bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Long-Term Risk of Stroke Subtypes
Authors: Ikram M. Kamran , Mitchell Paul , Klein Ronald , Sharrett A. Rickey , Couper David J. , Wong Tien Y.
Published: April 2012

Background and Purpose—

We examined the relationship of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with incident stroke, including stroke subtypes of cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage.

Methods—

We included 12 216 participants with retinal photographs taken at the third examination visit (1993–1995) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, a population-based cohort study in middle-aged persons. Images were evaluated for AMD signs according to a standardized protocol. Incident events of stroke and its subtypes were identified and validated through case record review over time.

Results—

AMD was diagnosed in 591 participants, of whom 576 had early and 15 late AMD. After a mean follow-up of 13.0 years (SD, 3.3), 619 persons developed an incident stroke, including 548 cerebral infarction and 57 intracerebral hemorrhages. Participants with any AMD were at an increased risk of stroke (multivariable adjusted hazard ratio, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.11–2.06) with a stronger association for intracerebral hemorrhage (hazard ratio, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.18–5.87) than cerebral infarction (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.01–1.99).

Conclusions—

Persons with AMD are at an increased risk of both cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage. These data provide further insight into common pathophysiological processes between AMD and stroke subtypes.
Assessing the Impacts of Different WRF Precipitation Physics in Hurricane Simulations
Authors: Nasrollahi Nasrin , AghaKouchak Amir , Li Jialun , Gao Xiaogang , Hsu Kuolin , Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: April 2012

Numerical weather prediction models play a major role in weather forecasting, especially in cases of extreme events. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF), among others, is extensively used for both research and practical applications. Previous studies have highlighted the sensitivity of this model to microphysics and cumulus schemes. This study investigated the performance of the WRF in forecasting precipitation, hurricane track, and landfall time using various microphysics and cumulus schemes. A total of 20 combinations of microphysics and cumulus schemes were used, and the model outputs were validated against ground-based observations. While the choice of microphysics and cumulus schemes can significantly impact model output, it is not the case that any single combination can be considered “ideal” for modeling all characteristics of a hurricane, including precipitation amount, areal extent, hurricane track, and the time of landfall. For example, the model’s ability to simulate precipitation (with the least total bias) is best achieved using Betts–Miller–Janjić (BMJ) cumulus parameterization in combination with the WRF single-moment five-class microphysics scheme (WSM5). It was determined that the WSM5–BMJ, WSM3 (the three-class version of the WSM scheme)–BMJ, and Ferrier microphysics in combination with the Grell–Devenyi cumulus scheme were the best combinations for simulation of the landfall time. However, the hurricane track was best estimated using the Lin et al. and Kessler microphysics options with BMJ cumulus parameterization. Contrary to previous studies, these results indicated that the use of cumulus schemes improves model outputs when the grid size is smaller than 10 km. However, it was found that many of the differences between parameterization schemes may be well within the uncertainty of the measurements.
Haitian Vodou and Voodoo: Imagined Religion and Popular Culture
Authors: McGee Adam M.
Published: April 2012

Vodou is frequently invoked as a cause of Haiti’s continued impoverishment. While scholarly arguments have been advanced for why this is untrue, Vodou is persistently plagued by a poor reputation. This is buttressed, in part, by the frequent appearance in popular culture of the imagined religion of “voodoo.” Vodou and voodoo have entwined destinies, and Vodou will continue to suffer from ill repute as long as voodoo remains an outlet for the expression of racist anxieties. The enduring appeal of voodoo is analyzed through its uses in touristic culture, film, television, and literature. Particular attention is given to the genre of horror movies, in which voodoo’s connections with violence against whites and hypersexuality are exploited to produce both terror and arousal.

Le Vodou est souvent invoqué comme une cause de la misère persistante d’Haïti. Bien que les arguments académiques ont été avancés pour prouver le contraire, le Vodou en générale est toujours mal compris et souvent décrié. Les idées erronées du Vodou sont étayées, en partie, par l’utilisation fréquente dans la culture populaire de la religion imaginaire du « voodoo ». Le Vodou et le voodoo possèdent des destins enlacés, et le Vodou continuera à souffrir d’une mauvaise réputation aussi longtemps que le voodoo reste un instrument pour l’expression des anxiétés racistes. L’attrait durable du voodoo est analysé ici à travers ses usages dans la culture touristique, le cinéma, la télévision, et la littérature. Une attention particulière est donnée au genre des films d’horreur, dans lequel les connexions du voodoo avec la violence contre les blancs et l’hypersexualité sont exploitées pour produire, en même temps, la terreur et l’excitation sexuelle.
Religion at the Epicenter
Authors: Richman Karen
Published: April 2012

