bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Is the Meaning of Increased Myocardial Injury Enzymes during Hemodialysis? A Tissue Doppler Imaging Study
Authors: Yildiz Gürsel , Kayataş Mansur , Candan Ferhan , Yilmaz Mehmet Birhan , Zorlu Ali , Sarikaya Savaş
Published: June 2013

Background: Cardiovascular death is decreasing in the general population; however, it appears in still higher rates and even increases gradually in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This situation has led to a debate about cardiovascular adverse effects of HD which lead to significant changes in cardiac and hemodynamic events. It is known that troponins are often elevated in HD patients, and high levels of troponin are associated with increased mortality. Therefore, it is difficult to interpret the value of elevations in chronic kidney disease patients. Methods: Echocardiographic and biochemical parameters of 41 patients treated with HD were evaluated before and after a HD session. Results: HD led to an increased heart rate, and tissue Doppler imaging parameters such as early diastolic mitral peak velocity (E)/early diastolic myocardial peak velocity (é) and septal é decreased significantly after HD. HD caused an increase in troponin I, myoglobin and cardiac creatine kinase (CK MB) levels (p = 0.019, p < 0.001 and p = 0.018, respectively). A decrease in the left ventricular peak systolic myocardial (LV S') velocity (p = 0.011) was detected in patients with increased levels of cardiac damage markers (group 2) compared to those without increased levels of cardiac damage markers (group 1) in HD. Conclusion: A decrease in LV S' velocity was found to be an independent predictor of an increase of myocardial injury enzymes in HD (odds ratio = 1.099; p = 0.039). We concluded that HD may lead to significant acute stress upon the myocardium.
Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Systemic Sclerosis–Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Tedford Ryan J. , Mudd James O. , Girgis Reda E. , Mathai Stephen C. , Zaiman Ari L. , Housten-Harris Traci , Boyce Danielle , Kelemen Benjamin W. , Bacher Anita C. , Shah Ami A. , Hummers Laura K. , Wigley Fredrick M. , Russell Stuart D. , Saggar Rajeev , Saggar Rajan , Maughan W. Lowell , Hassoun Paul M. , Kass David A.
Published: June 2013

Background—

Systemic sclerosis–associated pulmonary artery hypertension (SScPAH) has a worse prognosis compared with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), with a median survival of 3 years after diagnosis often caused by right ventricular (RV) failure. We tested whether SScPAH or systemic sclerosis–related pulmonary hypertension with interstitial lung disease imposes a greater pulmonary vascular load than IPAH and leads to worse RV contractile function.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed pulmonary artery pressures and mean flow in 282 patients with pulmonary hypertension (166 SScPAH, 49 systemic sclerosis–related pulmonary hypertension with interstitial lung disease, and 67 IPAH). An inverse relation between pulmonary resistance and compliance was similar for all 3 groups, with a near constant resistance×compliance product. RV pressure–volume loops were measured in a subset, IPAH (n=5) and SScPAH (n=7), as well as SSc without PH (n=7) to derive contractile indexes (end-systolic elastance [E
es
] and preload recruitable stroke work [M
sw
]), measures of RV load (arterial elastance [E
a
]), and RV pulmonary artery coupling (E
es
/E
a
). RV afterload was similar in SScPAH and IPAH (pulmonary vascular resistance=7.0±4.5 versus 7.9±4.3 Wood units; E
a
=0.9±0.4 versus 1.2±0.5 mm Hg/mL; pulmonary arterial compliance=2.4±1.5 versus 1.7±1.1 mL/mm Hg;
P
>0.3 for each). Although SScPAH did not have greater vascular stiffening compared with IPAH, RV contractility was more depressed (E
es
=0.8±0.3 versus 2.3±1.1,
P
<0.01; M
sw
=21±11 versus 45±16,
P
=0.01), with differential RV-PA uncoupling (E
es
/E
a
=1.0±0.5 versus 2.1±1.0;
P
=0.03). This ratio was higher in SSc without PH (E
es
/E
a
=2.3±1.2;
P
=0.02 versus SScPAH).

Conclusions—

RV dysfunction is worse in SScPAH compared with IPAH at similar afterload, and may be because of intrinsic systolic function rather than enhanced pulmonary vascular resistive and pulsatile loading.
Three new species of the feather mite subfamily Ingrassiinae (Acariformes: Xolalgidae) from shearwaters and petrels (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae)
Authors: STEFAN LAURA M. , GÓMEZ-DÍAZ ELENA , MIRONOV SERGEY
Published: June 2013

Three new species of the feather mite subfamily Ingrassiinae (Acariformes: Astigmata: Xolalgidae) are described from shearwaters and petrels (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae) in the North-East of Atlantic Ocean: Ingrassia calonectris sp. n. from Calonectris borealis (Cory) (type host) and Calonectris edwardsii (Oustalet), Ingrassia micronota sp. n. and Ope-tiopoda bulweriae sp. n. from Bulweria bulwerii (Jardine and Selby).
Checklist and distribution of the family Notonectidae in Romania, with the first record of Notonecta maculata Fabricius, 1794 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Nepomorpha)
Authors: BERCHI GAVRIL MARIUS
Published: June 2013

