bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Rights in Play, Transnational Solidarity at Work: Creative Playfulness and Subversive Storytelling among the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Authors: Gouge Melissa C.
Published: September 2015

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) employs creative playfulness and subversive storytelling in their human rights campaigns and solidarity-building practices. The article focuses on three particular media to illustrate how they construct transnational solidarity: (1) son jarocho music as a medium for organizing the March for Rights, Respect, and Fair Food targeting Publix Supermarkets for human rights abuses like wage theft; (2) mística theater as a medium for organizing the Encuentro gathering to build their campaign against Wendy’s for failing to free their supply chain from worker abuse; and (3) a grassroots community museum as a medium for building support against slavery. Creative playfulness and subversive storytelling contribute to successes built on human rights principles and realized through corporate accountability strategies. The article describes these media, and shows how they overcome challenges of building transnational solidarity. Finally, it suggests how the CIW has influenced recent farmworker strikes in Mexico.
Beyond Collective Violence: Capturing Context and Complexity in Palestinian Diasporic Resistance
Authors: Harris Scarlet
Published: September 2015

Approximately 50 percent of the world’s Palestinians reside in the diaspora, territorially disconnected from occupied Palestine, but no less part of a population so often associated with political resistance. This article asks: how do Palestinians living in the UK express resistance to the military occupation of their homeland? In what ways are such expressions of resistance shaped by social processes specific to such a context? It makes the case for a more nuanced analysis of resistance amongst Palestinians living in the UK, framed by understandings of (post)colonialism. Through a qualitative analysis of ethnographic interviews with Palestinians residing in Manchester and Edinburgh in 2013, I begin by outlining a postcolonial context in the UK characterized by an Orientalism that Palestinians are forced to negotiate. I then spotlight ‘storytelling’ as an important instance of everyday resistance within (post)colonial settings, suggesting that storytelling might allow Palestinians to negotiate their resistance against the various constraints of life in the UK. The findings challenge notions of ‘violence’ and collectivity traditionally associated with Palestinian resistance, pointing towards a need to reconceptualize everyday diasporic resistance in light of often complex, context-specific interactions.
The Chinese Race to the Bottom: The Precarious Lives of Unemployed University Graduates in Beijing’s ‘Ant Tribe’
Authors: Bregnbæk Susanne
Published: September 2015

This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork carried out among what Lian Si (2009) has called China’s ‘ant tribe’, referring to the millions of unemployed Chinese college graduates who live in the outskirts of Beijing and to some extent share the predicament of China’s migrant workers. Education has been the main route to social mobility for centuries in China, but today college graduates are outnumbering jobs in China’s large cities. I focus on the relationship between the fantasy of education as a route to social mobility and the actuality. By narrating the biographies of two university graduates, Jing Jing and Bai Gang, who attempted but partly failed to transcend the boundary between rural and urban China, I show how their quests for social mobility and a more fulfilling life were tied to economic, legal and cultural constraints. I argue that the quest for a better life through educational migration may lead to physical mobility, but that existential mobility is lacking and this sometimes leads to instances of suicide, just as is the case for Chinese migrant workers who feel trapped in appalling working conditions.
Constituting Co-Ethnic Exploitation: The Economic and Cultural Meanings of Cash-in-Hand Jobs for Ethnic Chinese Migrants in Australia
Authors: Li Yao-Tai
Published: September 2015

This article asks two questions: for immigrants, how is an exploitative labor market constituted, and how do immigrant employees and employers understand exploitation involving co-ethnics? Taking ethnic Chinese immigrants (PRC-Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kongese) as an example, this article examines employer hiring strategies, employee economic rationales, cultural perceptions, and the work experiences of ethnic Chinese migrant workers who find work in the informal sector in Australia. This article argues that language barriers, relatively higher earnings than home countries, the flexibility of cash-in-hand jobs, and the low expectation that job-seekers have of co-ethnic employers increase the willingness of ethnic Chinese migrants to work in the cash economy. On the other hand, employers look for an ‘obedient’ employee and create the image of a ‘good boss’ to decrease the expression of hostile emotions from their employees. Considering how economic factors and mutual cultural perceptions are embedded and reflected in the informal labor market, this article concludes that co-ethnic exploitation is formulated and justified by both employers and employees in Australia.
Investigation on the fuel injection quantity fluctuation of a common-rail fuel injection system using response surface methodology
Authors: Bai Yun , Fan Liyun , Ma Xiuzhen , Song Enzhe , Dong Xiaolu
Published: September 2015

