bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development in Alcohol-Related Harm in Denmark 1990–2005
Authors: Eriksen Louise , Grønbæk Morten
Published: December 2017

Aims

This article, as part of a Nordic project, aims at studying the development of alcohol-related harms in the Danish society in the 1990s and early 2000s, a period when alcohol consumption was stable at a relatively high Nordic level.

Data

The study is based on data on sales of alcohol and on register data on alcohol-related morbidity, mortality, traffic accidents and the development of violent crimes.

Analysis

Both total alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm have been practically unchanged during the period, in spite of large changes in consumption of the different types of alcohol. Pancreatitis mortality and hospitalisations of men due to alcoholism, alcohol psychosis and poisoning have increased, while alcohol-related traffic accidents and detentions due to drunkenness have decreased. These developments may mirror changes in the activities and structure of various authorities.

Conclusions

To properly estimate the effects of changes in drinking patterns on alcohol-related harms new measures of alcohol-related harms are needed that take into account the attributable etiological fraction of alcohol to for instance coronary heart disease. There is also a need for better measures of social consequences of drinking.
Trends in Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Harms in Iceland
Authors: Ólafsdóttir Hildigunnur
Published: December 2017

Aims

The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between the total consumption of alcohol and alcohol-related harms in Iceland from 1990 to 2004.

Data

Time-series data on alcohol-related harm have been collected from public statistics, directorates, and surveys.

Results

Alcohol sales have increased from 4.6 to 6.7 litres of alcohol per 100 000 inhabitants aged 15 and over from 1988 to 2004, an increase of 46% in 16 years. In the study period, violent offences, drink driving, injuries by drink driving, and public intoxication show a downward trend with the exception of 2000, when violent offences, drink driving, and public intoxication all peaked. This increase is very likely caused by the changes in licensing policy in Reykjavik when pubs and bars in the city centre had unrestricted serving-hours. Morbidity and mortality rates have also declined or been stable, but are based on very low numbers, so random fluctuations may affect the data series.

Conclusions

Main findings of this study show a decrease in the alcohol-related harms in a period of strongly increasing alcohol consumption. The most likely explanation is that an extensive treatment service available for people with alcohol problems along with a high level of AA membership have decreased the rates of alcohol-related harms on the population level.
Variations in Alcohol-Related Mortality in the Nordic Countries after 1995—Continuity or Change?
Authors: Ramstedt Mats
Published: December 2017

Aims

The main aim of the present paper was to describe and analyse the recent development regarding differences in alcohol-related mortality between the Nordic countries. To what extent do various forms of alcohol-related mortality differ between the Nordic countries, and is a similar cross-national pattern found for men and women? Do differences in mortality rates correspond to variations in levels of alcohol consumption, and have any changes occurred with respect to these variations?

Data

Age-adjusted mortality from alcohol-specific causes, liver cirrhosis, alcohol poisonings and fatal accidents were compared between countries and in relation to recorded per capita consumption for two approximate time periods, 1995–1999 and 2000–2004 R2 was used to evaluate the extent to which differences in per capita consumption accounted for the mortality differences.

Results

Finland and Denmark had typically 2–5 times higher chronic alcohol-related mortality, e.g., cirrhosis, than Sweden, Norway and Iceland, whereas for acute mortality only Finland, and particularly Finnish men, stood out with high mortality rates, e.g., alcohol poisonings. Danish women tended to have higher or more similar mortality in relation to Finnish women in cases when this is not true for men. Differences in per capita consumption accounted for a significant part of variations in chronic alcohol mortality but to a lesser extent for variations in alcohol poisonings and fatal accidents. No marked changes in country differences occurred during the study period.

Conclusion

The results agree with the main prediction of the total consumption model, namely that the level of drinking is an important determinant of alcohol-related harm in society in particular for long-term negative consequences. The findings also suggest that comparisons of alcohol mortality should be gender-specific since the country differences may be different for men and women. The extent to which differences in alcohol policy may influence these national differences is also discussed.
Drugs and Gender
Authors: Sznitman Sharon Rödner
Published: December 2017

This article investigates how 44 self-defined drug users in the Stockholm area talk about differences in male and female drug use. The analysis shows that there is a general uneasiness among the informants regarding gendered drug taking. Ambivalence thus arises when the informants are called upon to articulate issues regarding gender and drugs. On the other hand, it is evident that gender is a meaningful construct for the informants' understanding of drug use. The informants assign different characteristics to men and women and they articulate a gendered norm system in relation to drug taking. The relevant norms, demanding more control of female than male drug users, were invoked by both the men and the women interviewed.

