bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nososticta nicobarica sp. nov. (Odonata: Platycnemididae: Disparoneurinae) from Great Nicobar Island, India
Authors: RAJESHKUMAR S. , RAGHUNATHAN C. , CHANDRA KAILASH
Published: August 2017

The damselfly Nososticta nicobarica sp. nov. (Odonata: Platycnemididae: Disparoneurinae) is described (holotype ♂: ZSI-ANRC-T-4418; 11.ii.2016) from Gandhi Nagar, Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. This is the first record for the genus Nososticta from the Indian sub-continent, and a formal description is given. The new species is described on the basis of male anal appendages, particularly cerci with a deeply bifurcate, acute apex, distinctly curved downward. Paraprocts almost straight with blunt apex slightly curved upward and inner margin with small, roughly rectangular hook. The female is characterised by the anterior lobe of the pronotum, which bears two long, divergent horn-like processes and a short posterior lobe with paired club-shaped processes. Affinities with species of Lesser Sundaic region are discussed.
The anchor of the system: The Iran deal and the decline of realism in US foreign policy
Authors: Hunt Liam
Published: August 2017

American nuclear diplomacy generally presents a set of explanatory conditions ripe for the political realist: rogue states, an alarmed public, and existential risk create a milieu apt for realpolitik. This case study closely examines the link between the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the theoretical trends in United States foreign policy, specifically with respect to the dictates of neorealism. At the time of writing, the bulk of literature on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and its consequent developments remains lacking in theoretical commentary on how the agreement relates to broader narratives of United States foreign policy. This essay bridges the gap in the literature by drawing a connection between the Iran nuclear deal, neorealism, and liberal institutionalism. The findings suggest that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action marks a significant deviation from the predictions of realism, instead acting as an example of liberal institutionalism and potentially signalling a greater shift toward multilateralism in United States foreign policy.
Role conflict: Canada’s withdrawal from combat operations against ISIL
Authors: Pelletier Laura , Massie Justin
Published: August 2017

This paper seeks to understand the peculiarity of the Trudeau government’s decision to withdraw Canadian fighter jets from Iraq and Syria. Most studies have focused on electoral turnover to account for early withdrawal from coalition operations. Yet no study offers a plausible explanation for why a centrist challenger, such as Trudeau, favoured early withdrawal despite public support and alliance pressure for continued involvement, and committed when in power to a bolder and riskier mission while withdrawing valued military assets from coalition operations. Building on foreign policy role theory, we argue that role conflict best explains the particularity of the Trudeau government’s withdrawal decision. In the wake of the 2015 federal election, the Liberal Party of Canada witnessed an intra-party conflict over which role to perform between that of a faithful ally and a good international citizen. The party leader finally proposed a compromise mission making Canada more involved on the frontlines.
A revolution of democratic warfare? Assessing regime type and capability-based explanations of military transformation processes
Authors: Hansel Mischa , Ruhnke Simon
Published: August 2017

Armament policies are determined by domestic rather than international politics according to liberal IR perspectives. More specifically, military transformation processes in democratic countries are understood as being informed by the political need to limit the number of casualties during military operations. Consequently, liberal scholars assume a distinct democratic eagerness to resort to precision-guided munitions, drones, or even cyber attacks. Our analysis challenges this explanation of democratic armament policies. We evaluate the timing and programmatic choices of armament policies of 33 countries, democratic and non-democratic, combining different indicators of information technology procurement and usage by national militaries. Based on this data, countries are categorized into Revolution in Military Affairs leaders, uppers, followers, stragglers, entrants, and non-participants. Finally, we test the explanatory power of two competing independent variables, representing casualty shyness versus capability-based explanations of military transformation processes. Our results show that realist assumptions yield strong correlations, while liberal assumptions do not produce statistically significant results.
“Once upon a time there was a little girl…”: Colonialism, “illegitimacy”, and speciesism in Scott Rankin’s Beasty Girl: The Secret Life of Errol Flynn
Authors: Smith Karina
Published: August 2017

This article argues that Scott Rankin’s play, Beasty Girl: The Secret Life of Errol Flynn, uses the life story of Errol Flynn as a metaphor for colonialism in order to contest colonial legal descriptors, such as terra, aqua, and filius nullius. The play focuses on the fictitious “illegitimate” Jamaican daughter of Flynn who travels to Tasmania to follow in her father’s footsteps. The more Carly, Flynn’s daughter, discovers about her father’s life, the more she rejects his colonial values and, by extension, whiteness.
Factors Underlying the Relationship Between Parent and Child Grief
Authors: Cipriano David J. , Cipriano Madeline R.
Published: August 2017

