bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empirical Performance Analysis of Bus Speed and Delay at Intersections for Emerging Spot Improvement Programs
Authors: Devitt Graham , Nesheli Mahmood Mahmoodi , Diab Ehab , Shalaby Amer
Published: February 2020

Many North American cities are increasingly interested in implementing small-scale localized spot treatments to surface routes as a simpler approach than top-down, disruptive route change, or redesign. This research seeks to support the identification of effective spot treatments at intersections using a systematic, data-driven approach. By analyzing key bus performance indicators in Toronto, this study developed insights into factors affecting peak-period bus speeds and delays at the segment and intersection levels for a wide variety of route and intersection configurations across eight high-frequency routes. Candidate treatments were then identified to improve bus performance. Data were sourced from the automatic vehicle location system, general transit feed specification, and a specialized ride check and GPS survey. Features of the approaches of 100 signalized intersections along the study routes were analyzed using K-means clustering, ordinary least squares regression, and regression trees, with target variables as their morning and evening peak operating speeds, segment-level delays, and signal delays. The results showed that long signal split is a significant contributor to higher operating speeds and lower delays, suggesting signal timing adjustments are an effective treatment. Clustering analysis suggested turning restrictions, particularly for right turns at intersections with near-side stops, could be effective, since turning volumes of similarly configured intersections were lower at locations with better transit performance. Regression analyses showed that queue jump lanes are an effective treatment if signal timing plans cannot be adjusted. The results from this study are intended to assist in informing transit authorities wishing to implement future spot improvement programs.
How Far Is Inclusivity of Financial Services Associated With Food Insecurity in Later Life? Implications for Health Policy and Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Gyasi Razak M. , Phillips David R. , Adam Anokye M.
Published: February 2020

This study investigates how financial services inclusion (FSI) may affect food insecurity among older Ghanaians and seeks to identify any modifying roles of age and gender in the associations. Data were analyzed for 1,200 adults aged 50+ years. Generalized linear models with a logit link function examined associations and interaction terms. Average FSI score was 1.9 ( SD = 1.8), and the prevalence of hunger and breakfast skipping were 35.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: [32.9%, 38.4%]) and 28.8% (95% CI: [26.3%, 31.5%]) respectively. After full adjustment for potential confounders, FSI was associated with 0.459 (95% CI: [0.334, 0.629]) and 0.599 (95% CI: [0.434, 0.827]) times lower odds for hunger and breakfast skipping respectively. However, the corresponding interactions were statistically insignificant. The findings indicate the potentially important role of FSI in reducing food insecurity in later life. Development of policies to empower older people economically through increased financial literacy and easier access to financial services may help actualize the Sustainable Development Goal 2.
Promoting Infant Mental Health Through Evidence-Informed Interventions to Support Infant Feeding and the Transition to Parenthood: A Clinical Practice Example
Authors: Buchan Judy L. , Bennett Claudine T.
Published: February 2020

Infant mental health is influenced by many factors including the successful transition to parenthood and the feeding relationship with caregivers. Region of Peel – Public Health in Ontario, Canada promotes infant mental health through interventions that encourage cue-based feeding and responsive infant care that helps individual families meet their infant feeding goals and build a foundation of responsive parenting. Interventions have been developed to meet the needs of a large, ethnically diverse population. The use of a biodevelopmental framework identifying nutrition and the environment of relationships as important foundations of health provided key areas of focus for Nurturing the Next Generation, a public health strategic priority. Research evidence, literature syntheses, local research, and data informed the interventions. The promotion of a positive nursing practice environment supports the public health nurses who deliver these interventions. This framework of effective public health practice contributes to long-term health outcomes, including the promotion of mental health for infants, their families, and the population.
Avoiding and Managing Error in Interventional Radiology Practice: Tips and Tools
Authors: Mafeld Sebastian , Musing E. L. S. , Conway Aaron , Kennedy Sean , Oreopoulos George , Rajan Dheeraj
Published: February 2020

While there are limited data on error in interventional radiology (IR), the literature so far indicates that many errors in IR are potentially preventable. Yet, understanding the sources for error and implementing effective countermeasures can be challenging. Traditional methods for reducing error such as increased vigilance and new policies may be effective but can also contribute to an “error cycle.” A hierarchy of effectiveness for patient safety interventions is outlined, and the characteristics of “high-reliability” organizations in other “high-risk” industries are examined for clues that could be implemented in IR. The evidence behind team error reduction strategies such as checklists is considered along with individual approaches such as “slowing down when you should.” However, error in medicine is inevitable, and this article also seeks to outline an evidence-based approach to managing the psychological impact of being involved in medical error as a physician.
An Unlikely Refuge: Latvia’s Women Volunteers in the Red Army in World War II
Authors: Eglitis Daina S. , Zelče Vita
Published: February 2020

