bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new species of Chrysosplenium (Saxifragaceae) from Zhangjiajie, Hunan, central China
Authors: LIU HONG , LUO JIN-LONG , LIU QIU-YU , LAN DE-QING , QIN RUI , YU XUN-LIN
Published: September 2016

A new species of Chrysosplenium (Saxifragaceae), C. zhangjiajieense, is described and illustrated from Zhangjiajie, Hunan province in China. This new species is similar to C. macrophyllum in having broad basal leaves and compact cymes, but it differs from the latter in that the whole plant of C. zhangjiajieense is densely covered by coarse and long white villus, and the leaf adaxial surface bears thickly wart points. The new species is also similar to C. davidianum, but differs by having white flowers, only one cauline leaf, oblong sepals and the stamen is longer than sepals while C. davidianum possess yellow flower, 2–5 cauline leaves, orbicular sepals and the stamen much shorter than sepals. Base on the field investigation, this new species is accessed to be endangered according to IUCN category and criteria.
Validation of the name Vochysia moskovitsiana (Vochysiaceae), with corrected type citation
Authors: CHUQUIMACO ISAU HUAMANTUPA
Published: September 2016

The name Vochysia moskovitsiana Huamantupa (2012: 142) was not validly published due to errors in the citation of the holotype. In the type paragraph following the name citation, a single gathering but more than one specimen, E. Gudiño 1190 (QCNE, MO) was cited as the type. This is a defective citation according to the International Code for Nomenclature (ICN) Article 40.7 (McNeill et al. 2012) because a single specimen is not indicated as the holotype. Although a separate collection, Gudiño & Gualinga 1622 (MO), is cited in the caption to Figure 2 as the holotype, the same specimen also appears in the list of paratypes on page 147. Thus the citation of type is entirely ambiguous, and this work does not constitute valid publication.
A new species of Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from Pará State, with an updated key to Brazilian species of the robusta group
Authors: MAGALHÃES OSÉIAS MARTINS , MOREIRA FELIPE FERRAZ FIGUEIREDO , GALVÃO CLEBER
Published: September 2016

Rhagovelia brunae Magalhães & Moreira sp. nov., collected in the State of Pará, Brazil, is described, illustrated, and compared with congeners. The new species belongs to the robusta group and can be differentiated from others by the general color black, abdominal sternum VII with black denticles laterally, male hind trochanter with 1–4 subequal spines plus a longer spine, and male hind femur lacking a medium spine between the proximal and distal rows of spines. Additionally, an updated identification key to species of the robusta group occurring in Brazil is presented.
Retrocitomyia Lopes, 1982 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): new species, new records, key to males, and an updated catalog
Authors: DE MELLO-PATIU CÁTIA ANTUNES , SALAZAR-SOUZA MÔNICA
Published: September 2016

Prior to this work, Retrocitomyia Lopes (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) included ten recognized species distributed exclusively in the New World. We here add a new species to the genus, Retrocitomyia sisbiota sp. nov. from the Central-West Region of Brazil. Four other species of Retrocitomyia are recorded from this region for the first time, redescribed, compared, and illustrated, with emphasis on the male terminalia. Retrocitomyia paraguayensis Lopes is recorded from Brazil for the first time, R. fluminensis Lopes and R. retrocita (Hall) are newly recorded from the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and R. mizuguchiana Tibana & Xerez is newly recorded from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. New generic diagnostic characters are added and the interpretation of some structures of the male terminalia is discussed. An updated catalog of all Retrocitomyia species and an identification key to the males of these species are also provided.
The phylogeny of marine sculpins of the genus Icelinus with comments on the evolution and biogeography of the Pseudoblenninae
Authors: GIRARD MATTHEW G. , SMITH W. LEO
Published: September 2016

The marine sculpins (Psychrolutidae) are a diverse percomorph family with notable morphological variation and repeated biogeographic patterns within the group. The psychrolutid genus Icelinus is unusual because it is one of the few near-shore members of the family that exhibits a trans-Pacific distribution; it has two species in the western Pacific and nine species in the eastern Pacific. Furthermore, the placement of Icelinus has been more inconsistent across molecular and morphological analyses than many genera. Previous phylogenetic studies have hypothesized sister taxa to Icelinus ranging from Antipodocottus, Chitonotus, and Stlengis, to a mixed clade of psychrolutids. The varied placements across these studies may be due to limited taxon sampling within Icelinus, and previous authors have never included western Pacific species of Icelinus in their analyses. This study tests the monophyly of the genus, examines the relationships between eastern and western Pacific species of Icelinus, and explores the relationships of Icelinus within Psychrolutidae. Our results show that the traditional grouping of Icelinus is polyphyletic. The eastern Pacific species of Icelinus are restricted to a clade sister to Furcina and Antipodocottus. The western Pacific species of Icelinus are recovered sister to the genus Stlengis. Given the polyphyly of Icelinus, the sister-group pairing of western Pacific species of Icelinus and Stlengis, as well as morphological similarity between the two groups, we recommend treating the western Pacific species of Icelinus as members of the genus Stlengis. With this taxonomic change, species in the genus Icelinus are now limited to the eastern Pacific, ranging from Alaska to Mexico.
Capturing the Complex, Situated, and Active Nature of Teaching Through Inquiry-Oriented Standards for Teaching
Authors: Sinnema Claire , Meyer Frauke , Aitken Graeme
Published: September 2016

