bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Just & Unjust War, Uses of Force & Coercion: An Ethical Inquiry with Cyber Illustrations
Authors: Fidler David P.
Published: September 2016

The emergence of cyber means and methods of war, force, and coercion raises ethical questions under just war theory different from those historically generated by the development of ever more destructive instruments of war. Whether in armed conflict or contexts not considered war, cyber technologies create political and ethical incentives for their use. However, this attractiveness poses potential risks and dangers that, at present, are largely speculative but invite more ethical deliberation. Unfortunately, the convergence of political and ethical incentives on cyber in a context of increasing geopolitical competition and conflict make the prospects for ethical consensus on just and unjust cyber coercion, force, and war unlikely.
Moral Character or Character of War? American Public Opinion on the Targeting of Civilians in Times of War
Authors: Valentino Benjamin
Published: September 2016

Since the end of the Vietnam War, the United States has refrained from the widespread, intentional targeting of civilian populations in times of war. Public opinion polls seem to reflect a marked decline in American support for targeting foreign civilians since that time. Drawing on original public opinion surveys, as well as other historical material, this essay explores several explanations for these changes. Although there is some evidence that the public's views about the morality of civilian targeting have shifted, I argue that two other explanations also play an important role in the changes in the conduct of American wars. First, a mounting skepticism, especially within the U.S. military, about the efficacy of killing civilians, has undercut the primary motivation to even consider such tactics. Indeed, many U.S. military leaders now perceive that killing adversary civilians in large numbers – intentionally or unintentionally – usually backfires, making the adversary fight harder or driving more civilians to join or support the adversary's forces. Second, due to the lower stakes, and especially the dramatically lower fatality rates suffered by American troops in recent wars, the temptation to attempt to end wars quickly with a “death blow” against adversary cities has become less potent. Under certain conditions, however, a majority of Americans would still support today the kind of population bombing last practiced during World War II.
“Type” as Central to Perceptions of Breed Differences in Behavior of Domestic Dog
Authors: Clarke Tracey , Mills Daniel , Cooper Jonathan
Published: September 2016

A survey was designed to explore the effect of type classification on perception and expectation of a dog’s behavior. The survey focused on two forms of presentation: the effect of visual image versus breed name in the identification of a breed as a dangerous dog type, and the effect of breed group classification on expectation of a dog’s level of aggressiveness. The findings have serious implications for Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Respondents were over 5 times more likely to misascribe by image alone the Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a dangerous breed as defined under the United Kingdom’s Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Furthermore, the classification of Terrier attracted high scores in relation to type-specific aggressiveness. These findings highlight the need for more research on personal perception of supposedly dangerous dog breeds to better understand and explain this phenomena, leading to better protection of the public and better welfare outcomes for dogs.
Aspiration for Independence
Authors: Andrianova Irina
Published: September 2016

This article analyzes Anna Dostoevskaia’s (1846–1918) publication work on the basis of new evidence drawn from hitherto unpublished archival materials. Dostoevskaia’s contribution to the world of publishing has never before been the subject of a special investigation; the documents testifying to her massive work, such as her memoir, correspondence and notebooks, all kept in archives, have never been published. Anna Dostoevskaia was not only the wife of the great Russian author Feodor Dostoevsky, but also one of the first female publishers and book-sellers in Russia. In the second half of the nineteenth century, when women were struggling for economic independence and equal rights to take up “men’s jobs,” Dostoevskaia managed to start out and successfully handle a publishing business. The article expands on Dostoevskaia’s educational and professional development, the history of her publishing and book-selling business, and the difficulties she encountered in the process. Her most outstanding achievement was Dostoevsky’s Complete Works which underwent seven editions (1882–1906). Anna Dostoevskaia had an immense contribution to the publishing business of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and played an important role in the enhancement of the cultural life and feminist movement in Russia.
Prosorhynchus Odhner, 1905 (Digenea: Bucephalidae) from the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822) (Epinephelidae), including Prosorhynchus tonkinensis n. sp., from the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam
Authors: TRUONG THUONG VAN , PALM HARRY W. , BUI TE QUANG , NGO HUONG THI THUY , BRAY RODNEY A.
Published: September 2016

