bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disparities Among Those With Advance Directives in a Medicare Supplement Population
Authors: Musich Shirley , Wang Shaohung S. , Hawkins Kevin , Yeh Charlotte S.
Published: March 2015

Advance directives (ADs) detail patients’ end-of-life (EOL) care preferences. We estimated AD prevalence rates among a Medicare Supplement population and determined characteristics associated with having ADs. We also estimated the impact of having an AD on EOL Medicare expenditures among respondents who later died. Survey respondents with an AD (72%) were significantly more likely to be female, older, nonminority, higher income and education, and have more comorbid conditions. Following regression adjustments, EOL expenditures were significantly lower for those with ADs in the last 3 months (−US$11 189) and 1 month (−US$6092) prior to death. Patients with ADs specifying their wishes for EOL care had significantly lower medical expenditures during the last few months of life. However, disparities exist among those with ADs that may warrant interventions.
Drivers and Outcomes of Work Alienation
Authors: Shantz Amanda , Alfes Kerstin , Bailey Catherine , Soane Emma
Published: March 2015

This article sheds new light on an understudied construct in mainstream management theory, namely, work alienation. This is an important area of study because previous research indicates that work alienation is associated with important individual and organizational outcomes. We tested four antecedents of work alienation: decision-making autonomy, task variety, task identity, and social support. Moreover, we examined two outcomes of alienation: deviance and performance, the former measured 1 year after the independent variables were measured, and the latter as rated by supervisors. We present evidence from a sample of 283 employees employed at a construction and consultancy organization in the United Kingdom. The results supported the majority of our hypotheses, indicating that alienation is a worthy concept of exploration in the management sciences.
Twin-induced template effect on the inelastic deformation of hierarchically nanotwinned copper under indentation and scratch
Authors: Zheng Yonggang , Ye Hongfei , Zhang Hongwu
Published: March 2015

The inelastic deformation of hierarchically nanotwinned copper that is composed of primary and secondary twins under indentation and scratch has been investigated by using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. Simulation results show that the partial dislocation activities are the main factor that dominates the inelastic deformation. Both the indentation and scratch processes show arrest and burst behaviors of partial dislocations, which indicates that the twin boundaries have a template effect on the inelastic deformations. Moreover, it is found that the characteristic size of the inelastic deformation zone increases, respectively, with the increase of the primary and secondary twin spacings.
Evidence-Based Policing of U.K. Muslim Communities
Authors: Murray Alex , Mueller-Johnson Katrin , Sherman Lawrence W.
Published: March 2015

Preventing the growth of political views justifying violence is central to global strategies for countering terrorism. In Western democracies, targeting resources on local “hot spots” of low confidence in the police is essential for making these strategies evidence based. This research explores the relationship between two kinds of evidence for targeting resources across 335 neighborhoods in a large metropolitan area: police scoring of human intelligence data and public opinion surveys ( N = 30,412). We map the intelligence data by classifying each Census Output Area (COA) as high, medium, or low risk of vulnerability to violent extremism. Independent survey data for each neighborhood that measures confidence in the police is then compared to categorizations of vulnerability from intelligence sources. The results suggest that while Muslim respondents have lower levels of confidence in the police than other ethnic minority groups, their confidence levels are even lower in areas where intelligence suggests the greatest risk of extremist violence. Given the convergence of indicators of COAs with lowest confidence in police and highest risk of extremist violence, the value of combining these measures appears substantial for evidence-based targeting of “hearts and minds” strategies for preventing extremist, pro-violence views.
Self-Efficacy and Self-Reported Dietary Behaviors in Adolescents at an Urban School With No Competitive Foods
Authors: Rosenkoetter Eileen , Loman Deborah G.
Published: March 2015

Over one third of U.S. adolescents are overweight. A descriptive, cross-sectional study examined the relationship between student dietary self-efficacy (SE), sugar-sweetened beverages, and low-nutrient energy-dense food consumption, and exposure to a healthy school food environment without competitive foods. The sample consisted of 292 urban, primarily African American students aged 11 to 16 years. Mantel–Haenszel χ2 analyses revealed a significant but weak linear trend for girls between number of school meals and SE to drink less soda, χ2(1) = 6.882, p = .008, and between semesters attended with SE to eat more fruits and vegetables, χ2(1) = 5.908, p = .015. Obese students had significantly higher scores for two SE items than nonobese students, that is, plan better nutrition, χ2(1) = 3.998, p = .045, and eat healthy at a fast-food restaurant, χ2(1) = 4.078, p = .043. Further study of adolescent SE for healthy eating and school-based, food-focused obesity prevention interventions is needed.
A Comparative Study With In Vitro Ultrasonographic and Histologic Grading of Metatarsal Head Cartilage in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Onodera Tomohiro , Kasahara Yasuhiko , Kasemura Toshiyuki , Suzuki Yuki , Kondo Eiji , Iwasaki Norimasa
Published: March 2015

Background:

Ultrasonography is among the valid methods to assess articular cartilage in the foot. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of ultrasonographic grading to assess metatarsal head articular cartilage for rheumatoid forefoot deformity in vivo and to compare the findings with in vitro ultrasonographic and histologic gradings.

