bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial Differences in the Prevalence of Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Patel Devin K. , Green Kelly D. , Fudim Marat , Harrell Frank E. , Wang Thomas J. , Robbins Mark A.
Published: May 2014

Background

In an era of expanded treatment options for severe aortic stenosis, it is important to understand risk factors for the condition. It has been suggested that severe aortic stenosis is less common in African Americans, but there are limited data from large studies.

Methods and Results

The Synthetic Derivative at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a database of over 2.1 million de‐identified patient records, was used to identify individuals who had undergone echocardiography. The association of race with severe aortic stenosis was examined using multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for conventional risk factors. Of the 272 429 eligible patients (mean age 45 years, 44% male) with echocardiography, 14% were African American and 82% were Caucasian. Severe aortic stenosis was identified in 106 (0.29%) African‐American patients and 2030 (0.91%) Caucasian patients (crude
OR
0.32, 95%
CI
[0.26, 0.38]). This difference persisted in multivariable‐adjusted analyses (
OR
0.41 [0.33, 0.50],
P
<0.0001). African‐American individuals were also less likely to have severe aortic stenosis due to degenerative calcific disease (adjusted
OR
0.47 [0.36, 0.61]) or congenitally bicuspid valve (crude
OR
0.13 [0.02, 0.80], adjusted
OR
dependent on age). Referral bias against those with severe valvular disease was assessed by comparing the prevalence of severe mitral regurgitation in Caucasians and African Americans and no difference was found.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that African Americans are at significantly lower risk of developing severe aortic stenosis than Caucasians.
A Family Resemblance? The Regulation of Marriage Migration in Europe
Authors: Wray Helena , Agoston Agnes , Hutton Jocelyn
Published: May 2014

Abstract

This article analyses key aspects of the regulation of entry and stay of spousal migrants in eea member states. It shows that there are differences of regulation, particularly between states in Eastern and Southern Europe and states in Northern and Western Europe but, in most cases, the amount of divergence is limited. The article connects this ‘family resemblance’ to a broad concept of Europeanisation. Even where there is no binding legal obligation, European legal norms and the practice in other European states largely circumscribe what is possible.
Protection of Families Composed by EU Citizens and Third-country Nationals: Some Suggestions to Tackle Reverse Discrimination
Authors: Berneri Chiara
Published: May 2014

Abstract

The cjeu, both in cases concerning eu moving and eu static citizens, is now recurring to the concept of eu citizenship in order to grant or denying the right of residence of third-country national family members of eu nationals. The aim of this article is to determine whether the eu citizenship method adopted by the Court in order to grant third-country nationals’ residence rights is capable of providing fair protection to family units composed of eu citizens and third-country nationals. In this article it will be shown that solving family reunification cases involving eu citizens and third-country nationals through the concept of eu citizenship can be positive and negative at the same time, being the negative side the issue of reverse discrimination. I will suggest that the best solution in order to grant better protection for families composed by eu citizens and third-country nationals would be to continue endorsing the eu citizenship approach but, at the same time, to try to solve the issue of reverse discrimination. Out of the several proposed options that could potentially solve this issue, I argue that the intervention of the European legislator over Article 20 tfeu and Directive 2004/38/ec seems to be the most desirable.
Thinking and Learning from Diagrams in the Aristotelian Mechanics
Authors: van Leeuwen Joyce
Published: May 2014

This paper examines the diagrams in the Greek manuscripts of the Aristotelian Mechanics. I argue that the diagrams are significant for a reconstruction of the authentic text as many readings can be recovered by means of the diagrams. Furthermore, critical assessment of the diagrams contributes to our understanding of the mechanical principles described in the text. A comparison between the diagrams in the Greek manuscripts and the ones contained in the Latin translation of the Mechanics by Niccolò Leonico Tomeo shows altered diagrammatic practices in the Renaissance. A study of the diagrams from the Renaissance further plays an important role in understanding the processes of transmission and transformation of mechanical knowledge.
Transformation of Euclid’s Optics in Late Antiquity
Authors: Siebert Harald
Published: May 2014

The tradition of Euclid’s Optics includes a number of versions and translations, whether in Greek, Arabic or Latin. They differ from each other to various extents with respect to their form, structure and content. Textual divergence concerns the very core of geometric optics, i.e. the opening definitions and first propositions. In these parts the variance of the different versions is most striking. Thus the tradition of the Euclidean text involved a transformation of the visual model that cannot be explained merely philologically or by incidental elements in the process of transmission. This paper aims to explain these textual transformations as an intentional process of updating and adapting geometric optics to the best of its understanding at a given time. For this purpose, the different versions of Euclid’s Optics are placed in the context of and compared with late antique and early medieval sources. From Ptolemy through al-Haytham, experience had been used as an argument either to refute or to defend the geometric model of vision. Indeed, the visual ray hypothesis turns out to be more or less or not at all compatible with experience in the various versions of Euclid’s Optics. Their divergence thus provides evidence of a lively tradition of Euclidean Optics whose core has been transformed by discussing and testing the visual model on empirical grounds.
Ancient Pneumatics Transformed during the Early Modern Period
Authors: Valleriani Matteo
Published: May 2014

