bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Authoritarian and Democratic Diffusion in Post-Communist Regions
Authors: Lankina Tomila , Libman Alexander , Obydenkova Anastassia
Published: February 2016

There is a rich body of theorizing on the diffusion of democracy across space and time. There is also an emerging scholarship on authoritarian diffusion. The dynamics of the interaction between external democratic and autocratic diffusion processes and their effects on national and sub-national political regime outcomes have received scant attention in the literature. Do democratic diffusion processes help counter external authoritarian influences? And, in contexts where external diffusion of democratic influences is weak, do we observe greater susceptibility to diffusion from regional autocracies that might in turn reinforce authoritarian practices and institutions in “recipient” states? To address these questions, we perform analysis of data from two original under-utilized data sets—a data set on the European Union (EU) aid to Russia’s regions and a data set with statistics on trade among post-Soviet states. We find that EU aid has the effect of countering external authoritarian influences that work through Soviet-era inter-regional economic ties.
Do Teachers Need Structure or Freedom to Effectively Teach Urban Students? A Review of the Educational Debate
Authors: Margolis Jason , Meese Alison A. , Doring Anne
Published: February 2016

This article presents both sides of the debate as to whether urban teachers need structure or freedom, and then takes a stand on urban teaching in the current high-stakes assessment climate. First, we trace the 30-year development of American educational policy in the area of structuring teaching. Then, we present research from proponents of structuring the work of teaching, who argue that education, and particularly urban education, needs to be standardized and monitored. We then share literature from teacher freedom proponents who argue that educators need to adapt their curriculum and pedagogical approaches based on students’ needs and their own professional judgment. We conclude by arguing that urban teaching needs to be structured to promote freedom, in light of recent developments in the often-ignored fields of neuroscience and neuropsychology.
The Impact of Leadership on Student Outcomes
Authors: Day Christopher , Gu Qing , Sammons Pam
Published: February 2016

Purpose: This article illustrates how successful leaders combine the too often dichotomized practices of transformational and instructional leadership in different ways across different phases of their schools’ development in order to progressively shape and “layer” the improvement culture in improving students’ outcomes. Research Methods: Empirical data were drawn from a 3-year mixed-methods national study (“Impact Study”) that investigated associations between the work of principals in effective and improving primary and secondary schools in England and student outcomes as defined (but not confined) by their national examination and assessment results over 3 years. The research began with a critical survey of the extant literature, followed by a national survey that explored principals’ and key staff’s perceptions of school improvement strategies and actions that they believed had helped foster better student attainment. This was complemented by multiperspective in-depth case studies of a subsample of 20 schools. Findings: The research provides new empirical evidence of how successful principals directly and indirectly achieve and sustain improvement over time through combining both transformational and instructional leadership strategies. The findings show that schools’ abilities to improve and sustain effectiveness over the long term are not primarily the result of the principals’ leadership style but of their understanding and diagnosis of the school’s needs and their application of clearly articulated, organizationally shared educational values through multiple combinations and accumulations of time and context-sensitive strategies that are “layered” and progressively embedded in the school’s work, culture, and achievements. Implications: Mixed-methods research designs are likely to provide finer grained, more nuanced evidence-based understandings of the leadership roles and behaviors of principals who achieve and sustain educational outcomes in schools than single lens quantitative analyses, meta-analyses, or purely qualitative approaches. The findings themselves provide support for more differentiated, context sensitive training and development for aspiring and serving principals.
Raising Students Awareness to Climate Change
Authors: Parant Aymeric , Pascual Alexandre , Jugel Milena , Kerroume Myriam , Felonneau Marie-Line , Guéguen Nicolas
Published: February 2016

Much energy and money is dedicated to increasing climate change awareness and pro-environmental behaviors. Mere communication campaigns, which are often alarmist, are widely used despite their uncertain effectiveness. We suggest that using binding communication strategies would prove more adequate. Binding communication consists in combining a persuasive message and a preparatory act linked to the persuasive message. This procedure is generally reported to be more efficient than a single persuasive message at influencing attitudes and behavior. This hypothesis was tested in a study in which students were presented with a classic climate change communication with/without a preparatory act (participant-proposed solutions). Results showed that although knowledge about climate change increased in both conditions, attitudes and behavior follow-through were positively affected only in the binding communication condition. Therefore, in addressing climate change and global warming behaviors, pairing a persuasive message with personal solution generation is a potentially valid and useful technique.
Coating/substrate interaction in elastomer-steel bilayer armor
Authors: Giller CB , Gamache RM , Wahl KJ , Saab AP , Roland CM
Published: February 2016

