bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tourism in Conflict Areas
Authors: Buda Dorina Maria
Published: September 2015

In this article, the workings of tourism in areas of sociopolitical turmoil are critically examined. In so doing the aim is to scrutinize interconnections between tourism, safety, and conflict as I contend that tourism, tourists and the danger generated by ongoing sociopolitical conflicts are intimately connected. The empirical focus is on tourism in Jordan, a country in a region troubled by ongoing conflicts. Fieldwork for this project was carried out in 2009 and 2010. Data were collected from local tourism industry representatives and international tourists in Jordan. Findings indicate that a safety/danger binary is destabilized by industry representatives who operate a “sanitization” process in Jordan meant to erase danger and conflicts from tourism spaces. Tourists in the region also disrupt this binary as they travel to the region in spite of the conflict and downplay violent incidents.
Attachment dimensions’ capacity to predict problem behaviors in an African context
Authors: Mashegoane Solomon , Ramoloto Nthabiseng Phillipine
Published: September 2015

Considerable research links aspects of attachment to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. The association is yet to be established in an African context. Canonical correlation analysis was conducted on the data of 135 primary school learners and their parents and guardians in Mankweng, a township in Polokwane, South Africa, to evaluate the avoidance and anxiety attachment dimensions’ capacity to predict problem behaviors. There was a relationship between learner-reported internalizing problem behaviors and the attachment dimensions avoidance, and to some extent anxiety. Conversely, externalizing could not be predicted from the attachment patterns of the learners. The results are discussed within existing attachment and the problem behavior literature.
Acute traumatic and depressive symptoms in family members of hospitalized individuals with delirium
Authors: Lloyd Robert B , Rosenthal Lisa J
Published: September 2015

Objectives

This study characterized symptoms of acute stress and depression in caregivers present during the hospitalization of a loved one with delirium.

Methods

This is an observational, cross-sectional analysis of caregivers of patients hospitalized with delirium. Standardized questionnaires were used in caregiver interviews to assess psychological reactions to traumatic situations and understanding of medical care.

Results

Of the 40 caregivers recruited, half had significant symptoms of acute stress and 12.5% of caregivers were highly symptomatic across all domains related to trauma. Elevated acute stress was positively correlated with both past or current depression and prior mental health treatment ( p < 0.028). The caregivers who ranked witnessing delirium as having a negative impact on their lives were also at elevated risk ( p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Caregivers witnessing delirium are at elevated risk for experiencing severe acute traumatic and depressive symptoms, and this response might place them at risk for developing traumatic disorders.
Complex Events: Drug Effects and Emergent Causality
Authors: Race Kane
Published: September 2015

This article works with Connolly's (2004) concept of “emergent causality” to counter the insistence on linear expressions of cause and effect in dominant strands of drug prevention evaluation. I elaborate this concept with reference to recent controversies concerning the policing of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The use of sniffer dogs to furnish the reasonable suspicion required to authorize police “stop and search” procedures has been a key part of this controversy. Substantiated in terms of its universal applicability, high visibility and purported deterrent effect, this practice actually forms part of the complex and evolving environment in which new and more dangerous forms of sex-related drug consumption have emerged. Emergent causality makes it possible to see how any element in a given assemblage can acquire contingent agentic capacities. Grasping these developments as events, or processes of eventuation, sets out an active, engaged and agonistic role for research practice.
A “Special Population” with “Unique Treatment Needs”: Dominant Representations of “Women's Substance Abuse” and Their Effects
Authors: Martin Fiona S. , Aston Shaughney
Published: September 2015

A number of studies suggest that the lack of “gender sensitive” drug treatment services for women represents a pressing social problem, second only to the problem of “women's substance abuse” itself. This article interrogates these “problem representations” by asking on what basis they are considered uniquely problematic. Through a critical analysis of research on women published between 1990–2012 in relevant high impact journals, the article identifies a dominant view of women in the drug field as a “special population” with “unique treatment needs.” The article suggests that this view not only reinforces a limited understanding of the harms associated with women's substance abuse, but might also paradoxically enable programs and services for women to remain as “add-ons” and/or narrow the range of “gender sensitive” approaches adopted.
Crowded Contexts: On the Affective Dynamics of Alcohol and other Drug Use in Nightlife Spaces
Authors: Bøhling Frederik
Published: September 2015

The primary aim of this article is to contribute to ongoing debates regarding the role of context in relation to the use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD). I argue that the concepts of imitation, suggestion and crowds, which will be extracted from the writings of Gabriel Tarde (and more recent scholars reinventing his work), enable a rethinking of the questions of subjectivity, agency and context of AOD use that chimes well with recent posthumanist work in the field. By taking into account the emotional, bodily and spatial dimensions of AOD use contexts, the approach I will describe in this article adds a renewed sensitivity to the affective dynamics of crowded nightclub spaces. In the analytical part of the article, drawing on qualitative data from a case study of an electronic music venue in Copenhagen, I examine how alcohol and drug practices and experiences are affectively modulated by masses of people in spaces.
Mephedrone and Multiplicity: User Accounts of Effects and Harms
Authors: O'Neill Nina
Published: September 2015

