bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Basal Cell Carcinoma or Trichoblastoma Dermoscopic Examination of Black Macules Developing in the Same Nevus Sebaceus
Authors: Kitamura Shinya , Hata Hiroo , Imafuku Keisuke , Shimizu Hiroshi
Published: February 2016

Nevus sebaceus (NS) is a common congenital birthmark, and various tumors have been reported to develop in NS. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) seldom occurs in NS, and it is very important to be able to clinicopathologically distinguish BCC from trichoblastoma. Herein, we describe a case of BCC and trichoblastoma occurring simultaneously in the same NS, including the differential dermoscopic features. BCC is clinically difficult to distinguish from trichoblastoma because the clinical manifestations are similar. In a dermoscopic examination of BCC, arborizing vessels are one of the diagnostically significant features. In our case, the BCC showed ‘multiple' black structures, and the trichoblastoma showed a ‘single' black structure without arborizing vessels. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports on the dermoscopic findings of secondary tumors on NS.
Genomics Politics through Space and Time: The Case of Bioinformatics in Brazil
Authors: Bicudo Edison
Published: February 2016

The emergence of scientific disciplines, as well as the policies aimed to steer them, have geographical implications. This becomes visible in areas such as genomics and related fields. In this paper, the relation between scientific evolution, political decisions and geographical configuration is studied. The recent formation of bioinformatics in Brazil is focused on. The study involves an analysis of data collected on the website of CNPq, a funding agency attached to the Ministry of Science and Technology. Furthermore, I conducted fieldwork in four cities, interviewing 15 bioinformaticians. In the history of Brazilian bioinformatics, three periods can be identified. In the first period (1900-1996), bioinformatics was actually absent, but biology research groups were formed which would subsequently explore bioinformatics. The second period (1997-2006) was marked by the emergence of the discipline and geographical concentration of major research groups in the southern part of Brazil. A third period can be pointed to (2007-2014), in which political choices have turned geographical diffusion and institutional equality into a national target. As a consequence of the recent shifts, genomics and bioinformatics researchers have been involved in a debate, some defending the existence of few specialized research and sequencing platforms, whereas others welcoming the constitution of a scientific scenario based on decentralized platforms. I defend an intermediate solution, whereby some places would be selected to be genomics hubs. This would fit the regional diversity of this vast country, in addition to tackling the scientific weaknesses of the northern area.
Recurrences and Ongoing Complaints of Diverticulitis; Results of a Survey among Gastroenterologists and Surgeons
Authors: Stam M.A.W. , Draaisma W.A. , Consten E.C.J. , Broeders I.A.M.J.
Published: February 2016

Objective: This study aims to investigate the current opinion of gastroenterologists and surgeons on treatment strategies for patients, with recurrences or ongoing complaints of diverticulitis. Background: Treatment of recurrences and ongoing complaints remains a point of debate. No randomized trials have been published yet and guidelines are not uniform in their advice. Design: A web-based survey was conducted among gastroenterologists and GE-surgeons. Questions were aimed at the treatment options for recurrent diverticulitis and ongoing complaints. Results: In total, 123 surveys were filled out. The number of patients with recurrent or ongoing diverticulitis who were seen at the outpatient clinic each year was 7 (0-30) and 5 (0-115) respectively. Surgeons see significantly more patients on an annual basis 20 vs. 15% (p = 0.00). Both surgeons and gastroenterologists preferred to treat patients in a conservative manner using pain medication and lifestyle advise (64.4 vs. 54.0, p = 0.27); however, gastroenterologists would treat patients with mesalazine medication, which is significantly more (28%, p = 0.04) than in the surgical group. Surgeons are inclined more towards surgery (31.5%, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Both surgeons and gastroenterologists prefer to treat recurrent diverticulitis and ongoing complaints in a conservative manner. Quality of life, the risk of complications and the viewpoint of the patient are considered important factors in the decision to resect the affected colon.
The ABC of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Validated Glossary on how to Name Lesions
Authors: Lipsker Dan , Severac François , Freysz Marie , Sauleau Eric , Boer Jurr , Emtestam Lennart , Matusiak Łukasz , Prens Errol , Velter Charles , Lenormand Cédric , Meyer Nicolas , Jemec Gregor B.E.
Published: February 2016

