bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Relative Improvement
Authors: Brennan Tad , Lee Jongsuh James
Published: June 2014

Abstract

The Mode of Relativity in Agrippa’s Five Modes does not fit with the other four modes, and disrupts an otherwise elegant system. We argue that it is not the familiar argument from epistemic relativism, but a formal condition on the structure of justifications: the principle that epistemic grounding relations cannot be reflexive. This understanding of Agrippan Relativity leads to a better understanding of the Modes of Hypothesis and Reciprocity, a clearer outline of the structure of Agrippa’s system as a whole, and a new insight into the Two Modes that follow the Five.
Proclus and Iamblichus on Moral Education
Authors: van den Berg Robbert M.
Published: June 2014

Abstract

This paper studies moral education in Proclus and Iamblichus. The first section analyses Proclus’ theory of moral education and its psychological underpinnings. Especially important in this context is the identification of the faculty of choice (prohairesis) with the passive or teachable intellect. The second section investigates the implementation of this theory into practice with the help of Iamblichus’Letter to Sopater: On Bringing up Children. The final section demonstrates how Proclus’ famous tripartite division of poetry should be understood in the context of his program of moral education.
Proposal of an integrated framework of biological taxonomy: a phylogenetic taxonomy, with the method of using names with standard endings in clade nomenclature
Authors: Naomi Shun-Ichiro
Published: June 2014

An integrated framework of biological taxonomy (IFBT) is proposed, in which the advantages of phylogenetic taxonomy and traditional, Linnaean nomenclature, together with the temporal banding methods (Hennig, 1966; Avise & Johns, 1999) are synthesized, without deteriorating the strength of theoretical coherence. The IFBT aims at achieving a completely rank-free reference system of the organismal group in question (i.e., phylogenetic arrangements of the names of clades as parts of timetrees); here, the whole area (all taxon names) of a reference system is called “general domain”, while its part (basic clade names) is called “particular domain”. Thus, the major task of IFBT is to precisely give names to those clades whose times of evolutionary origin are known; here, the categories of evolutionary clades that I recognize are “basic clade”, “holoclade” and “synclade”. Taxon names with standard endings can be used as components of a rank-free system created under the IFBT, when we interpret those taxon names as “meaningless symbols” under the Millian philosophy of language. Thus, introducing the method of using “names with standard endings” into the present clade nomenclature is logically possible. That is, by adopting the temporal bands of geological episodes (non-standard; standard) as the unique criteria for assigning the standard endings to some clade names in naming clades, we name the clades, so that we can create a particular domain of reference system that takes basically the same style as the Linnaean system (of taxon names), in that taxon names with standard endings are arranged in a hierarchical manner. The particular domain can be created by giving “names with standard endings” only to basic clades, out of the clades whose origins are located in one particular temporal band. The reference system is first reconciled with the evolutionary world view, because the taxon names precisely refer only to clades; and second, it also functions well as a convenient system for information storage and retrieval, because the mutual exclusivity of taxon names with standard endings in the particular domain is certain. The best way of practicing the IFBT at the present time is to create only the particular domain, by naming only the basic clades (extant, extinct), using non-standard temporal banding method. The IFBT can construct the particular domains of (rank-free) reference systems, upon the particular Linnaean (ranked) systems of clade names. The IFBT is proposed as the new framework for future biological taxonomy.
Review of the Southeast Asian millipede genus Enghoffosoma Golovatch, 1993 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae), with descriptions of new species
Authors: LIKHITRAKARN NATDANAI , GOLOVATCH SERGEI I. , PANHA SOMSAK
Published: June 2014

The Southeast Asian millipede genus Enghoffosoma ranges from southern China in the north, western Myanmar in the west, and central Thailand and southern Laos in the south and east. It currently contains seven species, including five new ones, described in this paper: E. zebra sp. n., E. lanceolatum sp. n., E. anchoriforme sp. n., E. funda sp. n. and E. bispinum sp. n. The genus is rediagnosed, a key to all known species is given, and their distributions are mapped.
Rehospitalization During the First Year of Life by Insurance Status
Authors: Schiltz Nicholas K. , Finkelstein Rosenthal Beth , Crowley Moira A. , Koroukian Siran M. , Nevar Ann , Meropol Sharon B. , Cuttler Leona
Published: June 2014

