bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The energy-absorbing properties of internally reinforced composite-metal cylinders with various diameter-to-thickness ratios
Authors: Alia RA , Guan ZW , Umer R , Cantwell WJ
Published: March 2015

In order to enhance the energy-absorbing behaviour of both new and existing metallic structures, metal cylinders are reinforced by inserting an internal composite cylinder. Initially, the energy-absorbing characteristics of the individual composite and metal rings with a large variety of the diameter-to-thickness ratios is assessed separately through a series of compression crushing tests, prior to testing the metal-composite hybrids. It was found that the values of specific energy absorption for the composite rings varied from 48.1 to 93.3 kJ/kg and those for the aluminium systems from approximately 20.9 to 70.1 kJ/kg. Here, the smaller aluminium rings failed in a localised buckling mode, whereas some of the larger rings failed in a low-energy fracture mode. In contrast, the small diameter composite samples failed in a combination of splaying and fragmentation modes, reducing the rings to small fragments and fine debris. The larger diameter rings failed in a delamination/splitting mode involving lower levels of energy absorption. However, the specific energy absorption values for the aluminium-composite structures were higher than the individual aluminium rings. The percentage increase in specific energy absorption ranged from 20 to 70% as the outer ring diameter was increased from approximately 19 to 66 mm. This evidence suggests that composite cylinders and tubing can be inserted into new or existing metallic components in order to greatly enhance their energy-absorbing behaviour.
Citizen Participation in Local Government Decision Making
Authors: Huang Wan-Ling , Feeney Mary K.
Published: March 2015

Engaging the public in government decision making is an important value and priority in a democratic society. Although there is research investigating public perceptions of citizen participation opportunities and efforts, little research focuses on understanding the motivations that public managers have to encourage citizen participation. This research seeks to understand the ways in which public managers’ motivations are related to engaging the public in organizational decision making. We use data from two national surveys of U.S. local government managers conducted in 2010 and 2012 to investigate the extent to which performance-based rewards and public service motivation (PSM) contribute to citizen participation in government decision making and examine the ways in which the relationship between PSM and citizen participation is moderated by performance-based rewards and mediated by value congruence. The results indicate that performance-based rewards are negatively related to citizen participation in government decision making whereas PSM is positively related to citizen participation both directly and indirectly through person–organization value congruence.
Structure of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support for Undocumented Hispanic Immigrants
Authors: Cobb Cory L. , Xie Dong
Published: March 2015

This study examined the structure of the Spanish version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) among a sample of 122 undocumented Hispanic immigrants. The component structure of the scale was examined using principal components analysis (PCA). Contrary to the findings of the original three-subscale structure (Friends, Family, and Significant Other), the results yielded a two-subscale structure (Friends and Family/Significant Other), indicating a merging between two of the subscales. Internal consistency was examined and found the Spanish version of the MSPSS reliable. It appears that this version of the MSPSS is useful for undocumented Hispanic immigrants, given that the measure be used with two subscales as opposed to three.
Toxic effects of ionic liquid 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide on the antioxidant defense system of freshwater planarian, Dugesia japonica
Authors: Zhang He-Cai , Shi Chang-Ying , Sun Li-Qun , Wang Fan , Chen Guang-Wen
Published: March 2015

The activities of antioxidant enzymes and the levels of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined when freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica was exposed to different concentrations of 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C8mim]Br) for one, three, and five days. The results showed that superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity began to increase in all treated groups after three days of exposure, while catalase (CAT) activity was inhibited after the first day, but increased notably on the fifth day except for the lowest concentration group. The activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) was induced from the first day of exposure and increased significantly after five days in all treated groups. During the experiment, the levels of intracellular GSH in all treated groups were higher than that of the control group. Changes in MDA suggest that [C8mim]Br is toxic to D. japonica and may result in lipid peroxidation in planarian. Our results also indicate that GPX as well as GSH seem to be more sensitive biomarkers of oxidative stress compared with SOD and CAT.
Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Due to Community Violence Among University Students in the World’s Most Dangerous Megacity
Authors: Khan Abdul Ahad , Haider Ghani , Sheikh Maryam Rahim , Ali Ambreen Fatima , Khalid Zain , Tahir Muhammad Munaim , Malik Tayyaba Maqbool , Salick Muhammad Musa , Lakhani Laila Saleem , Yousuf Fatimah Sireen , Khan Muhammad Babar , Saleem Sarah
Published: March 2015