Notonecta maculata Fabricius, 1794 is recorded for the first time from Romania. Five species belonging to the genus No-tonecta Linnaeus, 1758 and one to the genus Anisops Spinola, 1837 are now recorded from this country. The occurrence of Anisops sardeus sardeus Herrich-Schaeffer, 1849 and N. meridionalis Poisson, 1923 is confirmed by additional records. A checklist of the Notonectidae of Romania and updated distribution maps are provided.
A new species of Dracoderes (Kinorhyncha: Dracoderidae) from Korea provides further support for a dracoderid-homalorhagid relationship
Authors: THOMSEN VIBE G. , RHO HYUN SOO , KIM DONGSUNG , SØRENSEN MARTIN V.
Published: June 2013

A new kinorhynch species, Dracoderes nidhug nov. sp., is described from the East Sea, at 160 m depth, off Uljin, Korea. The new species is the fourth that can be assigned to the genus, and is recognized by the presence of dorsal spines on seg-ments 3 to 9 (alternatingly displaced to more paradorsal positions on segments 3 to 8), subdorsal tubules on segment 2, lateroventral tubules on segments 2, 5 and 10, and lateral accessory tubules on segment 8. The new species shows two longitudinal, intracuticular markings on the ventral side of segment 1, which could be interpret as rudimentary plate joints, corresponding to the articulations found on the sternal plates of segment 1 in species of Pycnophyes and Kinorhynchus. The finding brings further support to a closer relationship between Dracoderes and homalorhagid kinorhynchs.
Overview of the subgenus Ventocoris s. str. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) with new records and a revised key to the Ventocoris species of Turkey
Authors: DURSUN AHMET , FENT MERAL
Published: June 2013

This paper presents an overview of the nominotypical subgenus of the genus Ventocoris Hahn, 1834 (Hemiptera: Het-eroptera: Pentatomidae: Podopinae); the two species are identified, redescribed, illustrated, and keyed. Species of the sub-genus Astirocoris Jakovlev, 1894 known in Turkey are redescribed, a key is provided for the Turkish species of Ventocoris. Ventocoris trigonus (Krynicki, 1871), Ventocoris nigellae (Fabricius, 1787) and V. advena (Horváth, 1896), syn. nov., are synonymized with V. rusticus (Fabricius, 1781). The first records of V. falcatus (Cyrillus, 1791) from Malta and V. oblongus (Horváth, 1889) from Turkey are given.
Structure and Properties of Madden–Julian Oscillations Deduced from DYNAMO Sounding Arrays
Authors: Johnson Richard H. , Ciesielski Paul E.
Published: June 2013

The kinematic and thermodynamic characteristics of the October and November 2011 Madden–Julian oscillations (MJOs) that occurred over the Indian Ocean during Dynamics of the MJO (DYNAMO) are investigated. Analyses are presented 1) for two primary sounding arrays, where results are independent of model parameterizations, and 2) on larger scales, including the Indian Ocean, using operational and reanalysis data.

Mean precipitation during DYNAMO was characterized by maxima in two east–west bands north and south of the equator. This pattern alternated between two bands during the inactive phase of the MJOs and a single rainfall maximum on the equator during the active phases. Precipitation over the northern sounding array (NSA), where the MJO signal was strongest, was significantly modulated by the MJOs, while the southern array experienced more frequent, briefer episodes of rainfall mostly related to ITCZ convection. Over the NSA the MJOs were characterized by gradual moistening of the low to midtroposphere over approximately 2-week periods. The October MJO featured multiple westward-moving, 2-day disturbances whereas the November MJO principally comprised two prominent Kelvin waves. Patterns of moistening, divergence, and vertical motion suggest a stepwise progression of convection, from shallow cumulus to congestus to deep convection. Tilted thermal anomalies in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere reveal gravity or Kelvin waves excited by the MJO convective envelopes, which modulate the tropopause and contribute to preactive-phase upper-tropospheric moistening. While there is a number of similarities in the characteristics of the two MJOs, there are sufficient differences to warrant caution in generalizing results from these two events.
A Twenty-First-Century California Observing Network for Monitoring Extreme Weather Events
Authors: White A. B. , Anderson M. L. , Dettinger M. D. , Ralph F. M. , Hinojosa A. , Cayan D. R. , Hartman R. K. , Reynolds D. W. , Johnson L. E. , Schneider T. L. , Cifelli R. , Toth Z. , Gutman S. I. , King C. W. , Gehrke F. , Johnston P. E. , Walls C. , Mann D. , Gottas D. J. , Coleman T.
Published: June 2013

