bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assimilation and Health Service Utilization of Korean Immigrant Women
Authors: Son Juyeon
Published: October 2013

In this case study, I present descriptive findings with regard to immigrant incorporation and health service utilization. Using focus groups and survey of Korean immigrant women in Wisconsin, I examine whether the ways in which they adapt to the U.S. society is relevant to their health services utilization and the alternatives they seek when available health services are less than satisfactory. The findings suggest that adherence to Korean identity appears to be associated with health service utilization. This is evident in the immigrants’ evaluation of the U.S. health services as compared to those of Korea, and the consideration given by these immigrants to seeking health services in Korea instead of the United States. Such concerns on the part of these immigrants have important implications for health researchers, as they highlight the significance of immigrants’ transnational experiences and their sense of personal agency in the use of health care.
Exploring the Social and Community Context of African American Adolescents’ HIV Vulnerability
Authors: Woods-Jaeger Briana A. , Sparks Alicia , Turner Kea , Griffith Turquoise , Jackson Melvin , Lightfoot Alexandra F.
Published: October 2013

There is an increasing call for HIV prevention programs that target social determinants of HIV. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of 12 African American adolescents to identify important social and community targets for HIV prevention. We used photovoice methodology to engage adolescents in a critical analysis of their experiences to arrive at a deeper understanding of the social determinants of HIV and determine specific action steps to reduce HIV risk. Analyses revealed a variety of social and environmental factors that affect the lives of African American adolescents by creating conditions that put them at greater risk for HIV. Study findings support mobilizing community action through raising awareness and advocating for increased neighborhood resources and institutional support. We conclude with research and practice implications for community-relevant HIV prevention among African American youth.
Attitudes and Preferences of Young Women With Low and High Fear of Childbirth
Authors: Stoll Kathrin , Hall Wendy A.
Published: October 2013

We examined constructions of labor and birth for 461 Canadian women who attended the University of British Columbia (Canada) and participated in an online survey about pregnancy and birth, using a combination of Likert items and open-ended questions. We performed a content analysis of women’s open-ended responses about their feelings toward birth and analyzed comments of women with high and low fear of childbirth separately. Students with high fear of birth described childbirth as a frightening and painful ordeal and viewed obstetric interventions as a means to make labor and birth more manageable. Students with low fear constructed birth as a natural event and regarded interventions more critically. Students in both groups supported women’s autonomous maternity care decisions. Our findings contribute to care providers’ and educators’ knowledge about preferences and fears expressed by the next generation of maternity care consumers and potential strategies to reduce their fear of childbirth.
Xtranormal Learning for Millennials
Authors: Stratton Micheal T. , Julien Mark
Published: October 2013

Encouraging students to actively engage with course material is an ongoing challenge for many management educators. One common tactic is to use various technologies that allow tech-savvy Millennial Generation students to take a more active role in their learning. In this article, we describe an innovative group project that challenges students to integrate Xtranormal (text-to-video software) into a role-play exercise. This project was incorporated into undergraduate human resource management courses at two universities. Qualitative self-report student learning data were collected over the course of three semesters from 210 students. The data offer insights into why and how this project excited the students and positively affected their perceptions about designing and evaluating a training session, applying training concepts, and demonstrating other human resource management concepts. We found that providing students an opportunity to use Xtranormal resulted in a number of learning outcomes, including creative freedom that enhanced engagement with the material, greater understanding and application of concepts, and training method and design competency, among others.
Measuring Perceptions of Engagement in Teamwork in Youth Development Programs
Authors: Cater Melissa , Jones Kimberly Y.
Published: October 2013

The literature regarding teamwork has supported the idea that the key to improving team performance is to understand team processes. Early work within the realm of teamwork focused on quantifiable measures of team performance, like number of products developed. The measure of a successful team hinged on whether or not the team accomplished the end task. In more recent years, the focus has shifted to other measures of team functioning such as communication, problem solving, decision making, planning and task coordination, goal setting, and conflict resolution. The purpose of this study is to report the development and construct validity of an instrument to measure perceptions of engagement in teamwork among middle school aged youth.
Summer Migrant Students Learn Healthy Choices Through Videography
Authors: Kilanowski Jill F. , Lin Li
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this single-group pre- and posttest intervention pilot study was to teach middle school migrant farmworker children the benefits of healthy eating and activity using a multimedia and ethnic-tailored health curriculum, embedded in a 7-week summer Migrant Education Program. Conceptual frameworks were from transcultural nursing, education, and child development. Student-made video productions enhanced classroom learning and content retention. Outcomes were health infomercials, body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, muscle strength and flexibility, and We Can! and Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) surveys. Sixty-four students were enrolled (girls n = 31, boys n = 33), 96% Latino, and 65% were overweight or obese. Students had significant improvement in 12 knowledge and attitudes measures with significant gender differences in 11 measures. Although not statistically significant, trends toward healthier weight were seen. Five student infomercials were produced. The school environment effectively delivered health promotion to migrant children and will serve as a prototype for middle school health interventions.
Comparison of Medical Costs of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Unsuitable for Warfarin Treatment With Apixaban or Aspirin Based on AVERROES Trial
Authors: Amin Alpesh , Deitelzweig Steve , Jing Yonghua , Makenbaeva Dinara , Wiederkehr Daniel , Lin Jay , Graham John
Published: October 2013