Objective. To assess the association of insurance status on infant rehospitalization in a population-based setting. Methods. In this longitudinal retrospective study, hospitalizations were tracked for 1 year after birth discharge for 203 031 infants born in hospitals during 2008 using data from the New York State Inpatient Database. Relative risk was estimated using multivariable negative binomial regression models. Results. Rehospitalization occurred in 9010 infants (4.4%). Medicaid coverage and being uninsured were strong predictors of rehospitalizations after adjustment for birth weight and other factors. Medicaid also bears a disproportionate share of the economic burden. Normal birth weight infants have the lowest risk, but comprise the majority of costs. Jaundice and acute bronchiolitis were the leading causes of rehospitalization within 30 days and 1 year, respectively. Discussion. Future research can explore the preventability of rehospitalizations, and evaluate novel strategies for discharge and postnatal care coordination especially for uninsured and Medicaid-enrolled infants.
Young people’s perceptions of mental and physical health in the context of general wellbeing
Authors: Singletary Joanne H , Bartle Craig L , Svirydzenka Nadzeya , Suter-Giorgini Nicola M , Cashmore Annette M , Dogra Nisha
Published: June 2014

Objectives:

Increased recognition of the need for health education in schools has seen advances in health literacy in recent years. Most of these have focussed on physical health, whereas education about mental health is generally lacking and focussed on tackling stigma rather than promoting good mental health. This study evaluated a pilot intervention designed to improve young people’s understanding of good mental health as a key aspect of wellbeing and explored their perceptions of health and wellbeing.

Methods:

A total of 218 13-year-olds participated in an interactive workshop about healthy eating, physical activity and mental health. Young people’s understanding and perceptions were assessed through anonymous questionnaires at the start and end of the workshop. Common themes were identified and differences pre- and post-workshop and between girls and boys were analysed.

Results:

Nearly all young people (100% before, 97% after) perceived being healthy to mean being physically healthy. A minority (8%) also considered mental health to be a component of general health, which increased to 12% after the workshop. Understandings of mental health broadened after the workshop. Interestingly, many mentioned physical health when asked to describe mental health, both before and after the workshop. Girls’ and boys’ responses were similar except for more girls including social relationships in their descriptions of mental health.

Conclusion:

In this study, we have discovered much about how young people perceive health in general and mental health. Such information is useful for targeting future interventions. Students’ understanding of mental health and its importance to wellbeing can be improved through short combined health interventions.
Low-income mothers’ food practices with young children: A qualitative longitudinal study
Authors: Harden Jeni , Dickson Adele
Published: June 2014

Objective:

Young children living in socioeconomically deprived areas of Scotland have an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese. To enhance understanding of the wider contexts within which family food practices are developed, this study examined the experiences of low-income mothers with young children.

Design:

Qualitative longitudinal design.

Setting:

The Lothians, Scotland.

Method:

Two waves of individual interviews were conducted with 13 mothers at two time points within an 18-month period. All the mothers lived in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas in Eastern Scotland, and had at least one child aged 6 years and under. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted, through which the data were analysed both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

Findings:

Women experienced socioeconomic challenges which limited the financial and emotional resources, and the time they were able to commit to healthy eating practices. For some, change and instability were part of their lives, over which they had little control. Despite insecure socioeconomic contexts, women positioned themselves as expert mothers, evidenced through their strategies in dealing with the problem of ‘fussy eaters’ and their challenges of ‘expert’ advice.

Conclusion:

This research demonstrates the significance of the broader difficulties that living in poverty presents to mothers, beyond the issue of cost, and which preventive health interventions should address.
UNESCO’s Guidance on puberty and sexual health education for students aged 9–12 years compared to an upper primary school curriculum
Authors: Goldman Juliette DG
Published: June 2014

Background:

Children and young adolescents are reaching puberty earlier. Providing information about such changes before puberty can help them develop in a more competent and informed manner.

Context and Objective:

UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education forms a comprehensive, evidence-based, authoritative document. This review analyses the Guidance for children and young adolescents aged 9–12 years who attend upper primary school. These students are very likely to be experiencing puberty, but are very unlikely, in many countries, to receive sufficient sexuality health information or education from parents or school at this crucial time.

Design:

This review analyses the text and narrative of this internationally-acknowledged sexuality education curriculum, and the relevant learning objectives/key ideas of a comparable state-designed health and physical education curriculum.

Setting:

Children and young adolescents who attend upper Primary school.

Method:

Analysis of text and narrative of this UNESCO Guidance.

Results:

Analysis shows that UNESCO’s Guidance has greater, more relevant content, wider coverage, specific definitions and vocabulary, and more learning objectives, than does a contemporary upper primary school curriculum for the same cohort.

Conclusion:

Health curriculum designers and teachers can use this helpful Guidance to provide students with a fulsome puberty learning experience including age-appropriate knowledge, understanding, skills and values.
The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) Does Not Promote Mindlessness During Vigilance Performance
Authors: Dillard Michael B. , Warm Joel S. , Funke Gregory J. , Funke Matthew E. , Finomore Victor S. , Matthews Gerald , Shaw Tyler H. , Parasuraman Raja
Published: June 2014

Objective

In this study, we evaluated the validity of the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) as a means for promoting mindlessness in vigilance performance.

