bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atmosfear: Communicating the Effects of Climate Change on Extreme Weather
Authors: Janković Vladimir , Schultz David M.
Published: August 2016

The potential and serious effects of anthropogenic climate change are often communicated through the soundbite that anthropogenic climate change will produce more extreme weather. This soundbite has become popular with scientists and the media to get the public and governments to act against further increases in global temperature and their associated effects through the communication of scary scenarios, what the authors term “atmosfear.” Underlying atmosfear’s appeal, however, are four premises. First, atmosfear reduces the complexity of climate change to an identifiable target in the form of anthropogenically forced weather extremes. Second, anthropogenically driven weather extremes mandate a responsibility to act to protect the planet and society from harmful and increased risk. Third, achieving these ethical goals is predicated on emissions policies. Fourth, the end result of these policies—a nonanthropogenic climate—is assumed to be more benign than an anthropogenically influenced one. Atmosfear oversimplifies and misstates the true state of the science and policy concerns in three ways. First, weather extremes are only one of the predicted effects of climate change and are best addressed by measures other than emission policies. Second, a preindustrial climate may remain a policy goal, but it is unachievable in reality. Third, the damages caused by any anthropogenically driven extremes may be overshadowed by the damages caused by increased exposure and vulnerability to the future risk. In reality, recent increases in damages and losses due to extreme weather events are due to societal factors. Thus, invoking atmosfear through such approaches as attribution science is not an effective means of either stimulating or legitimizing climate policies.
Trajectories of major depression disorders: A systematic review of longitudinal neuroimaging findings
Authors: Dohm Katharina , Redlich Ronny , Zwitserlood Pienie , Dannlowski Udo
Published: August 2016

Objective:

Structural and functional brain alterations in major depression disorder (MDD) are well studied in cross-sectional designs, but little is known about the causality between onset and course of depression on the one hand, and neurobiological changes over time on the other. To explore the direction of causality, longitudinal studies with a long time window (preferably years) are needed, but only few have been undertaken so far. This article reviews all prospective neuroimaging studies in MDD patients currently available and provides a critical discussion of methodological challenges involved in the investigation of the causal relationship between brain alterations and the course of MDD.

Method:

We conducted a systematic review of studies published before September 2015, to identify structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies that assess the relation between neuronal alterations and MDD in longitudinal (⩾1 year) designs.

Results:

Only 15 studies meeting minimal standards were identified. An analysis of these longitudinal data showed a large heterogeneity between studies regarding design, samples, imaging methods, spatial restrictions and, consequently, results. There was a strong relationship between brain-volume outcomes and the current mood state, whereas longitudinal studies failed to clarify the influence of pre-existing brain changes on depressive outcome.

Conclusion:

So far, available longitudinal studies cannot resolve the causality between the course of depression and neurobiological changes over time. Future studies should combine high methodological standards with large sample sizes. Cooperation in multi-center studies is indispensable to attain sufficient sample sizes, and should allow careful assessment of possible confounders.
Direct and Indirect Experiential Effects in an Updating Model of Deterrence
Authors: Wilson Theodore , Paternoster Ray , Loughran Thomas
Published: August 2016

Objectives:

Sanction risk perceptions are a central element of deterrence theory, but the process by which an offender’s direct and indirect criminal experiences contribute to future risk perceptions has been understudied. This note seeks to address this domain through an extension of updating model of Anwar and Loughran to account for two distinct information signals obtained by an offender through (1) their personal criminal experiences and (2) the criminal experiences of their family members. Further, this model is extended to assess for any differential updating according to the presence of low impulse control.

Methods:

Data for this analysis were obtained from the Pathways to Desistance study. Random effects models were employed to model the updating process directly.

Results:

Having criminal family members who did not get arrested during the current period had the most criminogenic effect upon one’s personal perception of sanction risk, but simply having family members commit crime, regardless of sanction status, appears to be criminogenic. Those with low impulse control place greater weight upon their personal information than vicarious information obtained from their family members.

Conclusions:

These findings offer some insight into a mechanism that may underlay the delinquent peer effect and warrants future inquiry.
Changes in housing among older women: Latent class analysis of housing patterns in older Australian women
Authors: Byles Julie , Curryer Cassie , Vo Kha , Forder Peta , Loxton Deborah , McLaughlin Deirdre
Published: August 2016