Methods:

Participants were 15 patients scheduled to undergo resection arthroplasty of the metatarsal heads of the lesser toes because of rheumatoid arthritis of the metatarsophalangeal joints. Ultrasonographic examination was performed in vivo the day before surgery. Specimens of the second to fifth metatarsal heads taken intraoperatively were graded from in vitro ultrasonographic and histologic evaluations. Correlations among in vivo ultrasonographic, in vitro ultrasonographic, and histologic gradings were analyzed.

Results:

In 46 metatarsal heads, the distribution of grading ranged from grade 1 to 6 for in vivo ultrasonographic examinations and from grade 1 to 4 for histologic examinations. In vivo ultrasonographic grading showed significant correlation to both in vitro ultrasonographic grading ( P < .001, R = 0.74) and histologic grading ( P < .001, R = 0.67).

Conclusions:

The significant correlations between in vivo ultrasonographic and histologic gradings suggest that a semiquantitative in vivo ultrasonographic assessment of forefoot deformity in rheumatoid arthritis may be possible. Ultrasonographic grading may prove useful for pre- and postoperative evaluation of remaining joint function in rheumatoid forefoot deformity. An ultrasonographic grading system for remaining joint surfaces might be helpful in selecting surgical procedures such as joint-sparing osteotomy and metatarsal head resection.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
Tanshinone IIA Prevents Rat Basilar Artery Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation by Inactivation of PDK1 During the Development of Hypertension
Authors: Yu Zhi-Liang , Wang Jie-Ning , Wu Xiao-Hua , Xie Hui-Jun , Han Ying , Guan Yang-Tai , Qin Yong , Jiang Jian-Ming
Published: March 2015

Basilar vascular smooth muscle cells (BASMCs) hyperplasia is a prominent feature of cerebrovascular remodeling and stroke during the development of hypertension. Tanshinone IIA (Tan) has been reported to exhibit a protective effect against the pathological features of hypertension. Previous studies have shown that phosphoinostitide-3 kinase (PI3K)/3′-phosphoinostitide dependent kinase (PDK1)/AKT pathway is involved in the regulation of proliferation of various cell types. Therefore, there may be a crosstalk between Tan antihypertension processes and PI3K/PDK1/AKT proliferative effect in BASMCs. To test this hypothesis, we used a 2-kidney, 2-clip hypertension model to examine the effect of Tan on PI3K/PDK1/AKT pathway by cellular, molecular, and biochemical approaches. Our results revealed that the abundance of PDK1 in plasma was paralleled with an increase in blood pressure and the cross-sectional area of basilar artery in hypertensive rats. Tan decreased blood pressure and hypertension-induced PDK1 phosphorylation but produced no effect on the phosphorylation of PI3K. Moreover, Tan attenuated endothelin 1 induced the activation of PDK1/AKT pathway in rat BASMCs. Tan could inhibit cell cycle transition by regulating the expression of cyclin D1 and p27, in turn, prevent proliferation of BASMCs. Our study provides a novel mechanism by which Tan prevents cerebrovascular cell proliferation during hypertension, and thus Tan may be a potential therapeutic agent for cerebrovascular remodeling and stroke.
A Multidose Study to Examine the Effect of Food on Evacetrapib Exposure at Steady State
Authors: Small David S. , Zhang Wei , Royalty Jane , Cannady Ellen A. , Downs Delyn , Friedrich Stuart , Suico Jeffrey G.
Published: March 2015

Purpose:

To determine the effect of a high-fat meal on evacetrapib exposure at steady state in healthy participants.

Methods:

This was a randomized, 2-period, 2-sequence, open-label, crossover study. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 treatment sequences in which they received evacetrapib 130 mg/d for 10 days following a 10-hour fast each day or following a high-fat breakfast each day. Plasma samples collected through 24 hours were analyzed for evacetrapib concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameter estimates including area under the concentration–time curve during a dosing interval (AUCτ), maximum observed concentration (Cmax), and time of Cmax (tmax) were calculated. Pharmacodynamic parameters, including cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol, and triglycerides, were also assessed.

Results:

A total of 34 males and 6 females, mean age 41.5 years and mean body mass index 26.6 kg/m2, were enrolled. Statistical analysis showed AUCτ was 44% higher (90% confidence interval [CI]: 29%-62%) and Cmax was 51% higher (90% CI: 28%-79%) in the fed state than in the fasted state, indicating an effect of food. Consistent with higher evacetrapib exposure, changes in HDL-C, LDL-C, and CETP activity appeared to be greater in the fed state than in the fasted state. There were no notable changes in total cholesterol or triglycerides following administration in the fed and fasted states. The 130-mg doses of evacetrapib were well tolerated with and without food.

