bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dying to Pay: The Cost of End-of-Life Care
Authors: Chochinov Harvey Max , Kristjanson Linda
Published: April 2019

The number of elderly Canadians is likely to double in 20 years, spurring a discussion of end-of-life care. We analyze the literature on the costs of this care and compare cost assessments of different models of palliative care. The cost of treatments for which there is little empirical support is factored into our cost-savings analysis and the methodological limits of cost-analysis studies are also discussed. We conclude that (a) depending upon the model of care, costs of end-of-life care are considerable, (b) costs of care become more expensive with distance from the home setting, (c) cost savings reported in palliative care settings may be a function of nearness to death; (d) family expenses on end-of-life care are substantial and are not factored into most cost-analysis studies, (e) a two-tiered system of palliative home care allows families with higher incomes to afford help in supporting home deaths, and (f) some treatments given to dying patients are costly while yielding little benefit.
Length of Cancer Patients’ Stay at a Hospice: Does it Affect Psychological Adjustment to the Loss of the Spouse?
Authors: Gilbar Ora
Published: April 2019

The relationship is examined between the length of stay of 134 cancer patients at a hospice and the subsequent adjustment to loss by their spouses. Regression analysis found no significant correlation between the independent variables of length of hospice stay, gender, duration of time spent bedridden, time elapsed since death, and year of diagnosis and the dependent variables of psychological adjustment by their surviving spouses as assessed by the brief symptom inventory (BSI), the psychosocial adjustment to physical illness scale (PAIS), and the Texas revised inventory of grief (TRIG) scale. An analysis of covariance, however, found that a short hospice stay (1–7 days) had a beneficial effect on the spouse's bereavement compared to a long stay (8+ days).
Terminal HIV Disease and Extreme Poverty: A Review of 307 Home Care Files
Authors: Daneault Serge , Labadie Jean-François
Published: April 2019

This retrospective study of 307 patients with advanced HIV disease residing in downtown Montreal was carried out to examine the nature and consequences of the services they received according to their degree of poverty. The findings showed that, between 1 April 1991 and 31 March 1997, patients living in extreme poverty were more likely to complain of uncontrolled pain during the final week of home visits and were more likely to die in hospital than were their more financially secure counterparts. This held true even though the poorer group had a similar clinical profile at diagnosis and were provided with practically the same services. Thus there is a need to seek better understanding of the nature of palliative care services offered to underprivileged clienteles and to see if the services now provided are adequately adapted to the specific needs of impoverished patients.
Age is not the Crucial Factor in Determining how the Palliative Care Needs of People who Die from Cancer Differ from those of People who Die from other Causes
Authors: Addington-Hall Julia M. , Karlsen Saffron
Published: April 2019

A belief that the hospice philosophy is particularly applicable to younger people may account in part for the continued focus of palliative care on cancer patients, as it has been argued that age is the crucial factor in determining how cancer and non-cancer patients differ. We conducted a secondary analysis of the data from a UK population-based retrospective survey, the Regional Study of Care for the Dying, to critically examine this proposition. The sample comprised 2062 cancer and 1471 non-cancer deaths. On average cancer patients were younger. However, at all ages non-cancer and cancer patients differed significantly with, for example, different patterns of dependency and symptomatology. The cause of death — rather than age — is therefore the principal difference between cancer and non-cancer patients. The debate within palliative care on whether and how to provide services for non-cancer patients must move beyond a focus on group differences such as age between these and cancer patients and focus instead on understanding the varying problems non-cancer patients experience, and addressing how best to organize palliative care services to meet the individual needs of these patients.
Serum Amyloid A1 as a Potential Intracranial and Extracranial Clinical Severity Biomarker in Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Carabias Cristina Sánchez , Castaño-León Ana María , Blanca Navarro B , Panero Irene , Eiriz Carla , Gómez Pedro A. , Egea Javier , Lagares Alfonso
Published: April 2019

