bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated With Burnout Among US Hospital Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners: Results of a Nationwide Pilot Survey
Authors: Jones G. Morgan , Roe Neil A. , Louden Les , Tubbs Crystal R.
Published: September 2017

Background: In health care, burnout has been defined as a psychological process whereby human service professionals attempting to positively impact the lives of others become overwhelmed and frustrated by unforeseen job stressors. Burnout among various physician groups who primarily practice in the hospital setting has been extensively studied; however, no evidence exists regarding burnout among hospital clinical pharmacists. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the level of and identify factors independently associated with burnout among clinical pharmacists practicing in an inpatient hospital setting within the United States. Methods: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional pilot study utilizing an online, Qualtrics survey. Univariate analysis related to burnout was conducted, with multivariable logistic regression analysis used to identify factors independently associated with the burnout. Results: A total of 974 responses were analyzed (11.4% response rate). The majority were females who had practiced pharmacy for a median of 8 years. The burnout rate was high (61.2%) and largely driven by high emotional exhaustion. On multivariable analysis, we identified several subjective factors as being predictors of burnout, including inadequate administrative and teaching time, uncertainty of health care reform, too many nonclinical duties, difficult pharmacist colleagues, and feeling that contributions are underappreciated. Conclusions: The burnout rate of hospital clinical pharmacy providers was very high in this pilot survey. However, the overall response rate was low at 11.4%. The negative effects of burnout require further study and intervention to determine the influence of burnout on the lives of clinical pharmacists and on other health care–related outcomes.
Here or There: Recent U.S. Immigrants’ Medical and Dental Tourism and Associated Factors
Authors: Jang Sou Hyun
Published: September 2017

Applying Andersen’s health care utilization model, this paper shows the prevalence of immigrants’ medical and dental tourism and associated factors. An analysis of the 2003 New Immigrant Survey data shows that about 17% of immigrants received medical care in a foreign country, whereas about one-third obtained dental care outside the United States. Latino immigrants have a higher prevalence of both types of tourism than their Asian counterparts. Race, level of education, and health insured status are commonly associated with medical and dental tourism. The findings contribute to the scarce literature on immigrants’ health care utilization and medical and dental tourism.
Join the Chorus, Avoid the Spotlight: The Effect of Neighborhood and Social Dynamics on Human Rights Organization Shaming
Authors: Bell Sam R. , Clay K. Chad , Murdie Amanda
Published: September 2017

Which countries are likely to be ignored for their human rights abuses? This article focuses on one particular way that cases of human rights abuse might be overlooked by human rights organizations (HROs): the relative visibility of the state’s abusiveness vis-à-vis its geographic and social peers. HROs are more likely to target abusive states that are located in regions with more HRO resources and/or are surrounded by states that demonstrate higher respect for human rights, as these abuses will stand out much more clearly. Further, human rights treaties can be used by abusive states as a form of strategic “social camouflage,” with states trying to minimize the risk of HRO attention by ratifying human rights treaties to look more like their rights-respecting peers. Using a cross-national time-series research design, this article finds much support for the argument: abusive states that “join the chorus” avoid HRO attention.
The Unforeseen Consequences of Extended Deterrence: Moral Hazard in a Nuclear Client State
Authors: Narang Neil , Mehta Rupal N.
Published: September 2017

Do “nuclear umbrellas” create a moral hazard that can increase the risk of war? In this article, we investigate whether situations of extended deterrence in which a nuclear patron makes a defensive commitment to a nonnuclear client state can inadvertently increase the likelihood that a client will initiate a crisis with another state. Using data on the crisis behavior of states from 1950 to 2000, we estimate the impact of a nuclear umbrella on various crisis outcomes, including the initiation and escalation of militarized conflict. Interestingly, we find no evidence that such commitments increase the risk of war or even two-sided violence at lower levels. However, consistent with both the moral hazard logic and bargaining theories of war, we show that this appears to be because potential target states offer increased policy concessions to client states to avoid costly fighting. Thus, the link between nuclear umbrellas and moral hazard appears to be real, but it is reflected in the division of benefits rather than a greater likelihood of war. The results have important policy implications as the US contemplates extending its nuclear umbrella.
Who Honours the Rules of Federalism? Party System Nationalisation and Fiscal Performance
Authors: Simón Pablo , Sacchi Agnese , Lago-Peñas Santiago
Published: September 2017

This article explores the impact of decentralisation on countries’ fiscal outcomes paying attention to one aspect usually neglected in the literature: the relevance of local politics, proxied by party system nationalisation. Based on a wide sample of developed and developing countries over the period 1970–2011, our findings are threefold. First, both fiscal and political decentralisations have a virtuous effect on fiscal performance, improving general government primary balances. Second, there is no strong evidence that nationalisation by itself enhances national fiscal outcomes. Nevertheless, when fiscal decentralisation is coupled with a certain level of nationalisation, the former improves government fiscal balances. However, when nationalisation of party systems is extremely weak, all the disciplining effects of decentralisation tend to disappear.
Why Political Science Is an Ethical Issue
Authors: Bevir Mark , Blakely Jason
Published: September 2017