A total of 169 specimens of the orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton) were collected from fishermen and marine fish farms in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam. Five different species of Prosorhynchus Odhner, 1905 were recorded, including P. tonkinensis n. sp. The new species differs from all other Prosorhynchus species in the presence of an indented posterior extremity. It can be distinguished from the most closely related P. atlanticus Manter, 1940 and P. crucibulum Rudolphi, 1819 by the extension of the uterus always to the level of the ovary, the width and premouth distance in the former, and the arched vitellarium and smaller egg size in the latter, and a different host and geographical region. Prosorhynchus sp. A (not fully identified in this study) has been earlier reported from E. coioides from New Caledonia (see Prosorhynchus sp. B of Bray and Justine, 2013), P. luzonicus Velasquez, 1959 is reported throughout South-East Asia, and Prosorhynchus sp. B (no further identification possible based on a single specimen in this study) and P. maternus Bray & Justine, 2006 are reported for the first time from Vietnam. The present study demonstrates a close relationship of the Prosorhynchus species composition in Vietnam with the Indo-Australian region, warranting further comparative studies among the different epinephelids.
Four colorful new species of dragon millipedes, genus Desmoxytes Chamberlin, 1923, from northern Thailand (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae)
Authors: SRISONCHAI RUTTAPON , ENGHOFF HENRIK , LIKHITRAKARN NATDANAI , PANHA SOMSAK
Published: September 2016

Four new dragon millipede species of the genus Desmoxytes from northern Thailand are described and illustrated: D. des sp. n. from Chiang Mai Province, D. breviverpa sp. n. from Phrae Province, D. takensis sp. n. from Tak Province and      D. pinnasquali sp. n. from Phitsanulok Province. The new species were compared with type specimens of closely related species and were all found to exhibit explicit morphological differences from these. They can be distinguished from other members of Desmoxytes by the shape of the gonopods, the sternal process between male coxae 4, the pattern of spines or tubercles on the metaterga, and the shape of the paraterga. The coloration of all new species is clearly aposematic: ranging from purple-pink to red. The new species are discussed in relation to their congeners, and a distribution map is provided.
Seasonal Variability in Precipitation in Central and Southern Chile: Modulation by the South Pacific High
Authors: Barrett Bradford S. , Hameed Sultan
Published: September 2016

Monthly precipitation in Chile (30°–55°S) was found to vary by intensity, latitude, and longitude of the South Pacific high (SPH). In austral winter, precipitation was higher when the SPH was weaker and when it was centered farther west. In austral spring, precipitation was higher when the SPH was weaker, similar to winter. However, spring precipitation was not found to be related to SPH longitude, and higher precipitation was found when the SPH was centered farther north. In austral summer, no relationship was found between precipitation and either SPH intensity or longitude, but positive correlations were found between precipitation and latitude of the SPH. In austral autumn, correlation patterns between precipitation and all three SPH metrics more closely resembled those seen in winter. The results of a multiple linear regression confirmed the importance of two SPH metrics (intensity and longitude) and the unimportance of a third SPH metric (latitude) in understanding variability in winter, summer, and autumn precipitation in central and southern Chile. In spring, regression results confirmed a relationship between precipitation and SPH intensity and latitude. Furthermore, the SPH intensity and longitude in winter combined to hindcast monthly precipitation with a better goodness of fit than five El Niño–Southern Oscillation metrics traditionally related to Chilean precipitation. Anomalies of lower-tropospheric circulation and vertical velocities were found to support the observed relationships between SPH and precipitation. Based on these results, a physical mechanism is proposed that employs the SPH as a metric to aid in understanding variability in precipitation in central and south-central Chile in all seasons.
Comparing Validity and Reliability in Special Education Title II and IDEA Data
Authors: Steinbrecher Trisha D. , McKeown Debra , Walther-Thomas Chriss
Published: September 2016

Previous researchers have found that special education teacher shortages are pervasive and exacerbated by federal policies regarding “highly qualified” teacher requirements. The authors examined special education teacher personnel data from 2 federal data sources to determine if these sources offer a reliable and valid means of determining teacher shortages. Findings indicate that critical discrepancies exist at the state and national levels due to discrepancies between data sources, definitions, and missing data points. In addition, the number of not highly qualified special educators fluctuated widely by data source, possibly indicating an exponential rise in the use of long-term substitutes. Increased collaboration and coordination between state and federal agencies is recommended to ensure valid and reliable teacher qualification data collection and analysis.
Does Compare-Contrast Text Structure Help Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Comprehend Science Text?
Authors: Carnahan Christina R. , Williamson Pamela S.
Published: September 2016

Using a single-subject reversal design, this study evaluated the use of a compare-contrast strategy on the ability of students with autism spectrum disorder to comprehend science text. Three middle school students with high-functioning autism and their teacher participated in this study. A content analysis comparing the number of meaning units in passages to the number of meaning units in student-completed Venn diagrams was conducted for both the treatment and maintenance phases. Results indicated that instruction in the compare-contrast text pattern was effective in increasing participants' comprehension. A content analysis of Venn diagrams revealed a decrease in number of recorded meaning units during the maintenance phase while passage comprehension remained high. Future research and implications for classroom interventions are discussed.
Les « superstitions » à l’épreuve de la modernité : un retour en grâce ?
Authors: Obadia Lionel
Published: September 2016

