bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aortic Stiffness and the Risk of Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
Authors: Pase Matthew P. , Beiser Alexa , Himali Jayandra J. , Tsao Connie , Satizabal Claudia L. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Seshadri Sudha , Mitchell Gary F.
Published: August 2016

Background and Purpose—

Aortic stiffening increases the transfers of high pressure and flow pulsatility to small cerebral vessels potentially causing the accumulation of vascular brain injury. Our aim was to investigate the prospective association of aortic stiffness with the risks of incident mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Methods—

We studied 1101 dementia-free Framingham Offspring study participants (mean age, 69±6 years; 54% women). Aortic stiffness was measured as carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity using applanation tonometry and modeled as a linear variable and the top 2 quintiles (>11.4 m/s). Outcomes were the 10-year risk of incident mild cognitive impairment and dementia, including clinically characterized Alzheimer disease. We observed 106, 77, and 59 events of mild cognitive impairment, all-cause dementia, and clinical Alzheimer disease, respectively.

Results—

After adjustment for age and sex, higher continuous aortic stiffness predicted an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (hazard ratio, 1.40 [95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.73]), all-cause dementia (hazard ratio, 1.45 [95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.87]), and Alzheimer disease (hazard ratio, 1.41 [95% confidence interval, 1.06–1.87]). In risk factor–adjusted statistical models, aortic stiffness remained a significant predictor of mild cognitive impairment but not incident dementia. In nondiabetic patients, the top 2 quintiles of aortic stiffness were associated with a higher risk of incident all-cause dementia across all statistical models.

Conclusions—

Aortic stiffness was an independent predictor of incident mild cognitive impairment in the whole sample and with incident dementia in nondiabetic patients. Our findings suggest aortic stiffness as a potentially modifiable risk factor for clinical cognitive impairment and dementia.
Pathways to an Elite Education: Application, Admission, and Matriculation to New York City's Specialized High Schools
Authors: Corcoran Sean Patrick , Baker-Smith E. Christine
Published: August 2016

New York City's public specialized high schools have a long history of offering a rigorous, college preparatory education to the city's most academically talented students. Though immensely popular and highly selective, their policy of admitting students using a single entrance exam has raised questions about diversity and equity in access. In this paper, we provide a descriptive analysis of the “pipeline” from middle school to matriculation at a specialized high school, identifying group-level differences in application, admission, and enrollment. In doing so, we highlight potential points of intervention to improve access for underrepresented groups. Controlling for other measures of prior achievement, we find black, Hispanic, low-income, and female students are significantly less likely to qualify for admission to a specialized high school. Differences in application and matriculation rates also affect the diversity in these schools, and we find evidence of middle school “effects” on both application and admission. Simulated policies that offer admissions using alternative measures, such as state test scores and grades, suggest many more girls, Hispanics, and white students would be admitted under these alternatives. They would not, however, appreciably increase the share of offers given to black or low-income students.
Early Land Plants Today: Index of Liverworts & Hornworts 2013–2014
Authors: SÖDERSTRÖM LARS , HAGBORG ANDERS , VON KONRAT MATT
Published: August 2016

A widely accessible list of known plant species is a fundamental requirement for plant conservation and has vast applications. An index of published names of liverworts and hornworts between 2013 and 2014 is provided as part of a continued effort in working toward producing a world checklist of this group. The list includes 50 higher taxa, 361 species, 82 infraspecific taxa, and 50 infraspecific autonyms for 2013 and 2014. Three of them are fossils. Five older names not included in the earlier indices are included. Three illegitimate and 13 invalid names are also included.  New to science are 105 species and 22 infraspecific taxa.
Pagamea spruceana (Rubiaceae, Gaertnereae), a new species from flooded white-sand forests in the Upper Rio Negro region, Brazil
Authors: PRATA EDUARDO MAGALHÃES BORGES , CARVALHO RANGEL BATISTA DE , VICENTINI ALBERTO
Published: August 2016

Pagamea spruceana, a new species from Northwestern Amazon, Brazil, is endemic to the Upper Rio Negro region, in the Içana and Uaupés River Basins, and differs from other functionally dioecious species of Pagamea by its capitate and puberulous inflorescences and narrowly elliptic leaf blades with revolute and puberulous margins. Pagamea spruceana is the only species in the genus known from long-term inundated habitats (igapós) in the Amazon. The new species is here described and the affinities with morphologically similar and closely related species are discussed.
Toward a User-Centered Design of a Weather Forecasting Decision-Support Tool
Authors: Argyle Elizabeth M. , Gourley Jonathan J. , Flamig Zachary L. , Hansen Tracy , Manross Kevin
Published: August 2016