The properties of steel substrates coated with soft polymers were characterized, in order to assess their connection to ballistic properties. An impact-induced viscoelastic phase change of the polymer effects large energy dissipation, while also spreading the force over a wider area, which reduces the impact pressure. Both effects enhance the performance, as directly measured and seen from strain measurements on the substrate taken during ballistic tests. The contribution of the front-surface polymer to impact performance is increased for harder substrates, indicating a coupling of the layers related to impedance mismatching. Since this effect is very local, the phenomenon can be exploited by surface-hardening of the steel.
Attachment and Employment Outcomes for People With Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Blake John , Brooks Jessica , Greenbaum Hannah , Chan Fong
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the mediation effect of hope on the relationship between attachment and full-time employment for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Quantitative descriptive research design using logistic regression, multiple regression, and correlational techniques were used. Eighty-four persons with SCI were recruited from several SCI advocacy organizations in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results show that secure attachment, anxious attachment, and hope were significantly related to employment. Hope was found to be a significant mediator of the relationship between attachment and full-time employment. Results provide support for the use of hope-based interventions by vocational rehabilitation counselors working with individuals with SCI.
Friendship—a more excellent way towards global, regional, and local ecumenical partnership in mission
Authors: van der Water Des
Published: February 2016

The notion of “partnership” has assumed a high profile in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, particularly in relation to its increasingly common usage with reference to relationships between educational institutions, non-government organizations, government bodies, ecumenical movements, business ventures, and an array of agencies seeking to address global, regional, and local development challenges. For the purpose of this article I will concentrate on the concept of partnership within the context of Christian organizational relationships, with particular reference to the global ecumenical movement and the notions of “partnership in mission.” One of the critical issues on which partnership in mission has consistently run aground is a strong underlying tension and largely unacknowledged stalemate between the respective positioning of donors and recipients within mission and ecumenical partnerships. This article therefore advocates the notion of friendship with particular reference to its relevance to the ecumenical journeys of partnership in mission globally, regionally, and locally. In particular, the principles articulated by Jesus’ characterization of friendship in John 15, incorporating such values as mutuality, trust, confidence, selflessness, and sacrifice, could breathe new life and vitality into the global, regional, and local ecumenical journey of partnership in mission.
Village-led land development under state-led institutional arrangements in urbanising China: The case of Shenzhen
Authors: Lai Yani , Chan Edwin Hon Wan , Choy Lennon
Published: February 2016

As a unique phenomenon of urbanisation in China, the emergence of urban villages has attracted considerable attention from the academic community. Adopting an institutional approach on land development, this study analyses how the land property rights regime affects village-led land development behaviours and spatial outcomes in urban villages. Using a set of reliable data from Shenzhen, the empirical study shows that, although unequal land rights under the current land property rights regime impose severe institutional constraints to the development of urban villages, they actually play a much more important and diversified role in China’s urbanisation than previously recognised. As the primary developers of urban villages, villagers have adopted various land development strategies in response to the changing market environment and internal economic conditions in the dynamic urbanisation process. These dynamic strategies have contributed to the coexistence of sub-optimal industrial development and high-quality housing development in urban villages.
Financialisation and justice in the city: A commentary
Authors: Fainstein Susan
Published: February 2016

Intensification of the transformation of real property into financial instruments has worsened urban inequality in the past several decades. Increased financialisation in itself does not create uneven development and property investment cycles, since these phenomena have always been hallmarks of real estate development under capitalism. Rather it is the combination of financialisation with neoliberal ideology, globalisation, and the constriction of state-sponsored social welfare and housing affordability programs that underlies the inequities produced by property investment. Progressive policy makers can potentially utilise financial instruments in order to achieve greater justice if they are able to challenge neoliberal hegemony.
What Are Youth Asking About Drugs? A Report of NIDA Drug Facts Chat Day
Authors: Morton Cory M. , Hoefinger Heidi , Linn-Walton Rebecca , Aikins Ross , Falkin Gregory P.
Published: February 2016

The current study analyzes a sample of questions about drugs asked online by youth who participated in the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) “Drug Facts Chat Day.” The types of drugs youth asked about were coded into 17 substance categories, and the topics they raised were coded into seven thematic categories. The top five queried drugs were marijuana (16.4%), alcohol (8.5%), tobacco (6%), cocaine (5.7), and pharmaceutical drugs (4.5%). The effects of drug use, experience of being high, the addictiveness of drugs, pharmacology, and drug sales were among the more common types of questions to emerge but varied depending on the substance. These findings show the types of information young people are seeking about drugs and have clear implications to inform youth drug education programs.
A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis of Climate and Tourism Demand
Authors: Li Hengyun , Song Haiyan , Li Li
Published: February 2016