The death of a parent in a child’s life is a significant risk factor for later mental and physical health problems. While much has been written about the surviving parent’s functioning and its effects on their bereaved children, little work has been done to look into factors underlying this effect such as how the parent copes. The present study recruited 38 parent–child dyads from a community-based grief support center. Parent and child, independently, completed various measures of emotional functioning, including grief symptoms and coping such as social support and locus of control. The results indicated that parental coping did have an impact on children’s grief symptoms. This represents a unique view of adaptation in bereaved children: Parental coping strategies can have an impact on the child, independent of the child’s coping strategies. By focusing on parent coping, we have highlighted another possible pathway through which parental functioning affects children’s grief.
Multiple Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the DASS-21 Depression and Anxiety Scales: How Do They Perform in a Cancer Sample?
Authors: Fox Rina S. , Lillis Teresa A. , Gerhart James , Hoerger Michael , Duberstein Paul
Published: August 2017

The DASS-21 is a public domain instrument that is commonly used to evaluate depression and anxiety in psychiatric and community populations; however, the factor structure of the measure has not previously been examined in oncologic settings. Given that the psychometric properties of measures of distress may be compromised in the context of symptoms related to cancer and its treatment, the present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the DASS-21 Depression and Anxiety scales in cancer patients ( n = 376) as compared to noncancer control participants ( n = 207). Cancer patients ranged in age from 21 to 84 years (mean = 58.3, standard deviation = 10.4) and noncancer control participants ranged in age from 18 to 81 years (mean = 45.0, standard deviation = 11.7). Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis supported the structural invariance of the DASS-21 Depression and Anxiety scales across groups; the factor variance/covariance invariance model was the best fit to the data. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha values demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability across the total sample as well as within subgroups of cancer patients and noncancer control participants. Expected relationships of DASS-21 Depression and Anxiety scale scores to measures of suicidal ideation, quality of life, self-rated health, and depressed mood supported construct validity. These results support the psychometric properties of the DASS-21 Depression and Anxiety scales when measuring psychological distress in cancer patients.
Cities on and off the map: A bibliometric assessment of urban globalisation research
Authors: Kanai J Miguel , Grant Richard , Jianu Radu
Published: August 2017

Growing out of writings on Global (North) cities, urban globalisation research (UGR) has expanded its canon to engage with an increasing diversity of cities and locations. Yet, this broadening has been uneven and controversial in its theoretical horizons and empirical universe. Focusing on the latter, this paper combines bibliometric, demographic, economic and georeferenced data to assess how UGR maps onto internationally documented cities ( n: 1692). Our study analyses city-themed publications by city location, demographic size and home-country income (2000–2014). Drawing on social science publications indexed in English (Scopus database), our results provide grounds for cautious optimism: recent publications offer broader, though still uneven coverage. The moving spatial average of publication counts also implies that the topical centre of published research gravity is shifting away from Euro-America. Yet, UGR lags in its coverage of the urban geographical universe, failing to keep pace with the economic/demographic trends that are resulting in southward/eastward shifts in worldwide urbanisation. Furthermore, while smaller cities and those in lower-income countries are still sidelined, cities in upper-middle income countries exhibit the largest gaps between observed and expected publication values. In our conclusion, we contend that urban bibliometrics could be further mobilised to identify publication foci and lacunae. Applied to cities on and off the map and a broader universe of urban knowledges, bibliometrics could help move contentious debates forward, identifying newer paradigms that may be engaging the world of cities beyond the globalisation umbrella and charting out multiple and complex topical relations across variegated worlds of urbanism.
Rhetorical Genres in Code
Authors: Brock Kevin , Mehlenbacher Ashley Rose
Published: August 2017

We examine the rhetorical activity employed within software development communities in code texts. For technical communicators, the rhetoricity of code is crucial for the development of more effective code and documentation. When we understand that code is a collection of rhetorical decisions about how to engage those machinic processes, we can better attend to the significance and nuance of those decisions and their impact on potential user activities.
Preputial mucosal graft for urethral repair
Authors: Bowa Kasonde , Manda Eliakim
Published: August 2017

Urethral stricture disease is the commonest cause of morbidity in urology practice in sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast, prostate disease is commonly cited as the leading cause of urological disease in most urology practices in developed countries. In Africa, the aetiology of urethral stricture disease is compounded by a high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), increasing levels of urethral trauma and over-stretched urological services. Thus, patients with prostate disease are treated with long-stay urethral catheters for periods often up to two years. This increases the risk of urethral stricture. The predominant aetiological factor is sexually transmitted infection due to gonococcus or chlamydia. This frequently leads to long severe strictures with spongiofibrosis, especially in the anterior urethra where the periurethral glands are located. These strictures respond poorly to urethral dilatation, optical urethrotomy or primary anastomosis. The majority of strictures in Africa are best treated by open substitution urethroplasty. The gold standard has been the use of buccal mucosa graft for this substitution procedure. This procedure poses a great challenge in most centres with limited resources. In these settings, we have found that the use of a dorsal onlay free preputial graft is easy to perform and gives good results.
‘How could management let this happen?’ Gender, unpaid work and industrial relations in the nonprofit social services sector
Authors: Baines Donna , Cunningham Ian
Published: August 2017