Given widespread acceptance of the role of teaching in improving student outcomes, it is not surprising that policy makers have turned to teaching standards as a lever for educational improvement. There are, however, long-standing critiques of standards that suggest they are reductionist and promote a dualism between theory and practice. Our purpose here is to propose a model of Teaching for Better Learning ( TBL) that responds to those critiques and that captures the complexity of teaching rather than focusing on discrete elements. Our model foregrounds the salience of teachers’ own situations and the active nature of teachers’ practice in a way that integrates practice with relevant theory. We outline how the TBL model can be used to derive inquiry-oriented teaching standards, an alternative approach that challenges widely accepted conventions for the design of standards and, we argue, might better support the improvement of teaching and learning.
Urban upgrading in Rio de Janeiro: Evidence from the Favela-Bairro programme
Authors: Atuesta Laura H , Soares Yuri
Published: September 2016

This paper estimates average treatment effects and distributional and locational effects of the Favela-Bairro programme at the household level on direct outputs and on property values. Not surprisingly, households in treated neighbourhoods are better off in terms of the direct outputs delivered by the programme. However, in terms of property values, at the average level, the intervention was not translated on appreciation of housing values, suggesting that, without a land titling component, slum upgrading programmes do not have an effect on the value of dwellings. On the contrary, when estimating heterogeneous effects of the programme within treated neighbourhoods, the results suggest that appreciation of housing values is observed in properties with poor accessibility and low-value dwellings. These distributional and locational effects suggest that, although the average treatment effects on housing values are not significant, the programme was successful in decreasing inequality among slum dwellers, and reducing economic and spatial segregation within treated neighbourhoods.
What Do We Learn About Technical Communication in Hungary Through My Students and My Hungarian Colleagues
Authors: Ding Daniel D.
Published: September 2016

Very few articles exist that document technical communication in Hungary. My Fulbright research reveals two general points: First, technical communication pedagogy stresses correct use of professional terms and phrases in technical translations or technical articles for fictional audiences. Second, it does not emphasize the importance of specifying target audiences in students’ work; similarly, Hungarian companies, perhaps driven by oral culture in communication, do not target at any specific audiences in written communication. In this respect, education and practice seems to shape each other. More research is needed to provide more elements to help us understand technical communication in Hungary.
Provenance, power and place: Linked data and opaque digital geographies
Authors: Ford Heather , Graham Mark
Published: September 2016

The ability of search engines to shape our understandings of the world by controlling what people discover when looking for information is well known. We argue that the power of search engines has become further entrenched in the wake of the current move to restructure the Web according to the logics of ‘linked data’ and the ‘semantic Web’. With the goal of sharing information according to structured formats that computers (rather than humans) can easily process and analyse, linked data engineers are abstracting information from fact sharing websites like Wikipedia into short, uniform statements that can be more efficiently shared, compared and analysed. In response to this enhanced power by search engines and the corresponding loss of agency by ordinary users, some Wikipedians have challenged the ways in which data from the encyclopedia has been used (often without credit) by search engines like Google. Using the capabilities approach first developed by Amartya Sen, we interrogate exactly what some Wikipedians believe they are losing when they complain about how Google represents facts about the world obtained from Wikipedia and other sites.
What environmental factors influence resumption of valued activities post stroke: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative findings
Authors: Jellema Sandra , van Hees Suzanne , Zajec Jana , van der Sande Rob , Nijhuis- van der Sanden Maria WG , Steultjens Esther MJ
Published: September 2016

Objective:

Identify the environmental factors that influence stroke-survivors’ reengagement in personally valued activities and determine what specific environmental factors are related to specific valued activity types.

Data sources:

PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched until June 2016 using multiple search-terms for stroke, activities, disability, and home and community environments.

Review methods:

An integrated mixed-method systematic review of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-design studies was conducted. Two researchers independently identified relevant studies, assessed their methodological quality and extracted relevant findings. To validly compare and combine the various findings, all findings were classified and grouped by environmental category and level of evidence.