Conclusion:

A high-fat meal increased evacetrapib mean exposure at steady state by 44% in healthy participants.
Recent Change in Treatment of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Japan
Authors: Murata Atsuhiko , Okamoto Kohji , Mayumi Toshihiko , Muramatsu Keiji , Matsuda Shinya
Published: March 2015

This study investigated the time trends and hospital factors affecting the use of drugs for infectious disease-associated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) based on a national administrative database. A total of 14 324 patients with infectious disease-associated DIC were referred to 1041 hospitals from 2010 to 2012 in Japan. Patients’ data were collected from the administrative database to determine time trends and hospital factors affecting the use of drugs for DIC. Three study periods were established, namely, the fiscal years 2010 (n = 3308), 2011 (n = 5403), and 2012 (n = 5613). The use of antithrombin, heparin, protease inhibitors, and recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhs-TM) for DIC was evaluated. The frequency of use of antithrombin, heparin, and protease inhibitors decreased while that of rhs-TM significantly increased from 2010 to 2012 in Japan (25.1% in 2010, 43.1% in 2011, and 56.8% in 2012; P < .001, respectively). Logistic regression showed that the study period was associated with the use of rhs-TM in patients with DIC. The odds ratio (OR) for 2011 was 2.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.12-2.58; P < .001) whereas that for 2012 was 4.34 (95% CI, 3.94-4.79; P < .001). A large hospital size was the most significant factor associated with the use of rhs-TM in patients with DIC (OR, 3.14; 95% CI, 2.68-3.66; P < .001). The use of rhs-TM has dramatically increased. A large hospital size was significantly associated with the increased use of rhs-TM in patients with DIC from 2010 to 2012 in Japan.
Finding a Counter Story at an Inclusive, Adapted, Sport and Adventurous Training Course for Injured, Sick, and Wounded Soldiers
Authors: Douglas Kitrina , Carless David
Published: March 2015

Over the past 3 years, we have been members of a Leeds Beckett University research team evaluating an inclusive adapted multi-activity sport and adventurous training course for injured, sick, and wounded soldiers. For the most part, the course has been successful in its aims with many soldiers reporting profound changes to their mental health and well-being, future hopes, and motivation. Yet, there have been a small number of soldiers who do not appear to benefit from the course, at least in the ways it was originally hoped: Luke was one such soldier. This performance ethnography sheds light on why, at times, sport and physical activity interventions may fail to meet the needs of some military personnel and how a counter story might come to be valued within a competitive, sport setting.
Learning From the Memories of the Happy Wanderer
Authors: Olafson Janet L. , Anderson Sathe Laurie Y. , Sanchez-Valdes Laura
Published: March 2015

In interview passages placed as a found poem, Marie, a U.S. gold medalist skier and Paralympian, and transpelvic amputee, speaks directly and eloquently about her intense efforts to maintain her abilities, her independence, and her joyful self-direction over three decades of gradual disability. To this she brings her love of life and family, ingenuity, spiritual insight, and desire to live a meaningful, contributing life. Marie’s voice originates in interviews from a qualitative study undertaken at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare during and after the fittings of her transpelvic prosthesis, from 2007 to 2013. During this time, Marie shared her remarkable experiences and interest in encouraging others. Through the use of narrative in poetic representation, our intent is to share Marie’s story to inspire readers of all abilities, to see themselves and each other more positively, holistically, and compassionately, within the context of their evolving stories.
Playful and Serious Adventures in Academic Writing
Authors: Badley Graham Francis
Published: March 2015

In this reflective article, I examine three versions of adventurous writing. The first contrasts academic writing as either (or both) an anxiety-inducing task or a potentially animating and enjoyable quest. The second takes an auto-ethnographic approach to argue for the making of academic texts that are intended to be truthful and detailed accounts of their authors’ embodied experiences. The third version, playfully and even subversively, uses the example of a modern novel to suggest that all writing is “a trying adventure” where writers adopt whatever roles or stances suit their own critical and social purposes for verisimilitude.
“You Could Scream the Place Down”
Authors: Miller Evonne , Donoghue Geraldine , Holland-Batt Sarah
Published: March 2015

This article presents five poems constructed from interviews with older people adjusting to living in residential aged care. They are part of the “Inside Aged Care” project, ongoing longitudinal phenomenological research tracking the lived experience of aged care from the perspective of residents, family members, and service providers. Poetry, through the process of poetic transcription, provided an engaging, evocative, and almost visceral way to help us appreciate what it might be like to be aging in aged care. To date, despite a growing body of work documenting the importance and impact of research in the form of poetry, applying a literary lens is rare in gerontological research. At a very practical level, therefore, we hope these poems help older people, their families, students, and those working in aged care better understand the unique world and perspective of new aged care residents.
Salaries in Space
Authors: Fowles Jacob
Published: March 2015

