bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Cohesion, Collective Efficacy, and the Response of a Cape Verdean Community to Hate Crime
Authors: Petrosino Carolyn , Pace James
Published: June 2015

How a neighborhood responds to a hate crime is important for combatting these wrongdoings. Since these acts are often proxies for power dynamics involving the “superior” perpetrator controlling the “inferior” victim, effective responses from the victim’s community are essential. However, these same communities, especially poor minority ones, are often socially disorganized and find it challenging to address the complex problems that stem from poverty. This exploratory study observes how a Cape Verdean community in the Northeast responded to racially motivated hate crimes that occurred there. Using the theoretical framework of social disorganization theory, social cohesion, and collective efficacy, the central questions asked in this study are the following: How did this community respond to these crimes? To what extent did social cohesion and collective efficacy shape its response? Interviews of community leaders were conducted to answer these questions. Results indicate that despite social cohesion on some levels, the lack of collective efficacy prevented the Cape Verdean community from articulating and implementing a strong response to these hate crimes.
Gold Nanoparticles Inhibit Matrix Metalloproteases without Cytotoxicity
Authors: Hashimoto M. , Sasaki J.I. , Yamaguchi S. , Kawai K. , Kawakami H. , Iwasaki Y. , Imazato S.
Published: June 2015

Nanoparticles (NPs) are currently the focus of considerable attention for dental applications; however, their biological effects have not been fully elucidated. The long-term, slow release of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) digests collagen fibrils within resin-dentin bonds. Therefore, MMP inhibitors can prolong the durability of resin-dentin bonds. However, there have been few reports evaluating the combined effect of MMP inhibition and the cytotoxic effects of NPs for dentin bonding. The aim of this study was to evaluate MMP inhibition and cytotoxic responses to gold (AuNPs) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) stabilized by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in cultured murine macrophages (RAW264) by using MMP inhibition assays, measuring cell viability and inflammatory responses (quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [RT-qPCR]), and conducting a micromorphological analysis by fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. Cultured RAW264 cells were exposed to metal NPs at various concentrations (1, 10, 100, and 400 µg/mL). AuNPs and PtNPs markedly inhibited MMP-8 and MMP-9 activity. Although PtNPs were cytotoxic at high concentrations (100 and 400 µg/mL), no cytotoxic effects were observed for AuNPs at any concentration. Transmission electron microscopy images showed a significant nonrandom intercellular distribution for AuNPs and PtNPs, which were mostly observed to be localized in lysosomes but not in the nucleus. RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated inflammatory responses were not induced in RAW264 cells by AuNPs or PtNPs. The cytotoxicity of nanoparticles might depend on the core metal composition and arise from a “Trojan horse” effect; thus, MMP inhibition could be attributed to the surface charge of PVP, which forms the outer coating of NPs. The negative charge of the surface coating of PVP binds to Zn2+ from the active center of MMPs by chelate binding and results in MMP inhibition. In summary, AuNPs are attractive NPs that effectively inhibit MMP activity without cytotoxicity or inflammatory responses.
Can Policing Disorder Reduce Crime? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Braga Anthony A. , Welsh Brandon C. , Schnell Cory
Published: June 2015

Objective:

Crime policy scholars and practitioners have argued for years that when police address social and physical disorder in neighborhoods they can prevent serious crime, yet evaluations of the crime control effectiveness of disorder policing strategies yield conflicting results. This article reports on the results of the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of disorder policing on crime.

Methods:

Systematic review protocols and conventions of the Campbell Collaboration were followed, and meta-analytic techniques were used to assess the impact of disorder policing on crime and investigate the influence of moderating variables.

Results:

We identified 30 randomized experimental and quasi-experimental tests of disorder policing. Our meta-analysis suggests that policing disorder strategies are associated with an overall statistically significant, modest crime reduction effect. The strongest program effect sizes were generated by community and problem-solving interventions designed to change social and physical disorder conditions at particular places. Conversely, aggressive order maintenance strategies that target individual disorderly behaviors do not generate significant crime reductions.

Conclusion:

The types of strategies used by police departments to control disorder seem to matter, and this holds important implications for police–community relations, justice, and crime prevention. Further research is needed to understand the key programmatic elements that maximize the capacity of these strategies to prevent crime.
Disorder and Decline
Authors: Skogan Wesley
Published: June 2015

Objectives:

A significant and diverse body of research has built up during the 30+ years since the publication of Wilson and Kelling’s seminal “broken windows” article. They affected research, policy, and politics around the world. This article summarizes some of the main strands of research that have since sprung up around these and other claims.

Results:

This article discusses approaches to conceptualizing and measuring disorder and weighs the strengths and weaknesses of various measurement modalities. It summarizes what this research has revealed about the apparent causes and effects of disorder.

