bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parental Choice of School, Class Strategies, and Educational Inequality
Authors: Liu Shuning , Apple Michael W.
Published: July 2016

Given the increasingly global nature of marketized school choice policies, this makes it even more crucial to investigate how the multiple scales, forms, and emphases of school choice in different countries are influenced by particular political, economic, and cultural conditions. While much of the critical research on school choice policies has focused on examining the complex processes of school choice in the education market in Western contexts, this essay review of School Choice in China applies Bourdieu’s concepts of capital and conversion strategies to demonstrate the practices of market-based parental choice in China.The essay highlights the importance of the recontextualization of school choice within the Chinese historical, political, economic, and social landscape in order to better understand how choice policy is interpreted differently in the Chinese context. Such historical and social specificities include, but are not limited to, the Chinese government’s insufficient investment in education, the existing key school system, and significant social class changes in contemporary China.
RN-BS Students’ Reports of Their Self-Care and Health-Promotion Practices in a Holistic Nursing Course
Authors: Padykula Bozena M.
Published: July 2016

Purpose: This study explored RN-BS students’ self-care and health-promotion (SCHP) practices in a semester-long holistic nursing course with emphasis on the utility of self-reflection through journal writing. Design: A qualitative single case study blended in practical action research. Method: Fifteen RN-BS students enrolled in the holistic nursing course completed (a) three reflective journal entries (beginning, midterm, and conclusion); (b) two IHWA-short form surveys (beginning and conclusion); and (c) one demographic form (beginning) of the course. Findings: Three reflective journals indicated that students’ understanding of their SCHP practices progressed from novice, to advanced, and finally to competent from the beginning, middle, and at the conclusion of the course. Four findings emerged in relation to reports of their SCHP practices: (a) new awareness of self, (b) application of SCHP practices knowledge, (c) role modeling, and (d) dedication to SCHP practices beyond the semester. Four findings emerged in relation to participation in the reflective journaling about reports of their SCHP practices: (a) self-discovery, (b) retrospective self-evaluation, (c) useful intervention for SCHP, and (d) beneficial learning tool in academic environment. Conclusions: Reflective journaling enhanced students’ SCHP practices and was recognized as useful instructional strategy to improve learning in the classroom.
Case Study of an Ethnic Community-Based Organization in the United States
Authors: Vu Catherine M. , Nguyen Duy , Tanh Daniel B. , Chun Jessica
Published: July 2016

Ethnic nonprofit community-based organizations (CBOs) have played a crucial role in the social fabric of ethnic communities. Despite the importance of ethnic CBOs, limited empirical knowledge exists about these types of organizations. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring how ethnic CBOs engage their target populations in stigma-associated services using a multidimensional cultural competence framework. A case study approach is used to explore how a Korean ethnic organization engages older adults in mental health services. The study provides an in-depth examination of the organization’s responses to the increasing need for mental health services for older Korean adults by providing culturally grounded services in a nonstigmatized environment. The study contributes to current literature by (a) using a multidimensional approach to examine community, organizational, and individual factors that influence mental health service use and (b) exploring how ethnic organizations consider these domains to serve older Korean adults.
Hanging tie study using the “moving deflection spectrum”
Authors: Bian Xuecheng , Gao Yin , Huang Hai , Xie Yuanchang
Published: July 2016

A hanging tie is a form of railroad track distress that occurs when voids have developed beneath the ties due to uneven ballast settlement and improper maintenance practices. It will lead to an increase in dynamic impact loading on the top of the ballast thereby further deteriorating the track structure. This paper proposes a fast, nondestructive screening method to identify the hanging tie problem. The method utilizes a dynamic track model to characterize the track’s “moving deflection spectrum” under different tie-supporting scenarios. The model includes a moving dynamic load and ties with discrete supports. The moving deflection spectrum shows dynamic responses of the “track moving deflection” in the frequency domain. The modeling results indicate that a significant discrepancy exists in the moving deflection spectrum depending on whether or not there is a hanging tie condition. To validate this method, preliminary field tests were carried out on both Boston Metro and St. Louis Metro lines. Then the moving deflection spectrum generated by the model is compared with the moving deflection spectrum in the field tests as measured by the accelerometers installed on a high-rail vehicle. Results show that the method is effective in identifying the hanging tie problem and has great potential to be employed by the rail industry in the future.
Dynamic analysis of rail gearbox bearings
Authors: Evans Ryan D , Houpert Luc , Scandella Franck , Wilmer Matthew G , Klaehn Thorsten , Buchanan Alan D
Published: July 2016