Many advocates of interpretive approaches to the study of politics emphasize that what is at stake is a conflict between “quantitative” versus “qualitative” methods. By contrast, we begin by suggesting that political scientists are free to use whichever method they find most useful for their research purposes. Instead of methodological reasons for making the interpretive turn, political scientists have ethical reasons for adopting this paradigm. In particular, interpretive approaches give political scientists a better account of the nature and role of values in human life, a sense for how the historical past is ethically relevant, the ability to advance politically engaged sociologies, and a deliberative critique of technocracy. Political scientists should be free to critically engage, scrutinize, and even normatively evaluate human ethical positions.
Drivers of Populism: A Four-country Comparison of Party Communication in the Run-up to the 2014 European Parliament Elections
Authors: Schmidt Franzisca
Published: September 2017

The aim of this article is to analyse what different types of populist communication styles emerged during the 2014 European Parliament election campaign and under which conditions political parties selected specific populist communication styles. To do this, a comparative quantitative content analysis of press releases in the run-up of the latest European Parliament elections has been conducted for parties in France, Germany, Austria and Greece. The article presents a definition of populism based on the contemporary academic discourse, which focuses on the transnational nature of the European political field. It is shown that populist party communication is more pronounced on the fringes of the political spectrum and in countries struggling with severe macroeconomic difficulties. Contrary to intuitive expectations, the perceived populist rhetoric of exclusivity in the context of the European sovereign debt crisis, which is identified as a central feature of right-wing populism, barely takes place within populist party communication.
The adsorption of polystyrene nanoparticles on selected commercially available fibers: a streaming potential study
Authors: Schabikowski Mateusz , Niżnik Alicja , Kata Dariusz , Graule Thomas
Published: September 2017

The article describes the analysis of the adsorption properties of commercially available fibers. Negatively charged polystyrene particles were used for the adsorption on the selected fibers at different pH ranges of the used electrolyte. The streaming potential method proved useful in the assessment of the electrokinetic properties of the fibers. As expected, good adsorption was observed for most fibers that were positively charged in the conditions of the experiments due to electrostatic attraction. Interestingly, for some fibres an increase in zeta potential was observed in the conditions in which both the adsorbent and the adsorbate were negatively charged. An explanation was proposed for this phenomenon, but could not be proved. The adsorption in the conditions of the isoelectric points of the fibers resulted in little to no changes in their zeta potential in most cases. Moreover, in some cases, the adsorption study produced scattered and irreproducible results. This behavior may have its origin in the nature of the selected fibers, which were mostly technical fibers for applications in fields other than adsorption.
Commentary: Unsettling friendship and using friendship to unsettle
Authors: Ghorashi Halleh
Published: September 2017

Since the early 2000s there has been an undeniable global escalation of negative othering discourses concerning migrants and refugees. The fixation on ethnic difference in these discourses blinds us toward possible sources of connection. To unsettle this essentialist discourse of othering, we need to consider practices that denormalise the taken-for-granted taxonomies of the Self and the Other at their cores and rethink conditions for connection. Urban relational initiatives, experiences and narrations could provide interesting perspectives for exploring new possibilities for connection in liquid modern times, where old-fashioned collective categories lost their function. A multilayered, non-centric, non-celebratory approach of friendship as an empirical and conceptual frame provides a refreshing angle for capturing the multiplicity of everyday urban interactions. The contributions to this special issue provide insights toward enlarging our imaginings of the myriad ways that friendship as a concept and an empirical reality is enabling and constraining relationality in diverse urban settings. Here, I also argue for the importance of ‘unusual’ friendships and their potential to unsettle normalised practices of othering, thereby producing new narratives of connections in a variety of urban settings. All these small yet significant acts of friendship might be either ‘chained’ strategically to promote a collective alternative to normalised practices or ‘chained’ in an invisible manner, serving as existing subtle and modest struggles in imagining social change.
Investigating Identity Statuses Among Lebanese Youth
Authors: Sarouphim Ketty M. , Issa Nagham
Published: September 2017

This study examined Marcia’s identity paradigm among Lebanese adolescents in relation to gender and academic achievement. Participants were 429 students in Grades 7 to 11, aged 12 to 17 years. The Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ) was used to classify participants into the four identity statuses: Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure, and Diffusion. Results showed that females were mostly in Moratorium (37.4%) whereas males in Foreclosure (35.1%). The difference was statistically significant, χ2(3) = 20.40, p = .001. Also, females scored significantly higher on the Exploration subscale, t(425) = −2.68, p = .04, whereas males scored significantly higher on the Commitment subscale, t(426) = 4.19, p = .01. No significant achievement differences were found among students in the four identity statuses, F(3, 419) = .38, p = .13. These results suggest possible shifts in cultural norms with females developing identity through pathways believed to be males’ in traditional societies.
Lift Every Voice: Exploring the Stressors and Coping Mechanisms of Black College Women Attending Predominantly White Institutions
Authors: Shahid Naysha N. , Nelson Tamara , Cardemil Esteban V.
Published: September 2017

