bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Огляд ефективності використання судово-стоматологічних методів визначення віку дітей та підлітків
Authors: Honcharuk-Khomyn M. Yu.
Published: November 2017

A signifi cant number of currently available methods for dental age estimation among children and adolescents does not actually contribute for solving a key problem, which based on ensuring full correspondence between the data obtained during the calculation of the dental age and the actual chronological age of the person.The aim of the study – to conduct a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of different dental age estimation methods among children and adolescents with a selection of the most accurate approaches that can be implemented during forensic and forensic dental research.Materials and Methods. The Google Scholar Request Form (http://scholar.google.com) was used to search publication on relevant toping with additional using of the Advanced Search option. During the search, such specifi c types of operators as «+» were used to provide general named titles of the search («dental age», «children», «adolescents»), «search by the phrase» («forensic age estimation among children», «forensic age estimation among adolescents») and «in title» ( «dental age» and «children», «dental age» and «adolescents», «forensic age estimation» and «children», «forensic age estimation» and «adolescents»).Results and Discussion. Summing up the results of the analysis of the studied literature, we can conclude that at the present stage there is an insuffi cient level of systematization of existing methods for dental age estimation and methods for assessing the reliability of the results obtained in different age groups during the implementation of various methodological approaches. Therefore, testing the most accurate methods, obtained from the retrospective review of the literature, such as methods of Demirjian, Haavikko, Cameriere, Willems, and the development of a suitable algorithm for the recommendations for their combined use or modifi cation of certain stages during calculation and interpretation of data is relevant scientifi c and practical task that require actual solution.Conclusions. Conduction of further appropriate theoretical and practical studies with suffi cient amount of source material will allow to substantiate specifi c criteria for assessing the results of age estimation by dental status in different age groups with different methodological approaches, which in turn will simplify the forensic evaluation of the dento-facial system during the implementation of complex forensic examinations and investigations. Currently Demirjian, Haavikko, Cameriere, and Willems approaches can be identifi ed as the most accurate methods for determining the age of children and adolescents according to odontological data.
Low-Dose Tirofiban Improves Functional Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated With Endovascular Thrombectomy
Authors: Zhao Wenbo , Che Ruiwen , Shang Shuyi , Wu Chuanjie , Li Chuanhui , Wu Longfei , Chen Jian , Duan Jiangang , Song Haiqing , Zhang Hongqi , Ling Feng , Wang Yuping , Liebeskind David , Feng Wuwei , Ji Xunming
Published: November 2017

Background and Purpose—

Chinese patients largely experience acute ischemic stroke (AIS) because of large artery atherosclerosis rather than cardioembolism, and whether tirofiban is safe and effective in these patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy (ET) is unknown. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of tirofiban in Chinese patients with AIS treated with ET.

Methods—

This observational study is based on a single-center prospective registry study. Patients with AIS undergoing ET with second-generation stent retrievers from January 2013 to February 2017 were treated with ET alone or ET plus low dose of tirofiban. The primary outcome was symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). The secondary outcomes included rate of early reocclusion, any ICH, fatal ICH, and 3-month and long-term functional outcomes.

Results—

One hundred eighty AIS subjects were included in the analysis, including 90 subjects treated with tirofiban and 90 subjects without tirofiban. Sixty-three subjects (35%) had any ICH, 19 of them (11%) were sICH, and 9 of them (5%) were fatal ICH. Ten subjects (11%) treated with tirofiban experienced sICH and 9 subjects (10%) not given tirofiban experienced sICH, not a significant difference (
P
=0.808). Early reocclusion happened in 4 of 90 subjects (4.4%) treated with tirofiban and 8 of 90 subjects (8.9%) not treated with tirofiban (
P
=0.370). One hundred sixty-one subjects (89%) completed long-term follow-up, subjects treated tirofiban were associated with lower odds of death (23% versus 44%,
P
=0.005) when compared with those who were not treated. Additionally, tirofiban was associated with better odds of long-term functional independence (adjusted odds ratio, 4.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–16.97;
P
=0.033).

Conclusions—

In patients with AIS undergoing ET, tirofiban is not associated with higher sICH, it seems to lead to lower odds of deaths and better odds of long-term functional independence. Further investigations are needed to determine the efficacy of tirofiban in preventing early reocclusion, the underlying mechanisms, and its optimal treatment protocol.
Sequence Organization of Requests among Australian English and Saudi Arabic Speakers: A Contrastive Study
Authors: Al-Gahtani Saad
Published: November 2017

Previous research on cross-cultural pragmatics has primarily focused on how native speakers of different languages perform speech acts in relation to politeness and directness. However, Gabriele Kasper (2006), among others, has called for adopting a more discursive approach rather than analyzing data according to the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project (ccsarp) coding scheme. Therefore, this paper used Conversation Analysis for Interlanguage Pragmatics to investigate sequence organization of requests in Australian English and Saudi Arabic using role-play scenarios. It specifically examined pre-expansions, pre-pres, accounts in request turn, insert-expansions, and post-expansions, and the extent to which the social variable power affects them. The results showed that both languages shared some regularities in aspects of sequence organization but differed in others. Power influenced the production of some regularities in both languages.
Is Collingwood a Historicist? Remarks on Leo Strauss’s Critique of Collingwood’s Philosophy of History
Authors: Chénard Sophie Marcotte
Published: November 2017