The earthquake of 12 January 2010 devastated Léogâne, crumbling buildings and crushing bodies unable to dodge unearthly torrents of concrete blocks and cloudbursts of white dust. Whereas an assessment of the material and biological impacts of the seismic tremors may be undertaken without prior, personal familiarity with the subjects of concern, understanding the effects of the earthquake on local religious faith and practice requires knowledge of the pre-existing and continuing religious contexts of the communities affected by the disaster. Lack of longitudinal data has not, however, hampered the dissemination of speculative claims about earth-shattering religious change. It is claimed, for example, that large numbers of former Vodouists are converting to Christianity; they are simultaneously pushed by disappointment with their Vodou spirits for failing to prevent the disaster and pulled by admiration for the modern messages and aid proffered by the ubiquitous Christian non-governmental organizations involved in the rescue and recovery. This paper presents data from an ethnographic case study extending over three decades, as well as historical texts, to demonstrate that the cataclysm that ruptured the physical spaces of Léogâne did not produce equally devastating fractures in the local religious landscape.

Le séisme du 12 janvier 2010 a dévasté Léogâne, en cassant des bâtiments et en écrasant des corps incapables d’esquiver des torrents surnaturels de blocs de béton et de nuages de poussière. Alors qu’une évaluation des impacts matériels et biologiques des tremblements sismiques peut être entreprise sans familiarité préalable avec les sujets d’intérêt, pour bien comprendre les effets du séisme sur la foi et la pratique religieuse locale, il faut une connaissance de la préexistence, et de la continuation, des contextes religieux des communautés affectées par le désastre. Le manque de données longitudinales n’a pas, pourtant, entravé la diffusion de revendications spéculatives du changement religieux fracassant. On a dit, par exemple, que les grands nombres d’ancien Vodouistes passent prétendument au Christianisme; ils sont simultanément poussés par la déception avec les esprits Vodous pour manquer de prévenir le désastre et tirés par l’admiration pour les messages modernes, et par l’aide offerte par les organisations non-gouvernementales chrétiennes douées d’ubiquité, qui sont impliquées dans le secours et la récupération. Cette étude présente des données d’une étude de cas ethnographique qui a duré plus de trente ans, aussi bien que des textes historiques, pour démontrer que le cataclysme qui a fait éclater les espaces physiques de Léogâne n’a pas produit de fractures tout aussi ravageuses dans le paysage religieux local.
On the Education of Children in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Authors: Wassen Cecilia
Published: April 2012

This article examines three passages from the Rule of the Congregation and the Damascus Document that pertain to the topic of children’s education. The education of children was considered important within the Qumran movement, which is evident in the curriculum in 1QSa and the fact that such a high-level official as the Examiner had a supervisory role over the teaching. In contrast to the level of education of children in Jewish society in general at the turn of the era, which appears to have been quite rudimentary and consisting mainly of memorization, it appears that children within the movement received a thorough education in both reading and writing. The content of the teaching focused on the laws of the Torah and the Book of Hagu, which is an unknown composition. It is likely that both boys and girls received some education.

Cet article examine trois passages de la Règle de la Congrégation et le Document de Damas qui se rapportent au thème de l’éducation des enfants. L’éducation des enfants était considérée comme importante au sein du mouvement de Qumrân, importance qui est évidente dans le programme de 1QSa et le fait qu’un tel fonctionnaire de haut niveau que l’examinateur a eu un rôle de supervision sur l’enseignement. Contrairement au niveau de l’éducation des enfants dans la société juive en général au début de l’époque, qui semble avoir été assez rudimentaire et composé principalement de mémorisation, il semble que les enfants au sein du mouvement ont reçu une éducation complète en lecture et en écrit. Le contenu de l’enseignement a été axé sur les lois de la Torah et le Livre d’Hagu, qui est une composition inconnue. Il est probable que les garçons et les filles ont reçu une certaine éducation.
The Education of Girls in Early Christian Ascetic Traditions
Authors: Osiek Carolyn
Published: April 2012

There is a surprising silence about any kind of education of children by Christian families until quite late, and information about the education of girls is even scarcer. Margaret MacDonald and I, in A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity (Fortress Press, 2006), tried to develop whatever information there is. Here we follow some of the elusive strands from ascetic writers of the third and fourth centuries that suggest the beginnings of a full educational program for girls, which would certainly have applied only in selective situations, but that may have its origins much earlier.

Il ya un silence surprenant sur toute forme d’éducation des enfants par les familles chrétiennes jusqu’à assez tard, et l’information sur l’éducation des filles est encore plus rare. Avec Margaret MacDonald j’ai essayé d’élaborer l’information existante [ A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity (Fortress Press, 2006)]. Ici, nous suivons quelques-uns des volets insaisissables d’écrivains ascétiques des IIIe et IVe siècles qui suggèrent le début d’un programme complet d’éducation pour les filles qui ne s’aurait certainement appliqué que dans des situations sélectives, mais qui peut avoir ses origines beaucoup plus tôt.
Ironie et ambiguïtés en Qohélet 10,8–11
Authors: Lavoie Jean-Jacques
Published: April 2012

L’auteur présente un état de la recherche des critiques des sources et des analyses structurelle et littéraire de Qohélet 10,8–11. Puis, il poursuit son enquête en montrant comment l’ironie de Qohélet emprunte les voies de l’ambiguïté sémantique et de la parodie.

