bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A pilot study investigating further education engineering lecturers’ readiness for the shift in Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) assessment
Authors: Braun Martin
Published: April 2018

The summative assessment approach of all level three Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) qualifications is changing away from a purely teacher-based, criterion-referencing internal assessment approach to a mixture of internal and external assessments including exams for core units. As this is a shift away from what teachers may be familiar with, the question of whether teachers are cognisant of how to effectively prepare students for high-stake exams arises. This paper reports on a pilot study preparing such an investigation by developing questionnaires with relevant techniques recommended in the literature and then comparing responses of two groups of teachers. One group is BTEC lecturers who may be unfamiliar with exam preparation. The other group routinely prepare further education students for General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams and, therefore, is familiar with exam preparation techniques and serves as a control group. One aspect of the research outcomes pertains to the refinement of the research method and suggests incorporating a formal interview. The other aspect relates to the tentative research results, which found that the responses of both groups have a high degree of agreement. However, there are some differences when it comes to detailed assessment preparation planning, student motivation and parental involvement. As the number of participants was very small, any conclusions suggested here need to be substantiated by a larger sample involving more than one college.
Minor stadiums, major effects? Patterns and sources of redevelopment surrounding minor league baseball stadiums
Authors: van Holm Eric Joseph
Published: April 2018

Minor league baseball stadiums are a popular redevelopment anchor in mid-sized to small American cities seeking to revitalise their downtowns. This paper uses a panel study of 16 minor league baseball stadiums built around the time of the 2000 census to understand how they affect immediately adjacent census tracts on measures of residential development one decade later. Regressions show that census tracts near new stadiums have larger increases in their median home prices and new housing construction relative to similar areas in the rest of their cities. However, when compared with a sample of tracts in cities that did not build any stadiums, the significant difference in median housing prices disappears, leaving the effect on new housing construction along with an increase in vacancy rates. Taken together, the findings indicate minor league baseball stadiums can revitalise a city’s downtown, but also act to concentrate redevelopment rather than create growth.
Patient and therapist experiences of using affordable feedback-based technology in rehabilitation: a qualitative study nested in a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hamilton Caitlin , McCluskey Annie , Hassett Leanne , Killington Maggie , Lovarini Meryl
Published: April 2018

Objective:

To explore how technologies are used and experienced in rehabilitation.

Design:

A qualitative study using a grounded theory approach within a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of tailored, affordable technologies to improve mobility and physical activity.

Settings:

Aged care and neurological rehabilitation wards with community follow-up.

Participants:

Twenty patients undergoing rehabilitation and randomized to the experimental arm of a trial (mean age 64 years (SD 23)) were recruited for interviews, plus 11 physiotherapists involved in technology prescription as part of the trial.

Method:

Two interviews per patient (one in hospital, one post-discharge) and four focus groups with physiotherapists were conducted. Transcribed data were coded and synthesized. Memo-writing and constant comparison methods guided data analysis.

Results:

A process of patient engagement with technology involving two stages: (1) initial patient engagement and (2) maintaining patient engagement was identified. Therapists used a series of steps and strategies to gain and maintain patient engagement. A positive first experience and continued input into patient programmes was needed. The level of patient engagement was not consistent across the duration of the trial, increasing or decreasing due to changes in the technologies prescribed or setting of use. Two conditions were key to optimizing patient engagement: sufficient support and perceived benefit from using technology.

Conclusions:

Patients can engage with technology during rehabilitation when prescription is tailored by a therapist. Perceiving benefit from using technology, in addition to receiving the right support to enable use appears to influence the level of patient engagement.
Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Parasocial Relationships: The Recontact Study
Authors: Aguiar Naomi Ruth , Richards Melissa N. , Bond Bradley J. , Brunick Kaitlin L. , Calvert Sandra L.
Published: April 2018

Parent report measures indicate that young children’s parasocial relationships (PSRs) are multidimensional constructs consisting of dimensions such as social realism, attachment and character personification, and human-like needs. However, little is known about how parent perceptions of these dimensions evolve as children mature and form new PSRs. In this 3-year follow-up study, parents ( N = 156) from two previous studies were recontacted, and they provided updated information about their children’s PSRs in an online questionnaire. A principal components analysis revealed that the dimensions of social realism, attachment and character personification, and human-like needs reemerged when children were approximately 6- to 8-years-old and had formed new or retained previous relationships with favorite media characters. A new dimension of character qualities also emerged, paralleling the developmental changes that occur in children’s real friendships. These results clarify parent reports of the dimensions that comprise children’s PSRs and provide descriptive information about the ways in which parent perceptions of children’s PSRs shift as their children mature.
Modeling Pedestrian Crossing Behavior and Safety at Signalized Intersections
Authors: Marisamynathan S. , Vedagiri P.
Published: April 2018

