bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experience With Vena Cava Filters at a Large Community Hospital and Level-I Trauma Center
Authors: Swami Umang , Annunziata Giuseppe , Fulger Ilmana
Published: October 2013

Introduction:

Inferior vena cava filters (IVCF) are used liberally in clinical practice and have been associated with multiple complications. Herein, we present results from our institution.

Methods:

Records of consecutive patients discharged between January 1, 2009 and 2012 were reviewed. Indications were subcategorized under absolute, relative, and prophylactic. Student t test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were employed.

Results:

During this period, 254 vena cava filters (VCF) were placed. Of these, 65 were placed for absolute indication, 28 for relative, and 161 for prophylaxis. Follow-up imaging was available for 96 patients of which 15 showed complications. Successful retrieval of 19 filters was achieved.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrates that most IVCF are being placed for prophylaxis with low retrieval rate. This contradicts current recommendations. Moreover frequent migration and penetration of IVCF can lead to serious complications. Strict enforcement of IVCF placement guidelines and setting up of filter clinics for timely retrieval is suggested.
Damping analysis of a free aluminum plate
Authors: Zoghaib Lionel , Mattei Pierre-Olivier
Published: October 2013

An analysis of the energy dissipation sources acting in a vibrating aluminum plate is presented in this paper. In the first step, the contact-free modal analysis of a suspended plate is conducted using a laser vibrometer and an acoustic excitation to obtain reference data. The thin nylon suspension set-up guarantees a low boundary damping, which is assumed to be negligible. In the second step, a number of damping sources are modeled. Acoustic damping due to the noise radiation of the nonbaffled plate is computed using the boundary integral method and a light fluid approximation to express the vibroacoustic coupling in analytical terms. The damping due to the sheared air flow along the free-plate borders is determined on the basis of a simple two-dimensional boundary layer model. Thermoelastic damping is assessed using a Fourier series expression for the temperature field along with a perturbation technique to take thermoelastic coupling into account. Since no robust model is available so far to quantify viscoelastic material damping in aluminum, it is determined in a last step by subtracting measured values of damping from those previously computed. Aluminum viscoelastic damping turns out to be very small and almost independent of frequency.
Determinants of the Effectiveness of Chinese Homeowner Associations in Solving Neighborhood Issues
Authors: Wang Feng
Published: October 2013

Chinese homeowner associations (HOAs) are citizen-initiated, self-governing neighborhood organizations that emerged very recently in urban China. HOAs take various legal, political, and social actions to deal with neighborhood issues. However, there are large discrepancies in the effectiveness of these actions. Using data collected from in-depth interviews with leaders of 91 registered HOAs in Beijing, this study investigates the contextual and organizational factors that explain this heterogeneity of outcome. The results show that the factors affecting HOAs’ ability to solve the two most prominent types of neighborhood issue—issues involving developers, and issues involving property management companies—are quite different. Issues involving property management companies are more effectively solved by mobilizing organization resources and encouraging resident participation. Solving developer-related issues, however, requires broader legal and political support.
Domestic Violence Fatality Reviews and the African American Community
Authors: Bent-Goodley Tricia B.
Published: October 2013

Cultural competence is important to the domestic violence fatality review process. This article reviews current knowledge about cultural competence for Black women abused by men in the United States, with suggested implications for domestic violence fatality review teams (DVFRTs). Help-seeking behaviors, coping strategies, historical context, and cultural values within the African American community are explored. These areas are further examined using a framework inclusive of the structure, goals, processes, outcomes, and barriers of DVFRTs. The implications for how DVFRTs can utilize this information are discussed.
Using group replication for resilience on exascale systems
Authors: Bougeret Marin , Casanova Henri , Robert Yves , Vivien Frédéric , Zaidouni Dounia
Published: October 2013

High performance computing applications must be resilient to faults. The traditional fault-tolerance solution is checkpoint-recovery, by which application state is saved to and recovered from secondary storage throughout execution. It has been shown that, even when using an optimal checkpointing strategy, the checkpointing overhead precludes high parallel efficiency at large scale. Additional fault-tolerance mechanisms must thus be used. Such a mechanism is replication, that is, multiple processors performing the same computation so that a processor failure does not necessarily imply an application failure. In spite of resource waste, replication can lead to higher parallel efficiency when compared to using only checkpoint-recovery at large scale.

