bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epistemology and Qualitative Research in Music Education
Authors: Allsup Randall Everett
Published: June 2014

This chapter investigates the evolution of three prevailing epistemological fields of thought in the twentieth and early twenty-first-century: positivism, structuralism, and post-structuralism. Educational psychologist Jerome Bruner’s career-long interest in the mind and his changing attitudes and interests in knowledge and knowledge-making serve as an explicative for the changes that have taken place. A point is emphasized throughout: beliefs about knowledge and the mind shape and inform the questions researchers ask and the methods of investigation researchers choose to employ. Exemplifying this point, the chapter embraces a vision of research that is congruent with the diversity and fragmentation of contemporary society and alternative ways of knowing and being.
Changing the Conversation
Authors: Robinson Mitchell
Published: June 2014

The establishment of criteria for quality in qualitative research in music education has existed as a thorny issue within the profession for many years. The range of opinions and beliefs concerning “goodness” criteria for qualitative research is vast, and encompasses multiple belief systems, paradigm orientations, and research stances. The purpose of this chapter is to briefly review the conversation in the profession with respect to establishing and modifying evaluative criteria in qualitative research over the past several decades, provide alternative approaches to considering issues of evaluation in qualitative inquiry in music education, and extend the conversation to consider the profession’s future as a research community.
Doing Ethnography in Music Education
Authors: Krueger Patti J.
Published: June 2014

Ethnography is a relatively recent form of inquiry in music education research in the United States that describes, analyzes, and helps one understand a particular culture. This chapter explores the process of doing ethnography in schools and in music education research. The chapter defines and describes ethnographic methodologies in education, including theoretical framework, participant observation, and data collection, and discusses the potential for ethnographic methods to contribute information and insights in music education research. Finally, the chapter looks at several examples of how ethnography is used in music education literature from the 1980s to the present, and explores the benefits and contributions of ethnography for music education research.
Practitioner Inquiry
Authors: Robbins Janet
Published: June 2014

Practitioner inquiry is a form of systematic and intentional inquiry conducted by teachers using their classrooms as settings to study their own practice and students’ learning. This chapter takes an expanded view of practitioner inquiry to include multiple traditions of action research, teacher research, self-study, and communities of practice. A general overview of the defining qualities of each tradition lays the foundation for an examination of illustrative studies in music education conducted by P-12 teachers, graduate students, and teacher educators. This chapter concludes with a discussion of several common critiques of practitioner inquiry, along with suggestions for ways to move the work of researching teachers from the margins to the mainstream of music education research and practice.
Conducting and Analyzing Individual Interviews
Authors: Roulston Kathryn
Published: June 2014

This chapter reviews the different types of individual interview used in music education research. Topics include issues in research design using interviews, sampling and recruitment, and transcription practices. Analytic approaches to interview data are discussed, in addition to new trends in representing findings. Relevant exemplars of research studies in music education conducted in North America illustrate a variety of approaches to interviews. The chapter concludes by discussing the future of interviewing in music education research, namely, emerging avenues for research made possible by new technologies; how methodological and theoretical development in the social sciences might inform the use of interviews in music education research; and implications of these developments for the assessment of quality in research.
Qualitative Research in General Music Education
Authors: Stanley Ann Marie
Published: June 2014

This chapter is an overview of the myriad ways researchers have investigated typical general music classroom activities. The studies are organized depending on researcher positioning, and whether the research took place in or outside the classroom. The stance of each study is reviewed in terms of its balance between embracing classroom complexity and isolating individual student or teacher actions. Literature on the general music teacher is presented, including studies that examined teachers’ working conditions, how teachers acquire and use music content knowledge, and the development of various types and levels of teaching practice. Recommendations for future research are made, including the value of attending to accurate portrayals of researcher and participant voice, and the need for further research on what constitutes developmentally appropriate, meaningful musical learning activities.
Teaching Qualitative Research Experientially and Aesthetically
Authors: Bresler Liora
Published: June 2014

Liora Bresler, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, The nature of qualitative research—holistic, contextual, with foci and design that are emergent and attentive to the phenomena investigated and to insiders’ perspectives—imply that it entails more than theoretical knowledge and scripted procedures. The conduct of fieldwork and concurrent data analysis, and the processes of interpretation and writing require the cultivation of dispositions supportive of an improvisatory and responsive inquiry. These dispositions are related to those cultivated by artistic engagement. Music and the other arts provide rich and powerful occasions for intensified perception and responsive, attuned engagement. It also facilitates a space for lingering and a distinctive juxtaposition of detached connection. This chapter discusses these qualities in the context of teaching qualitative research, presenting in detail one course assignment targeting fieldwork of music performances. Students’ writing is included as concrete examples of qualitative observations, emerging conceptualizations and interpretations, and ongoing attention to their resonance (both consonance and dissonance) with what they study.
Diversity and Divergence in the Improvisational Evolution of Literary Genres
Authors: Ryan Jennifer D.
Published: June 2014

