bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practicing Collaboration in Teacher Preparation
Authors: Weiss Margaret P. , Pellegrino Anthony , Brigham Frederick J.
Published: June 2016

Collaboration among professionals is a vital component for successful inclusion of students with disabilities. In many cases, teacher preparation programs assume that teacher candidates know how to collaborate without explicit instruction or authentic practice and, therefore, omit coursework on collaboration. Alternatively, some programs may require coursework in collaboration but that coursework may exclude candidates from any other programs. In this article, we describe candidate outcomes from a course about collaboration that was taught in two ways: (a) as a co-taught course with faculty and candidates from social studies and special education and (b) as a course in the special education program that included only faculty and candidates in special education. Candidates in both groups constructed pre- and post-course concept maps about collaboration. We conducted both quantitative and qualitative analyses to determine depth, breadth, and complexity of understanding of collaboration as well as growth in these areas. Findings and implications are discussed.
Pressure mapping with textile sensors for compression therapy monitoring
Authors: Baldoli Ilaria , Mazzocchi Tommaso , Paoletti Clara , Ricotti Leonardo , Salvo Pietro , Dini Valentina , Laschi Cecilia , Francesco Fabio Di , Menciassi Arianna
Published: June 2016

Compression therapy is the cornerstone of treatment in the case of venous leg ulcers. The therapy outcome is strictly dependent on the pressure distribution produced by bandages along the lower limb length. To date, pressure monitoring has been carried out using sensors that present considerable drawbacks, such as single point instead of distributed sensing, no shape conformability, bulkiness and constraints on patient’s movements. In this work, matrix textile sensing technologies were explored in terms of their ability to measure the sub-bandage pressure with a suitable temporal and spatial resolution. A multilayered textile matrix based on a piezoresistive sensing principle was developed, calibrated and tested with human subjects, with the aim of assessing real-time distributed pressure sensing at the skin/bandage interface. Experimental tests were carried out on three healthy volunteers, using two different bandage types, from among those most commonly used. Such tests allowed the trends of pressure distribution to be evaluated over time, both at rest and during daily life activities. Results revealed that the proposed device enables the dynamic assessment of compression mapping, with a suitable spatial and temporal resolution (20 mm and 10 Hz, respectively). In addition, the sensor is flexible and conformable, thus well accepted by the patient. Overall, this study demonstrates the adequacy of the proposed piezoresistive textile sensor for the real-time monitoring of bandage-based therapeutic treatments.
Passive imputation and parcel summaries are both valid to handle missing items in studies with many multi-item scales
Authors: Eekhout Iris , de Vet Henrica CW , de Boer Michiel R , Twisk Jos WR , Heymans Martijn W
Published: June 2016

Previous studies showed that missing data in multi-item scales can best be handled by multiple imputation of item scores. However, when many scales are used, the number of items will become too large for the imputation model to reliably estimate imputations. A solution is to use passive imputation or a parcel summary score that combine and consequently reduce the number of variables in the imputation model. The performance of these methods was evaluated in a simulation study and illustrated in an example. Passive imputation, which updated scale scores from imputed items, and parcel summary scores that use the average over available item scores were compared to using all items simultaneously, imputing total scores of scales and complete-case analysis. Scale scores and coefficient estimates from linear regression were compared to “true” parameters on bias and precision. Passive imputation and using parcel summaries showed smaller bias and more precision than imputing total scores and complete-case analyses. Passive imputation or using parcel summary scores are valid missing data solutions in studies that include many multi-item scales.
Entrepreneurship as a Career Option: Do Temporary Workers Have the Competencies, Intention and Willingness to Become Entrepreneurs?
Authors: Costa Sílvia Fernandes , Caetano António , Santos Susana C.
Published: June 2016

This study analyses the entrepreneurial intentions and the willingness of temporary workers to consider entrepreneurship as a career option. Specifically, we analyse the self-perception of entrepreneurial competencies of a group of temporary workers. A total of 184 temporary workers participated in the study. We performed a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to identify profiles of entrepreneurial competencies according to temporary workers’ entrepreneurial intention and willingness to consider entrepreneurship as a career option. We conclude that temporary workers do not always perceive themselves as having the necessary competencies to choose for entrepreneurship in their occupational paths. The self-perception of different levels of entrepreneurial competencies is also associated with different intentions and willingness to consider entrepreneurship as a career option. Finally, we provide insights for practice, which can be considered as a starting point for activities aiming to develop entrepreneurial competencies at the individual or organisational levels.
Critical Factors of Cloud Computing Adoption in Organizations: An Empirical Study
Authors: Gangwar Hemlata , Date Hema
Published: June 2016