Background: The precise clinical description of skin lesions observed in some patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can be extremely difficult. Objective: Establishing a validated glossary of terms allowing the best possible description of lesions observed in HS patients. Material and Methods: Five international experts of HS were to assess a series of 25 photos representing typical lesions of this disorder. For each photo, the experts were asked whether naming of the lesions was possible or not and, if yes, by using which noun. Agreement of their responses was calculated using Fleiss's kappa index. Using a Delphi strategy, photos with disagreement were discussed, and photos were reevaluated on the next day. In case of agreement on the impossibility of naming some clinical situations, new terms, to be included into the glossary, were agreed upon. Results: After the first round of photos, agreement between the experts was poor with a kappa index of only 0.33 (95% CI 0.22-0.46). After extensive discussion of cases with disagreement, the kappa index increased on day 2 to 0.75 (95% CI 0.60-0.87), allowing to conclude on good interobserver agreement on terminology. Furthermore, a few clinical situations were identified in which naming with established semantics is so far not possible. For these situations, the terms ‘multicord', ‘multipore', ‘multitunnel' and ‘retraction' were defined. Discussion: This is the first validation of clinical terms used to describe lesions in patients with HS. This should be helpful in better defining the clinical phenotypes observed in this disorder.
Pharmacological Therapy of Bronchial Asthma: The Role of Biologicals
Authors: Heck Sebastian , Nguyen Juliane , Le Duc-Dung , Bals Robert , Dinh Quoc Thai
Published: February 2016

Bronchial asthma is a heterogeneous, complex, chronic inflammatory and obstructive pulmonary disease driven by various pathways to present with different phenotypes. A small proportion of asthmatics (5-10%) suffer from severe asthma with symptoms that cannot be controlled by guideline therapy with high doses of inhaled steroids plus a second controller, such as long-acting β2 agonists (LABA) or leukotriene receptor antagonists, or even systemic steroids. The discovery and characterization of the pathways that drive different asthma phenotypes have opened up new therapeutic avenues for asthma treatment. The approval of the humanized anti-IgE antibody omalizumab for the treatment of severe allergic asthma has paved the way for other cytokine-targeting therapies, particularly those targeting interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, IL-17, and IL-23 and the epithelium-derived cytokines IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin. Knowledge of the molecular basis of asthma phenotypes has helped, and continues to help, the development of novel biologicals that target a diverse array of phenotype-specific molecular targets in patients suffering from severe asthma. This review summarizes potential therapeutic approaches that are likely to show clinical efficacy in the near future, focusing on biologicals as promising novel therapies for severe asthma.
News in Cellular Allergology: A Review of the Human Mast Cell and Basophil Granulocyte Literature from January 2013 to May 2015
Authors: Hoffmann Hans-Jürgen
Published: February 2016

Mast cell activation releases the mediators associated with type I allergy. As such, the study of mast cell activation is critical for understanding the allergic reaction, and for developing methods to control it. Importantly, another ligand receptor pair (compound 48/80 and MRGPRX2) that activates mast cells in addition to allergen-IgE-FcεRI has been identified. As mast cells mature in tissue from hematopoietic stem cells, their physiology and pathophysiology is difficult to study. Mast cell lines and mast cells cultured from stem cells are often studied instead of tissue mast cells. There has been some progress in the description of the mechanism of the activation of mast cells, substances limiting mast cell activation and in the catalogue of proteases that mast cells express. Basophil granulocytes express FcεRI, bind IgE and respond to allergen crosslinking in a very similar fashion to mast cells. In the recent literature, basophils were mistakenly described as antigen-presenting cells; this has convincingly been disputed in a number of subsequent publications. Their function in physiology and pathophysiology is not known, but they are frequently used to document allergic sensitisation in the basophil activation test. Significant progress has been made in documenting the relevance of basophil activation as a second-line test in allergy diagnosis. Basophil reactivity and sensitivity may reflect symptom severity and allergen threshold, and are used to document and monitor allergy. The physiology and pathophysiology of allergic effector cells remain an important area of research.
Are Genetic Tests for Atherosclerosis Ready for Routine Clinical Use?
Authors: Paynter Nina P. , Ridker Paul M , Chasman Daniel I.
Published: February 2016

In this review, we lay out 3 areas currently being evaluated for incorporation of genetic information into clinical practice related to atherosclerosis. The first, familial hypercholesterolemia, is the clearest case for utility of genetic testing in diagnosis and potentially guiding treatment. Already in use for confirmatory testing of familial hypercholesterolemia and for cascade screening of relatives, genetic testing is likely to expand to help establish diagnoses and facilitate research related to most effective therapies, including new agents, such as PCSK9 inhibitors. The second area, adding genetic information to cardiovascular risk prediction for primary prevention, is not currently recommended. Although identification of additional variants may add substantially to prediction in the future, combining known variants has not yet demonstrated sufficient improvement in prediction for incorporation into commonly used risk scores. The third area, pharmacogenetics, has utility for some therapies today. Future utility for pharmacogenetics will wax or wane depending on the nature of available drugs and therapeutic strategies.
From Lipids to Inflammation
Authors: Shapiro Michael D. , Fazio Sergio
Published: February 2016