This article examines women’s wartime experiences with a focus on Latvia’s women volunteers in the Red Army in World War II. An estimated 8 percent of the Red Army was composed of women, who played a wide array of roles, including as snipers, combat engineers, medics, and frontline journalists. This level of female participation was unique in World War II, but a close examination of the phenomenon shows that motives and means for entry into the Red Army at the beginning of the war were not uniform. Our examination of the case of women volunteers from the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic reveals key factors that fed women’s fervent desire to “get to the front.” It shows particular ways in which the Red Army functioned as an unlikely refuge, sheltering women from some of the hardships and threats of life in the Soviet Russian interior, including hunger, loneliness, and a lack of warm clothing, while providing a means of exacting revenge against a mortal enemy. At the same time, it exposed women to extremes of violence and conflict. Dominant Soviet narratives of women in war have presented them in largely marginal roles or have silenced stories that failed to comport with triumphalist and masculine representations of World War II. This work uses the voices of women volunteers in the Latvian Riflemen’s Divisions of the Red Army to construct an agent-centered history of motives, experiences, and memories.
Militarized everyday lives, logics and responses among children and youth in a violent community in urban Brazil
Authors: Ursin Marit
Published: February 2020

This article draws on interviews with 40 participants (12–25 years) to examine how drug trafficking and armed violence militarizes the everyday lives of young residents in a deprived community in urban Brazil. The overall aim is to explore whether, and how, children and youth who are not involved in the drug trade are influenced by, engage with, and respond to militarist rationalities and manifestations. In addition, it frames militarization as resting upon and reinforcing structural inequalities.
Who is who in library and information science research? The integrative application of scholarly influence indicators
Authors: Mokhtarpour Reza , Khasseh Ali Akbar
Published: February 2020

This research concerns determining authors’ scientific influence in library and information science research and their impact on the intellectual structure of the discipline by means of integrative indicators of the Scholarly Capital Model and co-authorship patterns. Research records comprised articles published from 1945 to 2016 in library and information science core journals and indexed in Web of Science. CiteSpace (software for visualization of scientific patterns and trends) was employed to map the intellectual structure of library and information science research based on co-authorship patterns. The results showed that the top 10 authors of library and information science research with the highest scores in terms of influence indicators (except for one person) were mostly concerned with the field of scientometrics which can be considered as the special impact of scientometric authors on the intellectual structure of library and information science research especially in recent years. Based on the results of the research, integrative use of scientometric indicators for measuring authors’ level of scholarly influence may grant a more precise perspective for decision makers in the field of library and information science.
Digital local information services in developing countries: Evidence from Colombia
Authors: van Klyton Aaron , Tavera-Mesías Juan Fernando , Castaño-Muñoz Wilson
Published: February 2020

This exploratory research identifies and investigates factors that affect the delivery of local information in a developing country. The service provider and 195 local institutions based in Medellin, Colombia collaborate through an online portal, Infolocal, constituting a local information landscape (LIL). The study implements a conceptual framework for the LIL and highlights deficiencies in traditional local information service models. A Delphi study was conducted with global experts of local information services (LIS) in order to refine the traditional Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model constructs for the Infolocal information service. Second, a survey was developed based on the revised categories (effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, organisational support, and affective commitment) and disseminated to the local institutions to assess their perceptions of the service. This data was then evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. The study found that theories of technology acceptance were insufficient in explaining the disjunctions in the information landscape of this service. This study contributes to closing a gap in understanding the perceptions of LIS practice from the perspective of institutions that engage directly with citizens’ technology acceptance and use behaviour in a multilevel relationship. This article captures, compares, and analyses the disjunctions between the theoretical frameworks as espoused by experts and the practices of LIS.
Eyeballing stroke: Blood flow alterations in the eye and visual impairments following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in adult rats
Authors: Lee Jea-young , Castelli Vanessa , Bonsack Brooke , García-Sánchez Julián , Kingsbury Chase , Nguyen Hung , Tajiri Naoki , Borlongan Cesar V.
Published: February 2020