A new model that links climate and seasonal tourism demand is developed to study the effects of home climate, destination climate, and climate difference between destinations and source markets on seasonal tourism demand. Using the dynamic panel data technique, the study focuses on the demand of tourists from Hong Kong for 19 of the major tourism cities in Mainland China. The results show that the home climate, destination climate, and the difference in climate between home and destination cities all have significant influence on tourism demand. Furthermore, demand for Mainland Chinese tourism among Hong Kong residents is found to be driven by the climate at the place of origin, while the effects of destination climate and climate difference are weaker.
Book Review: Suzanne Hanchett, Tofazzel Hossain Monju, Kazi Rozana Akhter, Shireen Akhter and Anwar Islam, Water Culture in South Asia, Bangladesh Perspectives
Authors: Mohanty Bidyut
Published: February 2016

Suzanne Hanchett, Tofazzel Hossain Monju, Kazi Rozana Akhter, Shireen Akhter and Anwar Islam, Water Culture in South Asia, Bangladesh Perspectives, California, Pasadena Development Resources Press, 2014, 292 pp., $10, ISBN: 978-09906337-1.
Financial Dereliction of Duty
Authors: Webb Natalie J. , Abzug Rikki
Published: February 2016

Charity watchdogs and the media level serious allegations of mismanagement of funds at charities serving former and current members of the U.S. armed services, affecting service recipients, families, donors, grantors, foundations, and taxpayers. To examine these allegations, we use two approaches from the literature to assess nonprofit financial effectiveness: the organization’s ability to gain resources and to sustain activities. We mirror the approach of charity raters, whose measures are widely available to the public. Using GuideStar/Internal Revenue Service data, we compare fund-raising expenditures, assets, and financial sustainability of large national military and veterans nonprofits to a random sample of national nonprofits. We apply propensity score matching and compare organizations similar in size, age, and other factors. We find little difference between military and veterans charities and other nonprofits and provide an improved method for evaluating the financial health of nonprofits across academic discipline, nonprofit field of service, and within or among countries.
Heavyweight airdrop flight control design using feedback linearization and adaptive sliding mode
Authors: Liu Ri , Sun Xiuxia , Wang Dong
Published: February 2016

This paper investigates the problem of designing a novel adaptive sliding-mode controller for heavyweight airdrop operations. The design objective is to guarantee asymptotic tracking performance of the aircraft states, in the presence of bounded nonlinear uncertainties without prior knowledge of the bounds. On the basis of feedback linearization of the aircraft–cargo model, a sliding-mode control method with projection-based adaptive function approximation is proposed. This method uses an adaptation strategy to achieve robustness against model uncertainties, and a knowledge of the bounds on the complex uncertainties is not required. Notably, the adaptation law with projection can bound the estimated function, and this avoids singularity of the control signal. Simulations are conducted under the condition that one transport aircraft performs a maximum load airdrop mission at a height of 25 m, using single-row single-platform mode. The results verify the good properties of the control method, which can meet the airdrop mission performance indexes well in the presence of ±20% aerodynamic data uncertainty and 20% actuator fault.
The Costs of Suppressing Negative Emotions and Amplifying Positive Emotions During Parental Caregiving
Authors: Le Bonnie M. , Impett Emily A.
Published: February 2016

How do parents feel when they regulate their emotional expressions in ways that are incongruent with their genuine feelings? In an experimental study, parents reported experiencing lower authenticity, emotional well-being, relationship quality, and responsiveness to their children’s needs when they recalled caregiving experiences in which they suppressed negative emotions and amplified positive emotions, relative to a control condition. In a 10-day daily experience study, parents tended to use both regulation strategies simultaneously. In addition, assessing their unique effects indicated that positive emotion amplification, but not negative emotion suppression, had an indirect effect on parental outcomes via authenticity, with negative emotion suppression no longer being costly. This indirect effect was dampened when accounting for care difficulty. In both studies, effects were independent of a child’s mood. The current results suggest that parents’ attempts to suppress negative and amplify positive emotions during child care can detract from their well-being and high-quality parent–child bonds.
Third-Party Cooperation
Authors: Losecaat Vermeer Annabel B. , Heerema Roeland L. , Sanfey Alan G.
Published: February 2016

Decisions to cooperate are often delegated to a third party. We examined whether cooperation differs when decisions are made for a third party compared with ourselves and specified which motives are important for third-party cooperation. Participants played multiple rounds of a public goods game (PGG). In Study 1, we varied personal involvement from high to low; participants played for themselves ( Self), for themselves and a third party ( Shared), and solely for a third party ( Third Party). Participants contributed most when personal involvement was lowest (i.e., Third Party) and least when personal involvement was high (i.e., Self). Study 2 explored if social motives underlie third-party cooperation by comparing cooperation with social (human) and non-social (computer) group members. Reducing personal involvement in the PGG (i.e., Third Party) increased cooperation in social contexts compared with non-social contexts, indicating enhanced collective interest. Increased cooperation for a third party may result from taking the other’s perspective, thereby increasing social norm preferences.
Change and Continuity in the Study of State and Local Governance
Authors: Heidbreder Brianne
Published: February 2016

