travel survey data to understand how different population groups have adapted their mobility to the crisis, and how core and outer metropolitan areas have shaped the adaptation strategies of their inhabitants. The results show a general trend towards a rationalized use of private modes in favor of an increased use of shorter trips and non-motorized modes, but also show how social factors and urban forms interact to generate significant differences in mobility adaptation strategies.
Effect of Yoga on Adolescents’ Attitude towards Violence
Authors: Govindaraja Setty A.G.  , Subramanya Pailoor , Mahadevan B.
Published: April 2017

As society progresses with newer technology choices and greater materialistic welfare, we also witness more incidences of aggression and violence among the youth and adolescents. This is partly due to the mental stress that they undergo. There has been a renewed interest to understand the causes of aggression and violence. More importantly, there is an interest to identify methods to manage these. This article is an attempt to showcase the usefulness of yoga in addressing this aspect. The present study was conducted to find out the effect of 4 weeks’ yoga practice on 158 (76 girls and 82 boys) normal healthy adolescents’ attitude towards violence (ATV) in comparison to practice of physical exercises (PE). The study showed that both yoga and PE groups demonstrated significant reduction in their positive ATV strategies and increased positive use of non-violent strategies. Boys in the yoga group showed significant improvement, whereas the control group showed non-significant improvement. Girls in the yoga also displayed significant progress over the control group. Thus, the study points to the usefulness of introducing yoga to the adolescents in their formative years through a structured curriculum. This is likely to provide numerous benefits both for the individual and the society at large.
No Sex, Cursing and Politics: Adult Views of Inappropriate Facebook Posts
Authors: Wolfer Loreen
Published: April 2017

With the increasing popularity of Facebook among adult users and the diverse social networks, especially based on age, that adults form on Facebook, it is important to examine what adult Facebook users have seen on Facebook and deem inappropriate. Previous studies only address college students and most of them involve hypothetical post-scenarios. This study addresses these gaps by examining 190 adult Facebook users from a northeastern Pennsylvania university and asking them to identify the top three types of posts they have seen on Facebook and considered to be inappropriate. Findings suggest that these adults consider sex/nudity, foul language and politics to be inappropriate for Facebook. These mirror values of face-to-face interaction, but are not mentioned in research of online inappropriate behaviour. When more specific themes are combined for group comparisons, two additional themes, social issues and aggression which are also generally unexplored in the research, emerge as inappropriate as well. However, with the exception of gender and educational differences in the perceptions of sex/nudity, there are few group differences in the observed Facebook posts that these adults find to be inappropriate. Implications for online interaction and future research are discussed.
Impact of Foreign Capital on Economic Development in India: An Econometric Investigation
Authors: Sahoo Kalpana , Sethi Narayan
Published: April 2017

The present study empirically investigates the long-run causal relationship between foreign capital and economic development in India by using the annual time-series data from 1990–1991 to 2013–2014. The study uses some selected macroeconomic variables such as per capita government expenditure on education (PcGEE, as an indicator of economic development), gross domestic product (GDP, as an indicator of economic growth), gross capital formation (GCF, as an indicator of domestic investment), official development assistance (ODA, as an indicator of foreign official inflows) and foreign direct investment (FDI, as an indicator of foreign private investment) for its empirical analysis. By using the cointegration test and the vector vector-error correction model (VECM) technique, this study finds that in the long run, domestic investment has shown a significant and positive impact on economic development, whereas, ODA, FDI and GDP have shown a significant negative impact on it. It concludes that domestic investment, foreign capital along with economic growth have a significant impact on economic development in India in long run. It suggests that the national developmental policy of India should focus on the productive utilization of both domestic and foreign capital along with it should give emphasis on effective transformation of growth benefits towards development process.
US farm workers: What drives their job retention and work time allocation decisions?
Authors: Luo Tianyuan , Escalante Cesar L
Published: April 2017

This article investigates the time allocation choices of US workers between farm work and other job alternatives. Results indicate that green card farm workers tend to allocate fewer workweeks to farm employment than citizens and undocumented workers, in favour of better opportunities in the non-farm sector. There is evidence of an assimilation effect, whereby undocumented workers also tend to re-allocate their time from farm to non-farm employment as their residence tenure increases, even though they experience constrained mobility and visibility during periods of strict immigration control. In the context of employers’ violations of the existing labour laws that currently protect even the rights of undocumented workers, such turnover decisions seem justified. The findings raise concerns about whether any governmental effort to legalise the immigration status of such workers would reduce farm job turnover rates and increase farm employment retention, so long as labour standards are not enforced. Moreover, external economic shocks could more easily induce citizen and green card farm workers to abandon farm employment, whereas undocumented workers tend to remain in their farm jobs during such difficult times.
Treating Mental Illness Among Diabetic Black Male Adolescents
Authors: Banks Andrae , Fields Lashawnda , O’Dwyer Curtis , Scott Marquisha Lawrence , Joe Sean
Published: April 2017

Objective:

To examine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for treatment evidence for Black male adolescents suffering from comorbid mental illness and diabetes mellitus.