Hazard Services is a software toolkit that integrates information management, hazard alerting, and communication functions into a single user interface. When complete, National Weather Service forecasters across the United States will use Hazard Services for operational issuance of weather and hydrologic alerts, making the system an instrumental part of the threat management process. As a new decision-support tool, incorporating an understanding of user requirements and behavior is an important part of building a system that is usable, allowing users to perform work-related tasks efficiently and effectively. This paper discusses the Hazard Services system and findings from a usability evaluation with a sample of end users. Usability evaluations are frequently used to support software and website development and can provide feedback on a system’s efficiency of use, effectiveness, and learnability. In the present study, a user-testing evaluation assessed task performance in terms of error rates, error types, response time, and subjective feedback from a questionnaire. A series of design recommendations was developed based on the evaluation’s findings. The recommendations not only further the design of Hazard Services, but they may also inform the designs of other decision-support tools used in weather and hydrologic forecasting.

Incorporating usability evaluation into the iterative design of decision-support tools, such as Hazard Services, can improve system efficiency, effectiveness, and user experience.
Flash Flood–Producing Storm Properties in a Small Urban Watershed
Authors: Smith Brianne K. , Smith James , Baeck Mary Lynn
Published: August 2016

The structure and evolution of flash flood–producing storms over a small urban watershed in the mid-Atlantic United States with a prototypical flash flood response is examined. Lagrangian storm properties are investigated through analyses of the 32 storms that produced the largest peak discharges in Moores Run between January 2000 and May 2014. The Thunderstorm Identification, Tracking, Analysis, and Nowcasting (TITAN) algorithm is used to track storm characteristics over their life cycle with a focus on storm size, movement, intensity, and location. First, the 13 June 2003 and 1 June 2006 storms, which produced the two largest peak discharges for the study period, are analyzed. Heavy rainfall for the 13 June 2003 and 1 June 2006 storms were caused by a collapsing thunderstorm cell and a slow-moving, low-echo centroid storm. Analyses of the 32 storms show that collapsing storm cells play an important role in peak rainfall rate production and flash flooding. Storm motion is predominantly southwest-to-northeast, and approximately half of the storms exhibited some linear organization. Mean storm total rainfall for the 32 storms displayed an asymmetric distribution around Moores Run, with sharply decreasing gradients southwest of the watershed (upwind and into the city) and increased rainfall to the northeast (downwind and away from the city). Results indicate urban modification of rainfall in flash flood–producing storms. There was no evidence that the storms split around Baltimore. Flood-producing rainfall was highly concentrated in time; on average, approximately 21% of the storm total rainfall fell within 15 min.
Strategic management in public administrations: a results-based approach to strategic public management
Authors: Mazouz Bachir , Rousseau Anne ,   With the collaboration of Pierre-André Hudon
Published: August 2016

As a field of knowledge, strategy has been taught and practised for over half a century. However, there is still a distinct lack of consensus surrounding the effectiveness of strategy in public administrations. This thematic issue of the International Review of Administrative Sciences is devoted to advanced research which claims that in the age of results-based management, public leaders must opt for a process-based approach to strategy. In doing so, the emphasis is put on the complexity of strategic processes that make it possible to support and maintain the institutions that serve the common good and the general interest and that deliver public services using the results of public action. From a process-based point of view, the strategy of public administration then assumes that analysts and public leaders need to be more aware of the specificities of state institutions. In particular, a thorough knowledge of the ways in which public officials interact with the fundamental values, structures, regulatory frameworks and administrative tools of public administrations is necessary.
Temporal Relationships Between Individualism–Collectivism and the Economy in Soviet Russia
Authors: Skrebyte Agne , Garnett Philip , Kendal Jeremy R.
Published: August 2016

Collectivism and individualism are commonly used to delineate societies that differ in their cultural values and patterns of social behavior, prioritizing the relative importance of the group and the individual, respectively. Collectivist and individualist expression is likely to be intricately linked with the political and economic history of a society. Scholars have proposed mechanisms for both positive and negative correlations between economic growth and a culture of either individualism or collectivism. Here, we consider these relationships across the dramatic history of 20th- and early 21st-century Russia (1901-2009), spanning the late Russian Empire, the communist state, and the growth of capitalism. We sample Russian speakers to identify common Russian words expressing individualism or collectivism, and examine the changing frequencies of these terms in Russian publications collected in Google’s Ngram corpus. We correlate normalized individualism and collectivism expression against published estimates of economic growth (GDP and net material product [NMP]) available between 1961 and 1995, finding high collectivist expression and economic growth rate followed by the correlated decline of both prior to the end of Soviet system. Temporal trends in the published expression of individualism and collectivism, in addition to their correlations with estimated economic growth rates, are examined in relation to the change in economic and political structures, ideology and public discourse. We also compare our sampled Russian-language terms for individualism and collectivism with Twenge et al.’s equivalent collection from American English speakers.
A Novel Sequential Mixed-method Technique for Contrastive Analysis of Unscripted Qualitative Data
Authors: Cabrera Laura Y. , Reiner Peter B.
Published: August 2016

