bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Missing Link
Authors: Hoffman Denise , Kehn Matthew E. , Lipson Debra J.
Published: February 2017

Several government initiatives aim to increase the availability of home and community-based services. These efforts have helped facilitate the transition of individuals with disabilities living in institutions such as nursing facilities to community living, resulting in improved quality of life and potential health care savings. However, evidence suggests that a lack of affordable housing remains a key barrier that keeps some individuals living in institutions from transitioning to community living. This study evaluated the effect on transition rates among nursing home residents eligible for the Non-Elderly Disabled Housing Choice Voucher Program. The program provided housing vouchers that subsidized rental costs along with access to home and community-based services to nonelderly institutionalized residents with a disability. We assessed this program’s impact on the likelihood of community transitions among the target population in five areas for which these vouchers were made available. In a pooled sample of three of the five areas, the program increased community transition rates by 8.7 percentage points. This finding suggests that targeting housing vouchers to people with disabilities living in institutions could help facilitate or expedite transitions to community living.
Linking Perceived Organizational Frustration to Work Engagement
Authors: Ugwu Fabian O. , Onyishi Ike E.
Published: February 2017

The study examined the link between perceived organizational frustration and work engagement and the moderating roles of sense of calling and psychological meaningfulness in this link. Primary and postprimary (high) school teachers ( N = 207) from Southeast Nigeria were sampled for the study. Consistent with our propositions, perceived frustration was found to be negatively related to work engagement. Sense of calling and psychological meaningfulness were positively related to work engagement. The results of the moderated regression analyses showed that teachers with high sense of calling were found to be more engaged with their work regardless of perceiving high organizational frustration than their counterparts with low sense of calling. More so, teachers with high psychological meaningfulness were reported to be more engaged with their work despite experiencing high organizational frustration than their counterparts with low psychological meaningfulness. The results of the study suggest that enhancement of sense of calling and work meaningfulness among teachers is desirous, as they could ensure positive work behaviors even in the presence of challenging work environment.
Going to College? Latina/Latino High School Students’ College-Going Self-Efficacy and Educational Goals
Authors: Berbery Maria Luz , O’Brien Karen M.
Published: February 2017

This study investigated the contributions of academic performance and college-going support and barriers in predicting college-going self-efficacy and educational goals among Latina/Latino high school students. Concerns regarding assessment and measurement issues in prior research were addressed. Findings suggested that grade point average was the most important contributor of both college-going self-efficacy and educational goals. In addition, college-going support from family moderated the relationship between grade point average and college-going self-efficacy, such that for students with a high grade point average, high levels of support were related to higher self-efficacy, while students with a high grade point average but lower support had lower self-efficacy. Levels of family support were less important with regard to efficacy and goals for students with a lower grade point average, who tended to have low college-going self-efficacy. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research and practice are provided.
Power flow analysis of built-up plate structures using the dynamic stiffness method
Authors: Wu Wenwei , Yin Xuewen , Li Hui , Zhong Kuikui
Published: February 2017

The dynamic stiffness method (DSM) in our recent paper, which can consider both in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations simultaneously, is formulated to investigate the power flow characteristics of built-up plate structures. Prior to power flow analysis, comprehensive validation works on our DSM are performed so as to better exhibit its numerical capabilities. Power input and power transmission within a two-plate structure are then analyzed by following the context of in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations. In addition, three vibration transmission paths within a multiple plate structure are characterized in terms of power flow densities, which can provide better physical insights in vibration transmission within complex plate structures. Compared to power flow analysis based on the well-known reception/mobility method, our approach is strongly recommended for the dynamics of built-up structures since it can assemble the overall stiffness matrix in a straightforward manner like that in the conventional finite element technique.
A shuffled frog-leaping algorithm based mixed-sensitivity H∞ control of a seismically excited structural building using MR dampers
Authors: Lin Xiufang , Chen Shumei , Huang Guorong
Published: February 2017

An intelligent robust controller, which combines a shuffled frog-leaping algorithm (SFLA) and an H∞ control strategy, is designed for a semi-active control system with magnetorheological (MR) dampers to reduce seismic responses of structures. Generally, the performance of mixed-sensitivity H∞ (MSH) control highly depends on expert experience in selecting the parameters of the weighting functions. In this study, as a recently-developed heuristic approach, a multi-objective SFLA with constraints is adopted to search for the optimal weighting functions. In the proposed semi-active control, firstly, based on the Bouc–Wen model, the forward dynamic characteristics of the MR damper are investigated through a series of tensile and compression experiments. Secondly, the MR damper inverse model is developed with an adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) technique. Finally, the SFLA-optimized MSH control approach integrated with the ANFIS inverse model is used to suppress the structural vibration. The simulation results for a three-story building model equipped with an MR damper verify that the proposed semi-active control method outperforms fuzzy control and two passive control methods. Besides, with the proposed strategy, the changes in structural parameters and earthquake excitations can be satisfactorily dealt with.
Contribution to beam theory based on 3-D energy principle
Authors: Pruchnicki Erick
Published: February 2017