We propose to execute and checkpoint multiple application instances concurrently, an approach we term group replication. For exponential failures we give an upper bound on the expected application execution time. This bound corresponds to a particular checkpointing period that we derive. For general failures, we propose a dynamic programming algorithm to determine non-periodic checkpoint dates as well as an empirical periodic checkpointing solution whose period is found via a numerical search. Using simulation we evaluate our proposed approaches, including comparison to the non-replication case, for both exponential and Weibull failure distributions. Our broad finding is that group replication is useful in a range of realistic application and checkpointing overhead scenarios for future exascale platforms.
Gene expression analysis of relapsing–remitting, primary progressive and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ratzer R , Søndergaard HB , Christensen J Romme , Börnsen L , Borup R , Sørensen PS , Sellebjerg F
Published: October 2013

Background:

Previous studies of multiple sclerosis (MS) have indicated differences in the pathogenesis in relapsing–remitting (RRMS), secondary progressive (SPMS) and primary progressive (PPMS) disease.

Objective:

We hypothesized that different MS subtypes would show differences in gene expression that could be traced to specific subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Methods:

Gene expression in RRMS, SPMS, PPMS and healthy control (HC) PBMCs was analyzed on Affymetrix arrays. In addition, we studied gene expression in pools of purified PBMC subsets.

Results:

We found 380 genes that were differentially expressed in RRMS, PPMS, SPMS and HCs (false discovery rate < 5%). There were no major differences between the subtypes of MS. The genes showing most prominent expression changes in RRMS were associated with adaptive immune pathways, while genes in PPMS were associated with innate immune system pathways. SPMS patients shared pathways with RRMS and PPMS patients. Gene expression changes were most prominent in B cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes.

Conclusion:

Differences in gene expression, which could be traced to B cells, CD8+ T cells and monocytes, were found between MS patients and HCs but only minor differences were observed between MS subgroups.
Organ donation as transition work: Policy discourse and clinical practice in The Netherlands
Authors: Paul Katharina T , Avezaat Cees JJ , Ijzermans Jan N , Friele Roland D , Bal Roland A
Published: October 2013

An increasing number of patients become eligible for organ transplants. In the Netherlands, at the level of policy discourse, growing waiting lists are often referred to as a persistent “shortage” of organs, producing a “public health crisis.” In this way, organ donation is presented as an ethical, social, and medical necessity. Likewise, policy discourse offers a range of seemingly unambiguous solutions: improving logistical infrastructure at the level of hospitals, developing organizational and legal protocols, as well as public information campaigns. Instead of taking these problem and solution definitions as given, we critically examine the relationship between policy discourse and clinical practice. Based on a historical review, first, we trace the key moments of transformation where organ donation became naturalized in Dutch policy discourse, particularly in its altruistic connotation. Second, based on in-depth interviews with medical professionals, we show how those involved in organ donation continue to struggle with the controversial nature of their clinical practice. More specifically, we highlight their use of different forms of knowledge that underlie clinicians’ “transition work”: from losing a patient to “gaining” a donor.
Explanations of sleep paralysis among Egyptian college students and the general population in Egypt and Denmark
Authors: Jalal Baland , Simons-Rudolph Joseph , Jalal Bamo , Hinton Devon E.
Published: October 2013

This cross-cultural study compared explanations of sleep paralysis (SP) in two countries and two groups with different levels of education in one country. Comparisons were made between individuals having experienced SP at least once in a lifetime from Cairo, Egypt ( n = 89), Copenhagen, Denmark ( n = 59), and the American University in Cairo, Egypt ( n = 44). As hypothesized, participants from the general Egyptian population were more likely to endorse supernatural causal explanation of their SP compared to participants from Denmark; participants from the American University in Cairo were less likely to endorse supernatural causes of their SP compared to participants from the general Egyptian population. Moreover, participants from the American University in Cairo were marginally significantly more likely to endorse supernatural causes of their SP compared to participants from Denmark. Additionally, we explored which culturally bound explanations and beliefs about SP existed in Egypt and Denmark. We found that nearly half (48%) of the participants from the general Egyptian population believed their SP to be caused by the Jinn, a spirit-like creature with roots in Islamic tradition, which constitutes a culturally bound interpretation of the phenomenology of SP in this region of the world. Case studies are presented to illustrate these findings.
Minimising blood loss in early trauma resuscitation
Authors: Chesters A , Roberts I , Harris T
Published: October 2013

Worldwide, trauma is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths each day with hundreds of thousands seriously injured. Current trauma resuscitation strategies are based on supporting haemostasis, maintaining circulating volume and rapidly identifying sites of blood loss. Approaches include hypotensive/hypovolaemic resuscitation, avoidance of colloids and crystalloids, early blood product based resuscitation, early imaging to identify sites of blood loss and damage control surgery. In this paper, we focus on ways to minimise blood loss and preserve the circulating volume. These include minimal movement of the patient, splinting fractures, use of tourniquets, application of local haemostatic dressings/agents, keeping the patient warm and giving tranexamic acid to improve clot strength. The recent CRASH-2 trial provided unequivocal evidence that tranexamic acid reduces mortality in bleeding trauma patients. This will be discussed in detail. When employed as part of a package of care in a well-rehearsed trauma system, these interventions to preserve the remaining circulating volume have the potential to save lives and allow patients to survive until timely definitive haemostasis can occur.
Tweeting in defeat: How candidates concede and claim victory in 140 characters
Authors: Mirer Michael L , Bode Leticia
Published: October 2013