Around 2009, mephedrone, as well as an array of other novel psychoactive substances, emerged on some “recreational” drug scenes across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, United States (US), and Asia, reportedly bringing with them a host of original and unpredictable risks for users. Some sociological and epidemiological studies have reported on the side effects of mephedrone and presented experiential accounts from users, however, few have included user accounts of risk, and even fewer have highlighted the multiplicity of such experiences. This article aims to shed light on the complexity of drug-related risks by presenting user accounts of effects and harms of mephedrone use. Data are drawn from two qualitative studies conducted in Northern Ireland between 2009 and 2012. Findings highlight the multiple ways in which effects and potential harms of mephedrone are experienced and discussed by users, while highlighting similarities and disparities between user accounts and public discourse.
Tracing the “Event” of Drug Use: “Context” and the Coproduction of a Night Out on MDMA
Authors: Dilkes-Frayne Ella
Published: September 2015

In this article I propose that current research addressing the mediating role of “context” in youth illicit drug use can be complemented by examining drug use “events.” Events analyses capture the temporality, dynamism, and multiplicity often lacking in research into contexts of use. Drawing on Actor Network Theory, I conceptualize the drug-use event as a process of successive mediations, whereby shifting relations bring about transformations and actions including drug use. The methodological aspects of “tracing” drug-use events are discussed before an account of an event in which a young man takes MDMA at a music festival in Melbourne, Australia. Building on this account, I illustrate the value of this approach for rethinking how we conceive of contextual influences on drug use, and suggest how analyzing events could assist the project of harm reduction.
The Influence of Incarceration Length and Protection Status on Perceptions of Prison Social Climate
Authors: Casey Sharon , Day Andrew , Reynolds Jane
Published: September 2015

Using a 2 (incarceration length) × 2 (custody type) between-groups design, the present study assessed whether inmates’ perceptions of the prison social climate were influenced by their security classification and length of time they had been incarcerated. Analyses of data collected from 76 male prisoners who completed a 15-item measure of prison social climate revealed an interaction effect between length of incarceration and protective prisoner status. Those housed in protective custody who had been incarcerated for longer than 6 months rated the social climate significantly more positively than both protective custody prisoners incarcerated for less than 6 months and those not in protective custody. This interaction was strongest on those social climate dimensions relating to therapeutic hold and social cohesion. A univariate effect was also observed whereby protective custody prisoners, irrespective of incarceration length, reported that they experienced the environment as less safe than their mainstream (non-protective custody) counterparts.
A Motivational Interviewing Intervention for the Classroom
Authors: Reich Catherine M. , Howard Sharp Katianne M. , Berman Jeffrey S.
Published: September 2015

Despite attempts to engage students, undergraduate instructors are often challenged by low motivation among students to study outside of the classroom. The current study adapted motivational interviewing, which is often used with therapy clients ambivalent to change, to target college student motivation to study for exams. Findings indicated improved performance on exams following the brief 15- to 20-min intervention. The present study supports both the effectiveness and feasibility of this brief, classroom-based motivational intervention. This psychological intervention might be particularly fitting for psychology classes because an explanation of the intervention itself can serve as an additional learning opportunity.
Applying Equity Theory to Students’ Perceptions of Research Participation Requirements
Authors: Miles Shannon R. , Cromer Lisa DeMarni , Narayan Anupama
Published: September 2015

Human subject pools have been a valuable resource to universities conducting research with student participants. However, the costs and benefits to student participants must be carefully weighed by students, researchers, and institutional review board administrators in order to avoid coercion. Participant perceptions are pivotal in deciding whether coercion is a concern. In the current study, students answered an anonymous survey after completing 3 hr of research-related activities. In order to gauge the relative value of research participation in participants’ eyes, we computed perceived benefits–costs ratios for research participation and for class attendance in a sample of university students. Results indicated that participants thought attendance and research requirements were generally positive experiences even after considering the costs. However, the benefits of research participation decreased with an increase in required research hours. Suggestions on how to increase student benefits and decrease costs of research requirements are provided.
Teaching Leadership
Authors: Riggio Ronald E.
Published: September 2015

