bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A gait generating algorithm with smooth speed transition for the locomotion of legged robots
Authors: Wang Jianhua , Wen Jintao , Chen Weihai , Yue Haosong , Liu Dong
Published: August 2013

Much of what is known about the gait-generated method is based on specified gait pattern. Yet in the wild, animals can move over terrains with widely varying properties in various gait patterns. Previous studies have realized gait types such as trot or walk in various legged robots, but no detailed relationship descriptions of different gaits are currently available. This paper addresses the intrinsic relationship between all kinds of gait for legged robot locomotion in order to realize the gait transition smoothly. Based on their relations, the proposed gait-generated method is constructed by a support factor and a delay factor, which describe locomotion efficiency and leg difference motion, respectively. A gait ring concept is proposed to explain their intrinsic relation, and a gait algorithm is proposed to realize the speed transition for legged robot locomotion. A quadruped robot called MATA_ I with 12 DOFs is specially designed for realizing gait transition. This kind of robot has a 4RRRS parallel motion structure, and each joint is driven by motor modules. The algorithm with smooth transition between different gaits was applied in this kind of robot. The simulation results have shown that the proposed gait-generated algorithms can effectively realize gait transition for legged robot.
Patterns of romantic involvement among emerging adults
Authors: Shulman Shmuel , Scharf Miri , Livne Yaara , Barr Tamuz
Published: August 2013

The present study examined patterns of romantic involvement in 100 Israeli emerging adults (54 males) who were followed from age 22 to 29 years. Analyses of interviews at age 29 yielded four distinctive relational patterns that are associated with different levels of concurrent wellbeing: Intimately committed, Intimate, Non- intimately committed, and Non-stable. Low efficacy, immature dependency and low parental support, measured 7 years earlier, predicted less optimal romantic relational patterns—non-stable or non-intimately committed. Continued pursuit of studies predicted a delay in entering a committed relationship, despite the capability for such a relationship. Findings of the study suggest that personality and family attributes explain the type and quality of relationships in which young people will be involved, while contextual factors only explain postponement of commitment.
Organ donation following brain stem death after ventricular assist device implantation
Authors: Mohite Prashant Nanasaheb , Popov Aron Frederik , Zych Bartlomeij , Dhar Dhruva , Capoccia Massimo , Simon Andre Ruediger
Published: August 2013

The availability of donor organs is the biggest limitation for lung transplantation, and a significant proportion of patients die on the waiting list. We describe a case of a 44-year-old lady who developed subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral edema on second postoperative day after left ventricular assist device implantation. She was declared brain stem dead 2 days later, and her organs were transplanted to suitable recipients on the waiting list for lung, liver and kidney transplantation.
Music-listening in everyday life: Devices and choice
Authors: Krause Amanda E. , North Adrian C. , Hewitt Lauren Y.
Published: August 2013

Utilizing the Experience Sampling Method, this research investigated how individuals encounter music in everyday life. Responding to two text messages sent at random times between 8:00 and 23:00 daily for one week, 177 participants completed self-reports online regarding their experience with any music heard within a two-hour period prior to receipt of the message. Overall, the radio, mobile MP3 players, and computers featured prominently. Detailed analyses revealed significant patterns in device usage based on time of day; ratings of the music in terms of choice, liking, arousal, and attention; mood; and the perceived consequences of the music. While feeling lethargic associated with recorded music broadcasted in public, in contrast personal music collections promoted contentment. Similarly, devices allowing for personal input were met with positive consequences, like motivation. The current findings imply that the greater control that technology affords leads to complex patterns of everyday music usage, and that listeners are active consumers rather than passive listeners.
Effects of Oral Branched‐Chain Amino Acids on Hepatic Encephalopathy and Outcome in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Kawaguchi Takumi , Taniguchi Eitaro , Sata Michio
Published: August 2013

Branched‐chain amino acids (BCAAs) constituting of valine, leucine, and isoleucine act as both substrates of proteins and as key regulators for various nutrient metabolisms. Patients with liver cirrhosis frequently lack sufficient BCAAs and therefore suffer from various metabolic disorders. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a severe metabolic disorder with neurologic manifestations such as flapping tremors and coma in patients with liver cirrhosis. In addition, a mild form of HE known as minimal HE (MHE) is an important social issue because it occurs in up to 80% of patients with chronic liver disease and affects prognosis and activities of daily living, possibly resulting in falls and motor vehicle accidents. Although HE/MHE can be caused by various pathological conditions, including in an accumulation of mercaptans, short‐chain fatty acids, and alterations in the gut flora, hyperammonemia has also been implicated in an important pathogenesis of HE/MHE. Besides urea cycle of liver, ammonia can be detoxified in the skeletal muscles by the amidation process for glutamine synthesis using BCAAs. Thus, BCAA supplementation may enhance detoxification of ammonia in skeletal muscle and may be a possible therapeutic strategy for HE/MHE. In this review, we summarize the clinical impacts of BCAA supplementation on HE/MHE and discuss possible mechanisms for a BCAA‐induced improvement of HE/MHE. Furthermore, we present some modifications of oral BCAA therapy for improvement of efficacy in HE treatment. We also briefly describe pleiotropic benefits of BCAAs on life‐threatening events and overall prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Measuring Abusive Behaviors
Authors: Stylianou Amanda Mathisen , Postmus Judy L. , McMahon Sarah
Published: August 2013