The operation and study of state and local government and politics has gone through a significant transformation in the last several decades. For this issue of Reviews and Essays, the author sat down with leading scholar, Ann O’M. Bowman, to discuss the past, present, and future of state, local, and intergovernmental research. While this essay is not meant to be an exhaustive examination of the “state” of the state and local literature, it does explore various interesting lines of inquiry that deserve continued scholarly attention and discusses the potential for research to inform practice.
Fidelity of Intervention of English/Language Arts Elementary Curriculum for Gifted Students
Authors: Moon Tonya R. , Park Sunhee
Published: February 2016

Recent research has shown that implementation of innovative programs at the classroom level continues to be a major challenge. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of modifications made during implementation of two curriculum units in two different setting types (i.e., self-contained, pull-out) to identify areas that should be considered when developing curriculum for gifted learners served through various service delivery models. Following two cohorts of third-grade teachers implementing two language arts units, results indicate that teachers made choices to modify the curricula in detrimental ways more often than in productive ways, with pull-out classroom teachers making more negative modifications. Findings of the study suggest that modifying curriculum appears to be inevitable. To utilize research-based curriculum in educational settings, teachers should be provided knowledge about how to modify the curriculum for their setting to not detract from the intended learning goals, as well as understand the essential curricular components that should not be modified.
Accepting a Scholarly Identity
Authors: Cross Jennifer Riedl , Bugaj Stephen J. , Mammadov Sakhavat
Published: February 2016

This study examined identification with school among middle school students and its relationship with academic crowd membership, a public expression of one’s academic orientation. Of the 127 Grade 6 to 8 students in the sample, 55 reported participation in a gifted program; 44% of these gifted students did not claim affiliation with the academic crowd. There was a positive correlation between identification with school and the importance placed on membership for students in the academic crowd, both gifted and nongifted. The California Bully Victimization Scale was used to determine that no group was more likely to have been victimized. Cluster analysis of crowd memberships indicated that gifted students not in the academic crowd had few other crowd memberships, suggesting that middle school may be an important time to encourage a willingness to be viewed by peers as academically oriented through promoting identification with school.
No alternative to austerity: how BBC broadcast news reported the deficit debate
Authors: Berry Mike
Published: February 2016

This article examines how BBC News at Ten covered the emergence of the UK public deficit debate in 2009. A total of 25 days of coverage drawn from the first seven months of 2009 were subject to a source and thematic content analysis to examine how news bulletins explained the emergence, consequences and possible solutions to the rise in the public deficit. Results indicated that political and financial elites dominated coverage. The consequence was that the news reproduced a very limited range of opinion on the implications and potential strategies for deficit reduction. The view that Britain was in danger of being abandoned by its international creditors with serious economic consequences was unchallenged and repeatedly endorsed by journalists. Despite their limited record of success during recessions, austerity policies dominated discussion of possible solutions to the rise in the deficit. This research thus raises questions about impartiality and the watchdog role of public service journalism.
Justice Standard Determines Emotional Responses to Over-Reward
Authors: Clay-Warner Jody , Robinson Dawn T. , Smith-Lovin Lynn , Rogers Kimberly B. , James Katie R.
Published: February 2016

How do people feel when they benefit from an unfair reward distribution? Equity theory predicts negative emotion in response to over-reward, but sociological research using referential standards of justice drawn from status-value theory repeatedly finds positive emotional responses to over-reward. Researchers have proposed methodological explanations for these different findings, but we propose a theoretical explanation—that over-reward based on local comparisons with an interaction partner creates guilt and other negative emotions, while over-reward relative to an abstract justice standard leads to more positive emotion. We describe two experiments that address methodological explanations for the status value findings: (1) lack of tangible rewards and (2) lack of sufficiently large over-rewards. We find that people who are over-rewarded relative to their referential expectations still report less negative emotion and more positive emotion than those who receive expected rewards. We report results from a third experiment that demonstrate support for our theoretical argument.
Effect of Radiofrequency Thermal Ablation Treatment on Nasal Ciliary Motility
Authors: Rosato Chiara , Pagliuca Giulio , Martellucci Salvatore , de Vincentiis Marco , Greco Antonio , Fusconi Massimo , De Virgilio Armando , Gallipoli Camilla , Simonelli Marilia , Gallo Andrea
Published: February 2016

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of nasal ciliary motility after radiofrequency ablation treatment in patients with isolated inferior turbinate hypertrophy and to clarify how long until normal ciliary function is restored.

Study Design

Prospective, single‐group, pretest‐posttest design.

Setting

Academic tertiary care medical center.