Variations in the parameters affect the injection characteristics of a common-rail injection system and leads to fluctuation in the fuel injection quantity. This paper is aimed at combining the numerical modelling and design of experiments to investigate the significant effects of the interactions between the common-rail injector parameters on the fluctuation in the fuel injection quantity using response surface methodology. A numerical model of a common-rail injector was developed. The model was validated by comparing simulation results with experimental measurements, which showed that it can accurately predict the fuel injection quantity of the system. The design of experiments was performed using a two-level five-factor D-optimal design. The factors studied were the pre-tension of the control valve spring, the diameter of the outlet orifice, the diameter of the inlet orifice, the needle lift and the diameter of the nozzle holes. A quadratic response surface model was suggested by means of partial least-squares regression analysis. The distribution of the standardized residuals, the relation between the predicted fluctuation and the observed fluctuation in the fuel injection quantity, the coefficient R2 of determination and the adjusted coefficient [Formula: see text] of determination for the response surface model were analysed, which demonstrated the significance of the model. Analysis of the F value and the p value for the model terms at the 95% confidence level revealed that the interactions between the control valve spring pre-tension and the nozzle hole diameter, between the outlet orifice diameter and the nozzle hole diameter, between the inlet orifice diameter and the nozzle hole diameter and between the needle lift and the nozzle hole diameter had significant effects on the fluctuation in the fuel injection quantity of the system. Furthermore, the significant effects of the interactions between these parameters were analysed in detail.
The design and validation of a magnetic resonance imaging–compatible device for obtaining mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue via gated acquisition
Authors: Williams Evan D , Stebbins Michael J , Cavanagh Peter R , Haynor David R , Chu Baocheng , Fassbind Michael J , Isvilanonda Vara , Ledoux William R
Published: September 2015

Changes in the mechanical properties of the plantar soft tissue in people with diabetes may contribute to the formation of plantar ulcers. Such ulcers have been shown to be in the causal pathway for lower extremity amputation. The hydraulic plantar soft tissue reducer (HyPSTER) was designed to measure in vivo, rate-dependent plantar soft tissue compressive force and three-dimensional deformations to help understand, predict, and prevent ulcer formation. These patient-specific values can then be used in an inverse finite element analysis to determine tissue moduli, and subsequently used in a foot model to show regions of high stress under a wide variety of loading conditions. The HyPSTER uses an actuator to drive a magnetic resonance imaging–compatible hydraulic loading platform. Pressure and actuator position were synchronized with gated magnetic resonance imaging acquisition. Achievable loading rates were slower than those found in normal walking because of a water-hammer effect (pressure wave ringing) in the hydraulic system when the actuator direction was changed rapidly. The subsequent verification tests were, therefore, performed at 0.2 Hz. The unloaded displacement accuracy of the system was within 0.31%. Compliance, presumably in the system’s plastic components, caused a displacement loss of 5.7 mm during a 20-mm actuator test at 1354 N. This was accounted for with a target to actual calibration curve. The positional accuracy of the HyPSTER during loaded displacement verification tests from 3 to 9 mm against a silicone backstop was 95.9% with a precision of 98.7%. The HyPSTER generated minimal artifact in the magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Careful analysis of the synchronization of the HyPSTER and the magnetic resonance imaging scanner was performed. With some limitations, the HyPSTER provided key functionality in measuring dynamic, patient-specific plantar soft tissue mechanical properties.
Probing depth in periodontal pockets: In vitro evaluation of contributions to variability due to probe type and operator skill
Authors: Erriu Matteo , Genta Gianfranco , Pili Francesca Maria Giovanna , Barbato Giulio , Denotti Gloria , Levi Raffaello
Published: September 2015

Periodontal probing aims at detecting the presence, type and gravity of periodontal diseases influencing distance between gingival margin and connective ligament. Measurements in vivo are affected by substantial uncertainty, owing, for example, to probe features, anatomic variations and operator’s skill. Inadequate reproducibility in periodontal probing may lead to diagnostic mistakes and inappropriate therapeutic decisions. In vitro evaluation of reproducibility of measurements of periodontal pockets was aimed at while developing a Periodontal Calibration Box designed to calibrate periodontal probe operators, catering also for simulating contraction observed in vivo. Probe type and clinical experience of operators were found to affect substantially probing errors.
Evaluation of the effect of 2,4-dichlorophenol on oxidative parameters and viability of human blood mononuclear cells (in vitro)
Authors: Bukowska B , Wieteska P , Kwiatkowska M , Sicińska P , Michalowicz J
Published: September 2015