This paper presents a general elastic beam theory, which is consistent with the principle of stationary three-dimensional potential energy. For the sake of simplicity we consider the case of a rectangular cross section. The series expansion of the displacement field up to fourth-order in h (dimension of the cross section) is defined by 45 unknowns. The first variation of the potential energy must be zero but we only impose that each term guarantees an [Formula: see text]error. By adding supplementary lateral boundary conditions and on two extremities end cross section of the beam, we finally arrive at a well posed system of unidimensional differential equations. A linear algebraic dependence with respect to 16 displacement fields allows us to reduce the unknown to 19 displacement fields. To our knowledge this work is the first contribution to this end when the beam problem is completely three-dimensional.
“I Kick It to Both, but not in the Street”
Authors: Muñoz-Laboy Miguel , Severson Nicolette , Garcia Jonathan , Parker Richard G. , Wilson Patrick
Published: February 2017

This article examines how behaviorally bisexual Latino men negotiate, modify, and perform their gender within distinct social spheres. An analysis was made of 148 sexual histories of Latino men aged eighteen to sixty, from a cross-sectional, multiyear study in New York City. A familial sphere of gender norm negotiation was sharply contrasted with conformity to elements of dominant or hegemonic forms of masculinity performed on streets of neighborhoods of residence. Rather than a strict dichotomy, our participants revealed a spectrum of masculine representations that worked to manage the risk of nonheterosexual stigma. Participants adopted variable configurations of masculinity to reconcile the plurality of their sexual practices, distinct social spaces, and socially sanctioned gender norms.
Voices of the Mind
Authors: Lamb Sharon , Kosterina Elena V. , Roberts Tangela , Brodt Madeline , Maroney Meredith , Dangler Lucas
Published: February 2017

Very little research has examined what goes on in the minds of young men during sex. Such an exploration might reveal gender-normative discourses as well as challenges to such. This discourse analysis understands internal speech as that which both instantiates status quo ideals of masculinity and which challenges them. We use theories of hegemonic masculinity and Vygotskyan notions of “others in the head” to understand how hegemonic masculinity is reproduced during the act of having sex. This study is based on qualitative interviews with thirteen heterosexual young adult US men asking what goes through their mind during sex. Young heterosexual men produce a masculinity discourse that supports dominant constructions of heterosexuality, monitoring their sexual behaviors based on imagined and expected reactions of abstract and very real male reference groups. The analysis shows men describing thoughts during sex that make sex like work, keeps in mind a variety of other people, some literally awaiting news of the sex, and some abstract representations of masculinity. Men report a constant self-evaluation based on women’s performances of pleasure, for example, screaming, never construed as inauthentic, or as a performance at all. Thoughts about masculinity were not present in intimate moments when men described a “letting go of masculinity” in order to be intimate.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Belonging
Authors: Cuervo Hernán , Wyn Johanna
Published: February 2017

This article looks at how young people construct belonging over time in rural places in Australia. It draws on the intersecting ideas of theorists and youth researchers whose work supports the view that in order to understand young people’s lives, we need to seek a thicker, richer conception of the interplay among identity, place, mobility and performativity. We illustrate our argument using data from a two-decade longitudinal study of young Australians to provide a more nuanced understanding of place and belonging in rural settings. A longitudinal gaze over the lives of members of this generation alerts us to the manifold transitions and forms of making a life that are patiently constructed over time and through non-spectacular routine practices. The article contributes to a more robust spatialized sociology of youth by rendering visible the complex and intersecting registers of subjective and structural elements in young lives over time.
Young People’s Perspectives in Developing a Survey Item on Factors That Influence Body Image
Authors: Kenny Ursula , Molcho Michal , Kelly Colette
Published: February 2017

Body image concerns are prevalent among adolescents; however, a single item assessing what influences their body image does not exist. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a survey item on the factors influencing adolescent body image for inclusion in a nationally representative health behaviour survey. This article describes the methodology used to develop a survey item and the results obtained through its inclusion in the survey. The research design included a literature review, consultation work with young people and data analyses of the new survey item included in the survey. Results from the current study revealed that a variety of factors influence adolescent body image, some of which have been overlooked in the traditional body image literature to date. This study demonstrates consultation with young people can contribute to the development of quantitative measures.
Finding hidden patterns in ECtHR’s case law
Authors: Olsen Henrik Palmer , Küçüksu Aysel
Published: February 2017