Have we finished with superstition, from the point of view of history, of ideas and of psychology? Nothing is less certain. On the basis of some ancient or recent publications on this topic, this article attempts to pinpoint the fact that, owing to the empirical and theoretical topicality of superstition, it certainly deserves better than the ideological and intellectual disqualification it has been subjected to. Recent reflections, inspired by anthropological and psychological approaches, seem part of a new interest in beliefs and symbols previously mastered by dominant and exclusive systems of thoughts, be they religious or profane. But a close examination of the effective uses of the notion of ‘superstition’ demonstrates that the projective stigmatization of the ‘Other’ remains a relevant point of departure from which it can be rehabilitated, alongside the latest psychological approaches of belief.
Feminisms and sociologies
Authors: Chaudhuri Maitrayee
Published: September 2016

This article explores the many ways that sociologies and feminisms have intersected with an equal emphasis on the actual content of these intersections as well as on the context. First, the article shows how disciplinary histories and feminist rethinking across ‘nations’ and ‘regions’ do bear similarities, but also differ in many significant ways. Second, linked to the matter of contexts and travels is the matter of hierarchies within international academia that acquires new forms in the global context. Third, the national location of the academia continues to matter, evident, for instance, in the rich feminist scholarship on kinship and family studies, which prised open central sociological categories in India, precisely when the field was declared waning in the West and in the feminist engagement with sociology of education which reflects a persistent engagement with India’s classrooms and pedagogy. Finally, if these visible new areas of feminist recasting are missed out when counting sociology’s tryst with feminism, then we need to ask what is misplaced in the yardsticks of measurements.
With or Without with
Authors: van de Pol Nikki , Hoffmann Thomas
Published: September 2016

This paper concerns the development of the augmentation system of the English absolute construction (AC). The AC is a schematic non-finite construction consisting of a (pro-) nominal head and a predicate and typically expressing adverbial meaning; the construction may be introduced by a preposition. It is argued on the basis of extensive corpus data that one of these introductory prepositions or augmentors, with, has grammaticalized from a preposition-like item indicating the specific relation of manner/accompanying circumstance to a semantically bleached “absolute marker.” In this context, the study of the with-AC in its entirety is argued to benefit from a grammatical constructionalization perspective (Trousdale 2012; Traugott & Trousdale 2013) in that the construction meets the three defining criteria of this process: increased generalization, increased syntactic productivity, and decreased compositionality. It is then shown how the shifts within the augmentation system affected the dynamics of the AC in its entirety as a set of augmentors indicating specific semantics was replaced by a single augmentor, with, whose presence or absence is related to ease of processing, as confirmed by a regression analysis. Finally, a possible route for further, future constructionalization is briefly touched upon.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Stroke Among 14 European Countries
Authors: Tsendsuren Saruultuya , Li Chu-Shiu , Liu Chwen-Chi
Published: September 2016

Background

This study compared the risk factors for and incidence of stroke among 14 European countries by using the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

Methods

The analysis was based on data collected during 2006 to 2007 from Wave 2 of SHARE and panel data from respondents interviewed during 2004 to 2005.

Results and Conclusion

The highest stroke incidence rates were found in Denmark, Poland, and Sweden; these incidence rates were more than double that of Spain. Stroke was mostly associated with elderly people (age, ≥65 years) in Sweden, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Greece. In addition, stroke incidence was high among young males (age, <65 years) in Italy and elderly males in Germany and Switzerland. A negative association was found between stroke and vigorous exercise for younger people in Sweden and elderly people in Poland, whereas moderate exercise was significantly associated with stroke only for elderly Belgians, Greeks, and Irish.
Social Support and Attitudes to Aging in Later Life
Authors: Lamont Ruth A. , Nelis Sharon M. , Quinn Catherine , Clare Linda
Published: September 2016

Negative attitudes to aging are a risk factor for poor health and well-being. The current study sought to examine satisfaction with social support as a potentially modifiable factor that might facilitate the development of more positive attitudes to aging. A convenience sample of 501 older respondents ( Mage = 72.06) reported on frequency of social support and their satisfaction with it, as well as completing a rating of attachment (model of the self and others), a measure of attitudes to aging, and a number of background measures. Results indicated that better subjective health, younger age, and greater satisfaction with social support were all significant predictors of more positive attitudes to aging, while frequency of social support was not. Model of the self accounted for some variation in satisfaction with social support. Interventions to increase satisfaction with social support in later life, recognizing individual differences and attachment styles, may improve attitudes to aging and further support health and well-being.
Friendship Repertoires and Care Arrangement
Authors: Hahmann Julia
Published: September 2016

