bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Capacity and Problem Severity in Adopting Voluntary Intergovernmental Partnerships
Authors: Conner Thaddieus W. , Witt Stephanie L.
Published: June 2016

Literature on intergovernmental partnerships suggests the importance of several factors including organizational resources, capacity, and problem severity in understanding the adoption of these partnerships. This research improves our understanding about the adoption of intergovernmental partnerships by examining tribal and nontribal governments that adopted voluntary agreements to improve the administration of justice. Using data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this research examines how socioeconomic conditions, problem severity, and law enforcement authority influence the adoption of partnership agreements between tribal and nontribal law enforcement. The results suggest that tribes that adopt partnerships have better socioeconomic conditions; nontribal actors have lower levels of authority and higher occurrences of violent crime. The presence of Indian gaming also increases the likelihood of adopting cooperative agreements. The results of this study provide an important insight into understanding intergovernmental cooperation in general and what drives cooperation between native and surrounding non-native communities in particular.
Spermatogenesis in the Microminipig
Authors: Kangawa Akihisa , Otake Masayoshi , Enya Satoko , Yoshida Toshinori , Kangawa Yumi , Shibata Masatoshi
Published: June 2016

The microminipig has considerable potential as an animal model to evaluate general toxicity; however, there are few studies on the male reproductive system, particularly regarding spermatogenesis. The objectives of the present study were to clarify the stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle on the basis of spermiogenesis and to determine the duration of spermatogenesis in the microminipig. Eleven microminipigs from 6 to 9 months of age were used for histological analyses. Spermiogenesis and stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle were classified according to the degree of acrosomal development as shown by the periodic acid-Schiff reaction. Three of the animals were intravenously injected with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine to determine the duration of spermatogenesis by immunohistochemistry. Spermiogenesis was classified into 15 steps according to the morphological development of the acrosome, nucleus, and flagellum. The seminiferous epithelium cycle was classified into 11 stages based on the steps of spermatid development and germ cell associations. The length of the seminiferous epithelium cycle and the overall spermatogenesis process in the microminipig were estimated to be approximately 9.1 and 40.9 days, respectively. The results indicate the potential application of the microminipig in the evaluation of testicular toxicity, such as spermatogenesis disruption, in general toxicity studies.
Gene Methylation Profiling in Sinonasal Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Costales Maria , López‐Hernández Alejandro , García‐Inclán Cristina , Vivanco Blanca , López Fernando , Llorente José Luis , Hermsen Mario A.
Published: June 2016

Objective

To identify epigenetic events in intestinal‐type sinonasal adenocarcinoma (ITAC) and sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) and to evaluate their relation to clinicopathologic features and follow‐up data.

Study Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

Academic research hospital.

Subjects and Methods

The methylation status of 23 genes in 50 ITACs and 32 SNSCCs was analyzed by methylation‐specific multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification and its relation to clinicopathologic features and follow‐up data.

Results

Gene methylation was observed in 50% of all tumors. Recurrent methylated genes in SNSCC were RASSF1 and CDH13 (for both, 6 of 32 cases), CHFR (4 of 32 cases), and TIMP3 (2 of 32 cases). None of these genes showed significant correlation to clinicopathologic features or overall survival. In ITAC, recurrent methylated genes were CDH13 (18 of 50 cases), ESR1 (13 of 50 cases), APC (7 of 50 cases), TIMP3 (5 of 50 cases), CASP8 (3 of 50 cases), and HIC1 and RASSF1 (for both, 2 of 50 cases). Papillary and colonic ITAC subtypes carried a mean of 1.26 gene methylations per tumor versus 0.63 in solid and mucinous subtypes. Methylation of TIMP3 was associated with a significantly worse survival in ITAC patients.

Conclusion

ITAC carries a higher number and a different profile of gene methylations as compared with SNSCC. Gene methylation plays a greater role in papillary and colonic ITAC subtypes, which may indicate a different tumorigenic pathway for these ITAC subtypes. These findings could be used as prognosticators and may have implications for future individualized therapies based on epigenetic changes.
Programmatic Assessment of a Comprehensive Quality Improvement Curriculum in an Otolaryngology Residency
Authors: Bowe Sarah N. , Laury Adrienne M. , Kepchar Jessica J. , Lospinoso Joshua
Published: June 2016