Scant research exists on the patterns of changes in older women’s housing, and whether and when women transition into residential aged care (RAC). This study aimed to identify groups of women with different housing patterns (latent classes) over time, with a secondary aim to describe socio-demographic and health characteristics of women in each class. We analysed linked data for 9575 women born 1921–1926 from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health (ALSWH), Australian National Death Index, and Residential Aged Care (RAC) administrative records for the years 1999 through to 2011. Seven distinct housing patterns (classes) were identified over time. Four classes showed a stable pattern: living in a house for most surveys (47.0%), living in a house but with earlier death (13.7%), living in an apartment (12.8%), living in a retirement village (5.8%). One class showed a pattern of downsizing: moving from a house to retirement village (6.6%). Two patterns showed transition: from an apartment or retirement village, to RAC and death (7.8%), and from house to RAC (6.4%). This study provides new evidence about socio-demographic and health influences on housing patterns and entry into residential care in later life. These findings can inform policy and aged care planning for women in later life, by identifying patterns of transition into residential aged care, or alternatively, remaining in the community.
Factors Influencing Residents’ Perceptions toward Tourism Development: Differences across Rural and Urban World Heritage Sites
Authors: Rasoolimanesh S. Mostafa , Roldán José L. , Jaafar Mastura , Ramayah T.
Published: August 2016

This article compares the effects of factors influencing residents’ perceptions toward tourism development in urban and rural World Heritage Sites (WHSs). This study has been conducted in the rural Lenggong and urban George Town WHSs in Malaysia. Partial least squares–structural equation modeling, using a number of recently developed advanced analysis methods, has been used to assess the proposed measurement and structural models, and to compare the relationships between the two groups. The results of this study reveal significant differences between the effects of economic gain and community involvement on residents’ perceptions in rural and urban contexts. However, the findings do not support differences between the effects of community attachment and environmental attitudes on residents’ perceptions. This study makes a significant theoretical contribution by comparing rural and urban WHS residents in the developing world. Furthermore, this study has a number of practical implications for the local authorities.
High sensitivity fibre surface plasmon resonance sensor based on silver mirror reaction
Authors: Wang Qi , Du Chao , Kong Lingxin , Hu Haifeng
Published: August 2016

A novel fibre surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor fabricated by a silver mirror reaction is first proposed and demonstrated in this paper. The experimental results showed that the silver film characteristics of the fibre SPR sensing probe are affected by the concentration of silver ammonia solution, and the relations between the concentration of silver ammonia solution and properties of the sensors have been obtained, which is in accordance with the optimal parameters of fibre and silver film through a theoretical simulation. Firstly, a theoretical model of a silver film-based fibre SPR sensing mechanism has been built up. Then the numerical simulations towards the influence of sensing structure, thickness and sensing length of metal films on the sensing system sensitivity have been performed. Finally, the optimal structure parameters of the sensor are obtained. The results show that this fibre SPR sensing system provides a promising platform for sodium chloride solution concentration measurement with a concentration sensitivity of 710.4 nm/%.
Unfolding IRT Models for Likert-Type Items With a Don’t Know Option
Authors: Liu Chen-Wei , Wang Wen-Chung
Published: August 2016

Attitude surveys are widely used in the social sciences. It has been argued that the underlying response process to attitude items may be more aligned with the ideal-point (unfolding) process than with the cumulative (dominance) process, and therefore, unfolding item response theory (IRT) models are more appropriate than dominance IRT models for these surveys. Missing data and don’t know (DK) responses are common in attitude surveys, and they may not be ignorable in the likelihood for parameter estimation. Existing unfolding IRT models often treat missing data or DK as missing at random. In this study, a new class of unfolding IRT models for nonignorable missing data and DK were developed, in which the missingness and DK were assumed to measure a hierarchy of latent traits, which may be correlated with the latent attitude that a test intended to measure. The Bayesian approach with Markov chain Monte Carlo methods was used to estimate the parameters of the new models. Simulation studies demonstrated that the parameters were recovered fairly well, and ignoring nonignorable missingness or DK resulted in poor parameter estimates. An empirical example of a religious belief scale about health was given.
Comment on Three-Element Item Selection Procedures for Multiple Forms Assembly
Authors: van der Linden Wim J. , Li Jie
Published: August 2016

A recent article in this journal addressed the choice between specialized heuristics and mixed-integer programming (MIP) solvers for automated test assembly. This reaction is to comment on the mischaracterization of the general nature of MIP solvers in this article, highlight the quite inefficient modeling of the test-assembly problems used in its empirical examples, and counter these examples by presenting the MIP solutions for a set of 35 real-world multiple-form assembly problems.
Caloric Requirements of Patients With Brain Impairment and Cerebral Palsy Who Are Dependent on Chronic Ventilation
Authors: Gale Rena , Namestnic Julia , Singer Pierre , Kagan Ilya
Published: August 2016

