bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practice effects in the development of visual information and postural control coupling in infants
Authors: Barela José Angelo , Polastri Paula Fávaro , Freitas Júnior Paulo Barbosa De , Godoi Daniela
Published: November 2017

O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar os efeitos da exposição visual no acoplamento entre informação visual, propiciada pelo movimento de uma sala móvel, e oscilação postural em bebês na posição sentada. Dez bebês, com sete meses de idade e níveis de experiência no sentar independente variando entre 0,5 e 1,5 meses, permaneceram sentados sobre uma plataforma de força dentro de uma sala móvel que foi movimentada para frente e para trás por meio de um servomecanismo nas freqüências de 0,2 e 0,5 Hz. Estes bebês foram submetidos a este procedimento experimental em sete dias consecutivos, realizando 10 tentativas (cinco em cada freqüência), com duração de 60 segundos, em cada sessão de exposição visual. As coletas de dados foram realizadas na primeira, quarta e sétima sessões. Os resultados obtidos apontaram que os bebês foram influenciados pelos movimentos da sala em ambas as freqüências e que a exposição visual pode alterar o acoplamento entre informação sensorial e ação motora em bebês. Com a exposição ao estímulo visual, proveniente da sala móvel, verificou-se uma diminuição no acoplamento entre informação visual e o deslocamento do centro de pressão para a freqüência de 0,5 Hz, mas não para a de 0,2 Hz. Uma possível explicação para o efeito da exposição visual no acoplamento entre informação visual e o deslocamento do centro de pressão pode residir no fato de que com a exposição ao estímulo visual os bebês foram capazes de utilizar as informações relevantes para aquela situação e diminuir a influência do estímulo gerado pela sala móvel
Habitual physical activity characteristics of adolescents boys and girls evaluated by accelerometry and pedometry
Authors: Lopes Vítor Pires , Maia José Antônio Ribeiro , Oliveira Maria Madalena De Castro , Seabra André , Garganta Rui
Published: November 2017

Os propósitos desta pesquisa foram os seguintes: a) estudar o perfil de atividade física de adolescentes de ambos os sexos ao longo de cinco dias consecutivos, incluindo o fim-de-semana, analisando a variabilidade interindividual e as diferenças entre os sexos; b) estudar a comunalidade e o caráter único da informação fornecida pela acelerometria e pedometria. Foram monitorizados, com o acelerômetro Tritrac R3D e o pedômetro Yamax DW-SW 700, 102 adolescentes de ambos os sexos (fem. n = 57 e masc. n = 45) com 12 a 18 anos de idade (14,55 ± 1,69). Recorreu-se ao coeficiente de correlação intra-classe (R) para estimar a confiabilidade dos dados. A correlação canônica foi utilizada para analisar os aspectos da comunalidade e o caráter único da informação dos dois instrumentos. A variação interindividual foi analisada através do: da auto-correlação (r de Pearson), do K de Cohen e do y de Foulkes & Davis. A MANOVA de medidas repetidas (dias x sexo) foi usada para analisar as diferenças entre os sexos ao longo dos cinco dias. Verificou-se uma forte variabilidade interindividual ao longo dos cinco dias de registo, em ambos os sexos, não se tendo verificado diferenças significativas entre os sexos. No fim-de-semana ocorreu um redução acentuada da atividade física, sobretudo no domingo. Os dois instrumentos utilizados avaliam aspectos comuns da atividade física, embora cada um forneça informação única, sendo, contudo, relativamente reduzida
Effect of regional-based diets and swimming on middle-aged rats
Authors: Marques Ana Patrícia Jaques , Bion Francisca Martins , Guimaraes Fernando , Campos Florisbela de Arruda Câmara e Siqueira
Published: November 2017

Os efeitos da ingestão de uma alimentação balanceada, associada à prática regular de exercício no equilíbrio fisiológico e na saúde de indivíduos idosos ainda não estão totalmente esclarecidos. Para conhecer experimentalmente esses efeitos, utilizou-se 72 ratos machos Wistar com 255 dias de idade, divididos igualmente em três grupos exercitados e três sedentários, recebendo as dietas: D l- hiperprotéica/hipolipídica, D2- hipoprotéica/hipolipídica e D3- normoprotéica/normolipídica, compostas de feijão carioca, arroz, farinha de mandioca e frango, registrando-se semanalmente a ingestão alimentar e o peso corporal. Os ratos exercitados realizaram natação de 40 minutos diários, cinco vezes por semana, totalizando 40 dias de treinamento. Após 60 dias, uma amostra da carcaça foi retirada para dosar a gordura, pelo método de Entenman (1957). Os grupos exercitados apresentaram menor percentual de gordura da carcaça (Dl-7,36%, D2-5,43% e D3-9,2%) quando comparados com os sedentários (Dl-11,49%, D2-8,49% e D3-12,25%). Os grupos exercitados perderam peso (Dl-5,98 g, D2-33,l g e D3-25,33 g) ocorrendo o oposto com os sedentários que ganharam (Dl-7,2 g, D2-23,0 g e D3-25,33 g), com evolução semanal ascendente. A ingestão alimentar dos grupos D2 e D3 sedentários foram maiores, e no grupo D l exercitado foi maior. Os achados inferem que uma dieta equilibrada, aliada à prática de exercício físico, são benéficos para a prevenção e melhora de desordens típicas da meia idade
Effects of a physical activity program in older people: comparison between isokinetic and isotonic evaluations
Authors: Carvalho Joana , Oliveira José , Magalhães José , Ascensão Antônio , Mota Jorge , Soares José Manuel Da Costa
Published: November 2017