In this paper, I examine Strauss’s critique of Collingwood’s interpretive approach and argue that Strauss’s accusation of historicism partly misses its target. While Collingwood can be said to be a “historicist” thinker insofar as he pursues the project of the German historicist tradition and attempts to establish the autonomy and specificity of philosophy of history as a discipline, he does not endorse the premises of radical historicism according to which all thought is historically relative. Although many of Strauss’s arguments against interpretive historicism are valid, they do not apply to Collingwood’s enterprise. In creating a dialogue between the two thinkers, I demonstrate that their respective theories of interpretation are as a matter of fact closer than they appear at first sight. Both philosophers defend the possibility of understanding past authors as they understood themselves, they maintain the importance of the quest for philosophical truth in interpreting the past texts and make the case for the necessity of history for philosophy.
L. S. Klejn and R. G. Collingwood on History, Archaeology, and Detection
Authors: Leach Stephen
Published: November 2017

Collingwood is well-known for noting, in The Idea of History, similarities between the work of the historian and the work of the detective. In this essay I argue that it is not the historian who is similar to the detective but rather the archaeologist.

In presenting this argument I make use of the work of the Russian archaeologist L. S. Klejn, who has explored in detail both the similarities between archaeology and detection and the differences between archaeology and history.

Part of the interest in comparing the views of Klejn and Collingwood is that they are from radically different backgrounds. Collingwood’s views were formed in pre-war Britain whereas Klejn’s views were formed in the post-war Soviet Union. How they conceive of their work on theory is also different: Klejn sees himself not as a philosopher but as an archaeological theorist; whereas Collingwood saw himself as a philosopher of history. Yet there is common ground in their approaches and in some of their conclusions. It will be argued that Klejn is more accurate than Collingwood in comparing the archaeologist – rather than the historian – to the detective; but, once this concession is made, their views of history can then be reconciled.
The Fall of Icarus: the Paradox of the Ottoman Centralization and the Abstraction of Timars
Authors: Soyudoğan Muhsin
Published: November 2017

In the decades following the conquest of Constantinople the Ottoman administrative and military system underwent a major reorganization in the direction of centralization. The effort to some degree assured the state control over the feudal-like timar system and gave it its exceptional characteristic. However, the same endeavour in the long run made the state lose control over vast agricultural production. It was a paradox of centralization which made the Ottoman state firm but fragile.
New species of the Genus Haliclona (Haplosclerida: Chalinidae) from Korea
Authors: KIM HYUNG JUNE , LEE SANG-HUI , KANG DONG WON
Published: November 2017

Two new marine sponges, Haliclona ieoensis sp. nov. and Haliclona sumenyoensis sp. nov. from the south Korea are described. Morphologically distinct from each other, both species are assigned to the genus Haliclona subgenus Haliclona. Haliclona ieoensis sp. nov. individuals are thickly encrusting to massive, beige colour and have small oscules flush on surface. Haliclona sumenyoesis sp. nov. individuals have a cylindrical tube with flexible stalk morphology, ivory colour, and large oscules. The description of these two new species brings the species of Haliclona (Haliclona) in Korea to five.
A new species of Menestho Møller, 1842 from the Arctic with remarks on Menestho albula (Fabricius, 1780)(Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Pyramidellidae)
Authors: NEKHAEV IVAN O.
Published: November 2017

North Atlantic and Arctic representatives of the family Pyramidellidae had been intensively studied during the last decades. A valuable contribution was made by Warén (1989; 1991; 1993), who partially revised several genera from the Scandinavian waters. Norwegian representatives of the family were reviewed by Høisæter (2014). Distribution and diagnostic of many species had been specified by Schander (1995) and Nekhaev (2011; 2014; 2017). However, in the Eurasian Arctic Seas (except for the SW Barents Sea) only five species of Pyramidellidae had been recorded (Golikov et al. 2001; Kantor & Sysoev 2006; Nekhaev 2017): Liostomia eburnea (Stimpson, 1851), Chrysallida sublustris (Friele, 1886), Amaura candida (Møller, 1842), Amaura arctica (Dall et Bartsch, 1909) and Menestho truncatula Odhner, 1915.
Afrotropical Melambiina: revision of the genus Tragardhus Koch, 1956 and redescription of Pseudemmallus Koch, 1956 (Tenebrionidae: Pedinini)
Authors: KAMIŃSKI MARCIN JAN
Published: November 2017

