bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adapted Shared Storybook Reading: A Study of Its Application for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Home Settings
Authors: Golloher Andrea N.
Published: January 2017

This study investigated the use of an adapted shared reading protocol with three children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in home settings. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, this investigation replicated and extended a previous investigation by Browder et al. to children with ASD and home settings. In addition, this study was to investigate whether individual components of the intervention package contributed to its overall effectiveness. Finally, the extent to which the participating children generalized their ability to engage in adapted shared reading with the researcher to shared reading with their parents was explored. The results of the investigation indicate that the children with ASD demonstrated improvements in engagement in shared reading and these improvements generalized to shared reading with the children’s parents.
Subclinical bacteriuria in cats: prevalence, findings on contemporaneous urinalyses and clinical risk factors
Authors: Puchot Melanie L , Cook Audrey K , Pohlit Caitlin
Published: January 2017

Objectives

Subclinical bacteriuria (SB) is bacterial colonization of the urinary tract in the absence of clinical signs. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of SB in cats and to describe results of the contemporaneous urinalysis. Secondarily, patient characteristics associated with SB were compared with those for cats without SB.

Methods

An electronic search identified all urine cultures performed on cats at a teaching hospital between 2009 and 2015. Results were subcategorized based on the presence or absence of lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) and SB-positive cases identified. The first control population was from samples without LUTD. The second control population was from all samples not identified as a SB-positive sample, including subclinical negative samples and those with LUTD. Five controls for each SB-positive sample were selected for both control groups. Medical records for all groups were reviewed.

Results

In all, 31/500 (6.2%) subclinical samples were positive. Most infections were a single organism (n = 27); four contained multiple organisms. Escherichia coli was the most common species (58%) followed by Enterococcus species (25%). Positive specimens were more likely to be from female cats (n = 24) vs male (n = 7; P = 0.0054). SB was strongly associated with bacteriuria (60% vs 6%; P <0.0001) and pyuria (67% vs 19%; P <0.0001). Positive specimens were significantly more likely to have an abnormal sediment examination (odds ratio 13.5, P <0.0001). When compared with all specimens including those with LUTD, SB was significantly associated with a lower urine specific gravity (1.022 vs 1.030; P = 0.0256) and presence of chronic kidney disease (68% vs 46%; P = 0.0168).

Conclusions and relevance

In this study, SB appears to be uncommon in cats and, in most cases, is associated with an abnormal urine sediment examination. Based on this study, there is little indication to perform a culture in a cat with no clinical signs of LUTD and an unremarkable sediment examination.
Assessment of absorption of transdermal ondansetron in normal research cats
Authors: Zajic Lara B , Herndon Andrea K , Sieberg Liberty G , Caress Amber L , Morgan Paula K , Hansen Ryan J , Wittenburg Luke A , Gustafson Daniel L , Quimby Jessica M
Published: January 2017

Objectives

The objective of this study was to assess the absorption of transdermal ondansetron in healthy cats.

Methods

Five research cats with unremarkable complete blood count, biochemistry and urinalysis were used for both single- and multiple-dose application studies. For single-dose application, 4 mg ondansetron in 0.1 ml Lipoderm gel was applied once to the internal ear pinna. Blood samples were collected via jugular catheter over a 48 h period following administration (0, 15 mins, 30 mins, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h). For multiple-dose application, 4 mg ondansetron in 0.1 ml Lipoderm gel was applied for five consecutive days before blood samples were obtained in the same manner. Serum was separated and frozen prior to analysis. Ondansetron was measured via liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

Analysis revealed no clinically relevant drug levels in serum after either single- or multiple-dose administration of 4 mg transdermal ondansetron.

Conclusions and relevance

Transdermal application of 4 mg ondansetron does not result in clinically relevant serum concentrations of drug. Despite characteristics of the drug that imply suitability for transdermal application, this does not appear to be an acceptable method of drug delivery for this medication at this dose. This study highlights the importance of assessing the suitability of each medication for transdermal administration.
Performance of squat 3D sandwich walls with longitudinal reinforcement and boundary elements under lateral cyclic loading
Authors: Poluraju P , Appa Rao G
Published: January 2017