Community violence among the youth can lead to a number of adverse psychiatric outcomes including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, little research has been conducted in non-Western countries to assess this problem. This study aims to fill the void by assessing the lifetime exposure to traumatic events and burden of probable PTSD among university students in Karachi, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted at four private institutions in Karachi. Self-administered questionnaires were filled out by 320 students. Lifetime exposure and symptoms of PTSD were assessed using modified Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist–Civilian Version (PCL-C) questionnaires, respectively. A PCL-C score of 44 or above was used as cutoff for probable PTSD. Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the association between PTSD and different variables at a level of significance of 5%. Ninety-three percent of the respondents reported having lifetime exposure to at least one traumatic event with sudden unexpected death of a loved one ( n = 187) and assaultive violence ( n = 169) being the commonest reported traumatic events. Positive association for PTSD was seen with enduring physical attacks and motor vehicle accidents. Over a quarter of the students screened positive for probable PTSD, among them almost one third were male and 17% were female. Our results indicate a high exposure to violent events and elevated rates of lifetime PTSD among urban youth. Reduction in violence and better access to mental health facilities is warranted to decrease the health burden of PTSD in Pakistan.
The Relationship Between Exposure to Violence and Anger in Thai Adolescents
Authors: Wongtongkam Nualnong , Ward Paul R. , Day Andrew , Winefield Anthony H.
Published: March 2015

Youth violence is a serious public health problem in Thailand, and yet is poorly understood and is thought to vary considerably between metropolitan and rural areas. This article reports the findings of a cross-sectional study involving 1,170 technical college students who completed self-report questionnaires assessing the frequency of violent acts, antisocial behavior, and angry emotion. There were no differences in self-reported violent activities between metropolitan and rural participants, but those attending colleges in the metropolitan areas reported more acts involving weapons. Scores on the measure of anger expression predicted physical and verbal assault, specifically punching and name calling, suggesting that the implementation of interventions which help students to improve control over anger may be a useful violence prevention approach.
Childhood Maltreatment and Revictimization in a Homeless Population
Authors: Edalati Hanie , Krausz Michael , Schütz Christian G.
Published: March 2015

We examined the hypothesis that exposure to childhood maltreatment increases the vulnerability to Adult Victimization (AV) in a homeless population ( N = 500). We also investigated the effects of specific types (emotional, physical, and sexual) and cumulative experience of childhood maltreatment on AV, and whether gender moderates these relationships. All three groups with AV experience (emotional, physical, and sexual) indicated higher exposure to childhood abuse and cumulative maltreatment, and those who were sexually victimized as an adult showed higher exposure to childhood neglect. In addition, exposure to childhood maltreatment had type-specific and cumulative effects on AV. Exposure to all types of childhood abuse maintained a strong direct association with AV, regardless of demographic characteristics, including age, ethnicity, marital status, education level, and housing situation. In addition, exposure to physical neglect showed a significant relationship with Adult Sexual Victimization. Cumulative experience of childhood maltreatment was consistently associated with cumulative risk of experiencing AV. Gender had no significant effect on these relationships. Findings suggest that intervention programs in homeless population should consider the history of childhood maltreatment and its characteristics to increase the effectiveness of intervention strategies for AV in this population.
Capitalism Hasn’t Failed Us: Star Parker, the Housing Crisis, and Moral Hazard
Authors: Prisock Louis
Published: March 2015

According to legal scholar Sumi Cho, an important role conservatives of color play in the larger conservative movement is functioning in the role of racial mascots. Racial mascotting is when conservative individuals of color are embraced by their white peers with the purpose of helping to deflect charges of racism from critics. Conservative social activist Star Parker contends that the practice of welfare capitalism, as illustrated by the Community Reinvestment Act’s mandate to banks to provide services to underserved minority and low income communities, was one factor that contributed to the subsequent housing crisis. Parker also asserts that mortgage relief programs, similar to other domestic social programs like welfare, produce a form of moral hazard among its recipients because both programs appear to reward an individual’s poor behavior instead of making them accountable for their actions. I argue that in addition to Parker’s analysis of the housing crisis being empirically flawed, her idealized construction of an American society functioning under the rule of laissez-faire capitalism where racism’s impact on the opportunity chances of African Americans is minimal ultimately allows for the maintenance of an American social structure where ‘whiteness’ and racial inequality reign supreme.
Effect of routing flexibility and sequencing rules on performance of stochastic flexible job shop manufacturing system with setup times: Simulation approach
Authors: Sharma Pankaj , Jain Ajai
Published: March 2015

