bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
R&R Are More Holistic Than C&B
Authors: Bhattacharyya Dipak Kumar
Published: January 2014

R&R is a better term than C&B. This is because C&B has a negative connotation, while R&R is positive. R&R has a historical root. In every culture, religions, we have the evidence of rewards and punishment for workers. In India we have concrete evidence of rewarding good performers, and also punishing the poor performers during Mughals’ dynasty, i.e., before British India. With social reforms, however, such punishment has been abolished. Today R&R practices are institutionalized in organizations globally. However, such R&R practice in several organizations is merged with C&B. In many organizations R&R is planned and managed by their strategic level, while C&B is left to the HR functions, causing the problem of integration. Thus despite having R&R embedded in their organizational culture, such organizations fail to reap the advantages of R&R in true sense. The paper argues R&R and C&B cannot be isolated, hence it requires integration. The idea was debated in a known social media. Results of the debate are inconclusive. The author argues, as R&R is gaining more importance, and today practiced by organizations across the globe, why not we re-name our traditional C&B to R&R and brings it under HR functions, R&R being more holistic.
Will the Department of Labor Find the Missing Fiduciary Link?
Authors: Phillips Emir
Published: January 2014

Within 90 days, the Department of Labor (DOL) will substantially expand the definition of “fiduciary” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). In large part the traditional five-part test from 1975 has been discarded, and some form of the new two-prong test will become the rule. The proposed regulations are the first such changes in almost 35 years and will drastically change the relationship of investment advisors and entities with plan sponsors subject to Title I of ERISA or plans, persons and entities subject to Sec. 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (among other amendments, ERISA added Code Sec. 4975 imposing an excise tax on certain “prohibited transactions.” The prohibited transactions described in Code Sec. 4975 are substantially similar to prohibited transactions contained in ERISA. Such prohibited transactions will greatly increase under the DOL’s proposed rule). The DOL has a unique opportunity to advance the view that the sole interest rule is unsound, particularly in this investment advisory context, and propose how it should be modernized. Furthermore, the present prudent-person rule should be updated by entitling a trustee to seek and to pay for investment advice but then inalterably devising the trustee as financial guarantor for any breaches committed by the investment advisor. In addition, the exclusive-benefit rule precludes employers from being beneficiaries under ERISA. As a result, courts have been forced to indulge in pretense, such as the notion that benefits to employers are merely “incidental,” in order to reconcile ERISA with the economic realities of who is the beneficiary and to what extent. Moreover, the proposed rule should not apply to individual retirement account rollovers, at least until these other changes have been properly incorporated into the investment, regulatory and judicial environs. This article concludes by providing such a DOL proposal in a final form.
Benzodiazepines
Authors: Jann Michael , Kennedy William Klugh , Lopez Gaylord
Published: January 2014

The misuse and abuse of prescription medications in the United States continues to increase despite interventions by health care professionals, regulatory, and law enforcement agencies. Opioid analgesics are the leading class of prescription drugs that have caused unintentional overdose deaths. Benzodiazepines when taken alone are relatively safe agents in overdose. However, a 5-fold increase in deaths attributed to benzodiazepines occurred from 1999 to 2009. Emergency department visits related to opioid analgesics increased by 111% followed by benzodiazepines 89%. During 2003 to 2009, the 2 prescriptions drugs with the highest increase in death rates were oxycodone 264.6% and alprazolam 233.8%. Therefore, benzodiazepines have a significant impact on prescription drug unintentional overdoses second only to the opioid analgesics. The combination prescribing of benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics commonly takes place. The pharmacokinetic drug interactions between benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics are complex. The pharmacodynamic actions of these agents differ as their combined effects produce significant respiratory depression. Physician and pharmacy shopping by patients occurs, and prescription drug-monitoring programs can provide important information on benzodiazepine and opioid analgesic prescribing patterns and patient usage. Health care professionals need to inform patients and work closely with regulatory agencies and legislatures to stem the increasing fatalities from prescription drug unintentional overdoses.
Antipsychotic Use and the Risk of Rhabdomyolysis
Authors: Packard Kathleen , Price Paul , Hanson Ashley
Published: January 2014

