bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paramedic Exposure to Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Is Associated With Patient Survival
Authors: Dyson Kylie , Bray Janet E. , Smith Karen , Bernard Stephen , Straney Lahn , Finn Judith
Published: January 2016

Background—

Although out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major public health problem, individual paramedics are rarely exposed to these cases. In this study, we examined whether previous paramedic exposure to OHCA resuscitation is associated with patient survival.

Methods and Results—

For the period 2003 to 2012, we linked data from the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry to Ambulance Victoria’s employment data set. We defined exposure as the number of times a paramedic attended an OHCA where resuscitation was attempted in the 3 years preceding each case. Using a multivariable model adjusting for known predictors of survival, we measured the association between paramedic OHCA exposure and patient survival to hospital discharge. During the study period, there were 4151 paramedics employed and 48 291 OHCAs (44% with resuscitation attempted). The median exposure of all paramedics was 2 (interquartile range 1–3) OHCAs/year. Eleven percent of paramedics were not exposed to any OHCA cases. Increased paramedic exposure was associated with reduced odds of attempted resuscitation (
P
<0.001). In the 3 years preceding each OHCA where resuscitation was attempted, the median exposure of the treating paramedics was 11 (interquartile range 6–17) OHCAs. Compared with patients treated by paramedics with a median of ≤6 exposures during the previous 3 years (7% survival), the odds of survival were higher for patients treated by paramedics with >6 to 11 (12%, adjusted odds ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.54), >11 to 17 (14%, adjusted odds ratio 1.29, 95% confidence interval 1.04–1.59), and >17 exposures (17%, adjusted odds ratio 1.50, 95% confidence interval 1.22–1.86). Paramedic years of experience were not associated with survival.

Conclusions—

Patient survival after OHCA significantly increases with the number of OHCAs that paramedics have previously treated.
The Original Version of Deborah’s Song, and its Numerical Structure
Authors: Knohl Israel
Published: January 2016

The Song of Deborah (Jud 5:2-31a) is one of the Biblical texts that has been most thoroughly analyzed. In this article I wish to present a new solution to some of the basic issues relating to the song. My hypothesis is based on exegetical and historical insights that can shed light on the process of editing and sculpting that the song underwent. A distinction between the original poem and editorial additions may, in my opinion, help solve some of the major problems in our understanding of the poem and its thematic coherence. Once the kernel of the text is isolated and the editorial additions are peeled away, the original song text is revealed, which is based on a clear and elaborate numerical structure.
The early evolution of cooperation in humans. On cheating, group identity and group size
Authors: Czárán T. , Aanen Duur K.
Published: January 2016

The evolution of cooperation is difficult to understand, because cheaters — individuals who profit without cooperating themselves — have a benefit in interaction with cooperators. Cooperation among humans is even more difficult to understand, because cooperation occurs in large groups, making cheating a bigger threat. Restricting cooperation to members of one’s own group based on some tag-based recognition of non-group members (allorecognition) has been shown to stabilise cooperation. We address how spatial structure and group size affect the opportunities for cheating such tag-based cooperation in a spatially explicit simulation. We show that increased group diversity, under conditions of limited dispersal, reduces the selective opportunities for cheaters. A small number can already be sufficient to keep cheating at a low frequency. We discuss how marginal additional benefits of increased group size, above the benefits of local cooperation, can provide the selective pressure to reduce the number of group identities and discuss possible examples.
Recharacterisation and photo-documentation of five North American Bursaphelenchus species from C.L. Massey’s type material
Authors: Kanzaki Natsumi , Giblin-Davis Robin M. , Center Barbara J.
Published: January 2016

The type specimens of fiveBursaphelenchusspecies described by Massey,i.e.,B. bestiolus,B. corneolus,B. elytrus,B. newmexicanusandB. wilfordi, were re-examined and photo-documented to update their descriptions in light of a contemporary understanding of the genus. The presence of a lateral field, basal swelling of stylet, P1 ventral single papilla of males and a pair of three-celled structures in females, which were not described or mentioned in the original descriptions, were observed, although the number of lateral incisures were not clarified because of sample condition. Within these five species, the intrageneric groupings ofB. bestiolusandB. wilfordihad been unclear. In the present study, because of newly observed morphological characters,B. bestiolusis considered to belong to thehofmanni-group, and is close toB. talonusandB. rufipennis. These three species form a species complex and are distinguished from each other only by female tail morphology. The species status ofB. wilfordiis still unclear, although, based on spicule morphology and structure and arrangement of genital papillae, we consider it to belong to thehofmanni-group, close toB. parvispicularis,B. paraparvispicularisandB. osumiana. However, female characters ofB. wilfordiare also similar to members of thecocophilus-group andParasitaphelenchus. Re-isolation and molecular identification are necessary to confirm the status of these species. By contrast, the affiliations ofB. corneoluswith thehofmanni-group andB. elytrusandB. newmexicanuswith theeggersi-group were confirmed. Based upon its morphological traits,B. corneolusis close toB. gerberaeandB. paracorneolus, and is distinguished from these species by its spicule morphology, female tail morphology and female post-uterine sac length. However, male specimens ofB. corneoluswere not available for the present study and confirmation is necessary.Bursaphelenchus elytrusis similar toB. tusciaeand is distinguished from it by its spicule (condylus) morphology and excretory pore position.Bursaphelenchus newmexicanusis close toB. glochisand is distinguished from it mostly by morphometrics and spicule (condylus) morphology. However, morphometrics usually vary among individuals and populations of a species, necessitating morphometric and molecular comparisons of more isolates (strains) in order to clarify specific status.
Rethinking Ripeness Theory: Explaining Progress and Failure in Civil War Negotiations in the Philippines and Colombia
Authors: Walch Colin
Published: January 2016

