bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imprisonment and Human Rights in Latin America: An Introduction
Authors: de Leon Villalba Francisco Javier
Published: November 2017

This article reflects on Latin American prisoners’ human rights to give an up-to-date picture of the state of play and to establish the benchmarks on how this issue can be approached in future research activities. In an attempt to establish methodological guidelines for approaching the Latin American context, the article contextualizes Latin American prisoner human rights standards within the inter-American system of human rights. Then, it addresses three key issues that have a direct impact on the treatment of prisoners and the most important problems in Latin American prisons.
Mechanisms of policy failure: Boston’s 2024 Olympic bid
Authors: Kassens-Noor Eva , Lauermann John
Published: November 2017

Planning for mega-events such as the Olympics is at a turning point. There has been a power shift in the relationship between cities and the International Olympic Committee towards the former. This shift is based on the emergence of anti-bid opposition movements; the increasing complexity of bidding; demands for locally relevant legacies; and a changing political economic relationship between citizens, city governments and sports federations. Our paper draws on a long-term study of Boston’s failed bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, based on an ethnography within the bidding corporation and interviews with pro- and anti-bid stakeholders. We lay out the reasons why the Boston bid failed, and conclude that bid failure involves factors that work against elitist powers and towards democratic beneficiaries.
Incorporating peer support during in vivo exposure to reverse dropout from prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Clinical outcomes
Authors: Hernandez-Tejada Melba A , Hamski Stephanie , Sánchez-Carracedo David
Published: November 2017

Objective

Prolonged exposure is characterized by reported dropout rates ranging from 25% to 40%. This premature attrition is also observed in other evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder. While home-based telehealth delivery of prolonged exposure resolves logistical barriers to care such as travel time and cost, dropout appears unaffected. A previous study on dropouts from prolonged exposure delivered via telehealth found that Veterans, particularly those receiving care via telehealth, reported problems with in vivo exposure and that having a peer to offer support during in vivo exposure assignments might have prevented their attrition from treatment.

Methods

The present pilot study treatment was designed in a manner consistent with the aforementioned Veteran suggestions, specifically to involve peers offering verbal support and encouragement during in vivo exposure homework. Such a treatment modification might be particularly useful for those receiving care via telehealth, given increased difficulties with exposure reported when this treatment delivery modality is used. It was hypothesized that dropouts would agree to reengage in treatment with a peer and would subsequently evince improvement in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression scores as a result of this treatment reengagement.

Results

Of 82 dropouts from prolonged exposure, 29 reentered treatment when offered peer support during exposure (12 in telehealth and 17 in person).

Conclusion

Treatment reentry was effective insofar as indices of both posttraumatic stress disorder and depression were significantly reduced in both telehealth and in person groups, indicating that using peers in this way may be an effective means by which to return Veterans to care, and ultimately reduce symptomatology.
Combating Sexual Assault With the Military Ethic
Authors: Bennett John
Published: November 2017

This article explores sexual assault within the military by focusing on the role of norms and institutional culture. This article asserts that poor impulse control is, in part, at the root of sexual assault offenses. The “military ethic,” however, provides a promising institutional means to stigmatize sexual assault and further acculturate service members into law-abiding norms. The military ethic exalts obedience and self-sacrifice. The military ethic is theorized as a norm that may challenge or alter the attitudes and characteristics underlying sexual assault. Additionally, the question of whether the military fosters an institutional “culture of rape” is analyzed. Research into offenders’ motives is discussed, with a focus on the significance of self-control in offending conduct. Research on the features of successful preventive programs is considered. The article concludes by proposing a norms-based preventive policy targeting offender attitudes and capitalizing on successful preventive programs.
Robust tracking and model-following for uncertain discrete-time systems
Authors: Rahmani Behrooz
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes a robust control strategy for robust tracking and model-following of a class of uncertain linear discrete-time systems. This method is based on the discrete-time sliding mode control and ensures stability, robustness and output tracking against the modelling uncertainties even for large sampling periods. In this way, two strategies are used: firstly, the well-known Lyapunov theory is used to achieve a set of linear matrix inequalities, which is then utilized to design the sliding surface; secondly, a control input is designed to reach the quasi-sliding mode. Simulation studies show the effectiveness of the proposed method in the presence of parameter uncertainties.
Finite-time chaos synchronization and its application in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Vaseghi Behrouz , Pourmina Mohammad Ali , Mobayen Saleh
Published: November 2017

