bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) Recommendations for Maximizing the Use of Intravenous Thrombolytics and Expanding Treatment Options With Intra-arterial and Neuroprotective Therapies
Authors: Albers Gregory W. , Goldstein Larry B. , Hess David C. , Wechsler Lawrence R. , Furie Karen L. , Gorelick Philip B. , Hurn Patty , Liebeskind David S. , Nogueira Raul G. , Saver Jeffrey L. ,   for the STAIR VII Consortium
Published: August 2011

Background and Purpose—

The goal of the Stroke Treatment Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) meetings is to advance the development of acute and restorative stroke therapies.

Summary of Review—

At the STAIR VII recommendations for strategies to maximize the use of intravenous thrombolytics through targeting public education, and the refinement of current treatment exclusion criteria were proposed. Increased utilization of mechanical devices for intra-arterial recanalization can be achieved by obtaining more definitive evidence of efficacy in randomized clinical trials, identification of patient characteristics associated with treatment efficacy, optimization of technical approaches, clarification of effective time windows, and development of approaches to limit complications. Neuroprotective strategies remain viable; recommendations for further study of these agents include an emphasis on rapid administration, consideration of the systemic effects of ischemic stroke, prevention of complications associated with early reperfusion, a focus on agents with multiple mechanisms of action, and consideration of possible interactions between neuroprotective and thrombolytic therapies.

Conclusions—

Extending intravenous thrombolysis to a broader patient population, clarifying the risk and benefits of intra-arterial reperfusion therapies, and further development of neuroprotective therapies were the key recommendations from STAIR VII.
A Spline Framework for Estimating the EEG Surface Laplacian Using the Euclidean Metric
Authors: Carvalhaes Claudio G. , Suppes Patrick
Published: August 2011

This letter develops a framework for EEG analysis and similar applications based on polyharmonic splines. This development overcomes a basic problem with the method of splines in the Euclidean setting: that it does not work on low-degree algebraic surfaces such as spherical and ellipsoidal scalp models. The method’s capability is illustrated through simulations on the three-sphere model and using empirical data.
Geometry-Invariant Texture Retrieval Using a Dual-Output Pulse-Coupled Neural Network
Authors: Li Xiaojun , Ma Yide , Wang Zhaobin , Yu Wenrui
Published: August 2011

This letter proposes a novel dual-output pulse coupled neural network model (DPCNN). The new model is applied to obtain a more stable texture description in the face of the geometric transformation. Time series, which are computed from output binary images of DPCNN, are employed as translation-, rotation-, scale-, and distortion-invariant texture features. In the experiments, DPCNN has been well tested by using Brodatz's album and the VisTex database. Several existing models are compared with the proposed DPCNN model. The experimental results, based on different testing data sets for images with different translations, orientations, scales, and affine transformations, show that our proposed model outperforms existing models in geometry-invariant texture retrieval. Furthermore, the robustness of DPCNN to noisy data is examined in the experiments.
Self-Organization of Topographic Bilinear Networks for Invariant Recognition
Authors: Bergmann Urs , von der Malsburg Christoph
Published: August 2011

We present a model for the emergence of ordered fiber projections that may serve as a basis for invariant recognition. After invariance transformations are self-organized, so-called control units competitively activate fiber projections for different transformation parameters. The model builds on a well-known ontogenetic mechanism, activity-based development of retinotopy, and it employs activity blobs of varying position and size to install different transformations. We provide a detailed analysis for the case of 1D input and output fields for schematic input patterns that shows how the model is able to develop specific mappings. We discuss results that show that the proposed learning scheme is stable for complex, biologically more realistic input patterns. Finally, we show that the model generalizes to 2D neuronal fields driven by simulated retinal waves.
Dependency Reduction with Divisive Normalization: Justification and Effectiveness
Authors: Lyu Siwei
Published: August 2011

Efficient coding transforms that reduce or remove statistical dependencies in natural sensory signals are important for both biology and engineering. In recent years, divisive normalization (DN) has been advocated as a simple and effective nonlinear efficient coding transform. In this work, we first elaborate on the theoretical justification for DN as an efficient coding transform. Specifically, we use the multivariate t model to represent several important statistical properties of natural sensory signals and show that DN approximates the optimal transforms that eliminate statistical dependencies in the multivariate t model. Second, we show that several forms of DN used in the literature are equivalent in their effects as efficient coding transforms. Third, we provide a quantitative evaluation of the overall dependency reduction performance of DN for both the multivariate t models and natural sensory signals. Finally, we find that statistical dependencies in the multivariate t model and natural sensory signals are increased by the DN transform with low-input dimensions. This implies that for DN to be an effective efficient coding transform, it has to pool over a sufficiently large number of inputs.
Punishment for Genocide – Exploratory Analysis of ICTR Sentencing
Authors: Hola Barbora , Bijleveld Catrien , Smeulers Alette
Published: August 2011