Routing flexibility is a major contributor towards flexibility of a flexible job shop manufacturing system. This article focuses on a simulation-based experimental study on the effect of routing flexibility and sequencing rules on the performance of a stochastic flexible job shop manufacturing system with sequence-dependent setup times while considering dynamic arrival of job types. Six route flexibility levels and six sequencing rules are considered for detailed study. The performance of manufacturing system is evaluated in terms of flow time related and due date–related measures. Results reveal that routing flexibility and sequencing rules have significant impact on system performance, and the performance of a system can be increased by incorporating routing flexibility. Furthermore, the system performance starts deteriorating as the level of route flexibility is increased beyond a particular limit for a specified sequencing rule. The statistical analysis of the results indicates that when flexibility exists, earliest due date rule emerges as a best sequencing rule for maximum flow time, mean tardiness and maximum tardiness performance measures. Furthermore, smallest setup time rule is better than other sequencing rules for mean flow time and number of tardy jobs performance measures. Route flexibility level two provides best performance for all considered measures.
Analysis of topological characteristics in air traffic situation networks
Authors: Hongyong Wang , Ruiying Wen , Yifei Zhao
Published: March 2015

In the face of growing demand for air traffic, there is a clear need to measure how difficult a given air traffic situation looks. Currently, the concept of air traffic complexity is usually used to describe the air traffic situation. As yet, not enough work has been done on the between-aircraft proximity from the perspective of structure. This paper proposed a method for description of structural characteristics of air traffic situation based on the theory of complex network, which provides a new clue to precisely describe the air traffic situation complexity. The routinely recorded radar data are collected to construct air traffic situation network with aircraft regarded as node, and the between-aircraft proximity relation as edge. The air traffic situation network under three thresholds were statistically analyzed using network topology indices including degree, edge, connection rate, and network structure entropy. The results show that the inherent structure characteristics can provide an intuitionistic and accessible metrics to measure air traffic situation. For example, node degree can distinguish the key aircraft in the sector; the network connection rate reflects the proximity of aircraft; the network structure entropy reflects the homogeneity of aircraft node degrees.
Primary prophylaxis to prevent obstetric complications in asymptomatic women with antiphospholipid antibodies: a systematic review
Authors: Amengual O , Fujita D , Ota E , Carmona L , Oku K , Sugiura-Ogasawara M , Murashima A , Atsumi T
Published: March 2015

Objective

Obstetric complications are common in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome. However, the impact of antiphosholipid antibodies (aPL) in the pregnancy outcomes of asymptomatic aPL carriers is uncertain. The aim of this systematic review is to assess whether primary prophylaxis is beneficial to prevent obstetric complications during pregnancy in asymptomatic women positive for aPL who have no history of recurrent pregnancy loss or intrauterine fetal death.

Methods

Studies evaluating the effect of prophylactic treatment versus no treatment in asymptomatic pregnant aPL carriers were identified in an electronic database search. Design, population and outcome homogeneity of studies was assessed and meta-analysis was performed. The pooled Mantel–Haenszel relative risk of specific pregnancy outcomes was obtained using random effects models. Heterogeneity was measured with the I2 statistic. All analyses were conducted using Review Manager 5.3.

Results

Data from five studies involving 154 pregnancies were included and three studies were meta-analysed. The risk ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) of live birth rates, preterm birth, low birth weight and overall pregnancy complications in treated and untreated pregnancies were 1.14 (0.18–7.31); 1.71 (0.32–8.98); 0.98 (0.07–13.54) and 2.15 (0.63–7.33),respectively. Results from the meta-analysis revealed that prophylactic treatment with aspirin is not superior to placebo to prevent pregnancy complications in asymptomatic aPL carriers.

Conclusion

This systematic review did not find evidence of the superiority of prophylactic treatment with aspirin compared to placebo or usual care to prevent unfavourable obstetric outcomes in otherwise healthy women with aPL during the first pregnancy.
Measuring the perceived uncertainty of scientific evidence and its relationship to engagement with science
Authors: Retzbach Joachim , Otto Lukas , Maier Michaela
Published: March 2015

Many scholars have argued for the need to communicate openly not only scientific successes to the public but also limitations, such as the tentativeness of research findings, in order to enhance public trust and engagement. Yet, it has not been quantitatively assessed how the perception of scientific uncertainties relates to engagement with science on an individual level. In this article, we report the development and testing of a new questionnaire in English and German measuring the perceived uncertainty of scientific evidence. Results indicate that the scale is reliable and valid in both language versions and that its two subscales are differentially related to measures of engagement: Science-friendly attitudes were positively related only to ‘subjectively’ perceived uncertainty, whereas interest in science as well as behavioural engagement actions and intentions were largely uncorrelated. We conclude that perceiving scientific knowledge to be uncertain is only weakly, but positively related to engagement with science.
Evaluating elements of trust: Race and class in risk communication in post-Katrina New Orleans
Authors: Battistoli B.F.
Published: March 2015