Between-subject design surveys are a powerful means of gauging public opinion, but critics rightly charge that closed-ended questions only provide slices of insight into issues that are considerably more complex. Qualitative research enables richer accounts but inevitably includes coder bias and subjective interpretations. To mitigate these issues, we have developed a sequential mixed-methods approach in which content analysis is quantitized and then compared in a contrastive fashion to provide data that capitalize upon the features of qualitative research while reducing the impact of coder bias in analysis of the data. This article describes the method and demonstrates the advantages of the technique by providing an example of insights into public attitudes that have not been revealed using other methods.
Drug Use and Affective Politics
Authors: Roumeliotis Filip
Published: August 2016

This article examines how a Swedish program for social emotional learning establishes a relationship between the subject and emotions and the political implications of this relationship. This includes an examination of how emotions fit with notions of “evidence-based policy” in the field of drug policy. The key questions are: (1) How are emotions constituted in programs of social emotional training (SET)? (2) How is the subject and its relationship to emotions and social norms constituted in this program? (3) What are the political implications of the relationship between the subject and emotions? The article shows that the SET program seeks to instill in the subject the ability to identify and control emotions in order to become an emotionally mature subject. The program establishes a neurodisciplinary regime where the subject is to “rewire” its synaptic links through repetition, decoupling emotions from their cultural context. Emotions are thus reified as internal entities arising from the central nervous system. The SET program constructs a social bond that demands adherence to specific social norms governing democratic participation. The subject is expected to control its emotions and engage in cooperation, negotiation, and conflict resolution within a model of democratic communication. Refusal or inability to adhere to the norms implicit in this model of communication risks relegating the subject to the sphere of the irrational, thereby disqualifying certain practices and responses from the sphere of the political. This is what happens to drug users, as drug use is constructed as an expression of irrationality. The SET program also pacifies individuals politically by turning issues such as drug use, unemployment, and education into matters of acquiring skills rather than political action.
Universal Design for Learning
Authors: Basham James D. , Smith Sean J. , Satter Allyson L.
Published: August 2016

In the process of evaluating online learning products for accessibility, researchers in the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities concluded that most often consultation guides and assessment tools were useful in determining sensory accessibility but did not extend to critical aspects of learning within the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. To help fill this void in assessment, researchers created the UDL Scan tool to examine online learning products alignment to the UDL framework. This article provides an overview of how accessibility has been historically measured and introduces the need to move beyond the traditional understanding of accessibility to a broader UDL-based lens. With this understanding, a UDL Scan tool was developed and validated to investigate the alignment of online learning content to UDL. This article will present the process of development, the validation, and discuss how the measurements provide critical benchmarks for educators and industry as they adopt new online learning systems.
Findings in Historical Control Harlan RCCHan™
Authors: Blankenship Brad , Eighmy Johnnie J. , Hoffmann Guenther , Schroeder Matthew , Sharma Alok K. , Sorden Steven D.
Published: August 2016

Vehicle control Harlan RCCHan™:WIST rats were examined to provide control data for subsequent studies. The rats (180 male and 180 female) were dosed daily via oral gavage with reverse osmosis water for up to 104 weeks. At necropsy, body weights and macroscopic findings were recorded and tissues were collected for histopathology. The mean body weight at terminal sacrifice was 687 g for males and 466 g for females. The overall survival rate was 62% for males and 59% for females. The most common cause of death for males and females found dead or examined following unscheduled euthanasia was pituitary neoplasia with an incidence of 13.9% for males and 18.9% for females. Macroscopic and neoplastic and nonneoplastic microscopic findings are presented by body system.
Overcoming the liability of outsidership in institutional voids: Trust, emerging goals, and learning about opportunities
Authors: Fiedler Antje , Fath Benjamin P , Whittaker D Hugh
Published: August 2016

Building on the complementarity of the revisited Uppsala model and effectual logic, this article examines the role of affective and cognitive trust for developing knowledge in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) internationalization in emerging markets. Drawing on qualitative interview data from New Zealand SMEs engaging with Chinese business partners, the article first shows that an overreliance on affective trust can result in a situation of ‘persistent mediation’, in which learning about opportunities is impaired. Second, utilization of the affordable loss principle and a focus on control facilitates relationship-specific knowledge, which may also lead to cognitive trust. However, cognitive trust does not necessarily transform in the substantive business market knowledge needed to overcome the liability of outsidership. Third, business market knowledge is advanced when partners mutually set goals and develop the opportunity, which potentially also fosters cognitive and affective trust.
Short-term effects of goal-setting focusing on the life goal concept on subjective well-being and treatment engagement in subacute inpatients: a quasi-randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ogawa Tatsuya , Omon Kyohei , Yuda Tomohisa , Ishigaki Tomoya , Imai Ryota , Ohmatsu Satoko , Morioka Shu
Published: August 2016

Objective:

To investigate the short-term effects of the life goal concept on subjective well-being and treatment engagement, and to determine the sample size required for a larger trial.