The past two decades have seen a growing interest in college courses on leadership in a variety of academic disciplines. The study of leadership has a long history, much of it based on psychology. As a result, psychologists are well informed and quite capable of teaching leadership courses. In this article, I discuss core theories of leadership, make connections to specific areas of psychology, and review current and future trends in leadership research. I also discuss the value that a course on leadership has for undergraduates, as well as specific suggestions for enhancing a psychologist’s ability to teach leadership courses.
The meaning of social adaptation after solid organ transplantation
Authors: Forsberg Anna , Karlsson Veronika , Cavallini Josefin , Lennerling Annette
Published: September 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the meaning of social adaptation among solid organ transplant recipients one year after transplantation. We analysed in-depth interviews from 16 solid organ transplant recipients by means of phenomenological hermeneutics. The informants comprised 11 men and five women with a mean age of 54 years, who had received a kidney, a liver or a heart. We found the organ recipients adjusted their everyday life in order to adapt socially and achieve a normal everyday life. The meaning of social adaptation comprised six main themes revealed by one structural analysis: being restricted, changing habits, re-evaluating one’s body image, redesigning life expectations and life goals, enjoying and expanding the social network and being disappointed in others. We conclude that the core meaning of social adaptation is living a normal life. Social support can be emotional or instrumental and is highly valued when it helps the organ recipient to adapt and achieve normality.
Passive downdraught evaporative cooling wind-towers: A case study using simulation with field-corroborated results
Authors: Kassir Radwan M
Published: September 2015

Passive downdraught evaporative cooling wind-towers (cool-towers) have received special interests for their energy saving potential. Improving their performance and broadening their use will therefore be environmentally and economically beneficial. This paper presents a case study where cool-towers are designed and constructed to provide cool air to the semi-open courtyards of the Princess Nora University campus located in the hot, arid region of Riyadh, KSA. Each courtyard is served by two cool-towers, each of 30 m2 cross-sectional area, 32.8 m height. A brief on the system design is provided. The cool-towers performance is investigated through computational fluid dynamics simulation. Temperature and velocity profiles indicate an induced, cooler air breeze in the courtyard; outside air is cooled from 46℃ to 34–38℃, while the induced space velocity ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 m/s. A 560 kW cooling capacity is attained per tower. A substantial energy saving of around 3.30E+05 kW-h per courtyard per season is achieved. The expended energy associated with the used water is only 1% of the saved cooling energy. The normalized water consumption is around 0.04 kg/s per 100 kW cooling. The effect of distance between the towers on their performance is examined. The predicted performance is corroborated through field measurements.

Practical application: This article looks at a new breed of cooling wind-towers, which artfully blend the traditional principles behind a wind catcher with today’s technological advances. It tackles a study case where cool-towers are designed to cool outdoor courtyards across the Princess Nora Bint Abdul Rahman University (PNU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Using CFD, we find that the cool-towers are capable of generating a relatively comfortable zone in the courtyard. The result is an effective, power-efficient piece of technology that transforms the campus environment and the outdoor experience for students. The PNU cooling wind-towers are exceptional power savers, and demonstrate the power of tradition working in tandem with engineering ingenuity.
Governments matter for capitalist economies: Regeneration and transition to green and decent jobs
Authors: Stroud Dean , Fairbrother Peter , Evans Claire , Blake Joanne
Published: September 2015

Many traditional regions are undergoing change and transformation as industries restructure. The development of ‘green economies’ and the transition to a low-carbon economy offers areas experiencing industrial decline an opportunity to innovate around policies for regeneration. In this process, there is a necessary emphasis on skills development and the creation of decent jobs, but institutional context mediates such processes in different places in different ways. This article argues that an effective transition policy is more likely to emerge where a mutually reciprocal relationship is developed between the state qua government and the social groups that comprise the region, including employers and workers and their representatives. Utilising a ‘varieties of capitalism’ typology in relation to areas of industrial decline in Germany and the UK, the article illustrates the ways in which transition policies are elaborated and implemented, with an explicit focus on decent job creation.
Attitude Certainty and Attitudinal Advocacy
Authors: Cheatham Lauren , Tormala Zakary L.
Published: September 2015

When and why do people advocate on behalf of their attitudes? Past research suggests that attitude certainty is one important determinant. The current research seeks to provide more nuanced insight into this relationship by (a) exploring the unique roles of attitude clarity and attitude correctness, and (b) mapping clarity and correctness onto different forms of advocacy (sharing intentions and persuasion intentions). Across four studies, we find that correctness but not clarity plays an important role in promoting persuasion intentions, whereas both correctness and clarity help shape sharing intentions. Thus, this research unpacks the certainty–advocacy relation and helps identify experimental manipulations that uniquely drive persuasion and sharing intentions.
Is Waiting the Hardest Part? Comparing the Emotional Experiences of Awaiting and Receiving Bad News
Authors: Sweeny Kate , Falkenstein Angelica
Published: September 2015