This study seeks to determine the relative influence of race and class on trust in sources of messages of environmental risk in post-Katrina New Orleans. It poses two hypotheses to test that influence: H1—African-Americans (“Blacks”) trust risk message sources less than European American (“Whites”) do and H2—The higher the socioeconomic class, the lower the trust in risk message sources. A 37-question telephone survey (landlines and cellphones) was conducted in Orleans Parish in 2012 ( n = 414). The overall margin of error was ±4.8% at a 95% confidence interval. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the first hypothesis was rejected, while the second was supported. Additional data analysis revealed that frequency of use of sources of risk information appears to be a positive factor in building trust.
Manipulating neoliberal rhetoric: Clientelism in the run-up to international summits in Russia
Authors: Trubina Elena
Published: March 2015

Many accounts of mega-events emphasize their ability to facilitate the accumulation of capital and place them in the framework of urban entrepreneurialism. This paper examines the ways mega-events—with the help of capitalist boosterism rhetoric—become intertwined in regional and urban policies. Using the run-ups to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa summits as case studies (Ekaterinburg in 2009 and Ufa in 2015), I investigate local citizens’ and stakeholders’ perceptions of federal and local governmental action surrounding mega-events in Russia. Drawing on the theoretical notion of clientelism, I argue that the hidden rationality in the preparation for mega-events consists of their use by local stakeholders (1) as a legitimizing tool for raising their political and economic capital and (2) as a convenient pretext to directly and indirectly elicit benefits and amplify existing practices of rent seeking. Planners evoke neoliberal rhetorics of growth and profit-oriented investments to justify the “conversations” that various ranks of elite have among themselves. The run-up to a summit is part of a strategy by regional and municipal leaders to win the President’s favour by engaging in prestigious international events.
Europe is not elsewhere: The mobilization of an immobile policy in the lobbying by Perm (Russia) for the European Capital of Culture title
Authors: Oancă Alexandra
Published: March 2015

Alongside the increased mobilization for mega-events, multiple immobilities and partial mobilities can be witnessed. Although the literature on the ‘mobility turn’ and the scholarship on urban policy mobilities both acknowledge the existence and importance of immobilization and immobility, immobility is under researched and relegated to a passive position. (Im)mobility is neither a thing nor a characteristic of things: a country or city are not mobile in themselves but in relation to (im)mobilization processes. By using the case of the lobbying by Perm (Russia) for the European Capital of Culture (a cultural policy and mega-event reserved for European Union member states), this paper focuses on the politics and practices of (im)mobilization and on the membership in awarding institutions as one of the factors which limit the mobilization of mega-events. Based on semi-structured interviews with key actors and archival research examining official policy documents and media accounts, the paper documents the politics, channels and practices of the mobilization of an immobile policy. The mobilization of immobile policies works by trying to overcome the constitution of policies as (im)mobile and the factors which limit mobilization, in this case the identity-building and region-building project of the European Union. The European Capital of Culture is a highly mobile policy within the European Union, which was constructed to produce ‘Europe’ as a political, economic and cultural space. The ‘role of elsewhere’ and of the informational infrastructure (reports, models, experts, consultancies, etc.) which was developed for a smoother circulation inside the geographical scope of the policy, permitted it to travel outside, and enables the creation of new policies and events modelled on an immobile policy.
Global games, local rules: Mega-events in the post-socialist world
Authors: Müller Martin , Pickles John
Published: March 2015

In the past decade mega-events have entered a new phase of global reach, as post-socialist countries in Eurasia, from Poland to Russia, have or will become host to some of the largest events on earth: the Olympic Games in Sochi (2014), the Football World Cup in Russia (2018), the Football European Championship in Poland and Ukraine (2012), Expo in Astana (2017), the Asian Winter Games in Almaty (2011) and the Universiade in Kazan (2013), as well as a series of high-level political summits including the APEC and the BRICS summits in Russia. Although these mega-events are global, the various institutional, economic and cultural constellations and recombinant forms of rule that have emerged in their post-socialist host countries have shaped fundamentally the planning and organisation of each mega-event in unique ways. In each case, mega-events in post-socialist countries have involved a strong role for the central state and neopatrimonial forms of resource allocation. The events are meant to demonstrate to the rest of the world that the cities and countries once behind the Iron Curtain have at long last arrived in global modernity. While the rhetoric of worldwide competition, nationalist pride and one-upmanship between event organisers may be global, policies, knowledge and ideas connected to the events tend not to move unchanged to the post-socialist world.
Assessing Women Empowerment in Africa
Authors: Adjei Stephen Baffour
Published: March 2015

