bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Medical Devices in Hospice for Symptom Management
Authors: Shah Nidhi , Homel Peter , Breznay Jennifer
Published: August 2015

Background:

Home health services in the United States(US) have been on a rise. Hospice patients cope with diverse physical and pain symptoms; medical devices are used for symptom management to improve their quality-of-care at end-of-life.

Objective:

Using the National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS), the study summarizes medical device use for symptom management and tracks various demographic variables for home hospice patients.

Methods:

A cross-sectional analysis of data using the 2007 NHHCS was conducted. There were 4733 hospice discharges which corresponded to 2,505,011 individuals in US with sampling weights. The data was analyzed using chi square tests and confounding factors adjusted with logistic regression.

Results:

Eighty-nine percent of hospice discharges were evaluated for pain at first assessment. The regression model for pain at first assessment was significantly associated with use of patient controlled analgesia (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.28, 2.59) and urinary catheters (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.33). Patient with dyspnea were associated with significant use of oxygen (OR = 3.00, 95% CI = 2.64, 3.40) and metered dose inhaler (OR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.92, 3.07). There was negligible use of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) noted in the study.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the study highlights medical device use in home hospice care for end-of-life symptom management. It noted the significant use of IV infusion pumps and patient controlled analgesia. Conversely, there is little use of TPN or CPAP in patients with anorexia or dyspnea. While missing data on critical symptom evaluations regrettably raises questions about the validity of the study, the NHHCS serves as an important reservoir of data on the growing population of home hospice patients.
Neuromuscular and Vascular Hamartoma of the Small Intestine
Authors: Crothers Jessica W. , Zenali Maryam
Published: August 2015

The term Neuromuscular and Vascular Hamartoma (NMVH) was initially coined by Fernando and McGovern in 1982 in their report of 2 cases. Whether this lesion is truly hamartomatous or represents a “burnt-out” phase of varying chronic pathologies has been debated since that time. Examples of NMVH-like proliferations have been reported in the setting of diaphragm disease, Crohn’s disease, radiation, and ischemia. Herein we present the case of a 73-year-old female with partial small bowel obstruction and a past surgical history significant for cholecystectomy and abdominal hysterectomy. A computed tomography scan revealed an ill-defined mass with the same density as muscle extending into the mesentery, worrisome for malignancy and generating the differential of lymphoma versus metastatic disease. Upon laparotomy, a 2.5 cm, constrictive, predominantly mural-based mass was identified. The more proximal bowel was dilated, and there were dense serosal adhesions. Grossly, the transmural lesion had a tan-yellow cobweb-like cut surface and the overlying mucosa was flattened. Histologically, the lesion contained fascicles of smooth muscle, irregularly spaced large nerve bundles, and thick-walled vasculature in a haphazard arrangement within a hypocellular fibroadipose stroma. No stigmata of Crohn’s disease were observed, and the uninvolved enteric tissue was unremarkable. The patient’s medical history was negative for chronic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory use and was otherwise unremarkable. This case of an NMVH-like lesion is presented as a reminder of benign mass-forming lesions causing bowel obstruction and suggests that such lesions may develop secondary to a chronic inflammatory process.
Intraindividual Personality Profiles Associated With Realistic Interests
Authors: Wiernik Brenton M.
Published: August 2015

Investigations of the link between the Big Five personality traits and vocational interests have typically found no consistent relationships between personality traits and Realistic interests. The present article uses intraindividual criterion profile analysis in two studies to identify patterns in the relationships between personality traits and Realistic interests not found by previous investigations. In the first study, personality scores from two inventories were used to predict Realistic overall, basic, and occupational interests for 574 adults. Realistic–Producing interests were driven by high intraindividual Openness and low Extraversion. Realistic-Adventuring interests were marked by low intraindividual Agreeableness and high Extraversion. The Intellect aspect of Openness, not the Experiencing aspect, drove the Openness–Producing relationship. In the second study, reanalysis of 19 additional samples from the literature confirmed the important role of Openness to Intellect, but not Experiencing, in driving Producing interests. Gender moderated profile pattern shapes. Generally, personality profile pattern, not absolute levels of traits, drove the validity of personality traits in explaining Realistic vocational interests.
Parental Autonomy Support and Career Well-Being
Authors: Pesch Kathryn M. , Larson Lisa M. , Surapaneni Spurty
Published: August 2015

