bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defining Unavoidable Delays in Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Discordance Among Patients Excluded From National Cardiovascular Quality Registries
Authors: McCabe James M. , Kennedy Kevin F. , Yeh Robert W.
Published: June 2014

Background

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (
CMS
) and the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (
NCDR
) track primary percutaneous coronary intervention (
PCI
) performance in the form of door‐to‐balloon time. For quality assessment, exceptions are made for patients with “unavoidable delays” in both registries, yet it remains unclear how consistently such patients are identified.

Methods and Results

All primary
PCI
patients at 3 Massachusetts hospitals (Brigham and Women's, Massachusetts General, and North Shore Medical Center) from 2009 to 2011 were evaluated for
CMS
inclusion/exclusion and
NCDR
nonsystems delay (
NSD
) status. We subsequently analyzed patient characteristics and outcomes based on these strata. Among 456 total patients, 128 (28%) were excluded from
CMS
reporting, whereas 56 (12%) were listed in the
NCDR
registry as having an
NSD
. Forty of 56 (71%) patients with
NSD
were also excluded from
CMS
reporting, whereas 312 of 400 (78%) patients reported without
NSD
were included in
CMS
reports. Between‐registry agreement on patients with unavoidable delays was modest (κ=0.32). Among
CMS
‐included patients without
NSD
, 94% received
PCI
within 90 minutes compared with 29% of
CMS
‐excluded patients with
NSD
(
P
<0.001). Likewise,
CMS
‐included patients without
NSD
had a 4‐fold better 1‐year mortality rate compared with
CMS
‐excluded patients with
NSD
(
P
<0.001).

Conclusions

More than twice as many primary
PCI
patients are excluded from
CMS
quality analyses compared with
NCDR
. With the use of currently available cardiovascular quality registries, it is unclear how many patients truly require unavoidable delays during primary
PCI
. Patients with
NSD
had the worst outcomes regardless of
CMS
status.
Uncommon Law: America's Excessive Criminal Law & Our Common-Law Origins
Authors: Simon Jonathan
Published: June 2014

This essay explores the role that U.S. criminal courts play in shaping the uniquely punitive social order of the United States. U.S. courts have long been defined against the common law of England, from which they emerged. In this essay, I consider the English legacy and suggest that while the United States does draw heavily from common-law traditions, it has also innovated to alter them, a process that has established a criminal justice system even more punitive than that of England.
The Courts in American Public Culture
Authors: Silbey Susan S.
Published: June 2014

In American public imagination, courts are powerful but also impotent. They are guardians of citizens' rights but also agents of corporate wealth; simultaneously the least dangerous branch and the ultimate arbiters of fairness and justice. After recounting the social science literature on the mixed reception of courts in American public culture, this essay explains how the contradictory embrace of courts and law by Americans is not a weakness or flaw, nor a mark of confusion or naïveté. Rather, Americans' paradoxical interpretations of courts and judges sustain rather than undermine our legal institutions. These opposing accounts are a source of institutional durability and power because they combine the historical and widespread aspirations for the rule of law with a pragmatic recognition of the limits of institutional practice; these sundry accounts balance an appreciation for the discipline of legal reasoning with desires for responsive, humane judgment.
(Anti)Canonizing Courts
Authors: Greene Jamal
Published: June 2014

Within U.S. constitutional culture, courts stand curiously apart from the society in which they sit. Among the many purposes this process of alienation serves is to “neutralize” the cognitive dissonance produced by Americans' current self-conception and the role our forebears' social and political culture played in producing historic injustice. The legal culture establishes such dissonance in part by structuring American constitutional argument around anticanonical cases: most especially “Dred Scott v. Sandford,” “Plessy v. Ferguson,” and “Lochner v. New York.” The widely held view that these decisions were “wrong the day they were decided” emphasizes the role of independent courts in producing them and diminishes the roles of culture in creating them and of social movements in overcoming them. This essay argues for approaching these decisions as ordinary products of political culture rather than extraordinary products of judicial malfeasance. Doing so honors those who struggled for progress and may invigorate our political imagination in the present.
Justice & Memory: South Africa's Constitutional Court
Authors: O'Regan Kate
Published: June 2014

In a society such as South Africa in which the past has been deeply unjust, and in which the law and judges have been central to that injustice, establishing a shared conception of justice is particularly hard. There are four important strands of history and memory that affect the conception of justice in democratic, post-apartheid South Africa. Two of these, the role of law in the implementation of apartheid, and the grant of amnesty to perpetrators of gross human rights violations, are strands of memory that tend to undermine the establishment of a shared expectation of justice through law. Two others, the deeprooted cultural practice of justice in traditional southern African communities, and the use of law in the struggle against apartheid, support an expectation of justice in our new order. Lawyers and judges striving to establish a just new order must be mindful of these strands of memory that speak to the relationship between law and justice.
On Using Surrogates with Genetic Programming
Authors: Hildebrandt Torsten , Branke Jürgen
Published: June 2014

