bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First molecular identification of Australapatemon burti (Miller, 1923) (Trematoda: Digenea: Strigeidae) from an intermediate host Radix labiata (Rossmaessler) (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae) in Europe
Authors: AKSENOVA OLGA V. , BESPALAYA YULIA V. , BOLOTOV IVAN N. , KONDAKOV ALEXANDER V. , SOKOLOVA SVETLANA E.
Published: July 2016

The strigeid digenean species Australapatemon burti (Miller, 1923) (Trematoda: Digenea: Strigeidae) was originally described from North America, but recorded in the Neotropical region (Drago et al. 2007; Hernández-Mena et al. 2014; Blasco-Costa et al. 2016) and in Central Europe (Faltýnková et al. 2007). In Europe, this species is rare, and there is not much information about its range (Faltýnková et al. 2007; Soldánová et al. 2012). Australapatemon burti has a complex life cycle with three larval stages, two of which (sporocyst and cercaria) use several species of freshwater snails, and the third stage (metacercaria) use non-specific host hirudineans (Dubois 1968; Davies & Ostrowski de Núñez 2012; Blasco-Costa et al. 2016). Adult flukes are parasitic in the intenstines of various waterfowl species, such as ducks and swans (Drago et al. 2007; Hernández-Mena et al. 2014). Currently, the molecular data on this parasite species includes only nucleotide sequences of four adult specimens from Mexico (Hernández-Mena et al. 2014). Their hosts were Mexican duck, Anas diazi Ridgway, American Wigeon, Anas americana Gmelin, Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera Vieillot, and Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis (Gmelin) (Anserformes: Anatidae).
Two new species of Milnesium (Tardigrada: Milnesiidae)
Authors: PILATO GIOVANNI , SABELLA GIORGIO , LISI OSCAR
Published: July 2016

Two new species of Milnesium are described: Milnesium vorax sp. nov from Sicily and Milnesium tumanovi sp. nov. from Crimea. Milnesium vorax sp. nov. is uncoloured, with eye spots, smooth cuticle, wide buccal tube, stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at almost 62 % of its length; claws with configuration [2-3]-[3-2]; accessory points present on the main branches. Milnesium tumanovi sp. nov. is also uncoloured, has eye spots, smooth cuticle, and wide buccal tube, but it has the stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at about 52 % of its length, and claws with configuration [3-3]-[3-3]; the accessory points are present on the main branches.
A Probabilistic Multispectral Pattern Recognition Method for Detection of Overshooting Cloud Tops Using Passive Satellite Imager Observations
Authors: Bedka Kristopher M. , Khlopenkov Konstantin
Published: July 2016

Deep convective updrafts often penetrate through the surrounding cirrus anvil and into the lower stratosphere. Cross-tropopause transport of ice, water vapor, and chemicals occurs within these “overshooting tops” (OTs) along with a variety of hazardous weather conditions. OTs are readily apparent in satellite imagery, and, given the importance of OTs for weather and climate, a number of automated satellite-based detection methods have been developed. Some of these methods have proven to be relatively reliable, and their products are used in diverse Earth science applications. Nevertheless, analysis of these methods and feedback from product users indicate that use of fixed infrared temperature–based detection criteria often induces biases that can limit their utility for weather and climate analysis. This paper describes a new multispectral OT detection approach that improves upon those previously developed by minimizing use of fixed criteria and incorporating pattern recognition analyses to arrive at an OT probability product. The product is developed and validated using OT and non-OT anvil regions identified by a human within MODIS imagery. The product offered high skill for discriminating between OTs and anvils and matched 69% of human OT identifications for a particular probability threshold with a false-detection rate of 18%, outperforming previously existing methods. The false-detection rate drops to 1% when OT-induced texture detected within visible imagery is used to constrain the IR-based OT probability product. The OT probability product is also shown to improve severe-storm detection over the United States by 20% relative to the best existing method.
Cavity Ring-Down Absorption of O2 in Air as a Temperature Sensor for an Open and a Cryogenic Optical Cavity
Authors: Nyaupane Parashu R. , Perez-Delgado Yasnahir , Camejo David , Wright Lesley M. , Manzanares Carlos E.
Published: July 2016