Subjects and Methods

This study involved 34 adult patients affected by nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy who underwent radiofrequency ablation treatment between June and December 2014. Diagnosis was assessed according to clinical history, nasal endoscopy, and active anterior rhinomanometry. Cytologic samples were collected by nasal scraping before surgery and 1, 2, and 3 months after surgery. Ciliary motility was evaluated by nasal cytology with phase‐contrast microscopy. Functional aspects of nasal mucosa were studied, with a focus on 3 parameters: (1) nasal mucociliary clearance, assessed by saccharin nasal transit time test; (2) percentage of ciliated cell motility, measured as the ratio between cells with motility and cells without motility; and (3) efficacy of ciliary motility, measured as the ratio between cells with valid motility and cells with hypovalid motility.

Results

Ciliary motility and ciliary efficacy showed a significant reduction after 1 and 2 months from surgery, returning to normal values within 3 months. No significant changes in saccharin nasal transit time were recorded during the follow‐up.

Conclusions

The outcomes of this study suggest that radiofrequency ablation treatment causes ciliary motility changes of nasal mucosa that are completely restored after at least 3 months after surgery. These cytologic abnormalities do not affect nasal functionality.
Definitive Surgical Therapy after Open Neck Biopsy for HPV‐Related Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Zenga Joseph , Graboyes Evan M. , Haughey Bruce H. , Paniello Randal C. , Mehrad Mitra , Lewis James S. , Thorstad Wade L. , Nussenbaum Brian , Rich Jason T.
Published: February 2016

Objective

To determine the impact of prior open neck biopsy on the prognosis of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) who are subsequently treated with a definitive surgical paradigm, including adjuvant therapy when indicated.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

Tertiary care university hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Patients with open neck biopsies who were treated with definitive surgery, with or without adjuvant therapy, for HPV‐related OPSCC between 1998 and 2012 were compared with a matched control group who did not undergo open neck biopsy. Outcomes were disease‐free survival, overall survival, disease‐specific survival, incidence of tumor deposit in dermal scar, patterns of recurrence, and neck dissection complications.

Results

Forty‐five patients who underwent open neck biopsy were compared with 90 matched controls. Tumor deposits in dermal scars from the prior open neck biopsy were found in 3 patients (7%) during completion neck dissection. Overall complications of the neck dissection were not significantly increased in the open biopsy group over matched controls (20% vs 12%, respectively; P >. 05). Five‐year Kaplan‐Meier estimates for disease‐free survival, overall survival, and disease‐specific survival were not significantly different between the open biopsy and control groups (93% vs 91%, 98% vs 97%, 98% vs 99%, respectively; all P >. 05). Recurrence rates were also not significantly different between groups.

Conclusions

Patients with HPV‐related OPSCC who have undergone a prior open neck biopsy can be successfully treated with a definitive surgical paradigm. Although needle biopsy is preferable to establish a diagnosis, previous open neck biopsy does not affect prognosis in these patients.
Application of Lean Sigma to the Audiology Clinic at a Large Academic Center
Authors: Huddle Matthew G. , Tirabassi Amy , Turner Laurie , Lee Emily , Ries Kathryn , Lin Sandra Y.
Published: February 2016

Objective

To apply Lean Sigma—a quality improvement strategy to eliminate waste and reduce variation and defects—to improve audiology scheduling and utilization in a large tertiary care referral center. The project goals included an increase in utilization rates of audiology block time and a reduction in appointment lead time.

Study Design

Prospective quality improvement study.

Setting

Academic tertiary care center.

Subjects

All patients scheduling audiology clinic visits July 2013 to July 2014.

Methods

Value stream mapping was performed for the audiology scheduling process, and wasteful steps were identified for elimination. Interventions included a 2‐week block release, audiology template revision, and reduction of underutilized blocks. Schedule utilization and lead time for new patient diagnostic audiogram were measured for 5 months postintervention and compared with 5 months preintervention. Overall, 2995 preintervention and 3714 postintervention booked appointments were analyzed.

Results

Block utilization increased from 77% to 90% after intervention (P <. 0001). Utilization of joint‐with‐provider visits increased from 39% to 67% (P <. 0001). Booked appointments increased from 2995 to 3714, with joint‐with‐provider booked appointments increasing from 317 to 1193. Appointment lead time averaged 24 days postintervention, compared with 29 days preintervention (P =. 06). Average monthly relative value units measured 13,321 preintervention and 14,778 postintervention (P =. 09).