Middle cerebral artery occlusion in rodents remains a widely used model of ischemic stroke. Recently, we reported the occurrence of retinal ischemia in animals subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, owing in part to the circulatory juxtaposition of the ophthalmic artery to the middle cerebral artery. In this study, we examined the eye hemodynamics and visual deficits in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced stroke rats. The brain and eye were evaluated by laser Doppler at baseline (prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion), during and after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Retinal function-relevant behavioral and histological outcomes were performed at 3 and 14 days post-middle cerebral artery occlusion. Laser Doppler revealed a typical reduction of at least 80% in the ipsilateral frontoparietal cortical area of the brain during middle cerebral artery occlusion compared to baseline, which returned to near-baseline levels during reperfusion. Retinal perfusion defects closely paralleled the timing of cerebral blood flow alterations in the acute stages of middle cerebral artery occlusion in adult rats, characterized by a significant blood flow defect in the ipsilateral eye with at least 90% reduction during middle cerebral artery occlusion compared to baseline, which was restored to near-baseline levels during reperfusion. Moreover, retinal ganglion cell density and optic nerve depth were significantly decreased in the ipsilateral eye. In addition, the stroke rats displayed eye closure. Behavioral performance in a light stimulus-mediated avoidance test was significantly impaired in middle cerebral artery occlusion rats compared to control animals. In view of visual deficits in stroke patients, closely monitoring of brain and retinal perfusion via laser Doppler measurements and examination of visual impairments may facilitate the diagnosis and the treatment of stroke, including retinal ischemia.
Exploring Industrial Knowledge Flow for Identifying Technological Development Strategy: The Case of Korea’s TFT-LCD Industry
Authors: Lee Sanghoon , Yun Sunyoung , Jeon Jeonghwan
Published: February 2020

Korea’s technological achievement in the thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry became possible primarily through a catch-up strategy in technological development. Through qualitative and quantitative analyses of the Korean TFT-LCD industry’s knowledge management, the researchers highlight the strategies that key Korean firms utilized to enable a successful technological catch-up. On a national level, patent citation information is analyzed to evaluate the Korean industry’s technological knowledge position compared to other Asian countries. Results from this analysis indicate that Korea plays a central role within the knowledge network, as evidenced by the highest centrality value. On a firm level, Samsung and LG Display are investigated in the areas of technological development and manufacturing strategies. Samsung and LG Display show strength in the technological specialization of devices’ arrangements/optical operation and arrangement/circuits of control indicating devices. In addition, these two firms show more diversification to allow for new business opportunities. By integrating quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the TFT-LCD industry on national and firm levels, this research demonstrates the industry’s trajectory with depth and precision. In addition, this study contributes a meaningful strengthening of analysis methods in technological knowledge management and provides successful management factors for new latecomers in the industry.
‘The fog soon clears’: Bodily negotiations, embodied understandings, competent body action and ‘brain injuries’ in boxing
Authors: Matthews Christopher R
Published: February 2020

Boxing is ‘all about bodies’; beautiful bodies, broken bodies and, sometimes, brain-damaged bodies. And while a lot of research has explored the physiological side of ‘punch drunk’ syndrome, far less work has attempted to consider how boxers experience brain injuries. Perhaps surprisingly, considering the sports historical and symbolic ties to concussion and degenerative brain diseases, contemporary socio-cultural explorations of the sport tend to be largely devoid of theoretically nuanced discussions of such phenomena. Within this paper, as a means of partly addressing this issue, I examine the ‘bodily negotiations’ that were part of personal understandings of ‘brain injuries’. By considering the manner that such embodied knowhow is shaped by risky notions about the body, I demonstrate how culturally specific competent bodily actions are developed. Such an analysis provides insights into the ways that boxers might symbolically neutralise, pragmatically manage or ‘fight through’ what they considered to be relatively ‘run of the mill’ neurological disruption. This helps to demonstrate how their embodied engagement provides the basis by which ‘outsider’ knowledge, including that provided by medical personnel, might be largely excluded and otherwise diminished.
Sterile traumatic panniculitis in a captive Brent goose
Authors: Benoit-Biancamano Marie-Odile , Langlois Isabelle
Published: February 2020

A captive, adult female Brent goose ( Branta bernicla) with a history of severe feather picking by its mate, was presented with 0.5–2.5 cm skin nodules on the head and neck. Histologic examination revealed a well-delineated dermal mass that surrounded an intact feather follicle and was composed of lakes of proteinaceous fluid and fibrin with scattered foamy macrophages and multinucleate giant cells. No bacteria or fungi were identified with histology, microbial culture, or PCR. Sterile panniculitis is an infrequent finding in animals and traumatic panniculitis is rarely sterile.
Detection of live attenuated influenza vaccine virus and evidence of reassortment in the U.S. swine population
Authors: Sharma Aditi , Zeller Michael A. , Li Ganwu , Harmon Karen M. , Zhang Jianqiang , Hoang Hai , Anderson Tavis K. , Vincent Amy L. , Gauger Phillip C.
Published: February 2020