During Northern Hemisphere winters, the West Coast of North America is battered by extratropical storms. The impact of these storms is of paramount concern to California, where aging water supply and flood protection infrastructures are challenged by increased standards for urban flood protection, an unusually variable weather regime, and projections of climate change. Additionally, there are inherent conflicts between releasing water to provide flood protection and storing water to meet requirements for the water supply, water quality, hydropower generation, water temperature and flow for at-risk species, and recreation. To improve reservoir management and meet the increasing demands on water, improved forecasts of precipitation, especially during extreme events, are required. Here, the authors describe how California is addressing their most important and costliest environmental issue—water management—in part, by installing a state-of-the-art observing system to better track the area’s most severe wintertime storms.
Enhanced Radar Backscattering due to Oriented Ice Particles at 95 GHz during StormVEx
Authors: Marchand Roger , Mace Gerald G. , Hallar A. Gannet , McCubbin Ian B. , Matrosov Sergey Y. , Shupe Matthew D.
Published: June 2013

Nonspherical atmospheric ice particles can enhance radar backscattering and attenuation above that expected from spheres of the same mass. An analysis of scanning 95-GHz radar data collected during the Storm Peak Laboratory Cloud Property Validation Experiment (StormVEx) shows that at a least a small amount of enhanced backscattering was present in most radar scans, with a median enhancement of 2.4 dB at zenith. This enhancement will cause an error (bias) in ice water content (IWC) retrievals that neglect particle orientation, with a value of 2.4 dB being roughly equivalent to a relative error in IWC of 43%. Of the radar scans examined, 25% had a zenith-enhanced backscattering exceeding 3.5 dB (equivalent to a relative error in IWC in excess of 67%) and 10% of the scans had a zenith-enhanced backscattering exceeding 6.4 dB (equivalent to a relative error in IWC in excess of 150%). Cloud particle images indicate that large enhancement typically occurred when planar crystals (e.g., plates and dendrites) were present, with the largest enhancement occurring when large planar crystals were falling out of a supercooled liquid-water layer. More modest enhancement was sometimes due to planar crystals, but it was also sometimes likely a result of horizontally oriented nonspherical irregularly shaped particles. The analysis also shows there is a strong correlation (about −0.79) between the change in slant 45° depolarization ratio with radar scan elevation angle and the magnitude of the zenith-enhanced backscattering, suggesting that measurements of the slant depolarization ratio can be used to improve radar-based cloud microphysical property retrievals.
Prevention of common mental disorders: What can we learn from those who have gone before and where do we go next?
Authors: Jacka Felice N , Reavley Nicola J , Jorm Anthony F , Toumbourou John W , Lewis Andrew J , Berk Michael
Published: June 2013

Objective

Prevention strategies have made a major contribution to the considerable successes in reductions in cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality seen in recent decades. However, in the field of psychiatry, similar population-level initiatives in the prevention of common mental disorders, depression and anxiety, are noticeably lacking. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of the existing literature on the topic of the prevention of common mental disorders and a commentary regarding the way forward for prevention research and implementation.

Methods

This commentary considers what we currently know, what we might learn from the successes and failures of those working in prevention of other high prevalence health conditions, and where we might go from here. Taking cognisance of previous preventive models, this commentary additionally explores new opportunities for preventive approaches to the common mental disorders.

Results

The consensus from a large body of evidence supports the contention that interventions to prevent mental disorders across the lifespan can be both effective and cost-effective. However, funding for research in the area of prevention of common mental disorders is considerably lower than that for research in the areas of treatment, epidemiology and neurobiology. Thus, there is a clear imperative to direct funding towards prevention research to redress this imbalance. Future prevention interventions need to be methodologically rigorous, scalable to the population level and include economic evaluation. Evidence-based knowledge translation strategies should be developed to ensure that all stakeholders recognise preventing mental disorders as an imperative, with appropriate resources directed to this objective.

Conclusion

There has been a recent expansion of research into potentially modifiable risk factors for depression, and it is now timely to make a concerted effort to advance the field of prevention of common mental disorders.
How School and District Leaders Support Classroom Teachers’ Work With English Language Learners
Authors: Elfers Ana M. , Stritikus Tom
Published: June 2013

Purpose: This study examines the ways in which school and district leaders create systems of support for classroom teachers who work with linguistically diverse students. We attempt to uncover the intentional supports leaders put in place for classroom teachers and how this may be part of a broader teaching and learning effort. Research Design: Through a qualitative case study of four districts serving different populations of English Learner (EL) students, we examine school and district leadership actions aimed at helping teachers provide instruction that is responsive to EL learning needs. In each of the four districts, three schools were chosen for in-depth analysis. Through interviews, classroom observations, and document analyses, we highlight the efforts of school and district leaders to bring about instructional change. Findings: The findings from this study are organized around five central themes. These themes include (1) resolving fragmentation by focusing on high-quality instruction, (2) creating a productive blend of district- and school-level leadership initiatives, (3) communicating a compelling rationale, (4) differentiating support systems at elementary and secondary levels, and (5) using data for instructional improvement. This study extends research on the role of school and district leaders in supporting classroom teachers’ work with second language learners.
A Tragedy and a Dream: Disability Revisited
Authors: Kristeva Julia
Published: June 2013