This article, drawing on a rich panel of administrative data comprising all public school teachers employed in Kentucky from 1997 to 2005, utilizes methods developed in spatial econometrics to test for spatial interdependence in the teacher remuneration policies utilized by public school districts. The results of the best fitting model suggest that a 1 percentage point increase in the salary generosity of a particular district’s distance-weighted neighbors yields a 0.57 percentage point increase in the generosity of salaries within that district, even after controlling for relevant district characteristics and including time and district fixed effects. The results are discussed within the context of state education finance reforms, the school choice movement as well as the continued national focus on improving teacher quality as a primary mechanism to increase student achievement.
Numerical investigation of thermal EHL in elliptical contact under impact motion
Authors: Wang Jing , Yang Peiran , Lubrecht AA , Kaneta Motohiro
Published: March 2015

In this work, the thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication in elliptical contact under impact motion is investigated numerically by altering oil viscosity and elliptical ratio. The impact-rebound time is shortened with the increase of the elliptical ratio, while a smaller ambient oil viscosity extends the impact-rebound time. Generally speaking, a larger elliptical ratio reduces the maximum load-carrying capacity, increases the value of the minimum film thickness, and lowers the temperature rise. A smaller oil viscosity lowers the pressure and temperature rises and reduces the film thickness.
Reconsidering outdoor temperature and cognition in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Roberg Brandon L , Bruce Jared M
Published: March 2015

Background:

Research in multiple sclerosis (MS) suggests warmer weather plays a role in disease manifestation.

Objective:

This work sought to replicate the finding that warmer outdoor temperatures are significantly associated with poorer cognition in MS.

Methods:

Associations between outdoor temperature and cognition were examined in three studies with a total of 263 patients with MS.

Results:

Contrary to previous research, no significant relationship was found between cognitive performance and outdoor temperature in MS.

Conclusions:

The results of the current work underscore the need to better understand if, when, and how cognitive performance may be influenced by seasonal variables in MS.
‘Can you pass the salt?’ The legitimacy of international institutions and indirect speech
Authors: Stephen Matthew D.
Published: March 2015

This article introduces the concept of indirect speech and shows what it can contribute to understanding ‘legitimacy talk’ regarding international institutions. Indirect speech occurs when one kind of illocutionary act is used to communicate another. Examples include euphemism, some forms of politeness and when a request is expressed as a question (‘Can you pass the salt?’). Transporting concepts from pragmatics and sociolinguistics, this article argues that legitimacy talk often serves this function in international politics, operating by expressing specific requests in the form of more generalized legitimacy claims. Understanding this double role of legitimacy talk sheds light on otherwise puzzling empirical phenomena, such as why states frame their demands in terms of legitimacy when they are transparently self-serving, why states with different interests can nonetheless express their demands in the same terms, and why they persist in doing so long after there is any realistic hope of being ‘persuasive’. An analysis of the debate on Security Council reform illustrates the benefits of this approach for the study of international relations.
BD v The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust
Authors: Mellis Alexander
Published: March 2015

A claim for clinical negligence arising out of a failure to diagnose appendicitis was assisted by the misunderstanding of the Defendant's expert of his role as an expert witness, NHS Direct call recordings allowing the judge to hear the pain in the Claimant's voice, and the inherent defects in the treating doctor's note.
The impact of a brief gratitude intervention on subjective well-being, biology and sleep
Authors: Jackowska Marta , Brown Jennie , Ronaldson Amy , Steptoe Andrew
Published: March 2015

This randomised controlled experiment tested whether a brief subjective well-being intervention would have favourable effects on cardiovascular and neuroendocrine function and on sleep. We compared 2 weeks of a gratitude intervention with an active control (everyday events reporting) and no treatment conditions in 119 young women. The treatment elicited increases in hedonic well-being, optimism and sleep quality along with decreases in diastolic blood pressure. Improvements in subjective well-being were correlated with increased sleep quality and reductions in blood pressure, but there were no relationships with cortisol. This brief intervention suggests that subjective well-being may contribute towards lower morbidity and mortality through healthier biological function and restorative health behaviours.
Everyday discrimination and physical health: Exploring mental health processes
Authors: Earnshaw Valerie A , Rosenthal Lisa , Carroll-Scott Amy , Santilli Alycia , Gilstad-Hayden Kathryn , Ickovics Jeannette R
Published: March 2015

Goals of this study were to examine the mental health processes whereby everyday discrimination is associated with physical health outcomes. Data are drawn from a community health survey conducted with 1299 US adults in a low-resource urban area. Frequency of everyday discrimination was associated with overall self-rated health, use of the emergency department, and one or more chronic diseases via stress and depressive symptoms operating in serial mediation. Associations were consistent across members of different racial/ethnic groups and were observed even after controlling for indicators of stressors associated with structural discrimination, including perceived neighborhood unsafety, food insecurity, and financial stress.
Transforming public opinion about European integration: Elite influence and its limits
Authors: Vössing Konstantin
Published: March 2015