Three-dimensional (3D) sandwich precast concrete walls are often used in building construction due to their superior performance, thermal efficiency, and speed of fabrication. When applied to low-rise buildings, this technology facilitates a cellular structure composed of squat sandwich walls sustaining gravity loads and performing as shear wall against lateral loads. Not much research information is available on squat 3D sandwich walls under in-plane lateral loading. This paper discusses experimental investigations on eight squat 3D sandwich walls were tested, in which four were without and four with boundary elements. In each group of four walls, two were provided with only weld mesh as reinforcement and remaining two were provided with additional longitudinal reinforcement. The shear span-to-width ratio of walls was 1.0 or 0.87 subjected to lateral quasi-static reversed loading cycles, while the vertical load was kept constant. The dimensions of unstiffened 3D sandwich walls are 1250 mm × 1250 mm, whereas the dimensions of the stiffened 3D sandwich walls are 1125 mm × 1250 mm (size of stiffening element: 370 mm × 1250 mm). The behavior of squat 3D sandwich walls has been investigated in terms of load–displacement response, crack pattern, mode of failure, ductility, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation. Also, the present study attempts to validate the current design practices, both in Europe (Euro code 8) and in the United States (ACI 318) in relation with the experimental results. Also, other available design equations established for reinforced concrete walls to verify the applicability of these empirical formulae for sandwich walls have been examined. From the test results on 3D sandwich walls, it has been observed that the addition of longitudinal reinforcement and the boundary elements exhibited strong coupling action of shear due to the squat nature of the walls. The 3D sandwich walls with additional longitudinal reinforcement showed significant strength and stiffness.
Holocaust and Sentiments
Authors: Noble Grant , Osmond Craig
Published: January 2017

The very popular Holocaust series was evaluated by an Australian audience of sixty students. Expectations were that by exposure to the sufferings of a single family, audiences would respond in terms of sentiments (a mixture of emotions) to principal characters rather than by identification. While attitudes to Germans and Jews showed no significant change, most verbatim answers were sentiments often combining disgust with enjoyment. One of the principal German characters, Dorf, was as liked as disliked indicating that audiences had responded to him through an illusion of intimacy which resulted in audiences' considering Holocaust a true representation of the Nazi's final solution.
Effect of cylinder de-activation on the tribological performance of compression ring conjunction
Authors: Bewsher SR , Turnbull R , Mohammadpour M , Rahmani R , Rahnejat H , Offner G , Knaus O
Published: January 2017

The paper presents transient thermal-mixed-hydrodynamics of piston compression ring–cylinder liner conjunction for a 4-cylinder 4-stroke gasoline engine during a part of the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC). Analyses are carried out with and without cylinder de-activation technology in order to investigate its effect upon the generated tribological conditions. In particular, the effect of cylinder deactivation upon frictional power loss is studied. The predictions show that overall power losses in the piston–ring cylinder system worsen by as much as 10% because of the increased combustion pressures and liner temperatures in the active cylinders of an engine operating under cylinder deactivation. This finding shows the down-side of this progressively employed technology, which otherwise is effective in terms of combustion efficiency with additional benefits for operation of catalytic converters. The expounded approach has not hitherto been reported in literature.
Predictors of diet failure: A multifactorial cognitive and behavioural model
Authors: Buchanan Kiera , Sheffield Jeanie , Tan Wee Hong
Published: January 2017

Obesity is recognised as a multidetermined issue. However, research aimed at addressing diet failure has typically examined factors in isolation. Furthermore, previous research has included limited input from dieters themselves. A qualitative study identified a number of themes contributing to diet failure. This study aimed to test these themes with a larger sample ( n = 426) while also determining their fit within a multifactorial model. The results of this study supported the conceptualisation of diet failure using a multifactorial model while also illustrating correlational pathways to be more complex than currently understood in the literature.
Communities of clinical practice in action: Doing whatever it takes
Authors: Young Jessica , Jaye Chrystal , Egan Tony , Williamson Martyn , Askerud Anna , Radue Peter , Penese Maree
Published: January 2017

Burgeoning numbers of patients with long-term conditions requiring complex care have placed pressures on healthcare systems around the world. In New Zealand, complex patients are increasingly being managed within the community. The Community of Clinical Practice concept identifies the network of carers around an individual patient whose central participants share a common purpose of increasing that patient’s well-being. We conducted a focused ethnography of nine communities of clinical practice in one general practice setting using participant observation and interviews, and examined the patients’ medical records. Data were analysed using a template organising style. Communities of clinical practice were interprofessional and included informal supports, services and non-professionals. These communities of clinical practice mediate practice, utilising informal networks to cut across boundaries, bureaucracy, mandated clinical pathways and professional jurisdictions to achieve optimum patient-centred care. Communities of clinical practice’s repertoires are characterised by care and are driven by the moral imperative to care. They do ‘whatever it takes’, although there is a cost to this form of care. Well-functioning communities of clinical practice use patient’s well-being as a guiding light and, by sharing a vision of care through trusting and respectful relationships, avoid fragmentation of care. The Community of Clinical Practice (CoCP) model is particularly useful in accounting for the ‘messiness’ of community-based care.
Healthy habits are no fun: How Dutch youth negotiate discourses about food, fit, fat, and fun
Authors: van Amsterdam Noortje , Knoppers Annelies
Published: January 2017