In the past 40 years, there has been a significant increase in Black students’ enrollment at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Meanwhile, research shows that Black students often experience difficulty with transitioning and adjusting to PWIs. Previous research has effectively documented the challenges facing a significant number of Black students at PWIs; however, less is known about the experiences of Black women in particular. This study examined stress from racial tension experienced among 129 Black undergraduate women at PWIs in the Northeast region of the United States, as well as the potential moderating factors of the theorized Strong Black Woman concept and the Africultural coping theory. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated a significant positive association between racial tension experienced on campus and stress. Results also indicated that only Africultural coping was a significant moderator of this relationship, such that there was a weaker relationship between racial tension and stress among the participants who engaged more in Africultural coping. Policy implications for improving the campus racial climate and the academic experiences of Black college women at PWIs are discussed.
Discovery of a shoal-controlled karst dolomite reservoir in the Middle Permian Qixia Formation, northwestern Sichuan Basin, Southwest China
Authors: Xiao Di , Zhang Benjian , Tan Xiucheng , Liu Hong , Xie Jirong , Wang Lichao , Yang Xun , Ma Teng
Published: September 2017

The dolomites of the Middle Permian Qixia Formation have been important targets of natural gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin for decades. However, more and more exploration and research indicate that the formation of the reservoir might be related to karstification. To testify this hypothesis, we conduct comprehensive outcrop, core, and logging analyses based on a case study in the representative northwestern Sichuan Basin, which has obtained exploration breakthroughs recently. Results show that the Qixia dolomite reservoirs are mainly developed within fine-crystalline dolomites formed by a series of diagenetic modifications, which can be further divided into three types according to the macro- and micro-occurrences of dolomites: euhedral-subhedral crystalline dolomites in the quasi-stratiform karst system (mean porosity and permeability is 3.51% and 3.11 mD, respectively), euhedral-subhedral crystalline dolomites in the leopard porphyritic karst system (mean porosity and permeability is 3.36% and 1.22 mD, respectively), and allotriomorphic mosaic crystalline dolomites with residual parent rock fabrics (mean porosity and permeability is 0.94% and 0.92 mD, respectively). Their reservoir qualities decrease along the order. The formation mechanism of the reservoir is shoal-controlled karst. The preservation of residual intergranular pores within the thin-layer grainstones of shoal facies provides favorable channels for karst water. In the vadose zone, the heterogeneous dissolution within grainstones leads to the formation of leopard porphyritic dissolution features. In the phreatic zone, the karst water flowing along the stratiform grainstones results in the formation of quasi-stratiform dissolution features. The karst system is filled with loose carbonate sands and gravels, whose reservoir properties are far superior to parent rocks, and they can provide migration channels for the hydrothermal fluids with rich Mg2+ in the burial stage. The replacement of hydrothermal fluid results in the redistribution of pores and vugs of inter-fillings within karst system and the formation of intercrystalline pores and residual vugs, but the reservoir space of parent rocks keeps the same as the original condition. Therefore, the exploration of the Qixia dolomite reservoir should be changed to shoal-controlled karst.
Lifting of evacuation orders and subsequent efforts in Japan
Authors: Arima N.
Published: September 2017

With confirmation of the cold shutdown conditions of the nuclear reactors after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the Japanese Government reclassified the areas under evacuation orders as follows: (1) difficult-to-return zones (>50 mSv y−1), (2) restricted residence zones (20–50 mSv y−1), and (3) zones in preparation for lifting of the evacuation order (<20 mSv y−1). The Government continued its initiatives towards reconstruction of Fukushima, and has lifted evacuation orders in Zones 2 and 3. In terms of radiological protection, the Government emphasised its policy of placing importance on individual dose, and promoted the assignment of consultants in each municipality.
Is the level of education associated with transitions between care settings in older adults near the end of life? A nationwide, retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kelfve Susanne , Wastesson Jonas , Fors Stefan , Johnell Kristina , Morin Lucas
Published: September 2017

Background:

End-of-life transitions between care settings can be burdensome for older adults and their relatives.

Aim:

To analyze the association between the level of education of older adults and their likelihood to experience care transitions during the final months before death.

Design:

Nationwide, retrospective cohort study using register data.

Setting/participants:

Older adults (⩾65 years) who died in Sweden in 2013 ( n = 75,722). Place of death was the primary outcome. Institutionalization and multiple hospital admissions during the final months of life were defined as secondary outcomes. The decedents’ level of education (primary, secondary, or tertiary education) was considered as the main exposure. Multivariable analyses were stratified by living arrangement and adjusted for sex, age at time of death, illness trajectory, and number of chronic diseases.

Results:

Among community-dwellers, older adults with tertiary education were more likely to die in hospitals than those with primary education (55.6% vs 49.9%; odds ratio (OR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14–1.28), but less likely to be institutionalized during the final month before death (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.76–0.91). Decedents with higher education had greater odds of remaining hospitalized continuously during their final 2 weeks of life (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.02–1.22). Among older adults living in nursing homes, we found no association between the decedents’ level of education and their likelihood to be hospitalized or to die in hospitals.