One way to accelerate evolutionary algorithms with expensive fitness evaluations is to combine them with surrogate models. Surrogate models are efficiently computable approximations of the fitness function, derived by means of statistical or machine learning techniques from samples of fully evaluated solutions. But these models usually require a numerical representation, and therefore cannot be used with the tree representation of genetic programming (GP). In this paper, we present a new way to use surrogate models with GP. Rather than using the genotype directly as input to the surrogate model, we propose using a phenotypic characterization. This phenotypic characterization can be computed efficiently and allows us to define approximate measures of equivalence and similarity. Using a stochastic, dynamic job shop scenario as an example of simulation-based GP with an expensive fitness evaluation, we show how these ideas can be used to construct surrogate models and improve the convergence speed and solution quality of GP.
Novelties in Myrtaceae: contributions to the Flora of the State of Sergipe, Brazil
Authors: PROENÇA CAROLYN E. B. , DE OLIVEIRA MARLA I. U. , SOBRAL MARCOS , LANDIM MYRNA F.
Published: June 2014

This paper describes four new species and proposes a new synonym of Myrtaceae of particular relevance for the flora of Sergipe and Bahia, Brazil, either within Eugenia L. or Myrcia DC. The occurrence of Myrcianthes pseudomato (D.Legrand) McVaugh, the first species of the genus to be registered in Sergipe and the second species of the genus for Northeastern Brazil is noted, and a short description of the fruits of Eugenia brejoensis Mazine, described in 2008 based on flowering material only is also provided.
Organizational Forms and Multi-population Dynamics
Authors: Xu Dean , Lu Jane W. , Gu Qian
Published: June 2014

To examine the transition from a planned to a market economy in China, this study uses census data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics from 1998–2006 to investigate multi-population dynamics across the three main organizational forms in China’s domestic sector: state-owned enterprises (SOEs), collectively owned enterprises (COEs), and privately owned enterprises (POEs). We conceptualize economic transition as a community-level change from an old, dominant organizational form (SOE), through a transitional form (COE), to a new form (POE). When the new organizational form conflicts with the prevailing identity codes represented by the old form, the transitional form—which has identity overlap with both the new and old forms—performs the critical tasks of transferring legitimacy to the new form and supporting its survival and proliferation. Our analysis showed that, though the existence of state-owned enterprises increased the exit rate of privately owned enterprises, collectively owned enterprises provided legitimation for privately owned enterprises. Meanwhile, privately owned enterprises crowded out both state-owned enterprises and collectively owned enterprises. We contribute to ecology theory by extending research that typically depicts a two-population scenario. Our framework accommodates cross-effects involving three organizational forms: old, transitional, and new.
Prevalence and Severity of Asymptomatic Coronary and Carotid Artery Disease in Patients With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Marsico Fabio , Giugliano Giuseppe , Ruggiero Donatella , Parente Antonio , Paolillo Stefania , Guercio Luca Del , Esposito Giovanni , Trimarco Bruno , Filardi Pasquale Perrone
Published: June 2014

We evaluated the prevalence and severity of occult coronary artery disease (CAD) and cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We studied 100 consecutive patients with no history of CAD, normal electrocardiogram, normal systolic function, and no angina or dyspnea. All patients underwent carotid Doppler study and invasive coronary angiography. Significant CAD was observed in 61% of patients. In all, 51% of patients with significant CAD showed either left main (n = 7), 3-vessel (n = 17), or proximal left anterior descending (n = 7) CAD, corresponding to 31% of the total cohort. Cerebrovascular disease was detected in 53% of patients, and in 38% of them was significant (peak systolic flow velocity ≥125 <230 cm/s). In 36% of patients with CeVD either left main (n = 5), 3-vessel (n = 11), or proximal left anterior descending (n = 3) CAD was observed. Severe asymptomatic CAD is prevalent in AAA, and 31% of patients fulfill indications for coronary revascularization.
The discretionary use of performance information by different local government actors – analysing and comparing the predictive power of three factor sets
Authors: Saliterer Iris , Korac Sanja
Published: June 2014

In recent years, empirical research on performance information use has gained momentum, but quantitative studies, which include different actor groups, are less widespread. Building on prior research within this field, our study offers insights into various antecedents for performance information use – including individual, performance-measurement-specific, and organizational context factors. By applying a quantitative survey of different actor groups at the local government level in Austria, we draw a picture of different user profiles for mayors with administrative authority, chief officials and chief financial officials. Hence, we are able to confirm findings from former studies with other national backgrounds and contribute to a better understanding regarding some new individual aspects influencing discretionary performance information use in a strategy formulation context.