Recent attention has been given by researchers to exploring economic abuse strategies used by abusers. However, little research has been conducted to understanding how to conceptualize economic abuse in relation to other forms of abuse. This article examines the factor structure of abusive items from the Scale of Economic Abuse–12 and the Abusive Behavior Inventory through confirmatory factor analyses using data collected with 457 female survivors of abuse. The findings provide evidence for conceptualizing economic abuse as a unique form of abuse moderately correlated with psychological, physical, and sexual forms of abuse.
Ghosts of the Habsburg Empire
Authors: Gross Stephen G. , Gummer S. Chase
Published: August 2013

Today the Eurozone faces financial and economic problems that, if left untended, threaten the fate of the EU itself. Several paths lay open to European leaders: deeper integration, more piecemeal crisis resolution, or a possible exit from the Euro of one or more countries. Yet there are few historical examples of a currency union break-up that we can use to understand implications of the third option. This essay draws lessons from the collapse of the Habsburg Empire after World War I—the best historical case study of a disintegrating currency union—for the Eurozone. The creation of new national currencies in Central Europe in the 1920s came at a very high cost, took years to stabilize, involved extensive international monitoring, created great risks for Europe’s multinational banking enterprises, and helped create the conditions for economic instability in the 1930s. European leaders could expect similar challenges to arise were Greece, Portugal, or Spain to exit the Eurozone today. One crucial factor absent in the 1920s, and still absent today, was and is a robust European-wide financial regulatory system. Ultimately, the Habsburg case study suggests that the economic costs of preserving the Euro and creating such a banking system would be much lower than those arising from allowing one or more countries to leave the currency union.
Who cares for whom? Revisiting the concept of care in the everyday life of post-divorce families
Authors: Marschall Anja
Published: August 2013

The traditional notions of care appear to be connected to parents as caregivers and children as care-recipients. This article explores care in the context of post-divorce families to underline the need for re-evaluating the causal understanding of this concept. The data are drawn from a qualitative study investigating how Danish children aged 8–12 (and their parents) conduct their everyday lives with time-sharing arrangements as a result of parental divorce. Through empirical examples, different kinds of caring practices are highlighted to assert that care is a situated and reciprocal process between parents and children – a process of mutual caregiving and caretaking.
Unsteady wall pressure measurement in a one-and-a-half stage axial transonic compressor during stall inception
Authors: Biela Christoph , Brandstetter C , Schiffer H-P , Heinichen F
Published: August 2013

This paper presents the experimental investigation of the stall inception of a state-of-the-art transonic compressor that resembles a typical front stage of a commercial jet engine. The compressor was designed and manufactured in cooperation with Rolls-Royce Deutschland and assembled in the Darmstadt Transonic Compressor test facility at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. Utilising the 1.5-stage design it is possible to investigate stall inception for different rotor inflow conditions. The aerodynamic features prior and during stall inception are investigated by means of unsteady pressure probes in the casing above the rotor. All stall inception events have a spike-type stall character. However, in some cases the spikes are preceded by modal-type activities. In addition to the unsteady wall pressure, speed lines are presented. The combination of the data shows a clear effect of measurement position and averaging process on the shapes of the speed lines but did not allow to predict the type of stall inception.
Capturing shared mental models: An approach for bona fide groups
Authors: Matteson Miriam
Published: August 2013

Research on group cognition has shown positive associations between shared mental models and team performance. A variety of complex, quantitative methods have been used to elicit, represent and analyze shared mental models in groups. However, for bona fide groups to benefit from the positive outcomes from shared thinking, techniques are needed to capture, represent and understand their shared thinking that are easy to incorporate within their regular tasks and procedures. This article describes a qualitative method for eliciting and representing the shared mental models about the task and team interaction in a group of library managers. Findings are presented that show where there was similarity and divergence in the group’s thinking, and how that thinking changed over time. Research limitations of the technique are discussed along with ideas for groups to implement this method in practice.
Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus clinical manifestations
Authors: Silva J de Azevêdo , Fernandes K Monteiro , Pancotto JA Trés , Fragoso T Sotero , Donadi EA , Crovella S , Sandrin-Garcia P
Published: August 2013