To date, there is minimal literature discussing quality improvement curricula in otolaryngology. Herein, we present our program, including didactic, web‐based, and experiential learning, developed in the setting of a preexisting institutional quality and safety policy. Nine otolaryngology residents were evaluated with assessments focused on learner satisfaction, learner attitudes, and knowledge acquisition according to the Kirkpatrick framework. Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was used to compare results. While the total score increased across all assessments, it was significant for only the Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool Revised (P <. 05). We find our initial learning outcomes encouraging and hope that our comprehensive curriculum can serve as a resource to other programs, which can be adapted to fit within the context of variable training environments. Furthermore, it is imperative to consider continuous assessment and refinement of any educational program, using the same quality improvement principles that we endeavor to teach.
The Accuracy of the Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Diagnosis
Authors: Fritz Mark A. , Persky Michael J. , Fang Yixin , Simpson C. Blake , Amin Milan R. , Akst Lee M. , Postma Gregory N.
Published: June 2016

Objective

To determine the prevalence and also accuracy of the laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) referring diagnosis and to determine the most useful clinical tool in arriving at the final diagnosis in a tertiary laryngology practice.

Study Design

Case series with planned data collection.

Setting

Six tertiary academic laryngology practices.

Subjects and Methods

We collected referring diagnosis and demographic information, including age, sex, ethnicity, referring physician, and whether or not patients had prior flexible laryngoscopy for 1077 patients presenting with laryngologic complaints from January 2010 and June 2013. Final diagnosis after the referred laryngologist’s examination and the key diagnostic test used was then recorded.

Results

Of 1077 patients, 132 had a singular referring diagnosis of LPR. Only 47 of 132 patients (35.6%) had LPR confirmed on final primary diagnosis. Transnasal flexible laryngoscopy confirmed this in 27 of 47 (57.4%) patients. Eighty‐five of 132 (64.4%) had a different final diagnosis than LPR. Sixty‐five of 85 (76.5%) of these alternative pathologies were diagnosed with the aid of laryngeal stroboscopy.

Conclusions

LPR appears to be an overused diagnosis for laryngologic complaints. For patients who have already had transnasal flexible laryngoscopic exams prior to their referral, laryngeal stroboscopy is the key diagnostic tool in arriving at the correct diagnosis.
Nervus Intermedius Symptoms following Surgical or Radiation Therapy for Vestibular Schwannoma
Authors: Noonan Kathryn Y. , Rang Cong , Callahan Katherine , Simmons Nathan E. , Erkmen Kadir , Saunders James E.
Published: June 2016

Objectives

This study compares the functional outcomes of nevus intermedius impairment following surgery, radiation, or observation for the treatment of vestibular schwannoma.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Settings

Tertiary care medical center.

Subjects and Methods

We retrospectively examined 141 charts of patients with a vestibular schwannoma seen in the Dartmouth‐Hitchcock Acoustic Neuroma Clinic between 2012 and 2014. Seventy‐one patients underwent intervention (including radiation) as their primary treatment, and 70 were treated with observation. As part of routine care, patients were interviewed at clinic visits and with a questionnaire assessing nervus intermedius impairment.

Results

At presentation, 25 patients (19%) reported nervus intermedius impairment. Most common disturbances were xerophthalmia (dry eyes, 13%) and dysgeusia (taste alteration, 7.6%). Postintervention, 35 patients (53%) had ≥1 symptoms of nervus intermedius dysfunction, which is increased in comparison with patients in the observation group (17 patients, 26.5%, P <. 05). Twelve intervention patients had symptoms resolve postoperatively, making no long‐term difference between the observation and intervention groups (P =. 20). Motor function of the facial nerve postoperatively is correlated with nervus intermedius symptoms. Surgical approaches were compared with radiation therapy, and no significant difference in nervus intermedius outcomes was found.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the clinical importance of monitoring nervus intermedius symptoms, since a high percentage of all patients undergoing intervention will be symptomatic during management. Patients with motor dysfunction are at a higher risk of developing nervus intermedius sequelae and need close follow‐up. Although impairment is common, many symptoms will improve over time with no long‐term difference between intervention patients and those under observation.
Transforming Rehabilitation and Approved Premises
Authors: Williams Robbie
Published: June 2016

This article considers the impact that Transforming Rehabilitation has had upon Approved Premises (APs) since the process began following the publication of the National Probation Service Review Paper, E3 Blueprint (the three Es being Effectiveness, Efficiency and Excellence), in November 2015. This paper outlines what service delivery across the organisation will look like in the near future. At the time of writing we are in the consultation phase, which has yet to be concluded. I have drawn upon quality assurance information from a number of National Probation Service (NPS) North West Region Approved Premises documents published between 2009 and the dissolving of Probation Trusts in 2014. This has enabled some analysis of the efficacy of existing group work programmes and purposeful activities in place at each AP. The paper reflects the personal experiences of the author, including experiences from a previous change process, and how the initial transfer from Trusts to the NPS altered the practice and political landscape for an innovative and creative AP team. The paper concludes by considering the potential consequences for APs as their rehabilitative regimes will inevitably change. It considers how this could be a constructive process as each hostel is measured against quality improvement and assurance measures determined by an external body – the Royal College of Psychiatry (RCP). This is as a consequence of each hostel working towards or having achieved the RCP Enabling Environment Award (EEA) status, involving full team training in the Knowledge and Understanding Framework to better understand and respond to residents who have emerging or diagnosed personality disorders. Reaching and then retaining this EEA standard is likely to be an ongoing challenge. Refreshingly, creating an enabling environment demands high levels of engagement, coupled with the development of understanding, nurturing and caring relationships for residents and staff alike.
Reflections on undertaking the Probation Qualifying Framework scheme during the Transforming Rehabilitation changes
Authors: Cracknell Matthew
Published: June 2016

