bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association of dissociative symptoms with exposure to trauma
Authors: Ullah S. , Khalily M. T. , Ahmad I. , Hallahan B.
Published: January 2018

Background

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of North-West Pakistan has endured increased levels of violence in recent years. The psychological sequelae of such trauma including the presence of dissociative symptoms has been minimally investigated to date. The study examines psychopathology experienced including the presence of dissociative symptoms, and ascertain what factors are potentially predictive of these symptoms.

Method

Third-level students (n=303) completed psychometric instruments relating to their experience of traumatic events and assessed depression, anxiety and dissociative symptoms.

Results

Symptoms suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder were evident in 28% of individuals. Symptoms relating to intrusive experiences and alterations in reactivity predicted dissociative, depressive and anxiety symptoms (p<0.01).

Conclusion

Trauma related to violence in this study was associated with significant pathology including dissociative symptoms. Identification and subsequent treatment of dissociative symptoms in individuals who have experienced trauma, may have a significant ameliorating effect on levels of functioning and thus should be included in clinical assessment.
On Hydrodynamic Stability of Dean Flow by Using Energy Gradient Methods
Authors: Nowruzi H. , Ghassemi H. , Nourazar S. S.
Published: January 2018

In the present paper, we investigate the hydrodynamic instability of Dean flow under different Dean numbers ranging from 1 to 2500, curvature ratios from 0.0001 up to 1000 and temperatures ranging from 273.15 K to 373.15 K. To study of fluid flow instability, analytical velocity profiles under intended conditions and energy gradient function K in the energy gradient method are evaluated. The results of present study show that, as the curvature ratio increases the flow becomes more stable. Moreover, no regular and significant effects on the energy gradient function K were achieved by increasing of temperatures. We found that, the origin of instability in the entire flow field is located on the inner wall of the parallel curved walls, especially for larger curvature ratios. We also reported the critical value of the energy gradient function K for the onset of instability corresponding to the critical Dean number.
Evidence for stratigraphy in molluscan death assemblages preserved in seagrass beds: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Authors: Arkle Kelsey M. , Miller Arnold I.
Published: January 2018

Death assemblages that occupy the upper tens of centimeters of sediment in shallow-marine settings are often subject to extensive mixing, thereby limiting their usefulness in assessing environmentally mediated compositional changes through time in the local biota. Here, we provide evidence that dense,Thalassia-rich seagrass beds preserve a stratigraphic record of biotic variation because their dense root–rhizome mats inhibit mixing. We sampled benthic mollusk assemblages at seven localities inThalassia-rich beds around St. Croix, USVI, collecting three separate sediment intervals of ~13 cm each to a total depth of ~40 cm below the sediment–water interface, and found evidence that sedimentary intervals preserved compositional stratigraphy. Further, some localities displayed systematic, directional changes down-core. An examination of interval-to-interval changes in composition revealed that compositional variation was unique from locality to locality rather than reflecting coordinated, island-wide transitions. In general, however, relative abundances of epifaunal gastropods and small lucinid bivalves tended to decrease with depth below the sediment–water interface. Quantitative comparisons of life-to-death assemblages from each successive sedimentary interval demonstrated that the shallowest death assemblages were typically more similar to the life assemblages than were deeper assemblages, suggesting that deeper intervals provide records of earlier community states.
Cultural Norms and Immigrants in the United States: The Green Card Experiment
Authors: Figueroa Lucila
Published: January 2018

This paper explores the effect of norms—standards of conduct dictated by an identity—on white, American immigration attitudes. Results from a survey experiment show that when respondents evaluate immigrants who violate cultural norms, by speaking a non-English language and/or rooting for a foreign soccer team, respondents are less supportive of green cards for immigrants. Moreover, norm violations are consequential for tolerant, prejudiced, liberal, moderate, and conservative respondents. Valuing cultural norms is a shared and pervasive aspect of immigration attitudes, and targeting norms for inquiry brings into view the societal structure of opposition to immigration. However, norm violations affect green card support among liberals only in evaluations of Latino immigrants, and among conservatives only in evaluations of European immigrants.
When Order Affects Performance: Culture, Behavioral Spillovers, and Institutional Path Dependence
Authors: BEDNAR JENNA , PAGE SCOTT E.
Published: January 2018

Evidence suggests that the cultural context influences the performance of laws, policies, and political institutions. Descriptive accounts reveal that outcomes and behaviors often depend on the array of historical institutions. This article presents a multi-institutional framework that can account for those findings through path-dependent behavioral spillovers. Individuals learn equilibrium behaviors when interacting in a new institutional setting. Initially, some individuals choose behaviors that align with their behaviors in similar extant institutions, creating a cultural context that can lead to inefficient outcomes. The article shows how avoiding path dependence requires sequencing (or designing) institutions to maintain behavioral diversity. Optimal sequencing thus requires positioning institutions with clear incentives early in the sequence as well as avoiding strong punishments that can stifle attempts to break established behavioral patterns.
Sensitivity of fatty acid desaturation and elongation to plasma zinc concentration: a randomised controlled trial in Beninese children
Authors: Chimhashu Tsitsi , Malan Linda , Baumgartner Jeannine , van Jaarsveld Paul J. , Galetti Valeria , Moretti Diego , Smuts Cornelius M. , Zimmermann Michael B.
Published: January 2018

