bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Description of a new species of Typhinellus (Gastropoda: Muricidae: Typhinae) from the Western Atlantic
Authors: HOUART ROLAND
Published: August 2015

There are seven known living species of Typhinellus. Five species occur in the Indo-West Pacific: T. amoenus Houart, 1994 ranges from Natal, South Africa to Somalia with other records off Quissico, southern Mozambique (MNHN); T. androyensis Bozzetti, 2007, described from south Madagascar and also present in the Gulf of Aden (RH coll.); T. bicolor Bozzetti, 2007 described from and presently restricted to southern Madagascar; T. insolitus Houart, 1991 from the Loyalty Ridge and T. occlusus (Garrard, 1963) described from Queensland, Australia and also recorded from southern Philippine Islands. A single species, Typhinellus labiatus (Cristofori & Jan, 1832), occurs throughout the Mediterranean and off the Atlantic coasts of Morocco and southern Spain (Houart, 2001). This species was also recorded from the Canary Islands (Nordsieck & Garcia Talavera, 1979) and off Dakar, Senegal (MNHN and Marche Marchad, 1958). The specimen recorded from the Gulf of Oman in Houart (2001: 114) turned out to be T. androyensis (see above) while the one from Somalia, also in Houart (2001: 114) probably also refers to this species. Another species, Typhinellus lamyi Garrigues & Merle, 2014, was recently described from Guadeloupe. It seems that only one fossil species, T. chipolanus (Gertman, 1969) from late lower Miocene (Burdigalian) of Florida occurs in the Western Atlantic. Two additional species will be described from south Madagascar (Houart & Héros, in press).
Physical Mechanisms of Tropical Climate Feedbacks Investigated Using Temperature and Moisture Trends*
Authors: Ferraro A. J. , Lambert F. H. , Collins M. , Miles G. M.
Published: August 2015

Tropical climate feedback mechanisms are assessed using satellite-observed and model-simulated trends in tropical tropospheric temperature from the MSU/AMSU instruments and upper-tropospheric humidity from the HIRS instruments. Despite discrepancies in the rates of tropospheric warming between observations and models, both are consistent with constant relative humidity over the period 1979–2008. Because uncertainties in satellite-observed tropical-mean trends preclude a constraint on tropical-mean trends in models regional features of the feedbacks are also explored. The regional pattern of the lapse rate feedback is primarily determined by the regional pattern of surface temperature changes, as tropical atmospheric warming is relatively horizontally uniform. The regional pattern of the water vapor feedback is influenced by the regional pattern of precipitation changes, with variations of 1–2 W m−2 K−1 across the tropics (compared to a tropical-mean feedback magnitude of 3.3–4 W m−2 K−1). Thus the geographical patterns of water vapor and lapse rate feedbacks are not correlated, but when the feedbacks are calculated in precipitation percentiles rather than in geographical space they are anticorrelated, with strong positive water vapor feedback associated with strong negative lapse rate feedback. The regional structure of the feedbacks is not related to the strength of the tropical-mean feedback in a subset of the climate models from the CMIP5 archive. Nevertheless the approach constitutes a useful process-based test of climate models and has the potential to be extended to constrain regional climate projections.
The Flashiest Watersheds in the Contiguous United States
Authors: Smith Brianne K. , Smith James A.
Published: August 2015

The authors identify the flashiest watersheds in the contiguous United States based on frequency of discharge peaks exceeding 1 m3 s−1 km−2. The entire digitized record of USGS instantaneous discharge data is used for all stream gauging stations with over 10 years of data. Using the 1 m3 s−1 km−2 threshold, the flashiest basins in the contiguous United States are located in urban areas along a swath of states from the south-central United States to the mid-Atlantic and in mountainous areas of the West Coast, especially the Pacific Northwest. The authors focus on small watersheds to identify the flashiest cities and states across the country and find Tulsa, Oklahoma; Baltimore, Maryland; and St. Louis, Missouri, to be the flashiest cities in the contiguous United States. Thunderstorms are major agents for peak-over-threshold flood events east of the Rocky Mountains, and tropical cyclones play a secondary role, especially in the Southeast. West Coast flood events are associated with winter storms. Flooding west of and within the Rockies is linked to steeply sloped terrain and compact watersheds. East of the Rockies, urban areas dominate flashy watersheds. The authors find that watersheds northeast (downwind) of city centers are flashier than other urban watersheds, consistent with the downwind maximum in rainfall found in many urban regions. They examine anomalous flood response in the Illinois–Missouri region; St. Louis is among the flashiest cities in the United States, while Chicago is among the least flashy. Their flashiness map is compared with other measures of flooding, including flood damage and National Weather Service flash flood reports.
Automated Retrieval of Cloud and Aerosol Properties from the ARM Raman Lidar. Part I: Feature Detection
Authors: Thorsen Tyler J. , Fu Qiang , Newsom Rob K. , Turner David D. , Comstock Jennifer M.
Published: August 2015