Despite its tragic dimension, the challenge of disability has the power to serve as the catalyst towards a ‘new humanism.’ This article argues that attention to disability can reveal again the irreducible singularity that is each person, and from this, open a possibility in terms of a reconstruction of the social bond. Reflecting on the inherent mortality of all life and the creative engendering of norms, it proposes as complementary to the Graeco-Christian ‘ontology of privation’ a new and fuller appreciation of the incommensurable singularity of each person.
Political Buddhism, Islamic Orthodoxy and Open Economy: The Toxic Triad in Sinhalese–Muslim Relations in Sri Lanka
Authors: Ali Ameer
Published: June 2013

After nearly a millennium of uninterrupted harmony between the Sinhalese and Muslims in Sri Lanka, economic and ethno-religious developments after the 1970s have created an atmosphere of communal tension between the two groups. While a new wave of political Buddhism with its militant offshoot amongst the Sinhalese and the growth of a rigid Islamic orthodoxy amongst the Muslims have provided the ethno-religious dimension to this tension, the post-1977 open economy has added an economic dimension to it. The interplay of this toxic triad is a reminder of a similar scenario that produced the first Sinhalese-Muslim racial riots in the country in 1915. Unlike the first, which occurred in the colonial context, the current one, which if not arrested, will not only jeopardize Sinhalese–Muslim harmony but also will result in adverse consequences in Sri Lanka’s relations with Muslim countries.
Understanding Transit Ridership Demand for the Multidestination, Multimodal Transit Network in Atlanta, Georgia: Lessons for Increasing Rail Transit Choice Ridership while Maintaining Transit Dependent Bus Ridership
Authors: Brown Jeffrey , Thompson Gregory , Bhattacharya Torscha , Jaroszynski Michal
Published: June 2013

This study analyses the structure of transit demand in Atlanta’s transit system to understand why different elements of the network appeal to bus and rail riders. By estimating direct demand models of work trip use between pairs of traffic analysis zones, the authors find that self-identified bus riders come from poorer areas having fewer autos per household and seek to reach jobs scattered throughout the metropolitan area. Their demand is highly elastic with respect to travel time. They care not about the presence of transit-oriented development (TOD) attributes at either origins or destinations. Self-identified rail riders primarily access transit by automobile and value fast service to within convenient walking distance of employment, such as in the central business district (CBD) and some but not all TODs. The results suggest that an agency could increase ridership by both groups using a core network of higher speed lines that provide access to decentralised employment centres.
Examining Temporal Processes in Diary Studies
Authors: Wickham Robert E. , Knee C. Raymond
Published: June 2013

Researchers have long recognized the utility of the diary method for studying variations in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Drawing on the idea that daily events have consequences that are realized both “in the moment” and prospectively over time, we describe a conceptual and statistical framework emphasizing the temporal aspect of diary data. Including temporal effects (i.e., Lagged and concurrent × Lagged terms) expands the scope of the hypothesis being tested by allowing the researcher to examine the association between prior day’s event on the current day’s outcome, as well as the extent to which a prior day’s event makes an individual more or less responsive to an event today. Finally, we provide a detailed description of the procedures necessary to prepare the dataset, and secondary analysis of data from a recently published study illustrates our recommendations.
How Large Are Actor and Partner Effects of Personality on Relationship Satisfaction? The Importance of Controlling for Shared Method Variance
Authors: Orth Ulrich
Published: June 2013

Previous research suggests that the personality of a relationship partner predicts not only the individual’s own satisfaction with the relationship but also the partner’s satisfaction. Based on the actor–partner interdependence model, the present research tested whether actor and partner effects of personality are biased when the same method (e.g., self-report) is used for the assessment of personality and relationship satisfaction and, consequently, shared method variance is not controlled for. Data came from 186 couples, of whom both partners provided self- and partner reports on the Big Five personality traits. Depending on the research design, actor effects were larger than partner effects (when using only self-reports), smaller than partner effects (when using only partner reports), or of about the same size as partner effects (when using self- and partner reports). The findings attest to the importance of controlling for shared method variance in dyadic data analysis.
“Show Me the Money”
Authors: Hahn Cheryl , Wilson Timothy D. , McRae Kaichen , Gilbert Daniel T.
Published: June 2013

Do people take risks to obtain rewards or experience suspense? We hypothesized that people vulnerable to gambling are motivated more by the allure of winning money whereas people less vulnerable to gambling are motivated more by the allure of suspense. Consistent with this hypothesis, participants with high scores on a subscale of the Gambling Attitudes and Beliefs Survey—a measure of vulnerability to gambling— reported more of a motivation to earn money (pilot study), were more likely to accept a certain or near-certain amount of money than to gamble for that same amount (Studies 1-2), and worked harder to earn money (Study 3). People vulnerable to gambling also made more accurate predictions about how much they would gamble. People less vulnerable to gambling, in contrast, gambled more than people vulnerable to gambling, but did not know that they would.
Does parental psychological control relate to internalizing and externalizing problems in early childhood? An examination using the Berkeley puppet interview
Authors: Stone Lisanne L. , Otten Roy , Janssens Jan M. A. M. , Soenens Bart , Kuntsche Emmanuel , Engels Rutger C. M. E.
Published: June 2013