This article reflects upon the author’s experience of undertaking the PQF (Probation Qualifying Framework) training scheme during the chaotic period of Transforming Rehabilitation. The author asserts that the uncertainty and precarious nature of the changes were detrimental to an effective learning environment, which ultimately promoted a practice culture of punitiveness and control and did not allow learners the space to be skilful and confident practitioners, comfortable working autonomously. Furthermore, the author contends there is an emerging culture within the NPS (National Probation Service) increasingly fostered on ‘risk management’, which is reflected in the vocational nature of PQF training and is contributing towards a widening cultural gap that is emerging between the community rehabilitation companies and NPS.
Yes, But
Authors: Bay-Cheng Laina Y. , Bruns Anne E.
Published: June 2016

Reflecting the wide range of consensual unwanted sexual experiences, researchers often have contrasting views of the impact of these incidents on young women. Some scholars support a normalizing view of these as fairly harmless and ordinary aspects of relationships, akin to other forms of willing compromises between partners. Other researchers problematize unwanted sexual experiences, framing them in terms of gender inequalities and detrimental effects. In the current study, we were interested in how young women themselves characterized their unwanted sexual experiences and whether these accounts varied according to a woman’s social location. We interviewed 41 young women (18–22 years old) from three groups: affluent undergraduates, low-income undergraduates, and low-income nonstudents. Almost all of the affluent undergraduates framed their unwanted sexual experiences in normalizing terms, representing such events as relatively harmless incidents and outgrowths of developmental experimentation. In contrast, the low-income students and nonstudents both articulated more ambivalent positions and were more inclined to link their experience to sources of vulnerability, including personal adversity (e.g., trauma, social, and material insecurity) and social norms and stigma. Participants’ sexual histories, life circumstances, and standpoints at the intersection of gender and class were reflected in their experiences of unwanted sex, reinforcing that contextualized analyses and interventions are essential to advancing women’s sexual rights and well-being. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ 's website at http://pwq.sagepub.com/supplemental
Working with layers: The governance and regulation of healthcare quality in an institutionally layered system
Authors: van de Bovenkamp Hester M , Stoopendaal Annemiek , Bal Roland
Published: June 2016

Institutional arrangements used to steer public policies have increasingly become layered. Inspired by the literature on institutional layering and institutional work, this paper aims to make a contribution to our understanding of institutional layering. We do so by studying an interesting case of layering: the Dutch hospital sector. We focus on the actors responsible for the internal governance (Board of Directors and Supervisory Boards) and the external regulation (the Healthcare Inspectorate) of hospitals. In the paper, we explore the institutional work of these actors, more specifically how institutional work results from and is influenced by institutional layering and how this in turn influences the institutional makeup of both healthcare organizations and their institutional context. Our approach allowed us to see that layering changes the activities of actors in the public sector, can be used to strengthen one’s position but also presents actors with new struggles, which they in turn can try to overcome by relating and using the institutionally layered context. Layering and institutional work are therefore in continuous interaction. Combining institutional layering with a focus on the lived experiences of actors and their institutional work makes it possible to move into the layered arrangement and better understand its consequences.
Interpenetrating polymer networks formed by cyanate esters and phenylethynyl-terminated imides
Authors: Meier Christoph , Parlevliet Patricia P , Döring Manfred
Published: June 2016

An oligomeric phenylethynyl-terminated imide (PETI) has been formulated with a cyanate ester (CE) with and without the addition of a compatibilizer 2,2′-diallylbisphenol A (DABPA) forming interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs). Modulated differential scanning calorimetry (mDSC) was used to monitor the curing of the resin mixtures. The formation of various resulting IPNs was verified using mDSC, dynamical mechanical thermoanalysis (DMTA), thermal gravimetry analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, it could be shown by mDSC and DMTA that a covalent bond of the separated CE and PETI networks could be achieved by the addition of DABPA. In this regard, a reaction mechanism is proposed for the cross-linking reaction between the allylic pendent group of DABPA and the phenylethynyl end-group of the PETI resin. The cured resin specimens showed to have very high heat resistance and very high glass transition temperatures up to 330°C.
Governing urbanization and the New Urbanization Plan in China
Authors: Li Bingqin , Chen Chunlai , Hu Biliang
Published: June 2016