Although gender was a useful construct for making sense of drug use, the informants lacked resources for articulating their experiences and points of view in relation to issues of drugs and gender. As such gender and its relationship to drug use constituted ambivalent and contradictory themes to talk about. In this regard, this study highlights gender and drug use as an arena in which there is currently no stable definition of the situation.
Intergenerational Dynamics in Teenage Alcohol use
Authors: Jørgensen Morten Hulvej , Curtis Tine
Published: December 2017

Aim

The paper examines teenage alcohol use from an intergenerational perspective through an ethnographic case study of interaction between teenagers and adults.

Methods

Two periods of ethnographic fieldwork were conducted in a rural Danish community of approximately 6000 inhabitants. The fieldwork included 50 days of participant observation among 13–16-year-olds (n=93) as well as semi-structured interviews with small self-selected friendship groups. The present paper presents an analysis of field notes from a night of participant observation that is used as an emblematic example of informants' alcohol use and their interaction with adults. Theoretically, the paper adopts French philosopher Michel de Certeau's conceptual framework for understanding the practice of everyday life, in particular his distinction between strategic and tactical action.

Results

Two scenarios are described and taken to represent two different adult approaches to teenage drinking. In Scenario I, adults accept a group of teenagers' drinking in the home, and in Scenario II adults create an alcohol-free space which they guard against the intrusion of intoxicated teenagers. In both cases, however, adults use their intergenerational position in order to strategically contain teenage drinking. Meanwhile, teenagers act tactically by adjusting their alcohol use in time and space. Further, the use of alcohol marks a shift in the interaction between adults and teenagers in so far as it enables teenagers to create and control a place of their own and hence signal their independence from adults.

Conclusion

The paper points to the creative, tactical agency of teenagers in response to adult strategies. It is illustrated how teenage alcohol use becomes a transformative factor for adult–teenager relationships, and in particular how teenagers rework intergenerational power differences by taking on drinking.
Artikel
Authors: Bergmark Anders
Published: December 2017

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been advocated since the beginning of the 1990s and is today, at least within the western hemisphere, an established doctrine in many professional fields. This holds true also for addiction treatment. Over time EBP has come to signify a more general orientation to a scientifically secured knowledgebase and by this partly obscuring the fact there exists different and to some extent contradictory opinions on how EBP should be implemented. The paper aims at an analysis of the newly published Swedish national guidelines for addiction treatment. The analysis addresses several dimensions of the guidelines: a) the quality of the guidelines in terms of their scientific underpinning. b) The usefulness of the guidelines, i.e. to what extent it is possible to use the guidelines in actual practice. c). How the guidelines were produced (time-aspects, involvement of experts and the role of the National Board of Health and welfare as the responsible organisation). d) To what extent the guidelines have been developed with reference to and a discussion of some of the major scientific controversies related to the EBP issue.
Guidelines and Evidence-Based Practice
Authors: Bergmark Anders
Published: December 2017

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been advocated since the beginning of the 1990s and is today, at least within the western hemisphere, an established doctrine in many professional fields. This holds true also for addiction treatment. Over time EBP has come to signify a more general orientation to a scientifically secured knowledgebase and by this partly obscuring the fact there exists different and to some extent contradictory opinions on how EBP should be implemented. The paper aims at an analysis of the newly published Swedish national guidelines for addiction treatment. The analysis addresses several dimensions of the guidelines: a) The quality of the guidelines in terms of their scientific underpinning. b) The usefulness of the guidelines, i.e. to what extent it is possible to use the guidelines in actual practice. c) How the guidelines were produced (time-aspects, involvement of experts and the role of the National Board of Health and welfare as the responsible organisation). d) To what extent the guidelines have been developed with reference to and from discussion of some of the major scientific controversies related to the EBP issue.
The mediating role of female migration on social entrepreneurship activity
Authors: Orr Jacqueline , Kickul Jill , Gundry Lisa , Griffiths Mark
Published: December 2017

Social entrepreneurial firms exist within environments that are often severely resource constrained. The purpose of this study is to investigate several macro-level factors that can stimulate or impede the emergence of social entrepreneurship. Although little prior research on how these determinants impact social entrepreneurship has been conducted, this study reveals that several crucial macro-level variables appear to be related to social entrepreneurship. Unlike previous studies, this study employs enhanced variables designed to capture local perceptions as well as secondary data inputs. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression techniques were used to understand their effects on social entrepreneurial activity. The results reveal that a country’s governance and female migration are related to the level of social entrepreneurial activity. In addition, positive female migration serves as an important mediating role between governance and increased levels of social entrepreneurial activity. Moreover, implications for understanding the role of macro-level factors on social entrepreneurship as well as the study’s limitations are discussed.
Real-time assessment of in-cylinder pressure for fresh air mass estimation using the example of modern spark-ignited combustion engines
Authors: van Booven Benedikt , Schüle Harry , Walder Thorben , Kulzer André Casal , Rottengruber Hermann , Bargende Michael
Published: December 2017

