bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of video- and audio-mediated listening tests with many-facet Rasch modeling and differential distractor functioning
Authors: Batty Aaron Olaf
Published: May 2014

The rise in the affordability of quality video production equipment has resulted in increased interest in video-mediated tests of foreign language listening comprehension. Although research on such tests has continued fairly steadily since the early 1980s, studies have relied on analyses of raw scores, despite the growing prevalence of item response theory in the field of language testing as a whole. The present study addresses this gap by comparing data from identical, counter-balanced multiple-choice listening test forms employing three text types (monologue, conversation, and lecture) administered to 164 university students of English in Japan. Data were analyzed via many-facet Rasch modeling to compare the difficulties of the audio and video formats; to investigate interactions between format and text-type, and format and proficiency level; and to identify specific items biased toward one or the other format. Finally, items displaying such differences were subjected to differential distractor functioning analyses. No interactions between format and text-type, or format and proficiency level, were observed. Four items were discovered displaying format-based differences in difficulty, two of which were found to correspond to possible acting anomalies in the videos. The author argues for further work focusing on item-level interactions with test format.
Interaction of detergent sclerosants with cell membranes
Authors: Parsi Kurosh
Published: May 2014

Commonly used detergent sclerosants including sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) and polidocanol (POL) are clinically used to induce endovascular fibrosis and vessel occlusion. They achieve this by lysing the endothelial lining of target vessels. These agents are surface active (surfactant) molecules that interfere with cell membranes. Surfactants have a striking similarity to the phospholipid molecules of the membrane lipid bilayer. By adsorbing at the cell membrane, surfactants disrupt the normal architecture of the lipid bilayer and reduce the surface tension. The outcome of this interaction is concentration dependent. At high enough concentrations, surfactants solubilise cell membranes resulting in cell lysis. At lower concentrations, these agents can induce a procoagulant negatively charged surface on the external aspect of the cell membrane. The interaction is also influenced by the ionic charge, molecular structure, pH and the chemical nature of the diluent (e.g. saline vs. water). The ionic charge of the surfactant molecule can influence the effect on plasma proteins and the protein contents of cell membranes. STS, an anionic detergent, denatures the tertiary complex of most proteins and in particular the clinically relevant clotting factors. By contrast, POL has no effect on proteins due to its non-ionic structure. These agents therefore exhibit remarkable differences in their interaction with lipid membranes, target cells and circulating proteins with potential implications in a range of clinical applications.
Utilization and determinants of palliative care in the trauma intensive care unit: Results of a national survey
Authors: Karlekar Mohana , Collier Bryan , Parish Abby , Olson Lori , Elasy Tom
Published: May 2014

Background:

There is a paucity of data evaluating utilization of palliative care in trauma intensive care units.

Aim:

We sought to determine current indications and determinants of palliative care consultation in the trauma intensive care units.

Design:

Using a cross-sectional assessment, we surveyed trauma surgeons to understand indications, benefits, and barriers trauma surgeons perceive when consulting palliative care.

Setting/participants:

A total of 1232 surveys were emailed to all members of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

Results:

A total of 362 providers responded (29% response rate). Majority of respondents were male ( n = 287, 80.2%) and practiced in Level 1 ( n = 278, 77.7%) trauma centers. Most common indicators for referral to palliative care were expected survival 1 week to 1 month, multisystem organ dysfunction >3 weeks, minimal neurologic responsiveness >1 week, and referral to hospice. In post hoc analysis, there was a significant difference in frequency of utilization of palliative care when respondents had access to board-certified palliative care physicians ( χ2 = 56.4, p < 0.001). Although half of the respondents ( n = 199, 55.6%) reported palliative care consults beneficial all or most of the time, nearly still half ( n = 174, 48.6%) felt palliative care was underutilized. Most frequent barriers to consultation included resistance from families ( n = 144, 40.2%), concerns that physicians were “giving up” ( n = 109, 30.4%), and miscommunication of prognosis ( n = 98, 27.4%) or diagnosis ( n = 58, 16.2%) by the palliative care physician.

Conclusion:

Although a plurality of trauma surgeons reported palliative care beneficial, those surveyed indicate that palliative care is underutilized. Barriers identified provide important opportunities to further appropriate utilization of palliative care services.
Double-blind, randomized sham controlled study of deep-TMS add-on treatment for negative symptoms and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia
Authors: Rabany Liron , Deutsch Lisa , Levkovitz Yechiel
Published: May 2014