This paper explains the reasons behind the growing social tension and increased number of conflicts in China after a good performance in meeting the Millennium Development Goals. In this paper, we map out the issues with old urbanization (1978–2014) and the problems unsolved by past policy, and analyse whether the new policy changes introduced by the New Urbanization Plan (2014–2020) may help to deal with those problems. We argue that the tensions that evolve into conflicts are often a result of unaddressed social anxiety. Using money to purchase social stability can only be part of the solution. There need to be more serious attempts to improve governance, which involve: improving multi-level governance and inter-regional coordination, enhancing policy transparency and rule by law, adjusting the level of redistribution, and integrating rural and urban community governance structures.
Framing the Effects of Multinational Cultural Diversity on Virtual Team Processes
Authors: Han Soo Jeoung , Beyerlein Michael
Published: June 2016

Globalization of the economy and the technological revolution has led to increased reliance on teams with geographically distributed membership, which has increased multiculturalism in the workplace. This study identifies factors that affect the processes and performance of nationally and culturally diverse teams working in a virtual environment. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify previous empirical studies in global virtual team research published from 1998 to 2014, focusing on the effects of deep diversity in the form of national culture on multinational virtual teams (MNVTs). Sixty of the 268 articles met our criteria for inclusion in this study. We concentrated on the critical factors regarding processes and outcomes in MNVTs. The resulting framework included four socioemotional and four task-related challenges for team leaders to focus on. We found that dynamic interdependency among socioemotional and task process factors affects MNVT performance.
A Spiral of Skepticism? The Relationship Between Citizens’ Involvement With Campaign Information to Their Skepticism and Political Knowledge
Authors: Hutchens Myiah J. , Hmielowski Jay D. , Pinkleton Bruce E. , Beam Michael A.
Published: June 2016

Scholars have emphasized the importance of an informed citizenry for a healthy democracy. As a result, research has examined whether campaign information fosters positive or negative democratic outcomes. This article examines the relationship between information seeking and skepticism. We also examine whether skepticism leads to democratically beneficial outcomes. We examine these relationships using survey data collected during the course of the 2012 Presidential Election. We found an over-time relationship between campaign information seeking and skepticism. We also found that skepticism leads to increased knowledge at the end of the election through information seeking.
“Erosion” of Television City Hall Reporting? Perceptions of Reporters on the Beat in 2014 and 2001
Authors: Riffe Daniel , Abdenour Jesse
Published: June 2016

Mail survey ( N = 112) of lead city government reporters at randomly selected television stations in the 210 local designated market areas replicates a 1997 study. The 2014 reporters had a more pessimistic view of station commitment to and valuing of city government reporting than in 1997 study. Among 2014 respondents, older reporters were more pessimistic whereas smaller market reporters were more optimistic, and a majority believes media commitment to covering city government remains generally strong.
Grand plots of management bestsellers: Learning from narrative and thematic coherence
Authors: Kociatkiewicz Jerzy , Kostera Monika
Published: June 2016

Barbara Czarniawska and Carl Rhodes have argued that managers and entrepreneurs often learn from popular culture. The dominant plots offer the accepted interpretations and guide for actions, whereas alternative plots, available but not most prominent, provide schemes for possible departures from the common wisdom. In this article, we propose that not only works of fiction serve this purpose; powerful ideas derive also from popular management books, not only in terms of explicit content but also as what we term, in homage to Lyotard, the grand plots: structures of meaning not usually seen as the overt message of this article. We present the results of our classificatory reading of popular management books, interpreting them in terms of the tacit notions of narrative development and cohesion, emplotted in the background. The contribution of this article is to show the ways in which the grand plots of popular management books are used to achieve coherence in presenting the books’ total solutions for a variety of organizational problems and contexts. What their readers learn is not so much (or not just) how to manage but how to make narrative sense of management regarded as part of wider cultural context.
Feminist allies and strategic partners
Authors: Evans Elizabeth
Published: June 2016

Western political parties have been in decline in recent decades and they continue to be viewed as male institutions. Despite this, electoral politics is important to the women’s movement as a means by which to advance feminist interests. This article builds upon feminist critiques of political parties by analyzing original qualitative data undertaken with feminists in the United States and United Kingdom in order to explore how activists view political parties. The research finds that although many hold negative views, in line with broader debates concerning disengagement, they also recognize the importance of electoral politics and the need to work with individual politicians. Party and feminist ideology shapes those views, whereby politicians on the left are viewed as feminist allies and those on the right are framed as strategic partners.
A retrospective analysis of medical record use in e-consultations
Authors: Pecina Jennifer L , North Frederick
Published: June 2016