The paper aims to show how sixteenth century hydraulic and pneumatic engineers appropriated ancient science and technology – codified in the text of Hero of Alexandria’s Pneumatics – to enter into scientific discourse, for instance, with natural philosophers. They drew on the logical structure, content and narrative style passed down from antiquity to generate and codify their own theoretical approach and to document their new technological achievements. They did so by using the form of commented and enlarged editions, just as Aristotelian natural philosophers had been doing for centuries. The argument aims to detail the exact role of ancient science and the process of transformation it underwent during the early modern period. In particular, it aims to show how pneumatic engineers first tested the ancient technology codified by Hero while carrying out their own practical activities. Once these tests were successfully concluded, in the spirit of early modern humanism they finally presented these activities as being associated with the work of their discipline’s most authoritative author, Hero of Alexandria, whose technology was tested during the construction of the hydraulic and pneumatic system of the garden of Pratolino.
Commentary on Sauvé Meyer
Authors: Silverman Allan
Published: May 2014

This short comment on Professor Sauvé Meyer’s paper attempts to draw attention to two issues that influence our understanding of Divine responsibility in the Timaeus. The first concerns the question of the literalness of the argument. If there is no creation, per much of the ancient tradition of commentators on the Timaeus, then there can be no divine responsibility. The second is the Timaeus’ account of the origin of non-human animals. Since they come from ‘fallen humans,’ and since they are necessary in order for the Demiurgic creation to be complete or perfect, in some sense they, and the fall of humans, must be part of the divine plan.
Colloquium 4 Glaucon’s Fate: Plato’s Republic and the Drama of the Soul
Authors: Howland Jacob
Published: May 2014

I argue that the internal evidence of the Republic supports a conjecture first advanced by the historian Mark Munn: Glaucon was an accomplice of the so-called Thirty Tyrants who most likely died at the side of his relatives Critias and Charmides in the Battle of Munychia. If Munn is right, the Republic must be read as a poignant philosophical drama, the tragedy of Socrates’ unsuccessful struggle to save Plato’s brother from the corrupting influence of his family and his city. This perspective raises important questions about the nature and limits of Socrates’ philosophical pedagogy, which must in turn be seen within the context of the dialogue’s symbolic and mythical representation of the cosmic moral drama of the soul.
Commentary on Henry
Authors: Leunissen Mariska
Published: May 2014

In this paper, I offer three suggestions regarding the role of Aristotle’s concept of analogy in biology as alternatives to the views defended by Devin Henry. First, I argue that the concept of analogy in Aristotle’s biological treatises points to a similarity in capacity between parts. Second, that it is mostly of methodological importance for the practice of explanation rather than for the practice of classification. And finally, that it is used with regard to parts that are visibly different and incommensurate rather to parts that possess different material natures.
Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay
Authors: RÜTZLER KLAUS , PIANTONI CARLA , VAN SOEST ROB W. M. , DÍAZ M. CRISTINA
Published: May 2014

The Caribbean barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, has been a focus of Smithsonian Institution (Washington) reef and mangrove investigations since the early 1970s. Systematics and biology of sponges (Porifera) were addressed by several researchers but none of the studies dealt with cryptic habitats, such as the shaded undersides of coral rubble, reef crevices, and caves, although a high species diversity was recognized and samples were taken for future reference and study. This paper is the result of processing samples taken between 1972 and 2012. In all, 122 species were identified, 14 of them new (including one new genus). The new species are Tetralophophora (new genus) mesoamericana, Geodia cribrata, Placospongia caribica, Prosuberites carriebowensis, Timea diplasterina, Timea oxyasterina, Rhaphidhistia belizensis, Wigginsia curlewensis, Phorbas aurantiacus, Myrmekioderma laminatum, Niphates arenata, Siphonodictyon occultum, Xestospongia purpurea, and Aplysina sciophila. We determined that about 75 of the 122 cryptic sponge species studied (61%) are exclusive members of the sciophilic community, 47 (39 %) occur in both, light-exposed and shaded or dark habitats. Since we estimate the previously known sponge population of Carrie Bow reefs and mangroves at about 200 species, the cryptic fauna makes up 38 % of total diversity.
Two new species of Zwicknia Murányi, with molecular data on the phylogenetic position of the genus (Plecoptera, Capniidae)
Authors: BOUMANS LOUIS , MURÁNYI DÁVID
Published: May 2014

