bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key findings from the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing
Authors: Lawrence David , Hafekost Jennifer , Johnson Sarah E , Saw Suzy , Buckingham William J , Sawyer Michael G , Ainley John , Zubrick Stephen R
Published: December 2015

Objective:

To estimate the prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents in Australia, and the severity and impact of those mental disorders.

Method:

Seven mental disorders were assessed using the parent- or carer-completed version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV, and major depressive disorder was also assessed using the youth self-report version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV. Severity and impact were assessed using an extended version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV impact on functioning questions, and days absent from school due to symptoms of mental disorders. Data were collected in a national face-to-face survey of 6310 parents or carers of children and adolescents aged 4–17 years, with 2969 young people aged 11–17 years also completing a self-report questionnaire.

Results:

Twelve-month prevalence of mental disorders was 13.9%, with 2.1% of children and adolescents having severe disorders, 3.5% having moderate disorders and 8.3% having mild disorders. The most common class of disorders was attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder followed by anxiety disorders. Mental disorders were more common in step-, blended- or one-parent families, in families living in rented accommodation and families where one or both carers were not in employment. Mental disorders were associated with a substantial number of days absent from school particularly in adolescents.

Conclusion:

Mental disorders are common in children and adolescents, often have significant impact and are associated with substantial absences from school. Child and adolescent mental disorders remain an important public health problem in Australia. Accurate information about prevalence and severity of child and adolescent mental disorders is an essential prerequisite for effective mental health policy and service planning.
Race and mass murder in the United States: A social and behavioral analysis
Authors: Lankford Adam
Published: December 2015

In the popular discourse, it is commonly assumed that mass murderers and mass shooters are different from most criminals in the United States, because they are almost always white. The present study uses data on 308 mass murderers who attacked from 2006 to 2014 to evaluate this assumption, test for racial differences between mass murderers and all other murderers, and identify characteristics of mass murderers’ behavior by race and ethnic group. Findings suggest that, overall, the racial composition of mass murderers is similar to that of other murderers, and thus may be largely explained by similar social forces, such as structural disadvantages and social inequalities. However, there are significant differences across racial and ethnic groups in attack subtype, victims killed, and attack resolution. In particular, the structural advantages and aggrieved entitlement experienced by whites may help explain their involvement in public mass shootings. Further research in both the United States and other countries may shed additional light on the behavior of mass murderers and the broader social forces that shape them.
Estimating and decomposing changes in the White–Black homeownership gap from 2005 to 2011
Authors: Seah Kiat Ying , Fesselmeyer Eric , Le Kien
Published: December 2015

This study evaluates the effects of the recent US housing bust on the White–Black homeownership gap by estimating and decomposing the changes in the distribution of the gap between 2005 and 2011. Our analysis shows that the housing bust did not affect the homeownership gap uniformly. In fact, we find that the gap decreased for households that were the least likely to own and remained unchanged for households that were the most likely to own, and that Black households with around a 50% probability of homeownership were especially vulnerable to the crisis. We also find that the contribution of the residual gap was modest. Changes in the White–Black homeownership gap over the sample period are mainly attributed to changes in household income, whether the household earned dividend, interest or rental income, and marital status, with the extent of their respective influences varying over the homeownership distribution. Our empirical approach reveals distributional information on the determinants of the changes in the homeownership gap at the household level. Such insights have valuable policy implications that would otherwise be concealed in analyses that look only at the conditional mean.
Teaching Adult Learner Characteristics and Facilitation Strategies Through Simulation-Based Practice
Authors: Speed Sally A. , Bradley Elizabeth , Garland Krista Vince
Published: December 2015

This article relates a project in which a curriculum module was developed to help graduate students more effectively manage behaviors of adults in facilitation sessions. The module was piloted in the project and later included in a graduate level course in the Creative Studies Department of SUNY Buffalo State. The curriculum identified characteristics of adult learners and behaviors that manifest from those characteristics and helped Creative Studies graduate students develop strategies to manage such behaviors in facilitation sessions. The module included practice sessions for facilitation using TeachLivE™, a mixed reality simulation that offers education students practice in classroom management with avatars to enhance their teaching skills. Results indicated that students felt they were more capable of managing adult learner behaviors and more confident and effective in facilitations as a result of the module and TeachLivE™ simulation.
Citric acid grafting onto polyurethane for the control of molecular interactions and water compatibility
Authors: Chung Yong-Chan , Yoon Hyeryoung , Choi Jae Won , Chun Byoung Chul
Published: December 2015