The sentencing practice of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is a relatively neglected topic in academic discussions. The few empirical studies on sentencing of international crimes have focused primarily on the sentencing practice of its 'sister court', the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Unlike ICTY defendants, almost all ICTR defendants have been convicted of and sentenced for genocide – arguably the most serious international crime. This empirical study examines the sentencing practice of the ICTR and analyses the relationship between sentence severity and the primary consideration in sentencing – crime gravity. The relevant principles stemming from ICTR case law are reviewed, followed by an examination of the interrelationship between sentence severity and factors relating to crime gravity, such as category of crime, scale of crime and the form and degree of a defendant's involvement in the crime. The ICTR judges appear in most cases to follow the main principles emphasized in their case law, with sentences gradated in line with the increasing seriousness of defendants' crimes and their culpability.
Addressing Racial Disparities in Incarceration
Authors: Mauer Marc
Published: August 2011

This article reviews the current trends and impact of mass incarceration on communities of color, with a focus on criminal justice policy and practice contributors to racial disparity. The impact of these disproportionate incarceration rates on public safety, offenders, and communities are discussed. Recommendations for criminal justice and other policy reforms to reduce unwarranted racial disparities are offered.
Life on the Outside
Authors: Visher Christy A. , Travis Jeremy
Published: August 2011

With record-high incarceration rates, unprecedented extension of state supervision over individuals leaving prison, and a complex maze of legal barriers to reintegration, more people than ever before are returning home after serving time in prison. These individuals face daunting barriers to successful reintegration. Successful reentry requires strong community support networks and comprehensive services, both of which are lacking in urban areas to which most former prisoners return. Interventions that reflect these principles may hold the greatest promise for success. Yet reentry policies are still quite primitive; researchers are just now beginning to develop an approach to reentry based on evidence of best practices. At this moment, it is critically important that the federal government invest in the development and testing of new ideas and rigorous evaluations to determine which interventions are effective at promoting public safety and prisoner reintegration.
The Benefits and Costs of Early Prevention Compared With Imprisonment
Authors: Welsh Brandon C. , Farrington David P.
Published: August 2011

Spending on prisons is at an all time high in the United States. These costs are proving unsustainable, causing a substantial drain on state and local government budgets and diverting scarce resources from critical sectors like education, health, and welfare. Early prevention of delinquency and later offending represents a viable public policy option to the present focus on punishment, and some governments are beginning to take notice. This article reviews the highest-quality research on the economic benefits and costs of early prevention compared with imprisonment. It finds that there is a growing body of scientific research that shows that early prevention is an effective and worthwhile investment of public resources; a number of landmark, comprehensive economic studies demonstrate the value of early prevention and other alternatives compared to imprisonment; and a new crop of research studies are forging important insights on the economics of prison and alternative strategies. Implications for policy are discussed.
Parenting and Academic Achievement
Authors: Roksa Josipa , Potter Daniel
Published: August 2011

A growing body of research has examined how cultural capital, recently broadened to include not only high-status cultural activities but also a range of different parenting practices, influences children’s educational success. Most of this research assumes that parents’ current class location is the starting point of class transmission. However, does the ability of parents to pass advantages to their children, particularly through specific cultural practices, depend solely on their current class location or also on their class of origin? The authors address this question by defining social background as a combination of parents’ current class location and their own family backgrounds. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its Child Development Supplement, the authors examine how different categories of social background are related to parenting practices and children’s academic achievement. The results offer novel insights into the transmission of class advantage across generations and inform debates about the complex processes of cultural reproduction and cultural mobility.
Active damping vibration and compensating deflection in the processing-roll system
Authors: Kuo Chung-Feng Jeffrey , Vu Huy Quang
Published: August 2011