Influenza vaccines historically have been multivalent, whole virus inactivated products. The first bivalent, intranasal, live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV; Ingelvac Provenza), with H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes, has been approved for use in swine. We investigated the LAIV hemagglutinin ( HA) sequences in diagnostic cases submitted to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and potential vaccine virus reassortment with endemic influenza A virus (IAV) in swine. From January 3 to October 11, 2018, IAV HA sequences demonstrating 99.5–99.9% nucleotide homology to the H1 HA or 99.4–100% nucleotide homology to the H3 HA parental strains in the LAIV were detected in 58 of 1,116 (5.2%) porcine respiratory cases (H1 HA A/swine/Minnesota/37866/1999[H1N1; MN99]; H3 HA A/swine/Texas/4199-2/1998[H3N2; TX98]). Nine cases had co-detection of HA genes from LAIV and wild-type IAV in the same specimen. Thirty-five cases had associated epidemiologic information that indicated they were submitted from 11 states representing 31 individual sites and 17 production systems in the United States. Whole genome sequences from 11 cases and another subset of 2 plaque-purified IAV were included in our study. Ten whole genome sequences, including 1 plaque-purified IAV, contained at least one internal gene from endemic IAV detected within the past 3 y. Phylogenetic analysis of whole genome sequences indicated that reassortment occurred between vaccine virus and endemic field strains circulating in U.S. swine. Our data highlight the need and importance of continued IAV surveillance to detect emerging IAV with LAIV genes in the swine population.
A modified magnetic force model and experimental validation of a tri-stable piezoelectric energy harvester
Authors: Wang Guangqing , Wu Haiqiang , Liao Wei-Hsin , Cui Sujuan , Zhao Zexiang , Tan Jiangping
Published: February 2020

Nonlinear tri-stable piezoelectric energy harvesters with magnetic field coupling have attracted many researchers’ interest in ambient vibration energy harvesting and conversion. In such a tri-stable piezoelectric energy harvester, the nonlinear magnetic force generated by the external magnetic field is mainly calculated by the equivalent magnetic dipole method. However, this method will give highly erroneous results when the magnetic separation distance is small. This study presents a modified magnetic force model to precisely calculate the nonlinear magnetic force exerted on the tip of the cantilever beam. Unlike the equivalent magnetic dipole method regarding the magnet as a point dipole at its body center, this model only considers the surface magnetization current of the left and right surfaces of the magnets and replaced them by the one of the center point dipoles on these associated surfaces. With this model, the nonlinear magnetic force, the potential energy, and the transition mechanism of the tri-stable piezoelectric energy harvester are numerically investigated. Experimental validations are consequently performed to testify the numerical results. Compared with the equivalent magnetic dipole method, the modified magnetic force model has a much higher accuracy to be more applicable for different magnetic separation distances, especially when the magnetic separation distance is small.
Systematic Review of the Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Insomnia in Palliative Care
Authors: Nzwalo Isa , Aboim Maria Ana , Joaquim Natércia , Marreiros Ana , Nzwalo Hipólito
Published: February 2020

Introduction:

The primary function of palliative care is to improve quality of life. The recognition and treatment of symptoms causing suffering is central to the achievement of this goal. Insomnia reduces quality of life of patients under palliative care. Knowledge about prevalence, associated factors, and treatment of insomnia in palliative care is scarce.

Methodology:

Literature review about the prevalence, predictors, and treatment options of insomnia in palliative care patients. Primary sources of investigation were identified and selected through Pubmed and Scopus databases. The research was complemented by reference search in identified articles and selected reviews. OpenGrey and Google Scholar were used for searching grey literature. Study quality analysis was based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Results:

A total of 65 studies were included in the review. Most studies had acceptable /good quality. The prevalence of insomnia in the included studies ranged from 2.1% to 100%, with a median overall prevalence of 49.5%. Sociodemographic factors such as age; clinical characteristics such as functional status, disease stage, pain, and use of specific drugs, including opioids; psychological factors such as anxiety/depression; and spiritual factors such as feelings of well-being were identified as predictors. The treatment options identified were biological (pharmacological and nonpharmacological), psychological (visualization, relaxation), and spiritual (prayer).