The genus Tragardhus Koch, 1956 (Pedinini: Melambiina) is revised to include nine Afrotropical species, five of which are new. A taxonomic treatment of the genus is provided including a morphological study, new species descriptions, keys, illustrations, and notes on species distributions. The following species are included: Tragardhus (Mitragardhus) nodosus Koch, 1956, T. (M.) ewae sp. nov., T. (M.) ryszardi sp. nov., T. (M.) zuzannae sp. nov., Tragardhus (Tragardhus) biapicalis Koch, 1956, T. (T.) glandipleurum Koch, 1956, T. (T.) jani sp. nov., T. (T.) majae sp. nov. and T. (T.) stigmaticus Koch, 1956. Additionally, a monotypic genus Pseudemmallus Koch, 1956, previously known from a single specimen representing P. aspericollis Koch, 1956, is redescribed based on newly available material.
Cirrophorus species (Annelida: Polychaeta: Paraonidae) in the Sea of Marmara, with description of a new species
Authors: ERDOĞAN-DERELI DENIZ , ÇINAR MELIH ERTAN , DAĞLI ERTAN
Published: November 2017

This paper deals with specimens of Cirrophorus collected from the depths ranging from 3 to 500 m in 2012 and 2013 in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Among the material, one new species and two already known species were found. The new species is mainly characterized by having long and clavate notopodial postchaetal lobes in the branchial region; red speckles near nuchal organs; and a very long branch of lyrate chaetae (4 times longer than the shorter one). A recently described species, Cirrophorus nikebianchii, was found at the majority of soft-bottom stations. All species found in the area were described and discussed.
Mesoscale Ensemble Weather Prediction at U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah
Authors: Knievel Jason C. , Liu Yubao , Hopson Thomas M. , Shaw Justin S. , Halvorson Scott F. , Fisher Henry H. , Roux Gregory , Sheu Rong-Shyang , Pan Linlin , Wu Wanli , Hacker Joshua P. , Vernon Erik , Gallagher Frank W. , Pace John C.
Published: November 2017

Since 2007, meteorologists of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) at Dugway Proving Ground (DPG), Utah, have relied on a mesoscale ensemble prediction system (EPS) known as the Ensemble Four-Dimensional Weather System (E-4DWX). This article describes E-4DWX and the innovative way in which it is calibrated, how it performs, why it was developed, and how meteorologists at DPG use it. E-4DWX has 30 operational members, each configured to produce forecasts of 48 h every 6 h on a 272-processor high performance computer (HPC) at DPG. The ensemble’s members differ from one another in initial-, lateral-, and lower-boundary conditions; in methods of data assimilation; and in physical parameterizations. The predictive core of all members is the Advanced Research core of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. Numerical predictions of the most useful near-surface variables are dynamically calibrated through algorithms that combine logistic regression and quantile regression, generating statistically realistic probabilistic depictions of the atmosphere’s future state at DPG’s observing sites. Army meteorologists view E-4DWX’s output via customized figures posted to a restricted website. Some of these figures summarize collective results—for example, through means, standard deviations, or fractions of the ensemble exceeding thresholds. Other figures show each forecast, individually or grouped—for example, through spaghetti diagrams and time series. This article presents examples of each type of figure.
Discrimination of Mature and Dissipating Severe-Wind-Producing MCSs with Layer-Lifting Indices
Authors: Alfaro Diego A. , Coniglio Michael C.
Published: November 2017

The environmental factors that drive the dissipation of linear severe-wind-producing mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are investigated. Layer-lifting indices are emphasized, which measure convective instability in forward-propagating MCSs by considering that deep convective latent heating depends on 1) the potential latent heating within the atmospheric column, measured by the integrated CAPE (ICAPE), and 2) the dilution of buoyancy due to midtropospheric inflow, measured by the inflow fraction (IF) of convectively unstable air to total system-relative inflow. These elements are integrated to define the layer-lifting CAPE (CAPEll), which depends on environmental thermodynamics, kinematics, and the MCS’s movement vector. Radar reflectivity plots are used to subjectively identify and classify MCSs in terms of their stage (mature or dissipating) and degree of organization (highly or weakly organized). Nonparametric statistical inferences are performed on several metrics computed at maturity and dissipation from RUC/RAP analysis data, aiming to identify the most skillful indices for diagnosing three different aspects of MCS dissipation: 1) the transition from maturity to dissipation, 2) the stage of an MCS, and 3) the disorganization that characterizes the dissipating stage. In terms of MCS dissipation CAPEll is the best diagnostic. A close approximation to CAPEll is accomplished by estimating an MCS’s movement with Corfidi vectors, providing a potentially useful index in operational settings. ICAPE is the most skillful thermodynamic metric, while IF is the best kinematic discriminator of MCS stage and stage transition, suggesting the fundamental importance of layer-lifting convective instability for MCS maintenance. Layer-lifting indices are not particularly skillful at distinguishing the degree of MCS organization at maturity, which is best diagnosed by deep vertical wind shear.
Disentangling passion and engagement: An examination of how and when passionate employees become engaged ones
Authors: Ho Violet T , Astakhova Marina N
Published: November 2017