Negative symptoms and cognitive deficits are considered core symptoms of schizophrenia, yet treatment for them remains inadequate. Deep-transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novel technology that enables non-invasive stimulation of deep layers of the prefrontal cortex. Preliminary evidence suggests that deep-TMS could be effective in the treatment of negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. The current study is the first double-blind, randomized sham-controlled study to examine the feasibility of deep-TMS add-on treatment for negative symptoms and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Twenty daily H1 deep-TMS treatments (20Hz, 120% MT) were delivered, in a double-blind, randomized sham-controlled design ( n=30). Extensive clinical and cognitive assessments were carried out throughout the study and for an additional one month follow-up period. The results indicate that at the end of the treatment period, negative symptoms (as indicated by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS)) significantly reduced in the TMS group (–7.7), but not in the sham group (–1.9). Differences between the groups were not statistically significant.
Examining the Academic Achievement of Latino Adolescents
Authors: Hayes DeMarquis , Blake Jamilia J. , Darensbourg Alicia , Castillo Linda G.
Published: May 2014

The achievement gap between Latino and White youth is well documented. This is of particular concern as children enter middle school because of the decline in school engagement and achievement noted in many students. The impact parent and peer beliefs and behaviors have on academic achievement, engagement, and achievement values of Latino middle school youth have received less attention than in White youth. The current study explored how these parent and peer beliefs and behaviors influenced Latino adolescents’ achievement values, school behavioral engagement, and school achievement. Results indicated that the beliefs and behaviors of parents and peers significantly predicted two sets of achievement values (Subjective Task Values & Economic Benefits to Education). However, student achievement was only related to subjective task values and behavioral engagement. In addition, subjective task values mediated the relation between parent and peer beliefs and behaviors and student achievement. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.
Efficacy of a Web-Based Intelligent Tutoring System for Communicating Genetic Risk of Breast Cancer
Authors: Wolfe Christopher R. , Reyna Valerie F. , Widmer Colin L. , Cedillos Elizabeth M. , Fisher Christopher R. , Brust-Renck Priscila G. , Weil Audrey M.
Published: May 2014

Background. Many healthy women consider genetic testing for breast cancer risk, yet BRCA testing issues are complex. Objective. To determine whether an intelligent tutor, BRCA Gist, grounded in fuzzy-trace theory (FTT), increases gist comprehension and knowledge about genetic testing for breast cancer risk, improving decision making. Design. In 2 experiments, 410 healthy undergraduate women were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: an online module using a Web-based tutoring system (BRCA Gist) that uses artificial intelligence technology, a second group read highly similar content from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Web site, and a third that completed an unrelated tutorial. Intervention. BRCA Gist applied FTT and was designed to help participants develop gist comprehension of topics relevant to decisions about BRCA genetic testing, including how breast cancer spreads, inherited genetic mutations, and base rates. Measures. We measured content knowledge, gist comprehension of decision-relevant information, interest in testing, and genetic risk and testing judgments. Results. Control knowledge scores ranged from 54% to 56%, NCI improved significantly to 65% and 70%, and BRCA Gist improved significantly more to 75% and 77%, P < 0.0001. BRCA Gist scored higher on gist comprehension than NCI and control, P < 0.0001. Control genetic risk-assessment mean was 48% correct; BRCA Gist (61%) and NCI (56%) were significantly higher, P < 0.0001. BRCA Gist participants recommended less testing for women without risk factors (not good candidates; 24% and 19%) than controls (50%, both experiments) and NCI (32%), experiment 2, P < 0.0001. BRCA Gist testing interest was lower than in controls, P < 0.0001. Limitations. BRCA Gist has not been tested with older women from diverse groups. Conclusions. Intelligent tutors, such as BRCA Gist, are scalable, cost-effective ways of helping people understand complex issues, improving decision making.
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) positivity correlates with poor prognosis in cervical cancer
Authors: Yao Tingting , Wu Zhuna , Liu Yukun , Rao Qunxian , Lin Zhongqiu
Published: May 2014

Objective

To analyse the associations between aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) tumour immunopositivity and disease-free survival in cervical carcinoma.

Methods

ALDH1 immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded cervical tumour tissue samples obtained from hospital archives. Data regarding disease-free survival were obtained. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed.

Results

Patients with ALDH1-positive tumours ( n = 31) had significantly shorter disease-free survival than those with ALDH1-negative tumours ( n = 167; 41.99 ± 0.90 vs 53.64 ± 2.67 months). ALDH1 positivity was associated with poor prognosis (relative risk 2.727; 95% confidence intervals 1.253, 5.914).

Conclusions

ALDH1 positivity is associated with poor prognosis of cervical carcinoma, and may be an independent predictor of prognosis.
Association of virulent genotypes and phylogenetic origins of Helicobacter pylori with gastric cancer
Authors: Wang Lili , Zhan Shuhui , Zhou Jianhua , Huang Jingjing , Yu Xinjuan , Dong Kaixin , Dong Quanjiang
Published: May 2014

Objective

To investigate the association between the genotypes, sequence variations and phylogenetic origins of strains of Helicobacter pylori with gastric cancer in Chinese patients.

Methods

Strains of H. pylori were isolated from patients with chronic gastritis and gastric cancer. Genotypes of the cagA and vacA genes were determined using polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis was used to detect variations in the 3′ and 5′ regions of cagA, and to detect known polymorphisms in cagE. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the analysis of seven housekeeping genes.