Deflection and vibration, normally occurring in the processing-roll system, have always been large drawbacks of many industrial processes, especially those related to the textile industry. Hence, this paper introduced a new control dynamic system, including an oil-roll actuator and a proposed controller, to suppress vibration and compensate deflection. The oil-roll actuator applies the control force to the roll by putting the oil inside the roll and directly transferring pressure from the oil to the internal surface of the roll. A new forced-response motion equation obtained by analyzing the dynamic structure of the control system was used to design the Discrete Model Predictive Controller (DMPC). The constrained control was also combined with the proposed controller to obtain optimal control signal and use the effective power of the actuator system. In order to derive a high output response performance and robust stability in the control system, the Laguerre function, one of the discrete orthonormal functions, and the prescribed degree stability were applied to the DMPC. The research results have shown that the response performance is higher and the control system is more stable.
Modelling and economic optimisation of under-floor heating system
Authors: Sanaye Sepehr , Mahmoudimehr Javad , Aynechi Mohsen
Published: August 2011

Modelling and optimisation of the under-floor heating system (UFHS) with Pex pipes are studied in this paper. For modelling the system, two regions were considered. The first one was the over-floor region which included room air and walls. This region was considered as one control volume and the system of non-linear energy equations for room air and walls were solved using Newton–Raphson method. The second or under-floor region included heating pipes, concrete and floor finish. This region was modelled using finite volume method. For optimising the UFHS, an objective function (sum of investment and operating costs of UFHS) was proposed and type and thickness of the floor finish, velocity of hot water passing through the pipe, concrete thickness and pipe diameter, were considered as the decision variables (design parameters). The sensitivity analysis showed 19.8%, 10.5%, 2.8% and 0.3% increase in the objective function with the deviation of the four above-mentioned design parameters from their optimum values (floor finish from tile to marble, water velocity from 1.5 to 2.5 m/s, concrete thickness from 6 to 8 cm and pipe diameter from ½ to ¾ in.). Finally, with the decrease in external temperature from −10°C to −20°C, the objective function increased by 21.7% and the required floor heat flux increased by 33.1%. Increasing the insulation thickness from 2.5 to 7 cm also decreased the objective function by 20.5% and decreased the required floor heat flux by 38.5%.

Practical application: A new and fast combined numerical and analytical procedure for thermal modelling of UFHS was proposed in this paper. By applying the proposed modelling procedure, the optimum values of UHFS design parameters for reaching the system lowest cost were obtained. The variation of total cost with deviation of design parameters from their optimum values was investigated. The effects of change in atmospheric temperature and wall insulation thickness on building thermal load and the total cost were studied.
The effect of sound on office productivity
Authors: Mak CM , Lui YP
Published: August 2011

This article reports the results of a questionnaire survey examining the effects of sound on office productivity and assessing the relationship between changes in office productivity and noise sources as well as five environmental and office design factors, namely temperature, air quality, office layout, sound and lighting. The convenience sample for the survey comprised 259 office workers in 38 air-conditioned offices in Hong Kong. The subjects were requested to complete the questionnaires themselves. The results show that among the five environmental and office design factors examined, sound and temperature were the principal factors affecting office productivity. A strong and significant correlation was also found between changes in office productivity and sound, temperature and office layout. Participants were separated into low- and high-productivity groups using the mean productivity score of all participants as the cut-point. The three most annoying noise sources, including conversation, ringing phones and machines, differed little in mean annoyance scores for the low- and high-productivity participants, indicating that they had a significant negative impact on all participants. The results also indicate that low-productivity participants were easily influenced by noises such as background noise, closing doors, and human activity, as well as those coming from both inside and outside the office.

Practical applications: This study evaluates the effects of sound and other environmental and office design factors on office productivity. It suggests that sound is a principal factor affecting office productivity in modern air-conditioned offices.
Reliability analysis of elevator car frame using analytical and finite element methods
Authors: Onur Yusuf Aytaç , İmrak C Erdem
Published: August 2011

The aim of this study is to determine the values of stress and deformation occurring on elevator car frame components with finite element and analytical methods. Two analytical approaches have been used to obtain the mechanical behaviours of elevator car frame components. Different design parameters have been used to show fluctuation of safety factors, stress and deformation values occurring on elevator car frame components. Optimisations of vertical and crosshead beams have been performed by the finite element method in order to attain optimum weight and stress reduction. It is found that the most critical component of elevator car frame is the crosshead beam when elevator is overloaded.