Conclusion:

Compared with those who completed only primary education, individuals with higher educational attainment were more likely to live at home until the end of life, but also more likely to be hospitalized and die in hospitals.
Differences between incarcerated and non-incarcerated patients who die in community hospitals highlight the need for palliative care services for seriously ill prisoners in correctional facilities and in community hospitals: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Rothman Alex , McConville Shannon , Hsia Renee , Metzger Lia , Ahalt Cyrus , Williams Brie A
Published: September 2017

Background:

Incarcerated populations worldwide are aging dramatically; in the United States, prisoner mortality rates have reached an all-time high. Little is known about the incarcerated patients who die in community hospitals.

Aim:

Compare incarcerated and non-incarcerated hospital decedents in California.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting/participants:

All state hospital decedents ( N = 370,831) from 2009 to 2013, decedent age over time examined with additional data (2001–2013).

Results:

Overall, 745 incarcerated and 370,086 non-incarcerated individuals died in California hospitals. Incarcerated decedents were more often male (93% vs 51%), Black (19% vs 8%) Latino (27% vs 19%), younger (55 vs 73 years), had shorter hospitalizations (13 vs 16 days), and fewer had an advance care plan (23% vs 36%, p < 0.05). Incarcerated decedents had higher rates of cancer, liver disease, HIV/AIDs, and mental health disorders. Cause of death was disproportionately missing for incarcerated decedents. The average age of incarcerated decedents rose between 2001 and 2013, while it remained stable for others.

Conclusion:

Palliative care services in correctional facilities should accommodate the needs of relatively young patients and those with mental illness. Given the simultaneous growth in the older prisoner population with the rising age of incarcerated hospital decedents, community hospital clinicians should be prepared to care for seriously ill, incarcerated patients. Significant epidemiologic differences between incarcerated and non-incarcerated decedents in this study suggest the importance of examining the differential palliative care needs of incarcerated patients in all communities.
Predictors of patient-related benefit, burden and feeling safe in relation to hospital admissions in palliative care: A cross-sectional survey
Authors: Robinson Jackie , Gott Merryn , Frey Rosemary , Gardiner Clare , Ingleton Christine
Published: September 2017

Background:

Research exploring patient experience of palliative care in the hospital setting has previously been limited to negative aspects of care. However, recent studies have shown that patients with palliative care needs experience benefits being in hospital. Little is known about how experiences of benefit and burden vary according to socio-demographic and illness-related factors and how these experiences influence patient preferences to return to hospital.

Aim:

To identify factors influencing experiences of benefit and burden and the predictors associated with a preference to return to hospital in palliative care.

Design:

Cross-sectional design using a questionnaire survey.

Setting/participants:

In total, 116 hospital inpatients admitted with palliative care needs in an urban hospital in New Zealand. Recruitment was from an oncology ward, four general medical wards and a respiratory ward.

Results:

Those living in more deprived areas experienced more benefit being in hospital ( F(4, 109) = 3.15, p = 0.017), while younger people ( F(4, 109) = 4.44, p = 0.00) and those from Asian or Pacific cultures ( F(2, 111) = 7.78, p = 0.000) experienced more burden. Those with a non-cancer diagnosis felt less safe in hospital ( p = 0.04). ‘Feeling safe’ was a significant ( B = 0.14, p = 0.03) predictor for a preference to return to hospital.

Conclusion:

Deprivation, diagnosis, age and ethnicity influenced experiences of benefit and burden in hospital. ‘Feeling safe’ was a significant predictor for a preference to return to hospital. Further research is needed to understand why certain patient factors influence experiences of hospitalisation and how ‘feeling safe’ can be replicated in other care environments.
Blockade of dopamine D1-family receptors attenuates the mania-like hyperactive, risk-preferring, and high motivation behavioral profile of mice with low dopamine transporter levels
Authors: Milienne-Petiot Morgane , Groenink Lucianne , Minassian Arpi , Young Jared W
Published: September 2017

Background:

Patients with bipolar disorder mania exhibit poor cognition, impulsivity, risk-taking, and goal-directed activity that negatively impact their quality of life. To date, existing treatments for bipolar disorder do not adequately remediate cognitive dysfunction. Reducing dopamine transporter expression recreates many bipolar disorder mania-relevant behaviors (i.e. hyperactivity and risk-taking). The current study investigated whether dopamine D1-family receptor blockade would attenuate the risk-taking, hypermotivation, and hyperactivity of dopamine transporter knockdown mice.

Methods:

Dopamine transporter knockdown and wild-type littermate mice were tested in mouse versions of the Iowa Gambling Task (risk-taking), Progressive Ratio Breakpoint Test (effortful motivation), and Behavioral Pattern Monitor (activity). Prior to testing, the mice were treated with the dopamine D1-family receptor antagonist SCH 23390 hydrochloride (0.03, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg), or vehicle.

