bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancing the use of theory in occupational therapy: A collaborative process / Promouvoir l’application de la théorie en ergothérapie : un processus de collaboration
Authors: Leclair Leanne L. , Ripat Jacquie D. , Wener Pamela F. , Cooper Juliette E. , Johnson Leslie A. , Davis Ellen L. O. , Campbell-Rempel Margaret Anne
Published: July 2013

Background.

Theory is important to the growth and evolution of occupational therapy. However, use of theory remains challenging for many therapists.

Purpose.

The aim was to develop a process that occupational therapists could apply to advance theory in practice.

Method.

Based on a review of the literature and using a qualitative instrumental case study design, 18 student occupational therapists and eight fieldwork educators completed online modules on the theory advancement concepts generated from the literature, wrote journals, and/or participated in online discussions during fieldwork. Following fieldwork, educators were interviewed and students participated in focus groups exploring their experiences. Directed content analysis was used to analyze the data.

Findings.

Based on the data collected, we developed the Theory Advancement Process (TAP). The TAP is composed of four primary contexts, a climate of collaborative relationships with four key elements, and four essential processes.

Implications.

The TAP presents a collaborative process for students, faculty, and therapists to work together to advance the use of theory in practice.
To what ends? Governmental interests and European Union (non-) intervention in Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Pohl Benjamin
Published: July 2013

Since the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy framework became operational in 2003, the Union has undertaken more than 20 crisis management operations. The drivers behind this activity remain debated. This article proposes a fresh interpretation based on governmental interests as defined by domestic political risks and opportunities. It argues that EU governments have tailored Common Security and Defence Policy action so as to satisfy domestic audiences. By way of illustration, this article examines the most ambitious Common Security and Defence Policy operation to date, the EU Force mission in Chad and the Central African Republic, as well as a deliberate non-intervention in a comparable case, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2008. By analysing the positions of the most relevant EU governments in each respective case, this article demonstrates how they corresponded to domestic political logic. Drawing on some 20 interviews with policy-makers, this article provides a theoretical account explaining the motives behind Common Security and Defence Policy decision-making rooted in original empirical evidence. The explanation for the haphazard pattern of Common Security and Defence Policy operations thus far can be found in the link between domestic politics and EU crisis management operations.
Being bullied in childhood, and pain and pain perception in adulthood
Authors: Sansone Randy A , Watts Daron A , Wiederman Michael W
Published: July 2013

Background and Aims:

While a number of negative health outcomes have been associated with bullying in childhood, we are not aware of any studies examining relationships between bullying in childhood, and pain symptoms and pain perception in adulthood – the focus of the present study.

Methods:

Using a cross-sectional consecutive sample and a self-report survey methodology, we examined among 243 primary-care outpatients a history of being bullied in childhood (yes/no) in relationship to three pain ratings (now, past month, past year) and catastrophic thoughts and feelings about pain as assessed by the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS).

Results:

Being bullied in childhood was statistically significantly associated with present pain ratings ( p < .001) as well as pain ratings over the past month and the past year ( p < .01), and with the total score on the PCS as well as each of its sub-scales (i.e. rumination, magnification, helplessness) ( p < .001).

Conclusions:

Being bullied in childhood is associated with higher reported levels of pain at various time points as well as greater levels of self-reported catastrophic thoughts and feelings about pain. Importantly, the methodology of this study does not allow for the examination of a causal relationship.
Multispecies Scholarship and Encounters: Changing Assumptions at the Human-Animal Nexus
Authors: Wilkie Rhoda
Published: July 2013

Changing attitudes towards animals in modern industrialised societies has triggered new lines of scholarly enquiry. The emergence of Human-Animal Studies (HAS) is part of the turn towards animals within the social sciences. Although sociology is a relative newcomer to multispecies scholarship, more than three decades ago a sociologist anticipated that the discipline might benefit from attending to the ‘zoological connection’ (Bryant, 1979). Bringing to the fore what usually remains in the shadowy background, i.e. our symbolic and material relations with nonhuman animals, has started to unearth underexplored areas of social life. This is a noteworthy retrieval, because it reminds us of the multifaceted and entangled nature of interspecies interfaces, networks and encounters. This article suggests that seeing life through a multispecies lens not only allows scholars in cognate and non-cognate disciplines an opportunity to engage in innovative scholarship, it also lays the groundwork to animalise the sociological imagination and sociologise HAS.
Subdivision Vintage and Housing Prices: Do Home Buyers Value Traditional Development?
Authors: Bitter Christopher
Published: July 2013

