bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Graham Harman, Immaterialism: Objects and Social Theory
Authors: Campbell Norah , Dunne Stephen , Dylan-Ennis Paul
Published: February 2019

The philosopher Graham Harman argues that contemporary debates about the nature of reality as such, and about the nature of objects in particular, can be meaningfully applied to social theory and practice. With Immaterialism, he has recently provided a case-based demonstration of how this could happen. But social theorists have compelling reasons to oppose object-oriented social theory’s 15 principles. Fidelity to Harman’s aesthetic foundationalism, and his particular use of serial endosymbiosis theory as a mechanism of social change, constrain the very practices which it is supposed to enable. However, social theory stands to benefit from object-oriented philosophy through what we call posthuman relationism – characterised as a commitment to the reality of the nonhuman, but not divorced from the human. The emphasis in object-oriented social theory on how objects withdraw from cognitive or affective capture and representation needs to be tempered by an equal focus on how objects appeal.
Generational Conflict and the Sociology of Generations: Mannheim and Elias Reconsidered
Authors: Connolly John
Published: February 2019

Since its publication in the 1920s, Mannheim’s essay, ‘The Problem of Generations’ (1952[1928]), has attained seminal status in marked contrast to Norbert Elias’s theoretical formulations on generations. Despite Elias's close relationship over many years with Mannheim, the symmetries in their sociological programmes, and, crucially, that Elias's work specifically addresses generational conflict, he remains invisible within the sociology of generations literature. Yet Elias’s contributions on this subject are quite extensive, traversing many of his major works. This article begins by reviewing Mannheim’s and Elias’s formulations on generations and goes on to consider the relevance of Elias’s theoretical ideas in relation to contemporary work on generations. The paper contends that Elias's approach is a more empirically employable theoretical frame and also a stronger one for explaining intergenerational conflict.
Deprivation, policy and rurality: The limitations and applications of area-based deprivation indices in Scotland
Authors: Clelland David , Hill Carol
Published: February 2019

Indices of multiple deprivation have become increasingly sophisticated and high profile as a means of identifying and targeting deprived areas and populations. However, these have been challenged on a number of grounds, both conceptual and practical, with particular concerns about their applicability to rural areas. At the same time, there is little research on how such measures are used in practice or how they influence policies or the allocation of resources. This paper seeks to quantify the effectiveness of this type of measure in terms of inclusion or exclusion of deprived populations implied by targeting areas based on the results of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. The results show that the proportion of deprived individuals within these apparently most deprived areas varies widely across different regions. However, this was not strongly related to rurality, suggesting that claims of an inherent bias against rural regions resulting from the use of these measures should be treated with caution. Nevertheless, this analysis demonstrates potential drawbacks to the uncritical reliance on indices of multiple deprivation as a basis for policy and highlights the need for the aims and rationales of such approaches to be more clearly articulated.
Palliative care physicians’ perspectives on transferring patients to nursing homes and communication strategies to facilitate this transition: A qualitative study
Authors: Stiel Hilary , Nagarajan Srivalli V , Forster Benjamin C , Clayton Josephine M
Published: February 2019

Background:

As modern medicine extends the life expectancy of patients with life-limiting illnesses and health system resource pressures intensify, palliative care physicians increasingly need to transfer stable patients from specialist palliative care units to nursing homes. The experience of palliative care physicians in decision-making and communicating with patients and families about the need for this transition is underexplored in the literature.

Aim:

This study aimed to explore the experiences of and communication techniques used by palliative care physicians as they consider and discuss nursing home placements for their patients.

Design:

A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was used. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.

Setting/participants:

Purposive sampling was used to recruit 18 Australian palliative care physicians known for their interest or strength in communication skills across a range of palliative care settings.

Results:

Themes emerged from domains of physician experience (abandonment, systemic pressures, prognostic uncertainty, exacerbation of loss, and restoring resilience) and communication strategies (forecasting, checking in, provide context, and acknowledging grief).

Conclusion:

This study highlights the tension Australian palliative care physicians experience when transferring palliative care patients to nursing home and the complexity involved in decision-making. Physicians identified several communication strategies to engage patients and families to ease the transition.
Erratic movement disorders disclosing Graves’ disease and paralleling thyroid function but not autoantibody levels
Authors: Delhasse Sébastien , Debove Ines , Arnold-Kunz Gabriella , Ghika Joseph-André , Chabwine Joelle Nsimire
Published: February 2019