This chapter examines the evolution of three types of improvisation: a mode of literary composition, a method through which to advocate social change, and a theoretical practice. The theory that attempts to account for such improvisational strategies both simulates the material activity of improvisation and identifies the presence of improvisation itself as indicative of the first stage in an emerging literary genre. The chapter demonstrates the interrelated operations of these strategies through applied analyses of two texts, Mark Z. Danielewski’s experimental haunted-house novel House of Leaves (2000) and Edward P. Jones’s neo-slave narrative The Known World (2003). The argument locates improvisatory techniques in these two novels; examines the ways in which they diverge from preexisting theoretical trends in the fields of improvisation studies, postmodernist fiction, and the neo-slave narrative; and identifies these new improvisatory modes as signs of hitherto uncategorized literary forms.
Modernist Improvisations
Authors: Wallace Rob
Published: June 2014

The ubiquitous presence of improvisation as a practice and a theory in the modernist period has, until relatively recently, been ignored, denied, or deemphasized, specifically in discussions of modernist literature. This chapter explores the complicated history of modernist improvisations in literary texts and posits how a renewed emphasis on improvisation in modernist studies can help us transform our understanding of twentieth century culture. A range of authors and musicians, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Rabindranath Tagore, and Louis Armstrong, among others, are considered, with a focus on the connections between race, jazz, and aesthetics.
Shi‘i Islam in the African American Community
Authors: Takim Liyakat
Published: June 2014

While much has been written regarding the rise and experience of the African American Muslim community, western scholarship has paid little attention to the African American Shi‘is. This chapter argues that, because it is a minority within the Muslim community in America, the Shi‘i community is highly introverted and more concerned with preserving rather than extending its boundaries. In addition, the ethnic divisions within the Shi‘i community and the fact that Shi‘ism is highly reliant on the foreign-based leadership means that the Shi‘i community has not been concerned with reaching out to potential converts. This chapter also argues that by their vehement attacks on the Shi‘is, the Wahhabis have aroused the curiosity of many African American converts who may have not heard of Shi‘ism. Paradoxically, this has led to their conversion to Shi‘ism. Finally, the chapter highlights instances of African American Shi‘i–Sunni altercations in correctional facilities.
IBS and FAPS in Children
Authors: Rutten Juliette M.T.M. , Benninga Marc A. , Vlieger Arine M.
Published: June 2014

Objectives:

It has been suggested that different subcategories of childhood abdominal pain–related functional gastrointestinal disorders (AP‐FGIDs) are not separate clinical entities, but represent variable expressions of the same FGID. The aim of the present study was to compare clinical and psychological characteristics of children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional abdominal pain (FAP), and functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS).

Methods:

A total of 259 children, ages 8 to 18 years, fulfilling Rome III criteria for IBS or FAPS were included in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of hypnotherapy. At inclusion, questionnaires assessed demographics, clinical features, abdominal pain frequency and intensity, depression and anxiety, somatization, health‐related quality of life, pain beliefs, and coping strategies.

Results:

No differences were found between children with IBS and those with FAPS with respect to the main outcomes: frequency and intensity of abdominal pain, symptoms of depression and anxiety, somatization, health‐related quality of life, pain beliefs, and coping strategies. A significantly higher percentage of patients with IBS had a positive family history for AP‐FGIDs (56.8% vs 37.8%; P = 0.00). Characteristics of patients with IBS subtypes did not differ. Patients with FAP or FAPS differed only with respect to problem‐focused coping strategy (2.21 ± 0.61 vs 2.52 ± 0.49; P = 0.00).

Conclusions:

Pediatric patients with IBS and those with FAPS have similar psychosocial profiles. These results may explain why treatment response of psychological therapies in these AP‐FGIDs is similar. These results may indicate that pediatric IBS and FAPS are different expressions of 1 underlying functional disorder, but similarities in psychosocial characteristics do not exclude the possibility that these disorders are different entities, because these similarities can exist between disorders of various causes. Therefore, future research is required on the role of other (physiological) factors in pediatric IBS and FAPS.
The ocean's role in polar climate change: asymmetric Arctic and Antarctic responses to greenhouse gas and ozone forcing
Authors: Marshall John , Armour Kyle C. , Scott Jeffery R. , Kostov Yavor , Hausmann Ute , Ferreira David , Shepherd Theodore G. , Bitz Cecilia M.
Published: June 2014