The A-band of oxygen has been measured at low resolution at temperatures between 90 K and 373 K using the phase shift cavity ring down (PS-CRD) technique. For temperatures between 90 K and 295 K, the PS-CRD technique presented here involves an optical cavity attached to a cryostat. The static cell and mirrors of the optical cavity are all inside a vacuum chamber at the same temperature of the cryostat. The temperature of the cell can be changed between 77 K and 295 K. For temperatures above 295 K, a hollow glass cylindrical tube without windows has been inserted inside an optical cavity to measure the temperature of air flowing through the tube. The cavity consists of two highly reflective mirrors which are mounted parallel to each other and separated by a distance of 93 cm. In this experiment, air is passed through a heated tube. The temperature of the air flowing through the tube is determined by measuring the intensity of the oxygen absorption as a function of the wavenumber. The A-band of oxygen is measured between 298 K and 373 K, with several air flow rates. To obtain the temperature, the energy of the lower rotational state for seven selected rotational transitions is linearly fitted to a logarithmic function that contains the relative intensity of the rotational transition, the initial and final rotational quantum numbers, and the energy of the transition. Accuracy of the temperature measurement is determined by comparing the calculated temperature from the spectra with the temperature obtained from a calibrated thermocouple inserted at the center of the tube. This flowing air temperature sensor will be used to measure the temperatures of cooling air at the input (cold air) and output (hot air) after cooling the blades of a laboratory gas turbine. The results could contribute to improvements in turbine blade cooling design.
The Impact of Personal and Program Characteristics on the Placement of School Leadership Preparation Program Graduates in School Leader Positions
Authors: Fuller Edward J. , Hollingworth Liz , An Brian P.
Published: July 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of personal and program characteristics on the placement of graduates of principal preparation programs in assistant principal, principal, and school leadership positions. Research Design: This study relies on Texas principal production data from 1993 through 2007 matched to employment data from 1993 through 2013. The data include personal characteristics of each program’s graduates (age, sex, and race/ethnicity), program characteristics (program type, percentages of female graduates, and percentage of White graduates), labor market location, and certification year. We employ both descriptive statistics and multilevel logistic regression analysis to examine the factors associated with obtaining employment as an assistant principal, principal, and school leader. Findings: At least 50% of graduates obtained placement as a school leader within 5 years and about 70% did so over 10 years. Within 5 years of certification, men, Latinos, and middle-aged graduates had greater odds of employment as a school leader than women, Whites, and younger and older graduates, respectively. Differences arose, however, when examining placement as an assistant principal and principal separately. In particular, Black and Latina/o graduates had greater odds of employment as an assistant principal but had lower odds of employment as a principal than their White peers. Finally, there were few program characteristics associated with placement, and differences between programs explained very little of the variation in placement rates, bringing into question efforts to hold programs accountable for such outcomes.
“They Vote Like Their Kindred”: Regional Citizenship, Electoral Politics, and Discourses of Belonging in Brong Ahafo, Ghana
Authors: Lobnibe Isidore
Published: July 2016

This paper explores reactions to election results in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana from the perspectives of the politics of belonging debates – the distinction citizens of the same nation-state make between those who belong and those who belong less in one of Ghana’s highly competitive electoral regions. It argues that multi-party democracy has intensified or given rise to social and political tensions or conflicts in some local communities rather than enhance democratic ideals and peaceful coexistence
Linear Narratives, Arbitrary Relationships
Authors: Jeyaraj Joseph
Published: July 2016

Engineers communicate multimodally using written and visual communication, but there is not much theorizing on why they do so and how. This essay, therefore, examines why engineers communicate multimodally, what, in the context of representing engineering realities, are the strengths and weaknesses of written and visual communication, and how, based on an understanding of these strengths and weaknesses, one can consider using the strengths of each form of communication to address weaknesses in the other. Doing so can possibly enable one to demonstrate for engineering majors how they can, with greater effectiveness, communicate multimodally for representing well engineering realities.
“World Religions” in Introductory Sociology Textbooks
Authors: Carroll Michael P.
Published: July 2016

A section on “world religions” (WRs) is now routinely included in the religion chapters of introductory sociology textbooks. Looking carefully at these WR sections, however, two things seem puzzling. The first is that the criteria for defining a WR varies considerably from textbook to textbook; the second is that these WRs sections contain little or no sociology. These puzzles are resolved, however, once we understand that under the guise of promoting “diversity,” these sections are really affirming the universality of what has long been identified as a distinctively modern and very Western view of religion. The article concludes with some practical suggestions for improving the religion chapters in introductory textbooks. One such suggestion is that paying more attention to Native American “religion” would be a useful way of introducing students to the view that religion is a social construction that has no stable transhistorical and transcultural meaning.
Communal Currencies
Authors: Dittmer Kristofer
Published: July 2016

Venezuela’s communal currencies are unique worldwide as a central government initiative. However, efforts to establish significant currency systems have failed so far. Their lack of success can be interpreted in terms of the experiment’s foundation on strong cultural optimism and confused concepts of the nature and origins of money. Government support has been limited to a single model of isolationist-egalitarian “barter” systems. Some form of local currency may be relevant to ecosocialist transition in Venezuela, but the current spatial organization of the systems is wasteful of transport fuel, suggesting that a transition to ecosocialism cannot postpone addressing structural challenges.