This article shows that political elites can use political explanations to transform public opinion about European integration. It also finds that concentric group affiliation based on self-categorization as a member of the nation and Europe impedes elite influence, while individuals with exclusive affiliations are more easily persuaded to change their opinions on European integration. I conduct a laboratory experiment to test my theoretical expectations. By investigating elite influence and its interaction with identity, the article addresses conflicting perspectives on the transformation of public opinion in prior research: one approach proposes that integration attitudes are anchored in individual dispositions and thus relatively stable, while another argument emphasizes the capacity of elites to induce attitude change. A comparison with utilitarian considerations and political sophistication shows that no other disposition imposes more robust limits on elite influence than a concentric group affiliation, and none triggers greater susceptibility to persuasion than an exclusive identity.
The public sector and equality
Authors: Hermann Christoph
Published: March 2015

After years of neglect, inequality is back on the political agenda. The International Labour Organization has proposed the introduction of so-called social protection floors to tackle poverty in the age of globalization. However, little attention has been paid to the role of the public sector for limiting inequality. This is surprising in the light that new research shows the positive impact of public services such as health care and education for improving or maintaining equality. In some countries, access to public services is even more important in terms of redistribution than taxes and social benefits. Yet while the public sector hardly plays a role in discussions on equality, equality is mostly absent in the debates on public sector reforms. Here the main focus of the discussion is efficiency. The purpose of this article is twofold: on the one hand, it introduces the public sector as a major factor into the debates about inequality; on the other, it sheds light on the consequences of privatization, liberalization, and marketization of public services for equality.
Application of analytic hierarchy process to choose the optimal transport mode of army logistics between Taiwan and offshore islands
Authors: Han Tzeu-Chen , Sung Arthur , Chou Chien-Chang
Published: March 2015

In the past, although many researchers used analytic hierarchy process to various fields, few applied analytic hierarchy process to solve the military problems. In this article, an application of analytic hierarchy process to choose the optimal transportation mode in the military logistics is explored. The results show that the transportation by the Army’s warships takes priority because the self-reliant transportation provides offshore islands a good shipping service in a short transit time, on a reliable schedule and by the professional armed forces. In respect of the measuring dimensions, related literature, expert groups and offshore island military units give priority to the timing because the timing is the key to either the civilian commercial economy or the military transportation. Moreover, this article also finds that related literature, experts and basic-level military units have different perspectives on the evaluative criteria owing to their different views of economy (strategic planning), resources (military budget), hierarchies (managers, planners and demanders) and port facilities (military investments). Finally, this article also analyzed and compared the commercial logistics and the military logistics and then summarized some major differences between the commercial logistics and the military logistics. It not only provides an important basis for future academic studies on the logistics but also provides a useful reference for the logistics practices.
‘Clear educational routes’: An example of conservative modernization in Swedish upper secondary schools
Authors: Loeb Ingrid Henning , Wass Karin Lumsden
Published: March 2015

This article concerns the development of education for young students in Sweden who do not attend regular pathways in upper secondary education, and analyses the changes of educational policy and the organizing of teaching for this group of students. The centre of interest is the upper secondary educational reform carried out in 2011. With this reform, a structure of five ‘clear educational routes’ was established for students who did not fulfil the eligibility requirements for the regular programmes. We show how, since the reform of 2011, two diverse national policies have co-existed regarding the organizing of studies for students outside the regular programmes: on the one hand a policy with imperatives of clarity, and on the other hand indistinct guidelines and with delegation. A survey of municipalities in two districts on the local organizing of the introductory programmes provides results. In this new era of ‘clear educational routes’ an increasingly differentiated, ambiguous and fragmented upper secondary school system is taking shape.
Comparison of cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses against pancreatic cancer induced by dendritic cells transfected with total tumor RNA and fusion hybrided with tumor cell
Authors: Chen Jiang , Guo Xiao-Zhong , Li Hong-Yu , Wang Di , Shao Xiao-Dong
Published: March 2015

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a deadly human malignancy. Dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy with whole tumor antigens demonstrates potential efficiency in cancer treatment. Tumor RNA and tumor fusion hybrid cells are sources of whole tumor antigens for preparing DC tumor vaccines. However, the efficacy of these sources in eliciting immune responses against PC has not yet to be directly compared. In the present study, patient-derived PC cells and DCs were fused (DC–tumor hybrids) and primary cultured PC cell-derived total RNA was electroporated into autologous DCs (DC–tumor RNA). The antitumor immune responses induced by DC–tumor hybrids and DC–tumor RNA were compared directly. The results showed that both RNA and hybrid methodologies could induce tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses, but pulsing DCs with total tumor RNA could induce a higher frequency of activated CTLs and T-helper cells than fusing DCs with autologous tumor cells. In addition, DC–tumor RNA triggered stronger autologous tumor cell lysis than DC–tumor hybrids. It could be concluded that DCs pulsed with whole tumor RNA are superior to those fused with tumor cells in priming anti-PC CTL responses. Electroporation with total tumor RNA may be more suitable for DC-based PC vaccination.
RPG Mythos
Authors: Cragoe Nicholas G.
Published: March 2015