How can ripeness theory be extended to explain when and why parties remain at the negotiating table until an agreement is reached? Existing ripeness theory is crucial in understanding when conflicting parties consider negotiation as preferable to continued fighting. However, factors which may explain why parties stay at the negotiation table after the start of the negotiation process – that is, how the ripe moment is sustained until an agreement has been reached – are not well elaborated. This study seeks to extend ripeness theory and argues that organizationally fragmented rebel groups are less flexible to make concessions and unlikely to stay at the negotiation table until an agreement is reached, especially when there is a lack of cohesion between the military and political branches. This argument is explored through a structured focused comparison of the peace negotiations in Colombia and in the Philippines with communist rebel groups.
Initiating Trust in High Politics: The Gorbachev-Reagan Summit in Geneva 1985
Authors: Pursiainen Christer Henrik , Matveeva Angelica
Published: January 2016

Trust is central to international politics. Trust-related theoretical arguments can be divided between rationalist, cultural and psychological schools. We present concise reviews of these approaches, emphasizing the initial trust-creation phase, and apply these factors to our historical case: the emergence of a fragile interpersonal trust between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan before and during their first meeting in Geneva in 1985. Based on archives and first-hand reminiscences, we conclude that the cultural trust theories are not able to contribute much to the initial trust-building process in this particular case, except for explaining the obstacles for trust. The rational approaches explain the necessary but not sufficient conditions for trust to emerge. Ultimately, what triggered the trust that ultimately ended the Cold War cannot be understood without taking into account the cognitive and psychological factors involved in this interpersonal relationship.
Understanding International Business Negotiation Behavior: Credible Commitments, Dispute Resolution, and the Role of Institutions
Authors: Wang Yue , Wang Karen Yuan , Ma Xufei
Published: January 2016

Developed mainly in the broad field of negotiation, the existing literature on international business negotiation has adopted theoretical perspectives that focus on differences between negotiating parties. In this article, we argue that opportunism is more fundamental than differences in our understanding of international business negotiation behavior. Parties’ concerns over how to mitigate opportunism are the fundamental force that drives such negotiation behavior, and the likelihood of opportunism is affected mostly by the economic nature of the asset parties committed to the business exchange. By synthesizing transaction cost economics and new institutional economics, this paper develops an alternative theoretical model that complements the existing negotiation literature to explain negotiation behavior. Our model theorizes relationships between parties’ ex-ante credible commitments and ex-post dispute resolution strategies and explores how institutions moderate such relationships in shaping international business negotiation behavior and process.
The Rise and Limits of Participation
Authors: Kuzmany Börries
Published: January 2016

This article provides an overview of the political representation and integration of Galician Jews on the municipal, provincial, and central state level under Austrian rule. It demonstrates that political representation on the latter two levels started only after the revolution of 1848 and was rather modest considering the numeric and economic weight Jews enjoyed in Galicia. Even though representation in municipal councils started earlier, the position of Jews depended very much on local circumstances. After the turn of the century, the widening of the electorate to the lower classes led to a broader Jewish representation and participation not only in terms of numbers but also within the political spectrum. This is particularly true for the paper’s second part. In this section, the text explores the reform of the electoral system for Galicia’s provincial parliament and the attitude of Jewish politicians towards the compromise eventually found in 1914. The article argues that among Jews the positive or negative assessment of the new voting system depended largely on their position in the larger antagonism between Jewish nationalists and assimilationists. The former complained that the entire reform was on the backs of the Jews ignoring their numeric strength and their national rights. Assimilationists, on the other hand, were satisfied that, against all counterclaims of Zionists and Anti-Semites, the compromise legally established that Jews were Poles.
How Verses on Walls Found a Universal Voice in Notebook Literature
Authors: Dudbridge Glen
Published: January 2016

As the forms and range of their contemplative poetry grew to maturity, the Chinese scholarly elite took to brushing verses on the walls of buildings where society moved and gathered—temples, monasteries, bridges, places of entertainment, above all government hostels strung out along the empire-wide communication routes. The inscriptions were ephemeral, like the buildings themselves, and are no longer physically there to be read. Yet a rich literature of this verse does come down to us. This was a reflective literature, overwhelmingly locating the writer in a physical or social setting that called forth an inner response. It was also a self-conscious literature, aware of its own ephemerality as buildings fell into disrepair over time, or swiftly-changing careers brought writers into new contact with walls they had inscribed in earlier years. That such verses survive to be read in later times is because many were copied to the paper medium, transcribed into notebooks and literary collections, then printed or sanctioned in forms that survived as part of a recognized literary heritage. The present paper looks at five examples to study the random dynamics of that process.
Things Heard in the Past, Material for Future Use: A Study of Song (960-1279) biji Prefaces
Authors: Cong Ellen Zhang
Published: January 2016