Las monedas comunitarias de Venezuela son únicas en el mundo como iniciativas de un gobierno central. Sin embargo, los esfuerzos para establecer sistemas monetarios importantes han fallado hasta ahora. Esta falta de éxito se puede interpretar como el resultado del optimismo cultural fuerte y de los conceptos confusos sobre la naturaleza y los orígenes del dinero que forman la base del experimento. El apoyo del gobierno se ha li-mitado a un modelo único de sistemas de “trueque” aislacionistas e igualitarios. Algún tipo de moneda local podría ser apropiada para una transición ecosocialista en Venezuela, pero la organización espacial de los sistemas en la actualidad desperdicia el combustible de transporte, lo que sugiere que la transición hacia el ecosocialismo no puede posponer el examen de estos retos estructurales.
A comparative study of three teaching methods on student information literacy in stand-alone credit-bearing university courses
Authors: Dolničar Danica , Podgornik Bojana Boh , Bartol Tomaž
Published: July 2016

Three teaching methods, applied to credit-bearing information literacy (IL) university courses, were evaluated and compared. The effects of lecture-based learning (LBL), project-based learning (PjBL) and problem-based learning (PBL) were investigated using the information literacy test (ILT) as an assessment tool, with regard to the total ILT score, specific IL contents according to the five ACRL standards and students’ mental skills according to the Bloom’s cognitive categories. While all three teaching methods showed a significant improvement in the ILT post-test, the active-learning groups of PjBL and PBL scored significantly better than the LBL group. The most notable positive difference was observed in students’ effective access to information related to database searching skills, in the intellectual property/ethics issues and in the cognitive category of comprehension. The PjBL and PBL post-test results did not differ significantly, indicating that both active learning methods resulted in similar improvements of students’ IL.
Prosody–syntax integration in a second language: Contrasting event-related potentials from German and Chinese learners of English using linear mixed effect models
Authors: Nickels Stefanie , Steinhauer Karsten
Published: July 2016

The role of prosodic information in sentence processing is not usually addressed in second language (L2) instruction, and neurocognitive studies on prosody–syntax interactions are rare. Here we compare event-related potentials (ERP) of Chinese and German learners of English L2 to those of native English speakers and show how first language (L1) background and L2 proficiency influence the online processing of prosody-induced garden-path effects. Unlike most previous ERP studies, we use linear mixed effect models to analyse L2 proficiency as a continuous (rather than categorical) variable. Our results show that both L1 background and language proficiency shape the integration of prosodic and syntactic cues, and that, importantly, even English native speakers’ ERPs were influenced by their English proficiency level. Lastly, this article also addresses why coverage of prosody in L2 classroom instruction may be beneficial.
Four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound assessment of cerebrospinal venous flow in multiple sclerosis patients and controls
Authors: Schrauben Eric M , Kohn Sarah , Macdonald Jacob , Johnson Kevin M , Kliewer Mark , Frost Sam , Fleming John O , Wieben Oliver , Field Aaron
Published: July 2016

A possibly causal relationship between multiple sclerosis and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency has recently been hypothesized. Studies investigating chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency have reported conflicting results and few have employed multiple diagnostic imaging modalities across a large patient and control population. In this study, three complementary imaging modalities were used to investigate the chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency hypothesis in patients with multiple sclerosis and two age- and sex-matched control groups: healthy volunteers and patients with other neurological diseases. Strictly blinded Doppler ultrasound according to the original chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency hypothesis; four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging of venous flow in the head, neck, and chest; and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography for neck and chest venous luminography were acquired. An internal jugular vein stenosis evaluation was also performed across modalities. Percentage of subjects meeting ultrasound-based chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency criteria was small and similar between groups. In group-wise and pairwise testing, no four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging variables were statistically significantly different, for any measurement location. In contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography of the internal jugular and azygos veins, no statistically significant differences were observed in stenosis scores between groups. These results represent compelling evidence against the chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency hypothesis in multiple sclerosis.
The Influence of Neurodevelopmental Treatment on Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Levels and Neurological Remodeling in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Tao Weiyuan , Lu Zuneng , Wen Fang
Published: July 2016

Neurodevelopmental treatment is an advanced therapeutic approach for the neural rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy represents a spectrum of neurological disorders primarily affecting gross motor function. The authors investigated the effects of neurodevelopmental treatment on serum levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), a neuroprotective cytokine, and improvements to motor skills. Serum TGF-β1 levels and total score of the Gross Motor Function Measure–88 (GMFM-88) were significantly higher in children with cerebral palsy who underwent neurodevelopmental treatment compared to untreated patients ( P < .01). Furthermore, the improved GMFM-88 total scores after neurodevelopmental treatment were significantly higher in children under the age of 3 with cerebral palsy than in older patients ( P < .01). The authors demonstrate that the integration of TGF-β1 levels and GMFM-88 total score could be used to assess the efficacy of neurodevelopmental treatment. Moreover, the findings provide further scientific support for the early intervention and neurological rehabilitation of young children with cerebral palsy.
The hidden cost of direct democracy: How ballot initiatives affect politicians’ selection and incentives
Authors: Prato Carlo , Strulovici Bruno
Published: July 2016