Analyses of the nuclear DNA marker 28S confirm the distinctness of the recently erected stonefly genus Zwicknia Murányi 2014, which encompasses the species until recently referred to as ‘Capnia bifrons.’ Two new species are described and illustrated with line drawings: Z. westermanni Boumans & Murányi, sp. n. from Germany and France, and Z. komica Murányi & Boumans, sp. n. from the Komi Republic in northwestern Russia. The intersexual communication of the former species is described in detail.        A phylogenetic analysis of 87 sequences of the mitochondrial marker cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) representing the six described European species of Zwicknia and outgroup taxa reveals large genetic distances within the species Z. rupprechti and Z. bifrons, while the haploclade including all specimens of the latter species also includes Z. acuta and Z. westermanni. The mitochondrial phylogeny is assumed not to represent the species phylogeny. In contrast, a phylogeny of the nuclear markers 28S and ITS reveals that Z. rupprechti and Z. westermanni are more closely related to each other than either is to Z. bifrons. This finding is in line with the drumming patterns of the former two species being relatively similar.
Illustrated Catalogue and Type Designations of the New Zealand Zopheridae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea)
Authors: LORD NATHAN P. , LESCHEN RICHARD A.B.
Published: May 2014

This paper provides a comprehensive catalogue of the New Zealand members of the family Zopheridae Solier (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) in an effort to stabilize the nomenclature preceding extensive revisionary taxonomy within the group. A checklist of the 17 New Zealand zopherid genera and an account for each of the 189 species (by current combination) is provided. Type material for nearly all species was examined, and type specimens are designated herein (90 confirmed holotypes, 3 confirmed paratypes, 102 lectotypes, 280 paralectotypes). Images of all primary type specimens and labels examined are provided. Pycnomerus sulcatissimus Sharp, 1886 is a junior synonym and secondary homonym of Pycnomerus sulcatissimus (Reitter, 1880). One replacement name is proposed, Chorasus buckleyi new name, for Chorasus subcaecus (Broun), and 23 new combinations are given.
Impact of Climate Change on Reservoir Flood Control in the Upstream Area of the Beijiang River Basin, South China
Authors: Wu Chuanhao , Huang Guoru , Yu Haijun , Chen Zhijing , Ma Jingguang
Published: May 2014

One of the potential impacts of global warming is likely to be experienced through changes in flood frequency and magnitude, which poses a potential threat to the downstream reservoir flood control system. In this paper, the downscaling results of the multimodel dataset from phases 3 and 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3 and CMIP5, respectively) were coupled with the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model to evaluate the impact of climate change on the Feilaixia reservoir flood control in the Beijiang River basin for the first time. Four emissions scenarios [A1B and representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5] were chosen. Results indicate that annual distribution and interannual variability of temperature and precipitation are well simulated by the downscaling results of the CMIP3 and CMIP5 multimodel dataset. The VIC model, which performs reasonably well in simulating runoff processes with high model efficiency and low relative error, is suitable for the study area. Overall, annual maximum 1-day precipitation in 2020–50 would increase under all the scenarios (relative to the baseline period 1970–2000). However, the spatial distribution patterns of changes in projected extreme precipitation are uneven under different scenarios. Extreme precipitation is most closely associated with extreme floods in the study area. There is a gradual increase in extreme floods in 2020–50 under any of the different emission scenarios. The increases in 500-yr return period daily discharge of the Feilaixia reservoir have been found to be from 4.35% to 9.18% in 2020–50. The reservoir would be likely to undergo more flooding in 2020–50.
Institutional Degeneration and the Economic Crisis in Spain
Authors: Royo Sebastián
Published: May 2014

The economic crisis has had an earth-shattering effect in Spain at all levels: economic, political, institutional, and social. There are different interpretations about the causes of the crisis. Most of the analyses on the economic crisis in Spain have concerned themselves with phenomena like mismanaged banks, excessive debts, the bubble in the real estate sector, or the loss of competitiveness. Others have sought to explain the crisis as a byproduct of European Monetary Union integration. This article moves beyond those explanations and argues that a fundamental reason for the crisis is rooted in the process of institutional degeneration that preceded the crisis.
Association Between Flavonoid-Rich Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Total Serum Bilirubin
Authors: Loprinzi Paul D. , Mahoney Sara E.
Published: May 2014

Emerging work demonstrates that serum bilirubin is a novel biomarker implicated in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, we have a limited understanding of the influence of flavonoid-rich fruit and vegetable consumption on bilirubin levels, which was the purpose of this study. Data from the 2003 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey were used (n = 1783; 18-85 years of age), with analyses performed in 2014. Total serum bilirubin was measured from a blood sample. Using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), a flavonoid index variable was created summing the frequency of consumption of flavonoid-rich foods. After adjustments, greater consumption of flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables was positively associated with bilirubin levels. Our findings suggest an association between flavonoid-rich fruit and vegetable consumption and bilirubin levels. If confirmed by prospective and experimental studies, then regular consumption of flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables should be promoted to increase levels of bilirubin.
Values and ethics in practice-based decision making
Authors: Clair Valerie A. Wright-St , Newcombe Diane B.
Published: May 2014

Background.