Design:

A quasi-randomized controlled trial that was not blinded.

Setting:

A subacute rehabilitation ward.

Subjects:

A total of 66 patients were randomized to a goal-setting intervention group with the life goal concept (Life Goal), a standard rehabilitation group with no goal-setting intervention (Control 1), or a goal-setting intervention group without the life goal concept (Control 2).

Interventions:

The goal-setting intervention in the Life Goal and Control 2 was Goal Attainment Scaling. The Life Goal patients were assessed in terms of their life goals, and the hierarchy of goals was explained. The intervention duration was four weeks.

Main measures:

Patients were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The outcome measures were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, 12-item General Health Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale, and Functional Independence Measure.

Results:

Of the 296 potential participants, 66 were enrolled; Life Goal ( n = 22), Control 1 ( n = 22) and Control 2 ( n = 22). Anxiety was significantly lower in the Life Goal (4.1 ±3.0) than in Control 1 (6.7 ±3.4), but treatment engagement was significantly higher in the Life Goal (5.3 ±0.4) compared with both the Control 1 (4.8 ±0.6) and Control 2 (4.9 ±0.5).

Conclusions:

The life goal concept had a short-term effect on treatment engagement. A sample of 31 patients per group would be required for a fully powered clinical trial.
What is the evidence for conducting palliative care family meetings? A systematic review
Authors: Cahill Philippa J , Lobb Elizabeth A , Sanderson Christine , Phillips Jane L
Published: August 2016

Background:

Structured family meeting procedures and guidelines suggest that these forums enhance family–patient–team communication in the palliative care inpatient setting. However, the vulnerability of palliative patients and the resources required to implement family meetings in accordance with recommended guidelines make better understanding about the effectiveness of this type of intervention an important priority.

Aim and design:

This systematic review examines the evidence supporting family meetings as a strategy to address the needs of palliative patients and their families. The review conforms to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement.

Data sources:

Six medical and psychosocial databases and “CareSearch,” a palliative care–specific database, were used to identify studies reporting empirical data, published in English in peer-reviewed journals from 1980 to March 2015. Book chapters, expert opinion, and gray literature were excluded. The Cochrane Collaboration Tool assessed risk of bias.

Results:

Of the 5051 articles identified, 13 met the inclusion criteria: 10 quantitative and 3 qualitative studies. There was low-level evidence to support family meetings. Only two quantitative pre- and post-studies used a validated palliative care family outcome measure with both studies reporting significant results post-family meetings. Four other quantitative studies reported significant results using non-validated measures.

Conclusion:

Despite the existence of consensus-based family meeting guidelines, there is a paucity of evidence to support family meetings in the inpatient palliative care setting. Further research using more robust designs, validated outcome measures, and an economic analysis are required to build the family meeting evidence before they are routinely adopted into clinical practice.
Exploring social and infrastructural factors affecting open burning of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Indian cities: A comparative case study of three neighborhoods of Delhi
Authors: Ramaswami Anu , Baidwan Navneet Kaur , Nagpure Ajay Singh
Published: August 2016

Open municipal solid waste (MSW)-burning is a major source of particulate matter emissions in developing world cities. Despite a legal ban, MSW-burning is observed ubiquitously in Indian cities with little being known about the factors shaping it. This study seeks to uncover social and infrastructural factors that affect MSW-burning at the neighborhood level. We couple physical assessments of the infrastructure provision and the MSW-burning incidences in three different neighborhoods of varying socio-economic status in Delhi, with an accompanying study of the social actors (interviews of waste handlers and households) to explore the extent to which, and potential reasons why, MSW-burning occurs. The observed differences in MSW-burning incidences range from 130 km−2 day−1 in low-income to 30 km−2 day−1 in the high-income areas. However, two high-income areas neighborhoods with functional infrastructure service also showed statistical differences in MSW-burning incidences. Our interviews revealed that, while the waste handlers were aware of the health risks associated with MSW-burning, it was not a high priority in the context of the other difficulties they faced. The awareness of the legal ban on MSW-burning was low among both waste handlers and households. In addition to providing infrastructure for waste pickup, informal restrictions from residents and neighborhood associations can play a significant role in restricting MSW-burning at the neighborhood scale. A more efficient management of MSW requires a combined effort that involves interplay of both social and infrastructural systems.
Creating and Preserving Affordable Homeownership Opportunities: Does Inclusionary Zoning Make Sense?
Authors: Dawkins Casey , Jeon Jae Sik , Knaap Gerrit-Jan
Published: August 2016