Citizen initiatives and referendums play an important role in modern democracies, from treaty ratifications in the European Union to gay marriage in California, to the control of foreign workers in Switzerland. Departing from the classic opposition between direct and representative democracy, we study the equilibrium effects of direct democracy institutions on the incentives and selection of elected officials. We find that facilitating direct democracy induces a negative spiral on politicians’ role and contribution to society, which may dominate any direct benefit. The theory offers predictions on reelection probabilities and politicians’ performance consistent with recent evidence from the US states.
Thermoviscoelastic modeling of a nonpneumatic tire with a lattice spoke
Authors: Yoo Sairom , Uddin Md Salah , Heo Hyeonu , Ju Jaehyung , Choi Seok-Ju
Published: July 2016

Nonpneumatic tires made from materials with a low viscoelastic energy loss can be an option for developing tires with a low rolling resistance. For better fuel-efficient design of nonpneumatic tires, the rolling energy loss of the nonpneumatic tires may need to be analyzed at a component level. The objective of this study is to develop a numerical tool that can quantify the rolling energy loss and the corresponding internal heat generation of a nonpneumatic tire. We construct a thermomechanical model that covers the interaction between the deformation and the related heat generation in an elastomer material. We suggest, for various vehicle loads and various rolling speeds, a coupled thermoviscoelastic material model for a nonpneumatic tire with a hexagonal cellular spoke in order to investigate the temperature distribution of the nopneumatic tire generated by hysteresis and convection loss to the air. Using a hyperviscoelastic material model developed from uniaxial (tension and compression) tests and dynamic mechanical analysis, a thermomechanical model is constructed by combining a shear-deformation-induced hysteresis and a cooling procedure when exposed to the air. The model of the temperature rise of the nonpneumatic tire is validated using temperature measurement with a thermal imaging camera during rolling of the nonpneumatic tire. The developed tool combining the viscoelastic material model with the aerodynamic heat loss quantifies well the hysteretic energy loss and the temperature distribution at each component of the nonpneumatic tire.
The effect of healing in the medial collateral ligament of human knee joint: A three-dimensional finite element analysis
Authors: Wan Chao , Hao Zhixiu , Wen Shizhu
Published: July 2016

The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is one of the main ligaments that provide knee joint with major restraints against valgus, internal, and external torque loads. The MCL injury most frequently occurs near its femoral attachment but can be healed spontaneously. Hence, the usual clinical treatment for MCL injury is conservative therapy with early controlled rehabilitation motion. However, the effect of the variations in the healing conditions of the MCL portion (i.e. near the femoral insertion) is still unclear. In this study, finite element tibiofemoral joint models with three different MCL healing conditions were analyzed under six kinds of joint loads, such as 10 and 20 N·m valgus tibial torques, 5 and 10 N·m internal tibial torques, and 5 and 10 N·m external tibial torques. The three healing conditions corresponded to the early, medium, and final (i.e. healthy) stages of the healing period, respectively. It was found that different MCL healing conditions greatly affected the main joint kinematics under valgus tibial torques, but neither the reaction force nor stress results of the MCL. The peak strain values in the MCL healing portion changed greatly under all the six loads. Moreover, all the joint kinematics, strain results, and reaction force of the MCL at the medium stage were similar to those in the healthy joint, that is, at the final healing stage. These imply that the partially healed MCL might be enough for providing the restraints for knee joints and would not lead to some high strains occurring in the MCL.
Home-based workers and cities
Authors: Chen Martha A , Sinha Shalini
Published: July 2016

This paper explores the impact of local government policies and urban plans on home-based workers. It presents recent national data on the size and composition of home-based work in developing countries as well as findings from two recent field studies of urban home-based workers in several Asian cities/countries. The research findings highlight that homes often double as workplaces, especially for women workers, and that slums are domains of significant economic activities. Reflecting these twin facts, as well as the demands of home-based workers, the paper makes the case that city governments and urban planners need to integrate home-based workers and their livelihood activities into local economic development plans. It also argues that city governments need to extend basic infrastructure to the homes-cum-workplaces of home-based workers, as well as transport services to the settlements where they live and work. The paper provides some promising examples of where and how this has been done, largely in response to effective advocacy by organizations of home-based workers.
‘Exceptional’, ‘normal’ or a ‘myth’? The discursive construction of the ‘crisis’ by Greek employees
Authors: Nikolopoulou Aikaterini , Cantera Leonor M
Published: July 2016

This article aims to explore the construction of the concept of the ‘crisis’ by Greek employees, when they talk about paid work. In order to do so, 22 interviews with employees aged 23–43 were analysed, deploying the analytic tool of ‘positioning’, informed by poststructuralist assumptions about discourse and the subject. This perspective seeks to illuminate how the hegemonic discourses both on the ‘crisis’ and waged labour persist and are being legitimated through peoples’ mundane practices and speech, aspiring to trace alternative narratives that challenge them. According to our analysis, the ‘crisis’ was discursively formulated in three different, and at a first glance even contradictory, ways: as a ‘state of exception’, as a ‘normal condition’ and as a ‘myth’, serving each time a different function regarding the constitution of the self and the social.
Collaborative targeted maximum likelihood estimation for variable importance measure: Illustration for functional outcome prediction in mild traumatic brain injuries
Authors: Pirracchio Romain , Yue John K , Manley Geoffrey T , van der Laan Mark J , Hubbard Alan E ,   the TRACK-TBI Investigators including Wayne A Gordon, Hester F Lingsma, Andrew IR Maas, Pratik Mukherjee, David O Okonkwo, David M Schnyer, Alex B Valadka and Esther L Yuh
Published: July 2016

