bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Evaluation of Risk Factors for Postoperative Infectious Complications after Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy
Authors: Yang Tian , Liu Shenghua , Hu Jimeng , Wang Lujia , Jiang Haowen
Published: February 2017

This study was to evaluate the risk factors of infectious complications after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and build a prediction tool for postoperative complications based on the risk factors. A total of 110 male (67.1%) and 54 female (32.9%) patients who underwent PCNL for renal stones between 2010 and 2014 in our institute were included. A detailed clinical information and laboratory results were obtained from patients. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and postoperative fever were recorded after PCNL surgery. In all, 45 cases (27.4%) developed SIRS and fever was observed in 20 cases (12.2%). In multivariate analysis, stone size (odds ratio, OR = 1.471,p=0.009) and urine white blood cell (WBC) (OR = 1.001,p=0.007) were related to the development of SIRS. Stone size (OR = 1.644,p=0.024), urine WBC (OR = 1.001,p=0.002) and serum albumin (OR = 0.807,p=0.021) were associated with postoperative fever. We concluded that patients with larger stone size and preoperative urinary tract infection might have a higher risk of developing SIRS and fever after operation, while a high-normal level of serum albumin might be the protective factor for postoperative fever.
Painful Memories: Reliability of Pain Intensity Recall at 3 Months in Senior Patients
Authors: Daoust Raoul , Sirois Marie-Josée , Lee Jacques S. , Perry Jeffrey J. , Griffith Lauren E. , Worster Andrew , Lang Eddy , Paquet Jean , Chauny Jean-Marc , Émond Marcel
Published: February 2017

Background.Validity of pain recall is questioned in research.Objective.To evaluate the reliability of pain intensity recall for seniors in an emergency department (ED).Methods.This study was part of a prospective multicenter project for seniors (≥65 years old) treated in an ED for minor traumatic injury. Pain intensity (0–10 numerical rating scale) was evaluated at the initial ED visit, at one week (baseline), and 3 months. At three months, patients were asked to recall the pain intensity they had at baseline.Results.482 patients were interviewed (mean age 76.6 years, SD ± 7.3) and 72.8% were female. Intraclass correlation coefficient between pain at baseline and its recall was 0.24 (95% CI: 0.14–0.33). Senior patients tended to overestimate their pain intensity by a mean of 1.2 (95% CI: 0.9–1.5) units. A stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the variance of baseline pain recall at 3 months was explained by pain at ED visit (11%), pain at 3 months (7%), and pain at baseline (2%).Conclusion.The accuracy of pain intensity recall after three months is poor in seniors and seems to be influenced by the pain experienced at the time of injury.
Double Balloon Cervical Ripening Catheter for Control of Massive Hemorrhage in a Cervical Ectopic Pregnancy
Authors: Zambrano Nabila , Reilly James , Moretti Michael , Lakhi Nisha
Published: February 2017

Cervical pregnancy can be complicated by perfuse vaginal bleeding. Mechanical compression directed at tamponing the cervical vessels can control hemostasis. There are several types of balloon catheters that have been described for cervical compression. However use of a double balloon catheter is a novel approach for cervical tamponade, as one balloon is positioned below the external cervical os and the second balloon is situated above in the internal cervical os. This compresses the cervix from internal os to external os between the two balloons, forming a “cervical sandwich.” We describe this method of cervical tamponade using a silicone double balloon cervical ripening catheter that rapidly controlled hemorrhage in a patient that failed conservative management with methotrexate.
Heart–Brain Axis
Authors: Tahsili-Fahadan Pouya , Geocadin Romergryko G.
Published: February 2017

A complex interaction exists between the nervous and cardiovascular systems. A large network of cortical and subcortical brain regions control cardiovascular function via the sympathetic and parasympathetic outflow. A dysfunction in one system may lead to changes in the function of the other. The effects of cardiovascular disease on the nervous system have been widely studied; however, our understanding of the effects of neurological disorders on the cardiovascular system has only expanded in the past 2 decades. Various pathologies of the nervous system can lead to a wide range of alterations in function and structure of the cardiovascular system ranging from transient and benign electrographic changes to myocardial injury, cardiomyopathy, and even cardiac death. In this article, we first review the anatomy and physiology of the central and autonomic nervous systems in regard to control of the cardiovascular function. The effects of neurological injury on cardiac function and structure will be summarized, and finally, we review neurological disorders commonly associated with cardiovascular manifestations.
Cryptogenic Stroke
Authors: Yaghi Shadi , Bernstein Richard A. , Passman Rod , Okin Peter M. , Furie Karen L.
Published: February 2017

Background:

Cryptogenic stroke accounts for 30% to 40% of ischemic stroke. It is essential to determine the possible culprit because this will improve secondary stroke prevention strategies.

Methods:

We performed a narrative nonsystematic review of the literature that included randomized trials, exploratory comparative studies, and case series on cryptogenic stroke.