Conclusion

Lean Sigma techniques were successfully used to increase appointment block utilization and streamline scheduling practices.
‘To Lay Down the Frontier of an Empire’: Circumscribing Identity in Northeast India
Authors: May Andrew J.
Published: February 2016

Northeast India is in an apparent state of being marginalized, rediscovered and redefined. The region, it might be said, is a historical problem. This article explores ways in which India’s northeast is represented and experienced that signal deeply-rooted, contradictory and contested narratives of history, geography and identity. It further proposes an agenda for historicising the northeast by way of three interconnected strands of inquiry. First, it argues that an analysis of governance is essential to determine the ways in which the northeast frontier as British and Indian buffer zone has been shaped by the personnel, agencies and regulatory systems of imperial authority. Second, it proposes that a deeper study of Christianity and the ways in which particular experiences of belief, conversion and intimate cross-cultural encounter can exemplify tensions at the heart of colonial power and identity. Third, it turns attention to the ways in which ecological history can determine the extent to which the experience of colonialism as a political, economic and cultural regime thus conditioned local ecologies and socio-religious practices in forest and town. In this way, the article advances an understanding of the frontier as both a literal and imagined space, that is, at the same time locally and centrally produced and resisted.
Frontiers of Imagination: Reading over Thomas Lewin’s Shoulders
Authors: Lalruatkima
Published: February 2016

Frontiers evoke images of linear and ethnocentric contact zones. Much of the historical records about the northeastern frontier of British India reinforce this idea of the frontier. This article facilitates an intervention through a reading of two monographs authored by Thomas H. Lewin, who in 1866 was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner and Political Agent of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Frontiers as imaginative spaces open the field of inquiry to the tropes and symbols that organise the contested, fluid and fluctuating relations between the British government and the hill tribes. From this imaginative space, Lewin’s monographs underscore the dynamism of frontier tropes in the construction of individual and collective identities.
Borders, Commodities and Citizens across Mud and River: Assam, 1947–50s
Authors: Saikia Arupjyoti
Published: February 2016

Assam had long been crucially dependent on the geography of East Bengal to sustain its trade and commerce. Partition destabilized this dependency. The Partition suddenly redefined the multifaceted economic, cultural and ecological commonalities, which both Bengal and Assam had shared over the centuries. Despite recent renewal of interest in the post-Partition political economy of India’s western border and Bengal, the experience of Assam, except the question of Sylhet referendum, has received very little attention in historical research. This article offers a fresh explanation of how the new Indian border redefined the agrarian and plantation economy of Assam, how the question of refugee settlement turned out to be a highly contested political subject, and how a newly instituted legal framework complicated the lives of the people living across this politically divided national space.
Book Review: Tadd Graham Fernée, Enlightenment and Violence: Modernity and Nation-making
Authors: Sinha Shanta
Published: February 2016

Tadd Graham Fernée, Enlightenment and Violence: Modernity and Nation-making, SAGE Publications, New Delhi, 2014, 460 pp., ₹995.
Book Review: Alexander Henn, Hindu–Catholic Engagements in Goa: Religion, Colonialism and Modernity
Authors: Xavier Ângela Barreto
Published: February 2016

Alexander Henn, Hindu–Catholic Engagements in Goa: Religion, Colonialism and Modernity, Orient Blackswan, Hyderabad, 2015, 228 pp., $14.65.
No Space for Others? On the Increase of Students’ Self-Focus When Prodded to Think About Many Others
Authors: Hellmann Jens H. , Adelt Marijke Hannah , Jucks Regina
Published: February 2016

In the present experiment, participants read about the presence of many versus few others in typical student-life situations. They subsequently wrote an essay about their perspectives on learning in groups. Using the program Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count to analyze these essays signified that participants who read prompts that involved many (vs. few) other students used more first-person singular pronouns and fewer words related to others. We interpret this increase in self-focus as a consequence of induced social crowding.
Sexualized, objectified, but not satisfied
Authors: Ramsey Laura R. , Marotta Justin A. , Hoyt Tiffany
Published: February 2016

Although the objectification of women is pervasive, it has not been studied extensively in the context of romantic relationships. This is a curious oversight, given that physical appearance is considered a prominent factor in romantic attraction and conceptualizations of objectification tend to involve an exaggerated emphasis on physical appearance. Thus, objectification theory may have interesting implications for romantic relationships. Women who enjoy sexualization may be more likely to have a partner who objectifies them, which could have negative implications for the relationship, as objectification research has generally found that the experience of objectification has negative consequences for women. Across three studies of heterosexual women in relationships ( N = 114, N = 196, and N = 208), results showed that those who enjoyed sexualization tended to feel more objectified by their partner, which in turn related to lowered relationship satisfaction. These findings persisted even when controlling for perceptions of partner’s sexual desire, self-objectification, and objectification from strangers. Furthermore, Study 3 provides preliminary evidence that self-objectification may be a precursor to this mediation in that self-objectification was associated with higher enjoyment of sexualization, which was associated with higher partner-objectification, which in turn was associated with lower relationship satisfaction. This research sheds light on how the objectification of women operates within the context of a heterosexual romantic relationship.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome following catheter-directed thrombolysis of acute iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis
Authors: Davies J , Tippet R , Watson A , Metcalfe J
Published: February 2016