Rhabdomyolysis is not a well-understood adverse effect of antipsychotic use. Proposed mechanisms suggest involvement of serotoninergic and/or dopaminergic blockade. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between antipsychotic use and rhabdomyolysis. Patients admitted with rhabdomyolysis and taking an antipsychotic from January 2009 to October 2011 were included. Background demographics, laboratory data, medical and physical history, concomitant medications, and hospital course data were collected. Of the 673 cases admitted with rhabdomyolysis, 71 (10.5%) were on an antipsychotic. This is significantly greater when compared to the general US population, where only 1.3% of individuals take an antipsychotic drug ( P < .0001). Cause of rhabdomyolysis was not documented in 38% of cases, and antipsychotic use was suspected in 10% of cases. No significant correlations were found between antipsychotic type and other patient-specific parameters. Seventeen (25%) of these patients were taking 2 or more antipsychotics. The largest percentage was on quetiapine (Seroquel®; AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Delaware), the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic in the United States. Antipsychotic use is a risk factor for rhabdomyolysis and seems to be more common in those taking multiple agents. More research needs to be done to determine which antipsychotics have a higher risk and which receptors are involved. Providers should be aware of rhabdomyolysis associated with antipsychotic use.
Implementing the third generation research paradigm in policy implementation research: An empirical assessment
Authors: Saetren Harald
Published: January 2014

A comprehensive literature review a few years ago found, contrary to a commonly held belief, research on public policy implementation to be still alive and have developed further well into the 21st century in quantitative terms. We pursue this line of inquiry by asking whether this conclusion also applies to progress in qualitative terms. All articles published in core journals in political science, public administration/management and public policy under the label implementation or implementing were used to investigate this research question. Key defining features of the plea for a more rigorous third generation research paradigm was used as benchmark to measure progress or lack thereof in the policy implementation literature over more than four decades of research. Our investigation basically supports conclusions from more intuitively based earlier state-of-the-art reviews: (1) policy implementation research has reached a relatively mature stage of development, (2) more progress has been achieved on methodological than theoretical fronts and (3) this field of study progressed fairly rapidly through two previous generations of research, coinciding roughly with the 1970s and 1980s with some assumed characteristics while progress since 1990 has been much slower and more incremental. The latter fact can probably best be explained by the very demanding nature of the third generation research paradigm itself and some inherent tensions and contradictions between its defining features. Our contribution in this respect is that we have been able to provide more detailed and nuanced information about exactly where progress has been achieved and when as well as where it is still lagging.
Implementation structures as institutions
Authors: Peters B Guy
Published: January 2014

When Benny Hjern and David Porter announced (perhaps prematurely) the death of the “single lonely organization” in the study of implementation, they initiated the increasing recognition of the complexity of that fundamental policy process. The basic logic of their argument, and of a good deal of subsequent literature concerning implementation, is that making a program work effectively generally, and increasingly, involves multiple actors. Much of the initial spate of literature on implementation recognized the role of multiple public sector organizations in implementation but continued to assume a more top-down logic for implementation, meaning that the implicit question in implementation was why did all of these pesky organizations interfere in putting programs into effect as intended.
Individual Rights versus Common Security? Christian Moral Reasoning about Torture
Authors: Biggar Nigel
Published: January 2014

Should a Christian ethic endorse an individual’s right against torture? If so, how should its reasoning take into account considerations of common security? To answer these questions, this article first compares the early Christian ‘just war’ tradition’s pre-liberal reasoning about the ethics of harming with that of the liberal philosopher, David Rodin. It then deploys the fruits of this comparison—especially the contingency of a right against harm (partly upon social obligation), and the distinction between natural moral rights and positive legal ones—in an examination of what makes torture wrong and when. Dissenting from the views of Jeremy Waldron and Jean Porter, the article concludes that a positive legal right against torture and aggressive interrogation should be granted—even though morally right cases of the latter might occur.
Peace Ethics in an Age of Risk
Authors: Reed Esther D.
Published: January 2014

This article inquires into what the gospel of peace might mean for Christian theological engagement with international law and sets a provisional agenda for peace ethics in an age of global risks. Two warnings are sounded with respect to the language of ‘peace ethics’ and ‘the rule of law’. Three priorities are identified: (i) thinking with and about the global poor in ways that do not render ‘the other’ somehow different from myself; (ii) retrieval of the twin ideas of ‘naturalness’ and distributive justice in natural law reasoning as they bear upon international law and the use of force; (iii) how to conceive of international common good by considering ‘peace through law’ as a potentially subversive endeavour when employed in the service of the global poor.
Surveillance and Seeing: A New Way of Reading Mark 12:17, ‘Give Back to Caesar…’
Authors: Townsend Nicholas
Published: January 2014

Stoddart writes that the God of Christian faith ‘knew [surveillance’s] gaze [and] suffered its harsh consequences’. That was especially so during the last week of Jesus’ life, when the religious/political leaders engaged him in tension-filled exchanges. Employing Stoddart’s concept of ‘(in)visibility’, I propose a new way of reading the controversy about Roman tax which, taking up insights in Myers’s ‘political’ commentary, shows connections between this text and those immediately preceding it. Jesus makes central in the engagement about tax the same issue as is already at stake: identity and recognition. His ‘amazing’ response makes clear what the leaders are not seeing.
Analytical model for predicting the buckling load of continuous welded rail tracks
Authors: Martínez Ignacio Navarro , Sanchis Ignacio Villalba , Fernández Pablo Martínez , Franco Ricardo Insa
Published: January 2014