Awaiting uncertain news is stressful, but is it more stressful than receiving bad news? We compared these emotional experiences in two studies. Participants in Study 1 reflected on a personal experience awaiting news that ultimately turned out badly, and participants in Study 2 were law graduates awaiting their results on the bar exam who ultimately failed the exam. In Study 1, participants were ambivalent as to whether awaiting or receiving bad news was more difficult, and emotion ratings in both studies confirmed this ambivalence. Anxiety was higher in anticipation of bad news (at least at the moment of truth) than in the face of it, whereas other negative emotions were more intense following the news than during the waiting period. Thus, whether waiting is “the hardest part” depends on whether one prefers to be racked with anxiety or afflicted with other negative emotions such as anger, disappointment, depression, and regret.
Cutting Gordian Knots
Authors: Saleem Muniba , Prot Sara , Cikara Mina , Lam Ben C. P. , Anderson Craig A. , Jelic Margareta
Published: September 2015

The positive role of secure attachment in reducing intergroup biases has been suggested in prior studies. We extend this work by testing the effects of secure attachment primes on negative emotions and aggressive behaviors toward outgroup members across four experiments. Results from Studies 1A and 1B reveal that secure attachment prime, relative to neutral, can reduce negative outgroup emotions. In addition, Studies 1B and 3 results rule out positive mood increase as an alternative explanation for the observed effects. Results from Studies 2 and 3 reveal that secure attachment primes can reduce aggressive behavior toward an outgroup member. The effect of secure attachment primes on outgroup harm was found to be fully mediated by negative emotions in Studies 2 and 3. An interaction between secure attachment primes and ingroup identification in Study 2 indicated that the positive effects of secure attachment in reducing outgroup harm may be especially beneficial for highly identified ingroup members.
Dual Commitments to Organizations and Professions: Different Motivational Pathways to Productivity
Authors: Becker Thomas E. , Kernan Mary C. , Clark Kevin D. , Klein Howard J.
Published: September 2015

Commitments to organizations and professions have important implications for behavior in the workplace, but little is known about how these dual commitments combine to affect organizational outcomes. We present a model proposing that commitment to professions influences productivity through a positive effect on intrinsic motivation and a negative effect on extrinsic motivation. Commitment to organizations, conversely, is hypothesized to have a negative effect on intrinsic motivation and a positive effect on extrinsic motivation. We tested the model with a sample of 237 tenured management professors and, overall, the model fit the data well and better than less parsimonious models or ones positing reverse causality. Commitment to the profession was positively related to intrinsic motivation to engage in research and, through this effect, resulted in more challenging research goals, increased commitment to those goals, more hours spent on research, and greater research productivity. Commitment to the organization (university) was positively related to extrinsic motivation and negatively related to intrinsic motivation and was unrelated to goal level, goal commitment, hours spent on research, and research productivity. Our model makes a unique theoretical contribution by revealing the differing paths by which commitments to organizations and professions affect work outcomes, and our results support and extend commitment theory and offer unique insights into posttenure productivity.
Trust and Collaboration in PLC Teams
Authors: Hallam Pamela R. , Smith Henry R. , Hite Julie M. , Hite Steven J. , Wilcox Bradley R.
Published: September 2015

Professional learning communities (PLCs) are being recognized as effective in improving teacher collaboration and student achievement. Trust is critical in effectively implementing the PLC model, and the school principal is best positioned to influence school trust levels. Using five facets of trust, this research sought to clarify the impact of trust among PLC teachers on their team’s collaborative practices. Findings suggested ways that members of successful PLCs built trust. Findings also suggested ways that principals influenced team members’ trust. Successful and unsuccessful PLCs emphasized different facets in describing development of trust, the principal’s role in building trust, and the role of trust in collaboration.
Predictive Validity of Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Tools for Elderly
Authors: Park Seong-Hi , Lee Young-Shin , Kwon Young-Mi
Published: September 2015

Preventing pressure ulcers is one of the most challenging goals existing for today’s health care provider. Currently used tools which assess risk of pressure ulcer development rarely evaluate the accuracy of predictability, especially in older adults. The current study aimed at providing a systemic review and meta-analysis of 29 studies using three pressure ulcer risk assessment tools: Braden, Norton, and Waterlow Scales. Overall predictive validities of pressure ulcer risks in the pooled sensitivity and specificity indicated a similar range with a moderate accuracy level in all three scales, while heterogeneity showed more than 80% variability among studies. The studies applying the Braden Scale used five different cut-off points representing the primary cause of heterogeneity. Results indicate that commonly used screening tools for pressure ulcer risk have limitations regarding validity and accuracy for use with older adults due to heterogeneity among studies.
An exploratory study of visually impaired students’ perceptions of inclusive mathematics education
Authors: Bayram Gözde İrem , Corlu M Sencer , Aydın Emin , Ortaçtepe Deniz , Alapala Burcu
Published: September 2015