Background and Objective: Israeli law mandates chronic ventilator support for children and adolescents who are severely brain impaired and show minimal responses. Feeding protocols in these cases have been based on the caloric requirements of healthy children, deducting calories for lack of activity as well as an individual adjustment according to the cerebral palsy growth curves. However, patients are still inclined to gain excessive weight. Our objective was to determine the caloric requirements of these patients. Design and Method: Sixteen patients hospitalized in a dedicated unit who were ventilated through tracheostomies and fed via gastrostomies were included. Patients were aged 3–24 years; duration of ventilation was 1–7.5 years; and diagnoses included congenital genetic or brain malformations (n = 9), hypoxic accidents (n = 4), and postbacterial or postviral encephalitis (n = 3). Resting energy expenditure (REE) was determined by indirect calorimetry. REE values were compared with the caloric requirements of age‐comparable healthy children and the calories actually delivered. Data were analyzed with paired t tests, Pearson correlations, and linear regression. Results: The REE of our patients was 46% lower than the estimated caloric requirements of healthy children. In practice, patients received 32% more calories than that measured by REE. These findings were not affected by age, weight, diagnosis, or length of hospitalization. Conclusions: The caloric expenditure of these patients is very low. A diet guided by indirect calorimetry is proposed to aid in providing optimal nutrition support for this unique population to avoid overfeeding and obesity.
Transitioning Preterm Infants From Parenteral Nutrition: A Comparison of 2 Protocols
Authors: Miller Malki , Donda Keyur , Bhutada Alok , Rastogi Deepa , Rastogi Shantanu
Published: August 2016

Background: Growth in preterm infants is compromised during the transition phase of nutrition, when parenteral nutrition (PN) volumes are weaned with advancing enteral nutrition (EN) feeds, likely due to suboptimal nutrient intakes during this time. We implemented new PN guidelines designed to maintain optimal nutrient intakes during the transition phase and compared growth outcomes of this cohort with a control group. Materials and Methods: A chart review was conducted on infants born <32 weeks’ gestation, before (control group) and after (study group) a new transition PN protocol was implemented in the neonatal intensive care unit. Weight parameters and nutrient intakes were calculated for the transition phase and compared between the 2 groups. Results: Demographic and clinical characteristics of the 2 groups were comparable except for higher rates of sepsis in control group. Weight‐for‐age z scores at birth, at 1 week of life, and at the start of the transition phase were similar. At the end of the transition phase, infants in the study group had significantly higher z scores compared with the control group, even when corrected for sepsis, a difference that persisted at 35 weeks’ gestation. During the transition phase, study infants gained 16.1 ± 4.6 g/kg/d compared with 13.2 ± 5.4 g/kg/d in control group (P < .001). Similar results were observed in the subset of expressed breastmilk–only fed infants (15.9 ± 4.6 g/kg/d in the study group compared with 13.2 ± 5.4 g/kg/d in the control group, P < .004). Conclusion: Optimizing nutrition by the use of concentrated PN during the transition phase to maintain appropriate nutrient intakes improves growth rates in preterm infants.
Thirty‐Day Readmission Rate Is High for Hospitalized Patients Discharged With Home Parenteral Nutrition or Intravenous Fluids
Authors: Vallabh Hiren , Konrad Denise , DeChicco Robert , Cresci Gail , Lopez Rocio , Steiger Ezra , Kirby Donald F.
Published: August 2016

Background: Reducing hospital readmissions decreases healthcare costs and improves quality of care. There are no published studies examining the rate of, and risk factors for, 30‐day readmissions for patients discharged with home parenteral support (HPS). Objective: Determine the rate of 30‐day readmissions for patients discharged with HPS and whether malnutrition and other demographic or clinical factors increase the risk. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of patients discharged with HPS from the Cleveland Clinic between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014, and followed by the Cleveland Clinic Home Nutrition Support Service. Results: Of the 224 patients studied, 31.6% (n = 71) had unplanned readmissions within 30 days of hospital discharge. Of these, 21.1% (n = 15) were HPS related, with catheter‐related bloodstream infection (n = 5) and dehydration (n = 5) the most common. The majority of patients (84.4%) were diagnosed with malnutrition, but the presence or degree did not influence the readmission rate (P = .41). According to univariable analysis, patients with an ostomy (P = .037), a small bowel resection (P = .002), a higher HPS volume at discharge (P < .001), and a shorter period between HPS consult and hospital discharge (P < .026) had a lower risk of 30‐day readmission than their counterparts. On multivariable analysis, patients had a higher risk of 30‐day readmission if they had a history of heart disease (P = .048) and for every 1‐unit increase in white blood cells (P = .026). Conclusions: Patients discharged with HPS have a high 30‐day readmission rate, although most readmissions were not related to the HPS itself. The presence and degree of malnutrition were not associated with 30‐day readmissions.
Globalization and variants of local adaptation: Theory and justification with symbolic logic
Authors: Boone Christophe , Péli Gábor
Published: August 2016