Pedestrian noncompliance behavior is one of the most critical causes of pedestrian involved traffic crashes at intersections in India. Thus, the objectives of this study are to examine how various factors affect pedestrian crossing behavior and to propose models for pedestrian crossing behavior and level of safety at signalized intersections which will be useful to regulate pedestrian flow. The data were collected with video and a user perceptions survey at six selected signalized intersections in Mumbai, India. The differences between pedestrian crossing behavior with respect to personal characteristics, socioeconomic attributes, and existing crossing facilities were identified using Pearson correlation and odd ratio tests. Furthermore, the major reasons for noncompliance behavior were obtained by analysis of field data to prevent noncompliance behavior and enhance pedestrian safety. The results showed that a significant number of the pedestrians violated the traffic signal to save time and for convenience (46%). A binary logit model was developed to evaluate the impacts of contributing factors on pedestrian crossing behavior. Further, an ordered probability model was established to evaluate and estimate the pedestrian level of safety at signalized intersections. Two models were validated, and their statistical results show that the models predict the pedestrian crossing behavior and safety level more precisely. Developed models and study outcomes can help transport planners and designers understand pedestrian crossing behavior on crosswalks at signalized intersections and thus create a safer crossing environment for all pedestrians.
A Thematic Analysis of the Impact of MY MASCULINITY HELPS as a Tool for Sexual Violence Prevention
Authors: Grimmett Marc A. , Conley Abigail H. , Foster Dominique , Clark Cory W.
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of an educational documentary, MY MASCULINITY HELPS ( MMH), as a sexual violence prevention tool. MMH is a short (i.e., 31 min) educational documentary that explores the role of African American men and boys in the prevention of sexual violence. Participants ( N = 88) completed an electronic, qualitative questionnaire after viewing the documentary and data collected were analyzed and interpreted using thematic analysis. Findings from the study highlighted the power of documentary film to impact knowledge, beliefs, social norms related to masculinity and the role of African American men as allies, empowerment, and commitment to action. Implications of MMH as a prosocial bystander behavior intervention and educational tool are discussed.
Female Participation in Household Decision Making and the Justification of Wife Beating in Bangladesh
Authors: Alam Md. Shahin , Tareque Md. Ismail , Peet Evan D. , Rahman Md. Mosfequr , Mahmud Tanvir
Published: April 2018

We examined female participation in household decision making and its association with the justification of wife beating in Bangladesh. We used nationally representative data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Our sample consisted of currently married women of age 15 to 49 years ( n = 16,463). Chi-square tests and multilevel logistic regression models were performed. Approximately 84% of women in the survey were participants in at least one household decision, and 72% reported that wife beating is not justified in any circumstance. Women who reported their participation in at least one type of household decision less frequently reported that wife beating could be justified than those who did not participate in any household decisions (adjusted odds ratio = 1.49; 95% confidence interval = [1.25, 1.78]). In addition to participation in household decision making, other factors including age at first marriage, females’ and their husbands’ education, religion, parity, contraceptive use, and socioeconomic status were associated with the justification of wife beating. The results indicate that female participation in household decision making is significantly associated with the justification of wife beating in Bangladesh. Further study is needed, but the results suggest that policy makers should consider interventions proven to empower women and lead to increased participation in decision making as methods that may reduce domestic violence against women.
Cross-Sector Partnerships in Human Services: Insights and Organizational Dilemmas
Authors: Almog-Bar Michal , Schmid Hillel
Published: April 2018

The article presents a mixed-method study of 15 cross-sector partnerships (CSPs) in human services. The study sought to examine the activities, organizational characteristics, and relationships among organizations from the government, nonprofit, and business sectors at three interrelated stages of the partnership: inputs, processes, and outcomes. The findings indicate that socialization prior to entering CSPs is an important component of building the partnership and attaining its espoused goals. Power struggles inhibit the achievement of goals in CSPs, whereas joint decision making and reaching a consensus contribute to achieving goals and added value in terms of improving the quality of services and clients’ well-being. The article presents insights and highlights the dilemmas that CSPs face with regard to their operation and processes. The implications of these dilemmas for establishing and managing effective CSPs as well as for nonprofit policy are discussed.
Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics of Dabigatran 75 mg Twice Daily in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation and Severely Impaired Renal Function
Authors: Martin Jack L. , Esmaeili Habib , Manuel Raymond C. , Petrini Michaela , Wiebe Sabrina , Maas Hugo
Published: April 2018

Introduction:

Dabigatran etexilate is an oral direct thrombin inhibitor. Dabigatran excretion is 80% renal, so exposure increases with severity of renal failure. The US Food and Drug Administration-approved dabigatran etexilate 75 mg twice daily (BID) for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) having severely impaired renal function (creatinine clearance: 15-30 mL/min), based on post hoc pharmacokinetic modeling. We assessed dabigatran exposure at trough and peak levels in patients with NVAF and severely impaired renal function and compared with model predictions.