Background:

The AVERROES trial name is the following: The Apixaban Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) to Prevent Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Who Have Failed or Are Unsuitable for Vitamin K Antagonist Treatment (AVERROES) trial demonstrated that apixaban reduced the risk of stroke relative to aspirin, without significantly increasing major bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) considered unsuitable for warfarin therapy. Based on AVERROES trial results, this study compared the medical costs for clinical end points among patients with AF treated with either apixaban or aspirin.

Methods:

Medical costs per patient-year for clinical events were determined. Based on clinical event rates for patients in the AVERROES trial, medical costs excluding drug costs were estimated for apixaban- and aspirin-treated patient groups.

Results and Conclusions:

Based on AVERROES trial results, among patients with AF unsuitable for warfarin therapy, apixaban use was estimated to be associated with a mean medical cost avoidance of US$735 in a patient-year relative to aspirin. The primary driver was the significant reduction in ischemic stroke rate. The medical cost reduction associated with apixaban use was consistent in sensitivity analyses.
Investigating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Linear Asset Management
Authors: Mwakalonge Judith L. , Perkins Judy A. , Jones Erick C.
Published: October 2013

Linear assets including roads, pipelines, and railroad tracks are defined assets whose lengths play a critical role in their maintenance. Linear assets, along with their features, which include traffic lights, number of lanes, speed limits, guardrails, and highway billboards, are hard to physically access and, therefore, update inventory information files that were previously captured. To address this problem, some transportation agencies are investigating technologies that will assist in solving this asset inventory problem. The primary focus of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology as a means of gathering, verifying, and storing information for linear assets. The study investigates confluence factors that affect the performance of RFID. The factors investigated include driving speed and tag location on signposts, delineators, and guardrails. The results indicate that for the three vehicle speeds tested (10 mph, 20 mph, 30 mph), tag readability decreased with an increase in speed.
Predictors and dynamics of postpartum relapses in women with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Hughes Stella E , Spelman Tim , Gray Orla M , Boz Cavit , Trojano Maria , Lugaresi Alessandra , Izquierdo Guillermo , Duquette Pierre , Girard Marc , Grand’Maison Francois , Grammond Pierre , Oreja-Guevara Celia , Hupperts Raymond , Bergamaschi Roberto , Giuliani Giorgio , Lechner-Scott Jeannette , Barnett Michael , Edite Rio Maria , van Pesch Vincent , Amato Maria Pia , Iuliano Gerardo , Slee Mark , Verheul Freek , Cristiano Edgardo , Fernández-Bolaños Ricardo , Poehlau Dieter , Saladino Maria Laura , Deri Norma , Cabrera-Gomez Jose , Vella Norbert , Herbert Joseph , Skromne Eli , Savino Aldo , Shaw Cameron , Moore Fraser , Vucic Steve , Petkovska-Boskova Tatjana , McDonnell Gavin , Hawkins Stanley , Kee Frank , Butzkueven Helmut ,   for the MSBase study group, Paolicelli Damiano , Lucchese Guglielmo , Iaffaldano Pietro , Zwanikken Cees , De Luca Giovanna , Di Tommaso Valeria , Travaglini Daniela , Pietrolongo Erika , di Ioia Maria , Farina Deborah , Mancinelli Luca , Marriott Mark , Kilpatrick Trevor , King John , van der Walt Anneke , Skibina Olga , Haartsen Jodi , Chamorro Beatriz , Petersen Thor , Cartechini Elisabetta , Pucci Eugenio , William David , Dark Lisa , Fiol Marcela , Correale Jorge , Ysrraelit Celica , Den Braber-Moerland Leontien , Jaacks Gonzalo , Laffue Alfredo , Fernanda Páez María , Muñoz Daniel , Oleschko Arruda Walter , Paine Mark , Vella Malcolm , Vetere Santiago
Published: October 2013

Background:

Several studies have shown that pregnancy reduces multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses, which increase in the early postpartum period. Postpartum relapse risk has been predicted by pre-pregnancy disease activity in some studies.

Objective:

To re-examine effect of pregnancy on relapses using the large international MSBase Registry, examining predictors of early postpartum relapse.