While anecdotal industry evidence indicates that passionate workers are engaged workers, research has yet to understand how and when job passion and engagement are related. To answer the how question, we draw from person-environment fit theory to test, and find support for, the mediating roles of perceived demands–abilities (D–A) fit and person–organization (P–O) fit in the relationships between passion and job engagement, and between passion and organizational engagement, respectively. Also, because the obsessive form of passion is contingency-driven, we answer the when question by adopting a target-similarity approach to test the contingent role of multi-foci trust in the obsessive passion-to-engagement relationships. We found that when obsessively passionate workers trust their organization, they report greater levels of organizational engagement (because of increased P–O fit). In contrast, when these workers trust both their co-workers and supervisor simultaneously, they report greater levels of job engagement (because of increased D–A fit).
Drawing on the discursive resources from psychological contracts to construct imaginary selves: A psychoanalytic perspective on how identity work drives psychological contracts
Authors: Driver Michaela
Published: November 2017

The study contributes novel theoretical perspectives for a more comprehensive and processual understanding of psychological contracts in the context of identity work. It builds on a psychoanalytic, specifically Lacanian, perspective to analyze 106 psychological contract narratives by employees of a wide range of organizations. Based on this analysis, the study suggests that psychological contracts can be understood as providing discursive resources on which narrators draw in complex and non-linear fashion to construct imaginary selves. Their inevitable unsettlement prompts both imaginary and symbolic responses that seem independent of the viability and type of psychological contract narrated. This suggests that identity work drives psychological contracts in surprising ways and empowers individuals as contract and identity-makers. Implications for psychological contract research are discussed.
‘Second to None in the International Fight’: Australian Seafarers Internationalism and Maritime Unions Against Apartheid
Authors: Kirkby Diane , Ostapenko Dmytro
Published: November 2017

The participation of trade unions in the anti-apartheid movement is a subject which arguably merits more attention. This article brings into focus a group of unionists whose activism against apartheid was in the forefront of key initiatives. Drawing on new research the argument recounts the role of Australian seafarers on the international stage, particularly its association with the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and shows how knowledge of events in South Africa passed from the WFTU to educate the union membership. By the 1980s, Australian seafarers were taking the lead in bringing European unionists together in united action to enforce the United Nations' embargo on oil supplies to South Africa by founding a new organization, the Maritime Unions Against Apartheid (MUAA). Reconstructing these events demonstrates two aspects of significance: the growing importance of monitoring shipping as an anti-apartheid strategy coordinated and led by European unions, which we point out relied on ships’ officers and crews for knowledge, and the breaking down of the ideological divide between the WFTU and the anti-Communist International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) working together in the MUAA. The article contributes new understanding of connections between anti-apartheid activism and its Cold War context.
5-Lipoxygenase Knockout Aggravated Apical Periodontitis in a Murine Model
Authors: Wu Y. , Sun H. , Yang B. , Liu X. , Wang J.
Published: November 2017

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) plays a vital role in the host innate immune response, including bacteria-induced inflammation. Apical periodontitis (AP) is due to immune disorders caused by imbalances between bacterial invasion and subsequent host defense response. In this work, we investigated the role of 5-lipoxygenase in AP by using 5- lo knockout mice (5- lo-/- mice). Results showed that 5- lo-/- mice had greater periapical bone loss and more osteoclasts positive for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining than did wild-type mice, as determined by micro–computed tomography and histologic staining. The inflammation- and osteoclastogenesis-related factors IL-1β, TNF-α, RANK, and RANKL were also significantly elevated in 5- lo-/- mice, whereas osteoprotegerin was reduced. Furthermore, peritoneal macrophages from 5- lo-/- mice revealed an obviously impaired ability to phagocytose the AP pathogenic bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum. In vivo experiments confirmed that 5- lo knockout led to decreased macrophage recruitment and increased F. nucleatum infection around the periapical area due to decreased leukotriene B4 and LXA4 production. All these results showed that 5- lo knockout impaired the host innate immune system to promote the release of bone resorption–related factors. Therefore, 5- lo deficiency aggravated AP in an experimental murine AP model.
Populism and Support for Protectionism: The Relevance of Opposition to Trade Openness for Leftist and Rightist Populist Voting in The Netherlands
Authors: van der Waal Jeroen , de Koster Willem
Published: November 2017

Leftist and rightist populist parties in Western Europe both oppose trade openness. Is support for economic protectionism also relevant for their electorates? We assess this in the Netherlands, where both types of populist parties have seats in parliament. Analyses of representative survey data ( n = 1,296) demonstrate that support for protectionism drives voting for such parties, as do the well-established determinants of political distrust (both populist constituencies), economic egalitarianism (leftist populist constituency) and ethnocentrism (rightist populist constituency). Surprisingly, support for protectionism does not mediate the relationship between economic egalitarianism and voting for left-wing populists, or the link between political distrust and voting for either left-wing or right-wing populist parties. In contrast, support for protectionism partly mediates the association between ethnocentrism and voting for right-wing populists. We discuss the largely independent role of protectionism in populist voting in relation to the cultural cleavage in politics and electoral competition, and also provide suggestions for future research.
The Benefits of a Mindfulness Exercise in a Performance Situation
Authors: Geisler Fay C. M. , Bechtoldt Myriam N. , Oberländer Nils , Schacht-Jablonowsky Maik
Published: November 2017

Background

Mindfulness is a state of nonjudgmental attentiveness to moment-to-moment experiences. Interest in implementing mindfulness-based interventions is growing.

