bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Quality of Life at 1 Year After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in a Real-World Population
Authors: Arnold Suzanne V. , Cohen David J. , Dai David , Jones Philip G. , Li Fan , Thomas Laine , Baron Suzanne J. , Frankel Naftali Z. , Strong Susan , Matsouaka Roland A. , Edwards Fred H. , Brennan J. Matthew
Published: October 2018

Background

Among clinical trial patients at high surgical risk, a model has been developed and externally validated to estimate patient risk for poor outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). How this model performs in lower risk and unselected patients is not known. We sought to examine and optimize the performance of the TAVR poor outcome risk model among patients in the US Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry.

Methods and Results

Among 13 351 patients who underwent TAVR at 252 US sites between November 9, 2011 and June 30, 2015, the rate of poor outcome at 1 year after TAVR was 38.9%, which was because of death in 20.7% and poor quality of life or quality of life decline in 18.2%. The rate of poor outcome has decreased slightly over time, from 42.0% in 2012 to 37.8% in 2015 (
P
for trend=0.076). The original TAVR poor outcome risk model did not calibrate well on this population. We then reestimated the intercept and coefficients in the model and retested model performance, after which it performed well (both overall and in subgroups), with a C index 0.65 and excellent calibration.

Conclusions

In a large cohort of unselected patients in the United States, we found that while a substantial minority of patients continue to have a poor outcome after TAVR, outcomes have slowly improved over time. After recalibration, the TAVR poor outcome risk model performed well. This model could potentially be used before TAVR to help patients have appropriate expectations of recovery.
Environmental Mobilities: An Alternative Lens to Global Environmental Governance
Authors: Boas Ingrid , Kloppenburg Sanneke , van Leeuwen Judith , Lamers Machiel
Published: October 2018

This article explores the relations between movement, the environment, and governance through the cases of cruise tourism, plastics in the oceans, and environmental migration. It does so by means of a mobilities perspective, which has its origins in sociology and geography. This perspective shifts the analytical focus toward mobilities and environmental problems to understand their governance, as opposed to starting with governance, as many global environmental governance studies do. We coin the term environmental mobilities to refer to the movements of human and nonhuman entities and the environmental factors and impacts associated with these. Environmental mobilities include movements impacting on the environment, movements shaped by environmental factors, and harmful environmental flows, as we illustrate by means of the three cases. We demonstrate how zooming in on the social, material, temporal, and spatial characteristics of these environmental mobilities can help illuminate governance gaps and emerging governance practices that better match their mobile nature. In particular, a mobilities lens helps to understand and capture environmental issues that move, change form, and fluctuate in their central problematique and whose governance is not (yet) highly or centrally institutionalized.
ECMWF Activities for Improved Hurricane Forecasts
Authors: Magnusson L. , Bidlot J.-R. , Bonavita M. , Brown A. R. , Browne P. A. , De Chiara G. , Dahoui M. , Lang S. T. K. , McNally T. , Mogensen K. S. , Pappenberger F. , Prates F. , Rabier F. , Richardson D. S. , Vitart F. , Malardel S.
Published: October 2018

Tropical cyclones are some of the most devastating natural hazards and the “three beasts”—Harvey, Irma, and Maria—during the Atlantic hurricane season 2017 are recent examples. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is working on fulfilling its 2016–25 strategy in which early warnings for extreme events will be made possible by a high-resolution Earth system ensemble forecasting system. Several verification reports acknowledge deterministic and probabilistic tropical cyclone tracks from ECMWF as world leading. However, producing reliable intensity forecasts is still a difficult task for the ECMWF global forecasting model, especially regarding maximum wind speed. This article will put the ECMWF strategy into a tropical cyclone perspective and highlight some key research activities, using Harvey, Irma, and Maria as examples. We describe the observation usage around tropical cyclones in data assimilation and give examples of their impact. From a model perspective, we show the impact of running at 5-km resolution and also the impact of applying ocean coupling. Finally, we discuss the future challenges to tackle the errors in intensity forecasts for tropical cyclones.
Oral Sensory-Motor Intervention for Children and Adolescents (3-18 Years) With Dysphagia or Impaired Saliva Control Secondary to Congenital or Early-Acquired Disabilities: A Review of the Literature, 2000 to 2016
Authors: Sjögreen Lotta , Gonzalez Lindh Margareta , Brodén Madeleine , Krüssenberg Corinna , Ristic Irvina , Rubensson Agneta , McAllister Anita
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

Dysphagia and impaired saliva control are common in children and adolescents with congenital and developmental disabilities. The aim of the present review was to investigate the evidence base for oral sensory-motor interventions in children and adolescents with dysphagia or impaired saliva control secondary to congenital or early-acquired disabilities and to make recommendations regarding methods for intervention.