Self-determination theory (SDT) was used to explain the relation of parental autonomy support for making their own decisions and career well-being (i.e., more academic major satisfaction and less subjective career distress). Perceived academic competence and perceived volitional autonomy were posited to mediate the relation of mother’s and father’s autonomy support and career well-being in 113 university students. Perceived academic competence mediated the relation of father’s support and both indicators of career well-being. Perceived volitional autonomy mediated the relation of mother’s support and both indicators of career well-being. A bootstrap procedure yielded significant mediation effects of mother’s and father’s autonomy support on career well-being. Results are discussed in terms of SDT and career well-being.
Integrating Work and Study Among Young Adults
Authors: Cinamon Rachel Gali
Published: August 2015

The current study examined the applicability of Frone’s model of work–family relations to work–study relations. The contribution of internal and external antecedents to conflict and facilitation relations between work and study was tested. The model also includes the effects of these relations on academic and psychological health outcomes. The participants were 661 Israeli working students ( Mage = 26.08, SD = 3.18). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated an adequate index fit, suggesting that aspects of conflict and facilitation relations coexist when blending work and study. Number of working hours and financial support predicted conflict relations that, in turn, lowered grades, negatively affected further academic plans, and increased depression. Work salience, social, and academic support predicted facilitation relations, encouraged further academic study, and boosted grades. Results emphasize the advantage in examining conflict and facilitation relations simultaneously when investigating career development and psychological health of working students.
Measuring Career Aspirations Across Cultures
Authors: Kim Young Hwa , O’Brien Karen M. , Kim Hana
Published: August 2015

The purposes of this study were to translate the revised version of a measure of career aspirations, the Career Aspiration Scale–Revised (CASR), into Korean and to evaluate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the revised measure. First, the CASR was translated into Korean using multiple translation strategies (Korean version of the Career Aspiration Scale-Revised [K-CASR]). Then, the psychometric properties of the K-CASR were examined with data from 377 college women in Korea. After the removal of several negatively worded items (due to a possible method effect), the 18-item version of the K-CASR demonstrated good model fit with the hypothesized three-factor structure (achievement, leadership, and educational aspirations). The K-CASR also exhibited moderately high internal consistency and stability. Convergent validity was supported by positive correlations with achievement motivation, career orientation, and career goal engagement. Implications for future research and counseling were discussed.
Scenes, Spaces, and Memory Traces
Authors: Maguire Eleanor A. , Intraub Helene , Mullally Sinéad L.
Published: August 2015

The hippocampus is one of the most closely scrutinized brain structures in neuroscience. While traditionally associated with memory and spatial cognition, in more recent years it has also been linked with other functions, including aspects of perception and imagining fictitious and future scenes. Efforts continue apace to understand how the hippocampus plays such an apparently wide-ranging role. Here we consider recent developments in the field and in particular studies of patients with bilateral hippocampal damage. We outline some key findings, how they have subsequently been challenged, and consider how to reconcile the disparities that are at the heart of current lively debates in the hippocampal literature.
Adenosine Diphosphate-Induced Platelets Aggregability in Polysomnographically Verified Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Alkhiary Wael , Morsy Nesreen E. , Yousef Aida M. , El-Saddik Amr Mohamed , Arram Eman O.
Published: August 2015

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a risk factor for arterial thrombosis and cardiovascular morbidity. Activated platelets play key roles in the development of atherothrombosis, thus may be involved in these complications of OSAS. Herein, we evaluated the relationship between severity of OSAS and the degree of platelet aggregates as a marker of activated platelets in 64 patients with OSAS. Platelet aggregations were determined by means of optical aggregometry, using adenosine diphosphate (ADP) as an agonist. Compared with the control group, ADP-induced platelet aggregability was increased in patients with total OSAS, severe OSAS, and in mild to moderate OSAS. Moreover, ADP-induced platelet aggregation was correlated with the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) in patients with severe OSAS. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with enhanced platelets aggregations, which may predispose the cardiovascular sequels. The ESS may be important in predicting platelet activation and thus atherothrombotic complications in those with OSAS.
Comparison of Changes in Anxiety and Depression Level Between Dabigatran and Warfarin Use in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Turker Yasin , Ekinozu Ismail , Aytekin Seda , Turker Yasemin , Basar Cengiz , Baltaci Davut , Kaya Ertugrul
Published: August 2015