Background

Vigilance tasks typically require observers to respond to critical signals and to withhold responding to neutral events. The SART features the opposite response requirements, which supposedly leads it to promote a mindless, nonthoughtful approach to the vigilance task. To test that notion, we compared the SART to the traditional vigilance format (TVF) in terms of diagnostic accuracy assessed through decision theory measures of positive and negative predictive power (PPP and NPP), perceived mental workload indexed by the Multiple Resource Questionnaire, and oculomotor activity reflected in the Nearest Neighbor Index and fixation dwell times.

Method

Observers in TVF and SART conditions monitored a video display for collision flight paths in a simulated air traffic control task.

Results

Diagnostic accuracy in terms of NPP was high in both format conditions. While PPP was poorer in the SART than in the TVF, that result could be accounted for by a loss of motor control rather than a lack of mindfulness. Identical high levels of workload were generated by the TVF and SART tasks, and observers in both conditions showed similar dynamic scanning of the visual scene.

Conclusion

The data indicate that the SART is not an engine of mindlessness.

Application

The results challenge the widespread use of the SART to support a model in which mindlessness is considered to be the principal root of detection failures in vigilance.
Understanding when leader negative emotional expression enhances follower performance: The moderating roles of follower personality traits and perceived leader power
Authors: Chi Nai-Wen , Ho Ta-Rui
Published: June 2014

Emotional expression plays an important role in our social lives. This is especially true for leaders, who hold greater power as compared with their followers. Based on the Emotions as Social Information (EASI) model, we explore the effectiveness of leaders’ negative emotional expression on follower performance by examining the moderating effects of follower conscientiousness, agreeableness, power distance orientation and perceived leader power. We collected data from 40 firms across various industry types using a multisource, multiphase research design. The data are comprised of 191 leader−follower dyads, consisting of 86 leaders and 191 followers. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis show that followers’ conscientiousness and agreeableness positively moderate the relationship between leader negative emotional expression and follower performance. However, when followers are low in power distance orientation and perceived leader power, the relationship between leader negative emotional expression and follower performance becomes negative. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are also discussed.
Emotional roulette? Symmetrical and asymmetrical emotion regulation outcomes from coworker interactions about positive and negative work events
Authors: Hadley Constance Noonan
Published: June 2014

Prior research suggests that, in general, the disclosure of positive emotions at work results in positive consequences for individuals while the disclosure of negative emotions results in negative ones. The current study examines the possibility of asymmetrical emotional outcomes to such disclosures, including those associated with the sharing of positive emotions. Interviews with human service workers elicited 71 detailed descriptions of emotional work events, the majority of which (77%) had been discussed in some manner with coworkers. Qualitative analysis of the incident data shows that both symmetrical and asymmetrical emotion regulation outcomes resulted from these coworker interactions. In regard to the disclosure of negative emotions, an asymmetrical outcome (mitigation) was welcomed, whereas for positive emotions, a symmetrical outcome (capitalization) was desired. Group norms, leader behaviors and coworker responsiveness influenced whether and which emotional events were shared, as well as the net impact on the participant’s emotional state. Overall, participants conveyed less motivation to share their positive emotional experiences with colleagues than their negative ones, largely owing to concerns that an asymmetrical outcome (dampening) would occur. Implications for organizational theories of emotional labor and social support, as well as the practice of effective emotion regulation in the workplace, are presented.
‘This doctor, I not trust him, I’m not safe’: The perceptions of mental health and services by unaccompanied refugee adolescents
Authors: Majumder Pallab , O’Reilly Michelle , Karim Khalid , Vostanis Panos
Published: June 2014

Background:

Unaccompanied refugee adolescents are a small but clinically significant group. This group is vulnerable with physical and psychiatric needs which are often not met. There are several barriers to providing care for this group, originating with the refugees but also due to service provision.

Aims:

The aim of this research is to appreciate the views and perceptions that unaccompanied minors hold about mental health and services.

Method:

Fifteen unaccompanied adolescents engaged with mental health services were interviewed, and thematic analysis was employed to explore relevant issues.

Discussion:

Their views reflected a range of opinions on mental health and the treatments they received, but many held negative attitudes toward mental health and had a lack of trust in services. This could be explained by their descriptions of their experiences within their home country of psychiatric care, their experiences of being a refugee/asylum-seeker or cultural differences.