2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) is formed in drinking water as a result of its chlorination, and it is created in the environment during transformation of various xenobiotics such as triclosan or herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The molecular mechanism depicting the action of phenolic compounds on nucleated blood cells has been insufficiently studied, and therefore, we have assessed the effect of 2,4-DCP on the structure and viability of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We have evaluated necrotic, apoptotic, and morphological changes (alterations in the size and granulation) in PBMCs incubated with 2,4-DCP in the concentration ranging from 10 to 500 µg mL−1 for 4 h at 37°C. Moreover, we have estimated changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, lipid peroxidation, and protein carbonylation in the incubated cells. We have noted that 2,4-DCP increased ROS formation and lipid peroxidation (from 10 µg mL−1) and oxidized proteins (from 50 µg mL−1) in PBMCs. The compound studied also provoked apoptotic (from 50 µg mL−1), necrotic (from 100 µg mL−1) and alterations in the size and granulation (from 50 µg mL−1) in the incubated cells. The analysis of quinolinium 4-[(3-methyl-2(3 H)-benzoxazolylidene)methyl]-1-[3-(trimethyl-ammonio)-propyl]-diiodide/propidium iodide staining revealed that 2,4-DCP (50–250 µg mL−1) more strongly increased the number of apoptotic than necrotic cells, which suggests that this cell death type is mainly provoked by this compound in PBMCs. The observed changes were caused by relatively high concentrations of 2,4-DCP, which cannot influence human organism during environmental exposure and thus may only occur as a result of acute or subacute poisoning with this compound.
Investigating emotional responses to self-selected sad music via self-report and automated facial analysis
Authors: Weth Karim , Raab Marius H. , Carbon Claus-Christian
Published: September 2015

People often listen to sad music in spite of its seemingly negative qualities. Sad music, and especially sad music with a personal significance, has been shown to evoke a wide span of emotions with both positive and negative qualities. We compared emotional responses to familiar self-selected sad music (SSSM) with both unfamiliar sad and unfamiliar happy music. Alongside self-reports, a commercial, continuous measure of discrete facial expressions was applied, promising an in-depth assessment of both the quality and strength of experienced affective states at any given point in time. Results of the facial analysis showed that SSSM evoked more mixed affective states than unfamiliar sad music. Also, listeners reacted with consistent facial expressions to distinct musical events, e.g. the introduction of a lead voice. SSSM evoked more self-reported feelings of nostalgia, reminiscence, being moved, and chills and tears than unfamiliar sad and happy music. Furthermore, SSSM resulted in more self-reported happiness and a similar trend with happy facial expressions compared to unfamiliar sad music. These results point to the emotional diversity and the strong involvement of positive affective states elicited by SSSM, even when compared with music of similar quality, such as unfamiliar sad music. Automated facial analysis allows us to observe emotions on a more detailed level in terms of time resolution, onset, intensity and concurrence of discrete affective states. This technique is promising for future research, particularly when investigating mixed emotions and the social aspect of emotions in response to music.
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) in clinical practice – what you don’t see may hurt you
Authors: Leonard David , Tiller John
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

To identify problems that interfere with the recognition, diagnosis and management of people with dissociative identity disorder (DID) presenting to psychiatric outpatient and inpatient services and suggest solutions.

Method:

Problems and suggested solutions associated with clinical presentations and management of people with DID are outlined with references to relevant literature.

Results:

Problems in the recognition and management of DID are described. These lead to delays in diagnosis and costly, inappropriate management, destructive to services, staff and patients alike. Problems include lack of understanding and experience and scepticism about the disorder, resulting in failure to provide appropriate treatment. Some suggestions to improve recognition and management are included.

Conclusion:

Better recognition, diagnosis and management of DID will lead to better and more cost effective outcomes.
C-reactive protein: an early critical sign of clozapine-related myocarditis
Authors: Fehily Sasha R , Forlano Rosaria , Fitzgerald Paul B
Published: September 2015

Objective:

We present a case of clozapine-related myocarditis, with a rising C-reactive protein as the only initial evidence supporting the diagnosis.

Method:

An otherwise healthy young male presenting with treatment-resistant schizophrenia was started on clozapine. Monitoring was performed.

Results:

At day 18 he developed fever, tachycardia and a raised C-reactive protein, while troponin levels and echocardiogram remained normal.

Conclusions:

Current protocols monitoring for myocarditis have their limitations and can often only be used to support a presumptive diagnosis of myocarditis. In keeping with the current clozapine monitoring guidelines, we demonstrate that a rise in C-reactive protein levels can be a critical early sign of myocarditis warranting close monitoring and serious consideration for cessation of clozapine.
University–Community–Hospice Partnership to Address Organizational Barriers to Cultural Competence
Authors: Reese Dona J. , Buila Sarah , Cox Sarah , Davis Jessica , Olsen Meaghan , Jurkowski Elaine
Published: September 2015

Research documents a lack of access to, utilization of, and satisfaction with hospice care for African Americans. Models for culturally competent hospice services have been developed but are not in general use. Major organizational barriers include (1) lack of funding/budgeting for additional staff for community outreach, (2) lack of applications from culturally diverse professionals, (3) lack of funding/budgeting for additional staff for development of culturally competent services, (4) lack of knowledge about diverse cultures, and (5) lack of awareness of which cultural groups are not being served. A participatory action research project addressed these organizational barriers through a multicultural social work student field placement in 1 rural hospice. The effectiveness of the student interventions was evaluated, including addressing organizational barriers, cultural competence training of staff, and community outreach. Results indicated that students can provide a valuable service in addressing organizational barriers through a hospice field placement.
See Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Sarah Palin Run? Party, Ideology, and the Influence of Female Role Models on Young Women
Authors: Mariani Mack , Marshall Bryan W. , Mathews-Schultz A. Lanethea
Published: September 2015