We hypothesized that patients taking warfarin require frequent hospital follow-up and they are at higher risk for complications, so the incidence of depression and anxiety is higher in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in the period of taking warfarin compared to the period of taking dabigatran. Fifty patients having AF without valvular diseases under treatment of warfarin in whom a transition to dabigatran was planned were consecutively enrolled in this study and followed up prospectively between July 2013 and July 2014. All patients completed Beck Depression Inventory and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) at the initiation of study and 6 months after initiation of study. Of the patients enrolled in the study, age, gender, smoking status, and comorbidities were questioned. A total of 50 patients (28 women; mean age 74.6 ± 8.7 years) treated with warfarin in whom a transition to dabigatran was planned were included. Basal mean value of BDS (15.6 ± 7.8 vs 11.5 ± 4.8, P < .001) and HAS (16.8 ± 10.4 vs 12.6 ± 8.1, P < 0.001) was significantly higher in patients when they used warfarin than when they switched to dabigatran. In categorical analysis, frequency of patients with depression (mild, moderate, and severe) was significantly higher in period of warfarin use than after dabigatran transition (n = 24, 48% vs n = 14, 28%, P = .039). Our study demonstrates that patients with nonvalvular AF under treatment of dabigatran had lower BDS and HAS scores compared to warfarin. These findings suggest that dabigatran may increase quality of life and decrease morbidity and mortality due to reduction in anxiety and depression.
Dither effect on drum brake squeal
Authors: Teoh Choe-Yung , MohdRipin Zaidi
Published: August 2015

This paper describes the dither control system used for suppressing drum brake squeal. The dither force is generated by a piezoceramic actuator installed on the back plate of a drum brake system and successfully quenches the drum brake squeal to background noise level above the critical dither actuation level. The dither is represented as a forcing function in sine waveform in a bi-axial two degrees of freedom mathematical model of drum brake squeal. The model parameters are based on the complex eigenvalue obtained from the mobility measurement and verified with the measured frequency response function. The numerical results show that dither control is more efficient at low sliding speed where lower dither force is needed to quench the brake squeal. Both measured and simulated results show that dither tends to excite the sidebands of the squeal peak with equal frequency spacing at both sides, and these sidebands shift closer to the squeal peak with increase in the dither actuation force.
A highly accurate collocation algorithm for 1 + 1 and 2 + 1 fractional percolation equations
Authors: Bhrawy Ali H
Published: August 2015

This paper reports two successive spectral collocation methods, that enable easy and highly accuracy discretization, for 1 + 1 and 2 + 1 fractional percolation equations (FPEs). The first step depends mainly on the shifted Legendre Gauss–Lobatto collocation method for spatial discretization. An expansion in a series of shifted Legendre polynomials for the approximate solution and its spatial derivatives occurring in the FPE is investigated. In addition, the Legendre-Gauss–Lobatto quadrature rule is established to treat the boundary conditions. Thereby, the expansion coefficients are then determined by reducing the FPE with its boundary conditions to a system of ordinary differential equations for these coefficients. The second step is to propose the shifted Chebyshev Gauss–Radau collocation scheme, for temporal discretization, to reduce such a system to a system of algebraic equations, which is far easier to solve. The proposed collocation scheme, both in temporal and spatial discretizations, is successfully extended to the numerical solution of two-dimensional FPEs. An upper bound of the absolute error is obtained of the approximate solution for the two-dimensional case. Convergence properties of the method are discussed through numerical examples. Several numerical examples with comparisons are reported to highlight the high accuracy of the present method over other numerical techniques.
“I Like to Plan Events”
Authors: Taylor Ronald E.
Published: August 2015

A document analysis of 249 essays written during a 5-year period by applicants to a public relations program at a major state university in the southeast suggests that there are enduring reasons why students choose to major in public relations. Public relations is described as a major that allows for and encourages creative expression and that fits the personality of the student. Public relations is also seen as demanding management and organizational skills. Students see public relations consisting primarily of relationship building, event planning, media relations, awareness building, and fund raising. Students perceive public relations as an exciting, challenging, and rewarding profession and that there is a direct connection between majoring in public relations and being successful in the public relations business.
Nonprofits’ Expectations in PR Service–Learning Partnerships
Authors: Rogers Cathy , Andrews Valerie
Published: August 2015

Little scholarly evidence exists about the communication needs of nonprofit community partners and what they think constitutes an ideal service–learning (SL) relationship. This study seeks to fill this gap by identifying SL projects and relationships that best serve nonprofit community partners with communication needs. The researchers conducted a focus group and a survey with nonprofit organization staff to identify their expectations of a SL partnership and the type of partnership they prefer to meet their communication needs. This study confirms anecdotal evidence that nonprofit community partners need to be better educated about public relations and the public relations process.
Teaching Fairness in Journalism
Authors: Weber Joseph
Published: August 2015

Objectivity has long been contentious in American journalism. Many practitioners call it essential to a news organization’s credibility. Critics, however, hold objectivity is impossible and urge reporters simply to reveal their biases. For educators, teaching objectivity is challenging. Some, seeking a middle ground, instead urge fairness and balance, or counsel “impartiality.” Even such approaches are challenging. This article explores the difficulties, based on a study where students were lectured on fairness, balance, objectivity, and bias. They wrote news stories before and after the lessons. Evaluators found no substantial improvement in fairness and increased bias, however, pointing up the difficulties involved.
Rape Myths, Rape Scripts, and Common Rape Experiences of College Women
Authors: Hockett Jericho M. , Saucier Donald A. , Badke Caitlyn
Published: August 2015