Methods:

A review of the literature from 2000 to 2016, including oral sensory-motor intervention studies for children and adolescents (3-18 years of age) with dysphagia or impaired saliva control secondary to congenital or early-acquired disabilities, was performed. The literature search included the PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, SpeechBITE, OVID, ERIC, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases. Primary studies were evaluated on a 4-grade scale using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

Results:

Twenty primary studies of oral sensory-motor interventions for dysphagia and 6 studies for the treatment of impaired saliva control fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 3 were randomized, controlled trials. Five systematic reviews and 16 narrative reviews were also included. Limited and moderately strong recommendations were made on the basis of the grading results from the primary studies. The studies reported good results, but study design was often insufficient, and the study groups were small. The systematic reviews confirmed the lack of high scientific support for oral sensory-motor interventions in children and adolescents with congenital and developmental disabilities.

Conclusions:

There is an urgent need for high-quality studies that could serve as the basis for strong recommendations relating to oral sensory-motor interventions for children with dysphagia and impaired saliva control.
Polysomnographic Findings in Patients With Chronic Tinnitus
Authors: Teixeira Liane Sousa , Oliveira Carlos Augusto Costa , Granjeiro Ronaldo Campos , Petry Carine , Travaglia Adra Brasil Leitão , Bahmad Fayez
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

Tinnitus is an auditory sensation in the absence of any external stimulus. It has a negative impact on quality of life and interferes with concentration, sleep, social activities, and even emotional stability. The aim of this study was to compare sleep architecture in patients with and without chronic subjective tinnitus.

Methods:

This was an observational, noninterventional, and prospective study. The sample consisted of 50 individuals of both sexes aged 20 to 60 years. Twenty-five patients with tinnitus constituted the study group, and for comparison, a control group consisting of 25 patients without reported tinnitus was formed. The patients underwent polysomnography and were administered the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, and visual analog scales.

Results:

The group with tinnitus had higher mean values in sleep stages 1 and 2, and lower mean values in stage 3 and in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, compared with the control group, and this difference was significant only for REM sleep ( P = .031). This demonstrates that patients with tinnitus remained longer in shallow sleep and spent less time in deep sleep (stage 3) and REM sleep.

Conclusions:

This study shows that patients with tinnitus have significant alterations in REM sleep latency as well as the REM sleep phase.
Informing efficient pilot development of animal trauma models through quality improvement strategies
Authors: Reynolds Penny S , McCarter Jacquelyn , Sweeney Christopher , Mohammed Bassem M , Brophy Donald F. , Fisher Bernard , Martin Erika J , Natarajan Ramesh
Published: October 2018

Poor quality data in preclinical trials can result from inconsistent and unstandardized experimental processes. Unpredictable pre-intervention variability generates unreliable data, biases outcomes and results in needless waste of animals and resources. We applied Define-Measure-Analyse-Improve-Control (DMAIC) quality improvement processes to pilot development of a swine model of trauma, haemorrhagic shock and coagulopathy. The goal was to reduce variability through protocol standardization and error reduction. Six male Sinclair swine were sequentially anesthetized, intubated, mechanically ventilated and instrumented, then subjected to multiple-hit injury, followed by fluid resuscitation monitoring and coagulation testing. Experimental tasks were defined and mapped. Performance measures were task performance times, subject stabilization time and number of task execution errors. Process improvement was assessed by reduced times and errors, and subject stability at target physiological values. Previously-overlooked performance errors and deficiencies were identified. ‘Mistake-proofing’ actions included personnel retraining, revisions of standard operating procedures and use of checklists. The quality improvement pilot trial produced a stable model with reduced protocol deviations. Data quality can be improved and animal waste minimized, if experimental planning incorporates strategies to ensure protocol adherence and reduced operator performance variation and errors. Properly designed pilot trials can be essential components of refinement and reduction strategies in animal-based research.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among US Adolescents, 2010-2016
Authors: Webb Noah S. , Dowd-Arrow Benjamin , Taylor Miles G. , Burdette Amy M.
Published: October 2018

Objective:

Although research suggests racial/ethnic disparities in influenza vaccination and mortality rates, few studies have examined racial/ethnic trends among US adolescents. We used national cross-sectional data to determine (1) trends in influenza vaccination rates among non-Hispanic white (hereinafter, white), non-Hispanic black (hereinafter, black), and Hispanic adolescents over time and (2) whether influenza vaccination rates among adolescents varied by race/ethnicity.

Methods:

We analyzed provider-reported vaccination histories for 2010-2016 from the National Immunization Survey–Teen. We used binary logistic regression models to determine trends in influenza vaccination rates by race/ethnicity for 117 273 adolescents, adjusted for sex, age, health insurance, physician visit in the previous 12 months, vaccination facility type, poverty status, maternal education level, children in the household, maternal marital status, maternal age, and census region of residence. We calculated adjusted probabilities for influenza vaccination for each racial/ethnic group, adjusted for the same demographic characteristics.