This paper draws on data from the Montgomery County, Maryland, Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) program to analyze the effectiveness of inclusionary zoning as an affordable homeownership strategy. We find that the MPDU program has successfully produced a large number of affordable homeownership units since the program’s inception, particularly condominium and townhome units located in areas where new residential construction has occurred. While MPDU homes did not appreciate as rapidly as other market-rate housing during the housing boom, MPDUs realized significant equity gains and saw smaller price declines during the housing bust.
Pellagra Secondary to Medication and Alcoholism
Authors: Li Rongrong , Yu Kang , Wang Qiang , Wang Lilin , Mao Jiangfeng , Qian Jiaming
Published: August 2016

Pellagra usually results from niacin deficiency and presents with the classic triad of dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia. It is most commonly associated with malnutrition and poverty and is extremely rare in industrialized societies. Furthermore, pellagra can be induced by special clinical conditions that interfere with the intake, absorption, and metabolism of niacin. Because of its detrimental effects on health and its favorable prognosis after supplementation of nicotinamide, the importance of early diagnosis and treatment should be emphasized. Herein, we report a case of pellagra in a young alcoholic who underwent combined chemotherapy for tuberculosis. For the first time, a descriptive review of literature from 1957 to 2014 has been conducted to clarify potential etiologies of pellagra: alcoholism (35.24%, 37 articles), various medications (25.71%, 27 articles), inadequate oral intake (16.19%, 17 articles), malabsorption (13.33%, 14 articles), metabolic derangement (7.62%, 8 articles), excessive loss (0.95%, 1 article), and etiology unknown (0.95%, 1 article).
Dielectric flow observation at inter-electrode gap in micro-electro-discharge-milling process
Authors: Mullya SA , Karthikeyan G
Published: August 2016

The material removal phenomenon of sparking and melting in micro-electro-discharge-milling process occurs at inter-electrode gap of dimension less than 50 µm. The behavior of fluid flow properties at inter-electrode gap is not well discussed in the literature and its information will be useful to understand the material flow behavior and tool wear in micro-electro-discharge-milling process. Based on our previous findings, it was well recognized that tool rotation is an inherent part of micro-electro-discharge-milling and directly influences debris flushing and redeposition. Also for a stable machining performance, flow of dielectric will play an important role in flushing away debris from the gap. The objective of this work is to investigate the fluid flow along the inter-electrode gap and to study its effect on debris movement and molten metal redeposition. The fluid flow along the narrow gap of micro-electro-discharge-milling process for different machining conditions is analyzed by computational fluid dynamics simulation. By particle simulation, the effect of different sized particles formed at various positions and their subsequent movement was also analyzed. The computational fluid dynamics analysis results were validated with scanning electron micrographs obtained for various machining conditions of the experiments. The effect of inlet nozzle velocity, tool rotation and size of electrode gap on the dielectric fluid flow was primarily reported and the findings were later superimposed on particle injection velocity to determine the movement of debris along inter-electrode gap. The effect of debris movement on redeposition at workpiece/tool surface and its ejection from inter-electrode gap is recounted.
Where Nothing Happened
Authors: Jacques Johanna
Published: August 2016

This article takes as its subject matter the juridico-political space of the prisoner of war (POW) camp. It sets out to determine the nature of this space by looking at the experience of war captivity by Jewish members of the Western forces in World War II, focusing on the experience of Emmanuel Levinas, who spent 5 years in German war captivity. On the basis of a historical analysis of the conditions in which Levinas spent his time in captivity, it argues that the POW camp was a space of indifference that was determined by the legal exclusion of prisoners from both war and persecution. Held behind the stage of world events, prisoners were neither able to exercise their legal agency nor released from law into a realm of extra-legal violence. Through a close reading of Levinas’s early concept of the ‘there is’ [ il y a], the article seeks to establish the impact on prisoners of prolonged confinement in such a space. It sets out how prisoners’ subjectivity dissolved in the absence of meaningful relations with others and identifies the POW camp as a space in which existence was reduced to indeterminate, impersonal being.
Governing dual-use knowledge: From the politics of responsible science to the ethicalization of security
Authors: Rychnovská Dagmar
Published: August 2016