Using extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study attempts to assess empirically crucial factors affecting cloud computing adoption intentions. It explores security, availability and compliance-related challenges in cloud computing and makes the necessary recommendation which can help to mitigate the risk in cloud computing. A framework was developed to test the effect of security, availability of cloud service provider and compliance-related factors on cloud computing adoption intentions mediated by perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU). A questionnaire for the factors was developed to collect the data from 280 companies in information technology, manufacturing and finance sectors in India. The data was analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further, structural equation modelling using AMOS 20.0 was used to test the proposed model. The empirical results show that cloud computing adoption intention is determined by PU and PEOU. Further, PU is found to be significantly influenced by PEOU. Risk as well as availability and support are found to be significant on PEOU. In addition, threat, risk, vulnerability and compliance are found to be significant on PU. The model can be used as a guideline to ensure a positive outcome of the cloud computing adoption in organizations. The findings offer cloud computing users with a better understanding of how security, availability of cloud service provider and compliance-related factors affect cloud computing adoption intentions. It also provides relevant recommendations to achieve conducive implementation environment for cloud computing adoption. This study is an attempt to explore and develop model for cloud computing adoption intentions that was theoretically grounded in the TAM.
Are the Indian National Highway PPPs More Efficient than Non-PPPs? An Empirical Analysis through Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Gopalkrishna Nagesha , Karnam Gayithri
Published: June 2016

Presently, the entire world is moving to adopt Public Private Partnership1 (PPP) mode as an alternative to the traditional mode2 of ‘item rate of contract’ to provide both economic and social infrastructure. This move is due to the professed advantages of PPPs, such as improved efficiency in service delivery, hassle-free operation and maintenance, on-time completion, synergy between the government and concessionaire in optimum distribution of project risks and creation of value for money3 to all the stakeholders. To empirically verify the higher efficiency argument of PPPs compared to traditional mode, the present article has attempted to estimate various efficiency scores of the 520 national highway (NH) PPP and Non-PPP projects by employing the widely accepted mathematical tool data envelopment analysis. The present study finds from its empirical estimates that mean technical efficiency (TE) (both full and pure TE) and scale efficiency scores of PPPs are higher than the other projects. The study cites the possible reasons for this could be because of superior technical and managerial skills of the private sector, scale efficiencies of the private sector, payment based on assured quality services and their regular availability, optimum project risk distribution between public and private sectors, long-term nature of bundled contract of construction and operation of the project over the entire concession period, etc.
One hundred years of annual reporting by the Australian Red Cross: Building public trust and approbation through emotive disclosures
Authors: Langton Jonathan , West Brian
Published: June 2016

Marking the centenary of the Australian Red Cross, this interpretive and historical case study spans the organization’s beginning in 1914 through to the present day. The overarching purpose is to reveal how one of Australia’s oldest and most important humanitarian organizations used accounting and related information in the discharge of accountability. More specifically, this longitudinal study examines the organization’s annual reporting practices over the course of a century, with particular focus on the emotive disclosures contained in the reports. A political economy of accounting theoretical framework guides the content analysis and the interpretation of the findings. The annual reports were found to be responsive to the changing institutional, social, economic and political environment and evidence the organization’s reliance upon emotive disclosures to discharge a broad scope accountability and build public trust and approbation.
“Facts, Not Fear”
Authors: Dalrymple Kajsa E. , Young Rachel , Tully Melissa
Published: June 2016

Trust in many government organizations is low, creating a challenging environment for communication during outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, like Ebola. In a thematic analysis of 1,010 tweets and four Twitter chats during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, we found that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized organizational competence, extant protocol, and facts about transmission to manage public fear. We argue that an emphasis on certainty in a rapidly changing situation leaves organizations vulnerable to charges of unpreparedness or obfuscation. Our results also speak to the contested definition of engagement online, particularly during health crises.
The New Identities of Street Vendors in Santiago, Chile
Authors: Palacios Rosario
Published: June 2016

This article examines how the practices of street vendors in contemporary Santiago relate to changes in their identities, which have been reconfigured along with city’s form and organization under the capitalist economic system. It explores the way street sellers adapt their working practices to a new understanding of their work as maximizing economic returns over all else. As part of this process, they display diverse spatial techniques (to circumvent increased policing, for example), use infrastructure and traffic flow changes for their own purposes, and adapt their public images and organization to the modernization of the transport system. On the basis of ethnographical observation, this article argues that the practices of street selling in Santiago have acquired particular traits from the interrelations between specific elements: The sellers develop skills and attitudes pertaining to the flexible labor economy, such as the ability to adapt to new enterprises and individual ambition, and that these new dispositions reconfigure their identities.
Vision and Gendered Space: Making Women Invisible in Yogyakarta Sultanate Palace
Authors: Aryanti Tutin
Published: June 2016