This article is concerned with identifying how contemporary data technology can be used to find and analyse the big amount of case law generated by international courts in a more comprehensive way than that achieved through the traditional manual reading of case law at the core of textbook or doctrinal analysis of judgements. The focus of the article is the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHRs) and its Article 14 + 2 case law, which is studied through the tools of citation network analysis. The resulting findings are then compared to a standard textbook approach in order to show how citation network analysis offers a reliable method in selecting cases for qualitative analysis and drawing information relevant to specific legal issues. The article proposes and eventually advances a new approach to legal research, which integrates quantitative network analysis with qualitative legal (doctrinal) analysis, and shows how this form of analysis enables a study of case law through the recognition of patterns within it that would have otherwise been difficult to identify. Using this approach to advance new insights into the prohibition of discrimination under Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the article ultimately offers a new instrument for scholars and practitioners to put into use when considering the future narrative of discrimination law.
Perfectionism and adolescent sleep quality: The mediating role of repetitive negative thinking
Authors: Lin Rong-Mao , Xie Shan-Shan , Yan You-Wei , Chen Yu-Hsin , Yan Wen-Jing
Published: February 2017

This study explores the mediating effects of repetitive negative thinking in the relationship between perfectionism and adolescent sleep quality. A sample of 1664 Chinese adolescents with a mean age of 15.0 years was recruited, and they completed four measures relating to perfectionism, sleep quality, worry, and rumination. The results showed that maladaptive perfectionism was positively correlated with poor sleep quality in adolescents, which was mediated by both worry and rumination. However, adaptive perfectionism was not significantly associated with adolescent sleep quality, and this relationship was suppressed by rumination (but not worry). The implications of these results are also discussed.
Is disclosure a privilege? Race and disclosure patterns of hepatitis C
Authors: Suarez Alicia E
Published: February 2017

Research suggests that decisions to disclose hepatitis C status are affected by individual and interpersonal factors. However, no existing studies have examined the role of race in disclosure, despite the potential implications of being doubly marginalized on the basis of both race and hepatitis C status. Drawing on qualitative research with 53 persons with hepatitis C in the Southeastern United States, findings indicate that participants practiced four patterns of disclosure: activist disclosure, open disclosure, limited disclosure, and reluctant disclosure. The majority of African Americans in this research practiced limited and reluctant disclosure, while Whites’ disclosure patterns were more varied. These findings suggest that race shapes patterns of disclosure of hepatitis C, which has important implications for prevention, help seeking, social support, exposure to discrimination, and addressing racial disparities in health.
The digital divide: Examining socio-demographic factors associated with health literacy, access and use of internet to seek health information
Authors: Estacio Emee Vida , Whittle Rebecca , Protheroe Joanne
Published: February 2017

This article aims to examine the socio-demographic characteristics associated with access and use of Internet for health-related purposes and its relationship with health literacy. Data were drawn from a health literacy survey ( N = 1046) and analysed using logistic regression. Results show a strong association between health literacy, internet access and use. Socio-demographic characteristics particularly age, education, income, perceived health and social isolation also predict internet access. Thus, in addition to widening access, the movement towards digitisation of health information and services should also consider digital skills development to enable people to utilise digital technology more effectively, especially among traditionally hard-to-reach communities.
Relationship Quality and Distress in Caregivers of Persons With Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bjørge Heidi , Kvaal Kari , Småstuen Milada Cvancarova , Ulstein Ingun
Published: February 2017

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between caregivers and care receivers, defined as home-dwelling family members with dementia. We used a self-rating questionnaire, the Felt Expressed Emotion Rating Scale (FEERS; 6 simple questions), to measure caregiver perceptions of the care receiver’s criticisms (CCs) and emotional overinvolvement (EOI) toward the caregiver. We performed factor analyses to rank single items on the FEERS pertaining to CC and EOI. We included 208 caregiver/care receiver pairs. Logistic regression analyses tested associations between FEERS items and caregiver and care receiver variables. The main contributors to caregiver perceptions of CC were the caregiver’s own distress and the amount of time spent with the care receiver. Socially distressed caregivers perceived the care receiver as emotionally overinvolved. When offering a psychosocial intervention, a tailored program should target the caregiver’s perceived relationship with the family member and the caregiver’s distress. The program should also endeavor to give the caretaker more opportunities for leisure time.
Progress Monitoring the Effects of Daily Report Cards Across Elementary and Secondary Settings Using Direct Behavior Rating: Single Item Scales
Authors: Miller Faith G. , Crovello Nicholas J. , Chafouleas Sandra M.
Published: February 2017