The author presents the state of research about source criticism and the structural and literary analysis of Qoheleth 10,8–11. He pursues his inquiry further, showing how the irony of Qoheleth depends upon semantic ambiguity and of parody.
Assessing Impact, DIF, and DFF in Accommodated Item Scores
Authors: Beretvas S. Natasha , Cawthon Stephanie W. , Lockhart L. Leland , Kaye Alyssa D.
Published: April 2012

This pedagogical article is intended to explain the similarities and differences between the parameterizations of two multilevel measurement model (MMM) frameworks. The conventional two-level MMM that includes item indicators and models item scores (Level 1) clustered within examinees (Level 2) and the two-level cross-classified MMM (in which item scores are cross-classified by two Level 2 classifications including item and examinee) are discussed. A small subset of National Assessment of Educational Progress 4th grade mathematics item scores is used to demonstrate use of the MMMs for assessing facets of the validity of accommodated test scores. The models’ similarities and distinctions are emphasized as well as the flexibility of the models’ extensions.
Where Do Children Travel to and What Local Opportunities Are Available? The Relationship Between Neighborhood Destinations and Children’s Independent Mobility
Authors: Villanueva Karen , Giles-Corti Billie , Bulsara Max , Timperio Anna , McCormack Gavin , Beesley Bridget , Trapp Georgina , Middleton Nicholas
Published: April 2012

Associations between access to local destinations and children’s independent mobility (IM) were examined. In 2007, 10- to 12-year-olds ( n = 1,480) and their parents ( n = 1,314) completed a survey. Children marked on a map the destinations they walked or cycled to ( n = 1,132), and the availability of local destinations was assessed using Geographic Information Systems. More independently mobile children traveled to local destinations than other children. The odds of IM more than halved in both boys and girls whose parents reported living on a busy road (boys, OR = 0.48; girls, OR = 0.36) and in boys who lived near shopping centers (OR = 0.18) or community services (OR = 0.25). Conversely, the odds of IM more than doubled in girls living in neighborhoods with well-connected low-traffic streets (OR = 2.32) and increased in boys with access to local recreational (OR = 1.67) and retail (OR = 1.42) destinations. Creating safe and accessible places and routes may facilitate children’s IM, partly by shaping parent’s and children’s feelings of safety while enhancing their confidence in the child’s ability to use active modes without an adult.
The Effect of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident on Risk Perception, Antinuclear Behavioral Intentions, Attitude, Trust, Environmental Beliefs, and Values
Authors: Prati Gabriele , Zani Bruna
Published: April 2012

Past opinion polls have shown that major nuclear accidents can have a serious impact on public attitudes. Drawing on a values-beliefs-norms (VBN) model of environmental commitment, the authors hypothesized that a major nuclear accident may also affect the most durable cognitive and cultural foundations that underpin public perceptions of nuclear power. For 32 Italian participants, the authors assessed perceptions of nuclear power and values 1 month before and after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Participants reported decreases in nuclear trust, environmental organization trust, and pronuclear attitudes; they reported a significant increase in environmental beliefs assessed by the new ecological paradigm and a marginally significant increase in altruism. Major nuclear accidents may have the potential to influence values and proenvironmental beliefs, probably for the reason that they are the basis of public attitudes toward nuclear power.
An Apocalyptic Rereading of “Justification” in Paul: Or, an overview of the argument of Douglas Campbell’s The Deliverance of God—by Douglas Campbell
Authors: Campbell Douglas A.
Published: April 2012

This essay summarizes my book The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul in two main stages. First it describes the book’s distinctive account of a problem in modern Pauline scholarship in relation to several key debates and some of their most important representative figures—Wrede, Sanders, Stendahl, and Martyn. It then describes how the book offers in its first half (Parts I-III) an underlying unified and theological account of these issues—the unwitting release of Arianism within Paul’s interpretation in the specific form of a conditional conception of salvation in terms of a sequence of contracts. Following this the essay charts quickly the solution to this conundrum offered by the book’s second half (Parts IV and V): a non-contractual reading of all the texts in Paul that could generate a problematic contractual and conditional construal. This rereading concentrates on Romans 1-4 (1:16-5:1), and, within that passage, on the especially important 1:18-3:20, which is construed as a Socratic argument and thereby unconditionally in the broader setting of Romans.
Paul in Current Anglophone Scholarship
Authors: Wright N. T.
Published: April 2012