In this article, we use the notion of “biopedagogical practices” to explore how Dutch youth respond to health messages that focus on body weight. Previous studies suggest that such health messages encourage body dissatisfaction in youth. Few studies, however, focus on the local/cultural specificity of youth’s responses to these biopedagogical practices. In this article, we address questions about the re-interpretation of and resistance to health messages that Dutch youth engage in and how these can be understood in their local context. The data were drawn from two previously conducted studies in which a total of 64 Dutch teenagers (aged 12–18 years) took part. We employed a variety of qualitative data collection methods and a feminist poststructuralist perspective to analyze how Dutch youth negotiate biopedagogical practices about health. The results show that our participants constructed health in terms of appearance and reproduced negative constructions regarding fat embodiment. Yet they also often circumvented “healthy” lifestyle behaviors prescribed by biopedagogies of health. They did so first by avoiding physical activities because they were afraid of displaying fat embodiment in the settings of sport and physical education where surveillance is omnipresent. Second, they disregarded advice about healthy eating by drawing on having fun as an alternative discursive resource. We argue that having fun is both part of youth culture and characteristic of the discourse about sociability ( gezelligheid) that is a central element of Dutch culture.
The mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism in the association between psychological control and learned helplessness
Authors: Filippello Pina , Larcan Rosalba , Sorrenti Luana , Buzzai Caterina , Orecchio Susanna , Costa Sebastiano
Published: January 2017

Despite the extensive research on parental psychological control, no study has explored the relation between parental and teacher psychological control, maladaptive perfectionism and learned helplessness (LH). The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) whether perceived teacher psychological control predicts positively LH, (2) whether perceived parental psychological control predicts maladaptive perfectionism, and (3) whether the association between perceived parental and teacher psychological control and LH is mediated by maladaptive perfectionism. In a sample of 433 participants, 268 females (61.9%) and 165 males (38.1%), ranged in age from 13 to 19 years ( M = 15.38, standard deviation (SD) = 1.18), it was found that teacher psychological control has a more relevant role in the prediction of LH than parental control. Moreover, maladaptive perfectionism was a full mediator of the relationship between perceptions of teacher psychological control and LH. These results extend previous studies on teacher psychological control and, for the first time, provide evidence for the relation with LH, identifying maladaptive perfectionism as a variable that accounts for the relation between teacher psychological control and LH.
Lung Cancer Incidence among Swedish Bakers and Pastrycooks: Temporal Variation
Authors: Carstensen John M. , Wicksell Lottie , Eklund Gunnar , Gustafsson Jan-Åke
Published: January 2017

In a cohort of Swedish bakers and pastrycooks, based on the census of 1960, 188 male lung cancer cases, were reported to the national Cancer Registry 1961–79. The risk of lung cancer exceeded that of all men with 43% (confidence interval 23–65%). After adjustment for smoking habits, using data from a sample of one percent of the Swedish population, the excess risk was reduced. There was a temporal variation in the relative risk, which decreased during the follow-up period in the younger birth cohorts but not in the older ones. Changes in smoking habits did not seem to explain the decreasing trend. The lung cancer risk did not differ significantly between employees and those self-employed in the cohort. To some extent these results confirm earlier findings concerning excess risks of lung cancer in bakers. The lowered risk in Sweden towards the end of the seventies, suggests that the problem is now of less importance.
A Two Year Prospective Study of Rearrests for Drunken Driving
Authors: Gjerde Hallvard , Mørland Jørg
Published: January 2017

393 drunken drivers, arrested within a six-month period in 1984/85, were selected for a prospective study of rearrests for drunken driving. Within the following two years, 119 (30%) of the drivers were rearrested. They were responsible for 232 detected drunken driving offences. The rear-rest rate increased with increasing blood alcohol concentration (measured at the time of selection). The rearrest rate was greater for those with elevated blood gamma glutamyltransferase (a marker of excessive alcohol consumption), and was markedly greater for those with more than one arrest for drunken driving preceding the observation period.
Induced Abortions and Births: Changes in Maternal Age and Parity in Six Counties, Norway, 1972–1981
Authors: Skjeldestad Finn Egil
Published: January 2017

During the 1970s the abortion law changed twice in Norway. As of 1976 induced abortion was accepted on social indications, while abortion on womens' demand was introduced in 1979. This study presents age-specific abortion-and birth rates as well as age-and parity-specific abortion ratio from 1972–1981. From 1972 to 1974 the number of induced abortions increased. Since then the general abortion rate has decreased. For all parity groups the number of pregnancies terminated by induced abortion increased during the first 3 years of the study. While nulliparous women showed a continuous increase in the abortion ratio throughout the study period, the abortion ratio for parous women has been relatively stable since 1975. Through the use of induced abortion nulliparous mothers postpone the birth of their first child. Therefore induced abortion contributes to an increasing maternal age at first child birth. The present study can support the hypothesis that multiparous women, among other means, have used induced abortion to establish the 2-child family norm during the 1970s.
Occupational exposure to BTEX compounds among enclosed multi-storey car park workers in central Bangkok area
Authors: Taneepanichsku Nutta , Loonsamrong Wassana , Tungsaringkarn Tanasorn , Gelaye Bizu , Williams Michelle A.
Published: January 2017