Direct Behavior Rating–Single Item Scales (DBR-SIS) have been advanced as a promising, systematic, behavioral, progress-monitoring method that is flexible, efficient, and defensible. This study aimed to extend existing literature on the use of DBR-SIS in elementary and secondary settings, and to examine methods of monitoring student progress in response to intervention. To this end, two concurrent multiple baseline design studies were conducted in a diverse magnet school district located in the northeastern United States. One study was conducted with four students in kindergarten and first grade, whereas the second study was conducted with three students in 10th and 11th grade. Response to a Daily Report Card (DRC) intervention was monitored using two different approaches: DBR-SIS and systematic direct observation (SDO) probes. Across all participants, modest improvements in behavior were observed using both visual and quantitative analyses of DBR-SIS data; however, decisions regarding student response to the intervention varied as a function of the dependent variable analyzed. Implications for practice and future directions for research are discussed.
A Curriculum-Based Measure of Language Comprehension for Preschoolers: Reliability and Validity of the Assessment of Story Comprehension
Authors: Spencer Trina D. , Goldstein Howard , Kelley Elizabeth Spencer , Sherman Amber , McCune Luke
Published: February 2017

Despite research demonstrating the importance of language comprehension to later reading abilities, curriculum-based measures to assess language comprehension abilities in preschoolers remain lacking. The Assessment of Story Comprehension (ASC) features brief, child-relevant stories and a series of literal and inferential questions with a focus on causal and predictive inference skills surrounding the main story grammar components and a novel vocabulary word. Following an overview of the iterative development process and pilot studies, this article presents preliminary evidence of the fidelity of administration, reliability of scoring, alternate form reliability, and validity of the ASC. In all, 237 preschoolers, ages 3 to 5 years old, participated in this study. Fidelity of administration and scoring reliability averaged over 90%. Concurrent validity with two established language measures revealed correlations ranging from .67 to .81. Test–retest reliability and internal consistency also indicated high levels of reliability for this new tool; however, alternate form reliability results suggest further work is needed. Preliminary results indicate that the ASC holds promise as a viable curriculum-based measure that early childhood educators can use for monitoring preschoolers’ progress in language comprehension.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Polyhexanide/Betaine Gel Versus Silver Sulfadiazine for Partial-Thickness Burn Treatment
Authors: Wattanaploy Saruta , Chinaroonchai Kusuma , Namviriyachote Nantaporn , Muangman Pornprom
Published: February 2017

Silver sulfadiazine is commonly used in the treatment of partial-thickness burns, but it sometimes forms pseudo-eschar and delays wound healing. Polyhexanide/betaine gel, a new wound cleansing and moisturizing product, has some advantages in removing biofilm and promotes wound healing. This study was designed to compare clinical efficacy of polyhexanide/betaine gel with silver sulfadiazine in partial-thickness burn treatment. From September 2013 to May 2015, 46 adult patients with partial-thickness burn ≥10% total body surface area that were admitted to the Burn Unit of Siriraj Hospital within 48 hours after injury were randomly allocated into 2 groups. One group was treated with polyhexanide/betaine gel, and the other group was treated with silver sulfadiazine. Both groups received daily dressing changes and the same standard care given to patients with burns in this center. Healing times in the polyhexanide/betaine gel group and silver sulfadiazine group were 17.8 ± 2.2 days and 18.8 ± 2.1 days, respectively ( P value .13). There were no significant differences in healing times, infection rates, bacterial colonization rates, and treatment cost in both groups. The pain score of the polyhexanide/betaine gel group was significantly less than the silver sulfadiazine group at 4 to 9 days after treatment ( P < .001). The satisfactory assessment result of the polyhexanide/betaine gel group was better than that in the silver sulfadiazine group. These data indicate the need for adequately designed studies to elicit the full potential of polyhexanide gel as a wound dressing for partial-thickness burn wounds.
The Effects of a Mindfulness Meditation Program on Quality of Life in Cancer Outpatients: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Chang Yu-Yun , Wang Li-Yu , Liu Chia-Yu , Chien Tsai-Ju , Chen I-Ju , Hsu Chung-Hua
Published: February 2017

Objective. Numerous studies have investigated the efficacy of mindfulness meditation (MM) in managing quality of life (QoL) in cancer populations, yet only a few have studied the Asian population. The aim of this exploratory study is to evaluate the effect of a MM program on the QoL outcomes in Taiwanese cancer outpatients. Methods. Patients with various cancer diagnoses were enrolled and assigned to the MM group and usual care (UC) group. The meditation intervention consisted of 3 sessions held monthly. The outcomes of the whole intervention were measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument. Results. A total of 35 participants in the MM group and 34 in the UC group completed the study. The results showed that the postintervention scores were significantly higher than the preintervention scores in the MM group. In the UC group, there was no significant difference between preintervention and postintervention scores, except for the lower environment domain scores. There was no significant difference between the follow-up scores and postintervention scores in the MM group, indicating that improvement can be maintained for 3 months after completing the MM course. Conclusions. The present study provides preliminary outcomes of the effects on the QoL in Taiwanese cancer patients. The results suggest that MM may serve as an effective mind–body intervention for cancer patients to improve their QoL, and the benefits can persist over a 3-month follow-up period. This occurred in a diverse cancer population with various cancer diagnoses, strengthening the possibility of general use.
Association Between Pathology and Electroencephalographic Activity in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Caviness John N. , Beach Thomas G. , Hentz Joseph G. , Shill Holly A. , Driver-Dunckley Erika D. , Adler Charles H.
Published: February 2017