Narrative has been a means by which to pass culture down through the generations, to help people understand their environments, and to provide a sense community and identity through telling and listening as well as the unique features of the characters and stories themselves. The most familiar surviving stories that connect us to our ancestors take the form of folklore and mythology. Games, too, have served many of the same functions as storytelling. In modern times, games and storytelling are no less prevalent, although the particular forms they take and functions they fulfill have been vastly expanded. Narrative gaming has become extremely popular, allowing for the consumption of both regional heritage and global multiculturalism. This essay will explore the roles of these contemporary narratives and provide an analysis of the transition from the traditional narrative to the live role-playing game.
Pyrocarbon proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty: a medium to long term follow-up of a single surgeon series
Authors: Storey P. A. , Goddard M. , Clegg C. , Birks M. E. , Bostock S. H.
Published: March 2015

We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive single surgeon series of 57 Ascension pyrocarbon proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasties, with a mean follow-up of 7.1 years (range 2 years to 11 years 6 months). We assessed the ranges of motion, deformity, stability and pain of the operated joints, grip strength of the hand and patient satisfaction. Of the cases, 44 were for osteoarthritis, five for rheumatoid arthritis and eight for post-traumatic arthritis. The median post-operative active arc of motion was from 0° to 60°. The median post-operative visual analogue pain score was 0.3 out of ten. Thirty six of the joints had no complications; 14 had minor complications (squeak, slight swan neck); three required early reoperation (joint release, flexor tenodesis); and five required implant removal. A total of 69% of our patients would have the same operation if they had to make the decision again. The Kaplan-Meier survival method estimates the mean implant survival to be 10.7 years (95% confidence intervals 9.96–11.37 years). All five failures occurred during the first 2 years.

Level of evidence 4 (Case-series).
The making of a filmmaker: Curating learning identities in early careers
Authors: Gilje Øystein , Groeng Linn M
Published: March 2015

As the work with moving images has become digitized, the availability and affordability of filmmaking has facilitated new forms of creative content production in various genres and contexts. On an institutional level, the creative and cultural sector of work is increasingly characterized by more fluid organizational structures, which include competitive work arrangements, blurring boundaries between formal and informal education and flexible employment patterns. On an individual level, a growing number of young adults are aspiring to be professionals, perhaps famous, following new paths and learning trajectories as they work their way into the film and TV sector.

This paper explores how five young aspiring filmmakers (two girls and three boys) are creating their individual learning trajectories in the pre-peripheral and peripheral stages in their career. By drawing on a sociocultural perspective and the notion of ‘figured worlds’, we aim to illustrate how the young filmmakers perform a learning identity in the research project Making a Filmmaker. In our discussion of using interviews as a research method, we explore the metaphor of curatorship to understand how the filmmakers are positioning themselves in the contexts researched here. The findings indicate that the filmmakers perform their identity as creators by positioning themselves in relation to others in collaborative work and by the ways in which they imagine themselves as future filmmakers working with specific styles and genres.
Digital media production and identity: Insights from a psychological perspective
Authors: Terras M M , Ramsay J , Boyle E A
Published: March 2015

The unprecedented opportunities for production and collaborative working supported by Web 2.0 technology offer immense potential for active knowledge creation. Research to date has mostly explored the demographic factors that influence production but we argue here that a more detailed understanding of the psychological determinants of online content creation is required if the potential of Web 2.0 is to be maximised. This paper outlines a psychologically driven discussion of the similarities and differences between online and offline contexts and factors that influence online content creation and identity. It demonstrates why a nuanced understanding of the factors that determine not only who produces online content, but what, how and why it is produced is essential to fully appreciate the complexity of the relationship between production and identity. We discuss how situational aspects of the online context and dispositional characteristics of users interact to determine production behaviour and highlight the importance of curation as a key skill for effective content creation and identity management. A number of challenges concerning the lack of co-presence, immediacy and durability and the importance of considering the intended audience and individual differences in practices and preferences concerning privacy are identified and we demonstrate how consideration of the psychological factors that influence online content production and identity creation can inform policy and practice concerning digital inclusion and web safety.
Occult H. pylori infection partially explains ‘false‐positive’ results of 13 C‐urea breath test
Authors: Ramírez-Lázaro María J , Lario Sergio , Calvet Xavier , Sánchez-Delgado Jordi , Montserrat Antònia , Quílez Elisa M , Casalots Alex , Suarez David , Campo Rafel , Brullet Enric , Junquera Félix , Sanfeliu Isabel , Segura Ferran
Published: March 2015

Background

In a previous study, UBiT‐100 mg, (Otsuka, Spain), a commercial 13 C‐urea breath test omitting citric acid pre‐treatment, had a high rate of false‐positive results; however, it is possible that UBiT detected low‐density ‘occult’ infection missed by other routine reference tests. We aimed to validate previous results in a new cohort and to rule out the possibility that false‐positive UBiT were due to an ‘occult’ infection missed by reference tests.