New Urbanism and traditional neighbourhood development (TND) have been championed as solutions to the problems associated with post-war suburban sprawl. However, they have yet to capture a substantial share of the US housing market. The market context for TND is not well understood as the paucity of TND makes it difficult to study directly. This paper takes a novel approach by focusing on the market for ‘traditional’ development itself, defined as subdivisions recorded prior to World War II, in the sprawling Tucson, Arizona, MSA. The results of the hedonic analysis demonstrate that home buyers value the features embodied in traditional development, as homes in subdivisions platted before 1940 command premiums over those in their modern counterparts, even after carefully controlling for locational and structural characteristics. Moreover, the analysis finds that the premiums have increased through time, which suggests growing demand for traditionally designed subdivisions.
Telecommuting and Leadership Style
Authors: Dahlstrom Timothy R.
Published: July 2013

Telecommuting is an increasingly popular organizational dynamic that presents unique challenges for workers, managers, and human resources departments regarding how employees relate to their organizations, as well as what telecommuters need from their managers to be satisfied, committed employees. Much is known about how employees in private companies relate to their organizations in a standard work setting. However, little is understood about how teleworkers in government organizations relate to their organizations, and how managerial leadership behaviors influence the organizationally related outcomes of telecommuters. This article reviews some of the challenges with telecommuting, focusing on telecommuting’s impact on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The article then presents a prominent leadership style dichotomy and assesses the impact of the two leadership styles on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The substitutes for leadership are included in this assessment. To synthesize these literatures, the final section of the article combines telecommuting challenges and leadership style to suggest the leadership style that best mediates the negative aspects of telecommuting and is, therefore, most important for employees in a telecommuting environment. Areas for further research are also considered.
Career Choice in Canadian Public Service
Authors: Ng Eddy S. W. , Gossett Charles W.
Published: July 2013

A recent survey of 19,261 university students in Canada revealed the Government of Canada as the employer of choice, among the millennial generation. Drawing on the employer knowledge framework, we explore how the Millennials make career choices, what they find attractive, and how public service may help them achieve their career goals, work values, and work/life choices. Specifically, the Millennials prioritized balancing personal life and career, pursuing further education, and contributing to society as their top career goals. Those who indicated a career choice in public service also rated high ethical standards, social responsibility, and a progressive working environment as ideal employer characteristics. Moreover, the Millennials also consider an inclusive work environment and having diverse colleagues to be important factors when accepting employment. Overall, there appears to be a good fit between the factors the Millennials find important and a career choice in public service. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
The Blurring of Attractive Work Practices Across Health Care Sectors
Authors: Rodwell John J. , Demir Defne
Published: July 2013

Magnet-style characteristics are considered important to the recruitment and retention of nurses. Little is known about nurses’ perceptions of these characteristics across public, private, and third sector health care organizations. The primary aim of this paper is to examine these characteristics across sectors to determine whether differences in key Magnet-style characteristics exist. Given the employee-level focus, demographic factors were also considered. Australian nurses ( n = 459) were recruited using an online panel. No differences between sectors on work environment dimensions were found. Gender, age, employment type, and tenure revealed significant relationships with various work characteristics. Similarities in the work perceptions across sectors implies no specific sector will be differentially impacted by the increasing nurse shortages. An increasing emphasis on contemporary work environments will increase the presence of Magnet-like characteristics irrespective of sector. These results highlight the potential of practice permeability occurring, particularly in a system with common policy and operational drivers.
Fiqh Al-Aqalliyyât and the Arab Spring
Authors: Eyadat Zaid M.
Published: July 2013

Due to the current shifting regional paradigms in the Middle East brought on by the series of popular uprisings known as the Arab Spring, this article focuses on the issue of minority rights within modern Islamic theorizing. Evaluating the writings of Islamic intellectuals such as Tariq Ramadan, Abdullah Ahmed An-Na’im and Rashid Al-Ghannushi, the article finds that there are indeed constructs available within modern Islamic theorizing that can help resolve current minority problems within Arab societies, albeit with the addition of human rights discourse on citizenship and multiculturalism. Noting that minority–majority relations are a global problem, as seen through case studies of the United States and Europe, human rights discourse, cultural relativism and religion are explored, concluding that Islamic theorizing is a blend of the three. Turning to usul al fiqh, it is concluded that traditional Islamic approaches to minority rights fail to incorporate anything but religious minorities and those religious minorities are second-class citizens under shariah interpretation. The rise of the Ottoman millet system eventually helped shape the collective identity for minority groups, but it still placed sole emphasis on religious minorities and treated all minorities as unequal subjects under the sultanate. Building on the constructs of modern Islamic theorizing and expanding to include the concepts of multiculturalism and territorial citizenship, this article asserts that for minority–majority struggle to be solved, modernist Islamic theorists must transcend the traditional Islamic minority paradigm and instead promulgate citizenship as a basis for equality in society, applying new ijtihad for a fresh, integrative interpretation of minorities within Islam and the civil state.
Selection Bias in Choice of Words
Authors: Gustafsson Sendén Marie , Lindholm Torun , Sikström Sverker
Published: July 2013