Results:

The search yielded 4024 records; 69 studies were included. Most findings came from low-evidence-level studies such as single qualitative studies. All findings were consistent in that the following factors facilitated reengagement post-stroke: personal adapted equipment; accessible environments; transport; services; education and information. Barriers were: others’ negative attitudes and behaviour; long distances and inconvenient environmental conditions (such as bad weather). Each type of valued activity, such as mobility or work, had its own pattern of environmental influences, social support was a facilitator to all types of activities. Although in many qualitative studies others’ attitudes, behaviour and stroke-related knowledge were seen as important for reengagement, these factors were hardly studied quantitatively.

Conclusion:

A diversity of environmental factors was related to stroke-survivors’ reengagement. Most findings came from low-evidence-level studies so that evidence on causal relationships was scarce. In future, more higher-level-evidence studies, for example on the attitudes of significant others, should be conducted.
Palliative care for Parkinson’s disease: Patient and carer’s perspectives explored through qualitative interview
Authors: Fox Siobhan , Cashell Alison , Kernohan W George , Lynch Marie , McGlade Ciara , O’Brien Tony , O’Sullivan Sean S , Foley Mary J , Timmons Suzanne
Published: September 2016

Background:

Palliative care is recommended for non-malignant illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease. However, past research with healthcare workers highlights unmet palliative needs in this population and referral rates to Specialist Palliative Care are low. Some healthcare workers perceive a ‘fear’ in their patients about introducing palliative care. However, less is known about the views of people with Parkinson’s disease and their carers about palliative care.

Aim:

(1) To explore the palliative care and related issues most affecting people with Parkinson’s disease and their families and (2) to examine perceptions about/understanding of palliative care.

Design:

This was a qualitative study; semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Setting/participants:

A total of 31 people participated, both people with Parkinson’s disease ( n = 19) and carers ( n = 12), across three Movement Disorder Clinics in the Republic of Ireland.

Results:

People with Parkinson’s disease and their carers were unfamiliar with the term palliative care. When informed of the role of palliative care, most felt that they would benefit from this input. People with Parkinson’s disease and carers experienced a high illness burden and wanted extra support. Crises requiring Specialist Palliative Care involvement may occur at diagnosis and later, with advancing illness. Participants wanted more information about palliative care and especially further supports to address their psychosocial needs.

Conclusion:

A holistic palliative care approach could address the complex physical and psychosocial symptoms experienced by people with Parkinson’s disease and their carers, and people with Parkinson’s disease and their carers are open to palliative care. Further research needs to explore how palliative care can be introduced into the routine care for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Sensitivity Analysis in Sequential Decision Models
Authors: Chen Qiushi , Ayer Turgay , Chhatwal Jagpreet
Published: September 2016

Background: Sequential decision problems are frequently encountered in medical decision making, which are commonly solved using Markov decision processes (MDPs). Modeling guidelines recommend conducting sensitivity analyses in decision-analytic models to assess the robustness of the model results against the uncertainty in model parameters. However, standard methods of conducting sensitivity analyses cannot be directly applied to sequential decision problems because this would require evaluating all possible decision sequences, typically in the order of trillions, which is not practically feasible. As a result, most MDP-based modeling studies do not examine confidence in their recommended policies. Method: In this study, we provide an approach to estimate uncertainty and confidence in the results of sequential decision models. Results: First, we provide a probabilistic univariate method to identify the most sensitive parameters in MDPs. Second, we present a probabilistic multivariate approach to estimate the overall confidence in the recommended optimal policy considering joint uncertainty in the model parameters. We provide a graphical representation, which we call a policy acceptability curve, to summarize the confidence in the optimal policy by incorporating stakeholders’ willingness to accept the base case policy. For a cost-effectiveness analysis, we provide an approach to construct a cost-effectiveness acceptability frontier, which shows the most cost-effective policy as well as the confidence in that for a given willingness to pay threshold. We demonstrate our approach using a simple MDP case study. Conclusions: We developed a method to conduct sensitivity analysis in sequential decision models, which could increase the credibility of these models among stakeholders.
Genetic and Biochemical Biomarkers in Canine Glaucoma
Authors: Graham K. L. , McCowan C. , White A.
Published: September 2016

In many health-related fields, there is great interest in the identification of biomarkers that distinguish diseased from healthy individuals. In addition to identifying the diseased state, biomarkers have potential use in predicting disease risk, monitoring disease progression, evaluating treatment efficacy, and informing pathogenesis. This review details the genetic and biochemical markers associated with canine primary glaucoma. While there are numerous molecular markers (biochemical and genetic) associated with glaucoma in dogs, there is no ideal biomarker that allows early diagnosis and/or identification of disease progression. Genetic mutations associated with canine glaucoma include those affecting ADAMTS10, ADAMTS17, Myocilin, Nebulin, COL1A2, RAB22A, and SRBD1. With the exception of Myocilin, there is very limited crossover in genetic biomarkers identified between human and canine glaucomas. Mutations associated with canine glaucoma vary between and within canine breeds, and gene discoveries therefore have limited overall effects as a screening tool in the general canine population. Biochemical markers of glaucoma include indicators of inflammation, oxidative stress, serum autoantibodies, matrix metalloproteinases, tumor necrosis factor–α, and transforming growth factor–β. These markers include those that indicate an adaptive or protective response, as well as those that reflect the damage arising from oxidative stress.
Beyond the Mask
Authors: Ottone-Cross Karen L. , Dulong-Langley Susan , Root Melissa M. , Gelbar Nicholas , Bray Melissa A. , Luria Sarah R. , Choi Dowon , Kaufman James C. , Courville Troy , Pan Xingyu
Published: September 2016

An understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and achievement profiles of students with giftedness and learning disabilities (G&LD) is needed to address their asynchronous development. This study examines the subtests and error factors in the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement–Third Edition (KTEA-3) for strength and weakness patterns of students with G&LD in higher and lower level thinking skills by comparing G&LD students ( n = 196) with academically gifted (GT; n = 69) and specific learning disability (SLD) students ( n = 90). Several one-way MANCOVAs were conducted with subtest error factor scores as dependent variables and grouping variable (G&LD, GT, or SLD) as the independent variable. The G&LD means scores across subtests were in between the two control groups. On many higher level thinking tasks, the G&LD group scored similar to the gifted group. The results support the use of error analysis to gain further understanding into the profile of students with G&LD.
Can You Visualize Theory? On the Use of Visual Thinking in Theory Pictures, Theorizing Diagrams, and Visual Sketches
Authors: Swedberg Richard
Published: September 2016

Although the visualization of data is on the agenda for sociologists today, thanks to big data, the author raises the question of whether it may not also be possible to visualize theory and, especially, to improve it through visual thinking. The main purpose of this article, more precisely, is to open up a discussion of how visualization and visual thinking can be used as a tool for theorizing in sociology and thereby help produce new and creative theories. Three different types of visualization are discussed: theory pictures, visual sketches, and theorizing diagrams. Theory pictures summarize a theory that has already been developed. Visual sketches are used for early attempts to theorize; they are then typically discarded and replaced by new sketches. Theorizing diagrams draw on ideas from Charles Sanders Peirce and can be described as visual representations that are used to generate new theories. Examples are supplied.
On the Sociology of Occasions
Authors: Wynn Jonathan R.
Published: September 2016

This article fills a long-standing gap, proposing a framework for what Goffman called for in 1967’s Interaction Ritual: a sociology of occasions. Occasions are omnipresent throughout the sociological literature yet are often only casually analyzed. The author proposes a perspective that solidifies occasions as a basic unit of sociological analysis. This proposal offers a framework based on (1) four resources, (2) three patterns, and (3) five properties. These simple and interlocking tools situate the occasion as a valuable and adaptable sociological focus.
Going Underground
Authors: Lee Cheol-Sung
Published: September 2016

This study explores how different forms of civic solidarity emerge during authoritarian eras and how they evolve into diverse labor-based political institutions after transitions to democracy. I initially explore the modes of choices that radical intellectuals make—go underground or cooperate—in their responses to coercion and co-optation by authoritarian elites. Based on comparative historical evidence of institutionalization processes of labor-based politics in four recently democratized developing countries, I identify three types of solidarity and one absence case, each reflecting a different combination of strengths and divisions in the informal civil society of its respective nation: participatory solidarity, top-down solidarity, clique-based solidarity, and co-optation (no solidarity). This study shows that radical intellectuals’ early actions play critical roles in the evolution or devolution of institutionalization of different forms of labor politics during the democratic consolidation.
Septal Perforation Repair Without Intraoperative Mucosal Closure in a Patient With Graft Versus Host Disease
Authors: Arnaoutakis Demetri , Gilmore Jim , Flavill Eric
Published: September 2016

We report a technique used to achieve successful repair of 2 large septal perforations in a patient with graft versus host disease, chronic use of corticosteroids, and chronic use of immunosuppressive medications. A multilayered interposition graft was constructed out of temporal fascia and flexible polydioxanone plates and placed between the mucoperichondrial flaps. Due to large size of the perforations and poor tissue quality, no attempt at mucosal closure of the perforations was made. Instead, silicone sheets were placed for 52 days to facilitate healing. Complete healing of both perforations sites was obtained along with resolution of the patient’s symptoms. The described technique provided an optimal surgical outcome in the setting of multiple large septal perforations, graft versus host disease, chronic corticosteroids, and chronic immunosuppressive medications.
Controlling Variables in Social Systems - A Structural Modelling Approach
Authors: Mouchart Michel , Wunsch Guillaume , Russo Federica
Published: September 2016