Results

A total of 67 strains of H. pylori were analysed. Nearly all strains of H. pylori carried cagA (65/67; 97.0%), an East Asia type of the cagA 3′ region (63/65; 96.9%) and the vacA intermediate (i)1 genotype (65/67; 97.0%). None of the H. pylori strains examined had sequence variations in the 5′ region of cagA or cagE. Phylogenetic analyses, however, revealed that strains of H. pylori from gastric cancer tended to cluster together.

Conclusions

Virulent strains of H. pylori were highly prevalent, but virulent genotypes of H. pylori associated with gastric cancer were not detected in this geographical region.
Sequential Development of Lesions 3, 6, 9, and 12 Months After Experimental Infection of Goat Kids With Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis
Authors: Krüger C. , Köhler H. , Liebler-Tenorio E. M.
Published: May 2014

The development of lesions after infection with Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) was examined in an experimental infection model. Goat kids were orally inoculated 10 times with 10 mg bacterial wet mass of MAP (total dose 2.6 × 108 colony-forming units). Six to 7 inoculated goats and 3 controls were autopsied 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postinoculation (mpi), lesions were documented, and samples were collected for histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and bacterial culture. Twenty-five of the 26 inoculated goats did not develop clinical signs. Macroscopic lesions were detected in 3 of the 7 inoculated goats as soon as 3 mpi. Jejunal Peyer’s patches (JPPs) were thickened and had ulcerated surfaces and circumscribed serositis. Characteristic granulomatous infiltrates were seen in all goats in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALTs), especially JPPs and lymphoid tissue at the ileocecal valve and in intestinal lymph nodes. Granulomatous intestinal infiltrates not associated with GALT were seen beginning at 6 mpi and with increasing frequency thereafter. Interindividual differences in lesions were most pronounced at 12 mpi, varying from mild focal paucibacillary to severe diffuse multibacillary patterns. Bacterial culture of MAP confirmed the IHC findings but was more sensitive and revealed widespread dissemination at 3 and 12 mpi. Granulomatous arteritis was found in intestinal submucosa of several goats. This may contribute to the spreading of MAP to the intestinal wall and possibly systemically. The different lesions observed during the clinically inapparent period of paratuberculosis are most likely indicators for the later progression of infection and development of clinical disease.
Parents’ music training motivation and children’s music learning achievement: An investigation in the Chinese context
Authors: Liu Liu , Bond Michael Harris , Guan Yanjun , Cai Zijun , Sun Jiaqing , Yu Qiushi , Fu Ruchunyi , Wang Zhen
Published: May 2014

The current research examined Chinese parents’ motivation regarding music training for their children, and its relationships with their children’s learning outcomes ( N = 269). Results of principal component analysis showed that Chinese parents had both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation regarding children’s music training. Parents’ intrinsic motivation was positively related to children’s learning achievement (rated by teachers). Although extrinsic motivation did not predict learning achievement, it served as a significant moderator and strengthened the relationship between intrinsic motivation and children’s achievement. Moreover, the results showed that children’s learning engagement mediated the interaction between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation regarding children’s learning achievement. The corresponding moderated mediation model was supported. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Description of sex difference as prescription for sex change: On the origins of facial feminization surgery
Authors: Plemons Eric D
Published: May 2014

This article explores the research project that led to the development of facial feminization surgery, a set of bone and soft tissue reconstructive surgical procedures intended to feminize the faces of male-to-female trans- women. Conducted by a pioneering surgeon in the mid-1980s, this research consisted of three steps: (1) assessments of sexual differences of the skull taken from early 20th-century physical anthropology, (2) the application of statistical analyses taken from late 20th-century orthodontic research, and (3) the vetting of this new morphological and metric knowledge in a dry skull collection. When the ‘feminine type’ of early 20th-century physical anthropology was made to articulate with the ‘female mean’ of 1970s’ statistical analysis, these two very different epistemological artifacts worked together to produce something new: a singular model of a distinctively female skull. In this article, I show how the development of facial feminization surgery worked across epistemic styles, transforming historically racialized and gendered descriptions of sex difference into contemporary surgical prescriptions for sex change. Fundamental to this transformation was an explicit invocation of the scientific origins of facial sexual dimorphism, a claim that frames surgical sex change of the face as not only possible, but objectively certain.
Finite element method implementation of a nonlocal viscoplastic model with consideration of temperature dependence
Authors: Mao Jianghui , Shen Jie
Published: May 2014

