bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Levels of heavy and essential trace metals and their correlation with antioxidant and health status in individuals occupationally exposed to municipal solid wastes
Authors: Odewabi Adesina O , Ekor Martins
Published: October 2016

Recent studies have indicated an increased incidence of toxic neuropathies among waste management workers (WMW) possibly linked to increased detection of heavy metals in municipal solid wastes. The present study evaluated serum levels of some heavy and essential trace metals in relation to oxidant/antioxidant status of WMW. One hundred and twenty-six WMW and 84 non-WMW (control) were recruited. Metal/element concentration was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and oxidant/antioxidant markers were determined using standard procedures. The WMW exhibited significantly ( p < 0.001) decreased ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and higher levels of ceruloplasmin (Cp) and malondialdehyde. Iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) levels were significantly lower ( p < 0.05) and higher ( p < 0.001), respectively in WMW when compared with control while levels of other trace elements were not significantly different between these groups. Lead (Pb) and chromium levels were significantly higher ( p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively) in WMW while mercury levels were comparable with those of control subjects. In WMW, Cp ( r = −0.182; p > 0.05) and FRAP ( r = 0.277; p < 0.05) negatively and positively correlated with Pb, respectively, while a positive correlation was observed between zinc ( r = 0.230; p < 0.05) and Pb and between Cu ( r = 0.541; p > 0.001) and Fe. Overall, the decreased antioxidant capacity and increased oxidative stress observed in WMW in this study may be related to their blood levels of heavy and essential trace metals. Conscious efforts are required, therefore, to reduce risk and protect WMW from toxic neuropathies and other adverse health consequences of occupational exposure.
Oral delivery of human growth hormone: Preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetics
Authors: Shi Yanan , Li Keke , Tian Baocheng , Xu Maolei , Lv Qingzhi , Zhao Juanjuan , Han Jingtian , Feng Dongxiao
Published: October 2016

Daily subcutaneous injection of human growth hormone has been used for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency and growth failure but has led to poor patient compliance and renal toxicity. Thus, it is crucial to develop favorable growth hormone delivery systems to improve patient compliance. In the present study, to increase the oral bioavailability of growth hormone and improve patient compliance, enteric-coated capsules filled with monomethoxyl poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles were prepared to facilitate oral growth hormone delivery. The nanoparticles were less than 100 nm in size, exhibited narrow polydispersity indices < 0.3, and showed a zeta potential of −4.87 mV. The highest efficiency of growth hormone encapsulation achieved in this study was nearly 70%. An in vitro release experiment showed that adequate amounts of growth hormone were retained under simulated gastric conditions and significant amounts of growth hormone were released under simulated intestinal conditions. The bioavailability of encapsulated growth hormone relative to subcutaneously injected growth hormone in Sprague-Dawley rats was 11.06%. Thus, the use of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles yielded promising results, and these agents should be investigated further regarding their potential as an oral growth hormone delivery system in the future.
Measuring Neural Responses to Apparel Product Attractiveness
Authors: Touchette Benjamin , Lee Seung-Eun
Published: October 2016

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to investigate a neural mechanism of apparel product attractiveness and (b) to compare consumers’ brain responses to apparel product attractiveness with their self-reported responses. Based on Davidson’s frontal asymmetry theory, the researchers explored whether hemispheric asymmetry actually exists when consumers view apparel products with different levels of attractiveness. A total of 34 right-handed college students participated in the electroencephalography experiment. Measurements were obtained by recording the electrical activity of the left and right frontal areas of the brain while subjects were viewing apparel products. Supporting Davidson’s theory, the researchers found that a statistically significant difference of frontal asymmetry exists between attractive and unattractive apparel products. The findings of this study suggest that the frontal asymmetry score can be an alternative way to measure consumers’ unconscious responses to apparel product attractiveness.
Whose Movement Is It? Strategic Philanthropy and Worker Centers
Authors: Frantz Courtney , Fernandes Sujatha
Published: October 2016