The concession and victory speech is a ritual in American politics, described by Corcoran as a “rite of capitulation,” in which both candidates at the end of an election sanction the legitimacy of the process, agree on the outcome, and start the political transition. Concession and victory speeches emerged as a distinct convention in the television era, but as web services like Twitter take on a larger role in electoral politics, traditions like the concession are being adapted to new formats. The literature has identified a series of substantive and procedural conventions for conceding and claiming victory, but it is unclear how these conventions hold up as technology evolves. An examination of 200 Twitter feeds from congressional, senatorial, and gubernatorial candidates during the 2010 midterm elections shows that while candidates touch some of the traditional concession themes, the procedural rules to concession have not migrated unchanged to the online world.
Signaling causal coherence relations
Authors: Duque Eladio
Published: October 2013

Signaling of relations is an open question in rhetorical structure theory (RST). Discourse markers are the unmistakable signals of a relation. However, it may be argued that all relations – and not only those involving discourse markers – are signaled in some way. Based on this assumption, this article focuses on two causal relations, ‘Cause’ and ‘Result’, working on an RST double-annotated corpus in Spanish. The main objectives are to identify different signals of Cause and Result relations and to evaluate the ambiguity resulting from those signals. Results demonstrate that a) almost all Cause and Result relations on the corpus are signaled; b) each signal obtains differentiated annotation agreements; and c) patterns of annotation disagreement are grounded in the nature of the signal and not in the relations’ semantic features.
Development of a real-size optical injector nozzle for studies of cavitation, spray formation and flash-boiling at conditions relevant to direct-injection spark-ignition engines
Authors: Butcher Adrian J , Aleiferis Pavlos G , Richardson Dave
Published: October 2013

High-pressure multi-hole injectors for direct-injection spark-ignition engines have shown enhanced fuel atomisation and flexibility in fuel targeting by selection of the number and angle of the nozzle holes. The nozzle internal flow is known to influence the characteristics of spray formation; hence, understanding its mechanisms is essential for improving mixture preparation. However, currently, no data exist for fuel temperatures representative of real engine operation, especially at low-load high-temperature conditions with early injection strategies that can lead to phase change due to fuel flash-boiling upon injection. This challenge is further complicated by the predicted fuel stocks, which may include new (e.g. bio-derived) components. The physical/chemical properties of such components can differ markedly from gasoline, and it is important to have the capability to study their effects on in-nozzle flow and spray formation, taking under consideration their different chemical compatibilities with optical materials as well. The current article presents the design and development of a real-size quartz optical nozzle, 200 µm in diameter, suitable for high-temperature applications and also compatible with new fuels such as alcohols. First, the internal geometry of a typical real multi-hole injector was analysed by electron microscopy. Mass flow was measured, and relevant fluid mechanics dimensionless parameters were derived. Laser and mechanical drilling of the quartz nozzle holes were compared. Abrasive flow machining of the optical nozzles was also performed and analysed by microscopy in comparison to the real injector. Initial validation results with a high-speed camera showed successful imaging of microscopic in-nozzle flow and cavitation phenomena, coupled to downstream spray formation, under a variety of conditions including high fuel temperature flash-boiling effects. The current work used gasoline and iso-octane to provide proof-of-concept images of the optical nozzle, and future work will include testing of a range of fuels, some of which will also be bio-derived.
Study of oxygen-containing hydrocarbons in exhaust emission from a spark ignition combustion engine
Authors: Nakano Michio , Okawa Kohei
Published: October 2013