This article describes an approach suitable for real-time application, which enables the estimation of the trapped air mass in the cylinder of a modern spark ignition engine using the information of a combustion pressure sensor. First of all, different criteria are derived and assessed from the in-cylinder pressure signal. Then, an empirical model on the basis of engine test bench measurements is developed. Finally, the results of the methods are compared with cylinder and cycle individually to a reference air mass, which is obtained by the engine measurements and a subsequent zero-dimensional low-pressure-based air mass calculation.
In support of situated ethics: ways of building trust with stigmatised ‘waste pickers’ in Cape Town
Authors: Perez Teresa Sandra
Published: December 2017

To a large extent, conformity to rigid principles continues to constrain a more situated approach to research ethics. Although this means deception is seen as something that should be avoided at all costs, I found that covert aspects of my ethnographic study enabled me to minimise the inequality between researcher and research participants. This article explores my use of situated ethics in interactions with street ‘waste pickers’ during fieldwork in Cape Town using participant observation. I opted to wear a hidden recorder and obtain selective consent, which I argue was more appropriate than relying solely on a fieldnote journal or obtaining signatures on a written consent form. These methods enabled me to communicate respect and build trust. The implication is that a contextualised approach to ethical procedures can be better suited to sensitive research topics, with marginalised social groups, where there is extreme inequality between researchers and their research participants.
Inside out: what we (don’t) talk about when we talk about research
Authors: Simovska Venka , Colding Lagermann Laila , Salah Abduljalil Heba , Lerche Mørck Line , Kousholt Dorte
Published: December 2017

In this article, we discuss issues that are rarely (if ever) talked about in research: experiences of deep insight and inspiration, of meaning-making, of embodied passion and of excitement related to the practice of engaging in qualitative research and of being a qualitative researcher. These are the ‘aha’ moments or ‘eureka’ experiences. Drawing on Frigga Haug’s collective memory work, five individual memories were articulated as text and analysed collectively over a period of six months. By analytically deploying the concept of generativity, we portray the tensions, dynamics and interactions that (co)create aha moments and movements as a way of enacting situated research(er) agency and of challenging the neoliberal instrumentalization of research and researchers. Our aim is to contribute to visualizing and fostering small but powerful steps in innovative, good quality research and bringing desire and passion (back) into research practice.
Indocyanine green MS/MS investigations using femtosecond laser-pulse photodissociation and collision-induced dissociation
Authors: Mitrofanov Elena , Muskat Tassilo , Grotemeyer Jürgen
Published: December 2017

The dissociation reactions of indocyanine green (also known as cardiogreen) have been studied in a Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer by the application of unimolecular, collision-induced dissociation and photodissociation using femtosecond laser pulses. Ions were prepared by electrospray ionization (ESI) in various solvents. Depending on the properties of the solvent mixture, the mono sodiated molecule could be measured through cation exchange in various compositions. Using a mixture of methanol/water/formic acid as solvent, protonated ions, formed by exchange of sodium, are predominantly observed. A mixture of isopropanol/formic acid leads to the addition of a further sodium cation to the molecule yielding an intense bi-sodiated ion signal. The photodissociation of the stored ions was achieved using pulses at a wavelength of 790 nm and approximately 150 fs pulse duration. The results show that only fs-photodissociation leads to the fragmentation of the different molecular structures, while in case of sodiated indocyanine green collision induced dissociation fails completely to observe any fragments. In all other investigated ion structures, the collision-induced-dissociation spectra show unspecified and little intense spectra. It is shown that fs-photodissociation mass spectrometry is the only method that leads to substance specific fragmentation for this sample. Furthermore, indocyanine green is known to form aggregation products. In the ion-cyclotron resonance experiment, the reactions of a dimeric cluster were also investigated. The necessary condition and the interference of the fragmentations with those of the monomer are discussed.
Artful Moments: A framework for successful engagement in an arts-based programme for persons in the middle to late stages of dementia
Authors: Humphrey Janis , Montemuro Maureen , Coker Esther , Kilgour-Walsh Laurie , Moros Katherine , Murray Carmen , Stanners Shannon
Published: December 2017