Through an analysis of the narrative and rhetoric of dozens of Songbijiprefaces, this study illustrates the way in which casual conversation was represented and transformed into writing, and howbijiwriters articulated the utility and consumption of their work. This study highlights the increasing importance of oral instruction and personal experience as legitimate modes of elite communication. The growing visibility of informal social scenes inbijiworks and their celebration of those who participated in and contributed to entertaining activities serve as strong evidence of a changing elite self-identification that characterized the major social and cultural transformations in the Song period.
Review of species of the Astyanax bimaculatus “caudal peduncle spot”
subgroup sensu Garutti & Langeani (Characiformes, Characidae) from the rio La Plata and rio São Francisco drainages and coastal systems of southern Brazil and Uruguay
Authors: LUCENA CARLOS ALBERTO S. DE , SOARES HELENA GOUVEA
Published: January 2016

The species of the Astyanax bimaculatus 'caudal peduncle spot' subgroup of the drainages of the rios La Plata and São Francisco, as well as southeastern coastal systems of Brazil and Uruguay, are revised. Two nominal species are considered valid and are redescribed: Astyanax lacustris and A. abramis. Astyanax jacuhiensis, A. asuncionensis and A. altiparanae are recognized as new junior synonyms of A. lacustris. Bertoniolus paraguayensisis recognized as a new junior synonym of A. abramis. The names Astyanax orbignyanus, A. vittatus, and A. borealis are considered species inquirendae. Notes on A. maculisquamis, included in the 'caudal peduncle spot' subgroup from rio Guaporé (rio Madeira drainage), and Astyanax bahiensis from Bahia, mistakenly considered of the same subgroup, are presented.
Mataranka bilyi, a new peculiar genus and species of Clavigeritae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) from Australia
Authors: HLAVÁČ PETER
Published: January 2016

Mataranka bilyi, gen. and sp. nov. is described based on one male collected in the Northern Territory, Australia. The genus is placed into the subtribe Clavigerodina. The summary of all 14 genera of Clavigeritae with 6 antennomeres, Archiclaviger Heller, 1936; Claviger Preysler, 1790; Clavigeropsis Raffray, 1882; Corynotopsis Jeannel, 1951; Dejaegeria Jeannel, 1964; Gericlavodes Jeannel, 1960; Hexamerodes Jeannel, 1959; Mataranka gen. nov.; Mesoleptochir Jeannel, 1959; Palaeoclaviger Reichensperger, 1930; Tapas Besuchet, 2008; Xenalluaudia Raffray, 1913; Xenomussardia Célis, 1975 and Zuluclavodes Hlaváč, 2007, with a short diagnosis is given.
A new species of Onthophagus (Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeinae) from the Mexican Transition Zone, with remarks on its relationships and distribution
Authors: ARRIAGA-JIMÉNEZ A. , MOCTEZUMA V. , ROSSINI M. , ZUNINO M. , HALFFTER G.
Published: January 2016

A new American Onthophagus of the chevrolati species-group is described (Onthophagus bolivari sp. nov.), providing also identification keys to the aztecus complex. Dorsal habitus and genital structures of the new species are illustrated. The relationships and geographical distribution of the aztecus complex are discussed, giving particular attention to the evolutionary history of O. bolivari.
A Linkage Observed between Austral Autumn Antarctic Oscillation and Preceding Southern Ocean SST Anomalies
Authors: Hu Chundi , Wu Qigang , Yang Song , Yao Yonghong , Chan Duo , Li Zhenning , Deng Kaiqiang
Published: January 2016

In this study, the authors apply a lagged maximum covariance analysis (MCA) to capture the cross-seasonal coupled patterns between the Southern Ocean sea surface temperature (SOSST) and extratropical 500-hPa geopotential height anomalies in the Southern Hemisphere, from which Niño-3.4 signals and their linear trends are removed to a certain extent. Statistically significant results show that the dominant feature of ocean–atmosphere interaction is likely the effect of atmosphere on SOSST anomalies, with a peak occurring when the atmosphere leads the SOSST by 1 month.