Points for practitioners

It is important to gather insights on the factors driving performance information use, as the latter is a crucial indicator for whether the introduction of performance measurement is worth the effort. Moreover, the results show that the performance information use intensity of mayors, chief officials and chief financial officials is driven by different factors. The study not only contributes to a better understanding of performance measurement utilization in general, but also points to the existence of different user profiles, therefore offering implications for the development of performance management implementation strategies.
“It left shame in me, lodged in my body”: Representations of shame, gender, and female bodies in selected contemporary South African short stories
Authors: Murray Jessica
Published: June 2014

I offer a feminist literary analysis of gendered representations of shame in selected contemporary South African short stories. The analysis reveals how the dynamics of shaming operate by drawing on social constructions that continue to devalue and denigrate women’s bodies. The female characters’ narratives are littered with “I should haves” and other indications that shame fulfils a powerful disciplinary function that causes women to modify their behaviour and sanction their feelings in a futile quest to avoid shame. I demonstrate that this is a futile endeavour because female characters are bombarded with messages of shame from so many different avenues that it becomes impossible for any of them to emerge unscathed. The shame that they cannot escape resides in their bodies and the article seeks to listen to the corporeal articulations of shame in an attempt to acknowledge a potent, yet often silenced, aspect of women’s daily lived realities.
Effect of Alveolar Ridge Preservation after Tooth Extraction
Authors: Avila-Ortiz G. , Elangovan S. , Kramer K.W.O. , Blanchette D. , Dawson D.V.
Published: June 2014

Alveolar ridge preservation strategies are indicated to minimize the loss of ridge volume that typically follows tooth extraction. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effect that socket filling with a bone grafting material has on the prevention of postextraction alveolar ridge volume loss as compared with tooth extraction alone in nonmolar teeth. Five electronic databases were searched to identify randomized clinical trials that fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Literature screening and article selection were conducted by 3 independent reviewers, while data extraction was performed by 2 independent reviewers. Outcome measures were mean horizontal ridge changes (buccolingual) and vertical ridge changes (midbuccal, midlingual, mesial, and distal). The influence of several variables of interest ( i.e., flap elevation, membrane usage, and type of bone substitute employed) on the outcomes of ridge preservation therapy was explored via subgroup analyses. We found that alveolar ridge preservation is effective in limiting physiologic ridge reduction as compared with tooth extraction alone. The clinical magnitude of the effect was 1.89 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41, 2.36; p < .001) in terms of buccolingual width, 2.07 mm (95% CI: 1.03, 3.12; p < .001) for midbuccal height, 1.18 mm (95% CI: 0.17, 2.19; p = .022) for midlingual height, 0.48 mm (95% CI: 0.18, 0.79; p = .002) for mesial height, and 0.24 mm (95% CI: –0.05, 0.53; p = .102) for distal height changes. Subgroup analyses revealed that flap elevation, the usage of a membrane, and the application of a xenograft or an allograft are associated with superior outcomes, particularly on midbuccal and midlingual height preservation.
Diatoms in forensic analysis: A practical approach in rats
Authors: Badu Isaac K , Girela Eloy , Beltrán Cristina M , Ruz-Caracuel Ignacio , Jimena Ignacio
Published: June 2014

A diagnosis of drowning is a challenge in legal medicine, as there is generally a lack of pathognomonic findings indicative of drowning. Diatom analysis has been considered very supportive for a diagnosis of drowning, although the test is still controversial for some investigators. We assessed diatoms association with drowning in the peripheral tissues of drowned rats and the effects of the drowning medium on the diatom yield. A modified acid digestion method was optimised for diatom recovery in water and rat tissues. Eighteen adult Wistar rats were employed for the study, subdivided into six groups of three rats. Groups 1, 3 and 5 were drowned in seawater, lake water, or river water respectively, while groups 2, 4 and 6 were controls (immersed after death in seawater, lake water or river water respectively). Water samples were taken from the sea, lake and river in Málaga and Córdoba (Spain) for the purposes of diatomological mapping and drowning of the rats. Diatoms were successfully recovered from all water samples and matched with tissues of the drowned rats. There were significant differences in diatom numbers between control and test samples for all the tissues studied, as well as within test samples. Histological investigations conducted on lung samples obtained from drowned rats provided complementary and valuable information. This study demonstrates the feasibility of the diatom test as a reliable method for the diagnosis of drowning, especially if adequate precautions are taken to avoid contamination, and if interpretation of the analysis is performed in light of other complementary investigations.
Ectopic sebaceous glands in the oesophagus: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Lee Seung-Hwa , Lee Duck-Joo , Kim Kwang-Min , Kim Kyu-Nam , Kang Joon-Koo
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Most ectopic sebaceous glands have been reported in the tissues of ectodermal origin. However, there are relatively a few reports of ectopic sebaceous glands in the oesophagus, an organ of endodermal origin.