Track and railcar wheels can wear and develop flat spots during use that create vibration and high acceleration shock loading conditions in axle-mounted gearboxes. It is important to understand how these dynamic conditions affect gearbox bearing durability during bearing design and selection. A multistep dynamic analysis process for linking railcar vibration conditions to bearing component motions is presented. Field-relevant vibration conditions are applied to a model of a rail gearbox input shaft supported by two tapered roller bearings. Recently developed bearing load–displacement models are used to calculate the shaft and relative raceway displacements under these imposed vibration conditions. The calculated raceway displacements are then used as inputs for dynamic calculations of roller–cage impact forces within each bearing. Knowledge of the detailed dynamic conditions within the bearings leads to improved bearing designs that reduce the likelihood of cage damage.
Intra-seasonal variability of teak tree-ring cellulose δ18O from northwestern Thailand: A potential proxy of Thailand summer monsoon rainfall
Authors: Muangsong Chotika , Cai Binggui , Pumijumnong Nathsuda , Hu Chaoyong , Lei Guoliang
Published: July 2016

Thailand has been regarded as a transition zone between the Indian and western North Pacific monsoons which produce most of the precipitation in this area and sustain large-scale agricultural activities. Their different moisture sources and associated transport trajectories could result in distinguishable seasonal variations in rainfall oxygen isotopes (δ18O). Knowledge about seasonal variability in Thailand monsoon could facilitate agricultural water management and improve our understanding of the Asian monsoon system. In this study, a detailed examination of the intra-seasonal variability of tree-ring cellulose δ18O in teak trees from Northwestern Thailand was performed. The results show clear intra-seasonal variability in cellulose δ18O, with heavier values in the early rainy season and much lighter values in the later rainy season. Climate correlation analysis indicates that there is a significant and positive correlation between sub-seasonal variation in cellulose δ18O and rainfall δ18O. A weak and negative correlation with relative humidity (RH) has also been identified. However, there is no relation between intra-seasonal variation in cellulose and that of the amount of rainfall. These results imply that intra-seasonal variability of cellulose δ18O in teak trees from Northwestern Thailand may inherit such variability in rainfall δ18O and might be slightly shaded by RH. The spatial correlations with large-scale precipitation in the Merged Analysis (CMAP) and Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) data sets indicated seasonal changes in moisture origin and may potentially be used to explore long-term monsoon climate variability on a seasonal scale in subtropical Southeast Asia.
Fipronil-induced genotoxicity and DNA damage in vivo: Protective effect of vitamin E
Authors: Badgujar PC , Selkar NA , Chandratre GA , Pawar NN , Dighe VD , Bhagat ST , Telang AG , Vanage GR
Published: July 2016

Fipronil, an insecticide of the phenylpyrazole class has been classified as a carcinogen by United States Environmental Protection Agency, yet very limited information is available about its genotoxic effects. Adult male and female animals were gavaged with various doses of fipronil (2.5, 12.5, and 25 mg/kg body weight (bw)) to evaluate micronucleus test (mice), chromosome aberration (CA), and comet assay (rats), respectively. Cyclophosphamide (40 mg/kg bw; intraperitoneal) was used as positive control. Another group of animals were pretreated with vitamin E orally (400 mg/kg bw) for 5 days prior to administration of fipronil (12.5 mg/kg). Fipronil exposure in both male and female mice caused significant increase in the frequency of micronuclei (MN) in polychromatic erythrocytes. Similarly, structural CAs in bone marrow cells and DNA damage in the lymphocytes was found to be significantly higher in the male and female rats exposed to fipronil as compared to their respective controls. The average degree of protection (male and female animals combined together) shown by pretreatment of vitamin E against fipronil-induced genotoxicity was 63.28%: CAs; 47.91%: MN formation; and 74.70%: DNA damage. Findings of this study demonstrate genotoxic nature of fipronil regardless of gender effect and documents protective role of vitamin E.
Access to Credit, Education and Entrepreneurial Competencies: A Study among Women Micro-entrepreneurs in Malaysia
Authors: Mamun Abdullah Al
Published: July 2016

This study examines how entrepreneurial competencies, education and total amount of credit received affect the performance of microenterprises owned and managed by Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s (AIM) successful women micro-entrepreneurs in Malaysia. This study, using a cross-sectional design, collected quantitative data from 407 women micro-entrepreneurs through structured interviews. Findings of this study indicate that women micro-entrepreneurs’ level of education, entrepreneurial competencies and total amount of economic credit received have a significant positive effect on microenterprise performance. Among these three aspects, credit received has a relatively higher effect on microenterprise performance followed by level of education and entrepreneurial competencies. Therefore, AIM should focus on designing a flexible and diversified credit programme, followed by specialized training programmes, and facilitate sharing of experiences in order to improve the competencies, which could ultimately improve the performance of microenterprises owned and managed by the low-income women micro-entrepreneurs in Malaysia.
Conceptual Expansion of the Discipline of Rural Marketing: An Objective Analysis
Authors: Sarkar Dev Narayan , Kundu Kaushik , Chaudhuri Himadri Roy
Published: July 2016