An increasing body of evidence indicates that globalization can trigger a variety of reactions from societies. The possible outcomes include blending, hybridization, fault line formation or even an increased salience of local traditionalist value systems. An important task for the research field is developing systematic, comparative theories predicting which outcome is expected to emerge depending on the interplay between the global and the local. Drawing on the rich empirical literature on globalization variants, the article takes a further step in theory building by proposing a typology with the four possible outcomes mentioned above. To make the model premises more transparent, the authors transcribe their arguments into symbolic logic sentences and derive the typology outcomes as theorems. This allows testing if the proposed model does indeed imply the purported conclusions, and to see what consequences would, or would not, follow from a slightly modified premise set, that is, from a slightly modified globalization theory.
Imageries of the social world in epistemic governance
Authors: Alasuutari Pertti , Qadir Ali
Published: August 2016

To explain why neoinstitutionalist theories have been so successful in explaining global isomorphism and to discuss how they can be extended to describe otherwise inexplicable similarities in the world, the article approaches policy-making from an epistemic governance perspective. Utilizing a constructionist view on language, the article argues that popular and political rhetoric are inextricably bound to social scientific conceptions of reality through the use of root metaphors that are, in turn, woven into convincing imageries of social reality. In addition to the well-known culturally constructed imagery of social change as driven by functional requirements of modernization, two other imageries are identified: society as a hierarchy and the social world as comprising competing blocs. These three imageries are then discussed as key discursive ingredients for both social scientific and political actors seeking to understand and change the world. Finally, the implications of the article for future research are discussed.
Is there any room for family business into European Union 2020 Strategy? Family business and regional public policy
Authors: Basco Rodrigo , Bartkevičiūtė Inga
Published: August 2016

The role of family firms within economic growth and development has been neglected, and family business dimensions have been overlooked in regional intervention policy. That is, while family firms seem to play a significant role in the construction of the European Union, family firms are omitted from public policy beyond direct action related to tax benefits or advice about ownership and management succession. Therefore, the aim of this article is to provoke a debate on the importance of the family business dimension for developing and implementing regional public policy. Specifically, this article addresses the question of whether the family firm matters for regional development and, if so, how the family business dimensions can be included in regional policy strategies. We built our arguments following the regional familiness model and considering that family businesses’ effect on regional development can occur at the firm and regional levels. Our main conclusion is that any public policy intervention should consider the regional familiness characteristics of the regional productive structure because it may boost or hinder regional competitiveness and affect economic growth and development.
Sensorimotor gating of the startle reflex: what we said 25 years ago, what has happened since then, and what comes next
Authors: Swerdlow Neal R , Braff David L , Geyer Mark A
Published: August 2016

Our 1992 paper, ‘The neural substrates of sensorimotor gating of the startle reflex: a review of recent findings and their implications’, reviewed a series of (then) new and preliminary findings from cross-species studies of prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex, and commented on their implications. At the time that the report was composed, PubMed listed about 40 citations for studies using the search term ‘prepulse inhibition’. In the ensuing 25 years, the field has added about 2700 such reports, reflecting the substantial growth in interest in prepulse inhibition and its utility across a number of different experimental applications. The 30th anniversary of the Journal of Psychopharmacology provides an opportunity to comment briefly on what was described in that 1992 report, how the field has progressed in the subsequent decades, and the paths forward for studies of prepulse inhibition and its use as an operational measure of sensorimotor gating. Among these future paths, we highlight the use of prepulse inhibition as: an endophenotype for genomic studies, and a biomarker for healthy brain circuitry, which may predict sensitivity to psychotherapeutics. Our 1992 report was highly speculative and based on paper-thin empirical data, yet viewed in a certain light, it appears to have contained a basic roadmap for a journey spanning the next 25 years of prepulse inhibition research… and ‘what a long, strange trip it’s been’.
Risperidone increases the cortical silent period in drug-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia: A transcranial magnetic stimulation study
Authors: Ustohal Libor , Mayerova Michaela , Hublova Veronika , Prikrylova Kucerova Hana , Ceskova Eva , Kasparek Tomas
Published: August 2016

Objectives:

Schizophrenia is accompanied by impaired cortical inhibition, as measured by several markers including the cortical silent period (CSP). It is thought that CSP measures gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors B (GABAB) mediated inhibitory activity. But the mutual roles of schizophrenia as a disease and the drugs used for the treatment of psychosis on GABA mediated neurotransmission are not clear.

Methods:

We recruited 13 drug-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess CSP prior to initiating risperidone monotherapy and again four weeks later. At the same time, we rated the severity of psychopathology using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Results:

We obtained data from 12 patients who showed a significant increase in CSP, from 134.20±41.81 ms to 162.95±61.98 ms ( p=0.041; Cohen’s d=0.544). After the treatment, the PANSS total score was significantly lower, as were the individual subscores ( p<0.05). However, no correlation was found between ΔCSP and ΔPANSS.