The Turkish Disability Act introduced inclusive education to Turkey as a solution to the problems experienced by students with disabilities, including visually impaired students. The main purpose of this study was to explore the challenges faced by visually impaired students learning high school mathematics in inclusive classrooms in Turkey. The data were qualitative, consisting of interviews conducted with three high school graduates; they were analysed using the constant comparison method. In the interviews, students described the effects of various teaching methods on their learning and evaluated the social aspect (broadly speaking) of inclusive education. The results show that while the social needs of visually impaired Turkish students were adequately met through inclusive education, their academic needs were not, which we speculate to be partly because of mathematics teachers’ negative attitudes towards inclusive education.
Vision awareness training for health and social care professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities: Post-training outcomes
Authors: Dick Joanne , Finlayson Janet , Neil June , Mitchell Linda , Robinson Nicola
Published: September 2015

People with intellectual disabilities are 10 times more likely to have a visual impairment, compared to the wider population, yet lack of awareness of their particular vision needs among health and social care professionals can act as a barrier to accessing appropriate care and treatment. Vision awareness training was delivered to 104 health and social care professionals who work with people with intellectual disabilities over a 12-month period. In all, 90 (87%) completed pre- and post-training questionnaires, using repeat measures, to determine training outcomes. Vision awareness training was found to significantly increase health and social care professionals’ knowledge/awareness of the vision needs of people with intellectual disabilities, and their confidence in recognising signs of sights loss and recommending eye test referrals for their clients. Vision awareness training addresses a recognised barrier to effective vision health care delivery for people with intellectual disabilities.
Finding your own way around: Experiences of health and social care provision for people with a visual impairment in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hodge Suzanne , Thetford Clare , Knox Paul , Robinson Jude
Published: September 2015

The systems of support for people with a visual impairment in the United Kingdom are complex and can be difficult to access, involving input from a range of health and social care services. In this article, we report qualitative findings from research looking at people’s experiences of accessing health and social care services. These highlight the inconsistencies and variability in existing systems of support for people with a visual impairment, and show that access to services is largely dependent on the agency and initiative of individual service users in establishing networks of support for themselves. This means that those who are less able to do this may find themselves without the support necessary to maintain or improve their quality of life. We argue that health and social care agencies need to be more proactive in addressing the support needs of people with a visual impairment beyond the point of initial diagnosis or registration.
Visual health awareness, the Scottish community optometry service and Eyecare Integration Project: Breaking barriers in preventing visual impairment
Authors: Cheng Mei-Ling , Henderson Clair , Sinclair Anne , Sanders Roshini
Published: September 2015

There are 34,492 registered with severe or partial sight impairment in Scotland, with 75% aged over 65. With the ageing population, the proportion of those who will develop sight impairing disease will only increase. Therefore, early presentation and treatment are important. Recently, new sight saving treatments and community screening programmes for sight impairing disease have been introduced with concomitant advance in ophthalmic digital imaging.

In order to assess older patients’ attendance of free eye tests, awareness of different sight impairing disease and treatments. We describe the first electronic visual healthcare system within any global public healthcare service – ‘The Scottish Eyecare Integration Project’ – and potential improvements along with the General Ophthalmic Service (GOS) contract.

A 14-point questionnaire was devised to assess 100 patients’ awareness of free annual eye tests, and the three most common causes and treatment for severe sight impairment: age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy (DR).

In all, 82% of patients were aware of the free annual eye tests; however, 31% had not attended community optometrist for over 2 years. There was good awareness of glaucoma (77%), but poor understanding of glaucoma treatment (24%), ARMD (43%) and ARMD treatment (17%). Only 39% of patients had heard of free annual DR screening, but there was a significant difference between the two groups ( p = .0263), with increased awareness in the middle-aged group.

More education is required to encourage the older population to use existing and new eye services. The Scottish Eyecare Integration Project along with the GOS contract is a significant step of change towards meeting the demand for a multidisciplinary approach, bringing ophthalmic care closer to home and into the community.
The influence of foreign scripts on the acquisition of a second language phonological contrast
Authors: Mathieu Lionel
Published: September 2015