A feature detection and extinction retrieval (FEX) algorithm for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program’s (ARM) Raman lidar (RL) has been developed. Presented here is Part I of the FEX algorithm: the detection of features including both clouds and aerosols. The approach of FEX is to use multiple quantities— scattering ratios derived using elastic and nitrogen channel signals from two fields of view, the scattering ratio derived using only the elastic channel, and the total volume depolarization ratio—to identify features using range-dependent detection thresholds. FEX is designed to be context sensitive with thresholds determined for each profile by calculating the expected clear-sky signal and noise. The use of multiple quantities provides complementary depictions of cloud and aerosol locations and allows for consistency checks to improve the accuracy of the feature mask. The depolarization ratio is shown to be particularly effective at detecting optically thin features containing nonspherical particles, such as cirrus clouds. Improvements over the existing ARM RL cloud mask are shown. The performance of FEX is validated against a collocated micropulse lidar and observations from the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite over the ARM Darwin, Australia, site. While the focus is on a specific lidar system, the FEX framework presented here is suitable for other Raman or high spectral resolution lidars.
Tornadoes, Social Science, and the False Alarm Effect
Authors: Trainor Joseph E. , Nagele Danielle , Philips Brenda , Scott Brittany
Published: August 2015

Despite considerable interest in the weather enterprise, there is little focused research on the “false alarm effect.” Within the body of research that does exist, findings are mixed. Some studies suggest that the false alarm effect is overstated, while several recent efforts have provided evidence that FAR may be a significant determinate of behavior. This effort contributes to the understanding of FAR through a sociological analysis of public perceptions and behavioral responses to tornadoes. This analysis begins by addressing public definitions of FAR and then provides two statistical models, one focused on perception of FAR and one focused on behavioral response to tornado warnings. The authors’ approach incorporates a number of sociological and other social science concepts as predictors in both of these models. Findings provide a number of important insights. Most notably, it is found that 1) there is a wide degree of variation in public definitions of false alarm, 2) actual county FAR rates do not predict perception of FAR, 3) actual county FAR rates do predict behavioral response, and 4) planning and family characteristics are also influential. Another major contribution is to illustrate the significant complexity associated with analysis of false alarms. Conclusions discuss the limits of this analysis and future direction for this type of research.
Cross-cultural and Moroccan Validation of the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Adnane Choaib , Oubahmane Tarek , Adouly Taoufik , Elhani Loubna , Rouadi Sami , Abada Reda Lah , Roubal Mohamed , Mahtar Mohamed
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

To translate the original English version of the University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) questionnaire into Moroccan Arabic version and investigate its psychometric validity and reliability for Moroccan-speaking patients with head and neck cancer.

Methods:

The UW-QOL was conducted in 104 patients treated for head and neck cancer in the department of head and neck surgery, Ibn Rochd university hospital, Casablanca. A control group of 57 healthy volunteers was also evaluated. The questionnaire was translated into Moroccan language.

Results:

Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.829, suggesting good internal consistency, and test-retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.987). A good correlation was observed between UW-QOL composite scores and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) global health status/QOL scores ( P < .001). There was also low concordance between the UW-QOL scores and the Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary scores of the 36-Item Short-Form questionnaire (SF-36) ( P = .017 and P = .014, respectively).

Conclusions:

The Moroccan UW-QOL questionnaire appears to be culturally appropriate and psychometrically valid.
Fatigue and creep behaviors of a SiC/SiC composite under combustion and laboratory environments
Authors: Sabelkin V , Mall S , Cook TS , Fish J
Published: August 2015

A ceramic–matrix composite, consisting of five-harness satin Hi-Nicalon fiber in silicon carbide matrix prepared by slurry melt infiltration method, was characterized for tension–tension fatigue and creep behaviors under the combustion and laboratory environments at 1205℃. There was about 100 times reduction in fatigue life under the combustion environment in comparison to the laboratory environment. There was about 50 times reduction in the creep life under the combustion environment in comparison to the laboratory environment. The combustion caused more embrittlement in the tested CMC than the laboratory environment, and it was more in fatigue than creep under the combustion environment only.
British industrial relations pluralism in the era of neoliberalism
Authors: Heery Edmund
Published: August 2015

This article provides a broad overview of the pluralist tradition in UK industrial relations scholarship, identifying its defining characteristics and mapping its evolution in recent decades. It deals in turn with the following: the appreciation of the relative interests of workers and employers that lies at the heart of the pluralist frame of reference, the research agenda that flows from this understanding, pluralist conceptions of context and agency within industrial relations, the standards that pluralists habitually use when assessing the employment relationship, the targets and modes of critique that pluralists direct against intellectual opponents, and the prescriptions that pluralists offer for industrial relations reform. Throughout the article there is a focus on change within the pluralist tradition and the manner in which it has adapted to the hegemony of neoliberalism in the realms of both ideas and policy.
Are Chinese workers compensated for occupational risk?
Authors: Wang Haining , Cheng Zhiming , Smyth Russell
Published: August 2015