Researchers have analyzed the variations in rural marketing concepts and offered definitions relating to these varying concepts. However, there seems to be a general disagreement regarding the aspects which should be included in rural marketing. This article studies the contents of various definitions of rural marketing using quantitative techniques in order to discern the probable conceptual expansion of rural marketing. Only definitions of the term ‘rural marketing’ (not just a mention of ‘rural marketing’) are considered for the present study. Dimension reduction technique and frequency tabulations are used for the content analysis. Apart from providing a definition of rural marketing using the results of the content analysis, the present study also found a strong relationship between developmental marketing and the need for rural marketers to stimulate demand through developmental activities such as appointing local inhabitants as distributors, wholesalers and retailers of their products; or by employing local manpower in other operations such as trade marketing, procurement of raw materials and selling and disseminating information on the marketer’s products directly to rural consumers.
Knowledge Management Practices in Indian Organizations—A Sectoral Comparison
Authors: Joshi Himanshu , Farooquie Jamal A. , Chawla Deepak
Published: July 2016

The discipline of knowledge management (KM) is about how organizations collect, disseminate and apply knowledge. Both Indian public and private sector organizations use KM for enhancing organizational success. The aim of the paper is to determine if the degree of KM implementation in private sector is significantly more that of public sector.

In the Indian context, most of the research studies have looked at the empirical investigations of relationships between KM constructs. Thus, while acknowledging previous work, the study utilizes both qualitative and quantitative technique for instrument design, data collection and analysis. Literature review along with focus group discussion (FGD) and a series of personal interviews were used to build a conceptual framework and a questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used. The instrument was tested for content validity, construct validity and reliability. Further, a measurement model was developed and tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Further, a t-test is carried out to check if there is a statistical difference in the average scores of the constructs between the two sectors. In constructs where a significant difference is found, a t-test is conducted on the items of the construct, to find the source of the difference. The results show that private sector is ahead of public sector on all the KM constructs although it’s significantly higher in all constructs except leadership.
IT Services in the Indian Economy
Authors: Mukherjee Deeparghya
Published: July 2016

Global information technology (IT) spending has seen phenomenal increases over the last decade and a half. Amidst claims of increased productivity through greater IT usage in production processes, India, like some of the other developing countries, has adopted policies to facilitate the growth of the IT services industry. Such policies are adopted under the belief that the IT sector would also increase productivity of the economy through linkages, thereby facilitating development. In this article, input–output (IO) analysis for India reveals that both backward and forward linkages between the IT sector and other sectors of the economy have been stagnant and declining, respectively, over time. Although IT usage in terms of value added in a given sector has increased, it is much lower than in other developing and industrialized countries. I conclude by discussing some policy directions to improve India’s IT integration with the economy and improve domestic productivity, linking it with the national manufacturing policy, the recent ‘Make in India’ initiative and other policies of the Indian government which help ease doing business in India and development through usage of IT services.
The variegated financialization of sub-prime credit markets
Authors: Appleyard Lindsey , Rowlingson Karen , Gardner Jodi
Published: July 2016

The ‘financialization of everyday life’ is a concept widely recognized by academics as an increasingly fundamental way of understanding the impact of neoliberal ideologies and financial processes on individual identities, subjectivities and relationships with financial services. This article contributes to debates on the consumption of sub-prime credit and calls for a sophisticated analysis of this aspect of financialization to take into account the variegated use of financial services and use of credit by people on low and moderate incomes. Drawing on qualitative analysis of the ‘lived experience’ of financialization, based on rigorous in-depth interviews with 44 low/middle income borrowers in the United Kingdom the article concludes that: individuals are at risk of financial insecurity due to increasing variegation of credit markets, and; that the binaries of ‘super inclusion’/’relic’ financial ecologies fail to reflect the complexity and variegation of credit use in contemporary society as a result of financialization.
A model for rhythm and timbre similarity in electronic dance music
Authors: Panteli Maria , Rocha Bruno , Bogaards Niels , Honingh Aline
Published: July 2016

Music similarity is a multidimensional concept to which so-called “sub-similarities”, such as timbre and rhythm similarity, contribute. In this study, two models are presented: one for timbre similarity, and one for rhythm similarity. The musical domain for which the models were established is Electronic Dance Music (EDM). The models extract feature values from segments of audio and calculate a distance between two segments based on their feature vectors. The models are evaluated on perceptual data using linear regression. The accuracy of the rhythm similarity model reaches an empirically established upper bound to model performance. The accuracy of the timbre model is moderate, possibly due to insufficient data. From the selection of features and their weights resulting from the regression analysis, periodicity of rhythmic elements turned out to be the most important feature group for rhythm similarity in EDM.
The Gamer Response and Decision Framework
Authors: Gillern Sam von
Published: July 2016

Aim. This article presents the Gamer Response and Decision Framework as a tool for understanding how people interpret, make decisions, and learn during their video gaming experiences.