Parental psychological control has been linked to symptoms of psychopathology in adolescence, yet less is known about its correlates in childhood. The current study is among the first to address whether psychological control is related to internalizing and externalizing problems in early childhood. A community sample of 298 children aged 7.04 ( SD = 1.15) years participated. Along with two other parenting dimensions (i.e., responsiveness and behavioural control), psychological control, internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed by means of the Berkeley Puppet Interview. Psychological control was associated with internalizing and externalizing problems, and this association remained significant while controlling for parental behavioural control and responsiveness. Results suggest that the maladaptive correlates of psychological control also manifest in developmental periods prior to adolescence. Still, it is unknown how psychological control and child psychopathology are related over time in childhood.
‘So wide and varied’: The origins and character of British information science
Authors: Robinson Lyn , Bawden David
Published: June 2013

This paper examines some characteristics of the ‘British School’ of information science. Three main forces driving the development of the new subject in Britain are identified: the documentation movement; special libraries; and the need for better treatment of scientific and technical information. Five characteristics which, taken together, distinguish the early British approach to information science from those adopted elsewhere are identified: its subject-based nature; its broad approach to information and information science; its status as an academic subject with a strong professional remit; its involvement with, but distinction from, information technology; and its involvement with memory institutions. Lessons are drawn for the future development of the information sciences.
Critics at the edge? Decolonizing methodologies in International Relations
Authors: Picq Manuela Lavinas
Published: June 2013

This article reviews three recent books that challenge conventional ways of doing International Relations. The rich arguments deployed in these books provide different yet complementary perspectives that can help us to rethink International Relations. They share a concern over what they regard as International Relations’ entrenched coloniality and disciplinary straitjacket. They challenge what they identify as the hegemonic practices of conventional knowledge production that exclude alternative ways of knowing the international. They explore how International Relations is produced in the non-core and how personal narratives are embedded in theory-making, and question the claims to science of conventional methodologies. Yet, if all three books contribute to a praiseworthy attempt to trespass disciplinary boundaries, they also perpetuate hegemonic silences by failing adequately to engage with gender and indigenous perspectives.
Strategies for a Successful PhD Program
Authors: Conn Vicki S. , Zerwic Julie , Rawl Susan , Wyman Jean F. , Larson Janet L. , Anderson Cindy M. , Fahrenwald Nancy L. , Benefield Lazelle E. , Cohen Marlene Z. , Smith Carol E. , Topp Robert , Markis Natalie E.
Published: June 2013

Nursing doctoral programs prepare students for research-focused careers within academic settings. The purpose of this Editorial Board Special Article is to provide PhD students and advisors with suggestions for making the most of their doctoral experience. Editorial Board members provide their individual insights on the skills and attributes students must acquire during the course of their doctoral education in order to succeed. The authors provide practical tips and advice on how to excel in a PhD program, including how to select an advisor and a dissertation committee, the importance of attending conferences to increase visibility and develop a network of colleagues, presenting and publishing research while still a student, and balancing work and personal life. Students who take full advantage of the opportunities available to them during the course of their doctoral programs will graduate well prepared to take on the multiple responsibilities of research, teaching, and leadership.
Phenomenological Study of ICU Nurses’ Experiences Caring for Dying Patients
Authors: King Phyllis Ann , Thomas Sandra P.
Published: June 2013

This existential phenomenological study explored caring for the dying based on the philosophical works of Merleau-Ponty. Fourteen critical care nurses were asked to describe lived experiences of caring for dying patients. An encompassing theme of Promises to Keep emerged, with five subthemes, including the following: (a) promise to be truthful: “Nurses are in the game of reality,” (b) promise to provide comfort: “I’ll make him comfortable,” (c) promise to be an advocate: “Just one more day,” (d) “Promise that couldn’t be kept,” and (e) “Promise to remain connected.” The essence of intensive care nurses’ lived experience of caring for dying patients is captured in the theme Promises to Keep. Nurses accept the reality of death and express strong commitment to making it as comfortable, peaceful, and dignified as possible, despite critical care unit environments that foster a “paradigm of curing” rather than a “paradigm of caring.”
NGOs as a framework for an education in and through music: Is the third sector viable?
Authors: Schmidt Patrick
Published: June 2013

This article presents a selected view of a research project developed in Brazil. The focus of the project was to investigate the modus operandi of 18 NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and their relationship to the development of educational curricula and practices in music. Further, it provides an analysis of NGOs as an opportunity to learn alternative pathways for teaching and learning in music education. A methodology based upon notions of “place-centered education” (Gruenewald & Smith, 2008) was used as a tool to “sense making” as well as to address the interaction with the drastically different propositions observed in three major cities in the country; namely Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre. Interviews, observations, and audio-video documentation helped form a picture of how initiatives to educate in and through music can be powerfully divergent in their modes of production, but interestingly connected in their emphasis upon 1) self-generated knowledge; 2) intersections between local musical-cultural practices and global aesthetic needs; and 3) politically conscious music education leadership; 4) pedagogical practices situated inside a larger social framework. The article concludes by offering a conceptual model that places the possibilities encountered in this “third-sector.”
Invisibilizing ‘race’ in public policy
Authors: Craig Gary
Published: June 2013