The nonprofit worker center model has been heralded as a promising development, given union decline and the rise of low-wage service jobs in the United States. Yet rather than challenging exploitative work conditions, some of the national organizations developed by worker centers have embraced neoliberal rationalities through projects such as workforce development, employer alliances, and entrepreneurial ventures. In the same period, strategic funding, which applies the logic and techniques of financial investment to grantmaking, has become standard practice for American foundations. As national worker center grantees adopt neoliberal rationalities through their interactions with funders, we argue that these grantees become less inclined to engage in contentious politics. We analyze the projects of two national worker center organizations, contrasting these groups with three local centers that still organize confrontational campaigns. We suggest that by emphasizing worker leadership, involving members in decision-making, and finding alternative funding sources, they have been able to maintain their confrontational politics.
A new reliability analysis method for vehicle systems based on goal-oriented methodology
Authors: Yi Xiao-Jian , Dhillon Balbir Singh , Shi Jian , Mu Hui-Na , Zhang Zhong
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a new approach for the reliability analysis of vehicle systems by considering typical characteristics based on goal-oriented methodology. First, solutions are proposed for vehicle systems with multiple fault modes, a standby structure at any position, a multiple-input closed-loop feedback link, multiple functions, and multiple conditions for the goal-oriented method. Then, a two-level goal-oriented model and the new rules of goal-oriented operation for such vehicle systems are proposed. Furthermore, the quantitative method and the qualitative method are improved. In addition, the analysis process for these vehicle systems based on the new goal-oriented method is formulated. Finally, this new goal-oriented methodology is applied in the dynamic availability analysis and qualitative analysis of the power-shift steering transmission for a heavy military vehicle. In order to verify the feasibility, the advantages, and the correctness of the new goal-oriented methodology, the results are compared with those from fault tree analysis and Monte Carlo simulations. In general, this study not only improves the theory of the goal-oriented method and widens the application of the goal-oriented method but also provides a new reliability analysis method for such vehicle systems. In addition, the analysis process of the new goal-oriented method shows that the goal-oriented method has advantages in system reliability modeling and system reliability analysis for vehicle systems.
Predicting the temperature distribution and suction gas superheating of an oil-free linear compressor
Authors: Oliveira MJ , Diniz MC , Deschamps CJ
Published: October 2016

It is well established that the volumetric and isentropic efficiencies of reciprocating compressors used for household refrigeration are significantly reduced by suction gas superheating. Moreover, excessive levels of temperature may affect the reliability of some components, such as the electrical motor. This paper reports a modeling approach to predict the temperature distribution in the gas and solid components of an oil-free linear compressor. A simulation model based on the finite volume method was used to solve the heat conduction in the solid components and gas flow inside the compressor. On the other hand, the compression cycle in the cylinder was solved with a transient lumped formulation, but in a coupled manner with the remainder of the solution domain. The prediction of the suction gas superheating obtained with the model was in good agreement with the measurements, despite discrepancies being observed in some solid components and in the gas path along the discharge system. The model does not require any experimental calibration and hence is suitable to analyze different compressor designs. To illustrate this, the model was applied to predict the temperature distribution with respect to two design parameters.
Stabilizing cognition: An STS approach to the Sloan Foundation Report
Authors: Baum Carlos
Published: October 2016

Critics of the cognitive revolution have argued that the movement should be better understood as a socio-rhetorical phenomenon that only changed the language used by psychologists. In this article I adopt the concept of factish as a way to reconcile these criticisms with the changes brought about by information processing theory in psychology and other cognitive disciplines. My main argument is that contemporary cognition is a kind of factish that from the beginning was institutionalized in a way that allowed multiple performances. I turn to the Sloan Foundation Report of 1978 as a way to discuss the institutionalization of cognition. As we will see in the reading, institutionalization was only possible through an oscillation between convergence and multiplicity. I conclude that a definitive consensus or a single approach to cognition doesn’t represent a possible—or desirable—final goal for the multidisciplinarity of cognitive sciences.
Precarious work and care responsibilities in the economic crisis
Authors: Hašková Hana , Dudová Radka
Published: October 2016

Economic transformation after 1989 and the global economic recession that began in 2008 have caused an increase in precarious work in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. As a result of refamilialization, precarious work acquired a specific form for women. We use the Czech Republic as an example in analysing a trend that is obvious throughout the Visegrád countries and apply the capabilities approach to understand the dynamics of precarious work in the lives of women with care responsibilities. Neither the objective characteristics of work nor its subjective assessment alone makes it possible to understand precarious work. The explanation lies in the (temporal) dynamics of the interconnection between the two: insecure jobs accepted by women with care responsibilities as a temporary strategy may turn into a trap excluding them from a stable job.
Crisis and opportunity: Varieties of capitalism and varieties of crisis responses in Estonia and Slovenia
Authors: Feldmann Magnus
Published: October 2016