Zn status may affect fatty acid (FA) metabolism because it acts as a cofactor in FA desaturase and elongase enzymes. Zn supplementation affects the FA desaturases of Zn-deficient rats, but whether this occurs in humans is unclear. We evaluated the associations between baseline plasma Zn (PZn) concentration and plasma total phospholipid FA composition, as well as the effect of daily consumption of Zn-fortified water on FA status in Beninese children. A 20-week, double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted in 186 school age children. The children were randomly assigned to receive a daily portion of Zn-fortified, filtered water delivering on average 2·8 mg Zn/d or non-fortified filtered water. Plasma total phospholipid FA composition was determined using capillary GLC and PZn concentrations by atomic absorption spectrometry. At baseline, PZn correlated positively with dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA,r0·182;P=0·024) and the DGLA:linoleic acid (LA) ratio (r0·293;P<0·000), and negatively with LA (r−0·211;P=0·009) and the arachidonic acid:DGLA ratio (r−0·170;P=0·036). With the intervention, Zn fortification increased nervonic acid (B: 0·109; 95 % CI 0·001, 0·218) in all children (n186) and more so in children who were Zn-deficient (n60) at baseline (B:0·230; 95 % CI 0·023, 0·488). In conclusion, in this study, Zn-fortified filtered water prevented the reduction of nervonic acid composition in the plasma total phospholipids of children, and this effect was stronger in Zn-deficient children. Thus, Zn status may play an important role in FA desaturation and/or elongation.
Dietary fibre intake in relation to the risk of incident chronic kidney disease
Authors: Mirmiran Parvin , Yuzbashian Emad , Asghari Golaleh , Sarverzadeh Shaghayegh , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study was primarily to evaluate the association of total fibre intake with the risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). We also evaluated the association of dietary fibre from fruits, vegetables, cereals and legumes with the incidence of CKD in a population-based prospective study. We followed up 1630 participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study for 6·1 years, who were initially free of CKD. Baseline diet was assessed by a valid and reliable FFQ. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated, using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation, and CKD was defined as eGFR <60 ml/min per 1·73 m2. OR using multivariable logistic regression was reported for the association of incident CKD with tertiles of dietary fibre intake. After adjustment for age, sex, smoking, total energy intake, physical activity, diabetes and using angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor, the OR for subjects in the highest compared with the lowest tertile of total fibre intake was 0·47 (95 % CI 0·27, 0·86). In addition, for every 5 g/d increase in total fibre intake, the risk of incident CKD decreased by 11 %. After adjusting for potential confounders, OR for participants in the highest compared with the lowest tertile of fibre from vegetables was 0·63 (95 % CI 0·43, 0·93) and from legumes it was 0·68 (95 % CI 0·47, 0·98). We observed inverse associations between total fibre intake and risk of incident CKD, which demonstrate that high fibre intake, mainly from legumes and vegetables, may reduce the occurrence of CKD.
Associations between adherence to the Danish Food-Based Dietary Guidelines and cardiometabolic risk factors in a Danish adult population: the DIPI study
Authors: Arentoft Johanne L. , Hoppe Camilla , Andersen Elisabeth W. , Overvad Kim , Tetens Inge
Published: January 2018

Diet is recognised as one modifiable lifestyle factor for ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We aimed at investigating the associations between adherence to the Danish Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) indicated by a Dietary Quality Index (DQI) and selected cardiometabolic risk factors in a cross-sectional study with 219 Danish adult participants (59 %women; age 31–65years) with a minimum of one self-rated risk marker of IHD. Information regarding diet was obtained using web-based dietary assessment software and adherence to the Danish FBDG was expressed by a DQI calculated from 5 food and nutrient indicators (whole grain, fish, fruit and vegetables, energy from saturated fat and from added sugar). Background information, blood samples and anthropometrics were collected and blood pressure was measured. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between DQI and cardiometabolic risk factors. DQI was inversely associated with LDL:HDL ratio and TAG (−0·089 per unit; 95 % CI −0·177, −0·002 and −5 % per unit; 95 % CI −9, 0, respectively) and positively associated with HDL-cholesterol (0·047 mmol/l per unit; 95 % CI 0·007, 0·088). For men, DQI was inversely associated with BMI (−3 %per unit; 95 % CI −5, −1), trunk fat (−1 % per unit; 95 % CI −2, −1), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (−30 % per unit; 95 % CI −41, −16 %), HbA1c(−0·09 % per unit; 95 % CI −0·14, −0·04), insulin (−13 % per unit; 95 % CI −19, −7) and homoeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (−14 % per unit; 95 % CI −21, −7). In women, DQI was positively associated with systolic blood pressure (2·6 mmHg per unit; 95 % CI 0·6, 4·6). In conclusion, higher adherence to the current Danish FBDG was associated with a more beneficial cardiometabolic risk profile in a Danish adult population with a minimum of one self-rated risk factor for IHD.
Schistosoma mansoni and endocarditis: from egg to free DNA detection in Egyptian patients and infected BALB/c mice
Authors: Hasby Saad M.A. , Watany M.M.
Published: January 2018