Practical applications: This article presents the stress and deformation values on car frame components depending on the number of passengers for elevator designed for five passengers. Safety factors have been presented for car frame components separately when the elevator is overloaded. The allowable maximum load capacities of car frame components designed for five passengers have been presented.
Older Adults’ Spiritual Needs in Health Care Settings
Authors: Hodge David R. , Horvath Violet E. , Larkin Heather , Curl Angela L.
Published: August 2011

Recognizing that spiritual needs often emerge in health care settings, the Joint Commission requires spiritual assessments in numerous organizations frequented by older adults. Given that many gerontological practitioners have received little training in identifying spiritual needs, a qualitative meta-synthesis ( N = 9 studies) was conducted to identify and describe older adults’ perceptions of their spiritual needs in health care settings. Five interrelated categories emerged: (a) spiritual practices; (b) relationship with God; (c) hope, meaning, and purpose; (d) interpersonal connection; and (e) professional staff interactions. The implications of the findings are discussed as they inform the spiritual assessment process.
Early-Life Socioeconomic Status and the Prevalence of Breast Cancer in Later Life
Authors: Pudrovska Tetyana , Anishkin Andriy , Shen Yifang
Published: August 2011

Knowledge of mechanisms linking early-life social environment and breast cancer remains limited. The authors explore direct and indirect effects of early-life socioeconomic status (SES) on breast cancer prevalence in later life. Using 50-year data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study ( N = 4,275) and structural equation modeling, the authors found a negative direct effect of early-life SES, indicating that women from higher SES family backgrounds had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower SES families. Additionally, early-life SES has a positive indirect effect on breast cancer via women’s adult SES and age at first birth. Were it not for their higher SES in adulthood and delayed childbearing, women from higher SES families of origin would have had lower breast cancer prevalence than women from lower SES families. Yet early-life SES is associated positively with adult SES and age at first birth, and women’s higher adult SES and delayed childbearing are related to higher breast cancer prevalence.
The Effects of Betahistine in Addition to Epley Maneuver in Posterior Canal Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Authors: Guneri Enis Alpin , Kustutan Ozge
Published: August 2011

Objective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of betahistine in addition to Epley maneuver on the quality of life of patients with posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) of the canalithiasis type.

Study Design

Double‐blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Setting

Academic university hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Seventy‐two patients were enrolled in the study. The first group was treated with Epley maneuver only. The second group received placebo drug 2 times daily for 1 week in addition to Epley maneuver, and the third group received 24 mg betahistine 2 times daily for 1 week in addition to Epley maneuver. The effectiveness of the treatments was assessed in each group as well as between them by analyzing and comparing data of 4 different vertigo symptom scales.

Results

Epley maneuver, alone or combined with betahistine or placebo, was found to be very effective with a primary success rate of 86.2%. The symptoms were significantly reduced in group 3 patients overall, and those patients younger or older than 50 years of age who had hypertension, with symptom onset <1 month, and with attack duration of less than a minute did significantly better with the combination of betahistine 48 mg daily.

Conclusion

Betahistine in addition to Epley maneuver is more effective than Epley maneuver alone or combined with placebo with regard to improvement of symptoms in certain patients. However, future clinical studies covering more patients to investigate the benefit of medical treatments in addition to Epley maneuver are needed.
Parent Perspectives of Participation in Home and Community Activities When Receiving Part C Early Intervention Services
Authors: Khetani Mary A. , Cohn Ellen S. , Orsmond Gael I. , Law Mary C. , Coster Wendy J.
Published: August 2011

The authors examined the extent to which parent expectations, perceptions about resource availability and supports, and strategies used to promote participation in home and community activities varied by setting and activity type. Sixteen 90-min semistructured interviews were completed with families receiving Part C early intervention services in three states. Interviews were analyzed in descriptive and interpretive phases using content analysis to identify patterns across cases and logical analysis to cross-classify data and identify patterns by setting and activity type. Parents described how often and how much their children participated but had different ways of describing their expectations depending on the activity setting and/or its purpose. Parent-reported strategies to promote participation provided a direct way of understanding how environments were perceived to impact participation. Implications for tailoring interventions to address the needs of immigrant and nonimmigrant families receiving Part C services are discussed.
Cerebral Metabolism, Cognition, and Functional Abilities in Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Melrose Rebecca J. , Ettenhofer Mark L. , Harwood Dylan , Achamallah Natalie , Campa Olivia , Mandelkern Mark , Sultzer David L.
Published: August 2011

Patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) exhibit profound difficulties in completing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as managing finances, organizing medications, and food preparation. It is unclear which brain areas underlie IADL deficits in AD. To address this question, we used voxel-based analysis to correlate the performance of IADLs with resting cerebral metabolism as measured during [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging in 44 patients with AD. Poorer ability to complete IADLs was associated with hypometabolism in right-sided cortical regions, including the parietal lobe, posterior temporal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and frontal pole. Follow-up path analyses examining anatomically defined regions of interest (ROI) demonstrated that the association between metabolism and IADLs was mediated by global cognition in frontal ROIs, and partially mediated by global cognition in the parietal ROI. Findings suggest that hypometabolism of right sided brain regions involved in executive functioning, visuospatial processing, attention, and working memory underlie functional impairments in patients with AD.
Histories and freedom of the present: Foucault and Skinner
Authors: Vucina Naja , Drejer Claus , Triantafillou Peter
Published: August 2011