Art galleries are becoming more inclusive in their activities for those with specific needs. The interdisciplinary team on an inpatient behavioural health unit collaborated with artist-educators at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) to create an arts-based programme. ‘Artful Moments’ involved using a combination of art appreciation and hands-on art making activities and took place on the unit at the hospital and at the art gallery. A pilot study of eight participants and their care partners who attended the programme is presented. The purpose of the study was to determine if ‘Artful Moments’ facilitated positive engagement ‘in the moment’ for persons in the middle-to-late stages of dementia. The perception of the programme’s impact from their care partners’ perspectives, as well as their satisfaction with the programme is also reported. Extensive education of art gallery staff and clinical staff preceded the programming, with each team sharing expertise with the other. Sessions (n = 27) took place about twice per month. Data were collected through systematic structured observations of patient participants during the activities and through surveys of care partners. Persons with dementia maintained interest, though not necessarily pleasure, during art appreciation and art making, rarely became sad or anxious, and never became angry. Generally the care partners felt that participants enjoyed the experience, and often they were surprised by the very positive response of the participants. Successful engagement was attributed to a dementia-friendly environment; supportive communication strategies; and a suitable, well-planned activity.
A transformative approach to systems theory in caregiving research
Authors: Cash Belinda , Hodgkin Suzanne , Warburton Jeni
Published: December 2017

This paper illustrates how systems theory can be used in social work research design to understand the systemic issues associated with spousal care in rural Australia. Spousal caregiving is embedded within multiple formal and informal systems, including family, community, health and aged care practice, social policy, and social and cultural norms. It is therefore a complex phenomenon to explore in social research, with each of these systems interacting with and influencing other aspects of the care system. The purpose of this paper is to provide an illustration of a research design that explores this systemic complexity. The design is conceptually underpinned by the transformative paradigm; a critical approach that reflects social work principles of social justice. The methodology is based on an ecosystems approach to assessment, using multiple methods to explore interactions between systems of care at policy, practice and individual levels. This application of systems theory to research presents an innovative opportunity for social work research to reflect long-established practices of understanding complex phenomenon within its sociocultural context.
RETRACTED: Optimization of the energy efficiency operational indicator for M/V NSU JUSTICE 250,000 DWT by grey relational analysis method in Vietnam
Authors: Tran Tien Anh
Published: December 2017

At the request of the Journal Editor and the Publisher, the following article has been retracted.

Tran TA, Optimization of the energy efficiency operational indicator for M/V NSU JUSTICE 250,000 DWT by grey relational analysis method in Vietnam, Proc IMechE, Part M: J Engineering for the Maritime Environment, First Published December 26, 2017, DOI: 10.1177/1475090217748756

Following investigation into this article, it has been determined that the article includes major overlap with a previously published article by the same author;

Tran TA, Optimization of the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator for M/V NSU JUSTICE 250,000 DWT by Grey Relational Analysis Method in Vietnam, J Marine Sci Res Dev 2017, 7:232, DOI: 10.4172/2155-9910.1000232 [Accessed: 4th January 2018]
Absolute stress measurement of structural steel members with ultrasonic shear-wave spectral analysis method
Authors: Li Zuohua , He Jingbo , Teng Jun , Huang Qin , Wang Ying
Published: December 2017

Absolute stress in structural steel members is an important parameter for the design, construction, and servicing of steel structures. However, it is difficult to measure via traditional approaches to structural health monitoring. The ultrasonic time-of-flight method has been widely studied for monitoring absolute stress by measuring the change in ultrasonic propagation time induced by stress. The time-of-flight of the two separated shear-wave modes induced by birefringence, which is particular to shear waves, is also affected by stress to different degrees. Their synthesis signal amplitude spectrum exhibits a minimum that varies with stress, which makes it a potential approach to evaluating uniaxial stress using the shear-wave amplitude spectrum. In this study, the effect of steel-member stress on the shear-wave amplitude spectrum from the interference of two shear waves produced by birefringence is investigated, and a method of uniaxial absolute stress measurement using shear-wave spectral analysis is proposed. Specifically, a theoretical expression is derived for the shear-wave pulse-echo amplitude spectrum, leading to a formula for evaluating uniaxial absolute stress. Three steel-member specimens are employed to investigate the influence of uniaxial stress on the shear-wave pulse-echo amplitude spectrum. The testing results indicate that the amplitude spectrum changes with stress and that the inverse of the first characteristic frequency in the amplitude spectrum and its corresponding stress exhibit a near-perfect linear relationship. On this basis, the uniaxial absolute stress of steel members loaded by a test machine is measured by the proposed method. Parametric studies are further performed on three groups of steel members made of 65# steel and Q235 steel to investigate the factors that influence the testing results. The results show that the proposed method can measure and monitor steel-members uniaxial absolute stress on the laboratory scale and has potential to be used in practical engineering with specific calibration.
Storytelling and story-acting: Co-construction in action
Authors: Cremin Teresa , Flewitt Rosie , Swann Joan , Faulkner Dorothy , Kucirkova Natalia
Published: December 2017