Previous research suggests that women’s descriptive representation may have a role-model effect on young women, encouraging them to greater levels of political participation. Using data from the Monitoring the Future Survey and the National Survey of Political and Civic Engagement of Young People, we examine whether highly visible female role models like Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Sarah Palin, and viable female candidates for governor and senator had a role-model effect on young women. At the national level, we find some evidence of a role-model effect resulting from the election of Speaker Pelosi and the presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton, but the effects are largely concentrated among young women who are Democratic and liberal. We find little evidence that Sarah Palin’s vice-presidential run had a role-model effect on young women, regardless of party or ideology. Our state-level analysis of viable female gubernatorial and senatorial candidates finds that role-model effects on young women and men are mediated in different ways by ideology and, to a lesser extent, party.
Pivotal Politics and Initiative Use in the American States
Authors: Boehmke Frederick J. , Osborn Tracy L. , Schilling Emily U.
Published: September 2015

The direct initiative process, often referred to as a gun behind the door, provides an incentive for legislators to pass legislation more in line with voters’ wishes. Concomitantly, legislative procedures such as the filibuster and executive veto often impede the ability of the legislature to pass policies. We explore the tension between these two forces by incorporating legislative procedures and initiative proposal into a spatial model of the policymaking process. We find that the ability to propose initiatives sometimes breaks legislative gridlock, but that other times pivotal players may prefer the initiative outcome and therefore prevent the legislature from preempting a ballot measure. In particular, we show that initiative use increases with the distance between pivotal actors and the median voter. An empirical analysis of initiative use in the American states provides support for this prediction.
Drivers of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cardiac Rehabilitation Use
Authors: Mead Holly , Ramos Christal , Grantham Sarah C.
Published: September 2015

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) use is lower for racial and ethnic minorities than White patients. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that drive this disparity at the system, provider, and patient levels. A mixed methods study combined descriptive analysis of 2007 Medicare claims data and thematic analysis of 19 clinician interviews, 8 minority patient focus groups and 8 one-on-one interviews with minority heart patients across three communities. The disparity between White and non-White CR use ranged from 7 to 11 percentage points among study sites ( p < .05). Key themes suggest disparities are driven by (a) flawed financing and reimbursement that creates disincentives to invest in CR programs, (b) a health care system whose priorities are misaligned with the needs of patients, and (c) subjective decision-making around referral processes. These findings suggest that the health care system needs to address multiple levels of problems to mitigate disparities in CR use.
The Fragmented Digital Gaze
Authors: Skains R. Lyle
Published: September 2015

As society as a whole moves more and more into the multiplicative frames of the digital world, it is important to understand how using these interfaces affects how we think and how we communicate. In this article, the focus is on a creative genre of human communication: narrative. Emerging technologies have historically had various impacts on narrative fiction, from the emergence of mimetic narratives in novel form, to the camera’s influence on techniques such as flashback, and character gaze and perspective. These technologies can be seen to engage in an authorial partnership with the composer, “collaborating to create new media,” new narrative forms and practices. The specific affordances of digital media introduce multimodality, polylinearity, and reader/player interaction to fiction; the practice of composing such multimodal works affects narrative perspective, leading to fragmented and layered narration, metalepsis, and “unnatural narrators.” This article presents research based in the practice of creating a multimodal project, Færwhile (the digital component of this article), examining the progression of narrative perspective from mimetic to unnatural, analyzing the various narrative perspectives. While Richardson argues that the postmodern narrative perspective (utilizing contradictory, permeable, and dis-framed narrators) leads to “postmodern unreliability,” this examination of the Færwhile multimodal narrative will argue that a cohesive voice and its communicated metaphor can be created from the layering of disparate narrative perspectives. The effects described herein have implications for digital engagement and communication on a wider scale, as we attempt to understand how our rapidly evolving technology is also effecting change in our cognition, composition, and understanding of events communicated in digital spaces.
Symmetry conditions in strain gradient elasticity
Authors: Gusev Andrei A , Lurie Sergey A
Published: September 2015