Case presentation

We report the case of an asymptomatic 54-year-old man with ectopic oesophageal sebaceous glands. These lesions were incidentally observed in the distal oesophagus during screening endoscopy of gastric neoplasm and confirmed by histologic analysis.

Conclusion

Surveillance or resection with regard to ectopic sebaceous glands in the oesophagus is generally not required since there is no known malignant potential. However, anti-reflux treatment may be sometimes needed, if such symptoms are present in patients. Also, these lesions should be differentiated from other pathologic lesions of oesophagus that need to be treated. Thus, greater attention of endoscopists is required for detection and differential diagnosis of these lesions. The narrow-band imaging mode and/or endoscopic biopsy may be helpful.
Negotiating Differences in Small Urban Schools
Authors: Shady Ashraf A.
Published: June 2014

This study investigates the effects of widely advocated organizational reform for secondary schools, namely the small school model, on the collective efficacy of teachers and students who did not share the school’s common vision. Themes that emerged during the study linked the students’ academic engagement to faculty dispositions, the physical facilities of the school, and the socioeconomic context of the student body. Cogenerative dialogue (cogen) was used as a pathway to ameliorate such exclusionary policy. The results of the study indicate that the conversations during cogen meetings became resources to draw on in changing oppressive structural features.
A Descriptive Analysis of School Connectedness
Authors: Biag Manuelito
Published: June 2014

Few studies have investigated school connectedness from the perspectives of the adults working in the school. Using qualitative methods, the present study examined three dimensions of school connectedness in one urban, low-income middle school. Analyses revealed that school personnel cared for students’ needs, sometimes at the expense of holding them accountable to rigorous standards. Some respondents assumed that families did not care about their children, and were unable to support them academically or instill in them pro-social values and behaviors. These deficit assumptions influenced how the school disciplined students and engaged with families. Results are discussed with practice and policy implications.
The science of mind body medicine and the public health challenges of today
Authors: Fricchione Gregory L
Published: June 2014

An expanding research base of mind body medicine is adding to our understanding of stress, allostasis, and resiliency. This article will summarize a rationale in support of efficiently and effectively using mind body approaches as agents of self-care enhancement in an effort to meet major public health challenges around the world.
Development and Evaluation of a Pediatric Diabetes Program by a Single Provider
Authors: Ahern Jo Ann , Arguello Raul
Published: June 2014

Purpose

Although the use of a team approach is ideal for a pediatric population, such an approach is expensive, with programs running at a negative balance of $400,000 to $800,000 per year. To address the problem, a “state of the art” pediatric diabetes program was implemented that was cost neutral and did not compromise patient care.

Methods

Four years after starting a pediatric diabetes program run by a single provider, diabetes goals were evaluated by checking A1C levels while keeping costs in check. A1C levels were obtained every 2 to 3 months and analyzed over several months. Two hundred patients with type 1 diabetes were managed in the program. The cost of the program was analyzed on the basis of rental fees, staff salaries, and basic equipment and supplies required. A1C levels were performed using the Siemens HbA1c DCA Vantage Analyzer. Patients are able to call, fax, text, and e-mail between visits. This has resulted in excellent control and high satisfaction.

Results

The mean A1C level was 7.2% to 7.4%. The pediatric diabetes program is now cost neutral. Survey results indicated that patients were satisfied with the care they received.

Conclusions

Children with type 1 diabetes can be managed by a single provider and achieve treatment goals that far exceed those obtained in most pediatric diabetes programs. This can be done at a fiscally responsible cost.
A Note on Conditional and Quasi-Conditional Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Polytomous Item Response Models
Authors: Johnson Timothy R.
Published: June 2014

Several item response models have been proposed to account for individual differences in response scale use that extend existing models to include respondent-specific threshold parameters. Inference for these models is based on marginal maximum likelihood by specifying distributional assumptions for the threshold parameters. This article shows that for three of these models—the rating scale, proportional odds, and sequential rating scale models—estimators for item location parameters can be derived using conditional maximum likelihood. The advantages of these estimators are that the likelihood functions are in closed-form and do not involve distributional assumptions concerning respondent-specific parameters, and so estimates are relatively easy to obtain numerically and do not require distributional assumptions and so are robust to individual differences in response scale use. A set of brief simulation studies are provided for illustration.
Sisters at Arms
Authors: Sheppard Leah D. , Aquino Karl
Published: June 2014

The narrative surrounding the nature of relationships and interactions between and among women at work is decidedly negative, which is evident in the coverage that female competition and the queen bee syndrome receive in the media, nonfiction books, and the management and psychology literatures. In the current article, we propose a two-stage theory that is grounded in gender stereotyping to account for this narrative. In the first stage, we draw from theories of social comparison and in-group distancing to offer plausible reasons for why women’s same-sex relationships at work might be more fraught with interpersonal conflict than men’s. In the second stage, we set aside consideration of possible gender differences in same-sex conflict frequency and draw from attribution theory to propose that female same-sex conflict is more problematized by third parties than male same-sex conflict, which could produce the exaggerated perception that women have more dysfunctional same-sex workplace relationships than men. Implications for future research and gender equality in organizations are discussed.
Social Influence Interpretation of Interpersonal Processes and Team Performance Over Time Using Bayesian Model Selection
Authors: Johnson Alan R. , van de Schoot Rens , Delmar Frédéric , Crano William D.
Published: June 2014