Conclusion:

Research documents that disorder has broad implications for public health and safety and that it is deeply implicated in the dynamics of neighborhood stability and change. Further, there is evidence that—directly and via its impact on other features of community life—disorder stimulates conventional crime.
Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying Broken Windows Policing
Authors: Weisburd David , Hinkle Joshua C. , Braga Anthony A. , Wooditch Alese
Published: June 2015

Objectives:

We argue that the model underlying broken windows policing requires a developmental sequence involving reductions in fear of crime and eventual enhancement of community social controls. We investigate whether existing evaluation studies provide evidence on these mechanisms.

Methods:

Drawing from a larger systematic review of disorder policing, we identify six eligible studies. We use narrative review and meta-analytic methods to summarize the impacts of these interventions on fear of crime and collective efficacy (a proxy for community social controls).

Findings:

Disorder policing strategies do not have a significant impact on fear of crime in a meta-analysis of six studies. In the one study measuring collective efficacy, there is also not a significant outcome.

Conclusions:

Existing broken windows policing programs do not show evidence of influencing the key mechanisms of the broken windows model of crime prevention, though evidence is currently not persuasive. We outline four key directions for improving research in this area, namely, (1) explore the mechanisms underlying the model, not just test crime outcomes; (2) use measures of disorder distinct from crime; (3) employ longitudinal designs to better fit the developmental nature of the mechanism; and (4) include observational analyses to examine the complex nature of feedback mechanisms.
Response to “Rating Teachers Cheaper, Faster, and Better: Not So Fast”
Authors: Gargani John , Strong Michael
Published: June 2015

In Gargani and Strong (2014), we describe The Rapid Assessment of Teacher Effectiveness (RATE), a new teacher evaluation instrument. Our account of the validation research associated with RATE inspired a review by Good and Lavigne (2015). Here, we reply to the main points of their review. We elaborate on the validity, reliability, theoretical foundation, purposes, and value of RATE; answer Good and Lavigne’s criticisms; and discuss the role evidence plays in research, especially when it challenges strongly held theories.
Outcome analysis of cubital tunnel decompression
Authors: Jariwala A , Bansal N , Nicol GM , Shelton J , Wigderowitz CA
Published: June 2015

Background

Cubital tunnel decompression is a commonly undertaken upper limb procedure. Most studies compare the different techniques of decompression; however, only a few have specifically investigated the outcome of ulnar nerve decompression.

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of ulnar nerve decompression following cubital tunnel syndrome.

Methods and results

A total of 174 ulnar nerve decompression cases were identified from the upper limb surgery database with complete data available for 136 cases. Simple decompression was performed in 110 (80.88%) cases, and in 26 (19.12%), anterior subcutaneous transposition was also supplemented. These operations were performed at three different hospitals by surgeons of different levels of experience. The most common cause of cubital tunnel syndrome was idiopathic. The outcome was satisfactory in 86% of cases. No obvious association was demonstrated between the outcome of surgery and duration of symptoms, presence of co-morbidities or the type of surgery performed.

Conclusion

This is the largest outcome analysis of the results of ulnar nerve decompression at the elbow. Good results following nerve decompression were attained in 86% of cases without any significant effect of duration of symptoms or co-morbidities on the outcome of surgery. It is hoped that the findings of the current study will help general practitioners, junior doctors and surgeons in their management and pre-operative consultation with patients having cubital tunnel syndrome.
Being ‘one of them’: Hierarchy and institutionalisation of charisma of an ethnic pastor in a Romani congregation
Authors: Ripka Štěpán
Published: June 2015

The successful leadership of ethnic pastors in ethnic churches is usually under-theorised, as if their position and authority are self-explanatory, because they are ‘one of them’. The author presents a case from a Charismatic church of Roma/Gypsies in the Czech Republic where one religious leader has changed the shape of a local community of converts from a kinship-driven community to an ethno-religion. Whereas the leader based his political capital on his ‘Gypsiness’, he paradoxically succeeded thanks to the fact that he was not ‘one of them’. The author traces back this process of political empowerment by religious means, and delineates the strategies of hierarchical ordering of the local Roma through a Bible school. By focusing attention on a particular individual who operates within the fields of power and recreates these structures through their own strategies, I point to an aspect of the political–religious dichotomy that has been neglected in the sociology of religion.
‘No longer believing in belonging’: A longitudinal study of Finnish Generation Y from confirmation experience to Church-leaving
Authors: Niemelä Kati
Published: June 2015