With the growing incidence of closed schistosomiasis and uncommon presentations, there is a risk of the infection rate being underestimated. A study in Japan reported an unexplained case of endocarditis that was finally diagnosed as a complex Schistosoma japonicum infection; in the absence of advanced techniques, the diagnosis was delayed. We therefore set out to explore the incidence of Schistosoma mansoni in endocarditis patients coming from areas of Egypt where S. mansoni is endemic. We also investigated histopathological changes in the cardiac valves and the presence of cell-free parasite DNA (CFPD) in cardiac tissues of laboratory mice infected with S. mansoni. The study included 186 patients with the manifestations of infective endocarditis. Eggs were detected in the stool samples of 5.91% of patients. Seropositivity was reported in 23.66% of patients and antigen was detected in the urine samples of 10.21%. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), CFPD was detected in the blood of 6.98% of the endocarditis patients and 95% of the infected mice, while the cardiac samples of 45% of the mice tested positive for CFPD (means ± SD = 1390.2 ± 283.65, 2158.72 ± 1103.1 and 5.71 ± 2.91, respectively). Histopathological examination revealed abnormal collagen deposition, inflammatory cells and haemorrhagic pigmentation in the heart sections. Despite the low incidence of S. mansoni infection in the studied cohort, the presence of CFPD in the cardiac tissue of infected mice makes it necessary to: (1) investigate the hazards of CFPD deposition in endothelium-rich organs; and (2) test the potential of CFPD to trigger tissue inflammation, abnormal proliferation or genome integration.
Thein vitroantileishmanial activity of essential oil fromAloysia gratissimaand guaiol, its major sesquiterpene againstLeishmania amazonensis
Authors: Garcia Maria Carolina Freitas , Soares Deivid Costa , Santana Raissa Couto , Saraiva Elvira Maria , Siani Antonio Carlos , Ramos Mônica Freiman S. , Danelli Maria das Graças Miranda , Souto-Padron Thaïs Cristina , Pinto-da-Silva Lucia H.
Published: January 2018

Leishmaniases is a tropical disease caused by protozoa of the genusLeishmaniafor which the current treatment is expensive, besides increasing reports of parasite resistance. This study investigated the anti-Leishmania amazonensisactivity of the essential oil fromAloysia gratissima(AgEO) and guaiol, the major sesquiterpene constituent in the oil. Our results showed that AgEO killed promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes at an IC50of 25 and 0·16µg mL−1, respectively, while guaiol killed amastigotes at an IC50of 0·01µg mL−1. Both AgEO and guaiol were safe for macrophages up to 100µg mL−1, as evaluated by the dehydrogenase activity, membrane integrity and phagocytic capacity. AgEO and guaiol did not induce nitrite oxide (NO) in resting macrophages and inhibited the production of NO in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. The ultrastructural analysis suggested that AgEO and guaiol act directly on parasites, affecting promastigotes kinetoplast, mitochondrial matrix and plasma membrane. Together, these results pointed out that AgEO and guaiol could be promising candidates to develop anti-Leishmaniadrugs.
Explaining Low Uptake of Direct Payments in Residential Care: Findings from the Evaluation of the Direct Payments in Residential Care Trailblazers
Authors: ETTELT STEFANIE , WILLIAMS LORRAINE , PERKINS MARGARET , WITTENBERG RAPHAEL , LOMBARD DANIEL , DAMANT JACQUELINE , MAYS NICHOLAS
Published: January 2018

In 2012, the Government invited local councils in England to participate in a pilot programme to test direct payments in residential care. While the programme was set up to allow for comprehensive summative evaluation, the uptake of direct payments in residential care was substantially lower than anticipated, with only 40 people in receipt of one at the end of the programme. Drawing on qualitative data collected for the evaluation, this paper aims to understand better the barriers to implementing direct payments in residential care. Evidence from the use of direct payments in domiciliary care identified gatekeeping by council frontline staff as a major barrier for service users to access direct payments. Our findings suggest that, whilst selectivity of both service users and providers was an integral part of the programme design, gatekeeping does not fully explain the poor take-up. Other factors played a part, such as lack of clarity about the benefits of direct payments for care home residents, the limited range and scope of choice of services for residents, and concerns from care providers about the financial impact of direct payments on their financial sustainability.
An adaptive function of mental time travel: Motivating farsighted decisions
Authors: Benoit Roland G. , Berkers Ruud M. W. J. , Paulus Philipp C.
Published: January 2018

