bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monocyte function and trafficking in cardiovascular disease
Authors: Pardali Evangelia , Waltenberger Johannes
Published: August 2012

Monocytes are key effectors of the immune homeostasis and play a crucial role in (vascular) injury repair. Despite their role in immune defense and tissue repair mechanisms, monocytes are also involved in several pathological conditions such as autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer. This suggests that monocytes can be used as diagnostic and as therapeutic targets. A better understanding and characterisation of monocytes and their function in both physiological and pathological situations is thus of great interest. This review focuses on recent advances on the role of monocytes in cardiovascular diseases and describes the value of monocytes as either disease marker or therapeutic target for (cardio)vascular diseases.
Trends in Fidelis Lead Survival
Authors: Cheung Jim W. , Tobin-Hess Aviva , Patel Apoor , Slotwiner David J. , Goldner Bruce G.
Published: August 2012

Background—

The Sprint Fidelis implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead was recalled in 2007 because of an elevated risk of lead fracture. Several studies have demonstrated an accelerating risk of lead failure over time. We sought to identify predictors and characterize trends of Fidelis lead failure.

Methods and Results—

We evaluated 604 Fidelis leads with ≥90 days of follow-up implanted at our institution. Fidelis lead survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Analysis of log-log plots of cumulative hazard plots was performed to assess changes in lead failure rate over time. During follow-up of 3.3±1.7 years, 51 (8.4%) Fidelis lead failures were identified. The 3-year and 5-year Fidelis lead survival rates were 93.5% and 85.3%, respectively. Female sex was the only significant predictor of lead failure (heart rate, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1–3.9;
P
<0.0001). The rate of lead failure initially increased exponentially with a power of 2.3 (95% CI, 2.22–2.43;
P
<0.0001). However, log-log analysis of cumulative hazard for leads functioning at 2 and 4 years revealed a stable rate of failure of 4.5%/year. Mathematical modeling of the Fidelis lead failure demonstrated a transition from an exponential to linear pattern of lead failure at 2.9 years.

Conclusions—

After 3 years, failure rates of Fidelis leads stabilize but at a significantly elevated rate. Female sex is associated with a doubling of the risk of Fidelis lead failure. These findings have implications for Fidelis lead management decisions that are based on the prediction of lead failure risk.
Shock Efficacy of Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator for Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death
Authors: Aydin Ali , Hartel Friederike , Schlüter Michael , Butter Christian , Köbe Julia , Seifert Martin , Gosau Nils , Hoffmann Boris , Hoffmann Matthias , Vettorazzi Eik , Wilke Iris , Wegscheider Karl , Reichenspurner Hermann , Eckardt Lars , Steven Daniel , Willems Stephan
Published: August 2012

Background—

Recently, subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) has become available. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of S-ICD in a clinical setting.

Methods and Results—

Between June 2010 and July 2011, 40 consecutive patients (42±15 years; body mass index, 27±6 kg/m
2
; left ventricular ejection fraction, 47±15%; 28 men) received an S-ICD for primary (n=17) or secondary prevention (n=23 [58%]) at 3 institutions in Germany. Intraoperative defibrillation efficacy testing failed in 1 patient with severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction; testing was effective in all other patients. All episodes stored in the S-ICD were analyzed for appropriate and inappropriate detection, as well as effective shock delivery to convert ventricular tachyarrhythmia into sinus rhythm. During a median follow-up of 229 (interquartile range, 116–305) days, 4 patients experienced 21 episodes, with correct detection of ventricular tachyarrhythmia and subsequent shock therapy. A total of 28 shocks were delivered in these 4 patients. Mixed logistic regression modeling revealed a shock efficacy of 96.4% (95% CI, 12.8%–100%). The efficacy of first shocks, however, was only 57.9% (95% CI, 35.6%–77.4%). Four episodes were incorrectly classified as ventricular tachyarrhythmia, which led to inappropriate shock delivery in 2 patients.

Conclusions—

Ineffective shock delivery may occur in patients with S-ICD, even after successful intraoperative testing. Multicenter trials are required with close monitoring of safety and efficacy end points to identify patients who may be at risk for shock failure.
A Network of Spiking Neurons for Computing Sparse Representations in an Energy-Efficient Way
Authors: Hu Tao , Genkin Alexander , Chklovskii Dmitri B.
Published: August 2012

Computing sparse redundant representations is an important problem in both applied mathematics and neuroscience. In many applications, this problem must be solved in an energy-efficient way. Here, we propose a hybrid distributed algorithm (HDA), which solves this problem on a network of simple nodes communicating by low-bandwidth channels. HDA nodes perform both gradient-descent-like steps on analog internal variables and coordinate-descent-like steps via quantized external variables communicated to each other. Interestingly, the operation is equivalent to a network of integrate-and-fire neurons, suggesting that HDA may serve as a model of neural computation. We show that the numerical performance of HDA is on par with existing algorithms. In the asymptotic regime, the representation error of HDA decays with time, t, as 1/t. HDA is stable against time-varying noise; specifically, the representation error decays as 1/[Formula: see text] for gaussian white noise.
Shared and Specific Independent Components Analysis for Between-Group Comparison
Authors: Vahdat Shahabeddin , Maneshi Mona , Grova Christophe , Gotman Jean , Milner Theodore E.
Published: August 2012