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder with heterogeneous clinical manifestations and target tissue damage. Currently, several genes have been associated with SLE susceptibility, including vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is a mediator of immune responses through the action of vitamin D. Polymorphisms in the VDR gene can impair the vitamin D (D3) function role, and since SLE patients show deficient D3 blood levels, it leads to a possible connection to the disease’s onset. In our study we searched for an association between VDR polymorphisms and risk of developing SLE, as well as the disease’s clinical manifestations. We enrolled 158 SLE patients and 190 Southeast Brazilian healthy controls, genotyped for five Tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), covering most of the VDR gene region. We found an association between VDR SNPs and SLE for the following clinical manifestations: rs11168268 and cutaneous alterations ( p = 0.036), rs3890733 ( p = 0.003) rs3890733 and arthritis ( p = 0.001), rs2248098 and immunological alterations ( p = 0.040), rs4760648 and antibody anti-dsDNA ( p = 0.036). No association was reported between VDR polymorphisms and SLE susceptibility.
The Process of Advance Care Planning in HCT Candidates and Proxies
Authors: Duckworth Katharine E. , Forti Allison M. , Russell Gregory B. , Naik Seema , Hurd David , McQuellon Richard P.
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hematopoietic cell transplant candidate and proxy advance care planning (ACP) behavior and attitudes. A total of 49 candidates and 44 proxies completed the Advance Directive Attitudes Survey, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, Family Decision Making Self-Efficacy Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. In all, 45% of candidates reported completing an advance directive (AD), while only 26% had ADs on file; 80% of candidates discussed ACP wishes with their loved ones and 15% discussed ACP wishes with their medical team. The AD completers were significantly (1) older, (2) more positive about ADs, and (3) were less likely to believe that health events happen by chance. Discrepancies between reported ACP behavior and communication with health care practitioners have implications for end-of-life care.
The Influence of the Family in Conceptions of Personhood in the Palliative Care Setting in Singapore and Its Influence Upon Decision Making
Authors: Krishna Lalit Kumar Radha , Alsuwaigh Rayan , Miti Prabha Techna , Wei Sim Shin , Ling Khoo Hui , Manoharan Devasena
Published: August 2013

Conceptions of personhood are critical to the preservation of dignity and quality of life key to a good death and pivotal to the provision of patient centred care. Increasingly there is speculation that this role may be wider still. It has been posited that it is Confucian inspired conceptions of personhood replete with its `dualistic' view of personhood that sees family members as part of the individual's personhood that predispose to the prevailing practices of collusion and the trumping of patient autonomy. In a nation where family centric decision making still dominates end of life decision making, the need to appropriately conceptualise local conceptions of personhood are clear. To this end a mixed methods study of 30 Singaporean oncology and palliative care patients was undertaken. Data accrued revealed local conceptions of personhood to be evolving ideas that are determined by four equally important closely related dimensions. Here Innate Personhood which represents the belief that all persons irrespective of their clinical condition and level of development are deserving of personhood, Individual Personhood which relates to consciousness related faculties, Relational Personhood which relates to the social and familial connections important to the person and Societal Personhood which relates to the roles played in society; combine to proffer the Ring Theory of Personhood. This concept provides a better means of providing for the specific needs of patients with life threatening illnesses whilst providing a unique insight into the role families play in the manner local patients conceive themselves to be.
Oblique ballistic impact behavior of composites
Authors: Rajagopal Anurag , Naik Niranjan K
Published: August 2013

An analytical model has been presented for oblique ballistic impact behavior of composites based on wave theory and energy balance between the projectile and the target. The change in obliquity of the projectile during ballistic impact has been studied. The nature of obliquity change depends on the behavior of the target material just after impact and its surface condition. Various energy absorbing mechanisms of the target considered are compression of the target directly below the projectile, compression in the region surrounding the impacted zone, tension in the layers, compression in the lateral direction, shear plugging, friction, matrix cracking and delamination. Analytical predictions are validated with the experimental results. Experimental studies were performed on 4–8 mm thick twill weave fabric E-glass/epoxy composite specimens up to obliquity of 30°. Parametric studies have been carried out on the same target material of 19 mm thickness for the same range of obliquities. Energy absorbed by different mechanisms, change in projectile obliquity, ballistic limit velocity and damage shape and size has been presented. Trends in ballistic limit velocity with the initial projectile obliquity were observed to be different for 4 mm and 19 mm thick specimens.
Revisiting Goals, Feedback, Recognition, and Performance Success
Authors: Unger-Aviram Esther , Zwikael Ofer , Restubog Simon Lloyd D.
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we propose that only some of the conventional findings pertaining to the enhancing effects of feedback and recognition on performance success as well as the moderating role they play in the goal–performance relationship may apply to project teams, whereas others may not. We focus on the above activities that are well grounded in the general organizational research and reexamine them within the project management context. Data were collected from 88 project managers and their direct supervisors via questionnaires. Results showed that leader goal, feedback, and recognition activities were important only for improved team effectiveness, but not for team efficiency. Furthermore, feedback and recognition moderated the goal–performance relationship, regardless of the performance measures used. The implications of these findings for future research on project teams are discussed.
Extending sensorimotor contingency theory: prediction, planning, and action generation
Authors: Maye Alexander , Engel Andreas K
Published: August 2013