This study contributes to an important, but under-researched, topic on China by empirically examining the theory of compensating wage differentials for occupational risks in urban labour markets. Drawing on two datasets – one national for all workers and one from the Pearl River Delta for migrant workers – we examine the relationship between wages and occupational risks, and estimate the risk premium for health hazards. The results show that having risky jobs, especially those associated with dust, has a significant negative effect on hourly wages. The negative risk premium accounts for approximately 10% of all workers' hourly wage in safe jobs using the national dataset and 1.8% of migrant workers' hourly wage in safe jobs in the Pearl River Delta. With the national data, males, migrant workers and manual workers incur a wage penalty for exposure to dust, chemical substances, biological hazards and other health hazards. Only urban locals earn a significantly positive wage premium for exposure to chemical substances. We offer several explanations for the negative wage premium in the context of China's urban labour market.
Using Improvement Science to Better Support Beginning Teachers
Authors: Hannan Maggie , Russell Jennifer Lin , Takahashi Sola , Park Sandra
Published: August 2015

The rapid turnover of novice teachers is a stubborn challenge plaguing schools across the country. The field has come to some consensus about key elements of effective novice teacher support that have potential to ameliorate this problem, although this knowledge has been applied in an inconsistent fashion. Beginning teacher support is a complex issue that functions on many levels: It impacts teachers, school administrators, districts, and the educational system and labor market more broadly. This article analyzes a collaborative effort to tackle this problem: the Building a Teaching Effectiveness Network (BTEN). We use a qualitative case study approach to analyze how BTEN schools supported new teacher development using a standard feedback process and improvement science methods. This analysis offers evidence that these methods enabled participants to learn about their schools while enacting and enhancing the teacher support process, and to reckon with persistent norms that can be obstacles to creating improvement in schools.
Using Baroque Techniques to Teach Improvisation in Your Classroom
Authors: Yoo Hyesoo
Published: August 2015

Before our current notation system was widely adopted by musicians, improvisation was a key component of music throughout the Western world. One of the fundamental elements of the baroque style, namely, using improvised embellishment, offered musicians great artist liberty. During the baroque period, improvisation spread across Europe and beyond. To achieve a thorough understanding of the art of improvisation, it is important to be familiar with several improvisation techniques commonly used in the baroque period. This article focuses on some of these characteristic techniques, such as harmonic improvisation from figured-bass symbols, expressive ornamentation on an existing melodic line, and variation forms. The article also offers educators ways to apply these improvisation techniques to teaching improvisation in elementary music classrooms.
City Stories
Authors: Bachin Robin F.
Published: August 2015

Scholarship on urban tourism has addressed the multiple ways in which visual images and narrative texts, especially impressions by outsiders, play a vital role in shaping perceptions of place in cities. These perceptions are shaped both by civic boosters and also by critics and reformers, highlighting the complex process by which city officials, journalists, travel writers, and photographers create and sell certain images of cities that have the potential to promote renewal, growth, and allure but just as often evoke decay, devastation, and decline. Consideration of the official scripts of urban revitalization alongside narratives of fear and ruin allows scholars to flesh out the complex process by which place-making happens and through which residents and toursist alike create their perceptions of urban life.
Open-Minded Cognition
Authors: Price Erika , Ottati Victor , Wilson Chase , Kim Soyeon
Published: August 2015

The present research conceptualizes open-minded cognition as a cognitive style that influences how individuals select and process information. An open-minded cognitive style is marked by willingness to consider a variety of intellectual perspectives, values, opinions, or beliefs—even those that contradict the individual’s opinion. An individual’s level of cognitive openness is expected to vary across domains (such as politics and religion). Four studies develop and validate a novel measure of open-minded cognition, as well as two domain-specific measures of religious and political open-minded cognition. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (controlling for acquiescence bias) are used to develop the scales in Studies 1 to 3. Study 4 demonstrates that these scales possess convergent and discriminant validity. Study 5 demonstrates the scale’s unique predictive validity using the outcome of Empathic Concern (Davis, 1980). Study 6 demonstrates the scale’s unique predictive validity using the outcomes of warmth toward racial, religious, and sexual minorities.
Success and Evolution of a Boundary Organization
Authors: Leith Peat , Haward Marcus , Rees Chris , Ogier Emily
Published: August 2015