Current Anglophone research on Paul has gone in different directions, following the break-up of an older consensus: the ‘new perspective’ and reactions thereto, particularly examining Paul’s relation to scripture and narrative; Paul’s supposedly ‘apocalyptic’ theology; Paul’s relation to the Roman empire; to contemporary philosophy, particularly Stoicism; and substantial explorations of Paul’s socio-historical context. The central task of interpretation, that of historically and theologically coherent exegesis, is more challenging than before but no less exciting.
Rebels against Rebels
Authors: Fjelde Hanne , Nilsson Desirée
Published: April 2012

Rebel groups that confront the government frequently become engaged in fierce and violent struggles with other groups. Why does a rebel group who is already fighting with the government become engaged in yet another struggle, thereby sacrificing scarce resources in the fight against other rebel groups? This article addresses this puzzle by providing the first global study on the determinants of interrebel violence. The authors argue that this violence should be understood as a means to secure material resources and political leverage that can help the group prevail in the conflict with the government. The quantitative analysis builds on new data on armed conflict between nonstate actors, 1989–2007. The results show that interrebel conflict is more likely when the rebel group fights in an area with drug cultivation, when the group is in control of territory beyond government reach, when the group is either militarily strong or weak in relation to other rebels, and where state authority is weak.
Self-Reported Childhood Physical Abuse and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Swogger Marc T. , Walsh Zach , Kosson David S. , Cashman-Brown Sarah , Caine Eric D.
Published: April 2012

Although considerable evidence links childhood physical abuse with later perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), research to identify moderators of this relationship will increase scholars’ understanding of which victims of childhood abuse are at risk for later IPV. This study examined dimensions of psychopathy as moderators of the relationship between physical abuse in childhood and perpetration of IPV in a sample of 75 males participating in a pretrial supervision program subsequent to receiving criminal charges. Results indicated that, among individuals with higher levels of impulsive-irresponsible (i.e., Lifestyle) traits of psychopathy, childhood physical abuse was associated with later perpetration of IPV. Findings have implications for the propensity toward IPV perpetration among individuals who have experienced childhood physical abuse.
Archaeology, Nostalgia, and Tourism in Post–Civil War Barcelona (1939-1959)
Authors: Muñoz-Rojas Oscarsson Olivia
Published: April 2012

Barcelona’s transformation into a global destination after Spain’s transition to democracy has received significant attention from international scholarship, but this is less the case for developments under Franco’s dictatorship (1939-1975) that paved the way for the city’s perceived attractiveness today. A critical examination of two of these developments in the 1940s and 1950s—the disencumbering of the area in front of the cathedral and the disclosure of sections of the Roman city wall—and the discourses around them reveals the interplay of long-standing planning and archaeological concerns, nostalgic and ambiguously dissenting reactions among observers at the time, and the gradual emergence of Barcelona as a tourist city. Such interplay subtly mirrors the often unacknowledged eclecticism of the dictatorship’s urban discourse and practice.
Surviving Relationship Threats
Authors: Feeney Brooke C. , Lemay Edward P.
Published: April 2012

In this article, a Theory of Emotional Capital is investigated, which stipulates that relationships are able to withstand threats when partners have built “emotional capital” within the relationship (by contributing to positive, shared experiences). Support for this idea was obtained in two studies using two samples (newlywed couples and more established married couples) and two methodologies (daily diary and observational methods). Both studies showed that individuals with high emotional capital were less reactive to relationship threats than those with low emotional capital. The importance of emotional capital for healthy and stable relationships is discussed.
Explaining Public Entrepreneurship in Local Government Organizations
Authors: Smith Elin
Published: April 2012

This article seeks to explain the determinants of public entrepreneurship (PE) in two different organizational forms: the local government administration (LGA) and the local government corporation (LGC). Determinants belonging to external environment, managerial characteristics, strategy, and internal environment are considered and hypotheses are presented for each theme. These are tested on data from Swedish LGAs and LGCs in the sectors of waste management and water and sewerage. The analysis indicates that PE can be stimulated in both LGAs and LGCs, but also restrained, at least in LGAs. Furthermore, LGCs appear to have a wider set of PE-determinants than LGAs.
Long‐Term Prognosis and Significance of the Sentinel Lymph Node in Head and Neck Melanoma
Authors: Parrett Brian M. , Kashani‐Sabet Mohammed , Singer Mark I. , Li Rui , Thummala Suresh , Fadaki Niloofar , Leong Stanley P. L.
Published: April 2012

Objective

To report the long‐term significance of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy on prognosis, determine false‐negative SLN occurrences, and determine risk factors for death and recurrence in a large series of patients with head and neck melanoma.

Study Design

Case series with tumor registry review.

Setting

Academic tertiary care medical center.