Rape is prevalent at colleges. Although research suggests commonalities across many college women’s rape experiences (e.g., perpetrators using multiple coercive strategies), vignettes used to assess rape perceptions often reflect false beliefs. Two studies varying a perpetrator’s coercive tactics examine rape perceptions using vignettes reflecting rape myths, rape scripts, or many college women’s common rape experiences. Participants perceive a woman who was raped more positively in vignettes reflecting common rape experiences versus those reflecting rape myths or scripts. Theoretical, educational, and research implications are discussed.
Tissue Factor and Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor in the Wound-Healing Process After Neurosurgery
Authors: Ślusarz Robert , Głowacka Mariola , Biercewicz Monika , Barczykowska Ewa , Haor Beata , Rość Danuta , Gadomska Grażyna
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to assess the concentrations of tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) in the blood of patients with a postoperative wound after neurosurgery.

Method:

Participants included 20 adult patients who underwent neurosurgery because of degenerative spine changes. The concentration of TF and TFPI in the patients’ blood serum was measured 3 times: before surgery, during the first 24 hr after surgery, and between the 5th and 7th days after surgery. The control group comprised 20 healthy volunteers similar to the patient group with respect to gender and age.

Results:

A statistically significant difference was observed between TF concentration at all three measurement time points in the research group and TF concentration in the control group ( p = .018, p = .010, p = .001). A statistically significant difference was found between TFPI concentration at the second time point in the research group and TFPI concentration in the control group ( p = .041). No statistically significant within-subject difference was found between TF concentrations before and after surgery. A statistically significant within-subject difference was found between TFPI concentrations within 24 hr after surgery and 5–7 days after surgery ( p = .004).

Conclusion:

High perioperative concentrations of TF indicate not only the presence of thrombophilia but also the importance of TF in the wound-healing process. Perioperative changes in TFPI concentrations are related to its compensatory influence on hemostasis in thrombophilic conditions.
Effects of Exercise on Select Biomarkers and Associated Outcomes in Chronic Pain Conditions
Authors: Kawi Jennifer , Lukkahatai Nada , Inouye Jillian , Thomason Diane , Connelly Kirsten
Published: August 2015

Background:

Chronic pain is highly prevalent. Current management is challenged by lack of validated objective measures like biological markers. Clinical pain studies employing exercise interventions have evaluated biomarkers; however, it is unclear how exercise impacts biomarkers involved in pain pathways and whether these markers are associated with relevant pain-related outcomes. This systematic review evaluates data from clinical studies employing exercise interventions in chronic musculoskeletal nonmalignant pain conditions in which biomarkers in pain pathways were measured.

Method:

Published research studies from several databases were examined using the Jadad Scale for assessing the quality of clinical studies.

Results:

Twelve research studies were reviewed. Jadad scores ranged from 5 to 11 out of 13 points. Inflammatory markers were most commonly measured followed by neurotransmitter-related genes and metabolite-detecting genes. After exercise interventions, changes in biomarkers involved in neurotransmission and inflammation suggest a hypoalgesic exercise effect. Significant biomarker associations were found with pain intensity, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and quality of life. However, there were varying methodologies in the studies reviewed.

Discussion:

It remains a question whether biomarkers can be used as objective measures for risk assessment, diagnosis, or evaluation or as surrogate endpoints in chronic pain. Adequate sample sizes, optimal exercise dose determination, study replications, and longitudinal research studies with consistent methodologies are warranted. Regardless, the potential translational value of biomarkers in chronic pain is evident. Advancing nursing research in biomarkers is vital for moving the nursing discipline and clinical chronic pain practice forward. Developing a biobehavioral perspective in chronic pain is also necessary for comprehensive management.
Non-Newtonian behavior in canola-oil-based bio-hydraulic oil
Authors: Elemsimit Hamid A , Grecov Dana
Published: August 2015

The use of vegetable oils can offer important environmental advantages with respect to biodegradability and renewability, along with good performance in a range of different applications. Unlike petroleum-based lubricants, which have been studied and developed over a century, knowledge related to vegetable-oil-based lubricants is limited. In this work, the rheological properties of industrial canola-oil-based bio-lubricants were investigated using a rotary rheometer. The bio-hydraulic oil exhibited constant viscosity at both moderate and high shear rates, as well as shear thinning at low shear rates and temperatures less than 30 ℃. Frequency sweep tests revealed significant viscoelasticity in the bio-hydraulic oil, which developed over time. Time dependence and structure recovery effects were also investigated. These experiments reveal some characteristic liquid crystal fingerprints. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the most extended rheological characterization of low-viscosity vegetable-oil-based lubricants.
The use of reflected Rayleigh waves to study rough contact interfaces
Authors: Ooi Eng S , Dwyer-Joyce RS
Published: August 2015