This article challenges the idea that success of boundary organizations is marked primarily by the stability of the science–policy interface. We review key theory in the literature on boundary work and boundary organizations. We then present a case, the Derwent Estuary Program (DEP) in South East Tasmania, Australia, to explore the evolution of successful boundary organization. We detail how a science-oriented program of work achieved success, through early wins that cemented its support and created a relatively stable entity able to navigate the expansion of its remit from managing controversy to implementing an integrated, systems approach to coastal zone management. The creation of “safe spaces” enabled contentious situations to be negotiated through well-established relationships and processes. The interaction among these elements, supported by exemplary leadership, was critical to reframing the problem. We suggest that it is through these abilities to navigate controversy and mediate among divergent interests, while maintaining a committed focus on science, that boundary organizations can succeed. Success in this context is achieved through using credible science to reframe problems. Success is further indicated not just by surviving periodic controversies but by being able to benefit from them, building legitimacy among partners and stakeholders through successfully navigating unforeseen events.
Partial Epiglottoplasty for Pharyngeal Dysphagia due to Cervical Spine Pathology
Authors: Jamal Nausheen , Erman Andrew , Chhetri Dinesh K.
Published: August 2015

Objective

To examine the role of epiglottoplasty in patients with pharyngeal dysphagia due to pharyngeal crowding from cervical spine pathology and to assess swallowing outcomes following epiglottoplasty.

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Setting

Academic tertiary care medical center.

Subjects and Methods

Dysphagia can occur in patients with cervical spine pathology because of hypopharyngeal crowding. Swallowing studies, such as modified barium swallow study and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, may demonstrate a nonretroflexing epiglottis owing to cervical spine osteophytes or hardware, thus impeding pharyngeal bolus transit. We performed partial epiglottoplasties in a series of these patients. A retrospective review of swallowing outcomes was performed to assess the efficacy of this surgery in this patient population.

Results

Epiglottic dysfunction causing dysphagia due to cervical spine pathology was diagnosed by modified barium swallow study and/or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing in 12 patients. Findings included hypopharyngeal crowding because of cervical osteophytes (n = 8) or cervical hardware (n = 4) associated with absent epiglottic retroflexion and retained vallecular residue. Partial epiglottoplasty resulted in significant reduction of vallecular residue and a significant increase in functional swallow outcomes without an increase in swallow morbidity.

Conclusion

There is a role for partial epiglottoplasty in patients with dysphagia attributed to hypopharyngeal crowding from cervical spine pathology. Surgery enables reduced vallecular residue and improved functional swallowing outcomes.
Nurturing gifted and talented students to become future leaders
Authors: Tam Raymond Kwok-Wai
Published: August 2015

In the previous literature on gifted education in Hong Kong, there has been little mention of special schools for gifted and/or talented students in Hong Kong except for GT College, Hong Kong’s first college for the gifted. Some notable researchers in gifted education in Hong Kong have described the college briefly with regard to its admission policy but have not discussed its programmes. The present article aims to provide a more extended introduction about how GT College successfully nurtures its gifted and/or talented students to become future leaders in Hong Kong. The present article comprises a systematic overview of the historical developments of gifted education in Hong Kong. This is followed by a historical review of GT College. Then, GT College’s learning and teaching philosophy is addressed followed by its innovative curriculum for gifted and/or talented students – Talent Development Programmes and Youth Development Programmes.
Vitamin D deficiency and its association with fatigue and quality of life in advanced cancer patients under palliative care: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Martínez-Alonso Montserrat , Dusso Adriana , Ariza Gemma , Nabal Maria
Published: August 2015

Background:

A normal vitamin D status is required for bones and muscles to maintain their function and structure, but it also contributes to the functional integrity of other multiple physiologic systems in the body.

Aim:

To assess the relationship of Vitamin D deficiency with health-related quality-of-life issues, fatigue, and physical functioning in advanced cancer patients.

Design:

This is a cross-sectional study.

Patients/settings:

Adults under palliative care, having a locally advanced or metastatic or inoperable solid cancer.

Results:

Among 30 patients in palliative care with advanced solid cancer, 90% were vitamin D deficient. Serum Vitamin D concentration was positively correlated with patient-reported absence of fatigue ( s = 0.49), and physical and functional well-being ( s = 0.44 and s = 0.41, respectively, p < 0.01). Fatigue was the symptom with the highest median impact on their lives and was the only one associated with serum vitamin D ( p = 0.031), with lower fatigue in patients with vitamin D concentrations in the third tertile. There was no evidence of a direct association between health-related quality of life and vitamin D status.