Subjects and Methods

A database review was performed of all patients who underwent SLN biopsy for head and neck melanoma from 1994 to 2009. End points assessed were SLN status, recurrence, false‐negative SLN results, and survival comparing SLN‐positive and SLN‐negative patients and different locations. Survival curves and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results

SLN biopsy was performed in 365 patients. SLNs were identified in 98.6% of patients with a mean of 3.7 nodes removed from 1.6 nodal basins per patient. Median follow‐up was 8 years. The SLN was positive in 40 (11%) patients. SLN–positive patients had significantly thicker melanomas, higher recurrence (P <. 0001), and a significant decrease in overall survival compared with SLN‐negative patients (P <. 002). Scalp melanoma patients had significantly thicker melanomas and an elevated risk of SLN positivity, recurrence, and death compared with other sites. Seventeen of 365 SLN‐negative patients developed regional nodal disease for a false‐omission rate of 5.2% and a negative predictive value of a negative SLN to be 94.8%. Risks for false negative‐SLN occurrences included thick melanomas and scalp melanomas.

Conclusion

SLN biopsy is accurate in head and neck melanoma and provides significant prognostic data. Scalp melanoma patients present with thicker tumors with an increase in SLN positivity and false‐negative SLN occurrences.
An exploration of music listening in chronic pain
Authors: Gold Ann , Clare Ajay
Published: April 2012

Chronic pain is a major health problem and, as direct treatments often fail to offer lasting pain relief, more effective self-management strategies are needed. There is evidence that music listening can provide relief of pain and accompanying emotional distress in acute settings, primarily through distraction. Less is known about the functions of music listening in chronic pain although survey research has suggested that it could aid distraction, relaxation and sense of control. Building on these findings, this qualitative study explored the narratives of 11 people living with chronic pain about the perceived impact of music listening on pain experience. The results indicated frequent loss of involvement with and enjoyment of music following chronic pain. Despite this, music could improve emotional state and uplift, console, energize and relax the listener and offer a sense of companionship. Conversely, at times it could upset or irritate. Music could act as a distraction from pain, as a cue to movement and as a motivator to exercise. Finally, music could provide a link to memories of a self before pain and escape from a painful body. All these functions have potential for development as effective self-management strategies for chronic pain.
Reliability and Validity of the Kinematic Dystonia Measure for Children With Upper Extremity Dystonia
Authors: Kawamura Anne , Klejman Sue , Fehlings Darcy
Published: April 2012

This study was conducted to determine the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Kinematic Dystonia Measure, a quantitative measure of upper extremity dystonia. To determine the effectiveness of various treatments, reliable and valid measures of dystonia are required. Test-retest reliability of the Kinematic Dystonia Measure using the intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent for the hand-tapping task (0.95) and substantial for the eye-blinking task (0.74). Construct validity testing for the hand-tapping task revealed that Kinematic Dystonia Measure scores correlated with total Barry-Albright Dystonia Scale scores (Pearson r = 0.79, P = .003), affected arm Barry-Albright Dystonia Scale subscores (Pearson r = 0.76, P = .0.007), and negatively correlated with Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test scores (Pearson r = –0.60, P = .05). The Kinematic Dystonia Measure has excellent test-retest reliability and good construct validity using the hand-tapping task. When combined with functional outcome measures, the Kinematic Dystonia Measure can effectively measure dystonia in children.
A Bayesian latent model with spatio-temporally varying coefficients in low birth weight incidence data
Authors: Choi Jungsoon , Lawson Andrew B , Cai Bo , Hossain Md Monir , Kirby Russell S , Liu Jihong
Published: April 2012

In spatial epidemiology studies, the effects of covariates on adverse health outcomes could vary over space and time so examining the spatio-temporally varying effects is useful. In particular, the association between covariates and health outcomes could have locally different temporal patterns. In this article, we develop a Bayesian spatio-temporal latent model to identify spatial clusters in each of which covariate effects have homogeneous temporal patterns as well as estimate heterogeneous temporal effects of covariates depending on spatial groups. We compare the proposed model to several alternative models to assess the performance of the proposed model in terms of a range of model assessment measures. Low birth weight incidence data in Georgia for the years 1997–2006 are used.
A Study of Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment and Turnover Intent among the IT and ITES Sector Employees
Authors: Kanwar Y.P.S. , Singh A.K. , Kodwani Amitabh Deo
Published: April 2012

Of late, the Indian economy is booming by leaps and bounds, mainly powered by the service sector. In turn, Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Service (ITES) industries are the prime movers of the service sector. Although these two industries are somewhat related, they differ in significant ways. In addition, a large number of women are entering workforce, posing new challenges for organizations in managing diversity at the workplace. There is evidence that high job satisfaction leads to greater productivity. Research also shows that committed employees have less turnover intent. The present study examines the impact on industry background and gender on job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intent. A total of 313 respondents were selected through convenience sampling from different IT and ITES organizations of National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi. The results showed that the IT group had lower job satisfaction and organizational commitment compared to the ITES group, while it displayed higher turnover intent. The male group showed significantly higher job satisfaction and significantly lower turnover intent compared to the female group. Further, job satisfaction increased organizational commitment. Finally, both job satisfaction and organizational commitment decreased turnover intent. The findings are discussed in the light of the expectations of employees and the future directions for research are outlined.
The Turnaround of Tata Nano: Reinventing the Wheel
Authors: Singh Swati , Srivastava Pallavi
Published: April 2012