This article presents development of a damage-coupled viscoplastic constitutive model with temperature consideration. The model is subjected to an explicit nonlocal treatment within the characteristic length that is not limited to one local element as conventional ones. Temperature dependence of material behavior is incorporated into the model to account for the material property degradation at elevated temperature. A test program to determine the correlation between material parameters and temperature is also presented. The nonlocal damage-coupled viscoplastic material model is implemented in a commercial finite element program ABAQUS through its user-defined material subroutine UMAT using a semi-implicit time integration scheme. The model is applied to predict the behavior of 63Sn37Pb soldered structure. The mesh sensitivity of the model is discussed, as well as the efficiency of deduced consistent tangent modulus.
“We’re Like Visitors”
Authors: Cabaniss Emily R.
Published: May 2014

This article examines the rise and fall of collective moral identity by two groups of unequally positioned teachers in a new school for immigrant and refugee students who were learning English. One group was composed of predominately white, US-born tenured teaching professionals. The other consisted of racially and ethnically diverse, foreign-born teachers who were participating in a cultural exchange program and had temporary visas to work in the United States for one to three years. Using participant observation and in-depth interviewing, I show how school administrators and organizational arrangements fostered the development of a shared moral identity that allowed teachers to see themselves as virtuous—if beleaguered—professionals who were doing important work. Although their identity work helped bridge cultural differences and promoted feelings of closeness between the groups, it did so by deflecting and masking inequalities in their structural positions. I show how these inequalities and the reluctance of teachers and school administrators to acknowledge them ultimately eroded their sense of solidarity and undermined their efforts to maintain a shared moral identity.
What are the Links in a Web Survey Among Response Time, Quality, and Auto-Evaluation of the Efforts Done?
Authors: Revilla Melanie , Ochoa Carlos
Published: May 2014

Evaluating the quality of the data is a key preoccupation for researchers to be confident in their results. When web surveys are used, it seems even more crucial since the researchers have less control on the data collection process. However, they also have the possibility to collect some paradata that may help evaluating the quality. Using this paradata, it was noticed that some respondents of web panels are spending much less time than expected to complete the surveys. This creates worries about the quality of the data obtained. Nevertheless, not much is known about the link between response times (RTs) and quality. Therefore, the goal of this study is to look at the link between the RTs of respondents in an online survey and other more usual indicators of quality used in the literature: properly following an instructional manipulation check, coherence and precision of answers, absence of straight-lining, and so on. Besides, we are also interested in the link of RT and the quality indicators with respondents’ auto-evaluation of the efforts they did to answer the survey. Using a structural equation modeling approach that allows separating the structural and the measurement models and controlling for potential spurious effects, we find a significant relationship between RT and quality in the three countries studied. We also find a significant, but lower, relationship between RT and auto-evaluation. However, we did not find a significant link between auto-evaluation and quality.
‘Blind’ to the obvious
Authors: Dinishak Janette
Published: May 2014

The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein cites the Gestalt psychologist Wolfgang Köhler almost as often as he cites William James in his posthumously published writings on the philosophy of psychology. Yet, few treatments of the Wittgenstein–Köhler relation in the philosophical literature could be called sustained discussions. Moreover, most of them treat Köhler as a mere whipping boy for Wittgenstein, one more opportunity to criticize the practice of psychologists. This article emphasizes how much the two thinkers agreed, and the extent to which some of Wittgenstein’s work not only agreed with but also has a logical structure parallel to some of Köhler’s text. Both thinkers hold that the theoretician should strive to recognize and resist the impulse to step in and purify, distill, streamline, or exclude phenomena: common, everyday experience for Köhler and common, everyday uses of words for Wittgenstein. They both aim to counteract the tendency to discount and disparage what is ordinary and common.
On relations between ethnology and psychology in historical context
Authors: Jahoda Gustav
Published: May 2014

Ever since records began, accounts of other peoples and their institutions and customs have included comments about their mental characteristics. The present article traces this feature from the 18th century to roughly the First World War, with a brief sketch of more recent developments. For most of this period two contrasting positions prevailed: the dominant one attributed human differences to ‘race’, while the other one explained them in terms of psychological, environmental and historical factors. The present account focuses on the latter, among them those who asserted ‘the psychic unity of mankind’. Generally it is shown that from the early period when writings were based almost entirely on secondary sources, to the beginnings of empirical studies, ethnological theories were indissolubly linked to psychological concerns.
Studies on the thermal properties of poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate)/microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate composites
Authors: Li Zhenhua , Zhou Shun , Wang Xiaofeng , He Qing , Zhang Yaping , She Shike , Chen Gang , Yang Wei
Published: May 2014

This work aims to explore the potential of microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (MAPP) in poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) (PBT). PBT/MAPP composites were prepared via melt blending method. The study of their thermal behaviors and thermal stability showed that the addition of MAPP with silica gel shell (MAPP(Si)) improved the relative crystallinity and thermal stability of PBT composites, in comparison with untreated ammonium polyphosphate and MAPP with polyurethane shell. Possible mechanisms for PBT/MAPP(Si) composites were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that several PBT molecules may be grafted onto the surface of MAPP(Si), which improves the relative crystallinity and thermal stability of PBT/MAPP(Si) composites.
Covalent incorporation of aminated carbon nanotubes into epoxy resin network
Authors: Sun Tao , Fan Hongyu , Zhuo Qin , Liu Xin , Wu Zhanjun
Published: May 2014