Results:

There are several possible mechanisms implicated in cryptogenic stroke, including occult paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, patent foramen ovale, aortic arch atherosclerosis, atrial cardiopathy, and substenotic atherosclerosis. The heterogeneity of these mechanisms leads to differences in stroke prevention strategies among cryptogenic stroke patients.

Conclusions:

A thorough diagnostic evaluation is essential to determine the pathogenesis in cryptogenic stroke. This approach, in addition to risk factor management and lifestyle modifications, will lead to improved stroke prevention strategies in patients with cryptogenic stroke. This will allow for targeted clinical trials to improve stroke prevention strategies in this patient population.
Left Ventricular Structure and Function in Relation to Environmental Exposure to Lead and Cadmium
Authors: Yang Wen‐Yi , Zhang Zhen‐Yu , Thijs Lutgarde , Cauwenberghs Nicholas , Wei Fang‐Fei , Jacobs Lotte , Luttun Aernout , Verhamme Peter , Kuznetsova Tatiana , Nawrot Tim S. , Staessen Jan A.
Published: February 2017

Background

Experimental studies have demonstrated that lead and cadmium have direct toxic effects on the myocardium, but the few human studies are limited by design, assessment of exposure, and use of heart failure as a late‐stage endpoint.

Methods and Results

In a prospective population study, we studied the association of left ventricular (
LV
) function with blood lead (BPb) and 24‐hour urinary cadmium (UCd). In 179 participants randomly recruited from a Flemish population (50.3% women; mean age 39.1 years), geometric mean
BP
b and
UC
d at enrollment (1985‐2000) were 0.20 μmol/L and 6.1 nmol, respectively. We assessed systolic and diastolic
LV
function 11.9 years (median) later (2005‐2010) by using Doppler imaging of the transmitral blood flow and the mitral annular movement and speckle tracking. In multivariable‐adjusted linear regression,
LV
systolic function decreased with
BP
b. For a doubling of exposure, estimates were −0.392% for global longitudinal strain (
P
=0.034), −0.618% and −0.113 s
−1
for regional longitudinal strain (
P
=0.028) and strain rate (
P
=0.008), and −0.056 s
−1
for regional radial strain rate (
P
=0.050). Regional longitudinal strain rate (−0.066 s
−1
,
P
=0.009) and regional radial strain (−2.848%,
P
=0.015) also decreased with
UC
d. Models including both exposure indexes did not allow differentiating whether
LV
dysfunction was predominately related to
BP
b or
UC
d. Diastolic
LV
function was not associated with
BP
b or
UC
d (
P
≥0.159).

Conclusions

Although effect sizes were small, our results suggest that environmental exposure to lead, cadmium, or both might be a risk factor for systolic
LV
dysfunction, a condition often proceeding to heart failure.
The concept of the work situation in class analysis
Authors: Vogt Kristoffer Chelsom
Published: February 2017

This article discusses Lockwood’s concept of the work situation and its fate within class analysis. For a brief period, this concept served to make the experiences that people have by virtue of their positions in the division of labour a central concern in class analysis. Over time, however, attention to such issues has given way to an increasing interest in workers’ individual characteristics, and the measurement of social mobility according to class schemes. Over recent decades, the wider contexts of ‘class culture’ and ‘social space’ have become common frames of interpretation. While these developments have all broadened understandings of social class, their net effect has been to break up the once close relation between class analysis and the study of work. Key findings from recent labour market research suggest that, in the current context of increasing inequality and precariousness, the contribution of class analysis might be strengthened by a reincorporation of attention to work situations.
Black Voices, White Power
Authors: Redding Robert
Published: February 2017

When a former Black editor says he was told that Blacks do not care about news by his White boss and a Black deejay is told that his commentary is too hard hitting and not to go to an event featuring a Black militant leader by his White boss, these personal accounts could be extrapolated to mean that there may still be a world filled with White privilege and an ensuing hegemonic bifurcation in a communication studies context. This study utilizes Afrocentricity and the agency that is denied to these two individuals to provide insight into a world where these Black media/newsroom personnel describe how they lost ground to their White media owners. Those interviewed said this world does not promote the agency that comes with Afrocentricity, which is utilized as a critical cultural studies lens to interpret these 18-question qualitative interviews. The environment that those interviewed described is a world not often viewed in the context of White media ownership and the Black-focused content that is produced within them, but is a phenomenon that may be better understood by utilizing an Afrocentric lens in a Communication Studies context.
Are Sex Effects on Ethical Decision-Making Fake or Real? A Meta-Analysis on the Contaminating Role of Social Desirability Response Bias
Authors: Yang Jianfeng , Ming Xiaodong , Wang Zhen , Adams Susan M.
Published: February 2017

A meta-analysis of 143 studies was conducted to explore how the social desirability response bias may influence sex effects on ratings on measures of ethical decision-making. Women rated themselves as more ethical than did men; however, this sex effect on ethical decision-making was no longer significant when social desirability response bias was controlled. The indirect questioning approach was compared with the direct measurement approach for effectiveness in controlling social desirability response bias. The indirect questioning approach was found to be more effective.
Tuberculosis Outbreaks in the United States, 2009-2015
Authors: Mindra Godwin , Wortham Jonathan M. , Haddad Maryam B. , Powell Krista M.
Published: February 2017

Objectives:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides on-site epidemiologic assistance for outbreak response when the health capacity of state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments has been exceeded. We examined recent outbreaks of tuberculosis (TB) for which health departments needed assistance.