Methods:

An observational case–control study was performed including pregnancies post-MS onset. Annualised relapse rate (ARR) and median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores were compared for the 24 months pre-conception, pregnancy and 24 months postpartum periods. Clustered logistic regression was used to investigate predictors of early postpartum relapses.

Results:

The study included 893 pregnancies in 674 females with MS. ARR (standard error) pre-pregnancy was 0.32 (0.02), which fell to 0.13 (0.03) in the third trimester and rose to 0.61 (0.06) in the first three months postpartum. Median EDSS remained unchanged. Pre-conception ARR and disease-modifying treatment (DMT) predicted early postpartum relapse in a multivariable model.

Conclusion:

Results confirm a favourable effect on relapses as pregnancy proceeds, and an early postpartum peak. Pre-conception DMT exposure and low ARR were independently protective against postpartum relapse. This novel finding could provide clinicians with a strategy to minimise postpartum relapse risk in women with MS planning pregnancy.
The interaction between smoking and Epstein-Barr virus as multiple sclerosis risk factors may depend on age
Authors: Salzer Jonatan , Stenlund Hans , Sundström Peter
Published: October 2013

The multiple sclerosis (MS) risk factors smoking and remote Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection have been suggested to interact statistically, but the results are conflicting. In a prospective study on 192 MS cases and 384 matched controls, we analysed levels of cotinine as a marker of smoke exposure, and Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen-1 antibody reactivity. We assessed interaction on the additive and multiplicative scales, and estimated the effects of the risk factors across strata of each other. The results suggest that a negative interaction may be present in samples drawn at a young age, and a positive interaction among older subjects.
Affect, Excess and Cybernetic Modification in Science Fiction Fantasy TV Series Farscape
Authors: Chaffey Lucian
Published: October 2013

Responding to the co-production of screen seriality and human subjectivity within contemporary machine cultures and economies of excess, this article examines televisual affect and proposes concepts that address the languages, components and processes of particular televisual subjectivities. Discussions focus on science fiction fantasy series Farscape – a space odyssey fascinated with biotechnological evolution and mutative consciousness. This article aims to invigorate and extend the critical analysis of contemporary televisual affect, taking up questions and methodologies from Félix Guattari’s machinic ontology and Georges Bataille’s formulation of a sacrificial economy to address the conditions of consumption–production relevant to television today.
Making Sense of Domestic Warmth
Authors: Vannini Phillip , Taggart Jonathan
Published: October 2013

Drawing from ethnographic research conducted in Alberta, as well as across multiple sites in Canada, this article describes and discusses the practices and experiences of heating off the grid with renewable resources (i.e. passive solar and wood). Heating with renewable resources is herein examined in order to apprehend the cultural significance of dynamics of corporeal involvement in the process of creating indoor warmth. A distinction between energy for which corporeal involvement is relatively high (hot energy) and relatively low (cool energy) is then made. Off-grid indoor warmth is therefore understood as a hot energy requiring intense involvement. The authors argue that thermoception is a type of affect with catalytic properties.
Homines in Extremis: What Fighting Scholars Teach Us about Habitus
Authors: Wacquant Loïc
Published: October 2013

I use the collection of “carnal ethnographies” of martial arts and combat sports assembled by Raul Sanchez and Dale Spencer under the title Fighting Scholars to spotlight the fruitfulness of deploying habitus as both empirical object ( explanandum) and method of inquiry ( modus cognitionis). The incarnate study of incarnation supports five propositions that clear up tenacious misconceptions about habitus and bolster Bourdieu’s dispositional theory of action: (1) far from being a “black box,” habitus is fully amenable to empirical inquiry; (2) the distinction between primary (generic) and secondary (specific) habitus enables us to capture the malleability of dispositions; (3) habitus is composed of cognitive, conative and affective elements: categories, skills, and desires; (4) habitus allows us to turn carnality from problem to resource for the production of sociological knowledge; and (5) thus to realize that all social agents are, like martial artists, suffering beings collectively engaged in embodied activities staged inside circles of shared commitments.
Embodied Relationality and Caring after Death
Authors: McCarthy Jane Ribbens , Prokhovnik Raia
Published: October 2013

We explore contested meanings around care and relationality through the under-explored case of caring after death, throwing the relational significance of ‘bodies’ into sharp relief. While the dominant social imaginary and forms of knowledge production in many affluent western societies take death to signify an absolute loss of the other in the demise of their physical body, important implications follow from recognising that embodied relational experience can continue after death. Drawing on a model of embodied relational care encompassing a ‘me’, a ‘you’ and an ‘us’, we argue that after death ‘me’ and ‘us’ remain (though changed) while crucial dimensions of ‘you’ persist too. In unravelling the binary divide between living and dead bodies, other related dichotomies of mind/body, self/other, internal/external, and nature/social are also called into question, extending debates concerning relationality and openness between living bodies. Through an exploration of autobiographical accounts and empirical research, we argue that embodied relationality expresses how connectedness is lived out after death in material practices and felt experiences.
Having an Anthropocene Body
Authors: Mackenzie Adrian
Published: October 2013