Introduction. The key mechanisms that connect Parkinson’s disease pathology with dementia are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that the quantitative spectral electroencephalographic measure, delta bandpower, correlates with Lewy type synucleinopathy on pathological examination in Parkinson’s disease. As a corollary hypothesis, we analyzed whether there would be delta bandpower electroencephalographic differences between Parkinson’s disease dementia cases with and without pathological criteria for Alzheimer’s disease. Methods. We used pathological examination results from 44 Parkinson’s disease subjects from our brain bank with various degrees of cognitive decline, who had undergone electroencephalography. Pathological grading for Lewy type synucleinopathy, plaques, tangles, and indications of vascular pathology in subcortical and cortical areas were correlated with the most associated electroencephalographic biomarker with Parkinson’s disease dementia in our laboratory, delta bandpower. Group differences for all spectral electroencephalographic measures were also analyzed between cases with and without pathological criteria for Alzheimer’s disease. Results. Findings revealed significant correlations between delta bandpower with Lewy type synucleinopathy, whereas indications of Alzheimer’s disease or vascular pathology had nonsignificant correlation. The strongest association was with delta bandpower and Lewy type synucleinopathy in the anterior cingulate region. Mean delta bandpower was higher in the group for Parkinson’s disease dementia with Alzheimer’s disease pathology criteria than without. Conclusions. Lewy type synucleinopathy severity appears to be more associated with increased delta bandpower than with Alzheimer’s disease pathology or indications of vascular pathology over all cases. However, the presence of Alzheimer’s pathology may associate with more cortex physiological disruption in a subset of cases.
Dance motion capture and composition using multiple RGB and depth sensors
Authors: Kim Yejin
Published: February 2017

Dynamic human movements such as dance are difficult to capture without using external markers due to the high complexity of a dancer’s body. This article introduces a marker-free motion capture and composition system for dance motion that uses multiple RGB and depth sensors. Our motion capture system utilizes a set of high-speed RGB and depth sensors to generate skeletal motion data from an expert dancer. During the motion acquisition process, a skeleton tracking method based on a particle filter is provided to estimate the motion parameters for each frame from a sequence of color images and depth features retrieved from the sensors. The expert motion data become archived in a database. The authoring methods in our composition system automate most of the motion editing processes for general users by providing an online motion search with an input posture and then performing motion synthesis on an arbitrary motion path. Using the proposed system, we demonstrate that various dance performances can be composed in an intuitive and efficient way on client devices such as tablets and kiosk PCs.
Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Prevention and Management
Authors: Cilia Lindsey , Saeed Anum , Ganga Harsha V. , Wu Wen-Chih
Published: February 2017

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a complex clinical syndrome that constitutes nearly half of all heart failure cases. Because of lack of effective pharmacological targets to improve outcomes, the emphasis of the management and prevention of HFpEF should be through control of risk factors. This review will use the framework proposed by the American Heart Association on 7 simple measures (“Life’s Simple 7”) that involves diet and lifestyle changes to achieve ideal cardiovascular health. These 7 measures include (1) smoking, (2) obesity, (3) exercise, (4) diet, (5) blood pressure, (6) cholesterol, and (7) glucose control, which can help control the most common comorbidities and risk factors associated with HFpEF, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Therefore, application of these 7 simple measures would be a patient-centered and cost-effective way of prevention and management of HFpEF.
Correlation between clot density and recanalization success or stroke etiology in acute ischemic stroke patients
Authors: Jagani Manoj , Kallmes David F , Brinjikji Waleed
Published: February 2017

Background

Predicting recanalization success for patients undergoing endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke is of significant interest. Studies have previously correlated the success of recanalization with the density of the clot. We evaluated clot density and its relationship to revascularization success and stroke etiology.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of 118 patients undergoing intra-arterial therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Mean and maximum thrombus density was measured by drawing a circular region of interest on an axial slice of a non-contrast computed tomography scan. T-tests were used to compare clot density to recanalization success or to stroke etiology, namely large artery atherosclerosis and cardioembolism. Recanalization success was compared in four device groups: aspiration, stent retriever, aspiration and stent retriever, and all other.

Results

There was no significant difference in the mean clot density in patients with successful ( n = 80) versus unsuccessful recanalization ( n = 38, 50.1 ± 7.4 Hounsfield unit (HU) vs. 53 ± 12.7 HU; P = 0.17). Comparing the large artery thromboembolism ( n = 35) to the cardioembolic etiology group ( n = 56), there was no significant difference in mean clot density (51.5 ± 7.7 HU vs. 49.7 ± 8.5 HU; P = 0.31). A subgroup analysis of middle cerebral artery occlusions ( n = 65) showed similar, non-statistically significant differences between groups. There was no difference in the rate of recanalization success in patients with a mean clot density greater than 50 HU or less than 50 HU in each of the four device groups.