Citric acid (CA) was used as a grafted group onto polyurethane (PU) to form a CA-grafted PU series, with a control PU series containing free CA prepared for comparison. With an increase in the CA content, the enthalpy change during the melting increased for the PU and CPU series, and the glass transition temperature increased with the increase in CA content for the PU series but not for the CPU series. The tensile strengths of the PU series sharply increased with the CA content, whereas those of the CPU series did not. The PU series demonstrated better low-temperature flexibility and water permeability than the unmodified PU.
Effect of polyethylene glycol-intercalated organoclay on vulcanization characteristics and reinforcement of natural rubber nanocomposites
Authors: Ratnayake UN , Prematunga Dileepa E , Peiris Chaminda , Karunaratne Veranja , Amaratunga Gehan AJ
Published: December 2015

Organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) clay was intercalated with low-molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG) oligomer at melt stage. The intercalation behaviour of PEG into the OMMT clay galleries and its interaction with clay platelets were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetric techniques. A natural rubber (NR)–organoclay nanocomposite (NROCN) was prepared by melt-compounding of NR with PEG-treated organoclay (P-OMMT) and other compounding chemicals using a laboratory-scale internal mixer. XRD analysis of the nanocomposites revealed the intercalation of NR molecules into the P-OMMT clay galleries and subsequent exfoliation during the melt-compounding process. Vulcanization characteristics of the NROCN, especially processing safety and optimum curing time, have been interpreted with reference to the organic modifier of the montmorillonite clay, PEG modification and the degree of exfoliation. Solid-state mechanical properties of P-OMMT clay-filled NROCN vulcanizates have shown a significant enhancement in stiffness and strength characteristics whilst without scarifying the elasticity of the nanocomposites. Results have been explained in terms of the degree of exfoliation, dispersibility of the organoclay and strain-induced crystallization of the natural rubber.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Gastroesophageal Reflux
Authors: Gilani Sapideh , Quan Stuart F. , Pynnonen Melissa A. , Shin Jennifer J.
Published: December 2015

Objectives

Previous studies investigating the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) demonstrate mixed results and have had limited capacity to control for concurrent confounders. Our objectives were to (1) determine if GER is significantly associated with OSA when simultaneously adjusting for the presence of other potentially confounding conditions and (2) quantify the magnitude of any such association that exists.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2005‐2010.

Setting

Ambulatory visits in the United States.

Subjects and Methods

Adults with a diagnosis of OSA or GER and potentially confounding conditions were identified. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, as well as sensitivity analyses based on increasingly narrow diagnostic definitions.

Results

A significant positive association between GER and OSA was observed, which persisted after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, sinonasal obstructive and inflammatory disorders, laryngopharyngeal obstructive and inflammatory disorders, obesity, asthma, and lung disorders. This positive association remained significant regardless of diagnostic criteria, whether broad (odds ratio: 1.94, 95% confidence interval: 1.07‐3.54, P =. 030) or narrow (odds ratio: 2.13, 95% confidence interval: 1.17‐3.88, P =. 014).

Conclusion

In this analysis of a national database defining the 3 most prioritized diagnoses, GER is independently associated with OSA, with double the odds of concurrent occurrence, even while controlling for potentially related conditions.
Does market concentration affect prices in the urban water industry?
Authors: Bel Germà , González-Gómez Francisco , Picazo-Tadeo Andrés J
Published: December 2015

This paper analyzes the relationship between market concentration in the private segment of the water industry and water prices with a sample of municipalities located in the Southern Spanish region of Andalusia. In doing so, several Heckman sample selection models are estimated with the main finding being that market concentration increases the price of water for residential use charged by private companies. The main policy recommendation is that urban water service privatization must be accompanied by the appropriate regulatory and institutional frameworks to promote competition among businesses and monitor water pricing.
The durability of European Regional Development Fund partnership and governance structures: a case study of the Scottish Highlands and Islands
Authors: Armstrong Harvey , Giordano Benito , Macleod Calum
Published: December 2015

This paper explores the ways in which European Union Regional Policy, particularly the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), operates in a multi-level governance framework in which stakeholders at sub-national, national and European levels work together in partnership to deliver the European funding. Focusing upon the case of the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland, the paper analyses the ways in which partnership and governance structures have evolved over successive ERDF programming periods between 2000–2006 and 2007–2013. In particular, the paper illustrates the ways in which the Highlands and Islands’ ERDF governance structures were built upon a ‘broad’ and ‘deep’ level of partnership amongst key stakeholders, especially in the 2000–2006 programme. For various reasons, including a significant reduction in its ERDF funding allocation, the level of partnership working was streamlined during the 2007–2013 programme. Importantly, however, the durability of the governance structures has been maintained.
Adaptive utilitarianism, social enterprises and urban regeneration
Authors: Murtagh Brendan , McFerran Kathryn
Published: December 2015