Extracranial injury is frequently present in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, no reliable biomarker exists nowadays to evaluate the magnitude and extension of extracranial injury as well as the identification of patients who are at risk of developing secondary injuries. The purpose of this study was to identify new possible peptide biomarkers by mass spectrometry analysis in patients with TBI and ascertain whether the novel biomarker discovered by peptide mass fingerprinting, serum amyloid A1 (SAA1), is capable of reflecting the condition of the patient and both intracranial and extracranial injury extension. Demographic characteristics, clinical data, and serum samples were prospectively collected from 120 patients with TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score 3-15) on admission. Biomarkers were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Intracranial lesion volume was measured from the semiautomatic segmentation of hematoma on computed tomography (CT) using Analyze software. Functional outcome was evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at hospital discharge and GOS extended scores at 6 months. The SAA1 levels were significantly associated with intracranial (GCS score at admission, lesion load measured with cranial CT, and pupil responsiveness) and extracranial clinical severity (all Abbreviated Injury Scale regions, Injury Severity Score, major extracranial injury, polytrauma, and orthopedic fractures presence), along with systemic secondary insults and functional outcome. SAA1 was is associated with the volume of traumatic intracranial lesions. The SAA1 levels were correlated with astroglial S100β and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neuronal neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and axonal total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNF-H) injury markers. SAA1 predicts unfavorable outcome and mortality at hospital discharge (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.90, 0.82) and 6 months (AUC = 0.89). SAA1 can be established as a marker for the overall patient condition due to its involvement in the neuroendocrine axis of the systemic response to craniocerebral trauma.
Three-dimensional graphene foam as a conductive scaffold for cardiac tissue engineering
Authors: Bahrami Sajad , Baheiraei Nafiseh , Mohseni Majid , Razavi Mehdi , Ghaderi Atefeh , Azizi Behnam , Rabiee Navid , Karimi Mahdi
Published: April 2019

Myocardial infarction is one of the major causes of mortality throughout the world. Cardiac scaffolds are tissue-engineered structures for the treatment of myocardial infarction and are employed for tissue support and cell delivery to the injured region. In this study, we fabricated nanostructured graphene foams as porous and biocompatible cardiac tissue-engineering scaffolds. Three-dimensional graphene foam and two-dimensional graphene were fabricated using chemical vapor deposition. We showed that the nickel etching had no effect on the structural appearance of the three-dimensional graphene foam. Toxicity of the prepared samples was evaluated on human umbilical vein endothelial cells at 48 h and 72 h and showed no toxic effects on the viability of the cells. Moreover, both samples supported the adhesion and growth of neonatal cardiomyocytes with three-dimensional graphene foam showing a more extensive effect on the expression of the cardiac genes involved in muscle contraction and relaxation (troponin-T) and gap junctions (Connexin 43). Hence, conductive three-dimensional graphene foam with its large surface area and specific surface properties could provide a promising platform for cardiac tissue engineering.
Physical Maltreatment and Its Associated Factors Among Adolescents in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Lakhdir Maryam Pyar Ali , Akber Ali Naureen , Hasnani Fauzia Basaria , Farooq Salima , Parpio Yasmin , Khan Uzma Rahim , Azam Syed Iqbal , Kadir Muhammad Masood
Published: April 2019

In many developing countries, physical child maltreatment is considered as an acceptable disciplinary strategy. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with physical maltreatment among adolescents in Karachi, Pakistan. A survey of 800 adolescents was done using a structured questionnaire adopted by The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. Multiple linear regression methods were used to measure the factors associated with child physical maltreatment. The mean physical score was 17.5 ± 4.9, whereas the minimum and maximum score was 11 and 40, respectively. The total variability in physical scores was found to be 42% explained by child’s gender, child’s age, sibling abuse, verbal abuse/ quarreling within family, child’s height, socioeconomic wealth index, marital status, interaction between parental exposure to childhood abuse and physical fighting using hard object, interaction between parental education and age of mother, and interaction between parental history of psychiatric illness and physical fighting by parents.
Manipulating thermal conductivity of polyimide composites by hybridizing micro- and nano-sized aluminum nitride for potential aerospace usage
Authors: Luo Honglin , Liu Jikui , Yang Zhiwei , Zhang Quanchao , Ao Haiyong , Wan Yizao
Published: April 2019

Electrically insulating yet thermally conductive polymer-based composites are highly sought after in aerospace field. In this work, for the first time, electrically insulating but thermally conductive polyimide (PI) composites are fabricated by simultaneously incorporating micro- and nano-sized aluminum nitride (AlN) particles via a simple, economic, and scalable method of ball milling and subsequent hot-pressing process. The thermal conductivity, dielectric, and mechanical properties of the PI composites depend on the ratio of micro-sized AlN (m-AlN) to nano-sized AlN (n-AlN) and the total content of AlN in the PI composites. The thermal conductivity of the PI composites with 40 wt% m-AlN and 20 wt% n-AlN is 1.5 ± 0.05 W·m−1·K−1, which is 10 times higher than that of bare PI. The PI composites hold a great potential in aerospace industries.
Tensile and flammability characterizations of corn straw slagging/high-density polyethylene composites
Authors: Zhang Qingfa , Lu Wenyu , Zhou Liang , Zhang Donghong , Cai Hongzhen , Lin Xiaona
Published: April 2019