The introduction of statins ≈30 years ago ushered in the era of lipid lowering as the most effective way to reduce risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Nonetheless, residual risk remains high, and statin intolerance is frequently encountered in clinical practice. After a long dry period, the field of therapeutics targeted to lipids and atherosclerosis has entered a renaissance. Moreover, the demonstration of clinical benefits from the addition of ezetimibe to statin therapy in subjects with acute coronary syndromes has renewed the enthusiasm for the cholesterol hypothesis and the hope that additional agents that lower low-density lipoprotein will decrease risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Drugs in the orphan disease category are now available for patients with the most extreme hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore, discovery and rapid translation of a novel biological pathway has given rise to a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, the proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin-9 inhibitors. Trials of niacin added to statin have failed to demonstrate cardiac benefits, and 3 cholesterol ester transfer protein inhibitors have also failed to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, despite producing substantial increases in HDL levels. Although the utility of triglyceride-lowering therapies remains uncertain, 2 large clinical trials are testing the influence of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on atherosclerotic events in hypertriglyceridemia. Novel antisense therapies targeting apolipoprotein C-III (for triglyceride reduction) and apo(a) (for lipoprotein(a) reduction) are showing a promising trajectory. Finally, 2 large clinical trials are formally putting the inflammatory hypothesis of atherosclerosis to the test and may open a new avenue for cardiovascular disease risk reduction.
Cardiac Stem Cell Treatment in Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zwetsloot Peter Paul , Végh Anna Maria Dorothea , Jansen of Lorkeers Sanne Johanna , van Hout Gerardus P.J. , Currie Gillian L. , Sena Emily S. , Gremmels Hendrik , Buikema Jan Willem , Goumans Marie-Jose , Macleod Malcolm R. , Doevendans Pieter A. , Chamuleau Steven A.J. , Sluijter Joost P.G.
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

Cardiac stem cells (CSC) therapy has been clinically introduced for cardiac repair after myocardial infarction (MI). To date, there has been no systematic overview and meta-analysis of studies using CSC therapy for MI.

Objective:

Here, we used meta-analysis to establish the overall effect of CSCs in preclinical studies and assessed translational differences between and within large and small animals in the CSC therapy field. In addition, we explored the effect of CSC type and other clinically relevant parameters on functional outcome to better predict and design future (pre)clinical studies using CSCs for MI.

Methods and Results:

A systematic search was performed, yielding 80 studies. We determined the overall effect of CSC therapy on left ventricular ejection fraction and performed meta-regression to investigate clinically relevant parameters. We also assessed the quality of included studies and possible bias. The overall effect observed in CSC-treated animals was 10.7% (95% confidence interval 9.4–12.1;
P
<0.001) improvement in ejection fraction compared with placebo controls. Interestingly, CSC therapy had a greater effect in small animals compared with large animals (
P
<0.001). Meta-regression indicated that cell type was a significant predictor for ejection fraction improvement in small animals. Minor publication bias was observed in small animal studies.

Conclusions:

CSC treatment resulted in significant improvement of ejection fraction in preclinical animal models of MI compared with placebo. There was a reduction in the magnitude of effect in large compared with small animal models. Although different CSC types have overlapping culture characteristics, we observed a significant difference in their effect in post-MI animal studies.
Feature Selection for Ridge Regression with Provable Guarantees
Authors: Paul Saurabh , Drineas Petros
Published: February 2016

We introduce single-set spectral sparsification as a deterministic sampling–based feature selection technique for regularized least-squares classification, which is the classification analog to ridge regression. The method is unsupervised and gives worst-case guarantees of the generalization power of the classification function after feature selection with respect to the classification function obtained using all features. We also introduce leverage-score sampling as an unsupervised randomized feature selection method for ridge regression. We provide risk bounds for both single-set spectral sparsification and leverage-score sampling on ridge regression in the fixed design setting and show that the risk in the sampled space is comparable to the risk in the full-feature space. We perform experiments on synthetic and real-world data sets; a subset of TechTC-300 data sets, to support our theory. Experimental results indicate that the proposed methods perform better than the existing feature selection methods.
Detection of a global aquatic invasive amphibian, Xenopus laevis, using environmental DNA
Authors: Secondi Jean , Dejean Tony , Valentini Alice , Audebaud Benjamin , Miaud Claude
Published: February 2016