The prevailing attitude to the national churches in the Nordic countries has often been described as ‘believing in belonging’. Based on a longitudinal survey data, this article argues that this notion no longer applies to the younger generation, often referred to as Generation Y. Instead, they are challenging traditional reasons for belonging to national churches. The number of church-leavers has been unusually high in Finland since the beginning of the 21st century, the vast majority of them young adults. These same young adults were confirmed in the church only a few years earlier. This study aims to understand why such a high number of young people leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church soon after confirmation. The study shows that for Generation Y, the Church-leaving process is linked to personal beliefs and values. They leave the Church because they do not find it to be in line with their own beliefs. Tradition and culture alone are not enough to keep them as members.
S’inscrire dans l’espace public en tant que musulman en Suisse
Authors: Monnot Christophe
Published: June 2015

In Switzerland, as in many European countries, Muslims are required to be represented in the public sphere. The author clarifies the various institutional constraints that lead Muslims to present themselves differently in the public sphere. He identifies, on the one hand, a tendency for representatives to present themselves as part of a confessional structure embodying the communitas islamica. This structure consists of communities from the diaspora that have reached an agreement with the Swiss Confederation and communities that federate at the level of the canton to form a representative body in the eyes of the authorities responsible for religious regulation. There are, on the other hand, actors who manage to impose their will to create an idealized homo islamicus by becoming directly involved in the media, at the risk of damaging the hard-won ‘representation’ of the institutional actors.
‘Western seminary’: On transnational Shiite higher education in Britain
Authors: Van Den Bos Matthijs
Published: June 2015

In this article the author delves beneath the surface of Shiite higher education in Britain to discover whether it constitutes a case for ‘European Islam’. Juxtaposing the theorisation of Islam in Europe with a commonly unrelated body of scholarship on education and citizenship, it examines a paradox of integrative blending and foreign frames. Understanding Western Shiite education requires recognition of both local identity and transnational ties, as well as the relationships between them. The author focuses on the Shiite Al-Mahdi Institute and the Islamic College in Britain, analysing on the one hand their local profiles, defined by efforts to engage with their Western environment, and on the other hand their organic foreign embedding, whether through state ties or links to educational and religious establishments. Dumont’s concept of hierarchy as ‘encompassment of the contrary’ is invoked to account for this paradoxical relationship, from which emerges a scale of differences between the two institutions.
Learning treasures within an unauthorized migrant workers’ community
Authors: Kim Jin-Hee
Published: June 2015

This study was designed to explore the learning mechanism and its treasures within an undocumented migrant workers’ voluntary community in Korea. Based on a qualitative case study, major findings suggest that various modes of learning mechanisms acted as crucial foundations of the community’s diverse learning paths and participants’ social engagement. Four mechanisms steered the community towards a sustainable learning environment: constructiveness, communicativeness, collective autonomy and practicality. Through these, unauthorized migrants were able to have their “voices” heard in the wider society. These learning treasures have implications for both theory and practice, and for empowering underprivileged groups. They could also widen the horizon of understanding human learning in an informal learning context.
Internal migration of the elderly in Korea: A multilevel logit analysis of their migration decision
Authors: Park Juyoung , Kim Kabsung
Published: June 2015

The present study explores the factors concerning the out-migration decision of the Korean elderly. It utilizes a multilevel model that explores the effects of the interaction between individual attributes and regional characteristics on elderly migration. The findings indicate that probable events in the later stages of the life cycle, such as retirement, loss of spouse, and physical disability, are positively associated with the migration decision. The migration propensity of the elderly varies with the characteristics of their current residence. As expected, the high cost of housing and change in a community may influence the elderly to migrate to other locations. In other words, location-specific attributes of their current residence are related to the migration decision of the elderly. The results indicate that housing prices, relevant welfare facilities, and change in community members play important roles in their out-migration decision.
Algorithms, Governance, and Governmentality
Authors: Introna Lucas D.
Published: June 2015

Algorithms, or rather algorithmic actions, are seen as problematic because they are inscrutable, automatic, and subsumed in the flow of daily practices. Yet, they are also seen to be playing an important role in organizing opportunities, enacting certain categories, and doing what David Lyon calls “social sorting.” Thus, there is a general concern that this increasingly prevalent mode of ordering and organizing should be governed more explicitly. Some have argued for more transparency and openness, others have argued for more democratic or value-centered design of such actors. In this article, we argue that governing practices—of, and through algorithmic actors—are best understood in terms of what Foucault calls governmentality. Governmentality allows us to consider the performative nature of these governing practices. They allow us to show how practice becomes problematized, how calculative practices are enacted as technologies of governance, how such calculative practices produce domains of knowledge and expertise, and finally, how such domains of knowledge become internalized in order to enact self-governing subjects. In other words, it allows us to show the mutually constitutive nature of problems, domains of knowledge, and subjectivities enacted through governing practices. In order to demonstrate this, we present attempts to govern academic writing with a specific focus on the algorithmic action of Turnitin.
‘Housing risk’ and the neoliberal discourse of responsibilisation in Victoria
Authors: Stonehouse Darran , Threlkeld Guinever , Farmer Jane
Published: June 2015