Multi-storey parking structures have potentially high concentrations of benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E) and xylene (X) – known as BTEX which could cause adverse health effects to humans. This study sought to estimate BTEX exposure concentrations among car park workers and to evaluate the extent to which, if at all, changes in urine metabolites are associated with BTEX exposure. Personal BTEX samples were collected from workers. Pre-shift and post-shift urinary metabolites, trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA), hippuric acid (HA) and methyl hippuric acid were assessed using standard procedures. Linear regression models were used to examine associations between BTEX exposure concentrations and changes in urinary metabolites. BTEX concentrations in the car park on Sunday were lower than other days of the week, for instance median concentrations of toluene were 23.3 µg/m3 on Sunday and 48.3 µg/m3 during average weekdays (Tuesday–Friday). Benzene and toluene concentrations adjusted for day of week differences were associated with changes from pre-shift to post-shift in urine t,t-MA and HA, respectively. Car park workers were more likely to be exposed to lower concentrations of BTEX during weekdays compared to weekends. Provision of personal chemical safety protection and rigorous evaluation of its effectiveness in reducing BTEX exposure should be provided to protect workers of car parks.
What clicks actually mean: Exploring digital news user practices
Authors: Kormelink Tim Groot , Meijer Irene Costera
Published: January 2017

This article problematizes the relationship between clicks and audience interests. Clicking patterns are often seen as evidence that news users are mostly interested in junk news, leading to concerns about the state of journalism and the implications for society. Asking and observing how 56 users actually browse news and what clicking and not clicking mean to them, we identified 30 distinct considerations for (not) clicking and classified them into three categories: cognitive, affective and pragmatic. The results suggest, first, that interest is too crude a term to account for the variety of people’s considerations for (not) clicking. Second, even if one aims for roughly estimating people’s news interests, clicks are a flawed instrument because a lack of clicking does not measure people’s lack of interest in news. Third, taking users’ browsing patterns seriously could help bridge the gap between what people need as citizens and what they actually consume. Finally, we argue that all metrics should be critically assessed from a user perspective rather than taken at face value.
How does beauty shape political television news? The effect of Israeli politicians’ facial attractiveness on the tone of their news coverage
Authors: Markowitz-Elfassi Dana , Tsfati Yariv
Published: January 2017

Media coverage plays an important role in the political career of politicians. The news media attention that politicians receive depends not only on political and socio-demographic variables, but also on their communication skills and personal characteristics such as physical appearance. This study explores the effect of facial attractiveness on the tone of the televised news coverage of Israeli parliament members. Results demonstrate a positive association between facial attractiveness and the overall coverage. In addition, each unit increase on the attractiveness scale was associated with an increase of 34 percent in the expected number of favorable appearances on TV news, but this association was slightly above the accepted 0.05 criterion for hypothesis testing. There was no significant effect of facial attractiveness on unfavorable or neutral coverage. These findings are interpreted. Implications for journalistic practices, political consultants, and access to the public sphere are discussed.
Shame and vicarious shame in the news: A case study of the Sewol ferry disaster
Authors: Heo Mansup , Park Jaeyung
Published: January 2017

This study examines how shame, a psychological mechanism suppressing the violation of social norms, is reflected in the news. The results of a content analysis of the South Korean ferry disaster news stories demonstrate that shaming wrongdoers commonly appears in the news stories exposing wrongdoings. It is shown that the news media shame more often when the wrongdoings are confirmed, described in detail, their negative influences are mentioned, or punishment for them is expected. Anger against wrongdoers was the emotion most closely linked to shaming. Our results also demonstrate that shaming is more frequently activated in the Internet media. Especially, vicarious shame felt by some Koreans about other Koreans’ wrongdoings often showed up in the Korean news. Our results provide evidence that vicarious shame and its elements, like guilt, reappear intact in the news. Overall, we suggest that, through the functions of shame, wrongdoings are exposed; identity image of wrongdoers is degraded; lessons about norms are given; mediated scandals are mass-consumed; and, therefore, some of the ethical and commercial characteristics of the news are formed.
Time, realism, news
Authors: Barnhurst Kevin G , Nightingale Andrew W
Published: January 2017