O objetivo principal deste estudo foi o de avaliar o efeito de um programa complementar de atividade física na força muscular de idosos em função do método de avaliação. Dezenove idosos (12 mulheres e sete homens) com idade média de 68,7 ± 4,2 anos, um peso médio de 66,8 ± 8,6 kg e altura média de 1,6 ± 0,1 m, participaram num programa complementar de atividade física durante seis meses, englobando sessões de atividade física generalizada (2 x sem.; 50 min) e de treino específico de força em máquinas de resistência variável (2 x sem.; 40-50 min). A força muscular foi avaliada isotônica e isocineticamente em quatro períodos distintos: inicial (“baseline”), intermédio (três meses após), final (seis meses após) e destreino (um mês após término da atividade). Assim, o teste de uma repetição máxima (1RM) foi utilizado como medida da força concêntrica dinâmica para a extensão e flexão do joelho. A força máxima isocinética dos extensores e flexores do joelho foi avaliada, em ambos os membros, através de um dinamômetro isocinético (Biodex System 2, USA), em duas velocidades distintas: 60°/s e 180°/s. Os resultados foram os seguintes: a) a força dos músculos extensores e flexores do joelho aumentou após treino, com particular evidência no membro não-dominante; b) existe uma especificidade da resposta de adaptação relativamente ao método de avaliação utilizado, sendo que os resultados da avaliação da força de forma isocinética foram inferiores aos obtidos pela avaliação isotônica através do método de 1RM; c) na avaliação pelo método de 1RM, ao contrário da avaliação isocinética, para além das melhorias após seis meses de treino, foram observadas alterações significativas, quer nos flexores, quer nos extensores do joelho após os três primeiros meses de treino, não sendo, no entanto, observadas alterações nos últimos três meses; d) em oposição aos resultados obtidos pela avaliação isotônica, o destreino não teve um impacto significativo na redução dos níveis de força isocinética dos idosos. Conclui-se que um programa complementar de atividade física parece ser suficientemente intenso e específico para induzir melhorias na força muscular de idosos independentes. No entanto, a magnitude de resposta de adaptação e desadaptação após treino e destreino, é dependente do método de avaliação utilizado
The Festival of Dionysus in 2 Macc 6:7b
Authors: Scolnic Benjamin Edidin
Published: November 2017

Recent scholarship has maintained that the Dionysian rites of 2 Macc 6:7b are not historical because evidence of this cult in Seleukid official policy is seen as meager at best. A review of AntiochusIV’s coinage, his procession at Daphne, his designation of Geron the Athenian as enforcer of the imposed cult, and other allusions to promiscuity in the Temple may indicate that this reference to Dionysian practices is at least plausible.
Seeing Christ, Reading Nature
Authors: Ribouillault Denis
Published: November 2017

This paper provides a detailed interpretation of a little-known yet extraordinary painting from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Christ in a Landscape by Jan Swart van Groningen (ca. 1530–1540). This work is a perfect illustration of the importance of the popular Christian metaphor of the “Book of Nature” in early modern art, especially in the Reformed circles to which Swart likely belonged. Beyond offering an explanation for the presence of some strange aspects of the landscape (a snail, shells and colored pearls, unicorns, rocks with anthropomorphic features, etc.), the article explores the ways in which the elements of the landscape engaged the viewer in a hermeneutic process, a process of interpretation and reflection on the mysteries of nature and faith. The painting is a meditation on kenosis – the dual nature of Christ as both divine and human, and thus belonging to Nature just like the most insignificant of its creatures.
Cut Flowers
Authors: Fehrenbach Frank
Published: November 2017

Designations of still life as natura morta, nature morte, naturaleza muerta are based on a gross misunderstanding. We are only beginning to fully understand how masterfully the genre played with the supposed boundaries between the living and dead. It is above all floral still life painting after 1600, in which the intermediate state between life and death is centrally thematized. Where do cut plants actually derive their mysterious liveliness? Throughout its history the study of botany focused on the reality and mystery of plant metabolism. As scientists fiercely debated the nutritional aspect of floral still life in the horizon of its precarious liveliness, Dutch painters experimented with making visible the mysterious interiority of vases. In this way, still life painters modelled the larger epistemic problem of plant nutrition, self-preservation, and life not in terms of a positive answer, or hypothesis, but as an enigmatic field, an open question.
Air, Wind, Sun, Spirit
Authors: Gage Frances
Published: November 2017