Background. The Gamer Response and Decision Framework combines Rosenblatt’s Reader Response Theory with a variety of other concepts and frameworks related to new literacies, multimodality, learning theory, psychology, and video gaming. This Framework illustrates that every individual has unique experiences, knowledge, skills, agency, self-efficacy, and goals, and these components influence how people interpret and make decisions during video gameplay, which affects how the game unfolds as a unique experience for each gamer. Together these ideas illustrate that no two gamers have the same experience when playing a video game. Understanding video gameplay experiences is important as it represents a dynamic process in which gamers interpret a wide variety of multimodal symbols, experiment and learn in these digital environments, and solve complex problems in order to progress in the game.

Conclusion. The Gamer Response and Decision Framework can be used to understand, investigate, and analyze video gameplay experiences and has significant implications for our understanding the thought, decision-making, and learning processes that gamers experience. In the future, researchers in a variety of fields including education, game studies, and game design can use this framework to analyze how people interact with video games.
Why Do We “Skip to My Lou,” Anyway? Teaching Play Party Songs in Historical Context
Authors: Glen Nancy L.
Published: July 2016

This article focuses on teaching play party songs in a general music curriculum, using their authentic form and historical context. The history of play party songs is discussed, as well as the social conditions in America during the time they were used in the late 19th to mid-20th century. Descriptions of the songs include variations in lyrics and movements, with three examples of popular play party songs discussed in detail. Tips for teachers who wish to teach play party songs in their original historical context are offered, and a case is made for using them as a component of interdisciplinary teaching between the music specialist and the classroom teacher. At the end of the article, a sample list of popular play party songs are presented, as well as a list of resources to support the music specialist in learning more about these songs.
Being Hip-Hop
Authors: Kruse Adam J.
Published: July 2016

In this article, I offer four principles relevant to hip-hop cultures (keep it real, flip the script, make some noise, and stay fresh) and explore how these principles might affect music classrooms. I argue that a music classroom that works to keep it real, flip the script, make some noise, and stay fresh might go beyond teaching hip-hop skills and songs to actually being hip-hop. Adopting these principles would ideally keep music classrooms relevant to students’ interests, focus on connections to both local and global contexts, take and transform music ideas, and create original music within an environment that honors music traditions for what they are and remains flexible and responsive to ruptures in flow. I include a snapshot of what a potential music classroom that is hip-hop might look like.
Clinical Experience With Pharmacological Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in the Underweight and Critically Ill
Authors: Carter Christopher , Bushwitz Jennifer , Gowan Mollie , Pope Hannah , Human Theresa , Gibson Gabrielle , Owen Emily , Hampton Nick , Whitman Craig
Published: July 2016

Background: The optimal regimen for pharmacological prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in underweight, critically ill patients is unknown. Objective: To describe prescribing patterns for VTE prophylaxis in underweight (≤50 kg or body mass index ≤18.5 kg/m2), critically ill patients and identify the prevalence of VTE and bleeding. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that included patients who received standard- or reduced-dose VTE prophylaxis for ≥48 hours. Results: A total of 295 individuals were included in the study. The majority of underweight patients in this study (79.7%) received unfractionated heparin, 5000 units 3 times daily. No statistically significant difference in the prevalence of clinically relevant VTEs between the reduced- and standard-dose groups was observed (4.4% vs 5.6%, P = 1.00), but a higher proportion of bleeding events was identified within the standard-dose group (6.7% vs 11.2%, P = 0.4). Conclusions: Empirical dose reductions of VTE prophylaxis are infrequently used in underweight, critically ill patients. Further studies need to be conducted that assess the safety and efficacy of reduced-dose VTE prophylactic regimens in this population to determine if acceptable efficacy can be achieved, with lower risks of bleeding.
Foreign Policy Attitudes toward Islamic Actors
Authors: Isani Mujtaba , Silverman Daniel
Published: July 2016