The episodic memory system allows us to experience the emotions of past, counterfactual, and prospective events. We outline how this phenomenological experience can convey motivational incentives for farsighted decisions. In this way, we challenge important arguments for Mahr & Csibra's (M&C's) conclusion that future-oriented mental time travel is unlikely to be a central function of episodic memory.
Remembered events are unexpected
Authors: Dessalles Jean-Louis
Published: January 2018

We remember a small proportion of our experiences as events. Are these events selected because they are useful and can be proven true, or rather because they are unexpected?
Using episodic memory to gauge implicit and/or indeterminate social commitments
Authors: Michael John , Székely Marcell , Christensen Wayne
Published: January 2018

In discussing Mahr & Csibra's (M&C's) observations about the role of episodic memory in grounding social commitments, we propose that episodic memory is especially useful for gauging cases of implicit commitment and cases in which the content of a commitment is indeterminate. We conclude with some thoughts about how commitment may relate to the evolution of episodic memory.
Confabulation and epistemic authority
Authors: Robins Sarah
Published: January 2018

Mahr & Csibra (M&C) claim that episodic remembering's autonoetic character serves as an indicator of epistemic authority. This proposal is difficult to reconcile with the existence of confabulation errors – where participants fabricate memories of experiences that never happened to them. Making confabulation errors damages one's epistemic authority, but these false memories have an autonoetic character.
Autonoesis and dissociative identity disorder
Authors: Morton John
Published: January 2018

Dissociative identity disorder is characterised by the presence in one individual of two or more alternative personality states (alters). For such individuals, the memory representation of a particular event can have full episodic, autonoetic status for one alter, while having the status of knowledge or even being inaccessible to a second alter. This phenomenon appears to create difficulties for a purely representational theory and is presented to Mahr & Csibra (M&C) for their consideration.
What psychology and cognitive neuroscience know about the communicative function of memory
Authors: Rubin David C.
Published: January 2018

Mahr & Csibra (M&C) include interesting ideas about the nature of memory from outside of the field of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. However, the target article's inaccurate claims about those fields limit its usefulness. I briefly review the most serious omissions and distortions of the literature by the target article, including its misrepresentation of event memory, and offer suggestions for forwarding the goal of understanding the communicative function of memory.
Electron acceleration by an intense laser pulse inside a density profile induced by non-linear pulse evolution
Authors: Pishdast M. , Yazdanpanah J. , Ghasemi S. A.
Published: January 2018

By sophisticated application of particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate the ultimate role of non-linear pulse evolutions in accelerating electrons during the entrance of an intense laser pulse into a preformed density profile. As a key point in our discussions, the non-linear pulse evolutions are found to be very fast even at very low plasma densities, provided that the pulse length exceeds the local plasma wavelength. Therefore, these evolutions are sufficiently developed during the propagation of typical short density scale lengths occurred at high contrast ratios of the pulse, and lead to plasma heating via stochastic acceleration in multi-waves. Further analysis of simulation data at different physical parameters indicates that the rate of evolutions increases with the plasma density leading to higher plasma heating and overgrown energetic electrons. In the same way, shortening the density scale length results into increase in the evolution rate and, simultaneously, decrease in the interaction time. This behavior can describe the observed optimum value of pre-plasma scale length for the maximum electron heating.
A DDF-based IMM-TFS Approach for the Accuracy Evaluation Problem of Rapid Transfer Alignment
Authors: Zhou Dapeng , Guo Lei
Published: January 2018

This study aims to address the accuracy evaluation problem for rapid transfer alignment with the coexistence of large misalignment angles and uncertain observation noises. For the requirement of accuracy evaluation, complete information in terms of misalignment angles should be estimated during the alignment process. Thus, a fixed-interval smoothing approach is the core of solving this problem. In this paper, a new Divided Difference Filter (DDF)-based an Interacting Multiple Model Two-Filter Smoother (IMM-TFS) is developed to estimate the misalignment angles. The proposed DDF-based IMM-TFS releases the restriction of inverse nonlinearity by using the weighted statistical linearization regression method, and the resulting pseudo-linear model can be used for backward-time IMM filtering. The smoothing step takes into account the merging of estimations and the interaction of multiple models simultaneously. The new smoother is compared with the previous well-known methodologies in simulations. The results show that the DDF-based IMM-TFS can achieve better accuracy for misalignment angles estimation, and has a high efficiency for detecting the changes in a model.
A Practical Method for the Evaluation of Societal Risk in the Context of the International Maritime Organization's Safety Level Approach
Authors: Sun Molin , Zheng Zhongyi , Gang Longhui
Published: January 2018