Guido Reni’s early critics described him as a painter of “celestial ideas,” and his artistic process has been characterized as one rooted in the fantasia and the Idea. From the seventeenth-century on, Reni’s figures were praised for the “airs of the heads,” a notion with astrological and medical connotations, while the papal physician and art critic Giulio Mancini described Reni’s manner as “spirited,” a term suggestive of the airy movement Reni so powerfully represented in his Aurora. The concept of “spirit” or “spirits” also retained important connotations in early modern medicine and natural philosophy. A reconsideration of Reni’s Aurora in the context of medical and natural philosophical investigations of generation, artistic creation and the nature of and relationship between celestial and terrestrial regions demonstrates the connections between early modern artistic reception, medicine and natural philosophy.
Enduring Erasmus
Authors: Essary Kirk
Published: November 2017

This paper considers the future of Erasmus studies and scholarship on Christian humanism. It argues that two approaches will be especially useful going forward: reception history (of Erasmus’s works in particular) and the history of emotions. Both will aid in answering enduring questions about the relationship between the Renaissance and Reformation and the nature of Christian humanism, as well as opening up new avenues of inquiry in an area of study especially conducive to interdisciplinary research.
Dignity and Humiliation: Identity Formation among Syrian Refugees
Authors: Zeno Basileus
Published: November 2017

Since 2011 half of Syria’s population has been forced to flee its homes. Much research has focused on the macro-level challenges and post-conflict reconstruction plans. In this article, I focus on the micro-level by examining the dialectic of “humiliation” and “dignity” as a dynamic that shapes and transforms Syrian refugees’ identities through sustained interaction, and sometimes through struggle, with others, who can be pro-regime or pro-opposition Syrians, or pro-refugees or anti-refugees in hosting countries. Methodologically, I use an interpretive approach which focuses on context-specific meanings and their relation to power, seeking multifaceted understandings of refugees’ lived-experience. This research is based on ethnographic fieldwork and ordinary language interviews conducted in the United States, and semi-structured, open-ended interviews with Syrians in Germany and Turkey. I show that researching participants’ meaning-making in their own settings reveals the dynamics of humiliation and dignity as dialectically interwoven in specific situational contexts and shaped by refugees’ lived-experience in both the country of origin (in the past) and the hosting country (in the present).
The identity of Eritrichium aktonense and E. longifolium (Boraginaceae)
Authors: HAO JIA-CHEN , LIU QUAN-RU
Published: November 2017

Eritrichium aktonense Y.S.Lian & J.Q.Wang has been previously placed in synonymy within E. longifolium Decne. in Flora of China. However, based on our examinations of specimens and bibliographies, combined with field observations, E. longifolium is shown to be significantly different from E. aktonense, but to be conspecific with E. petiolare var. villosum W.T.Wang.
Nomenclatural notes on Pothos roxburghii and related names (Araceae)
Authors: DENG YUN-FEI
Published: November 2017

Pothos Linnaeus (1753: 968) is a palaeotropic genus of approximate 70 species in the family Araceae and distributed in tropical and subtropical regions from Madagascar to Asia and Western Oceania (Boyce 2000, 2009, Hay 1995, Boyce & Hay 1998, 2001, Mabberley 2017).
Modulation of Tropical Cyclogenesis Location and Frequency over the Indo–Western North Pacific by the Intraseasonal Indo–Western Pacific Convection Oscillation during the Boreal Extended Summer
Authors: Wang Qiuyun , Li Jianping , Li Yanjie , Zhang Jingwen , Zheng Jiayu
Published: November 2017

The influence of the intraseasonal Indo–western Pacific convection oscillation (IPCO) on tropical cyclone (TC) genesis location and frequency over the Indo–western North Pacific (WNP) during the boreal extended summer (May–October) is explored. Observational analysis shows that the impacts of the intraseasonal IPCO on TCs over the Indo–WNP include an evident “phase lock of TC genesis location” and distinct differences in TC frequency. In the WNP, in the positive intraseasonal IPCO phase, the atmosphere gains heat through the release of latent heat in cumulus convective condensation, and the anomalous cyclonic circulation weakens the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) and enhances TC genesis, thereby tending to produce many more TCs. Moreover, the diminished WPSH and the westward shift of the centers of anomalous cyclonic circulations lock TC genesis locations to the west WNP and lower latitudes (around 5°–20°N), especially in the South China Sea. The almost opposite situation occurs in a negative phase. In the north Indian Ocean, the total TC genesis frequencies in the two intraseasonal IPCO phases are approximate. However, in the positive intraseasonal IPCO phase, the environmental conditions to the north of 13°N are similar to those in the WNP except without the WPSH control, whereas south of 13°N the situation is reversed, leading to a northward shift of the TC genesis location (around 13°–20°N). The negative phase reflects an opposite situation.
The Lifecycle of Semidiurnal Internal Tides over the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Authors: Vic Clément , Naveira Garabato Alberto C. , Green J. A. Mattias , Spingys Carl , Forryan Alexander , Zhao Zhongxiang , Sharples Jonathan
Published: November 2017