In order to expand applied field of epoxy resin, its mechanical properties have to be improved. Carbon nanotube (CNT) is regarded as an exceptional toughening agent for polymers. However, poor dispersion quality of CNT in polymer matrix and weak interfacial force between them commonly lead to low reinforcing efficiency. This article presented a study on the mechanical properties of epoxy composite reinforced with aminated CNT (CNT-NH2). The amination of CNT was achieved via a wet chemical procedure using 1,6-diaminohexane (DAH) as amine source. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential test, and thermogravimetric analysis were employed to investigate the as-prepared CNT-NH2. The results show that DAH has been successfully grafted onto the surface of CNT. Scanning electron microscopic images show that CNT-NH2 is homogenously dispersed in epoxy matrix. Mechanical properties tests suggest that the tensile strength and fracture toughness of the obtained CNT-NH2/epoxy composite are all enhanced compared with cured pure epoxy resin. The tensile strength and fracture toughness of the as-prepared CNT-NH2/epoxy composite with 0.8 wt% CNT-NH2 show 42% and 95% improvement, respectively. These results indicate that CNT-NH2 is a promising toughening agent for enhancing the mechanical properties of epoxy resin.
Persistent HIV-related stigma among an outpatient US clinic population
Authors: Shacham Enbal , Rosenburg Neal , Önen Nur F , Donovan Michael F , Turner Overton E
Published: May 2014

Summary

Despite advancements in the public’s understanding of HIV infection, felt stigma towards individuals living with HIV persists. Stigma has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including poor adherence to care, and increased participation in HIV transmission risk behaviours. We evaluated the level of felt stigma and its relationship to other psychosocial and medical factors among a sample of 201 individuals with HIV engaged in care. The overall mean stigma score, as measured by the Reece Stigma Scale, was 21.7 (SD 8.7). In univariate analysis, felt stigma scores were higher among women, African Americans, younger participants, and individuals with less education. Higher felt stigma scores were also found among individuals who reported having fair to poor overall health, moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, and those with a current diagnosis of alcohol dependence, generalised anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, pain disorder, and current smokers. Higher felt stigma scores were independently associated with individuals with anxiety symptoms. These analyses highlight that stigma persists among individuals with HIV and may play an important role in HIV care. The relationship between psychiatric disorders and psychosocial factors highlights an opportunity to develop interventions that will address these common comorbidities and reduce stigma.
HIV infection and risk factors among the armed forces personnel stationed in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Rimoin AW , Hoff NA , Djoko CF , Kisalu NK , Kashamuka M , Tamoufe U , LeBreton M , Kayembe PK , Muyembe JJ , Kitchen CR , Saylors K , Fair J , Doshi R , Papworth E , Mpoudi-Ngole E , Grillo MP , Tshala F , Peeters M , Wolfe ND
Published: May 2014

Despite recent declines in HIV incidence, sub-Saharan Africa remains the most heavily affected region in the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Estimates of HIV prevalence in African military personnel are scarce and inconsistent. We conducted a serosurvey between June and September 2007 among 4043 Armed Forces personnel of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) stationed in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to determine the prevalence of HIV and syphilis infections and describe associated risk behaviours. Participants provided blood for HIV and syphilis testing and responded to a demographic and risk factor questionnaire. The prevalence of HIV was 3.8% and the prevalence of syphilis was 11.9%. Women were more likely than men to be HIV positive, (7.5% vs. 3.6% respectively, aOR: 1.66, 95% C.I: 1.21–2.28, p < 0.05). Factors significantly associated with HIV infection included gender and self-reported genital ulcers in the 12 months before date of enrollment. The prevalence of HIV in the military appears to be higher than the general population in DRC (3.8% vs. 1.3%, respectively), with women at increased risk of infection.
Depression and patterns of self-reported adherence to antiretroviral therapy in Rwanda
Authors: Wroe Emily B , Hedt-Gauthier Bethany L , Franke Molly F , Nsanzimana Sabin , Turinimana Jean Bosco , Drobac Peter
Published: May 2014

We determined the prevalence of depression in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy in rural Rwanda and measured the association of depression with non-adherence. In all, 292 patients on antiretroviral therapy for ≥6 months were included. Adherence was self-reported by four-day recall, two- and seven-day treatment interruptions, and the CASE Index, which is a composite score accounting for difficulty taking medications on time, the average number of days per week a dose is missed, and the most recent missed dose. A total of 84% and 87% of participants reported good adherence by the four-day recall and CASE Index, respectively; 13% of participants reported two-day treatment interruptions; and 11% were depressed. Depression was significantly associated with two-day treatment interruptions but not with other measures of non-adherence. Self-reported adherence to antiretroviral therapy in rural Rwanda is high. Adherence assessments that do not consider treatment interruptions may miss important patterns of non-adherence, which may be especially prevalent among depressed individuals. Mental health interventions incorporated into routine HIV care may lead to improvements in mental health and adherence.
Roles of University Support for International Students in the United States
Authors: Cho Jaehee , Yu Hongsik
Published: May 2014