In everyday life, people use language to communicate evaluative messages about social categories. A selection bias in language across two social dimensions not previously integrated was examined: a self-inclusive/self-exclusive dimension and an individual/collective dimension. Pronouns as markers for social categories were adopted ( I, We, He/She, and They), and a new measure was developed (the Evaluative Sentence Generating task) to investigate the evaluative context selected for the pronouns. Results demonstrate that individuals select a more positive context for self-inclusive than self-exclusive pronouns and a more positive context for individual than collective pronouns. However, in an interpersonal context, evaluative differences between I and We diminished, whereas in an intergroup condition the evaluative gap between self-inclusive and self-exclusive pronouns was magnified.
Predicting fear of crime
Authors: Özascilar Mine
Published: July 2013

Criminologists have indicated that gender is one of the strongest predictors of fear of crime. The leading explanation for gender differences in fear of crime levels is the shadow of sexual assault hypothesis, claiming that women’s fear of sexual assault is one of the most salient factors influencing their fear of other crimes. Using a sample of 1,051 university students, this study examines the predictors of fear of crime in Sweden by testing the shadow of sexual assault hypothesis. Like the work of Ferraro, the current study suggests that the fear of sexual assault shadows the fear of other offenses, especially crimes that involve face-to-face contact between victims and offenders. Across all models, perceived risk is a consistent predictor of fear of crime among university students.
Does a Partnership Need Partners? Assessing Partnerships for Critical Infrastructure Protection
Authors: Koski Chris
Published: July 2013

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has used a partnership planning model of implementation to address the protection of critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR). The partnership relies upon existing regulators and operators to secure CIKR with little ability of DHS to compel action. Instead, the Department of Homeland Security acts to define and draw attention to tasks related critical infrastructure protection. This article analyzes Government Accountability Office reports to characterize variations in success of the partnership by assessing the extent to which DHS has addressed key components of partnership planning: creating a structure that encourages collaboration, establishing trust across partners, monitoring partners’ performance, attending to differences in partners’ organizational culture, identifying and leveraging existing relationships among partners, and instilling a sense of a common mission in the partnership. The findings underscore the limitations of partnership approaches in addressing complex problems that lack strong leadership and clear policy goals.
The prevalence of osteoarthritis of the atlanto-odontoid joint in adults using multidetector computed tomography
Authors: Liu Kai , Lü Yubo , Cheng Dongfeng , Guo Lingfei , Liu Cheng , Song Huixiao , Chhabra Avneesh
Published: July 2013

Background

The prevalence of osteoarthritis of the atlanto-odontoid joint has been reported by radiology, autopsy, and conventional computed tomography (CT), but the prevalence has not yet been assessed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).

Purpose

To reveal the prevalence of osteoarthritis of the atlanto-odontoid joint and to analyze the inter-relationships among gender, age, and osteoarthritis with MDCT in adults.

Material and Methods

First, a series of 700 selected domestic patients aged >18 years undergoing an upper cervical MDCT scan were divided equally into seven age groups. Second, using the postprocessing technique of multiplanar reconstruction, osteoarthritis of the atlanto-odontoid joint was viewed from any direction and classified into four grades, which were normal, mild, moderate, and severe. Lastly, the incidence of the different grades of osteoarthritis was assessed, and the reproducibility was tested.

Results

There was no significant difference between gender and osteoarthritis of atlanto-odontoid joint ( P > 0.05). The rate of osteoarthritis was 16% in the age group 18–25 years, 23% in the age group 25–30 years, 33% in the age group 30–40 years, 54% in the age group 40–50 years, 70% in the age group 50–60 years, 87% in the age group 60–70 years, and 93% in the age group >70 years. Mild osteoarthritis appeared at the earliest at age 19.6 years, moderate osteoarthritis in at earliest at age 24.2 years, and severe osteoarthritis at the earliest at age 48.5 years. The inter-observer reliability was excellent (k = 0.86).

Conclusion

Osteoarthritis of the atlanto-odontoid joint could be detected by MDCT in a young adult. It increased rapidly with increasing age on MDCT.
Coasts and climate
Authors: French J.R. , Burningham H.
Published: July 2013

Geomorphology is increasingly engaged with the connections between coastal behaviour and climate variability and change. While impacts of climate change at the coast are often primarily viewed in terms of landform adjustments to accelerated sea-level rise, geomorphologists are also starting to unlock the subtleties of how coastal processes are forced by a broader suite of climate factors. This progress report highlights three main strands of recent geomorphological research in this vein: the search for a broader suite of climatic signatures in recent coastal deposits; empirical analyses of the linkages between climate variables and contemporary shoreline change; and enhancement of our capability to predictively model climate-driven changes in coastal morphology.
Gove Hambidge (ed.), Climate and Man: The 1941 Yearbook of Agriculture. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office
Authors: Dixon Richard W.
Published: July 2013

This work marked the beginning of a new phase in applied climatology. After this work, new manuscripts would not just incorporate the rote description of statistics or regions, but attempt to place physical aspects of climate as a dynamic factor in the natural environment.
Healing Predictors of Stable Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans Knee Lesions After 6 and 12 Months of Nonoperative Treatment
Authors: Krause Matthias , Hapfelmeier Alexander , Möller Melanie , Amling Michael , Bohndorf Klaus , Meenen Norbert M.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Nonoperative treatment of stable juvenile osteochondritis dissecans (JOCD) lesions of the knee fails in up to 50% of cases. Healing predictors are needed to identify potential failures and thus determine treatment options.