This article examines how Western foreign policy opinion reacts to the perceived Islamic character of foreign actors. Studies show that the target actor’s dominant religion is a key ingredient in foreign policy opinion: Western audiences react more hostilely to “Muslim” than “Christian” targets. Yet, actors differ not only in which world religion they belong to but also how that religion is politicized by themselves and by others. We argue that Islam can be politicized in three major ways—via Islamic rhetoric, policies, and labels—that shape foreign policy attitudes. To examine our claims, we field a survey experiment in which we attach common Islamic rhetoric (“Allahu Akbar”), policies (“Shari’a law”), and/or labels (“Islamist”) to a foreign actor in the context of the Syrian civil conflict. We find that these cues strongly harm attitudes toward the actor, and the results vary widely by type. Indeed, the Shari’a policy cue does the most damage to attitudes, emotions, and preferences toward the actor. Moreover, the Islamic cues reinforce each other in fueling these fearful reactions and are particularly potent on conservative citizens. These results paint a richer picture of how out-group religious cues influence foreign policy attitudes.
The Developmental State, Civil Society, and Hydroelectric Politics in Brazil
Authors: Burrier Grant
Published: July 2016

Can institutions foster greater environmental awareness in a developmental state? Can a policymaking process driven by “autonomous” bureaucrats include civil society and does this affect policy outcomes? With these questions in mind, I explore the politics behind hydroelectric dam construction in environmentally and culturally sensitive locations in Brazil. Using mixed methods to compare two distinct developmental periods, I find developmental policy makers are becoming more sensitive to the environmental and social costs of large dams instead of solely prioritizing economic objectives. Constitutional protections, indigenous rights, a licensing process with mandated public audiences, and an active public prosecutor are compelling the democratic developmental state to better engage civil society and the environment. Ultimately, the Brazilian state is building a more inclusive developmental model and my research demonstrates how democratic political institutions and environmental protections changed the policy-making process and created a preference for less damaging but less efficient run-of-the-river dams.
The Relationship Between Television Sports Exposure and Rape Myth Acceptance: The Mediating Role of Sexism and Sexual Objectification of Women
Authors: Custers Kathleen , McNallie Jenna
Published: July 2016

Rape affects a large proportion of women in the United States but is one of the most underreported crimes. It is believed that rape myth acceptance contributes to low reporting rates. We tested whether television sports exposure was indirectly related to higher acceptance of rape myth beliefs. An online survey involving 465 undergraduate students showed that viewing TV sports was positively related to hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, and sexual objectification of women. Through these variables, TV sports was indirectly and positively associated with rape myth acceptance. These results suggest that sports programming contributes to the perpetuation of rape myths in society.
Implicit Theories and Offender Representativeness in Judgments About Sexual Crime
Authors: Harper Craig A. , Bartels Ross M.
Published: July 2016

Implicit theories structure the way people understand and respond to various human actions. Typically, people believe attributes are either fixed (entitists) or malleable (incrementalists). The present study aimed to examine (a) whether attitudes toward sexual offenders differ depending upon one’s implicit theory about human nature and sexual offenders, and (b) whether implicit theories are associated with judgments made about different types of child abusers. A sample of 252 community participants was recruited. Their attitudes, implicit theories, and political orientation were assessed via self-report. One of three vignettes describing an incidence of child sexual abuse was then presented. The cases were identical except the perpetrator was either an adult male, an adult female, or a male juvenile. Participants then made judgments about the offender’s deserved sentence and moral character. Entitists (across both domains) held more negative attitudes than incrementalists, although the magnitude of the difference was greatest when examining implicit theories about sexual offenders. Compared with those with an incremental theory of sexual offenders, entity theorists judged sexual offending to be more (a) indicative of the perpetrator’s moral character and (b) deserving of punishment. However, scores were greater toward the adult male relative to the adult female and juvenile. The findings suggest that implicit theories about sexual offenders are domain specific. They also indicate that judgments made by those with an entity theory (about sexual offenders) are affected by whether a case is representative of a stereotypical sexual offender. Implications of the findings are discussed, along with limitations and future research.
OSWALD
Authors: Rucci Enzo , Garcia Carlos , Botella Guillermo , De Giusti Armando E , Naiouf Marcelo , Prieto-Matias Manuel
Published: July 2016

The well-known Smith–Waterman algorithm is a high-sensitivity method for local sequence alignment. Unfortunately, the Smith–Waterman algorithm has quadratic time complexity, which makes it computationally demanding for large protein databases. In this paper, we present OSWALD, a portable, fully functional and general implementation to accelerate Smith–Waterman database searches in heterogeneous platforms based on Altera’s FPGA. OSWALD exploits OpenMP multithreading and SIMD computing through SSE and AVX2 extensions on the host while taking advantage of pipeline and vectorial parallelism by way of OpenCL on the FPGAs. Performance evaluations on two different heterogeneous architectures with real amino acid datasets show that OSWALD is competitive in comparison with other top-performing Smith–Waterman implementations, attaining up to 442 GCUPS peak with the best GCUPS/watts ratio.
Social positions and groups: New approximations between Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology and social representation theory
Authors: Campos Pedro Humberto Faria , Lima Rita de Cássia Pereira
Published: July 2016