Graves’ disease (GD) is an autoimmune pathology characterized by hyperthyroidism and the presence of specific anti-thyroid antibodies. Neurological symptoms such as seizures, cognitive impairment, and tremor can be observed during the course of GD, but more complex movement disorders such as chorea and myoclonus are less frequent. The mechanisms underlying movement disorders in GD are not fully understood. While some authors relate movement disorders to thyroid dysfunction, others claim an autoimmune origin. We herein report a case involving a 60-year-old woman who presented with erratic, intricate movement disorders for which a medical workup revealed GD. During the 2-year follow-up period, her neurological symptoms evolved in parallel with her thyroid function, but not with her autoimmune anti-thyroid antibody level. Her neurological symptoms completely disappeared when she became euthyroid. We herein discuss the complicated clinicobiological relationship between thyroid function and movement disorders. This relationship involves several factors, including the impact of radioactive treatment. The present case emphasizes the importance of including thyroid function screening in the workup of unexplained movement disorders.
Visual and Hedonic Perception of Food Stimuli in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their Relationship to Food Neophobia
Authors: Luisier Anne-Claude , Petitpierre Geneviève , Bérod Annick Clerc , Richoz Anne-Raphaëlle , Lao Junpeng , Caldara Roberto , Bensafi Moustafa
Published: February 2019

The present study examined whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children differed in visual perception of food stimuli at both sensorimotor and affective levels. A potential link between visual perception and food neophobia was also investigated. To these aims, 11 children with ASD and 11 TD children were tested. Visual pictures of food were used, and food neophobia was assessed by the parents. Results revealed that children with ASD explored visually longer food stimuli than TD children. Complementary analyses revealed that whereas TD children explored more multiple-item dishes (vs. simple-item dishes), children with ASD explored all the dishes in a similar way. In addition, children with ASD gave more negative appreciation in general. Moreover, hedonic rating was negatively correlated with food neophobia scores in children with ASD, but not in TD children. In sum, we show here that children with ASD have more difficulty than TD children in liking a food when presented visually. Our findings also suggest that a prominent factor that needs to be considered is time management during the food choice process. They also provide new ways of measuring and understanding food neophobia in children with ASD.
Effect of Intersection Lighting Design on Drivers’ Perceived Visibility and Glare
Authors: Bhagavathula Rajaram , Gibbons Ronald , Nussbaum Maury A.
Published: February 2019

A systems-level approach to intersection lighting design has shown that illuminating the intersection box increases drivers’ nighttime visual performance. However, for an intersection lighting design to be effective and accepted, it should not only maximize visual performance but also enhance perceived visibility and minimize glare. The goals of this study were to assess the effects of different intersection lighting designs on these two outcomes. Visibility was assessed with respect to a pedestrian, several targets, and an intersection. Perceptions of visibility and glare were measured using Likert scales, with participants exposed to multiple lighting designs on a realistic intersection. Twenty-four participants completed the study, with an equal number of younger (18–35 years) and older (65+) drivers. The lighting design that illuminated the intersection box had the highest levels of perceived target and intersection visibility and the lowest ratings of glare. For the same lighting configuration, a strong positive correlation was also found between perceived target visibility and previous results on target detection distances. In this configuration, perceived visibility plateaued between 7 and 10 lux of mean intersection illuminance. Increased levels of perceived visibility in different conditions were likely a result of size and contrast differences, and the distribution of the luminaires used. These results suggest that illuminating the intersection box has multiple benefits, in that it not only increases visual performance but also increases perceived visibility and reduces glare.
Repeatability and Agreement of Various High-Speed Macrotexture Measurement Devices
Authors: Bongioanni Vincent I. , Maeger Kyle , Katicha Samer W. , de León Izeppi Edgar D. , Flintsch Gerardo W.
Published: February 2019

Five high-speed macrotexture measurement devices were tested on a variety of asphalt and Portland cement concrete pavement surfaces to evaluate their repeatability and their pairwise agreement. Experiments were run under three speed conditions: highway speed, varying constant speeds, and various acceleration and deceleration profiles. Data were processed and reduced per current industry standards. A novel approach for outlier removal from line laser devices was developed. The pairwise device agreement was evaluated using a limits of agreement analysis. The results demonstrate good repeatability for each of the devices tested. The agreement analysis showed that not all high-speed distance triangulation devices can be used interchangeably for all pavement surfaces. Data acquisition speed was found to be a factor in macrotexture parameter calculation for two of the five devices. The effect of speed was found to be worse on randomly textured surfaces than on transversely textured surfaces. Finally, acceleration was shown to have an effect on the parameters produced by one of the devices, giving further credence to the fact that care should be taken to gather high-quality datasets for the critical pavement characteristic of macrotexture.
Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation for Bipolar Chondral Lesions in the Patellofemoral Compartment: Clinical Outcomes at a Mean 9 Years’ Follow-up
Authors: Ogura Takahiro , Bryant Tim , Merkely Gergo , Minas Tom
Published: February 2019

Background:

Treating bipolar chondral lesions in the patellofemoral (PF) compartment is a challenging problem. There are few reports available on the treatment of bipolar chondral lesions in the PF compartment.