However, the most eye-capturing phenomenon is that the austral autumn atmospheric signal, characterized by a negatively polarized Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), is significantly related to the gradual evolution of preceding SOSST anomalies, suggesting that the SOSST anomalies tend to exert an effect on the Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation. A regression analysis based on SOSST anomaly centers confirms these features. It is also demonstrated that the gradual evolution of changes in SOSST is mainly driven by internal atmospheric variability via surface turbulent heat flux associated with cold or warm advection and that the atmospheric circulation experiences a change from a typical positive AAO to a negative phase in this process. These findings indicate that such a long lead cross-seasonal covariance could contribute to a successful prediction of AAO-related atmospheric circulation in austral autumn from the perspective of SOSST anomalies, with lead times up to 6–7 months.
Interbasin Transport of the Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Jones C. S. , Cessi Paola
Published: January 2016

The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is studied in an idealized domain with two basins connected by a circumpolar channel in the southernmost region. Flow is forced at the surface by longitude-independent wind stress, freshwater flux, and fast temperature relaxation to prescribed profiles. The only longitudinal asymmetry is that one basin is twice as wide as the other. Two states, a preferred one with sinking in the narrow basin and an asymmetrically forced one with sinking in the wide basin, are compared. In both cases, sinking is compensated by upwelling everywhere else, including the passive basin. Despite the greater area of the wide basin, the residual overturning transport is the same regardless of the location of sinking. The two basins exchange flow at their southern edge by a geostrophic transport balanced by the difference in the depth of isopycnals at the eastern boundaries of each basin. Gnanadesikan’s model for the upper branch of the MOC is extended to include two basins connected by a reentrant channel and is used to illustrate the basic properties of the flow: the layer containing the surface and intermediate water is shallower in the active basin than in the passive basin, and this difference geostrophically balances an exchange flow from the passive to the active basin. The exchange flow is larger when sinking occurs in the narrow basin. A visualization of the horizontal structure of the upper branch of the MOC shows that both the gyres and the meridional flow are important in determining the flow field.
Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR FT-IR) Spectroscopy as a Forensic Method to Determine the Composition of Inks Used to Print the United States One-cent Blue Benjamin Franklin Postage Stamps of the 19th Century
Authors: Brittain Harry G.
Published: January 2016

Through the combined use of infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) sampling, the composition of inks used to print the many different types of one-cent Benjamin Franklin stamps of the 19th century has been established. This information permits a historical evaluation of the formulations used at various times, and also facilitates the differentiation of the various stamps from each other. In two instances, the ink composition permits the unambiguous identification of stamps whose appearance is identical, and which (until now) have only been differentiated through estimates of the degree of hardness or softness of the stamp paper, or through the presence or absence of a watermark in the paper. In these instances, the use of ATR Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy effectively renders irrelevant two 100-year-old practices of stamp identification. Furthermore, since the use of ATR sampling makes it possible to obtain the spectrum of a stamp still attached to its cover, it is no longer necessary to identify these blue Franklin stamps using their cancellation dates.
Portable Raman, DRIFTS, and XRF Analysis to Diagnose the Conservation State of Two Wall Painting Panels from Pompeii Deposited in the Naples National Archaeological Museum (Italy)
Authors: Madariaga Juan Manuel , Maguregui Maite , Castro Kepa , Knuutinen Ulla , Martínez-Arkarazo Irantzu
Published: January 2016

This work presents a methodology that combines spectroscopic speciation, performed through portable Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) working in situ, and thermodynamic speciation to diagnose the environmental impacts, induced by past and current events, on two wall painting panels (Nos. 9103 and 9255) extracted more than 150 years ago from the walls of a Pompeian house (Marcus Lucretius House, Regio IX, Insula 3, House 5/24) and deposited in the Naples National Archaeological Museum (MANN). The results show a severe chemical attack of the acid gases that can be explained only by the action of H2S during and just after the eruption of the Vesuvius volcano, that expelled a high concentration of sulfur gases. This fact can be considered as the most important process impacting the wall painting panels deposited in the museum, while the rain-wash processes and the colonization of microorganisms have not been observed in contrast to the impacts shown by the wall paintings left outside in the archaeological site of Pompeii. Moreover, the systematic presence of lead traces and strontium in both wall paintings suggests their presence as impurities of the calcite mortars (intonacco) or calcite binder of these particular fresco Pompeian murals.
A Review of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) as an Analytical Tool in Numismatic Studies
Authors: Navas María José , Asuero Agustín García , Jiménez Ana María
Published: January 2016

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) as an analytical technique in studies of ancient coins is summarized and reviewed. Specific EDXRF applications in historical studies, in studies of the corrosion of coins, and in studies of the optimal working conditions of some laser-based treatment for the cleaning of coins are described.
Accurate Measurements of Spectral Reflectance in Picasso’s Guernica Painting
Authors: de Luna Javier Muñoz , Fernandez-Balbuena Antonio Alvarez , Vázquez Daniel , Melgosa Manuel , Durán Humberto , García Jorge , Muro Carmen
Published: January 2016