One of the main assertions of sensorimotor contingency theory is that sensory experience is not generated by activating an internal representation of the outside world through sensory signals, but corresponds to a mode of exploration and hence is an active process. Perception and sensory awareness emerge from using the structure of changes in the sensory input resulting from these exploratory actions, called sensorimotor contingencies (SMCs), for planning, reasoning, and goal achievement. Using a previously developed computational model of SMCs we show how an artificial agent can plan ahead with SMCs and use them for action guidance. Our main assumption is that SMCs are associated with a utility for the agent, and that the agent selects actions that maximize this utility. We analyze the properties of the resulting actions in a robot that is endowed with several sensory modalities and controlled by our model in a simple environment. The results demonstrate that its actions avoid aversive events, and that it can achieve a low-level form of spatial awareness that is resilient to the complete loss of a sensory modality.
Prospective, Randomized, Blinded, Comparative Study of Injectable Micronized Dehydrated Amniotic/Chorionic Membrane Allograft for Plantar Fasciitis—A Feasibility Study
Authors: Zelen Charles M. , Poka Attila , Andrews James
Published: August 2013

Background:

Specialized treatment of plantar fasciitis that can reduce inflammation and promote healing may be a possible alternative prior to surgical intervention. We report the results of a randomized clinical trial examining the efficacy of micronized dehydrated human amniotic/chorionic membrane (mDHACM) injection as a treatment for chronic refractory plantar fasciitis.

Methods:

An institutional review board–approved, prospective, randomized, single-center clinical trial was performed. Forty-five patients were randomized to receive injection of 2 cc 0.5% Marcaine plain, then either 1.25 cc saline (controls), 0.5 cc mDHACM, or 1.25 cc mDHACM. Follow-up visits occurred over 8 weeks to measure function, pain, and functional health and well-being.

Results:

Significant improvement in plantar fasciitis symptoms was observed in patients receiving 0.5 cc or 1.25 cc mDHACM versus controls within 1 week of treatment and throughout the study period. At 1 week, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hindfoot scores increased by a mean of 2.2 ± 17.4 points for controls versus 38.7 ± 11.4 points for those receiving 0.5 cc mDHACM ( P < .001) and 33.7 ± 14.0 points for those receiving 1.25 cc mDHACM ( P < .001). By week 8 AOFAS Hindfoot scores increased by a mean of 12.9 ± 16.9 points for controls versus 51.6 ± 10.1 and 53.3 ± 9.4 for those receiving 0.5 cc and 1.25 cc mDHACM, respectively (both P < .001). No significant difference in treatment response was observed in patients receiving 0.5 cc versus 1.25 cc mDHACM.

Conclusion:

In patients with refractory plantar fasciitis, mDHACM is a viable treatment option. Larger studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Level of Evidence:

Level I, prospective randomized study.
Self–Other Agreement and Assumed Similarity in Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Trait Affect
Authors: Beer Andrew , Watson David , McDade-Montez Elizabeth
Published: August 2013

Trait Negative Affect (NA) and Positive Affect (PA) are strongly associated with Neuroticism and Extraversion, respectively. Nevertheless, measures of the former tend to show substantially weaker self–other agreement—and stronger assumed similarity correlations—than scales assessing the latter. The current study separated the effects of item content versus format on agreement and assumed similarity using two different sets of Neuroticism and Extraversion measures and two different indicators of NA and PA ( N = 381 newlyweds). Neuroticism and Extraversion consistently showed stronger agreement than NA and PA; in addition, however, scales with more elaborated items yielded significantly higher agreement correlations than those based on single adjectives. Conversely, the trait affect scales yielded stronger assumed similarity correlations than the personality scales; these coefficients were strongest for the adjectival measures of trait affect. Thus, our data establish a significant role for both content and format in assumed similarity and self–other agreement.
Evaluating the South Oaks Gambling Screen With DSM-IV and DSM-5 Criteria
Authors: Goodie Adam S. , MacKillop James , Miller Joshua D. , Fortune Erica E. , Maples Jessica , Lance Charles E. , Campbell W. Keith
Published: August 2013