Detection is crucial in the study and control of invasive species but it may be limited by methodological issues. In amphibians, classical survey techniques exhibit variable detection probability depending on species and are often constrained by climatic conditions often requiring several site visits. Furthermore, detection may be reduced at low density because probability capture (passive traps), or activity (acoustic surveys) drop. Such limits may impair the study of invasive species because low density is typical of the onset of colonisation on a site. In the last few years, environmental DNA (eDNA) methods have proved their ability to detect the presence of aquatic species. We developed here an eDNA method to detectXenopus laevisin ponds. This austral African species is now present worldwide because of its use in biology and as a pet. Populations have settled and expanded on several continents so that it is now considered as one of the major invasive amphibians in the World. We detected the presence ofX. laevisat density as low as 1 ind/100 m2and found a positive relationship between density in ponds and rate of DNA amplification. Results show that eDNA can be successfully applied to survey invasive populations ofX. laeviseven at low density in order to confirm suspected cases of introduction, delimit the expansion of a colonized range, or monitor the efficiency of a control program.
Mahādeva in Dunhuang
Authors: Borgland Jens Wilhelm
Published: February 2016

Mahādeva, the “Indian Oedipus”, is in some sources blamed for the initial schism between the two main branches of the early Buddhist sects, the Mahāsāṃghikas and the Sthaviras. In this paper I examine a version of the story of Mahādeva found in the Tibetan Dunhuang manuscript labelled IOL Tib J 26, showing that it contains evidence supporting the hypothesis that this story reached Tibet through China. I further show that this Dunhuang manuscript contains an older version of the corresponding section in an early Tibetan history of Buddhism, Mkhas pa lde’u’s Rgya bod kyi chos ’byuṅ rgyas pa (“Extensive history of Buddhism in India and Tibet”).
Boundaries, Transitions and Passages
Authors: Koenderink Jan , van Doorn Andrea , Pinna Baingio , Wagemans Johan
Published: February 2016

Many pictures are approximately piecewise uniform quilts. The patches meet in transitional areas that have a vague, ribbon-like geometry. These borders may occasionally get lost and sometimes pick up again, creating a ‘passage’ that partly blends adjacent patches. This type of structure is widely discussed in treatises on painting technique. Similar effects (lost outlines, passages) occur in drawing. The border regions are characterized by width, or sharpness and amplitude – which is the contrast between the patches on each side. Moreover, border regions have various textural structures. We propose a formal theory of such transitions. Images can be understood as superpositions of border areas. Stylistic changes can be implemented through the selective treatment of borders. The theory is formally similar to, though crucially different in meaning from, the theory of ‘edges’ (a technical term) in image processing. We propose it as a formal framework that enables principled discussion of ‘edge qualities’ (a term used by painters in a way unrelated to the use of ‘edge’ in image processing) in a well-structured manner.
Role of Large-Scale Circulation and Terrain in Causing Extreme Heat in Western North China
Authors: Chen Ruidan , Lu Riyu
Published: February 2016

Previous studies have suggested that, because of its particular location on the southeastern lee side of mountains, extreme heat (EH) over western north China (WNC) is affected by the foehn phenomenon. In this study, the EH days during summer over this region are categorized into foehn-favorable EH and no-foehn EH, according to whether there are anomalous northwesterlies over mountains, and composite analyses are performed on them. The analyzed results indicate that the no-foehn EH is characterized by an anticyclonic anomaly and a large-scale higher surface air temperature, while the foehn-favorable EH is featured by a cyclonic anomaly to the northeast and a localized higher temperature. Associated with the cyclonic anomaly, northwesterlies prevail over the mountain surface and provide a favorable environment for the occurrence of the foehn effect over WNC, which is located on the southeastern lee side of mountains. That is, both cyclonic and anticyclonic anomalies can induce EH over WNC (i.e., foehn-favorable EH and no-foehn EH, respectively). Further investigation indicates that large-scale cyclonic and anticyclonic anomalies tend to favor local descent and ascent anomalies over the lee side, respectively, through interaction with the particular terrain. Therefore, large-scale circulations and local terrain-induced winds play an offsetting role in affecting the surface air temperatures over WNC, and EH occurs when anomalous large-scale anticyclone or terrain-induced descent dominate. This study implies that attention should be paid to not only the upper-level/large-scale circulations but also to their impact on lower-level/local winds for temperature variability over the places with great topographic relief worldwide.
The Just Barely Sustainable California Prisoners’ Rights Ecosystem
Authors: Schlanger Margo
Published: February 2016