Methods:

Patients received dabigatran etexilate (75 mg BID) for ≥7 days before blood sampling; Cpre,ss (steady-state predose concentration; trough) was taken 10 to 16 hours postdose (prior to next dose), and C2,ss (steady-state concentration; peak) was taken 2 hours (± 30 minutes) postdose. Pharmacodynamic parameters at baseline (Ebase), trough concentrations (Epre,ss), and peak concentrations (E2,ss) were assessed by established coagulation assays.

Results:

Of the 150 patients screened, 60 were treated, of which 40% were male and 78.3% were white; median age was 84 years. Cpre,ss values (n = 51) were close to pharmacokinetic modeling predictions with a geometric mean (gMean) of 155 ng/mL, geometric coefficient of variation (gCV) of 76.9%, and range of 15.6 to 498 ng/mL. The C2,ss values (n = 59) had a gMean of 202 ng/mL, gCV of 70.6%, and range of 42.0 to 680 ng/mL. Pharmacodynamic effects on coagulation paralleled dabigatran concentrations. Eleven (18.3%) patients had ≥1 adverse event (AE); pharmacokinetic results for these patients versus those without AEs (n = 49) were Cpre, ss: gMean = 206 versus 145 ng/mL, gCV = 64.0% versus 78.3%; C2,ss: gMean = 243 versus 193 ng/mL, gCV = 68.9% versus 70.8%. All bleeding events (8 events in 5 patients) were considered minor by the investigators.

Conclusion:

Dabigatran exposure levels largely confirmed earlier pharmacokinetic predictions, supporting the use of dabigatran etexilate 75 mg BID in patients with NVAF and severely impaired renal function. Pharmacodynamic results were also in agreement with earlier studies. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01896297.
Sexual well-being and diurnal cortisol after prostate cancer treatment
Authors: Hoyt Michael A , Gaffey Allison E , Wang Ashley W , Litwin Mark S , Lawsin Catalina J
Published: April 2018

Sexual dysfunction and psychological distress are common after prostate cancer. Research has not examined the role of neuroendocrine markers of stress (e.g. cortisol). This study examines whether sexual functioning or sexual bother is associated with diurnal cortisol. Men treated for prostate cancer completed the University of California–Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index and provided saliva samples four times daily for cortisol assessment. Higher sexual bother, but not sexual functioning, was associated with steeper cortisol slope. Better sexual functioning, and not sexual bother, was significantly associated with the cortisol awakening response. Assessment of stress and stress-reducing interventions might be warranted in sexual rehabilitation after prostate cancer.
A virtual academy of polydrug use: Masters, novices and the art of combinations
Authors: Kataja Kati , Törrönen Jukka , Hakkarainen Pekka , Tigerstedt Christoffer
Published: April 2018

Aims:

Information technology has become an essential part of drug culture, providing a platform for lay knowledge concerning drug use. Due to the co-effects of different substances, making substance “combos” requires advanced skills to enhance pleasures and manage risks. In this study, we focussed on Finnish and Swedish online discussions as a context for learning and sharing experiences of combining substances.

Methods:

Taking influences from positioning theory, we used qualitative methods to map what kinds of mutual interactive positions related to the expertise in polydrug use online discussants take and how these positions are negotiated and reformulated in the online setting. We reflect these results through Howard S. Becker’s theory of social learning, according to which becoming a drug user is a process that occurs in interaction with other users, as the beginners need a model and advice from experienced users in order to claim their place in the users’ community.

Results:

In online forums, users discuss the risks and pleasures of combining drugs – on the one hand, in relation to different situations and, on the other hand, in relation to different competence positions. This occurs by asking for advice, presenting one’s knowledge, challenging others, repositioning oneself, defending one’s position or proving one’s competence.

Conclusion:

Online discussion forums constitute a kind of virtual academy where knowledge of the pleasures and risks of combining substances is produced and circulated, and where experienced masters mediate their expertise to less experienced novices.
A hybrid mode to enhance the downward route performance in routing protocol for low power and lossy networks
Authors: Oh Sukho , Hwang DongYeop , Kim Kangseok , Kim Ki-Hyung
Published: April 2018

An IPv6 routing protocol for low power and lossy networks provides an IPv6 communication for a wide range of applications in multi-hop mesh networks. The routing protocol for low power and lossy networks defines the creation and management of downward routes with two modes of operations: storing and non-storing modes. The storing and non-storing modes have weaknesses for memory constraints and packet traffic overheads, respectively. The storing mode may cause routing failures due to constraints on memory in routers and the non-storing mode may cause packet fragmentation that can become a factor for packet delays or loss. Then the problems may degrade the downward route performance in routing protocol for low power and lossy networks. Therefore, in this article, we propose a hybrid mode that combines the advantages of the existing two modes to improve the performance of downward packet transmission in routing protocol for low power and lossy networks networks. The proposed hybrid mode uses a new routing header format. The routing information for packet delivery is distributed with the extended routing header. We implement the proposed hybrid mode in Contiki OS environment to compare with existing techniques. From the experiment, it was observed that the proposed hybrid mode can improve the performance of downward packet transmission. Therefore, with the proposed hybrid mode, it is possible to configure a network enable to be composed of many leaf nodes with constrained memory. We also discuss future works.
Acute otitis media
Authors: Curran John F , Cornwall Hannah L , Perenyei Miklos , Moorhouse Tobias
Published: April 2018