In the light of sustained interest in the potential value of young children’s narrative play, this article examines Vivian Gussin Paley’s approach to storytelling and story-acting, in this case with 3- to 5-year-olds. It scrutinises how children’s narratives are co-constructed during adult–child and peer interactions through spoken and embodied modes, as their stories are scribed by an adult and later dramatised by their peers. Data are drawn from an evaluation of an 8-week training programme, based on Paley’s approach, designed for early years professionals and undertaken in different geographic and demographic locations in England. Naturalistic data collection techniques including video and field notes were used to record the storytelling and story-acting of 18 case study children. The resultant data were subject to close discursive and multimodal analysis of storytelling and story-acting interactions. Findings reveal discursive co-construction ‘in action’ and illustrate how the child storytellers, story actors and practitioners co-construct narratives through complex combinations of gaze, body posture and speech in responsive and finely tuned interactional patterns. The study contributes significantly to knowledge about how young children’s narratives are co-constructed through multiple modes in the classroom.
Body Composition in Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Implications for Practice
Authors: Patusco Rachael , Matarese Laura , Ziegler Jane
Published: December 2017

Health care professionals require increased knowledge of health and disabilities to effectively implement health promotion initiatives at both the individual and group level for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). The aim of this review is to examine the feasibility, reliability, and validity of various field-based measurements to assess body composition among adults with ID as compared to nondisabled controls. The literature was systematically searched from 1990 to 2017 for primary articles pertaining to the subject matter that were published in the English language and included only individuals ≥18 years of age. 1,989 studies were screened and 8 studies were included for review. Several field-based measurements for body composition are feasible and reliable yet none have been validated for use in adults with ID. Awareness of the various methods for assessing body composition in adults with ID in clinical practice, while simultaneously understanding their limitations, is necessary.
Improved Prediction of the Pathologic Stage of Patient With Prostate Cancer Using the CART–PSO Optimization Analysis in the Korean Population
Authors: Kim Jae Kwon , Rho Mi Jung , Lee Jong Sik , Park Yong Hyun , Lee Ji Youl , Choi In Young
Published: December 2017

Objective:

In current practice, medical experts use the pathological stage predictions provided in the Partin tables to support their decisions. Hence, the Partin tables are based on logistic regression built from the US data. In the present study, we developed a data-mining model to predict the pathologic stage of prostate cancer. In this newly developed model, using the classification and regression tree-particle swarm optimization analysis of the Korean population data, we aim to improve the prediction accuracy of the pathologic state of prostate cancer.

Method:

A total of 467 patients from the smart prostate cancer database were evaluated. The results were intended to predict the pathologic stage of prostate cancer: organ-confined disease and non–organ-confined disease. The accuracy of 4 classification and regression tree-particle swarm optimization models was compared; furthermore, the models were validated with the Partin tables using the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results:

Among the 467 evaluated patients, 235 patients had organ-confined disease and 232 patients had non–organ-confined disease. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the proposed classification and regression tree-particle swarm optimization model (0.858 ± 0.034) was larger than the 1 in the Partin tables (0.666 ± 0.046).

Conclusion:

The proposed classification and regression tree-particle swarm optimization model was superior to the Partin tables in terms of predicting the risk of prostate cancer. Compared to the validation of the Partin tables for the Korean population, the classification and regression tree-particle swarm optimization model resulted in a larger receiver operating characteristic curve and a more accurate prediction of the pathologic stage of prostate cancer in the Korean population.
miR-7 Increases Cisplatin Sensitivity of Gastric Cancer Cells Through Suppressing mTOR
Authors: Xu Ning , Lian Yan-Jun , Dai Xiang , Wang Yuan-Jie
Published: December 2017

MicroRNAs have been reported to play an important role in diverse biological processes and cancer progression. MicroRNA-7 has been observed to be downregulated in human gastric cancer tissues, but the function of microRNA-7 in gastric cancer has not been well investigated. In this study, we demonstrate that the expression of microRNA-7 was significantly downregulated in 30 pairs of human gastric cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Enforced expression of microRNA-7 inhibited cell proliferation and migration abilities of gastric cancer cells, BGC823 and SGC7901. Furthermore, microRNA-7 targeted mTOR in gastric cancer cells. In human clinical specimens, mTOR was higher expressed in gastric cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. More interestingly, microRNA-7 also sensitizes gastric cancer cells to cisplatin (CDDP) by targeting mTOR. Collectively, our results demonstrate that microRNA-7 is a tumor suppressor microRNA and indicate its potential application for the treatment of human gastric cancer in future.
Critical Review of Global Leadership Literature: Toward an Integrative Global Leadership Framework
Authors: Park Sunyoung , Jeong Shinhee , Jang Soebin , Yoon Seung Won , Lim Doo Hun
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this research is to critically examine the literature on global leadership competencies and behaviors, and present an integrative global leadership framework. For the literature review, we examined 14 global leadership competency models and 11 indigenous studies on effective leader and manager behaviors in various countries published between 1995 and 2016. We adopted Yukl’s effective leader behavior framework, which identified four meta-categories (i.e., task, change, relation, and external conditions) and 15 specific behaviors within each category (e.g., planning, scheduling, monitoring, and problem-solving for the task-orientation). By reviewing the competency models, we found five research themes: intercultural, interpersonal, global, change and vision, and personal traits and values, which included ethics and openness/flexibility. Finally, we proposed a conceptual framework based on our review which demonstrates core dimensions, competencies, and behaviors of effective global leaders.
Is ‘summer’ reading loss universal? Using ongoing literacy assessment in Malawi to estimate the loss from grade-transition breaks
Authors: Slade Timothy S , Piper Benjamin , Kaunda Zikani , King Simon , Ibrahim Hibatalla
Published: December 2017