Nationwide, litigation currently plays a far smaller role as a corrections oversight mechanism than in decades past, a change largely caused by the 1996 Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA). Yet no such decline is evident in the nation’s most populous state, California, where prisoners’ rights litigation remains enormously influential and was the trigger to the criminal justice “Realignment” that is the subject of this volume. Indeed, every prison in California is subject to numerous ongoing court orders governing conditions of confinement. This article examines why California is different. It argues that California’s very large bar includes a critical mass of highly expert prisoners’ rights lawyers. Working for both nonprofits and for-profit firms, they benefited from a pipeline of large-scale, pre-PLRA, fees-paying cases that sustained them while they learned to cope with the statutory obstacles. And the Ninth Circuit’s hospitable bench awarded them some favorable fee-related rulings in support of their coping strategies. In short, they learned how to—just barely—maintain a prisoners’ rights docket, notwithstanding very substantial financial hurdles. They continue to litigate old and new cases, but ongoing challenges pose a real threat to the fragile litigation ecosystem they have created.
The End of an Era? Understanding the Contradictions of Criminal Justice Reform
Authors: Beckett Katherine , Reosti Anna , Knaphus Emily
Published: February 2016

Recent drops in the U.S. rate of incarceration have triggered much discussion regarding the fate of mass incarceration. Some observers suggest that the political consensus in favor of getting tough on crime has been shattered and replaced by a new consensus that the prison population must be downsized. In this article, we explore the possibility that neither legislation nor public discourse around crime and punishment has shifted so dramatically, and that the cultural dynamics surrounding reform efforts may undermine the prospects of comprehensive sentencing reform. To assess these hypotheses, we analyze trends in criminal justice policy reform from 2000 to 2013 and newspaper stories and editorials on criminal justice reform since 2008. While we do find important examples of changing rhetoric and policy, we suggest that these changes do not constitute a “paradigm shift.” Rather, they are indicative of a more subtle, complex, and contradictory modification of the way punishment is conceived, discussed, and ultimately enacted.
Incarceration and Crime
Authors: Lofstrom Magnus , Raphael Steven
Published: February 2016

Recent reforms in California caused a sharp and permanent reduction in the state’s incarceration rate. We evaluate the effects of that incarceration decline on local crime rates. Our analysis exploits the large variation across California counties in the effect of this reform on county-specific prison incarceration rates. We find very little evidence that the large reduction in California incarceration had an effect on violent crime, and modest evidence of effects on property crime, auto theft in particular. These effects are considerably smaller than existing estimates based on panel data for periods of time when the U.S. incarceration rate was considerably lower. We corroborate these cross-county results with a synthetic-cohort analysis of state crime rates in California. The statewide analysis confirms our findings from the county-level analysis. In line with with previous research, the results from this study support the hypothesis of a crime-prison effect that diminishes with increased reliance on incarceration.
The Correctional Hunger Games
Authors: Aviram Hadar
Published: February 2016

The California Criminal Justice Realignment is often seen as a sui generis penal experiment in response to a court mandate. However, when examined in a broader context, it can be understood as part of a recession-era institutional effort to reduce prison costs, fueled by a discourse of austerity and financial prudence, which I refer to as “humonetarian.” This article examines Realignment, its predecessor, Senate Bill 18, and its successor, Proposition 47, as examples of humonetarian policy, characterized by a rhetoric of costs and savings; bipartisan support; inmate transference practices; and a focus on nonviolent, low-risk offenders, whose incarceration expenses exceed the risk they pose. The analysis yields two insights: one, the financial context of reform; and the other, the unique, neopopulist California “flavor” of this financial context, which stands in the way of even more effective reform. I end with thoughts about the promise and perils of humonetarianism in the California context.
How Do You Eat an Elephant? Reducing Mass Incarceration in California One Small Bite at a Time
Authors: Krisberg Barry
Published: February 2016

While most states are considering reducing the impact of mass incarceration in their prison systems, few states have faced a larger challenge than California, and few states have reduced their convict and parole population as much as California. Federal court intervention and a series of legislative and voter-initiated reforms in California have changed the landscape in one of the nation’s largest criminal justice systems. This article draws on a variety of data sources to explore a potentially historic moment in the quest to end mass incarceration; it remains to be seen whether the public debate over appropriate punishments changed among criminal justice interest groups, such as corrections officers, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, victim advocates, and liberal and conservative spokespersons. Has the fear of crime among the citizenry changed, and has the public embraced a different response to lawbreakers? There have been important law changes that reduce some felonies to lesser crimes and incentives to punish offenders in local corrections rather than state prisons (known as Realignment), but genuine reductions in mass incarceration will require even more actions. Based on my review of California trends in crime, punishment, and public opinion, I argue that even while there will likely be more progress in decriminalizing drug crimes and other nonviolent crimes, public attitudes toward more serious offenders will be decisive in forecasting the future of mass imprisonment and the California prison gulag. At present, California is pursuing an incremental approach to reducing the numbers in prison for very serious crimes. Reform of prisons is likely to consist of small bites of change in sentencing and parole policies.
A Turning Point in Mass Incarceration? Local Imprisonment Trajectories and Decarceration under California’s Realignment
Authors: Verma Anjuli
Published: February 2016