Conclusion:

We argue it is important to engage this group in the development of policy and practice in child mental health, and in developing services.
If International Relations lives on the street, what is it doing in the classroom?
Authors: Vale Peter
Published: June 2014

The argument asserts that International Relations (IR) was (and remains) constructed to serve the interests of the knowledge courts of the north. In South Africa, the discipline is an ‘alien species’ because the imported idea of sovereignty not only disrupted natural patterns of regional migration, but the formation of the region’s first state, the Union of South Africa, divided the country’s people on the grounds of race. The coming of the Union followed upon both the Jameson Raid (1895/1896) and the Boer War (1899–1902) – the former was of interest to E.H. Carr in two instances but only as an attempt to explain events in the global north. The ‘new’ politics of southern Africa, which were based on sovereignty and the rise of Afrikaner Nationalism were ignored by Carr. The migration of IR to South Africa in the 1930s rested in an imperial frame, and the discipline helped create a European state in Africa. The author uses several autobiographical examples to suggest his own dissatisfaction with this condition by using Carr’s notion of ‘site-specificness’. The primacy of English in IR is critiqued because this language closes off perspectives of the international which are carried in other languages. The article concludes with a discussion of the way in which ‘First People’ are excluded by the deliberations around IR.
Impact of Preoperative Prealbumin on Outcomes After Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Yu Pey‐Jen , Cassiere Hugh A. , Dellis Sophia L. , Manetta Frank , Kohn Nina , Hartman Alan R.
Published: June 2014

Background: Preoperative malnutrition is increasingly prevalent in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Although prealbumin is a widely used indicator of nutrition status, its use in the preoperative assessment of patients undergoing cardiac surgery is not well defined. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of preoperative prealbumin levels on outcomes after cardiac surgery. Materials and Methods: Data were prospectively gathered from February 2013 to July 2013 on 69 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Prealbumin levels were obtained within 24 hours of surgery. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on a prealbumin cutoff value of 20 mg/dL. Results: Of the 69 patients, 32 (46.4%) had a preoperative prealbumin ≤20 mg/dL. There was no correlation between prealbumin levels and body mass index (r = −0.13, P = .28). Likewise, there was no correlation between preoperative albumin and prealbumin levels (r = 0.09, P = .44). Nine of 32 (28.1%) patients with low preoperative prealbumin levels had postoperative infections compared with 2 of 37 (5.4%) patients with high prealbumin levels (P = .010). Patients with low prealbumin levels also had increased risk of postoperative intubation for >12 hours (P = .010). Conclusions: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery with preoperative prealbumin levels of ≤20 mg/dL have an increased risk for postoperative infections and the need for longer mechanical ventilation. If feasible, nutrition optimization of such patients may be considered prior to cardiac surgery.
The Selection of an Interim CEO
Authors: Mooney Christine H. , Semadeni Matthew , Kesner Idalene F.
Published: June 2014

More and more boards are tapping interim CEOs to temporarily fill the corner office. Prior research indicates the negative performance implications of this decision; yet, little is known about the rationale behind this decision. Our aim is to fill this research gap. Drawing on agency and human capabilities frameworks, we examined the contextual elements that influence a board’s decision to pursue temporary leadership. Within a sample of 375 successions occurring between 1998 and 2005, we found that boards of directors were more likely to select interim CEOs under certain succession conditions, namely, when the prior CEO was forced out and there was no heir apparent or when the prior CEO had served for a short tenure. Our results highlight the importance of context in succession selections and provide insights into why a board would pursue a decision with seemingly negative repercussions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
When More Is Not Enough
Authors: Takacs Haynes Katalin , Campbell Joanna Tochman , Hitt Michael A.
Published: June 2014

The concept of greed is one of the oldest social constructs; however, greed as a managerial attribute that affects firm outcomes has yet to attract scholarly attention in management. In this study, we examine the relationship of CEO greed to shareholder wealth. After anchoring greed to familiar constructs in organizational literature, we test our hypotheses on a sample of over 300 publicly traded firms from multiple industries. As predicted, greed has a negative relationship with shareholder return, but this relationship is moderated by the presence of a powerful, independent board, managerial discretion, and CEO tenure. The contributions of this study, which include refining our understanding of self-interest and opportunism, developing the greed construct, and illustrating its impact on shareholder wealth, are intended to open a new line of inquiry in the management literature.
The politics of memory: contesting the “Convention Night” version of this historic day
Authors: Amazeen Michelle A
Published: June 2014

To the degree that the American press corps serves as the creator of the first draft of history, it is in a privileged position of shaping not only what we remember but also how we remember it. This article presents a case study of a political advertisement that aired during the 2008 U.S. presidential election. The mainstream media’s uncritical consideration of the ad invoking Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory in representing Barack Obama’s achievements suggests not only an uncontested version of racial achievements in America but also the power granted to political ads in narrating a naturalized version of memory. As political advertising increasingly drives news coverage in the U.S., the journalistic failure to scrutinize a political message beyond its face value illustrated by this case becomes all the more alarming and is indicative of a concerning disservice to the public interest.
Risk Factors for Cerebrospinal Leak after Endoscopic Skull Base Reconstruction with Nasoseptal Flap
Authors: Gruss Calvin L. , Al Komser Mohammed , Aghi Manish K. , Pletcher Steven D. , Goldberg Andrew N. , McDermott Michael , El‐Sayed Ivan H.
Published: June 2014

Objective

The use of expanded endonasal surgery (EES) in the treatment of skull base neoplasms has increased significantly in recent years. Since 2006, the nasoseptal flap (NSF) has become the workhorse for the closure of skull base defects involving the anterior and central skull base. We hypothesized that defect site impacts the rate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak following EES.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting/Subjects/Methods

Patients who underwent skull base defect repair using a NSF at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) minimally invasive skull base center were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics, disease, and defect location and size were recorded along with the presence of a postoperative CSF leak. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test.