The Safety Level Approach (SLA) is a structured application of risk-based methodologies for the International Maritime Organization's (IMO's) rule-making process. When the SLA is applied, safety goals have to be provided. In order to set appropriate levels for safety goals, it is necessary to measure the tolerance degree of the current safety level. Based on the consistency with individual risk criteria and the principle of continuous improvement, this paper proposes an approach to establish the societal risk criteria, which can be used for setting safety goals in the context of the IMO's SLA. Furthermore, by defining dynamic factors to express risk aversion, a method for tolerance measurement of the current societal risk is developed. Finally, a case study into the societal risk evaluation of cruise ships and Roll-On Roll-Off (RO-RO) passenger ships is conducted.
Higher Education Institutions as Strategic Actors
Authors: Thoenig Jean-Claude , Paradeise Catherine
Published: January 2018

How to assess and enhance the strategic capacity of universities? This article suggests a managerial perspective derived from evidence-based social science knowledge. It lists major facets any local strategizing should address. It underlines the key role endogenous organizational capabilities play to make it happen or not in a sustainable manner. Three sets of social properties are evidenced: the way academic human resources are actually managed, the cultural norms appropriated by its members about their affiliation to their institution as a community, and the organizational governance at work between the various parts of the institution. Reminding us that the capacity to strategize is an outcome of actual organizational fabrication processes, the article also lists a series of booby-traps to avoid.
Political terrorism and affective polarization in “black” and “red” terrorists in Italy during the years 1968–1988
Authors: Pacini Matteo , Maremmani Icro
Published: January 2018

Psychiatric evaluations of violent political crime were mostly performed on a case-by-case basis in a forensic environment, which made them unduly dependent on categories of presumed dangerousness and legal responsibility, rather than on a clinical definition of their mental status. In referring to such “clinical” definitions, the disorder we have in mind is not limited to the major, agitated psychotic manias or mixed states. The presence of a dominant temperament, or protracted hypomania, is enough by itself to explain an individual’s engagement in a wide range of activities, not necessarily sociopathic or violent. We put forward the hypothesis that formal and transpolitical radical choices, either in favor of an illegal lifestyle or of activities involving a high level of risk, may be linked with certain mental states, especially when considering small clandestine groups showing a high level of internal ideological consensus, and a no-return attitude toward a commitment to radical choices. Available data about the psycho(patho)logical profile of terrorists are still hard to come by. The only available studies are those on identified living terrorists (judging by the trials of those who personally admitted to having been terrorists), and statistical data imply a number of documented cases belonging to the same terrorist organization. In Italy, the period often called the “years of lead [bullets]” displays an interesting viewpoint for the study of terrorist psychology, for two main reasons: first of all, it is a historically defined period (1968–1988), and second, the number of ascertained participants in terrorist activities was quite large.
Neurocognitive and Self-efficacy Benefits of Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Bryce Shayden D. , Rossell Susan L. , Lee Stuart J. , Lawrence Richard J. , Tan Eric J. , Carruthers Sean P. , Ponsford Jennie L.
Published: January 2018

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of computer-assisted “drill-and-strategy” cognitive remediation (CR) for community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia on cognition, everyday self-efficacy, and independent living skills.Methods:Fifty-six people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were randomized into CR or computer game (CG) playing (control), and offered twenty 1-hr individual sessions in a group setting over 10 weeks. Measures of cognition, psychopathology, self-efficacy, quality of life, and independent living skills were conducted at baseline, end-group and 3 months following intervention completion.Results:Forty-three participants completed at least 10 sessions and the end-group assessment. Linear mixed-effect analyses among completers demonstrated a significant interaction effect for global cognition favoring CR (p=.028). CR-related cognitive improvement was sustained at 3-months follow-up. At end-group, 17 (77%) CR completers showed a reliable improvement in at least one cognitive domain. A significant time effect was evident for self-efficacy (p=.028) with both groups improving over time, but no significant interaction effect was observed. No significant effects were found for other study outcomes, including the functional measure.Conclusions:Computer-assisted drill-and-strategy CR in schizophrenia improved cognitive test performance, while participation in both CR and CG playing promoted enhancements in everyday self-efficacy. Changes in independent living skills did not appear to result from CR, however. Adjunctive psychosocial rehabilitation is likely necessary for improvements in real-world community functioning to be achieved. (JINS, 2018, 24, 549–562)
Concordance and predictors of concordance of children’s dietary intake as reported via ecological momentary assessment and 24 h recall
Authors: O’Connor Sydney G , Ke Wangjing , Dzubur Eldin , Schembre Susan , Dunton Genevieve F
Published: January 2018

Objective

To provide preliminary evidence in support of using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a real-time data capture method involving repeated assessments, to measure dietary intake in children by examining the concordance of children’s dietary reports through EMA and 24 h recall.

Design

Children completed eight days of EMA surveys, reporting on recent dietary intake of four pre-specified food categories (‘Fruits or Vegetables’, ‘Chips or Fries’, ‘Pastries or Sweets’, ‘Soda or Energy Drinks’), and completed two 24 h recalls during the same period. Concordance of children’s reports of intake during matched two-hour time windows from EMA and 24 h dietary recall was assessed using cross-tabulation. Multilevel logistic regression examined potential person-level (i.e. sex, age, ethnicity and BMI category) predictors of concordance.