We study the variational significance of the “order-of-differentiation” symmetry condition of strain gradient elasticity. This symmetry condition stems from the fact that in strain gradient elasticity, one can interchange the order of differentiation in the components of the second displacement gradient tensor. We demonstrate that this symmetry condition is essential for the validity of free variational formulations commonly employed for deriving the field equations of strain gradient elasticity. We show that relying on this additional symmetry condition, one can restrict consideration to strain gradient constitutive equations with a considerably reduced number of independent material coefficients. We explicitly derive a symmetry unified theory of isotropic strain gradient elasticity with only two independent strain gradient material coefficients. The presented theory has simple stability criteria and its factorized displacement form equations of equilibrium allow for expedient identification of the fundamental solutions operative in specific theoretical and application studies.
Paternal Antisocial Behavior (But Not Paternal ADHD) Is Associated With Negative Parenting and Child Conduct Problems
Authors: LeMoine Kaitlyn A. , Romirowsky Abigail M. , Woods Kelsey E. , Chronis-Tuscano Andrea
Published: September 2015

Objective: Parental psychopathology and parenting quality robustly predict negative outcomes among children with ADHD. Little research has investigated associations between paternal ADHD symptoms and parenting, though there is clear evidence linking maternal ADHD symptoms with both suboptimal parenting and child conduct problems, and considerable research supporting fathers’ significant contributions to their children’s development. Method: This cross-sectional study examined psychopathology and parenting in a sample of fathers ( N = 102) and their 5- to 12-year-old children with previously diagnosed ADHD. Results: Results suggested that paternal antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) symptoms (rather than ADHD symptoms) were robustly associated with child conduct problems, with an indirect effect through paternal negative parenting. Conclusion: This study suggests that negative parenting may be a potential mechanism by which paternal ASPD is associated with child conduct problems, and demonstrates the importance of considering co-occurring psychopathology in research examining adult ADHD, parenting, and child outcomes.
Design and Implementation of a Perioperative Surgical Home at a Veterans Affairs Hospital
Authors: Walters Tessa L. , Howard Steven K. , Kou Alex , Bertaccini Edward J. , Harrison T. Kyle , Kim T. Edward , Shafer Audrey , Brun Carlos , Funck Natasha , Siegel Lawrence C. , Stary Erica , Mariano Edward R.
Published: September 2015

The innovative Perioperative Surgical Home model aims to optimize the outcomes of surgical patients by leveraging the expertise and leadership of physician anesthesiologists, but there is a paucity of practical examples to follow. Veterans Affairs health care, the largest integrated system in the United States, may be the ideal environment in which to explore this model. We present our experience implementing Perioperative Surgical Home at one tertiary care university-affiliated Veterans Affairs hospital. This process involved initiating consistent postoperative patient follow-up beyond the postanesthesia care unit, a focus on improving in-hospital acute pain management, creation of an accessible database to track outcomes, developing new clinical pathways, and recruiting additional staff. Today, our Perioperative Surgical Home facilitates communication between various services involved in the care of surgical patients, monitoring of patient outcomes, and continuous process improvement.
Apparent nutrient digestibility of two raw diets in domestic kittens
Authors: Hamper Beth A , Kirk Claudia A , Bartges Joseph W
Published: September 2015

Objectives

The aim of the study was to evaluate overall dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fat and gross energy digestibility of a feline commercial raw diet and a homemade raw diet compared with a canned, heat-processed diet.

Methods

Six domestic shorthair kittens (20–28 weeks old) were fed three different diets in a Latin square crossover design. Diet A was a commercially available, canned, heat-processed diet. Diet B was a complete commercial, prefrozen, raw diet (commercial raw), and diet C was a raw diet supplement mixed with ground raw meat obtained locally (homemade raw). Both diets A and B were formulated to meet nutritional profile levels for cats at all life stages. Kittens were given specific diet amounts to maintain a 2–4% weight increase per week. Food was measured before and after feedings to determine the amount eaten, and all feces were collected, weighed and frozen prior to submission. Composite food samples and all feces were submitted to a national laboratory for proximate analysis of crude protein, crude fiber, ash, crude fat, moisture and caloric density.

Results

Significantly higher digestibility of dry matter ( P <0.001), organic matter ( P <0.001), crude protein ( P <0.001) and gross energy ( P <0.001) was seen in the raw diets compared with the heat-processed diets. This difference resulted in significantly less fecal matter ( P <0.001) despite similar levels of intake and kcal ingested, and evidence of no difference in fecal scores.