Social enterprises have been placed at the centre of Big Society politics and an emphasis on the local as a site for experimentation and service delivery. Nationally, this has been supported by legislation in community transfer and procurement, social finance and new intermediaries to strengthen skills and loan readiness. This paper examines the role of social enterprises involved in urban development in Northern Ireland and highlights the multiple ethics, legitimation strategies and modalities that are necessary for sustainable forms of progressive regeneration. The paper concludes by stressing the possibilities of a more independent and reformist social economy and how this offers some practical alternatives to the enthusiasm for neoliberal policies in the local state.
Messy institutions for wicked problems: How to generate clumsy solutions?
Authors: Ney Steven , Verweij Marco
Published: December 2015

The idea that ‘wicked’ environmental and social problems can be resolved with ‘clumsy’ solutions has been increasingly supported by empirical evidence. Clumsy solutions emerge from a new type of dialogue-based problem-solving strategy, derived from what Funtowicz and Ravetz call ‘post-normal science’. How, then, can such dialogues best be organised? We offer an answer by combining the framework from which the notion of clumsy solutions was derived – namely Mary Douglas’ cultural theory – with the many decision-making procedures for addressing wicked problems proposed in policy and organisational studies. Employing the former theory, we explore 17 widely applied decision-making processes. The analysis identifies six methods most likely and seven methods least likely to successfully initiate post-normal dialogue. Moreover, the analysis suggests four processes that ‘almost’ fulfil the criteria for generating clumsy solutions. The paper then explores and suggests ways of extending and augmenting these ‘almost’ cases to enable post-normal dialogues and clumsy solutions.
The politics of whitelisting: Regulatory work and topologies in commercial security
Authors: Leander Anna
Published: December 2015

This article looks closely at the politics of whitelists in commercial security. It argues that whitelists are essential for the current transformations in regulatory politics in which Codes of Conduct, Best Practices, Benchmarks and Standards are replacing more conventional, legally binding forms of regulation. The article traces how whitelists are tied to these transformations. The account is organized around how the practical, pragmatic and poetic character of lists (Umberto Eco) fashion the work and topological imprint (Manuel DeLanda) of whitelists in commercial security specifically. The article directs attention to the politics of the work and topological imprint of whitelists. This politics is neither hidden nor invisible yet it remains largely unnoted. It is dispersed, mundane and unspectacular. The whitelists are akin to minions whose activities are turning softly regulated commercial security into an infernal alternative (imagery borrowed from Pignarre and Stengers). As minions, whitelists appear insignificant when looked at in isolation. However, by describing their work as a decentralized, disjointed and disorganized group, this article shows their significance for the politics of regulation in commercial security. It advances a conceptualization of this politics and a theorization of its dynamics of relevance for engaging the politics of lists also elsewhere.
A study of the validity and the reliability of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory in screening for anxiety after stroke in older inpatients
Authors: Kneebone Ian I , Fife-Schaw Chris , Lincoln Nadina B , Harder Helena
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

To investigate the validity and reliability of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory in screening for anxiety in older inpatients post-stroke.

Design:

Longitudinal.

Subjects:

A total of 81 inpatients with stroke aged 65 years or older were recruited at four centres in England.

Main measures:

At phase 1 the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered and then the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (phase 2). The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory was repeated a median of seven days later (phase 3).

Results:

Internal reliability of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory was high (α = 0.95) and test–retest reliability acceptable ( τB = 0.53). Construct validity was evident relative to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale – Anxiety subscale ( τB = 0.61). At a cut off of 6/7, sensitivity of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory was 0.88, specificity 0.84, with respect to the Structured Clinical Interview anxiety diagnosis. Hospital Anxiety and Depressions Scale – Anxiety subscale sensitivity was 0.88, specificity 0.54 at the optimum cut off of 5/6. A comparison of the areas under the curve of the Receiver Operating Characteristics for the two instruments indicated that the area under the curve of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory was significantly larger than that of the Hospital Anxiety and Depressions Scale – Anxiety subscale, supporting its superiority.

Conclusions:

The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory is an internally consistent, reliable (stable) and valid instrument with acceptable sensitivity and specificity to screen for anxiety in older inpatients with stroke.
The FKBP5 polymorphism rs1360780 influences the effect of an algorithm-based antidepressant treatment and is associated with remission in patients with major depression
Authors: Stamm Thomas J , Rampp Carina , Wiethoff Katja , Stingl Julia , Mössner Rainald , O′Malley Grace , Ricken Roland , Seemüller Florian , Keck Martin , Fisher Robert , Gaebel Wolfgang , Maier Wolfgang , Möller Hans-Jürgen , Bauer Michael , Adli Mazda
Published: December 2015

Objective:

The FKBP5-gene influences the HPA-system by modulating the sensitivity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The polymorphism rs1360780 has been associated with response in studies with heterogeneous antidepressant treatment. In contrast, several antidepressant studies with standardized antidepressant treatment could not detect this effect. We therefore compared patients with standardized vs naturalistic antidepressant treatment to (a) investigate a possible interaction between FKBP5-genotype and treatment mode and (b) replicate the effect of the FKBP5-genotype on antidepressant treatment outcome.