Results:

Dopamine transporter knockdown mice exhibited hyperactivity and hyperexploration, hypermotivation, and risk-taking preference compared with wild-type littermates. SCH 23390 hydrochloride treatment decreased premature responding in dopamine transporter knockdown mice and attenuated their hypermotivation. SCH 23390 hydrochloride flattened the safe/risk preference, while reducing activity and exploratory levels of both genotypes similarly.

Conclusions:

Dopamine transporter knockdown mice exhibited mania-relevant behavior compared to wild-type mice. Systemic dopamine D1-family receptor antagonism attenuated these behaviors in dopamine transporter knockdown, but not all effects were specific to only the knockdown mice. The normalization of behavior via blockade of dopamine D1-family receptors supports the hypothesis that D1 and/or D5 receptors could contribute to the mania-relevant behaviors of dopamine transporter knockdown mice.
Improved functional outcome after chronic stroke with delayed anti-Nogo-A therapy: A clinically relevant intention-to-treat analysis
Authors: Podraza Katherine M , Mehta Yasmin , Husak Vicki A , Lippmann Elise , O'Brien Timothy E , Kartje Gwendolyn L , Tsai Shih-Yen
Published: September 2017

Many preclinical treatment strategies for stroke have failed when tested in human trials. Although the reasons for these translation failures are multifactorial, one potential concern is the statistical analysis of the preclinical data. One way to rigorously evaluate new therapies is to use an intention-to-treat analysis in preclinical studies. Therefore, in this study, we set out to evaluate the treatment efficacy of a potential clinically relevant therapeutic agent for stroke, i.e., anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy, using an intention-to-treat analysis. Adult rats were trained on the skilled forelimb reaching task and subsequently underwent an ischemic stroke. Nine weeks later, the rats either received intracerebroventricular anti-Nogo-A antibody, control antibody, or no treatment. Skilled reaching performance was assessed by a non-linear model using both an intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis. Following testing, dendritic complexity was evaluated in the contralesional and perilesional sensorimotor cortex. Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis showed that anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy resulted in statistically significant improved recovery on the skilled forelimb reaching task, although treatment effect was less (though statistically significant) in the intention-to-treat group. Improved functional performance was not shown to be associated with dendritic changes. In conclusion, this study provides evidence for the importance of using intention-to-treat paradigms in testing preclinical therapeutic strategies.
Long-term outcomes after arthroscopic single-bundle reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament: A 7-year follow-up study
Authors: Wang Rui , Xu Bin , Wu Lei , Xu Honggang
Published: September 2017

Objective

Arthroscopy is the most popular technique in posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction surgery. However, no consensus on long-term outcomes after arthroscopic PCL reconstruction has been reached. This study was performed to evaluate the long-term outcomes after arthroscopic autologous hamstring or allogeneic tendon single-bundle reconstruction of the PCL.

Methods

Fifty-eight patients who underwent arthroscopic PCL reconstruction in Anhui, China from 2007 to 2009 were included. The follow-up period ranged from 56 to 83 months. During the follow-up, the Lysholm knee score and Tegner activity score were used to assess knee function. The KT-2000 arthrometer (MEDmetric Corp., San Diego, CA, USA) was used to assess the stability of the reconstructed PCL.

Results

The mean Lysholm score, mean Tegner score, and mean forward and backward displacements were not significantly different between the final follow-up and 1 year after the surgery. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in any of the above-mentioned parameters between autologous and allogeneic reconstruction at the final follow-up.

Conclusion

Both autologous and allogeneic reconstruction had few complications and satisfactory long-term outcomes.
We get the algorithms of our ground truths: Designing referential databases in digital image processing
Authors: Jaton Florian
Published: September 2017

This article documents the practical efforts of a group of scientists designing an image-processing algorithm for saliency detection. By following the actors of this computer science project, the article shows that the problems often considered to be the starting points of computational models are in fact provisional results of time-consuming, collective and highly material processes that engage habits, desires, skills and values. In the project being studied, problematization processes lead to the constitution of referential databases called ‘ground truths’ that enable both the effective shaping of algorithms and the evaluation of their performances. Working as important common touchstones for research communities in image processing, the ground truths are inherited from prior problematization processes and may be imparted to subsequent ones. The ethnographic results of this study suggest two complementary analytical perspectives on algorithms: (1) an ‘axiomatic’ perspective that understands algorithms as sets of instructions designed to solve given problems computationally in the best possible way, and (2) a ‘problem-oriented’ perspective that understands algorithms as sets of instructions designed to computationally retrieve outputs designed and designated during specific problematization processes. If the axiomatic perspective on algorithms puts the emphasis on the numerical transformations of inputs into outputs, the problem-oriented perspective puts the emphasis on the definition of both inputs and outputs.
Use of a Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor Does Not Inhibit Platelet Activation or Growth Factor Release From Platelet-Rich Plasma
Authors: Ludwig Hilary C. , Birdwhistell Kate E. , Brainard Benjamin M. , Franklin Samuel P.
Published: September 2017