Middle ear infection, or acute otitis media (AOM), is a common condition encountered in primary care. Unfortunately, the diagnosis and sequelae of AOM can be overlooked, leading to significant patient morbidity. This article aims to raise awareness of AOM and highlights the relevant anatomy, epidemiology and aetiology. We discuss prevention, diagnosis and management of AOM in primary care, the recognition of complications and when to refer to secondary care.
Help (not) wanted: Neo-liberal discourses of leadership against community knowledge and control in comparative context
Authors: Lesnick Alice , Bahn Hannah
Published: April 2018

This article compares two neo-liberal education reform activities that are not often studied in tandem: alternative teacher certification in the USA, as explored through Teach for America, and the growing international service learning movement. Guided by the Movement for Black Lives’ call for a world where those “most impacted in our communities control the laws, institutions, and policies that are meant to serve us,” the authors explore the ways in which programs’ neo-liberal justifications obscure the authority, history, and agency of the communities they purport to serve, while convincing people outside of the community that those within are benefitted. The comparisons drawn highlight the ways in which deficit orientations permeate different local and global contexts to perpetuate and normalize privatization and the wresting of control from local communities. In making this comparison, the authors aim to better understand what these programs have in common: a white supremacist world view at once unstated and pervasive, which reinforces harmful ideas about what it is to respond to the purported needs and desires of others, not expressed in their own terms. This globalization of “helping” may increase the difficulty of those targeted by such “help” to speak in their own terms.
Interobserver and intraobserver comparison of imaging glenoid morphology, glenoid version and humeral head subluxation
Authors: Cagle Paul J , Werner Birgit , Shukla Dave R , London Daniel A , Parsons Bradford O , Millar Neal L
Published: April 2018

Background

Glenoid morphology, glenoid version and humeral head subluxation represent important parameters for the treating physician. The most common method of assessing glenoid morphology is the Walch classification which has only been validated with computed tomography (CT).

Methods

CT images and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of 25 patients were de-identified and randomized. Three reviewers assessed the images for each parameter twice. The Walch classification was assessed with a weighted kappa value. Glenoid version and humeral head subluxation were comparted with a reproducibility coefficient.

Results

The Walch classification demonstrated almost perfect intraobserver agreement for MRI and CT images (k = 0.87). Weighted interobserver agreement values for the Walch classification were fair for CT and MRI (k = 0.34). The weighted reproducibility coefficient for glenoid version measured 9.13 (CI 7.16–12.60) degrees for CT and 13.44 (CI 10.54–18.55) degrees for MRI images. The weighted reproducibility coefficient for percentage of humeral head subluxation was 17.43% (CI 13.67–24.06) for CT and 18.49% (CI 14.5–25.52) for MRI images.

Discussion

CT and MRI images demonstrated similar efficacy in classifying glenoid morphology, measuring glenoid version and measuring posterior humeral head subluxation. MRI can be used as an alternative to CT for measuring these parameters.
Epidemiology and risk factors for bipolar disorder
Authors: Rowland Tobias A. , Marwaha Steven
Published: April 2018

Bipolar disorder is a multifactorial illness with uncertain aetiology. Knowledge of potential risk factors enables clinicians to identify patients who are more likely to develop bipolar disorder, which directs further investigation, follow up and caution when prescribing. Ideally, identifying directly causative factors for bipolar disorder would enable intervention on an individual or population level to prevent the development of the illness, and improve outcomes through earlier treatment. This article reviews the epidemiology of bipolar disorder, along with putative demographic, genetic and environmental risk factors, while assessing the strength of these associations and to what extent they might be said to be ‘causative’. While numerous genetic and environmental risk factors have been identified, the attributable risk of individual factors is often small, and most are not specific to bipolar disorder but are associated with several mental illnesses. Therefore, while some genetic and environmental factors have strong evidence supporting their association with bipolar disorder, fewer have sufficient evidence to establish causality. There is increasing interest in the role of specific gene–environment interactions, as well as the mechanisms by which risk factors interact to lead to bipolar disorder.
Assessment in clinical education: A comparison between a generic instrument and a course-specific criterion-based instrument
Authors: Ulfvarson Johanna , Oxelmark Lena , Jirwe Maria
Published: April 2018