This article proposes approximations between Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology and Serge Moscovici’s social representation theory. Both authors are interested in the relationship between agents/groups, social context, and culture, and both value the symbolic dimension in the construction of social reality. Bourdieu highlights the social world of struggles between the socialized agent and culture, while Moscovici privileges interactions involving the collective subject which, whether in conflict or consensus, produces a theory of social knowledge that is revealing of culture. In this broader context, the article highlights relations between “social positions” and “groups” which are present in both Bourdieu and Willem Doise, an important collaborator of Moscovici in the area of social representation theory. Such relations are founded on the principle of structural homology, a principle based on the correspondence between social structure and symbolic systems. This discussion leads to another: the need to understand “consensus” and “conflict” in groups, in both Moscovici and Doise, relating them to the action of forces in Bourdieu’s social field of struggles. The notion of “group,” which is valued in our text, is little discussed by these authors. We emphasize the necessity to go deeper into group interactions in articulation with positions in the social field, and to value group representations and practices in meaning negotiation processes, as well to discuss the question of social change. We propose studying social representations—in groups with homogeneous practices—as a symbolic form of condensation and measurement of symbolic capital, adding to this approach the notion of social position and semiotic mediation.
Shadow trajectories: The poetic motion of motherhood meanings through the lens of lived temporality
Authors: de Sousa Bastos Ana Cecília
Published: July 2016

This article seeks to develop the concept of shadow trajectories through analyzing narratives of six sisters on the process of becoming mothers. Development implies a dynamic tension between literal and imagined domains, which has been called poetic motion. Psychological novelty emerges from the polarized connections between literal × imagined, possible × performed domains, and between past–present–future. The six sisters (interviewed when they were 65–82 years old, and referred along the text by numbers—Sister 1 to Sister 6, to emphasize that chronological order in time), and I discuss, through their diverse experiences, personal movements that can represent cultural novelty inside their social contexts. Novelty seems to emerge from the interplay of what is seen, dreamed of, or planned as possibilities and what is effectively performed along their trajectories. I call these directions “shadow trajectories,” in opposition to other lines supposed to be “dominant,” both lines present and dynamically tensioned within the dialogical self-territory. The article intends to explore how these two kinds of trajectories are actualized in the women’s current experience, focusing on how “shadow trajectories” can support, amplify, direct, undermine, and create developmental continuity concerning “dominant or main trajectories.”
Political parties, ideology and the substantive representation of women
Authors: Erzeel Silvia , Celis Karen
Published: July 2016

The recent finding that right-wing parties increasingly make efforts to integrate women’s concerns raises questions as to whether ideology still counts as a reliable indicator for women’s substantive representation and how different party contexts shape opportunities for the articulation of women’s interests. This article therefore critically reassesses how ideology defines the opportunities for women’s substantive representation, based on a comparative study of legislators’ acting on behalf of women in 14 European countries. We argue that ideology still offers an important explanation for women’s substantive representation, but that the link between the two should be conceptualized as complex rather than straightforward. The role of ideology is best understood if scholars (1) adopt an understanding of ‘ideology’ that allows for more variation and is conceptually different from ‘party’, (2) differentiate between gendered interests and feminist interests and (3) understand the impact of ideology as both direct and mediated.
Agree or disagree
Authors: Somer-Topcu Zeynep
Published: July 2016

Political party leaders are among the most influential actors in parliamentary democracies, and a change in party leadership is an important event for a party organization. Yet, we do not know how these leadership changes affect voter perceptions about party policy positions. On the one hand, we may expect party leadership changes to renew attention to the party, educate voters about its policy positions, and hence reduce disagreement among voters about party positions. On the other hand, rival parties may use a leadership change as an opportunity to defame the party, its leadership, and policies, and hence, increase voter confusion about the party’s policies. Using data from seven Western European democracies, I show that leadership changes help parties reduce voter disagreement about party policy positions. This effect is stronger if the new leader shifts the party’s policy positions.
Young voices in mental health care: Exploring children’s and adolescents’ service experiences and preferences
Authors: Persson Stefan , Hagquist Curt , Michelson Daniel
Published: July 2016