Purpose:

A predictive model for healing potential after 6 and 12 months of nonoperative treatment of stable JOCD lesions based on sensitive magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) follow-up measurements was developed.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze 62 white patients (76 stable JOCD lesions) who were initially treated by restriction of activity until they were free of pain. The primary end point was healing investigated on MRI with follow-up measurements after 6 and 12 months of nonoperative treatment. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the influence of age, sex, JOCD lesion size, clinical symptoms, and the occurrence of cystlike lesions (CLLs) on healing potential. Additionally, optimal prognostic cutoffs were defined to differentiate failures from nonfailures.

Results:

After 6 months of nonoperative treatment, 51 (67%) of 76 stable JOCD lesions showed no progression toward healing or showed signs of instability. Normalized lesion width and area and CLL occurrence differed significantly between failures and nonfailures ( P < .05). A multivariate logistic regression best-predictors model that included age, CLL size, and normalized lesion width best predicted healing after 6 months and resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.779 ( P < .001). A cutoff at 48% healing probability, as predicted by a nomogram based on age, normalized lesion width, and CLL size, differentiated failures from nonfailures (sensitivity, 60.0%; specificity, 83.7%). After 12 months, 37 lesions (49%) had progressed toward healing, and the sole observation of CLL size had the highest predictive validity (AUC, 0.766). The optimal cutoff was a healing probability of 61% (lesion size, 1.3 mm; sensitivity, 70.3%; specificity, 74.1%).

Conclusion:

A 6-month period of nonoperative treatment with or without casting might be appropriate if the healing potential is >48%. A 12-month period of nonoperative treatment may be successful if the CLL is <1.3 mm in length as assessed on MRI.
The Policy Communication Index
Authors: Canary Heather E. , Riforgiate Sarah E. , Montoya Yvonne J.
Published: July 2013

Despite recent scholarly contributions regarding policy communication, much remains to be known about policy communication processes. This article reports two studies that resulted in a survey instrument that measures policy communication in organizations. Study One included 197 full-time employees across occupations and industries. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in five factors of the Policy Communication Index: Meeting Discussions, Human Resources Communication, Coworker Interactions, Supervisor/Coworker Written Instructions, and Personal Expressions. Study Two included 245 full-time employees across job functions and industries. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a five-factor Policy Communication Index. Results are interpreted with structurating activity theory and implications are posed for future organizational communication research and practice.
A theoretical investigation into the handling characteristics of snowboards at low lateral acceleration
Authors: Purdy DJ , Simner D , Diskett D , Duncan A , Brooks LEE , Sheppard P
Published: July 2013

In this work, a model of a rider and snowboard is presented. The snowboard is modelled as two rigid one-dimensional sections connected by a frictionless pin-joint linked by a torsional stiffness and the rider by a mass at a fixed height above the snowboard, which can move longitudinally. The model is simplified to allow the fundamental behaviour of the snowboard and rider to be investigated for a number of manoeuvres used by learners. The behaviour of the rider is shown to be related to the angle of lean and it is conjectured that the rider might attempt to achieve consistency of response by moving their centre of mass longitudinally. The response of the model in open-loop is difficult to control, and to overcome this, two control loops are designed for the lateral velocity and yaw angle of the snowboard. The model is shown to recreate a number of manoeuvres that are used to help people to learn to ride snowboards.
Multi-fault classification based on the two-stage evolutionary extreme learning machine and improved artificial bee colony algorithm
Authors: Xiao Jian , Zhou Jianzhong , Li Chaoshun , Xiao Han , Zhang Weibo , Zhu Wenlong
Published: July 2013

Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) is a novel single-hidden-layer feed forward neural network with fast learning speed and better generalization performance compared with the traditional gradient-based learning algorithms. However, ELM has two issues: the hidden node number of ELM needs to be predefined and the random determination of the input weights and hidden biases lead to ill-condition problem. In this paper, a two-stage evolutionary extreme learning machine (TSE-ELM) algorithm was proposed to overcome the drawbacks of original ELM, which used an improved artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm to optimize the input weights and hidden biases. The proposed TSE-ELM algorithm was applied on the UCI benchmark datasets and rolling bearing fault diagnosis. The numerical experimental results demonstrated that TSE-ELM had an improved generalization performance than traditional ELM and other evolutionary ELMs.
Associations between drug use and sexual risks among heterosexual men in the Philippines
Authors: Regan Rotrease , Dyer Typhanye Penniman , Gooding Taigy , Morisky Donald E
Published: July 2013