In recent decades, the Arctic has been warming and sea ice disappearing. By contrast, the Southern Ocean around Antarctica has been (mainly) cooling and sea-ice extent growing. We argue here that interhemispheric asymmetries in the mean ocean circulation, with sinking in the northern North Atlantic and upwelling around Antarctica, strongly influence the sea-surface temperature (SST) response to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) forcing, accelerating warming in the Arctic while delaying it in the Antarctic. Furthermore, while the amplitude of GHG forcing has been similar at the poles, significant ozone depletion only occurs over Antarctica. We suggest that the initial response of SST around Antarctica to ozone depletion is one of cooling and only later adds to the GHG-induced warming trend as upwelling of sub-surface warm water associated with stronger surface westerlies impacts surface properties. We organize our discussion around ‘climate response functions’ (CRFs), i.e. the response of the climate to ‘step’ changes in anthropogenic forcing in which GHG and/or ozone-hole forcing is abruptly turned on and the transient response of the climate revealed and studied. Convolutions of known or postulated GHG and ozone-hole forcing functions with their respective CRFs then yield the transient forced SST response (implied by linear response theory), providing a context for discussion of the differing warming/cooling trends in the Arctic and Antarctic. We speculate that the period through which we are now passing may be one in which the delayed warming of SST associated with GHG forcing around Antarctica is largely cancelled by the cooling effects associated with the ozone hole. By mid-century, however, ozone-hole effects may instead be adding to GHG warming around Antarctica but with diminished amplitude as the ozone hole heals. The Arctic, meanwhile, responding to GHG forcing but in a manner amplified by ocean heat transport, may continue to warm at an accelerating rate.
Ocean processes at the Antarctic continental slope
Authors: Heywood Karen J. , Schmidtko Sunke , Heuzé Céline , Kaiser Jan , Jickells Timothy D. , Queste Bastien Y. , Stevens David P. , Wadley Martin , Thompson Andrew F. , Fielding Sophie , Guihen Damien , Creed Elizabeth , Ridley Jeff K. , Smith Walker
Published: June 2014

The Antarctic continental shelves and slopes occupy relatively small areas, but, nevertheless, are important for global climate, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning. Processes of water mass transformation through sea ice formation/melting and ocean–atmosphere interaction are key to the formation of deep and bottom waters as well as determining the heat flux beneath ice shelves. Climate models, however, struggle to capture these physical processes and are unable to reproduce water mass properties of the region. Dynamics at the continental slope are key for correctly modelling climate, yet their small spatial scale presents challenges both for ocean modelling and for observational studies. Cross-slope exchange processes are also vital for the flux of nutrients such as iron from the continental shelf into the mixed layer of the Southern Ocean. An iron-cycling model embedded in an eddy-permitting ocean model reveals the importance of sedimentary iron in fertilizing parts of the Southern Ocean. Ocean gliders play a key role in improving our ability to observe and understand these small-scale processes at the continental shelf break. The Gliders: Excellent New Tools for Observing the Ocean (GENTOO) project deployed three Seagliders for up to two months in early 2012 to sample the water to the east of the Antarctic Peninsula in unprecedented temporal and spatial detail. The glider data resolve small-scale exchange processes across the shelf-break front (the Antarctic Slope Front) and the front's biogeochemical signature. GENTOO demonstrated the capability of ocean gliders to play a key role in a future multi-disciplinary Southern Ocean observing system.
The Southern Ocean in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5
Authors: Meijers A. J. S.
Published: June 2014

The Southern Ocean is an important part of the global climate system, but its complex coupled nature makes both its present state and its response to projected future climate forcing difficult to model. Clear trends in wind, sea-ice extent and ocean properties emerged from multi-model intercomparison in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3). Here, we review recent analyses of the historical and projected wind, sea ice, circulation and bulk properties of the Southern Ocean in the updated Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) ensemble. Improvements to the models include higher resolutions, more complex and better-tuned parametrizations of ocean mixing, and improved biogeochemical cycles and atmospheric chemistry. CMIP5 largely reproduces the findings of CMIP3, but with smaller inter-model spreads and biases. By the end of the twenty-first century, mid-latitude wind stresses increase and shift polewards. All water masses warm, and intermediate waters freshen, while bottom waters increase in salinity. Surface mixed layers shallow, warm and freshen, whereas sea ice decreases. The upper overturning circulation intensifies, whereas bottom water formation is reduced. Significant disagreement exists between models for the response of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current strength, for reasons that are as yet unclear.
A field test for frequency-dependent selection on mimetic colour patterns inHeliconiusbutterflies
Authors: Salazar Patricio A. , Stevens Martin , Jones Robert T. , Ogilvie Imogen , Jiggins Chris D.
Published: June 2014

Müllerian mimicry, the similarity among unpalatable species, is thought to evolve by frequency-dependent selection. Accordingly, phenotypes that become established in an area are positively selected because predators have learnt to avoid these forms, while introduced phenotypes are eliminated because predators have not yet learnt to associate these other forms with unprofitability. We tested this prediction in two areas where different colour morphs of the mimetic speciesHeliconius eratoandH. melpomenehave become established, as well as in the hybrid zone between these morphs. In each area we tested for selection on three colour patterns: the two parental and the most common hybrid. We recorded bird predation on butterfly models with paper wings, matching the appearance of each morph to bird vision, and plasticine bodies. We did not detect differences in survival between colour morphs, but all morphs were more highly attacked in the hybrid zone. This finding is consistent with recent evidence from controlled experiments with captive birds, which suggest that the effectiveness of warning signals decreases when a large signal diversity is available to predators. This is likely to occur in the hybrid zone where over twenty hybrid phenotypes coexist.
Octa-μ3-selenido-pentakis(triethylphosphane-κP)(trimethylacetonitrile-κN)-octahedro-hexarhenium(III) bis(hexafluoridoantimonate) trimethylacetonitrile monosolvate
Authors: Ren YiXin , Bruck Andrea M. , Szczepura Lisa F.
Published: June 2014