Methods:

A total of 298 major depressive disorder (MDD) inpatients from the multicentred German project and the Zurich Algorithm Project were genotyped for their FKBP5 status. Patients were treated as usual ( n=127) or according to a standardized algorithm ( n=171). Main outcome criteria was remission (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-21<10).

Results:

We detected an interaction of treatment as usual (TAU) treatment and C-allele with the worst outcome for patients combining those two factors (HR=0.46; p=0.000). Even though C-allele patients did better when treated in the structured, stepwise treatment algorithm (SSTR) group, we still could confirm the influence of the FKBP5-genotype in the whole sample (HR=0.52; p=0.01).

Conclusions:

This is the first study to show an interaction between a genetic polymorphism and treatment mode. Patients with the C-allele of the rs1360780 polymorphism seem to benefit from a standardized antidepressant treatment.
Exploring the Diverse Effects of Stakeholder Engagement on Organizational Performance
Authors: Conner Thaddieus W.
Published: December 2015

Collaborative partnerships and stakeholder engagement support an exchange of information, ideas, and resources that are critical to successful policy implementation in the 21st century. Such multiorganizational arrangements accompany expectations that collaboration will lead to improved policy outcomes and organizational performance that would not otherwise be possible in more hierarchical settings. However, our knowledge of how collaborative partnerships contribute to the full spectrum of potential impacts ranging from direct substantive outcomes to more indirect process-oriented improvements remains limited. Using data from a unique survey of 150 Indian education directors in New Mexico and Oklahoma, the following study explores how collaboration between public officials and Native American communities is related to perceived improvements in organizational performance across eight different direct and indirect measures. The results demonstrate that higher levels of collaboration are positively related to perceived improvements in direct substantive outcomes for Native American students. However, collaboration has less of an impact on more process-oriented outcomes including improved joint problem solving and cross-cultural learning with stakeholders suggesting the presence of differential effects. This research makes meaningful contributions to our understanding of the diverse impacts of collaboration, and the degree to which stakeholder engagement is related to more positive outcomes in public school districts.
Effect of treatment guidance using a retrospective continuous glucose monitoring system on glycaemic control in outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Sato Junko , Kanazawa Akio , Ikeda Fuki , Shigihara Nayumi , Kawaguchi Minako , Komiya Koji , Uchida Toyoyoshi , Ogihara Takeshi , Mita Tomoya , Shimizu Tomoaki , Fujitani Yoshio , Watada Hirotaka
Published: December 2015

Objectives

To assess the effect of treatment guidance based on data from a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device on glycaemic control, and patient satisfaction, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

Patients with poorly-controlled T2DM treated with insulin were randomly assigned to the intervention or nonintervention group. Continuous blood-glucose levels were recorded for 4–5 days using a CGM device on three separate occasions during the 8-month study period. The intervention group received treatment guidance based on the CGM data; the nonintervention group received advice based on blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.

Results

A total of 34 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean ± SD baseline HbA1c was 8.2 ± 1.2% in the intervention group and 8.2 ± 0.9% in the nonintervention group. At the study end, there was no significant difference in the change from baseline of HbA1c between the two groups. There was also no significant difference in the change from baseline in the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire score between the two groups.

Conclusions

The present study did not demonstrate that treatment guidance using retrospective CGM data was effective for improving glycaemic control and therapeutic satisfaction in Japanese patients with T2DM.
Clinical, demographic and psychological characteristics of infertile male smokers in Northeast China
Authors: Zhang Ming , Zhang Qiu-Shuang , Zheng Hong-Shu , Wang Xiu-Yan , Feng Shu-Qiang , Tian Wen-Jie , Fan Hai-Tao
Published: December 2015

Objectives

To investigate clinical, demographic and psychological characteristics of infertile male smokers in northeast China.

Methods

Serum and semen samples were collected from infertile men. Semen analysis was performed according to conventional procedures. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels were quantified. Psychological anxiety and depression were evaluated by the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS), respectively.

Results

Both SDS and SAS scores were significantly higher in smokers ( n = 704) than in nonsmokers ( n = 372); in addition, sperm viability and motility were significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. Spearman’s correlation coefficient analysis revealed significant positive correlations between duration of smoking and SDS and SAS scores, and between cigarettes smoked per day and SDS and SAS scores.