Assessment of students’ clinical performance and reasoning raises critical questions of whether learning outcomes have been reached and whether the aims of a course/education programme have been fulfilled. The aim of this study was to compare two assessment instruments in clinical education. A cross-sectional, comparative design was used. Nursing students and supervisors from five universities and university colleges in Sweden were included in the study. A sample of 435 students was used. Data were collected with study-specific questionnaires targeted for the two groups, nursing students and supervisors, and were analysed using cross-tabulation, chi-square with WinSTAT. Students perceived supervisors using the instrument Assessment of Clinical Education (AClEd) to be more aware of what to assess and they experienced more support from the ‘AClEd supervisors’ as compared to the supervisors using the second instrument, the Assessment form for Clinical education (AssCe). Furthermore, the AClEd assessment was perceived to be fairer compared to the AssCe assessment. The criterion-referenced assessment instrument AClEd was perceived, by both nursing students and supervisors, to give a clearer view of the learning outcome and the possibility of a fair and comprehensive assessment.
Mitigating violence by solving the commitment problem in post-conflict negotiations
Authors: Tanaka Yukako Sakabe
Published: April 2018

Why do some political groups choose to remain militant when they have the opportunity to transform into political parties or become members of state organs? By scrutinizing the power-sharing negotiations held before a country’s first election, this article argues that the group that leads the negotiations faces the challenge of accepting or declining the policy proposed by its counterpart who poses a threat of violence. Even if the counterpart proposes policy that is acceptable to the leading faction, fulfilling the commitment in regard to the political deal is another challenge for the leading faction. Such challenges often fail and consequently cause violence. In contrast, some counterparts can successfully transform themselves into non-violent political agencies regardless of whether they make compromises in policies or not. Third parties can play a vital role in avoiding violence by influencing actors’ decision-making or enhancing the leading faction’s ability to achieve its commitment. The article illustrates this argument by presenting a formal model and then testing the model by examining the case of Timor-Leste. It suggests specific conditions required for negotiations under which armed groups transform into peaceful actors when introduction of democracy and state-building are ongoing.
Biotin-Thiamine-Responsive Basal Ganglia Disease: Case Report and Follow-Up of a Patient With Poor Compliance
Authors: Alabdulqader Muneera A. , Al Hajjaj Sumayah
Published: April 2018

Background:

Biotin-thiamine-responsive basal ganglia disease (BTBGD) is a rare treatable autosomal recessive neurometabolic disorder characterized by progressive encephalopathy that eventually leads to severe disability and death if not treated with biotin and thiamine supplements.

Objectives:

We aimed to determine the optimal management of BTBGD presenting in acute encephalopathic episodes.

Method:

Case report.

Results:

An 8-year-old girl born to consanguineous parents was diagnosed with BTBGD at the age of 3 years after presenting with acute encephalopathy and ataxia. The patient was treated with biotin and thiamine, and the family was instructed to continue these medications for life. When she was 7 years old, her supplements were stopped for 2 weeks for social reasons. Afterward, the patient began to have tremor in both hands and an unsteady gait. The family then resumed the medications at the usual dosages. However, the patient remained symptomatic. The patient was admitted with acute BTBGD because of discontinuation of medications. The patient’s condition was then managed with high doses of intravenous thiamine and oral biotin. She showed gradual improvement after 48 hours. She was then discharged home 1 week later with residual mild upper and lower limb tremor, as well as right lower limb dystonia. Further follow-up showed a good neurological condition with no apparent long-term sequel. The family was further educated about the importance of strict compliance.

Conclusion:

Patients with BTBGD should remain on lifelong treatment with thiamine and biotin. For those who present with acute relapse, we recommend inpatient treatment with high doses of intravenous thiamine and oral biotin. Further clinical research is required to determine the optimal doses and durations.
Long-term bedaquiline-related treatment outcomes in patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis from South Africa
Authors: Olayanju Olatunde , Limberis Jason , Esmail Aliasgar , Oelofse Suzette , Gina Phindile , Pietersen Elize , Fadul Mohammed , Warren Rob , Dheda Keertan
Published: April 2018

Optimal treatment regimens for patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) remain unclear. Long-term prospective outcome data comparing XDR-TB regimens with and without bedaquiline from an endemic setting are lacking.

We prospectively followed-up 272 South African patients (49.3% HIV-infected; median CD4 count 169 cells·µL−1) with newly diagnosed XDR-TB between 2008 and 2017. Outcomes were compared between those who had not received bedaquiline (pre-2013; n=204) and those who had (post-2013; n=68; 80.9% received linezolid in addition).

The 24-month favourable outcome rate was substantially better in the bedaquilineversusthe non-bedaquiline group (66.2% (45 out of 68)versus13.2% (27 out of 204); p<0.001). In addition, the bedaquiline group exhibited reduced 24-month rates of treatment failure (5.9%versus26.0%; p<0.001) and default (1.5%versus15.2%; p<0.001). However, linezolid was withdrawn in 32.7% (18 out of 55) of patients in the bedaquiline group because of adverse events. Admission weight >50 kg, an increasing number of anti-TB drugs and bedaquiline were independent predictors of survival (the bedaquiline survival effect remained significant in HIV-infected persons, irrespective of CD4 count).