For the auto-ignition phenomena such as homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion and knocking of spark ignition engines, it is thought that combustion products in burned gas affect ignition timing. However, those compounds are not clarified because it is difficult to separate compounds by using one-dimensional gas chromatography which is the most common method for gas analysis. In this study, a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometer was employed to analyze combustion products in exhaust gas emitted by spark ignition combustion. In the exhaust gas analysis of spark ignition combustion which used regular gasoline and 10W-30 lubricating oil, a lot of mass spectrometer signals which include many compounds produced by lubricating oil were detected. In addition to the influence of the oil, the large number of detected substances about fuel and exhaust gas makes analysis of relation between reactants and products difficult. Therefore, n-heptane as fuel and poly-α-olefin as lubricating oil were applied for engine experiments. By these changes, the number of detected substances was decreased and influence of lubricating oil became weak. From the analysis of each detected substance, it was suggested that nitrogen compounds, aromatic compounds and cyclic compounds existed in exhaust gas of n-heptane spark ignition combustion. In addition, existence of many types of oxygen-containing hydrocarbons was suggested. From the analysis focusing on linear and branched oxygen-containing hydrocarbons with seven carbon atoms, it was suggested that many types of oxygen-containing hydrocarbons which were not considered in detailed reaction model existed in exhaust gas.
Hobbes’s hidden monster: A new interpretation of the frontispiece of Leviathan
Authors: Kristiansson Magnus , Tralau Johan
Published: October 2013

In recent years, much work has been done on the role of images in Hobbes. But there is an unsolved riddle with regard to the famous frontispiece of Leviathan (1651). Why is there nothing monstrous in the sovereign body depicted, despite the fact that it is named for a Biblical sea monster? In this article it is argued that there is a monster just barely hidden in the image and that the iconographical tradition helps us rediscover this creature. We argue that this monstrosity serves a theoretical and political purpose pertaining to fear and imagery within Hobbes’s overall project and in the political context of his time. Moreover, we argue that the discovery of the hitherto unknown monster should make political theory and intellectual history sensitive to the role played by physical images in Hobbes as well as in political thought at large.
Golden Moves
Authors: Dahl Stephan , Eagle Lynne , Ebrahimjee Mustafa
Published: October 2013

Social marketing is increasingly being used by public and nonprofit organizations to deliver behavior change objectives. Drawing on the example of physical activity for the over 65s, we show how social marketing techniques can deliver a physical activity program for a priority group that has so far received little attention. In this study, conducted in the United Kingdom, we use a grounded theory approach to understand motivational factors and perceived barriers and to determine the types of messages and message channels that could be used for a potential social marketing–based intervention. We show how the findings of this pilot study can be used to develop such an intervention, and present a modeled intervention, based on the transtheoretical model of behavior change.
Everyone Has Questions
Authors: Willoughby Jessica Fitts
Published: October 2013

Text message services that provide sexual health information are increasingly popular, but often they are not promoted. This article describes the development of a social marketing campaign promoting a state-based sexual health text message service that allows teens to text a sexual health question directly to a trained health educator. Preproduction and production research using in-depth interviews and focus groups ( n = 35) conducted in the southeastern United States provided information on perceived benefits and barriers and teens’ perceptions. Teens were interested in the service and wanted to see relevant settings and relatable teens in advertisements. Teens said that the promotional messages needed to include clear instructions on how to use such a service, as teens were only somewhat familiar with the process of using such a system. Implications for promotion of similar services are discussed.
Fighting Skin Cancer With a Musical Sound
Authors: Potente Sofia , Rock Vanessa , McIver Jacqueline , Williams Melinda , Magee Christopher , Chapman Kathy
Published: October 2013

Australian youth have good knowledge about skin cancer prevention as a result of over three decades of traditional mass media campaigns. However, youth sun protection behavior remains poor. This case study describes the results of a unique social marketing campaign (the Sun Sound) aimed at translating youths’ knowledge into improved sun protection behavior. Formative research identified that a key barrier to sun protection was youth regularly forgot to protect their skin. As such, the campaign centered on a musical jingle that was broadcast at outdoor recreational settings as a “cue to action” reminder to use sun protection at the time and point of sun exposure. The Sun Sound was trialed at two coastal communities in New South Wales, Australia, during summer 2009–2010. The media launch generated 17.6 million Australian audience impressions (advertising value A$257,785). Intercept surveys conducted with 467 youth aged 12–18 years found there was high unprompted recall (41%) and understanding (79%) of the Sun Sound message. The Sun Sound was found to be an effective cue to action in prompting sun protection behaviors when heard, with over a third (38%) of respondents reporting use of additional sun protection upon hearing the jingle. Since the pilot, the Sun Sound has expanded to over 60 pools, beaches, and selected venues across Australia. The campaign demonstrates it is possible to influence behavior by targeting audiences at the actual point that behavior occurs, using research-informed insights and a relevant marketing mix.
Correction for a Potentially Biased Item on the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale
Authors: Dean Pamela M. , Cerhan Jane H.
Published: October 2013