Recent studies in the acquisition of a second language (L2) phonology have revealed that orthography can influence the way in which L2 learners come to establish target-like lexical representations (Escudero et al., 2008, 2014; Escudero and Wanrooij, 2010; Showalter, 2012; Showalter and Hayes-Harb, 2013). Most of these studies, however, involve language pairs relying on Roman-based scripts. In comparison, the influence of a foreign or unfamiliar written representation on L2 phonological acquisition remains understudied. The present study therefore considers the effects of three L2 scripts on the early acquisition of an Arabic consonantal contrast word-initially (e.g. /ħal/–/χal/). Monolingual native speakers of English with no prior knowledge of Arabic participated in a word-learning experiment where they were instructed to learn six pairs of minimally contrastive words, each associated with a unique visual referent. Participants were assigned to one of four learning conditions: no orthography, Arabic script, Cyrillic script, and Roman/Cyrillic blended script. After an initial learning phase, participants were then tested on their phonological knowledge of these L2 minimal pairs. The results show that the degree of script unfamiliarity does not in itself seem to significantly affect the successful acquisition of this particular phonological contrast. However, the presence of certain foreign scripts in the course of phonological acquisition can yield significantly different learning outcomes in comparison to having no orthographic representation available. Specifically, the Arabic script exerted an inhibitory effect on L2 phonological acquisition, while the Cyrillic and Roman/Cyrillic blended scripts exercised differential inhibitory effects based on whether grapheme–phoneme correspondences activated first language (L1) phonological units. Besides revealing, for the first time, that foreign written input can significantly hinder learners’ ability to reliably encode an L2 phonological contrast, this study also provides further evidence for the irrepressible hold of native orthographic rules on L2 phonological acquisition.
Progressive multi-component home-based physical therapy for deconditioned older adults following acute hospitalization: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Stevens-Lapsley Jennifer E , Loyd Brian J , Falvey Jason R , Figiel Greg J , Kittelson Andrew J , Cumbler Ethan U , Mangione Kathleen K
Published: September 2015

Objective:

To determine whether a progressive multicomponent physical therapy intervention in the home setting can improve functional mobility for deconditioned older adults following acute hospitalization.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Patient homes in the Denver, CO, metropolitan area.

Participants:

A total of 22 homebound older adults age 65 and older (mean ± SD; 85.4 ±7.83); 12 were randomized to intervention group and 10 to the control group.

Intervention:

The progressive multicomponent intervention consisted of home-based progressive strength, mobility and activities of daily living training. The control group consisted of usual care rehabilitation.

Measurements:

A 4-meter walking speed, modified Physical Performance Test, Short Physical Performance Battery, 6-minute walk test.

Results:

At the 60-day time point, the progressive multicomponent intervention group had significantly greater improvements in walking speed (mean change: 0.36 m/s vs. 0.14 m/s, p = 0.04), modified physical performance test (mean change: 6.18 vs. 0.98, p = 0.02) and Short Physical Performance Battery scores (mean change: 2.94 vs. 0.38, p = 0.02) compared with the usual care group. The progressive multicomponent intervention group also had a trend towards significant improvement in the 6-minute walk test at 60 days (mean change: 119.65 m vs. 19.28 m; p = 0.07). No adverse events associated with intervention were recorded.

Conclusions:

The progressive multicomponent intervention improved patient functional mobility following acute hospitalization more than usual care. Results from this study support the safety and feasibility of conducting a larger randomized controlled trial of progressive multicomponent intervention in this population. A more definitive study would require 150 patients to verify these conclusions given the effect sizes observed.
Preferences for Vaccination
Authors: Veldwijk Jorien , van der Heide Iris , Rademakers Jany , Schuit A. Jantine , de Wit G. Ardine , Uiters Ellen , Lambooij Mattijs S.
Published: September 2015

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to examine to what extent health literacy is associated with parental preferences concerning childhood vaccination. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 467 Dutch parents of newborns aged 6 weeks (response rate of 37%). A self-reported questionnaire was used to measure health literacy by means of Chew’s Set of Brief Screening Questions, as well as parental preferences for rotavirus vaccination by means of a discrete choice experiment. Five rotavirus-related characteristics were included (i.e., vaccine effectiveness, frequency of severe side effects, location of vaccination, protection duration, and out-of-pocket costs). Panel latent class models were conducted, and health literacy and educational level were added to the class probability model to determine the association between health literacy and study outcomes. Results. Lower educated and lower health literate respondents considered protection duration to be more important and vaccine effectiveness and frequency of severe side effects to be less important compared with higher educated and higher health literate respondents. While all respondents were willing to vaccinate against rotavirus when the vaccine was offered as part of the National Immunization Program, only lower educated and lower health literate parents were willing to vaccinate when the vaccine was offered on the free market. Conclusion: Health literacy is associated with parents’ preferences for rotavirus vaccination. Whether differences in vaccination decisions are actually due to varying preferences or might be better explained by varying levels of understanding should be further investigated. To contribute to more accurate interpretation of study results, it may be advisable that researchers measure and report health literacy when they study vaccination decision behavior.
Adaptive informative path planning in metric spaces
Authors: Lim Zhan Wei , Hsu David , Lee Wee Sun
Published: September 2015