Values are evident in health ethics literature; however, it is seldom clear how they are visible in practice.

Purpose.

The aim of this study was to illuminate how values inform occupational therapists’ decision making in practice.

Method.

Fifteen New Zealand community occupational therapists completed this embedded experimental mixed-methods study. A pre-deliberation questionnaire was completed prior to deliberation of a case study using web-based values transparency software, the Values Exchange, followed by a post-deliberation questionnaire. Categorical data were analyzed using non-parametric statistics. Written responses to open questions were thematically analyzed.

Findings.

Most participants disagreed with the proposed action for the case. Degrees of divergence, concern for dignity and risk, and values-based reasoning were found, revealing how ethical deliberation was values based.

Implications.

Recognition and transparency of the values inherent in practice-based decision making is possible and desirable in promoting sound ethical reasoning.
Metabolic Bone Disease Screening Practices Among U.S. Neonatologists
Authors: Kelly Andrea , Kovatch Kevin J. , Garber Samuel J.
Published: May 2014

Preterm, low-birth-weight neonates are predisposed to metabolic bone disease (MBD). This survey aimed to assess screening, diagnostic, and treatment practices in U.S. level IIIB/IIIC neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). A 29-question anonymous online survey was e-mailed to American Academy of Pediatrics Perinatal Section members. 338 neonatologists, representing 246 IIIB/IIIC NICUs, responded. 86% reported MBD screening. Screening was primarily based on gestational age (71%), with thresholds <26 to <36 weeks. Other criteria included birth weight (64%), total parenteral nutrition duration (48%), X-ray findings (56%), diuretic use (41%), and exclusive breast-feeding (9.6%). Almost universally, diagnosis was based on elevated alkaline phosphatase, most commonly >500 U/L (58.6%). 52% used X-ray for diagnosis. Treatment included human milk fortification (83%), vitamin D (67%), calcium (65%), and phosphorus (65%) supplementation. Our survey confirms widespread awareness of MBD but highlights lack of consensus regarding definition, screening, and treatment. Further research is needed to develop and optimize strategies to prevent, recognize, and manage MBD.
Is It the Place or the People? Disentangling the Effects of Hospitals’ Physical and Social Environments on Well-Being
Authors: Andrade Cláudia Campos , Lima Maria Luísa , Devlin Ann Sloan , Hernández Bernardo
Published: May 2014

Evidence points to the role of the physical environment on patient well-being, but its specific contribution is not clear. Two experimental studies were conducted. First, we investigated the inferences people make about the physical environment given information about the social environment, and vice versa. In six conditions, participants were exposed to information about an inadequate, neutral, or good hospital physical environment; or about a negative, neutral, or positive hospital social environment. Results showed that people associate the quality of hospitals’ physical and social environments, and the corresponding expected well-being. Study 2 sought to disentangle the independent effect of the physical and social dimensions. Levels of quality of the physical and social environments were crossed in a 3 × 3 between-subjects design. Results showed that both dimensions have a specific significant effect. In particular, the physical environment seems unable to improve satisfaction when its quality is high but is able to reduce satisfaction when its quality is low.
Mental health interventions for traumatized asylum seekers and refugees: What do we know about their efficacy?
Authors: Slobodin Ortal , de Jong Joop TVM
Published: May 2014

Background:

The prevalence of trauma-related problems among refugees and asylum seekers is extremely high due to adverse experiences associated with forced migration. Although the literature presents a considerable number of guidelines and theoretical frameworks for working with traumatized refugees and asylum seekers, the efficacy, feasibility and applicability of these interventions have little empirical evidence.

Aims:

The purpose of this article is to critically review the literature to provide a rationale for developing culturally sensitive, evidence-based interventions for refugees and asylum seekers.

Methods:

A literature review integrating research findings on interventions designed especially for traumatized asylum seekers and refugees was conducted. Retained studies had to use some quantitative measurements of post-traumatic stress and to have pre- and post-measurements to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. Studies included in this review cover a wide variety of interventions, including trauma-focused interventions, group therapy, multidisciplinary interventions and pharmacological treatments.

Results:

The majority of studies with traumatized refugees and asylum seekers reported positive outcomes of the intervention in reducing trauma-related symptoms. There is evidence to support the suitability of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and narrative exposure therapy (NET) in certain populations of refugees. Other intervention studies are limited by methodological considerations, such as lack of randomization, absence of control group and small samples.