The development of ‘youth-friendly’ services has become a priority across a wide range of health-care contexts. However, relatively few studies have specifically examined users’ experiences of, and preferences for, child and adolescent mental health care. The current study investigated young service users’ views of outpatient and community mental health clinics in Sweden, based on two data sources. First, focus group interviews were conducted with seven children and adolescents (aged 10–18 years) to explore both positive and negative experiences of mental health care. Second, written suggestions about specific service improvements were obtained from 106 children and adolescents. Qualitative content analysis revealed three overarching themes: ‘Accessibility’, ‘Being heard and seen’ and ‘Usefulness of sessions’. Young people’s recommendations for improving practice included more convenient appointment times, offered in welcoming settings; opportunities to communicate more openly with clinical staff, enabling sensitive discussion of mental health and wider personal issues; and more structured treatments that offer greater credibility and relevance to young people’s mental health and developmental needs. Young people also discussed being compelled by parents and school professionals to engage in treatment. Attending to young people’s preferences must be a priority in order to overcome ambivalence about session attendance, and enhance treatment participation and outcomes.
Research participants’ skills development as HIV prevention peer educators in their communities
Authors: Morar Neetha Shagan , Naidoo Sarita , Goolam Ahmed , Ramjee Gita
Published: July 2016

This article describes the influence of a peer education programme on skills development among 22 women participating in HIV prevention trials. Interviews were used to collect data on peer educator experiences and their opinions of the trainings. The training enhanced their agency and confidence to engage their family and community on health promotion, including HIV prevention research procedures, thus improving their self-esteem and communication skills. Training and partnering with clinical trial participants as peer educators is an effective and sustainable community-based approach for HIV prevention.
Examining the reinforcing value of stimuli within social and non-social contexts in children with and without high-functioning autism
Authors: Goldberg Melissa C , Allman Melissa J , Hagopian Louis P , Triggs Mandy M , Frank-Crawford Michelle A , Mostofsky Stewart H , Denckla Martha B , DeLeon Iser G
Published: July 2016

One of the key diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder includes impairments in social interactions. This study compared the extent to which boys with high-functioning autism and typically developing boys “value” engaging in activities with a parent or alone. Two different assessments that can empirically determine the relative reinforcing value of social and non-social stimuli were employed: paired-choice preference assessments and progressive-ratio schedules. There were no significant differences between boys with high-functioning autism and typically developing boys on either measure. Moreover, there was a strong correspondence in performance across these two measures for participants in each group. These results suggest that the relative reinforcing value of engaging in activities with a primary caregiver is not diminished for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Parenting stress as an indirect pathway to mental health concerns among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Tomeny Theodore S
Published: July 2016

The link between autism spectrum disorder symptoms and maternal stress has been well established, yet many mothers remain resilient to more severe psychopathology. For the current online study, 111 mothers of a child with autism spectrum disorder completed questionnaires about their child’s symptoms, their own stress related to parenting, and any psychopathology symptoms they were experiencing. Autism spectrum disorder symptom severity was positively related to both parenting stress and maternal psychopathology symptoms. Furthermore, parenting stress mediated the relation between autism spectrum disorder symptom severity and maternal psychopathology symptoms. These results provide evidence for a pathway through which psychopathology may develop among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and a potential point of intervention for clinicians serving this population.
A Prospective Analysis on Functional Outcomes Following Extended Latissimus Dorsi Flap Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Eyjolfsdottir H. , Haraldsdottir B. , Ragnarsdottir M. , Asgeirsson K. S.
Published: July 2016

Background:

To prospectively assess the functional effect of using the extended latissimus dorsi flap in immediate breast reconstructions.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 15 consecutive patients undergoing breast reconstruction with extended latissimus dorsi flap participated. Shoulder range of motion, muscle strength, lateral flexion of the torso, and position of scapula were measured pre-operatively and 1, 6, and 12 months post-operatively, in addition to donor-site post-operative complications.

Results:

At 12 months post-operatively, patients had achieved full range of shoulder movement, when compared to pre-operative values. Lateral flexion of the torso was, however, significantly reduced bilaterally at 1 and 6 months post-operatively (p = 0.001, p = 0.01) and to the not operated side at 12 months (p = 0.01). Muscle strength in flexion–extension–internal rotation was significantly (p = 0.01) reduced on the operated side 12 months post-operatively. All but one patient had numbness around the donor-site scar 12 months post-operatively, 33% had slight adhesions but all were pain free.