Despite widespread use, the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) has been criticized for excessive false positives as an indicator of pathological gambling (PG), and for items that misalign with PG criteria. We examine the relationship between SOGS scores and PG symptoms and convergent validity with regard to personality, mood, and addictive behaviors in a sample of 353 gamblers. SOGS scores correlated r = .66 with both DSM-IV and DSM-5 symptoms, and they manifested similar correlations with external criteria (intraclass correlation of .95). However, 195 false positives and 1 false negative were observed when using the recommended cut point, yielding an 81% false alarm rate. For uses with DSM-IV criteria, a cut point of 10 would retain high sensitivity with greater specificity and fewer false positives. For DSM-5 criteria, we advocate a cut point of 8 for use as a clinical screen and a cut point of 12 for prevalence and pseudo-experimental studies.
Comparison of the four rod theories of longitudinally vibrating rods
Authors: Mei C
Published: August 2013

Dynamics of a longitudinally vibrating rod are analyzed from a wave standpoint, in which the motion of the rod is described in terms of waves that propagate through the uniform rod and are reflected and transmitted at structural discontinuities and boundaries. This study is based on the four engineering theories, namely, the elementary, Love, Mindlin–Herrmann, and three-mode theories. The propagation relations that are governed by the equations of motion are derived. The reflection and transmission relations, which are dependent upon the continuity and equilibrium conditions at structural discontinuities, are obtained. Waves generated by externally applied forces are found. The wave propagation, reflection, and transmission relations are assembled to provide a concise and systematic approach to vibration analysis of rods. Numerical examples are presented. Comparisons and recommendations are made for meaningful engineering practice.
Variations in Patient-Centered Medical Home Capacity
Authors: Hearld Larry R. , Weech-Maldonado Robert , Asagbra O. Elijah
Published: August 2013

Increased interest in the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) among policy makers and practitioners has resulted in a growth of research on the factors that influence its adoption and implementation, yet this research often fails to capture the multidimensional nature of the PCMH and the longitudinal nature of the implementation process. This study documented physician practices’ PCMH capacity across 12 different domains (e.g., extended access, specialist referral, use of patient registry) over a 3-year period (2008-2010). Linear growth models indicated that participation through different types of physician organizations and practice size were associated with different baseline levels of capacity and changes in capacity over time; however, the association varied as a function of the different PCMH dimensions. Differences in PCMH capacity across the 12 domains and time suggest that more attention should be paid to the longitudinal nature of PCMH implementation and the differential challenges associated with its component parts.
How Linguistic Closure and Verbal Working Memory Relate to Speech Recognition in Noise—A Review
Authors: Besser Jana , Koelewijn Thomas , Zekveld Adriana A. , Kramer Sophia E. , Festen Joost M.
Published: August 2013

The ability to recognize masked speech, commonly measured with a speech reception threshold (SRT) test, is associated with cognitive processing abilities. Two cognitive factors frequently assessed in speech recognition research are the capacity of working memory (WM), measured by means of a reading span (Rspan) or listening span (Lspan) test, and the ability to read masked text (linguistic closure), measured by the text reception threshold (TRT). The current article provides a review of recent hearing research that examined the relationship of TRT and WM span to SRTs in various maskers. Furthermore, modality differences in WM capacity assessed with the Rspan compared to the Lspan test were examined and related to speech recognition abilities in an experimental study with young adults with normal hearing (NH). Span scores were strongly associated with each other, but were higher in the auditory modality. The results of the reviewed studies suggest that TRT and WM span are related to each other, but differ in their relationships with SRT performance. In NH adults of middle age or older, both TRT and Rspan were associated with SRTs in speech maskers, whereas TRT better predicted speech recognition in fluctuating nonspeech maskers. The associations with SRTs in steady-state noise were inconclusive for both measures. WM span was positively related to benefit from contextual information in speech recognition, but better TRTs related to less interference from unrelated cues. Data for individuals with impaired hearing are limited, but larger WM span seems to give a general advantage in various listening situations.
Teleconsultations reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Authors: Oliveira Tiago Cravo , Barlow James , Gonçalves Luís , Bayer Steffen
Published: August 2013

Objectives

Health services contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. New models of delivering care closer to patients have the potential to reduce travelling and associated emissions. We aimed to compare the emissions of patients attending a teleconsultation – an outpatient appointment using video-conferencing equipment – with those of patients attending a face-to-face appointment.