News time has since the late 19th century moved away from storytelling to embrace modern progress. But time in news is elusive. The digital era splinters time, leaving news practice and research behind. A project to track US news into the 21st century documents a history of time in news: the realism of ‘who’, ‘where’, and ‘what’ declined, and the modernism contexts of ‘when’ and ‘why’ expanded. All five Ws moved contrary to expectation. Modernism tries to map time, but its definition is undecidable – even among logicians. Practitioners of news grapple with their topic: the realist now, and try to fit it into the modernist ‘standard time’, a time regime that imposes a big-picture interpretation onto their readers. The modern view equates clock time, a purely social invention, to quantifiable nature. Clock time offers an artificial view of the passage of time, but scientists dictated another big picture. ‘For us’, wrote Einstein, ‘who are convinced physicists, the distinction between past, present, and future has no other meaning than that of an illusion, though a tenacious one’. Time, although quantifiable, does not pass; its passing is an illusion and the objective view of the world is an immutable one. Coming to grips with the elusiveness of time, as it slips away from reporters and the grasp of scientists, creates opportunities for practitioners of news to align with contemporary mediated experiences. Facing the problem of time is done through Alfred North Whitehead, in whom the present moments is not a point of infinitessimal length on a single modernist time-line but an indivisible event that ‘grows literally by buds or drops’ of experience (William James in Whitehead), a landing ground which he calls the ‘actual occasion.’ Past, present, and future are not illusions, but symptoms of the subjective experience of process, which is not only real; it is part of the fundamental actual occasion. Weaving in Arendt’s distinction between ephemeral labor and permanent work illustrates how process philosophy can be grounded in both the labor and work of journalists, allowing news practitioners to adapt to digital times.
Reduced endothelial activation after exercise is associated with improved HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease
Authors: Byrkjeland Rune , Njerve Ida U , Arnesen Harald , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Solheim Svein
Published: January 2017

Objective:

We have previously reported insignificant changes in HbA1c after exercise in patients with both type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of exercise on endothelial function and possible associations between changes in endothelial function and HbA1c.

Methods:

Patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease ( n = 137) were randomised to 12 months exercise or standard follow-up. Endothelial function was assessed by circulating biomarkers (E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, von Willebrand factor, tissue plasminogen activator antigen, asymmetric dimethylarginine and L-arginine/asymmetric dimethylarginine ratio). Differences between the randomised groups were analysed by analysis of covariance and correlations by Spearman’s rho or Pearson’s correlation.

Results:

No effect of exercise on endothelial function was demonstrated. The changes in HbA1c in the exercise group correlated with changes in E-selectin ( r = 0.56, p < 0.001), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ( r = 0.27, p = 0.052), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 ( r = 0.32, p = 0.022) and tissue plasminogen activator antigen ( r = 0.35, p =  0.011). HbA1c decreased significantly more in patients with versus without a concomitant reduction in E-selectin ( p =  0.002), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ( p =  0.011), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 ( p =  0.028) and tissue plasminogen activator antigen ( p =  0.009).

Conclusion:

Exercise did not affect biomarkers of endothelial function in patients with both type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. However, changes in biomarkers of endothelial activation correlated with changes in HbA1c, and reduced endothelial activation was associated with improved HbA1c after exercise.
Procoagulant activity in patients with combined type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease: No effects of long-term exercise training
Authors: Bratseth Vibeke , Byrkjeland Rune , Njerve Ida U , Solheim Svein , Arnesen Harald , Seljeflot Ingebjørg
Published: January 2017

We investigated the effects of 12-month exercise training on hypercoagulability in patients with combined type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. Associations with severity of disease were further explored. Patients ( n = 131) were randomized to exercise training or a control group. Blood was collected at inclusion and after 12 months. Tissue factor, free and total tissue factor pathway inhibitor, prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2) and D-dimer were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and ex vivo thrombin generation by the calibrated automated thrombogram assay. Tissue factor and ex vivo thrombin generation increased from baseline to 12 months ( p < 0.01, all), with no significant differences in changes between groups. At baseline, free and total tissue factor pathway inhibitor significantly correlated to fasting glucose ( p < 0.01, both) and HbA1c ( p < 0.05, both). In patients with albuminuria ( n = 34), these correlations were strengthened, and elevated levels of D-dimer, free and total tissue factor pathway inhibitor ( p < 0.01, all) and decreased ex vivo thrombin generation ( p < 0.05, all) were observed. These results show no effects of exercise training on markers of hypercoagulability in our population with combined type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. The association between poor glycaemic control and tissue factor pathway inhibitor might indicate increased endothelial activation. More pronounced hypercoagulability and increased tissue factor pathway inhibitor were demonstrated in patients with albuminuria.
Microvascular function in women with former gestational diabetes: A cohort study
Authors: Charwat-Resl Silvia , Yarragudi Rajashri , Heimbach Moritz , Leitner Karoline , Leutner Michael , Gamper Jutta , Giurgea Georgiana-Aura , Mueller Markus , Koppensteiner Renate , Gschwandtner Michael E , Kautzky-Willer Alexandra , Schlager Oliver
Published: January 2017

Objective:

In the long term, diabetes mellitus is potentially associated with the occurrence of microvascular damage. This study sought to assess whether a history of prior gestational diabetes mellitus is associated with long-term effects on the women’s microcirculation.