Biocomposites were prepared with corn straw slagging (CSS) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) at four loading levels (10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%) by extrusion method. CSS/HDPE composites were tested by tension, oxygen index meter, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and the scanning electron microscopy. The scanning electron microscopy showed that CSS was dispersed uniformly in the HDPE matrix and strong interfacial interaction was achieved, which had an important influence on the tensile strength of the composites. The tensile strength of the composites could be improved with proper increase of CSS and reached maximum value at 30 wt% content. Furthermore, the addition of CSS played an important role in improving the flame-retardant ability of CSS/HDPE composites, and the limited oxygen index was 31.26% at 40 wt% content, good flame-retardant effect achieved.
An effective and novel approach for enhancement of the oxidative thermal stability of multiwalled carbon nanotubes loaded polymer blend
Authors: Abu-Abdeen Mohammad , Saber Osama , Mazher Javed , Ahmed Mohamed M , Gouda Mohamed
Published: April 2019

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have wide range of applications. Commercial MWCNTs have impurities, disorder and entangled structure, which limit its applications. In this respect, novel, low-energy consumption and friendly technique was applied to enhance its structure. The technique is operated during isometric process inside autoclave and based on thermal treatment of MWCNTs in the presence of solvent and pressure. It was used to enhance the oxidative thermal stability of MWCNTs. Thermal gravimetric analysis results showed an increase in onset temperature, activation energy of decomposition, and the temperature required to loss 75, 50, and 33 wt% as the treating temperature increased. Raman spectroscopy tests showed a decrease in the degree of disorder from 1.29 for untreated samples to 0.45 for samples treated at 250°C. The electrical resistivity of MWCNTs was increased from 0.33 Ω.cm for untreated samples to 0.54 Ω cm for 250°C treated samples. Advantages of thermal treatment of MWCNTs using this technique appeared in the presence of a percolation behavior for the AC electrical conductivity when a polymer matrix was loaded with it with a threshold percolation concentration of 0.7 wt%. Furthermore, Cole–Cole Z semicircles as well as Argand plots of the electric modulus appeared for polymer matrix loaded with thermally treated MWCNTs beyond the threshold percolation concentration.
Viscoelastic, thermal, and morphological properties of nanocomposites based on modified PVA using a twin-screw melt extrusion process
Authors: Rajeswari B , Malarvizhi N , Prakash Dhanasekaran , Jaisankar Sellamuthu N
Published: April 2019

Melt polymer nanocomposites were prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with the different weight percentage of calcined clays (CCs) in a twin-screw extruder at 210°C and 70 r min−1 for 8 min. Bentonite was surface functionalized with benzidine using dilute hydrochloric acid at 60°C and calcined at 600°C for 6 h. The CCs were incorporated into the PVA matrix to study their morphology and rheological properties. The melt viscosities of the composites were measured by the cone-plate rheometer, the rheogram show non-Newtonian and thixotropic flow behavior. Scanning electron microscope confirmed the degree of exfoliated nanocomposites. The polymer and functionalized nanoclay interactions were reflected in the enhancement of thermal stability and mechanical properties. The melting endotherm temperature ( T m) and glass transition temperature ( T g) of the nanocomposites tend to increase with increase in weight percentage of the calcined nanoclays. Thermal properties show that addition of calcined nanoclays would improve the thermal decomposition temperatures from 295°C to 307°C when CC content was 2 wt% in covalent or ionic bonding system.
Investigation into fibre orientation and weldline reduction of injection moulded short glass-fibre/polyamide 6-6 automotive components
Authors: Mosey Sarah , Korkees Feras , Rees Andrew , Llewelyn Gethin
Published: April 2019

Due to the increasing demands on automotive components, manufacturers are relying on injection moulding components from fibre-reinforced polymers in an attempt to increase strength to weight ratio. The use of reinforcing fibres in injection moulded components has led to component failures whereby the material strength is hampered through the formation of weldlines which are also a problem for unreinforced plastics. In this study, an industrial demonstrator component has the injection locations verified through a combination of fibre orientation tensor simulation and optical microscopy analysis of key locations on the component. Furthermore, the automotive component manufactured from 30% glass fibre–reinforced polyamide 6-6 is simulated and optimized through a Taguchi parametric study. A comparison is made between the component, as it is currently manufactured, and the optimum processing parameters determined by the study. It was found that the component can be manufactured with roughly 7.5% fewer weldlines and with a mould fill time 132 ms quicker than the current manufacturing process.
Do Emotions Cause Eating? The Role of Previous Experiences and Social Context in Emotional Eating
Authors: Altheimer Gizem , Urry Heather L.
Published: April 2019