Tata Nano has rewritten the evolution of transport by creating history as the world’s cheapest car. The creation of Tata Nano is a result of innovation leading to new market creation to tap latent opportunities lying at the bottom of the pyramid in the automobile, four-wheeler segment. This is the turnaround story of Tata Nano which focuses on how the initial strategies for launching and positioning backfired, leading to attraction of the wrong segment towards the car. There were instances that made people lose their interest and trust in Nano resulting into its nose-diving sales. The case highlights how Tata Motors Ltd. recognized its shortcomings and mistakes that led to the rejection of Nano among the segment it was created for. It revamped its strategies keeping in mind only its targeted segment that is the bottom of the pyramid. Thereafter it bounced back to win the trust of its prospective customers and is presently on a path-breaking journey to win sales.
Role of MFIs in Financial Inclusion
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Bappaditya , Rath Sambit
Published: April 2012

Less than half the population in India has access to any formal financial instrument. Therefore, financial inclusion assumes greater importance with each passing day. Previous work and initiatives in promoting financial inclusion have mostly focused on the process, that is, how to make banking costs lower. However, such efforts have seldom yielded much. The institutions relied upon have their own problems. On the other hand, microfinance institutions (MFIs), given their widespread reach, can play a crucial role. However, MFIs are often in direct competition with formal banking. Therefore, what is the incentive for MFIs in the current scheme of things to make it easier for its client’s to access formal banking? In this article, we address these following issues: identifying the role of MFIs in financial inclusion; the institutional bottlenecks that may prevent financial inclusion; and possible solutions. We argue that instead of focusing on financial inclusion as a process, it is better to focus on instruments and institutions that will promote financial inclusion. In particular, we show that a movement towards a cashless economy will attain financial inclusion where the MFIs can be incentivised to develop and maintain the critical network of individuals who will transact cashless.
RETRACTED: Distribution of Body Composition Index and the Relationship With Blood Pressure Among Children Aged 7 to 12 Years in Shandong, China
Authors: Zhang Ying-Xiu , Wang Shu-Rong
Published: April 2012

Retraction of: Zhang YX, Wang SR. Distribution of body composition index and the relationship with blood pressure among children aged 7 to 12 years in Shandong, China. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2012; 24(6):981-988.

This paper has been retracted due to a substantial degree of overlap with an earlier publication by the authors titled: Relation of body mass index, fat mass index and fat-free mass index to blood pressure in children aged 7–12 in Shandong, China by Ying-Xiu Zhang & Shu-Rong Wang. Annals of Human Biology, May–June 2011; 38(3): 313–316.
Comorbid Visual and Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Whitson Heather E. , Malhotra Rahul , Chan Angelique , Matchar David B. , Østbye Truls
Published: April 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and consequences of coexisting vision and cognitive impairments in an Asian population. Data were collected from 4508 community-dwelling Singaporeans aged 60 years and older. Cognition was assessed by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire whereas vision, disability, and self-rated health (SRH) were determined by self-report. Vision impairment was present in 902 (18.5%) participants and cognitive impairment in 835 (13.6%), with 232 (3.5%) participants experiencing both impairments. Persons with the comorbidity experienced higher odds of disability than persons with either single impairment. The association of vision impairment with SRH was stronger among women (odds ratio [OR] = 6.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.64-9.92) than among men (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.21-2.41). Concurrent cognitive and vision impairment is prevalent in older Singaporeans and is associated with high rates of disability. Gender differences in vision-dependent roles may affect the patient-perceived impact of this comorbidity.
Preventive Behaviors and Mental Distress in Response to H1N1 Among University Students in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Gu Jing , Zhong Ying , Hao Yuantao , Zhou Daming , Tsui Hiyi , Hao Chun , Gao Qi , Ling Wenhua , Lau Joseph Tak Fai
Published: April 2012

Objective. To investigate the level of and factors involved in influenza virus subtype H1N1 (H1N1)-related preventive behaviors and mental distress among university students in Guangzhou. Participants. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data for 825 students from 2 universities. Results. A total of 49.7% of the participants held misconception(s) concerning H1N1 transmission. Less than 30% washed their hands >10 times/d; 72.3% did not reduce the frequency of touching their mouths, noses, and eyes; only 9.3% would wear face masks if they had influenza-like symptoms. However, 45% worried that one/one’s family would contract H1N1, 10.7% were panicking/feeling depressed/feeling emotionally disturbed as a result of H1N1, and 14.9% were fearful about the WHO’s H1N1 pandemic announcement. Almost all cognitive variables of this study were significantly associated with mental distress caused by fear of H1N1 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.29-3.81), but very few were associated with adoption of preventive measures (OR = 0.65-1.90). Conclusions. Preventive measures are warranted to alleviate distress in the population studied via health education and promotion.
Substance Use as a Risk Factor for Intimate Partner Violence Overlap
Authors: Jennings Wesley G. , Reingle Jennifer M. , Staras Stephanie A. S. , Maldonado-Molina Mildred M.
Published: April 2012