A growing literature has analysed capitalist institutions in Slovenia and Estonia, two countries often viewed as representing very different varieties of capitalism in Central and Eastern Europe. Slovenia has been unique in the region, given its highly centralized wage bargaining and the importance of corporatist institutions, notably the tripartite Economic and Social Council; it is thus an exception to the general pattern of weak unions and ‘illusory corporatism’ across the region. By contrast, Estonia is commonly viewed as a prime example of a liberal market economy, in which industrial relations are decentralized. This article analyses how these distinctive institutional configurations have shaped the two countries’ responses to the global economic crisis beginning in 2007–2008. It explores whether these institutions have undergone changes as a result of the crisis, and also seeks to identify lessons from this experience for the future prospects for corporatism and tripartism, and also for the revitalization of trade unions and progressive politics in Central and Eastern Europe more generally.
Examining the Light and Dark of an Online Young Adult Cancer Support Community
Authors: Crook Brittani , Love Brad
Published: October 2016

The young adult (YA) cancer community represents an understudied population in interpersonal and health communication scholarship. Through qualitative analysis, this study sought to advance a dark side perspective by exploring the content of messages shared in an online support forum for YAs with cancer. Our findings highlight a variety of complexities YAs face in an online cancer support community, including the light and dark of soliciting support, disclosing to a community, advocacy online, negative sentiment evaluating health care services, and asynchronous communication. Understanding the light and dark nuances involved with participating in an online YA support forum advances a dark side perspective on the scholarly research in health communication that can ultimately help care providers recommend resources and coach YAs to optimally and effectively use and navigate online support groups.
Experiences and Constructions of Menarche and Menstruation Among Migrant and Refugee Women
Authors: Hawkey Alexandra J. , Ussher Jane M. , Perz Janette , Metusela Christine
Published: October 2016

Experiences and constructions of menarche and menstruation are shaped by the sociocultural environment in which women are embedded. We explored experiences and constructions of menarche and menstruation among migrant and refugee women resettled in Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada. Seventy-eight semistructured individual interviews and 15 focus groups comprised of 82 participants were undertaken with women from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and varying South American countries. We analyzed the data using thematic decomposition, identifying the overall theme “cycles of shame” and two core themes. In “becoming a woman,” participants constructed menarche as a marker of womanhood, closely linked to marriage and childbearing. In “the unspeakable,” women conveyed negative constructions of menstruation, positioning it as shameful, something to be concealed, and polluting. Identifying migrant and refugee women’s experiences and constructions of menarche and menstruation is essential for culturally safe medical practice, health promotion, and health education.
The HIV Prison Paradox: Agency and HIV-Positive Women’s Experiences in Jail and Prison in Alabama
Authors: Sprague Courtenay , Scanlon Michael L. , Radhakrishnan Bharathi , Pantalone David W.
Published: October 2016

Incarcerated women face significant barriers to achieve continuous HIV care. We employed a descriptive, exploratory design using qualitative methods and the theoretical construct of agency to investigate participants’ self-reported experiences accessing HIV services in jail, in prison, and post-release in two Alabama cities. During January 2014, we conducted in-depth interviews with 25 formerly incarcerated HIV-positive women. Two researchers completed independent coding, producing preliminary codes from transcripts using content analysis. Themes were developed iteratively, verified, and refined. They encompassed (a) special rules for HIV-positive women: isolation, segregation, insults, food rationing, and forced disclosure; (b) absence of counseling following initial HIV diagnosis; and (c) HIV treatment impediments: delays, interruption, and denial. Participants deployed agentic strategies of accommodation, resistance, and care-seeking to navigate the social world of prison and HIV services. Findings illuminate the “HIV prison paradox”: the chief opportunities that remain unexploited to engage and re-engage justice-involved women in the HIV care continuum.
Writing With Resonance
Authors: Meier Ninna , Wegener Charlotte
Published: October 2016

In this article, we explore what organization and management scholars can do to write with resonance and to facilitate an emotional, bodily, or in other ways sensory connection between the text and the reader. We propose that resonance can be relevant for organization and management scholars in two ways. First, it may facilitate a better understanding of the research we are attempting to convey in our papers, an understanding that draws on the reader’s prior experiences, and their embodied, embedded knowledge. Second, resonance may foster an inclination in the reader to engage with, contribute to, and thus bring forward the field of research in question. We propose that writing with resonance may be a way to further the impact of academic work by extending the modalities with which our readers can relate to and experience our work.
Pilot Study
Authors: Zapolski Tamika C. B. , Smith Gregory T.
Published: October 2016