Results:

Compared with white adolescents, Hispanic adolescents had higher odds (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.16) and black adolescents had lower odds (aOR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.90-1.00) of vaccination. Compared with white adolescents, Hispanic adolescents had significantly higher adjusted probabilities of vaccination for 2011-2013 (2011: 0.22, P < .001; 2012: 0.23, P < .001; 2013: 0.26, P < .001). Compared with white adolescents, black adolescents had significantly lower probabilities of vaccination for 2016 (2016: 0.21, P < .001).

Conclusions:

Targeted interventions are needed to improve adolescent influenza vaccination rates and reduce racial/ethnic disparities in adolescent vaccination coverage.
Research and development of a composite with transparent polypropylene fiber part II: multi-quality optimization parameter design for high impact resistance of polypropylene/enhanced by rubber segment-styrene ethylene/butylene styrene composites
Authors: Kuo Chung-Feng Jeffrey , Huang Chang-Chiun , Dong Min-Yan , Ting Cheng-Hsiang , Lan Wei-Lun
Published: October 2018

The aim of this study was to present a two-step optimization system to find the optimal process parameters of the multi-quality characteristics for transparent polypropylene (PP) composites with high impact resistance enhanced by rubber segment-styrene ethylene/butylene styrene (ERS-SEBS). Three selected proportions of PP/ERS-SEBS composites were made by single-screw mixing. Injection molding was applied to fabricate the PP/ERS-SEBS composites. In the first step of the optimization, Taguchi's orthogonal array was employed to arrange the experimental work. In the second step, the back-propagation neural network (BPNN) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) were applied to find the optimum parameter settings. The BPNN established the relationship between controllable parameters and the quality responses for the fitness function, which could be established for PSO. The BPNN quality predicator was combined with PSO to present the optimal parameter settings. The qualities, impact strength, tensile strength, and haze were investigated to find the optimal process parameter settings for the best quality specification. Control factors, such as the ERS-SEBS content, melt temperature, injection speed, packing time, and influence of cooling time on the process were discussed and optimized. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated by the confirmation experiments. The impact strength and tensile strength of the PP/ERS-SEBS composite were raised significantly and maintained high transparency, thereby confirming that the combination of the BPNN and PSO would constitute the best process parameter settings.
Mental adjustment to cancer and quality of life among women living with breast cancer in Ghana
Authors: Kugbey Nuworza , Meyer-Weitz Anna , Oppong Asante Kwaku
Published: October 2018

Objective

This study examined whether cancer-specific coping strategies have any significant influence on the quality of life of 205 women living with breast cancer in Ghana.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional survey design, participants were administered questionnaires which measured their cancer-specific coping strategies and health-related quality of life.

Results

Correlation analysis showed that helplessness-hopelessness negatively correlated with physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, functional wellbeing, and breast cancer additional concerns. Anxious preoccupation negatively correlated with all the domains of quality of life, whereas fighting spirit was positively correlated with emotional and functional wellbeing. Cognitive avoidance was positively correlated with functional wellbeing, while fatalism was positively related with all the domains of quality of life. Regression analysis revealed that anxious preoccupation predicted significant decreases in all the domains of quality of life, while helplessness-hopelessness predicted significant decreases in emotional and functional wellbeing domains. However, cognitive avoidance predicted significant increase in the functional domain of quality of life.

Conclusion

These findings underscore the need for psychosocial support for breast cancer patients to adopt effective coping strategies to deal with their challenges in managing their illness.
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Vatandost Salam , Jahani Marzieh , Afshari Ali , Amiri Mohammad Reza , Heidarimoghadam Rashid , Mohammadi Younes
Published: October 2018

Background:

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the Iranian community is very high. Women and older people are at the higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Aim:

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Iran by combining the results of various studies.

Methods:

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Separate strategies were developed for search in national databases (Irandoc, Magiran, SID) and international databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus) using the keywords of “vitamin D deficiency,” “Iran,” and “prevalence.” The titles and abstracts of the articles were screened and related full texts were appraised. Those articles that met inclusion criteria were selected for meta-analysis. The heterogeneity of the articles was assessed via the Chi-square test. They were combined using the random-effect approach. In addition, the groups were categorized and analyzed in terms of age and gender.

Results:

Of 639 articles, 30 articles with a sample size of 26,042 people were included for data analysis. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was reported as 0.56. Subgroup analysis showed that 0.64 of women and 0.44 of men were suffering from vitamin D deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the age groups under 20, 20–50, and over 50 years was 0.56.4, 0.72.4, and 0.59.8, respectively.