Conclusions and relevance

Higher dry matter, organic matter and protein digestibility was seen in two commercial raw diets compared with a heat-processed diet. Digestibility differences could have been due to variance in dietary protein, fat and carbohydrate concentrations between the diets, variance in dietary ingredients or quality, alterations in protein structure secondary to heat processing, as well as alterations in gastrointestinal flora. Future research examining digestibility in diets with the same macronutrient proportions and ingredients, and mechanisms for any differences, is warranted.
Exploring the relationship between student grades and assessment for learning in Norwegian physical education
Authors: Leirhaug Petter E
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between student grades and assessment for learning (AfL) in physical education. In educational literature, the focus on formative assessment has grown dramatically, partly because research indicates that good AfL is one of the most effective instructional tools to drive student learning forward. Therefore, a positive influence of AfL on students’ grades was hypothesised. The study employed a questionnaire of 1454 PE students (aged 15–19 years) from six upper secondary schools in Norway. Based on theory and factor analysis, a construct to map the experience with AfL was identified. A regression model was used to analyse the relationship between the construct and students’ grades, demonstrating that AfL is negatively associated with student grades. While the main finding is statistically small, the study also discusses the influence of other variables, possible explanations for the results and related implications.
Adults with type 1 diabetes: Partner relationships and outcomes
Authors: Trief Paula M , Jiang Yawen , Beck Roy , Huckfeldt Peter J , Knight Tara , Miller Kellee M , Weinstock Ruth S
Published: September 2015

Health outcomes of adults with type 1 diabetes may be affected by relationship status and quality. Our objective was to examine associations between relationship status, relationship factors, and outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes. N = 1660 participants completed surveys measuring relationship satisfaction and perceived partner support style (active engagement, protective buffering, over-protection). Differences in glycemic control and adherence for those married/partnered versus not were insignificant. Higher relationship satisfaction, and having an engaged, not over-protective, partner was associated with better glycemic control and self-care. Helping partners support patients, avoiding over-protection, may enhance relationship and diabetes-related patient outcomes for adults with type 1 diabetes.
Personality as a mediating variable in condom use among Spanish youth
Authors: Ruiz-Palomino Estefanía , Ballester-Arnal Rafael , Gil-Llario María Dolores
Published: September 2015

Several studies have shown the influence of personality in risky sexual behaviors. This work has sought to establish which personality variables favor or hinder condom use in Spanish youth. A total of 408 young heterosexuals were assessed, divided into risk group (60.8%) and no-risk group (39.2%), according to systematic condom use. The results show statistically significant differences in Openness to Experience ( p = .039), Conscientiousness ( p = .047), Actions ( p = .001), Competence ( p = .024), and Self-discipline ( p = .046). The regression analysis revealed that Compliance explained about 14 percent of the variance in condom use. The tendency to behave in a cooperative, peace-making, and indulgent manner influences in HIV prevention.
Research on grammatical gender and thought in early and emergent bilinguals
Authors: Bassetti Bene , Nicoladis Elena
Published: September 2015

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:

This article reviews recent research on how speaking a language that marks gender grammatically might affect thinking, and on the relationship between grammatical gender knowledge of more than one language, and thinking, in both early and emergent bilinguals.

Design/methodology/approach:

The paper provides a comprehensive review of previous research, as well as an introduction to, and an evaluation of, the articles in this special issue.

Findings/conclusions:

Several themes emerge in the research on grammatical gender and thinking in bilinguals. First, knowledge of more than one language could reduce the effects of grammatical gender on thinking. Second, these effects may depend on the combination of languages being acquired. Third, researchers are starting to identify other variables that might affect when and how grammatical gender influences thinking, including proficiency and the choice of tasks.

Originality:

This manuscript synthesises the previously scattered research on grammatical gender and thinking in bilinguals.

Significance/implications:

This is the first full-length overview paper about the relationship between grammatical gender and thinking in speakers of more than one language.
Through the Eyes of the Participant
Authors: Wilhoit Elizabeth D. , Kisselburgh Lorraine G.
Published: September 2015

In this article, we introduce participant viewpoint ethnography (PVE), a phenomenological video research method that combines reflexive, interview-based data with video capture of actual experiences. In PVE, participants wear a head-mounted camera to record the phenomena of study from their point of view. The researcher and participant then review the video together, and the participant narrates and explains salient practices in the video. This generates both naturalistic video data (providing in situ access to social activities) and reflexive discourses on the activity of study. We detail this method, describing PVE data collection, how it differs from similar methods, the advantages of using it in social research, and potential challenges using the example of research on bike commuters. We conclude by suggesting uses for PVE in multiple areas of research.
Effects of a Psychoeducational Intervention for Direct Care Workers Caring for People With Dementia
Authors: Barbosa Ana , Nolan Mike , Sousa Liliana , Marques Alda , Figueiredo Daniela
Published: September 2015

This study aimed to assess the effects of a psychoeducational intervention, designed to improve direct care workers’ stress, burnout and job satisfaction, and person-centered communicative behavior in people with dementia. A pretest–posttest control group design was conducted in 4 aged-care facilities. Two experimental facilities received a psychoeducational intervention, and 2 control facilities received an education only. Data were gathered from 53 care workers at baseline, immediately, and 6 months after the intervention, through self-administrated instruments and video-recorded morning care sessions. The experimental group showed a significant decrease in care workers’ burnout and a significant improvement in several communicative behaviors (eg, involvement). Stress levels deteriorated at 6 months, and no intervention effects were found for job satisfaction. The findings highlight the importance of providing care workers with both technical competences and tools for stress management, as this might be associated with a reduction in their levels of exhaustion and improved communicative behaviors.
Antenatal Care and Couples’ HIV Testing in Rural Northern Uganda: A Gender Relations Analysis
Authors: Rudrum Sarah , Oliffe John L. , Brown Helen
Published: September 2015