Emotional eating is defined as an increase in eating following negative emotion. Self-reported emotional eating has been associated with physical-health concerns. However, experimental studies indicate that negative-mood inductions do not reliably lead to increased eating in healthy eaters, not even among those with a high desire to eat when emotional. We argue that experimental studies will help us understand emotional eating only if they account for the following ideas: (a) Emotional eating may require that people learn to associate emotion with eating, (b) emotional eating may follow only specific discrete emotions, and (c) emotional eating may depend on social context. Each of these points suggests a fruitful direction for future research. Specifically, future studies must acknowledge, identify, and account for variations in the extent to which people have learned to associate emotions with eating; assess or elicit strong discrete emotions; and systematically examine the effect of social context on emotional eating.
Precarious Workers and Probationary Wives: How Immigration Law Discriminates Against Women
Authors: Briddick Catherine
Published: April 2019

Immigration law prescribes a range of statuses into one of which individuals must try to fit to be allowed entry. This range establishes a hierarchy from highly advantageous forms of permission to enter or remain in the United Kingdom to ones to which few rights accrue, which create dependency or are precarious. Against the backdrop of this hierarchy, I make two claims: that women are disadvantaged by immigration law’s distribution of migration statuses; and, that this disadvantage is the result of rules which indirectly discriminate against women, discrimination which may be unlawful under Article 14 ECHR. As it is well-established that indirect discrimination may be revealed by statistical information, I rely on data from over 10 years to demonstrate that certain migration opportunities are distributed differently to women and men. This distribution is then subjected to scrutiny, potential ‘justifications’ for it, including those premised on sexed/gendered stereotypes, being analysed and refuted. Finally, an understanding of women’s disadvantageous and discriminatory treatment in relation to the family and labour migration routes considered, is combined with a broader consideration of gendered patterns of migration and the statuses that such patterns produce, to found the normative claim that immigration law as whole disadvantages women.
Four-moment CAPM Model: Evidence from the Indian Stock Market
Authors: Misra Dheeraj , Vishnani Sushma , Mehrotra Ankit
Published: April 2019

This study aims at analysing the impact of co-skewness and co-kurtosis on the returns of the Indian stocks by incorporating co-skewness and co-kurtosis in the traditional capital asset pricing model (CAPM) of Sharpe, in a three-factor model of Fama and French and in a four-factor model of Carhart. The results of the study show that co-skewness and co-kurtosis have significant impact on the returns of the Indian stock. However, the impact of co-skewness is higher than co-kurtosis.

JEL Classification: G11, G12
Active Supervision: Preventing Behavioral Problems Before They Occur
Authors: Haydon Todd , Hunter William , Scott Terrance M.
Published: April 2019

The current body of research on classroom environments identifies key proactive instructional strategies that when implemented effectively can reduce the likelihood of problematic behavioral incidents by students. One strategy known as active supervision has demonstrated positive outcomes across school settings, including classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds. In this article, authors provide a definition of active supervision, empirical support for its use, a detailed description of how to implement it, and resources for further study.
Proceed With Caution: Using Web-Based Resources for Instructing Students With and at Risk for EBD
Authors: Beahm Lydia A. , Cook Bryan G. , Cook Lysandra
Published: April 2019

Educators frequently use social media platforms such as Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers for guidance on teaching. In this article, we explore reasons why these websites are popular with educators, consider their potential risks and benefits, and provide examples of resources provided on these sites. We recommend that educators first identify and learn the critical elements of effective practices from trustworthy sources and then use sites such as Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers to facilitate implementation.
The Investigation of Homicide
Authors: Hough Richard M.
Published: April 2019

This special issue of Homicide Studies devotes attention to the how of homicide investigation. Much like the Homicide Research Working Group itself, this issue calls attention to the contributions of both practical and academic homicide experts. We were looking for manuscripts that examined or extended the various facets of investigating homicide. The processes and practices of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and investigators greatly affect case resolution. How these entities interact as well as engage with members of the community go far in determining case success and views of efficacy.
The Score Is Not the Music: Integrating Experience and Practice Perspectives on Value Co-Creation in Collective Consumption Contexts
Authors: Kelleher Carol , N. Wilson Hugh , Macdonald Emma K. , Peppard Joe
Published: April 2019