Objective

We investigated the benefit of a short mindfulness exercise for mindfulness novices in a performance situation.

Method

Participants ( N = 97) engaged in a mindfulness or relaxation exercise and subsequently worked on an achievement test.

Results

Participants in the mindfulness condition had fewer distracting evaluative thoughts during and experienced less negative affect after the achievement test. Participants also exerted less self-control (vagal withdrawal measured via heart rate variability) during the mindfulness exercise than on the relaxation exercise. In a subsample ( n = 84), selected on the basis of serious involvement in the exercise, mindfulness eliminated the negative association between distracting evaluative thoughts and performance. Furthermore, beneficial effects of mindfulness on distractive thoughts were found for participants low but not high in trait mindfulness. The mindfulness exercise did not influence performance.

Conclusion

In performance contexts, even brief mindfulness exercises may have beneficial effects for mindfulness novices and people low in trait mindfulness.
Book Review: S. R. Ahlawat and Neerja Ahlawat (eds), Crises of Social Transformation in India
Authors: Kaul Ashok
Published: November 2017

S. R. Ahlawat and Neerja Ahlawat (eds), Crises of Social Transformation in India. Jaipur and New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 2015, 286 pp., ₹ 995 (hardback), ISBN 978-316-0710-7.
Book Review: Kailash Sarap and Venkatanarayana Motkuri (eds), Adivasis in India: Resources, Livelihoods and Institutions
Authors: Mohanty B. B.
Published: November 2017

Kailash Sarap and Venkatanarayana Motkuri (eds), Adivasis in India: Resources, Livelihoods and Institutions. New Delhi: Bloomsbury, 2016, xiii + 278 pp., ₹999 (hardback), ISBN 978-93-85936-23-4.
Book Review: Vani Kant Borooah, Nidhi Sadana Sabharwal, Dilip G. Diwakar, Vinod Kumar Mishra and Ajaya Kumar Naik (Eds), Caste, Discrimination, and Exclusion in Modern India
Authors: Chhetri Nilamber
Published: November 2017

Vani Kant Borooah, Nidhi Sadana Sabharwal, Dilip G. Diwakar, Vinod Kumar Mishra and Ajaya Kumar Naik (Eds), Caste, Discrimination, and Exclusion in Modern India. New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 2015, xl + 337 pp., ₹995 (hardback), ISBN 978-93-515-0267-8.
Income Segregation between School Districts and Inequality in Students’ Achievement
Authors: Owens Ann
Published: November 2017

Large achievement gaps exist between high- and low-income students and between black and white students. This article explores one explanation for such gaps: income segregation between school districts, which creates inequality in the economic and social resources available in advantaged and disadvantaged students’ school contexts. Drawing on national data, I find that the income achievement gap is larger in highly segregated metropolitan areas. This is due mainly to high-income students performing better, rather than low-income children performing worse, in more-segregated places. Income segregation between districts also contributes to the racial achievement gap, largely because white students perform better in more economically segregated places. Descriptive portraits of the school districts of high- and low-income students show that income segregation creates affluent districts for high-income students while changing the contexts of low-income students negligibly. Considering income and race jointly, I find that only high-income white families live in the affluent districts created by income segregation; black families with identically high incomes live in districts more similar to those of low-income white families. My results demonstrate that the spatial inequalities created by income segregation between school districts contribute to achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students, with implications for future research and policy.
Enhancing the sense of self of peer supporters using life design-related counselling
Authors: Maree Jacobus Gideon , Pienaar Marthé , Fletcher Lizelle
Published: November 2017

This article explores the possible effects of group-based life design-related counselling on the sense of self of female adolescent peer supporters. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to select 24 participants at a private school (mean age = 16.5 years; standard deviation = 6.4 months). A parallel interactive mixed-method design, embedded in an intervention framework, was used to gather data. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre- and post-test scores obtained on the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale and the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents. Strong evidence of change was found on the Control scale (Career Adapt-Abilities Scale) and on the scales of Mastery, Self-efficacy, and Comfort (Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents). The results suggest that group-based intervention programmes, when based on self-construction and life design principles, could serve as a viable intervention process for adolescent girls during their discovery of a unique sense of self. Future research should focus on the question of sustainability of the newly gained sense of self due to participation in the life design-related programme.
Factors Affecting Life Satisfaction of Older Adults in Turkey
Authors: Celik Sevilay S. , Celik Yusuf , Hikmet Neset , Khan Mahmud M.
Published: November 2017