Methods

Dyspeptic patients (n = 272) were prospectively enrolled and UBiT was performed, according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Helicobacter pylori infection was determined by combining culture, histology and rapid urease test results. We calculated UBiT sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (with 95% CI). In addition, we evaluated ‘occult’ H. pylori infection using two previously‐validated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for urease A (UreA) and 16 S sequences in gastric biopsies. We included 44 patients with a false‐positive UBiT, and two control groups of 25 patients each, that were positive and negative for all H. pylori tests.

Results

UBiT showed a false‐positive rate of 17%, with a specificity of 83%. All the positive controls and 12 of 44 patients (27%) with false‐positive UBiT were positive for all two PCR tests; by contrast, none of our negative controls had two positive PCR tests.

Conclusions

UBiT suffers from a high rate of false‐positive results and sub‐optimal specificity, and the protocol skipping citric acid pre‐treatment should be revised; however, low‐density ‘occult’ H. pylori infection that was undetectable by conventional tests accounted for around 25% of the ‘false‐positive’ results.
A combined antral and corpus rapid urease testing protocol can increase diagnostic accuracy despite a low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients undergoing routine gastroscopy
Authors: Parihar Vikrant , Holleran Grainne , Hall Barry , Brennan Denise , Crotty Paul , McNamara Deirdre
Published: March 2015

Background

The effects of an increased risk of sampling error and the lower prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection on the diagnostic accuracy of standard invasive tests needs to be considered. Despite evidence of enhanced yield with additional biopsies, combined Rapid Urease Tests (RUTs) have not been widely adopted. We aimed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of a combined antral and corpus rapid urease test (RUT) to a single antral RUT in a low prevalence cohort.

Methods

Between August 2013 and April 2014 adult patients undergoing a scheduled gastroscopy were prospectively recruited. At endoscopy biopsies were taken and processed for single and combined RUTs, histology and culture using standard techniques. Infection was defined by positive culture or detection of Helicobacter like organisms on either antral or corpus samples.

Results

In all 123 patients were recruited. H. pylori prevalence was low at 36%, n  = 44. There was a significant difference in positivity between single and combined RUTs, 20% (n  = 25) versus 30% (n  = 37), p  = 0.0094, (95% CI 0.15–0.04). The number needed to treat (NNT) for an additional diagnosis of infection using a combined versus a single RUT is 4 (95% CI 2.2–11). The only factor associated with a reduction in RUT yield was regular proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use. Overall the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for any RUT test was 84%, 100%, 100% and 92% respectively.

Conclusion

Our data suggests taking routine antral and corpus biopsies in conjunction with a combined RUT appears to optimizing H. pylori detection and overcome sampling error in a low prevalence population.
Accuracy gains of adding vote expectation surveys to a combined forecast of US presidential election outcomes
Authors: Graefe Andreas
Published: March 2015

In averaging forecasts within and across four-component methods (i.e. polls, prediction markets, expert judgment and quantitative models), the combined PollyVote provided highly accurate predictions for the US presidential elections from 1992 to 2012. This research note shows that the PollyVote would have also outperformed vote expectation surveys, which prior research identified as the most accurate individual forecasting method during that time period. Adding vote expectations to the PollyVote would have further increased the accuracy of the combined forecast. Across the last 90 days prior to the six elections, a five-component PollyVote (i.e. including vote expectations) would have yielded a mean absolute error of 1.08 percentage points, which is 7% lower than the corresponding error of the original four-component PollyVote. This study thus provides empirical evidence in support of two major findings from forecasting research. First, combining forecasts provides highly accurate predictions, which are difficult to beat for even the most accurate individual forecasting method available. Second, the accuracy of a combined forecast can be improved by adding component forecasts that rely on different data and different methods than the forecasts already included in the combination.
Inferential selection bias in a study of racial bias: Revisiting ‘Working twice as hard to get half as far’
Authors: Zigerell LJ
Published: March 2015