HIV rates continue to increase among heterosexual couples in many countries including Uganda. This article examines approaches to antenatal care and heterosexual partners’ HIV testing in Amuru subcounty, northern Uganda, drawing on findings derived from fieldwork and interviews. The study findings reveal how institutional structures influence the uptake of HIV testing amid power dynamics, wherein many male partners refuse to be tested. Discussed are the coercive approaches to HIV testing in which couples’ participation in HIV testing is leveraged by connecting testing to future maternity care. This article advances understandings about how heterosexual gender relations at the local, regional, and global levels affect the health of women, men, and families in Amuru subcounty.
Drinking Patterns and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex Within Los Angeles County
Authors: Washington Thomas A. , Patel Shivan N. , Meyer-Adams Nancy
Published: September 2015

Alcohol, the most widely used substance among men who have sex with men (85%), remains an important factor in HIV research among this high-risk population. However, research on alcohol use among Black and Latino men who have sex with men (BLMSM), a population disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States, is limited and inconclusive. This study explored sociodemographic and HIV risk with daily heavy and low-risk drinking patterns among BLMSM. BLMSM ( N = 188) aged 18 to 40 years were recruited through social media, local colleges, heteronormative clubs, private men’s groups, gay establishments, and organized events in Los Angeles County. Participants completed self-administered questionnaires. Fisher’s exact tests revealed significant relationships between drinking patterns and condomless insertive anal intercourse ( p = .001), race ( p < .001), age ( p = .02), and perception of alcohol-related HIV risk ( p = .007). The Fisher’s exact tests findings for age held true in the multiple regression model ( p = .014). Findings suggest that BLMSM who engage in higher risk drinking also engage in alcohol-related HIV risk. Culturally competent interventions should consider including a combined focus to explore the synergy between risky drinking patterns and HIV risk among BLMSM.
Intimate Partner Violence Among Men With Disabilities: The Role of Health Care Providers
Authors: Ballan Michelle S. , Freyer Molly Burke , Powledge Lauren
Published: September 2015

Men with disabilities experience higher rates of interpersonal violence (IPV) than either women or men without disabilities, yet research exploring this problem is limited. This retrospective descriptive study examines the clinical files of male survivors of IPV with disabilities who received services from the Secret Garden, a disability-specific nonresidential IPV program located in New York City. These data inform the role health care providers may fill in helping address IPV against men with disabilities. Abuse history, medical and mental health service utilization, and the channels through which men accessed IPV assistance were areas of focus for analysis. Data were analyzed descriptively and outcomes reported as frequencies and percentages. Results indicate that more than half of study participants were abused by an intimate partner (66.2%) and nearly two-thirds described an act of physical abuse as the most serious type of abuse perpetrated (71.7%). Nearly half (40.8%) had previous contact with medical providers due to abuse. The high prevalence of physical abuse in this sample has critical physical and mental health implications, and could further exacerbate already precarious health statuses. While nearly half reported previous contact with health care providers due to abuse, only 15.8% were referred for IPV assistance by a health care provider, indicating a missed opportunity to identify signs of abuse and direct survivors to additional resources.
Fallacies of last observation carried forward analyses
Authors: Lachin John M
Published: September 2015

Background:

Last observation carried forward is a common statistical approach to the analysis of longitudinal repeated measures data where some follow-up observations may be missing. In a last observation carried forward analysis, a missing follow-up visit value is replaced by (imputed as) that subject’s previously observed value, that is, the last observation is carried forward. The combination of the observed and imputed data is then analyzed as though there were no missing data.

Purpose:

There have been numerous statistical demonstrations of faults of this approach. In 2012, the National Research Council’s Panel on Handling Missing Data in Clinical Trials issued a report that raised concerns with the use of last observation carried forward and described alternative methods that offer greater statistical validity. Nevertheless, the method persists, and its use is rampant. A search of the key word “last observation carried forward” using Google Scholar yielded “about 2480” published citations during 2014 alone, the overwhelming majority presenting the results of scientific studies. However, there has not been a simple explanation of the statistical deficiencies of last observation carried forward. Such a description is presented herein.

Results:

A simple repeated measures model is described for quantitative observations at two times (e.g. 1 and 2 years), with complete values at 1 year that are used to impute by last observation carried forward the missing values at 2 years under the missing completely at random assumption. This results in a mixture distribution of observed and imputed values at 2 years with mean and variance that are a function of the mixture of the 1- and 2-year distributions. The expressions show that last observation carried forward is only unbiased when the distribution of the observed values at 1 year is exactly equal to the distribution of the missing values at 2 years, the latter, of course, being unknown.