The article examines the representation of housing risk in contemporary Australian policy discourse through a critical analysis of two policy texts from the recent Victorian Coalition government (2010–2014). Drawing on governmentality theory and contemporary debates on neoliberalism, it examines how these policy texts perpetuate a discourse in which ‘housing risk’ is primarily understood as an issue for individuals to manage, rather than as an issue with predominantly structural roots. It then explores how this particular neoliberal representation of ‘housing risk’ supports policy solutions that ultimately responsibilise individuals through a narrow focus on education and employment as the pathways to independence in the private housing market. The article argues that this situation is problematic in a context of increasing rates of homelessness and diminished access to affordable housing across Australia.
Why women’s domestic violence refuges are not local services
Authors: Bowstead Janet C.
Published: June 2015

In a context of localism and public sector cuts in the United Kingdom, women’s domestic violence refuges are experiencing funding cuts and service restrictions. This article presents findings of a research project, quantifying, mapping and conceptualising the journeys women make to escape domestic violence; journeys that often include accessing a women’s refuge. Analysing administrative, survey and interview data it provides evidence of women travelling from everywhere to all types of places to access refuges, and that refuges are distinctively accessed across local authority boundaries. As a result, it is argued that women’s refuges should not be considered, planned and funded as local services; but as regional and national services, hosted locally.
‘Crossing the line’: Criminological expertise, policy advice and the ‘quarrelling society’
Authors: Drake Deborah H. , Walters Reece
Published: June 2015

In October 2009, Professor David Nutt, eminent neuropsychopharmacologist and world leading expert on drugs, was dismissed as Chair of the UK government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for comments he made at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies’ Eve Saville lecture. This article considers the role of evidence in political decision-making through the case of David Nutt. It is argued that the status of expert knowledge is in crisis for both the natural and the social sciences. We examine the role of the criminological advisor within emerging discourses of public criminology and suggest that high-stakes political issues can open up unprecedented opportunities for critical voices to engage in unbridled critique and to mobilise movements of dissent.
Talking About Sexism
Authors: Romaniuk Tanya
Published: June 2015

This article investigates “meta-sexist” talk in U.S. media discussions regarding Hillary Rodham Clinton’s failed bid for the U.S. Democratic nomination in 2007-2008. More specifically, it describes how specific accusations/claims of “sexist” treatment of Clinton were introduced, debated, and ultimately evaluated during significant moments in the course of her campaign. Drawing on a collection of 24 televised interactions in which “sexism” was explicitly topicalized in relation to Clinton’s campaign, the analysis describes how interviewers respond to participants’ claims of “sexist” treatment of Clinton within two periods in the nominating process—when Clinton was reported by mainstream media as the undisputed front-runner, and when she was reported as losing. In illustrating the general features of the interviewers’ responsive behavior characteristic of each period, the analysis reveals some of the ways in which the legitimacy of “sexist” claims may be undermined by mainstream media.
Applying a low-flow CO2 removal device in severe acute hypercapnic respiratory failure
Authors: Sharma Ajay S , Weerwind Patrick W , Strauch Uli , van Belle Arne , Maessen Jos G , Wouters Emiel FM
Published: June 2015

A novel and portable extracorporeal CO2-removal device was evaluated to provide additional gas transfer, auxiliary to standard therapy in severe acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. A dual-lumen catheter was inserted percutaneously in five subjects (mean age 55±0.4 years) and, subsequently, connected to the CO2-removal device. The median duration on support was 45 hours (interquartile range 26-156), with a blood flow rate of approximately 500 mL/min. The mean PaCO2 decreased from 95.8±21.9 mmHg to 63.9±19.6 mmHg with the pH improving from 7.11±0.1 to 7.26±0.1 in the initial 4 hours of support. Three subjects were directly weaned from the CO2-removal device and mechanical ventilation, one subject was converted to ECMO and one subject died following withdrawal of support. No systemic bleeding or device complications were observed. Low-flow CO2 removal adjuvant to standard therapy was effective in steadily removing CO2, limiting the progression of acidosis in subjects with severe acute hypercapnic respiratory failure.
The Drivers of Public Sector Pension Reform Across the U.S. States
Authors: Thom Michael
Published: June 2015