Method:

A review of the studies published in English-language journals was conducted.

Results:

We found no RCT focused on Black males with diabetes mellitus Type 2 (DMT2). However, we found RCT inclusive of Black male adolescents with diabetes mellitus Type 1 (DMT1). Multisystemic therapy appears to be the best supported overall treatment for DMT1 management and psychosocial functioning followed by an enhanced form of behavioral family systems therapy for diabetics. Metformin was the only treatment in this review noted for use within DMT2. Metformin and a nursing-based telephone case management intervention realized utility as secondary services.

Conclusions:

There are gaps present for what effectively treats comorbid mental illness and DMT2 in Black male adolescents. For comorbid mental illness and DMT1, there are gaps in additional efficacious treatments, effectiveness across conditions, and effect duration beyond 24 months.
The Role of Social Identity and Communities of Practice in Mergers and Acquisitions
Authors: Spoor Jennifer R. , Chu Mei-Tai
Published: April 2017

Globally, organizations spend billions on mergers and acquisitions (M&As) each year; however, it is commonly estimated that at least half of these ventures fail. Two factors that contribute to this high failure rate are the difficulty in merging diverse areas of organizational knowledge and developing employees’ organizational identification with the post-M&A organization. In this article, we recommend the strategic use of organizational communities of practice (CoPs), groups where people share knowledge, to improve knowledge sharing within the post-M&A organization. We also argue that CoPs can indirectly increase knowledge sharing by easing M&A-triggered social identity concerns and fostering post-M&A organizational identification. We develop conceptual propositions for the relationships between CoPs participation, organizational identification, and knowledge sharing in the post-M&A organization. We also argue that the extent to which CoPs participation can increase organizational identification and knowledge sharing will depend on the post-M&A organization’s overall business strategy and whether it is primarily concerned with explicit or tacit knowledge.
Moral Distress Among School Nurses
Authors: Powell Shannon Baker , Engelke Martha Keehner , Swanson Melvin S.
Published: April 2017

School nurses are well positioned to provide care to a diverse population of school-age children, but their role and work environment can present a variety of moral dilemmas leading to moral distress. The purpose of this study is to identify the moral distress level that exists in school nurses and to describe its relationship to common moral dilemmas and school nurse characteristics. Data were collected through face-to-face attendance at school nurse meetings in North Carolina where 307 school nurses participated in the survey. Moral distress was measured using the moral distress thermometer, and common moral dilemmas were identified using a researcher developed questionnaire. Almost all of the school nurses (97.3%) experienced some degree of moral distress. Each of the common moral dilemmas was positively correlated with moral distress levels. The findings suggest that many of the common moral dilemmas experienced by school nurses are strongly related to moral distress.
Safety and Efficacy of Intra-articular Injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Patients With Ankle Osteoarthritis
Authors: Fukawa Taisuke , Yamaguchi Satoshi , Akatsu Yorikazu , Yamamoto Yohei , Akagi Ryuichiro , Sasho Takahisa
Published: April 2017

Background:

An intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis (OA). However, its efficacy in ankle OA has not been investigated yet. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of an intra-articular injection of PRP in patients with ankle OA during a 24-week period.

Methods:

Twenty ankles of 20 patients with varus-type ankle OA who received intra-articular injections of PRP were evaluated. PRP was extracted from whole blood by using the double-spin technique. Three injections of 2-mL PRP were administered to the ankle at an interval of 2 weeks under ultrasonographic guidance. Adverse events and efficacy were assessed at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the last injection. Clinical outcomes were assessed by using the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) ankle/hindfoot scale, and the Self-Administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire (SAFE-Q).

Results:

No serious adverse effects were observed during the follow-up period. The VAS and JSSF scale scores significantly decreased from baseline to 4, 12, and 24 weeks after treatment ( P < .001). The mean score in the pain-related subscale of the SAFE-Q significantly improved from baseline to 12 weeks after treatment ( P = .04). Overall, the amount of pain reduction was maximal at 12 weeks after the last injection, and the effect was reduced at 24 weeks. The patients with late-stage OA had worse scores in all outcomes than those with early-stage OA.

Conclusion:

Intra-articular injections of PRP resulted in no serious adverse effects and significantly reduced pain in the patients with ankle OA. PRP treatment can be safe and effective and may be an option in the treatment of ankle OA.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
A Novel Independent Survival Predictor in Pulmonary Embolism: Prognostic Nutritional Index
Authors: Hayıroğlu Mert İlker , Keskin Muhammed , Keskin Taha , Uzun Ahmet Okan , Altay Servet , Kaya Adnan , Öz Ahmet , Çinier Göksel , Güvenç Tolga Sinan , Kozan Ömer
Published: April 2017