Methods:

Within the scope of a long-term follow-up of the ‘Viennese Post-Gestational Diabetes Project’, women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus as well as women with previous pregnancy but with no history of gestational diabetes mellitus (controls) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Microvascular function was assessed by post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia using laser Doppler fluxmetry. Baseline perfusion, biological zero, peak perfusion, time to peak and recovery time were recorded and compared between both groups.

Results:

Microvascular function was assessed in 55 women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (46.1 ± 4.6 years) and 32 women with previous pregnancy but without prior gestational diabetes mellitus (42.9 ± 5.3 years). The mean period of time between delivery and the assessment of microvascular function was 16.2 ± 5.2 years in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus group and 14.2 ± 4.8 years in controls. Regarding microvascular function, baseline perfusion, biological zero, peak perfusion, time to peak and recovery time did not differ between women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus and controls (all p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

In the long term, microvascular function appears not to be impaired in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus.
Adapting Identities: Religious Conversion and Partisanship Among Asian American Immigrants
Authors: Audette Andre P. , Brockway Mark , Weaver Christopher L.
Published: January 2017

Asian Americans constitute the largest group of new immigrants and the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. While Asian American immigrants have experienced greater economic success than other minority groups, this has not necessarily led to greater political incorporation such as identification with a political party. Political parties have made little substantive outreach to Asian Americans, leaving a void in political socialization that other institutions, such as churches, have sought to fill. Yet the U.S. religious landscape is often quite different from that of Asian immigrants’ sending countries, providing opportunities for changes in religious identity through conversion. Leveraging data from the 2012 Pew Asian American Survey, we show that conversion from Buddhism to Christianity among Asian American immigrants facilitates the development of partisan political identities. We demonstrate that conversion functions as an adaptation in identity that helps facilitate subsequent changes in identity, such as the acquisition of partisanship.
A Path Analysis of Dependence and Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Garre-Olmo Josep , Vilalta-Franch Joan , Calvó-Perxas Laia , López-Pousa Secundino ,   CoDep-AD Study Group
Published: January 2017

Objective:

To determine the direct and indirect relationships of cognitive, functional, and behavioral factors and other medical comorbidities with the quality of life (QoL) of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) according to the theoretical model of dependence.

Methods:

Observational and cross-sectional study. Cognitive and functional status, behavior, dependence, medical comorbidities, and QoL were assessed by using standardized instruments. A path analysis was used to model the direct and indirect relationships among clinical indicators according to the theoretically based model of dependence.

Results:

The sample consisted of 343 patients with AD (32.1% mild, 36.7% moderate, and 31.2% severe). Medical comorbidities, disease severity, and dependence level had a direct relationship with QoL. The functional disability and the behavior disturbances were indirectly related to QoL via dependence level, and the cognitive impairment was indirectly related to QoL via severity level.

Conclusion:

Direct and indirect effects exist between clinical indicators, dependence, and QoL.
Recruitment to the “Breast—Activity and Healthy Eating After Diagnosis” (B-AHEAD) Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Pegington Mary , Adams Judith E. , Bundred Nigel J. , Campbell Anna M. , Howell Anthony , Howell Sacha J. , Speed Shaun , Wolstenholme Jane , Harvie Michelle N.
Published: January 2017

Excess weight at breast cancer diagnosis and weight gain during treatment are linked to increased breast cancer specific and all-cause mortality. The Breast—Activity and Healthy Eating After Diagnosis (B-AHEAD) trial tested 2 weight loss diet and exercise programmes versus a control receiving standard written advice during adjuvant treatment. This article identifies differences in characteristics between patients recruited from the main trial site to those of the whole population from that site during the recruitment period and identifies barriers to recruitment. A total of 409 patients with operable breast cancer were recruited within 12 weeks of surgery. We compared demographic and treatment factors between women recruited from the main trial coordinating site (n = 300) to the whole breast cancer population in the center (n = 532). Uptake at the coordinating site was 42%, comparable to treatment trials in the unit (47%). Women recruited were younger (55.9 vs 61.2 years, P < .001), more likely to live in least deprived postcode areas (41.7% vs 31.6%, P = .004), and more likely to have screen-detected cancers (55.3% vs 48.7%, P = .026) than the whole breast cancer population. The good uptake highlights the interest in lifestyle change around the time of diagnosis, a challenging time in the patient pathway, and shows that recruitment at this time is feasible. Barriers to uptake among older women and women with a lower socioeconomic status should be understood and overcome in order to improve recruitment to future lifestyle intervention programs.
The Plan for the Valleys
Authors: Hundt George , Daniels Thomas L.
Published: January 2017

Development pressures threatening northwestern Baltimore County, Maryland, in the early 1960s led to the creation of the private Valleys Planning Council, which commissioned University of Pennsylvania Professors Ian McHarg and David Wallace to produce The Plan for the Valleys, featuring McHarg’s approach of ecological determinism to locate development and preserve land, with Wallace designing the type and density of development. We analyze The Plan’s development and land protection elements and the County’s subsequent use of an urban growth boundary, agricultural zoning, and conservation easements. Although a catalyst for landscape protection, The Plan’s substantial development elements were never built.
British Muslim university students’ perceptions of Prevent and its impact on their sense of identity
Authors: Kyriacou Chris , Szczepek Reed Beatrice , Said Fatma , Davies Ian
Published: January 2017