The use of continuous welded rail (CWR) track has solved many of the problems associated with tread surface discontinuities that occur in jointed tracks. However, due to the longitudinal expansion of the rails in CWR tracks being highly constrained, the generated compressive stresses in the rails can cause track buckling in the horizontal plane. Track buckling is a complex phenomenon, in which many factors are involved and around which there is much uncertainty. The objective of this paper is to present an analytical model that can be used to calculate the buckling load of a CWR track . This model accounts for the contributions of base, crib and shoulder ballast and includes the effect of vertical loading on each of these components. Moreover, a parametric study based on this model is developed, in order to understand how and the extent to which the considered factors affect track stability. The results of the study indicate that the characteristics of the existing misalignments in the track are the critical parameters involved in the phenomenon. In addition, maintenance operations that affect the ballast, such as tamping or surfacing, and the dimensions and material of the track sleepers are also important factors.
On the trade-off between minimum fuel burn and maximum time between overhaul for an intercooled aeroengine
Authors: Saatlou E Najafi , Kyprianidis KG , Sethi V , Abu AO , Pilidis P
Published: January 2014

A large variety of promising power and propulsion system concepts are being proposed to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions. However, the best candidate to pursue is difficult to select and it is imperative that major investments are correctly targeted to deliver environmentally friendly, economical and reliable solutions. To conceive and assess gas turbine engines with minimum environmental impact and lowest cost of ownership in a variety of emission legislation scenarios and emissions taxation policies, a tool based on a techno-economic and environmental risk assessment methodology is required. A tool based on this approach has been developed by the authors. The core of the tool is a detailed and rigorous thermodynamic representation of power plants, around which other modules can be coupled (that model different disciplines such as aircraft performance, economics, emissions, noise, weight and cost) resulting in a multidisciplinary framework. This approach can be used for efficient and cost-effective design space exploration in the civil aviation, power generation, marine, and oil and gas fields. In the present work, a conceptual intercooled core aeroengine design was assessed with component technologies consistent with 2020 entry into service via a multidisciplinary optimisation approach. Such an approach is necessary to assess the trade-off between asset life, operating costs and technical specification. This paper examines the influence of fuel consumption, engine weight and direct operating costs with respect to extending the engine life. The principal modes of failure such as creep, fatigue and oxidation, are considered in the engine life estimation. Multidisciplinary optimisation, comprising the main engine design parameters, was carried out with maximum time between overhaul as the objective function. The trade-off between minimum block fuel burn and maximum engine life was examined; the results were compared against the initial engine design and an assessment was made to identify the design changes required for obtaining an improved engine design in terms of direct operating costs. The results obtained from the study demonstrate that an engine optimised for maximum time between overhaul requires a lower overall pressure ratio and specific thrust but this comes at the cost of lower thermal efficiency and higher engine production costs.
Lung, liver, prostate, bladder malignancies risk in systemic lupus erythematosus: evidence from a meta-analysis
Authors: Ni J , Qiu L-J , Hu L-F , Cen H , Zhang M , Wen P-F , Wang X-S , Pan H-F , Ye D-Q
Published: January 2014

Objective: The objective of this paper is to examine some solid tumors incidence in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) derived from population-based cohort studies by means of meta-analysis. Methods: Relevant electronic databases were searched for studies characterizing the associated risk of overall malignancy and four site-specific malignancies (lung, liver, prostate, bladder cancer) in patients with SLE. The meta-analysis procedure was used to pool standardized incidence rates (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to evaluate the association. Results: A total of seven cohort studies were identified, of which six provided the SIR for overall malignancy, seven reported the SIR for lung cancer, five for liver cancer, four for prostate cancer and six for bladder cancer. Overall, lung and liver cancers were more frequently observed in patients with SLE with SIR of 1.16 (95% CI = 1.12–1.21), 1.68 (95% CI = 1.33–2.13) and 2.44 (95% CI = 1.46–4.05), respectively. However, the risk of prostate cancer appeared to be somewhat reduced in male patients with SLE (SIR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.57–0.89). Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows that SLE patients are at increased risk of developing cancer, particularly of the lung, bladder and liver. However, males with SLE have a decreased risk of prostate cancer.
Reflecting on public engagement and science policy
Authors: Jones Richard A. L.
Published: January 2014

This article presents a personal reflection on the evolution of thinking about public engagement with science in the UK, with a particular emphasis on the experience with nanotechnology.
Further disorientation in the hall of mirrors
Authors: Wynne Brian
Published: January 2014