Conclusions:

The Iranian Ministry of Health is expected to design strategies to improve the status of vitamin D at the national level.
Application of adsorption potential theory in prediction of CO2 and CH4 adsorption on carbon molecular sieves
Authors: Song Xue , Wang Li’ao , Li Yifu , Zeng Yunmin , Zhan Xinyuan , Gong Jian
Published: October 2018

The adsorption of CO2 and CH4 on carbon molecular sieves was studied based on the adsorption potential theory, which is widely used in gas adsorption on microporous adsorbents. The methods to obtain the adsorption density in the adsorbed phase, including Ozawa’s method and the empirical method, and the methods to calculate the virtual saturation vapor pressure, including Dubinin’s method and Amankwah’s method, were discussed. A functional exponential form proposed in this study could describe the adsorption characteristic curve better than the cubic polynomial and logarithmic function used in the previous literature. A new model, which expresses the correlation of adsorbed amount, temperature, and pressure, was proposed and verified experimentally. The model provides a reliable way to predict the adsorption isotherms of CO2 and CH4 on carbon molecular sieves at different temperatures according to the data measured at a certain temperature and to select a proper kind of carbon molecular sieve in CO2/CH4 separation.
Association between serum copper levels and lung cancer risk: A meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Xiaping , Yang Qun
Published: October 2018

Objective

To evaluate the association between serum copper levels and lung cancer risk.

Methods

We searched the electronic PubMed, WanFang, CNKI, and SinoMed databases to identify studies including information on serum copper levels and lung cancer. Standard mean differences and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Stata 12.0 software. We performed a meta-analysis on the identified studies overall and according to geographic location. We also evaluated heterogeneity among the studies and the occurrence of publication bias.

Results

Thirty-three articles including 3026 cases and 9439 controls were included in our study. The combined results showed that serum copper levels were higher in patients with lung cancer compared with controls without lung cancer, though the results showed high heterogeneity. In a subgroup analysis according to geographic location, significant associations between copper levels and lung cancer were found for both Asian and European populations. No publication bias was detected in this meta-analysis.

Conclusions

High serum copper levels could increase the risk of lung cancer, suggesting that environmental copper exposure may be a risk factor for the development of lung cancer.
Airfield Pavement Damage Evaluation Due to New-Generation Aircraft Wheel Loading and Wander Patterns
Authors: Sarker Priyanka , Tutumluer Erol
Published: October 2018

This paper presents a stress-history-based approach to predict the deformation basins of airport pavements subjected to heavy aircraft loading applied in sequential wanders. Multi-depth deflectometer data from full-scale aircraft landing gear tests conducted at the National Airport Pavement Test Facility built by the Federal Aviation Administration are used to create individual pass residual deformation transverse profiles. The computed residual deformation profiles are further corrected for stress-history effects to predict rut in the selected test sections. The developed model focuses on using the previous load location and stress history of the soil element to develop the deformations in that element. Despite the unavailability of the surface transverse profile data measured in the field at different passes, the initial attempt of the model can closely predict the deformation profile similar to width and shape expected in the field. And after the stress-history effects are accounted for, the initially calculated rut depth decreases significantly to match the final contour basin of the test sections extracted from the post traffic trenching. The advantage of using the stress-history-effects-based rut prediction tool is that it can allow any combination of wander positions and sequences of load applications to be accounted for their effects on the final surface rut development.
How to be a ‘good enough’ group analyst
Authors: David Mário
Published: October 2018

A group analyst has an enormous influence over the group dynamics (the ‘matrix’) and this derives from his or her ‘identity or group analytic attitude’ which has been developed through training, practice and group analytic supervision. Each group analyst must develop personal attributes and also affective/cognitive capabilities required to become a ‘good enough group analyst’. Throughout group therapy sessions, specific dimensions appear related to each group analyst. These are of particular importance for a good evolution of group processes, pertaining to his ‘presence’ face-to-face with the group and to his personal ‘style’.
A multiobjective hybrid imperialist competitive algorithm for multirobot cooperative assembly line balancing problems with energy awareness
Authors: Zhou Bing-hai , Kang Xue-yun
Published: October 2018