Conclusion:

Our study in patients with first-episode schizophrenia demonstrated an association between risperidone monotherapy and an increase in GABAB mediated inhibitory neurotransmission.
A Case Study of the Long-Lasting Effects of Cognitive Training on Similar Tasks in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Cavallo Marco , Angilletta Chiara
Published: August 2016

Objective: Cognitive training allows patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to reinforce their cognitive abilities. Here, we investigated the generalizability of trained skills to novel tasks, and their stability over time. Method: One patient underwent a structured cognitive training using the GEO (Geographical Exercise for cognitive Optimization) task, whereas 10 patients underwent a control intervention. Participants’ performances on the GEO task, on a similar untrained task, and on a different untrained task were recorded before and after the intervention, and at the 24-month follow-up. Results: On both the trained and the similar untrained tasks, patient’s and controls’ performance significantly differed from one another, with trained patient showing a significant acquirement of procedural skills that were maintained over time. Conclusion: Our preliminary evidence showed that a cognitive training could allow patients to acquire and maintain new skills not only on performing a trained task but surprisingly also on a similar untrained task.
Providing HIV results via SMS one day after testing: more popular than rapid point-of-care tests
Authors: Davies Stephen C , Koh Andrew , Lindsay Heather E , Fulton Richard B , Fernando Suran L
Published: August 2016

An inner Sydney sexual health service introduced the option to gay and bisexual men of receiving a negative HIV result by SMS to mobile phone one business day after venipuncture (rapid SMS). Men could also choose one of the other options: a point-of-care-test (POCT), by phone, or in-person (clinicians could also require in-person). We followed-up patients choosing the rapid SMS method to ascertain their satisfaction. During 12 months, 473 men had 591 HIV tests. Of these tests, 5.4% were POCTs, 9.1% were in-person, 24% were by phone, and 62% were rapid SMS. HIV POCTs declined from being 22% of result methods in the pre-study period to 5.4% during the rapid SMS intervention period (odds ratio 0.20, 95% CI 0.13–0.32, P < 0.0001). Phone/in-person results declined from 78% to 33% (odds ratio 0.14, 95% CI 0.10–0.20, P < 0.0001). SMS was sent by the next business day in 95% of cases; 96% of men were satisfied; and 95% would choose this method for their next test. Of 77 men who previously had an HIV POCT, 56 (73%) elected a rapid SMS result rather than having another POCT. The higher accuracy of conventional serology was commonly expressed as the reason for choosing rapid SMS for results.
Book Review: Jan Breman, On Pauperism in Present and Past
Authors: Devi Rama
Published: August 2016

Jan Breman, On Pauperism in Present and Past. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2016, ₹850, viii + 289 pp.
Social entrepreneurs narrating their careers: A psychodynamic-existential perspective
Authors: Cohen Hila , Katz Hagai
Published: August 2016

This study aims to improve our understanding of social entrepreneurs’ careers through narrative analysis of their life stories. Narratives are an important part of the study of career-related transitions, as they form, revise, and reconstruct identities, and drive agency. For this purpose, 24 in-depth semi-structured narrative interviews were conducted with Israeli social entrepreneurs. The findings point out a process which takes place in different spheres and moulds the life story of a social entrepreneur: the personality sphere; the family sphere, including family dynamics and significant childhood experiences; the social sphere, including formative events outside the family; and the moral sphere, which includes attitudes and ideologies. The entirety of spheres generates a consistent meta-narrative which promotes a theoretical integration between psychoanalytical and existential psychological theories and offers a deeper understanding of how and why people become social entrepreneurs.
10 Years of Adult Learning
Authors: Cherrstrom Catherine A. , Robbins Stacey E. , Bixby John
Published: August 2016

Academic publications provide insights into a discipline’s history, knowledge base, and research norms, and thus analyzing publication activity provides learning about the field of study. To learn more about the field of adult and continuing education, this study used content analysis to examine 10 years of Adult Learning from 2006 through 2015, providing insights into the field, major findings related to journal issues; article authorship, keywords, purpose, frameworks, and research design; and five prevalent themes and trends.
Beyond Collective Beliefs
Authors: Hjertø Kjell B. , Paulsen Jan M.
Published: August 2016

This study used data from 818 master’s students, organized into 199 teams, to examine the influence of collective emotional intelligence (EI) on team academic performance (measured by a common academic grade based on two project reports at the team level) above the effects of collective general self-efficacy (GSE) and team-level GSE, termed team potency. All three variables predicted team academic performance positively, beyond the effect of each other. The research model explained 20% of the variance in team academic performance. A negative interaction effect between collective EI and collective GSE was detected, indicating that the two variables may replace each other in teamwork. Exploratory analyses of the four EI dimensions showed that particularly other emotion appraisal and regulation of emotions predicted team academic performance. Finally, maximum EI within each team predicted team academic performance at about the same level as collective EI.
Collaborating for Systems Change
Authors: Korfmacher Katrina Smith , Pettibone Kristianna Grass , Gray Kathleen M. , Newman Ogonnaya Dotson
Published: August 2016