Determining the variables to be controlled for is usually a major problem in the social sciences when analyzing possible causal relations. A structural modelling approach, having recourse to directed acyclic graphs, is presented here as a consistent framework for determining a coherent set of guidelines when deciding what variables should be controlled. Two rules are developed for determining control variables when studying respectively the direct and the total effects of a cause on an outcome. An application to contraceptive use in urban Africa is given as an example. Our approach for determining control variables is simpler and more comprehensive than alternative ones based on Pearl’s back-door criterion.
Early Origins of Adult Cancer Risk Among Men and Women: Influence of Childhood Misfortune?
Authors: Kemp Blakelee R. , Ferraro Kenneth F. , Morton Patricia M. , Mustillo Sarah A.
Published: September 2016

Objective: To examine the effect of five childhood misfortune domains—parental behavior, socioeconomic status, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and impairments—on all-site and selected site-specific cancer prevalence and all-site cancer incidence. Method: Panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2004-2012) were used to investigate cancer risk among adults above the age of 50. Results: Risky parental behavior and impairment in childhood were associated with higher odds of all-site cancer prevalence, and childhood chronic disease was associated with prostate cancer, even after adjusting for adult health and socioeconomic factors. Moreover, having one infectious disease in childhood lowered the odds of colon cancer. Cancer trends varied by race and ethnicity, most notably, higher prostate cancer prevalence among Black men and lower all-site cancer among Hispanic adults. Discussion: These findings underscore the importance of examining multiple domains of misfortune because the type and amount of misfortune influence cancer risk in different ways.
Preparation and curing behavior of high-stress solid propellant binder based on polydicyclopentadiene
Authors: Sun Qili , Ma Song , Ge Zhen , Luo Yunjun
Published: September 2016

The ring-opening metathesis polymerization reaction of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) was carried out using Grubbs first generation catalyst. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), dynamic-thermo mechanical analysis (DMA), and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the curing behavior of this polymer. The FTIR results showed that DCPD had not cured completely and the polymers were composed of linear and cross-linked polydicyclopentadiene (PDCPD). The DMA test showed that the polymer possesses the glass transition temperature of linear PDCPD and cross-linked PDCPD, which had also proved the FTIR result. Furthermore, in order to explain the strange phenomenon that the band at 3004 cm−1 should have been detected in infrared spectrum, the Raman spectrum of PDCPD was applied to analyze the bonding mechanism of =C–H bond in the process of polymerization. Moreover, the real-time FTIR result cure formula showed that the cure degree increases first then constants trend with cure time of increasing, the cure degree reached the maximum value (96.76%) at 60°C for 192 h.
Estrogen receptor alpha gene (ESR1) polymorphism can contribute to clinical findings in systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Drehmer M N , Andrade D , Pereira I A , Marrero A R , Muniz Y C N , de Souza I R , Löfgren S E
Published: September 2016

Background

Estrogens have a modulatory effect on several immune responses, many of which are correlated to autoimmune diseases. Estrogens act through binding to their receptors, and an overexpression of these receptors has been identified in patients with different autoimmune diseases. Here we analyzed the association of a putative functional genetic variant in the main estrogen receptor (ERα) gene ( ESR1), and the susceptibility to clinical findings and severity of SLE.

Methods

A total of 426 individuals (266 healthy controls and 160 SLE patients) were genotyped for the polymorphism rs2234693 in the ESR1 gene. Allele and genotype frequencies were calculated and analyzed between cases and controls using Unphased software.

Results

The SNP rs2234693 was not associated with SLE per se but the minor allele rs2234693-C was correlated with the presence of nephritis and discoid skin rash. On the other hand, the rs2234693-CC genotype was correlated with the absence of arthritis as well as anti-ANA and anti-RNP autoantibodies. The comprehensive clinical analysis of these patients revealed a more severe status of the disease, characterized by a younger age of onset and higher number of organs involved when compared to European populations.

Conclusions

Minor allele rs2234693-C was associated with renal and cutaneous involvement, as well as the absence of arthritis, anti-ANA and anti-RNP autoantibodies.
The enduring legacy of Alfred Gilman senior (1908–1984) to pharmacology and clinical medicine
Authors: Rubin Ronald P
Published: September 2016

Alfred Gilman was best known for his co-authorship with Louis Goodman of the seminal textbook on pharmacology The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics in 1941. The book made the discipline of pharmacology relevant to clinical medicine by providing a link between the basic medical sciences and the practice of medicine. Gilman was also instrumental in establishing the use of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer and made important contributions in areas related to renal function, acid-base balance, and diuretics. During the 1960s, he created a first rate department at the newly formed Albert Einstein College of Medicine. A superb lecturer, he commented incisively on issues related to pharmacology, therapeutics, and pathophysiology. Dr Gilman also provided a key link between academia and the pharmaceutical industry by serving as a consultant to several drug firms. The legacy of Alfred Gilman senior was continued by his son, Alfred Goodman Gilman, who became a Nobel Laureate.
Liabilities, Advantages, and Buffers of Newness
Authors: Renko Maija , Kundu Sumit K. , Shrader Rodney , Carsrud Alan L. , Parhankangas Annaleena
Published: September 2016