The environmental and economic pressures caused by energy consumption arouse energy-saving consciousness of the manufacturing industry. In recent years, robots have been extensively used in assembly systems as called robotic assembly lines where the energy consumption is a major expense, particularly in the workstation with the multirobot cooperative assembly of multirobot. To deal with this problem, the paper presents a novel mathematical model with three objectives of minimizing the cycle time, the sum of energy consumption, and the total cost of robots of assembly lines. Due to the nondeterministic polynomial time nature of the considered problem, a multiobjective hybrid imperialist competitive algorithm with nondominated sorting strategy is developed, which uses a representation technique of three-level coding, i.e. the station level, the task level, and the robot level and proposes an original concept of workstation decision assignment matrix to identify the performed tasks by the same type of robots in a workstation. Furthermore, a late-acceptance hill-climbing algorithm is combined into the algorithm to improve the performance of the proposed algorithm. Finally, testing cases are designed to measure the performance of the proposed method by comparing with two other high-performing multiobjective methods. The computational and statistical results show that the proposed multiobjective hybrid imperialist competitive algorithm is conducive to improve the line efficiency, to reduce the sum of energy consumption, and to cut the total cost of robots in an assembly line effectively.
Translational and rotational motion planning for spacecraft close proximity using sampling-based methods
Authors: Zhou Ding , Yu Zhenhua , Zhang Yanquan , Li Shunli
Published: October 2018

For autonomous spacecraft close proximity under environments containing multiple obstacles and complicated constraints, incrementally rapid planning approaches stemming from sampling-based methods are investigated in this paper. Exploring planners are separately developed for the impulsive maneuvered translation and the piecewise constant controlled rotation, which, however, is constrained by the pointing limits coupling with relative positions during the proximity. Using a cost-informed parent-connecting strategy originating from dynamic programming as well as a sweeping growth fashion balanced between tree-based and graph-based methods, an asymptotically optimal unidirectional exploration method is proposed to search energy-efficient translational trajectory without collision. As for the rotation planning, the pointing constraints are taken as virtual obstacles in the state-space augmented with time horizon planned by the translation and, accordingly, a bidirectional exploration method is developed to generate constraint-satisfied slew paths with fast convergence rate. Numerical experiments indicate that the proposed sampling-based methods can rapidly return asymptotic optimal translation trajectory and rotation path satisfying collision avoidance and sensor field-of-view constraints.
Ancient philosophers on mental illness
Authors: Ahonen Marke
Published: October 2018

This article explores how the ancient philosophers from Plato to late antiquity understood mental illness. It outlines when, how and in what kind of contexts the phenomenon of mental illness was recognized in the ancient philosophical texts, how mental illness was understood in terms of the body–mind interaction, and how mental disorders of the medical kind were distinguished from non-medical psychic disturbances. It establishes that, while the philosophers mostly understood mental illness along the lines of ancient medical thinking, their ideas, for example on the nature and location of the soul, informed their theories of mental illness.
Novel linear parameter–varying modeling and flutter suppression control of a smart airfoil
Authors: Al-Hajjar Ali MH , Swei Sean Shan-Min , Zhu Guoming
Published: October 2018

In this article, two novel linear parameter–varying modeling and control techniques are proposed for active flutter suppression of a smart airfoil model. The smart airfoil model is instrumented with a moving mass that can be used to actively control the airfoil pitching and plunging motions. The first linear parameter–varying modeling approach makes use of the moving mass position as a scheduling parameter, and the hard constraint at the boundaries is imposed by proper selection of the parameter-varying function. The second modeling technique utilizes nonlinear springs and dampers, which are added to both ends of the airfoil groove to confine the motion of the moving mass. A state-feedback-based linear parameter–varying gain-scheduling controller with the guaranteed [Formula: see text] performance is proposed by utilizing the dynamics of the moving mass. In this study, both the position of the moving mass and the free-stream airspeed are considered as the scheduling parameters. The numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed linear parameter–varying control architectures by significantly improving the performance, while increasing the flutter speed and reducing the control effort.
Survey of Australian psychiatrists’ and psychiatry trainees’ knowledge about and attitudes towards medicinal cannabinoids
Authors: Jacobs Nathan I , Montebello Mark , Monds Lauren A , Lintzeris Nicholas
Published: October 2018

Objective:

To assess Australian psychiatrists’ and psychiatry trainees’ knowledge about and attitudes towards medicinal cannabinoids, given the recent relaxation of cannabinoid-prescribing laws in Australia.

Method:

All Australian members of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists were invited to participate in an anonymous, 64-item online questionnaire, through Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ newsletters. The questionnaire ran for a 10-week period from March to May 2017. Participants were asked about their knowledge of the evidence for and against prescribing pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol, and their concerns about prescribing medicinal cannabinoids.

Results:

In total, 88 doctors responded to the survey, with 55 completing all items (23 psychiatrists, 32 trainees). Overall, 54% of respondents would prescribe medicinal cannabinoids if it was legal to do so. Participants believed there was evidence for the use of cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol in treating childhood epilepsy, chronic pain, and nausea and vomiting. They were most concerned about medicinal cannabinoids leading to psychotic symptoms, addiction and dependence, apathy and recreational use.