Independent component analysis (ICA) has been extensively used in individual and within-group data sets in real-world applications, but how can it be employed in a between-groups or conditions design? Here, we propose a new method to embed group membership information into the FastICA algorithm so as to extract components that are either shared between groups or specific to one or a subset of groups. The proposed algorithm is designed to automatically extract the pattern of differences between different experimental groups or conditions. A new constraint is added to the FastICA algorithm to simultaneously deal with the data of multiple groups in a single ICA run. This cost function restricts the specific components of one group to be orthogonal to the subspace spanned by the data of the other groups. As a result of performing a single ICA on the aggregate data of several experimental groups, the entire variability of data sets is used to extract the shared components. The results of simulations show that the proposed algorithm performs better than the regular method in both the reconstruction of the source signals and classification of shared and specific components. Also, the sensitivity to detect variations in the amplitude of shared components across groups is enhanced. A rigorous proof of convergence is provided for the proposed iterative algorithm. Thus, this algorithm is guaranteed to extract and classify shared and specific independent components across different experimental groups and conditions in a systematic way.
Neural Relax
Authors: Benedetti Elisa , Budinich Marco
Published: August 2012

We propose a new self-organizing algorithm for a feedforward network inspired to an electrostatic problem that turns out to have intimate relations with information maximization.
Dynamic micromechanical modeling of textile composites with cohesive interface failure
Authors: Karkkainen Ryan L , McWilliams Brandon
Published: August 2012

Micromechanical finite element modeling has been employed to investigate the failure of several compositionally varied textile composite materials under dynamic loading. A previously developed cohesive element failure model for interface strength is employed at the phase boundary between the fiber tows and the interstitial matrix to determine the effects of interface properties on the failure behavior of a 2D plain weave and 3D orthogonal weave S2 glass/BMI composite. Thus, tow pullout and separation have been included in addition to more classical micro-level failure modes such as fiber breakage and matrix microcracking. The dynamic response of a representative volume element (RVE) is determined at strain rates of 1000 and 10,000 strain/s in an explicit finite element formulation. A parametric study has investigated compositional effects on impact strengths of two weave geometries with a relatively ‘strong’ versus ‘weak’ interface property at 10,000 and 1000 strain/s in tension and compression. The successful implementation of the cohesive failure scheme into the textile RVE framework is shown, and fundamental macro-level failure cases are investigated to relate micromechanical parametric variation to consequent strength effects.
Diltheyan Varieties of Double Hermeneutics in the Human Sciences
Authors: Ginev Dimitri
Published: August 2012

In this volume, the authors seek to analyze the actual influence of Dilthey’s philosophy of the human sciences on various contemporary debates. They are convinced that Dilthey’s interpretative-holistic epistemology provides a good starting point for engaging with alternative conceptions of the human sciences. Throughout the volume, the authors illustrate the importance of Dilthey’s main concepts for constituting the human-scientific objects of inquiry qua historically contextualized objects of inquiry. It is the interpretative reflection on the forms of human beings’ self-understanding of their situatedness that requires the implementation of double hermeneutics in the constitution of such objects. In my review, I concentrate chiefly on five versions of double hermeneutics discussed by the authors in different methodological contexts.
Life After Business Failure
Authors: Ucbasaran Deniz , Shepherd Dean A. , Lockett Andy , Lyon S. John
Published: August 2012

Where there is uncertainty, there is bound to be failure. It is not surprising, therefore, that many new ventures fail. What happens to entrepreneurs when their business fails? People hear of highly successful entrepreneurs extolling the virtues of failure as a valuable teacher. Yet the aftermath of failure is often fraught with psychological, social, and financial turmoil. The purpose of this article is to review research on life after business failure for entrepreneurs, from the immediate aftermath through to recovery and re-emergence. First, the authors examine the financial, social, and psychological costs of failure, highlighting factors that may influence the magnitude of these costs (including individual responses to managing these costs). Second, they review research that explains how entrepreneurs make sense of and learn from failure. Finally, the authors present research on the outcomes of business failure, including recovery as well as cognitive and behavioral outcomes. They develop a schema to organize extant work and use this as a platform for developing an agenda for future research.
Influences on Municipal Annexation Methodology
Authors: Smith Russell M. , Willse John T.
Published: August 2012