This article compares the ways in which Michel Foucault’s and Quentin Skinner’s historical analyses seek to unsettle the limits on present forms of freedom. We do so by comparing their ways of analysing discourse, rationality and agency. The two authors differ significantly in the ways they deal with these three phenomena. The most significant difference lies in their ways of addressing agency and its relationship to power. Notwithstanding these differences, the historical analyses of both authors seek to problematize the ways in which past thoughts and practices limit contemporary forms of freedom. While Foucault seems to go furthest in this endeavour, a comparison may enrich both lines of historical analyses.
Collaborative design process of large-scale engineering systems using the axiomatic design approach
Authors: Hong E-P , Park G-J
Published: August 2011

The complexity of engineering systems is rapidly increasing because the number of components has increased and various engineering disciplines are involved. According to this trend, large-scale engineering systems are designed by multiple design teams with many designers of various disciplines. Although the design process by the design teams is a great deal similar to the design process by an individual designer, there is an important difference between them. Designing a large-scale engineering system with design teams can cause potential conflict among the subsystems because each team may design a subsystem without considering the other team’s subsystems. In this article, a collaborative design process is proposed to design a large-scale engineering system efficiently without the conflict among the subsystems using the Independence Axiom of axiomatic design. The proposed process uses a zigzagging process between the functional domain and the physical domain, and the online electric vehicle (OLEV) is designed by the proposed process. The OLEV is an electric vehicle which uses electric power transmitted wirelessly from the power source buried in the road. The functional requirements (FRs) and constraints of the OLEV are specified to clarify the design objectives and specifications. The prototype, which is designed by the design teams based on the defined FRs, is evaluated using the proposed process. It is found that the proposed process can lead design teams to design a product more efficiently without unnecessary iterations.
Targeted energy transfer in systems with external and self-excitation
Authors: Gendelman O V
Published: August 2011

The non-linear energy sink (NES) was introduced as a strongly non-linear attachment of relatively small mass, coupled to the primary oscillating system. It was demonstrated that the NES is capable of efficiently absorbing and suppressing broadband initial excitations. Later it was investigated as a possible engineering solution for more traditional problems of vibration suppression: mitigation of self-excited and externally forced systems, in conditions of single- and multiple-frequency forcing. The present review addresses the latter developments and describes relevant theoretical, experimental, and numerical findings. Special attention is paid to generic local and global bifurcations of the dynamic responses in the systems with the NES. Possibilities to predict such bifurcations on a qualitative level of analysis are revealed.
A Statistical Model of Facial Attractiveness
Authors: Said Christopher P. , Todorov Alexander
Published: August 2011

Previous research has identified facial averageness and sexual dimorphism as important factors in facial attractiveness. The averageness and sexual dimorphism accounts provide important first steps in understanding what makes faces attractive, and should be valued for their parsimony. However, we show that they explain relatively little of the variance in facial attractiveness, particularly for male faces. As an alternative to these accounts, we built a regression model that defines attractiveness as a function of a face’s position in a multidimensional face space. The model provides much more predictive power than the averageness and sexual dimorphism accounts and reveals previously unreported components of attractiveness. The model shows that averageness is attractive in some dimensions but not in others and resolves previous contradictory reports about the effects of sexual dimorphism on the attractiveness of male faces.
Pop-Out Without Awareness
Authors: Hsieh Po-Jang , Colas Jaron T. , Kanwisher Nancy
Published: August 2011

Visual pop-out occurs when a unique visual target (e.g., a feature singleton) is present in a set of homogeneous distractors. However, the role of visual awareness in this process remains unclear. In the experiments reported here, we showed that even though subjects were not aware of a suppressed pop-out display, their subsequent performance on an orientation-discrimination task was significantly better at the pop-out location than at a control location. These results indicate that conscious visual awareness of a feature singleton is not necessary for it to attract attention. Furthermore, the subliminal pop-out effect disappeared when subjects diverted their attention toward a rapid sequential visual presentation task while presented with the same subliminal pop-out display. These results suggest that top-down attention is necessary for the subliminal pop-out effect and that the cognitive processes underlying attention and awareness are somewhat independent.
Mutual Interference Between Statistical Summary Perception and Statistical Learning
Authors: Zhao Jiaying , Ngo Nhi , McKendrick Ryan , Turk-Browne Nicholas B.
Published: August 2011