Background:

It remains unestablished whether use of cyclooxygenase (COX)–2 inhibitors impairs platelet activation and anabolic growth factor release from platelets in platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a COX-2 inhibitor on platelet activation and anabolic growth factor release from canine PRP when using a clinically applicable PRP activator and to determine whether a 3-day washout would be sufficient to abrogate any COX-2 inhibitor-related impairment on platelet function.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Ten healthy dogs underwent blood collection and PRP preparation. Dogs were then administered a COX-2 inhibitor for 7 days, after which PRP preparation was repeated. The COX-2 inhibitor was continued for 4 more days and PRP preparation performed a third time, 3 days after discontinuation of the COX-2 inhibitor. Immediately after PRP preparation, the PRP was divided into 4 aliquots: 2 unactivated and 2 activated using human γ-thrombin (HGT). One activated and 1 unactivated sample were assessed using flow cytometry for platelet expression of CD62P and platelet-bound fibrinogen using the canine activated platelet-1 (CAP1) antibody. The 2 remaining samples were centrifuged and the supernatant assayed for transforming growth factor–β1 (TGF-β1), platelet-derived growth factor–BB (PDGF-BB), and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) concentrations. Differences in platelet activation and TGF-β1, PDGF-BB, and TXB2 concentrations over the 3 study weeks were evaluated using a 1-way repeated-measures ANOVA, and comparisons between activated and unactivated samples within a study week were assessed with paired t tests.

Results:

There were no statistically significant ( P > .05) effects of the COX-2 inhibitor on percentage of platelets positive for CD62P or CAP1 or on concentrations of TGF-β1, PDGF-BB, or TXB2. All unactivated samples had low levels of activation or growth factor concentrations and significantly ( P < .05) greater activation and growth factor concentrations in HGT-activated samples.

Conclusion:

This COX-2 inhibitor did not impair platelet activation, growth factor release, or TXB2 production in this canine PRP when using HGT as an activator. Studies are warranted to determine whether COX-2 inhibitors affect platelet activation and growth factor release from human PRPs.

Clinical Relevance:

These results suggest that there is no need to withhold a COX-2 inhibitor before PRP preparation, particularly if thrombin is going to be used to activate the PRP. This is clinically relevant information because many patients who are candidates for PRP therapy for treatment of musculoskeletal injury are also using COX-2 inhibitors.
Managing Motherhood: Job Context and Employer Bias
Authors: Glass Christy , Fodor Eva
Published: September 2017

How does job context influence employers’ views of mothers as workers? Drawing on 51 in-depth interviews with employers in the finance and business service sectors of Hungary, the authors find that finance employers rely on a variety of strategies aimed at excluding mothers from entry-level professional jobs, while business services employers invest significant resources aimed at recruiting and accommodating mothers. To explain this variation, the authors suggest that employers’ views of mothers are dependent on their perception of skill requirements and knowledge/skill dynamism.
The Cycle of Violence: Examining Attitudes Toward and Experiences of Corporal Punishment in a Representative German Sample
Authors: Witt Andreas , Fegert Jörg M. , Rodens Klaus P. , Brähler Elmar , Lührs Da Silva Claudia , Plener Paul L.
Published: September 2017

The use of corporal punishment (CP) is controversial despite the negative consequences of its use that have been documented. Consequences include the use of CP by those who experienced CP themselves, described in the theory of the cycle of violence. There are little data on the cycle of violence, especially on those who break it and in representative samples. This study examines the cycle of violence in a representative sample by analyzing experiences of and attitudes toward CP. Attitudes toward, and own experiences of, CP by their parents were assessed in a sample of 2,519 individuals (female 54.6%, age range = 14-99 years, M = 48.9 years). Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify subgroups of participants who support and oppose CP. Breaking the cycle, defined as having experienced CP and opposing CP, was examined. Factors associated with positive and negative attitudes toward CP were identified using group comparisons and binary logistic regression. The majority of the sample opposed CP (56%), whereas one third supported less severe forms of CP and 8.2% also supported severe CP. Those supporting CP reported having experienced CP by their parents more often. Of those who had experienced CP, 47% were identified as breaking the cycle. Female gender, younger age, not being divorced, and being married and living together, as well as a higher level of education were associated with breaking the cycle. Even though CP was legally banned in Germany, a relatively high proportion still reports positive attitudes toward and experiences of CP. The ban of CP by the federal government seems to be an effective measure to change attitudes on a societal level as rates were lower in comparison with earlier studies. Future studies should examine interactions between different types of CP, attitudes toward its use, and additional mediating factors.
WIC Cash Value Voucher Redemption Behavior in Jefferson County, Alabama, and Its Association With Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Authors: Singleton Chelsea R. , Opoku-Agyeman William , Affuso Ermanno , Baskin Monica L. , Levitan Emily B. , Sen Bisakha , Affuso Olivia
Published: September 2017

Purpose:

To examine cash value voucher (CVV) redemption behavior and its association with fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among women who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Design:

Cross-sectional.