Fears of malicious non-state actors and potentially dangerous research have given rise to new efforts to secure science against misuse. With the rapid advancements of science, what receives attention in security politics is how to oversee not only material and technology but also knowledge. This article explores the emerging security governance of knowledgeable practices in life sciences and critically reflects on its possible implications. The article first contextualizes the current understanding of the dual-use dilemma in life sciences in prior discourse on science–security relations and argues that security concerns have converged with ethical dilemmas related to the governing of science. Drawing on critical theory, security studies and science studies, it then conceptualizes dual use as a problem of organizing circulations and suggests that policing scientific knowledge through the establishment of a ‘culture of responsibility’ can be understood as a part of broader shifts towards the subjectification of knowledge. Using examples from life sciences, the article analyses how practices of knowledge production and circulation are adjusted to the logic of security. The article concludes that the converging political rationalities and governmental techniques of responsible science and security risk management, understood as an ‘ethicalization’ of security, affect the politicization of security expertise, prospects of resistance and the democratic accountability of science.
Exploring Impact of Targeting the Ultra Poor Programme on Health Issues in Bangladesh
Authors: Siddiquee Muhammad Shahadat Hossain
Published: August 2016

This article attempts to provide an understanding to what extent institutional change of the functional activities of microfinance influences some specific health-related outcomes for the ultra-poor people in Bangladesh. It examines impact of the ‘Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction-Targeting the Ultra Poor’ (CFPR-TUP) programme on health-related outcomes using a large balanced panel data set (2002, 2005 and 2008) from rural areas of Bangladesh. The main objective of this article is to examine both short- and long-term impacts on health-related issues of the ultra poor using both conditional and unconditional difference-in-differences (DID). In particular, this article examines the distinction between treatment and control groups in base year and the year followed up as well as the impact on coping ability. This study finds the significant impact of the programme on investment in health and awareness indicator such as usage of sanitation though we are suspicious about its sustainability. The programme therefore has sustainable impact on health investment and to some extent, on coping ability.
Social Media Challenges and Affordances for International Students
Authors: Sleeman Jade , Lang Catherine , Lemon Narelle
Published: August 2016

Many higher education institutions around the world are increasingly motivated to incorporate social media for pedagogical benefit. At the same time, many institutions are also attracting an ever-growing number of students from overseas countries. With this in mind, researching how the use of social media applications impact on international students’ experiences of new cultural and pedagogical contexts in the host country is relevant. This article is a systematic review of current literature on international students in higher education and their use of social media, focusing on both the personal and educational aspects of use. This analysis reveals three central themes related to the role of social web technologies for international students, that is creating bridges, boundaries, or hybrid spaces.
“You Are a Part of the Solution”: Negotiating Gender-Based Violence and Engendering Change in Urban Informal Settlements in Mumbai, India
Authors: Chakraborty Proshant , Daruwalla Nayreen , Jayaraman Anuja , Pantvaidya Shanti
Published: August 2016

This article explores how women front-line workers engage with domestic and gender-based violence in the urban informal settlements of Dharavi in Mumbai, India. We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 voluntary front-line workers, along with ethnographic fieldwork in Dharavi, as a part of a pilot study. Our findings contribute to literature on context-specific approaches to understanding gender-based violence and “models” to prevent domestic violence in urban micro-spaces. Furthermore, we also discuss notions of “change” ( badlaav) that the front-line workers experience. Finally, this article presents implications for socially engaged ethnographic research, as well as contextual and grounded insights on ways to reduce gender-based and domestic violence.
Between history and cultural psychology: Some reflections on mediation and normativity when reconstructing the past
Authors: Brescó Ignacio
Published: August 2016

Innis’ and Brinkmann’s papers tackle two key aspects in cultural psychology: the mediating role played by the different systems of meanings throughout history in making sense of the world, and the normative role of those systems, including psychology itself. This paper offers a reflection on these two issues. It begins by highlighting the contribution of psychology and history, as emerging disciplines in the 19th century, to the creation of a normative framework for the subject of modernity according to the needs of modern nation states. It also alludes to both disciplines’ common pursuit of a reference point in natural science in order to achieve a status that is on a par with the latter’s. It is argued that this resulted in an objectivist stance that equates the study of memory and history with an accurate reproduction of the past, thus concealing the mediated nature of past accounts. Drawing on this assumption, it is discussed how past events are constructed, thus bringing mediation and meaning-making to the fore. Special attention is paid to narratives as symbolic meaning-making tools. We will conclude by discussing usage of the past and the role that cultural psychology can play in this field.
Toward a cogenetic cultural psychology
Authors: Tateo Luca
Published: August 2016