Standard statistical practice used for determining the relative importance of competing causes of disease typically relies on ad hoc methods, often byproducts of machine learning procedures (stepwise regression, random forest, etc.). Causal inference framework and data-adaptive methods may help to tailor parameters to match the clinical question and free one from arbitrary modeling assumptions. Our focus is on implementations of such semiparametric methods for a variable importance measure (VIM). We propose a fully automated procedure for VIM based on collaborative targeted maximum likelihood estimation (cTMLE), a method that optimizes the estimate of an association in the presence of potentially numerous competing causes. We applied the approach to data collected from traumatic brain injury patients, specifically a prospective, observational study including three US Level-1 trauma centers. The primary outcome was a disability score (Glasgow Outcome Scale - Extended (GOSE)) collected three months post-injury. We identified clinically important predictors among a set of risk factors using a variable importance analysis based on targeted maximum likelihood estimators (TMLE) and on cTMLE. Via a parametric bootstrap, we demonstrate that the latter procedure has the potential for robust automated estimation of variable importance measures based upon machine-learning algorithms. The cTMLE estimator was associated with substantially less positivity bias as compared to TMLE and larger coverage of the 95% CI. This study confirms the power of an automated cTMLE procedure that can target model selection via machine learning to estimate VIMs in complicated, high-dimensional data.
Transformative research and epistemological hierarchies: Ruminating on how the sociology of the sport field could make more of a difference
Authors: Pringle Richard , Falcous Mark
Published: July 2016

Amidst recent clarion calls for ‘transformative action’ within the sociology of sport, in this paper we consider the prospects of the field with respect to challenging social injustices and inequities. We reflect on how the sociology of sport has developed in a manner that now privileges the idiographic over the nomothetic, qualitative over quantitative methods and social constructionism over scientism. Although we acknowledge the strengths of these ways of knowing, we argue that the resulting marginalization of quantitative methods and associated scepticism towards the biological sciences may potentially limit the ability of the sociology of sport to make a difference. We subsequently draw on select feminist activists and affect theorists to consider how methodological border crossings might enhance possibilities for challenging social injustices. We proffer that it is timely to reevaluate the field’s epistemological orthodoxies in order to have greater political impact.
Evaluation of Enoxaparin Dosing as a Risk Factor for Bleeding in Lung Transplant Recipients
Authors: Sofjan Amelia K. , Iuppa Jennifer A. , Bain K. Bennett , Deal Eli N. , Witt Chad A. , Hachem Ramsey R. , Yusen Roger D.
Published: July 2016

Background: Lung transplant recipients commonly develop complications that lead to anticoagulation. Standard FDA-approved enoxaparin dosing in this population results in a high incidence of above-goal anti-Xa levels, but its association with bleeding remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the association between enoxaparin dosing and bleeding in lung transplant recipients and assess the relationship between dosing and anti-Xa levels. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study of adult lung transplant recipients who received therapeutic enoxaparin between 2000 and 2012 at a tertiary academic center. We dichotomized enoxaparin dosing regimens into standard dose (FDA-approved doses with a 10% rounding margin) and reduced dose. Clinicians ordered anti-Xa levels as deemed clinically appropriate. The primary outcome was major bleeding or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Results: Of 222 patients treated with enoxaparin, 33 (14.9%) had bleeding events, of which half (17/33) were major. Bleeding occurred in 25/146 (17.1%) patients who received standard-dose enoxaparin versus 8/76 (10.5%) patients who received reduced-dose enoxaparin ( P = 0.190). Multiple logistic regression demonstrated an independent association between standard-dose enoxaparin and bleeding, after adjusting for confounders (adjusted odds ratio = 3.04; 95% CI = 1.14-8.10). The median enoxaparin dose in patients with above-goal versus at-goal anti-Xa levels was 0.89 versus 0.76 mg/kg every 12 hours; P = 0.006. However, doses yielding at-goal anti-Xa levels had an interquartile range of 0.67 to 0.90 mg/kg, which overlapped with doses yielding above- and below-goal anti-Xa levels. Conclusions: Enoxaparin dose reduction and anti-Xa level monitoring can improve drug safety and facilitate individualized dose optimization in lung transplant recipients.
Voluntary Second Opinions in Pediatric Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology
Authors: Al-Ibraheemi Alyaa , Folpe Andrew L.
Published: July 2016