This article investigates the gender values prescribed through the spatial arrangements and lived bodily practices within the Sultanate palace of Yogyakarta (Indonesia, 1756), which makes women and their space invisible to the public. Reflecting on histories of women’s invisibility and drawing on ethnographic data consisting of interviews and participant observation, this article compares the spatial arrangement of the sultan’s complex with that of the keputren (harem) and examines the critical spatial manifestation of idealized gender relations using visual theory. It finds that the architectural layout conveys not only class but also gender hierarchies. This representation of idealized gender relations is shaped by, and communicated through, the prescription of movement in space and the control of physical appearance through and within space. This ultimately reflects the sultan’s vision of women and his intention to make women and their space invisible to people—especially men—other than the sultan himself.
Best evidence or best interests? What does the case law say about the function of criminal cross-examination?
Authors: Henderson Emily
Published: June 2016

Since 2010 the English Court of Appeal has been engaged in an unprecedented campaign to reform cross-examination practice to reflect empirical research findings on obtaining best evidence from children and vulnerable adult witnesses. It is easy to assume that these cases break away from the conventional theory of cross-examination—carving out a series of exceptions to normal practice. This article reviews the common law rules on cross-examination before 2010 and argues that the new cases are in fact a logical extension of the ordinary rules.
How the timing of police evidence disclosure impacts custodial legal advice
Authors: Sukumar Divya , Hodgson Jacqueline S. , Wade Kimberley A.
Published: June 2016

Presently, the police in England and Wales disclose their evidence at different points during the arrest and detention of a suspect. While the courts have not objected to this, past field research suggests that lawyers can only advise their clients accurately when the police disclose their evidence before the police interview. To examine this from a law/psychology perspective, we recruited 100 criminal defence lawyers to participate in an online study. Lawyers read fictional scenarios and provided custodial legal advice to a hypothetical client (Christopher) when given either pre-interview disclosure or disclosure at various points during the police interview (early, gradually or late). Lawyers given pre-interview disclosure provided considerably more informed legal advice compared to those who were only provided with disclosure during the hypothetical police interview. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this article provides further evidence that pre-interview disclosure is essential for lawyers to deliver case-specific legal advice to suspects.
The civil standard of proof—what is it, actually?
Authors: Schweizer Mark
Published: June 2016

Unlike common law, Continental European civil law does not strictly distinguish between the standards of proof applicable in civil and criminal matters, respectively. In civil law countries such as Germany and Switzerland, judges are supposed to use the same (high) standard of ‘full conviction’ in both criminal and civil cases. This study is the first to look at the standard of proof actually used by judges and judicial clerks in a civil law country (Switzerland). It is shown that the standard actually used differs from the one normatively prescribed. No difference between the estimated decision threshold for members of the courts and members of the general population is found. The results suggest that the standard of proof actually employed by judges of a civil law system is not much different from the common law’s ‘preponderance of the evidence’ standard, despite the doctrinal insistence to the contrary.
Self-assessment of video-recorded presentations: Does it improve skills?
Authors: Ritchie Sian M
Published: June 2016

The opportunity to give oral presentations is important because it helps develop skills that are necessary for many aspects of professional careers. Competencies for oral presentations include appropriate content, design and organization of the presentation, and delivery skills. Self-assessment has been shown to help students develop meta-cognitive skills that can be used in all aspects of higher education, and it has been shown to improve student achievement in a range of different academic areas. In this study, students were recorded while giving two PowerPoint presentations on a topic of their choice. One section was required to complete a self-assessment rubric of their first presentation, while the other section was encouraged to watch themselves, but it was not required. All students also received instructor and peer evaluations. For their second presentations, the students who completed the self-assessment rubric received higher scores than the other group; significant differences were seen in content explanation, timing, and speech skills. Peer assessment scores correlated moderately well with the instructor scores, whereas the self-assessment scores did not. Despite the lack of congruence between self- and instructor scores, the combination of instructor, peer, and self-assessment resulted in consistently high-quality presentations. The students found the multiple types of feedback, use of video technology, and the opportunity to repeat their presentations useful.
Natural law, judgement and toleration in Locke
Authors: Stanton Timothy
Published: June 2016

Locke’s views on toleration and natural law have recently received a ‘reassessment’ at the hands of John William Tate. This article demonstrates some of the many and various ways in which Tate has mangled Locke’s positions and misconstrued the views of interpreters of Locke (myself included) whose interpretations he finds uncongenial. It finds that there are no textual grounds for Tate’s claims and invites readers to reassess whether and how far they ought to be taken seriously.
Testing different colour rendering metrics using colour difference data
Authors: Gu HT , Luo MR , Liu XY
Published: June 2016