XDR-TB patients receiving a backbone of bedaquiline and linezolid had substantially better favourable outcomes compared to those not using these drugs. These data inform the selection of XDR-TB treatment regimens and roll-out of newer drugs in TB-endemic countries.
Maximal exercise capacity in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mendelson Monique , Marillier Mathieu , Bailly Sébastien , Flore Patrice , Borel Jean-Christian , Vivodtzev Isabelle , Doutreleau Stéphane , Tamisier Renaud , Pépin Jean-Louis , Verges Samuel
Published: April 2018

Maximal aerobic capacity is a strong health predictor and peak oxygen consumption (V′O2peak) is considered a reflection of total body health. No systematic reviews or meta-analyses to date have synthesised the existing data regardingV′O2peakin patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

A systematic review of English and French articles using PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase included studies assessingV′O2peakin OSA patients either in mL·kg−1·min−1compared with controls or in % predicted. Two independent reviewers analysed the studies, extracted the data and assessed the quality of evidence.

MeanV′O2peakexpressed in mL·kg−1·min−1was significantly lower in patients with OSA than in controls (mean difference −2.7 mL·kg−1·min−1; p<0.001; n=850). This reduction inV′O2peakwas found to be larger in non-obese patients (body mass index <30 kg·m−2). MeanV′O2peak% pred was 89.9% in OSA patients (n=643).

OSA patients have reduced maximal aerobic capacity, which can be associated with increased cardiovascular risks and reduced survival in certain patient subgroups. Maximal exercise testing can be useful to characterise functional limitation and to evaluate health status in OSA patients.
Elastic potential and pressure dependence of elastic moduli in fluid-saturated rock with double porosity
Authors: Morozov Igor B. , Deng Wubing
Published: April 2018

Models of seismic velocity dispersion and attenuation in porous rock are often based on quantitative relations between empirical moduli by Gassmann, Mavko-Jizba, Sayers-Kachanov, and others. All of these relations have a common origin in the concept of elastic potential; nevertheless, this concept itself has been insufficiently used in the context of multiple porosities and squirt flows. Regardless of the microstructure of a rock, knowledge of its macroscopic elastic potential reveals the complete set of parameters that are necessary and sufficient for characterizing its elasticity and obtaining rigorous equations of deformation. For isotropic rock with double (such as stiff and/or compliant) porosity, this parameter set contains six elements of the bulk-modulus matrix and six moduli for shear. The elastic matrices predict all observable elastic properties, such as bulk, shear and Young’s moduli, pore compressibilities, Skempton coefficients, consolidation parameters, Poisson’s ratios, static (Gassmann’s) and ultrasonic (Mavko-Jizba’s) undrained moduli, as well as the hypothetical high-pressure modulus [Formula: see text] and unrelaxed-frame moduli. By using laboratory observations with Westerly granite, all six elements of the elastic matrix for bulk deformation are inverted for exactly; three moduli for shear are determined with uncertainties due to insufficient data. The inverted matrices of the elastic moduli predict all observations (drained and low- and high-frequency undrained moduli) within measurement accuracy, with minor uncertainties for shear deformation. The secondary pores are approximately 50 times more compressible than are the primary ones, which explains their interpretation as “soft.” Most of the inverted elastic moduli vary with the confining pressure. Despite its usually assumed constancy, the high-pressure modulus [Formula: see text] exhibits an approximately 10% decrease with confining pressure from 0 to 100 MPa, which is opposite of the trend of the solid-grain modulus [Formula: see text].
Joint inversion of nuclear magnetic resonance data from partially saturated rocks using a triangular pore model
Authors: Hiller Thomas , Klitzsch Norbert
Published: April 2018

Measurement of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation is a well-established laboratory/borehole method to characterize the storage and transport properties of rocks due to its direct sensitivity to the corresponding pore-fluid content (water/oil) and pore sizes. Using NMR, the correct estimation of, e.g., permeability strongly depends on the underlying pore model. Usually, one assumes spherical or cylindrical pores for interpreting NMR relaxation data. To obtain surface relaxivity and thus, the pore-size distribution, a calibration procedure by, e.g., mercury intrusion porosimetry or gas adsorption has to be used. Recently, a joint inversion approach was introduced that used NMR measurements at different capillary pressures/saturations (CPS) to derive surface relaxivity and pore-size distribution (PSD) simultaneously. We further extend this approach from a bundle of parallel cylindrical capillaries to capillaries with triangular cross sections. With this approach, it is possible to account for residual or trapped water within the pore corners/crevices of partially saturated pores. In addition, we have developed a method that allows determining the shape of these triangular capillaries by using NMR measurements at different levels of drainage and imbibition. We show the applicability of our approach on synthetic and measured data sets and determine how the combination of NMR and CPS significantly improves the interpretation of NMR relaxation data on fully and partially saturated porous media.
Immigration, Employment Opportunities, and Criminal Behavior
Authors: Freedman Matthew , Owens Emily , Bohn Sarah
Published: April 2018