This study analyzes the diffusion of public sector pension reforms across the American states between 1999 and 2012, a policy area notable for its fiscal implications as much as its recent political polarization. Previous enactment in other, non-contiguous states was the largest and most consistent driver of reform. Otherwise, empirical findings suggest that reform antecedents varied by reform type. Existing funding levels reduced the likelihood that states would cut benefits, change pension governance, or reduce cost of living allowances, but had no effect otherwise. Evidence for partisan legislative influence is weak, although Republican control had partial, positive effects on the enactment of pension governance reforms and increases to the retirement age. Across the board, other relevant factors such as constitutional pension protections, collective bargaining rights, and union membership density had no effect. That external contagion pressures have a more robust influence than endogenous conditions raises questions about the future efficacy of pension reform.
A Novel and Likely Inherited Lymphoproliferative Disease in British Shorthair Kittens
Authors: Aberdein D. , Munday J. S. , Fairley R. A. , Vernau W. , Thompson K. G.
Published: June 2015

An unusual lymphoproliferative disease was identified in multiple closely related British Shorthair (BSH) kittens, suggesting an inherited predisposition to disease. Affected kittens typically developed rapidly progressive and marked generalized lymphadenopathy, moderate splenomegaly, and regenerative and likely hemolytic anemia from 6 weeks of age. Microscopic findings were suggestive of multicentric T-cell lymphoma, but additional testing revealed a polyclonal population of CD3+/CD4–/CD8– “double negative” T cells (DNT cells). This is a novel disease presentation with similarities to the human disorder autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS), a rare inherited disease causing lymphoproliferation and variable manifestations of autoimmunity. The human disease is most commonly due to the presence of Fas gene mutations causing defective lymphocyte apoptosis, and further investigations of both the mode of inheritance and genetic basis for disease in affected cats are currently in progress.
Helping Poor Readers Demonstrate Their Science Competence
Authors: Saß Steffani , Schütte Kerstin
Published: June 2015

Solving test items might require abilities in test-takers other than the construct the test was designed to assess. Item and student characteristics such as item format or reading comprehension can impact the test result. This experiment is based on cognitive theories of text and picture comprehension. It examines whether integration aids, which relate pictorial representations to the corresponding textual representations in item stimuli, affect performance in a science test. The results show that items containing referential connections between both representations and highlighting associated information are easier to solve than non-integrated items (i.e., items without aids). However, this is only true for information-complementary representations, not for information-equivalent representations. Furthermore, an effect of reading comprehension on students’ test performance observed when complementary information was presented in a non-integrated format was absent in the integrated format condition.
Transnational Alternative Policy Groups in Global Civil Society: Enablers of Post-Capitalist Alternatives or Carriers of NGOization?
Authors: Carroll William K. , Sapinski J.P.
Published: June 2015

Since the 1970s, transnational alternative policy groups (TAPGs) have generated visions and strategies pointing to alternatives to capitalist globalization. However, TAPGs are also embedded in networks of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and foundations, and may thus be subject to NGOization. This article examines two bodies of data relevant to this issue: (1) network data that highlight TAPGs’ links to major sources of funds as well as key IGOs; (2) reflections of TAPG protagonists gleaned from in-depth interviews conducted at these groups. While our network analysis is consistent with the NGOization narrative, and while our participants offered many narratives of their own in line with it, they also provided more nuanced accounts that begin to specify the contingencies mediating between, on the one hand, resort to formal organization and to working with IGOs and foundations, and on the other hand, descent into hegemonic incorporation. In a neoliberal political – economic environment, the future of counter-hegemonic politics hinges partly on our identifying how ‘preventative measures’ can be brought to bear on processes of NGOization.
An empirical stochastic model of Argentina’s Impossible Game (1955–1966)
Authors: Micozzi Juan Pablo , Saiegh Sebastián M
Published: June 2015

Argentine politics from 1955 to 1966 was characterized by the conflict between the Peronists and the anti-Peronists. While each camp could veto the other’s project, neither could advance their own agenda. In his canonical interpretation, O’Donnell ( Modernization and Bureaucratic-Authoritarianism. Berkeley, CA: Institute of International Studies, University of California, 1973) concluded that party democracy during this era was tantamount to an ‘impossible game.’ While we recognize the significance of O’Donnell’s analysis, we believe that it presents a number of problems. To address its main shortcomings we consider a spatial model that emphasizes the importance of voters’ judgments about the characteristics of party leaders. We recover the positions of Argentine parties using a mixed logit stochastic model and an original dataset of recorded votes in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies during this era. Our results suggest that the electoral logic forced the Peronist party to adopt relatively radical positions away from the center in order to maximize its support. In turn, non-Peronist parties had little incentive to seek the support of moderate, and thus ‘unrepresented,’ Peronist voters by locating themselves at the electoral mean. In particular, valence differences associated with Peronism prevented larger parties from converging toward the center. We thus conjecture that the rules of the impossible game were a constraint imposed by the populace on Argentine political elites rather than a choice made by the latter behind the people’s back.
Multi-dimensional modelling of the effect of the diesel fuel quantity on the exergy terms in an engine fuelled with a mixture of diesel and natural gas
Authors: Jafarmadar Samad
Published: June 2015