In response to recent calls for deeper understanding of value co-creation between multiple actors, this article explores co-creation in collective consumption contexts. These are defined as settings within which multiple consumers, and optionally multiple other actors such as service personnel, are co-present (physically and/or virtually) and coordinate with one another during product/service consumption. To understand co-creation in such contexts, this article argues for an integration of practice-based and experience-based perspectives, because while collective coordination occurs via social practices, the value that results is by definition an individual experience. By studying an orchestral music context in which multiple consumers and service providers participate, the authors develop a framework dialectically relating co-creation practices to value. Four variables emerge influencing the relationship between co-creation practices and value: role rigidity, consumer heterogeneity conflict, participation access, and signposting. Value can be constrained by role rigidity and by consumer heterogeneity conflict between consumers of differing competence; mitigating this requires that service providers pay attention to participation access and signposting (guiding consumers to select and combine practices in line with their skills and competences). Overall, the findings show how practices shape not just coordination among consumers, but also social learning. Implications for service organizations include how to facilitate social learning between novices and experts so as to optimize value for all.
Impact of femoroacetabular impingement and dysplasia of the hip on hip joint sphericity
Authors: Diaz-Lopez Reynol A , Alonso-Rasgado M Teresa , Jimenez-Cruz David , Bailey Colin G , Board Tim N
Published: April 2019

Background:

This paper presents a parametric investigation into the effect of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) on the sphericity of the femoral supra-equatorial region and acetabulum.

Methods:

Radiographic parameters from x-rays, sphericity calculations and visualisation and joint contact area and pressure from FE models of 10 DDH, FAI and normal hips were analysed and compared both within and between hip groups.

Results:

The sphericity of the acetabulum and femoral head of both the DDH and FAI groups was found to be less than that for normal hips but the variation in sphericity was greater (range 2.4% for normal hips, compared to 3.3% and 3.1% for the FAI and DDH groups respectively). For the DDH group, femoral head sphericity was found to correlate strongly with 2 of the radiographic parameters used to diagnose the condition, CE angle and Sharp angle. For FAI and DDH hips peak contact pressure primarily occurred in Ilizaliturri Zone 2 (anterior-superior region) in the acetabulum and femoral head which corresponded with increased aspherity in this region compared to the normal hip group. These findings correlate with loading and damage patterns reported in the literature. Additionally, our analysis identified a protrusion of bone in Ilizaliturri Zones 1 and 6 (anterior-inferior region) of the acetabulum of a subgroup of FAI hips, whose existence was confirmed using a full-scale hip model fabricated using a 3D printer, which we believe could result in cartilage damage.

Conclusion:

We postulate that such protrusions could potentially explain residual symptoms and unaddressed structural deformity in patients who have undergone FAI surgery.
Cancer Genetic Network Inference Using Gaussian Graphical Models
Authors: Zhao Haitao , Duan Zhong-Hui
Published: April 2019

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) provides a rich resource that can be used to understand how genes interact in cancer cells and has collected RNA-Seq gene expression data for many types of human cancer. However, mining the data to uncover the hidden gene-interaction patterns remains a challenge. Gaussian graphical model (GGM) is often used to learn genetic networks because it defines an undirected graphical structure, revealing the conditional dependences of genes. In this study, we focus on inferring gene interactions in 15 specific types of human cancer using RNA-Seq expression data and GGM with graphical lasso. We take advantage of the corresponding Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway maps to define the subsets of related genes. RNA-Seq expression levels of the subsets of genes in solid cancerous tumor and normal tissues were extracted from TCGA. The gene expression data sets were cleaned and formatted, and the genetic network corresponding to each cancer type was then inferred using GGM with graphical lasso. The inferred networks reveal stable conditional dependences among the genes at the expression level and confirm the essential roles played by the genes that encode proteins involved in the two key signaling pathway phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK in human carcinogenesis. These stable dependences elucidate the expression level interactions among the genes that are implicated in many different human cancers. The inferred genetic networks were examined to further identify and characterize a collection of gene interactions that are unique to cancer. The cross-cancer genetic interactions revealed from our study provide another set of knowledge for cancer biologists to propose strong hypotheses, so further biological investigations can be conducted effectively.
Targeting the Blood-Brain Barrier to Prevent Sepsis-Associated Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Nwafor Divine C , Brichacek Allison L , Mohammad Afroz S , Griffith Jessica , Lucke-Wold Brandon P , Benkovic Stanley A , Geldenhuys Werner J , Lockman Paul R , Brown Candice M
Published: April 2019

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory disease resulting from an infection. This disorder affects 750 000 people annually in the United States and has a 62% rehospitalization rate. Septic symptoms range from typical flu-like symptoms (eg, headache, fever) to a multifactorial syndrome known as sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE). Patients with SAE exhibit an acute altered mental status and often have higher mortality and morbidity. In addition, many sepsis survivors are also burdened with long-term cognitive impairment. The mechanisms through which sepsis initiates SAE and promotes long-term cognitive impairment in septic survivors are poorly understood. Due to its unique role as an interface between the brain and the periphery, numerous studies support a regulatory role for the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the progression of acute and chronic brain dysfunction. In this review, we discuss the current body of literature which supports the BBB as a nexus which integrates signals from the brain and the periphery in sepsis. We highlight key insights on the mechanisms that contribute to the BBB’s role in sepsis which include neuroinflammation, increased barrier permeability, immune cell infiltration, mitochondrial dysfunction, and a potential barrier role for tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). Finally, we address current drug treatments (eg, antimicrobials and intravenous immunoglobulins) for sepsis and their potential outcomes on brain function. A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms may enable clinicians to target specific aspects of BBB function as a therapeutic tool to limit long-term cognitive impairment in sepsis survivors.
Seeing is believing: Primary generalist pre-service teachers’ observations of physical education lessons in Ireland and Switzerland
Authors: Coulter Maura , Kealey Fintina , Langan Sarah Louise , McGarvey John , Padden Serena
Published: April 2019