Methods:

We defined a TB outbreak as detection of ≥3 TB cases related by transmission, as suggested by routine genotyping and epidemiologic linkages. We conducted retrospective reviews of documentation from all 21 TB outbreak investigations in the United States for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided on-site assistance during 2009-2015. We abstracted data on patients’ demographic characteristics and TB risk factors, as well as factors contributing to the outbreak from trip reports written by on-site investigators, and we compared these with outbreaks investigated during 2002-2008.

Results:

The 21 TB outbreaks during 2009-2015 involved 457 outbreak patients (range, 3-99 patients per outbreak). Of the 21 outbreaks, 16 were first identified through genotype data. In sum, 118 (26%) patients were identified through contact investigations of other patients in the outbreak. Most outbreak patients (n = 363, 79%) were US born. Ninety-two (26%) patients had a mental illness, 204 (45%) had been homeless in the year before diagnosis, and 379 (83%) used alcohol excessively or used illicit substances. The proportion of patients experiencing homelessness doubled between 2002-2008 and 2009-2015; other characteristics were similar between the 2 periods. Delayed TB diagnosis contributed to unmitigated transmission in all but 1 outbreak.

Conclusions:

TB outbreaks challenge frontline public health resources. Genotyping and contact investigations are important strategies for detecting and controlling TB outbreaks, particularly among people experiencing homelessness or those with mental illness.
Variation in the advanced fiber information system cotton fiber length-by-number distribution captured by high volume instrument fiber length parameters
Authors: Kelly Brendan R , Hequet Eric F
Published: February 2017

Variation in cotton fiber length impacts processability at the mill and the quality of spun yarns. The High Volume Instrument (HVI) and Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) are cotton fiber quality assessment instruments able to quickly assess a myriad of fiber quality characteristics. HVI testing provides the fiber length parameters most widely utilized by the cotton industry, Upper Half Mean Length and Uniformity Index. However, HVI fiber length parameters do not account for the complete within-sample variation in fiber length, such as the shortest fibers in the sample. AFIS testing is able to characterize the complete within-sample distribution of fiber length within a sample of cotton by evaluating individual fibers. Within-sample variation in fiber length is an important cotton fiber quality concern because it impacts processing performance and yarn quality. In this paper, the fiber length for 9127 commercial cotton bales was evaluated on both HVI and AFIS. The AFIS length distributions are used to characterize the complete distribution of fiber length within each bale. A novel statistical technique is introduced and is used to characterize a set of multivariate axes that characterize the total within-bale variation in fiber length among the complete set of commercial bales. These results suggest that less than half of the variation in cotton fiber length captured by the AFIS length distributions is captured by the two length parameters provided by HVI testing. If an experimental factor has no significant impact on an HVI fiber quality parameter, an alternative cotton fiber length measurement such as the AFIS length distribution should be considered.
Universal evaluation of fire retardant properties of fiber mats by the optimal cone calorimeter
Authors: Zhang Xiansheng , Wang Ran , Wang Rui , Yan Xiong , Shi Meiwu
Published: February 2017

By using the optimal cone calorimeter, the universal method to study the fire retardant properties of fiber mats with different categories was explored. The challenge in obtaining accurate and repeatable cone calorimeter data was overcome from two aspects, employing a specific fixing mode and optimizing the measurement parameters. It was confirmed that the optimal grid covering rate of 25% and sample weight of 6 g favored repeatable and reliable data. With the improved cone calorimeter method, the reactions to fire of the selected fibers, involving the common and the inherent fire retardant fibers, are analyzed under different heat fluxes, in which the variations of time to ignition, the heat release rate and total heat release were compared. The fire retardant properties of various fiber mats were efficiently obtained by the improved cone calorimeter, which in turn verified its universality. In addition, the comparison between fire retardant properties and heat resistance of fibers demonstrated that the heat resistance is not the sole factor determining the fire retardant performance; the released fuel is much more important than the decomposition temperature. In conclusion, the universal evaluation method for combustion performance of fiber mats by the optimal cone calorimeter has been successfully established, which can serve as an efficient way in predicting the fire retardant properties of the corresponding fabrics.
Sober Intoxication: Institutional Contradictions and Identity Work in the Everyday Life of Four Religious Communities in Italy
Authors: Giorgi Simona , Palmisano Stefania
Published: February 2017