Mass incarceration is commonly understood as a sweeping national policy development, which has obscured remarkable local variation at the policy implementation stage. California’s “Realignment” (Assembly Bill [AB] 109; 2011) is a reform that exploits this variation by design. Research consistently finds that, net of crime, demographic, political, and system capacity characteristics explain the variation in incarceration across local jurisdictions. Do these characteristics also explain decarceration? This study uses group-based trajectory modeling and logistic regression to examine the association of such characteristics with California county trajectories of state prison use in the decade preceding Realignment. County imprisonment trajectories and their related characteristics are then assessed as explanations for decarceration under AB 109. Distinct “risk” factors for high and/or increasing imprisonment trajectories are identified, as well as apparent protective factors. A clear association was found between previous trajectories and decarceration, but county-level characteristics did not demonstrate the predicted effects. Results indicate that decarceration cannot be explained as merely the mirror image of incarceration and should be examined as a distinct phenomenon. Implications for future research and policymaking are discussed.
Candidate Selection in a Multilevel State
Authors: Cordero Guillermo , Jaime-Castillo Antonio M. , Coller Xavier
Published: February 2016

The intraparty mechanisms for Members of Parliament (MPs) selection has been only partially analyzed by the literature. Most works focus on parties’ written rules regarding the selection of candidates for the national chamber(s). However, party statutes hide other informal procedures. In this article, we analyze how candidate selection is implemented in parties using survey data for a representative sample of 580 MPs, completed with 58 in-depth interviews of MPs and gatekeepers. With these data, we analyze how the selection of candidates is implemented in a multilevel democracy such as Spain.
Surveillance by Proxy
Authors: Hassan David
Published: February 2016

This article considers the growing emphasis countries hosting major sporting events place on the implementation of security and counterterrorism measures and the impact this approach has on the civil liberties of their citizens. From the seminal, and ultimately tragic, events of the Munich Olympics in 1972 until the most recent terrorist attack witnessed at a major sporting event—that which marred the close of the Boston marathon of April 2013—this piece reflects on the full extent of the impact counterterrorism measures have had on the activities of wider society, including the creation of an abnormal host setting prior to and during the sporting event in question, not to mention its legacy long after it has ended and focus is drawn to a new location. It suggests that there is a real danger that international sporting events create a convenient setting within which the impositions of security measures, which are only marginally justifiable in the context of the event in question, continue to be unquestioningly implemented.
Auditing Inequity
Authors: Hernandez Frank , Marshall Joanne
Published: February 2016

While much has been written about preparing educational leaders to lead for social justice, much less has been written about how to do so. This study is one of the first to analyze the reflections and written assignments of aspiring administrators to determine what they are currently thinking about poverty, race/ethnicity, and social justice leadership and how that thinking is shaped throughout one course. Results indicate that students were variable in their individual reflections, but that assignments, which required them to analyze the inequities in their schools and develop an implementation plan, led all of these aspiring administrators to seek to redress those inequities. The article discusses implications for other programs, which prepare educational leaders.
How Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Specialists Influence Curricula for Students With Severe Disabilities
Authors: Plotner Anthony J. , Dymond Stacy K.
Published: February 2016

According to decades of research on secondary transition for individuals with disabilities, cross-agency collaboration with adult service providers is an integral element of positive post-school outcomes. While much has been written about the general functions of vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals and their part in the transition planning process, limited research has explored the role these professionals play in curriculum decisions, particularly for students with the most significant disabilities. Through the use of semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, the authors explain the work of six transition specialists in a midwestern state who are jointly funded by VR and the respective local education agencies with which they work. Specifically, their influence on the development and implementation of transition-related curricula for students with severe disabilities is addressed. Participating VR transition specialists reported that they influence curricula through a collaborative approach, and focus on resource and knowledge sharing. These professionals also reported delivering several direct-service activities to students inside and outside of the school environment.
Gender Disparity in Literacy in India
Authors: Katiyar Shiv Prakash
Published: February 2016

India has the dubious distinction of having one of the world’s highest rates of adult illiteracy. According to the 2011 Census of India, the overall rate of literacy is 73 per cent. But breaking up the national average reveals that while the rate of literacy for men is 80.9 per cent, for women it is 64.6 per cent. This means that more than one-fourth of the country’s population is still illiterate. And within that figure, nearly one-fifth of males are illiterate compared with more than one-third of females. That there is a slow rate of growth of female literacy compared with male literacy is a matter of grave concern. Despite the number of efforts made at national and international levels, there exist a significant number of illiterate women in society, a disturbing factor for all development efforts. Female literacy is important as it is a force multiplier for the social development of a country. Illiteracy retards the development of an individual, society and the country. Literacy plays a significant role in reducing gender inequality. The purpose of the article is to map and analyse gender disparity in literacy across the states and union territories (UTs) of India and indicate future projections of levels of female literacy.
Developmental Setbacks in North-East India: The Role of Bank Credit
Authors: Sangwan S. S.
Published: February 2016