Primary generalist pre-service teachers (PSTs) rarely have the opportunity to observe teachers teaching authentic physical education (PE) lessons let alone reflect with the teachers, their lecturer or their peers following the lesson. Observation of, and reflection on, quality lessons can have a powerful influence on shaping the PSTs’ soon-to-be-teachers professional identities and can also help them to develop reflective and critical thinking skills. A qualitative framework utilising critical incidents, described as ‘events identified by student teachers as significant in making progress toward becoming a better teacher’ guided the PSTs’ observations in this study. One primary PE initial teacher educator and four PSTs, from Ireland, participated in the study and data comprised of a planning discussion, 40 critical incident observations of 10 lessons in two European countries and two reflective discussions. Each set of observations was followed by a group discussion to provide opportunities for reflection-on-action. Examination of the data showed that PSTs extended their understanding of professional practice in: (a) questioning and demonstrating; (b) inclusion; (c) organisation and management; and (d) feedback and were surprised that practice in both countries was more similar than different. Critical incidents were a useful method of focusing reflections for the PSTs and the opportunity to engage in the process of observing, and reflecting on, quality lessons impacted the PSTs’ perceptions towards becoming better teachers.
Gambling patterns and associated risk and protective factors among Finnish young people
Authors: Oksanen Atte , Sirola Anu , Savolainen Iina , Kaakinen Markus
Published: April 2019

Background and aims:

In recent years online gambling has become a potential risk for young people. The purpose of this study was to analyse patterns of gambling activities and their association with behavioural risk factors and protective factors.

Data and Method:

A demographically balanced sample of Finnish respondents aged 15–25 years ( N = 1200) filled out an online survey in March–April 2017. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the variables on gambling activities to smaller sets of components, and regression analysis was used to analyse whether behavioural risk factors and protective factors were associated with the gambling patterns found.

Results:

Two main components were found: online- and skill-based competent gambling and chance-based entertainment gambling. Competent gambling had statistically significant associations with a variety of behavioural problems and risks, including psychological distress, lower social support, lower delay of gratification, hazardous drinking, regular drug use, compulsive Internet use, and problem gambling. Entertainment gambling was associated with lower delay gratification, hazardous drinking, and problem gambling. Entertainment gambling had a negative association with compulsive Internet use and a positive association with social support.

Conclusions:

Online-based competent gambling is a potentially hazardous form of gambling. New forms of online gambling are potential risks for younger generations. Health professionals working with young people should be aware of the role of online gambling and associated activities.
Cultures and spaces of convenience gambling
Authors: Egerer Michael , Marionneau Virve
Published: April 2019

Background:

In many countries, the bulk of gambling takes place in convenience spaces in relatively confined, local markets. Nevertheless, research on gambling locations has so far concentrated on destination gambling in casinos.

Aim:

This article studies convenience gambling and distinguishes special (e.g., gambling arcades) from everyday convenience gambling spaces (e.g., electronic gambling machines in supermarkets). Rather than geographically or functionally analysing the harm potential of convenience gambling, we approach the issue through cultural theory.

Method:

We conducted reception analytical group interviews with Finnish and French gamblers. This method is based on focus-group discussions stimulated by six short film clips. Our data consisted of 14 Finnish and 14 French groups, altogether 110 participants. The interviews were analysed thematically on the basis of the types of discourses the participants evoked.

Results:

The Finnish respondents discussed how their gambling culture was embedded in their everyday lives. They saw it as a harmless pastime if the sums used were small and otherwise unbudgeted. The French informants instead strongly connected gambling with the casino and were suspicious of the easy, cheap availability of convenience gambling. They also differentiated between exceptional and mundane spaces of convenience gambling, which the interviewed Finnish gamblers did not.