What does it mean to have an Anthropocene body? The Anthropocene period is putatively defined by flows of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives (fuels, plastics, fertilizers, etc.), and the very term ‘Anthropocene’ suggests an increasing awareness of the finitude and contingency of contemporary corporealities. This article explores the idea of modelling an Anthropocene body as a living/non-living metabolic process. While identifying bodies with molecules raises a host of problems, metabolism and hydrocarbon biomolecules display a gamut of forms of possession and ways of having a body. Conversion between living and non-living forms of possession can be traced in contemporary genomic science and particularly in synthetic biology as they engineer microbes to produce next-generation biofuels. In contrast to fossil fuels, these fuels derive from genomically re-engineered microbes that digest biomass or photosynthesize to produce hydrocarbons. The problematic contemporary production of these fuels might help us to articulate what it means to have a body as a metabolic manifold of living and non-living forms of possession.
The Biopolitics of Masturbation: Masculinity, Complexity, and Security
Authors: Garlick Steve
Published: October 2013

Masturbation is a neglected topic in debates around biopower and biopolitics. This article takes Michel Foucault’s recasting of the idea of a regulatory, population-level form of biopower in terms of ‘mechanisms of security’ as its starting point for an investigation into the ways in which bodies enter into and are reshaped by biopolitical discourses on masturbation. While the notion of security faded from view in favour of Foucault’s better known focus on governmentality, this article argues that there is value in recovering the concept of security in the context of a genealogy of modern bodies. Specifically, it explores the possibility that a biopolitical perspective on security operates not only above, but also below the disciplining of individual masturbating bodies. The article proceeds, initially, via an examination of contemporary studies of masturbation, arguing that they largely neglect the material dynamism of bodies. The main focus, however, is on rereading some of the key works in the historical anti-masturbation literature from a complexity perspective. It is shown that these texts engage with a ‘population’ of vital forces and affects that must be regulated if life is to remain secure, and which circulate below the level of individual bodies in relation to a complex milieu. Finally, the article claims that men’s bodies appear as crucial sites of biopolitics, and that normative forms of masculinity can be regarded as interventions into embodiment that are designed to nullify or regulate complexity.
Where Bodies End and Artefacts Begin
Authors: Black Daniel
Published: October 2013

Our use of artefacts has at different moments been characterised as either replacing or impoverishing our natural human capacities, or a key part of our humanity. This article critically evaluates the conception of the natural invoked by both accounts, and highlights the degree to which engagement with material features of the environment is fundamental to all living things, the closeness of this engagement making any account that seeks to draw a clear boundary between body and artefact problematic. By doing this I seek to clarify the nature of our embodied relationship with various kinds of artefacts; moving from tools to machines to digital interfaces, I consider their differing potentials to be gathered into the body schema, and thus change our embodied horizons of perception and action. While much research currently seeks to facilitate a more ‘natural’ mode of interacting with technology, I argue that such a mode of interaction does not exist outside the particularity of our relationships with specific objects. As a result, rather than trying to cater to supposedly more natural modes of action and perception, future technologies should aim to enrich our experience with new modes, inviting novel relationships that produce new kinds of sensory and other experience.
Learning English in the periphery: A view from Myanmar (Burma)
Authors: Tin Tan Bee
Published: October 2013

Although researchers have called for the investigation of local vernacular learning and teaching practices in various ELT (English language teaching) contexts, studies conducted in the Periphery are fewer in number. This study attempts to understand English learning experiences of a group of students from the Periphery, who were studying English at a private seminary for Christian Karens in Myanmar. It adopts an ethnographic approach, observing students’ behaviour in the classroom environment and capturing their learning experiences as they participate in the various English classes. Students were invited to regularly record their feelings and reactions in Burmese during their English lessons. Interviews were also conducted in Burmese with selected students. The data analysis employed corpus linguistic software to capture frequent wordings and co-occurrence of particular patterns in students’ comments about the English class. These reflect the view of knowledge and learning of English into which Burmese students might have been socialized. The students’ comments suggest a positive, beneficial and consequential view of English language learning as opposed to the utilitarian view widespread in many discussions of ELT. The findings invite rethinking of many ideas about ELT, especially with regard to a peripheral context.
Longitudinal change in the use of services in autism spectrum disorder: Understanding the role of child characteristics, family demographics, and parent cognitions
Authors: Siller Michael , Reyes Nuri , Hotez Emily , Hutman Ted , Sigman Marian
Published: October 2013