Purpose:

To evaluate the clinical outcomes and graft survivorship after autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) for the treatment of bipolar chondral lesions in the PF compartment.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

The authors evaluated 58 patients who had ACI by a single surgeon for the treatment of symptomatic bipolar chondral lesions in the PF compartment between November 1995 and June 2014. All 58 patients (60 knees; mean age, 36.6 years) were included with a minimum 2-year follow-up. The mean ± SD sizes of the patellar and trochlear lesions were 5.6 ± 2.7 cm2 and 4.2 ± 2.8 cm2, respectively. Forty-two patients had osteotomy, as they had PF lateral maltracking, patellar instability, or tibiofemoral malalignment. Patients were evaluated with the modified Cincinnati Knee Rating Scale, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, visual analog scale, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, and a patient satisfaction survey. Radiographs were evaluated with the Iwano classification.

Results:

Overall, the survival rates were 83% and 79% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Of the 49 (82%) knees with retained grafts, all functional scores significantly improved postoperatively with a very high satisfaction rate (88%) at a mean 8.8 ± 4.2 years after ACI (range, 2-16 years). At the most recent follow-up, 28 of 49 successful knees were radiographically assessed (mean, 4.9 years; range, 2-17 years), with no increase of the Iwano classification in 26 knees. Outcomes for 11 patients were considered failures at a mean 2.9 years. Forty-two knees (70%) required a mean 1.0 subsequent surgical procedure. The primary reasons for chondroplasty were hypertrophy of the ACI graft (17; periosteum in 14, collagen membrane in 3), delamination of the ACI graft (5; periosteum in 4, collagen membrane in 1), and new chondral lesions (3). The best survival rates were observed among patients who underwent ACI with concomitant tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) as the first procedure without previous failed TTO and/or marrow stimulation technique (91% at 5 and 10 years), while the worst survival rates were observed among patients who had previous marrow stimulation (43% at 5 and 10 years).

Conclusion:

Results demonstrated that ACI with concomitant osteotomy, when it is necessary for the treatment of bipolar/kissing lesions in the PF compartments, gives significant improvement in pain and function, with good survival rates at 5 and 10 years (83% and 79%, respectively). The high patient satisfaction rate is encouraging, and a high survival rate can be expected when ACI with a concomitant TTO is performed at the initial surgery for this difficult condition.
Maternal and Child Nutrition Status in Rural Communities of Kalalé District, Benin: The Relationship and Risk Factors
Authors: Alaofè Halimatou , Asaolu Ibitola
Published: February 2019

Background:

Double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is an emerging public health concern in urban Benin. However, an understanding of the phenomena in rural areas of the country is lacking.

Objectives:

To assess the prevalence of DBM and to investigate the sociodemographic and dietary characteristics that differentiate DBM from undernourished children only, overweight/obese mothers only, and normal households in Kalalé district.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 426 mother–child pairs: nonpregnant women aged 15 to 49 years and children aged 6 to 59 months. Weight-for-age and height-for-age were used to classify underweight and stunted children, body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 to measure overweight/obese mothers, and a 24-hour recall to assess the diet diversity score (DDS).

Results:

Overall, 37.6% of children were stunted, 10.1% wasted, and 22.8% underweight, while the rate of overweight/obese mothers was 15.5%. The DBM was present in 6.1% of the households. Overweight/obese mothers’ households had better socioeconomic status (SES), greater maternal education, less food insecurity, and a more diversified diet, in contrast with undernourished children households. The DBM households shared several features with undernourished children households, except for a greater (not significant) SES, but had the lowest DDS. Logistical regression revealed that high SES, older age child, DDS, mother education, and ethnicity were associated with DBM.

Conclusions:

The study highlights the importance of addressing the DBM at the community level in rural Benin. However, multicenter studies in various rural parts of the country are needed to substantiate the present results, so that appropriate strategies to reduce the DBM can be planned.
The Myth of Bureaucratic Neutrality: Institutionalized Inequity in Local Government Hiring
Authors: Portillo Shannon , Bearfield Domonic , Humphrey Nicole
Published: February 2019

As a field, we often relate merit and neutrality to the technical skills needed to be the “best” candidate for a job, but that was not necessarily what civil service reformers had in mind. The civil service system was meant to replace widespread political patronage, but the myth around the origins of the civil service system masked inequalities built into early testing requirements and institutionalized racial inequities in hiring practices. In this article, we argue the founding myth of bureaucratic neutrality was so powerful that it continues to reverberate in our field. We trace the current reverberations of the myth of neutrality through modern hiring practices and the contemporary legal landscape. By doing this, we present a systematic review of this rationalized myth in public employment, using an institutionalism framework. As the myth of bureaucratic neutrality continues to permeate decision-making, policy creation, and implementation, it will continue to institutionalize inequity within the field.
Reading identity: American and Irish Women’s book clubs, culture, and identity
Authors: Craig Christy
Published: February 2019