This paper reviews some changes and continuities in science–society relations which have shaped this journal’s birth and development. I argue that the main focus on publics has been developed with insufficient primary attention to problematising what is meant by ‘science’ in its variable public forms, including discourses. We cannot understand ‘publics’ in relation to ‘science’, unless we also ask, searchingly, what is it that they experience as such, in all its multiple self-contradictions and confusions? Thus I reiterate the point made in the inaugural issue, still neglected in mainstream science and policy, that ‘science’ needs to be critically addressed in several dimensions, as part of public understanding of science research. First, instrumental pragmatic scientific meanings, useful in their own parochial situations, should not be given automatic sovereignty in public issues. Second, public concerns where they exist should not be interpreted and judged against this presumptively entrenched scientistic normative baseline.
Why should we promote public engagement with science?
Authors: Stilgoe Jack , Lock Simon J. , Wilsdon James
Published: January 2014

This introductory essay looks back on the two decades since the journal Public Understanding of Science was launched. Drawing on the invited commentaries in this special issue, we can see narratives of continuity and change around the practice and politics of public engagement with science. Public engagement would seem to be a necessary but insufficient part of opening up science and its governance. Those of us who have been involved in advocating, conducting and evaluating public engagement practice could be accused of over-promising. If we, as social scientists, are going to continue a normative commitment to the idea of public engagement, we should therefore develop new lines of argument and analysis. Our support for the idea of public engagement needs qualifying, as part of a broader, more ambitious interest in the idea of publicly engaged science.
The Origin and Journey of Qawwali
Authors: Bhattacharjee Anuradha , Alam Shadab
Published: January 2014

This article deals with origin, evolution and the heritage of Sufi music. The objective of this article is to trace the journey of Sufi musical practices and traditions across the world, their forms, and how Sufi music has created a heritage and subculture across the Muslim as well as non-Muslim world carving an identity for itself as liberal or spiritual Islam rather than legal Islam.

Philosophic Qur’anic verses, such as ‘Poverty is my pride’, are the bedrock of Sufism and quoted in every manual of Sufi doctrine. Such verses are limitless in their depth, scope and meaning, and the reader/listener may draw as much mystical meaning as s/he has the capacity to understand.

The propagation of Sufism started from its origin in Baghdad, Iraq, and spread to Persia, Pakistan, North Africa, Central Asia and Muslim Spain. Sufism has produced a large body of poetry in Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Kurdish, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi and even Bangla, from which the genre of Sufi music, lyrics and qawwali has emerged. The Sufi poetry has integrated with the local musical culture of the various parts of the world and created a rainbow of variations down the ages.

This article draws upon published literature from several languages on the origins of Sufi music, including qawwali, and collates samples of Sufi music from across the world and synthesizes the results.
The Analysis of the Album Tin Drum by Japan and its Intercultural and Musical Meaning
Authors: Papazova Julijana Zhabeva
Published: January 2014

Tin Drum, released in 1981, is the fifth and final studio album by the British band Japan. The members of the band were: David Sylvian, Rob Dean, Richard Barbieri, Mick Karn and Steve Jansen. The musical style of Japan is characterized with combination of new wave, indie and electronic styles, with Asian music influence from instrumentation to subject matter. The purpose of this article is to carry out an analysis of the album Tin Drum (consisting of eight songs) based on: music analysis, that is, melody, rhythm, instrumentation, musical form, the ways of structuring different sections, musical tempo and sound effects; text analysis: content, inspiration, motifs, characters, metaphors; musical–cultural context: analyze the ways and meanings of musical and cultural influences from Asia in the work and identity of the British band Japan active in the years between 1977–1982; and video analysis: the video as visual image and escort to Japan music style (use of Asian landscapes, socio-cultural and political context). An essential feature of the style of Japan is a creation of mix between Western electro pop sound with completely distinctive music culture coming from Asia. The music base is upgraded with the song titles and content of the lyrics, visual images and video releases of certain songs.
Values, self and other-regarding behavior in the dictator game
Authors: Tao Lin , Au Wing-tung
Published: January 2014

Do values influence behavior? This study investigates whether individuals’ value beliefs, measured by the Schwartz Portrait Value Questionnaire, causally influence their other-regarding behavior in the dictator game. We find that four out of the five values we examine correlate significantly with individuals’ game behavior. Furthermore, for the purpose of establishing causality, we conduct two experimental manipulations to test if cognitively “activating” the values increases value-congruent behavior. The first manipulation primes the value beliefs to make them cognitively salient. The second, which draws on the notion that values are internalized into one’s self-system, primes and makes salient the self. Both manipulations—priming the values and priming the self—are found to generally increase the impacts of values on action, which provides evidence that values do causally influence behavior. Unexpected findings regarding the universalism value and the hedonism value are also discussed.
Thick as thieves: Homophily and trust among deviants
Authors: Flashman Jennifer , Gambetta Diego
Published: January 2014