The relationship between drug use and sexual risk behaviours among 2272 men in the southern Philippines was assessed. Over 20% of participants used drugs. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, marital status, income, occupation and geographic region revealed that compared to non-drug users, men who used drugs had earlier sexual debuts (adjusted odds ratio = 1.73; 95% confidence interval = 1.38–2.17), were more likely to report two or more recent sexual partners (adjusted odds ratio = 2.22; 95% confidence interval = 1.59–3.11), and were more likely to report ever having sex with a female sex worker (adjusted odds ratio = 2.99; 95% confidence interval = 2.25–4.00). Condom use was noted to be low overall among the men in this study; however, the odds of more frequent condom use with a regular partner were greater for men who used drugs compared to non-drug users (adjusted odds ratio = 1.60; 95% confidence interval = 1.26–2.02). There were no significant differences in condom use during last sex or frequency of condom use with a sex worker. While injection drug use was not common (1%), use of oral or inhaled substances was prevalent, and associated with increased sexual risk for acquisition and transmission of STI/HIV. Efforts to decrease STI/HIV transmission should specifically target non-injection drug use as a risk factor.
Isolated pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae in heterosexual male contacts
Authors: Thomson-Glover Rebecca , Brown Ruth , Edirisinghe Damitha N
Published: July 2013

Pharyngeal infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in heterosexual men is thought to be of low prevalence and the value of routinely testing this group of patients is uncertain. We present two cases of NG, isolated only in the pharynx, in asymptomatic heterosexual male contacts. The presence of pharyngeal NG was found irrespective of direct oropharyngeal sexual exposure.
Drug and sexual HIV risk behaviours related to knowledge of HIV serostatus among injection drug users in Houston, Texas
Authors: Noor Syed WB , Ross Michael W , Lai Dejian , Risser Jan M
Published: July 2013

This study examines the association between drug and sexual HIV risk behaviours and knowledge of HIV serostatus among a sample of injection drug users, recruited into the 2009 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project. We calculated prevalence ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals of reporting a given risk behaviour comparing injection drug users unaware of their serostatus and HIV-negative to HIV-positive injection drug users. Of 523 participants, 21% were unaware of their HIV serostatus. The three groups were not different from each other in terms of drug-use behaviours; however, injection drug users unaware of their HIV serostatus were 33% more likely to report having more than three sexual partners in the past 12 months and 45% more likely to report having unprotected sex compared to HIV-positive injection drug users. We observed markedly higher prevalence of sexual risk behaviours among injection drug users unaware of their serostatus, but drug-use risk behaviours were similar across the groups.
Novel writing in international relations: Openings for a creative practice
Authors: Edkins Jenny
Published: July 2013

Prompted by Elizabeth Dauphinee’s The Politics of Exile, the article explores the political potential of novel ways of writing in international relations. It begins by examining attempts to distinguish between narrative writing and academic writing, fiction and non-fiction, and to give an account of what narrative might be and how it might work. It argues that although distinctions between narrative writing and academic writing cannot hold, there are nevertheless ways of judging the practical political effects that writing can produce. It briefly examines feminist, postcolonial and other international relations scholars who collect other people’s stories or tell their own, and points to an instructive body of work in fiction and literary non-fiction beyond the discipline. It argues that writing that disrupts linear forms of temporality and instead inhabits ‘trauma time’ can open the possibility of an aesthetic political practice, and suggests that we foster such a creative practice in international relations.
Go west, go east: War’s exilic subjects
Authors: Shapiro Michael J.
Published: July 2013

This article is a commentary on Elizabeth Dauphinee’s book The Politics of Exile. Its focus is on her displacement – her dual sojourn that is, on the one hand, a physical migration (from Canada to Bosnia for research) and, on the other, a genre migration (from academic to literary writing). The main part of the analysis situates Dauphinee’s contribution among the Balkans War reflections of diverse exilic artists from the former Yugoslavia (writers and a film director), and the article ends by situating Dauphinee’s method within two analytics: Jacques Rancière’s concept of indisciplinarity and Cesare Casarino’s concept of philopoesis.
Between the idea and the reality: GP liaison in a rural setting
Authors: Gill Neeraj , Amos Andrew
Published: July 2013

Objectives:

To describe the organisational, clinical and pragmatic features of a GP liaison service established by the Division of Mental Health in the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service catchment to facilitate the care of rural patients and improve communication between primary and specialist care.