Unlike previous research on international students’ social support, this current study applied the concept of organizational support to university contexts, examining the effects of university support. Mainly based on the social identity/self-categorization stress model, this study developed and tested a path model composed of four key variables—university identification, university support, school-life satisfaction, and psychological stress. Results from structural equation modeling (SEM) supported most paths among those four variables, particularly presenting the critical roles of university support for international students’ psychological well-being.
Investigation and prosecution following workplace fatalities: Responding to the needs of families
Authors: Matthews Lynda R , Fitzpatrick Scott J , Bohle Philip , Quinlan Michael
Published: May 2014

Every year, there are over 200 traumatic deaths at work in Australia. A government safety inspector usually investigates each incident. The investigation may lead to prosecution of the employer or another party deemed to have breached relevant legislation. However, little systematic research has examined the needs and interests of grieving families in this process. Drawing on interviews with 48 representatives of institutions that deal with deaths at work (including regulators, unions, employers, police and coronial officers), this article examines how they view the problems and experiences of families. Notwithstanding some recent improvements, findings indicate ongoing shortcomings in meeting the needs of families regarding information provision, involvement and securing justice.
Insights From Health Care Professionals Regarding Palliative Care Options on South Dakota Reservations
Authors: Isaacson Mary , Karel Beth , Varilek Brandon M. , Steenstra Whitney J. , Tanis-Heyenga Jordan P. , Wagner Amanda
Published: May 2014

Purpose: Palliative care options are limited for Native Americans (NA) in South Dakota (SD). This exploratory study offers the perspectives of Native and non-Native health care professionals regarding palliative care specific to NAs. Design: Semi-structured interviews were conducted ( N = 7) with participants representing NA (4) and non-Native (3) ethnicities. Non-Native participants were practicing health care professionals in palliative medicine, whereas the NA health care professionals had experience with palliative care. Findings: Concept analysis revealed two main themes and five subthemes: (a) barriers to palliative care, for example, insufficient funding, lack of infrastructure, and misconceptions; and (b) implementation strategies, for example, openness and listening and creating the right team. Discussion: Genuine interest and concern exists for the provision of palliative care to NA communities using collaborative and innovative approaches. Implications: To address the health disparities of the NA population specific to palliative care, public health policy reform and education for health professionals are necessary.
Foster Youth and Social Support
Authors: Greeson Johanna K. P. , Garcia Antonio R. , Kim Minseop , Courtney Mark E.
Published: May 2014

Objective:

Conduct secondary data analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of Massachusetts’ Adolescent Outreach Program for Youths in Intensive Foster Care (Outreach) for increasing social support (SS) among enrolled youth.

Participants:

194 youth in intensive foster care under the guardianship of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families with a goal of independent living (IL) or long-term substitute care, and born between August 1985 and December 1990 (67% female, 66% White, 27% Hispanic) participated in the study between September 2004 and March 2009.

Method:

We hypothesized that Outreach compared to services as usual (SAU; control group) would increase participants’ SS and that there would be racial/ethnic disparities in SS as a function of the Outreach. Treatment effects were tested using mixed-effect models.

Results:

Outreach did not increase foster youth’s SS, compared to SAU. No racial/ethnic disparities in program effect were detected.

Discussion and Applications to Social Work:

Providers of IL services should reconsider how best to build and strengthen SS among the foster youth they serve.
The Development and Initial Validation of a Scale to Assess Career Goal Discrepancies
Authors: Creed Peter A. , Hood Michelle
Published: May 2014

Career goal discrepancy, which is at the heart of goal-oriented, career models of motivation and agency, is the perceived gap between an individual’s career goal (i.e., future self or situation) and the progress being made toward achieving that goal (i.e., current self or situation). There are no existing scales that assess this construct. To progress research in this area, we devised a brief, 12-item measure suitable for use with young adults. Devising a scale for this population is appropriate, as young adulthood is the age when occupational goals and occupational goal progress are important foci. We generated initial items for four underlying domains of goal discrepancy (achievement, effort, ability, and standard discrepancy), had the items rated by experts, and then administered them to a large, diverse sample of young adults ( N = 615, mean age 20.9 years). We reduced the number of items and tested the factor structure of the scale using exploratory factor analysis, confirmed the structure on a holdout sample using confirmatory factor analysis, and assessed construct validity by testing hypothesized relationships with existing measures (career goal commitment and career distress). Being able to assess discrepancy in the career domain will stimulate research into the career development of young adults and will allow practitioners to explore issues around career goal setting and adaptive responses to career setbacks.
Dynamics of flexible tower-blade and rigid nacelle system: dynamic instability due to their interactions in wind turbine
Authors: Kang Namcheol , Chul Park Sung , Park Junhong , Atluri Satya N
Published: May 2014