Environmental health researchers, government agencies, and community groups have endorsed long-term community–academic partnerships as an effective strategy to support science-based improvements in environmental health. Social sciences concepts, approaches, and methods are fundamental to these translational partnerships. However, appropriate roles for academic partners vary throughout the process of changing systems (policies, practices, programs, etc.). This can complicate planning, evaluating, and sustaining such partnerships. We set forth a conceptual framework for academic partners’ roles at different stages of systems change. We apply this framework to three longstanding academic–community partnerships involving National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Community Outreach and Engagement Cores. We conclude by discussing how the framework can help academic partners tap appropriate expertise, redefine their roles, and evaluate their contributions to community efforts to improve environmental health.
Students at Enrollment Into Community-Based Systems of Care: Characteristics and Predictors of Functioning in School
Authors: January Stacy-Ann A. , Lambert Matthew C. , Epstein Michael H. , Spooner Mary , Gebreselassie Tesfayi
Published: August 2016

Community-based systems of care (SOC) provide a range of services to students with significant emotional and behavioral difficulties and their families. However, little is known about the educational characteristics and functioning of students at enrollment in SOC. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend previous research by examining the educational characteristics and predictors of school functioning for students referred to SOC using a large and diverse national data source. Participants were 5,628 students ages 6 to 18 years who were enrolled in community-based SOC across 45 U.S. states, districts, and territories. Students’ grades, discipline, and attendance (as reported by caregivers) were used as indicators of school functioning, and students’ demographic characteristics, referral source, and emotional/behavioral functioning were used to predict functioning in school, including the testing of interaction effects. Findings revealed that, although many students earned average grades, a large portion of students had significant discipline and attendance problems. Results of the ordinal regression analyses indicated that most demographic variables and measures of clinical functioning significantly predicted students’ grades, attendance, and discipline, and that age and special education status represented a significant interaction. Findings provide insight into the educational functioning of students at enrollment in community-based SOC and have implications for research and practice.
Development of a Veterinary Surgical Checklist
Authors: McLaughlin Anne Collins , Ward Jessica , Keene Bruce W.
Published: August 2016

We describe a new surgical checklist for veterinary cardiologists based on the literature and the application of human factors design. The checklist was developed and iterated with subject-matter experts and was implemented for 4 months, during which use of the checklist was monitored, feedback was gathered, and a final survey was distributed to assess subjective experiences. Although developed for the cardiology team, the checklist also affected the anesthesia team by requiring information and responses to be transmitted across teams. Interviews, subjective reports, and observations pointed to the fact that the checklist engendered communication, particularly by requiring the thoughts and expectations of team members to be stated explicitly.
Functional Redesign of the Hospital Trolley-Bed Tray Table
Authors: Yin Shanqing , Siew Johnathan Jun Howe , Ng Siew Bee Iris , Putra Andi Sudjana , Ang Arron
Published: August 2016

Patients arriving in the Accident and Emergency Department tend to be moved about throughout the care journey. Although each trolley bed had a tray table attached at the end of the bed for clinical use, its space was limited and additional equipment might be left on the bedside cabinets. Hence these items were easily left behind when patients shifted to another care area. The tray table attachments on the trolley beds became the focus of a redesign effort to improve storage capability in this mobile, dynamic environment. Through the combined use of human factors and design thinking methods, a successful proof of concept was realized.
Do You Have “Connections” at the Courthouse? An Original Survey on Informal Influence and Judicial Rulings in Morocco
Authors: Buehler Matt
Published: August 2016

Under what conditions do citizens of developing countries view judges as neutral and fair or biased and arbitrary? This study addresses this topic through an original, nationally representative survey from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Conducted in Morocco, the survey is the first of its kind to gauge attitudes about how a citizen’s informal influence facilities getting favorable rulings from judges. It finds that 82 percent of respondents believe that citizens with “connections”—known as wasta in Arabic—get favorable rulings. Yet some citizens more strongly value informal influence, especially rural individuals, women, and ethnic minorities. The survey shows that believing in informal influence considerably lowers citizen trust in the authoritarian regime’s courts and institutions, which some scholars consider an asset for democratization. However, because the citizens most likely to value informal influence are marginalized or embedded in regime clientelism, their low trust may not easily translate into strong advocacy for democracy. Meanwhile, the citizens most able to advocate for democratization—the Francophone petite bourgeoisie—disproportionately deny the importance of informal influence in regime institutions.
Long-term Functional and Radiographic Outcome of a Mobile Bearing Ankle Prosthesis
Authors: Kerkhoff Yvonne R. A. , Kosse Nienke M. , Metsaars Wieneke P. , Louwerens Jan Willem K.
Published: August 2016

Background:

Total ankle arthroplasty is an accepted alternative to arthrodesis of the ankle. However, complication and failure rates remain high. Long-term results of the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR) are limited, with variable complication and failure rates observed. This prospective study presents the long-term survivorship and postoperative complications of the STAR prosthesis.