Recent research studies have indicated that the start of combustion and the combustion duration of dual-fuel homogeneous charge compression ignition engines can be controlled by the pilot fuel quantity, and the desired engine torque is adjusted via the fuel quantity injected per cycle. In this investigation, energy and exergy analyses were carried out for a dual-fuel engine fuelled with a mixture of diesel (the pilot fuel) and natural gas for four different quantities of injected diesel fuel. The energy analysis is performed during a closed cycle using a three-dimensional model, and combustion modelling was carried out by the three-zone extended coherent-flame model. For the exergy analysis, an in-house computational code is developed, which uses the results of the energy and combustion analyses at different pilot fuel quantities. The results reveal that, when the pilot fuel quantity increases, the exergy efficiency decreases by increasing the exergy destroyed. Also, the second-law performance of the engine decreases in spite of the increase in the work exergy.
Predicting and Improving Recognition Memory Using Multiple Electrophysiological Signals in Real Time
Authors: Fukuda Keisuke , Woodman Geoffrey F.
Published: June 2015

Although people are capable of storing a virtually infinite amount of information in memory, their ability to encode new information is far from perfect. The quality of encoding varies from moment to moment and renders some memories more accessible than others. Here, we were able to forecast the likelihood that a given item will be later recognized by monitoring two dissociable fluctuations of the electroencephalogram during encoding. Next, we identified individual items that were poorly encoded, using our electrophysiological measures in real time, and we successfully improved the efficacy of learning by having participants restudy these items. Thus, our memory forecasts using multiple electrophysiological signals demonstrate the feasibility and the effectiveness of using real-time monitoring of the moment-to-moment fluctuations of the quality of memory encoding to improve learning.
Investigation of liquid ethanol evaporation and combustion in air and oxygen environments inside a 25 kW vertical reactor
Authors: Imteyaz Binash , Habib Mohamed A , Nemitallah Medhat A , Jamal Aqil
Published: June 2015

The combustion characteristics of liquid ethanol in air and oxygen–carbon dioxide environments are investigated numerically inside a vertical reactor. Gambit 2.2 was used to construct the mesh and Fluent 12.1 was used to perform the calculations. Different oxidizer environments were considered including pure air, oxygen-enriched air, in addition to the cases of OF21 (21% O2 and 79% CO2) and OF29 (29% O2 and 71% CO2). Comparisons were performed between the different cases and the results were validated against wide range of the experimental data. Nonpremixed combustion model which utilizes probability density function to predict the scalar quantities was incorporated to simulate the combustion process. Two turbulence models, realizable k–ɛ (RKE) model and Reynolds stress model (RSM), were applied and their results were compared. The Euler–Lagrange approach was utilized to solve the discrete phase model. The results showed the ability of the RKE model to predict much closer data to the experimental data than the RSM which over predicts the temperature. For the case of OF21, the flame was lifted and the combustion temperature was reduced as compared to the air combustion case. However, the OF29 combustion case resulted in a very close performance to the case of air combustion.
India, Central Asia and the Eurasian Union
Authors: Lee Lavina , Gill Graeme
Published: June 2015

India has had long-standing interests in the Central Asian region. Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a Eurasian Union and the recent announcement of the creation of a Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) raises some important questions for this. What impact will the EEU have on Indian ambitions? We argue that all three Indian initiatives to ‘connect’ to Central Asia—the International North South Corridor, the IPI, and TAPI—now either have Russian support or involvement and do not pose a threat to Russia’s interest in maintaining its status as ‘first among equals’ in Central Asia. Further, if the proposed EEU gains traction it will enhance Russian influence over the states of Central Asia, which could in turn enhance Indian interests by facilitating greater access to trade and energy resources, blunting future Chinese expansion and providing a barrier to any expansion of Pakistani influence in the region.
Interethnic Violence, Separatism and Political Reconciliation in Turkey and Indonesia
Authors: Al Qurtuby Sumanto
Published: June 2015

This comparative article discusses the local dynamics of interethnic violence and separatist movement in Turkey and Indonesia, and examines the role of the central governments in these two countries in responding to, and resolving, the conflict and separatism. More specifically, the article focuses on Turkish–Kurdish conflict and Indonesian–Acehnese violence, and explores perspectives of the secessionist groups of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) with regard to the quest of justice and conciliation. The heart of this article is to investigate the dynamics of micropolitics of political reconciliation and attempts at conflict resolution and peacebuilding between Ankara and PKK as well as Jakarta and GAM aiming at identifying the root causes underlying Turkey’s failure and Indonesia’s success in addressing their ethnic problems.
Book Review: Chari, P.R. and Vyjyanti Raghavan, Sino-Indian and Sino-South Korean Relations: Compulsions, Comparisons and Contrasts
Authors: Yeon-Jung JI
Published: June 2015