We take advantage of provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which granted legal resident status to long-time unauthorized residents but created new obstacles to employment for more recent immigrants, to explore how employment opportunities affect criminal behavior. Exploiting administrative data on the criminal justice involvement of individuals in San Antonio, Texas and using a triple-differences strategy, we find evidence of an increase in felony charges filed against residents most likely to be negatively affected by IRCA's employment regulations. Our results suggest a strong relationship between access to legal jobs and criminal behavior. (JEL J15, J18, J61, K37, K42, R23)
Gendered differentials in climate change adaptation amongst the Shona ethnic group in Marondera Rural District, Zimbabwe: A social inclusions lens.
Authors: Garutsa Tendayi C. , Mubaya Chipo P. , Zhou Leocadia
Published: April 2018

Background: Various studies on climate change treat men and women as unitary categories with contrasting needs. There is a dearth of studies which use a social inclusions lens to understand the impacts of climate change on gender. Other social markers that give an in-depth insight of the social differences within and between genders to the impacts of climate change are consequently ignored.

Methods: Utilizing a mixed methods approach, this study aimed to explore and investigate the gendered crops grown as a climate adaptation strategy to respond to perennial droughts, increased temperatures and unreliable rainfall patterns amongst the Shona in Marondera rural district.

Results: The findings indicated that social differences between gender lines like age, household types, income, education and employment status amongst other social variables produce differentiated vulnerabilities and potential opportunities towards climate adaptation.

Conclusions: The main position advanced in this article is that treating gender as the primary cause of vulnerability produces a narrow analysis making other social markers (age, types of households, income and ethnicity) analytically invisible. This paper recommends a holistic and comprehensive analysis to inform climate change programming and policy frameworks. This would in turn address and improve climate adaptation strategies within and between genders which are often obscured to address the needs of all vulnerable members of a given economy.
L’affaire des Immunités Juridictionnelles de l’Etat (Allemagne c. Italie): La Cour Internationale de Justice à contre-sens de l’évolution du Droit International
Authors: Wojcikiewicz Almeida Paula
Published: April 2018

Cet article vise à évaluer l’affaire des Immunités juridictionnelles de l’État devant la Cour internationale de justice. Compte tenu de la position adoptée par la majorité des membres de la Cour, le présent article vise à porter un oeil critique sur les arguments qui tendent à considérer qu’il existe un conflit entre l’immunité étatique et les règles de jus cogens, en argumentant que la distinction entre les règles de procédure et de fond s’avère être artificielle et formaliste. En outre, l’immunité de l’Etat revêt un caractère relatif lorsque sont en jeu de graves violations des Droits de l’Homme et du Droit International Humanitaire ayant le statut de règles de jus cogens. Il est nécessaire d’effectuer une lecture progressiste de la pratique étatique dans le domaine des immunités étatiques, compte tenu de l’évolution actuelle du Droit International et de l’apparition des individus en tant que sujets de Droit International.
La doctrina del margen de apreciación y su nula recepción en la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos
Authors: Nash Rojas Claudio
Published: April 2018

este estudio busca ejemplificar y explicar el rechazo a la recepción de la doctrina del margen de apreciación por parte de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Se sostiene que esta figura en su entendimiento más estricto, esto es, la inhibición del control internacional respecto de la calificación de elementos fácticos y/o normativos relevantes para determinar el cumplimiento estatal de las obligaciones internacionales, no ha sido aceptada en el sistema de control contencioso interamericano. Esta decisión de alejarse de la doctrina desarrollada por el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos tiene bases normativas y de eficacia de la protección.
Risk Aversion and Precautionary Savings in Dynamic Settings
Authors: Bommier Antoine , Grand François Le
Published: April 2018

We study the saving behavior of infinitely long-lived agents who face income uncertainty and deterministic interest rates. Using monotone recursive preferences, we prove that risk aversion unambiguously increases savings. The result accounts for possibly binding borrowing constraints and holds for very general specification of income uncertainty, which can follow any kind of stochastically monotone process.

Codes are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2959 .

This paper was accepted by Han Bleichrodt, decision analysis.
Seeds of Activism and Memories of the '50s, '60s, '70s by One Elder
Authors: Barbara C. Aswad
Published: April 2018

In this article, Aswad describes how she became involved in the Middle East and her ongoing commitment to organizations and programs working for Arab Americans and Palestine. She focuses on the Dearborn area and the ultimately successful struggle to prevent the destruction of the largely Arab American community in the Southend through a program of “urban renewal” which was actually one of “urban removal.”
Arab American Activism
Authors: Camille Odeh
Published: April 2018

This article provides a first-hand account of Arab American activism from the 1967 war to the present. It focuses on the development and activities of Arab Americans in the metropolitan Chicago area, with particular emphasis on the activities of Arab American and Arab students in the decades after the '67 war. It also describes the alliances forged between African Americans and Arab Americans during those tumultuous decades, as well as offering suggestions for what Arab American activists should do in the future.
This way to the playground: A drama therapeutic treatment protocol for the parentified child who has witnessed domestic violence
Authors: Martinez Ashley Kleinman
Published: April 2018