This research examines the role of reading and book club attendance in the lives of Irish and American women’s fiction readers who actively participate in women’s book clubs utilizing mixed methodology, including ethnographic observation, participation in book club meetings, and in-depth narrative interviews. Women in Ireland and the United States used reading to develop a sense of self and to learn about the social world, as well as to construct their own identities, often in contrast to expected norms of feminine identity. Women in Ireland utilized reading and book clubs to develop knowledge and understanding; women in the United States were influenced to increase their status in order to potentially secure or retain a high-status romantic partner. At the same time, important key themes relating to social positionality and social networks, capital development, and the construction of identity were similar and central to women in both cultural environments. Reading was deeply entrenched in the identities of the women in this study and attending book clubs allowed them to continue engaging literature, construct identities, and gain knowledge about the world around them.
Combined Conventional and Amplitude-Integrated EEG Monitoring in Neonates: A Prospective Study
Authors: Buttle Sarah Grace , Lemyre Brigitte , Sell Erick , Redpath Stephanie , Bulusu Srinivas , Webster Richard J , Pohl Daniela
Published: February 2019

Background/Objective:

Seizure monitoring via amplitude-integrated EEG is standard of care in many neonatal intensive care units; however, conventional EEG is the gold standard for seizure detection. We compared the diagnostic yield of amplitude-integrated EEG interpreted at the bedside, amplitude-integrated EEG interpreted by an expert, and conventional EEG.

Methods:

Neonates requiring seizure monitoring received amplitude-integrated EEG and conventional EEG in parallel. Clinical events and amplitude-integrated EEG were interpreted at bedside. Subsequently, amplitude-integrated EEG and conventional EEG were independently analyzed by experienced neonatology and neurology readers. Sensitivity and specificity of bedside amplitude-integrated EEG as compared to expert amplitude-integrated EEG interpretation and conventional EEG were evaluated.

Results:

Thirteen neonates were monitored for an average duration of 33 hours (range 15-94, SD 25). Fourteen seizure-like events were detected by clinical observation, and 12 others by bedside amplitude-integrated EEG analysis. One of the clinical, and none of the bedside amplitude-integrated EEG events were confirmed as seizures on conventional EEG. Post hoc expert amplitude-integrated EEG interpretation revealed eight suspected seizures, all different from the ones detected by the bedside amplitude-integrated EEG team, of which one was confirmed via conventional EEG. Eight seizures were recorded on conventional EEG. Expert amplitude-integrated EEG interpretation had a sensitivity of 13% with 46% specificity for individual seizure detection, and a sensitivity of 50% with 46% specificity for detecting patients with seizures.

Conclusion:

Real-world bedside amplitude-integrated EEG monitoring failed to detect all seizures evidenced via conventional EEG, while misclassifying other events as seizures. Even post hoc expert amplitude-integrated EEG interpretation provided limited sensitivity and specificity. Considering the poor sensitivity and specificity of bedside amplitude-integrated EEG interpretation, combined monitoring may provide limited clinical benefit.
Stormorken Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Myopathy With Tubular Aggregates and Dystrophic Features
Authors: Li Ang , Kang Xuan , Edelman Frederick , Waclawik Andrew J.
Published: February 2019

Stormorken syndrome is a rare genetic disorder (MIM 185070) first reported in 1983 with thrombocytopenia, muscle weakness, asplenia, and miosis caused by a mutation of the stromal interaction molecule 1 ( STIM1) gene.1 The muscle weakness is caused by a myopathy with tubular aggregate formation. We report a family in which both child and mother presented with proximal muscle weakness and thrombocytopenia. Histologic, histochemical, and electron microscopy studies were performed on the muscle specimen. It documented accumulation of tubular aggregates and chronic myopathic changes with dystrophic features. Genetic testing revealed that both mother and son carried a missense mutation of c.326A>G in exon 3 of the STIM1 gene, which is novel for Stormorken syndrome. We suggest that patients with unexplained chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia and proximal weakness have genetic testing for Stormorken syndrome.
The impact of clay-based hypoxia mimetic hydrogel on human fibroblasts of the periodontal soft tissue
Authors: Müller Anna Sonja , Gashi Milot , Janjić Klara , Edelmayer Michael , Moritz Andreas , Agis Hermann
Published: February 2019