This article presents a conceptual discussion and a theoretical framework explaining how the liabilities of newness, which are traditionally thought of as disadvantages that young companies face, contribute to early firm internationalization. Through a systematic analysis of the liabilities that international new ventures face, as well as the liabilities and the advantages that a young age provides, we are able to integrate findings from the existing body of diffuse research on newness and internationalization, and develop propositions for future empirical research. Based on previous liabilities of newness and foreignness research, our study provides a novel theoretical model that explains early internationalization over and beyond existing internationalization models.
Cost Overruns in Public Sector Investment Projects
Authors: Miranda Sarmento Joaquim , Renneboog Luc
Published: September 2016

We analyze cost overruns in a large sample of public infrastructural investment projects in Portugal. The average cost deviation relative to the budgeted costs amounts to 24%. The large projects even have a higher cost deviation and a higher probability of cost overruns, which suggests that the public administration may not have sufficient expertise to forecast required investments and handle these types of projects. Cost overruns are more likely in election years, reflecting that politicians seem eager to speed up or conclude infrastructural investments, and thus, they inaugurate a new service to harvest political goodwill with the population. We document that cost deviations are reduced over time; however, this reduction does not appear to be the result of the new procurement laws but seem rather the result from the benefits of learning and increased fiscal constraints. A reduction in corruption positively correlates with cost deviations and the probability of cost overruns.
Baseline EDSS proportions in MS clinical trials affect the overall outcome and power: A cautionary note
Authors: Wang Guoqiao , Cutter Gary R , Cofield Stacey S , Lublin Fred , Wolinsky Jerry S , Gustafson Tarah , Krieger Stephen , Salter Amber
Published: September 2016

Background:

In randomized clinical trials, when treatments do not work equally effectively across stratifications of participants, observed event rates may differ from those hypothesized leading to deviations in estimated power.

Objectives:

To investigate the effect of distributions of baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) proportions in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) on the trial outcome, confirmed disability progression rate (CDPR), and power.

Methods:

We reported CDPRs in the CombiRx trial by baseline EDSS and by groups (1st (0, 1), 2nd (1.5, 2), 3rd (2.5, 3), and 4th (⩾3.5)) and investigated the effect of different combinations of baseline EDSS proportions on the trial outcome and power.

Results:

There were 244 (25.4%) participants in the 1st group, 368 (38.4%) in the 2nd group, 223 (23.3%) in the 3rd group, and 124 (12.9%) in the 4th group with CDPRs of 40.1%, 13.9%, 11.2%, and 16.9%, respectively. Both CDPR and power increased when the proportion of the 1st group increased in hypothetical trials with equal sample sizes in each arm, and a 10% increase in the 1st group led to a 5% increase in power.

Conclusion:

Various baseline EDSS proportions yielded different CDPRs and power, suggesting caution in interpretation of treatment effects across trials that enrolled participants with different proportions of baseline EDSS.
Portuguese validation of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory: Factor structure, reliability, and factor invariance
Authors: Morales Alexandra , Reis Sibília , Espada José P , Orgilés Mireia
Published: September 2016

The Short Health Anxiety Inventory is a brief instrument to assess health anxiety widely used across countries; however, no validated version is available for Portuguese-speaking population. Factorial structure, reliability, and equivalency factor with the Spanish version were analyzed with Portuguese adolescents aged 14–18 years. A Portuguese adolescent cohort ( N = 629) and a comparative Spanish adolescent cohort ( N = 1502) were evaluated. The original two-factor version was the best fitting model for the Portuguese version. The reliability was excellent. Complete measurement invariance across both countries was supported. The Portuguese version of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory is a valid screening inventory to assess health anxiety in adolescents.
Locus of control and pain: Validity of the Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales when used with adolescents
Authors: Castarlenas Elena , Solé Ester , Racine Mélanie , Sánchez-Rodríguez Elisabet , Jensen Mark P , Miró Jordi
Published: September 2016

The objective of this study was to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scales in adolescents. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that adequate fit of a four-factor model and the internal consistency of the scales were adequate. Criterion validity of the four scales of the Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control was also supported by significant correlations with measures of pain-related self-efficacy, anxiety, and coping strategies. The results indicate that the four Form C of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale scores are reliable and valid and therefore support their use to assess pain-related locus of control beliefs in adolescents.
A study of pipe parameters on the performance of cooling tower-based thermally activated building system
Authors: Leo Samuel DG , Shiva Nagendra SM , Maiya MP
Published: September 2016