The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS) is a multidimensional cognitive measure popular with clinicians for its brevity, diagnostic validity, and utility in monitoring impairment severity. In spite of the test’s significant value, one task can cause discomfort because the patient is asked to name items the examiner is wearing. This task also creates possible cultural bias and standardization issues. We studied 102 MDRS profiles that included this item. Adjusted scores were calculated by giving all patients full credit for the apparel-naming item. The average adjustment was just one point, and the resulting dementia-severity ratings remained unchanged in 97% of the patients. These results show that administration of the item can be defensibly skipped if there is concern about its appropriateness with an individual patient. The adjusted scores provide a viable and fair alternative that preserves the psychometric properties of this useful instrument.
Implication of the Nutritional and Nonnutritional Factors in the Context of Preservation of Cognitive Performance in Patients With Dementia/Depression and Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Aliev Gjumrakch , Ashraf Ghulam Md , Kaminsky Yury G. , Sheikh Ishfaq Ahmed , Sudakov Sergey K. , Yakhno Nikolay N. , Benberin Valery V. , Bachurin Sergey O.
Published: October 2013

It has been postulated that Alzheimer disease (AD) is a systemic process, which involves multiple pathophysiological factors. A combination of pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacological interventions has been proposed to treat AD and other dementia. The nonpharmacological interventions include but are not limited to increasing sensory input through physical and mental activities, in order to modify cerebral blood flow and implementing nutritional interventions such as diet modification and vitamins and nutraceuticals therapy to vitalize brain functioning. This article highlights the recent research findings regarding novel treatment strategies aimed at modifying natural course of the disease and delaying cognitive decline through simultaneous implementation of pharmacological and nonpharmacological modulators as standardized treatment protocols.
Registration of Alzheimer’s Disease in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Wen-Fu , Chiu Pai-Yi , Lin Yu-Te , Hu Chaur-Jong , Fuh Jong-Ling , Yang Yuan-Han
Published: October 2013

Background:

To obtain updated data of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their informants in Taiwan with the aim of fostering and supporting collaborative research.

Methods:

In total, 691 patients with the diagnosis of AD were recruited at 6 sites in Taiwan. The Uniform Data Set (UDS; form A) was administrated.

Results:

The mean age of the patients with AD was 79.3 ± 7.7 years and the mean age of informants was 57.5 ± 13.7 years. In all, 69% of the informants lived with patients and 77% of patients lived with spouse, partner, or children; 11% had 1 sibling with dementia, 1.8% had 2 siblings with dementia, and 0.5% had 3 or more siblings with dementia.

Conclusion:

We have reported the updated status of AD in Taiwan through a UDS that will foster future collaboration among countries using UDS. The updated information of patients with AD and their informants will direct the future care of AD in Taiwan.
The Impact of Volunteer Mentoring Schemes on Carers of People With Dementia and Volunteer Mentors
Authors: Smith Raymond , Greenwood Nan
Published: October 2013

This systematic review aims to examine the differences and similarities between the various types of volunteer mentoring (befriending, mentoring and peer support) and to identify the benefits for carers and volunteers. Literature searching was performed using 8 electronic databases, gray literature, and reference list searching of relevant systematic reviews. Searches were carried out in January 2013. Four studies fitted the inclusion criteria, with 3 investigating peer support and 1 befriending for carers. Quantitative findings highlighted a weak but statistically significant ( P =.04) reduction in depression after 6 months of befriending. Qualitative findings highlighted the value carers placed on the volunteer mentors’ experiential similarity. Matching was not essential for the development of successful volunteer mentoring relationships. In conclusion, the lack of need for matching and the importance of experiential similarity deserve further investigation. However, this review highlights a lack of demonstrated efficacy of volunteer mentoring for carers of people with dementia.
The Bedford Alzheimer Nursing-Severity Scale to Assess Dementia Severity in Advanced Dementia
Authors: Galindo-Garre Francisca , Hendriks Simone A. , Volicer Ladislav , Smalbrugge Martin , Hertogh Cees M. P. M. , van der Steen Jenny T.
Published: October 2013

The Bedford Alzheimer Nursing-Severity Scale (BANS-S) assesses disease severity in patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease. Since Alzheimer is a progressive disease, studying the hierarchy of the items in the scale can be useful to evaluate the progression of the disease. Data from 164 Alzheimer's patients and 186 patients with other dementia were analyzed using the Mokken Scaling Methodology to determine whether respondents can be ordered in the trait dementia severity, and to study whether an ordering between the items exist. The scalability of the scale was evaluated by the H coefficient. Results showed that the BANS-S is a reliable and medium scale (0.4≤H<0.5) for the Alzheimer group. All items with the exception of the item about mobility could be ordered. When later item was eliminated from the scale, the H coefficient decreased indicating that the scalability of the scale in the original form is more accurate than in the shorter version. For the other dementia group, the BANS-S did not fit any of the Mokken Scaling models because the scale was not unidimensional. In this group, a shorter version of the scale without the sleeping cycle item and the mobility item has better reliability and scalability properties than the original scale.
Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention in a Case of Self-Mutilation
Authors: King Paul R.
Published: October 2013