Conclusions:

Social or cultural availability is not only a matter of access; it also influences gamblers after they have entered the gambling venue. Structural characteristics interact with the gambler and the setting, but they are also mediated by the cultural context.
Effect of strut length and orientation on elastic mechanical response of modified body-centered cubic lattice structures
Authors: Abdulhadi Hasanain S , Mian Ahsan
Published: April 2019

Lattice structures (LSs) have been exploited for wide range of applications including mechanical, thermal, and biomedical structures because of their unique attributes combining the light weight and high strength. The main goal of this research is to investigate the effect of strut length and orientation on the mechanical characteristics of modified body-centered cubic (BCC) LS subjected to a quasi-static axial compressive loading within linear elastic limit using finite element analysis. In this study, two sets of LS were built and analyzed in commercial finite element software, ABAQUS/CAE/EXPLICIT 6.16, using a “smart procedure,” which was developed for this research to reduce the computational time and increase the accuracy of results by creating hexahedral mesh elements. The first set comprises 13 models having fixed strut length with strut angle variation from 40° to 100° with a step of 5°. The second set also includes 13 models; however, having variant strut length, kept constant for a single unit cell and through the entire model but varied from one model to another, with the same strut angle variation as the first set. In addition, the BCC LS with a strut angle of 70.53° was replicated in both sets because it was considered as a reference model to compare the results with it. Furthermore, specimens of the reference model were fabricated by a fused deposition modeling- (FDM) based 3D printer using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material and tested experimentally under compression. Experimental results are observed to be in good agreement with those of the finite element simulation, hence the same loading and boundary conditions were adopted for all other models. It was observed that the fixed strut length BCC LS with a strut angle of 100° offers the highest modulus. However, the highest specific strain energy absorption and specific stiffness as well as the least value of weight were dictated by a variant strut length BCC LS with a strut angle of 40°.
Difficulties with balance: Normative contestation, ambiguity and change in reporting AIDS denialism
Authors: Krüger Franz
Published: April 2019

The controversy about policy on HIV/AIDS in South Africa during the presidency of Thabo Mbeki provides an opportunity to study how journalists manage normative difficulties in practice and sheds light on normative change. The politically supported entry of AIDS dissidents into debate and policy-making posed a significant difficulty to journalists in the light of the established norm of balance, which requires journalists to deal even-handedly with the full range of views in a controversy. However, orthodox science and the medical establishment saw the AIDS dissidents’ views as both wrong and dangerous, and progressively delegitimised the dissident view and pushed it out of the public debate. The article traces this process, focusing on the ways in which journalists managed the normative challenge. Some insights about the nature of norms that emerged were that part of journalists’ difficulty is shown to be due to a fundamental vagueness and ambiguity in understandings of balance, which is shown to include two quite different areas of application, identified here as ‘balance of opinion’ and ‘balance of evidence’. Read in the light of the proceduralism of Habermasian discourse ethics, the episode also provides new insight into ways in which broad norms come to be applied in concrete historical circumstances, and how they are adjusted through strongly contested discourses.
Poverty, social exclusion and enterprise policy: A study of UK policies’ effectiveness over 40 years
Authors: Smith Anne MJ , Galloway Laura , Jackman Laura , Danson Mike , Whittam Geoff
Published: April 2019

This article is concerned with enterprise policy and its effectiveness when applied to those experiencing social exclusion through unemployment and poverty. In particular, the article focuses on the introduction of the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme designed to support the transition from unemployment to enterprise, and it explores the extent to which knowledge about previous similar schemes has been used to inform this. Findings suggest that lessons learned from previous schemes have had little impact on decisions made in recent years. Scholarly evidence of and knowledge about the relationships between social exclusion, poverty and enterprise are not referenced and this suggests that policy understanding of the connection between social exclusion, unemployment and enterprise has developed little in the time period studied.
Development and Psychometric Testing of Liver Transplant Therapeutic Adherence Questionnaire in a Triphasic Mixed-Method Study
Authors: Tohidinezhad Fariba , Aliakbarian Mohsen , Abu-Hanna Ameen , Eslami Saeid
Published: April 2019

Introduction:

Due to the high nonadherence rate to posttransplant regimen and medical indications among liver transplant recipients, systematic patient-centered interventions are needed to improve the medium- and long-term graft and patient survival outcomes.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of Liver Transplant Therapeutic Adherence Questionnaire.

Design:

A mixed-method instrument design was conducted in 3 phases: (1) initial item collection was generated by inductive content analysis on internationally available resources, (2) item screening was carried out by a 3-member committee and 25 domain experts including nurses and physicians aiming to establish content validity, and (3) data were collected from 247 liver transplant recipients in May 2016 for psychometric testing.