A significant proportion of youth engage in health risk behaviors, which are of concern, as they are associated with adverse health consequences across development. Two factors associated with engagement in such behaviors are emotion dysregulation and impulsivity. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is an effective intervention that enhances emotion regulation skills to reduce problem behaviors among adolescent populations; however, limited research has been conducted implementing the program within school settings. The current study was a 9-week DBT skills group conducted among 80 middle school youth, with pre–posttest data among 53 students. Findings indicated feasibility to implement the program in schools and preliminary evidence of efficacy in decreasing youth’s likelihood to engage in risky, particularly among youth high on an emotion-based impulsivity trait. Brief DBT skills group may be an effective program to be utilized by school nurses and health-care teams to reduce health risk behaviors among school-aged youth.
A communicating object’s approach for smart logistics and safety issues in warehouses
Authors: Trab Sourour , Bajic Eddy , Zouinkhi Ahmed , Thomas André , Abdelkrim Mohamed Naceur , Chekir Hassen , Ltaief Radhouane Hadj
Published: October 2016

A communicating object, or connected object, is a key element of the Internet of Things to shift a perceptible real world into a wide digital virtual world known as the cyber-physical system. Knowing that sustainability, safety, and logistic issues are among the significant goals and challenges of modern industrial enterprises, the communicating object can be a relevant concept to guarantee safety performance in logistics and warehouse management. This article presents the impacts and advantages of the communicating object in smart logistics and the design of a communicating object model inspired from Internet of Things European research projects, which controls and monitors safety risks in a hazardous and chemical industrial context. Generic safety-based scenarios are presented, which rely on a set of negotiated interaction mechanisms for storage and picking. The relevant deployment of intelligence in a warehouse management system leads to propose a new concept called “IoT-controlled Safe Area.” Our contribution is to bring informational, communicational, and decisional capabilities close to the warehousing physical world thanks to the communicating object. This enables achieving safety assurance with a decrease in the decision-making delay and an increase in the solving efficiency of local and dynamic disruptions, while avoiding inherent shortcomings of the warehouse management system centralization. For this, an industrial implementation is presented.
Concordance of Parent- and Child-Reported Physical Abuse Following Child Protective Services Investigation
Authors: Kobulsky Julia M. , Kepple Nancy Jo , Holmes Megan R. , Hussey David L.
Published: October 2016

Knowledge about the concordance of parent- and child-reported child physical abuse is scarce, leaving researchers and practitioners with little guidance on the implications of selecting either informant. Drawing from a 2008–2009 sample of 11- to 17-year-olds ( N = 636) from Wave 1 of the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, this study first examined parent–child concordance in physical abuse reporting (Parent–Child Conflict Tactic Scale). Second, it applied multivariate regression analysis to relate parent–child agreement in physical abuse to parent-reported (Child Behavior Checklist) and child-reported (Youth Self Report) child behavioral problems. Results indicate low parent–child concordance of physical abuse (κ = .145). Coreporting of physical abuse was related to clinical-level parent-reported externalizing problems ([Formula: see text] = 64.57), whereas child-only reports of physical abuse were the only agreement category related to child-reported internalizing problems ( B = 4.17, p < .001). Attribution bias theory may further understanding of reporting concordance and its implications.
PTSD Symptoms in Survivors Bereaved by the Suicide of a Significant Other
Authors: Mitchell Ann M. , Terhorst Lauren
Published: October 2016

BACKGROUND: Although bereavement is not usually considered the type of stressor associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a risk factor often associated with poorer bereavement outcomes is when a death is sudden and unexpected. AIMS: The purpose of this exploratory study is to describe PTSD symptoms in survivors bereaved by the suicide of a significant other. The relationship of PTSD to mental health and grief were explored, as well as gender differences in PTSD symptoms. METHOD: To measure PTSD symptoms, the 15-item Impact of Event Scale (IES) was used. RESULTS: The IES intrusion and avoidance subscales were significantly correlated with the mental health subscale of the MOS SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Study–Short Form 36), indicating that lower mental health scores were associated with higher PTSD symptoms. Those survivors scoring higher than 25 on the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG) had significantly higher scores on both the intrusion and avoidance subscales of the IES compared with those scoring lower than 25 on the ICG. Females reported significantly higher intrusion symptoms and total stress than males. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a death by suicide may lead to the development of PTSD symptoms, at least in some individuals, and is associated with lower mental health quality of life and complicated grief responses.
Advance Sales of Services
Authors: Chennamaneni Pavan Rao , Desiraju Ramarao , Krishnamoorthy Anand
Published: October 2016

We investigate a service provider’s advance selling strategies in the presence of a channel intermediary who improves (i) consumers’ accessibility to the service or (ii) the service provider’s access to higher valuation segments. We evaluate the conditions under which dealing with such an intermediary may offset the attendant costs of providing suitable incentives. Our results indicate that the relative profitability of selling via the intermediary is affected by an interaction among marginal costs, capacity level, and the type of value the intermediary brings to the channel. We find that a capacity-constrained service provider may prefer selling via an intermediary that offers improved access to higher valuation consumers. However, when the service provider has excess capacity, indirect sales is preferred even when the intermediary is simply expanding the reach. In such a setting, both the service provider and the intermediary can enhance their profits in a symbiotic manner. Our findings have several implications for service providers. A service provider with limited capacity and relatively small marginal cost would be better off not contracting with an intermediary. In contrast, service providers with larger capacity and marginal cost will benefit from using an indirect channel despite the costs of incentivizing such an intermediary.
International trade in services and inequalities
Authors: Petit Sylvain
Published: October 2016