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Re6Se8{NCC(CH3)3}(Et3P)5](SbF6)2·NCC(CH3)3, contains a face-capped octahedral [Re6(μ3-Se)8]2+cluster core. The pseudo-centrosymmetric [Re6Se8]2+cluster core is bonded through the Re atoms to five triethylphosphane ligands and one trimethylacetonitrile ligand. No significant interactions are observed between the cationic cluster, the SbF6−anions and the trimethylacetonitrile solvent molecule.
2,3,5,6-Tetrafluoro-1,4-bis({[(thiophen-2-yl)methylidene]amino}methyl)benzene
Authors: Gao Ning , Luo Hai-Kun , Qin Rui-Rui , He Ming-Yang
Published: June 2014

In the title compound, C18H12F4N2S2, a bis-thiophenyl Schiff base ligand with a perifluorinated aromatic core, the complete molecule is generated by crystallographic inversion symmetry. The thiophene and tetrafluorinated benzene rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 77.38 (4)°. The crystal structure exhibits C—H...F hydrogen bonds, resulting in supramolecular chains along thec-axis direction.
Ethyl 2-[({[4-amino-5-cyano-6-(methylsulfanyl)pyridin-2-yl]carbamoyl}methyl)sulfanyl]acetate monohydrate
Authors: Akkurt Mehmet , Mague Joel T. , Mohamed Shaaban K. , Hussein Bahgat R. M. , Albayati Mustafa R.
Published: June 2014

The title compound, C13H16N4O3S2·H2O, crystallizes in a `folded' conformation with the ester group lying over the carbamoyl moiety, with one solvent water molecule. The molecular conformation is stabilized by an intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond, and an N—H...O hydrogen-bonding interaction involving the lattice water molecule. The packing involves N—H...N, N—H...O, O—H...N and O—H...O hydrogen bonds and consists of tilted layers running approximately parallel to thecaxis, with the ester groups on the outer sides of the layers and with channels running parallel to (101).
μ2-Acetato-κ2O:O′-(4,4′-bipyridyl-κN)tris(diethyl dithiophosphato-κ2S,S′)-μ3-sulfido-tri-μ2-sulfido-trimolybdenum(IV) diethyl ether monosolvate
Authors: Kawamoto Keisuke , Kinoshita Isamu
Published: June 2014

In the title compound, [Mo3(CH3COO)(C4H10O2PS2)3S4(C10H8N2)]·C4H10O, the complex molecule has a trinuclear incomplete cuboidal structure which is coordinated by three kinds of ligands, namely, diethyl dithiophosphate, acetate and 4,4′-bipyridyl. If Mo—Mo bonds are ignored, each Mo atom can be considered as six-coordinated in a distorted octahedral geometry. The Mo—Mo distance of 2.6880 (5) Å for two the Mo atoms bridged by the acetate ligand is shorter than the other two Mo—Mo distances [2.7490 (5) and 2.7566 (5) Å]. One ethyl group is disordered between two conformations in a 0.65 (3):0.35 (3) ratio. In the crystal, weak C—H...O interactions link the trinuclear molecules related by translation in [100] into chains. The crystal packing exhibits short intermolecular S...S contacts of 3.1886 (13) Å. In other words, in this crystal packing, a supramolecular structure is constructed by the C—H...O and S...S interactions.
Bis(2-amino-4-methyl-6-oxo-3,6-dihydropyrimidin-1-ium) sulfate monohydrate
Authors: Soudani Sarra , Wenger Emmanuel , Jelsch Christian , Ben Nasr Cherif
Published: June 2014

In the title hydrated molecular salt, 2C5H8N3O+·SO42−·H2O, the components are linked by N—H...Osand Ow—H...Os(s = sulphate, w = water) hydrogen bonds, generating a layer bya+b+cand 2a−btranslations. The cations are arranged nearly in parallel and show displaced π–π stacking centroid–centroid distance = 4.661 (2) Å between adjacent layers.
Role of auditory non‐verbal working memory in sentence repetition for bilingual children with primary language impairment
Authors: Ebert Kerry Danahy
Published: June 2014

Background

Sentence repetition performance is attracting increasing interest as a valuable clinical marker for primary (or specific) language impairment (LI) in both monolingual and bilingual populations. Multiple aspects of memory appear to contribute to sentence repetition performance, but non‐verbal memory has not yet been considered.

Aims

To explore the relationship between a measure of non‐verbal auditory working memory (NVWM) and sentence repetition performance in a sample of bilingual children with LI.