The dynamic stability of a coupled tower-blade wind turbine system is investigated analytically and experimentally. Coupled equations of motion and associated boundary conditions for the wind tower and a rotating blade are derived by considering the lateral acceleration of the nacelle at the tip of the tower, which is the base of the flexible blade. The coupled eigenvalues are computed for various blade rotational speeds and densities of the tower material by using Galerkin’s method in spatial coordinates. The results indicate that the coupled tower-blade system becomes unstable when certain vibrational modes of the tower and blade coalesce. Additionally, the vibration of the rotating blades is measured using a wireless telemetry system attached to the small-scale tower-blade wind power system, and the results are compared with those of the analytical study. The experiment shows that instability is observed in the same ranges of the blade rotational speed as those predicted by our analytical study.
Experimental approach in studying temperature effects on composite material structures realized with viscoelastic damping treatments
Authors: De Fenza A , Monaco E , Amoroso F , Lecce L
Published: May 2014

This paper presents a study aimed at evaluating how viscoelastic materials embedded in composite plates affect structural damping during the flight of a civil aircraft. The vibro-acoustic responses of composite fuselage structures realized with embedded viscoelastic damping treatments have been experimentally characterized at different temperature conditions. The real influence of viscoelastic materials on composite structures has been investigated, focusing the investigations on aspects still unknown, related mostly to temperature effects. In order to simulate the temperature level of commercial transport aircraft in cruise flight conditions, tests were performed using a climatic room where temperature and humidity were controlled. Vibrational tests were performed on two composite fuselage skin coupons: one treated with embedded viscoelastic damping treatments and the other one untreated. The tests were performed at temperatures of [Formula: see text] for the untreated composite fuselage structure, and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for the treated composite fuselage structure. The damping values were carried out by the impulse response decay method and the loss factor was obtained as an average of many repeated acquisitions. In order to maximize the damping effect, the best temperature interval for the treated composite fuselage skin coupon was evaluated, and the behavior for both composite fuselage structures (treated and untreated) was characterized. Thanks to the high number of tests, a statistical analysis was performed in order to validate the approach used.
Compromising Positions
Authors: Eck Beth A.
Published: May 2014

Single men are theoretically free to pursue as many sexual partners as they like, but for adult single men maturity requires that they do not. This article makes explicit that displays of heterosexuality and their link to hegemonic masculinity change over time. Analyzing twenty-six face-to-face interviews with never-married and divorced middle-aged, heterosexual, white men, this article focuses specifically on how men claim a mature heterosexual identity outside the institution of marriage. Men believe that in one’s twenties a man should get “laid all the time” but beginning in his mid-thirties he should begin to “turn away from meaningless things.” Thus, the men in this study rely on “manhood acts” to signify a masculine self that changes over the life course. The author argues that the narrative men tell emerges as a compensatory manhood act—a mechanism to resist exploitation and defy the negative cultural narrative about them—and considers whether or not it is effective.
An adverse lipid profile is associated with disability and progression in disability, in people with MS
Authors: Tettey Prudence , Simpson Steve , Taylor Bruce , Blizzard Leigh , Ponsonby Anne-Louise , Dwyer Terence , Kostner Karam , van der Mei Ingrid
Published: May 2014

Background:

There is accumulating data suggesting an association between serum lipids, apolipoproteins and disability in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objectives:

To investigate the associations between serum lipids, apolipoproteins and disability in MS.

Methods:

A cohort of 178 participants with clinically-definite MS in southern Tasmania, Australia were prospectively followed from 2002 – 2005, and serum samples were obtained at study entry and at each biannual review, to measure lipid profile and apolipoprotein levels. Associations with disability and annual change in disability were evaluated using linear regression and multilevel mixed-effects linear regression.

Results:

In the unadjusted analyses, nearly all lipid-related variables were positively associated with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). After adjustment for confounders, total cholesterol (TC) ( p = 0.037), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) ( p = 0.003), and the apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A-I ratio (ApoB/ApoA-I ratio) ( p = 0.018) were independently associated with a higher EDSS. Higher body mass index (BMI) was also independently associated with higher EDSS ( p = 0.013). With the progression analysis, the total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (TC/HDL ratio) ( p = 0.029) was prospectively associated with subsequent change in EDSS.