Chari, P.R. and Vyjyanti Raghavan, Sino-Indian and Sino-South Korean Relations: Compulsions, Comparisons and Contrasts (New Delhi: Routledge, 2015). Pp. 268, Price ₹ 795.
Return for Postpartum Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Mohd Suan Mohd Azri
Published: June 2015

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence and characteristics of women who received a postpartum oral glucose tolerance test and to examine barriers as reported by women who failed to return for the test. Data were collected using a mobile phone–based short messaging service. Only 352 (81.9%) women returned for the test. Women who failed to return for the test were younger (30.1 vs 32.1, P = .003) and did not have a previous history of gestational diabetes (93.6% vs 84.9%, P = .043) compared to women who returned for the test. The commonest reasons given for not returning for the test was “Still waiting for the appointment date for the test” (37.2%), “had family/health problems” (11.5%), and “busy/no time” (10.3%). Flexible time for the test, active involvement from health care staff, and strengthening continuous care system were among the interventions needed to improve the return rate for this screening test.
Australasian contributions to the “shell shock” literature of World War I
Authors: Macleod Sandy
Published: June 2015

Objective:

Australasians contributed to the medical literature on shell shock during and after World War I.

Conclusions:

AW Campbell, Elliot Smith, Carmalt Jones and AG Butler made significant contributions, and several ‘frontline doctors’ recorded astute observations.
Staying Connected
Authors: Zabel Robert , Kaff Marilyn , Teagarden Jim
Published: June 2015

Sheldon Braaten career has focused on children and youth with significant behavior and emotional challenges. His career has spanned experiences from a mental health therapist, special education teacher, school administrator, and university professor. Sheldon founded the Behavioral Institute for Children and Adolescents and initiated the International Child and Adolescent conference. He is an established author and editor in the field and was the recipient of the Howard Muscott CCBD Distinguished Service Award in 2013 from the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. Dr. Braaten shared his reflections with members of the JANUS project shortly after receiving this service award. Sheldon describes the benefit of establishing and nourishing connections for a successful and rewarding career.
Beyond Professional Competence
Authors: Yin-Ling Tsui Elaine , Hoi-Yan Chan Celia , Fong Tin Agnes
Published: June 2015

Health-care professionals who offer perinatal bereavement support often encountered numerous stressful events in daily practices. Secondary trauma and burnout related to psychological distress are not uncommon. Literatures suggested that further skill training enhances perceived self-competence thus lowering such traumatic impact. Nevertheless, equanimity, an emerging concept in professional development, which is characterized by a sense of unflappability and resilience in face of challenges, is an indispensable element in protecting the well-being of health-care professionals. The current study aimed to examine the role of equanimity and perceived self-competence on professional quality of life among health-care professionals. A city-wide survey study was conducted among 101 individuals who offered perinatal bereavement support at tertiary care institutions in Hong Kong. Perceived self-competence was positively associated with compassion satisfaction (β = .380, p < .001, CI = 0. 038, 0.131) and negatively correlated to burnout (β = −.439, p < .001, CI = −0.148, −0.055), in which both relationships were moderated by the level of equanimity, that is, the impact of perceived self-competence on professional quality of life was only significant among individuals with higher level of equanimity. It implied that perinatal bereavement training should integrate not only knowledge and skills but also component of equanimity training to facilitate the capacity building among frontline health-care professionals.
Self-Care Behaviors and Glycemic Control in Low-Income Adults in México With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus May Have Implications for Patients of Mexican Heritage Living in the United States
Authors: Compeán Ortiz Lidia G. , Del Ángel Pérez Beatriz , Reséndiz González Eunice , Piñones Martínez Socorro , González Quirarte Nora H. , Berry Diane C.
Published: June 2015

This study examined self-care behaviors and their relationship to glycemic control in low-income Mexican adults with type 2 diabetes in Southeastern Tamaulipas, México. A total of 135 patients were enrolled from 17 community health centers. The most frequent self-care behavior was medication management (80%), and the least frequent self-care behavior was self blood glucose monitoring (7%). All the patients demonstrated poor glycemic control, with glycated hemoglobin > 7%. Self-care behaviors were associated with fasting blood glucose ( rs = .223, p = .005). Medication management was influenced by cognitive performance, F(1, 130) = 4.49, p = .036, and depression, F(1, 130) = 8.22, p = .005. Dietary behaviors were influenced by previous diabetes education, F(1, 130) = 6.73, p = .011. These findings indicate that education and cognitive behavioral interventions in Spanish for Mexican adults with type 2 diabetes are urgently needed.
Patterns of Pharmacological Treatment for Osteoporosis Among Patients Qualified for Pharmacotherapy According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation Guidelines
Authors: Wang Chi-Chuan , Wu Chung-Hsuen , Farley Joel F.
Published: June 2015