Conclusions:

The systematic review showed that the prevalence of insomnia is high, with at least one in 3 patients affected in most studies. Insomnia’s risk factors and treatment in palliative care are both associated to physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors, reflecting its true holistic nature.
Do Voters Judge the Performance of Female and Male Politicians Differently? Experimental Evidence from the United States and Australia
Authors: de Geus Roosmarijn A. , McAndrews John R. , Loewen Peter John , Martin Aaron
Published: February 2020

Do gender stereotypes about agency affect how voters judge the governing performance of political executives? We explore this question using two conjoint experiments: one conducted in the United States and the other in Australia. Contrary to our expectations, we find no evidence in either experiment to suggest that female political executives (i.e., governors, premiers, and mayors) receive lower levels of credit than their male counterparts for positive governing performance. We do find evidence that female executives receive less blame than male executives for poor governing performance—but only in the U.S. case. Taken together, our findings suggest that the stereotype of male agency has only a limited effect on voters’ retrospective judgments. Moreover, the results indicate that—when performance information is presented in unframed, factual terms—agentic stereotyping by voters does not, in itself, present a serious obstacle to the re-election of women in powerful executive positions.
What Are Friends for? The Effect of Geographic Proximity on Primary Turnout in Gubernatorial Elections
Authors: Baumann Zachary D. , Winburn Jonathan , Russo Salvatore James , Islam Mohammed Shariful
Published: February 2020

“Friends and neighbors” voting is the tendency of candidates to earn a higher than expected share of the vote in their home counties and states. This hometown effect has been witnessed across an array of elected offices and time periods, prompting researchers to examine how local candidates impact voters’ turnout decisions and electoral choices. This paper focuses on the effect of hometown candidates on turnout using voter rolls and histories from Ohio and Georgia during the 2018 gubernatorial primary elections. These administrative data allow us to observe the decisions of all registered voters in both of these contests along with, importantly, their prior turnout history. We find a consistent relationship between the presence of a hometown candidate and turnout decisions; however, this effect is conditional on voters’ previous vote histories in primaries. The effect is strongest among those who occasionally vote in elections, smaller for those who habitually vote, and negligible for those who have never participated before. These results contribute to our understanding of how the presence of local candidates translates into support for their campaigns, and provide evidence that the size of this effect is not the same for all voters.
Technique for Arthroscopic Deltoid Ligament Repair With Description of Safe Zones
Authors: Acevedo Jorge I. , Kreulen Christopher , Cedeno Andres A. , Baumfeld Daniel , Nery Caio , Mangone Peter G.
Published: February 2020

Repair of the deltoid ligaments is suggested in patients with medial ankle instability after a ligamentous injury or lateral malleolar fracture fixation. Arthroscopy can be a definitive mode of determining whether there is medial instability and, therefore, help to determine whether there is a need to repair the deltoid ligaments. The authors describe a technique for the arthroscopic repair of the deltoid ligaments, using a suture passer and suture anchors. Cadaveric analysis was utilized to establish safe zones and indicate that there is a relatively wide safe zone between the posterior tibialis tendon and the saphenous vein when performing the technique. The authors have performed more than 87 arthroscopic deltoid repairs, with a greater than 90% satisfaction rate among patients. However, future studies with validated outcome measures are needed.

Level of Evidence:

Level V, expert opinion.
Keeping Passion Alive While Updating Journalism Skills
Authors: Clark Chandra , Plakhina Elena , Rosales Rey
Published: February 2020

Educators face a major challenge protecting and nurturing students’ passion for journalism while scrambling to help them keep up with a work environment in constant flux. They cannot afford to sidetrack this passion while teaching new software, evolving technology, and marketplace needs. If universities want to produce the best and brightest future journalists, they need to teach the above while nurturing student excitement for the field. This syndicate offers three recommendations to reach this goal: reconsider the traditional learning “box” used for student curricula, evaluate experimentation and its value for the learning process, and engage students in passion projects that prompt critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Best Practices in Assessment in Journalism Programs
Authors: Wao Felix , Romano Angela , Hardin Marie
Published: February 2020

Journalism programs face many challenges today as they work to prepare students with the knowledge and skills to enter the ever-changing journalism industry. On one hand, programs need to determine whether students are learning the competencies their program designers have identified as essential to the field. On the other, students need to demonstrate the mastery of those skills before graduation. One of the best ways to measure these achievements is through the development and implementation of effective assessment processes. Syndicate 8 focused on this process.
Restoring Trust in Journalism: An Education Prescription
Authors: Reed Katherine , Walsh-Childers Kim , Fischer Kenneth , Davie Bill
Published: February 2020