Methods & Procedures

Forty‐seven school‐aged Spanish–English bilingual children with LI completed sentence repetition and non‐word repetition tasks in both Spanish and English as well as an NVWM task. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to predict sentence repetition in each language using age, non‐word repetition and NVWM.

Outcomes & Results

NVWM predicted unique variance in sentence repetition performance in both languages after accounting for chronological age and language‐specific phonological memory, as measured by non‐word repetition.

Conclusions & Implications

Domain‐general memory resources play a unique role in sentence repetition performance in children with LI. Non‐verbal working memory weaknesses may contribute to the poor performance of children with LI on sentence repetition tasks.
School‐readiness profiles of children with language impairment: linkages to home and classroom experiences
Authors: Pentimonti Jill M. , Justice Laura M. , Kaderavek Joan N.
Published: June 2014

Background

This study represents an effort to advance our understanding of the nature of school readiness among children with language impairment (LI), a population of children acknowledged to be at risk of poor academic achievement. The academic, social–emotional, and behavioural competencies with which children arrive at kindergarten affect the nature of their future educational experiences, and their overall academic achievement.

Aims

To examine whether there are reliable profiles that characterize children with LI just prior to kindergarten entrance, and the extent to which profile membership is associated with characteristics of children's homes and preschool experiences. Questions addressed were twofold: (1) To what extent are there reliable profiles of children with LI with respect to their school readiness? (2) To what extent is children's profile membership associated with characteristics of their homes and preschool classrooms?

Methods & Procedures

Participants were 136 children with LI from early childhood special education classrooms. We utilized latent class analysis (LCA) to classify individuals into profiles based on individual responses on school readiness measures. We then used multilevel hierarchical generalized linear models to examine the relations between profile membership and children's home/classroom experiences.

Outcomes & Results

LCA analyses revealed that a four‐profile solution was the most appropriate fit for the data and that classroom experiences were predictive of these profiles, such that children in classrooms with more instructional/emotional support were more likely to be placed in profiles characterized by higher school readiness skills.

Conclusions & Implications

These results suggest that the school readiness profiles of young children with LI are associated with the quality of children's classroom experiences, and that high‐quality classroom experiences can be influential for ensuring that young children with LI arrive in kindergarten ready to learn.
Do those over 80 years of age seek more or less medical help? A qualitative study of health and illness beliefs and behaviour of the oldest old
Authors: Elias Tania , Lowton Karen
Published: June 2014

Increasing longevity and prevalence of long‐term conditions contribute to older adults being the greatest users of health services. However, relatively little is known about the health and illness beliefs of the oldest old or how they decide to seek help in response to symptoms. Through analysis of in‐depth interviews with day centre attendees aged 80–93, we find that a moral, hierarchical approach to health problems and help‐seeking exists; similar to Cornwell's () findings among 50–60 year‐olds of a similar social group 30 years ago. However, when acting independently, those in their eighties and nineties report modifying their health and illness beliefs and behaviour, in response to their own perceived old age. Some health problems are ‘demedicalised’, being increasingly attributed to age and by being self‐managed. Others are perceived as potentially more serious, leading to increased consultation with medical services. When obliged to act outside their moral belief–behaviour framework by others, the participants expressed feelings of disempowerment, yet resisted modifying their moral beliefs. This may represent resistance to adopt the ‘sick role’, while seeking to maintain control over uncertain health as functional dependence and frailty increases. This study furthers theoretical understanding of the health and illness beliefs and behaviour of the oldest old, with important practical implications.
Changing Policy Framing as a Deliberate Strategy for Public Health Advocacy: A Qualitative Policy Case Study of Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol
Authors: KATIKIREDDI SRINIVASA VITTAL , BOND LYNDAL , HILTON SHONA
Published: June 2014

Context

Scotland is the first country in the world to pass legislation introducing a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in an attempt to reduce consumption and associated harms by increasing the price of the cheapest alcohol. We investigated the competing ways in which policy stakeholders presented the debate. We then established whether a change in framing helped explain the policy's emergence.

Methods

We conducted a detailed policy case study through analysis of evidence submitted to the Scottish parliament, and in‐depth, one‐to‐one interviews (n = 36) with politicians, civil servants, advocates, researchers, and industry representatives.

Findings

Public‐ and voluntary‐sector stakeholders tended to support MUP, while industry representatives were more divided. Two markedly different ways of presenting alcohol as a policy problem were evident. Critics of MUP (all of whom were related to industry) emphasized social disorder issues, particularly among young people, and hence argued for targeted approaches. In contrast, advocates for MUP (with the exception of those in industry) focused on alcohol as a health issue arising from overconsumption at a population level, thus suggesting that population‐based interventions were necessary. Industry stakeholders favoring MUP adopted a hybrid framing, maintaining several aspects of the critical framing. Our interview data showed that public health advocates worked hard to redefine the policy issue by deliberately presenting a consistent alternative framing.