This paper considers the finite-time chaos synchronization of Chua chaotic oscillators based on the secure communication scheme in wireless sensor networks. The modified Chua oscillators are added to the base station and sensor nodes to generate the chaotic signals. Two methods are proposed for the finite-time synchronization of the modified Chua systems with uncertain parameters. In the first method, by using the Lyapunov stability theory, control law is suggested to achieve finite-time chaos synchronization. In order to increase the robustness of the controller, in the second method, a sliding mode controller is applied to the wireless sensor network. Synchronization between the base station and each of the sensor nodes is realized by multiplying a selection matrix by the specified chaotic signal, which is broadcasted by the base station to the sensor nodes. The mathematical proofs confirm that the proposed control law is correct and finally, the simulation results are presented to show the efficiency of the proposed technique.
Supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder in understanding and coping with complex social emotional issues
Authors: Ahlers Kaitlyn P. , Gabrielsen Terisa P. , Lewis Danielle , Brady Anna M. , Litchford April
Published: November 2017

Core deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) center around social communication and behavior. For those with ASD, these deficits complicate the task of learning how to cope with and manage complex social emotional issues. Although individuals with ASD may receive sufficient academic and basic behavioral support in school settings, supports for dealing with complex social emotional issues are more difficult to access, even though these issues significantly impact student learning. When addressing these challenging social- and emotional-based issues, school and professional personnel need more specific instructional skill sets and resources to effectively and compassionately support students with ASD. In this article, we address three challenging areas of social emotional development that are commonly experienced by individuals with ASD: Anxiety, social isolation, and grief. We briefly explore the existing research on these three topics, identify evidence-based practices and learning strategies to support social emotional learning in individuals with ASD, and include descriptive lists of practical resources that address anxiety, social isolation, and grief.
Systematic Changes in Preference for Schedule-Thinning Arrangements as a Function of Relative Reinforcement Density
Authors: Briggs Adam M. , Akers Jessica S. , Greer Brian D. , Fisher Wayne W. , Retzlaff Billie J.
Published: November 2017

We treated destructive behavior maintained by both social-positive (i.e., access to tangibles) and social-negative (i.e., escape from demands) reinforcement in an individual diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder using functional communication training (FCT). We then thinned the schedule of reinforcement for the tangible function using a multiple schedule (mult FCT) and later thinned the availability of escape using a chained schedule (chain FCT). Both treatments proved effective at maintaining functional communicative responses while decreasing destructive behavior to near-zero levels. In addition, treatment effects maintained when we rapidly thinned mult FCT to the terminal schedule. Throughout chain-FCT schedule thinning, we assessed client preference for each schedule-thinning arrangement (mult FCT or chain FCT) using a concurrent-chains procedure. Client preference reliably shifted from chain FCT to mult FCT as the response requirement increased and the proportion of session spent in reinforcement began to favor mult FCT. We discuss the clinical implications of these findings.
Collaborative challenges: Negotiating the complicities of socially engaged art within an era of neoliberal urbanism
Authors: Sachs Olsen Cecilie
Published: November 2017

This article provides a close and practice-led investigation into the complexities and complicities of politicised collaborative art within an era of neoliberal urbanism. In addressing these complicities from a practice-led perspective, the paper provides a nuanced account of the social functions of art based on critical perspectives relating to issues of urban politics as well as politics of collaboration, participation and representation. Reflecting on experiences with facilitating socially engaged artistic projects in Basel, Monthey and London, I demonstrate the challenges faced when struggling to adhere to the artistic aims of providing transformative experiences, while at the same time working within various neoliberal and institutional constraints and expectations. Rather than succumbing into totalising narratives about how art practices are inevitably instrumentalised as they become part of neoliberal structures, logics and ambitions, the paper emphasises the need to think more carefully about the politics of this practice in terms of how it constantly negotiates and reflects the subtle power relations that exist between artists and their collaborators in urban contexts.
Reduced-complexity representation of the human arm active endpoint stiffness for supervisory control of remote manipulation
Authors: Ajoudani Arash , Fang Cheng , Tsagarakis Nikos , Bicchi Antonio
Published: November 2017

In this paper, a reduced-complexity model of the human arm endpoint stiffness is introduced and experimentally evaluated for the teleimpedance control of a compliant robotic arm. The modeling of the human arm endpoint stiffness behavior is inspired by human motor control principles on the predominant use of the arm configuration in directional adjustments of the endpoint stiffness profile, and the synergistic effect of muscular activations, which contributes to a coordinated modification of the task stiffness in all Cartesian directions. Calibration and identification of the model parameters are carried out experimentally, using perturbation-based arm endpoint stiffness measurements in different arm configurations and cocontraction levels of the chosen muscles. Consequently, the real-time model is used for the remote control of a compliant robotic arm while executing a drilling task, a representative example of tool use in environments with constraints and dynamic uncertainties. The results of this study illustrate that the proposed model enables the master to execute the remote task by modulation of the directions of the major axes of the endpoint stiffness ellipsoid and its volume using natural arm configurations and the cocontraction of the involved muscles, respectively.
Fourth update on CT angiography of coronary stents: in vitro evaluation of 24 novel stent types
Authors: Hickethier Tilman , Wenning Justus , Doerner Jonas , Maintz David , Michels Guido , Bunck Alexander C
Published: November 2017