This article is an exploration of drama therapy for the treatment of the parentified child, ages 4–6, who has witnessed domestic violence. A theoretical model is presented exploring how the therapeutic needs of parentified children who have experienced domestic violence can be met. Following the review of related literature, a three-phase drama therapeutic treatment protocol will be offered as a treatment to correct the potentially detrimental role reversal of parentification, prompted by domestic violence.
Reviews
Authors: McAdam Elizabeth , Haen Craig
Published: April 2018

Play in Family Therapy, Eliana Gil (2016) (2ND ED.) New York: The Guilford Press, 202 pp., ISBN-10: 1462517498, h/bk, $30.00; ISBN-10: 1462526451, p/bk, $21.25

Drama, Creativity and Intersubjectivity, Salvo Pitruzzella (2017) New York: Routledge, 148 pp., ISBN: 9781138927223, h/bk, $170.00; ISBN: 9781138927230, p/bk, $52.95
Performing status manoeuvres in conducting couples therapy
Authors: Wiener Daniel J.
Published: April 2018

Status, defined as the perceived importance of persons relative to others within a social system, is manifested by intentional behaviours, termed status manoeuvres (SMs), which aim to alter or maintain the status of each person relative to others. In couples therapy, the Treatment System (consisting of a therapist and the two client partners in a couples relationship) can be assessed meaningfully and changed by attending to its recurrent SMs. This article first illustrates SMs in dyads and triads by examples encountered in everyday life; next sets forth descriptions of three exercises useful in training therapists to detect and experience SMs; then offers examples of intentional SMs applicable to couples therapy; and finally presents a case vignette illustrating the effective performance of SMs by the therapist. Some advantages over other mental health professionals possessed by drama therapists in utilizing SMs are cited.
Improvisation and meditation as interactional (relational) approaches: Theory and practice for drama therapy for couples
Authors: Gale Jerry
Published: April 2018

This article presents an interactional framework for working with couples. Building on theories of social constructionism, systems theory and ethnomethodology, and incorporating practices of improvisation and meditation, a new framework is provided for conducting drama therapy with couples. This is a relational perspective that attends to interaction focused on dialogue. This relational perspective also brings into practice a theory-based approach to address relational power and social inequalities. How we interact determines how we come to assign and define what is real.
How we use action explorations to improve and enhance our relationship
Authors: Blatner Adam , Blatner Allee
Published: April 2018

‘Action explorations’ is the term we use for drama therapy and psychodrama techniques applied outside of psychotherapy. This article also describes how sublimated pretend play can be explored for role relief and fun in a relationship. These approaches have helped us as a couple to expand our capacity to understand and manage various day-to-day issues, compassionately respond to one another and provide new perspectives on disagreements. We have actively used these methods in our own relationship for over 40 years. Illustrated examples of these methods can serve as tools for practitioners to add to their therapeutic repertoire when working with couples, and more importantly, as ways of improving and enhancing their own interpersonal lives.
Participatory family theatre: A historical review of Theatre Workshop Boston’s creative, transformational, healing theatre for young audiences and families
Authors: Linden Saphira Barbara
Published: April 2018

Participatory, environmental plays evolved in the 1960s amidst social unrest through several experimental theatres. Original plays were created, using theatre space in new ways, awakening audiences to a new consciousness. This article offers a historical review of Theater Workshop Boston’s evolution within that movement. Their first experiments were adult environmental plays. Next, they developed participatory environmental plays for young audiences, and then for families to explore family issues/dynamics together creatively.
Intertextual relationships: Tree of Codes
Authors: White Christine
Published: April 2018

Ideas of migration in the twenty-first century are fraught with notions of geography and space, population and pressures on resources. Through this process we have to reflect on what we mean by borders and boundaries and the identities that may be found in crossing over to other areas, borders and countries. Pushing creative boundaries has been an evolutionary practice in the arts, as it advances thinking and practice, and provokes changes in structures of funding and organizations, ultimately enhancing the cultural infrastructure and enriching public life and discourse. In the United Kingdom, the creative industries provide one in every eighteen jobs. The contribution of art, music, drama and design promotes diverse thinking, self-expression, self-determination and the future of the creative industries – future innovation comes from doing things differently, tackling the unfamiliar, taking risks, and for the performing arts this means taking risks in public, sharing new work that is not proven, marketable or even potentially commercially profitable. In order to think freely and experiment, opportunity and creativity are inextricably linked. This article explores boundaries and nomenclatures, as well as ultimately what makes art interesting.
Review
Authors: Sporton Gregory
Published: April 2018

To a Simple Rock ‘n’ Roll [...] Song, Michael Clark Company, Barbican Theatre, London, 24 October 2017