This study investigates the impact of the international openness in tourism services trade on wage inequality between highly skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers in the tourism industry. The sample covers 10 developed countries and expands over 15 years. A cointegrated panel data model and an error correction model were used to distinguish between the short- and long-run effects. The results are compared to those of openness of business services and manufactured goods. The findings point out that tourism increases wage inequality at the expense of the least skilled workers in the long run and the short run.
Animal-assisted dyadic therapy: A therapy model promoting development of the reflective function in the parent–child bond
Authors: Shani Liat
Published: October 2016

Animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP) inherently incorporates standpoints, interventions, and ways of action promoting the development of the reflective function and mentalization, and thus has special value for parent–child psychotherapy. Two central tools in AAP contribute to this process. The first is the ethical stance of the therapist, who sees the animals as full partners in the therapy situation, respecting them as subjects with needs, desires, and thoughts of their own. The second tool combines nonverbal communication with animals together with the relating, in the here and now, to the understanding and decoding of body language of everyone in the setting. Nonverbal communication in AAP enables access to implicit communication patterns occurring between parent and child. This article provides a survey of theoretical development and research constituting a basis for the development of therapeutic approaches for the improvement of parent–children dynamics, followed by a description of a dyadic therapy model of a mentalization-based treatment originating from a psychoanalytic-relational orientation. Clinical examples are provided to illustrate AAP processes in parent–child psychotherapy (consent was received for examples that were not aggregated).
Performance of an F-type floating breakwater: A numerical and experimental study
Authors: Duan Wenyang , Xu Shupeng , Xu Qianlong , Ertekin R Cengiz , Ma Shan
Published: October 2016

Floating breakwaters are structures with large ratio of length to breadth. The profile of an floating breakwater is the key to the hydrodynamic properties of it. In this work, a new kind of an F-type floating breakwater is presented. Its profile is asymmetric and looks like the English letter “F.” We present both numerical and experimental findings on this F-type floating breakwater. Based on linear potential-flow theory, first, the boundary-element method is presented to study the interaction problem of a two-dimensional floating body with waves. Following that, the two-dimensional experiments are conducted in a wave flume to measure the diffracted and radiated waves, the resulting transmission and reflection coefficients, and the motion responses of the F-type floating breakwater. It is shown that the experimental data are, in general, in good agreement with the numerical predictions. The transmission coefficients that are measured and calculated are under 0.5 when the ratio of B/λ (the ratio of model breadth to wavelength), when the F-type floating breakwater is fixed, is larger than 0.18. The ratio of B/λ, when the F-type floating breakwater is allowed to slide vertically only, is larger than 0.2 and the ratio of B/λ, when the F-type floating breakwater is allowed to rotate and slide, is larger than 0.22. To understand how the profile geometry can affect the performance of the F-type floating breakwater, a parametric study of the F-type floating breakwater’s main dimensions, including its profile breadth, draft, and angle, is conducted on the wave transmission coefficient. It is found that the transmission coefficients are particularly sensitive to the change in draft for certain sea conditions. These results are important since seeking the optimal principal dimensions can ensure minimum volume of displacement, thereby using less material and reducing the cost of construction sharply.
Learning networks as a vehicle for improving the generative capacity of working-life development programmes
Authors: Alasoini Tuomo
Published: October 2016

This paper studies a learning network-based approach as an alternative programme theory to a traditional approach in working-life development that uses demonstration projects. Learning network projects of the Finnish Workplace Development Programme TYKES (2004–2010) are used as an example of the alternative approach in practice. Based on an empirical analysis of five learning network projects, a framework for weighting strengths and weaknesses of three different modes of programme leadership for directing learning networks is presented. Finally, this paper elaborates the role of programme theories in cases of complex objects for intervention, suggesting that in action research-based efforts that require commitment of and cooperation between many actors programme theories should be judged more on the basis of their social value than their truth value.
Effectiveness of a Time-limited Incentive on Participation by Hard-to-reach Respondents in a Panel Study
Authors: Fomby Paula , Sastry Narayan , McGonagle Katherine A.
Published: October 2016