Conclusions:

The GP liaison service was created using funding from the Commonwealth STP initiative to provide weekly registrar clinics to primary care providers in the Darling Downs. The service was eagerly accepted by providers who saw patient benefits outweighing financial considerations. Expectations of a greater level of care than the assessment and advice provided reflects the large unmet need for mental health services in rural areas. GPs expressed enthusiasm for true collaborative care, such as case management overseen by the public mental health service but based at GP offices.
Physical Health Status as a Predictor of Treatment Outcomes Among Youth in Residential Care
Authors: Van Dyk Tori R. , Nelson Timothy D. , Epstein Michael H. , Thompson Ronald W.
Published: July 2013

In addition to complex behavioral and emotional issues, youth presenting to residential care tend to have higher rates of physical health conditions than those in the general population. Although a strong body of research has found a relationship between physical and mental health, the influence of health status on youth residential care outcomes has not been explored. This study examined the impact of poor physical health on mental health treatment outcomes in a sample of 1,735 youth entering residential care from 2000 to 2010. At intake, youth received medical evaluations identifying physical health conditions, medication prescriptions, and anthropometric measurements. Residential care outcomes were measured by changes in 1-year National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children–IV mental health diagnoses and discharge setting. Rates of school dropout and placement stability were also examined 6 months after discharge. Results suggest that factors related to poor physical health, specifically nonpsychotropic medication prescriptions, are associated with suboptimal mental health outcomes at 1 year, discharge, and follow-up from residential care. These findings indicate that physical health issues adversely impact residential care outcomes, suggesting these youth may require specialized services, such as integrated treatment planning, to achieve optimal treatment outcomes.
Short-Term Functional Outcomes of First Metatarsophalangeal Total Joint Replacement for Hallux Rigidus
Authors: Erkocak Omer Faruk , Senaran Hakan , Altan Egemen , Aydin Bahattin Kerem , Acar Mehmet Ali
Published: July 2013

Background:

Although metatarsophalangeal (MTP) arthrodesis has been advocated by many authors, implant arthroplasty appears to be successful option in advanced hallux rigidus (HR). The aim of our study was to evaluate the early results of the ToeFit-Plus prosthesis for the treatment of HR.

Methods:

Between December 2007 and January 2011, a total of 26 toes of 24 patients with MTP arthritis of the great toe were treated with ToeFit-Plus implant. The average follow-up time was 29.9 (range: 25 to 62) months. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Postoperative satisfaction and function were scored according to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score. Pain was assessed with the use of a visual analogue scale.

Results:

Mean preoperative AOFAS score improved from 42.7 (range: 36 to 59) to 88.5 (range: 59 to 98) at the final follow-up ( P < .01). Preoperative average visual analogue scale pain scores improved from 7.4 preoperatively to 1.9 at the final follow-up ( P < .01). The average MTP joint range of motion improved from 25.9 degrees preoperatively to 53.8 degrees at the final follow-up. No radiologic loosening was found, but radiolucency was observed in 2 patients with this implant. No revision was required for any of the patients during the follow-up period.

Conclusions:

This total first MTP joint prosthesis yielded good functional outcome and high patient satisfaction level with low early complication rate. Preservation of joint movement and good pain relief with early mobilization were the advantages of this procedure. Salvage arthrodesis remains an option if future revisions are indicated.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Motivators and Barriers to Using Patient Experience Reports for Performance Improvement
Authors: Geissler Kimberley H. , Friedberg Mark W. , SteelFisher Gillian K. , Schneider Eric C.
Published: July 2013

Increasingly, patient experience surveys are available to provide performance feedback to physician groups. However, limited published literature addresses factors influencing use of these reports for performance improvement. To address this gap, we conducted semistructured interviews with leaders of Massachusetts physician groups. We asked about factors influencing groups’ use of performance data and report characteristics. Motivating characteristics included having group leaders who emphasized a positive patient experience and prioritized patient retention; public reporting was not an important motivator for most groups. Full physician panels were perceived as a barrier to use of reports. Performance reports from a statewide public reporting collaborative were not sufficient for the majority of groups, with many seeking external reports. As policy makers create financial incentives to support performance improvement, assisting leaders to articulate the professional case for patient experience and enhancing the content and timing of performance reports may be important.
Relevance of hypointense brain MRI lesions for long-term worsening of clinical disability in relapsing multiple sclerosis
Authors: Giorgio Antonio , Stromillo Maria Laura , Bartolozzi Maria Letizia , Rossi Francesca , Battaglini Marco , De Leucio Alessandro , Guidi Leonello , Maritato Patrizia , Portaccio Emilio , Sormani Maria Pia , Amato Maria Pia , De Stefano Nicola
Published: July 2013

Background:

The accrual of brain focal pathology is considered a good substrate of disability in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). However, knowledge on long-term lesion evolution and its relationship with disability progression is poor.