In order to compete in increasingly tight quasi-markets generated by government cutbacks and contracting-out, management in nonprofit agencies have argued that wages and benefits must be reduced or jobs and services will be cut. These arguments have motivated some of the female-majority workers to join and/or organize unions and undertake strike action. Focusing on two case studies exploring restructuring in the highly gendered nonprofit social services in two liberal welfare states (Scotland and Canada), this article explores shifts in industrial relations at the agency level, as well as workforce resistance and union activism. Through the analysis of gendered unpaid work and gendered forms of social and union solidarity, this article extends feminist political economy and mobilization theory. It also suggests convergences at several layers of practice and policy, including private and nonprofit industrial relations cultures, managerialism and the underfunding of contracted-out government services.
Theorizing and Measuring Religiosity Across Cultures
Authors: Cohen Adam B. , Mazza Gina L. , Johnson Kathryn A. , Enders Craig K. , Warner Carolyn M. , Pasek Michael H. , Cook Jonathan E.
Published: August 2017

For almost 50 years, psychologists have been theorizing about and measuring religiosity essentially the way Gordon Allport did, when he distinguished between intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity. However, there is a historical debate regarding what this scale actually measures, which items should be included, and how many factors or subscales exist. To provide more definitive answers, we estimated a series of confirmatory factor analysis models comparing four competing theories for how to score Gorsuch and McPherson’s commonly used measure of intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity. We then formally investigated measurement invariance across U.S. Protestants, Irish Catholics, and Turkish Muslims and across U.S. Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims. We provide evidence that a five-item version of intrinsic religiosity is invariant across the U.S. samples and predicts less warmth toward atheists and gay men/lesbians, validating the scale. Our results suggest that a variation of Gorsuch and McPherson’s measure may be appropriate for some but not all uses in cross-cultural research.
Understanding Mission Today: Points of Convergence?
Authors: Ross Kenneth R
Published: August 2017

In this brief article, essential content from mission statements by three different church groupings is compared and contrasted. Lausanne’s Cape Town Commitment is brought together with the WCC’s Together Towards Life and the Vatican’s Evangelii Gaudium. This article identifies considerable convergences between the three agendas and sees these as grounds not only for general optimism for the future of mission, but also for meaningful dialogue and appropriate strategies for the work.
Do psychosocial interventions improve rehabilitation outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? A systematic review
Authors: Coronado Rogelio A , Bird Mackenzie L , Van Hoy Erin E , Huston Laura J , Spindler Kurt P , Archer Kristin R
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To examine the role of psychosocial interventions in improving patient-reported clinical outcomes, including return to sport/activity, and intermediary psychosocial factors after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Methods:

MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched from each database’s inception to March 2017 for published studies in patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Studies were included if they reported on the effects of a postoperative psychosocial intervention on a patient-reported clinical measure of disability, function, pain, quality of life, return to sport/activity, or intermediary psychosocial factor. Data were extracted using a standardized form and summary effects from each article were compiled. The methodological quality of randomized trials was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale and scores greater than 5/10 were considered high quality.

Results:

A total of 893 articles were identified from the literature search. Of these, four randomized trials ( N = 210) met inclusion criteria. The four articles examined guided imagery and relaxation, coping modeling, and visual imagery as postoperative psychosocial interventions. Methodological quality scores of the studies ranged from 5 to 9. There were inconsistent findings for the additive benefit of psychosocial interventions for improving postoperative function, pain, or self-efficacy and limited evidence for improving postoperative quality of life, anxiety, or fear of reinjury. No study examined the effects of psychosocial interventions on return to sport/activity.

Conclusion:

Overall, there is limited evidence on the efficacy of postoperative psychosocial interventions for improving functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Personal and situational influences on the functions of music listening
Authors: Greb Fabian , Schlotz Wolff , Steffens Jochen
Published: August 2017