Passive cooling systems are energy efficient and eco-friendly alternatives to mechanical cooling systems. In this paper, the cooling tower-based thermally activated building system, which acts as an indirect evaporative cooling system, has been investigated using a computational fluid dynamics tool for the hot semi-arid climate of New Delhi. Three design parameters namely spacing, vertical position and arrangement of pipes embedded in the roof and floor were analysed for their influence on the cooling performance of the system. The results indicate that reducing pipe spacing from 0.3 to 0.1 m and moving the pipes closer to the inner surface from 0.135 to 0.015 m could reduce the operative temperatures by 1.6 and 2.7℃, respectively. For the same total water flow rate, a change in pipe arrangement from serpentine to parallel showed insignificant influence on the indoor comfort indices. The best combination of these three parameters can achieve an average operative temperature of 29℃, which is comfortable for the hot semi-arid climate of New Delhi where the adaptive neutral temperature was found to be 29.4℃. This study will contribute to heating, ventilating, air-conditioning designers’ understanding of the importance of these parameters for achieving the required comfort in buildings in India.
Excessive leverage and firm performance in competitive casino markets
Authors: Seo Kwanglim
Published: September 2016

As competition and interest rates continue to rise, it becomes more critical to understand how leveraging in a competitive market will impact casino firms whose returns are sensitive to changes in financing costs. However, research on the effects of leverage and competition on firm value is scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of leveraging strategies by examining the moderating effect of competition on the relationship between leverage and firm performance in the U.S. casino industry. Analyzing a panel dataset of U.S. publicly traded casino firms from 1992 to 2014, this study finds an inverted U-shaped relationship between leverage and firm performance in the U.S. casino industry while the negative effect of leverage intensifies for highly leveraged casino firms as levels of competition increase. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into whether or not a leveraged growth strategy can contribute to improving performance in the competitive casino markets.
Hyper-power, the marketing concept and consumer as ‘boss’
Authors: Tadajewski Mark , Jones D.G. Brian
Published: September 2016

This article extends our knowledge of scientific marketing management and the reasons behind the emergence of the marketing concept. In our narrative, the banking community plays an important role in promoting marketing in the early 20th century. We illuminate this argument using the writings of Fred W. Shibley (1864–1944) and the theoretical resources of Michel Foucault. For Shibley, marketing advanced the interests of corporate financiers, shareholders and employees. Their profit focus was enabled through the marketing concept and accounting practices that mediated hyper- and disciplinary power. In this discourse, organizational relations reflected a pyramidal management of information through a ‘principle of omnivisibility’. These processes individualized departments and affected all employees. Importantly, these control mechanisms were seeded through ‘displacement’. This discursive move reveals a new dimension underwriting the promotion of the marketing concept and the pursuit of profit. These ‘progressive’ facets of marketing theory and practice were invoked to redirect employee attention away from their fractious relationships with management and the owners of capital. Redirecting employee focus was attempted by positioning the consumer as the ‘boss’, with increased production and consumption framed as ‘unpolitical socialism’. While the marketing management literature depicts the marketing concept in quasi-humanistic terms, we unearth the roles of hyper- and disciplinary power, combined with a status-quo orientation that underwrote its promotion in this formative period.
Effect of environmental factors on how older pedestrians detect an upcoming step
Authors: Cheng T-J , Yang B , Holloway C , Tyler N
Published: September 2016

The relationships between environmental features and older people's ability to safely move around a complex pedestrian environment are, as yet, poorly understood. Specifically, the impact of light levels on trip hazard detection during walking has received relatively little attention. This study investigates the effect of illuminance on people's ability to detect steps of different heights in a laboratory-based controlled environment. Sixteen young and 15 older participants walked along a 13.2 m walkway towards an either ascending or descending step at 200 lux or 4 lux light levels. Trial time, gaze behaviour and distance at which the step was first visually fixated (detection distance) were measured using an eye-tracker. It was found that both the trial time and detection distance of older participants were affected by light level whereas the fixation number and fixation duration of young participants were affected by step-height. Shorter detection distance, greater number of fixations and longer fixation duration were found among older participants as opposed to young participants. The results suggest that the processing efficiency for visual information on an upcoming step is slower among older people than among young people. This implies that the vulnerability of older pedestrians maybe be reduced if better lighting or a simplified visual environment is provided.
Complications and Failure of Endovenous Laser Ablation and Radiofrequency Ablation Procedures in Patients With Lower Extremity Varicose Veins in a 5-Year Follow-Up
Authors: Woźniak Witold , Mlosek R. Krzysztof , Ciostek Piotr
Published: September 2016

Introduction:

Thermal ablation techniques have gradually replaced Babcock procedure in varicose vein treatment.

Aim:

A comparative quantitative–qualitative analysis of complications and failure of endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in a 5-year follow-up.

Materials and Methods:

One hundred ten adult participants with varicose veins clinical grade C2 to C6, treated for isolated great saphenous vein (GSV) or small saphenous vein (SSV) insufficiency in a single lower extremity in 2009 to 2010, were enrolled and subdivided into EVLA (n = 56) and RFA (n = 54) groups. Both groups were compared for demography, disease stage, affected veins, perioperative, and postoperative complications as well as treatment efficacy.