The aim of this study was to identify child characteristics, family demographics, and parent cognitions that may affect access to early intervention, special education, and related services. The sample included 70 families of young children with autism spectrum disorders. All parents were enrolled in a short education program, providing them with basic information and resources on advocating for a young child with autism spectrum disorders (Parent Advocacy Coaching). Longitudinal change in children’s intervention program in the community was evaluated over a period of about 27 months, starting 12 months prior to enrollment in Parent Advocacy Coaching. Results revealed large individual differences in the intensity of children’s individual and school-based services. Despite this variability, only two child characteristics (age, gender) emerged as independent predictors. In contrast, the intensity of children’s intervention programs was independently predicted by a broad range of demographic characteristics, including parental education, child ethnicity and race, and family composition. Finally, even after child characteristics and family demographics were statistically controlled, results revealed associations between specific parental cognitions (parenting efficacy, understanding of child development) and the subsequent rate of change in the intensity of children’s intervention programs. Implications for improving educational programs that aim to enhance parent advocacy are discussed.
Predicting treatment success in social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: The UCLA Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills
Authors: Chang Ya-Chih , Laugeson Elizabeth A , Gantman Alexander , Ellingsen Ruth , Frankel Fred , Dillon Ashley R
Published: October 2013

This study seeks to examine the predictors of positive social skills outcomes from the University of California, Los Angeles Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills, an evidence-based parent-assisted social skills program for high-functioning middle school and high school adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. The results revealed that adolescents with higher parent-reported baseline social skills and lower self-reported perceived social functioning demonstrated greater improvement in social skills following the intervention.
Prevalence of suicide ideation and attempts among Black Americans in later life
Authors: Joe Sean , Ford Briggett C. , Taylor Robert Joseph , Chatters Linda M.
Published: October 2013

This article provides the first national estimates of the prevalence and correlates of nonfatal suicidal behavior among older Black Americans. There is a lack of national data on suicide ideation and attempts across ethnic classifications of Blacks in a nationally representative sample. Data are a subsample from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), a national U.S. adult household probability sample of 5,191 Black Americans. The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to assess older Blacks for nonfatal suicidal behavior and 14 DSM-IV disorders. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to delineate patterns and correlates of nonfatal suicidal behavior. The estimated lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among older Blacks in the United States was 6.1% and 2.1%, respectively. On an average it took 2.5 and 5.7 years respectively to go from ideation to attempts or from planning to attempts. Surprisingly, among older Black adults, men reported attempting suicide and seriously consider taking their own lives more than women. Older Blacks at higher risk for suicide attempts were middle aged, had poorer health, were anxious, and had multiple DSM-IV disorders. The results also show that approximately 1 in 4 attempters and 2 in 5 ideators have never sought treatment for their emotional or psychological problems. Preventative care, particularly screening in primary care settings, should consider these findings when treating older Black Americans for psychiatric-related risk.
The validation of a social functioning questionnaire in an African postconflict context
Authors: Verduin Femke , Scholte Willem F. , Rutayisire Theoneste , Busschers Wim B. , Stronks Karien
Published: October 2013

This study evaluated the reliability and criterion validity of the Byumba Social Functioning Questionnaire (BSFQ), an instrument to measure social functioning in Rwanda. The instrument was locally composed in concordance with a well-described method for culture-specific and sex-specific function assessment. Respondents in a Northern Province of Rwanda ( N = 393) were assessed with the BSFQ and a 19-item scale (SF-19) drawn from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36). The BSFQ’s internal consistency was just acceptable for women but poor for men, while the SF-19 had good to excellent internal consisteny. BSFQ total scores showed a strong floor effect, while the SF-19 showed more variation in total score distribution. The BSFQ did not perform as well as we expected, and appears not to be suitable for measuring social functioning in the study context. This outcome seems to reflect the conceptualization of social functioning used in constructing the BSFQ. Implications for the development of culture-specific measures of functional status are discussed.
The Kurdish movement’s EU policy in Turkey: An analysis of a dissident ethnic bloc’s foreign policy
Authors: Balci Ali
Published: October 2013

This study aims to address a historical paradox: how can we understand the Kurdish movement’s EU policy in the two decades subsequent to the end of the Cold War? I argue that the Kurdish movement has pursued two different approaches towards the EU (or Turkey’s EU membership bid) in the last two decades. While the Kurdish movement adopted a pro-EU stance from the beginning of the 1990s until 2005, it situated itself in an in-between position towards the EU after that year. In the analysis of these two different periods, I will interrogate the role of the international system, the domestic setting, identity/difference and the relations of power in the Kurdish movement’s EU policy .
Comfort, identity and fashion in the post-socialist city: Materialities, assemblages and context
Authors: Jayne Mark , Ferenčuhová Slavomíra
Published: October 2013