On the one hand, the majority of research on the functions of music listening focuses on individual differences; on the other hand, a growing amount of research investigates situational influences. However, the question of how much of our daily engagement with music is attributable to individual characteristics and how much it depends on the situation is still under-researched. To answer this question and to reveal the most important predictors of the two domains, participants ( n = 587) of an online study reported on questions regarding the situation, the music, and the functions of music listening for three self-selected situations. Additionally, multiple person-related variables were measured. Results revealed that the influence of individual and situational variables on the functions of music listening varied across functions. The influence of situational variables on the functions of music listening outweighed the influence of individual characteristics. On the situational level, main activity while listening to music showed the greatest impact, while on the individual level, intensity of music preference was most influential. Our findings suggest that research on music in everyday life should incorporate both – individual and situational – variables determining the complex behavior of people interacting with music in a certain situation.
International Art World and Transnational Artwork: Creative Presence in Rebecca Belmore’s Fountain at the Venice Biennale
Authors: Merson Emily H.
Published: August 2017

Drawing from and contributing to the International Relations (IR) aesthetics literature, I analyse how Anishinaabe artist Rebecca Belmore’s 2005 Venice Biennale performance-based video installation Fountain is an enactment of creative presence at an intersection of international and transnational politics. Belmore’s aesthetic method of engaging with water as a visual interface between the artist and viewer, by projecting the film of her performance onto a stream of falling water in the Canadian Pavilion exhibition, offers a method of understanding and transforming settler colonial power relations in world politics. I argue that Belmore’s artistic labour and knowledge production is an expression of Indigenous self-determination by discussing how Fountain is situated in relation with Indigenous peoples’ transnational land and waterway reclamations and cultural resurgences as well as the colonial context of the international art world dynamics of the Venice Biennale. My analysis of Belmore’s decolonial sensibility and political imagination with respect to water contributes to IR aesthetics debates by foregrounding the embodiment of knowledge production and performance artwork as a method of decolonisation.
From contradiction to contrast in a countryside conflict: Using Q Methodology to reveal a diplomatic space for doing TB differently
Authors: Price Stephan , Saunders Clare , Hinchliffe Stephen , McDonald Robbie A
Published: August 2017

Environmental conflicts are often framed by an assumption that there are clear divisions between interested parties. As a result, there is a tendency to polarise debates, simplify arguments and miss opportunities for constructive engagement. While these conflicts are rarely amenable to resolution through direct dialogue, diplomacy may offer a means to generate possible political settlements. In this paper, we seek to identify the scope for such diplomacy in the seemingly entrenched conflict that surrounds the case of bovine tuberculosis and badger culling in England. First, we use Q methodological techniques to map prevailing views among concerned publics about this highly contentious and apparently intractable issue. Second, we combine this method with diplomatic theory in order to identify areas in which diplomatic modes of engagement may be constructive. Our results show that there are predictable conflictual elements within two positions organised around opposition to, and support for, the culling of badgers. These positions, which we label ‘ethical empiricist’ and ‘nostalgic autonomist’, respectively, are not always straightforwardly oppositional. Their points of contact, as well as intersections with a third, alternative, subject position, which we label ‘liberal pragmatist’, suggest starting-points for diplomacy.
Characterization of change in polypropylene spunbond nonwoven fabric fiber orientation during deformation based on image analysis and Fourier transforms
Authors: Stolyarov Oleg , Ershov Sergey
Published: August 2017

Changes in spunbond nonwoven fabric structural parameters as functions of deformation are reported, based on microphotographs of the nonwoven fabric structures at various deformation stages and using Fourier transforms. The mechanical behavior of the nonwoven structure was considered in relation to three stages of deformation and expressed in terms of the changes in the fiber orientations according to the orientation angle and degree of deformation. With increasing deformation, the fiber orientations in the internal fabric structures correspond to the applied load directions. It was found that the initial stage of deformation with the maximum material stiffness is not accompanied by a significant change in the fiber orientation. However, fiber alignment in the direction of the applied load was observed in the subsequent deformation steps, which are characterized by low deformation stiffness values. An interpretation of the fiber deformation mechanism in the internal structure of the nonwoven fabric was provided, and a coefficient of anisotropy for the internal structure of the nonwoven material under tension was proposed. Good correlation is found between the structural and mechanical anisotropies of the nonwoven fabric.
The Battle for Divorce in Italy and Opposition from the Catholic World (1861–1974)
Authors: Saresella Daniela
Published: August 2017

The issue of divorce is a thermometer of the cultural, religious, and political sensitivity of Italy’s citizens and political caste. In the liberal period (1961–1922), Italy, a profoundly Catholic country with the Vatican City on its own territory, attempted to establish the nonreligious nature of the State, yet its ruling class never dared pose the problem of the divorce law. Subsequently, with the advent of fascism, close relations were established between the State and the Church, which prevented any challenge to the indissolubility of marriage for years to come. Not until the 1960s and 1970s, in the wake of the changes induced by the Vatican Council II and the new national and international climate in politics, did many believers start freely discussing the possibility of a divorce law in Italy.
Crowds, cancer, clones
Authors: Roberts David
Published: August 2017