Catheter-directed thrombolysis is becoming increasingly considered in the treatment of acute ileofemoral deep vein thrombosis. By targeting occlusive thrombi early, it is possible to mitigate the symptoms of post-thrombotic syndrome, which include oedema, pain, and ulceration. NICE guidelines recommend the use of catheter-directed thrombolysis in those without contraindications to treatment. The main risk of thrombolysis is bleeding; however, other side effects such as allergy have been reported. We present a 50-year-old man who presented with an acute left-sided ileofemoral deep vein thrombosis. He underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis in our centre to good effect, and ultimately he required stenting due to the presence of a May–Thurner lesion. His first day of thrombolysis, however, was complicated by a massive systemic inflammatory response syndrome response resulting in pyrexia and tachycardia, rigors, and myalgia. His deterioration in observations corresponded with a huge rise in D-dimer levels from an admission baseline of 1465 ng/ml to 182,835 ng/ml. We hypothesize that rapid breakdown of thrombus in this patient resulted in a lysis-type syndrome, presenting with a systemic inflammatory response syndrome response. Several questions are raised here including why the patient responded in this way, and whether there could be a way to predict response ahead of time? Fortunately, our patient came to no harm and continues to do well, with no evidence of further thrombosis on surveillance ultrasound. This case highlights an important complication of thrombolysis and reminds us that complications are not just limited to bleeding. Despite the short-term effects in this young fit patient, concerns must be raised about potential safety in the frailer and more elderly patient demographic in which such a large inflammatory response could be more detrimental.
Region specific contribution of ASIC2 to acidosis-and ischemia-induced neuronal injury
Authors: Jiang Nan , Wu Junjun , Leng Tiandong , Yang Tao , Zhou Yufan , Jiang Qian , Wang Bin , Hu Youjia , Ji Yong-hua , Simon Roger P , Chu Xiang-ping , Xiong Zhi-Gang , Zha Xiang-ming
Published: February 2016

Acidosis in the brain plays a critical role in neuronal injury in neurological diseases, including brain ischemia. One key mediator of acidosis-induced neuronal injury is the acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). Current literature has focused on ASIC1a when studying acid signaling. The importance of ASIC2, which is also widely expressed in the brain, has not been appreciated. We found here a region-specific effect of ASIC2 on acid-mediated responses. Deleting ASIC2 reduced acid-activated current in cortical and striatal neurons, but had no significant effect in cerebellar granule neurons. In addition, we demonstrated that ASIC2 was important for ASIC1a expression, and that ASIC2a but not 2b facilitated ASIC1a surface trafficking in the brain. Further, we showed that ASIC2 deletion attenuated acidosis/ischemia-induced neuronal injury in organotypic hippocampal slices but had no effect in organotypic cerebellar slices. Consistent with an injurious role of ASIC2, we showed that ASIC2 deletion significantly protected the mouse brain from ischemic damage in vivo. These data suggest a critical region-specific contribution of ASIC2 to neuronal injury and reveal an important functional difference between ASIC2a and 2b in the brain.
Optimal detection of scapholunate ligament tears with MRI
Authors: Greditzer Harry G , Zeidenberg Joshua , Kam Check C , Gray Robert R , Clifford Paul D , Mintz Douglas N , Jose Jean
Published: February 2016

Background

Scapholunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) injuries can often be difficult to detect using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially with older 1.0 and 1.5 Tesla magnets. Wrist arthroscopy is the gold standard for diagnosis of SLIL injuries, but is an invasive procedure with associated risks.

Purpose

To assess whether SLIL injuries can be more accurately detected using axial MRI sequences instead of coronal sequences.

Material and Methods

An institutional review board approved retrospective analysis of arthroscopic wrist surgeries performed at our institution. Patients that had a preoperative MRI performed at our university center using a 1.5 Tesla scanner with a dedicated wrist coil were included in the study. Three fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed the axial sequences and coronal sequences independently. The accuracy of the coronal and axial sequences was compared with the arthroscopic/surgical findings.

Result

Twenty-six patients met the inclusion criteria. The sensitivity for SLIL tears was 79% and 65% for the axial and coronal sequences, respectively. The specificity was 82% for the axial and 69% for the coronal sequences, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values for the axial sequences were 76% and 84% respectively, compared to 68% and 71% for the coronal sequences, a statistically significant difference.

Conclusion

SLIL tears are more readily detectable on axial MRI sequences than coronal. Clinically, patients with radial-sided wrist pain and suspicion for SLIL tears should have the axial sequences scrutinized carefully. An otherwise normal study with the axial sequence being degraded by motion or other MRI artifacts might need repeat imaging.
MRI T2* imaging for assessment of liver iron overload: study of different data analysis approaches
Authors: Ibrahim El-Sayed H , Khalifa Ayman M , Eldaly Ahmed K
Published: February 2016

Background

Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been established as an effective technique for evaluating iron overload by measuring T2* in the liver.

Purpose

To investigate the effects of various factors associated with T2* calculation on the resulting measurement and to determine the analysis criterion that provides the most accurate T2* measurements.