Background

Non-invasive evaluation of coronary stent patency by coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) remains challenging. Multiple studies showed that CT technology but also individual stent design strongly influence the assessability of coronary stents by cCTA.

Purpose

To expand the available data on cCTA characteristics of coronary stents by 24 novel types to help interpreting examinations of patients after stent placement and selecting which stents are suitable for assessment by cCTA.

Material and Methods

Twenty-four novel coronary stents (17 cobalt–chromium, six stainless-steel, one platinum–chromium) were examined in a coronary phantom. Standard cCTA parameters with stent-specific algorithms were used. Image quality was quantified for each stent using established parameters (in-stent attenuation alteration and visible lumen diameter).

Results

Most stents (n = 14) showed lumen visibilities of 45–55%. No severe restriction of lumen visibility (>60%) was found. The majority of stents (n = 13) caused only small intraluminal attenuation deviations and no severe alterations (>20%) were found. When grouped by manufacturing material, no significant differences were found between cobalt–chromium and stainless-steel with identical mean visible diameters (1.52 ± 0.17 mm vs. 1.52 ± 0.13 mm) and comparable attenuation alterations (35.04 ± 16.56 HU vs. 21.25 ± 14.60 HU). The only platinum–chromium stent showed a smaller visible diameter (1.23 mm) and higher attenuation alteration (41.70 HU), but was also deemed to be assessable by cCTA.

Conclusion

All 24 novel evaluated stents are eligible for non-invasive evaluation by cCTA without significant differences between cobalt–chromium and stainless-steel stents. This updated catalogue of CT appearances of current coronary stents may serve as reference when taking care of patients with stents in need of coronary imaging.
From Lineage to Territory
Authors: Devadevan Manu V.
Published: December 2017

The evolution of territorial self-consciousness was among the most significant and historically far-reaching developments of the later half of the first millennium CE in the Indian subcontinent. However, discussions concerning this complex process have not had the benefit of systematic exploration. Although a handful of perspectives exist, they have been presented impressionistically in the context of debates on feudalism and state formation. In this article, this question is examined in relation to the rise of territoriality in the eastern Indian region of Kaliṅga. On the basis of the evidence occurring in inscriptions from the region, it is argued that large-scale expansion of agriculture and the spread of landed property, the prospects thus generated by the political control that could be exercised over its resources and the consolidation of such prospects at different local, supralocal and regional levels were the causes that resulted in the rise of Kaliṅga as a geopolitically self-conscious territory.
Leaving and Beyond: Voices of Survivors of Domestic Violence From Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Childress Saltanat , Panchanadeswaran Subadra , Joshi Manisha
Published: November 2017

Despite the global nature of domestic violence against women, few studies have examined the phenomenon in Kyrgyzstan. This grounded theory study gives voice to survivors of domestic violence by examining women’s experiences of various forms of violence and the complexities surrounding Kyrgyz women’s decision making about leaving violent relationships. Findings revealed that survivors move through a three-stage process of leaving: (a) reaching a turning point, (b) implementing the leaving process, and (c) reclaiming self. Participants described “turning points” as critical events or sudden realizations that the violence had become uncontrollable or intolerable, and that the problem was not going to be solved without external support. The turning points fell into four major categories, including epiphanies and moments of truth, losing hope for a change in the abuser’s behavior, reaching the point of saturation and giving up, and experiencing fear for the safety of children and protecting self. The main factor that led women to leave was being confronted with the pervasive fear that the abuse would lead to permanent disability or death. In the second stage, the process of leaving was characterized by an iterative cycle of leaving and returning until women were able to weigh the costs and benefits of staying and leaving in the face of cultural, institutional, and systemic constraints. The final stage of leaving involved “reclaiming self,” which was the result of cognitive shifts, finding new meanings in their experiences of abuse and attempts to leave, and support received from advocates at the shelter. Results have implications for interventions with survivors and policies addressing the problem of domestic violence in Kyrgyzstan.
Seeking Help From Police for Intimate Partner Violence: Applying a Relationship Phase Framework to the Exploration of Victims’ Evolving Needs
Authors: Shearson Kim M.
Published: November 2017