Methods

We estimated the total distances travelled and the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions for 20,824 teleconsultations performed between 2004 and 2011 in Alentejo, a Portuguese region. These were compared to the distances and emissions that would have resulted if teleconsultations were not available and patients had to attend face-to-face outpatient appointments. Estimates were calculated using survey data on mode of transport, and national aggregate data for car engine size and fuel. A sensitivity analysis using the lower and upper quartiles for survey distances was performed.

Results

Teleconsultations led to reductions in distances and emissions of 95%. 2,313,819 km of travelling and 455 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions were avoided (22 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per patient). The incorporation of modes of transport and car engine size and fuel in the analysis led to emission estimates which were 12% smaller than those assuming all patients used an average car.

Conclusions

The availability of remote care services can significantly reduce road travel and associated emissions. At a time when many countries are committed to reducing their carbon footprint, it is desirable to explore how these reductions could be incorporated into technology assessments and economic evaluations.
Impact of deprivation on occurrence, outcomes and health care costs of people with multiple morbidity
Authors: Charlton Judith , Rudisill Caroline , Bhattarai Nawaraj , Gulliford Martin
Published: August 2013

Objective

This study aimed to estimate the impact of deprivation on the occurrence, health outcomes and health care costs of people with multiple morbidity in England.

Methods

Cohort study in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, using deprivation quintile (IMD2010) at individual postcode level. Incidence and mortality from diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, stroke and colorectal cancer, and prevalence of depression, were used to define multidisease states. Costs of health care use were estimated for each state from a two-part model.

Results

Data were analysed for 141,535 men and 141,352 women aged ≥30 years, with 33,862 disease incidence events, and 13,933 deaths. Among incidences of single conditions, 22% were in the most deprived quintile and 19% in the least deprived; dual conditions, most deprived 26%, least deprived 16% and triple conditions, most deprived 29%, least deprived 14%. Deaths in participants without disease were distributed most deprived 22%, least deprived 19%; in participants with single conditions, most deprived 24%, least deprived 18%; dual conditions, most deprived 27%, least deprived 15%, and triple conditions, most deprived 33%, least deprived 17%. The relative rate of depression in most deprived participants with triple conditions, compared with least deprived and no disease, was 2.48 (1.74 to 3.54). Costs of health care use were associated with increasing deprivation and level of morbidity.

Conclusions

The higher incidence of disease, associated with deprivation, channels deprived populations into categories of multiple morbidity with a greater prevalence of depression, higher mortality and higher costs. This has implications for the way that resources are allocated in England’s National Health Service.
Presentational approaches used in the UK for reporting evidence synthesis using indirect and mixed treatment comparisons
Authors: Tan Sze Huey , Bujkiewicz Sylwia , Sutton Alexander , Dequen Pascale , Cooper Nicola
Published: August 2013

Objectives

To establish current guidance and practice in UK on presentation of indirect comparison and mixed treatment comparison analyses; to provide recommendations to improve indirect comparison/mixed treatment comparison reporting and to identify research priorities for improved presentation.

Methods

Existing institutional guidance for conducting indirect comparison/mixed treatment comparison alongside current practice in health technology assessment was reviewed. Reports published in UK by the Health Technology Assessment programme since 1997, which utilized indirect comparison/mixed treatment comparison methods, were reviewed with respect to the presentation of study data, statistical models and results. Recommendations for presentation were developed.

Results

Guidance exists that provide the details necessary to conduct a successful indirect comparison/mixed treatment comparison analysis but recommendations on presentation are limited. Of 205 health technology assessment reports that contained evidence synthesis for effectiveness, 19 used indirect comparison/mixed treatment comparison methods. These reports utilized numerous presentational formats from which the following key components were identified: network table/diagram for presenting data; model description to allow reproducibility; and tables, forest plots, matrix tables and summary forest plots for presenting a range of results. Recommendations were developed to ensure that reporting is explicit, transparent and reproducible. Approaches most understandable by non-technical decision makers, and areas where future research is required, are outlined.

Conclusions

There is no standard presentational style used in UK for reporting indirect comparison/mixed treatment comparison, and the use of graphical tools is limited. Standardization of reporting and innovation in graphical representation of indirect comparison/mixed treatment comparison results is required.
The effect of the proximity of patients’ nearest alternative hospital on their intention to search for information on hospital quality
Authors: Victoor Aafke , Rademakers Jany , Rooijen Margreet Reitsma-van , Jong Judith de , Delnoij Diana , Friele Roland
Published: August 2013

Objective

In several countries, patients are encouraged to choose health care providers. Simultaneously, there is a tendency towards the concentration of health care, which might lessen the choice. Our aim was to assess the impact of patients’ distances from their providers on their information-seeking, which is one element of choice.