Introduction

Under certain circumstances, e-consultations can substitute for a face-to-face consultation. A basic requirement for a successful e-consultation is that the e-consultant has access to important medical history and exam findings along with laboratory and imaging results. Knowing just what information the specialist needs to complete an e-consultation is a major challenge. This paper examines differences between specialties in their need for past information from laboratory, imaging and clinical notes.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of patients who had an internal e-consultation performed at an academic medical centre. We reviewed a random sample of e-consultations that occurred in the first half of 2013 for the indication for the e-consultation and whether the e-consultant reviewed data in the medical record that was older than one year to perform the e-consultation.

Results

Out of 3008 total e-consultations we reviewed 360 (12%) randomly selected e-consultations from 12 specialties. Questions on management (35.8%), image results (27.2%) and laboratory results (25%) were the three most common indications for e-consultation. E-consultants reviewed medical records in existence more than one year prior to the e-consultation 146 (40.6%) of the time with e-consultants in the specialties of endocrinology, haematology and rheumatology, reviewing records older than one year more than half the time. Labs (20.3%), office notes (20%) and imaging (17.8%) were the types of medical data older than one year that were reviewed the most frequently overall.

Discussion

Management questions appear to be the most common reason for e-consultation. E-consultants frequently reviewed historical medical data that is older than one year at the time of the e-consultation, especially in endocrinology, haematology and rheumatology specialties. Practices engaging in e-consultations that require transfer of data may want to include longer time frames of historical information for those specialties.
Learning to mediate: Teacher appropriation of dynamic assessment
Authors: Davin Kristin J. , Herazo José D. , Sagre Anamaría
Published: June 2016

This article examines how four second language (L2) teachers’ discursive practices changed as they attempted to implement dynamic assessment (DA) in their classrooms. Classroom artifacts, lesson recordings, and reflections from two pre-service teachers and two in-service teachers, both before and after a professional development series on DA, were included in the analysis. Findings revealed that all teachers’ approaches to mediation changed. In Pre-DA lessons, teachers defaulted to recasts when attempting to provide mediation. Following the DA professional development series, all teachers expanded the discursive space by providing more prompts and fewer recasts. However, findings illustrated that the four teachers appropriated DA to varying degrees, suggesting that some may have required additional mediation to appropriate all of the distinguishing features of DA. We discuss implications of these findings for teacher preparation.
How do Muslim women who wear the niqab interact with others online? A case study of a profile on a photo-sharing website
Authors: Piela Anna
Published: June 2016

This article identifies a gap in extant literature on women who wear the niqab and their representations in ‘traditional’ media: there are few academic sources that draw from these women’s own narratives. In order to address this gap, this article highlights niqabis’ self-representations in the form of photographic self-portraits published in new media and demonstrates a variety of positive ways in which these self-portraits are received by the audiences. The article is based on a case study of a profile of a prolific author who posts and discusses her work on a popular photo-sharing website. It throws light on contextualised and relational interpretations of the niqab and its meaning and at the same time challenges a common perception that non-Muslim audiences are uniformly critical of women who wear the niqab. Data analysis of the data so far indicates that women who wear the niqab exercise their agency by making visual references to the everyday and successfully establish dialogue and intimacy with their audiences. It is suggested that new media settings are particularly important in researching ‘niqab experiences’, as they foster a variety of relevant data types and narratives driven by participants, rather than researchers.
New approach for the simulation of chain drive dynamics with consideration of the elastic environment
Authors: Grinschgl M , Reich FM , Abeltshauser R , Eder M , Antretter T
Published: June 2016

In the development and layout of timing chain drives for internal combustion engines, multi-body simulation is used to evaluate the chain drive in terms of both the acoustic and the dynamic behaviour. Owing to the complex structure of chain drives and surrounding components, the system cannot be described by analytical equations. The elastic behaviour of the single components can influence the dynamic and acoustic behaviour of the chain drive system and the timing system. This paper describes a new methodology for chain drive simulation with a full 3D representation of the chain drive and the option of a fully elastic consideration of the surrounding structures. The surrounding structures and components can be included in a fully elastic manner as finite element components in an arbitrary range. The described method allows the combination of typical multi-body components, such as chain links, with finite element structures. After presenting the strategy of modelling the chain drive as a combination of multi-body simulation and the finite element method, simulations are compared with conducted experiments for a simple two-sprocket chain drive. The simulation results show good agreement with the measurements.
Promoting change among parents involved in the child welfare system: Parents’ reflections on their motivations to change parenting behaviors
Authors: Chaviano Casey L , McWey Lenore M , Lettenberger-Klein Cassandra G , Claridge Amy M , Wojciak Armeda S , Pettigrew Haley V
Published: June 2016

Although a wealth of research exists related to children involved in the child welfare system, far less is known about parents’ experiences. Specifically, research is needed that examines the motivation for change of parents involved with the child welfare system in order to inform interventions with this at-risk population. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 33 parents court ordered to participate in a parent education group due to involvement with the child welfare system. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and researchers used qualitative content analysis to examine parents’ motivation to change their parenting behaviors.