The practice of journalism has long been based on the premise that a receptive audience awaits the content and that citizens—as participants in a democracy—will use the news to make sound decisions. Yet mainstream journalism has lost much of its audience to purveyors of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation, a situation that has grown more perilous with the widespread embrace of social media tools in all their sophistication. This represents a threat to the vital forums of democracy and a new challenge for journalism education: How to equip future journalists with the critical thinking and technology skills they need to produce and/or share content that is independent, accurate, and fair, while developing relationships with audiences that reflect accountability, respect, and understanding. Journalists also need to learn how to identify situations that call for careful consideration of audience confirmation biases and accordingly to present important information, such as on vaccines, in a manner less likely to trigger those biases. The mix of new skills required in this complicated, sometimes toxic, information environment is the subject of this essay.
Entrepreneurial Journalism: Teaching Innovation and Nurturing an Entrepreneurial Mindset
Authors: Caplan Jeremy , Kanigel Rachele , Tsakarestou Betty
Published: February 2020

Entrepreneurial journalism has its genesis in the disruption shaking up the media landscape. As news organizations struggle to adapt to their evolving ecosystem, they look to new generations of journalists to drive progress. As educators, we have a responsibility to help prepare students to thrive in the evolving journalism ecosystem.
Self-Compassionate Responses to an Imagined Sexual Assault
Authors: Allen Ashley Batts , Cazeau Stephanie , Grace Jodi , Banos Ashley Stefano
Published: February 2020

This research assesses the relationship between self-compassion and well-being following an imagined trauma (i.e., sexual assault) and shows positive outcomes from a self-compassion induction. After a pilot study ( N = 54) established the believability of a sexual assault scenario, the primary study randomly assigned female participants ( N = 141) to a self-compassion or control condition. Participants read educational prompts (self-compassion and verbal learning or verbal learning only), completed comprehension questions, read and wrote about a hypothetical scenario from a compassionate perspective or generally, and completed the trait self-compassion scale. Regression analyses showed trait and induced self-compassion predicted less negative outcomes.
More than Spare Change: A Case Study of Contact and Voter Support for the Homeless in Los Angeles County, California
Authors: Laniyonu Ayobami , Byerly Shakari
Published: February 2020

Research on local welfare spending for individuals and families experiencing homelessness has characterized such spending as severely limited and constrained. Studies on fiscal federalism have argued that competition between local governments prevents leaders from spending much, if anything, to assist the homeless. County governments may be further constrained from providing assistance by state constitutions or statutes. Finally, local businesses may organize and lobby for punitive, rather than ameliorative, local treatment of the homeless. In this study, we argue that ordinary voters matter for local spending for the homeless, particularly in states where they are empowered to affect local government spending through ballot propositions. Accordingly, we mobilize data from a ballot initiative in Los Angeles County and present an exploratory study of the determinants of voter support for homelessness relief. We find that range of factors, particularly partisanship and contact with the homeless, strongly predict support for spending on the homeless.
A systematic review: Role of systemic therapy on treatment and prevention of brain metastasis in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Yekedüz Emre , Arzu Yaşar H. , Utkan Güngör , Ürün Yüksel
Published: February 2020

Aim

To define the inclusion/exclusion status of patients with brain metastasis in phase-III clinical trials and the effect of systemic therapies in metastatic renal cell cancer patients with brain metastasis.

Methods

“kidney neoplasms”[MeSH Terms] OR (“kidney”[All Fields] AND “neoplasms”[All Fields]) OR “kidney neoplasms”[All Fields] OR (“kidney”[All Fields] AND “cancer”[All Fields]) OR “kidney cancer”[All Fields] AND “brain metastasis” were used for searching “PubMed” electronic database and “clinicaltrials.gov” website.

Results

Five of 19 landmark phase-III clinical trials included patients with stable or asymptomatic brain metastasis and there was no data about outcomes of brain metastasis. The effect of systemic therapy on prevention of brain metastasis in renal cell cancer was evaluated in four studies. Two studies showed that the incidence of brain metastasis decreased, while the other two studies showed no effect of antiangiogenic agents on the prevention of brain metastasis in patients with renal cell cancer. There were 10 trials regarding systemic therapy of renal cell cancer brain metastasis. The overall response rate improved through a combination of targeted therapies and local treatment. The results of the trials studying the effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors without local treatment were controversial. None of the ongoing clinical trials included patients with active brain metastasis.