The life cycle of semidiurnal internal tides over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) sector south of the Azores is investigated using in situ, a high-resolution mooring and microstructure profiler, and satellite data, in combination with a theoretical model of barotropic-to-baroclinic tidal energy conversion. The mooring analysis reveals that the internal tide horizontal energy flux is dominated by mode 1 and that energy density is more distributed among modes 1–10. Most modes are compatible with an interpretation in terms of standing internal tides, suggesting that they result from interactions between waves generated over the MAR. Internal tide energy is thus concentrated above the ridge and is eventually available for local diapycnal mixing, as endorsed by the elevated rates of turbulent energy dissipation ε estimated from microstructure measurements. A spring–neap modulation of energy density on the MAR is found to originate from the remote generation and radiation of strong mode-1 internal tides from the Atlantis-Meteor Seamount Complex. Similar fortnightly variability of a factor of 2 is observed in ε, but this signal’s origin cannot be determined unambiguously. A regional tidal energy budget highlights the significance of high-mode generation, with 81% of the energy lost by the barotropic tide being converted into modes >1 and only 9% into mode 1. This has important implications for the fraction (q) of local dissipation to the total energy conversion, which is regionally estimated to be ~0.5. This result is in stark contrast with the Hawaiian Ridge system, where the radiation of mode-1 internal tides accounts for 30% of the regional energy conversion, and q < 0.25.
The Ongoing Rediscovery of Après-Coup as a Central Freudian Concept
Authors: House Jonathan
Published: November 2017

Après-coup, Freud’s Nachträglichkeit, is an essential psychoanalytic concept structuring each of four concepts, four mental processes that lie at the foundation of Freud’s thinking: psychic trauma, repression, the creation of the unconscious, and the creation of infantile sexuality. It is argued here that infantile sexual drives, in contrast to the self-preservative instincts, arise from a two-step process of translation and repression in which the residues of failed translation become source-objects of the drives. These residues of failed translation have an associative resonance with adult sexuality, and the child is driven to ongoing attempts to translate them, to make them meaningful après coup. Thus, après-coup is at the heart of the human subject as a sexual creature who requires, desires, and creates meaning.
Standardization for the Digital Economy
Authors: Lundqvist Björn
Published: November 2017

This article discusses several aspects of the Digital Economy. First, the data industry and the business conduct of the approaching Internet of Things are presented. Second, the current standardization efforts promoted by the European Commission are discussed, for example, what the challenges are, how much should be standardized, and how prestandard consortia should be judged. Third, current and future competition law issues for the Digital Economy, in reference to standardization, are identified. The article states joint technology consortia for upper-layer standards, i.e. in the ecosystems, should benefit from heightened scrunity under Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), while system leaders’ business conduct in the Digital Economy may be judged in reference to Article 102 TFEU. The article concludes that the main issue under general competition law in the Data Economy, at its current stage of development, is to create a level playing field by trying to facilitate the implementation of the Internet of Things. Thus, competition authorities should be cautious about the current ecosystem consortia driven standard-setting movement in the Digital Economy, while also facilitating the application of Article 102 TFEU when system leaders possibly abuse their dominance by not giving access to their respective ecosystems.
“Sham” Litigation
Authors: Lianos Ioannis , Regibeau Pierre
Published: November 2017

In both the U.S. and the EU, the antitrust category of “sham litigation” (in the U.S.) or “vexatious litigation” (in the EU) enables a plaintiff, or a defendant in case this action forms part of a counterclaim, to argue that the introduction of litigation may constitute, under certain conditions, an infringement of competition law. This naturally leads to the question of what is a workable standard for establishing the existence of sham litigation, and how it is possible to distinguish between the legitimate use of the regulatory/litigation process and strategic attempts to use the process in order to restrict competition. Legal and economic literature, as well as the courts, have struggled to define operational tests enabling them to determine the boundaries of the “sham”/“vexatious” litigation antitrust category. This article examines the intellectual underpinnings of this form of abusive/anticompetitive conduct and puts forward a “mechanism design approach” with the aim to reduce the occurrence of sham litigation.
Attempts to Monopolize
Authors: Hawk Barry E.
Published: November 2017

Laws, like gardens, need occasional pruning to remove doctrinal clutter and costly weeds. The attempt to monopolize provision of Section 2 of the Sherman Act is a prime candidate for pruning and should be repealed. The decriminalization of Section 2 makes the attempt to monopolize provision no longer appropriate. The attempt provision fills no important gap in antitrust enforcement and generates unnecessary and significant costs and doctrinal complexities that burden litigation. So long as the attempt to monopolize provision remains in place, courts should discard specific intent as an element of the claim. “Specific intent” is incoherent, confusing, potentially prejudicial, and an unnecessary legal fiction. It erroneously suggests to the factfinder that an intention to gain monopoly power itself makes the challenged conduct an unlawful attempt to monopolize. Evidence of subjective intention (state of mind) should be admissible only as relevant to a specific material issue such as the legitimacy of asserted business justifications or competitive effects. The probative weight of evidence of intent or state of mind should be limited to the issue for which it was admitted.
Competition and Intellectual Property
Authors: da Silveira Paulo Burnier , Lacerda João Felipe Aranha
Published: November 2017