Conclusions:

Our sample of Australian psychiatrists and trainees were aware of the main clinical indications for medicinal cannabinoids, but were poor at differentiating between the indications for cannabidiol versus tetrahydrocannabinol. Further education about medicinal cannabinoids appears necessary.
Government Partisanship and Electoral Accountability: The Effect of Perceived Employment Situation on Partisan Vote Switching
Authors: Kwon Hyeok Yong
Published: October 2018

What are the electoral impacts of perceptions of unemployment under different partisan persuasions of the government? Neither the literature on retrospective economic voting nor partisan voting has provided a compelling answer to this question. This paper addresses this puzzle by analyzing panel surveys and leveraging differences in government partisanship in two consecutive elections. I argue that negative evaluations of the employment situation induce voter transition to support a left-wing party under a right-wing government, but that such voter perceptions do not affect vote choice under a left-wing government. An analysis of a voter transition, using British Election Panel Study 1992–1997 and 1997–2001, reveals findings that support my argument. My argument suggests conditional partisan voting effects. Essentially, the effect of economic issues on vote choice is conditional on issue salience and which party “owns” the issue, namely, the varying levels of issue salience related to government partisanship.
Income elasticity of overnight stays over seven decades
Authors: Falk Martin , Lin Xiang
Published: October 2018

This article provides new evidence on the stability of the long-run income elasticity of tourism and travel demand by use of the recently developed smooth time-varying cointegration regression model. The estimations control for relative purchasing power parity of the source country and make use of a specific country dataset where domestic and foreign overnight stays are available over a longer period of time (Switzerland, 1934–2015). Results show that the income elasticity of foreign overnight stays peaks at approximately two in the early 1960s, drops to around one in the early 1980s and from then on remains stable until the end of the sample. Domestic income elasticity reaches its highest levels in the 1930s, then steadily falls towards one in the mid-1960s, and therefrom remains stable until 2015. Different phases in the tourism area life cycle might be a major explanatory factor for variation in income elasticities over time.
The invisible handshake: A context for improvisation in music therapy
Authors: Sutton Julie
Published: October 2018

Improvisation is a fundamental aspect of music therapy practice but until recently was much neglected by researchers. This article outlines hitherto unpublished findings from doctorate research completed in 2001, at a time when few investigations were being undertaken. The findings stand the test of time and are detailed in the article as well as updated within the current literature context. The strength of the research is in consideration of underlying temporal, relational aspects of improvisation, which show how improvisations in music and in everyday conversation have both similarities and differences at deeper, structural levels. This research is of interest to current researchers, improvisers and Music Therapists.
Between medicalisation and normalisation: Antithetical representations of depression in the Greek-Cypriot press in times of financial crisis
Authors: Orphanidou Maria , Kadianaki Irini
Published: October 2018

Media offer people ways of understanding mental health and illness, shaping their attitudes and behaviour towards it. Yet, the literature on media representations of depression is limited and fails to illuminate sufficiently the content of representations. In times of financial crisis, the prevalence of depression is increased and the particular meanings associated with depression are widely diffused. To unpack these meanings, we focused on the Greek-Cypriot press during the financial crisis of 2013. Two-hundred and three articles from seven widely circulating newspapers were thematically analysed. Two antithetical themes of representations of depression were identified: Biomedical Depression, which constructed depression as a biologically grounded illness treated through medical/pharmaceutical means, and Everyday Depression, which portrayed depression as something normal, encountered in anyone, attributed to psychosocial factors (e.g. the financial crisis), and treated through self-management. Biomedical Depression reflects a widespread medical and deterministic understanding of depression. Nevertheless, this understanding has not overridden, as the literature suggests, references to individual agency, which are present in the Everyday Depression and the more normalising understanding of depression it expresses. We argue, however, that both themes promote an individualistic understanding of depression, placing individuals in a tense position of being responsible for a condition perceived to be outside their control.
Zonal air exchange rate of a passive solar house and resultant sensible air heat transfer
Authors: Overen Ochuko Kelvin , Meyer Edson Leroy , Makaka Golden , Ziuku Sosten , Mamphweli Sampson
Published: October 2018

A passive solar house was constructed in Alice, South Africa as a prototype for low-cost energy-efficient housing. Minimum air exchange rate was adopted to minimise heat transfer between the inner and ambient environment of the house. The aim of this study is to investigate the air exchange rate and sensible air heat transfer in a passive solar house. The tracer gas technique was used where CO2 was consecutively injected into the various zones of the house. The CO2 concentration was measured using a Non-Dispersion Infrared gas sensor, and the air change rate (ACH) in each zone was evaluated via the CO2 decay rate. Auxiliary parameters were also monitored, such as indoor air temperature, ambient air temperature, wind speed and direction. Zone 1 had the maximum ACH of 2.27 h−1 with all ventilation components open. The corresponding sensible air heat transfer was 275.59 W. With all ventilation components closed, the whole house’s ACH was found to be within the recommended domestic level. The windows were also found to have a significant impact on the ACH, resulting in a daily cumulative heat loss of 0.196 kWh/m2. Hence, proper operation of windows is recommended to minimise indoor thermal load without compromising comfort.
Negotiating with gatekeepers to get interviews with politicians: qualitative research recruitment in a digital media environment
Authors: Marland Alex , Esselment Anna Lennox
Published: October 2018