This study explores how organization members manage institutional contradictions in their everyday life without aiming at change-oriented agency. Drawing on interviews, observations, and archival data from four religious communities in Italy, we find that when organization members experience institutional contradictions between two logics that provide conflicting identity prescriptions but to which they are emotionally attached, they engage in identity work that helps them ameliorate – but not eliminate – tensions that surface when identity elements do not align. More specifically, identity work proved integral to reaching a temporary identity truce, or reconciliation of experienced contradictions, through distancing from illegitimate others and embedding of one’s identity within an established tradition. These findings draw attention to the role of contradictions in institutional maintenance, extending theory that has tended to focus on the experience of contradictions as a source of institutional change. We discuss implications for managing institutional contradictions in everyday organizational life.
Towards a Performative Theory of Resistance: Senior Managers and Revolting Subject(ivitie)s
Authors: Harding Nancy Helen , Ford Jackie , Lee Hugh
Published: February 2017

This article develops a performative theory of resistance. It uses Judith Butler’s and Karen Barad’s theories of performativity to explore how resistance (to organizational strategies and policies) and resistants (those who resist such strategies and policies) co-emerge, within and through complex intra-actions of entangled discourses, materialities, affect and space/time. The article uses empirical materials from a case study of the implementation of a talent management strategy. We analyse interviews with the senior managers charged with implementing the strategy, the influence of material, non-sentient actors, and the experiences of the researchers when carrying out the interviews. This leads to a theory that resistance and resistants emerge in moment-to-moment co-constitutive moves that may be invoked when identity or self is put in jeopardy. Resistance, we suggest, is the power (residing with resistants) to say ‘no’ to organizational requirements that would otherwise threaten to render the self abject.
What Is Public Engagement, and What Is It for? A Study of Scientists’ and Science Communicators’ Views
Authors: Riesch Hauke , Potter Clive , Davies Linda
Published: February 2017

The “Open Air Laboratories” (OPAL) is a large, England-wide environmental public engagement (PE) project based on the “citizen science” model. It is designed to involve people of all backgrounds and abilities in the production of environmental science and in the process to educate and raise awareness and enthusiasm about nature and its importance. This article draws on a series of interviews with scientists and science communicators involved in the project to explore their motivations and aims for the project and what they see as the goals of public engagement generally. We find a varied and nuanced array of motivations and aims that interviewees cite for taking part in the project, pointing toward a reevaluation of traditional ways of understanding the value of public engagement, policy relevance, and dialogue within public engagement. Especially relevant in relation to thinking about the policy relevance of PE is our conclusion that there are many different ways of thinking about the value of PE, characterized in this article as “the neglected middle.”
Perfusion alters stiffness of deep gray matter
Authors: Hetzer Stefan , Birr Patric , Fehlner Andreas , Hirsch Sebastian , Dittmann Florian , Barnhill Eric , Braun Jürgen , Sack Ingolf
Published: February 2017

Viscoelastic properties of the brain reflect tissue architecture at multiple length scales. However, little is known about the relation between vital tissue functions, such as perfusion, and the macroscopic mechanical properties of cerebral tissue. In this study, arterial spin labelling is paired with magnetic resonance elastography to investigate the relationship between tissue stiffness and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the in vivo human brain. The viscoelastic modulus, | G*|, and CBF were studied in deep gray matter (DGM) of 14 healthy male volunteers in the following sub-regions: putamen, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, thalamus, globus pallidus, and amygdala. CBF was further normalized by vessel area data to obtain the flux rate q which is proportional to the perfusion pressure gradient. The striatum (represented by putamen and nucleus accumbens) was distinct from the other DGM regions by displaying markedly higher stiffness and perfusion values. q was a predictive marker for DGM stiffness as analyzed by linear regression | G*| =  q·(4.2 ± 0.6)kPa·s + (0.80 ± 0.06)kPa ( R2 = 0.92, P = 0.006). These results suggest a high sensitivity of MRE in DGM to perfusion pressure. The distinct mechano-vascular properties of striatum tissue, as compared to the rest of DGM, may reflect elevated perfusion pressure, which could explain the well-known susceptibility of the putamen to hemorrhages.
Organizing against Border Barriers
Authors: Golunov Serghei
Published: February 2017

Those who have to cross “hard” borders face many problems on their way, including arbitrary and unjust treatment by consular and border guard officers, protracted and nitpicking inspections and extortion by customs officers, and huge traffic congestions. This article examines the extent to which various categories of people crossing the European Union-Russian border can self-organize in order to act together and be heard better for solving these and other issues. Tourists, shuttle traders, and truck drivers working for international cargo carriers are taken as three case studies for the research. I argue that all of the three mentioned categories of border crossers are capable of self-organizing in various ways: tourists—by exchanging best practices within thematic networks, shuttle traders—by taking advantage of their ability to gather in their common places of residence and (as well as truck drivers) near checkpoints when traffic congestions arise, truck drivers—also by taking advantage of support from influential business associations. It is also important that the audibility of border crossers’ voices can be seriously amplified by mediators, among which officials, politicians, business structures, and the mass media are the most efficient. At the same time, the capability of these three kinds of border crossers to make their voices heard is very limited, since their interactions are typically weak and instable and since officials are much more powerful.
Microwave as an emerging technology for the treatment of biohazardous waste: A mini-review
Authors: Zimmermann Klaus
Published: February 2017