This paper describes a psychophysical experiment conducted to investigate the perceived colour rendering properties of LED light sources as regards colour fidelity. The grey scale method was applied to assess the colour differences of identical samples placed in two side-by-side cabinets. Ten observers participated to evaluate 30 samples under nine pairs of light sources at three correlated colour temperatures. It was found that CAM02-UCS colour space correlated with perceived colour differences best among all those tested. Furthermore, the results showed that all the colour fidelity metrics gave similar good performance, including the CIE general colour rendering index, and markedly outperformed the metrics based on colour gamut.
Orchestrating light – Gesture-based control of smart lighting
Authors: Juntunen E , Myöhänen P , Häikiö J , Sarjanoja E-M , Tapaninen O , Pentikäinen V
Published: June 2016

In this paper, a gesture-based control system for smart lighting management is introduced. The system consists of multiple depth camera sensors that track the users’ positions, movements and gestures in real-time and forward the data to the main computer where the lighting control commands are generated. The implementation was built into the ‘ResponseRoom’ R&D environment, where two different lighting controls in a real-time installation were validated with the ability to dim and control colour by hand gestures. In order to study end user preference and to discover needs and guidelines for future development of the system, a user survey on gesture-based lighting control in a meeting room application was carried out. In the survey, no predetermined gesture vocabulary or real lighting control implementation were used. Instead, the respondents could freely develop their own gesture commands. Altogether 197 gained responses are analysed. The results reveal that generally intuitive control gestures are difficult to generate as there is a rather strong variability in personal preferences. The most popular gestures in the user survey were used by 25–30% of the respondents, 19% of all user responses in the test were multimodal combinations of different gestures, verbal expressions and sounds.
To Trust in Strange Habits and Last Calls
Authors: Hargraves Hunter
Published: June 2016

This article examines the impact of mobile smartphone culture on TV narrative through an examination of the network series The Good Wife ( TGW; CBS, 2009–2016). Ubiquitous smartphone use proffers a managerial relationship between subject and device, such that smartphone culture becomes necessary for navigating between different spheres of life. Furthermore, as smartphones occupy a greater role in public life, they have also begun to shape the creation of story in media narratives. I argue that smartphones have become a tool of narrative management for network drama not unlike the ways in which they govern everyday life. TGW’s narrative form and genre—a unique negotiation between episodic procedural and serial melodrama—successfully mirror the management of routine informational and emotional flows, structuring narrative and spectatorial habits while also accommodating for technology’s glitches.
Fuzheng Qingjie Granules Inhibit Growth of Hepatoma Cells via Inducing Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis and Enhancing Immune Function
Authors: Chen Xuzheng , Cao Zhiyun , Zhang Youquan , Li Jinnong , Wang Suqing , Du Jian , Liao Lianming
Published: June 2016

Fuzheng Qingjie (FZQJ) granules, a compound Chinese medicine, have been used as an adjuvant therapy for alimentary tract cancers. However, the underlying anticancer mechanisms are still not well understood. In the present study, HepG2 cells were treated with FZQJ-containing serum. Cell proliferation was evaluated using MTT assay. Apoptosis was analyzed using a flow cytometer. Cell ultrastructure was observed under a transmission electron microscope. The mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ) was examined with JC-1 dye. In H22 tumor–bearing mice, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD3+ T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood were evaluated cytometrically. Interleukin (IL)-2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were measured using radioimmunoassay.The mRNA levels of Bax and Bcl-2 were examined by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The protein levels of Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome C, caspase 3 and 9, PARP, and CD69 were examined by Western blotting. The apoptotic cells in tissues were observed using TUNEL method. Alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CRE) were detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The results showed that FZQJ-containing serum remarkably inhibited proliferation of HepG2 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners, induced HepG2 cell apoptosis and caused a decrease of Δψ. Analysis of tumor tissue showed that FZQJ-induced apoptosis was accompanied by downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax, release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase 3 and 9, and cleavage of PARP. In addition, FZQJ increased the percentages of CD4+ T and NK cells, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells as well as the levels of serum TNF-α. FZQJ also increased CD69 expression in tumor tissue. No hepatorenal toxicity was observed in H22 tumor–bearing mice. These results indicated that FZQJ could inhibit the growth of hepatoma cells via regulating immune function and inducing mitochondria mediated apoptosis.
Internet Cancer Information Use by Newly Diagnosed Individuals and Interactions With the Health System
Authors: Haase Kristen R. , Thomas Roanne , Gifford Wendy
Published: June 2016