This paper works at the intersection of three bodies of writing: theories relating to fashion, identity and the city; debate relating to urban materialities, assemblages and context; and cultural interventions advancing the study of post-socialism. Drawing on empirical research undertaken in Bratislava, Slovakia, we unpack a blurring of public and private space expressed through clothing. In contrast to elsewhere in the city, in Petržalka, a high-rise housing estate from the socialist period, widely depicted as anonymous and hostile since 1989, residents are renowned for wearing ‘comfortable’ clothes in order to ‘feel at home’ in public space. We describe the relationship between fashion, identity and comfort as an everyday ‘political’ response to state socialism and later the emergence of consumer capitalism. We argue, however, that by considering materialities, assemblages and context that studies of fashion and consumer culture can offer more complex political, economic, social, cultural and spatial analysis. To that end, we show how personal and collective consumption bound up with comfort and city life can be understood with reference to changing temporal and spatial imaginaries and experiences of claiming a material ‘right to the city’.
Making practice theory practicable: Towards more sustainable forms of consumption
Authors: Sahakian Marlyne , Wilhite Harold
Published: October 2013

In recent years, there has been growing interest in applying social practice theory to theorizing consumption, specifically in relation to transforming practices that have problematic environmental impacts. In this paper, we address the questions: how do changes in practices occur, and what are the levers for influencing change towards more sustainable consumption practices? We argue that a view of agency distributed across people, things and social contexts is fruitful. We also explore learning through membership in communities of practice, where people are involved in experiments with or exposure to new practices. We relate three case studies in the arena of food consumption practices then discuss the practicalities and pitfalls involved in translating social practice approaches into practicable recommendations for encouraging more sustainable forms of consumption.
Inconspicuous dressing: A critique of the construction-through-consumption paradigm in the sociology of clothing
Authors: van der Laan Elise , Velthuis Olav
Published: October 2013

Based on ‘wardrobe interviews’, this article studies how young Dutch men dress themselves. We argue that existing sociological studies of clothing have gone too far in emphasizing the symbolic aspects of clothing and have not paid sufficient attention to the role of routines and rules in daily dressing. Moreover, we find that young Dutch men dress rather inconspicuously, and are hardly interested in using clothes as a tool in ‘postmodern’ identity experiments. Insofar as clothing selection is a matter of reflexivity, it is primarily directed at conformity to meet social and situational requirements. Our respondents use clothing to construct coherent and authentic identities: their dress should express who they think they are. Convincing others of their unique identity is hardly desirable for these men. Finally, for most of them clothing is a negative act: they seek to avoid attracting attention through their dress. Our respondents are aware of the fact that their inconspicuous dress is similar to those of their companions, but this is a source of comfort rather than distress.
A Field Study of Telepractice for School Intervention Using the ASHA NOMS K-12 Database
Authors: Gabel Rodney , Grogan-Johnson Sue , Alvares Robin , Bechstein Leah , Taylor Jacquelyn
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this article is to describe the characteristics and effectiveness of a telepractice speech-language therapy program for school-age children. Outcome data related to the caseload, type and amount of intervention, and student progress from a school-based telepractice therapy program were compared with the K-12 Schools National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. NOMS provides data for students receiving intervention through direct, in-person service delivery models. The findings suggest many similarities between the characteristics of the telepractice and direct, in-person service delivery models. The telepractice service delivery model was effective for most students included in the study. Results of this study support the described telepractice service delivery model as a viable option for speech-language therapy services delivered to public school students with communication impairments. Limitations of this study are discussed with guidance provided for future research studies exploring the efficacy of speech-language therapy delivered via telepractice.
Luminescent gold nanoparticles: A new class of nanoprobes for biomedical imaging
Authors: Zhou Chen , Yang Shengyang , Liu Jinbin , Yu Mengxiao , Zheng Jie
Published: October 2013

Our fundamental understanding of cell biology and early diagnosis of human diseases have been greatly benefited from the development of fluorescent probes. Over the past decade, luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with diverse structural parameters including particle size, surface ligands, valence state and grain size have been synthesized and have begun to emerge as a new class of fluorescent probes for bioimaging because of their great biocompatibility, robust photophysical properties and tunable emissions from the visible range to the near infrared region. In this minireview, we summarize the recent progress in applications of different-sized luminescent AuNPs as imaging probes for both in vitro and in vivo levels.
The art and science of live, virtual, and constructive simulation for test and analysis
Authors: Hodson Douglas D. , Hill Raymond R.
Published: October 2013

Live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) simulation technologies are well-established in the areas of technology demonstration, mission rehearsal, and exercises. A promising new role for LVC simulation technology is to facilitate weapon systems testing by producing defendable results. Requirements to test new defense systems within a system-of-systems context and within joint force scenarios have placed demands on physical test ranges that are not likely to be met. The LVC testing option promises the breadth and depth of defense systems, either as real or simulated assets, to potentially meet the new test demands. However, leveraging this technology to support testing will require a shift in the approaches used by the LVC community. In this paper, we discuss the challenges facing the LVC testing initiative, both from an experimental and from an architectural and implementation standpoint.
A New Nasopharyngeal Dynamic Reference Frame Improves Accuracy in Navigated Skull Base Targets
Authors: Kral Florian , DiFranco Matthew , Puschban Johanna , Hoermann Romed , Riechelmann Herbert , Freysinger Wolfgang
Published: October 2013