In contrast to classic geometric motion planning, informative path planning (IPP) seeks a path for a robot to sense the world and gain information. In adaptive IPP, the robot chooses the next sensing location conditioned on all information acquired so far, and the robot’s goal is to minimize the travel cost required for identifying a true hypothesis. Adaptive IPP is NP-hard, because the robot must trade-off information gain and travel cost optimally. In this paper we present Recursive Adaptive Identification (RAId), a new polynomial-time approximation algorithm for adaptive IPP. We prove a polylogarithmic approximation bound when the robot travels in a metric space. Furthermore, our experiments suggest that RAId is practical and provides good approximate solutions for two distinct robot planning tasks. Although RAId is designed primarily for noiseless observations, a simple extension allows it to handle some tasks with noisy observations.
Dynamics for variable length multisection continuum arms
Authors: Godage Isuru S. , Medrano-Cerda Gustavo A. , Branson David T. , Guglielmino Emanuele , Caldwell Darwin G.
Published: September 2015

Variable length multisection continuum arms are a class of continuum robotic manipulators that generate motion by structural mechanical deformation. Unlike most continuum robots, the sections of these arms do not have (central) supporting flexible backbone, and are actuated by multiple variable length actuators. Because of the constraining nature of actuators, the continuum sections can bend and/or elongate (compress) depending on the elongation/contraction characteristics of the actuators being used. Continuum arms have a number of distinctive differences with respect to traditional rigid arms namely: smooth bending, high inherent compliance, and adaptive whole arm grasping. However, due to numerical instability and the complexity of curve parametric models, there are no spatial dynamic models for multisection continuum arms. This paper introduces novel spatial dynamics and applies these to variable length multisection continuum arms with any number of sections. An efficient recursive computational scheme for deriving the equations of motion is presented. This is applied in a general form based on structurally accurate and numerically well-posed modal kinematics that assumes circular arc deformation of continuum sections without torsion. It is shown that the proposed modal dynamics are highly scalable, producing efficient and accurate numerical results. The spatial dynamic simulation results are experimentally validated using a pneumatic muscle actuated multisection prototype continuum arm. For the first time this enables investigation of spatial dynamic effects in this class of continuum arms.
Combination of radiofrequency ablation with transarterial chemoembolization for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: experience from a Danish tertiary liver center
Authors: Bharadwaz Arindam , Bak-Fredslund Kirstine Petrea , Villadsen Gerda Elisabeth , Nielsen Jens Erik , Simonsen Kira , Sandahl Thomas Damgaard , Grønbæk Henning , Nielsen Dennis Tønner
Published: September 2015

Background

Recent studies have shown that the combination of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may offer a survival advantage compared to monotherapy.

Purpose

To study the effectiveness of combination therapy with RFA and TACE compared to that of TACE alone in a Scandinavian tertiary liver cancer center.

Material and Methods

A retrospective study of the patients treated with combination therapy vis-à-vis TACE alone from June 2007 to November 2012 was performed. Eighteen patients were treated with a combination of RFA and TACE with an interval of 1–4 days between the treatments. For comparison, a group of 18 patients treated with TACE as monotherapy in the same time period was matched with the combination group by demographic data, tumor characteristics, biochemical and clinical parameters, and performance status (PS).

Results

Each group consisted of 14 patients with cirrhosis and four without. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding age, gender, tumor characteristics, causes of cirrhosis, levels of bilirubin, creatinine, prothrombin time, Child Pugh score, or World Health Organization (WHO) performance status. The median survival of patients in the RFA + TACE combination group was 586 days compared to 296 days in the control group. The difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.26). However, when we stratified the data for cirrhosis and WHO performance status, patients in the combination group had significantly better survival ( P = 0.024).

Conclusion

Combination therapy with RFA and TACE for unresectable HCC, compared to TACE alone, may offer a survival benefit for a selected group of patients with HCC.
Evaluation of rapid immunochromatographic tests for norovirus in neonatal and infant faecal specimens
Authors: Takahashi Nobumasa , Nojima Ikuko , Araki Tooru , Takasugi Mizue , Sakane Tomoko , Kodera Aya , Ikeda Masanori , Tsukahara Hirokazu
Published: September 2015

Objectives

To compare the diagnostic performance of two norovirus rapid immunochromatographic kits (QuickNavi®-Norovirus [QN] and QuickNavi®-Norovirus 2 [QN2]; Denka Seiken, Niigata, Japan) for neonatal and infant faecal specimens.

Methods

Monthly faecal samples were collected from infants from birth to 12 months of age, and tested for norovirus using QN and QN2. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) was used as the gold standard for norovirus detection. The diagnostic performance of the kits was calculated.