This review discusses the religious and cultural challenges to the empowerment of women in some patriarchal societies in Africa. The article takes a critical reflection on some of the contextual deficiencies of the gender empowerment measure (GEM) developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a universal benchmark for assessing gender inequality. It has been highlighted that agency is a necessary component in the conceptualisation and realisation of women empowerment particularly in Africa. The article further demonstrates that the GEM has capitalist, elitist and Eurocentric biases that account for a relatively small percentage of women in the formal sector of the African economy. The nuances of multiple and overlapping identities of women in many African countries that are not adequately encapsulated in the scope of the GEM are discussed. It is thus concluded that women empowerment measures and indicators should be sensitive to the context and values of those it seeks to assess rather than adopting abstract mappings that tend to reduce and universalise all women in all societies.
Demonising the Victim
Authors: Putra Idhamsyah Eka , Mashuri Ali , Zaduqisti Esti
Published: March 2015

The current study aims to understand victim blaming of Ahmadiyya group by majority Sunni Islam in Indonesia. We included ingroup essentialisation, outgroup essentialisation, identity undermining and belief in conspiracy theory as predictors of victim blaming. Results of a survey among 147 Muslims majority Sunni Islam shows that the relationship between identity undermining and victim blaming is stronger for individuals holding ingroup de-essentialisation compared to those with ingroup essentialisation. Moreover, belief in conspiracy theory was found to mediate the effect of the interaction variable of identity undermining and ingroup essentialisation on victim blaming. In addition, outgroup essentialisation was found correlated with belief in conspiracy theory but did not play a significant role to moderate the effect of identity undermining on belief in conspiracy theory and victim blaming. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Voices of Trauma and Resilience
Authors: Swaroop Sujata Regina , DeLoach Chanté D.
Published: March 2015

Due to war-related conflict and monsoon flooding, the number of internally displaced persons residing within and refugees or asylum seekers originating from Pakistan has reached over two million. Such displacement trends necessitate increased understanding of culturally specific trauma reactions for this population. This predominantly qualitative exploratory study utilised a concurrent mixed methods triangulation design within an action research methodology to examine trauma-related symptomatology and phenomenological perspectives on internal displacement for Pakistani women. Results indicate: (a) significant experiences of distress including multiple displacements, separation from family, loss of property, experiences of terror and exposure to personal and community violence as well as (b) effects of distress including altered feeling states, awareness of consciousness and physical states. Implications for disaster response and trauma recovery with Pakistani populations are highlighted.
Recovery of the Supply Chain after the 2011 Mega-quake in Japan
Authors: Wakasugi Ryuhei , Tanaka Ayumu
Published: March 2015

The 2011 mega-quake in East Japan seriously affected Japanese manufacturers in the Tohoku region. Disaster-hit firms shutdown their operation for a long period after the quake. This article examines what factors prolonged the recovery of plants, using Research Institute for Economy, Trade and Industry’s (RIETI) survey of affected plants in the Tohoku area. Our study reveals that not only the loss of infrastructure, such as, electricity, water and transport, but also the collapse of the supply chain caused a nationwide fall in production and the breakdown of the supply chain extended the recovery period for plants even after the restoration of electricity, the industrial water supply and the transport network. Our study concludes that disaster-hit firms suffer for a longer period and can adversely affect firms untouched by disaster, if the recovery of the supply chain is delayed.
Access to Modern Agricultural Technologies and Farmer Household Welfare: Evidence from India
Authors: Sharma Rajeev , Singh Gurpreet
Published: March 2015

This article attempts to take up the issue of access to modern technologies and their impact on the welfare of farmer households in the context of India. An attempt has also been made to analyze this issue for different regions of India to provide a comparative picture, which assumes its relevance for holistic policy formulation. The impact of the access of modern agricultural technologies on farmer household welfare is measured by per capita consumption expenditure in rural India. To realize this objective, we utilize farm household unit-level data collected in 2003 (59th Round) by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). Descriptive analysis suggests that nearly 59 per cent of the farmer households had not accessed any source of information on modern technology. The outcome variables in terms of per capita consumption (income) expenditure show better performance for those who adopt modern agricultural technology. The logistic regression analysis reveals that controlling for other household characteristics, the access to modern technology has a significant positive impact on consumption expenditure in rural India. From a policy point of view, there is a need to take institutional measures that help small and marginal farmers to increase their earnings through better access to modern farm technology.
Comparing China’s Contested Borderland Regions: Xinjiang and Tibet
Authors: Mukherjee Kunal
Published: March 2015

This article looks at the political situation in China’s contested borderland regions with a special focus on Xinjiang and Tibet from 1949, which is when the People’s Republic of China (PRC) came into existence, till more recent times. The article looks at the nature of the conflict in these two disputed borderland regions of China, how the conflicts have changed their identity with the passage of time and the state policies that have been directed at these two regions to deal with the conflict. The article makes use of the ‘new war’ thesis as a theoretical framework. To understand the political situation in these remote peripheral regions of China, one needs to pay close attention to the interaction or more correctly to the clash between religious identity and Chinese high handedness and brutality. Both regions are deeply religious: Xinjiang has a strong Muslim presence and Tibet has a strong Buddhist presence, which the Chinese state has always found threatening and difficult to deal with, since religious elements in Chinese society are perceived as subversive. Finally, the article takes a comparative approach and looks at areas of similarity and differences between Xinjiang and Tibet.
Book Review: Sukhpal Singh and Tarunvir Singh. 2014. Producer Companies in India: Organisation and Performance
Authors: Satyasai K.J.S.
Published: March 2015