Houellebecq’s critical reading of Huxley’s Brave New World in his novel Atomised takes Canetti’s novel Auto da Fe as its template. Houellebecq takes from Canetti the structuring contrast of antithetical brothers and shares his diagnosis of the crisis of Western individualism. Both writers identify the sickness at the heart of Western civilization that presages its coming end as the egotism of the monadic individual, enclosed in a private world of fears and desires. The role of the crowd in Canetti’s novel as the Other of the fallen world of self-interest is taken in Houellebecq by the posthuman vision of social unity beyond division realized through cloning.
An Analysis of Crime Scene Behavior in Korean Homicide
Authors: Sea Jonghan , Beauregard Eric
Published: August 2017

The aim of the current study is to identify themes of crime scene behaviors in a sample of 487 Korean homicides and test whether these themes are linked to offender characteristics. A content analysis of police information was first conducted and then a multidimensional scale approach was used to identify themes in the homicide data. The exploratory thematic structure showed four factors that confirmed the instrumental/expressive themes as being useful in differentiating homicides: sex-arousal, cognitive, overkill-blood, and impulsive. These four themes were compared with the previous themes identified in Western studies of homicide. Finally, the current findings support the idea that there are relationships between crime scene behavior themes in homicide and offender characteristics.
Intimate Partner Violence and Controlling Behavior Among Male Same-Sex Relationships in China: Relationship With Ambivalent Sexism
Authors: Li Diandian , Zheng Lijun
Published: August 2017

In this study, we examined intimate partner violence (IPV), cold violence, and controlling behaviors in male same-sex relationships in China, with a focus on the characteristics of IPV and controlling behaviors, and their relationships with ambivalent sexism. IPV was categorized as psychological aggression, physical injury, physical assault, and sexual coercion and was measured using the revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), an eight-item scale measuring cold violence that was designed specifically for this study. Controlling behaviors were measured using a 34-item scale that was designed for this study, and sexist attitudes toward women and men were assessed using the short forms of the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) and the Ambivalence toward Men Inventory (AMI), respectively. Participants ( N = 272) reported instances of perpetration of or victimization by IPV and controlling behaviors within the past 6 months and indicated ambivalent sexism (hostile attitude toward men and women and benevolent attitude toward men and women [HM, HS, BM, and BS, respectively]). Almost 47.1% of the participants reported an experience of IPV, and the prevalence of cold violence and controlling behaviors was found to be 65.1% and 80.5%, respectively. Psychological aggression was the most common, followed sequentially by sexual coercion, physical assault, and injury in present study. We found a strong association between perpetration and victimization and that different forms of violence tend to co-occur in both IPV and controlling behaviors. As predicted, ambivalent sexism was positively correlated with IPV and controlling behaviors, specifically HS and HM. The results indicated the high prevalence of IPV and controlling behaviors among male same-sex relationships, and sexism contributing to this high prevalence.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Training for a Comprehensive Violence Against Women Program: A Pilot Study
Authors: Etherington Cole , Baker Linda , Ham Marlene , Glasbeek Denise
Published: August 2017

Evaluating violence against women (VAW) training is essential to moving the field forward with proven approaches that can improve service provision for survivors of violence. Given existing resource constraints involved in VAW work, online training represents an economical and flexible option; however, existing evaluations of online programs in the VAW field are scant and face a variety of limitations. This study aimed to fill this gap by using a pre-/posttest design, comparison group, and mixed-method analysis to assess the effectiveness and value of an online training program. The program was intended to provide foundational knowledge in feminist antiviolence principles and values to a range of individuals working with survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Program participants ( N = 108) included volunteers, students, and professionals from various sectors, allowing for the application of the results to a broader field of VAW support services. This is important as individuals who work with IPV survivors may do so in a range of settings outside of the shelter context. Results demonstrate the potential for online VAW training to improve participants’ knowledge of and attitudes about VAW, which can positively inform their work with survivors. Qualitative responses provide further insight into course impact and highlight positive and negative aspects of the course. Although preliminary, these results provide justification for continued development and evaluation of online VAW training programs.
Use of Art-Making Intervention for Pain and Quality of Life Among Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kim Kyung Soo , Loring Sarah , Kwekkeboom Kristine
Published: August 2017