Conclusions:

This review has again highlighted the shortage of guiding frameworks available to investigators and clinicians who are interested in tailoring interventions to work with refugees and asylum seekers. Theoretical, ethical and methodological considerations for future research are discussed.
Patterns of non-suicidal self-injurious behaviours among college students in India
Authors: Kharsati Naphisabet , Bhola Poornima
Published: May 2014

Background:

Non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour (NSSI) is a growing concern among youth and rarely reaches the attention of mental health and medical services.

Aims:

The study explored the occurrence, methods, characteristics and reported reasons for NSSI among a sample of college students in India.

Methods:

A total of 470 participants from undergraduate and postgraduate colleges completed the Functional Assessment of Self Mutilation (FASM) questionnaire.

Results:

Results indicated that 31.2% of the participants reported NSSI in the past year, with the mean age of onset being 15.9 years. Moderate/severe forms of NSSI were reported by 19.8% of the sample. The most common method was self-hitting (15.2%) followed by cutting or carving skin (13.2%). A majority of self-injurers endorsed multiple methods of NSSI, and there were no significant gender differences in NSSI rates. The NSSI was performed both to regulate internal emotional states (automatic reinforcement) and to influence others in the environment (social reinforcement).The most commonly endorsed reasons for NSSI were ‘to feel relaxed’ and ‘to get control of the situation’, while the least frequently endorsed reasons were ‘to make others angry’ and ‘to avoid college, work, or other activities’.

Conclusion:

The findings underscore the need to increase the awareness and understanding of NSSIs and to plan targeted interventions among college youth.
Depictions of auditory verbal hallucinations in news media
Authors: Vilhauer Ruvanee P
Published: May 2014

Background:

The characterization of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), diverges from recent research literature, which demonstrates the occurrence of AVH in individuals who are psychologically healthy. This discrepancy raises the question of how the public perceives AVH. Public perceptions are important because they could potentially affect how individuals with AVH interpret these experiences and how people view voice hearers.

Aims:

Because media portrayals can provide a window into how phenomena are viewed by the public, an archival study of newspaper articles was carried out to examine depictions of AVH.

Methods:

A sample of 181 newspaper articles originating in the United States was analyzed using a content analysis approach.

Results:

The majority of articles examined contained no suggestion that AVH are possible in psychologically healthy individuals. Most articles suggested that AVH were a symptom of mental illness, and many suggested that AVH were associated with criminal behavior, violence and suicidality.

Conclusion:

The news media examined tended to present a misleading and largely pathologizing view of AVH. More research is needed to shed light on how, and to what extent, public perceptions may influence those who experience AVH.
Identification of the hikikomori syndrome of social withdrawal: Psychosocial features and treatment preferences in four countries
Authors: Teo Alan R , Fetters Michael D , Stufflebam Kyle , Tateno Masaru , Balhara Yatan , Choi Tae Young , Kanba Shigenobu , Mathews Carol A , Kato Takahiro A
Published: May 2014

Background:

Hikikomori, a form of social withdrawal first reported in Japan, may exist globally but cross-national studies of cases of hikikomori are lacking.

Aims:

To identify individuals with hikikomori in multiple countries and describe features of the condition.

Method:

Participants were recruited from sites in India, Japan, Korea and the United States. Hikikomori was defined as a 6-month or longer period of spending almost all time at home and avoiding social situations and social relationships, associated with significant distress/impairment. Additional measures included the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) and modified Cornell Treatment Preferences Index.

Results:

A total of 36 participants with hikikomori were identified, with cases detected in all four countries. These individuals had high levels of loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale M = 55.4, SD = 10.5), limited social networks (LSNS-6 M = 9.7, SD = 5.5) and moderate functional impairment (SDS M = 16.5, SD = 7.9). Of them 28 (78%) desired treatment for their social withdrawal, with a significantly higher preference for psychotherapy over pharmacotherapy, in-person over telepsychiatry treatment and mental health specialists over primary care providers. Across countries, participants with hikikomori had similar generally treatment preferences and psychosocial features.

Conclusion:

Hikikomori exists cross-nationally and can be assessed with a standardized assessment tool. Individuals with hikikomori have substantial psychosocial impairment and disability, and some may desire treatment.
Atypical fatal entry wound to the thigh – a case report
Authors: Hugar Basappa S , Bhagavath Prashantha , Harish SH , Anitha S
Published: May 2014

Stab wounds encountered in medico-legal practice are caused by sharp or blunt pointed weapons such as a kitchen knife, dagger, screwdriver, iron rod, etc. Atypical entry wounds may result from elasticity of skin, relative movement of the victim or the offending weapon or both. These are often described in the literature. We report an unusual incised stab injury of the thigh where a single atypical entry wound resulted in injury to the femoral vessels. The precise causation of such a peculiar entry wound cannot be explained, though it can be considered within the dynamic processes involved between victim, assailant and the offending weapon. It is recorded because of its academic curiosity.
The real estate markets: Players, institutions and territories
Authors: Theurillat Thierry , Rérat Patrick , Crevoisier Olivier
Published: May 2014