Limitations:

When the values at 2 years are not randomly missing, no simple expressions for the mean and variance of the mixture distribution are possible without additional unverifiable assumptions.

Conclusion:

All analyses using last observation carried forward are of questionable veracity, if not being outright specious (definition: appearing to be true but actually false). It is hoped that future studies will make a more vigorous attempt to minimize the amount of missing data and that more valid statistical analyses will be employed in cases where missing data occur. Last observation carried forward should not be employed in any analyses.
Ethical complexities in standard of care randomized trials: A case study of morning versus nighttime dosing of blood pressure drugs
Authors: Kim Scott YH , Miller Franklin G
Published: September 2015

Background:

Pragmatic trials comparing “standard of care” treatments provide comparative effectiveness data to make practice of medicine more evidence-based. With electronic health records, recruiting and conducting such trials can be relatively inexpensive. But some worry that the traditional research ethics framework poses unnecessary obstacles and is not appropriate for evaluating such clinical trials. This concern is based on the view (which we call the “Standard of Care Principle”) that such research is similar to usual clinical practice and therefore does not raise significant ethical issues since everyone in the research study will receive an accepted standard of care treatment.

Methods:

A case study of a pragmatic randomized clinical trial (Blood Pressure Medication Timing study) comparing morning versus nighttime dosing of antihypertensive medications. The Blood Pressure Medication Timing study has been proposed as a paradigm example of why the Standard of Care Principle obviates the need for traditional levels of ethical scrutiny and how the current regulatory framework poses unnecessary obstacles to research. We provide an ethical analysis of the Blood Pressure Medication Timing study, drawing on the empirical literature as well as on normative analysis.

Results:

The Standard of Care Principle is the main ethical rationale given by commentators for asserting that the Blood Pressure Medication Timing study does not require “significant ethical debate” and by investigators for the assertion that the Blood Pressure Medication Timing study is minimal risk and thus eligible for lessened regulatory requirements. However, the Blood Pressure Medication Timing study raises important ethical issues, including whether it is even necessary, given the considerable randomized clinical trial evidence in support of nighttime dosing, a much larger (N ≈ 17,000) confirmatory randomized clinical trial already in progress, evidence for safety of nighttime dosing, and the cost-free availability of the intervention. Furthermore, the Standard of Care Principle provides a misleading basis for analyzing the informed consent requirements, especially regarding the requirement to disclose alternative courses of treatment that “might be advantageous to the subject.”

Conclusion:

The Standard of Care Principle is ethically inadequate and misleading even when it is applied to the pragmatic randomized clinical trial proposed as a paradigm case for its application.
Participant recruitment in an online era: A reflection on ethics and identity
Authors: Fileborn Bianca
Published: September 2015

In this article I reflect on my experiences of using Facebook as a recruitment tool. Although there were many benefits associated with using this method of recruitment, there were also several unanticipated ethical dilemmas that arose. This article reflects on these dilemmas, locating them within some broader concerns around online research and privacy, and considers some potential avenues for avoiding similar issues in future research. It became apparent that these ethical issues were heightened for me as a doctoral researcher in a process of identity transition. I consider how this state of ‘shifting’ identity heightened my experience of these ethical tensions, and brought to the fore questions around online identity management and ways of ‘doing’ identity online.
A proactive group maintenance policy for continuously monitored deteriorating systems: Application to offshore wind turbines
Authors: Shafiee Mahmood , Finkelstein Maxim
Published: September 2015

This article presents an optimum proactive group maintenance policy for continuously monitored systems affected by stochastic deterioration (degradation). A system is composed of multiple nonidentical subsystems, each exposed to a gradual degradation phenomenon. When the length (or size) of degradation in a subsystem reaches a predetermined fault threshold, it fails and leads to failure of the whole system. In order to avoid system failures and to improve availability levels, a proactive group maintenance task is conducted once the degradation level of a subsystem exceeds an “alert” threshold (smaller than the fault threshold). In this maintenance task, the critical subsystem undergoes a state-dependent repair action, and a preventive maintenance is performed on the other subsystems. Furthermore, the whole system is preventively replaced because of safety requirements when its operational age attains a fixed value. We formulate a multivariate nonlinear maintenance optimization model to simultaneously determine the optimal alert thresholds for subsystems and the replacement time for system. The performance of the proposed maintenance policy, regarding the objective of minimum system’s average long-run maintenance cost per unit time, is compared to five conventional cases of maintenance policies: the reactive response, individual age-based, individual condition-based, bivariate age- and condition-based, and age-based group maintenance. A numerical example, using real-life data collected from an offshore wind dataset, is presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed model to the maintenance of a group of wind turbine bearings.