The use of non-invasive spectral measurements to control the conservation status is a part of the preventive conservation of artworks which nowadays is becoming increasingly interesting. This paper describes how to use a spectral measuring device and an illumination system specifically designed for such a task in a very large dimension artwork painting (7.8 m wide × 3.5 m high). The system, controlled by a Cartesian robot, allows spectral measurements in a spectral range of 400–780 nm. The measured data array has a total of 2201 circular regions with 5.5 mm spot diameter placed on a square grid. Colorimetric calculations performed from these spectral measurements may be used to characterize color shifts related to reflectance changes in specific areas of the paint. A color shifting from the expected gray has been shown.
Characterization of Archaeological Sediments Using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF): An Application to Formative Period Pyro-Industrial Sites in Pacific Coastal Southern Chiapas, Mexico
Authors: Neff Hector , Bigney Scott J , Sakai Sachiko , Burger Paul R , Garfin Timothy , George Richard G , Culleton Brendan J , Kennett Douglas J
Published: January 2016

Archaeological sediments from mounds within the mangrove zone of far-southern Pacific coastal Chiapas, Mexico, are characterized in order to test the hypothesis that specialized pyro-technological activities of the region’s prehistoric inhabitants (salt and ceramic production) created the accumulations visible today. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) is used to characterize sediment mineralogy, while portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) is used to determine elemental concentrations. Elemental characterization of natural sediments by both instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and pXRF also contribute to understanding of processes that created the archaeological deposits. Radiocarbon dates combined with typological analysis of ceramics indicate that pyro-industrial activity in the mangrove zone peaked during the Late Formative and Terminal Formative periods, when population and monumental activity on the coastal plain and piedmont were also at their peaks.
A Smashing Success? The Paradox of Hungarian Cultural Imperialism in Nazi New Order Europe, 1939–42
Authors: Frey David Stephen
Published: January 2016

This article investigates the flooding of the Yugoslav film market by Hungarian features between 1939 and 1941, the impact of which continued well into 1942. This torrent and the simultaneous expansion of Hungary’s domestic market substantially influenced not only the Hungarian film industry, but surprisingly the cultural politics of southeastern Europe during the early imposition of the Nazi New Order. Viewing Hungarian cinematic success through the lens and rhetoric of cultural imperialism, the article examines the centrality of Jewish participation in and expulsion from Hungarian cultural production, Hungary’s perception of its role in southeastern Europe, and Nazi Germany’s understanding of Hungarian film as an existential threat to its European New Order. By ‘Europeanizing’ Hungary’s venture in Yugoslavia, the article opens new avenues of thought about the space afforded to small states in Nazi-dominated Europe. It explains how Hungary’s achievements in Yugoslavia reinvigorated a faltering industry and allowed Hungary’s film establishment the fantasy of perceiving itself, and being perceived by others, as possessing imperial prestige and power. It reveals the malleability of national identities, describing how these identities transformed when crossing borders. Finally, it demonstrates the importance of cultural politics in Nazi thinking, and that force and coercion were central to the New Order at an earlier stage than previously acknowledged.
“It’s on the MCAT for a Reason”
Authors: Olsen Lauren D.
Published: January 2016

Biomedical socialization and premed culture have been shown to promote reductionist and depersonalized approaches to understanding human difference, a serious problem in contemporary health care. In 2015, the Association for American Medical Colleges (AAMC) launched a new version of its Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) that included material from sociology, providing sociology departments an unprecedented opportunity to instruct premed students on contextualizing human difference and being sensitive to the diverse trajectories of people in the health care system. This article describes a large, public research institution’s introductory sociology course for premeds and draws on the students’ reflective writing to show how premeds valued the complexity, critical perspective, open-minded capacity, and conceptual approaches that sociology had to offer. In applying the sociological material to their experiences or impressions of the medical field, premed students felt that sociological instruction would help them become a more socially minded and critically engaged doctor.
An Assessment of Student Perceptions and Responses to Frequent Low-stakes Testing in Introductory Sociology Classes
Authors: Schrank Zachary
Published: January 2016

Common concerns for many instructors of introductory college courses are that their students do not prepare for or attend class, are minimally engaged, and exhibit poor reading comprehension and writing skills. How can instructors respond to these challenges? Research finds that frequent testing improves the learning outcomes of students. Can it motivate better studying habits and expand their engagement with the class? This article assesses an experimental design comparing student perceptions and responses to low-stakes, daily written exams versus dispersed, high-stakes major exams in two introductory sociology classes. The objective of the experimental design was to test how daily exams incentivize compliance with assigned readings and class attendance as well as enhance students’ experience and engagement within the class. My findings suggest that low-stakes frequent exams are a more effective method to generate these outcomes compared to infrequent high-stakes exams.
Maximum Likelihood and Firth Logistic Regression of the Pedestrian Route Choice
Authors: Gim Tae-Hyoung Tommy , Ko Joonho
Published: January 2016

To investigate how a pedestrian chooses a particular route in an urban center, this study analyzes the effects of individual and built environment characteristics on the route choice using binary logistic regression of 524 survey responses. Conducted in a strategic area, the survey, as often is the case, collects data that are skewed and face the separation issue—the same outcome always occurs for a particular value of a predictor—according to which estimates by the conventional maximum likelihood (ML) method are inflated. Thus, one mechanical and one statistical alternative are employed: (1) exclusion of a variable that causes separation and (2) estimation by Firth’s penalized method. The two alternatives produce comparable results of the significance testing, that is, p values, but their coefficient estimates considerably differ inasmuch as the mechanical approach used for the ML logistic regression forcefully omits the important variable and subsequently biases the estimates of other predictors. Compared to these ML estimates, empirical findings from the Firth logistic regression are presented in a way that corrects for the ML bias.
Evaluation of Heating and Shearing on the Viscoelastic Properties of Calcium Hydroxyapatite Used in Injection Laryngoplasty
Authors: Mahboubi Hossein , Mohraz Ali , Verma Sunil P.
Published: January 2016

Objective

To compare the viscoelastic properties of calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) to carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) injectables used for injection laryngoplasty and determine if they are affected by heating and shearing.