Results

One hundred and twenty‐one patients met inclusion criteria. Ten patients had a NSF failure with CSF leakage, 2 in the anterior skull base (frontal sinus, ethmoid, cribriform, planum), and 8 in the central skull base (sella, clivus) (P =. 047). Dural defect size ≥2.0 cm2 in the central skull base strongly correlated with the risk of flap failure (P =. 034).

Conclusions

This study of endoscopic closure of skull base defects using a NSF demonstrates there is an association between both surgical site and dural defect size with NSF failure. Expanded defects of the sella and clivus have an increased risk of failure and may warrant augmented techniques.
Delayed presentation of aortoesophageal fistula after endovascular repair
Authors: Kouritas Vasileios K , Dedeilias Panagiotis , Sotiriou Konstantina , Klimopoulos Serafim
Published: June 2014

The incidence of aortoesophageal fistula after thoracic endovascular aortic repair has increased following an increase in thoracic endovascular aortic procedures. A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with aortoesophageal fistula 6 years after thoracic endovascular aortic repair of a descending aortic aneurysm. Due to massive hematemesis and instability, he underwent a left thoracotomy, graft repair of the aorta with stent removal, gastrostomy, and proximal esophagostomy. Unfortunately, he died 1 week later due to sepsis. Aortoesophageal fistula may present long after thoracic endovascular aortic repair, and clinicians treating such cases should always be aware of this complication.
Understanding users’ continuance intention toward smartphone augmented reality applications
Authors: Kim Keesung , Hwang Jiyeon , Zo Hangjung , Lee Hwansoo
Published: June 2014

In spite of high expectations for augmented reality (AR) technology, many smartphone AR applications have failed and terminated their services in Korea because of low usage rates. As failures of smartphone AR applications have increased, investigating factors that influence users’ continuance intention to use the AR applications become an important topic. This study develops a theoretical model that explains continuance intention of users based on AR and motivation theories, and empirically examines the influencing factors with collected data from smartphone AR application users. The results showed that information quality was the most influencing factor for AR continuance intention among AR factors, while perceived enjoyment was not a significant antecedent. The implications of this study provide additional insights for smartphone AR researchers and developers.
IT investment and constraints in developing countries
Authors: Pholphirul Piriya , Bhatiasevi Veera
Published: June 2014

Due to the rapid changes in technology, competition, and globalization, information has become businesses’ most significant asset. IT has become indispensible for modern businesses because it helps shape and support competitive strategies. Investment in IT seems to be even more critical for any developing country in order to enhance its economic development. This paper aims at investigating constraints and determining factors of IT-related investment in a developing country by using Thailand as a case study. A survey of manufacturing data shows that the most critical constraint obstructing Thai manufacturers from investing in their IT-related needs is the lack of IT human resources, which includes lack of knowledgeable and trained IT personnel and lack of experienced consultants to provide IT-based solution systems. The association between a higher level of IT skill among production workers and a firms’ investing in IT is found to be positively significant. Thus, providing training courses in IT-related skills should therefore be considered a necessary option. However, evidence from surveys shows that IT training courses have received less recognition among those manufacturers, for both in-house training as well as outside training. Promoting research partnerships and providing incentive for both R&D and E-commerce promotion are found also to be effective policy options.
Effects of training on upper limb function after cervical spinal cord injury: a systematic review
Authors: Lu Xiao , Battistuzzo Camilla R , Zoghi Maryam , Galea Mary P
Published: June 2014

Objective:

To summarize the evidence for the effectiveness of exercise training in promoting recovery of upper extremity function after cervical spinal cord injury.

Data sources:

Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, EMBASE and PEDro were used to search the literature.

Review methods:

Two reviewers independently selected and summarized the included studies. Methodological quality of the selected articles was scored using the Downs and Black checklist.

Results:

A total of 16 studies were included, representing a total of 426 participants. Overall, the internal validity and reporting of the studies was fair to good, while power and external validity were poor. Interventions included exercise therapy, electrical stimulation, functional electrical stimulation, robotic training and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Most of the studies reported improvements in muscle strength, arm and hand function, activity of daily living or quality of life after intervention.