Objective. We questioned whether the position of the dynamic reference frame (DRF) influences the application accuracy in electromagnetically navigated cranial procedures. A carrier for an electromagnetic DRF was developed, which could be fixed at the posterior edge of the vomer near the center of the head. This nasopharyngeal DRF was compared with a standard DRF fixed to the surface of the forehead. Methods. Image coordinates and real-world coordinates were co-registered and the total target error (TTE) was measured in the frontal and the lateral skull base of formalin fixed human head. At each anatomical site, 10 targets served for TTE determinations and 5 different fiducial combinations were used for registration. Results. With the nasopharyngeal DRF, lower TTE values (2.8 ± 1.4 mm; mean ± SD) were observed when compared with the forehead DRF (3.7 ± 2.8 mm; P = .004). TTEs of both anatomical sites investigated were significantly lower when using the nasopharyngeal DRF (frontal skull base 3.4 vs 2.1 mm, P = .005 and lateral skull base 3.9 vs 3.5 mm, P = .013) than with the standard forehead mounted one. Conclusion. Positioning the DRF in the center of the head significantly improved the application accuracy of targets in the skull base with electromagnetic navigation by 25%.
Don’t forget about the pancreas! Useful tips on ultrasound
Authors: Footitt C , Suut S , Rudralingam V
Published: October 2013

Transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) remains the most widely available, non-invasive and least expensive initial imaging modality of the pancreas. Awareness of a range of pancreatic pathology is imperative when determining the need for further cross-sectional imaging or increasingly, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Given the spectrum of pathologic processes that affect the pancreas, alongside the significant overlap in clinical presentation, the major task on the initial TAUS is to distinguish normal from abnormal and subsequently inflammatory-related pathology from underlying neoplasia. This article aims to present useful sonographic signs that demonstrate and differentiate pancreatic pathologies. These useful sonographic signs are highlighted through a series of benign and neoplastic conditions involving the pancreas and correlation is made with alternative imaging including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and EUS.

In conclusion, TAUS continues to have a useful role in the initial assessment of the pancreas. Recognising useful sonographic signs, as well as their limitations, is important in the avoidance of misdiagnosis and accurately triaging patients with regard to further appropriate imaging investigations.
“Every Tone Was a Testimony”: Black Music, Literature, and Law
Authors: Brown Christopher Michael
Published: October 2013

The music that chronicles the African American experience is marked in profound but subtle and contradictory ways by the law, perhaps the most pervasive presence in black life since enslaved Africans arrived in the New World. From the mournful but veiled complaints of the sorrow songs to Jay Z’s boastful narration of a pretextual traffic stop, at the heart of so much of the music of black culture lies a wary appraisal, and often an outright rejection, of the “justice” of American law. This Commentary reviews the fraught relationship between the law and the tradition of African American music.
Moisture transfer through the membrane of a cross-flow energy recovery ventilator: Measurement and simple data-driven modeling
Authors: Boardman CR , Glass Samuel V
Published: October 2013

The moisture transfer effectiveness (or latent effectiveness) of a cross-flow, membrane-based energy recovery ventilator is measured and modeled. Analysis of in situ measurements for a full year shows that energy recovery ventilator latent effectiveness increases with increasing average relative humidity and surprisingly increases with decreasing average temperature. A simple finite difference heat and moisture transfer model is developed, which can explain these results and predict energy recovery ventilator latent effectiveness based on simplified physics and material properties. The model parameters are discussed and, in the case of the membrane’s moisture sorption curve and moisture permeability, compared to direct laboratory measurements.
Following Washington’s lead
Authors: Bergman Tabe
Published: October 2013

By examining the Dutch press’s reporting on the run-up to the war in Iraq this paper provides evidence that Dutch foreign news is structurally biased in favor of the interests of political and economic elites. Despite a priori plausibility and already existing supporting evidence, this observation is rarely made in the scholarship, in part because the Dutch field of communication scholarship lacks a coherent political-economic perspective. This paper then presents empirical evidence for the relevance of the Anglo-American tradition of political economy to the study of the media in a continental European country.
High-mobility group box protein-1 released by human-periodontal ligament cells modulates macrophage migration and activity in vitro
Authors: Wolf Michael , Lossdörfer Stefan , Craveiro Rogerio , Jäger Andreas
Published: October 2013