Setting:

Jefferson County, Alabama.

Participants:

Between October 2014 and January 2015, 300 women (mean age: 27.6 years; 66.8% non-Hispanic black; 45.1% obese) who participated in the Birmingham WIC program were surveyed.

Measures:

Self-reported information on demographics, produce shopping behaviors, and residential access to fresh produce retailers (eg, supermarkets and farmers markets) was examined. Fruit and vegetable intake was collected via the Block Fruit–Vegetable–Fiber screener. Participants who self-reported redeeming the WIC CVV in each of the 3 prior months were classified as regular redeemers.

Analysis:

Multivariable-adjusted regression models were used to examine associations between variables of interest and regular WIC CVV redemption.

Results:

There were 189 (63.0%) study participants classified as regular WIC CVV redeemers. Regular redeemers and other participants (ie, irregular redeemers and nonredeemers) were similar with respect to demographics. Regular redeemers were more likely to use grocery stores to purchase FVs ( P = .003) and consumed significantly more servings of FVs per day (β = .67; standard error = 0.24; P = .007).

Conclusion:

Regular WIC CVV redemption was associated with some produce shopping behaviors and increased FV consumption and among WIC participants in Jefferson County, Alabama.
The Effect of an Exercise Intervention on Gestational Weight Gain: The Behaviors Affecting Baby and You (B.A.B.Y.) Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Nobles Carrie , Marcus Bess H. , Stanek Edward J. , Braun Barry , Whitcomb Brian W. , Manson JoAnn E. , Markenson Glenn , Chasan-Taber Lisa
Published: September 2017

Purpose:

To examine the effect of a prenatal exercise intervention on gestational weight gain (GWG) and to update meta-analyses.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial and meta-analysis.

Setting:

Obstetrical practices in a Western Massachusetts hospital.

Patients:

We analyzed 241 ethnically diverse pregnant participants at high risk for gestational diabetes in the Behaviors Affecting Baby and You (B.A.B.Y.) study. A total of 118 participants were randomized to an exercise intervention group and 123 to a comparison health and wellness intervention group.

Intervention:

A 12-week individually tailored, motivationally matched program designed to increase the compliance with guidelines for exercise during pregnancy (30 min/day).

Measures:

The GWG and compliance with 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines for GWG abstracted from medical records.

Analysis:

Unadjusted logistic regression, intent-to-treat. Results were added to the existing meta-analyses using a random effects model.

Results:

Women randomized to the exercise group had a lower mean GWG than the comparison group (−0.97 kg, P value = .39) and were less likely to exceed IOM guidelines (odds ratio = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.34-1.40), but results were not statistically significant. Meta-analyses yielded a −0.63 kg (95% CI −1.17 to −0.08, P = .02) reduction in GWG and a 20% reduction in odds of exceeding IOM guidelines (95% CI 0.73 to 0.89) for the exercise intervention.

Conclusion:

Findings from this randomized trial among ethnically diverse women contribute to the results of meta-analyses supporting exercise as a means of attenuating GWG.
Psychology and its publics
Authors: Pettit Michael , Young Jacy L.
Published: September 2017

This paper introduces the special issue dedicated to ‘Psychology and its Publics’. The question of the relationship between psychologists and the wider public has been a central matter of concern to the historiography of psychology. Where critical historians tend to assume a pliant audience, eager to adopt psychological categories, psychologists themselves often complain about the public misunderstanding of them. Ironically, both accounts share a flattened understanding of the public. We turn to research on the public understanding of science (PUS), the public engagement with science (PES) and communications studies to develop a rich account of the circuitry that ties together psychological experts and their subjects.
Surveying rape
Authors: Rutherford Alexandra
Published: September 2017

College campus-based surveys of sexual assault in the United States have generated one of the most high-profile and contentious figures in the history of social science: the ‘1 in 5’ statistic. Referring to the number of women who have experienced either attempted or completed sexual assault since their time in college, ‘1 in 5’ has done significant work in making the prevalence of this experience legible to the public and to policy-makers. Here I examine how sexual assault surveys have participated in structuring the ontology of date/acquaintance rape from the 1980s to today. I review the foundational work of feminist social scientists Diana Russell and Mary Koss, with particular attention to the methodological practices through which the concept of the ‘hidden’ or ‘unacknowledged’ rape victim emerged. I then examine a selection of early 21st-century sexual assault surveys and highlight the ongoing preoccupation with survey methodology in responses to their results. I argue that the survey itself has been a central actor in the ontological politics of sexual assault, and only by closely attending to its performativity can we understand the paradoxical persistence both of critical responses to the ‘1 in 5’ statistic and of its effective deployment in anti-violence policy.
Effect of ultra-high injection pressure up to 50 MPa on macroscopic spray characteristics of a multi-hole gasoline direct injection injector fueled with ethanol
Authors: Li Xiang , Pei Yi-qiang , Qin Jing , Zhang Dan , Wang Kun , Xu Bei
Published: September 2017