Conclusions

There was no relationship between clot density and revascularization success or stroke etiology in our study. More research is needed to determine if clot density can predict recanalization rates or indicate etiology.
Utility of single-energy and dual-energy computed tomography in clot characterization: An in-vitro study
Authors: Brinjikji Waleed , Michalak Gregory , Kadirvel Ramanathan , Dai Daying , Gilvarry Michael , Duffy Sharon , Kallmes David F , McCollough Cynthia , Leng Shuai
Published: February 2017

Background and purpose

Because computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly used imaging modality for the evaluation of acute ischemic stroke patients, developing CT-based techniques for improving clot characterization could prove useful. The purpose of this in-vitro study was to determine which single-energy or dual-energy CT techniques provided optimum discrimination between red blood cell (RBC) and fibrin-rich clots.

Materials and methods

Seven clot types with varying fibrin and RBC densities were made (90% RBC, 99% RBC, 63% RBC, 36% RBC, 18% RBC and 0% RBC with high and low fibrin density) and their composition was verified histologically. Ten of each clot type were created and scanned with a second generation dual source scanner using three single (80 kV, 100 kV, 120 kV) and two dual-energy protocols (80/Sn 140 kV and 100/Sn 140 kV). A region of interest (ROI) was placed over each clot and mean attenuation was measured. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated at each energy level to determine the accuracy at differentiating RBC-rich clots from fibrin-rich clots.

Results

Clot attenuation increased with RBC content at all energy levels. Single-energy at 80 kV and 120 kV and dual-energy 80/Sn 140 kV protocols allowed for distinguishing between all clot types, with the exception of 36% RBC and 18% RBC. On receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the 80/Sn 140 kV dual-energy protocol had the highest area under the curve for distinguishing between fibrin-rich and RBC-rich clots (area under the curve 0.99).

Conclusions

Dual-energy CT with 80/Sn 140 kV had the highest accuracy for differentiating RBC-rich and fibrin-rich in-vitro thrombi. Further studies are needed to study the utility of non-contrast dual-energy CT in thrombus characterization in acute ischemic stroke.
Organizational stress in high-level field hockey: Examining transactional pathways between stressors, appraisals, coping and performance satisfaction
Authors: Didymus Faye F , Fletcher David
Published: February 2017

This study investigated transactional pathways between organizational stressors and their underpinning situational properties, appraisals, coping, perceived coping effectiveness and performance satisfaction in athletes. Ten high-level field hockey players were interviewed. Data relating to stressors, situational properties, appraisals and coping were analysed using directed content analysis. Mean perceived coping effectiveness scores were calculated and subjective performance satisfaction data were categorized as satisfied, neutral or dissatisfied. A variety of organizational stressors was reported, which were underpinned by five situational properties. Challenge, threat and harm/loss appraisals were experienced and problem solving was the most commonly reported family of coping. High perceived coping effectiveness was not always associated with performance satisfaction. Performance satisfaction was, however, linked to the appraisal experienced. A battery of stress management techniques and ways of coping is useful for optimizing appraisals and alleviating negative outcomes of stress.
The good, the bad, and the forgiven: The media spectacle of South Korean male celebrities’ compulsory military service
Authors: Yeo Yezi
Published: February 2017

For almost 70 years, South Korea has upheld the principle of universal male conscription, and the military has been a potent force in post-war South Korean political, economic, and social development. The role and significance of male conscription and the military establishment in South Korean society have been explored from the perspective of political, social, and gender/post-colonial studies. However, there is a considerable lack of academic research assessing the social meanings behind the highly publicized conduct of male celebrities’ negotiating the issue of their compulsory military service, which has turned increasingly into media spectacles since the mid-1990s. This study attempts to provide an insight into the political and social ramifications of such media events by tracing the military service and male celebrity discourse through several major conscription scandals in the South Korean mass media. By simultaneously policing and exploiting the ‘sacred’ duty to serve, these media scandals reinforce what it means to be a true ‘Korean man’.
Memory sites: Visiting experiences in Santiago de Chile
Authors: Piper-Shafir Isabel , Montenegro Marisela , Fernández Roberto , Sepúlveda Mauricio
Published: February 2017