Friends are important companions and serve as sources for diverse dimensions of social support, including elderly care. Rather than researching populations that have already established care arrangements including friends, the author seeks to understand relationship systems with a focus on the inner logic friendship to consequently describe and understand involved care arrangements, be it with family members or friends. To illustrate the diversity of friendship repertoires, qualitative interviews with older adult Germans are analyzed regarding cognitive concepts of friendships in contrast to familiar ties as well as social practices around relationship systems. While some repertoires successfully include chosen ties in their care arrangements, others not only focus on family, they do not wish to receive care from friends. The article’s praxeological approach highlights the need to reflect habitual differences when thinking about elderly informal care arrangements.
The Benefits of Savoring Life
Authors: Smith Jennifer L. , Bryant Fred B.
Published: September 2016

We investigated the protective impact of savoring capacity on the relationship between physical health and psychological well-being among older adults. A total of 266 adults over 55 years old ( Mean = 73.4 years) completed measures of savoring ability, self-reported health, and life satisfaction. Savoring ability moderated the relationship between health and life satisfaction in older adults. Among people with less savoring ability, poor health was associated with lower life satisfaction. In contrast, people with greater savoring ability maintained higher life satisfaction, regardless of their level of health. These effects were consistent across a variety of different aspects of health, including general health, pain, limitations due to physical health, energy, and social functioning. These findings have direct implications for developing positive interventions to support the psychological well-being of older adults.
Betrayal Trauma in Youth and Negative Communication During a Stressful Task
Authors: Jacoby Vanessa M. , Krackow Elisa , Scotti Joseph R.
Published: September 2016

Attachment-based theories and related research illustrate that emotion regulation develops in the context of a secure relationship between a child and caregiver. When a secure bond is broken, such as in the context of betrayal trauma, children fail to develop necessary emotion regulation skills which can lead to an array of relational problems. The current study examined the relations between betrayal trauma history, type of communication during a stressful interpersonal laboratory task, and emotion regulation difficulties in a sample of trauma-exposed adolescents. Results showed that adolescents with a betrayal trauma history reported more emotion regulation difficulties and exhibited more aggressive and fewer positive communication behaviors when engaged in a stressful interpersonal task with their mothers than did adolescents exposed only to nonbetrayal trauma. Emotion regulation difficulties mediated the relation between betrayal trauma history and negative communication. The clinical and developmental implications from these findings are discussed.
Testing the Link Between Empathy and Lay Theories of Happiness
Authors: Tullett Alexa M. , Plaks Jason E.
Published: September 2016

Happiness is a topic that ignites both considerable interest and considerable disagreement. Thus far, however, there has been little attempt to characterize people’s lay theories about happiness or explore their consequences. We examined whether individual differences in lay theories of happiness would predict empathy. In Studies 1a and 1b, we validated the Lay Theories of Happiness Scale (LTHS), which includes three dimensions: flexibility, controllability, and locus. In Study 2, higher dispositional empathy was predicted by the belief that happiness is flexible, controllable, and internal. In Studies 3 and 4, higher empathy toward a specific target was predicted by the belief that happiness is flexible, uncontrollable, and external. In conjunction, Studies 2, 3, and 4 provide evidence that trait and state empathy are separable and can have opposing relationships with people’s lay theories. Overall, these findings highlight generalized beliefs that may guide empathic reactions to the unhappiness of others.
Straying From the Righteous Path and From Ourselves
Authors: Christy Andrew G. , Seto Elizabeth , Schlegel Rebecca J. , Vess Matthew , Hicks Joshua A.
Published: September 2016

The present research addresses the relationship between morally valenced behavior and perceptions of self-knowledge, an outcome that has received little attention in moral psychology. We propose that morally valenced behavior is related to subjective perceptions of self-knowledge, such that people experience lower levels of self-knowledge when they are reminded of their immoral behaviors. We tested this proposition in four studies ( N = 1,177). Study 1 used daily-diary methods and indicates that daily perceptions of self-knowledge covary with daily levels of morally valenced behavior. The final three studies made use of experimental methods and demonstrate that thinking about immoral behaviors attenuates current perceptions of self-knowledge. The predicted relationships and effects generally persist when controlling for self-esteem. Based on our findings, we argue that perceived self-knowledge may play a functional role in moral self-concept maintenance and moral regulatory processes.
Advancing the Bayesian Approach for Multidimensional Polytomous and Nominal IRT Models
Authors: Chen Jinsong
Published: September 2016