Investigations into municipal annexation have been largely conducted at the interstate unit of analysis and have focused on the impact of annexation legislation on overall annexation frequency. Interestingly, little effort has been placed on exploring the differences in intrastate levels of annexation activity by method of annexation available to municipalities. This analysis explores intrastate annexation activity through a multivariate regression examination of municipal annexation activity conducted in North Carolina between 2000 and 2010. Results surprisingly show that the key variables impacting voluntary contiguous, voluntary noncontiguous, and involuntary annexations are similar. Meanwhile, more research is needed to understand the unique factors that influence legislative annexation activity.
How You Describe a Group Shows How Biased You Are
Authors: Assilaméhou Yvette , Testé Benoit
Published: August 2012

The aim of the present research was to show that the level of linguistic abstraction used when describing group behaviors affects inferences about the speaker’s degree of bias toward that group. Participants used a speaker’s description of a group to judge that person’s communicative intentions (Study 1) and attitudes (Study 2) toward the group. The results show that speakers who use abstract terms are perceived as more biased than speakers who use concrete terms.
How Context Matters
Authors: Hall Jeffrey A. , La France Betty H.
Published: August 2012

This article reports two experiments exploring heterosexual men’s use of homophobic slang in social contexts varied by sex ratio. Study 1 ( N = 127) experimentally demonstrated that compared with a mixed-sex audience, heterosexual men with an all-male audience reported higher levels of hetero-identity concern (HIC) and more homophobic slang use. These men had similar levels of HIC compared with men with an all-female audience. Study 2 replicated Study 1’s mean difference tests and explored whether the relationship between HIC and homophobic slang was affected by group sex ratio and social norms. Results suggest the relationship between HIC and homophobic slang was significant only in all-male and mixed-sex audiences and the norm of noninterference was associated with homophobic slang only in all-male groups.
Politeness and Honesty Contribute Additively to the Interpretation of Scalar Expressions
Authors: Feeney Aidan , Bonnefon Jean-François
Published: August 2012

Scalar terms have been the focus of much recent attention. People can interpret such terms narrowly, for example, interpreting A or B to convey A or B but not both, on the grounds that a speaker would have explicitly used a more informative term (i.e., and) had he or she been in a position to do so; or they can interpret such terms broadly ( A or B or both). Examined here are the effects of politeness contexts and self-rated honesty on people’s interpretation of the scalar connective or. In two experiments, it is shown that participants are less likely to adopt the narrow interpretation when the communicative context is face threatening, and that regardless of context, participants high in self-rated honesty adopt the narrow interpretation to a greater extent than those low in self-rated honesty. These results are consistent with the claim that an assumption of honesty underlies certain pragmatic inferences and suggest that personality may be an important source of individual differences in language interpretation.
Challenges in combining work and care: Evidence from investigating women’s work in Leeds
Authors: Yeandle Sue , Joynes Viktoria
Published: August 2012

Using official data and other evidence about the people and economy of the city of Leeds, England, and focusing on one decade, the 2000s, this article considers employment trends and policy developments relevant to parents’ and carers’ capacity to combine work and care. Highlighting the dynamic nature of labour supply and demand in the Leeds local labour market, the article examines the impact of developments in the local infrastructure of support for caring and parenting and the availability and level of social security and welfare. The discussion explores the extent to which a decade of unprecedented policy attention to childcare and caring affected the challenges facing parents and carers who wish to combine work and care, and asks whether the progress achieved is likely to be sustainable in a following decade of economic austerity.
Modes of Infant Feeding and the Occurrence of Coughing/Wheezing in the First Year of Life
Authors: Soto-Ramírez Nelís , Karmaus Wilfried , Zhang Hongmei , Davis Susan , Agarwal Saroochi , Albergottie Alycia
Published: August 2012

Background:

Controversies regarding infant feeding and childhood wheezing may result from insufficient differentiation among various feeding modes.

Objectives:

We conducted prospective analyses of associations between the repeated ascertainment of feeding mode and wheezing in infancy.

Methods:

The Infant Feeding Practices Study II (2833 infants) provided data on coughing/wheezing episodes (CWEs) at 8 time points and feeding modes at 9 time points from months 1 to 12. Feeding modes were defined as direct breastfeeding, indirect breastfeeding (IBF, bottled breast milk), formula feeding (FF), and their combinations. In concurrent and delayed models using repeated measurements, the relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of different feeding modes for CWEs were estimated. In the delayed models, only infants without symptoms were considered at risk for consequent CWE.

Results:

In a model with a 1-month delay, compared to direct breastfeeding, any other feeding mode showed a statistically significant risk for CWEs (IBF: RR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.05, 2.72]; FF: RR = 1.26, 95% CI [1.08, 1.47]; mixed breast feeding plus FF: RR = 1.25, 95% CI [1.01, 1.55]; and FF and direct breastfeeding: RR = 1.38, 95% CI [1.14, 1.68]). In a concurrent effect model, FF, the combination of FF and IBF, and mixed breastfeeding plus formula were risk factors (RR = 1.38, 95% CI [1.19, 1.59], RR = 1.83, 95% CI [1.27, 2.63], and RR=1.35, 95% CI [1.11, 1.65]; respectively).