Results:

The perioperative and postoperative complications were statistically insignificant. Treatment efficacy, expressed as the number of participants with recurrent varicosity and recanalization, was comparable in both groups. The clinically significant recanalization rate was 3.6% and 5.6% in EVLA and RFA groups, respectively.

Conclusion:

Endovenous laser ablation and RFA for the management of lower extremity varicose vein offer comparable efficacy and safety in a 5-year follow-up.
Data transmission optimization algorithm for network utility maximization in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Li Chengtie , Wang Jinkuan , Li Mingwei
Published: September 2016

We provide a joint scheme for rate control, scheduling, routing, and power control protocol for wireless sensor networks based on compressive sensing. Using a network utility maximization formulation, we present cross-layer optimization solutions using Lagrangian multipliers in the transport, network, media access control, and physical layers. Inspired by compressive sensing, we focus on the construction of utility functions based on the constraints of the link capacity, rate, routing, and power to decrease the computational cost, accelerate the convergence rate, and degrade the error ratio. The optimization solutions are developed by solving the optimization model of network utility maximization. We prove the effectiveness by the theory analysis at the stability of the transmission rate and error ratio. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the performance in terms of stability of the error ratio of compressive sensing, energy consumption, and transmission delay in wireless sensor networks.
Analysis of Novel Care Management Programs in Primary Care: An Example of Mixed Methods in Health Services Research
Authors: Holtrop Jodi Summers , Potworowski Georges , Green Lee A. , Fetters Michael
Published: September 2016

While health services researchers are using mixed methods research in large-scale studies with “big data” and incorporating data transformation for merging qualitative and quantitative data sets, these developments are not widely known to the broader mixed methods research community. Our purpose in this article is to introduce health services research to the broader mixed methods audience, to examine the potential for novel innovations in mixed methods research procedures, and to illustrate these points through a project on care management that used a convergent mixed methods design. In addition to traditional analytical procedures, we illustrate two qualitative to quantitative data transformation procedures, one using normalization process theory and a second, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis.
Acute Isolated Flexor Tendon Laceration Associated With a Distal Radius Fracture
Authors: Hill J. Ryan , Alluri Ram K. , Ghiassi Alidad
Published: September 2016

Background: Subacute rupture of the flexor tendons secondary to distal radius fractures is well documented. Recently, accounts of flexor tendon rupture following open reduction internal fixation have been associated with volar plate fixation. However, discovery of an occult traumatic flexor tendon laceration during fixation of an acute distal radius fracture is not well described. This case indicates the importance of careful preoperative and intraoperative examination of the flexor tendons in the setting of comminuted distal radius fractures. Methods: A forty-seven-year-old male sustained a comminuted, dorsally displaced distal radius fracture. Initial and post-reduction examinations revealed no gross functional abnormalities. Upon operative fixation of the fracture, laceration of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon to the index finger was incidentally noted at the level of the fracture site. Results: Due to extensive dorsal comminution, shortening, and the presence of a lunate facet fragment, we performed volar fragment-specific and dorsal spanning bridge plate fixation. The proximal and distal ends of the FDP tendon were marked, but repair was deferred until implant removal. This allowed for proper informed consent and avoided potential compromise of the repair given the presence of a volar implant. Conclusions: Acute flexor tendon rupture secondary to closed distal radius fractures may go unnoticed if a high index of suspicion is not maintained. Delayed diagnosis of these ruptures convolutes the mechanism of injury and disrupts the recovery process. Hand surgeons should be vigilant in examining flexor tendon function during the preoperative evaluation, especially in the setting of acute high-energy injury.
The Association Between Cardiac Rehabilitation Attendance and Hospital Readmission
Authors: House Chad M. , Anstadt Mary A. , Stuck Logan H. , Nelson William B.
Published: September 2016

Purpose: Cardiac rehabilitation is associated with improved clinical outcomes, but the impact of individual cardiac rehabilitation sessions on readmission rates is less studied. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of the relationship between the number of cardiac rehabilitation sessions completed and all-cause and cardiac readmission rates at 1 year was conducted. The 1-year cardiac readmission counts were modeled via Poisson regression. Results: Of the 347 patients included in the primary analysis, 227 (65%) completed all assigned cardiac rehabilitation sessions. At 1 year, 135 patients (39%) had at least 1 cardiac readmission, and 155 patients (45%) had at least 1 all-cause readmission. The primary result was that every additional cardiac rehabilitation session completed was associated with a 1.75% lower incidence rate of 1-year cardiac readmission (P = .01) and a 2% lower incidence rate of all-cause hospital readmission (P = .001). Conclusion: Regardless of the number of cardiac rehabilitation sessions assigned, each additional session attended was associated with reduced cardiac readmission by 1.75% and all-cause readmission by 2%.