Conclusions:

Training including exercise therapy, electrical stimulation, functional electrical stimulation of the upper limb following cervical spinal cord injury leads to improvements in muscle strength, upper limb function and activity of daily living or quality of life. Further research is needed into the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and robotic training on upper limb function.
Defensive eye-blink startle responses in a human experimental model of anxiety
Authors: Pinkney Verity , Wickens Robin , Bamford Susan , Baldwin David S , Garner Matthew
Published: June 2014

Inhalation of low concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) triggers anxious behaviours in rodents via chemosensors in the amygdala, and increases anxiety, autonomic arousal and hypervigilance in healthy humans. However, it is not known whether CO2 inhalation modulates defensive behaviours coordinated by this network in humans. We examined the effect of 7.5% CO2 challenge on the defensive eye-blink startle response. A total of 27 healthy volunteers completed an affective startle task during inhalation of 7.5% CO2 and air. The magnitude and latency of startle eye-blinks were recorded whilst participants viewed aversive and neutral pictures. We found that 7.5% CO2 increased state anxiety and raised concurrent measures of skin conductance and heart rate (HR). CO2 challenge did not increase startle magnitude, but slowed the onset of startle eye-blinks. The effect of CO2 challenge on HR covaried with its effects on both subjective anxiety and startle latency. Our findings are discussed with reference to startle profiles during conditions of interoceptive threat, increased cognitive load and in populations characterised by anxiety, compared with acute fear and panic.
Disaster Recovery in Black and White
Authors: Downey Davia Cox
Published: June 2014

This article investigates the role race and class play in the economic recovery after Hurricane Katrina. Comparing the economic recovery of the cities of New Orleans and Gulfport, as well as making comparisons at the state level, reveals distinct differences in the economic recovery of these places. Utilizing a panel analysis, this article analyzes the effect Federal Emergency Management Agency dollars had on the recovery of jobs and housing post-Katrina. Results show that in the areas of job recovery, money played little role in economic recovery even while controlling for the effects of race and class. These results inform the debate over recovery in economically depressed places and show the importance of connecting emergency and disaster planning, particularly the recovery stage, to economic development.
Local Government Management
Authors: Frederickson H. George , O’Leary Rosemary
Published: June 2014

This special issue of ARPA seeks to fill a void in the public administration literature by bringing to the forefront analyses of local government and metropolitan challenges from the perspective of public administrationists: Those who manage cities and counties, and those who both teach and study local government management. The public administration perspective on local government and metropolitan governance has traditionally been grounded in jurisdictions—cities, counties, school and special districts. Today, however, there is often a disjuncture between problems to be solved and jurisdictional boundaries. Accordingly, local governments have changed, and continue to change in response to boundary-crossing challenges as Wheeland, Paulus and Wood evaluate, and new patterns of metropolitan governance are emerging, as Leland and Thurmeier analyze. According to Agranoff, these patterns of change are both horizontal, between and among connected units of local government and vertical, among local governments, states, and the national government. Civic engagement in local public affairs is growing in creative new ways as citizens seek to participate, a topic probed by Nabatchi and Amsler. In the same way that all politics is local, all policy is also local and none is more important than the need to balance the risk of disaster with the need for preparedness, as Donahue, Eckel, and Wilson explore. Together these articles are a timely treatment of compelling challenges facing governments and governance nearest at hand: Our cities, counties, districts and metropolitan areas.
Photoplethysmographic signals to predict the success of lumbar sympathetic blockade for lower extremity pain
Authors: Park Soo Young , Baek Hyun Jae , Park Kwang Suk , Kim Yong Chul
Published: June 2014

Objective

A prospective, observational study to investigate how photoplethysmography (PPG) signals change during lumbar sympathetic blockade (LSB), and whether these changes can predict sympathetically mediated pain (SMP).

Methods

Patients with unilateral lower extremity pain and self-reported cold hyperalgesia underwent LSB. Bilateral temperature and PPG signals (AC and DC) were recorded. Power spectrum analysis (PSA) was performed.

Results

Of the total patient cohort ( n = 38), eight patients (22.1%) had excellent pain-relief after LSB and were determined to have SMP. In all patients, the PPG AC signal changed immediately after drug administration, before any temperature change. DC signals decreased slowly in a linear fashion. PSA of DC signals showed significantly lower low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF) ratios in the SMP group than the sympathetically independent pain group, both before and after LSB. A cut-off value of 2.92 for LF/HF resulted in sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values for SMP of 75.0%, 76.7% and 3.21 [1.5, 6.9], respectively.