It is common to encounter polytomous and nominal responses with latent variables in social or behavior research, and a variety of polytomous and nominal item response theory (IRT) models are available for applied researchers across diverse settings. With its flexibility and scalability, the Bayesian approach using the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method demonstrates its great advantages for polytomous and nominal IRT models. However, the potential of the Bayesian approach would not be fully realized without model formulations that can cover various models and effective fit measures for model assessment or criticism. This research first provided formulations for typical models that are representative of different modeling groups. Then, a series of discrepancy measures that can offer diagnostic information for model-data misfit were introduced. Simulation studies showed that the formulation worked as expected, and some of the fit measures were more useful than the others or across different situations.
Improving Initiation and Tracking of Research Projects at an Academic Health Center: A Case Study
Authors: Schmidt Susanne , Goros Martin , Parsons Helen M. , Saygin Can , Wan Hung-Da , Shireman Paula K. , Gelfond Jonathan A. L.
Published: September 2016

Research service cores at academic health centers are important in driving translational advancements. Specifically, biostatistics and research design units provide services and training in data analytics, biostatistics, and study design. However, the increasing demand and complexity of assigning appropriate personnel to time-sensitive projects strains existing resources, potentially decreasing productivity and increasing costs. Improving processes for project initiation, assigning appropriate personnel, and tracking time-sensitive projects can eliminate bottlenecks and utilize resources more efficiently. In this case study, we describe our application of lean six sigma principles to our biostatistics unit to establish a systematic continual process improvement cycle for intake, allocation, and tracking of research design and data analysis projects. The define, measure, analyze, improve, and control methodology was used to guide the process improvement. Our goal was to assess and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations by objectively measuring outcomes, automating processes, and reducing bottlenecks. As a result, we developed a web-based dashboard application to capture, track, categorize, streamline, and automate project flow. Our workflow system resulted in improved transparency, efficiency, and workload allocation. Using the dashboard application, we reduced the average study intake time from 18 to 6 days, a 66.7% reduction over 12 months (January to December 2015).
Word Adjacency Graph Modeling
Authors: Miller Wendy R. , Groves Doyle , Knopf Amelia , Otte Julie L. , Silverman Ross D.
Published: September 2016

There is a need to develop methods to analyze Big Data to inform patient-centered interventions for better health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a method to explore Big Data to describe salient health concerns of people with epilepsy. Specifically, we used Word Adjacency Graph modeling to explore a data set containing 1.9 billion anonymous text queries submitted to the ChaCha question and answer service to (a) detect clusters of epilepsy-related topics, and (b) visualize the range of epilepsy-related topics and their mutual proximity to uncover the breadth and depth of particular topics and groups of users. Applied to a large, complex data set, this method successfully identified clusters of epilepsy-related topics while allowing for separation of potentially non-relevant topics. The method can be used to identify patient-driven research questions from large social media data sets and results can inform the development of patient-centered interventions.
Removal of pyrene from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto Brazilian peat samples
Authors: Girardello Francine , Rovani Suzimara , Giovanela Marcelo , Fernandes Andreia Neves
Published: September 2016

Pyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, classified as a priority pollutant. Aiming to minimize the presence of this polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in aquatic ecosystems, it is important to develop and consider new alternatives that enable its partial or total removal by different mechanisms and/or processes. In this sense, several techniques have been used for this purpose. Among them, adsorption techniques employing natural adsorbents as peat represent an attractive alternative due to its low cost and high removal efficiency. In the present study, two samples (decomposed peat – DP, and fibrous peat – FP) were used to remove pyrene at concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 µg L−1 for up to 72 h. The removal percentages with DP were between 75.5 and 91.0%, while for FP these values were in the range of 77.7 to 92.1%. The experimental data showed that the adsorption kinetics were better described using a pseudo-second-order model. Regarding the adsorption equilibrium, the experimental data were adequately fitted by the Freundlich equation for both peat samples. Finally, the adsorption capacity depended on thermodynamic parameters, indicating that the adsorption process was spontaneous and occurred by physisorption.
It’s not easy (not) being green: Agenda dissonance of Green Party press relations and newspaper coverage
Authors: Hughes Ceri
Published: September 2016

The Green Party of England and Wales is trying to move from being perceived as a party with a specific environmental focus to a broad-spectrum political force with policy and opinion across the full range of political issues. How does the UK press respond to this change of agenda by the party? An analysis of UK newspaper articles and Green Party press releases reveals a dissonance between what is discussed by the party and what is printed about the party. Further investigation reveals that, in relation to specific political events, Green Party opinion, even though appearing to widen the political debate on some key issues, was largely ignored by UK newspapers. These findings have implications for any minority or ‘core-issue’ party looking to widen its political agenda and electoral appeal.
A crisis of measurability? Critiquing post-operaismo on labour, value and the basic income
Authors: Pitts Frederick Harry
Published: September 2016