The relationship between competition policy and intellectual property has been largely analyzed by the specialized literature. Nonetheless, the competitive impact of the enforcement of intellectual property rights in aftermarkets is still a challenging field of study. This article discusses the interface between intellectual property and competition in light of a case concerning the Brazilian automobile aftermarket.
The Effect of Chain Length on Mid-Infrared and Near-Infrared Spectra of Aliphatic 1-Alcohols
Authors: Kwaśniewicz Michał , Czarnecki Mirosław A.
Published: November 2017

Effect of the chain length on mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectra of aliphatic 1-alcohols from methanol to 1-decanol was examined in detail. Of particular interest were the spectra-structure correlations in the NIR region and the correlation between MIR and NIR spectra of 1-alcohols. An application of two-dimensional correlation analysis (2D-COS) and chemometric methods provided comprehensive information on spectral changes in the data set. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis evidenced that the spectra of methanol, ethanol, and 1-propanol are noticeably different from the spectra of higher 1-alcohols. The similarity between the spectra increases with an increase in the chain length. Hence, the most similar are the spectra of 1-nonanol and 1-decanol. Two-dimensional hetero-correlation analysis is very helpful for identification of the origin of bands and may guide selection of the best spectral ranges for the chemometric analysis. As shown, normalization of the spectra pronounces the intensity changes in various spectral regions and provides information not accessible from the raw data. The spectra of alcohols cannot be represented as a sum of the CH3, CH2, and OH group spectra since the OH group is involved in the hydrogen bonding. As a result, the spectral changes of this group are nonlinear and its spectral profile cannot be properly resolved. Finally, this work provides a lot of evidence that the degree of self-association of 1-alcohols decreases with the increase in chain length because of the growing meaning of the hydrophobic interactions. For butyl alcohol and higher 1-alcohols the hydrophobic interactions are more important than the OH OH interactions. Therefore, methanol, ethanol, and 1-propanol have unlimited miscibility with water, whereas 1-butanol and higher 1-alcohols have limited miscibility with water.
Infant Reflux in the Primary Care Setting: A Brief Educational Intervention and Management Changes
Authors: Harris Brendan Ryan , Bennett William E.
Published: November 2017

There has been a significant increase in prescription of acid suppression therapy to infants despite limited support for efficacy and safety. Prior studies have shown that educational interventions can improve clinician practices. Our aim is to implement an educational module with high-yield evidence to decrease the rate of prescribing these medications. Chart review of infants seen by residents after completing module was performed. Twelve clinic sessions before and after intervention were examined. 28 residents completed the intervention and required clinics. Before implementation, 1.8% of infants seen were prescribed acid suppression with none receiving proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). After completion, 0.8% of infants were prescribed acid suppression and 1 patient received PPI. This was not a significant change. The study was unsuccessful in effecting changes in provider prescribing practices. Although, this is not the outcome expected, it is encouraging to have a low initial rate of PPI therapy prescribed patients.
Becoming a Bridge: Collaborative Autoethnography of Four Female Counseling Psychology Student Leaders
Authors: Hargons Candice , Lantz Melanie , Reid Marks Laura , Voelkel Emily
Published: November 2017

Women with multiply-marginalized identities remain underrepresented in the American Psychological Association and Society of Counseling Psychology leadership. As early entrants into the leadership pipeline, female student leaders can potentially shift that trend; however, we know little about their leadership emergence processes. In this study, we employed collaborative autoethnography to analyze the positional standpoints of four diverse female counseling psychology leaders. We identified themes in their leadership narratives, which began when they were students. The results focused on factors associated with participants’ leadership emergence processes, the role of marginalized identities in participants’ leadership emergence, and the interplay between counseling psychology values and leadership through the theoretical framework of bridge leadership. We found themes of (a) Leadership Attributes, including future orientation, determination, and connection; as well as (b) Opportunities and Mentorship. Other themes included counseling psychology values of Advocacy, Social Justice, Inclusion, Multiculturalism, and Enhancing Training. Recommendations for students and trainers are highlighted.
Society of Counseling Psychology Leadership Academy: Cultivating Leadership Competence and Community
Authors: Phillips Julia C. , Hargons Candice , Chung Y. Barry , Forrest Linda , Hahn Oh Katharine , Westefeld John
Published: November 2017