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive social problem requiring multiple levels of intervention across sectors. Women experiencing IPV often seek assistance from police. Such help-seeking efforts are frequently perceived as problematic by both victims and police. A deeper understanding of victims’ needs than is currently evident in the literature is needed to facilitate an appropriate, victim-centered police response across a diverse range of victim presentations. Applying a symbolic interactionist and feminist perspective and guided by a constructivist grounded theory approach, this qualitative study aimed to explore the application of Landenburger’s model of entrapment in and recovery from violent relationships to understand victims’ help-seeking needs when accessing police services. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 female victims residing in the culturally diverse Western metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia. Fourteen victims participated in follow-up interviews. All victims primarily sought to stop the violence and hoped to find a powerful ally in police. Additional help-seeking needs were identified; subtle variations in victims’ aspirations for safety, ego-support, and justice were found across the binding, enduring, disengaging, and recovery relationship phases. Victims progressed from focusing only on the immediate violent event during the binding phase to seeking to maintain long-term safety and exert their rights to protection and freedom from abuse in the recovery phase. While the operational response of police is dependent on level of violence and immediate concerns for victims’ physical safety, victims’ help-seeking aims are very much contingent upon their relationship phase and the associated strategies for managing the violence they use. In particular, this study provides insight into the needs of women in the enduring relationship phase, when factors such as diminished agency and low expectations of legal protection were found to constrain victims’ help-seeking aspirations, sometimes eventuating in a cycle of chronic police intervention.
The electoral strategies of a populist candidate: Does charisma discourage experience and encourage extremism?
Authors: Serra Gilles
Published: November 2017

I model an election between a populist candidate with little government experience and high charisma and a mainstream candidate with much government experience and low charisma. Taking a step back in time, I also model the career choices of this populist candidate: he must consider how much governing experience to acquire before running for high office, and then he must decide how extremist his campaign platform should be. The model finds two major trade-offs that are unfortunate for the median voter: candidates who are attractive in terms of their high charisma will be unattractive in terms of their low experience and high extremism. The model also finds that popular discontent, coming from an economic or political crisis, makes an inexperienced outsider more likely to win an election with an extremist agenda; this helps explain the recent ‘rise of populism’ identified by several authors around the world. This theory is also able to explain numerous empirical findings: I connect the model to the literature from different academic approaches (behavioral, comparative, and institutional) and different geographical regions (the United States, Latin America, and Europe). Special reference is made to four prominent outsiders: Donald Trump, Hugo Chávez, Alberto Fujimori, and Jean-Marie Le Pen.
The Development of the Matrilineal Principle in Ezra, Jubilees, and Acts
Authors: Gabizon Michael
Published: November 2017

Most modern-day forms of Judaism determine a child's genealogical identity through the status of his/her mother. The shift from a patrilineal descent in the pre-exilic narratives of the Hebrew Bible to the matrilineal principle found in rabbinic literature has led to much speculation about its inception. Following the first exile, it is apparent that the status of mothers began to play a significant role in determining the national/ethnic identity of their children. This article explores three pre-Mishnaic texts which may testify to the early development of the matrilineal principle. First, it examines the expulsion narrative in Ezra 9.1–10.4, which recounts the removal of foreign women and their children, thereby apparently linking the status of children with their mothers. Second, it focuses on the Shechemite narrative in Jub. 30.1–26 and considers the incorporation of Molech language in the prohibition against intermarriage. In turn, this article proposes that the association between intermarriage and idolatry may be rooted in the presumption that Dinah's progeny would be Jewish, yet raised as idolaters. Finally, it argues that the author of Luke-Acts portrayed Timothy as Jewish (Acts 16.1–3) in light of his mother's status and thus was required to undergo circumcision.
Development of a simplified method for the determination of ampere-hour capacity of lead–acid battery
Authors: Soomro Ahsanullah , Xiang Wenguo , Samo Kamran A , Chen Shiyi , Ma Shiwei
Published: November 2017