Ultrasonic reflectometry is commonly used in the field of tribology. Bulk waves that travel through a component are reflected from an interface and can be used to measure parameters such as contact stress and lubricant film thickness. This paper presents the development of a novel ultrasonic technique using Rayleigh waves that propagate along the surface of a component. An analytical model is first proposed to explain the interaction of Rayleigh waves with a contact interface. When contact parameters change, so does the amplitude of the reflected Rayleigh wave. From the reflected waves, it is possible to simultaneously predict both normal and tangential interface stiffness. Experiments have been conducted to show how the reflected waves change as cyclic loading is applied and the roughness of the contact interface varied. Results have shown there is good agreement between experimental data and analytical predictions. Potential application of this study includes the remote monitoring of sealing components such as o-rings or radial lip seals.
Unbalance response of micro gas bearing-rotor system considering rarefaction effect
Authors: Yang Qin , Liu Yulu , Zhang Haijun
Published: August 2015

The unbalance response of micro gas bearing-rotor system is calculated using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method based on the motion equation of the rotor, in which the nonlinear gas film force is obtained from solving the modified Reynolds equation using the alternating direction implication algorithm. The study shows that the proper eccentric mass of the rotor can improve the stability of micro gas bearing-rotor system. Compared with the result without considering the gas rarefaction effect, the stability threshold speed of micro rotor system considering the gas rarefaction effect is increased. Meanwhile for the same mass eccentricity, the peak value emerges at the lower rotation speed, which shows that the unbalance eccentric mass will influence the motion of micro rotor system more greatly when the gas rarefaction effect is taken into account.
Who is in charge here? Legislators, bureaucrats and the policy making process
Authors: Schnose Viktoryia
Published: August 2015

Scholars in comparative politics often assume that political parties are the primary instruments for translating citizens’ preferences into specific policy outcomes. However, the crucial but often forgotten link between preferences, parties, and outcomes is the bureaucracy. Are bureaucrats able to affect policy outside of parties’ control? And, if so, how does this bureaucratic policy drift differ across institutional contexts? I argue that institutions that regulate the nomination process by which parties in government select bureaucrats (meritocratic versus partisan recruitment) determine the levels of bureaucratic influence on the policy making process, specifically in terms of policy change. I test my theoretical argument using two large cross-national datasets on budget allocations and policy stability. I find that bureaucratic professionalism partially explains changes in allocation to the “ideological” budgetary categories and is positively correlated with policy stability around the world.
Influence of school playground size and equipment on the physical activity of students during recess
Authors: Delidou Eleni , Matsouka Ourania , Nikolaidis Christos
Published: August 2015

Children’s physical activity (PA) is increasingly restricted by the fast pace of modern life. Schools are the opportune setting in which to increase PA during daily recess. The purpose of this study was to record the degree of PA of 6th grade primary school students during recess and determine whether the playground size and available equipment can influence the degree of students’ PA. The study sample comprised of 625 12-year-old students, 324 (51.8%) boys and 301 (48.2%) girls. The PA during recess was calculated by Metabolic Equivalent Time (MET*min) using a self-reference questionnaire. The impact of schoolyard size and equipment on MET*min was evaluated by Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA). The students’ PA (MET*min) during recess was higher at schools with a large schoolyard (197.55±133.15 MET*min), compared with medium size (152.65±109.23 MET*min) and small ones (117.69±104.22 MET*min), (χ2=50.629, p<0.001). Moreover, students were more physically active during recess in adequately equipped schools (187.11±124.21 MET*min), compared with partially (158.84±128.61 MET*min) or inadequately equipped ones (114.19±89.13 MET*min). This indicates a strong positive relationship between PA and equipment (χ2=21.277, p<0.001). An encouraging school environment can motivate pre-adolescent children to be more physically active and therefore healthier. These data reveal that spacious schoolyards rich in outdoor facilities can lead to more physically active behaviour among students during recess.
Impact of long-term use of eHealth systems in adolescents with type 1 diabetes treated with sensor-augmented pump therapy
Authors: Schiaffini R , Tagliente I , Carducci C , Ullmann N , Ciampalini P , Lorubbio A , Cappa M
Published: August 2015