Thixotropic clays have favorable properties for tissue regeneration. Hypoxia mimetic agents showed promising results in pre-clinical models for hard and soft tissue regeneration. It is unclear if clays can be used as carrier for hypoxia mimetic agent in a periodontal regenerative setting. Here, we tested the response of human fibroblasts of the periodontal soft tissue to synthetic clay hydrogels and assessed hypoxia mimetic agent release. Cells were cultured on synthetic clay hydrogels (5.00%–0.15%). We assessed viability and differentiation capacity with resazurin-based toxicity assays, MTT staining, Live-Dead staining, and alkaline phosphatase staining. To reveal the response of fibroblasts to hypoxia mimetic agent-loaded clay hydrogels, cells were exposed to clay supplemented with dimethyloxalylglycine, deferoxamine, l-mimosine, and CoCl2. Supernatants from hypoxia mimetic agent-loaded clay hydrogels were harvested and replaced with medium at hour 1, 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72. To reveal the hypoxia mimetic capacity of supernatants, vascular endothelial growth factor production in the fibroblasts was assessed in the culture medium. Our data show that clay did not induce relevant toxic effects in the fibroblasts which remained capable to differentiate into alkaline phosphatase-positive cells at the relevant concentrations. Fibroblasts cultured on clay hydrogel loaded with dimethyloxalylglycine, deferoxamine, l-mimosine, and CoCl2 remained vital, however, no significant increase in vascular endothelial growth factor levels was found in the culture medium. Only dimethyloxalylglycine-loaded clay supernatants taken in the first hours stimulated vascular endothelial growth factor production in fibroblasts. In conclusion no pronounced toxic effects of synthetic clay were observed. Supplementation with dimethyloxalylglycine leads to hypoxia mimetic activity. This pilot study provides first insights into the impact of synthetic clay on periodontal tissue.
PTSD and Attitudes Toward Guns Following Interpersonal Trauma
Authors: Wamser-Nanney Rachel , Nanney John T. , Constans Joseph I.
Published: February 2019

Gun violence is a serious public health concern that is currently grossly understudied. Gun attitudes are a potential risk factor for gun violence; however, factors related to gun attitudes have not been identified. Mental illness such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly discussed as a key factor in gun violence, despite research lacking in this area, and it is unknown whether symptoms of PTSD and probable PTSD are associated with more positive attitudes toward guns. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relations between PTSD symptoms and gun attitudes among 265 undergraduate students who experienced at least one interpersonal traumatic event ( Mage = 24.69 years, SD = 7.15 years, 75.6% female, 61.1% White). Path analysis revealed that individuals with PTSD symptoms above clinical cutoff were not more likely to have more positive gun attitudes. However, the PTSD symptom clusters evinced distinct relations with gun attitudes. Intrusion and avoidance symptoms were related to gun beliefs regarding protection, with intrusion symptoms being linked to a stronger belief that guns provide protection from crime and victimization (β = .23), whereas avoidance symptoms were inversely associated with this belief (β = −.22). Interestingly, neither trauma related in feelings and thoughts nor arousal and reactivity corresponded with gun attitudes. Certain PTSD symptom clusters may be relevant in understanding gun beliefs, with specific symptoms exhibiting distinct ties to gun attitudes.
Engineering Desire: Biotechnological Enhancement as Theological Problem
Authors: Zahl Simeon
Published: February 2019

This article argues for the dogmatic rather than just ethical significance of the biotechnological enhancement of human beings. It begins by reflecting on the close theological connections between salvation, sanctification, and affective and bodily transformation in light of the fact that affects and desires are in principle manipulable through biotechnological enhancement. It then examines the implications of this observation for questions of moral responsibility, asking whether biotechnological enhancement can be viewed as a kind of means of grace. The conclusion argues that theological reflection on the relationship between affects, soteriology and bioenhancement reveals limitations of the emphasis on embodiment in recent Christian theology.
Antibodies to M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) in membranous lupus nephritis
Authors: Garcia-Vives E , Solé C , Moliné T , Alvarez-Rios A M , Vidal M , Agraz I , Ordi-Ros J , Cortés-Hernández J
Published: February 2019

Background

Antibodies to M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (a-PLA2R) have been identified in most patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy, but the prevalence in membranous lupus nephritis (MLN) is still unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of a-PLA2R antibodies in a large cohort of patients with lupus nephritis.

Methods

a-PLA2R antibodies were measured by ELISA in serum from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus ( n = 190), of whom 37 had a biopsy-proven MLN. Positive samples were confirmed by commercial ELISA kit, Western blot and immunohistochemistry in renal tissue.

Results

A total of 10 from 190 patients (5.3%) with systemic lupus erythematosus had circulating a-PLA2R measured by in-house ELISA assay. The antibodies were detected in 7 patients with MLN (18.9%) and 3 patients with non-renal lupus disease (3.2%). PLA2R staining was detected in the kidney biopsy of 5 of the 7 (71.4%) patients with MLN. a-PLA2R levels were associated with active disease but not proteinuria levels. Presence of a-PLA2R antibodies at baseline was associated with worse remission rates and longer time to remission compared to those patients serologically negative.