Selection of the optimum level of current for charging and discharging operations is an important factor for the performance of lead–acid batteries in PV application. Realizing this situation, an experimental study was carried out to determine the performance of battery under different charging and discharging current. The battery was charged at an input current of 6, 12, and 18 A, whereas under these input charging currents the battery was discharged at constant loads of 5.7, 11.4, and 17.1 A. Then algebraic equations for the determination of battery ampere-hour capacity, in relation with state of charge, were formulated with the help of MATLAB software. The proposed model provides the battery output directly without going through the calculation of constant unknowns and battery ampere-hour capacity. It is different from previous models, which only evaluate the battery ampere-hour capacities with the help of already calculated battery ampere-hour capacities and other battery parameters from the same battery. During the study, it was found that the rate of charge and discharge affected the duration of charge and discharge as well as battery ampere-hour capacity. When the rate is increased, the number of ampere hours was decreased along with the battery operational time duration. The developed model equations were validated with ours as well as other researcher’s measured values; the corresponding values were much closer when the values of state of charge were at the range of 100–90%. This study may be useful to understand the energy storage within a PV system and to select the optimum level of current, which consequently lengthens the life of the battery and improves the overall performance of a Photovoltaic panel (PV) system.
Robust inference under the beta regression model with application to health care studies
Authors: Ghosh Abhik
Published: November 2017

Data on rates, percentages, or proportions arise frequently in many different applied disciplines like medical biology, health care, psychology, and several others. In this paper, we develop a robust inference procedure for the beta regression model, which is used to describe such response variables taking values in (0, 1) through some related explanatory variables. In relation to the beta regression model, the issue of robustness has been largely ignored in the literature so far. The existing maximum likelihood-based inference has serious lack of robustness against outliers in data and generate drastically different (erroneous) inference in the presence of data contamination. Here, we develop the robust minimum density power divergence estimator and a class of robust Wald-type tests for the beta regression model along with several applications. We derive their asymptotic properties and describe their robustness theoretically through the influence function analyses. Finite sample performances of the proposed estimators and tests are examined through suitable simulation studies and real data applications in the context of health care and psychology. Although we primarily focus on the beta regression models with a fixed dispersion parameter, some indications are also provided for extension to the variable dispersion beta regression models with an application.
Estimating diagnostic accuracy for clustered ordinal diagnostic groups in the three-class case—Application to the early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease
Authors: Xiong Chengjie , Luo Jingqin , Chen Ling , Gao Feng , Liu Jingxia , Wang Guoqiao , Bateman Randall , Morris John C
Published: November 2017

Many medical diagnostic studies involve three ordinal diagnostic populations in which the diagnostic accuracy can be summarized by the volume or partial volume under the receiver operating characteristic surface for a diagnostic marker. When the diagnostic populations are clustered, e.g. by families, we propose to model the diagnostic marker by a general linear mixed model that takes into account of the correlation on the diagnostic marker from members of the same clusters. This model then facilitates the maximum likelihood estimation and statistical inferences of the diagnostic accuracy for the diagnostic marker. This approach naturally allows the incorporation of covariates as well as missing data when some clusters do not have subjects on all diagnostic groups in the estimation of, and the subsequent inferences on the diagnostic accuracy. We further study the performance of the proposed methods in a large simulation study with clustered data. Finally, we apply the proposed methodology to the data of several biomarkers collected by the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network, an international family-clustered registry to study autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease which is a rare form of Alzheimer disease caused by mutations in any of the three genes including the amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1 and presenilin 2. We estimate the accuracy of several cerebrospinal fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers in differentiating three diagnostic and genetic populations: normal non-mutation carriers, asymptomatic mutation carriers, and symptomatic mutation carriers.
Sustainability, Law and Public Choice
Authors: Dernbach John C.
Published: November 2017

Gyula Bándi, Marcel Szabó and Ákos Szalai, Europa Law Publishing, Groningen, 2014, 205 pages, $68.40 (Amazon). ISBN 978–90-895–21538, E-book ISBN 978–90-895–21545.
Higher Education for Sustainable Development
Authors: Dautremont-Smith Julian
Published: November 2017

Kerry Shephard, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2015, 131 pages. $67.50 (hard cover). ISBN 978-1-137-54840-5.1
Improving Sustainable Living Education through the Use of Formative Experiments
Authors: Wynveen Brooklynn J.
Published: November 2017

Experts agree that overconsumption is a major problem in Western culture today, particularly in the United States. Thus, it is important to promote sustainable behaviour among the general public. However, existing educational programming geared towards promoting such behaviour remains appealing largely to environmentally motivated audiences, as opposed to individuals with alternative motivations. In response to this discrepancy, I conducted a formative experiment aimed at (a) fostering participation among non-environmentally motivated individuals in sustainable living educational programming and (b) obtaining behaviour change commitments from those participants. While formative and design-based experiments are relatively familiar to education researchers, they have not typically been applied to research aimed at improving sustainable living education. Hence, the research process and results outlined here represent an effort to extend an existing research approach into a novel area of inquiry. The findings presented hold implications for both researchers and practitioners in the field of sustainable living education.
Auditors’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Fraud Prevention and Detection Methods
Authors: Mangala Deepa , Kumari Pooja
Published: November 2017