This study aimed to examine the determinants of life satisfaction of older adults in Turkey. The sample consisted of 2,959 older adults over 65 years. The effects of psychological, daily life and instrumental activity, physical health and health status, and other important variables on life satisfaction were analyzed. The variables lessening life satisfaction for older adults included poverty, a lower self-reported health status, a decline in physical health, ability to chew, ability to do household activities, and an increase in feelings of depression and feeling social withdrawn. In contrast, being married, having a higher education level, and having an income-generating work increased life satisfaction among older adults. This study suggests the necessity of developing local and national policies that enable older adults to become more active in their communities. These policies should be coordinated under the framework of national aging policies that bridge health, social, and economic issues.
Student Veterans’ Academic Performance Before and After the Post–9/11 GI Bill
Authors: Bailey Amy Kate , Drury Madisen B. , Grandy Hannah
Published: November 2017

This article uses student records from a nonselective public institution to assess whether student veterans’ academic performance and preparation differed before and after the post–9/11 GI Bill. We find equivalent ACT scores between cohorts who were and were not eligible for this new funding source, suggesting similar academic preparation. Grade point averages are also invariant across cohorts. We identify a large decline in the probability that student veterans eligible for post–9/11 GI Bill funding pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. These results suggest that increased access to college funding had no effects on academic performance and distributed student veterans more broadly across the university curriculum, suggesting an important policy strategy to help recent veterans successfully transition to the civilian labor market.
Recounting the Dead: An Analysis of ISAF Caused Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan
Authors: Shortland Neil , Sari Huseyin , Nader Elias
Published: November 2017

In wars fought against insurgents, civilian casualties present the challenging dilemma of balancing security and stability while targeting insurgents who operate within the civilian population. In Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has made minimizing civilian casualties a top-tier strategic issue. Yet beyond annual reports, there has been a lack of data-driven analysis into the number of civilians killed by ISAF operations. This research investigates ISAF-caused civilian casualties between 2010 and 2013, incorporating civilian casualty events to investigate changes in ISAF “lethality.” This analysis finds that although ISAF-caused civilian casualties decreased overall, this was mitigated by the tactic employed (airpower vs. on the ground operations). The implications of this analysis for theories of military adaptation, future population-centric operations, and current military operations (e.g., in Iraq and Syria) are discussed.
Citizen accountability in the ‘New NHS’ in England
Authors: Hudson Bob
Published: November 2017

The NHS is facing a combination of lower spending and increasing demand. In response, NHS England is requiring local areas to substantially rethink and reshape services through Sustainability and Transformation Plans. These have been devised largely without the involvement of patients and citizens, giving rise to widespread concerns about service loss. Other structural changes are also taking place that have no obvious place for citizen engagement. All of this is highlighting the problem of a lack of local accountability and legitimacy for decision-making in healthcare. This commentary describes the changes, identifies the accountability gap and suggests a framework for future development.
Twenty minutes of normothermic cardiac arrest in a pig model: the role of short-term hypothermia for neurological outcome
Authors: Foerster Katharina , Benk Christoph , Beyersdorf Friedhelm , Cristina Schmitz Heidi , Wittmann Karin , Taunyane Itumeleng , Heilmann Claudia , Trummer Georg
Published: November 2017

Introduction:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation restores circulation, but with inconsistent blood-flow and pressures. Our recent approach using an extracorporeal life support system, named “controlled integrated resuscitation device” (CIRD), may lead to improved survival and neurological recovery after cardiac arrest (CA). The basic idea is to provide a reperfusion tailored to the individual patient by control of the conditions of reperfusion and the composition of the reperfusate. Hypothermia is one aspect of this concept. Here, we investigated the role of immediate short-term blood cooling after experimental CA and its influence on survival and neurological recovery.

Methods:

Twenty-one pigs were exposed to 20 minutes of normothermic CA. Afterwards, CIRD was immediately started for 60 minutes in all animals and the heart was converted to a sinus rhythm. The pigs either received normothermic reperfusion (37°C, n=11) or the temperature was maintained at 32°C for the first 30 minutes (n=10). Thermometric, hemodynamic and serologic data were collected during the experiment. After weaning from CIRD, neurological recovery was assessed daily by a species-specific neurological deficit score (NDS; 0: normal; 500: brain death).

Results:

One pig in each group could not be successfully resuscitated. Due to severe neurological deficits, only 6/11 animals in the normothermic group finished the observation time of seven days with an NDS of 37±34. In the hypothermic group, all nine surviving animals reached day seven with an NDS of 16±13. Analogous to the lower NDS, animals in the hypothermic group also showed lower neuron-specific enolase end values as a marker of brain injury.