Conclusion:

Although invariably, patients having extended latissimus dorsi flap may expect to achieve full range of shoulder movement, they should be informed of possible functional consequences and the time and effort it takes to recover. Further research is needed to investigate the potential long-term functional implications that extended latissimus dorsi flap may have as a result of changes in the lateral flexion of the torso and scapula position.
Parent–child conflict about children’s tablet use: The role of parental mediation
Authors: Beyens Ine , Beullens Kathleen
Published: July 2016

This study examined the relations of children’s tablet use and parents’ mediation of children’s tablet use with parent–child conflict about such use. A sample of 364 parents of children aged 2–10 years was used to investigate the relations. The results showed that children who spent more time using the tablet had more conflicts with their parents. Also, children who received high amounts of restrictive mediation had more conflicts with their parents about the tablet. Children who often co-used the tablet with their parents had less conflict, however. Significant two-way interactions indicated that while restrictive mediation increased the strength of the relationship between tablet use and conflict, co-use decreased the strength of the relationship.
Embodied resocialization at a children’s weight loss camp
Authors: Backstrom Laura
Published: July 2016

This paper examines the content and processes of embodied resocialization that occur at a children’s weight loss camp. Drawing on ethnographic and interview data, I provide the children’s accounts of their decision to attend camp. In addition to teaching the children to implement body projects through strategic and embodied means, the structured environment at camp allowed for the recalibration of the campers’ habits. Social control supported weight loss at camp but ultimately created problems for effective resocialization. This paper contributes to a better understanding of processes of embodied resocialization and the tension between self-control and social control when resocialization occurs in an immersive environment for a short period of time.
Establishing working relationships in online social work
Authors: van de Luitgaarden Guido , van der Tier Michelle
Published: July 2016

This article reports on an empirical case study into the process of establishing a working relationship between social workers and service users in an online social work service. Workers were using an online chat application to interact with young people, who sought professional help for various types of psychosocial problems. Two chat conversations and one interview of each of five research participants were analysed in terms of the way in which the working relationship between the service user and the online social worker was established. Thus, a total of 10 chat conversations and five interviews were included in this study.

Findings

Subjects were shown to be particularly focused on the process of addressing the issues with which the service users were trying to cope. As a consequence, limited effort was observed with regard to shaping the working relationship in such a way that the service user gained control over the course of the conversation.

Applications

As the medium influences the process of establishing a positive working relationship, it is argued that the worker should be able to understand the implications for the manner in which online conversations are conducted. Social work education is called upon to facilitate the acquiring of the knowledge and skills needed for such. It is suggested that more research into service users’ expectations regarding the working relationship within online social work could provide additional insights for the further improvement of these types of services.
Estimation of Weibull distribution for wind speeds along ship routes
Authors: Mao Wengang , Rychlik Igor
Published: July 2016

In order to evaluate potential benefits of new green shipping concepts that utilize wind power as auxiliary propulsion in ships or of offshore wind energy harvest, it is essential to have reliable wind speed statistics. A new method to find parameters in the Weibull distribution is given. It can be used either at a fixed offshore position or along arbitrary ship routes. The method employs a spatio-temporal transformed Gaussian model for wind speed variability. The model was fitted to 10 years’ ERA-Interim reanalysis data of wind speed. The proposed method to derive Weibull distribution is validated using wind speeds measured on-board by vessels sailing in the North Atlantic and the west region of the Mediterranean Sea. For the westbound voyages in the North Atlantic, the proposed method gives a good approximation of the observed wind distribution along those ship routes. For the eastbound voyages, significant difference is found between the observed wind distribution and that approximated by the proposed method. The suspected reason is attributed to the ship routing decisions of masters and software. Hence, models that consider only the wind climate description need to be supplemented with a method to take into account the effect of wind-aware routing plan.
Circuits of Amnesia
Authors: Halpern Orit
Published: July 2016

This article interrogates the relationship between temporality, memory, and reason in cybernetic models of mind to excavate a historical shift in knowledge and governmentality with direct implications for knowledge production in the social sciences. Cyberneticians reformulated ideas of reason to re-imagine both minds and machines as logical circuits. In doing so, early pioneers in neural nets and computing, such as Warren McCulloch, Walter Pitts, and John von Neumann, also created the epistemological conditions that underpin contemporary concerns with data visualization, big data, and ubiquitous computing.
Endovascular Management of Infected Iliofemoral Pseudoaneurysms
Authors: Moulakakis Konstantinos G. , Sfyroeras George S. , Alexiou Vangelis G. , Kakisis John , Lazaris Andreas , Vasdekis Spyridon N. , Brountzos Elias N. , Geroulakos George
Published: July 2016

The treatment of infected iliofemoral pseudoaneurysms is challenging and controversial. We present our experience regarding the efficacy and outcome of endovascular treatment of infected iliofemoral arterial pseudoaneurysms with covered stents. Our experience with 5 cases showed that stent grafting combined with antibiotic therapy and provisional drainage may be a safe and effective option in patients with cancer, patients with history of multiple hip revisions, and drug-addicted users. In our small case series, the reinfection rate was null and no covered stent thrombosis occurred. These results are fairly encouraging, but further studies with longer follow-up in a larger number of patients are needed to confirm the efficacy and durability of the technique.