Methods

Two thousand members of the Dutch Health Care Consumer Panel were sent a questionnaire that included a question on whether they would search for information about hospitals to inform their choice. Distances from providers were obtained from a database that includes the distances between all postcodes in the Netherlands. To assess the influence of distance on information-seeking, logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

There was a good response (75%). Older, less educated respondents were less inclined to seek information when their nearest alternative was located further away (OR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.79–0.92), and younger, more educated respondents were more inclined to search in this situation (OR 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01–1.22).

Conclusions

As fewer older, less educated patients would search for information to guide their choice, they might not opt for the best hospital. Additionally, the need for providers to compete for the patronage of these patients might be lessened.
Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell as a “Policy Window”
Authors: Gates Trevor G , Rodgers Colleen G
Published: August 2013

This paper argues that the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) in the United States represents a policy window that would lend itself to the passage of a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Although attitudes towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers are changing, no comprehensive federal legislation to protect these workers currently exists. Using John Kingdon's policy analysis model, our paper considers the history and evolution of public attitude that led to the repeal of DADT. Further, how this evolution has opened a window of opportunity for the passage of a federal ENDA is also considered. Implications for workplace advocates, including considerations for policy, practice, and research, are explored.
Workplace bullying across cultures
Authors: Jacobson Kathryn JL , Hood Jacqueline N , Van Buren Harry J
Published: August 2013

Workplace bullying has increasingly become of interest to scholars and practicing managers due to its creation of dysfunctional intraorganizational conflict and its negative effects on employees and the workplace. Although studies have explored bullying in different cultural contexts, little research exists that provides a comparison of bullying behaviors across cultural dimensions. This article describes a new research agenda that analyzes the impact of specific cultural dimensions—assertiveness, in-group collectivism, and power distance—on organizational bullying. An expanded categorization of bullying prevalence and form is also proposed, with implications for both future research and organizational practice provided.
Generative acts of people with dementia in a long-term care setting
Authors: Doyle Patrick J , Rubinstein Robert L , Medeiros Kate de
Published: August 2013

Although generativity is used as a central cultural construct within life course theory to illustrate how older persons create interpersonal ties, it is also tied to key concepts in social exchange theory since generative acts can provide a way for achieving more equity in intergenerational power relationships. Without opportunities for older adults to invest themselves in younger generations, they may no longer feel needed within their family or community. In this article, we discuss the relationship of generativity and dementia through the generative activities of older persons with cognitive decline. Field notes from 8 months of research in a dementia-care setting as well as interviews with 20 residents were thematically analyzed to identify: (a) generative acts among people with dementia; (b) residents’ expressions regarding giving to others; and (c) barriers to generativity. Examining generativity among people with dementia requires that one considers the subjective experience of the condition and understands that many social behaviors remain intact irrespective of any quantified cognitive loss (captured here through the use of case examples).
Beneficence in psycho-social research and the role of containment
Authors: Ruch Gillian
Published: August 2013

Within the context of research ethics beneficence consistently receives less attention than non-maleficence and research ‘benefits’ are predominantly understood in tangible, intentional terms. Scanter attention has been given to the more subtle aspects of the research process that elicit less tangible, and often unexpected, benefits for research participants. Drawing on a study conducted with social workers in two childcare social work settings, this article outlines how psycho-social approaches to research – and specifically the concept of containment – can provide fruitful theoretical and conceptual frameworks for the development of more complex understandings of beneficence in the research process. The article concludes by proposing that there is scope to enhance the experience and quality of research if, from the outset, attention to containment is embedded within the research process. Realizing ‘containing’ research involves firstly, recognizing the capacity of researchers to retain an observational stance of ‘negative capability’ that attends to research processes and secondly, understanding the importance of social researchers being contained through appropriate support systems that help to manage the anxiety inherent in social work research contexts specifically, and human relations research, more broadly.
Hobbes’ two accounts of law and the structure of reasons for political obedience
Authors: Venezia Luciano
Published: August 2013

Thomas Hobbes’s political theory contains conceptual theses on law, including an analysis of the way legal requirements affect practical reasoning. However, Hobbes’ account of law and the structure of reasons for political obedience is extremely ambiguous. In this paper, I show that Hobbes develops not one but two different accounts. Also, I argue that the two theories are in tension, something that Hobbes himself seems to recognize to some extent.
The development of crime in light of Finnish and Swedish criminal justice statistics, circa 1750–2010
Authors: von Hofer Hanns , Lappi-Seppälä Tapio
Published: August 2013