Conclusions:

Any mode of feeding that includes formula or bottled breast milk seems to be a moderate risk for cough or wheezing episodes in the first 12 months of life.
The Experience of Expressing and Donating Breast Milk Following a Perinatal Loss
Authors: Welborn Jessica Marie
Published: August 2012

Background:

The continued ability for a mother to produce breast milk following the death of her baby in utero, at birth, or during the postpartum period is an aspect of perinatal loss that is rarely acknowledged.

Objective:

To explore the lived experience of bereaved mothers who chose to express and donate their breast milk to a milk bank to feed premature and sick babies following the loss of their own babies.

Methods:

Twenty-one bereaved mothers who donated their milk between January 2003 and December 2006 to the Mothers Milk Bank in San Jose, CA or Columbus, OH participated in an in-depth, semistructured interview process about their experiences expressing and donating their milk.

Results:

Each transcribed interview revealed 4 essential themes, as follows: (1) identifying as a mother, grieving the loss of motherhood; (2) meanings associated with the experience of pumping milk; (3) finding meaning in and integrating the experience of perinatal loss; and (4) the importance of addressing lactation with bereaved mothers. Various subthemes were explored within each essential theme.

Conclusion:

The experiences of these participants reflect the importance of addressing lactation more thoroughly with bereaved mothers who have lost their babies in utero, at birth, or during the postpartum period and providing them with adequate support and education during the healing process.
Hydrodynamic and molecular characteristics of organosilane copolymers of low molecular weight
Authors: Tarabukina Elena , Krasova Anna , Filippov Alexander , Sacarescu Liviu , Simionescu Mihaela , Sacarescu Gabriela , Soroceanu Marius , Harabagiu Valeria
Published: August 2012

Molecular hydrodynamics and light scattering measurements have been carried out in dilute solutions of polysilanes copolymers containing segments with different degrees of rotational freedom. For this purpose, three low-molecular-weight linear polydiphenylsilane copolymeric structures containing various amounts of methylhydrosilylene or methylphenylsilylene flexible units have been synthesized and studied. The molecular and hydrodynamic properties of the diphenylsilane copolymers proved to be dependent on their composition and on the chemical structure of the second co-monomer.
Synthetic pyrethroid increases lipid and protein oxidation and induces glutathione depletion in the cerebellum of adult rats: Ameliorative effect of vitamin C
Authors: Fetoui Hamadi , Gdoura Radhouane
Published: August 2012

The wide use and wide-spectrum toxicity of synthetic pyrethroid (SP) insecticides make them an emerging ecotoxicological concern. The objective of the current study was aimed to investigate the involvement of oxidative stress in lambda-cyhalothrin (LTC)–induced cerebellum damages in adult rats and to evaluate the possible protective effect of vitamin C (vit C) as antioxidant. Exposure of rats to LTC during 3 weeks caused a significant ( p < 0.05) increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO) and protein carbonyls (PCO) along with a significant ( p < 0.05) decrease in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activities of acetylcholinesterase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and gluthione- S-transferase ( p < 0.05) when compared with the control group. The oral administration of vit C (200 mg/kg per d) to LTC-treated rats significantly ( p < 0.05) diminished the levels of LPO, NO and PCO and significantly ( p < 0.05) increased the activities of GSH and antioxidant enzymes. Our results showed that the administration of vit C could ameliorate some of the oxidative damage in the cerebellum induced by SPs exposure, suggesting that the ascorbic acid could exhibit a potential antioxidant activity against neurotoxicity induced by pesticides exposure.
High incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Norway
Authors: Lerang K , Gilboe I , Garen T , Thelle DS , Gran JT
Published: August 2012

Our aim was to identify all patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) within the city of Oslo from 1999–2008 and to estimate the incidence and prevalence of SLE according to age, sex and ethnicity. Adults (16 years and over) with SLE were identified from five different sources. Only patients fulfilling four or more of the updated 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were included. The incidence was stable during the nine year study period, with a mean annual incidence rate of 3.0 per 100,000 at risk (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.4–3.5). Females exhibited a bimodal pattern in age specific incidence with the first peak at 16–29 years of age and the second at 50–59 years of age. The overall prevalence was 51.8 per 100,000 population (95% CI 45.2–58.4), with 91.0 (95% CI 78.8–103.1) for females and 10.7 (95% CI 6.4–15.0) for males. The prevalence proportions for European descendants were similar to those for Asians but statistically significant lower than those for individuals adopted from non-European countries. The findings indicate a higher prevalence in Norwegians compared to Caucasians in Denmark and England. The higher prevalence of SLE in foreign adopted individuals warrants further examination.
Familial amyloidotic polineuropathy and systemic lupus
Authors: Ferreira AC , Carvalho F , Nolasco F
Published: August 2012

Familial amyloidotic polineuropathy is a genetic disorder, leading to systemic amyloid deposits, manifested as sensory-motor and autonomic neuropathy. In the Portuguese classical form, the disease is evident at a young age, and causes death if no specific treatment is received. Variability in penetrance, age of onset and clinical course has been published; environmental and genetic factors are believed to contribute to this variability.