Revealing the parties, the processes and the institutions and, consequently, both the diversity and contingency of the real estate markets, the existing increasing literature emphasises the contemporary numerous links and interdependencies between real estate, land value, planning and town planning policy and even the financial system. This paper is an attempt to understand all the real estate markets, from the most peripheral ones, where the urban rent is the lowest, to the most dense city centres. To gain a better understanding of the real estate market, a process of firstly deconstruction and then reconstruction is used. The process of deconstruction involves identifying various market trends according to property type (principally residential buildings), players and institutions, territorial situations and temporalities based on research conducted in Switzerland. We then developed a meta-synthesis inspired by Fernand Braudel whose works put as much emphasis on day-to-day economic activity as on long-term activity, and on local as well as global issues.
Overall Perceived Value of a Tourism Service Delivered via Different Media
Authors: Sabiote-Ortiz Carmen M. , Frías-Jamilena Dolores M. , Castañeda-García J. Alberto
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this research is to compare the perceptions of Spanish and British tourists in the formation of the overall perceived value of the purchase decision-making process for a hotel stay. Comparison is made between two key tourism distribution channels: offline, via a travel agency; and online, via the Internet. The sample comprised 600 tourists. Of these, 300 (150 Spanish and 150 British) had purchased hotel accommodation for their last holiday via an offline travel agency, and the other 300 (again, 150 Spanish and 150 British) had done so via the Internet. Given that the two countries differ in their cultural dimensions, the results show that the “uncertainty-avoidance” and “individualism/collectivism” dimensions moderate the relationship between the antecedents of overall perceived value. These differences are not homogeneous, depending instead on the medium through which the service is purchased. The present research takes a comprehensive approach to overall perceived value formation, considering differences both in culture and also in distribution channel, and including different phases: purchase and use.
Caregiver Confirmation and Children’s Attachment Security During the Transition to Kindergarten
Authors: Munz Elizabeth A. , Wilson Steven R.
Published: May 2014

This study explores the relationship between caregiver confirmation and children’s attachment security during the transition to kindergarten. Caregiver-child dyads ( N = 50) read a story about the transition to school, caregivers responded to hypothetical child statements of concern regarding starting school, and caregivers completed the Attachment Q-Sort measure (Waters, 1995). Caregivers’ behaviors during portions of the storybook task and their written responses to hypothetical child statements of concern were coded for verbal and nonverbal “confirmation as acceptance” and verbal “confirmation as challenge.” Children’s attachment security scores were produced from the Attachment Q-Sort. Caregivers’ level of education moderated the association between caregiver confirmation as verbal and nonverbal acceptance and children’s attachment security such that there was a positive association between confirmation and attachment security primarily for caregivers with low levels of formal education. Implications for the literatures on confirmation, attachment, and the transition to school are discussed.
The Impact of Diabetes Self-Management Education on Glucose Management and Empowerment in Ethnic Armenians With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Naccashian Zarmine
Published: May 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of diabetes self-management education on glycemic control and perceptions of empowerment in Armenian American immigrants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

A quasi-experimental pre and post design was used to investigate the impact of using education on self-management as measured by A1C levels and empowerment scores. Nine hours of diabetes self-management education classes were offered in the Armenian language to 75 clients at 2 adult health day care centers over 6 weeks. The participants were mostly first-generation Armenian immigrants aged 65 years and older. A1C results, the 8-item Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES), and the 15-item Armenian Ethnic Orientation Questionnaire–Revised (AEOQ-R) were used to determine the impact of education on self-care management.

Results

After institutional review board approval was obtained, 75 participants completed the study. A paired t test indicated that the postintervention mean A1C level was significantly lower than the preintervention mean A1C level. The postintervention mean DES score was significantly greater than the preintervention mean DES score. No mediating effects of age, gender, acculturation, and number of years with the disease were identified for either A1C or DES score.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate the efficacy of the diabetes self-management education classes in improving diabetes self-care management skills.
Computerized Adaptive Testing for the Random Weights Linear Logistic Test Model
Authors: Crabbe Marjolein , Vandebroek Martina
Published: May 2014

This article discusses four-item selection rules to design efficient individualized tests for the random weights linear logistic test model (RWLLTM): minimum posterior-weighted [Formula: see text]-error [Formula: see text]minimum expected posterior-weighted [Formula: see text]-error [Formula: see text]maximum expected Kullback–Leibler divergence between subsequent posteriors ( KLP), and maximum mutual information ( MUI). The RWLLTM decomposes test items into a set of subtasks or cognitive features and assumes individual-specific effects of the features on the difficulty of the items. The model extends and improves the well-known linear logistic test model in which feature effects are only estimated at the aggregate level. Simulations show that the efficiencies of the designs obtained with the different criteria appear to be equivalent. However, KLP and MUI are given preference over [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] due to their lesser complexity, which significantly reduces the computational burden.
Market-Driven Technological Innovation Through Acquisitions
Authors: Lee Jongkuk , Kim Minyoung
Published: May 2014