Following attacks on multiculturalism and its replacement with a de-racialized concept of community cohesion, the dimension of ‘race’ is steadily disappearing from public policy. The process was started during New Labour’s last term of office but has accelerated since the election of the Coalition government. Equality is now officially a ‘dirty word’, equality impact assessments a bureaucratic burden, and the public sector equality duty an obstacle to rapid policy change at local level. National and local statutory and voluntary organizations concerned with racial equality are being dismantled or downsized and a series of political pronouncements gives nods and winks to those wishing to ignore the issue of racial disadvantage. Meanwhile, minorities are hit hardest by public expenditure cuts, are disproportionately criminalized in the criminal justice system, and are increasingly affected by racism and ‘race’ hate crime.
Factors influencing participation in cardiac rehabilitation programmes after referral and initial attendance: qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis
Authors: Clark Alexander M , King-Shier Kathryn M , Spaling Melisa A , Duncan Amanda S , Stone James A , Jaglal Susan B , Thompson David R , Angus Jan E
Published: June 2013

Background:

Greater participation in cardiac rehabilitation improves morbidity and mortality in people with coronary heart disease, but little is understood of patients’ decisions to participate.

Methods:

To develop interventions aimed at increasing completion of programmes, we conducted a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis to explore the complex factors and processes influencing participation in cardiac rehabilitation programmes after referral and initial access. To be included in the review, studies had to contain a qualitative research component, population specific data on programme participation in adults >18 years, and be published ≥1995 as full articles or theses. Ten databases were searched (31 October 2011) using 100+ search terms.

Results:

Of 2264 citations identified, 62 studies were included involving: 1646 patients (57% female; mean age 64.2), 143 caregivers, and 79 professionals. Patients’ participation was most strongly influenced by perceptions of the nature, suitability and scheduling of programmes, social comparisons made possible by programmes, and the degree to which programmes, providers, and programme users met expectations. Women’s experiences of these factors rendered them less likely to complete. Comparatively, perceptions of programme benefits had little influence on participation.

Conclusions:

Factors reducing participation in programmes are varied but amenable to intervention. Participation should be viewed as a ‘consumer behaviour’ and interventions should mobilize family support, promote ‘patient friendly’ scheduling, and actively harness the social, identity-related, and experiential aspects of participation.
Does altering inclination alter effectiveness of treadmill training for gait impairment after stroke? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Carda Stefano , Invernizzi Marco , Baricich Alessio , Cognolato Gianluca , Cisari Carlo
Published: June 2013

Objective:

To assess whether a downhill walking training programme is more effective than the same amount of training applied uphill in chronic stroke survivors.

Design:

Randomized, single-blind study.

Setting:

Outpatient rehabilitation service.

Methods:

Thirty-eight adults with hemiplegia from stroke lasting more than three months were randomly allocated to one of the two groups: ‘UP’ – 45 minutes of physical therapy + 30 minutes of treadmill with 5% ascending slope; and ‘DOWN’ – 45 minutes of physical therapy + 30 minutes of treadmill with 5% descending slope. Both groups were treated 5 times a week for six weeks. Patients were evaluated before treatment, at the end of treatment and after three months.

Outcome measures:

Primary outcome measure was the number of patients showing an improvement in 6-minute walking test (6MWT) greater than 50 m. Secondary outcome measures were: (1) number of patients showing a clinically relevant improvement of gait speed during 10-m walking test (10mWT); (2) number of patients showing an improvement in timed up and go (TUG) greater than minimal detectable change.

Results:

Both groups had a significant improvement after treatment and at follow-up. At the end of treatment, compared to UP group, more patients in the DOWN group showed clinically significant improvements in primary and secondary outcomes (16/19 patients for 6MWT, 11/19 patients for 10mWT and 9/19 patients for TUG compared with 3/19, 4/19 and 2/19 patients, respectively, P < 0.01). At follow-up, results were similar except for 10mWT.

Conclusions:

In chronic stroke patients, downhill treadmill training produces a bigger effect than uphill training.
The Ecological and Population Validity of Reading Interventions for Adolescents
Authors: Reed Deborah K. , Sorrells Audrey McCray , Cole Heather A. , Takakawa Nara N.
Published: June 2013

This article examined the ecological and population validity of research on reading interventions for adolescents in Grades 6 through 12. The 26 studies meeting selection criteria were analyzed to determine the characteristics of the students, interventionists, classroom structures, and school environments used, as well as whether there were differential effects of treatments across those characteristics. In the 20+ years since the calls by the Council for Learning Disabilities and National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities for greater specificity in descriptions of study participants and contexts, the findings of this study suggest that researchers have provided greater detail on participants, but many questions remain about the extent to which findings can be generalized. Specifically, gaps in the research exist with regard to African American and Native American students; English language learners; students in suburban, rural, and adjudicated schools; students in high school; interventions delivered by regular classroom teachers; interventions focused on vocabulary; and interventions in large groups and general education classrooms.
Determination of waste decay rate for a large Finnish landfill by calibrating methane generation models on the basis of methane recovery and emissions
Authors: Sormunen Kai , Laurila Tuomas , Rintala Jukka
Published: June 2013