Conclusion:

The 90% frequency of advanced cancer patients with vitamin D deficiency, together with the positive correlation of vitamin D status with the absence of fatigue and improved physical and functional well-being, points to vitamin D supplementation as a potential therapy to enhance the patient’s quality of life.
Martin Wight and the Problem of Difference
Authors: O’Hagan Jacinta
Published: August 2015

In the ‘ Disunity of Mankind’, Martin Wight addresses a recurrent dilemma in Western thought: how do we reconcile conceptions of human community with those of human diversity? The ways in which diversity is understood and the meanings attached to difference has significant implications for political orders and human interaction. The deployment of difference can generate both sites of contest, and the permissive conditions for particular forms of political action. Wight’s dilemma remains highly salient today. We continue to struggle intellectually, ethically and politically to reconcile claims of a universal human community with the plurality of human societies. Whilst we ostensibly value diversity, we still persistently constitute difference through producing dichotomies that generate both moral and political hierarchies and boundaries, which in turn form significant features in the landscape of contemporary world politics.
Unity in Christ? Martin Wight on the ‘Disunity of Mankind’
Authors: Hall Ian
Published: August 2015

This response to Martin Wight’s ‘ Disunity of Mankind’ contextualises the essay in his wider thought and explores the Christian underpinnings of his thinking on cosmopolitanism. It argues that the essay demonstrates both Wight’s strengths – in terms of his forensic analysis of a broad range of Western texts – and his weaknesses, which flowed from his conviction that the Christian tradition, and Western values more broadly, were the best foundation for international society.
Rape in the Icelandic Sagas
Authors: Ljungqvist Fredrik Charpentier
Published: August 2015

This article examines the perceptions of rape and other sexual assaults against women in the Old Norse world based on the medieval Icelandic saga literature. A key starting point is the fact that the Old Norse society was an honor culture, in which honor and dishonor were concepts of supreme social importance. The Icelandic saga literature devotes very little attention to women’s own experiences of sexual assault or to how such assault affected their personal honor, despite clear indications that rape was perceived as a violation of a woman’s bodily integrity and was dishonorable to the victim. Conversely, the central theme in the depictions of rape in the saga literature is that sexual assault was regarded as highly defamatory to the woman’s male relatives, demanding blood vengeance in return. Thus, rape was considered primarily an offense against the woman’s male relatives and only secondly against the woman herself. Since sexual assaults against women could be used to dishonor men, it follows that there are examples in the sagas of how rape is used as a “weapon” during feuds. It is quite clear, however, that this was regarded as a feud crime, and rape, in most cases, was socially unacceptable and denounced.
Patient Activity Levels After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Authors: Garcia Grant H. , Taylor Samuel A. , DePalma Brian J. , Mahony Gregory T. , Grawe Brian M. , Nguyen Joseph , Dines Joshua S. , Dines David M. , Warren Russell F. , Craig Edward V. , Gulotta Lawrence V.
Published: August 2015

Background:

The indications for reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) continue to expand, which has resulted in younger patients who want to remain active after RTSA. Little information is available to manage expectations of both physicians and patients for return to sporting activities.

Purpose:

To determine the rate of return to sporting activities and assess average time to return to sports after RTSA.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

This was a retrospective review of consecutive RTSA patients collected from our institution’s shoulder arthroplasty registry. All patients who played sports preoperatively and had a minimum of 1-year follow-up were included. Final follow-up consisted of an additional patient-reported questionnaire with questions regarding physical fitness and sporting activities. Each patient also completed an assessment with the American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) Shoulder Score and a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain.

Results:

Seventy-six patients played a sport preoperatively and met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The average follow-up was 31.6 months (range, 12-65 months), and average age was 74.8 years (range, 49.9-92.6 years). Average VAS pain scores improved from 6.57 to 0.63 ( P < .001). Average ASES scores improved from 34.30 to 81.45 ( P < .001). Subjectively, 11.8% of patients complained of stiffness and 10.5% complained of chronic pain. After RTSA, 85.5% of patients returned to at least 1 sport. Average time to return to full sports was 5.3 months. Fitness sports had the highest direct rate of return (81.5%), followed by swimming (66.7%), running (57.1%), cycling (50.0%), and golf (50%). Postoperatively, 41.1% of patients reported improved physical fitness; 88.2% felt that their sports outcome was good to excellent, and 93.4% felt that their surgical outcome was good to excellent.

Conclusion:

Patients undergoing RTSA had an 85% rate of return to 1 or more sporting activities at an average of 5.3 months after surgery. Age greater than 70 years was a significant predictor of decreased return to activities. The present study offers valuable information to help manage patient and surgeon expectations.
Return to Sport After Rotator Cuff Tear Repair
Authors: Klouche Shahnaz , Lefevre Nicolas , Herman Serge , Gerometta Antoine , Bohu Yoann
Published: August 2015

Background:

One of the most frequent demands from athletes after rotator cuff tear repair is to return to sport, if possible at the same level of play.

Purpose:

The main goal of this study was to determine the rate of return to sport after treatment of rotator cuff tears.

Study Design:

Meta-analysis and systematic review.

Methods:

The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to perform this systematic review and meta-analysis of the results in the literature, as well as for the presentation of results. A search of the literature was performed on the electronic databases MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. The quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the MINORS (Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies) checklist. Inclusion criteria were studies in English evaluating return to sport after treatment of traumatic, degenerative, partial or full-thickness rotator cuff tears in patients practicing a sport regularly, whatever the level, all ages and sports included. The main judgment criterion was the number of patients who returned to a sports activity after treatment of a rotator cuff tear. The criterion was analyzed in 2 ways: return to sport (yes/no) and the level of play (identical or higher/lower level).