The diagnosis of bone and soft tissue tumors in children is challenging. These lesions are especially difficult for general pathologists. We reviewed our experience with pediatric mesenchymal tumors sent in consultation to our service, with the goal of identifying issues that most often prompted second-opinion referral. Roughly 16 000 cases were seen in toto, of which 1601 occurred in children. These included 491 bone cases and 1110 soft tissue cases. The cases were referred by private practices/nonacademic medical centers (85%), academic medical centers (8%), and pediatric hospitals (7%). Reasons for referral were ( a) self-perceived lack of experience with pediatric mesenchymal tumors (n = 930), ( b) second opinion requested by the clinician or patient (n = 132), and ( c) perceived or real need for ancillary studies not available at the referring institution (n = 116). The referring pathologists suggested a diagnosis for 670 cases; of these, 476 (71%) were in essential agreement with our final diagnosis. Of the remaining, 139 (21%) were considered “minor disagreements” and 55 (8%) “major disagreements.” The “major disagreement” cases could be divided into ( a) malignant tumors submitted with benign diagnoses (58%), ( b) benign tumors submitted with malignant diagnoses (25%), ( c) nonneoplastic conditions submitted as representing neoplasms (11%), and ( d) neoplasm submitted as representing nonneoplastic conditions (6%). Pediatric mesenchymal tumors comprised 10% of cases sent to our mesenchymal tumor consultation practice. The rates of diagnostic disagreement found in this study are roughly in accordance with prior studies of mandatory and voluntary second opinion in adult soft tissue tumors. Given the rarity of these tumors, expert second opinion may be of value.
Comparing Social Anxiety Between Asian Americans and European Americans: An Examination of Measurement Invariance
Authors: Krieg Alexander , Xu Yiyuan , Cicero David C.
Published: July 2016

There have been over 30 studies and two meta-analyses comparing social anxiety between Asian Americans and European Americans. However, few have investigated the invariance of social anxiety measures that would make these comparisons appropriate. In the current study, we systematically examined psychometric properties and configural, metric, and scalar invariance of five social anxiety measures and four short forms that have been used more than once to compare Asian Americans ( n = 232) and European Americans ( n = 193). We found that four (i.e., SPS-6, SIAS-6, SPS, and SPAI-18) of the nine scales were scalar invariant, three scales (i.e., SIAS, SPAI, and B-FNES) only achieved configural invariance, and two scales (i.e., FNES and SADS) failed to achieve configural invariance. Latent mean comparisons based on the scalar invariant measures revealed higher social anxiety scores for Asian Americans than European Americans. The findings are discussed with regard to the issues and challenges when comparing social anxiety among different cultural and ethnic groups.
Emotional and Sexual Correlates of Child Sexual Abuse as a Function of Self-Definition Status
Authors: Vaillancourt-Morel Marie-Pier , Godbout Natacha , Bédard Maryline Germain , Charest Émilie , Briere John , Sabourin Stéphane
Published: July 2016

Among individuals defined as having been sexually abused based on legal criteria, some will self-report having been abused and some will not. Yet, the empirical correlates of self-definition status are not well studied. Different definitions of abuse may lead to varying prevalence rates and contradictory findings regarding psychological outcomes. The present study examined whether, among legally defined sexual abuse survivors, identifying oneself as having experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA) was associated with more severe abuse, negative emotional reactions toward the abuse, and current sexual reactions. A convenience sample of 1,021 French-speaking Canadians completed self-report questionnaires online. The prevalence of legally defined CSA was 21.3% in women and 19.6% in men, as compared to 7.1% in women and 3.8% in men for self-defined CSA. Among legally defined sexual abuse survivors, those who identified themselves as CSA survivors had been abused more frequently, were more likely to report a male aggressor, and more often described abuse by a parental figure than those who did not self-identify as abused. Further, self-defined CSA was associated with more negative postabuse reactions and sexual avoidance, whereas those not identifying as sexually abused were more likely to report sexual compulsion.
Evaluating aging in cats
Authors: Bellows Jan , Center Sharon , Daristotle Leighann , Estrada Amara H , Flickinger Elizabeth A , Horwitz Debra F , Lascelles B Duncan X , Lepine Allan , Perea Sally , Scherk Margie , Shoveller Anna K
Published: July 2016

Practical relevance:

Many of the changes that occur with aging are not considered pathologic and do not negatively affect overall wellness or quality of life. Ruling out disease is essential, however, when attempting to determine whether an aged cat can be considered ‘healthy’. A clear understanding of the normal and abnormal changes that are associated with aging in cats can help practitioners make decisions regarding medical management, feeding interventions and additional testing procedures for their aged patients.

Clinical challenges:

It can be difficult to determine if a cat is displaying changes that are appropriate for age. For example, healthy aged cats may have hematologic or serum biochemistry changes that differ from those of the general feline population. Assessment of behavioral health and cognitive changes, as well as auditory, olfactory and visual changes, can also be challenging in the aged patient.

Goals:

This is the second of two review articles in a Special Issue devoted to feline healthy aging. The goals of the project culminating in these publications included developing a working definition for healthy aging in feline patients and identifying clinical methods that can be used to accurately classify healthy aged cats. This second review proposes criteria for assessing ‘healthy aged cats’.