We describe an experiment to provide a time-limited incentive among a random sample of 594 hard-to-reach respondents, 200 of whom were offered the incentive to complete all survey components of a study during a three-week winter holiday period. Sample members were primary caregivers of children included in the 2014 Child Development Supplement to the U.S. Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The incentive provided US$50 to caregivers who completed a 75-minute telephone interview and whose eligible children each completed a 30-minute interview. Results indicate that the incentive was an effective and cost-efficient strategy to increase short-term response rates with hard-to-reach respondents and had no negative impact on final response rates.
Initial Experience With Covered Endovascular Reconstruction of the Aortic Bifurcation in Conjunction With Chimney Grafts
Authors: Dijkstra Martijn L. , Goverde Peter C. J. M. , Holden Andrew , Zeebregts Clark J. , Reijnen Michel M. P. J.
Published: October 2016

Purpose: To show feasibility of the covered endovascular repair of the aortic bifurcation (CERAB) technique in conjunction with chimney grafts in aortic side branches for complex aortoiliac occlusive disease. Methods: Two European centers and one facility located in New Zealand participated in a retrospective observational study that enrolled 14 consecutive patients (mean age 61.2±8.9 years; 11 men) treated with CERAB in conjunction with chimney graft(s) between December 2012 and May 2015. Indications for treatment included disabling claudication in 9 and critical limb ischemia in 5. Lesions were classified as TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus II B (n=1), C (n=1), or D (n=12). Results: A total of 15 chimney grafts were used to perfuse the inferior mesenteric artery (n=8), the right renal artery (n=4), and the left renal artery (n=3). Technical success was achieved in all cases. Procedural complications included 5 unintended dissections and 1 vessel thrombosis, all of which were successfully treated intraoperatively. Five patients developed access-site hematoma/ecchymosis (3 at the brachial access). Mean follow-up was 12 months (range 6–24) without death or loss to follow-up. One patient suffered occlusion of a CERAB limb and an IMA chimney graft; the former was recanalized, but the IMA graft was not; there were no signs of bowel ischemia. Ankle-brachial indices significantly increased from 0.54 (range 0.47–0.60) preoperatively to 0.97 (range 0.90–1.00) in 11 patients examined at 12 months, and all patients had an improvement in the Rutherford category. All CERAB limbs, including the one recanalized, were patent at the most recent follow-up, as were 14 of 15 chimney grafts. Conclusion: Chimney-CERAB is technically feasible and may offer an alternative to open surgery for complex aortoiliac occlusive disease. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Examining the Relationship Between Scheduling and the Outcomes of Regular Season Games in the National Football League
Authors: Murray Thomas J.
Published: October 2016

Nontraditional scheduling in the National Football League (NFL) has created variation in the rest/preparation time among opponents. Using data from the 2011 to 2015 NFL seasons, regression analysis examines the impact of differential rest and preparation periods among teams on the probability of the home team winning and on the number of points scored in a particular contest. Results show that the probability of winning a game for the home team and the total number of points scored in a game are impacted by different rest combinations between opponents. These impacts are sensitive to the familiarity among opponents and the travel patterns of the visiting team.
The Game Is Good at the Top
Authors: Segura Jerome , Willner Jonathan
Published: October 2016

Collegiate football may provide advertising for universities, attracting larger pools of applicants and leading to more academically qualified student bodies. Football may also build school spirit, reducing attrition and improving long-run graduation rates. This analysis uses data from 2001 to 2004 for available National Collegiate Athletic Association Division-1 institutions to examine the advertising and effectiveness effects of football. Using both general linear model and linear-in-means model estimation procedures, we find strong advertising and effectiveness effects for football in the full sample. Among schools fielding a football team, the impact of Football Bowl Subdivision and winning percentage is muddy; however, the advertising effect of bowl appearances is strong.
Detecting Occurrences of the “Substitution Myth”: A Systems Engineering Template for Modeling the Supervision of Automation
Authors: Hew Patrick Chisan
Published: October 2016

Current usages of model-based systems engineering allow naïve substitutions of humans by machines. Human factors / ergonomics researchers have rejected such substitutions as the “substitution myth,” for if work is reallocated from a human to a machine, then there is work incurred to ensure that the machine is working properly—it must be supervised. We construct a template for what automation should look like when the need for supervision is taken into account. The template can be applied to understand the arrangements for supervising automation in systems as they are and to explore the options for systems that are being designed. We consider examples from electronic warfare self-protection and the command and control of sensor-weapon systems in the land domain.
The Design and Development of Serious Games Using Iterative Evaluation
Authors: Symborski Carl , Barton Meg , Quinn Mary Magee , Korris James H. , Kassam Karim S. , Morewedge Carey K.
Published: October 2016