Individuals who engage in deviant behaviors are more likely to be friends with other deviants compared to non-deviants. This pattern has been observed across different types of deviant activities and among different age groups. In question, however, is the mechanism that underlies this pattern. In this article we develop and test a new theory to explain homophily among deviants. Deviance makes one vulnerable to the risk of being caught and sanctioned. This vulnerability imposes a stringent constraint on deviants’ choice of friends. Following Thomas Schelling, we conjecture that a way to establish trust consists of making oneself “blackmailable” by disclosing compromising information on one’s misdeeds, or sharing compromising secrets (SCS). If two individuals share their illicit behaviors with one another, both are made vulnerable and a friendship can be established. We propose a series of hypotheses derived from SCS comparing levels of homophily in deviant and non-deviant behaviors. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health we estimate adolescents’ preferences for deviant and non-deviant friends, within and across types of activities, and across different social contexts. Together, these tests allow us to distinguish between the theory we develop, SCS, and alternatives.
Sand Waves and Human Tides: Exploring Environmental Myths on Desertification and Climate-Induced Migration
Authors: Bettini Giovanni , Andersson Elina
Published: January 2014

In spite of the growing attention to climate-induced migration, a coherent understanding of the matter is lacking—as any articulated governance strategy. Although such an impasse relates to the unprecedented socioecological processes involved, we argue that many of the challenges posed by climate-induced migration are not unique in the history of global environmental governance. Proceeding from this, we compare climate migration with the issue of desertification. Drawing upon the concept of environmental myth developed in Political Ecology, we identify common themes such as scientism, vagueness, and ambiguities in the definitions, and a tendency to envision one-fits-all solutions that overlook the multiscalar phenomena involved. We discuss how these traits have contributed to the failure of the desertification regime. Consequently, we propose that climate migration debates should move beyond such deficiencies, to avoid the consolidation of policy responses reproducing the same problems that have characterized the regime on desertification.
Utility of Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio in Predicting Troponin Elevation in the Emergency Department Setting
Authors: Korkmaz Ahmet , Yildiz Abdulkadir , Gunes Harun , Duyuler Serkan , Tuncez Abdullah
Published: January 2014

There is little data regarding the diagnostic ability of neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in acute coronary syndrome. Therefore, we aimed to assess the predictive value of NLR in the discrimination of troponin-positive patients. We enrolled 244 patients (mean age 61.3 ± 11.7 years, 70.5% male) who presented to the emergency service with acute chest pain. Patients were divided into 2 groups based upon the troponin positivity in the 12- to 24-hour follow-up. The admission NLR was significantly higher in the troponin-positive group (5.49 ± 4.01 vs 2.40 ± 1.36, P < .001). A cutoff point of 2.80 for NLR measured on admission had 79% sensitivity and 73% specificity in predicting follow-up troponin positivity. After multivariate analysis, admission NLR and glucose levels remained significant predictors of follow-up troponin positivity. In conclusion, NLR may be an early diagnostic marker in emergency service for discriminating patients who will have a positive troponin test in the follow-up.
Crossing media boundaries
Authors: Weedon Alexis , Miller David , Franco Claudio Pires , Moorhead David , Pearce Samantha
Published: January 2014

It is necessary to continuously review the definition of the book moving from one bound by its material form to one determined by its function as a means of communication. The book’s social function as the high status vehicle for communicating new ideas and cultural expressions is being challenged by sophisticated systems of conveying meaning in other media. In this article, we report on two projects: electronic book (e-book) publication and reader forum for Nature Mage and the transmedia augmented reality (AR) fiction Sherwood Rise, which investigate these issues. Claudio Pires Franco’s work is based on the adaptation of a source work: Duncan Pile’s Nature Mage. The project aims to develop the book from e-book to a fan-produced enhanced digital book. Through this practice-based research, Franco investigates the definitions and classification of the e and i forms of the book and adaptation in new media; the role of the author in creative collaboration with readers through online forums; the extension of the story world through creative collaboration and reader participation while respecting and safeguarding creative properties. One remove from the traditional book, David Miller’s Sherwood Rise, research the user experience with AR to examine narrative problems and explore new storytelling aesthetics. These new media forms define the outer borders of the book system within which content is formed and moulded, and around which society is shaped.
A Comment on the Bias of Probabilities Derived From Betting Odds and Their Use in Measuring Outcome Uncertainty
Authors: Štrumbelj Erik
Published: January 2014

Probabilities from bookmaker odds are often used in measures of short-run outcome uncertainty. We analyzed the most commonly used methods for deriving probability forecasts from odds and found that basic normalization (BN) produces biased probabilities. Furthermore, differences between probabilities produced with BN, regression models, or Shin probabilities are large enough to lead to contradictory conclusions when used to measure outcome uncertainty. We also provide evidence against the reported bias of bookmakers favoring better supported teams and show how past evidence of such a bias is possibly only due to a misinterpretation of the results.
The Relationship Between Positive Psychological Capital and Global Mindset in the Context of Global Leadership
Authors: Vogelgesang Gretchen , Clapp-Smith Rachel , Osland Joyce
Published: January 2014