Intimate partner violence (IPV) research often focuses on either the victims of IPV or the perpetrators of IPV. Recent studies have documented the existence of a group of victim-perpetrators, for example, they perpetrate IPV and are also the victims of IPV. The current study examines this overlap in IPV perpetration and victimization among a nationally representative, longitudinal sample of 1,488 Hispanics with a focus on generational status. Results from group-based trajectory models and survey multinomial regression techniques suggest that alcohol and marijuana use over time are salient risk factors for IPV perpetration, IPV victimization, and IPV overlap. Study limitations and implications are discussed.
Accurate free vibration analysis of cantilever piezoelectric panel carrying a rigid mass
Authors: Yu Shudong , He Siyuan
Published: April 2012

In this paper, an exact analytical solution is obtained for free flexural vibration of a cantilever piezoelectric panel carrying a rigid mass. The cantilever piezoelectric panel, commonly used in vibrational energy harvesting, may consist of a single layer of piezoelectric material (unimorph), two layers of piezoelectric material with or without a center core (bimorph), or multiple layers of piezoelectric material (multimorph). For an immediate application to a class of piezoelectric energy harvesting devices, the analytical procedure is presented for vibration modes, which are symmetric with respect to the panel major centerline. Numerical results and comparisons of several example applications show that the proposed scheme is accurate and convergent.
‘Why Don’t They Just Do What We Tell Them?’ Different Alcohol Prevention Discourses in Denmark
Authors: Elmeland Karen , Kolind Torsten
Published: April 2012

In recent decades great focus has been placed on the excessive consumption of alcohol by young Danes. In this connection, Danish parents have been called upon by the national health authorities to function as prevention workers with a view to reducing their children’s alcohol intake. Parallel to these efforts, and also responding to the increase in drinking by young people, efforts to reduce the harm caused by the drinking practices of adolescents have grown bottom-up among parents. In this article we identify and compare these two seemingly contrasting discourses, both of which influence the prevention field: a public alcohol prevention discourse and an everyday discourse, respectively. The analysis is based on alcohol legislation, public health programmes and national alcohol recommendations, as well as on a qualitative study of a special Danish phenomenon: parties for young people organized by parents. In the two discourses alcohol consumption is presented differently. However, traditionally liberal Danish alcohol policy plays an important role in both: the central feature of this policy relies on individual control rather than on public regulation.
Arresting moments in engaged management research
Authors: Greig Gail , Gilmore Charlotte , Patrick Holly , Beech Nic
Published: April 2012

We contribute to the literature on the production of knowledge through engaged management and organisational research. We explore how relational practices in management and organisational research may interpenetrate and change one another, thereby potentially producing new knowledge. We demonstrate the importance of the disruptive qualities of arresting moments in this process. We present data from within ongoing engaged management and organisational research at an arts festival involving related music, management and research practices, during which two arresting moments arose: one in our own core research practice, the other in related music and management practices. We found arresting moments were preceded by increasingly intense divisions between practices, when practitioners experienced increasingly entrenched views and heightened emotions. Arresting moments sometimes followed, producing an empathetic connection between practitioners, so that they could suddenly see situations from a new perspective. In this way, arresting moments could produce opportunities for (self-) reflexivity and the possibility of reconstructing knowing in relational practices.
Theoretical directions for an emancipatory concept of patient and public involvement
Authors: Gibson Andy , Britten Nicky , Lynch James
Published: April 2012

Patient and public involvement (PPI) is now firmly embedded in the policies of the Department of Health in England. This article commences with a review of the changing structures of PPI in English health and social care, largely in terms of their own explicit rationales, using that as a spring board for the development of a general theoretical framework. Arguing that all democratic states face major dilemmas in seeking to meet conflicting demands and expectations for involvement, we identify the diverse and sometimes conflicting cultural and political features embedded in current models of involvement in England, in a context of rapid delegitimation of the wider political system. We identify some of the major inherent weaknesses of a monolithic, single-track model of patient and public involvement in the management and running of health and social care systems. Although the mechanisms and methods for delivering this may vary we suggest the model remains fundamentally the same. We also suggest why the current structures are unlikely to provide an effective response either to the pluralism of values, ideologies and social groups engaged in the sector or to the valuing of lay knowledge which could potentially sustain the social networks essential for effective participation and service improvement. The article proposes a four dimensional framework for analysing the nature of PPI. These dimensions, it is argued, provide the co-ordinates along which new ‘knowledge spaces’ for PPI could be constructed. These knowledge spaces could facilitate and support the emergence of social networks of knowledgeable actors capable of engaging with professionals on equal terms and influencing service provision.
Reduced arterial stiffness after weight loss in obese type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance: The role of immune cell activation and insulin resistance
Authors: Samaras Katherine , Viardot Alexander , Lee Ping N , Jenkins Alicia , Botelho Natalia K , Bakopanos Anthea , Lord Reginald V , Hayward Christopher S
Published: April 2012