Telemedicine in diabetes includes telemonitoring and transmission of important data (self monitoring of blood glucose data, insulin therapy, pump setting, etc.) from the patient s home to the diabetic unit, with a real-time health feedback. Moreover, an eHealth approach is thought to facilitate diabetes management and to improve compliance to CSII/SAP treatment in adolescents, but to date, limited literature related to this topic is available and long-term studies are still lacking. The main aim of this study was to compare the long-term effect on glycometabolic control of eHealth intervention and traditional care in T1DM SAP-treated adolescents. In our study we demonstrated a favorable impact of monthly teleassistance on treatment compliance. Adolescents receiving frequent feedback provided by the medicalmultidisciplinary team, due to the telemonitoring, resulted more compliant in self-management of diabetes. In particular, the medical team feedback resulted in interventions on behavioral errors and insulin therapy adjustments, leading to an improved glycometabolic control.
The pain of being misunderstood: Invalidation of pain complaints in chronic low back pain patients
Authors: Wernicke Sarah , de Witt Huberts Jessie , Wippert Pia-Maria
Published: August 2015

A particular form of social pain is invalidation. Therefore, this study (a) investigates whether patients with chronic low back pain experience invalidation, (b) if it has an influence on their pain, and (c) explores whether various social sources (e.g. partner and work) influence physical pain differentially. A total of 92 patients completed questionnaires, and for analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficients and hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted. They indicated a significant association between discounting and disability due to pain (respective β = .29, p > .05). Especially, discounting by partner was linked to higher disability ( β = .28, p > .05).
The relationship between treatment attendance, adherence, and outcome in a caregiver-mediated intervention for low-resourced families of young children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Carr Themba , Shih Wendy , Lawton Kathy , Lord Catherine , King Bryan , Kasari Connie
Published: August 2015

Rates of participation in intervention research have not been extensively studied within autism spectrum disorder. Such research is important given the benefit of early intervention on long-term prognosis for children with autism spectrum disorder. The goals of this study were to examine how family demographic factors predicted treatment attendance and adherence in a caregiver-mediated randomized controlled trial targeting core deficits of autism spectrum disorder, and whether treatment attendance and adherence predicted outcome. In all, 147 caregiver–child dyads from a low-resourced population were randomized to in-home caregiver-mediated module or group-based caregiver education module treatment. Treatment attendance, adherence, and outcome (time spent in joint engagement) were the primary outcome variables. The majority of families who entered treatment (N = 87) maintained good attendance. Attendance was significantly predicted by socioeconomic status, site, and treatment condition. Families in caregiver-mediated module reported lower levels of treatment adherence, which was significantly predicted by site, condition, caregiver stress, and child nonverbal intelligence quotient. Dyads in caregiver-mediated module had significantly longer interactions of joint engagement, which was significantly predicted by an interaction between treatment attendance and condition. Overall, the results from this study stress the importance of considering demographic variables in research design when considering barriers to treatment attendance and adherence.
Penal subversions: When is a punishment not punishment, who decides and on what grounds?
Authors: Zedner Lucia
Published: August 2015

Current criminological interest in the boundaries of penality has done much to shed light on the definition and meaning of punishment. Even the central case of punishment, its aims and purposes are contested, so it should not surprise that the boundaries are also disputed. As states seek to evade the criminal process and its protections by resort to civil and administrative measures, the line between formal and informal criminal penalties blurs. In Europe, the courts have sought to reassert the protections of the criminal process by looking behind the labels to insist on substance over form in deciding what is a punishment. In so doing, they have re-affirmed the boundaries of penality as a vital means of providing protection against arbitrary government. Examining these turf wars reveals a constitutional struggle over the very authority of the state to punish.
State interventions in public space in Athens and the mediatization of the crisis: Sustaining the unsustainable using precarity as a tool
Authors: Fotiadi Eva
Published: August 2015

The article argues that since December 2008, the continuous presence in public space in Athens and the spectacular mediatization in news reports, of various forms of the so-called anomie, as well as (since 2012) of its spectacular and violent repression by the police, were instrumentalized by the Greek austerity government in an attempt to enhance and manipulate already existing feelings of precarity among the population. Organized police operations in public space were turned into ‘media events’. Specifically, ‘affective precarity’ is considered as a way of demobilizing precarity as a politically and economically operative concept. The article adopts Lauren Berlant’s analysis of the relation between precarity and the austerity state.
Dose-response association between leisure time physical activity and work ability: Cross-sectional study among 3000 workers
Authors: Calatayud Joaquin , Jakobsen Markus D. , Sundstrup Emil , Casaña Jose , Andersen Lars L.
Published: August 2015