Using the broaden-and-build theory as an organizing framework, we hypothesized and tested a model that provides evidence for the role of positivity in global leader competence. We found that positive psychological capital (PsyCap) mediates the relationship between global mindset and three relevant global leader competencies: nonjudgmentalness, inquisitiveness, and performance. PsyCap partially mediates the relationship between cognitive complexity and nonjudgmentalness and fully mediates the relationship between cosmopolitanism and inquisitiveness. Cognitive complexity and nonjudgmentalness both have direct relationships with performance. We include implications for global leadership selection, training, and development and future directions for PsyCap research in relation to global mindset.
The Association Between Educational Attainment and Diabetes Among Men in the United States
Authors: Whitaker Shanta M. , Bowie Janice V. , McCleary Rachael , Gaskin Darrell J. , LaVeist Thomas A. , Thorpe Roland J.
Published: January 2014

Few studies have examined the relationship between education and diabetes among men in the United States and whether this relationship differs by race/ethnicity. This study examined whether racial disparities in diabetes existed by educational attainment in 336,746 non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic men 18 years of age and older in the United States. Logistic regression models were specified to examine the odds of reporting diabetes by educational attainment. Within race/ethnicity, both White and Hispanic men who had less than a high school education (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.19, 1.69], and OR = 1.64, 95% CI = [1.22, 2.21], respectively) had consistently higher odds of diabetes than men with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of educational attainment. Educational attainment did not appear to be associated with reporting a diagnosis of diabetes in non-Hispanic Black men. Identifying why educational attainment is associated with diabetes outcomes in some racial/ethnic groups but not others is essential for diabetes treatment and management.
Educational leadership and market values: A study of school principals in Iceland
Authors: Lárusdóttir Steinunn Helga
Published: January 2014

This article reports on the findings of a larger case study about the impact of values on educational leaders in Iceland. The environment of Icelandic schools has changed considerably in recent years. These changes have affected schools and changed the nature and scope of principals' work. Scholars have argued that these changes are primarily market driven and have made schools subject to market pressures. Ten principals, five women and five men, were interviewed and asked how recent changes had affected their roles. They were also asked to share information about difficult decisions they had made during this time. Moreover, in all the ten schools, one mid-level administrator was interviewed. This article shows that Icelandic principals work in a changing and unstable environment, where values of school stakeholders often compete for recognition. It highlights the conflicting demands principals were faced with and the difficult issues they had to resolve in a competitive environment. Many of the conflicts involved core activities of teaching and learning against various other new services. Their narrative shows that they focus on their role as pedagogical leaders and see care as a core value in their practice. This holds true regardless of gender.
Timing of delivery in women with diabetes in pregnancy
Authors: Berger Howard , Melamed Nir
Published: January 2014

The incidence of both gestational and pre-gestational diabetes is increasing worldwide. The main cause of this increase is likely the concomitant increase in the incidence of global obesity, but in the case of gestational diabetes, changes in the diagnostic criteria are also a contributing factor. The adverse outcomes associated with pre-gestational diabetes are well known and have led clinicians to implement various strategies that include increased fetal surveillance and induction of labour at various gestational ages. In many cases these same strategies have been applied in clinical practice also to women with gestational diabetes despite there being differences in the type and magnitude of perinatal complications associated with this diagnosis. Despite the widespread application of these clinical practices, there is a paucity of quality data in the medical literature to guide the clinician in choosing a strategy for fetal surveillance and timing of delivery in both gestational diabetes and pre-gestational diabetes pregnancies. In the following review, we will discuss the rationale and consequences of planned delivery in gestational diabetes and pre-gestational diabetes, the evidence supporting different strategies for delivery and finally highlight future targets for research in this area.
Pregnancy outcome and follow-up cardiac outcome in women with aortic valve replacement
Authors: Basude Snehalata , Trinder Johanna , Caputo Massimo , Curtis Stephanie L
Published: January 2014

Objectives

To compare the maternal, fetal and cardiac outcomes in women who have undergone aortic valve replacement.

Method

Retrospective observational study of all women with aortic valve replacement, who underwent a pregnancy (1998–2012). Maternal-, fetal- and valve-related cardiac outcomes were assessed.

Results

Thirty-two pregnancies in 16 women with aortic valve replacement (nine bioprosthetic, six Ross and 17 mechanical) were evaluated. There were no adverse maternal events in the bioprosthetic and Ross groups but three in the mechanical group. Fetal loss rate was highest in the mechanical valve pregnancies (53%). One woman in the bioprosthetic group needed valve re-operation, and one woman in the mechanical valve group died. There was no difference in the change of Vmax over the follow-up between the valves ( p = 0.25).