The dialogue between cultural psychology and phenomenological and semiotic philosophy seems to be extremely promising. I have tried to present some relevant aspects of this dialogue and to use them as cornerstones to elaborate a metatheoretical and epistemological discourse about the way of building and understanding concepts. Semiotic approaches show how humans, as meaning-making beings, experience the world in the form of totalities that emerge from primary distinctions in the continuum of experience. First, drawing on cogenetic logic, I argue that any epistemological model that aims to account for developmental processes must emerge from a triadic system, rather than following the procedures of a binary logic, in order to have any correspondence between concept building and phenomenological world in psychology. Then, I sketch an epistemological approach called method of complementary negation that could help cultural psychology to build more developmental abstract models of very concrete human phenomena.
Theory of Semiotic Skin: Making sense of the flux on the border
Authors: Nedergaard Jensine I
Published: August 2016

This paper builds upon the two concepts ‘thresholds of sense’ and ‘moral normativity’ – from Brinkmann and Innis as the essence of understanding meaning-making, perception and interpretation of life as embodied mental processes in the intersection between cultural psychology and philosophy. To live and make meaning of life as embodied does though also incorporate biology. There will be put a notion on the separation between psychology, philosophy and biology to unite these entities as to make sense of embodied meaning-making in life. A separation that unites as to make meaning as embodied will be incorporated in the description of a Semiotic Skin as a skin-on-the-skin, which holds a flux of information. Conceptualization of the flux across the Semiotic Skin is emerging in the intersection between psychology, philosophy and biology and hence becomes the essence of meaning-making and constant reflection between a self-reflecting system and semiosis. This becomes the foundation from where the theory of the Semiotic Skin emerges. The Semiotic Skin will be described as the holder of expressions of culture, communication, protection and one’s self in the sense of psychology, philosophy and biology as to register and control hierarchies of signs in the process of meaning-making and identity.
Experiences of posttraumatic growth in siblings of children with cancer
Authors: D’Urso Anita , Mastroyannopoulou Kiki , Kirby Angela
Published: August 2016

As survival rates continue to improve for children diagnosed with cancer, strides in achieving better psychosocial outcomes for both children with cancer and their families have been accentuated. The current study aimed to explore the experiences of siblings of children diagnosed with cancer and attempted to overcome some of the limitations described in previous research. Primarily, the study considered the theoretical framework of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in the project design and analysis. Semi-structured interviews were completed with six siblings. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes within the data set as a whole. The data revealed that siblings experienced a range of difficult emotions throughout the cancer trajectory as well as experiencing remarkable changes in their lives. This included both positive and negative changes. These changes included increased empathy and resilience, improved family relationships, disrupted routine, increased responsibility and perceived changes in the ill child. Siblings described factors which they found helpful and unhelpful in adjusting to these changes. The report ends with a discussion of the themes and their clinical and theoretical implications. The report also highlights the research limitations and areas for future investigation.
Developing and validating the A-B-C framework of information diffusion on social media
Authors: Liang Yuhua (Jake) , Kee Kerk F
Published: August 2016

This research addresses the problem of promoting information diffusion, the extent to which information spreads, on social media platforms. Utilizing the number of views, comments, and shares as indicators of diffusion, we developed and validated an original research framework based on the big data approach (using all the blog posts in a university in the year 2013; N = 4120). This A-B-C framework (1) analyzes the textual features of blog posts using linguistic inquiry and word count (Study 1), (2) applies the former results to build message concepts (Study 2), and (3) creates validated instructional material based on message concepts to promote message diffusion among blog readers (Study 3). This framework supports operational strategies for developing strategic and corporate communication material aimed at increasing diffusion.
Infrastructure studies meet platform studies in the age of Google and Facebook
Authors: Plantin Jean-Christophe , Lagoze Carl , Edwards Paul N , Sandvig Christian
Published: August 2016

Two theoretical approaches have recently emerged to characterize new digital objects of study in the media landscape: infrastructure studies and platform studies. Despite their separate origins and different features, we demonstrate in this article how the cross-articulation of these two perspectives improves our understanding of current digital media. We use case studies of the Open Web, Facebook, and Google to demonstrate that infrastructure studies provides a valuable approach to the evolution of shared, widely accessible systems and services of the type often provided or regulated by governments in the public interest. On the other hand, platform studies captures how communication and expression are both enabled and constrained by new digital systems and new media. In these environments, platform-based services acquire characteristics of infrastructure, while both new and existing infrastructures are built or reorganized on the logic of platforms. We conclude by underlining the potential of this combined framework for future case studies.
Evolution and current understanding of physicochemical characterization of particulate matter from reactivity controlled compression ignition combustion on a multicylinder light-duty engine
Authors: Storey John ME , Curran Scott J , Lewis Samuel A , Barone Teresa L , Dempsey Adam B , Moses-DeBusk Melanie , Hanson Reed M , Prikhodko Vitaly Y , Northrop William F
Published: August 2016