Self-injurious behaviors are common among clinical populations, and have been associated with mood disturbance, personality pathology, and trauma histories. Such behaviors often serve to displace emotional pain, produce physical or emotional sensations, or call for attention from others. Genital self-mutilation in particular is a statistically rare phenomenon that is typically associated with psychosis, extreme religious practices, or unsophisticated attempts at sexual reassignment. The present report describes a unique case of genital self-mutilation in a nonpsychotic individual with history of chronic depression, hypersexuality, and sexual masochism. Treatment consisted of a series of 10 individual therapy sessions that used cognitive-behavioral and dialectical-behavioral techniques to reduce the frequency and severity of self-injurious behaviors, to increase distress tolerance skills, and to implement and maintain a healthy pleasurable activity schedule.
Family-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for a Preschooler With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Labouliere Christa D. , Arnold Elysse B. , Storch Eric A. , Lewin Adam B.
Published: October 2013

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention is known to be effective in the treatment of older youth (8-17) and adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, very little is known about the effectiveness of these procedures during early childhood. As such, this case describes the application of a modularized family-based CBT approach focusing on exposure, differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO), and reductions in family accommodation with a preschool boy with a primary diagnosis of OCD. Following 12 consecutive family sessions over 6 weeks, “Charley,” a 4-year-old Caucasian male, showed substantial reductions in OCD symptomatology. Charley’s parents also reported improvements in oppositionality, peer functioning with siblings and at preschool, and in the parent–child relationship. All improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. These results provide preliminary support that CBT incorporating exposure, DRO, behavioral parent training, and reductions in family accommodation may be effective for preschoolers with OCD.
Acceptability of HPV Vaccine for Males and Preferences for Future Education Programs Among Appalachian Residents
Authors: Reiter Paul L. , Oldach Benjamin R. , Randle Katherine E. , Katz Mira L.
Published: October 2013

Appalachia is a geographic region with several disparities related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, yet little is known about acceptability of HPV vaccine for males among Appalachian residents. HPV vaccine acceptability and preferences for future HPV vaccine education programs were examined among residents of Appalachian Ohio. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted with Appalachian Ohio residents between July and October 2011. Participants ( n = 102 from 24 focus groups and 5 in-depth interviews) included four key stakeholder groups: health care providers, community leaders, parents with adolescent sons, and young adult men ages 18 to 26 years. Support for vaccinating males against HPV was high among participants, despite low awareness and knowledge about HPV vaccine for males. Participants reported three categories of potential barriers to vaccinating males against HPV: concerns about vaccine safety and side effects, access to care and vaccination logistics, and gender and cultural issues. Participants reported that HPV vaccine was viewed as being only for females in their communities and that receiving the vaccine may be emasculating or embarrassing to males. Participants suggested that future HPV vaccine education programs mainly target parents, include basic information about HPV-related diseases and HPV vaccine (e.g., number of doses, cost), and present the vaccine as having the potential to prevent cancer (as opposed to preventing genital warts). Acceptability of HPV vaccine for males was high among residents of Appalachian Ohio. Future HPV vaccine education programs in Appalachia should address common potential barriers to vaccination and help destigmatize vaccination among males.
The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network Data Share project: Website design, usage, challenges, and future directions
Authors: Shmueli-Blumberg Dikla , Hu Lian , Allen Colleen , Frasketi Michael , Wu Li-Tzy , VanVeldhuisen Paul
Published: October 2013

Background

There are many benefits of data sharing, including the promotion of new research from effective use of existing data, replication of findings through re-analysis of pooled data files, meta-analysis using individual patient data, and reinforcement of open scientific inquiry. A randomized controlled trial is considered as the ‘gold standard’ for establishing treatment effectiveness, but clinical trial research is very costly, and sharing data is an opportunity to expand the investment of the clinical trial beyond its original goals at minimal costs.

Purpose

We describe the goals, developments, and usage of the Data Share website ( http://www.ctndatashare.org ) for the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) in the United States, including lessons learned, limitations, and major revisions, and considerations for future directions to improve data sharing.

Methods

Data management and programming procedures were conducted to produce uniform and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant de-identified research data files from the completed trials of the CTN for archiving, managing, and sharing on the Data Share website.

Results

Since its inception in 2006 and through October 2012, nearly 1700 downloads from 27 clinical trials have been accessed from the Data Share website, with the use increasing over the years. Individuals from 31 countries have downloaded data from the website, and there have been at least 13 publications derived from analyzing data through the public Data Share website.