Microwave is an emerging technology to treat biohazardous waste, including material from healthcare facilities. A screen of the peer-reviewed literature shows that only limited information may be found in this area of work and, furthermore, analysis of the references reveals that sometimes not all necessary aspects for the appropriate use of the technology are considered. Very often conventional microwave technology is applied for the inactivation of pathogens, which might make sense for certain applications but, on the other hand, may lead to the misbelief that microwave systems cannot be used for the inactivation of a solid “dry” waste. However, conventional microwave units have no means to control the inactivation process, and especially moisture content. But there are a few sophisticated microwave technologies with appropriate measurements allowing a validated inactivation of biohazardous materials. These technologies are an effective tool for inactivation and some of them are commercially available. It must also be considered that the waste should be preferably inactivated either directly at the place where it is generated or biohazardous waste should be transported only in closed systems. Moreover, microwave technology presents a possibility to save energy costs in comparison to the more widely used autoclaves. This mini-review will discuss important aspects for the use of microwave technology for the treatment of biohazardous waste.
Pirates and pearls: Jikiri and the challenge to maritime security and American sovereignty in the Sulu Archipelago, 1907–1909
Authors: Amirell Stefan Eklöf
Published: February 2017

In 1908–1909, maritime commerce, fishing and traffic in the Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines almost came to a standstill due to a surge in piracy and coastal raids that challenged US colonial rule in the area. The leader of the outlaws was a renegade subject of the Sultan of Sulu, a Samal named Jikiri. Together with his followers, Jikiri was responsible for the murders of at least 40 people in numerous raids on small trading vessels, pearl fishers, coastal settlements and towns throughout the archipelago. In spite of the concerted efforts of the US Army, the Philippine Constabulary and private bounty hunters, Jikiri was able to avoid defeat for more than one and half years, before he was eventually killed in July 1909. His decision to take to piracy was triggered by the failure of the US authorities to pay compensation for the loss of the traditional claims that many families in the Sulu Archipelago had to the pearl beds of the region, as stipulated by a law on pearl fishing adopted in 1904. The law was in several respects disadvantageous to the native population of Sulu and this – together with the high-handed behaviour of the local officers in charge of the Sulu district from 1906 – fuelled widespread discontent with colonial rule and led several of the leading headmen of Sulu covertly to sympathize with, and protect, Jikiri and his followers. This sponsorship combined with the general reluctance of the population to cooperate with the US military explains why Jikiri was able to defy the vastly superior US forces for so long. American officers at the time tended to attribute the depredations to the allegedly piratical nature of the Sulus, but this article argues that the so-called ‘decay theory’, first proposed by Raffles a century earlier, is a more appropriate explanation of this surge in piracy.
Daniel [De]Foe’s Virginia venture: Mutiny and indiscipline at sea during the 1680s and 1690s
Authors: Appleby John
Published: February 2017

This article uses evidence from the English High Court of Admiralty to examine the problem of mutiny and indiscipline among seafarers in the transatlantic trades during the 1680s and 1690s. It focuses on a venture of 1688, which is of particular interest not only for the light it sheds on maritime conditions, but also because it involved Daniel Defoe, a young and ambitious trader who was trying to establish a commercial opening in Chesapeake Bay. The article contextualizes this previously unknown venture, relating it to the development of the tobacco trade and its dependence on an expanding market and widening patterns of consumption. The failure of the voyage, in association with other business problems, had serious consequences for Defoe, leading to bankruptcy in 1692 and his withdrawal from direct involvement in overseas trade. Against a broader background of other voyages, the legal testimony heard by the court draws attention to the wider problem of mutinous conduct at sea. These cases were provoked by a range of grievances including pay, labour conditions and discipline. Repeatedly they raise questions about the conduct of masters at sea, including their rights and responsibilities. At the same time, the article argues that the upsurge in mutiny and indiscipline at sea, while revealing the inexorable tension between pay and productivity, also exposed deeper issues regarding seafaring custom and contract.
The slave trade and the development of the Atlantic Africa port system, 1400s–1800s
Authors: Ribeiro da Silva Filipa
Published: February 2017

Scholarly work on the transatlantic slave trade has tended to focus on the volume, conditions and the profits of this hideous commerce and its demographic, economic and social impact on the coastal areas of Atlantic Africa. Much has therefore been published about the history of specific ports and coastal regions, but still little is known about the contribution of the slave trade to the overall formation and shaping of the Atlantic Africa port system and its regional port sub-systems, the links between various ports, their commercial struggles, and the variable factors that conditioned changes in their role within the system. This study will partly address these issues by examining how the slave trade, in conjunction with other local, regional and international economic and political dynamics, contributed to the rise and fall of ports in Atlantic Africa and helped shape its port system. In doing so, the analysis is based on shipping information gathered from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, and on the specific literature on various slave ports in Atlantic Africa.
The Impact of Incentive Compensation on Labor Productivity in Family and Nonfamily Firms
Authors: Chrisman James J. , Devaraj Srikant , Patel Pankaj C.
Published: February 2017