This article critiques post-operaist conceptualisations of immaterial labour from the perspective of Marxian value-form theory. Critiquing the idea of the ‘crisis of measurability’ created by immaterial labour and the contention that this makes redundant the law of value, it contests the novelty, immediate abstractness and immeasurable productivity post-operaists attribute to contemporary labour using the New Reading of Marx. The first part explores this theoretical conflict, asserting that post-operaismo refutes Marx’s value theory only insofar as it holds a productivist understanding of value to begin with. The second reflects upon the political implications through a consideration of the post-operaist advocacy of a universal basic income. Appeals to reward, recompense and redistribution rest upon the veracity of the claims made in the post-operaist treatment of labour, value and their immateriality and immeasurability. A value-form analysis exposes flaws in the assumptions about value and labour that support their case for a universal basic income.
The Neoliberal Restructuring of Agriculture and Food in Greece
Authors: Konstantinidis Charalampos
Published: September 2016

While public debt has become the focal point of discussions of the Greek crisis, the Greek crisis has been used as an opportunity to extend a series of neoliberal reforms. I examine the agricultural and food sector of Greece since 1981 and I show how Greece’s integration into the European market, following Greece’s entry in the European Economic Community led to (a) the dismantling of agricultural and food production in Greece and (b) the increased power of middlemen in the Greek food system. The three structural adjustment programs that were implemented in Greece after 2010 increased the liberalization of Greek agriculture and the centralization of the food sector. These changes had adverse implications for both farmers and consumers: farmers faced liberalization and increased costs of production, while consumers saw increased food prices despite internal devaluation.
Caregiving Subgroups Differences in the Associations Between the Resilience Resources and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Kim Seungyoun , Knight Bob G.
Published: September 2016

Using a model of resilience, this study compared the direct and indirect associations between resilience resources (sense of mastery, openness to experience, emotion regulation, and social support) and life satisfaction among caregiving subgroups (spouses, adult-children, and parents). Participants were included from the survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS II). Estimates of direct and indirect relationships between the resources and life satisfaction were calculated for each subgroup, and differences in the relationships between subgroups were tested. The direct positive relationships between sense of mastery and life satisfaction were significant and stronger for spouses and parents than for adult-children. In contrast, an indirect relationship through social support between the two variables was stronger for adult-children than for spouses. Openness to experience had a direct positive link to life satisfaction among spouses, and emotion regulation was directly related to life satisfaction among parents. We suggested targeted interventions for caregiving subgroups.
Do the Kinds of Achievement Errors Made by Students Diagnosed With ADHD Vary as a Function of Their Reading Ability?
Authors: Pagirsky Matthew S. , Koriakin Taylor A. , Avitia Maria , Costa Michael , Marchis Lavinia , Maykel Cheryl , Sassu Kari , Bray Melissa A. , Pan Xingyu
Published: September 2016

A large body of research has documented the relationship between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading difficulties in children; however, there have been no studies to date that have examined errors made by students with ADHD and reading difficulties. The present study sought to determine whether the kinds of achievement errors made by students diagnosed with ADHD vary as a function of their reading ability. The participants in this study were 91 students in the ADHD clinical validity standardization sample of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement–Third Edition (KTEA-3), as well as a control group of 63 students selected from the larger standardization sample. Students with ADHD and reading difficulties demonstrated a statistically significant greater amount of errors across tests of academic achievement. Findings from the study are discussed within the context of past research, as well as implications for the field of school psychology and practitioners.
Facebook Is a Source of Social Capital Building Among University Students
Authors: Raza Syed Ali , Qazi Wasim , Umer Amna
Published: September 2016

This study analyzes the influence of Facebook usage on building social capital among university students in Karachi by using a modified framework of technology acceptance model. Important information was gathered utilizing organized questionnaire containing items of Facebook intensity, social self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived playfulness (independent variables), intention to continue use (mediating variables), bridging social capital, and bonding social capital (dependent variables), while the specimen size includes 560 university students. Furthermore, the procedures utilized as a part of the study are reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, partial least square-structural equation modeling to check the impact of these factors on the building of social capital. Findings show that Facebook intensity, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived playfulness, and social self-efficacy have a positive and significant impact on intention to continue use, while intention to continue use has a positive and significant impact on both dependent variables bridging social capital and bonding social capital concluding that social networking sites (Facebook) are helpful in building and maintaining social capital by creating intention to continue using them. This study provides useful insights about the youth experience of using Facebook and sharing information. Also, marketers would get benefit as this study would allow them to adopt effective marketing strategies.
Neurofibromatosis Type 2
Authors: Ardern-Holmes Simone , Fisher Gemma , North Kathryn
Published: September 2016