This paper analyses four historical time series on homicide, assault, robbery and theft from Finnish and Swedish vital and conviction (judicial) statistics. It is suggested that long-term criminal justice statistics – at least in Finland and Sweden – are highly usable and that they add relevant basic knowledge to important current criminological and crime policy issues. It is concluded that law reforms are greatly influential in terms of changes in the sanctioning system (strong evidence of policy impact); but law reforms do not contribute to lasting changes in the development of crime as measured by conviction statistics (no substantiated evidence of crime impact). In the long run, crime seems to persistently evade the manifold legislative efforts to ‘combat’ it.
Investigating the Relationship among Prepaid Token Incentives, Response Rates, and Nonresponse Bias in a Web Survey
Authors: Parsons Nicholas L. , Manierre Matthew J.
Published: August 2013

Few studies have employed a controlled experimental design to test the effectiveness of unconditional cash incentives on the rates of participation in web surveys. Even fewer studies have looked at the effects of these incentives on nonresponse bias in web surveys. This article addresses these two underresearched areas by utilizing two separate sources of data on a random sample of college students. Specifically, we examine the impact of prepaid token incentives on response rates to a web survey and compare survey data on respondents to administrative records of all sampled persons. Results support the use of unconditional incentives in web surveys as an effective way to improve response. However, contrary to several studies on the relationship between token incentives and nonresponse bias, our findings suggest that prepaid cash incentives may actually produce data that are less representative of the target population.
Validation of an Interactive Simulation Module to Train the Use of a Laparoscopic Insufflator
Authors: van Hove P. Diederick , Verdaasdonk Emiel G. G. , Dankelman Jenny , Stassen Laurents P. S.
Published: August 2013

Background. The purpose of this study was to determine construct and face validities of an interactive Web-based module for pneumoperitoneum and insufflator. Methods. Participants were recruited from surgical departments in 2 academic hospitals and 1 large nonacademic teaching hospital. They were stratified into 3 groups based on their laparoscopic experience (A, no experience; B, experience as assistant; and C, experience as primary surgeon). Within each group the participants were randomized into a training subgroup and a control subgroup. All participants performed a theoretical and a practical test. The training participants first completed the module before they performed the tests. The control participants immediately performed the tests. Results were compared between the training and control participants. All training participants filled out a questionnaire on their opinion about the module. Results. In total, 40 participants were enrolled in the study: group A consisted of 20 participants and groups B and C both consisted of 10 participants. The trained participants answered significantly more theoretical questions correctly (8.3 vs 6.6; P < .001), correctly identified more alarm causes (91% vs 86%; P = .014) and made significantly less errors in the practical test (1.5 vs 3.6; P = .001). All 20 trained participants rated the module fairly good and indicated the module to be of additive value to surgical training programs. Conclusions. Training with the interactive web-based module on installation of a pneumoperitoneum and use of an insufflator has a positive effect on both theoretical and practical competence. Construct and face validities were established for this module.
Images of Gender Twenty Years Later
Authors: Love Sharon RedHawk , Park Seong min
Published: August 2013

This research is a content analysis of photographs in 23 introductory criminal justice and criminology textbooks published between 2008 and 2012, replicating the original work of Baro and Eigenberg analyzing changes of gender depictions in introductory criminal justice and criminology textbooks and adding an examination of gendered interaction patterns. Findings support women continue to be marginalized in introductory criminal justice and criminology textbooks some 20 years after the initial study while images of gendered interaction patterns are largely absent. A discussion of the findings as well the study and praxis of criminal justice and criminology are presented.
The Need for Trained Professionals to Support Social Policy
Authors: Johnston Craig A. , Papaioannou Maria A.
Published: August 2013

Policy changes play an important role in shaping the environment to promote healthy choices in physical activity and nutrition. However, additional support is required for these policies to have an increased impact. This article discusses the roles professionals trained in a lifestyle approach can have in promoting policy.
Management of hypertension with fixed-dose triple-combination treatments
Authors: Epstein Benjamin J. , Shah Niren K. , Borja-Hart Nancy L.
Published: August 2013

The objective of this review is to evaluate the role of fixed-dose triple-combination therapy for the management of hypertension. An assessment of clinical trials showed that half the patients with hypertension have uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), with underlying factors including therapeutic inertia and poor patient adherence. Many patients will require three antihypertensive agents to achieve BP goals, and current guidelines recommend combining drugs with complementary mechanisms of action. Three single-pill triple-combination treatments are available and each includes an agent affecting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway (either a direct renin inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker) in combination with a calcium channel blocker and diuretic. These triple-combination therapies consistently demonstrated significantly greater BP reduction relative to the component dual combinations, with BP reductions documented across a range of patient populations. Triple-combination treatments were well tolerated in all clinical trials reviewed. The use of single-pill, triple-combination antihypertensive therapy has been shown to be an effective, well-tolerated, and convenient treatment strategy that can help patients achieve BP control.