Methods:

Between May 1999 and June 2008, 134 primary total ankle arthroplasties were performed using the STAR prosthesis in 124 patients. The survivorship, postoperative complications, and reoperations were recorded, with a minimum follow-up period of 7.5 years. Clinical results were assessed using the Foot Function Index and the Kofoed score. The presence of component migration, cysts, and radiolucency surrounding the prosthesis components, heterotopic ossification, and progression of osteoarthritis in adjacent joints were determined.

Results:

The cumulative survival was 78% after the 10-year follow-up period. An ankle arthrodesis was performed in 20 ankles (14.9%) that failed. Fourteen polyethylene insert fractures occurred (10.4%). Other complications occurred in 29 ankles (21.6%), requiring secondary procedures in 21 ankles (15.7%). Nevertheless, the postoperative clinical results improved significantly. Osteolytic cysts were observed in 61 ankles (59.8%) and the surface area of these cysts increased during follow-up, without any association with the prosthesis alignment or clinical outcome. Heterotopic ossification at the medial malleolus was present in 58 cases (56.8%) and at the posterior tibia in 73 cases (71.6%), with no effect on clinical outcome. Osteoarthritis of the subtalar and talonavicular joint developed in 9 (8.8%) and 11 cases (10.8%), respectively.

Conclusion:

The long-term clinical outcomes for the STAR were found to be satisfactory. Although these results are consistent with previous studies, the survival and complication rates are disappointing compared to knee and hip arthroplasty. Higher rates of successful outcomes following ankle arthroplasty are important, and these results highlight the need for further research to clarify the origin and significance of the reported complications.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective comparative study.
Screening Hospitalized Patients for Low Health Literacy: Beyond the REALM of Possibility?
Authors: Louis Allison J. , Arora Vineet M. , Matthiesen Madeleine I. , Meltzer David O. , Press Valerie G.
Published: August 2016

As patient-centered education efforts increase, assessing health literacy (HL) becomes more salient. The verbal Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) may have clinical and feasibility advantages over written tools, including the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine–Revised (REALM-R) and Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA); however, the BHLS’s utility among inpatients remains unresolved. Hospitalized adults were enrolled; HL was assessed using three tools. Categorical comparisons used chi-square; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was calculated (reference: REALM-R). The prevalence of low HL among participants ( n = 260) was higher for the BHLS than S-TOFHLA (29% vs. 17%, p < .001) and higher for the REALM-R than both the BHLS (44% vs. 29%, p = .004) and S-TOFHLA (44% vs. 17%, p < .001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were .58 for BHLS and .66 for S-TOFHLA. The different prevalence of low HL among the participants based on each tool likely reflects the complexity of measuring HL and differing domains captured by each tool. The BHLS can be considered a viable inpatient HL screening tool, given its increased feasibility and verbal administration.
Utility of antigen testing for the diagnosis of ocular histoplasmosis in four cats: a case series and literature review
Authors: Smith Kathryn M , Strom Ann R , Gilmour Margi A , LaDouceur Elise , Reilly Christopher M , Byrne Barbara A , Affolter Verena K , Sykes Jane E , Maggs David J
Published: August 2016

Case series summary

This case series describes the clinical utility of antigen testing for the diagnosis of feline ocular histoplasmosis. Four cats with suspected (n = 2) or confirmed (n = 2) ocular histoplasmosis are described: three from Oklahoma and one from California. In one case, serial urine antigen tests, as well as a serum antigen test for Histoplasma capsulatum, were negative; however, light microscopy identified microorganisms consistent with H capsulatum in ocular tissues at necropsy. In a further two cats with recurrent ocular histoplasmosis following long-term systemic antifungal therapy, Histoplasma species urine antigen concentrations were negative, but both cats improved clinically following systemic antifungal therapy and remained in apparent clinical remission after treatment cessation (9–16 months). The final cat displayed profound bilateral endophthalmitis; however, Histoplasma species antigen testing of vitreous humor and subretinal fluid from the left eye was negative. Intralesional organisms were detected on histopathology of both eyes, and H capsulatum was subsequently isolated and sequenced from tissue of one eye.