Results

A total of 343 specimens from 81 infants were analysed. In all samples, the specificity of QN and QN2 was 80% (275/343) and 99% (339/343), respectively. In infants aged <1 month, the specificity of QN was 33% (23/70), increasing to 93% at 4 months of age. Specificity of QN2 was ≥94% in infants between 0 and 12 months of age.

Conclusions

QN2 offers improved performance and is more useful than QN for the diagnosis of norovirus infection in the neonatal and infant period.
Correlating peer and tutor assessment on a low-stakes engineering assignment
Authors: Montalvão Diogo , Baker Thomas
Published: September 2015

Peer assessment has been a subject of great debate in recent years. The way students perceive assessment and what motivates them when assessing may differ significantly from the tutor. This paper discusses a study designed to correlate students’ marking with the marks awarded by their tutors when peer assessing one another from in-class oral presentations. A new and alternative approach to correlate results is presented, which is based on the normalisation of the quantitative judgements based on determined criteria. The methodology was blind and holistic, as described in previous works: some guidelines were provided to the students on what is considered acceptable without getting into detail ( holistic marking), and peer-assessment marks were made confidential ( blind approach). It was observed that students have a tendency to overrate fellow students – especially where lower marks might be awarded. There is, however, direct agreement with the tutor’s marking in terms of qualitative judgements, which is highlighted by the presented correlation method used to adjust students’ marks. The presented methodology to correlate marks between the students and tutor showed to be a promising one. After processing the data with this simple and straightforward algorithm, peer and tutor assessment practically showed a perfect match.
Outcomes of Trauma-Informed Interventions for Incarcerated Women
Authors: King Erin A.
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this article was to conduct a review of experimental, quasi-experimental, and pre-test/post-test studies using manualized, trauma-informed interventions with incarcerated women. A systematic search of electronic databases, reference harvesting, and communication with experts were used to identify relevant primary studies. Nine studies meeting the specified inclusion/exclusion criteria were identified. Three studies used random assignment and five used a comparison or waitlist group. Interventions identified included Seeking Safety, Helping Women Recover/Beyond Trauma, Esuba, and Beyond Violence. Results of the studies indicate a decrease in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and an additive effect to treatment as usual. Initial evidence for trauma-informed interventions for incarcerated women appears positive; however, replication using more rigorous research designs and inclusion of effect sizes are recommended. Limitations of this review include exclusion of the gray literature and lack of meta-analysis.
Taking Root in the Rubble: Trauma and Moral Subjectivity in the Book of Lamentations
Authors: Williamson Robert
Published: September 2015

Written in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 bce, the book of Lamentations considers moral subjectivity primarily in terms of the Deuteronomic covenant, which attributes the fall of Jerusalem to the sins of the people. While largely affirming this traditional view, this article argues that Lamentations at several points appears to question its adequacy in accounting for the lived experiences of the community. Instead of blaming the community as a whole for wrongdoing, several verses differentiate the righteous actions of the community as a whole from the sinful actions of the priests and prophets (2.14; 4.13), as well as the ancestors (5.7). Further, Lamentations begins to question God's own exercise of moral subjectivity, suggesting that God has acted under the influence of outside forces (3.32–33) and without proper openness to the intervention from the people in the form of prayer (3.43–44). While these isolated challenges to the Deuteronomic model of moral subjectivity ultimately collapse back into the traditional view, they indicate cracks in the veneer of the Deuteronomic model of moral subjectivity where new ways of symbolizing moral subjectivity may take root in the texts of the Second Temple period.
The Internal Infinite: Deleuze, Subjectivity, and Moral Agency in Ecclesiastes
Authors: Hankins Davis
Published: September 2015

Throughout Second Temple Judaism many understood human subjectivity as finite, but this finitude was conceptualized in different ways. For most, humans are finite because they are limited or excluded from an ideal fullness that lies beyond them. In contrast, for Qohelet human subjects are limited because God has hard-wired a non-finite condition within them. Human being is split, barred from any sense of fulfillment and kept open to a perpetual process of becoming something different. Moreover, as Qohelet repeatedly notes in his refrain that everything is ‭לבה‬, this essential alienation is shared throughout the material and social worlds. For Qohelet, this condition is also creative. It enables subjects to experience affects and forge social solidarities that are not determined by their material conditions and social relations. Ecclesiastes conjures moral agents out of this shared alienation by making their affective attachments to the world and to others an ethical concern. Far from trite endorsements of simple pleasures, Qohelet's exhortations to enjoy force subjects to reflect critically on how they respond to and create social and political projects. Ecclesiastes’ commendations of enjoyment push readers to immerse themselves passionately in their singularity, even while they summon readers beyond normative sociality to active participation in the constant transformation of their social and individual lives.