Summer learning loss – decreased academic performance following an extended school break, typically during the period after one grade ends and before another grade starts – is a well-documented phenomenon in North America, but poorly described in sub-Saharan African contexts. In this article, we use the term ‘grade-transition break’ loss in lieu of ‘summer’ loss to refer to the period after one grade ends and before another grade starts. This study analyses data from early grade reading assessments in Malawi, estimating statistically significant average reductions of 0.38 standard deviations (SD) across several measures of reading and pre-reading skills during two grade-transition breaks. The data show the loss in reading skills during the extended breaks between grades 1 and 2 and between grades 2 and 3 in two consecutive years. The study found no gender-based differences in loss. The findings suggest a need for early grade reading interventions to develop and evaluate mitigation strategies lest significant proportions of within-year performance gains be lost over the break between academic years.
Basis for non-propagation domains, their transformations and their impact on software reliability
Authors: Mutha Chetan , Smidts Carol
Published: December 2017

Fault propagation analysis is an important step in determining system reliability and defining fault tolerance strategies. Typically, in the early software design phases, the propagation probability for a fault is assumed to be one. However, the assumption that faults will always propagate highly underestimates reliability, and valuable resources may be wasted on fixing faults that may never propagate. To determine the fault propagation probability, a concept of flat parts is introduced. A flat part is a property of a function; when multiple functions containing flat parts interact with each other, these flat parts undergo a transformation. During this transformation, the flat parts may be killed, preserved, or new flat parts may be generated. Interval arithmetic-based rules to determine such flat part transformations are introduced. A flat part-based propagation analysis can be used to determine the reliability of a software system, or software-driven mechanical system expressed functionally. In addition, the information obtained through flat part-based propagation analysis can be used to add sensors within the flat parts to increase the probability of fault detection, thus increasing the robustness of the system under study.
Using technology to differentiate and accommodate students with disabilities
Authors: Mahoney Jamie , Hall Carol
Published: December 2017

Improving the abilities of students with disabilities is a difficult task. Students with disabilities strive to be successful academically in the content areas of reading, writing, and mathematical concepts. Teachers can use technology to individualize and differentiate instruction for students who need the assistance and support. Vocaroo, Quick Response codes, Plickers, Screencast-O-Matic, Padlet, Storybird, Bookshare, Bubbl.us, Kahoot, and Newsela are differentiated technological instructional tools available for teachers to use to assist students with disabilities in multiple areas of learning difficulty. Vocaroo and Quick Response codes provide reading alternatives, interactivity, and engaging options. Plickers and Kahoot are assessment tools. Screencast-O-Matic digitally videos the lesson for student review at later times. Storybird, Bookshare, and Newsela are online, leveled reading options. Padlet helps students create and collaborate to demonstrate their knowledge in an alternative manner. Bubbl.us is an online mapping tool. Using these technological tools to accommodate and differentiate instructional lessons provides students with 21st-century skills as well as addresses the process, product, and pace of differentiation basics.
Post no photos, leave no trace: Children’s digital footprint management strategies
Authors: Buchanan Rachel , Southgate Erica , Smith Shamus P , Murray Tiana , Noble Brittany
Published: December 2017

Given that today’s children are prolific users of the internet, concern has been raised about the future impact of the digital footprints they are currently generating. Here, we report on the Best Footprint Forward project which utilised focus groups to investigate the digital footprint awareness of 33 children (ranging in age from 10 to 12 years old) from three primary schools in regional Australia. The children were very aware of their digital footprints and cyber safety but had little awareness of the positive potential of digital footprints. Instead, they exercised their agency through the use of strategies to minimise their digital footprint. We offer an alternative perspective to the dominant discourse that insists that a digital footprint is primarily a liability and seek to counter the positioning of children as naïve, passive consumers of digital culture. We conclude that 10–12 years old is an appropriate age to begin to educate for positive digital footprint curation as this would build on children’s demonstrated knowledge of cyber safety and supplement their existing digital footprint management strategies with beneficial alternatives.
Digital revolution or anthropocenic feedback?
Authors: Grumbach Stéphane , Hamant Olivier
Published: December 2017