While looking at social and economic indicators of growth, this study shows that a majority of the North-Eastern States (NES), comprising eight states, have been lagging behind the all-India average, even though historically this was not the case. Assam, till 1970–1973, had achieved higher agricultural productivity and lower levels of poverty when compared to the national average. Currently though, lower agricultural productivity and a negligible share of manufacturing in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the North-East can be considered as the main reasons for the decline in the development of the region. On examination, the slow rate in the inflow of capital investment in the traditional factors of production appears to be responsible for the lack of establishment of industries and for discouraging the spirit of entrepreunership. To form private capital, bank credit plays a pivotal role and the article shows that the NES as a whole trails far behind in availing bank credit when compared with the rest of the country. The unstable law and order situation in the NES, along with restrictions on entry, issue of trade licenses and ownership of land has negated the theory which stipulates that ‘higher rates of profit attracts further investment’. All these factors have impacted the growth of profit and affected investment decisions in North-East India.
Signal processing algorithm for thermal drift compensation in high-temperature down-hole instrumentation systems
Authors: Mijarez Rito , Pascacio David , Guevara Ricardo , Rodriguez Joaquin
Published: February 2016

Down-hole oil and gas industry requirements for measuring thermodynamic and geophysical parameters, for instance pressure, temperature, vibration and multiphase flow, are challenging. Accomplishing these necessities requires a complete signal communications chain of high-performance components and effective signal processing communication techniques to provide system reliability. Nevertheless, noise interference, cable attenuation and thermal drift of the front-end passive electronic elements can lead to poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and possibly loss of the communication link. This paper describes a signal processing algorithm implemented in a bidirectional communication system that exchanges data from a down-hole high pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) measurement tool to the surface installation. The communication channel is a multi-conductor coaxial logging cable also used as a power supply transmission line. The instrumentation system consists of a proprietary down-hole measurement tool, composed of an HPHT sensor and a high-temperature digital signal processor (DSP)-based electronic device; located in the surface installation is a data-acquisition equipment. The system employs a signal processing algorithm, based on the frequency domain SNR characterization of the whole communication chain, which determines in real time the optimal carrier frequency that is automatically implemented in the selected modulation/demodulation technique. The obtained laboratory test results of the down-hole tool, using changes in temperature from 25° to 185°C, provide a firm basis for testing and evaluating the system in the field.
Crafting the Change: The Role of Employee Job Crafting Behaviors for Successful Organizational Change
Authors: Petrou Paraskevas , Demerouti Evangelia , Schaufeli Wilmar B.
Published: February 2016

Organizations today have to change constantly. Although both practitioners and scientists agree that organizational change communication is the most effective strategy to improve employee adjustment to change, little is known about how change communication enhances more proactive employee reactions to change. The present study addresses employee job crafting behaviors (i.e., seeking job resources, seeking job challenges, and reducing job demands) as a tool used by employees in order to respond to and cope with implemented organizational change. Using regulatory focus theory, we propose that on the basis of their promotion or prevention regulatory focus, employees respond to organizational change communication via job crafting behaviors that further enhance or hinder their adjustment to change (i.e., work engagement and adaptivity). Hypotheses are tested with a latent change score analytical approach via a three-wave longitudinal design among 368 police officers. Findings reveal that while adequate change communication is linked to increased job crafting behaviors for promotion focused employees, inadequate change communication is linked to increased job crafting behaviors for prevention focused employees. Furthermore, seeking resources is positively associated with employee work engagement, seeking challenges is positively associated with adaptivity, and reducing demands is negatively associated with work engagement. These findings bring together three different streams of literature (i.e., organizational change, regulatory focus, and job crafting). Implications for management are outlined, and they are, thereafter, translated to a specific workplace intervention, which is proposed to organizations and managers.
Is ‘mediatization’ the new paradigm for our field? A commentary on Deacon and Stanyer (2014, 2015) and Hepp, Hjarvard and Lundby (2015)
Authors: Lunt Peter , Livingstone Sonia
Published: February 2016