The team behavior literature is ambiguous about the relations between members’ interpersonal processes—task debate and task conflict—and team performance. From a social influence perspective, we show why members’ interpersonal processes determine team performance over time in small groups. Together, over time, dissenting in-group minorities who share information (via debate) with majorities, who selectively engage with them to consider their alternative proposals (via conflict), can improve their team performance (via innovation). The context/comparison model of social influence and its leniency contract extension to the special case of in-group minorities suggest a pattern of members’ interpersonal processes that unfolds over time to reconcile factions with the same social identity who hold different approaches to shared projects. Conditional on typical levels of task debate, we predict that (a) in early episodes, task conflict increases the relation between task debate and team performance; (b) in middle episodes, task conflict decreases the relation; and (c) in late episodes, task conflict increases the relation again. We explore our thesis using a longitudinal design with a sample of 60 student teams (360 individuals) working together for course credit over 5 months (21 weeks) to write a first business plan for a new venture. We use a multilevel structural equation modeling approach with Bayesian estimation. We found support for our theory expressed in informative hypotheses using Bayesian model selection. These results were not evident from conventional graphing and post hoc statistical probing of simple slopes against the null hypothesis.
Distinguishing Cystic Degeneration from Other Aging Lesions in the Adrenal Cortex of Sprague-Dawley Rats
Authors: Laast Victoria A. , Larsen Thomas , Allison Neil , Hoenerhoff Mark J. , Boorman Gary A.
Published: June 2014

Cystic degeneration of the adrenal cortex is a common age-related finding in the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat strain occurring more frequently in females. Compression of the adjacent cortex, a common hallmark of benign adrenal cortical tumors, often accompanies foci of cystic degeneration, creating a diagnostic challenge. Accurately differentiating these relatively common degenerative changes from proliferative lesions is critical in safety assessment studies. Cystic degeneration typically arises in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex and often causes compression along the margin of the lesion. The degenerating cells are large, with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, or contain clear cytoplasmic vacuoles. Mitotic figures are generally uncommon. In many cases, cystic degeneration appears to arise in areas of hypertrophy in the zona fasciculata. In contrast, adrenal cortical hyperplasia and adrenal cortical adenoma are frequently comprised of smaller cells that cause compression of adjacent cortex, and in some cases mitotic figures are observed. Cytological detail and growth patterns should be considered more useful criteria than compression alone for separating degenerative cystic lesions from proliferative lesions in the adrenal cortex of SD rats.
Comparison of clinical prediction scores for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in unselected population of outpatients and inpatients
Authors: Sermsathanasawadi N , Suparatchatpun P , Pumpuang T , Hongku K , Chinsakchai K , Wongwanit C , Ruangsetakit C , Mutirangura P
Published: June 2014

Objectives

The aim of this research was to compare the accuracy of the modified Wells, the Wells, the Kahn, the St. André, and the Constans score for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis of the lower limb in unselected population of outpatients and inpatients.

Method

The pretest of probability score was employed in consecutive 500 outpatients and inpatients with suspicion of deep vein thrombosis. All patients were examined with compression ultrasonography.

Results

Deep vein thrombosis was confirmed in 26.4%. In the unselected population of outpatients and inpatients, the accuracy of the modified Wells score and the Constans score was higher than other scores. Both scores were more accurate for the outpatients. There was no accurate score for the inpatient subgroup.

Conclusions

The modified Wells and the Constans score appear to be useful in the unselected population of outpatients and inpatients and particularly in the outpatient subgroup.
Comparison of body weight-supported treadmill training versus body weight-supported overground training in people with incomplete tetraplegia: a pilot randomized trial
Authors: Senthilvelkumar Thangavelu , Magimairaj Henry , Fletcher Jebaraj , Tharion George , George Jacob
Published: June 2014

Objective:

To compare the effectiveness of body weight-supported treadmill training and body weight-supported overground training for improving gait and strength in people with traumatic incomplete tetraplegia.

Design:

Assessor blinded randomized trial.

Setting:

Rehabilitation institute of a tertiary care teaching hospital in India.

Participants:

Sixteen participants with traumatic motor incomplete tetraplegia and within two years of injury.

Interventions:

Participants were randomised to one of two groups: body weight-supported overground training on level ground and body weight-supported treadmill training. Both groups received 30 minutes of gait training per day, five days a week for eight weeks. In addition, both groups received regular rehabilitation which included flexibility, strength, balance, self care and functional training.