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder (incidence 1:33 000-40 000) characterized by formation of central nervous system tumors, due to mutation in the NF2 gene on chromosome 22q12. Vestibular schwannomas are the hallmark lesion, affecting 95% of individuals and typically occur bilaterally. Schwannomas commonly occur on other nerves intracranially and in the spinal compartment, along with meningiomas, ependymomas, and gliomas. Although histologically benign, tumors are associated with significant morbidity due to multiple problems including hearing and vision loss, gait abnormalities, paralysis, pain, and seizures. Risk of early mortality from brainstem compression and other complications is significant. Severity of disease is higher when NF2 presents during childhood. Children have a more variable presentation, which can be associated with significant delays in recognition of the condition. Careful examination of the skin and eyes can identify important clinical signs of NF2 during childhood, allowing timely initiation of disease-specific surveillance and treatment. Monitoring for complications comprises clinical evaluation, along with functional testing including audiology and serial neuroimaging, which together inform decisions regarding treatment. Evidence for disease-specific medical treatment options is increasing, nevertheless most patients will benefit from multimodal treatment including surgery during their lifetime. Patient enrolment in international natural history and treatment trials offers the best opportunity to accelerate our understanding of the complications and optimal treatment of NF2, with a view to improving outcomes for all affected individuals.
Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome (FIRES) in the Acute and Chronic Phases
Authors: Gofshteyn Jacqueline S. , Wilfong Angus , Devinsky Orrin , Bluvstein Judith , Charuta Joshi , Ciliberto Michael A. , Laux Linda , Marsh Eric D.
Published: September 2016

Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a devastating epilepsy affecting normal children after a febrile illness. FIRES presents with an acute phase with super-refractory status epilepticus and all patients progress to a chronic phase with persistent refractory epilepsy. The typical outcome is severe encephalopathy or death. The authors present 7 children from 5 centers with FIRES who had not responded to antiepileptic drugs or other therapies who were given cannabadiol (Epidiolex, GW Pharma) on emergency or expanded investigational protocols in either the acute or chronic phase of illness. After starting cannabidiol, 6 of 7 patients’ seizures improved in frequency and duration. One patient died due to multiorgan failure secondary to isoflourane. An average of 4 antiepileptic drugs were weaned. Currently 5 subjects are ambulatory, 1 walks with assistance, and 4 are verbal. While this is an open-label case series, the authors add cannabidiol as a possible treatment for FIRES.
Intermediate Type of Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy
Authors: El-Sayed Amel A. F.
Published: September 2016

Data of 829 infants with obstetric brachial plexus palsy were reviewed to identify any cases that could not be fitted into the any of the well-known types of palsy. These unusual cases were studied in detail with regard to clinical presentation and electrophysiological findings as well as management and spontaneous motor recovery. Erb’s, extended Erb’s, and total palsies were seen in 42.8%, 28.8%, and 28.0% of cases, respectively. Three cases (0.4%) did not fit into any of the classic types. One case had bilateral palsy, and the remaining 2 cases had unilateral palsy. All affected limbs presented with “abducted arms,” “flexed forearms,” and electrophysiological evidence of denervation of shoulder adductors and triceps. All cases had excellent spontaneous recovery within 6-12 months. It was concluded that these cases represent mild “intermediate” types of palsy in which the C7 root was the predominant site of injury. Good spontaneous recovery is expected.
Factors Associated With the Increasing Rates of Discharges Directly Home From Intensive Care Units—A Direct From ICU Sent Home Study
Authors: Lau Vincent I. , Priestap Fran A. , Lam Joyce N. H. , Ball Ian M.
Published: September 2016

Objectives:

To evaluate the relationship between rates of discharge directly to home (DDH) from the intensive care unit (ICU) and bed availability (ward and ICU). Also to identify patient characteristics that make them candidates for safe DDH and describe transfer delay impact on length of stay (LOS).

Methods:

Retrospective cohort study of all adult patients who survived their stay in our medical–surgical–trauma ICU between April 2003 and March 2015.

Results:

Median age was 49 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 33.5-60.4), and the majority of the patients were males (54.8%). Median number of preexisting comorbidities was 5 (IQR: 2-7) diagnoses. Discharge directly to home increased from 28 (3.1% of all survivors) patients in 2003 to 120 (12.5%) patients in 2014. The mean annual rate of DDH was between 11% and 12% over the last 6 years. Approximately 62% (n = 397) of patients waited longer than 4 hours for a ward bed, with a median delay of 2.0 days (IQR: 0.5-4.7) before being DDH. There was an inverse correlation between ICU occupancy and DDH rates ( rP = −.55, P < .0001, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.36 to −0.69, R2 = .29). There was no correlation with ward occupancy and DDH rates ( rs = −.055, P = .64, 95% CI = −0.25 to 0.21).