Conclusions

There was no difference in deterioration between aortic valve replacements during and after pregnancy. The highest risk of maternal and fetal complications occurred in the mechanical valve group.
Magnesium sulfate for eclampsia prevention: Quality of care evaluation in a tertiary centre in Québec, Canada
Authors: Girard Pascale , Quirion Alexandre , Bureau Yves-André , Sauvé Nadine
Published: January 2014

Background

The current Canadian guidelines endorse the use of MgSO4 for treatment of eclampsia and for prophylaxis in severe preeclampsia. Our study aimed to audit our institution’s compliance regarding these guidelines.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate MgSO4 use in: all our cases of eclampsia since 2002, 50 cases of severe preeclampsia, and 50 cases of non-severe preeclampsia.

Results

Sixty-five cases of preeclampsia were analyzed after initial chart review. A high rate of preeclampsia severity misdiagnosis was observed (35%, 23/65). Only 69% (25/36) of the patients correctly diagnosed with severe preeclampsia received MgSO4; after diagnosis correction, 42% (25/59) of the patients with severe preeclampsia received the medication. Of our eight cases of eclampsia, none of the patients received MgSO4 before the seizure (although three had clear indications).

Conclusion

Given the importance of prophylactic MgSO4 use in preventing eclampsia, we have implemented informative measures aimed at rapidly achieving complete compliance with the national guidelines.
Therapy with Migrant Farmer Mexican Immigrants
Authors: Meacham Mike
Published: January 2014

Those helping people with mental and emotional problems face a myriad of labels and interventions. In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association developed the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental and Emotional Disorders ( DSM) to bring some organization into the chaos, which affected professionals, third-party payers, the client, and her or his family. Today, after several editions, we use a newer version of the DSM, which covers many more maladies and helps much better in selecting interventions and recording progress (or lack of it). There always have been problems of reliability with the DSM, at least in part because it is patterned after the physicians’ International Classification of Diseases (ICD) series of physical disorders, most of which have symptoms that can be determined through direct observation or testing. Recently, the therapeutic community has realized that cultural issues and lifestyles may affect fairly well-adjusted people in ways that confuse therapists. This article argues that many problems faced by one culture, Mexican migrants, may better be addressed with sociological theory and other means than with the DSM.
Neurosarcoidosis
Authors: Hoyle J. Chad , Jablonski Courtney , Newton Herbert B.
Published: January 2014

Neurosarcoidosis is frequently on the differential diagnosis for neurohospitalists. The diagnosis can be challenging due to the wide variety of clinical presentations as well as the limitations of noninvasive diagnostic testing. This article briefly touches on systemic features that may herald suspicion of this disorder and then expands in depth on the neurological clinical presentations. Common patterns of neurological presentations are reviewed and unusual presentations are also included. A discussion of noninvasive testing is undertaken, exploring dilemmas that may be encountered with sensitivity and specificity. Drawing from a broad range of clinical clues and diagnostic data, a systematic approach of pursuing a potential tissue diagnosis is then highlighted. Correctly diagnosing neurosarcoidosis is critical, as treatment with appropriate immunosuppression protocols can then be initiated. Additionally, treatment of refractory disease, the trend toward exploring targeted immunomodulation options, and other therapeutic issues are discussed.
Dāk Vachan
Authors: Jha Sadan
Published: January 2014

Looking at a corpus of proverbs (folk sayings) known as Dā k vachan this article explores the ways in which these sayings constitute a field of knowledge production in contemporary Mithila (north Bihar) revealing claims along the trajectories of caste, gender and historical lineages. Addressed to different aspects of agrarian life, presence of these sayings in the Maithil agrarian society also suggests a complicated and contested relation between modern and non-modern practices of time in general and agrarian environment in particular. This study makes it imperative to take an account of not merely how people conserve their environment through religious and non-scientific idioms (Gold and Gujar) but also the manner in which the discourse on the non-modern knowledge has been fraught along caste lines. Focused on Dā k vachan, an attempt has been made to understand the process, in and through which colonial–modern knowledge, caste politics and multiple worlds of proverbial wisdom intersect with each other. Engaging with both published literature as well as responses coming from the field, the study aspires to make sense of the self of an ethnographer in the manner in which these sayings come to him both through the written sources as well as from the field. Finally, this article is about deconstructing the middle class perception of the domain of the ‘folk’ in this region.
Searching for the Divine, Handling Mobile Phones
Authors: Lorea Carola Erika
Published: January 2014

The Bauls of Bengal, a community of low-caste itinerant performers and esoteric practitioners, have received contrasting appreciations in the course of the last two centuries. Initially disregarded as the low tradition of an ‘immoral’, ‘degenerate’, ‘scatological’ sect, Baul songs were revived and promoted by the famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Tagore’s publications on Bauls contributed to the diffusion of their success among intellectuals and the urban élite, in a purified version that romanticised the Bauls’ esoteric aspect to make it socially acceptable.