Conclusions

PPG may be used as an early indicator of a successful LSB and could also be helpful in diagnosing SMP.
Musical ‘learning styles’ and ‘learning strategies’ in the instrumental lesson: The Ear Playing Project (EPP)
Authors: Varvarigou Maria , Green Lucy
Published: June 2014

Seventy-five audio recordings of learners attempting to copy a melody by ear were transcribed and analysed. Thematic analysis through NVivo was carried out and combined with judgements from four independent experts using a criteria grid. Overall, the learners’ spontaneous responses to the ear-playing task, termed here ‘learning styles’, were classified into four main categories, termed impulsive, shot-in-the-dark, practical and theoretical. Learners who showed evidence of possible Absolute Pitch (AP) were categorized across all the first three learning styles, suggesting that the ability to play back by ear from a recording may not be aided by AP. After the initial spontaneous response, the learners’ most common learning approaches, termed here ‘learning strategies’, included listening without playing, playing isolated notes, asking questions, listening and playing along with the recording, and experimenting. The findings suggest that the practice of playing along to a recording can reveal a range of spontaneous learning styles amongst students, of which teachers may otherwise remain unaware, and a range of further learning strategies that may provide new insights for music teachers.
Enacting the ‘neuro’ in practice: Translational research, adhesion and the promise of porosity
Authors: Brosnan Caragh , Michael Mike
Published: June 2014

This article attends to the processes through which neuroscience and the neuro are enacted in a specific context: a translational neuroscience research group that was the setting of an ethnographic study. The article therefore provides a close-up perspective on the intersection of neuroscience and translational research. In the scientific setting we studied, the neuro was multiple and irreducible to any particular entity or set of practices across a laboratory and clinical divide. Despite this multiplicity, the group’s work was held together through the ‘promise of porosity’ – that one day there would be translation of lab findings into clinically effective intervention. This promise was embodied in the figure of the Group Leader whose expertise spanned clinical and basic neurosciences. This is theorized in terms of a contrast between cohesion and adhesion in interdisciplinary groupings. We end by speculating on the role of ‘vivification’ – in our case mediated by the Group Leader – in rendering ‘alive’ the expectations of interdisciplinary collaboration.
The Influences of Linguistic Demand and Cultural Loading on Cognitive Test Scores
Authors: Cormier Damien C. , McGrew Kevin S. , Ysseldyke James E.
Published: June 2014

The increasing diversity of the U.S. population has resulted in increased concerns about the psychological assessment of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. To date, little empirical research supports recommendations in test selection and interpretation, such as those presented in the Culture–Language Interpretative Matrix (C-LIM). The current investigation was conducted to empirically evaluate the validity of the C-LIM classifications for the Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition (WJ III COG). The WJ III Normative Update standardization sample was used to determine the extent to which the two dimensions of the C-LIM (i.e., cultural loading and linguistic demand) influence performance on 20 of the WJ III tests. Results provide support for a re-classification of the C-LIM. Implications for research and school psychology practices are discussed.
Family Involvement and Post-IPO Investment Policy
Authors: Jain Bharat A. , Shao Yingying
Published: June 2014

Drawing from agency theory and socioemotional wealth considerations, we evaluate the extent post-IPO investment policy choices and their economic consequences differ for family firms relative to nonfamily firms. Our results suggest that family firms underinvest in post-IPO liquidity, total investment spending, and R&D expenditures, relative to similar non-family firms. On the other hand, family firms overinvest in capital spending and underinvest in acquisition spending relative to nonfamily firms with dispersed but not concentrated ownership structures. Furthermore, while increases in R&D spending decrease shareholder value in family firms, the reverse is the case with acquisition spending.
Bataille’s Libidinal Economics: Capitalism as an Open Wound
Authors: Landa Ishay
Published: June 2014

This essay undertakes a scrutiny of Georges Bataille’s ambiguous relationship to capitalism. On the one hand, Bataille subscribes to a fundamentally Nietzschean, romantic critique of capitalism, which is censured as grey and banal, at the same time as he indirectly apologizes for capitalism inasmuch as risk, chance, torment and permanent commotion are ontologized. On yet another level, however, Bataille represents an interesting and sometimes highly original attempt to fuse Marx and Nietzsche, combining the dream of Dionysian unleashing with Marx’s realm of freedom. Given Bataille’s elitist and nihilist presuppositions, however, this dialectical option necessarily remains a largely unfulfilled promise.
Functional Living in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Smith Michael A. , Else Jane E. , Paul Lorna , Foster Jonathan K. , Walker Mark , Wesnes Keith A. , Riby Leigh M.
Published: June 2014

Objective: Older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) experience accelerated age-related decline in some domains of cognition. The present study sought to investigate executive functioning and dual tasking capacities in this group. Method: Older adults with DM2 and age-matched controls completed self-report measures assessing everyday activities, a comprehensive cognitive battery and more specific tasks assessing executive functioning, dual tasking, postural stability, and motor control. Results: Executive abilities were particularly compromised in the participants with DM2. Furthermore, the DM2 group exhibited reduced postural stability under dual task conditions. Discussion: These findings suggest that deficits in more complex cognitive activities underlie the decline in everyday function in DM2.
Employer disability practice in Britain: assessing the impact of the Positive About Disabled People ‘Two Ticks’ symbol
Authors: Hoque Kim , Bacon Nick , Parr Dave
Published: June 2014