In this article, we report on a serious game development approach, characterized by combining theory-based design with an iterative development strategy guided by experimental test and evaluation. We describe two serious games that teach the mitigation of cognitive biases (human tendencies to commit systematic errors in thinking that lead to irrational judgments). Cognitive biases tend to be deeply ingrained and early attempts to reduce biases with training have met with little success. We address this training challenge using bias mitigation theory derived from the literature and an instructional framework to establish the educational content of each game. The mitigation effects of the games were measured through multiple experiment cycles, and multiple play-testing campaigns were conducted to inform instructional model and game design revisions. The final game versions achieved a medium-to-large training effect following a single play session.
School leadership preparation in Malaysia
Authors: Ng Ashley Yoon-Mooi
Published: October 2016

This paper examines the preparation of school principals in Malaysia, and the aspiration of the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025 to ensure high-performing school leaders in every school. It reports on the principal preparatory programme, the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders, which is mandatory to those who aspire to be school principals. Documentary analysis was undertaken on materials used for leadership training programmes by the National Institute of Educational Management and Leadership or Institut Aminuddin Baki (IAB), which is the country’s main leadership training and development centre, equivalent to the National College for Teaching and Leadership in England. Eight primary and secondary schools, chosen by stratified purposive sampling, were selected for the study. Interviews were conducted with principals and assistant principals of the eight schools, to establish how they were selected and prepared for their leadership roles. Interviews with Ministry of Education and IAB officials offered a provider perspective while an interview with an education minister clarified the policy and political contexts of the study. The findings of the study draw attention to the need to refine the selection criteria, with a focus on higher entry standards to ensure excellent leadership in schools, an emphasis on instructional leadership to improve student learning in schools, the conflict between central direction and the importance of situational leadership, and the political imperative for programme outcomes.
Statistical analysis plan of the head position in acute ischemic stroke trial pilot (HEADPOST pilot)
Authors: Olavarría Verónica V , Arima Hisatomi , Anderson Craig S , Brunser Alejandro , Muñoz-Venturelli Paula , Billot Laurent , Lavados Pablo M ,   for the HEADPOST Pilot Investigators
Published: October 2016

Background

The HEADPOST Pilot is a proof-of-concept, open, prospective, multicenter, international, cluster randomized, phase IIb controlled trial, with masked outcome assessment. The trial will test if lying flat head position initiated in patients within 12 h of onset of acute ischemic stroke involving the anterior circulation increases cerebral blood flow in the middle cerebral arteries, as measured by transcranial Doppler. The study will also assess the safety and feasibility of patients lying flat for ≥24 h. The trial was conducted in centers in three countries, with ability to perform early transcranial Doppler. A feature of this trial was that patients were randomized to a certain position according to the month of admission to hospital.

Objective

To outline in detail the predetermined statistical analysis plan for HEADPOST Pilot study.

Methods

All data collected by participating researchers will be reviewed and formally assessed. Information pertaining to the baseline characteristics of patients, their process of care, and the delivery of treatments will be classified, and for each item, appropriate descriptive statistical analyses are planned with comparisons made between randomized groups. For the outcomes, statistical comparisons to be made between groups are planned and described.

Results

This statistical analysis plan was developed for the analysis of the results of the HEADPOST Pilot study to be transparent, available, verifiable, and predetermined before data lock.

Conclusions

We have developed a statistical analysis plan for the HEADPOST Pilot study which is to be followed to avoid analysis bias arising from prior knowledge of the study findings.

Trial registration

The study is registered under HEADPOST-Pilot, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01706094.
Endobronchial valves for bronchopleural fistula: pitfalls and principles
Authors: Gaspard Dany , Bartter Thaddeus , Boujaoude Ziad , Raja Haroon , Arya Rohan , Meena Nikhil , Abouzgheib Wissam
Published: October 2016

Background:

Placement of endobronchial valves for bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is not always straightforward. A simple guide to the steps for an uncomplicated procedure does not encompass pitfalls that need to be understood and overcome to maximize the efficacy of this modality.

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to discuss examples of difficult cases for which the placement of endobronchial valves was not straightforward and required alterations in the usual basic steps. Subsequently, we aimed to provide guiding principles for a successful procedure.

Methods:

Six illustrative cases were selected to demonstrate issues that can arise during endobronchial valve placement.

Results:

In each case, a real or apparent lack of decrease in airflow through a BPF was diagnosed and addressed. We have used the selected problem cases to illustrate principles, with the goal of helping to increase the success rate for endobronchial valve placement in the treatment of BPF.