Background: Whereas the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) guidelines suggest pharmacological treatment for patients at high risk of fractures, little is known about the prevalence of osteoporosis treatment among those who met the NOF criteria for pharmacotherapy. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis treatment among patients who met the NOF criteria and to assess factors associated with pharmacological treatment. Methods: The 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey served as the data source. Using the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool, the study included postmenopausal women and men 50 years or older who met the NOF treatment criteria. Andersen’s Behavioral Model was used to select predisposing, enabling, and need factors that might predict osteoporosis treatment. A logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with osteoporosis treatment. Results: An estimated 16 million individuals qualified for osteoporosis treatment according to the NOF guidelines. Only 24% of them received pharmacological treatment, and 89% of the patients receiving treatment were women. Only 6% to 12% of men who were at high risk of osteoporosis or fracture received pharmacotherapy. Older age, long-term corticosteroid use, history of fractures, and T-score ≤−2.5 were associated with increased odds of osteoporosis treatment, whereas male gender and lack of a usual source of health care were associated with decreased odds of osteoporosis treatment. Conclusions: Less than one-fourth of the population who should be considered for pharmacotherapy received osteoporosis treatment. Clinicians should be more aware of the unmet need for medication treatment for osteoporosis.
Blinatumomab
Authors: Buie Larry W. , Pecoraro Joshua J. , Horvat Troy Z. , Daley Ryan J.
Published: June 2015

Objective: To review the clinical pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of blinatumomab for the treatment of pediatric and adult precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Data Sources: A literature search of EMBASE (1947 to April 2015), Medline (1946 to April 2015), PubMed (1996 to April 2015), the U.S. National Institutes of Health Clinicaltrials.gov, the Food and Drug Administration, and relevant meeting abstracts was conducted using the terms blinatumomab, BiTE, bispecific T-cell engager, MT103, MEDI-538, and Blincyto. Study Selection/Data Extraction: Human and animal studies describing the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety of blinatumomab for precursor B-ALL were identified. Data Synthesis: Blinatumomab is a first-in-class bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) antibody derived from a B-lineage specific antitumor mouse monoclonal antibody that binds to both CD19 of B-cells and CD3 of T-cells. A pivotal phase II trial demonstrated that response rates were high in a refractory or relapsed patient population, with 43% achieving complete remission (CR). Median relapse-free survival was 5.9 months for those with CR or CR with incomplete hematological recovery. Median overall survival was 6.1 months, and 60% of patients achieved minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity. The most common adverse events included pyrexia, neurological events, headache, febrile neutropenia, peripheral edema, nausea, hypokalemia, constipation, and anemia. Conclusions: Blinatumomab is a novel BiTE therapeutic monoclonal antibody that has shown promising results in patients with relapsed or refractory ALL or those achieving a CR with persistent MRD. Phase III clinical trials should define the optimal place in therapy of blinatumomab.
Mechanisms of Cumulative Advantage Among NGOs Engaging Men in Violence Prevention
Authors: Leek Cliff
Published: June 2015

In the last 20 years, gendered violence has come to the forefront of human rights and public health discourse as a global phenomenon and as a global health concern. As this awareness has increased, so has the emphasis on the important role that men play in the prevention of gendered violence. Funding is now pouring into relatively new organizations seeking to engage men, yet little research has been done to examine the patterns through which this work gets endorsed, funded, and executed. In-depth interviews with leaders of these organizations and their funders reveal the mechanisms by which a small number of organizations are able to obtain and maintain financial and political leadership in this growing global field. The impact of cumulative advantage on the work being done is also discussed.
Isolated Gallbladder Intramucosal Metastatic Melanoma With Features Mimicking Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma
Authors: Lo Amy A. , Peevey Joseph , Lo Edward C. , Guitart Joan , Rao M. Sambasivia , Yang Guang-Yu
Published: June 2015

Malignant melanoma has a variety of morphologic patterns and can metastasize and mimic any type of neoplastic process creating significant diagnostic difficulty. When metastasis to the gastrointestinal system is identified, it is most commonly associated with widely metastatic disease. We report a rare case of isolated gallbladder intramucosal metastatic melanoma with features mimicking lymphoepithelial carcinoma in an adult patient who presented with cholecystitis. Additionally, we report the imaging and morphologic features and discuss the importance of these findings along with a clear clinical history and immunohistochemical profile to make a definitive diagnosis.