The prognostic impact of nutritional status in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) is poorly understood. A well-accepted nutritional status parameter, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which was first demonstrated to be valuable in patients with cancer and gastrointestinal surgery, was introduced to patients with PE. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive value of PNI in outcomes of patients with PE. We evaluated the in-hospital and long-term (53.8 ± 5.4 months) prognostic impact of PNI on 251 patients with PE. During a median follow-up of 53.8 ± 5.4 months, 27 (11.6%) patients died in hospital course and 31 (13.4%) died in out-of-hospital course. The patients with lower PNI had significantly higher in-hospital and long-term mortality. The Cox proportional hazard analyses showed that PNI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause death for both unadjusted model and adjusted for all covariates. Our study demonstrated that PNI, calculated based on serum albumin level and lymphocyte count, is an independent prognostic factor for mortality in patients with PE.
The Impact of Gene Polymorphisms on Anticoagulation Control With Warfarin
Authors: Jiang Hai He , Liu Jia , Wang Yi Chen , Ye Hui Ming , Li Xi , Zhou Ya Xing , Zhang Wei , Wang Lian Sheng
Published: April 2017

Differences in warfarin maintenance dosages based on the presence of polymorphisms in VKORC1, CYP2C9, CYP4F2, and ORM1 can be determined through dosage adjustment according to routine guidelines. Little is known about whether routine therapy could provide consensus anticoagulation control for patients with different genotypes. This study was carried out to compare anticoagulant control in patients with different genotypes. Six hundred seventy patients using warfarin according to Chinese guidelines were enrolled. Warfarin dosages and monitored international normalized ratios (INRs) were recorded. Genotypes of VKORC1 rs9923231, CYP4F2 rs2108622, CYP2C9 rs1057910, and ORM1 rs17650 polymorphisms were determined. Warfarin dosages and INR were compared between genotypes. Patients with the AGCC*F*F*1*1 polymorphism took longer than patients with the AACC*F*F*1*1 polymorphism (20 vs 5 days, P < .001) to achieve the targeted INR range. The INR values of patients with AACC*F*F*1*3 were unstable and did not enter the stable state control phase until after 35 days. The peak INR of patients with the AACC*F*F*1*3 polymorphism was exceedingly high, with some values exceeding the control range limit of 3.0. Patients with the AACC*F*S*1*1 or AACT*F*F*1*1 polymorphisms exhibited similar INR values as the patients with the AACC*F*F*1*1 polymorphism. This study found that routine medication with warfarin provides significantly different levels of anticoagulant control between patients with wild-type genotypes and patients with heterozygous polymorphism genotypes of VKORC1 rs9923231 or CYP2C9 rs1057910. Patients with heterozygous polymorphism genotypes of VKORC1 or CYP2C9 require genotype-directed therapy with warfarin to increase efficacy and safety in anticoagulant treatment.
Integrating generic and content-specific teaching practices in exploring teaching quality in primary physical education
Authors: Kyriakides Ermis , Tsangaridou Niki , Charalambous Charalambos , Kyriakides Leonidas
Published: April 2017

The vast majority of research in physical education (PE) has focused on teaching and teacher effectiveness. Despite the fact that this research strand is fast growing, what effective teaching is and how it contributes to student learning still remains an open issue. Aiming to contribute toward moving the research of effective teaching in the field of PE a step forward, in this paper, we conduct a review of studies on effective PE teaching in primary schools. An examination of this literature suggests that scholars have largely pursued two distinct paths. One group has focused on generic teaching practices, namely teaching behaviors that cut across different subject matters; other scholars have focused on content-specific teaching practices, namely teaching behaviors which are more pertinent to teaching PE. The unique contribution of generic and content-specific teaching practices on student psychomotor learning in primary PE is examined and the potential benefits of integrating these two types of practices in studying teaching quality in PE are discussed. The theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of this review are outlined and suggestions for future research in primary PE are offered.
Primary physical education
Authors: Carse Nicola , Jess Mike , Keay Jeanne
Published: April 2017

In recent years, primary physical education has received increased attention across a range of political, professional and academic contexts. Much of this attention has largely been due to a growing perception that formative physical education experiences have the potential to address many of the concerns regularly raised about children’s health and wellbeing, physical activity levels and sport participation. Consequently, there are now a number of stakeholders from a range of political, sporting, health, commercial and community groups with a vested interest in primary physical education, all with differing and sometimes contradictory views about its purpose. This paper suggests that the diverse interests of these stakeholders has led to a disconnect within primary physical education. Therefore, we propose that a shifting perspectives agenda is required. Accordingly, we highlight the need for key stakeholders within primary physical education to collectively work together and take a lead role in advocating a shared educational vision. To inform this shifting perspectives agenda we employ complexity thinking and draw on professional capital. We begin by offering a historical retrospective of the evolution of primary physical education. From this background, we use complexity principles to reflect on the current state of primary physical education before exploring how complexity thinking, and ideas from professional capital, can help frame the enactment of this shifting perspectives agenda. Finally, we suggest three key drivers to move the shifting perspectives agenda forwards: positive connections; the balance between key similarities and diversities; and self-organisation and recursive elaboration.