Conclusions

Cigarette smoking has a negative effect on sperm viability and motility, and is associated with increased SDS and SAS scores.
Being “a Good Animal”
Authors: Hobden Stephen
Published: December 2015

This article examines the potential contribution of the work of Theodor Adorno to the development of a posthuman analysis of international relations. Despite a recent blossoming of “Adorno studies,” his writings on nature, particularly his concerns regarding human relations with other species, have received comparatively little attention. This article argues that many of the central concerns driving the recent development of posthuman analyses of international relations overlap with some of Adorno’s core preoccupations. In Dialectic of Enlightenment in particular, much concern is directed at the perceived disenchantment with nature and the impacts of this disenchantment both on human relations with the rest of nature and with interhuman relations. Adorno’s focus on the attention to suffering being the “condition for all truth” is not restricted simply to the human and coincides with the ethical concerns of posthuman approaches. Finally, while it has been claimed that Adorno’s work, especially his notion of the totally administered society, leads to a political impasse, it will be suggested here that recent work by Fabian Freyenhagen on the practical elements of Adorno’s philosophy suggest that our priority, rather than living rightly, should be on “living less wrongly.”
Deep brain stimulation in headache
Authors: Leone Massimo , Proietti Cecchini Alberto
Published: December 2015

Background: Deep brain stimulation of the posterior hypothalamic area was first introduced in 2000 to treat drug-refractory chronic cluster headache (CH). Findings: So far, hypothalamic stimulation has been employed in 79 patients suffering from various forms of intractable short-lasting unilateral headache forms, mainly trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. The majority were (88.6%) chronic CH, including one patient who suffered from symptomatic chronic CH-like attacks; the remaining were short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT), one had paroxysmal hemicranias and one symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia. Overall, after a mean follow up of 2.2 years, 69.6% (55) hypothalamic-stimulated patients showed a ≥50% improvement. Conclusions: These observations need confirmation in randomised, controlled trials. A key role of the posterior hypothalamic area in the pathophysiology of unilateral short-lasting headaches, possibly by regulating the duration rather than triggering the attacks, can be hypothesised. Because of its invasiveness, hypothalamic stimulation can be proposed only after other, less-invasive, neurostimulation procedures have been tried.
Hip Muscle Strength Predicts Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Male and Female Athletes
Authors: Khayambashi Khalil , Ghoddosi Navid , Straub Rachel K. , Powers Christopher M.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Prospective studies have reported that abnormal movement patterns at the trunk, hip, and knee are associated with noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Impaired hip strength may underlie these abnormal movement patterns, suggesting that diminished hip strength may increase the risk of noncontact ACL injury.

Purpose:

To determine whether baseline hip strength predicts future noncontact ACL injury in athletes.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Before the start of the competitive season, isometric hip strength (external rotation and abduction) was measured bilaterally by use of a handheld dynamometer in 501 competitive athletes (138 female and 363 male athletes) participating in various sports. During the sport season, ACL injury status was recorded, and injured athletes were further classified based on the mechanism of injury (noncontact vs contact). After the season, logistic regression was used to determine whether baseline hip strength predicted future noncontact ACL injury. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed independently for each strength measure to determine the clinical cutoff value between a high-risk and low-risk outcome.

Results:

A total of 15 noncontact ACL injuries were confirmed (6 females, 9 males), for an overall annual incidence of 3.0% (2.5% for males, 4.3% for females). Baseline hip strength measures (external rotation and abduction) were significantly lower in injured athletes compared with noninjured athletes ( P = .003 and P < .001, respectively). Separate logistic regression models indicated that impaired hip strength increased future injury risk (external rotation: odds ratio [OR] = 1.23 [95% CI, 1.08-1.39], P = .001; abduction: OR = 1.12 [95% CI, 1.05-1.20], P = .001). Clinical cutoffs to define high risk were established as external rotation strength ≤20.3% BW (percentage of body weight) or abduction strength ≤35.4% BW.

Conclusion:

Measures of preseason isometric hip abduction and external rotation strength independently predicted future noncontact ACL injury status in competitive athletes. The study data suggest that screening procedures to assess ACL injury risk should include an assessment of isometric hip abduction and/or external rotation strength.
Measurement of temperature-dependent mechanical properties of magnetorheological fluids using a parallel disk shear stress testing device
Authors: Wang Daoming , Zi Bin , Zeng Yishan , Xie Fangwei , Hou Youfu
Published: December 2015