Background: Although pain is one of the most prevalent symptoms among cancer patients, medications do not always result in sufficient pain relief. Furthermore, these medications only address the physical component of pain. Art making, a holistic approach, may distract the user’s attention from pain and allow expression of the nonphysical (e.g., psychological, spiritual) components of pain. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate evidence for the efficacy of art-making interventions in reducing pain and improving health-related quality of life (QoL) among cancer patients. Method: PubMed, Academic Search Premier, ProQuest, and CINAHL were searched from database inception to September 2016 using the following search terms: neoplasm, cancer, tumor, pain, pain management, quality of life (QoL), well-being, art therapy, painting, and drawing. Results: Fourteen articles reporting 13 studies were reviewed. Some studies reported beneficial effects of art making on pain and QoL, but the evidence was weakened by poor study quality ratings, heterogeneity in art-making interventions and outcome measures, interventions including non–art-making components, and few randomized controlled studies. Conclusion: More rigorous research is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of art making in relieving cancer-related pain and improving QoL.
Demography of Living Arrangements Among Oldest-Old Mexican Americans: Evidence From the Hispanic Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly
Authors: Cantu Phillip A. , Angel Jacqueline L.
Published: August 2017

Objective: In this article, we examine the demographics of living arrangements and household headship status among Mexican-origin individuals aged 85+ years. Method: Data come from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE) caregiver and respondent surveys. Results: Finances of the elderly individual and their caregiver inform living arrangement decisions. Physical and cognitive disability differentiate among living arrangements: The most mentally and physically impaired are most likely to live with others and less likely to be the head of the household. Discussion: Motivations for living with others are clearly more complex than simple filial piety considerations might hold. Extended living arrangements provide concrete financial and instrumental benefits for both elderly parents and their adult child caregiver. Future research should address the question of the capacity of the Mexican American family to provide care for elderly parents in the face of major demographic and social changes.
The compatibility of sexual orientation change efforts with international human rights law
Authors: Nugraha Ignatius Yordan
Published: August 2017

Sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) have been promoted aggressively under the belief that homosexuality is a curable disease. However, scientific research has shown that such practice can cause detrimental effects such as self-loathing, depression and even suicidal urges. It has also revealed that homosexuality is a mere variation of human sexuality and dispelled the myth that it is a ‘contagious disease’. This raises some concerns that the practice of SOCE could amount to human rights violations, and thus this article shall tackle the issue of whether such practice is compatible with international human rights law. Given that children have been identified as a group that is particularly vulnerable to SOCE, this article shall commence by scrutinising whether there is an obligation to ban SOCE for minors under the jurisprudence of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This article shall then proceed to the question of whether a similar obligation is also applicable to SOCE for adults through the application of the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Dynamic performance of auxiliary hydraulic power unit based electro-hydraulic variable speed drive system
Authors: Xu Ming , Wu Xiao-meng , Yu Xin , Chen Guo-jin
Published: August 2017

Inability of dynamic performances, especially the acceleration response, strongly inhibits the application of electro-hydraulic variable speed drive, even though its intrinsic energy-saving potential. In contrast to variable speed drive, the valve-controlled actuator system shows the capacity of fast response and accurate control precision, but it consumes more energy. The controllable auxiliary power unit based electro-hydraulic variable speed drive system is probably a solution to enhance dynamic performance of variable speed drive on the basis of energy-saving. Except for the principal variable speed power source, there is an auxiliary power source—auxiliary power unit, which is actually a semi-active hydraulic accumulator unit. The auxiliary power unit can detect the relation between the supplied power by power source and the demanded power by actuator, and then release or absorb hydraulic power to improve actuator dynamic response. The dynamic performance of auxiliary power unit based variable speed drive system was investigated experimentally. Firstly, the set-up of proposed drive system was introduced. Dedicated to the complicated characteristics of multi-input-multi-output and strongly nonlinearity, the mathematical model was deduced, and a hierarchical control strategy was illustrated. The experimental results under two typical variable-load conditions were discussed. Furthermore, the comparisons were explained with the other three drive systems, which were valve-controlled motor drive, conventional variable speed drive, and pump-valve compound drive. Based on the experimental results, it is concluded that the auxiliary power unit based variable speed drive demonstrates an excellent dynamic performance, which can significantly improve the actuator response and control precision, as well as obtain a good energy-saving behavior.
Prevalence of recreational drug use reported by men who have sex with men attending sexual health clinics in Manchester, UK
Authors: Tomkins A , Ahmad S , Cannon L , Higgins SP , Kliner M , Kolyva A , Ward C , Vivancos R
Published: August 2017