Nearly 40% of Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and people with cancer are increasingly turning to the Internet to bolster support and information received from health-care providers. However, little is known about the role of the Internet in patients’ interactions with the health-care system. The goals of this study are (1) to qualitatively explore the content of commonly used websites from a holistic nursing perspective, (2) to explore the prompts to use the Internet and how it informs the ways patients utilize and interact with health services, and (3) to document the types of Internet resources and amounts of usage. This study is guided by a constructivist mixed methods design. Interpretive description will guide the overarching qualitative component, including an analysis of data from commonly used websites and interviews with 16 newly diagnosed individuals. Open-ended interviews will clarify, through exploration, the role of the Internet in participants’ health system interactions. A survey of Internet use will add insight and depth about where, when, and how participants use the Internet. All interviews and website data will be analyzed using thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics will illustrate a summary of Internet usage. Triangulation of findings will provide oncology nurses and interdisciplinary team members with insight into how patients’ use of the Internet informs their use of health services. Methodologically, this study advances the use of qualitative methods for websites analysis, on which relatively little has been documented.
Single-center experience with simultaneous thoracic endovascular aortic repair and abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair
Authors: Zeng Qinglong , Guo Xi , Huang Lianjun , Sun Lizhong
Published: June 2016

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of simultaneous thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods

A total of 21 patients (20 men; mean 65 ± 7 years, range 54–77) underwent simultaneous TEVAR and EVAR between September 2010 and June 2015 at a single center were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had concomitant thoracic pathologies (aneurysm, penetrating aortic ulcer, intramural hematoma, or dissection) and abdominal aortic aneurysm. The abdominal aneurysms diameters ranged from 5.9 cm to 10 cm. Thoracic lesions in 17 patients were complicated with acute aortic syndrome, and the remainders had indications for simultaneous repair. All patients were followed up postoperative at 1 month, 6 months, and yearly thereafter. Technique success, procedure-related complications were evaluated.

Results

All patients received local anesthesia, perioperative relative high arterial pressure (above 130/80 mmHg) maintenance, and prophylactic high-dose corticosteroid. The technical success rate was 100%. Average procedural time was 157.6 ± 45.6 min. The length of thoracic coverage was 20.4 ± 4.7 cm (range 15–27). Two patients required left subclavian artery coverage during TEVAR and two patients required lowest renal artery coverage during EVAR. Chimney stents were deployed simultaneously. Patients were followed between 2 and 59 months postoperatively. No patients developed acute cardiopulmonary complications and contrast-induced nephropathy. Two patients developed transient lower extremity weakness that resolved with blood pressure elevation, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, and intravenous drips of high-dose corticosteroid. The average hospital stay was 10.7 ± 7.9 days (range 4–30). During follow-up, one patient died of aneurysm rupture at postoperative 6 months, two patients developed type Ib endoleak at 9 months and 48 months respectively, one was successfully sealed with iliac stent-graft extension, the other received conservative treatment and is symptom free till now.

Conclusion

Combined TEVAR and EVAR can be performed safely with minimal morbidity and mortality. When anatomically feasible, simultaneous TEVAR and EVAR can be considered as an acceptable alternative for multilevel aortic diseases.
Is this the end of the beginning for smoking in China? Challenges, context and change
Authors: Aresh Azizi Alexander
Published: June 2016

Tobacco use in China is a substantial threat to global health and, after many years of poor implementation of tobacco control, attitudes are changing for the better and substantial actions may be about to follow. This commentary reviews the impact of tobacco and the recent history of tobacco control in China, the context and implications of new encouraging legislation.
Futures of Hope
Authors: Bodinet Jelena Cingel
Published: June 2016

The writer takes the position that futures studies should lead the way in teaching image literacy and shares experiences and examples from her work teaching futures studies at the undergraduate level at San Diego City College. The essay focuses on future workshops, in which participants work on the creation of their preferred futures image, and their impact in the college classroom.
Knee Menisci
Authors: Bryceland James Kevin , Powell Andrew John , Nunn Thomas
Published: June 2016

The menisci of the knees are semicircular fibrocartilaginous structures consisting of a hydrophilic extracellular matrix containing a network of collagen fibers, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans maintained by a cellular component. The menisci are responsible for more than 50% of load transmission across the knee and increase joint congruity thereby also aiding in fluid film lubrication of the joint. In the United Kingdom, meniscal tears are the most common form of intra-articular knee injury and one of the commonest indications for orthopedic intervention. The management of these injuries is dependent on the location within the meniscus (relative to peripheral blood supply) and the pattern of tear. Removal of meniscus is known to place the knee at increased risk of osteoarthritis; therefore repair of meniscal tears is preferable. However, a significant proportion of tears are irreparable and can only be treated by partial or even complete meniscectomy. More recent studies have shown encouraging results with meniscal replacement in this situation, though further work is required in this area.
Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor arising from the trigeminal nerve in an adult
Authors: Yu Fang , Chiang Florence , Bazan Carlos
Published: June 2016

A 30-year-old male presented with left facial pain and numbness. Initial MRI demonstrated an enhancing mass involving the left trigeminal nerve. Follow-up imaging showed interval growth with erosion of the sphenoid body. Surgical resection was performed and immunohistochemistry staining was consistent with an atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor. Awareness of this entity and its imaging features such as diffusion restriction, intratumoral hemorrhage, and bony destruction, can help guide confirmatory diagnostic testing and appropriate therapy.
Public relations theory: An agonistic critique of the turns to dialogue and symmetry
Authors: Davidson Scott
Published: June 2016