Conclusions

Framing alcohol policy as a broad, multisectoral, public health issue that requires a whole‐population approach has been crucial to enabling policymakers to seriously consider MUP, and public health advocates intentionally presented alcohol policy in this way. This reframing helped prioritize public health considerations in the policy debate and represents a deliberate strategy for consideration by those advocating for policy change around the world and in other public health areas.
How Successful Is Medicare Advantage?
Authors: NEWHOUSE JOSEPH P. , McGUIRE THOMAS G.
Published: June 2014

Context

Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage (MA), now almost 30 years old, has generally been viewed as a policy disappointment. Enrollment has vacillated but has never come close to the penetration of managed care plans in the commercial insurance market or in Medicaid, and because of payment policy decisions and selection, the MA program is viewed as having added to cost rather than saving funds for the Medicare program. Recent changes in Medicare policy, including improved risk adjustment, however, may have changed this picture.

Methods

This article summarizes findings from our group's work evaluating MA's recent performance and investigating payment options for improving its performance even more. We studied the behavior of both beneficiaries and plans, as well as the effects of Medicare policy.

Findings

Beneficiaries make “mistakes” in their choice of MA plan options that can be explained by behavioral economics. Few beneficiaries make an active choice after they enroll in Medicare. The high prevalence of “zero‐premium” plans signals inefficiency in plan design and in the market's functioning. That is, Medicare premium policies interfere with economically efficient choices. The adverse selection problem, in which healthier, lower‐cost beneficiaries tend to join MA, appears much diminished. The available measures, while limited, suggest that, on average, MA plans offer care of equal or higher quality and for less cost than traditional Medicare (TM). In counties, greater MA penetration appears to improve TM's performance.

Conclusions

Medicare policies regarding lock‐in provisions and risk adjustment that were adopted in the mid‐2000s have mitigated the adverse selection problem previously plaguing MA. On average, MA plans appear to offer higher value than TM, and positive spillovers from MA into TM imply that reimbursement should not necessarily be neutral. Policy changes in Medicare that reform the way that beneficiaries are charged for MA plan membership are warranted to move more beneficiaries into MA.
Self‐Preservation vs. Collective Resilience as Consumer Responses to National Disasters: A Study on Radioactive Product Contamination
Authors: Frank Björn , Schvaneveldt Shane J.
Published: June 2014

This article extends the literature on consumer reactions to national disasters. Because of the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japanese consumers face the long‐term risk of radioactive product contamination as products come from contaminated regions. When facing this risk in purchase situations, Japanese consumers have the choice of reducing their purchases to protect personal health from perceived risk or increasing their purchases to economically support suffering Japanese regions. Based on analysis of variance and regression analysis of data on mobile phones and fast food restaurants from 99 consumers in Japan and 677 consumers in the United States, this study confirms that consumers respond to the risk of radioactive product contamination by reduced or increased purchase intent. Moreover, it finds that purchase intent reductions (vs. increases) vary by consumer age and are more pronounced for fast food restaurants than mobile phones, for non‐Japanese consumers in Japan and the United States than for Japanese consumers in Japan, and for more health‐conscious consumers. While purchase intent reductions only weakly depend on cultural values, they tend to be positively influenced by uncertainty avoidance and negatively influenced by individualism, masculinity values and long‐term orientation. This article thus informs policy makers and marketing managers on how to more effectively address psychological needs of different consumer segments to support the economic reconstruction of disaster‐stricken regions.
The incidence and implications of cerebral palsy following potentially avoidable obstetric complications: a preliminary burden of disease study
Authors: Leigh S , Granby P , Turner M , Wieteska S , Haycox A , Collins B
Published: June 2014

Objective

To determine the extent of cerebral palsy attributable to adverse obstetric events, and estimate the lifetime mortality and morbidity expectations of these individuals relative to age‐matched members of the UK general population.

Design

Simulation model.

Setting

UK.

Population

All projected live births during 2014.

Methods

Using published data regarding the incidence and aetiology of cerebral palsy, we simulated the outcomes of a hypothetical cohort of UK live births. Survival and quality of life (QoL) for those with cerebral palsy were compared with age‐matched individuals representative of the UK general population, in order to estimate the number of quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) lost following asphyxia‐related cerebral palsy.

Main outcome measures

Incidence of asphyxia‐related cerebral palsy, QALYS, QoL, and survival.

Results

A total of 207 (95% CI 169–245) cases of asphyxia‐related cerebral palsy were projected amongst UK children born during the year 2014, with approximately 15.2 QALYs lost per case. If these results held true in a real birth cohort, 3142 (95% CI 2321–3963) QALYs would be lost as a consequence of asphyxia‐related cerebral palsy, a loss valued by the UK National Health Service at £62.9 m (95% CI £46.4–79.3 m).