Study Design

Experimental.

Setting

University laboratory.

Subjects and Methods

Vocal fold injection laryngoplasty with CaHA is oftentimes challenging due to the amount of pressure necessary to push the injectate through a needle. Anecdotal techniques, such as heating the product, have been suggested to facilitate injection. The viscoelastic properties of CaHA and CMC were measured with a rheometer. The effects of heating and shearing on sample viscoelasticity were recorded.

Results

CaHA was 9.5 times more viscous than CMC (43,100 vs 4540 Pa·s). Heating temporarily decreased the viscosity of CaHA by 32%. However, it also caused the viscosity to subsequently increase after time. Shearing of CaHA reduced its viscosity by 26%. Heating and shearing together temporarily reduced the viscosity of CaHA by 52%.

Conclusion

A combination of heating and shearing had a more profound effect than heating or shearing alone on the viscosity of CaHA, potentially making it easier to inject temporarily. Long‐term and in vivo studies are required to further analyze the effect of heating and shearing on CaHA injectables.
Transoral Surgical Anatomy and Clinical Considerations of Lateral Oropharyngeal Wall, Parapharyngeal Space, and Tongue Base
Authors: Gun Ramazan , Durmus Kasim , Kucur Cuneyt , Carrau Ricardo L. , Ozer Enver
Published: January 2016

Objective

With the emergence of transoral robotic approaches, head and neck surgeons are faced with an unfamiliar inside‐out head and neck anatomy. This study was performed to describe key anatomic landmarks and surgical considerations of transoral robotic resection of the lateral oropharyngeal wall, the parapharyngeal space, and the base of the tongue.

Study Design

Descriptive transoral anatomic study.

Setting

Academic anatomy laboratory and tertiary academic hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Transoral dissections of the lateral pharyngeal wall, base of tongue, and parapharyngeal space were performed in 5 vascular silicone‐injected cadavers to illustrate anatomic landmarks from the inside‐out perspective. Lateral neck dissections were also performed to better appreciate the anatomic structures and to be more familiar with intraoperative anatomy.

Results

The neurovascular and muscular structures located in parapharyngeal space, lateral oropharyngeal wall, and base of tongue were described. Surgical significance of key anatomic landmarks was emphasized with high‐quality illustrations.

Conclusion

A thorough understanding of transoral anatomy is crucial to perform transoral robotic surgery safely and efficiently. To understand inside‐out anatomy of base of tongue, lateral oropharyngeal wall, and parapharyngeal space, cadaveric dissection is highly beneficial and may help to shorten the learning curve for transoral robotic dissections.
Resilience and resilient in Obama’s National Security Strategy 2010: Enter two ‘political keywords’
Authors: Selchow Sabine
Published: January 2016

Under US President Obama, the words resilience and resilient have been applied beyond the odd occasion in the National Security Strategy (NSS) document. Through a systematic analysis of the NSS 2010, the research behind this article sought to determine if there was anything in this linguistic phenomenon of interest to scholars in political studies. The article argues that what makes the appearance of the two words in the NSS 2010 relevant is not what these words do but what is done to them in the text. It shows how the document constructs resilience and resilient in a distinct way as symbolic tools with a high degree of semantic openness, a particular positive connotation and deontic meaning. The article argues that the use of the two words in the NSS 2010 can be seen as an exercise in ‘occupying’ them with ideologically loaded meanings, which can be interpreted as the actualisation of both words as ‘political keywords’. The article demonstrates the relevance of this insight for political scholars as the ground for future explorations of the popular discourse of ‘resilience’ through the concept of ‘political keywords’.
Hospice assist at home: does the integration of hospice care in primary healthcare support patients to die in their preferred location – A retrospective cross-sectional evaluation study
Authors: de Graaf Everlien , Zweers Daniëlle , Valkenburg Anna CH , Uyttewaal Allegonda , Teunissen Saskia CCM
Published: January 2016

Background:

A majority of patients prefer to die at home. Specialist palliative care aims to improve quality of life. Hospice assist at home is a Dutch model of general/specialised palliative care within primary care, collaboratively built by general practitioners and a hospice.

Aim:

The aims of this study are to explore whether hospice assist at home service enables patients at hometo express end-of-life preferences and die in their preferred location. In addition, this study provides insight into symptomburden, stability and early referral.