Limitations

Minimal control over data requests and usage has resulted in little information and lack of control regarding how the data from the website are used. Lack of uniformity in data elements collected across CTN trials has limited cross-study analyses.

Conclusions

The Data Share website offers researchers easy access to de-identified data files with the goal to promote additional research and identify new findings from completed CTN studies. To maximize the utility of the website, ongoing collaborative efforts are needed to standardize the core measures used for data collection in the CTN studies with the goal to increase their comparability and to facilitate the ability to pool data files for cross-study analyses.
Support and challenge for school leaders
Authors: Swaffield Sue
Published: October 2013

For three years from 2008 every school in England had a designated school improvement partner (SIP), portrayed as a critical friend, whose role was to support and challenge the headteacher. A mixed-methods study involving a national survey and face-to-face interviews evaluated the enactment of the national policy from the perspective of the direct recipients – the headteachers/school principals. Headteachers’ perceptions of their school improvement partners, and their experiences of the support and challenge provided by SIPs, varied. Much seemed to depend on individual SIP’s expertise and conduct. The SIPs’ prescribed agenda was seen as too focused on data rather than discussions about learning and teaching, and requirements for SIPs to report to the local authority and governors were in tension with trustful relationships with headteachers. The SIP programme could be interpreted as a commitment to the entitlement of headteachers to support and challenge, or as a mechanism for surveillance and discipline. Lessons are drawn for the ‘national’ and ‘local leaders of education’ who have replaced SIPs, and for anyone internationally concerned with support and challenge for school principals.
Educational Leaders’ Doctoral Research That Informed Strategies to Steer Their Organizations Towards Cultural Alignment
Authors: Taysum Alison
Published: October 2013

This research generates new knowledge about how 24 educational leaders in the USA and England used their doctoral research to build narrative capital to inform strategies to steer their organizations towards cultural alignment. Cultural alignment prevents forms of segregation rooted in nation-states’ wider historiography of education segregation based on low income and/or racial, cultural and linguistic diversity, and those recognized as having special educational needs. The evidence reveals doctoral study enabled the leaders to focus on the inner life and the emotional relational dimension of their narratives, and their alignment with the narrative of the members of their organizations through building networks of organizational participation in processes and practices. The networks enabled values to be shared such as trust, respect, agreeing to disagree and celebrating diversity. Thus doctoral research enabled the leaders to provide chances for members of the organization to evaluate their personal and professional narratives with each other and build narrative capital. Narrative capital is essential to underpin the construction of new life narratives that move beyond old descriptive scripts to scripts that turn dreams into objective realities, social mobility and civic engagement. Further research is recommended to explore how networks of participation in organizational processes and practices for cultural alignment are described and understood by leaders, educational professionals and students.
In search of leadership: what happened to management?
Authors: Mertkan Sefika
Published: October 2013

Significant changes have taken place in the governance of education systems around the world. Shifts in education policy have led to a focus towards reform through leadership development and away from school management analysis. This shift in policy from management to leadership has fostered a large number of academic studies presenting a universal and decontextualised leadership discourse, which dominates the field of education research to the detriment of issues of school management and head teachers’ capacity to manage schools. This paper examines the domain of headship in the context of North Cyprus. Through the perspectives of head teachers and policy makers, it demonstrates that within the North Cyprus context, leadership, as defined in the dominant discourse, is not yet possible, and management is both difficult and sometimes inadequate. Findings suggest that there is a strong relationship between school leadership and management practices. The context within which head teachers operate influences their leadership and management practices and capacity development.
Organizational culture and instructional innovations in higher education
Authors: Zhu Chang , Engels Nadine
Published: October 2013

This study examines teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the organizational culture of their universities and their views about and reactions to instructional innovations with regard to student-centred learning, collaborative learning and use of innovative educational technologies. Six Chinese universities were involved and in total 1051 students and teachers participated in a survey study. The results show that features of organizational culture affect students’ and teachers’ perceived need for innovation, their views about innovative approaches to instruction, responsiveness to instructional innovations and the perceived implementation level of educational innovations. In addition, differences among teachers and students and among the institutions were examined and discussed.
What matters to principals when they evaluate teachers? Evidence from Cyprus
Authors: Orphanos Stelios
Published: October 2013