Family and nonfamily firms both must align owner and employee interests. However, family firms may experience lower labor productivity because of adverse selection problems from labor market sorting and attenuation. Incentive compensation reduces alignment of interest problems in family and nonfamily firms. Importantly, incentive compensation signals to potential employees that performance will be rewarded, which should improve the relative labor productivity in family firms by reducing adverse selection. Analysis of matched data on 216,768 firms supports our hypotheses, implying that incentive compensation has a broader impact on firm performance than commonly recognized in the family firm or human resource literatures.
Nonlinear adaptive sliding mode tracking control of an airplane with wing damage
Authors: Asadi D , Bagherzadeh SA
Published: February 2017

This paper investigates a dual-timescale autopilot for a wing-damaged airplane applying nonlinear adaptive sliding mode approach. The adaptive flight control strategy is used to track outer-loop angle commands while accommodating wing damage effect. Two distinct adaptive sliding mode control strategies are designed for the inner- and outer-loop dynamics. The airplane nonlinear model is developed considering center of gravity shift and aerodynamic changes due to the asymmetric wing damage. The performance of the proposed nonlinear adaptive sliding mode controller is evaluated through numerical simulation on NASA generic transport model and is compared with two adaptive algorithms: model reference adaptive control and a robust adaptive control strategy. The results demonstrate that the proposed control law achieves closed-loop stability in the presence of wing damage and accelerometers bias, and also provides satisfactory tracking performance.
Informal settlement janitorial services: implementation of a municipal job creation initiative in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Taing Lina
Published: February 2017

In 2011/12, the City of Cape Town announced that it would commence an on-site janitorial service for communal flush toilets in informal settlements throughout the metropolitan area. The dual objectives of the programme were to improve municipal sanitation services in informal settlements and to create new job opportunities in areas with high unemployment. This paper examines the janitorial programme’s development and administration in Cape Town’s largest township from 2011 to 2014, from the viewpoints of: (1) municipal sanitation officials; (2) civil society advocates; and (3) informal settlement residents employed as janitors. Interviews with key informants and observation of sanitation actors indicated that the implementation of the janitorial programme was mired in conflicting understandings of good governance and different prioritization of goals in multi-objective development initiatives. This case, in particular, points to a potential repercussion of including sanitation in multi-objective programming, for the administration of the job creation aspect took precedence and ultimately detracted from the janitorial programme’s servicing goal.
Flexible modeling of the hazard rate and treatment effects in long-term survival studies
Authors: Hagar Yolanda , Dignam James J , Dukic Vanja
Published: February 2017

The effects of predictors on time to failure may be difficult to assess in cancer studies with longer follow-up, as the commonly used assumption of proportionality of hazards holding over an extended period is often questionable. Motivated by a long-term prostate cancer clinical trial, we contrast and compare four powerful methods for estimation of the hazard rate. These four methods allow for varying degrees of smoothness as well as covariates with effects that vary over time. We pay particular attention to an extended multiresolution hazard estimator, which is a flexible, semi-parametric, Bayesian method for joint estimation of predictor effects and the hazard rate. We compare the results of the extended multiresolution hazard model to three other commonly used, comparable models: Aalen’s additive model, Kooperberg’s hazard regression model, and an extended Cox model. Through simulations and the analysis of a large-scale randomized prostate cancer clinical trial, we use the different methods to examine patterns of biochemical failure and to estimate the time-varying effects of androgen deprivation therapy treatment and other covariates.
A case report of enzalutamide administration in a dialysis-dependent patient with castration-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Tsang Erica S , de Haan Marie , Eigl Bernhard J
Published: February 2017

Enzalutamide, an androgen receptor signaling inhibitor, is a standard of care treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. We present the first reported case of enzalutamide in a patient with end-stage renal disease, on dialysis. While there were no significant toxicities, a sustained increase in systolic blood pressure was maintained after starting enzalutamide, suggestive of a degree of drug accumulation. Further evaluation of novel hormonal agents in end-stage renal disease patients should be encouraged as this population is typically excluded from clinical trials.
Facebook profile picture appearance affects recruiters’ first hiring decisions
Authors: Baert Stijn
Published: February 2017

We investigate whether the publicly available information on Facebook about job applicants affects employers’ hiring decisions. To this end, we conduct a field experiment in which fictitious job applications are sent to real job openings in Belgium. The only characteristic in which these candidates differ is the unique Facebook profile that can be found online with their name. Candidates with the most beneficial Facebook picture obtain approximately 38% more job interview invitations compared to candidates with the least beneficial picture. In addition, we find suggestive evidence for a higher effect of Facebook profile picture appearance on hiring chances when candidates are highly educated and when recruiters are female.
Flexible as freedom? The dynamics of creative industry work and the case study of the editor in publishing
Authors: Bridges Lauren E
Published: February 2017