Recreational drug use (RDU) has been reported to be disproportionately higher in men who have sex with men (MSM) when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. To identify RDU, links to risky sexual practices and infections for MSM attending three sexual health clinics across Manchester, United Kingdom, a retrospective case note review was conducted using a random powered sample of service users attending three sites during 2014. Three hundred and fifty-seven case notes were reviewed across three sites. Eighteen per cent of service users reported any type of RDU. Use of at least one of the three drugs associated with chemsex (crystal methamphetamine, mephedrone, gamma hydroxybutyrate/gamma butyrolactone) was reported by 3.6%. A statistically significant difference was identified between non-drug users and any-drug users reporting: group sex (odds ratio [OR] 5.88, p = 0.013), condomless receptive anal intercourse (CRAI) (OR 2.77, p = 0.003) and condomless oral intercourse (OR 2.52, p = 0.016). A statistically significant difference was identified between chemsex-related drug user and non-drug user groups reporting: group sex (OR 13.05, p = 0.023), CRAI (OR 3.69, p = 0.029) and condomless insertive anal intercourse (OR 1.27, p = 0.039). There was also a statistically higher incidence of gonorrhoea infection in chemsex-related drug use compared with those not using drugs (p = 0.002, OR 6.88). This study identifies that substance use is common in MSM attending sexual health clinics in Manchester. High-risk sexual practices and certain sexually transmitted infections are more common in MSM reporting RDU.
An audit of patient aggression in an adult psychiatric unit: 2013–2014
Authors: Ewing Claire , Phillipou Andrea , Castle David
Published: August 2017

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to determine the rates of patient aggression in a psychiatric unit over 12 months and to determine underlying causes, notably the role of substances.

Methods:

A retrospective file audit was undertaken of all patients admitted to St Vincent’s psychiatric unit (Melbourne, Australia) in the first half of 2013 and 2014 involved in an aggressive incident. Patient information included demographics, psychiatric, substance and aggression history. The setting and context of aggression and associated mental state findings were also reviewed.

Results:

There were 26 aggressive incidents in 2013 and 63 in 2014, perpetrated by 11 and 34 patients respectively. No significant differences were found between the groups’ baseline demographics. The 2014 cohort was significantly more likely to have substance use history (odds ratio (OR) 4.83) and have made threats to staff (OR 4.07) but significantly less likely to be distracted by internal stimuli (OR 0.05). There were also (not statistically significant) trends for the 2014 cohort; they were more likely to report a history of alcohol use (OR 3.9); be accompanied to emergency department by police (OR 2.95) and have leave prior to aggression ( χ2 = 7.37).

Conclusions:

Aggressive incidents more than doubled over 12 months. Substance use appeared to be a major factor associated with aggression. These findings have implications for service provision and training. Further research is needed to better understand and manage substances in psychiatric settings.
Navigating the social synapse: the neurobiology of bedside manner
Authors: Parnas Sophia , Isobel Sophie
Published: August 2017

Objectives:

This paper seeks to explore the application of neurobiology to further understanding the importance of developing, refining and modelling good bedside manner in psychiatry. The concept of a social synapse is used as a framework to understand the impact of verbal and non-verbal information that crosses between two attuned individuals. Research shows that widely distributed cortical and subcortical networks are involved in processing of social information and the perception of safety.

Conclusions:

Good bedside manner is proposed as the ability of a clinician to navigate the social synapse and make a patient feel at ease. Findings from neurobiology suggest that good bedside manner needs to be a more considered component of effective psychiatric health care.
The trip of a lifetime: hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder
Authors: Anderson Lauren , Lake Hannah , Walterfang Mark
Published: August 2017

Objectives:

The differential diagnosis of psychotic symptoms is broad and extends beyond primary psychotic and affective disorders. We aim to illustrate that the chronology and phenomenological nature of hallucinatory symptoms may provide clues towards alternative diagnoses, such as hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder (HPPD). We describe the resurgence of visual pseudo-hallucinations in a young woman in the context of previous substance-induced hallucinatory symptoms and a prior diagnosis of occipital lobe epilepsy. She presented a diagnostic challenge, saw several emergency and specialist doctors and attracted stigmatising diagnoses leading to anxiety and depressive symptoms. Her symptoms were finally recognised as HPPD, and she was treated appropriately with lamotrigine.

Conclusions:

Patients with perceptual disturbance can present in various clinical settings, and HPPD is an under-recognised diagnostic possibility. Delayed or misdiagnosis prolongs profound functional impairment and social decline, and predisposes the patient to the development of anxiety and depression and related increased risk of suicide.
‘Not quite out of the woods’: potential for misdiagnosis of delayed neurologic syndrome of carbon monoxide poisoning as relapse of mental illness
Authors: Bhagwat Samir , Bruxner George
Published: August 2017

Objective:

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the delayed neurologic syndrome of carbon monoxide poisoning and its clinical importance in psychiatric settings.

Method:

A brief review of carbon monoxide poisoning is presented with a focus on the delayed neurologic syndrome and a case of deliberate self- poisoning is described.

Results:

As in the case described, the delayed manifestations of carbon monoxide poisoning can resemble a relapse of psychiatric illness.