Conclusions

a-PLA2R antibodies can be detected with low prevalence in MLN patients, but their detection is associated with a worse renal prognosis.
The (Im)possible Embrace: A Search for Non-violent Possibilities in the Aftermath of Violent Uprootedness
Authors: Vahali Honey Oberoi , Vahali Diamond Oberoi
Published: February 2019

In spite of upholding it as an aspiration, a commitment to non-violence in motivation, thought and action is rare. Its realization is contingent on a confluence of complex politico-historical contingencies and psychic possibilities. The actualization of such a historical moment is also contingent on a collective awakening in the consciousness and conscience of a group to reclaim its losses through non-retributive measures. In this article, we will explore a few processes involved in the sustenance of non-violence. By exemplifying from literary excerpts, and also by dwelling on the ongoing Tibetan movement and that of the Zapatista in Mexico, our attempt is to finally reach a preliminary statement on the psychodynamics of non-violent action. In the last section of the article, we offer reflections on the inner world of the practitioner. This writing is at best to be viewed as a collage which brings together diverse impressions from short stories, analytical accounts and illustrative political movements. The reader is invited to journey through various ideas and images without trying to bring them together into a grand synthesis. The different sections of the writing retain a deliberate disjunctive quality as do the pages of a scrap book in which what precedes and what follows is associatively linked but not necessarily in the form of a flowing continuity.
Corporate Distress and Non-performing Assets in India
Authors: Dhananjaya K.
Published: February 2019

The article examines the increasing twin balance sheet problem in India in the post-global financial crisis (GFC). Twin balance sheet problem, the combination of corporate distress and banking sector crisis, is considered to be devastating for economic growth since it creates a vicious cycle wherein a weak corporate balance sheet leads to increased stressed assets in the banking sector, which in turn seriously impairs the ability of the banking sector to lend to even healthy companies, holding back the growth further. In this perspective, this study is an attempt to understand the extent of corporate distress in the post-GFC and its impact on the asset quality of public sector banks (PSBs). The study reports that the corporate distress has increased in the post-GFC, resulting in significant debt at risk. The article also finds that increasing corporate fragility has adversely affected the balance sheet of PSBs in India. In a panel regression analysis, it is found that corporate profit is an important determinant of non-performing assets (NPAs) in PSBs along with other factors such as the efficiency of the bank, corporate sales growth, bank size, lending rate and lending to sensitive sectors.
Lights, Camera, Andragogy! Adult Learning and Development in Film
Authors: McClain Adam
Published: February 2019

This article will examine specific films that portray events or phenomena of adult learning and development, and how adult learning and development can be explored by studying the lives of the fictional characters in film. It will demonstrate how the use of contemporary film by adult educators and adult learners can enhance insights about people, about life’s dilemmas, and about the growth and development in adulthood. To teach adults successfully, methods and techniques must be adapted to their skills and environments. Despite genre or popularity, film has the opportunity to tell a story and/or be a real-life recording. Film provides another strategy of telling stories to help adult educators and adult learners have further reflection, insights, emotional reactions, and enhance various life experiences and stages of development. Learners can use film to better understand narratives outside of their own and develop alternative interpretations, and film can also be used to observe social phenomena in a noninvasive way. The films discussed in the article were chosen by the author to draw the attention to examples of various aspects of adult learning and development.
Effect of an Asthma Question Prompt List and Video Intervention on Adolescents’ Medication Adherence 12 Months Later
Authors: Davis Scott A. , Carpenter Delesha , Lee Charles , Garcia Nacire , Reuland Daniel S. , Tudor Gail , Loughlin Ceila E. , Sleath Betsy
Published: February 2019

Background: Many adolescents do not obtain the maximum benefit from their asthma medications. Improving patient-provider communication may improve adolescents’ asthma knowledge, adherence, and clinical outcomes. Objective: To determine how a question prompt list and educational video intervention affect youth- and caregiver-reported medication adherence and self-reported medication problems. Methods: Adolescents with persistent asthma (n = 359; 56.4% with moderate to severe asthma) and their caregivers were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial at 4 pediatric clinics. Intervention group families received a question prompt list and watched a short video before seeing the provider; control families received usual care. Youth- and caregiver-reported medication adherence was measured with a Visual Analog Scale, ranging from 0 to 100. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine how the intervention and covariates were associated with medication adherence and reported problems at 12 months. Results: The intervention was not a significant predictor of medication adherence at 12 months. Higher caregiver education was associated with higher youth-reported adherence (β = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.1, 2.1; P = 0.036) and caregiver-reported adherence (β = 1.2; 95% CI = 0.3, 2.0; P = 0.006). The intervention was associated with fewer caregiver-reported problems at 12 months (β = −0.32; 95% CI = −0.48, −0.16; P < 0.001). Conclusions and Relevance: A question prompt list and educational video decreased the number of caregiver-reported medication problems, but did not significantly affect medication adherence. Further research is needed to develop more effective interventions to improve medication adherence and outcomes.
Study on damping characteristic of honeycomb paperboard and vibration reduction mechanism of packaging system
Authors: Wang Dongmei , Yang Rui
Published: February 2019