Results:

Twenty-five studies were reviewed, including 859 patients (683 athletes), all treated surgically after a mean follow-up of 3.4 years (range, 0.3-13.4 years). The level of sports was recorded in 23 studies or 635 (93%) athletes and included 286 competitive or professional athletes and 349 recreational athletes. The most commonly practiced sports were baseball (224 participants), tennis (104 participants), and golf (54 participants). The overall rate of return to sport was 84.7% (95% CI, 77.6%-89.8%), including 65.9% (95% CI, 54.9%-75.4%) at an equivalent level of play, after 4 to 17 months. Of the professional and competitive athletes, 49.9% (95% CI, 35.3-64.6%) returned to the same level of play.

Conclusion:

Most recreational athletes return to sports at the same level of play as before their injury, but only half of professional and competitive athletes return to an equivalent level of play.
Painful Choices: A Qualitative Exploration of Facilitators and Barriers to Active Lifestyles Among Adults With Osteoarthritis
Authors: Stone Rachael C. , Baker Joseph
Published: August 2015

Research has indicated physical activity and exercise can effectively attenuate biopsychosocial osteoarthritis-related symptoms in adults, more so than other management strategies; however, both leisure and structured physical activity are scarcely recommended by health care providers, and remain rarely adopted and adhered to in this patient population. Using qualitative interviews, the present study investigated potential facilitators and barriers to physical activity for adults with osteoarthritis. Fifteen participants (30-85 years of age) with osteoarthritis engaged in semi-structured interviews, which focused on experiences with physical activity/exercise, daily osteoarthritis management, and experiences with health professionals’ recommendations. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed that pain relief, clear health-related communication, and social support facilitated physical activity. Physical pain, psychological distress, and inadequate medical support were the most frequently expressed barriers. The present study supports the biopsychosocial nature of osteoarthritis, which may have important implications for advancing exercise as an effective and long-term intervention strategy in aging adults with osteoarthritis.
Analysis of the non-linear load and temperature-dependent creep behaviour of thermoplastic composite materials
Authors: Brauner Christian , Herrmann Axel S , Niemeier Philipp M , Schubert Konstantin
Published: August 2015

Fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials can be manufactured rapidly using a thermoforming process. The assortment of thermoplastic matrix systems is manifold and starts from bulk plastic like polypropylene (PP) up to high-performance systems like polyether ether ketone. High-performance thermoplastic polymers have durable properties but relatively high raw material costs. For structural application, engineering methods are needed to ensure the availability for use over the full range of the life cycle of parts. This equates to at least 15 years under exposure to varying climatic conditions for an automobile component. Bulk plastics have complex viscoelastic behaviour, which means that advanced methods are needed to ensure the long-term behaviour of both the pure plastic or fibre-reinforced materials with such a matrix system. In the following study, the creep behaviour of a glass fibre-reinforced PP material is investigated using different uniaxially loaded creep tests at different load and temperature levels. Starting from this empirical base, two characteristic creep functions are derived using a modified Burgers approach. To transfer the results of uniaxial creep situations to a three-dimensional multiaxial stress state, a method to interpolate the experimental creep curves is presented. This developed creep model is integrated into the implicit non-linear finite element program SAMCEF/Mecano and used to predict the creep behaviour of a complex laminate. The results are then validated against the performed experiments.
Advancing Qualitative Research Using Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS)? Reviewing Potential Versus Practice in Published Studies using ATLAS.ti and NVivo, 1994–2013
Authors: Woods Megan , Paulus Trena , Atkins David P. , Macklin Rob
Published: August 2015

Qualitative data analysis software (QDAS) programs are well-established research tools, but little is known about how researchers use them. This article reports the results of a content analysis of 763 empirical articles, published in the Scopus database between 1994 and 2013, which explored how researchers use the ATLAS.ti™ and NVivo™ QDAS programs.* The analysis specifically investigated who is using these tools (in terms of subject discipline and author country of origin), and how they are being used to support research (in terms of type of data, type of study, and phase of the research process that QDAS were used to support). The study found that the number of articles reporting QDAS is increasing each year, and that the majority of studies using ATLAS.ti™ and NVivo™ were published in health sciences journals by authors from the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Canada, and Australia. Researchers used QDAS to support a variety of research designs and most commonly used the programs to support analyses of data gathered through interviews, focus groups, documents, field notes, and open-ended survey questions. Although QDAS can support multiple phases of the research process, the study found the vast majority of researchers are using it for data management and analysis, with fewer using it for data collection/creation or to visually display their methods and findings. This article concludes with some discussion of the extent to which QDAS users appear to have leveraged the potential of these programs to support new approaches to research.
Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin for diagnosis and estimating activity in lupus nephritis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Fang Y G , Chen N N , Cheng Y B , Sun S J , Li H X , Sun F , Xiang Y
Published: August 2015