With the growing impact of globalisation and the gentrification of the Bengali countryside, Bauls are now enjoying an increasing patronage by outsiders, middle-class amateurs and folklore tourists in search of an ‘authentic’ indigenous tradition.

What is the impact of cultural tourism, commercialisation and the commodification of culture on the oral literature of Bauls? How do Baul composers react to the encounter with the urban milieu? The recent strand of academic literature on Bauls shares a common fear of corruption and contamination by the invasion of modernity and show-business. Questioning this view, textual and contextual evidence shows that Bauls’ lyrics are responding with self-confidence and adaptability: keeping their tenets and literary devices unaltered, contemporary Baul songs are capable of preserving their peculiar identity vis-à-vis the demands of a modern audience. Bauls’ compositions are incorporating objects of contemporary reality, such as mobile phones, metro stations, motorbikes, etc., fitting them into their traditional structures of metaphorical songs that discuss, through the use of an enigmatic jargon known as sandhya-bhasha, their crucial sexo-yogic practices of self-realisation.
Prevention Counseling Practices of HIV Care Providers with Patients New to HIV Medical Care
Authors: Valverde Eduardo , Beer Linda , Johnson Christopher , Blair Janet M. , Mattson Christine L. , Sanders Catherine , Weiser John , Skarbinski Jacek
Published: January 2014

Objectives:

To determine the prevalence of prevention counseling discussions between HIV care providers and their patients who are newly linked to care and to assess factors that facilitate such discussions.

Methods:

In 2009, a probability sample of HIV care providers in 582 outpatient settings in the United States and Puerto Rico was surveyed regarding provider’s HIV prevention discussions with HIV-infected patients newly linked to HIV medical care.

Results:

A majority of providers reported consistently discussing HIV transmission risk reduction (76%), sexually transmitted disease risk (66%), and adherence to antiretroviral regimens (87%). Only 35% of providers reported consistently discussing partner counseling services.

Conclusion:

The proportion of providers engaged in HIV prevention counseling with patients newly linked to HIV care is generally high, but more work is needed to encourage providers to fully participate as partners in prevention, which is central to preventing onward transmission of HIV.
A phase 2 trial of lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and relapsed/refractory myeloma
Authors: Richardson Paul G. , Xie Wanling , Jagannath Sundar , Jakubowiak Andrzej , Lonial Sagar , Raje Noopur S. , Alsina Melissa , Ghobrial Irene M. , Schlossman Robert L. , Munshi Nikhil C. , Mazumder Amitabha , Vesole David H. , Kaufman Jonathan L. , Colson Kathleen , McKenney Mary , Lunde Laura E. , Feather John , Maglio Michelle E. , Warren Diane , Francis Dixil , Hideshima Teru , Knight Robert , Esseltine Dixie-Lee , Mitsiades Constantine S. , Weller Edie , Anderson Kenneth C.
Published: January 2014

Key Points

Lenalidomide-bortezomib-dexamethasone resulted in partial response or better in nearly two-thirds of relapsed/refractory myeloma patients. The regimen had substantial activity despite high rates of prior bortezomib/thalidomide and regardless of poor prognostic characteristics.
Blood pressure tables for Chinese adolescents: justification for incorporation of important influencing factors of height, age and sex in the tables
Authors: Jiang Xuejin , Cao Zhongqiang , Shen Lijun , Wu Jing , Li Zhongliang , Gao Jing , Wang Youjie
Published: January 2014

Background

Elevated blood pressure (BP) in childhood was a predictor of hypertension in adulthood and contributes to the current epidemic of cardiovascular disease. It is necessary to identify abnormal BP in children and adolescents with accurate BP tables based on several crucial factors. The purpose of this study was to identify the important influencing factors of BP of Chinese adolescents.

Methods

BP, height, and body weight were assessed in 32221 normal-weight Chinese adolescents aged 12–17 years. An equal number of 6815 subjects from boys and girls were individually matched by height and age to assess the independent effect of sex on BP; and an equal number of 1422 subjects from each of the age groups (12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years) were individually matched by sex and height to estimate the independent effect of age on BP. Height of each sex and age was divided into eight height groups - ~5th, ~10th, ~25th, ~50th, ~75th, ~90th, ~95th, and 95th ~ percentiles- and the Spearman’s correlation between height percentiles and BP was used to examine the independent effect of height on BP.

Results

Boys had higher systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) than girls after controlling for age and height. BP increased with age after controlling for sex and height. In each age group, both SBP and DBP increased alongside increasing height in boys and girls.

Conclusions

Sex, age and height are all independent determinants for BP levels in Chinese adolescents. It is essential to incorporate these three factors for the establishment of the BP reference tables.