In responding to the debate about the theory of mediatization, we reject criticisms that foreclose prematurely on this set of new ideas potentially worthy of further exploration, and we give more attention to the fundamental questions that critics have asked about mediatization. We note that controversy centres on the claim that mediatization is a societal metaprocess of the order of globalization, individualization and commercialization. Substantiating this claim would require an ambitious, evidenced account of socio-historical change over centuries, along with recognition of mediatization research as a valuable contribution to the analysis of modernity on which scholars of other supposedly mediatized domains now draw. We invite sceptics of mediatization to articulate their critique by reference to the now sizeable body of writing on this concept. We call on proponents of mediatization – along with others keen to understand social and media change within the history of modernity – to consider: (1) whether and how existing research on media’s changing role within a variety of domains can be productively reinterpreted within a mediatization frame; (2) the implications of such work for existing theories, including those of other disciplines; and (3) how to advance analysis of the relations between mediatization and the other metaprocesses of modernity.
Enduring Egalitarianism? Family Transitions and Attitudes Toward Gender Equality in Sweden
Authors: Kaufman Gayle , Bernhardt Eva , Goldscheider Frances
Published: February 2016

Previous research in industrialized countries finds that attitudes toward gender equality are affected by family-related transitions as young adults with egalitarian attitudes based on growing equality between the sexes in the public sphere of education and work encounter a much less equal situation in the private sphere of the family. Sweden, however, is a society known for its emphasis on gender equality in the family. This study examines the effect of family transitions on attitudes toward gender equality, asking whether egalitarian attitudes can withstand changing family transitions in Sweden. Using longitudinal data from the Young Adult Panel Study, we examine six different family transitions and three measures of attitudes toward gender equality for men and women, with only three significant findings across 18 coefficients. We conclude that most Swedish young adults possess “enduring attitudes,” likely because there is strong state support for families and gender sharing in the private sphere.
Ambient text and the becoming space of writing
Authors: Diaz Cardona Rebio
Published: February 2016

This article explores the spatial status of written texts in the urban environments of the digital age. I suggest that part of what writing does in and for the urban environment in such context is more productively captured by understanding writing not only as a communication technology but a spatial technology as well. I propose the concept of ambient text to ground my exploration of the spatiality of writing in the observational context of a busy New York City street. I then use Manuel Castells’ distinction between the space of places and the space of flows as a useful heuristic to explore theoretically the contribution of writing to contemporary urban social spatiality in the sociotechnical context of the digital age. I argue that writing takes up new spatial roles and can be thought of as an infrastructure that helps the space of places and the space of flows “hook up.” The general argument is that our relationship to written texts is being reconfigured by spatial dynamics for which texts in turn do important work. The idea that texts directly produce social space (the becoming space of writing) leads to an incremental, additive view of social space, which is briefly discussed.
The Hollowing of American Public Administration
Authors: Durant Robert F. , Rosenbloom David H.
Published: February 2016

Effectively linking public administration theory to practical relevance has proven a difficult task. We argue, however, that the theory–practice conundrum is but a symptom of a more fundamental problem in public administration: the hollowing out of the field. Despite research advances, hollowing occurs because of the field’s conceptually muddled and decontextualized normative pillars, problematic macrodynamic foundations, and imbalanced scaffolding for integrating its multiple research narratives and methodologies efficaciously for both scholars and practitioners. To illustrate our points, we first critique the logic and empirical basis of two major pillars of public administration: efficiency and social equity. We then show how and why the field also has problematic macrodynamic foundations due to its failure to incorporate important developments in cognate fields related to administrative history, contexts, and processes. We next offer a problem-centered organizational framework for the field to help address the scaffolding problem in public administration.
In vivo diffusion tensor imaging of chronic spinal cord compression: a rat model with special attention to the conus medullaris
Authors: Zhao Peng , Kong Chao , Chen Xueming , Guan Hua , Yu Zhenshan , Cui Libin , Wang Yanhui , Yuan Xin
Published: February 2016

Background

Few studies have focused on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters of the conus medullaris after chronic compression in the cervical spinal cord.

Purpose

To discuss the correlation of DTI parameters between the chronically compressed cervical spinal cord and the conus medullaris in a rat model at different time points.

Material and Methods

Fifty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into five groups: control group (group A), sham group (group B), and test groups C, D, and E (1, 2, and 3 weeks after compression, respectively). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the cervical spinal cord and conus medullaris were compared among different groups. Correlations of ADC and FA values of the cervical spinal cord with those of the conus medullaris were performed in all groups.

Results

The ADC values at the cervical spinal cord and conus medullaris in all test groups were higher than those of group A and B, while the FA values were lower. The ADC value of the cervical spinal cord was linearly correlated with that of the conus medullaris only in group D. There were no linear correlations of FA values between the cervical spinal cord and the conus medullaris in all test groups.

Conclusion

After compression of the cervical spinal cord, ADC values of the cervical spinal cord and conus medullaris in test group were significantly increased, while FA values were significantly decreased. The ADC value of the cervical spinal cord was linearly correlated with that of the conus medullaris at 2 weeks after compression.