This is a conceptual article that seeks to apply agonistic theories of democracy to critique the embracing of dialogic communication in public relations theory. Several strands of scholarship, despite their vastly different starting points and epistemological assumptions, have converged on advancing dialogic forms of communication as representing the best normative theories for shifting practice towards what might be considered civic, democracy-friendly norms. As a consequence, theorising has emphasised compromise and consensus which pressurises practitioners to adopt ostensibly non-partisan styles of communication. In contrast, agonistic democratic theory elevates the value of permanent contest, dissensus and performance in vibrant public spaces which expose and test the legitimacy of those who hold power and privilege. However, the disputes in other academic fields between advocates of deliberative and agonistic approaches have up to now been largely absent in the public relations literature. This article uses agonistic theory, particularly the work of Chantal Mouffe, to critique some of the assumptions that have been used to apply to public relations: (a) Habermasian deliberation and (b) two-way symmetrical communication. Finally, the article discusses the value of the agonistic framework for building new models for understanding the forms of public relations that would support democratic practice.
The logic of public organizations’ social media use: Toward a theory of ‘social mediatization’
Authors: Olsson Eva-Karin , Eriksson Mats
Published: June 2016

The study aims to explore government agencies’ social media use. Inspired by the notion of mediatization, we ask whether it is possible to find traces of a corresponding emerging social media logic with the propensity to challenge established organizational practices and processes. In doing so, we use a modified framework originally developed by Van Dijck and Poell which identifies key three characteristics of social media logics: programmability, popularity, and connectivity. We conducted a qualitative interview study using an abductive and hermeneutist-inspired methodology. The empirical material consists of 21 interviews with representatives of Swedish government agencies. The findings reveal patterns across the organizations studied which can be understood as an emerging social media logic. Regarding connectivity, the social media logic causes agencies to spend resources on channels that engage relatively few people who are already favorably disposed toward the agency, despite government agencies’ obligation to communicate with citizens at large. Programmability refers to agencies’ increased communicative and image-building power. Finally, popularity leads agencies to engage in more personalized communication, which includes exposure of individual employees as well as use of informal communicative styles. Taken together, these categories have important ramifications which risk jeopardizing agencies’ legal and normative foundations.
The occurrence of pressure damage in the oral cavity caused by endotracheal tubes
Authors: Wickberg Maria , Falk Ann-Charlotte
Published: June 2016

The aim of this observational study was to investigate the occurrence of pressure damage caused by endotracheal tubes (ETT) when the tube is repositioned from one corner of the mouth to the other every third day. For the assessment of oral condition and the eventual damage caused by ETT, a modified version of the Oral Assessment Guide (OAG) was used. The oral condition was assessed once per day in all adult patients who were orally intubated with a tube for over 24 hours. Thirty-eight patients were included in the study. Most patients ( n = 33, 86.8%) had no pressure damage. Five patients (13.2%) had pressure damage on the oral mucosa and lip caused by endotracheal tubes. The group with damage to the oral mucosa was treated with noradrenaline, had bleeding problems and clotting disorders and had significantly more intubated and study days. The assessment of the oral mucosa according to the OAG reflected the worsening oral condition in the group with pressure damage. Endotracheal tubes may need to be repositioned more often than every third day to avoid pressure damage in patients with a high risk of complications, and individually tailored care may need to be implemented.
Prostituted Women and the British Empire
Authors: Chatterjee Ratnabali
Published: June 2016

In this article, the author has tried to historically trace the attempts of the colonial state to regulate and codify Indian women’s sexual practices by segregating one section of women from their socio-cultural moorings. She has also tried to show how they were transformed from social beings into criminals through a negative act of commodification, as well as victims at a later stage. At the same time, the author takes into consideration the works of the British missionaries who, through their rehabilitation measures, provided a second voice in the colonial discourse.
Efficacy and safety of rVIII-SingleChain: results of a phase 1/3 multicenter clinical trial in severe hemophilia A
Authors: Mahlangu Johnny , Kuliczkowski Kazimierz , Karim Faraizah Abdul , Stasyshyn Oleksandra , Kosinova Marina V. , Lepatan Lynda Mae , Skotnicki Aleksander , Boggio Lisa N. , Klamroth Robert , Oldenburg Johannes , Hellmann Andrzej , Santagostino Elena , Baker Ross I. , Fischer Kathelijn , Gill Joan C. , P’Ng Stephanie , Chowdary Pratima , Escobar Miguel A. , Khayat Claudia Djambas , Rusen Luminita , Bensen-Kennedy Debra , Blackman Nicole , Limsakun Tharin , Veldman Alex , St. Ledger Katie , Pabinger Ingrid ,   for the AFFINITY Investigators
Published: June 2016