Outcome measures:

The primary outcome measure was the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (/20 points) and the secondary outcome was the Lower Extremity Muscle Score (/50 points).

Results:

There was no statistically significant between group differences in the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury [mean difference=0.3points; 95% CI (-4.8 to 5.4); p=0.748] or the Lower Extremity Muscle Score [mean difference=0.2 points; 95% CI (-3.8 to 5.1); p=0.749].

Conclusions:

Gait training with body weight-supported overground training is comparable to treadmill training for improving locomotion in people with traumatic incomplete tetraplegia.
Pilates improves pain, function and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Natour Jamil , Cazotti Luciana de Araujo , Ribeiro Luiza Helena , Baptista Andréia Salvador , Jones Anamaria
Published: June 2014

Objective:

To assess the effectiveness of pilates method on patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP).

Method:

A randomized controlled trial was carried out in sixty patients with a diagnosis of chronic non-specific LBP. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Experimental Group (EG) that maintained medication treatment with use of NSAID and underwent treatment with the pilates method and Control Group (CG) that continue medication treatment with use of NSAID and did not undergo any other intervention. A blinded assessor performed all evaluations at baseline (T0), after 45, 90, and 180 days (T45, T90 and T180) for: pain (VAS), function (Roland Morris questionnaire), quality of life (SF-36), satisfaction with treatment (Likert scale), flexibility (sit and reach test) and NSAID intake.

Results:

The groups were homogeneous at baseline. Statistical differences favoring the EG were found with regard to pain ( P < 0.001), function ( P < 0.001) and the quality of life domains of functional capacity ( P < 0.046), pain ( P < 0.010) and vitality ( P < 0.029). Statistical differences were also found between groups regarding the use of pain medication at T45, T90 and T180 ( P < 0.010), with the EG taking fewer NSAIDs than the CG.

Conclusions:

The pilates method can be used by patients with LBP to improve pain, function and aspects related to quality of life (functional capacity, pain and vitality). Moreover, this method has no harmful effects on such patients.
Neighborhood Reputation and Resident Sentiment in the Wake of the Las Vegas Foreclosure Crisis
Authors: Pais Jeremy , Batson Christie D. , Monnat Shannon M.
Published: June 2014

This study examines how two major components of a neighborhood’s reputation—perceived disorder and collective efficacy—shape individuals’ sentiments toward their neighborhoods during a foreclosure crisis. Of central interest are whether neighborhood reputations are durable in the face of a crisis ( neighborhood resiliency hypothesis) or whether neighborhood reputations wane during times of duress ( foreclosure crisis hypothesis). Geo-coded individual-level data from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Social Survey merged with data on census tract foreclosure rates are used to address this question. The results provide qualified support for both perspectives. In support of the neighborhood resiliency hypothesis, collective efficacy is positively associated with how residents feel about the quality of their neighborhoods, and this relationship is unaltered by foreclosure rates. In support of the foreclosure crisis hypothesis, foreclosure rates mediate the effects of neighborhood disorder on resident sentiment. The implications of these findings for community resiliency are discussed.
Crime, Fear, and Legitimating Ideologies
Authors: Hawdon James , Wood Robert
Published: June 2014

Beckett and Sasson argue that the wars on crime and drugs of the 1980s and 1990s were part of an elite-engineered hegemonic strategy aimed at replacing the welfare state with the security state. As the welfare state came under attack, a new hegemonic strategy emerged that attacked welfare policies and promoted “tough on crime” policies. Yet, Beckett and Sasson note that for the new hegemonic strategy to be successful, it must be rooted in the experiences and cultural beliefs of the general population. We investigate the possibility of an elite-engineered effort to build support for tough on crime policies by conducting a time series analysis using General Social Survey data and statements by presidents in State of the Union addresses from 1972 to 2010. Specifically, we predict aggregate levels of fear of crime and support for welfare spending with presidential mentions of “crime” and “welfare” in State of the Union addresses. Our results indicate that fear increases when presidents discuss crime and welfare in the State of the Union. In addition, fear of crime is inversely related to supporting welfare spending. These relationships hold even after controlling for crime rates. Our findings offer support for Beckett and Sasson’s argument.
The Effects of Reflective Activities on Skill Adaptation in a Work-Related Instrumental Learning Setting
Authors: Roessger Kevin M.
Published: June 2014