Conclusions:

The DDH rates have been increasing over time at our institution and were inversely correlated with ICU bed occupancy but were not associated with ward occupancy. The DDH patients are young, have few comorbidities on admission, and few discharge diagnoses, which are usually reversible single system problems with low disease burden. Transfers to the ward are delayed in a majority of cases, leading to increased ICU LOS and likely increased overall hospital LOS as well.
The Sodium Paradox: Dysnatremia and Mortality in Patients Implanted With Extracorporeal Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices
Authors: Yost Gardner , Tatooles Antone , Bhat Geetha
Published: September 2016

Introduction:

Dysnatremia, abnormal serum sodium levels, has long been used as a marker for disease progression in heart failure patients. Classically, hyponatremia is associated with increased fluid volume in heart failure and is often a result of neuroendocrine dysfunction and poor cardiac output. Recent studies have noted that dysnatremia and hypernatremia are predictive of worsened outcomes in critical care and renal disease populations. We investigated the relationship between dysnatremia and postoperative outcomes in patients implanted with extracorporeal mechanical circulatory devices.

Methods:

A total of 97 patients who underwent implantation with the CentriMag mechanical circulatory assist system were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on preoperative serum sodium level cutoff of 135 mEq/L. Outcomes and mortality were compared between groups.

Results:

The mean age for the study population was 56.21 ± 15.13 years, and 57 patients (58.8%) were male. The mean time on CentriMag support was 22.7 days. Patients with serum sodium levels ≤135 mEq/L were noted to have significantly worsened indicators of preoperative cardiac function. However, patients with serum sodium levels >135 mEq/L had significantly shorter postoperative survival ( P = .006). When entered into a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, sodium was an independent predictor for increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio: 1.224; 95% confidence interval: 1.009-1.485; P = .040).

Conclusion:

Our results indicate that elevated preoperative sodium in patients undergoing implantation of a temporary mechanical circulatory support system is predictive of worsened postoperative survival.
It All Just Piles Up: Challenges to Victim Credibility Accumulate to Influence Sexual Assault Case Processing
Authors: Morabito Melissa Schaefer , Pattavina April , Williams Linda M.
Published: September 2016

The underreporting of sexual assault is well known to researchers, practitioners, and victims. When victims do report, their complaints are unlikely to end in arrest or prosecution. Existing research on police discretion suggests that the police decision to arrest for sexual assault offenses can be influenced by a variety of legal and extra-legal factors particularly challenges to victim credibility. Although extant literature examines the effects of individual behaviors on police outcomes, less is known about how the accumulation of these behaviors, attributions, and characteristics affects police decision making. Using data collected from the Los Angeles Police Department and Sheriff’s Department, we examine one police decision point—the arrest to fill this gap in the literature. First, we examine the extent to which the effects of potential challenges to victim credibility, based on victim characteristics and behaviors, influence the arrest decision, and next, how these predictors vary across circumstances. Specifically, we examine how factors that challenge victim credibility affect the likelihood of arrest in sexual assault cases where the victim and offender are strangers, acquaintances, and intimate partners.
Prevalence and Predictors of Bidirectional Violence in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Residing at Shelters
Authors: Holmes Samantha C. , Johnson Nicole L. , Rojas-Ashe Elsa E. , Ceroni Taylor L. , Fedele Katherine M. , Johnson Dawn M.
Published: September 2016

There has been a long-standing debate regarding whether or not there is gender symmetry in intimate partner violence (IPV); however, shelter samples have been understudied thus far. This study investigates the prevalence and predictors of IPV perpetration in a sample of 227 women in battered women’s shelters. Participants were asked to complete a number of measures assessing demographics, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR) diagnoses, traumatic life events, and perpetration and victimization of IPV. Although the vast majority of women in this sample (93%) report perpetrating some form of IPV, few women endorsed violence that was not mutual (5.3%). Furthermore, for every type of IPV assessed, women were victimized significantly more than they perpetrated. Results also indicate that women’s perpetration of IPV, and predictors of such perpetration, varied across type, severity, and measurement of violence. However, most IPV outcome variables were predicted by women’s experience of victimization. Taken as a whole, these results support the assertion that context matters when examining the relative rates of perpetration as well as its predictors.
Fit for purpose no more?
Authors: Gronn Peter
Published: September 2016

Recently, distributed leadership (DL) has become a popular approach to leadership across the social sciences, including education. This article documents reasons for the emergence of a distributed perspective and summarizes some of the background against which DL’s popularity emerged, in a field of study with a traditional adherence to leadership understood individually rather than collectively. When considered empirically, leadership practice in education and beyond is neither exclusively individual nor collective, but manifests degrees of co-existing individualism and collectivism. By implication, this hybrid or mixed patterning has to be reflected in a revised unit of leadership analysis. For this purpose, the article proposes a leadership configuration. To substantiate the argument, a range of illustrative social science evidence is drawn upon, some of which suggests that leadership hybridity may not merely be a contemporary phenomenon, but stretches back in time to include pre-modern social formations.