The aim of this study was to determine the methane (CH4) generation factor (k) and CH4 generation potential (L) for bulk waste in order to calibrate a CH4 generation model (USEPA Landgem 3.02) and provide information on the remaining CH4 generation potential in a large (54 ha) municipal solid waste landfill located in a boreal climate. The CH4 generation model was calibrated by actual CH4 recovery and emission measurement data. Moreover, waste characterisation information from a previous study was considered. The appropriate k for bulk waste was 0.18 in the studied landfill, which indicated a higher rate of degradation than proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as a default k value of 0.09 for wet conditions in boreal and temperate climes, whereas the calibrated L of 100 m3/t was lower than estimated on the basis of a previous waste characterisation study. The results demonstrate the importance of model calibration, as inappropriate model parameters may result in a large discrepancy (approximately 100 % or 119 million m3 having an energy equivalent of nearly 1.2 TWh) in cumulative CH4 generation estimates within a 18-year timescale (2012–30) at the studied landfill.
Climate co-benefits of energy recovery from landfill gas in developing Asian cities: a case study in Bangkok
Authors: Menikpura SNM , Sang-Arun Janya , Bengtsson Magnus
Published: June 2013

Landfilling is the most common and cost-effective waste disposal method, and it is widely applied throughout the world. In developing countries in Asia there is currently a trend towards constructing sanitary landfills with gas recovery systems, not only as a solution to the waste problem and the associated local environmental pollution, but also to generate revenues through carbon markets and from the sale of electricity. This article presents a quantitative assessment of climate co-benefits from landfill gas (LFG) to energy projects, based on the case of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Thailand. Life cycle assessment was used for estimating net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, considering the whole lifespan of the landfill. The assessment found that the total GHG mitigation of the Bangkok project would be 471,763 tonnes (t) of carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalents (eq) over its 10-year LFG recovery period. This amount is equivalent to only 12% of the methane (CH4) generated over the whole lifespan of the landfill. An alternative scenario was devised to analyse possible improvement options for GHG mitigation through LFG-to-energy recovery projects. This scenario assumes that LFG recovery would commence in the second year of landfill operation and gas extraction continues throughout the 20-year peak production period. In this scenario, GHG mitigation potential amounted to 1,639,450 tCO2-eq during the 20-year project period, which is equivalent to 43% of the CH4 generated throughout the life cycle. The results indicate that with careful planning, there is a high potential for improving the efficiency of existing LFG recovery projects which would enhance climate co-benefits, as well as economic benefits. However, the study also shows that even improved gas recovery systems have fairly low recovery rates and, in consequence, that emissions of GHG from such landfills sites are still considerable.
Implementing an advanced waste separation step in an MBT plant: assessment of technical, economic and environmental impacts
Authors: Meirhofer Martina , Piringer Gerhard , Rixrath Doris , Sommer Manuel , Ragossnig Arne Michael
Published: June 2013

Heavy fractions resulting from mechanical treatment stages of mechanical–biological waste treatment plants are posing very specific demands with regard to further treatment (large portions of inert and high-caloric components). Based on the current Austrian legal situation such a waste stream cannot be landfilled and must be thermally treated. The aim of this research was to evaluate if an inert fraction generated from this waste stream with advanced separation technologies, two sensor-based [near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), X-ray transmission (XRT)] and two mechanical systems (wet and dry) is able to be disposed of. The performance of the treatment options for separation was evaluated by characterizing the resulting product streams with respect to purity and yield. Complementing the technical evaluation of the processing options, an assessment of the economic and global warming effects of the change in waste stream routing was conducted. The separated inert fraction was evaluated with regard to landfilling. The remaining high-caloric product stream was evaluated with regard to thermal utilization. The results show that, in principal, the selected treatment technologies can be used to separate high-caloric from inert components. Limitations were identified with regard to the product qualities achieved, as well as to the economic expedience of the treatment options. One of the sensor-based sorting systems (X-ray) was able to produce the highest amount of disposeable heavy fraction (44.1%), while having the lowest content of organic (2.0% Cbiogenic per kg waste input) components. None of the high-caloric product streams complied with the requirements for solid recovered fuels as defined in the Austrian Ordinance on Waste Incineration. The economic evaluation illustrates the highest specific treatment costs for the XRT (€23.15 per t), followed by the NIR-based sorting system (€15.67 per t), and the lowest costs for the air separation system (€10.79 per t). Within the ecological evaluation it can be shown that the results depend strongly on the higher heating value of the high caloric light fraction and on the content of Cbiogenic of the heavy fraction. Therefore, the XRT system had the best results for the overall GWP [−14 kg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) per t of input waste] and the NIR-based the worst (193 kg CO2 eq per t of input waste). It is concluded that three of the treatment options would be suitable under the specific conditions considered here. Of these, sensor-based sorting is preferable owing to its flexibility.
Effects of phytate on thyroid gland of rats intoxicated with cadmium
Authors: Mohamed Tarek Mostafa , Salama Afrah F , Nimr Tarek M El , Gamal Doaa M El
Published: June 2013