Sukhpal Singh and Tarunvir Singh. 2014. Producer Companies in India: Organisation and Performance. New Delhi: Allied Publishers, pp. xxi + 152. ₹550.
Clockwatching – is that really hate?
Authors: Tartaglia Michael , Little John
Published: March 2015

Objective:

To consider experiences of hate, which occur in clinical encounters.

Method:

A review of the electronic and manual literatures.

Results:

Hate has become diluted to a euphemism, the ‘difficult patient’.

Conclusion:

Retaining use of the word hate avoids overlooking subtle cues in the unfolding relationship.
Enhancing Youth Outcomes and Organizational Practices Through a Camp-Based Reading Program
Authors: Garst Barry A. , Ozier Lance W.
Published: March 2015

Many children experience summer learning loss during the summer as measured by grade-level equivalents on standardized tests. Camp-based reading programs are a promising strategy to reduce summer learning loss. Situated within a positive youth development (PYD) theoretical approach, this study explored the efficacy of a U.S. camp-based reading program called Explore 30 and examined promising practices for reading interventions in camps as a mechanism for enhancing youth reading outcomes. Youth and director surveys were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data about program impacts. Approximately 70% of participants read for at least 30 min each day. A paired-samples t test found a significant difference (in the positive direction) in feelings about reading from pretest ( M = 2.09, SD = 1.20) to posttest ( M = 1.89, SD = 1.08), t(590) = 5.96, p < .001. Findings suggest that the program was an appropriate model for enhancing camp organizational capacity for summer reading. Implications for practice and recommendations for research are addressed.
Administration Technique and Acceptance of Inhaler Devices in Patients With Asthma or COPD
Authors: Sadowski Cheryl A. , Cor Ken , Cave Andrew , Banh Hoan Linh
Published: March 2015

Background: Correct technique and patient acceptance of inhalation devices for lung disease influence successful long-term management. Patient ability to use the proper technique may differ depending on the device as well as patient factors. Objectives: The objectives of our study are to measure self-reported level of acceptability of inhaler devices in community settings and compare correct use of inhaler devices using a novel scale for measuring appropriate inhaler technique. Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled patients from 3 different practice sites with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were using an inhaler device. In addition to describing the samples’ overall acceptability and correct use scores for the different inhalers, acceptability and correct use scores were compared based on patient characteristics. Results: A total of 161 patients completed the study. The results show that acceptability was lowest for the pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) with a spacer (S); effective use was best demonstrated with pMDI and poorest with pMDI-S. Older patients were found to be more accepting of the HandiHaler device than younger patients. Patients reporting taking more inhaled drugs were found to be more accepting of the pMDI-S than those taking fewer drugs. Finally, patients reporting taking more inhaled drugs demonstrated less-effective use of the HandiHaler device than patients taking fewer drugs. Conclusion: Pulmonary disease duration does not ensure improved use for all inhalers; patients taking more drugs demonstrate less-effective use for some devices. Assessment of patient acceptance and factors that predict the ability to use a device should be considered to individualize therapy.
A New Measure of Tibial Sesamoid Position in Hallux Valgus in Relation to the Coronal Rotation of the First Metatarsal in CT Scans
Authors: Kim Yejeong , Kim Jin Su , Young Ki Won , Naraghi Reza , Cho Hun Ki , Lee Sang Young
Published: March 2015

Background:

We aimed to find a new radiographic measurement for evaluating first metatarsal pronation and sesamoid position in hallux valgus (HV) deformity.

Methods:

Data from a clinical study of 19 control patients (19 feet) with no HV deformity were compared with preoperative data of 138 patients (166 feet) with HV deformities. Using a weightbearing plain radiograph in anteroposterior (AP) view, the intermetatarsal angles (IMAs) and the hallux valgus angles (HVAs) of the control and study groups were measured. Using a semi-weightbearing coronal computed tomography (CT) axial view, the α angle was measured in the control and study groups. In addition, the tibial sesamoid grades in plain radiograph tangential view and the CT axial view were measured. The tibial sesamoid position in an AP view was checked preoperatively. Based on these measurements, 4 types of HV deformities were defined.