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to evaluate in RRMS the long-term clinical relevance of brain lesion evolution.

Methods:

In 58 RRMS patients we acquired, using the same scanner and protocol, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and 10±0.5 years later. MRI data were correlated with disability changes as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).

Results:

The annualized 10-year lesion volume (LV) growth was +0.25±0.5 cm3 (+6.7±8.7%) for T2-weighted (T2-W) lesions and +0.20±0.31 cm3 (+11.5±12.3%) for T1-weighted (T1-W) lesions. The univariate analysis showed moderate correlations between baseline MRI measures and EDSS at 10 years ( p < 0.001). Also, 10-year EDSS worsening correlated with LV growth and the number of new/enlarging lesions measured over the same period ( p < 0.005). In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, EDSS worsening over 10 years was best correlated with the combination of baseline T1-W lesion count and increasing T1-W LV ( R = 0.61, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

In RRMS patients, long-term brain lesion accrual is associated with worsening in clinical disability. This is particularly true for hypointense, destructive lesions.
A very gradual suppression: A history of Turkish opium controls, 1933–1974
Authors: Windle James
Published: July 2013

Before 1974 controls over Turkey’s opium production were ineffective and provided opportunities for large-scale diversion, making it one of the world’s largest sources of illicit opium. The state monopoly was limited by a lack of authority over opium producing areas, laissez faire controls and poor state procurement practices. Policies administered between 1933 and 1971 did, however, represent a period of organisational learning which led to the establishment of a highly successful drug control policy. A secondary finding of this paper, revealed whilst analysing diversion estimates, suggests that there may be inaccuracies in assumptions of geographical displacement from Turkey. While these assumptions have been reproduced in much of the literature, the data suggests that the Turkish opium ban of 1971 had either minimal impact on global or regional production levels, or that displacement occurred during the 1960s rather than the mid-1970.
A Review on the Prevalence and Measurement of Elder Abuse in the Community
Authors: Sooryanarayana Rajini , Choo Wan-Yuen , Hairi Noran N.
Published: July 2013

Objectives:

Aging is a rising phenomenon globally and elder abuse is becoming increasingly recognized as a health and social problem. This review aimed to identify the prevalence of elder abuse in community settings, and discuss issues regarding measurement tools and strategies to measure elderly abuse by systematically reviewing all community-based studies conducted worldwide.

Method:

Articles on elder abuse from 1990 to 2011 were reviewed. A total of 1,832 articles referring to elders residing at home either in their own or at relatives' houses were searched via CINAHL and MEDLINE electronic databases, in addition to a hand search of the latest articles in geriatric textbooks and screening references, choosing a total of 26 articles for review.

Results:

Highest prevalence was reported in developed countries, with Spain having 44.6% overall prevalence of suspicion of abuse and developing countries exhibiting lower estimates, from 13.5% to 28.8%. Physical abuse was among the least encountered, with psychological abuse and financial exploitation being the most common types of maltreatment reported. To date, there is no single gold standard test to ascertain abuse, with numerous tools and different methods employed in various studies, coupled with varying definitions of thresholds for age.

Conclusion:

Current evidences show that elder abuse is a common problem in both developed and developing countries. It is important that social, health care, and legal systems take these findings into consideration in screening for abuse or reforming existing services to protect the health and welfare of the elderly.
The Role of Trauma Symptoms in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
Authors: Smith Noelle B. , Kouros Chrystyna D. , Meuret Alicia E.
Published: July 2013

Reports of traumatic events by individuals who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) are common; yet, evidence for the relation between traumatic events and NSSI is inconclusive. This review explores the thesis that trauma symptoms, rather than the experience of a traumatic event per se, underlie this relation, specifically suggesting that trauma symptoms might serve as a mediator. The literature indicates that self-injury plays an important functional role in coping with trauma symptoms such that self-injury can provide an escape from intrusive thoughts and aversive emotional states, as well as end dissociation and periods of numbness through the generation of feelings. Additionally, trauma symptoms have been shown to mediate the relation between the occurrence of traumatic events and NSSI. Taken together, trauma symptoms may play an important role in the development and maintenance of NSSI. The review concludes with treatment implications and future directions for research.
Training Meals on Wheels Volunteers as Health Literacy Coaches for Older Adults
Authors: Rubin Donald L. , Freimuth Vicki S. , Johnson Sharon D. , Kaley Terry , Parmer John
Published: July 2013