The Prevent strategy at UK universities is designed to reduce the possibility of university students becoming radicalised and so working against them supporting or directly engaging in terrorist activities. In this study, we were concerned to reflect on our reading of some relevant literature by exploring the views of a sample of British Muslim students regarding Prevent and, in particular, its impact on their sense of personal and national identities as British Muslims. Nine British Muslim undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire. We discuss findings suggesting that there is limited general understanding and negative characterisations of Prevent, with perceptions of this policy being ineffective and inappropriate for higher education contexts. We suggest that more work is needed to develop relevant educational initiatives in the development of a tolerant society and that there is potential in discourse analysis to help reveal further insights into Muslim students’ identities.
A cellular automaton model for offshore evacuation risk assessment
Authors: Grand Blanc Michel , Carpignano Andrea , Dulla Sandra , Marolo Stefano
Published: January 2017

A new approach to assess the risk associated with jetfire and poolfire accidents on an offshore oil facility using cellular automata is presented. This model simulates many accident scenarios, and the related evacuation processes, adopting a Monte Carlo approach in order to evaluate an average consequence and then a more realistic value of the risk associated with these accidents. The results of this new method are discussed and compared with the results obtained from a traditional approach over a real case study. The comparison shows that this new approach supplies lower risk-related results, still being conservative; besides, it can supply further information useful in the design phase.
Parricide in England and Wales (1977–2012): An exploration of offenders, victims, incidents and outcomes
Authors: Holt Amanda
Published: January 2017

The killing of one’s parents is a neglected area in criminological scholarship, particularly in the UK, and this article presents the first national analysis of parricide in England and Wales. It draws on data from the Home Office Homicide Index to examine all recorded cases of parricide over a 36-year period and examines the characteristics of offenders, victims, incidents and court outcomes. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to two particular dominant theoretical ideas within the field: the role of mental illness in parricide, and the notion that there are distinct forms of violence against parents that can be organized along dimensions of chronological age (i.e. juvenile/adult offender) and whether the violence is fatal (i.e. parricide) or non-fatal. The article concludes with a discussion of its wider implications for future research.
Manufactured “Mismatch”
Authors: Blount-Hill Kwan-Lamar , St. John Victor
Published: January 2017

Studies bear out that African Americans are drastically underrepresented in criminology and criminal justice doctoral programs and that, once admitted, they have lower-than-average rates of completion. On average, throughout their careers, African Americans are less likely to secure positions in the most prestigious programs; publish in the most highly regarded journals; or receive tenure, promotion, and compensation commensurate with their European American colleagues. One explanation is that the academy espouses ideals that disadvantage those from a Black cultural background. Through auto-ethnographic narratives, this article explores the ways in which criminology and criminal justice have adopted and reinforced a professional culture that may be incongruent with that of most Black academics. Borrowing from the tenets of critical race theory, we examine the ways in which the field imposes criteria for success counter to the cultural orientation of many African Americans. Finally, we argue the need for field-wide self-assessment and proactive measures to increase receptiveness to, and inclusion of, scholars who bring broader methodological and cultural lenses to both the academic discipline and the practical administration of justice.
Transmission of Volatility across Asia-Pacific Stock Markets: Is There a Pattern?
Authors: Mitra Amarnath , Iyer Vishwanathan
Published: January 2017

The present study attempts to track the transmission of volatility across 11 international stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region over a period of 20 years, which includes both crisis (i.e., contagion form) and non-crisis periods. It also investigates whether the global transmission of volatility follows a pattern. The study contributes to the literature in two ways: (a) it provides a historical map of volatility transmission in the Asia-Pacific region and (b) it identifies the path and pattern of volatility spillover across stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region.
A Panel Data Analysis of Relationship between Migration and Inequality
Authors: John Raju
Published: January 2017