This article assesses the extent to which employers displaying the Positive About Disabled People ‘Two Ticks’ symbol adhere to the five commitments they are expected to uphold and whether adherence to these commitments is greater in Two Ticks than non-Two Ticks workplaces. It also assesses levels of employer support for and dialogue with Disability Champions in Two Ticks workplaces. These issues are explored in the public and private sectors separately. The analysis finds only limited adherence to the five commitments in Two Ticks workplaces, no consistent evidence that adherence is higher in Two Ticks than non-Two Ticks workplaces and limited evidence of support for and dialogue with Disability Champions in Two Ticks workplaces. It also finds little evidence of variation between public and private sector workplaces.
Biphasic investigation of contact mechanics in natural human hips during activities
Authors: Li Junyan , Hua Xijin , Jin Zhongmin , Fisher John , Wilcox Ruth K
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the cartilage contact mechanics and the associated fluid pressurisation of the hip joint under eight daily activities, using a three-dimensional finite element hip model with biphasic cartilage layers and generic geometries. Loads with spatial and temporal variations were applied over time and the time-dependent performance of the hip cartilage during walking was also evaluated. It was found that the fluid support ratio was over 90% during the majority of the cycles for all the eight activities. A reduced fluid support ratio was observed for the time at which the contact region slid towards the interior edge of the acetabular cartilage, but these occurred when the absolute level of the peak contact stress was minimal. Over 10 cycles of gait, the peak contact stress and peak fluid pressure remained constant, but a faster process of fluid exudation was observed for the interior edge region of the acetabular cartilage. The results demonstrate the excellent function of the hip cartilage within which the solid matrix is prevented from high levels of stress during activities owing to the load shared by fluid pressurisation. The findings are important in gaining a better understanding of the hip function during daily activities, as well as the pathology of hip degeneration and potential for future interventions. They provide a basis for future subject-specific biphasic investigations of hip performance during activities.
Evaluation of unsteady computational fluid dynamics models applied to the analysis of a transonic high-pressure turbine stage
Authors: Giovannini Matteo , Marconcini Michele , Arnone Andrea , Bertini Francesco
Published: June 2014

This paper presents an efficient ‘Phase-Lagged’ method developed for turbomachinery applications. The method is based on the generalized-shape-correction model. Moving average techniques as well as double-passage domain formulation were adopted in order to reduce memory requirements and improve the model robustness. The model was used to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of the high-pressure transonic turbine stage CT3, experimentally studied at the von Kármán Institute for Fluid Dynamics in the framework of the EU funded TATEF2 project. The results are discussed and compared with both the available experimental data and the results obtained by means of both steady and unsteady scaled full-annulus approaches. Computational requirements of the generalized-shape-correction model are evaluated and discussed showing that nowadays unsteady results can be obtained at an affordable computational cost.
Climatic imprint of the mid-latitude Westerlies in the Central Tian Shan of Kyrgyzstan and teleconnections to North Atlantic climate variability during the last 6000 years
Authors: Lauterbach Stefan , Witt Roman , Plessen Birgit , Dulski Peter , Prasad Sushma , Mingram Jens , Gleixner Gerd , Hettler-Riedel Sabine , Stebich Martina , Schnetger Bernhard , Schwalb Antje , Schwarz Anja
Published: June 2014

In general, a moderate drying trend is observed in mid-latitude arid Central Asia since the Mid-Holocene, attributed to the progressively weakening influence of the mid-latitude Westerlies on regional climate. However, as the spatio-temporal pattern of this development and the underlying climatic mechanisms are yet not fully understood, new high-resolution paleoclimate records from this region are needed. Within this study, a sediment core from Lake Son Kol (Central Kyrgyzstan) was investigated using sedimentological, (bio)geochemical, isotopic, and palynological analyses, aiming at reconstructing regional climate development during the last 6000 years. Biogeochemical data, mainly reflecting summer moisture conditions, indicate predominantly wet conditions until 4950 cal. yr BP, succeeded by a pronounced dry interval between 4950 and 3900 cal. yr BP. In the following, a return to wet conditions and a subsequent moderate drying trend until present times are observed. This is consistent with other regional paleoclimate records and likely reflects the gradual Late Holocene diminishment of the amount of summer moisture provided by the mid-latitude Westerlies. However, climate impact of the Westerlies was apparently not only restricted to the summer season but also significant during winter as indicated by recurrent episodes of enhanced allochthonous input through snowmelt, occurring before 6000 cal. yr BP and at 5100–4350, 3450–2850, and 1900–1500 cal. yr BP. The distinct ~1500-year periodicity of these episodes of increased winter precipitation in Central Kyrgyzstan resembles similar cyclicities observed in paleoclimate records around the North Atlantic, likely indicating a hemispheric-scale climatic teleconnection and an impact of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability in Central Asia.