Conclusion

In metastatic renal cell cancer patients with brain metastasis, the overall response rate improved with the combination of targeted agents and local treatment. Further trials are needed to evaluate the effect of systemic treatment on the prevention or treatment of brain metastasis in patients with renal cell cancer.
Walkability Safety and Walkability Participation: A Health Concern
Authors: Suarez-Balcazar Yolanda , Early Amy R. , Garcia Claudia , Balcazar Daniel , Arias Dalmina L. , Morales Miguel
Published: February 2020

Walking is correlated with both improved physical and emotional health. However, walking behavior is often heavily influenced by environmental conditions. The goal of this study was to examine actual and perceived walkability safety and the relationship between perceived walkability safety and self-rated levels of walkability participation, defined as the number of places one walks within the community on a regular basis. Researchers used a mixed-methods approach, combining direct observations of traffic safety and in-person surveys within a specific Chicago neighborhood from 2015 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2017, respectively. We conducted behavioral assessments on 25 intersections and 48 sidewalks and surveyed 96 pedestrians on perceived walkability safety and walkability participation. Findings showed 68% and 81% of vehicles in 2015 and 2016, respectively did not obey street signs, placing pedestrians at significant risk. Pedestrians expressed concerns about the safety of walking in their neighborhood yet walked to a median of eight places weekly. The results indicated a marginally significant positive relationship between self-reported community participation and walking habits, as well as relationships between various factors of perceived walkability and age, gender, or language of survey completion. It is clear from the results of this study that walkability in this community is not a safe activity. However, walking habits may also be influenced by community satisfaction and SES factors. Communities need to engage in safe driving campaigns and educate walkers on how to protect themselves from distracted drivers. Local governments should implement policy initiatives such as police enforcement and drivers’ education campaigns.
A bio-mimetic cellular structure for mitigating the effects of impulsive loadings – A numerical study
Authors: Ghazlan Abdallah , Ngo Tuan , Le Van Tu , Nguyen Tuan , Linforth Steven , Remennikov Alex , Whittaker Andrew
Published: February 2020

Re-entrant and honeycomb cellular structures have shown potential for mitigating the effects of extreme loadings such as those imposed by impacts and near-range air blast. However, these cellular geometries can buckle locally and collapse in the immediate vicinity of the loading, which can limit their effectiveness as a protective element. These deficiencies can be addressed by mimicking alternate, naturally occurring, cellular structures, including that of the porcupine quill, which is studied here. The quill possesses several distinct features that effectively counteract buckling and bending, and minimise weight. This study mimics several structural features of the quill to develop a novel cellular design for counteracting air blast loads such as those associated with detonations of high explosives. The performance of the bio-mimetic structure is benchmarked against traditional hexagonal and re-entrant designs, which have been documented in the archival literature. The quill-inspired structure offers more design freedom than the traditional cellular geometries. By iteratively mimicking several of the structural features of the porcupine quill, an optimal balance between local buckling and collapse can be realised, which minimises the reaction on the target below and maximises energy dissipation.
Quality of quality: A diagnostic approach to qualitative evaluation
Authors: Befani Barbara
Published: February 2020

This article discusses the integration of a diagnostic lens in qualitative or mixed methods evaluations, arguing that this will improve quality: in particular, it will improve transparency, credibility and reliability of evaluation findings.We start by unpacking the notion of evaluation quality and pointing out the typical weaknesses of qualitative methods. We then introduce the basic notions of diagnostic approaches and how they relate to theory-based evaluation, process tracing, and Bayesian updating, arguing for the merits of taking a formal Bayesian approach, founded on the confusion matrix, which amongst else reduces confirmation bias and conservatism. This article draws parallels between the process tracing tests and elements of the confusion matrix.
Parents’ malevolent personification of mass vaccination solidifies vaccine hesitancy
Authors: Noyman-Veksler Gal , Greenberg David , Grotto Itamar , Shahar Golan
Published: February 2020

Parental hesitancy to vaccinate their children derails the success of mass vaccination campaigns. We examined the effect of parents’ personification of the vaccinating agency on vaccine hesitancy (i.e. negative or positive mind change) in 555 parents in a mass wild poliovirus vaccination campaign. Parents were assessed before and after the campaign on attitudes toward vaccination and the vaccinating agency (“The Israeli MoH is caring” vs “hysteric”). Positive mind change was predicted by a gender and malevolent personification. A negative mind change was predicted by parental anxiety. We conclude that parental hesitancy is influenced by parents’ attachment to the vaccinating agency.
Rehabilitating the mind: Avatar (2009), Inception (2010) and the science fiction imagining of lucid dreaming in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in the U.S. military
Authors: Smith Susan
Published: February 2020

Transcultural psychiatry has increased awareness of alternative approaches to mental health and wellbeing, influencing developments in Western psychotherapeutic treatments. In this article, I look at the recent interest in alternative therapies by the U.S. military, which has explored the possibilities of lucid dreaming in order to help soldiers cope with the adverse mental and emotional effects of combat—commonly referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this context of concerns about effective rehabilitation and the cost of veteran care, I examine the popular science fiction films Avatar and Inception, which have been discussed in the media as illustrations of the potential use of lucid dreaming and digitally created virtual worlds to “heal” the minds of soldiers affected by modern warfare. In these media portrayals, psychology and science fiction come together to envision and promote human-machine fantasies of the endlessly salvageable and, therefore ultimately, invincible American soldier.
Market formation, social movements and judgement devices: Creating the organic food market in Australia
Authors: Gilding Michael , Glezos Lee
Published: February 2020