Material and Methods

Both phantom and in vivo MRI experiments were conducted to study the effects of the selected region of interest (ROI) location and size, signal-averaging method, exponential-fitting model, echo truncation, iron-overload severity, and inter-/intra-observer variabilities on T2* measurements. The results were compared to reference values from the scanner processing software.

Results

The pixel-by-pixel calculation method provided results in better agreement with the reference values from the MRI scanner than the average or median methods. The choice of the exponential fitting model affected the results, depending on signal-to-noise ratio, number of echoes, minimum and maximum echo times, and tissue composition inside the selected ROI. The single-exponential model resulted in smaller error than the bi-exponential or exponential-plus-constant models, where the latter two models showed similar results. The relative performance of the different models and methods was not affected by the degree of iron-overload.

Conclusion

Various factors associated with the adopted T2* calculation method affect the resulting measurement. In this study, the pixel-by-pixel calculation method and single-exponential model provided the most accurate results based on the conducted phantom and in vivo MRI experiments.
The roles of music amongst musician Holocaust survivors before, during, and after the Holocaust
Authors: Fisher Atarah , Gilboa Avi
Published: February 2016

The aim of this study is to qualitatively examine the roles of music for musician Holocaust survivors during the Holocaust and whether and how it helped them cope with its effects. Seven musician Holocaust survivors aged 73–95 were interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the transcribed interviews indicated five chronological periods where music had different roles: (1) prior to the Holocaust (e.g., as a means to create identity), (2) the outset of the Holocaust (e.g., as a means to maintain normalcy), (3) during the Holocaust (e.g., as a means of escape), (4) the aftermath of the Holocaust (e.g., as a means to promote rehabilitation) and, (5) present day (e.g., as a means to commemorate the past). A sixth category that had a cross-temporal nature was termed “transitional objects,” defined as musical objects that survivors clung to during and after the Holocaust for consolation. The roles of music in coping with the survivors’ trauma are compared to studies that found similar as well as contrasting results and are discussed in light of the literature regarding uses of music for coping with trauma and in light of the growing knowledge about “health musicking.”
Smart governance as key to multi-jurisdictional smart city initiatives: The case of the eCityGov Alliance
Authors: Scholl Hans Jochen , AlAwadhi Suha
Published: February 2016

Quite a number of smart-city initiatives from around the world have been analyzed and documented, and a growing body of academic knowledge is evolving around the phenomenon of the smart city. Smart-city government is seen as an important driver for developing a smart urban environment. The eCityGov Alliance in the Pacific Northwest of the USA represents a special case of a successful smart-city collaboration between nine neighboring municipalities, which combined forces to provide smart services to citizens and businesses that no single municipality could have provided alone. Developing and maintaining a collaborative governance model appears as the most important key success factor in such multi-jurisdictional smart-city undertakings. This study investigates the governance model of the eCityGov Alliance and its opportunities, and potential pitfalls. It concludes that the eCityGov Alliance can serve as a role model for such multi-jurisdictional smart-city initiatives.
“That Is So Common Everyday . . . Everywhere You Go”: Sexual Harassment of Workers in Assisted Living
Authors: Burgess Elisabeth O. , Barmon Christina , Moorhead James R. , Perkins Molly M. , Bender Alexis A.
Published: February 2016

In assisted living (AL) facilities, workers are intimately involved in the lives of residents. Existing research on AL demonstrates the imbalance of this environment, which is a personal home for the residents and a workplace for staff. Using observational and interview data collected from six AL facilities, this grounded theory project analyzes how AL staff define, understand, and negotiate sexual comments, joking, and physical touch. We developed a conceptual model to describe how such harassment was perceived, experienced by AL workers, and how they responded. Sexualized behavior or harassment was experienced by workers of every status. We found that words and actions were contextualized based on resident and worker characteristics and the behavior. Staff members refused to engage residents, redirected them, or reframed the words and gestures to get the job done. Reporting the incidents was less common. We conclude by discussing implications for policy and research.
Early Numeracy Indicators
Authors: Conoyer Sarah J. , Foegen Anne , Lembke Erica S.
Published: February 2016

Two studies using similar methods in two states investigated the long-term predictive utility of two single-skill early numeracy Curriculum Based Measures (CBMs) and the degree to which they can adequately predict high-stakes test scores. Data were drawn from kindergarten and first-grade students. State standardized assessment data from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) were used as criterion measures to evaluate multi-year predictive utility. Logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to examine the extent to which the measures predicted success or failure on ITBS and MAP. Correlational and logistic regression results indicated the Early Numeracy CBMs effectively predict success or failure for the ITBS and MAP. However, further analysis of the diagnostic utility of the measures suggests that practitioners need to carefully consider specificity, sensitivity, and the degree to which the predictability of common screening measures can be generalized to all state standardized assessments.