Honeycomb paperboard has been widely used in transportation and packaging of electronic instruments and furniture owing to the advantages of light weight, good compression resistance, environmental friendliness, and easy degradation. As a common cushioning material in transportation, it is worth studying the damping characteristic and vibration reduction mechanism of honeycomb paperboard. Based on the basic principles of vibration mechanics, the damping of honeycomb paperboard was proposed. Then the influences of cell length, paperboard thickness, grammage of core paper, and the honeycomb structures with face sheet or without face sheet on the damping characteristic of honeycomb paperboard were analyzed. Finally, the vibration reduction mechanism of packaging system with honeycomb paperboard and block was discussed briefly. The results show that the damping value of honeycomb paperboard decreases with the increase of cell length and paperboard thickness. The honeycomb paperboard with large grammage of core paper has high damping value, and yet paper honeycomb core structure without face sheet has poor damping capacity. What's more, the vibration reduction capacity of packaging system is influenced by the deformation and damping characteristic of honeycomb paperboard, among which material damping and structural damping contribute more, honeycomb deformation and air damping contribute less. The weight of block does not affect the damping characteristic of honeycomb paperboard, but affects the vibration reduction capacity of the whole system.
Influence of bone microstructure distribution on developed mechanical energy for bone remodeling using a statistical reconstruction method
Authors: Sheidaei Azadeh , Kazempour Morteza , Hasanabadi Ali , Nosouhi Fayyaz , Pithioux Martine , Baniassadi Majid , Rémond Yves , George Daniel
Published: February 2019

The development of a predictive model for bone remodeling is becoming increasingly important for medical applications such as bone surgery or bone substitutes like prostheses. However, as bone remodeling is a complex multiphysics phenomenon and difficult to quantify experimentally, predictive numerical models remain, at best, phenomenologically driven. Patient dependency is often ignored as its influence is usually considered secondary, although it is known to play an important role over long periods of time. Another difficulty to study this patient dependency is the availability of experimental samples to carry out extensive analyses. Using our recently developed statistical reconstruction framework, a set of “bone like” microstructures with variety of distributions has been created to study pseudo “patient variabilities.” The method provides similar effective stiffness tensor, equivalent stresses, and strain energy distributions for the original and the statistically reconstructed samples. The main outcome of this study is the correlation of similar effective mechanical properties between samples when bone remodeling will depend on the local strain energy distribution as a function of each bone microstructure. It is expected that two different microstructures with equivalent bone volume fraction will lead to identical bone remodeling in a short period of time, whereas this needs to be proven for long term evolution. This work could be used to develop precise predictive numerical models while developing parametric studies on an infinite number of virtual samples and correlating patient dependency with more precise mechanobiological numerical models.
Rates of Performance Validity Test Failure for ADHD Evaluations in a Military Population: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Buckley Trevor R.
Published: February 2019

Objective: Investigate rates of Performance Validity Test (PVT) failures in a group of active duty (AD) military participants referred for ADHD evaluations and other characteristics of those referred for evaluation. Method: AD service members referred for ADHD evaluations were given PVTs as part of assessment. PVT pass/fail groups were compared on age, estimated premorbid intelligence, history of ADHD, other mental health problems, and functional impairment. Results: PVT failure rate was consistent with other studies. Fail group was younger and lower estimated premorbid intelligence than those that passed. Groups based on other variables did not significantly differ. Failure group also performed worse on a measure of attention. Many individuals were referred with no childhood history of ADHD or objective evidence of impaired function. Conclusion: Rates of PVT failures were similar to those found in civilian university and veteran military settings. Screening candidates for specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) criteria for ADHD was only minimally followed.
Can Honor Killings Be Explained With the Concept of Social Death? Reinterpreting Social Psychological Evidence
Authors: Doğan Recep
Published: February 2019

This article uses the concept of social death to explore the experiences and motivations of perpetrators of honor killings in light of social psychological evidence. This analysis then seeks an explanation for some honor killing cases where ostracism or extreme social exclusion of the perpetrator has preceded the murder. I argue that in some honor killing cases, extreme rejection and exclusion may lead the individual to feel that he or she has no choice but to seek validation or approval through killing to be re-included and recognized by the community and family.
A Case of Fulminant Bacillus cereus Lung Necrosis in a Preterm Neonate
Authors: Viel-Thériault Isabelle , Saban Jeremy , Lewis Alana , Bariciak Erika , Grynspan David
Published: February 2019

Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous Gram-positive rod seldom considered pathogenic in clinical isolates. However, it possesses multiple virulence factors explaining why it has been linked to fulminant and pyogenic infections in vulnerable hosts. Its recovery from sterile samples in immunocompromised patients cannot be disregarded. Premature infants would fall into this category. We describe the case of a neonate born at 26 weeks of gestational age, who died of a rapidly progressive B. cereus necrotizing pneumonia following suspected nosocomial acquisition. The rapidity of his course and the autopsy findings of necrosis with minimal inflammation suggest a toxin-mediated process. Pathologists should be aware of this pathogen and obtain proper microbiological samples in the presence of such autopsy findings, as the diagnosis may have infection-prevention implications in health-care settings.
Focal Chorangiosis: Does It Have Clinical and Pathologic Significance?
Authors: Sung Diana K , Baergen Rebecca N
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Chorangiosis is a proliferation of capillaries in terminal chorionic villi and is considered to be a marker for hypoxia and poor clinical outcome. Not all cases with hypervascular villi meet the generally accepted diagnostic criteria as reported by Altshuler. Our aim was to evaluate cases with villous hypervascularity that do not meet the diagnosis of chorangiosis, in which increased vascularity was present in a significant portion of the villous tissue but was not a diffuse process, which we call focal chorangiosis, to ascertain whether there were clinical or pathologic associations.