Key Points

rVIII-SingleChain is a novel rFVIII, designed to have high stability and high binding affinity for VWF. In severe hemophilia A patients, rVIII-SingleChain was well tolerated and resulted in low bleeding rates, when dosed twice per week.
Researchers’ perspectives on pediatric obesity research participant recruitment
Authors: Parikh Yasha , Mason Maryann , Williams Karen
Published: June 2016

Background

Childhood obesity prevalence has tripled over the last three decades. Pediatric obesity has important implications for both adult health as well as the United States economy. In order to combat pediatric obesity, exploratory studies are necessary to create effective interventions. Recruitment is an essential part of any study, and it has been challenging for all studies, especially pediatric obesity studies. The objective of this study was to understand barriers to pediatric obesity study recruitment and review facilitators to overcome recruitment difficulties.

Methods

Twenty four childhood obesity researchers were contacted. Complete data for 11 researchers were obtained. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Grounded Theory methodological approach was used, as this was an exploratory study. Investigators YP and MM coded the interviews using 28 codes.

Results

Barriers to recruitment included: family and study logistics, family economics, lack of provider interest, invasive protocols, stigma, time restraints of clinicians, lack of patient motivation/interest, groupthink of students in a classroom, and participants who do not accept his or her own weight status. Facilitators to enhance recruitment practices included accommodating participants outside of regular clinic hours, incentivizing participants, cultivating relationships with communities, schools and clinics prior to study recruitment, emphasizing benefits of a study for the patient, and shifting language to focus on health rather than obesity.

Conclusions

Pediatric obesity researchers face many standard and some unique challenges to recruitment, reflecting challenges common to clinical research as well as some specific to pediatrics and some specific to obesity research. Both pediatric studies as well as obesity studies are an added challenge to the already‐difficult task of general study recruitment. Our findings can be used to make researchers more aware of potential difficulties, approaches and on‐going needs for enhancing recruitment and enrollment practices, and in turn if applied, may result in increased study efficiency.
Mental disorders in new parents before and after birth: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Xu Fenglian , Sullivan Elizabeth , Binns Colin , Homer Caroline S. E.
Published: June 2016

Background

Mental disorders of women during the postnatal period are a major public health problem. Compared with women's mental disorders, much less attention has been paid to men's mental disorders in the perinatal period. To date, there have been no reports in the literature describing secular changes of both maternal and paternal hospital admissions for mental disorders over the period covering the year before pregnancy (non-parents), during pregnancy (expectant parents) and up to the first year after birth (parents) based on linked parental data. The co-occurrences of couples' hospital admissions for mental disorders have not previously been investigated.

Aims

To describe maternal and paternal hospital admissions for mental disorders before and after birth. To compare the co-occurrences of parents' hospital admissions for mental disorder in the perinatal period.

Method

This is a cohort study using paired parents' population data from the New South Wales (NSW) Perinatal Data Collection (PDC), Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM) and Admitted Patients Data Collection (APDC). The study included all parents (n=196 669 couples) who gave birth to their first child in NSW between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2009.

Results

The hospital admission rate for women with a principal mental disorder diagnosis in the period between the year before pregnancy and the first year after birth was significantly higher than that for men. Parents' mental disorders influenced each other. If a man was admitted to hospital with a principal mental disorder diagnosis, his wife or partner was more likely to be admitted to hospital with a principal mental disorder diagnosis compared with women whose partner had not had a hospital admission, andvice versa.

Conclusions

Mothers' mental disorders after birth increased more significantly than fathers. However, fathers' mental disorders significantly impacted the co-occurrence of mothers' mental disorders.
National Cancer Control Programme in India: Proposal for Organization of Chemotherapy and Systemic Therapy Services
Authors: Gulia Seema , Sengar Manju , Badwe Rajendra , Gupta Sudeep
Published: June 2016