Studies on Chilean memory sites have focused on the spaces created to remember the human rights abuses carried out during the dictatorship. However, the ways in which people experience and appropriate these readings of the past have received scarce attention. In this article, we explore how individuals who were not victims of human rights abuses experience two memory sites in Santiago, Chile: Villa Grimaldi and Londres 38. Following the premise that memory emerges as a product of semiotic and material assembling materialized in the interaction between sites and visitors, we analyze the relationship between the memory sites’ suggested readings of the past and the experiences of the public. We argue that this experience allows visitors to connect past atrocities with broader social discourses circulating in Chile in the form of abstract knowledge. This requires visitors to assume a position in relation to different historical accounts, allowing specific reconfigurations of collective memory to emerge.
Commemorating a difficult disaster: Naturalizing and denaturalizing the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China
Authors: Xu Bin
Published: February 2017

This article addresses a gap in memory studies—memory of disasters—by asking what distinctive features of difficult disasters shape content and form of commemorations. I draw on textual and visual data to examine official and oppositional commemorations of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China. I argue that tension between natural and unnatural interpretations of the earthquake shapes both the content and form of the commemorations. This tension is manifested in three focal issues in the content of commemorations: natural or unnatural causes of the suffering and death, political and moral reaction to the earthquake, and consequences of the earthquake. In form, the state carries out large-scale rituals, builds memorials, and creates a “topography of forgetting” so that the ruins with a possible “natural explanation” are preserved and the ones with unnatural explanations removed and covered. In contrast, the oppositional commemorations are small in scale and only survive at the margins.
A cross-sectional study of gender differences in lifestyle behavior and usage of medications among community-dwelling Asians towards achieving their LDL-Cholesterol treatment goals
Authors: Tan Ngiap Chuan , Koh Eileen Yi Ling , Goh Chin Chin , Goh Paul Soo Chye , Koh Kim Hwee
Published: February 2017

Background:

Men differ from women in their cardiovascular mortality and morbidity globally, possibly due to their varying dietary and lifestyle behavior and usage of medications in dyslipidemia control.

Objectives:

The study aimed to compare the gender differences among community-dwelling Asians in their dietary habits, physical activity, their perception and use of lipid-lowering medications towards achieving their LDL-Cholesterol goals.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included patients with physician-diagnosed dyslipidemia, aged 31–80 years in two public primary care clinics in Singapore. They were administered a questionnaire survey on their diet, exercise and lipid-lowering medication. Their latest laboratory fasting lipid tests, retrieved from their electronic health records, defined their treatment goals based on adapted Framingham risk scores.

Results:

Amongst 1093 patients, 61.9% were female. Fewer men (65.9%) achieved LDL-C treatment goals compared with women (75.2%). Comparing with their counterpart, more women were willing to change their diet (75.8% vs. 46.2%) and exercise (78.4% vs. 70.9%) to achieve their LDL treatment goals. However, men who were treated with lipid medication were more likely to reach LDL-C treatment goals.

Conclusion:

Fewer Asian men in Singapore attained their LDL-C treatment goals than women, which appeared to be associated with greater reluctance to embark on dietary and lifestyle changes. Gender-specific interventions should be considered to address these differences.
Interethnic variation in the prevalence of claustrophobia during MRI at Singapore General Hospital: does a wider bore MR scanner help?
Authors: Koh Salem Ah Sing , Lee Weiling , Rahmat Rosherinna , Salkade Parag Ratnakar , Li Huihua
Published: February 2017

Background and objectives:

It is estimated that 60 million magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are performed annually around the world. Of these, 25% of patients experienced moderate to severe claustrophobia during the procedure. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and interethnic variations of patients requiring sedation due to claustrophobia. Another aim was to determine if a wider bore MR scanner was helpful in reducing the incidence of claustrophobia.

Methodology:

This was an institutional review board-approved study. We retrieved records for 11,813 adult outpatients from the hospital radiological system from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012. The data collected included patients’ gender, age, ethnicity, body region scanned, body orientation with respect to the scanner, the types of scanners used, and the need for sedation. Statistical analysis was performed using R 3.0.1.

Results:

The prevalence of claustrophobic patients requiring sedation was 0.45%, i.e. 53. Of these, 55% were females and 45% males. Among these, 64% were Chinese, 15% Malays, 15% Indians, and 6% were other races. 74% experienced claustrophobia at the 60 cm-wide bore scanners and 26% at 70 cm-wider bore scanners. Referring to Chinese, multivariable regression showed Malays and the Indians were six times and other ethnic groups were 12 times more likely to develop claustrophobia. The incidence of claustrophobia could be reduced by a factor of 2.95 with wider bore scanners.

Conclusions:

The MR environment is still disturbing to some patients. Feet-in positioning does not significantly minimize claustrophobia. Gender and age had no bearing on claustrophobia. Wider bore MR scanners with a bore size of 70 cm are an obvious choice toward more patient-friendly MR scanners.
Equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 expression in primary human hepatocytes is highly variable and determines uptake of ribavirin
Authors: Baloch Kanwal , Chen Liqiong , Memon Ameer A , Dexter Laura , Irving William , Ilyas Mohammad , Thomson Brian J
Published: February 2017

Aims

Ribavirin is a nucleoside analogue and remains a necessary component of both interferon-based and directly acting anti-viral regimens for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection. The achievable concentration of ribavirin within hepatocytes is likely to be an important determinant of therapeutic outcome. In vitro expression levels of equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) has been shown to be a predictor of treatment response in patients receiving nucleoside-based chemotherapeutic agents. We therefore investigated whether a similar relationship existed between ENT1 expression and ribavirin uptake in freshly isolated primary hepatocytes.