Conclusions

Cerebral palsy following intrapartum asphyxiation leads to significant reductions in QoL and survival; however, this may often be prevented. For those with GMFCS 1 and GMFCS 2 cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System), lifetime QALYs accrued largely resemble those experienced by the UK general population, whereas for GMFCS 3 and GMFCS 4 QALYs are reduced considerably, and are negative in the case of GMFCS 5.
Observations on the epidemiology of gastrointestinal and liver cancers in the Asia–Pacific region
Authors: GOH Li‐Yen , LEOW Alex Hwong Ruey , GOH Khean‐Lee
Published: June 2014

Gastric cancer (GC) has long been thought to be an Asian type of cancer that is broadly associated with poverty, whereas colorectal cancer (CRC) has been thought to be a Western type of cancer associated with affluence. The incidence of GC has declined dramatically in the West but has a very high incidence in East Asia. The age‐standardized incidence rates (ASR) have also declined. The decrease in the incidence of GC is associated with the decrease in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection worldwide. The discrepancy between a high H. pylori infection rate and a low GC incidence is seen chiefly among southern Asians of Indian origin and has been aptly termed the “Indian enigma”. CRC is a new emerging cancer in this region. Some of the highest CRC ASR have been reported from Asian countries, in many of which it has now surpassed that of GC. Liver cancer is also an important cancer in the Asia–Pacific region. The highest ASR worldwide is reported from the Asian countries of Mongolia, Korea and Japan. The predominant underlying etiology across the region has been hepatitis B virus infection, except in Japan, where hepatitis C is an important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). With mass vaccination of hepatitis B at birth and improved public health measures in many countries, hepatitis B and C are set to decline with time. However, the exponential increase in obesity and consequent non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease portends a future epidemic of fatty liver‐related HCC.
Coronary artery bypass grafting versus drug‐eluting stents in patients with severe coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus: Systematic review and meta‐analysis 冠状动脉旁路移植术与药物洗脱支架治疗严重冠心病合并糖尿病的患者：系统评估和meta分析
Authors: Wu Yi‐Cheng , Su Ting‐Wei , Zhang Jian‐Feng , Shen Wei‐Feng , Ning Guang , Kong Ye
Published: June 2014

Background

A comprehensive meta‐analysis was performed to evaluate the comparative benefits of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) versus drug‐eluting stents (DES) in patients with diabetes mellitus and severe coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods

A comprehensive literature search ofPubMed, Embase, and ScienceDirect was undertaken. References cited with the papers were also checked to identify relevant articles.

Results

In all, four randomized controlled trials, two prospective registries, and 11 retrospective studies were identified for review. Pooled analysis demonstrated thatDESwas associated with lower all‐cause mortality at Day 30. However, there was no significant difference betweenCABGandDESin mortality at 12 months and at maximum follow‐up. Furthermore,DESwas associated with lower overall and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE)‐free survival, as well as a higher incidence of myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization. In contrast,CABGwas associated with an increased risk of stroke.

Conclusions

For patients with diabetes mellitus and severeCAD,CABGis superior toDESin that it significantly improves overall andMACCE‐free survival and reduces the incidence of myocardial infarction and repeat revascularization in the long term, although it is associated with greater perioperative risk and a higher incidence of stroke. Therefore,CABGshould remain the gold standard for these patients.
Vaccination against smoking: an annotated agenda for debate. A review of scientific journals, 2001–13
Authors: Wolters Anna , de Wert Guido , van Schayck Onno C. P. , Horstman Klasien
Published: June 2014

Background and Aims

The ongoing development of novel nicotine vaccines makes it urgent to identify the normative questions around this innovative health technology against smoking.

Methods

A qualitative thematic analysis of peer‐reviewed papers on nicotine vaccination published between 2001 and 2013.

Results

In the scientific discourse, nicotine vaccination is presented in a neurobiological frame as a potent concept for (long‐term) smoking cessation. Nicotine vaccination is also considered a hypothetical strategy to prevent nicotine addiction in minors. Ethical assessments are conducted for the use of nicotine vaccination in public health and clinical medicine. Whereas vaccination for primary prevention is usually associated with public health, the hypothetical case of nicotine prevention in minors is also assessed for individualized protection. Therapeutic and preventive applications are given uneven attention: the classic goal of vaccination (primary prevention in minors) receives methodical consideration and invokes lively debate. The unprecedented use of vaccination, namely smoking cessation, is left largely unattended in the ethical analyses.

Conclusions

While health innovations such as nicotine vaccination need broad reflection to guide decisions on their further development and possible future implementations, only a small part of the ethical and social issues of this innovative technology has been discussed. For a debate to come into existence, a ‘neurobio‐psycho‐socio‐cultural’ frame of smoking and quitting appears fruitful. Important topics for reflection are the human activities and social processes in a vaccine‐supported quit attempt, next to respect for individuals, possible harms and questions of (global) justice and research ethics.
Clinical results of primary malignant musculoskeletal tumor treated by wide resection and recycling autograft reconstruction using liquid nitrogen
Authors: Paholpak Permsak , Sirichativapee Winai , Wisanuyotin Taweechok , Kosuwon Weerachai , Jeeravipoolvarn Polasak
Published: June 2014

Aim

To evaluate the clinical results of primary malignant musculoskeletal tumors treated with wide resection and recycling autograft reconstruction using liquid nitrogen.