This study is an effort to reveal market-driven innovation via acquisitions. By differentiating the organizational process of resource integration pertaining to market- versus technology-driven innovation via acquisitions, we show that product market relatedness and technology relatedness have differential effects on postacquisition innovation performance, depending on the size of the acquirer. Our analysis of acquisitions in high-tech industries indicates that larger firms maximize their postacquisition technological innovation performance at a lower level of technology relatedness and, in contrast, at a higher level of product market relatedness, whereas the opposite is true for smaller firms. This study contributes to the acquisitions research by identifying (a) market-driven innovation via acquisitions and (b) different mechanisms through which product market and technological resources affect postacquisition technological innovation.
Exercise During Pregnancy Attenuates Prenatal Depression
Authors: Perales M. , Refoyo I. , Coteron J. , Bacchi M. , Barakat R.
Published: May 2014

Recent studies have estimated the prevalence of depression during pregnancy to be between 10% and 30%, which is higher than that in the postpartum period. Pharmacological treatment during pregnancy is difficult because of the possible side effects of antidepressants on the mother and the fetus. The aim of this study was to examine whether a supervised exercise program (EP) reduces depressive symptoms in pregnant women. A randomized controlled trial was designed. One hundred eighty four healthy pregnant women from Fuenlabrada Hospital were included (31.37 ± 3.62 years). Women from the exercise group (EG) participated in a supervised EP consisting of three, 55- to 60-min sessions per week throughout pregnancy. The main outcome measure was the patients’ depression level assessed by means of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A total of 167 pregnant women were analyzed; 90 were allocated to the EG and 77 to the control group (CG). Significant differences were found between groups at the end of the study in CES-D scores (EG: 7.67 ± 6.30 vs. CG: 11.34 ± 9.74, p = .005) and in percentages of pregnant women depressed (EG: n = 11/12.2% vs. CG: n = 19/24.7%, p = .04). Our results show that supervised physical exercise during pregnancy reduces the level of depression and its incidence in pregnant women.
Notes From the Field
Authors: Martin Sarah Levin , Martin Maurice W. , Cook Becky , Knaus Ryan , O'Rourke Karen
Published: May 2014

More than half of all children in the United States aged 3 to 6 years are enrolled in child care centers. Maine received funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Communities Putting Prevention to Work to promote the adoption of Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAPSACC), an evidence-based program for the child care setting. We evaluated the rollout and adoption of NAP SACC in Maine using multiple methods. Our findings suggest that the NAP SACC program has been successfully adopted in Maine. Nutrition and physical activity policies and offerings have improved, especially with regard to purchasing healthier options in the child care setting.
Evaluation of the Chronic Toxicity and Carcinogenicity of Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) in Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Klaunig James E. , Shinohara Motoki , Iwai Hiroyuki , Chengelis Christopher P. , Kirkpatrick Jeannie B. , Wang Zemin , Bruner Richard H.
Published: May 2014

Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), a 6-carbon perfluoroalkyl (C6; CAS # 307-24-4), has been proposed as a replacement for the commonly used 8-carbon perfluoroalkyls: perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate. PFHxA is not currently a commercial product but rather the ultimate degradation product of C6 fluorotelomer used to make C6 fluorotelomer acrylate polymers. It can be expected that, to a greater or lesser extent, the environmental loading of PFHxA will increase, as C6 fluorotelomer acrylate treatments are used and waste is generated. This article reports on a chronic study (duration 104 weeks) that was performed to evaluate the possible toxicologic and carcinogenic effects of PFHxA in gavage (daily gavage, 7 days per week) treated male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. In the current study, dosage levels of 0, 2.5, 15, and 100 mg/kg/day of PFHxA (males) and 5, 30, and 200 mg/kg/day of PFHxA (females) were selected based on a previous subchronic investigation. No effects on body weights, food consumption, a functional observational battery, or motor activity were observed after exposure to PFHxA. While no difference in survival rates in males was seen, a dose-dependent decrease in survival in PFHxA-treated female rats was observed. Hematology and serum chemistry were unaffected by PFHxA. PFHxA-related histologic changes were noted in the kidneys of the 200-mg/kg/day group females. Finally, there was no evidence that PFHxA was tumorigenic in male or female SD rats at any of the dosage levels examined.
Litigation claims relating to venous thromboembolism in the NHS
Authors: White Victoria , Nath Alexander , Stansby Gerard
Published: May 2014

Aim

Litigation costs for clinical negligence in the management of venous thromboembolism have escalated in the last five years. The National Health Service Litigation Authority estimates these claims have cost in excess of £112 million. Our aim is to identify the areas of practice where these claims are most likely to arise to help improve patient outcome.