Results:

The mean values of the α angle in the control and HV deformity groups (control group µ = 13.8 degrees, study group µ = 21.9 degrees) was significantly different. Among 166 HV feet, 145 feet (87.3%) had an α angle of more than 15.8 degrees, which is the upper value of the 95% confidence interval of the control group, indicating the existence of abnormal first metatarsal pronation in HV deformity. Four types of HV deformities were defined based on their α angles and tibial sesamoid grades in CT axial view (CT 4 position). Among 25.9% (43/166) of the study group, abnormal first metatarsal pronation with an absence of sesamoid deviation from its articular facet was observed. The prominent characteristic of this group was that they had high grades in the AP 7 position (≥5); however, in the CT 4 position, their grade was 0. This group was defined as the “pseudo-sesamoid subluxation” group.

Conclusions:

Patients with HV deformities had a more pronated first metatarsal than the control group, with a greater α angle. Pseudo-subluxation of the sesamoids existed in 25.9% of our study group. From our results, we suggest that the use of the CT axial view in assessments of HV deformity may benefit surgeons when they make operative choices to correct these deformities. With regard to the pseudo-sesamoid subluxation group, the use of the distal soft tissue procedure is not surgically recommended.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Queer and Uncanny
Authors: Garratt Dean
Published: March 2015

This article presents an ethnographic critique of the corporeal experiences of women as self-proclaimed natural bodybuilders. Drawing on detailed ethnographic work and interviews with 10 female naturals, a bricolage of multiply gendered identities and affiliations is produced. The analysis questions how in working to a “ natural ethic,” while desiring a “deviant aesthetic,” the female bodybuilder is paradoxically repressed by a “natural gendered order.” The narrative draws reflexively on psychoanalytic theory and transgendered perspectives, to examine the cultural concept: natural as a “queer” and “uncanny” paradox in which gender and identity are made and simultaneously dislocated.
In Vino Veritas
Authors: Lahneman Brooke
Published: March 2015

This article explores differences in the degrees of agreement regarding sustainability among adopters and nonadopters of environmental certified management standards (ECMS). Utilizing a mixed methodological approach called cultural consensus modeling, I investigate whether and how the adoption of ECMS is associated with how organizations understand the broad and imprecise concept of sustainability. I find that organizations with an ECMS have higher average cultural competencies regarding shared meanings of sustainability. Furthermore, the highest average cultural competencies surrounding meanings of sustainability are held by those organizations that have adopted an ECMS program that provides a high level of detail in practice descriptions, sets demanding objectives to achieve, and tailors practices specifically for the wine industry. Adoption of such ECMS programs is associated with nuanced patterns in organizations’ understandings of sustainability, aligning meanings and practices surrounding the otherwise imprecise issue of sustainability.
Pediatric Anterior Mediastinal Mass
Authors: Pearson Jared Kevin , Tan Gee Mei
Published: March 2015

One of the more challenging cases facing a pediatric anesthesiologist is the management of patients presenting with an anterior mediastinal mass (AMM). Patients with an AMM may have severe cardiopulmonary compromise that can be exacerbated when undergoing general anesthesia. Several case reports have documented cardiopulmonary collapse during induction or maintenance of general anesthesia and even for procedures done without anesthesia. Despite increased understanding and management of these patients, perioperative complications, defined as anything from transient decreases in blood pressure correcting with fluids or mild airway obstruction requiring no intervention, to complete cardiopulmonary collapse, are still estimated to occur during 9% to 20% of anesthetic procedures. The purpose of this review article is to provide foundational knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of a patient with an AMM, with particular emphasis on the pediatric patient. It will assist in recognizing presenting signs and symptoms and discuss the appropriate preoperative testing, which together can help assess perioperative risk and determine the appropriate anesthetic management plan for the patient’s safety and comfort.
The five-factor model of personality and self-reported versus biomarker diabetic control
Authors: Phillips Amanda S , Guarnaccia Charles A
Published: March 2015

Five-factor personality was examined as an element of self-report diabetic control accuracy versus biomarker control (HbA1c) for 1474 diabetics in the 2006 and 2008 Health and Retirement Study. Correlations of extraversion and self-reported control ( r = −.06, p < .01), and extraversion and HbA1c ( r = .03, non-significant), were significantly different ( t = 2.87, p < .01). Correlations of openness and self-reported control ( r = −.05, p < .05), and openness and HbA1c ( r = .01, non-significant), were significantly different ( t = 1.91, p < .05). Associations were found between self-reported control and conscientiousness ( r = −.05, p < .05), neuroticism ( r = .04, p < .05), and openness ( r = −.05, p < .05). Neuroticism was associated with self-reports that diabetes was worse ( r = .07, p < .01). Other correlations and comparisons were non-significant.
R&D policies and development of technology-intensive industries of Taiwan
Authors: Mah Jai S.
Published: March 2015