This study revisits an important recent article about racial bias and finds that many of its inferences are weakened when we analyze the data more completely. DeSante in 2013 reported evidence from a survey experiment indicating that Americans reward Whites more than Blacks for hard work but penalize Blacks more than Whites for laziness. However, the present study demonstrates that these inferences were based on an unrepresentative selection of possible analyses: the original article does not include all possible equivalent or relevant analyses, and when results from these additional analyses are combined with the results reported in the original article, the strength of inferences is weakened. Moreover, newly-reported evidence reveals heterogeneity in racial bias: respondents given a direct choice between equivalent targets of different races favored the Black target over the White target. These results illustrate how the presence of researcher degrees of freedom can foster production of inferences that are not representative of all inferences that a set of data could produce. This study thus highlights the value of preregistering research design protocols and required public posting of data.
New onset diabetes after transplantation: Not another acronym!
Authors: Wallace IR , Waters NH , Pilmore H , Drury PL , Wu F
Published: March 2015

Lesson

New onset diabetes after transplantation is the onset of diabetes in previously non-diabetic individuals extending beyond the first month post-transplantation.
Adolescents’ perception of substance use and factors influencing its use: a qualitative study in Abu Dhabi
Authors: Alhyas Layla , Al Ozaibi Naseeba , Elarabi Hisham , El-Kashef Ahmed , Wanigaratne Shamil , Almarzouqi Amna , Alhosani Ayesha , Al Ghaferi Hamad
Published: March 2015

Summary

Objective

The objective of this article is to gain a deeper understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of adolescents in the United Arab Emirates regarding substance and to identify factors that, in their view, may influence the risk of substance use and suggest possible interventions.

Design

This was a qualitative study that used a focus group approach.

Setting

The study was carried out in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Participants

Male and female teenagers aged 13-18 years residing in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Main outcome measures

Adolescents’ awareness of substance use, patterns of use and associated harm; Adolescents' perceptions about the factors associated with substance use.

Results

Six focus groups were carried out, and a total of 41 adolescents (20 males and 21 females) participated. Data analysis identified three main themes: (1) adolescents’ awareness of substance use and associated harm; (2) gender role and image and (3) perceived factors affecting substance use among adolescents. Knowledge of substances and related consequences of use varied between groups but was compatible with participants’ age and school years. Factors that participants believed influenced substance use were classified into: (1) parent–adolescent relationship, (2) peer pressure, (3) substance accessibility, (4) religiosity and (5) others. Many factors were believed to increase the risk of substance use among adolescents such as peer pressure, inadequate knowledge of the harmful consequences of drug use, family-related factors (e.g. low monitoring and poor parent–adolescents relationship), affordability and availability of substances, boredom and affluence. On the other hand, religiosity was as a shield against substance use, especially alcohol. Other identified protective factors included carrying out schools- and communities-based educational campaigns, enhancing social workers’ ability to raise awareness and detect early signs of addiction and implementing CCTV systems in schools.

Conclusions

The study was successful in exploring adolescents’ awareness of substances and associated harm to health from their use. Also, it identifies a number of risk and protective factors based on the perceptions of a group of adolescents residing in the United Arab Emirates. Such factors can guide the planning, designing and implementing of prevention programmes that focus on raising awareness about the harms of substance use. The study findings would suggest that multifactorial prevention programmes that address social norms, gender role and image, and incorporate drug policy, religion, family and school would be more effective and may have better protective outcomes.
Elementary School Administrators and Their Roles in the Context of Effective Schools
Authors: Döş İzzet , Savaş Ahmet Cezmi
Published: March 2015

As in every organization, leadership plays the most important role in conducting business in school organizations as well. Organizations reach their goals more effectively and more efficiently when they are effective. The aim of this study is to assess data regarding qualities and training of effective school leaders. To achieve this end, a qualitative study was designed and related data were collected. A form consisting of six open-ended questions was developed as a data collection tool. The study was conducted with a group of 26 teachers and four administrators. The data were analyzed through content and descriptive analysis. It was expected that effective school principals have strong interpersonal relationships, have leadership qualities, and are considerate in terms of social and personality traits. Some suggestions regarding the training of principals were also presented.
Mentoring an Entrepreneur
Authors: Memon Jamshed , Rozan M. Z. A. , Ismail Kamariah , Uddin Mueen , Daud DzurllKanian
Published: March 2015

A mentor plays an important role in entrepreneurial development of an individual. He guides entrepreneurs from conception of business to product development and business growth. Previous literature on entrepreneurial learning is disseminated and not properly organized; it is difficult to even find pertinent and comprehensive articles on entrepreneurial learning. The research proposed in this article helps mentors to understand and find out what type of entrepreneurs need what kind of mentoring support. This article proposes a conceptual model for mentors and discusses that an entrepreneur may need different mentoring support and skills depending on the type of entrepreneurs, personality traits, or decision-making style and phase at which entrepreneurs are at that moment. This article will also help mentors in understanding what type of skills entrepreneurs need at each stage of mentoring relationship, that is, initiation, cultivation, separation, and redefinition stage.