A substantial literature demonstrates how social movements pioneer new economic spaces, engaging in activities that create the conditions for new markets. This article applies this insight to the creation of the organic food market in Australia. In doing so, it makes three contributions. First, it highlights the importance of judgement devices – notably a certification scheme – in the making of this market, given that organic and non-organic produce are visually indistinguishable. Second, it describes how judgement devices for organic foods draw commodity markets for mainstream agricultural foods into the symbolic realm, where health, ethical and aesthetic considerations inform value. Third, it demonstrates the socio-political construction of judgement devices, over and above their functional purposes. Specifically, it describes the struggle between challenger social movements and incumbent businesses in creating and promoting competing judgement devices directed towards the designation of value in new markets.
Jumping the queue? The queue-jumping metaphor in Australian press discourse on asylum seekers
Authors: Martin Catherine Ann
Published: February 2020

The article examines the use of the queue-jumping metaphor within the Australian press at three key points of asylum seeker arrivals. As a diachronic study, it investigates the development of the metaphor and its utilisation. The article finds that while the metaphor developed at the intersection of political and news discourse, its usage was far from straightforward, often acting as a focus for arguments opposing government policies and rhetoric. Yet the success of the metaphor in shaping the narrative around asylum seekers can be understood through its structuring of a deserving/undeserving dichotomy, aligned with quintessential Australian values, which led to both pro- and anti-government positions being articulated through the context of queue-jumping.
Taking social ontology seriously: An interview with Jack Katz
Authors: Weenink Don , van der Duin David , Keesman Laura , Lekkerkerk Rozalie , Mosselman Floris , van Rompu Phie
Published: February 2020

This interview with Jack Katz offers an inspiring statement about how to study social life. It starts with a discussion of Katz’s three-dimensional social ontology; social life is constituted in embodied interactions in which people adjust to others and create transcendent meanings. Contrasting the ontology with anthropology’s ontological turn, we note that social ontology is about generating empirically accurate descriptions capturing the flow of social life. This leads to a critical discussion of sociology’s pre-occupation with explanans-driven theorizing. Touching upon macro–micro relationships, we consider what a phenomenology of collective emotions would look like. This brings us to emotional transformations, notably the notion of ‘falling’, an important theme in Katz’s work. The interview continues with advice of how to think beyond given categories, to consider the validity of ethnographic description and to look for the absurd. Finally, we conclude that ethnography has the potential to appeal to mass audiences.
Funding social protection: Mapping and explaining welfare state financing in a global perspective
Authors: Schmitt Carina , Lierse Hanna , Obinger Herbert
Published: February 2020

In this article, we analyze the political sources of cross-national differences in financing social protection around the world. The type of funding is not simply a technical detail but provides insights into the kinds of social contracts that underpin national social protection systems, reflecting different redistributive ambitions, conceptions of solidarity, and legitimacy among societies. Based on International Labour Organization (ILO) data, we explore to what extent past and contemporary political factors such as colonial and communist legacies as well as regime differences and war experiences account for cross-national differences in funding social protection across the globe. Our empirical evidence suggests that historically rooted political differences explain large parts of today’s highly divergent patterns in social security funding systems.
Between the spaces: Experts on Islam in Russia
Authors: Kovalskaya Kristina
Published: February 2020

This paper discusses the question of knowledge construction on Islam in contemporary Russia through the lens of the category of space. Many everyday categories used by Muslims to characterize their identity are linked to spatial references. Starting from the idea of locality and ending in the search of traditional forms of Islam, these categories are highly politicized in the contemporary context. The aim of this paper is to explore the intermediary space between the political and the religious fields, the space of circulation between these fields in which experts on Islam are situated. Indeed, numerous academic specialists engage in expertise on Islam by creating or recycling categories, which circulate between the secular and the religious spaces. These experts have different backgrounds, different profiles and different strategies. Their impact on religious and political processes varies too. In addition, the experts of Islam have different characteristics according to the space they act in. We will compare these experts’ discourses in various regions (Moscow, Tatarstan and Dagestan) to analyse their strategies and the way in which they relate to their environment. Besides blurring the border between the secular and the religious by ensuring a permanent circulation of categories, the experts on Islam activate political and religious notions in a different manner according to their spatial affiliation. This concerns the reference to the local or international Muslim space as well as their normative discourse on acceptable forms of Islam.