Teacher evaluation conducted by school principals is a common worldwide practice. However, there are many reservations about principals’ ability to evaluate teachers reliably. Reservations appearing in the literature include inflated ratings, minimal discrimination of teacher quality, and evaluations influenced by factors irrelevant to teacher effectiveness. This article examines whether principals can distinguish effective and ineffective teachers and whether principals can identify the teacher, principal and school characteristics influencing principals’ evaluations of teacher effectiveness. The sample consists of 80 school principals; data were collected from principals and teachers, combined with a database of teachers’ academic performance as students in a teacher preparation program. Principals rated teachers on a number of dimensions, and data were analyzed with multiple regression techniques. Results suggest that principal ratings contain enough discriminating ability both within teachers and within dimensions of teacher effectiveness. Factors irrelevant to teacher effectiveness do not influence ratings of teachers. Results also demonstrate greater principal involvement in teacher evaluations, especially in educational systems where their role is limited.
Impact of a diabetes control and management intervention on health care utilization in American Samoa
Authors: Hamid Sarah , Dunsiger Shira , Seiden Andrew , Nu'usolia Ofeira , Tuitele John , DePue Judith D , McGarvey Stephen T
Published: October 2013

Objectives

To examine the impact of a successful 12-month behavioral intervention to improve diabetes control on health care utilization in American Samoa.

Methods

A cluster-randomized design was used to assign 268 diabetes patients to a nurse-community health worker intervention or usual care. Hospitalizations, emergency department, and primary care physician visits were collected retrospectively for 1 year prior to, and during, the intervention to assess changes in health care utilization. The association of utilization changes with change in HbA1c during the intervention was assessed.

Results

Adjusted incidence rate ratios (RR) for primary care physician visits were significantly higher in the community health worker relative to the usual care group (RR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.25–2.33). There was no main intervention effect on emergency department utilization, but visits in the prior year modified the intervention effect on emergency department visits. Increased primary care physician utilization was associated with greater decreases in HbA1c ( b = −0.10, SE = 0.04, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

A culturally adapted community health worker diabetes intervention in American Samoa significantly increased primary care physician visits, and decreased emergency department visits among those with high emergency department usage in the prior year. These changes suggest important and beneficial impacts on health system utilization from the diabetes intervention in a low resource and high-risk population.
Rehabilitation, risk management and prisoners’ rights
Authors: Genders Elaine , Player Elaine
Published: October 2013

The expansion of prison treatment programmes for personality disordered offenders as part of the ‘Rehabilitation Revolution’ in England and Wales raises significant questions about the ways in which inherent concepts of risks, rights and rehabilitation are selectively perceived and employed. Current policy supports rehabilitative opportunities that address the risks offenders pose to the public, yet remains inattentive to the risk of harm that rehabilitative programmes can pose to offenders. Examination of the risk of personal harm intrinsic to one rehabilitative intervention for personality disordered prisoners – the democratic therapeutic community – illustrates how the selective acknowledgement of human rights in contemporary penal policy, whereby prisoners’ rights are routinely tied to a status of less eligibility, has important consequences that both undermine the integrity of programme delivery and seriously jeopardize the positive duties that are inherent in the duty of care owed to prisoners by the State.
Improving end-of-life care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Sorenson Helen M.
Published: October 2013

The provision and awareness of the need for end-of-life care has expanded greatly in the past decade. The burgeoning older adult population is obviously a factor in the growth of both hospice and palliative care organizations. Additionally, public awareness and healthcare literacy campaigns have called attention to the plight of those dying in pain. Healthcare professionals have stepped up their initiatives to educate both the patient and family members about the options available to them at the end of life, however many patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) still do not receive adequate palliation of symptoms. This article will highlight some of the issues related to end-of-life care for individuals diagnosed with COPD and offer suggestions on how better care can be implemented.
Distribution of breast cancer subtypes among Jordanian women and correlation with histopathological grade: molecular subclassification study
Authors: Shomaf Maha , Masad Jamal , Najjar Saleh , Faydi Dana
Published: October 2013

Objective

To evaluate the hormone receptor status and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu gene expression among Jordanian women with breast cancer. To classify our patients into molecular subtypes and to correlate the results with age of the patients and tumour grade.

Design

Evaluation of estrogen receptor (ER), PR and HER2/neu was done by standard immunohistochemical technique and subclassification into molecular subtypes.

Setting

Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan.

Participants

One hundred and ninety-three cases of breast cancer diagnosed at Jordan University Hospital.

Main outcome measures

Molecular subtypes of breast cancer, age and tumour grade.

Results

All the cases were divided into two groups: the young age group less or equal 50 years of age and the older age group more than 50 years of age. The cases were subclassified into luminal A, luminal B, basal cell like (BCL) and Her2/neu+. In older age group, the most common subtype was luminal A (72%). In this age group, most of the cases (48%) were of grade II. In younger age group, 47% of the cases were of luminal A subclass. In this age group, 42% were of grade I.

Conclusions

Molecular subtyping of breast cancer is an essential predicting factor of tumour response to hormonal therapy. This fact puts increased stress on the urgent need for the development of reliable and reproducible classification systems.