Evidence base:

There is a paucity of research in feline aging. The authors draw on expert opinion and available data in both the cat and other species.
Elastic and viscoelastic behaviour of sandwich panels with glass-fibre reinforced polymer faces and polyethylene terephthalate foam core
Authors: Garrido Mário , Correia João R
Published: July 2016

This paper presents experimental and analytical investigations about the elastic and viscoelastic (creep) behaviour of sandwich panels made of glass-fibre reinforced polymer faces and a polyethylene terephthalate foam core, produced by vacuum infusion for civil engineering structural applications. First, the elastic response of the panels’ constituent materials (glass-fibre reinforced polymer and polyethylene terephthalate) in tension, compression and shear was experimentally assessed; shear tests on the foam were carried out using a novel test method, the diagonal tension shear test. The creep behaviour in shear of the polyethylene terephthalate foam was evaluated for different load levels. The effective flexural properties of the full-scale sandwich panels as well as their flexural behaviour up to failure were experimentally assessed. Flexural creep and subsequent recovery experiments were also conducted for different load levels, to characterise the viscoelastic behaviour of the full-scale sandwich panels. Creep deformations of the polyethylene terephthalate foam and of the sandwich panels were found to be significantly lower than those corresponding to polyurethane foam and balsa wood reported in the literature; unrecoverable viscoelastic deformations were observed in the full-scale panels. In the analytical study, the creep response of the panels was modelled using Findley’s power law and the composite creep modelling approach. The composite creep modelling predictions were reasonably accurate and allowed assessing the relative contributions of bending and shear deformations to the total sandwich panel creep deflections.
Effects of shape and scale in mechanics of elastic interaction of regular wavy surfaces
Authors: Tsukanov Ivan Y
Published: July 2016

The physical effects associated with the shape and the scale of regular wavy surface asperities are investigated analytically. A special periodic analytical function, which is a generalization of a sine wave and allows to describe waviness of arbitrary smooth shape is suggested. The formulation and solution of the plane problem of elastic contact of a wavy surface with a half-plane is considered. Asperities of two-scale levels are taken into account—regular waviness with arbitrary shape (small-scale asperities) and regular sine-shaped roughness (large-scale asperities). The obtained pressure distribution for an arbitrary shaped one-scale wave is a generalization of the Westergaard’s solution for a sine wave. The results show that the shape of asperities has significant influence on pressure distribution over the entire range of contact lengths. It is also shown that the elastic coupling of adjacent asperities and asperities of different scales increases the nonlinearity of the contact interaction. But for the small loads the problem can be approximately reduced to linear, and the contact area fraction can be obtained directly from the geometry of contacting surfaces.
Measuring treatment satisfaction in MS: Is the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication fit for purpose?
Authors: Vermersch Patrick , Hobart Jeremy , Dive-Pouletty Catherine , Bozzi Sylvie , Hass Steven , Coyle Patricia K
Published: July 2016

Background:

The Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) was designed to assess patient treatment satisfaction in chronic diseases. Its performance has not been examined in multiple sclerosis (MS). The 14 items of the TSQM cover four domains: Effectiveness, Side Effects, Convenience, and Global Satisfaction.

Objective:

To evaluate performance of the TSQM in patients with relapsing MS, using data collected from the TENERE study (NCT00883337), in which 324 patients received oral teriflunomide or subcutaneous interferon beta-1a for ⩾48 weeks.

Methods:

Five measurement properties were examined using traditional psychometric methods: data completeness, scale-to-sample targeting, scaling assumptions, reliability (including test–retest), and construct validity (internal: item-level scaling success, confirmatory factor analysis, and exploratory factor analysis; external: convergence, discrimination, and group differences).

Results:

There were few (<2%) missing item data; domain scores could be computed for all patients. Score distributions were skewed toward higher satisfaction; two domains had marked ceiling effects. Scaling assumptions were supported. Internal consistency reliability was high (Cronbach’s α > 0.90). Internal validity tests supported item groupings. Correlations supported convergent and discriminant construct validity; hypothesis testing supported group differences validity.

Conclusion:

This investigation found the TSQM to be a useful tool, exhibiting good psychometric measurement properties in patients with relapsing MS in the TENERE study.
Fishing for answers? Impacts of marine ecosystem quality on coastal tourism demand
Authors: Otrachshenko Vladimir , Bosello Francesco
Published: July 2016

This article examines the impact of marine ecosystem quality on inbound coastal tourism in the Baltic, North Sea, and Mediterranean countries. Using marine protected areas (MPAs) and the fraction of overexploited species as a proxy for marine ecosystem quality, we apply an autoregressive distributed lag model in a destination–origin panel setup. The empirical findings suggest that the presence of MPAs and the fraction of overexploited species have a considerable impact on inbound coastal tourism. Moreover, the impact of the overexploitation index on tourism is persistent and its short-term (current) impact constitutes 65% of the long-term impact. The results underscore the importance of marine ecosystem quality for inbound coastal tourism and its overall impact that may exceed the impact of tourists’ income. We also find that government performance is crucial for inbound tourism.
Perceptions of telepractice pedagogy in speech-language pathology: A quantitative analysis
Authors: Overby Megan S , Baft-Neff Annette
Published: July 2016

Introduction

Despite the growth of telecommunication applications to provide clinical healthcare services, there has been little attention to the pedagogical framework needed to train healthcare students to deliver these services.