The proliferation of digital technologies increases the density of the communication network among all actors, devices, humans and institutions. It contributes to the emergence of new modes of organization, facilitating direct exchanges between participants and, potentially, frugal use of resources. This profound transformation concurs with the end of abundance – with essential natural resources such as arable land and various raw materials at stake. Is it just a coincidence? In natural ecosystems, the dearth of resources can increase the complexity through the promotion of sexual (versus asexual) reproduction, echoing the increased complexity of the digital world. Could resource scarcity also promote the rapid rise of digital platforms, in a feedback loop?
A Q factor analysis approach to understanding female college students’ attitudes toward multiple STEM disciplines
Authors: Yang Yang , Barth Joan M
Published: December 2017

Research on gender disparities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has paid little attention to the fact that not all STEM disciplines experience the same degree of gender imbalance. Previous research has primarily examined a single STEM discipline or combined STEM disciplines in their analyses. This study addressed some of the limitations of previous research using an innovative statistical approach, Q factor analysis (QFA). QFA is used to explore multifaceted human perceptions, behaviors, and experiences. It enables researchers to categorize people based on their pattern of responses and opinions on a certain topic, in contrast to the more commonly used R factor analysis that categorizes variables. QFA was applied to a sample of 98 female undergraduate students who were enrolled in introductory STEM courses. Participants competed a survey that assessed their attitudes, experiences and beliefs about math, science, and computers. Questions tapped into constructs typically used in social cognitive models of academic and career choices. Two typologies emerged from the analyses. The math-computer group had favorable attitudes and beliefs toward math and computers and less interest in science; whereas the science group had more favorable attitudes and beliefs towards science. Participants’ major choice and self-reported academic support aligned with the two groups in ways that were consistent with the groups’ interests. The study demonstrates the potential for QFA to be applied with various types of data on a wide range of topics and to address questions that are not easily answered using traditional statistical approaches.
A Dynamic Life-course Approach to Genocide
Authors: Brehm Hollie Nyseth , Uggen Christopher , McElrath Suzy
Published: December 2017

We argue in this article that the study of genocide would benefit from the application and use of theoretical tools that criminologists have long had at their disposal, specifically, conception and theorization surrounding the life course. Using the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi as a case study, we detail how the building blocks of life-course criminology can be effectively used in analyses of (1) risk factors for the onset of genocide, (2) trajectories and duration of genocidal violence, and (3) desistance from genocidal crime and transitions after genocide. We conclude by highlighting the conceptual gains for research on genocide and political conflict by briefly discussing the analytic implications for future genocide research.
The impact of autism spectrum disorder symptoms on gesture use in fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome
Authors: Lorang Emily , Sterling Audra ,   the Expressive Language Consortium
Published: December 2017

Background & aims

This study compared gesture rate and purpose in participants with Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome, and the impact of autism spectrum disorder symptoms on each syndrome.

Methods

Twenty individuals with fragile X syndrome and 20 individuals with Down syndrome between nine and 22 years of age participated in this study. We coded gesture rate and purpose from an autism spectrum disorder evaluation, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition.

Results

We did not find between-group differences (Down syndrome compared to fragile X syndrome) in gesture rate or purpose. Notably, as autism spectrum disorder symptoms increased, the group with Down syndrome produced a lower rate of gestures, but used gestures for the same purpose. Gesture rate did not change based on autism spectrum disorder symptoms in the participants with fragile X syndrome, but as autism spectrum disorder symptoms increased, the participants with fragile X syndrome produced a larger proportion of gestures to regulate behavior and a smaller proportion for joint attention/social interaction.

Conclusions

Overall, the amount or purpose of gestures did not differentiate individuals with Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome. However, the presence of autism spectrum disorder symptoms had a significant and unique impact on these genetic disorders. In individuals with Down syndrome, the presence of more autism spectrum disorder symptoms resulted in a reduction in the rate of gesturing, but did not change the purpose. However, in fragile X syndrome, the rate of gestures remained the same, but the purpose of those gestures changed based on autism spectrum disorder symptoms.