Weight loss after bariatric surgery reduces cardiac risk and morbidity. We examined weight loss effects on arterial stiffness in morbidly obese subjects, in relation to cytokines, circulating and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)-based immune cells and gene expression. Obese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) or impaired glucose tolerance ( n = 14, mean ± SEM body mass index 42.9 kg/m2) underwent 24 weeks’ caloric restriction, with gastric banding at 12 weeks. Measures were: arterial augmentation index (AIx), insulin resistance, circulating cytokines, immune cell activation markers, and SAT and VAT cytokine gene expression. Weight loss reduced AIx by 20% ( p = 0.007), with falls in s-selectin ( p = 0.001) and inter-cellular adhesion molecule ( p = 0.04). Improved AIx related to reduced surface expression of the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor on T-lymphocytes (TL-IL2R) and granulocyte adhesion markers ( r = 0.59, 0.64, respectively, p < 0.04). Higher VAT expression of interferon-γ and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 associated with a blunted AIx response. A model of TL-IL2R expression, waist, weight and insulin resistance explained 73% of the variance in AIx reduction ( p = 0.005). In morbidly obese dysglycaemic subjects, modest weight loss reduces arterial stiffness, the magnitude of which relates to improved markers of inflammation.
Hybrid Carotid Stent for the Management of a Venous Aneurysm of the Sigmoid Sinus Treated by Sole Stenting
Authors: Santos-Franco J. A. , Lee A. , Nava-Salgado G. , Zenteno M. , Vega-Montesinos S. , Pane-Pianese C.
Published: April 2012

We describe the case of a 59-year-old female presenting with a disabling pulsatile tinnitus caused by a venous aneurysm of the sigmoid sinus. This is the first successful case of sole stenting, using a closed-cell design in the central part of the stent, leading to the occlusion of the aneurysm and the cure of the tinnitus. Venous aneurysms of the dural sinuses are rare causes of pulsatile tinnitus and the sole stenting technique provides a simpler, safe, and effective approach.
“But They Just Can’t Do It”
Authors: Rodríguez Mariela A.
Published: April 2012

This case begins with a contextual overview of the educational plight of Latino students in U.S. public schools. This pervasive plight has economic and social implications in the lives of these students. Using a Borderlands Cultural Wealth framework, the case focuses on the educational challenges of Mexican American and immigrant students in one of the poorest areas in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas. The school principal is faced with the challenge of trying to reform educational practices, but the deficit perspectives of the teachers are in direct contrast to what the students need to be successful.
Leadership for Researcher Development: What Research Leaders Need to Know and Understand
Authors: Evans Linda
Published: April 2012

Research leadership, a much neglected area of educational leadership and management, is disadvantaged by having an underdeveloped and inadequate knowledge base. This article represents a contribution to this knowledge base through a conceptual analysis. It presents as propositional knowledge an original theoretical model of the componential structure of researcher development, as interpreted and defined stipulatively by the author. Three key components are identified: behavioural development; attitudinal development; and intellectual development. Each of these is further deconstructed to reveal its sub-components, of which 11 in total are identified, including: processual change; perceptual change; analytical change; and comprehensive change. Drawing upon examples of qualitative data found in the literature, the author demonstrates the model’s potential as an analytical framework for enhancing our understanding of what researcher development is and how it occurs. This, she argues, represents knowledge that is invaluable to university-based research leaders. In particular, it is important that research leaders recognize the width, multidimensionality and complexity of researcher development: that it is much more than changing observable behaviour and increasing productivity and output; it also involves changing viewpoints, mindsets and perceptions and increasing intellectual capacity.
Are Academic Departments Perceived as Learning Organizations?
Authors: Holyoke Laura B. , Sturko Patricia A. , Wood Nathan B. , Wu Lora J.
Published: April 2012

Higher education institutions need to be able to adapt to changes, which requires flexibility and learning. Researchers have questioned whether higher education institutions are learning organizations, a concept of which university faculty have been traditionally skeptical. This article describes a study of faculty perceptions about their departments as learning organizations and departmental culture. The Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire was adapted for faculty member use and administered via an online survey tool. Participants were 59 faculty of 663 contacted from public and private colleges and universities in Washington and Idaho. Results revealed men reporting more opportunity for individual and continuous learning than women, and faculty members at 4-year private institutions reported a more positive learning culture and more empowerment than faculty at the other types of institutions. Results are discussed and future research is proposed.