The Society of Counseling Psychology Leadership Academy is a year-long program designed to engage and develop student and early career psychologist leaders in counseling psychology. As a division of the American Psychological Association, the Society of Counseling Psychology is part of a nonprofit professional organization that seeks to recruit and retain members as well as to develop talent to meet future organizational leadership needs. This article describes the history of the Leadership Academy, its conceptual foundations, curriculum and program components, and associated implementation processes. We discuss how we utilized results of a formative program evaluation to improve the program over time. Outcomes associated with three cohorts of the Leadership Academy suggest that the program was largely effective in achieving its functional goals. Conclusions and recommendation for leadership development and research are discussed.
Flipping the Classroom in Teacher Education: Implications for Motivation and Learning
Authors: Yough Mike , Merzdorf Hillary E. , Fedesco Heather N. , Cho Hyun Jin
Published: November 2017

In teacher education, it is imperative that course design, method of instruction, and classroom procedures align with the content. One way to achieve this may be to “flip” the classroom. While flipped classrooms have received considerable attention in recent years, much remains unknown about their effect on basic psychological needs or learning outcomes of preservice teachers. The purpose of the present study was to address this gap by utilizing a quasi-experimental design to examine differences in motivation and objective learning outcomes after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) and grade point average (GPA) between traditional and flipped sections of a foundational educational course ( N = 263). Results revealed that preservice teachers in the traditional section had significantly higher scores on two of the motivation outcomes (e.g., intrinsic and identified regulation), but that preservice teachers in the flipped sections had significantly higher scores on several indices of objective learning outcomes. Implications for teacher education are discussed.
The use of desflurane for neurosurgical procedures in rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Bertrand Henri GMJ , Sandersen Charlotte , Flecknell Paul A
Published: November 2017

Volatile agents are widely used to anaesthetise laboratory non-human primates as they allow a rapid induction and recovery as well as an easy adjustment of the anaesthesia plan. Desflurane is currently the volatile agent with the lowest solubility in blood, and hence enables the most rapid onset of anaesthesia and most rapid recovery. This study aimed to investigate the suitability of desflurane for maintenance of general anaesthesia in rhesus macaques undergoing elective experimental neurosurgery. Fourteen primates (five males and nine females) were sedated with ketamine (10 mg kg−1) and anaesthesia was induced with propofol (usually 8 mg kg−1 IV). Anaesthesia was maintained with desflurane (5.9 ± 0.8 %) and alfentanil (0.2–0.5 µg kg−1 min−1 IV). Animals were mechanically ventilated. Meloxicam (0.3 mg kg−1) and methylprednisolone infusion (5.4 mg kg−1 h−1) were also administered. All the primates were successfully anaesthetised and no severe complications related to the procedure or the anaesthesia regimen occurred. No major differences in physiological parameters and recovery times between the male and female groups were found. Emergence from anaesthesia was rapid (male 5.2 ± 2.4 min; female 4.1 ± 1.7 min) but its quality was assessed as equivalent to two other volatile anaesthetics, isoflurane and sevoflurane. These had previously been assessed for neuroanaesthesia in rhesus macaques. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that desflurane was suitable for maintenance of general anaesthesia for elective experimental neurosurgical procedures in rhesus macaque. However the vasodilatory action of the desflurane may limit its use in cases of severe intracranial hypertension or systemic hypotension.
Institutional Mismatch, Party Reputation, and Industry Interests: Understanding the Politics of Private-Heavy Pension Systems
Authors: Gelepithis Margarita
Published: November 2017

Private-heavy welfare systems, in which low or moderate state benefits are topped up by private welfare arrangements, are expected to undermine political support for the extension of social rights and perpetuate benefit fragmentation over time. And where low state benefits are means tested, political support is expected to be particularly prone to erosion. In this article I develop the argument that the combination of private pensions and means-testing does not always perpetuate fragmentation. Rather, it structures the policy preferences of pension industry representatives and right-of-centre parties such that these actors push for reforms to make the state pension more universal. I make my argument by examining the reform history of nine private-heavy pension systems in the three decades since 1980. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis maps the conditions under which universalizing reforms have occurred, and two case studies link institutional conditions to reform outcomes via the policy preferences of key political actors.
Impact of an Elementary School-Based Intervention on Physical Activity Time and Aerobic Capacity, Georgia, 2013-2014
Authors: Braun Hayley A. , Kay Christi M. , Cheung Patricia , Weiss Paul S. , Gazmararian Julie A.
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the impact of a 1-year elementary school physical activity intervention on changes in teacher-reported school-based physical activity time and (2) assess the relationship between these changes and changes in student aerobic capacity.

Methods:

HealthMPowers, a nonprofit organization, provided a multicomponent physical activity intervention to 3479 students in 39 schools in Georgia during 2013-2014. HealthMPowers administered a survey to faculty members before (August 2013) and after (May 2014) the intervention to measure student physical activity times. The organization collected pre- and post-intervention Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) laps (a measure of aerobic capacity that awards 1 lap for each completed 20-meter lap) for 2342 fourth-grade students. We performed linear regression to determine the relationship between school-level changes in teacher-reported school-based physical activity time and student aerobic capacity.

Results:

The weekly estimated teacher-reported time in physical activity increased by 39 minutes from pre- to post-intervention: 21 minutes for recess, 17 minutes for classroom, and 1 minute for physical education. The mean number of student PACER laps increased by 3 laps from pre- to post-intervention, and 1515 of 2342 (65%) students increased the number of PACER laps completed. We observed a positive association between school-level changes in school-based physical activity time and school-level changes in PACER laps ( r = 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.46).