The visual system is an efficient statistician, extracting statistical summaries over sets of objects (statistical summary perception) and statistical regularities among individual objects (statistical learning). Although these two kinds of statistical processing have been studied extensively in isolation, their relationship is not yet understood. We first examined how statistical summary perception influences statistical learning by manipulating the task that participants performed over sets of objects containing statistical regularities (Experiment 1). Participants who performed a summary task showed no statistical learning of the regularities, whereas those who performed control tasks showed robust learning. We then examined how statistical learning influences statistical summary perception by manipulating whether the sets being summarized contained regularities (Experiment 2) and whether such regularities had already been learned (Experiment 3). The accuracy of summary judgments improved when regularities were removed and when learning had occurred in advance. In sum, calculating summary statistics impeded statistical learning, and extracting statistical regularities impeded statistical summary perception. This mutual interference suggests that statistical summary perception and statistical learning are fundamentally related.
‘Getting people on board’: Discursive leadership for consensus building in team meetings
Authors: Wodak Ruth , Kwon Winston , Clarke Ian
Published: August 2011

Meetings are increasingly seen as sites where organizing and strategic change take place, but the role of specific discursive strategies and related linguistic-pragmatic and argumentative devices, employed by meeting chairs, is little understood. The purpose of this article is to address the range of behaviours of chairs in business organizations by comparing strategies employed by the same chief executive officer (CEO) in two key meeting genres: regular management team meetings and ‘away-days’. While drawing on research from organization studies on the role of leadership in meetings and studies of language in the workplace from (socio)linguistics and discourse studies, we abductively identified five salient discursive strategies which meeting chairs employ in driving decision making: (1) Bonding; (2) Encouraging; (3) Directing; (4) Modulating; and (5) Re/Committing. We investigate the leadership styles of the CEO in both meeting genres via a multi-level approach using empirical data drawn from meetings of a single management team in a multinational defence corporation. Our key findings are, first, that the chair of the meetings (and leading manager) influences the outcome of the meetings in both negative and positive ways, through the choice of discursive strategies. Second, it becomes apparent that the specific context and related meeting genre mediate participation and the ability of the chair to control interactions within the team. Third, a more hierarchical authoritarian or a more interpersonal egalitarian leadership style can be identified via specific combinations of these five discursive strategies. The article concludes that the egalitarian leadership style increases the likelihood of achieving a durable consensus. Several related avenues for research are outlined.
Discourse analysis and disability: Some topics and issues
Authors: Grue Jan
Published: August 2011

Disability is an underexplored topic in discourse analysis. A stronger emphasis on disability issues would be in keeping with the academic principles and political priorities of critical discourse analysis. Simultaneously, a discourse analysis perspective is needed in disability studies. Although that field has produced a considerable amount of discourse-oriented research, it is structured around theoretical models that appear adversarial and incompatible. In practice, many of the incompatibilities dissolve into divisions between different areas of discourse production. A greater awareness of discourse analysis will aid disability studies, both in terms of theoretical development and in furthering its goals of social change.
Apologizing for historical injustice: Emotion, truth and identity in political discourse
Authors: Augoustinos Martha , Hastie Brianne , Wright Monique
Published: August 2011

The recent apology by the Australian Prime Minister to Indigenous Australians demonstrates the increasing willingness of nation states to apologize for historical injustices. In this critical discursive analysis of Rudd’s apology, we analyse the pragmatic and linguistic features of the apology in light of recent research on political apologies as a generic type of discourse. We demonstrate how the act of offering and justifying an apology was accomplished through the use of emotion and identity categories. In particular, we examine how the reason—emotion dilemma was managed rhetorically by tying emotion to facts, and how differing levels of categorization can all be used to evoke support for apologizing for historical injustice. In contrast to social-psychological experimental work on apologies and forgiveness, we show that different levels of categorization — the personal, intermediate and superordinate — can all be used flexibly in discourse to invoke empathy and identification with the ‘other’, and that rather than invoking emotions in the ingroup, humanizing the ‘other’ is a powerful strategy for eliciting support for redressing social injustice.
Football, it’s a man’s game: Insult and gendered discourse in The Gender Bowl
Authors: McDowell Jacqueline , Schaffner Spencer
Published: August 2011