This article tackles the puzzle of the best practices to acquire an interview with a politician. It seeks to assist researchers who must persuade gatekeepers in busy political offices to present an elected representative with an interview request. Our research is based on a copious review of the literature and is punctuated by fresh insights collected via interviews with 32 academics, journalists and political staff in six countries. We argue that researchers must tailor their approach when placing interview requests to elected officials and make careful use of email, websites, social media and online reputation management. For ease of reference three summary tables are presented. This synopsis about securing interviews with election candidates and legislators can inform qualitative research recruitment with other types of political elites in a rapidly evolving digital environment.
The Influence of Latino Symptom Experience on Participation in Usual Activities and Satisfaction With Participation in Social Roles
Authors: Koleck Theresa A. , Suero-Tejeda Niurka , Bakken Suzanne
Published: October 2018

Introduction:

Little is known about the Latino symptom experience and how symptoms influence participation in usual activities and satisfaction with participation in social roles.

Method:

Secondary analysis of survey data collected in community and clinic settings was conducted. Data were collected using Health-Related Quality of Life 30-day items and Patient Reported Outcome Measurement System symptom status scales. Descriptive statistics and univariate linear and multiple linear regression models were computed.

Results:

Participants ( N = 2,974) were primarily female and Dominican. Most surveys were completed in Spanish and in the community setting; and the clinic sample had more symptoms. In the multiple linear regression for participation in usual activities, as the number of days with symptoms increased, the number of days that poor physical or mental health influenced participation in usual activities increased. In addition, for satisfaction with participation in social roles, as the number of days with pain and levels of depression and anxiety increased, the levels of satisfaction decreased. Spanish survey administration was associated with decreased levels of satisfaction; and recruitment setting was not a significant predictor.

Conclusion:

The study addressed multiple knowledge gaps about the Latino symptom experience.
Measuring the Quality and Performance of Institutional Review Boards
Authors: Tsan Min-Fu
Published: October 2018

Despite the importance of institutional review boards (IRBs) in protecting human subjects participating in research and the well-known benefits of performance measurements, there has been no systematic assessment of the quality and performance of IRBs. The IRB community has frequently cited the lack of credible metrics for measuring human subject protections and the quality of IRB ethics reviews as reasons for not measuring the quality and performance of IRBs. However, the IRB, with its well-defined missions, functions, structure, and procedures, should be readily amendable to performance measurements. In this brief commentary, I analyzed potential barriers for measuring the quality of IRBs and proposed ways to overcome these barriers.
Statistical analysis plan for evaluating different intensities of blood pressure control in the ENhanced Control of Hypertension And Thrombolysis strokE stuDy
Authors: Anderson Craig S , Woodward Mark , Arima Hisatomi , Chen Xiaoying , Lindley Richard I , Wang Xia , Chalmers John , Robinson Thompson G
Published: October 2018

Background

The ENhanced Control of Hypertension And Thrombolysis strokE study (ENCHANTED) trial was initiated as a 2 × 2 partial-factorial active-comparison, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint clinical trial to evaluate in thrombolysis-eligible acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients whether: (1) Arm A – low-dose (0.6 mg/kg body weight) intravenous (iv) alteplase has noninferior efficacy and lower risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) compared with standard-dose (0.9 mg/kg body weight) iv alteplase; and (2) Arm B – early intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering (systolic target 130–140 mmHg) has superior efficacy and lower risk of ICH compared with guideline-recommended BP control (systolic target <180 mmHg). Arm A was completed in 2016; Arm B is now concluding.

Objective

To outline in detail and make public the predetermined statistical analysis plan (SAP) for the ‘BP control’ arm of this study.

Methods

All data collected by participating researchers will be reviewed and formally assessed. Information pertaining to the baseline characteristics of patients, their process of care, and the delivery of treatments will be outlined, and for each item, statistically relevant descriptive elements will be described. For the trial outcomes, the most appropriate statistical comparisons to be made between groups are planned and described.

Results

A SAP was developed for the results of the BP control arm of this study that is transparent, available to the public, verifiable, and predetermined before completion of data collection.