Mechanical properties are critical to the working performance of magnetorheological fluids (MRFs), especially in high temperature situations. This paper presents an experimental investigation to analyze the effects of temperature on mechanical properties of MRFs. First, a parallel disk method was implemented for the shear stress measurement of MRFs and the measurement principle was theoretically illustrated. Then, a detailed introduction to the MRF sample preparation and the testing device development was performed as well. In the study, five kinds of MRF samples with different material parameters were prepared and a shear stress testing device which possesses the temperature control function was developed and evaluated. After these, a series of measurements were conducted on the viscosity–temperature characteristic, shear stress–temperature characteristic and thermal stability of MRF samples. Measuring results indicated that the mechanical properties of MRFs were obviously dependent on temperature. The phenomenon mainly embodied in the reduction of off-field viscosity and shear stress with increasing temperature, as well as the performance degradation after undergoing a low–high–low temperature cycle or a high temperature treatment of more than 150 ℃.
Area–volume relationships for fossil charcoal and their relevance for fire history reconstruction
Authors: Crawford Alastair J , Belcher Claire M
Published: December 2015

Sedimentary charcoal is a widely used tool for reconstructing past fire histories. These fossil charcoals are normally quantified as the number or area of particles present in a sediment sample, but it is not known how well either measure is correlated with their volume. Areal measurements are often treated as the true measure of quantity, which may introduce bias to fire histories. The relationship of measured area to volume is a function of shape, and if this relationship can be understood, areal measurements may be adjusted to better reflect volume. We show that particle elongation may be particularly important when making such adjustments. We also establish a high degree of correlation between volume and area in a mid-Holocene mesocharcoal assemblage, which indicates that the bias may be small in similar cases.
Thomas Hodgkin (1798–1866)
Authors: Wells Emily
Published: December 2015

Thomas Hodgkin was a diligent, selfless and benevolent man whose name is instantly recognisable in the medical field due to his description of a type of the lymphoma that is named after him, ‘Hodgkin’s Lymphoma’. Based at Guy’s Hospital, London, he created a vast catalogue of specimens in their Medical Museum and facilitated teaching at the establishment. He was dedicated to education, public health and social reform in the 19th century.
Teaching Theory Construction With Initial Grounded Theory Tools
Authors: Charmaz Kathy
Published: December 2015

This article addresses criticisms of qualitative research for spawning studies that lack analytic development and theoretical import. It focuses on teaching initial grounded theory tools while interviewing, coding, and writing memos for the purpose of scaling up the analytic level of students’ research and advancing theory construction. Adopting these tools can improve teaching qualitative methods at all levels although doctoral education is emphasized here. What teachers cover in qualitative methods courses matters. The pedagogy presented here requires a supportive environment and relies on demonstration, collective participation, measured tasks, progressive analytic complexity, and accountability. Lessons learned from using initial grounded theory tools are exemplified in a doctoral student’s coding and memo-writing excerpts that demonstrate progressive analytic development. The conclusion calls for increasing the number and depth of qualitative methods courses and for creating a cadre of expert qualitative methodologists.
A new approach to the investigation of load interaction effects and its application in residual fatigue life prediction
Authors: Peng Zhaochun , Huang Hong-Zhong , Wang Hai-Kun , Zhu Shun-Peng , Lv Zhiqiang
Published: December 2015

Fatigue damage under variable amplitude loading is related to load histories, such as load sequences and load interactions. Many nonlinear damage models have been developed to present load sequences, but load interactions are often ignored. This paper provides a new approach to present load interaction effects for nonlinear damage accumulation. It is assumed that the ratio of two consecutive stress levels is used to describe the phenomenon on damage evolution. By introducing the approach to a nonlinear fatigue model without load interactions, a modified model is developed to predict the residual fatigue life under variable amplitude loading. Experimental data from three metallic materials and welded joints in the literature are employed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method under two-level loading. The result shows that the modified model predicts more satisfactory estimations than the primary model and Miner rule. Furthermore, the proposed method is calibrated and validated by the case of multilevel loading. It is found that the modified model shows a good estimation and its damage curve presents a typical nonlinear behavior of damage growth. It is also convenient to calculate the residual fatigue life by the Wöhler curve.
Effective properties of multiphase composites made of elastic materials with hierarchical structure
Authors: Tsalis Dimitrios , Charalambakis Nicolas , Bonnay Kevin , Chatzigeorgiou George
Published: December 2015

In this paper, the analytical solution of the multi-step homogenization problem for multi-rank composites with generalized periodicity made of elastic materials is presented. The proposed homogenization scheme may be combined with computational homogenization for solving more complex microstructures. Three numerical examples are presented, concerning locally periodic stratified materials, matrices with wavy layers and wavy fiber-reinforced composites.
On instantaneous invariants of hyperbolic planes
Authors: Inalcik Abdullah , Ersoy Soley , Stachel Hellmuth
Published: December 2015