Introduction: Regular physical activity is important for longevity and health, but knowledge about the optimal dose of physical activity for maintaining good work ability is unknown. This study investigates the association between intensity and duration of physical activity during leisure time and work ability in relation to physical demands of the job. Methods: From the 2010 round of the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study, currently employed wage earners with physically demanding work ( n = 2952) replied to questions about work, lifestyle and health. Excellent (100 points), very good (75 points), good (50 points), fair (25 points) and poor (0 points) work ability in relation to the physical demands of the job was experienced by 18%, 40%, 30%, 10% and 2% of the respondents, respectively. Results: General linear models that controlled for gender, age, physical and psychosocial work factors, lifestyle and chronic disease showed that the duration of high-intensity physical activity during leisure was positively associated with work ability, in a dose-response fashion ( p < 0.001). Those performing ⩾ 5 hours of high-intensity physical activity per week had on average 8 points higher work ability than those not performing such activities. The duration of low-intensity leisure-time physical activity was not associated with work ability ( p = 0.5668). Conclusions: The duration of high-intensity physical activity during leisure time is associated in a dose-response fashion with work ability, in workers with physically demanding jobs.
The presentation and preliminary validation of KIWEST using a large sample of Norwegian university staff
Authors: Innstrand Siw Tone , Christensen Marit , Undebakke Kirsti Godal , Svarva Kyrre
Published: August 2015

Aims: The aim of the present paper is to present and validate a Knowledge-Intensive Work Environment Survey Target (KIWEST), a questionnaire developed for assessing the psychosocial factors among people in knowledge-intensive work environments. Methods : The construct validity and reliability of the measurement model where tested on a representative sample of 3066 academic and administrative staff working at one of the largest universities in Norway. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis provided initial support for the convergent validity and internal consistency of the 30 construct KIWEST measurement model. However, discriminant validity tests indicated that some of the constructs might overlap to some degree. Conclusion: Overall, the KIWEST measure showed promising psychometric properties as a psychosocial work environment measure.
Designing a spoken dialogue interface to an intelligent cognitive assistant for people with dementia
Authors: Wolters Maria Klara , Kelly Fiona , Kilgour Jonathan
Published: August 2015

Intelligent cognitive assistants support people who need help performing everyday tasks by detecting when problems occur and providing tailored and context-sensitive assistance. Spoken dialogue interfaces allow users to interact with intelligent cognitive assistants while focusing on the task at hand. In order to establish requirements for voice interfaces to intelligent cognitive assistants, we conducted three focus groups with people with dementia, carers, and older people without a diagnosis of dementia. Analysis of the focus group data showed that voice and interaction style should be chosen based on the preferences of the user, not those of the carer. For people with dementia, the intelligent cognitive assistant should act like a patient, encouraging guide, while for older people without dementia, assistance should be to the point and not patronising. The intelligent cognitive assistant should be able to adapt to cognitive decline.
Implementation factors affecting the large-scale deployment of digital health and well-being technologies: A qualitative study of the initial phases of the ‘Living-It-Up’ programme
Authors: Agbakoba Ruth , McGee-Lennon Marilyn , Bouamrane Matt-Mouley , Watson Nicholas , Mair Frances S
Published: August 2015

Little is known about the factors which facilitate or impede the large-scale deployment of health and well-being consumer technologies. The Living-It-Up project is a large-scale digital intervention led by NHS 24, aiming to transform health and well-being services delivery throughout Scotland. We conducted a qualitative study of the factors affecting the implementation and deployment of the Living-It-Up services. We collected a range of data during the initial phase of deployment, including semi-structured interviews (N = 6); participant observation sessions (N = 5) and meetings with key stakeholders (N = 3). We used the Normalisation Process Theory as an explanatory framework to interpret the social processes at play during the initial phases of deployment.

Initial findings illustrate that it is clear − and perhaps not surprising − that the size and diversity of the Living-It-Up consortium made implementation processes more complex within a ‘multi-stakeholder’ environment. To overcome these barriers, there is a need to clearly define roles, tasks and responsibilities among the consortium partners. Furthermore, varying levels of expectations and requirements, as well as diverse cultures and ways of working, must be effectively managed. Factors which facilitated implementation included extensive stakeholder engagement, such as co-design activities, which can contribute to an increased ‘buy-in’ from users in the long term. An important lesson from the Living-It-Up initiative is that attempting to co-design innovative digital services, but at the same time, recruiting large numbers of users is likely to generate conflicting implementation priorities which hinder − or at least substantially slow down − the effective rollout of services at scale.