Methods

The National Health Service Litigation Authority provided de-identified data on individual medical negligence claims against the NHS since 2007. We subcategorised the data into (a) the nature of the venous thromboembolism event, (b) the area of specialist practice and (c) the damages incurred. Inter-group differences were evaluated using ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U Test.

Results

Failure to prevent and to diagnose pulmonary emboli and deep vein thrombosis occurs across the spectrum of clinical specialties. In the study period 189 claims were made. The majority of claims were in surgical specialties and the financial burden was significantly greater than in the medical specialities (£3,257,394 vs. £1,532,996). The amounts paid out by specialty was not significantly different but had significant variance ( p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence provides comprehensive guidelines on venous thromboembolism risk assessment. Poor compliance has contributed to morbidity and mortality while the cost has continued to escalate. A multimodal approach to education is needed to improve patient outcome. Improved venous thromboembolism prevalence data are also needed.
A Cross-Cultural Investigation of the Stereotype for Salespeople
Authors: Fournier Christophe , Chéron Emmanuel , Tanner John F. , Bikanda P. J. , Wise Jorge A.
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this research is to investigate the image of salespeople and of the selling function as perceived by business students across cultures. Of the several empirical investigations that exist in the sales literature, most are based on a single-country sample. This study extends previous knowledge on single-country perception of salespeople by conducting a quantitative survey of business students in Cameroon, France, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. Substantial differences and similarities are found across countries on salesperson’s image, feelings in the presence of a salesperson, as well as the perception of a career in sales. They all appear to be influenced by cultural values. Several practical strategic implications are suggested, including examining cultural values to identify the origin of negative images, careful gatekeeping to promote professional positions, and supporting mobility of both students and faculty. Finally, limitations to the findings are presented with suggested future research directions.
Proximal Tibial Anterior Closing Wedge Osteotomy in Repeat Revision of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Sonnery-Cottet Bertrand , Mogos Stefan , Thaunat Mathieu , Archbold Pooler , Fayard Jean-Marie , Freychet Benjamin , Clechet Julien , Chambat Pierre
Published: May 2014

Background:

Physicians should consider an increased posterior tibial slope (PTS) as a risk factor for graft failure when proposing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) re-revision.

Purpose:

To describe the surgical technique of combined ACL revision and proximal tibial anterior closing wedge osteotomy and to evaluate its clinical outcome in cases of recurrent graft failure with associated increased tibial slope.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Between 2008 and 2010, 5 combined ACL re-revisions with proximal tibial anterior closing wedge osteotomy were retrospectively evaluated after a mean 31.6 months’ follow-up (range, 23-45 months). All patients reported subjective knee instability preoperatively and demonstrated increased laxity on physical examination. Intrinsic risk factors for graft failure (excessive tibial slope) were identified in all cases. Preoperative and postoperative functional assessments included the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score along with the Lysholm score and Tegner activity scale.

Results:

The mean Lysholm score was 46.2 preoperatively (range, 26-69) and 87.8 (range, 60-100) postoperatively. The mean IKDC subjective score was 39.5 (range, 21.8-64.4) before surgery and 79.1 (range, 48.3-98.9) at the last follow-up. The mean Tegner activity score was 7.4 (range, 5-9) before the latest ACL injury and 7.2 (range, 5-9) at the last follow-up. The mean PTS was 13.6° (range, 13°-14°) preoperatively and 9.2° (range, 8°-10°) postoperatively ( P = .0005). The mean differential anterior laxity was 10.4 mm (range, 8-14 mm), and this significantly decreased to 2.8 mm (range, 2-4 mm) at the last follow-up. Using the Kellgren-Lawrence classification to evaluate the presence of arthritis, 1 patient was grade 1, 3 patients were grade 2, and 1 patient was grade 3.

Conclusion:

Combined ACL re-revision with proximal tibial anterior closing wedge osteotomy restores knee stability and function with satisfactory clinical outcomes in patients who experience recurrent ACL ruptures with an associated increased PTS.
Quality of Life in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Gilson Kim-Michelle , Davis Elise , Reddihough Dinah , Graham Kerr , Waters Elizabeth
Published: May 2014

The ability to assess the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy to inform and evaluate individual care plans, service planning, interventions, and policies is crucial. In this article, the recent evidence on quality of life in children with cerebral palsy is reviewed, with attention to the determinants of quality of life and role of this construct as a practical outcome indicator in clinical trials. Quality of life measurement advances for children with cerebral palsy are discussed with a focus on condition-specific quality of life measures, particularly, the Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life–Child, which is the first condition-specific quality of life measure for children with cerebral palsy. The article presents an overview for clinicians and researchers intending to use quality of life measures on children with cerebral palsy and provides recommendations for future research that will better inform practice in the field.