Findings

Participants highlighted how patterns from their family of origin, their own identity, and their current support systems served as motivation for change in their own parenting behaviors. Results were discussed using a social cognitive theory framework.

Application

Clinical implications include the need to assess at-risk parents’ unique sources of motivation for change and how current parenting practices may be encouraged or modeled from others. Doing so may improve engagement and retention in interventions meant to improve family outcomes.
Australian social work research on ageing and aged care: A scoping review
Authors: Hughes Mark , Bigby Christine , Tilbury Clare
Published: June 2016

Little is known about the quantity, nature and range of Australian social work research on ageing and aged care. This scoping review involved a comprehensive search of seven online bibliographic databases. The review identified 108 peer-reviewed journal articles, published between January 2007 and June 2014, that reported Australian social work research on ageing and aged care.

Findings

The average number of authors per paper was 2.10 with most social work researchers co-authoring papers with non-social workers. The main topics of research focus were health and rehabilitation, elder abuse, asset management, community services and caregiving, housing and residential aged care, and ageing with an intellectual disability. The findings highlight the contribution social work researchers make to multidisciplinary gerontological research, and to understanding the lived experiences of older people and the provision of services. However, they also point to the relative paucity of research focusing on direct social work practice with older people, and the little evidence of the participation of older people and carers in the design and delivery of research.

Applications

The findings indicate the need for capacity-building strategies, such as developing networks of Australian social work researchers on ageing and aged care, to improve research outputs in this area.
Fieldwork in a furnace: anarchists, anti-authoritarians and militant ethnography
Authors: Apoifis Nicholas
Published: June 2016

Militant ethnography is a burgeoning, deliberately politicised approach to qualitative research, that helps activist-researchers engage with the cultural logic and practices underpinning contemporary anti-authoritarian social movements. Despite its ascendancy amongst researchers investigating contemporary anarchist and anti-authoritarian social movements, militant ethnographic approaches have had limited broader exposure amongst qualitative researchers.

With this in mind, my article serves three purposes. First, it acquaints a wider audience of qualitative researchers with militant ethnography. Second, and with reference to insights collaboratively produced during my own militant ethnographic research alongside Greek anarchists and anti-authoritarians, it shares some of the cultural logic and practices underpinning anarchist and anti-authoritarian activity in this space. Third, I make a novel case for the extended application of militant ethnography, so that it accommodates the dissemination of field-constructed knowledge and insights amongst kindred political networks in other locations.
From diagnosis to research: My epistemological journey toward wholistic qualitative methods
Authors: Read Julia
Published: June 2016

In this article, I reflect on my ever-evolving epistemological journey through which I came to embrace a “wholistic” qualitative methodology for my doctoral research in social work. I offer a chronological account of my lived experiences starting with my locus of origin and highlighting the challenging twists and turns that brought me to my research interest of exploring meaningful peer support relationships in mental health and addictions agencies.
An Evolutionary Perspective on Pain Communication
Authors: Steinkopf Leander
Published: June 2016

Pain serves as a signal to elicit care from others. In turn, displaying pain might be attractive because of the benefits it might bring. Additionally, displaying pain is easy, because helpers distinguish poorly between genuine pain and faked pain. Hence, helpers face the problem of distinguishing true sufferers from free riders, while sufferers face the problem of communicating need convincingly. This article will propose solutions to these adaptive problems. Based on theoretical arguments and on empirical insights from lie detection research, it will be argued that the credibility of pain signals cannot be found in features of the signal itself, but in its context. Namely, pain is obviously credible when the context features unforgeable cues, such as an open wound or the enlarged abdomen of a pregnant woman, but also external cues such as the ice water in cold pressor tasks. In absence of such cues, pain can become credible through costly consequences, such as refraining from rewarding behaviors for a significant period. However, these adaptive mechanisms for communicating need may not be shaped for modern circumstances such as experimental settings and therapeutic encounters.
A Critical Review of Negative Affect and the Application of CBT for PTSD
Authors: Brown Wilson J. , Dewey Daniel , Bunnell Brian E. , Boyd Stephen J. , Wilkerson Allison K. , Mitchell Melissa A. , Bruce Steven E.
Published: June 2016