Conclusion:

In this prospective population-based cohort study, an adverse lipid profile was associated with high levels of MS disability and disease progression. Improving serum lipids may be beneficial for MS patients, to potentially improve clinical outcomes and vascular comorbidities.
Cloud-watching robots
Authors: Ballard Susan
Published: May 2014

Can a robot waste a day away watching clouds? Aesthetics as a means to approach the world is a form of control until recently limited to humans. This essay uses two works by New Zealand artist Douglas Bagnall to examine the relationship between machines, information and aesthetics. I discuss how Bagnall’s Film-making Robot (2004) and Cloud Shape Classifier (2006) are examples of aesthetic machines that, rather than being defined by information, repetition and the digital specificity of the pixel or the binary, are characterised by an aesthetic dynamism formed between emergence and mutability. Building on the recent identification of ‘new aesthetics’, I argue that processes of emergence and mutation contribute a new way to think about machines, information, humans and aesthetics. Finally, I suggest that Bagnall’s works do not just demonstrate machinic vision but prefigure a move in contemporary art from the stable aesthetic object to the unstable and impure real-time process of machine aesthetics.
A retrospective quality assessment of the 7119 call triage system in Tokyo – telephone triage for non-ambulance cases
Authors: Sakurai Atsushi , Morimura Naoto , Takeda Munekazu , Miura Kunihisa , Kiyotake Naoshi , Ishihara Toru , Aruga Tohru
Published: May 2014

Summary

We assessed the accuracy of telephone triage at the 7119 telephone consultation centre in Tokyo. We evaluated walk-in patients at primary care facilities in a clinic or hospital. Nurses asked all patients calling 7119 to join the study and gave them a specific identification number (ID no) at the end of the telephone consultation. The outcome of the consultation was defined as discharge to home (home), admittance to hospital (hospitalization), referral, or transfer to another hospital. After matching consultation records and patient data by ID no, emergency medical physicians reviewed the protocol for problems. During the study, consultation nurses issued an ID no in 17,141 cases, and hospitals and clinics sent back the data on 1205 patients. Among these patients, 1119 cases (93%) were home, 59 cases (5%) were hospitalization, 18 cases (2%) were referral and 9 cases (1%) were transfer. Of the 86 cases which had an outcome of hospitalization, referral or transfer, there were 56 cases with matched patient data. Among these 56 cases, review showed no significant problems with 37 cases. However, there were 11 cases with patient refusal to comply with the triage recommendation, 4 cases with 7119 staff education problems and 4 cases with problems with the protocol itself. We were able to evaluate the 7119 telephone triage system in Tokyo. The study identified three types of problems with the triage process: refusal of telephone triage recommendations, problems with staff education and problems with the protocol itself.
‘You can’t be forcing food down ‘em’: Nursing home carers’ perceptions of residents’ dining needs
Authors: Dunn Heather , Moore Tria
Published: May 2014

Malnutrition is a life-threatening condition among older people living in nursing care homes. This qualitative analysis of interview data from five care staff aimed to understand their perceptions of ‘caring for’ residents’ nutritional needs. Tensions in the delivery of care and institutionalisation and disempowerment were identified. Despite carers’ good intentions, they often failed to recognise the importance of the psychosocial aspects of mealtimes. Staff shortages, routine-driven, medically based working practices and residents’ resistance to institutionalisation emerged as barriers to quality caregiving. The findings indicate that the relational aspects of care are constrained by social, structural and ideological contexts.
Flexible mixture modelling with the polynomial Gaussian cluster-weighted model
Authors: Punzo Antonio
Published: May 2014

In the context of mixture models with random covariates, this article presents the polynomial Gaussian cluster-weighted model (CWM). It extends the linear Gaussian CWM, for bivariate data, in a twofold way. First, it allows for possible nonlinear dependencies in the mixture components by considering a polynomial regression. Second, it is not restricted to be used for model-based clustering only being contextualized in the most general model-based classification framework. Maximum likelihood parameter estimates are derived using the EM algorithm and model selection is carried out using the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and the integrated completed likelihood (ICL). The article also investigates the conditions under which the posterior probabilities of component-membership from a polynomial Gaussian CWM coincide with those of other well-established mixture-models which are related to it. When applied to artificial and real data, the polynomial Gaussian CWM has shown to outperform the mixture of polynomial Gaussian regressions, which is its natural competitor in the class of mixture models with fixed covariates.
Are sciences essential and humanities elective? Disentangling competing claims for humanities’ research public value
Authors: Olmos-Peñuela Julia , Benneworth Paul , Castro-Martínez Elena
Published: May 2014

Recent policy discourse suggests that arts and humanities research is seen as being less useful to society than other disciplines, notably in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The paper explores how this assumption’s construction has been built and whether it is based upon an unfair prejudice: we argue for a prima facie case to answer in assuming that arts and humanities research’s lower societal value. We identify a set of claims circulating in policy circles regarding science, technology, engineering and mathematics research and arts and humanities research’s differences. We find two groups: arts and humanities research is less useful than science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and arts and humanities research is merely differently useful. We argue that empirical analysis is necessary to disentangle which ones are true to assess whether policy-making is being based on rational and evidence-based claims. We argue that debates about public research value should recognise that humanities have different (but equally valid) kinds of societal value.