This research systematically studied the effect of injection pressure on macroscopic spray characteristics of a five-hole gasoline direct injection (GDI) injector fueled with ethanol, especially under ultra-high injection pressure up to 50 MPa. The front and side views of sprays were photographed by the schlieren method using a high-speed camera. Various parameters, including spray development stages, cone angle, penetration, area and irregular ratio, were fully analyzed to evaluate macroscopic characteristics of the whole spray and spray core with varying injection pressure. The results demonstrated that the effect of ultra-high injection pressure on macroscopic spray characteristics was significant. As injection pressure increased from 10 MPa to 50 MPa, the occurrence time of branch-like structure decreased; the cone angle increased little; the area increased significantly; the area ratio dropped by 6.4 and 5.8 percentage points on average for the front view and side view spray, respectively. There was a significant increase in the trend for penetration as the injection pressure rose from 10 MPa to 30 MPa. However, this trend became weak when the injection pressure further increased. The penetration ratio under ultra-high injection pressure was slightly higher than it was under 10 or 20 MPa. Ultra-high injection pressure would not obviously raise the possibility of spray/wall impingement, but led to the impingement quantity increasing to some extent. Increasing injection pressure could enhance the vortex scale, finally resulting in better air/fuel mixing quality. Ultra-high injection pressure was a potential way to improve air/fuel mixture homogeneity for a GDI injector fueled with ethanol.
HIV testing in dermatology – a national audit
Authors: Esson Gavin A , Holme SA
Published: September 2017

Forty percent of individuals have late-stage HIV at the time of diagnosis, resulting in increased morbidity. Identifying key diseases which may indicate HIV infection can prompt clinicians to trigger testing, which may result in more timely diagnosis. The British HIV Association has published guidelines on such indicator diseases in dermatology. We audited the practice of HIV testing in UK dermatologists and General Practitioners (GPs) and compared results with the national guidelines. This audit showed that HIV testing in key indicator diseases remains below the standard set out by the national guidelines, and that GPs with special interest in dermatology have a lower likelihood for testing, and lower confidence when compared to consultants, registrars and associate specialists. Large proportions of respondents believed further training in HIV testing would be beneficial.
Turbulent velocity and pressure fluctuations in gas turbine combustor exit flows
Authors: Lubbock RJ , Oldfield MLG
Published: September 2017

This paper presents the results of two test programmes using novel instrumentation to characterise the pressure and turbulent velocity fields in gas-turbine combustor exit flows. The probes are uncooled, therefore a fast-insertion traverse system is employed to prevent thermal degradation of the instrumentation in these severely hostile high-temperature environments. High-bandwidth ultra-miniature pressure transducers are used to measure unsteady total pressure, whilst a Pitot tube is employed to measure time-averaged total pressure. The probes are 4 mm in diameter with a measurement bandwidth of the order of 100 kHz. In the first test programme, the probes are used to characterise the streamwise turbulent velocity field approximately two axial chords downstream of an uncooled single-stage turbine in a turbojet engine. Established data reduction methods and calibration against a hot-wire are used to obtain turbulent velocity fluctuations from unsteady total pressure measurements. Comprehensive turbulence results are presented including time-histories, power spectra, intensities, and lengthscales obtained at four-engine conditions and at two radial and two circumferential measurement locations. In the second test programme the probes are demonstrated in an industrial combustor rig, featuring a can combustor with swirler nozzle and no dilution holes, at temperatures up to 1500 K. Static pressure fluctuations are obtained up to 100 kHz, and some typical combustor spectral features are identified.
Book Review: Rajen Harshe and Dhananjay Tripathi (Ed.), Afghanistan Post 2014: Power Configurations and Evolving Trajectories
Authors: Sharma Raghav
Published: September 2017

Rajen Harshe and Dhananjay Tripathi (Ed.), Afghanistan Post 2014: Power Configurations and Evolving Trajectories. New Delhi: Routledge, 2016, pp. 248, ₹895. ISBN: 9781138666917
Book Review: Nehginpao Kipgen, Democratisation of Myanmar
Authors: Haokip T. T.
Published: September 2017

Nehginpao Kipgen, Democratisation of Myanmar. New Delhi: Routledge, 2015, pp. 194, Price not mentioned. Hardcover). ISBN: 978-1-13811-971-0
From ‘rock stars’ to ‘hygiene factors’: Teachers at private accountancy tuition providers
Authors: Gebreiter Florian , Davies Matt , Finley Simon , Gee Lara , Weaver Lisa , Yates David
Published: September 2017

In this article, we examine the role, status and autonomy of teachers at English private accountancy tuition providers from 1980 to the present. We argue that, during this period, teachers transformed from ‘rock stars’ who enjoyed significant status and autonomy over their work to ‘hygiene factors’ in a largely standardised and commodified teaching environment. Growing cost pressures on tuition providers and an increasing emphasis on the quality and consistency of the learning experience are identified as significant factors in this transformation. We discuss these findings with reference to current developments towards corporatisation and marketisation in the English higher education sector.