Forms of cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBTs), including prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, have been empirically validated as efficacious treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the assumption that PTSD develops from dysregulated fear circuitry possesses limitations that detract from the potential efficacy of CBT approaches. An analysis of these limitations may provide insight into improvements to the CBT approach to PTSD, beginning with an examination of negative affect as an essential component to the conceptualization of PTSD and a barrier to the implementation of CBT for PTSD. As such, the literature regarding the impact of negative affect on aspects of cognition (i.e., attention, processing, memory, and emotion regulation) necessary for the successful application of CBT was systematically reviewed. Several literature databases were explored (e.g., PsychINFO and PubMed), resulting in 25 articles that met criteria for inclusion. Results of the review indicated that high negative affect generally disrupts cognitive processes, resulting in a narrowed focus on stimuli of a negative valence, increased rumination of negative autobiographical memories, inflexible preservation of initial information, difficulty considering counterfactuals, reliance on emotional reasoning, and misinterpretation of neutral or ambiguous events as negative, among others. With the aim to improve treatment efficacy of CBT for PTSD, suggestions to incorporate negative affect into research and clinical contexts are discussed.
A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial of Brain-Activating Rehabilitation in an Acute Hospital
Authors: Tsuchiya Kenji , Yamaguchi Tomoharu , Fujita Takaaki , Taguchi Maya , Honda Aoi , Satou Yuki , Sekiguchi Hiroshi , Kimura Noriko , Osawa Tenshi , Terauchi Masanori
Published: June 2016

We aimed to confirm the effectiveness of brain-activating rehabilitation (BAR) performed in the day care setting at an acute hospital. Brain-activating rehabilitation is based on 5 principles: developing a pleasant atmosphere, promoting communication, praising patients, giving patients a social role, and providing supportive care. A total of 48 patients with dementia or cognitive impairment were selected and randomly divided into the intervention and control groups. The BAR-based intervention was conducted for 1 hour, 3 times a week. The patients’ score of the Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES) were used as outcome measures. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance detected a significant interaction between the MOSES disorientation ( F = 4.437, P = .041) and the withdrawal ( F = 5.052, P = .030) subscales. A BAR-based intervention performed at our acute hospital was effective at maintaining and improving the cognitive and psychosocial functioning of patients with dementia or cognitive impairment.
Pain in Hospice Patients With Dementia
Authors: Tarter Robin , Demiris George , Pike Kenneth , Washington Karla , Parker Oliver Debra
Published: June 2016

Introduction:

At the end of life, patients with dementia often experience high levels of pain due to complex interplay of disease processes and numerous barriers to symptom management. In the hospice setting, informal caregivers play an essential role in pain management. This study describes their experience managing pain in hospice patients with dementia.

Methods:

We conducted a qualitative analysis of audio-recorded interviews with informal caregivers of hospice patients with dementia who had chosen pain as the challenge they wanted to work on within a problem-solving therapy intervention.

Results:

The thematic analysis of sessions with 51 caregivers identified 4 themes: difficulty in communicating with patients, lack of consistent guidance from health-care professionals, perceived uncertainty about the etiology of pain, and secondary suffering.

Discussion:

Our findings indicate the possible need for increased support for caregivers, including educational interventions targeting pain etiology and assessment, and improved communication with health-care professionals.
Elder abuse
Authors: Midgley Eleanor
Published: June 2016

Elder abuse is prevalent and, as the population ages, it is likely to be a growing problem. It frequently goes unrecognised, but is often devastating and sometimes fatal to the victim. It is considered to be both under-funded and under-researched, but early recognition of those at risk and intervention in the primary care setting can reduce harm and sometimes prevent elder abuse occurring entirely.
Use of lead-glazed ceramic ware and lead-based folk remedies in a rural community of Baja California, Mexico
Authors: Welton Michael , Rodriguez-Lainz Alfonso , Loza Oralia , Brodine Stephanie , Fraga Miguel
Published: June 2016

Background:

Lead exposure from lead-glazed ceramics (LGCs) and traditional folk remedies have been identified as significant sources of elevated blood lead levels in Mexico and the United States. This study took place from 2005 to 2012 in a rural community in Baja California, Mexico.

Objectives:

1) Investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to lead and lead exposures from LGCs and two lead-based folk remedies ( azarcon and greta); and 2) evaluate a pilot intervention to provide alternative lead-safe cookware.

Methods:

A baseline household survey was conducted in 2005, followed by the pilot intervention in 2006, and follow-up surveys in 2007 and 2012. For the pilot intervention, families who reported using LGCs were given lead-safe alternative cookware to try and its acceptance was evaluated in the following year.