The authors report a case of a 51-year-old white female, with a medical history of acquired angioedema, late-onset familial amyloidotic polineuropathy and systemic lupus erythemathosus. The authors consider that these associated diseases could modulate their expression.
Family involvement in the end-of-life decisions of competent intensive care patients
Authors: Lind Ranveig , Nortvedt Per , Lorem Geir , Hevrøy Olav
Published: August 2012

In this article, we report the findings from a qualitative study that explored how relatives of terminally ill, alert and competent intensive care patients perceived their involvement in the end-of-life decision-making process. Eleven family members of six deceased patients were interviewed. Our findings reveal that relatives narrate about a strong intertwinement with the patient. They experienced the patients’ personal individuality as a fragile achievement. Therefore, they viewed their presence as crucial with their primary role to support and protect the patient, thereby safeguarding his values and interests. However, their inclusion in decision making varied from active participation in the decision-making process to acceptance of the physicians’ decision or just receiving information. We conclude that models of informed shared decision making should be utilised and optimised in intensive care, where nurses and physicians work with both the patient and his or her family and regard the family as partners in the process.
Human rights of drug users according to public health professionals in Brazil
Authors: Ventura Carla AA , Mendes Isabel AC , Trevizan Maria A , Rodrigues Driéli P
Published: August 2012

Health is a basic human right, and drug use represents a severe influence on people’s health. This qualitative study aimed to understand how health professionals in a public health-care team working with drug users in a city of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, perceive the human rights of these users and how these rights are being respected in health care. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 health professionals at the service under analysis. A thematic analysis of the interviews reveals the professionals’ difficulty to define the concept of human right and contextualize these rights in their work environment. A deeper understanding of the right to health, however, represents an important premise for a more humanized care practice in health services to drug users.
Ethical issues experienced by intensive care unit nurses in everyday practice
Authors: Fernandes Maria ID , Moreira Isabel MPB
Published: August 2012

This research aims to identify the ethical issues perceived by intensive care nurses in their everyday practice. It also aims to understand why these situations were considered an ethical issue and what interventions/strategies have been or are expected to be developed so as to minimize them. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview with 15 nurses working at polyvalent intensive care units in 4 Portuguese hospitals, who were selected by the homogenization of multiple samples. The qualitative content analysis identified end-of-life decisions, privacy, interaction, team work, and health-care access as emerging ethical issues. Personal, team, and institutional aspects emerge as reasons behind the experience of these issues. Personal and team resources are used in and for solving these issues. Moral development and training are the most significant strategies.
Ethical aspects of undergoing a predictive genetic testing for Huntington's disease
Authors: Andersson Petra Lilja , Juth Niklas , Petersén Åsa , Graff Caroline , Edberg Anna-Karin
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of undergoing a presymptomatic genetic test for the hereditary and fatal Huntington’s disease, using a case study approach. The study was based on 18 interviews with a young woman and her husband from the decision to undergo the test, to receiving the results and trying to adapt to them, which were analysed using a life history approach. The findings show that the process of undergoing a presymptomatic test involves several closely connected ethical and medical questions, such as the reason for the test, the consequences of the test results and how health-care services can be developed to support people in this situation.
Public–Private Partnership in Power Sector: A Focus on Ultra Mega Power Projects
Authors: Gangakhedkar Rajesh , Mishra R.K.
Published: August 2012

Public–private Partnership in power sector is another significant development in the domain of power sector reforms. The Ultra Mega Power Projects which are based on Public–Private Partnership, are perceived as harbingers of change in the power sector. This article focuses on the study of Ultra Mega Power Projects, with special reference to Sasan and Mundra projects which are the first two Ultra Mega Power Projects that have achieved financial closure. The article is conceptual and uses secondary source of information. The article makes a critical evaluation of Ultra Mega Power Projects. In the process, the article dwells at length on the factors that contribute to the cost-effective power generation by these projects. It also examines the factors that favour the growth of these projects. The article also examines the emerging issues and challenges related to these projects that need due attention.