In work-related instrumental learning contexts, the role of reflective activities is unclear. Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Mezirow’s transformative learning theory predict skill adaptation as an outcome. This prediction was tested by manipulating reflective activities and assessing participants’ response and error rates during novel applications of an instrumentally learned skill (skill adaptation). Participants were randomly assigned to three conditions (interference, reflection, or critical reflection) according to blocking variables: gender, age, and reflective propensity. Participants then completed behavioral skills training with embedded reflective activities. Afterward, participants completed a novel application task. Analyses of variance did not reveal differences in response or error rates among conditions or an interaction between reflective activity and reflective propensity on response rate. An interaction was found between reflective activity and reflective propensity on error rate: In the critical reflection condition, nonreflective learners had higher error rates than reflective learners. Potential explanations and implications for research and practice are offered.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Versus Prednisolone in the Treatment of Infantile Spasms Post Vigabatrin Failure
Authors: Jones Kevin , Snead O. Carter , Boyd Jennifer , Go Cristina
Published: June 2014

The Child Neurology Society/American Academy of Neurology practice parameter has recommended adrenocorticotropic hormone or vigabatrin in the short-term treatment of infantile spasms. When vigabatrin is unavailable or ineffective and adrenocorticotropic hormone is not a treatment option because of the prohibitive cost, other forms of corticosteroids have been considered in the treatment of infantile spasms. This retrospective study reviewed the Hospital for Sick Children’s experience with the short-term effectiveness of prednisolone versus adrenocorticotropic hormone in patients with infantile spasms who have failed vigabatrin. The results showed that while adrenocorticotropic hormone was more likely to lead to short-term spasm freedom, there was no difference in the likelihood of longer-term spasm resolution without relapse. These findings can guide clinicians in the treatment of infantile spasms post vigabatrin failure.
Enteral Nutrition for Older Adults in Healthcare Communities
Authors: Posthauer Mary Ellen , Dorner Becky , Friedrich Elizabeth K.
Published: June 2014

Older adults living in healthcare communities (HCCs) have multiple comorbidities and are at increased risk of malnutrition and unintended weight loss. Aging affects nearly every system as well as body composition and structure, causing physiological changes that can affect nutrition status. A significant percentage (56%) of residents who live in nursing facilities require extensive help to eat and have dental problems such as ill‐fitting dentures, missing teeth, and swallowing problems, which can lead to inadequate caloric intake and unintended weight loss. Alzheimer disease or dementia is prevalent in both nursing facilities and in assisted living/residential care communities, where it affects 45% of older adults. In cognitively impaired residents, most tube feeding placements occur in the acute care setting and result in significant use of additional healthcare resources, along with high postinsertion mortality rates within 60 days of insertion. Nursing facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding must abide by state and federal regulations and undergo rigorous surveys while balancing complex decisions related to initial placement of feeding tubes. Healthcare professionals must recognize the importance of establishing nutrition treatment goals that are resident centered and that respect the unique values and personal decisions of the older adult. Informed choice, resident‐centered care decisions, and the review of living wills and/or advance directives are essential in the decision‐making process. After enteral nutrition is started, healthcare practitioners must carefully review the physician's orders and administer and monitor the resident's tolerance, checking for potential complications.
Ethnographic Film and Video on Hybrid Television
Authors: Vannini Phillip
Published: June 2014

Academic ethnographers have been utilizing film, and more recently video, for a variety of research purposes including the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data. But ethnographic film and video are not the exclusive domain of university-based ethnographers or professionally trained ethnographic researchers. More and more ethnographic films and video documentaries are nowadays produced by filmmakers who aren’t necessarily interested in utilizing their work to advance anthropological, sociological, or other disciplines’ theoretical or substantive agendas. Interestingly, these documentaries often garner wider distribution and larger audiences than ethnographic films and videos made by academics, leading us to question the identity of ethnographic documentary and the potential of this genre to both advance ethnological knowledge and the sociocultural imagination. In this article, I examine this phenomenon focusing on nonacademic wide-distribution ethnographic documentaries available on cable and satellite TV, Netflix, and iTunes, reflecting on their content, style, distribution strategies, and their status as social scientific ethnographic representations.
The Impact of Legal Inequality on Relational Power in Planned Lesbian Families
Authors: Butterfield Jonniann , Padavic Irene
Published: June 2014

Lesbian families have the potential to create families unmarked by the inequalities of power often found in cross-sex relationships. Yet, based on interviews with 27 women with children in such relationships, we find that living in a state that legally restricts the rights of nonbirth parents to child contact if the couple relationship dissolves severely undermines this possibility. Nonbirth parents engaged in three fear-induced strategies that were at odds with these couples’ desire for equitable partnership: acquiescing to the birth mother’s wishes; making themselves financially, emotionally, and legally indispensable; and using communities to police partners’ behavior and ensure accountability. As a result, the potential for such families to model egalitarian family forms that would help destabilize established gender patterns is diminished. We conclude by pointing to the importance of galvanizing to remove the remaining laws prohibiting second-parent adoption and by discussing strategies for social change.
Synthesis of boehmite and its effect on flame retardancy of epoxy resin
Authors: Sun Tao , Zhuo Qin , Chen Yingpu , Wu Zhanjun
Published: June 2014