Results:

The community was mostly of indigenous background from Oaxaca and a high proportion of households had young children. In 2006, all participants using traditional ceramic ware at the time ( n = 48) accepted lead-safe alternative cookware to try, and 97% reported that they were willing to exchange traditional ceramic ware for lead-safe alternatives. The use of ceramic cookware decreased from over 90% during respondents’ childhood household use in Oaxaca to 47% in 2006 among households in Baja California, and further reduced to 16.8% in 2012. While empacho, a folk illness, was widely recognized as an intestinal disorder, there was almost universal unfamiliarity with the use and knowledge of azarcon and greta for its treatment.

Conclusion:

This pilot evaluation provides evidence 1) for an effective and innovative strategy to reduce lead exposure from LGCs and 2) of the feasibility of substituting lead-free alternative cookware for traditional ceramic ware in a rural indigenous community, when delivered in a culturally appropriate manner with health education. This strategy could complement other approaches to reduce exposure to lead from LGCs.
Muscle Activation Among Supine, Prone, and Side Position Exercises With and Without a Swiss Ball
Authors: Escamilla Rafael F. , Lewis Clare , Pecson Amanda , Imamura Rodney , Andrews James R.
Published: June 2016

Background:

Prone, supine, and side position exercises are employed to enhance core stability.

Hypothesis:

Overall core muscle activity would be greater in prone position exercises compared with supine and side position exercises.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Eighteen men and women between 23 and 45 years of age served as subjects. Surface electrodes were positioned over the upper and lower rectus abdominis, external and internal obliques, rectus femoris, latissimus dorsi, and lumbar paraspinals. Electromyography data were collected during 5 repetitions of 10 exercises, then normalized by maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC). Differences in muscle activity were assessed using 1-way repeated-measures analysis of variance, while t tests with a Bonferroni correction were employed to assess pairwise comparisons.

Results:

Upper and lower rectus abdominis activity was generally significantly greater in the crunch, bent-knee sit-up, and prone position exercises compared with side position exercises. External oblique activity was significantly greater in the prone on ball with right hip extension, side crunch on ball, and side bridge (plank) on toes compared with the prone and side bridge (plank) on knees, the crunch, or the bent-knee sit-up positions. Internal oblique activity was significantly greater in the prone bridge (plank) on ball and prone on ball with left and right hip extension compared with the side crunch on ball and prone and side bridge (plank) on knees positions. Lumbar paraspinal activity was significantly greater in the 3 side position exercises compared with all remaining exercises. Latissimus dorsi activity was significantly greater in the prone on ball with left and right hip extension and prone bridge (plank) on ball and on toes compared with the crunch, bent-knee sit-up, and prone and side bridge (plank) on knees positions. Rectus femoris activity was significantly greater in the prone on ball with left hip extension, bent-knee sit-up, or prone bridge (plank) on toes compared with the remaining exercises.

Conclusion:

Prone position exercises are good alternatives to supine position exercises for recruiting core musculature. Side position exercises are better for oblique and lumbar paraspinal recruitment.

Clinical Relevance:

Because high core muscle activity is associated with high spinal compressive loading, muscle activation patterns should be considered when prescribing trunk exercises to those in which high spinal compressive loading may be deleterious.
The effect of pharmacist-led interventions in optimising prescribing in older adults in primary care: A systematic review
Authors: Riordan David O , Walsh Kieran A , Galvin Rose , Sinnott Carol , Kearney Patricia M , Byrne Stephen
Published: June 2016

Objective:

To evaluate studies of pharmacist-led interventions on potentially inappropriate prescribing among community-dwelling older adults receiving primary care to identify the components of a successful intervention.

Data sources:

An electronic search of the literature was conducted using the following databases from inception to December 2015: PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE (through Ovid), Trip, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination databases, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ISI Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ClinicalTrials.gov , metaRegister of Controlled Trials, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Database (Theses in Great Britain, Ireland and North America).

Review methods:

Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials or quasi-randomised studies involving a pharmacist-led intervention compared to usual/routine care which aimed to reduce potentially inappropriate prescribing in older adults in primary care. Methodological quality of the included studies was independently assessed.

Results:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted which identified 2193 studies following removal of duplicates. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Four studies involved a pharmacist conducting a medication review and providing feedback to patients or their family physician. One randomised controlled trial evaluated the effect of a computerised tool that alerted pharmacists when elderly patients were newly prescribed potentially inappropriate medications. Four studies were associated with an improvement in prescribing appropriateness.

Conclusion:

Overall, this review demonstrates that pharmacist-led interventions may improve prescribing appropriateness in community-dwelling older adults. However, the quality of evidence is low. The role of a pharmacist working as part of a multidisciplinary primary care team requires further investigation to optimise prescribing in this group of patients.