JEL Classification: L-94
“Together we can make it better”: Collective action and governance in a girls’ ice hockey association
Authors: Stevens Julie , Adams Carly
Published: August 2012

This paper, drawing on collective action literature and situated within the women’s sport movement, offers a case study of a separate girls’ minor hockey association that formed in Ontario in the mid-1990s. The analysis explores the process of establishing a girls’ hockey association that is separate from the boys’ minor hockey umbrella. Two fundamental collective action themes emerged from the data. First, the data revealed the founders of the separate association acted according to both affective and rational motives. Second, the founders utilized different strategies, namely advocacy and social action, to form the association. These findings support an integrated perspective towards community change as it pertains to female hockey governance, and introduces a novel stream of inquiry into this area of female sport – one that connects collective action, governance, and organizational dynamics.
Multiple Jeopardy
Authors: Marcenko Maureen O. , Hook Jennifer L. , Romich Jennifer L. , Lee JoAnn S.
Published: August 2012

Although the welfare literature reveals a growing number of parents who are economically disconnected, meaning neither employed nor receiving cash assistance, little is known about the prevalence and impacts of disconnection among child welfare–involved parents. This study took advantage of a statewide survey of child welfare–involved parents to examine economic disconnection in this population and to explore the relationship between disconnection and parent engagement in child welfare. One fifth of the sample reported that they were economically disconnected, with several patterns differentiating disconnected caregivers from those who received benefits or earned income through employment. Disconnected caregivers were younger and more frequently had children in out-of-home placements as opposed to receiving services in home than economically connected caregivers. They also reported higher unmet needs for basic services, such as housing and medical care, but were more likely to report financial help from their informal network. Finally, disconnected caregivers reported lower engagement in child welfare services even when controlling for demographic characteristics, chronic psychosocial risk factors, placement status, and maltreatment type. The findings document economic disconnection among child welfare–involved parents and raise important questions about the implications of disconnection for families and for child welfare outcomes.
Subjective Orientations to the Schooling of Young People on the Margins of School
Authors: Aaltonen Sanna
Published: August 2012

The strong emphasis placed on educational achievements as a precondition for successful adult life in Western societies attests to the fact that school plays a significant role in setting the standards for normality and conformity among young people today. The focus of this article is on the subjective orientations to schools and schooling expressed by young people on the margins of school. By adopting a biographical approach to young people’s lives, this study examines how ninth graders make sense of their educational career from a particular transitional vantage point between compulsory and post-compulsory education, and from a marginal position in the current educational context. The article draws on research that focused on the biographies and future hopes of 15- to 17-year-old ninth graders attending either programmes for young people in need of support (‘Pilot’, part of targeted youth work) or an alternative school (‘My Own Career’ classes, part of flexible basic education). The article suggests that for young people on the margins of school, the contribution of compulsory education to the conceptualization of educational pathways in the future is ambivalent, sometimes even disempowering, and the weight of past conflicts with school forces young people to find ways to renegotiate their relationship with education.
Managing Drug Use in Danish Club Settings: A Normalized Enterprise?
Authors: Ravn Signe
Published: August 2012

The article analyzes Danish clubbers’ strategies for taking drugs in night clubs. This exploration is framed within the discussion of a possible normalization of youth drug use. Thus, the article investigates how young drug-users experience the level of acceptability of drug use in clubs and how this perceived acceptability—or rather lack of acceptability—affects their practices around drug-taking. The analysis points towards two distinct strategies which the clubbers make use of when taking drugs in clubs: an assimilative strategy and an opportunistic strategy, and it is shown how these strategies are indicative of the level of acceptability of drugs in club settings. Through this focus on the micro-level, the article adds to the limited amount of literature on this dimension of the normalization thesis. Empirically, the article is based on a Danish mixed methods club study.
Exploring Professionalism among Youth Work Practitioners in Malaysia: A Measurement Development Study
Authors: Krauss Steven Eric , Idris Khairuddin , Tamam Ezhar , Suandi Turiman , Ismail Ismi Arif , Bandar Nur Fatihah Abdullah , Dahalan Dzuhailmi
Published: August 2012

Despite the concerns about professionalism among youth work practitioners in Malaysia, valid and reliable instruments to measure the construct are lacking. This article reviews the psychometric development and initial exploration of a professionalism measure applicable for use with direct-service youth work practitioners. Results were based on a sampling of 813 government and non-government youth work practitioners throughout Malaysia. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 6-factor solution that was used as the basis for the subscales of the instrument. Comparison of means tests indicated higher mean scores according to academic qualification, age, income, gender, marital status and certification and years of involvement in youth work. Limitations and recommendations for further development of the professionalism scale are discussed.
Impact of sleep disorder treatment on fatigue in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Côté I , Trojan DA , Kaminska M , Cardoso M , Benedetti A , Weiss D , Robinson A , Bar-Or A , Lapierre Y , Kimoff RJ
Published: August 2012

Background:

We recently reported that sleep disorders are significantly associated with fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to assess the effects of sleep disorder treatment on fatigue and related clinical outcomes in MS.