Setting

Children in Los Angeles County, USA, enrolled in the Mothers’ and Their Children’s Health (MATCH) study.

Subjects

One hundred and forty-four 144 children (53 % female; mean age 9·6 (sd0·9) years; 34·0 % overweight/obese).

Results

Two-hour concordance varied by food category, ranging from 64·9 % for ‘Fruits/Vegetables’ to 89·9 % for ‘Soda/Energy Drinks’. In multilevel models, overweight/obese (v. lean) was associated with greater odds (OR; 95 % CI) of concordant reporting for ‘Soda/Energy Drinks’ (2·01; 1·06, 4·04) and ‘Pastries/Sweets’ (1·61; 1·03, 2·52). Odds of concordant reporting were higher for Hispanic (v. non-Hispanic) children for ‘Pastries/Sweets’ (1·55; 1·02, 2·36) and for girls (v. boys) for ‘Fruits/Vegetables’ (1·36; 1·01, 1·83).

Conclusions

Concordance differed by food category as well as by person-level characteristics. Future research should continue to explore use of EMA to facilitate dietary assessment in children.
Socio-economic determinants of vitamin D deficiency in the older Polish population: results from the PolSenior study
Authors: Wyskida Magdalena , Owczarek Aleksander , Szybalska Aleksandra , Brzozowska Aniceta , Szczerbowska Irena , Wieczorowska-Tobis Katarzyna , Puzianowska-Kuźnicka Monika , Franek Edward , Mossakowska Małgorzata , Grodzicki Tomasz , Więcek Andrzej , Olszanecka-Glinianowicz Magdalena , Chudek Jerzy
Published: January 2018

Objective

Numerous studies have reported an association between vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D; 25(OH)D) deficiency and low economic status, lower educational level, drugs exposure, smoking and reduced physical activity. Our study analysed the association between sociodemographic factors and 25(OH)D status in Polish (Caucasian) seniors.

Design

Cross-sectional study (part of the PolSenior study). Serum 25(OH)D concentration was measured by a solid-phase ELISA method; a standardized questionnaire evaluated educational level, economic status, alcohol consumption, current or past cigarette smoking, physical activity, activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living.

Setting

Community-dwelling randomly selected individuals aged 65 years or older, selected using three-stage stratified, proportional draw.

Subjects

Seniors (n 3472; 1658 women and 1814 men).

Results

Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 20·5 (sd 9·6) ng/ml. Values below the recommended level (30 ng/ml) were detected in 82·8 % of men and 90·4 % of women. Regression analysis revealed that the difference between sexes was associated with decreased walking activity in women, probably resulting in less sunlight exposure. There was a positive association between any disability in ADL and the presence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency. In the sex-adjusted analysis, older age, alcohol abstinence and lack of cycling and long-distance walking were explanatory variables for vitamin D deficiency.

Conclusions

Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is frequent in the older Polish population and associated with functional disability and impaired mobility of seniors.
Readability of internet-based patient information for radiotherapy patients
Authors: Flinton David , Singh Manrita K. , Haria Krupesh
Published: January 2018

Background

Information is key to patient informed choice and the internet is currently a major source of health information for adults in the UK. In order for the users to make use of the information it must be presented in a way that the user can understand. This depends on a number of factors one being that the document is written at the right level to be understood by the reader, readability.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess the readability of radiotherapy-related documents on the internet and compare their levels to published norms.

Method

An internet search was undertaken using Google, to identify UK-based literature. Once identified documents were downloaded into Word and cleaned of punctuation other than that at the end of the sentence, documents were then analysed by the software package Readability Studio.

Results and conclusions

Documents tended to be written at too high a reading level, but the reading level had improved from a similar study conducted in 2006. The level of readability appears to show a relationship to the use of passive voice, which was very variable in the sample collected and reduction in the use of passive voice could help with the readability of the information.
Implementation of the integrated palliative care outcome scale in acute care settings – a feasibility study
Authors: Lind Susanne , Sandberg J. , Brytting T. , Fürst C.J. , Wallin L.
Published: January 2018

Objective

Although hospitals have been described as inadequate place for end-of-life care, many deaths still occur in hospital settings. Although patient-reported outcome measures have shown positive effects for patients in need of palliative care, little is known about how to implement them. We aimed to explore the feasibility of a pilot version of an implementation strategy for the Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (IPOS) in acute care settings.

Method

A strategy, including information, training, and facilitation to support the use of IPOS, was developed and carried out at three acute care units. For an even broader understanding of the strategy, it was also tested at a palliative care unit. A process evaluation was conducted including collecting quantitative data and performing interviews with healthcare professionals.