Conclusions

We have developed a predetermined SAP for the ENCHANTED BP control arm to be followed to avoid analysis bias arising from prior knowledge of the study findings.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01422616); ISRCTN Register (ISRCTN82387104); Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12611000236998); EU Clinical Trials Register (2011-005545-12); and Clinical Trials Registry – India (REF/2017/05/014334).
High five-year mortality rates of ischemic stroke subtypes: A prospective cohort study in Brazil
Authors: Cabral Norberto Luiz , Nagel Vivian , Conforto Adriana B , Magalhaes Pedro SC , Venancio Vanessa G , Safanelli Juliana , Ibiapina Felipe , Mazin Suleimy , França Paulo , Liberato Rafaela M , Longo Alexandre , Zetola Viviane F
Published: October 2018

Background

Studies regarding long-term outcomes of ischemic stroke subtypes are scarce in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to measure the five-year prognosis of ischemic stroke subtypes in Joinville, Brazil.

Methods

All first-ever ischemic strokes that occurred in Joinville in 2010 were followed-up for five years.

Results

We included 334 ischemic stroke patients. Over five years, 156 died, 51 had a recurrent stroke, and 128 were free of recurrent stroke. The overall cumulative risk of death was 17% (95% CI, 13% to 22%) at 30 days and 47% (95% CI, 41% to 52%) after five years. Undetermined with incomplete investigation ischemic stroke had a significantly worse survival probability (β −4.91; 95% CI, −6.31 to −3.50; p < 0.001), followed by cardioembolic ischemic stroke (β −3.07; 95% CI, −4.32 to −1.83; p < 0.001) and large artery disease ischemic stroke (β −1.95; 95% CI, −3.30 to −0.60; p = 0.005). The survival probability of undetermined with negative investigation or cryptogenic ischemic stroke did not differ significantly from small artery disease ischemic stroke (β −1.022; 95% CI, −3.37 to −1.43; p = 0.414). The five-year mortality for small artery disease ischemic stroke was 30% (95% CI, 22% to 39%) and 47% (95% CI, 35% to 60%) for large artery ischemic stroke. The risk of stroke recurrence was 2% in the first year and 5% in the second year. The proportion of disability among survivors in the first month ranged from 8% (95% CI, 3–15) for small artery disease ischemic stroke to 40% (95% CI, 30–52) for cardioembolic ischemic stroke patients.

Conclusions

Cardioembolic and undetermined with incomplete investigation ischemic stroke sub-types have a poor long-term prognosis. An alarming finding was that our patients with both small and large artery ischemic stroke had higher five-year mortality rates compared with subjects from high-income countries.
Framing terrorist attacks: A multi-proximity model
Authors: Yang Liu , Chen Huailin
Published: October 2018

Guided by the perspective of media framing theory and a newly proposed multi-proximity model, we analysed the content of news reports on five major terrorist attacks from four international news media. We identified three frame packages, each with four functional frames suggested by Entman. Regression analysis revealed the differential impact on media frames of multiple proximities in ideology, religion and bilateral relations. When the media host country and victim country are bound by close relations, the news frames applied to such attacks will be more negative. The same is true for religious proximity between the media host country and victim country. In contrast, close religious proximity between the media host country and the attacker group will lead to the adoption of a less negative news frame for an attack. Interestingly, the proximity of ideology between the media host country and victim country did not show the expected explanatory power for the media frames.
Protected Area Zoning as a Strategy to Preserve Natural Soundscapes, Reduce Anthropogenic Noise Intrusion, and Conserve Biodiversity
Authors: Herrera-Montes María Isabel
Published: October 2018

Protected area zoning is a management strategy used to define and delimit land units for specific purposes, such as critical areas for conservation and areas for recreation activities. Nevertheless, human activities in and around protected areas produce anthropogenic noise that is difficult to mitigate and control. To assess the efficacy of protected area zoning in preserving natural soundscapes, controlling anthropogenic noise intrusion, and conserving biodiversity in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, I simultaneously sampled three management zones (protected, recreational, and buffer) with passive acoustic monitoring and conducted a soundscape analysis. There was no difference in the overall acoustic space used among the three management areas, but compositional differences among the soundscapes were detected. Such variation was related to differences in species composition along the elevation gradient, habitat transformation, and anthropogenic noise. Anthropogenic noise was more conspicuous in the buffer and recreational areas, where many bird species are classified as highly vulnerable to noise. Although the management zones in El Yunque National Forest were not created for the purpose of noise control, management is shown to be useful for minimizing noise intrusion in the strictly protected zone. In recreational and buffer areas, complementary strategies such as traffic limitations, limiting access to specific areas, and noise reduction educational programs should be implemented to maintain the natural soundscape while conserving biodiversity. Finally, the noise vulnerability classification proposed in this study could be a useful tool for assisting managers and researchers in defining priority strategies for sensitive species that require special attention and protection.