Conclusions:

In cases of carbon monoxide poisoning it is important to consider the delayed neurologic syndrome as misdiagnosis could lead to inappropriate treatment and worsened outcome.
Developing and Using Vignettes to Explore the Relationship Between Risk Management Practice and Recovery-Oriented Care in Mental Health Services
Authors: Holley Jessica , Gillard Steven
Published: August 2017

There is a lack of literature evaluating the development and use of vignettes to explore contested constructs in qualitative health care research where a conventional interview schedule might impose assumptions on the data collected. We describe the development and validation of vignettes in a study exploring mental health worker and service user understandings of risk and recovery in U.K. mental health services. Focus groups with mental health workers and service users explored study questions from experiential perspectives. Themes identified in the groups were combined with existing empirical literature to develop a set of vignettes. Feedback focus groups were conducted to validate and amend the vignettes. Following use in research interviews, results suggested that the vignettes had successfully elicited data on issues of risk and recovery in mental health services. Further research using creative, comparative methods is needed to fully understand how vignettes can best be used in qualitative health care research.
Adaptive feedback in computer-based learning environments: a review
Authors: Bimba Andrew Thomas , Idris Norisma , Al-Hunaiyyan Ahmed , Mahmud Rohana Binti , Shuib Nor Liyana Bt Mohd
Published: August 2017

Adaptive support within a learning environment is useful because most learners have different personal characteristics such as prior knowledge, learning progress, and learning preferences. This study reviews various implementation of adaptive feedback, based on the four adaptation characteristics: means, target, goal, and strategy. This review focuses on 20 different implementations of feedback in a computer-based learning environment, ranging from multimedia web-based intelligent tutoring systems, dialog-based intelligent tutoring systems, web-based intelligent e-learning systems, adaptive hypermedia systems, and adaptive learning environment. The main objective of the review is to compare computer-based learning environments according to their implementation of feedback and to identify open research questions in adaptive feedback implementations. The review resulted in categorizing these feedback implementations based on the students’ information used for providing feedback, the aspect of the domain or pedagogical knowledge that is adapted to provide feedback based on the students’ characteristics, the pedagogical reason for providing feedback, and the steps taken to provide feedback with or without students’ participation. Other information such as the common adaptive feedback means, goals, and implementation techniques are identified. This review reveals a distinct relationship between the characteristics of feedback, features of adaptive feedback, and computer-based learning models. Other information such as the common adaptive feedback means, goals, implementation techniques, and open research questions are identified.
Modified Broström Procedure Using Distal Fibular Periosteal Flap Augmentation vs Anatomic Reconstruction Using a Free Tendon Allograft in Patients Who Are Not Candidates for Standard Repair
Authors: Choi Hong Joon , Kim Dae Wook , Park Jea Seok
Published: August 2017

Background:

The modified Broström procedure (MBP) is widely accepted as the primary operative treatment for chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI). However, the MBP does not produce good clinical results in all patients, and anatomic reconstruction using a free tendon graft may be considered in those patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the MBP using distal fibular periosteal flap augmentation for CLAI in patients who were not candidates for standard repair.

Methods:

Thirty-eight patients (39 ankles) who underwent surgery for CLAI were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups: an anatomic lateral ligament reconstruction group (reconstruction group) consisting of 17 ankles and an MBP group using distal fibular periosteal flap augmentation (augmentation group) consisting of 22 ankles. Preoperative and postoperative clinical evaluations were performed using the visual analog scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), and Karlsson-Peterson (Karlsson) scores.

Results:

The mean VAS, AOFAS, and Karlsson scores significantly improved from 4.0 to 1.8, 54.7 to 92.9, and 46.4 to 92.7, respectively, in the reconstruction group ( P < .001, P < .001, P < .001), and from 4.1 to 1.5, 60.1 to 94.9, and 52.6 to 94.1, respectively, in the augmentation group ( P < .001, P < .001, P < .001). There were no significant differences in the mean postoperative AOFAS and Karlsson scores between the groups ( P = .214, P = .299).

Conclusion:

The MBP using distal fibular periosteal flap augmentation was also an effective option for CLAI in cases of generalized ligament laxity, severe attenuation of the soft tissue, previous failed surgery, high demand activity, and obesity.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, comparative series.
Barriocide: Investigating the Temporal and Spatial Influence of Neighborhood Structural Characteristics on Gang and Non-Gang Homicides in East Los Angeles
Authors: Valasik Matthew , Barton Michael S. , Reid Shannon E. , Tita George E.
Published: August 2017

This study explored how changes in neighborhood structural characteristics predicted variation in gang versus non-gang homicides in a policing division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Longitudinal negative binomial models were examined to test the relationship between-neighborhood structural covariates with gang and non-gang homicides over a 35-year period. This study highlights the potential to estimate temporal effects not captured by cross-sectional analyses alone. The results underscore a unique feature that distinguishes gang homicides from other forms of non-gang violence, its tenacious clustering, and spatial dependence over time.