The deployment of Living-It-Up services is ongoing, but our results to date suggest that − in order to be successful − the roll-out of digital health and well-being technologies at scale requires a delicate and pragmatic trade-off between co-design activities, the development of innovative services and the efforts allocated to widespread marketing and recruitment initiatives.
Integration of healthcare and financial information: Evaluation in a public hospital using a comprehensive approach
Authors: Escobar-Pérez Bernabé , Escobar-Rodríguez Tomás , Bartual-Sopena Lourdes
Published: August 2015

Public healthcare organisations are moving towards the use of new technologies to automate and improve their internal processes in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their use of resources. The aim of this research is to tackle the systematic evaluation of an experience of integrating information in a healthcare organisation, paying attention to the implications that this entails. The results show that the integration of the information in the hospital results in higher levels of quality. This study contributes a vision of interrelated work, in which tasks are shared and aims are jointly established.
A cultural communities approach to understanding Head Start teachers’ beliefs about language use with dual language learners: Implications for practice
Authors: Garrity Sarah , Guerra Alison Wishard
Published: August 2015

The school-readiness gap for Latino dual language learners in the United States has been well documented, despite a strong research base highlighting effective strategies and practices for supporting their academic success. However, current educational practices reflect the hegemonic discourse that, because the United States is an English-speaking country, English should be the language of instruction. Additionally, educational research during the past decade has been characterized by an emphasis on the use of rigorous experimental designs that are highly generalizable and fail to take into consideration the role of teacher beliefs on classroom practices. This study used a cultural communities lens to explore the beliefs about classroom language use of two Head Start teachers in order to gain insight into how teacher beliefs influence classroom practices, particularly the language of instruction. Analysis of teacher interviews and assessments of classroom language use indicated that teachers had very different beliefs about language use, despite their coming from very similar ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and that these beliefs were translated into classroom practice. Teacher beliefs were grounded in teachers’ experiences as members of cultural communities, and the findings highlight the need to attend to within-group variability as well as classroom processes that influence teaching and learning.
Processes of categorisation and the politics of belonging in early childhood education and care: An infant’s experience in multi-age family day care
Authors: Stratigos Tina
Published: August 2015

Belonging is emerging as an important concept for early childhood education and care. However, it is one that requires further theorisation beyond everyday or romanticised understandings. The politics of belonging provides a potentially productive focus for thinking about belonging in early childhood education and care because of its attention to how belonging in all its complexity works. A key aspect of the politics of belonging is processes of categorisation, or how social categories influence who does and does not belong, who decides and on what basis. In this article, the author complicates the notion of categorisation by bringing it into an encounter with the concepts of lines and segmentarity from Deleuze. The author then uses these concepts to look at video data of an infant aged eight to nine months in family day care, in an effort to illustrate how processes of categorisation, lines and segmentarity were at work. The data suggests that the category of ‘baby’ played a complex and dynamic role in the infant’s experiences at family day care. Nevertheless, the encounter between the data and Deleuze’s concepts suggests that categories cannot ever tell the whole story, and that looking for situations in which categories no longer appear to work, in which they leak and rupture, might lead to new understandings about how belonging works in different early childhood education and care contexts.
“Oh, I just had it in my head”: Promoting mathematical communications in early childhood
Authors: Lee Joohi
Published: August 2015

This article presents effective strategies for educators of young children to promote children’s mathematical communications, which include think-aloud during individual work time, utilizing reasoning and proof questions, and questioning back to children.
Organizational knowledge, dynamic capabilities and innovation in the hotel industry
Authors: Nieves Julia , Quintana Agustín , Osorio Javier
Published: August 2015

Literature suggests that knowledge is one of the main resources of innovative activity. Even more important than the existing knowledge in a firm, is its capacity to renovate its knowledge resources in order to adapt them to changing environment, that is to say, to develop dynamic capabilities. However, empirical research on variables that support such capabilities is scarce. Likewise, very little is known regarding the influence of these dynamic capabilities on organizational performance. Furthermore, empirical studies have analysed these topics mainly in the manufacturing sector and research is particularly rare regarding the hospitality industry. In order to study these matters, this paper develops and tests a comprehensive model to analyse the multiple and simultaneous relationships among organizational knowledge, dynamic capabilities and innovation in the accommodation sector. Results show that knowledge and knowledge-based processes play an outstanding role to foster innovation in the hotel firms.
Ecotourism an option in small island destinations?
Authors: d’Hauteserre Anne-Marie
Published: August 2015

This article, using a postcolonial and political economy framework, examines how tourism development seems an appealing solution for small islands, especially in the form of community-based (sustainable) ecotourism. The article follows with how residents of small island destinations in the Pacific engage with the global tourism market to diversify their economy and increase income as a counterweight to emigration. The article then discusses how this experience might be modeled in Wallis and Futuna, a French territory of the South Pacific. Although small islands of the Pacific possess a variety of assets, not the least of which today is their remoteness and their different culture, they face a number of challenges to maintain their appeal on the global market. Authorities in Wallis and Futuna seem to have forsaken some of their assets and political will even though a few residents seek to obtain the means to remain in the territory through returns from small tourism enterprises.