In the present work, a facile and environmentally friendly method was presented to synthesize nano-boehmite (AlOOH) that was added in bisphenol A epoxy resin to improve the flame retardancy of the resin. The crystalline phase of the as-synthesized AlOOH was examined using X-ray diffraction measurements, while no peaks from the other phase are observed in patterns, and the sharp peaks demonstrate the high crystallinity of AlOOH. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology of AlOOH; the results indicate that the thickness of the as-synthesized AlOOH nanosheets is about 23 nm. The thermogravimetric analysis of neat epoxy resin and AlOOH/epoxy nanocomposites with different contents of AlOOH (2.3%, 4.7%, 5.6%, and 10.2%, respectively) shows that the decomposition temperature of AlOOH/epoxy nanocomposites increases compared with the neat epoxy; a significant improvement in mass loss rate is observed when the content of AlOOH reaches 10.2%. The glass transition temperatures ( Tgs) of nanocomposites were measured by differential scanning calorimetry; the results indicate that when the content of AlOOH in epoxy resins increases to 10.2%, the Tgs of AlOOH/epoxy nanocomposites can increase from 165.2°C to 181.4°C. Oxygen index test was used to investigate the flame retardancy properties of AlOOH/epoxy nanocomposites; the results obtained from these measurements further reflect the facts that AlOOH can improve the flame retardancy and Tg of epoxy resin.
Polyaniline-coated nylon lycra fabrics for strain sensor and electromagnetic interference shielding applications
Authors: Muthukumar N , Thilagavathi G , Kannaian T
Published: June 2014

In this article, a conductive polyaniline-coated nylon lycra fabric has been characterized for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and strain sensor application. The conductive fabric is fabricated by in-situ polymerization of polyaniline on the nylon lycra fabric at low temperature. Characterization has been carried out using scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The sensitivity of the developed fabric sensor is characterized using Zwick tensile tester. EMI shielding efficiency (SE) of the developed fabrics is carried out as per ASTM D4935 standard. The stability of the developed sensor is characterized with respect to temperature and humidity using Programmable Environmental Test Chamber. The measurement of the conductivity change with strain shows that the fabrics so prepared exhibits high strain sensitivity, while its good stability is indicated by a small loss of conductivity after the thermal and humidity ageing tests and supported by the slight change in conductivity over storage of 90 days. The sensor measures flexion angle of elbow up to 120° angle. The electromagnetic shielding tests show that the developed conductive fabric has the EMI SE of 26 dB in the frequency range of 8–12 GHz.
Design rules and applications of single-point incremental forming
Authors: Adams David , Jeswiet Jack
Published: June 2014

Single-point incremental forming is a sheet metal forming technique with great potential for use in prototyping and custom manufacture. While this process has undergone considerable development in recent years, designers may benefit from clear design rules to guide the process of designing for and implementing single-point incremental forming. This article presents simple design guidelines that translate forming limits into simple design constraints. A method of developing intermediate models for multi-pass forming is also documented. To demonstrate the utility of such simple design rules, examples of components that were made using this process are presented as case studies.
Experimental study on forming behavior of high-strength steel sheets under electromagnetic pressure
Authors: Kim Daeyong , Park Hyeon Il , Lee Jinwoo , Kim Ji Hoon , Lee Myoung-Gyu , Lee Youngseon
Published: June 2014

To experimentally investigate the forming behavior of automotive high-strength steel sheets under electromagnetic pressure, three high-strength steel sheets (DP780, DP980, and CP1180) were freely formed into hemi-elliptical protrusions. The experiments were performed using a spiral flat coil and open-cavity die. Aluminum driver plates were utilized for improving the forming efficiency. The forming behavior was investigated by evaluating characteristics such as peak height, limit height, and springback angle for various charge voltages. The effect of the aluminum driver plate on the forming behavior of the high-strength steel sheet was also observed.
Influence of variation of pipe diameter on pressure drop predictions of the new modified three-fluid model inside condensing vertical pipes
Authors: Dalir Nemat , Saffari Hamid
Published: June 2014

When a loss of coolant accident occurs in the primary system of a water-cooled nuclear reactor, a large amount of steam is released into the reactor containment. Therefore, there is the possibility of over-pressurization of the reactor containment. In such a condition, the released steam is often condensed using a passive containment cooling system. This system consists of condensing vertical pipes with diameters of 30–50 mm. Thus, condensation inside vertical pipes with annular flow happens, which is usually analyzed using the three-fluid models. In the present work, the effect of variation of condensing vertical pipe diameter on pressure drop predictions in downward condensing annular flow of steam is studied using the new modified three-fluid model. In a new pipe diameter, D = 0.03 m, the pressure drops are calculated using the new modified three-fluid model and the correlation of Stevanovic et al. for steam–liquid film interfacial friction coefficient and compared.