Implications

Autism spectrum disorder symptoms differentially impact gestures in Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Individuals with Down syndrome and more autism spectrum disorder symptoms are using gestures less frequently. Therefore, clinicians may need to consider children with Down syndrome demonstrating symptoms of autism spectrum disorder as distinctly different from children with Down syndrome and few to no symptoms of autism spectrum disorder when implementing interventions or therapy techniques. Severity of autism spectrum disorder symptoms in fragile X syndrome affects qualitative gesture use and motivation to communicate through social gestures, which may be an appropriate goal to target in children with fragile X syndrome and heightened autism spectrum disorder symptoms.
Efficacy and Safety of Alpha-Blockers for Kidney Stones in Adults
Authors: Koski Renee R. , Zufall William H.
Published: December 2017

Objective: To review the literature for α-blocker treatment of kidney stones. Data Sources: PubMed search performed November 15, 2017, using the following search terms: alpha-blocker, alfuzosin, silodosin, or tamsulosin AND kidney or ureteral stones. Additional studies found through references of primary and tertiary literature. Inclusion criteria included English language, randomized controlled trials (not included in meta-analyses), and meta-analyses evaluating US available alpha-blockers as medical expulsive therapy with or without lithotripsy in adults with renal or ureteral stones, and no date limits. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 1 case-control trial, and 6 meta-analyses were found and included in this review. Two RCTs and 4 meta-analyses evaluated alpha-blockers without lithotripsy. Five RCTs, 1 case-control trial, and 2 meta-analyses evaluated their use post-lithotripsy. The primary endpoint was stone clearance rate in most studies. Data Synthesis: For ureteral stones ≤10 mm treated without lithotripsy, alpha-blockers increased clearance in all meta-analyses and one RCT versus control. For ureteral or renal stones treated with lithotripsy, 4 RCTs and all meta-analyses found benefit with alpha-blockers compared with control. When results were stratified by stone size, alpha-blockers performed better for stones 10 to 20 mm, while there was no difference for stones <10 mm. Conclusion: Alpha-blockers are beneficial without lithotripsy for ureteral stones 5 to 10 mm. They are beneficial post-lithotripsy for renal or ureteral stones >10 mm. They can be considered post-lithotripsy for stones 5 to 10 mm, but little benefit may be seen. Although all uroselective alpha-blockers have been found to be effective, most data are with tamsulosin 0.4 mg daily.
Purkinje Cell Protein 4 Expression Is Associated With DNA Methylation Status in Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma
Authors: Kobuke Kazuhiro , Oki Kenji , Gomez-Sanchez Celso E , Ohno Haruya , Itcho Kiyotaka , Yoshii Yoko , Yoneda Masayasu , Hattori Noboru
Published: December 2017

Context

Aldosterone production is stimulated by activation of calcium signaling in aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs), and epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation may be associated with the expression of genes involved in aldosterone regulation.

Objective

Our aim was to investigate the DNA methylation of genes related to calcium signaling cascades in APAs and the association of mutations in genes linked to APAs with DNA methylation levels.

Methods

Nonfunctioning adrenocortical adenoma (n = 12) and APA (n = 35) samples were analyzed. The KCNJ5 T158A mutation was introduced into human adrenocortical cell lines (HAC15 cells) using lentiviral delivery. DNA methylation array analysis was conducted using adrenal tumor samples and HAC15 cells.

Results

The Purkinje cell protein 4 (PCP4) gene was one of the most hypomethylated in APAs. DNA methylation levels in two sites of PCP4 showed a significant inverse correlation with messenger RNA expression in adrenal tumors. Bioinformatics and multiple regression analysis revealed that CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (CEBPA) may bind to the methylation site of the PCP4 promoter. According to chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, CEBPA was bound to the PCP4 hypomethylated region by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. There were no significant differences in PCP4 methylation levels among APA genotypes. Moreover, KCNJ5 T158A did not influence PCP4 methylation levels in HAC15 cells.

Conclusions

We showed that the PCP4 promoter was one of the most hypomethylated in APAs and that PCP4 transcription may be associated with demethylation as well as with CEBPA in APAs. KCNJ5 mutations known to result in aldosterone overproduction were not related to PCP4 methylation in either clinical or in vitro studies.
Gold Nanocups Fabricated Using Two-Dimensional Colloidal Crystals and Simulation of Their Optical Trapping Force
Authors: Agawa Hiroaki , Okamoto Takayuki , Isobe Toshihiro , Nakajima Akira , Matsushita Sachiko
Published: December 2017

Optical tweezers are powerful and flexible tools for manipulating micrometre-sized objects. Recently, metal nanostructures are gathering attention to trap nanometre-sized objects to utilize their plasmonic properties. Here, we discuss the preparation of gold nanocups (250-nm diameter) and their plasmonic properties for optical trapping. Gold was sputtered on a two-dimensional colloidal crystal (2DCC) and then de-coupled from the 2DCC via hydrofluoric acid etching, which resulted in a uniform gold nanocup array that was encapsulated in a flexible polymer resin. These nanocups in a resin can be transferred onto a variety of substrates. The optical trapping properties of gold nanocups are also discussed.