Recent studies have demonstrated the interplay of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLs) with immune cells, such as macrophages, during tissue repair. High-mobility group box protein-1 (HMGB1) is released into the extracellular milieu by damaged cells and functions as an alarmin to mediate the inflammatory host response. The present study addressed the role of HMGB1 released by hPDLs in the regulation of macrophage differentiation, migration and activity. The aim was to examine the inflammatory potential of HMGB1 itself and in combination with other mediators. The induction of sterile necrosis by thermal insult of hPDLs resulted in HMGB1 translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and on to the extracellular space, as determined by immunocytochemistry/ELISA. Exposure of human macrophages to the conditioned PDL cell medium increased the expression of macrophage differentiation/activation markers CD14, CD23, CD64 and CD163. Chemotactic migration and osteoclastic differentiation of macrophages were also enhanced. Supplementation of the conditioned medium with a saturating concentration of HMGB1-Ab reduced these effects. Challenge with recombinant HMGB1 protein induced less migration and osteoclast differentiation than thermal insult. These data point to the immune modulatory capacity of hPDLs by the release of mediators, including HMGB1, which modify macrophage differentiation, migration and activity during periodontal repair, and indicate an enhanced HMGB1 activity when acting in concert with other mediators.
Sinusitis
Authors: Head Elizabeth , Barnes Martyn
Published: October 2013

Sinusitis as defined by the American Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery as ‘an acute or chronic inflammatory response involving the mucous membrane of the nose and paranasal sinuses and fluid within the cavities and/or underlying bone’. Affecting approximately 15% of the population, it can cause significant morbidity (including depression, disturbed sleep, hypo/anosmia and associated loss of taste sensation) and presents commonly in general practice. This article aims to explore the causes of sinusitis and how to identify and manage it and its complications.
Recent developments in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Dutcher Janice P.
Published: October 2013

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) management has been imbued with new interest, in large part due to the recent success of new treatment options for advanced and metastatic disease. This has also been accompanied by less generally well known advances in the understanding of the molecular characterizations of subtypes of RCC with potential to lead to new therapeutic options. Additionally, the urologic oncology community is focusing on nephron-sparing surgical approaches with limited surgery if possible, and in conjunction with interventional radiologists, on ablative procedures for incidentally determined small renal masses. This report reviews some of the new biologic findings of adenocarcinoma of the kidney, and reviews the new therapeutics which continue to change the landscape for treatment of RCC.
What ranges of metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and extension are necessary to perform activities without difficulty?
Authors: Hayashi Hiroyuki , Shimizu Hideki
Published: October 2013

Introduction:

Although the goal of restoring motion is to reduce limitations imposed on activities, the necessary metacarpophalangeal joint range of motion to perform activities without difficulty remains unclear. This study of 30 healthy participants was conducted to ascertain the flexion and extension range of motion of all finger metacarpophalangeal joints necessary to perform activities without difficulty with restricted angles of all finger metacarpophalangeal joints.

Methods:

Flexion and extension of finger metacarpophalangeal joints of 30 participants were restricted by orthoses. Flexion was restricted to 70°, 60°, 50°, and 40°. Extension was restricted to −20°, −30°, −40°, and −50°. Participants performed 19 activities at eight different angles in random order. The perceived difficulty in performing each task was scored.

Results:

Statistically significant differences in difficulty were found between the results of trials performed with angles restricted to 50° and 40° of flexion, and to −40° and −50° of extension compared with those of a normal hand. No significant difference in difficulty was found between the results of trials performed with restriction angles of 70° or 60° of flexion, or −20° or −30° of extension compared with those of a normal hand.

Conclusion:

Difficulty in performing many activities might not be perceived for flexion or extension range of motion of more than 60° and −30° achieved by hand therapy, even if the range of motion of finger metacarpophalangeal joints is restricted. This study is expected to be useful for determining range of motion goals in patients with limited finger metacarpophalangeal joint movement.
Neurothekeoma of the Toe
Authors: Wiemeyer Stefan , Hafer Guido
Published: October 2013

Neurothekeomas are benign connective tissue tumors probably of nerve sheath origin. Making diagnosis is often difficult, because of many histological similar looking tumors. Immunostaining of S-100 protein is a helpful method for differentiation. We report a case of subungual neurothekeoma affecting the little toe, which is to our knowledge the first to be described in the literature. In spite of an incomplete excision of the tumor with tails reaching to the base of the specimen, no recurrence after 1-year follow-up was observed.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV: Case Study
Turf Toe Repair
Authors: Doty Jesse F. , Coughlin Michael J.
Published: October 2013

Turf toe injury typically describes an injury to the metatarsosesamoid complex of the hallux generally caused by a hyperextension force to the great toe. This injury may be accompanied by pain, deformity, and decreased athletic performance. Operative treatment to repair the damaged tissue can be difficult, and we present a technique description that may help simplify the surgical reconstruction.

Levels of Evidence: Level V