In this study, we consider the kinematics of the hyperbolic plane and define the notions of inflection curve, circling-point curve, cubic of twice stationary curvature curve, and cubic of thrice stationary curve. We also obtain Cartesian and parametric equations of these curves and illustrate some special cases. Finally, we investigate the hyperbolic Ball point, the ordinary and the sixth-order Burmester points in the case of a finite instant pole.
The Associations Between Pre- and Postnatal Maternal Symptoms of Distress and Preschooler’s Symptoms of ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Anxiety
Authors: Bendiksen Bothild , Aase Heidi , Diep Lien My , Svensson Elisabeth , Friis Svein , Zeiner Pål
Published: December 2015

Objective: The objective of this article is to examine the associations between pre- and postnatal maternal distress and preschooler’s symptoms of ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder (CD), and anxiety, by timing and gender. Method: Children, aged 3.5 years ( N = 1,195), recruited from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, were assessed with a semistructured parental psychiatric interview. Perinatal maternal symptoms of distress were assessed by Symptom Checklist (SCL-5); Poisson regression was used to examine the associations. Results: Mid-gestational maternal distress significantly increased the average number of child symptoms, ranging between 3.8% for ADHD hyperactive–impulsive (ADHD-HI) and 8.7% for anxiety. The combination of high maternal scores of distress both pre- and postnatally were associated with increased risk of child symptoms of anxiety (relative risk [RR] = 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.43, 3.07]), CD (RR = 1.83; 95% CI = [1.33, 2.51]), and ODD (RR = 1.30; 95% CI = [1.03, 1.64]), with minor sex differences. Conclusion: Maternal distress during mid-gestation was associated with ADHD, behavioral, and emotional symptoms in preschool children. Continued exposure into the postnatal period may further increase these risk associations .
Postoperative Management for Patients With Durable Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices
Authors: Blum Franziska Elisabeth , Weiss Gregory Michael , Cleveland Joseph C. , Weitzel Nathaen S.
Published: December 2015

Mechanical circulatory support devices have been approved as bridge to transplantation, as bridge to recovery, or as destination therapy to treat end-stage heart failure. The perioperative challenges for the anesthesiologist and the intensivist caring for these patients include device-related complications, hemodynamic instability, arrhythmias, right ventricular failure, and coagulopathy. Perioperative management in this high-risk population has a significant impact on patient outcomes. This review focuses immediate postoperative intensive care unit management of device-related complications.
Acute Kidney Injury in Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac Intensive Care
Authors: Lau Gary , Wald Ron , Sladen Robert , Mazer C. David
Published: December 2015

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious postoperative complication following cardiac surgery. Despite the incidence of AKI requiring temporary renal replacement therapy being low, it is nonetheless associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, preventing AKI associated with cardiac surgery can dramatically improve outcomes in these patients. The pathogenesis of AKI is multifactorial and many attempts to prevent or treat renal injury have been met with limited success. In this article, we will discuss the incidence and risk factors for cardiac surgery associated AKI, including the pathophysiology, potential biomarkers of injury, and treatment modalities.
Where are you, Culture & Psychology? Making of an interdisciplinary field
Authors: Valsiner Jaan
Published: December 2015

In this Editorial, I take a rare look back – at the 20 years of making the journal. It has been an experiment in navigating the (re)emerging field in between different historical and contemporary tendencies in psychology, as well as with neighbouring traditions in anthropology, history and biology. All this has happened under social conditions that turn researchers increasingly into inductively generalizing agents in social capital making. In my estimation, the journal has succeeded to maintain a focus on innovative ideas in a number of tendencies under the label ‘cultural psychology’ and make itself a forum of intellectual opportunities for the loosely defined scientific community that uses culture as its organizing term. The central feature of the journal has been its interweaving of ideas – through the constructive work of reviewers – and editorially goals-oriented extension of the content areas that belong to the meaning clusters of culture and psychology in ways that illuminate sciences that study human ways of being. The high international coverage that was established back in 1995 has remained the journal’s defining feature over two decades.
Culture & Psychology: The first two decades and beyond
Authors: Glăveanu Vlad , Wagoner Brady
Published: December 2015

The twentieth anniversary of Culture & Psychology offers an occasion for us to reflect on the development of ideas within the journal and the discipline of cultural psychology at large, as part of a look towards their future. In other words, we aimed in this special issue to create a ‘prospective retrospective’. This introduction to the special issue has two objectives: first, it describes the results of a survey distributed among the cultural psychology community about how they understand the discipline, its fundamental sources and questions that it should address for its future. Second, it provides a preview of the different contributions to the special issue, which themselves highlight key articles in the journal’s history and how ideas found in them can be further developed for the future of cultural psychology today. Thus, it was our intention to promote the integration of ideas through time, an ethos that Culture & Psychology has advocated since its founding 20 years ago.
Culture, militarism, and America’s heroic future
Authors: Zimbardo Philip G , Breckenridge James N , Moghaddam Fathali M
Published: December 2015