Conclusions:

Within this experimental setting, immediate moderate and short-term hypothermia after CA improves survival and seems to result in statistically non-significant better neurological recovery.
Matched increases in cerebral artery shear stress, irrespective of stimulus, induce similar changes in extra-cranial arterial diameter in humans
Authors: Smith Kurt J , Hoiland Ryan L , Grove Ryan , McKirdy Hamish , Naylor Louise , Ainslie Philip N , Green Daniel J
Published: November 2017

The mechanistic role of arterial shear stress in the regulation of cerebrovascular responses to physiological stimuli (exercise and hypercapnia) is poorly understood. We hypothesised that, if shear stress is a key regulator of arterial dilation, then matched increases in shear, induced by distinct physiological stimuli, would trigger similar dilation of the large extra-cranial arteries. Participants ( n = 10) participated in three 30-min experimental interventions, each separated by ≥48 h: (1) mild-hypercapnia (FICO2:∼0.045); (2) submaximal cycling (EX; 60%HRreserve); or (3) resting (time-matched control, CTRL). Blood flow, diameter, and shear rate were assessed (via Duplex ultrasound) in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries (ICA, VA) at baseline, during and following the interventions. Hypercapnia and EX produced similar elevations in blood flow and shear rate through the ICA and VA ( p < 0.001), which were both greater than CTRL. Vasodilation of ICA and VA diameter in response to hypercapnia (5.3 ± 0.8 and 4.4 ± 2.0%) and EX (4.7 ± 0.7 and 4.7 ± 2.2%) were similar, and greater than CTRL ( p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that matched levels of shear, irrespective of their driving stimulus, induce similar extra-cranial artery dilation. We demonstrate, for the first time in humans, an important mechanistic role for the endothelium in regulating cerebrovascular response to common physiological stimuli in vivo.
Quality of life after endovascular sclerotherapy of low-flow venous malformations: the efficacy of polidocanol compared with ethanol
Authors: Weitz-Tuoretmaa Annamaria , Keski-Nisula Leo , Rautio Riitta , Laranne Jussi
Published: November 2017

Background

Limited information is available on mid-term results and quality of life (QOL) after endovascular sclerotherapy of venous malformations.

Purpose

To compare two agents—polidocanol and ethanol—with a focus on the influence on QOL after sclerotherapy.

Material and Methods

Forty-one consecutive patients with a venous malformation in the head and neck area or in the extremities were treated with polidocanol between 2008 and 2013. Pre- and post-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were compared. All patients completed a self-evaluation form on symptoms as well as a QOL questionnaire. The results were compared with previously obtained material during 1991–2001, comprising 44 consecutive, similarly located venous malformation patients subject to ethanol sclerotherapy.

Results

No significant clinical complications were observed. Subjectively, 19 (46%) of the patients benefitted from the treatment. QOL results showed that 85% of patients had an index < 39 – where 0 represents the highest and 100 the lowest QOL. Patients in the ethanol group had marginally better overall post-treatment QOL results. Post-treatment MRI in 35 patients showed the size of the malformation unchanged in 19 (54%) patients, in ten (29%) there was a decrease (<50%) while in six (17%) the decrease was more significant (>50%). Post-treatment MRI results did not correlate with either subjective symptoms or QOL results.

Conclusion

Polidocanol sclerotherapy were found to be an effective, safe, and well tolerated treatment option for low flow venous malformations. Routine MRI for follow-up appears redundant and may be omitted.
Diagnostic value of combined serum marker changes and quantitative MRI evaluation of cartilage volume of tibial plateau in a surgically-induced osteoarthritis dog model
Authors: Ren Jiangdong , Ma Jinsai , Zhang Xiaogang , aimaiti Abdusami , Saiyiti Maimaitiming , Chen Yuming , Cao Li
Published: November 2017

Objective

To evaluate the combined diagnostic value of two serum osteoarthritis (OA) markers and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of the cartilage volume of the tibial plateau in a canine model of experimental OA.

Methods

A total of 18 male Beagle dogs were used in this longitudinal study. OA was surgically induced via anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) of the right knee in 10 dogs. The remaining eight dogs formed the sham operation control group and underwent the same procedure without ACLT. At various times after surgery, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) and type X collagen (ColX) levels. Quantitative evaluation of the tibial plateau volume was undertaken using MRI and ImageJ software.

Results

The serum CTX-II levels were significantly higher in the OA group at weeks 8, 12 and 16 after surgery, but not at week 4, compared with the control group. The serum ColX levels in the OA group were significantly higher than in the control group at weeks 8 and 12. The tibial plateau cartilage volumes in the OA group were significantly lower than in the control group at weeks 8 and 16.

Conclusion

Serum CTX-II and ColX levels combined with quantitative MRI evaluation of the tibial plateau cartilage volume in a canine model of OA demonstrated the potential to detect and monitor OA progression.
Sex Difference in Homicide: Comparing Male and Female Violent Crimes in Korea
Authors: Sea Jonghan , Youngs Donna , Tkazky Sophia
Published: November 2017

The comparison of the South Korean male and female homicide offenders’ characteristics and crime scene behaviours is presented in this study. A total of 537 cases of homicide offenders prosecuted in Korea between 2006 and 2010 were analyzed in terms of offenders’ characteristics, victim–offender interaction, places of crime, and crime scene actions. Significant differences between male and female offenders were revealed in prior criminal history, offenders’ personal characteristics, choice of victim, crime scene behaviours during and after the homicide, and choice of weapon. The parallel with the gender differences in homicides found in Western countries is discussed as well as the possible explanations for the gender-related characteristics found in this study.
Les soins médicaux de jeunes hommes et de jeunes femmes qui décèdent par suicide
Authors: Rhodes Anne E. , Boyle Michael H. , Bridge Jeffrey A. , Sinyor Mark , Katz Laurence Y. , Bennett Kathryn , Newton Amanda S. , Links Paul S. , Tonmyr Lil , Skinner Robin , Cheung Amy , Bethell Jennifer , Carlisle Corine
Published: November 2017

Objective:

Prior year medical care was compared among youth dying by suicide to their peers. Effect modification of these associations by age or place of residency (rural versus larger community sizes) was examined in a large, medically insured population.