Low-temperature compression ignition combustion can result in nearly smokeless combustion, as indicated by a smoke meter or other forms of soot measurement that rely on absorbance due to elemental carbon content. Highly premixed low-temperature combustion modes do not form particulate matter in the traditional pathways seen with conventional diesel combustion. Previous research into reactivity controlled compression ignition particulate matter has shown, despite a near zero smoke number, significant mass can be collected on filter media used for particulate matter certification measurement. In addition, particulate matter size distributions reveal that a fraction of the particles survive heated double-dilution conditions. This study summarizes research completed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to date on characterizing the nature, chemistry and aftertreatment considerations of reactivity controlled compression ignition particulate matter and presents new research highlighting the importance of injection strategy and fuel composition on reactivity controlled compression ignition particulate matter formation. Particle size measurements and the transmission electron microscopy results do show the presence of soot particles; however, the elemental carbon fraction was, in many cases, within the uncertainty of the thermal–optical measurement. Particulate matter emitted during reactivity controlled compression ignition operation was also collected with a novel sampling technique and analyzed by thermal desorption or pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. Particulate matter speciation results indicated that the high boiling range of diesel hydrocarbons was likely responsible for the particulate matter mass captured on the filter media. To investigate potential fuel chemistry effects, either ethanol or biodiesel were incorporated to assess whether oxygenated fuels may enhance particle emission reduction.
The Demand for Football in Portugal
Authors: Martins António Miguel , Cró Susana
Published: August 2016

The aim of this study is to identify variables that influence the stadium attendance in Portugal, and how these variables may affect decision management. Deriving a demand curve for stadium attendance in the Portuguese First Division Football League for 898 matches of five seasons (2010/2011-2014/2015), the results highlight five main explicative variables: cost, habit persistence, expected quality, team performance, and outcome uncertainty. With regard to outcome uncertainty, we employ the framework proposed by Humphreys and Zhou and we conclude for the importance of alternative factors affecting consumer choice like loss aversion and home win preference.
Different Functions of Rape Myth Use in Court: Findings From a Trial Observation Study
Authors: Temkin Jennifer , Gray Jacqueline M. , Barrett Jastine
Published: August 2016

This study examines rape myth use in eight English rape trials and assesses attempts by trial participants to combat it. Trial notes, based on observations, were analyzed using thematic analysis. Rape myths were used in three identifiable ways: to distance the case from the “real rape” stereotype, to discredit the complainant, and to emphasize the aspects of the case that were consistent with rape myths. Prosecution challenges to the myths were few, and judges rarely countered the rape myths. This study provides new insights by demonstrating the ways that rape myths are utilized to manipulate jurors’ interpretations of the evidence.
A survey exploring the knowledge and perceptions of senior medical students in Nepal toward generic medicines
Authors: Gyawali Sudesh , Hassali Mohamed Azmi , Saha Archana
Published: August 2016

Background:

The accurate knowledge of generic medicine issues among future prescribers will enhance the prescribing of cost-effective medicines. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and perception of senior medical students about the generic medicines.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 237 senior medical students (final year students and interns) using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20 for windows and comparison of difference was done using linear by linear association. A p value of less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.

Results:

The average age (standard deviation) of the respondents was 23.54 (1.39) years. Almost 5% of respondents correctly answered the question regarding the regulatory limits for bioequivalence. Almost two-thirds of respondents correctly agreed that generic medicine is bioequivalent to a brand-name medicine, and 79.3% and 72.5% of respondents correctly agreed that the medicine should be present in the same dosage form and same dose, respectively, as the brand-name medicines. However, almost half of the respondents had impression that brand-name medicines are required to meet higher safety standard than generic medicines. Almost 90% of respondents felt that advertisement by the drug companies would influence the use of brand-name medicine and they need more information about generic medicine.

Conclusion:

This study highlights the negative perception and knowledge deficit among the respondents. The students’ responses to almost all the statements were almost similar to the respondents’ academic year (final year students and interns), gender and nationality.
Transarterial embolization for management of severe postcoital bleeding
Authors: Eskandari Armen , Mukherjee Ashis , McHugh John
Published: August 2016

Objectives:

Postcoital bleeding is an uncommon cause of gynecologic hemorrhage; however, it can be severe in a majority of cases necessitating surgical management.

Methods:

We report a case of severe postcoital bleeding in a young woman requiring blood transfusion.

Results:

Hemostasis was achieved using subselective embolization of cervical artery by metallic coils.

Conclusion:

Our case demonstrates a minimally invasive treatment for control of non-obstetric hemorrhage.