Methods

We reviewed 12 patients who had a primary malignant bone and soft tissue tumor treated by wide resection and recycling autograft reconstruction using liquid nitrogen between March 2006 and March 2013. The results were judged by recurrence, functional status and complications. Functional status was assessed according to the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score (MSTSS). Clinical failure was defined as need for reoperation in order to change the type of reconstruction or to amputate, and the presence of local recurrence.

Results

The most common tumor was osteosarcoma (eight cases) followed by Ewing's sarcoma (two cases). The tibia was the most frequently involved skeletal site (six cases) followed by the femur (three cases). The median follow‐up period was 32 months. In 12 patients, 7 were still alive without recurrence. There were 3 clinical failures: 1 local recurrence and 2 graft complications at 28, 51 and 20 months after reconstruction, respectively. The main complication was infection (three cases). All osteotomy sites were radiographic unions, and the union time was 8.2 ± 2.7 months. The mean ± SD MSTSS score was 79% ± 11%; excellent functional results were achieved in seven patients.

Conclusions

Recycling autograft reconstruction using liquid nitrogen had favorable clinical outcomes in terms of functional status and local recurrence. This reconstruction method, therefore, represents a reasonable alternative for limb salvage surgery.
Pinkwashing, Homonationalism, and Israel–Palestine: The Conceits of Queer Theory and the Politics of the Ordinary
Authors: Ritchie Jason
Published: June 2014

This paper offers a critique of the theory of homonationalism, which has become virtually hegemonic in contemporary queer thought and activism. Some theorists have tried to distance homonationalism from its popular/activist manifestation of “pinkwatching”, which refers to the increasingly vocal efforts of queer anti‐occupation activists to expose the Israeli government's efforts to “pinkwash” its treatment of Palestinians by touting its record on gay rights. The paper argues, however, that both suffer from fundamental conceptual flaws and ultimately have more to do with the contexts in which they circulate—“gay” cities in the US and Europe—than Israel–Palestine. The paper suggests a political and analytical shift away from the totalizing theory of homonationalism—and the simplistic critiques of pinkwashing inspired by it—to a more complex and contextualized focus on the ways in which ordinary bodies are regulated in their movements through time and space.
Tumours of the lacrimal gland. Epidemiological, Clinical and Genetic Characteristics
Authors: von Holstein Sarah Linéa
Published: June 2014

Tumours of the lacrimal gland are rare, but the prognosis may be grave. To date, no population‐based incidence and distribution data on lacrimal gland tumours exist. In addition, almost nothing is known about the genetic profile of epithelial tumours of the lacrimal gland.

We collected specimens and clinical files on all biopsied lacrimal gland lesions in Denmark over a 34‐year period and re‐evaluated the diagnosis to provide updated population‐based incidence rates and epidemiological characteristics. Clinical data regarding symptoms, clinical examinations, treatment and follow‐up were collected for patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), pleomorphic adenoma (PA), carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (Ca‐ex‐PA) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). Using RT‐PCR, FISH, immunohistochemistry, Q‐PCR and high‐resolution array‐based comparative genomic hybridization (arrayCGH) we explored the genetic characteristics including copy number alterations (CNA) in ACC, PA, Ca‐ex‐PA and MEC.

The incidence of biopsied lacrimal gland lesions was 1.3/1 000 000/year, and ~50% were neoplastic lesions. Of these, 55% were malignant tumours with epithelial tumours as the most frequent. The overall incidence was increasing, and this was caused by an increase in biopsied non‐neoplastic lesions. We found that 10/14 ACCs either expressed the MYB–NFIB fusion gene and/or had rearrangements of MYB. All ACCs expressed the MYB protein. ACC was characterized by recurrent copy number losses involving 6q, 12q and 17q and gains involving 19q, 8q and 11q. ArrayCGH revealed an apparently normal genomic profile in 11/19 PAs. The remaining 8 PAs had recurrent copy number losses involving 1p, 6q, 8q and 13q and gain involving 9p. PA expressed PLAG1 in all tumours whereas only 2/29 tumours expressed HMGA2. Ca‐ex‐PA was characterized by recurrent copy number gain involving 22q. PLAG1 was expressed in 3/5 Ca‐ex‐PA whereas none of these tumours expressed HMGA2. MEC expressed the CRTC1–MAML2, and this fusion was found to be tumour‐specific for lacrimal gland MEC.

In conclusion, lacrimal gland lesions that require pathological evaluation are rare in the Danish population, and the incidence rate of biopsied benign lesions is increasing. Epithelial tumours of the lacrimal gland are molecularly very similar to their salivary gland counterparts in the expression of the tumour‐specific fusion genes and in their genomic imbalances as demonstrated by arrayCGH. MYB–NFIB is a useful biomarker for ACC and MYB, and its downstream target genes may be potential therapeutic targets for these tumours.