This paper critically reflects back on culture, militarism, and the heroic. We see a need for greater attention to militarism, as well as re-evaluation of the heroic, on the part of cultural researchers. The heroic involves not just extraordinary physical action, but also acting with moral courage to end injustices, to support human rights, and the development of society to becoming a full or “actualized” democracy. This necessarily requires the relationship between psychological science and the American military to also involve critical assessments of the global role and impact of the American military. Integral to this re-assessment is a critical perspective on “evidence-based” interventions generally.
Changes in D-dimer and inflammatory biomarkers before ischemic events in patients with peripheral artery disease: The BRAVO Study
Authors: McDermott Mary McGrae , Liu Kiang , Green David , Greenland Philip , Tian Lu , Kibbe Melina , Tracy Russell , Shah Sanjiv , Wilkins John T , Huffman Mark , Zhao Lihui , Huang Chiang-Ching , Auerbach Amanda , Liao Yihua , Skelly Christopher L , McCarthy Walter , Lloyd Jones Donald
Published: December 2015

Whether circulating biomarker levels increase shortly before an ischemic heart disease (IHD) event is unknown. We studied whether levels of D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum amyloid A (SAA) are higher within 2 months of an IHD event compared to time periods more than 2 months before the IHD event. We assembled 595 participants with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and followed them for up to 3 years. Blood samples were obtained every 2 months. The primary outcome was IHD events: myocardial infarctions, unstable angina, or IHD death. We used a nested case–control design. Fifty participants (cases) had events and were each matched by age, sex, duration in the study, and number of blood draws to two controls without events. Among cases, the mean D-dimer value of 1.105 obtained within 2 months of the event was higher than values obtained 10 months (0.68 mg/L, p<0.001), 12 months (0.71 mg/L, p=0.001), 16 months (0.65 mg/L, p=0.008), 20 months ( p=0.032), 22 months ( p=0.033), 26 months ( p=0.038), and 32 months ( p=0.04) before the event. Compared to controls, median D-dimer levels in cases were higher 4 months ( p=0.017), 6 months ( p=0.005), and 8 months ( p=0.028) before the event. Values of CRP and SAA obtained within two months of an IHD event not consistently higher than values obtained during the prior months. In PAD participants with an IHD event, D-dimer was higher within 2 months of the event, compared to most values obtained 10 to 32 months previously. D-dimer was also higher in cases as compared to controls during most visits within 8 months of the IHD event.
Abdominal trauma sustained during cardiopulmonary resuscitation may be detected by ultrasound
Authors: Graham Blair , Nutbeam Tim , Smith Jason E
Published: December 2015

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a potentially lifesaving intervention, although significant iatrogenic injury may occur. Unlike cardiac and thoracic injuries, the incidence of abdominal injuries as a consequence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation has not been defined. We report a case of significant abdominal injury sustained during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which was incidentally detected using focussed ultrasound. A review of the available literature summarises the incidence of abdominal injuries sustained during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We consider whether the standard application of focussed abdominal ultrasound is desirable as part of post-resuscitation care. Clinicians should consider the potential for iatrogenic injuries following resuscitation, especially where persistent and unexplained haemodynamic instability occurs following return of spontaneous circulation. Many emergency departments have access to point-of-care ultrasound and staff skilled in focussed assessment with sonography for trauma. Post-resuscitation detection of abdominal injuries could be facilitated by utilising this approach. This may improve outcomes for patients with potentially treatable injuries that may have otherwise been missed or diagnosed late.
Application of case-based reasoning and multi-criteria decision-making methods for material selection in petrochemistry
Authors: Berman Aleksander F , Maltugueva Galina S , Yurin Aleksander Y
Published: December 2015

This paper describes a decision support approach for selecting construction materials in the field of petrochemistry. The correct selection of construction materials is the basis for the provision of durability, long lifetime, and the safety of the designed and upgraded equipment. The proposed hybrid approach is based on the joint application of case-based reasoning and multi-criteria decision-making methods, particularly the aggregation and ranking alternatives nearby the multi-attribute ideal situation (ARAMIS) and aggregation of individual ranking/ complex of aggregation of individual ranking (AIR/CAIR) methods are used. In turn, ARAMIS enables the processing of individual preferences, which are represented in the form of numeric and verbal estimates, and AIR/CAIR is used for processing rankings (strictly or partially ordered sets of alternatives). The primary advantage of this approach is that it considers the experience of previous successful solutions of the materials selection problem, demonstrates the validity of the obtained results using the mathematical theory of multi-criteria decision making and explains the decision making process. The approach is implemented in the form of the expert system. The case model, algorithms, and an illustrative example of application of the proposed approach are also presented.