Fraud has emerged as an undesirable offshoot of human greed and pressure to perform in growing corporate world. It has led to erosion of stakeholders’ confidence across the globe. Now, they see the annual reports and other corporate filings with scepticism. Despite increasing instances of fraud, the anti-fraud mechanism of the business organisations is not up-to-date. The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of fraud detection and prevention methods used by corporate sector. A survey of 336 auditors seeking their perception about effectiveness of various anti-fraud methods has been conducted. The findings reveal that corporate governance is the most effective tool against fraud. Use of information technology, timely audit, regular inspection and corporate policies and procedures, also, play a vital role in curbing fraudulent practices in an organisation. Thus, the findings suggest that expenditure on effective anti-fraud methods should not be viewed as an expense; instead, it must be considered as an investment as it saves from the potential losses due to fraud and damage to business stability, revenue and image.
Life-Sustaining Treatment Status at the Time of Death in a Japanese Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Suzuki Fumiko , Takeuchi Muneyuki , Tachibana Kazuya , Isaka Kanako , Inata Yu , Kinouchi Keiko
Published: November 2017

Background:

Substantial variability exists among countries regarding the modes of death in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). However, there is limited information on end-of-life care in Japanese PICUs. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of end-of-life care practice for children in a Japanese PICU.

Methods:

We examined life-sustaining treatment (LST) status at the time of death based on medical chart reviews from 2010 to 2014. All deaths were classified into 3 groups: limitation of LST (limitation group, death after withholding or withdrawal of LST or a do not attempt resuscitation order), no limitation of LST (no-limitation group, death following failed resuscitation attempts), or brain death (brain death group).

Results:

Of the 62 patients who died, 44 (71%) had limitation of LST, 18 (29%) had no limitation of LST, and none had brain death. In the limitation group, the length of PICU stay was longer than that in the no-limitation group (13.5 vs 2.5 days; P = .01). The median time to death after the decision to limit LST was 2 days (interquartile range: 1-5.5 days), and 94% of the patients were on mechanical ventilation at the time of death in the limitation group.

Conclusions:

Although limiting LST was a common practice in end-of-life care in a Japanese PICU, a severe limitation of LST such as withdrawal from the ventilator was hardly practiced, and a considerable LST was still provided at the time of death.
Number and Frequency of Routinely Applied Painful Procedures in University Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Kassab Manal , Alhassan Afnan A. , Alzoubi Karem H. , Khader Yousef S.
Published: November 2017

Neonates at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for procedural pain exposure. This study describes the type and frequency of procedures in neonates admitted to University Intensive Care Unit. This was a prospective cohort study of 150 neonates admitted to the NICU during the first 7 days of life at a governmental hospital. The type and frequency of procedures were evaluated using a tool which included the type and number of procedures performed per shift. A total of 14,008 painful procedures were performed on neonates with an average of 97.11 painful procedures per baby and 13.9/day for each baby. Adhesive removal (21.3%) was the most frequently performed procedure. The number of painful procedures was inversely correlated with gestation age ( p < .001) and birth weight ( p < .001). The number of painful procedures performed on neonates is high, particularly for neonates with small gestational age and low birth weight babies.
Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy vs Open Radiofrequency Microtenotomy for Recalcitrant Plantar Fasciitis
Authors: Wang Weining , Rikhraj Inderjeet Singh , Chou Andrew Chia Chen , Chong Hwei Chi , Koo Kevin Oon Thien
Published: November 2017

Background:

Although usually self-limiting, around 10% of patients develop recalcitrant plantar fasciitis despite conservative treatment. In such cases, operative intervention can be offered. Traditionally, plantar fasciotomy has been the treatment of choice, but recently, there has been a push for more minimally invasive approaches. Radiofrequency microtenotomy has also been increasingly used as a treatment option. In this study, we compare the outcomes of endoscopic plantar fasciotomy and open radiofrequency microtenotomy.

Methods:

Patients treated in our institution with either procedure between 2007 and 2015 were included and interviewed at baseline and 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postoperatively using the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and 36-item Medical Outcomes Short Form (SF-36) questionnaires. They were asked questions to evaluate their expectation and satisfaction postoperatively. Demographic and clinicopathological data were prospectively collected from clinical charts and electronic records.

Results:

There was no difference in either treatment arms preoperatively and an overall improvement in all functional outcomes postoperatively. However, patients who had endoscopic plantar fasciotomy fared better at 3 months compared to patients who underwent open microtenotomy with the visual analog score component of the AOFAS hindfoot score (HINDVAS) and the social functioning and role-functioning–emotional reaching statistical significance ( P = .027, P = .03, and P = .03, respectively). There was no difference in functional outcomes at 6 or 12 months postoperatively.