The creative industries have gained the attention of neoliberal policymakers as providing future economic growth. However, these industries are often built on precarious working conditions as a compromise for flexible and more meaningful work. This article uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate the dynamics of flexible and precarious work in the creative industries through the lived experience of the editor. The data reveal a higher tolerance to precarity among freelance workers compared to full-time workers, paired with high satisfaction levels, particularly among women. Using the editor as a case study, this article seeks to criticise the global labour trend towards flexible employment, which relies more heavily on digital networked labour that is insecure and precarious by nature and to highlight the particular vulnerability of a female creative industry workers who appear to have a higher tolerance to job insecurity.
An Eye Tracking Examination of Men’s Attractiveness by Conceptive Risk Women
Authors: Garza Ray , Heredia Roberto R. , Cieślicka Anna B.
Published: February 2017

Previous research has indicated that women prefer men who exhibit an android physical appearance where fat distribution is deposited on the upper body (i.e., shoulders and arms) and abdomen. This ideal physical shape has been associated with perceived dominance, health, and immunocompetence. Although research has investigated attractability of men with these ideal characteristics, research on how women visually perceive these characteristics is limited. The current study investigated visual perception and attraction toward men in Hispanic women of Mexican American descent. Women exposed to a front-posed image, where the waist-to-chest ratio (WCR) and hair distribution were manipulated, rated men’s body image associated with upper body strength (low WCR 0.7) as more attractive. Additionally, conceptive risk did not play a strong role in attractiveness and visual attention. Hair distribution did not contribute to increased ratings of attraction but did contribute to visual attraction when measuring total time where men with both facial and body hair were viewed longer. These findings suggest that physical characteristics in men exhibiting upper body strength and dominance are strong predictors of visual attraction.
Surveying design spaces with performance maps: A multivariate visualization method for parametric design and architectural design optimization
Authors: Wortmann Thomas
Published: February 2017

This article presents a method to visualize high-dimensional parametric design spaces with applications in computational design processes and interactive optimization. The method extends Star Coordinates using a triangulation-based interpolation with Barycentric Coordinates. It supports the understanding of design problems in architectural design optimization by allowing designers to move between a high-dimensional design space and a low-dimensional Performance Map. This Performance Map displays the characteristics of the fitness landscape, develops designers’ intuitions about the relationships between design parameters and performance, allows designers to examine promising design variants, and delineates promising areas for further design exploration.
Yoga Program for High-Grade Glioma Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy and Their Family Caregivers
Authors: Milbury Kathrin , Mallaiah Smitha , Mahajan Anita , Armstrong Terri , Weathers Shioa-Pei , Moss Kathryn E. , Goktepe Nazli , Spelman Amy , Cohen Lorenzo
Published: February 2017

Background: Despite their high symptom burden and poor prognosis, evidence-based supportive care interventions for adults with high-grade glioma (HGG) and their caregivers are lacking. Thus, we aimed to establish feasibility of a patient-caregiver dyadic yoga program (DYP) for newly diagnosed HGG patients and their family caregivers targeting quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes. Method: In this single-arm pilot trial, dyads participated in a 12-session DYP program across the course of patients’ radiotherapy. The intervention focused on breathing exercises, gentle movements, and guided meditations. We tracked feasibility data and assessed levels of cancer-related symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory [MDASI]), depressive symptoms (Centers for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale), fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory), sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]), and overall mental and physical QOL (36-item Short-Form Survey [SF-36]) at baseline and post-DYP, which was at the end of radiotherapy. Results: We approached 6 dyads of which 5 dyads (86%) consented and completed all 12 sessions and pre/post assessments. All patients (mean age: 52 years, 80% female, 80% grade IV) and caregivers (mean age: 58 years, 80% female, 60% spouses) perceived benefit from the program. Paired t tests revealed a marginally significant, yet clinically meaningful, decrease in patient’s cancer symptoms ( t = 2.32, P = .08; MDASI mean; pre = 1.75, post = 1.04). There were clinically significant reductions in patient sleep disturbances (PSQI mean: pre = 10.75, post = 8.00) and improvements in patient and caregiver mental QOL (MCS of SF-36 mean: pre = 42.35, post = 52.34, and pre = 45.14, post = 51.43, respectively). Conclusions: This novel supportive care program appears to be safe, feasible, acceptable, and subjectively useful for HGG patients and their caregivers. There was also preliminary evidence regarding QOL treatment gains for both patients and caregivers.
Acupuncture and Reflexology for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Breast Cancer
Authors: Ben-Horin Idan , Kahan Peretz , Ryvo Larisa , Inbar Moshe , Lev-Ari Shahar , Geva Ravit
Published: February 2017