Cancer is a major health problem in India, with an estimated incidence of 1 million cases in 2012 that is likely to double in 2035 to approximately 1.7 million. The majority of cases are diagnosed in advanced stages, and approximately two thirds of patients die as a result of their disease. The mortality-to-incidence ratio is 0.68 in India, which is far higher than that in developed countries (approximately 0.38). One of the important reasons for this discrepancy is inequitable distribution and inaccessibility of health care resources in India. One component of scarce health care resources is the low ratio of oncologists to patients with cancer (1:2,000), which leads to delivery of systemic anticancer therapy in many hospitals by health care professionals who do not have required training. Given these facts, there is a need to focus on organization of medical oncology services in terms of manpower and infrastructure to standardize the delivery of systemic anticancer therapy. Redistribution of resources can streamline the delivery of cancer care, preferably close to the patient’s home. This article describes the blueprint for organization of medical oncology services and delivery of chemotherapy and other systemic therapies to Indian patients. The model uses existing health care services in the country and is a four-tiered system of increasing sophistication: District Hospitals, Medical College Hospitals, Regional Cancer Centres, and Apex Cancer Centres. Delivery of quality care to patients with cancer through standardized protocols is crucial in improving cancer outcomes in India.
Rivaroxaban: An Affordable and Effective Alternative in Cancer-Related Thrombosis?
Authors: Xavier Flávia Dias , Hoff Paulo Marcelo Gehm , Braghiroli Maria Ignez , Paterlini Ana Carolina Carvalho Rocha , Souza Karla Teixeira , Faria Luiza Dib Batista Bugiato , Ferreira Fernando Sergio Blumm , Machado Karime Kalil , Fernandes Gustavo dos Santos
Published: June 2016

Background

Venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) are common and potentially fatal complications in cancer patients, and they are responsible for the second most common cause of death. Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is the gold-standard treatment, but the costs involved limit its use, especially in developing countries. Recently, the oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban, which directly inhibits factor Xa, was approved for VTE treatment.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis from January 2009 to February 2014 with patients who had cancer and VTE who were receiving rivaroxaban. We compared the efficacy, safety, and cost of rivaroxaban and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) alone or followed by vitamin K antagonists.

Results

Forty-one patients were identified, with a median age of 62.5 years. The most frequent tumor histology was adenocarcinoma (78%), which was most often found in the colon (26.8%). Most participants had advanced disease and an implanted central venous catheter. Patients’ VTE risk-assessment scores were low (12.5%), intermediate (50%), and high (35.5%). Pulmonary thromboembolism was reported in 41.4% of patients, but inferior limb thrombosis was reported only in 14.6%; 43.9% of patients received enoxaparin before starting rivaroxaban. Rivaroxaban was used for a median time of 5.5 months. Nonmajor bleeding was reported in 12.2% of patients, and rethrombosis was reported in 12.2%. In our study, rivaroxaban was as safe and effective as enoxaparin/vitamin K antagonists ( P = .54 and P = .25, respectively) or LMWH ( P = .46 and P = .29, respectively).

Conclusion

Although our study was a retrospective analysis, our results suggest that in this cohort of oncologic patients, rivaroxaban was safe and effective. Its oral route and lower cost make it an attractive alternative to LMWH, improving management of patients with cancer in low-income countries. Additional studies are necessary to confirm our data.
Risk Factors for Spontaneously Self-Reported Postprandial Hypoglycemia After Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Nannipieri Monica , Belligoli Anna , Guarino Daniela , Busetto Luca , Moriconi Diego , Fabris Roberto , Mari Andrea , Baldi Simona , Anselmino Marco , Foletto Mirto , Vettor Roberto , Ferrannini Ele
Published: June 2016

Context:

Postprandial hypoglycemia (PPHG) is a recognized complication of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Data on PPHG after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) are scant.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to identify preoperative predictors of PPHG in subjects spontaneously self-reporting PPHG after RYGB or LSG.

Patients, Setting, and Intervention:

Nondiabetic patients spontaneously self-reporting symptoms/signs of PPHG (PPHG group, 21 RYGB and 11 LSG) were compared in a case-control design with subjects who never experienced spontaneous or oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-induced hypoglycemia over 24 months after surgery (No-PPHG group, 13 RYGB and 40 LSG). Paired pre- and postoperative 3-hour OGTTs were analyzed in all participants.

Main Outcome Measures:

Insulin sensitivity was assessed by the oral glucose insulin sensitivity index and β-cell function by mathematical modeling of the C-peptide response to glucose.

Results:

Before surgery, the body mass index was lower in PPHG than No-PPHG patients in the RYGB (P = .002) and trended similarly in the LSG group (P = .08). Fasting glycemia and the glucose-OGTT nadir were lower in the PPHG than the No-PPHG subjects in both surgery groups. Before surgery, insulin sensitivity was higher in PPHG than No-PPHG in the RYGB (393 ± 55 vs 325 ± 44 mL/min−1 · m−2, P = .001) and LSG groups (380 ± 48 vs 339 ± 60 mL/min−1 · m−2, P = .05) and improved to a similar extent in all groups after surgery. Before surgery, β-cell glucose sensitivity was higher in PPHG than No-PPHG in both RYGB (118 ± 67 vs 65 ± 24 pmol/min−1 · m2 · mM−1) and LSG patients (114 ± 32 vs 86 ± 33) (both P = .02) and improved in all subjects after surgery.

Conclusions:

In subjects self-reporting PPHG after surgery, lower presurgery plasma glucose concentrations, higher insulin sensitivity, and better β-cell glucose sensitivity are significant predictors of PPHG after both RYGB and LSG.