Result

Factors related to the design and performance of the strategy and the context contributed to the results. The prevalence of completed IPOS in the patient's records varied from 6% to 44% in the acute care settings. At the palliative care unit, the prevalence in the inpatient unit was 53% and the specialized home care team 35%. The qualitative results showed opposing perspectives concerning the training provided: Related to everyday work at the acute care units and Nothing in it for us at the palliative care unit. In the acute care settings, A need for an improved culture regarding palliative care was identified. A context characterized by A constantly increasing workload, a feeling of Constantly on-going changes, and a feeling of Change fatigue were found at all units. Furthermore, the internal facilitators and the nurse managers’ involvement in the implementation differed between the units.

Significance of the results

The feasibility of the strategy in our study is considered to be questionable and the components need to be further explored to enhance the impact of the strategy and thereby improve the use of IPOS.
Confidence in communicating with patients with cancer mediates the relationship between rehabilitation therapists’ autistic-like traits and perceived difficulty in communication
Authors: Hayashibara Chinatsu , Inagaki Masatoshi , Fujimori Maiko , Higuchi Yuji , Fujiwara Masaki , Terada Seishi , Okamura Hitoshi , Uchitomi Yosuke , Yamada Norihito
Published: January 2018

Objective

Recently, rehabilitation therapists have become involved in cancer rehabilitation; however, no communication skills training that increases the ability to provide emotional support for cancer patients has been developed for rehabilitation therapists. In addition, no study has examined associations between rehabilitation therapists’ communication skills and their level of autistic-like traits (ALT), which are in-born characteristics including specific communication styles and difficulty communicating with patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether confidence in communicating with patients mitigates communication difficulties experienced by rehabilitation therapists who have high levels of ALT.

Method

Rehabilitation therapists who treat patients with cancer completed self-administered postal questionnaires anonymously. Scores were obtained on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient short form, confidence in communication, and communication difficulties. We used covariance structure analyses to test hypothetical models, and confirmed that confidence in communication mediates the relationship between ALT and perceived communication difficulties.

Results

Participants included 1,343 respondents (49.6%). Autism-Spectrum Quotient scores were positively correlated with communication difficulties (r = 0.16, p < 0.001). The correlation was mitigated by confidence in communication in the fit model. However, higher confidence in creating a supportive atmosphere was associated with more difficulty in communication (r = 0.16, p < 0.001).

Significance of results

Communication difficulty was linked to rehabilitation therapists’ ALTs. By increasing confidence in areas of communication other than creation of a supportive atmosphere, ALT-related difficulties in communication may be ameliorated. Confidence to create supportive environments correlated positively with difficulty. Communication skills training to increase confidence in communication for rehabilitation therapists should be developed with vigilance regarding ALT levels.
From the Editor
Authors: KAJIKAWA LOREN
Published: January 2018

Over the past year, while preparing to step into my role as editor of JSAM, I have witnessed how the journal draws its strength not only from the leadership and staff members at the Society for American Music and Cambridge University Press, but also from both the general membership of SAM and the broader interdisciplinary world of American music studies. I am grateful to former editor Karen Ahlquist, whose mentorship has been invaluable and whose shoes will be a challenge to fill; editorial associate Mark Davidson, whose wisdom and guidance has been essential; and Jason Michalek, who helped to assure a smooth transition by working closely with Holly Roberts, JSAM’s new assistant editor. Thank you.
Musical Structure, Dramatic Form, and Song Pairings in Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate
Authors: BUCHLER MICHAEL
Published: January 2018

Through a broad analysis of musical, textual, and dramatic similarities between the framing and framed shows in Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate and a more specific analysis of “So in Love” and “Were Thine That Special Face,” this article identifies an overall musical/dramatic structure with three formal rotations, cutting across the show's two acts. In tying the sometimes-masked song resemblances to the show's overall dramatic arch, Kiss Me, Kate's narrative structure is ultimately portrayed as united rather than bifurcated. As a springboard, this article scrutinizes Knapp's (2006) reading of “doubles” in the show.
The Rise and Fall of “Indie Classical”: Tracing a Controversial Term in Twenty-First Century New Music
Authors: ROBIN WILLIAM
Published: January 2018

In its inaugural 2007 press release, New York–based New Amsterdam Records announced its mission to “foster a sense of connection among musicians and fans in this ‘indie classical’ scene.” New Amsterdam's publicity apparatus brought “indie classical” into widespread media circulation, but by 2013 the label had ceased using the term. In the intervening years, the meaning of indie classical had been hotly contested by the community of musicians it was meant to champion. Drawing on more than fifty interviews, archival research, and reception history from traditional publications and new online sources, I recreate the rise and fall of indie classical as it transpired over a decade. Tracing the background of the composers and performers who first labeled themselves as indie classical, unveiling the origins of the term and how it was disseminated, and examining the debates that surrounded it and its subsequent decline reveals how the aesthetic discourse of new music is constructed in the twenty-first century.
Identity beyond othering: crisis and the politics of decision in the EU’s involvement in Libya
Authors: Leek Maria , Morozov Viacheslav
Published: January 2018