Background: Treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which affects approximately 30% to 40% of patients treated with neuropathy-causing agents, is mainly symptomatic. Currently available interventions are of little benefit. Study Design: This study was conducted as a retrospective analysis of the efficacy of acupuncture and reflexology in alleviating CIPN in breast cancer patients. Methods: Medical records of 30 consecutive breast cancer patients who received both chemotherapy and treatment for CIPN according to our Acupuncture and Reflexology Treatment for Neuropathy (ART-N) protocol between 2011 and 2012 were reviewed. Symptom severity was rated at baseline, during, and after treatment. Results: The records of 30 breast cancer patients who had been concomitantly treated with chemotherapy and ART-N for CIPN were retrieved. Two records were incomplete, leaving a total of 28 patients who were enrolled into the study. Twenty patients (71%) had sensory neuropathy, 7 (25%) had motor neuropathy, and 1 (4%) had both sensory and motor neuropathy. Only 2 (10%) of the 20 patients with grades 1 to 2 neuropathy still reported symptoms at 12 months since starting the ART-N protocol. All 8 patients who presented with grades 3 to 4 neuropathy were symptom-free at the 12-month evaluation. Overall, 26 patients (93%) had complete resolution of CIPN symptoms. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that a joint protocol of acupuncture and reflexology has a potential to improve symptoms of CIPN in breast cancer patients. The protocol should be validated on a larger cohort with a control group. It also warrants testing as a preventive intervention.
Multiple Aneurysms and a Transplanted Kidney in Behçet Disease
Authors: Ali Oroog , Nicholl Philip , Carruthers David , Geoghegan James , Tiwari Alok
Published: February 2017

Arterial manifestation of Behçet disease represents a challenging clinical scenario with a potential for fatal complications. This case depicts the surgical management of a 4.5-cm infrarenal aortic aneurysm and a 6-cm left renal artery aneurysm in a patient with known Behçet disease. The presence of a contralateral living donor kidney transplant added to the complexity of the case. Open surgical repair was performed on both aneurysms with the use of axillofemoral bypass to protect the transplanted kidney. This case highlights the challenges of treating an aortic aneurysm in a patient with Behçet disease and a kidney transplant.
Reducing the number of missed isolation days in a paediatric high-dependency unit using semi-permanent pods
Authors: Keward Josephine , Bradshaw Pauline , Otter Jonathan A.
Published: February 2017

Background:

Single rooms are in short supply in many hospitals.

Aim:

To evaluate the impact of introducing semi-permanent pods to convert multi-occupancy bays into single occupancy pods.

Methods:

We performed a 24-month pre–post observational study in a 15-bed paediatric high dependency unit. Three semi-permanent pods were installed in February 2013, in the middle of the 24-month period. The percentage of missed isolation days and the proportion of days for which >4 patients required isolation (which would exceed existing isolation facilities) were compared for the year prior to the pods with the first year of pod use using a Fisher’s exact tests.

Results:

Missed isolation days fell from 58.2% (662/1138; 95% confidence interval [CI], 55.3–61.0) pre-pod to 14.8% (205/1382; 95% CI, 13.0–16.8) during the first year of pod use ( P <0.001). The percentage of days for which >4 patients required isolation was 74.5% overall (95% CI, 70.5–78.8), and increased from 63% (95% CI, 56.2–69.4) pre-Pod to 86% (95% CI, 80.9–90.3) during pod use ( P <0.001).

Discussion:

The introduction of three semi-permanent pods was feasible in our paediatric HDU setting and reduced the number of missed isolation days, and hence transmission risk, for important hospital pathogens.
From an Obscured Gaze to a Seeing Eye? Iris as Victim, Villain, and Avenger in the Role of Writer-as-Assassin in Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin
Authors: Hembrough Tara
Published: February 2017

In the postmodern period, first-person-limited, unreliable, female narrators may have a greater difficulty in “seeing” and, thus, depicting their landscapes than previous eras’ storytellers. Iris (Chase) Griffen, narrator-protagonist of Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin, spins a complicated, self-reflective text exploring her attempts at composing a world vision that consumes the novel’s larger part. Iris’s search for answers about her identity as well as that of other characters may leave readers in the lurch, waiting for their “story,” in Ross Chambers’s terms, as an agreed-upon product. Nonetheless, having amassed assorted textual materials, Iris stockpiles the ammunition she needs to do her “job” as a storyteller-assassin who creates and destroys, as characters suffer a fall. Assuming guises dependent on location, Iris enacts the conflicting roles of a victim, social product, villain, and blind assassin to assault her culture’s masculinist architectures that bar women’s points of views in opposition to what Henry James presents as the unending panoramas offered by his metaphorical “House of Fiction.” Iris’s struggle to construct her life story mirrors the difficulty many women face more broadly, in which they face competing, irreconcilable values. In the novel, Iris’s ability to play differing parts with equal aplomb compels readers to view her as a complex narrator, constructing and assassinating fellow characters to render her female descendants’ fates as open ended.