Conclusion:

Endoscopic plantar fasciotomy was associated with an earlier improvement in functional outcome in our study. However, both treatments had equivalent outcomes at 1-year follow-up, suggesting that either method is reasonable in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, comparative study.
“Killed Out of Love”: A Frame Analysis of Domestic Violence Coverage in Hong Kong
Authors: Hernández Miriam
Published: November 2017

A frame analysis was conducted on a Hong Kong newspaper to determine whether news coverage of female fatalities at the hands of their intimate partners was reported in conventional domestic violence ways or if there were culture-specific explanations. Overall, most coverage supported known views of domestic violence, justifying the perpetrator and categorizing the issue as isolated crime. However, a few stories highlighted the historical subordination of women under patriarchy in Confucianism as an important cultural factor. Findings have implications for the lack of generalization of the social problem, and the understanding of cultural and political power in Hong Kong society.
New antioxidant treatment with yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) infusion for fresh-cut apples: Modeling, optimization, and acceptability
Authors: Rodríguez-Arzuaga Mariana , Piagentini Andrea M
Published: November 2017

Enzymatic browning affects the sensory and nutritional quality of fresh-cut apples and limits their shelf-life. Yerba mate ( Ilex paraguariensis), a plant widely consumed in South America as an infusion, could potentially be used in minimally processed fruits and vegetables as a natural additive to prevent browning, due to its high content of phenolic compounds with antioxidant capacity. The effects of the concentrations of ascorbic acid, citric acid, and yerba mate in an aqueous dipping solution on the instrumental color parameters, antioxidant capacity, and sensory quality of “Granny Smith” fresh-cut apples were modeled and the solution was optimized to obtain treated apples with maximum antioxidant capacity and minimum browning, without affecting the natural flavor of the fruits. The optimal composition obtained (1.2% yerba mate  + 0.9% citric acid + 1.0% ascorbic acid) increased the antioxidant capacity of the apples by 36%. The sensory acceptability test carried out on the “Granny Smith” fresh-cut apples treated with the optimal dipping solution showed that more than 78% of the surveyed consumers liked the color, flavor, and texture of the apples.
The vernacular of photobombing: The aesthetics of transgression
Authors: Ibrahim Yasmin
Published: November 2017

The banal imaging of ourselves and our environments has led to new aesthetic modes where the conventions of imaging, subject–object relationships and what is pleasurable or popular often draw on the ludic, the unexpected or the surprise element. One such image genre is photobombing, where a transgressive object or entity within a conventional image setting subverts it, adding popular appeal through its ability to reconfigure its aesthetic conventions, opening it up for public pleasure and consumption and inscribing it with a possibility of going viral. Photobombing as an image genre online reflects our aesthetic modes and the age of distraction, where the unexpected remains a mode of ocular appeal underscoring the convergence of popular culture and the fluidity of Web 2.0’s convergence architecture. As such, people’s aesthetic modes of the popular can be invented, renewed and subverted with new formats. The phenomenon of photobombing equally affirms the spectacular as a liminal site where pleasure is experienced with the breaking down of norms and the conjoining of a communal gaze through the aesthetics of transgression.
Perceptions and measurement of playtime physical activity in English primary school children: The influence of socioeconomic status
Authors: McWhannell Nicola , Triggs Carmel , Moss Samantha
Published: November 2017

Children in areas of low socioeconomic status might face barriers to physical activity during school playtime in comparison to their high socioeconomic status counterparts. However, limited research within the area currently prevents evidence-based interventions from being targeted appropriately. This exploratory study aimed to assess and compare playtime physical activity levels and perceptions of physical activity in primary school children from two schools of different socioeconomic status. Fifty-three children wore an accelerometer during playtime for three school days while 33 children participated in single-sex focus groups to elicit their experiences of physical activity during playtime. Results revealed that children from the low socioeconomic status school spent more time in sedentary activities ( P = 0.001) and spent less time in moderate and moderate to vigorous physical activity ( P = 0.001) than children from the high socioeconomic status school. Despite some between-school similarities in their perceptions of physical activity, differences resonated in their reasons for taking part in physical activity, perceptions of the play environment and ideas to improve physical activity. These findings contribute to current research and provide in-depth information from active users of the play environment that could be useful to inform new interventions for schools of varying socioeconomic status.
Approaching recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome: Challenges to consider in research and practice
Authors: Devendorf Andrew R , Jackson Carly T , Sunnquist Madison , Jason Leonard A
Published: November 2017