Materials and Methods

A total of 175 placentas with the finding of focal chorangiosis and 176 maternal age- and gestational age-matched controls were evaluated retrospectively. We defined focal chorangiosis as villous hypervascularity that did not meet criteria for a diagnosis of chorangiosis, but in which there was involvement of at least 50% of villi on at least 2 of 3 slides of placental tissue or involvement of all the villi on 1 slide. In these focal areas, the criteria of 10 capillaries in each of 10 villi in ten 10× microscopic fields were required.

Results

We found that focal chorangiosis is associated with a decrease in Apgar scores, increased placental weight, fetal vascular thrombosis (fetal vascular malperfusion), umbilical cord abnormalities, increased fetal nucleated red blood cells, villous dysmaturity, and increased rate of vaginal delivery.

Discussion

Many of these associations are shared with chorangiosis as traditionally defined, suggesting that focal chorangiosis is a significant finding that should be reported.
What’s the Problem Represented to Be? Problem Definition Critique as a Tool for Evaluative Thinking
Authors: Archibald Thomas
Published: February 2019

Problem definition in program planning and evaluation is rarely problematized. In this article, I discuss why the lack of problem problematization is itself problematic—in other words, why treating problems as self-evident can pose a risk for evaluation practice. Then, to help avoid such risks, I suggest Carol Bacchi’s “What’s the Problem Represented to Be?” approach as a useful tool to focus evaluative thinking on the frequently tacit step of problem definition. Bacchi’s approach, informed by feminist and poststructuralist epistemologies, is designed to facilitate critical interrogation of policies and programs, focusing on the social and value-laden ways in which problems are initially defined. I propose that evaluators can fruitfully use Bacchi’s tool to promote evaluative thinking about the assumptions that inhere problem representation and thus can help promote better evaluation.
Shifting parties, rational switchers: Are voters responding to ideological shifts by political parties?
Authors: Ferland Benjamin , Dassonneville Ruth
Published: February 2019

According to spatial theories of voting, voters choose parties that are ideologically close to themselves. A rich literature confirms the presence of a close connection between the positions of voters and parties, but findings from cross-sectional analyses of spatial voting might be driven by endogeneity biases. We argue that for investigating the impact of ideological distance on the vote, spatial theories of voting should be tested dynamically. Taking a Downsian perspective on voting behaviour, we assume that changes in parties’ ideological positions should cause voters to switch parties from one election to another. In doing so, we also contribute to work on responsiveness to political parties. For testing the role of spatial voting dynamically, we make use of election panel surveys in four established democracies: Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden. The results presented in this article suggest that parties’ ideological shifts may indeed cause voters to switch parties, in particular when the party closest to them changes positions, but that the overall impact remains limited.
Toward an ordinary ethics of mediated humanitarianism: An agenda for ethnography
Authors: Ong Jonathan Corpus
Published: February 2019

This article takes stock of the insights and approaches advanced by the last 15 years of critical research in humanitarian communication and distant suffering while arguing for a new agenda for ethnography. Ethnography lays bare the messy and fertile terrains of human experience and disrupts idealized figures of witness and sufferer, aid worker and aid recipient, event and the everyday. Bringing into dialogue the anthropology of aid literature and media and cultural studies, this article proposes three important shifts for future research: (1) a focus on processes rather than principles in production studies of humanitarian communication, (2) a focus on ethics arising from everyday life rather than from events of distant suffering, and (3) and a focus on the lifeworlds of the poor and vulnerable rather than those of witnesses.
Nonlinear vibration and stability of a moving printing web with variable density based on the method of multiple scales
Authors: Shao Mingyue , Wu Jimei , Wang Yan , Wu Qiumin , Tian Zhen
Published: February 2019

An axially moving printing web with variable density in a printing process causes a geometric nonlinear vibration, and a nonlinear vibration system is established using the von Karman nonlinear plate theory and the D’Alembert principle. The time and displacement variables are separated using the Galerkin method. The ordinary differential equation of a web is solved using the method of multiple scales. The amplitude–frequency response equation of a moving web is obtained. The time histories, phase–plane portraits, and amplitude–frequency curves of the system are obtained by numerical calculations. The influence of different dimensionless speeds and variable density coefficients on the nonlinear vibration characteristics of the printing web is analyzed. The results show that the overprinting accuracy can be ensured by making a reasonable choice of web speed in the stable region.