Conclusions:

These findings highlight the need for more prospective research into multicomponent physical activity interventions. Rigorous testing, including randomized controlled trials of large-scale implementations, is needed to examine how these school-based interventions might be used to improve the physical activity and fitness of larger populations of children.
Adopting State-Level Policy to Support Physical Activity Among School-Aged Children and Adolescents: Georgia’s SHAPE Act
Authors: Lyn Rodney S. , Sheldon Erica R. , Eriksen Michael P.
Published: November 2017

Physical inactivity among children is a public health problem associated with low levels of fitness, obesity, and increased risk of chronic diseases. Public health experts have identified policies targeting physical activity as a promising strategy to address this challenge. Understanding the process by which such policies are adopted may help to facilitate progress nationally. To examine lessons learned from the passage of the Student Health and Physical Education Act in Georgia, we conducted 15 interviews with people engaged in the adoption of the act. We found that several factors were vital to policy adoption: a shifting social and political climate, the organization and mobilization of diverse partners behind a common agenda, and the development of strategies to overcome impediments to legislative progress. These findings suggest that engagement and cooperation with partners, establishment of mutual interests as a basis for collaboration, and grassroots outreach and advocacy can facilitate adoption of policies that promote physical activity.
Like Peas and Carrots: Combining Wellness Policy Implementation With Classroom Education for Obesity Prevention in the Childcare Setting
Authors: Cotwright Caree J. , Bales Diane W. , Lee Jung Sun , Parrott Kathryn , Celestin Nathalie , Olubajo Babatunde
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

We evaluated an intervention combining policy training and technical assistance for childcare teachers with a nutrition education curriculum to improve (1) the knowledge and self-efficacy of childcare teachers in implementing obesity prevention policies and practices, (2) the quantity and quality of nutrition and physical activity education, and (3) the childcare wellness environment.

Methods:

Thirteen teachers and 8 administrators (2 of whom were also teachers) from 8 childcare programs in Clarke County, Georgia, participated in the Healthy Child Care Georgia intervention during June-October 2015. The intervention included (1) training and technical assistance on obesity prevention policies, systems, and practices and (2) direct education by teachers using the Eat Healthy, Be Active curriculum. We assessed changes in program wellness policy adoption and teacher knowledge and self-efficacy from pre- to post-intervention through self-report questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups.

Results:

Teachers’ knowledge scores (maximum score = 100) rose significantly from a mean (SD) pre-intervention of 67.1 (14.6) to post-intervention of 83.2 (14.3) ( P < .001). The mean score for “teaching nutrition and activity to children” (maximum score = 105) rose significantly from 86.9 (8.2) to 93.5 (5.2) ( P = .011) and for “modeling and supporting children” (maximum score = 63) from 55.8 (5.1) to 59.5 (4.5) ( P = .015). The mean (SD) scores for breastfeeding and infant feeding policy/practice adoption (maximum score = 6) increased significantly from 2.5 (1.8) to 3.7 (1.9) ( P = .043) and for nutrition education policy/practice adoption (maximum score = 4) from 2.0 (1.3) to 3.3 (1.4) ( P = .019). The combined approach enhanced classroom nutrition education and improved the adoption of best practices.

Conclusion:

Future studies should examine the effects of using a combined approach to promote nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in the early care and education setting.
Systems Thinking and Simulation Modeling to Inform Childhood Obesity Policy and Practice
Authors: Powell Kenneth E. , Kibbe Debra L. , Ferencik Rachel , Soderquist Chris , Phillips Mary Ann , Vall Emily Anne , Minyard Karen J.
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

In 2007, 31.7% of Georgia adolescents in grades 9-12 were overweight or obese. Understanding the impact of policies and interventions on obesity prevalence among young people can help determine statewide public health and policy strategies. This article describes a systems model, originally launched in 2008 and updated in 2014, that simulates the impact of policy interventions on the prevalence of childhood obesity in Georgia through 2034.

Methods:

In 2008, using information from peer-reviewed reports and quantitative estimates by experts in childhood obesity, physical activity, nutrition, and health economics and policy, a group of legislators, legislative staff members, and experts trained in systems thinking and system dynamics modeling constructed a model simulating the impact of policy interventions on the prevalence of childhood obesity in Georgia through 2034. Use of the 2008 model contributed to passage of a bill requiring annual fitness testing of schoolchildren and stricter enforcement of physical education requirements. We updated the model in 2014.

Results:

With no policy change, the updated model projects that the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged ≤18 in Georgia would hold at 18% from 2014 through 2034. Mandating daily school physical education (which would reduce prevalence to 12%) and integrating moderate to vigorous physical activity into elementary classrooms (which would reduce prevalence to 10%) would have the largest projected impact. Enacting all policies simultaneously would lower the prevalence of childhood obesity from 18% to 3%.