In this article, the relationship between migration and inequality in India is analyzed on the basis of an understanding of the role of migration in creating inequalities in the economy and society of the state of Kerala. The Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, conducts periodic Kerala Migration Surveys (KMSs) to monitor the current status of emigration from and return emigration to the state of Kerala. This data set is used to discover the dynamics of migration–inequality relationship in the state. The results of the study suggest that migration causes inequalities in mobility between migrant and non-migrant households and between different types of migrant households.
Earnings Management and Equity Issue Firms: A Study in Indian Context
Authors: Das Ramesh Chandra , Jena Sarthak Kumar
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate about the engagement of firms in earnings management at the time of issuing equity. Furthermore, we examined if firms issuing domestic equity (IPO) indulge in higher earnings management than firms issuing overseas equity. To estimate the earnings management, accrual-based earnings management (Dechow et al., 1995) model and real earnings management (Roychowdhury, 2006) model are used respectively. The initial results suggest that Indian companies undertake both accrual-based earnings management and real earnings management. The empirical results find that equity issue firms indulge in both accrual-based earnings management and real earnings management during the time of offering equity. Moreover, we found that domestic equity issue firms manipulate more accrual-based earnings management as well as real earnings management than overseas equity issue firms.
Surgical Management of Rectus Femoris Avulsion Among Professional Soccer Players
Authors: Sonnery-Cottet Bertrand , Barbosa Nuno Camelo , Tuteja Sanesh , Gardon Roland , Daggett Matt , Monnot Damien , Kajetanek Charles , Thaunat Mathieu
Published: January 2017

Background:

Rectus femoris injuries are common among athletes, especially in kicking sports such as soccer; however, proximal rectus femoris avulsions in athletes are a relatively rare entity.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to describe and report the results of an original technique of surgical excision of the proximal tendon remnant followed by a muscular suture repair. Our hypothesis was that this technique limits the risk of recurrence in high-level athletes and allows for rapid recovery without loss of quadriceps strength.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Our retrospective series included 5 players aged 31.8 ± 3.9 years with acute proximal rectus femoris avulsion injuries who underwent a surgical resection of the proximal tendon between March 2012 and June 2014. Four of these players had recurrent rectus femoris injuries in the 9 months before surgery, while 1 player had surgery after a first injury. Mean follow-up was 18.2 ± 12.6 months, and minimum follow-up was 9 months. We analyzed the age, sex distribution, physical examination outcomes, type and mechanism of injury, diagnosis, treatment and complications during surgery, postoperative follow-up, and time to return to play. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and Marx scores were obtained at 3-month follow-up, and isokinetic tests were performed before return to sports. A telephone interview was completed to determine the presence of recurrence at an average follow-up of 18.2 months.

Results:

At 3-month follow-up, all patients had Marx activity scores of 16 and LEFS scores of 80. Return to the previous level of play occurred at a mean of 15.8 ± 2.6 weeks after surgery, and none of the athletes suffered a recurrence. Isokinetic test results were comparable between both sides.

Conclusion:

The surgical treatment of proximal rectus femoris avulsions, consisting of resection of the tendinous part of the muscle, is a reliable and safe technique allowing a fast recovery in professional athletes.
Epidural Sufentanil Infusion for Postoperative Analgesia
Authors: Cheng Eugene Y. , Stevens Rom A. , Stommel Kimberly A. , Roerig David L.
Published: January 2017

Objective:

To determine analgesic qualities of epidural sufentanil, associated plasma concentrations, and incidence of adverse effects.

Design:

Case series.

Setting:

Postanesthesia care unit of a tertiary care facility.

Patients:

Thirteen patients undergoing elective intraabdominal surgery.

Interventions:

Postsurgical analgesia was maintained with epidural sufentanil infusion (0.3–0.6 μg/kg/h). Epidural boluses of sufentanil 0.3 μg/kg had been administered prior to sufentanil infusion to achieve adequate analgesia.

Main Outcome Measures:

Quality of analgesia was measured with a visual analog scale (VAS). Adverse effects measured included nausea, vomiting, and pruritus. Respiratory function was monitored with end-tidal CO2, pulse oximetry, and respiratory rate. To determine systemic absorption, plasma concentrations of sufentanil were measured.

Results:

Analgesia occurred within five minutes after bolus epidural sufentanil injection. Mean ± SEM VAS scores decreased from 6.2 ± 0.7 at time 0 to 2.4 ± 0.6 after five minutes and were less than three over the next eight hours. One of 13 patients became nauseated and one experienced hypotension and respiratory depression during the study period. Mean plasma sufentanil concentrations were <0.1 ng/mL for the first seven hours and at the lower limits of assay detection (0.1 ng/mL) during hour 8. After 24 and 48 hours of epidural sufentanil infusion, the mean plasma sufentanil concentration was 0.4 ± 0.1 (n=8) and 0.4 ± 0.1 ng/mL (n=4), respectively.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that epidural sufentanil can provide rapid postoperative analgesia. Plasma sufentanil concentration tends to increase with the duration of infusion, which could increase the risk of respiratory depression.
Iatrogenic Salivary Gland Swelling
Authors: Davé Mahendra
Published: January 2017

Objective:

To report the first case series study of two patients who developed parotid gland swelling while taking clozapine.

Case Summaries:

Transient, unilateral parotid swelling was noted in two patients who were on clozapine.

Discussion:

Some patients who have hypersalivation develop unilateral parotid swelling. The swelling tends to resolve spontaneously within a few hours.

Conclusions:

Clinicians should be aware of this potential spontaneously reversible reaction. J Pharm Technol 1995;11:18–20.