Methods

In this exploratory investigation, perceptions of speech-language pathology/therapy (SLP/SLT) faculty ( n = 31), graduate students ( n = 16), and telehealth (“telepractice”) clinicians ( n = 16) were examined with a 15-item survey regarding the 1) comparative pedagogical importance of four skills common to telepractice and face-to-face service (f2f) delivery, and 2) relative pedagogical value of seven skills and competencies unique to telepractice.

Results

Statistical analyses revealed nonverbal communication skills and knowledge of the literature related to service delivery methods were more important in telepractice than in f2f service delivery. Among seven skills unique to telepractice, participants believed the most important was solving problems related to the Internet and recommended at least two hours of instruction each in telepractice technology, patient confidentiality, and role-playing telepractice. Results suggest that SLP/SLT students may need additional and/or focused academic training in nonverbal communication, telepractice literature, and in solving connectivity issues to enter the telepractice marketplace with sufficient preparation.

Discussion

Further study is needed to compare the relative importance of additional SLP/SLT skills and competencies, describe components of effective healthcare training telepractice programs, and explore effective pedagogical strategies for healthcare telepractice instruction.
Signing on for dirty work: Taking stock of a public psychiatry project from the inside
Authors: Pope Leah G. , Cubellis Lauren , Hopper Kim
Published: July 2016

As applied anthropologists used to working at arm's length from public psychiatry, we step out of the daily grind to take stock of the challenges of taking on ethnography entrained–harnessed to the implementation of a new program. These include the loss of critical distance, the struggles to negotiate locally viable forms of authority and relevance, the necessity of sustaining a Janus-faced relation with principal players, the urgency of seeing time-sensitive information converted into corrective feedback, and the undeniable attraction of being part of “committed work” with game-changing potential. In so doing, we rework the terms of witnessing and revive an old alternative: that documentary dirty work be reclaimed as a variant of public anthropology, one that transforms the work of application from mere afterthought to integral part of the original inquiry.
Optimal choices: Azeri multilingualism in indigenous and diaspora contexts
Authors: Karimzad Farzad
Published: July 2016

Purpose:

This study provides a comparative-theoretic account of code-switching in Azeri-Farsi-English multilingual communities in the USA and Iran. The salient differences between the grammars of these communities, I claim, reside in the relative ‘value’ each community places on the two relational constraints: POWER and SOLIDARITY.

Approach:

I follow Bhatt and Bolonyai’s (2011) optimality-theoretic framework for the analysis of inter-community variation.

Data and analysis:

The data are drawn from over 15 hours of audio-recorded natural conversations among Azeri-Farsi-English multilingual speakers in Iran and the USA. The recordings were transcribed and coded for the five meta-pragmatic constraints of FAITH, FACE, SOLIDARITY, POWER and PERSPECTIVE proposed by Bhatt and Bolonyai.

Findings and conclusions:

The results reveal that despite overwhelming similarities in Azeri communities in the USA and Iran, the difference in their sociolinguistic grammars are significant, resulting from the interaction of SOLIDARTY and POWER. Crucially, in the diaspora context, SOLIDARITY outranks POWER, but in the indigenous context POWER outranks SOLIDARITY. I argue that this ranking difference between the two sociolinguistic grammars pertains to the practices that offer the profit of distinction (Bourdieu, 1991): in the diaspora context it is the solidarity function, accomplished by switching to Azeri and/or avoiding POWER switches, whereas in the indigenous context it is the differentiation function, in terms of status/power, accomplished through switching to English/Farsi.

Originality:

A rather favorable consequence of the approach to code-switching I have adopted is that it allows us to capture the precise micro-discursive changes that are effected by mobility and displacement.

Implications:

The theoretical approach followed in this study has implications for a sociolinguistic theory of mobility; that changes in sociolinguistic behavior under movement (diaspora) are, in fact, predictable: I argue that the enhancement of the value of solidarity vis-à-vis power as a result of migration is a predictable sociolinguistic behavior similar to other diasporic communal activities.
A teaching philosophy of journalism education in the global South: A South African case study
Authors: Rodny-Gumede Ylva
Published: July 2016

This article sets out a teaching philosophy of journalism education in South Africa based on four assertions: re-affirmation of the role of journalism in democratic processes, the need for comparative studies and research-led teaching, journalism as active citizenship and journalism as a reflexive practice. These assertions are considered within the context of the role of the news media in a young democracy, with a particular focus on South Africa and post-colonial societies in the global South. As such, I hope to contribute to a debate around journalism education grounded in local realities rather than imported Western normative conceptualizations of the role and function of the news media and what the study of the news media in this particular context can offer not only the context that it serves but also the discipline itself.