Relevance and novel information

These cases highlight the potential difficulty in definitively diagnosing ocular histoplasmosis in cats when conducting antigen testing of serum, urine and even ocular fluids. Although antigen testing has previously proven useful in the diagnosis of disseminated feline histoplasmosis, it may not be adequate in cats with only ocular signs.
Is pruritus an indicator of aquaporin-positive neuromyelitis optica?
Authors: Netravathi Manjunath , Saini Jitender , Mahadevan Anita , Hari-Krishna Bollampalli , Yadav Ravi , Pal Pramod Kumar , Satishchandra Parthasarathy
Published: August 2016

Background:

Recently, pruritus has been recognised as an important association with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD).

Objective:

To determine the clinical and radiological characteristics of patients with NMOSD and pruritus.

Methods and results:

Among 57 consecutive patients with NMOSD, 15 (26.3% women) reported pruritus. All had aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies. The mean age was 34.5 ± 9.1 years, age at onset was 31.3 ± 11.0 years and the duration of illness was 3.9 ± 3.1 years. Pruritus preceded the neurological disturbances in all the patients. Predominant patients experienced pruritus in the cervical dermatome (66.7%) followed by cervicothoracic region (13.3%), trigeminal nerve (13.3%) and lumbar region (6.7%). Lesions extending from cervicomedullary junction up to the thoracic segment was the most common site of affection (40%) followed by cervicothoracic (26.7%), cervicomedullary junction to cervical cord (13.3%), cervical cord (6.7%) and thoracic segment (6.7%).

Conclusion:

This report is one of the largest series reporting the close association of pruritus with onset of neurological symptoms in NMOSD. It highlights the importance of recognising this rare symptom which may help in making a correct diagnosis in a patient with suspected demyelinating disorder. In a patient with NMOSD, early treatment with immunomodulation during pruritus may prevent or minimise occurrence of neurological dysfunction.
Speaking in a second language but thinking in the first language: Language-specific effects on memory for causation events in English and Spanish
Authors: Filipović Luna
Published: August 2016

Aims and objectives/purpose/research question:

This paper’s objective is to offer new insights into the effects of language on memory for causation events in a second language (L2) context. The research was driven by the question of whether proficient L2 users acquired L2 thinking-for-speaking-and-remembering strategies along with the relevant expressions for different types of causation (intentional versus non-intentional).

Design/methodology/approach:

The cognitive domain of causation is an ideal platform for this investigation, since the lexicalisation of causation differs clearly in the two languages under consideration, English and Spanish. Spanish speakers always distinguish between intentional and non-intentional events through the use of different constructions. The English pattern of lexicalisation in this domain often leaves intentionality unspecified. Our methodology involves an experimental elicitation of event verbalisations and recall memory responses to video stimuli by English and Spanish monolinguals and bilinguals.

Data and analysis:

The analysis has shown that the Spanish monolinguals and first language (L1) Spanish/L2 English speakers always distinguished between intentional and non-intentional events, while the English monolinguals and L1 English/L2 Spanish speakers generally used expressions that were underspecified with regard to intentionality.

Findings/conclusions:

All populations used their habitual language patterns as an aid to memory. Spanish monolingual had better recall than their English peers. L2 speakers were mainly relying on the L1 in spite of speaking only the L2 during the experiment.

Originality:

Possible effects of these typological differences between an L1 and an L2 on speaker recall memory have not been investigated before.

Significance/implications:

The research presented in this paper informs the theoretical assumptions related to the thinking-for-speaking hypothesis by showing empirically that late bilinguals adhere to their L1 patterns as an aid to memory while speaking in their L2. This novel finding contributes to an improved understanding of language processing and language use among late bilinguals.
Nivel de Actividad Física, Autoeficacia, Beneficios y Barreras Percibidas en Mujeres Mayores Mexicanas Independientes (Physical Activity Level, Exercise Self-Efficacy, Benefits and Perceived Barriers of Independent Mexican Older Women)
Authors: Enríquez-Reyna María Cristina , Cruz-Castruita Rosa María , Zamarripa Jorge , Ceballos-Gurrola Oswaldo , Guevara-Valtier Milton Carlos
Published: August 2016

This descriptive comparative study examined differences in personal characteristics, exercise self-efficacy, benefits and barriers of independent elderly women to perform physical activity (PA) according with the PA level. Two hundred three women older than 60 years of age, from a community located in Nuevo Leon, Mexico participated in the study. Data was collected using: a) A personal data questionnaire, b) Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, c) Exercise Benefits/ Barriers Scale and d) Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly were completed. Age was similar in participants with low and acceptable PA level. Participants with lower levels of PA reported consuming more medications, fewer years of education and lower values of exercise self-efficacy, benefits and barriers. In this sample, exercise self-efficacy and benefits were positively associated with the PA level.