Design:

A retrospective cross-sectional evaluation study was performed (December 2014–March 2015), using hospice assist at home patient records and documentation. Primary outcome includes congruence between preferred and actual place of death. Secondary outcomes include symptom burden, (in)stability and early identification.

Setting/participants:

Between June 2012 and December 2014, 130 hospice assist at home patients, living at home with a life expectancy <1 year, were enrolled. Hospice assist at home, a collaboration between general practitioners, district nurses, trained volunteers and a hospice team, facilitates (1) general practitioner–initiated consultation by Nurse Consultant Hospice, (2) fortnightly interdisciplinary consultations and (3) 24/7 hospice backup for patients, caregivers and professionals.

Results:

A total of 130 patients (62 (48%) men; mean age, 72 years) were enrolled, of whom 107/130 (82%) died and 5 dropped out. Preferred place of death was known for 101/107 (94%) patients of whom 91% patients died at their preferred place of death.

Conclusion:

Hospice assist at home service supports patients to die in their preferred place of death. Shared responsibility of proactive care in primary care collaboration enabled patients to express preferences. Hospice care should focus on local teamwork, to contribute to shared responsibilities in providing optimal palliative care.
A service evaluation of an integrated model of palliative care of cystic fibrosis
Authors: Bourke Stephen J , Booth Zoe , Doe Simon , Anderson Alan , Rice Sarah , Gascoigne Alistair , Quibell Rachel
Published: January 2016

Background:

Patients with advanced cystic fibrosis have severe symptoms with a complex trajectory of exacerbations and recovery. They are often awaiting lung transplantation, and many die without receiving specialist palliative care.

Aim:

We introduced an integrated model whereby palliative specialists joined the cystic fibrosis team to provide palliative care in parallel with standard care.

Design:

A service evaluation of this model of care was undertaken in a prospective case series documenting symptoms and outcomes, the views of the cystic fibrosis team and the experience of the palliative specialists.

Setting/participants:

Over 3 years, 28 (10%) of 282 patients attending the cystic fibrosis centre had specialist palliative care.

Results:

They had advanced lung disease (mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) = 0.86 L (25% predicted)), and 17 died: 6 were on a transplant waiting list at death; 10 were unsuitable and 1 died post transplantation. All who died over these 3 years had specialist palliative care. Four patients had successful transplants. Assessment showed a high prevalence of breathlessness, cough, pain, vomiting and fatigue, with a significant impact on daily life. The cystic fibrosis team rated this model of care highly, felt that palliative care should be members of the team, and thought that patients had found it helpful. The palliative specialists gained knowledge of cystic fibrosis, found it beneficial to meet patients earlier in the disease, and identified unmet needs in managing bereavement and the effects of deaths on other patients with cystic fibrosis.

Conclusion:

This model has been successful in overcoming the difficulties in access to specialist palliative care for patients with cystic fibrosis.
Immunomodulatory impression of anti and pro-inflammatory cytokines in relation to humoral immunity in human scabies
Authors: Abd El-Aal Amany Ahmed , Hassan Marwa Adel , Gawdat Heba Ismail , Ali Meran Ahmed , Barakat Manal
Published: January 2016

The chief manifestations of scabies are mediated through hypersensitivity-like reactions and immune responses which are so far not well understood and remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of inflammatory cytokines in relation to humoral immunity in patients with scabies. Serum levels of total IgE, specific IgG, IL-10, IL-6, INF-γ, and TNF-α were investigated in a cross-sectional study including 37 patients with manifestations suggestive of scabies and serologically positive for anti- Sarcoptes IgG, in addition to 20 healthy controls. The median value of total IgE was 209 (range, 17–1219 IU/mL), reflecting its wide range within cases. IL-10 showed significant higher levels (287 ± 139) in cases than in controls (17.4 ± 11.32). A positive correlation was reported between total IgE and severity of manifestations (r = 0.429, P <0.005). A significant positive correlation was observed between total IgE and both IgG and IL-6. On the contrary, a negative correlation was recorded between IL-6 and TNF-α which makes us suggested anti-inflammatory rather than pro-inflammatory effect of IL-6. Moreover, a negative correlation was noticed between the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and severity of manifestations, specific IgG, total IgE, and INF-γ. Therefore, the current study theorized a regulatory role of IL-10 in inflammatory responses of scabietic patients suggesting further future analysis of its therapeutic potential.
From Marx to Gramsci to us
Authors: Beilharz Peter
Published: January 2016

Marx and Gramsci remain two of the most constant presences and inspirations for those on the left. Yet there is a persistent sense that we have still to get them right. Perhaps this indicates that sources like this are now fully classics, to be returned, and returned to. In the case of Marx and Gramsci, a series of major works published in the Brill Historical Materialism series breaks new ground as well as returning to older controversies, both resolved and unresolved. Apart from remaining arguments concerning the status of materials unpublished in their own lifetimes, the major tension that emerges here is that between the task of immanent, contextual philology and the challenge of reading ‘Marx for today’ or ‘Gramsci for today’. The tension between text and context, and the question of what travels, conceptually persists.
Sea surface conditions in the southern Nordic Seas during the Holocene based on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages
Authors: Van Nieuwenhove Nicolas , Baumann Astrid , Matthiessen Jens , Bonnet Sophie , de Vernal Anne
Published: January 2016

Dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) records from the southern Nordic Seas were compiled in order to evaluate the evolution of upper ocean conditions, on a millennial timescale and supported by a highly resolved record from the Vøring Plateau. After the transitional phase from the last deglaciation, three main phases define the Holocene. The early Holocene (>7.5 ka BP) features important numbers of cool-temperate species dominated by Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus and Impagidinium pallidum in the west. The assemblage composition changes drastically at the transition from the early to the mid-Holocene, from when on Operculodinium centrocarpum dominates. The changeover is dated between ~6.1 and 7.5 ka BP, perhaps earlier closer to the Iceland–Scotland Ridge, and appears to be linked to the onset of a modern type of surface circulation. ‘Warmest’ assemblages occur at the Vøring Plateau shortly after the transition, when Atlantic waters also appear to have spread farthest westward. The recurrence of colder elements can be linked to cooling from ~2.4 ka BP at the Vøring Plateau and presumably earlier in the west but is difficult to date there because of the low sedimentation rates. This is a general issue in many areas of the Nordic Seas and appears to have an important effect on cyst concentrations and assemblage composition, with the possible loss of oxygenation-sensitive cysts in the older parts of the cores. Comparing dinocyst-based quantitative reconstructions with those retrieved from other plankton reveals a significantly different trend between proxies, linked to a differing autecological response to seasonal changes at their respective depth habitats.
A mid-Holocene annually laminated sediment sequence from Lake Woserin: The role of climate and environmental change for cultural development during the Neolithic in Northern Germany
Authors: Feeser Ingo , Dörfler Walter , Czymzik Markus , Dreibrodt Stefan
Published: January 2016

Annually laminated sediments of Lake Woserin in north-eastern Germany are investigated using sedimentological and palynological methods. They facilitate high-resolution reconstruction of environmental and land-use change during ca. 7000–4000 cal. BP. Between 6100 and 5800 cal. BP, changes in woodland composition and structure are evident which coincide with a change in subsistence strategy, that is, the adoption of animal husbandry. For the remaining period, eight phases of enhanced human impact (5750–5390, 5270–5150, 4890–4750, 4670–4600, 4520–4450, 4390–4350, 4250–4170 and 4070–3930 cal. BP) are identified. Hereby, the first phase relates to an opening of the landscape in connection with the adoption of large-scale, extensive cereal cultivation. Phases of decreased human impact are generally characterised by woodland regeneration. Over-regional comparison of the results reveals similar and synchronous fluctuation of human impact in the young moraine area of the south-western Baltic region and hints at a large-scale driver. In order to evaluate the role of environmental change for human activity, evidence for coinciding shifts in palaeoclimate records and their potential implication for human–environment interactions are discussed and generally support the idea that environmental changes played an important role for the cultural development during the Neolithic in Northern Germany. Hereby, climate change probably favoured the adoption of new subsistence strategies during the early Neolithic (6100–5350 cal. BP). Furthermore, the fluctuating human impact during Middle and Younger Neolithic (5350–4100 cal. BP) could indicate a socio-economic system susceptible for short-termed climatic fluctuation.
Korean Percussion Ensemble (Samulnori) in the General Music Classroom
Authors: Kang Sangmi , Yoo Hyesoo
Published: January 2016

This article introduces samulnori (Korean percussion ensemble), its cultural background, and instructional methods as parts of a classroom approach to teaching upper-level general music. We introduce five of eight sections from youngnam nong-ak (a style of samulnori) as a repertoire for teaching Korean percussion music to beginners in general music classrooms. When playing samulnori, students will learn the origin of this music, the symbolism of each instrumental timbre, yin yang philosophy, and oral and aural music practices. In addition, students will have opportunities to participate in a type of song writing that originates from Korean farmers’ chanting. To help music teachers learn to use samulnori in the classroom, video clips are provided. Music teachers can encourage students to engage in Korean percussion ensemble using classroom or handmade instruments if traditional Korean ones are unavailable.
The Wilderness Expedition
Authors: Barton Jo , Bragg Rachel , Pretty Jules , Roberts Jo , Wood Carly
Published: January 2016

It is well understood that wilderness expeditions improve well-being; however, there is little supporting quantitative data. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of wilderness expeditions on self-esteem (SE) and connectedness to nature (CN) and assess whether benefits varied according to participant and expedition characteristics. SE and CN were assessed pre– and post–wilderness expeditions in 130 adolescents using Rosenberg’s SE scale and the state CN scale. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant increases in SE and CN ( p < .001) as a result of single expeditions. There was also an interaction effect of expedition and gender on SE ( p < .05). Males had a higher SE at the start but female SE increased most. Linear regression revealed that living environment, gender, and the length and location of the expedition did not contribute to changes in SE and CN. Regular contact with natural environments will improve adolescent well-being, with the largest improvements in females.