Method:

This population-based case control study used data from the Office of the Chief Coroner in Ontario, Canada, linked to health care administrative data to examine associations between medical care for mental health or other reasons (versus no medical care) and suicide. Decedents ( n = 1203 males and n = 454 females) were youth (aged 10 to 25 years) who died by suicide in Ontario between April 2003 and March 2014, inclusive. Peers of the same ages were frequency matched to decedents on sex and place of residency. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and to test effect modification.

Results:

Associations with mental health care were stronger in decedents than peers with a gradation of care (i.e., outpatient only, emergency department [ED], inpatient care) in both sexes. However, these associations were weaker among youth living in rural communities. Furthermore, older males (aged 18 to 25 years) were less likely than younger males (aged 10 to 17 years) to access the ED (ambulatory care only). This decrease was observed in rural and larger communities alongside no increase in medical care for other reasons.

Conclusions:

Geographical and age-related barriers to mental health care exist for youth who die by suicide. Preventive efforts can address these barriers, intervening early and integrating services, including the ED.
Where Policy Meets Practice: Employer Perspectives on Scheduling and Hours for Home Care Aides
Authors: Nisbet Elizabeth , Morgan Jennifer Craft
Published: November 2017

In a context of growing demand for home-based direct care services, the need to retain direct care workers (DCWs) is clear. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state-level changes in Medicaid support for home-based care together have affected agencies that hire DCWs, with implications for an issue that affects worker satisfaction: scheduling. Many home-based aides employed by agencies cannot count on consistent or sufficient hours. Hours shortfall and instability have been recognized as important issues for retail and restaurant workers, but focused on less for care aides. This study uses semistructured interviews with agency representatives to examine these issues from an employer perspective, with a focus on how the competing influences of health care, labor, and employment policy shape scheduling and a review of how recommendations for changes in policy and practice in other sectors might apply to home care.
Ethnic Identity and Loneliness in Predicting Suicide Risk in Latino College Students
Authors: Chang Edward C. , Díaz Lizbeth , Lucas Abigael G. , Lee Jerin , Powell Nicholas J. , Kafelghazal Sally , Chartier Sarah J. , Morris Lily E. , Marshall-Broaden Tey’Ariana M. , Hirsch Jameson K. , Jeglic Elizabeth L.
Published: November 2017

This study examined the role of ethnic identity and loneliness as predictors of suicide risk, namely, hopelessness and suicidal behaviors, in Latino college students. One hundred sixty Latino students completed a survey assessing for the aforementioned constructs. Results of conducting regression analyses indicated that ethnic identity was a significant predictor of suicide risk. When loneliness was added into the regression model, it was found to account for a significant amount of incremental variance in both of the suicide risk indices. Our findings indicate that ethnic identity dimensions and loneliness are involved in suicide risk among Latinos.
Are You Covered? Associations Between Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Knowledge and Preventive Reproductive Service Use
Authors: Sawyer Ashlee N. , Kwitowski Melissa A. , Benotsch Eric G.
Published: November 2017

Purpose:

Sexual and reproductive health conditions (eg, infections, cancers) represent public health concerns for American women. The present study examined how knowledge of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) relates to receipt of preventive reproductive health services among women.

Design:

Cross-sectional online survey.

Setting:

Online questionnaires were completed via Amazon Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing website where individuals complete web-based tasks for compensation.

Participants:

Cisgendered women aged 18 to 44 years (N = 1083) from across the United States.

Measures:

Participants completed online questionnaires assessing demographics, insurance status, preventive service use, and knowledge of PPACA provisions.

Analysis:

Chi-squares showed that receipt of well-woman, pelvic, and breast examinations, as well as pap smears, was related to insurance coverage, with those not having coverage at all during the previous year having significantly lower rates of use. Hierarchical logistic regressions determined the independent relationship between PPACA knowledge and use of health services after controlling for demographic factors and insurance status.

Results:

Knowledge of PPACA provisions was associated with receiving well-woman, pelvic, and breast examinations, human papillomavirus vaccination, and sexually transmitted infections testing, after controlling for these factors. Results indicate that expanding knowledge about health-care legislation may be beneficial in increasing preventive reproductive health service use among women.

Conclusion:

Current findings provide support for increasing resources for outreach and education of the general population about the provisions and benefits of health-care legislation, as well as personal health coverage plans.