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) is relatively specific in lupus nephritis (LN) patients. However, its diagnostic value has not been evaluated. The aim of this review was to determine the value of uNGAL for diagnosis and estimating activity in LN. A comprehensive search was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane electronic databases through December 2014. Meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity was performed with a random-effects model. Additionally, summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated. Fourteen studies were selected for this review. With respect to diagnosing LN, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 73.6% (95% confidence interval (CI), 61.9–83.3) and 78.1% (95% CI, 69.0–85.6), respectively. The SROC-AUC value was 0.8632. Regarding estimating LN activity, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 66.2% (95% CI, 60.4–71.7) and 62.1% (95% CI, 57.9–66.3), respectively. The SROC-AUC value was 0.7583. In predicting renal flares, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 77.5% (95% CI, 68.1–85.1) and 65.3% (95% CI, 60.0–70.3), respectively. The SROC-AUC value was 0.7756. In conclusion, this meta-analysis indicates that uNGAL has relatively fair sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing LN, estimating LN activity and predicting renal flares, suggesting that uNGAL is a potential biomarker in diagnosing LN and monitoring LN activity.
Contradictions, Negotiations and Reform
Authors: Das Ritanjan , Mahmood Zaad
Published: August 2015

This article provides a historical perspective on a rather unique chapter in the era of economic reforms in India—the case of the state of West Bengal. In 1991, the Government of India began to pursue a policy of economic liberalization, causing serious political challenges for the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM)-led Left Front coalition in West Bengal. Historically, the CPIM had strongly opposed economic reforms, but was compelled to undertake a policy ‘transition’ owing to the stagnating economy of the state. The transition, and the motivations behind it, was a topic debated often—especially once the party started courting private investment, pushed for large-scale industrialization, and eventually suffered a historic defeat in 2011 after 33 years in power—but rarely has a coherent historical narrative of what caused the transition been brought to the forefront. This article attempts to address that gap by examining the following question: what were the local political conditions that compelled the CPIM/Left Front take upon itself the task of engineering such a transition? While acknowledging the larger forces of globalization and Indian federalism, the analysis focuses on the rarely discussed local socio-economic priorities in West Bengal, and constructs a dual narrative of instrumental and political–ideological arguments.
A Cross-sectional Study on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and General Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adult Survivors 3 Years After the Wenchuan Earthquake, China
Authors: Zhang Wei , Duan Guangfeng , Xu Qin , Jia Zhaobao , Bai Zhengyang , Liu Weizhi , Pan Xiao , Tian Wenhua
Published: August 2015

After the Wenchuan earthquake, a large number of studies have focused on postearthquake psychological disorders among survivors; however, most of these studies were conducted within a relatively short period. This study was conducted to examine the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and general psychiatric morbidity among adult survivors 3 years after the Wenchuan earthquake, China. Through a multistage systematic sampling approach, a cross-sectional survey of 360 participants, 18 years or older, was conducted. The prevalence of PTSD and general psychiatric morbidity was 10.3% and 20.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed significant predictors for PTSD, including female gender and having felt guilt concerning someone’s death or injury. Significant predictors for general psychiatric morbidity included unmarried status and having been in serious danger. These results suggest that mental health services should be continuously available to earthquake survivors.
Collecting Comparative Data on Farmworker Housing and Health
Authors: Arcury Thomas A. , Gabbard Susan , Bell Bryan , Casanova Vanessa , Flocks Joan D. , Swanberg Jennifer E. , Wiggins Melinda F.
Published: August 2015

The substandard nature of the housing in which most farmworkers live has detrimental effects on their health, as well as on their children’s health and development. However, little research has directly documented associations between farmworker housing and health; existing research is not always comparable due to differences in design and measurement. Comparative data can help determine actual causal links between housing characteristics and farmworker health and help to evaluate the efficacy of current housing policy. The goal of this paper is to provide guidelines promoting comparable research on farmworker housing and the association of this housing with health. This paper reviews general concepts relevant to measuring farmworker housing and health, issues that should be considered in designing farmworker housing and health research, data collection methods, and measures. It concludes with recommendations for a research agenda on farmworker housing and health.
Structural Violence in Health Care
Authors: Basnyat Iccha
Published: August 2015

Thirty-five in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with female, street-based, commercial sex workers in Kathmandu, Nepal. The framework of structural violence guided this study in identifying the structural context that impacts the female sex workers’ lives and may cause harm to their health. Structural violence in health care was revealed through thematic analysis as (a) discrimination, (b) forced choice, and (c) limitations to health information sources. Lived experiences highlight how the sex workers engaged with structural limitations in health care access, services, and utilization. Structural violence conveys a message about who is entitled to health care and what a society emphasizes and expects regarding acceptable health behavior. Examining the structural violence highlighted how the sex workers negotiated, understood, and engaged with structural limitations in health care access, services, and utilization.
Outcome of Minimally Invasive Distal Metatarsal Metaphyseal Osteotomy (DMMO) for Lesser Toe Metatarsalgia
Authors: Haque Syed , Kakwani Rajesh , Chadwick Caroline , Davies Mark Bowen , Blundell Chris M.
Published: August 2015