Homebound older adults constitute a “hardly reached” population with respect to health communication. Older adults also typically suffer from health literacy challenges, which put them at increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Suboptimal interactions with providers are one such challenge. Interventions to improve interactive health literacy focus on training consumers/patients in question preparation and asking. Meals on Wheels volunteers are uniquely suited to coach their clients in such interaction strategies. Seventy-three Meals on Wheels volunteers participated in workshops to train as health literacy coaches. The 3- to 4-hour workshops included units on communicating with older adults, on the nature of health literacy, and on the process of interactive health literacy coaching. Participants viewed and discussed videos that modeled the targeted communication behaviors for older adult patients interacting with physicians. They role-played the coaching process. After 9 months, coaches participated in a “booster” session that included videos of ideal coaching practices. Evaluation questionnaires revealed that participants had favorable reactions to the workshops with respect to utility and interest. They especially appreciated learning communication skills and seeing realistic videos. A measure of knowledge about the workshop material revealed a significant increment at posttest. Fidelity of coaching practices with respect to workshop curriculum was confirmed. This training in interactive health literacy for community-based lay volunteers constitutes one way to implement the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy for one “hardly reached” population. An online tool kit containing all workshop materials is available.
Distributed Leadership
Authors: Gunter Helen , Hall Dave , Bragg Joanna
Published: July 2013

We have designed and deployed a mapping framework to present and analyse knowledge production and distributed leadership in schools. Positions are identified from within the field: functional (descriptive and normative), critical and socially critical. For each position we examine the purposes, rationales and narratives within selected texts that illuminate knowledge claims about what is known, what is worth knowing, how it is known and who the knowers are. Analysis has identified the prevalence and political dominance of functional approaches and provides explanations regarding the interplay between the state, public policy and the preferred types of knowledge.
Regulation by Ridicule: Humorous Denigration as a Regulatory Instrument
Authors: Grabosky Peter
Published: July 2013

This article analyzes ridicule as a regulatory instrument. It discusses the nature and forms of ridicule, its functions across time and cultures, then reviews its place within the paradigm of regulatory pluralism. Ridicule is hardly a regulatory panacea, but it has significant potential to mobilize public interest constituencies, and to raise the consciousness of members of the public who might not otherwise be attuned to conventional policy discourse. This is particularly the case since the advent of social media.
The connective tissue and ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint: a review and investigation using ultra-high field 16.4 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Slattery D. , Aland C. , Durbridge G. , Cowin G.
Published: July 2013

This study reviews the literature on the anatomy of the connective tissues surrounding the distal interphalangeal joint and further characterizes the three-dimensional relationships of these structures with ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging. Ten cadaver fingers, fixed in a solution of 5% agar and 4% formalin, were imaged utilising an ultrashield 16.4 Tesla ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging, yielding a total of 4000 images. Images were analysed using Osirix™ (version 5.5.1 32 bit edition) for three-dimensional reconstruction. We found numerous conflicting descriptions of the connective tissue structures around the distal interphalangeal joint. Based upon our literature review and imaging studies we have defined precisely Cleland’s ligaments, the oblique proximal septum, Grayson’s ligaments, the dorsal plate, and the interosseous ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint.
‘I can’t resist sending you the book’: Private Libraries, Elite Women, and Shared Reading Practices in Georgian Britain
Authors: Towsey Mark
Published: July 2013

By outlining the contribution made by private libraries to the intellectual and cultural lives of a specific group of readers in the rural north-east of Scotland, this article asks what role family libraries played in the growth of library provision in the long eighteenth century. With book lending becoming something of a social imperative in the polite culture of late Georgian Britain, private libraries often served as a practical resource for the wider community, providing books that could not be acquired elsewhere, and filling important gaps in ‘public sphere’ provision in rural communities with- out access to subscription or circulating libraries. More importantly, though, the practice of book sharing had far-reaching consequences for community cohesion, shared reading habits, and intellectual culture. In particular, this essay points to the role played by the physical exchange of private books in the dissemination and widespread acceptance of new ideas relating to female education, child-rearing, and separate spheres associated with James Fordyce and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
The major histocompatibility complex: a model for understanding graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Petersdorf Effie W.
Published: July 2013

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) afflicts as much as 80% of all patients who receive an unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) for the treatment of blood disorders, even with optimal donor HLA matching and use of prophylactic immunosuppressive agents. Of patients who develop acute GVHD, many are at risk for chronic GVHD and bear the burden of considerable morbidity and lowered quality of life years after transplantation. The immunogenetic basis of GVHD has been the subject of intensive investigation, with the classic HLA genetic loci being the best-characterized determinants. Recent information on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region of chromosome 6 as an important source of untyped genetic variation has shed light on novel GVHD determinants. These data open new paradigms for understanding the genetic basis of GVHD.
C3a modulates IL-1β secretion in human monocytes by regulating ATP efflux and subsequent NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Authors: Asgari Elham , Le Friec Gaelle , Yamamoto Hidekazu , Perucha Esperanza , Sacks Steven S. , Köhl Jörg , Cook H. Terence , Kemper Claudia
Published: July 2013

Key Points

C3aR activation increases ATP efflux, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and IL-1β secretion in human monocytes. C3aR-activated monocytes drive Th17 responses in vitro and likely in vivo.