Conclusions:

This series demonstrates issues that complicate effective placement of endobronchial valves for BPF. These issues form the basis for troubleshooting steps that complement the basic procedural steps.
The effects of the interest rates on bank risk in China
Authors: Geng Zhongyuan , Grivoyannis Elias , Zhang Shuran , He Yunxin
Published: October 2016

We use non-performing loan ratio and insolvency risk to measure bank risk and construct panel data regression models to examine the effects of the interbank market rate, central-bank rate and bank-level lending rate on bank risk in China. Empirical results show that interbank market rate and the central-bank interest rate are positively correlated with bank risk, while the bank-level lending rate is negatively correlated with bank risk. We also analyse and explain the difference between the effects of the US interest rates and China’s interest rates on its own bank risk. Finally, we put forward some policy implications.
On the Planning and Design of Hospital Circulation Zones
Authors: Jiang Shan , Verderber Stephen
Published: October 2016

Objective:

This present literature review explores current issues and research inconsistencies regarding the design of hospital circulation zones and the associated health-related outcomes.

Background:

Large general hospitals are immense, highly sophisticated institutions. Empirical studies have indicated excessively institutional environments in large medical centers are a cause of negative effects to occupants, including stress, anxiety, wayfinding difficulties and spatial disorientation, lack of cognitional control, and stress associated with inadequate access to nature. The rise of patient-centered and evidence-based movements in healthcare planning and design has resulted in a general rise in the quality of hospital physical environments. However, as a core component of any healthcare delivery system, hospital circulation zones have tended to remain neglected within the comparatively broad palette of research conducted and reported to date.

Method:

A systematic literature review was conducted based upon combinations of key words developed vis-à-vis a literature search in 11 major databases in the realm of the health sciences and the planning and design of built environments for healthcare.

Results:

Eleven peer-reviewed articles were included in the analysis. Six research themes were identified according to associated health-related outcomes, including wayfinding difficulties and spatial disorientation, communication and socialization patterns, measures and control of excessive noise, patient fall incidents, and occupants’ stress and satisfaction levels.

Conclusions:

Several knowledge gaps as well as commonalities in the pertinent research literature were identified. Perhaps the overriding finding is that occupants’ meaningful exposure to views of nature from within hospital circulation zones can potentially enhance wayfinding and spatial navigation. Future research priories on this subject are discussed.
Nonvolant Mammal Megadiversity and Conservation Issues in a Threatened Central Amazonian Hotspot in Brazil
Authors: de Oliveira Tadeu G. , Mazim Fábio D. , Vieira Odgley Q. , Barnett Adrian P. A. , Silva Gilberto do N. , Soares José B. G. , Santos Jean P. , da Silva Victor F. , Araújo Pedro A. , Tchaika Ligia , Miranda Cleuton L.
Published: October 2016

Amazonia National Park is located in southwestern Pará State in central Amazonia. The 10,707 km2 park is one of the largest protected areas in Brazil and is covered with pristine forests, but the region is threatened by dam construction projects. An incomplete mammal biodiversity inventory was conducted in the area during the late 1970s. Here, we present results of sampling from 7,295 live-trap nights, 6,000 pitfall-trap nights, more than 1,200 km of walking transect censuses, and approximately 3,500 camera-trap days, all conducted between 2012 and 2014. These sampling efforts generated a list of 86 known species of nonvolant mammals, making the park the single most species-rich area for nonvolant mammals both in the Amazon Basin and in the Neotropics as a whole. Amazonia National Park is a megadiverse site, as is indicated by its mammalian richness, which includes 15 threatened mammal species and 5 to 12 new species of small mammals. As such, it merits being a high-conservation priority and should be an important focus of Brazilian authorities’ and the international scientific community’s conservation efforts. A comprehensive conservation plan is urgently needed, especially given the ecological threats posed by dam construction.
A Test of the “News Diversity” Standard
Authors: Beattie Peter , Milojevich Jovan
Published: October 2016

The present study adds to the framing literature by providing a test of Mauro Porto’s “News Diversity” standard for professional journalism: providing multiple, equally persuasive frames in every news story. What are the effects of multiple versus single media frames on a foreign policy issue, and how do they interact with people’s foreign policy values? Previous studies have looked at how single frames influence opinions, how frames interact with values, and a few studies have investigated the effects of two competing frames at varying levels of persuasiveness. None, however, have used four, equally strong frames on a foreign policy issue and measured their effects among those with differing foreign policy values. We found that exposure to only single frames tended to move participants away from their stated values and in the direction of the frame, while exposure to multiple, competing frames kept participants’ opinions closer to their stated values—without merely reinforcing previously held opinions.