Results:

A total of 221 knowledge statements were extracted as potential adherence assessment items. The qualitative screening phase resulted in top 35 important items. The second screening phase was performed quantitatively by 25 experts (n = 14 nurses, n = 7 gastroenterologists and hepatologists, and n = 4 transplant surgeons). A total of 16 items were associated with statistically significant content validity ratio values (≥0.37) to be included in the final questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a distinct 4-factor structure that was labeled as: daily activities (α = .93), immunization (α = .93), nutrition (α = .92), and major complications (α = .79).

Discussion:

Our results reveal evidence of acceptable reliability and validity for Liver Transplant Therapeutic Adherence Questionnaire. This instrument makes it possible to measure recipients’ therapeutic adherence in both domains of research and practice.
Partisan Alignment, Performance, and Citizen Approval of Political Actors
Authors: Lyons Daniel J. , Miller Susan M.
Published: April 2019

There is substantial evidence that citizen assessments of political actors and associated institutions are shaped by shared partisanship. However, much of this evidence comes from citizen evaluations of political actors who are policy generalists—officials elected with broad policy jurisdictions (e.g., chief executives and legislators). We suggest that citizen assessments of policy specialists—officials elected with relatively narrow policy jurisdictions (e.g., labor commissioners and education secretaries)—may be shaped to a lesser degree by shared partisan leanings than evaluations of policy generalists. Using a survey experiment, we find evidence that, among out-partisans, favorable performance information has a greater positive effect for specialists than generalists, highlighting one way in which shared partisanship may be less influential for evaluations of specialists. These results may help to provide insight into the diversity of partisanship we see across policy generalists and specialists within the same governments and have potential implications for accountability.
Do Negatively Framed Messages Motivate Political Participation? Evidence From Four Field Experiments
Authors: Mann Christopher B. , Arceneaux Kevin , Nickerson David W.
Published: April 2019

A multitude of laboratory experiments show that subtle shifts in framing can induce individuals to participate in political activity. Using four randomized field experiments, we tested whether exposure to messages framing public policy proposals negatively increased political action relative to exposure to messages framing the proposal positively. Three experiments use a type of political participation novel to the field experiments literature: phone calls recruiting people to contact elected officials. Contrary to expectations from prior laboratory experiments on intention to participate in collective action in politics, we find scant evidence that messages framed negatively about the policy returns from participation are more effective than messages framed positively about the policy returns from participation at motivating real-world political behavior.
Old town fringe recognition and travel characteristics analysis based on multi-source data fusion
Authors: Zhou Wenzhu , Li Qiao , Li Zhibin , Wang Nan , Pu Ziyuan , Wang Qi
Published: April 2019

Old town fringe area refers to a surrounding zone of an old town. The fringe undertakes the important function of evacuating traffic volume between suburb districts and central city. Traffic flow and travel behavior of the old town fringe are complex and different from other areas. Thus, recognition of fringe area is of importance for researchers to better understand the unique travel features and propose proper policies for fringe renewal. This study took the city of Nanjing as an example and fused the residents’ travel survey data and the point-of-interest data for fringe recognition. The study estimated the travel intensity of each travel analysis zone per day. The mutation point of travel intensity was decided to divide the fringe. The point-of-interest data was used for validating the boundaries of the fringe. The fusion of the two data sets jointly decided the core old town fringe area. The travel behavior characteristics of the fringe area, including the fringe internal trips, crossing fringe trips, and those with only origin or destination in the fringe, were then evaluated and policy suggestions were provided. The findings of the study will benefit the urban space planning and coordinated transportation system development in the fringe area of old towns.
Which properties of the visual stimuli predict the type of representation used in mental rotation?
Authors: Zhao Binglei , Zhu Chuan , Della Sala Sergio
Published: April 2019

Two modes of internal representation, holistic and piecemeal transformation, have been reported as a means to perform mental rotation (MR) tasks. The stimulus complexity effect has been proposed as an indicator to disentangle between these two representation types. However, the complexity effect has not been fully confirmed owing to the fact that different performances could result from different types of stimuli. Moreover, whether the non-mirror foils play a role in forcing participants to encode all the information from the stimuli in MR tasks is still under debate. This study aims at testing the association between these two common types of representation with different stimuli in MR tasks. First, the numbers of segments and vertices in polygon stimuli were manipulated to test which property of the visual stimuli is more likely to influence the representation in MR tasks. Second, the role of non-mirror foils was examined by comparing the stimulus complexity effect in both with- and without-non-mirror foils conditions. The results revealed that the segment number affected the slope of the linear function relating response times to rotation angle, but the vertex number in the polygons did not. This suggests that a holistic representation was more likely to be adopted in processing integrated objects, whereas a piecemeal transformation was at play in processing multi-part objects. In addition, the stimulus complexity effect was observed in the with-non-mirror foils condition but not in the without-non-mirror foils one, providing a direct evidence to support the role of non-mirror foils in MR tasks.