Methods

Primary hepatocytes were cultured on collagen-coated plates and exposed to ribavirin. Parallel samples were taken for high-performance liquid chromatography to assess ribavirin uptake and for quantitative polymerase chain reaction to evaluate ENT1 expression. Similar assays were performed on the human hepatoma cell line (Huh7). ENT1 gene sequence was analysed by cloning of polymerase chain reaction amplified complementary DNA followed by direct sequencing.

Results

There was a strong direct correlation between expression of ENT1 in primary hepatocytes and ribavirin uptake at 24 hr. Huh7 cells expressed ENT1 at similar levels to the majority of primary hepatocytes, but did not take up ribavirin. Sequencing revealed that ENT1 in Huh7 cells is wild type.

Conclusions

In this study, we clearly demonstrate that ribavirin uptake in primary human hepatocytes is variable and correlates with ENT1 expression. This variation in ENT1 expression may account for differences in response rate in patients receiving ribavirin-based anti-hepatitis C virus therapy.
Social Media Users’ Legal Consciousness About Privacy
Authors: Sarikakis Katharine , Winter Lisa
Published: February 2017

This article explores the ways in which the concept of privacy is understood in the context of social media and with regard to users’ awareness of privacy policies and laws in the ‘Post-Snowden’ era. In the light of presumably increased public exposure to privacy debates, generated partly due to the European “Right to be Forgotten” ruling and the Snowden revelations on mass surveillance, this article explores users’ meaning-making of privacy as a matter of legal dimension in terms of its violations and threats online and users’ ways of negotiating their Internet use, in particular social networking sites. Drawing on the concept of legal consciousness, this article explores through focus group interviews the ways in which social media users negotiate privacy violations and what role their understanding of privacy laws (or lack thereof) might play in their strategies of negotiation. The findings are threefold: first, privacy is understood almost universally as a matter of controlling one’s own data, including information disclosure even to friends, and is strongly connected to issues about personal autonomy; second, a form of resignation with respect to control over personal data appears to coexist with a recognized need to protect one’s private data, while respondents describe conscious attempts to circumvent systems of monitoring or violation of privacy, and third, despite widespread coverage of privacy legal issues in the press, respondents’ concerns about and engagement in “self-protecting” tactics derive largely from being personally affected by violations of law and privacy.
Public Policy Influences on Academia in the European Union
Authors: Aliu Dorian , Akatay Ayten , Aliu Armando , Eroglu Umut
Published: February 2017

The aim of this research is to examine the public policy influences on academic investigations that contain a substantial convergence among human resource management–industrial relations and corporate social responsibility–stakeholder approach by means of using bibliometric and content analyses of relevant publications in the Scopus and ScienceDirect databases. Totally, 160 publications were subject to bibliometric, cluster, and summative content analyses. In this context, this study claims that public policy in the EU influences academic investigations and scholars. The investigation draws attention to the importance of active participation of different public institutions and key stakeholders (e.g., trade unions, works councils, academic associations) that prepare a basis for collaboration, solidarity, and communication for strengthening EU social model, social dialogue, collective bargaining, and the protection of social rights. The research findings illuminate the fact that European public policies have significant effects on shaping and encouraging investigations that are considered within the scope of IR–HRM and CSR–SA. One of the most crucial recommendations of this study is that the investigations which are out of this framework can be considered quite idealistic. Therefore, researchers may attempt to publish more scientific investigations in frame of IR–HRM and CSR–SA to enhance the comprehensiveness and depth of these two clusters.
Islamic State: Understanding the Nature of the Beast and Its Funding
Authors: Martin Michaela , Solomon Hussein
Published: February 2017

The Islamic State (IS) took the global stage in June 2014 and since has become one of the greatest threats to international peace and security. While initially closely affiliated with Al-Qaeda, the IS has proved itself to be a distinct phenomenon of horror—more dangerous than Al-Qaeda. The group essentially established itself in the volatile Middle East, but has infiltrated many parts of the world with the aim of expanding Islam’s Holy War. What certainly makes the IS different from its predecessors is that the group has been labeled the wealthiest terrorist group in the world today. By the fall of 2015, IS generated an annual income of US$2.4 billion. The question for many analysts observing the situation in Syria is: where does the IS gets its money? The aim of this article is to critically observe the nature of IS and its funding requirements and the measures pursued in curtailing the group’s funding.