Methods:

This was a controlled, non-randomized clinical treatment study. Sixty-two MS patients completed standardized questionnaires including the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), Epworth Sleepiness scale (ESS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and underwent polysomnography (PSG). Patients with sleep disorders were offered standard treatment. Fifty-six subjects repeated the questionnaires after ≥ three months, and were assigned to one of three groups: sleep disorders that were treated (SD-Tx, n=21), sleep disorders remaining untreated (SD-NonTx, n=18) and no sleep disorder (NoSD, n=17).

Results:

FSS and MFI general and mental fatigue scores improved significantly from baseline to follow-up in SD-Tx ( p <0.03), but not SD-NonTx or NoSD subjects. ESS and PSQI scores also improved significantly in SD-Tx subjects ( p <0.001). Adjusted multivariate analyses confirmed significant effects of sleep disorder treatment on FSS (-0.87, p = 0.005), MFI general fatigue score ( p = 0.034), ESS (p = 0.042) and PSQI (p = 0.023).

Conclusion:

Treatment of sleep disorders can improve fatigue and other clinical outcomes in MS.
Perceived changes and minimum clinically important difference of the Neurological Fatigue Index for multiple sclerosis (NFI-MS)
Authors: Mills RJ , Calabresi M , Tennant A , Young CA
Published: August 2012

The determination of the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) is an important aspect of scale development. The Neurological Fatigue Index for multiple sclerosis (NFI-MS) was administered before and after expected change or stability in fatigue in 208 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The overall change scores of the NFI-MS accorded with perceived direction of change; importantly, no change was seen when none was perceived. Using the interval level NFI-MS scores, the largest MCID equated to 2.49 points on the Summary scale, 2.36 points on the Physical scale, 0.84 points on the Cognitive scale, 0.97 on the Diurnal Sleep scale and 1.95 on the Nocturnal Sleep scale. Our conclusion is that the NFI-MS responds as expected to changes in fatigue and has desirably small MCID scores.
The association of quality of social relations, symptom severity and intelligence with anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Eussen Mart LJM , Van Gool Arthur R , Verheij Fop , De Nijs Pieter FA , Verhulst Frank C , Greaves-Lord Kirstin
Published: August 2012

Limited quality of social relations, milder symptom severity and higher intelligence were shown to account for higher anxiety levels in autism spectrum disorders. The current study replicated and extended earlier findings by combining these three determinants of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders in one study. The sample consisted of 134 school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders, of whom 58 (43%) had a co-morbid anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children–Parent version. In this sample, we tested associations between these determinants and anxiety univariately and multivariately to clarify the unique contribution of all determinants. Since we hypothesized that the association between limited quality of social relations and anxiety would be amplified by low symptom severity and/or high intelligence, we additionally tested for moderating effects. We found that higher anxiety levels were associated with a lower quality of social relations and lower symptom severity. In this mainly high-functioning sample, intelligence was not related to anxiety levels. No moderation effects were found. Since lower quality of social relations and lower symptom severity are associated with higher anxiety levels in children with autism spectrum disorders, therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing anxiety in autism spectrum disorders should pay attention to improving social relations, and presumably children with a lower symptom severity could benefit most from such interventions.
Giving more weight to the ballerina: Material agency in the world of pointe shoes
Authors: Hoogsteyns Maartje
Published: August 2012

A ballerina’s life is generally considered to be hard. She works long hours, for poor pay in a highly disciplined and hierarchical system in which her interests are seldom at the forefront. Pain, eating disorders and exhaustion are considered to be the ‘unavoidable risks’ of the profession. However, when asked, most ballerinas talk with a lot of pride and fulfilment about their profession; they feel empowered and privileged. To social scientists, this poses the question of how to understand the concept of agency in the world of ballet. This article aims to contribute to the discussion using contemporary materiality theories. Dualistic thinking prevails in the world of ballet; the mind is supposed to have total control over the body. The article examines this thinking in relation to daily ballet practice, in particular the ballerina’s use of pointe shoes. The findings shed an unexpected light on agency while illustrating the potential of materiality theories in this research area.
Health-behaviour inequalities among Russian and ethnic majority school-aged children in the Baltic countries
Authors: Šumskas Linas , Zaborskis Apolinaras , Aasvee Katrin , Gobina Inese , Pudule Iveta
Published: August 2012