Conclusions:

Systems thinking, especially with simulation models, facilitates understanding of complex health policy problems. Using a simulation model to educate legislators, educators, and health experts about the policies that have the greatest short- and long-term impact should encourage strategic investment in low-cost, high-return policies.
Evaluating the Impact of Training in Obesity Prevention Methods on the Counseling, Knowledge, and Skills of WIC Nutritionists in Georgia, 2014-2015
Authors: Palmer Wendy , Henderson Danielle , Stahnke Barbara , Shary Katherine , Hardy Trisha , Welsh Jean A.
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

Motivational interviewing, a client-centered intervention method focused on enhancing intrinsic motivation for behavior change, shows a positive impact on children’s weight status (ie, stabilizing or slowing down weight gain as a child grows). We evaluated the impact of a training program on knowledge and adoption of evidence-based obesity prevention counseling strategies among counselors from Georgia’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Methods:

Between July 2014 and September 2015, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Strong4Life program provided 388 WIC counselors in Georgia with a 2-hour training session on motivational interviewing, patient-centered counseling, and goal setting for obesity prevention. We evaluated the training using (1) self-administered pre- and post-training surveys that assessed knowledge of counseling strategies, (2) post-training observation of counseling interactions, and (3) a review of behavior change goal quality pre- and post-training in a random sample of 200 WIC client charts.

Results:

In a comparison of pre-training knowledge with immediate post-training knowledge among 388 counselors, 81% vs 91% ( P < .001) knew that, to be effective, goals must be important to clients, and 66% vs 94% ( P < .001) knew the 5 A’s (assess, advise, agree, assist, arrange) of counseling. Knowledge improvements were sustained at 3 months post-training. We observed no improvements in the quality of chart-documented behavior goals.

Conclusions:

WIC nutrition counselors in Georgia were aware of evidence-based counseling strategies but did not consistently apply them. The training program was helpful, but time and additional support are needed to adopt new practices.
Factors influencing two-way referral between hospitals and the community in China: A system dynamics simulation model
Authors: Li Meina , Zhang Yi , Lu Yang , Yu Wenya , Nong Xin , Zhang Lulu
Published: November 2017

Background:

Two-way referrals between hospitals and community healthcare systems (CHSs) are important for optimizing the distribution of medical resources and enabling resource sharing, but referrals are always from CHSs to hospitals. A referral from the hospital to the community is rare in China; this has a highly negative impact on the long-term development of the Chinese health services. The aim of this study was to address influence factors in hospital–community referrals.

Methods:

We constructed a system dynamics model to address the problem of the two-way referral between hospitals and CHSs and identified potential countermeasures and possible solutions. The Vensim DSS program was used to construct a system dynamics model to represent the problem through model description, causal loop diagrams, and stock and flow diagrams.

Results:

The model was used to perform intervention experiments, in which the influence on all the sectors of referrals could be observed by changing the system parameters. The experimental results showed a greater difference in medical costs between hospitals and CHSs, more investments to CHSs, higher levels of medical insurance of CHSs, and more referrals from hospitals to CHSs.

Conclusions:

The system can widen the price gap between hospitals and CHSs, increase information flow, improve medical insurance level of CHSs, and elevate the current level of CHSs through enabling two-way referral between hospitals and CHSs.
Academics’ attitudes towards peer review in scholarly journals and the effect of role and discipline
Authors: Rowley Jennifer , Sbaffi Laura
Published: November 2017

This research contributes to the knowledge on academics’ attitudes towards peer review, through an international and inter-disciplinary survey of academics, which profiles academics’ views on the value of peer review, its benefits and the prevalence of unethical practices. Generally, academics regarded peer review as beneficial to improving their article and felt that peer review contributed significantly to the effectiveness of scholarly communication. Academics agreed that peer review could improve the readability and quality of the published paper, as well as check for accuracy, appropriate methodology, novelty and relevance to the journal. There are significant differences in the views of respondents on the basis of role, with those involved as reviewers and editors being less positive about peer review than authors. In addition, there is evidence of some disciplinary differences in views on the benefits of peer review.
Combination therapy for obesity
Authors: Wilding John PH
Published: November 2017

Obesity is a chronic disease with serious consequences and although lifestyle modification is considered first line treatment, it is often ineffective, especially in the long term. Relatively few people with obesity will undergo the most effective currently available treatment of bariatric surgery. Pharmacotherapy can bridge the gap between lifestyle modification and surgery, but many monotherapies have only modest efficacy or require high doses with unacceptable side effects. As with many other areas of medicine, combination therapy is now becoming accepted as a way of optimising efficacy for weight management, whilst minimising adverse effects. Combinations may use different medications with complementary modes of action. Currently available combination therapies are low-dose phentermine and sustained release topiramate and naltrexone/bupropion. Many other possibilities exist and promising options include combination of phentermine with a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor or combination of a glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist with other gut hormones or with a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor. The ultimate aim is to match the efficacy of bariatric surgery with a combination of medicines, but this remains an elusive goal.