Women’s participation as athletes in American football precipitates gendered conflict, in that the routine reproduction of masculine discourse and identity is challenged. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore how the creation of discourses of masculinity and femininity undermine most women’s access and acceptance into American football. Utilizing critical discourse analysis, an analysis of The Gender Bowl (Jordan et al., 2005), a reality TV program featuring a full-contact football game between women and men, revealed how men sought to preserve the social relations of football and how women sought to contest this masculine domain in part by adopting typically masculine linguistic practices of insult. Results of the analysis revealed interdiscursivity of two discourses of gender relations: discourses of conservative gender relations iterated by the men, discourses of conflict from both men and women, and discourses of egalitarian gender relations iterated by the women.
Can a Patient-Centered Medical Home Lead to Better Patient Outcomes? The Quality Implications of Geisinger’s ProvenHealth Navigator
Authors: Maeng Daniel D. , Graf Thomas R. , Davis Duane E. , Tomcavage Janet , Bloom Frederick J.
Published: August 2011

One of the primary goals of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is to provide higher quality care that leads to better patient outcomes. Currently, there is only limited evidence regarding the ability of PCMHs to achieve this goal. This article demonstrates the effect of PCMHs in improving certain clinical outcomes, as shown by the ProvenHealth Navigator (PHN), an advanced PCMH model developed and implemented by Geisinger Health System. In this study, the authors examined the claims data from Geisinger Health Plan between 2005 and 2009 and estimated the effect of PHN on reducing amputation rates among patients with diabetes, end-stage renal disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The results show that, despite its relatively short period of existence, PHN has led to significant improvements in certain outcomes, further illustrating its potential as a care delivery model to be adopted on a wider scale.
Doomsday Ecology and Empathy for Nature
Authors: Jackson J. Kasi
Published: August 2011

This article’s purpose is to examine representations of women scientists in “B” horror movies. Portrayals of female scientists appearing in these films differ significantly from those in blockbuster films. This is because of three factors: (a) a greater freedom for controversial subject matter in low-budget movies, (b) filmmakers’ use of high media attention science and environmental issues to attract an audience, and (c) the influence of Western images that feminize nature and position science as a tool to control both women and nature. The analysis describes three resultant themes in the relationship between filmic women scientists and nature.
On the non-uniqueness of solution in surface elasticity theory
Authors: Zhu J , Ru CQ , Chen WQ
Published: August 2011

Recent researches have shown that the surface energy of some real elastic solids is unlikely to be positive semi-definite. Motivated by this, the present work studies counter-examples for uniqueness of the solution of surface elasticity theory in simple three-dimensional spherically symmetric and two-dimensional axi-symmetrical deformations. Simple sufficient conditions are derived for non-uniqueness of the solution in terms of bulk elastic modulus, surface elastic modulus and geometrical parameters of the elastic body. Unlike the non-uniqueness conditions for classical linear elasticity, which are given in terms of elastic constants alone, the geometrical dimensions of the elastic body play a key role in the non-uniqueness of the solution of surface elasticity theory. Roughly speaking, the solution of surface elasticity models can be non-unique if the smallest characteristic dimension of the body (such as thickness of a thin body, or diameter of a small body or a small hole in an elastic body) is below a certain critical value so that the magnitude of negative surface energy can compete with the positive bulk strain energy of the elastic body. For example, using the available data for the negative surface modulus suggested in the literature, our results predict that the solution could be non-unique for softer materials (such as rubbers) when the smallest characteristic dimension of the elastic body is below typically 1 µm. This result could predict self-buckling of softer elastic thin films in the presence of significant surface stresses.
Intimate Versus Nonintimate Partner Murder
Authors: Thomas Kristie A. , Dichter Melissa E. , Matejkowski Jason
Published: August 2011

To explore whether homicide of intimate partners is distinct from homicide of nonintimates, we compared sociodemographic, legal, family, clinical, and situational characteristics of men who murdered an intimate partner ( n = 71) to those of men who murdered a nonintimate ( n = 363). Bivariate findings suggest that intimate murder offenders are more socially bonded and conforming regarding employment and relationship patterns and use fatal violence to meet emotional rather than instrumental needs compared to nonintimate offenders. Multivariate findings indicate marital status, history of severe mental illness, and motive are important factors that differentiate men who murder intimates from those who murder nonintimates. Homicide prevention efforts must be tailored to account for factors that differentiate these two offender types.
The Espy File on American Executions
Authors: Blackman Paul H. , McLaughlin Vance
Published: August 2011