This article explains the R&D policies that the Taiwanese government has used to promote technology-intensive industries and evaluates the role of the government in developing technology-intensive industries and economic development. It also reveals how the Taiwanese government has transformed its national innovation system, making it more efficient and productive. Finally, this article provides developing countries with the implications on the role of government in developing the R&D policies and technology-intensive industries.
Book review: Tanner, Thomas and Horn-Phathanothai, Leo. 2014: Climate Change and Development
Authors: Forsyth Tim
Published: March 2015

Tanner, Thomas and Horn-Phathanothai, Leo. 2014: Climate Change and Development. Abingdon and New York: Routledge. xxiii + 367 pp. £85 hardback, £23.99 paperback. ISBN: 978-0-415-664264 (hardback), 978-0-415-66427 (paperback).
Book Review: Visvanathan, N., Duggan, L., Wiegersma, N. and Nisonoff, L., editors. 2011: The Women, Gender and Development Reader
Authors: Tam Ailie
Published: March 2015

Visvanathan, N., Duggan, L., Wiegersma, N. and Nisonoff, L., editors. 2011: The Women, Gender and Development Reader. London: Zed Books, 2nd edition. 472 pp. £22.99 paperback. ISBN: 9781848135871.
Bridging the hospitality and tourism university–industry research gap in developing countries: The case of Egypt
Authors: Elnasr Sobaih Abu , Jones Eleri
Published: March 2015

This paper explores university–industry collaboration in developing countries through a case study of university–industry research collaboration in support of the Egyptian hospitality and tourism industry. The perceptions of four key Egyptian stakeholder groups – industry, university, government and non-governmental organisations – were identified via in-depth semi-structured one-to-one interviews. The research gap between Egyptian universities and the hospitality and tourism industry is wider than suggested in the literature on university–industry collaboration. There was consensus of the absence of a research culture in faculties of tourism and hotels where social science research was perceived as having little/no value except as a part of academic degrees or for promotional purposes, rather than for knowledge creation or to inform industry’s practices. Egyptian faculties of tourism and hotels had not undergone the first academic revolution experienced in the US and Europe in the late 19th century. There was no evidence of government interventions to drive university–industry research collaboration for the tourism and hospitality industry, despite its undoubted importance to the Egyptian economy. The study sends a message to policy-makers, particularly government, that unless serious attention is paid to hospitality and tourism education and research, the impact on economic and social development will be negative.
Seeing hybridity in the anthropology museum: Practices of longing and fetishization
Authors: DiPaolo Loren Diana
Published: March 2015

Hybrid colonial objects are potent. Simply stated, hybrid colonial objects in museum contexts are defined as those items that contain material characteristics of both colonizer and the colonized. These objects are constituted in complex colonial contexts, resulting from the adoption and fusing of elements of style, manufacture, material, and meaning from distinct intellectual and cultural legacies, which were themselves hybrids. While hybridized material culture was used alongside more familiar, perhaps non-hybrid objects, archaeologists encounter hybrid colonial objects differently. They seemingly encapsulate in material form a certain lived experience of colonialism, allowing validation that the concepts of hybridity we argue were real and tangible in the past. In this paper, I turn a critical mirror on collections of colonial material from eastern North America at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University to discuss not only how hybrid artifacts from the colonial world were documented, cataloged, and preserved, but also to interrogate the processes of longing and fetishization that impact the collection and interpretations of these objects.
Model selection and clustering in stochastic block models based on the exact integrated complete data likelihood
Authors: Côme Etienne , Latouche Pierre
Published: March 2015

The stochastic block model (SBM) is a mixture model for the clustering of nodes in networks. The SBM has now been employed for more than a decade to analyze very different types of networks in many scientific fields, including biology and the social sciences. Recently, an analytical expression based on the collapsing of the SBM parameters has been proposed, in combination with a sampling procedure that allows the clustering of the vertices and the estimation of the number of clusters to be performed simultaneously. Although the corresponding algorithm can technically accommodate up to 10 000 nodes and millions of edges, the Markov chain, however, tends to exhibit poor mixing properties, that is, low acceptance rates, for large networks. Therefore, the number of clusters tends to be highly overestimated, even for a very large number of samples. In this article, we rely on a similar expression, which we call the integrated complete data log likelihood, and propose a greedy inference algorithm that focuses on maximizing this exact quantity. This algorithm incurs a smaller computational cost than existing inference techniques for the SBM and can be employed to analyze large networks (several tens of thousands of nodes and millions of edges) with no convergence problems. Using toy datasets, the algorithm exhibits improvements over existing strategies, both in terms of clustering and model selection. An application to a network of blogs related to illustrations and comics is also provided.