Background:

As in all fields of surgery, advances in orthopaedic surgery develop toward less invasive surgical techniques. The advantages of smaller incisions include minimal soft tissue dissection allowing procedures to be performed as outpatient surgery. There is the assumption that this leads to a quicker recovery time permitting an earlier return to work. As with any new surgical technique, there is an associated learning curve. This study looked into the outcome of minimally invasive distal metatarsal metaphyseal osteotomy (DMMO) performed at a University Hospital.

Methods:

Thirty patients underwent minimally invasive surgery for DMMO. There were 13 males and 17 females with an average age of 60 years. More than one metatarsal osteotomy was done in all cases to facilitate the moulding of the metatarsal head to the correct alignment with full weight bearing. The outcome was measured with the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ), patient-reported outcome (PRO), and visual analog scale (VAS) pain score. Minimum follow up was 1 year.

Results:

At the final review, the average MOXFQ score was an excellent 31. Average improvement in VAS score was 3.5, which ranged from 10 to -7. The VAS was affected by 2 patients whose pain worsened after the operation. There were 4 complications, one each of nonunion, malunion, transfer metatarsalgia, and soft tissue ossification.

Conclusion:

The 3 most common complications of foot and ankle surgery are infection, wound dehiscence, and skin ulcer or blister. Intra-articular metatarsal osteotomies are commonly associated with stiffness due to scarring and consequently hammertoes. By reducing the soft tissue injury in minimally invasive surgery, these risks can be potentially minimized. Minimally invasive DMMO produced good patient satisfaction, functional improvement, and low complication rates in most cases.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Use of vemurafenib in a patient unable to swallow whole
Authors: Janson Brett , Whittle James , Witney Kate , Moodie Kate , Callahan Jason , Sandhu Shahneen
Published: August 2015

The treatment landscape for metastatic melanoma has increased dramatically in the past five years, with the pivotal discovery of activating BRAF mutations in half of all melanomas spurring the development for effective treatments that target mitogen-activated protein kinase (RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK) pathway. Vemurafenib, a selective mutant BRAF Val600 inhibitor, results in striking tumour responses and a survival advantage over conventional chemotherapy. We present here the case of a 38-year-old woman with metastatic BRAFV600E mutant melanoma and a severe tablet phobia, who was found to have been crushing and/or chewing her vemurafenib tablets. In this case, she attained a partial response and significant clinical benefit, albeit temporarily.
Programming the Adapteva Epiphany 64-core network-on-chip coprocessor
Authors: Varghese Anish , Edwards Bob , Mitra Gaurav , Rendell Alistair P
Published: August 2015

Energy efficiency is the primary impediment in the path to exascale computing. Consequently, the high-performance computing community is increasingly interested in low-power high-performance embedded systems as building blocks for large-scale high-performance systems. The Adapteva Epiphany architecture integrates low-power RISC cores on a 2D mesh network and promises up to 70 GFLOPS/Watt of theoretical performance. However, with just 32 KB of memory per eCore for storing both data and code, programming the Epiphany system presents significant challenges. In this paper we evaluate the performance of a 64-core Epiphany system with a variety of basic compute and communication micro-benchmarks. Further, we implemented two well known application kernels, 5-point star-shaped heat stencil with a peak performance of 65.2 GFLOPS and matrix multiplication with 65.3 GFLOPS in single precision across 64 Epiphany cores. We discuss strategies for implementing high-performance computing application kernels on such memory constrained low-power devices and compare the Epiphany with competing low-power systems. With future Epiphany revisions expected to house thousands of cores on a single chip, understanding the merits of such an architecture is of prime importance to the exascale initiative.
Conditions for Effective Application of Analysis of Symmetrically-Predicted Endogenous Subgroups
Authors: Peck Laura R.
Published: August 2015

Several analytic strategies exist for opening up the “black box” to reveal more about what drives policy and program impacts. This article focuses on one of these strategies: the Analysis of Symmetrically-Predicted Endogenous Subgroups (ASPES). ASPES uses exogenous baseline data to identify endogenously-defined subgroups, keeping the analysis of some postrandomization choice, event, or milestone grounded in the strength of experimental design. Building on lessons from prior applications of ASPES and also adding some new analyses, this article focuses on four specific practical considerations: first-stage prediction success, assumption credibility, data availability, and sample size. Discussion implies the optimal conditions for effective application of ASPES and points to future research that can enhance the overall tool kit of “what works” analyses.