The most often cited and used list of America’s legal executions is one created based on the research of amateur historian M. Watt Espy, Jr. His collection has been used in various forms, including an initial list of executions under state authority; the Espy File, a computerized list available from the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [ICPSR] of about three fourths of the estimated number of executions; an ICPSR Supplement of most of the remainder known to Espy; and the collection itself, documenting in some form each of the executions. Although the Espy File and collection have been widely praised, there are serious problems in the ICPSR version of the Espy File and additional limitations with the collection itself. Researchers should be cautious in relying upon the Espy File for quantitative analyses or even as a complete source of basic information on the record of American executions from the first temporary and permanent colonization of what is now the United States to the 20th century.
Implementation of WHO/CDC Guidelines for Intentional Injury Death Surveillance
Authors: Outwater Anne H. , Campbell Jacquelyn C. , Mgaya Edward
Published: August 2011

A foundational implementation of the WHO/CDC Injury Surveillance Guidelines was conducted in Dar es Salaam region of the United Republic of Tanzania in 2005. The Guidelines were adapted to gather qualitative as well as quantitative data about intentional injury mortality which were collected concurrently at the Muhimbili National Hospital Mortuary. An interview schedule of 12 quantitative variables and one open-ended question, participant observation and newspaper reports were used. Mixed methods allowed an understanding of intentional injury mortality to emerge, even for those with the least amount of data, the 22% of homicides whose bodies were never claimed. Mixed methods made it possible to quantify intentional injury mortality rates, describe subpopulations with scanty data, and learn how to embed ongoing injury mortality surveillance into daily practice.
Adopted Children and Education: The experiences of a specialist CAMHS Team
Authors: Barratt Sara
Published: August 2011

The education system makes special provision for “looked after children”. However, once adopted these children become invisible. Adopted children are often placed in their new families when they are already of school age. School is yet another transition alongside that of home, food, language and social milieu which an adopted child has to manage together the pain of the loss of the biological family and its culture. This article focuses on the importance for CAMHS practitioners to work closely with schools and adoptive parents to help children manage their lives in school. Alongside the difficulties they face in learning, many adopted children need help in managing friendships and in concentrating on what is required of them in school. Adults may be ignorant of the day to day experiences of racism and questions about mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters that can throw an adopted child into confusion. This chapter draws on clinical experience to describe some of the difficulties that arise for parents and children in managing the education system
Seeking professional help for mental health problems, among New Zealand secondary school students
Authors: Mariu Kimberley R. , Merry Sally N. , Robinson Elizabeth M. , Watson Peter D.
Published: August 2011

Objective: Our aim was to investigate whether secondary school students with mental health problems sought help from general practitioners and to investigate whether mental illness type, socio-demographic variables, family, school and community factors were associated with seeking help.

Method: A randomly selected sample of 9699 secondary school students from across New Zealand participated in the Youth2000 Health and Wellbeing Survey. Data analysis included uni-variate and regression analyses.

Results: Having symptoms of anxiety (p<0.0001), depression (p<0.0001), and suicidal thoughts (p<0.0001) were associated with help seeking. However, 82%of students who had significant mental health problems had not sought help from a general practitioner. Rates of help seeking increased with age for girls and decreased with age for boys. Seeking help for mental health problems was also associated with living in a single parent family (p<0.0001), living in an over-crowded house (p=0.0006), and being well known by a teacher (p=0.0004).

Conclusions: The majority of New Zealand secondary school students with mental health problems do not obtain the help they need from general practitioners. Given the prevalence of mental health problems, it is important to find ways of identifying adolescents with difficulties and encouraging them to seek help.
Nigerian secondary school children’s knowledge of and attitudes to mental health and illness
Authors: Dogra Nisha , Omigbodun Olayinka , Adedokun Tunde , Bella Tolulope , Ronzoni Pablo , Adesokan Adekunle
Published: August 2011

Background:

Children tend to lack knowledge of, and hold negative attitudes towards mental illness. However, most of the work undertaken in Nigeria has been done with adults.

Aims:

To establish the views and knowledge about mental health and illness in pupils at four secondary schools in rural and urban Southwest Nigeria.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey based on a questionnaire previously used in the UK and adapted to Nigeria.

Results:

Data from 145 Nigerian schoolchildren showed little knowledge of, negative attitudes and social distance towards persons with mental health problems. Urban participants and boys appeared less knowledgeable than rural children and girls.

Conclusions:

Nigerian schoolchildren, as with Nigerian adults and young people in Western countries, show stigma towards mental illness. This may be underpinned by a lack of knowledge regarding mental health problems. Educational interventions need to be appropriate to area, age and gender to effectively improve mental health literacy, which in turn will influence attitudes and social distance. However, the fact that the schoolchildren were optimistic about recovery is a strength that could be built upon.