There are unique methodological challenges to studying and assessing recovery in myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. This study explored these challenges through interviewing 13 physicians who treat myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Our deductive thematic analysis produced four themes to consider when approaching recovery: lifespan differences in the illness experience; the heterogeneity of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome—case definitions, etiological stance, and misdiagnosis; patient follow-up and selection bias; and assessment logistics. We discuss how researchers and clinicians can use these considerations when working with patients, drafting recovery criteria, and interpreting treatment outcomes.
Ethnography and organisations: materiality and change as methodological challenges
Authors: Schubert Cornelius , Röhl Tobias
Published: December 2017

We discuss two methodological challenges for ethnographies of organisations that have become increasingly relevant, namely issues of materiality and change. Both have been addressed separately in the past and we revisit the arguments made so far in order to bring them together. The two methodological challenges are connected to empirical developments and theoretical advances in organisation studies and beyond. We argue that materiality and change can be taken up by ethnographic research of organisations in different manners, but that they have to be addressed in order to gain a deeper understanding in current processes of organising. We also see these challenges as two interrelated themes that may help to make different organisational ethnographies comparable.
Relationship between self-care and comprehensive understanding of heart failure and its signs and symptoms
Authors: Lee Kyoung Suk , Moser Debra K , Dracup Kathleen
Published: December 2017

Background:

Although incomplete understanding of heart failure and its signs and symptoms appears to be a barrier to successful self-care, there are few studies examining the relationship between self-care and levels of comprehensive understanding of heart failure and its signs and symptoms.

Aim:

To determine whether incomplete understanding of heart failure and its signs and symptoms is associated with self-care in heart failure patients who were recently discharged from the hospital due to heart failure exacerbation.

Methods:

Patients completed the nine-item European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior scale and questionnaire to assess knowledge of heart failure and its signs and symptoms. Three groups were formed by their different levels of understanding of heart failure and its signs and symptoms. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine whether these three levels of understanding groups predicted self-care after controlling for demographic and clinical variables.

Results:

Of 571 patients 22.1%, 40.1% and 37.8% had poor, moderate, and complete understanding, respectively. Compared with patients in the poor understanding group, patients in complete and moderate understanding groups were more likely to have better adherence to self-care activities (standardized β = −0.14, 95% confidence interval −3.41, −0.47; standardized β = −0.19, 95% confidence interval −4.26, −1.23, respectively).

Conclusions:

Fewer than half of the patients had a comprehensive understanding of heart failure and its signs and symptoms, which was associated with poor self-care. Our study suggests that patient education should include contents to promote comprehensive understanding of heart failure and its symptoms, as well as the importance of self-care behaviors.
The natural duty of justice in non-ideal circumstances: On the moral demands of institution building and reform
Authors: Valentini Laura
Published: November 2017

Principles of distributive justice bind macro-level institutional agents, like the state. But what does justice require in non-ideal circumstances, where institutional agents are unjust or do not exist in the first place? Many answer by invoking Rawls's natural duty ‘to further just arrangements not yet established’, treating it as a ‘normative bridge’ between institutional demands of distributive justice and individual responsibilities in non-ideal circumstances. I argue that this response strategy is unsuccessful. I show that the more unjust the status quo is due to non-compliance, the less demanding the natural duty of justice becomes. I conclude that, in non-ideal circumstances, the bulk of the normative work is done by another natural duty: that of beneficence. This conclusion has significant implications for how we conceptualize our political responsibilities in non-ideal circumstances, and cautions us against the tendency – common in contemporary political theory – to answer all high-stakes normative questions under the rubric of justice.
In Defense of the Questionable: Defining the Basis of Research Scientists’ Engagement in Questionable Research Practices
Authors: Sacco Donald F. , Bruton Samuel V. , Brown Mitch
Published: November 2017

National Institutes of Health principal investigators reported their perceptions of the ethical defensibility, prevalence in their field, and their personal willingness to engage in questionable research practices (QRPs). Using ethical defensibility ratings, an exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution: behaviors considered unambiguously ethically indefensible and behaviors whose ethical defensibility was more ambiguous. In addition, increasing perceptions that QRPs affect science predicted reduced acceptability of QRPs, whereas increasing beliefs that QRPs are normative or necessary for career success predicted increased acceptability of QRPs. Perceptions that QRPs are risky were unrelated to QRP acceptability but predicted reduced extramural funding (i.e., researchers’ lifetime extramural grants and total funding secured). These results identify risk (i.e., beliefs that QRPs are normative to stay competitive in one’s field) and protective factors (i.e., beliefs that QRPs have a significant negative impact on society) related to QRP endorsement that could inform educational interventions for training research scientists.