This article focusses on the concept of decision and its significance for identity politics. Constructivist scholarship established long ago that identity and foreign policy are mutually constitutive and that difference and othering are key for the production of identities. As a consequence, constructivist literature on EU foreign policy has focussed on the role of specific others and explored how interaction with them shapes the EU’s identity. Our article turns the attention back inside and looks at the hegemonic struggles around the purpose and meaning of the European project. By analyzing the EU’s reaction to the Libyan events in 2011, we demonstrate how a major international crisis dislocates the identities involved and unleashes a struggle for hegemony between conflicting discursive articulations. Eventually this conflict is resolved through a political decision, which reconfigures the entire ‘global’ outlook on Europe and its role in the world. By defining decision along poststructuralist lines, as distinct from the conventional literature on decision-making, we demonstrate that the use of this conceptual prism helps deepen our understanding of how othering and bordering work to produce and reshape identities. By doing that, we seek to contribute to a better understanding of how identities change in time.
Should humanitarian interveners promote democracy after genocide?
Authors: Recchia Stefano
Published: January 2018

Scholars and policymakers in the West commonly hold that liberal countries that intervene to stop genocide subsequently ought to establish democratic political institutions to enable peaceful collective self-determination. I argue that this guidance is problematic. First, introducing electoral democracy in deeply ethnically divided societies – especially but not only after genocide – often results in either tyrannical majority rule or deadlocked decision making rather than inclusive self-determination. Second, normatively speaking, John Rawls made a strong case that inclusive self-determination can be achieved through ‘decent,’ less than democratic political structures that enable group-based representation. Bringing these insights together, I argue that particularly for postgenocidal societies that lack prior experience with liberal democratic rule, outside interveners should stop short of actively promoting full electoral democracy and instead consider promoting hybrid political institutions that combine popularly elected bodies with customary authority structures. Such hybrid institutions can prevent tyrannical majority rule as well as decision-making deadlock. They are also likely to fit better with local culture. Therefore, they may offer a more robust foundation for peaceful self-determination. A discussion of hybrid institutions in postwar Somaliland and Bougainville illustrates how these arrangements can facilitate peaceful self-determination in practice.
Differential Tolerance of Glyphosate-Susceptible and Glyphosate-Resistant Biotypes of Junglerice (Echinochloa colona) to Environments during Germination, Growth, and Intraspecific Competition
Authors: Shrestha Anil , deSouza Larissa L. , Yang Pahoua , Sosnoskie Lynn , Hanson Bradley D.
Published: January 2018

Much of the agricultural area in California’s southwestern San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is prone to moisture stress and high soil-salinity conditions. Increased prevalence of glyphosate-resistant (GR) biotypes of junglerice [Echinochloa colona (L.) Link] in these environments and their ecological implications need to be further explored. Studies were conducted on GR and glyphosate-susceptible (GS) biotypes of E. colona to compare the effects of moisture and salinity stress on seed germination and salinity stress alone on growth and seed production. Intraspecific competition between the GR and GS plants was also assessed in a replacement series design experiment. With respect to germination, both biotypes were tolerant to moisture and salinity stress at germination; however, the GR biotype was more tolerant than the GS biotype. Water potential and electrical conductivity (EC) levels that reduced germination by 50% were estimated as −1.5 and −2.3 MPa and 8.5 and 12 dS m−1 for the GS and GR biotypes, respectively. The EC levels that reduced aboveground biomass by 50% were estimated as 9 and 11.5 dS m−1 for the GS and GR biotypes, respectively. Seed production was generally greater in the GR than the GS plants below 10 dS m−1. All plants produced up to 140 seeds plant−1, even at 20 dS m−1. The GR plants were more competitive and produced more aboveground dry biomass and seeds than the GS plants when grown together or alone. In conclusion, differences between these particular GR and GS biotypes to environmental stresses and intraspecific competition were noted that could have ecological implications for their prevalence in the southwestern SJV. The results also suggested that there could be high genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity in E. colona populations in the SJV and further population shifts could occur due to selection pressure from glyphosate.
Looking to the Future of Exoplanet Science
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: January 2018

Upcoming missions seeking to unravel the secrets of exoplanets abound. An informal survey of astronomers revealed which of those projects they most eagerly await.
Cell death-based treatment of glioblastoma
Authors: Fulda Simone
Published: January 2018

Cancer cells including glioblastoma have typically evolved multiple mechanisms to escape programmed cell death in order to maintain their survival. Defects in cell death mechanisms not only facilitate tumorigenesis but also ensure resistance to current anticancer therapies. This emphasizes that targeting cell death pathways may provide a means to tackle one of the Achilles’ heels of cancer. Over the last decades several approaches have been developed to selectively target cell death pathways for therapeutic purposes. Some of these concepts have already been transferred into clinical application in oncology and may open new perspectives for the treatment of cancer.