Aims: The main aim of this paper was to investigate whether ethnic heath inequalities exist in self-rated health and risk-taking behaviours (smoking, drunkenness, use of cannabis) between ethnic majority (Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian) and minority (Russian) population groups of school-aged children in three Baltic countries. Methods: Investigation was carried out in the framework of Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Randomly selected students aged 11, 13, and 15 years answered questionnaires in the classroom in 2006. In total, 14,354 questionnaire forms were selected for analysis. Results: Russian boys were more likely ( p<0.05) to evaluate their self-rated health positively in schools with Russian teaching language. Odd ratios for current smoking and drunkenness were significantly lower among Russian boys in the schools with Russian language of instruction ( p<0.05) in comparison with the reference group. Russian girls did not differ significantly (the exceptions were smoking in Estonia and cannabis use in Latvia) from the majority population girls by self-rated health as well as by the risk of smoking, drunkenness, and use of cannabis. Conclusions: The study found some differences in self-rated health and in risk-taking behaviours between Russian minority and ethnic majority students as well as between students of schools with different language of instruction (majority language vs. Russian) in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Being a member of minority group was not related with poor self-rated health or involvement in risk-taking behaviours in school-aged children in the Baltic countries.
Beyond the observer’s paradox: the audio-recorder as a resource for the display of identity
Authors: Gordon Cynthia
Published: August 2012

Instead of viewing the ‘observer’s paradox’ or the presence of ‘tape-affected speech’ as a methodological problem that spoils ‘natural’ data, in this article, I advocate exploring the opportunities that a recorder offers to research study participants, and the insights tape-affected speech gives to researchers. In my discourse analysis of the week-long self-audio-recorded discourse of members of four American families, I draw on the notions of ‘frame’ and ‘footing’ to uncover the various ways the recorder is conceptualized and oriented to in interaction—as an object and a person, and in literal and playful ways—and demonstrate how participants use the recorder as a resource for identity work in interaction. Analysis reveals how recording shapes the interactions that constitute ‘data’ and how study participants manipulate the presence of the recorder to display identities.
Scripting Civil Partnerships: interviewing couples together and apart
Authors: Heaphy Brian , Einarsdottir Anna
Published: August 2012

Couple studies generally focus on heterosexual relationships where partners are interviewed together or apart. This article discusses a study of same-sex couples’ Civil Partnerships that interviewed partners together and apart. It considers the methodological and analytical challenges raised by our approach by discussing how the different interactional settings of the interviews shaped the stories that couples and partners told, the links between relationship narration in interviews and their ‘doing’ in practice and the insights generated into the sociocultural factors that shape relationship scripting. The joint interviews produced couple and marriage stories. They illuminated couples’ scripting agency and factors that enable and constrain partners’ scripting authority in interviews and beyond. The individual interviews produced biographically embedded narratives of ‘relating selves’. These contextualized and complicated couple stories of (non-)negotiated relationships. Our approach enabled us to make links between relational scripting in interviews and the flow of power in situated research, relational and sociocultural contexts.
Infertile? The emotional labour of sensitive and feminist research methodologies
Authors: Carroll Katherine
Published: August 2012

A researcher’s emotional labour is inextricably linked to the methodological and ethical underpinnings of ‘doing’ sensitive and some feminist research. However, a key component of the emotional labour theory does not fit with the emotional labour enacted by some researchers. This article sets out to extend the theory of emotional labour in order to make it more applicable to sensitive and feminist methodologies, and in doing so, it reveals the importance of incorporating emotion in the refinement of theory. Drawing on 20 interviews with female in vitro fertilisation patients, and extracts from a systematically recorded reflexive diary of the researcher, this article contests a key aspect of Hochschild’s theory of emotional labour in its application to sensitive and feminist qualitative researchers. Instead of estrangement from the emotional self as a result of enacting emotional labour, this article suggests that the emotional and biological selves of the researcher can be foregrounded, sometimes unwillingly. The investment of emotional labour must be acknowledged by institutions, managers and methodologists, and further theorising is required to incorporate the critical presence of emotional labour in social science research.
Sharing and developing knowledge of organization culture during international assignments
Authors: Boyle Brendan , Nicholas Stephen , Mitchell Rebecca
Published: August 2012

This article investigates the sharing and development of knowledge of organization culture during international assignments in multinational enterprises (MNE). Organization culture is presented as a category of knowledge, and the value of this knowledge is discussed in the strategic context of MNE integration and the development of global management competencies. In-depth interview data from 21 cases of international assignments across 13 MNEs are analysed, revealing that assignees play a role in sharing knowledge of organization culture through the process of articulating tacit perspectives held across global units. The data also reveal a role for assignments in the development of comprehension of substantive heterogeneity. This article contributes to our understanding of the developmental aspects of assignments, the utility of assignments as a method for knowledge sharing and the role of international assignments in the integration of MNEs.
Leveraging Pull Forces for the Future of HR
Authors: Ruona Wendy E. A. , Coates Tabitha K. L.
Published: August 2012

The Problem

Work has rapidly changed over the decades forcing the field to address the notion of pull issues and what these forces demand of HRD.

The Solution

This preface article introduces the notion and importance of pull issues to the future of HRD. A brief overview of each contributing article is provided. Recommendations for HRD research, theory, and practice are offered.

The Stakeholders

Scholars and practitioners interested in the importance of the progression and maturation of the field of HRD.