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most dangerous occupational and environmental toxins. The objective of the present study is to examine the potential prophylactic effects of phytic acid (PA) on thyroid hormones of male rats intoxicated with Cd. The male albino rats were divided into five groups: group I (control) was fed with the basal diet, group II was intoxicated with Cd in drinking water, groups III, IV, and V were intoxicated with Cd in drinking water and fed with the diet containing 3.5, 7, and 10 g of PA/kg, respectively. The results indicated that the serum calcium, iron (Fe), and total Fe binding capacity levels and serum T3 and T4 in Cd-treated rats of group II were decreased when compared with the control group, while PA-administered groups with Cd showed a significant improvement when compared with the Cd-treated rats only. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level was significantly increased in Cd-treated rats compared with the control group, while the addition of PA in diet decreased the high levels of TSH. These results indicated a prophylactic effect of PA against Cd-induced toxicity in rats.
Impact of Pharmacy Student and Resident-Led Discharge Counseling on Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Szkiladz Andrew , Carey Katherine , Ackerbauer Kimberly , Heelon Mark , Friderici Jennifer , Kopcza Kathleen
Published: June 2013

Purpose:

Many health systems have implemented interventions to reduce the rate of heart failure readmissions. Pharmacists have the training and expertise to provide effective medication-related education. However, few studies have examined the impact of discharge education provided by pharmacy students and residents on patients hospitalized with heart failure exacerbations.

Methods:

This was a nonrandomized intervention study evaluating the impact of a pharmacy student and resident-led discharge counseling program on heart failure readmissions. The primary end point was the 30-day heart failure readmission rate. Secondary end points included self-reported patient understanding of medications, number of medication errors documented, and estimated associated cost avoidance.

Results:

A total of 86 and 94 patients were enrolled into the intervention and control groups, respectively. No statistically significant difference in readmission rates was detected between the intervention and the control groups. Thirty-four medication errors and discrepancies were documented, or 1 for every 2.5 patients counseled, resulting in an estimated cost avoidance of $4241 for the institution. Eighty-nine percent of patients who received discharge counseling agreed they had a better understanding of their medications after speaking with a pharmacy resident or student.

Conclusions:

There was no statistically significant difference in readmission rates; however, several medication errors were prevented, and a large percentage of patients expressed an improved understanding of their medications.
Finance versus democracy? Theorizing finance in society
Authors: Walby Sylvia
Published: June 2013

What should be the place of finance in social theory? What is the relationship between finance and democracy? The article identifies four major frameworks that analyse finance: orthodox, drawing on Adam Smith; political economy, drawing on Marx; heterodox, drawing on Keynes and Minsky; and societal, drawing on Polanyi. These frameworks are critically analysed along five dimensions: the conceptualization of finance; the relations between finance and the economy; the relations between finance and the state; the relations between finance and society; and the nature of the social system. A new framework for the analysis of finance in society is constructed from these elements. This is used to analyse the relations between finance and democracy and the prospects for the regulation of finance.
Postfordism as a dysfunctional accumulation regime: a comparative analysis of the USA, the UK and Germany
Authors: Vidal Matt
Published: June 2013

The article seeks to reanimate the early regulation theory project of building Marxist political economy through the development of mid-range institutional theory. The concept of a mode of regulation – central to the Parisian wing of regulation theory – is rejected in favour of a distinction between functional and dysfunctional accumulation regimes. The Fordist regime of accumulation provided a unique institutional context allowing an extraordinary combination of high profits, rising real wages and strong GDP growth. In contrast, the postfordist regime is shown to be inherently dysfunctional, characterized by manifest tendencies toward stagnation and associated regressive trends in work and employment relations. A comparative analysis of profit rates, wage shares, growth rates and debt in the USA, UK and Germany shows that the single model of postfordism as a dysfunctional accumulation regime fits all three countries, although with important differences in forms of dysfunctionality.
The nature of front-line service work: distinctive features and continuity in the employment relationship
Authors: Bélanger Jacques , Edwards Paul
Published: June 2013

Empirical studies increasingly reflect the importance of service work in the economy. This article analyses the implications of this evolution for theories of work and employment. It critically reviews some key notions that are taken for granted in the research literature on service work and elaborates an alternative conceptual model. A deeper understanding of service work is possible only if the worker-customer interaction is conceived as part of the social structure that shapes it, namely the employment relationship. This article throws light on the interconnections between management control and customer demands and suggests that these have a mutually reinforcing effect which puts pressure on employees. It insists on both the distinctive features of front-line service work and the founding principles of the employment relationship that still apply beyond such categories.